STOP WHINING, Y'ALL!! KRIS IS THE NEW IDOL!

Well, what did I tell you? All the hype and brouhaha over Adam Lambert didn't help him clinch the title after all! You may all call it the biggest upset, but for me, I already had the inkling weeks before when Kris started showing strong performances. All the fawning and Adam-worshipping were getting to be too much, in the end, it's the underrated underdog who captured the title. Shame on all of you who thinks America got it wrong! America just elected Obama, for Pete's sake! This should be an eye-opener, a moment of realization that true TALENT prevails over flashy, eyelined showmanship with overrated hype machine. In fairness to Adam, he's a good performer, a good showman, but that's all he excels in. Kris plays the piano, plays the guitar, a songwriter, a TRUE-BLOODED musician! I could listen to a Kris CD all day, but an Adam CD? More than an hour's worth of screaming with that voice? I don't think so!

Adam fans, c'mon, Adam's already a star, title or no title, thanks to all the hype; Kris needed the title more. And if y'all could just stop whining and thrashing and OMG-ing and be objective about it, you'd realize Kris is a deserving winner. You go, Kris!

And please, please, don't make this about homophobia, religion, or all that crap, coz those are totally out of the question! Here's what others have to say:

Aunty-Guv: Buy a clue folks - Kris had the real musical talent - A true musician who was rewarded for his talents - Adam - simply a showman whose screaming finally was his undoing. Kris is an artist - Adam a Flash (In the Pan!!)

Yahoo Music user: Get over it. All season it's been "ADAM IS AWESOME!! Everyone else sucks!" You love him, we get it. That doesn't mean "America" got it wrong or we are all homophobes. Everyone has their own taste, that's why there is more than one radio station. And could you go one article without hating on Danny? Did he do something personally to you to make you hate him so much? I don't care for Adam's singing, but I can admit he is talented and a good person. Both Adam and Kris will be fine. I am sure Adam is glad he lost because now he doesn't have to sing that horrendous "coronation" song.

BrnxBmbr: Thats right losers!!! Adam is and always has been nothing more than a wannabe broadway performer. He is not a musician - he's a drama queen. PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! All of you who disagree - get your hearing checked. Real musicians prevail - fakers do not... as CLEARLY shown tonight. Congrats Kris. Some of us knew you were the real Idol, not drama queen Adam.

AmandaLea321: does it really matter who the "idol champion" is anymore? i mean, last year archie and cook both got recording deals with the 19 management. i think the same will happen this year as well. kris will get a recording deal and so will adam. it really doesn't matter who wins the coveted "idol champion" spot...the recording contract isn't solely for the "winner"...its not exclusive anymore...the top two are getting the record deals...and not just the winner. kinda takes credibility away from the show a bit. i am very happy kris won..i liked adam but like lindsy mentioned, i got tired of ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE forcing adam in my face and down my throat. and also, i don't think adam needs american idol to become successful. he will do much better on his own. i think kris will do well also. he's creative and artistic..i think he is more of a total package...just my opinion. YAY FOR KRIS ALLEN!!!

christieB: Come on, that's not fair. America can't "get it wrong", because in the end, it's America's choice. America clearly prefers someone who doesn't need to go off on stroke-like shrieks in order to complete *every* song. The first time I heard Glambert sing one of his screaming songs I said "Wow, he's so unique". The 15th time, that wasn't my reaction. He is a very good singer, but (just my opinion) a bit of a one-trick-pony. At least Kris has some versatility.

AmandaLea: OKAY HOLD UP!!! NOW YA'LL GONNA START PERSECUTING SOMEONE ELSE'S RELIGION!!?? YOU SAY KRIS ALLEN WON CUZ OF "CHRISTIAN VOTE"? THAT IS FU**ED UP!!!! THIS DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION OR HOMOPHOBIA!! WOW!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME OF YOU HAVE STOOPED THAT LOW...BLAMING A RELIGION OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION JUST CUZ YOU'RE FAV DIDN'T WIN...MY GOD!! ITS A TV SHOW...AMERICA VOTED!! AMERICANS OF ALL DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE!! NOT JUST A CERTAIN GROUP IN GENERAL! GET OFF IT PEOPLE!! sorry, but i just had to get that off my chest.

