Dress Code for Tourists?

I am glad that some cooler and saner heads prevailed in this attempt to introduce a standard dress code.

I agree that tourists need to be informed about the locals' cultural and religious sensibilities regarding skimpy attire by the travel agents or guides, and I am sure that tourists will understand the reasons.

When I first visited Bali, I experienced reverse culture shock when I saw tourists walking about the town center in their bikinis and skimpy swim briefs. It is true that the beach is just a stone's throw's away but still ... I think the Balinese, predominantly Hindus, have learnt to live with the antics and attire of the tourists because tourism is the life blood of the island. I would not be shocked to see people dressed in skimpy swim wear, had I been walking along the beaches of California. To me that would be normal considering the surroundings and the culture of the land.

Dress code for tourists not needed

KUALA TERENGGANU: A suggestion to introduce a standard dress code for tourists was rejected by the state government which said the move was unwarranted.

State Industrial Development and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera said the code was unnecessary as tourists were matured enough to know how to be dressed for the various occasions.

“What we can do is to brief the tourists here on the locals’ preference and the dos and don’ts,” he said.

Mohamed said the onus of advising the tourists was on tour agencies and they (tourist guides) could tell tourists what to expect.

“We will also educate the tourists not to dress scantily in public areas,” he said.

Terengganu Tourist Association chairman Wan Mohd Ariffin Wan Long had suggested that a dress code be introduced so that tourists know how to dress appropriately, and it could be published in brochures and pamphlets.

He said the move would address the sensitivity of the local culture, as some tourists were seen clad sexily.

He said such move would not jeopardise the local tourism industry as Terengganu was blessed with natural wonders.

Three Pairs

This pair was made to match the carnelian-lamp work necklace that I'd made earlier. I used sterling silver caps with the carnelian faceted beads, and also a hollow sterling silver bead at the top half of each ear-ring. The wire and hooks are also sterling silver.


Swarovski crystals paired with lamp work beads. The hooks, bead caps and daisy spacers are sterling silver but the other wire work is silver colored copper.


Tangerine colored copper wire and swarovski crystals make this funky ear-rings.

Two Necklaces

I saw some beautiful and reasonably priced lampwork beads on ebay and bought some. Here's a chest length necklace made with carnelian, pearls, lampwork beads and sterling silver findings.



Rectangle mother of pearl coupled with fresh water pearls with sterling silver caps and clasps.

Jordin!

Jordin Sparks is the newest American Idol. Her performances yesterday were outstanding and she deserved the American Idol title for this season. The song, This is My Now, was beautifully performed and her repeat performance of the song after being announced the winner of the competition was heartfelt and emotional. It was also an emotional time for her parents who were watching in the audience.

My good friend, Esther, will be thrilled that her prediction came true. From the beginning of the season, Esther was convinced that Jordin will be the newest American Idol.

The results show was a star studded show and was most entertaining. Gwen Stefani appeared from her concert stage. Smokey Robinson, Bette Midler, Tony Bennet, were among the stars that performed during the two hour results finale show. All the previous American Idol winners, except for Fantasia, performed too. Carrie Underwood, winner of season four, received a special recognition for sales of over 6 million albums. The final twelve contestants of the season also performed and I really enjoyed their performances, even Sanjaya's solo with Aerosmith's guitarist!

Can't wait for Season Seven of American Idol!

Finale Night

It was quite a treat tonight because it was the finale night for two of my favorite programs. Thank goodness there was no clash in the schedule!

When Melinda Doolittle got voted out of American Idol last week, I couldn't care less as to who should win the title. But after watching the finale tonight, I thought Jordin Sparks deserved to win it instead of Blake Lewis. No doubt Blake is the better performer, but as the judges keep reminding the audience, American Idol IS a singing competition. Jordin is a far better singer than Blake.

We shall see who the voters choose to crown American Idol tomorrow night.

The Dancing With the Stars Finale was quite exciting. I enjoyed watching the last three couples. They were all very good. Apolo Anton Ohno, an Olympic Speed Skater gold medalist, won the competition. I thought Joey Fatone of N'Sync and his professional dance partner did very well too, and if he had won, I would have been happy with that result too.

Now that my two favorite TV programs are over, there is not much left to see on TV. The new reality show called On The Lot, about budding film directors debuts tonight. Err, that competition doesn't interest me. Next week, So You Think You Can Dance, premieres on TV and if I don't forget to turn on my TV, I might follow that show next. :-)

Sponge Coral Turqoise Necklace

Coral beads, turquoise nuggets, and sterling silver caps, beads and clasps make this pretty necklace.

Ear-rings

Virginia's Quilt

I had to take a break from beading to finish off Virginia's quilt which she'd dropped off three weeks ago!

I like the combination of browns that she'd put together on this very traditional pattern. I might do one like this myself!

What is a Mother?

When the good Lord was creating mothers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when the angel appeared and said, "You are doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order ?"

"She has to be completely washable, not plastic, have moveable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that disappears when she stands up, a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair, and six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands, no way !"

"It's not the hands that cause the problems, said the Lord. It is the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

"That's the standard model," the angel asked?

The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors, when she asks, "What are you kids doing in there, " when she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in the front so that she can look at a child when he goofs and says, "I understand and I love you," without so much as uttering a word.

"Lord," said the angel, tugging his sleeve gently, "Come to bed .."

"I can't," said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something so close to myself. Already, I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother. "It's too soft," she sighed.

"But tough," said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure !"

"Can it think ?"

"Not only can she think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally the angel bent over and ran her fingers across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It is a tear."

"What's it for ?"

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

"You are a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there," he said.


As found on The Story Bin

Happy Mother's Day

What is a Mother

What is a mother? Who shall answer this?
A mother is a font and spring of life,
A mother is a forest in whose heart
Lies hid a secret ancient as the hills,
For men to claim and take its wealth away;
And like the forest shall her wealth renew
And give, and give again, that men may live.


