Under the Sun

Video Ski School Obertauern in Austria

2009-11-20T22:52:00.001-08:00

This is where my son is going on Chanuka.

Posted via web from elainebloch's posterous

Lupang Hinirang Interpretation: The Best Ever

2009-11-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

I must give credit to Lovely Garcia David for posting this wonderful interpretation of the Philippines National Anthem in Facebook. It's been a long time since I've heard such uplifting song rendition and it's not just a song. It goes beyond commemorating the heroes of the Filipino heritage because it relives the essence of being a unified community. And that no matter where you live (may it be outside the Philippines, like I do), we get to share the same love, patriotism to the land that had nurtured us since birth. It is the pride that we carry like torches, burning and radiating a unique and solid beauty. We are Filipinos and we should be proud of that!

Lyrics:

Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silanganan
Alab ng puso,
Sa Dibdib mo’y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula,
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo’y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya,
Kailan pa ma’y di magdidilim,

Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati’t pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo,
Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,
Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.

Shemesh Taliban Mother and Her Indictment

2009-11-12T05:04:00.001-08:00

Since the news of the mother who abused her 12 children came out last year (April, 2008), I've developed some feelings of indifference to the Jewish "strict and super" Orthodox community. Well, it's not because of the abuse but the way they have defended and tolerated such normity in their soceity. Such reaction was unexpected for me, when all I wanted to do then was strangle that woman, including her husband and throw them to jail (if such punishment is enough and justifiable to their action).

Do I have the right to judge and condemn these parents? Read for yourself the articles I have gathered and tell me how you felt afterwards.

News:

Beit Shemesh 'Taliban Mother' indicted for allegedly abusing her six children

By: Etgar Lefkovits

Jerusalem Post

A 54-year-old woman suspected of severely abusing six of her 12 children for years was indicted Tuesday in the Jerusalem District Court, in one of the most shocking child abuse cases uncovered in the country in years.

The woman, who was arrested last month in her Ramat Beit Shemesh home after neighbors summoned police, allegedly abused her young children "at least" 25 separate times, the charge sheet said.

The suspect, who has been dubbed "the Taliban Mother" since she appeared in court dressed from head to toe in black, was remanded in custody on Tuesday for the duration of her trial.
According to the two-page indictment detailing the abuse, the woman repeatedly beat and otherwise physically abused her children, giving them electric shocks and hitting them with belts and sticks.

In one instance, the charge sheet said, the woman beat one of her daughters in the face with a rolling pin and slammed her face into the marble kitchen countertop.
She was also accused of forcing her children to sleep outside in a locked shed when she felt they had come home late, tying up her mentally impaired son for hours at a time and ignoring his cries for help, cutting her daughters' hair as punishment, and throwing water on her children to wake them up.

In addition, the physically and psychologically abused children committed incest when they were locked up in the shed, the indictment stated.

The woman was not charged with failing to report the incest.

During her arraignment, the suspect refused the judge's request that she remove her facial covering, and the court was forced to make do with a declaration by her attorney, Vered Berger, that she "recognizes the eyes of the accused."

The woman's husband, who is under house arrest in northern Israel, is suspected of knowing of and taking part in the abuse, though on a lesser scale than his wife.
The close-knit extremist family managed to evade law enforcement officials - despite years of reports of neglect and violence - by repeatedly moving all over the country and by refusing to cooperate with social workers, the police said.

Until police were summoned to the house last month, the couple's children never told authorities of the abuse, even after some of them moved out of the home. Only after their mother was arrested did all the children tell police what they had suffered.
The woman, who has confessed to some of the allegations against her, said that she was simply "educating" her children, police said.

'Taliban mother' sentenced to 4 years in jail

By: Dan Izenberg

Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison the woman who the media have nicknamed the "Taliban mother" - because she covers herself from head to toe in clothing - over three months after this mother of 12 was convicted on at least 25 counts of assault in aggravated circumstances.

Her husband was sentenced to six months in jail after he was convicted on at least 10 counts of the same crime. Although he was charged with assaulting his children, the main allegation against him was that he did nothing to stop his wife's abuse.

The mother arrived at the hearing, which was held behind closed doors, draped in her customary layers of black clothing which prevented her from seeing where she was going. She had to be guided by prison service officers down the hall from the elevator to the courtroom.

In her sentencing, Judge Nava Ben-Or wrote that the crimes committed by the mother were grave and that she had no choice but to sentence her to jail, even though it was clear the woman suffered from a severe personality disorder, "in order to express revulsion at and rejection of her deeds."

But Ben-Or added that she also had to consider factors calling for leniency, particularly the fact that several of her children had testified as character witnesses on behalf of their parents and pleaded with the court not to send them to jail.

"All of the children who took the stand unanimously asked that I not send their parents to prison," said Ben-Or. "I will repeat what A. (the eldest son) said, when he testified that he had no desire for revenge and that he absolutely did not want his mother to suffer or to see his father go to jail.

"I will recall Y.'s testimony, when he said he would feel like an orphan if his father was sentenced to prison and that this would be a harsher punishment for him than for his father."
In the same breath, Ben-Or said she could not forget the plight of D., now 17. D. is mentally retarded and was helpless to defend himself against his mother's abuse.

In fact, it was the mother's abuse of D. that exposed the affair and launched the legal proceedings against the parents. On February 2, 2008, neighbors complained to the police after seeing and hearing D. banging on the door and begging his mother to let him into the house. Although it was a winter night, he was wearing short pants and a shirt and cried that he was cold and hungry.

The police arrived and summoned welfare authorities who took him under their care. Inside, the policemen found that the house was in shambles, there were clothes strewn all over the floor, the rooms were messy and the sink was full of dirty dishes.

