Behind every great man, there is a great woman. Such is the case of the latest American Idol winner Kris Allen.

Admitting during his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, set to air on May 26, that he was “shocked every week” during competition, he says it was his wife who kept him going.

“I’ve been singing for a long time I started playing guitar when I was 13 and I’m 23 now,” he tells the talk show host. “I did the music scene in Arkansas, which isn’t that big … and It didn’t work out and I almost gave up.”

But, he continues, “My wife has been the support. I seriously almost gave up a lot, and she was just like you have to keep going. She believed in me more than I believed in myself. She is just great.”

Of Simon Cowell’s declaration Allen “shouldn’t of played the wife card so early,” DeGeneres disagrees. She tells Allen, “I thought it was great and you seem like an adorable couple and I think it’s important for people to see that you have a wife and how supportive she was.”

It was an issue that never crossed Allen’s mind. “I care about her a lot so it didn’t bother me that she was brought up,” he says. “I think it bothered her more than it bothered me.”

“She is responsible for you getting this far,” DeGeneres prods. “I think you owe her something big.”

Allen’s idea: “Vacation, how about that?”

DeGeneres, meanwhile, also calls runner-up Adam Lambert Friday to talk about the finale. “The way people were talking and the way you reacted when his name was called, it was like you were his dad,” she says. “You were so genuinely happy for him they way you kind of grabbed his shoulders and hugged him and I thought you were so gracious.”

“Thank you. I was really mentally prepared to have whatever happen, happen,” responds Lambert, adding, “He was shocked. I had to shake him a little bit.”

And ever the gracious competitor, Lambert says of Allen, “I’m a huge fan.” – Kristin Boehm

By Adam Bryant Mon May 25, 7:52 AM PDT

If you thought Adam Lambert looked like a natural fit with iconic rockers Queen during American Idol's finale, you weren't the only one.

Hours after it was announced that Lambert was Season 8's runner-up last week, widespread speculation began circulating that the 26-year-old singer had been offered a job as Queen's new front man. While that's not true yet, guitarist Brian May isn't ruling out the possibility.

"Amongst all that furor, there wasn't really a quiet moment to talk. But [drummer Roger Taylor] and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point," May told Rolling Stone. "It's not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn't that easy. But I'd certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there."

Queen recently ended a four-year relationship with Paul Rodgers, who was handling the vocal duties for the band.

Lambert auditioned for Idol with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and instantly became a buzzed-about contender for the show's Top 36. His revved-up, glam-rock numbers and hauntingly restrained ballads made him the front-runner all season before ultimately coming up short. While the show has produced more pop artists than rockers, May recognizes that springboard it provides young artists.

For now, Lambert must first complete the 50-city tour with his fellow Top 10 members, and the Idol producers, 19 Entertainment, will likely have first dibs on anything Lambert does next. May said whatever happens, he's excited to see what Lambert and Idol winner Kris Allen (who also shared the stage during "We Are the Champions") do next.

"Both those boys are well worthy of big success," May said. "So it's pointless for someone like me to stand on the sidelines jeering. I'm confident Adam will make great use of this wonderful opportunity. I hope I'm there to see it."

Posted Fri May 22, 2009 11:03am PDT by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks

Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert's names have been linked quite a bit in the media lately--not just because of rumors (reported in the Chicago Sun-Times last week) that Clay actually wanted to record a duet with Adam, but because after Adam's shocking second-place finish on American Idol this week, many Lambert supporters have predicted that Adam will follow in Clay's footsteps and ultimately be more successful than the singer who actually won this year, Kris Allen.

But yesterday on his official website, ClayOnline.com, Clay Aiken made it clear in a personal blog titled "Silence Broken" that he is not a Lambert supporter at all.

Posting in the subscription-only "Ultimate Membership" section of his site, Clay responded to a fan's query about his opinions on Wednesday night's Idol finale with this rant:

"Now that it's all over, and for the record.... I couldn't be happier about the way AI ended this year. I only turn the show on once a season, and only to see what the set looks like each year. This year, I happened to turn it during the minute that Adam Lambert was singing 'Ring of Fire' and, at that moment, thought my ears would bleed. Contrived, awful, and slightly frightening! I wasn't really a fan and found myself surprised whenever folks told me that they liked him. Granted, I never saw another performance (and many folks who I trust said that he was great) but I can't imagine I would have enjoyed it. Just not my cup of tea at all. To each his own. I never saw Kris sing on the show, but whether he was good or not is really relative. It's usually a matter of taste, right? But Idol is not always a matter of musical taste only. It's about the person you like. From what little I saw, Kris seemed likable. (That's not to say that Adam isn't just as likable as anyone.. maybe more so... I don't know) When Ruben and I were standing next to each other every night (many years ago) you had two equally talented, equally unlikely, equally unpolished contestants.... so it really was a matter of taste as to who was voted for. While some may argue that one of us was hyped more than the other, I don't feel that was the case. However, this year, there was an obvious bias. Not even having watched the show, I can tell you that I was WELL aware of the bias from the judges as to who should win. In my opinion, that is awfully unattractive. I don't think I am alone."

