Jennifer Hudson, Reliving Tragedy

Reliving the horrors of October 2008 when an estranged ex-husband of her sister murdered her mother, nephew and brother, Jennifer Hudson tries to hold it together in court this week at the trial of accuser William Balfour.

Through all these trials Jennifer Hudson continues to hold it together with elegance and grace.  God give her strength through this new chapter of her ordeal.

Jennifer Hudson was discovered based on the depth of her talent on the American Idol 2004, and though she did not win the title (finished 7th place), she went on to deliver multiple albums that sold over a million copies around the world.

In 2007 Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Dream Girls.

Your talent will get you noticed, but it is hard work and perseverance that will win over skeptics and hearts.  And the content of your character is what carries you.  And Jennifer encapsulates all of the above into a story of the highs and lows of the journey called life.
In all of this she shed 80 pounds through Weight watchers, reminiscent of the feat achieved by Kirsten Alley, and here I have put together some pictures that showcase her beauty...

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iPad 2012, My Thoughts After One Month Hands-on

For two years I waited patiently. Because for me, jumping into the tablet market was a question really of when not why.  Once I took the plunge, the iPad has proven to be as powerful a productivity tool, as it is for consuming media, playing games and taking photos. The third generation iPad makes a strong showing and seeks to continue its domination of the tablet market.

The tablet, a portable computer device sized between a smartphone and a laptop, typically has a touchscreen/stylus user interface.  So basically it is hardly a necessity, especially if you already own a smartphone and/or a computer.  Something you don't need, but you won't mind owning one if you overcame the psychological barrier of need versus want.

First impressions? It's got lots of grace. Now work with me on this.  Grace is effortless beauty and elegance of form, manner, motion or action.  And I did not make this definition up, it just happens to really capture the touch and feel of the 3rd iteration of the iPad.

Why did I get one now? I caved under the weight of the triple threat. That retina display, all told, over 3 million pixels, working hard to put the resolution in Hi-Res. And second, the A5X dual core processor which powers the beast.  It is kind of like a Hemi engine, very responsive. Third, the back facing camera rendering 5- megapixel isight camera that outperformed my 8-megapixel  panasonic lumix in daylight conditions.

I find that increasingly, it has become my device of choice for browsing, reading emails, books etc. The games optimized for the iPad are excellent time-killers. The Airplay feature that allows you to transmit media from the iPad over Wi-Fi to your TV is one of my favourites.

Myths? The iPad over heats. It gets warm over prolonged use (a few hours) but never in my experience, hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold, as is commonly the case with laptops. Second,  the ipad is a stand alone computer.  The iPad is not about to stand in for all your computer needs. The platform is built for apps only so if you can't find an app for the task you have to accomplish, I can see how one will be quickly frustrated.  I should quickly add that  with the over half a million apps available in the apps store, there is not much work out there you can not find an app for- many of them at a little cost.

Are there any negatives or stuff I don't like about the iPad? Umm yeah.  There is no flash support, and lousy Facebook integration seems to bug me the most. And a tonne of proprietary barriers, and if you are no computer gymnast you may not find jumping all those extra hoops amusing. I am thinking if Apple is going to have seamless  integration for the much less popular Twitter, they should be doing same if not more for Facebook integration into the iOS platform.

And then there is typing on the keyboard. That is opening a can of worms, because it reduces the user to a hunt-and-poke typing technique. The lack of tactile cues and haptic feedback makes the experience quite onerous to say the least.  I will rather type on the Macbook pro any time.  But Apple has gone to lengths to offset the challenges posed by the virtual keyboard.  You can split the keyboard into a more ergonomic format reducing wrist strain and repetitive stress complications.

The Apple solution to typing on the keyboard that I really like is the voice dictation feature, that once enabled in settings, will transcribe quite accurately on your behalf. While this is no Siri, it works well if you enunciate well and your accent is not too strong. Of course the auto correct feature offers a half-hearted help to the typing efforts as well.

My overall impressions of the product is a positive one.  I think it is a keeper for me.  I am hoping to wow my little nieces and nephew when I go to Edmonton sometime this spring, and it would have paid for itself right there!!

There are very appealing tablet alternatives in the Samsung Galaxy Tab which is based on the Android platform, and there is also the Blackberry Playbook.

I will do subsequent posts on some of the tricks, tips and fun/productivity apps soon, so visit again...

Kirstie Alley Makes Jaw-Dropping Weight Loss Look Sexy

To go from a size 14 to size 4 is a fairytale only of Hollywood proportions.  But that is exactly what Kirstie Alley accomplished.  And so far she has been able to maintain her new size.  Now that is the real challenge, keeping  and sustaining the weight you worked so hard to achieve.

Heard this before? "If you wanna fly someday, the law of aerodynamics dictate that you give up what weighs you down".  Literally! The only known exception? Well there are non.

Good news though nobody I know has ambitions of being airborne under the might of their wings.  But if you ever wanna look fly and feel high, then you wanna incorporate some healthy habits, eating well and staying active.  Not for 3 weeks or 3 months.  It has got to be a disciplined and uncompromising resolve.  Remember healthy is not a destination, but a lifestyle.

So in your struggles to achieve fitness, let room for relapse, and bad days, and weight gains, but always return to the healthy choices.

Kirstie Alley was the spokesperson for Jenny Craig from 2005 to 2008. She then launched Organic Liaison, which includes Rescue me, the first USDA-certified organic weight loss product, two years later.  But it was her stint with Dancing With the Stars in 2011 that catapulted her weight loss into the limelight.  All told, she lost 100 lbs, and in her own words, she "has the energy of a 20 year old" at 61 years old.

The before and after pictures speak for themselves.  I think the important point that ought not be forgotten though is that she says she feels great!!  It doesn't matter what size you are or body shape or weight, the mission is to pursue health and fitness and beauty!!!