Transformation from a Cynical Mind

A great speech!

2012-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Im sorry.
I dont want to be an emperor.
that is not my business.
i dont want to rule or conquer anyone.
i should like to help everyone if possible. we all want to help one other.
human beings are like that. we want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery.
we dont want to hate and despise one another.
and this world is ruled by everyone and good earth is rich, and can provide for everyone.
the way of life can be free and beautiful.
but we have lost the way.......
greed has poisoned men's souls.
it has barricaded the world with hate.
it has *sumthing* stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
we have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
machinery that gives abundance, has left *sumthing sumthing*.
our knowledge has made us cynical.
our cleverness hard and unkind.
we think too much, and feel too little.
more than machinery, we need humanity.
more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
without these qualities life would be violent, and all will be lost.
the aeroplane and radio has brought us closer together.
the very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men
cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of a soul.
even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world.
millions of despairing men, women and children, victims of the system that makes men torture, and imprison innocent people.
for those who can hear me, I say, do not despair.
a misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed
the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
the hate of men will pass and dictators die.
and the power they took from the people will return to the people.
and so long as men die,
liberty will never perish.

Soldiers,
dont give yourself to brutes,
men who despise you and enslave you,
who *sumthing* your lives.
tell you what to do what to think and what to feel?!
who drilled you, tied you, treat you like kettle, used you as cannon fodder.
dont give yourselves to these unnatural men.
machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts.
you are not machines,
you are not kettle,
you are MEN!
you have the love of humanity in your hearts.
you dont hate!
only the unloved hate.
the unloved and the unnatural.

Soldiers,
dont fight for slavery,
fight for liberty!
in the 70th chapter of saint lucas is written the kingdom of god is within men.
not one man,
nor a group of man,
but in all men! in you!
you the people have the power!
the power to create machines, the power to create happiness.
YOU the people have the power to make this life free and beautiful,
to make this life a wonderful adventure.

then in the name of democracy,
let us use that power!
let us all unite!
let us fight for a new world,
a decent world.
that will give men a chance to work,
but will give you the future and all age of security.
by the promise of these things, brutes have present the power but they lie,
they do not fulfill that promise.
they never will.
dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.
now let us fight to fulfill that promise!
let us fight to free the world!
the doorway with national barriers,
the doorway with greed, with hatred and intolerance.
let us fight for a world of reason!
a world where science or progress
will lead to all men happiness.

soldiers,
in the name of democracy,
let us all UNITE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcvjoWOwnn4&feature=related

very inspirational from Charlie Chaplin from the movie The Great Dictator!

january 2012 is not going well for me..

2012-01-19T05:42:00.000-08:00

Dear John,

I feel like i wanna get out of malaysia, away from the miserable life here. fyi, my family received some kinda threat, aiming at this other person named..whatever.. but most importantly, not from our family members, nor that we know of. maybe a prank or sumthing, but well, we did a police report. so hopefully the culprit will be caught.

then i was scammed pretty hard, lost rm2000 from my cimb bank account, so stupid of me.

and i have been under a nasty fever for the whole 2 weeks. the whole family suffered the same fate as mine. this would be my 3rd dose of antibiotics, let's see what happens next.

and ive grown tired of people, friends or not... im tired of being nice, but still being seen as the one who did wrongly. I am heavily in sickbed, but ppl dont know, why wud i tell everyone that i cudnt do this n that because im being sick. that is so pathetic. but some ppl think that they are busier than me. of course they are, but im bedridden for god sake. urghh gooooosflavaa

i really wish to get that scholarship and pass my ielts test, and get rid myself from malaysia.

i am so tired of living here, seriously.

pray for me John! :)

-BL-
19/1/2012:2141 hours

Winds of change

2012-01-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

the weather is changing pretty fast nowadays. so are ourselves. its how u choose the changes that matters most. because it will eventually shape up your world. choosing a decision is paramount. let the consequences take shape. then adapt to that as it will become your reality. dont deny that existence, embrace it as u r the one who chose it to become reality. changes are ever-present; evolution, revolution, genetic and physical drifts. all parts of our lives. let us become one with our world, with the others. dont let it loose.

-BL-
1522 hours; 11/1/12

Durian feast!

2012-01-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Dear John,

Woke up to find a group of people from TNB were repairing something outside of our house, so we could not use the electricity for 2 hours. in the middle of scorching heat!

We havent had any lunch yet, so we opted to go to SA Mall to feast on Durian (and other fruits, they are having this one 'Pasar' with all the fruits can be found and eaten there, outdoor. It is somehow cool to do something like that once in a while. So, let's go!

Till then, see ya!

-BL-
1540 hours; 2/1/2012

Scholarship hunting...continues

2012-01-01T05:20:00.000-08:00

Dear John,

As you already know, I have recently received a conditional offer to further my studies in UCL. Up to this date, I have found potential sponsors, as listed below:
1. MARA scholarship (this would be my primary focus!)
2. Scholarship Division, Ministry of Higher Education
3. National Science Fellowship Scheme, MOSTI
4. British Chevening Scholarship, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
5. Yayasan Daya Diri Postgraduate Scholarship, Yayasan Daya Diri
6. Yayasan Sime Darby Postgraduate Scholarship, Sime Darby
7. Khazanah Global Postgraduate Scholarship, Khazanah Nasional
8. Join Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Programme, JJ/WB
9. UCL Scholarship (dont know how and where to apply)

The hard thing is my course is an MSc, which is not a research-based course. Therefore, I am not eligible to apply for many of the other scholarships not listed above. Sigh....

I have already sent applications for British Chevening and Yayasan Daya Diri. For the other listed scholarships, the opening dates for applications have not been opened yet.

John, this is so hard! But I am very much desperate to continue studying this year, in the UK. Please pray for me, wish me the best ok?

End of 2011, a new year with a new beginning

2011-12-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaikum

Dear John,

I wanna thank you all who have been very supportive to me throughout year 2011. From this day forth, I will post more blogs to reflect my life, express my opinions, and express my hidden feelings to the world. yes, everything will start with 'Dear John'. because john has been my imaginary friend for quite some time, since my study years in Manchester.

now here goes..2011, what has happened? let me start with the worst moments within that magical year. The worst moment was obviously knowing that my previously-called love of my life was getting married to my acquaintance, yes, a known friend of mine. Well, that was already done and dusted, so I'm still having a hard time moving on. Nonetheless, you all people who know me well, would know that I am capable of hiding my feelings away from reality.

Then, I came to know that someone dear to me just diagnosed with Brain Cancer (glioblastoma multiforme stage 1 to be exact). My concern for her have been limited because of personal reasons (she is the abovementioned subject's mom). I wish only the best of health for you and your family.