The investigation revealed that the mother had beaten her children with her hands, a belt, sticks and electric wire. She had punished her daughters by cutting their hair and had slashed the sports shoes of one son because it was "irreligious" to wear them. Sometimes, she did not let her children into the house and other times she did not let them out. She woke them up by pouring water on them.

The abuse went on for several decades. Many of the incidents could not be included in the indictment because of the statute of limitations.

Today, none of the children live at home. Nine of them are adults and three are minors. D., who is now 17, lives today in an institution. His twin brother studies in a boarding school.
The youngest of the children, a daughter, now lives under the care of one of her older sisters.

Jerusalem court convicts 'Taliban mother' of child abuse

By: Ofra Edelman, Haaretz Correspondent

The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday convicted an ultra-Orthodox woman of severe child abuse and aggravated assault.

The mother of 12, from the town of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, was charged in April 2008 on suspicion of beating her children with belts, sticks and electric wire.

According to the indictment, she also tied up one of her children, stomped on another's feet, cut one of her daughter's hair as punishment and stubbed a burning march on another's chest.

She was also suspected of forcibly waking her children by splashing cold water on them and of habitually locking them out of the house.

The woman's husband was convicted of assisting the abuse and of neglecting to report it to police. Her 27-year-old son is still under investigation for allegedly sexually abusing his sisters.

The police investigation began in early February 2008, after neighbors reported hearing a child crying for help and seeing objects being thrown at him. The responding officers were forced to wait outside the apartment for two hours because the mother refused to let them in. Only rabbinical intervention enabled the entry of the police.

The woman, who belongs to a sect in Beit Shemesh which wears black full-body covering as a sign of their religious modesty, has been connoted in the media as "the Taliban mother."

Her defense attorney said during the indictment proceedings last year that she had suffered "psychological disability and the welfare services provided no help."

Meanwhile, the Knesset is planning to hold a special session on the Jerusalem riots sparked by the arrest of another ultra-Orthodox woman accused of starving her three-year-old son.

Between Devotion and Dementia

By: Tamar Rotem

Haaretz News

A well-known Bnei Brak rabbi last week met with four daughters of the Beit Shemesh woman nicknamed the "Taliban Mother," after she was charged with abusing her children, in an effort to try to secure her release from detention. The woman is currently on trial.

The four young women, who represent seven of the 12 siblings in the proceedings, arrived at the home of Rabbi Yehuda Silman, accompanied by their husbands and children. The small room in the rabbi's apartment barely afforded enough space for all the baby carriages and small children. The women, who are in their 20s and 30s, were all wearing traditional ultra-Orthodox garb, with head coverings of the type worn by members of the Satmar Hasidic movement.

Although they are not accustomed to meeting with strangers, in recent days the women have nevertheless been knocking at the door of the state prosecution, with the rabbi's backing, to try to secure the early release of their mother, detained on suspicion of having abused a minor under aggravated circumstances. A number of other rabbis also support their cause.

The lawyer representing them, Zeri Hazan, says his clients are motivated by the fear that their mother could be sentenced to many years in prison. In addition, the women want to avoid sustaining any more trauma, after all the hardship they experienced as children. Over the past few months, the mother's lawyer, Gil Dahuah - the third lawyer to represent her - has been campaigning for her to be freed, saying she does not deserve to be in jail. He is backed in this effort by Dr. Yosef Laria, who heads the emergency ward at the Shalvata psychiatric hospital, and found the accused to be mentally ill and unable to stand trial.

"She was a good mother but she did crazy things because she lost touch with reality," Silman says. He says he decided to intervene because he knew the accused and her husband when they lived in Bnei Brak as a young couple. "They were considered a quality family here. The woman always wanted to help others, also because she had some kind of [homeopathic] medical background. Basically she is also a devoted mother and there was a time when she would make sure her children ate and drank and went to bed on time. But something illogical happened to her."

Even though her daughters still have difficulty accepting the psychiatric diagnosis, they are supporting the move, as are some of their siblings. However, two of the older children disagree - it was their testimonies that led to the mother's indictment.

Radical personality change

The alleged abuse came to light in March 2008, after the woman left her 13-year-old mentally disabled son outside the house for an entire night. Upon hearing the boy's cries, neighbors called the police. Under police interrogation, several other children testified that the mother had routinely abused some of them. She would beat them regularly with a belt, a rolling pin or electric wires. One of the young women attending the meeting at the rabbi's house had told police that her mother had punched her in the face several times and would wake her up in the mornings by throwing water on her. The mother was also charged with tying up the children, neglecting a minor, and extinguishing a burning match on the chest of one of the children. Most of the abuse took place more than a decade ago.

The prosecution charges that one of the young women present at the Bnei Brak meeting had also been a victim of incest. Today the same woman says it was a mistake to cooperate with the police, claiming that they told her it would help her mother, who would be released from detention sooner. The other girls also say they thought their cooperation would lead to their mother's release. "We didn't think it would lead to the opposite result," says one. "To testify against your mother is something abnormal."

More than a year after her arrest, the accused has not changed even one of her deviant religious habits and says she is determined to uphold them. Yet, her lawyer, the prison wardens and the few people who have visited her all believe her condition has deteriorated. When she has to meet her lawyer or go to court, the wardens have to drag her and she continually trips over her various layers of clothing. After her house arrest ended eight months ago, she was taken to Neveh Tirza prison until the conclusion of the proceedings. During her entire incarceration, she has refused to remove the dark blanket with which she covers her eyes.

