WATER, OH WATER !

Do you know that March 24th is Hari Perhutanan Sedunia (World Forestry Day) ? This year's theme is "LOVE OUR FOREST". Ask ourselves this question : What are our contributions towards conservation & sustainability of our forests ?

I'm sure many of us can easily give tens or even more ideas of means & ways that we can do, or at least add into our existing "to-do lists" as our effort of ensuring our forests' flora & fauna be sustained possibly for a long long time to come - at least for the sake of our future generations.

But what I'm gonna share here is the startling fact about the water that some of us may have taken for granted.

I reckoned many of us already knew that 70% of the world's surface is covered by water. But do we know that 97.5% of that water is SALT water ? That leaves us with only about 2.5% which is freshwater !
Of the remaining 2.5% freshwater, 68.7% of it is FROZEN in ice caps and glaciers.

So we are left with just less than 1% which is available for human consumption. Sikit nyer ...

So the message here is very simple : Don't waste-waste water lah :) Use them wisely, while we still have them !!

Health Issues With Technology

I've been teaching 346 IS (The Digital Society) subject for a couple of semesters now, and found that there are certain issues pertaining to IT use that should be of concern to many. Here are some, which I thought is worth sharing :

LAPTOPS - not on the lap, please !

Research found out that heat generated from laptops sitting on user’s laps can kill & weaken sperm count. Ouch !! How many of us really put the laptop on our lap? Who, me ? Not anymore. Not after I've read this article ... So all of you guys out there, be careful. Putting your laptop on your lap is a definite NO-NO ... think of your future generations man ! heheh

(Worst-case scenario : What's the use of having a "soldier" who can't even salute ?... if you know what I mean ? ... So far Alhamdulillah my soldier has never let me down. In fact he even sometimes voluntarily wakes up in the middle of the night to do "sentry", eventhough I didn't ask him to do so ... good boy ! :)

BACKPACK or OVER-THE-SHOULDER BAG (sling bag) ?

Carrying a laptop in a shoulder bag can sometimes lead to health problems. The weight is the decisive factor, says Stephan Gruner, a Hamburg physiotherapist. Standard laptops (12-15” screen) weigh between 1.5-2kg, while UMPC (7” screen) weighs <1kg.

Arguments: If the computer is heavy or if folders and books add extra weight, it means a person automatically shifts their shoulder up to balance the burden. That leads to tension at the shoulder and neck region, and may cause headaches.

But there are excellent shoulder carriers that come with wide straps to improve the distribution of the load on the shoulder. Nonetheless, backpacks are recommended for transporting laptops, as it’s far better for the back. Some newer laptop carriers can be used as either backpacks or shoulder model.

TO BLINK or NOT TO BLINK, that is the question

Studies have shown that people who work with computers do not blink their eyes as much as they otherwise would. The result are dry, irritable eyes and vision impairment.

Suggestion ? Remember to blink your eyes frequently while you stare at the monitor. Use artificial tears to supplement your natural tears when your eyes become tired. A few drops of Eye-Mo will do just fine !

My first UMPC - ASUS EeePC 701

Recently I bought a small notebook (the one I'm using right now while writing this blog) - just like the one in the photo below. The one I bought was black (Galaxy-black) in color.

Some called it "ultra-petite PC" and others called it UMPC (ultra-mobile PC). Either way, it's the smallest notebook I've ever owned. Before this, I used to own a 14" Compaq notebook, 12" Dell, and now a 7" ASUS Eee PC. Both Compaq and Dell are still working well, but I now passed them down to my teenage kids for their perusal.

With a weight of slightly less than 1 kg (with battery attached), 22.5cm wide, and 3.5cm thick, I considered it as my best buy ever ! Especially when I'm always on the move. As a lecturer, I presented most of my lectures through PowerPoint presentations.

I found that this ASUS is sufficient and very practical, meeting all my needs & demands. Furthermore I'm not into serious multimedia or the computer games stuff. MMORPGs is ok to me, but I'm not a serious gamer. So the small 7" 800x480 pixel screen does not pose any major problem to me.

With a price tag of RM1299.00, it came with full-fledged Xandros Linux with Intel processor, 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM, 3 USB ports, VGA output, SD card slot and WiFi capabilities. It also came with 4GB power-saving solid-state flash memory storage (16 GB max).