KizerSoze: Its incredible how blind you Adam fans are. You cant just come to grips that there is a huge amount of people that simply enjoy the singing style Kris possess instead of Adam's. No you cant come to grips with that, instead you do what all lowlife's do. You claim Adam lost because he is gay, you claim Adam lost because Kris is a church goer...you are all pathetic. If you want to shed the blame, blame the people that were completely biased. I for one enjoy that America did not blindly follow the stupid. Simon needs to stick to Britain Has Talent, and forget American Idol. The American Idol judges are completely unlikeable, biased, and moronic, and as a result make Simon look like a tard.

TK: Kris won because Kris appealed to more people... period. It wasn't Gokey fans... I couldn't stand Gokey.. had to fast forward through him tonight. Most Americans are obviously not fans of the theater and to like Adam you needed to like the theatrical. His talent is undeniable. When he sang normal.. I liked him. When he screamed.. I didn't. You talk like there is something wrong with the fact that Kris is a happily married church worship leader (didn't know he was a church worship leader by the way). I'm telling you what... most of America seems to be messed up if they think there is something wrong with that. I could care less about Adam's lifestyle...that would be his choice and his business.. I just didn't like his music style and obviously the majority of the people voting didn't since he didn't win...GET OVER IT.

YahooMusic User: Don't, don't, don't ever believe this had anything to do with anything other than the music. What's so hard for all you Adam Lambert fans out there to understand that there is a large portion of America that doesn't like being shrieked at, on key or otherwise. Kris is just much more marketable to a larger audience, plain and simple.

Maybe...just maybe, next year, the judges won't fawn, slobber, and otherwise crown their favorite as the winner before America speaks. Adam is a talented guy and will do well regardless of the outcome....but I for one got tired of the endless, over-the-top gushing on the part of the judges. It seemed like America was getting the judges' choice rammed down their throats, and probably created a huge backlash.

Deahh: I think Adam is a very talented singer, probably the most talented in the competition this year. But the contest isn't about being the best singer, the contest is about being the best singer that people want to hear.The fact that he endears himself to you and most of your readers (judging by the comments I read most of the season) means simply that you and your readers love him. It also means that the more reserved, less vocal majority liked Kris.The end result will be meaningless in a year or two anyways. I disagree with you and truly believe Kris will have better, more long term success - but I'm not hating on Adam, I just don't think he has "widespread" appeal.As someone who has been a fan of "rockers" since he left the womb 34 years ago, I can tell you I would likely never buy a Lambert album while I can see myself buying a Kris Allen album. And while my rock music collection is quite large, at this point he doesn't even register. I don't even think he really fit well with Kiss tonight. He soft vocals are superb, and his high notes, while annoying, are good. It's his up-tempo, middle ground that I find lacking.

KizerSoze: Kris is humble enough to be suprised by winning since everyone on the show and with visible power, such as this blog was against him. Hence his shock, and comment over Adam not winning. He does not believe for a second he does not deserve it, he just has class. Unlike Adam who actually picked sides when he was asked who he should stand with earlier in the show. Again you all like to spin things into Adam's favor. Sad that you all can't be happy that a regular citizen had this opportunity and made his dream come true. A lot of you are truly sour individuals.

Mike K - MCP President: Singers ALWAYS beat the screamers. Next time you wanna mess with what REAL music is, I'll come at you like an oncoming train!

KRIS IN TOP 3!

Yes! Kris Allen is in American Idol's Top 3! That's enough for me. I don't care now if he wins or not, he's got loads of talent and I'm still a fan.

I just don't like Adam. He's all pomp and flash, but if anybody could just get their heads out of the clouds (of hype over Adam), they'd realize that between Adam and Danny, Danny's got the better vocal quality. Adam is too flashy and theatrical for my taste, and I find his voice shrieky.

I'm so disappointed in Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. She's so star-struck with Adam she's not being objective. Her bias/favoritism is so brazenly obvious I couldn't believe anything she says. Randy, Paula, and Simon have had their favorites but they don't show it that blatantly. You could see that anything could still hapen with them, unlike with Kara, who is so transparent she already had this season wrapped up with her precious Adam on top. Just for that, if Kris gets booted out, I'd vote for Danny; but you know, Adam could stilll get axed. You never know.

SWINE FLU (H1N1) VIRUS UP CLOSE!

May 4, 2009—Sorry, not a curly tail in sight.

Scientists have snapped the first ever portrait of H1N1, the new swine flu virus that has swept the globe in recent weeks.

