Kevin James stars in another great movie

Zoo Keeper: An Animal-filled movie

Zookeeper is an upcoming American comedy film starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson, and featuring the voices of Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, and Cher. The film is produced by Sandler's production company Happy Madison and will be co-distributed by Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures..

The film is slated to be released on July 8, 2011.

Plot

The animals at the zoo adore their overweight caretaker Griffin Kayes (Kevin James), an amiable but lonely guy who's never quite fit in. Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides he should leave the zoo and get a life.

When the zoo animals discover his plan, they decide to break their code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! Now they won't shut up and they're teaching Griffin nature's best mating rituals. To help him win the girl of his dreams (Rosario Dawson) and save their happy family, they're willing to do — or say — anything.

Cast

§  Kevin James as Griffin Kayes

§  Rosario Dawson as Brenda

§  Leslie Bibb as Miranda Davis

§  Ken Jeong as Pendleton "Pen" Lee

§  Donnie Wahlberg as Melly Jonsey

§  Jim Breuer as Stanley "Stan" Evens

§  Brandon Keener as Nimer

§  Joe Rogan as Justin Davis

§  Thomas Gottschalk as Geoffrey Mavroc

Voice cast

§  Adam Sandler as a Capuchin monkey

§  Sylvester Stallone as a lion

§  Cher as a lioness

§  Judd Apatow as an elephant

§  Jon Favreau as a bear

§  Mark Linn-Baker as a penguin

§  Jim Breuer as a crow

§  Faizon Love as a bear

§  Bas Rutten as a tiger

§  Maya Rudolph as a lioness

§  Billy Crystal as a llama

§  Kiefer Sutherland as an ape

§  David Spade as a flamingo

§  Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a giraffe

This will be another great movie for the family. I will be seeing you in the movie houses. By the way here is a trailer to satisfy you.

How Do You Overcome Fear?

Have you ever heard of John Maxwell? If you do, then you must have a clue what my blog would be today. If you don’t know him, well, I am here to agree with his blog. His blog talks about fear. I will ask you, what is fear for you? For him, fear is universal. It crosses all boundaries of race, culture, religion and generation. For me, fear is a part of life. Every person has a fear (that is a fact) even if it is a big deal or not. Maybe some of us already faced our fears and not yet conquered it. Some also faced it already and found a way to conquer it. And maybe most of us did not yet encounter our personal fears. But I am here to give some tips and examples on how you can overcome your fears.

Here is a list on how you can get over it.

Discover the foundation of fear

The fact is that most fear is not based on fact. Much of what we fear is based on a feeling (according to John Maxwell). We need to acknowledge where the majority of the fear is unfounded. This will be the start of releasing yourself from its power. Some personalities understood this that is why they have achieved great goals. If you are a George Patton fanatic then you probably know that he is one of the people who achieved great things. He said, “I learned very early in life not to take counsel of my fears.” Another one is a businessman, Allen Nueharth, who said he already faced his biggest fear but it turned out to be not as big as he imagined. He realized it and said “I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn’t fall down.”

Admit your fears

I will be posting John Maxwell’s explanation for this part because that whole part is so true and very well said.

One of our biggest misconceptions is that courage equals a lack of fear.  In actuality, the opposite is true. Mark Twain explained, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” By admitting our fear, we can then challenge its accuracy.

That’s how General Patton dealt with it: “The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision,” he said. “That’s the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all of your fears and go ahead!”

For me, it will not make you less manly if you do not admit your fear. In fact, it will make you more manly if you admit it then you can call yourself a man.

Accept the frailty and brevity of life

Sometimes our greatest fears are founded on reality. For example, we are all going to die sometime. There’s no denying that. Likewise, life will often be hard and painful. Those things are completely out of our control. By accepting their reality, we can then focus on the things we actually can control.

I love what Gertrude Stein wrote about fear: “Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really frightening.”

This also came from John Maxwell’s blog. We should accept the reality. We cannot outrun or outsmart these events in reality.

Accept fear as the price of progress

In life, we cannot prove that somebody did not even risk something or someone for even once. Everybody will have to take risks even if you like or not. Also if there is a dream there would always be a nightmare. This means that as long as you have goals in life, there would also be fears in life.

Develop a burning desire that overcomes fear

Sometimes the best way to fight fear is to focus on our reason for confronting it.

 – John Maxwell

We need to focus on it in order for us to control it. We should think that we can deal with our fears. We should also think that the burning desire that overcomes fear is a lot bigger than our fear.

Focus on what you can control

This time we will get John Maxwell’s thoughts about this. He said “As a leader, I often have to deal with the wrong attitudes and actions of the people who follow me. So a long time ago, I decided that,

I can control my attitude, but not others’ actions.

I can control my calendar, but not others’ circumstances.

And it’s not what happens to me, but what happens in me.”

John wooden (an American basketball coach) also said “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

We cannot control what will happen in our lives but we can direct our lives to a result that we wanted it to be.

