Jenks Invited to Martha Stewart's Gala Event

Photo courtesy of www.wholeliving.com

Andrew Jenks will be a featured guest this Wednesday, November 17, at Martha Stewart's gala event benefitting the Martha Stewart Center for Living, the "premier facility for the coordinated, comprehensive out-patient care of older adults leading more robust and vital lives."  The gala event will take place in the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia creative headquarters in New York City.

• To read about the gala event and how to purchase tickets ... http://www.marthastewart.com

• To read about the Martha Stewart Center for Living ... http://www.mountsinai.org

• To read more about the MSCL ... http://www.wholeliving.com

Source:

http://www.wholeliving.com/andrew-jenks

Surfing Pointers for Beginners - In the Water

Here are some pointers for once you get in the water and how to maneuver your surf board.  Enjoy the surf and have fun!

Surfing Pointers for Beginners - Prep

While watching the episode of professional surfer Anastasia Ashley on World of Jenks, I had to remind myself that it's probably not as easy as she was making it look.  There's many factors that a surfer must be aware of, for instance, water conditions.  Another big factor that must be addressed before surfing is to ask yourself the question:  Am I a good swimmer?

I would consider myself a decent swimmer, but mind you, I'm talking about in a pool.  Swimming in the ocean is an entirely different beast that can be quite unpredictable.  I would imagine one would have to be a great swimmer if they're going to be swimming out to deep parts of the ocean, but Camp Surf, a program in California that teaches surfing to all ages and levels, said a gold medal in Olympic swimming is not needed to surf.  However, they advise to novice surfers it would be a good idea to be a decent swimmer before taking lessons.  As long as the waves aren't like the ones Jenks encountered on the day of his surf lesson with Anastasia, I'd like to strap on my wetsuit and give it a swirl!  Below are some pointers for beginner surfers.  Enjoy!

Anastasia Ashley: Behind the Scenes

Last episode, Jenks got a private lesson from Anastasia Ashley as he documented what it's like to be a professional female surfer.  Watch Ashley as she shreds.

Jenks Rides Waves with Sexy Pro Surfer

Anastasia Ashley

   In the latest episode of World of Jenks, Jenks hit the beach to ride the waves with professional surfer, Anastasia Ashley.  Jenks documented Anastasia's preparation for one of surfing's biggest events, the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California.

  Anastasia Ashley has been surfing since she was 5 years old and competing since she was 7.  Now, as a pro surfer, she graces the covers of magazines flaunting her sexy surfer girl image.  Ashley is a confident and strong person and those qualities transcend into her surfing, but, as Ashley revealed to Jenks, not all female surfers root each other on.  Ashley told Jenks that among female surfers there is a lot of catty behavior, especially in competitions.

  In spite of the cattiness, Ashley ignores her haters and focuses on being the best surfer she can possible become, so she can make her mother proud and show that her mother's unrelenting support did not go unappreciated.  Her mother passed away a couple of years ago from Lou Gehrig's Disease, formally known as ALS Disease, a non-curable and fatal disease that progressively weakens muscles and attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  The ordeal still hurts Ashley to talk about it, as shown in the episode, but she finds the strength to keep surfing and continues to use her skills on and off the board to bring attention to women's surfing.

Watch as Anastasia Ashley attempts to teach Jenks how to surf.  Jenks makes it into the water, but it's what happens in the water that puts a stop to the lesson.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

VersaEmerge: Behind the Scenes

Jenks hit the road with VersaEmerge as they traveled to five cities in five nights on the Warped Tour.  Missed the Warped Tour this summer?  No problems.  I've added a few music videos of VersaEmerge.  Enjoy!

Jenks Parties Like a Rock Star with VersaEmerge

VersaEmerge

Jenks hit the road with VersaEmerge, a rock band originating out of Port St. Lucie, Florida and fronted by the vocals of 19 year-old Sierra Kusterbeck (center), guitarist Blake Harnage (right), and bass guitarist Devin Ingelido (left).  VersaEmerge were on Warped Tour when Jenks and crew joined them on the road in mid-tour.  Jenks checked his usual composed demeanor at the tour bus door in order to blend in with the atmosphere that comes with traveling with a rock band.  And blend in he did, in true rock star form.  Jenks joined the band as they traveled five cities in five days.

Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge

Normally, Kusterbeck is a rambunctious and energetic performer, but Jenks noticed a change in her when VersaEmerge performed in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida.  The usually powerful and confident singer was off-key and seemed like a newbie to a stage.  Kusterbeck, seemingly fearless, finally opened up to Jenks about the loneliness that comes with living her dream.

"Here you are with hundreds of people every single day, you're never literally alone, but you're always alone," said Kusterbeck.  "You're surrounded by people, but you're always just alone."

Despite not liking being alone, those emotions help Kusterbeck write her lyrics, which in turn helps VersaEmerge's fans feel closer to the group and relate to their music.  Loneliness just may be the price Sierra Kusterbeck may have to pay to live her dream, but hopefully she can find comfort in that she's helping her fans through their tough times with the music of VersaEmerge.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

Remembering The Joys of Poker

In my previous post about Nick Schulman, the 25-year-old professional poker player who was featured in the World of Jenks episode "The Takeover," I touched upon the very well-known dark side of gambling.  A side that many in the poker or gambling business very rarely speak about.

However, it's only fair to remind the audience the joys that come with playing poker or any other casino-style game.  When done in groups, poker and other games can be a kind of bonding event or a way of just enjoying the company of others.  So, to remind us about the simple concept of having a good time with friends while playing a card game, I've included below some videos on how to play poker and how to do tricks with poker chips.  Let's just all keep in mind, when it comes to gambling or anything in life, moderation is key.

Jenks Goes All-In with Youngest World Poker Tour Winner

Jenks and his crew traveled to Las Vegas to meet up with 25 year-old professional poker player Nick Schulman, the youngest person at age 21 to win the World Poker Tour, a televised poker tournament, in which he collected $2.1 million.  A year later after he won the WPT tournament he lost all of the $2.1 million.  Schulman's high-stakes lifestyle and addiction to gambling has led him to the point he's at now where he can't stand being in a casino and seems to always be flirting with the line between being broke and living in excess.

What once was a sanctuary to his depression and anxiety, poker now has become an obsession and adds exhaustion to Schulman's health problems.  Does Nick Schulman choose the shiny allure of fast money that poker offers or will he choose a more traditional way of earning money in his pursuit of happiness?

For more information on:

• The signs, symptoms, and treatment of gambling addiction ... http://helpguide.org/mental/gambling_addiction.htm
• Frequently asked question on gambling addiction ... http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html
• Personal stories about the destructive nature of gambling ... http://casinowatch.org/addiction/addiction_index.html
• A gambling addiction may lead to suicide  ... http://casinowatch.org/suicides/suicides.html

Fighting for the Demise of Animal Slaughtering in Miami

We were introduced to Animal Recovery Mission founder, Richard "Kudo" Couto when he and his fight to shutdown all slaughter farms in the Miami area were featured in World of Jenks episode "Freedom's Flight."  The episode revealed a gruesome, cruel, and hidden world of slaughter farms in rural Miami.

Horsemeat can sell up to $40 a pound. A 2,000 pound horse can bring in $8,000 to the black market, said Kudo.  Horsemeat is considered to be a magical cure-all in third world countries and a delicacy in European countries.  A new law in Florida called "The Yvonne Rodriguez Horse Protection Law," named after one of the owners whose horse was stolen and butchered alive, makes it a felony to butcher your own horse.  Previously, the law had a loophole in which butchers would claim the horse was their own, therefore making it legal.

Below are videos shot mostly by Kudo documenting the inhumane treatment and slaughtering of horses and other animals at these Miami slaughter farms.

* WARNING : THESE VIDEOS HAVE DISTURBING IMAGES.