By Francis Cardinal Spellman.

Wire and Beaded Necklace

This is my first wire and beaded necklace. A good friend's first piece inspired me to do something similar. The 10 mm round stones are aventurine and the dichroic beads were something I picked up at Michaels Craft Store. The metal is copper and the green and copper go quite well together.

A pair of ear-rings to go with the wire and beaded necklace.

Agate Jewelry

Agate ear-rings with sterling silver spacers and golden shadow swarovski crystals.

Agate beads, copper swarovski crystals, sterling silver spacers, hill tribe silver beads and sterling silver toggle clasps.


Agate beads with carnelian chips, sterling silver beads and clasps.

Terengganu to ease polygamy rules

This is one of those stories that, we Malaysians who live overseas, cringe at every time we come across it.

Are there not more important things for the state government of Trengganu to worry about than the fact that there are single mothers and unwed women without a man in their lives?

The dirty little secret is the rise in the rate of divorced women is partly caused by the Islamic law that allows man to take on a second wife! Many women do not want to share their husbands with another woman and prefer to be divorced instead.

What do you bet that the married man take on a woman who has never been married as his second wife? How many men when taking on a second wife think that he is doing his civic duty, that is, he is helping to reduce the number of single mothers and unmarried women? How many married man would marry a divorced or widowed woman already with children? Not very many, I am sure. I bet lust and a new "model" is what is in most men's minds.

BY R.S.N. MURALI

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu state government intends to relax its rules on polygamy to make it easier for men to have more than one wife, citing the high number of single mothers and unwed lasses.

Those who now intend to take a new wife are no longer required to seek the green light from their current spouses.

State Islam Hadhari and Welfare committee chairman Abdullah Che Muda told The Starthat this would give opportunities for single ladies in the state to have their own families.

"However, those who want to take up new wives should adhere to certain rules and conform to criteria set by the Religious Department," he said when contacted here.

Abdullah said that a man keen to marry again should be mentally and financially stable, have indepth knowledge of Islam and must be able to treat all his wives fairly, including his first one.

"Only after a rigid evaluation would a man be allowed to take another wife," he said.

Abdullah said the state now has large number of single mothers who are either widowed or divorced. The number of women who have lost their husbands has also soared.

There are currently close to 18,000 single mothers in the state and clubs have been set up at the district level to oversee their welfare.

Down to Three

Ok, so the contestants of American Idol are now down to three. LaKisha was the latest one to get voted out this week. Blake didn't do all that well either but of course being the only guy left, he was not likely to get booted out!

Barry Gibb was their coach and the contestants had many good Barry Gibb compositions to choose from. I didn't understand why LaKisha and Blake had to choose a disco song?! I thought Melinda's first choice was good but it didn't go down well with the judges. Only Jordan's first song choice had the praise of the judges.

Who do you think will be the in the final two? Blake will most definitely be in but between Melinda and Jordin, it is hard to tell. Melinda has been the one consistent contestant in the competition but who knows who the viewers will choose?


Here's Melinda's 2nd choice, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. The song that Simon thinks has put Melinda Doolittle in the semi-finals.



Here's Blake's version of You Should be Dancing with beatboxing thrown in. The judges didn't like it, but I thought and agreed with Barry Gibb that the beatboxing fitted the song well. His second song was some obscure song called Danger Zone.



Jordin Sparks version of Woman in Love sounded very karaoke-ish, but her To Love Somebody was outstanding and won praise from the judges.



LaKisha is far more talented than Blake Lewis but in terms of marketability, of course she loses out to Blake. Her choice of Staying Alive was the one that did her in, but her Run to Me was a lot better. I am really sorry that she did not make it to the final two. I had originally hoped that she and Melinda would be the final two.

Crystal and Pearl Ear-rings

Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, and sterling silver findings were used in this creation.

Necklace and Ear-rings

This three strand necklace is made of a mix of grey beads and tubes, peacock colored freshwater pearls, citrine tinted quartz and 6 mm round cantaloupe swarovzki crystals. What I find interesting is that the cantaloupe crystals only look green at night under artificial light.

This three strand necklace is more stunning than the picture portrays!


The findings of these ear-rings are made of copper and are hand-made. The crystal rondelles are peridot.

Twisted copper links and swarovski crystals make up this dangle ear-rings.

A Morning's Work

I am still learning about wire jewelry and these four pairs of ear-rings were made with silver and copper artistic wire. 20 gauge half hard sterling silver is a little too hard for me and it doesn't bend easily. Instead I used artistic wire for the fancier wire work. My next purchase will most definitely be a dead soft 20 gauge. Copper is soft and pliable and fun to work with. The twisted link with the red bead turned out better than I expected.

It is great that I can now make my own ear-ring hooks! I used to spend quite a bit on sterling silver hooks but with the wigjig I can make better shaped hooks than those I attempted free hand.

American Idol Rock Week

I wished I was in LA watching American Idol Live on both days this week! Bon Jovi was coaching the contestants and I think this week's show was the most entertaining for me. I have always enjoyed Bon Jovi and the contestants did very well, with the exception of Jordin Sparks, with Bon Jovi's songs.

On the results' day, I had a pretty good idea that Phil and Chris were going to get booted out. Actually I also thought, based on Tuesday night's performance, Jordin was going to get a hit too.

Blake Lewis took a huge risk with his beatboxing which is not actually singing on a singing competition. But he made it sound as if the beatboxing belonged in You Give Love a Bad Name. Doug and I are inclined to believe that Blake will make it to the final two.




LaKisha recovered from a few bad weeks. She has the talent but a series of bad song choices make it appear like she has peaked too early. But this week she redeemed herself with This Ain't a Love Song. Bon Jovi's advice to her was, despite the name of the song, the song was a love song and that she ought to sing it like she wass pleading for the man to stay. The kiss with Simon Cowell was priceless!