A virus cell (such as the H1N1 swine flu cells above) is made up of a core that contains genetic material, which is surrounded by a protein-filled coat that allows the virus to catch onto and invade target cells. Each cell measures about one-ten-thousandth of a millimeter wide.

The samples, obtained from an infected patient in California, were photographed on April 27, 2009, at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Novel H1N1 Flu

What is H1N1 (swine flu)? H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread

Why is this new H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”? This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

Are there human infections with this H1N1 virus in the U.S.? Yes. Cases of human infection with this H1N1 influenza virus were first confirmed in the U.S. in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas. The outbreak intensified rapidly from that time and more and more states have been reporting cases of illness from this virus. An updated case count of confirmed novel H1N1 flu infections in the United States is kept at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/investigation.htm. CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.

Is this new H1N1 virus contagious? CDC has determined that this new H1N1 virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people? The symptoms of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

Can I get infected with this new H1N1 virus from eating or preparing pork? No. H1N1 viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get this new HIN1 virus from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick? There is no vaccine available right now to protect against this new H1N1 virus. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
  Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

STEPHEN KING'S "CELL"

Just finished very creepy, really gory, spine-tingling "CELL" from the master of the macabre Stephen King. (I got the first edition hardbound...) Couldn't help thinking, it would only take one lunatic with a sophisticated WMD, who cleverly realized that the ultimate method of delivery would be the ubiquitous cellphones -- to wipe us all out from the face of the planet...Most end-of-the-world scenarios dreamed up by writers (and analysts!) usually depict armageddon caused by too much technology...

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8

Last year's American Idol Season 7 was better by a mile (remember the two Davids?). I certainly don't think this season has talents who I could say with a certainty will sell records the way David Cook or even Daughtry has. Dunno with you guys but I really like very underrated Kris - he's got sheer artistry, musicality, genuine talent (case in point: his take on Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money"). Adam has showmanship & starpower performance ability but I find his voice shrieky when he hits the high notes, and well, he IS a bit theatrical. Danny's got vetter vocal quality than Adam but his showmanship leaves much to be desired; plus i think he's just getting sympathy votes because of his life story. I think Kris is the dark horse, the underdog. Danny & Adam? Overhyped and overrated, methinks.

Here's what some bloggers have to say: (from About.com)

(Cain): To me kris is the most talented of the bunch. good song choice, versatile yet convincing singing. but i’m not sure he can win. he’s not the one everybody is talking about. best doesn’t mean winner, too many have proven this. so sad ai’s been a popularity show for years and it will still be.

Adam’s dramatic performance soon will wear off and his singing style would be hard to fit into the market, if he indeed won the show. Danny has a good voice and a overly marketed story, but he also needs a little change and his cocky attitude won’t get him very far.

(Leigh): People love Adam because he’s different; he’s an entertainer first and foremost. However, I just don’t know what kind of album he would make or if he can really make it in modern music. He’s a great performer and he’s talented, but he’s so theatrical. And Danny Gokey–I am so done with him it’s not even funny.

(John): Kris is my favorite on this show. He seems like a really musical guy and a true talent, not just a vocalist.

(LeMarie): Totally agree with all the comments. Kris is one of the best contestants to hit AI. He is multi-talented and refreshing. AI would be foolish to pass him up.

BLOG OVERHAUL

I'm currently in the process of overhauling my blog and going for a completely different look. It's been giving me a headache so far. I lost some widgets and I couldn't find them anymore, my flag counter was reset, and I couldn't decide on a template...darn! So far, I think I'm getting there...I haven't updated my blog for months now. Well, I've never been exactly that active in blogging...but I have a feeling that's about to change...here goes nothing...=)

DEAR GOD

In keeping with my "tribute to kids" mood lately, I found this nugget of a photo from www.anvari.org of Dear God letters from kids. Believe me when I say, read on and feel all your worries melt away...ahh, the innocence of youth...

WHAT DOES LOVE MEAN?

Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it. Touching words from the mouth of babes...

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?”

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." - (Rebecca - age 8)

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” - (Billy - age 4)

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - (Karl - age 5)

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." - (Chrissy - age 6)

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." - (Terri - age 4)

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” - (Danny - age 7)

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" - (Emily - age 8)

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." - (Bobby - age 7) Wow!