But later I upgraded the RAM to 1GB, and swapped the OS from Linux to Windows XP. Thanks to my Pakar IT friend Mamat, for all those "free" upgrades ... I just need to belanja him Nescafe tarik & roti canai ... he's a simple guy who loves to help others, esp in "debugging" or solving IT-based problems ! :)

For extra storage (and backups), I also bought a 2GB SD-card and a 120 GB Buffalo MiniStation external hard-disk to be used with this ASUS. All in all, I think this is my best notebook purchase ever. Where can you get a full-fledged UMPC below RM2K ? And did I mention that this EeePC also comes with a built-in webcam ? Yep, it does ! Eventhough I rarely use the webcam, but it's a good feature to have. Sometimes when you are bored, you can look at yourself on the screen ... hehehh :)

I used to drool over Sony Vaio (bohot bohot mengha hai !) - very expensive, but now that I have my 7" ASUS I no longer yearn for a Vaio anymore ! Those interested to know more about this Eee PC can log on to http://eeepc.asus.com/

GIGO - Garbage in garbage out !

WHAT GOES IN IS WHAT COMES OUT. Have you ever thought about how much your mind is like a computer ? Computer people always talk about the garbage-bin model; that is garbage in – garbage out, or simply referred to as GIGO.

That is why you have to be very careful when you program a computer. Even the smallest error will produce flawed results. In other words, the results produced by the computers will be no better than the quality of the programming.

Its the same way with people. What goes in is what comes out. Garbage in, garbage out, just like a computer system. Psychologists say we tend to become what we think about most.

We must be careful about what goes into our minds. If we want great ideas to come out, we must put great ideas in. If we want positive attitudes to come out, we must put positive information in.

If we want thoughtful, courteous, edifying words and deeds to come out, we must put the right kind of building materials in. An old proverb summarizes this well : You are what you “eat.”

What kinds of books do you read ? Which magazines do you look at most ? What music do you listen to ? What do you hear on the radio ? Which TV shows and programs do you watch ? Which websites or URL do you frequently visit ? Do all of these things help you become a better person ? Be sincere with yourself. Don’t just defend your “bad” habits, think about them seriously.

Remember that your mind is just like a computer, only more complex and advanced. Input – process – output. Simply put, what goes in is what comes out. Once you control your input, your output will take care of itself…

MY "HORSES" - PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE ?

This posting is about my car collections... dedicated "to all the cars I've rode before" ... (sounded like Willie Nelson's "To all the girls I've loved before" ?)

1) Made : Morris Minor ? (1977) (my very FIRST car !, not quite sure of its made, but it's just like the one driven by the "infamous" Mr.Bean)
Model : 1000 Mini Austin ?
Plate # : CB something, forgot already ;)
This car was given to me as a present by my late grandmother somewhere in the late 70's, when I was doing Form 6 at SIC (Sultan Ismail College, KB). Actually it was "passed over" to me from my uncle who just graduated from USM that same year... :)

2) Made : TOYOTA (1986)
Model : 1.3 Corolla LE (Limited edition ?)
Plate # : DQ 3868

3) Made : FORD (1991)
Model : 1.5 Laser Hatchback
Plate # : DQ 3868 (transferred from Toyota LE), original nos forgot already lah !

4) Made : SUZUKI (1996)
Model : 1.3 Jeep Jimny 4x4
Plate # : CB something, can't remember (used only for 1 week !! as I was not happy with its body paint job / very crude finishing, resold immediately !) I bought it in the first place becoz of its "jeepness". I guess I'm a jeep kinda man !

5) Made : TOYOTA (1996)
Model : 1.8 (?) Unser
Plate # : CAX 8456

6) Made : NISSAN (currently driving since 2001)
Model : 2.4 Terrano 4x4
Plate # : CBF 434







7) What's next ?
Ermm ... not quite sure yet. Frankly, my Terrano has been very good to me. I like its ruggedness. "Been there & done that" to many places with her !! :) No major problems so far, after 6 years already !! I would say Terrano is a very reliable 4x4 ! Been sending her for regular check-ups & maintenance in every 4 months (or 5000 km) at TanChongMotor service center since the very first day. I just hope that the price of oil/gas is not that high, though ... heheh (wishful thinking) ...

Now I'm spending abt RM500/mth on gas & toll commuting 60 km (to & fro) between 3B (Bandar Baru Bangi) and Shamelin Perkasa (Cheras) for work, plus of course including the leisure weekend adventure trips & ronda-ronda cari makan with family members. Not that bad I guess ...