Doug and I believe that Melinda Doolittle is going to make it to the final two. She has been the one consistent contestant throughout this competition .. the resident pro as Randy Jackson likes to put it. Her rendition of a not too common Bon Jovi song, Have a Nice Day, was outstanding. Bon Jovi did teach her how to rock! The judges thought her performance reminded them of a young Tina Turner. I think so too.



Living on a Prayer was a poor choice for Jordin Sparks. I thought that she has indeed become a serious competitor to LaKisha and Melinda but this week I agree with Simon Cowell .. her performance of Living on a Prayer was on the verge of screaming. Forget Simon's comment about her looking like a member of The Adam's Family! Heh. I am glad that she will still be around next week.



I am sorry to see Phil Stacey go because he has performed really well the last two weeks. Except for Simon, Paula and Randy thought his opening act, Blaze of Glory, was one of the best of the season. Blaze of Glory is one of my all time favourites, and I think Phil did justice to the song.



Chris Richardson has been on the bottom three a few times before and this week, he was not one of the lucky ones who gets to stay for another week. I think his performance of Dead or Alive was not that bad, all things considered. Chris has quite a following, and I am sure like previous Idol finalists, he has want it takes to be a recording artist. If Bucky Covington and Elliot Yamin, previous season's finalists, each has an album out, why not Chris, eh?



Things are going to get pretty tough for the final four. Everyone will have to be on top of his and her game. Next week Barry Gibb will be the coach.

This and That

American Idol

Melinda and Jordan gave the best performances tonight. I also liked Phil's rendition of a Garth Brooks number. Lakisha did not receive a very positive feedback from the judges for her performance of Fantasia's hit song. I thought she did well though.

Sanjaya, as all of you who follow the show know, was booted out last week. He appeared on The Late Night Show with David Letterman last night and read the Top Ten Things I Learned from American Idol. I heard that at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Sanjaya was a guest, and there was a long line for his autograph.


Arkansas Trip

We spent a week in Arkansas, two weeks ago. We were in Little Rock, Russelville and Dardanelle. There wasn't that much to see in these places. William Jefferson Clinton's Presidential Library was the main attraction in Little Rock. However, I did get to taste a lot of their catfish menu. We ate at a place called The Flying Fish in Little Rock, and the food was excellent.

Esther, my good friend visiting from Malaysia, and I wanted to look for a mall in Little Rock but we did not know where the mall was. However, we found a bead store and spent quite a bit of money there. We went there two days in a row. Doug and Duncan visited a submarine right there at the waterfront, close to the bead store.


Sick kids

After church on Sunday, the kids developed a fever. They stayed home yesterday and today. I couldn't go to the flea market today as a result. I wanted to look for more beads as most of the bead vendors only sell on Tuesday. I am happy that they are much better today; their fever is gone and they should be able to go back to school tomorrow.


Beading Frenzy

I bought a Wigjig and am having a lot of fun learning wire jewelry. I bought several books on wire jewelry and learnt to make my own ear ring hooks and clasps. I have also placed all kinds of orders for wire jewelry and beads from Fusion Beads and Artbeads. I like these stores because shipping is free and there is no minimum order.

I have made several ear rings and about four necklaces. You can see three of them on Puteri's Hobbies.


Old Pen-pal

The internet is a wonderful thing. I was able to re-connect with a Swedish pen-pal that I corresponded with in the late 70s and early 80s. A few years ago I saw a book that he had written at a bookshop at KLIA. I wondered about him and recently a name of a place in Sweden made me think about him again. I googled his name and found all kinds of informationa about him and even wrote a web site that publishes his article asking them how I could get in touch with him. I received a reply to the query and it was Bertil himself who wrote back. My name on the email address did not trigger his memory but when I wrote and told him who I was, he remembered! That was indeed wonderful.

Yesterday I received an autographed copy of the book that I saw at the bookshop at KLIA. Back when we were pen-pals, he was a free-lanced journalist. Now he writes books, reviews books, writes articles, and is a well-known authority on Burma. He still lives in Thailand, married to a Burmese, and has a grown daughter.

Necklaces

Faceted aventurine briolettes, swarovski crystals, pearls and sterling silver make up this pretty necklace.

I don't know the name of this green stone. It has some yellow and dark browns on it. I also used purple fresh water pearls and my own hand made sterling silver clasps for this creation.

This is my version of a multi-strand necklace that has at least a couple of strands of seed beads. The yellow beads is yellow jade, the green is aventurine.

Good Friday

Good Friday

~ | ~ | ~

O my chief good,

How shall I measure out your blood?

How shall I count what you befell,

And each grief tell?



Shall I your woes

Number according to your foes?

Or, since one star showed your first breath,

Shall all your death?



Or shall each leaf,

Which falls in Autumn, score a grief?

Or can not leaves, but fruit, be sign

Of the true vine?



Then let each hour

Of my whole life one grief devour;

That your distress through all may run,

And be my sun.



Or rather let

My several sins their sorrows get;

That as each beast his cure does know,

Each sin may so.



Since blood is fittest, Lord, to write

Your sorrows in, and bloody fight;

My heart has store, write there, where in

One box does lie both ink and sin:



That when sin spies so many foes,

Your whips, your nails, your wounds, your woes,

All come to lodge there, sin may say,

No room1 for me, and fly away.



Sin being gone, oh fill the place,

And keep possession with your grace;

Lest sin take courage and return,

And all the writings blot or burn.

Modern Version of Good Friday
from The Temple (1633), by George Herbert

Odds and Ends

American Idol Update

Gina Glocksen is out, and Haley stays for another week. Between the two of them, Gina has the vocal talent, and Haley has the looks. Sanjaya? He makes the competition "interesting". The top three girls, what can I say, they were in top form this week. I enjoyed the guys' performances this week, even Sanjaya's! Heh.

