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So much to blog about, so little time....

Though I am neither for Erap or any political side, these news doesn't make me happy at all. What about the others, does that leave president Arroyo excluded from prosecution with her election scam? What about the Marcos family and their hidden wealth, they must have hidden it so well that until now the PCGG wasn't able to extract anything from them? I want to believe that this is merely a political decision, a strategy to elude the truth and eliminate enemies. When are we going to learn fom our mistakes when we keep on doing the same idiocy over and over again?

For all the victims of the plane crash in Phuket, Thailand, my sincere condolence to your friends and families.





Lesson learned:
Many Westerners love to go for some great ride of adventure to Asia. The thrill of meeting the unknown is truly an unforgetable experience for a young traveller. Still that doesn't give anyone an excuse to be negligent and irresponsible. Know the place where you are going and which time of the year is safe there for travelling. You don't want to be thwarted with a deranged typhoon in the middle of the sea or in the air with a plane.

Do not assume that everything is fine all the time considering you are in a third world country. Asking won't hurt a bit if that means saving your life and your family. Ask experienced travellers, even better the locals because they know better than you do.

How many of you are familiar with the music composer Vangelis? I am betting that 80% of you doesn't know him either. But if I mention "Chariots of Fire", I am sure you'd be reminded of his great accomplishment. These soundtrack was written and recorded for the 1981 film of the same title. This composition had actually become a major international chart hit. It had won number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 1982 and #12 in the UK Singles Chart, in addition to winning the Academy award winning score for the same movie title.

This other composition of Vangelis, "1492: Conquest of Paradise" was made to score a film about Christopher Columbus, 500th anniversary commemoration of his voyage to the New World. The film didn't really make it big in the tills but was still nominated as "Best Original Score - Motion Picture" at the 1993 Golden Globe awards.

For me, with or without nomination, the music was exceptional. You get to listen to the music and you get dillusional and highly spirited. Listening to it, not just the opening song but the whole soundtrack, gives you some mystical excitement and a connection to the unknown. This music is suitably grand in scale and I recommend you listen to it. PLEEASE!


Vanglis: 1492 - Conquest of Paradise



Vangelis -Chariots of Fire

It's been quite a while since I've listened to classical music but now that I have time my preference is always Tchaikovsky's work. There are other immortal classics like the compositions of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms and Vivaldi but my favorite is Tchaikovsky's masterpieces.

If there is some genius with violin compositions, on top of my list is Tchaikovsky. My great appreciation for this magical instrument, the violin, came when my husband introduced me to gypsy music. And now that my son is learning how to play this instrument, the appreciation heightened to some great aspiration. Perhaps to see my son play with an orchestra or even Tchaikovsky's compositions would be a dream come true.

I know that not everyone likes classical music. We must not be secluded to the notion that this music is some kind of sleep-inducing therapy. If there are, then Tchaikovsky's work is not one of them. You have to listen to his music in order to believe what I am saying. I have posted his violin concerto, movement 1, 2 & 3 in this blog but please take time to listen to his masterpiece. Maybe then it will change your misconceptions…maybe then you like classical music and you will tell me that Tchaikovsky is a REAL genius! Happy listening!


Jascha Heifetz plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto: 1st mov.




David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (2nd Mov.)




David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (3rd Mov.)




In an attempt to discern more about the man behind such wonderful workmanship, I am compelled to make a small research about him. And these are the things I learned:

1. Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on April 25, 1840 in a small town of Udmurtia in Russia.
2. He was the son of a mining engineer in the government mines and the second of his three wives, Alexandra, a Russian woman of French ancestry.
3. Musically inclined and intelligent, Pyotr began piano lessons at age five with a local woman, Mariya Palchikova, and within three years could read music as well as his teacher.
4. Despite Tchaikovsky's homosexuality, he got married to Antonina Miliukova, who persistently wrote her passionate letters. But two weeks after the wedding the composer supposedly attempted suicide by putting himself into the freezing Moscow River. Once recovered from the effects of that, he fled to St Petersburg his mind verging on a nervous breakdown. He never returned to his wife after that but did send her a regular allowance through the years. Though they never again lived with each other, they remained legally married until his death.
5. Tchaikovsky wrote several works well known among the general classical public—Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture and Marche Slave.
6. Tchaikovsky is well known also for his ballets, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.
7. He also completed ten operas, although one of these is mostly lost and another exists in two significantly different versions. In the West his most famous operas are Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades.
8. Tchaikovsky demonstrated the Romantic ideals of color, emotional expressiveness, and dramatic intensity. He fused many elements of his style into a single symphonic experience — his love of dance and folk music, his feelings of the Russian countryside and people, and his sense of Fate.
9. Tchaikovsky was also typically Romantic in his choice of subject matter in his operas and symphonic poems. He leaned toward doomed lovers and heroines — Romeo and Juliet, Francesca and Paolo (Francesca da Rimini), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), even the title character from his abandoned opera Undina.
10. He died of cholera on Nov. 6, 1893 at the age of 53.

