Your 20th Century Saints Search

Saint Maria Goretti
Saint Dominic Savio
Father Maximilian Kolbe

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Find out how much you know about the men and women canonized in the last 100 years

The Church has canonized some 400 holy men and women – and even a few teenagers – during the 20^th century. How much do you know about our newest saints? Begin with no. 1 and then follow the directions.

1.      Let’s start at the beginning of the list. 1. John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719) was declared a saint in 1900. For what is he best known?

a.      Devotion to the Sacred Heart. (Go to 28)

b.      Founding the Brothers of the Christian Schools. (Head for 38)

2.      2.Sorry. Return to 39.

3.      Yes.3. Pope Pius X is known as “The Pope of the Eucharist” for recommending frequent reception of Holy Communion and early reception of the sacrament by children. His papacy began in 1903, running until his death in 1914. He was canonized in 1954. Now head for 18.

4.      4.Canonized in 1982, only 41 years after his death, this saint was a Franciscan priest with a strong devotion to Mary. What is his name?

a.      Maximilian Kolbe. (Go to 12)

b.      John Neumann. (Move to 42)

5.      5.No. John Fisher (1469 – 1535, canonized in 1935) was an English bishop ordered killed by Henry VIII for refusing to recognize the validity of the king’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and for upholding the supremacy of the pope. Return to 13.

6.      6. Another French priest named John was known for hearing Confessions 16 to 18 hours a day. What is his last name?

a.      de Porres. (Move to 36)

b.      Vianney. (Go to 41)

7.      7.One of the most popular saints in the 20^th century died in the latter half of the 19^th. Who is this person?

a.      Therese of Lisieux. (Go to 17)

b.      Bernadette Soubirous. (Move to 27)

8.      8. No. Return to 35.

9.      9. St. John Fisher, mentioned in question 13, was canonized with another English person who opposed Henry VIII. Who is the other saint?

a.      Thomas More. (Go to 16)

b.      Joan of Arc. (Head for 34)

10.  10. Since 1930, groups of martyrs from five continents have been canonized. Antarctica and what other continent are not represented?

a.      Australia. (Go to 15)

b.      Asia. (Head for 33)

11.  11. That’s right! For the first 17 years after his ordination, Pius X was in parish work. After he became pope, he was asked what his sisters should be called. At that time, it was common to confer titles of nobility on the pope’s family. His reply? “Call them the sisters of the pope.” Head now for 32.

12.  12. Yes. The Saint of Auschwitz was born in 1894 and canonized by fellow Pole, Pope John Paul II, in 1982. Now head for 43.

13.  13. Teenagers were among the martyrs killed in Uganda. Another teen was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954. What is his name?

a.      John Fisher. (Move to 5)

b.      Dominic Savio. (Go to 22)

14.  14. Yes. St. Therese was only 24 when she died. And only 28 years later Pope Pius XI canonized her. Now head for 25.

15.  15. Correct!They are the Jesuit North American martyrs (canonized in 1930); Charles Lwanga and 21 companions, the martyrs of Uganda (1964); 40 English and Welsh martyrs (1970); 103 Korean martyrs (1984); Lorenzo Ruiz and 15 companions, martyrs of Japan (1987); 117 martyrs of Vietnam (1988); and Roque Gonzalez, Alfonso Rodriguez, and Juan de Castillo, Jesuit martyrs of Paraguay (1988). Now move to 13.

16.  16. Of course! St. Thomas More (1478 -1535) was killed two weeks after St. John Fisher. They share a feast day: June 22. Now head for your last question, 4.

17.  17. Both answers are correct. Now move to 39.

18.  18. Let’s try one more on St. Pius X. As the last wrong answer mentioned, St. Gregory the Great referred to himself as ”the servant of the servants of God.”What did Pius X call himself?

a.      “A country priest.” (Go to 11)

b.      “Proof God has a sense of humor.” (Move to 40)

19.  19. No. Return to 25.

