Her Next Chapter is Her OWN - What's Yours?

"Let this be the year you release your fears about what you can achieve. Know for sure what you want and be willing to give yourself what you need to get it." -- Oprah

I picked up the January 2011 issue of  "O - The Oprah Magazine"  the other day.  The title on the front page intrigued me - "What's Your Next Chapter?".  Oprah Winfrey has had a talk show for 25 years and she is moving on to a new venture.  In the interview with O Editor in Chief Susan Casey, Oprah talks about her 18-year-journey to have her own network.  She said she wrote in her journal in 1992 that her partner Stedman had said to her, "Why don't you own your own network?".  She sat with the idea and thought of the letters OWN - standing for the Oprah Winfrey Network.  That was when the seed was planted.  She goes on to say in the article how she was looking for "signs and signals" and over the next 18 years this idea grew and now is ready to sprout.  She wants OWN to do what The Oprah Winfrey Show and her O Magazine have done for years - inspire and entertain.  It will be a channel filled with creative, meaningful, and mindful programming.  January 1, 2011 marks the beginning of her new chapter - the Oprah Winfrey Network.  With programming 24/7/365 she even admits they have a lot of work ahead of them.

"I would like for people to have that space to go to. A breathing space -

where you knew that something would always be there to fill you." -- Oprah

"Everything you've ever done prepares you for all that you can do and be.  

So I move forward to start a new chapter with the lessons I've learned 

and the strength I've gained."  -- Oprah

Oprah inspires me to "live my best life".  She has touched the lives and hearts of many all over the world.  She has encouraged people to think about "What's your next chapter?" As we head into a new year, it's a really good time to look at our lives from a fresh perspective and think about how we want to live our best life. What's your next chapter?

"Once you clarify your purpose for doing something, 

the way to do it becomes clear." -- Oprah

Why Oprah decided to start her OWN Network.  See the complete article here: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Oprah-Winfrey-Network-Sneak-Preview/1

Cheers!

~ Angela Gentile

America's Funniest Home Videos

I remember watching America's Funniest Home Videos when it started out over 20 years ago.  I enjoyed watching this program every Sunday night. Every once in a while I still find this program on TV. Here is one of my favourite YouTube videos that honors the funny animals that have made us laugh over the years.




Thanks AFV for all the laughs and great entertainment over the years. Go to this link for more information on AFV: http://abc.go.com/shows/americas-funniest-home-videos

Have a great day!

~ Angela Gentile

Hot in Cleveland - TV Sitcom

I heard about this new sitcom on TV, called, "Hot in Cleveland".  I watched it the other night, and I was laughing out loud.  It stars Valerie Bertinelli and Betty White.   There are three women who were on their way to Paris looking for love, and their plane had an emergency landing in Cleveland Ohio, and they ended up loving it there.  They rented a place from an older woman, Elka (Betty White).  The episode I watched has a hilarious with funny scene at the end, about "going downtown".  Elka and her date had a fight, because he wouldn't "go downtown".  He ended up coming to her door, and told her he was "willing to try going downtown".  The conversation continued and the audience (and myself) were laughing out loud.  It was so funny.  I will be sure to watch it again.

I found a clip on YouTube, called Hot In Cleveland: Sneak Peek.  Go to this link to see more:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezdQKhHFBmE

To see a news article about 88-year-old Betty White, click on this link:  http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20100725/betty-white-cleveland-100725/

Hot in Cleveland can be seen on Shaw TV in Winnipeg, Canada on Monday nights at 7pm on CTV (Channel 5).  Check your local listings to find out when it's playing in your area. 

Have a great day!

~Angela Gentile

Name Search - You May Surprise Yourself!

For fun the other day, I searched my name (married) and then I searched my maiden name.  I was so surprised to find a video that was from 1986!  I was in the Miss Canada pageant that year, and there is a video on Youtube.com of the opening ceremonies that I was in.  I could spot myself in a couple of different scenes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgNzOCdvs64

It's amazing how something from 24 years ago ends up on the internet!  It was before the personal computers and internet age, and I never dreamed this this would be on Youtube!  You never know when your past will pop up, or where.  I was also surpised to see my name on a list on a website called, Pageantopolis.  http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/canada_1980s.htm

From Wikipedia:

"Miss Canada was popular in 1970s, with up to 5 million viewers, but declined in the 1980s, until it was cancelled. Producers of the show cited mounting production costs, as the reason for cancellation, along with the absence of host Jim Perry, who went into semi-retirement after the 1991 pageant. The last winner was Miss Canada 1992 Nicole Dunsdon from British Columbia."

It's fun to search and find out who else shares your name, what they do, where they live, etc. You may also be pleasantly surprised and find a little trip down memory lane.  Finding this video, reminded me of the experience I had in the Miss Canada pageant.  Participating in the competition was quite remarkable and it made me feel like a celebrity.  I know people have strong opinions on  pageants (esp. women's groups who think pageants are degrading to women), but I also know they have changed a lot since I was in the Miss Canada Pageant (a scholarship competition).  Now there is a Miss Universe Canada pageant, check it out at:  http://www.beautiesofcanada.com/

Search your name (and maiden name if you're a woman) and where you live(d) and see what you come up with.  You may be surprised!  Let me know what you find.

Have a fantastic day!
~Angela

Madonna fills TV viewers with Glee

A fun program on TV these days, is called, Glee.  It's based on a high school that performs music and dancing.  The "Power of Madonna" episode was aired recently and it was sure fun to watch my favourite artists' music, from a span of over 25 years or so, be brought to life by some young (and not so young) talented actors, dancers and singers.  I especially liked the powerful message of equality between the sexes and the message of empowerment for girls of all ages.  It was a fun trip and I hope that if you missed it, that you can catch it on youtube.com or download this episode from the internet. 

I am one of Madonna's greatest fans, and I really enjoyed what this episode of Glee did with her music and cultural messages.

" I'd like to think I am taking people on a journey; I am not just entertaining people,

but giving them something to think about when they leave." - Madonna 

~Angela

Ellen De-Generous

Sometimes when I am at the gym on the elliptical, I put on my ear buds and hook up to one of the TV channels they have playing.  One of the TV programs I like to watch is Ellen.  Ellen DeGeneres is funny, uplifting, and often has interesting and humourous guests on.  Today I watched some funny videos and some interesting and very humourous Real Estate listings.  She loves to dance, and gets the whole audience up and dancing.  She's a Covergirl, she's married, and is openly gay.  She is very generous and often has giveaways  for the entire audience at her shows (I'd love to go to one of her shows!). 

I enjoyed her voice as the fish Dory in the movie, Finding Nemo.  Dory had a short term memory problem, and Ellen brought so much humour into the role and it made it more fun to watch.  She is currently a judge on Americal Idol and she brings humour into the show whenever she can.

This is an excellent quote I found:

"For me, it's that I contributed, ... That I'm on this planet doing some good and making people happy. That's to me the most important thing, that my hour of television is positive and upbeat and an antidote for all the negative stuff going on in life. "  Ellen DeGeneres

Check out The Ellen DeGeneres Show at http://ellen.warnerbros.com/ 

Have a happy day!

~Angela