Life's So Beautiful

Archive for the ‘Meaningful Living’ Category

The world will witness a marriage of Olympic-sized proportions tomorrow when China’s 2010 gold medal pair skaters Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue get married in front of thousands of fans — on ice.

Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue

The glittering wedding, scheduled to take place at Beijing’s Capital Gymnasium that has been decked out in sweeping red ribbons and spotlights, has been an affair three years in the making. Zhao proposed to Shen after a gold medal-winning performance at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships.  Zhao shocked Shen by dropping to one knee at the centre of the rink in Tokyo and popping a marriage proposal. Misunderstanding at first, Shen got down on her knees too, in perplexed solidarity. When it finally dawned that Zhao had just asked her to marry him, Shen squeaked a yes, the crowd roared.

Though they had legally registered their marriage in China on May 28 2007, they have yet to go through a formal ceremony with their families and friends. Most Chinese do not consider a couple formally married until they have undergone a wedding ceremony.

They have been skating together since 1992, and fell in love between practices and competitions around the world. Through all those years they skated together, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo were not allowed to so much as kiss. The couple was under intense and overt scrutiny, living and training full-time for 15 years at their country’s figure skating incubator in distant, freezing Harbin, where romantic fraternization was strictly forbidden.

Shen and Zhao were the first Chinese pair team to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2002, they became the first Chinese pair skating team to win a World Championship.  In February 2010 in Vancouver, they became the first Chinese skaters to win the gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games in any figure skating category, ending almost half a century of Russian and Soviet pair skating dominance.

They are considered by many critics of the sport to be one of the best pair skating teams of all time. They are the world record holders for pairs’ score in the short program and in the combined total under the ISU Judging System.

It won’t be just any ordinary friends in attendance on Saturday evening. Taking part in the couple’s wedding will be some of the world’s best skating stars who have flown into Beijing to perform as their gift to the couple. 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia will skate to “Sex Bomb” while Japan’s 2010 Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada will perform a tango-inspired program.

The men’s 2002 Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia and two-time World Champion Stephane Lambiel of Canada will also hit the ice with Zhao and Shen.

The newlyweds will conclude their wedding celebration with the classic “Turandot.”

Perhaps the only program that might outshine Zhao and Shen will be American Johnny Weir’s performance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” which is slated to immediately follow the wedding vows.

“So many of my fans want me to perform ‘Poker Face’ in China,” Weir told CNN. “Yes, I am a little nervous that I am going right after because Poker Face is a little bit dirty… but I am excited by the challenge.”

The bride and groom’s Olympic friends are tight-lipped about what they will give Zhao and Shen. “We have all been discussing what we will do but I can’t tell you what the gift it. It’s still a secret,” said 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Joannie Rochette of Canada.

“I have prepared a traditional Japanese gift for them,” Asada said.

China and the world are awaiting tomorrow night with bated breath to the wedding on ice.

I listen to a wide range of music ranging from rock, jazz, pop, new age, easy-listening, alternative music, gospel to some classical. But in my teens and early adult, my favorite music was rock and I was hooked on to music by Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones, Queen, Eagles, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Rod Stewart,  AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Styx,  Supertramp, Heart, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Jackson Browne and a whole lot of others.

Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1950s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music. The sound of rock often revolves around the electric guitar, a back beat  laid down by a rhythm section of electric bass guitar and drums, and keyboard instruments such as Hammond organ, piano, or since the 1970s, synthesizers. Along with the guitar or keyboards,  saxophone and blues-style harmonica  are sometimes used as soloing instruments. In its “purest form”, it “has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody.”

Rock music

It is not easy to pick my favorite top 10 greatest rock songs but after a couple of hours’ search on the internet to refresh my memory, the following 10 songs are my choices:

