Ambulance transport can save the life of ordinary citizens faced with extraordinary circumstances. The primary reason for the transport is medical, and that the person is being transported to, or from, a facility where they are to receive medical treatment. It is a life saving measure that can mean the difference between life and death in many situations.
An air ambulance service is used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot easily or quickly reach the scene or the patient needs to be repositioned at a distance where air transportation is most practical. It is also indispensable when the patient is in a remote area and time is critical.
Air ambulances can be airplanes or helicopters. Air ambulance operates both, domestic and international, providing inter-facility medical transport of patients requiring various levels of assistance. They are often loaded with the most important equipment for emergency medical procedures. Air ambulance crews are pilots with experienced in flying in difficult conditions, paramedics or emergency medical technicians, nurses and a physician. Every member of an air ambulance crew are highly trained and able to work under high stress. They all provide the necessary support and medical care to the patients in flight.
Air Ambulance
YouTube: Charice to sing with Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden
By Ramil Digal Gulle, abs-cbnNEWS.com |
"Hi Charice. Hi sweetheart. I have to tell you that I am speechless, to start with--and it's not a good way to start--I have, hmm, I have heard you sing. I have seen some, a little bit of your life story. And I am extremely ecstatic like the rest of the world who is watching right now. I can tell you that we have lots of things in common. And I also had a mother, still have a mother, who is my strength. My passion I carry in my heart. And so my beauty. And David Foster, you cannot even think of finding somebody even better than that to bring the best out of you. You have more talent than most people."
These were the words of a mother with a seven-year-old son who spoke to 15-year-old Filipina singer Charice Pempengco during an episode of Oprah. Charice, who has been the toast of music lovers all over the world, has probably heard similar praise before.
The difference is, the mother speaking via video conference from Washington, D.C. happens to be Celine Dion.
The magical moment, the words, the shocked expression on Charice's face when she realizes it's Celine Dion talking to her, are all captured in a YouTube link sent to abs-cbnNEWS.com. It's all there at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkLjVJOH41U
But that's not all. Dion goes on with her message to Charice with even more good news for the young Filipina:
"You can sing. You can speak and sing with your heart. You can play the guitar... And you can have dreams because your life story is quite a painful one. Thank God your strength comes from your mother and your heart will go on and I'm pretty sure of that.
"And if I may I would love to propose something. I would love to do something very special with you. Next week, I'm gonna be singing at Madison Square Garden and I would love to ask you to come and sing a duet with me. And we can sing together. Maybe we can sing "Because You Loved Me", and maybe we can dedicate this song to your mother. So I hope you can travel and come in New York to meet with me," Dion told Charice.
According to www.oprah.com, Dion will perform at Madison Square Garden on September 15 and 16. (For the complete list of tour dates and venues go to this link: http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080908_tows_celine)
Dream come true
Charice has met with a measure of international success but that moment with Dion is so far the peak experience for the former. Charice has always been open about her admiration for Dion, revealing that the very first song she learned to perform was the Canadian superstar's "My Heart Will Go On" which was the love theme of the Hollywood global blockbuster "Titanic".
It wasn't exactly God speaking to Charice, but that was probably the closest the Filipina singer could get to a similar experience. This was Celine Dion inviting her to sing a duet in Madison Square Garden!
No other Filipino singer has ever been bestowed with such an honor by a singer of such immense, global stature as Dion.
Dion in her message also told Oprah, "You have somebody amazing", referring to the Filipina.
Dion, who earlier told Charice that she could find no better person than David Foster to bring out her talent, then told Foster:
"David, take good care of that girl."
Dion is currently on a worldwide tour and will perform in every major city in North America. Dion's Madison Square Garden performance is part of that tour--and now Charice has received a personal invitation from the superstar to sing there as well.
Under wraps
abs-cbnNEWS.com a few months ago already received unconfirmed reports that there were talks for Charice to perform with "somebody really, really big" in the musical firmament. However, there was no way to confirm if the news was true, nor the identity of the "really big" music superstar.
All sources available to abs-cbnNEWS.com were keeping information about the talks very tightly under wraps.
Until the YouTube links were emailed to abs-cbnNEWS.com by an alert reader.
The Oprah episode did a substantial report about Charice, her career and the painful experiences in her life and her triumphs, including an exclusive performance with international tenor Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany. You can watch the report on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii4jUSmFwUA
Perhaps, this story of a young Filipina singer's success is just what we need to hear to make us feel better, especially with all the bad news coming to us about our Court of Appeals, which has begun to seem very unappealing by the day.
