Tonight and the Rest of My Life

Project 365: July 5

2009-07-06T04:53:58Z

Family pictures. It was General Cleaning Day. Family comes first - always.

Project 365: July 4

2009-07-05T08:04:41Z

Lindt is very sweet. She loves to sleep in my room and near my head. Then again, my siblings' theories are my bed is the only one that she can reach and my fan can be directed at my head, as opposed to their fans that are positioned near their feet.

Project 365: July 3

2009-07-04T08:07:52Z

This is me working with Lindt sleeping beside me. Rather, on my leg. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone. Working and spending time with my baby.

Project 365: July 2

2009-07-03T10:41:55Z

I was promoted to Team Leader. My wishes were granted. Less writing. More PRing in terms of managing the team. Flexible schedule. I'm so grateful. Thanks to my siblings too for helping me get a laptop. This definitely makes work easier for me.

Project 365: July 1

2009-07-01T19:16:09Z

The long delayed Team Diva Reunion. This was taken after watching (for me) and participating in (Hogi and Dingdong) Atlantis' Spelling Bee TDR.

En Francais

2009-03-13T16:39:05Z

Vous etes chanceux. Datant en ligne est la meilleure arène pour aiguiser vos competences. C’est anonyme. C’est illimite. Et c’est la 24/7.
Il n'y a pas de meilleur lieu pour pratiquer. Il n'y a pas de meilleure arène pour aiguiser vos competences. Et je repete ceci.

L'axiome profond d'attraction
La pratique fait la destine. Vous devez exécuter le système. Tous les jours. Chaque semaine.

Il y a des programmes que vous donne les techniques de camion ou les leçons sur comment manipuler des femmes et prend leur intérêt. Cela est que nous ne faisons pas.

L'Attraction profonde inclut les techniques prouvées et efficaces pour vous aider :
1. Identifier, maximise et projeter votre plus profond « Attractors de Survie » – l'attractors qui allume inconsciemment de l'attraction des femmes.
2. Evaluer et transmettre votre sens magnétisant de possibilité.
3. La forme et vous électrise avec le « l'attrait de la cible enmouvement »
4. Se détacher des rigolos en la devenant « pénétrant le miroir » – qu'elle a cherché toute sa vie : Un homme qui elle peut sentir.

Et cela est le commencement seulement.

L'Attraction profonde va en dessous de votre surface pour que vous grandissez pour posséder la naturellement capacité à obtenir en dessous du sien.

L'Attraction profonde vous enseigne en ligne comment lire en dessous et entre les lignes. L'Attraction profonde vous enseigne en ligne comment parler une droite de mots de la femme
au passé à
- son de coeur
- ses émotions
- ses rêves o
- son plaisir centre
- ses vérités inexprimées et non reconnues.

Pour que quand vous les réveillez pour elle, vous serez irrésistible à elle – même si elle ne sait pas pourquoi!

LA GARANTIE PROFONDE D'ATTRACTION :

Si vous travaillez ce système, maîtrisez tous les jours les principes et le personnalise selon vos centres uniques de pouvoir, les femmes sauront gré, a soulagé et a captivé que quelqu'un – en particulier vous – fait l'attention à qu'elle dit et voit qu'elle est.

Et c'est cette gratitude, cette admiration, cette fascination avec vous qui elle amènera de l'écran et dans votre vie.

Aimez-vous cela ?

- Aimeriez-vous le que les femmes être dessinées vers vous et vous ne comprend pas ?
- Que vous aimeriez arrêter des femmes qui chassent et ils vous viennent plutôt ?
- Aimeriez-vous le que les femmes pour aient flirté avec vous en ligne?
Vous rencontre pour un verre de vin ?
Vous Suit à la maison ?

Oui ?

Bon.

Parce que je vous dirai, les informations dans ce système a du succès.

Bien, voici mon aveu. J'ai été épousé des jeunes. 23. Je n'ai jamais daté comme un adulte jusqu'à ce que j'ai été divorcé à 39. A cause des coûts de divorce, j'ai été subitement cassé, cassé et un échec dans la vie.

J'étais comme un gars fait naufrage dans une terre étrangère. Je n'avais jamais triché, n'avait jamais flirté avec les autres femmes. J'avais été « un gentil, » essayant de faire son heureux tout le temps (au lieu de vivre ma destinée entièrement -- qui est un problème dans le mariage).

Je n'ai pas su commencer les femmes de meetin. J'étais idiot dans les barres – comme un imposteur. Mais quand un ami de femme de mine m'a introduit au monde datant en ligne, c'était comme le soleil est monté sur ma vie.

Little Women The Musical: Part Three

2009-01-08T08:06:12Z

9. ANYMORE

(Original Artist: Emmy Rossum)

Context: Jo decides to leave. Mrs. March gives her blessing.

Marmee:

When she was younger
Stood staring at the door
Waiting for the day that she knew would surely come
Tied bows in her hair
Dressed as she thought you'd like
But as time ticked away
Promises fade one by one

And now she's all grown
Made it through on her own
Now strong enough to see
That you've been where you want to be

Jo:
No longer dying inside
I will not let you define
Everything I am by one thing that I don't have
Cause I'm more than that
I will not be made to hide
These tears won't fall for you this time
I will not be ashamed
Of my name
Anymore

10. ALL LOVE CAN BE

(Original Artist: Charlotte Church)

Context: Laurie professes his love for Amy.

Laurie:

I will watch you in the darkness
Show your love will see you through
When the bad dreams wake you crying
I'll show you all love can do
All love can do

I will watch through the night
Hold you in my arms
Give you dreams where no one will be
I will watch through the dark
Till the morning comes
For the light will take you
Through the night to see
Our light, showing us all love can be

I will guard you with my bright wings
Stay till your heart learns to see
All love can be

11. RAVINE

(Original Artist: Ace of Base)

Context: Beth’s deathbed.