Okay now the good ones. The very first one that has occurred to me was a job offer as a scientist in a medical biotechnology company. It has already been 9 months, and I am still going strong with my love working there. The team that I am in, is a combination of everything nice you could ever possibly get in a working environment. The pay? well, I still stick true to my words of doing the things that I love and as long as I contribute to the world, to the humanity, to healthcare, I am content, happy with it. Success will follow me in all honesty, insyaAllah. Yes it is a lil bit cliche, as mentioned in the bollywood movie '3 idiots'. Money is not my main motivation, I just wanna contribute and learn more. That's that with regards to my working life.

Another important progress in my life is family. We got together and had our eid celebrated in the UK, visiting our lovely cousin along the way. It was a good experience, and our family bonded better than ever! Love you all!

Love life? I havent got any since my greatest break-up in late 2008. There is always one particular girl that I dear most, but could not do anything because of the state that I am in currently. I'm not yet capable of giving her happiness, as yet. So what I can do is just sit and watch her. I need a significant climb in my career ladder if I were to approach her properly. She has a rich background, and I dont like ppl saying behind my back that I like her because of her wealth. I have known her well before I know her family, so that accusation is simply irrelevant. One thing for sure, our trip to the stadium to watch Malaysia game was something to behold, I loved every second of it. I will certainly remember that moment for the rest of my life, insyaAllah. That is all I can say.

Love life version 2? Lately I have been thinking of another girl, I dont know why. She lives in the UK, a bubbly one. Well, in malaysia, her home is just just a couple o'minutes away from mine. She gets along well with anyone, so I think that's why I have this 'I-like-you' feeling playing in my head. With that being my hypothesis (I bet with my life that it is!), I opted to back off a little bit from engaging her as it will jeopardize our friendship for sure. I dont need any frustration caused by girls at present. I am content with what I have now.

John, please do not think that I have the luxury to choose between those two lovely ladies. They have no idea about what I feel towards them. It is just me and myself trying to clap on both hands, but only capable of doing it with one hand.

Another important progress in my life is that we, as a family, will be moving into a new home soon (most probably sometime in April 2012). That new place is in Section 4, Shah Alam. For the past 4 months, each one of us is busy with buying our new furnitures, designing landscape and interiors, designing our own room (at last we will be getting one room each!!!) etc. We just got to know that the CF for our new house will only be out in February 2012. Initially it was supposed to be out end Disember 2011, but the developer is so slow (as usual) when they already have the payments. Cum February 2012, we will be extra busy moving out, and into our new house. Cant wait! we have never moved to a new home all our lives. Therefore, this will be our first, and we are expecting exciting times ahead! InsyaAllah.

With regards to my work, as I mentioned above, I am happy with my job as a scientist. That job has made me a better person all around. I have been doing a lot of molecular works in the lab, getting my hands into a proper research, a chance to write a scientific paper from A to Z, as well as getting myself into decision-making field more often. The only downfall is that, I am surrounded by a group of extremely gifted, intelligent individuals consisting of phd and masters holders. That goes without saying that I have to step up every day in terms of knowledge and intelligence, whereas my own capability is always limited by my degree level. Plus, my english-speaking skill is not up to the standard I wanted it to be at. Therefore, I personally feel that there is a need for me to increase my level of understanding in the scientific field that I want to venture into. For that reason, I have already applied a couple of courses for MSc studies in the UK. Alhamdulillah, I have just recently been offered a conditional offer of a place in UCL for the next academic year. The condition is that I have to take an English test and get a reasonably good result for it. I will register for IELTS test soon, please wish me the best!
However, I still have to search for scholarship or sponsorship for my studies there. I am not in a rich family in the first place, arent I? I really hope that I will get my wish of furthering my study next year. This time, I will work my socks off from Day 1, no more playing! I have to if I want to climb my career ladder. And it had better to be quick before the person I dear most got away (extra motivation I suppose?).

I forgot to mention that for several months after I got the job, I had been living with my crazy-but-lovely friends in Sunway. However, after I got back from the UK during Eid month, my mom asked me to stay at home, and I obviously obeyed her wish. Furthermore, I somehow feel that I have an invisible obligation to stay at my family house, for family sake. I knew I was being unfair to my mates in Sunway, but I had to. Thankfully, they are good people. I'm sorry mates! Thanks for being understanding, it is just that I am becoming more of a family man ever since our UK trip.

Later in the year 2011, I was motivated to learn the only sport that I really suck at, bowling. After several sessions, I am still unprogressed. That is so uninspiring! LOL. Dont be alarmed, I wont quit until I become successful at it, so I will continue learning in 2012. Thank you sifu and a chinese twin of mine, and another good friend of mine for accompanying me! I wont let you guys down!

To wrap it all up, 2011 has not been really kind to me throughout, but I will still remember this year as being a complete turning point of my life in my path towards being a much better Khalifah. 2012, here I come, more matured, more relevant, and more serious about life!

Thanks John for listening! Please wake me up tomorrow at 11a.m pls. Thanks!

Wassalam

-BL-
0138 hours; 1/1/2012

Study finds way to predict when cancer will spread

2011-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Researchers have found a compound that tumors make when they are likely to spread, and said they hope to use to it predict which patients are most at risk of dying from their cancers.

And experiments in mice show there may be a way to block the protein, preventing cancer from spreading and becoming deadly.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, are at a very early stage. But a team at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Hong Kong and elsewhere said on Tuesday they will work to develop both a test and, perhaps, a treatment.

The protein is called CPE-delta N and ordinarily plays a role in processing insulin and other hormones.

"This form is present in large amounts in primary tumors that have spread or metastasized," said Y. Peng Loh of the NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

"As everyone knows, cancer cells break away from the primary tumor, pass through surrounding tissues into lymph and blood vessels and these cancer cells then travel through the body and form tumors elsewhere."

This spread of tumors usually kills cancer patients. Early stage cancers that can be completely removed or destroyed usually do not kill the patient.

Loh's team described a series of experiments involving patients with liver cancer, a rare adrenal cancer, colon cancer and other types of cancer.

They tested the tumors of 18 patients with stage 2 liver cancer, which has spread but only within the liver.

"These patients would normally be told by their physicians that the cancer not likely to recur," Loh told reporters in a telephone briefing. They would not get chemotherapy after surgery.

Thirteen of the patients had low levels of CPE-delta N, and 10 of them were still cancer-free three years after surgery. However, three with low CPE-delta N levels did have their cancer come back, giving the test a 77 percent accuracy level in clearing patients.

Five of the original 18 had high levels of CPE-delta N and four of them did have their cancer come back, Loh said -- a 90 percent accuracy rate.

EXTRA TREATMENT

Ideally, if the results are confirmed, patients with high CPE-delta N levels could get extra chemotherapy or radiation to control the risk of spread, Loh said.

Other tests showed similar results, the researchers said, notably in 14 patients with pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor of the adrenal glands, and paraganglioma, another rare tumor. Both mostly affect children and adolescents.

--Taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/us-cancer-spread-idUSTRE71065D20110201?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/scienceNews+(News+/+US+/+Science)&utm_content=FaceBook --

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South Carolina scientist works to grow meat in lab

2011-02-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - In a small laboratory on an upper floor of the basic science building at the Medical University of South Carolina, Vladimir Mironov, M.D., Ph.D., has been working for a decade to grow meat.

