Former Philippines President Corazon Aquino Dies

Corazon Aquino (1933 - 2009) Corazon Aquino, the unassuming widow whose "people power" revolution toppled a dictator, restored Philippine democracy and inspired millions of people around the world, died Saturday morning (Friday afternoon Eastern time) after a battle with colon cancer. She was 76.

Friday, July 31, 2009 By William Branigin Washington Post Staff Writer Corazon Aquino, the unassuming widow whose "people power" revolution toppled a dictator, restored Philippine democracy and inspired millions of people around the world, died Saturday morning (Friday afternoon Eastern time) after a battle with colon cancer, her family announced. She was 76. Widely known as "Cory," the slight, bespectacled daughter of a wealthy land-owning family served as president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992, the first woman to hold that position. She was widowed in 1983 when her husband, political opposition leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr., was assassinated upon his return from exile to lead a pro-democracy movement against authoritarian president Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was a popular revolt against Marcos following a disputed election that later enabled Corazon Aquino to assume power. In her six tumultuous years in office in the fractious, strife-torn, disaster-prone archipelago, Aquino resisted seven coup attempts or military revolts, battled a persistent communist insurgency and grappled with the effects of typhoons, floods, droughts, a major earthquake and a devastating volcanic eruption. Her tribulations earned her the nickname "Calamity Cory." As she dealt with those challenges, she took pride in restoring democratic institutions that had been gutted under Marcos's 20-year-rule. And she presided over a series of relatively free elections, the dismantling of monopolies and an initial spurt of economic growth. Her administration failed to make much headway in alleviating poverty, stamping out corruption or delivering basic services. It bequeathed her successor an economic slump marked by protracted, costly power failures that reflected inattention to the country's energy needs. Despite the turmoil that dogged her presidency, Aquino oversaw the first peaceful transfer of power in the Philippines in 26 years. She returned to private life with relief, although she remained politically active. She played a role in popular protests that led to the ouster of President Joseph Estrada in January 2001. She initially supported his successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but increasingly turned against her in recent years, siding with opponents who accused Arroyo of vote-rigging and corruption. Aquino's transition from housewife to president to respected elder stateswoman and democracy advocate represented a phenomenal metamorphosis for a self-effacing mother of five who, before being drafted to take on Marcos in 1986, had never before run for public office. Born Jan. 25, 1933, in Tarlac Province, Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco grew up as the sixth of eight children in a family of wealthy landowners in the province about 70 miles north of the capital. After attending exclusive grade schools, she went to the United States in 1946 to continue her secondary education at Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia, Notre Dame convent school in New York and the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York. There, in 1953, she earned a degree in French and mathematics. She returned to Manila to study law and met Benigno S. Aquino Jr., an aspiring politician whom she married in 1954. Survivors include their five children, Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III, Maria Elena A. Cruz, Aurora Corazon A. Abellada, Victoria Eliza A. Dee and Kristina Bernadette A. Yap; two brothers; three sisters; and a number of grandchildren. For years she stayed in the background as the quiet, reserved, devoutly Catholic wife of the gregarious and ambitious Benigno Aquino, who was a governor and senator and seemed destined to become the Philippines' president until he was arrested in 1972 just hours after Marcos declared martial law. He remained in prison until 1980, when Marcos allowed him to seek heart treatment in the United States. Corazon Aquino often described the next three years, when her husband was a fellow at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her family lived together in a Boston suburb, as the happiest in her life. After Benigno Aquino returned to Manila in August 1983 and was assassinated by military men while being taken into custody at the airport -- a killing that Corazon Aquino maintained was ordered by Marcos -- the 50-year-old widow reluctantly became a public figure as she sought to keep her husband's ideals and memory alive. She gradually emerged as a unifying force for the splintered opposition, even as she repeatedly ruled herself out as a presidential candidate. But when Marcos called a "snap election" for Feb. 7, 1986, in hopes of capitalizing on his foes' divisions and winning a new mandate, Aquino reluctantly agreed to run against him, acceding to the wishes of supporters who had gathered a million signatures on a petition for her candidacy. In formally registering to run, she listed her occupation as "housewife." Indeed, her preparation for the post was probably best summarized by her comment to reporters several months earlier: "What do I know about being president?" Clad in her trademark yellow -- evoking the yellow ribbons that had proliferated around Manila to mark her husband's return from exile -- Aquino proved to be a formidable, and fearless, campaigner. She vowed to "dismantle the dictatorial edifice" built by Marcos in his two decades in power, "eliminate the social cancer of graft and corruption" under his rule and hold him accountable for the murder of her husband. In one hard-hitting speech shortly before the election, she warned Marcos, "Don't you dare frustrate the will of the Filipino people, because you will have an angry people on your hands." Days before the vote, she told The Washington Post in an interview that many Filipinos were risking their fortunes and their lives to back her. "It's really a do-or-die situation now," she said. "So many have realized that this is our moment of truth, and they just have to give their all now or that chance may never come again." Aquino fully expected Marcos to resort to election fraud if the vote did not go his way, but she relied on the axiom that, as one Marcos campaign official put it in a moment of candor, "mathematically, you can only cheat so much." And she vowed to lead massive demonstrations if the election was stolen from her. Indeed, a rubber-stamp legislature officially proclaimed the reelection of Marcos to a new six-year term on Feb. 16, 1986, after a protracted vote-counting process marked by widespread fraud and violence. Aquino then launched a civil disobedience campaign to protest the result. Six days later, a military mutiny led by followers of Marcos's defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile, broke out in Manila. It was quickly joined by Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, a distant cousin of Marcos then serving as acting armed forces chief of staff. The mutineers declared support for Aquino, and the country's Roman Catholic primate, Cardinal Jaime Sin, called the faithful into the streets to block any attack on them by Marcos's forces. Millions of Filipinos responded, giving birth to "people power." Three days after the revolt began, Marcos was forced to flee the Malacañang presidential palace, where he had lived since taking office in December 1965. He eventually landed in Hawaii, where he died in 1989. Aquino took over as president, declaring that "the long agony is over." One of her first acts was to have Malacañang fumigated. But even then Aquino refused to live or work there, preferring to hold office in a nearby guest house and opting to live in a modest home a block away. Initially, she even insisted that her motorcades stop at red lights -- until her security guards put an end to that egalitarian gesture. The ouster of a dictatorship through nonviolent popular demonstrations became the model for democracy movements all over the world, and Aquino was named Time magazine's "Woman of the Year" for 1986. She was also the toast of Washington when she visited in September of that year. When she addressed a joint session of Congress, her path into the chamber was strewn with yellow roses, and lawmakers were smitten by her commitment to democracy as she delivered an emotional appeal for aid. "You have spent many lives and much treasure to bring freedom to many lands that were reluctant to receive it," Aquino told the standing-room-only audience. "And here you have a people who won it by themselves and need only the help to preserve it." Within hours, the House responded by unexpectedly bypassing normal procedures and voting to approve a $200 million emergency aid package for the Philippines. When then-Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) told her after the speech, "You hit a home run," Aquino replied without hesitation, "I hope the bases were loaded." But the honeymoon soon began to sour, and Aquino was beset at home by increasing unrest, including a series of military coup attempts. After one of them, in August 1987, she displayed her combative streak by filing an unprecedented libel suit against a Manila newspaper columnist who wrote that she "hid under her bed" during the abortive revolt. She even took a reporter into her bedroom to show that it would have been impossible to hide under the bed, which sat on a platform. "I don't want the soldiers of the republic to ever doubt for an instant that their commander-in-chef is a woman of courage that they look upon and respect," she said in explaining the lawsuit. When her presidential term came to an end on June 30, 1992, it was with unmistakable relief that she turned over the reins to her elected successor, Ramos, her former defense secretary. In a last bit of symbolism to show she was returning to private life as an ordinary citizen, she drove away from Ramos's inauguration in a white Toyota she had purchased, shunning the government Mercedes available to her. In a speech at the U.S. State Department in October 1996 to accept the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, Aquino explained her role and motives with characteristic modesty. "I am not a hero like [Nelson] Mandela," she said, referring to the South African leader who spent 27 years as a political prisoner before becoming president. "The best description for me might, after all, be that of my critics who said: 'She is just a plain housewife.' Indeed, as a housewife, I stood by my husband and never questioned his decision to stand alone in defense of a dead democracy against an arrogant dictatorship enjoying the support of the United States." She said she ruled out sharing power with the Philippine military because she wanted to "rebuild democracy" and "there was just no room for a junta" in her country. "Perhaps the military were also envious that in the first year of my term, I ruled by decree," Aquino said in her speech. "This was necessary to abolish the rubber-stamp parliament, sequester stolen wealth, annul the Marcos Constitution, pare down the powers of the president and sweep the judiciary clean. Each law I promulgated diminished my powers until, with the last decree, I stripped myself of the power to legislate. Could I have trusted the military to share so much power with me?" Her departure from office as "one of the proudest moments of my life," Aquino recalled. "I was stepping down and handing the presidency to my duly elected successor. This was what my husband had died for; he had returned precisely to forestall an illegal political succession. This moment is democracy's glory: the peaceful transfer of power without bloodshed, in strict accordance with law."