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.” - (Nikka - age 6) We need a few million more Nikkas on this planet!

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." - (Noelle - age 7)

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - (Tommy - age 6)

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." - (Cindy - age 8)

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." - (Clare - age 6)

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." - (Elaine - age 5)

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." - (Chris - age 7)

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." - (Mary Ann - age 4)

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - (Lauren - age 4)

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." - (Karen - age 7) What an image!

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." - (Mark - age 6)

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." - (Jessica - age 8)

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry".

7 Reasons Not to Mess with a Child

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, “And there's the teacher, she's dead.”


A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face."

"Yes," the class said.

"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"

A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."


The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.
The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want - God is watching the apples.”

THE DONKEY (NEVER GIVE UP)

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.
They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL : Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.
The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.
Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!

Shake it off and take a step up.

THE SON

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out the package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings.

Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?' There was silence...Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?' Another voice rose angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
'We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!' The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!'

FAMOUS ART

I've always considered myself as an art aficionado. Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by works of art, especially art by the Old Masters. I'm especially fond of Impressionism, and my favorite is Claude Monet. One of the things I want to do before I die is to see some of these original works of art up close and personal, so that means I'll be scouring the museums all over the world for that. I don't mind. after all, I do have that adventurous streak in me. I picked out some of the most famous art I admire and made a slideshow, aptly set to the "Mona Lisa Smile Suite" by Rachel Portman.. Following is the list of those included in the slideshow according to order of showing, with the art title, artist, and art movement. Enjoy!

1) A Beautiful World – Grandma Moses – American folk art
2) A Girl With A Watering Can – Renoir - impressionism
3) Adam and Eve – Gustav Klimt – art nouveau
4) American Gothic – Grant Wood – American folk art
5) Amoureux au Bouquet – Marc Chagall - expressionism
6) A Pair of Shoes – Vincent Van Gogh – impressionism
7) Arundel Mill and Castle – John Constable - Romanticism
8) Ashes – Edvard Munch - expressionism
9) At The Moulin Rouge – Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – post-impressionism
10) Boating – Edouard Manet - impressionism
11) Bathers at Asnieres – Georges Seurat – pointillism
12) Beata Beatrix – Dante Gabriel Rossetti – Pre-Raphaelite
13) Blind Man’s Bluff – Francisco de Goya – Spanish rococo
14) Bride With A Fan – Marc Chagall - expressionism
15) By The Seashore - Pierre Auguste Renoir - impressionism
16) Cowper Madonna - Raphael – renaissance
17) Creation of Adam (section of Sistine Chapel) – Michelangelo Buonarrotti - renaissance
18) Daniel In The Lion’s Den – Peter Paul Rubens – baroque
19) Dejeuner Sur La Herbe – Edward Manet - impressionism
20) Flagellation of Christ – Caravaggio - baroque
21) Girl Asleep At A Table – Pablo Picasso – cubism
22) Girl With A Pearl Earring – Jan Vermeer – baroque
23) Head of A Nymph – Sophie Gengembre Anderson – Pre-Raphaelite
24) Holy Family - Michelangelo Buonarroti – renaissance
25) Impression: Sunrise – Claude Monet – impressionism
26) In The Green Mountains – Grandma Moses – American folk art
27) Irises – Vincent Van Gogh - impressionism
28) Landscape at Beaulieu – Pierre Auguste Renoir - impressionism
29) L’Etoile Pastel – Edgar Degas – impressionism
30) Madonna and Child with Angels – Fra Filippo Lippi - renaissance
31) Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci – renaissance
32) Night Fishing at Antibes – Pablo Picasso – cubism
33) On The Terrace – Pierre Auguste Renoir - impresionism
34) Pieta – Michelangelo Buonarrotti – sculpture
35) Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne – Amedeo Modigliani – expressionism
36) Portrait of Picasso – Juan Gris - cubism
37) River Landscape – Thomas Gainborough - rococo
38) Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh – post-impressionism
39) Still Life With A Basket – Paul Cezanne – post-impressionism
40) Stour Valley and Dedham Church – John Constable - Romanticism
41) Study of A Nude – Paul Gauguin – post-impressionism
42) Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat - pointillism
43) Sunflowers – Vincent Van Gogh - impressionism
44) The Art of Painting – Jan Vermeer - baroque
45) The Birth of Venus – Sandro Botticelli – renaissance
46) The Cornfield – John Constable - Romanticism
47) The Entombment – Peter Paul Rubens – baroque
48) The Flame – Jackson Pollock – abstract expressionism
49) The Joy of Life (Le Bonheur de Vivre) – Henri Matisse – fauvism
50) The Kiss – Gustav Klimt – art nouveau
51) The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci – renaissance
52) The Little Valley – Paul Gauguin – Post-impressionism
53) The Marriage at Cana – Veronese - renaissance
54) The Milkmaid – Jan Vermeer – baroque
55) The Moon-Woman – Jackson Pollock – action painting
56) The Music Lesson – Jan Vermeer - baroque
57) The Night Watch - Rembrandt – baroque
58) The Persistence of Memory – Salvador Dali – surrealism
59) The River at Argenteuil – Edouard Manet - impressionism
60) The Scream - Edvard Munch – expressionism
61) The Stay at Homes – Norman Rockwell – American folk art
62) The Three Ages – Salvador Dali - surrealism
63) The Thinker - Auguste Rodin – sculpture
64) Venus of Urbino – Titian - renaissance
65) Village Path – Camille Pisarro - impressionism
66) Waterlilies - Claude Monet – impressionism
67) Waterlilies (the clouds) – Claude Monet - impressionism
68) Whistler's Mother - James Abbott McNeill Whistler – impressionism
69) Woman Before An Aquarium – Henri Matisse - fauvism
70) Woman with a Parasol (The Stroll, Camille Monet and her son Jean) – Claude Monet – impressionism
71) Young Girl Fixing Her Hair – Sophie Gengembre Anderson – Pre-Raphaelite