“Stairway to Heaven” is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band’s untitled fourth studio album (dubbed Led Zeppelin IV). The song, which runs almost eight minutes, is composed of several sections, which increase in tempo and volume as the song progresses. One of the highlights  of the song is the intricate guitar solo by Jimmy Page. This song is about a woman who accumulates money, but finds out the hard way her life had no meaning and will not get her into heaven.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The number is noted for Richards’Bohemian  three-note guitar riff which opens and drives the song, and for the lyrics, which include references to sexual intercourse and a theme of anti-commercialism. The latter in particular caused the song to be “perceived as an attack on the status quo”. Mick Jagger wrote all the lyrics except the line “Can’t get no satisfaction.” The lyrics deal with what Jagger saw as the two sides of America, the real and phony. He sang about a man looking for authenticity but not being able to find it. Jagger experienced the vast commercialism of America in a big way on their tours, and later learned to exploit it, as The Rolling Stones made truckloads of money through sponsorships and merchandising in the US.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band’s 1975 album A Night At The Opera. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is in the style of a stream-of-consciousness nightmare that has an unusual song structure, more akin to a classical rhapsody than popular music. The song has no chorus, instead consisting of three main parts – a ballad segment ending with a guitar solo, an operatic passage, and a heavy rock section. Because of its ambiguous style and arrangement, the song is rarely classified by the band or critics under a particular genre of music. It is usually described as a rock opera piece. When it was released as a single, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a huge commercial success, staying at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and selling more than a million copies by the end of January 1976. It reached number one again in 1991 for five weeks following Mercury’s death, eventually becoming the UK’s third best selling single of all time.

“Imagine” is a song written and performed by English rock musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971. It was also Lennon’s only post-Beatle Australian Number one single, spending five weeks at the summit. When asked about the song in one of his last interviews, Lennon declared “Imagine” to be as good as anything he had written with the Beatles. The song is one of three Lennon solo songs, along with “Instant Karma” and “Give Peace A Chance”, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone ranked “Imagine” the 3rd greatest song of all time in their editorial The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. John Lennon’ s widow, Yoko Ono, indicated that the lyrical content of “Imagine” was “just what John believed — that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out.

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” is a song by the rock band The Who. Written by Pete Townshend, it combines guitar power chords with heavily processed organ and synthesizer sounds to create a textured, atmospheric introduction that explodes into the verse. It is based upon the idea of revolution, somewhat cynically portraying the hope surrounding the concept – “I tip my hat to the new constitution/Take a bow for the new revolution” – and the disappointment that the new regime is the same as the old one – “Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss”. Pete Townshend wrote this song about a revolution. In the first verse, there is an uprising. In the middle, they overthrow those in power, but in the end, the new regime becomes just like the old one (“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”). Townshend felt revolution was pointless because whoever takes over is destined to become corrupt. Roger Daltrey’s scream is considered one of the best on any rock song.

“Hotel California” is the title song from the Eagles’album of the same name and was released as a single in early 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-orientated rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. The song’s lyrics describe the title establishment as a luxury resort where “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” On the surface, the song tells the tale of a weary traveler who becomes trapped in a nightmarish luxury hotel that at first appeared inviting and tempting. The song is an allegory about hedonism and self-destruction in the Southern California music industry of the late 1970s; Don Henley called it “our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles” and later reiterated “it’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about.”

“American Pie” is a folk rock song by singer-songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. The song is a recounting of “The Day the Music Died” – the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The importance of “American Pie” to America’s musical and cultural heritage was recognized by the Songs of the Century education project which listed the song as the number five song of the twentieth century. The song is well known for its cryptic lyrics that have long been the subject of curiosity and speculation.

“Hey Jude” is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Credited to John Lennon/Paul McCartney, the ballad evolved from “Hey Jules,” a song Paul McCartney wrote to comfort John’s son Julian during his parents’ divorce. The change to “Jude” was inspired by the character “Jud” in the musical Oklahoma This was the Beatles longest single, running 7:11, and at the time was the longest song ever released as a single.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967, and stayed there for six weeks. With its haunting Bach-flavored instrumental melody, soulful vocals, and unusual lyrics—by the song’s co-authors Matthew Fisher, Gary Brooker, and Keith –”A Whiter Shade of Pale” reached #1 in several countries when released in 1967. In the years since, it has become an enduring classic. It was the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK (as of 2009), and the United Kingdom performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited in 2004 recognized it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone placed “A Whiter Shade of Pale” #57 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

“Smoke on the Water” is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in March 2005, Q Magazine placed “Smoke on the Water” at number twelve in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song  is about a fire in the Casino at Montreux, Switzerland. The band was going to record Machine Head there right after a Frank Zappa concert, but someone fired a flare gun at the ceiling which set the place on fire. The band was relocated to another hotel and recorded the album in the Rolling Stones mobile studio.

Dance is the hidden language of the soul. It  is also an international language. Dancing is the ability to speak volumes to hundreds of people without using any words. To dance takes strength, artistry and passion. You can express any emotion possible in the most beautiful form. Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. Its the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy.

