JUST A THOUGHT

2003-10-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hall of Giants

When you walk down the street, you look up and there the clouds are, what do you see?
When you walk between the sky crapers, look up at their peaks, what do you see?
When you're alone at night, look up at the darkness of the sky and the twinkling stars, what do you see?

There are giants all around us. Those with greater powers than we do. Those who can blow us away to pieces like a hair dryer blows away white flour. They can pin us down, or stomp us flat like a racing car runs over rotten bananas. And, they can spin and throw us around, just like a toddler who doesn't like his broccoli.

It is a fact that everything which has a beginning, has an end. People are born and live for a while but when their times are up, they die. Same goes to trees, animals, chairs, tables, cars, buildings, seas, rivers, forests, everything even the universe. It is a scientific fact that the universe has a beginning and there will be time when everything in it will deteriorate just like an old man's bones and cause failures to its formidable structures.

When this gigantic universe fails, it will crumble like a building whose foundation has been crushed by an earthquake. Someone who cannot escape from the crumbling, will get his body crushed to pieces. The universe will fail, although it may be a long time after we're gone. Giant stars will fuse with each other, swelling themselves up to thousands times bigger causing chaos in the stability of space and time. The earth, which is only a tiny little blue dot in the galaxy, will be spun and thrown around like a pingpong ball, before it's blown away or swallowed by the giants like a vanilla smoothy.

Can you imagine the scenes on earth when that happens? Can you imagine how dark or bright the sky is that day? Can you imagine the Himalayas tumbles, crushed down and gets blown away like cotton pieces? Women will forget their children even if they are only babies still being breastfed. Let alone remember about other people, we will even forget to save ourselves. What we will remember that day, is how small and helpless we are. We'll remember how our "intelligence" has decieved us and drawn us away from the truth.

What can we do that day when we are faced with the fierceful sort of fate? Soon after, what can we do when our Creator looks at us with anger? What can we do when the gigantic and strong angels are not very nice to us? We'll be scared to death, but the thing is we can't die anymore.

2003-10-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

Tounge Twisters

Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Unique New York.

Betty Botter had some butter,
"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter--
that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
and she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter.

Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?

A big black bug bit a big black bear,
made the big black bear bleed blood.

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore,
I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Mrs. Smith's Fish Sauce Shop.

"Surely Sylvia swims!" shrieked Sammy, surprised.
"Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink."

A Tudor who tooted a flute
tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to their tutor,
"Is it harder to toot
or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

source : http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8136/tonguetwisters.html

2003-10-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Update

Gw udah lost contact ama keluarga selama 2 taon. Udah ga balik ke Indo selama 3 taun (ngga ada duitnya). I know, I know, some of you will say, how could you do that? Atau, durhaka loe..!! Hehehe.. Dan gw akui, emang kali yah gw durhaka. Sampe ngga ngirim kabar selama 2 taun.

Here is what happened. Rumah gw itu terpencil banget. Listrik aja dirumah cuman 900 watt kali. Jaringan telpon rumah belom masuk. Alhamdulillah sih sekarang telkomsel udah bisa masuk. Alamat pos ngga ada. Satu2nya yang gw punya waktu itu ya no telpon kakak gw yang di Jakarta. Itu satu2nya jalur gw tau kabar keluarga.

Trus, kakak gw pindah kost kali yah. Soalnya waktu gw telpon terakhir 2 taon dulu, gw ga bisa nyambung. Mau kirim surat, kemana? Gw ngga ada alamat siapa2. Akhirnya yah bener2 lost contact.

Terus minggu kemaren, gw bener2 ngerasa kesepian. Kangen keluarga, dan mau cerita ke siapa2 pun kayanya ngga enak. Orang2 lagi pada sibuk persiapan ujian. Dan kalo gw ceritain juga ngga tau mereka mau ngedengerin dan ngertiin apa engga. Cerita ama dia pun susah, soalnya gw sms pun jarang di reply. Akhirnya cuman gw tulis di nick MSN gw, "I guess I am alone.."

Temen gw ada yang nanyain kenapa gw kesepian. Gw ga mau cerita waktu itu soalnya emang ga enak dan takut ga nyambung. Hehe. Sorry for that.

Well, ga sampe sehari gw ngerasa kesepian, besoknya gw dapet email dari Admin Computer NTU. Dia baru dapet email dari kk gw yang isinya nanyain gw karena udah lost contact selama 2 taon. Di email itu juga ada no telpon hape nya. Jadi langsung gw coba2 sms, dan ternyata beneran bisa nyambung. And I found my family again.

Kk gw udah kawin taon kemaren, dan sekarang lagi hamil 6 bulan, alhamdulillah. Ibu sehat2 aja, alhamdulillah, dan gitu juga ama adik2 gw. I used my chance to apologize to Ibu for being unable to send any news. I've been waiting for 2 years to apologize to her. Gw juga udah mau jadi paman walopn masih 3 bulan lagi. Hehehehe, yang hamil siapa yang ga sabaran siapa.

2003-09-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Bila kuingat

Bila kuingat senyum manismu
Takkan habis waktu melamun
Bila kuingat canda tawamu
Takkan habis waktu berangan
Ingin kumiliki hari selamanya
Berdua denganmu selamanya
Bukan hanya angan yang kelamaan
Bila kuingat janji manismu
Kutunggu sampai malam meninggalkanku
Berangan.....
Bila kuingat senyum manismu
Takkan habis waktu melamun
Bila kuingat canda tawamu
Takkan habis waktu berangan
Ingin kumiliki hari selamanya
Berdua denganmu selamanya
Bukan hanya angan yang kelamaan
Bila kuingat janji manismu
Kutunggu sampai malam meninggalkanku
Semoga bukan angan yang kelamaan....

2003-08-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

Thomas Carlyle in 'Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History,' 1840

"The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to ourselves only."
"A silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest. He was to kindle the world, the world’s Maker had ordered so."

A. S. Tritton in 'Islam,' 1951

The picture of the Muslim soldier advancing with a sword in one hand and the Qur'an in the other is quite false.

De Lacy O'Leary in 'Islam at the Crossroads,' London, 1923.

History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.

Gibbon in 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' 1823

The good sense of Muhammad despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of God submitted to the menial offices of the family; he kindled the fire; swept the floor; milked the ewes; and mended with his own hands his shoes and garments. Disdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he observed without effort of vanity the abstemious diet of an Arab.

Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley in ‘History of the Saracen Empire,’ London, 1870

"The greatest success of Mohammad’s life was effected by sheer moral force."
“It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder, the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran....The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. ‘I believe in One God and Mahomet the Apostle of God’ is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.”

Reverend Bosworth Smith in 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism,' London, 1874.

"Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life."
"In Mohammadanism every thing is different here. Instead of the shadowy and the mysterious, we have history....We know of the external history of Muhammad....while for his internal history after his mission had been proclaimed, we have a book absolutely unique in its origin, in its preservation....on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever been able to cast a serious doubt."

Edward Montet, 'La Propagande Chretienne et ses Adversaries Musulmans,' Paris 1890. (Also in T.W. Arnold in 'The Preaching of Islam,' London 1913.)

"Islam is a religion that is essentially rationalistic in the widest sense of this term considered etymologically and historically....the teachings of the Prophet, the Qur'an has invariably kept its place as the fundamental starting point, and the dogma of unity of God has always been proclaimed therein with a grandeur a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of sure conviction, which it is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam....A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and consequently so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvelous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."

Alphonse de LaMartaine in 'Historie de la Turquie,' Paris, 1854.

"Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim, since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions which had been imposed between man and his Creator, to render God unto man and man unto God; to restore the rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing. Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design, no other instrument than himself and no other aid except a handful of men living in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God's name, Persia Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, and part of Gaul.
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.

"On the basis of a Book, every letter which has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blend together peoples of every tongue and race. He has left the indelible characteristic of this Muslim nationality the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and Immaterial God. This avenging patriotism against the profanation of Heaven formed the virtue of the followers of Muhammad; the conquest of one-third the earth to the dogma was his miracle; or rather it was not the miracle of man but that of reason.

"The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of the fabulous theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon it's utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the world. His life, his meditations, his heroic revelings against the superstitions of his country, and his boldness in defying the furies of idolatry, his firmness in enduring them for fifteen years in Mecca, his acceptance of the role of public scorn and almost of being a victim of his fellow countrymen... This dogma was twofold the unity of God and the immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words.

"Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs.... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"

Mahatma Gandhi, statement published in 'Young India,'1924.

I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.

Sir George Bernard Shaw in 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.

"If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam."
“I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man and in my opinion for from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity."

"I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”

Michael Hart in 'The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons In History,' New York, 1978.

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. ...It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. ...It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.

Dr. William Draper in 'History of Intellectual Development of Europe'

Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born in Mecca, in Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race... To be the religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of one-third of the human race, may perhaps justify the title of a Messenger of God.

Arthur Glyn Leonard in 'Islam, Her Moral and Spiritual Values'

It was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the Arabs through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them out of the lethargy and low level of tribal stagnation up to the high watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of Muhammad's deism, the simplicity, the sobriety and purity it inculcated the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true inspiration.

Philip K. Hitti in 'History of the Arabs'

Within a brief span of mortal life, Muhammad called forth of unpromising material, a nation, never welded before; in a country that was hitherto but a geographical expression he established a religion which in vast areas suppressed Christianity and Judaism, and laid the basis of an empire that was soon to embrace within its far flung boundaries the fairest provinces the then civilized world.

Rodwell in the Preface to his translation of the Holy Qur'an

Mohammad's career is a wonderful instance of the force and life that resides in him who possesses an intense faith in God and in the unseen world. He will always be regarded as one of those who have had that influence over the faith, morals and whole earthly life of their fellow men, which none but a really great man ever did, or can exercise; and whose efforts to propagate a great verity will prosper.

W. Montgomery Watt in 'Muhammad at Mecca,' Oxford, 1953.

His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems that it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.... Thus, not merely must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty and integrity of purpose, if we are to understand him at all; if we are to correct the errors we have inherited from the past, we must not forget the conclusive proof is a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility, and in a matter such as this only to be attained with difficulty.

D. G. Hogarth in 'Arabia'

Serious or trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which millions observe this day with conscious memory. No one regarded by any section of the human race as Perfect Man has ever been imitated so minutely. The conduct of the founder of Christianity has not governed the ordinary life of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion has left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim apostle.

Washington Irving 'Mahomet and His Successors'

He was sober and abstemious in his diet and a rigorous observer of fasts. He indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation of a petty mind; neither was his simplicity in dress affected but a result of real disregard for distinction from so trivial a source.
In his private dealings he was just. He treated friends and strangers, the rich and poor, the powerful and weak, with equity, and was beloved by the common people for the affability with which he received them, and listened to their complaints.

His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory, as they would have done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manners and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting a regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonials of respect were shown to him. If he aimed at a universal dominion, it was the dominion of faith; as to the temporal rule which grew up in his hands, as he used it without ostentation, so he took no step to perpetuate it in his family.

James Michener in ‘Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,’ Reader’s Digest, May 1955, pp. 68-70.

"No other religion in history spread so rapidly as Islam. The West has widely believed that this surge of religion was made possible by the sword. But no modern scholar accepts this idea, and the Qur’an is explicit in the support of the freedom of conscience."
“Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God’s word sensing his own inadequacy. But the Angel commanded ‘Read’. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God"."

“In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred and rumors of God 's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced, ‘An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being'."

“At Muhammad's own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: ‘If there are any among you who worshiped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you Worshiped, He lives for ever'.”

Lawrence E. Browne in ‘The Prospects of Islam,’ 1944

Incidentally these well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went, forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword.

K. S. Ramakrishna Rao in 'Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam,' 1989

My problem to write this monograph is easier, because we are not generally fed now on that (distorted) kind of history and much time need not be spent on pointing out our misrepresentations of Islam. The theory of Islam and sword, for instance, is not heard now in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that “there is no compulsion in religion” is well known.

2003-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tolerance in Islam

Propeth Muhammad's (PBUH) Charter of Privileges to Christians

Letter to the Monks of St. Catherine Monastery

In 628 C.E Prophet Muhammad (saw) granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. This is the English translation of that document:

"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.

Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.

No compulsion is to be on them.

Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.

No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.

Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil Allah's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.

The Muslims are to fight for them.

If a female Christian is married to Muslim, (Al-Maidah 5:5) it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.

No on of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant until the Last Day (end of the world)."

This charter of privileges has been honoured and faithfully applied by Muslims throughout the centuries and all lands they ruled.

Source: http://cyberistan.org/islamic/charter1.html

2003-08-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Some Lessons in my Life

1. Family is the people who accept you for who you are and not what you have.
2. There is no love like a mother's love.
3. Being in silence allows one to able to hear his own thought.
4. Tough times bring about the true nature of one's self.
5. Where there is no stereotype, there is your family.
6. People come and go. The only thing remains is the memory of them.
7. Friends are the ones who pray for your even when you ignore them.
8. Love has ups and downs. Only the true one remains until the end.
9. Hard work often results in success, as often as rain brings about thunder.
10. It's really funny when people blast their burps and say "Excuse me.."
11. When one talks much, he tends to lie more.
12. It's easy to know, the hard thing is to understand.
13. The brain's capacity is limitted. When we remember something, we will forget another.
14. Try to look not at who says what, but what is being said.
15. Sometimes, without realizing it, we become something we hate.
16. The ability to debate does not change any fact.
17. There is no right or wrong, but there is the ultimate answer.
18. Two wrongs never make things right.
19. This life is temporary, that's why we're getting old.
20. There are crossroads in life in every second.
21. Being cut with a knive a little bit hurts. Death must hurt a lot more.
22. When there is problem, face it, don't run away.
23. One can never know the future.
24. A simple smile works a long way.
25. Never cross a busy road when the walk sign is off.
26. Life is like programming. It has a complete set of rules, but The Programmer can always decide whether somethings are meant to happen or not.
27. Apology doesn't make things right. An intention never to repeat the same mistake does.
28. There is so much darkness in the universe, yet it's funny that people want to live forever in it.
29. To survive is to go to school, get a job, get married, have kids and die. But to live is, to know who you really are.

2003-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

A Second Wife

I had a little discussion with a friend today about the above mentioned topic. Actually I have been discussing this topic several time that now I'm intrigued to let out my opinion on the topic.

As muslimins, we are allowed to marry up to four wives. However, we have to be fair to them. I don't know to what extent the fairness is needed for polygamy. However, in my own words, I think the husband must be fair in terms of financial, biological, social and communications.