If only, like Charice, more of us could reach for better, loftier things for ourselves and our fellow Filipinos, at a time when even some supposedly honorable members of the judiciary seem to have become comfortable debasing themselves.
as of 09/10/2008 6:45 PM
Click Here to Read More..One-Armed Pianist
Mary Grace Gellekanao - a 28 year old pianist with an easy smile and sweet disposition. Grace was born on March 7, 1979, in Riverside Medical Center, Bacolod City, Philippines. When Grace showed interest in music and piano, her grandmother took it as a challenge. She sought teacher after teacher, but no one agreed to give her lessons. How could a girl without a forearm ever be able to master the keyboard? But both Grace and her grandmother were made of sterner stuff. They were not ones to easily give up. After months of walking up and down their town, their persistence paid off. One teacher wanted to be a part of the challenge, and she agreed to teach Grace, who was then only a child. She practices for at least four hours a day and can play many difficult pieces. She also plays the organ.
In 1994, Grace, encouraged by her teacher, Mrs. Sylvia Javellana, presented a solo organ recital. A year later, the country's Volunteers for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped and the Disabled arranged for Grace's first public solo piano recital. It was a hit, but it was just the beginning.
In 1996, Grace started touring internationally and has been busy ever since with college studies and performances. She graduated in May 2001 from the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City, with a degree in psychology. Grace hopes to use her musical talents to help others--especially those differently-abled such as herself--to accept themselves as God's special creation so that they can live productive, purposeful lives. She is currently volunteering with the 1,000 Missionary Movement in the Philippines.
Mary Grace performs practically every weekend all over the United States. She is open to performing for any church or organization. You can contact her at (225) 664-8174 or you can email her at revawall@bellsouth.net.
From Youtube To Fame!
Here are some Filipinos who became famous from youtube.com:
Arnel PinedaBorn September 4, 1967 (age 40) from Quezon City, Philippines is a song writter and vocalist of the band named "ZOO". They began appearing on youtube.com performing cover songs by Journey. They began appearing on youtube.com performing cover songs by Journey. In August 2007, Neal Schon wanted someone new to the music business, so he turned to youtube. He finds a new singer the old-fashioned way on the internet after hours of searching from youtube. He found Arnel singing "Faithfully," and then knew he had found the perfect frontman. Pineda was personally invited by Journey to audition for the band in San Francisco. Last December 5, 2007, Pineda was announced as the new lead singer of Journey.
Cebu Prison InmatesThe 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) not only entertained spectators and visitors but have also started gaining worldwide popularity through the Internet. The "Thriller Video" from the Dancing Inmates of Cebu were ranked #5 from TIME Magazine's Top 10 Viral Videos. The video has been viewed and downloaded more than 9 million times. Wearing orange uniforms, they dance and groove in unison to the musical beat, swaying their bodies and acting out parts like professional performers, and drawing applause from the crowd.
Charice PempengcoBorn May 10, 1993 in Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines, is a Filipina singer who became a singing sensation throughout the world through YouTube. She started joining singing contests at the age of seven but became widely known in her native Philippines when she placed third in Little Big Star. Pempengco first attracted attention in the cyberworld when the FalseVoice channel of YouTube posted her Little Big Star performance of Whitney Houston's hit, "I Will Always Love You." Many viewers thought her singing was fake, and that she was only lip synching because of her unbelievable vocals. Another popular video was a face-off between Pempengco and America's Got Talent winner, Bianca Ryan. Pempengco's performance on Star King was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on its November 28, 2007 episode, in which Ellen showed web videos of different people she would like to have as guests on the show. After showing the video, DeGeneres did a standing ovation and imitated Pempengco's gestures. She later personally invited the young singer to perform on the show.
Christine GambitoBetter known to her audience as "HappySlip," is an Internet celebrity and popular YouTube content provider. Born and raised in Virginia and of Filipino ancestry, Gambito moonlighted as an actress while earning a degree in nursing. She maintains one of YouTube's most subscribed channels. On January 25, 2008, Gambito was appointed ambassador for Philippine tourism by the Department of Tourism. In March 2007, Gambito's video Mixed Nuts was nominated for the 2006 YouTube Video Awards for Best Comedy,[3] resulting in the second place to Smosh. In May of the same year, she became one of the first YouTube users accepted into YouTube's revenue sharing program. Gambito's performances typically include comedy sketches in which she impersonates members of her family. She also sings and plays the piano or guitar.
Josh VerdesHe's a filipino song writer from Richmond, Virginia, United States. Since the age of 14, Josh has been writing songs and has been able to incorporate what he has learned through his experience with other instruments; a sound that instantly engages its listeners. Now at the age of 24, Josh is continuing to write and perform his music, hoping that his music will make a connection with the world.
Jeremy "Passion" ManongdoFilipino singer-songwriter born and raised in San Francisco, CA. He first gained notable acclaim with his covers of Ne-Yo's "So Sick," Usher's "My Boo," and his original composition "Lemonade." The name Passion was chosen by Jeremy for "the passion I had for music and the passion and love I had for my Lord and Savior Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing, and I'm forever thankful for His love and His blessings." His influences, as referred to on his Soundclick site, include: Jesus, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Craig David, Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Dru Hill, 112, Justin Timberlake, my uncle Robert, Kenoly Brothers, Dawkings and Dawkins, John Legend, and church.
