Watching CSI

Now that the Minature Killer storyline has wrapped, you can own a replica of Gil Grissom’s office created for the storyline. An Ebay auction is currently running and you could be the lucky fan to win the prize. The auction ends October 7th and proceeds will go to the National CASA Association.

451 Press actually have a CASA board member in our ranks. Margie, who runs that fabulous Battlestar Galatica blog, was kind enough to answer some questions about the organization.

KD: Can you tell us a little about CASA and what CASA does?
Margie:CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and it is a national organization that works with abused and neglected children in foster care. Everybody knows that social workers and other people who work with abused children are over worked and underpaid, and there is simply more work and more abuse than our system can candle. CASA takes people who want to help and gives them extensive training, and then they are appointed by juvenile judges to specific children’s cases so they can investigate the situation, work with the children to get them the services they need, and help everyone involved determine what really is in the best interests of the child.

KD: What are some of your duties as a board member?
Margie: As a board member I work to help maximize the assets and energies of the CASA organization in my area of the country. That means I work on short and long term financial planning issues, provide support for the staff’s volunteer recruitment and fundraising efforts, and anything else I can to help serve more kids through CASA. It is an amazing organization, and both statistically and individually it makes a big difference in the lives of these kids. The stories of these volunteers are inspiring, it is a privilege to do what I can to help get the volunteers and the children the support they need to recover from these horrific situations and hopefully get their young lives back on track.

A recent audit shows that:

• 95% of children do not languish in long-term foster care.
• 90% of children do not reenter the child welfare system.

What a wonderful cause. Hurry and bid. You’ve got less than a week.

Note: It’s important to remember that CASA volunteers don’t actually decide placement.

csi, ebay, casa, minature killer, cbs, court appointed special advocates, william petersen, gil grissom

With the news that Jorja Fox may be leaving CSI for good, legions of fans have mobilized. Reminiscent of the Jericho Nuts campaign that saved an entire show, Jorja fans are hoping to save just one woman-Sara Sidle…or maybe it’s Jorja Fox. Whatever the case, a large grassroots campaign is responding to reports that Jorja Fox may leave the hit show due to a salary dispute The initiative actually has two parts.

(Campaign Updates can be found HERE, HERE and HERE)

Read on.

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Carmine Giovanazzo has been stomping to restore and perseve Ellis Island. While the Ellis Island Museum offers a terrific look at the history of the Island, many of the original buildings are in terrible shape.

From 1902 to 1954, more than 100 million immigrants were cared for in the hospital complex. Admittance came after processors in the Great Hall deemed immigrants medically unfit to enter the United States.

In many cases, illnesses followed a long, arduous journey in steerage or third-class quarters, which were cramped and unsanitary. An inspector’s suspicions that a new arrival might be suffering from measles, chickenpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis or ringworm could land the person in an isolation ward for days or even weeks.

Yet despite the fear these wards inspired, a vast majority of those treated in the south side buildings became eligible for entry into the United States. Only 2 percent were turned away and sent back home.

The goal of the fund-raising campaign is to restore everything from the hospital complex and contagious disease wards to the ferry house, the metal domed building where immigrants left the island for New York City.

Carmine is actually only second generation American. Hear his family’s inspiring story.

Source
ellis island
Carmine Giovinazzo
csi new york

Jorja Fox and Eric Szmanda attended  the 2007 Animal Acres Benefit on August 25.

Animal Acres is a farmed animal sanctuary and compassionate living center located just 45 minutes from Los Angeles.

Animal Acres works to promote compassionate living through its farmed animal rescue and refuge efforts, public education and outreach, and advocacy projects to prevent cruelty to farmed animals. Since we opened our doors in 2005, thousands of people have visited the sanctuary and learned that farmed animals need protection, and love, too.

Photo Source: JFO

jorja fox
eric szmanda
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I was glancing around the Huffington Report and decided to see who our favorite CSIs (or at least the people that play them) are supporting for president. I was surprised to see that Gary Sinise hadn’t thrown his weight behind one of the more conservative candidates but I figure he’s waiting for the primaries to be done before he commits. Besides he just plunked down $35,000 to support a veterans hospital.

I wasn’t surprised that Hill Harper(First name Frank) supports Barrack Obama. They are law school friends and Hill has attended several of Obama’s fund raisers. Carol Mendelsohn has donated to two campaigns and Jorja Fox is behind John Edwards.

