Pikirkanlah sejenak tentang apa yang diperlukan manusia untuk tetap bertahan hidup. Air, matahari, oksigen, atmosfer, tumbuh-tumbuhan, dan hewan… Segala macam perincian, segala macam keadaan yang dapat atau tidak dapat Anda pikirkan pada saat itu sudah tersedia secara alami di bumi. Selain itu, bila kita mengkaji lebih jauh, kita dapat melihat bahwa semua kebutuhan pokok hidup ini memiliki jalinan seluk-beluknya yang saling terkait, dan bahwa segala hal ini terdapat dalam keadaan sepenuhnya sempurna di bumi. Segala sesuatu di bumi, makhluk hidupnya, tetumbuhannya, langit, dan lautan, semuanya telah diciptakan dengan cara yang terbaik dan lengkap sempurna agar sesuai dengan keberadaan dan kelangsungan hidup umat manusia.

Selain bumi, ada pula planet-planet lain di dalam tata-surya kita. Tetapi, di antara planet-planet ini, satu-satunya planet yang memungkinkan adanya kehidupan adalah bumi. Jarak antara bumi dengan matahari, kecepatan perputaran bumi pada sumbunya, kemiringan sumbu bumi terhadap orbitnya, struktur permukaan bumi, dan berbagai faktor lepas lainnya yang sejenis, memungkinkan planet kita menikmati kehangatan suhu yang sesuai bagi kehidupan dan dapat menyebarkan kehangatan ini di seantero bumi secara merata. Susunan lapisan udara bumi serta ukuran bumi juga tepat sesuai kebutuhan. Cahaya yang sampai kepada kita dari matahari, air yang kita minum, dan makanan yang kita nikmati semuanya sangat sesuai bagi kehidupan kita.

Singkatnya, segala tinjauan terhadap planet yang kita huni akan menunjukkan kepada kita, bahwa bumi dirancang terutama untuk manusia. Agar kita dapat melihat bahwa keadaan di bumi dirancang secara khusus, kita cukup melihat kondisi di planet-planet lain secara kasar. Ambillah Mars, misalnya. Lapisan udara di Mars merupakan campuran beracun yang mengandung karbondioksida dalam kadar tinggi. Tidak ada air di permukaan planet. Kawah besar yang terjadi akibat tubrukan meteor raksasa tampak jelas dalam gambar di sebelah kanan ini. Begitu pula dengan cuaca, sering terjadi badai raksasa dan badai pasir yang berlangsung selama berbulan-bulan tanpa henti. Suhu rata-rata -53 ^oC (-64^oF).

Dengan mempertimbangkan ciri-ciri ini secara keseluruhan, Mars, yang memiliki paling banyak kesamaan dengan bumi di antara planet-planet yang berada di sekitar kita, jelas merupakan planet mati yang tidak memungkinkan adanya kehidupan. Perbandingan ini dengan gamblang menunjukkan bahwa ciri-ciri yang menjadikan bumi sebuah tempat yang dapat dihuni benar-benar merupakan nikmat yang tidak terkira. Dia Yang menciptakan seluruh jagat raya, membentuk dengan sempurna bintang-bintangnya, planet-planet, pegunungan dan lautan, adalah Allah. Sepanjang kehidupan kita, kita harus berterimakasih atas nikmat dan ciptaan-Nya, dan menjadikan-Nya sahabat dan pelindung. Allah, Pemilik segala sesuatu, adalah pemilik segala pujian. Allah menyampaikan hal ini dalam Al-Quran:

Maka apakah (Allah) yang menciptakan itu sama dengan yang tidak dapat menciptakan (apa-apa)? Maka mengapa kamu tidak mengambil pelajaran. Dan jika kamu menghitung-hitung nikmat Allah, niscaya kamu tidak dapat menentukan jumlahnya. Sesungguhnya Allah benar-benar Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang. (QS. An-Nahl, 16: 17-18)

I read a great post this morning that totally fit in with what I was feeling. I tend to dread the holiday season. Not that I don’t enjoy spending time with the family, watching old Christmas specials like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (my FAVORITE) and a Charlie Brown Christmas (2nd FAVORITE), eating my dad’s awesome Yule log (a lovely chocolate cake thing with maple flavored whipped creme…..aaahhhhhh……sorry having a Homer Simpson moment there) and sitting in front of a roaring fire. No, all those things are the essence of the holiday season for me.

What I hate is the shopping, the expectations, the greed, the consumerism, the obsession with STUFF we don’t need. Here is an excerpt from the blog that sums it up better than I ever could.

Go ahead...be a Scrooge for the planet!

There’s only one way to avoid the collapse of this human experiment of ours on Planet Earth: we have to consume less.

It will take a massive mind-shift. You can start the ball rolling by buying nothing on November 27th. Then celebrate Christmas differently this year, and make a New Year’s resolution to change your lifestyle in 2010.” – Twilight Earth

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give gifts to those we love, but what happened to homemade gifts, baked goods,  offers of services and other intangibles? Therefore I am not participating in the madness that is Black Friday. I will not step into any stores and will ignore the plethora of ads blasted at me from every direction. For once I am so glad I live in the boonies, have no TV and few radio stations that come in clear. Less media means less commercials to tempt me, or my children.

If you are a green organization trying to figure out how to convince people we need less, then definitely read the post I linked too and then try to help promote green gifts. Memberships and donations to green organizations such as your state government’s nongame wildlife program (which in Georgia relies entirely on donations and the sales of license plates), Green America, The Sierra Club or the Arbor Day Foundation who will plant a tree in honor of every donation, are all examples of gifts that not only reduce your carbon footprint, but will help to preserve the planet’s beauty for generations to come.

Another idea for green gifts – potted plants, framed comics from your local newspaper (print or online) that have special meaning, hand-made toys, blankets or scarves, and the list goes on. Last year a friend received a set of coasters made out of pop tops (mostly beer I admit) but they were so cool, and were an excellent form of recycling since many places that take bottles do not recycle the lids.