A developmental biologist and tissue engineer, Dr. Mironov, 56, is one of only a few scientists worldwide involved in bioengineering "cultured" meat.

It's a product he believes could help solve future global food crises resulting from shrinking amounts of land available for growing meat the old-fashioned way ... on the hoof.

Growth of "in-vitro" or cultured meat is also under way in the Netherlands, Mironov told Reuters in an interview, but in the United States, it is science in search of funding and demand.

The new National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, won't fund it, the National Institutes of Health won't fund it, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration funded it only briefly, Mironov said.

"It's classic disruptive technology," Mironov said. "Bringing any new technology on the market, average, costs $1 billion. We don't even have $1 million."

Director of the Advanced Tissue Biofabrication Center in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the medical university, Mironov now primarily conducts research on tissue engineering, or growing, of human organs.

"There's a yuck factor when people find out meat is grown in a lab. They don't like to associate technology with food," said Nicholas Genovese, 32, a visiting scholar in cancer cell biology working under a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals three-year grant to run Dr. Mironov's meat-growing lab.

"But there are a lot of products that we eat today that are considered natural that are produced in a similar manner," Genovese said.

"There's yogurt, which is cultured yeast. You have wine production and beer production. These were not produced in laboratories. Society has accepted these products."

If wine is produced in winery, beer in a brewery and bread in a bakery, where are you going to grow cultured meat?

In a "carnery," if Mironov has his way. That is the name he has given future production facilities.

He envisions football field-sized buildings filled with large bioreactors, or bioreactors the size of a coffee machine in grocery stores, to manufacture what he calls "charlem" -- "Charleston engineered meat."

"It will be functional, natural, designed food," Mironov said. "How do you want it to taste? You want a little bit of fat, you want pork, you want lamb? We design exactly what you want. We can design texture.

"I believe we can do it without genes. But there is no evidence that if you add genes the quality of food will somehow suffer. Genetically modified food is already normal practice and nobody dies."

--Taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/us-food-meat-laboratory-feature-idUSTRE70T1WZ20110131?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/scienceNews+(News+/+US+/+Science)&utm_content=FaceBook --

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"Artificial pancreas" shows promise in pregnancy

2011-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Scientists have shown how an "artificial pancreas" can help pregnant women with type 1 diabetes and say their finding could significantly reduce cases of stillbirth and death among diabetic expectant mothers.

British researchers used a so-called "closed-loop insulin delivery system" or artificial pancreas, in 10 pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes and found it provided the right amount of insulin at the right time, maintained near normal blood sugar, and prevented dangerous drops in blood sugar levels at night.

"To discover an artificial pancreas can help maintain near-normal glucose levels in these women is very promising," said Helen Murphy of Cambridge University, who led the study.

The experimental artificial pancreas was created by combining a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, with an insulin pump, both of which are already used separately by many people with type 1 diabetes.

Previous trials in children with the condition found that using an artificial pancreas system at night improved blood glucose control and reduced hypoglycaemia -- when the level of glucose in the blood falls too low.

The bodies of type 1 diabetes sufferers become unable to properly break down sugar and if untreated, blood vessels and nerves are destroyed, organs fail and patients can die.

Pregnancy can be particularly risky for women with diabetes as hormonal changes make it very difficult to keep blood glucose levels within a safe range, especially at night.

As a result of high blood glucose levels, babies of women with diabetes are five times as likely to be stillborn, three times as likely to die in their first months of life and twice as likely to have a major deformity, the researchers said.

Data from previous studies suggest that pregnant women with type 1 diabetes spend an average of ten hours a day with glucose levels outside recommended targets, said Murphy, whose findings were published in the journal Diabetes Care.

This increases the risk of birth defects, stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm delivery, oversized babies and other complications.

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own ability to make insulin, accounts for around 10 percent of all people with diabetes. The more common type 2 diabetes is often linked to bad diet and lack of exercise.

Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, which part-funded the study, said that although it was a small and early stage trial, the results were encouraging.

"It's a fantastic example of how existing technologies...can be adapted and developed to benefit as many people with diabetes as possible," he said in a statement.

The researchers said more studies were now needed on larger numbers of women to validate their findings, and to see if the system could be developed for use outside of a hospital.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Ralph Boulton)

--Taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/us-pancreas-diabetes-idUSTRE70U00N20110131?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/scienceNews+(News+/+US+/+Science)&utm_content=FaceBook --

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Malaysia rapidly destroying forests for palm oil: group

2011-02-01T13:09:00.001-08:00

(Reuters) - Malaysia, the world's second largest palm oil producer, is destroying large areas of carbon-rich peatswamp forests to expand plantations, a leading conservation group said on Tuesday.

Wetlands International and Dutch remote sensing institute Sarvision said palm oil plantations are being expanded largely in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo island.

"Unless this trend is halted, none of these forests will be left at the end of this decade," said the report released on Tuesday.

It said between 2005-2010, almost 353,000 hectares (883,000 acres) of species-rich, peatswamp forests were opened up largely for palm oil production.

"In just 5 years time, almost 10 percent of all Sarawak's forests and 33 percent of the peatswamp forests have been cleared. Of this, 65 percent was for palm oil conversion," said the report, which cited a lack of verifiable government figures on land use in relation to soil type or deforestation.

Palm oil firms in Malaysia and Indonesia are under increasing pressure by major Western buyers to halt expansion through forest clearance. But India and China remain top buyers of the oil for cooking, biscuits, cosmetics and biofuels. Malaysia produces about 45 percent of the world's palm oil.

CHALLENGING OFFICIAL FIGURES

The report said official Malaysian government figures stated that only 8 to 13 percent of Malaysia's palm oil plantations were on carbon rich peat soils, with 20 percent for Sarawak.

Wetlands International and Sarvision said they used satellite images combined with existing data and field surveys to challenge the official figures.

"The new studies conclude that 20 percent of all Malaysian palm oil is produced on drained peatlands. For Sarawak, this is even 44 percent. For new plantations, the percentage on forested peatswamps is even higher."

Government officials weren't immediately available to comment on the report, which also cited the threat to rare species such as the Borneo pygmy elephant, Sumatran rhino and Borneo clouded leopard.

Deforestation and particularly clearing, draining and burning of deep peatswamp forests is responsible for about 10 percent of mankind's greenhouse gas emissions. Neighboring Indonesia has come under intense international pressure to halt the destruction of peatswamps in the fight against climate change.

Wetlands and estimated that the 510,000 ha of peatlands in Malaysia drained for palm oil production led to the release of 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The group called for an immediate halt to peatland clearance and an end to incentives for biofuels in the European Union.

