Lord as we embark on this journey,

May you bestow upon us your guiding hand

and enlightening spirit, so that we would

be able to travel safely and be protected from

harm along the way.

Bless every participant so that he or she

would be able to contribute positively towards

the completion of this trip.

May we realize that if we join our hand together

in your name, we can accomplish anything.

We pray also for those whom we leave behind.

May your divine hands protect them from all anxieties.

May they be safe and secure in your love , as we

also are in our trip.

All this we ask in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Measles
Image credit: ideaexplore.net

Measles is a contagious viral condition which spread by droplets or through the respiratory route.  Also called Rubeola, measles is characterized by runny nose watery eyes, cough, fever, Koplik’s Spots (small, white specks found in the mouth) and skin rashes. This occurs mostly in children, especially in infants, where it can cause fatal conditions.

Here are complications which can result from measles infections.

Pneumonia

This respiratory condition forms, which is secondary to bacterial infection. This could result to mortality, if left untreated.

Encephalitis

This is a condition which involves the brain. It could lead to death or brain damage.  This is as a result of secondary infection caused by the viral infection.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

This is a condition involving serious neurological symptoms which would eventually result to death.

These are the serious complications of measles which could be prevented through immunization of persons, especially the young.

References: “Microbiology: An Introduction” by Tortora, Funke and Case 8th ed.

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Scotty McCreery
Image credit: starmometer.com

Scotty McCreery, also known as Scotty the Body, won the American Idol 2011 Season 10.  The country singer from Garner, North Carolina has won the hearts of the judges even from the audition stages and up to the finals of American Idol, as reported by various entertainment sites, May 25.

McCreery has never been in the bottom three during the American Idol 2011 contest and has always been the favorite of American viewers during the contest. His songs in the finale were “I Love You This Big,” “Gone,” and “Check Yes or No,” while Lauren Alaina sang “Flat on the Floor,”  “Maybe it was Memphis,” and “Like my Mother Does.”

Scotty McCreery’s career is predicted to grow by leaps and bounds as a country singer and reportedly much more than that, with many record companies vying for his songs. American Idol 2011 has produced again another singing superstar with McCreery.

More than 122 million votes were cast and said to be unprecedented. As the big background screen flashed “Scotty Wins!” Lauren Alaina smiled and embraced him. The 17 year old country singer went down on his knees – as McCreery always does when he was emotionally high – and shed tears of joy.

This is a video, uploaded by ScottMcCreeryfans of the audition of Scotty McCreery.

Scotty McCreery Wins! Video courtesy of MTV.

Jared Loughner
Image credit: examiner.com

Jared Loughner,  Gabrielle Giffords’ gun man, was ruled to be a paranoid schizophrenic by a federal judge, and may have to enter a hospital for treatment before standing trial. This has been reported by US news sites, May 25, 2011.

According to Wikipedia, paranoid schizophrenia is a type of schizophrenia that results to delusions of grandeur and is

“…manifested primarily through impaired thought processes, in which the central focus is on distorted perceptions or paranoid behavior and thinking.”

This usually occurs in the late teen years and can cause audio-visual distortions and hallucinations.

Experts can classify the type of schizophrenia using DSM-IV which presents five different dimensions of disorder as well, from Axis I to Axis V.

Each of these axes corresponds to a mental disorder depending upon the results of the diagnosis.

Jared Loughner’s schizophrenia was classified as paranoid schizophrenia. His ramblings were that, allegedly, of a psychopath, ranging from different topics, from politics to sleepwalking. Here is a link to a video of his online rants.

Lauren Alaina
Image credit: mtv.com

Lauren Alaina’s throat problem during the American Idol 2011 Finale had allegedly made her fans worry about her performance, as disclosed by international news sites, May 24, 2011, but reportedly Alaina had sang well in the Season 10 Finale in spite of her throat problem.

According to the doctor who has seen Lauren Alaina before her performance, Alaina “blew out her vocal cords,” and would need medications to “froze her throat”.

The problem was laryngitis, an inflammation of the larynx which can cause hoarse voice or loss of voice.  This can be because of overuse or infection. It could also be chronic, long-lasting or acute, shorter attacks.

The laryngitis was previously thought to affect her chances of winning the American Idol 2011 Finale. Luckily though, Lauren Alaina performed well her three songs despite her laryngitis, that had impressed the three judges. But the votes of viewers, which will be revealed on a later date, will prove whether she is indeed the American Idol 2011 Finale champion.

Kirstie Alley, Dancing with the Stars
Image credit: rumorsandrants.com

Kirstie Alley, the talented actress is apparently the favorite, aside from Hines Ward, to win Dancing with the Stars 2011 finale, Tuesday.

Alley has started with her two-and a half month stint with DWTS as a “heavyweight” but has “whittled” to the slimmer size she is now. This is according to Kirstie Alley herself when she was interviewed by local entertainment sites. May 24, 2011.

The costume Kirstie Alley has worn throughout the contest has grown smaller and smaller in size. Reportedly, media people has noticed this progress and had openly reported about this online.

As one trainer put it, it was one healthy way for Dancing with the Stars, Kirstie Alley, to lose weight at age 60.

The appearance of Pippa Middleton’s racy photos in Internet sites and publications has prompted the Middletons to file a formal complaint against their publication. This was reported by international news sites, May 12, 2011.

The racy photos of Pippa show her in skimpy attire: a bra and a short white skirt, dancing with a shirtless man in shorts. One picture showed her sunbathing topless in Ibiza, Spain. The pictures hit the Web and made a big splash that it became an instant sensation. The Middletons filed a formal petition to Britain’s Press Complaints Commission to stop the publication of Pippa’s photos because it violated “family privacy”.

It can be remembered that the paparazzi have also tortured Lady Diana and had allegedly been the cause of her demise.

Pippa Middleton
Image Credit: catwalkqueen.tv

Pippa Middleton
Image Credit: nowmagazine.co.uk

Pippa Middleton will undoubtedly be the new fashion trendsetter as she was dazzling in her white Royal Wedding dress and equally stunning in her green dress.

Middleton’s white outfit as the Maid of Honor “wowed’ millions of viewers around the world and it has been the hot topic in social networking sites like Twitter, this month of April.

Her green outfit after the wedding was a stand-out as well. Pippa Middleton has become an Internet overnight sensation.

Thanks to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and her sister, Kate Middleton which was held at the Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.