BEAUTIFY THE WORLD !

Intel Visibly Smart - Jogja Hip Hop Foundation

2012-01-10T01:55:00.000-08:00

Originally I am from Jogja, where I spent my childhood. Jogjakarta is a province of Republic of Indonesia, located in southern Central Java, famous as the city of students and artworkers. What I love so much for the so-called Nagari Ngayogjakarta Hadiningrat is the cultural sphere of the people. We have our king, Sultan Hemengku Buwana X, as our governor not by election. The kingdom sphere and its traditions gives colours on our style of living, bears so many creativities among the people. We are proud to be from Jogja, and love to share with you the beauty of our cultural life and wisdoms. []

Bangsa Indonesia memang bukan Winnie the Pooh cs.

2009-03-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Ya jelas bukan! Judul yang aneh dengan negasi yang sekenanya!

Tapi memang itulah yang terlintas di benakku ketika tiba-tiba aku menyadari bahwa semakin banyak merchandise Pooh di rumahku semenjak si kecil Gabriel lahir. Ada sticker Pooh di lemari es. Ada poster Pooh di pintu lemari pakaian, belum lagi yang ditempel di dinding dekat cermin bersolek. Ada bantal Pooh. Ada boneka tangan Pooh. Ada lagi tas bagor bergambar tokoh kartun Disney itu. Dan yang terakhir, istriku baru pesen selimut Pooh untuk si i'el!

Heran aku! Tapi lama-lama aku menikmatinya juga. Soalnya karakter beruang madu berbulu kuning keemasan itu begitu imut dan menggemaskan, lucu! Memandangnya saja sudah terpancing untuk senyum. Tak terasa otot-otot di ujung garis mulut ini tertarik ke atas, dan membawa perbawa segar di hati: ada kegembiraan! Perbawanya mampu mengusir kesuntukan barang beberapa saat. Namun, saat seperti itu bisa sedemikian menentukan untuk kesegaran-kesegaran berikut. Sayang bila hal ini tak pernah disadari, pikirku. Seandainya aku bisa mengabadikannya - seperti mengabadikan senyum anakku dengan kamera saku yang baru - aku ingin melakukannya. Ya beginilah jadinya: tulisan ini.

Tapi apa hubungannya dengan bangsa Indonesia? Ntar dulu...

Lihat dulu atau baca dulu barang sedikit tentang Winnie The Pooh! Di Ashdown Forest - tempat dia dan teman-temannya tinggal - Pooh terkenal sebagai beruang pahlawan, pernah dijuluki Knighted "Sir Pooh de Bear". Seperti kebanyakan makhluk hidup - termasuk manusia, hehehe... - kalau pagi pasti bertanya, "Sarapan apa, ya?" Meskipun cuma badannya yang gede dan katanya otaknya kecil, namun dia suka berpikir, "Think, think, think!" Bahkan, dia suka mengarang puisi dan lagu! Teman bermain paling deket adalah Piglet, seekor babi kecil berwarna pink (Aaah.. dunia fabel memang penuh kedamaian kayaknya). Berpetualang dan mengunjungi sahabat sesama penggemar madu adalah kegiatan sehari-hari. Sifat beruangnya kadang juga muncul: suka bosan!

Namun terlepas dari lihat (filmnya) dan baca (cerita, ulasan dan komiknya) tentang si Pooh, kehadirannya dalam rupa-rupa merchandise itu telah mampu mengajak siapapun yang memperhatikannya untuk memasuki dunia dongeng.

Tiket masuknya sederhana: senyuman! Tanpa itu orang takkan mampu masuk ke dalam dunia indah warna-warni penuh keceriaan dan kegembiraan yang murni! Saking murninya, dalam dunia fabel pun ada lukisan kegembiraan itu. Kehadiran Pooh dan teman-temannya itu seolah ingin menyampaikan pijaran kegembiraan murni makhluk Tuhan, yang nota bene mestinya ada juga di dunia manusia! Adalah anak-anak - atau mereka yang appreciate terhadap dunia anak (jadi bukan yang kekanak-kanakan) - yang pertama kali mampu menangkap getaran yang menumbuhkan senyum dan keceriaan itu. Pooh... sosok karakter yang mampu diterima, bahkan oleh anak-anak! Anakku Gabriel yang baru berumur dua bulan saja bisa tersenyum-tertawa ketika melihat boneka tangan Pooh kumain-mainkan di depannya.

Naaaah... sekarang baru ngomong tentang bangsa Indonesia.