I have heard some people told me that they will actually ask the girl they're proposing to, whether or not she will allow him to take a second wife. If she does, he will marry her for concluding that she is religiously educated. However, if she does not, he will step back from the proposal, concluding that the girl knows little or nothing about the religion.

They think, if a girl is religiously well educated, she should know that taking more than one wives is allowed in Islam. However, it is ironic that they actually judge a girl who they're proposing to from only one angle; polygamy.

If the girl is religiously well educated, and will allow him to marry a second wife, we can come to ask whether or not the guy is religious. We can ask, "is he as religious as the girl?", "What is the reason that he want to marry a second wife?".

Well a decent guy of course cannot admit publicly that he is religious. However, he will openly answer the second question. I've asked some of my friends who are pro poligamy and got a bunch of different answers. Some of them said that, probably the first wife actually tell them to take a second wife. Some others said that probably the first wife is not that attractive anymore and they want to save the marriage. While some others, said that they take a second wife as sadaqah.

The first answer only proves that the first wife is actually far more religious than her husband. If I actually have this kind of girl as a wife, I will love her even more and I will stand firmer on my foot not to marry another woman.

The second answer bothers me the most. This proves that these guys who said it, only marry women for biological needs, reproduction tools, or baby factories. In Islam, women are highly regarded. Although women are said to be the source of fitnah, it is still the men who cannot keep their gazes and mouths which are actually the tools to spread fitnah. And again, muslim women are highly regarded. Saving the marriage is another cliche excuse and only adds another question "If you're not able to love your first wife for more than physical attraction, what makes you think you can love your second wife better?"

The third answer is the best but of course it raises some issues. Shadaqah requires a pure intention and sincerity. Even when you're giving away one dollar for shadaqah, we have to be sincere in giving it. And this shadaqah I am talking about is marriage which is a lifetime charity and really "expensive". A lot of other things have to be sacrificed to make a shadaqah out of a marriage. So then, "is the guy really sincere and pure enough to make that kind of shadaqah?".

We are not the companions of Rasulullah SAW. We are not tabiin or ulama. We are far from that now. We are not the best men who have ever walked the earth. And the women know that. So why would men expect the best from women when they cannot even make the best of themselves? Poligamy is allowed but I can't think of any muslimin who are qualified for that.

2003-08-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Pursuing a Purpose

Yesterday we had a session in NTU North Spine Mushalla of a talk for muslim brothers. The topic strike me out and got me thinking. The speaker said that none of us actually asked to be born. You don't remember seeing from above how beautiful the Earth is with all the bombs and wars that you actually asked to be here. Then why are we here? If we didn't ask to be here, it only means that we were sent here. But sending someone somewhere must have a purpose. You never ask your little brother or sister somewhere just to stand there.

"Hey Bro, go to the market..!"
"Okay.. and then what?"
"Just stand there will ya..?"

It's ridiculous isn't it..?

So being here must have a purpose. Some may have already understood what they have to do in their lives. Some others may be thinking that they already got it although they are nowhere near it. Some others may have never thought about it. And, some others are still out looking for it, just like me.

One thing I realize, I'm not here for the money; nosireebob!. Things happen in my life which make me realize that money can tear families apart. Besides, money and wealth always come and go. They stay in our heart as long as they stay in our pocket. If we lose it, we will forget it over time.

I'm still thinking that I'm here for the people I love and care about. No matter how far they are from my senses, I still think about them, pray for them and place them in a special corner of my heart. I want to live for my mom who has been giving everything she has for her children. I want to live for my family for giving me support when I'm down. I want to live for special someone for loving me and being there for me when I cannot reach my family.

But somebody told me that they cannot be my purpose. Although I was quite revoked and sad upon listening to him, there is a little thought lingering in my head that he is correct. People come and go although the memories about them still stay for a very long time in our heart.

Then, who or what am I supposed to live for..? Shall I remind you that my having this question does not mean that I'm lost. It only means that I am searching for a brighter and more everlasting light. It also doesn't mean that I'm greedy for a brighter light. But it only means that having that light will get me and the people I love to safety.

2003-07-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Lily Biru

Si ayang nyampe Singapore - Woodlands hari Sabtu malem jam 9 kurang. Gara2 petugas imigrasi nya dodol, dia jadi ketunda deh masuknya. Abis itu pake taksi ke Marsilling Station trus pake MRT ke Boonlay dan bus ke NTU. Dititipin di kamar nya Dini (Didien) bareng ama Rina, Pipit. Makasi banyak yah Din, Rin.

Hari minggu jalan2. Pertamanya gw kira mau pake baju santai aja. Gw pake celana panjang dan jaket adidas ama kaos. Tapi dia nya pake baju jilbab panjang gitu. Ga serasi banget, jadinya gw disuruh ganti deh pake jeans. Jalan pertama ke Botanic Garden, duduk deket danau liatin angsa ama burung dara. Terus jalan ke jembatan kayu ngeliatin kura2 yg pada kejar2an. Ihihihi. Abis itu nyari makan di Food Court, maem soto ama nasi goreng. Abis itu shalat dhuhur di Masjid Ba'alwi yang penuh ama bunga2 buat Ladan dan Laleh.

Dari Ba'alwi terus naek bus ke Newton MRT buat ke Raffless. Sempet nyasar ke City Hall sih (stupid me) tapi balik lagi ke Raffless. Abis itu jalan ke Boat Quay, banyak orang mancing dan naek perahu. Pemandangannya juga enak dan bikin dia sebel soalnya ga bawa kamera. Huhu. Banyak orang2 yg pada baru lulus foto2 deket sungai. Trus ada pasangan suami istri gitu ribut gara2 mau ngambil foto doang. Tapi trus kan kita liatin, dan mereka jadi malu2 dan akur lagi. Hehehehe.

Abis itu mau ke Asian Civilization museum tapi cuman buka ampe 1 jam lagi, jadinya jalan lah sekalian ke Esplanade. Rame banget hari minggu, banyak orang foto2 *dan makin bikin dia sebel :P*. Ada band performances juga di 3 panggung. Duduk ngadep ke Merlion deket bunga lily warna biru dan gw petikin satu buat dia. Ihihihi malu2. Cerita2 banyak kaya di chatting aja. Cuman kalo di chatting tuh kayanya gampang banget ngambekan. Kalo cerita face to face gitu malah sambil becanda. Duduk disitu sampe ashar trus jalan balik lagi ke MRT Station. Sempet nyasar lagi sih (idiot me) tapi akhirnya nyampe juga dan terus ke Masjid Maulana Muhammad Ali yang di bawah tanah buat shalat ashar. Si ayang udah mulai kecapekan gara2 jalan dari pagi.

Kesian banget deh tapi abis itu katanya dia pengen duren jadinya ke Bugis. Nyampe pasar di Bugis Village, langsung ke stall buah2an. Bau durennya ada tapi ngga ketemu buahnya. Akhirnya terusin jalan tapi tetep ngga nemu jg dan akhirnya beli rambutan deh dan nanya ama tukang rambutannya stall duren dimana. Uhui akhirnya ketemu dan beli duren sebiji. For the first time in 15 years, gw cobain lagi buah namanya durian. Si ayang mah doyan banget, gw biasa aja. hehehe. Enak sih, cuman ga bisa makan banyak2.

Abis itu ke tempat Tris yang mau pulang hari Senin ini jam 3 sore, tapi cuman bentaran aja karena si ayangnya udah cape banget. Tapi walo bentaran jg mereka sempet2nya rame ngegunjingin gw :P. Jam 9 pulang pake bus ke NTU dan sampe kamar jam 11 soalnya nyari makanan dulu. Kesian ayangnya kecapean dan ga makan malem. Jadi ngga bisa dengerin dia cerita2 gitu. Padahal kalo lg seger gitu ada hiburan rame mulu. Maafin dida yah sayang.

Dah dulu deh, hari ini rencana ga jalan2. Abisan si ayang kecapean jadi sekarang mau ke computer lab aja chatting2. Hihi. Besok baru deh ngambil foto2 di Raffless buat kenang2an.

2003-07-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Intermezzo

2003-07-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

A Song for Mama

You taught me everything
And everything you've given me
I always keep it inside
You're the driving force in my life, yeah

There isn't anything
Or anyone I can be
And it just wouldn't feel right
If I didn't have you by my side

You were there for me to love and care for me
When skies were grey
Whenever I was down
You were always there to comfort me
And no one else can be what you have been to me
You'll always be you always will be the girl
In my life for all times

[Chorus: ]
Mama, mama you know I love you
Oh you know I love you
Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like
Tears from the stars
Mama, I just want you to know
Lovin' you is like food to my soul

You're always down for me
Have always been around for me even when I was bad
You showed me right from my wrong
Yes you did

And you took up for me
When everyone was downin' me
You always did understand
You gave me strength to go on

There was so many times
Looking back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me
And say to me I can face anything
And no one else can do
What you have done for me
You'll always be
You will always be the girl in my life

[Chorus ]

2003-07-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Random Facts

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
Termites eat wood twice as fast if you play loud music.
Lipstick contains fish scales.
Warm water is heavier than cold water.
A gold piece of the size of a matchbox can be smashed and extended to the size of a tennis court.
Cd's were conceived with 74 minutes of sound because that's the size of the 9th symphony from Beethoven.
Did you know that you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by a poisonous spider?
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln memorial on the back of a $5 bill.
American Indians were named after the first thing their mothers saw when leaving their tepees - but I’ve never met one with a name such as cooking pot, tourist, or pile of dung.
Back in the day when printed material required each letter on the sheet to be carefully laid out in a print box,
the letters "p" and "q" were sometimes mistaken for one another, and that's where the phrase "mind your 'p's and 'q's" comes from.
Grape jelly does not melt in hot tea.
If you open a curad bandaid in the dark that has the two adhesive strips on the sides of the wrapper the two adhesive strips will glow blue!
In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.
In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase 'goodnight, sleep tight' came from.
In the English language, the number four is the only number to have the same number of letters as the number itself.
More money is spent world wide on Chicago bulls merchandise then the entire economy of New Zealand.
More people are killed by donkeys than plane crashes.
No president of the United States was an only child.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
On the new five dollar bills, they cut down on the number of states on the back. Mississippi did not make the cut.
Shakespeare invented the words 'assassination' and 'bump'.
Stewardesses is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
Termites eat wood twice as fast if you play loud music.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The characters Bert and Ernie were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in frank capra's 'its a wonderful life'.
The continents names all end with the same letter they start with.
The main library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year. When it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tub and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The original colour of coca-cola was green.
The phrase 'rule of thumb' is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
The term "devil's advocate" comes from the Roman Catholic Church. When deciding if someone should be sainted, a devil's advocate is always appointed to give an alternative view.
The word 'trivia' comes from Latin tri via, a newspaper named after a place where three roads came together.
The word assassin comes from the word hashish (the drug). The assassins were a group of Arabs in the 12th century c.e. who smoked hashish and were the first group of paid murderers that the west encountered.
There is 336 dimples on a golf ball.
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
To proliferate the species, aphids produce by virgin birth for three generations!
Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
WW2 fighter pilots loading their planes with ammo would stretch the 50-caliber machine gun belts on the ground, measuring 27 feet. when all the ammo was expended at a target it was said to have gotten 'the whole nine yards'
When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.

2003-07-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

A Mind Game

How do you process this line: "I always lie."

If the statement is true, it means that the subject is telling the truth. However, it also makes the statement to be false because the moment he tells one truth, the statement fails. On the other hand, if the statement is false, at that moment he negates the statement which becomes "I never lie". However, if the subject is giving a false statement it only means that he is lying which makes the statement that he never lies fails.

Therefore is the statement true or false?

2003-07-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Not Clown, Joker..!!

This is my favorite character in Batman. Batman himself is boring. This guy is fun. There is always something new that he plans. He is stupid really but funny.

I remember one episode where Harley-Quinn (Joker's partner) caught Batman and held him inside a warehouse. She told Joker that she caught Batman for him to kill. Stupid arrogant Joker, he went there straight away and slap Harley so hard that she fell to the ground from the 4th storey of the building. He said, "Please forgive her clumsiness.. She's only a rookie.. She doesn't know what she's doing.." while untying the rope around Batman's waist.

But then later on, Joker realized that it really was the opportunity to kill Batman. So he tied Batman upside down on the top of a pool full of piranhas. However, the "good" guys always win so with a little trick Batman win over the situation and put Joker in jail, again.

2003-06-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Bring It On..!!

2003-06-27T03:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so angry today, I lost my voice

2003-06-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

I Can't Believe I Miss my Dad

I've been quite busy lately. I gotta do 96 games, a CD interactive and a website. The good news is, I'm busy. The bad news is, I begin to think that the guy who orders the games starts to copy the codes from me to create new ones. When I submit a game with similar storyline with the previous ones, he starts to nag. But now, he's duplicating it. What gives man?

And yeah, I miss my mom, my sisters and my bro. I miss my youngest sister most. She is cute and always fighting with my other younger sister. And she's brave too. This one time, there's a snake trying to get into the house. Everybody was screaming around and telling me to kill it. So I fetched a bamboo pole and hit it. The poor snake kapoot and you know what, my youngest sister was not scared at all. And she was only (let me count) 6 years old that time. She tried to pick up the dead snake but I told her no. So I picked it up and when I was going to bury it, she told me to put it on the road and let the trucks crush it. She is cute. When all the ladies of the house were scared and squirming around inside the house, she was always behind me trying to kill the naughty serpent.

And my two younger sisters always fight. There are 13 years gap between them so the older one always tries to you know, tease the younger. The can fight the whole day after getting off school. It can be frustrating sometimes for all the noises but I always look at them and giggle because aaaaargh they are so cute.

I don't smoke now and most of the time. But when I was home, my bro always teased me to smoke a cigarrette. I'm not really close to him, we have different interests. He's really good in basketball. When we play one on one, I lost terribly. But when we play soccer, he lost terribly (heheh). I feel sorry for him when mom scolds him. He's the only brother I have.

And my elder sister. I respect her a lot. She always has that look you know, erm mature. However, sometimes she likes to tease me by making faces just in front of my nose for 10 minutes and it's really annoying not to mention cute. Heheh. Whenever I have a fight with anyone, she always comforts me by saying, "Come on, this is nothing.. We've gone through worse.."

And my mom. She is the best mom ever. When my father died (8 years ago), we cried of course. I didn't cry because I lost my father, but because mom looked very sad that time. But after that, when her children still cried occassionally, she looked very tough. When my aunties cried upon looking my father in the coffin, mom didn't. I know she is very sad and it kills me everytime she calls him in her sleeps. Tough times we went through, and she never complained. She even fasted just to allow her children to have some meals. Then we lost our house, although the certificate says it's ours. Then she went to grandpa's house and mistreated by her siblings.