The genius of Alvin Ailey changed forever the perception of American dance. Over 50 years later, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has come to be known as a cultural ambassador to the world.  Do visit their website at www.alvinailey.org.

Alvin Ailey ((January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989), an African-American from a small rural town in Texas, founded the all-black company in 1958. He wanted to give voice to a population all-too-often unheard from, and to reflect the joy – and sadness – of the American black community. Until his death in 1989, not only did he choreograph 79 ballets and run an incredibly successful international dance company, he worked tirelessly to include the public – to “break the wall between performer and public”, for, as he put it, “dance is for everybody.”  Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance.

Alvin Ailey

Ailey’s choreographic masterpiece “Revelations,”  a stylized, elegant combination of ballet and modern dance set to the music of Negro spirituals, is believed to be the best-known and most often seen modern dance performance. For this signature work, Ailey drew upon his “blood memories” of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel, resulting in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work.

Though Ailey created 79 works for his dancers, he maintained that his company was not merely a showcase for his own work. Today, the company continues Ailey’s vision by performing important works from the past and commissioning new additions to the repertoire. In all, more than 200 works by over 70 choreographers have been performed by the company.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performer

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performer

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers

Ailey was proud that his company was multi-racial. While he wanted to give opportunities to black dancers, who were frequently excluded from performances by racist attitudes at the time, he also wanted to rise above issues of negritude. His company always employed artists based solely on artistic talent and integrity regardless of their race

Cry (1971), was one of Ailey’s greatest successes. He dedicated it to his mother and black women everywhere. It became a signature piece for Judith Jamison who has been leading the company as its Artistic Director since Ailey’s death.

Jamison  says she wants audiences to be “touched in their hearts, in their spirits, and in their minds – I want them to feel lifted when they leave the theatre, to feel changed – and to feel as if the experience belongs to them – and that they want to share it”.

Judith Jamison - Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

A rhythm begins in your soul

Your body moves

The music flows

Into your veins

A throbbing pulse of

A drumbeat primeval

Voices hypnotizing

Melody and rhyme

Beat of bass and drummer

Feet that move in time to

Guitar, sax and keyboards

The wail of clarinet

A song’s intoxication

Lovers’ silhouette

Senses play the music

Feet and hearts and hands

Romance and dreams transforming

In the alchemy of dance

~ Winsome

Are you touched? Shall we dance?

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ – Acts 20:35

As for the rich in the present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. – 1 Timothy 6:17, 18

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind - Luke 14:13

Warren Buffet - The Oracle of Omaha

Warren Edward Buffet is one of my most admired persons. Born on 30^th August 1930,  he is one of the most successful investors in the world. The legendary investor, often called the “Oracle of Omaha” or the “Sage of Omaha”, is one of the richest persons in the world. He is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Despite his immense wealth, he is known for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality.

Warren Buffet's modest house

On June 26, 2006, Buffet announced that he would give away eighty-five percent of his Berkshire Hathaway stock – worth $37 billion at that time – to a group of foundations over a number of years. No gift of this size had ever been made in the history of philanthropy. Five out of every six shares would go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, already the largest charity in the world, in a historic marriage of two fortunes for the betterment of the world.

Buffet With Bill & Melinda Gates

Buffet would establish no Buffet hospital, no college or university endowment or building with his name on it. By donating the money without naming something after himself, without controlling personally how it would be spent – to put money in the coffers of another foundation that he had selected for its competence and efficiency, rather than creating a whole new empire – upended every convention of giving. Such a thing had never been done by any major donor before. “It was a historic moment in the field of philanthropy globally,” said Doug Bauer of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.  “It ‘s set a bar, a touchstone, for others.”

The Gates Foundation adhered to a basic creed that Buffet shared: Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, it worked to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world in the areas of global health and education.

More than 99% of his wealth will go to philanthropy during his lifetime or at death. He and his family will give up nothing they need or want by just retaining 1% of his wealth. But fulfilling this 99% pledge will have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others.

The effects of Buffet’s pledge were sizable. Jackie Chan announced that he would give away half his wealth. Li Ka-Shing, Asia’s richest man, pledged a third of his wealth to his own charitable foundation.  Carlos Slim, the Mexican communications monopolist, ridiculed Buffet and Gates for their philanthropy but  did a turnabout a few months later and announced that he, too, would be giving money away.

Buffet said 70 to 80 people on the Forbes magazine list of the world’s richest were contacted as part of his drive to boost giving. Forty individuals or families signed on, leaving about half that need convincing.  Buffet said he’ll keep pressing the billionaires who rebuffed his request that they pledge at least half of their fortunes to charity.