Rabbi Silman's wife, an extremely influential personality in the Haredi world and the only person who visited the accused in jail, was amazed at what she saw. "It is shocking to see her being dragged around like a sack," she told her husband. She says she could not persuade the woman to uncover her eyes for even a moment to identify her. Because the accused refused to speak with her, they communicated in writing. "In Judaism there is no such thing as to cover one's eyes. She has gone overboard," the rabbanit said. She says the woman has "gone to the peaks of mysticism. She did not consult rabbis and so she got lost."

At home, the woman would speak only at certain times but since her arrest 13 months ago, she has stopped talking altogether. If she requests anything at all, she will only do so in writing. She continues to wear her clothes, which have become moldy, under the shower, fearing she will otherwise not be modest enough. She also puts a basket on her head when she showers. Due to her vegan diet, she hardly eats. She spends all her time in the cell praying and rocking incessantly. A psychiatrist might construe such behavior as evidence of a mental problem - not supreme piety.

In the past few months, as the trial is nearing a close, the accused's perceived personality has changed radically. Her new lawyer is trying to argue that she is no charismatic and zealous guru who managed to attract a sect of women who wish to bring about redemption, but simply a sick woman. Dr. Laria says she suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder, expressed in her outlandish prayer ceremonies and clothes, as well as delusional disorder. In other words, she has a psychotic condition that finds expression in false religious thoughts. Laria believes the illness dates back to the birth of her mentally handicapped son, basing his diagnosis on the tests she underwent, her family history and the testimonies of family acquaintances.

Able to tell truth from lies?

In a series of meetings I held with the woman in the summer of 2008, both during the lessons she gave and in an interview, I got the impression that she understood my questions, although the content of her responses was illusionary. According to Laria, this is why the illness is so deceptive. "When someone is psychotic, this can manifest itself in a narrow field related to the illness. Other aspects of the personality may be completely normal," he says. "I also examined her religious behavior vis-a-vis other people in her social living environment," he adds. "Her religious ideology deviates from her environment's cultural and philosophical background - which indicates that she has deviated from society because of her false thoughts."

Rabbis in Bnei Brak also claim the accused has lost any connection with reality, but it remains unclear why they did not warn about this development before. "If you act in a certain way and go overboard it is a sign that you have made a mistake. Not only do we want our children to be ultra-Orthodox, we want them to live in a good atmosphere and to be healthy, and it should be good and fun for them to live that way. If you reach a point where the children are broken and every minute is a nightmare, you have to realize that you have reached the opposite educational outcome," says Rabbi Silman's wife.

A few days before the indictment was submitted to the court, during the extention of the woman's remand, magistrate Hagit Kalmanowitz said she believed the accused should not be detained because her problem was not criminal in nature but rather psychological and medical. Only after she violated the terms of her house arrest was she taken to prison. Now Judge Navah Ben-Or will have to rule on the intriguing matter of whether crazy religious behavior constitutes mental insanity.

The discussion of this issue arose because of the dissension between the state's position - based on the opinion of the Eitanim mental hospital, according to which the woman is a borderline psychotic but can differentiate between truth and lies, and can thus stand trial - and the position of the defense's psychiatrist, Dr. Laria - who says she is unfit to stand trial. The argument is not based on facts, but rather on the diagnosis of her thoughts.

Laria says he differs with the prosecution concerning the duration and strength of the thoughts and because he believes there are psychotic symptoms in the woman's case. By contrast, the state believes that while there is a disorder, she is not ill. If the court accepts the defense's position that she is not responsible for her deeds, then the brunt of responsibility will fall on her husband, who is also facing trial on charges of failing to prevent the abuse. That is also the reason why, even though he supports his wife, he did not join his daughters in Bnei Brak.

Looklet: Your Fashion Stylist

2009-11-07T03:38:00.001-08:00

Looklet may be what you are searching for if your interest is on fashion styling. It a kind of studio where you get the chance to create your dress style by combining every piece of clothes in the websites fashion collection. That's more easier than designing your own clothes because most wardrobes offered were latest trends from top designers. Wow!

The site is created for the love of creativity, style and old-fashion new-technoloy fun. They don't sell clothes, they create looks. That's really cool!

After registering, I got a hands-on with their sleeky interface, which I think is very user-friendly. Let's say, they got me hooked right away and was able to come up with a retrolook style. This is what I have created:

That's not bad for a start, right! I could still improve the style by adding shoes, a bag and jewelry.

You might consider Looklet as a social networking tool as well. You are allowed to post your designs in twitter and facebook (take note on that). And be warned as well, this site could be addictive!!!!

Heaviest Newborn (Indonesia)

2009-11-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

from www.dailymail.co.uk

from youtube

Link news:
Indonesia: 19.2(lb) pound baby boy born to Indonesian woman | Mail ...

Is that obesity or gigantism? It seems like the child has to undergo some intensive testing to confirm and disregard false medical assumptions. I used to dread this kind of complication from diabetes on my last pregnancy. It took me quite an arduous labor to control my food cravings. I survived and I could prove that it could be worked out.

But, just for the record, I don't intend to have such a huge baby on my 5th pregnancy. Spare me on labor day,a baby like that could DEMOLISH me.

15 Websites That Offer Free Icons

2009-11-03T12:57:00.001-08:00

I'm such a big fan of icons! Well, if you are not familiar with it, these are the small graphic images used to represent files (including web pages) and programs as well as to execute commands. One popular example I could give is the Twitter icon with the image of a bird. These graphical images Icons sit conveniently on our desktops or within the programs we use waiting to be clicked or double-clicked. And generally, the chosen image relates to the purpose of the program or file to which the icon is attached. For instance an icon for an email program might contain an envelope whereas one used to launch a media player could depict a music note or the universally understood right-pointing triangle for "play."

