Irma Damayanti's Media

Mengapa Harga Cabe Tinggi?

2011-01-07T09:48:00.000+07:00

Sebagai pecinta cabe dan makanan pedas, saya penasaran ama harga cabe yang melambung tinggi. Bisa jadi ini karena The "Invisible Hand".. Siapa ya The "Invisible Hand" ini?

Kalo kata huppi.com begini nih:
The key to conservative arguments on the free market is a concept called the "invisible hand." This is one of the most popular terms in conservative literature, coined by Adam Smith (a Scottish professor greatly beloved by his students and peers for his delightful absent-mindedness) in his 1776 classic, The Wealth of Nations:

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest... [Every individual] intends only his own security, only his own gain. And he is in this led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest, he frequently promotes that of society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it."

But there are many misconceptions about the invisible hand, starting with the belief that Smith himself was a absolute believer in it. In fact, he was not. Smith actually viewed merchants with great suspicion:

"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."

Another misconception is that the invisible hand is a form of individualism. It would be hard to call the actions of a baker who spends all day baking bread for strangers "individualism." A more accurate word is exchange, and it represents a balance between individualism and collectivism, even if that exchange is ultimately self-interested. True individualism is taking from the group without giving anything back; true collectivism is giving to the group without getting anything back. Seen in this light, the exchange inherent in the invisible hand should deserve the full and enthusiastic endorsement of liberals.

Unfortunately, today's conservatives have corrupted the meaning of Smith's term. They use it to suggest that the pursuit of self-interest in the economy will always (or almost always) result in group benefit, and that individuals should feel free to pursue it.

There are many problems with the invisible hand, even in principle. First, it is simply untrue that personal greed will always result in society's best interest: crime is a devastating counter-example. The very reason we have police and criminal justice systems is to prevent the harm caused to society by individuals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the group. As long as conservatives admit that traditional crimes like rape, murder and robbery legitimize a government response against them, then it's obvious that extreme positions on the invisible hand are indefensible.

Another line of argument in favor of the invisible hand is that it is the most efficient way to organize an economy. That is, a free market of self-interested individuals is better at producing general prosperity than a government practicing centralized control. This is true up to a point. Individuals are indeed the experts of their local situations, and can respond much more flexibly and quickly to changing demands than centralized government can. For government to micromanage every little aspect of the economy, the centralized planners would require the knowledge of God. This is the main argument against overly-centralized control.

Sedangkan menurut Answer.com : An economic principle, first postulated by Adam Smith, holding that the greatest benefit to a society is brought about by individuals acting freely in a competitive marketplace in the pursuit of their own self-interest.

Kalo menurut investorwords.com :
Term used by Adam Smith to describe the natural force that guides free market capitalism through competition for scarce resources. According to Adam Smith, in a free market each participant will try to maximize self-interest, and the interaction of market participants, leading to exchange of goods and services, enables each participant to be better of than when simply producing for himself/herself. He further said that in a free market, no regulation of any type would be needed to ensure that the mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services took place, since this "invisible hand" would guide market participants to trade in the most mutually beneficial manner.

Yang jelas si Invisible Hand ini bisa jadi musuh bersama karena telah berusaha mengambil keuntungan bagi diri atau kelompoknya sendiri dengan menyusahkan banyak orang.
Masa' harga cabe Rp 100.000,-?

Title Tags Untuk Meningkatkan Pagerank

2011-01-07T09:29:00.001+07:00

Title tags amat penting untuk mendapatkan page rank di mesin pencarian seperti Goggle. Malangnya banyak template yang tersedia terutama dari Goggle Blogger tidak mempunyai ciri-ciri title tags yang benar.

Artikel ini akan menunjukkan cara-cara menukar title tags di template. Ada template yang telah tersedia dengan title tags ini, jadi di harap JANGAN menukar kode HTML tersebut.

01 - Masuk ke Blogger dashboard, kemudian "Design" => “Edit HTML”

Sebelum melanjutkan ke langkah berikutnya, download template yang sebelumnya dengan mengklik Tab Download Full Template dan save. Ini sebagai langkah untuk mengembalikan keadaan blog ke keadaan asal jika terjadi kesalahan.

Kemudian cari kode ini di template HTML, biasanya di barisan 5-10 bahagian atas template HTML.

Jika kode ini ada di HTML, JANGAN buat diubah.
Tapi jika kode tersebut tak ada teruskan ke langkah selanjutnya.

02 - Di kode template HTML, cari kode ini, kode ini terletak di bagian head

03 - Gantikan kode tersebut dengan kode seperti yang dibawah ini.

Setelah selesai menggantikan kode tersebut, klik Tab Save Template.

Setelah itu klik pada View Blog kemudian buka berapa posting yang telah dibuat dan lihat hasilnya. Judul Posting akan muncul terlebih dahulu diikuti dengan Nama Blog.

Dikutip dari Seri Bahasa

How many hours on internet?

2010-12-31T20:24:00.002+07:00

This one of the question being asked to me on an online survey. Literally, you can ask yourself, how many hours you spend your time to access internet in a week?
I answer that question by calculating hour spending on internet in a day multiply day spending on internet in a week. Guess what, I spend at least 5 hours and 7 days. So, it will be 35 hours a week.
That is minimum number. Sometimes I spend more than 5 hours a day just to access internet.
Ask yourself that question and begin to count.

Investasi Keluarga Reksa Dana

2010-12-31T02:17:00.000+07:00

Buat yang kebingungan soal investasi, TabloidNova.com punya info menarik nih.

Reksa Dana bisa menjadi pilihan investasi tahun depan. Tinggal tentukan mana yang paling tepat untuk kebutuhan keluarga.

Reksa Dana adalah suatu wadah untuk menghimpun dana dari masyarakat pemodal, untuk selanjutnya diinvestasikan dalam portofolio berbagai surat berharga oleh Fund Manager atau Manajer Investasi (MI) yang telah mendapat izin dari Bapepam.

Dengan kata lain, uang dari masyarakat dikumpulkan lalu dibelanjakan oleh MI untuk membeli berbagai macam surat berharga, misalnya saham dan obligasi. Nah, return (keuntungan) yang diperoleh akan dibagikan kepada para investor.

Namun, selain keuntungan yang menjanjikan, Reksa Dana juga mengandung risiko seperti penurunan keuntungan, bahkan sampai kehilangan modal pokok. Oleh karena itu, akan lebih baik bagi para calon investor untuk mengenal lebih jauh jenis-jenis Reksa Dana dan jenis apakah yang paling sesuai dengan karakteristik dan tujuan keuangan Anda, berikut penjelasan Fauziah Arsiyanti, SE, MM, ChFC., Independent Financial Planner dari First Principal Financial PTE.LTD Singapore .

Reksa Dana Pasar Uang

RDPU melakukan sebagian besar investasinya ke efek-efek hutang berjangka kurang dari setahun, misalnya deposito, SBI, obligasi dan surat berharga lainnya. Ia memiliki risiko terendah, begitu juga return -nya, terkecil dibandingkan Reksa Dana lainnya.

Untuk para calon investor yang baru pertama kali membeli Reksa Dana atau ingin mencoba berinvestasi dengan horison kurang dari setahun, jenis ini paling cocok sebab fluktuasinya tidak terlalu tajam. Hasilnya pun di atas tabungan dan deposito. Untuk saat ini, return RDPU berkisar antara 7 sampai 10 persen per tahun tanpa dipotong pajak.

Reksa Dana Pendapatan Tetap

Reksa Dana jenis ini menaruh sebagian besar investasinya (minimum 80 persen) pada obligasi atau surat hutang berjangka pendek, menengah, sampai berjangka panjang. Sementara sisanya boleh ditempatkan dalam instrumen keuangan lainnya.

Disebut Reksa Dana Pendapatan Tetap (RDPT) karena obligasi sebenarnya memiliki sistem pembayaran bunga dengan tingkat bunga tertentu seperti deposito, namun obligasi dapat diperjualbelikan sebelum jatuh tempo di pasar sekunder. Dalam kurun-kurun waktu tertentu, 3 bulan sekali, 6 bulan sekali atau setahun sekali, akan dibagikan dividen.

RDPT memiliki potensi keuntungan investasi lebih besar daripada RDPU, sekitar 12 sampai 15 persen per tahun. Namun risikonya juga lebih tinggi. Selain risiko fluktuasi suku bunga, ada pula risiko gagal bayar karena perusahaannya bangkrut.

Mereka yang cocok dengan investasi jenis ini adalah mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi jangka menengah dan profil risikonya juga sedikit lebih “berani” dibandingkan dengan investor RDPU.

Reksa Dana Saham

RDS adalah Reksa Dana yang melakukan investasi sekurang-kurangnya 80 persen dari portofolio yang dikelolanya ke dalam saham. Karenanya, jenis Reksa Dana ini memberikan potensi hasil yang lebih tinggi berupa capital gain melalui kenaikan harga saham.

Jenis investor yang sesuai dengan Reksa Dana jenis ini adalah mereka yang berani mengambil risiko kehilangan sebagian dari pokok investasi mereka dalam jangka pendek, tetapi mendapatkan keuntungan signifikan dalam jangka panjang.

Mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi jangka panjang juga cocok, misalnya untuk persiapan masa pensiun bagi para eksekutif muda atau tabungan persiapan kuliah S1 dan S2 bagi mereka yang anaknya masih berusia balita.

Yang jelas, jangan membeli kemudian menjual kembali dalam jangka pendek, risiko kerugian akan menjadi besar. Dan, pantaulah harga saham yang mudah berubah (volatile ) melalui Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG).

Reksa Dana Campuran

RDC dapat melakukan diversifikasi portofolio pada surat-surat berharga secara lebih fleksibel. Hal ini membuat MI dari RDC lebih leluasa mengatur komposisi portofolionya sesuai dengan kondisi yang sedang terjadi di pasar.

Misalnya, harga saham di pasar sedang berpotensi mendatangkan return yang baik, sedangkan kondisi obligasi di pasar tidak begitu baik, maka agar mendatangkan keuntungan yang maksimal, MI mengalokasikan dana lebih banyak ke saham daripada obligasi.

Potensi risk and return dari RDC secara teoritis berada di tengah-tengah antara RDPT dan RDS, sehingga investor yang kurang berani menerima risiko yang terlalu besar namun ingin memperoleh hasil yang agak lebih besar, dapat memilih RDC. RDC juga cocok bagi mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi lebih lama daripada RDPU dan RDPT, tapi lebih sebentar dari RDS (sekitar 3 sampai 5 tahun). Tujuan investasi jenis ini misalnya untuk orang tua yang sedang mempersiapkan biaya sekolah lanjutan pertama untuk anaknya yang baru duduk di bangku SD.

Nah, setelah mengetahui jenis-jenis Reksa Dana dan memutuskan jenis yang cocok dengan karakteristik dan tujuan keuangan Anda, langkah selanjutnya yang wajib Anda lakukan adalah membaca prospektus agar Anda mengetahui secara jelas mengenai Reksa Dana tersebut. Dalam prospektus terdapat informasi siapa MI-nya, apa saja kebijakan investasinya, ke mana saja dana investor ditanamkan, bagaimana peraturan perpajakannya, bank apa yang menjadi bank kustodiannya, dan lain sebagainya. Jika masih belum jelas, Anda dapat menghubungi perencana keuangan independen agar mendapatkan nasihat yang objektif dan mengerti betul risiko dan keuntungan dari Reksa Dana.

Selamat berinvestasi!

-Hasto Prianggoro

Pilih Toilet, Duduk atau Jongkok ?

2010-12-31T02:02:00.000+07:00

Nah, kalo ini saya kutip dari www.tabloidnova.com tanggal 1 Desember 2010 karena seringkali, terutama dalam perjalanan, saya agak ragu ketika harus memilih toilet. Mana ya yang seharusnya dipilih?

Menggunakan toilet di fasilitas umum maupun di rumah, masih ada pilihan kloset duduk atau jongkok. Masing-masing memiliki kelebihan dan kekurangan. Yuk, cari tahu apa sajakah itu?

Kloset adalah area paling intim yang Anda diami ketika berada di kamar mandi. Tanpa dapat dipungkiri, ia menjadi bagian paling krusial yang ingin dipastikan higienitas juga kenyamanannya. Maklum, posisinya berada paling dekat dengan organ intim juga menentukan kelancaran melakukan buang air besar.

Tatkala harus menggunakan kloset, ada banyak pertimbangan yang dipikirkan sebelum berlanjut menggunakannya. Mulai dari bagaimana kondisi sekitar, permukaan, ketersediaan air membilas hingga menempel dan tidak menempel dengan bokong.

Ya, untung saja masih ada pilihan model kloset yang mengakomodir berbagai kepentingan. Jongkok atau duduk?

Apapun itu, sebaiknya sesuaikan saja dengan kebutuhan. Kelebihan dan kekurangan masing-masing model kloset ini, dijabarkan dr. Toto Imam Soeparmono, SpOG (K.Onk), kepala departemen Obstetri dan Ginekologi RSPAD Gatot Soebroto Jakarta, dari sudut pandang medis.

Asia Lebih Suka Kloset Jongkok

Pada awalnya, kloset diciptakan untuk mempermudah orang membuang air besar tanpa harus mencari sungai. Ide utamanya adalah membuat tempat privat di mana orang bisa membuang kotoran dan menyiramnya hingga kotoran itu terbawa air bilasan menuju saluran pembuangan. Namun pada perkembangannya, kloset juga didesain menyesuaikan kebutuhan kenyamanan penggunanya.

Di Asia yang lebih menyukai posisi alami BAB berjongkok, lebih banyak terdapat kloset jongkok ketimbang kloset duduk. Kondisi ini berbalik dengan di Barat yang lebih menyukai kloset duduk.

Memperkecil Risiko Ambeien

Menurut Toto, menggunakan kloset jongkok memang dapat disarankan pada beberapa orang.

Orang-orang dengan risiko ambeien misalnya, kloset jongkok lebih disarankan karena memperkecil risiko pemicu ambeien. Kloset jongkok dikatakan membantu kontraksi otot perut secara maksimal ketika proses buang air besar berlangsung. Kontraksi otot perut yang maksimal ini membuat tenaga mengejan yang lebih besar sehingga proses BAB pun lebih cepat selesai.

Proses yang cepat inilah yang memperkecil risiko ambeien. Jika prosesnya lama, maka otot dan pembuluh darah balik di seputar anus menjadi teregang maksimal. Selain itu, posisi duduk yang terlalu lama (pada pemakaian kloset duduk, red.) dapat menyebabkan paha menekan di tempat duduk sehingga aliran darah dari bawah ke atas lebih terhambat. Inilah yang kemudian membuat ambeien mudah terpicu.

Selain baik bagi penderita ambeien, kloset jongkok juga meminimalisir risiko infeksi saluran kencing dan kelamin terutama pada wanita. Risiko perpindahan jamur, bakteri maupun flagelata penyebab keputihan ini, mampu ditekan oleh tidak ada permukaan yang menempel atau terlalu dekat dengan saluran kencing.

Tidak Cocok untuk Arthritis

Kendati dikatakan kloset jongkok memiliki banyak sisi positif untuk kesehatan, namun kloset jongkok tidaklah cocok untuk penderita arthritis (gangguan lutut). Posisi jongkok yang memberi banyak tarikan pada lutut, tentunya akan menyiksa penderita arthritis, yang mengganjal dan lutut yang mudah capek.

Favorit Ibu Hamil

Saat menggunakan kloset duduk, orang kerap merasa lebih nyaman karena tidak banyak tarikan pada lutut yang menimbulkan rasa capek. Kloset duduk pun menjadi favorit bagi ibu hamil, orang tua, penderita arthritis juga obesitas karena minim menyebabkan ketidak- nyamanan baik di lutut maupun perut.

Awas Infeksi Kuman!

Saat Anda duduk di kloset, selain kaki yang menempel pada lantai, paha dan bokong tak bisa terhindarkan menempel pada dudukan kloset. Ini menjadi potensi perpindahan infeksi kuman dan virus yang menempel di permukaan kloset. Jika kurang higienis, infeksi dapat pindah ke saluran kencing maupun alat kelamin wanita.

“Laki-laki saluran kencing dan kelaminnya agak jauh, sedangkan wanita lebih dekat. Kalau kena infeksi saluran kencing (sistitis), saluran kelamin juga bisa terkena karena muaranya dekat!” tegas Toto.

Risiko yang paling ringan, menyebabkan anyang-anyangan (yang termasuk tanda-tanda infeksi saluran kencing) dan keputihan (baik disebabkan jamur, bakteri maupun flagelata). Sedangkan risiko terberat, infeksi kelamin atau mulut vagina bisa masuk lebih dalam. Jika berlanjut bisa menjadi infeksi rongga rahim (endometritis) bahkan saluran telur (salpingitis). Risiko paling buruk, infeksi saluran telur dapat menyebabkan kebuntuan saluran telur sehingga tidak bisa memiliki keturunan.

“Maka, begitu kena keputihan, wanita sebaiknya langsung waspada dan berobat ke dokter,” ungkap Toto.

-Laili Damayanti

Ngilu Gigi Hilang, Liburan pun Nyaman

2010-12-31T01:55:00.003+07:00

Ini artikel menarik dari www.tabloidnova.com pada Sabtu, 25 Desember 2010 dengan judul yang sama. Saya kutip karena diantara anggota keluarga saya ada yang mengalami gigi sensitif.

Pernahkah Anda bayangkan, liburan terganggu gara-gara gigi ngilu yang menyerang? Nah, bagaimana mengenali dan mengatasi gigi ngilu akibat gigi sensitif?

Tak lama lagi, liburan yang dinanti-nanti bakal tiba. Berbagai rencana pasti sudah Anda siapkan, mulai dari lokasi berlibur hingga rencana berburu kuliner favorit. Tapi, pernahkah terlintas di benak Anda, mengalami gigi ngilu saat berlibur bersama keluarga? Gigi ngilu bisa membuat Anda tak bisa menikmati liburan yang sudah lama Anda rencanakan. Terlebih bila gigi ngilu karena gigi sensitif yang tak pernah Anda sadari kedatangannya.

Gigi sensitif memang memunculkan gangguan berupa rasa ngilu yang datang saat mengonsumsi makanan/minuman yang terlalu asam atau manis. Gangguan ini kerap dianggap enteng, namun akibatnya bisa panjang. Liburan Anda bisa berantakan dan tak mengasyikkan lagi. Anda malah sibuk uring-uringan. Impian menyantap makanan dan minuman favorit saat liburan pun bisa-bisa melayang akibat gigi sensitif.

Gigi sensitif merupakan istilah umum yang dipakai untuk menunjukkan adanya hipersensitif dentin, yaitu terbukanya dentin akibat menipisnya lapisan email atau turunnya gusi. Penderita gigi sensitif akan mengalami rasa ngilu, khususnya ketika mengonsumsi makanan atau minuman yang asam atau manis. Dan, semua orang berpotensi mengalami gigi sensitif, bahkan banyak yang tak sadar sudah mengalaminya.

Email Menipis

Bagian gigi yang paling rentan mengalami sensitivitas adalah gigi taring, geraham kecil, dan geraham. Selain itu, gigi bagian sebelah kiri lebih sering terkena ngilu dibandingkan sebelah kanan. Rasa ngilu pada gigi sensitif timbul jika ujung tubula dentin yang terbuka terkena rangsang, sehingga mengubah arah pergerakan cairan di dalam tubula dentin yang meneruskan ke sensor saraf.

Rasa ngilu akan begitu terasa saat mengonsumsi makanan/minuman yang asam atau manis. Rasa ngilu pada gigi sensitif sendiri disebabkan oleh menipisnya email atau turunnya gusi, yang diantaranya disebabkan oleh cara menggosok gigi yang salah, seperti terlalu keras menggosok gigi dan dilakukan dengan gerakan yang salah, yaitu ke kiri dan ke kanan, padahal yang benar adalah dari arah gusi ke gigi. Teknik pemutihan gigi atau bleaching yang menggunakan bahan-bahan kimia berkonsentrasi tinggi juga bisa menyebabkan penipisan email pada gigi.

Bahkan, waktu menyikat gigi yang tidak tepat, seperti langsung menyikat gigi setelah sarapan, juga dapat menyebabkan pengikisan enamel atau email. Pasalnya, setelah makan, suasana dalam mulut bersifat asam, yang memudahkan terkikisnya lapisan enamel gigi ketika digosok. Jadi, sebaiknya tunggu beberapa saat setelah makan apabila Anda hendak menyikat gigi.

Home Treatment

Penanganan gigi sensitif berbeda-beda, tergantung kasusnya. Apabila gigi sensitif disebabkan salah menyikat gigi, maka yang dilakukan adalah dengan mengetahui cara pemilihan sikat atau cara menyikat gigi yang baik.

Penanggulangannya bisa dilakukan dengan perawatan di rumah (home treatment ), yaitu dengan menyikat gigi yang benar dan memilih pasta gigi khusus untuk gigi sensitif yang mengandung potassium nitrate .

Jadi, sebaiknya jangan sepelekan ngilu gigi, apalagi jika Anda sedang merencanakan atau tengah berlibur. Segera periksa jika Anda sudah mulai merasakan gigi ngilu, agar Anda bisa menikmati liburan yang penuh kesan.

Cegah Gigi Ngilu! (fact sheet)

Hindari kesalahan saat menggosok gigi dengan tekanan berlebih.

Sikat gigi yang benar dari arah gusi ke gigi. Dengan kemiringan sekitar 45 derajat dan gerakan memutar.

Hindari menyikat gigi segera setelah makan atau minum. Lakukan sekitar 30 menit setelah makan.

Pilih sikat gigi dengan bulu sikat lembut. Dan ganti tiap 3 bulan sekali.

Hindari penggunaan tusuk gigi terlampau sering, sebaiknya gunakan dental floss saja.

Batasi konsumsi makanan terlalu panas atau terlalu dingin.

Jika ada lubang pada gigi segera lakukan penambalan.

Sesuai anjuran para ahli gigi, gunakan pasta gigi khusus gigi sensitif, sehingga dapat membantu mengurangi rasa ngilu karena gigi sensitif, dan dengan pemakaian teratur dapat membantu mencegah rasa ngilu tersebut datang kembali.

Kenangan Bersama Ibu

2010-12-13T10:19:00.000+07:00

11 Desember 2010 merupakan hari yang membuatku mengenang ibuku. Sekian tahun yang lalu, ibuku yang biasa kupanggil Emak melahirkan diriku. Alhamdulillah terlahir tanpa cacat. Beliau melahirkanku ketika umur beliau tak muda lagi, lebih dari 40 tahun. Beliau merawat, membesarkan, dan membimbingku sampai usiaku 21 tahun. Beliaulah guru pertamaku dalam arti sesungguhnya. Beliau, yang tidak tamat SD, mengajariku menulis sehari sebelum diriku masuk sekolah dasar. Aku memang tidak mengalami Taman Kanak-kanak karena ketidakmampuan finansial keluargaku. Alhamdulillah bekal yang beliau berikan selama ini kuanggap mencukupi untukku melanjutkan hidup. Beliau betul-betul menyayangiku, dan terasa begitu besar rasa sayang beliau ketika beliau tak lagi bersamaku. Bagi kalian yang masih memiliki Ibu di sisi kalian, sayangilah sepenuh hati dan berusahalah semampumu untuk membahagiakannya..

My Beloved City: Palembang

2010-12-11T13:17:00.002+07:00

I was born and grew up in Palembang city, South Sumatera province, Indonesia.
Palembang is locate on Sumatera island and was popular for crime because of some Palembang people like to carry knife and other cold steel.
Many criminal tv program mention Palembang on almost everyday show.
But Palembang people and government try to change that image.
The Palembang government define a regulation to prohibit Palembang people to carry cold steel.
It's work. On 2004, Palembang held PON (National Sport Week) successfully.
Many people recognice and come to Palembang since then.
Palembang is known as exhibition town now. Many event held and will be held on Palembang including Sea Games 2011 for South East countries.
Palembang has already famous for the culinary. Palembang has variety foods such as Pempek, Tekwan, Model, Celimpungan, Laksan, Lakso, Burgo, Lenggang,
Lempok, Kemplang, Kerupuk, etc.
A lot of tourist come just to taste those foods. Pempek is known around Indonesia as Palembang traditional food. You can find pempek on several city in Indonesia,
but to find the original Pempek taste, you must come to Palembang.

11 Desember

2010-12-11T09:13:00.000+07:00

Diriku lahir di tanggal 11 Desember. Hari ini ketika aku mulai menulis blog-ku kembali juga 11 Desember.
Semoga umurku barokah ya, Allah. Engkau Maha Mengetahui apa yang terbaik untukku. Ampuni hamba atas segala dosa-dosa hamba, dan ampunilah kedua orang tua hamba. Terima mereka di sisimu, Ya Allah..

T_T

2010-07-14T21:40:00.001+07:00

Seketika air mata menetes, mengiringi kesedihan dan kegalauan hati. Begitu rapuh hamba-Mu ini, Ya Allah. Kuatkan Ya Allah.. Kuatkan.. Amin..

Tempat Wisata di Kota Palembang

2009-11-10T10:20:00.003+07:00

Jika Anda berkunjung ke Palembang, kota terbesar kedua di Pulau Sumatera, atau jika Anda memang warga kota metropolis ini mungkin Anda ingin jalan-jalan. Berikut ini beberapa alternatif tempat wisata di Palembang:
a. Jembatan Ampera dan Sungai Musi
b. Plaza Benteng Kuto Besak Kuto Besak: Upaya kesultanan Palembang menegakkan kemerdekaan
c. Masjid Agung Palembang
d. Masjid Lawang Kidul
e. Masjid Ki Marogan
f. Kampung Kapitan
g. Danau OPI
h. Pulau Kemaro
i. Hutan Wisata Punti Kayu
j. Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II
k. Museum Balaputra Dewa
l. Museum Tekstil
m. Kambang Iwak
n. Bukit Siguntang
o. Kawah Tengkurep
p. Prasasti Kedukan Bukit
q. Taman Purbakala di Kecamatan Gandus
r. Fantasy Island
s. Bundaran Air Mancur
t. Bundaran Jakabaring beserta Monumennya
u. Dekranasda
v. Kompleks makam Sabokingking

Tentang Gempa

2009-10-03T14:30:00.000+07:00

Gejala Umum

Gempa bumi sangat mematikan biasanya terjadi pada saat banyak orang
sudah terbangun dari tidur pulas, misalnya siang hari atau di saat
pergantian waktu antara malam ke pagi hari atau sore ke malam hari.
Tepatnya waktu antara jam 05.00 s/d 08.00 pagi atau
sore. Jadi, bisa dikatakan gempa bumi mematikan tidak terjadi pada saat
mayoritas orang sedang terlelap tidur. Sehingga pantas dikatakan bahwa “sing sopo leno keno“, siapapun yang terlena (tidak eling waspada) akan menjadi korban.