Dancing With the Stars

Arrrggghhhh!! How is it possible that I missed the start of this season's show? Four weeks of it!! Thank goodness for YouTube! I have been able to catch up with most of the episodes that I have missed. This is the other TV show, beside American Idol, that I follow diligently! :-<

Il Divo

I know I haven't been living in a cave, but how come I have never heard of Il Divo? Four gorgeous looking guys with heavenly voices, and I have not heard of them?! I might as well have been living in a cave! They had their first self-titled album released in 2004.

And they have even been to Malaysia, just this past January! Arrggghh!

It was by chance that I saw them on TV the other night. I was totally bowled over. And to think that Simon Cowell of Idol fame came up with the concept of a group that "tried to sound like The Three Tenors and looked like Armani models". Indeed they look like Armani models rather than this opera pop group.

Larry King's interview with them gives you an overview of how the group came together, and if you, like me have never heard of them before this, watch their performance here on Larry King Live.

Trip

Next week we'll be taking a week long trip to Arkansas. It'll be an exciting trip for me because my dear friend from KL will be joining us. She is arriving today but she will spend the next few days in LA before meeting us in Phoenix, Arizona next Monday, en route to Little Rock, Arkansas.

I can't say how exciting Arkansas will be for us because the main reason we are going is that Doug has some family business to attend to. Since my friend's visit co-incided with our trip we decided to invite her along, instead of postponing it. Doug promised that it won't be all business and that he has checked out the places to go and see while there.

Have a Blessed Easter. Jesus is risen indeed!

Blog Policing in Malaysia

I am a regular reader of Malaysia Today. While I was reading the comments posted on the blog yesterday, Raja Petra the owner of the site, posted a notice about having received a letter from his web host provider regarding the postings of a participant on the site. You can read the notice here.

In essence, the participant named FrenchFriedTacos was deemed to haven posted "false and poisonous comment about the Prophet Muhammad". The warning letter told Raja Petra to remove the offensive postings by FrenchFriedTacos, or the web host provider would have no choice but to shut down Malaysia Today.

If you doubt that there is a policing of the internet in Malaysia, here is a fine example of one in action.

If you are a regular at Malaysia Today you will no doubt be aware of the constant heated debate over religion. I was surprised that there was a monitoring of postings especially with regard to Prophet Muhammad.

FrenchFriedTacos had no choice but to withdraw from participating any further at Malaysia Today. He did not want Malaysia Today to be shut down just because of comments made by him.

Bloggers in Malaysia, there is no such thing as freedom of expression. Refrain from insulting Prophet Muhammad, or do so at your peril.

American Idol Update

Did you expect Chris Sligh to get knocked out this week? Well he did. Sanjaya stays for another week. Is that a sigh at the injustice, I hear? :-)

I wasn't surprised that Haley and Phil were in the bottom three with Chris. I predicted that Phil was going to get the boot last week but I was wrong. Chris Sligh did not perform as well as he normally did this week. He was totally not in sync with the tempo. Too bad though because he is one of the more interesting contestants this year.

Did you hear what Simon Cowell said? He said he if Sanjaya wins this year's competition he is going to quit! I don't think he has anything to fear. Every year there is one contestant who should have been knocked out early in the show but stayed on week after week. This year it is Sanjaya.

Did you know that there are people who are rooting for Sanjaya just because the producers of the show and the general public are against him? Votefortheworst.com, is a site that encourages people to have fun with American Idol and vote for the "worst" contestant in the show.

Ok, about this week's show. I think Lakisha, Melinda, Blake, and Jordan sang very well. Chris Richardson wasn't too bad either. The rest, err, so so.

Catch all the latest actions at AmericanIdol.com.

The Morality Police

I am sure by now most Malaysians will have heard or read about a video clip posted on YouTube showing enforcers raiding a hotel room where a couple was caught for khalwat.

The video clip claims that the enforcers were police officers of D7 PDRM. If that is true, I would like to know when the police department started making it their business to police the morals of other Malaysians.

I was of the impression that that was the domain of Mat Skoding and the various religious departments all over Malaysia.

I can understand the government being concerned about the declining moral standards among the young, because there are consequences, but that concern does not extend to invading people's privacy in an effort to stem the problem!

According to news report, the woman in the video is suing the police. Good for her.

AI Results

I was wrong. Phil Stacey made it to the next round of American Idol. Stephanie Edwards did not. I was surprised though that Chris Richardson was in the bottom two with Stephanie. All the judges had very positive feedback on his performance and I myself was quite impressed.

Peter Noone sang, It's a Kind of Hush and it was nostalgic. Lulu sang her trademark song, To Sir With Love. I didn't quite like the arrangement though because the original version is such a familiar tune. If she was singing it for the competition, I can hear Simon Cowell telling her not to mangle the melody of such a beautiful song. :-)

Looking forward to the top ten contestants next week!

American Idol

Is this really my first post about American Idol this year? Amazing! As my regular readers know I am an avid fan of American Idol.

I find tonight's show the most entertaining this season. The contestants were singing British sixties songs and the contestants were coached by two sixites British legends, Lulu, and Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits.

I have not been particularly impressed by the male contestants this year, but tonight their performances exceeded my expectations. I especially enjoyed Chris Richardson's performance. He kept his runs to the minimun and the acoustic guitar accompaniment made the song totally contemporary. Blake Lewis outdid himself and a sixties song sounded like it belonged in 2007 .

I can now understand why Sanjaya Malakar is still in the show. He has had such bad comments from the judges and almost everyone who blogs on American Idol, from the get go, says he'll be the next one to get booted out. But no, he keeps hanging on there. Tonight the camera kept showing a young teenaged girl, named Ashley, crying when Sanjaya was singing. It appears that Sanjaya has become a teeny bopper! No wonder he keeps coming back week after week!

