Valerie Bag

I am going to start naming my bags! The above style is called the Valerie Bag. It is the smallest of all the bags I have made so far. I started off by making an oval base for the Valerie bag but the bottom was too difficult to sew on!! I spent several hours sewing and ripping the bottom and finally gave up. Maybe there is a method to attaching the base, but I have most definitely not found it!

On the the bag making supplies side, I received my order from Tall Poppy Craft today. When I found the site, I did not realize that they were based in Australia! Imaginge ordering bag making supplies from Australia when there are many places to buy such stuff right here in the US! I found everything I needed on the site and continued with my order. One of the items I have not found on any of the sites that I looked at is leather handles for hand bags. I also found some colorful braided handles.

I might just do what Kitman of Knit Your Love suggested. Set up an Etsy store! Yes, sell my bags and my jewelry at an Etsy store. Actually I have been thinking about setting up an Etsy store for a while. Maybe now is the time!

Blogger Arrested

By: Robert Andrews
Online Journalism News

A blogger was arrested by police in Malaysia and faces criminal proceedings for violating the country's official secrets act after posting a link from his website.

Nathaniel Tan, 26, a web editor for Malaysia's opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat party, was detained in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Initial reports said he was arrested on suspicion that a photomontage posted to his blog - depicting the deputy prime minister dining with a political adviser allegedly involved in a murder case - was a violation of the country's Communication and Multimedia Act.

......

South East Asian Press Aliance (SEAPA) reported: "Interestingly, on the same day Tan was remanded, national news agency Bernama reported that Johari had tasked the police to track down writers who 'spread lies through websites' - specifically those who direct criticisms against government leaders."

Read More

Does this or does this not cause chills up your spine? Posting a link on your blog can lead to your arrest! If the the link leads to "official secrets" how then is it possible for the "secret" to be accessible by the public?

This whole arrest, and the tracking of bloggers who 'spread lies through websites' smack of intimidation, revenge, and censorship on the part of the government.

There are bigger problems facing Malaysia. Rather then be worried about what is being written about individual elected representatives, the government needs to deal with the corruption that is on the rise especially among the higher ups of government, the rising cost of living, the declining inter-religious tolerance, and many more social issues facing the country.

Viva the internet! Bloggers continue to write on the issues that you care about!

I have Succumbed!

Ok, ok, I have finally succumbed to the lure of income generated from advertising placed on my blogs!!

I registered with Google Adsense, and I have got my first click resulting in a grand total income of $0.37! Now, how do I make that one click to a gazillion clicks? You know what they say in the Malay saying, "Sikit, sikit jadi bukit", loosely translated, "Little by little, will result in a mountain".

I have also registered to be an Amazon Associate. As you can see from this blog, I have a list of books that is linked to Amazon. I feel comfortable with this advertising because these are books that I actually own and bought at Amazon. But of course I will also put links to stuff that are on my Wish List in the future. I have a long list on my Wish List at Amazon.com!

You know, I am seriously, seriously thinking about setting up a nonsensical blog like that of I can has cheezburger? I don't know if it'll take off, but it is worth a try!

Oh to be as successful as Perez Hilton and I can has cheezburger! Deam on, babey!

Faith's Subjectiveness

Dennis Prager talks about everything and anything on his radio talk show. I always enjoy listening to the topics that he brings up. One of the things that Dennis Prager often says about faith is that it is subjective. Can anyone prove or disprove the genuineness of someone's faith?

In Christianity, faith is only as good as the object of our faith. If I place my faith on something that is not deserving, say a rock, then no matter how genuine my faith is, that faith is delusional. Believing in something that is false does not make it true.

As a Christian, I have to first of all acknowledge that I am a finite being, with limitations trying to understand and reach out to an infinite God, a God who is not limited by time and space.

I have to put my trust in His Word which he has left behind as " a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalms 119:105). I have to put my trust in Him because He tells me so, and not to rely on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

I can only do these things with my faith. My faith makes it possible for my limited understanding to reach out to the One who is without limitations.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him". Hebrews 11:6

Blog Advertising

I have resisted placing those google ads on my blogs but now I am seriously thinking about it.

Jamy over at Seay's Kopitiam, is crowing over the fact that she has now moved her blog from Blogspot to her own domain. She says that she has made enough money from her ads to buy her own domain. Good for you, Jamy!