I found 15 websites that offer free icons in Posterous as posted by Cyberella. I am reposting it for those who haven't seen it yet. There are so many icons to choose from, I just hope you won't get crazy and saturated afterwards. Enjoy!

clipped from cyberella.posterous.com

Icon Factory

Free Icons Web

Free Icons Download

Dry Icons

Icon Pot

Vista Icons

Fast Icon

Icon Bulk

We Love Icons

Pixel Girl

Archigraphs

Hybrid Works

Icon Drawer

Icons Buffet

World’s largest luxury cruise liner!

2009-11-03T08:58:00.001-08:00

It's been our dream (me and my husband) to go on a cruise trip with such large, elegant, luxury cruise liner. It doesn't matter where it will take us, forget about my motion sickness... when we are able (which means without the disturbance of the children) we are going to have the best cruise vacation of our life.

I am posting the photos of the newest, largest and most advanced cruise ship in the world. Enjoy viewing (because we did)!

clipped from www.bornrich.org

In Photos: World’s largest luxury cruise liner!

When the “Oasis of the Seas” hits the waters in late 2009, she will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. Made for Royal Caribbean International, the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship is the epitome of luxury, featuring 16 decks, 2700 staterooms, and the capacity to accommodate 5,400 guests at double occupancy. Everything on this cruise liner will speak luxury and comfort. The ship has over 15 restaurants and bars, a casino, a theater, two night clubs and the very first beach pool at sea. Roll over to see the exteriors and interiors of the Oasis of the Seas after the jump…

World's largest cruise ship sets sail from Finland

Eco Tech: Celebrity Solstice cuts emissions with solar power and green roof

MSC Splendida luxury cruise ship houses a high-tech sports bar

VHS Converts to DVD

2009-11-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

I might say that I finally came to my senses of deciding to convert our VHS tapes to DVD. My patience gave way already after a daily laborous and routinary work of cleaning the VHS recorder everytime my one year and 10 months old son would watch his favorite tapes (which is unbearably watcheable). Enough is enough!

My thorough research was fruitful and I found this wonderful VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe.VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe is a Video Capture device that plugs into your PC via a USB port. It includes an adapter cable for connecting S-Video or RCA Composite Video and Stereo Audio to the device. As to what they have noted, you can then connect any analog video source (VCR, 8mm Camcorder, DVD Player, etc.) that outputs S-Video or Composite video/audio to the VHS to DVD 3.0, and it is recorded to your computer's hard drive using the included video capture software.

Well, just the thought of reliving and saving those memories from our VHS tapes, that could be worth a million, and totally irreplaceable. I just can't wait to buy it. I'll post a review on this product afterwards. Wish me luck then!

This is the video guide I saw in You Tube. The installation seems like easy to follow...cool! I am sure I could keep up.

from youtube

from jilata-eliass.blogspot.com

from the-gadgeteer.com

from www.amazon.com

User's Review:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: VHS To DVD 3.0 Deluxe

Mom Central: Hot Parenting Products: Honestech VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe by Stacy DeBroff

Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

2009-10-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I've been avidly following recently the series of The Vampire Diaries on TV and I could say that next to the Twilight Series of Meyer...this is second best! For those who haven't read yet the paperback edition, here's your chance to read it online.

Happy reading!

Browse Inside this book

Get this for your site

Twilight: Framed Moments

2009-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

It's makes me melt posting these photos from the Twilight Movie. They're absolutely stunning! But don't look at me like it's a grave sin to post more pictures of Robert Pattison than the other characters, the motives, I guess, are quite obvious! The fact is, I should have included him in my old post, Sexiest Actors in Hollywood, and I didn't. I am making this as a sequel, so seat back and ENJOY!!!

Twilight Frenzy

2009-01-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I was evading the chance to write about Twilight but I know time will come that I will have the need to vent out and this is the TIME. Twilight, together with all the precious books of Stefanie Meyer, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn moved me so hard and brought me into different life perspectives. Of course, I am not anymore the young, and dreamy teenager swept by first love but I am now a woman who appreciates and honors the essentiality of love in its truest sense and form.

The four saga books of Master (I love calling her that) Meyer portrays a woman's journey from innocence to motherhood. It is a story of every woman, of finding your true calling, finding ones SOUL and finding that other half to achieve a union of totality and oneness.

The book in its core is about love in many aspects of life. Splendid as it is, LOVE in actuality is what we breathe in and live for. Without it, there is no life and maybe no FUTURE. Have you ever heard the line, "No one loves me anymore, it's better to die than live a life like this." This sounds generic but true to its nub.

Well, for those who haven't read the books I've mentioned, I am posting their summaries here. A job well done for Wikipedia on this aspect….believe me you always go to the expert, that's who they are!

Twilight

"Seventeen-year-old Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie, after her mother remarries a minor league baseball player. She is quickly befriended by many students at her new high school, where she is intrigued by a mysterious group of siblings known as the Cullens. Bella sits next to Edward Cullen in Biology class on her first day of school, and he appears to be disgusted by her, much to Bella's confusion. A few days later, Bella is nearly struck by a van, when Edward suddenly appears and stops the vehicle with his hand. Although he refuses to explain this act to Bella, Edward warns her against becoming friends with him.