MY TWILIGHT EXPERIENCE

My sis and I were shopping for Christmas decors when we decided on the spur of the moment to watch “Twilight”. It was Friday, late afternoon, school was out -- bad call – clearly the demographic was high school and college students. The line wasn’t that long, but the movie house was nearly full. We took our seats and sat back to enjoy the movie. Fat chance…when the Cullens started to appear, the screaming started. As it turned out, seated right behind us was a whole row of high school students. And when Edward appeared, the dialogue was drowned out by the hyperventilating shrieks of the same demographic. Sheesh! A number of us were irritated, especially since they started to anticipate and pre-empt every scene after that with their intimate knowledge of the story. No amount of hushing quelled their excitement. When the scene came for Edward’s first “Hello”, the squealing drowned out the dialogue! Angry moviegoers finally yelled at them, including my very audible “OVER!” Well, that did the trick coz they behaved after that. Remind me never to watch a much hyped movie in its first few days of screening. I’d much rather watch it during its last few days of run when you have an almost empty theater and you can blissfully enjoy the movie without the noise, the jostling, and the passing-in-front-of-you-to-get-to-the-next-seat.

Okay, let’s face it; no movie version could ever hope to surpass the book. That’s proven in the case of the Harry Potter series, The DaVinci Code, the Bourne series, and a lot more. Even the biggest Hollywood budget and the most high-tech special effects could never hope to match the imagination of those who have read the books. The best they could do is to stay true to the story and make the movie as close to the imagination as it possibly could.

Fortunately “Twilight” is one such movie, true to its source material. Even the choice of the actors to play the key roles did not disappoint the book’s followers. Although I still don’t get all the hype about this movie. I mean, the premise of a “good” vampire falling in love with a mortal has been rehashed to death. In fact this angst-filled romance reminded me of TV’s Buffy and Angel (remember them?), except that Buffy is a kick-ass slayer while Bella is the classic damsel in distress. Even the excruciatingly slow-to-happen first kiss reminded me of the long drawn-out first kiss of Joey and Dawson in Dawson’s Creek. But somehow author Stephenie Meyer seemed to have achieved the right balance of suspense and romance to titillate the imagination of her target audience, the young adults of this generation. Furthermore, she has completely reinvented the vampire image and veered away from the frequent depictions of a vampire. Like, being able to move in daylight as long as they avoid direct sunlight; we all know vampires burn when sunlight hits them, but in Twilight world, their skin glow like diamonds, a beautiful apparition. They don’t eat, they don’t drink, they don’t sleep (what? no coffins?), they don’t shun away from garlic or crosses. All this reinvention made Edward even more irresistible, and made the YA crowd root for Edward to finally turn Bella.