Gak perlu panjang lebar kok duduk permasalahannya. Aman jika aku hanya bertanya saja (hehehe...): Kalau melihat (foto, filem, tayangan berita tv) dan membaca (koran, buku, sejarah hingga kini) atau mendengar (cerita, berita, komentar, dll.) tentang Indonesia, adakah yang mampu membuat kita spontan tersenyum tulus untuk tertawa dalam kegembiraan? Gak ada? Mosok siiiih? Kalau tidak ada, terus karakter macam apa yang terpancar dari bangsa kita tercinta ini? Mosok tidak ada yang bisa masuk ke relung fabilitas (hahaha...ini istilahku sendiri untuk mengaitkan hal ini dengan dunia fabel) yang akrab dengan anak-anak bangsa ini?

Ya, jelas... bangsa Indonesia memang bukan Winnie the Pooh cs.! Karakter Pooh (dan sebangsanya) rupa-rupanya lebih jelas dari pada karakter bangsa Indonesia! (Eh, yang ini sudah sebuah judgement, ya?) Katanya sih, kita sedang membangun karakter bangsa kita... bersama-sama. Dan yang jelas lagi, bangsa Indonesia mestinya bukanlah boneka mainan anak-anak balita, anak-anak TK maupun SD!

Semoga suatu saat anak-anak pun bisa tersenyum-tertawa tulus, gembira-ceria karena menjadi bagian dari bangsa Indonesia! Amin.

(Posting ini aku tulis karena aku tersadar juga bahwa anakku adalah anak Indonesia! Sebuah anugerah yang menyertakan tanggung jawab kebangsaan juga dalam keluarga sebelum dia diajak menghafalkan butir-butir Pancasila di sekolahan nanti...) [skd]

Eco-friendly idea from black-out time

2009-01-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

In the middle of the energy crisis issues, exploring on sustainable resources has become a rush. Fossils oil will vanish someday as we are exploiting the resources day by day exponentially. If we merely depend on oil wells, what will happen at the time when there are no more well producing oils? Black out! Of course it's just a silly nightmare and naked imagination.

The most terrifying worry has been blown up by the issues of climate change along with the issues of global warming. The massive use of fossils energy that produces carbon dioxide is alleged to be the most cause of the issues.

As if, the end of days has been just to come when we combine the issues above into our imagination!

However, we human have come into the age of cutting edge accumulation of knowledge and skills. People have been more aware about environmental impacts of anything they do. They so highly appreciate everything that has something to do with saving energy, "green products", "ozone friendly" and other ecological issues.

At this point, inventions of consumer goods made of recycled and sustainable materials with green technology raise new hopes for better solutions on the crisis and worries. Furthermore, the sphere of such inventions may inspire another idea for the green efforts.

When somebody tells you that candles he lighted up in his rooms at black-out time are Soy Candles, which are made of common soy beans not of petroleum based wax, what comes into your mind? Aren’t you interested in the next idea for other invention? Or, when another one tells you about his soy votives candles in his praying room last longer and cleaner than petroleum-based candles, won’t you try to prove them? If so, I guess you will think to do business with Wholesale Soy Candles as you try to get profits as well while participating domestically in fighting against the climate change.

Even simple inventions may stimulate another bigger invention creatively. One maybe yours from a black-out time! [skd]

If the tree could scream...

2008-10-08T04:53:00.001-07:00

Message from nature - "The power of capitalism"
Originally uploaded by BornJavanese

You may see the beauty of the image. However, the beauty comes out from the scream of nature, which can do nothing but expressions, expressions of being slowly slaughtered by human behaviors. If they could scream... you could hear a cry, sorrowful cry!

The behaviors that made such an image above were not beautiful at all! A staining nail stabbed in a palm tree, making slowly damaging effect to it. That's really a bad case in this era of concerning on environment: climate change. Trees are very important element in this planet earth. [skd]

Imagine you can't make this one!

2008-07-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Oxidation-Energy, originally uploaded by BornJavanese.

All peoples in the world come into a crisis: fossil oil, which has been so expensive that many demos spread all over countries. The crisis of energy drives efforts to save the resources as well as to develop innovations for sustainable ones.

This concern about energy wakes me up to explore things that have something to do with energy making. I am not an expert in this field. However, it is very interesting. I started with simple natural phenomena, which shows a simple process of producing energy. My mind turned to fire, which was supposed by ancient cultures to be one of basic elements in this universe. Once I had a question, "What is fire?" Then I try to answer it by my own: fire is a fact of fastened oxidation process! Hahaha... really, I don't know whether it's true or false, but I am sure, that fire is not a-stand-alone element. There are always at least two elements to make fire. One of them is oxygen. Again, maybe I do something haphazardly! Help me to know the valid answer, please...