Oh Mom, I love you sooooo much. I never told you that before because I'm shy. Forgive me for being coward not telling you that. But I love you soooooooo much. More than anyone in the world. I'm sorry for the times when I disobeyed you, when I run out of the house, when I brought you shame and when you fought with dad because of me. I'm sorry for everything and I promise I'll make you happy.

And Dad, I know now that you were so tough on me for a reason. Maybe it's too late now to say this but I love you too. I will pray for you always to be given light in your place now. I want to ask why you had to leave us but let the time answers it. After all these years there's always a corner in my mind which says you're still here somewhere. But now I have to face the reality and say this, Good bye Dad, I love you always

2003-06-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

"Close to You"

Why do birds
Suddenly appear
Every time
You are near
Just like me,
They long to be
Close to you

Why do stars
Fall down from the sky
Every time
You walk by?
Just like me,
They long to be
Close to you

On the day that you were born
The angels got together, and
Decided to create a dream come true
So they springled moon dust
In your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue

That is why
All the boys in town
Follow you
All around
Just like me,
They long to be
Close to you

2003-06-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Say NO to Drugs

I had a friend who died from drugs six years ago. Actually it's AIDS which caused his death but he got the virus after sharing needles with his gang. I listened to how he died from his dad and it was horrible. His little brother was so strickened that he sort of had a mental breakdown and refused to say a single word.

From DrugWarFacts and www.urban75.com tobacco and alcohol are included into the drugs category. Surprisingly, these two are the top killers. In UK, the annual rate of deaths caused by tobacco is 120,000 while in the US, it's 470,000 while deaths caused by heroin reach relatively low as 167(low??). This distinctive descrepancy is probably due to the fact that tobacco is world-widely distributed compared to heroin which is used by drugs addicts who hide themselves.

Anyway, when there are people who come to you offering drugs, just say you're cool and you don't need it. First, they might try to persuade you that a little won't hurt. But actually that little first chunk is the gate to your dependence on poison. You will crave for more but it will not be free. If you have the money, you will be able to buy it, but if you don't they're going to use you as their dealer to widen the drug-addicts network. Finally, you will become a drug-addict, drug-dealer and who knows what will happen next (maybe kill someone and die from AIDS).

NO TO DRUGS (including tobacco and alcohol)

2003-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Evidence and the Truth

A few days after the 911 attack, the US goverment published allegations through mass media on certain individuals who were believed to be involved in the incidents. These people were believed to have ever stayed in the US, took piloting course for light aircraft and finally blew up 4 passenger jets in different locations. Shamefully, the publishing backfired since some individuals who were supposed to be dead (according to the US goverment's allegations), are still alive and kicking.

Unfortunately before the "terrorists" spoke up that they're still alive, people of the world considered that the photos on the newspapers and tv's about Muhammad Atta was the evidence of linkage betweent Al Qaida and 911 incident. Obviously, the evidence in this case, misled people from the truth.

What about the dossier from Blair about Afghanistan and Iraq? The first dossier was dismissed by the Arab world since it contains too many alien words which even the Arabs cannot understand. However, in non-muslim countries, for example Singapore, the dossier was highlighted so bright that people believed it was the evidence that Usamah ibn Ladin was involved in 911 incident. The second dossier about Iraq however, was quickly dismissed by the UN because apparently it was too fake. Shame on you Blair! Another evidence which misled people from the truth (maybe I should start giving it apostrophes).

The first evidence is real. There were really documents on 19 muslims found after 911 incidents. However, this evidence are not accurate to establish the truth. The second and third ones (dossiers by Blair) are fabricated evidences. These are so fake you might laugh if you could read them.

After gathering evidences people will not be able to directly deduct the truth. They will need to do some investigations to correlate one node to another, one individual to another and even one timeline to another. They even need to investigate whether or not such evidences attained are authentic. However, looking back that it is humans who do the investigations, this process can be bent. The obvious results of deviated investigations are the invasions by the US on Afghanistan and Iraq.

There it is, evidence can mislead people and investigation can be deviated from the truth. Therefore we cannot rely only on the evidence and investigations. But then again, how do we know the truth? I think I will leave it to you.

2003-06-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Anti-Gravity"

Two years back, I told a my project group my idea of building a hover car prototype. The project was call In-House Practical Training (IHPT) and lasted for two months. Of course, the group and the supervisor did not agree to my idea because it was to difficult and expensive; there was only $2000 maximum for each group. Afterwards, despite a lot of ideas, we proceeded our project by building a website on e-commerce and I was the one who did the layout.

Anyhoo, back to antigravity, there is this website www.americanantigravity.com which has a large number of articles on anti-gravity concepts. There is Dr. Ning Li from NASA who develepod force field which can be either positive or negative relative to gravity. Boeing has also hired a Russian scientist Dr. Podkletnov who claim that he can generate a field which can reduce weight of materials up to 2 % (and this 2 % is a lot of weight for Boeing jets). From Canada, there is Dr. Hutchison who claim to have generated an effect which can levitate heavy objects and bend metals. Finally from France, there's Jean Louis-Naudin who builds prototypes which float upon being given electric current.

Strangely enough, all of those concepts above involve electricity. Is this a hint that electricity can really generate invisible force field?

2003-06-11T01:19:00.000-07:00

Shalatuwassalam

setelah sekian lama gue posting lagu2 ngga jelas.. akhirnya gue bisa posting Raihan - Shalatuwassalam .. *alright, dudey!* karena gue belom dapet liriknya, yah terpaksa ini dulu deh.. yg punya liriknya tolong yah kasi tau gue biar bisa gue post disini.. please bear with the quality.. it's the best compression which is still loadable on the web..

2003-06-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

For Dummies or For People with Understanding?

The phrase "For Dummies" or "Idiot's Guide" should not be strange to you. Those books are big booms eversince they are released. Truthfully, I found the books very straightforward and easily understandable. Why would the publisher apply such rude words which are apparently appealing to the market?

Well let's consider this. There are probably only 20% of people in the whole world who know how to use Flash and 3D Studio Max. In the whole Indonesian community in my campus, there are only 3 people (including me) whom I know of, who are familiar (advance mode) with those two softwares. And, I can honestly say that I am on the top and that was why people come to me if they have questions on those softwares.

These "For Dummies" books are trying to reach those ordinary people with no basis at all to start with who might be interested in taking the subjects. The contents are published as simple as possible for the audience to be able to grab the meanings with little or none difficulties. This strategy actually works and make "For Dummies" and "Idiot's guide" books best sellers eversince they were first published. If I buy one now, I can read on their covers that millions of books of the same kind were sold.

On the contrary, there are books like "Business for Expert", "Java for Programmer", "Calculus for People With Understanding". Upon reading the title, I will have to check myself whether or not I'm one of those people. Obviously and safely, I know distinctively whether or not I'm an expert or a programmer. However, it would be tough for me to admit that I'm not one with understanding. Why? Because I am sure I have the understanding like the writers. It's only that the books are not meant for readers like me or the writers just cannot understand the mind of readers like me.

There are a lot of articles and books which claim that if you do not understand it, you are unintelligent, arrogant, wrong, dumbfounded, naive, which conclude that you are an idiot. Well, I say, "Crap!!. If the readers cannot understand what you're saying, then there's something wrong with what you said. The readers are passive and you're the active one who talk for the whole 160 pages." Maybe what the writers say has some truth in it, but the way he said it can't be followed well enough by ordinary people (And these ordinary people are way a lot more than those "special" people he's trying to get).

So, if you're writing a book, are you trying to make the dummies understand or people who understand understand?

2003-06-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Weakness of the Mind

Did you ever wonder why you go to school? Did you ever wonder why you wake up in the morning everyday for about 23 - 24 years to be lectured about some things? The answer is, and I am sure you will agree with me, that you want to know somethings. If you didn't want to, it was your parents who wanted you to know about those things; especially during your younger years.

Why school? And why did you need books? Why did you need to listen to other people (teachers maybe)? Why? My guess is because it must be very hard to learn on your own. It is not only that it's so much easier to understand things when you have something/someone to teach you about them, but also you would not have any reference to differ the truth from falsehood if you were on your own.

There are people of couse, the geniouses, who go through special trainings and learning methods which make it possible for them to have little or none attention at all from teachers. However, they still need books, a lot. These books act as the replacements for human teachers. Apparently, these geniouses' mind cannot comprehend things just by lying back, looking at the blue sky and wondering about how things happen. They need guidence.

Along the way, when you think you have enough guidence, you can establish your very own for yourself or for other people. People who know enough will publish books which will act as guidence for other group of people. However, when you are establishing these guidence, you still use others' statement and/or teachings for inspirations. And, it is not only you who do that. People in the whole world use each other's statements for reference so much that you will be amazed how it establishes a big global reciprocal network. Give a statement now or take one from someone else and in a few years later it will get back at you.

Seeing how people use each other's word hence using it as reference sometimes eventually considered as the "truth", it supports obviously how weak the state of the minds is. It's just like a hamster running inside a wheel, it always gets back to the same spot.

Then what is a strong mind? Well, considering that weak minds are those which cannot establish their own truth, the strong mind is that which can, and independently.

Here's a little riddle, "how do you establish that something is the truth?".

2003-06-07T02:43:00.000-07:00

Le Ragazze

Le ragazze si lanciano ad occhi
chiusi nelle avventure
qualche volta confondono
la bugia e la verita'
seguono l'istinto
e l'istinto le aiutera'
sono treni in corsa
che nessuno fermera'

le ragazze decidono il destino
dei loro amori
i ragazzi s'illudono
ma non contano un gran che...
quando ti sorridono
e' probabile che sia un si
ma quando si allontanano e' no!
e tu...

ci devi stare inutile sperare
di recuperare se hanno detto no
meglio sparire non telefonare
per sentirsi dire un'altra volta no
come se non t'importasse piu'
senza farti mai vedere giu'
si puo' amare da morire
ma morire d'amore no!

le ragazze che ispirano
tutti i testi delle canzoni
sono sempre al centro
dei discorsi di tutti noi
che non conosciamo
nemmeno la meta'
di tutti quel che pensano
e dei segreti che ognuna ha

le ragazze volteggiano
sulle ali degli aquiloni
e noi innamorati
che le seguiamo da quaggiu'
guarda come planano...
qualcuna scendera'
ma quando si allontanano e' no!
e tu...

ci devi stare inutile sperare
di recuperare se hanno detto no
meglio sparire non telefonare
per sentirsi dire un'altra volta no
come se non t'importasse piu'
senza farti mai vedere giu'
si puo' amare da morire
ma morire d'amore no!

le ragazze che sfidano
le opinioni della gente
hanno gli occhi limpidi
di chi dice la verita'
senza compromessi
ne' mezze misure
sono piu' sincere
le ragazze della nostra eta

2003-06-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

Black Holes

Have you watched a movie by BBC titled "Supermassive Black Holes" ? If not, it's very recommended for you to go and download it from http://www.torrents.co.uk; movies section. NOTE : You will need a BitTorrent client to download it.

Back to the movie, Black Holes have been considered as freaks of the astronomy world. They exist as residu of supernovas when supermassive stars die. But in the movie, it is discovered by the Nuker Team, after years of research, that Black Holes exist at the center of many galaxies. Their attention is then turned to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and it is discovered that it also has a Black Hole at the core.

Since they exist in almost all the galaxies observed, Black Holes are no longer considered as freaks of nature. They may explain how galaxies are formed and eventually how the universe was formed. However, since one property of Black Holes which is Singularity cannot be explained by current Physics, Science World will require a "new" kind of Physics before proceeding the quest to uncover the relationship between Black Holes, galaxies and the universe.

2003-06-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

Who Sleeps?

I don't feel well lately so I have to rest a lot. My back gave out after shifting things which weigh total of 100 kg. I just have to lie down on the bed and relax my back, which of course makes me sleep a lot. During my sleep I dream of lots of things. That's why I am intrigued to find an article about sleep. This article below is taken from http://www.howstuffworks.com.

Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious to their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.

Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.

Really?

Cows can sleep while standing up, but they only dream if they lie down!

Whales and dolphins are "conscious breathers," and they need to keep breathing while they sleep, so only one half of the brain sleeps at a time! (Click here for details.)

2003-05-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

LOCKED..!

2003-05-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

EJECT!! EJECT!!

Karena gue ngga boleh posting2 yang serius ama seseorang (*lirik2 http://khairani.blogspot.com *), jadinya yah gue posting gambar 3D gue yang paling baru.

Ini gambarnya screenshot dari film pendek yg gue bikin buat temen gue yang mau presentasi Final Year Project. Ini pesawatnya meledak abis ketembak ama Gun Turret dari kapal2 yg di bawah itu. Sebenernya sih ngga mungkin Falcon dengan kecepatan 3 x suara, bisa ketembak pake Gun Turret. Harusnya di uber dulu pake Rudal Sidewinder ato Ground to Air Missile dulu deh baru kena. Hehehehe.

2003-05-15T01:55:00.000-07:00

The Basic Process of Evolution

ev·o·lu·tion (n).

A gradual process in which something changes into a different
and usually more complex or better form. See Synonyms at development.

The process of developing.

Gradual development.

Biology: Change in the genetic composition of a population during
successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting
on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development
of new species.

The historical development of a related group of organisms;
phylogeny.

A movement that is part of a set of ordered movements.

Mathematics. The extraction of a root of a quantity.

Any statement stating that evolution is a random phenomenon which does
not necessarily produce development is contradictive with the meaning of
the word evolution itself.

2003-05-15T01:54:00.001-07:00

The basic theory of evolution is surprisingly simple. It has three
essential parts:

It is possible for the DNA of an organism to occasionally
change, or mutate. A mutation changes the DNA of an organism
in a way that affects its offspring, either immediately or several generations
down the line.

The change brought about by a mutation is either beneficial, harmful
or neutral(but is there really a beneficial mutant?). If the change
is harmful, then it is unlikely that the offspring will survive to reproduce,
so the mutation dies out and goes nowhere. If the change is beneficial,
then it is likely that the offspring will do better than other offspring
and so will reproduce more. Through reproduction, the beneficial mutation
spreads. The process of culling bad mutations and spreading good mutations
is called natural selection.

As mutations occur and spread over long periods of time, they
cause new species to form. Over the course of many millions
of years, the processes of mutation and natural selection have created
every species of life that we see in the world today, from the simplest
bacteria to humans and everything in between.