Gempa bumi dahsyat tidak terjadi pada saat orang sedang terlelap
dalam tidur misalnya saat-saat antara jam 24.00 s/d 03.00 malam.
Mungkin hal ini merupakan rumus/prinsip keadilan Tuhan, atau kearifan
hukum alam/kodrat alam.

Gempa bumi tidak terjadi pada saat daratan terjadi bencana alam
mislanya banjir. Karena musibah bencana alam biasanya tidak terjadi
bersamaan, namun bergantian antara bencana yang datang dari daratan,
udara, dan lautan.

Gempa bumi tektonik terjadi di saat musim kering, atau musim
kemarau. Sebaliknya musim penghujan sangat jarang terjadi gempa bumi.
Kecuali gempa vulkanik dari gunung berapi.

Gempa bumi tektonik konon tidak terjadi pada hari selasa. Gempa
bumi juga tidak terjadi pada saat terjadi hujan lebat dan badai sedang
menimpa daratan.

Setelah terjadi gempa besar, biasanya akan segera turun hujan
sangat lebat pada malam harinya. Kejadian ini bisanya berlangsung
hingga 3 kali/hari berturut-turut setiap malam hari. Setelah gempa
besar, apabila tidak terjadi hujan di malam harinya, hendaknya ekstra
hati-hati karena akan terjadi gempa susulan yang lebih besar. Apabia
pasca gempa tektonik yang besar tidak terjadi hujan, hendaknya ekstra
hati-hati terhadap gempa susulan yang kemungkinan besar akan terjadi.

Tanda-tanda Alamiah

Beberapa minggu dan hari sebelum terjadi gempa besar, biasanya akan
muncul awan hitam mulai siang hingga sore hari. Kemunculannya hanya
sekali dua kali/hari, setelah itu lenyap dengan sendirinya. Ciri-ciri
awan hitam tersebut seolah bagaikan mendung tetapi tidak menghasilkan
hujan, warnanya hitam keabu-abuan bergumpal, tetapi rata menutupi
seluruh ruang pandang di langit. Awan hitam itu seolah jaraknya dengan
bumi terasa sangat rendah/dekat. Tidak ada angin, suasana mencekam,
hening namun terkesan sangat mistis (beraura energi kuat).

Cermati bila keadaan di atas mulai tampak. Coba anda konsentrasi di
dalam rumah dan coba juga di luar rumah, apakah badan anda merasa
panas/gerah atau malah cenderung dingin ? Jika anda tidak merasakan
gerah, seyogyanya anda lebih hati-hati.

Langit cerah dan bersih, kadang terdapat gumpalan awan putih dengan
membentuk sebuah konfigurasi yang aneh dan unik. Kadang muncul
knfigurasi seperti pusaka misalnya keris, kujang, rencong, ekor kuda,
tongkat vertikal. Kadang berbentuk menyerupai wayang kulit, wajah
raksasa, wajah bola mata manusia dst. Berbagai konfigurasi awan yang
aneh-aneh tersebut merupakan gejala yang dipengaruhi oleh radiasi
energi bumi, kondisi tekanan udara yang mengalami distorsi oleh adanya
desakan energi bumi yang melebihi kewajaran. Masing-masing konfigurasi
awan memiliki arti dan makna sendiri-sendiri. Untuk menerjemahkannya
pun perlu keahlian khusus setelah kita terbiasa mengolah rahsa pangrasa.

Di samping itu, saat sebelum gempa suhu terasa sangat panas
menyengat melebihi kewajaran biasanya. Bahkan pada saat anda di dalam
ruangan atau rumah sekalipun. Rasakan dan cermati hawa panas semacam
ini, biasanya secara spontan membuat perasaan menjadi panik, gundah,
gelisah. Itulah panasnya hawa bebendu, sampai terasa panas di daun
telinga kita, panas seperti dipanggang api. Bila kita merasakan hawa
dan gejala alam seperti ini hendaklah meningkatkan kewaspadaan,
biasanya hawa panas tersebut merupakan radiasi dari tegangan energi
dari dalam lempeng bumi yang siap terlepas menjadi energi gempa bumi
tektonik yang besar. Hawa panas semacam ini dapat kita rasakan dalam
jarak hingga ribuan kilometer. Misalnya posisi kita sedang di Jakarta,
lalu merasakan hawa panas tersebut, yang menjadi gejala akan terjadi
gempa di wilayah Papua, Maluku, Ambon, Sumatera Barat, Bengkulu, dan
Lampung. Hawa panas tersebut bisa di rasakan dari mana arah datangnya.
Nah, arah itulah menunjukkan lokasi tempat di mana akan terjadi gempa
bumi.

Rasakan aura panas “bebendu” tersebut, yang terasa mengalir dari
dalam tanah, melewati permukaan tanah lalu naik ke atas menjadi radiasi
yang kuat.

Bila anda tidur di bawah tidak di atas ranjang, berarti anda
langsung bersentuhan dengan bumi. Saat itu anda bisa berkonsentrasi dan
memasang indera batin dan kalbu anda untuk mencermati suara yang
berasal dari bawah permukaan tanah, atau yang berasal dari dalam bumi.
Apabila terdengar suara gemuruh, terkadang disertai letupan dan
dentuman kecil, hendaknya kewaspadaan ditingkatkan. Karena suara gemurh
dan dentuman-dentuman itu merupakan proses pergerakan lempeng bumi yang
akan berubah menjadi kekuatan gelombang tektonik.

Tanda-tanda Khusus
Bagi yang telah terbiasa olah batin
dan menajamkan rasa pangrasa, atau rahsa sejati akan lebih mudah
membaca peringatan dini dari sinyal-sinyal yang dipancarkan dalam
gerak-gerik makhluk penghuni alam semesta ini.

Beberapa minggu misalnya antara 4 s/d 12 minggu sebelumnya, kita
dapat menyaksikan peristiwa spektakuler, di mana terjadi eksodus
besar-besaran oleh masyarakat “halus” dari arah mata angin tertentu
menuju ke satu arah yang lain. Misalnya dari arah selatan ke arah
utara. Disebut masyarakat karena mereka hidup berkelompok, juga membuat
suatu koloni yang saling berinteraksi di antaranya. Masyarakat “halus”
itu rupanya sudah merasakan suhu panas yang terpancar dari pusat gempa
(episentrum) . Walaupun gempa belum terjadi, namun energi tektonik yang
tertahan dan terakumulasi di dalam lapisan kulit bumi dalam sekian lama
waktunya akan menimbulkan spleteran energi yang terasa panas dan
membuat badan terasa gerah sekali. Panas itulah yang membuat mereka
tidak betah/kuat lalu “mengungsi” menjauhi pusat-pusat panas calon
episentrum tersebut. Hal ini pernah terjadi 3 bulan sebelum gempa
Jogja. Dan 2 bulan sebelum gempa Bengkulu akhir tahun 2007 lalu.

Perilaku binatang yang tidak wajar alias keluar dari pakem
kebiasaannya. Misalnya kucing, anjing, mencari tempat-tempat yang
dingin untuk berteduh/tidur. Biasanya kucing dan anjing betah di
tempat-tempat yang hangat dan panas. Kicau burung emprit gantil yang
semakin intensif terdengar di malam hari, padahal biasanya emprit
gantil berkicau di pagi, siang, dan sore hari.

Hewan dan binatang melata, binatang yang hidup di dalam rongga
tanah keluar berkeliaran pada waktu-waktu diluar kebiasaannya,
berkeliaran ke tempat-tempat yang tidak biasa disambangi atau menjadi
habitat hidupnya.

Heart Illness

2009-08-23T09:43:00.000+07:00

That feeling appear again.
It has been almost a year since I got that worried feeling. I was succeed to remove that feeling on Ramadhan 1429 H. But, it came again just two month after that. I asked Allah SWT to help me. And Allah SWT always help me.
Just before Ramadhan 1430 H, that feeling appear again. Please Allah, help me. I don't want to feel like that.

Berbahagia

2009-05-20T14:47:00.001+07:00

Berusahalah untuk berbahagia karena kebahagiaan itu sesungguhnya bisa diusahakan.
Jangan mundur hanya karena masalah datang. Jangan hancur hanya karena masalah datang.
Awali dengan tersenyum. Buka hati. Ingatlah betapa banyak hal yang sudah Engkau peroleh. Bersyukurlah.. Bersyukurlah.. Niscaya Engkau bahagia.

How to Be More Patient

2009-05-20T14:24:00.000+07:00

1. Remember what written on Alquran. Allah SWT comes along with those who have patient.
2. Tally marks. If you have real problems with patience: start by simply keeping tally marks on a little sheet of paper every time you lose your patience. This is one of the most effective and important methods for controlling an impulse — by learning to become more aware of it. Once you become aware of your impulses, you can work out an alternative reaction.
3. Figure out your triggers. As you become more aware of losing your patience, pay close attention to the things that trigger you to lose that patience. Is it when your co-worker does something particularly irritating? When your spouse leaves dirty dishes in the sink? When your child doesn’t clean up her mess? Certain triggers will recur more frequently than others — these are the things you should focus on the most.
4. Deep breaths. When you first start to lose your patience, take a deep breath, and breathe out slowly. Then take another. And another. These three breaths will often do the trick, as your frustration will slowly melt away.
5. Count to 10. This one really works. When you feel yourself getting frustrated or angry, stop. Count slowly to 10 (you can do this in your head). When you’re done, most of the initial impulse to yell or do something out of frustation will go away. Combine this with the breathing tip for even more effectiveness.
6. Take a time out. Often it’s best just to walk away for a few minutes. Take a break from the situation, just for 5-10 minutes, let yourself calm down, plan out your words and actions and solution, and then come back calm as a monk.
7. Remember what’s important. Sometimes we tend to get upset over little things. In the long run, these things tend not to matter, but in the heat of the moment, we might forget this. Stop yourself, and try to get things in perspective.
8. Visualize. This works best if you do it before the frustrating situation comes up. When you’re alone and in a quiet place. Visualize how you want to react the next time your trigger happens. How do you handle the situation? How do you look? What do you say? How does the other person react? How does it help your relationship, your life? Think about all these things, visualize the perfect situation, and then try to actually make that happen when the situation actually comes up.
9. Remember that things can take time. Nothing good happens right away. If you expect things to happen at the snap of your fingers, you’ll get impatient every time. Instead, realize that things will take time, and this realization can help your patience tremendously.
10. Teach. This is something that helps me a lot. I remember that no one is perfect, and that everyone has a lot to learn. Be patient, and teach others how to do things — even if you’ve tried before, it might be the 11th time when things click. And remember, none of us learn things on the first try. Find new ways to teach something, and you’re more likely to be successful.
11. Find healthy ways to relieve frustration. Frustration can build up like steam in a pressure cooker, and if you don’t relieve that steam, you’ll explode. So find ways to relieve that frustration in a healthy way. Punching a pillow, going outside to a place where you’re all alone and yelling, exercise, these are just a few examples. Once you get that frustration out of your system, you usually feel better.
12. Try meditation. You can’t meditate in the middle of a frustrating situation, usually, but often meditation can help you to learn to find a center of calm within yourself. Once you learn how to go to this calm place, you can go there when you begin to get angry. Meditation can also help you to be in the moment, instead of always wanting to get to the future, or instead of dwelling on the past and getting angry about it.
13. Just laugh. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that no one is perfect, that we should be enjoying this time with our loved ones, and that life should be fun — and funny. Smile, laugh, be happy. Doesn’t always work, but it’s good to remind yourself of this now and then.
14. Just love. Instead of reacting with anger, teach yourself to react with love. Your child spills something or has a messy room or breaks your family heirloom? Your spouse yells at you or is cranky after work? React with love. It’s the best solution.
15. Start small. Don’t try to become as patient as Job overnight. It won’t happen. Start with something small and manageable. Look for a trigger that only induces a mild impatience within you — not something that gets your blood boiling. Then focus on this, and forget the other triggers for now. Work on controlling your temper for that one trigger. If you can get this one under control, use what you learned to focus on the next small trigger. One at a time, and with practice, you’ll get there.
16. Keep practicing. Every time a situation stretches your patience to dangerous thinness, just think of it as an opportunity to practice your patience. Because that’s what it take to become patient — practice, practice, more practice, and even more practice. And then some more. And the more you practice, the better you’ll get. So cherish these wonderful opportunities to practice.

How to Sleep Well

2009-05-20T14:10:00.000+07:00

Try one or two or a combination until you have enough quality sleep to feel alert and well rested.

1. Don't eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Eat a light dinner about 2 hours before sleeping. If you drink too much liquid before sleeping, you'll wake up repeatedly in the night for trips to the bathroom.
Don't eat spicy or fatty foods. They cause heartburn.
Don't have a midnight snack. If you get the munchies, eat something that triggers serotonin, which makes you sleepy. Carbohydrates (bread or cereal) or foods containing the amino acid L-tryptophan (milk, tuna, or turkey) will do the trick.
Don't drink alcohol near bedtime. It may cause you to wake up repeatedly, snore and possibly develop sleep apnea.

2. Avoid caffeine and nicotine. They are addictive stimulants and keep you awake. Smokers experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and they have a harder time both falling asleep and waking up.

3. Stick to a schedule, and don't sleep late on weekends. If you sleep late on Saturday and Sunday morning, you'll get Sunday night insomnia. Instead, go to bed and get up at about the same time every day.

4. Exercise. If you're trying to sleep better, the best time to exercise is in the afternoon. Physical activity enhances the deep, refreshing stage of sleep.

5. A slightly cool room is ideal for sleeping. This mimics your internal temperature drop during sleep, so turn off the heat and save on fuel bills.
If you tend to get cold, use blankets. Try sleeping in warmer nightclothes and wear socks. Studies show that warm hands and feet induce sleep quickly.
If you overheat at night, wear light nightclothes and sleep under a single sheet. Use an air conditioner or fan to keep the room cool.
Use a dehumidifier if you are bothered by moist air. Use a humidifier if you are bothered by dry air. Signs of dry air irritation include a sore throat, nosebleeds or a dry throat.

6. Sleep only at night. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.
If you work nights, keep window coverings closed so that sunlight, which interferes with the body's internal clock, doesn't interrupt your sleep.
If you have a day job and sleep at night, but still have trouble waking, leave the window covering open and let the sun's light wake you up.

7. Keep it quiet. Silence is more conducive to sleep. Turn off the radio and TV. Use earplugs, a fan or some other source of constant, soothing, background noise to mask sound that you cannot control, such as a busy street, trains, airplanes or even a snoring partner. Double-pane windows and heavy curtains also muffle outside noise.

8. Make your bed. "A good bed is subjective and different for each person. Make sure you have a bed that is comfortable and offers orthopedic, correct sleep," says Dr. Shepard.
If you share your bed, make sure there is enough room for two.
Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
Go to bed when you are tired and turn out the lights. If you don't fall asleep in 15 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you are tired.
Do not agonize about falling asleep. The stress will only prevent sleep.

9. Soak and sack out. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax the tense muscles.

10. Don't rely on sleeping pills. Check with your doctor before using sleeping pills. Make sure the pills won't interact with other medications or with an existing medical condition.
Use the lowest dosage and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills.
If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills.

A great way to sleep well is definitely making sure you have the right mattress for you. More and more people are turning to memory foam mattresses to achieve a more restful night's sleep. With a memory foam mattress that molds to the shape of your body you are sure to receive a full night of sleep and see what it truly means to have a good night.

About Colors

2009-03-23T09:41:00.000+07:00

Colors is truly magical !

Colors evokes emotion, stimulates the senses and creates atmosphere. Colors will transform your surroundings, alter perceptions and set moods.

Using colors in your home and surrounding yourself with a personal palette creates a calming backdrop for daily life. You can design your own comforting sanctuary to unwind and live in.

A room doesn’t have to be saturated in splashes of strong hues to achieve an impression of colors. Small accents are sometimes enough. Add some cushions, perhaps a throw or a piece of carefully selected artwork, these touches can work just as well as painting a room in a flashy colors.

When planning your colors scheme, search for inspiration from your surroundings. Perhaps you have a favourite rug or piece of china that you can use as a starting point. Mother Nature offers an abundance of inspiration; flowers, beaches, sky and earth are perfect examples of colors schemes that work - Mother Nature never gets it wrong!

When it comes to colors theory there are some useful guidelines you can follow to create your own successful scheme.

A monochromatic scheme is an easy method to follow for decorating. Choose one colors and add that colors in varying tones (deeper and lighter), perhaps adding some patterns or texture to create interest.

A complementary scheme works with colors that lie opposite each other on the colors wheel ie: blue is opposite to orange, red is opposite to green and yellow is opposite to purple. These colors contrast and when placed together create a stimulating effect. This can be a very effective technique to use in decorating.

A related scheme is using colors that lie side by side on the colors wheel. For example: greens and blues placed together or perhaps reds, oranges and yellows. Placing colors together based on a related scheme creates a subtle harmonious effect.

Take your time when designing your colors scheme, it is a creative process. Try to incorporate the whole design of your home to add a sense of flow.

Colors have a lot of significance. The world is changing. Who is the force behind this change? The whole magic is of the colors. If the color changes the nature also changes, along with the mind also changes. Change in color changes everything.

The colors influence the body, mind and emotions. The external things have more influence on the human being and the most influencing factor is color. According to Ayurveda, vata, pitta and kapha dosha are running the body or in other words they are responsible for the functioning of the body. Blue color is strengthening, cool and hence reduces heat and anxiety. Blue color cures the diseases in people predominant with pitta. Green color is blood purifier, natural and evacuates the foreign particles from the body. It subsides the diseases in a person who is chiefly of vata constitution.

Red color denotes fire element. It activates the nervous system and blood. It activates all the five sensory organs. Red rays produce heat and circulate energy in the body. Red color is energetic and active. It is good for people with kapha constitution.

If it is used again and again, it causes fever and inactivity and hence it should be combined with blue color.

White color is ideal for leading a secluded life a detached life away from world. It makes the emotions pure and pious. Yellow color activates the nerves and the muscles. It is not an independent color. It is the combination of red and green colors. It arouses the dead cells and activates them. It has the qualities to strengthen the nervous system and activate the brain. Yellow color is the color of intelligence and philosophy. It gets rid of mental weakness, disappointment and other negative qualities. It is denotes happiness and cheerfulness.

Black color is not influenced; no color can be applied on black color. Hence it is used in the courtrooms to denote unbiased judgment. According to a yogi, Vedic Sandhya includes three colors. They are red, blue and white, which denote Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Vedic Sandhya means the person who meditates all the three colors in the evening remains healthy physically and mentally

Colors maintain the balance of our body. Some people are fat while some are thin? What is the reason? The reason is color; there is imbalance of colors in their body. Excess of red color denotes thin people and that of blue color makes the person fat. Where red and blue colors are in equilibrium, that person will be beautiful, well built with good figure and balanced. Excess of red color makes the person angry and excited; less of blue color makes him selfish and self-centered. He is not bothered about others interests and losses. Red color will be useful where the matter is related to labors. The laborers can lift heavy weight easily. If the color is blue the labor will become lazy. All the organs in our body have colors. Every component has its color. Externally the skin appears to be of one color only, the person who has studied the body with depth he will understand this fact. If we are successful in our lives then we will have to pay attention on the clothes that we wear. Colors have a broad affect. The colors not only influence the mental condition but also change it. In this context an incident of Russia is very interesting. A few student of a school were very mischievous. This became a big problem for the teacher and school authorities. They were not getting the clue to their mischief. Not one or two all the students were highly mischievous. What could be the reason? Nobody was able to find the correct answer. The students who were appearing to be calm and quiet were also becoming mischievous. Lot of efforts were taken but reason for this was still mystery. At last the color specialists were called. They researched a lot. The color of the school building was red, the doors, windows, carpet, students uniform everything was red. The excess of red color increases mischief nature and hyper activity. The specialists advised that this color should be changed to green, pink or blue. The suggestion was accepted and the color was changed. The curtains, windows, doors, glasses etc. were changed. The result was astnishing as soon as the color changed the student's nature also changed. The students became calm and quiet and were well behaved. The teachers and authorities were finally relieved of their problem.

The person who concentrates to see white color he experiences that his tension is reducing, the feelings are pure and pious. The headache gets cured. What is color? It is only a light. The 49the vibration of light is called color. It is the spectrum of colors coming from the Sunrays. It has one color. Color and light are not two different things. Color is the synonym for light, which is the affect of light. If The suitable colors mix then the effect changes.

It is our daily experience that when we sit near a person we feel happy and some people's company makes us sad and unhappy. We are filled with worries. What is the reason for this? We are surrounded with an aura of light, the person who has a pure aura, is made with good colors, the surrounding and atmosphere near that person is pure and pious. When the aura is made with bad color, predominant with night colors, then we feel unhappy and a negative feeling comes in. The mind becomes sad and unhappy. According to Dr. Riben Amber the hotness and coolness of the colors can be measured. Fill the glass tumbler with water and place a thermometer, let the Sunrays fall in it. Red rays denote hot and blue rays denote coolness.

Start a scrapbook with a compilation of colors and palettes that appeal to you. Collect examples such as magazine images, pieces of fabric, leaves, feathers or colors chips. Decide what colors you love and why you love them.

Most importantly, have fun. Working with colors is an exciting and rewarding experience.

Express yourself with the magic ingredient of colors – mix together a pleasing recipe of hues and tones to live with, create a place where it always feels good to be home.

Enjoy colors - life would be boring without it!!!

Al-Biruni

2009-03-23T09:33:00.000+07:00

Born: 15 Sept 973 in Kath, Khwarazm (now Kara-Kalpakskaya, Uzbekistan)
Died: 13 Dec 1048 in Ghazna (now Ghazni, Afganistan)

Abu Raihan al-Biruni was born in Khwarazm, a region adjoining the Aral Sea now known as Karakalpakstan. The two major cities in this region were Kath and Jurjaniyya. Al-Biruni was born near Kath and the town were he was born is today called Biruni after the great scholar. He lived both in Kath and in Jurjaniyya as he grew up and we know that he began studies at a very early age under the famous astronomer and mathematician Abu Nasr Mansur. Certainly by the age of seventeen al-Biruni was engaged in serious scientific work for it was in 990 that he computed the latitude of Kath by observing the maximum altitude of the sun.

Other work which al-Biruni undertook as a young man was more theoretical. Before 995 (when he was 22 years old) he had written a number of short works. One which has survived is his Cartography which is a work on map projections. As well as describing his own projection of a hemisphere onto a plane, al-Biruni showed that by the age of 22 he was already extremely well read for he had studied a wide selection of map projections invented by others and he discusses them in the treatise. The comparatively quiet life that al-Biruni led up to this point was to come to a sudden end. It is interesting to speculate on how different his life, and contribution to scholarship, might have been but for the change in his life forced by the political events of 995.

The end of the 10th century and beginning of the 11th century was a period of great unrest in the Islamic world and there were civil wars in the region in which al-Biruni was living. Khwarazm was at this time part of the Samanid Empire which ruled from Bukhara. Other states in the region were the Ziyarid state with its capital at Gurgan on the Caspian sea. Further west, the Buwayhid dynasty ruled over the area between the Caspian sea and the Persian Gulf, and over Mesopotamia. Another kingdom which was rapidly rising in influence was the Ghaznavids whose capital was at Ghazna in Afghanistan, a kingdom which was to play a major role in al-Biruni's life.

The Banu Iraq were the rulers of the Khwarazm region and Abu Nasr Mansur, al-Biruni's teacher, was a prince of that family. In 995 the rule by the Banu Iraq was overthrown in a coup. Al-Biruni fled at the outbreak of the civil war but it is less clear what happened to his teacher Abu Nasr Mansur at this stage. Describing these events later al-Biruni wrote [1]:-

After I had barely settled down for a few years, I was permitted by the Lord of Time to go back home, but I was compelled to participate in worldly affairs, which excited the envy of fools, but which made the wise pity me.

Exactly where al-Biruni went when he fled from Khwarazm is unclear. He might have gone to Rayy (near to where the city of Tehran stands today) at this time, but certainly he was there at some time during the following few years. He writes that he was without a patron when in Rayy, and lived in poverty. al-Khujandi was an astronomer who was working with a very large instrument he had built on the mountain above Rayy to observe meridian transits of the sun near the solstices. He made observations on 16 and 17 June 994 for the summer solstice and 14 and 17 December 994 for the winter solstice. From these values he calculated the obliquity of the ecliptic, and the latitude of Rayy but neither are particularly accurate.

Al-Khujandi discussed these observations, and his large sextant, with al-Biruni who later reported on them in his Tahdid where he claimed that the aperture of the sextant settled by about one span in the course of al-Khujandi's observations due to the weight of the instrument. Al-Biruni is almost certainly correct in pinpointing the cause of al-Khujandi's errors. Since al-Khujandi died in 1000, we can be fairly certain that al-Biruni spent part of the time between 995 and 997 at Rayy. He must also have spent part of this time in Gilan, which is bordered by the Caspian Sea on the north, for around this time he dedicated a work to the ruler of Gilan, ibn Rustam, who had connections with the Ziyarid state.

We know certain dates in al-Biruni's life with certainty for he describes astronomical events in his works which allow accurate dates and places to be determined. His description of an eclipse of the moon on 24 May 997 which he observed at Kath means that he had returned to his native country by this time. The eclipse was an event that was also visible in Baghdad and al-Biruni had arranged with Abu'l-Wafa to observe it there. Comparing their timings enabled them to calculate the difference in longitude between the cities. We know that al-Biruni moved around frequently during this period for by 1000 he was at Gurgan being supported by Qabus, the ruler of the Ziyarid state. He dedicated his work Chronology to Qabus around 1000 and he was still in Gurgan on 19 February 1003 and 14 August 1003 when he observed eclipses of the moon there. We should record that in the Chronology al-Biruni refers to seven earlier works which he had written: one on the decimal system, one on the astrolabe, one on astronomical observations, three on astrology, and two on history.

By 4 June 1004 al-Biruni was back in his homeland, for on that day he observed another eclipse of the moon from Jurjaniyya. Ali ibn Ma'mun had ruled over Khwarazm and he remained at the court when his brother Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun succeeded him as ruler. Both the Ma'mun brothers married sisters of the ruler Mahmud from the powerful state at Ghazna which would eventually take control of Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun's kingdom.

Both Ali ibn Ma'mun and Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun were patrons of the sciences and supported a number of top scientists at their court. By 1004 Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun was ruler and he provided generous support for al-Biruni's scientific work. Not only did al-Biruni work there but Abu Nasr Mansur, his former teacher also worked there, allowing the pair to renew their collaboration. With Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun's support al-Biruni built an instrument at Jurjaniyya to observe solar meridian transits and he made 15 such observations with the instrument between 7 June 1016 and 7 December 1016.

Wars in the region were to disrupt the scientific work of al-Biruni and Abu Nasr Mansur and eventually both left Khwarazm in about 1017. Mahmud was extending his influence over the region from his base in Ghazna and made a demand of Abu'l Abbas Ma'mun in 1014 to have his name inserted into the Friday prayers. This was a signal that he wanted an end to Ma'mun's rule and he was making a bid for the region to come under his control. After Ma'mun had at least partially agreed to Mahmud's demands, he was killed by his own army for what they considered to be an act of treachery. Following this Mahmud marched his army into the region and gained control of Kath on 3 July 1017. Both al-Biruni and Abu Nasr Mansur left with the victorious Mahmud, perhaps as his prisoners.

There follows a strange period during which there is evidence in al-Biruni's own writings that he suffered great hardships but he also seems to have been supported by Mahmud for some scientific work. Some reports that Mahmud was cruel to al-Biruni may have some basis despite the limited patronage al-Biruni received from the ruler. Some dates and places from this period can again be deduced from descriptions of astronomical events recorded by al-Biruni. He was in Kabul on 14 October 1018 but, despite having no instruments with which to observe, he was able to make an observation with an ingenious instrument he made from materials at hand. At Lamghan, north of Kabul, on 8 April 1019 he observed an eclipse of the sun, writing [2]:-

... at sunrise we saw that approximately one-third of the sun was eclipsed and that the eclipse was waning.

Between 1018 and 1020, supported by Mahmud, al-Biruni made observations from Ghazna which allowed an accurate determination of its latitude. On 17 September 1019 there was a lunar eclipse observed by al-Biruni from Ghazna and [2]:-

He gives precise details of the exact altitude of various well known stars at the moment of first contact.

The relationship between Mahmud and al-Biruni is interesting. It is likely that al-Biruni was essentially a prisoner of Mahmud and was not free to leave. However Mahmud's military excursions into India meant that al-Biruni was taken to that country, and there can have been few experiences that al-Biruni would have enjoyed more. He may have wished for better treatment from Mahmud but al-Biruni's scientific work certainly benefited. From around 1022 Mahmud's armies began to have success in taking control of the northern parts of India and in 1026 his armies marched to the Indian Ocean. Al-Biruni seems only to have been in the northern parts of India, and we are uncertain how many visits he made, but observations he made there enabled him to determine the latitudes of eleven towns around the Punjab and the borders of Kashmir. His most famous work India was written as a direct result of the studies he made while in that country.

The India is a massive work covering many different aspects of the country. Al-Biruni describes the religion and philosophy of India, its caste system and marriage customs. He then studies the Indian systems of writing and numbers before going on to examine the geography of the country. The book also examines Indian astronomy, astrology and the calendar.

Al-Biruni studied Indian literature in the original, translating several Sanskrit texts into Arabic. He also wrote several treatises devoted to certain aspects of Indian astronomy and mathematics which were of particular interest to him. Al-Biruni was amazingly well read, having knowledge of Sanskrit literature on topics such as astrology, astronomy, chronology, geography, grammar, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, religion, and weights and measures. See [65] for further details.

Mahmud died in 1030 and he was succeeded by his eldest son Mas'ud, although not before a difficult political situation in which the two sons of Mahmud each tried to follow their father as ruler. Clearly al-Biruni was unsure who would succeed for he chose not to give a dedication in his India which appeared at this time. Better to have no dedication than to choose the wrong one! Mas'ud proved to be a ruler who treated al-Biruni more kindly than his father had done. If al-Biruni had been a virtual prisoner before, he now seems to have become free to travel as he pleased. Mas'ud was murdered in 1040 and succeeded by his son Mawdud who ruled for eight years. By this time al-Biruni was an old man but he continued his enormous output of scientific works right up to the time of his death.

The total number of works produced by al-Biruni during his lifetime is impressive. Kennedy. writing in [1], estimates that he wrote around 146 works with a total of about 13,000 folios (a folio contains about the same amount as a printed page from a modern book). We have mentioned some of the works above, but the range of al-Biruni's works cover essentially the whole of science at his time. Kennedy writes [1]:-

... his bent was strongly towards the study of observable phenomena, in nature and in man. Within the sciences themselves he was attracted by those fields then susceptible of mathematical analysis.

We have mentioned al-Biruni's astronomical observations many time above. It is worth noting that he had a better feel for errors than did Ptolemy. In [66] the author comments that Ptolemy's attitude was to select the observations which he thought most reliable (often that meant fitting in with his theory), and not to tell the reader about observations that he was discarding. Al-Biruni, on the other hand, treats errors more scientifically and when he does chose some to be more reliable than others, he also gives the discarded observations. He was also very conscious of rounding errors in calculations, and always attempted to observe quantities which required the minimum manipulation to produce answers.

One of the most important of al-Biruni's many texts is Shadows which he is thought to have written around 1021. Rosenfel'd has written extensively on this work of al-Biruni (see for example [52], [55], and [59]). The contents of the work include the Arabic nomenclature of shade and shadows, strange phenomena involving shadows, gnomonics, the history of the tangent and secant functions, applications of the shadow functions to the astrolabe and to other instruments, shadow observations for the solution of various astronomical problems, and the shadow-determined times of Muslim prayers. Shadows is an extremely important source for our knowledge of the history of mathematics, astronomy, and physics. It also contains important ideas such as the idea that acceleration is connected with non-uniform motion, using three rectangular coordinates to define a point in 3-space, and ideas that some see as anticipating the introduction of polar coordinates.

The book [5] details the mathematical contributions of al-Biruni. These include: theoretical and practical arithmetic, summation of series, combinatorial analysis, the rule of three, irrational numbers, ratio theory, algebraic definitions, method of solving algebraic equations, geometry, Archimedes' theorems, trisection of the angle and other problems which cannot be solved with ruler and compass alone, conic sections, stereometry, stereographic projection, trigonometry, the sine theorem in the plane, and solving spherical triangles.

Important contributions to geodesy and geography were also made by al-Biruni. He introduced techniques to measure the earth and distances on it using triangulation. He found the radius of the earth to be 6339.6 km, a value not obtained in the West until the 16th century (see [50]). His Masudic canon contains a table giving the coordinates of six hundred places, almost all of which he had direct knowledge. Not all, however, were measured by al-Biruni himself, some being taken from a similar table given by al-Khwarizmi. The author of [27] remarks that al-Biruni seemed to realise that for places given by both al-Khwarizmi and Ptolemy, the value obtained by al-Khwarizmi is the more accurate.

Al-Biruni also wrote a treatise on time-keeping, wrote several treatises on the astrolabe and describes a mechanical calendar. He makes interesting observations on the velocity of light, stating that its velocity is immense compared with that of sound. He also describes the Milky Way as

... a collection of countless fragments of the nature of nebulous stars.

Topics in physics that were studied by al-Biruni included hydrostatics and made very accurate measurements of specific weights. He described the ratios between the densities of gold, mercury, lead, silver, bronze, copper, brass, iron, and tin. Al-Biruni displayed the results as combinations of integers and numbers of the form 1/n, n = 2, 3, 4, ... , 10.

Many of al-Biruni's ideas were worked out in discussions and arguments with other scholars. He had a long-standing collaboration with his teacher Abu Nasr Mansur, each asking the other to undertake specific pieces of work to support their own. He corresponded with Avicenna, in a rather confrontational fashion, about the nature of heat and light. In [4], eighteen letters which Avicenna sent to al-Biruni in answer to questions that he had posed are given. These letters cover topics such as philosophy, astronomy and physics. Al-Biruni also corresponded with al-Sijzi. The paper [10] contains a letter that al-Biruni wrote to al-Sijzi (translated into English in [63]) which contains proofs of both the plane and spherical versions of the sine theorem. Al-Biruni says were due to his teacher Abu Nasr Mansur.

Finally we should say a little about the personality of this great scholar. In contrast with the works of many others, we find out a lot about al-Biruni from his writings. Despite the fact that no more than one fifth of his works have survived, we get a clear picture of the great scientist. We see a man who was not a great innovator of original theories, mathematical or otherwise, but rather a careful observer who was a leading exponent of the experimental method. He was a great linguist who was able to read first hand an amazing number of the treatises that existed and he clearly saw the development of science as part of a historical process which he is always careful to put in proper context. His writings are therefore of great interest to historians of science.

It appears clear that, despite his many works on astrology, al-Biruni did not believe in the 'science' but used it as a means to support his serious scientific work. A devout Muslim, he did write religious texts to suit his patrons particular sect. He shows no prejudice against different religious sects or races, but he does have strong words to say about various acts they committed. For example the Arab conquerors of Khwarazm destroyed ancient texts - what sin could be worse than that to the scholar as dedicated to learning and history as was al-Biruni. On the Christian faith al-Biruni considered the doctrine of forgiveness, writing in India [1]:-

Upon my life, this is a noble philosophy, but the people of this world are not all philosophers. ... And indeed, ever since Constantine the Victorious became a Christian, both sword and whip have been ever employed.

An indication of the sarcasm that he employed against those he saw to be foolish we give the reply that he made to a religious man who objected to the fact that an instrument which al-Biruni was showing him to determine the time for prayers had Byzantine months engraved on it. Al-Biruni reports in Shadows that he said to him:-

The Byzantines also eat food. Then do not imitate them in this!

Abu Raihan Mohammad Ibn Ahmad al-Biruni was one of the well-known figures associated with the court of King Mahmood Ghaznawi, who was one of the famous Muslim kings of the 11th century C.E. Al-Biruni was a versatile scholar and scientist who had equal facility in physics, metaphysics, mathematics, geography and history. Born in the city of Kheva near "Ural" in 973 C.E., he was a contemporary of the well-known physician Ibn Sina. At an early age, the fame of his scholarship went around and when Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi conquered his homeland, he took al-Biruni along with him in his journeys to India several times and thus he had the opportunity to travel all over India during a period of 20 years. He learnt Hindu philosophy, mathematics, geography and religion from thre Pandits to whom he taught Greek and Arabic science and philosophy. He died in 1048 C.E. at the age of 75, after having spent 40 years in thus gathering knowledge and making his own original contributions to it.

He recorded observations of his travels through India in his well-known book Kitab al-Hind which gives a graphic account of the historical and social conditions of the sub-continent. At the end of this book he makes a mention of having translated two Sanskrit books into Arabic, one called Sakaya, which deals with the creation of things and their types, and the second, Patanjal dealing with what happens after the spirit leaves the body. His descriptions of India were so complete that even the Aein-i-Akbari written by Abu-al- Fadal during the reign of Akbar, 600 years later, owes a great deal to al-Biruni's book. He observed that the Indus valley must be considered as an ancient sea basin filled up with alluvials.

On his return from India, al-Biruni wrote his famous book Qanun-i Masoodi (al-Qanun al-Masudi, fi al-Hai'a wa al-Nujum), which he dedicated to Sultan Masood. The book discusses several theories of astronomy, trigonometry, solar, lunar, and planetary motions and relative topics. In another well-known book al-Athar al-Baqia, he has attempted a connected account of ancient history of nations and the related geographical knowledge. In this book, he has discussed the rotation of the earth and has given correct values of latitudes and longitudes of various places. He has also made considerable contribution to several aspects of physical and economic geography in this book.

His other scientific contributions include the accurate determination of the densities of 18 different stones. He also wrote the Kitab-al-Saidana, which is an extensive materia medica that combines the then existing Arabic knowledge on the subject with the Indian medicine. His book the Kitab-al-Jamahir deals with the properties of various precious stones. He was also an astrologer and is reputed to have astonished people by the accuracy of his predictions. He gave a clear account of Hindu numerals, elaborating the principle of position. Summation of a geometric progression appropos of the chess game led to the number:

1616° - 1 = 18,446,744,073,709,551,619.

He developed a method for trisection of angle and other problems which cannot be solved with a ruler and a compass alone. Al-Biruni discussed, centuries before the rest of the world, the question whether the earth rotates around its axis or not. He was the first to undertake experiments related to astronomical phenomena. His scientific method, taken together with that of other Muslim scientists, such as Ibn al-Haitham, laid down the early foundation of modern science. He ascertained that as compared with the speed of sound the speed of light is immense. He explained the working of natural springs and artesian wells by the hydrostatic principle of communicating vessels. His investigations included description of various monstrosities, including that known as "Siamese" twins. He observed that flowers have 3,4,5,6, or 18 petals, but never 7 or 9.

He wrote a number of books and treatises. Apart from Kitab-al- Hind (History and Geography of India), al-Qanun al-Masudi (Astro- nomy, Trigonometry), al-Athar al-Baqia (Ancient History and Geography), Kitab al-Saidana (Materia Medica) and Kitab al-Jawahir (Precious Stones) as mentioned above, his book al-Tafhim-li-Awail Sina'at al-Tanjim gives a summary of mathematics and astronomy.

He has been considered as one of the very greatest scientists of Islam, and, all considered, one of the greatest of all times. His critical spirit, love of truth, and scientific approach were combined with a sense of toleration. His enthusiasm for knowledge may be judged from his claim that the phrase Allah is Omniscient does not justify ignorance.

Sir Isaac Newton

2009-03-23T09:30:00.000+07:00

Newton, Sir Isaac (1642-1727), mathematician and physicist, one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. Born at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, where he attended school, he entered Cambridge University in 1661; he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College in 1667, and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in 1669. He remained at the university, lecturing in most years, until 1696. Of these Cambridge years, in which Newton was at the height of his creative power, he singled out 1665-1666 (spent largely in Lincolnshire because of plague in Cambridge) as "the prime of my age for invention". During two to three years of intense mental effort he prepared Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) commonly known as the Principia, although this was not published until 1687.

As a firm opponent of the attempt by King James II to make the universities into Catholic institutions, Newton was elected Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge to the Convention Parliament of 1689, and sat again in 1701-1702. Meanwhile, in 1696 he had moved to London as Warden of the Royal Mint. He became Master of the Mint in 1699, an office he retained to his death. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1671, and in 1703 he became President, being annually re-elected for the rest of his life. His major work, Opticks, appeared the next year; he was knighted in Cambridge in 1705.

As Newtonian science became increasingly accepted on the Continent, and especially after a general peace was restored in 1714, following the War of the Spanish Succession, Newton became the most highly esteemed natural philosopher in Europe. His last decades were passed in revising his major works, polishing his studies of ancient history, and defending himself against critics, as well as carrying out his official duties. Newton was modest, diffident, and a man of simple tastes. He was angered by criticism or opposition, and harboured resentment; he was harsh towards enemies but generous to friends. In government, and at the Royal Society, he proved an able administrator. He never married and lived modestly, but was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey.

Newton has been regarded for almost 300 years as the founding examplar of modern physical science, his achievements in experimental investigation being as innovative as those in mathematical research. With equal, if not greater, energy and originality he also plunged into chemistry, the early history of Western civilization, and theology; among his special studies was an investigation of the form and dimensions, as described in the Bible, of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

OPTICS
In 1664, while still a student, Newton read recent work on optics and light by the English physicists Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke; he also studied both the mathematics and the physics of the French philosopher and scientist René Descartes. He investigated the refraction of light by a glass prism; developing over a few years a series of increasingly elaborate, refined, and exact experiments, Newton discovered measurable, mathematical patterns in the phenomenon of colour. He found white light to be a mixture of infinitely varied coloured rays (manifest in the rainbow and the spectrum), each ray definable by the angle through which it is refracted on entering or leaving a given transparent medium. He correlated this notion with his study of the interference colours of thin films (for example, of oil on water, or soap bubbles), using a simple technique of extreme acuity to measure the thickness of such films. He held that light consisted of streams of minute particles. From his experiments he could infer the magnitudes of the transparent "corpuscles" forming the surfaces of bodies, which, according to their dimensions, so interacted with white light as to reflect, selectively, the different observed colours of those surfaces.

The roots of these unconventional ideas were with Newton by about 1668; when first expressed (tersely and partially) in public in 1672 and 1675, they provoked hostile criticism, mainly because colours were thought to be modified forms of homogeneous white light. Doubts, and Newton's rejoinders, were printed in the learned journals. Notably, the scepticism of Christiaan Huygens and the failure of the French physicist Edmé Mariotte to duplicate Newton's refraction experiments in 1681 set scientists on the Continent against him for a generation. The publication of Opticks, largely written by 1692, was delayed by Newton until the critics were dead. The book was still imperfect: the colours of diffraction defeated Newton. Nevertheless, Opticks established itself, from about 1715, as a model of the interweaving of theory with quantitative experimentation.

MATHEMATICS
In mathematics too, early brilliance appeared in Newton's student notes. He may have learnt geometry at school, though he always spoke of himself as self-taught; certainly he advanced through studying the writings of his compatriots William Oughtred and John Wallis, and of Descartes and the Dutch school. Newton made contributions to all branches of mathematics then studied, but is especially famous for his solutions to the contemporary problems in analytical geometry of drawing tangents to curves (differentiation) and defining areas bounded by curves (integration). Not only did Newton discover that these problems were inverse to each other, but he discovered general methods of resolving problems of curvature, embraced in his "method of fluxions" and "inverse method of fluxions", respectively equivalent to Leibniz's later differential and integral calculus. Newton used the term "fluxion" (from Latin meaning "flow") because he imagined a quantity "flowing" from one magnitude to another. Fluxions were expressed algebraically, as Leibniz's differentials were, but Newton made extensive use also (especially in the Principia) of analogous geometrical arguments. Late in life, Newton expressed regret for the algebraic style of recent mathematical progress, preferring the geometrical method of the Classical Greeks, which he regarded as clearer and more rigorous.

Newton's work on pure mathematics was virtually hidden from all but his correspondents until 1704, when he published, with Opticks, a tract on the quadrature of curves (integration) and another on the classification of the cubic curves. His Cambridge lectures, delivered from about 1673 to 1683, were published in 1707.

The Calculus Priority Dispute
Newton had the essence of the methods of fluxions by 1666. The first to become known, privately, to other mathematicians, in 1668, was his method of integration by infinite series. In Paris in 1675 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz independently evolved the first ideas of his differential calculus, outlined to Newton in 1677. Newton had already described some of his mathematical discoveries to Leibniz, not including his method of fluxions. In 1684 Leibniz published his first paper on calculus; a small group of mathematicians took up his ideas.

In the 1690s Newton's friends proclaimed the priority of Newton's methods of fluxions. Supporters of Leibniz asserted that he had communicated the differential method to Newton, although Leibniz had claimed no such thing. Newtonians then asserted, rightly, that Leibniz had seen papers of Newton's during a London visit in 1676; in reality, Leibniz had taken no notice of material on fluxions. A violent dispute sprang up, part public, part private, extended by Leibniz to attacks on Newton's theory of gravitation and his ideas about God and creation; it was not ended even by Leibniz's death in 1716. The dispute delayed the reception of Newtonian science on the Continent, and dissuaded British mathematicians from sharing the researches of Continental colleagues for a century.

MECHANICS AND GRAVITATION
According to the well-known story, it was on seeing an apple fall in his orchard at some time during 1665 or 1666 that Newton conceived that the same force governed the motion of the Moon and the apple. He calculated the force needed to hold the Moon in its orbit, as compared with the force pulling an object to the ground. He also calculated the centripetal force needed to hold a stone in a sling, and the relation between the length of a pendulum and the time of its swing. These early explorations were not soon exploited by Newton, though he studied astronomy and the problems of planetary motion.

Correspondence with Hooke (1679-1680) redirected Newton to the problem of the path of a body subjected to a centrally directed force that varies as the inverse square of the distance; he determined it to be an ellipse, so informing Edmond Halley in August 1684. Halley's interest led Newton to demonstrate the relationship afresh, to compose a brief tract on mechanics, and finally to write the Principia.

Book I of the Principia states the foundations of the science of mechanics, developing upon them the mathematics of orbital motion round centres of force. Newton identified gravitation as the fundamental force controlling the motions of the celestial bodies. He never found its cause. To contemporaries who found the idea of attractions across empty space unintelligible, he conceded that they might prove to be caused by the impacts of unseen particles.

Book II inaugurates the theory of fluids: Newton solves problems of fluids in movement and of motion through fluids. From the density of air he calculated the speed of sound waves.

Book III shows the law of gravitation at work in the universe: Newton demonstrates it from the revolutions of the six known planets, including the Earth, and their satellites. However, he could never quite perfect the difficult theory of the Moon's motion. Comets were shown to obey the same law; in later editions, Newton added conjectures on the possibility of their return. He calculated the relative masses of heavenly bodies from their gravitational forces, and the oblateness of Earth and Jupiter, already observed. He explained tidal ebb and flow and the precession of the equinoxes from the forces exerted by the Sun and Moon. All this was done by exact computation.

Newton's work in mechanics was accepted at once in Britain, and universally after half a century. Since then it has been ranked among humanity's greatest achievements in abstract thought. It was extended and perfected by others, notably Pierre Simon de Laplace, without changing its basis and it survived into the late 19th century before it began to show signs of failing. See Quantum Theory; Relativity.

ALCHEMY AND CHEMISTRY
Newton left a mass of manuscripts on the subjects of alchemy and chemistry, then closely related topics. Most of these were extracts from books, bibliographies, dictionaries, and so on, but a few are original. He began intensive experimentation in 1669, continuing till he left Cambridge, seeking to unravel the meaning that he hoped was hidden in alchemical obscurity and mysticism. He sought understanding of the nature and structure of all matter, formed from the "solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles" that he believed God had created. Most importantly in the "Queries" appended to "Opticks" and in the essay "On the Nature of Acids" (1710), Newton published an incomplete theory of chemical force, concealing his exploration of the alchemists, which became known a century after his death.

HISTORICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL STUDIES
Newton owned more books on humanistic learning than on mathematics and science; all his life he studied them deeply. His unpublished "classical scholia"—explanatory notes intended for use in a future edition of the Principia—reveal his knowledge of pre-Socratic philosophy; he read the Fathers of the Church even more deeply. Newton sought to reconcile Greek mythology and record with the Bible, considered the prime authority on the early history of mankind. In his work on chronology he undertook to make Jewish and pagan dates compatible, and to fix them absolutely from an astronomical argument about the earliest constellation figures devised by the Greeks. He put the fall of Troy at 904 BC, about 500 years later than other scholars; this was not well received.

RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS AND PERSONALITY
Newton also wrote on Judaeo-Christian prophecy, whose decipherment was essential, he thought, to the understanding of God. His book on the subject, which was reprinted well into the Victorian Age, represented lifelong study. Its message was that Christianity went astray in the 4th century AD, when the first Council of Nicaea propounded erroneous doctrines of the nature of Christ. The full extent of Newton's unorthodoxy was recognized only in the present century: but although a critic of accepted Trinitarian dogmas and the Council of Nicaea, he possessed a deep religious sense, venerated the Bible and accepted its account of creation. In late editions of his scientific works he expressed a strong sense of God's providential role in nature.

PUBLICATIONS
Newton published an edition of Geographia generalis by the German geographer Varenius in 1672. His own letters on optics appeared in print from 1672 to 1676. Then he published nothing until the Principia (published in Latin in 1687; revised in 1713 and 1726; and translated into English in 1729). This was followed by Opticks in 1704; a revised edition in Latin appeared in 1706. Posthumously published writings include The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended (1728), The System of the World (1728), the first draft of Book III of the Principia, and Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St John (1733).

Contributed By:
Alfred Rupert Hall

How to Improve and Challenge Your Memory

2009-03-23T09:24:00.000+07:00

Are there exercises to enhance memory or gain photographic memory?

Well before we consider if there are any exercises to enhance memory or gain photographic memory we need to be sure that we’re singing from the same sheet. What is photographic memory; if there is such a thing.

There is plenty of debate about whether the concept of a photographic memory even exists and many so-called experts often confuse someone’s claim of having one with eidetic memory. Perhaps because of the misnomer of photographic memory, some researchers believe that people who have the ability to remember small details are claiming to have total recall that lasts more than two or three minutes.

The test for eidetic memory was devised to test the concept of a photographic memory, in that a person is given 30 seconds to scan an image. The image is then removed and the person attempts to recreate the image in their mind and relate what they see.

Very few individuals have been able to repeat the image in clear detail and after a few minutes could only offer a rough outline. Based on these types of test, these researchers are claiming that photographic memory is a myth.

Despite the conclusions drawn by these experts, there are numerous people who have demonstrated that photographic memory is very real and very possible. The basic theory is that people have enhanced memory capabilities enabling them to remember things longer that most, instead of actually taking a picture with their brain.

Memory Traits Can Be Expanded

The idea of someone having a photographic memory is more dominant in children who can often recall something they have seen in vivid detail. Unfortunately, as they grow older outside influences disrupt the memory process replacing the older images, or memories, with new thoughts or visions. It is believed that adults have so many interruptions in their daily lives to collect effectively information in their “mind’s eye” to be able to store enough detail in their memory.

There are numerous resources that can help individuals capitalize on their memory abilities and train themselves to have a virtual photographic memory. Memory course have been around for several years to help people with recall of important information such as names and dates, and through this training develop what is sometimes termed as a photographic memory.

Those who claim to have an eidetic memory, the ability to recall an image in detail after seeing it only once, are extremely rare while those with what they believe to be a photographic memory can recall detailed information as though they were actually looking at the information embedded in their brain. It is presumed their expanded memory capabilities allow them to form an image of the information they are trying to recall.

Challenge your memory and gain with brain games and exercises.

Writer Nancy Christie at EverydayHealth.com recently interviewed me about the increasing popularity of brain games and their benefits. When it comes to brain games or memory exercises, I tell my patients to “use it and keep it.”

By challenging your brain with new exercises or games, you strengthen such cognitive skills as the ability to remember something, solve a problem, or use a particular strategy to win a game. We posted tips in our blog entry called Challenge Your Memory: Use It or Lose It.

If you are in the market for a game or just looking for an activity to challenge your brain, I recommend finding something that will help you engage in several mental processes at one time. For example, look for games and activities that require you to utilize skills such as problem solving and memory retention challenges. I also recommend using your five senses - hearing, touch, taste, smell, and sight - by engaging in something new several times a week such as trying new cologne or take a walk through a new park. Challenging the brain with new experiences will wake up the unused parts of the brain to keep it sharper and healthier. In other words, “use it and keep it.”

What brain games, exercises or activities have you tried? Would you recommend them to others? Have you noticed improvement in your memory?

The Effect of Prayer -Salah (Sholat)

2009-03-13T09:38:00.000+07:00

Many organizations for youth provide hotlines and 24-hour phone services to help teenagers to get rid of feelings of depression and its destructive impact on life activities.

Did you ever think that we as Muslims have our own hotline? Our hotline is Prayer— salah (sholat). Salah (Sholat) is an emergency hotline that you can pick up at any time and ask for any help you might need.

Salah—the second pillar of Islam—is a gift from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Ummah—including you. So enjoy this gift and invest in it well. It is a connection between Allah and you. You can talk to Allah and ask for His guidance in any problem you face. You can even complain to Him about something you are expecting or afraid of. That is why some of the scholars said, “If you want to talk to Allah, make salah. And if you want Allah to talk to you, recite the Qur’an.”

We believe that Allah is our only Creator and that He is the One Who can guide us to what is best for us. So He is the One Who can fix our troubles, the One we can rely on in times of hardships and thank in times of ease.

Allah ordained salah—your gift—five times a day as a way of maintaining and fixing your heart, soul, and body. Likewise, you can pray at any time once you feel that you need a counselor or a guide to show you to the right path.

If someone invents a machine and sells it to you, you have to go to him regularly to maintain it and to fix any problem. You may not be aware of the problem, as you are simply the user, but he is aware of it as the inventor. And if something gets broken or out of order in this machine, you will go to him to fix it even if it is not time for its regular maintenance.
Seeking peace and calmness begins within you. You will never have outer peace if you don’t have inner peace. Allah says [and stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind] (Al-Baqarah 2:238). So you should approach salah in peace, pray it in peace, and finish it in peace, because salah gives you a break, both mentally and physically, from the daily stresses of life and in this way you will obtain peace.

If you are thinking of an important issue that you have to decide about but you can’t make up your mind, just give your mind a break from tension and pressure and perform a prayer seeking Allah’s guidance. This will provide your soul with comfort and give your mind a break and help you to think more clearly and practically about the situation that you are faced with. As Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told Bilal, “Call for the prayers, it will comfort us.”

Furthermore, salah cleanses your soul of any daily sins and helps you to get rid of feelings of guilt that are one of main reasons of depression. So when you perform salah and ask for Allah’s forgiveness with a regretful heart, you will have all your sins forgiven, in sha’ Allah.

Physically, the different positions you take in salah have a great impact on strengthening your muscles. Also, performing salah activates and stretches your spine, which contains most of the nerves and energy centers of the body.

Moreover, Allah ordained ablution (wudu’) before performing salah because it prepares you to meet Allah in the best condition.

[O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.] (Al-Ma’idah 5:6)

Wudu’ also has a great effect on the health of your body and soul. It not only gets rid of impurities, but also sins. As our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us, when a Muslim makes wudu’ in the proper way, the sins he or she has committed come out of every part cleaned and leaves it pure.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever makes wudu’ and makes it well, his sins come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.” (Muslim 3/133 and others)
Your body is exposed to millions of germs and microbes during the day, and the water of wudu’ keeps the skin fresh and helps prevent infections. It also releases stress, so when you argue with someone, all you need to do is just make wudu’ and then you will feel calm and able to have a fruitful discussion with him or her.

Now is time to start! Never complain that salah is not fulfilling your demands, for you are the one who should invest Allah’s gift in the best way. And be sure that Allah guides you to the best even if it is not what you want. Also Allah likes you to continue asking with a sincere heart; thus salah will never fail you unless you fail salah first by neglecting it or doing it insincerely.

Just Smile

2009-03-13T09:34:00.000+07:00

Smiles -the secret to charisma- one of the greatest gift that God have ever deposited into the emotional reservoir of mankind, but it is shocking and alarming that we allow such a valuable endowment to waste away every blessed day.

Lots of individual would have change their situation and atmosphere if they can wear a little bit of smile everyday. Smiles are one of the greatest means of communication, yet the amazing and incredible thing about it is that it can be gotten and used at no cost!

What is smile?

Before we begin to analyze some of the powerful effects of smiles, I think it will be helpful for us to understand the meaning of this power means of communication known as smile.

Smile is said to be a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth are raised, usually expressing amusement, pleasure, or approval.

We are going to be looking at some of the amazing things that we can easily accomplish with our free and simple but yet a dynamic smile. You will be startle at what you can do with your smile or rather what your smile would do for you.

Effects of Smile.

The following are the effects of smiles:

1. Make an individual approachable.
The first you will be able to achieve without stress with your smile is the ability to be approachable. Have you noticed that when you give a little smile, especially to a person you are meeting for the first time, it prompts such a fellow to open up and want to relate with you?

The reason for this is quite simple, it is because your smiles is telling the other person that you are an interesting person to be around with, and tell me who doesn’t want to be around a happy fellow?

I personally discovered this to be true. Human are emotional being, and we most times talk through our emotions than gestures, verbal or any other means of communication that we might have available or would rather want to use.

And there is something interesting about this, it gives you the opportunity to connect emotionally to the person you are communicating with, the emotional bonding found in this kind of act is very influential and commanding.

So, giving away some smiles will boost your image and personality, which would want everyone to be around you. Why don’t you give it a trial and see the effect.

2. It improves your physiognomy.
There is a saying that goes like this "I have never seen a smiling face that is not beautiful".

This is exceptionally true and factual. I also personally discovered that smiling make me look more handsome that I would ordinarily look.

This explains the reason why actors, model and influential people do express some bit of smile; this is quite powerful and effective. One powerful effect that smiles will have on you is to improve or uplift that facial expression or yours.

Check this out, try to remember those people that you consider ugly and unattractive, you will notice they look more eye-catching and striking when they wear just a simple smile. The reason is not far fetched, this is the same principle we have discovered and it is simple. A smile improves your physiognomy!

3. Changes your Atmosphere.
This is very effective and powerful. Do you know you can drastically change your atmosphere through a simple smile? This is might sound easy and cheap, but I tell you, it’s quite incredible as this aspect have been utilized without much notice and awareness.

Do you remember finding yourself in an unpleasant, obnoxious and horrible situation? And possibly by chance you stumble on something that stimulates that unused effective communicative tool in you, how do you feel thereafter when you released that idyllic smile, you feel relaxed and fulfilled.

That is exactly what a simple smile can do for you. It gives you an opportunity to re-create your atmosphere at will. This is quite interesting, this implies that you can easily place yourself right there in your own world of pleasure and bliss, and guess what you can achieve this without any formal training and it’s absolutely free of charge!

4. Make somebody’s day.
Another powerful thing you can achieve with you smiles is making somebody’s day, and I bet it you will never be forgotten for simple that act.

Looking around your neighborhood, office or even your home you will discover that there are lots of people that are desperately stressed and need some sort of encouragement to move on, those individuals awaits your smile to make their day. You never can tell the power and effects of your smile on such individual until you extend your smile to them.

I have lots of people tell me that they would have made more imparts on their society if only they have sufficient funds. Some even conclude that they would have loved to give but they do not have money to do just that.

But I bet to that there is something you have that can be given at will, and that is your smiles. You can make much impart by just smiling towards an individual today. And as you would realize that this cost you nothing except you willingness and your interest.

By sending out that smile, what you are doing is that, you are telling the person that he is worth your attention and time even though it is petite and short. Merely giving an attention to smile or return a smile is a great thing that could ever happen to an individual. So by doing that you are already making an impart that is more than having a fund. Because at times you might run out of funds, but never can run out of smiles!

So, why don’t you make somebody’s day through your smile? They are waiting just for that smile of yours to motivate them to the next level. You will everly be grateful you did.

The best SMILE!

A smile has to be sincere and the eyes have to smile too (wrinkles arond eyes). Look in the mirror and look at your eyes when you smile to see what i'm talking about, the secret of a perfect smile is behind out eyes. Practice your smile a little using a mirror, untill you find a sincere warm smile. After that you can go out and smile to others and achive positive feed back. Of course smiling like a clown every time when you're with someone makes you look awkward, so control your smile. The point is not to smile to get others to see you smiling, but to smile to make yourself feel better. Try smiling even when you don't have anyting to smile about just have a good time by yourself. A simple act like that can take you only 1 second, and change your mood.If you smile and have a positive atitudine you can change others moods, because moods are contagious.

How to Ease Migraine

2009-03-13T09:19:00.000+07:00

If you suffer from migraines; you like the rest of us who suffer want to do anything and everything to possibly stop them.

Use these little suggestions to help improve your life.

Pillow: Make sure your pillow is firm to provide good neck support, for posture and also to prevent migraines.

Sleep: Try and sleep the same time of day or night, for the same length of time.

Outdoor activities: Direct sunlight is a known trigger, so try to stay out of direct sunlight during its peak hours which are 10 to 2 no matter where you live.

Sunlight reflecting of the snow will also trigger a migraine for some people.

Indoor activities: Staring at a computer or television screen is a known trigger so limit these activities. Also sitting at a table which reflects a ceiling fan is also a known trigger.

Food triggers: Keep a notebook of your known triggers and limit those foods that cause them. Food triggers are a huge cause of migraines and unfortunately most people don't even realize how certain foods cause them.

Use Feverfew: I know what you are thinking. I didn't use natural stuff in the past but this one works. The way this works is as a preventive medicine.

When a migraine occurs you can use one of these:
Heat therapy, a hot shower makes some migraines go away and some people prefer rice bags, which you create and pop in the microwave for a few minutes.

Cold therapy, sometimes an ice pack is what is needed.

Pressure Therapy
The trick is to make the towel or piece of material tight on your head thereby creating a pressure wrap.

Menthol Oil
A nurse at work whose father was a patient would come in to the facility nightly put a dab of menthol oil on her father's temple. She would put a dab on either side of his temple and she said this worked for him for most of the 92 years that he lived. If she still did this when he could no longer make his needs known, I believe as a nurse she knew it worked.

Over the counter medicines
Take them but chase them down with a cola. The caffeine, aspirin and Tylenol combination actually helps to ease a migraine that is thumping.

Turn the radio of fan on make sure it is on white noise, also called static. The fan will make the same sound and will help you out. No clue why but it does work for some migraines.

Neck Massage
It does help and the one doing the massage will feel the knot of bunched up muscles. The pressure will make your head feel as if it will burst when the massage first begins but please figure out a way to keep the massage going within a few minutes you will begin to feel better.

What can family members do when your loved one is experiencing a migraine?

1.) Leave them alone and let them recover.

2.) Keep the noise to a minimum. However do not whisper to a sufferer.

3.) Make the bedroom dark as you can, but make sure they can still see a bit for safety reasons.

4.) Get to know the food triggers and limit them yourself; this will help the sufferer immeasurably knowing the pain foods are not served on a daily basis.

5.) Educate yourself on migraines so that you can help your loved one effectively.

6.) Be there as a right hand, silently helping them with meds, cool drinks, heating the rice pack, ice packs or what ever else you can do to help.

7.) Don't take their bad attitude to heart, please know that our headaches are awful and what ever we say in response to you is ONLY a reflection of the pain we are going through.

Nearsightedness (Myopia)

2009-03-10T16:48:00.000+07:00

What is nearsightedness?

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common cause of blurred vision. If you are nearsighted, objects in the distance appear blurry and out of focus. You might squint or frown when trying to see distant objects clearly. View a photo as seen through a normal and a nearsighted eye.

Nearsightedness is usually a variation from normal, not a disease. Less often, nearsightedness happens because of another disease or condition.

What causes nearsightedness?

Most nearsightedness is caused by a natural change in the shape of the eyeball that makes the eyeball oval (egg-shaped) rather than round. Less often, nearsightedness may be caused by a change in the cornea or the lens.

These problems cause light rays entering the eye to focus in front of the retina. Normally, light focuses directly on the retina. See a picture of the parts of the eye.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of nearsightedness is blurred vision when looking at distant objects. You may have trouble clearly seeing images or words on a blackboard, movie screen, or television. This can lead to poor school, athletic, or work performance.

You may think your child is nearsighted if he or she squints or frowns or holds books or other objects very close to his or her face. Children who are nearsighted may sit at the front of the classroom or very close to the TV or movie screen. They may not be interested in sports or other activities that require good distance vision.
How is nearsightedness diagnosed?

A routine eye exam can show whether you are nearsighted. The eye exam includes questions about your eyesight and a physical exam of your eyes. Ophthalmoscopy, tonometry, a slit lamp exam, and other vision tests are also part of a routine eye exam.

Eye exams should be done for new babies and at all well-child visits.1 Nearsightedness most commonly begins in childhood or in the early teens (between the ages of 8 and 14), so it is usually first discovered in children of grade-school age.

Nearsightedness can be mild, moderate, or high.

How is it treated?

Eyeglasses or contact lenses can help correct nearsightedness. Surgery can also be done to change the shape of the cornea or to implant artificial lenses in the eyes to reduce or fix nearsightedness.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a big problem for many children. This difficulty with distance vision interferes with many daily activities, including learning at school. And as they grow, many children experience progressive myopia, which means the problem gets worse over time.

Using Rigid Contact Lenses

Over the years, several studies seemed to indicate that myopia could be controlled by wearing rigid gas permeable or RGP contact lenses. (Now more eye care practitioners are calling them GP contact lenses.) The idea was that the rigid contact lens would act as a splint to fortify the front of the eye without affecting the overall corneal shape. The lens would reduce myopic progression, as compared with wearing eyeglasses or soft contact lenses.

This idea was controversial, and some eyecare practitioners scoffed. Since many of the studies were flawed because of inadequate controls of important variables, incomplete follow-up and poor selection of study participants, their results were inconclusive.

Finally, the Contact Lens and Myopia Progression (CLAMP) study published its findings in 2004. The CLAMP study, funded by the National Eye Institute, followed myopia progression in more than a hundred children aged 8 to 11 over a three-year period. Some wore rigid GP contact lenses, while others wore soft lenses. The researchers measured the participants' visual acuity as well as the physical growth of their eyes. In myopic people, the eyeball grows longer than normally, with a steeper cornea; this longer axial length is what causes the blurred distance vision.

The GP lens wearers did show less myopia progression, but it was only temporary. Their eyes continued to grow as long as the eyes of the soft lens wearers, and since the GP lenses were not able to slow or stop the growth, they could not provide permanent myopia reduction. A clinical trial conducted in Singapore reached a similar conclusion.

One difficulty in proving that wearing GP lenses definitely retards myopia lies in not knowing how nearsighted someone would be without such treatment. It's not an exact science: practitioners can't say that your child would have progressed to a prescription of -8.50 diopters if he hadn't worn GP lenses to control myopia. On the other hand, myopia does seem to run in families, and if most of the family members are very myopic, it's not unreasonable to suppose your child will eventually become very myopic as well.
Undercorrecting Myopia

Some eye doctors have tried undercorrecting nearsightedness, in hopes of reducing near focusing strain that has been suggested as a cause of progressive myopia. A recent study failed to support this idea, finding no statistically significant difference between those who received full correction and those who received undercorrection. Two other studies found that undercorrecting nearsightedness actually increased the rate of its progression.

Another study, the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), has been testing the idea of using eyeglasses with bifocal lenses or progressive lenses to reduce the eye focusing needed for sustained near vision. So far it has found that progressive lenses, compared with regular single vision lenses, did slow myopia progression in children by a small, statistically significant amount during the first year. But the effect wasn't significant in the next two years.

Undercorrecting myopia is therefore not a proven strategy for slowing the progression of nearsightedness in children. It also has the disadvantage of causing blurred distance vision if the treatment is performed with single vision lenses.

Atropine and Pirenzepine Drug Therapies

Several studies have shown that atropine eye drops can reduce myopia progression by temporarily paralyzing the ifocusing muscle inside the eye. (Atropine also causes the pupil to dilate widely.) One such study is the Atropine in the Treatment of Myopia (ATOM) study, which tested 400 children aged 6 to 12 over a two-year period.

So why isn't atropine a standard treatment for myopia? The focusing paralysis and pupil dilation caused by atropine cause light sensitivity and reduce children's ability to perform well at school and during sports. Plus, a constantly dilated pupil looks odd, a problem for kids because they tend to want to fit in, not stand out from the crowd.

Pirenzepine gel has also shown potential as a drug therapy for slowing myopia progression, but it is not FDA-approved, and, like atropine, it has unwanted side effects.
Corneal Reshaping with CRT

With Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), children (and adults) wear special contact lenses overnight to reshape the cornea and correct nearsightedness. Normally, you wear them every night to see clearly throughout the next day without them. But the effect is not permanent: if you stop wearing the lenses altogether, your eyes will gradually slide back into most, if not all, of your former nearsightedness.

The Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children (LORIC) study, published in 2005, tested whether these contact lenses could slow myopia progression, even if they couldn't permanently correct all the myopia already in place. The authors of the two-year pilot study concluded that corneal reshaping can have both a corrective and a control effect in childhood nearsightedness.

A new study, called the Corneal Reshaping and Yearly Observation of Nearsightedness (CRAYON) study, is now underway and has confirmed that corneal reshaping with specially designed gas permeable contact lenses does indeed slow eye growth in myopic children at one year of treatment. Stay tuned for further results.

The Special Quality of Black Tea

2009-03-10T15:19:00.000+07:00

Guru Besar Pangan dan Gizi Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) Prof Dr Ali Khomsan MS dan ahli kesehatan jantung Dr Mohammad Taufik Spj dalam sebuah diskusi tentang teh, di Bogor, belum lama ini mengemukakan, teh hitam (black tea) juga berkhasiat sama seperti teh hijau karena kandungan radikal bebas yang terkandung di dalamnya.

"Memang benar teh hitam mempunyai manfaat seperti menurunkan risiko kanker, mencegah jantung koroner, mencegah penuaan, dan juga bisa menurunkan kadar kolesterol dalam darah," kata Prof Dr Ali Khomsan.

Prof Ali menjelaskan, dari berbagai referensi, diketahui bahwa teh hitam yang selama ini dikonsumsi masyarakat kita cukup banyak mengandung komponen senyawa yang baik bagi tubuh. Utamanya adalah antioksidan serta Theaflavin cukup tinggi. Senyawa itulah yang mempunyai efek dapat mengurangi risiko-risiko penyakit seperti kanker dan mencegah jantung koroner. "Teh hitam atau black tea itu dibuat dari pucuk daun teh segar yang dibiarkan menjadi layu sebelum digulung, kemudian dipanaskan dan dikeringkan. Teh hitam disebut juga teh fermentasi" tutur Ali Khomsan.

Salah seorang pakar kesehatan jantung dari Kota Hujan Bogor, Dr H Mohammad Taufik SpJ mendukung pendapat Prof Dr Ali Khomsan yang menyebutkan teh hitam bermanfaat untuk mengurangi penyakit jantung koroner, kanker, diabetes dan stroke.

Sayangnya, menurut Taufik, manfaat yang terkandung dalam meminum teh hitam belum banyak diketahui oleh masyarakat. Hal ini disebabkan kurangnya sosialisasi maupun publikasi dari berbagai penelitian tentang manfaat black tea bagi kesehatan.
Beberapa waktu lalu, Pusat Jantung Nasional Rumah Sakit Jantung Harapan Kita Jakarta (RSJHK) juga memaparkan hasil penelitiannya dalam talkshow dengan tema "Efek Teh Hitam dalam Mencegah dan Mengatasi Risiko Penyakit Jantung Koroner" di aula RSJHK Jakarta. Menurut hasil penelitian tersebut, Katekin dalam teh hitam, senyawa yang disebut-sebut sebagai aktor yang mampu melawan penyakit degeneratif adalah senyawa Theaflavin.

Theaflavin merupakan antioksidan alami yang sangat potensial. Kemampuannya sebagai penangkap radikal bebas sudah tidak dapat dipungkiri lagi kesahihannya. Kemampuan theaflavin sebagai antioksidan ternyata tidak cukup sampai di situ.
Aktivitasnya sebagai antioksidan dalam menghambat oksidasi low density lippoprotein (LDL) ternyata menunjukkan hal yang menakjubkan. Dalam seduhan teh hitam, theaflavin memberikan warna merah kekuningan. Sementara itu thearubigin dan theanapthoquinone masing-masing memberi warna merah kecoklatan dan kuning pekat. Untuk hal rasa, bersama-sama kafein, theaflavin yang ada dalam teh hitam memberikan rasa segar
Penelitian di Belanda menyimpulkan bahwa kebiasaan minum teh hitam dapat mencegah penimbunan kolesterol pada pembuluh darah arteri, terutama pada wanita. Minum teh hitam satu sampai dua cangkir mampu menekan penimbunan kolesterol hingga 46 persen dan jika minum 4 cangkir dapat mencapai 69 persen. Hal tersebut ditunjang oleh hasil penelitian di Amerika Serikat yang menunjukkan serangan jantung berkurang 40 persen pada orang-orang yang membiasakan minum teh hitam.

Teh hitam juga menunjukkan kemampuan yang meyakinkan sebagai sumber bahan pangan alami bagi para penderita diabetes, terutama dalam kapasitasnya menaikkan aktivitas insulin. Penelitian yang dilakukan Departemen Pertanian Amerika Serikat yang telah dipublikasikan dalam Journal Agric Food Chem 2002, menunjukkan kemampuan teh hitam meningkatkan aktifitas insulin melebihi dari teh hijau maupun teh Oolong.
Menurut Mohammad Taufik, biasanya, para ahli kesehatan akan mempublikasikan hasil penelitiannya, setelah beberapa kali melakukan penelitian. Bila hasil penelitiannya menunjukkan hasil yang sama, baru penelitian tersebut dipublikasikan. Namun bila baru satu kali penelitian, hasilnya belum akan dipublikasikan.
"Kalau penelitian itu baru sekali kami lakukan tidak mungkin kami mempublikasikannya. Biasanya penelitian yang telah dipublikasikan adalah penelitian yang telah berulang-ulang," ujar dokter sepesialis jantung ini.

Lebih Unggul

Berdasarkan proses pengolahannya, teh diklasifikasikan menjadi tiga jenis yaitu teh hitam (fermentasi atau oksimatis, kependekan dari oksidasi ensimatis), teh Oolong, dan teh hijau. Konsekuensi logis dari perbedaan proses tersebut, menyebabkan lahirnya perbedaan produk teh baik secara fisik maupun kimia.

Secara kimia, perbedaan yang paling menonjol adalah perbedaan kandungan komposisi senyawa polyfenol. Pada proses pengolahan teh hitam, dan teh Oolong, sebagian katekin berubah menjadi theaflavin, thearubigin, dan theanaphtoquinone.
Meski tidak sepopuler nenek moyangnya (katekin), theaflavin sudah banyak dipelajari oleh sejumlah peneliti. Sejumlah penelitian menyatakan bahwa theaflavin lebih potensial dari pada katekin, mengingat secara struktur theaflavin lebih potensial dari pada katekin.

Hal ini bisa dilihat dari seberapa banyak gugus hidroksi (OH) yang dimilikinya. Gugus hidroksi ini dapat berfungsi sebagai anti radikal bebas atau antioksidan. Semakin banyak gugus hidroksi suatu senyawa, maka kemampuannya sebagai senyawa antioksidan semakin baik.

Theaflavin hanya terdapat dalam teh hitam atau teh yang telah mengalami oksimatis. Theaflavin merupakan hasil oksidasi katekin akibat proses oksimatis pada pengolahan teh hitam. Kekuatan Theaflavin setara dengan Katekin bahkan beberapa publikasi terkini menyatakan bahwa theaflavin lebih potensial dari katekin.
Indonesia sendiri saat ini tercatat sebagai produsen teh terbanyak nomor lima di dunia. Namun teh hitam Indonesia berdasarkan penelitian, mengandung theaflavin yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan Jepang maupun China. Dengan demikian, jika kita meminum teh hitam asli Indonesia, kecenderungan mencegah penyakit jantung koroner seperti yang disebutkan di atas makin tinggi. Sayangnya hal ini belum banyak diketahui oleh bangsa Indonesia sendiri.

Zhiozaki (1997), juga menyatakan bahwa ekstrak teh hitam dapat meperbaiki system imun.Sistem imun yang baik dapat meningkatkan aktivitas sel, yaitu menjadi imunokompeten terhadap zat asing di dalam tubuh. Sel kanker di dalam tubuh juga merupakan zat asing, karena pada permukaannnya mengekspresikan nonself protein atau protein asing. Bila system imunologik tubuh baik, makam perkembangan sel kanker ini dapat dihambat.

Dari sumber elektronik (Creative Online Enterprises © Copyright, 1996), manfaat minum teh bagi kesehatan dapat dikelompokkan ke delapan butir, berikut;

1. Mengurangi rasa lelah, meningkatkan daya tahan, dan membangkitkan kembali semangat untuk merangsang kecerahan berpikir
2. Memungkinkan lacarnya pengeluaran air seni
3. Merendahkan kolesterol darah dan tingkat LDL-nya
4. Mencegah gigi berlubang
5. Mempercepat hilangnya alcohol dan zat lain yang berbahaya dari organ tubuh.
6. Berfungsi sebagai antibiotic
7. Mencegah mutasi sel dan berperan sebagai bahan antikarsinogen
8. Memperlambat proses penuaan dan memperpanjang rentang hidup.

Menurut Yoshino et.al. (1994), pada proses oksidasi enzimik teh hitam akan dihasilkan theaflavin (TF) dan thearubigin (TR), yaitu substansi yang sama dengan katekin yang terdapat dalam daun teh. Katekin ini mempunyai struktur kimiawi hydroxi phenol (polyphenol). Kandungan polifenol, baik pada katekin maupun pada theaflavin (TF) mempunyai aktivitas yang sama yaitu sebagai antioksidan. Menurut laporan beberapa penelitian terdahulu, seduhan teh dapat menghambat pertumbuhan sel kanker karena dapat menghambat aktivitas mutagenic senyawa-senyawa karsinogen (Bambang,1997).

Tips to Remove Dandruff alias Ketombe

2009-03-06T11:15:00.000+07:00

Dandruff (ketombe) is a common hair problem that bothers many of us. Many people also complain that with dandruff there is an increase in hair loss as well. But there is no established relationship between dandruff and loss of hair. But if you have too much dandruff then you must take it is as a warning about the health of your hair. Dandruff is made up of small pieces of dead skin that peel from the scalp as a result of the effects of metabolism. During its early stages dandruff is not visible to the naked eye. It becomes visible as a result of the growth of bacteria and or as a result of problems with seborrhoeic scalp condition. Dandruff is visible as large pieces of dead skin that we normally call "dandruff". A person suffering from dandruff for a long time is said to be have a dandruff ailment. This aliment along with itchiness can lead to eczema if not treated. One way of treating fatty dandruff is to prevent the growth of bacteria. Bacteria are the cause of this condition.

An effective way of dealing with dandruff is to use a medicated shampoo specifically designed to remove dandruff. Depending on the type of dandruff you have, you will have to decide your shampooing regime. People who suffer from dry scalp should not shampoo daily or it can lead to eczema. You can try a simple home remedy for dandruff. Massage some vinegar into your hair and scalp and let it dry for a few minutes and then wash your hair. Repeat this process is done daily till the problem disappears. If you have a persistent problem of dandruff it is best to consult a dermatologist or skin specialist.

Here are some tips on how to remove dandruff for good.

1. Wash.

Do not allow your scalp to become too dry or oily because this environment usually is what produces dandruff. Regularly wash and shampoo your hair with a specially designed shampoo for dandruff. Washing your head twice a day will prevent flaking as well as remove existing ones. Make sure you slowly massage your scalp and hair roots, working into lather. Leave the shampoo in for five to ten minutes or as indicated and repeat as necessary. Rinse your hair and scalp thoroughly after and dry very well.

2. Hair products.

Perhaps you're using too many hair products at one time. The combination of too many chemicals and ingredients can dry your scalp. Excessive drying of your scalp can eventually cause flaking or even an anaphylactic reaction so be very careful about the products that you're using. Even a lone product can cause dandruff so observe a new product for a few days before you decide to regularly use it.

3. Diet.

By eating foods that keep your skin healthy, you also will end up with healthy scalp free of dandruff. Consume food sources and supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins and zinc. These provide the essential oils and nutrients needed by your hair for adequate moisture. Your scalp could be a potential habitat for a fungus known to thrive in environments rich in fat and sugar. Avoid too much of these food sources.

4. Rest.

Make sure you get enough sleep of eight to ten hours a night to keep your body fully rejuvenated. Stress can cause a variety of conditions, including dandruff. Keeping your entire system rested will promote blood circulation to your scalp, making it healthy. Also, don't

fret too much about your present condition because it usually takes two weeks before you notice results.

5. Medication.

Ketoconazole is the most common treatment against dandruff. It is highly recommended that your shampoo has this ingredient. Herbal remedies may also prove effective in eliminating dandruff permanently. Rinse your scalp with apple cider vinegar mixed with water. White vinegar or lemon juice also make great alternatives as these loosen and remove dead skin and excess oils in your scalp, also called sebum.

While you're under treatment, you may want to wear light-colored clothing to cloak the flaking. If treatment does not work in a month or you notice anything unusual besides flaking and itchiness, consult your doctor immediately to diagnose other potential skin problems.

Tips to Remove Pimples

2009-03-06T11:08:00.000+07:00

Acne is a skin disorder that causes skin eruptions and inflammation in human being. It appears to skin when you are teenager. A survey shows around 90% of young population is suffering from acne or pimples. It is quite commonly seen in adults. Removing pimples can be a huge pain and special cleansers and solutions can be expensive to buy. However, there is an easy way to remove problematic pimples. There are lots of ways to remove pimples from your body parts. Some excellent ways for the pimples removal are given below:
• Eat fruits and vegetables-If you want to stay away from the pimples you have to take lots of fruits and vegetables in your food. Papaya is the most effective fruit for the removal of pimples.

• Add more liquids and water to your diet chart- Liquids are very effective in getting rid of pimples. More the liquids you take more the hydrated you feel. It also helps to flush out extra toxins from body. You can prefer lemon or mint juices.

• Natural products- To remove pimples you can use natural remedies such as sandalwood paste, turmeric, clove oil, tea tree oil and nutmeg as it may help to remove pimples quickly. If you apply the products to affected area it will remove pimples as well as make your skin more beautiful.

• Avoid oily food- To remove the pimples you should avoid eating deep fried and oily foods.

• Avoid chocolates- You have to leave eating chocolates and sugary items in your food as it may give way to pimples.

• Care for your hair-If you any infection or dandruff in your hair, you may cause with pimples. You can remove pimples if you take good care of your hair and keep them clean.

• Clean your body- Dirt is main cause of having pimples. For removing dirt from skin wash your face at least three times a day with a soap having soft chemicals. Remove your makeup with a low chemical cleanser. Avoid using cream cleanser as it may leave oil to skin. Cleanliness will help you to stay away from the pimples.

To win is not to be defeated

2009-03-01T21:29:00.000+07:00

Nobody wants to get failure. People will do almost anything to win. Legal or illegal is a factor for those who want to win cleanly. Some people will not count it as a factor.
To win is not to be defeated. Try the best to win, to be success. Try not to be defeated.

Tips Memilih Baju Bagi yang Bertubuh Kurus

2009-02-08T16:43:00.000+07:00

Baju adalah pendukung utama penampilan. Setiap hari kita pasti akan banyak menghabiskan waktu untuk memilih satu baju untuk setiap kegiatan kita. Tujuannya adalah kamu ingin tampil menarik dalam balutan busana yang kamu pakai. Namun memilih baju yang pas dan tampil menarik adalah masalah yang rumit bagi beberapa orang. Ukuran badan adalah sumber utamanya. Terutama apabila badan kamu gemuk. kamu pasti berusaha mencari baju yang sesuai ukuran, bahkan sampai memesan motif dan desain agar baju tersebut memberikan kesan langsing.

Dan ternyata bukan hanya bagi kamu yang berbadan gemuk saja masalah itu timbul. Badan kuruspun memiliki masalah yang tak kalah rumit. Seringkali timbul di dalam pikiran kita, tubuh kurus lebih mudah memilih baju. Namun pada kenyataannya, baju untuk si kurus harus sesuai motif agar tampak lebih berisi dan segar. Salah memilih baju, akibatnya akan fatal. Penampilan memang bukan segalanya, namun kita tidak ingin tampil dalam keadaan 'saltum' kan?

Simak tips – tips memilih baju untuk Anda yang berbadan kurus berikut

1. Pilih warna-warna ceria. Warna-warna terang dan ceria memberi kesan lebih segar. Hindari warna-warna gelap agar kamu terlihat lebih segar. Coba gunakan warna-warna berani seperti merah, biru terang, kuning dan pink.

2. Cari baju bermotif bunga-bunga, terutama bunga-bunga berukuran besar. Motif bunga dapat memberikan kesan penuh. Kamu akan terlihat lebih berisi.

3. Gunakan baju bermotif horisontal, dan usahakan warnanya selalu cerah. Baju bermotif horisontal memberikan kesan lebih padat bagi kamu. Sah-sah saja memadukannya dengan jeans berwarna gelap. Tidak semua warna gelap merugikan penampilan kamu. Harus pandai-pandai memadukannya agar berkesan menambah volume.

4. Hindari baju berukuran sangat ketat. Baju yang sangat ketat akan memperlihatkan lekuk tubuh kamu.

5. Baju yang memiliki banyak kerutan juga akan menambah volume kamu. Ornamen-ornamen seperti gelang, dan kalung akan membantu kamu tampak lebih full. Namun jangan terlalu berlebihan apabila memang sudah ada banyak kerutan (rimple). Kamu gak mau dibilang 'toko berjalan' kan?

6. Bahan-bahan rajut akan terlihat pas di badan kamu. Jangan lupakan bahan-bahan rajut. Agak rumit dalam perawatan, namun baju bahan ini akan tampak bagus pada si dia yang berbadan kurus. Ketebalannya menjadi salah satu alasannya.

Tips Memilih Buah

2009-02-08T16:16:00.000+07:00

Bagi penggemar buah, memilih buah di toko tentunya jadi hal gampang-gampang susah. Kecuali Anda punya kebun buah-buahan sendiri atau membeli dari petani di pasar lokal, yang bisanya menjual buah 'matang sempurna' dan juga masih segar dipetik dari pohon. Namun, untuk yang hidup diperkotaan, toko buah tentunya satu-satunya pilihan yang mudah. Masalahnya, toko-toko ini biasanya menyediakan buah-buahan yang dipasok dari tempat yang jauh, bisa diimpor atau dikirim dari pedesaan. Meski dalam pengiriman, buah-buah itu dilindungi dengan bahan keras supaya tidak rusak saat sampai tempat tujuan, namun tidak menjamin buah-buahan ini tidak cacat.

Tidak semua buah dipanen setelah matang. Namun bisa jadi lebih lunak, berair, dan tidak asam, dan getahnya berubah jadi rasa manis setelah buah ini dipetik. Jadi, sangat penting memilih buah dengan kualitas terbagus saat Anda berbelanja di toko buah. Ada berjenis buah-buahan yang tak perlu dimatangkan di rumah, diantaranya : jeruk, anggur dan nanas. Buah-buah ini harus segera di masukan lemari pendingin atau jadi busuk.

Sedang buah-buahan yang harus dimatangkan di rumah diantaranya: Pisang, buah pir, pepaya dan kiwi. Buah-buahan jenis ini memancarkan gas ethylene, yang mempercepat proses kematangan. Tempatkan buah jenis ini di kantong kertas dan tutup bagian atasnya untuk membantu gas ini tak menguap keluar, dan membuat buah matang lebih cepat. Pisang, pada umumnya banyak menghasilkan gas ethylene, jadi jika ditutup dalam kantong kertas bersama buah-buah lainnya, akan mempercepat proses pematangan. Periksalah secara teratur, untuk menghindari buah jadi busuk.

Setelah masak, letakan di tempat dingin dan lembab. Tapi, buah-buahan ini juga butuh ruang untuk 'bernafas', jadi jangan dibungkus dalam tas plastik. Buka plastik dari supermarket sebelum meletakannya di lemari pendingin.

Berikut panduan untuk memilih buah di toko buah:

Apple

Buah ini seharusnya keras jika ditekan dan renyah saat digigit. Jika anda dapat menekan permukaan buah dengan jari, ini pertanda akan terasa mengecewakan jika dimakan. Buah ini mungkin hanya dapat bertahan selama beberapa minggu di lemari pendingin.

Pisang

Buah ini harusnya berwarna kuning atau hijau tanpa ada kecoklatan. Pisang termasuk jenis buah yang cepat matang, jadi pilihlah yang masih setengah matang. Berlawanan dengan kepercayaan populer, Anda bisa menyimpannya di lemari pendingin setelah buah ini matang. Kulitnya mungkin akan berubah warna jadi kegelapan, tapi di dalam rasanya masih tetap enak.

Melon

Buah ini biasanya dijual dalam keadaan cukup keras pada permukaannya. Namun, beberapa diantaranya mungkin sudah sangat masak, tapi sebagian lainnya belum sampai masak. Matangkan buah ini selama beberapa hari di ruang bertemperatur. Tapi saat memilih, hindari melon yang bagian kulitnya lembek.

Anggur

Buah ini dalam kondisi paling segar saat masih terletak pada tangkainya. belilah anggur yang masih menempel pada tangkai yang berwarna hijau. Hindari memilih buah anggur yang berkerut dan lembek, itu menandakan sudah hampir busuk. Buah ini dipetik dalam keadaan masak, jadi langsung masukan lemari pendingin setelah membeli atau setelah beberapa saat.

Kiwi

Buah ini masak dengan baik secara keseluruhan, tapi berproses secara perlahan, jadi belilah kiwi seminggu sebelum Anda menggunakannya. Pilih buah yang gemuk dan padat tapi jangan diguncang terlalu kuat.

Jeruk

Buah ini memiliki penjagaan kualitas luar biasa. Biasanya jeruk dipetik saat sudah matang. Pilihlah buah yang tidak lembek dan berkulit mulus. Warna kulit tidak menjamin akan rasanya. Buah yang berukuran kecil hingga sedang biasanya terasa lebih manis dari pada yang lebih besar. Simpan buah jeruk ditempat yang sejuk, dan ini akan bertahan hingga beberapa minggu.

Pir

Buah ini layak dibeli saat dalam keadaan masih keras, tapi akan matang dengan cepat jika ditaruh di dapur Anda. Saat terasa agak empuk saat ditekan, waktunya Anda memindahkan buah ini ke lemari pendingin atau di sajikan.

Nanas

Kunci untuk mempertahankan rasanya, jangan menantinya terlalu matang untuk disantap. Pilih buah nanas yang berwarna kuning cerah, yang tidak terlalu keras, dan beraroma manis. Pilih yang gemuk dan berat. Hindari yang warna kuningnya memudar, layu atau terlihat kecoklatan, atau terlihat kering pada keseluruhan bagian.

Semangka

Untuk memilih buah ini, ketukan jari Anda pada buahnya, kalau terdengar suara bergema, buah itu yang terbaik. Putar semangka hingga Anda temukan titik bekas tangkainya. Jika berwarna kekuningan, semangka itu telah benar-benar matang, jika berwarna putih berarti belum matang. Setelah dipotong, sisa buah harus dimasukan kulkas dan dapat dimakan dalam beberapa hari.

Dengan beberapa tips yang kami sajikan di atas, kami harap Anda dapat memilih buah yang sempurna, menghindari buah yang busuk dan cacat.

Women

2008-12-18T14:54:00.000+07:00

1. The most important thing for a woman is financial security.
2. Although this is so important, they still go out and buy expensive clothes and stuff.
3. Although they always buy expensive clothes, they never have something to wear.
4. Although they never have something to wear, they always dress beautifully.
5. Although they always dress beautifully, their clothes are always just "an old rag".
6. Although their clothes are always "just an old rag", they still expect you to compliment them.
7. Although they expect you to compliment them, when you do, they don't believe you.

Men

2008-12-18T14:51:00.000+07:00

1. All men are extremely busy.
2. Although they are so busy, they still have time for women.
3. Although they have time for women, they don't really care for them.
4. Although they don't really care for them, they always have one around.
5. Although they always have one around them, they always try their luck with others.

Tag Question

2008-11-29T21:56:00.000+07:00

Tag Question digunakan pada suatu pernyataan yang tidak sepenuhnya diyakini kebenarannya, sehingga digunakanlah tag question setelah kalimat/pernyataan untuk mengkonfirmasi pernyataan tersebut.
- Tag question berupa auxiliary verb yang disesuaikan dengan auxiliary tenses kalimat/pernyataan sebelumnya
- Jika pernyataan/kalimatnya negative, maka tag question-nya positif, dan sebaliknya

Example:
1) A liter is one of the metric measurements,___?
a. aren’t they
b. isn’t it?
c. Is it?
d. Are they?

2) There has not been a great response to sale,________?
a. does there
b. hasn’t there
c. hasn’t it
d. has there

Kependudukan

2008-11-29T21:48:00.000+07:00

Definisinya adalah hal ihwal yang berkaitan dengan jumlah, ciri utama, pertumbuhan, persebaran, mobilitas, penyebaran, kualitas, kondisi, kesejahteraan yang menyangkut politik, ekonomi, sosial, budaya, agama serta lingkungan penduduk tersebut.

HONDA

2008-11-29T21:44:00.000+07:00

--SOICHIRO HONDA : "Lihat Kegagalan Saya" --

Cobalah amati kendaraan yang melintasi jalan raya. Pasti, mata Anda selalu terbentur pada Honda, baik berupa mobil maupun motor. Merk kendaran ini menyesaki padatnya lalu lintas, sehingga layak dijuluki "raja jalanan".

Namun, pernahkah Anda tahu, sang pendiri "kerajaan" Honda - Soichiro Honda - diliputi kegagalan. Ia juga tidak menyandang gelar insinyur, lebih-lebih Profesor seperti halnya B.J. Habibie, mantan Presiden RI. Ia bukan siswa yang memiliki otak cemerlang. Di kelas, duduknya tidak pernah di depan, selalu menjauh dari pandangan guru. "Nilaiku jelek di sekolah. Tapi saya tidak bersedih, karena dunia saya disekitar mesin, motor dan sepeda," tutur tokoh ini, yang meninggal pada usia 84 tahun, setelah dirawat di RS Juntendo, Tokyo, akibat mengindap lever.

Saat merintis bisnisnya Soichiro Honda selalu diliputi kegagalan. Ia sempat jatuh sakit, kehabisan uang, dikeluarkan dari kuliah. Namun ia trus bermimpi dan bermimpi...

Kecintaannya kepada mesin, mungkin 'warisan' dari ayahnya yang membuka bengkel reparasi pertanian, di dusun Kamyo, distrik Shizuko, Jepang Tengah, tempat kelahiran Soichiro Honda. Di bengkel, ayahnya memberi cathut (kakak tua) untuk mencabut paku. Ia juga sering bermain di tempat penggilingan padi melihat mesin diesel yang menjadi motor penggeraknya.

Di situ, lelaki kelahiran 17 November 1906, ini dapat berdiam diri berjam-jam. Di usia 8 tahun, ia mengayuh sepeda sejauh 10 mil, hanya ingin menyaksikan pesawat terbang.

Ternyata, minatnya pada mesin, tidak sia-sia. Ketika usianya 12 tahun, Honda berhasil menciptakan sebuah sepeda pancal dengan model rem kaki. Tapi, benaknya tidak bermimpi menjadi usahawan otomotif. Ia sadar berasal dari keluarga miskin. Apalagi fisiknya lemah, tidak tampan, sehingga membuatnya rendah diri.

Di usia 15 tahun, Honda hijrah ke Jepang, bekerja Hart Shokai Company. Bosnya, Saka Kibara, sangat senang melihat cara kerjanya. Honda teliti dan cekatan dalam soal mesin. Setiap suara yang mencurigakan, setiap oli yang bocor, tidak luput dari perhatiannya. Enam tahun bekerja disitu, menambah wawasannya tentang permesinan. Akhirnya, pada usia 21 tahun, bosnya mengusulkan membuka suatu kantor cabang di Hamamatsu. Tawaran ini tidak ditampiknya.

Di Hamamatsu prestasi kerjanya tetap membaik. Ia selalu menerima reparasi yang ditolak oleh bengkel lain. Kerjanya pun cepat memperbaiki mobil pelanggan sehingga berjalan kembali. Karena itu, jam kerjanya larut malam, dan terkadang sampai subuh. Otak jeniusnya tetap kreatif. Pada zaman itu, jari-jari mobil terbuat dari kayu, hingga tidak baik meredam goncangan. Ia punya gagasan untuk menggantikan ruji-ruji itu dengan logam. Hasilnya luar biasa. Ruji-ruji logamnya laku keras, dan diekspor ke seluruh dunia. Di usia 30, Honda menandatangani patennya yang pertama.

Setelah menciptakan ruji, Honda ingin melepaskan diri dari bosnya, membuat usaha bengkel sendiri. Ia mulai berpikir, spesialis apa yang dipilih? Otaknya tertuju kepada pembuatan Ring Pinston, yang dihasilkan oleh bengkelnya sendiri pada tahun 1938. Sayang, karyanya itu ditolak oleh Toyota, karena dianggap tidak memenuhi standar. Ring buatannya tidak lentur, dan tidak laku dijual. Ia ingat reaksi teman-temannya terhadap kegagalan itu. Mereka menyesalkan dirinya keluar dari bengkel.

Kuliah

Karena kegagalan itu, Honda jatuh sakit cukup serius. Dua bulan kemudian, kesehatannya pulih kembali. Ia kembali memimpin bengkelnya. Tapi, soal Ring Pinston itu, belum juga ada solusinya. Demi mencari jawaban, ia kuliah lagi untuk menambah pengetahuannya tentang mesin. Siang hari, setelah pulang kuliah - pagi hari, ia langsung ke bengkel, mempraktekan pengetahuan yang baru diperoleh. Setelah dua tahun menjadi mahasiswa, ia akhirnya dikeluarkan karena jarang mengikuti kuliah.

"Saya merasa sekarat, karena ketika lapar tidak diberi makan, melainkan dijejali penjelasan bertele-tele tentang hukum makanan dan pengaruhnya, " ujar Honda, yang gandrung balap mobil. Kepada Rektornya, ia jelaskan maksudnya kuliah bukan mencari ijasah. Melainkan pengetahuan. Penjelasan ini justru dianggap penghinaan.

Berkat kerja kerasnya, desain Ring Pinston-nya diterima. Pihak Toyota memberikan kontrak, sehingga Honda berniat mendirikan pabrik. Eh malangnya, niatan itu kandas. Jepang, karena siap perang, tidak memberikan dana. Ia pun tidak kehabisan akal mengumpulkan modal dari sekelompok orang untuk mendirikan pabrik. Lagi-lagi musibah datang. Setelah perang meletus, pabriknya terbakar dua kali.

Namun, Honda tidak patah semangat. Ia bergegas mengumpulkan karyawannya. Mereka diperintahkan mengambil sisa kaleng bensol yang dibuang oleh kapal Amerika Serikat, digunakan sebagai bahan mendirikan pabrik. Tanpa diduga, gempa bumi meletus menghancurkan pabriknya, sehingga diputuskan menjual pabrik Ring Pinstonnya ke Toyota. Setelah itu, Honda mencoba beberapa usaha lain. Sayang semuanya gagal.

Akhirnya, tahun 1947,setelah perang Jepang kekurangan bensin. Di sini kondisi ekonomi Jepang porak-poranda. Sampai-sampai Honda tidak dapatmenjual mobilnya untuk membeli makanan bagi keluarganya. Dalam keadaan terdesak, ia memasang motor kecil pada sepeda. Siapa sangka, "sepeda motor" - cikal bakal lahirnya mobil Honda - itu diminati oleh para tetangga. Mereka berbondong-bondong memesan, sehingga Honda kehabisan stok. Disinilah, Honda kembali mendirikan pabrik motor. Sejak itu, kesuksesan tak pernah lepas dari tangannya. Motor Honda berikut mobinya, menjadi "raja" jalanan dunia, termasuk Indonesia.

Soichiro Honda mengatakan, janganlah melihat keberhasilan dalam menggeluti industri otomotif. Tapi lihatlah kegagalan-kegagalan yang dialaminya. "Orang melihat kesuksesan saya hanya satu persen. Tapi, mereka tidak melihat 99% kegagalan saya", tuturnya. Ia memberikan petuah ketika Anda mengalami kegagalan, yaitu mulailah bermimpi, mimpikanlah mimpi baru dan berusahalah untuk merubah mimpi itu menjadi kenyataan.

Kisah Honda ini, adalah contoh bahwa sukses itu bisa diraih seseorangdengan modal seadanya, tidak pintar di sekolah, ataupun berasal dari keluarga miskin. Jadi buat apa kita putus asa bersusah hati merenungi nasib dan kegagalan. Tetaplah tegar dan teruslah berusaha, lihatlah Honda sang “Raja” jalanan.

5 Resep keberhasilan Honda :

1. Selalulah berambisi dan berjiwa muda.

2. Hargailah teori yang sehat, temukan gagasan baru, khususkan waktu memperbaiki produksi.

3. Senangilah pekerjaan Anda dan usahakan buat kondisi kerja Anda senyaman mungkin.

4. Carilah irama kerja yang lancar dan harmonis.

5. Selalu ingat pentingnya penelitian dan kerja sama.

Botol Plastik

2008-11-29T21:35:00.000+07:00

Botol plastik didesain hanya untuk sekali pakai, aman untuk dipakai 1-2 kali saja. Jika ingin memakainya lebih lama, tidak boleh lebih dari seminggu dan harus ditaruh di tempat yang jauh dari sinar matahari. Kebiasaan mencuci ulang dapat membuat lapisan plastik rusak dan zat karsinogen masuk ke air yang kita minum.

Sementara itu, di masyarakat masih banyak orang yang mempergunakan botol plastik bekas pakai berulang-ulang. Botol plastik bekas minuman mineral atau minuman ringan berukuran satu liter, misalnya, sering digunakan sebagai tempat air minum. Bahkan botol plastik berukuran lebih kecil dan sudah diisi berulang-ulang sering disimpan di dalam mobil yang rawan terkena panas.

Kelebihan plastik, bahan tersebut jauh lebih ringan dibandingkan gelas atau logam dan tidak mudah pecah. Plastik juga bisa dibentuk lembaran sehingga dapat dibuat kantong. Sebaliknya, plastik juga bisa dibuat kaku sehingga bisa dibentuk sesuai desain dan ukuran yang diinginkan.

Tidak benar

Dosen Departemen Ilmu dan Teknologi Pangan Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) Dr Ir Yadi Haryadi, MSc mengatakan, penggunaan plastik sebagai bahan pengemas memang semakin mendominasi pasaran, baik untuk pangan maupun nonpangan, karena dianggap memiliki banyak kelebihan dibandingkan dengan kertas, logam, kayu, maupun gelas.

Yadi yang juga menjadi pembimbing khusus bidang kemasan makanan mengatakan, cerita yang beredar di internet tentang bahaya penggunaan botol PET secara berulang-ulang tidak benar. Menurut Yadi, berita itu berawal dari tesis seorang mahasiswa di University of Idaho, Amerika Serikat. Tesis itu mengungkapkan zat aditif DEHA yang ditambahkan pada bahan pembuat plastik PET bisa berbahaya jika masuk ke dalam air minum.

Menurut Yadi, sebenarnya penggunaan botol plastik, khususnya botol plastik PET, secara berulang-ulang tidak menjadi masalah. Syaratnya, setiap akan dipakai atau diisi ulang botol-botol tersebut dicuci bersih memakai sabun dan dikeringkan dahulu.

Yang dikhawatirkan sebenarnya bukan aspek berpindahnya bahan berbahaya, tetapi aspek kebersihannya. Botol yang sudah dipakai pasti akan tercemar mikroba dan mikroba akan memicu penyakit, khususnya penyakit saluran pencernaan.

Yadi mengatakan, ada beberapa hal yang perlu diluruskan. Pertama, DEHA atau diethylhexyl adipate tidak pernah dinyatakan Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—badan yang mengawasi makanan dan obat-obatan di Amerika Serikat—sebagai bahan kimia yang dapat menimbulkan bahaya bagi kesehatan manusia.

Kedua, DEHA aditif yang sering digunakan dalam pembuatan plastik tidak digunakan dalam pembuatan PET. Namun, jika misalnya ada, FDA dan juga EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) menyatakan bahwa DEHA tidak menimbulkan risiko bagi kesehatan manusia, misalnya memicu kanker, mutasi gen, dan efek negatif lainnya.

Sebagian berbahaya

Yadi mengatakan, sebagian bahan plastik memang bisa membahayakan kesehatan jika digunakan untuk kemasan pangan. Pasalnya, dalam pembuatan plastik sering digunakan bahan tambahan (aditif) untuk memperbaiki sifat plastik. Dalam plastik juga ada monomer yang tidak ikut dalam rantai polimer. Monomer dan aditif tersebut ada yang membahayakan kesehatan manusia.

Pada waktu pewadahan, penyimpanan, transportasi, dan distribusi, bahan-bahan kimia tersebut dapat pindah dari kemasan ke bahan makanan yang dikemas. Menurut Yadi, sebetulnya yang pindah bukan hanya bahan kimia yang berbahaya saja, tetapi juga bahan kimia yang tidak berbahaya. Migrasi dapat terjadi jika ada kontak langsung antara bahan pangan dan kemasan.

Yadi mengingatkan, masyarakat perlu paham bahwa tidak semua jenis plastik kemasan berbahaya. Supaya yakin aman, Yadi menyarankan agar konsumen bersikap cermat. Untuk mengetahui jenis plastik yang digunakan mengemas minuman, di bagian bawah botol selalu ada nomor dalam tanda segitiga panah melingkar. Nomor yang tertera biasanya adalah nomor satu sampai tujuh.

Nomor-nomor tersebut merupakan jenis plastik yang digunakan membuat wadah. Adapun tanda panah melingkar merupakan tanda daur ulang. Tetapi, pada kenyataannya tidak semua plastik dapat didaur ulang dan digunakan kembali seperti penggunaan semula.

CAUSATIVE

2008-10-27T14:23:00.000+07:00

Tips to Fuel Your Vehicle

2008-10-27T13:55:00.000+07:00

Buy the gasoline or fuel your vehicle in the morning when land temperature is still low.
Ingat bahwa semua SPBU (gas station) mempunyai tanki penyimpanan di bawah tanah. Semakin dingin tanahnya maka semakin padat/kental bahan bakarnya. Jika temperatur mulai panas/hangat, maka bahan bakarnya akan mengembang. Jadi jika membeli bahan bakar pada siang hari atau petang hari……..sebenarnya bahan bakar yang diisikan ke dalam tanki kendaraan anda jelas lebih sedikit dibanding jumlah liter yang anda beli. Dalam bisnis perminyakan, gravity yang spesifik dan temperatur bensin, diesel dan bahan bakar pesawat jet, ethanol dan produk minyak lainnya punya peranan penting. Tetapi SPBU tidak memberikan ganti rugi/kompensasi karena temperatur.

Fuel your vehicle when the gasoline stil a half.
Alasannya adalah semakin banyak bahan bakar yang ada di tanki kendaraan, maka semakin sedikit udara yang ada di bagian tanki yang kosong. Bensin menguap lebih cepat dari pada yang bisa kita bayangkan. Tanki penyimpanan bensin mempunyai apa yang kita sebut atap yang mengapung yang berfungsi sebagai clearance zero antara bensin dan atmosfer sehingga penguapannya bisa dikurangi.

Don’t fuel your vehicle when the truck that bring the gasoline fulfilling the tank.
Hampir pasti bensin/solar akan teraduk saat bahan bakar dipompakan dari truk ke tanki
penyimpanan, dan kemungkinannya akan ada kotoran di dasar tanki penyimpanan yang teraduk naik dan terikut masuk ke tanki kendaraan anda.

Tips to Choose Smartphone

2008-10-27T13:39:00.000+07:00

• Select a phone that has the functions of a PDA at the same time, with the functions of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). We do not need to buy a PDA separately, as we did not bring much fuss tool.
• Frequency used in. Try to choose a smartphone that has a triple frequency bands (900MHz, 1800MHz and 1900MHz). Currently, most use a dual band (900MHz and 1800Mhz).
• Look completeness of the features offered, the feature that there should be mandatory, such as SMS, MMS, EMS, e-mail client, infrared, bluetooth, and polyphonic tones.
• See the screen color depth, the greater the depth of the clear color screen and more natural appearance, they can try to see the display screen on the outside and inside the room. Well we can see the display screen, albeit by light or been outside the room the day.
• See the WAP version. The amount of the WAP version of this influence when downloading video clips such as movies and music. Version 2.0 will support i-mode or video services.
• GPRS Class must be greater than 8.0 (4 1). The higher the class, the ability to quickly access internet, either while browsing or when downloading images or files. GPRS> 8 will allow us display the video stream.
• Note the battery endurance. With the use of MMS, or access to the Internet, the battery will quickly run out of power once his, also select the battery type Lithium.
• Note also the file format compatibility. Image file format or audio what can be supported or compatible.
• There are facilities memory card slot. The existence of the memory card slot good jebis CompactFlash or SmartMedia allows us to save the image files and more.
• Ask the service full price. Warranty is necessary if we have problems with the gadget.

How to Stop Sneezing

2008-10-24T13:00:00.000+07:00

Stay away from fans and dust, and take some airborne or something to prevent a further induction of unpleasant stellar immune events.
Cover your nose and breather with your mouth for a couple of moments.

How to Stop Smoking

2008-10-24T12:43:00.000+07:00

Quitting smoking or stop use the tobacco is truly a process over a long time. To escape from this addiction comes bit by bit, so you should try to relax and put a little time between you and the last cigarette you have smoked.

Remember, If you smoke...
you will be twelve times more likely to die from lung cancer.
you will be ten times more likely to die from some form of lung disease.
you will be ten times more likely to die from cancer of the larynx.
you will be six times more likely to die of heart disease.
you will be twice as likely to die of a stroke.

If you stop smoking now you can increase your chances of living from two to twelve times longer and save thousands of dollars in medical expensive and the cost of cigarettes!

Smoking is a bad expensive habit. On top of that it makes you stink and turns your teeth yellow!

If you want to stop smoking, why don’t you try these tips. First, you got to have a serious intention and willingness to change a particular habit. Second, pick the most important moment of your lives to start with such as the birth of your most awaited son, your birthday, etc. Third, be consistent. Never try to fool your self by “Hey, it’s ok to try just once a day.” When you decide to stop smoking, it means stop it altogether never try it even once.

How to Live Healthy

2008-10-24T12:34:00.000+07:00

After hours of the time we spend all similar routines. Start of work, sport or even just to hang out with friends. However, you have time to spend at least 10 minutes to live healthy?

Keep Breath
Do this regularly and you can reduce the stress level. In addition, your body will also refresh with the more oxygen.

Water
Wherever and in whatever condition you never forget drinking water. You need at least 6 cups a day. Remember, tea and coffee can make you dehydration. If you look glassy in the morning that the signature you dehydration.

Wash Hands
Some viruses move through many hands you. Elevator button, handle phone, computer and more. Keep your hands as often as possible from the virus with it. Do not forget to also wash hands after the toilet.

Tomato
Processed tomatoes in all very good for the anti-oxidants. Tomatoes can help you against cancer. If you do not like raw tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste have the same effect.

Breakfast
Do not miss your breakfast. Breakfast and start your day with a healthy beginning. No need to feed the heavy-weight. City fast enough and healthy, such as beer, wine, yoghurt, bread fruit also.

Tooth brush
Brush your teeth at least 2 times a day. This can prevent dental disease. Make this a habit.

Leave the Cigarettes
Many of enjoyment which can be obtained from the cigarettes. But try to think about your health as well. Leaving cigarettes can have a big impact on your health.

Forget to eat Donnut
Not only the sinker but also cakes, chips and all types of snack. If you’re hungry, sandwiches, yoghurt and fruit juice can be fresh options.

Driving with Good & Security Belt
Motorcycle accident still be the highest. Do not forget the belt. Keep your safety while driving on the road. Belts should be expected.

Choose Appliances
For exercise, choose the stairs rather than using the elevator. If you are in the floor 22 to use the stairs to climb 3 or 4 floors.

How to Get Extra Money?

2008-10-24T12:07:00.000+07:00

Everybody needs a quick infusion of cash from time to time. These ideas bring in money fast, and many can also be done at flexible times, so it's easier to arrange child care with a friend or family member for free.

1. Rent out a room. This option might take longer than some of the others listed here, but it can provide steady income for a set period of time, or even indefinitely. It might require that your kids share a bedroom or that you give up a family room in the house, so everyone in the family should be prepared for the changes. And of course care should be taken to pick carefully to ensure you get a trustworthy boarder. This is an especially good option if you live near a university or technical college. Eighteen- to 22-year-olds will more likely be fine renting a room with kitchen privileges than older people, and you'll be able to rent on a semester basis.

2. Sell on eBay. Books, CDs, unused sports or exercise equipment, clothing, novelty items -- people buy all kinds of things. Even if you're selling several small items, the money can add up. Just make sure the buyer, not you, pays the cost of shipping.

3. Have a garage sale. By using a few easy tricks, like posting fliers at grocery stores and Laundromats, making signs that can be seen from nearby busy streets and displaying your items in a department-store style, you can increase the amount your sale brings in.

4. Perform household services. You can earn some money informally by letting friends, family, church members and others in your community know that you're available to clean their houses or apartments, or to take in ironing. If you find you have a knack and stamina for cleaning quickly and thoroughly, you can turn this into a regular.

5. Put clothes on consignment. This is an especially good way to get rid of clothing like fancy dresses (think old prom gowns and cocktail dresses you'll never wear again), but anything in good condition can be put on consignment. You share the money from the sale with the consignment shop, but it's an easy way to squeeze some money out of clothes that would otherwise just take up closet space.

6. Have a bake sale. Do you make chocolate chip cookies? Are yummy breakfast burritos your specialty? If so, why not bring in your items once a week to your job and sell them to coworkers and other businesspeople in the vicinity? If you don't have a job, what about a friend's workplace, a community center or a nursing home? Put the word out beforehand and gauge the response as you go, so you don't end up with a lot of leftover food. By talking up your home-baked goodies and arriving at the same time every day or every week, you may find that people start to anticipate your arrival. You can start a cottage industry along the lines of Mary's Monday Cookie Break when you come around to hawk your wares.

7. Provide man-with-van services. Or, in this case, woman with van (or truck). This service is great for people who need to move a single piece of furniture or for young people who don't have a lot of stuff. If you're able to do moves on your own or with a helper like a friend or spouse, you can position yourself as a mother's helper (a woman living alone might feel more comfortable having another woman moving something into or out of her home). If you don't have a lot of physical strength, your husband and a cousin, uncle or son can do the heavy lifting and you can take care of scheduling and follow-up. A small classified ad in the local paper is an economical way to advertise.

8. Get a paper route. While we often think of paper delivery as a job for a boy on a bike, all kinds of people pick up extra cash this way. Because papers are delivered in the morning, it's possible to complete a route before the regular workday starts, or before your kids are up. (Just make sure you catch up on your sleep by going to bed early at night!)

9. Sell homegrown fruits and vegetables . You don't have to have a farm to produce delicious, organic produce. By presenting your goods in an appealing way (save the plastic or cardboard produce containers from the grocery store and tie them with a distinctive ribbon or desktop-printed label), you give them niche appeal, and you can sell them much the same way as baked items, listed above.

10. Have a family car wash. Enlist your spouse, your kids and their friends on a Saturday to hold a car wash. Talk to local merchants who have parking lots and ask them to donate the space, or set up an assembly line on your street. By naming the event ("The Annual Jones Family Car Wash") and highlighting an upbeat family goal ("We use this car wash to pay for the kids' extracurricular school activities"), you give people a reason to join your cause.

11. Do gardening services. Mowing lawns is a perennial summer job for kids. If you have a mower, encourage your children to launch a business—or do it yourself. In addition, you can also weed or haul gardening rubbish to the dump (often garbage services won't remove it).

12. Dog walk and pet sit. Owners are always looking for reliable pet-care services. Plus, if you stay home with your kids during the day, a regular dog-walking gig is a great way to get everyone out of the house for some fresh air and earn extra money. Put the word out at pounds, the ASPCA, the local veterinarian's and dog runs. Be prepared to provide references from anyone you've ever sat for before. Learn how you can also turn pet sitting into a home business.

13. Babysit. To provide regular child care in your home, you'll often need to be accredited and registered with the state. But occasional babysitting in your home or someone else's is more straightforward. You might already babysit for friends for free, but by reaching out in your community you can find parents whom you would feel comfortable charging a reasonable fee -- such as those belonging to common churches, PTAs or playgroups. Depending on your schedule, you can position yourself as a last-minute resource, a Saturday sitter while Mom does errands, a date-night sitter and so on.

Who is Muhammad (SAW) anyway ?

2008-10-22T15:22:00.000+07:00

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA

"Sejumlah besar sumber awal menunjukkan bahwa dia adalah seseorang yang jujur dan berbudi baik yang dihormati dan ditaati orang-orang yang sepertinya (jujur dan
berbudi baik) (Vol. 12)"

MAHATMA GANDHI (Komentar mengenai karakter Muhammad di YOUNG INDIA):

Pernah saya bertanya-tanya siapakah tokoh yang paling mempengaruhi manusia... Saya lebih dari yakin bahwa bukan pedanglah yang memberikan kebesaran pada Islam pada masanya. Tapi ia datang dari kesederhanaan, kebersahajaan, kehati-hatian Muhammad; serta pengabdian luar biasa kepada teman dan pengikutnya, tekadnya, keberaniannya, serta keyakinannya pada Tuhan dan tugasnya. Semua ini (dan bukan pedang ) menyingkirkan segala halangan. Ketika saya menutup halaman terakhir volume 2 (biografi Muhammad), saya sedih karena tiada lagi cerita yang tersisa dari hidupnya yang agung.

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

Jika ada agama yang berpeluang menguasai Inggris bahkan Eropa - beberapa ratus tahun dari sekarang, Islam-lah agama tersebut."

Saya senantiasa menghormati agama Muhammad karena potensi yang dimilikinya. Ini adalah satu-satunya agama yang bagi saya memiliki kemampuan menyatukan dan merubah peradaban. Saya sudah mempelajari Muhammad sesosok pribadi agung yang jauh dari kesan seorang anti-kristus, dia harus dipanggil 'sang penyelamat kemanusiaan'. Saya yakin, apabila orang semacam Muhammad memegang kekuasaan tunggal di dunia modern ini, dia akan berhasil mengatasi segala permasalahan sedemikian hingga membawa kedamaian dan kebahagiaan yang dibutuhkan dunia: Ramalanku, keyakinan yang dibawanya akan diterima Eropa di masa datang dan memang ia telah mulai diterima Eropa saat ini.

Dia adalah manusia teragung yang pernah menginjakkan kakinya di bumi ini. Dia membawa sebuah agama, mendirikan sebuah bangsa, meletakkan dasar-dasar moral, memulai sekian banyak gerakan pembaruan sosial dan politik, mendirikan sebuah masyarakat yang kuat dan dinamis untuk melaksanakan dan mewakili seluruh ajarannya, dan ia juga telah merevolusi pikiran serta perilaku manusia untuk seluruh masa yang akan datang.

Dia adalah Muhammad (SAW). Dia lahir di Arab tahun 570 masehi, memulai misi mengajarkan agama kebenaran, Islam (penyerahan diri pada Tuhan) pada usia 40 dan meninggalkan dunia ini pada usia 63.

Sepanjang masa kenabiannya yang pendek (23 tahun) dia telah merubah Jazirah Arab dari paganisme dan pemuja makhluk menjadi para pemuja Tuhan yang Esa, dari peperangan dan perpecahan antar suku menjadi bangsa yang bersatu, dari kaum pemabuk dan pengacau menjadi kaum pemikir dan penyabar, dari kaum tak berhukum dan anarkis menjadi kaum yang teratur, dari kebobrokan kekeagungan moral. Sejarah manusia tidak pernah mengenal tranformasi sebuah masyarakat atau tempat sedahsyat ini dan bayangkan ini terjadi dalam kurun waktu hanya sedikit di atas DUA DEKADE."

MICHAEL H. HART (THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York, 1978)

Pilihan saya untuk menempatkan Muhammad pada urutan teratas mungkin mengejutkan semua pihak, tapi dialah satu-satunya orang yang sukses baik dalam tataran sekular maupun agama. (hal. 33). Lamar tine, seorang sejarawan terkemuka menyatakan bahwa: Jika keagungan sebuah tujuan, kecilnya fasilitas yang diberikan untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, serta menakjubkannya hasil yang dicapai menjadi tolok ukur kejeniusan seorang manusia; siapakah yang berani membandingkan tokoh hebat manapun dalam sejarah modern dengan Muhammad? Tokoh-tokoh itu membangun pasukan, hukum dan kerajaan saja. Mereka hanyalah menciptakan kekuatan-kekuatan material yang hancur bahkan di depan mata mereka sendiri. Muhammad bergerak tidak hanya dengan tentara, hukum, kerajaan, rakyat dan dinasti, tapi jutaan manusia di dua per tiga wilayah dunia saat itu; lebih dari itu, ia telah merubah altar-altar pemujaan, sesembahan, agama, pikiran, kepercayaan serta jiwa... Kesabarannya dalam kemenangan dan ambisinya yang dipersembahkan untuk satu tujuan tanpa sama sekali berhasrat membangun kekuasaan, sembahyang-sembahyangnya, dialognya dengan Tuhan, kematiannnya dan kemenangan-kemenangan (umatnya) setelah kematiannya; semuanya membawa keyakinan umatnya hingga ia memiliki kekuatan untuk mengembalikan sebuah dogma. Dogma yang mengajarkan ketunggalan dan kegaiban (immateriality) Tuhan yang mengajarkan siapa sesungguhnya Tuhan. Dia singkirkan tuhan palsu dengan kekuatan dan mengenalkan
tuhan yang sesungguhnya dengan kebijakan. Seorang filsuf yang juga seorang orator, apostle (hawariyyun, 12 orang pengikut Yesus-pen.), prajurit, ahli hukum, penakluk ide, pengembali dogma-dogma rasional dari sebuah ajaran tanpa pengidolaan, pendiri 20 kerajaan di bumi dan satu kerajaan spiritual, ialah Muhammad. Dari semua standar bagaimana kehebatan seorang manusia diukur, mungkin kita patut bertanya: adakah orang yang lebih agung dari dia?"

(Lamar tine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp 276-277)

"Dunia telah menyaksikan banyak pribadi-pribadi agung. Namun, dari orang orang tersebut adalah orang yang sukses pada satu atau dua bidang saja misalnya agama atau militer. Hidup dan ajaran orang-orang ini seringkali terselimuti kabut waktu dan zaman. Begitu banyak spekulasi tentang waktu dan tempat lahir mereka, cara dan gaya hidup mereka, sifat dan detail ajaran mereka, serta tingkat dan ukuran kesuksesan
mereka sehingga sulit bagi manusia untuk merekonstruksi ajaran dan hidup tokoh-tokoh ini.

Tidak demikian dengan orang ini. Muhammad (SAW) telah begitu tinggi menggapai dalam berbagai bidang pikir dan perilaku manusia dalam sebuah episode cemerlang sejarah manusia. Setiap detil dari kehidupan pribadi dan ucapan-ucapannya telah secara akurat didokumentasikan dan dijaga dengan teliti sampai saat ini. Keaslian ajarannya begitu terjaga, tidak saja oleh karena penelusuran yang dilakukan para pengikut setianya tapi juga oleh para penentangnya.

Muhammad adalah seorang agamawan, reformis sosial, teladan moral, administrator massa, sahabat setia, teman yang menyenangkan, suami yang penuh kasih dan seorang ayah yang penyayang - semua menjadi satu. Tiada lagi manusia dalam sejarah melebihi atau bahkan menyamainya dalam setiap aspek kehidupan tersebut - hanya dengan kepribadian seperti dialah keagungan seperti ini dapat diraih."

K. S. RAMAKRISHNA RAO, Professor Philosophy dalam bookletnya, "Muhammad, The Prophet of Islam"

Kepribadian Muhammad, hhmm sangat sulit untuk menggambarkannya dengan tepat. Saya pun hanya bisa menangkap sekilas saja: betapa ia adalah lukisan yang indah. Anda bisa lihat Muhammad sang Nabi, Muhammad sang pejuang, Muhammad sang pengusaha, Muhammad sang negarawan, Muhammad sang orator ulung, Muhammad sang pembaharu, Muhammad sang pelindung anak yatim-piatu, Muhammad sang pelindung hamba sahaya, Muhammad sang pembela hak wanita, Muhammad sang hakim, Muhamad sang pemuka agama. Dalam setiap perannya tadi, ia adalah seorang pahlawan.

Saat ini, 14 abad kemudian, kehidupan dan ajaran Muhammad tetap selamat, tiada yang hilang atau berubah sedikit pun. Ajaran yang menawarkan secercah harapan abadi tentang obat atas segala penyakit kemanusiaan yang ada dan telah ada sejak masa hidupnya. Ini bukanlah klaim seorang pengikutnya tapi juga sebuah simpulan tak terelakkan dari sebuah analisis sejarah yang kritis dan tidak bias.

PROF. (SNOUCK) HURGRONJE:

Liga bangsa-bangsa yang didirikan Nabi umat Islam telah meletakkan dasar-dasar persatuan internasional dan persaudaraan manusia di atas pondasi yang universal yang menerangi bagi bangsa lain.

Buktinya, sampai saat ini tiada satu bangsa pun di dunia yang mampu menyamai Islam dalam capaiannya mewujudkan ide persatuan bangsa-bangsa.

Dunia telah banyak mengenal konsep ketuhanan, telah banyak individu yang hidup dan misinya lenyap menjadi legenda. Sejarah menunjukkan tiada satu pun legenda ini yang menyamai bahkan sebagian dari apa yang Muhammad capai. Seluruh jiwa raganya ia curahkan untuk satu tujuan: menyatukan manusia dalam pengabdian kapada Tuhan dalam aturan-aturan ketinggian moral. Muhammad atau pengikutnya tidak pernah dalam sejarah menyatakan bahwa ia adalah putra Tuhan atau reinkarnasi Tuhan atau seorang jelmaan Tuhan dia selalu sejak dahulu sampai saat ini menganggap dirinya dan dianggap oleh pengikutnya hanyalah sebagai seorang pesuruh yang dipilih Tuhan.
THOMAS CARLYLE in his HEROES AND HEROWORSHIP

(Betapa menakjubkan) seorang manusia sendirian dapat mengubah suku-suku yang saling berperang dan kaum nomaden menjadi sebuah bangsa yang paling maju dan paling berperadaban hanya dalam waktu kurang dari dua decade.

"Kebohongan yang dipropagandakan kaum Barat yang diselimutkan kepada orang ini (Muhammad) hanyalah mempermalukan diri kita sendiri.

Sesosok jiwa besar yang tenang, seorang yang mau tidak mau harus dijunjung tinggi. Dia diciptakan untuk menerangi dunia, begitulah perintah Sang Pencipta Dunia.
EDWARD GIBBON and SIMON OCKLEY speaking on the profession of ISLAM write:

Saya percaya bahwa Tuhan adalah tunggal dan Muhammad adalah pesuruh-Nya adalah pengakuan kebenaran Islam yang simpel dan seragam. Tuhan tidak pernah dihinakan dengan pujaan-pujaan kemakhlukan; penghormatan terhadap Sang Nabi tidak pernah berubah menjadi pengkultusan berlebihan; dan prinsip-prinsip hidupnya telah memberinya penghormatan dari pengikutnya dalam batas-batas akal dan agama

(HISTORY OF THE SARACEN EMPIRES, London, 1870, p. 54).

Muhammad tidak lebih dari seorang manusia biasa. Tapi ia adalah manusia dengan tugas mulia untuk menyatukan manusia dalam pengabdian terhadap satu dan hanya satu Tuhan serta untuk mengajarkan hidup yang jujur dan lurus sesuai perintah Tuhan. Dia selalu menggambarkan dirinya sebagai hamba dan pesuruh Tuhan dan demikianlah juga setiap tindakannya.

SAROJINI NAIDU, penyair terkenal India (S. Naidu, IDEALS OF ISLAM, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169):

Inilah agama pertama yang mengajarkan dan mempraktekkan demokrasi; di setiap masjid, ketika adzan dikumandangkan dan jemaah telah berkumpul, demokrasi dalam Islam terwujud lima kali sehari ketika seorang hamba dan seorang raja berlutut berdampingan dan mengakui: Allah Maha Besar... Saya terpukau lagi dan lagi oleh kebersamaan Islam yang secara naluriah membuat manusia menjadi bersaudara.

DIWAN CHAND SHARMA:

Muhammad adalah sosok penuh kebaikan, pengaruhnya dirasakkan dan tak pernah dilupakan orang-orang terdekatnya. (D.C. Sharma, THE PROPHETS OF THE EAST, Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12)

James A. Michener, "Islam: The Misunderstood Religion," in READER'S DIGEST (American edition), May 1955, pp. 68-70.
Muhammad, seorang inspirator yang mendirikan Islam, dilahirkan pada tahun 570 masehi dalam masyarakat Arab penyembah berhala. Yatim semenjak kecil dia secara khusus memberikan perhatian kepada fakir miskin, yatim piatu dan janda, serta hamba sahaya dan kaum lemah. Di usia 20 tahun, dia sudah menjadi seorang pengusaha yang sukses, dan menjadi pengelola bisnis seorang janda kaya. Ketika mencapai usia 25, sang majikan melamarnya. Meski usia perempuan tersebut 15 tahun lebih tua Muhammad menikahinya dan tetap setia kepadanya sepanjang hayat sang istri.

Seperti halnya para nabi lain, Muhammad memulai tugas kenabiannya dengan sembunyi2 dan ragu2 karena menyadari kelemahannya. Tapi Baca adalah perintah yang diperolehnya, -dan meskipun sampai saat ini diyakini bahwa Muhammad tidak bisa membaca dan menulis dan keluarlah dari mulutnya satu kalimat yang akan segera mengubah dunia: Tiada tuhan selain Allah.