Starting this week, I would be posting relevant videos and articles on world news about health, technology, politics and entertainment. Knowledge is power, so just by reading these valuable news and informations we keep ourselves updated on what is happening around us.

You could post comments on them so you could relay your messages to all our readers. Enjoy viewing and reading.

E.B.

This vacation I was so happy to dispose many of the magazines my husband had been storing for a long time, I guess even before we got married. Most of the stuff was old home designing magazines which I couldn't even read as they are written in Hungarian and Slovak language. Anyway, just to satisfy my curiosity I took one last glance of the pack and I was bemused of the photos of European houses and how stylish they are. I don't wonder anymore why my husband had a hard time disposing these reading materials….in a sense they are valuable. They are to me actually!

I have to make one important and hard decision, a fair one so at least I could still keep the photos I admire the most. Cutting and scanning them was the easiest and logical thing I thought about. I just couldn't keep it by myself; someone else has to see it that's why I am sharing it now to you. First and foremost I have kept the house design I am saving for my future house. It reminds me of the bungalow house we had in the Philippines where I and my siblings had grown up. This makes me feel at home and safe (especially for the children). I am not really a fan of big and multi-storey houses so this is the ideal floor plan for me.










As you can see in the first photo the rooms were located on the right side of the house. There were exactly 5 rooms but one could be converted into a new bathroom with extended closet. Ideally, this is exactly what my family needs right now as we opted on extending the amount of children we have. The 4th one will be coming out next year, due date is on the 5th of January. (just an added information)

The next floor plan has only 3 bedrooms although I could still see the flexibility of its design. Another bedroom and bathroom could be added also, of course depending on the need of the family.









This kitchen resembles the one we have right now although the shade we have is much darker. The ambience is somewhat cool.





There is nothing more remarkable than to see a neat and clean kitchen. Who says there is no such a thing! I personally know women who like to keep their kitchens uncluttered and organized. Trying to keep one is one of my goal also, something I have to work on right away. Really….that should be your goal too!










I would be adding more next time. There are still more photos to share with you, happy reading!

I like…
I like chocolate cakes.
I like cakes with fruits.
I like fruits that are sweet.
I like sweet potatoes.
I like potatoes in stew.
I like stew recipes.
I like recipes from reliable and famous chefs.
I like chefs who prepare fast, healthy and light meals.
I like meals prepared at home.
I like homebody individuals.
I like individuals who are honest and sincere.
I like sincere friends.
I like friends who help you in times of trouble and have words of honor.
I like honor as it is synonymous with love.
I like love as it gives life.
I like life as I love and adore my family.
I like my family and they are the center of my being.
I like being because it is the reflection of my Creator.
I like my Creator and I thank Him for all His blessings.
I like His blessings because they made my world wonderful and whole.


Did you notice the pattern? You could make one for yourself. It seemed that I learned a lot about myself doing this exercises. It is simply a reflection of who you are. Tell me what you like and write down a similar list in the comments section.

There had been a time when I was really trying to find some unique of presenting the photos of my family to friends and relatives. I had tried PowerPoint but I was not satisfied with my work…as if something is really missing. And although I did compressed the file already, the mission to send it by email is impossible (or I just didn't know the proper way). Anyway, either way I have given up trying because it's just wasting my time.

Luckily, I found out (though a little bit too late already) from friends in Friendster that there are many ways to create slides for your photos. The best one that I encountered was this site called SLIDE. The features of the site were quite user-friendly and there are many ways to customize your design. There are many styles to choose from wherein you could change your theme, skin, effects and even add a background music.

