The assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar (13 July 100 - 15 March 44 BCE), Roman statesman, general and author, famous for the conquest of Gaul (modern France and Belgium) and his subsequent coup d'état. He changed the Roman republic into a monarchy and a truly Mediterranean empire.

Many Roman senators refused to resign themselves to the new, controlled oligarchy. Many were brave enough to risk their lives and joined the conspiracy led by Gaius Cassius and Decimus and Marcus Junius Brutus. They decided to kill the dictator when the Senate was supposed to meet on 15 March 44 BCE.


On that day, Caesar was ill and he decided to stay at home on the Forum Romanum with his wife Calpurnia, who was discomforted because of some nightmares. Brutus' brother Decimus, however, convinced Caesar 'not to disappoint the waiting senators'. On his way to Pompey's theater, where the Senate convened, Caesar was given a note telling him about the plot but he didn't read it at that time, instead, to read them after the meeting.

This segment tell us what is the situation during Caesar assassination;
As he sat down on his raised cushion and had received the senators who had gathered about him to pay their respects, a senator named Lucius Tillius Cimber came forward to make a request. He told Caesar that his brother was in jail and when the dictator started to reply that clemency was his usual policy, Tillius unexpectedly caught Caesar's toga. 'Be careful, there's no need to use force!', Caesar grumbled and ordered his guard to take away the man. However, before the guard could interfere, another senator, Publius Servilius Casca Longus, stabbed the dictator just below the throat. Then his victim understood what was happening, and he caught Casca's arm and run through it with the only weapon he could find, his pen. As Caesar tried to leap on his feet, he was kicked and stopped by another wound. He saw that he was surrounded by men with daggers and knew that he would not survive. He wrapped his head in his robe and covered the lower part of his body with a part of his toga, and was stabbed with twenty three wounds, not uttering a word.

It was hours after his death before three common slaves put his corpse on a litter and carried him to his home on the Forum Romanum.

The mastermind behind the plot;

1. Gaius Cassius;
1. a Roman Senator, a leader of the plot to kill Julius Caesar and the brother in-law of Brutus.
2. Decimus Junius Brutus
1. best known for introducing gladiatorial games to Rome in 264 BC
3. Marcus Junius Brutus
1. Vettius declared that Brutus and several other men were part of a complot to kill Pompey. Gaius Julius Caesar, an ally of Pompey, did his best to get rid of the accusations. because he had an affair with Brutus' mother, and he did not want to bring the young man into troubles.
2. Brutus had shown that he had, 'the courage of a man and the brains of child'. He had acted out of idealism.
4. 60 others senates

Analogy: -metaphor
              - simile
              - parable/ allegory
              - satire/ parody

Analogy
~ is a tool of thinking that uses stories, situations, or objects to help us visualize a particular experience or                                         concept.
Metaphor
~ use to describe a subject as exactly the same to the object by drawing the parallel in the properties between the subject and the object.
Simile
~figure of speech that draws similarity between two different things but otherwise not the same between one another.

Irony/ inconsistency
~ inconsistency between what might be expected to happen and what actually happens especially when this differences seems absurd or laughable
example of Irony:
  * the biggest cat in the world is named Tiny
  * what I do know is the amount of things that I do not know.

Paradox:
~ a statement or situation that is true but seems to defy logic or intuition

Differences between Irony and Paradox

Irony:
  ~ in irony the truth about both contradicting situations are debatable. We could never be sure which one is true and which one is wrong

Paradox:
   ~ In paradox, the truth is stated directly. In both contradicting situations one is true while the other is false.
   e.g: this sentence is grammatically error.

Parable:
   ~ the symbolic expression of a deeper meaning through a story or scene acted out by human, animal or mythical characters.
   e.g: batu belah batu bertangkup, cinderella, arnab dan kura-kura, etc. This story have their own moral values behind the story.

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning

Induction and deduction are pervasive elements in critical thinking. Induction is usually described as moving from the specific to the general, while deduction begins with the general and ends with the specific. These two methods of reasoning have a very different "feel" to them when you're conducting research. Inductive reasoning, by its very nature, is more open-ended and exploratory, especially at the beginning. Deductive reasoning is more narrow in nature and is concerned with testing or confirming hypotheses. Even though a particular study may look like it's purely deductive, most social research involves both inductive and deductive reasoning processes at some time in the project. In fact, we could combine the two styles of thinking into a single circular one that continually cycles from theories down to observations and back up again to theories.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING

Deductive reasoning arrives at a specific conclusion based on generalizations.

Deductive reasoning typically moves from general truths to specific conclusions. It opens with an expansive explanation and continues with predictions for specific observations supporting it. Deductive reasoning is narrow in nature and is concerned with testing or confirming a hypothesis. It is dependent on its premises. For example, a false premise can lead to a false result, and inconclusive premises will also yield an inconclusive conclusion. Deductive reasoning leads to a confirmation (or not) of our original theories. It guarantees the correctness of a conclusion. Logic is the authority in the deductive method. 