2003-05-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

In the book "The Dragons of Eden," Carl Sagan summarized the theory of evolution
in this way:

Accidentally useful mutations provide the working
material for biological evolution -- as, for example, a mutation for melanin
in certain moths, which changes their color from white to black. Such
moths commonly rest on English birch trees, where their white coloration
provides protective camouflage. Under these conditions, the melanin mutation
is not an advantage -- the dark moths are starkly visible and are eaten
by birds; the mutation is selected against. But when the Industrial Revolution
began to cover the birch bark with soot, the situation was reversed, and
only moths with the melanin mutation survived. Then the mutation was selected
for, and, in time, almost all of the moths are dark, passing this inheritable
change on to future generations. There are still occasional reverse mutations
eliminating the melanin adaptation, which would be useful for the moths
were English industrial pollution to be controlled. Note that in all this
interaction between mutation and natural selection, no moth is making
a conscious effort to adapt to a changed environment. The process is random
and statistical.

Note that the Moths did not evolve into a higher species.

2003-05-15T01:52:00.000-07:00

Holes in the Theory

The theory of evolution is just that -- a theory. According to "The American
Heritage Dictionary," a theory is: A set of statements or principles
devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has
been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions
about natural phenomena. Evolution is a set of principles that
tries to explain how life, in all its various forms, appeared on
Earth. The theory of evolution succeeds in explaining why we see bacteria
and mosquitoes becoming resistant to antibiotics and insecticides. It
also successfully predicted, for example, that X-ray exposure would
lead to thousands of mutations in fruit flies.

Many theories are works in progress, and evolution is one of them.
There are several big questions that the theory of evolution cannot answer
right now. This is not unusual. Newtonian physics worked really well for
hundreds of years, and it still works well today for many types of problems.
However, it does not explain lots of things that were eventually answered
by Einstein and his theories of relativity. People create new theories and
modify existing ones to explain the unexplained. In answering the open questions
that still remain unsolved, the theory of evolution will either become complete
or it will be replaced by a new theory that better explains the phenomena
we see in nature. That is how the scientific process works. Here are three
common questions that are asked about the current theory of evolution:

How does evolution add information to a genome to create progressively
more complicated organisms?

How is evolution able to bring about drastic changes so quickly?

How could the first living cell arise spontaneously to get evolution
started?

Let's look at each of these questions briefly in the following sections

2003-05-15T01:51:00.001-07:00

Question 1: How Does Evolution Add Information?

The theory of evolution explains how strands of DNA change. An X-ray, cosmic
ray, chemical reaction or similar mechanism can modify a base pair in the
DNA strand to create a mutation, and this modification can lead to the creation
of a new protein or enzyme. The theory of evolution further proposes that
billions of these mutations created all of the life forms we see today.
An initial self-replicating molecule spontaneously formed. It evolved into
single-cell organisms. These evolved into multi-cell organisms, which evolved
into vertebrates like fish, and so on. In the process, DNA structures evolved
from the asexual single-strand format found in bacteria today into the dual-strand
chromosomal format found in all higher life forms. The number of chromosomes
also proliferated. For example, fruit flies have five chromosomes, mice
have 20, humans have 23 and dogs have 39. Evolution's mutation mechanism
does not explain how growth of a genome is possible. How can point
mutations create new chromosomes or lengthen a strand of DNA? It is
interesting to note that, in all of the selective breeding in dogs,
there has been no change to the basic dog genome. All breeds
of dog can still mate with one another. People have not seen any increase
in dog's DNA, but have simply selected different genes from the existing
dog gene pool to create the different breeds.

2003-05-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

Question 2: How Can Evolution Be So Quick?

Carl Sagan, in "The Dragons of Eden," put it this way:

The time scale for evolutionary or genetic change is very
long. A characteristic period for the emergence of one advanced species
from another is perhaps a hundred thousand years; and very often the difference
in behavior between closely related species -- say, lions and tigers --
does not seem very great. An example of recent evolution of organ systems
in humans is our toes. The big toe plays an important function in balance
while walking; the other toes have much less obvious utility. They are
clearly evolved from fingerlike appendages for grasping and swinging,
like those of arboreal apes and monkeys. This evolution constitutes a
respecialization -- the adaptation of an organ system originally evolved
for one function to another and quite different function -- which required
about ten million years to emerge. The fact that it takes evolution 100,000
or 10 million years to make relatively minor changes in existing structures
shows just how slow evolution really is. The creation of a new species
is time consuming.

2003-05-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

Modern human brain size averages about 1,500 CCs or so. In other words, in about 2 million years, evolution roughly doubled the size of the Homo erectus brain to create the human brain that we have today. Our brains contain approximately 100 billion neurons today, so in 2 million years, evolution added 50 billion neurons to the Homo erectus brain (while at the same time redesigning the skull to accommodate all of those neurons and redesigning the female pelvis to let the larger skull through during birth, etc.).

Let's assume that Homo erectus was able to reproduce every 10 years. That
means that, in 2 million years, there were 200,000 generations of Homo erectus
possible. There are four possible explanations for where the 50 billion
new neurons came from in 200,000 generations:

Every generation, 250,000 new neurons were added to the Homo erectus
brain (250,000 * 200,000 = 50 billion).

Every 100,000 years, 2.5 billion new neurons were added to the Homo
erectus brain (2,500,000,000 * 20 = 50 billion).

Perhaps 500,000 years ago, there was a spurt of 20 or so closely-spaced
generations that added 2.5 billion neurons per generation.

One day, spontaneously, 50 billion new neurons were added to the Homo
erectus brain to create the Homo sapiens brain (similar to Punctuated
Equilibrium).

None of these scenarios is particularly comfortable. We see no evidence
that evolution is randomly adding 250,000 neurons to each child born today,
so that explanation is hard to swallow. The thought of adding a large package
of something like 2.5 billion neurons in one step is difficult to imagine,
because there is no way to explain how the neurons would wire themselves
in. What sort of point mutation would occur in a DNA molecule that would
suddenly create billions of new neurons and wire them correctly?* The current
theory of evolution does not predict how this could happen.

2003-05-15T01:49:00.001-07:00

Obviously, the E. coli cell itself is the product of billions of years of
evolution, so it is complex and intricate -- much more complex than the
first living cells. Even so, the first living cells had to possess:

A cell wall
The ability to maintain and expand the cell wall (grow)

The ability to process "food" (other molecules floating outside
the cell) to create energy

The ability to split itself to reproduce

Otherwise, it is not really a cell and it is not really alive. To try
to imagine a primordial cell with these capabilities spontaneously creating
itself, it is helpful to consider some simplifying assumptions.

For
example:

Perhaps the original energy molecule was very different from the mechanism
found in living cells today, and the energy molecules happened to be
abundant and free-floating in the environment. Therefore, the original
cell would not have had to manufacture them.

Perhaps the chemical composition of the Earth was conducive to the spontaneous
production of protein chains, so the oceans were filled with unimaginable
numbers of random chains and enzymes.

Perhaps the first cell walls were naturally forming lipid spheres, and
these spheres randomly entrapped different combinations of chemicals.

Perhaps the first genetic blueprint was something other than DNA.

2003-05-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

Question 3: Where Did the First Living Cell Come From?

In order for the principles of mutation and natural selection in the theory
of evolution to work, there have to be living things for them to work on.
Life must exist before it can to start diversifying. Life had
to come from somewhere, and the theory of evolution proposes that it arose
spontaneously out of the inert chemicals of planet Earth perhaps 4 billion
years ago.

Could life arise spontaneously? If you read How Cells Work, you can see
that even a primitive cell like an E. coli bacteria -- one of the simplest
life forms in existence today -- is amazingly complex. Following the E.
coli model, a cell would have to contain at an absolute minimum:

A cell wall of some sort to contain the cell

A genetic blueprint for the cell (in the form of DNA)

An enzyme capable of copying information out of the genetic blueprint
to manufacture new proteins and enzymes

An enzyme capable of manufacturing new enzymes, along with all of
the building blocks for those enzymes

An enzyme that can build cell walls

An enzyme able to copy the genetic material in preparation for cell
splitting (reproduction)

An enzyme or enzymes able to take care of all of the other operations
of splitting one cell into two to implement reproduction (For example,
something has to get the second copy of the genetic material separated
from the first, and then the cell wall has to split and seal over in
the two new cells.)

Enzymes able to manufacture energy molecules to power all of the previously
mentioned enzymes

2003-04-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

Apa Salah Kami Sebagai Muslim?

Mungkin perhatian dunia saat ini tersedot pada tragedi kemanusiaan di Chechnya, Bosnia, Palestina, dan Irak, yang masih berlangsung hingga saat ini. Namun sedikit sekali masyarakat internasional yang mengangkat isu penderitaan Muslim Rohingya di Burma yang mengalami penindasan penguasa hanya lantaran mereka adalah Muslim. Tahukah anda, bahwa hak-hak mereka diberangus? Penguasa menolak hak-hak kewarganegaraan mereka, hak bepergian di dalam negeri atau bepergian ke luar negeri. Kaum Muslimin Rohingya juga tak memperoleh hak kesempatan bekerja dan hak mendapat pendidikan. Bahkan hak mereka untuk menikah pun dilarang.
more in here

2003-04-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

Secret Garden

She'll let you in her house
If you come knockin' late at night
She'll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides

She'll let you in her car
To go drivin' 'round
She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden, don't think twice

You've gone a million miles
How far'd you get
To that place where you can't remember
And you can't forget

She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
And she'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say

She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away

note: hati wanita emang siapa yang tau ya.. ada secret garden didalamnya.. (^_^)

2003-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

2003-04-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Con Te Partiro

Sarah:
Quando sono sola
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
si lo so che non c'è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole,
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai accesso,
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada.

Time to say goodbye. -- Con te partirò.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò.
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,
it's time to say goodbye. -- con te io li vivrò.

Andrea:
Quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io si lo so
che sei con me, con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.

Time to say goodbye. -- Con te partirò.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso sì li vivrò.
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,

Both:
con te io li rivivrò.
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,
con te io li rivivrò.
Con te partirò

Io con te.

Time to say goodbye -- I'll go with you

Sarah
When I'm alone
I dream of the horizon
and words fail;
yes, I know there is no light
in a room where the sun is absent,
if you are not here with me.
At the windows
show everyone my heart
which you set alight;
enclose within me
the light you
encountered on the street.

Time to say goodbye. -- I'll go with you
to countries I never
saw and shared with you,
now, yes, I shall experience them.
I'll go with you
on ships across seas
which, I know,
no, no, exist no longer;
it's time to say goodbye. -- with you I shall experience them.

Andrea
When you are far away
I dream of the horizon
and words fail,
and, yes, I know
that you are with me;
you, my moon, are here with me,
my sun, you are here with me
with me, with me, with me.

Time to say goodbye. -- I'll go with you
to countries I never
saw and shared with you,
now, yes, I shall experience them.
I'll go with you
on ships across seas
which, I know,
no, no, exist no longer,

Both
with you I shall experience them again.
I'll go with you
on ships across seas
which, I know,
no, no, exist no longer,
with you I shall experience them again.
I'll go with you.

You and me.

2003-04-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Time After Time

Lyin' in my bed
I hear the clock tick and think of you
Caught up in circles
Confusion is nothing new
Flashbacks, warm nights
Almost left behind
Suitcase and memories
Time after

Sometimes you picture me
I'm walkin' too far ahead
You're calling to me
I can't hear what you said

Then you say go slow
I fall behind (I fall behind)
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost, you can look
And you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you
I'll be waiting
Time after time

After my picture fades
And darkness has turned to gray
Watching through windows
You're wondering if I'm okay
Secrets stolen from deep inside
The drum beats out of time

You said go slow
I fall behind (I fall behind)
The second hand unwinds

Time after time
Time after time
Time after time
I will love you always
I will love you always
I will love you always

2003-04-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

No Clark Kent

Have you ever been asked by someone to change how you do things or who you are? May be in the one time someone sees you as a gentleman, but in the other, the very same person sees you as a weak geek?

I am no Clark Kent whose identities are so far apart from each other although it's the same person. He looks like a weak nerdy reporter from the Daily Planet and becomes a stud in blue and red flying around in the sky as Superman whenever there's trouble. Lois or Lana often scolded him for being such a nerd with secrets but also melted in his arms for being such a hunk.

I am not in the position to give people advice and I realize it. Therefore I can safely say, I never force anyone to change themselves the way I like them to be. Why not? People have their own way to develop themselves. They have their own path and method to choose. If they dare to choose what they do, speak, see or feel for themselves, don't you think they're being stronger? (Stronger than when they're giving up what they want to follow what you want..)

You see, it's never good to expect people to be what we like him to be. The least better thing is to expect him to be what he wants to be, and we can be sure everyone wants to be a good person. Of course it's one's duty to remind his friend that something is wrong, but that's it. Going beyond giving reminder such as forcing him to be someone else, is just like you dont want him around.

2003-04-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

just something I did long ago..
dan gak lupa buat ayangku tersayang..

Happy Birthday...!!!

2003-04-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Anggi...

Anggi itu nama adek gue yang paling kecil.. udah lebih dari 3 taun gue gak ketemu.. kangen banget.. foto nya ilang waktu pindahan.. :-( That's why I tried to draw a picture of her like what I could remember.. However hard I tried, I couldn't make this picture as beautiful as her..

2003-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Self Caricature -well sort of-

I think this is how ppl see me.. (based on what they told me) :

-skinny
-unfriendly
-weird hairdo
-jackets
-worn tshirt and pants
-slippers

2003-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Only Inhumane Sadistic Morons would Support an INVASION

2003-04-05T04:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I could be writing under happier circumstances...
But words fail me.

"The events of just the past few days... the bombing of a maternity hospital, the missile strike on the Baghdad marketplace (which killed no less than 60,) the announced deployment of cluster bombs...

And then I turn on the TV, and see Rumsfeld, with a ghastly grin plastered accross his face, declaring that the "War is going according to plan." I see George W. Bush, showing his death-penalty sincerity as he boasts of "America's Determination."

Why weren't we, as American citizens, informed that Rumsfeld had included universally-recognized war crimes in his great "plan?"

And Bush's "determination...."

To prove once and for all he's a "MAN" in his Daddy's eyes- to insure fat profits to the oil companies to installed him in power- to give the rednecks and rich white trash who voted for him a feeling that they have something BIG in their pants, again....

But at what cost?

My God, what has happened to my country? "
taken from : http://www.ericblumrich.com

if an American, a non muslim, still cares of what's going on, why in the world are we tired and bored of it? shame on us.. SHAME.... ON...... US..!!!!

2003-04-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

Red Cross Reports High
Iraqi Civilian Casualties
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
4-3-3

Red Cross tells horror of war

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is reporting high numbers of civilian casualties throughout Iraq.