Beth:

Have you heard, have you heard?
About this girl who was ripped up by her roots
Have you heard, what she learned?
Like humility - you win when you lose

I have learned, I have learned
The most horrifying nights have an end
I was hurt, I was lost
In the dark I found a way to a friend

I am standing here in my ravine
Once again I see a piece of the sky
And my joy will never be denied
cause I was meant to be here
The only place on earth
Where you are near

Where you are near

Jo:
Was a flower, was so frail
And I let the trees grow wild around me
Grew so high, hid the sky
Shaded everything I needed to see

Then one night, someone came
Took a knife and ripped me up by my roots
Tossed astray, far away
In my darkest night, I started to pray

I am standing here in my ravine
Once again I see a piece of the sky
And my joy will never be denied
cause I was meant to be here
The only place on earth
Where you are near

Where you are near

Beth:
Why do you, why do you ask?
Why I’m not blaming my god?
I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you what
He was the only one there
I am standing here in my ravine
Once again I see a piece of the sky
And my joy will never be denied
cause I was meant to be here
The only place on earth
Where you are near

Jo and Beth

I am standing here in my ravine
Once again I see a piece of the sky
And my joy will never be denied
cause I was meant to be here
The only place on earth
Where you are near

Beth

Where you are near

12. HIGH

(Original Artist: James Blunt)

Context: Friedrich professes his love for Jo.

Friedrich:

Beautiful dawn - lights up the shore for me.
There is nothing else in the world,
I'd rather wake up and see with you.
Beautiful dawn - I'm just chasing time again.
Thought I would die a lonely man, in endless night.
But now I'm high; running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me.

Beautiful dawn - melt with the stars again.
Do you remember the day when my journey began?
Will you remember the end of time?
Beautiful dawn - You're just blowing my mind again.
Thought I was born to endless night, until you shine.
High running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me.

Will you be my shoulder when I'm grey and older?
Promise me tomorrow starts with you,
Getting high; running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me

13. ON MY WAY HOME

(Original Artist: Enya)

Context: Jo writes “Little Women”

Jo:

I have been given
one moment from heaven
as I am walking
surrounded by night,
Stars high above me
make a wish under moonlight.

Cast:
On my way home
I remember
only good days.
On my way home
I can remember every new day.

Jo:
I move in silence
with each step taken,
snow falling round me
like angels in flight,
Far in the distance
is my wish under moonlight.

Cast:
On my way home
I remember
only good days
On my way home
I remember all
the best days
And on my way home
I can remember every new day

All

On my way home
I remember
only good days
On my way home
I remember
only good days

Little Women The Musical: Part Two

2009-01-08T08:04:15Z

5. DREAM OF ME

(Original Artist: Kirsten Dunst)

Context: Amy has a crush on Laurie.

Amy:
Let me sleep
For when I sleep I dream that you are here
You're mine
And all my fears are left behind

I float
On air
The nightingale sings gentle lullabies
So let me close my eyes

And sleep
A chance to dream
So I can see the face I long to touch
To kiss
But only dreams can bring me this

So let
the moon
shine
softly on the boy I long to see
And maybe when he dreams, he'll dream of me

I hide beneath the clouds
And whisper to the evening star
They tell me love is just a dream away, dream away
I'll dream away

So let the moon shine softly on the boy I long to see
And maybe when he dreams, he'll dream of me
Oh dream of me

6. MY SONG

(Original Artist: Noelle Cassandra)

Context: John and Meg’s love song.

John:

There is a song playing in my head

With words so beautiful

Beautifully said

It’s a song of laughter and of love

You are an angel

Sent from above

And forever I’ll sing this song

And I’ll never ever go wrong

Because

From the moment I saw your eyes

I felt a love I’ve never known

Won’t take me long to realize

That you are the music of my song

Meg:

You give it meaning coz you are here

You fill me with the hope, joy, and tears

Don’t know if I have ever told you this

Songs inspired by your smile and your kiss

And forever I’ll sing this song

And I’ll never ever go wrong

Because

From the moment I saw your eyes

I felt a love I’ve never known

Won’t take me long to realize

That you are the music of my song

John and Meg:

And these songs about you and me

How we met and how it came to be

And I know what I’m feeling is true

Yes I’ve fallen in love with you

I hope you sing this song with me

And realize you feel the same for me

Because

From the moment I saw your eyes

I felt a love I’ve never known

Won’t take me long to realize

That you are the music of my song

From the moment I saw your eyes

I felt a love I’ve never known

Won’t take me long to realize

That you are the music of my song

And the time to tell you this is now

You are the music of my song

ACT TWO

7. CHINA ROSES

(Original Artist: Enya)

Context: Meg’s wedding song

Amy:

Who can tell me if we have heaven,
Who can say the way it should be;
Moonlight holly, the Sappho Comet,
Angel's tears below a tree

Beth:

You talk of the break of morning
As you view the new aurora,
Cloud in crimson, the key of heaven,
One love carved in acajou

Meg:

One told me of China Roses
One a Thousand nights and one night,
Earth's last picture, the end of evening:
Hue of indigo and blue

Jo:

A new moon leads me to
Woods of dreams and I follow
A new world waits for me
My dream, my way

March Sisters:

I know that if I have heaven
There is nothing to desire.
Rain and river, a world of wonder
May be paradise to me.

I see the sun
I see the stars

8. A MILLION PIECES

(Original Artist: Emmy Rossum)

Context: Laurie confesses his love. Jo turns him down.

Laurie:

Shiver cold
I stand alone
Feel the slow dissolve
Black clouds rolling overhead
Part of me is gone
Like water now
Within my hands
You’re nothing I can hold
As every second
Slips away
I've nothing left to show

I'm undone
Without you now
I'm in a million pieces
Undone
I'm not myself
If you say I am not
Yours

Jo:

Pushing wide
The storm sets in
Unraveling my love
Cut my hands on broken glass
Holding on too tight

Laurie:

And I’m barely

Jo:

I'm barely held
With tape and string
Am I still alive

Laurie:
Barely breathing

Jo:
This heavy heart
Is caving in
Under this

Laurie and Jo:
Goodbye

Jo:

I'm undone
Without you now
I'm in a million pieces
Undone
I'm not myself
If you say

That I am yours

Laurie Jo

Undone                                      Undone
Without you now                          Without you now
Just echoes                                Just echoes
In the silence                              In the silence
Undone                                      Undone
I'm nowhere now                         I’m nowhere now
If you say                                   If you say
I am not yours                            That I am yours

Why can't I
Just let go
                                                Won’t you leave my
                                                Head alone?

Please

No more

I can’t take anymore
Going around
I'm getting
Nowhere fast
Here I am

Undone Undone
Without you now Without you now

I’m in a million pieces I’m in a million pieces

Undone Undone

I’m not myself                             I’m not myself
If you say                                   If you say
I am not yours                            That I am yours

Why can't I
Just let go
                                                Wont you leave my
                                                Head alone?

