Rethink.

I recently attended the Cleveland International Film Festival and a documentary really stuck with me. " Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine " is a well-done documentary chronicling the life of Shepard, whom the world met after his 1998 beating and murder when he was a gay 21-year-old college student. Director Michele Josue said the purpose of the film was to share his story and his humanity and to show that Matt wasn't perfect and he wasn't a martyr. What the movie does right is trying to show Shepard as a flawed young man, instead of a gay rights icon. Matt struggled with his identity, but also his place in the world. His teachers and mentors interviewed in the documentary echo this struggle. Everyone struggles with their identity and place in the world. Having Josue focus on this and the backstory of Matt's life really made the film better. If you get a chance to see the documentary, go! I'm hoping to bring a screening to Toledo. Watch my Twitter ...

I love the Oscars. I wear that on my sleeves. Over the last two years, I've used this blog, Rethink., as a place for covering the Academy Awards. Last fall, I decided that I needed a better (and more marketable) place for doing so. And thus was born The Gold Knight blog . Over the course of the last few months, I've really taken off with my new blog. I have multiple correspondents — some of whom are close friends. I write a column for Toledo Free Press Star . I applied for Oscar Sunday press credentials and, while I did not get them, I have made some inroads with the Academy. I am very proud of where I have been thus far and am exciting about where I am going. I'll be in Los Angeles for the Oscars this year. While I might not have full access, I have a few (legal) tricks up my sleeve. To all my friends, thank you for all of the support and I appreciate your help and guidance.