But lately, I've been googling for Honda HRV Crossroad (1.8 & 2.0 lit), but currently not in Malaysia yet. The Crossroad also known as Hummer of Asia ! The overall shape is very Hummer-like, just smaller in size, and of course I also hope that the price is much lower than the real Hummer ... I just love its boxy low-profile shape, looks macho & aggressive ! It's just sooo jeepy !

I'm also eyeing for (at least to get more info) Toyota Rush 1.5 SUV. Price ranges circa RM85K. Been to the showroom (Balakong) to see this 7-seater in person, but still not decided to buy or not, especially after finding out that Toyota uses the same engine spec as its Avanza variance. Could it be underpowered, esp with a 7-seater ? Need to get more input & comments from Rush owners (or may be Avanza owners ?).

The 200mm ground clearance is still a bit too low for my kinda SUV. I prefer at least a ground clearance of 230mm ! Another thing I don't like about the current Rush is the color scheme of the inside panels (cushions etc), where the interior color is ivory & sandal wood - just not my cup of tea ! Wish they also come with dark grey tones ...


There's also news thru the Internet, that Daihatsu (Terios) & Kembara (Perodua) will be coming up with quite similar models somewhere in mid 2008. So I guess I'll just wait and see. After all, my Terrano is still in good shape & been very "loyal" to me all this while ... I guess I'm not in the rush to get Rush-ed, not just yet !


My DREAM CAR ? (wish list)

The HUMMER (used in the Gulf War & sometimes can be seen on TV, used by CSI team...)


and the Land Rover DEFENDER 110 (commonly used by our army, hospitals, forestry depts & the like)




and of course JEEP.

To me, comfort is number 2. Power, ruggedness & aggressiveness are my number 1 priority !!

Can Money Bring Happiness ?

Since at young age, I was always been taught and reminded by my parents that "it is better to give than to receive". No arguments made. Sami'na wa atho'na (I listen and I abide). Until recently I read this one article in The Star entitled "Money can buy happiness, if it's spent on others" by Deborah Jones. It was based on a research published in the Science journal that proves the scientific grounds that it is emotionally better to give than to receive. I said to myself : Wow, it has now actually been proven scientifically !

The researchers ran 3 experiments to measure how happy people felt after
a) spending money on themselves, or
b) giving money to pro-social causes (like buying someone a meal or give a charitable donation)

They found out that people who reported spending money on others were happier. Previous studies also found a correlation between happiness and charitable giving, but the new research revealed that pro-social giving is an actual cause of happiness.

The 1st experiment measured how happy 630 Americans said they felt, rated on a scale of 1 to 5, after they either spent money on themselves or gave to others.

The 2nd experiment measured the change in happiness of workers at a company after they spent a profit-sharing BONUS of between US$3,000 to US$8,000. Those who spent more of their BONUS on pro-social spending were happier. What affected happiness was not so much the size of the BONUS but how they spent it.

In the 3rd experiment, university students were given either US$5 or US$20, and instructed to spend the money the very same day. Half were told to spend the money on themselves, while the rest were told to treat others. At the end of the day, students who spent their money on others reported being happier !

So, can money bring happiness ? Yes, if it's spent on other people ! It's not how much money you make, it's how you use (or spend) what you have, that determines how happy you gonna be.

The moral of the story ? Those who received 1.5 month bonus should treat or "belanja" their 1.0 colleagues more frequently ... hehehhh :) Wanna be happy ? Treat someone for a meal !

Trekking GUNUNG JASAR-PERDAH

As part of our pre-Kinabalu training program, we decided to go to Cameron Highlands / CH (again !) for a "warm-up" stint before the real Kinabalu challenge comes May 2008. Eventhough most of our team members (KPTM Trekkers) have been to Kinabalu at least twice already (2005 and 2007), we thought it would be good if we can do some "light stretching" in CH.

Having already conquered the top 3 highest mountains in the CH range (Gunung Irau 2110m (6924 ft) ASL, Gunung Berembun 2075m ASL and Gunung Brinchang 2029m ASL), this time we thought of trying the "lesser known" Gunung Jasar and Gunung Perdah, at one go !

29 Feb 2008 FRIDAY
1800 hrs - After clocking out from work, carpooled with Sofian Hashim from KPTM KL to Cameron Highlands. It rained quite heavily along the way. We stopped at R&R Tapah for dinner & prayers.

Still drizzling, we continue journey. Took exit Simpang Pulai towards Brinchang, Cameron Highlands. Going uphill, this road was a lot "better" compared to the old, narrow & winding road through Tapah. Arrived at Kem Sg. Pauh (Forestry Department) at about 2300 hrs. Pitched up tents for the rest of the group, wash up & went to sleep in the hammock.