Want to help get us out of the greedy consumerist mess we are in, try not using your credit cards this holiday season. Be a scrooge, and save the planet.

Meine lustige Heimatstadt müsste meinetwegen keine Provinz sein (rund ne halbe Mio. Einwohner in City plus Sprawl ist zu gross dafür), benimmt sich aber gerne so. Zum Beispiel ist es in der zentralen Discomeile verboten, zwischen ein und fünf Uhr nachts “Döner zum Mitnehmen” zu verkaufen. Nur zum gleich essen. Neuester Schildbürgerstreich: Ein Blogger registriert “augsburgr.de”, fragt höflich nach, ob das ok ist und bekommt ne Abmahnung. Auf Bitte der örtlichen Piraten (die sind nett) hab ich diese Piratenpressemeldung verfasst:

Stadt Augsburg im Abmahnrausch – Piratenpartei unterstützt jüngstes Opfer der Bürokratie

Auf dem Augsburger Stadtwappen prangt ein neuer, dunkler Fleck: Die Lokalverwaltung ging anwaltlich gegen den 25jährigen Blogger Michael Fleischmann vor, weil dieser die Domain augsburgr.de (mit modischem “r” nach dem Städtenamen) registrierte und schriftlich bei der Stadt Augsburg anfragte, ob damit jemand ein Problem habe. Die Stadtverwaltung allerdings, offenbar nie müde, das Erbe Schildas weiterzutragen, reagierte überraschend: Dem höflichen jungen Mann flatterte eine anwaltliche Abmahnung ins Haus, Kostenpunkt 1890,91 Euro. Dieser Betrag, so erklärte Joachim Pfeilsticker vom OB-Referat der Stadt gegenüber der erstaunten Presse, errechne sich aus einem Streitwert von 50.000 Euro. Wegen Namensverletzung. Nun besitzt die Stadtverwaltung aber keinerlei Namensrechte und wird auf juristischem Weg nichts erreichen; ausser dem Verbrennen weiterer Steuergelder, die nun zusätzlich beim Stopfen der vielen Haushaltslöcher fehlen werden.

Die Piratenpartei solidarisiert sich daher mit dem Bürokratie-Opfer Michael Fleischmann und fordert die Verwaltungsbehörden der Stadt Augsburg auf, obrigkeitsstaatliche Denkweisen zugunsten moderner, demokratischer, zu den Akten zu legen. Bedauernswerte Aktionen wie die oben beschriebene Abmahnung belästigen nicht nur Bürger und zerstören deren emotionale Bindung an ihre Heimatstadt. Sie belasten die bereits geplünderten städtischen Haushaltskassen unnötigerweise weiter, und stempeln die einstmals weltoffene Handelsstadt Augsburg zum nationalen Witzsymbol. Nachdem sich die Bundesrepublik bereits über das “Dönerverbot” amüsieren konnte, schlägt das “Blogger-Verbot” in dieselbe Kerbe. Da wir uns um das Ansehen der Stadt Augsburg sorgen, fordern wir energisch ein Ende solcher weltferner Amtsschimmeltätigkeiten sowie eine Klarstellung durch die Verwaltungsbehörden und eine offizielle Entschuldigung gegenüber Michael Fleischmann.

Augsburg, Dienstag, den 24.12.09. Fritz Effenberger für die Piratenpartei, Bezirksverband Schwaben.

Das (…) und Presseberichte in lokalen Medien, RZonline, Netzpolitik und Spon haben dem Herrn Bürgermeister noch am selben Tag zu kalten Füssen verholfen: Er streicht die Zahlungsforderung. Hab ich doch gesagt (siehe oben), am Ende blecht der Steuerzahler. Ansonsten finde ich das alles sehr amüsant.

we are consistently bombarded with stories of fear and terror in the media. yet all of it is in vain if there isn’t a call to action.

this short-film represents a glowing example of a call to action. in this case, it was for nuclear disarmament, but it really can be applied to any cause.

Dr. Helen Caldicott gives a powerful lecture that starts with describing the medical effects and societal consequences of an atomic war, which, she argues, would not be a “war” but more accurately, “extermination”.. then she leads into what she has personally done to help save lives, and then urges the audience to do their own part.

the final few minutes of this film are extremely powerful in its expression of love and passion. it is a truly inspiring Oscar-winning film.

click on the image below to watch the film from the National Film Board’s website for free.

Ob er auch von überall T-Shirts hat, wissen wir nicht, aber der Inder Kashi Samaddar hat nachweislich alle 194 (souveränen) bzw. 218 (wenn man alle rechnet) Länder dieser Erde bereist. Mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln. Einfach, um zu beweisen, dass es geht.

Der heute 52jährige benötigte dazu umgerechnet knapp 400.000 Euro und sieben Jahre. Die schlimmste Einreise, sagt er, war die nach Moldawien; allein das Visum zu bekommen hatte drei Jahre gedauert.

Auf dem Bild sehen wir ihn auf seiner letzten Station, dem Kosovo.

( via neatorama)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence edged higher in November after an unexpected drop in October, with less consumers expressing doubt about the a worsening jobs market, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes increased slightly to 49.5 in November from 48.7 in October.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a reading of 47.7, matching the previous month's figure.

The present situation component of the survey dipped to 21.0 in November from 21.1 the prior month — its lowest reading in 26 years.

"The moderate improvement in the short term outlook was the result of a decrease in the percent of consumers expecting business and labor market conditions to worsen, as opposed to an increase in the percent of consumers expecting conditions to improve," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, in a release online pay day loans.

More Americans surveyed said jobs were "hard to get" in November, with that gauge rising to 49.8 percent from 49.4 percent in October. Those claiming jobs were "plentiful" fell to 3.2 percent from 3.5 percent last month.

"Income expectations remain very pessimistic and consumers are entering the holiday season in a frugal mood," Franco said.