ICRC spokesman in Baghdad Roland Huguenen-Benjamin says an average of 100 civilian casualties a day are being recorded at hospitals in the capital.

Mr Benjamin says he and his staff have also been shocked by the numbers of dead and injured in a hospital in the town of Hila, 100 kilometres south of Iraq.

"That hospital where we had a chance of travelling with our own surgeon was utterly overwhelmed by hundreds of civilian casualties brought in, in just over 48 hours," he said.

"And there were lots and lots of dead bodies that were practically dismembered by the violence of the explosion they had been subjected to."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s823972.htm

2003-04-02T23:20:00.000-08:00

Hospital Hit

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft have hit a Red Crescent maternity hospital in Baghdad, killing several people and wounding at least 25, hospital sources and a Reuters witness say.

The attacks occurred at 9:30 a.m. (6:30 a.m. British time) and caught motorists by surprise as they ventured out during a lull in the bombing. At least five cars were crushed with drivers burned to death inside, Reuters correspondent Samia Nakhoul said.

At least three doctors and nurses working at the Iraqi Red Crescent hospital were wounded in the blasts. Among the wounded were patients who had come to hospital for help.

The missiles also obliterated wings of Baghdad's trade fair building, which lies next to a government security office that was apparently missed in the bombings.

2003-04-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Liberated Iraqi Children ...?

Notice there are three dead decaying children inside that cheap wooden coffin? Notice the other similar coffins in the background? Notice the disfigured face of the children? Is this liberation?

2003-04-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

'What fault did my son have?'

Beatriz Lecumberri

Umm Qasr - Eight Iraqis stand weeping unconsolably next to an empty coffin and a hastily dug grave on the side of the highway leading from Umm Qasr to Basra.

Inside the shallow hole, limbs askew, lies the decomposing body of Bassem Abdu Zara, killed by British troops last week as he and some friends were trying to flee the fighting that had engulfed southern Iraq.

"What fault did my poor son have?" sobs his elderly father, sitting impotent by the side of the road.

On the third day of the war, Bassem and 10 other people were heading north from there homes in Umm Qasr toward Basra, 55km away, thinking it would be safer up there.

Hassem Farah, one of the survivors, recalls: "British soldiers fired on us. First against the car and then, after we all got out with our hands up, they continued attacking us with machine guns." The van exploded and caught fire. It was completely gutted.

Farah, who was wounded in the leg, was limping as he returned to the scene on Sunday to help recover the body of his friend.

He said that, beside Bassem, the driver of the van was mortally wounded. He died several hours later in hospital in Umm Qasr where other wounded among the group, including a 10-year-old girl, are being treated.

Alongside the van are the remains of a truck, also burnt out.

Inside are the skeletons of two people, who witnesses say were machine gunned before their vehicle exploded. In Umm Qasr, no one seemed to know who they were, and no one had come to reclaim their bodies.

2003-04-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

With no chance to hold a funeral in the middle of the fighting, Bassem's friends buried him where he was killed.

As relatives and others gathered to transfer Bassem's remains into the coffin, a number of cars stopped on the road, their drivers curious to know what was happening. They were quickly waved on for fear of another attack.

Overpowering stench

A short while afterwards, a British armoured car arrives and a soldier gets out, demanding to know what these people are hiding in the hole. When he sees the answer, he sombrely withdraws, his head hanging.

"It's obvious they weren't soldiers," the Iraqis say. "Why did they kill them?"

They were digging as they spoke, first with shovels and then with their hands. As their work proceeded, the stench became overpowering, and they had to put perfume under their noses and cover their faces to keep from vomiting.

Finally, the body appears, unrecognisable, and his friends retrieve it with the help of ropes. The men kneel and weep. A child sitting inside the vehicle that brought them watches on impassively.

"This country didn't need this war; we were better without them," one of the men says as Bassem's body is wrapped in plastic and placed in the wooden coffin, which is hoisted on to the roof of the car.

"He was 30 years old. He only got married four months ago. We were all so happy," his father says, wiping the tears from his eyes as he leaves. - Sapa-AFP

2003-03-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

Have you heard?

I had a chat with dini yesterday, I heard one of the most unbelievable news since the day Bush decided to invade Iraq. The news is, "Al Jazeera is owned by the Jews". Actually, I did not hear this from Dini, she only translated her Arab friend's sayings word by word to me; the friend's name is Kausar.

At first of course I couldn't believe what she was telling me, and I still can't. I've read so many news about Muslims reporter going into Baghdad and regarded the bravest reporter ever. I've also read so many open letters to the Muslim owner of AlJazeera containing supports to keep broadcasting the truth to open the eyes of the people. Despite my telling Kausar about all that, she insisted that AlJazeera is owned by the Jews. The programs broadcasted which reach the foreign tv stations are only 2 percent of the whole AlJazeera's political agenda.

Most of the times, in Jordan, Al Jazeera broadcasts news about Jews' victory over Palestinians. Now that the war in Iraq broke, most of the time, they broadcast how the Americans advance and how compassionate they are towards the children. The video about the Iraqi death is like I said, only 2 percent of the whole agenda. The rest of the 98 percent, the Arab people feel that AlJazeera is trying to make them fight head to head with each other. Maybe the want the rest of the world trust them first and when the bend the news we will still believe them? Who knows..

2003-03-30T23:43:00.001-08:00

He Ain't Heavy...
He's My Brother

Where have all the children gone--long time passing? Who will stop the madness of a world sending its children off to war to kill other people's children in other lands?

What in God's name is the matter with us? We were supposed to protect, care for, nurture, and love these little ones. "Rights of the Child---Protect the Children---Amber Alerts--Don't Take Candy from Strangers---Buckle-up---Watch for Cars--Playground Safety--Zero Tolerance---Safety Locks on Guns---Security Alarms---Fire Alarms---Carbon Monoxide Alarms---Danger, Second-Hand Smoke---Danger, Drawstrings on Snowsuits---Safety Caps---Curfews---No Child Left Behind etc."

This isn't about marching, drumming, signs, die-ins, singing, flags, candle-light vigils, yellow-ribbons, flags, bugles, support the troops, bring'em home, nor hate filled labels of anti-American, treason, war-hawks, love it or leave it".

This is about kids killing kids. Plain and simple. This is about hate, anger, revenge, greed, power, conquest, oil, contracts, and weapons of unimaginable vaporizing destruction, terrifying and shredding children. Their children and our children. For what? Freedom, democracy, liberation, evil, terrorism?

You don't annihilate a people and their land with fire storms, cluster bombs, bunker busters, tanks and missiles and call it "liberation-freedom-nor democracy". It's murder, it's killing, it's barbarism, it's savage and loathsome.

2003-03-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

Children in an Army Base School putting up pictures and writing stories of their mothers
and fathers off killing "the bad guys". The teacher tells them as they cry that they can hug them in their minds. No they can't. They want a mommy to be there when they fall down and daddy to tuck them in at night, catch ball with them, see their first steps. Instead we have their dads and moms off killing other children's moms and dads. What's wrong with this picture? In war everyone loses. Everyone that is except those making a profit from death.

Young men, hardly out of high school waved off at docks and now dying. Dying for what? How does one kill evil with evil? How do you make sense over using the most horrific weapons of mass destruction seen on the face of the earth because some dust bowl ravaged country, might--just might someday have what we're killing them with. Somebody tell me how this makes sense. How in God's precious name do you tell people that after you're finished with the terrifying "Shock and Awe" that you're going to fed them and give the kids chocolate bars to make everything right? How? Not with a flag and not with a peace sign, it can't be done. Where there is no justice there can be no peace. Peace is an outward manifestation of a heart's attitude of love for all humanity---all.

The supposed adults in all this mayhem, starvation, bombings, and death are too busy ripping and tearing at one another. The adult police are beating down the people who cry for peace and arresting them. Why? Because they're against killing? Tell me somebody how this makes sense? Then you have people with flags and signs shouting, 'support the troops' at the peace people. Others seeing an excuse for destruction of property break windows and turn over cars. Then the other adults, the ones who plan wars, and make the weapons, instruct other adults on TV to tell the people that everything is going fine." Today we killed 50 here and another 30 here. Twenty were killed by friendly fire, some are missing, others are maimed, but we're going to decapitate and get to the center of gravity and win this thing. Maybe not in a week or month or six months, but win we will." Then some dusty generals get up and tell everyone how it should be done and some Public Relations hirelings called "experts" talk about insane nothings.

And more people march, and more flags are waved, and the dying goes on, and some people count all the money they're making and watch the stock market. As an aside, it's mentioned that some people died somewhere the numbers are not known, but we must keep killing because a madman is loose!

2003-03-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

The children keep killing one another and the children of the bad guys and the good guys keep dying, because the big people have lost their minds. Everyone has forgotten about the children. Where have all the children gone, long time passing.....we've killed them every one. And an only son of a father in Baltimore and a father in Texas come home--dead, and soon are forgotten. A picture, a flag, a medal and maybe another Wall to visit someday and look at a name.

A little girl dancing down a cobbled street, running after her grandpa; is lifted from the rubble of a bunker buster, cluster bomb, missile---what matter. Her little feet are gone, only shredded bone is left. The shaggy purple jacket, her favorite, is dirty and bloody . Her lifeless little body shows no joy on her ashen face of being "liberated".

Day Ten, and the bombs continue with the sky ablaze. A little boy, traumatized into silent horror, sits beside his shattered baby brother, maybe all of four years old, in a cheap wooden box waiting to be buried between the rain of terror. Freedom's child will never reach for the promised chocolate. And tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow the adults will bomb, will beat their clubs on shields, will wave their flags, tie their ribbons, and talk about another mighty weapon.

Nobody will see the grief of fathers burying their only sons. They will not give a thought to liberation's missing feet; nor for freedom's mangled little body covered in blood. War kills everyone. War drives people mad. War is the real bad guy, War and his soulless minions.

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with gladness
And love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He's My Brother (unknown)

2003-03-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

2003-03-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

'First, I carried out my cousin, then my sister...(Til Death Do Us Apart)'

The JabouriI family had fled their Baghdad city centre home to stay with relatives on the southern outskirts of the city where they thought they might be safer from the bombs.
It was a mistake. A few kilometres away the Iraqi army set up the last line of defence for Baghdad. The Republican Guard began digging in shortly after the first airstrikes. Army camps sprung up on the highway and military equipment was parked beneath overpasses. The dirt road leading to the farmhouse runs along a dyke between the irrigated fields where militiamen sitting on wooden benches stop all traffic.

The US missile hit the farmhouse a short while after noon prayers. The 12 members of the extended family had gathered downstairs in the living room waiting for an announcement by the President on television. Khalid Jabouri, a 22-year-old office clerk who had just returned from work, was having a late lunch and drinking tea. His 16-year-old wife, Nahida, had just gone upstairs to brush her teeth.

The family found Nahida on the stairs, her decapitated body mangled and cut in half. Her hand with her wedding ring was intact. The couple were married just last week, they had killed a cow and invited 50 neighbours to the celebrations. They had not yet had a chance to have their wedding pictures developed. Khalid's sister Hana, 22, was also killed, her body buried beneath rubble, and his eight-year-old cousin.

'First, I carried out my little cousin, Rana - she was dead. Then I saw my sister Hana - she was dead. And I looked everywhere for my wife. And then they found her on the stairs,' said Khalid, squatting on the floor at the al-Kindy hospital in a pair of striped pyjamas, crying.

Fateha Gazi, the mother of Rana, sits on a bed in the same hospital across from her children. Her daughter Nada, 14, lies in one bed with a swollen eye and cuts all over her face. In the adjacent bed, Fateha's nine-year-old eldest son has a long wound down his left shoulder and his collar bone is broken.

Fateha takes a photo of Rana from an envelope. She's a tiny girl with large eyes smiling in a pink dress. 'She was born in 1995 but she was sick and never grew very big,' she said, looking at the picture. 'Rana had a growth hormone problem.'

Fateha begins to cry and grips her lap. 'I took you to the village because I was afraid of Bush killing you,' she tells the photo. 'And then Bush came to the village and killed you.'

Her husband Adnan Najim, who has just arrived at the hospital in his army uniform, tries to take the picture but she waves him away. 'Don't cry,' he says. 'God wanted her, thanks be to God. She is with God.'

2003-03-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

WHO (Badan Kesehatan Dunia) dan US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) telah mengeluarkan peringatan mengenai sebuah penyakit pernafasan yang cukup gawat, dinamakan SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Penyakit ini muncul di Asia (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapura, Indonesia dan Filipina). Paling sedikit ada 150 kasus dengan 9 angka kematian pasien. Dalam beberapa hari ini, pasien dengan gejala yang serupa di Asia sudah di kirim ke rumah2 sakit di Jerman dan Kanada. Beberapa pasien, yang terkena virus ini di Asia, sudah masuk ataupun singgah ke Amerika dan sedang di ikuti perkembangannya oleh CDC dan beberapa departemen kesehatan.

SARS adalah gejala penyakit serangan jaluran pernafasan, dengan gejala demam tiba2, batuk2, sakit tenggorokan, sakit kepala dan kejang otot. Sangat mirip dengan influenza, tetapi virus influenza tidak begitu menular dibandingkan dengan virus ini. Seorang pasien akan mengalami gejala paru2 basah yang akan berkembang menjadi gejala gangguan pernafasan yang berat (ARDS). Hasil dari laboratorium juga menunjukan gejala leucopenia (gangguan produksi sel darah putih) dan thrombocytopenia (gangguan produksi sel keping darah). Beberapa sumber mengatakan bahwa dalam perawatan, penyakit ini tidak terpengaruh oleh antibiotik.

2003-03-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

Informasi yang tersedia, sejauh ini, menyatakan bahwa masa inkubasi SARS adalah antara 2 - 7 hari. Penyebaran terjadi oleh kontak langsung dengan penderita. Kasus2 sekunder hanya terjadi karena kontak dalam rumah dan pusat2 kesehatan (petugas yang memberi perawatan kepada pasien SARS). Ada asumsi bahwa penyakit ini menyebar melalui tetes2 air, tetapi penyebaran melalui udara juga masih memungkinkan. Para wisatawan sudah di beri peringatan dan CDC memberikan pengecekan kepada semua turis yang baru saja kembali dari Asia.

Petugas klinik dan ruang emergensi rumah sakit, harus bersiap sedia terhadap semua kemungkinan gejala SARS pada pasien yang menunjukan gejala paru2 basah dan baru saja dari kawasan terjangkitnya penyakit ini. Kasus2 yang menunjukan semua gejala yang telah disebutkan harus segera dilaporkan kepada pusat2 kesehatan setempat.

