Posted by: Audiegrl

Town Park Village, a residential complex in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, will welcome seven hundred volunteers to landscape and green the community as a way of honoring the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.

This January 16th event is only the latest in a series of projects that Hands On Miami has coordinated in Overtown, one of Miami’s most underserved communities. Last year, Hands On Miami helped to create and furnish two community centers for the seniors and young people of Town Park Village, and two kindergarten classrooms at the neighboring charter school, among several other projects.

In honor of MLK Day, the volunteers at Town Park Village will tackle a variety of projects, including landscaping and “greening” the complex. Volunteers will landscape the areas between buildings and create community gardens, revitalize the buildings by adding fresh coats of paint to the numbers on the homes and buildings and add murals to the local school. In an effort to help make the community more environmentally friendly, the volunteers will work to add trashcans between every building, include rain barrels in the gardens, and change every porch light to an energy efficient light bulb.

In addition to revitalizing the housing complex, the volunteers will also help the community’s residents by providing each household in Town Park Village with first aid kits. Every elementary school age child in the Overtown community will also receive a school care kit to replenish the school supplies they received in August.

This is just an example of the many service projects taking place across the country in honor of the Jan. 18 MLK Day of Service – to find other volunteer opportunities like this one and have an impact in your community, visit serve.gov/MLKDay.

I finally kicked off my own “Writing Skill” class after I had been procrastinating for the longest time. Thanks to the new book “Increase your word power” I bought last Sat @ a price that I couldn’t complain, I will use it in my class with other books to improve my writing skill dramatically.

My goal is to learn & master 500 new words in the next 6 months. Moreover, I also want my grammar to be perfect (i.e. no disagreements between Subject and verb, using tenses at ease, writing in different structures etc…). I will spend at least 3 hours a week for this class and the reward for myself is a Kindle from Amazon… well, it can be changed but that’s the value of the reward if I can achieve the goal I set.

Will keep updating my progress in this class. I need to be really discipline with myself given I am both student and teacher. I will definitely do that as I used to be the teacher before, I possess teacher traits

One advice to be a good writer I learnt from the very first chapter of this book is that you need to be both devoted and eclectic reader. By devoted they mean you need to spend lots of time reading for both pleasure and information purpose, and by “eclectic” they imply that you will need to read a wide variety of subjects in a number of formats (books, magazines, websites, newspaper, non-fiction, fiction etc…)

Wondrous start on Monday – keep up good work, Vu! I deserve a pat on the back for myself!

Studying in CQU in Rockhampton, Australia - 2003 I believe

Posted by: Audiegrl



The Corporation for National and Community Service shares a wonderful story of how Miami residents are coming together to green and beautify their community to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Miami project is just one example of how people are coming together to serve their communities as part of January 18th’s MLK Day of Service. To find service projects in your community, visit serve.gov/MLKDay.

How will you answer Dr. King’s question?

On January, 18, 2010, people of all ages and backgrounds will come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and to move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned. Dr. Martin Luther King devoted his life’s work to causes of equality and social justice. He taught that through nonviolence and service to one another, problems such as hunger and homelessness, prejudice and discrimination can be overcome. Dr. King’s teachings can continue to guide us in addressing our nation’s most pressing needs—poverty, economic insecurity, job loss and education.

Please volunteer with Americans across the nation on the 2010 King Day of Service and make a real in difference in your community. Fueled by President Obama’s call to service, the 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service experienced a historic level of participation, as Americans across the country honored Dr. King by serving their communities on the January 19 King Holiday. In total, more than 13,000 projects took place — the largest ever in the 14 years since Congress encouraged Americans to observe the King Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this national effort.

Thousands volunteered to prepare care packages for troops stationed in Iraq during Serve DC's Operation Gratitude project for the 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in Washington, DC.

How to You Can Serve

• Find a volunteer opportunity
• Create and/or register a project
• Help us recruit and spread the word for the 2010 MLK Day of Service by installing one of our widgets onto your own website or blog

2010 MLK Day Technology Challenge

We are calling on educators and web professionals to join our new effort – the 2010 MLK Day Technology Challenge. The idea is simple: to connect schools with technology needs to IT and web professionals, developers, graphic designers and new media professionals who are willing to volunteer their skills for good, take on these technology projects and give back to a school in need. Learn more.