Wow! And...MEOW!

Surely some will jump to the conclusion that Clay's bitter post was spurned by his un-amicable split with BMG and 19 Entertainment, or by 19's rumored attempts to prevent Clay from collaborating with Adam. And it does seem that if there's any "feud" going on here, it's between Clay and the Idol machine, not Clay and Adam himself.

The blog continues:

"In my opinion, it all often comes down to that last night of voting. Until the finale, folks are voting for the contestant that they want to see continue. But, I believe that on that last night, the dynamic changes. No longer forced to choose one person that they want to see win, the audience can effectively vote AGAINST the person that they don't want to see win. In the case of season two this might have happened. There may have been some folks who voted for myself or Ruben because they didn't like the other of us. I was the nerdy little girly boy who some didn't want to see win, so they may have voted for Ruben. I don't know. .. But again, I feel that Ruben and I were fairly matched. We both had our detractors and negatives, but I feel we were both very worthy of being on that stage in that moment, and either of us would have been worthy of winning. The show was different then, and folks made it in seasons 1-3 because they were 'real' people who happened to sing/entertain well. But, somewhere along the way, AI stopped being about real people.

In a battle between David and Goliath, my money is on David!

I think many voters got sick of being 'told who to vote for'. I think many were turned off by the blatant favoritism shown towards one contestant. Therefore, on that last night, they used their votes against a contestant that they were tired of hearing about and for the contestant who had been written off. And, at the same time, I think they voted AGAINST an American Idol that has, for four years now, been more about the slick productions and polished contestants than it has been about finding the raw talent that it did in its first three seasons.

Those votes for Kris were also votes to return the show to its roots of finding 'real' contestants with undiscovered talent and giving them the chance to grow and shine. They were votes that said 'we're tired of seeing contestants who already seem to know it all'.

Will American Idol choose to listen to the resounding and clarion call that those voters gave them?.... 'Enough with the pretention. More Rubens, more Clays, more Fantasias and Tamyras and Kellys please.' My faith has always been in the voters. I think they have gotten it right every year (mine included). It's now up to American Idol to decide if it will finally REALLY listen to the folks that keep it on the air."

Hmmm...but you know, maybe Clay's motives aren't so sinister after all. Maybe (despite his claim that he never saw Kris perform on the show, which seems odd) he just prefers Kris Allen's music--which, like Clay's, is pretty safe, sweet, and mellow. However, if Clay WAS trying to record a duet with Adam, this blog sure isn't going to help his chances. Maybe he should try to collaborate with Kris instead?

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 22:26:00 05/21/2009

Filed Under: Health, Swine Flu

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MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The Department of Health (DoH) confirmed the first case of A(H1N1) influenza in the country Thursday night.

“The DoH confirms today the first case of A(H1N1) in the Philippines. She is a female traveler who arrived in the country on May 18 from the United States, whose throat specimen tested positive based on results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a press conference at the World Health Organization Regional office in Manila.

According to Dr. Eric Tayag, director for the National Epidemiology Center, the first case is a 10-year-old female, who also visited Canada when she was in the United States.

Tayag declined to identify the research facility where the girl is being quarantined and treated.

“I talked with the president and from the tone of her voice she is very concerned. In fact, she gave me the go signal to conduct this press conference,” Duque added.

The patient is currently being monitored while her immediate household was advised to follow quarantine and social distancing procedures from the DoH, said Duque.

Despite the index case, Duque said: “There is no community outbreak in the country, measures are being done to prevent transmission including quarantine of immediate household of the first case. The first case is something we have been preparing for and a result of public and private sectors’ effective surveillance system.”

Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said the test results came Thursday afternoon from RITM in Muntinlupa City and the patient was immediately given antiviral Oseltamivir. The first case no longer has fever and cough but still has sore throat, said Villaverde.

Tayag said specimens from the index case will be sent to a WHO collaborating center in Melbourne as routine procedure for all specimens that will test positive for the novel A(H1N1).

“The child developed the symptoms a day after arrival, so this is also a call for vigilance on the part of the public that people in the country and incoming travelers from abroad, especially from infected areas, to submit themselves to quarantine screening and continuous monitoring of health, especially body temperature for 10 days, and to report to the DoH any flu-like symptoms,” said Villaverde.

Villaverde reiterated that the public should observe proper hygiene, strengthen resistance and do social distancing—avoid going to crowded areas if the need is not urgent.

At this point of one single confirmed case, Vilaverde said, there is no need to postpone the opening of schools in June.

by: peejhayemadera

Dumaloy ka aking luha,
Hagkan ang isang dukha.
Hugasan ang sugat,
pati ang pait at ang lahat.
Daloy ka aking luha,
Pawiin ang pusong aba.
Punasan ang bakas,
ng pighating lumalagaslas.

Haplusin mo ang pagdurusa,
Pahirin ang luha ng kusa,
Nang sa aking pagtulog,
kamay ng Langit ang dudulo