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Forget Sky-high Gas Prices, Biking Beats Them All!

Note: this article is part of this week’s EcoWorldly cycling series: Cycling and its importance in countries around the world.

What does it cost you to get to get around these days? How much was your fuel spend in May in the wake of the sky-high gas prices?

With global crude oil prices anywhere between US$ 120 and US$ 140 on an average week these days, it is highly likely that you are grimacing or gnashing your teeth each time you get to fill your tank at the pump.

But that is not all the gas costs you. It also depends with your choice. As more and more motorists around the world find ways to beat the high gas prices, quite a number are turning to ingenuity of the cheap, just to remain afloat in the bubbling sea of high oil prices.

In America, for instance, a friend tells me that a new craze (or is it culture) is slowly catching on - pedal power. The popularity of bicycles as gasoline prices hit the roof is on a remarkable rise in many US cities. Big automobile makers like General Motors seem to be seeing the light early enough and have announced plans to close several plants for manufacturing of their gluttony SUV models that still remain the darling of most Americans.

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How lucky is the number 25.......?

Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the epic "Thriller." Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists. DIED: JUNE 25TH

"Godfather of Soul" James Brown unleashed a string of rhythm-and-blues hits through the 1960s and early 1970s. His influence and work ethic earned him the reputation as "the hardest-working man in show business."

DIED: DECEMBER 25TH

Lisa Lopez was a singer in an R&B band TLC. Better known by her stage name “Left Eye”, Lisa Lopez got her stage name because she’d be wearing a pair of glasses with condom in place of the lens on her “left eye”.

DIED: APRIL 25TH

Talented. Beautiful. Modest. These three words described R&B singer-turned-actress Aaliyah perfectly. Born in Brooklyn, New York but raised in Detroit, Aaliyah got her first major exposure appearing on the syndicated television series "Star Search" (1983) where she awed the audience with her amazing voice and talent.

DIED: AUGUST 25TH

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JPMorgan profits a strong sign for banking sector

The JPMorgan Chase building in Manhattan, New York. The US banking giant has posted a quarterly profit of 2.7 billion dollars saying the increase represented a 36 percent boost over the same period last year, driven by record revenues and strong results from investment and retail banking.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - – JPMorgan Chase provided more evidence of a recovering banking sector, posting a surprisingly strong quarterly profit of 2.7 billion dollars in a critical earnings week for the industry.

Thursday's report by the second-largest US bank by assets followed a better-than-expected report from Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs earlier in the week.

The rebound in the troubled sector, into which the US government injected tens of billions of dollars to help ease a global credit crisis, gets another test Friday with quarterly results from Citigroup and Bank of America.

Both firms still are holding billions in government capital, unlike Goldman and JPMorgan, which have repaid the US Treasury. The market expects Bank of America, the largest US bank in terms of assets, to post a profit. Citi is expected to post a loss. The number-three bank, which needed special help from the government to weather the financial crisis, lost 18.72 billion for all of 2008 before returning to the black with first-quarter earnings of 1.6 billion dollars. Yet the improving outlook for the sector is clouded by a potential collapse of large business lender CIT Group, which failed in its bid for a fresh government bailout and appeared headed for bankruptcy. Simon Johnson, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said CIT is not "too big to fail" despite its large portfolio. "CIT's small and mid-size customers are important to the recovery. But the reckoning is that this business can be easily sold to someone else -- after all, this is exactly what bankruptcy can get right in the US," Johnson wrote on the blog "The Baseline Scenario." JPMorgan said its profit in the second quarter was a 36 percent increase over the same period last year, driven by record revenues and strong results from investment and retail banking. Revenues jumped 41 percent from a year ago to to a record 27.7 billion dollars. The profit translated to 28 cents per share, far above the four cents analysts had predicted. The market had also expected lower revenues of 25.9 billion dollars. "JPMorgan's earnings exceeded the most positive expectations as its profits rose for the first time since 2007," said Kent Engelke, chief economic strategist at Capitol Securities Management. Some said the results were skewed by certain segments of the business and that consumer banking remained weak. "JPMorgan's earnings were well above forecasts, but the company said its credit card business is unlikely to make money next year," said Scott Marcouiller at Wells Fargo Advisors. The financial giant in June repaid the US government in full for the capital injection of 25 billion dollars under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and had paid a total of 795 million dollars in dividends on the preferred stock. JPMorgan Chase has remained profitable throughout the worst financial crisis in decades but along with other major banks accepted US government capital as part of the effort to stabilize the financial system. The group sought to reimburse the government after so-called stress tests to ensure major banks had enough capital to withstand a deeper downturn. The strong quarterly results came on the heels of Goldman Sachs's report of a profit of 3.44 billion dollars, also better than expected. Despite the robust earnings, JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon said "these results were negatively affected by the continued high levels of credit costs in consumer lending and card services, which we expect will remain elevated for the foreseeable future." "Throughout this crisis, we have remained committed to doing our part to help bring stability to the communities in which we operate and to the financial system overall," the chief executive said.