(Reporting by Tom Ryan; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

U.S. consumer confidence edges higher in November

Kali ini posting saya agak OOT (dari dunia penerbangan) soalnya saking maraknya film baru yang berjudul 2012 di mana-mana. Dalam film ini dikisahkan bahwa pada tahun 2012 terjadi sebuah bencana yang sangat dahsyat. Mulai dari gempa bumi, ups bukan, mungkin lebih ekstrim lagi bumi merekah dimana-mana, gelombang tsunami yang sangat-sangat-sangat besar menyapu seluruh permukaan bumi, dan lain sebagainya. Benarkah tahun 2012 nanti akan terjadi seperti ini? Apakah Anda percaya atau tidak? Yang jelas menurut pendapat saya, ambillah hikmahnya. Bagaimanapun juga sang pembuat film sedang untung besar karena di bioskop-bioskop selama seminggu (bahkan lebih) masih banyak sekali peminat film ini dengan dasar penasaran. Pembuat film ini sangat cerdas memadukan isu (namun ilmiah) yang sedang gencar dibicarakan ilmuwan saat ini dengan special effect yang sangat menarik. Apakah isu tersebut? Isunya adalah bahwa planet kita ini akan ditabrak sebuah planet misterius bernama planet x (planet ke 10) yang disebut juga planet nibiru. Silahkan searching di google dan youtube deh dengan keyword kata-kata tersebut. Kalo Anda baru tahu, Anda akan sama tekejutnya dengan saya ketika pertamakali melihat dan membaca ceritanya. Saya juga membaca sebuah ebook dari blog surabayamuda.com (judulnya: akankah bumi kiamat karena planet x) yang menjelaskan panjang lebar mengenai teori ilmiah dan ramalan suku maya tentang hal ini, dan semuanya berujung pada: 2012 kiamat!!

2012 kiamat

Sebenarnya saya tidak ingin membahas mengenai film tersebut, atau kiamat akan terjadi tahun 2012 atau tidak. Yang jelas saya hanya mengingatkan kembali (bagi yang lupa) dan memberi tahu (bagi yang belum tahu) khususnya bagi Anda yang beragama sama dengan saya, Islam. Pertanyaan mengenai kiamat diatas akan terjawab dengan sangat mudah. Ingat pedoman kita adalah Al-Qur’an dan Hadits. Berikut saya akan memberikan beberapa hadits Rasulullah SAW tentang kiamat. Tapi sebelumnya saya mohon, jika ada kesalahan mohon tegur saya, dan bila ada tambahan silahkan disampaikan.

1. Seorang Arab Badui bertanya, “Kapankah tibanya kiamat?” Nabi Saw lalu menjawab, “Apabila amanah diabaikan maka tunggulah kiamat.” Orang itu bertanya lagi, “Bagaimana hilangnya amanat itu, ya Rasulullah?” Nabi Saw menjawab, “Apabila perkara (urusan) diserahkan kepada orang yang bukan ahlinya, maka tunggulah kiamat.” (HR. Bukhari)
2. Mendekati kiamat akan terjadi fitnah-fitnah seolah-olah kepingan-kepingan malam yang gelap-gulita. Seorang yang pagi hari beriman maka pada sore harinya menjadi kafir, dan orang yang pada sore harinya beriman maka pada pagi harinya menjadi kafir, dia menjual agamanya dengan (imbalan) harta-benda dunia. (HR. Abu Dawud)
3. Belum terjadi kiamat sehingga orang-orang dari umatku kembali menyembah berhala-berhala selain Allah. (HR. Abu Dawud)
   