TOUR OF A SLAUGHTER FARM



GRAVEYARD ON SLAUGHTER FARM


A SHUTDOWN SLAUGHTER FARM


A COCKFIGHTING RING ON SHUTDOWN FARM


BEFORE AND AFTER ARM INVOLVEMENT


THE STORY OF FREEDOM'S FLIGHT

Jenks Goes Undercover to Stop Horse Slaughtering

  In this episode called "Freedom's Flight," Jenks went to Miami where he met Brogan (last name wasn't given), a 23-year-old animal rescuer.  She's not the throw-red paint-on-you-because-you-wear-fur kind of animal rescuer.  Oh, no, no, not Brogan.  She takes a different approach to her animal rescuing.  Brogan dons camo and wields a .38 caliber gun.  How many animal rescuers do you know who have been shot at twice and lug around a loaded pistol with them in their purse for protection on a daily basis?

  Protection from what, you say?  Protection from the men who have a bounty on her head.  Now, what in the world does this girl do to have all this craziness that sounds like something out of an Angelina Jolie flick, you may ask.  Brogan volunteers at a non-profit organization called ARM, Animal Recovery Mission, based out of Miami.  ARM targets illegal horse slaughtering in the C-9 Basin area, 15 minutes from Miami.  C-9 Basin is home to lots of illegal activity including the slaughtering of horses and other animals.  C-9 Basin has been considered a place of lawlessness, like a Wild Wild West of Miami, if you will.  ARM fights to shutdown slaughter farms and the illegal slaughtering of animals.  So, I guess the men who tried horse slaughtering as a business only to be shutdown with the help of Brogan and ARM aren't too happy with her or the organization, which has also received many death threats.

  Why would people slaughter horses?!  Well, besides for those people who enjoy eating horse meat and encourage it like how this boldly named blog, "Eat Horse," does, apparently, a horse's meat is in high demand on the black market.  In order to shutdown these slaughter farms, ARM volunteers go on surveillances when they try to videotape the horse killers in action or find activity that can be used as evidence in a case.  Missions such as these prove to be dangerous because the men on the slaughter farms are also armed and, obviously as said before with Brogan's price on her head, they don't let go of a grudge very easily either.

  Brogan and the founder of ARM, who goes by the nickname Kudo, introduced Jenks to Freedom's Flight, the horse the show's episode is named after.  Freedom's Flight is grandson to Secretariat, an American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years in 1973.  Secretariat went on to set race records in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes that still stand to this day.  However, Freedom's Flight did not have royal treatment regardless of his lineage.  On the contrary, he was severely abused and undernourished.  With the help of Brogan and ARM, Freedom's Flight had a second chance at life.
                                                                    

Freedom's Flight BEFORE

Freedom's Flight AFTER

Photos courtesy of Animal Recovery Mission

  If you want to help these helpless animals and the organizations that protect them, I found some links that may be useful.

• To find out what you can do ... http://www.stophorseslaughter.com/
• Donate to end horse slaughter ... http://www.humanesociety.org/donate/
• Donate your time or money for the cause ... http://animalrecoverymission.org/?page_id=10

Women in MMA

After watching Anthony "Showtime" Pettis fight on World of Jenks episode "Fifty Fists," I was surprised that women take part in this rough sport as well.  Take a look at some of the videos I found about women in MMA.  This is just a small look into the world of women MMA fighters.  There are many more MMA women than the ones I show you below and the number is growing.  My inner feminist is yelling, "If boys can do it, so can girls!"

MMA for Beginner's

If after watching World of Jenks made you want to be like Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, here are some pointers on techniques and moves for those interested in MMA.

Behind the Scenes: Anthony "Showtime" Pettis

Watch as Jenks works out with Pettis and Pettis' younger brother.  How does he hold up against an MMA pro?

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

Below is video of the big fight, the one which Jenks filmed Pettis preparing for, mentioned in the World of Jenks "Fifty Fists" episode.  Does he win?

