Favorite Pic of the Day for May 8th

Above:

Phillip Smith by Thunder Grey Photo

-See more of Phillip below-

Happy Birthday today May 8th

Happy Birthday today May 8th to:

Model Jack Ryfiak turns 24 today. I featured Jack previously on FH in my 'Sundays With Hans' series by Hans Fahrmeyer.





Actor Steve Amell who turns 30 today.





Actor Matthew Davis who turns 33 today.


Below: Matthew in 'Tigerland'






Enrique Iglesias turns 36 today.

Happy Mother's Day

When sitting down to write something about Mother's Day I don't think I can share my feelings any better than I did last year.


As someone whose family I was not born into, I have my own idea of what family is. (which is why I love the pic above). Almost anyone, or any animal for that matter, is capable of having sex and giving birth. In my world, mothers are not connected to birth or blood. Mothers are about who loves you, who nurtures you, who keeps you safe. Most importantly though, mothers are about whose voice is in your head. A good parent nags enough, yells enough, annoys enough to ensure their voices remain in there child's head for life. It is that voice that helps you treat others well, it is that voice that helps you make good choices, it is that voice that makes you feel safe and loved.

A good mother does this, even if at many times during your life you hate her for it. My mother did not birth me, but her voice, as well as my fathers, are strongly in my head helping me feel protected and loved. I know how lucky I am and am grateful every day for it.

Happy Mothers Day to you all, especially to those who did not have a mother, or have lost your mother. I wish for you that voice in your head!

Mother May I?

Mother's Day is usually depicted with flowers and puppies (see above), but there is another side to this holiday. As much beauty and love a Hallmark mother may share with their children, some, as we know share oh so much more... In thinking of some of the worst mothers on television and in the movies there were some obvious choices. Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest and Mary Jones in Precious are certainly hall of fame contenders...but here are a few of my favorite mothers from hell!

Margaret White:


Margaret White lacked many of the basic skills required for good mothering. Margaret did not spend her days baking oatmeal cookies and mending her daughter Carrie''s socks. Margaret spent her days thinking of ways to torment and kill her daughter. Her mental illness, coupled with her fanatical religious beliefs, led Margaret to believe her daughter was evil, the devil. Margaret should have spent a little more time honing her baking skills as the kitchen utensils eventually turn on her ultimately impaling the wackjob.



Claire Huxtable:


Claire Huxtable had many great qualities and many see her as a perfect tv role model. She was strong, sensible and a good wife. There was something though... something I cannot exactly put my finger on, that left me cold on her mothering skils. It was not just that she was tough, tough is ok. In some ways Claire was forced to play the heavy given how her husband parented. I always got the feeling though Claire never really liked her children. This was especially evident with her one son. She often looked down on them, judging, and squashing any bits of creativity. Claire's typical response to anything her children did was to scowl and roll her eyes. It is no wonder Denise never returns home!



Marie Barone:


They say you can never have too much love but in the case of Marie Barone you most certainly can. Marie's love for her boys, especially Raymond, bordered on obsession. Marie looked to Ray for the emotional fulfillment she was not getting from her husband. The last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond included a scene with Marie crawling over Debra to get to Ray in bed. Said it all!



Sue Ellen Ewing:


I am not sure Sue Ellen Ewing really could love anyone, especially her son. She lusted for sure, her affairs, most notably Cliff, Dusty and Nicolas Pierce spanned almost 13 years. All of this did not add to a sense of stability for her young son. The topper of course was her year long romp with the speedo wearing Peter Richards, half her age and her son's counsellor from camp. Add to this all the vodka she consumed during her pregnancy and John Ross' chances of a healthy adulthood are pretty darned slim.




& last but not least, Beth Jarrett:


The worst part of Beth Jarrett's mothering was not anything she actually did but more what she didn't. Beth was unable to show a second of warmth towards her son and boy did he need it. She put on the 'mother of the year' face when with friends and when in public but behind closed doors it was all ice.

Against The Odds: Instinct's new cover guy Phillip Smith

It was back in March I first saw shots of model Phillip Smith. The shots, by Thunder Grey Photo showed not just a great body and a beautiful face, the shots showed an intensity, a determination in Phillip's eyes that warranted further attention.

The determination has certainly paid off. Phillip is Instinct Magazines May Cover model (shot by Mark Oberlin) with a caption reading 'Star in the Making'. Phillip's rise to fame has not come easy and the profile documents the challenges Phillip faced on his journey from his childhood in Ohio to living and working in Los Angeles.

Below: Phillip by Allen Zaki

'I love anime," explains Phillip. "I have a tattoo from an anime series that symbolizes my life. The series is called Naruto, and there is a character that goes through hell. [The character] has a curse mark on his shoulder. Because my life has been full of personal hells, I got [the symbol] as a tattoo'
PS

Read more of Phillip's journey at Instinct HERE: and pick up your own copy of the magazine!

You can also check out more of Phillip on ModelMayhem HERE:

Below: Philip by Bradford Rogne.

Below: Phillip for LASC.

Below:
Love the remaining shots that first introduced me to Phillip by Thunder Grey Photo