Anyway, I get some matches and get the room dark to do my simple "energy-project". The result is shown in the picture. I used Canon PowerShot A400 in macro mode and inactivated flashlight. I just got it sharpened with amount 100, radius 1 and threshold 1. Done!

Hopefully, after you see this picture, you get your own idea and creativity to do more than what I've done. What if you can't make fire?! [skd]

Go green with "Horta" - Educational toys for kids

2008-06-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

Since we have concerned on global-warming issues, our mind will pursue ideas to fight against the impacts. If not, the global movement due to the issues will remains for nothing!

I'm glad to find creative ideas solve this global problem. Brilliant ideas may come from the experties, but some from the laity. What is brilliant sometimes comes from simple thing as well. That's what I can say when I found an information about educating kids to love horticulture with toys!

It's about toys made from dusts of sawing activity, which is popularized by Asep Rodiansah and friends - graduated youngsters from IPB (Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia). They name the toys "Horta" - abbreviating "horticultura". Look at the picture! Cute, isn't it? The green hair is growing grass! Kids will love to have it. Along with it, they will ask, "How is it growing?" That is the point of educational approach. Parents can tell them about it and teach them how to save this planet Earth from global warming!

What makes me raise my thumbs up is the idea behind the making of this cute. They spent 6 months of scientific research to bear the cuties. Furthermore the materials are from waste things: used socks and dusts of certain wood as media.

Bravo and congrats, Asep and friends! Keep going! [skd]

Go Green! Selamatkan Bumi Mulai dari Dapurmu

2008-06-05T18:40:00.001-07:00

Go Green! Selamatkan Bumi Mulai dari Dapurmu

Aneka jenis tissue diproduksi dari serat kayu dan tidak dapat didaur ulang. Gunakan lap/serbet yang bisa dipakai berulang kali untuk lap piring, serbet makan, lap meja, dll.
Kantong teh celup terbuat dari bahan yang sulit hancur. Pilih teh bubuk dan bukan teh celup.
Jangan biarkan magic jar menyala selama 24 jam sehari. Segera matikan setelah nasi atau masakan matang. Nyalakan hanya saat ingin memanaskan nasi atau makanan.
Minyak goreng dibuat dari kelapa sawit. Keberadaan kebun kelapa sawit telah mengubah wajah hutan alam di Indonesia. Berhematlah menggunakan minyak goreng untuk menyelamatkan hutan kita dan mengurangi emisi. Hutan gambut menyerap emisi karbon lebih besar dari hujan.
Pilih sabun atau shampoo berukuran besar, bisa diisi ulang. Selain lebih ekonomis, kita juga bisa mengurangi sampah kemasan.
Kulkas yang kosong lebih menghabiskan listrik daripada kulkas yang penuh. Selanjutnya di http://www.hijaubumiku.com

Baca juga:
- Apa Itu Gas Rumah Kaca
http://www.green.adexindo.com/artikel-apa-itu-gas-rumah-kaca.html
- Sumur Biopori Atasi Banjir
http://www.green.adexindo.com/artikel-sumur-biopori

Go Green!
Rosa S Rustam

Adenium - A photo for The Nature Conservancy Photo Contest

2008-06-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

Adenium - 01
Originally uploaded by BornJavanese

Since I've joined The Nature Conservancy to have the updated news from the site, I just received and enjoy a lot of beautiful nature pictures of another places on this planet Earth. Sometimes I wondered if I could share photos from my country - Indonesia. Now, I do it!

Fortunatelly, the website holds a digital nature photo competition. It's time to partake in it, I think. Nevertheless I have no camera anymore since the one I got was stolen by a thief! However, thank God, when I came home to my homecity - Jogjakarta - a good friend of mine let me use his digital camera. It's Nikon DX4. I just thought of making pictures for the beloved conservation community. I did it some.

The picture above is an Adenium. I toke it from my foreyard. The plant is growing with little shoots coming out from their stem. A new era of a living has just begun, bringing new hopes of the future! [skd]

I give you a link to Bicycle City

2008-05-31T01:15:00.001-07:00

I thought you might find Bicycle City interesting and sent you this link:

http://www.bicyclecity.com/

Thank You,

Bicycle City - An Eco-Friendly Place to Live, Work & Play.

Send your favorite nature photos!

2008-05-26T04:32:00.000-07:00

I have joined The Nature Conservancy - an conservation community - in April 2007. Since then I always get news from the site about the activities related to conservation efforts worldwidely. Though I have not taken any participation yet, except reading the news, including in my area - Indonesia -, I enjoy it very much. I told some friends of mine about the community, and they are interested in it.

One of many that I like most is that I can travel over the world virtually. There are so many beautiful photos shared by the members. Some are very awesome. I wonder if I could share my photos as contribution to the efforts.