4. Belum terjadi kiamat sebelum seorang yang melewati kuburan berkata, “Alangkah baiknya sekiranya aku di tempat orang ini.” (Maksudnya, dia ingin mati dan tidak ingin hidup karena beban berat yang selalu dihadapinya). (HR Bukhari)
5. Belum akan terjadi kiamat sehingga anak selalu menjengkelkan kedua orang tuanya, banjir di musim kemarau, kaum penjahat melimpah, orang-orang terhormat (mulia) menjadi langka, anak-anak muda berani menentang orang tua serta orang jahat dan hina berani melawan yang terhormat dan mulia. (HR. Asysyihaab).
6. Belum akan kiamat sehingga tidak ada lagi di muka bumi orang yang menyebut : “Allah, Allah.” (HR. Muslim)
7. Belum akan datang kiamat sehingga seorang membunuh tetangganya, saudaranya dan ayahnya. (HR. Bukhari)
8. Belum akan datang kiamat sehingga manusia berlomba-lomba membangun dan memperindah masjid-masjid. (HR. Abu Dawud)
9. Di antara tanda-tanda kiamat ialah ilmu terangkat, kebodohan menjadi dominan, arak menjadi minuman biasa, zina dilakukan terang-terangan, wanita berlipat banyak, dan laki-laki berkurang sehingga lima puluh orang wanita berbanding seorang pria. (HR. Bukhari)
10. Belum akan datang kiamat sehingga manusia berlomba-lomba dengan bangunan-bangunan yang megah. (HR. Bukhari)
11. Belum akan tiba kiamat sehingga merajalela ‘Alharju’. Para sahabat lalu bertanya, “Apa itu ‘Alharju’, ya Rasulullah?” Lalu beliau menjawab,”Pembunuhan… pembunuhan…” (HR. Ahmad)
12. Belum akan tiba kiamat melainkan matahari akan terbit dari Barat. Jika terbit dari Barat maka seluruh umat manusia akan beriman. Pada saat itu tidak bermanfaat lagi iman seseorang kepada dirinya sendiri yang belum beriman sebelum itu, atau dia belum mengusahakan kebaikan dalam masa imannya.” (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim)
13. Belum akan tiba kiamat sehingga harta banyak dan melimpah, dan orang ke luar membawa zakat hartanya tetapi tidak ada yang mau menerimanya, dan negeri-negeri Arab kembali menjadi rerumputan hijau dengan sungai-sungai mengalir. (HR. Muslim)
14. Tibanya kiamat atas makhluk-makhluk yang jahat. (HR. Muslim). *Penjelasan: Saat kiamat tiba, tidak ada lagi orang yang beriman. Jadi yang ditimpa azab kiamat ialah orang-orang yang jahat.
15. Saat akan tiba kiamat, jaman saling mendekat. Satu tahun seperti sebulan, sebulan seperti seminggu, seminggu seperti sehari, sehari seperti satu jam dan satu jam seperti menyalakan kayu dengan api. (HR. Tirmidzi). *Penjelasan: Jika kiamat tiba maka rotasi bumi makin cepat. Kalau rotasi sekarang 1000 mil per jam, maka dapat diperkirakan pada hari kiamat tujuh kali atau dua belas kali bahkan lebih.
16. Demi yang jiwa Muhammad dalam genggaman-Nya. Tiada tiba kiamat melainkan telah merata dan merajalela dengan terang-terangan segala perbuatan mesum dan keji, pemutusan hubungan kekeluargaan, beretika (berakhlak) buruk dengan tetangga, orang yang jujur (amanat) dituduh berkhianat, dan orang yang khianat diberi amanat (dipercaya). (HR. Al Hakim)
17. Belum akan tiba kiamat sehingga kaum muslimin berperang dengan orang-orang Yahudi. Kaum muslimin membunuh mereka dan mereka bersembunyi di balik batu dan pohon-pohonan. Lalu batu dan pohon-pohon berkata, “Wahai kaum muslimin, wahai hamba Allah, ini orang Yahudi di belakang saya. Mari bunuhlah dia.” Kecuali pohon “Gharqad” yang tumbuh di Baitil Maqdis. Itu adalah pohon orang-orang Yahudi. (HR. Ahmad)
18. Orang-orang ahli (Laailaaha illallah) tidak akan mengalami kesepian tatkala wafat, saat di kuburan dan ketika dibangkitkan. Seolah-olah aku melihat mereka ketika dibangkitkan (pada tiupan sangkakala yang kedua). Mereka sedang menyingkirkan tanah (pasir) dari kepala mereka seraya berkata, “Alhamdulillah, yang telah menghilangkan duka-cita dari kami.” (HR. Abu Ya’la)
19. Kamu akan dibangkitkan pada hari kiamat tanpa sandal, telanjang bulat dan tidak dikhitan. Aisyah bertanya, “Ya Rasulullah, laki-laki dan perempuan saling melihat (aurat) yang lain?” Nabi Saw menjawab, “Pada saat itu segala urusan sangat dahsyat sehingga orang tidak memperhatikan (mengindahkan) hal itu.” (Mutafaq’alaih)
20. Didatangkan kebaikan-kebaikan (pahala) dan kejahatan-kejahatan (dosa) seorang hamba, lalu saling mengikis dan bila masih tersisa kebaikan (pahala) itu Allah akan melapangkannya untuk masuk surga. (HR. Bukhari)
21. Seorang anak Adam sebelum menggerakkan kakinya pada hari kiamat akan ditanya tentang lima perkara: (1) Tentang umurnya, untuk apa dihabiskannya; (2) Tentang masa mudanya, apa yang telah dilakukannya; (3) Tentang hartanya, dari sumber mana dia peroleh dan (4) dalam hal apa dia membelanjakannya; (5) dan tentang ilmunya, mana yang dia amalkan. (HR. Ahmad)
22. Amal seseorang tidak dapat menyelamatkannya. Seorang sahabat lantas bertanya tentang sabda tersebut, “Termasuk engkau juga, ya Rasulullah?” Rasulullah lalu menjawab, “Ya, aku juga, kecuali dikarunia Allah dengan rahmat-Nya. Walaupun demikian kamu harus berbuat yang benar (baik).” (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim)
23. Yang pertama diadili antara manusia pada hari kiamat ialah kasus pembunuhan. (HR. Muslim)

Sumber: 1100 Hadits Terpilih (Sinar Ajaran Muhammad) – Dr. Muhammad Faiz Almath – Gema Insani Press

Bacalah hadits-hadits diatas. Yang saya miringkan adalah yang berkaitan dengan tanda-tanda kiamat dan selain itu adalah yang berkaitan dengan kiamat. Dari hadits-hadits tersebut, beberapa diantaranya sudah kita temui saat ini, yang artinya tanda-tanda kiamat sudah bermunculan. Kita sudah dekat dengan akhir jaman.

Sebenarnya masih banyak yang lain yang berkaitan dengan kiamat, bahkan dari Al-Qur’an belum bisa saya masukkan disini. Jika Anda berkenan membagi ilmu berupa tulisan silahkan email ke saya untuk saya publish disini. Semoga bermanfaat!

2012 kiamat? Wallohu’alam bishshawab.. Ambillah hikmahnya, paling tidak Anda akan lebih banyak mengingat mati sekarang. Semakin banyak mengingat mati (baca: kembali ke Sang Maha Pencipta) semakin baik untuk kita semua. Semoga kita semua mati dalam keadaan khusnul khatimah.. Amiin…

The best chocolates in the western USSome best chocolates in America, Part I … In this first article, I will work with chocolates available, or with stores in the American West. I anticipate many more items – we'll see a day should I take in plenty of chocolate for a year sel employed loans. Umm … uum … well, I'll start in northern California with Mendocino Chocolate Company with two locations, one at Fort Bragg and the original shop in Mendocino. I had a lot of their products and they are just delicious. I know the owners, they were longtime friends of my parents so there is always something new to sample when I visit them. This year, their company is observing its 20th anniversary. The truffles are a delight to watch – dark and rich, and the sauces are wonderful. They even called Fire in the Pacific, which is made with dark chocolate and a little kick of red pepper.All their chocolates are handmade, hand dipped and hand packed. The staff takes great care in their products and it shows. They also gift wrapping, and can create wedding favors and a variety of forms, molds chocolate with your logo on them. Stop the next time you are in the region. Or visit them on the web at Mendocino-chocolate.com. Then we'll go in the "City by the Bay, and my birthplace and favorite city, San Francisco. There is a whole complex is dedicated to shops and restaurants unique to the locality Ghirardelli Square. The origin of chocolate, Domingo Ghirardelli, which actually started in Uruguay and Peru before coming to "Yerba Buena" original name (San Francisco) during the gold rush in California. It has opened stores there and Stockton, but with a turn of luck, the fire burns at both these shops down. After a few more places, he rebuilt a store on Kearny and Washington streets with another partner.Soon his wife joined him a

(HealthDay News) — Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, resulting in high blood sugar levels that can pose dangers for mom and baby.