Gejala2 SARS adalah sebagai berikut:

Demam dengan suhu badan melebihi 38 derajat Celsius

DAN

Satu atau lebih gejala kesulitan pernapasan, meliputi: batuk2, susah bernafas, sesak nafas, gejala paru2 basah atau kelainan alat pernafasan

DAN

Catatan tentang tempat2 terjangkitnya penyakit ini yang baru2 ini dikunjungi dalam 7 hari terakhir. KOntak langsung dengan penderita penyakit pernafasan.

2003-03-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

Boycott

Well.. I cannot do anything for the Iraqi children but to pray for them.. I cannot do anything to fight the British and the Americans but boycott their products.. check out this link: "http://www.motherearth.org/USboycott/"

2003-03-28T01:58:00.001-08:00

What Is Really Happening in Iraq?

What is really happening in Iraq?
The Americans and their faithful allies, the British, are committing war crimes, attacking a sovereign state outside the auspices of the UNO. Since there have been civilian casualties, these are war crimes by definition.

But aren’t they helping the people by freeing Iraq?
Freeing Iraq, under whose authority? How do you explain the fact that the Shi’ite south, which was supposed to welcome the “liberators” with open arms, has not risen up against the regime?

They’re too frightened.
That is not the impression the TV crews are getting. They started by interviewing people in ths streets, asking them what they thought of Saddam Hussein. Every one of them said “Good, Saddam Good!” or “Saddam like God” or some such. The reporters started to say that in a dictatorship everyone was forced to say that but then they stopped making the interviews because everyone was saying the same thing.

But that was in Baghdad.
No, it was in the Shi’ite south, you know, those guys who are supposed to hate Saddam. Further north the support for him is just the same.

But the Americans want to give them a democracy.
What if they don’t want a democracy based on the western model ? Look at the map, read it. How many countries in that area have western-style democracies? If there was a free election today, Saddam Hussein would be elected, if he’s alive.

If he’s alive? But I saw him on TV.
Yes, but which one? He has three doubles you see. There are rumours that he died four years ago, of cancer. One of the last shots of him was supposed to be a feeble old man with his hands shaking as he was trying to light a cigar.

2003-03-28T01:58:00.000-08:00

They couldn’t have kept that going for four years!
Couldn’t they? Wouldn’t that just be Saddam’s last laugh?

Well the Iraqis will be better off anyway. They’re all starving.
No they aren’t. The government has been very skilful in making sure they’re properly fed despite the sanctions.

But the regime ruined Iraq.
No, it didn’t. Sanctions did. You see, the sanctions were supposed to prise Saddam Hussein from power. There has been a grand design on Iraq’s oil for a long time. The Gulf War was started as a pretext to topple Saddam Hussein from power, only he proved too powerful.

Hang on, the Gulf War was caused by Saddam invading Kuwait.
After Kuwait had been warned many times to cease its practice of cross-drilling, stealing Iraq’s oil resources. They were given a final warning before the invasion, which they refused to listen to. The result was the invasion to protect the Iraqi economy, things were not exactly as they were presented.

So it’s been the Americans all along?
Quite. First they armed Saddam Hussein to the teeth, then when he was getting too powerful, they provoked the Gulf War, then they fomented the revolt by the Shi’ites and Kurds, which didn’t work, so they had to leave them to die. The sanctions didn’t work The weapons inspections didn’t work. After the inspectors were expelled for spying, the USA ad one final attempt. Thinking the Iraqi regime wouldn’t allow the inspectors back in, they prepared a coup de teatre in the Securoty Council. The regime did allow the inspectors back in. They found nothing. Frustrated by this and dying to start the war before the weather conditions made it impossible, they had to go in, without any justification and outside international law.

So they destroy the country and then claim they’re the good guys by building it up again?
That’s right. And guess whose company gets the lion’s share of the oil contracts?

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY

2003-03-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

Real or Fake

Inget foto2 ini? Foto2 ini pernah muncul di The Straits Times nya Singapore.. channel 5, channel 8, CNN, TVRI mungkin hampir semua saluran tivi di seluruh dunia.. Foto yang di telan mentah2 ama orang banyak sampe percaya bahwa video yang memuat gambar ini itu bukti keterlibatan Afghanistan dengan peristiwa September 11, 2001..

Liat baik2 deh foto nya.. Yang kiri itu diambil dari video yang katanya "ditemukan" di Afghanistan waktu Amrik lagi sibuk2 nyerang.. foto yang kanan itu gambar nya Usamah bin Ladin yang banyak muncul di koran2, tivi.. Bisa spot kejanggalannya dimana..?

Pertama2, foto yang kiri itu terlalu blur.. Usamah aja waktu di gua2 bisa tampil di tivi dengan gambar cemerlang, tapi kok yang ini bisa blur..?
Kedua, tulang pipi foto yang sebelah kiri itu gemuk banget.. Ngga kaya mukanya Usamah yang kurus..
Ketiga, idung yang di foto sebelah kiri itu pendek dan lebar, sedangkan idungnya Usamah itu kurus dan panjang..
Keempat, kulit dari foto yang sebelah kiri itu gelap sedangkan kulit Usamah itu terang.. Kamu bilang itu karena kualitas video jadi kulitnya gelap? Engga jugaaa.. Specularity (ke-mengkilapan), di foto yang kiri itu tajem bisa diliat dari daerah putih di sekitar jidat.. bisa di tarik kesimpulan orang ini kulitnya gelap dan mengkilap (negro??).. sedangkan Usamah kulitnya putih dan engga mengkilap..

Gue aja malu kalo disuruh bikin spoof sejelek ini.. dan lebih bego nya lagi, orang2 pada percayaaaaaaaa aja.. hehehehe..

2003-03-25T03:23:00.000-08:00

Sekilas

Sekilas apakah..? hehehe.. Cuman berita2 pendek ajeeee.. Yang mau baca pembahasan ato cerita2 tentang perang Iraq, harap beredar ke bagian news.. Selain berita, disana juga ada kotak graffiti, yang totally anonymous ngga kaya tagboard.. jadi yang mau ngumpat seseorang (terutama dan dianjurkan sekali George Bush) bisa dilakukan disana.. hehehehe.. Dosa dah gue mengajurkan orang mengumpat2..

Buat si EBlub.. Nah loe, miha nya ngambek hahahaha.. sok sok an kaya si Inul seeehh, mana di taro di blog lagi.. pan jadinya orang2 pada ngebayangin hahaha.. Tapi sekarang kalo loe ngedaftar kerja di Pertamina kayanya di trima deh Blub..

Si Atjay, mau2 aje gue ngebantuin Cay.. Daripada motong anggaran Publikasi buat webdesainer, pan mendingan tuh duit 100 dollar buat gue ajee.. hahahaha.. lagian mana ada orang sini yang mau dibayar 100 dollar doang buat satu website.. Gue aja bikin poster 300 dollar man.. (^_^)

Pipit: ah biasa aja blog iniiiii.. banyak blog2 laen yang lebih keren kok pit.. ntar liburan kursus sejam 10 dollar lho pit.. ahahaha.. canda ding.. seperti yg selalu gue bilang, mumpung belom go publik nih Ryusen Design (saaaaaahhh *terdengar suara pembaca*)

buat si Sayang: ati2 yah sayang di jordan.. kalo ada berita apa2 dari KBRI di dengerin tuuuh.. kalo di suruh ngungsi yah ikut aja yah.. kuatir nih sayang..

Di bagian Art udeh gue taro beberapa link buat belajar 3d.. jadi buat orang2 nun di luar sana yang pengen tau gimana ngemodel orang dan mobil secara detail, dua tutorial ini menurut gue the best of the best dah..

2003-03-24T01:28:00.000-08:00

Biru kuning

Weitss yang punya homepage dengan tema biru kuning ngga boleh ge er dulu.. hehehe.. Emang warna biru ama kuning itu sering di pake dimana2.. biasanya orang yg nyampur biru ama kuning itu pengen liat aja kekontrasan dua warna.. Kalo merah ama kuning kan ga gitu jauh.. sama2 warna yang "panas" lah.. tapi kalo biru ama kuning kan bertolak belakang.. Biru nya cool, kuningnya panas.. Jadinya anget? Gak juga.. hehehe

Terus gambar kristal yang diatas ini gue bikin pake autocad..Wawa: bukan gue niru2 lho.. itu udah gue bikin dari dulu.. gue submit ke DeviantART.. kalo pengen liat versi yang gedenya, buka aja gallery gue yang disana..

Sekalian meng-iklan-kan diri aja deh gue.. hehe.. Gambar yang dibawah ini namanya Gene Gun - HighPressure Assembly.. Bukan gue yang design.. ada orang yang butuh visualization buat presentasi FYP nya.. bukan cuman dia sih, ada juga beberapa orang yang laen yang dateng pengen di gambarin sesuatu buat FYP mereka tapi projectnya belom selesai..

Masalah biaya sekarang masih belom gue permasalahin.. soalnya emang maksud gue pengen nambahin portfolio sebanyak2nya.. selain itu, seneng juga sih ngebantuin orang laen, dan mereka seneng ama kerjaan gue.. Semalem juga, tetangga kamar, katanya pengen dibkinin logo buat toko nya.. whuaahhh, seneng banget deh gue di percayain ama dia..

Segini dulu kali yeh.. In short, kl butuh bantuan masalah graphics, email aja gue di yoroida@yahoo.com (kata ce gue, sok japanis banget tuh..)

2003-03-22T11:10:00.001-08:00

There were many instances when I was told that we would go to someone's place who have the money for the business we're planning. However, when we got there, the conversation was far from it. It was more like they were talking in some kind of codes which I could never understand. He always tried to hold my hand when we walked and it made me shiver whenever I recalled it. He said that he didn't want me to get run over by a car. That's nonsense because my hometown is more of a rural area and not many cars pass by its streets and of course I can take care of myself. Sometimes he even deliberately touched my butt and when I got pissed off he said he didnt mean to do that. Everything became crystal clear and totally made sense to me when a friend told me that my neighbour is actually homosexual; or more likely found homosexuality when he was in Taiwan.

Of course, my neighbour is only one bad instance of the gay community. I believe that homosexuality never do have any relationship with being abusive towards other people. However, what I would want to highlight is that, although a gay person never shows any interest in the opposite sex, he's no angel. He is a normal person that would stare and gawk (sorry I'm trying to make a point here) whenever he found something interesting to their sexual taste. It is true that a straight guy would likely want something more from a girl besides her mind and it really pisses me off when it happens to my girlfriend. But, it is also the same thing for a gay man although in this case it's towards another guy; the same thing with different interest. Women find the company of a gay person comforting because it's a safe game for them and not because he is different or even better from other guys.

2003-03-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

Gay

Have you watched "Three to Tango?"; a movie starred by Matthew Perry? Anyway, I just read from a friend's blog, Scarlet, that she likes to hang out with one of her gay boy friends. And not only her, my girlfriend also told me that she has a gay boy friend and enjoys spending time with him because she doesn't have to worry about being stared at or anything. In short, knowing that the guy is gay keeps women from worries about complicated thing which would likely to happen with a straight guy.

But what about guys? I have some gay friends and I must admit being with them is not the same with being with straight guys. There was this one guy who liked to come over to my house whenever I was home. I never knew he was gay; he had a wife and a kid. He's been married to his wife for 6 years. It was a happy story for them for the first 4 years. They had their first kid before he went abroad to Taiwan to work for a ship building company. When he got back, he really changed from what he was and began to abuse his wife. My mom often told me that she saw my neighbour's wife got bruises and black eye; seemed that she's been abused all over again by her husband. He liked to come over and told me that he had a business proposition for me. I listened to it and eversince, whenever he come over or ask me to go around to some places with him, I always assumed that it was for business purposes. But of course, I was wrong.

2003-03-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

Why ?

Sorry, Guys, I lost my mood of making new tutorials on flash and max. Whenever I started cutting images for it, there's a question lingered into my mind, "why are you so happy sitting there enjoying yourself while there are children being massacred?" Lately it's getting even worse, it's not only when I play with my computer, the question always comes across my mind when I have my meals. There are little kids, as young as my youngest sister (8), whose eyes sweep their surrounding with fear and hunger.

War always kills. That is a fact. Why else would they call it war? There is always collateral damage. And this time, from 24 millions Iraqis, 50 percent are children aged 12 and below and they're going to be the real innocent victims of war. I know this statistics, and so the people up there in the beaurocracy. A lot, and I mean A LOT of children are going to die because of the missiles and bullets storms. There are probably hundreds of them dead by now from day one. It is really ironic when 7 people die in a jet is called tragedy, while 5,000 die in a war is called statistics.

It's not going to be forever, I know. I'm going to die sooner or later and after that I won't have to see this planned annihillation towards Muslims. On the one hand, knowing that those who die go straight to heavens, I feel joyous. On the other, it's going to be very sad to see the future when Islam is kicked and stepped on and no one knows what to do or even have the courage to do something.

After Iraq, the Americans will attack Syria with accussation of protecting Iraqis terrorists and having linked with Al Qaidah. Soon after, Iran will be the target with the same reasons, and it's going to be very ridiculous because Usamah bin Laden never did like Iran. When Afganistan, Iraq, Iran and Syria are wiped out, Israel rules the world. Even those countries with the leased around their necks held by the Americans, will be accused of doing something they never do. They will invade Saudi Arabia and the most feared event for the muslims will come; Ka'bah falls. The Americans will place military bases in Singapore, Australia, Japan, East Timor and even Ambon to pin down Indonesia, Malaysia and Philipines. What about the voices from all over the world? They mean nothing. These devils have their hands on the guns and will not listen to anyone who parades down the streets.

I know it sounds like a nightmare, and I cannot believe it either. But, it can and most likely will happen if somebody upthere don't start to wake up and do something about it. Just something, anything, speak up, say something about it. For the children.

2003-03-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

2003-03-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Masking

Beginner Level

Availability = FlashMX

Dulu waktu masih jamannya flash 5, masking ini masuk kategory advance scripting.. Tapi gara2 di Flash MX ada feature
scripted mask, turun deh jadinya ke beginner level.. Soalnya jadi gampang banget.. Waktu di Flash 5, benda yang bisa
buat masking itu graphic, movie clip ama button ngga bisa.. ngga bisa di drag ato diapa2in lg.. paling di tween..

Proses bikin :

Bikin movie clip buat mask, disini gue bikin circle segede 60 x 60 pixels.. gue namain "circle"..

Terus bikin 2 movie clip lagi.. Satu buat base, satu lagi buat di mask.. disini yg jadi base, gambar mobil
bertexture.. sedangkan yg di mask, gambar mobil wireframe..