Just echoes

In the silence                              I can’t take anymore
Going around
                                                I'm getting
                                                Nowhere fast
Here I am
                                                If you say

I am not yours That I am yours

Little Women The Musical: Part One

2009-01-08T08:00:43Z

ACT ONE

1. LAZY DAYS

(Original Artist: Enya)

Context: Prologue

March Sisters:

Lazy old day
Rolling away
Dreaming the day away
Don't want to go
Now that I'm in the flow
Crazy amazing day

One red balloon
Floats to the moon
Just let it fly away
I only know
That I'm longing to go
Back to my lazy day

And how it sings and how it sighs
And how it never stays
And how it rings and how it cries
And how it sails away... away... away....

2. AMARANTINE

(Original Artist: Enya)

Context: The younger sisters ask Meg, the eldest, when she’ll marry.

Jo:

You know when you give your love away
It opens your heart, everything is new

Meg:
And you know time will always find a way
To let your heart believe it's true

Beth:
You know love is everything you say
A whisper, a word, promises you give

Amy:
You feel it in the heartbeat of the day
You know this is the way love is

March Sisters:
Amarantine
Amarantine
Amarantine
Love is. Love is. Love

Amarantine
Amarantine
Amarantine
Love is. Love is. Love

Meg:
You know love may sometimes make you cry
So let the tears go, they will flow away
For you know love will always let you fly
How far a heart can fly away

March Sisters:
Amarantine
Amarantine
Amarantine
Love is. Love is. Love

Amarantine
Amarantine
Amarantine
Love is. Love is. Love

Meg:
You know when love's shining in your eyes
It may be the stars fallen from above
And you know love is with you when you rise
For night and day belong to love

3. RIBBONS UNDONE

(Original Artist: Tori Amos)

Context: Mrs. March watches her daughters play in the snow.

Marmee:

She’s a girl

Rising from a shell

Running to spring
It is her time

It is her time
Watch her run with ribbons undone
She’s a rose

Meg:

She’s a rose

Marmee:
In a lily’s cloak
She can hide her charms
It is her right

There will be time
To chase the sun with ribbons undone

Marmee and Meg:
She runs like a fire does
Just picking up daises
Comes in for a landing
A pure flash of lightning
Past alice blue blossoms
You follow her laughter
And then she'll surprise you
With arms filled with lavender
Yes my little pony is growing up fast
She corrects me and says
You mean a thoroughbred
A look in her eyes says the battle's beginning

Marmee
From school she comes home and cries

Amy
I don't want to grow up Mom at least not tonight

Marmee

You're a girl

March Sisters
We’re young girls

Marmee

Rising from a shell
Running through spring

March Sisters
Running through spring

Marmee

With summer's hand in reach now
It is your time

All
It is our time

Marmee
So just run

All

With ribbons undone

Marmee
It is your time

Yes my angel

It is your time
So just run

All

With ribbons undone

4. WHAT LIES BEYOND

(Original Artist: Sarah McLachlan)

Context: Jo confides in Beth. She tells her about her dreams to be a writer.

All of my life I've had a longing for knowledge
And all which lets my thoughts be free
Duties for which I'm destined seem to haunt me
Confusing all I really want to be

Jo and Beth

And I see you again and I know it's true,
The dreams that have left me cold and once again
Together we'll find the strength to make love real

Jo
Because I wanted to do what I know is true
My thoughts leave me on a lonely sea one way

Jo and Beth

The way to what lies beyond us now
Though I see you again and I know it's true
My dreams that have left me cold and once again
Together we'll find the strength to make love real

Beth
Because I wanted to do what I know is true
My thoughts lead me on my lonely sea one way
The waves of what lies beyond I will follow

Look Ma, I'm a nerd!

2008-04-30T16:05:15Z

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Drama Nerd You sure do love the spotlight and probably have a very out-going and loud personality. Or not. That's just a stereotype, of course. Participation in the theatre is something to be very proud of. Whether you have a great voice for musicals, or astounding skills for dramas/comedies; keep up the good work. We need more entertainment these days that isn't television and video games (not that these things are bad, necessarily.)
Musician
Literature Nerd
Social Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

So I can at least get credit here

2007-11-07T15:58:47Z

Movie acting is visual. The camera is unforgiving. An actor’s facial expressions, as subtle as these may be, convey messages to the audience. A smile, a smirk, a cringe, a grin, raise of the eyebrow, wrinkle of the nose and biting of the lip are already considered acting.

Barthes commends Greta Garbo for pulling audiences into deep ecstasy with her face. As the title role in “Queen Christina”, she is always herself, and carries without pretense, under her crown or her white brimmed hats, the same snowy, solitary face. The essence of the character is preserved and is not degraded with the use of reality. With her face, Garbo presents Queen Christina as intellectual and formal.

Perez points out Buster Keaton’s ability to keep a deadpan face with subtle infections. Playing both the detective and the projectionist in “Sherlock, Jr.”, Keaton relies on his facial expressions to lure the audience into his characters’ ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality.’

These two articles set the foundation and basic principle of subtle acting. Subtle acting combines the blend of neo-realism and theater. Every angle of the actor’s face is not wasted. The close-up pans into the characters’ thoughts and emotions and is seen through the characters’ negotiation in silence.

Most recent movies which utilize subtle acting, pioneered by Garbo and Keaton, are “The Queen” and “The Departed.”

Like Garbo in “Queen Christina”, Helen Mirren as HM Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” keeps a straight face throughout the entire movie. Based on actual events, the Queen was perceived as cold and indifferent during the death of Princess Diana. Captured on film, Helen Mirren justifies her actions through her face.

Scene after scene, Mirren restricts herself from showing emotions, especially in front of the public. She is composed and collected. She rarely smiles. The only time she breaks down in the movie was after seeing the majestic deer in the forest. She sobs uncontrollably but the audience never sees her breakdown. Her back is turned.

In “The Departed”, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon all wear masks, figuratively speaking. Their cat and mouse game take the audience along for the ride on their good cop and bad cop dilemma.

All actors’ facial expressions mask their characters’ agendas with each close-up. For example, Nicholson stern’s face does not give anything away to the other characters, as well as to the audience. Similarly, the twist of who the bad guy is among DiCaprio, Wahlberg and Damon is quite a surprise.

Subtle acting requires the actor to effortlessly display the emotion needed for the scene in a limited space. This is reminiscent to what Charlie Chaplin does in his movies. He uses his whole body to get a point through. In subtle acting, the face of the actor is where the lingering message of the characters’ intentions can be found.

