02 December 2009

Unenlightened

Walked into a darkened room,

flipped the switch – does all happen, just as it should?

No light enlightens. This tomb

I stumble through, my dark wood.

A journeying soul, steps beyond where I stood.

01 December 2009

Just call me Phil

‘Tis the season, bah humbug!

Christmas music blaring ev’rywhere I go,

makes me wish I could unplug

or hope for nine feet of snow

and hibernate until Groundhog Day’s shadow!

01 December 2009

Evergreen

I was taller than this tree

when grandpa and I planted it in his yard.

Now it towers above me,

bearing witness to the memories and scars

that prove growing can be hard.

Que alaben su nombre con danzas;
que le canten salmos al son de la lira y el pandero.
Porque el Señor se complace en su pueblo;
a los humildes concede el honor de la victoria.
Salmos 149:3-4

Una cosa que nos llena de alegría es saber que Dios se complace cuando le obedecemos y llevamos una vida recta y consagrada. Nuestra razón de ser es la alabanza eterna de su nombre. Para eso fuimos creados. En eso nos pasaremos la eternidad, disfrutando cada instante de su presencia y de su amor inagotable. Nuestra vida terrenal no es sino una etapa de preparación para la gloria eterna y cuando Dios observa que nos estamos preparando adecuadamente, él se goza en gran manera.

¿Estás preparándote para la eternidad o todavía te cuesta elevarte por encima de los detalles rutinarios de esta vida temporal?

Sólo cuando tu mirada y tu enfoque están colocados en la vida eterna es que puedes alcanzar a comprender el por qué de ciertas situaciones que te ha tocado atravesar. Nunca mires a tus problemas. Mira a aquel que los puede resolver y para quien nada es imposible. Cuando mires a tus problemas desde esta correcta perspectiva, éstos dejarán de ser una piedra en tu zapato y podrás disfrutar del gozo de saber que te hayas en medio y formas parte de los planes de Dios.

29 November 2009

Rock Tumbler

it’s not that I would want to

show anything but a fully polished gem,

but old rocks can become new

if we keep the end in view

and let the process smooth the edges again.

Vi har måttet gi opp bobleblåsingen inntil videre.. Lira kan derimot slafse med tunga i vann på kommando
I stedefor har vi trent inn å tuche baklabb med snuten, samt puppy-yoga. Må få tak i videokamera snart

Og dere?

The Turkish central bank has cut the key interest rate even further in a bid to shore up the recent economic upturn. The CB cut rates by a further 25 basis points, bringing borrowing rates down to a record low of 6.50 percent and lending rates to 9 percent. This, despite the lobbying of several private banks against any further cut in rates.

This is great news for anyone considering a property purchase in Turkey, because it makes Turkey property even better value for money.

As I covered in yesterday’s post, Brits cannot find better value for money in property anywhere else within a short-term flight — especially given the current strength of the pound against the Turkish Lira.

As I covered in an update to yesterday’s post, the pound went higher against the Lira than it has been in almost a year yesterday, touching 2.526 before falling back slightly to 2.516 where it still rests.

This leaves Turkey at over 11% cheaper for British buyers than it was in April when the pound stood at 2.30. That combined with the continual record-setting interest rate reductions means that British buyers are currently getting an exceptional deal when buying property in Turkey. Not to mention the fact that those who act quickly will get a sizeable chunk of instant equity on their purchase.

Many people think it is too late for them to capitalise on the weak lira as it takes a while to buy property, but the Lira has not gone below 2.45 for several weeks now, and Moneycorp have forecast the pound to stay strong against the Lira for the foreseeable future in an interview with Write About Property. So there is time to get in and grab your bargain.

The pound is currently surging against the Turkish Lira. It has not gone below 1.45TRY in over a week now. That means that Turkish property is now fluctuating between 9% and 11% cheaper to British buyers than it was in April. Little wonder then that demand for Turkish property is currently surging also.