The National Diabetes Clearinghouse offers suggestions about possible treatments for gestational diabetes:

Get regular exercise, such as swimming or walking. Keep desserts and sweets to a minimum. Control portion sizes, focusing on three small meals and several snacks. Limit carbohydrate intake. Increase fiber with whole-grain foods, vegetables and fruits. Take insulin to manage blood glucose, if necessary.

Health Tip: Managing Gestational Diabetes

Hot News: Heart disease a killer in psychotic individuals

A “Growing” Problem

Recently, I have been moved to action with this thought…  How does our generation save the world?  How does our generation learn from the past, embrace the present and live for the future?

There has been plenty of debate between thousands of scientist, geologist, theologist, politicians, community leaders, young and old, male and female. 

What is happening to our planet?

Is the world heating up?  Are we losing our faith?  Are the values of today’s youth lost?  Are we going to run out of oil or even scarier…. water?  Are we headed toward ultimate doom?  Is the world going to end on December 21, 2012. Why is it that every single one of us has this nagging feeling that something is wrong? 

I intend on using this blog as a forum to discuss these issues.  To touch on my thoughts, hopes and feelings.  Everything I write is my opinion based on research and facts of course, but ultimately, my opinion.  I am objective, open for debate, and never close my mind to the possibility that I don’t quite see the entire picture.

Now I must say in the past several years I have noticed a call to arms.  I have noticed a growing awareness of our impact and a sincere belief from the optimistic that we as individuals can make a difference.  For those of you skeptics, yes, you individually can not “Save the World”.

However, a movement begins with a thought.  A movement begins with the dreams of one person or a collective group of people.  The civil rights movement is a great example of a movement that changed the world.  It began with countless men and women who were treated unfairly in the land of the free.  This movement was championed by Martin Luther King and his contemporaries.  Though we are not completely there, one can not deny that things have come a long way in the last 40 years. This is a movement that is not stopping, has not wavered and has changed the face of our planet.

So back to the topic.  The “green movement” is growing.  This movement, much like the civil rights movement was born out of the mistakes of man.  For centuries, man has lived on this planet with the thought that resources are unlimited.  We can continue to exhaust and use our environment and it will recover, it will survive and continue to be fruitful. 

Whether it is a growing awareness or the writing on the wall,  this generation, our generation, your generation realizes, that is a fallacy. The belief that man was placed on the earth to conquer it, must not and can not persist.

So how can we spark this movement?  What should we address?  Should we all wake up tomorrow, recycle, drive less, buy Hybrids, drink tap water, use less paper, cut the six-pack plastic rings that our soda cans come with, walk to lunch, build greener, put green logos on our TV stations, watch Al Gore’s “The Inconvenient Truth”, reduce our carbon footprint?  Pardon the sarcasm!  All of those things are worth doing.  But are those things going to cause a movement, spur a revolution, save the world? 

In America, we are victims of our age.  We are living in The Oil Age.  And just like America the rest of the developed world is right there with us.  When we think Green, we are thinking of the immediate impact.  Our culture is centered around cheap, readily available fuel.  The immediate impact is as follows. 

For the last 200 hundred years we have been using and living comfortably off of the readily available fuel.  However, as the world continues to advance and become “civilized” there is a growing demand for these fuels.  China and the United States, like two fat bellied pigs are scarfing down the worlds natural resources.  Now the effect of this is world shortages, higher gas prices, increased pollution, increased demand, growing anxiety, and an imminent crisis. 

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not due to an inherent issue of the depravity of man.  Is not because the United States and China are greedy.  This is due to an increasing need to satisfy the style of life we have become accustomed too.

Thus, with that mindset.  The “green movement” aims to provide more sustainable energy, lower greenhouse emissions, advises to carpool, walk, ride the bus, ride a bike, drive cars instead of fuel sucking SUVs. 

Now when doctors diagnose an illness, they approach it much the same way. What are the symptoms, what is your family history, what have you eaten, been exposed to, is their similar case studies, etc.  After diagnosis of “the problem”, they prescribe a treatment plan.

Now we are getting somewhere.  So what is the problem?  Is the problem that we are to oil dependent? Is the problem that we can not encourage enough participation?  Or do we have a “growing” problem?

Take a look at the stats below.

WORLD POPULATION GROWTH IN FIGURES

(source : http://www.optimumpopulation.org/opt.earth.html)

So….even if 1 out of 3 people lived “green”, at the rate our population is increasing by 2050 we would have 3 billion conscious consumers and 6 billion (the world’s current population) users. 

People we are back at square one.  Do you think the undeveloped countries are practicing green initiatives?  So if we are doctors, what is the real “problem” and how do we treat it?

On that note I will leave it up for discussion and my next post will continue to address the “growing” problem.