Focus on today

This will be greatly explained by my favourite line from a popular movie (Kung Fu Panda). “Yesterday was history, tomorrow will be a mystery and today is a gift that is why they call it the present.” We should learn to face the present and think about the future not go back to your past and predict your future.

Put some wins under your belt

You cannot gain courage if you haven’t faced any fear. Being more courageous will result to more courage and being more fearful will result to more fears. We can only learn from experience.

Do it now

Since you have already read my blog, now it is time for you to act. As a saying goes, “Action speaks louder than words”.

As W. Clement Stone also said, “When thinking won’t cure fear, action will.”

Well that is the end of my blog. I hope you liked it please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading. I would just like to thank John Maxwell for giving a very inspiring talk. I was really inspired.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Bertrand Russell

Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.

Clare Booth Luce

Rio

"Rio" is a 3-D animation feature from the makers of the "Ice Age" films. Set in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforest of Brazil, the comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there's another — and that she's a she — he leaves the comforts of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio. But it's far from love at first sight between the domesticated and flight-challenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel. Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on an adventure of a lifetime, where they learn about friendship, love, courage, and being open to life's many wonders. "Rio" brings together a menagerie of vivid characters, a heart-warming story, colorful backdrops, energizing Latin and contemporary music, and family-friendly song and dance.

Rio Details

Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Release Date:  2011-04-08

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Mann, Jermanine Clement, Rodrigo Santoro, Jake T. Austin

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

Produced by Christopher Jenkins

Written by Don Rhymer

Well, thats all the information I can only get for now. Atleast it has a trailer but I cannot embed it yet because the embed code is disabled temporarily by a request. But soon I will be able to post it. Thats all for now. Thank you for tuning in.

A New Year Special blog

This week, my blog will be all about new year's eve and the traditions done in the said event. I hope you will enjoy reading it, though its very short its surely substantial.

New Year's Eve

On December 31, New Year's Eve ("Bisperas ng Bagong Taon"), Filipino families gather for the Media Noche or midnight meal – a feast that is also supposed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year. In spite of the yearly ban on firecrackers, many Filipinos in the Philippines still see these as the traditional means to greet the New Year. The loud noises and sounds of merrymaking are not only meant to celebrate the coming of the New Year but are also cast out malevolent spirits. Safer methods of merrymaking include banging on pots and pans and blowing on car horns. Folk beliefs also include encouraging children to jump at the stroke of midnight so that they would grow up tall, displaying circular fruit and wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs to symbolize money, eating twelve grapes at 12 midnight for good luck in the twelve months of the year, and opening windows and doors during the first day of the New Year to let in the good luck.

Fireworks

Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics) is a display of the effects produced by firework devices.

The earliest documentation of fireworks dates back to 7th century China where they were first used to frighten away evil spirits with their loud sound and to pray for happiness and prosperity.

Eventually the art and science of firework making developed into an independent profession. In ancient China, pyrotechnicians (firework-masters) were respected for their knowledge and skill in mounting dazzling displays of light and sound. A record in 1264 states that the speed of the rocket-propelled 'ground-rat' firework frightened the Empress Dowager Gong Sheng during a feast held in her honor by her son Emperor Lizong of Song . By the 14th century rocket propulsion was common in warfare, as evidenced by the Huolongjing compiled by Liu Ji (1311–1375) and Jiao Yu.

However, in China, fireworks for ceremonies and celebrations were mostly for royalties and the rich before the 14th century. It was only in the Ming Dynasty that any event for common people — a birth, a wedding, a business opening, or a New Year's Eve celebration — became a fitting occasion for fireworks and other noisemakers.

Amédée-François Frézier published a "Treatise on Fireworks" in 1706, covering the recreational and ceremonial uses of fireworks, rather than their military uses. The book became a standard text for fireworks makers.

Music for the Royal Fireworks was composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 to celebrate the peace Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which had been declared the previous year.

 The other traditions came from the Chinese new year which would be another topic of my blog next time. So keep tuning in. I also added a music video below perfect for this blog. Check it.

A Christmas Special blog

Hi there. Today I will be posting a special blog for you. This blog will contain all about the Christmas event. Let’s start off with the history.
Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday observed generally on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. The date is not known to be the actual birthday of Jesus, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived, the date of the Roman winter solstice, or one of various ancient winter festivals. Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.
The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century. Hence, Xmas is sometimes used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

Advent wreath

History

The ring or wheel of the Advent wreath of evergreens decorated with candles was a symbol in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity. The circle symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons while the evergreens and lighted candles signified the persistence of life in the midst of winter. Some sources suggest the wreath—now reinterpreted as a Christian symbol—was in common use in the Middle Ages, others that it was established in Germany as a Christian custom only in the 16th century.