Bella eventually discovers that Edward is a vampire, though he only consumes animal blood, and the pair fall in love. After Edward introduces Bella to his vampire family, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie, three nomadic vampires—James, Victoria, and Laurent—arrive and put Bella's life in danger. James, a tracker vampire, is intrigued by Edward's protectiveness over a human, and decides to hunt her for sport. Edward and his family put their lives at risk to protect Bella, but James lures her into a trap by making her believe he is holding her mother hostage. James attacks Bella and bites her wrist, but Edward, along with the rest of the Cullen family, arrives before he can kill her. James is destroyed, and Edward sucks the venom from James's bite out of Bella's wrist, preventing her from becoming a vampire herself. A severely injured Bella is then taken to the hospital to spend some time recovering. Upon returning to Forks, Bella and Edward attend their prom and Bella expresses her desire to become a vampire, which Edward refuses to let happen. The film ends showing Victoria at the prom watching the pair dance together, ready to seek revenge for the murder of her lover, James." (Wikipedia)

New Moon

"Protagonist Isabella "Bella" Swan is thrown an eighteenth birthday party by Alice and Edward Cullen, the vampire she loves, and the rest of their vampire family. While unwrapping a gift, she receives a paper cut. Edward's brother Jasper, although attempting a non-human diet, is overwhelmed by the scent of blood and tries to attack Bella. In an attempt to keep her safe from the world of vampires, Edward tells Bella that he and the rest of his family are leaving the town of Forks, Washington because he doesn't want her anymore. Bella becomes severely depressed and seeks comfort with Jacob Black, an old family friend who eases her pain over losing Edward.

Bella and Jacob begin spending a lot of time together, and Bella soon discovers that the rush of adrenaline present when she places herself in dangerous situations stimulates hallucinations of Edward's voice. Bella begins seeking out dangerous behavior, such as riding a motorcycle, to trigger the illusions. Meanwhile, Bella finds out that Jacob is a werewolf. The werewolves begin to protect Bella from the pursuit of the vampire Victoria, who seeks revenge for the death of her mate, James, who was killed by the Cullens in Twilight. After Bella attempts cliff-diving near La Push, she gets caught in a riptide and is rescued by Jacob.

At the same time, Alice Cullen, Edward's vampire sister who has visions of the future, has a vision of Bella jumping off the cliff. Presuming Bella is dead, Alice rushes to Forks to check on Charlie Swan, Bella's father, while Edward calls Bella's home. Jacob answers and informs Edward that Charlie is at a funeral, referring to that of a man in town who had died of a heart attack, but Edward draws the conclusion that Jacob means Bella's funeral. Desperate after Bella's supposed death, Edward flies to Italy to see the Volturi, peace-keeping vampires who would be able to kill Edward, granting him leave of a world without Bella.

Bella and Alice rush to Italy to stop Edward, and save him before it is too late. Before they leave Italy, the Volturi tell them that Bella, a human who knows of the existence of vampires, must either be killed or changed into a vampire herself. After they return to Forks, Edward explains to Bella that he only left in order to protect her, and she forgives him. The book ends with the Cullens voting in favor of Bella being changed into a vampire after her graduation, much to Edward's dismay."(Wikipedia)

Eclipse

"The story begins with the revelation that Seattle is being plagued by a string of unsolved murders, which Edward suspects are being caused by a newborn vampire that is unable to control its thirst. Edward and Bella fill out college applications, while Bella explains to Edward her desire to see Jacob, her werewolf friend, again. Meanwhile, Alice Cullen has a vision that Victoria, a vampire who is hunting Bella, is back in town. Although Edward fears for her safety, Bella insists that Jacob and the rest of the werewolf pack would never harm her, and he eventually allows her to visit Jacob once in a while.

A few days later, Bella expresses her desire to make love to Edward before being turned into a vampire. Edward initially refuses, explaining to Bella that he could very easily kill her. Eventually, upon realizing how much it means to Bella, he agrees to try in the future as long as they are married first. Despite having an aversion to marriage, Bella realizes that spending eternity with Edward is more important to her than anything else and accepts his proposal.

Bella and the Cullens realize that the murders in Seattle are being committed by an "army" of newborn vampires, controlled by either Victoria or the coven of vampires known as the Volturi. The Cullen family joins forces with the werewolf pack in order to combat this threat. As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward and Bella camp up in the mountains, hidden during the battle, where they are later joined by Jacob and Seth Clearwater, a young member of the werewolf pack, to wait out the fight.

In the morning, Jacob overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and becomes very upset. He threatens to join the fight and get himself killed because Bella doesn't love him. To stop him, Bella kisses Jacob and realizes that she loves him, too. Victoria tracks Edward's scent to Bella and Edward is forced to fight, despite Bella's wishes to keep him safely with her. After Victoria and her army are successfully destroyed, Bella explains to Jacob that while she loves him, her love for Edward is greater and she cannot live without him. After receiving a wedding invitation from a humble Edward, Jacob runs away in his wolf form to escape the pain he feels, angry at Bella's decision to become a vampire." (Wikipedia)

Breaking Dawn

"Breaking Dawn is split into three separate "books", or parts. The first part details Bella's marriage and honeymoon with Edward, which they spend on a private island off the coast of Brazil. Edward grants Bella's wish and makes love to her. Soon after, Bella sees a box of unused tampons and realizes that she is pregnant. After contacting Carlisle, who confirms her belief, she and Edward plan to return home. Edward, concerned for her well being as the fetus develops with unnatural rapidity, urges her to get an abortion. However, Bella wants to keep the child and decides to contact Rosalie for support, knowing that Rosalie has always wanted children.

The second part of the novel is written from Jacob Black's point of view, and lasts throughout Bella's pregnancy and childbirth. The pack of werewolves, not knowing what danger the unborn child may pose, make plans to destroy it, even though they must kill Bella to do so. Jacob vehemently disagrees with this decision and revolts, leaving the pack to form his own with Seth and Leah Clearwater. Bella soon gives birth, approximately a month after becoming pregnant. The baby breaks many of her bones, and Bella loses massive amounts of blood. In order to save her life, Edward changes her into a vampire. Jacob, who was present for the birth, immediately "imprints" — an involuntary response in which a werewolf finds his soul mate — on Edward and Bella's newborn daughter, Renesmee.