See what I have done with the photos I had in Friendster. You could import photos from other sites like Photobucket, and Flickr. There's no limit to your creativity…so try it now and enjoy your photos.

This is the first time in Israel that Coca Cola will be manufactured as a popular drink without preservatives or artificial food coloring. It seems that more and more Israelis are becoming health conscious these days.

Coca-Cola Israel will actually be the first to produce a healthier version of the drink, while at the same time maintaining its taste, shelf-life, and of course, kashrut. Our thanks to Muzi Werthiem, Cola-Cola Israel's owner who initiated the change. The move, as they say, commenced after receiving market surveys which clearly showed the Israeli consumer's preference of products without preservatives and artificial colorings. I am hoping that other countries will follow this motion after all, people worldwide are becoming environmental oriented.

So for those Coca Cola lovers....you could now drink much to your gusto! And for those who still wants to know more about their favorite drink, read on to some interesting details.


Coca Cola was actually invented as a patent medicine, called cocawine, in the late 19th century by a certain John Pemberton in Covington, Georgia. It's first name was Pemberton's French Wine Coca. But then it was sold to a businessman, named Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft drink market throughout the 20th century.

The beverage was named Coca-Cola because, originally, the stimulant mixed in the beverage was coca leaves from South America. In addition, the drink was flavored using kola nuts, also acting as the beverage's source of caffeine. Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose, whereas, in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola did once contain an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass but after 1904 Coca-Cola started using, instead of fresh leaves, "spent" leaves - the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with cocaine trace levels left over at a molecular level. However, as cocaine is one of numerous alkaloids present in the coca leaf, it was nevertheless present in the drink. Today, the flavoring is still done with kola nuts and the "spent" coca leaf. In the United States, there is only one plant (in New Jersey) authorized by the Federal Government to grow the coca plant for Coca-Cola syrup manufacture.

Coca-Cola was initially sold as a patent medicine for five cents a glass at soda fountains, which were popular in the United States at the time thanks to a belief that carbonated water was good for the health. Mr. Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured a myriad of diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence. The first sales were made at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886, and for the first eight months only nine drinks were sold each day.

Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894, and cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.

The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the Biedenharn Candy Company in 1891.

The original bottles sold were Biedenharn bottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design that is now so familiar.

In 1995, after the success of the double-blind taste tests indicating that most consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi (which had more lemon oil, less orange oil, and used vanillin rather than vanilla) to Coke, Coca Cola changed it's formula and created the "New Coke". It seems that the drinkers prefer more the taste of Pepsi because of it's sweeter taste. Follow-up taste tests revealed that most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both Coke and Pepsi.

The commercial failure of New Coke as a grievous blow to the management of the Coca-Cola Company. Because of some protests, it has caused the company to return to the old formula under the name Coca-Cola Classic on July 10, 1985.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest consumer of natural vanilla extract.

On February 7, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company announced the launching of a Diet Coke, product sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose ("Splenda"), the same sweetener currently used in Pepsi One.

On March 21, 2005, it announced another diet product, "Coca-Cola Zero", sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Recently Coca-Cola has begun to sell a new "healthy soda," Diet Coke with Vitamins B6, B12, A, and C added.

The original copy of the formula of Coke (which is a secret, by the way) is held in SunTrust Bank's main vault in Atlanta. A popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive having only half the formula.[18] The truth is that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting access to only two executives, each knows the entire formula and others, in addition to the prescribed duo, have known the formulation process.

A certain Earl Dean made the famous Contour Coca-Cola Bottle.The famous Coca-Cola logotype was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. It was Robinson who came up with the name, and he also chose the logo’s distinctive cursive script, known as Spencer.

In January 2007, Coca-Cola Canada changed "Coca-Cola Classic" labelling, removing the "Classic" designation, leaving only "Coca-Cola". Coca-Cola stated this is merely a name change and the product remains the same.

Pepsi is often second to Coke in terms of sales, but outsells Coca-Cola in some localities.

In the 1970s, a song from a Coca-Cola commercial called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", produced by Billy Davis, became a popular hit single.

Selena was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 till the time of her death. She filmed three commercials for the company. In 1994 to commemorate her 5 years with the company, Coca-Cola issued special Selena coke bottles.