(Reporting by David Fogarty; Editing by Niluksi Koswanage)

--Taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/us-malaysia-forests-palmoil-idUSTRE7103VP20110201?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/environment+(News+/+US+/+Environment)&utm_content=FaceBook --

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Fertilizing oceans seen fruitless in climate fight

2011-02-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Fertilizing the oceans to boost the growth of tiny plants that soak up greenhouse gases is unlikely to work as a way to slow climate change, a U.N.-backed study showed on Monday.

Such "geo-engineering" schemes would be hard to monitor and were likely to store away only small amounts of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

"Geo-engineering schemes involving ocean fertilization to affect climate have a low chance of success," according to the 20-page study by the Commission, part of the U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The review, by scientists in seven countries, said 13 experiments in recent years showed faded optimism that iron dust or other nutrients could spur growth of microscopic marine plants and permanently suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Twenty years ago, scientists had optimistically reckoned that one tonne of iron could make the seas absorb 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, it said. But one recent study suggested that one tonne of iron would only soak up 5,000 tonnes of the gas.

Firms including Climos, Atmocean Inc and the Ocean Nourishment Corp. have been looking into ocean fertilization technology as a way of offsetting emissions of greenhouse gases from factories, power plants and cars.

MARINE SNOW

But the study said that some absorbed carbon simply returns to the atmosphere. Just one to 15 percent falls as what scientists call "marine snow" -- dead plants, animals or their faeces -- to be stored on the deep ocean floor.

"At best it can make a small contribution" to storing industrial emissions of carbon dioxide, Doug Wallace, lead author of the report at the Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften, told Reuters.

In 2008, the U.N.'s Convention on Biological Diversity imposed a moratorium on ocean fertilization experiments outside coastal waters, awaiting wider scientific evidence.

The study said that some experiments had successfully triggered a bloom of plankton and bacteria -- such one in 2002 that produced a patch visible to satellites in the north-east Pacific Ocean.

But it was impossible to say how much of that carbon stayed in the oceans. And the extra plants might help fish grow in some areas by providing more food, but might also rob nutrients from other parts of the ocean.

Monitoring was vital, especially if ocean fertilization were ever to qualify for carbon credits under a U.N. deal meant to avert more floods, heatwaves, mudslides, or rising sea levels.

But it was far easier to monitor forests, which also soak up carbon as they grow. "A tree might burn next year but then at least you know it didn't work," Wallace said. "In the oceans you have a serious measurement problem."

The study was also skeptical about measures to use huge pipes to suck deep, nutrient-rich waters closer to the surface where sunlight could spur more plant growth. And it did not even look at the possible costs of marine geo-engineering.

--Taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/us-climate-oceans-idUSTRE70U5IL20110131?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/environment+(News+/+US+/+Environment)&utm_content=FaceBook --

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Arctic current warmer than for 2,000 years: study

2011-02-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - A North Atlantic current flowing into the Arctic Ocean is warmer than for at least 2,000 years in a sign that global warming is likely to bring ice-free seas around the North Pole in summers, a study showed.

Scientists said that waters at the northern end of the Gulf Stream, between Greenland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, averaged 6 degrees Celsius (42.80F) in recent summers, warmer than at natural peaks during Roman or Medieval times.

"The temperature is unprecedented in the past 2,000 years," lead author Robert Spielhagen of the Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Literature in Mainz, Germany, told Reuters of the study in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

The summer water temperatures, reconstructed from the makeup of tiny organisms buried in sediments in the Fram strait, have risen from an average 5.2 degrees Celsius (41.36F) from 1890-2007 and about 3.4C (38.12F) in the previous 1,900 years.

The findings were a new sign that human activities were stoking modern warming since temperatures are above past warm periods linked to swings in the sun's output that enabled, for instance, the Vikings to farm in Greenland in Medieval times.

"We found that modern Fram Strait water temperatures are well outside the natural bounds," Thomas Marchitto, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, one of the authors, said in a statement.

The Fram strait is the main carrier of ocean heat to the Arctic.

ICE-FREE OCEAN

The authors wrote that the warming temperatures "are presumably linked to the Arctic amplification of global warming" and that the warming "is most likely another key element in the transition to a future ice-free Arctic Ocean."

Ice on the Arctic Ocean shrank to its lowest on record in 2007 and many experts expect the ocean will be ice-free in summers in coming decades, a threat to the hunting livelihoods of indigenous peoples and to creatures such as polar bears.

The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the global average as part of a trend the U.N. panel of climate scientists blames on a build-up of greenhouse gases from mankind's use of fossil fuels in power plants, factories and cars.

The shrinking of reflective ice and snow in the Arctic region exposes water or ground which are darker colored and so soak up more heat from the sun, amplifying warming.

(Editing by Ralph Boulton)
--taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/28/us-climate-arctic-idUSTRE70P6TE20110128?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/environment+(News+/+US+/+Environment)&utm_content=FaceBook --

HAVE YOUR SAY ^_^

Why is life carbon-based? From Chemistry point of view

2010-07-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

"Life exists in the universe only because the carbon atom possesses certain exceptional properties." -- James Jeans, The Mysterious Universe Journal.

All life is based on the element carbon. Carbon is the major chemical constituent of most organic matter, from fossil fuels to the complex molecules of DNA and RNA that control/preserve the genetic information in organisms. Although it might be somewhat an overgeneralisation that could lead to misconceptions, it is arguably true that all living organisms are based on Carbon. If we look into a more significant perspective, the question of why life is carbon-based rarely comes out of our mind because it seems that a tiny element such as Carbon has unique abilities and characteristics that perhaps have been consequently overlooked. Like any other chemical elements and compounds, Carbon is not the most abundant chemical constituent on Earth. Before we look into the 'uniqueness' of Carbon, we need a good definition of life. Unfortunately, scientists have been arguing among each other about the technical definition of life for some time.

Define LIFE first, then we talk!
To me, personally, there is no one who can give a universal definition of life itself, but there is a variety of definitions proposed from the past and present by scientists with different scientific backgrounds:
1. Systems that tend to respond to changes in their environment, and inside themselves, in such a way as to promote their own continuation (Margulis L., Sagan D., et al 1995).
2. A type of organisation of matter producing various interacting forms of variable complexity, whose main property is to replicate almost perfectly by using matter and energy available in their environment to which they may adapt (Schrodinger E., 1944-2000).
3. Life is a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally (wikipedia "Life").

Now, I prefer to use a very broad definition that is as simple and clear as possible. Thus, I defined life as anything that can both duplicate itself almost perfectly and evolve. That is, it must be capable of reproducing, mutating, and reproducing its mutations. This excludes crystal growth and fire, but includes parasites such as bacteria, viruses, and possibly prions. Common to DNA, RNA, and proteins is their ability to involve themselves in a diverse number of complex chemical reactions. The diversity of these reactions is made possible by the molecule's possession of different functional groups. As the name suggests, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules, which are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. These functional groups allow for the interactions necessary for replication and other processes as well. This is important because replication is one of our two requirements for being life. Reproduce, Mutate, Reproduce!