The Star OST

2007-10-04T08:42:55Z

HOUSE MUSIC:
The Verve Pipe - Bittersweet Symphony
Enya - Afer Ventus
Moulin Rouge - Bolero

PLAY PROPER:
Final Fantasy 6 - Kefka's Theme
Final Fantasy 7 - Prelude
Lesley Leveriza piano accompaniment - Defying Gravity
Enya - Boadicea
Javi Abola piano accompaniment- Bouncing Off Clouds
Enya - Pax Deorum
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Final Fantasy 6 - Harp Music
Clint Mansell - Lux Aeterna

CURTAIN CALL DANCE:
C & C MUsic Factory - Everybody Dance Now
Crazy Frogg - I Like To Move It

END MUSIC:
Tori Amos - Bouncing Off Clouds
Enigma - Return to Innnocence
my piano accompaniment - Better

New Perspectives on Classroom Drama

2007-09-14T17:05:18Z

Aristotle characterized drama as 'mimesis.' His interpreters have diasgreed about his meaning: some have taken the turn to mean 'imitation' - what goes on on stage imitates what goes on in the world. Others has taken it to mean representation or what goes on in he world. I believe it is the notion of drama as imitation that has had most influneces on how we have trained our children in drama.

Drama is the art form that looks like what goes on in real and the actors on stage are intent on making us laugh or cry about it. A continuum from concrete to abstract shows how the Arts can be placed in relation to each other, with drama at one extreme, through dance, sculpture, visual arts and poetry, to music as the next abstract at the other end. There is a sense in which all the Arts, even music, have a degree of dependence on imitation of the world as we know it. The relationship between sound and silence in the world around him/her is something felt and transformed by the magician. For the dramatist/actor, the dependence is even more apparent.

Playwrights, for the most part, model their stories on clealry defined social context, so that the audience can pick up what is happening and characters can become established.

In theatre, there are two social contexts. The 'real' one involves an unspoken contract between members of the audience, the actor and the stage staff to share a play together. The second social situation is the fictitious event on the stage.

One of the techniques of acting involves the actors giving the impression that their characters are in the middle of something, when in fact the curtain went up just two minutes before. The actors use the rehearsals to 'own' the characters and to practice techniques that are descriptive, that gives the impression of life existing before the curtain went up.

From earlly rehearsals through all the performances, these 'givens' remain unchanges. They are repeatable and the actor uses the same actions every night. His/her responsibility is to show these actions clearly to the audience, giving the impression that they are fresh.

Amateur actors, particularly school children, sometimes fail to make the play sufficiently their own. They are so busy in a performance communicating to the audience what they have rehearsed, that this huge 'given' precludes their funding a truly spontaneous interaction with fellow actors and audience. Sometimes child performers are thrown off by an audience that behaves differently from the previous night's audience.

Making fictitious social events is a form of make-believe playing. It only becomes significant as dramatic art when attention is given to the art form of theater. This attention may be the teacher's, the participants' or both. The teacher may set up the experience in such a way that the participants experience theater without their realizing it, or the participants may conscioiusly contrive to create theater as they make the social event believable to themselves.

There is a fundamental sense in which art copies life. Artists are more aware that in life we enjoy and give significance to relationship between things. We have a capacity for finding significance in order and disorder, harmony and discord, resolution and irresolution, the expected and unexpected.

Artists apply the use of form from everyday life to their art. Form in art is not something special to unite. It is simply that the artist uses these 'everyday' aesthetic dimensions. This is the technique dramatists/actors use on stage. They draw their actions from real life.

Teacher and dramatist thus have at least two kinds of formal dimensions at their disposal: the ordering (and breaking) of experience associated with the formalities of ritual, ceremony or procedure and the enhancement of experience that arises from effiective use of imperative tension, constant, surprise, contraint and repetition within moment-to-moment interaction between the characters.

The form of classroom drama is just as important, in bothe educational and artistic terms, as dramatic playing, but it should be used sparingly with young children They need the foundation offered by the existential experiencing and, for them, too much early emphasis on credibility, respectability and communicability to an audience can be damaging.

The teacher continually adjusts his/her role to the responses of class, while having his/her clear target which s/he will steer the minds of the pupils towards.

The teacher has the idea. The teacher uses the technique to set up the dramatic playing interaction. The teacher begins to lose power as s/he adjusts to the answers, and the teacher decides when to terminate the exercise. This does not have to be teacher initiated. A pupil can use this technique with other pupil, or pupils wiht other pupils, or pupils with the teacher.

It is often the teacher's responsibility to adapt the function of a playrwright and to find a focus.

Working as an artist, the teacher can use his/her role to control irrelevant behavior. That is:
- from a particular individual, well intentioned but illogical behavior that is in danger of 'throwing' off the rest.
-deliberately destructive behavior from someone who want sto have that kind of power or who is losing interest or is bored.

The teacher can caome out of role in order to merge behavior. But sometimes a teacher will use this role to isolate the child who reprimands him/her, argues with him/her, challenges him/her, deflects him/her, offer an alternative route for his/her interpretation of the character. Any one of these may be apreciated according to how the teacher 'reads' what is going on. The important thing is that the teacher can bring about a change in destructive behavior from the 'inside' of the creativity.

Sometimes, of course, the teacher needs to promote particular behavior. For instance, s/he can use his/her influence from 'within' the drama to 'create space' for the stage. S/he can also encourage the child who is shy.

Categorization of Constraints on the Expression of Feeling
- physical
- psychological
- social
- cultural
- procedural
- technical

The teacher can take the opportunity to teach about 'time and space' as dramatic dimensions. Such teaching is always conducted in thems of what the 'director' and 'actors' are trying to say. The class is invited to experiment with how variation in the juxtaposition of the characters on stage in relation to distance, levels, light.

It is possible to detect the four main aims that all drama teachers at all times have tended to maintain. There have been those who:
1. place an emphasis on content
2. promote drama for personal growth
3. see drama principally as means of social development
4. hold teaching about the dramaic art form as a priority

A good Drama teacher attempts to move forward in all these facts simultaneously, sometimes, because of the nature of the work or the nature of the class, giving more attention to one than the other.

In the theater and int he classroom, drama is a way into knowledge - it opens up new ways of looking at things. The teacher may be able to plan in broad terms using the notion of learning area, but becasue it is art the teacher is not in the position to be more explicit.