How many others are actually making good enough income from the google ads at their blogs? I heard on the radio today that there are people who make plenty of money through the advertising on their blogs/sites. And I mean plenty! Like the guy who has the celebrity gossip site called Perez Hilton. He makes over $11 k per month. How about this guy who has nothing but funny cat pictures on his site? He's making plenty of money from the ads on his site. His cheapest rate of ad per week is $500 and his top rate is $4 k per week.

I'd like to make that kind of money, but how do I attract traffic to my site? Another copy cat site like I can has cheeseburger? Just what makes a site more successful than others? Quality content doesn't seem to be the standard if that cat site is anything to go by. Of course celebrity gossip is always popular. Mr Manager's site is popular enough. Hey Vernon, do those ads on your blog bring in the dough? Heheh.

Maybe I'll start a blog featuring fish. Do you think that will do the trick and bring in the dough?

Zippered Tote

Woo hoo! I successfully made a zippered tote! If I am to give away my totes to family members, they have to have zippers. They have this fear of being picked by pick pockets, or should the phrase be pick bags/purse?! I don't blame them because I will never go shopping carrying a bag that does not have zippers back in Malaysia!


Rattan handles, the same kind as in an earlier tote. I love this tote!

Bags With Handles

The motif on the fabric of this flare bag is a print of the "pua kumbu". My mother told me to make a bag for her using this fabric. What a pain it was trying to finish the bag with the handles already on! Is there another method? I mean other than stitching the handle straps on the outside?



This is like the other totes but with rattan handles. With those handles it looks like a basket. Hence this style is called basket style bags. I like these kind of handles because they can be unscrewed and so they can be attached to the bag after the bag is completed.

Tropical Tote

I love making totes! And to think it has taken me this long to get started! I bought more decorator fabric from JoAnn since they were all on clearance and each piece cost me between $1.50-$2.00 a yard. What a deal!

I struggled with the zipped pockets. The tutorial at Crafster did not work for me. I had to make the pocket wider than the width of the zip, and that solved the problem.

I have two quilts that I must finish by the end of the week. I'll just have to put the tote craze on hold for now.

One yard=Two Bags

See what one yard can yield! The bag above is what it is because of a mistake. I had intended to make the one below, but had the height and width of the bag confused. When I was done, err, how come this bag is long and narrow?



Ok, I had enough fabric to do it again, but no more wooden handles. So straps was what it ended having. I wished I had used the stiffer interfacing though. I think it would look better and classier if it was able to stand upright. Oh well.

Yes, I am on a roll! ;-)

Another Tote!

I'm on a roll! Here's another tote bag. I went to JoAnn for their Independece Day sale this morning and bought a few pieces of decorator fabric and this bag is a product of that shopping spree. Besides fabric, I bought magnetic snaps, handbag handles, interfacing - the works to start this new hobby. And oh, a book on bags and purses!

I wanted this bag to be stiff and able to stay upright, so I used the stiffest of interfacing that I could find at JoAnn. But what a pain it was when it came to folding the lining into the bag from the top edge of the bag! :-( I had to rip my first attempt because it was crooked and the stitching on the bulkiest section of the seam was horrible. I had to use my chasing hammer to flatten the bulky seam. The second time around was much better, but not as neat as I would like. Oh well. This is after all only my second tote and my first with a stiff interfacing.

I have never used any kind of snaps in any of my previous sewing. Good thing I had the book, and learnt how to put on the magnetic snaps on the bag.

Can't wait to do the others! :-)

Tote Bag

Here's my first tote bag! In time to show off my patriotic colors for the Independence Day celebrations! Instructions for the bag can be found at Craftster.

Tote/Purse Organizer

I bought this pretty tote bag but it didn't have any pockets. I hate to dig around my bag for my stuff.

I started searching around the internet for a tote organizer because I remember seeing some such thing quite some time ago. I found this design and it was simple enough to sew. The size of the pockets are sized according to the item that goes into each of them.

This is how it looks like with my things in the pockets. Maybe next time I'll use a heavier interfacing so the organizer will be stiffer and can stand more upright.

Spread the organizer along the sides of the tote bag and the empty space in the middle is where my wallet, cough drops, camera, and dental floss go. :-) Thanks to the designer of this tote organizer, whoever she is, for coming up with something so practical! Next time, when I need to change to another tote/purse, I only need to remove the organizer and a few miscellaneous stuff.



* A purse organizer pattern can also be found here.*

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to my adopted country.