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Duty-free stores closed

A change in the duty-free shopping laws has resulted in the closure of several supermarkets and shops at the Moc Bai Border Economic Zone at the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Much to the surprise of shoppers, 46 of the 48 businesses in the zone in southern Tay Ninh Province have shut their doors this month. The remaining two are struggling to survive on their remaining customers, mainly Cambodians. Winmart, the third and largest duty-free market in Moc Bai which opened on May 17, was open for business last week but with a complete lack of customers. Moc Bai Economic Zone Authority Deputy Chief Le Van Tuong told Tuoi Tre the retailers had stopped trading in the wake of a government decision to only allow foreign visitors to buy duty-free goods. The ban on Vietnamese passport-holders buying duty-free goods in border economic zones took effect on July 1. Before the ban took effect, Vietnamese shoppers were the main customers at the zone’s duty-free stores, Tuong said. When duty is imposed on the goods sold in the zone, they actually cost more in Moc Bai than in other places because of transportation costs, on top of the import tax, special consumption tax and value-added tax (VAT).

he Winmart superstore is completely deserted after the government changed its duty-free policies.

“How can we attract customers with that policy?” a company director asked. A Vietnamese-Canadian businessman said he invested some US$12 million in his store at the Hiep Thanh Trade Center in the Moc Bai Border Economic Zone but business had been getting worse over the past three years. “At first, each buyer was allowed to buy VND500,000 ($28) of duty-free items per day, then the limit was reduced to VND500,000 each week and now there’s a ban,” he said. “If the situation continues, I will be forced to shut down my store.” At the request of Moc Bai economic zone authority, Tay Ninh Province People’s Committee has asked the government to reconsider the policies that apply to the zone. The government’s decision has also affected businesses in the duty-free economic zone at the Tinh Bien Border in southern An Giang Province, which are now on the verge of bankruptcy. “The previous duty-free policies boosted investment in infrastructure and trade at border gates,” said An Giang Border Economic Department Deputy Chief Le Huu Trang. “The decision (to change the duty-free rules) will surely put a halt to all licensed projects,” Trang said.

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Winner downs 68 to win hot-dog eating contest

Joey Chestnut (2nd L) is announced the winner over Takeru Kobayashi of Japan (2nd R) at Nathan's annual hot dog eating contest in the Coney Island section of New York July 4, 2009. Chestnut set a world record by eating 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhuanet) --Joey Chestnut of San Jose, Calif. chomped down a record 68 hot dogs, capturing his third straight July Fourth contest at Coney Island of New York, according to media reports Monday. As soon as he knew he had won, he shot his right fist into the air, his mouth still bulging while he chewed the last of his wieners at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. It is an annual showcase for flamboyant hot dogging contestants eager to show they really are what they eat. The 25-year-old Chestnut played following his 68 to 64 1/2 dog victory over his Japanese rival, six-time titleholder Takeru Kobayashi. His lead was a contrast to 2005, when Kobayashi trounced Chestnut 49 dogs to 32 dogs. And the number of dogs consumed showed how far the contest has come since the first one in 1916, when 13 dogs were enough to win. Even by 2000, 25 dogs secured victory.

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4 killed, 19 injured in Japan game parlor fire

TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Four people died and at least 19 people were injured in a fire at a game center in the city of Osaka on Sunday afternoon, local press reported, quoting police and firefighter sources. They are still investigating whether there are other people who failed to escape from the game parlor, they said, while some reports said a man around 30 years old had started the fire. The police said they have started an investigation into the fire as a case involving murder and arson, according to Kyodo News. The four dead are a man in his 60s and three women, while five of the 19 injured were in serious condition, the firefighters said. Witnesses reported seeing one woman fleeing from the building with her back on fire. When the fire started at around 4:10 p.m., some 100 people, including employees, were in the parlor, while another 30 people were on the upper floors. Around 50 fire engines and one helicopter battled the fire and extinguished it about 25 minutes later, Kyodo said. A 28-year-old office worker said he saw a man around 30 years old hanging around the pachinko parlor with a can of kerosene in the basket at the front of his bicycle shortly before the fire broke out. "I wondered why the man was carrying it in the summer," he said.

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Michael Jackson's funeral to be open to the public.

Plans for Michael Jackson's funeral are slowly coming together. His father, Joe Jackson, announced that the memorial will be large and open to the public. No doubt the turnout for the ceremony will be extraordinary. If there's one thing Michael Jackson's death has proven, it's that his fans and all those who loved him have not gotten less loyal over the years.

Speaking at a press conference, Joe Jackson revealed that as of yet, there is no date for the funeral as the family is not planning to set a date until they know exactly how Michael died. A first autopsy proved inconclusive, and the family is now awaiting the results of a second one. Said Joe Jackson, "We aren't ready for [releasing information on the funeral.] We don't have the time frame yet because we want to see when the private autopsy comes out." Addressing Michael Jackson's fans he said, "The family and I are very proud to see all of you come out here and help us with this whole situation because we know that we do have fans all over the world and we know that we're loved all over the world. But one thing that I wish could have happened - I wish that Michael could be here to see all of this. [We] had to wait until something happened like this before it could be realized. Michael was a superstar... he was loved all over the world." Joe Jackson also addressed the criticism he's received for plugging his record label on Sunday night while being interviewed on the red carpet at the BET awards. In response to some people's criticisms that it was the wrong time and place for such a plug, Jackson said, "Now I was asked that question and I answered just like it was asked because they wanted to know what else I was doing." Because we do believe Joe Jackson is genuinely in mourning, we'll bite our tongues.

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Security ties top unity effort

Crucial to economic success, summit told ( bangkorpost)

PHETCHABURI : Political and security cooperation among members will be the springboard for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' plan to build economic success.

Pimpen Vejjajiva,second left, wife of Prime Minister Abhisit, and the wives of the other Asean leaders, the group secretary-general and Thai foreign minister tour Mrigadayavan Palace in Cha-am. SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL

A pledge to foster ties on political and security issues is one of three areas endorsed by 10 Asean leaders at the end of their summit Sunday. The others were to cooperate on the economy and in social and cultural areas.

Asean aims to achieve a European Union-like community by 2015.

A 19-page declaration sets out a vision of Asean as "a rules-based community of shared values and norms, a cohesive peaceful, stable and resilient region with shared responsibility for comprehensive security, as well as a dynamic and outward-looking region in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world", according to the chairman's statement.

Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said the results of the Asean defence ministers' meeting in Pattaya last week, which reinforced Asean ability to deal with non-traditional security challenges such as disaster with more cooperation with civil society organisations, would help strengthen political and security ties within Asean. His predecessor, Ong Keng Yong, said the summit's adoption of the political and security blueprint was a milestone for Asean success. "This will create a good atmosphere as all member countries are pledging and preparing to extend more cooperation in the political and security areas. However, more confidence will be acquired through a step-by-step process," said Mr Ong, now ambassador at large to the foreign ministry of Singapore. "We can't achieve economic agenda if we don't have political and security cooperation." He conceded that the commitment to drawing up a blueprint would not solve bilateral disputes within the region but said it would "set the ball rolling". Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Asean leaders did not discuss the drafting process for the establishment of the Asean Human Rights Body. He said the body to be set up at the next Asean summit in October was not a "magic pill" to end human right violations in the region. "The establishment of the body to promote and protect human rights of Asean people would be one of the most important undertakings to make Asean a genuinely people-oriented community," he said. The chairman's statement did not offer solutions specifically to the Rohingya situation when he discussed boat people from Burma. "We refer to illegal migrants in the Indian Ocean since the term is wider, covering more groups of people, not only the Bengali or Rohingya people," he said. Mr Abhisit and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said the issue would be addressed among countries of origin, transit and destination. "Now the issue will be on the regional agenda, Thailand will no longer be a defendant in the eyes of the world's community," Mr Abhisit said. On Burma, the Asean leaders did not mention the name of pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. The chairman's statement only said the release of political detainees and the inclusion of all parties in the process leading to the general elections in 2010 would contribute to national reconciliation. Keep this page into your personal bookmark:

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Blind Date' makes the boys blush

Written by STEPHANIE MEE

Friday, 13 February 2009

Love-hungry contestants competing to win a Valentine's Day dinner date amuse the audience with humorous, thoughtful and slightly naughty answers at Talkin' to a Stranger Photo by: Anita Surewicz Blind Date contestants await the verdict. Photo by: Anita Surewicz One of the happy couples. In the spirit of Valentine's Day and matchmaking, Phnom Penh bar and restaurant Talkin' to a Stranger hosted its first Blind Date game Wednesday night. Modelled on the popular '60s and '70s TV show The Dating Game, the object of the game was for one single lady and one single man to question a panel of three potential dates hidden from their sight, and to choose one person to go on a romantic Valentine's Day date, based solely on the answers to their questions. Host Kevin Britton kicked off the night by introducing the two dates to the audience: Adele, an ESL teacher from Liverpool, England, and Dan, an American artist from Chicago. Both were quickly escorted to the upper balcony and given their three questions, which had been hand-picked from audience contributions. Next, the panel of contestants made up of three single ladies and three single men were brought out and seated on the stage below. Each contestant was given a shooter for good luck, and the game began. Adele's first question read, "If we had an evening at my place watching TV, what would you like to watch?" Bachelor No 2 was quick to answer: "Nothing. We would turn the TV off" - to which the audience responded with numerous catcalls. Bachelor No 3, also quick to answer, responded with "Porn", earning him a round of laughter. Bachelor No 1 stumbled a bit, but eventually came up with: "A corny American reality show so we could spend time criticising it and thinking ‘Who would be so stupid to watch this?'" Prior questions included, "If we went on a couple of dates and your friends told you to drop me, what would you do?" and "If you were a teacher and I was a bad, bad girl, how and where would you punish me?" In the end, it was Bachelor No 2's quick wit that won over Adele, and the lucky Prateek and Adele won a romantic Valentine's Day dinner for two at Malis restaurant, as well as an unlimited bar tab that night at Talkin' to a Stranger. The girls compete Next up was Dan, whose first question was, "Where would you take me for a really romantic dinner?" Bachelorette No 3 answered: "I think the sunsets in Phnom Penh are astonishing, so I'd take you out in a speedboat with a bottle of Champagne, and take you around the river." Bachelorette No 1 followed in the same vein. "I'd take you to Snowy's for sunset cocktails and then to a restaurant on the other side of the river." But Bachelorette No 2 earned the loudest round of applause with the classic, yet simple, "Your place or mine?" Dan's following questions included: "We all know that the sexiest part of a woman is her eyes, but what other part of your body do you consider the sexiest?" and "Some people like to scream ‘Daddy, Daddy' in bed. What would you scream and why?" After a slew of humourous and slightly naughty answers, Dan finally opted for the sexy but sweet Polara, and the couple won a Valentine's Day dinner for two at Topaz, champagne from Quatro, and a bar tab at Talkin' to a Stranger for Saturday night. Postgame wrap-up Following the game, the lucky couples were given the opportunity to converse, to get to know each other and trade information before Saturday's dates. After a quick chat, Adele and Prateek both retired to their respective groups of friends. "I'm not looking for a husband, but I'm looking forward to having a few laughs," Adele said. Prateek seemed to share the same outlook, but added, "You never know. In Phnom Penh, anything can happen." Polara and Dan seemed to have a few more things to talk about, as they spent a good portion of the evening chatting over cocktails at the bar. "I definitely picked the most interesting, coolest girl," said Dan. Polara seemed just as smitten. "I'm pretty excited, as this will be my first date in about two years." The event was sponsored by AsiaLIFE magazine, restaurants Topaz and Malis, AusKhmer, Quatro wines and The Secretary.

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What is meaning of Valentine’s Day in Khmer?

Day of 14^th of February, called Valentine’s Day, is the day that Cambodian young teenagers are waiting for the day and they always regards this day as their special day for their lovers, especially boyfriends and girlfriends. It is obverted that, this day comes, many street flower stall have been set up and price of roses is going up, not like usual day. I personally do not understand well its meanings and definition of “Valentine’s Day” and I never take care of it.

The meaning of Valentine’s Day, saying that:

Valentine’s Day is the annual holiday honoring lovers. It is celebrated on February 14 by the custom of sending greeting cards or gifts to express affection. The cards, known as valentines, are often designed with hearts to symbolize love. Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery.

The history of Valentine’s Day is obscure, and further clouded by various fanciful legends. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Its roots are obscured by mystery and there are varying opinions about it. Its origins have become themes of many legends.

According to legend, the holiday has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis/Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15. As Christianity came to dominance in Europe, pagan holidays such as Lupercalia were frequently renamed for early Christian martyrs. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be the feast day of the Roman martyr Saint Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century.

Which St. Valentine this early pope intended to honor remains a mystery. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were at least three early Christian saints by that name. One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni, and of a third St. Valentine almost nothing is known except that he met his end in Africa. Rather astonishingly, all three Valentines were said to have been martyred on Feb. 14.

Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. The history of St. Valentine’s Day has two legends attached to it - the Protestant and the Catholic legend. According to both legends, Valentine was a bishop who held secret marriage ceremonies of soldiers in opposition to Claudius II who had prohibited marriage for young men and was executed by the latter. Although many scholars agree that Lupercalia was moved from Feb. 15th to the 14th and was Christianized by associating it with this St. Valentine character, it is still unclear just who the historical St. Valentine was. One school of thought believes that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest/bishop of Rome in about the year 270 A.D.