Today I got an email from the community. I get informed about 2008 Digital Photo Contest held by the community. Here is a copy-paste of the announcement:

"Dear Mr. Sukandar,
Your favorite nature photos could win and inspire others! Enter The Nature Conservancy's 2008 Digital Photo Competition by submitting your favorite images.
Just like the more than 25,000 entries we received since our first contest in 2006, we're looking for beautiful nature photography representing the diversity of life on Earth — including forests, grasslands, lakes, rivers, deserts, rainforests, oceans, coral reefs, and more!
Your own original digital images of our lands, waters, plants, animals and people in nature are all eligible for the competition. View last years' finalists here.
At least 35 photos will be selected as honorable mentions and finalists. Your favorite will be declared the Grand Prize Winner and will be featured in the 2010 Nature Conservancy calendar.
To enter one or more images use the Conservancy's free Flickr™ photo-sharing group and tag each with "PhotoContest-TNC08". Or, if you prefer, you can complete our online form and e-mail each photo, one at a time.
The contest is open to all photographers age 18 or older regardless of residence or citizenship, so long as the laws of their jurisdiction allow participation. Photo submissions must be uploaded by 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Please read the full rules before entering.
Thank you for all you do to showcase and celebrate the beauty of our natural world — inspiring others to protect our most critical natural resources. And good luck!"

I have an account at Flickr.com already. Then I uploaded some pictures that I have by my own shots. Want to see my photostream at Flickr? Click here! Would you participate in the contest? Good luck! [skd]

Beware of the believes behind your actions!

2008-05-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

What is making this human world beauty? Beauty-making is action, as life is also action! Thus, the most important thing is action. Without it, anything will remain as nothing. The question is, what kind of action do we have to do? That will include our morality as well as our religiousity and spirituality. When we agree that human being is the image of God himself, or when all of us dream of a union with God, humanity would be the basic measurement.

However, practically our understanding about "the most right humanity" seems to be always in disputes, rather than serious efforts of making it real. Human being is an uncomplete creature in terms of evolution theory. He is still in-progress to be a perfect human being. He has to learn to be (more) human. The understanding about "the most right humanity" would be in the learning process that no one knows when it will come to an end. We just need to believe in the existence of it, to convince that it is real eventhough it is beyond! The thing is how to consolidate many believes among us! Again and again, we can fall just into disputes about the most right belief!

So, wacth out! [skd]

Hari Bumi - Awalilah dengan pemahaman!

2008-04-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

Hari Bumi (Earth Day) tahun ini mestinya menjadi hari yang istimewa bagi kita orang-orang Indonesia. Konferensi tingkat dunia mengenai perubahan iklim (climate change) yang digelar di Bali Desember 2007 lalu semestinya menjadi pemicu semangat untuk lebih serius memperhatikan lingkungan tempat kita hidup.

Peringatan Hari Bumi sebagai sebuah gerakan bisa menjadi unpowerful bila tidak melibatkan sebanyak mungkin lapisan masyarakat dunia ini, tanpa kecuali. Selama kita masih mendiami planet ini, makan dan minum dari tanah dan air pertiwi ini, selama itulah kita mesti bertanggung jawab atas setiap perilaku yang berdampak padanya. Bukan besar atau kecilnya dampak perilaku itu, tetapi baik atau buruknya dampak perilaku kitalah yang patut diperhatikan. Besar-kecil adalah ukuran kuantitatif, sementara baik-buruk adalah ukuran kualitatif. Meskipun keduanya sama-sama penting, namun seringkali hal-hal menyangkut kualitas perilaku manusia kadangkala terabaikan. Apalagi ini jelas-jelas sebuah gerakan moral-etika terhadap ekosistem bumi (ekoetika) yang cakupannya begitu luas dan menyangkut rentang waktu yang tidak serta-merta. Tantangannya pun jelas: arogansi egoisme kita serta pola gaya hidup kita yang semakin konsumtif dan semakin dipacu oleh keinginan instan.

Sebagai sebuah gerakan moral perayaan Hari Bumi sebetulnya ingin memencet "tombol kehendak" dalam diri setiap orang. Kehendak atau keinginan akan menelorkan tindakan, dan tindakan akan membentuk perilaku yang berpola, dan akhirnya menjadi budaya. Selama seseorang tidak menghendaki sesuatu, tidak akan pernah ada tindakan sengaja dari dirinya untuk mewujudkan sesuatu itu, apalagi dengan tindakan yang terarah dan terencana.