(click to enlarge)

فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه الرومانسىافلام لك تحميل من

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى – سعد الصغير 2009
تحمل وتنزيل فديو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى انا بيه ورومانسى

لمشاهدة وتحميل الفديو, فيديو كليب …

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب اغنية سعد الصغير انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى
يو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البية الرومانسى – انا بيه ورومانسى

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة الكليب

|اغانى|فديو, فيديو كليب|مقطع|هدف|مسلسل|اعلان|فلم, فيلم|برنامج|حلقة|شاهد|مشاهدة|اون لاين|سرعة عالية |بدون
تحميل|اغانى|عربى|اجنبى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري|البوم|
2009|سينجل|نغمات|تنزيل|نزل|شعبي|راب|حمل|موسيقى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري

|افراح|فديو, فيديو كليب|راديو||اون لاين|بدون تحميل|مجانا|بدون اشتراك|2010

فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه الرومانسىافلام لك تحميل من

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى – سعد الصغير 2009
تحمل وتنزيل فديو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى انا بيه ورومانسى

لمشاهدة وتحميل الفديو, فيديو كليب …

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب اغنية سعد الصغير انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى
يو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البية الرومانسى – انا بيه ورومانسى

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة الكليب

|اغانى|فديو, فيديو كليب|مقطع|هدف|مسلسل|اعلان|فلم, فيلم|برنامج|حلقة|شاهد|مشاهدة|اون لاين|سرعة عالية |بدون
تحميل|اغانى|عربى|اجنبى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري|البوم|
2009|سينجل|نغمات|تنزيل|نزل|شعبي|راب|حمل|موسيقى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري

|افراح|فديو, فيديو كليب|راديو||اون لاين|بدون تحميل|مجانا|بدون اشتراك|2010

Is an 80mm, richest field refractor really the Goldilocks scope?  Not too large, not too small – just right! If my four hours of observing last night is any indicator, the answer is “yes!”

I’ve owned two smaller scopes I thought were terrific – an Astro-tech 66 and a 60mm Televue. I really didn’t like parting with either, but priorities change and while I got some good milage out of them, I didn’t use them that often. Why? Certainly not for lack of portability because they are as portable as it gets. And the quality on both were stunning. And they always delivered more than I expected.  But, in the end for me using them was more a stunt – more an attempt to prove to myself how much I could do with how little. For someone else – especially someone who travels frequently – the portability may turn these two scopes into something much more practical than a stunt. But I rarely travel beyond my neighbor’s yard. My idea of portability is being able to move 10-feet to avoid a tree that’s blocking my view.   And I don’t really need  the quick-look capability of “grab and go” when the scope in my observatory can be operational in two minutes flat and the 15-inch in less than five minutes.

So when I say portable what I really mean is my aging muscles should be ab;e to easily pick up the scope and tripod and move them 30-feet without any heavy breathing. In fact, I should be able to carry the scope, tripod, eyepieces, and my folding observing seat all on one trip. With the 80mm on a Voyager mount that’s possible – though I admit, it was certainly easier with the 60mm sitting on its Bogen tripod. OK, maybe it would be more sensible to make two trips sometimes But what I’m buying on the used market may fill that bill – along with what I have on hand now and what I learned from using a similar-sized scope last night.

Let’s start with the new – to me -scope. It’s known as a SV80S Stellarvue. It’s apochromatic triplet object was made by Lomo, a Russian firm, and is legendary within the circle of small refractor fanatics. (I’m an apprentice member of that circle.)  Here are the highlights from Stellarvue’s Web site where they still offer a limited number of these for $1,795 new. (What I   ssume is the Chinese version – probably as good – sells for $600 less. I’m getting one that’s four years old and uses the Lomo objective and I’m paying $1,000 – far more than I ever thought I would dream of paying for an 80mm scope. Oh – those highlights are:

• 80mm f-6 480 mm apochromatic triplet
• Fully multicoated objective for both visual and ccd use
• Stellarvue’s exclusive easy one touch cnc clamshell mounting ring with Vixen rail
• Genuine Feather Touch 2″ dual speed focuser with compression ring 1.25″ adapter.
• Retracting dew shield
• Instrument White high temperature powder-coating
• C7 side reinforced airline carry on case included (shown with optional accessories)
• Each one is triple tested including a star test by Vic Maris

Oh – it’s about 16-inches long and 7-8 pounds with diagonal and finder – though I’m not at all sure I’ll use a finder on it. More on on that later.

Sounds great. And while mine will come with the original – smaller – case, I can purchase the cae pictured here for it and that is a key to portability because of the great selection of eyepieces and accessories you can include.  So I’ll invest another $70 and get this case just to nake  the whole observing set-up more portable.

But is it really necessary to go to this extreme quality? honestly, I have my doubts.   I mean I know color will not be an issue with this scope and the two-speed focuser is very helpful with any scope this fast where focus is more critical than with slow scopes.  But will this outperform a Short Tube 80, the uniquitous little Orion that can do wonders and can be bought used for one tenth the price? Yes – absolutely. But how about a higher grade scope like Celestron’s Onyx 80? I have one, was planning to sell it, and that’s what I was using last night. The Onyx is one slick little scope and its optical performance is very nice. I’m going to hold on to it long enough so I can do some side-by-side testing. I hope the Stellarvue will have the edge, but at more than three times the cost of the Onyx it should.  Yes, as you pay more the cost per unit of improvement goes up – I don’t expect to see anything but a slight improvement – but I hope I’ll see that. And there’s something more involved – the scope has a sprt of history/personality but around its Lomo lens. And there’s ac ertain satisfaction inknowing that you are using the best,therefore if you are failing to see something you expect to see, theproblem is either you or atmospheric conditions. You’ve pretty much eliminated your equipment as a potential source of problem.

I decided to use the Onyx last night because it was handy and because I wanted to see just how much I could expect from an 80mm scope, since I’ve been using either 60, 100, or 120mm lately. Here’s Celstron’s talking points on the slick little Onyx (no longer in production):

Onyx 80EDF – General Features

• Premium 80 mm refractor
• Celestron’s Starbright XLT high transmission coatings
• Celestron combines a Fluorite based, low dispersion glass with high density crown glass for virtually color-free images across the visible spectrum
• 2″ Crayford style focuser minimizes image shift
• Rotatable focuser for easy framing of objects for photography
• Extendable lens shade reduces glare and protects lens from moisture
• Built-in sighting scope to help accurately locate objects
• Integrated dovetail compatible with Celestron Computerized “GoTo”
• Aluminum case for convenient storage and protection

The one worth siglling out here is this one:

• Built-in sighting scope to help accurately locate objects

This is a big mistake. It;s not a “sighting scope” at all – just apeep hole and as far as I can tell it does no good at all.  However, it is removable (one screw) and I’ve put a Rigel finder on there in its place. I also mounted a laser there. But I didn’t have either of these on it last night. Instead I simply used a 24mm Panoptic. (A 24mm Hyperion or 32mm Plossl would give the same field.) The result is a true field of view of about 3.2 degrees which is typical of the field for large astronomy binoculars. In fact many give even smaller fields.  I found the combination of the large field, plus 80mm of light-gathering power in the objective , makes it very easy to find everything from planets and bright stars, to very faint, low-surface brightness deep sky objects like  M33. What’s more, once you find them it’s a simple matter to boost the power. (I had tried a bargain-priced, 30mm eyepiece with an 82 degree apparent field of view. Works fine and delivers almost  five degrees true field. But I find it a bother going from this eyepiece – which is a 2-inch- to higher-powered 1.25 inch eyepieces. Hmmm. . . if I were using all Hyperions that wouldn’t be an issue. Anyway – little stuff like that can put me off sometimes. I don’t like fumbling with small parts and set screws in the dark anymore than I have to. )

But this is “richest field” aspect is really one of the most impressive things about using an 80mm scope with a short focal ratio thus making the scope its own finder. I found deep sky objects in particular easier to track down with this scope than with  the typical finder, whether it be a Rigel, red dot,  or 8×50 optical finder. The key, of course, is the light grasp. Another key is being able to sit comfortably behind the scope, as opposed to using a Dob where you sit at the side. Sitting behind this scope I found I very quickly developed a pretty accurate sense of where it was pointing – a sort of shoot-from-the hip type of thing. I don’t know how to teach it or even explain it, but it just feels natural. Look at where your target is and while looking, point the scope. I think your eye-brain work to deliver a solution if you get out of the way!  If your off a little, start a systematic sweep and you should soon pick up your target – assuming, of course, you have some idea what your target should look like!

I reported on my eveniong targets earlier in this post. The most astonishing thing there for me was a very clean split of the triple, Iota Cassiopeia – not bad for an 80mm!  This morning my frist targets with the same set up included M42, M50, the Christmas Tree Cluster,  M1, plus M35.  With M35 I could also see NGC 2158, which looked a tad like M1, only smaller, though of course they are much different objects. NGC 2158 is really a star cluster much more distant than M35. Seen together the two open clusters provide a wonderful sense of depth of field.

Castor, an easy triple star, split at 72X and was much better at 100X. I also looked at Saturn, rising in the east below Leo, and was able to see Titan and one other moon.  The Leo Triplet of galaxies, M65, M66 and NGC3628, was so simple to sweep up! I just pointed the shope at Chertan, one of the stars in the triangle that marks Leo’s haunches, then slowly swept south and a tad east. Bingo – it took about 15 seconds I think. A more challenging pair were the galaxies M81 and M82. But I just remembered that, as I think Sue French once wrote, “the Great Bear has ear mites.” So I pointed the scope in the direction of his ears and prowled around. Took longer this time, but boy do these two pop in this little scope at that power. What’s more, crank up the pwoer a bit and you can easily see that M81 is a spiral and M82 is a “cigar” with dark diagonal cloud cutting through it.

So why am I seeing the short-focal length 80mm as the Godilocks of scopes? To summarize:

1. Portability.

2. At low power you don’t need a finder because the field is both wide and bright, a great combination.

3. While it should be obvious that larger scopes will reveal more, you can get the essential astronomy experience – the feel for a galaxy, nebula, or star cluster – with an 80mm – certainly exhaust the Messier catalog and much more, as well as split many of the best double stars and do casual viewing of planets and Moon.

And one last point on the portability front – it is short enough so that a reasonable size and weight tripod and mount, such as you have with the Astro Tech Voyager, will work.  Longer scopes on this mount can put you awfully close to the ground when you’re trying to look up. With the 80mm there are no acrobatics – and no acrobatics trying to orient your eye to a finder either, since you aren’t using one!

Sounds like a big project.  I think we all must contribute in some way, no matter how small. Here are 10 easy ways to help starting from today.

1. Does this need washing? Or can I air it, brush away the stain or even put it in a bag and place it in the freezer. This I have been told you do with your jeans.
2. Do your laundry in lower temperatures.
3. Take the stairs (if possible) instead of the elevator.
4. Take your own cup to the coffee shop when buying “to-go coffee” KeepCup
5. Tell your friends to bring that bag of clothing, belts, shoes, bags etc  that they where going to give to charity anyway and have a swap evening.
6. When going to bed turn of all the stand-by buttons in the house.
7. Take the train when travelling (if possible)
8. Take a navy shower (3 minutes) saves lots and lots of water
9. Buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger
10. Recycle as much as possible

LONDON (AFP) – The leading shares posted big gains on Monday, led by miners who were boosted by better-than-expected US housing data and a weak US dollar.

London's FTSE 100 index gained1.98 percent to close at 5,355.5 points.

Vodafone was the most traded stock, seeing 100 million units change hands, followed by independent broker Icap, which saw 69.2 million shares switch owners.

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was top of the leader board, gaining 1.80 pence — or 5.01 percent — to finish at 37.80, followed by Icap, which saw shares gain 18.90 pence — or 4.50 percent — to stand at 439.

The biggest casualties of the day were oil services group Petrofac, which shed 12.50 pence — or 1.24 percent — to finish at 998.50, and specialist distribution group Bunzl , which gave up 7.50 pence — or 1.16 percent — to end at 637.50.

The pound rose slightly to 1.6615 US dollars as the dollar weakened with expectations that interest rates would remain at near zero low levels.

The pound stood at 1.1089 euro.

FTSE 100 makes big gains

Ok. Putting it out there, this it hands down one of the coolest things I’ve seen in awhile. It’s not just what this guy is doing, but how fast he does it. There are those that are gonna bitch and moan because it’s “not fine art” and “can’t hang in a gallery” and “he’s going too fast to give any artistic consideration to what he’s doing”… whatever. Art is art. And this is sick.