"If-then-but-therefore" deductive reasoning is how deductive thinkers can test alternate hypotheses. Making deductions is important when we cannot directly observe a cause, and can only observe its consequences.

Examples of Deductive Reasoning

The major premise;

Most of Malaysians transformed to a monster behind a vehicle steering wheels. 

The minor premise; 

I am a Malaysian too

The conclusion;

Since Most of Malaysians "transformed to a monster" behind a vehicle steering wheels and the fact that I am a Malaysian too, therefore, I Should "transform to a monster" and drive recklessly too. If you can't beat them, join them.

INDUCTIVE REASONING

Inductive reasoning takes events and makes generalizations

Inductive reasoning is essentially the opposite of deductive reasoning. It involves trying to create general principles by starting with many specific instances.

Inductive reasoning moves from specific details and observations to the more general underlying principles or process that explains them. It is open-ended and exploratory, especially at the beginning. The premises of an inductive argument are believed to support the conclusion, but do not ensure it. Thus, the conclusion of an induction is regarded as a hypothesis. In the Inductive method, also called the scientific method, observation of nature is the authority.

Examples of Inductive Reasoning

The major premise;

Everyone will die, eventually.

The minor premise;

God make decision who should live and who shouldn't.

I am one of  God's many servants

The conclusion (argument);So, why should I drive carefully? I might drive carefully but the others? Furthermore, it really doesn't matter if I drive carefully or not since my fate and the other drivers are decided, upon a long time ago. "Alaa.. on drive slow also can die one, Better drive fast fast maa. Accident - accident lah."

Men And Women Are Merely Players

 Men And Women Are Merely Players

Robert Greene has written an interesting expository article on how people are being dishonest in obtaining power entitled ‘Men and Women are Merely Players’. According to him, we human beings are merely puppets. We are given different roles and we play them thinking that this is our decision. We think that we are independent, but the truth is we are acting according to scripted roles. However, if we are contented with the roles, we are going to be manipulated by the mastermind, who will always be looking for the chance to spread his wings in order to fulfill what he wants especially the power of life.

a)    All humankind is lying regarding to get hold of power. Usually, they are being dishonest because of the wants to persuade and influence public to believe in them, in order to achieve their common goals.

b)    All humankinds play their own roles as the greatest actor in order to fulfill their own need without anyone realizing it as long as they can satisfy their own desire and get their targeted point.

c)    The author warn us not to be fooled by people who really good in acting because we can’t predict their action. They have their own agenda which is will make them look good without having to think whether it will harm others or not.

d)    Certain people who are not taking any roles or the naïve one have to be aware with the “players” as this category of people are usually easy to become the victims in this field.

e)    Don’t judge a book by its cover as people are not easily show the real them. They would rather use a good camouflage and hide the real them in order to get their target and satisfy themselves.

The real identity of Jack The Ripper

My first thought was, "What? It happened in 1888, how in the world can I deduced the real identity of that physcopath serial killer? With so many theories written on the net.". Guess I had to put on my detective hat on. That is, if I had any. 

Lets kick off my investigation. It happened in 1888, in a place called Whitechapel, London. The first murder was around 3.40am on August 31st 1888, a body of a woman was discovered by Charles Cross, her throat had been cut so savagely that her head had almost been severed from her body. The woman was Mary Ann Nicholls, a forty - three - year - old prostitute had been disembowelled. This marks the begining of Jack The Ripper reign of terror.

The second victim, Annie Chapman (sometimes known as "Dark Annie"), mutilated body was discovered by John Davis, a market porter at 5.30am on 8th September 1888. A deep cut had slashed across her throat; her intestines had been tugged out and laid across her shoulder. Missing from the body were the uterus and part of the bladder. The contents of her pocket were found lying in a neat pile near to the body. The brass rings that she had been wearing at the time of her murder, had evidently been torn from her fingers and were never discovered. And, just a few feet away from the body, there lay a folded and wet leather apron. After the second murder, the intensification of police activity causing crime rate to drop. Even there were newspaper reports that "a dreadful quiet has descended onto the East End of London" but boy oh boy how the so called "beast of Whitechapel" proved how wrong are they

The third victim, Elizabeth Stride (sometimes known as “Long Liz Stride”), was found at around 1am on 30th September 1888 by hawker Louis Diemshutz or rather, his pony did. While walking back after hawking cheap jewellery, his pony suddenly reared in alarm. While investigating the cause of his pony to be distressed, he found a body of a woman and alerted the police. But the fact there were no mutilations to the body led the police to conclude that the murderer had been interrupted as he went about his bloody business. Is it possible that, as he stooped over his victim, the cart entering the yard had disturbed him, causing him to move back quickly into the shadows? Perhaps it was this sudden movement that had startled the pony?