Banyaknya iming-iming tentang gaya hidup hedonis, konsumtif dan instan sungguh menempatkan cara hidup ramah lingkungan yang penuh dengan askese sebagai pilihan yang tidak populer. Demikian pula sering sifat agresif kita terpancing: "Kalau tetangga kontrakanku saja boros memakai listrik, ngapain aku tidak melakukan hal yang sama? Kan adil!" Dalam skala internasional celetukannya bisa seperti ini, "Kalau negara-negara kaya saja dengan seenaknya membuang karbon ke atmosfir kita, ngapain kita negara-negara miskin harus menahan diri bahkan mengurangi emisi karbon dan tidak boleh menebang hutan kita sendiri? Nggak fair dong!" Tidak mengherankan bahwa gerakan etika lingkungan memasuki ruang percaturan politis para pemimpin dunia. Apalagi yang dibicarakan kalau bukan soal sharing tanggung jawab dan keadilan!

"Think globally, act locally" adalah salah satu slogan yang sering dihembuskan untuk mengajak masyarakat kita untuk memahami lebih dalam tentang dampak perilaku kita terhadap lingkungan global. Tidak peduli kita ini berada di sudud bumi yang mana, riak pengaruh perilaku kita akan sampai ke sisi lain planet ini. Dan memang, faktor pemahaman adalah dapur di belakang kehendak yang ingin dikondisikan oleh gerakan Hari Bumi ini. Pemahaman yang komprehensif mengenai lingkungan hidup diharapkan bisa membuka kesadaran kita akan dampak setiap perilaku kita bagi kelestarian bumi ini. Maka mari kita mulai mendidik perilaku kita sendiri, dimulai dengan memahami secara benar dampak-dampak yang mungkin ditimbulkannya sampai ke ujung dunia sana.

Siapa menjamin kelangsungan hidup generasi berikut di bumi ini? Pahamilah bahwa Tuhan mempercayakan bumi ini kepada kita, dan itu berarti kitalah yang paling bertanggung jawab atas nasib setiap generasi di planet bumi ini. [skd]

Senyum dong, Sayang ...

2008-04-17T04:30:00.001-07:00

"Nah... begitu dong, Jeng, senyum... Kan jadi beda itu wajah. Tambah manis gitu lhoooh...!" rayuku suatu ketika kepada istriku.

Waktu itu aku baru pulang kerja. Memang sih, aku terlambat, jam 20.00 WIB baru sampai rumah! Memang keterlaluan ya?! Kayak lupa kalau sudah punya istri yang menunggu di rumah dengan harap-harap cemas. Sadar kalau telad sampai rumah, aku sudah menduga kalau di wajah istriku sudah pasti tumbuh sungut, melengkapi jerawat yang sudah lama ngendon di sana (Eh, ndak boleh yaaaa... njelek-njelekin istri sendiri! Bagaimanapun dia tetep cuantik, apalagi kalau pas lagi marahan. Byuh... cantiknya sampai ga karuan! Hehehe...). Yang jelas aku harus minta maaf. Ndak salah kan, suami minta maaf?

"Sorry ya, Jeng, aku telad pulang. Pliiiisssss...!" pintaku disertai mimik memelas, tapi sambil senyum (hehehe... bisa mbayangin ga, memelas sambil senyum?).

Tapi betul, aku lebih suka milih senyum di saat-saat seperti itu. Paling tidak senyum pada diri sendiri. Karena aku yakin, dengan begitu secara mental pun diri ini sudah terseting oke duluan. Dan rasanya energi yang kulepaskan pun terasa lebih ringan daripada cemberut bersungut-sungut. Belum pernah sih aku menimbang bobot sungut, tapi jelas, seseknya sampai ke dada. Mental pun jadi apes duluan!

Aku pernah mengikuti sebuah pelatihan salesmanship singkat, sekitar tiga tahun lalu. Ternyata, modal awal yang paling menentukan kesuksesan seorang salesman bukanlah uang atau hal-hal yang muluk-muluk. Cukup pembawaan diri dan bersikap semanak (Jw.), bahasa londonya mungkin hospitality. Sebelum "menaklukkan" customer, terlebih dahulu seorang salesman harus bisa menaklukkan diri sendiri. Dalam kondisi sedih atau gembira, baru banyak utang atau saku sedang tebal, tak peduli! Seorang salesman harus menampilkan diri dalam kegembiraan. Lha, trus piye kalau kenyataannya tidak begitu gembira?! Apalagi kalau calon customernya galak!

"Pause!" begitu trainerku menyela bayangan-bayangan buruk yang sudah berderet di ubun-ubun ini.