“We don’t give up on them,” Buffet said. “Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future, so we’ll keep working.”

In a landmark moment for philanthropy, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are advocating that all billionaires commit to giving at least half of their wealth to charitable groups within their lifetimes or after their deaths.

Dubbed The Giving Pledge, the initiative is the result of a series of dinners the two men held over the past year to discuss the effects of the recession on philanthropy with some of the nation’s richest people, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Revlon owner Ronald Perelman and David Rockefeller, his family’s patriarch.

Michael Bloomberg, New York City Mayor

Ronald Perelman - Revlon Owner

David Rockefeller is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family

The Giving Pledge does not accept money or tell people how to donate their money, but asks billionaires to make a moral commitment to give their fortunes to charity and to publicly state their intention with a letter explaining their decision.  The Giving Pledge aims to reverse the recession’s trend of declining donations. In all, (if successful) the initiative would transfer $600 billion — a figure calculated by dividing the amount of wealth represented in Forbes magazine’s billionaires list in half — to charitable causes.

The Giving Pledge

Bill & Melinda Gates & Warren Buffet - The Giving Pledge

The initiative could place pressure on prominent families like the Duncans of Houston to dispense more of the family’s trust. Duncan gifted more than $250 million to Baylor College of Medicine, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and other Houston institutions during his life.

Gates and Buffets’ goal is to instill the expectation that the rich should give away their wealth while creating a peer group of wealthy people that can offer advice on philanthropy, said Melinda Gates,  Bill’s wife and the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr. Rockefeller has pledged to give at his death more than $1 billion to charitable causes, including gifts of more than $100 million to the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller University, Harvard University and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

For his part, Bloomberg said he gave $254 million to nearly 1,400 nonprofit organizations in 2009, adding, “I am a big believer in giving it all away and have always said that the best financial planning ends with bouncing the check to the undertaker.”

Among the rich joining The Giving Pledge campaign are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, media moguls Barry Diller and Ted Turner, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, “Star Wars” movie maker George Lucas, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, Revlon owner Ronald Perelman, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison,  former CEO & Chairman 0f Citigroup Inc. Sanford Weill,  real estate and construction billionaire Eli Broad, venture capitalist , media entrepreneur Gerry Lenfest and former Cisco Systems Chairman John Morgridge. The full list of billionaires and their letters can be seen at www.thegivingpledge.org.

“We took about 70 to 80 names, a fair number were people I didn’t know at all,” Buffet said. “We had reason to believe in most cases that the people already had an interest in philanthropy.”

Larry Ellison - CEO of Oracle

Sanford Weill - Former CEO & Chairman 0f Citigroup, Inc.

Media mogul Barry Diller

Media mogul Ted Turner

Star Wars movie maker George Lucas

Energy tycoon T.Boone Pickens

Real estate & construction billionaire Eli Broad

Venture capitalist John Doerr

Media entrepreneur Gerry Lenfest

Former Cisco Systems Chairman John Morgridge

Buffet said he will hold more dinners in the U.S. to encourage additional promises. Buffet and Gates  are due to meet with some of the wealthiest people in China in September and India in March.

The world has become a much better place because of Buffet, Bill Gates and the billionaires who have made their commitments to The Giving Pledge. The Giving Pledge is really an awesome idea and based on Forbes magazine’s estimates of the billionaires’ wealth, at least $150 billion could be given away. I salute these billionaires!

Desiree Jennings hit the top of Google hot searches a while ago. Out of curiousity, I googled the internet and this is what I found out.

Desiree Jennings

25-year old Desiree Jennings was living a dream come true, with a marketing job at a major company and married to a handsome, successful man. She was an avid runner and a cheerleading ambassador for the Washington Redskins football team.

Then almost overnight, after a routine flu shot last fall, Jennings went from the picture of happiness and health, to a twisted, stuttering vision of pain and suffering. From fever and painful body aches, the symptoms worsened until she could only walk with a twisted, halting gait, and had trouble reading, doing simple math and even remembering things. Her condition put a halt on her once-frenetic lifestyle.

Jennings developed another odd symptom — a strange foreign accent; the Midwestern woman suddenly sounded British. “It sounds like an accent, but it’s not. I just can’t pronounce words anymore,” she said.