Coca-Cola was the first-ever sponsor of the Olympic games, at the 1928 games in Amsterdam and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since.

Coca-Cola is the official soft drink of the Georgia Bulldogs.

In England, Coca-Cola is the main sponsor of The Football League, a name given to the three professional divisions below the Premier League in football (soccer).

There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in Arab countries due to Coke's early investment in Israel during the Arab League boycott of Israel (this contrasts sharply to Pepsi which stayed out of Israel).[51] Mecca Cola has been successful in the Middle East as an alternative.

The Coca-Cola Company has produced and have been marketing other cola drinks such as Sprite, Fanta, Pibb, Powerade, and others.

Types of Coke
Coca-Cola
New Coke (renamed Coke II)
Diet Coke (also known as Coca-Cola Light)
Caffeine free Coca-Cola Classic
Caffeine free Diet Coke
Diet Coke Plus
Coca-Cola C2
Coca-Cola Zero
Coca-Cola Cherry Zero
Coca-Cola Cherry
Diet Coke Cherry
Coca-Cola with Lemon
Diet Coke with Lemon
Coca-Cola Vanilla
Diet Coca-Cola Vanilla
Coca-Cola with Lime
Diet Coke with Lime
Coca-Cola Raspberry
Diet Coke Raspberry
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
Diet Coke Cherry Vanilla
Coca-Cola Blāk
TaB (original Diet Coke, still available in some countries)


Things You Don't Know About Coca Cola
1. Slogans Coca Cola Company had used since 1886
1886 - Drink Coca-Cola.
1904 - Delicious and refreshing.
1905 - Coca-Cola revives and sustains.
1906 - The great national temperance beverage.
1908 - Good til the last drop
1917 - Three million a day.
1922 - Thirst knows no season.
1923 - Enjoy life
1924 - Refresh Yourself
1925 - Six million a day.
1926 - It had to be good to get where it is.
1927 - Pure as Sunlight
1927 - Around the corner from anywhere.
1928 - Coca-Cola ... pure drink of natural flavors.
1929 - The pause that refreshes.
1932 - Ice-cold sunshine.
1938 - The best friend thirst ever had.
1938 - Thirst asks nothing more.
1939 - Coca-Cola goes along.
1939 - Coca-Cola has the taste thirst goes for.
1939 - Whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of icecold Coca-Cola.
1942 - The only thing like Coca-Cola is Coca-Cola itself.
1948 - Where there's Coke there's hospitality.
1949 - Coca-Cola ... along the highway to anywhere.
1952 - What you want is a Coke.
1956 - Coca-Cola ... makes good things taste better.
1957 - Sign of good taste.
1958 - The Cold, Crisp Taste of Coke
1959 - Be really refreshed.
1963 - Things go better with Coke.
1969 - It's the real thing
1975 - Look Up America.
1976 - Coke adds life.
1979 - Have a Coke and a smile
1982 - Coke is it!
1985 - America's Real Choice
1986 - Red White & You (for Coca-Cola Classic)
1986 - Catch the Wave (for New Coke)
1987 - You Can't Beat the Feeling.
1989 - Can't beat the real thing.
1993 - Always Coca-Cola.
2000 - Enjoy.
2001 - Life tastes Good.
2003 - Real.
2003 - Japan No Reason.
2005 - Make It Real.
2006 - The Coke Side of Life.

Every Memorial Day of Soldiers in Israel (Yom Zicharon as they call in Hebrew)we get the chance to know the real heroes of this country. And who are these soldiers...these are the young soldiers, whose age ranges from 18-25, and whose lives where offered for the liberation of the zionist idealism. And considering the statistics of fallen soldiers here since 1947, when the United Nations accepted the partition thus mandating the creation of a Jewish State, there had been 22,526 dead soldiers and more than half of them are younger than age 25. That is quite a big amount considering how tiny Israel is and whose population is only 6M (that is even smaller than the amount of people living in Manila, Philippines).

It was a somber day for all Israelis. They view the warriors who fall in battle as those who sprout forth life. The life of a nation grew out of this blood... This day must be more than mourning and they expect everyone to remember and grieve. They grieve and yet refuse to believe. They refuse to be consoled because there is no consolation. The price is so heavy to bear for the establishment of the State of Israel.

