Prep like the Red Cross: 21 Necessities in My Movie Lover’s Emergency Go Bag

This emergency themed backpack for my Red Cross fundraiser includes a Special SIRENS Edition DVD of "Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever," a military homecoming movie.Today marks our country's National PrepareAthon Day and on this day of action, FEMA encourages Americans to practice preparedness so we can be ready to respond to disasters or emergencies before they occur. After learning more about disaster preparedness in recent months, I’ve noticed that having well stocked Bug out Bags are among the most simple but important steps we can all take to ensure we know what to do and have what we need in the event of a crisis.

While the contents necessary for a Bug out Bag vary based on the disaster or situation in which you find yourself, having even the most basic supplies can mean the difference between being safe or sorry; with this in mind, I assembled an emergency preparedness bag inspired by the Special SIRENS Edition DVD of my short film about a U.S. Army Officer’s homecoming gone wild, and am raffling it off with other baskets on my Dinner-and-a-Movie Tour, to raise funds for the American Red Cross – an organization that is working 24/7 to prepare communities across the nation for dealing with disasters of all sizes including the following hazards:

• Earthquake
• Flood
• Hurricane
• Tornado
• Wildfire
• Winter Storm

According to the Red Cross, being prepared means equipping yourself with the proper supplies you may need in the event of an emergency or disaster and keeping these items in an easy-to-carry kit that can be used at home or taken with you in case of an evacuation. So, the emergency themed movie night bag for my Red Cross fundraiser is based on the list of basic supplies they recommend everyone have, at minimum, in a survival kit.

The Red Cross recommends that your survival kit includes one gallon of water per person, per day. In addition to the backpack filled with a special SIRENS edition DVD of “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” included with my disaster readiness bundle, there are 21 items rounding out a nice emergency starter package for one lucky movie lover who wants to win it.

I chose a backpack for this initiative because mobility is crucial in a survival situation; just imagine -- if you’re running around trying to stay alive like Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic,” Don Cheadle in “Hotel Rwanda” or Matt Damon in “Contagion,” chances are that handbags, rolling luggage, duffel bags and related items won’t be very helpful!

The Movie Lover's Emergency Go Bag, here we come....

(2) Bottles of spring water to provide hydration

(10) Packets of Quaker instant oatmeal in a variety of flavors for breakfast

(1) Mini CREE LED Tactical Flashlight

The pocket sized Mini CREE LED Tactical Flashlight takes up little room in your survival kit.(1) Bottle of Gatorade for calories and hydration

(1) Can of Progresso soup for lunch or dinner

(1) 6-pack of Duracell Quantum AA Batteries to provide power

(1) Deck of Aristocrat Playing Cards to provide comfort, per the Red Cross’ suggestion of adding games, activities and entertainment to your emergency kit

(1) Bag of Dried fruit for antioxidants and dessert

The Aristocrat Limited Edition Bank Note 727 cards with a linen finish provide a luxurious escape from your everyday hustle and bustle, while being light enough to carry while you're on the move.(1) French Green Clay bar soap by Bare Body Soaps Organics for sanitation and personal hygiene

(1) Pouch of Knorr Pasta Sides to provide calories and carbohydrates

(1) Pack of Uncle Ben’s Red Beans and Rice for carbohydrates, protein, fiber and antioxidants

Many basic items essential for survival are often forgotten until the last minute or not even considered during preparations for disasters.

As I add a few more items to this emergency themed movie night bag in the coming week or so, here’s hoping that this element of my fundraising initiative will get more people involved in planning and preparing for catastrophic events.

Disasters can happen at anytime, anywhere. There’s no better time like today to be ready for when they occur. 

If you (or someone you know in or near the PA/NJ/DE tri-state area) want to buy a ticket for this raffle supporting the Red Cross, follow me on Twitter @MadlabPost or subscribe to this blog to get the updates on where the latest stop on my Dinner-and-a-Movie tour is scheduled.

The Best Friend Challenge - Movie Reviewers Value Empathy, Trust and Confidence

Want to know how to make a friendship last? Just ask Harry Potter, the young wizard whose friends stuck together long enough to land a spot among Roget Ebert's "Best Films of 2011!"Let’s face it; life can be pretty dull without good friends to share our joys, sorrows and odd experiences with, for however long they are around.

Then, there are best friends – a (seemingly) separate title within the friendship zone that is held to a higher standard than all other platonic relationships.

In the short narrative drama “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever,” a U.S. Army Officer named Eric Foster gets a rude awakening when his definition of what it means to be a good friend, let alone a best friend, differs with one of the closest people in his life.

Much like in the movies, our ideas about friendship vary but may still have a common thread depending on how we interact with each other. So, Shane at Film Actually and Sydney Aaliyah Michelle at Happiness, Passion, Love & Faith were kind enough to offer their insights on my question of the day:

What is the difference between a good friend and a best friend?

Personally, I define this by how the friendship is affected by absence. My closest friends don't live nearby and I'm not the best person at keeping in touch. So when it comes to my best friends, the true BFFs are the ones where we can reconnect easily after weeks (sometimes months) without communication and have it still feeling like we were never apart. Merely "good" friends on the other hand tend to need constant reinforcement/communication to maintain the friendship. – Shane 

I have several good friends -- some I've known all my life, some I've meet at school and at work and some I've meet online, but I only have one best friend. The best way I can distinguish my best friend over my good friends is I never hesitate about telling my best friend anything because no matter what I tell her, I know there will be no judgment and no criticism. – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 

Can YOU name one movie your friends enjoy, that you refuse to watch?

What is YOUR definition of a good friend and that of a best friend?

*This post is part of my "BFF Q&A" series with LAMB members, authors, film festival goers, travelers and fun-loving figures in the blogging community. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Making Movies vs Writing for Television - A Cameron Avant Show Interview #Podcast

(l-r): Actors Mark Johnson and Mike Gaudioso during a production meeting at PhillyCAM for the movie 'Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever."Do men make the best doctors?

Prompted by my casting choices for the narrative drama film "Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever," this question highligted many of the generalizations we often make about our fellow man (or woman); and is among the many topics discussed during my recent guest appearance on The Cameron Avant Podcast. 

Before moving from Philadelphia to Texas for six months, show host Cameron Avant invited me to deliver the scoop on inappropriate casting call responses and what it was like to improvise dialogue with actors while filming in Philly. In between reminiscing about meeting a cast member from the CBS Primetime Cop Drama "Blue Bloods" and sharing our disappointment with self-absorbed parents who are failing the educational system, we also addressed the possibility that my days of making movies are numbered. 

Want to know how gender stereotypes influenced the way I selected my cast members? Curious about whether or not I'm giving up movies to work in Television sitcoms? Grab some popcorn and hit the "play" button to find out!