The teacher should be aware of the limitations of the learning area. Just as audience does not go to the theatre intent to learn something. A participant's focus of attention is primarily on creating an art product (through illustrative performance activity) or creating a fictiious social context (thugh dramatic playing.)

Thus dramatic activity is always related to knowledge.

One problem for the teacher is that this kind of learning is as intangible as it is significant. It can takesome considerable time to reveal itself. Another problem is conceptualizing too much.

Mental Skills in Acting:
- it requires an "as if" sense of mind
- it requires the motivation or the ability to sustain the 'as if'
- it arranges hypotheses before a ficititious event, "What would happen if?"
- it encourages reading between the lines of what is being expressed particularly as we have seen in 'illustrative' work
- it encourages the anticipation of consequences.
- it requires both the recognition of the logic controlling a social event as the application of that logic to it.
- it encourages weighing up the pros and cons in decision making
- it encourages looking at implications after an event
- it encourages sifting out the values implicit within an action
- it encourages honest reflection on an event. The careful selection of what should be recorded and how, using forms as varied as recalling 'feelings' to categorizing 'findings.'
- above all, it develops the capacity for 'standing outside oneself, seeing one's actions, thoughts and experiences as 'objects' to be reflected upon.

The decentering process is also important:
- Detaching oneself from the content in order to examine and learn from it.
- Detaching oneself from the theater form in order to examine how something was achieved.

Drama Education and its associated skills of expression related to language and movement can be seen as an ongoing aim whatever the more explicit content/form aim may be. In this sense, one is always preventing self-esteem, creating opportunities for experimentation in expression, putting participants in touch with their feelings.

Nevertheless, there are times in Drama Education, especially in responding to evidentpecial needs of an individual, is uppermost int he teacher's mind and takes priority over content/form objectives. For instance, making sure the child has the chance to articulate his/her ideas, building the stature of the ignored child, motivating the skeptical child, etc.

On such occasions, content/form objectives may be held in abeyance. It does not matter a bit whether or not the child has a grasp on the central concept. That the drama has created an opprtunity for self-advancement is all that is important.

There is a sense in which all conceptual knowledge is bound up with self. Drama Education directly divulges self-awareness. The 'self' is affected reflexively by the content/form that is the process of engaging face-to-face with oneself. It is as if the content/form provides the mirror in which we see ourselves.

Rock Star

2007-09-12T14:45:01Z

The Alternatives started seven years ago when the band members were high school juniors. But a band's career is considered to have taken off when a manager signs them on for a record deal. Five months ago, after becoming a finalist in Red Horse Music Laban, Anthony the songwriter-bass player, along with Mark the drummer, Keith the vocalist-lead guitarist, Weng the keyboardist and Beatrice the rose amongst the thorns and back-up vocals/synthesizers, struck gold with the opportunity to come up with a recorded single. If it sells well and becomes a hit on the radio, then there will be the long awaited green light for their album recording.

On Friday nights, The Alternatives perform in various bars from Makati to Malate, from Manila to Quezon City. Tonight, they were in a newly opened one in Anonas called "Limelight."

"How did you land this gig?" Stacie asked Beatrice, who was sitting beside her and keeping her company while the guys set up their equipment onstage

"Six degrees of Friendster," Beatrice explained. "Mark's cousin's boss knows the owner."

The place was jam-packed. A couple of men, presumably people who work in the bar, were lining up mono bloc chairs beside the tables to provide extra seats in the house. Anthony's party arrived late but they had a VIP table waiting for them right smack across the stage.

"Stacie, Weng tells me that you're rehearsing for a play," Ria, the kyboardist's girlfriend started a conversation the second Beatrice stood up to help her bandmates, leaving them band-aids to stick together.

"Yeah, how about you? What year are you gonna be in next sem?"

"Second. I changed majors."

Weng was six years older than Ria. He knew her when she was only 16 years old. Upon her request, he waited for her to graduate from high school. If Stacie was Anthony's muse, Ria was Weng's.

"How come you don't do TV?"

"I prefer theater. It's hard to explain..." Stacie was having a hard time conversing in an almost screaming manner in order to get her point through. The speakers were blasting loudly already, coupled up with the static from the setting up.

"Try me," Ria challenged, her eyes interested and all sparkling.

"In theater, there are no cuts. Each performance has to be perfect. If you forget your lines, you have to at least come up with an adlib or do improv. Not to mention the presence of the audience, they are also part of the whole act. If they're bored, you're not doing your job. You have to keep them entertained. You have to keep it alive. The acting continues whatever happens, as long as they're still there, as long as the audience is still there. Think 'Moulin Rouge,'" Stacie explained, practically screaming into Ria's ear.

"That's it? Perfection? You prefer theater because it demands perfection?" Ria was beginning to annoy Stacie with all her questioning.

"You can say that, yes."

"But what if, for some strange circumstance, the show can no longer go on? What if the show has to end?"

"What? The show has to bend?"

Ria inched her mouth closer to Stacie's ear, "No... what if... the show.... has to.... end?" Ria enunciated each word.

Before Stacie could speak, the ever curious one continued, "What if no adlib of any kind can make the show take off from where it started to falter? It happens, you know?"

A girl on stage tapped the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, mike test. Okay. Ladies and gentlemen. Patrons of the evening. Welcome to Limelight. This is our opening night and to celebrate, we have with us, The Alternatives!"

A group of colegialas in the nearby table began screaming and applauding, "Yey!"

"Oh, we have fans. Do you have your Red Horse Music Laban CDs with you?" The girls waved their CDs to the host. "So you know their single? Ano nga ba yon?"

"Soul Journey!" Different high-pitched voices were a chorus.

The host walked right in front of the avid listeners for easier contact. "So you know Keith?"

A really thin morena chick who had the host holding the mike in front of her sheepishly covered her face with her floral handkerchief. The girl beside her pulled the host's mike closer to her lips. "Yes! We love them all! Go, The Alternatives! Go guys!"

And there was another round of screams and girlish giggles.

"Let's not forget Beatrice. Guys?" The host turned around and motioned to the guys on the other side of the bar. Obedient like dogs, they hooted and whistled and hollered.