"Anda harus memencet tombol 'pause' atau bahkan tombol 'stop' di kening ini! Hentikan 'self-talk' yang buruk itu! Sekarang Anda saya ajak untuk berlatih bagaimana caranya mengendalikan perasaan dengan gesture kita! Percaya nggak, kalau mental tan tubuh kita ini sebenarnya saling pengaruh-mempengaruhi? Kalau biasanya tubuh kita ini membahasakan mental kita, jadi tubuh dikendalikan oleh mental, sekarang coba dibalik: mental kita membahasakan tubuh ini! Bisa nggak?!"

"Piye kuwi?!"

"Lha, latihannya begini: Coba menghadap cermin. Kemudian senyumlah. Namun, bersamaan dengan itu pikirkanlah hal-hal sedih! Bisa?!"

Semua peserta mencobanya, meskipun tak ada yang bawa cermin. Aku juga. Sumprit! Gak bisa!

"Hehehe... Sekarang dibalik, buatlah kening wajahmu berkerut, tapi sekaligus bayangkanlah hal-hal terlucu yang pernah Anda alami! Bisa?!"

Lha mbok sampai kram, Pak! Mustahil!

"Sekarang, senyumlah dan sekaligus bayangkanlah hal-hal yang menyenangkan!"

Naaaah... yang ini nih!

Begitu. Sore itu bahan training yang pernah aku dapatkan itu aku praktekkan. Istriku sih agak jual mahal waktu aku rayu. Tapi, sekurang-kurangnya itu sungut yang di jidat jadi pudar... ***

How do you always start your days?

2007-12-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

The new year 2008 to come makes me aware of something. That is a way of how to go my everyday life. Though I've known how to start a new day when I wake up in the morning, I often neglect it. Yeah, mind and action are not synchronic sometimes.

Once I've written on my diary two questions to answer:

What does motivate my life for today? and...

What should be my prayer for the matter I care for?

Sometimes the questions were "on", but sometimes "off". And just by being "on", the questions were capable to spark my spirit to start and go on the day cheerfully. I was always led by the answers from the beginning of the day. At least, one reason is enough to be the value I'll struggle for. And that's enough to make me an important actor of the story that I'll tell God before I go to bed in the night.

The new year is coming. While there are no essential differences between starting a new day and starting a new year, I try to switch the questions "on" again, as I ever felt good effects of them.

So, welcome to the new year 2008, wishing you have a more wonderful life! God bless! ***

Press Releases - Bioethanol

2007-12-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

Apa peran Anda?

2007-09-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

Sejarah manusia mencatat peran tokoh-tokoh besar yang sangat berpengaruh pada zamannya dan menjadi inspirasi generasi-generasi berikutnya. Beberapa tokoh terkenal karena kebaikannya, beberapa karena keburukan atau kejahatannya. Selanjutnya kita tahu bahwa akhirnya semua bentuk apresiasi kita ayunkan pada kebaikan yang diperankan oleh tokoh-tokoh itu.

"Baik" dan "buruk" barangkali hanya sepasang kategori moral yang paling mudah dipergunakan untuk menilai tindakan dan peran seorang tokoh sejarah. Memang pemahaman tentang baik dan buruk dalam kaitannya dengan suatu konteks kebudayaan tertentu masih selalu menjadi diskusi atau bahkan perdebatan. Namun kiranya disetujui bahwa semua diskusi dan perdebatan itu berakar pada upaya semua pihak untuk memahami eksistensi manusia dan martabatnya secara lebih matang dan progresif. Peperangan yang menyertakan aktivitas saling melukai dan bahkan membunuh adalah sebentuk ekspresi ekstrem dari perdebatan konsep paradigmatis tentang eksistensi dan martabat manusia di antara pihak-pihak yang terlibat.

Semenjak teknologi yang diciptakan manusia mampu menghubungkan bangsa manusia di muka bumi ini dengan aselerasi yang semakin tinggi, sepertinya impian akan terwujudnya kesepahaman universal tentang paradigma itu bukanlah hal yang mustahil lagi. Sekarang orang dapat dengan mudah berbicara secara lintas bangsa, lintas budaya, agama agama, lintas ras, lintas gender, dsb.

Munculnya tokoh-tokoh istimewa dan terjadinya peristiwa-peristiwa yang menyentuh kemanusiaan di sudut dunia manapun dengan cepat bisa diketahui oleh orang dari belahan bumi yang lain. Dan mau tidak mau tokoh-tokoh penting di setiap bangsa harus menyadari bahwa peran dan tindakannya, bahkan kehidupan pribadinya, akan menjadi perhatian semakin banyak orang. Penilaian berupa sanjungan atau hujatan terhadap mereka dalam iklim globalisasi sekarang ini jelas tidak hanya dari lingkupnya sendiri, tetapi bisa dari luar lingkupnya.