موالى كل الجديد فى عالم النت

Unsere lieben EU-Nachbarn auf den britischen Inseln machen es uns vor. Dort sind sämtliche Strassen und Plätzen mit Überwachungkameras ausgestattet. Diese sind mit zentralen Kennzeichenlesegeräten verbunden.

Jeder britische Polizist kann jedes beliebige Autokennzeichen in eine zentrale Datenbank eintragen und mit Anmerkungen versehen. Jetzt werden autofahrende Bürger, die zuvor auf Demonstrationen (Umweltschutz, Bürgerrechte, etc) aufgefallen sind, verstärkt angehalten und laut “Terrorism Act” durchsucht. Genau dafür benötigt man ein möglichst lückenloses Netz von Überwachungskameras: Zur Unterdrückung politischer Meinungen.

( via guardian)

Der frühere britische Staatschef Tony Blair hat die Öffentlichkeit, das Parlament und alle anderen belogen, um 2002 in den Irakkrieg eintreten zu können.

Das belegen Dokumente, die der britischen Tageszeitung Daily Telegraph zugespielt wurden.

Obwohl die Teilnahme seit Februar 2002 von der Regierung Blair geplant war, hielt man die wahren Absichten geheim und bezog nur sehr wenige Personen mit ein.

Die Folge: Es gab keinen strategischen Plan für die Zeit nach dem Sieg über Saddam Husseins geschwächte Truppen, britische Soldaten mussten teilweise mangels Transportmöglichkeiten mit zivilen Verkehrsflugzeugen ins Krisengebiet reisen. Manchen wurde die Waffe von der Airport-Security abgenommen, andere hatten lediglich fünf Schuss Munition dabei. Das Sprechfunksystem der britischen Armee erwies sich als nicht hitzefest.

Heute beginnt in London die Arbeit einer parlamentarischen Untersuchungskommission zu diesem Thema. Ich hoffe doch sehr, dass Tony Blair sich für seine Mitschuld am Tod Tausender verantworten muss.

( via telegraph) (pic aliveinbaghdad)

LONDON (Reuters) – Gold powered to another record high on Monday as the dollar sank, while higher commodity prices lifted world equities.

MSCI's all-country world stock index (.MIWD00000PUS) was up 0.9 percent, led by European and emerging market shares that are sensitive to commodities.

Gold hit a record high at $1,167.35 an ounce before slipping back a bit, bringing this year's gains to around 32 percent.

The main catalyst for gold's rise has been the falling dollar, which makes the metal more attractive to non-dollar investors and encourages others to hedge.

The U.S. currency was down nearly three-quarters of a percent against at basket of competitors (.DXY), closing in on 15-month lows. It is being battered by expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep interest rates low for some time.

"The Fed is sounding like they mean it about keeping rates low for an extended period — way into 2010 if not 2011," said a trader at an Australian bank.

Such a backdrop has driven large numbers of investors into gold, which also benefits from a reputation as a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty.

"You've got more high-profile hedge funds visibly investing in gold. That's yet another factor encouraging moves into gold by the wider investor community," said David Barclay, commodity strategist at Standard Chartered in Hong Kong online cash advance.

Gold's gain lifted other precious metals, while oil gained 90 cents to $78.36 a barrel and commodities such as copper also gained.

Copper was up 1.7 percent, aluminum was half a percent higher and nickel rose 1.6 percent.

STOCKS UP

European shares were one of the main beneficiaries of the rise in commodity prices.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 (.FTEU3) index of top shares was up 1.4 percent, snapping a four-day losing streak.

Energy stocks were in demand because of the oil price gain. Among big movers were Heritage Oil (HOIL.L), which sold its Ugandan interests to Italy's Eni (ENI.MI).

BG Group (BG.L), BP (BP.L), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and Total (TOTF.PA) all also rose.

Miners also featured among the top performers as metal prices gained, including Anglo American (AAL.L), Antofagasta (ANTO.L), BHP Billiton (BLT.L), Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC.L), Rio Tinto (RIO.L) and Xstrata (XTA.L).

Despite this, there is a general tone of caution from investors at the moment, with many interested in locking in their 2009 gains before the year end.

(Additional reporting by Jan Harvey, Joanne Frearson and Lincoln Feast; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Gold at new high as dollar slides, stocks gain

Reuters

Peneliti telah menemukan ribuan spesies yang belum pernah diketahui sebelumnya. Binatang ini hidup dari belerang dan metana atau memecah minyak.

Sebanyak 17.650 spesies yang menakjubkan berhasil diungkap. Penemuan makhluk aneh itu melalui kamera yang diderek jauh di dasar laut, sonar dan teknologi lainnya.

Makhluk aneh itu terdiri dari kepiting hingga udang cacing yang hidup di dunia dingin dan gelap, 5 km di bawah ombak laut.

Kebanyakan dari makhluk-makhluk ini beradaptasi dari makanan dari kotoran yang berasal dari lapisan atas yang diterangi matahari.

Sementara yang lain hidup dari belerang dan metana, atau bakteri yang memecah minyak, atau dari tulang-tulang paus yang mati tenggelam dan makanan tidak masuk akal lainnya. 

Para ilmuwan telah menginventarisasi sekitar 17.650 spesies yang hidup lebih dalam dari 200 meter, di tepi kegelapan, di mana sinar matahari tidak lagi menembus. Jumlah ini termasuk 5.722 spesies di kedalaman 1.000 meter.

“Biasanya kedalaman laut dipandang sebagai sesuatu yang dianggap terlalu jauh, seperti sebuah lubang, padang pasir, gurun, tetapi apa yang kita temukan dalam pekerjaan kita adalah bahwa terdapat keragaman spesies yang luar biasa di sana, sering kali dengan adaptasi yang kita belum kita mengerti,” kata peneliti Robert Carney dari Louisiana State University, pemimpin bersama Continental Margin Ekosistem.

Sumber : inilah.com