The fourth victim, Catharine Eddowes, who had just being released from Bishopgate police station. The body, found by PC Watkins, had been ripped open, like a pig in the market.” If the killer had been denied his satisfaction of mutilating the body of Elizabeth Stride, his appetite had been more than sated on the unfortunate Catherine Eddowes. Her body lay on its back, head turned toward the left shoulder. The throat had been cut back to the spine; the lobe of the right ear was cut through; a V had been cut into her cheeks and eyelids; the tip of the nose was detached; her abdomen had been laid open; the intestines tugged out and laid over her shoulder, while missing from the body were the uterus and left kidney.

The final victim, twenty five year old Mary Kelly, who was murdered in her rented room on November, 1888 by Thomas Bowyer. She lay upon her bed, her head turned to the left. The whole of the surfaces of the abdomen and thighs had been removed and the abdominal cavity emptied. The breasts had been cut off, the arms mutilated by several jagged wounds and the face hacked beyond recognition. The uterus and the kidneys, together with one breast, were found beneath her head. The other breast lay by her right foot. The liver had been placed between her legs, and the spleen by the
left side of the body.

The Ripper’s reign of terror would end as suddenly and mysteriously as it had begun. As he left the bloody scene in that tiny room that morning, the Whitechapel Murderer may have performed his swansong, but the legend of Jack the Ripper was only just beginning.

Kelly is generally considered to be the Ripper's final victim, and it is assumed that the crimes ended because of the culprit's death, imprisonment, institutionalisation, or emigration. The Whitechapel murders file does, however, detail another four murders that happened after the canonical five: those of Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, the Pinchin Street torso and Frances Coles.

From what we have read, I can safely say that the murderer is;

1. very skillful with knife,
2. had some knowledge about the anatomy of animal or human,
3. hated women, for whatever reason,  especially prostitutes ,
4. psychopath.

Lets study the information gathered;

1. Prior to killing his second victim, the other prostitutes had nicknamed the killer as "Leather Apron" and whom, they were claiming had been making violent threats toward them, including that he was going to “rip them up”.
2. An eye witness, Joseph Lawende together with his other 2 friends, gave the police a detailed description of this mystery man and maintain that the woman whom he saw was definitely Catharine Eddowes.
3. "The beast of Whitechapel" also left behind a tantalizing clue, PC Alfred Long discovered a section of Catherine Eddowes apron. There were bloody finger marks on it and it was evident that the blade of a bloodied knife had been wiped clean upon it. This clue, tells us exactly where the murderer was heading, and confirms the theory that he was an East - Ender living in the area. Instead of escaping to the relative safety that he might find West of the district, went straight into the area where the activity was directed toward his apprehension. He could have only escaped if, as he went through the neighbourhood, he fitted in. In other words he was not thought suspicious, or out of place, by those who may have seen him.
4. The doorway where the clue was found also contained a much more famous and, subsequently promoted, none clue. For, scrawled in chalk on the wall above the apron, was the message “The Juwes are the men That Will be blamed for nothing” (although several observers remembered slightly different wording to the Graffito). Sadly, Sir Charles Warren, the metropolitan police commissioner, fearful of a resurgence of the anti - Semitism that had swept the neighbourhood in the wake of the “Leather Apron” scare, ordered that the message be rubbed out, and it was duly erased at 5.30am before a photograph could be taken of it.

There are countless other suspects but these 5 caught my intension.

Joseph Barnett

Only associated with Mary Kelly.

James Kelly

He was a diagnosed Paranoid Schizophrenic. He had shown himself capable of murder with a knife. His reasons for murdering his wife were his belief that she was a prostitute and had infected him with VD. Having been disavowed of this idea in Broadmoor he would almost certainly have realised that the real source of his infection was the prostitutes of Whitechapel and Spitalfields with whom he had consorted. He may well have resolved to take his revenge on them for destroying his life.

Jill The Ripper

Plausibble but not entirely proven or convincing.
Jacob Levy

Could, one of the eye witness, the butcher Joseph Levy have in fact recognized his neighbour the butcher Jacob Levy as the man he had seen in the company of a woman who he may have presumed to be a prostitute?

James Maybrick

His name only alighted after his diary was found and made public but the authenticity of his diary is yet to be proven.

My pick will be, James Kelly.

He is well verse with knife because he work as an upholsterer, hatred towards prostitutes due to the VD that he infected with which he thought is from his wife. Because of he think that his wife is a prostitute, he killed her by stabbing in the neck. By looking to all his victims which is all of them are prostitutes, that's already give me a good evidence that he is Jack the Ripper. Besides that, this also can be prove when he write a journal that reveal of his strong disapproval of the immorality of prostitutes. Other than that,  the timeline of his disappearance after escaped from Broadmoor Asylum where he copy and make the key by himself, it does suit the timeline of the murders.