MLK Day Resources

Everything you need to plan a King Day project – including tips on getting started, building partnerships, organizing the day, and fundraising. You’ll also find a service-learning guide for schools and organizations, project examples, and marketing tools to help promote your project.

For more information…

• Visit MLKDay.gov
• News and events

Eric Scheibeler, author of Merchants of Deception (and former Amway insider) has an eye-opening talk with Steven Hassan, Cult Expert (and ex-Moonie) about the deceptive, fraudulent and cult-like world of MLMs. They discuss how anyone is susceptible to being drawn in to today’s modern day, every-man cult– what Scheibeler describes as “the silent epidemic in America”… Scheibeler also uses himself as an example of how it is possible to break free of these destructive mindsets. I think you’ll want to watch all three parts of this interview:

Please >Digg this video!

Scaling treacherous waterfalls and hiking through dense jungle forests, a group of dedicated teachers makes their way to a remote northern-central community.

A class in forest

They are on a mission to the border areas of Tuong Duong District, Nghe An Province where the teachers live much of the year educating Mong, Kho Mu and Thai ethnic minority students.

The children attend school in Mai Son Commune, which borders Laos. The only way to reach the area is to trek through the mountains and forest, crossing several perilous rivers along the way.

Outsiders seldom visit the isolated area, and the locals only leave occasionally to get necessary supplies. Each teacher is here for a different reason, but everyone feels a strong connection to the local children.

Vieng Van Man volunteered to teach at the remote Mai Son junior high boarding school after he graduated from college. He says he loves his students, from the ethnic minority groups Mong and Kho Mu, and doesn’t teach to earn money.

Of the 23 staff, Mr. Man has the shortest distance to travel home. It takes him two days to travel through the forest and across rivers. He then has to take a bus to his hometown of Tam Dinh Commune, Tuong Duong District. In the summer, he sometimes stays at school to tutor his students.

Of the three female teachers, just one is married. “I am luckier than the other two because I found my life-partner right at school,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Thap.

“It is difficult for other teachers to get married because we are separated from the world. We often joke that if other teachers want to find partners, they have to go to the lowlands and get married there,” Ms. Thap said.

“But who dares to leave her partner and come back here after marriage?” she added.

At the beginning of the school year, a residential area was constructed so that students living far from Mai Son Commune did not need to use tents and could live near their teachers.

Thanks to the new area, teachers say it is easier for both the students and themselves. Those who live closer to the school must spend half a day traveling to and from home. They carry rice, corn and bamboo sprouts to eat for meals and the teachers often share their own food with the students.

The tight-knit community is grateful for the dedication of the teachers and the hope they bring. “Without teachers the children would not be educated to their full potential,” said Mr. Lo Dai Duyen, party secretary of Mai Son commune.

“Thanks to them, our children can go to university. It brings us great happiness,” he added. 

Bookmark & Share

Today I am posting a link. This link is to ‘Lick Global Warming,’ which as the name suggests is a site devoted to the defeat of global warming and climate change. The site provides information on the issue, as well as aids to help individuals do their bit to win the fight against global warming:

http://www.lickglobalwarming.org/ 

Through my research on MLMs and thought reform seminars (Large Group Awareness Training- LGAT) I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend of LGAT graduates starting up their own ‘boot camps’ aimed at marketing themselves as top network marketers helping you get leads and be better at network marketing for your MLM business… But only after revealing their ’secret of success’- going to an LGAT such as The Landmark Forum or Landmark Education trainings.

I refer to these thought reform groups, or LGATs as cult-like, cultic, money cults, and sometimes outright cults. Mainly because they use a one-size-fits all thought reform method of breaking you down then building you back up. And because there is the risk of severe psychological damage that can (and have) lead to lawsuits and suicides (< an ex-Forum member tells a story.) Besides Landmark, there are tons of them (unfortunately) thriving all over North America and other countries around the world. To keep this post simple I will only refer to Landmark, but I am certainly aware of many other groups based on Werner Erhard’s est “technology”, partially derived from Scientology, and will write more about those in another post. Or I just may altogether start a new blog devoted to LGATs.