Haley Scanato, wearing a skimpy top, sang first. She did an ok job. Vocal-wise, her talent is no where near the likes of Lakisha, Melinda and Jordan. Gina Glocksen was a little off pitch tonight and Chris Sligh did an ok job.

I was surprised that the judges did not give LaKisha Jones their usual praise eventhough I think she did a superb job with the song, Diamonds Are Forever. Decked in diamonds estimatedly worth $1 million no less!

Jordan Sparks did very well with, I Who have nothing. She can really sing. I was quite disappointed with Stephanie Edwards' singing. I think the judges were right, the song she chose was not the right one for her singing style which is usually more upbeat.

Melinda Doolittle, as always, sounded like a pro. She may not have the commercial look, but her talent is undeniable. I noticed that she has quite a fan base in the audience.

If I have to take a guess as to who will be next to get the boot, I think it will be another guy. I think Sanjaya will remain in the competition and Phil Stacey will be the one to go. We will see if I am right at tomorrow's result show! :-)

Global Warming Revisited

Various recent news headlines claim that this has been the world's warmest winter on record. Yeah. So warm that an Artic trek ended prematurely due to frostbite. And yeah, a religious environmental organization had to brave a storm on their climate change trek in March. Even a Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing called "Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a "Warming of the Planet?" had to be postponed due to inclement weather. That last bit was the most ironic of all the recent stories.

Last night I caught the tail end of ABC's broadcast called The Last Days on Earth on The History Channel. Of the seven apocalyptic scenarios presented, one is caused, you guessed it, by global warming. With melting ice caps sea level will rise 40 feet, it was claimed. The scientists featured in the program all concur that global warming is caused by human activity and that it is imperative we, with the leadership of our politicians, reduce CO2 emissions now.

"There is no meaningful correlation between CO2 levels and Earth's temperature over this [geologic] time frame. In fact, when CO2 levels were over ten times higher than they are now, about 450 million years ago, the planet was in the depths of the absolute coldest period in the last half billion years," testified Professor Tim Patterson, paleoclimatologist ofCarleton University, before the Commons Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development last year.

As I watched the global warming scenario of The Last Days on Earth program last night, there was no mention of past warming/cooling climate cycles, and neither was there any data mentioned, even in passing, of what C02 levels were liked in the previous ice ages. Context was sadly lacking.

That is why a recent documentary by UK's Channel 4 called The Great Global Warming Swindle is so timely. We have been bombarded by hysterical claims of global warming from mainstream media and it is easy to fall into the doom and gloom crowd. Here is a documentary filled with scientific data and quotes from experts on climate science to counter the alarmist environmentalist propaganda that is so widespread in the media.

According to this documentary, CO2 emissions caused by human activity is very small compared to those caused by animals, dead leaves and the sea itself. The data provided in this documentary shows that CO2 levels follow temperature not the other way around.

The idea that man can control the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is simply preposterous to me. Moreover, CO2 is a necessary gas for life on this planet and for anyone to call it a pollutant simply shows his/her ignorance.

It is always interesting to follow the global warming debate. It is very much like a debate on the merits of the different religions. It can get downright dirty! Michael Crichton, well-known author, even suggested that Environmentalism has become a religion for the urban aethiests. Facts are becoming unnecessary in the global warming debate because like religion it has to do with one's faith and beliefs.

Be informed and not fall prey to the global warming alarmists.

Ear-rings and Pearls

Crystals, Pearls and Sterling Silver make up these ear-rings.

I bought some sterling silver wire and used a 22 gauge for this pearl and crystal necklace. I also made the S hook from gauge 20 sterling wire.

Grace Vs Works

I have been watching videos at YouTube of former Muslims who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Muslims find it hard to believe that there are people who have left Islam to follow Christ. The following are some of their comments.

* poor sick lady dont know anything about islam . you try to get sympathy and love from non muslims by misleading them . dear poeple go and read about islam from the right source from the holy quran .


* show us i you have a real story not this one,you can see this man was never a Muslim in his life but always a Christian

*i would like to talk to this person....may i have his email id or yahoo or msn ....let me find th truth....he lies...he cannot be a muslim...and muslim evangelist..thats bosh...who r u fooling....just give me his id...or a face to face conversation and all those people who approached him...

*what bull shit! I still haven't found one real muslim who converted to christianity! why do christians have to lie?

*What a weakling. He should be Ashamed of Himself for being such a Sell Out. He just wants to be accepted by the white man with his broken english. Sounds like he has personal inner issues with himself Allah is the Most Forgiveing, Most Merciful, Allah's Love is more than a Mother's Love for her Child. We shouldnt even pay attention to people like this! Staghfirallah that we are not like this.

*fake conversion videos

Why is it so difficult for Muslims to believe that there are people who would choose

- grace over works? Ephesians 2:8-9; Surah 17:13-14

- a personal relationship with God over a ritualistic and legalistic religion? Isaiah9:6, John 20:28; Surah 1:2-4

- assurance of salvation over uncertainties of heaven or hell? 2 Peter 3:9, John 2:2; Surah 14:4, Surah 17:13-14

- unconditional love based on the blood of Jesus Christ over conditional love based on obedience to Allah? Romans 5:8; Surah 60:1

To this day Muslims pray to Allah: O Allah! the Lord of this perfect call and the everlasting prayer, grant to Muhammad nearness and excellence and raise him to the position of glory which thou hast promised him as mediator on the Day of Judgment.

Why would anyone pray to a god asking him to keep his promise regarding Muhammad who was supposedly his last and final prophet? According to this prayer, Muhammad was promised a position of glory, but the Muslim is not sure because he has to say this prayer on Muhammad's behalf at least five times a day.

Is it any wonder that the people in these videos would choose the God of Jesus Christ over the god of Muhammad?

What a Fool!

"All bloggers are liars. They cheat people using all kinds of methods.