The movie not only captivated the hearts of its target audience, but also those not in the demographic. As usual critics are divided on this one, but I really don’t care much for what the critics say. I go to the movies to be entertained. And I WAS entertained, even tickled by the “cute” love story. If it’s entertainment you’re looking for, then this is the movie to watch. Just another one of those big Hollywood movies with sequels you’d have to wait over a year for. Yeah, bummer, huh? =)

SPEECHES

Over the years I've been asked, requested, tasked, ordered to speak at special events in schools, gatherings, work. I hate public speaking! I'm not that good with crowds. But sometimes you just gotta do what you have to do. And of course, I had to write my own speech! I have no problem with that, I'd rather write than speak. Still, it's a reality I just have to contend with -- that as I go along, there'll be speeches to write and well, deliver...

The following was the speech I delivered during our Nursing post-graduation ring-hop ceremony which I wrote in the wee hours of the morning, just hours before the event. Yeah, I know, last-minute chores and multi-tasking is a nurse's specialty...

We stand here today at this junction in our lives as proud finished products of four years of hard work, patience, and dogged perseverance. Like malleable metal forged through time, we were molded and polished into what we are today.

Our four-year stay in the Nursing program can never be described as one that was easy. We gave should I say more than our share of hardships and difficulties. Sleepless nights, countless requirements, mind-wrecking examinations and not to mention the dreaded pink slips…all these have helped in making us more competent, disciplined and much more prepared for the professional path ahead of us.

It wasn’t however all pain. As with life, our experience in the program is bittersweet. Undeniably, we have had happy and happier days. The friendships we have formed, the skills we have mastered and that we never thought we could do, and the compassion we have nurtured within us, are some of the things that have kept us going. Most importantly, we could never have made it without the untiring guidance and support that our administrators, faculty and family have unfailingly given us throughout the years. It is with this that I, on behalf of the pioneering batch of the College of Nursing, extend this gratitude to all these people.

To the administrators of the College of Nursing, headed by our beloved dean, Dr. Patria V. Manalaysay, we thank you for your unwavering support and belief in us, and your determination to make the Ateneo de Davao University College of Nursing at par with or even the best of them all. It is with fervent hope and prayer that we will do you proud.

To our Clinical Instructors, I have this to say: through the years we have seen clinical instructors come and go. Some of them old, some of them young, some big and some small, some cute and some not-so-cute, some very, very kind and some never-mind. It cannot be denied that perhaps a lot of you are more hypertensive now than when you first started, or that a few of us have caused your hair to turn white. But then again, the same can be said for us, for some of you also caused our blood to boil especially when it comes to grades and pink slips. But we’re past all that now! Look at where we are right this moment… we survived. Our dear clinical instructors, you have become more than what your job descriptions called for, we thank you for being more than just our teachers, you have become our second parents, mentors, friends, counselors, and allies all the way. From all of us, thank you.

And of course, to our families who have taught us what unconditional love is all about and how it sustained us all these years, through all the out-of-town duties, overnight stay for case presentations, long hours spent away from home, and the financial burden --- for putting up with all these, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. No words can ever describe our heartfelt gratitude for all of you.

At this point I would like to share these words from Albert Einstein: “A hundred times a day, I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellowmen, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”

Ladies and gentlemen, everything that we have become, and everything that we will be we offer it all to The Man Upstairs and to all of you. Thank you very much.

ON SOUL MATES AND TWIN FLAMES

What is a twin flame you may ask? The term most often has been confused with that of soul mates but the two are distinctly different. The greatest love story ever told is the one you have with your very own beloved twin flame. In the beginning we were created in God (Alpha and Omega) in an ovoid white-fire-spirit-light, the soul was split just like the atom (Adam Kadman) into two identical parts (twin flames) each with the same identical soul blueprint. The tai-chi is a symbol of twin flames. Twin flames in love spiraling in infinity.
We then went forth from the Etheric realm (heaven) of God's perfect light into denser levels of consciousness (the physical). The actual saga of Adam and Eve is about twin flames, for we all have our own Adam and Eve story. Somewhere in cosmos, each one of us has our very own divine other, who carries either the feminine or masculine polarity. This soul memory of the twin flame is so powerful, that we can feel very alone in this world, as we search for that promise of that original perfect love, the twin. No other love can compare to your own twin flame. Some people in very difficult relationships choose to suffer in agonizing pain, just to be with their twin flame. The movies Somewhere in Time, The English Patient and Moulin Rouge are modern day examples of twin flame love. Twin flames throughout history and literature are often tragic love relationships. The forces of anti-love work day and night to sabotage twin flames and keep them apart.