20.  20. Pope Gregory I (reigned 590-604) was declared a saint long before our century. He chose the papal title “servant of the servants of God” – one used by pontiffs ever since. Return to 31.

21.  21. No. Return to 32.

22.  22. Yes. Dominic Savio, a student of St. John Bosco, died before his 15^th birthday. Dominic (1842 – 1857) is the patron of choir boys. Now go to 37.

23.  23. You’re right! St. Catherine Laboure (1806 – 1876, canonized in 1947) told her confessor what she had seen but wouldn’t allow him to tell anyone her name. He was responsible for having the Miraculous Medal first struck and distributed. For 45 years, St. Catherine took care of household chores at a hospice for the aged on the outskirts of Paris. Eight months before her death, she told her superiors she was the one who had seen Our Lady. She did that so a statue the Blessed Mother had requested could be made. Now head for 31.

24.  24. Martin was a Dominican Brother who lived in Lima, Peru. His mother, Anna Velasquez, was a free black woman; his father, Juan de Porres, a Spanish grandee. Now head for 7.

25.  25. It was St. Bernadette who died at age 35 (1844-1879, canonized in 1933). How old was she when the Blessed Mother appeared to her at Lourdes in France?

a.      16. (Go to 19)

b.      14. (Head for 30)

26.  26. No. Blessed Kateri (1656 – 1680) has yet to be canonized. Return to 37.

27.  27. Both answers are correct. Now move to 39.

28.  28. No. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690, canonized in 1920) is known for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart. Return to 1.

29.  29. Maria was born in 1890 and hadn’t yet turned 12 when, in 1902, she died after being assaulted. Her death came just five weeks after she had received her First Holy Communion. Now head for 9.

30.  30. Yes. After she became an adult and joined the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers, Bernadette wanted to remain hidden and forgotten. She compared herself to a broom. “Our Lady used me,” she said. “They put me back in my corner. I am happy there and remain there.” Now move to 10.

31.   31. Only one pope has been canonized during this century. Which one?

a.      Pius X. (Move to 3)

b.      Gregory the Great. (Go to 20)

32.  32. Did the name “de Porres” strike a chord with you since you read question 6? St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639) was canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. To what order did St. Martin belong?

a.      Franciscan. (Go to 21)

b.      Dominican. (Move to 24)

33.  Oh, no.33. There have been three groups from Asia. Return to 10.

34.  34. No. Joan of Arc, a French woman, lived from 1412-1431 and was canonized in 1920. Return to 9.

35.   35.The Blessed Virgin Mary revealed the now-familiar Miraculous Medal to this French saint a few months after the woman entered the convent at the age of 24. What is her name?

a.      Bernadette Soubirous. (Move to 8)

b.      Catherine Laboure. (Go to 23)

36.  36. That name sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But no. Return to 6.

37.  37. There is another 20^th century saint who was even younger than St. Dominic Savio when she died. Who is she?

a.      Kateri Tekakwitha. (Head for 26)

b.      Maria Goretti. (Move to 29)

38.  Right!38. He founded the Christian Brothers and revolutionized teaching by introducing the simultaneous classroom method to replace one-on-one instruction. (Thanks to St. John, it’s been possible since then for countless students who haven’t done their homework to take a back seat and hope the teacher won’t call on them.)

39.  39. The 100^th anniversary of the death of St. Therese just celebrated 12 years ago. She died in 1897 at what age?

a.      35. (Move to 2)

b.      24. (Go to 14)

40.  40. No. Return to 18.

41.  41. Yes. St. John Vianney (1786-1859, canonized in 1925) was known as the Cure – parish priest – of Ars, France. St. John had little schooling as a child; when he was 18, the pastor from a neighboring parish helped him prepare for the seminary in Lyons, but he was booted from the major seminary because he just couldn’t learn Latin. The pastor was sure young John was a holy man and taught him theology from a French manual. Ordained at 29, he went on to become the patron saint of parish priests. Now head for 35.