FUNCTIONAL GROUPS
There is an argument about living organism could use other functional groups that are used by the life forms on Earth. However, there must still be numerous numbers of these functional groups to allow for self-replication. How do you stick many functional groups together into one molecule? That is where Carbon comes in. DNA, RNA, and proteins all use Carbon in their structures as backbones in order to connect all the functional groups together. From that on, the functional groups, which may or may not contain carbon, are also held together by a backbone which is carbon-based. The same functional groups will undergo similar chemical reactions regardless of the size of the molecule they are a part of. In addition, functional groups are attached to the carbon backbone of organic molecules. They determine the characteristics and chemical reactivity of molecules and are far less stable than the carbon backbone. Six common biological functional groups are hydrogen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino, phosphate and methyl.

WHY CARBON IS NEEDED?
Now the question would be, why does a backbone require Carbon?!? the direction of how the answer will flow can be related to our main topic. There are two all-important properties of carbon that makes it a suitable element to form the compounds in all living things.
Firstly, carbon atoms (C) can link together to form stable chains of great lengths. This process is called catenation; an ability of a chemical constituent to form covalent bonds with itself, which results in the formation of chained and ring molecules.

CATENATION
Primarily, the bond energy is the basis for the ability of an element to undergo catenation. This useful process is also coupled with the influence of steric and electronic factors as well as the molecular orbital hybridization and the ability to form different kinds of covalent bonds. For example, carbon has the ability to form both sigma and pi bonds to itself. This is as a result of an overlap between pi-electron orbitals, allowing electron density to be shared and thus stabilizing the bond. On the other hand, Silicon has insignificant overlap between pi-orbitals, and thus has no tendency to form pi-bonds. Therefore, Silicon has a relatively poor capacity for catenation. This can also account for the uniqueness of Carbon in relative to Silicon. Apart from catenation, Carbon atoms bind strongly to each other and so often form very large molecules which are built around a carbon backbone. The covalent bond between two carbon atoms is strong so that the backbones are stable. In all of these compounds, simple sub-units called monomers are linked together by condensation reactions. Carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids are formed when large numbers of these sub-units bond together to form huge macromolecules called polymers. (Let me put it simple, Carbons are used as 'connectors' that attached and hold together other molecules in a chemical compound and stabilize the compound for it to function properly and efficiently)

VALENCY
The second important properties of Carbon that makes it a suitable element to form compounds in all living things is its valency. And yes, what is it anyway? It is a special characteristic in all group IV elements in the Periodic Table. According to my BB mobile dictionary.com apps, valency is the relative combining capacity of an atom compared with that of the hydrogen atom. Quite simply, how easy and efficient an atom can combine with another atom to yield a molecule. Carbon, is also one of the 7 elements portrayed as nonmetals based on bonding characteristics. The nonmetals are the green elements on the periodic table. Carbon, along with 5 of the other nonmetal elements makes up nearly all of the atoms in all organic molecules. Each atom of Carbon can form four covalent bonds and Carbon is able to form bonds with an incredible number of other atoms. The electrons around the carbon atom are arranged so as to allow it to make 4 single bonds, or 2 double bonds, or even one triple and one single bond, with other elements. Because of its stability, the branched chains of carbon atoms can form an almost infinite number of possible compounds. This provides the variety of chemistry that allows living things to achieve great complexity.

THE NEXT BEST THING..SILICON!!!
Scientists have occasionally speculated that life could be based on an element other than Carbon. Silicon has been proposed as a possible alternative to Carbon for other life forms. This proposal is based on some similarities between the two elements. Silicon has a half-filled outer shell with 4 unpaired electrons in which its electronic structure is similar to that of Carbon. The fact that Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth after Oxygen, also accounts for the possibility of a silicon-based life. However, it only takes one detraction to cancel the possibility of it; unlike Carbon,
silicon does not have the tendency to form double and triple bonds because of its instability to hold firm other chemical elements and compounds. Also, older stars have been understood to naturally produce Carbon, along with nitrogen and Oxygen, and thus makes carbon relatively abundant IN THE UNIVERSE.

CARBON NEEDS CARBON CYCLE, SILICON NEEDS SILICON CYCLE, BUT DOES IT FIT THE SYSTEM?
There is a fact that life could not have developed based on silicon biochemistry. Why? because life on Earth depends on the Carbon cycle. Autotrophic creatures use CO2 to synthesize organic compounds with Carbon, which is then used as food by heterotrophic organisms. They produce energy and CO2 from these compounds. If Carbon was to be replaced with Silicon, there would be a need for a Silicon cycle. However, Silicon precipitates in aqueous systems, and cannot be transported among living beings by common biological means.

HOW TO SUSTAIN SILICON-BASED LIFE FORMS? DIFFERENCES IN ABILITY WITH CARBON
There is also a problem in sustaining silicon-based life forms, if any. Another solvent would be necessary for it to be sustained but it would be difficult to find another common compound with the unusual properties of water which make it an ideal solvent for Carbon-based life. Larger Silicon compounds similar to universal hydrocarbon chains (called Silanes) are also generally unstable because of the large atomic radius of Silicon and the equally weaker Silicon-Silicon bond. Due to that fact, Silanes decompose readily in the presence of Oxygen, making them incompatible for them to become stable in our oxidizing atmosphere. As an element that cannot form bonds other than single bonds, Silicon does not appear to be readily taking part in pi-bonding as pi-bonds are the second and third bonds in triple and double bonds. Furthermore, although some silicon rings which are similar to common cycloalkanes have been synthesized, their synthesis experience difficulties in producing any silane compound because of unknown, undocumented reasons. On the other hand, Carbon will readily form complex rings by a variety of pathways even in the presence of Oxygen (oxidizing pressure). The inability of Silicon to readily form long silane chains, complex rings and multiple bonds strictly limits the diversity of compounds that can be synthesized from it. It is these differences which explained why Carbon is the basis of all known life forms even though Silicon is far more abundant on our mother Earth.

SO...TO WRAP IT UP....
We can say that of all the atoms Carbon can form bonds with, it is its ability to make strong, stable bonds with other carbon atoms to form polymers (and hence the backbones) that is most crucial for life. Having said that, the ability of one Carbon atom to bond with two other carbon atoms and still have room to hold a wide range of functional groups that makes it so well qualified, so exciting. Therefore, Carbon element is the most suitable constituent to be the basis and backbones of all living organisms. We do not know whether Earth-like conditions exist elsewhere, but if they do exist, it is highly likely that life forms will also be based on Carbon.

NIKMAN ADLI BIN NOR HASHIM
JULY 2010

(apologies to some articles and journals from which I took some idea and information, this blogpost was done gradually in which the extraction process took me months and months without taking note the source of the idea, again, I apologise)

ADA APA DENGAN CINTA? ..IF YOU REALLY LOVE THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE...

2010-02-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

Salam & hello dear readers...