Back to my point. The disturbing trend. It seems that Landmark has a program in its advanced course for students to set a goal of success. Design an ‘extraordinary life’ for themselves. Start something from nothing. Within all of that, they have already been programmed to share with the world the great ‘gift’ of ‘possibility’. Don’t keep the secret to yourself. Meaning, get everyone to ‘enroll’ with Landmark, but don’t tell them what actually happens during the ‘workshops’. These graduates don’t get a commission for recruiting anyone, that’s not Landmark’s goal. The goal is to transform and brainwash as many people as possible to go out and spread the word, all the while taking thousands of dollars from new enrollees. Members that don’t meet recruiting quota will remain a lower status on the LGAT totem pole, further encouraging them to spread their ‘happiness’ and ‘breakthroughs’ by posting YouTube videos and blogs talking about how they were already successful in life, but used to be angry, or defiant and now, thanks to Landmark Education, they have ‘freed’ themselves from that part of themselves (the emotional part?) and are now able to get whatever they want in life without getting in their own way.

So now some of them are out creating their extraordinary life by scamming people without a guilty conscience. Lovely.

> Want to see examples of these people at work?

Thus, God is proclaiming that there are principles in the heavens and that they govern life on earth. Furthermore, God is responsible for bringing forth the Mazzaroth in their seasons. Most Bibles avoid translating this sacred word, ‘Mazzaroth’, because it literally means, ‘the twelve signs of the zodiac’, in Hebrew. So, God created the zodiac and brings them forth in their seasons. He explains that heavenly constellations like the Pleiades and Orion have ‘influences’ that can be unleashed.

We don’t have to be afraid of signs from the heavens. God speaks through them. In Judges 5:20 it describes the ‘stars’ in battle, “They fought from the heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Ciceria.” In Jeremiah 10:2 it says, “…do not be dismayed by signs from heaven.” We need to be open to the realization of messages in the heavens. In Psalms 136:7-9, it says, “Who made the great lights? His love endures forever; the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night.” In Psalms 147:3-4 it says, “God heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” The Hebrew word ‘shem’ means ‘name, a mark of character, individuality, honor and authority.’ Stars have all that, according to the Bible. Again, in Isaiah 40:26 we hear, “Lift your eyes on high and behold who has created these. He who brings forth the starry hosts by numbers one by one and calls them forth by character.”

Jesus embodied the Piscean archetype, linking the first sign Aries with the last sign Pisces, the alpha with the omega, starting not just one new age, but a whole cycle of twelve ages. People began spiritually cleansing themselves through the baptismal rites, as Pisces is a water element sign. Suddenly, water was sacred (as opposed to fire) and the fish became holy. Early Christians would identify themselves by drawing the sign of Pisces in the sand. Jesus spoke often of the age of his birth as a preparation age for the Age of Enlightenment to follow. He was referring to the Age of Aquarius that is symbolized by the cosmic man bearing the pitcher of the living waters of life, pouring it throughout the universe. At Jesus’ first Jupiter return (age 12) he began instructing the Priests at the temple, saying to his parents, “Let me be about my work.” After his first Saturn return (age 30) he became intensely devoted to teaching and demonstrating the way of unconditional love. He selected twelve disciples each with a character similar to one of the twelve signs. At the Last Supper Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. In astrology each sign governs a part of the body. Pisces symbolizes the feet.

  It is the grandest thought of Who You Are, your Highest Feeling and Greatest Word that you find Me.

We are here to evolve, we are made in the “image and likeness of God” The second coming isn’t one man, nor it is one anything.

The second coming is you and me, rising in consciousness of Christ. We are the Christed beings. Our awareness will raise in number to 144,000. These 144,000 will bring another 144,000 each to awareness. Globally we ascend to the city of light. This is our planetary goal. Our human divinity, as well as the greatest word, highest feeling, and grandest thought of Who We Really Are.

The Spiritual Revolution has begun.

With love, Rochelle author  The Stone People

www.rochellefoulk.wordpress.com

Luke 12:22-26
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifeb? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Parable after parable, Jesus was teaching his significant following what God’s will for man was and is. Wealth was an area he spoke often about and it might seem depressing to most of us. Most of us devote our lives to providing well for us and our families and some of us are successful at it. To many, the safety in having wealth stored is more than the security of knowing we serve a loving savior. Wealth is measured in terms of money, possessions, jewelry, land, cattle and many other ways. Is the Lord saying that the pursuit of money is wrong then? Can we not build safety nets for ourselves here on earth to safeguard us and our families against difficult times like economic recessions?