God bless America.

Summer Ramblings

Have you got your iPhone yet? I haven't, and am not likely to get one any time soon. When it comes to the latest fad in electronic gadgets, I am a little slow. I might get one when the price has gone down quite drastically and when all the hype has died down.

What it is it with some people that they have to have the iPhone and are willing to start standing in line at 3 a.m. when the store isn't ready to start selling the item at 6 p.m. that same day? The iPhone costs something like $500 and in order to be able to use it you have to sign a two year contract at about $60 a month with this exclusive carrier.

I heard that it is possible that by Christmas time iPhone will have the second generation iPhone for sale. See, what you have right now could be outdated by Christmas!

So much for not getting carried away with the iPhone hype! I just signed up for Rush in a Hurry newsletter because new subcribers are automatically entered for an 8 gig iPhone giveaway drawing! Heheh. If I am lucky enough and wins one for free, eh, why not?!

~ ** ~ ** ~

So the Islamist jihadists strike again in Britain. Two car bombing attempts foiled in London. One possibly lethal fireball at Glasgow airport resulted in, amazingly, only five bystanders hurt. One of the perpetrators in custody, and one held in a hospital for critical burn injuries.

I am pessimistic that these jihadists would not try more of these kinds of attacks. According to Melanie Phillips author of Londonistan, western countries, like Britain, "refuse(s) to acknowledge that the true driver of Islamist terror is religious fanaticism. Instead, it attributes its causes to Muslim poverty, discrimination and grievances over foreign policy. In other words, it blames us."

When the jihadists say that they are intent on establishing a Caliphate, we better believe them. Daniel Pipes in his July 26, 2005 article called What do Terrorists Want [A Caliphate]? writes succintly about it. Pipes article, What is Jihad, is quite an eye opener too.

Two books that I am currently reading make me even more pessimistic. These two books tie in end times events with the rise of militant Islam. The scenario is very, very plausible. The first book is Anti-Christ: Islam's Awaited Messiah by Joel Richardson, and the second, Christianity and Islam: The Final Clash by Robert Livingston.

If Richardson and Livingston are to be believed jihadist attacks are only going to get worse as time goes by, and Christians and Jews better be prepared for the worst.

~ ** ~ ** ~

Lampwork Fever

Lampwork beads make such beautiful additions to a necklace or a bracelet. I bought all these lampwork beads at ebay.

From Puteri's Hobbies

From Puteri's Hobbies

From Puteri's Hobbies

From Puteri's Hobbies

These venetian beads came from a broken necklace that my mother-in-law got from a thrift store. Re-string them with gold/clear czech galss beads, rose water opal swarovski crystals, rose opal swarovski crystals and you get a knock-out of a necklace!

Chinese Pilots and Products

I heard this on the radio this morning. I am never ever going to fly Air China!! As it is, I am always very tense when I have to fly any where. Imagine if I was flying in a plane where I know the pilot does not speak much English and therefore is not able to understand what the air control tower is saying? That would be terrifying. On my last trip home to Malaysia we flew Cathay Pacific and I was happy to note that the pilots were native speakers of English.




Many years ago when I was teaching in Vietnam, one of the guys in my class at the Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable was an air controller. He said it was important for him to be able to speak English because among his job was to communicate with planes that fly over the Vietnamese air space. I said, "Oh, I see."

What is it with a lot of the products that come from China? Have you heard about the toothpaste that is made in China and available at most of the dollar stores here in the US? I buy my toothpaste from the 99 Cents store but thank goodness I have never bought any that came from China. One of my kids love to eat the toothpaste off her toothbrush! Imagine your kid consuming some anti-freeze agent!

And now the warning is on the safety of the seafood from China. I buy a lot of shrimp or fish that is either from Vietnam or China. Shudder! It is laughable when I heard on the news today that the Chinese government guarantees the safety of their food products. Who is doing the guaranteeing? They do not have agencies like the FDA that regulate the safety of food and drugs.

When I was home in Miri late last year, I talked to a friend who was working in China. We talked a bit about China and about how impressed he was with the economic growth of China and how soon it will overtake the US as the biggest economy in the world. That may be so, I said, if China remained intact as a country. He told me that the grassroots political movement in China was strong and that everyone was united in the economic success of the country. Oooooookk!