In conjunction with a month where every decoration in the display windows are filled with red things, heart shapes,chocolates etc. we would like to share an entry which was taken from another blogger (credits to http://superheroes-10.blogspot.com/2010/02/ada-apa-dengan-cinta-if-you-really-love.html who took it from http://sarahmr.blog.friendster.com/2010/01/cinta-sang-bulan/ and then took it from the63s.blogspot.com)Its just soo beautiful that we had to share it..

Enjoy the story..

There’s a quote from Yasmin Ahmad’s Talentime that I love the most. It sounds like this

‘ If the Moon can linger in the morning so bright, why can’t the Sun do the same at night?’

As I was walking back from my clinical rotation in Bons Secours Hospital today, the day was very beautiful and sunny, so I looked up to the blue sky spotted with white fluffy clouds to enjoy every moment of it and I realized the moon is still there not even hiding behind the clouds at 11.30 a.m.

And so I remembered the quote from the movie and yes, it’s true. The Moon even lingers up till noon when the day is very sunny. But it would not even appear on a gloomy rainy day when the Sun is hiding not showing himself. So I started to have this kind of imagination and fantasy about the Sun and the Moon.

For me, I always think, the Sun as a male as it portrays the Masculine features of strong, bright but sometimes could be very vulnerable. The Moon on the other hand is the female, with endless beauty, very serene to look at but could be very lonely. They made a very good and perfect couple, like it was destined from Heaven.

Have you ever thought that the Sun and the Moon are actually lovers? Why not? I mean because the Sun and the Moon are just like Adam and Eve. Without the Sun, the Moon will never exist to us as it only reflected the light from the Sun. So did Eve who was made from Adam’s rib, created to fill the spaces between Adam’s fingers. What a lovely couple the Sun and the Moon are, just like how lovely Adam and Eve were. Both couples were created in Heaven to shine upon all the mankind. It’s just that the love of the Sun and the Moon existed much longer before the love of Adam and Eve and their love persisted until today.

If the love of Adam and Eve is brought down from one generation to the next and the love breed filling every corner of the earth from the seed of love of Adam and Eve, the Sun and the Moon is different. Their love existed from the beginning of the world till the Day of Judgment and it will never change and it will never breed. Human’s Love blossoms from loyalty but can be full of cheat, treacherous and bitter to each other. But the Sun and the Moon always loyal to each other since the dawn of time up till now. Their love just never fades away like our love. That is the true power of Love.

Sadly, the Sun and the Moon live in separation. Never be able to live together like we did. No matter how strong their love is, they are not destined to be together in this lifetime. The Sun will appear on the day to shine on the mankind but the Moon can only appear in the night to entertain the heartbroken ones. One day the Moon said to the Sun,

“Oh My Love, you shine on the humans and made them happy for the rest of the day, and I will entertain them and give them a sense of peace and happiness in the night while they are making love, but truly I am lonely myself. You are never in my company. Will we be able to hold hands together like the human did?”

And so the Sun replied

“ Oh My Dear, I’m not trying to shine on them, but rather I’m shining my love on you so that you are not lonely. My light will make you glow beautifully and your beauty will make every eyes of the girls filled with envy and jealousy. We live in a world apart but I will always shine my love for you forever until The Lord Almighty bring us together in the Heaven”

The Moon is satisfied with the answer but never content with it. She loves the Sun so much that it is unbearable for her to live in separation.

One day, the Moon thought to herself, my heart must never falter and I must be strong in order to be with the Sun. From today on, I will linger on the sky until morning just to see the Sun even if it’s only for a while. The Moon was trying to show and prove her endless love to the Sun. So she stays every morning until noon just to have a brief moment with the Sun even her light is never the same as the night time. Her beauty is fading by the morning and she is sad that she cannot show the Sun her beauty. Even both of them appear on the same morning, they can only look at each other from a distant. They can never be closed enough to hold hands or to embrace each other tightly. Even so, the Moon was very happy because they got to see each other. Sadly for the Sun, he can only see the pale face of the Moon starring at him every morning, not that brightly glowing and the beautiful Moon. So the Sun asked the Moon

“Oh My Love, why do you look so pale and sad?”

The Moon replied

“Oh My Love, I’m sad because I can’t be with you and above of all, I’m pale because you are shinning so bright. You showered me with so much love that it caused me so much pain just to think that I’m not with you”

The Sun is confused so he asked the Moon

“Oh Love, do you want me reduce my love for you so that you can light up the morning sky with your glow and smile?”

Listening to that, the Moon said quickly

“ Oh My Love, Never. If you don’t shine your love on me then I will forever be in the dark even at night and the scar on me will never heal”

So the Sun and the Moon continue to live like that. The Sun will shine the earth every day and when the night comes, the lonely Moon will try to cast the loneliness of the humans away. They got to see each other every morning and then they’ll be separated again. So the Moon is becoming greedier. She longs for the Sun every moment and watching him from a far every morning is not enough anymore.

So, the Moon asked the Sun again

“ Oh My Love, If i can linger in the morning so bright, why can’t you do the same at night? If you are present at night, I can always show you my beauty“

Hearing to the question, the Sun becomes clueless and don’t have the answer himself. He also wonders why can’t he shine at night. After giving some thought about it, the Sun replied;

“ Oh my Dear, have you forgotten the Words of Allah from the Holy Book of Al-Quran? “

So the Sun recited a verse of Al-Quran from Az-Zumar verse 5

He has created the heavens and the earth with truth. He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night. and He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running (on a fixed course) for an appointed term. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.

Listening to the verse, the Moon burst into tears and asked for Forgiveness from the Lord Almighty as she was trying to defy the rules of creation. Allah has made their destiny as so. She realizes that she could never be together with her beloved Sun. All she can do is to watch him from a far with pale, and sad eyes.

To ease the sadness of the Moon, the Sun then recited a verse from Al-Qiyamah, verse 8

and the sun and moon will be joined together (by going one into the other or folded
up or deprived of their light).

“Oh My Love, there will be time when we will be together. Please be patient “,the Sun said.

So the Moon and the Sun has been waiting and waiting until the Lord Almighty wishes them to meet each other.

The Sun and The Moon’s love is a very tragic love. Loving each other but never able to be together. There’s always that kind of love in this life that will never be able to be together in this world and surely Allah will grant your love wishes in the Heaven. Fate is in the Hand of Allah and Destiny is Allah’s haq for his servants. There will be time when your love will be realized. If Dunia Cinta is not for you, then Syurga Cinta is waiting for you. Adam and Eve met in Jabal Rahmah after years of searching and Allah fulfilled their love wishes. Just like the Sun and the Moon. Their love is destined to be together on the Day of Judgment. Allah has promised in Al-Qiyamah, when the Day of Judgment occurred is the time when the Sun and the Moon will meet. Oddly for them, in the chaos of the end of the world is the time for them to be happy forever.

For the love that is never to be realized in this world, I’m praying to God to give us the strength to be patient until the love comes to realize in the Paradise full of Happiness. Just wait like how the Sun and the Moon has been waiting for each other from the beginning of the world until the End of the World. Whenever you are tired of waiting, think of how long the Sun and the Moon have been waiting.