42.  42. No. John Neumann was born in Bohemia in 1811 and ordained in New York in 1836. Later named bishop of Philadelphia, he died in 1860 and was canonized in 1977. Return to 4.

43.  43. Let’s end with a few words from that recent saint, Maximilian Kolbe: “Sanctity is not a luxury but a simple duty. It is one of Christ’s first principles, too.”

Quotable Quotes of the Day

“The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.


“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”
Seneca


“True religion is the poetry of the heart; it has enchantments useful to our manners; it gives us both happiness and virtue.”
Joubert


“The road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom; And important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars.”
Sir Arthur Eddington


“The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torturous.”
Anna Quindlen


“You have to recognize when the right place and the right time fuse and take advantage of that opportunity. There are plenty of opportunities out there.”
Ellen Metcalf

Miss World 2009 Mudang Elaizzah screenshots

Mudang Elaizzah is the first woman of color from Uganda to win such a coveted title, the Miss World 2009 held last December 12, 2009 in South Africa. The owner and founder of the pageant Julia Morley who also announces the winner prefers nanny looking ladies to win the title because she has lots of children to take care of and house to clean in her year long reign.
She exhibits herself in the mall prior to her stint in Miss World 2009 where she competes with 114 other nannies in a gruelling month long of intense and stressful activities.
One of her natural pictures perfect to be Miss World 2009!
One of the much preferred photo of Julia Morley because it features a profile silhouette of Mudang in the picture.
Picture of Miss World 2009 back home all broadly smiling and adorable for Julia Morley.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not

In January 2009, Doctors removed a kidney stone that was the size of a coconut from Sandor Sarkadi in Debrecen, Hungary.

On September 13, 1916 “Murderous Mary,”an elephant from the Sparks Brothers Circus, was hanged for murder in Erwin, Tennessee, USA.

The American Museum of Natural History lists more than 19,200 different species of bees, more than all bird and mammal species combined.

Police Dogs in Dusseldorf, Germany wear rubber shoes to protect their feet from broken glass.
King Sobhuza II (1899 -1982) was Swaziland’s monarch for more than 82 years, longer than any other ruler of any country in modern times.

In December 2006, Professor Masayuki Nakao and students from the University of Tokyo created a bowl of carbon nanotube noodles 1/25,000 of an inch across.

“Poetic Justice” In December 2007, a large group of teenagers vandalized the home of U.S. poet Robert Frost (1874 – 1963). Their sentencing included attending classes to learn about Frost’s poetry.

Feed Your Mind

Riddles

How do mountains hear?

With mountaineers



Idiom

take one’s breath away
startle or surprise one

ex. Her beauty took my breath away.


Tongue twister

Double bubble gum bubbles double

2009 Grandslam Beauties

Miss Universe - Stefania Fernandez, Venezuela
Miss Earth - Larissa Ramos, Brazil
Miss International - Anagabriela Espinoza, Mexico
Miss World - Mudang Elaizzah, Uganda

Feed Your Mind

Riddles

How do mountains hear?

With mountaineers



Idiom

take one’s breath away
startle or surprise one

ex. Her beauty took my breath away.



Tongue twister

Double bubble gum bubbles double

Ripley's Believe It Or Not

The Gollum Galaxias Fish of New Zealand is named for Gollum of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books – because it lives in a swamp and has large eyes.

A New York City Day Spa features a “Geisha Facial” with sterilized nightingale droppings as its main ingredient.

Dutch winemaker Ilja Gort has his nose insured for 5 million euros.

Ew! On September 5, 2008, a man from Manchester, England, died from a nose bleed caused by his aggressive nose picking.

4 year-old Zhang Weiyuan of Liaoning, China, was born with his heart outside of his ribcage.