At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict forbidding marriage. This was around when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire’s boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. He believed it made the men weak. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.

Valentine, realized the injustice of the decree. Seeing the trauma of young lovers, he met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. He defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. But Claudius soon learned of this “friend of lovers,” and had him arrested.

While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. The Catholic legend has it that through the vehicle of his strong faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius’ daughter, a phenomenon refuted by the Protestant version which agrees otherwise with the Catholic one. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her “From Your Valentine,” a phrase that lived ever after. Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. However, this legend is not given much importance by historians. Probably the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion.

The emperor, impressed with the young priest’s dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. What happened was what was to happen. All attempts to convert the emperor failed.

On February 14, 270 AD, Valentine was executed. Valentine thus become a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival. The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards acquired St.Valentine’s name.

It was not until the 14th century that this Christian feast day became definitively associated with love. According to UCLA medieval scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine, it was Chaucer who first linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance.

In 1381, Chaucer composed a poem in honor of the engagement between England’s Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. As was the poetic tradition, Chaucer associated the occasion with a feast day. In medieval France and England it was believed that birds mated on February 14, and the image of birds as the symbol of lovers began to appear in poems dedicated to the day. In Chaucer’s “The Parliament of Fowls,” the royal engagement, the mating season of birds, and St. Valentine’s Day are linked:

“For this was on St. Valentine’s Day, When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate.”

By the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. Despite attempts by the Christian church to sanctify the holiday, the association of Valentine’s Day with romance and courtship continued through the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, the holiday evolved, and by the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on Valentine’s Day had become common in England. Hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts eventually spread to the American colonies. The first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howlanda Mount Holyoke, a graduate and native of Worcester, Mass. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap”. The tradition of Valentine’s cards did not become widespread in the United States, however, until Howland began producing them in large scale. Today, of course, the holiday has become a booming commercial success. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are valentines.The Valentine’s Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. One of the earliest card was sent in 1415 AD by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.

Whoever Valentine was, we know he was an actual person because archaeologists have recently unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to a Saint Valentine.

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Mending bridges and revitalising cooperation

January 28, 2009 By Kavi Chongkittavorn The Nation In diplomacy, every gesture and response counts. At first, the scheduled courtesy call by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday afternoon was supposed to last about 20 minutes. But the visit turned out to be nearly an hour of discussion. Before leaving Phnom Penh a few hours later, Kasit told the Thai delegation over dinner he had been impressed by Hun Sen's good memory and that he had done his homework. After he greeted Hun Sen, he said the Cambodian prime minister reminded him of their work together at the Paris Peace Conference in 1989, which brought an end to the Cambodian civil war and peace to the country. Kasit also recalled that at the end of the conference, he walked to Hun Sen and shook hands, saying that Thailand and Cambodia would work together to develop the war-torn country. "Now that moment has come again," Kasit said. A few minutes into the meeting on Sunday, Kasit told Hun Sen that he wanted to learn from the region's longest-serving leader. "I am 12 years younger than you, and I am 8 years older than Abhisit," Hun Sen quickly responded. From that moment, both leaders struck up a rapport and began a dialogue about peaceful settlement of border issues and cooperation on issues like the flow of the Bassac River, one of Cambodia's lifelines. The two-day visit by Foreign Minister Kasit over the weekend was very successful. It would not be an overstatement to say that the outcomes of Kasit's discussions with Hun Sen and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong will serve as the foundation for future Thai-Cambodian relations. There are three reasons for such optimism. First of all, Hun Sen and Hor Namhong reiterated throughout the meeting that Thai-Cambodian relations are very important because they affect Asean as a whole. Hun Sen was correct when he stated the two countries have obligations as members of the regional grouping to move their relationship forward in a positive way. Over the past months, the simmering border disputes and tensions between the two neighbours have caused great concern among Asean leaders, with the fear that the two countries might even pit their troops against each other. Another problem has been the repeated postponement by host Thailand of the Asean leaders summit meeting. Hun Sen has now confirmed that he will attend the summit, which will be held from February 27 to March 1 in Hua Hin. In this connection, Kasit said he would take up the Emerald Triangle Cooperation proposal for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos at the upcoming summit. Hun Sen had proposed this plan to promote tourism in the scenic area where the three countries meet. So far the proposal has not moved ahead as Laos is still studying it. Thailand hopes that with the global economic recession, tourism cooperation under this ambitious plan will be pushed forward. Secondly, Hun Sen reiterated that any bilateral problems between Thailand and Cambodia must be resolved through negotiation and peaceful means. This has already become a template for Thai-Cambodian relations. In his letter to Hun Sen, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also stressed that the existing mechanisms would be used to settle bilateral issues. The bilateral border meetings will resume early next month. Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is scheduled to visit Phnom Penh in early February. He will discuss troop adjustments along the Thai-Cambodian border. Both sides are clear that all avenues and sources must be exhausted before they seek assistance from any third party. In addition, the stalled discussions on overlapping maritime areas in the Gulf of Thailand will resume. The estimated 20,600 square-kilometre area under discussion is believed to be rich in oil and gas. The Thai Cabinet has yet to approve a new senior Thai official to head the combined negotiations on the land and maritime issues but Cambodia is enthusiastic about kick-starting the discussions simultaneously. Both sides agree that there should not be any bottlenecks in their cooperation since there are numerous activities and development plans either in progress or due to get underway. Kasit quoted Hun Sen as saying there are 40-50 programmes going on, and that one problem alone should not be enough to impede the whole cooperation effort. One indicator will be the speed at which Thailand returns seven ancient Khmer artifacts that were stolen and discovered inside Thailand. The government of former prime minister Samak Sundaravej pledged to return the pieces but nothing has been done on the matter so far. Kasit said that the Thai Ministry of Cultural Affairs is in the process of dealing with the issue. Thirdly, with the renewal of understanding between the two countries, Hun Sen and Kasit ventured that if there is any future misunderstanding or misinterpretation emanating from sources such as the media, pressure groups or non-governmental organisations, quick telephone calls between leaders and officials on both sides would mitigate any possible negative effects. The two leaders were mindful of numerous online statements aimed at sowing discord between Thailand and Cambodia. Finally, for the first time, there will be more exchanges at the personal level between members of the legislative branch in each country. There have been no such exchanges before, even though Thailand and Cambodia have similar parliamentary systems. During a meeting between Chea Sim, president of the Cambodian Senate and Heng Samrin, chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly, both agreed an increase in the number of exchanges between Thai and Cambodian politicians would promote better political understanding and cooperation. In addition, for the first time, the Democrat Party will initiate cooperative schemes with the ruling Cambodian People's Party. Before the Thai delegation checked out of its Phnom Penh hotel on Sunday evening, a junior Thai official got a call from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry saying that the host country would pay additional expenses beyond the payment norm for Kasit, the chief of the Thai delegation. The official, who works at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, was surprised and immediately informed his superiors that "Cambodia was happy with the talks".