Jenks Enters the World of Mixed Martial Arts

In the episode "Fifty Fists," Jenks went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved in with professional MMA fighter Anthony "Showtime" Pettis.  Jenks and his film crew followed Pettis as he intently studied for and prepared to fight one of his biggest matches in his career.  Not only does Pettis' career depend on him winning the upcoming match, but also the financial well-being of his family.  Jenks showed the audience the tough exterior of a man who fights for a living, but also a side of Pettis that many don't see - the tender interior of a man who fights for his community and family he loves so dearly.

'Fighting is about so much more than just punching and kicking.'  Every fighter, no matter what their story, is someone's son and although they're fighting alone, they're never just fighting for themselves. 

- Pat Berry, Pettis' best friend and trainer, as told by Andrew Jenks

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

Homelessness in Haight Ashbury District

Following "The Street Queen" episode, I found some interesting Youtube videos that show the young homeless population in the Haight Ashbury district.  I also found a song named Haight Street by musical group Anberlin.  Take a look and a listen.

Homelessness Facts

After watching World of Jenks episode "The Street Queen," in which Jenks lives with 22-year-old homeless girl Danielle, I found some statistics about homelessness that I'd like to share with you.


According to statistics on the web site for My Friend's Place, a resource center for homeless youth in southern California:

• More than 1.3 million children are homeless at some time each year.

• 44 percent of homeless youth report that one or both of their parents had at some point received treatment for alcohol, drug, or psychological problems.

• By the time homeless children are 8 years old one in three has a major mental disorder.

• The prevalence rate for substance use disorders among homeless youth is 85 percent.

According to information on a PBS web site:

• 71 percent of homeless people are in central cities; 21 percent are in suburbs; 9 percent are in rural areas.

According to statistics found about homeless veterans:

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.

• The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates that on any given night, 200,000 veterans are homeless.

If you or someone you know would like to donate money or volunteer your time to homelessness relief, visit Covenant House, which has locations in the U.S., Canada, and in South America.  For those of you in my home state of Florida, there are Covenant House locations in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

Jenks Goes 'Houseless' with "The Street Queen"

Jenks and his crew went to San Francisco, California to live with 22-year-old Danielle Earls, who has been homeless since she was 13!  She, as many other homeless folks in California do, prefers to refer to herself as 'houseless' rather than homeless, which kind of makes sense.  They aren't homeless per se because the entire world can be their home, their personal oyster.  However, they are 'houseless' because they don't have an actual house to go to at night.  Get it?  I think it's rather clever.

Jenks got in touch with Homeless Youth Alliance, "an all-volunteer organization founded in 1997 designed by and for the homeless youth of the Haight Ashbury district," to help connect him with someone who wouldn't mind the crew tagging along for a week.  As Danielle pointed out in the beginning of the episode, homeless people do not welcome video cameras.  At all.  To prove that point, a one-legged 'houseless' young man on crutches even chased the crew down a street when he saw them filming.

Heavy D, the name Danielle goes by on the streets, welcomed Jenks and his crew as she tried to get her social security card back from her mom, which would allow Danielle to get a job.  Danielle shared her dream of having a family and working hard to keep a job if she got one.  In order to afford a bus ticket to her hometown in Oregon, Jenks and Heavy D collected recyclable bottles and attempted to gather "spange," spare change, from people on sidewalks.

Sleeping on the ground and facing the dangers that come with living on the street are all better choices for Heavy D than living with her family.  After going with Danielle to Oregon to see her family, Jenks better understood why being 'houseless' was a way of surviving for Danielle.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

Jersey Shore vs. Jenks

  

Let's begin with the fist-pumping-'GTL'-Snooki-lovin' phenomenon that is Jersey Shore.  Personally, I believe that MTV has regained their popularity and place in pop culture because of what has evolved from the media monster that is Jersey Shore.  There was a time when I would go to the MTV channel and find nothing new or interesting to watch.  Then came a miracle in the form of fake, spray-on tans.  It seemed like everyone and their grandma was watching the first season of Jersey Shore!