Not to repeat ourselves, but we can’t stress enough the point that people are buying bigger properties at the moment, because of the exceptional value for money they are currently getting in Turkey.

Okay Turkish property prices haven’t fallen by nearly as much as the rest in the world — in fact luxury properties in Turkey have actually risen in price in many areas — but with the weak Lira compared to the strong Euro, Turkish property is currently offering the best value British buyers will find within short-haul radius.

Where else in the world can you buy a luxurious 3 bedroom villa by the sea with a pool and gardens for less than £200k.

In just a 2 minute search of the Spot Blue site you will find 3. The first, in Fethiye, — near the world class tourism destination of Olu Deniz (see image and details here) — is a luxury villa with large gardens, within walking distance of the sea and 45 minutes of the airport for just £115,000.

The second is a large villa in Bodrum, again it is the ultimate in spacious, open plan luxury, with large gardens and a communal pool, again within walking distance of the sea, this time 30 minutes from the airport for just £165,000.

Last but not least is a fully furnished luxury villa in Alanya, with a communal pool and gardens, walking distance from the sea and 90mins from the airport for just £130,000.

All the properties above are 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom and capable of fetching 8-12% rental yields, based on what owners of similar properties are currently achieving. Why not take advantage of the currency to buy your dream home today?

[update added 26/11 17:10: The pound is now at 2.52 against the Turkish lira – higher than it has been in many many months – buy now]

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Si m-am dus de pe cer

intr-o gaura neagra

in care pierdeam incet

si iubire

si fericirea

din visul sau viata

ce-mi parea c-am trait ieri.

In stralucirea unui quasar.

Si m-am dus de pe cer

o  data cu Lira si Orion

m-am dus de pe cer

sa caut infinitul din mine

vai, suflete, ce gol spiritual

te cheama sa-l gasesti……..

Dar, Doamne, la sfarsitul noptii

stelele unde se odihnesc ?

Economia: Bankitalia lancia l’allarme lira sporca (MF) – Milano Finanza Interactive Edition

Con il varo delloscudo fiscale, secondo l’istituto centrale, diventa sempre piu’ concretala possibilita’ che dietro innocue operazioni di cambio della vecchialiretta, andata in pensione nel 2002, con la moneta europea, si nascondanooperazioni sospette legate alla malavita organizzata.

A questo fine, si legge in un articolo di MF, Via Nazionale ha diramatoun’apposita circolare pochi giorni fa a tutte le sue filiali (le unicheormai deputate a cambiare lira-euro fino a febbraio 2012) per invitaretutti gli operatori di sportello e gli stessi istituti di creditocoinvolti in questi giorni nella sanatoria fiscale varata dal ministrodell’Economia, Giulio Tremonti, a drizzare le antenne.

E l’allarme non e’per quattro soldi ma per la bellezza di 1,3 mld euro: a tanto ammontano,infatti, gli oltre 311 milioni di banconote ancora in circolazione secondolo stesso istituto centrale e che tra poco non avranno piu’ corso legale.red/vz(fine)MF-DJ NEWS

Fonte:

http://www.milanofinanza.it/news/dettaglio_news.asp?id=200911170900081261&chkAgenzie=PMFNW

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

© 2009 Wazari Wazir

When mention about Istanbul, image of Aya Soyfa, Blue Mosque will come into mind and also all those fairy tail and love stories about Constantinople will become alive. Istanbul is a great place to be and among world favorite travel destination. You can see Europe and Asia in one place living in harmony here. Actually it is not so easy for me to reach here. There were so many procedure to follow and in fact I get the approval the very last minute before the day I depart for istanbul from Kuala Lumpur.

To cut the story short, it was a long flight from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul on 7th November 2009 at 1 am in the early morning our flight Boeng 777 MH30 take off to Istanbul, it is a direct flight, non stop from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul which take us approximately 11 hours to get there. Alhamdulillah the journey was very smooth and the hospitality of MAS crew members on board make the long haul journey seem shorter. By 7:45am local time we reach Hilton Istanbul not far away from Taksim Square. I’ve a great experience while our vehicle passing through Galata Bridge and watching magnificent mosque along the journey really get me excited.