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Former U.S. president Clinton to give lecture in Malaysia

Former U.S. president Clinton to give lecture in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. president Bill Clinton will arrive and give a lecture here on Friday, the lecture organizer said here on Wednesday. This is the first time that the former U.S. president will visit Malaysia and he will share his thoughts and insights on global inter-dependence at his lecture. Clinton also will share his ideas to meet the world's most pressing challenges in poverty reduction, climate changes, global health and education at the lecture, which is being organized by the Sekhar Foundation. The lecture was originally slated for Saturday, but changed due to Clinton's schedule rearrangement. More than 3,000 guests are expected to be present at the lecture.

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How is the hell look like?

What is the hell?Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is an afterlife of suffering where the wicked or unrighteous dead are punished. Hell is almost always depicted as underground. Hell is traditionally depicted as fiery within Christianity and Islam. Some other traditions, however, portray hell as cold and gloomy. Some theologies of hell offer graphic and gruesome detail (for example, Hindu Naraka). Religions with a linear divine history often depict Hell as endless (for example, see Hell in Christian beliefs). Religions with a cyclic history often depict hell as an intermediary period between incarnations. Punishment in hell typically corresponds to sins committed in life. Sometimes these distinctions are specific, with damned souls suffering for each wrong committed (see for example Plato's myth of Er), and sometimes they are general, with sinners being relegated to one or more chamber of hell or level of suffering (for example, Augustine of Hippo asserting that unbaptized infants, whom he believed to be deprived of Heaven, suffer less in hell than unbaptized adults). In Islam and Christianity, however, faith and repentance play a larger role than actions in determining a soul's afterlife destiny. Hell is often portrayed populated with demons, who torment the damned. Many are ruled by a death god, such as Nergal, the Hindu Yama, or some other dreadful supernatural figure (e.g. Satan). In contrast to hell, other general types of afterlives are abodes of the dead and paradises. Abodes of the dead are neutral places for all the dead, rather than prisons of punishment for sinners. A paradise is a happy afterlife for some or all the dead. Modern understandings of hell often depict it abstractly, as a state of loss rather than as fiery torture literally under the ground. The term Hell is derived from Old English Hel and ultimately from Proto-Germanic Xaljo. The English term is related to Old Norse Hel. In relation, surviving representations of Germanic polytheism in the form of Norse mythology feature Hel, the daughter of Loki and Angrboda. Hel rules over Niflheim. Hell appears in several mythologies and religions. It is commonly inhabited by demons and the souls of dead people. Hell is often depicted in art and literature, perhaps most famously in Dante's Divine Comedy. Baha'i Faith The Baha'i Faith regards the conventional description of hell (and heaven) as a specific place as symbolic. Instead the Baha'i writings describe Hell as a "spiritual condition" where remoteness from God is defined as hell; conversely heaven is seen as a state of closeness to God. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane, but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them. Baha'u'llah likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother." The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Baha'i view of earthly existence: just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides for the development of the individual soul. Accordingly, Baha'i's view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life. The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current Manifestations of God, which Bahá'i's believe is currently Baha'u'llah. The Baha'i teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the afterlife, where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierarchy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above. Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the soul's development is not dependent on its own conscious efforts, but instead on the grace of God, the prayers of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of the person. Buddhism As diverse as other religions, there are many beliefs about Hell in Buddhism. Most of the schools of thought, Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana would acknowledge several hells, which are places of great suffering for those who commit evil actions, such as cold Hells and hot hells. Like all the different realms within cyclic existence, an existence in hell is temporary for its inhabitants. Those with sufficiently negative karma are reborn there, where they stay until their specific negative karma has been used up, at which point they are reborn in another realm, such as that of humans, of hungry ghosts, of animals, of asuras, of devas, or of Naraka (Hell) all according to the individual's karma. There are a number of modern Buddhists, especially among Western schools, who believe that hell is but a state of mind. In a sense, a bad day at work could be hell, and a great day at work could be heaven. This has been supported by some modern scholars who advocate the interpretation of such metaphysical portions of the Scriptures symbolically rather than literally. China In Chinese mythology, the name of hell does not carry a negative connotation. The hell they refer to is Di Yu . Diyu is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins. The popular story is that the word Hell was introduced to China by Christian missionaries, who preached that all non-Christian Chinese people would "go to hell" when they died. As such, it was believed that the word "Hell" was the proper English term for the Chinese afterlife, and hence the word was adopted. The Chinese view Hell as similar to a present day passport or immigration control station. In a Chinese funeral, they burn many Hell Bank Notes for the dead. With this Hell money, the dead person can bribe the ruler of Hell, and spend the rest of the money either in Hell or in Heaven. There is a belief that once the dead person runs out of Hell money, and if he does not receive more, he will be eternally poor... Christianity Luke 12:5 records Jesus speaking about God's Judgment: "But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." In Paul's letter to the Thessalonian church he describes a separation taking place: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the Presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Most modern Christians see Hell as the eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners, as well as for the Devil and his demons. Unbelievers are said to deserve Hell on account of original sin according to many conservative denominations. Sometimes exceptions are understood for those who have had extenuating circumstances (youth, mental illness, invincible error, etc.). As opposed to the concept of Purgatory, damnation to Hell is considered final and irreversible. However, the foundation of the Christian faith is that it is the death of Jesus Christ, and acceptance of his love for us, that allows repentant sinners to avoid the torments of Hell and enjoy eternity with God. Various interpretations of the torments of Hell exist, ranging from fiery pits of wailing sinners to lonely isolation from God's presence. However, the descriptions of Hell found in the Bible are quite vague. The books of Matthew, Mark, and Jude tell of a place of fire, while the books of Luke and Revelation report it as an abyss. Also, Revelation 20:10 (NIV) illustrates Hell as a "lake with burning sulfur". Our modern, more graphic, images of Hell have developed from writings that are not found in the Bible. Dante's The Divine Comedy is a classic inspiration for modern images of Hell. Other early Christian writings also illustrate the anguish of Hell. These texts include the Apocalypse of Peter and the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul. Both these pieces of literature tell of the author being taken on a personal tour of Heaven and Hell. These writings tell of what the authors witnessed during their journeys. Most Christians believe that damnation occurs immediately upon death (particular judgment), and others that it occurs after Judgment Day, which is written about in the book of Revelation. Attitudes by many Christians toward Hell and damnation have changed over the centuries, and most Restorationist groups reject the traditional concept of Hell altogether. These latter theologies allege the mutual exclusivity of barbaric portrayals of Hell with the benevolent nature of God. Russian Orthodox Church mystic Daniil Andreev (1906-1959) described hell in his opus magnum Roza Mira (Rose of the World). His vision significantly departed from the Christian tradition, depicting an entire hierarchy of multiple Sheols different in appearances, purposes and relationships to human cultures and to 'diabolic' worlds co-existing with the visible Universe. Hinduism In Hinduism, there are contradictions as to whether or not there is a hell (referred to as 'Narak' in Hindi). For some it is a metaphor for a conscience. But in Mahabharata there is a mention of the Pandavas and the Kauravas going to hell. Hells are also described in various Puranas and other scriptures. Garuda Purana gives a detailed account on Hell, its features and enlists amount of punishment for most of the crimes like modern day penal code. It is believed that people who commit 'paap' (sin) go to hell and have to go through the punishments in accordance to the sins they committed. The god Yama, who is also the god of death, is the king of hell. The detailed accounts of all the sins committed by an individual are supposed to be kept by Chitragupta who is the record keeper in Yama's court. Chitragupta reads out the sins committed and Yama orders the appropriate punishments to be given to the individuals. These punishments include dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture using various weapons etc. in various hells. Individuals who finish their quota of the punishments are reborn according to their karma. All of the created are imperfect and thus have at least one sin to their record, but if one has led a generally pious life, one ascends to Heaven, or Swarga after a brief period of expiation in Hell. Islam Muslims believe in jahannam (which comes from the Hebrew word gehennim and resembles the versions of hell in Christianity). In the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, there are literal descriptions of the condemned in a fiery Hell, as contrasted to the garden-like Paradise (jannah) enjoyed by righteous believers. In