The third section of Breaking Dawn shifts back to Bella's perspective, finding her changed into a vampire and enjoying her new life and abilities. However, the vampire Irina misidentifies Renesmee as an "immortal child", a child who has been turned into a vampire. The creation and protection of "immortal children" was previously outlawed by the Volturi. After Irina presents her allegation to the Volturi, they plan to destroy Renesmee and the Cullens. In an attempt to save her, the Cullens gather vampires from around the world to stand as witnesses and prove to the Volturi that Renesmee is not an immortal child. Upon confronting the gathered Cullen allies and witnesses, the Volturi discover that they have been misinformed and immediately execute Irina for her mistake. However, they remain undecided on whether Renesmee should be viewed as a threat to the secret existence of vampires. At that time, Alice and Jasper, who had left prior to the confrontation, return with Nahuel, a 150-year-old vampire-human crossbreed like Renesmee. He demonstrates that the crossbreeds pose no threat and the Volturi leave, knowing that they no longer have just reason to destroy Renesmee. Bella, Edward and Renesmee return to their home, free to live their lives in peace." (Wikipedia)

Charice Pempengco...Life Story

2008-11-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

Life Story

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Charice Pempengco.....Part 3

2008-11-12T05:32:00.000-08:00

Charice. Pempengco...Part 2

2008-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

A New Star is Born -- Charice Pempingco

2008-11-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

Charice Pempengco is undoubtedly the new star of the music industry in the Philippines. Behind her humble and sad beginnings, many were swept over heels after her stunning and powerful performance in Ellen DeGeneres show in America. (Thanks to False Voice, the man who posted her Little Big Star performances on utube) This had been followed by a sensational appearances in Paul O'Grady Show (U.K.), Oprah's show and assimilation with David Foster. Charice's rise to stardom climaxed after her amazing and outstanding performance with Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The child seems to be making waves after a ripple of guestings from big international shows and there's no doubt she will be the next singing star after the likes of many singing divas (Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Beyonce etc.) in Hollywood. I just can't wait to see that....

Truly, this girl had captured my heart and I made a collection of all her performances since she started singing on TV. Included here is her life story featured in Maalaala Mo Kaya. Enjoy!

Obama..A World History

2008-11-05T02:13:00.000-08:00

Election may be over in America but history itself is still about to unfold for all the people around the world. The fact and truth is, many nations had been shaped by the American politics and idealogy. Their democracy resembles the pillar the world is aspiring for. Peace for everyone and victory for oppression!

Will this be the end...or a start of a BIG change, only time will tell. Definitely, a choice has been made and let us stand upfront with this man in fighting what we believe is worth living for. HOPE and PEACE in our world!

Obama Speech in Chicago

Israel Bar-On: The Next Shlomo Atzi

2008-10-11T15:44:00.001-07:00

Kokav Nolad is the American Idol version in Israel. Since it started 5 or 6 years ago, I must say that I have done a consistent follow-up. Among the best I have seen was Ninet (the phenomenal star), Shiri, Jacko, Marina and the newest winner, Israel Bar-On. Considering his husky, cool voice, he could be the next Shlomo Atzi of Israel. I heard Artzi sing many times and the similarity with regards to voice quality is quite amazing and astounding. See for yourself and listen to the video collections I had posted.

Elaine

JG8D69D

ScrapAlbum Making

2008-08-25T02:43:00.001-07:00

ScrapAlbum making is actually coined from the word scrapbooking, which in the word itself means making a scrapbook. This is an art of organizing a collection of clippings, notes, pictures, poetry, quotations, stories and other things, presented in the most unique way. Many people make keepsakes of family history, photo album of children and personal journals out of these.

When I was small, I remember I used to spend hours cutting small letters and beautiful photos from newspapers and magazines and paste them afterwards in a parchment paper and bind them together with a metal fastener. This is the hobby that I think I haven't outgrown yet and I am still a scrapbooking enthusiast until now.

Definitely, those who share the same passion like me will enjoy using Scrapblog. This is a multimedia program which helps you create a scrapalbum with the use of a bunch of creative elements. The latest was that they have integrated this application to Photobucket, which makes album making quite easier.

Take a look at one of the creations I have made with this program. The photos were actually taken in a garden exhibition at Century Park in Shanghai in 2006. It was a Mosaiculture show that lasted more than a month. About 1/2 of the displays where made by Chinese, and 1/2 by other people from around the world.

Link

Don't hesitate to explore your creativeness with this application because the program is very user-friendly. For those who needs tutorials, please do watch the videos provided.

ENJOY!

Elaine

JG8D69D

The Best of Artistic Gymnastics in Olympics Beijing 2008

2008-08-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

Gymnastics is one of the most favorite events in the Olympics wherein young women compete on the balance beam, vault, floor exercises,and uneven parallel bars. Unlike in the men's division of this field where power and strength are measured, women in the artistic gymnastics are judged on grace and movement. Technically that is the principle but literally and realistically speaking, the focus of this game is to be able to jump higher than your competitors and still land gracefully on the floor/beam.

In history, there are three great women gymnasts that had been a pioneer and outstanding in their performances. One was Olga Korbut (1972), a 17-year-old gymnast from the Soviet Union, who captivated everyone with her backward somersault off the uneven parallel bars, the Korbut Salto and the Korbut Flip, which she and her coaches invented. The second one was Romania's Nadia Comaneci (1976), becoming the first gymnast in Olympic history to earn perfect scores. Not only did she become the first gymnast at the Olympics Games to receive the perfect score of ten (a feat she managed seven times), she also won three gold medals; for individual all-around, the beam and the uneven bars; a silver medal in the team all-around, and a bronze for floor exercises. The third was Larissa Latynina (USSR), with 18 Olympic medals. She also holds the joint record for golds, nine, with runners Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis and swimmer Mark Spitz. She also won nine world championship gold medals including two in the individual all-around event, in 1958 and 1962.