This gig was different from the previous performances. In this particular bar, The Alternatives actually had fans. Thanks to the owner of the bar who had a contact in radio stations, this gig was advertised and broadcasted so a number of people into the underground band scene heard about it. Last week, the band received courteous applause after their forty-five minute gig, but here in Limelight, Stacie felt like she was Jennifer Aniston in "Rock Star" with the girls around her cheering her guy on, couldn't contain themselves and looking forward to his getting onstage.

Later, Mark was the first member to leap up onstage, with his drum sticks. He positioned himself behind his drum set and played an upbeat tempo. Girls were chanting his name. Then Beatrice and Weng came up. Guys began cheering and whistling, clapping their hands. For a show, Beatrice flirtatiously waved her hand. Weng whispered into her ear. She blew kisses and the clouds grew wilder.

"They love them," Ria whispered/screamed into Stacie's ear. Stacie nodded.

Anthony, with his bass guitar strapped around him, stepped up and strummed. The girls stood up from their seats to get a better view. Stacie, who was already sitting comfortably front and center, lovingly watched Anthony. He was wearing the dark blue GAP shirt she bought for him. He had it tucked in with his Fossil belt wrapped around his Levi's. His lean body perfectly accentuated tonight's get up, which included his favorite pair of Nike's. He wore his blue Mossimo cap backwards, giving him a boyish charm.

The four started jamming with their respective instruments. Less than five minutes later, Keith made his entrance, carrying a mike and his lead guitar around him. Everybody was standing. The mono bloc chairs the help dragged in earlier ended up to be useless.

The Alternatives performed six songs, the sixth being "Soul Journey." When Weng was able to calm the crowd, he introduced the next song. "Keith needs to rest his voice now. From all that rocking on and screaming! Yeah! 'Coz you are a beautiful audience! Thank you! We wouldn't want him to have laryngitis, noh?" The audience was totally responding.

"So," Weng stepped forward, leaving his keyboards with no one behind it. "For this next song, Anthony will be taking my place here. This is a duet we're working on. It still has no title. Maybe you can help us come up with one. Do you wanna hear it?" Weng was obviously pumping their fans up.

Shouts of yes and shrills of excitement bombarded Stacie's eardrum. She wanted so much to cover her ears but she imagined that she was in a rather peaceful and relaxed location instead. She figured if she gave into that necessary gesture, it would be impolite and k-j (kill joy). She was in a bar after all.

Beatrice and Anthony sat side by side as Anthony pressed the white and black keys of Weng's Casio.

Again I watch you tonight
Your pretty eyes are half-way closed
Your soft breathing
I hear

Anthony's voice was the sole sound that very moment. Everybody, being the loyal fans that they were, was doing their best to get the musical drift of a new creation: to be the first to hear a hopefully soon to be official hit.

Clock stops turning at your sight
Tingle from my head to toes
Sit beside me
Come near

Beatrice's soprano voice was right on with Anthony's crooning.

Anthony's fingers flew on the board. His eyes were closed.

This night
The breezy thought of you
The warm touch from you
All else spins
Neither of us falls
Still standing
Hold on closer
To where you'll be

This was the chorus which Beatrice and Anthony's voices created a lyrical and melancholic harmony that filled the whole bar. It was enchanting.

At the end of their gig, all five members were seated together on a table they set up onsage. They gave out their autographs and had pictures taken on camera phones, mostly. This was officially the craziest Friday night gig of Stacie's boyfriend's band. It denoted that the quintet have paid their dues and are slowly receiving media attention.

Anthony posed between two girls, who were really sexy, holding both of their waists. Then after the flash of the camera, he gave both a quick beso. One of them played with Anthony's cap for awhile by grabbing it from his head and the two girls tossed it to each other. Anthony, all attentive and still polite, not getting pissed, rode along. When he finally got hold of his cap, he wore it backwards again.

Finally, after what seemed to be like forever, all seven, The Alternatives with Stacie and Ria, had their orders taken. When the delayed dinner was served and as they were eating, the host was back onstage, this time calling couples for a game. The yellow spotlight kept on going round and round each table looking for a couple. There were already three pairs onstage. A man standing a few inches from where Stacie and Anthony were pointed at them. "Ito o. Silang dalawa."

"Boss, mamaya na lang. Kumakain pa kami," Anthony politely declined.

But the roaming spotlight was already on them. The host inquired, "Uy, Anthony, who is that beautiful girl with you? Sana kapatid mo. Magkamukha kayo."

"No. Girlfriend ko," Anthony announced, smiling boyishly and putting his arm around Stacie and stroking her shoulder.

"You know what they say. Kapag makamukha, bagay! You have the same face shape o. Ay, sister! Ang swerte mo!" The host teased.

"I know," Stacie dimpled.

Anthony pulled Stacie closer to him. "Mas swerte ako." Staclie lovingly placed her palm on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. All this for everyone to see.

"What did you tell her? Share! Share!" The host bugged again, and with a majority of the colegialas joining in.

"Some things are meant to be private," Anthony was shaking his head, still grinning. The spotlight continued to search for a fourth pair, allowing Anthony's hand to run on Stacie's bare back unseen.

- Twenty-One, April 5, 2004

Responsibilities Kicking In

2007-09-04T02:31:21Z

I AM
75%
JAZZ Take the Transformers Quiz

After Two Years

2007-08-29T01:12:08Z

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Stability	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	33%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Altruism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Hedonism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Conflict seeking	\|\|	10%
Need to dominate	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Avoidant	\|\|	10%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Peter pan complex	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	77%
Histrionic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Female cliche	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Stability results were moderately low which suggests you are worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.
Orderliness results were moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.
Extraversion results were high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Trait Snapshot
self revealing, neat, craves attention, prefers organized to unpredictable, needs things to be extremely clean, worrying, perfectionist, emotionally sensitive, respects authority, social, vain, does not like to be alone, likes large parties, controlling, social chameleon, not a thrill seeker, enjoys leadership, takes precautions, puts the needs of others ahead of their own, assertive, rule conscious, makes friends easily, always busy, heart over mind, phobic, aggressive, clingy, compassionate, dominant, outgoing, suspicious, hard working, strong

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	80%
Stability	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Accommodation	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Hedonism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Conflict seeking	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Need to dominate	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Avoidant	\|\|	10%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Peter pan complex	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Histrionic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Indie	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Stability results were low which suggests you are very worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.