addition, Heaven and Hell are split into many different levels depending on the actions perpetrated in life, where punishment is given depending on the level of evil done in life, and good is separated into other levels depending on how well one followed God while alive. There is an equal number of mentions of both Hell and paradise in the Qur'an, which is considered by believers to be among the numeric miracles in the Qur'an. The Islamic concept of Hell is similar to the medieval Christian view of Dante. However, Satan is not viewed as Hell's ruler, merely one of its sufferers. The gate of hell is guarded by Maalik also known as Zabaaniyah. The Quran states that the fuel of hellfire is rocks/stones (idols) and human beings. Names of hell according to Islamic Tradition based on the Quranic ayah and Hadith: * Jahim * Hutamah * Jahannam * Ladza * Hawiah * Saqor * Sae'er * Sijjin * Zamhareer Although generally hell is often portrayed as a hot steaming and tormenting place for sinners there is one hell pit which is characterized differently from the other Hell in Islamic tradition. Zamhareer is seen as the coldest and the most freezing hell of all, yet its coldness is not seen as a pleasure or a relief to the sinners who committed crimes against God. The state of the Hell of Zamhareer is a suffering of extreme coldness of blizzards ice and snow which no one on this earth can bear. The lowest pit of all existing hells is the Hawiyah which is meant for the Hypocrites and two-faced people who claimed to believe in Allah and His messenger by the tongue but denounced both in their hearts. Hypocrisy is considered to be the most dangerous sin of all despite the fact that Shirk (association of God with His creation) is the greatest sin viewed by Allah. The lightest torture given by God in the hereafter to the unbeliever has been said to be given to Abu Talib. He was the father of Ali bin Abi Talib the fourth Caliph and the uncle of Muhammad. He helped Muhammad in his mission but failed to denounce his ancestral worship of pagan idols. He was said according the prophet to have suffered from the burning under his feet which makes his brain boiled. The Qur'an also says that some of those who are damned to hell are not damned forever, but instead for an indefinite period of time. In any case, there is good reason to believe that punishment in Hell is not meant to actually last eternally, but instead serves as a basis for spiritual rectification. Even though in Islam, the devil, or shaytan, is created from fire, he suffers in hell because hellfire is 70 times hotter than the fire of this world. It was also said that Shaytan is derived from shata, (literally `burned'), because it was created from a smokless fire. Japanese Religions Note: The following viewpoint does not specify which Chinese-based religion it is referring to. The structure of Hell is remarkably complex in many Chinese and Japanese religions. The ruler of Hell has to deal with politics, just as human rulers do. Hell is the subject of many folk stories and manga. In many such stories, people in hell are able to die again. Judaism Judaism does not have a specific doctrine about the afterlife, but it does have a tradition of describing Gehenna. Gehenna is not hell, but rather a sort of Purgatory where one is judged based on his or her life's deeds. The Kabbalah describes it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehenna forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 11 months, however there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to Olam Habah (heb. "The world to come", often viewed as analogous to Heaven). This is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn. When one has so deviated from the will of god, one is said to be in gehinom. This is not meant to refer to some point in the future, but to the very present moment. The gates of teshuva (return) are said to be always open, and so one can align his will with that of god at any moment. Being out of alignment with god's will is itself a punishment according to the Torah. Maya Faith In Maya mythology Xibalba is the dangerous underworld in nine levels ruled by the demons Vucub Caquix and Hun Came. The road into and out of it is said to be steep, thorny and very forbidding. Metnal is the lowest and most horrible of the nine hells of the underworld. It is ruled by Ah Puch. Ritual healers would intone healing prayers banishing diseases to Metnal. Much of the Popol Vuh describes the adventures of the Maya Hero Twins in their cunning struggle with the evil lords of Xibalba. Taoism Ancient Taoism had no concept of Hell, as morality was seen to be a man-made distinction and there was no concept of an immaterial soul. In its home country China, where Taoism adopted tenets of other religions, popular belief endows Taoist Hell with many deities and spirits who punish sin in a variety of horrible ways. This is also considered Karma for Taoism. Unification Church The Unification Church teaches that hell is the condition of being separated from God's love. Hell can be said to exist in this world as well as in the afterlife. Those in the state of hell can repent by paying a condition of indemity and change their condition, both before and after death (Although, the process is done differently). The Divine Principle, the main textbook of church teachings, says: It is not God who decides whether a person's spirit enters heaven or Hell upon his death; it is decided by the spirit himself. Humans are created so that once they reach perfection they will fully breathe the love of God. Those who committed sinful deeds while on earth become crippled spirits who are incapable of fully breathing in the love of God. They find it agonizing to stand before God, the center of true love. Of their own will, they choose to dwell in hell, far removed from the love of God. Gost... A wise seasoned parapsychologist used to say, 'some of my best friends are ghosts!' 'Really?" I thought to myself. That is quite a statement and one showing bravery and understanding of the unknown. To have come to a point in one's investigative and curious life to feel that way, must have an underlying hidden meaning. Perhaps this individual, as many others, may also feel that ghosts are better to 'hang around' then some humans. I wouldn't doubt it as I wouldn't doubt anything in the occult and paranormal. Oh there are topics I snicker at because that's my opinion, but on the whole I don't joke about the dead and beyond. I don't joke about what happens when we pass also known as crossing over. I believe Jon Edwards really coined that term when his show was picked up. Something magical happens when the soul detaches from the body and whisks off into an invisible realm where it can eventually go back and forth between Earth and the Afterlife world. Those are spirits who were lucky enough to peacefully leave their once human existence to go on and continue another way of living. However, for those trapped by terrible causes of death, causes whether they created them or not, become the walking dead! These pour souls are the ghosts I speak of. Society is very wrapped up in the notion of 'well, if you can't see it then it doesn't exist!' Just like if we don't look at the car accident as were driving by, it didn't happen and there will not be a terrible impression made upon us. Unfortunately life does not work that way. You have to look at some point and you may not like what you see. How an individual deals with a difficult situation depends on many factors and everyone has to do it their own way. So, when one comes across a ghost or a haunting which always leads to a ghost, there are many questions and openings to be explained and answered. Paranormal investigators are also called PIs, parapsychologists, scientists, ghost hunters, ghost chasers call them what you will, all aim for the same goal. They are all after the same thing...ghosts, ghosts and more ghosts. With today's technology in the ghost hunting business, it certainly has paved an easier path for those forming their own societies, groups and organizations to document real material of the existence of ghosts. This material is evidence that is coming in the form of EVPs, photography and video, motion detectors, temperature readings and digital everything. But, the one thing that any ghost hunter and medium will come across, is something that no piece of equipment could ever pick up on. The sensation is a feeling and uneasiness that something or someone is in the room with you. A dense space of cold thick air surrounds your entire being and you can't breath. You can't move and you don't know how to react. Somehow your thankful you're not alone on your hunting because this feeling regardless of your experience and gadgets is very personal and can be very dangerous. There are evils that do exist as well as good. When you purposely walk into an environment where you know there is an entity waiting, perhaps more then one, be prepared to feel. Brace yourself as you acknowledge the reality of this ghost who was once one of the living. Knowing what it was like to be a person now stuck between their old world and a place where they can't call home. Some ghosts just don't want to go and therefore will roam the Earth forever never at peace. Some ghosts are not ghosts at all and the evil I speak of. And some ghosts are happy to move along with your assistance, as they were waiting for your arrival to release them. Can you begin to imagine what these lost souls must even experience? Stop for a moment with all the investigative research and think, is it possible they feel but differently then when once alive? There's anger when you hear some EVP recordings, as there is kindness in messages in EVP recordings. Based on that theory, I would have to lean in the direction of yes, they feel. So, going on that then imagine what torture it must be like to linger confused, disoriented and stuck in a rut. For those ghosts that experience this, they are the saddest ones of all. For the evil that purposely wants to stay in our environment, they must go because no good can come of their roaming. Ghosts are what I feel most of us do not want to become when we cross over. But, we can't be in charge of our destinies in the 'how to die well department,' unless we bring that on ourselves. And even then, I feel that was predestined as well. If you believe there is a God or a higher source at work, then you'll understand we have free will and accept that we must accept our fated paths. That is why it is crucial to live each and every day to the fullest and be kind to your family, friends, children, pets and communities'. Let the person in front of you pass while driving to the store. Don't be pushy in line and wait your turn, even if the person ahead of you maybe 1000 years old. You'll get there eventually. We all get there eventually; it just depends on what is meant to be for each of us. And I hope none of you including myself become ghosts, trapped here bidding a time which ticks and tocks forever. Always be well-Alexandra Holzer.