But perhaps worse of all is what happens when Jennings tried to recall specific memories. In her “20/20″ interview, Jennings’ speech devolved to stuttering, then complete gibberish.

“The mind keeps bouncing and it won’t stay on that memory,” she explained. “It gets garbled up on a bad hard drive so to speak.”

In search of a cure, Jennings and her husband Brendan visited countless doctors and four hospitals, among them Johns Hopkins Hospital. There, a physical therapist told Jennings about dystonia, a rare movement disorder that causes the muscles to twitch or convulse involuntary. The symptoms resembled her own.

Jennings looked online and saw that in some cases, people with dystonia, who have trouble walking forward like she did, can walk backwards. Even more exciting for the devoted jogger was that a medical website said some sufferers can run.

“Within five minutes of seeing it on the website, she had her running shoes on,” Brendan recalled.

Miraculously, Jennings could run. She also found out she could walk backwards, and even sideways, and that while doing so, her speech returned to normal.

“It’s the strangest thing,” she said. “As soon as you try to get into a running motion, you feel the whole body correcting itself.”

It wasn’t long before Jennings became a media sensation. Video of the beautiful young cheerleader, flopping about and stuttering one moment, running and talking normally the next, went viral. At once, she became the poster child of the anti-vaccine movement and a global Internet joke. YouTube comics garnered millions of hits setting her jerky movements to rap music.

When not running, however, Jennings was far from well. Not only could she not walk or talk normally, Jennings said her brain sometimes forgot to tell her lungs to breathe, leading to fainting spells and convulsions.

Traditional medicine having failed her, Jennings decided to do something “outside the box,” and ended up at a North Carolina clinic run by Dr. Rashid Buttar. Buttar uses an unproven, alternative treatment termed “chelation” (the removal of metals from the body) for almost every medical condition, from autism to cancer.

When Jennings arrived at Buttar’s clinic in October 2009, she could hardly breathe and collapsed in his waiting room. She was pumped with IVs and Dr. Buttar began his unproven chelation process, where chelating agents bind to metals in the body, including mercury, and then are excreted in the urine.

In less than two weeks, Jennings’ condition apparently improved: she walked again and her stutter disappeared.

But just as she was leaving Dr. Buttar’s clinic on her last visit in December 2009 — with “20/20′s” cameras rolling — everything seemed to fall apart again. She could no longer walk forward and was taken out in a wheelchair.

While millions viewed video of Jennings on YouTube, those following her case are skeptical and suspect that her symptoms were all a hoax. In fact, what has bothered Jennings most about her unorthodox fame is the online assault on her integrity.

“Why would I fake it?” she said during her interview with “20/20.” “I’ve had a great life. . . Now I’m sitting at home every day, bored to tears.”

Still, there has been skepticism in the medical world. Dr. Steven Novella, an assistant professor of neurology at Yale, who has followed Jennings’ case closely on the Internet said that Jennings’ symptoms were not typical of the disease. Novella is confident Jennings’ condition was not caused by mercury in a flu shot.

Other experts consulted by “20/20″ agree. Dr. Charles McKay, a board member of the American College of Medical Toxicology, said Jennings would have been exposed to far less mercury in a flu shot than in a tuna steak.

But what could have caused Jennings’ strange symptoms? Novella and other leading neurologists interviewed by “20/20″ believe that Jennings’ disease is a psychogenic disorder rather than a neurological disorder. They don’t believe she has faked her symptoms, but instead that her unconscious mind has caused them.

Novella feels the temporary improvements Jennings experienced while undergoing Buttar’s treatment were due to “the placebo effect on steroids”: she got better because she thought she would.

Jennings, on the other hand, finds the “psychogenic” label insulting. “It’s a convenient way for incompetent doctors to get you out of their office,” she said.

Today, Jennings’ condition does not appear as severe, but she remains convinced that the flu shot caused her condition, and her search for a cure continues. She is currently seeing a specialist for her condition and still seeking answers.

“If I have to go over to China and do experimental procedures, I’ll find a way to get it all back,” she said. “It may take a while, but I will get everything back. I will find a way.”

Jennings has a host of detractors who think her condition is just a hoax to garner sympathy and fame. And these people have vilified her with their comments on YouTube, blogs, forums and the like. I just want to put a question to these people. What if Jennings’ condition is genuine? She may truly be living in a nightmare. Don’t be too rash to bombard her with all those obscenities. Just give her the benefit of the doubt, okay? Have some compassion and live a more meaningful and beautiful life!