Orderliness results were moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extraversion results were high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Trait Snapshot

open, tough, irritable, worrying, does not like to be alone, craves attention, low self control, emotionally sensitive, interacting, sad, very social, aggressive, prefer organized to unpredictable, dependent, social chameleon, suspicious, values the heart over the mind, likes large parties, outgoing, likes to make fun, likes to fit in, mildly phobic, vain, makes friends easily, enjoys leadership, clingy, rash

The Star

2007-07-23T12:41:23Z

Mouse: Story-teller of the play. He

or she is an excellent speaker

and has a dry wit. This

character of course is made up

to look like a mouse.

Rabbit: Friend of MOUSE. He or she is

a comical rabbit who is very

enthusiastic about everything

that happens. Both RABBIT and

MOUSE are not to be seen by

the other actors unless

otherwise stated.

Snowy: A young, kind male lamb who

is quite wise for his age.

The events of the play revolves

around his life and the things

he discovers within himself

and in others. Despite all

that happens, his pure

personality remains as snow

white as his wool.

Peter: A young male lamb who is the

best friend of SNOWY. They

have a good relationship and

have a strong understanding of

one another. It would seem

like nothing could tear them

apart.

Jud: A young lamb with black wool

who is the bully of the

stable. He is not well liked

and doesn't give anyone a

reason to do so. He has made

life miserable for all the

young lambs in the stable, but

SNOWY still hopes that

kindness might turn JUD

around.

Elder: An old bull who thinks himself

a wise animal. He is quite

full of himself and is sure he

knows everything there is to

know about everything. He is

very dignified and loves to be

praised. Unfortunately, it

has all gone to his head.

Wise One: A truly wise old goat who

helps Snowy at his time of

greatest need. He is a

very eccentric and cares

little about the prestige of

being called an elder. He is

rather comical in a gruff

sorta way and always gets to

the heart of the matter. He

always seems to know what is

going on and is never lost

within the story or surprised

at what happens.

Messenger: Messenger from the city and

bearer of bad news. He is a

very dramatic dog who wears a

Greek helmet and a wooden

sword. He is always frantic

and short of breath.

Brother: Brother of the MESSENGER and

bearer of good news. He is

a calm and relaxed dog. He

wears flowers in her helmet

and carries flowers instead of

a sword. He is a definite

pleasant contrast to his

brother.

Youngest Brother: Youngest brother of the MESSENGER
and BROTHER who tags along. He is a

mix of both his two brothers – he is dramatic one minute, then calm the next. He wears a helmet and carries flowers.

Decode Your Birth Order

2007-05-18T06:51:54Z

Decode your birth order
By Lisa Lombardi
Want some fresh insight into your love personality? Forget about whether you’re a Leo, Pisces or Aquarius; instead, consider whether you’re a first-born, middle child, or baby of the family. If you want to understand how you operate in every kind of relationship, “understanding birth order is a lifesaver,” stresses psychologist Kevin Leman, Ph.D., author of The Birth Order Book. Read on for your dating personality:

If you’re an oldest child
It’s no coincidence that most U.S. Presidents were first-borns: This is the sign of natural leaders. You’re a take-charge person, so not the type to drive friends and romantic partners crazy asking questions like, “I dunno where we should eat—where do you want to go?” Instead, you’ll make sure you have reservations—and land a prime table, too. And anyone lucky enough to pair up with you won’t spend weeknights wondering whether he or she has Saturday night plans, because “oldest kids are planners,” says Dr. Leman. You’re also old-fashioned—in a good way. You always come through on anniversaries and Valentine’s Day.
Your love challenge: Being more spontaneous. First-borns aren’t the seize-the-day sort (you’re not one to text your sweetie to suggest meeting at this fun café you just walked past). Likewise, “you hate surprises,” Dr. Leman warns. Pity the fool who springs meeting the parents on you or when you thought it was just the two of you are going out!
Best match: Youngest child. “It’s a case of opposites attracting,” says Dr. Leman. “You help the last-born be more organized, and the last-born helps you lighten up.”

If you’re a middle child
Contrary to their rep as insecure messes (think: Jan Brady), middle kids actually make stable and loyal partners. “One thing you’re not is spoiled,” Dr. Leman says. You probably grew up feeling you got less attention than your sibs, and that drives you to work for every perk—including a happy relationship. Also in the plus category: You’re “a compromiser and negotiator,” Dr. Leman notes, so you’ll give your partner plenty of say in everything from how quickly your relationship progresses to where you go on vacation together. And your romance should be free of daily petty squabbles (middles hate conflict); instead, you try to put others at ease.
Your love challenge: Opening up. Have you ever been told you’re hard to read? “Middle children can be very secretive,” says Dr. Leman. “They got hammered by the first-born and swindled by the baby, so they keep their cards close to their chest.” You’re also not the best communicator when you’re upset. But if you learn to speak up instead of holding your anger in, you’ll have a more harmonious relationship.
Best match: Youngest child. “Middles aren’t as threatened by last-borns as they are by exacting first-borns,” so the odds are good for open communication, says Dr. Leman.

If you’re a youngest child
You’re all about fun. The most outgoing kids in the birth order, youngest children live to have a good time (it may be because your parents were more laid-back by the time you came along). On a typical first date you’ll have your date laughing so hard beer shoots out his or her nose. In fact, “most famous comedians are youngest children,” says Dr. Leman. A partial list: Jon Stewart, Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy. And forget ho-hum plans, like dinner and a movie: You love to do the unexpected, often on the spur of the moment. You’re the type to take someone to a party, only to whisper two minutes later, “Let’s get out of here,” and then convince your date to take a road-trip to Atlantic City or Vegas for the weekend.
Your love challenge: “Babies are the least financially dependable,” warns Dr. Leman (it comes from being, well, babied). So your date may be stuck picking up the tab when your credit card is maxed out. Also, some youngest children — not you, of course! — use that last-born charm and charisma to be a bit, ahem, manipulative, says Dr. Leman. That breed of baby will leave sneak off to hit golf balls with pals, leaving his or her date to fill in at a volunteer gig.
Best match: Oldest child (they serve as a good counterbalance in a parent-child sort of way) or middle child (they value friendships, so they totally understand why you love being the life of the party).