There were few minor problem when registering for our room at the hotel and thanks to Malaysian Embassy in Turkey, the problem solve quickly and before 9:00 am I’ve already got my room key no 092. We have a brief Media briefing by Ministry of Foreign Affair regarding of coverage of our Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for the COMCEC Economic Meeting at Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus Istanbul. After that we, a group of eleven local media are eager to tour some part of Istanbul because the very next day when our Deputy Prime Minister arrive, we don’t have so much free time on our hand.

By 2:05pm local Istanbul time we are in the compound of Aya Sofya, it was really big and with my kit lens on my camera won’t fit the grandeur structure of the Aya Sofya. Some of media members wanted to visit Grand Bazaar and for me I’m not interested to shopping but more interested for photo shooting. So we split and will meet at this area of Aya Sofya in two hours time. I was walking alone without any media members with me, from one place to another place, this area called Sultanahmet where a lot of major historical site are within a walking distance, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Museum and Blue Mosque. A lot of people here and from what I can say it is really a photographers haven. Among the place that I really want to visit is Aya Sofya, I’ve to pay 20 Lira to get here or about MYR50 but it really worth the visit since I don’t know when I will be coming here again so the amount is nothing much compare with the experience.

I wish I’ve a wide angle lens, wider than my kit lens 18-70mm, if you guys planning to visit Aya Sofya, please make sure you get a super wide lens, something like 10-20mm or 11-16mm for DX Nikon camera but if you have FX camera like D3 or D700, 24-70 mm will do just fine. It is really big, the dome is massive with great decoration, islamic and also with christian motif. Fast lens really help here since it was dimly lit and this place is pack with tourist. Since I’m alone here I don’t have my personal picture here, pity me. I did not spend much time here simply because I’m running out of time and have few other place to visit.

My next stop is Blue Mosque just a minute of walking distance from Aya Sofya, this is a mosque so you don’t need to pay anything to get inside but you need to take your shoes off and put it in the plastic bag that was made available in the entrance of the Blue Mosque. Once again super wide angle lens really help here and I just have to satisfied with my kit lens. I really enjoy shooting here inside and outside of Blue Mosque and if I’ve more time I’ll definitely looking for much higher place to shoot Blue Mosque from the distance and get the Bosphorus in the frame as well together with the Blue Mosque. By 6:00pm, we finish our tour and get back to our hotel.

About the tram picture and people walking on the street, that was taken in Taksim and the street is famously known as Istiklal Caddesi and according to wikipedia, the street is approximately 3 km long but I did not walk the whole street just part of it because the time constrain. People here are very camera friendly, they really doesn’t bother much about people taking their picture, this street is full of tourist, you might not feel like you were walking on the Turkey street but more like walking in the European country. There were shops on the left and right side of the street, only tram allowed to pass through this street, it is for pedestrian but cars only allowed to pass through to get to the other side of the road. If you guys have plan to visit Istanbul, please make sure you spend a day here in the Istiklal Avenue and have fun watching people going through their lives here, this is really busy street with people from all walk of life and from all over the world.

As I sit here having breakfast at 1.34 pm the song playing in the background is LIRA’s I’m a believer-and she has truly made a believer out of me. I am watching the DVD output of the show held on August 23 at carnival city (reviewed here). Wow! Such brilliant work! The quality of the DVD, the quality of the music, the enthusiasm, the energy- I usually avoid watching DVD of shows I have attended lest they change the memory I have constructed of the show. I was worried this was going to be the case in this instance- but I am sorely disappointed- because the output is so great! I’m reliving every second of that day! The way she just held those notes- High and LOW, without missing a beat! (Sorry Miss Patti- that practice really just drive me nuts)

I think the era of excellence is upon us- Bantu abamnyama let’s catch the Excellence train! Lira is at the helm- catch her if you can because she’s getting another SAMA award! Get this DVD if you did not go to the show- and get a second chance how it’s done. I tell you this is the best concert I have watched this year- Locally and internationally! And I have watched plenty!