From my understanding, out of 10,000 unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women.

Bloggers like to spread rumours; they do not like national unity."

Malaysia's Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor. Read More.

What a fool of a Minister! Many women bloggers have accused him of being a "woman hater", and that his remarks were "demeaning and insulting to women". Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor is unapologetic and has refused to comment on those accusations.

Those accusations may be so, but I think he is just a fool, an ignoramus. An uninformed and misguided fool. How did a man such as he end up being an elected official, and holding the post of Tourism Minister?!

I don't know if he even knows who or what bloggers are. I don't know if he knows the varied topics that bloggers write about. I don't know if he is aware of the fact that there are many serious bloggers who comment on the social and political issues of the day. I don't know if he is aware that bloggers are made up of all stripes of people, not mostly of "jobless women".

Malaysia is promoting and encouraging an IT and internet savvy society, but when someone representing the government comes up with stupid and ridiculous comments like the above, it makes one wonder if the government is serious about what it is promoting at all.

Is it any wonder that when Malaysians living overseas write and comment about such news to folks back home in Malaysia, they wonder of all the serious issues confronting the country and that are in the news, only topics like silly remarks made by a government official, and stories about Mat Skoding are highlighted?

Paul Harvey does not need to go very far for items in his News and Commentary. Malaysia is a rich source for his program!

Designer Who? Part Deux

‘Linda was not well-prepared’

PERHAPS it was not just the dress that made Linda Onn refuse to show up to co-host the 79th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Star TV’s associate vice-president for South East Asia, Nini Yusof, claimed that Linda Onn’s no show was because the radio deejay was just not well-prepared to host the red-carpet event.

“A day before the event, we asked Linda to rehearse for the show but the producer was not satisfied with her performance and spontaneity.

“So we asked her to rehearse again in the morning before the start of the event,” Nini said.

Nini’s comments were carried in Kosmo!

Era FM deejay Linda had been slated to co-host the awards ceremony with Channel V presenter Dominic Lau for Star TV but she backed out at the last minute, saying that she had not been allowed to wear the dress of her choice.

She had planned to wear a black and white kebaya by Jovian Mandagie, an Indonesian designer, but was asked to wear an outfit by Malaysian designer Radzuan Radzi will instead - which she said was an unflattering skin colour, did not fit her properly and was too revealing.

Linda also said that she received Radzuan’s outfit only an hour before she was due to leave for the Kodak Theatre.

Nini, however, refuted this, and said the organisers had provided a tailor and hairdresser for Linda to make the necessary adjustments.

Linda’s claims that Radzuan’s dress was revealing and not suitable to her body, Nini said, were baseless.

Source: The Star

What do you all think? The mention of the alternative dress in every news report about the controversy makes me believe that she was under pressure to wear it and not the one of her choice.

As for Nini Yusof, Star TV’s associate vice-president for South East Asia, she should have dropped Linda Onn if she had doubts about her performance before Linda Onn ever arrived in Los Angeles. Now, whatever she has to say, only sounds petty and defensive.

I do not believe that Linda Onn does not have spontaneity. She is after all not a stranger before the cameras. She does host her own TV show on Astro. Had she been a novice before the cameras, I may be inclined to believe the statement that her performance and spontaneity were not satisfactory.

Just how difficult can it be to interview movie stars or anyone in the movie industry? There are usually so many interviewers representing TV and radio on the red carpet, and just how much time do you think each star can give you during the interview? You can be a non-English speaking Japanese interviewer with an interpreter, and I doubt very much if the stars care how you sound like or act like when you are interviewing them. Do you think the stars are going to ignore you especially when they are on live TV?!

It appears to me that some people with powerful connections are trying to save face after being caught up in this controversy, and are now trying to cover their asses by putting all the blame on Linda Onn. I have no proof, but that is my sense.

Jesus' Burial Site Found?

Claims made in a new documentary about the discovery of Jesus's burial site have raised some questions among believers and non-believers.

As a believer, this news is just one of many and many more to come, to discredit the Christian faith. It is hard for me to take this more recent claims seriously.

When the early Christians started preaching the gospel, their faith stood or fell with the claims of Jesus' resurrection. The following passage from 1 Corinthians 15, best summarises the basis of their faith, and our present day faith.

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Therefore, it is hard for me to believe that if Jesus had not resurrected from the dead, that the early Christians were able to spread the message of the gospel. Their claims would easily have been discredited and their message rejected entirely. And they were right that they should be pitied more than all men, if Jesus had not resurrected.

But Jesus was indeed resurrected, and later ascended to heaven. There were witnesses to his resurrection and ascension (Luke 24:1-52).

Bar-Ilan University Prof. Amos Kloner, the Jerusalem District archeologist had this to say about the claims to the Jerusalem Post, "It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's impossible. It's nonsense. .. There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a family tomb. They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the 1st century CE." Also according to Prof. Kloner, the "Jesus son of Joseph" inscriptions had been found on several other ossuaries over the years.

It seems to me that James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici are very good at stirring this controversy and therefore drawing attention and interest to their Discovery Channel documentary.

Designer Who?

Have you heard the reason why Linda Onn was a no show on the red carpet during the 79th Academy Awards? She was supposed to have co-hosted the red carpet show with Channel V's veejay, Dominic Lau, for Star Movies.

But according to news reports some people were unhappy that she was going to wear an outfit by Indonesian-born designer, Jovian Mandagie. Who would those unhappy people might be? Read the unverified rumours, at Mr Manager's blog. He seems to know the low down on the controversy with the Jovian Mandagie outfit.

I can understand why Linda Onn would rather pull out of the co-hosting job rather than bow down to pressures from spiteful people. I would not have succumed to the pressures though. I would tell them, yes, I would wear your design, but on the red carpet day itself, show up in the outfit of my choice! How's that for a slap in their face?!