Taro script ini di "circle" :

onClipEvent(enterframe) {

this._x = _root._xmouse;

tnis._y = _root._mouse;

}

kayanya code ini udah gitu jelas, ngga perlu dijelasin lagi..

Terus taro code ini di movie clip, mobil wireframe..:

this.setMask("_root.circle");

Udah gitu doang.. Gampang kan.. Selamat mencoba..

2003-03-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Random Movement

intermediate level

Mungkin udah banyak animasi kupu2 di web.. Basi banget nih.. But wait, yang ini sedikit beda.. Arah terbang kupu2nya yang ini random.. Ngga berulang2..Sebenernya bisa dipake buat apa aja2 ngga cuman kupu2.. Kecoa lah, tikus lah apa aja daah..Trus kenapa gue taro kupu2..? Biar romantisan dikit heheheh.. Animasinya ini waktu itu gue pake buat blog ce gue

Oooke.. sekarang cara bikinnya.. :

Of course, bikin kupu2nya.. Kupu2 yang gue pake, diambil dari foto.. Terus gue potong2 dan gue animasi sayap2nya pake tweening.. Tweeningnya jangan di main canvas, tapi di dalam kupu2 sebagai movie clip.. Trus copy paste deh bikin berapa aja.. Kalo gue bikin dua..

Bikin movieclip buat random movement.. Kalo gue bikin box dengan ukuran 10x10.. Karena gue punya kupu2 dua, jadinya gue copy paste boxnya jadi dua.. Didalemnya, gue taro sekitar 30 frames dengan keyframes di frame pertama ama terakhir.. Box pertama dikasih instance name box.. yg kedua dikasih instance name box2

2003-03-18T22:01:00.001-08:00

Sekarang scripting

Scripting dibagi jadi dua, yang pertama di box, yang kedua di kupu2..

Script di Frame pertama Box :

this._x = random(560);
this._y = random(140);

Script di Kupu2 :

onClipEvent(enterFrame) {

delta_x = _x-_root.box._x;

delta_y = _y-_root.box._y;

targetRotation = -Math.atan2(delta_x, delta_y)/(Math.PI/180);

_rotation = targetRotation;

bx = _root.box._x;

if (bx < this._x) {

dx = this._x - bx;

} else {

dx = bx - this._x;

}

xspeed = dx/50;

if (bx < this._x) {

this._x = this._x - xspeed;

} else {

this._x = this._x + xspeed;

}

by = _root.box._y;

if (by < this._y) {

dy = this._y - by;

} else {

dy = by - this._y;

}

yspeed = dy/50;

if (by < this._y) {

this._y = this._y - yspeed;

} else {

this._y = this._y + yspeed;

}

}

whoa.. buat kupu2 kedua diganti aja kata box ama box2.. kalo kurang gede.. rightclick-zoom in..

2003-03-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

Penjelasan script :

Script di frame pertama box, itu buat generate coordinat.. sekaligus mindahin box2nya kesana..

script di kupu2 :

delta_x dan delta_y buat ngitung jauhnya kupu2 ama box..

targetRotation buat ngitung di kuadran mana box itu relatif terhadap kupu

_rotation buat muter kupu2nya jadinya ngadep ke box..

bx ama by, sebenernya ngga perlu di define lagi.. tapi gue pake disini biar pengetikan script jd lebih pendek

semua if commands, dipake buat generate bilangan positif.. soalnya jarak dua benda ngga mungkin negatif kan..

xpeed ama yspeed, dipake buat percepatan ama perlambatan kupu2.. hehe.. makin deket makin lambat jadinya..

Udah kali gitu aje ya.. selamat mencoba..

2003-03-17T14:05:00.001-08:00

Flash Music

Beginner Level (=_=)

mp3 by E-FUNK

Hmm.. mungkin udah banyak orang yang udah bisa cara bikin masukin lagu ke flash..
Keuntungannya :

Kualitas musiknya lumayan bagus.. Ada sih cara laen, kaya pake midi, tapi kualitasnya jauuuuh di bawah harapan..

Ukuran filenya lumayan kecil.. Lagu yang ada di sini itu ukurannya cuman 61 kb.. Padahal mp3 nya 2 mb..

Gampang naro preloader..

2003-03-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Sekarang cara2nya deh.. langsung aja..

Bikin button, play ama stop.. I suppose you already know how to do it..

Import file mp3 nya..

Bikin 3 layer, 1 buat action script, 1 buat mp3, 1 buat buttons

Taro lagu nya di layer mp3 terus drag itu frame dari no. 1 ke no. 4

Pindah ke layer button, taro button play di frame 1, dan stop di frame 4.. masih dilayer yg sama, di frame 2 ama 3, taro kata loading di canvas..
di frame 1 taro ini :

stop();
stopAllSounds();

ama 4 taro ini :

stop();

Pindah ke layer action script, bikin keyframe di frame 2 ama 3.. terus taro action script ini
frame 2:

ifFrameLoaded(4) {
gotoAndStop(4);
}

frame 3:

gotoAndPlay(2);

sekarang frame setup nya udah jadi, tinggal buttons nya.. select play button, terus buka action window, taro ini:

on(release) {
play();
}

terus select stop button, taro ini :

on(release) {
gotoAndStop(1);
}

Kalo kurang jelas filenya bisa di download disini

2003-03-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Red Crystal

Gak tau kenapa gue terinspirasi ama warna merah.. Karena gue udah ngantuk (jam 2 pagi bo`), baru pulang dari belajar di tutorial rooms bareng temen2 gue.. jadi nya singkat aja deh nih postingan..

Run thru of the making:
1. Geosphere - tetra - 1 division
2. convert to editable mesh
3. select all visible edge - chamfer
4. select polygons - bevel
5. duplicate objects (shift + drag)
6. camera setup (target - depth of focus)
7. render
8. open in photoshop

2003-03-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Julian Johnson Mortimer

http://www.cg-art.i12.com
image by Renderosity

Since maybe, not only my Indonesian fellow friends who would want to read this, I publish this article in English. I saw Julian's work in Renderosity picturing a boy. It was so amazing it's scary. The head looks so real that I could not even tell that it was computer generated. I looked at the artist name and there his name was and I have been following his amazing art work eversince. It was only now that I can write an appreciation article about it.

I emailed him yesterday about my intention to write something about him and his work on my blog. He is a busy guy; he is currently doing a modelling work on Dementor for the upcoming Harry Potter's movie. Despite his busy schedule, he replied my mail very fast. Even faster than my replying my girlfriend's emails.

Traditional Art Background

He left school when he was 15 for personal reasons; he was not expelled. It was quite young to leave school and he had no idea what to do with life. He left school before
any examinations so he had no qualifications for a bright future on the job front. When his parents asked him what he wanted to do, he had no real idea. But one day when he saw his sister painting, he was inspired and painted a picture of Captain Kid. He started to paint everyday for a few weeks and managed to paint two pictures of a cottage. Then they were framed and sold; the first paintings of his own ever sold. I would really love to see them.

He started to take painting seriously and studied old master paintings from Constable, Turner and Leonardo da Vinci. By the time he was 17, he already made a good living out of his paintings. He had a whole floor of an antique and art shop full of his own work in a town call Deal (gotta check that out). And when he was 18, he had his very first exhibition.

2003-03-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Current Projects

Right now, he is doing the Dementor Creatures from the Harry Potter, "Prisoners of Azkaban". These creatures are somewhat gruesome characters like those Black Riders (Nazguls) in LOTR. Before this one, he modelled a creature which look like Gollum from LOTR, but he tweaked it a bit to look more like human. He has done a lot of modelling and I really recommend you to check his gallery..

He came to know 3d softwares from a friend. At that time, he was doing a little animation for a website and wanted to include a character in it and he was introduced to Poser. He advanced quickly and was recommended the software Maya and has been using it for 20 months now.

Quotation

"I guess just remember that you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it, all it takes is time and effort, I don't have any qualifications, or degrees in art or math, they do certainly help, but it all comes down to effort.

Thank you very much to the people out there who voted me Artist of the Month, and thanks to everyone who's commented on my work.

Best Wishes

Julian_J
"

So there we have it people, Julian Johnson Mortimer. The Artist of the Month (February) in Renderosity. His work has been very inspirational and I am glad to be able to share it with you all.

2003-03-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

AutoCAD flash

This is one my earliest models.. Hmm, engga juga ding, sebelom gue maen2 ama 3d studio max, gue maen2 AutoCAD.. Orang2 pada bilang autocad itu susah ya.. padahal menurut gue tuh software gampang banget di pake.. gue malah bisa bikin mobil2an, F18 ama F16.. Orang2 ngiranya tuh AutoCAD cuman bisa buat 2D... lah kalo 2D mah pake photoshop aja atuh.. Ngapain dibikin jadi 3d space kalo ngga bisa buat 3D..

Kemaren2 gue diajarin Solidworks ama si Aldo (temen gue se project).. Comical banget softwarenya.. Berwarna warni pastel gitu kaya maenan anak2.. hehehe.. Tapi pratical banget nih software.. Banyak banget shortcutnya, walopun menurut gue masih kurang leluasa dan kurang lengkap.. Bayangin aja, ngga bisa slice (3d solid di potong make kordinat).. Jadi kalo mau motong apa2, mesti pake boolean (subtract, intersect, ato union)..

Pokonya pilihan gue buat engineering modelling itu AutoCAD.. walopun masih ada kurangnya juga.. ngga bisa bikin spiral.. Doooooh.. kalo mo bikin spiral gue mesti import dari 3d Studio Max dulu..

Ini beberapa kerjaan gue maen2 pake AutoCAD

2003-03-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

2003-03-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Modelling a Dodge Viper

Wah dari judul nya udah asik kan.. Artikel yang satu ini buat loe2 pada yang pengen tau caranya nge model mobil pake 3d Studio Max 5.. Kenapa gue pilih Dodge Viper..? Karena boilnya keren.. V10 man.. Gile bener udah kaya Lemans aja.. Tutorial ini buat orang2 yang kayanya udah tau basic2 Max lah.. kalo emang terlalu susah, ntar gue taro lagi tutorial yang lebih sederhana..

Oke langsung aja..:

1. Blueprint setup

Pertama2 loe pada butuh blueprint yang mobil Dodge Viper.. Bisa di download di http://www.suurland.com ato http://www.onnovanbraam.com..

Kedua, buka tuh blueprint pake image editing software (kalo gue pake photoshop), terus dibagi2 jadi view atas, samping, depan, belakang.. Kadang2 ada blueprint yang salah satu view nya ngga ada misalnya atas.. Dont worry toomuch about it.. Bisa di model dengan reverensi dari view laen..Make sure, waktu motong, ukuran panjang lebar tiap view itu berkorespondensi dengan satu sama laen.. Misalnya kalo atas itu 400 x 300, berarti samping nya 400 x 200 dan depan belakang nya 300 x 200..

Ketiga. bikin plane (Create Panel - Plane) di 3dStudioMax yang gedenya sama ama gambar tiap view.. Bikin plane nya jangan pake mouse, tapi pake keyboard entry.. Jadi menurut contoh di atas, berarti kita bikin di top view plane dengan panjang 400x300 dan seterusnya..

Keempat, buka window material property (shortcut = M), klik salah satu material (klik satu bola), terus scroll ke bawah sampe nemu bagian maps.. Klik bagian itu, terus pilih diffuse map buat ngebuka pop up.. Di pop up itu pilih bitmap, dan bakal ditanyain dimana file nya.. Pilih filenya terus OK.. Scroll keatas, terus klik tombol show map in viewport..

Kelima, ulang prosedur diatas buat viewport2 yang lain..

2003-03-15T06:53:00.001-08:00

2. NURMS modelling

Kalo ngga salah, NURMS itu kepanjangan dari non-uniform rational mesh spline.. Jadi menurut method ini, kita bakal bikin modelnya per mesh.. Jangan terintimidasi dulu.. Method ini paling effectif menurut gue sih, buat ngemodel non-organic.. Gampang, dan bisa ngemodel sampe detail..

Bikin plane di top viewport.. Jangan terlalu gede, juga jangan terlalu kecil.. Di length ama width segmetns nya jangan lupa diganti dari 4 ke 1..illustrasi starting

Select plane yang baru kita bikin.. Right click, terus pilih, convert to editable mesh..illustrasi starting

Pilih edge yang bawah (liat illustrasi).. terus ganti ke viewport samping (kanan ato kiri).. pencet shift (ditahan), terus drag edge nya ngikutin kurva blueprint; extrude..illustrasi one
Balik ke viewport atas, terus pilih semua edges yang kanan (liat illustrasi), terus extrude ke kanan.. Ganti ke viewport depan, terus sesuaiin ama contour..illustrasi two

Balik ke viewport atas, terus pilih 4 edges yang dibawah.. Extrude kekanan ngikutin contour headlight ama air intake.. Liat illustrasinya.. Pindah ke viewport depan terus sesuaiin ama contour headlight.. Pindah ke viewport samping, buat sesuaiin lagi..illustrasi three

Balik ke viewport atas, terus pilih edges yang paling kanan.. Pindah ke viewport depan, terus extrude edges nya ke kanan dan sesuaiin ama contour samping samping mobil.. Pindah ke viewport samping, terus sesuaiin ama roda mobil..illustrasi four

Select semua edges yang paling baru, terus extrude, ngikutin contour.. liat illustrasinya..illustrasi five

Nah yang ini rada susah, kita mo ngebikin air intake.. Select edges yang ngebentuk huruf U.. liat illustrasinya.. terus extrude, kecilin dikit pake scale.. extrude sekali lagi, kecilin lagi, terus bawahin dikit.. illustrasi six

Select edges yang atas terus extrude ngikutin counter windshiled ama air intake.. Sambungin ke ujung yang satunya lagi illustrasi seven

Klik drop down modifier list.. terus pilih meshmooth.. Ganti iterationnya dari 0 ke 1.. illustrasi meshmooth

Masih di meshmooth, klik mirror (di main toolbar)..

2003-03-15T06:53:00.000-08:00

Kayanya udah segitu aja.. selanjutnya tinggal loe2 pada yang ngelanjutin.. Metode nya sama aja.. tinggal extruding edges aja.. Illustrasi flash nya mungkin rada lama loadingnya, jadinya sabar aja yah.. kalo ada pertanyaan kirim email aja ke yoroida@yahoo.com

2003-03-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

Introduction to 3dstudio Max 2

Setelah diselingi ama sekilas berita tentang perang, sekarang gue lanjutin deh introduction ke 3d studio max nya.. Gue mulai dari perkenalan interfacenya kali yaa...