I watched television and I see parents, wives, children and friends cry for the lost of their love ones. I cried also for their lost and all I could say was that these soldiers were amazing. One of the stories that touched my heart deeply was the story of Michael Levin, a young American who deliberately chose the hard, dirty, dangerous work of the IDF by coming to Israel to enlist in the IDF as a 'lone soldier' and died during the Lebanon war last year.

Many soldiers in Israel are trying to escape the hardships and shit of military life but these man tried and pushed himself to the edge to be in the front line to defend this county. That was unbelievable and noble in spirit.

Well according to the story, "Levin's 'crazy' passion for Israel was ignited during his years at Camp Ramah. While many campers became enthusiastic Zionists, Michael was unique - he never let go of passion for Israel. Levin said that her parents - both Holocaust survivors - had a major impact on Michael's Jewish identity. Their stories, she said, motivated him to leave his family and friends behind in the US, immigrate to Israel and enlist in the elite Paratroopers Brigade.

Michael's decision didn't come easily. His parents tried to convince him to stay in the US, go to college first and then move to Israel. His Holocaust-survivor grandfather offered to buy him the most expensive sports car if he stayed home. "Just pick one and you'll get it," was what Michael was told.

His love for Israel proved to be stronger, and while he partially acceded to his parents' wishes and before enlisting spent a year in Ulpan studying Hebrew and volunteering on a kibbutz, he ultimately enlisted in the IDF.

After arriving in Israel, Michael practically didn't waste his time adjusting to the Israeli way of life before starting IDF training. Michael fought for -- and received -- special permission to join the IDF almost right away. Once in, he fought again to get into the elite Paratroopers Brigade, becoming one of the few former Americans ever to do so. He had to fight against another disadvantage: he was so slightly built, so thin, that the first time he parachuted, he drifted off course. After that, they attached weights to his parachute.

Michael was an overachiever in everything he did. Not only was he an A+ student during his 2001 term at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, but everyone who knew him came away with a greater love for Israel themselves. "Michael always ran ahead of everyone else," Yael Ariel recalled. "No matter what it was, he volunteered to do it. When he come back to rejoin his unit, they tried to send him to Hevron, but again he fought -- he wanted to serve in Lebanon.

Michael was more than brave. Courage was part of his character.

"Was that brave?" Ariel asked. "That word doesn't really fit Michael - he was more than brave. Michael wasn't a person who did brave things. Instead, courage was part of his character. Like his coming alone to Israel to enlist in the IDF - that wasn't 'brave', so much as it was a reflection of who he was."

"In anything he did, we worked harder than anyone else," Rachel Tova Rott added. "When he was training, he weighed about 125 pounds, but part of the regimen was to run carrying a 120-pound pack. The pack weighted almost as much as he did, but he did it anyway."

Many of Michael's friends and family believe he had some premonition of his fate. "It upset me at the time," Rott says. "He'd say things like, 'if I come back', and 'if I get out of this'. I begged him to stop, not say that, but it wasn't as though he was depressed -- exactly the opposite. It was as though he knew what his job was, what he was supposed to do in this world. And -- just as he did with everything else -- he ran ahead to do it with enthusiasm, happy to be able to serve Israel. He was just the most remarkably upbeat, positive, kind and caring person I've ever met."

"Mike was a very spiritual guy," said Yitzhak Meir, another Jerusalem friend. "Shabbat will never be the same without him. Michael loved to sing zemirot, Shabbat songs. No matter how many we sang, he always wanted to sing one more. One time there was someone at the Shabbat table that wasn't really getting into it, and Mike was encouraging him, 'You gotta sing!' he said. 'You can't feel Shabbat unless you sing!' Then he'd start another song."

"Michael had a unique way of relating to everyone as their best friend," Meir said. "No matter who he was talking to, he made them feel special. In everything he did, he gave his all, whether it was listening to a friend, cheering at a football game, singing on Shabbat, or serving in the IDF."

There are no doubt hundreds of people all over the world who thought of Michael as his or her best friend. "I always knew that if there was ever a time when I needed help, for anything, I could call Michael and he'd come," Yael Ariel said. "If he was anywhere in the area, not on a mission, he'd be there, right away. It would never occur to him that it was too late, that it was a long way, or that he was exhausted himself. If someone needed him, he was there.