The larger-than-life personalities of these young New Jersey folks made watching the show a surreal experience.  Although ratings shot up, Jersey Shore brought along its share of Debbie-Downer moments.  Many Italian-American organizations and even the governor of New Jersey felt that the J.S. cast wrongly portrayed the Italian community and were a bad representation of New Jersey.  So, I believe, to provide shows with more substance, MTV might be trying to promote and focus just a tad bit more on shows like World of Jenks to keep its moral meter in check.

MTV is known for its reality shows and documentary-style series.  The most well-known documentary-style series that MTV airs is True Life, which explores and follows people from many walks of life and, of course, the Real World series. A couple of already-established feel-good documentaries on MTV, are If You Really Knew Me, which aims to break down high school cliques and stereotypes by having students get to know, on a deeper level, their fellow classmates, and The Buried Life, a show in which four friends embark on a journey to complete a "bucket list" and help a stranger along the way.

Jenks Catches Up with Chad

On his Youtube channel, Jenks posted a video of him spending a day with his autistic friend Chad at Jones Beach in New York.  Jenks and his crew went to pay Chad a surprise visit after their week of filming with him was over.  It really seems Jenks has made a special bond with Chad.  It's a sweet sight to see Chad get so happy when Jenks is around.

Behind the Scenes: Chad and Jenks / Sneak Peek

Jenks catches up with Chad in the clip below and they talk about Justin Beiber and Zac Efron.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

In the clip below, Jenks and Chad have a guy talk.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

In this clip, Chad confesses to Jenks he has a crush on his best friend's girlfriend.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

* Next week's episode sneak peek below!  Jenks goes homeless.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

Jenks Spends a Week with Autistic 20-year-old

This week, Jenks spent time with Chad, an autistic 20-year-old living with his parents in upstate New York.  Chad attends Westchester Exceptional Children's School, which caters to the special needs of children and young adults whom are unable to attend any public or private school because of their medical condition.  Jenks witnessed first-hand how autism can effect a person's everyday activities and the enormous challenge and patience that goes into raising an autistic young man.

Once Chad warmed up to Jenks and his crew, Jenks was able to venture into Chad's world little by little.  Jenks found out the most important belongings to Chad are his photos.  He has loads of pictures -- covering his walls; in boxes; in bags; print-out pictures; developed pictures; drawings, any format of a picture you can imagine Chad has it.  His pictures calm him, offering Chad a sort of sanctuary.

Along with photography, Chad loves:

• Italian culture.  He even has a huge Italian flag hanging in the middle of his room.
• Collecting take-out menus.
• Collecting sand from different beaches he goes to.

Chad also has an impressive knowledge of what I like to call "Did You Knows."  These are trivia questions, fun facts; the kind information that you would find on the inside of a Snapple cap.

Chad has a very sharp sense of humor.  His witty remarks were a refreshing reminder to me that he's very aware of what's going on around him.  He flirts with girls at his school, complains about girls being moody, talks about dating "a hot Puerto Rican girl", and finding the right girl one day.  Those sound like topics any 20-year-old guy can say he's talked about with his friends.

Personally, I related with Chad very much on one particular activity.  Sleeping in.  Oh yeah baby!  Chad and I  are on the same level when it comes to sleeping in.  I think I may have a gene that has yet to be discovered that allows me to sleep in for hours.  Chad shared some very wise words about waking up someone that doesn't want to be woken up.  "You don't wake up a bear when he's hibernatin'."  Well said, my friend, well said.

After watching this episode, I felt the way I would approach someone with autism or any disability would be from a more considerate point of view.  I realized that simply because a person may have a disability doesn't mean they can't "keep up" or relate to others their own age.  If we are patient and understanding then we could see that we could have many things in common with this special person.

Visit the following sites to learn more about:

• How to Get Involved
• Improving the Lives of All Affected by Autism
• The Facts of Autism

To read about Jenks talk about autism:

Visit The Autism News.

This is a drawing Chad's best friend, Joe, made for him.  That's Joe and his girlfriend, Helen, on the far left, Jenks in the middle, and Chad on the right.