1. Main toolbar : toolbar yang diatas.. isinya toolbar buat object.. Gue sebenernya ngga make semua.. paling yang gue pake sering itu Select, Move, Rotate, Scale, Render, Quick Render, Material ama Link..

Select, Move, Rotate ama Scale itu udah jelas2 fungsinya : buat milih, gerakin, muter, dan ngubah ukuran benda ato sebagian benda.. Tips: shortcut nya bisa pake neken QWER
Render fungsinya buat nge-set properti rendering.. Gedenya window, satu ato banyak frame, dsb

Quick render udah jelas, buat ngerender benda yang di layar ke bitmap.. Tips: setelah di render, file sebaiknya disimpen ke *.bmp.. Kalo di simpen ke tipe lain bakal jadi blur..
Material, fungsinya buat ngebuka window material.. Di window material kita bisa manipulasi material yang bakal di pake ke object yg udah kita bikin.. Masalah material ini bakal dibahas lebih lanjut nanti.. Tips: shortcut material window itu M

Link, fungsinya buat ngelink suatu benda ke benda yang lain.. Feature yang ini berguna banget buat animasi.. Misalnya kita link benda A ke benda B.. B akan jadi parent sedangkan A jadi child.. Kalo B digerakin, A bakal ngikut.. Tapi kalo A digerakin, B bakal diem aja..

2003-03-13T12:13:00.001-08:00

3. The Six Panels : panels yang ada di sebelah kanan viewport.. Isinya Object Creation, Modification, Hierarchie, Motion, Display dan Tool.. Sebenernya sih ini ngga ada namanya, cuman gue suka aja nyebutnya the six panels, kedengeran keren jadinya.. hehehe..

Creation Panel : dibagi lagi jadi buanyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakk.. However, basically, object yang kita pake dibagi jadi 2, renderable dan unrenderable.. Simply put, Creation Panel dibagi jadi 6 : Geometry, Shapes, Lights, Camera, Helper, Spacewarps, System.. Geometri bikin solid objects.. Shapes bikin planar objects.. Lights buat pencahayaan.. Camera buat camera (d'ooh..).. Helper (unrenderable) buat shape guide, motion guide.. Space warps (unrenderable) buat angin, gaya ato apa2 yang berhubungan ama fisika.. System (unrenderable) buat tulang2 (buat model karakter), sinar matahari..

Modify Panel : dari kata2nya udah jelas.. buat modify sebagian ato seluruh bagian dari object yang kita bikin.. Ngejelasin panel yang ini rada susah, ntar bakalan sambil jalan di tutorial Modelling

Hierarchie, Motion, Display, Tool : 4 panel yang ini kayanya belom gitu dipake kalo lagi mula2 mulai 3dStudioMax.. Jadi ntar penggunaan 4 panel ini bakal di jelasin sambil jalan..

Artikel abis ini bakalan tentang modelling simple objects..dan bakal gue bikin pake flash.. soalnya kalo kepanjangan ngetiknya, bloggernya ngga mau ngepost..

2003-03-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

2. Viewports : juga disebut workspace.. tiap kali loading, viewports dibagi jadi 4.. Top, Front, Right, dan Perpective.. Di pojok kiri bawah ada macem2 tools buat fungsi yang beda2..

Zoom : fungsinya buat realtime zoom.. kalo mouse di drag ke depan, object jd lebih deket dan kalo kebelakang jd lebih jauh..

Zoom Extent : fungsinya buat nampilin semua benda yang ngga hidden di satu viewport (viewport yang laen ngga kepengaruh).. biasanya tool yang ini gue pake buat nyari benda yang hilang.. hehe

Zoom All : fungsinya buat nampilin semua benda yang ngga hidden di semua viewports

Pan : fungsinya buat ngegeser2 viewpoint di satu viewport..

Arc Rotate : diantara viewport tool yang laen, ini favorit gue, soalnya bisa muter2 viewport buat ngeliat benda dari semua sudut.. keren deh pokonya..

Min/Max Toggle : fungsinya buat gedein/kecilin satu viewport.. berguna buat ngemodel detail suatu object..

2003-03-13T01:48:00.000-08:00

image by http://www.mapw.org.au

1991 Gulf War Facts:

Satellite Photos a Lie

The US Government lied about an imminent invasion of Saudi Arabia by Iraq to justify the 1st Gulf War. General Norman Schwarzkopf tells about it in his book, "It Takes A Hero." The Bush Administration claimed Satellite photos showed 260,000 troops & 1,500 tanks were on the Saudi border. There were none.

Iraqi Poison Gas Use Not Proven

"There were never any victims produced. International relief organizations who examined the Kurds -- in Turkey where they had gone for asylum -- failed to discover any. Nor were there ever any found inside Iraq."

2003 Gulf War Facts:

Iraq Uranium Purchase A Lie

" 'The IAEA has concluded ... that these documents, which formed the basis for the reports of recent uranium transactions between Iraq and Niger, are in fact not authentic,' El Baradei told the U.N. Security Council. Britain and the United States have alleged that Iraq had tried to revive an ambitious atomic weapons program that was neutralized by the United Nations before inspectors left in December 1998."

Iraqi Reactor Parts Evidence Faked

"A key piece of evidence linking Iraq to a nuclear weapons program appears to have been fabricated, the United Nations' chief nuclear inspector said yesterday in a report that called into question U.S. and British claims about Iraq's secret nuclear ambitions."

selengkapnya di http://www.walden3.org

2003-03-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

Introduction to 3dstudio Max 1

Udah liat gambar mclaren di bawah..? Fighting falcon di bawahnya lagi..? ato Porsche Boxster yang di header.. semuanya itu computer generated images.. pasti ketauan sih.. hehehehe.. artikel yang ini ditujukan buat orang2 yang pengen tau gimana cara bikin gambar2 itu..

3d Studio Max keluaran Discreet adalah salah satu 3d software yang paling banyak di pake di pasaran.. Bukan cuman buat bikin otomotif, 3d Studio Max juga di bisa di pake buat Architecture, Organic, dan Avionic modelling dan animation..

Buat gue yang amatiran, gambar yang gue bikin kentara banget palsunya.. tapi kalo yang udah professional, kadang2 gue ampe ngeri liatnya.. masa bikin ce yang cantik realistic banget, gue kira pertamanya orang.. tapi, abis di baca2 ternyata itu CGI..

3d Studio Max udah dipake di games seperti WarCraft dan MaxPayne.. Pokonya semua game yang keluaran Blizzard, pasti bikinnya pake software ini.. Terus juga udah dipake buat bikin full animated movies kaya Jimmy Neutron.. ( Perlu dicatat, biasanya animated movies kaya Final Fantasy the Spirit Within ato Shrek, animator nya pake software hasil research ndiri; ngga komersial..)

Belajar 3D Studio Max itu gampang aja kok.. Gue aja belajar selama 2 bulan dan hasilnya bisa diliat; lumayan laaah.. Selain di web, sebenernya Help File 3d Studio Max juga sangat membantu lho walopun orang2 pada males ngebacanya.. Gue kan suka join di #3dstudiomax nya Dalnet, dan banyak NOOBs pada nanya pertanyaan yang bener2 basic.. Gue sih ngga ngejawabin, cuman op2 nya itu yang kadang2 suka kasar banget.. Mereka bilang "RTFM (Read The F****** Manual)".. Tapi jangan kuatir, kalo ama gue pertanyaan sebasic apapun bakal gue jawab kok..

Referensi buat belajar 3d Studio Max bisa diambil dari:
1. http://www.3dmaxer.dk
2. http://www.the3dstudio.com
3. http://www.3dcafe.com
4. http://www.3dm-mc.com

Gallery buat CGI bisa di liat di:
1. http://www.deviantart.com
2. http://www.renderosity.com

To Be Cont'd

2003-03-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

2003-03-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

Why Flash?

Kenapa gue make flash image di blog gue..? dan juga di tempatnya dini..? Mungkin sih di komputer2 yang kuno2, flash imagenya ngga bisa keliatan.. tapi kalo jaman sekarang, dengan IE 6.*, dan Win2k, WinXP, flash image nya pasti bisa di load.. kalo ngga bisa di load juga bakal di tanyain mo download flash player apa kagak..

Keuntungan make Flash Images itu diantaranya sbb:
1. Ukuran file relatif kecil.. emang sih kualitas jadi menurun, tapi ngga gitu noticeable kok.. ngga sejauh jpg ama bmp.. ato gif ama jpg..

2. Bisa di taro di freeserver yang ngga ngebolehin file2nya di taro di weblaen.. misalnya kita naro pic hehehehe.jpg di quadrapod.com.. terus kita load di blogspot kita.. ntar yang muncul pasti gambar dengan tulisan This image is hosted by quadrapod.com... Nah, kalo kita pake flash, dijamin so pasti (buat sekarang), bisa di load dimana aja..

3. Bisa di taro preloader.. mungkin ukuran file *.swf nya kegedean, jadi lama loadingnya.. tapi daripada yang nunggu bosen, kita taro animasi kecil buat ngasih tau kalo file nya masih loading..

4. Bisa di zoom in, zoom out dan panning.. nah ini asiknya pake flash.. pengunjung site kita bisa zoom in ke pic itu kalo dia kurang puas ngeliatnya.. feature yang ini jangan dipake buat yg macem2 deh.. hehehehe

So there we have it, 4 reasons why I use flash images on my blogs.. cobain aja deh.. emang sih di luar sana, banyak orang2 yang belom pernah make flash.. kalo ada pertanyaan apa2, kirim aja email ke gue..

2003-03-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

2003-03-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

okie dokie.. so this is my first posting..

hmmm.. akhirnya blog gue ini jadi juga.. setelah ngerjain blog seseorang selama lima kali.. hehehehe... karena gue ngga bisa curhat2an, introvert nih ceritanya.. curhatnya paling ama orang2 yg udah gue kenal.. jadi blog gue ini mo di dedikasiin ke graphic tutorial : photoshop, dreamweaver, flash, autocad, dan 3dstudiomax. jadi loe2 pada dapet kesulitan masalah graphic, email aja gue yah.. terus tiap minggu juga kalo bisa gue taro tutorial2 deh..

banyak orang yang dateng ke gue terus nanya2 mulai belajar flash itu dimana.. bukan flash doang, autocad, photoshop, dreamweaver, 3d studiomax.. bingung lah gue ditanya gitu.. ntar kalo tutorial2nya dah jadi, kalo ada yang nanya tinggal di kasih tau blog gue aja..

jadi kalo ada pertanyaan apa2 masalah graphic software yang gue sebutin itu, langsung email aja dah.. yoroida@yahoo.com

2003-03-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Aldebron, 12, attends Cunningham Middle School in Presque Isle, Maine. This is the transcript of Charlotte's speech at the Maine Peace Rally, where she addressed 150 Aroostook County residents on the 15th of February 2003, a day of global protests against the War in Iraq, which drew millions of the world's citizens, young and old, on to the streets.

"When people think about bombing Iraq, they see a picture in their heads of Saddam Hussein in a military uniform, or maybe soldiers with big black mustaches carrying guns, or the mosaic of George Bush Sr. on the lobby floor of the Al-Rashid Hotel with the word criminal. But guess what? More than half of Iraq's 24 million people are children under the age of 15.

That's 12 million kids. Kids like me. Well, I'm almost 13, so some are a little older, and some a lot younger, some boys instead of girls, some with brown hair, not red. But kids who are pretty much like me just the same. So take a look at me, a good long look. Because I am what you should see in your head when you think about bombing Iraq. I am what you are going to destroy.

If I am lucky, I will be killed instantly, like the three hundred children murdered by your smart bombs in a Baghdad bomb shelter on February 16, 1991. The blast caused a fire so intense that it flash-burned outlines of those children and their mothers on the walls; you can still peel strips of blackened skin souvenirs of your victory from the stones.

But maybe I won't be lucky and I'll die slowly, like 14-year-old Ali Faisal, who right now is on the death ward of the Baghdad children's
hospital. He has malignant lymphoma cancer caused by the depleted uranium in your Gulf War missiles.

Or maybe I will die painfully and needlessly like 18-month-old Mustafa, whose vital organs are being devoured by sand fly parasites. I know it's hard to believe, but Mustafa could be totally cured with just $25 worth of medicine, but there is none of this medicine because of your sanctions.

Or maybe I won't die at all but will live for years with the psychological damage that you can't see from the outside, like Salman Mohammed, who even now can't forget the terror he lived through with his little sisters when you bombed Iraq in 1991. Salman's father made the whole family sleep in the same room so that they would all survive together, or die together. He still has nightmares about the air raid sirens.

Or maybe I will be orphaned like Ali, who was three when you killed his father in the Gulf War. Ali scraped at the dirt covering his fathers grave every day for three years calling out to him, It's all right Daddy, you can come out now, the men who put you here have gone away. Well, Ali, you're wrong. It looks like those men are coming back.

Or maybe I will make it in one piece, like Luay Majed, who remembers that the Gulf War meant he didn't have to go to school and could stay up as late as he wanted. But today, with no education, he tries to live by selling newspapers on the street.

Imagine that these are your children or nieces or nephews or neighbors. Imagine your son screaming from the agony of a severed limb, but you can't do anything to ease the pain or comfort him. Imagine your daughter crying out from under the rubble of a collapsed building, but you can't get to her. Imagine your children wandering the streets, hungry and alone, after having watched you die before their eyes.

This is not an adventure movie or a fantasy or a video game. This is reality for children in Iraq. Recently, an international group of
researchers went to Iraq to find out how children there are being affected by the possibility of war. Half the children they talked to said they saw no point in living any more. Even really young kids knew about war and worried about it. One 5-year-old, Assem, described it as guns and bombs and the air will be cold and hot and we will burn very much. Ten-year-old Aesar had a message for President Bush: he wanted him to know that a lot of Iraqi children will die. You will see it on TV and then you will regret.

Back in elementary school I was taught to solve problems with other kids not by hitting or name-calling, but by talking and using I messages. The idea of an I message was to make the other person understand how bad his or her actions made you feel, so that the person would sympathize with you and stop it. Now I am going to give you an "I message." Only it's going to be a We message. We as in all the children in Iraq who are waiting helplessly for something bad to happen. We as in the children of the world who don't make any of the decisions but have to suffer all the consequences. We as in those whose voices are too small and too far away to be heard.

We feel scared when we don't know if we'll live another day. We feel angry when people want to kill us or injure us or steal our future. We feel sad because all we want is a mom and a dad who we know will be there the next day. And, finally, we feel confused because we don't even know what we did wrong."

And mark my words, Bush and Blair will be in the lowest hell for eternity.. They dont realize what's coming.. They dont even realize that life is not forever..

2002-06-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

test