In December 2008, police in Osaka, Japan, arrested a man for releasing thousands of beetle larvae onto an express train to scare female passengers.

In November 2004, Lucy Clough hand-delivered a pizza from London, England to Melbourne, Australia – a distance of 10,532 miles.

The entirety of Africa accounts for just 2% of world trade.


Linda Wolfe of Anderson, Indiana, USA, has been married 23 times.

Feed Your Mind

Idioms

a change for the better/worse
- improving/worsening something

Ex. By settling down near the sea, it was a change for the better for them.

Riddles

How can you spell out rot with two letters?

DK (decay)

Quotable Quotes Of The Day

“Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.”
- Quintillian


“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.”
- Anne Dillard

“If you would know the reality of nature, you must destroy the appearance, and the further you go beyond the appearance, and the further you go beyond the appearance the nearer you will be to the essence.”

- Meister Eckhart


“You know you are in love when no words are needed and the simple conversation of an hour long gaze into each other’s eyes satisfies your souls longings.”
- Byron


“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.”
- Stephen King


“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.”
-T.S. Eliot


“The road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars.”
- Sir Arthur Eddington



“A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.”
- Robert Benchley

My Favorite American Idol Season

Since I watched season 7 of American Idol premiered last February 2008 I never blink an eye and turn myself away from TV. On the first few nights I watch these gorgeous potentials perform like a pro and justify entertainment on stage, doing their thing and watch their self become an instant hit in front of giggling crowds and ear drum breaking shouts of fans. Before they hit the stage and an opportunity of a lifetime to take a shot at fame, I watched their hardships and they triumph in their dramatic auditions and compete with hundreds of thousands of other hopefuls for a limited slot. If I missed to watch the episodes, I get updates to what is happening on the show through YouTube.
Who can forget this batch who heightened us with their drama, dumbfounded us with their surprises, raises our eyebrows with their controversies, sobs us in tears for leaving the show and made us jump , shout and act like crazy in their triumphs. This is all about the show is – reality drama at its finest – hardships, difficulty, struggle, fun, humor, drama, suspense, surprises, controversies, annoyance, disgust and victory. I want to recall how these individuals came to be, share their stories, and fulfilling their dreams. Here it is:

1.Garrett Haley (born August 1, 1990 and native of Elida,Ohio)– I can vividly picture his image as a curly blonde hair young lass with deep blue eyes mesmerizing judges with his charm and youthful looks. Moreover he astounded the judges with his toddler voice and when he sang “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” in the top 24, he was the first to say goodbye to the audience. His youthful look justify his cute voice but his irresistible charm could not move the judges. He auditioned in San Diego.
2.Amy Davis (born June 19, 1982 and native of Lowell, Indiana) – though her soulful rendition of “Where The Boys Are” by Connie Francis were felt by the audience, her voice does not resonate the judges and it isn’t registering in their score cards. Unfortunately, it is also her last time to show her prowess and she said goodbye to the audience. One unforgettable scene about her is that she jumped on the pool together with Kristy Lee Cook on one of their bondings. She auditioned in Dallas.
3.Joanne Borgella(born May 29, 1982 and native of Hoboken, New Jersey) – When Joanne graces the limelight, I know she can hit the notes and capture hearts. Her moving performance of “I Say A Little Prayer” convinced me that she can be a solemn singer exalting inspirational songs that most religious and the kind hearted can follow to. Her calm, reserve voice and complacency ended her stint in a competition dominated by a much powerful diva. She auditioned in Philadelphia.
4.Colton Berry(born October 11, 1989 and native of Staunton, Virginia) – once I saw this albino-skinned young crooner, it reminds me of Rupert Grint (remember Harry Potter’s best friend Ron Wesley). His unassuming aura and lighter profile won him an audience and quite a number of fans much more when he swooned them over with his version of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds”. He is lucky enough to survive and reach this far with unforgiving and discriminating judges to tap with and votes have a big role in this competition. He made Ramiele Malubay cry because she is his roommate and closely bonded with other Idols. He auditioned in Charleston.
5.Jason Yeager(born August 26, 1979 and native of Grand Prairie, Texas) – the single dad, a hunky figure that rocks the season with his heavy and deep voice enough to form a rock band along with Robbie Carrico, Luke Menard, Chikezie, Michael Johns and David Cook. He auditioned in Dallas.
6.Alexandria Lushington(born February 13, 1991 and native of Douglasville, Georgia) – Aside from her twin bun on both side of her head as a signature hairstyle, one distinctive feature I can remember about this young aspirant is her mild manners and refreshing aura and her sullen face combined with her suave moves and rousing performance helped infuse the Idol with lively entertainment. I can’t forget the episode when she was eliminated because as she sang “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago, she made David Archuleta cry due to her friendly nature and after she’s through, she went immediately to Archie and embraced him. She auditioned in Atlanta.
7.Alaina Whitaker(born February 21, 1991 and native of Tulsa, Oklahoma) – She is one of the bottom performer of the season due to her lukewarm stage presence and voice quality and her projection a little bit awkward but still manage to be heartwarming and sincere in her performance. When she was booted out of the competition in the fourth week, she is stunned and frozen on stage as she can’t believe about her fate, shaking and leaning, nearly collapsing over Kady Malloy, who also belongs to the bottom group. Due to her sadness and helplessness, host Ryan Seacrest ask her if she can still sing and surprised the audience when she bravely continue to perform her last piece. Her singing of her last song “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” though shaky and stammering, is one of the admirable acts of the season. She auditioned in Dallas.
8.Robbie Carrico(born November 13, 1981 in Beckley, West Virginia and native of Melbourne, Florida) – He sports a hanky covering his head as his rock signature on the show. I find him very lucky enough to reach this point despite his below average voice quality or maybe due on two factors: most probably, largely on votes texted and phoned in by his loyal supporters or his handsome previous work experience as a pop boy band member named “Boyz N Girlz United” or just maybe because he briefly dated Britney Spears before he auditioned for the Idols. He auditioned in Miami.
9.Kady Malloy(born May 9, 1989 and native of Houston, Texas) – No one can forget Kady Malloy’s funny but cute impersonation of Britney Spears hit songs and if she can substitute Britney on the radio performance who will notice that she isn’t Britney but Kady Malloy? Simon's comment after her audition was: "Out of all of the people we have seen during this season you are the best."Her previous stint in a record label company helped her shoo-in the popular reality-based talent search. Her sincere, heart piercing version of The Mindbenders’ “Groovy Kind of Love” make my hair raised and my heart beat faster. She auditioned in Dallas.
10.Luke Menard(born December 1, 1978 in Crawfordsville, Indiana) – His Orlando Bloom resemblance and country ballad reception earned him a slot at the Idol season 7 batch. Though his mediocre performance of “Everybody’s Talkin” by Fred Neil and “Killer Queen” by Queen made him stay this long, he is able to charm the crowd with his serenading chants and melody enough to get decent votes. He is eliminated from the show March 6, 2008 with his last song of Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”. After his elimination from AI, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a disease on lymph system causing the enlargement of lymph nodes, tissue and spleen. He successfully went through chemotherapy and will be undergoing a radiation therapy. He auditioned in Omaha.
11.Asia’h Epperson(born August 20, 1988 and native of Joplin, Missouri and now living in Atlanta, Georgia) – Online polls showing that most AI loyal fans favored Asia’h Epperson in winning the season due to her consistency and soulful performance so it was quite a surprise when she bowed out early in the 5th week. Two days before the auditions, her father died in a car accident. Her memorable performance includes “Piece Of My Heart” by Janis Joplin and “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen. She was eliminated March 6, 2008 with her version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”. She auditioned in Atlanta singing “How Do I Live”.