"Dalam setiap hal, Muhammad adalah seorang yang mengedepankan akal. Ketika putranya, Ibrahim, meninggal disertai gerhana dan menimbulkan anggapan ummatnya bahwa hal tersebut adalah wujud rasa belasungkawa Tuhan kepadanya, Muhammad berkata: Gerhana adalah sebuah kejadian alam biasa, adalah suatu kebodohan mengkaitkannya dengan kematian atau kelahiran seorang manusia"."Sesaat setelah ia meninggal, sebagian pengikutnya hendak memujanya sebagaimana Tuhan dipuja, akan tetapi penerus kepemimpinannya (Abu Bakar-pen.) menepis keinginan ummatnya itu dengan salah satu pidato relijius terindah sepanjang masa: Jika ada diatara kalian yang menyembah Muhammad, maka ketahuilah bahwa ia telah meninggal. Tapi jika Tuhan-lah yang hendak kalian sembah, ketahuilah bahwa Ia hidup selamanya. (Ayat terkait: Q.S. Al Imran, 144 - pen.)

W. Montgomery Watt, MOHAMMAD AT MECCA, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.
Kesiapannya menempuh tantangan atas keyakinannya, ketinggian moral para pengikutnya, serta pencapaiannya yang luar biasa semuanya menunjukkan integritasnya. Mengira Muhammad sebagai seorang penipu hanyalah memberikan masalah dan bukan jawaban. Lebih dari itu, tiada figur hebat yang digambarkan begitu buruk di Barat selain Muhammad
Annie Besant, THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF MUHAMMAD, Madras, 1932, p. 4.
"Sangat mustahil bagi seseorang yang memperlajari karakter Nabi Bangsa Arab, yang mengetahui bagaimana ajarannya dan bagaimana hidupnya untuk merasakan selain hormat terhadap beliau, salah satu utusan-Nya. Dan meskipun dalam semua yang saya gambarkan banyak hal-hal yang terasa biasa, namun setiap kali saya membaca ulang kisah-kisahnya, setiap kali pula saya merasakan kekaguman dan penghormatan kepada sang Guru Bangsa Arab tersebut."

Bosworth Smith, MOHAMMAD AND MOHAMMADANISM, London, 1874, p. 92.
Dia adalah perpaduan Caesar dan Paus; tapi dia adalah sang Paus tanpa pretensinya dan seorang caesar tanpa Legionnaire-nya: tanpa tentara, tanpa pengawal, tanpa istana, tanpa pengahasilan tetap; jika ada seorang manusia yang pantas untuk berkata bahwa dia-lah wakil Tuhan penguasa dunia, Muhammad lah orang itu, karena dia memiliki kekuatan meski ia tak memiliki segala instrument atau penyokongnya.

John William Draper, M.D., L.L.D., A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London 1875, Vol.1, pp.329-330
Empat tahun setelah kematian Justinian, pada 569 AD, telah lahir di Mekkah Arabia seorang manusia yang sangat besar pengaruhnya terhadap ummat manusia.

John Austin, "Muhammad the Prophet of Allah," in T.P. 's and Cassel's Weekly for 24th September 1927.
Dalam kurun waktu hanya sedikit lebih dari satu tahun, ia telah menjadi pemimpin di Madinah. Kedua tangannya memegang sebuah tuas yang siap mengguncang dunia.

Professor Jules Masserman
Pasteur dan Salk adalah pemimpin dalam satu hal (intelektualitas-pen). Gandhi dan Konfusius pada hal lain serta Alexander, Caesar dan Hitler mungkin pemimpin pada kategori kedua dan ketiga (reliji dan militer pen.).
Jesus dan Buddha mungkin hanya pada kategori kedua. Mungkin pemimpin terbesar sepanjang masa adalah Muhammad, yang sukses pada ketiga kategori tersebut. Dalam skala yang lebih kecil Musa melakukan hal yang sama.

Hidup Adalah Pilihan

2008-10-20T18:39:00.001+07:00

Hidup seringkali memaksa kita untuk memilih.
Memilih untuk berbuat kebaikan atau keburukan.
Memilih untuk diam atau berbuat.
Memilih untuk melangkah atau berhenti.
Terkadang kita harus membuat keputusan dengan berat hati karena pilihannya terlalu sulit untuk dipilih. Jangan lupa untuk meminta pendapat Allah SWT. Karena sebagai hamba, kita tidak tau mana pilihan yang terbaik bagi kita.

Doaku

2008-10-19T23:58:00.001+07:00

Ya Allah, ijinkan aku tersenyum esok hari, setelah deras air mataku, setelah susah hatiku.

Untuk Suami dan Calon Suami

2008-10-17T09:34:00.000+07:00

Pernikahan ataupun perkawinan,
Menyingkap tabir rahasia,
Istri yang kamu nikahi,
Tidaklah semulia Khadijah,
Tidaklah setakwa Aisyah,
Pun tidak setabah Fatimah,
Justru Istri hanyalah wanita akhir jaman,
Yang punya cita-cita,
Menjadi solehah...
Pernikahan ataupun perkawinan,
Mengajar kita kewajiban bersama,
Istri menjadi tanah, kamu langit penaungnya.
Istri ladang tanaman, kamu pemagarnya.
Istri kiasan ternakan, kamu gembalanya.
Istri adalah murid, kamu mursyidnya.
Istri bagaikan anak kecil, kamu tempat bermanjanya.
Saat istri menjadi madu, kamu teguklah sepuasnya,
Seketika istri menjadi racun, kamulah penawar bisanya,
Seandainya istri tulang yang bengkok, berhati-hatilah meluruskannya...
Pernikahan ataupun perkawinan,
Menginsyafkan kita perlunya iman dan takwa,
Untuk belajar meniti sabar dan ridho,
Karena miliki istri yang tak sehebat mana,
Justru kamu akan tersentak dari alpa,
Kamu bukanlah Rasulullah SAW,
Cuma suami akhir jaman,
Yang berusaha menjadi soleh.

Resesi Finansial

2008-10-15T22:08:00.002+07:00

Resesi finansial yang terjadi di beberapa negara dan menimbulkan efek ke negara-negara lain adalah sesuatu yang sudah diramalkan sebelumnya. Kini setelah resesi benar-benar terjadi sudah selayaknya kita kembali ke sistem ekonomi syariah dan sebaiknya kita tidak mengundang tamu lama yang bernama IMF yang telah terbukti gagal memulihkan kondisi perekonomian kita.
Update:

Berhenti sejenak

2008-10-15T17:58:00.001+07:00

Adakah yang lebih buruk dari pada hal-hal yang kualami pada kuartal pertama 2004? Wallahu'alam.

Cukup murungnya!
Cukup lesunya!
Cukup dukanya!
Cukup!!!

Damayanti

2008-10-15T16:57:00.001+07:00

Hari ini aku menerima dua buah undangan, satu untuk seniorku dan yang satunya untuk Damayanti, ya Damayanti, bukan Amay atau Irma.
Undangan tersebut membuatku tersenyum. Aku memang memerlukan ketegaran Damayanti saat ini, bukan sifat yang melekat pada Amay atau Irma. Terima kasih buat yang mengundang. Terima kasih.

Buat saudaraku!

2008-10-09T11:43:00.000+07:00

Ketika kamu ditawarkan untuk memulai suatu proses baru ke arah pernikahan setelah gagal dari proses sebelumnya, proses tersebut jangan kamu mulai kecuali kamu benar-benar sudah siap untuk memulai proses baru itu.
Jika aku kamu…
Aku akan membuka diri dan berkenalan dengan yang baru itu. Hanya MENGENAL. Tanpa jaminan bahwa proses tersebut akan berlanjut.
Aku akan mencoba membuka ruang baru di hatiku, sampai aku mampu menutup ruang hatiku yang telah terisi oleh dia yang dahulu.
Kamu toh tidak tau rusuk kirimu itu siapa, dan akan kamu temukan di mana, kapan atau lewat cara apa.
Dia yang dahulu mungkin begitu spesial, tapi rusuk kirimu pastilah istimewa.
Rusuk kirimu itu mungkin tak sebanding dengan yang dahulu, tapi dialah pelengkapmu sesungguhnya.

Mau nikahnya...

2008-10-03T19:11:00.001+07:00

Amay mau nikahnya nanti di .... Begitu ucapan seseorang di tengah orang banyak. Duh, aku cuma bisa senyum dan menundukkan kepala. Tak seorang pun tau isi hati dan otakku.

Polling SMS vs Juri Vote Lock

2008-09-29T07:25:00.001+07:00

Kontes dengan polling SMS: yang milih bisa siapa saja yang menguasai (tidak harus memiliki) handphone dan memiliki pulsa.
Kontes dengan juri Vote Lock: jumlah jurinya tetap, komposisi berbeda. Katanya sih gak ada hubungan dengan kontestan. Tapi, bisa dari satu kelompok (kelompok rumah atau rekan kerja) sehingga preferensinya bisa jadi sama.
Mana yang lebih baik?

On Radio Part 2

2008-09-28T22:33:00.001+07:00

I love you, please say you love me too..
Kalau Anda hendak ke hulu jangan ambil jalan memutar, kalau Anda hendak tau ... ..
But it's over now..
Melawan waktu tuk melupakanmu, walau pedih hati namun aku bertahan..
I need a place to hide away..
Everyday I love you, coz I believe that destiny is out of our control..If I ask would you say yes..
Malam bulan purnama bermandikan cahaya..
Tanjung katung..

On Radio

2008-09-28T22:05:00.001+07:00

Karena kasih hati merana daku tak mau bercinta lagi..
I just wanna say I love you..
Kalau tlah layu dibuang..
Inilah kisahku semalam di Malaysia..
I have a dream..
Bila yang tertulis untukku adalah yg terbaik untukmu..
And I will always love you..
Lebaran sebentar lagi, tak ada miskin tak ada kaya..
Tiba detik pasti terpisah di batas masa..
Susahnya kalau jd bujangan hidup tidak akan bisa tenang..

Oops

2008-09-28T20:59:00.001+07:00

Nelson Piquet Jr. crash, Fernando Alonso get the advantage

Berdamai dengan hati

2008-09-27T10:32:00.001+07:00

Pernah mencoba berdamai dengan hati? Atau sedang berusaha berdamai dengan hati?

Kata Hati

2008-09-27T10:25:00.001+07:00

Pernah mendengar perkataan bahwa hati nurani itu tidak pernah berbohong. Tapi kalau kita tak pernah belajar mendengarkannya, bagaimana kita bisa tau, yang bicara itu hati kita atau nafsu kita?

Sent from my phone using trutap

Selamat Hari Statistik

2008-09-26T10:51:00.001+07:00

Dengan hari statistik kita bangun statistik yang berkualitas untuk mencerdaskan bangsa

Sent from my phone using trutap

Keluarga Berencana -Alat dan Caranya

2008-09-25T11:00:00.000+07:00

Ada beberapa alat dan cara KB yang dapat digunakan atau dilakukan dalam usaha mencegah kehamilan atau menjarangkan kelahiran:

Sterilisasi Wanita/Tubektomi/MOW: Operasi yang dilakukan terhadap wanita agar tidak mempunyai anak lagi.

Sterilisasi Pria/Vasektomi/MOP: Operasi yang dilakukan terhadap pria agar tidak mempunyai anak lagi.
Bagi yang ingin menghilangkan sterilisasi, seseorang bisa melakukan Rekanalisasi, hanya saja biayanya masih tergolong mahal.

Pil: Pil yang diminum (harus) setiap hari untuk mencegah kehamilan.
Toleransi tidak meminum pil adalah selama dua (2) hari, dengan catatan pada hari kedua tersebut, pil diminum sebanyak dua (2) buah.

IUD/AKDR/Spiral: Spiral yang dipasang dalam rahim oleh dokter atau bidan.
Spiral dapat dibuka. Pembukaan spiral sebaiknya dilakukan pada waktu haid agar tidak timbul rasa sakit yang berlebihan.

Suntikan/Injeksi: Suntikan yang dilakukan oleh dokter atau bidan untuk mencegah kehamilan selama satu bulan atau lebih.
Suntikan dapat menimbulkan efek bertambah atau berkurangnya berat badan, haid yang tidak teratur atau bahkan tidak haid sama sekali, pusing, mual dan lain-lain.

Susuk KB/Implan: Beberapa batang susuk yang disusupkan di bawah kulit lengan atas untuk mencegah terjadinya kehamilan selama satu tahun atau lebih.
Susuk KB atau implan biasanya dipasang pada lengan yang tidak terlalu sering digunakan untuk beraktivitas karena jika disusupkan pada lengan yang aktif, tidak tertutup kemungkingan susuk tersebut akan berjalan mengikuti aliran darah.

Kondom/Karet KB: Sarung dari karet yang dipakai selama berhubungan seksual.
Kegagalan KB dengan menggunakan kondom biasanya dikarenakan adanya kebocoran pada kondom yang digunakan tersebut.

Intravag/Diafragma: Tisu atau diafragma yang diletakkan dalam vagina sebelum berhubungan seksual.
Intravag diletakkan sebelum 6 (enam) jam sebelum berhubungan seksual dan akan luruh di dalam tubuh wanita.

Metode Menyusui Alami/Metode Amenorrhea Laktasi (MAL): Sampai dengan 6 (enam) bulan setelah kelahiran anak, si Ibu diharuskan untuk menyusui bayinya terus menerus siang dan malam atau kapan saja tanpa diberi makanan tambahan, sehingga haidnya tertunda.

Pantang Berkala/Kalender: Pasangan sengaja tidak berhubungan seksual pada hari-hari tertentu pada waktu wanita berkemungkinan besar untuk menjadi hamil.

Sanggama Terputus: Pria dapat mengeluarkan air maninya di luar vagina ketika berhubungan seksual.

Kontrasepsi Darurat/Emergency: Wanita dapat mencegah kehamilan dengan minum pil khusus dalam tiga hari setelah berhubungan seksual. Biasanya cara ini dipakai hanya dalam situasi terpaksa (darurat). Misal untuk kasus perkosaan.

Aku B A H A G I A

2008-09-23T15:45:00.001+07:00

Mungkin sekarang aku harus memaksa diri untuk belajar berkata Aku B A H A G I A.
Siapa tau kebahagiaan itu tidak sepenuhnya PEMBERIAN tapi bisa juga DIUSAHAKAN.

Akhirnya

2008-09-22T17:09:00.001+07:00

Alhamdulillah, akhirnya usulan angka kredit fungsional statistisi punya Pak Sunarto selesai jg. Maafku atas mengendapnya berkas-berkas Bapak di lemariku.
Senangnya aku karena bisa beralih ke pekerjaan yg lain.
Kak Syawal jadi korban kejutekanku hari ini. Bener-bener minta maaf. Hari ini energiku terkuras sampe otakku kurang nalar. Ternyata yg Kak Syawal minta sesuatu yg udah tinggal dicetak aja :)

Sahabatku

2008-09-21T22:23:00.001+07:00

Aku cuma pengen nulis:
Shelly, semoga diberi nikmat sehat supaya segera jadi ibu.
Yulia Riskasari, masih ada niat ke Palembang gak ya? Pengen denger ceritanya Bu Guru.
Anti, sering OL ya sekarang? Apa aku yang baru mulai OL lagi ya?
Rita, kapan pulang? Semoga gak ketularan gaya orang sana.
Ingat aku dalam doa kalian ya!
Aku ingin bilang aku kangeeennnnn.
Kapan ya SYIAR bisa kumpul lagi?

Be a super man or a super woman!

2008-09-21T19:57:00.001+07:00

1. Untuk laki-laki penghebat: bantulah wanita Anda (pengetahuan, perasaan, pergaulannya) agar menjadi penghebat bagi kita.
2. Untuk wanita: jadikan pria Anda untuk menjadi pria kebanggaan anda. Terima dia. Jangan kritik dan banding-bandingkan dia. Tapi bimbinglah dia agar sang suami menjadi raja. A woman is a King Makers through her husband or her son.

Belajar Berbahagia

2008-09-20T20:48:00.001+07:00

Bagaimana kabar hati?
Pertanyaan ini membuatku meneteskan air mata.
Apakah kamu merasa tidak beruntung?
Pertanyaan ini pun membuat air mataku mengalir.

Ketika aku sedang terpuruk, pertanyaan-pertanyaan itulah yang ditujukan padaku. Pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang membuatku lebih tegar dan belajar berbahagia.

Tentang itu

2008-09-18T16:21:00.001+07:00

Bisakah seseorang memilih melabuhkan hatinya ke mana?
Apakah perasaan adalah sebuah pilihan?
Jika saja seseorang boleh memilih, tentu rasiolah yang lebih berperan, meskipun ada orang yang memilih dengan mengikuti kata hatinya.
Jadi inget Trista, si Bachelorrette yang memilih Ryan. Menurutku itu pilihan hati bukan rasio :)

How to create a free email account?

2008-09-06T12:09:00.000+07:00

Open your web browser.
Then type the site's name that provide free email, such as www.yahoo.com, www.gmail.com.
After the homepage show up, click the sign up link. Fill all the information needed. Tick or check the agreement area. Then click submit or sign up. Your free email is ready.

Instant Messaging

2008-09-06T04:50:00.000+07:00

There are some networks that provide instant messaging, such as MSN, Yahoo!, AIM, GTalk.
We can send message to our friends or even chat with them.
We can access instant messaging from computer or mobile.
Usually, we pay for each kilobyte or for each hour the duration state.

TOEFL IBT Reading TIPS:

2008-08-06T11:05:00.000+07:00

1.DON'T PANIC! Everything you need to answer the questions is there for you.

2.READING FOR COMPREHENSION.

Step 1:Read the first sentence of each paragraph and the last sentence of the selection: Getting an outline.

Step 2: Track the development: Ask yourself about the organization of the selection; ask yourself why the author is doing each important thing in the selection.

Step 3: Read through details: Don't try to memorize details, try to understand what point is being made; but more important, make sure that you understand the function of the detail in the structure of the selection.

Step 4: Summarize the development: After you've finished reading and before you go to the first question, pause to summarize in your mind the development of the selection and the author's main point.

Imam's Horse

2008-08-06T11:03:00.000+07:00

An Imam was selling his horse in the market. An interested buyer came to him and requested if he could get a test ride. The Imam told the man that this horse is unique. In order to make it walk, you'll have to say Subhanallah. To make it run, you'll have to say Alhamdulillah, and to make it stop, you'll have to say Allahu Akbar.

The man sat on the horse and said Subhanallah. The horse started to walk. Then he said Alhamdulillah, and it started to run. He kept saying Alhamdulillah, and the horse started running faster, and faster.

All of a sudden the man noticed that the horse is running towards the edge of the hill that he was riding on. Being overly fearful, he forgot how to stop the horse. He kept saying all these words out of confusion. When the horse was just near the edge, he remembered, and said it loud "ALLAHU AKBAR".

The horse stopped just one step away from the edge. The man took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky, and said "Alhamdulillah..."

The Greek Way of Doing Business

2008-08-06T10:39:00.000+07:00

The Greek way of doing business

Costa (father): ‘I want you to marry a girl of my choice.’

Son: ‘I will choose my own bride!!!’

Costa: ‘But the girl is Bill Gate’s daughter..’

Son: ‘Well, in that case… ok’

Next Costa approaches Bill Gates.

Costa: ‘I have a husband for your daughter….’

Bill Gates: ‘But my daughter is too young to marry!!!!!’

Costa: ‘But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.’

Bill Gates: ‘Ah, in that case… ok’

Finally Costa goes to see the president of the World Bank.

Costa: ‘I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president.’

President: ‘But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!’

Costa: ‘But this young man is Bill Gate’s son-in-law.’

President: ‘Ah, in that case… ok’

And that my friend is how Greeks do business

Learning English: MODALS

2008-08-06T10:32:00.000+07:00

MODAL: can, could, may, might, must, be able to, has/have/had
Formula: subject + modals + main verb

Can talk about possibility and ability, to make requests

Could talk about Past Possibility or Ability, to make requests
Requests

Be able to talk about ability Notice that be able to is possible in all tenses

May is Possibility, necessity

Must is a modal auxiliary verb.
Have to is NOT an auxiliary verb (it uses the verb have as a main verb).

Have to (objective obligation) We often use have to to say that something is obligatory. In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. The subject of have to is obliged or forced to act by a separate, external power (for example, the Law or school rules). Have to is objective.

Must (subjective obligation) We often use must to say that something is essential or necessary In general, must expresses personal obligation. Must expresses what the speaker thinks is necessary. Must is subjective. In each of the above cases, the "obligation" is the opinion or idea of the person speaking. In fact, it is not a real obligation. It is not imposed from outside. We cannot use must to talk about the past. We use have to to talk about the past

Must not/Mustn't (prohibition) We use must not to say that something is not permitted or allowed, Must not expresses prohibition - something that is not permitted, not allowed. The prohibition can be subjective (the speaker's opinion) or objective (a real law or rule). We can use must not to talk about the present or the future:
We cannot use must not to talk about the past.

Example:
All applicants must take an entrance exam
We have to obey the law

MP3 File Hunting di Multiply

2008-08-05T11:36:00.000+07:00

1. Sign up for Multiply.com's account.
2. Open Google
3. Type this query
?inurl:multiply.com/music? [artist] [title]
Ubah [artist] dengan nama artis/band/penyanyi yg Anda cari
Ubah [title] dengan judul lagu yg Anda cari.
Example:
?inurl:multiply.com/music? gigi
?inurl:multiply.com/music? celine dion
?inurl:multiply.com/music? "ada band" "haruskah ku mati"
4. Pilih salah satu dari hasil pencarian atau copy alamat url di halaman browser baru. Setelah masuk halaman Multiply, silahkan Sign in dengan user name dan password anda. Bila sudah terbuka halaman lokasi file yang dicari, klik download atau Klik Kanan dan pilih Save As untuk menyimpan MP3 lagu tersebut.
5. Good luck!

Definisi Kependudukan

2008-07-24T10:21:00.001+07:00

Adalah hal ihwal yang berkaitan dengan jumlah, ciri utama, pertumbuhan, persebaran, mobilitas, penyebaran, kualitas, kondisi, kesejahteraan yang menyangkut politik, ekonomi, sosial, budaya, agama serta lingkungan penduduk tersebut

Klasemen Formula 1 per 20 Juli 2008

2008-07-20T20:49:00.001+07:00

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Felipe Massa
3. Kimi Raikonnen

Hasil Formula 1 Sirkuit Hockenheim Jerman

2008-07-20T20:47:00.001+07:00

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Nelson Piquet Jr.
3. Felipe Massa

MP3 File Hunting di Multiply

2008-07-08T11:13:00.000+07:00

1. Daftarkan diri Anda terlebih dahulu ke Multiply.com jika belum mempunyai account di sana.
2. Buka Google
3. Masukkan query berikut ke dalam kotak pencarian.
?inurl:multiply.com/music? [artist] [title]
Ubah [artist] dengan nama artis/band/penyanyi yg Anda cari
Ubah [title] dengan judul lagu yg Anda cari.
Contoh:
?inurl:multiply.com/music? gigi
?inurl:multiply.com/music? celine dion
?inurl:multiply.com/music? "ada band" "haruskah ku mati"
4. Pilih salah satu dari hasil pencarian atau copy alamat url di halaman browser baru. Setelah masuk halaman Multiply, silahkan Sign in dengan user name dan password anda. Bila sudah terbuka halaman lokasi file yang dicari, klik download atau Klik Kanan dan pilih Save As untuk menyimpan MP3 lagu tersebut.
5. Selamat mencoba!

APLIKASI DOS

2008-07-08T11:06:00.000+07:00

DOS (Disk Operating System) adalah suatu program yang berfungsi untuk mengkonfigurasikan suatu komputer agar dapat menjalankan perintah yang diberikan sebagai masukan.

Operating system yang lazim dipergunakan adalah MS DOS, karena selain kapasitasnya yang kacil juga perintah-perintah yang dipergunakan relatif lebih mudah jika dibandingkan dengan sistem lainnya.

Beberapa Fungsi dari Disk Operating System (DOS) adalah:
1. Mengorganisasikan atau mengendalikan kegiatan komputer
2. Mengatur Memori
3. Mengatur proses input dan output data
4. Menegement file
5. Management direktory

Pengolahan File dan Direktory

Dalam pengoperasian DOS terdapat command-command/perintah-perintah yang dikelompokkan dalam 2 kelompok yaitu:

- Internal Command/Perintah Internal
Adalah perintah yang tidak lagi membutuhkan file khusus, karena semua instruksi internal sudah ditampung dalam file command.com

- External Command/Perintah Eksternal
Perintah yang memiliki file tersendiri dan tidak lagi ditampung pada file command.com

PON XVII

2008-07-07T10:47:00.001+07:00

Sabtu (5 Juli 2008) malam Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono secara resmi membuka perhelatan olahraga terbesar di Indonesia, PON (Pekan Olahraga Nasional).
PON kali ini dilaksanakan di Kalimantan Timur. Tahun 2008 ini, PON memasuki penyelenggaraan yang ke-17, setelah empat tahun yang lalu diadakan di Sumatera Selatan.
PON ke-17 ini diikuti oleh 33 propinsi se-Indonesia.

Question Tag

2008-07-07T10:46:00.000+07:00

Question tag digunakan pada suatu pernyataan yang tidak sepenuhnya diyakini kebenarannya, sehingga digunakanlah tag question setelah kalimat/pernyataan untuk mengkonfirmasi pernyataan tersebut.
- Tag question berupa auxiliary verb yang disesuaikan dengan auxiliary tenses kalimat/pernyataan sebelumnya
- Jika pernyataan/kalimatnya negative, maka tag question-nya positif, dan sebaliknya

Contoh soal:
1) There has not been a great response to sale,________?
a. does there
b. hasn’t there
c. hasn’t it
d. has there
2) a liter is one of the metric measurements,___?
a. aren’t they
b. isn’t it?
c. Is it?
d. Are they?

Preference

2008-07-07T10:44:00.000+07:00

Preference is one to express a like some thing (to do some thing) than others.