In the verses prior to our passage today, we are reminded that if we put our trust in any wealth that is not scriptural, we may never be able to enjoy the fruits of it. Death may rob us of the chance of enjoying it’s protection and provision and our loved ones also may not get it. However, when we focus our lives on serving the Lord, we build for ourselves wealth in eternity and that is never perishing just as we are not when we are saved by God’s grace. Today the Lord reminds us that we are not to worry about our lives, our food, our physical health or clothes because he will provide and has been providing better than he does to even the birds of the air. We are considered God’s own children when we take his yoke upon our shoulders and we can rest in knowing that he has our best in mind. Now the pursuit of wealth is a joy because it is spiritual and all other wealth we acquire is from him and for his glory. Lets refocus our lives to serving him faithfully and building our treasures in heaven.

In His Loving Service,
Vineet

PS: Sign up for daily devotionals by clicking the email subscription icon at the top right of this page or by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/in-his-loving-service. Share this with your friends and family who need encouragement!

What's Your Destination?

Apparently Blastoff can’t pay the Canadians, but they’re asking Canadian members to go ahead and grow their networks anyway, and they won’t be able to claim their own share of the cash-back rewards the down-lines bring in until the virtual cross-border shopping  ‘glitch’ is sorted out with their lawyers which may take 3-6 months, says Blastoff… Apparently there is also some confusion as to whether or not Canadian members will be paid retroactively once it’s sorted (that is, if it’s ever sorted out).

So in the meantime, the Canadians are encouraged to hang in there, keep shopping, grow their networks, while Blastoff gets all the commissions and is admittedly unsure at this time whether or not the Canadians will be paid for all their efforts. (??)

> http://getsatisfaction.com/blastoff/topics/what_happens_to_u_s_people_that_sign_up_under_a_canadian

However, I’d like to know if anyone has been paid yet…

Popular teen-themed channel 4 television show Skins is due to begin broadcasting its fourth series on January 28th 2010 on E4. The show, which began broadcasting on digital station E4 in 2007, has built up a large number of devoted fans. Every two years the cast is replaced with a new set of core characters. About A Boy star Nicholas Hoult starred in the first series as Tony Stonem. The new series will be the last featuring the current cast, which includes Kaya Scodelario as Effy Stonem. There will be eight episodes in the new series. The show is also a hit in the states where an American version, set in Baltimore, is currently in development. A big screen version may also soon be made as it was announced, in May 2009, that Film4 and Skins production company, Company Pictures, are in preliminary talks about producing one. I’m looking forward to the new series and will be disappointed if it proves to be the last one they make. Thanks for reading.

Taurus is an Earth Element together with Virgo & Capricorn

The Taurus: In General

Patience, reliable, warm hearted, loving, persistent, placid, security loving, determined, negative, jealous, possessive, resentful, inflexible, stubborness, self indulgence, materialistic, likes stability, things being attractive, comfort, pleasure, stubborness is a trait of all earth signs, Taurus is most stubborn of all, Capricorn is more persistent.

Very strong, silent, not loud or noisy, speaks sparingly, not very talkitive, solid & steady, nothing easily disturbs their tranquility. They won’t budge an inch. Saddam Hussein was a Taurus and he didn’t budge an inch even though it was in his best interest. Quite often prefers to be left alone. If you press him, he will become obstinate, takes a long time to get angry & when he does – get out of the way! Once every a couple years he gets angry. Prefers to stay at home. A Taurus husband may refuse to accompany his wife to her friends house if he is uncomfortable there. A Taurus woman who does not approve of her husbands friends will not talk to them.

They don’t like change they don’t like noisy surroundings. Very much into nature. Alot of farmers are Taurus. Passive nature – seldom worry or chew their nails. They can easily take things in stride. If things don’t go their way they get gloomy & depressed. Patience is their virtue. Taurus is not the nagging type. Could take pain. They don’t complain, but they are glued to their opinion. Very stubborn, Kids are so stubborn he won’t listen to the doctor. Extremely devoted, they make the most loyal friend. Their pockets are wide open to friends in need. To them, a friend is a friend. They may only have a few friends but those friends are real. Rarely cruel. If they marry their right one, they have a lasting a love. If one dies the other dies shortly after. Very tolerant of peoples faults but will not easily forget a wrong.