June 30 2010 was a Wednesday and Christina Perri was at work as a waitress at a café in Los Angeles. She had no idea then that within the next 24 hours, her world would never be the same again. Ever.

Christina Perri

On the June 30 episode of Fox TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance”, Christina Perri’s song “Jars of Hearts” (also known as “Who Do You Think You Are?”) was used as the backdrop track for a dance routine performed by Billy Bell and Kathryn McMormick. The song struck a chord with the audience and broke into the Top 10 on iTunes overnight. And within two weeks, the song entered the Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs with over 100,000 downloads.

The “Jar of Hearts” lyrics has been among the hottest searches on the internet. One listen to the song is all it takes to understand why. The video below is posted by a fan on YouTube.  For those of you who want to get closer to Christina, follow her on her blog.

Christina’s story is uplifting as it proves that if you are truly committed to something you are passionate about, nothing can stop you. Christina believes in herself and in the beauty of her dreams. Since picking up the guitar at 15, she has been dreaming of becoming a singer. An ardent Beatles fan with their names tattooed around her wrists, she left her native Philadelphia for Los Angeles several years ago to pursue her dreams.  Working as a waitress in various restaurants, she spent her free time doing little things in the pursuit of her dreams: a commercial, singing a song for Diane Warren and posting acoustic performances of original tracks and covers on YouTube.

The pursuit of her dreams continues. The 23-year-old will travel to New York soon and meet up with major record labels. Managed by Tom Gates, the singer will be releasing a four-song EP. She says the songs are already written and plans to record within the next two weeks.

The lyrics of her song “Jars of Hearts”:

No I can’t take one more step towards you
Cause all that’s waiting is regret
And don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore
You lost the love I loved the most

I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are

I hear you’re asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
But I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your arms

I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are

And it took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I would have missed the first time that we kissed
Cause you broke all your promises
And now you’re back
You don’t get to get me back

And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at all

And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at all

Who do you think you are
Who do you think you are
Who do you think you are

Recently, international award-winning actress Lee Sinje and her acclaimed film director and producer husband, Oxide Pang, were in Malaysia to share their unique and meaningful honeymoon spent at a World Vision Area Development Programme at Bohol, the Philippines.

The couple was most touched and inspired by their experience living with two local families and experiencing the challenges that the children and adults face daily to survive.  Sinjie recorded her experience in her journal – Love Beyond Self.

I have reproduced her journal below:

Lee Sinje’s World Vision Visit to Bohol, Philippines

1 June, 5:05 pm

The child gazes at this stranger in front of her.

She has strands of blondish hair and a petite frame hidden under loose clothing.  Her tiny hands rest on her lap as she sits cross-legged on the floor.

“I’m six,” says the child. When her parents and 7-year-old brother go to the dump site close to their home to collect garbage, she cooks and takes care of her four younger siblings.

She often feels hungry as she only gets two meals a day.

I hand the child some chocolate biscuits and she eats all of them immediately.

Tears swell in my eyes but I am determined to refrain from crying in front of her.

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I am reminded of my mother’s family who was also very poor.

My grandmother had to carry two big baskets of sarong to sell at a hilltop, and every trip would last an entire week before she returned.

My then 7-year-old auntie has to wake up early every morning to cook, wash and take care of her five siblings.

“If we were hungry at night, we would mix the burnt rice in the pot with sugar water and drink it,” said my mother.

Once, my mother nearly died because my grandmother simply could not afford to take her to the doctor.

But fuelled by her optimism and strong will, my grandmother single-handedly raised all her six children.

I can still remember the times when she took me to the temple to offer alms to the monks or visit poverty-stricken families living at the hilltop. Her selfless acts of love helped her to raise and protect her family.

She is the source of my compassion for the needy today. Through her, I learn how to love the people around me, and I have seen how a selfless act of love can light up one’s life and even the world.

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This is my fourth World Vision visit, and it’s a first for my husband. We are in Philippines, a country comprising more than 7,000 islands, with a population of over 90 million. Forty-one percent of the population lives below the poverty line, earning less than US$2 a day. This means that there are more than 40 million people who suffer from hunger every day.

The sun’s radiant ray shines through the crystal-clear sea water creating a breathtaking view of the sparkling coastline.

The leaves rustle as we take each step.

Finally, we arrive at an organic farm developed by World Vision in collaboration with the local community. We put a handful of earthworms into the organic fertilizer with our bare hands and join the farmers in harvesting at the organic rice fields with our sickles. The setting sun slowly lights up the youthful smiles on the farmers’ faces.