Remember Allah’s promise to those who are patient;

And those who remain patient, seeking their Lord’s Countenance, perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and defend evil with good, for such there is a good end. (Ar-Rad, 22)

And also, for the unmarried couple who are so in love with each other, there’s a boundary of which you can’t cross. Never to touch what is not yours. Never take it too far until you are lost with love of lust until it became Nafsu Cinta. Just like the Moon and the Sun, they wait with patient for the time, so you should do the same. Your time will come when you tie the knot and you can touch whatever that is yours. Love is a form a Test from Allah. The lovey dovey thing would be for nothing and fruitless if it’s not purify with Ikhlas only for Allah’s sake. You want to harvest the sweetest fruit (pious children) coming out of your love. If you fail the test of love, then you would not reach the Paradise, do you? Patient is definitely what being tested in love. And those who are pious should be able to excel the test well. First Class Honors maybe.

Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sabirun (the patient)? (Ali-Imran, 142)

A woman is only halal for you when you marry her. Even if you change your Facebook status countless time, announcing you are now in relationship with that girl or that boy, nothing ever changes between you and her. Both of you remains ‘Haram’ for each other. So does engagement. Engagement would not automatically says she is ultimately yours. As I said before, marriage is the only way that you and your loved ones can act, live and love as a couple.

Allah Said in Al-Quran :

Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).(Al-Isra’, 32)

And the Prophet described what is the form adultery from the Hadith

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: I did not see anything so resembling minor sins as what Abu Huraira said from the Prophet, who said, “Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the innerself wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation.” (Sahih Bukhari)

Love is a funny thing, can be dangerous, can be tricky, can be a-long-tiring-endless-waiting, but if you love the right way you will surely touch the Heaven of Earth and the Heaven in the Hereafter.

***

sangat sweet kan? to think of the sun and moon as lovers..

and the truth as what Allah has promised in the Quran.

may we all find our true love.. ;) and Allah knows best..

“Clouds may come, but clouds must go, and they all have a silver lining.

for behind each cloud you know, the sun, or moon is shining..”

Gaza has shed enough blood, STOP the massacre!

2009-01-07T04:44:00.000-08:00

With apology and permission from the names stated below:
Brett, Ricken, Alice, Ben, Pascal, Paul, Graziela, Paula, Luis, Iain

Dear friends,

As we watch the Gaza bloodshed with horror, appalled at how the crisis is spiralling further out of control, one thing is clear −− this violence will only lead to further civilian suffering and an escalation of the conflict.

There must be another way. Over 370 are dead and hundreds more injured −− rockets are striking Ashdod deep inside Israel for the very first time, and the sides are mobilising for invasion. A global response has begun, but it'll take more than words −− the immediate violence won't end, nor will wider peace be secured, without firm action from the international community.

After eight or more years of ineffective US and global diplomacy −− and now Gaza's bloodiest day in recent memory −− we must issue a global outcry demanding that world leaders do more than make statements if they're to bring peace to this region. The UN, the European Union, the Arab League and the USA should now act together to ensure a ceasefire – which includes an end to rocket attacks into Israel and opening the checkpoints for fuel, food, medicine and other humanitarian aid deliveries.

With a new US President taking office in less than a month, a real opportunity exists to breathe new life into peace efforts. These latest hostilities require not only an immediate ceasefire but a commitment from Obama and other world leaders that resolution of the Israeli−Palestinian conflict is at the very top of their agendas. As the whole world is impacted by this ongoing conflict − we should demand nothing less.

In 2006 we mobilised for a ceasefire in Lebanon. For years we've worked to encourage a just and lasting peace, taking out billboards and ads across Israel and Palestine. Now as we head into 2009, we need to come together again to demand a peaceful and lasting resolution, instead of a further escalation of violence.

All sides to the conflict will continue to act as they have in the past if they believe that the world will stand by and allow them to do so. 2009 is a year that things can be different. As we face this crisis, and the possibilities of a new year, it's time for us to demand a ceasefire and work together to finally put an end to this cycle of violence.

With hope and determination.

Follow this link now to sign the emergency petition and send it to everyone you know:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

Follow this link to put your name forward for peace:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

The Enigma of Relationship -Extended-

2008-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

With apology and permission from NaseezHod:

Quotation from previous blog post comment,

wah...erm..wel..i should praise u to put socio and science side by side..wud be nice if u cud generate any evidnce/example from the Holy Quran or Sirah as well *sigh*..yeap..no joke thr..

maybe not many realize tht managing a relationship is like managing an institution,tho,it's betwn 2 people(i tk tht from ur defn Ok! tho 4 me,rltnship may involve a bigger network).

it's not easy & we cud never expect the presence of pathogen until our own body detects it....if we have the right immunity..i'Allah we wud be safe..but if we don't,tht's the hardest part of it...for me,probs are pathogens..

as u mentiond,it's always better to prevent than cure..but not many of us r properly vaccinated...(pening la pulak nk explain...)
(*u like immunology ek?)

personally....we learn as we go thru the relationship..people wud struggle to save theirs..hwvr, evn tho how strong d fort of immunity we built,i gues,if Allah said tht's the end,then d end it wud b...

better put it this way,in any way,once we begin a relationship,always remind ourslves tht,our love towards Allah should be the upmost...because..sometimes,test by Allah (in d form of prob in a relationship) is because Allah doesnt wnt us to forget Him...

b4 i end,wud like to give some opinion towards mr. Anonymous's comments on finding the ONE..dunia dh hampir ke penghujung..i believe,perfect persons are dead so we shud stop to find one...

a rltnship is similar like betwen enzyme-substrate..there must be one match for us..it may not be perfect fit, but if the situation is optimum,it wud work...

love is everywhr..we ourslves r full of love...those hu have gud r/ship with their own soul wud hv gud r/shp with others...

26 May 2008 12:18

Thank you dear friend.

The Truth about Discussion

2008-02-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

There are always discussions going about, everyday and everywhere, in our very life. People always discuss about love, environment, politics, economics, sciences, religion beliefs, and even about ones' interest in sports. When conflict arises, we can discuss about the possible 'treatments', the do's and dont's as well as the positive/negative impacts implied within the center of truth beyond the birth of conflict itself. So what is debate then? Does debate operate the same way as discussions?

A matter of discussing is a matter of seeing and viewing while analysing, eventually conveying upon a certain informative matter in a neutral point of view. That is my claim, personally. If we were to discuss something, emotions and personal attitudes have to put aside. Why? These unnecessary elements of self-actualisation are very likely to distract, or else, disrupt, the biasness of the whole context in the discussion. It is true that most effective discussions are based on the stands of each relevant 'player', but the stands are generally, mostly, and extremely likely, made and deduced after a number of important points conveyed within the pool of information regarding the selected topic. When you discuss, do you really put up a general statement that directly opposes the points of others, as the heading of your point? or do you rather put a general statement that respects the whole context of the whole population involved as the heading of your point? To my understanding, discussions really invite us to present ideas, beliefs, opinions, in a formal, respective way. That is, upon representing certain points, from then we can take part in exchanging ideas and opinions, while asking the relevance of one's point by virtue of justifications. Critics are not always welcomed because critics are a one way communication that directly attack an idea from one individual with a sense of biasness in mind. Remember, biasness is not part of the 'intangible assets' that is appreciated in discussions.