Singkat kata semua orang di muka bumi ini semakin mendapatkan
pembelajaran mengenai paradigma eksistensi dan martabat manusia seperti apa yang
akan diterima oleh seluruh umat manusia di bumi ini.

Nah, sekarang pertanyaannya adalah – dan ini pekerjaan rumah kita masing-masing: Apa peran kita dalam gerak proses seperti itu?

That will be our contribution to the human history, to the history of humanity! ***

Listening to others ...

2007-09-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

What do you think about the two young men?

They are leaning on the backbone of one another. We can develop the following ideas:

What are they doing?
What's going on in their mind?
One is smiling while the other is looking at something beneath.
They are sitting on the same rock.
Look at the circumstances, where are they?

(Thanks to Bambang&Benny! Gambarmu dak pasaang, Dab! hehehe....!) ***

About This Blog

2007-09-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

BeautifyTheWorld.Blogspot.Com
What is it all about?

After many posts I’ve published at this blog, I think I have to refresh the philosophy which has been the driving spirit to go with. One of the results is the new header-banner above. You see, the banner has been changed for this reason. I made it more representative to describe the mission of this blog.

“Beauty” is to be the mean keyword followed by the word “world”. Behind the blog’s title there is a conception that the world should be more beautiful than it is now. Of course we have to believe that it is beautiful already! This belief enables us to recognize the present beauty now-here in our daily life. And it happens inherently in every action motivated by love to the ultimate beauty. Any action motivated by this kind of love then becomes an effort. That’s what I mean with the word “beautify”. It is an action. The experiences of this loving action would become the story to be shared to everyone else.

This blog is dedicated to any effort to make our world confortable to live in. The "world" here means a place where we live physically, but it could also mean anything correlated to our role by which we contribute most of our soul and body. Meanwhile, the verb "beautify" suggests us a touch of love as well as a touch of art in any action we can do for the goal.Let us explore any field arround us. What could we do with our creativities, activities, hobbies, etc. to make the dream of a better "place" come true?The result is beyond. But we believe, it reveals right now-here.

So, it’s all about love in its actions. Yes, it is!
Love is human. Art is also human. So is beauty. At least, it’s only human being who understands the meanings of them. We live in the world which is so human. Then the story is “all about making the world to be more human”!

What could we do to make this world a better place to live in? I could not make it alone... Big things come from the little ones.We can do simple actions to bear great effects upon our surroundings. So, why not to do a little beauty?

I am an Indonesian-Javanese (I’m sorry to mention it). There’s a Javanese traditional saying about how to run the role of living; it is as a vision and mission of man’s life: “Mamayu hayuning bawana, sepi ing pamrih rame ing gawe, narima ing pandum” – to take part of beautifying the world’s beauty, to go primarily for none of self-intention while working with others pro-actively, and to be grateful to the given role within the universe. It sounds so eastern culture point of view. However, it could be valuable interpretation and contribution to the living of the whole peoples on this planet earth.

How to be more human?

That’s the very question to answer. The real answers are beyond every single word we can say. They are in our actual life in relationship with other beings, our fellows, the nature, and of course The Creator of all beings.

This blog is just another heap of stories about human being. ***

Sincerely yours.
Kandar Ag.

Kandar4TheGoodNews

No looser to be grateful!

2007-09-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

Once I've posted a subject of discussion at myLot.com in a question, "Does an atheist have a word "thanks-giving"?" One of the responses I got gave me an answer, "Sure, why not? I am thankful for a lot of things in my life. I just don't thank a god that I don't believe in. I just thank life in general."
I was surprised by the answer! Even an atheist has that word telling us an attitude of gratitude though there could be more explanation of the phrase "life in general".

Thanks-giving, thankfulness, gratitude, to be grateful ...whatever you say is to say that life is so valuable!

Just say "Thanks!" or "Thank you" or "Thank you God", so you recognize yourself standing before the greatness of someone else! You admit it without being a looser! You show your own great dignity as well as nothing taken from yours. Yes, it's a celebration of your own great dignity as a human being in relationship with others.

Show your beauty with your grateful living. ***

Hi, all Indonesians! Have you read "Mindset Sukses"?

2007-08-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is the printed version of ever launched free e-book "Mindset Sukses, Jalur Cepat Menuju Kebebasan Finansial" by Jennie S. Bev., the author. About her you can read more at her website JennieforIndonesia.com. I am reading the book now. As I know it is very excellent - though I don't finished it yet - I can't help telling you in this blog. You can read the reviews about this book in "GATRA" and "WIRAUSAHA & KEUANGAN" magazines, as reported by Jennie in her blog.