Taurus usually don’t divorce & if they do, it will take a long time to recover. Slow in making decisions, deliberate & cautious, not gamblers or risk takers. Will plan for tomorrow carefully. If you are a Taurus you will 100% have a savings account and invest in property. Taurus loves $ because they really wanna be secure. They enjoy luxury but hate waste & extravagance. Taurus can’t get rid of stuff, they like to accumulate. They like good food & drink. They like to exercise – make excellent athletes. Love for Art & Music. Lot of them have beautiful voices. They enjoy gardening & real estate, accounting, banking. They don’t make good salesmen bec they are very honest, they may even dicourage you from buying it.

As parents they may be overprotective, they can limit their kid to be what they can. They will set high standards & strict discipline.

THE TAURUS MAN
More quiet, practical & down to earth, they may need alot of dates till they decide to get married, tender, gentle& protective husband, they tend to remember birthdays & anniversaries & buy gifts. He will not sweep you off your feet like a Leo or make promises like an Aries his word is a word. Be careful not to interupt him they can get very upset. Don’t call him naive, he gets very insulted. Has a hard time apologizing but expects apologies from others. They will not put up with a loud woman or one who cracks a whip like a animal trainer. They want to be the one in charge. They respect a woman with common sense. You cannot rush or push them. They will not tolerate a interfering mother-in-law. Noone treats his wife better than a Taurus

THE WOMAN TAURUS
Appearance, demeanor, values (Aquarius, Pisces too!), has a gentle pleasant disposition, doesn’t beat around the bush, morall & emotional courage, may have a violent temper provoked, they can show frigid indifference to those she dislikes, she can host but on “her” terms. Does not like phonies but will accept people the way the are. More stimulated by the “beautiful” than the intellectual, they want security, warmth & affection. (Taurus goes well with Pisces, Capricorn & sometimes w/ Virgo) Adores children but could be strict & demanding especially when the children grow up. Won’t stand for disobedience & sloppiness in the home. They will support the husband & take a job if necessary. They will look out for bargains. They can be very possessive. Taurus is not a crybaby but expects the hubby to be the main bread-winner. She has the strength to infuse the hubby w/ hope. They are dependable and predictable.

THE TAURUS CHILD
Stubborness, gives hugs & kisses, A Taurus will resist force but it can not resist affection. Use athletics to overcame shyness, give them music lessons to help their moods.

THE TAURUS BOSS
Will be patient with mistakes & will not yell at you (Aries will yell every 15 min) don’t take advantage of hi9m being considerate cuz sooner or later he will fire you w/o warning. He sometimes tests his worker’s integrity. Prefers old conventional ways than new ideas. Prefers safe ways. Has good business acumen. He wants things done “his” way. Won’t expect miracles over night, won’t judge harshly.

6

It’s so easy it’s scary!

Watch this video for a dark and twisted (and largely accurate) take on what I’m currently researching for upcoming posts…

New image in the cemeteries photography contest

A devoted husband visits with hose in hand to pay homage to his loved one by maintaining the plot’s plants. …
Devoted Homage photography picture

ANGELINA’SDownloads BROTHER’S TRIBUTE TO SHILOH
James Haven, Angelina’s older
brother, is veryPrice devoted to his niece
On Thanksgiving Day, the actor was
seenDedicated servers driving an SUV with
the license plate “Shhiloh”
in Beverly Hills. Of course,
he’s the uncle of Angelina
and Brad’s 18-month-old daughter, Shiloh. James was loading up his car with freshly baked pies and other goodies, says a witness.

Should Brad feel guilty for wanting to spend $1,800 on
wine?
Angelina was horrified by Brad’s extravagance
hen Brad suggested ordering a $1,800 bottle of French wine at Marino Restaurant in LA, Angelina thought he was kidding — but he wasn’t. “We can afford it,” a witness heard him say. “We deserve it.” But Angelina, who never forgets that all but one of her children came from poverty-stricken orphanages, wouldn’t let him. “She loudly scolded Brad for even suggesting it,” says the witness. Money is something that the couple, who ended up drinking a $60 bottle of Chianti with their dinner, often fight over. “Angie thinks that Brad is very foolish about money,” says an insider.

defeated option

What do you think of Obama winning it? Has it brought down the credibility of the prize because Obama might be getting ready to implement a “surge” of around 40,000 troops in Afganistan?