Premiere Night!

Tonight's the night! World of Jenks makes its premiere at 10pm on MTV!  Check out the trailer for World of Jenks below. 

Also, take a look at a quick interview Andrew Jenks did about the show with TvGuide.com here.

Here's another interview Jenks did with PopEater.com, AOL's site for celebrity and entertainment news.

MTV Shows

Jenks Enters Rap's "Heaven and Hell" and Gets Slapped in the Face!

Although the premiere of World of Jenks isn't until Sept. 13 at 10 p.m., MTV released online the first episode of the series called "Heaven and Hell."  The first episode features Jenks moving in with Brooklyn-born rapper, Maino.  Maino spent 10 years in prison on kidnapping charges and while in prison, got cut in the face with a razor leaving him with an 8-inch scar on his right cheek.

Jenks went into this experience with a preset notion, as do many people, of who rappers are and how they live.  This presuming state of mind is what put Jenks on the receiving end of a swift and strong slap to the face delivered by Maino himself.  This came shortly after grabbing Jenks by the throat and pinning him to a couch behind him.  Were it not for one of Maino’s rather large entourage members intervening Maino could possibly have followed through with his threat of knocking Jenks out!

So, what is the moral we learned today, everyone?  Assuming makes a donkey out of you and me.

Even though he makes his livelihood thriving in a career that is known for its often violent and vulgar content and lifestyle, Maino explained how rapping became his guiding light out of the streets and out of prison.

Despite Maino’s rough past and tough looks, Jenks saw past the stereotypical rapper persona and found a man who works hard to keep his dream alive; a man who loves his family; a man who has been through heaven and hell, ups and downs and has come out the other end a survivor.

Here's Maino's song "All The Above" featuring T-Pain.

Andrew Jar Jar Binks, I mean, Jenks

First off, I have to say that his last name reminds me of Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars. Why you ask? I don't know why. I have no clue. It seems that's just how my brain works. I see Jenks and the first thing I associate it with is Jar Jar Binks. Besides having a name that I certainly won't forget, Andrew Jenks is quite an accomplished young man.

At the age of 19, he moved into a nursing home for a month to experience what it was like to live life as it was nearing its end. A low-budget, summer project developed into a feature HBO film called, Andrew Jenks, Room 335. Jenks' first feature film received positive reviews after premiering in Australia and Europe. I would say that's an accomplishment to have HBO feature your documentary. Wouldn't you agree?

When he was 21, ESPN financed Jenks' second film, The Zen of Bobby V, which focused on Major League player and manager Bobby Valentine and his current job managing the Chiba Lotte Marines, one of Japan's premiere baseball teams (source: IMDb). The Zen of Bobby V received positive reviews after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.

So, that's two feature films and one MTV series to premiere soon he has under his belt? And all this before he's even reached his 25th birthday? Very impressive, to say the least!

What's On TV with Auntie V - Introduction

Hi! I'm Veronica. I am a senior in college. As an assignment for one of my classes, I am to maintain a blog about whatever topic I choose. So, on my blog you will be getting weekly updates on one show that will be premiering on TV very soon. I chose to follow World of Jenks, which will be premiering on the MTV Network on Sept. 13th at 10pm.

World of Jenks is about a 24 year old documentarian and filmmaker, Andrew Jenks, who sets out every week to enter someone else's life to experience first-hand how they live and who they are. Jenks said on a MTV promo for the show,

"We try and move in and experience first-hand the lives of people [who] are easy to stereotype, but that we really don't know a lot about."

Jenks has the privilege to play the fly-on-the-wall that many people wish to be (I certainly have and still do), except he's an interactive fly. He doesn't merely sit back and observe his subject. He lives with, eats with, brushes his teeth with, and talks candidly with his subject.

In previews shown on MTV and on MTV's website, Jenks will be moving in with people of all walks of life like an MMA fighter, a cheerleader, a rapper, a homeless girl, and an autistic young man.

4 more days until the premiere of the show! See you then!