We decide to spend the night at a villager’s house, showering with the cold water that was carried from far away, eating the chicken the family had raise in their backyard, and sleeping in beds covered by green mosquito nets. In the dark, I can see the moonlight streaming through the wooden plank walls.

The living condition of the villagers has greatly improved with the support from World Vision. No longer are they living without electricity and water; they have started growing organic plants to increase their income and, at the same time, protect the environment; some of their children are World Vision sponsored children and they enjoy going to school.

I am overwhelmed by the kindness and passion of the villagers. Their homes may be simple and shabby, they may not be dressed in fine clothing, but they have the ability to impart the purest kind of love that touches the bottom of my heart.

On the other hand, our lives are built around concrete homes in dazzling cities and we are pampered by so much luxury. Yet, our hearts have grown distant from each other.

We own everything. We own the whole world. But the truth is, what do we really possess?

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It is the second last day of our trip. We are at a dump site located in a suburb on Bohol Island.

The smell of rubbish which has been accumulated over the last 20 years is utterly nauseating. A group of children are playing in an abandoned dump truck. This rubbish dump is the main source of income for the community here. The adults and children wait for the dump trucks to arrive every day. Once the rubbish is unloaded from the trucks, they will proceed to scavenge for things that they can sell.

Afterwards, we visit a poor family who makes a living by scavenging rubbish.

We follow a trail in the bushes and arrive at a shabby wooden house. It is built out of branches and boards. There is only one room.

A one year-old boy is standing in front of the house with his feet soiled with faeces. His sister, who is only six years old, immediately takes him into the house and washes his feet as soon as she spots us approaching. The boy’s other brother and sister, aged 3 and 4, are sitting by the door. Their parents and their 7-year-old brother are at the dump site collecting rubbish. The 6-year-old sister is left to look after her three younger siblings.

I walk up to the house and sit next to the older sister. I hand out some chocolate cookies to all of them; the older sister instantly gobbles up the cookies, then she crouches and stares at the cookies left in my hand. I give her the whole packet. She takes it and eats the cookies quietly.

The children are hungry. The girl tells me she cooks them food and takes care of them every day. They only get to eat twice a day and they get hungry very often. When the children speak, their faces don’t display any expression… there is no sadness, no joy, no anger – just a faint response.

Have you ever experienced hunger? One hour, two hours… Can you imagine what it feels like to be constantly hungry every single day?

Their bodies are so thin and small but what clear, beautiful eyes and pure hearts they have! They have the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen and they speak from their heart. They should grow up being surrounded by the light of love. But here, these children endure immense suffering and hunger. They have been robbed them of their childlike nature. Every day just seems hopeless.

My heart feels as though it is being pierced with a thousand needles. I try not to cry in front of them. I remember how I prayed for hope and miracles during those sleepless nights when I was a child, and now, I am once again reminded of my childhood fears and insecurities when I look at her; I promise to love this child with all my heart.

My grandmother, my mother and my daughter have nourished my life with their love. Children are all the same – they are little angels that need to be loved and protected.?When I held the child, I felt strongly about how love can be extended to others. I now understand that much joy comes from giving.

You probably never knew that with a mere RM50 a month, you can change the future of these children. You probably never realised that your heart can be so close to a child who lives hundreds of miles away from you. You probably never discovered that you have the power within you to give hope to others.

Please join me in sponsoring a child through World Vision. Together, we can create a world filled with love and abundant life.

Written by Lee Sinje, World Vision Child Sponsor

The video below by Oxide Pang is a record of their experience. Please watch the video to catch a glimpse of what it’s like for those whose lives are a constant challenge. It shows life in its raw reality, not make believe.

Congratulations to my niece Michelle and her hubby Hui Seng on the birth of their daughter Abigail today. Of all the blessings God sends from above, the most precious is a new baby to love. Abigail will truly be a bundle of joy for you both.

Cherish This Time (By Joanna Fuchs)

So your baby is here!
What joy and what pleasure!
Now your life is expanding,
To make room for this treasure.

A darling newcomer
To have and to hold–
Her smiles are more precious
Than silver or gold.

She’ll demolish your schedule
Though she’s helpless and small;
She’ll make her needs known,
And she’ll rule over all.

See, a new parent’s work
Is just never quite done,
But you’ll never mind,
‘Cause it’s all so much fun.