Guillermo Del Toro

 

 

Guillermo del Toro Gómez (Spanish pronunciation: [ɣiˈʎermo ðel ˈtoɾo ˈɣomeθ]; born 9 October 1964) is an Academy Award-nominated Mexican director, producer, screenwriter and designer whose work has gained both critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman and Doug Jones. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy and war.

Del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He studied at the Instituto de Ciencias, University of Guadalajara.   Del Toro first got involved into filmmaking when he was about eight years old and studied special effects and make-up with SFX artist Dick Smith.  He participated in the cult series La Hora Marcada along with other renowned Mexican filmakers such as Emmanuel Lubezki, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón.

He executive-produced his first short film, Doña Herlinda y su hijo, in 1986, at the age of 21. After that, he spent eight years as a special effects make-up designer, and formed his own company, Necropia. He also co-founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Later on in his directing career, he formed his own production company, the Tequila Gang.

In 1997, at the age of 33, Hollywood opened its doors to his talent. Guillermo received $30 million budget from Miramax studios to shoot his second film, Mimic.

Guillermo del Toro has directed a wide variety of films, from action hero comic book adaptations (Hellboy and Blade II) to historical fantasy and horror films, two of which are set in Spain in the context of the Spanish Civil War under the authoritarian rule of Francisco Franco. These two films, El espinazo del diablo (The Devil’s Backbone) and El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth), are among his most critically acclaimed works. They share similar settings, protagonists (young children), and themes (including the relationship between fantasy/horror and the struggle to live under authoritarian or dictatorial rule) with the 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive, widely considered to be the finest Spanish film of the 1970s.

Trade Mark:

Often uses insects or insect imagery.

Uses a lot of religious relics and artifacts. Always mentions Catholicism.

Archangels, symbols and other religious items.

Many of his films have major scenes based in underground areas such as subways systems (Mimic (1997), Hellboy (2004)), sewers (Blade II (2002)), or large basements (El espinazo del diablo (2001)).

Likes to use amber as a dominant color in his movies. This is especially noticeable in Blade II (2002) and Hellboy (2004).

Clockwork designs and motifs (for example, Kroenen’s lair in Hellboy (2004) and the captain’s obsession with his father’s watch in El laberinto del fauno (2006) ).

Often casts Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and Federico Luppi.

Frequently works with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro.

One or more of his protagonists are often strongly and pivotally influenced by their father figures.

Trivia:

Became a vegetarian after seeing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) but only for four years. Currently, he’s no longer a vegetarian.

Turned down a chance to direct Blade: Trinity (2004), AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) to work on his dream project: Hellboy (2004).

Fought the film studios for almost seven years to get Ron Perlman for the title role in Hellboy (2004). The studio wanted a bigger name to ensure the success of the movie, but del Toro thought that Perlman was the perfect choice and wouldn’t make the movie if he wasn’t cast.

He is friends with fellow successful Mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Has a photographic memory.

1997: His father was kidnapped in Mexico and held for seventy-two days until his ransom was paid.

In a January 2007 interview on the radio program “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” said that his strictly Catholic grandmother was a “Piper Laurie in Carrie (1976)” figure in his childhood. He told Gross that his grandmother would require him to mortify himself in self-punishment, in one case placing metal bottle caps into his shoes so that the soles of his feet were bloodied while walking to school. She also tried to exorcise him twice because of his persistent interest in fantasy and drawing monsters from his imagination.

His favorite movie monsters are Frankenstein’s Monster and the Creature of the Black Lagoon.

In 2007, he was one of 10 Mexican Oscar-nominees. The others were Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Arriaga, Adriana Barraza, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo Navarro, Emmanuel Lubezki, Eugenio Caballero, Pilar Revuelta and Fernando Cámara.

Lost 45 lbs. while making El laberinto del fauno (2006), which he admitted in the DVD’s video prologue.

Turned down a chance to direct I Am Legend (2007), One Missed Call (2008), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Halo (2012) to work on Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).

Turned down the chance to direct Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996).

States Mimic (1997) as the worst of his films and has disowned it, blaming constant interference from the producers as the reason for the poor result.

Dec. 2007 – Ranked #37 on EW’s The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Was asked to direct End of Days (1999), but he turned it down.

His movie and comic book collection is so huge that he had to buy an extra home to accommodate it.

Is good friends with director Robert Rodriguez.

Amazon Specials!