Twin Flames are ourselves in another body. When Souls chose to enter into physicality, they were split into masculine and feminine aspects. Please note, not male and female, because throughout our incarnations, we will be in both genders of bodies. When we first leave the Light to enter into physicality, we will connect with our Twin Flame. This is done so we will not feel so totally alone in the human experience. After this we go our separate ways and grow lifetime after lifetime in experience and wisdom until we are ready to break free of the bonds of physicality and mortality. When we have reached this stage we have the opportunity to reconnect with our “other half” or Twin Flame. The chances are that we meet our Twin Flame briefly in many lifetimes, but one or both of us are not ready for the intensity of this connection. When both halves of the whole are ready to come back together and meet they will discover that in that lifetime they have lead almost parallel lives. The events of their lives will mirror each other almost exactly. They may have come from very similar families and family dynamics. They may have had similar schooling or lack thereof. They may have almost identical careers. They may even have previous marriages and divorces within weeks of each other. When Twin Flames get to know each other, they will feel as if the other is reading their life script.

So now, what is a Soul Mate? A soul mate is different from a twin flame. Soul mates share a common mission and comparable stage of spiritual development. They come together because they are working on the same type of karma and the same chakra simultaneously. So soul mates have an attraction that is based on the sacred labor and on the path of self-mastery. A soul mate is like the echo of oneself in Matter working at the same task to fulfill a blueprint for God.
Soul mates experience a calmer, more stable connection on the lines of a brother and a sister type rapport. The very best marriages are often found to be between soul mates; they work very harmoniously together in business, raising children, and contributing to the community.

Soul Mates are those beings that we have had connections with in past lives. They may have been our parents, siblings, spouses, friends, etc. and they have agreed to come back to join us again. The reason for this rejoining is so that we can each achieve balance in our lives. Our Soul Mates represent our spiritual family. By connecting with them we are reminded of the resonance of our Soul and also they help us to wake up and remember our purpose. Most of the time when we think of Soul Mates we are thinking of love relationships, but we can have Soul Mates that join us for business partnerships, healing relationships, and yes, love relationships. Any relationship we can have is open to the arena of Soul Mates. They may be a teacher or minister or counselor who comes into our life and touches it deeply. Soul Mates are truly our friends from many lifetimes who come to play again with on this Earth. Often they come into our lives for a specific time or event. They may even come into a love relationship to assist us in a specific learning and then move on. Whatever the purpose of being in each others lives, it is a beautiful experience. When you connect with your Soul Mate in a love relationship, you have, in effect, found your perfect mate for where you are in your development as a Soul.

Over many lifetimes soul mate relationships prepare us for lasting twin reunion. They are a very important part of the process and should be blessed as such. Most often, soul mate unions will last longer and be more rewarding than the electrifying, but often stormy, twin pairings. Twin soulship is a very highly charged partnership and the two must be spiritually ready for it to last. When they are, their union will transcend all others.

DESTROYING FRIENDSHIP

Just when you thought you know someone well, his true colors show and the friend you thought you have turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, a two-faced snake...

You accepted somebody for what he is, with all his shortcomings and weaknesses, into your fold. He gained your trust, shared secrets; you helped him through his difficult times...only to have that somebody slowly undermine the friendship you painstakingly built over the years, with his arrogant act of self-gratification just because he needed something to distract him from his pathetic life. Too lazy to even look beyond the group and instead turned on the persons who considered him a friend.

Like a disease, he slowly festers and eats away at the very foundation of your friendship; he charms, jokes, and laughs his way as he alienates the friends from each other, and takes advantage of somebody's emotional vulnerability and inexperience.

What used to be an open, cheery, fun group now harbors distrust, dishonesty, secrecy, pretensions, and his favorite -- selfishness. He seems to be enjoying the discord, after all, as long as HIS needs are met, to hell with others, right? He must be grinning smugly, now that he got what he wanted.

You wish you could take back all the time and effort you invested on that person. What a waste, he does not deserve any of it. His singular act of egotism effectively destroyed friendship...