12.Daniel “Danny” Noriega(born September 29, 1989 in Azusa, California) – a two timer Idol hopeful, he sports emo punk look during his first audition in season 6 and made it in the Hollywood week before he was sent home. On season 7, he is prepared enough to walk his way on the American Idol stage looking decent and clean this time. He perform hits such as “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley and “Superstar” by The Carpenters in laidback but flamboyant manner which made the Idol fanatics mobs for him. He even courageously shrugged off in cold shoulder and dared the acerbic Simon Cowell with his knocked off comments. Danny Noriega is a jolly fellow and made strong relationship with his Idol alums most especially with Ramiele Malubay. He auditioned in San Diego and was eliminated March 6, 2008 with his song “Tainted Love” by the Soft Cell.
13.David Hernandez(born May 31, 1983 in Glendale, Arizona)– He is also a country ballad singer who gave astounding impressive performance on the show with his warm version of the songs “In The Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett, “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations, “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” by Pandora’s Box. He belongs to the top 12 finalists and was eliminated on the show March 12, 2008 with the song “I Saw Her Standing There” by The Beatles.
14.Amanda Overmyer(born October 26, 1984 and native of Mulberry, Indiana) – Who would think a clean and pure white uniformed nurse would dress herself in Goth, riding a Harley imposing a punk rock signature? It’s true in the case of Amanda Overmyer who release her inhibition and unmask her identity in the show by paving the way for punk rock genre for women in a competition delighted by soulful divas and ballad crooners and soured the idea of rock music. She showed the heavy prowess of women who pluck guitars and with coarse voice. Her screechy, raucous performance of Van Morrison’s “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” “Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas, “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett, and “You Can’t Do That” by The Beatles won her accolades, gather enough followers and was failed to dampen by the judges. She was eliminated March 19, 2008 for her last song “Back In The U.S.S.R.”
15.Chikezie(born Chikezie Eze on September 11, 1985 in Inglewood, California) – What a cute sounding name for such a stout and bulky figure. Though he is the only black male contestant of the season, he was so well-loved not just by his fellow Idols contestants but by the Idol followers because of his super cool as ice manner and never fail to make a good laugh and a hearty punch line on the show. He is well remembered for this thought provoking performance of the songs “More Today Than Yesterday” by The Spiral Starecase, ”I Believe To My Soul” by Donny Hathaway, “All The Woman That I Need” by Luther Vandross, “She’s A Woman” by The Beatles, “I’ve Just Seen A Face” by The Beatles. He was eliminated for his song “If Only For One Night” by Luther Vandross last March 26, 2008.
16.Ramiele Malubay(born September 6, 1987 in Saudi Arabia and is native of Miramar, Florida) – She is cute in size but big in heart, a midget but with a strong powerful voice, that is why, Ramiele Malubay was never undermined but instead respected and adored by her fellow Idols and her legion of fans most especially her Filipino fans. Her most memorable rendition of Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” is her most powerful performance on the show that gave her astounding praises and comments from all the three judges. Her other songs performed on the show such as Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way", Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds”, The Beatles’ “I Should Have Known Better” and “Alone” by Heart were highly criticized by the judges as weak and poor song choice based on her vocal range and style that she must have capitalized and profit from. Her song choice of “In My Life” by The Beatles was a tribute to her dear best friend, Danny Noriega who left the show earlier than her in week six. Among her musical influence includes Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Regine Velasquez. She taught Ryan Seacrest a few Filipino words while being interviewed. She was eliminated during the Dolly Parton Week last April 2, 2008 with the song “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind”.
17.Michael Johns(born as Michael Lee on October 20, 1978 in Perth, Western Australia and lives in Buckhead, Georgia) – Handsome Australian blood from Buckhead, Georgia. His boyish looks and versatility gave him a decent place in the season 7. His remarkable performance includes “Light My Fire” by The Doors, “Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way”, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)", Queen’s “We Will Rock You”/”We Are The Champions”, “ and “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right” by Dolly Parton. He was eliminated on the week whose theme is inspirational songs with his piece “Dream On” by Aerosmith last April 10, 2008.
18.Kristy Lee Cook(born January 18, 1984 and is native of Selma, Oregon) – On the first week of the AI competition, she was ranked on top of the female contenders by one of the online pols. No wonder, she justified that ranking with her impressive performance of “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass, Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,””Faithfully” by Journey, The Beatles’ “Eight Days A Week,” Dolly Parton’s “Coat Of Many Colors” and “Anyway” by Martina McBride. The most astounding performance of Kristy Lee Cook, for me, however, is when she belted out the patriotic song “God Bless The USA”. She is a horse trainer who sold her prized horse in order to afford the trip to audition in Philadelphia. She was eliminated last April 16, 2008 during the Mariah Carey week with the song “Forever”.