"The one thing that comforts me now is that Michael knew we loved him," Ariel said. "Sometimes when people pass away, you feel you should have told them more how much they meant to you, how much you loved them. But with Michael, he knew. He knew how much we all loved him, trusted him and appreciated him. That helps -- to know that he died understanding how much he meant to all of us."

Our Sages tell us that when a righteous person leaves this world, his presence can be felt more strongly in all the worlds than it was during his lifetime. Freed from his physical body, his influence will be even greater.

Michael himself may have understood that. About a month ago, he and a friend from a kibbutz were talking, lamenting the many losses Israel has suffered.. 'Why is it that all the good ones, the stong ones, die first?' the friend asked. Michael thought a moment, then said, "Maybe the real war is up there, and G-d needs them there."

Michael died On Tuesday, August 1, the day his unit, Battalion 101, had been clearing a building in Aita al-Shaab, a southern Lebanese town, when Hezbollah scored a direct hit with an anti-tank missile. Levin was laid to rest in Mount Hertzl Cemetery and was given a hero's ceremony and tribute.

To memorialize Michael's death, Levin's family have established the Michael Levin Memorial Fund for Israel, with the money designated to helping lone soldiers in Israel.

When the day would come when my son will be called to serve the army, should I feel proud of this exceptional sublimity or should I curse this country for taking my son out instead of leading a stable, quiet life? I don't want to see another mother crying again...that could be me. And what if my son would say, "I'd love to serve and give my life for Israel." Should I say no? Wherever Michael's parents got the strength to let him join the army, such depth was admirable and very inspiring. Could I do the same thing....only God knows. I think I'll cross the bridge when I get there!

Since grade school I've always been a poor writer. Just to write one paragraph and organize my thoughts, it would take me hours. To be in the field of journalism right now still makes me wonder. Was it sheer faith or there is really a writer in me that is blossoming….no one knows.

I found this list (written by Roy Peter Clark ) at Poynter Online, the website that helps you become a better journalist. Technical wise, my knowledge of journalism is limited and inadequate. If I have known that God would throw me in such predestination then I should have spent my time studying B.S. Communication in my college days (by the way, I am a B. S. Nursing graduate). But then it might not be too late to study again and learn things from scratch.

Use this quick list of Writing Tools as a handy reference. Copy it and keep it in your wallet or journal, or near your desk or keyboard. Share it and add to it.

I. Nuts and Bolts

1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs.
Make meaning early, then let weaker elements branch to the right.
2. Order words for emphasis.
Place strong words at the beginning and at the end.
3. Activate your verbs.
Strong verbs create action, save words, and reveal the players.
4. Be passive-aggressive.
Use passive verbs to showcase the "victim" of action.
5. Watch those adverbs.
Use them to change the meaning of the verb.
6. Take it easy on the -ings.
Prefer the simple present or past.
7. Fear not the long sentence.
Take the reader on a journey of language and meaning.
8. Establish a pattern, then give it a twist.
Build parallel constructions, but cut across the grain.
9. Let punctuation control pace and space.
Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think.
10. Cut big, then small.
Prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves.

II. Special Effects


11. Prefer the simple over the technical.
Use shorter words, sentences and paragraphs at points of complexity.
12. Give key words their space.
Do not repeat a distinctive word unless you intend a specific effect.
13. Play with words, even in serious stories.
Choose words the average writer avoids but the average reader understands.
14. Get the name of the dog.
Dig for the concrete and specific, details that appeal to the senses.
15. Pay attention to names.
Interesting names attract the writer – and the reader.
16. Seek original images.
Reject clichיs and first-level creativity.
17. Riff on the creative language of others.
Make word lists, free-associate, be surprised by language.
18. Set the pace with sentence length.
Vary sentences to influence the reader's speed.
19. Vary the lengths of paragraphs.
Go short or long -- or make a "turn"-- to match your intent.
20. Choose the number of elements with a purpose in mind.
One, two, three, or four: Each sends a secret message to the reader.
21. Know when to back off and when to show off.
When the topic is most serious, understate; when least serious, exaggerate.
22. Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction.
Learn when to show, when to tell, and when to do both.
23. Tune your voice.
Read drafts aloud.