Why I said that discussions have to be in a neutral point of view? Discussion means to formally discourse about in order to reach conclusions. For example, a company that is in dilemma of choosing to spend more in Marketing the existing product to prolong its life cycle or introduce a new product in order to cover the downward spiral sale of its existing product. Of course we can call the situation as a meeting between the board of directors and the managers involved. Within the meeting, always there are discussions taking place. Viewing all possibilities, potential impacts on the company in every angles, including the financial situation, as well as the alternative plans IF they choose A instead of B, or vice versa, they will come out with a conclusion, collectively, and efficiently. It does not matter which eventual strategy they chose, but the effectiveness of the discussion matters most. If marketing manager is emotionally unstable (he wants to get promotion quickly, greed), then he will surely push for the first strategy, without taking into account the relevance of applying the second strategy. Emotions can be directed to biasness and biasness is obviously co-exists with 'alkali' OR 'acid'. So why discussions have to be neutral?

I really want to continue, but have to go to my deadman wonderland. Suddenly I got this painful headache so I need to stop right now. I will update on the 'debate' matter soon. Thanks for your time. WAAAZZAAAAA from me. Ziao

The Enigma of Relationship

2008-02-11T05:16:00.000-08:00

Now I want to talk about my personal views on relationship. Actually, what does it mean? Does the word 'relationship' automatically entitles you to not be in another 'relationship'? Does it really matter to stick with the already established relationship, rather than keep looking for another one which might be more perfect than it already has been?

According to Oxford Dict, it means an emotional and sexual association between two people. If we erase one of the words (emotional or sexual), have you ever thought that the relationship that you crave all this while may never work? And when that is the case, normally people would start pondering, and eventually take the escape route, without denying the fact that prevention is better than cure. Well, what can I say. It is obvious that the above phrase is irrelevant for the situation where the 'disease' has already taken place. How can you prevent the symptoms when the actual pathogen has already infected locally? As a matter of fact, the symptoms are generally passive, innate response that must be experienced in order to cater the body for full immune response, which may take several days upon infection. Nausea, anorexia as well as fever, are mainly the normal symptoms for many diseases. These symptoms are actually the 'automated cure' for better functional, more systemic response in the future. Whether you realise it or not, these symptoms are painful, or some would say, handful. But in reality, they are the ones which act as first responders towards tackling the MAIN PROBLEM, the disease itself. Fever, for example, makes our body temperature went higher than usual, so as to kill the pathogen/bacteria. These pathogens usually infect body systems in normal temperature, and when the temperature is high, then the pathogens have lost its optimal condition to cause infection. That is one of the reasons of why symptoms are useful.

As a science student, I always relate things in biological sciences to sociology, because I admit that I believe God has created everything to associate with one another of His creation. So I would say that it is relevant to resemble the above theory in relationship. I would prefer problems in relationship as symptoms and innate immune response is how we deal with the problems before the infection go worse and ultimately, the disease. Diseases are mostly end with programmed cell death, or in scientific term, apoptosis. Apoptosis can be compared to the Armageddon of a relationship. From this point onwards, you have nothing to lose, nothing to gain, only pain, agony, hatred (in most malay cases), and sadness.

Now back to the prevention thingy. Pathogens do exist and will continue to exist forever. The are many uncontrollable factors that contribute to the infection of the pathogens, such as environment. According to the law of evolutionism, natural selection always occur and we just cannot run from it. Prevention has always been the option, nevertheless, the more you prevent something, the more that something will exist. Of course in diet, we can control all those stuff, but that only restricted to our own body and how we deal with the surroundings. This calls for personal parts in a relationship. Give and take is the ideal option. But you have to remember that, when you try to prevent one disease, you are actually exposed to other diseases. That goes the same with relationship. Give and take does not usually give satisfaction to both, because there are always external factors involved. That is why I strongly believe that problems are the cure for better days ahead in the relationship. You should not run from them, face them and make things right. Use the symptoms like our body does.

Never give up in curing, as no other being can do best other than oneself. God has given us a template, our own body, that fits perfectly in dealing with problems.

I dont know bout you guys, but I will surely make things right every time, hopefully.

I have many things to discuss with, but I just have no mood to write. Bye and take care.

My Second Lyric : My Boredom

2008-01-29T05:16:00.000-08:00

alone is boredom
alone is boring
alone is unlikely, sad

we just need someone

at times, is it alone good
or more likely, needed
at times, you really need to be alone
or actually, you really need someone

we'll never understand
why being people need to be alone
they themselves dont understand it

we just need someone

alone is boredom
alone is boring
alone is unlikely, sad

the answer is simple,
we dont need to be alone,
we just need someone,
someone who can understand us.

we just need someone

alone is boredom
alone is boring
alone is unlikely, sad

-nikmanadli-

My First Lyrics : Always Like This

2008-01-29T05:15:00.000-08:00

verse 1

everytime it came to an end,
my body weakened and cannot stand,
i wish i am that special,
u told me i am that special,
but from what i think i am,
is that of such an ordinary man

verse 2

i didnt mean to be selfish,
nor am i being so bullish,
just need one word of apology,
that from you to say 'i'm sorry

prechorus

i wish i am that special,
u told me i am that special,

chorus

it's always like this,
when the time comes,
everything isnt a bliss,
i never want it like this,
when i need u to calm,
everything can turn to be a kiss
(it's always like this)

verse 3

u once asked me to stop calling u,
but ur heart tells me 'i'm missing u',
it happens on the same time as before,
but u really didnt see why is it for?

verse 4

u always said u are so cold,
that makes other guys feel bold,
u promised for a change of mind,
but i never see any leaf turn to blind

prechorus

i wish i am that special,
u told me i am that special,

chorus

it's always like this,
when the time comes,
everything isnt a bliss,
i never want it like this,
when i need u to calm,
everything can turn to be a kiss
(it's always like this)

(it's always like this)
when the time comes,
memories can be dearly missed,
(it's always like this)
everything isnt a bliss,
i never want it like this,
(it's always like this)
when i need u to calm,
everything can turn to be a kiss
(it's always like this)

bridge

i am thinking of giving up
and wanna be hard to please,
but somehow
after giving in some thoughts
i think i have to give u some space with ur thoughts!

chorus

it's always like this,
when the time comes,
everything isnt a bliss,
i never want it like this,
when i need u to calm,
everything can turn to be a kiss
(it's always like this)

it's always like this!!
yeaaahhh
it's always like this!!
yeaaahhh
i dont wanna be like this!!
noooooo
fuck it all if it's going to be like this!!!

-nikmanadli-