If you’re an only child
You’re a rock-solid citizen—and sweetie. “Only children are super-reliable,” Dr. Leman says. “They’re like oldest children to the extreme.” Growing up with only adults made you into a little grown-up early on—serious and dependable. You’re the rare person who will stay up half the night helping a friend or partner prep for a licensing exam or a big work presentation. You’re the type to move your partner’s car so he or she doesn’t get a ticket. Punctual and true to your word, onlies like you never leave a loved one waiting for a call or email. And you’re articulate, too, so your date can expect great conversations that really make a person think.
Your love challenge: Admit it: You’re a bit of a perfectionist. Maybe you send back steaks that aren’t cooked just so or point out a teeny-tiny stain on your date’s sweater. Also, you’re so cautious and pragmatic, you can be very slow to act (read: Someone else has to make the first move).
Best match: Youngest kid, because you balance each other out. The baby of the family adds the spontaneity and romance, while you make sure you two aren’t dining by candlelight because the electric bill never got paid!

Lisa Lombardi is the executive editor of Happen magazine, and has written for Marie Claire, Cosmo, Shape and other publications. A classic middle child, she is happy to have picked a fun-loving last-born mate.

Diagnosis?

2007-04-30T14:25:06Z

Your Social Dysfunction:
Normal

Being average in terms of how social you are, as well as the amount of self-esteem you have, you're pretty much normal. Good on you.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Please note that we aren't, nor do we claim to be, psychologists. This quiz is for fun and entertainment only. Try not to freak out about your results.

Runes on a Sunday

2007-04-29T10:54:17Z

Just for kicks

Flashback

2007-04-27T10:56:54Z

My 20th Birthday: Girls' Night Out

My 21st Birthday: Jamming

My 22nd Birthday: Posing with Christian

My 22nd Birthday: Spoof-posing with Arian and Mallows

Before Wicked with Cat

After Wicked with my siblings

Sugarfarm Retirement Homes

2007-03-28T07:51:34Z

Welcome to Antonio's

Dining Area

Garden

Splendido

Panoramic View

Older women can still get pregnant

2007-03-26T12:28:26Z

Older Women Can Still Get Pregnant

A woman grows finer with age. That holds true – even in child-bearing. Madonna was in her 40s when she became a mother. Demi Moore is trying to get pregnant with her younger husband Ashton Kutcher. This year, Salma Hayek, 40, and Naomi Watts, 38, are also expecting.

They say that one must be stable before they start a family. That is why some women wait for their careers to kick off before venturing into motherhood. This allows them to provide a better future for their child/children. But there are also medical concerns when women are pregnant after they hit 35.

Late Pregnancy
Women ranging from 35 to 40 years old can still have healthy pregnancies. This is because women at these ages are in good health. All they need is to have the right pre-natal care and maintain the healthy habits their doctors tell them in order to reduce some risks.

True, there are more chances of complications occurring in late pregnancy as opposed to child bearing at your 20s or early 30s. If problems do arise for older women, they can also be successfully treated.

Prenatal Care
This is important to women who are over 35 because there is a higher possibility of them getting gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, especially if this is their first time to be pregnant. They are also at a heightened risk of having babies with genetic disorders – particularly Down syndrome.

Not to scare the readers or anything but scientifically speaking, there are complications on women who are pregnant over thirty-five.
1. Miscarriage. This risk is about 25% for women who are over 40 years old.
2. Placenta Previa. This results to excessive bleeding during labor. When this happens, a cesarian section is required.
3. Fetal Distress. This can prolong the labor hours. Women going through their first pregnancy in their 40s are the most likely to experience this.
4. Low Birthweight Baby. When a child is less than 5 ½ pounds, he or she is said to have low birthweight. This is also referred to as pre-term birth, that is if the delivery occurred less than 37 weeks of the pregnancy. This can be lessened if the mother does not smoke during her pregnancy.
5. Cesarian birth. Women who are over 35 have more chance of going through cesarian delivery as opposed to younger mothers.
6. Down syndrome. The incident of Down Syndrome has increased from 1 to 10,000 for mothers in their 20s and 3 in 1000 for mothers aged 35 and 1 in 100 for mothers who are in their 40s. This is because the eggs in older women have been more exposed to drugs, infections and x-rays than in younger women.
7. High Blood Pressure. Older women are more likely to develop diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. These conditions may be controlled by the doctor during pregnancy though.

Here are some tips for expectant mothers in their late 30s and early 40s:
1. Make sure that you exercise before, during and after the pregnancy.
2. Follow a healthy diet. Ask your dietitian what must be in your daily menu.
3. Get the proper optimal prenatal care. If you can see your doctor everyday, do so. If not, at least once a week will do.

Reason why successful pregnancies of women over 35 years have increased is not because of scientific advances but because women nowadays are more determined to defy the odds. As long as they set their hearts and their minds in delivering healthy babies in the safest possible way, they will.

MP3 Playlist

2007-03-21T15:17:12Z

March 21, 2007

Sample Playlist
Backstreet Boys - Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely
Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
Chicago - Hard to Say I'm Sorry
Chicago - You're The Inspiration
Chicago - Look Away
Chicago - What Kind of Man
Chicago - Song For You

My Playlist
Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
Nelly Furtado - No Hay Igual
Imago - Akap
Sarah McLachlan - Vox
Tori Amos and Paula Cole - Sister Song
Nina Gordon - Tonight and the Rest of My Life
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
The Fray - How to Save a Life
The Corrs - Breathless
The Corrs - So Young
Alanis Morisette - So Pure
Madonna - Ray of Light
Heart - Alone
The Killers - Mr Brightside
The Pussycat Dolls - Buttons
The Pussycat Dolls - Beep
Anggun - Snow on the Sahara
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Elton John - Tiny Dancer
Gavin DeGraw - Follow Through
U2 - With or Without You
Josh Groban and The Corrs - Canto Alla Vita
Zayra Alvarez - Cada Momento
Zayra Alvarez - Lluvia de Mar
Jann Arden - Wishing That
Sting and Cheb Mami - Desert Rose
Semisonic - Closing Time
Train - Ordinary
54 All Stars - If You Could Read My Mind
Salma Hayek - Siente Mi Amor
Kate Winslet - What If
Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come
Wicked - Defying Gravity
The Phantom of the Opera - Masquerade
Rent - Seasons of Love
Rent - Out Tonight
Paula Cole - I Don't Wanna Wait
Lindsay Lohan - That Girl
Suede - Beautiful Ones
Live - I Alone
Stacie Orrico - More to Life
Cyndi Lauper and Sarah McLachlan - Time after Time
Brenda Russell - Piano in the Dark
U2 - Beautiful Day
Indigo Girls - Galileo

2007 in General

2007-03-11T04:28:26Z

According to William Blake's Tarot