III. Blueprints


24. Work from a plan.
Index the big parts of your work.
25. Learn the difference between reports and stories.
Use one to render information, the other to render experience.
26. Use dialogue as a form of action.
Dialogue advances narrative; quotes delay it.
27. Reveal traits of character.
Show character-istics through scenes, details, and dialogue.
28. Put odd and interesting things next to each other.
Help the reader learn from contrast.
29. Foreshadow dramatic events or powerful conclusions.
Plant important clues early.
30. To generate suspense, use internal cliffhangers.
To propel readers, make them wait.
31. Build your work around a key question.
Good stories need an engine, a question the action answers for the reader.
32. Place gold coins along the path.
Reward the reader with high points, especially in the middle.
33. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Purposeful repetition links the parts.
34. Write from different cinematic angles.
Turn your notebook into a "camera."
35. Report and write for scenes.
Then align them in a meaningful sequence.
36. Mix narrative modes.
Combine story forms using the "broken line."
37. In short pieces of writing, don’t waste a syllable.
Shape shorter works with wit and polish.
38. Prefer archetypes to stereotypes.
Use subtle symbols, not crashing cymbals.
39. Write toward an ending.
Help readers close the circle of meaning.

IV. Useful Habits


40. Draft a mission statement for your work.
To sharpen your learning, write about your writing.
41. Turn procrastination into rehearsal.
Plan and write it first in your head.
42. Do your homework well in advance.
Prepare for the expected -- and unexpected.
43. Read for both form and content.
Examine the machinery beneath the text.
44. Save string.
For big projects, save scraps others would toss.
45. Break long projects into parts.
Then assemble the pieces into something whole.
46. Take interest in all crafts that support your work.
To do your best, help others do their best.
47. Recruit your own support group.
Create a corps of helpers for feedback.
48. Limit self-criticism in early drafts.
Turn it loose during revision.
49. Learn from your critics.
Tolerate even unreasonable criticism.
50. Own the tools of your craft.
Build a writing workbench to store your tools.

I owe it my brother, Caloy for finding this glittermatic program that enables you to make glitter text and graphics. Although I haven't sent one yet to any of my friends and family, I could see already it's advantage when sending greetings and SMS, posting in forums and blogs. The glitter effect..or as you might say bling bling gives you some kind of identity, the privilege of becoming unique, extraordinary and important. Try some yourself in this link (http://www.blingyblob.com/glittermatic/) and tell me if I am correct.



Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!




Get free graphics at BlingyBlob.com!



Help me stop ....this is addictive! (Whahhhh!)

Harry Potter books are not just mere books...it's a legend already! In the beginning I read it out of curiosity but then I end up liking it and reading all the 6 books J. K. Rowling wrote. The books made the child in me live again. When I was young I love to fantasize about magic,and heroism and I was able to really connect with the plots of great dame Rowling. Your great!

Sometimes I just keep on wondering who is this wonderful and imaginative writer behind the Harry Potter character. Curious and puzzled as I was, I made my own research. Allow me to quote it from this site (http://www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter/default.asp?sec=1), as I don't want to miss any details about this extraordinay writer. Here is her story:

"J. K. (Jo) Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names.

Jo moved house twice when she was growing up. The first move was from Yate (just outside Bristol in the south west of England) to Winterbourne. Jo, her sister and friends used to play together in her street in Winterbourne. Two of her friends were a brother and sister whose surname just happened to be Potter! The second move was when Jo was nine and she moved to Tutshill near Chepstow in the Forest of Dean. Jo loved living in the countryside and spent most of her time wandering across fields and along the river Wye with her sister. For Jo, the worst thing about her new home was her new school.

Tutshill Primary School was a very small and very old-fashioned place. The roll-top desks in the classrooms still had the old ink wells. Jo's teacher, Mrs Morgan, terrified her. On the first day of school, she gave Jo an arithmetic test, which she failed, scoring zero out of ten. It wasn't that Jo was stupid - she had never done fractions before. So Jo was seated in the row of desks far to the right of Mrs Morgan. Jo soon realised that Mrs Morgan seated her pupils according to how clever she thought they were: the brightest sat to her left, and those she thought were dim were seated to her right. Jo was in the 'stupid' row, 'as far right as you could possibly get without sitting in the playground'.