My friend Maxi Anthony told me about the book and how he always receives e-mails from Jennie. He read the book and the e-mails many times to get the points. So enthusiastic he was that I felt teased to read it. Now the book is at my side while I writing this post. And one of displaying browser pages on my PC now is Jennie's site. Maxi told me the site too where he subscribed to Jennie's articles. He told me how brilliant she is. And I want to get the idea of the woman.

It's all about "success". Jennie says in her blog, "Success is not a journey, nor a destination. It is already within you." So, what's the matter with Indonesians about this term? One question occurs in my mind for now is this: "Am I proud of Indonesia and being Indonesian?" I like to quote Jennie's to continue my reading before finishing this post:

Be the best you can, Indonesia, so we all can be proud of you. After all, like Edmund Burke said as quoted by Dinesh D’Souza, “I love my country not only because it is mine, but because it is also lovely.”

Thanks Jennie for the book and your love for all of us Indonesians. We are proud of you! God bless! ***

Fighting Against Global Warming

2007-08-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

For more information click here!

What would you do?

2007-06-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

How do you consider other people? The image of him/her in your mind would help you to give response to that ones. How beautiful you are when you give it from your heart. It's your inner-beauty. So blessed are you!

"Verily I say unto you,

Inasmuch as ye have done it

unto one of the least of these my brethren,

ye have done it unto me. "

- Matthew 25,40 -

Source: youtube.com

Video: by Bluefishtv

Broadcasting Ideas

2007-05-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Why don't you broadcast your ideas?
I use this word "broadcast" just to give impression on the effects of ideas, even a simple one. Once an idea has been launched into public it moves like a wave from a centrum to the edges. And it multiplies itself. Look at the waves created by a little stone plunging into a still water in a pool! The similar event could happen to our broadcasted ideas. They can resonate similar ideas of other people, or stimulate them to the next one.

Communicating with Others

2007-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was longing for an inspirational cartoon about keeping a hope. I went surfing on the internet to find it. I did not find the cartoon yet, as I was entrapped in the site to where an URL had led me. That was how I visited myLot at the first time. There are many good reasons that it has become my favourite site to visit everyday since March 2007.

myLot is a wonderful discussion forum. We can discuss on many subjects of our interests: environment, life, hobbies, technology, movies, the Bible, photography, God, etc. Joining into myLot forum means taking a part in a net-friendship warmly. Sometimes there are so much problems we use to deal with. In this forum we can help our net-friends out from their problems, or we can tell them ours.

Discussion is not the only thing we can do in myLotting. We can also say greetings to myLotters, and upload pictures to make the subjects more expressive.

Actually we are not alone to live in this world. We can enjoy such of world together with anyone from different countries, religions, cultures and backgrounds. To share each other could be a set of keywords to mention the spirit of communications. We can share our ideas, knowledges, experiences, faith, opinions, options, compassions, feelings, joys, hopes ... anything to do with our lives. They are the in-formations from and/or to us that configure and shape our lives (in-formare, Lat., could mean an action of applying or promoting something to our mind). Agreements or disagreements, acceptations or rejections would be the next step after the most important disposition: understanding. This is the art of communicating with others: equalities and differences are still colouring our togetherness while understandings are composing our humanity.

This is our world. Cum-munire (Lat.) means to dwell, to settle together with others. So, communicating (communicare, Lat.) with others is becoming one with them to be what we really are: human.

Happy are those who can communicate his life to others. It is the beauty of our world that have been built by communications between us, nothing else! ***

BEAUTIFY THE WORLD !!!

2007-04-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Do you think "This world was not built to shut out problems!"?
I cite this sentence from "The Sound of Music" film, starring Julie Andrews. The Reverend Mother said that to support Sr. Maria to face her problem, not to run away from it.

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

Climb every mountain,
search high and low...
Follow every byway,
every patch you know...
Climb every mountain,
ford every stream...
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream...
A dream that will need all the love you can give...
Every day of your life for as long as you live...
Climb every mountain,
ford every stream...
Follow every rainbow,
till you find your dream... ***(Lyric from "The Sound of Music")

Yes, we have a dream of a better place. And from every dream we have, we have a marvelous start to make it come true. A big thing comes from a little one. So we can start from any little thing to reveal the big one, like a growing little shoot under our care.

Go beautify our living, beautify the world!

The Power of The Dream
Lyrics: David Foster
Artist: Celine Dion at Atlanta 1996 Olypics Performance

Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination

And since the dawn of man
The strenght of just "I can"
Has brought together people of all nations

There’s nothing ordinary
In the living of each day
There’s a special part every one of us will play

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream

As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You’ll find your fate is all your own creation

Every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream

The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

There’s so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It’s the moment that you think you can’t
You’ll discover that you can

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream

The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream

The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear

No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream

God bless us! ***