HOTTIES

Here's a personal slideshow of some of the hottest and yummiest male celebs I find in TV and movies. Fittingly set to Alana Davis' "32 Flavors". I made this a litttle while now, and I haven't gotten around to my newer batch yet. Anyways, thirty-two flavors indeed, and then some! Delish! Enjoy!

LIFE IN THE 1500s

I learned something about our language history...

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
These are interesting...

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, “Don't throw the baby out with the bath water...”

Houses had thatched roofs -- thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying “It's raining cats and dogs.”

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a “thresh hold.”
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?) =)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..”

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could “bring home the bacon.” They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat...

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the “upper crust.”

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, “saved by the bell” or was considered a ...dead ringer..

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

TO FILIPINO STUDENT NURSES

The following is a speech I wrote while in my student nurse days as a requirement for Leadership and Management. The idea still applies today…

When Florence Nightingale walked the battlefields at night during the Crimean war, searching for the wounded, she had only that all-too-familiar lamp for light. Clara Barton did the same during the American Civil War. These two notable women of history are only among the many remarkable figures in the history of Nursing.
Hard as it may be to believe, but back then, they did it out of the goodness of their hearts and with the purest of intentions. There was no financial compensation to consider, certainly, there were no promises of honor or prestige. Back then, Nursing was a vocation, a calling, a life meant only for those truly committed to serving humanity.
Nursing has come a long way. It has today become a prominent profession, the most in-demand healthcare resource ever. But let us go back to Nightingale and Barton for a while. Let me ask you now, if you were in their shoes, would you do it too? If you were, let’s say, in the middle of a war, would you do the same, knowing full well you would be risking your life, and without compensation to boot? If somebody says yes right now, then I would say, prove it ma’am or sir, and I would personally shower you with medals, trophies, rewards and accolades.
Because let’s face it, let us not be pretentious this moment. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of the student population is here because of only one thing: DOLLARS. Frankly, I myself am guilty of that. Yet, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, something happened along the way. Do you remember that very first time you pulled a bloody, slimy baby out of the womb, or the very first time you saw a body being sliced open, exposing all those inner stuff in all its glory? How about the very first time you fed a “barangay-ful” of hungry children in your community, or the very first time you heard “thank you” from a patient you cared for. How did it feel? You belonged. We belong. We feel proud to belong to that special breed of people who gets to see, feel, smell, hear, and sometimes even taste all of that. We are in a special kind of profession.
Nursing is all about commitment. If you can’t handle it, then you better get out before you waste any more time and money. But the truth is, a lot of the students are hanging on because of the sheer motivating force of money. A lot of us are still here because of the promise of a bright future somewhere out there. Be that as it may, because it is something we cannot do anything about, the saving grace is that we all came in with that thought in mind, but after four years, we come out as transformed persons, with just a little bit of something changed inside that may or may not make the difference between nursing for the pocket and nursing from the heart.
Filipina nurses used to be well-known for being hard-working and the best in the business. Sad to say, lately, there are reports of Filipina nurses deported because of incompetence. This is what happens when quality is sacrificed just to meet quantity. Just to remind you, our closest competitors are the nurses from India – and they are giving us a run for the money indeed.
Alarming? This is something you, as future nurse leaders must do something about. Let us go back to the basics. Go back to why there is Nursing in the first place. Go back to Nursing 100 and recite again: “the domain of nursing is CARING”.
In all our hospital exposure, where the shortage of nurses is greatly felt because of the volume of everyday clients, we see so many nurses who oftentimes are short-tempered, indifferent, and insensitive to the patients’ needs mostly because of their concern to finish their paperwork on time. This defeats the very essence of nursing, when caring becomes impersonal, indifferent, insensitive, and devoid of any warmth. Please, do not be like that.
I know some students who make fun of the nurses’ attitude in the hospital. Don’t laugh. Do something about it! Promise yourselves you will not become like that.
This is where you future nurse leaders come in. You task is laid out for you. Take this as a challenge. Nursing is all about caring. Bring back the heart and soul of nursing. For this, you future leaders should nurture within you the same fire that fueled Nightingale herself. If nurturing a raging fire in you seems too much to ask, then even just a little spark will do for a start, perhaps just enough to light a lamp?
For all the nurses and student nurses present here today, why not try a little something when you go home? Find a mirror, look at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself with all conviction: that YOU exemplify quality nursing care. Then go ahead and LIVE IT!