From Tutshill Primary, Jo went to Wyedean Comprehensive. She was quiet, freckly, short-sighted and not very good at sports. She even broke her arm playing netball. Her favourite subject by far was English, but she also liked languages.

Jo always loved writing more than anything. 'The first story that I ever wrote down, when I was five or six, was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee. And ever since Rabbit and Miss Bee, I have wanted to be a writer, though I rarely told anyone so. I was afraid they'd tell me I didn't have a hope.'

At school, Jo would entertain her friends at lunchtime with stories. 'I used to tell my equally quiet and studious friends long serial stories at lunchtimes.' In these stories, Jo and her friends would be heroic and daring.

As she got older, Jo kept writing but she never showed what she had written to anyone, except for some of her funny stories that featured her friends as heroines.

After school, Jo attended the University of Exeter in Devon where she studied French. Her parents hoped that by studying languages, she would enjoy a great career as a bilingual secretary. But as Jo recalls, 'I am one of the most disorganised people in the world and, as I later proved, the worst secretary ever.' She claims that she never paid much attention in meetings because she was too busy scribbling down ideas. 'This is a problem when you are supposed to be taking the minutes of the meeting,' she says.

When she was 25, Jo started writing a third novel ('I abandoned the first two when I realised how bad they were'). A year later, she went to Portugal to teach English, which she really enjoyed. Working afternoons and evenings, she had mornings free to write. The new novel was about a boy who was a wizard.

When she returned to the UK, Jo had a suitcase full of stories about Harry Potter. She moved to Edinburgh with her young daughter and worked as a French teacher. She also set herself a target: she would finish the 'Harry' novel and get it published. In 1996, one year after finishing the book, Bloomsbury bought Jo's first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

'The moment I found out that Harry would be published was one of the best of my life,’ says Jo. A few months after 'Harry' was accepted for publication in Britain, an American publisher bought the rights for enough money to enable Jo to give up teaching and write full time - her life's ambition!"

It's quite sad that J. K. Rowling had finally ended the Harry Potter series. The last edition, entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released on July 21, 2007. For the fans of Harry Potter, there are many reasons why you shouldn't miss this last edition of his book. Read carefully:
1. The last chapter was written back in 1999; it dealt with "what happens to the survivors afterward"; the last word is scar; this chapter will still be tweaked
2. The book will contain a lot of the back story of the Potters
3. Aunt Petunia has never performed magic, and never will, but there's more to her than meets the eye; the letter left with Harry on the doorstep was not the first one Dumbledore sent Petunia
4. The Sorting Hat is not a horcrux, but there's more to it than what we've read in the first books
5. "Ravenclaw will have their day"
6. No book character has returned from the future
7. There is significance to the fact that Harry has his mother's eyes

For those who have just started reading the Harry Potter series, it might help to know the sequence of the books published.
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Happy reading!

Have you heard about this new craze about avatars? What is it actually? These are those little pictures that pop up by your name when you post something in forums, blogs and cellphones. There are no limits as to how you want your avatar to look like. Many websites give you a thousand options including the choice of clothing, facial features and themes. You could make as many as you want ...sky is the limit!

If you have noticed I posted one myself on this site. It was created at http://www.thedollpalace.com/ and I offer them my praises for a wonderful service and interface. The features remind me of the time when I was small and playing with paper dolls. It made me feel like I was young again...I enjoyed it very much!



After creating an avatar in this site, the image is sent to your email as an attachment. You could save this afterwards in your computer and presto...you could upload it in your messenger and forum. Posting it in your blog is not also difficult as you are given the html code. I didn't realize it's as simple as that!

Try also http://www.meez.com/home.dm . If you are looking for a more sophisticated 3D image then this is the site for you. Just make sure that your computer is Java enabled or else you wouldn't be able to use their program.

My folks, I would be happy then to see your avatars on your posts!

Someone told me before that blogging is kind of addictive. After successfully publishing my cooking blog (http://cookingwithelaine.blogspot.com/) here I am again blogging. I have created UNDER THE SUN to be able to write and share with my friends and family my life. Life is filled with wonderful things and learnings and that by sharing them to someone else you impart something valuable. Something good must come from this...if not, what the heck ....I will still blog anyway (hehehe...stop me if you can)!