Other evidence suggests that the Advent wreath was not invented until the 19th century.Research by Prof. Haemig of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, points to Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808–1881), a Protestant pastor in Germany and a pioneer in urban mission work among the poor as the inventor of the modern Advent wreath. During Advent, children at the mission school Rauhes Haus, founded by Wichern in Hamburg, would ask daily if Christmas had arrived. In 1839, he built a large wooden ring (made out of an old cartwheel) with 19 small red and 4 large white candles. A small candle was lit successively every weekday during Advent. On Sundays, a large white candle was lit. The custom gained ground among Protestant churches in Germany and evolved into the smaller wreath with four or five candles known today. Roman Catholics in Germany began to adopt the custom in the 1920s, and in the 1930s it spread to North America. Professor Haemig's research also indicates that the custom did not reach the United States until the 1930s, even among German Lutheran immigrants.

In Medieval times advent was a fast during which people's thoughts were directed to the expected second coming of Christ; but in modern times it has been seen as the lead up to Christmas, and in that context Advent Wreath serves as a reminder of the approach of the feast.

More recently, some Eastern Orthodox families have adopted an Advent wreath with six candles symbolizing the longer Christmas fast in Orthodox tradition, which corresponds to Advent in Western Christianity.

Forms of the Advent wreath

In Catholic churches, the most popular colours for the Advent candles are purple and rose. In the Western church, purple is the historic liturgical color for three of the four Sundays of Advent: once the color associated with royalty, it symbolizes Christ as the "Prince of Peace." Rose is the color for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin word "rejoice." Gaudete Sunday anticipates the joy of the Christmas celebration, so its color is a mixture of Advent purple and Christmas white. It may also symbolize the color of early dawn. In Protestant churches, it is more usual to use four red candles (reflecting their traditional use in Christmas decorations) because rose vestments and decorations are not commonly used in Protestant churches. Blue is also a popular alternative color for both Advent vestments and Advent candles, especially in some Anglican and Lutheran churches. This is in keeping with the liturgical seasons; blue means hope and waiting, which aligns with the seasonal meaning of Advent.

Other variations of the Advent wreath add a white candle in the center to symbolize Christmas, sometimes known as the "Christ candle." It can be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. White is the traditional festal color in the Western church. Four red candles with one white one is probably the most common arrangement in Protestant churches in Britain.

Nativity scene

A nativity scene, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. While the term "nativity scene" typically includes two dimensional depictions in film, painting, printmaking, and other media, in the history of art and culture, as well as in popular use, the term refers to static, three dimensional, artistic, commercial or folk art dioramas, or pantomimes called "living nativity scenes" in which real humans and animals participate. Nativity scenes exhibit figures representing the infant Jesus, his mother Mary, and Mary's husband, Joseph. A more complete Nativity scene includes other characters from the Biblical story such as shepherds, the Magi, and angels. The figures are displayed in or near the manger or stable.

Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene in 1223 (a "living" one) intending thereby to cultivate the worship of Christ.

Nochebuena

Nochebuena, often translated as "Good Night", is a Spanish word referring to the night of Christmas Eve. In Spain, Cuba, the Philippines and Latin America, the evening consists of a traditional dinner with family.

In the Philippines, this usually comes after the entire family has attended the late evening Christmas Eve mass or Misa de Gallo. Often on the table are: lechón, pancit, fried chicken, hamon, quezo de bola, arroz caldo, lumpia, rice, and adobo among others for the main course. Desserts include ube halaya, bibingka, rice cakes, ice cream, pastries and cakes; drinks include hot chocolate, coffee, soda, wine, beer, and different kinds of fruit juices.

Parol

Parols are ornamental star-like Christmas lanterns from the Philippines. They are traditionally made out of bamboo and paper and come in various sizes, shapes and designs; however, their star-shape façade and basic design remain dominant.

The shape is said to be inspired by the star on the Nativity of Jesus that guided the Magi to the manger. It also symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and the Filipinos' hope and goodwill during the Christmas season.

The word parol came from the Spanish word farol which means "lantern" or ilawan in Tagalog.

Misa de Gallo

Misa de Gallo is the Spanish phrase for Midnight mass, more literally translated as "Rooster's Mass".

It is said that the "Rooster's Mass" owes its name to the idea that a rooster would have been among the first to witness the birth of Jesus, and thus be the one to announce it.

In the Philippines, the prayer is done early morning on Christmas Eve, and it is the last day of a nine-day ritual known as Simbang Gabi. Completing the nine days culminating with the Misa de Gallo is equal to a wish come true, and many Filipinos believe this centuries-old promise to this day.

One of the customs related to the Philippine Misa de Gallo is the selling of traditional Philippine food, such as puto bumbong (a purple colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated--coconut and brown sugar), tsokolate (a hot chocolate drink), bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under), and salabat, or ginger tea, which are sold by vendors to the faithful outside churches.

All these topics were done every Christmas season. There are others things that were not placed here in this blog like snowman, the exchange of gifts, singing Christmas carols and many more. Well thats about it. But before I will end this blog post, since is Christmas, you will get a bonus feature. I have found the perfect song for this special day. Check it below.  Its the end of my special blog. I hope you liked it. Merry Christmas everybody!!!