At around 0300 hrs (3 am), the weather just got too cold. Couldn't stand it anymore (sleeping in the hammock), so I moved out to a nearby surau. Wrapped myself up in the sleeping bag padded with all available stockings, leg warmers & snow cap. After a short while, felt a bit better & dozed off.

01 March 2008 SATURDAY
Woke up early for subuh prayers. Tried to take morning shower, but don't have the grits to do so. Maaan ! the water was just damn too cold. It's actually freezing cold ! So I decided to just brush teeth & clean up ala-PRamlee (cowboy style) - ie just dab-dab here & there ... hehehh :)

Had quite a good hefty breakfast, prepared by our very own "master chefs". Drove (carpooled again) towards Tanah Rata. At Oly Apartments, we turned right and look for a nice spot to park. All trekkers gathered at the makeshift "carpark" to do light stretching, led by Wan Ezanie (KPTM Bangi). Recite doa, offering prayers for a safe trek.

Since the terrain was quite new to all of us, we decided to walk together in one big group. After appointing Sham Otai as the first man (recce) and Shah Panjang as our last man (or sweeper), we began trekking at around 1000 hrs by following Trail #10. The trek starts at the end corner of the Oly Apartment blocks. In the beginning the trek was quite "normal", but soon after that it began to ascend at roughly 50 degrees or so ! Mencanak giler beb !

It was quite a tough one, but after a few oohs and aahs, we managed to reach the summit of Gunung Jasar at roughly 1100 hrs - after a 1 hour non-stop climb. Enjoyed the cool breeze & nice views for about 15 minutes or so. From the summit, you can see Tanah Rata town very clearly as the day was bright & shiny. Took photos of the beatiful sceneries. Can also see Gunung Perdah from a distance.

Continue trekking downwards towards Perdah. It was just a breeze, as many of us, especially Liza, practically "fly" down the hill slopes. The ground soil was a bit wet & mossy though, with lots of tree roots to watch out for. After a short while, the trek goes uphill again. But this time, it was not as bad as going up for Jasar. Within less than an hour, we already reached the summit of Gunung Perdah. This one got a much better views than Jasar. Very breathtaking ! Takbiir !! God is really Great !

Spent about 20 minutes for a breather at the Perdah summit. Some of us had light brunch with sandwiches which we had packed earlier. We descended through Trail#12. The track ends at the weather station. Reached the main road just in front of the famous CH golf course around 1300 hrs. Alhamdulillah, mission accomplished - 2 mountains in one day !! Wow ! Syabas to all, especially the first timers !

I guess everyone is now ready for Kinabalu ... just can't wait for May 2008 ! :)

MENGAPA SAYA MESTI MENGUNDI

Assalamualaikum kepada semua bakal-bakal pengundi dan pembaca yang budiman. Artikel ini saya terima dari seorang sahabat melalui emel ... bunyinya begini :

Aku terpanggil untuk menulis coretan ini bukan kerana ingin memihak kepada mana-mana parti atau pemimpin tetapi kerana suatu persoalan yang berlegar di benak fikiranku dan ingin aku mengajak saudara-saudari sekalian bertanya kepada diri dan hati masing-masing TANGGUNGJAWAB MENGUNDI KITA KERANA APA?

Mungkin ada diantara saudara-saudari tertanya-tanya bagaimana persoalan ini terlintas difikiran aku? Sebenarnya ia timbul setelah aku mendengar satu sesi ceramah agama di surau perumahan yang aku diami. Ceramah yang diberikan oleh ustaz berkenaan bukanlah suatu ceramah politik, ianya ceramah mingguan, tetapi penceritaan di dalam cermahnya membuatkan aku tertanya kepada diri sendiri akan persoalan di atas.

Selepas solat sunat sesudah solat magrib, ustaz tersebut pun memulakan ceramah beliau. Seperti biasa isi ceramahnya adalah tentang dosa dan pahala. Pada mulanya aku mendengar seperti biasa kerana topik sedemikian sering kali di ulangi ketika khutbah jumaat.

Kemudian ceramah beliau menjadi menarik lebih-lebih lagi bila semua makmum yang hadir mendengar dengan khsyuk. Ustaz tersebut berbicara mengenai seorang pencuri yang dibicara didepan Allah s.w.t di padang Masyhar.

