Damian Lewis – Designing His Own
Philanthropy, Part I

Hello all! We welcome you to a very special guest blog today.

Lynda, one of our first and constant supporters, whose lovely fan story we published a few weeks ago, has been a consultant working with charitable families, foundations and trusts throughout the U.S. for more than 25 years. We are extremely thrilled to have her as a guest blogger today putting her expertise to work in a survey about our favorite actor’s philanthropic efforts.

Without further ado: Here is Lynda giving us Damian Lewis – Designing His Own Philanthropy, Part I. Please come back for Part II next Thursday!

Philanthropy, a word derived from ancient Greek roots, means love of humanity. In modern terms, it is the act of promoting the welfare of others through charitable donations and charitable acts.

GIVE and GET are two critical commandments in the world of philanthropy.   Philanthropists GIVE their money plus their time, often rolling up their sleeves to undertake physical, onsite work days on behalf of a cause important to them, whether building a house or needed playground or making an educational film or counseling young aspiring entrepreneurs. It is impossible for any one person or one family to give to all of the worthwhile charities in the world. So, people have to ask themselves, “What issues or challenges are important to me and my family?” Strategic giving involves setting charitable priorities and selecting recipients wisely through vetting and paring down. Some philanthropists sponsor fundraising events – luncheons, banquets, galas, marathon runs – that “get” or encourage others to give. And public figures can also lend their celebrity to make meaningful contributions to charitable causes. In doing so, they can GET others to donate money, time and effort. In the case of Damian Lewis, he has mastered so many of these generous strategies. Continue reading “Damian Lewis – Designing His Own
Philanthropy, Part I”

Catching up with Bobby Axelrod on
Billions Season 2 Finale Set

Advance Warning: This post has SPOILERS about Billions Season 2 Finale.

source: Showtime

Billions Season 2 leaves us with more questions than answers, exactly in the way that it should, and I want to add to the already long list of questions: Who do you think is the first person Axe talks to after his arrest? No, not Chuck. Be open minded. Be creative. Make a guess. Find the answer below 😀

December 9, 2016 starts as an extraordinary day. I wake up to news any academic would kill to get! My co-author and I get a revision for a paper we wrote on civil wars from one of the top journals in the profession, and believe me, given that top journal acceptance rates wander around 10%, this kind of thing RARELY happens. So, I am over the moon and decide to reward myself by taking the day off for some shopping! And, while thinking the day could not get any better, I check my Instagram on the subway and THIS happens:

Continue reading “Catching up with Bobby Axelrod on
Billions Season 2 Finale Set”

Billions on Showtime, Season 2 Episode 12: Ball in Hand

source: Showtime

May I just say I will miss Sunday nights? My typical Sunday evening runs like this: I watch the show at 10pm and take notes. Then I watch for a second time and take more notes. Then I sit down and write. I typically go to bed as the sun rises. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Writing for hours as if the world is waiting for my recap… But it is not about that… It is about the show and the thrill it gives me: WORTH IT! 😀  Besides, Billions is the ONLY show, other than Mad Men, to date, where I care about every single character. It does not mean I love them all, but I care about them all, which I think is the biggest achievement a show can ever have. I give standing ovation for all brilliant minds behind and in front of the camera and give special thanks to my husband for bearing with me for the last couple of months and letting me sleep until noon on Mondays.

The season may be coming to an end, but we still have so much to say about it. For starters, we are currently working on a FUN Best of Billions we will publish next week followed by a locations guide, a dining guide, a music guide and more. We hope you stay with us! Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 2 Episode 12: Ball in Hand”

“Coup de Foudre” and Consequences: or How Agnes Met Damian Lewis

Hello all! Damianista here. Welcome to Fan Stories Tuesday!

Today’s story comes from Agnes who is a happy grandmother but also our own personal Wendy! 😀

copyright: Agnes

Agnes is a retired clinical professor of psychiatry who organized the largest psychiatric volunteer program in the country as well as women psychiatrist groups. She and I had quite long and fun discussions about Wendy’s motivations on the blog. And you will see the reflections of her profession in her exploration of our favorite actor’s work. Big thanks go to Agnes for this lovely contribution to our Fan Story Series! Continue reading ““Coup de Foudre” and Consequences: or How Agnes Met Damian Lewis”

Billions on Showtime, Season 2 Episode 11: Golden Frog Time

Advance Warning: I have been on a less than 72-hour  trip to London to see Damian on stage. Having come back only last night, I am probably doing a crazy thing right now pulling an all nighter to write my recap for this crazy good episode! I apologize in advance for anything that does not make sense 😀

source: Showtime

Wags confirms with The Patriot Bank that they are taking out the Ice Juice IPO. Chuck Senior has already had an Uncle Miltie-sized position in the company and there is no avenue of short. Axe’s take on the situation is “Sonny on the causeway.” We all know what happened to Sonny, don’t we? Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 2 Episode 11: Golden Frog Time”