When you hear her cute giggle
You’ll start “aahing” and “oohing,”
And she’ll soon reply back
By “ga ga” and “goo gooing.”

Those big innocent eyes
See a world strange and new;
To make sense of it all
She’ll look only to you.

So cherish this time
Of miraculous things–
The excitement and wonder
That a new baby brings.

Congratulations also go to my sister and my brother-in-law……you two have a new granddaughter to brighten up your days even more! The birth of a new granddaughter is a reminder of just how wonderful life really can be.

Abigail Lau

I know Christmas is more than seven months away but I would like to dedicate the song “When A Child Is Born” to my niece and her hubby. Today marks the beginning of your journey as parents. I have no doubts that Abigail will bring lots of joy and happiness into your life.

When A Child Is Born

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
This comes to pass when a child is born

A silent wish sails the seven seas
The winds of change whisper in the trees
And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn
This comes to pass when a child is born

A rosy hue settles all around
You’ve got the feel you’re on solid ground
For a spell or two, no-one seems forlorn
This comes to pass when a child is born

And all of this happens because the world is waiting
Waiting for one child
Black, white, yellow, no-one knows
But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter
Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbour
And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever

It’s all a dream, an illusion now
It must come true, sometime soon somehow
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
This comes to pass when a child is born

Sit back, relax and enjoy Connie Talbot’s rendition of “When A Child Is Born”.

Today is Mother’s Day 2010. Cherish your mother and shower your love upon her. No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you – life. To the world your mother might just be one person, but to you she should  be the world. And to all the fathers the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. It has been said that a man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

Happy Mother's Day

On this special day, I wish to dedicate the following quotations to all the mothers in this world:

Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother (Lin Yutang, Chinese writer).

Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly (Sarah Malin).

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts (Washington Irving (1783-1859).

There is no velvet so soft as a mother’s lap, no rose as lovely as her smile, no path so flowery as that imprinted with her footsteps (Archibald Thompson).

Youth fades;love droops; the leaves of friendship fall. A mother’s  secret love outlives them all (Oliver Wendell Holmes,Sr).

A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)

Mother is the name for god on the lips and hearts of all children (Brandon Bruce Lee).

Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the Promised Land. She prepares a world that she will not see (Pope Paul VI).

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers (Jewish Proverb).

The “Mother’s Day Proclamation” by Julia Ward Howe was a powerful call for the need of official celebration of Mother’s Day. Written in 1870, Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe’s feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level. Miss Howe was the first person in US to recognize the need for Mother’s Day holiday. She was successful in raising awareness amongst the masses and pushing her plead to the upper echelons of power.

Julia Ward Howe

Following this very potent Proclamation made in 1870, the Mothers’ Peace Day Observance was held on the second Sunday in June, 1872. Such observances began to take place each year thereafter and paved the way for Mothers’ Day Holiday in US on the second Sunday of May.

Though Ms Howe could not herself get the day recognized as the official holiday, she is revered for her significant contributions towards the celebration of the day and for bestowing honor on mothers.

Julia Ward Howe is also famous as the writer of the Civil War song, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’.

Mothers’ Day Proclamation
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: “We will not have questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy, and patience. We women of one country will be too tender to those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says “Disarm! Disarm!” The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.

As men have forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his time the sacred impress not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe
Boston 1870

To all mothers, Happy Mother’s Day! And to my wife, my mum and my mother-in-law, I pray that you will all be blessed abundantly for fulfilling your roles as mothers so lovingly and successfully.

April 24 was the 2010 Curtin University of Technology (Miri) Graduation Ceremony Day. It was a special occasion for my family as our younger son Leslie received his Bachelor of Commerce degree (majoring in Accounting & Finance) at the convocation. Leslie completed his degree in June last year. Curtin Miri  holds graduation convocation only once a year so Leslie had to wait till this convocation to receive his degree.

My elder son Clarence flew back from Penang on April 22 to attend Leslie’s convocation.  He is having his study break to prepare for his final CPA paper exams. Upon completion of  three years’ working experience in a couple of months’ time , he will be a full-fledged CPA. Leslie will also be pursuing the CPA  qualification like his brother.

To Leslie and Clarence, mum and dad are proud of you both. It has been such a joy to see you both grow up into such fine adults.

A scene from the convocation

Graduates throwing their graduation hats in the air

Leslie receiving his degree from Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan Hong Nam

The happy graduate

Me, Clarence, Leslie & my wife Jennie