Whatever it is, I will never be able to view the Chinese government without suspicion. Just the fact that the government is still run by communists is enough to keep that suspicion. In my mind they view the US as a useful trading partner, but the US will never be an ally.

On Malaysian men and their foreign wives

Malaysians marrying foreign women urged to register with NRD

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH

MUAR: The Home Affairs Ministry has once again advised those who marry foreign women to go personally to the National Registration Department to register.

Its deputy minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said they should never seek the services of middlemen who could be members of syndicates, which preyed on Malaysians seeking foreign wives.

He said the authorities has identified one such syndicate, which issued fake marriage certificates to married couples and the marriages were also not recorded with the department.

"We have warned Malaysian men who wanted to marry foreign women to go personally to the department to register their marriage.

"This way their children will have Malaysian birth certificates and will be regarded as Malaysians," he said after attending a gathering here on Wednesday night.

Tan said those who married through the middlemen - and later found their children could not apply for birth certificates - could apply to adopt the children.

He said through this way the children would be given permanent residence status while at the same time the couples could apply for marriage certificates from the department.

He said unless the fathers adopted the children, the children would be named after their mothers and would have the same citizenship as that of their mothers.

When it comes to recognizing marriages between Malaysians and their foreign spouses and the rights that ought to come with any marriage, Malaysia is sooooo backward.

Why should children be the victims of their parents' mistakes? Why should couples be forced to "adopt" their own children just to correct a mistake? Afterall the father is known to be a Malaysian, and the "mistake" that was made (by marrying through a middlemen) was easily rectified by re-registering with the NRD.

This statement, "unless the fathers adopted the children, the children would be named after their mothers and would have the same citizenship as that of their mothers" has got to be the most ludicrous I have heard. Does that mean even when the father claims that the children are his, they are still only allowed to carry their mother's name unless he officially adopts them? Change the laws to reflect the realities of the now common marriages between Malaysians and foreigners occuring in the country!

Poison Ivy and Global Warming

This has got to be one of the most ridiculous stories I have heard about global warming recently. Yesterday on the NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, there was a news segment about a bumper poison ivy crop this year. The culprit for the bumper crop? Global Warming! The increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the poison ivy grow more aggressively. Well! What do you know! Are there any complaints about other green plants that are growing better because of the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Nooooo!

And then there is this radio and TV commercial by California's ISO Flex Your Power energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. The idea of our leaving our kids and grandkids a world that is experiencing the effects of global warming because we didn't do enough about it is ridiculous. Yes, yes, the earth's temperature has gone up a degree celcius or so. But it is not a given fact that the earth is going to stay that way forever.

One of the questions I have been asking is if we are dead certain that there is going to be a serious crisis because of global warming, why are we wasting our time trying to do things that will not have any significant impact on the earth's temperatures, instead of doing something like try to come up with solutions that will help us live through global warming without having to alter our lifestyles drastically? For example, if global warming is going to cause serious droughts in a lot of places, why are we not trying to do something about using sea water to irrigate our farms and provide the water we need if rivers do dry up? How about those ice bound places in the world? What about planning on using those places to grow our crops so we won't be faced with food shortages due to devasted farmlands?

It is hard to get people excited about doing something to reduce global warming when people have no idea what exactly it is going to be liked. Man is adaptable, and if we do indeed have to live through global warming, I am sure that we would not just sit around and moan about our situation. We will do whatever we have to do to survive.

This article called Read the Sunspots by R. TIMOTHY PATTERSON is something to ponder about. The relationship of the fluctuating sun's brightness and the temperatures of the earth were clearly evident by the analysis of the coring samples taken from the bottom of deep Western Canadian fjords. According to Patterson "Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest, Schwabe solar cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth."

The science of climate change is not settled yet eventhough many would like to think so. In the words of Patterson, "Climate-change research is now literally exploding with new findings".

Ribbon Crystal Necklace

This is the sample ribbon crystal necklace that I made for my friend's daughter who is getting married in August. This necklace is for the eight bridesmaids at the wedding. The final decision is for a single strand of ribbon and crystal necklace. The reason being the bridesmaid's dress ride high on the chest and they don't want the three strand necklace to overwhelm the dress.

The single strand necklaces are done and I also did the same thing but in light pink ribbon for the flower girl. I am still making the ear-rings to match the necklaces. I am using black artistic wire for the ear-ring findings.

I have also been asked to come up with the mother-of-the bride's accessories. I think I will go with pearls for that one.

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.