Nadia Comaneci: The Perfect 10 - uneven bars

Nadia Comaneci: floor exercises

Nadia Comaneci: balance beam

1981 Interview with Nadia Comaneci

The long-awaited showdown of gymnasts for the Olympic 2008 gold medal in the individual all-around title had come to it's end. Clinching the title was American Nastia Liukin who had a close and stiff fight over China's Yang Yilin in the floor exercises. Shawn Johnson, also an American took the silver medal.

Nastia Luikin in floor exercises

Yang Yilin with same floor exercise at 2008 World Cup Tianjin Finals FX

Shawn Johnson

Cheng Fei (China) may not be far behind the 3 other winners, watch her in this link (click on Highlights by Sports then Gymnastics).

This is the final result of the game:

China Team

There had been an argument that some of the women (girls really) on the Chinese gymnastics team may be underage. Honestly, sometimes looks can be deceiving. You couldn't compare a 16 year old Asian with an American. Asians, for a fact, look younger than their age compared to a Westerner. The argument is, if a 15-year-old gymnast is as good as or better than a 21-year-old, why shouldn't she get to compete?

Elaine

JG8D69D

Technorati Tags in,age,beijing,artictic,gymnastics,shawn,johnson,controversy,Olga,Korbut,Nadia,Comaneci

Opening of the Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-09T02:50:00.001-07:00

The most awaited Beijing Olympics had finally started and the 44B dollars budget of China for this event truly came out AMAZING! Apart from the reconstruction of Beijing city itself, colorful dancing by ethnic groups and performances portraying 5,000 years of Chinese history, the astounding opening of the night was highlighted by lavish fireworks. All we can say are WOW's and AHH's...congratulations China for a job well done!

Please watch one of the incredible performances of the night and ENJOY!

Content Generators and Content Rewriters for Desperates

2008-08-05T04:40:00.001-07:00

You are jumping out of ecstacy and your face couldn't stop smiling, finally you have hit the trails. Your blog traffic had been making waves and it's all because of your creativity and resourcefullness. You had gained the following you've been dreaming of but it seems that you want more. Everything is not good enough and you've got to hit again the stills over and over and over.

Some god-damned sofware had been released and they call it "CONTENT GENERATORS and REWRITERS". They said it's effective and promises huge REVENUES. Suddenly, your FOCUS is redirected, all because of the promise of a lucrative income. In short...MONEY!

Who wants to think when some small generated software could do it for you, doing work much faster and easier. Forget about creativity, some people just have to fill in the space and get the payback. It seems so easy. Why work hard, life isn't fair sometimes! It's sad to know how DESPERATE we became...money makes the world go round after all!

So they say, it's primetime and the great SEO invention will eventually conquer the web scene. Robots will replace humans and the brain will start to shrink and deteriorate. The argument is, these are robots, they don't have eyes and they have limited brain capacity. Noone can replace the human brain, whose creativity is endless and powerful.

Readers, honestly speaking, want articles with a heart and soul. Powerful and effective articles move people, they INSPIRE, LIFT the SPIRIT and they give LIFE! Is that what you want to achieve? You have the choice...you have to make your stand.

Technorati Tags writing,content,tools,SEO,creative,generators,rewriters

New Harry Potter Movie

2008-08-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter had made it again! Although J. K. Rowling's final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released last year (July, 2007), the wave of excitement for Harry Potter fanatics is bottling up again. This is due to the upcoming release of the movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, this November.

Personally speaking, Harry Potter and his league brings out the child in me. His adventures simply reminds me of my childhood days when you were made to believe in magic, wizards, ghosts, dragons, sorcerers and witches. Well, let's blame it to the media who's responsible for all the brainwashing, but whose blaming. Those were the good old days after all. We all just want to come back and reminisce the old times.

After reading all the Harry Potter book series, I consider Rowling's sixth of seven novels the best. Forget about the fact that the book sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours after it was released last 2005. The point is that the book was well written and a masterpiece by itself. If you haven't read this book yet, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, then you've got to catch up by watching the film. Surely, you would enjoy it! You've got to see the trailer to believe me.

Summary of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

And for those who haven't seen one single Harry Potter film (where have you been anyway?), now is the chance to watch them. Please refer to the links below. Downloading may be slow to those with poor bandwidth connection. Patience is the key, my friends!

Happy viewing!

Elaine

Harry Potter Films

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Akzaban

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix

Note:

There is still something to look forward to this 4th of December, this is J.K. Rowling's first major work after retiring the boy wizard last year, The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

The book is a collection of five wizardry-inspired tales all mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Aside from having it's first commercial publication, proceeds from the sale will go to the Children's High Level Group, Rowling's charity for vulnerable children. We surely would want to contribute to that...all for a good cause and hopefully a worthy collectible book also.

Technorati Tags the,movie,of,online,books,The,Rowling,Harry,Potter,J.K.,All,Tales,Beedle,Bard

Earn More Money with SaleHoo

2008-07-30T13:32:00.001-07:00

Everyone seems to be searching how to earn MORE money online. And it seems that every company and individual claims that their strategy is the best and effective one. We get confused sometimes with the superflux of informations from all sources in the internet....which one is the REAL one?

Others claim that you'll get MONEY, stability and regular stream of income from Google ADSense. And though many are skeptical, many are affiliating with it. It may sound a gamble, but who knows what luck may it bring to a regular and amateur blogger around us, whose only investment is a computer and maybe an hour to write about some god damned shoes.