Ditanya oleh Allah s.w.t kepada si pencuri walaupun Allah maha mengetahui akan segala sesuatu yang dilakukan oleh hamba-hambanya, ; "Wahai si polan, kenapa kamu hanya di hukum penjara 3 tahun di atas kesalahan mencuri sedangkan kesalahan yang kamu lakukan mempunyai saksi dan bukti yang nyata dan sepatutnya kamu dikenakan hukuman potong tangan". Jawab si pencuri, "Wahai Tuhanku, bukanlah aku yang meminta hukuman ini, tapi hukuman ini telah diberikan oleh hakim yang mengadili aku".

Begitulah di mahsyar, masing-masing akan cuba melepaskan diri sendiri dan segalanya akan diadili dengan seadilnya dihadapan Allah s.w.t.

Allah s.w.t kemudian memerintahkan hakim tersebut mengadap dan bertanya, "Wahai hakim, kenapa kamu menjatuhkan hukuman tersebut kepada si pencuri ini?" Maka jawab sihakim, "Wahai Tuhanku, sesungguhnya amanah yang diberikan kepadaku ini terbatas dan aku tiada kuasa dan upaya untuk melakukannya."

Bertanya lagi Allah s.w.t kepada sihakim, "Maka siapa pula yang memberi kamu akan kuasa itu?". Jawab sihakim, "Mereka yang membuat akta dan perlembagaan iaitu kerajaan yang di barisi oleh ahli-ahli kabinet negaraku".

Allah s.w.t kemudian memerintahkan pula para-para ahli kabinet dibicarakan, " Wahai kamu semua, kenapa kamu membuat akta dan perlembagaan sedemikian yang bercangah sama sekali dengan hukum Ku?"

Jawab ahli-ahli kabinet "Wahai Tuhan kami, sememangnya kami menolak hukum Mu selama kami memerintah dengan memberi berbagai alasan untuk tidak melaksanakannya tapi jangan lah hanya kami di persalahkan kerana kami tidak akan membuat akta yang melawan hukum Mu sekiranya rakyat tidak memilih kami".

Allah s.w.t kemudian memerintah kan semua rakyat yang memilih ahli-ahli kabinet tersebut mengadap dan bertanya dengan penuh kemurkaan "Wahai kamu sekalian, mengapa kamu sekalian memilih mereka-mereka ini yang menolak hukum Ku secara terang-terangan dan memberi berbagai alasan untuk tidak melaksanakan hukum Ku.

Maka jawablah si rakyat dengan ketakutan yang amat dahsyat kerana dimahsyar tidak ada lagi dolak dalih yang dapat digunakan. Ada diantaranya menjawap "Wahai Tuhan Ku, aku memilih mereka kerana dihadiahkan baju dan kain." Ada pula yang menjawab, "Aku memilih mereka kerana ingin kemewahan dan kesenangan dunia."

Selain itu ada juga yang menjawab "Aku memilih mereka kerana inginkan projek-projek". Ada juga yang menjawab "Aku memilih mereka kerana aku tidak yakin kerajaan yang melaksanakan hukum Islam boleh memerintah".

Ada lagi yang menjawab, "Aku memilih mereka kerana tidak yakin dengan undang-undang Islam". Dan yang menyedihkan ada yang menjawab, "Kami memilih mereka kerana di hadiahkan sekampit beras, sekilo gula dan sekilo tepung". Maka dengan murkanya Allah memerintahkan kesemuanya dengan berkata, "Masuk lah kamu semua ke dalam neraka Ku, sesungguh nya azab Ku amat lah pedih dan terimalah balasan siksa diatas apa yang telah kamu lakukan dan dustakan."

Nauzubillah.

Pada penutupan ceramahnya, Ustaz tersebut berkata, "Kalau saudara-saudari tidak percaya perkara seperti ini akan berlaku di mahsyar nanti, tunggu lah saya nanti di sana, kalau apa yang saya katakana ini bohong atau dusta semata".

Dalam perjalan aku kerumah, apa yang berlegar di fikiran aku adalah persoalan "AKU MENGUNDI NANTI KERANA APA? Setibanya aku di pintu pagar rumah, dengan rasa yakin dan teguh aku mendapat jawapannya, AKU MENGUNDI KERANA ALLAH S.W.T DAN ISLAM. Allahu akbar !

Kepada saudara-saudariku semua, tanyalah diri masing-masing: AKU MENGUNDI KERANA APA? Tepuk dada tanya IMAN.

Wassalam.

CARICATURES collection