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You believe? has gost?

A wise seasoned parapsychologist used to say, 'some of my best friends are ghosts!' 'Really?" I thought to myself. That is quite a statement and one showing bravery and understanding of the unknown. To have come to a point in one's investigative and curious life to feel that way, must have an underlying hidden meaning. Perhaps this individual, as many others, may also feel that ghosts are better to 'hang around' then some humans. I wouldn't doubt it as I wouldn't doubt anything in the occult and paranormal. Oh there are topics I snicker at because that's my opinion, but on the whole I don't joke about the dead and beyond. I don't joke about what happens when we pass also known as crossing over. I believe Jon Edwards really coined that term when his show was picked up. Something magical happens when the soul detaches from the body and whisks off into an invisible realm where it can eventually go back and forth between Earth and the Afterlife world. Those are spirits who were lucky enough to peacefully leave their once human existence to go on and continue another way of living. However, for those trapped by terrible causes of death, causes whether they created them or not, become the walking dead! These pour souls are the ghosts I speak of. Society is very wrapped up in the notion of 'well, if you can't see it then it doesn't exist!' Just like if we don't look at the car accident as were driving by, it didn't happen and there will not be a terrible impression made upon us. Unfortunately life does not work that way. You have to look at some point and you may not like what you see. How an individual deals with a difficult situation depends on many factors and everyone has to do it their own way. So, when one comes across a ghost or a haunting which always leads to a ghost, there are many questions and openings to be explained and answered. Paranormal investigators are also called PIs, parapsychologists, scientists, ghost hunters, ghost chasers call them what you will, all aim for the same goal. They are all after the same thing...ghosts, ghosts and more ghosts. With today's technology in the ghost hunting business, it certainly has paved an easier path for those forming their own societies, groups and organizations to document real material of the existence of ghosts. This material is evidence that is coming in the form of EVPs, photography and video, motion detectors, temperature readings and digital everything. But, the one thing that any ghost hunter and medium will come across, is something that no piece of equipment could ever pick up on. The sensation is a feeling and uneasiness that something or someone is in the room with you. A dense space of cold thick air surrounds your entire being and you can't breath. You can't move and you don't know how to react. Somehow your thankful you're not alone on your hunting because this feeling regardless of your experience and gadgets is very personal and can be very dangerous. There are evils that do exist as well as good. When you purposely walk into an environment where you know there is an entity waiting, perhaps more then one, be prepared to feel. Brace yourself as you acknowledge the reality of this ghost who was once one of the living. Knowing what it was like to be a person now stuck between their old world and a place where they can't call home. Some ghosts just don't want to go and therefore will roam the Earth forever never at peace. Some ghosts are not ghosts at all and the evil I speak of. And some ghosts are happy to move along with your assistance, as they were waiting for your arrival to release them. Can you begin to imagine what these lost souls must even experience? Stop for a moment with all the investigative research and think, is it possible they feel but differently then when once alive? There's anger when you hear some EVP recordings, as there is kindness in messages in EVP recordings. Based on that theory, I would have to lean in the direction of yes, they feel. So, going on that then imagine what torture it must be like to linger confused, disoriented and stuck in a rut. For those ghosts that experience this, they are the saddest ones of all. For the evil that purposely wants to stay in our environment, they must go because no good can come of their roaming. Ghosts are what I feel most of us do not want to become when we cross over. But, we can't be in charge of our destinies in the 'how to die well department,' unless we bring that on ourselves. And even then, I feel that was predestined as well. If you believe there is a God or a higher source at work, then you'll understand we have free will and accept that we must accept our fated paths. That is why it is crucial to live each and every day to the fullest and be kind to your family, friends, children, pets and communities'. Let the person in front of you pass while driving to the store. Don't be pushy in line and wait your turn, even if the person ahead of you maybe 1000 years old. You'll get there eventually. We all get there eventually; it just depends on what is meant to be for each of us. And I hope none of you including myself become ghosts, trapped here bidding a time which ticks and tocks forever. Always be well-Alexandra Holzer.

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