Pro Wrestler Nick Dinsmore discusses playing 'special needs' character Eugene

Nick Dinsmore as Eugene in WWE
Photo source: BBC

For most of you who read this blog, you know that I am very much an avid, diehard wrestling fan and because this is, after all, the Wheelchair Philosopher blog, disability is logically the common thread that binds this biosphere of topics together on most occasions.

Quite a few blogs back I profiled professional wrestler Colt Cabana's interview with fellow ring warrior Gregory Iron, the first professional wrestler born with Cerebral palsy in real life. But today, another detour in the journey of disability in professional wrestling is taken with fellow professional wrestler Colt Cabana's interview of Nick Dinsmore who portrayed "special-needs" character and wrestler Eugene for several years in World Wrestling Entertainment.

According to Dinsmore, Eugene's persona may have been modeled after one of WWE's writer's autistic son as a way to show triumph of the will in a new light for a new era. The premise of Eugene's story was that he would be a guy with a disability who grew up idolizing his favorite wrestlers and mimicking their moves with savant-like perfection so while having the disability, once in the ring, he would dominate his competition by being a harrowing hybrid of every great wrestler he grew up watching.

Colt and Nick discuss the controversy of the potential exploitation of a character such as Eugene and also the positives that have come out of the role.

Listen to the Art of Wrestling podcast with Nick Dinsmore at the link below.

Roll on!

From the podcast:

Eugene was a WWE superstar. Nick Dinsmore portrays the special needs character, Eugene. Dinsmore [has] been wrestling a long time and is full of fun stories. Find the origins of the character along with much more as Nick and Colt sit down and talk wrestling.

http://tsmradio.com/coltcabana/2012/08/22/aow-109-eugene/

As you deal with life's detours, think about this

Hi guys, I'm back to bring you my rolling thoughts and insights of inspiration after a near two-week hiatus. I've been busy with life while starting up plans for a website in its infancy and beginning a side career as a mashup DJ. But folks, I've learned something. I have very clearly and lucidly realized and have had to make piece with the reality that my life has not evolved the way I first imagined it might have when playing and plotting it out a decade or so ago.

In the time of been away from the blog in my free time, I've been getting to know and catch up on stories on the hit television show How I Met Your Mother. (Watch it on Netflix here.) I have now gone through four seasons of the show and believe it or not, I've learned something from the show based on the real lives of its co-writers: I realize now, more than ever, that though we may dream of being a philosopher (as the character of Ted Mosby did in college), we may instead  become an architect who designs a rib joint shaped like a cowboy hat and the absurdity of that experience may propel and prompt our minds to ask ourselves what we really want out of our lives and thus allow us to become a professor in our field (and to somehow rekindle the philosopher in the teacher so to speak).

When I was younger, I wanted to be various things when I grew up: a toymaker, a comedian, to be a voiceover actor (which is something I can no longer do without the voice of a 10-year-old boy) among various other job titles like computer programmer and rapper/emcee—Yes, I actually did think about becoming a rapper, but I realized after less than two years contemplating what kind of rapper I was going to be, I no longer had that passion inside me.

In other news thanks to the same TV show and its dealings with subjects like fate versus free will and narrator and protagonist Ted Mosby's story of how he found "the one" made me realize that without certain setbacks like subpar SAT scores in math and lost transcripts from my community college, my entire life's trajectory would've been completely different. In fact, probably 90% of the social relationships I have not would not have ever come into being and the near-perfect fiancée I have now would likely never have come to my life—and though my life is not anywhere I thought it would be at 31, I can say I am the happiest I've ever been. My fiancée is my best friend I've ever, ever had. My friends are truly compatible with who I am, and though I do not own my own home yet or have the financial status of my ideal life, I see all of that coming more and more every day and I thank the universal source I call God every day for every breath of what to me is a very blessed life!

Roll on!

Don't give up, you're almost there!

In life, we often regret what we didn't do. We expect to be somewhere by a certain point in life. I'm turning 32-years-old (or young) this December and I haven't finished that screenplay; I've postponed my wedding a bit longer and those two children I envisioned long ago have yet to manifest. But, my friends, remember that just because you don't see it yet, doesn't mean that great things are not coming sooner than later. Look deep within yourself no matter what life gives you, whether good or bad and see a learning experience and an opportunity to hope. I find that when we do this we find true happiness!