Linda Onn was not on the red carpet to represent Malaysia per se, but rather to do a job that was entrusted to her by Star Movies. Why should she be forced to wear something that "show cases" Malaysia's talent?

Come to think of it, the Datuks and the Datins in Malaysia love to show off their foreign designer labels! I see them all the time wearing foreign designed clothes in the local magazines, especially in the magazine, Nona.

I am sure there are some very talented designers in Malaysia but it is still up to the individual with the money to decide whose designs he/she wants to wear. I just hope that this incident does not back-fire on the designer who "wanted" Linda Onn to wear his outfit.

Crochet Time

One of my favorite past times, while surfing the web, is to look at other sites that show case their craft work. How I oohhed and ahhed at the beautiful work done by those people!

I was quite inspired to do something more than a scarf after looking at the free crochet patterns at Crochet Pattern Central. I downloaded several patterns and of course I then drove over to Michaels and JoAnn to look for the necessary yarn. I even ordered some yarn from Lion Brand when I came across a pretty pattern there.

The reason I have put off crocheting is that I have difficulty following the pattern instructions. What do I do? Buy "how to" crochet books of course! :-) I bought three books from Amazon, books with lots of illustrations of course! Even with those books, those pattern instructions are not that easy to understand.

Anyway, the yarn I ordered from Lion Brand has arrived and I can't wait to start on a jacket with it! But first, I have to finish the tank top that I started using micro spun yarn by Lion Brand. Errr, it is coming along, but not as great as I would have liked!

Valentine's Day Reprise

Every year around this time, we hear the usual calls by Islamic authorities in Malaysia and Brunei, for Muslims not to celebrate Valentine's Day. One of the most ridiculous remarks I have heard this year is by Ramli Nuh, "Unmarried couples might come together and mingle with each other in unacceptable ways."

Huh? As if unmarried Muslim couples need to wait till Valentine's Day for them to come together and mingle with each other! As if promiscuity needs a specific day to give itself the green light!

St. Valentine may have been a Christian, but Valentine's Day, as it has evolved to what it is today is not a religious celebration. It is not a day that is celebrated by the Church. It has become, instead, an occasion to remember those you care about by sending them cards, flowers, chocolates, and for the romantic, a time to celebrate love. In fact, for a lot of businesses, it has become one of their most profitable days!

My kids couldn't wait to get to pre-school today because they were celebrating Valentine's Day with a party .... candy, chocolates, cup cakes, face painting, peanut butter sandwiches!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

Global Warming Hysterics

"I would like to say we're at a point where global warming is impossible to deny. Let's just say that global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers, though one denies the past and the other denies the present and future."
Ellen Goodman

Ellen Goodman wrote that in her column with The Boston Globe. So I guess,by her definition, I am as bad as those people who deny that the Holocaust ever occured because I don't buy into the global warming hype.

All I know is that earth's temperature has gone up by less than 1 degree celcius in the last century. That, to me, is no cause for alarm. I don't buy into the hype that the warming is "most likely" caused by human activity. The temperature on Mars is said to be rising too, and there are no Martians there to cause any green house gas emissions!

The role of the sun in contributing to the rise in earth's temperature has almost been totally ignored. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, in a research study, claim that the "sun has been at its strongest over the past 60 years and may now be affecting global temperatures".

So what if Earth's temperature is rising? Earth is in a constant state of flux - cooling and warming have been a constant in Earth's history. A few degrees warmer than it is today is not all bad. Thomas Gale Moore, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, in summarizing his paper, Warmer Days and Longer Lives, says that " the evidence supports overwhelmingly the proposition that, during warm periods, humans have prospered. They multiplied more rapidly; they lived longer; and they were healthier. If the IPCC is right and the globe does warm, history suggests that human health is likely to improve."

How about this article and this, to counter the global warming hysteria? A "mini ice age"? By all accounts, a mini ice age is more to be feared than global warming.

"Climate science is extraordinarily complex because it is dependent upon the gathering and interpretation of millions of data points. If the National Weather Service has trouble predicting tomorrow’s weather, how can anyone forecast a change in global climate a few years hence?" Ruth Curry

Thoughts on the Nobel Peace Prize

Tun Mahathir, former Malaysian Prime Minister and well known for his anti-semitic and anti-west rhetoric, received a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. So what, one might ask. Adolf Hitler was nominated. So were Stalin and Musolini. Mikail Gorbachev, and Yasser Arafat even won the prize!

If you look at the list of the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, many of them do not even deserve to win anything, let alone a Nobel Peace Prize. People who really made a difference, who should have recieved the prize were never even nominated! Mahatma Gandhi comes to mind. How about Pope John Paul II?

Al Gore, former Vice President of the USA, was also nominated for this year's prize. Nominated for "his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming". What a lot of crock!

Rush Limbaugh, my favorite talk show host, was also nominated for the 2007 peace prize. He was nominated because "everyday he gives voice to the values of democratic governance, individual opportunity and the just, equal application of the rule of law -- and it is fitting that the Nobel Committee recognize the power of these ideals to build a truly peaceful world for future generations." Now this nomination, I whole heartedly endorse! If the likes of Arafat and Gorbachev can win a peace prize, Limbaugh should win one too!

My point is, it is not hard to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the rules of the nomination, people like "university chancellors; university professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology;leaders of peace research institutes and institutes of foreign affairs;" can submit names to be nominated.

Back to Tun M's nomination. If he ends up winning the prize, I can just hear the howls of "Malaysia Boleh"!

Catching Up on Stuff

I got myself a Bose SoundDock for my iPod. That was one of my belated Christmas gifts that I bought for myself! Heheh. While I was in Miri, my oldest brother lent me his portable hard drive where he stores his MP3s. Wow, he has quite a collection and since I have 30 Gg on my iPod, I have plenty of space! The Bose SoundDock helped me listen to my newly downloaded songs while I putter around the house. My brother also introduced to me a web site where I can download MP3s for free. Sheeeeessshhh!