J Fox
Entertainer
Self Employed
John Edwards
$2,000
2008
11766 WILSHIRE BLVD
LOS ANGELES CA

Carol Mendelsohn
Writer/producer
Cbs Paramount (csi)
John Edwards
$2,300
2008
15260 VENTURA BLVD
SHERMAN OAKS CA

Carol Mendelsohn
Information Requested
Cbs
Barack Obama
$2,300
2008
827 DEVON AVE
LOS ANGELES CA

F Harper(Frank Hill Harper)
Actor
Self Employed
Barack Obama
$2,300
2008
249 N BRAND BLVD
GLENDALE CA

Melina Kanakaredes
Actress
Self Employed
Barack Obama
$500
2008
16161 VENTURA BLVD
ENCINO CA

Ann Donahue
Writer/executive Producer
Cbs
John Edwards
$2,300
2008
9696 CULVER BLVD
CULVER CITY CA

csi
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Melina Kanakaredes

Thanks to CSI Fanatic for alerting us to a terrific opportunity. Jorja Fox and other CSI cast members are donating two great items to support Friends of El Faro Orphanage. The items up for bid are:

CSI JORJA FOX RECORDED PHONE MESSAGE

AND

CSI 6TH SEASON DVD + SCRIPT & PHOTO AUTOGRAPHED BY CAST

The auction started Friday and will last 10 days.

Here’s a a history of this wonderful charity.

Since November of 2000, Adam Smith and his wife Leigh Kilton-Smith have been traveling with a circle of friends to Tijuana, Mexico every four to five weeks to spend the weekend with the more then 100 children of “Casa Hogar Sion” orphanage.

It is here, where children, who have been abandoned or abused or neglected, have found a home, a place where they are safe and cared for, nourished and loved. It is here, where the Friends of El Faro do what they can take care of the children, and Mama Carmen and Papa Jorge and the staff, remarkable people who have created a home for children who did not have one.

Everything from cooking meals—so many meals, to drying tears, wiping noses, lots of hugs, playing games, talking, listening, breaking up fights and mediating peace; building playgrounds, changing diapers, showing outdoor movies, popping popcorn, and most importantly, letting the children know, and showing them that they are loved and cherished and important.

Over the years, more then two hundred friends have joined us on our weekend trips and when the orphanage lost their major funding severeal years ago friends of el faro rallied to put on an annual fundraiser to raise money to take care of our children. They are all our children.

For more information follow this link

Clutch Magazine has a very nice interview with Hill Harper. He mostly talks about his activism. Good stuff. Here’s a snippet. You can read the interview in total at Clutch.

Clutch: Historically and even in contemporary times people have often created this definition of what a man should be. I just turned 27 and was raised by a single mother, so I believe there are core values but every man has their own definition of what a man is. What is your definition of what a man is and on top of that is there any difference in what your definition of a Black man is?
Hill Harper: No, ultimately all the elements of manhood are not race specific. However, there are things that we all experience given certain circumstance, whether that’s race, economics, gender, educational background or educational opportunity, access to knowledge or access to money. All these factors will obviously influence experiences we have over the course of our lives. I’m not belittling the differences in terms of race, but manhood is manhood. It’s interesting that you ask that question about what is my definition, the definition to me is more of how do you define faith? You don’t articulate the definition in words it’s something that’s felt. Those of us who are men who are living right, we know we’re living in the right manhood based way. Those of us who are living wrong, we know that we are living childishly, making boyish decisions. Everyone knows it and they can sense it, so it’s not about words or me giving a Webster’s Dictionary of what manhood is, it’s really about looking internally. The first quote in my book is from Dr. King., where he said, “One’s sense of manhood must come from within.”

hill harper
csi
csi new york
clutch magazine

Jorja Fox has signed on the dotted line for the purposed California Healthy Pets Act which would mandate that all Californian cats and dogs be spayed or neutered. Check out Jorja’s Johnette Hancock and the actual wording of the proposed bill.

For more information or to support the initiative check out Peta’s website.

PETA
Jorja Fox
CSI
Animal Rights
California Healthy Pets Act

Marg paired with Diana Harris for What A Pair to benefit breast cancer. You’ll remember last year she sang with Jorja Fox. Looks like lots of fun.

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Gary loves the troops. More Info Here

The parade features Honorary Marshal actor Gary Sinise, (best known for his role as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump and current star of TV’s “CSI New York”). The Grand Marshals are a contingent of wounded heroes from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Honorary Marshal for WWI is Frank Buckles - one of the last living American veterans of “The Great War.”

gary sinise
veteran’s day
veterans
military
parade
csi ny

Go Vote for our girl. She is definately the world’s sexiest vegetarian.

Vote Here

jorja fox PETA CSI CBS Vegetarian Vegan Vegetarianism

Melina Kanakaredes and daughter Karina have contributed original artwork to an auction that will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Create My Own™ Cup from Playtex Products allows kiddies to design their own sippy cups. How cool is that? Take a gander at what Melina and Karina came up with. The Ebay Auction auction starts tomorrow.

Melina+Kanakaredes CSI CBS CSI New York CSI NY AIDS Pediatric AIDS Charity Ebay Charity Auctions

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog