mingled minds

Increasing Trafic

2009-05-27T12:02:00.000+07:00

Online marketing is now a necessity for many people. Not only for huge companies and industries that are established offline, but also to homeworkers, individual home industries and peoples effort in gaining extra income. With a small web or even blog, one can pile extra cash in their pockets. Most people who are intense in building market in the internet have tried several ways to develop their networks as well as page ranks, some are successful and most strive to gain that public awareness.
It would be easier if there was an automatic program of such that can increase trafic and clicks to our web. As searching for such facility, it turns out that such services to enhance online marketing are available.
These link building service to make sure our site is on the first page and good rank varies in price. Another great offer is search engine marketing that is low price and great value to our site. Hence as well to our income or brand.
Sounds interesting huh? As long as there are bucks to spend, more bucks can come with out much difficulties to building our market. If not..well.. we could always spend more time, more effort and a bit of patience in building that dream of personal online business.

CC Processor

2009-03-15T22:40:00.000+07:00

Credit card inventions have made financial transactions easy for people around the globe. Transactions limits such as currency type or geographical areas are no more. People can buy products and services in any side of the world with a single card. There is no questions to the advantages of credit cards.

Business owners find the need to offer their clients this easy method of transactions. Enhancing their company's growth and development. Though meeting this need, some business find a challenge to meet this need, especially in choosing the right credit card processors.

For consumers, many would not bother much in seeing how this credit card processor become a vital part of financial transactions, as long as it meets and facilitate their needs. Certain service or company have certain need and specific range of amount as well as type of transactions. As i ran across this page, America Processing, it came to me, how easy it would be if more services of such come in as helpful as that, specially for business owners and starters.

Benefits of avocado

2009-03-07T11:29:00.003+07:00

Mild-bland, oil-rich, nutrient-rich deliciously-flavored natural food is the avocado. Besides being very tasteful, the avocado fruit offers various benefits concerning health and beauty.
With high content of calorie, fat and oil, avocado is a source of abundant energy, but not fattening. Many people have feared the rich fat in avocado to increase body weight, but in contrary avocado can help weight management programs and loosing weight. Its fat is monounsaturated which helps speed up metabolic rate compared to saturated fat. Eating the rich fat, avocado also give a sensation of fullness therefore preventing one from over eating. Importantly it’s high in nutrition; minerals and vitamins.
Various minerals such as potassium, calcium, vitamin C and K, folic acid, sodium, copper and dietary fibers are found in the avocado. The vitamin C and E is a great antioxidant, which may function to drive free radicals in our body. This too would mean helpful for cancer treatment, cataracts and skin health including aging, whilst vitamin A is a nutrition support for immunity.
It is also acknowledge that the fruit can reduce cholesterol level and maintain flexibility in the musculature joints. Some also say eating this fruit helps various sexual problems. Studies have concluded that avocado fruit plays a role in reducing heart damage as well as damage due to viral hepatitis. This is due to the high balance level of potassium and sodium held in avocado which once in our bodies helps the heart to beat regularly, control water balance in the cells and maintain blood pressure.
Other than the fruit, the avocado leaf can also offer various benefits. In some culture these has grown into a tradition, where avocado fruits and leaf can be a natural remedy such as for kidney stones and back pains. Drinking half a cup of hot water with seven strands of avocado leaves in it can reduce and prevent kidney stones. Boiling five avocado leaves in 250cc water to be consumed the next morning, for a respective week, is said to be a remedy for back pains.
As for beauty, avocado is considered useful for the skin. Many cosmetics use avocado as its ingredient. Applying mashed avocado or avocado paste to the skin for about 30 minutes and rinse with warm water. This may keep the skin moisture, helping the skin from aging. Scrubbing the skin with sliced avocado can also ease refinement of the skin such as rough elbow or knees.

Reflections: How hard is it to say goodbye

2009-02-19T20:02:00.001+07:00

Having to stay at home due to giving birth to my first child. The image I once had as 'young, active, and busy' gradually disappeared, taken over by the common social image as a housewife as 'feminine, caring and at home'. No matter how traditional it seems, but maybe we'll get into that social image in another writing topic. In those days, a "TO DO LIST" was created as a replacement of activities and healing the lack of feeling "busy".

This LIST happens to be very long, fancy and idealistic. Just things to do at home that somehow never got done. I am sure most people have it, but still never got the time for it. Either with various reasons as occupied.

Most of my list, and I'm certain to most people, have to do with selecting clutters. You know, with that minimum of three categories: TO KEEP, TO GIVE, TO THROW. That list to do that most people dream they would do.

Anyway .. it seemed that even after all activities out side the house has been put to a stop. I realized that this list to do is still avoided and untouched. As is the case, I realize the "TO DO LIST" is basically "TOO BUSY TO DO LIST". Does that count for you to? Admit it!

Insisting that I must carry at least one course from the list, I began to skim the list. Considering the most possible task I could do. Running down the tasks, I stopped at one seeing it was harmless and easily done. That was, cleaning up the papers and boxes on my desk. I thought, it cant be that hard, and besides I was right there on my desk and most of my time is spent here. Happy to be able to put a tick soon on my list I began the work.

One box filled of paper, envelope, and all the things I do not have a specific was my starting point. I began to pull the items emptying the box. Still kept in mind those three categories: to keep, to give, to throw.

First out of the box is a stack of letters of work reference. I looked at them, thought them through, weigh-balanced. I thought, well, I no longer work there, and it seems very small I am in touch again with the institutions, though someone once told me it could be a great evidence to be used when applying other jobs when required. To keep? Or to throw? A little hesitant, but finally i kept that batch of letters in the box 'TO THROW'.

Yes! I do not need to save things like that, besides work reference can be done via telephone.

NEXT. I pulled a pile of paper. My goodness .. really I wonder why I have them. Scrawled talks among friends bored during lecture time in my earlier semester. (that was like 8 years ago!). It made me smile but easily i kept in the 'to throw' box.

NEXT. My friends Diary. How did this get here? Okay, I kept that aside.

NEXT. Hospital receipt, of making of false teeth . Still wondering why its there, I took more paper out of the box, I found a number of travel receipt, a number of tickets to the basket tournaments, film, theater and concerts. With one hand holding the clutter, I used my other hand in taking more contents; letter, short stories, photos, and then..i realized why the box is untouched. These contents can get too emotional.

I recall how each sheet of paper or item held in my hand at that time holds a special moment, whether beautiful or not, but definitely a moment. Many of the moments were valuable and having that item in my hand brings up all that moment, to the slightest feeling i had at that time. It is amazing how these items binds emotions. Throwing it would be throwing apart of your self. These objects represent your emotions and history.

Many of the objects I found was associated with a man, an ex-lover, the love of my life. The feeling for him were so kept safe that every object I saw all the moment at that time and the feeling rushed to the surface.

I smiled to seeing this stack of tingling past. Its a beautiful fantastic feeling and even more because how these feelings were kept closed in my heart. Like in a glass cage that doesn't worn out by time. Is it that difficult to let go?

I always thought that my feelings for him would stay the same, as like wise him to me. I thought that this glass cage can be opened anytime when we meet and start when we ended.The feeling of longing, love and sadness that may unduly spill. I thought that would be the feeling to explode when I had the chance to meet him once more. Just as the exact rush of love as I feel when I'm holding all these objects. But I was really wrong.

After years of living apart. I had the chance to accidentally meet that one love of my life, the breath of my soul, the love that I have locked safe in my heart. I waited for that rush of happiness and pain, prepared for my heart to be jumping wildly, but what i thought would be, was not. The pain never showed up. Neither did the rush of happiness nor love. This love of my life, right before me, and i felt, completely nothing. The love of my life. My other half. .. Plain. Trite. NOTHING. Where did it all go? Swallowed by time?

Hah! It's odd, i thought. After all these years running to cope and striving to let go. Here he was, so close yet so far. Truly funny, he was there so close, but with the distance of a lifetime.

Back to the piles of paper and clutter I see, hmm .. a sacred feeling in my glass box. So easily felt. However, outside that glass box, the feeling dies, its completely flat. Its like saving the an expired casserole just because you want to remember the taste? To keep? or To throw?

I kept it aside and I pulled the diary I found. I thought, I should give it back. Grabbed my coat, and I went to mail it.

keeping an organized garden

2009-02-16T20:03:00.000+07:00

Everyone will love to be in, or even just feast their eyes on an organized garden. Imagine having to meet wild weeds and grasses covering up your flowers and decorative plants, you not feel to spirited up anymore. The thing is, your garden can be one of the most refreshing and relaxing place in your home, but of course an organized space and neatness is a necessity. Does not matter whether you have a small or a huge space for your gardening, an organized garden would be a wondrous space to spend your time in.

The first and most likely to start, is building your garden. Start from the very top, and thats; planning. Think of a theme. What is it that you like. If you don't know much about gardens, you can look it up, or you can just start from picking the best place you like. Is it the mountains, the hot beach? Japanese style? The tropics? the rain forest? From there you can imagine the kind of vegetation you can place in your space, of course with certain compromises with the climate in your area. Choose your plants well, like grass for example comes in different type, which has different character in growing, whether its fast, easily pulled, hard to differ from the wild weeds, and so on.

Then after knowing what you like, you can start to sketch your garden blue prints, to where you'd put the plants that matches your theme. Putting a certain plant in an area is better than skattering them through the garden. You'd like to put the flowers in one side, match it up with colours or shapes, decorative plants in another, and so on. And dont forget about other garden properties, maybe you'd like to put a path walk along your garden that suits your theme, or a pond, or a gazebo, or just a play area for your kids.

When you're done with the decorative landscape planning you can even make space for vegetation that you consume, tomatoes, cabages, egg plants, fruits, etc. Its really a matter of taste, but most people do enjoy harvesting from your own garden. You can also add mark sticks to remind you the plants you have planted there.

If you're a really unorganized person, I once read an idea of making a garden notebook. Its a place to keep records of your garden. You can stick seed packets in a binder, so when you loose your marking stick you can still know the variety you are growing. You can even take pictures of your garden, put them in the binder to follow the growth of each area, or get a panoramic view to help with future planning.This garden notebook is great for making seasonal observations and keeping the plants in one organized place.

Not to forget, make space for organic waste. Depending on the size of your garden, you can dig up a hole to throw all that unwanted extra leaves and weeds in the hole, throw in some fertilizer (just a bit) and cover it up with soil, there you'd be making natural fertilizer, keep the soil well.

Once you have your garden set up. Every morning, or any time in the day when you spend time in our garden, take a walk though your garden to see and pull out any unwanted plants. Its easier this way, because you ma not feel much work in cleaning up your garden, but if you're a kind of person that have very little time to do so, you have to make a schedule, give an hour from each week would do, to maintain the plants in their respected place. Its very relaxing and refreshing, just doing so, even if you think its not in the first place.

How the media has changed the meaning of love

2009-02-16T12:42:00.000+07:00

It is not very difficult to see how the media does effect our perception on the things around us, not the less in the matter of Love. Take this for example, the first movie made on screen and viewed in public just after the second world war, showed a screen on intimacy, where the characters in that movie, kissed for the first time on screen. It may be a natural and normal expression of today, but at the time where intimacy was only kept indoors, it was a phenomena. From that point on, expression of intimacy was more ‘normal’ to be showed to public than it is to be kept personal. Some would even feel that lack of intimacy expression in public would mean that their spouse did not love them enough.

That is a small example on how the media created an image on expression of love. This may not be a great punch to clarify how the media changes the meaning of love as love it self is to broad to define, but if we take a closer look on the least of it, as a relationship of two people. We can have a solid example of how the media works that boundaries of what is right and what is wrong in the context of ‘love’ it self.

These days, we would understand that the media has broaden its function as the medium of information to become the agent of commodification. Media change things into commodity. In this process, personal values are towed into market value and spread to public as commodity.

This would be another example. Ask your self how you picture a romantic holiday. Is it candle light dinner? A trip to Hawaii? Spending the weekend in the slops of Himalaya? Dancing in the rain? Catch a sunburn in the yatch? Exotic Bali? If either of these have entered your mind, or something close to it, try to ask your self why and the concistency of it through the images of what media have told you about the meaning of ‘romance’ it self. How do you spend your valentine? Do you open up your Cosmo mags to get tips?

All of this has become a part of life that is really hard to set aside. Media is an integral daily consumption. In the eyes of critics, a shift of economic orientation to the consumption have walked aside globalization and given consequences of lowering human lives due to making them a subject that is almost helpless to the process of commodification. Debord in The Society of the Spectacle, also mentioned how the society is living in constant falseness. Further more, the delopment of commodity now a days is slipped into the images through various media in our daily lives, which does not only distort human experiences in their own world, but also understanding around that world as well. This condition is almost certain can drive people in difficulty in seeing what is ‘real’ and what is ‘fake’, which is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, and which is ‘past’ and ‘present’.

Critics have been sprung out on these human living conditions that we are now in, but critics are left as critics. These critics are also easily towed in to the commodity process, to gain market value and again distorting perception of human lives.

Love is also not a new product to the media. Since the 60s, sociologist have studied the importance of human daily lives in the process of labeling, evaluation and communications. An article consuming the romantic Utopia, by Eva Illouz, also underlined how love plays a huge role in the culture and economy now a days.

We have known love far beyond before we have known capitalism, but there are two important themes that underline the significance between the two, which is; the freedom of choice (love doesnot understand age, sex, colour nor time) and an alternative relationship motivated by economic interest. It would be hard to separated love from the techno-capitalist culture industry.

Love and commodity, love as commodity and commodity as love have moved together creating production, consumption and in the process creating new meaning of the term love in our daily lives. The meanings that gradually we see as reality.

It would be naïve to say that love is a personal space and not a part of the capitalism ideology, where media plays in the center role.

Waiting for love in personal ads

2009-02-13T09:52:00.007+07:00

Quick and effisien likely are words that describe the exact image of the life of modern metropolitan individuals. The development of communication and technology has seemingly made every process instant and ready made, even in the matter of, Love. In the mids of endless image and visualization of happiness in being single made by the media, that have somehow created a work driven single life trends; it seem that there is still room for hope and expectations of a happily ever after and finding true love in the hearts young metropolitan individuals.

My attention leads to one of the national News paper in Indonesia, where I live. KOMPAS, has a rubric contact mate or personal ads that presents an interesting fact. Between the year 1980-1990, the majority of personal ad in the rubric were filled by women living in big cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya. (those cities are small metropolis with high economic dynamics). Seventy percent of them are girls, 6% widowed, and the majority are in the age range of 25-34 years. The majority of the personal ads also have a higher education - undergraduate, in which higher educated people in Jakarta it self is only about five percent of the total population at that time. Now, the this rubric of personal ad is growing extensively, starting from a small column to a whole page. Of course, this is not just a rubric in a print media. Personal ad in search of a live partner can be seen as representation of middle-class city symptom. Especially with the increase in the vessel media, like TV programs, Internet, and mobile phone programs offering services to search for the other half. Issues on living partners and love has become a phenomenon itself.

Personal ads in search of a living partner is a medium that can be seen as a form of self marketing that represent an imagination of identity of the community at this time. It is very clear and legible that the words chosen to describe are selective identification of individual and community expectation. Majority of the words used are 'beautiful', 'white', 'faithful' and 'simple' or 'not materialistic'. Of course these words are what fits the representation of the perfect women in society at this time. It is interesting to be able to see the correlation and equality of representation in the personal ads with the representation of women in various media created mass circulating around us.

In the era of obsessed communication such as now, signs and image is a part of life
that has dominated the global cultural community. Power of ideology is a part of the capitalism that can not be separated from our daily lives. Myths and personal values are dragged into capitalism ideology turning it into commodity. Without exception, the matter of love.
Love can not be separated from media's role in reality construction. Love it self earns its meaning together with the shift of values in culture production through commodification. The main problems of these values ridden by capitalism has lead all, to a point of economy, and what happens in the process of com-modification is that all the values offered is an utopia that can never be reached by any individual.

When all these driven media images of 'modern' and single and happy as a value is firmly held to keep one self in between social exception. The utopia of single life is countered by the same capitalism game of love utopia. Helpless in the current of popular culture, capitalism present a solution; personal ads. Is it possible personal ads will result in the ideal and eternal pairing? This would still be a big question. Perhaps, personal ads medium is not more than a tool for capitalism in tow life in chasing the apparent utopia, the false values, and of course, the a false love.

Gender development impact in relationships

2009-02-12T22:17:00.007+07:00

Its every common that workplace and public participation now belong to both gender. Not only to men as it used too, once upon a time. Along with the human civilization and daily lives, the demands for gender equality, is given a room in life social realities. It was not just a credit to feminism, but daily routines, that slowly shifts for change. Unconsciously, the development of daily life such as this have given birth to sexual revolution. Gender equity is easily found every where.

Many would assume that changes in relationship due to this gender development would be based economically, as this would diminish dependency, especially right now, seeing how wealth runs a great impact in human lives. But this gender revolution though, is not simply a change of individuals in economics and political field, but also sexual and emotional equality. Crumbling sexuality boundaries such as this can be bring a dispute between individual sociological and psychological dimensions, opening an emotional chasm between the two sexes and at the same time slowly changing the form of human relations.

Adjustment and endless negotiation of personal ties results in creating new types of intimacy and relationships. More negotiation is made for compromise as personal bargain power is able to step on the same level. Relations are not a compromise for necessity in personal lives, but shift to compromise goals, dreams or as simple as preferences. Relations describing the democratization of interpersonal areas are inherent to the democracy in public spaces. At this point, it is imaginable how most relationship would not last for a long time, because values to be comprised have broaden and multiplied a whole lot more than at the time sexual revolution have not occurred.

It is true that maybe the change of men - women relation is not mainly only due to sexual revolution, but could also be an impact from the development of the social system over all. Undeniable, these social conditions are the base of all forms of personal relationships. Plus the development of communication technology recently, adding that the more variation the changes human relationships.

It is not determined how far emotional distance discrepancy between women and men, or whether we are able to bridge them. However, the transformation relations, intimacy is a real progress and continuing right now between our lives To which direction this change of intimacy and relation, is yet to be answered.

Outdoor Home Improvement

2009-02-04T10:55:00.040+07:00

Improving your outdoor area at home? why not?
You will gain much more living space to relax or spend time with friends and family, you will be out in the garden, enjoying the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.

The creation of shady areas in the garden not only makes it more comfortable to be outside, it also benefits the interior of the house, as it stops the sunlight from entering as fiercely as it may otherwise. Especially when your house faces direct east or west and no trees around. And if you have a plan in selling the house, improving outdoors is increase value of your homes.

For starters, if you want more space (and have space) in the backyard. Patios, decking and Shade Systems are effective for entertainment.

Patios can be as small or large as the space allows and can be enhanced in a multitude of ways to ensure that you get the most use possible out of them. Think outdoor patio heaters, shade umbrellas or other shade structures, an outdoor cooking area and patio furniture. With a little bit of planning, you’ll have a whole new outdoor living area, just as comfortable as the traditional indoor living areas but with the advantage of fresh air, sunshine and the close proximity to nature.
Decking is also becoming more and more popular in the outdoor areas of our homes. Whether attached or freestanding, decks are an excellent way to extend the amount of living space available to homeowners and add value to the home. Decks can be made from hard or soft wood and can be finished using paint, stains or oils. For shade, you can erect a pergola, shade sail, umbrella or even a Bali beach hut.
Shade sails can be readymade or custom made to suit your outdoor area exactly. The shades are highly UV resistant, protect against the elements and come in a variety of colours, so there is bound to be one that suits you. Shade sails are a great way to achieve a modern look in your backyard and, after installation, they are extremely low maintenance.

A day in the Sauna

2009-02-03T13:56:00.043+07:00

Sauna! Sometimes we just crave for it. Especially after a cool dip in the pool, or a healthy workout, a cold night or even just a tiring day. It does really freshen up our body and offers a brand new spirit. Wouldn't it just be awesome to have one at home?

Its not just the warmth, the heat or the idea of loosing weight through pouring sweat that makes us feel better, but sauna does have a great relevance to health care. It does alleviate symptoms of; pain relief, weight loss, menopausal symptoms, asthma, sore throat and many more. Heard of Infrared saunas? Just a regular sauna but with infrared, which even enhance the health factor function.

This is possible, as they say, because infrared sauna penetrates the body's tissues to a depth of over 1½ inches and correspond so closely to the body's own radiant energy that our bodies absorb close to 93% of the infrared waves that reach our skin. Compared to the conventional steam sauna that must rely only on indirect means of heat.
Intrested? you could try search more information on it. But.. either way, conventional or infrared saunas, we must have every now and then.

Online Marketing

2008-11-18T18:22:00.001+07:00

Working at home these days is not an unusual thing . In fact, many people have dreamt and effortlessly pursue to build a career at home. Fortunately, through the vast development in communication technology, the internet, that dream have broaden the oportunity to many people globally. Not only those trying to work full time close to the family, these opurtunity have also given chances to people in all ages, jobless individual and full time mums to gain extra income for their daily expenses to unlimited wealth.
Take for instance Anne Ahira, an Indonesian women who gained 340.000 US$ in between four months through online business, and even endless list of people globaly that have scored the success board with business online. The advantages with online business is that it usually uses small capital to start of with unlimited profit and the wide range of market able to be reached as well as an unlimited time for people to access your business. With a small website to market your product or service (even free to make personally), even through personal blogs, the online business can start.
Marketing though would be a key to success. Networking and amount of people to visit the site can determine the flow of that business. Those who are not familier to online marketing though should not worry, because with the growth of the online business, services to market online have also grown to meet the needs of those in need of extra help.

Law Literate

2008-09-15T21:41:00.001+07:00

In this era filled with information and access, its sad to know that there are still a lot of people socially trampled by regulations and lack of access to social service due to lack of awareness and literacy. It's actually a social problem that every district should deal with. Being scared to stand up for ones right and not having the acknowledgment of one's right is a total different factor, though in most cases one of these two factors would be present in the victim unrighteous conditions. Home violence would be likely in most cases unreported due to psychological frightened reasons, but no matter how shredding the knowledge of injustice we find, its still more heartbreaking to see those trampled due to lack of awareness, more even these lacks are caused by lack of information access.

Not long ago, an old men who has lived his life growing paddies (rice fields) in Indonesia was put behind bars for 5 years and he had no idea what he had done wrong. It turned out he was teaching other farmers to develop the right grain seed, a knowledge he once received through a training held by a huge corporate. Unfortunately he had no idea that this knowledge had a time limit title to the corporate. Some happenings are just too irrational at times.

There are still chains of example to lack of law literacy everywhere. Though it could be argued as one individual lack of effort to gain knowledge, many places, such as those in developing countries, these information are kept to certain grounds and intentional not made out for public to gain advantages for certain groups. Simple information such as accessible legal service would help. It may also be great if legal service networks must be available and accessible to public in all district, seeing some rules and social ethics may have specific force. Like the links I have given, would be an example of useful information and utility or services that should come handy and should be present in similar type to all places.

Even simple service and information could be a step to help the better world.

The Window: changing atmoshere in your room

2008-09-08T21:44:00.000+07:00

We may not always notice windows in places we go to, but we can be sure to find them in almost every building. Not only are they functional to provide fresh air and sunlight, it can also add beauty to a room. A window adds comfort and plays a huge role in creating atmosphere in a room. Long before, windows were made by making holes on the wall. These days there are lots of windows design we can choose from.

Changing the atmosphere and design interior for your room could also be very simple by noticing your window. Window dressing would be the easiest way to change the whole room atmosphere. You may not notice but in reality blinds, drapes, valances and other such coverings can make a huge difference in a room. No matter the style or theme you're shooting for in decorating a room; don't underestimate the importance of window coverings.

Blinds could be a good choice. Not only can they match any decoration style, they give some benefits plain drapes and sheers cannot; such as, the ability to let a little light or a lot of light in a room, and can help add window's ability to help control temperatures in a room, as well as easy to clean. Blinds could be a really great choice with all the flexibility they offer. Many blind windows services could also be found in the internet.

But, if you're going for a more formal or homey look room, drapes, sheers or simple valance can be used to achieve your goals. What ever the type of window dressing you may choose to change in your home, you’d like to consider the overall design. Consider the colors and patterns. Think of tones, whether it’s the serious look or a cheerful space and so on. Decorating a room can be a lot of fun and can start as simply from your window dressing.

Indonesian Food : Tempe and Indonesian crisis.

2008-08-28T22:43:00.000+07:00

Tempe is one of the most traditional Indonesian food. It had been consumed for centuries over these archipelago. Tempe made from fragmented soybean is one of the main food for the people of Indonesia.
Unfortunately, destiny of Indonesia has been very ironic lately.

Indonesia culture products like angklung, batik and Jepara carving and even soybean sauce (tempe) , is patented by other countries in the commercial interest or for the promotion icons of the tourism business from those countries.

The Japanese had patented the method (not the process) of making tempe, but Japan can never patented tempe as their product because in Borobudur temple that was built in the 6th century , there was a relief showing how to make tempe. Tempe is the healthiest product in the world because it contains anti cancer substance and anti biotic. There has been some research but the bad side effect for health has never been found.

The same goes to Jogyakarta, the center of craft industry and handicraft production in Indonesia, whereas Bali is the center for selling and distributing the handicraft in Indonesia. After the earthquakes in Joyga sometimes ago, there is an indication that our closest neighbor, Malaysia, tried to persuade the handicraftsmen and Jogya artists that became victims in the disaster to cooperate and produce their work in Malaysia. If Malaysia succeeded in doing that, in the near future Bali would loose its supplies of special Indonesian arts and they will be taken over by Malaysia.

The ancient history noted that Angkor Vat in Cambodia was designed and made by architect from Indonesia. That was an evident that our ancestors had a high technology. It is the same with the process of making Keris. According to the metallurgy testing, original Keris was made of steel that was mix with titanium, a substance that could be found a lot in the meteor or moon. Actually the melting point between steel and titanium is different, but the master keris makers were able to melt steel and titanium to be a keris using sudden cooling technology. The westerner knew the technology to process Titanium (Ti) several century after that. It is a pity that the technique used by the kris maker are forgotten by the Indonesian. Its a real pity that the conditions of Indonesia has been more and more ironic.

Lifestyle : The Ideal Gift

2008-08-25T21:56:00.000+07:00

Most people dont realize how frequent buying gifts become part of our daily rutine. Either its a welcoming gift for a neighbour, a friend's birthday, christmas, anniversaries, graduation, dinner gathering, valentine or just a gift we feel like giving.

In certain occasion for certain recipients getting the gift comes pretty easy, but in some cases buying gifts could get really confusing. I'm sure most people have experienced being in a shop and not finding a single product displayed that seem 'right' for the gift to give away. In other moments we may stumble through a product while walking home from work and feels that it would be perfect for that product to be given to this person or that person.

Do you ever wonder why this happen? It could get pretty annoying sometimes.
How do we really know wether our gift is the appropriate gift?

Finding a gift defined appropriate might not be as complex as finding a gift we define perfect, like as moments above where we stumble accidentally to one thing we find just. It would be nice though, to know that we found the gift that is appropriate for the recipients and perfect as the same time.

These confussion we often find while searching for presents is basically because a gift has a value that represent not just the product but also a representation of the relationship value between the recipient and the sender. The more the sender is uncapeable to define the meaning of the relationship, the harder it would be for the sender to standarize and find a gift for the recipients. Usually at these moments the sender would count on the common assumed value shared by the social system. Like how price and brand simbolized certain value. This way we could play on the save side as to know we wont give the wrong impression.

The matter of value represented in the gift could also be the reason why we often find it harder to find the right gift for a lover than that of our neighbours, or easier to find a gift for a best friend than for our bos. Sometimes we know that a cheap gift means more to a person than that of an expensive one, because between the two individuals, a mutual valuonship of the relationship is shared.

So, when we do stumble through choosing the right gift, there are a few ways to help out the confussion. First, the occasion would be the best way to start defining the gift. Certain occasion limit the type of gift, there fore we have a pretty big idea of what is appropriate and what is not. Second, if we still cant find that 'right' something, try defining your relationship with the recipients. How certain things or moments build up to certain values in that relationship, may help to define the right gift the recipients appriciate.

Myths : Tangkuban Perahu; Legend of Sangkuriang

2008-08-23T15:18:00.003+07:00

Tangkuban Perahu, in Sundanesse (Local langguage) means upside down boat, tangkuban = upside-down/upturn and Perahu = boat.
Mount Tangkuban Perahu has always been connected to the Legend of Sangkuriang.
This local folklore tells the story of the birth of Mt. Tangkuban Perahu. It all started with a young man named Sangkuriang who fell in love with his own mother, Dayang Sumbi. Sangkuriang however have lived seperately from his mother since childhood.
One day, after a hunt. He stop by a small village on his way home. Here he met a the love of his life, who happened to be his mother still remained young and pretty. They both fell in love with each other, and wedding plans were made to go. At this moment the mother just realize that she was about to marry her own son. Knowing this, she figured a way to cancel the wedding without rejecting Sangkuriang. She asked Sangkuriang to build a lake and boat that would set sail at dawn as a requirement to ask for her hand.
Sangkuriang agreed.
He the built a lake by damming the Citarum river and started to build the boat. It was almost complete. Knowing that her requirements would be fulfilled, Dayang Sumbi, Sangkuriang mother, magically waved her supernatural powers and lit up the eastern horizone with light, decieving false dawn. Cock crowed in the rose of this light, a sign of a new day.
Not completed his boat, Sangkuriang knew he lost. He was devasted with anger and he kicked the boat he had built. The boat then roled up side down, and became the mountain of Tangkuban Perahu. The dam he made torn, the lake drained to make a wide plain.

Picture : Some books on Sangkuriang

Travelling : Mt. Tangkuban Perahu, Java, Indonesia.

2008-08-23T12:49:00.001+07:00

Mount Tangkuban Perahu, is a volcanic mountain located around 20km north of Bandung city, West Java, Indonesia. This famous site is 2.084 meters above sea level, surrounded by wonderful scenery of Pine forest and tea plantation. Like most places in Indonesia, this place too has a legend or myth story behind it's being, called the Legend of Sangkuriang. In clear days, range of mountains can be sighted around Mount Tangkuban Perahu. There are the Mt. Tampomas (1.684 m), Mt. Bukittunggul (2.209m), Mt. Ciremai (3.078 m). At the foot of this mountain, we can find Ciater, another travelling destination that offers natural hot spring water.

Tangkuban Perahu mountain may seem quiet and peacefull though mild eruptions and high seismic activity have been noted to appear, those in 1969 and 1992. Erupted greatly around 400 years ago, this mountain offers 3 main craters for tourist to sight see. The craters are "Kawah Ratu" (Queen's crater), "Kawah Domas" (Domas crater) and "Kawah Upas" (Upas crater). The Ratu crater is the main crater, with sometimes a pool of water in the center and known to give out poisonous gases, making this crater restricted for tourist to stroll down to it's floor. The Upas crater is the oldest of the three and constantly sprouting sulfurous vapors. New craters are found to still being created from time to time.

Resting grouds, camping sites, hotels and spa resorts are easily found around this site to fit our travelling style.

photos: Kasan Kurdi

Past and Present : Pizza

2008-08-19T22:14:00.002+07:00

Pizza! who doesn't love it? Like so many people, probably always thought Pizza was strictly an Italian creation, but it turned out that the foundations of Pizza actually originated by the Greeks. At the early times, Greeks baked large round flat bread and topped it with various items. Only by 18th century, it was known in Italy with the name pizza, and was not topped with anything! It was cheap to make and was sold to the peasants.

Pizza as we know today, can't be separated from Queen Margherita contribution in 1889. She loved this peasant bread, but it caused some consternation among the court circle. Never the less, the queen loved the bread and she summoned Chef Rafaelle Esposito from his pizzeria to the royal palace. To honor the queen who was so beloved by her subjects, Rafaelle decided to make a very special pizza just for her. He baked a Pizza topped with tomatoes, Mozarella Cheese, and fresh Basil (to represent the colors of the Italian flag: Red, white, and green). This became the quen's favorite food. Later on variations of pizza began to be made in different parts of the country.

living creatures : Elephants

2008-08-19T12:48:00.006+07:00

There are three species of elephants: the African Savanna Elephant, the African Forest Elephant, and the Asian Elephant.

Modern-day elephants are vegetarian mammals, and they are the largest land animals alive today.

Elephants are mammals. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal.

Facts about Elephants

1. An elephant can smell water three miles away.
2. The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!
3.Did you know that elaphant's teeth can weight as much as nine pounds each? Amazing!
4.Elephants are the only animal that can't jump.
5.African elephants only have four teeth to chew their food with.
6.An adult African elephant's trunk is about seven feet (two meters) long! It's actually an elongated nose and upper lip.
7.Like most noses, trunks are for smelling. But they're also for touching and grasping.
8.When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's throat.
9.Since African elephants live where the sun is usually blazing hot, they use their trunks to help them keep cool. First they squirt a trunkful of cool water over their bodies. Then they often follow that with a sprinkling of dust to create a protective layer of dirt on their skin, this layer of dust works as a sunscreen lotion for elephants.Their large ears also help them to keep cool; flapping their ears cools the blood as it passes through them by as much as 10 degrees. This blood returns to the rest of the body to help cool it. (This also explains why African elephants have bigger ears ... it's hotter there).
10.Elephants pick up and spray dust the same way they do water-with their trunks.
11.Elephants are one of the few species (such as humans, the great apes, and Bottlenose dolphins) that are capable of self-recognition ... they can recognize themselve in a mirror. They are also very social animals, and are aware of (and saddened by?) the death of another herd member.
12.Elephants can live as long as 70 years. An elephant expels about 50 litres of urine a day, and excretes up to 150 kg of dung

Past and Presents : money and credit

2008-07-30T00:31:00.001+07:00

Money as a mean of exchange, as we know now were introduced around 5000 B.C. At that time it was made out of metal. Metal was used because it was readily available, easy to work with and could be recycled. The earliest metal coins made from bronze came from China around 1500 BC. As for paper money, it dates back to China in the 960 AD. Before that, exchange was done by barter. In certain remote places barter method could still be found now. Since it barter caused problems, seeing that the value of an item is not always equal in perception, commodity money was invented. Commodity money is certain commodities (salt, tea, cattle, etc) used as money.

These days, we often use the credit method as exchange process. A simplified method of payment without the buyer having cash at hand, though not as we may imagine, credit cards were not always the way it is now. There have been credit tokens made from metal coins, metal plates, and celluloid, metal, fiber, paper, and now mostly plastic cards. Thanks to John Biggins, these cards have an inseparable part of human culture these days and not a few have been haunted by the presence. Specially for those using the world wide web as a financial income means, credit cards are essensial to the on going internet transaction and business.

picture:

Chinese bronze coin from the Han Dynasty

Phenomena : Twins Amazement

2008-07-22T23:10:00.004+07:00

This month in Germany a Black and white twins was born to a mixed-race couple, Florence Addo-Gerth (Ghana) and Stephan Gerth (Germany). These two twin brothers with different coloured skin amazed everyone.

Though this rare genetic phenomena was not the first to happen. In the year 2005, a mixed raced mother and father (the mother and father of the twins were both mixed race) gave birth to two twins sister; one black and one white. The odd of this kind of birth is extremely rare.

Another amazement with twins happened this July too in India, where a mother gave birth to twins but with range of 6 weeks. The twins were opposite sex and had low weights, but are doing well. The first, a boy, who weighed 1.3 kilograms (three pounds) at the time of delivery, was born on April 27. The second, a girl weighing two kilograms (4.4 pounds) born in June 7.

This is also a rare twin pregnancy, in which the babies developed from two separate eggs that had become implanted in the womb.

(Images twin girls credited to Gary Roberts)

Living Creatures : Climbing Goats

2008-07-22T22:17:00.004+07:00

Goats in Morocco climb trees! They're motive is to eat the fruit of the Argan tree. Farmers follow the herds of goats as they move from tree to tree to collect the nuts from the fruit that the goat cant digest and spit out. The nut is used to make Argan oil for cooking and cosmetics. Now a days the Argan tree is disappearing cause the wood are cut and overgrazing by goats. It'll be a pity to to loose those trees, for these climbing goats could just be one of the world wonders.

Past and Present : Translation

2008-07-20T23:39:00.000+07:00

Remember ‘Lost in Translation’, a movie released in 2003 staring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson? That would be a more complex example of presenting not only the need of cultural translation (plot setting in Tokyo) but life translation for both characters. We may not realize much how we stumble over mutual understanding of meanings. Literally, there’s more and more additional ‘language’ we encounter everyday with all the growing innovation of communication media and technology, where each medium plays in a different language. Even more, with the global media access, certain cultural language (those such as mythical valued means, cultural based habit, etc) are transferred immensely. Without even asking for more differences, misunderstanding occurs very often. Take communication with family members at home for example.

Translation has played a great role in the world culture; because it had opened a way of ideas transmit from one culture to another. Like medical theories found in Greek thinkers like Plato and Galen actually originated from India. It’s amazing to think how they manage to exchange a mutual understanding if not without certain Hindi translation or other Indian translation, seeing India itself speaks uses various local languages. It would have been difficult to imagine our way of living without the works of translation and transmission of ideas. A history of rooted ideas translation is probably vague, only few are well charted.

Now a days, like other things, translation and language has become certain commodity through service and products. The online service has provided many translation tools, though many have complained since sometimes it translates to a totally different meaning. The ability of these programs are more focused on word to word, almost not being able to see the whole context and limited to global languages. It’s is though a step forward to universal mutual understanding. Till then, other translation services may be necessary to help relationship and idea transmission, especially those linked with specific languages, such as Farsi translation, Urdu Translation (spoken in India and Pakistan), etc. Maybe then, with lessening misunderstanding we would also be a step closer to unity and peace.

Phenomena : Fat Cat

2008-07-19T16:31:00.001+07:00

The world most nominated fattest cat, Tulle (left picture), died from a certain kidney disease in the early month of this year. This Danish cat, weigh 19,2 kilos and 6 years of age. He wasn't able to move in his few last months. Like humans, over weight causes many medical complications sucah as diabetes and heart failure.

In the year 2006, a super fat cat was brought up to the media. Living in Qingdao, China's Shandong Province, with owner named Xu Jirong. Its weight was 15 kilos and had a waist line up to 77 cm. Xu claimed that his cat eats steam bread, bowl of chicken and pork daily. We dont know though whether his cat still alive and healthy.

source : Tulle, Super fat cat

Phenomena : Iron woman

2008-07-19T11:22:00.001+07:00

A few days back, the Indonesian society was shocked by a peculiar live happening. The media showed an uneasy image of a woman named Noorsyaidah, in the island of East kalimantan, with growing metals poking out from her stomach. She has been through surgery and various medication but medical team hasn't yet a clue of what is happening to her body. The metal in her body grows and live. After surgery in lifting these metal off her body, it wouldn't take a long time for several metals to grow back and pierce her belly. These metals varied in length from 10 to 20 cm. Noorsyaidah makes her living as a kindergarden teacher, have fought this pain for 17 years rolling. People have visited her those intended to help in either way or just to see this rare phenomena. Even the health minister of Indonesia have taken attention at this matter. Doctors though still trying to figure out, they state that this happening is beyond medical rationality, People assume that this is part of 'black magic' that still live strong in the cultural society.

See it in : youtube,

source picture : surya/kompas.com

Go Green : Craft and Save the planet

2008-07-16T18:45:00.001+07:00

his is a really cool way to reduce-reuse-recycle! From where I live, plastic bags are plenty from every shopping moment. And when we say, 'no plastic bags please', the people around would give you the LOOK. like we're from another planet or something. No matter how hot the global warming discourse, it seem these issues haven't tanggled into our lifestyle. Only 2 stores have welcomed well my request for no plastic bags in where I live. One was a plastic shop (isn't that way cool!) the said "thankyou for not using plastic bags" when i requested not to put my shopping in the bag. And the second was a batik store, where they offered whether i prefer a paper bag instead.

So, with all that plastic bags piled up at home, theres lots of materials for crafting. Interesting, we can make these bags into yarn and knit'em into bags. Very functional and beautiful at the same time. More yet, we're giving a better chance for the planet to breath.

Intrested in making them? Or you could contact me if you like one!

How?

1. Gather all that plastic bags

2. Cut them into long strains

3. Tie em up together by looping them

4. You got your yarn! so stitch, knit, or anyhow you like to create your bag to the shape you desire.

For better instructions or more ideas, click on the source bellow where i found em.

Go green!

source/sumber

Phenomena : Pregnant Guy

2008-07-12T15:51:00.008+07:00

Pregnant guy?? For real!

We probably use to think that this is impossible, and just against nature. Maybe true, but science have gone over that limit.

Thomas Beatie, became a real discourse after his appearance in Oprah as the pregnant guy. It turns out though that Thomas was actually a woman named Tracy Lagondi. She then did a trans gender operation, changed his sex and gotten testosterone hormone treatment. But she too kept her reproduction organs. Thomas finally married Nancy. Not having able to have children from Nancy (seeing she had hysterectomy) the couple decided Thomas would take the role in pregnancy with inseminating the sperm and egg donor. Thomas was pregnant for 9 months and gave birth to a lovely young baby girl last June.

Well, Thomas was not the first guy to be pregnant. A real man was pregnant before. As science strive to reach miracle, this implantation of fetus was an experiment for the first male pregnancy. Mr. Lee was the first human subject to attempt this procedure, with a healthy fetus developing in his abdominal cavity.

Read more : Mr. Lee, Thomas B

Health : Deadly Kisses

2008-07-09T19:06:00.002+07:00

Kisses have great health advantages for those involved, psychologically and physically. It has a sensual meditation effect that relieves the mind. It also increases human metabolism twice as much, which means our calories burn faster, especially those done in extreme conditions (tough I can’t imagine any extreme conditions at the moment). And even more, enough of this activity extend age and keep youth.

Kisses could definitely spice up the romance, but who would have thought from all the beauty and wonders a kiss could give, some could actually be lethal. Take this for example. A woman was once brought to the US Mayo Clinic Hospital due to too much too hot French kissing. She suffered from skin rash, abdominal cramps and suffocation just a minute after her kiss with her beloved boyfriend. It turned out that her boyfriend had just had shrimps for dinner and she was allergic to it. That fantastic, romantic kiss turned into one deadly kiss for her. Fortunately she got to the hospital on time. So do not underestimate the dangers that may come with a mouth to mouth kiss. Various diseases could travel via saliva. Those such as hepatitis (A,B and C), herpes labialis, syphilis, GO and tuberculosis and Candida Albicans. So, for better health concerns, make sure the lips you kiss aren’t cut, bleeding, hurt in anyway and not going through any infection. That does makes things worse! or else, better keep it to the light side.

Living Creatures : Cockroaches, who need heads?

2008-07-07T23:22:00.001+07:00

Cockroaches are rather large insects. Most species are about the size of a thumbnail, but several species are bigger. The world's largest cockroach is the Australian giant burrowing cockroach, which can reach 9 cm in length and weigh more than 30 grams.

Cockroaches often disgust people and considered as pests. They survive in almost all climate and conditions, even the world war. They eat almost anything from leftovers, dead organism to feces. Live in homes, cities to rainforest. That would probably be the reason these insects have been around at the least 300 years ago without much evolution. There are over 3000 species of cockroaches on earth.

It is popularly suggested that cockroaches will "inherit the earth" if humanity destroys itself in a nuclear war. Cockroaches do indeed have a much higher radiation resistance than vertebrates, with the lethal dose perhaps 6 to 15 times that for humans.

They can even live for a whole month without their heads, but an average of 9 days. Yup! Cockroaches do not need their heads to breath or even brains for body control. Finally headless cockroaches die from hunger. Pretty amazing huh?

Past and Present :The Toilet

2008-07-07T00:35:00.000+07:00

In 1913, the Russian airline became the first to feature a toilet on board.

The movie Psycho is said to be the first film to show a toilet being flushed.

The toilet is definitely one of the invention most profoundly affected modern civilization. In 1775, London watchmaker Alexander Cummings patented the forerunner of today's toilet. Could you imagine what life in large cities would be without ‘em.

We probably think that toilets existed long time ago, but even in the 19^th century the chamber pot and the outhouse were still the only choices for rich or poor in the large cities of Europe and America. Several of the more advanced ancient civilizations, Greek, Indian and Roman, had a system providing running water to citizens in the larger cities. Still, none of the ancient civilizations developed a device or method to use the water source to remove waste from individual residences.

The first waste removal devices were "The earth closet", something of a portable outhouse found in many houses. Dry granular clay was dispensed from a hopper into a box. When the box was full the earth and waste could be removed for disposal elsewhere. It was like a kitty litter box for people.

The most efficient first generation toilet was the simplest. A bowl with a hole in the front or back and a p-trap beneath filled with water to seal the house from sewer gas.

These first generation toilets came to be known as "wash-out" water closets.

The first improvement was combining the pool of water in the bowl with the p-trap. These toilets, known as "wash-downs". However, both wash-outs and wash-downs often failed to consistently remove heavier waste from the bowl.

By the end of the century, a jet flush was created that pushed waste out and if they changed the shape of the p-trap exit it would act like a siphon pulling the waste out. The modern flush toilet was born.

We can't separate toilet from human living. It takes such a big part of our lives, that one third of the water we use is flushed down the toilet.

Now, innovations of sanitary ware are tremendous, far beyond functional proposes.

(picture left to right: toilet in Israel, new innovation toilet, toilet in New Zealand)

Phenomena : Speed

2008-07-06T20:31:00.000+07:00

The matter of speed somehow always amaze us. Endless have tried to race against time, awards have been made for breaking speed records and the effort till now still continues. Check these out:

When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour. To photograph the event, a camera must shoot at a millionth of a second.

A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h. The average though is about 90mph. The fastest recorded sneeze was 102mph.

To measure speed of sneeze we need a high shutter camera. As a person sneeze, the camera captures the distance of droplets from frame to frame. Knowing the time from each frame and distance can give the velocity of the sneeze. Another method is using Radar or Doppler, suggested by John Cameron of the University of Winconsin Madison. He also said that a cough can leave your body at the speed of 650-750 mph. Should we care? Well... sneeze are just one ways of our body to expell foreign substances. with that kinda speed, holding it in can cause anorism, back slips, strokes and heart failure. Wonder if its the same with farts?