Happy Slip on Wowowee
Arnel Pineda
Cebu Prison Inmates
Charice Pempengco
Christine Gambito
Josh Verdes
Passion
Disclaimer: some of the articles in this entry came from wikipedia and from there respective website. Video's provided by youtube.com. Mabuhay ang Pinoy! Click Here to Read More..
Ramiele Malubay: The Next Jasmine Trias?
Ramiele Malubay is a Filipino-American , a 20 year old Sushi waitress from Florida, she auditioned in Miami and sang Aretha Franklin’s "Natural Woman". She looks really funky. Behind her is her sister who did some vocal backups. Ramiele Malubay made the cut in the Top 24 as well. Mabuhay ang PINOY!
Sago Tree
These palms are low trees, rarely over 9 meters tall, with a stout, spiny trunk. The outer rind is about 5 centimeters thick and hard as bamboo. The rind encloses a spongy inner pith containing a high proportion of starch. It has typical palmlike leaves clustered at the tip.
Habitat and Distribution: Sago palm is found in tropical rain forests. It flourishes in damp lowlands in the Malay Peninsula, New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and adjacent islands. It is found mainly in swamps and along streams, lakes, and rivers.
Edible Parts: These palms, when available, are of great use to the survivor. One trunk, cut just before it flowers, will yield enough sago to feed a person for 1 year. Obtain sago starch from nonflowering palms. To extract the edible sage, cut away the bark lengthwise from one half of the trunk, and pound the soft, whitish inner part (pith) as fine as possible. Knead the pith in water and strain it through a coarse cloth into a container. The fine, white sago will settle in the container. Once the sago settles, it is ready for use. Squeeze off the excess water and let it dry. Cook it as pancakes or oatmeal. Two kilograms of sago is the nutritional equivalent of 1.5
kilograms of rice. The upper part of the trunk's core does not yield sage, but you can roast it in lumps over a fire. You can also eat the young sago nuts and the growing shoots or palm cabbage.
From 1980 to 2000, the Philippines’ annual growth in the production of rice averaged at only 1.9%. This, according to a bulletin published by the Senate Economic Planning Office, is well below the country’s yearly population growth rate of 2.4%.
Apparently, the country needs to look for more food crops that will sustain its people’s carbohydrate diet. The most likely candidates are cassava, camote (sweet potato), and sago—all popular starch-rich resources. Moreover, cassava and sago are inexpensive and less agriculturally intensive.
However, Prof. Dulce M. Flores of UP Mindanao Department of Food Science says that of these food crops, sago is the most underutilized despite its potential for diversification into high value products, such as food ingredients and industrial raw materials. Also, while cassava and camote are ubiquitous mainstays in markets, sago is not. This comes as a surprise because sago is a high-yielding crop, which means it grows in abundance and thrives even in waterlogged acidic soils where only very few plants survive.
In her research, “Utilizing the Indigenous Plant Starch Sources in Mindanao: Sago Palm,” Flores looked into the possibilities of tapping sago as a major agricultural product. She went to Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Lupon, Davao Oriental, and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur for samplings of sago wild stands. In Southern Mindanao, she interviewed locals and confirmed sightings of the same sago variety. She also took samples from Cebu to determine whether geographic location affects the morphological characteristics of sago. Indeed, sago is popular among the rural inhabitants of the South, particularly Muslims and Manobos.
Flores points out that the natives have a crude way of extracting the starch content of sago. In Cebu Island, for example, they strip and sun-dry the sago trunk. Then they pulverize the dried strips and cook the powder. Mindanao natives just scrape the trunk after splitting it in half. It was observed, however, that the sago palm is more of a roofing material than a food source for the natives. “There has been rampant cutting of this wild plant [sago palm] for roofing purposes and also to give way for other high value cash crops like rice and oil palm,” laments Flores. “If [this practice] continues, the Philippines is in danger of losing a ‘miracle plant’ that we hope will feed [its] exploding population.”
To save sago from extinction, she suggests the development of a technology that will enable the maximization of the plant’s benefits. In Malaysia, she says, plantations produce an average of 50 tons of refined sago starch per day because they employ machine-operated extraction. They export their produce to the United States, Japan, and Europe. The Malaysian government has also allotted 80,000 hectares for sago plantations. “[In a few years,] the plantations will be ready for harvest,” she points out. “The biotechnology must be developed now [so we can make the most of] this huge supply of starch source.”
Flores is also pushing for UP Mindanao to become the Center for Sago Conservation and Utilization. The Center will lead academic institutions in the research development of sago culture and propagation, national inventory and protection of wild stands, and better utilization