I also bought myself a Remington Solutions Ionic Conditioning Setter, which is a set of hot curlers. I will never ever perm my hair again, and having the hot curlers is the next best thing. I like the curls that the hot curlers produce. Errr, seems like I paid $10 more for my set at Kohls! S*%!

While at Khols, I also bought a pair of sterling silver ear-rings. There was a buy one and get one free deal, so that was quite good. Usually I like to make my own ear-rings but I couldn't resist the price!

Before I left for Miri in October last year, I canceled my Netflix subscription. The good thing about Netflix is that if I decided to renew my subscription, my account would still be there waiting for me to come back. All the movies in my queue were still there! Heheh. But I decided to make a new list, and since I renewed my subscription I have watched Take the Lead, and Barnyard. I enjoyed both movies very much!

As to my quilting business, I ordered two pieces of canvases for the rollers on my machine. My quilting studio is too cold to work in right now, so I am waiting for the weather to warm up a little bit more before I am ready to do any amout of work in there.

I am slowly getting into the swing of things and getting into the groove of my normal routine. It is good to be back!

Miscellaneous Jewelry

Sterling silver, crytals and pearls go really well in these ear rings.

My first attempts at using wire in jewelry. I bought some craft wire to practise with and also some sterling silver once I feel I am ready for some wire jewlery.

I used pearls, crystals and silver to go with this melon quartz necklace. Melon quartz is such a pretty color.

I don't know what the stone is called but I think it is very beautiful. I matched the stones with pearls and shell pearls for this necklace. I also made a necklace using the same kind of stone which were slightly larger and angular cut but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it before I sold it off. Instead of pearls I used swarovski crystals.

The Cuppycake Song

Many years ago a friend emailed me a wav file of The Cuppycake Song. I thought the kid singing it sounded really cute. :-) While I was shopping in a store on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in December last year, a young man was playing the song and singing along with it over and over again on his cell phone. It made me smile. I thought that song would make a cute ring tone on my phone too! :-)

I found the lyrics to the song, and also the original version of the video of the kid singing the song on YouTube. She really is a cute kid! The quality of the sound on the video is not that great but I managed to capture the audio on another YouTube video that had the song accompanying the video.

Here's Amy Castle the cute voice to The Cuppycake Song.




And here's David Choi's acoustic cover version of the song. I think David has a pleasant voice, but I wished I could hear the guitar more clearly though.

~~~~~

The "CUPPYCAKE" Song (Lyrics and Music by Judianna Castle) is actually the chorus from Amy's version of "You're My Honeybunch" (lyrics and music by Judianna and Buddy Castle) .. The lyrics in blue make up the short version that was first uploaded to the internet in August of 1996.
Amy sings the lyrics in red as well in the complete version: . You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye And I love you so and I want you to know That I'll always be right here And I love to sing sweet songs to you Because you are so dear . © 1994 Amy J. Music (ASCAP) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Back to Routine

Today the kids are back in daycare/preschool. For the first time in many months I am in an empty and quiet house. I am still finding my routine!

There are so many things I need to catch up on. How did I spend the first hours? I cooked myself bacon and egg for breakfast. Then I picked up a fun fur scarf I started last winter and finally finished it off. Heheh. After that I made a pair of ear rings. I have so many new beads that I don't know where to begin!

What about my sewing? I bought a few pieces of material last fall and I am actually eager to start sewing. I received praise for the dresses I made last year and while I was in Miri actually made two identical dresses - one for myself and another for my friend, Esther. Actually my good friend Kheng Hua, who is an accomplished seamstress, helped me with the two dresses.

And then there's the quilting. One of my regular clients dropped off three quilts a few days ago. I have to get back to quilting but my studio is too cold right now. There are also a few other things I need to get for my quilting machine before I can actually start. The canvases on the three rollers need replacing, and I have actually bought one of them. I still need to order two more pieces of canvas, though.

For now, I will savor the quietness and read blogs on the internet, and read a book. :-)

Beauticontrol

Yesterday I went to a Beauticontrol products demo at a friend's house. Each of us present (7 ladies) got to try some of the skin care products. I enjoyed the session and all of us ended up buying some product or other. But I went a step further. I signed up as a "consultant" for the company.

I am not one to do multi-level marketing. I have done a few previously but have never been motivated enough to really go all out selling and recruiting. The main reason Beauticontrol appealed to me, apart from the excellent products, was that as a member I only needed to buy $100 worth of products every 4 months, a lot less than what most MLM companies require of their members.

I can safely assume that in 4 months I will need to replenish the products that I am using, and also my friend, Kathy, says that she will buy from me, so that helps the cost sharing.

Back in Miri, one of my sisters-in-law, is using the SK-II skin care line. I see the improvements in her facial skin and was impressed by it. I found out that SK-II is available online and thought I would like to try the product despite the higher prices compared to other skin care products.

But at the Beauticontrol session yesterday, after trying out some of the skin care products, and the reasonable prices to the items, I was sold. Why spend big bucks if what costs less works the same?

As one ages, one notices that one needs to do more to keep and maintain a youthful appearance!

Going Home

We are at Hong Kong International Airport waiting for our connection to San Francisco. The flight from KL was so so with a few bumpy patches.

Our three night stay in KL was mostly spent at Times Square. Times Square is a really huge mall and there are many restaurants there. I wished I had more time there so I can at least try as many restaurants as possible there! :-) Among the things I did, besides trying out the different restaurants, were an aromatherapy massage, a shampoo and blow dry, and a manicure at a salon. Doug was left to mind the children in the room.

We are really looking forward to sleeping in our own beds and in our own rooms. The kids have been saying "me want to go home" for the last few days, at least more so since Daddy arrived to fetch us home.

Looking forward to blogging more regularly once I get home!