19.Carly Smithson(born September 12, 1983 in Dublin, Ireland but now living in San Diego, California) – A beautiful blue-eyed Irish in the person of Carly Smithson is a compatriot of Amanda Overmyer who sports the gloomy goth and punk. Known for her tattoo inspired by her boyfriend, she impressed the judges and the audience with her arousing heavy performance and a high quality of vocal chords. Her notable performance includes “The Shadow Of Your Smile” by Tony Bennett, “Crazy On You” by Heart, “Come Together” by The Beatles, “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, and “Without You” by Mariah Carey. She was eliminated last April 23, 2008 during the Andrew Lloyd Webber performing her last song, “Superstar” soundtrack of the popular musical made into a movie, Jesus Christ Superstar.
20.Brooke White(born June 2, 1983 in Mesa, Arizona) – A nanny from Van Nuys, California, she prefers country over her hit performances of “Happy Together" by The Turtles, “You’re So Vain" by Carly Simon, “Love Is A Battlefield” by Pat Benatar, The Beatles’ “Let It Be” and “Here Comes The Sun" by The Police, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Hero” by Mariah Carey and “You Must Love Me” taken from the soundtrack of the movie Evita. I admired her rendition of “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. She was eliminated during the Neil Diamond week last April 30, 2008 with the song “I Am…I Said”. One interesting trivia about her is that she once made a commercial ad for a dishwashing liquid – aptly because of her shiny character.
21.Jason Castro(born March 25, 1987 and is native of Rockwall, Texas) – He is popular in AI season 7 for having a dreadlock and a charming blue eyes that speak for itself. He is an A-lister performer always wearing a smile , has positive outlook on life and projects an excitable personality that makes AI all the more entertaining. He is the male counterpart of Brooke White in country obviously heard in his performance. His bewitching eyes attract admirers and followers who gave him bulk amount of votes for him to stay longer in the competition. Among his memorable performance includes The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream”, Andy Gibbs’ “I Just Want To Be Your Everything”, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah”, “Fragile” by Sting, “Travelin’ Thru” by Dolly Parton, and “September Morn” by Neil Diamond. He was eliminated last May 7, 2008 during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame week with his songs “I Shot The Sheriffs” by Bob Marley and The Wailers and “Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds.
22.Syesha Mercado(born January 2, 1987 in Bridgeport, Connecticut but lives in Sarasota, Florida) – She is prominent all throughout the show as showcased by video clips prominently focused and features positive notes on her. She proven her prowess and strong showing when she hit the high notes for her noteworthy performance of “Tobacco Road” by The Nashville Teens, Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday,””If I Were Your Woman” by Stephanie Mills, “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton, “I Believe” by Fantasia, “Vanishing” by Mariah Carey, and “Hello Again” by Neil Diamond among others. Her singing of Billy Paul’s “Me and Mr. Jones” popped an imagination in my head of her singing in a lounge bar and me sitting on a corner drinking beer while listening to her and jazz musicians. She made some commercial ads prior to her audition in Miami. She was top three and was eliminated last May 14, 2008 with the songs “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, “Fever” by Peggy Lee, and “Hit Me Up” by Gia Farrell.
23.David Archuleta(born December 28, 1990 in Miami, Florida but lives in Murray, Utah) – Like Jason Castro, he is an amiable teenager with youthful looks, cheerful personality and has a positive character that brings out the best in him. Armed with his boyish looks and irresistible charm, he is able to attract a swarm of screaming teens and young adults. He is the favorite Idol to win the season not only because of his handsome looks but also a voice that serenades every young girl’s hearts. He takes risk to give a unique signature music to some of the classic timeless hits where no one dared to revise and retouch. He even astounded all the judges and never failed their expectations that is why he is also their bet to win it all, week after week of impressive performance. Although he ended up as the runner up to the surprised winner David Cook, he never loses head but instead take inspiration and opportunity to build his image and catapult his stardom when he debuted with his first single “Crush” that launch his career, hit the airwaves and top the charts. Among his memorable performance on AI includes “Shop Around” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Imagine” by John Lennon, Phil Collins’ “Another Day In Paradise," ”The Long and Winding Road” by The Beatles, John Farnham’s “You’re The Voice”, “Think Of Me”, “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel, “With You” by Chris Brown, “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by Elton John and “In This Moment” an original composition of Ryan Gillmor for the AI Songwriting Competition.
24.David Cook(born December 20, 1982 in Houston, Texas but lives in Blue Springs, Missouri) – He was considered as the dark horse and underdog to David A. whose vocal range is much preferred by the mean judges over a hoarse heavy vocal chords of the goateed David C. Although he was never been in the bottom group, he was never seen as a threat and in serious contention. His versatility and original scoring and arrangements of songs was noticed by the judges who scored him high and given remarkable comments for such an innovation. He made such twist and drama highlighting his performances that he offered his songs to his then sick lawyer brother (recently succumbed to brain cancer). His winning of American Idol season 7 is one of the most dramatic victory in the history of AI, winning the title despite the fact that he just accompanied his brother who originally auditioned for the competition. His notable performance includes “Happy Together” by The Turtles, Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby,” “All I Really Need Is You,” by Neil Diamond, “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran, and “Dream Big” original composition of Emily Shackelton, an AI songwriting competition contestant. The song he performed on the finals night “Time Of My Life” is the winning song of AI songwriting competition and is his first carrier single that top the chart for several weeks and launched his career as a rock icon.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not