Actually, there are hundreds of affiliate programs that are actually capable of helping you attain your goals, that is to earn MONEY ONLINE. SaleHoo is a directory of wholesale products with over 20,000 registered users and over 1000 unique wholesale suppliers. They have launched their network in 2007 with some absolutely amazing bargains, offering lifetime membership! It is one of the best affiliate programs and it's a venue that pays you 75% for every referral you direct to them. Well, they do the selling for you and your role is to send traffic to them. They take care of everything afterwards.

The question is, how do you build the traffic? This is better said than done, right? First, join the affliate program and SIGN UP. Don't be afraid it's FREE! This automaically gives you full free access to all their resources. They offer over 30 different sales pages for you to direct traffic to. Each product has a specific page which is updated every week.

Video Tour

SaleHoo MONEY SECRET

What Not to Sell on eBay

Hot Wholesale Tips You MUST Follow!

Sourcing Items to Sell

Protecting Yourself from Illegitimate Wholesale Suppliers

The Pros and Cons of Drop shipping

How to Find Wholesale Sources for your Product

How do I Find Something to Sell?

Expanding Your Online Business By Building a Website

Top 10 Tips for Selling on eBay

Over Coming Problems When Importing from China

Debunking the Myths of Wholesale Buying

On My Own

2008-07-21T00:28:00.003-07:00

Lea Salonga I believe have upgraded herself from being a local star of Filipino cinema to international stardom. She is now a first class artist whose professionalism and amazing talent is beyond compare. Many local Filipino stars had tried to reach what she had achieved but most of them came back home disappointed. You may call it luck but this woman and artisit is self-made. She didn't made it to the top in a spin of a seconds, but everything what she got was hard earned.

For some (especially for the elitist in the Filipino community) she may be just a cheap That's Entertainment host, but for me she is always a star. I knew way back when she played Annie in the theatre that she would make it BIG. I knew right after she released her first recording, Small Voice (had received golden certification, by the way), at the age of 10, that she would be a famous STAR.

Let me share with you one of my favorites from the play Les Miserables which I have found in UTube. This was the same song she rendered during her audition in Miss Saigon, which obviously had given her the part to play the phenomenal Kim.

Join me in the singing, please!

On My

OWN

I'm all

alone

LOVING ...

I Love Him!

And now Im all alone again

no where to turn no one to go to

Without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to

And now the night is near now I can make believe he's here

Sometimes I walk alone at night when everybody else is sleeping

I think of him and then I'm happy with the company I'm keeping

The city goes to bed

And I can live inside my head

On my own,

Pretending he's beside me,

All alone, I walk with him till morning.

Without him, I feel his arms around me,

And when I lose my way, I close my eyes,

And he has found me...

In the rain,

The pavement shines like silver,

All the lights are misty in the river,

In the darkness the trees are full of starlight,

And all I see is him and me,

Forever and forever...

And I know it's only in my mind,

That I'm talking to myself and not to him,

And although I know that he is blind,

Still I say, there's a way for us...

I love him,

But when the night is over,

He is gone, the river's just a river

Without him the world around me changes,

The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers.

I love him,

But everyday I'm learning,

All my life,

I've only been pretending,

Without me,

His world will go on turning,

A world that's full of happiness,

That I have never known...

I love him...

But only on my own

Lea Salonga Profile

Full Name : Maria Ligaya Carmen Imutan Salonga - Chien
Birthdate : February 22, 1971
Age : 37
Horoscope : Aquarius
Spouse : Robert Charles Chien
Daughter : Nicole Beverly

Theatre Performance :
The King and I (7 years old)
Annie
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
The Rose Tattoo
The Sound of Music
The Goodbye Girl
Paper Moon
Fantasticks
Miss Saigon
Les Miserables
Flower Drum Song

Awards Won :
Famas Award for Best Actress (Sana Maulit Muli)
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1990 Miss Saigon
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 1991 Miss Saigon
Drama Desk for Miss Saigon
Outer Critics Circle for Miss Saigon
Theatre World Award for Miss Saigon

Technorati Tags Les,Lea,Salonga,Miserables,Laurence,Olivier,Award,Miss,Saigon

New Blog Layout

2008-07-11T14:52:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a long time since I've updated this blog and now I'm sort of reconnecting again. At the moment I would say that motherhood had pre-occupied my time and it was very rewarding. It's amazing how my baby, 6 months old, developed in a month. He crawls, sits and stands like an 8 month old baby and I wouldn't be surprised if next month he'll start walking already. I'll have to post his new photos in Shutterfly so all of you could see him and link it back again to my photo gallery.

Finally, I've built a flexible layout for my blog wherein I could integrate all the elements I would like to feature and share with my friends. Thanks to the help of Blogger BusterMaster Amanda, Annie of Blog U and Peter Chen of Blogger Tips and Tricks. Without formal training in html and CSS coding it seems quite impossible to do all the necessary changes. But my patience paid of in the end.

With the help of tutorials, I was able to maximize spaces used in my blog. From the 2 column layout I had once used, I switched to a stretched 3 column layout with a 3 column footer (Annie of Blog U calls it the cellar). Finally, I had decluttered my blog with unnecessary widgets and notes. Visitors now could navigate the site with ease because everything is organized.

These are the following features added in the site:

Recent Post section (sidebar)
Shared Items of the author/writer
Favorite Links
Twitter notes (thought you might be interested what keeps me busy all the time)
Navigation menu with links to myprofile, food blog (In My Kitchen), my shop at Zlio and Photo Gallery
Google chat

At the moment, I am working on an added element, which is the I-Share where I will post the Movies I Watch, Books I Read and Video Tutorials. I just hope Wix, my new web/widget designer discovery, would fix the bug in their software so I could publish soon the features I had mentioned. And by the way, I will post a different article for my review of WIX...do count on that!

So until then again and happy reading!

Elaine