Formula
…… prefers + noun / V1 + ing + to noun / V1 + ing
…… would rather + V1 + than + V1

Example:
I like watching movie to staying at home
She would rather go to mosque than study Franch

Causative

2008-07-07T10:41:00.000+07:00

The causative is a common structure in English. It is used when one thing or person causes another thing or person to do something. This page will explain how causatives are formed, and how to use them.
Basic causative structures
There are two basic causative structures. One is like an active, and the other is like a passive. These examples use the causative verb "have":
I had John fix the car.
The active causative structure
Subject Causative verb Agent Action verb Object
Susan had her brother do her homework.
The police had the suspect stop his car.
We had the carpenter fix our window.
The passive causative structure
In the passive form, there is usually no agent. The action verb is in the past participle, and the object comes before it:
Subject Causative verb Object Action verb
We had our door fixed.
Yukiko had her hair cut.
Sanjay had the windows cleaned.
________________________________________
Other causative verbs
All the examples above use the causative verb "have". However, many other verbs can be used in causatives. In the active form, som of these verbs require the action verb to have "to" before it. These are some examples of the most common causative verbs.
Verb Meaning Form of Action Verb Examples
make force, compel plain form The robbers made us lie on the floor.
[No passive form]
get same as "have" "to" form I got Jae Won to pick me up in the car.
She got her hair cut.
let allow plain form I'll let you borrow my bike.
[No passive form]

PERBEDAAN DAN KEGUNAAN BEBERAPA CAUSATIVES

Causative Guna
Contoh

Let
FORMULA [let + person + verb]
This construction means "to allow someone to do something."
• John let me drive his new car.
• Will your parents let you go to the party?
• I don't know if my boss will let me take the day off.
Make
FORM: [make + person + verb]
This construction means "to force someone to do something."
• My teacher made me apologize for what I had said.
• Did somebody make you wear that ugly hat?
• She made her children do their homework.

Have
FORM [have + person + verb] This construction means "to give someone the responsibility to do something."
• Dr. Smith had his nurse take the patient's temperature.
• Please have your secretary fax me the information.
• I had the mechanic check the brakes.
Get
FORM [get + person + to + verb]
This construction usually means "to convince to do something" or "to trick someone into doing something.
• Susie got her son to take the medicine even though it tasted terrible.
• How can parents get their children to read more?
• The government TV commercials are trying to get people to stop smoking.
Get vs. Have
Sometimes "get someone to do something" is interchangeable with "have someone do something," but these expressions do not mean exactly the same thing.
• I got the mechanic to check my brakes.
AT FIRST THE MECHANIC DIDN'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARY, BUT I CONVINCED HIM TO CHECK THE BRAKES.
• I had the mechanic check my brakes.
I ASKED THE MECHANIC TO CHECK THE BRAKES.

Derivatives

2008-07-07T10:38:00.000+07:00

Derivatives adalah kata jadian yang berasal dari kata lain atau dari pangkal/dasar kata kerja/sifat dan sejenisnya. Particle yang ditambahkan disebut affixes. Particle yang ditambahkan di awal kata disebut prefix, di tengah disebut infix, dan di akhir disebut suffix.
1.1 Awalan/prefix
Penambahan awalan merubah arti kata, tetapi tidak mengubah jenis kata.
a- : asleep
dis- : dismiss
in- : insufficient, incorrect
out- : outdoor, outgoing
post- : postpone
re- : rewrite

Awalan yang membentuk kata kerja: en- : enlarge

2.2. Akhiran/suffix
Akhiran dapat digunakan untuk membentuk kata benda, kerja, keterangan, dan sifat. Akhiran/suffix akan mengubah jenis kata asalnya.
Contoh:
1. Noun-forming (Akhiran yang membentuk kata benda)
-ary : secretary
-ance : importance
-dom : kingdom
-ee : employee, trainee
-er, -ar, -or : teacher, liar, tailor
-hood : manhood, childhood
-ic, -ics : logic, physics
-ism : racism
-ist : artist
-ion : relation, religion
-ment : enjoyment
-ness : coldness, happiness
-ship : friendship
-ty : activity

2. Verb-forming (Akhiran yang membentuk kata kerja)
-ate : graduate
-en : lengthen, widen
-fy : terrify

3. Adjective-forming (Akhiran yang membentuk kata sifat)
-able, -ible : reasonable, edible
-ant, -ent : distant, present
-al : mortal, partial
-full : beautifull
-ic : economic, bionic
-ior : superior
-ish : childish
-ive : creative
-ly : friendly
-less : childless, helpless
-like : childlike

4. Adverb-forming (Akhiran yang membentuk kata keterangan)
-ly : badly, beautifully
-ward, -wards : backward, backwards
-wise : likewise

Tips:
1. Kata yang paling menentukan dalam soal Derivatives adalah kata setelah titik-titik
Bila yang muncul Cari jawaban
a. kata kerja (-d/ed, -ing) adverb (-ly)
b. kata benda kata sifat
c. kata benda kata keterangan
2. Bila setelah titik-titik bukan kata benda/kerja/sifat maka kata yang menentukan adalah kata sebelum titik-titik
Bila yang muncul Cari jawaban
a. kata keterangan kata kerja
b. bilangan: one, two, etc kata benda
c. article: a/an/the kata benda
d. possessive adjective: my, your, etc kata benda
e. very/quite/more kata sifat

Contoh soal:

1. Nowadays people prefer using small cars than big ones because they’re more ...
a. economically
b. economics
c. economize
d. economical
e. economic

Jawab: E

Penjelasan:
Kata kunci yang menunjukkan bahwa soal di atas adalah derivatives adalah munculnya kata more i depan titik-titik. Lihat rumus no. 2 -> setelah more langsung diikuti oleh kata sifat. Untuk mencari kata sifat tambahkan –ic jadi economic, bukan economics. Jadi jawabannya adalah E.

Hasil MotoGP Assen Belanda 2008

2008-06-29T11:40:00.001+07:00

1. Casey Stoner
2. Dani Pedrosa
3. Collin Edward

Rentang Harga

2008-06-29T11:38:00.001+07:00

Pagi ini aku mendata rentang harga di salah satu pasar tradisional di Kotaku. Pasar Lemabang namanya. Sekitar 15 menit dari rumahku.
Alhamdulillah, respon para pedagang cukup baik.
Selanjutnya aku harus merapikan data rentang harga tersebut.

Bahagianya Orang Ikhlas

2008-06-26T11:10:00.001+07:00

Berpikirlah terus, bagaimana caranya agar amal kita diterima Allah. Tidak usah mengharap balas jasa, pujian, atau keuntungan sesaat.

"Ketahuilah, hari ini adalah hari Allah. Tidak boleh ada kesombongan dan sikap melampaui batas. Ikhlaskan niat kalian untuk berjihad dan carilah ridha Allah dengan amal kalian". Inilah yang disampaikan Khalid bin Walid di hadapan komandan pasukannya menjelang Perang Yarmuk.
Tak lama kemudian, datanglah utusan Khalifah membawa sepucuk surat untuk Khalid bin Walid. "Pedang Allah" ini segera membacanya. Di dalamnya tercantum beberapa hal, termasuk berita wafatnya Khalifah Abu Bakar dan dan beralihnya kendali kekhalifahan ke tangan Umar bin Khathab. Yang terpenting, Khalifah Umar mencopot jabatan panglima perang yang disandang Khalid bin Walid, dan mengangkat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah sebagai penggantinya.
Bagaimana sikap Khalid? Ia menerima pemberhentian tersebut dengan sikap ksatria. Tidak sedikit pun kekecewaan dan emosi terpancar dari wajahnya. "Aku tidak berperang untuk Umar. Aku berperang untuk Tuhannya Umar," demikian ungkapnya.
Ia segera mendatangi Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah untuk menyerahkan kendali kepemimpinan. Setelah itu ia berperang habis-habisan di bawah komando mantan anak buahnya tersebut. Padahal, masa itu adalah masa keemasan Khalid bin Walid.
Saudaraku, betapa bahagianya Khalid bin Walid. Lihatlah, betapa mudahnya ia menyerahkan jabatan kepada anak buahnya, lalu berperang habis-habisan sebagai seorang prajurit. Orientasi perjuangannya adalah Allah, bukan jabatan, ketenaran dan kepuasan nafsunya.
Kita harus mulai mengevaluasi diri. Boleh jadi kita sibuk beramal, namun tidak sibuk menata niat. Sehingga amal-amal yang kita lakukan tidak ada nilainya di hadapan Allah. Seorang ibu mengandung selama sembilan bulan, ia tidak mendapatkan apa-apa selain rasa sakit, bila kehamilannya itu disikapi dengan keluhan. Demikian pula seorang bapak yang siang malam bekerja, ia tidak mendapatkan apa-apa selain rasa lelah, bila tidak karena Allah. Karena itu, jangan hanya sibuk beramal, tapi sibukkan pula dengan meluruskan niat.
Bagaimana agar kita bisa ikhlas? Tekniknya sederhana. Pusatkan pikiran dan amal hanya untuk Allah. Berpikirlah, bagaimana agar amal kita diterima Allah. Titik. Tidak usah mengharap balas jasa, pujian, atau keuntungan sesaat. Lakukan yang terbaik, sampaikan dengan cara terbaik, berikan yang terbaik, dan dengan hati terbaik.
Saudaraku, orang ikhlas itu pasti bahagia dalam hidupnya. Sebab, Allah SWT akan menganugerahkan enam ciri (keutamaan) dalam hidupnya.
[1] Jarang kecewa terhadap dunia. Orang ikhlas tidak mengharapkan apapun dan dari siapapun. kenikmatan baginya bukan dari mendapatkan, tapi dari mempersembahkan. Sebaliknya, orang yang tidak ikhlas akan banyak kecewa dalam hidup, karena banyak berharap dari makhluk.
[2] Tidak pusing dengan penghargaan. Baginya orang ikhlas dipuji atau dicaci sama saja, asalkan apa yang ia lakukan benar caranya dan lurus niatnya.
[3] Tidak membeda-bedakan amal besar dan amal kecil. Orang ikhlas tidak sibuk melihat besar kecilnya amal. Ia hanya sibuk dengan apa yang disukai Allah. Tidak ada yang kecil di hadapan Allah. Yang kecil hanyalah amal yang tidak ikhlas.
[4] Nikmat berbuat amal. Kebahagiaannya bukan dari mendapatkan pujian, namun dari optimalnya amal. Karena itu, orang ikhlas akan tangguh dan istikamah dalam ibadah.
[5] Tidak menonjolkan "bendera". Orang ikhlas tidak berjuang untuk satu kelompok tertentu. Ia berjuang hanya untuk Islam. Kelompok/bendera hanyalah sarana/alat untuk mencapai tujuan.
[6] Tidak ditipu setan. Allah SWT mengabadikan ucapan Iblis dalam Alquran. "_pasti aku akan menyesatkan mereka (manusia) semuanya, kecuali hamba-hamba-Mu yang ikhlas" (QS Al Hijr [15]: 39-40). Wallaahu a'lam.
( KH Abdullah Gymnastiar )

Google Earth

2008-06-11T10:37:00.001+07:00

Kantorku lagi keranjingan Google Earth. Maklum internet adalah hal baru.
Aku sendiri telah melihat rumahku dari software tersebut.

Cataluna 2008 Race Result

2008-06-08T20:14:00.001+07:00

1. Dani Pedrosa
2. Valentino Rossi
3. Casey Stoner

Kisah Nyata Seorang Pemuda Arab yang Menimba Ilmu di Amerika

2008-06-05T21:32:00.001+07:00

Kisah Nyata Seorang Pemuda Arab Yang Menimba Ilmu Di Amerika Rabu, 22 Februari 06

Ada seorang pemuda arab yang baru saja me-nyelesaikan bangku kuliahnya di Amerika. Pemuda ini adalah salah seorang yang diberi nikmat oleh Allah berupa pendidikan agama Islam bahkan ia mampu mendalaminya. Selain belajar, ia juga seorang juru dakwah Islam.
Ketika berada di Amerika , ia berkenalan dengan salah seorang Nasrani. Hubungan mereka semakin akrab, dengan harapan semoga Allah SWT memberinya hidayah masuk Islam.
Pada suatu hari mereka berdua berjalan-jalan di sebuah perkampungan di Amerika dan melintas di dekat sebuah gereja yang terdapat di kampung tersebut. Temannya itu meminta agar ia turut masuk ke dalam gereja. Semula ia berkeberatan. Namun karena ia terus mendesak akhirnya pemuda itupun memenuhi permintaannya lalu ikut masuk ke dalam gereja dan duduk di salah satu bangku dengan hening, sebagaimana kebiasaan mereka.
Ketika pendeta masuk, mereka serentak berdiri untuk memberikan penghor-matan lantas kembali duduk. Di saat itu si pendeta agak terbelalak ketika melihat kepada para hadirin dan berkata, "Di tengah kita ada seorang muslim. Aku harap ia keluar dari sini." Pemuda arab itu tidak bergeming dari tempatnya. Pendeta tersebut mengucapkan perkataan itu berkali-kali, namun ia tetap tidak bergeming dari tempatnya. Hingga akhirnya pendeta itu berkata, "Aku minta ia keluar dari sini dan aku menjamin keselamatannya." Barulah pemuda ini beranjak keluar. Di ambang pintu ia bertanya kepada sang pendeta, "Bagaimana anda tahu bahwa saya seorang mus-lim." Pendeta itu menjawab, "Dari tanda yang terdapat di wajahmu." Kemudian ia beranjak hendak keluar. Namun sang pendeta ingin memanfaatkan keberadaan pemuda ini, yaitu dengan mengajukan beberapa pertanyaan, tujuannya untuk memojokkan pemuda tersebut dan sekaligus mengokohkan markasnya. Pemuda muslim itupun menerima tantangan debat tersebut.

Sang pendeta berkata, "Aku akan mengajukan kepada anda 22 pertanyaan dan anda harus menja-wabnya dengan tepat." Si pemuda tersenyum dan berkata, "Silahkan!

Sang pendeta pun mulai bertanya,

o Sebutkan satu yang tiada duanya,
o dua yang tiada tiganya,
o tiga yang tiada empatnya,
o empat yang tiada limanya,
o lima yang tiada enamnya,
o enam yang tiada tujuhnya,
o tujuh yang tiada delapannya,
o delapan yang tiada sembilannya,
o sembilan yang tiada sepuluhnya,
o sesuatu yang tidak lebih dari sepuluh,
o sebelas yang tiada dua belasnya,
o dua belas yang tiada tiga belasnya,
o tiga belas yang tiada em-pat belasnya.
o Sebutkan sesuatu yang dapat bernafas namun tidak mempunyai ruh!
o Apa yang dimaksud dengan kuburan berjalan membawa isinya?
o Siapakah yang berdusta namun masuk ke dalam surga?
o Sebutkan sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah namun Dia tidak menyu-kainya?
o Sebutkan sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah dengan tanpa ayah dan ibu!
o Siapakah yang tercipta dari api, siapakah yang diadzab dengan api dan siapakah yang
terpelihara dari api?
o Siapakah yang tercipta dari batu, siapakah yg diadzab dengan batu dan siapakah
yang terpelihara dari batu?
o Sebutkan sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah dan dianggap besar!
o Pohon apakah yang mempu-nyai 12 ranting, setiap ranting mempunyai 30 daun, setiap
daun mempunyai 5 buah, 3 di bawah naungan dan dua di bawah sinaran matahari?"

Mendengar pertanyaan tersebut pemuda itu ter-senyum dengan senyuman mengandung keyakinan kepada Allah. Setelah membaca basmalah ia berkata,
* Satu yang tiada duanya ialah Allah SWT.
* Dua yang tiada tiganya ialah malam dan siang. Allah SWT berfirman, "Dan Kami jadikan
malam dan siang sebagai dua tan-da (kebesaran kami)." (Al-Isra': 12).
* Tiga yang tiada empatnya adalah kekhilafan yang dilakukan Nabi Musa ketika Khidir
menenggelamkan sampan, membunuh seorang anak kecil dan ketika me-negakkan kembali dinding yang hampir roboh.
* Empat yang tiada limanya adalah Taurat, Injil, Zabur dan al-Qur'an.
* Lima yang tiada enamnya ialah shalat lima waktu.
* Enam yang tiada tujuhnya ialah jumlah hari ke-tika Allah SWT menciptakan makhluk.
* Tujuh yang tiada delapannya ialah langit yang tujuh lapis. Allah SWT berfirman, "Yang
telah menciptakan tujuh langit berlapis-lapis. Kamu sekali-kali tidak melihat pada ciptaan Rabb Yang Maha Pemurah sesuatu yang tidak seimbang." (Al-Mulk: 3).
* Delapan yang tiada sembilannya ialah malaikat pemikul Arsy ar-Rahman. Allah SWT
berfirman,"Dan malaikat-malaikat berada di penjuru-penjuru langit. Dan pada hari itu delapan orang malaikat men-junjung 'Arsy Rabbmu di atas(kepala) mereka." (Al-Haqah: 17).
* Sembilan yang tiada sepuluhnya adalah mu'jizat yang diberikan kepada Nabi Musa :
tongkat, tangan yang bercahaya, angin topan, musim paceklik, katak, darah, kutu dan belalang dan *
* Sesuatu yang tidak lebih dari sepuluh ialah ke-baikan. Allah SWT berfirman,
"Barangsiapa yang berbuat kebaikan maka untuknya sepuluh kali lipat." (Al-An'am: 160).
* Sebelas yang tiada dua belasnya ialah jumlah saudara-saudara Yusuf .
* Dua belas yang tiada tiga belasnya ialah mu'jizat Nabi Musa yang terdapat dalam firman
Allah, "Dan (ingatlah) ketika Musa memohon air untuk kaumnya, lalu Kami berfirman, 'Pukullah batu itu dengan tongkatmu.' Lalu memancarlah daripadanya dua belas mata air." (Al-Baqarah: 60).
* Tiga belas yang tiada empat belasnya ialah jumlah saudara Yusuf ditambah dengan ayah
dan ibunya.
* Adapun sesuatu yang bernafas namun tidak mempunyai ruh adalah waktu Shubuh. Allah
SWT ber-firman, "Dan waktu subuh apabila fajarnya mulai menying-sing." (At-Takwir: 18).
* Kuburan yang membawa isinya adalah ikan yang menelan Nabi Yunus AS.
* Mereka yang berdusta namun masuk ke dalam surga adalah saudara-saudara Yusuf ,
yakni ketika mereka berkata kepada ayahnya,
"Wahai ayah kami, sesungguhnya kami pergi berlomba-lomba dan kami tinggalkan Yusuf di
dekat barang-barang kami, lalu dia dimakan serigala." Setelah kedustaan terungkap, Yusuf berkata kepada mereka," tak ada cercaaan ter-hadap kalian." Dan ayah mereka Ya'qub berkata, "Aku akan memohonkan ampun bagimu kepada Rabbku. Sesungguhnya Dia-lah Yang Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang."
* Sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah namun tidak Dia sukai adalah suara keledai. Allah SWT
berfirman, "Sesungguhnya sejelek-jelek suara adalah suara kele-dai." (Luqman: 19).
* Makhluk yang diciptakan Allah tanpa bapak dan ibu adalah Nabi Adam, malaikat, unta
Nabi Shalih dan kambing Nabi Ibrahim.
* Makhluk yang diciptakan dari api adalah Iblis, yang diadzab dengan api ialah Abu Jahal
dan yang terpelihara dari api adalah Nabi Ibrahim. Allah SWT berfirman, "Wahai api dinginlah dan selamatkan Ibrahim." (Al-Anbiya': 69).
* Makhluk yang terbuat dari batu adalah unta Nabi Shalih, yang diadzab dengan batu
adalah tentara bergajah dan yang terpelihara dari batu adalah Ash-habul Kahfi (penghuni gua).
* Sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah dan dianggap perkara besar adalah tipu daya wanita,
sebagaimana firman Allah SWT, "Sesungguhnya tipu daya kaum wanita itu sangatlah besar." (Yusuf: 28).
* Adapun pohon yang memiliki 12 ranting setiap ranting mempunyai 30 daun, setiap daun
mempunyai 5 buah, 3 di bawah teduhan dan dua di bawah sinaran matahari maknanya: Pohon adalah tahun, ranting adalah bulan, daun adalah hari dan buahnya adalah shalat yang lima waktu, tiga dikerjakan di malam hari dan dua di siang hari.

Pendeta dan para hadirin merasa takjub mendengar jawaban pemuda muslim tersebut. Kemudian ia pamit dan beranjak hendak pergi. Namun ia mengurungkan niatnya dan meminta kepada pendeta agar menjawab satu pertanyaan saja. Permintaan ini disetujui oleh sang pendeta. Pemuda ini berkata, "Apakah kunci surga itu?" mendengar pertanyaan itu lidah sang pendeta menjadi kelu, hatinya diselimuti keraguan dan rona wajahnya pun berubah. Ia berusaha menyembunyikan kekhawatirannya, namun hasilnya nihil. Orang-orang yang hadir di gereja itu terus mendesaknya agar menjawab pertanyaan tersebut, namun ia berusaha mengelak. Mereka berkata, "Anda telah melontarkan 22 pertanyaan kepadanya dan semuanya ia jawab, sementara ia hanya memberimu satu pertanyaan namun anda tidak mampu menjawabnya!" Pendeta tersebut berkata, "Sungguh aku mengetahui jawaban dari pertanyaan tersebut, namun aku takut kalian marah. "Mereka menjawab, "Kami akan jamin keselamatan anda." Sang pendeta pun berkata, "Jawabannya ialah: Asyhadu an La Ilaha Illallah wa anna Muhammadar Rasulullah."
Lantas sang pendeta dan orang-orang yang hadir di gereja itu memeluk agama Islam.
Sungguh Allah telah menganugrahkan kebaikan dan menjaga mereka dengan Islam melalui tangan seorang pemuda muslim yang bertakwa.**

* Penulis tidak menyebutkan yang kesembilan (pent.)
* Kisah nyata ini diambil dari Mausu'ah al-Qishash al-Waqi'ah melalui internet, www.gesah.net

A Good Story

2008-06-05T21:17:00.000+07:00

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages.
When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital. He died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how she was going to face her husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS :
1. What were the five words ?
2. What is the implication of this story?
Scroll down to read....

ANSWER :
The husband just said "I am with you Darling". The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take off all your envies, jealousy, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

MORAL OF THE STORY
This story is really worth reading. Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.

Have a nice and blessed day ....

Internetan dengan Starone

2008-06-05T20:53:00.000+07:00

Ada dua pilihan berinternet dengan Starone, yaitu volume based dan time based. Volume based berarti tarif dihitung berdasarkan volume, sedangkan time based berarti tarif dihitung berdasarkan waktu.

Jika hendak berinternet dengan time based maka kita harus mendaftar terlebih dahulu. Caranya ketik REG TIME kirim ke 799. Jika hendak berinternet dengan volume based tidak perlu mendaftar.

Untuk kembali ke tarif berdasarkan volume silakan ketik UNREG kirim ke 799.

Voucher Listrik

2008-06-05T14:31:00.001+07:00

Di Kecamatan Lalan, Kabupaten Musi Banyuasin, Propinsi Sumatera Selatan ada listrik bervoucher. Voucher tersebut digesek pada alat khusus. Listrik akan menyala selama voucher masih berisi. Voucher tersebut dibeli di Kantor Kecamatan.

Scholarship

2008-06-05T09:46:00.000+07:00

I really want to get a scholarship. I hope I can apply for a scholarsip this year. I'll apply to any country that my field match to.

Office Suite

2008-06-05T09:10:00.000+07:00

If you want to add office suite to your handphone, you have to browse it on www.getjar.com or wap.getjar.com or search on google Mobi Systems Office Suite.
If you look for it at getjar, you have to insert the code (9479 or 5445).

Kamus Bahasa Inggris

2008-06-05T04:57:00.000+07:00

Dulu (sebelum tahun 2000) pelajaran Bahasa Inggris mulai diajarkan ketika siswa memasuki jenjang SLTP. Saya masuk SLTP pada 1994. Waktu itu saya merasakan bahwa saya memerlukan alat bantu berupa kamus bahasa Inggris-Indonesia. Kamus tersebut saya beli di Toko Buku Gramedia dengan harga Rp 3.950,-. Sampai hari ini, kamus tersebut masih ada, namun dalam kondisi yang sudah kurang baik. Beberapa halamannya terlepas, termasuk cover. Namun kamus tersebut masih bermanfaat to improve my English dan untuk menunjang pendidikan keponakan saya.

Jadilah Wanita yang Paling Bahagia

2008-06-05T01:47:00.001+07:00

Buku ini berjudul As'adum Ra-atin fil 'Aalam karya Dr. 'Aidh bin 'Abdullah Al-Qarni. Judul buku tersebut diterjemahkan menjadi Jadilah Wanita yang Paling Bahagia -Wahai Kaum Wanita Jangan Bersedih-. Penerjemahnya adalah Bahrun Abubakar Ihsan Zubaidi, Lc. Buku yang diperuntukkan khusus bagi wanita ini diterbitkan oleh Irsyad Baitus Salam, Bandung.
Buku tersebut mengandung pesan-pesan baik bagi kaum wanita dan memberikan sampel tokoh wanita terkemuka, baik dari kalangan muslim maupun nonmuslim, untuk memberi pengertian kepada pembaca agar tidak bersedih dan berputus asa dalam menghadapi cobaan dan seluk-beluk kehidupan serta menyikapinya dengan pasrah dan tawakkal kepada Allah SWT.

Akses blogspot.com via handphone

2008-06-05T01:28:00.000+07:00

Dari pagi tadi aku mencoba mengakses www.blogspot.com via handphone. Namun sayangnya sulit sekali untuk dilakukan. Setiap hendak log in muncul notifikasi web server nonrespon atau waktu koneksi habis atau tidak dapat membuat koneksi aman ke web ini. Alhamdulillah tengah malam ini akhirnya berhasil juga.

Syarat-syarat mengurus paspor

2008-06-04T12:09:00.001+07:00

Syarat-syarat pengurusan paspor meliputi Kartu Tanda Pengenal, Kartu Keluarga, Akte Kelahiran, Ijazah Terakhir, Ijin Atasan (khusus PNS). Biaya pengurusan paspor sebesar Rp 260.000,-

Rukyat Global

2008-06-04T11:47:00.002+07:00

Rukyat global atau yang berlaku global di seluruh dunia dapat dilihat pada http://www.moonsighting.com

MDG

2008-06-04T11:41:00.001+07:00

Millenium Development Goal menjadi isu penting dalam kegiatan perencanaan pembangunan.
Pada 2015 MDG's diharapkan tercapai.
MDG's meliputi hal-hal berkaitan dengan kemiskinan, partisipasi sekolah dasar, kesehatan, dan ketahanan pangan

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