In January 2009, Doctors removed a kidney stone that was the size of a coconut from Sandor Sarkadi in Debrecen, Hungary.

On September 13, 1916 “Murderous Mary,” an elephant from the Sparks Brothers Circus, was hanged for murder in Erwin, Tennessee, USA.

The American Museum of Natural History lists more than 19,200 different species of bees, more than all bird and mammal species combined.

Police Dogs in Dusseldorf, Germany wear rubber shoes to protect their feet from broken glass.

King Sobhuza II (1899 -1982) was Swaziland’s monarch for more than 82 years, longer than any other ruler of any country in modern times.

In December 2006, Professor Masayuki Nakao and students from the University of Tokyo created a bowl of carbon nanotube noodles 1/25,000 of an inch across.

“Poetic Justice” In December 2007, a large group of teenagers vandalized the home of U.S. poet Robert Frost (1874 – 1963). Their sentencing included attending classes to learn about Frost’s poetry.

Quotable Quotes of the Day

“The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”
Seneca

“True religion is the poetry of the heart; it has enchantments useful to our manners; it gives us both happiness and virtue.”
Joubert


“The road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom; And important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars.”
Sir Arthur Eddington

“The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torturous.”
Anna Quindlen

“You have to recognize when the right place and the right time fuse and take advantage of that opportunity. There are plenty of opportunities out there.”
Ellen Metcalf