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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Puisi Anti Rokok (Anti Smoking Poem) byTaufik Ismail

Tuhan Sembilan Senti

Indonesia adalah sorga luar biasa ramah bagi perokok,
tapi tempat siksa tak tertahankan bagi orang yang tak merokok,

di sawah petani merokok,
di pabrik pekerja merokok,
di kantor pegawai merokok,
di kabinet menteri merokok,
di reses parlemen anggota DPR merokok,
di Mahkamah Agung yang bergaun toga merokok, 
hansip-bintara- perwira nongkrong merokok,

di perkebunan pemetik buah kopi merokok,
di perahu nelayan penjaring ikan merokok,
di pabrik petasan pemilik modalnya merokok,
di pekuburan sebelum masuk kubur orang merokok,

Indonesia adalah semacam firdaus-jannatu- na’im sangat ramah bagi perokok,
tapi tempat siksa kubur hidup-hidup bagi orang yang tak merokok,

di balik pagar SMU murid-murid mencuri-curi merokok,
di ruang kepala sekolah…ada guru merokok,
di kampus mahasiswa merokok,
di ruang kuliah dosen merokok,
di rapat POMG orang tua murid merokok,
di perpustakaan kecamatan ada siswa bertanya apakah ada buku tuntunan cara merokok,

Di angkot Kijang penumpang merokok,
di bis kota sumpek yang berdiri yang duduk orang bertanding merokok,
di loket penjualan karcis orang merokok,
di kereta api penuh sesak orang festival merokok,
di kapal penyeberangan antar pulau penumpang merokok,
di andong Yogya kusirnya merokok, sampai kabarnya kuda andong minta diajari pula merokok,

Negeri kita ini sungguh nirwana kayangan para dewa-dewa bagi perokok,
tapi tempat cobaan sangat berat bagi orang yang tak merokok,
Rokok telah menjadi dewa, berhala, tuhan baru, diam-diam menguasai kita,

Di pasar orang merokok,
di warung Tegal pengunjung merokok,
di restoran, di toko buku orang merokok,
di kafe di diskotik para pengunjung merokok,

Bercakap-cakap kita jarak setengah meter tak tertahankan asap rokok,
bayangkan isteri-isteri yang bertahun-tahun menderita di kamar tidur
ketika melayani para suami yang bau mulut dan hidungnya mirip asbak rokok,

Duduk kita di tepi tempat tidur ketika dua orang bergumul saling
menularkan HIV-AIDS sesamanya,
tapi kita tidak ketularan penyakitnya.
Duduk kita disebelah orang yang dengan cueknya mengepulkan asap rokok
di kantor atau di stopan bus,
kita ketularan penyakitnya.
Nikotin lebih jahat penularannya ketimbang HIV-AIDS,

Indonesia adalah sorga kultur pengembangbiakan nikotin paling subur di dunia,
dan kita yang tak langsung menghirup sekali pun asap tembakau itu, bisa ketularan kena,

Di puskesmas pedesaan orang kampung merokok,
di apotik yang antri obat merokok,
di panti pijat tamu-tamu disilahkan merokok,
di ruang tunggu dokter pasien merokok,
dan ada juga dokter-dokter merokok,

Istirahat main tenis orang merokok,
di pinggir lapangan voli orang merokok,
menyandang raket badminton orang merokok,
pemain bola PSSI sembunyi-sembunyi merokok,
panitia pertandingan balap mobil, pertandingan bulutangkis, turnamen sepakbola
mengemis-ngemis mencium kaki sponsor perusahaan rokok,

Di kamar kecil 12 meter kubik, sambil ‘ek-‘ek orang goblok merokok,
di dalam lift gedung 15 tingkat dengan tak acuh orang goblok merokok,
di ruang sidang ber-AC penuh, dengan cueknya, pakai dasi, orang-orang goblok merokok,

Indonesia adalah semacam firdaus-jannatu- na’im sangat ramah bagi orang perokok,
tapi tempat siksa kubur hidup-hidup bagi orang yang tak merokok,
Rokok telah menjadi dewa, berhala, tuhan baru, diam-diam menguasai kita,

di sebuah ruang sidang ber-AC penuh, duduk sejumlah ulama terhormat
merujuk kitab kuning
dan mempersiapkan sejumlah fatwa.
Mereka ulama ahli hisap.
Haasaba, yuhaasibu, hisaaban.
Bukan ahli hisab ilmu falak,
tapi ahli hisap rokok.

di antara jari telunjuk dan jari tengah mereka terselip berhala-berhala kecil,
sembilan senti panjangnya,
putih warnanya,
kemana-mana dibawa dengan setia,
satu kantong dengan kalung tasbih 99 butirnya,

mengintip kita dari balik jendela ruang sidang,
tampak kebanyakan mereka memegang rokok dengan tangan kanan,
cuma sedikit yang memegang dengan tangan kiri.
Inikah gerangan pertanda yang terbanyak kelompok ashabul yamiin dan yang
sedikit golongan ashabus syimaal?

asap rokok mereka mengepul-ngepul di ruangan AC penuh itu.
mamnu’ut tadkhiin, ya ustadz. Laa tasyrabud dukhaan, ya ustadz.
Kyai, ini ruangan ber-AC penuh.
haadzihi al ghurfati malii’atun bi mukayyafi al hawwa’i.
kalau tak tahan, di luar itu sajalah merokok.
laa taqtuluu anfusakum. Min fadhlik, ya ustadz.
25 penyakit ada dalam khamr. Khamr diharamkan.
15 penyakit ada dalam daging khinzir (babi). Daging khinzir diharamkan.
4000 zat kimia beracun ada pada sebatang rokok. Patutnya rokok diapakan?

tak perlu dijawab sekarang, ya ustadz. Wa yuharrimu ‘alayhimul khabaaith.
mohon ini direnungkan tenang-tenang, karena pada zaman Rasulullah dahulu,
sudah ada alkohol, sudah ada babi, tapi belum ada rokok.

jadi ini PR untuk para ulama.
tapi jangan karena ustadz ketagihan rokok,
lantas hukumnya jadi dimakruh-makruhkan, jangan,

para ulama ahli hisap itu terkejut mendengar perbandingan ini.
banyak yang diam-diam membunuh tuhan-tuhan kecil yang kepalanya berapi itu,
yaitu ujung rokok mereka.
kini mereka berfikir. Biarkan mereka berfikir.
asap rokok di ruangan ber-AC itu makin pengap, dan ada yang mulai
terbatuk-batuk,

pada saat sajak ini dibacakan malam hari ini,
sejak tadi pagi sudah 120 orang di Indonesia mati karena penyakit rokok.
korban penyakit rokok lebih dahsyat ketimbang korban kecelakaan lalu lintas,

lebih gawat ketimbang bencana banjir, gempa bumi dan longsor,
cuma setingkat di bawah korban narkoba,

pada saat sajak ini dibacakan, berhala-berhala kecil itu sangat
berkuasa di negara kita,
jutaan jumlahnya,
bersembunyi di dalam kantong baju dan celana,
dibungkus dalam kertas berwarni dan berwarna,
diiklankan dengan indah dan cerdasnya,

tidak perlu wudhu atau tayammum menyucikan diri,
tidak perlu ruku’ dan sujud untuk taqarrub pada tuhan-tuhan ini,
karena orang akan khusyuk dan fana dalam nikmat lewat upacara menyalakan
api dan sesajen asap tuhan-tuhan ini,

Rabbana, beri kami kekuatan menghadapi berhala-berhala ini.

Amin Yaa Rabbalalamin


--Attempted English Version--

Nine Centimetres God

Indonesia is amazingly friendly haven for smokers,
but the unbearable torment for those who do not smoke,

In the the rice fields farmers were smoking,
In the factories workers were smoking,
In the office employees were smoking,
In the cabinet ministers were smoking,
In the parliamentary reces, members of parliament were smoking,
In the Supreme Court, they who dressed in togas were smoking, 
Security officers-police aides hung out for smoking,

At the coffee plantation, coffee bean pickers were smoking,
In the fishing boat, fishermen were smoking,
In a firecracker factory, its owner are smoking,
In the cemetery, people were smoking before entering the grave,

Indonesia is a kind of paradise-Na'im jannatu- very friendly for smokers,
But the living grave punishment for the people who do not smoke,

Behind the fences of high schools students were smoking surreptitiously,
In the principal's office ... there were teachers who were smoking,
In the colleges students were smoking,
In a faculty hall lecturer are smoking,
In the PTA meeting the parents were smoking,
In the district libraries a student ask if there were books about how to smoke,

In the public transportation passengers were smoking,
In the crowded city bus people who stands and people who sits were competing to smoke,
In the ticket window the ticket person are smoking,
In the packed train there were festivals of smoke,
In the inter-island ferry passengers were smoking,
In the horse carriage of Yogya their coachmen were smoking, even the horses were reportedly asked to be taught to smoke,

Our country is really a heaven of the gods for smokers,
but a very hard temptation for people who do not smoke,
Cigarette has become a god, an idol, a new god, quietly dominate us,

At the market people were smoking,
In Tegal food stall visitors were smoking,
In the restaurants, in book stores people were smoking,
At the cafe at the discotheque visitors were smoking,

Conversation between us within half a meter have become unbearable with smoke,
Imagine the suffering of wives for years in the bedroom
when serving husbands with mouths and noses smell like ashtrays,


If we sat on the edge of the bed when two people struggle each other transmitting HIV-AIDS, we would not catch the disease.

If we sat next to people who indifferently puffing smokes
in the office or at the bus shelter,
We will catch the disease.
Nicotine is more evil than HIV-AIDS,

Indonesia is heaven for the most fertile nicotine breeding culture in the world,
and we who do not directly inhale tobacco smoke even once, could catch the hit,

In rural health centre, the villagers smoke,
In the pharmacies people who lines up for medicine smoke,
at the massage parlours guests are welcomed to smoke,
at the doctor's waiting room the patient smokes,
and there are doctors who smoke too,

when resting after a tennis game people were smoking,
on the edge of a volleyball court people were smoking,
while carrying badminton rackets people were smoking,
the National football players were secretly smoking,
the committees for car racing tournaments, badminton competitions, football matches
were begging to kiss the feet of cigarettes corporate sponsors,

in a small room 12 cubic meters, while taking shits, stupid people were smoking,
inside a lift of a 15 levels building, dumb person was smoking indifferently,
in a fully air-conditioned courtroom, wearing a tie, the stupid was smoking indifferently,

Indonesia is a kind of paradise-Na'im jannatu- very friendly for the smokers,
but a living grave punishment for people who do not smoke,
smoking has become a god, an idol, a new god, quietly dominate us,

in a full air-conditioned courtroom, sat a number of distinguished religious scholars
who were referring to the yellow religious books
and were preparing a number of fatwas.

They are expert scholars for hisap (sucking).
Haasaba, yuhaasibu, hisaaban.
Not experts on celestial hisab (counting)
but experts for cigarette’s hisap (sucking) .

In between their index finger and middle finger, they tucked small idols,
nine inches in length,
white in color,
it was brought everywhere faithfully,
at the same pocket with 99 granules rosary,

we peek through the window of the courtroom,
seemed most of them were holding a cigarette in their right hand,
only a few who hold them with the left hand.
is this a sign that the biggest number are ashabul yamiin group and the smallest number are ashabus syimaal group?

the cigarette smokes are steaming in the packed full air conditioned room.
mamnu'ut tadkhiin, ya ustadz. Laa tasyrabud dukhaan, ya ustadz.
respected Sirs, this was a fully air-conditioned room.
haadzihi al ghurfati malii'atun bi mukayyafi al hawwa'i.
if you cannot bear, just smoke outside.
laa taqtuluu anfusakum. Min fadhlik, ya ustadz.

25 diseases exist in khamr. Khamr is forbidden.
15 diseases exist in khinzir (pork). Khinzir meat is forbidden.
4000 toxic chemicals are in a cigarette. What do you think we should do with cigarettes?

no need to be answered now, ya ustadz. Wa yuharrimu 'alayhimul khabaaith.
please contemplate this calmly, because the at the time of the Prophet,
there were alcohol, there were pigs, but there were no cigarettes.

let this be a homework for the religious scholars.
but don’t do, because you are addicted to cigarettes,
then you make the law as makruh, do not,

the religious scholars, experts of hisap (sucking) were surprised to hear this comparison.
many secretly kill the small gods with the fiery heads, the end of their cigarettes
now they think. Let them think.
cigarette’s smoke in the air-conditioned room was getting stuffy, some people were beginning to cough;

at the time of this poem was read,
in a day there were already 120 people in Indonesia died from diseases caused by smokes.
the victims of cigarette caused disease were more devastating than the victims of traffic accidents,

more serious than floods, earthquakes and landslides,
just a notch below the victims of drugs,

at the time this poem was read, the small idols were very powerful in our country,
millions in number,
hiding in the pockets of shirts and pants,
wrapped in colored papers,
advertised beautifully and intelligently,

no need for ablutions or tayammum to purify ourselves, no need for bows and prostrations to obey these gods,
because people will be solemnly and transitory in favor of passing the ceremonial lighting fire and smoke offerings for these gods,

O God, give us the strength to face these idols.

Amin Yaa Rabbalalamin

Friday, August 30, 2013

LATEST CANCER INFORMATION (Hopefully it is not hoax)

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY …


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.


11. An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple.

What cancer cells feed on:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.


b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE SHARE IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT) —

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Sebagian Hukum Mencapai Kekuasaan dari Robert Green

 (via @TM2000NEWS)

Does it really have to be like this? I really hope not....  Sighhhhh....

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  = = = = =  = = = = = = = =  = = =


Hukum 1. “Jangan Pernah Terlihat Lebih Baik dari Atasan Anda”. Senantiasalah buat atasan anda lebih superior, lebih nyaman. Buatlah atasan anda tampil lebih brilian drpd yg sesungguhnya. Jgn sampai dia merasa terancam. Jgn berlebihan menunjukan kelebihan anda

Hukum 2. “Jangan pernah terlalu mempercayai teman, pelajarilah cara memanfaatkan musuh”. Ingat : sebagian besar manusia jatuh krna temannya. Bukan musuh yang utama menyebabkan anda kalah atau jatuh atau sengsara, tetapi teman2 andalah yg punya peluang /potensi sebabkan itu. Hati2

Hukum 3. “Sembunyikan Niat Anda”. Jangan pernah utarakan tujuan yg sebenarnya dibalik tindakan anda. Simpan baik2 niat anda yg sesungguhnya. Janganlah anda terlalu polos. Terlalu transparan sehingga mudah dibaca semua orang. Tidak semua orang suka meski niat anda itu baik

Hukum 4. “Senantiasa Bicara Lebih Sedikit daripada Yang Diperlukan”. Orang terkesan pada anda bukan karena anda banyak bicara. Bicaralah sedikit mungkin. Semakin anda banyak bicara, semakin banyak kelemahan anda yg dapat dinilai orang. Jgn terlalu berterus terang

Hukum 5. “Reputasi Itu Sangat Penting, Jagalah dengan Nyawa Anda !” Reputasi itu landasan kekuasaan. Harga dan nilai diri anda sbg manusia. Ciptakan Reputasi yg kuat, kokoh sehingga tdk bisa diserang apalagi dihancurkan oleh orang. Jangan ada celah sedikitpun bagi reputasi anda

Hukum 6. “Carilah Perhatian Berapun Harganya”. Popularitas itu pintu untuk kesuksesan. Jika anda tidak dikenal, bgmn anda bisa capai cita2 ? Bagi seorg politisi : cercaan, hinaan, olok2an, kritik dst pun akan dijadikan peluang utk cari perhatian/ketenarannya. Manfaatkan sebaik2nya

Hukum 7. “Mintalah Orang Lain Bekerja Keras Untuk Anda” pergunakan kebijaksanaan, ilmu pengetahuan, riset orang lain utk bantu tujuan anda. Jangan pernah lakukan sendiri apa yang bisa dilakukan orang lain untuk anda. Gunakan semua pesona dan kemampuan anda utk gerakan orang lain

Hukum 8. “Usahakan Org Lain Mendatangi Anda - Gunakan Umpan bila Perlu”. Ketika orang lain bertindak, selalu lebih baik anda pegang kendali

Hukum 9. “Raihlah Kemenangan Lewat Tindakan, Jangan Pernah Menang Lewat Perdebatan”. Jauh lebih baik anda memang tanpa ucapkan 1 kata pun

Hukum 10. “Jangan Sampai Terinfeksi. Hindarilah Orang2 Yang Tak Bahagia dan Orang Sial”. Sial, frustasi, kegilaan, kesengsaraan itu menular

Sunday, February 27, 2011

10 Forms of Twisted Thinking

By Therese J. Borchard

link: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/02/26/10-forms-of-twisted-thinking/

Both David Burns (bestselling author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and Abraham Low (founder of Recovery, Inc.) teach techniques to analyze negative thoughts (or identify distorted thinking — what psychologists call “cognitive distortions”) so to be able to disarm and defeat them.

Since Low’s language is a bit out-dated, I list below Burns’ “Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking,” (adapted from his “Feeling Good” book, a classic read) categories of dangerous ruminations, that when identified and brought into your consciousness, lose their power over you.

1. All-or-nothing thinking (a.k.a. my brain and the Vatican’s): You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories.

2. Overgeneralization (also a favorite): You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.

4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities don’t count (my college diploma was stroke of luck…really, it was).

5. Jumping to conclusions (loves alcoholic families): You conclude things are bad without any definite evidence. These include mind-reading (assuming that people are reacting negatively to you) and fortune-telling (predicting that things will turn out badly).

6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance.

7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: “I feel like an idiot, so I must be one.”

8. “Should” statements (every other word for me): You criticize yourself or other people with “shoulds,” “shouldn’ts,” “musts,” “oughts,” and “have-tos.”

9. Labeling: Instead of saying, “I made a mistake,” you tell yourself, “I’m a jerk” or “I’m a loser.”

10. Blame: You blame yourself for something you weren’t entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that you contributed to a problem.

6 Steps to Living a Good, Happy and Long Life


By John M Grohol PsyD

link: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/02/25/6-steps-to-living-a-good-happy-and-long-life/

Research has shown — most recently by psychologists Friedman and Martin in The Longevity Project (2010) — that getting to a long life is really just a combination of simple, everyday things and an approach to life that some might say emphasizes a sense of resiliency and openmindedness toward our fellow human beings.

You don’t need even read a long book to understand the basic building blocks of a good, happy and long life. Five minutes of your time and this article will do just nicely.

1. Gratitude.

Find something to be grateful for each and every day of your life. Start a “gratitude journal” and keep track of what you have to be grateful for. You can write down big things or small things, such as just enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on your face. It will help you reflect and encourage a sense of gratefulness in your own life.

2. Some stress is good.

Some stress keeps us motivated and a little “hungry” for more out of our lives. People who live longer stay motivated and are always looking forward to their next accomplishment. A little stress motivates and keeps us focused.

Too much stress causes health and mental health problems. Not enough stress leads to feelings of boredom and sometimes, meaninglessness. Cultivate finding the right balance of stress in your life to keep you interested, but not feeling overwhelmed.

3. Be more conscientious, dependable and compassionate.

People who are more conscientious live longer, fuller lives. It stands to reason, because focusing on yourself and your own needs all the time makes for a very stressed-out, selfish individual. Such a person usually won’t cultivate (or even be aware of) the mutual relationships, opportunities and social sharing that looking out for your fellow human being can. “Here, let me help you with that,” means that the next time you need help, someone may be there to lend you a hand.

If a person learns they can depend upon you, it makes you more invaluable in that person’s life. We know who we can depend on in our lives and turn to them when we need help. Not only do others value dependability, one side benefit of being so is the feeling of being appreciated and bolstering our own self-esteem.

4. Use common sense.

Common sense is sometimes undervalued in our society. Common sense is severely lacking, for instance, when people try and text while driving — leading to untold number of accidents and even fatalities each year. If you want to increase your longevity in this world, put common sense and self-control to work as much as possible. Ask yourself this simple question, “Does it make sense for me to do or say this, right here, right now? Or should I wait until later, until I’ve given it more thought, or can devote my full attention to it?”

5. Hang with the right crowd.

Drug users often have a hard time breaking the habit, not just because of the drug itself, but because of the friends and environment associated with doing the drug. The actor Christian Bale portrayed this beautifully in the character he played in the move, “The Figher.” It’s not just the drug that pulls you in — it’s the old patterns and habits of hanging out with a bunch of people who have that shared drug history.

If you want to live a healthier, longer and happier life, the friends you choose are a big part of it. Join groups of people who are doing the kinds of things you’d like to do, whether it be playing golf, enjoying a hobby or outdoor activity, or playing chess. Hang out with the people who are also enjoying life in a positive and joyful manner. You’ll find that doing so “rubs off” a bit on you, and increases your own happiness levels.

6. Enjoy more experiences, not things.

Research has shown that, time and time again, money doesn’t really buy you happiness (even though most of us thinks it does). What you should put your money toward — rather than buying more stuff — are experiences or charity. Research has shown that we tend to have fonder, happier memories of times we spent with someone doing something fun (like going on a trip), than if we had bought ourselves a new flat screen TV. And when we give money to charity, it also makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives.

You don’t have to be rich to enjoy an experience or to give a little to your favorite charity. A trip to the local state park, the beach or the mountains is virtually free and all it takes. A donation of $5 will generally make you feel the same as a donation of $50 (you don’t feel 10 times better giving $50 than $5) — it’s the act of giving that seems to matter most.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Nice love poem from (allegedly) Mr. B.J. Habibie

Puisi Cinta untuk Ibu Ainun

Sebenarnya ini bukan tentang kematianmu, bukan itu.
Karena, aku tahu bahwa semua yang ada pasti menjadi tiada pada akhirnya,
dan kematian adalah sesuatu yang pasti,
dan kali ini adalah giliranmu untuk pergi, aku sangat tahu itu.

Tapi yang membuatku tersentak sedemikian hebat,
adalah kenyataan bahwa kematian benar-benar dapat memutuskan kebahagiaan dalam diri seseorang,
sekejap saja, lalu rasanya mampu membuatku menjadi nelangsa setengah mati, hatiku seperti tak di tempatnya,
dan tubuhku serasa kosong melompong, hilang isi.

Kau tahu sayang, rasanya seperti angin yang tiba-tiba hilang berganti kemarau gersang.
Pada airmata yang jatuh kali ini, aku selipkan salam perpisahan panjang,
pada kesetiaan yang telah kau ukir, pada kenangan pahit manis selama kau ada,

aku bukan hendak mengeluh, tapi rasanya terlalu sebentar kau disini.
Mereka mengira aku lah kekasih yang baik bagimu sayang,

tanpa mereka sadari, bahwa kaulah yang menjadikan aku kekasih yang baik.

mana mungkin aku setia padahal memang kecenderunganku adalah mendua,
tapi kau ajarkan aku kesetiaan, sehingga aku setia, kau ajarkan aku arti cinta,
sehingga aku mampu mencintaimu seperti ini.

Selamat jalan,
Kau dari-Nya, dan kembali pada-Nya,
kau dulu tiada untukku, dan sekarang kembali tiada.
selamat jalan sayang,
cahaya mataku, penyejuk jiwaku,
selamat jalan,
calon bidadari surgaku ....



The following is my attempt to translate it to English:

Love Poem for Ibu Ainun

Actually, this is not about your death, not that
Because, I know everything that be, will come to an end eventually
And death is something for sure
And then it was your turn to go, I know that very much.

But what makes me shattered very hard
was the realization that death could really break the happiness in someone,
in a blink of eyes, the feeling could made me miserable so bad,
my heart feels away, my body feels empty, abandoned by its content.
You know dear, it felt like the wind suddenly stop and change to a dry summer.

With these falling tears, I put a long farewell on the devotion that you have engraved,
to the bitter and sweet memories when you were around.
I did not mean to complain, but it felt too brief that you were here.

They thought I was the best lover for you dear,
without they realized that you are the one who made me the faithful lover I was.
How can I be faithful when I tend to look the other way,
but you taught me faithfulness, so I became faithful,
you taught me the meaning of love,
so I can love you like this.

Good bye,
You come from God, and you will be back to Him.
You were not around for me, and you are not around for me now
Good bye my dear,
The light of my eyes, the breeze of my soul
Good bye
My angel to be in heaven…

Monday, October 27, 2008

Bagaimana Berpikir Kritis

Ketika kita menerima sebuah informasi, para ilmuwan bilang kita tidak boleh menerima begitu saja informasi tersebut. Kita harus kritis dalam menerima, sehingga tidak gampang terombang-ambing dalam isu-isu yang tidak jelas.

Namun, bagaimana sih berpikir kritis itu atau bahasa sononya, critical thinking?

Mike Gene penulis buku "the design matrix: a consilience of clue" memberikannya dalam suatu daftar pendek mudah dipahami:

  1. Lihat informasi dengan dari berbagai sumber, jangan cuma satu sumber.
  2. Pahami dan definisikan istilah-istilah yang dipakai
  3. Pertanyakan metode analisis yang dipakai
  4. Pertanyakan pula kesimpulannya: apakah di dukung dengan fakta? Adakah tanda-tanda bahwa fakta tersebut bias? Ingatlah korelasi tidak selalu berarti sebab-akibat
  5. Perhatikan asumsi-asumsi yang dipakai dan bias yang mungkin ada.
  6. Pertanyakan sumber informasi tersebut.
  7. Jangan berharap semua pertanyaan dapat terjawab
  8. Carilah "the big picture"-nya
  9. Lihat sebuah sebab dan akibat dari berbagai aspek dan sisi.
  10. Hati-hati dengan gaya bahasa yang bersifat sensasional
  11. Pahami pula bias dan nilai yang ada pada kita

Tapi sebagai seorang yang ingin berpikir kritis, ada baiknya kita teliti dulu, siapa itu Mike Gene si penulis buku, dan apa latar belakangnya sehingga ia bisa memberikan list semacam ini, apakah list yang dia berikan valid atau tidak berdasarkan penelitian orang lain? dll dsb pertanyaan yang harus dijawab sebagai seorang yang skeptis.

Untuk itu saya serahkan pada pembaca untuk mencari info-nya. Saya sih gak ada waktu untuk gitu-gitu :P

Monday, July 28, 2008

10 more tips for adding a little spice to your portraits

Continuation of the previous post.

11. Frame Your Subject

Framing is a technique where by you draw attention to one element of an image by framing it with another element of the image.

Framing gives an image depth and draws the eye to a point of interest in the image.

You could do it by placing your subject in a window or doorway, have them look through a small gap or even use their hands around their face. See more examples of framing in photography here.

portrait-framing.jpg
Image by darkmatter

12. Go with a Wide Angle

Shooting with a wide angle lens attached to your camera can help create some memorable shots when you’re doing portrait photography.

At very wide focal lengths you can create some wonderful distortion. It might not be the type of shot you take of your wife or girlfriend (unless she’s in a playful mood) but using these focal lengths will enlarge parts of the face or body that are on the edge of the frame more than what is in the centre.

It can also give a wide open and dramatic impact when your subject is in an impressive setting.

portrait-wide-angle.jpg
Image by paulbence

13. Play With Backgrounds

The person in your portrait is the main point of interest - however sometimes when you place them into different contexts with different backgrounds you can dramatically alter the mood in a shot.

Sometimes you want your background to be as minimalistic as possible.

portrait-background.jpg
Portrait by akbar1947

While other times a dramatic or colorful background can help your subject really stand out.

portrait-backgrounds.jpg
Photo by paulbence

The key is to experiment.

14. Change the Format Framing

Many photographers get stuck in a rut of only ever shooting either in ‘landscape’ (when the camera is held horizontally) or ‘portrait’ (when the camera is held vertically) modes. Look back through your images and see which one you use predominantly.

Just because a vertical framing is called ‘portrait’ mode doesn’t mean you always need to use it when shooting portraits. Mix your framing up in each shoot that you do and you’ll add variety to the type of shots you take.

portrait-horizontal.jpg
Image by bikeracer

15. Hold Your Camera on an Angle

Horizontal and Vertical framings are not the only options when it comes to shooting portraits. While getting your images straight can be important in when shooting in these formats holding your camera on a more diagonal angle can also inject a little fun into your images.

This type of framing can add a sense of fun and energy into your shots. Just don’t ’slightly’ do it or you’ll have people asking themselves if you might have mistakenly held your camera crooked.

portrait-angle.jpg
Photo by puja

16. Take Unfocused Shots

As photographers we have ’sharp focus’ drummed into us as an ultimate objective to achieve in our work - but sometimes lack of focus can create shots with real emotion, mood and interest.

There are two main strategies for taking unfocused images that work:

1. Focus upon one element of the image and leave your main subject blurred. To do this use a large aperture which will create a narrow depth of field and focus upon something in front of or behind your subject.

portrait-unfocused.jpg
Photo by Jeff Kubina

2. Leave the full image out of focus. To do this again choose a wide aperture but focus well in front or behind anything that is in your image (you’ll need to switch to manual focussing to achieve this).

These kinds of shots can be incredibly dreamy and mysterious.

portrait-out-of-focus.jpg
Portrait by peskymac

17. Introduce Movement

Portraits can be so static - but what if you added some movement into them? This can be achieved in a few ways:

  • by making your subject move
  • by keeping your subject still but having an element in the scene around them move
  • by moving your camera (or it’s lens to achieve a zoom burst)

portrait-movement.jpg
Portrait by philippe leroyer

The key with the above three methods is to use a slow enough shutter speed to capture the movement.

The alternative is to have your subject obviously move fast but to use a shutter speed so fast that it ‘freezes’ their movement.

18. Experiment with Subject Expressions

In some portraits it is the expression on the face of your subject that makes the image.

Get your subject to experiment with different moods and emotions in your image. Play with extreme emotions

portrait-smile.jpg
Portrait by carf

But also try more sombre or serious type shots

19. Fill the Frame

One way to ensure that your subject captures the attention of the viewer of your portrait is to fill the frame with their face.

It’s not something that you’d do in every shot that you take - but if your subject is the only feature in the shot - there’s really nowhere else to look.

portrait-fill-frame.jpg
Portrait by kkelly2007

20. Find an Interesting Subject

I have a friend who regularly goes out on the streets around Melbourne looking for interesting people to photograph.

When he finds someone that he finds interesting he approaches them, asks if they’d pose for him, he quickly finds a suitable background and then shoots off a handful of shots quickly (if they give him permission of course).

The result is that he has the most wonderful collection of photographs of people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.

While many of us spend most of our time photographing our loved ones - perhaps it’d be an interesting exercise to shoot interesting strangers once in a while?

portrait-interesting-subjects.jpg
Portrait by .mushi_king

-End of Article

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10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits


Link ://digital-photography-school.com/


How do you take Portraits that have the ‘Wow’ factor?

Today and tomorrow I want to talk about taking Portraits that are a little out of the box. You see it’s all very well and good to have a portrait that follows all the rules - but it hit me as I was surfing on Flickr today that often the most striking portraits are those that break all the rules.

I want to look at some ways to break out of the mold and take striking portraits by breaking (or at least bending) the rules and adding a little randomness into your portrait photography. I’ll share ten of these tips today and a further ten tomorrow (update: you can see the 2nd part here).

1. Alter Your Perspective


Most portraits are taken with the camera at (or around) the eye level of the subject. While this is good common sense - completely changing the angle that you shoot from can give your portrait a real WOW factor.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/striatic/241843728/

Get up high and shoot down on your subject or get as close to the ground as you can and shoot up. Either way you’ll be seeing your subject from an angle that is bound to create interest.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/trishabrunner/1943335705


2. Play with Eye Contact

It is amazing how much the direction of your subject’s eyes can impact an image. Most portraits have the subject looking down the lens - something that can create a real sense of connection between a subject and those viewing the image. But there are a couple of other things to try:

A. Looking off camera - have your subject focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This intrigue is particularly drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of emotion (ie ‘what’s making them laugh?’ or ‘what is making them look surprised?’). Just be aware that when you have a subject looking out of frame that you can also draw the eye of the viewer of the shot to the edge of the image also - taking them away from the point of interest in your shot - the subject.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/monicasemergiu/234796471/in/set-72157594435810788/


B. Looking within the frame - alternatively you could have your subject looking at something (or someone) within the frame. A child looking at a ball, a woman looking at her new baby, a man looking hungrily at a big plate of pasta…. When you give your subject something to look at that is inside the frame you create a second point of interest and a relationship between it and your primary subject. It also helps create ’story’ within the image.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/paulbence/2607145774/


3. Break the Rules of Composition

There are a lot of ‘rules’ out there when it comes to composition and I’ve always had a love hate relationship with them. My theory is that while they are useful to know and employ that they are also useful to know so you can purposely break them - as this can lead to eye catching results.

The Rule of Thirds is one that can be effective to break - placing your subject either dead centre can sometimes create a powerful image - or even creative placement with your subject right on the edge of a shot can sometimes create interesting images.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/zanotti/324894615/

Another ‘rule’ that we often talk about in portrait photography is to give your subject room to look into. This can work really well - but again, sometimes rules are made to be broken.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/bukutgirl/135855897/in/set-72157600004824323/


4. Experiment with Lighting

Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits.

Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/bukutgirl/127075934/

Using techniques like slow synch flash can create an impressive wow factor.


Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/22570135@N04/2428216904/


5. Move Your Subject Out of their Comfort Zone


I was chatting with a photographer recently who told me about a corporate portrait shoot that he had done with a business man at his home. They’d taken a lot of head and shoulder shots, shots at his desk, shots in front of framed degrees and other ‘corporate’ type images. They had all turned out fairly standard - but there was nothing that really stood out from the crowd.

The photographer and the subject agreed that there were plenty of useable shots but they wanted to create something ’special’ and out of the box. The photographer suggested they try some ‘jumping’ shots. The subject was a little hesitant at first but stepped out into the uncomfortable zone and dressed in his suit and tie started jumping!

The shots were amazing, surprising and quite funny. The shoot culminated with the subject jumping in his pool for one last image!

While this might all sound a little ’silly’ the shots ended up being featured in a magazine spread about the subject. It was the series of out of the box images that convinced the magazine he was someone that they’d want to feature.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/trishabrunner/2247534887/


6. Shoot Candidly

Sometimes posed shots can look somewhat…. posed. Some people don’t look good in a posed environment and so switching to a candid type approach can work.

Photograph your subject at work, with family or doing something that they love. This will put them more at ease and you can end up getting some special shots with them reacting naturally to the situation that they are in. You might even want to grab a longer zoom lens to take you out of their immediate zone and get really paparazzi with them.

I find that this can particularly work when photographing children.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/phitar/152462547/


7. Introduce a Prop

Add a prop of some kind into your shots and you create another point of interest that can enhance your shot.

Yes you might run the risk of taking too much focus away from your main subject but you could also really add a sense of story and place to the image that takes it in a new direction and gives the person you’re photographing an extra layer of depth that they wouldn’t have had without the prop.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/kmtucker/527180843/


8. Focus Upon One Body Part - Get Close Up

Get a lens with a long focal length attached to your camera - or get right in close so that you can just photograph a part of your subject. Photographing a person’s hands, eyes, mouth or even just their lower body… can leave a lot to the imagination of the viewer of an image.

Sometimes it’s what is left out of an image that says more than what is included.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/bukutgirl/206733063/


9. Obscure Part of your Subject


A variation on the idea of zooming in on one part of the body is to obscure parts of your portrait subject’s face or body. You can do this with clothing, objects, their hands or just by framing part of them out of the image.

Doing this means that you leave a little to the imagination of the image’s viewer but also focus their attention on parts of your subject that you want them to be focused upon.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/bigblonde/312435398/

10. Take a Series of Shots

Switch your camera into ‘burst’ or ‘continuous shooting’ mode and fire off more than one shot at a time.

In doing this you create a series of images that could be presented together instead of just one static image.

This technique can work very well when you’re photographing children - or really any active subject that is changing their position or pose in quick succession.

Sample: http://flickr.com/photos/36425193@N00/131246453/

-End of Article

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