You're almost there! Don't give up!

Dedicated to Abby, Wanda, Chris A. and Justine

Roll on!

Jessie J - Domino (Mikey Mystik Michael Jackson PYT Instrumental Remix)

Here's something of mine to hold you over until the next bit of bloggery....

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Photosophical: The only disability in life is a bad attitude

Do You agree?

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Jason Chu recites his poem 'Colorblind'

The following video is a response to the La Jolla Playhouse's curious casting of only two Asian actors in a play set in ancient China The Nightingale.

This spoken word piece by Jason Chu is entitled "Colorblind" and speaks to the humbling fact that most of us cannot name more than two Asians who are prominently featured on television, film, news or radio... or even the Web. Asians (including Indians) comprise nearly a third of the world population and yet remain one of the most underrepresented ethnic cultures in all of mass media.

Roll on!

Hope springs eternal in Gotham and the world

May we learn something from the Dark Knight's rising.
Photo: Warner Bros.

Hi folks, it's been a while but I'm back. After a month of tech blogging and subsequently having that blog temporarily suspend certain activities therein, I now have more time for you.


A lot has happened in the past week or so. I've ended one job temporarily, applied to others, almost gotten hired by another blog only to be beaten to the punch, or the keyboard (during a power outage at my house mind you) by an earlier submission. Thems is the breaks I guess. I was luckily able to ask if any other positions were available and I was told that something would be opening up in about a month—fingers crossed.

As for disability and inspiration, the former hasn't been so much a factor, and truth be told, I haven't even seen the latest episode of Push Girls. But alas, I roll on into the Great Unknown with hope, perseverance and the occasional Subway sandwich to reinvigorate my soul's quest to conquer and triumph over perilous foes and in the process get jobs blogging, writing, editing, tweeting and creating as per the world's various needs while attempting to do it all with a smile upon my visage (also known as my face).

Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning the Colorado movie theater tragedy and the horrible reality of people who just wanted to watch a movie being hurt or killed in their simple effort to escape into a world of comic book heroes and mythical storytelling. However, it does make me value every breath I take all the more and I would hope that it has done the same for you as you go to work, eat dinner with your family or watch a movie with your friends. Life is just that fragile and precious and we should all be so fortunate to know this so that we might make the most of each experience no matter how small.

So with that I leave you with a hopeful message to continue to visit this blog while also enjoying life's simple and complex times with a greater vigor and verve and a smile whenever possible!

Roll on like Batman!

Click here to donate to shooting victim Caleb Medley's hospital care costs.

Darren Hardy of Success Magazine asks if you are on the right path

Are You on the Right Path?

by Darren Hardy

One of the first things successful people realize is the old adage, "If it is to be, it is up to me." Your success and your course is up to you. Jim Rohn, the late personal development icon, said you must ask yourself this question: Are all the disciplines I'm currently engaged in taking me where I want to go?

“What an important question to ask yourself at the beginning of the month, the beginning of the week, the beginning of the day. You don’t ever want to ever kid yourself—hoping you will arrive at a good destination when you're not even headed that way,” Rohn says.

Ask yourself if the direction you are headed is what you want for your life and if it’s your own direction.

“After you have answered these questions within yourself, then take it one step further and ask, ‘What am I doing that is working or not working?’ Debate it all,” Rohn says. “Let the power of your own ambition take you where you want to go, to do what you want to do, to create the life you want to live.”

For more on Jim Rohn, visit his author page at SUCCESS.com.

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Photosophical: Paulo Coelho says, 'Do it now'

Nuff said.




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Colt Cabana talks the Art of Wresting with 'Handicapped Hero' Gregory Iron

Photo source: Wrestling News Center

"Cerebral Palsy hasn't stopped Gregory Iron from doing anything in life including pro wrestling. Some might remember Greg as the wrestler that CM Punk and Colt celebrated while Punk was WWE Champion. Colt and Greg sit down to talk life 
and wrestling."  - Episode 63 of The Art of Wrestling podcast

Listen here!

Roll on!

Steve Jobs shares his wisdom on creating... anything you want

Steve Jobs unveils the Apple II, 1977
Photo source: Chicago Tribune

Here's a little something from my new blog at digibred.com on Steve Jobs' vision of what creativity truly is. May you be inspired and as always, roll on!

Read Steve's life-affirming words here.