Well done dear if you are reading this- I am proud to have you as my sista! You make mzantsi proud! I’m a believer!

Sambil membawa spanduk, leaflet, dan brosur mereka berorasi sepanjang jalan

Sekelompok massa dari Forum Penyelamat Jatim (Format) demonstrasi di Kota Probolinggo, Rabu, 11 November 2009.

Mereka long march dari Taman Makam Pahlawan (TMP) Jl. Arif Rahman Hakim menuju Gedung DPRD.

Sambil membawa spanduk, leaflet, dan brosur mereka berorasi sepanjang jalan sehingga memacetkan arus lalu lintas.

Format beranggotakan aktivis LSM dari Indonesia Bureaucracy Watch, Lumbung Informasi Rakyat, GPMP dan lainnya.

Di TMP, para demonstran tabur bunga dan berorasi. Agung, koordinator lapangan, berpidato, merasa malu dengan pahlawan karena belum bisa mengisi kemerdekaan dengan kebaikan sebab korupsi masih merajalela.

Dari TMP mereka berjalan menuju Gedung DPRD. Demonstrasi membagikan kliping tulisan berjudul Republik Para Cukong kepada masyarakat.

Spanduk dan leaflet mereka menyuarakan tuntutan yang berbunyi: Koruptor Hancurkan Negara, Jangan Ada Rekayasa Hukum, dan lainnya.

Khofi Lillah dari IBW menuturkan, demonstrasi ini menyikapi praktik hukum yang masih diwarnai mafia di pengadilan seperti kasus pimpinan KPK dan Polri. Menurutnya, bila hukum diperdagangkan maka rakyat susah mencari keadilan.

Saat datang di DPRD Kota Probolinggo, demonstran ditemui Wakil ketua Dwi Laksmi Sinta Kusumawardani.

Sumber: VIVAnews[http://korupsi.vivanews.com/news/read/104603-demo_di_makam_pahlawan_tuntut_mafia_peradilan]

Na noite escura no clarão da madrugada vou até a janela, fecho os olhos e deixo minha alma flutuar indo exatamente onde você está… Observo você como anjo, eu ali parado e você dormindo quetinha sem saber… fico do seu lado, pedindo para entrar no seu sonho… dizer o quanto é bom te amar e fazer parte de mais um sonho inesquecivel para relembrar.

Ass.: Douglas Lira

“Hot Water must easily be one of the most exciting musical projects to come out of South Africa…” The Citizen

Stylistically Hot Water’s music incorporates elements of “traditional African music with folk, blues and indie-pop rock.” They manage “to capture an authentic and unique South African feel and flavour.”

Hot Water just released the song, ‘Laduma’ from their 3rd album (which is due for release early 2010.)

‘Laduma’ is Hot Water’s 2010 offering and it features SA comedian of the year Nik Rabinowitz on some soccer commentary. It’s been called “an uplifting and authentic anthem of unity” that has been playlisted on a number of national radio stations in Europe.

In other exciting news-the band has been signed to Touring Agent, Griot, who also represent Freshlyground, Lira and Hugh Masekela.

As 2010 approaches, just being signed to a major touring agent as well as a new album on the way,  next year is looks to be very exciting for Hot Water!

xx

yours in musical madness

Eu tenho um segredo que jamais foi revelado… esse segredo é tão bem guardado que nem eu mesmo sei onde está… Não basta ir muito longe, porque esta tão pertinho, mais tão pertinho… que é muito facil de achar, quando olho pra você… meus olhos começam a brilhar e verá que o meu segredo… é te amar…

Ass.: Douglas Lira