Well, I think James Kelly is Jack the Ripper, but different to my dad. He don't think that James Kelly is Jack the Ripper because of his own reasons that.......

Jack the ripper cannot be James Kelly due to the fact that he is well known by the inhibitants at Whitechapel. He killed his wife doesn't he? Jack The Ripper leaves a clue after his 3rd murder which pointed that he or she went back to East-end instead of to the relative safety of West-end. This shows that whoever the killer is someone who is a low profiler, well known, distinguish. By saying so, most probably Jack The Ripper is actually Jill The Ripper..... ( this is my dad's points..well, he always have his own points which is always contrast with my points )


How about you people??
Who is the real Jack the Ripper??? Emmmmm...... 

Male plastic surgery

And who says that only women are fussy with their looks? Welcome to the new era of human kind. Nowadays, male plastic surgery procedures are gaining in popularity and social acceptance as never before. Statistics show that male cosmetic surgery procedures have increased by as much as 10% per year over the last decade. Below are the top procedures preferred by men up to 2010.

1. Calf augmentation with implants or fat
2. Chin augmentation with implants or fat
3. Ear surgery (otoplasty)
4. Cheek implants with silicone implants or fat
5. Laser hair removal
6. Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping)
7. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
8. Buttock implants using silicone implants or fat
9. Dermabrasion
10. Liposuction
11. Forehead lift
12. Facelift
13. Male breast reduction for gynecomastia

A growing number of male baby boomers age 40 to 58 are turning to plastic surgery to keep themselves looking younger. Doctors say America's youth-oriented culture is behind the trend, but so is men's increasing comfort with admitting they care about their looks - as evidenced by the popularity of shows like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

While women still account for most cosmetic procedures but men are making up more of the total. This most probably because of the stigma of plastic surgery has largely faded, and that has encouraged more men and women to consider the investment to improve their appearance.

There are two primary reasons men visit a plastic surgeon. They want to look younger to remain competitive in the work force. And those who are divorced and dating again want to project an image of vitality to lure potential mates.

Doctors said women tend to start visiting plastic surgeons in their late 30s and early 40s to freshen their look with youth enhancers like Botox shots. Men typically pay their first visit in their mid-40s. "Women spend more money on their looks when they are younger, "said Sinha "Men spend on money on other stuff when they are younger" - including cars and high-tech items.


Liposuction tops the list of most popular procedures for both men and women, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Men tend to rid themselves of love handles and sagging abdomens, doctors said, while women reduce flabby thighs and hips.


Explaination to some of the procedures preferred by men:

Liposuction For Men 
Usually when you hear about liposuction you think about women sculpturing their bodies to refine their appearance and restore their self-esteem. But men are now realizing the benefits of liposuction for restoring their appearance, look younger, and have an edge on competition in the business world.
Double eyelid surgery / Asian eyelid surgery  
Asian eyelid surgery, also referred to as blepharoplasty, is a procedure that is widespread for men and women of Asian origin. Particularly common in China and Korea, the procedure involves minor surgery to create a permanent crease in the eyelid. This has the effect of pulling the upper eyelid higher so that the eyes are …

Male Nose Jobs 
Generally, there are two reasons that men have a nose job performed. Nose jobs are known in the world of plastic surgery as “Rhinoplasty.” The most common reason for a male nose job is the existence of some kind of structural problem with the nose that is affecting breathing.

Male breast reduction surgery for Gynocomastia 
Male breast reduction surgery is an outpatient plastic surgery procedure that is intended to remove a condition called “Gynecomastia”. Gynecomastia is defined as the presence of excess breast tissue in men.

Source can be found at here and here

The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew

The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew

This excerpt is written to show the other side, the dark side of Steve Jobs, which public might not know except for others who ever cross path with him. He, together with his colleagues / friends revolutionized personal computer, invented a lot of cool gadgets. Yet, in pursuit of his dreams, he dismissed the importance of having a good rapport with his friends, colleagues and most importantly, his family, be it with his legal wife or his girlfriend who borne his daughter out of wed lock.

a. Steve jobs is The who’s who in the computer inventing world but unknown to outsiders, has an abrasive personality who will stop at nothing to get the job done. In his way, of cause.

b. He loves to talk about death

c. Although he invented a lot of great gadgets, the greatest invention of all is, “himself”.

d. He treated everybody badly as his co-founded company ascended even to his own daughter.

e. He doesn’t believe in the phrase that customer is always right. He believes that customer should accept what is thrown at them, especially by him.

N'gol

She was running away from her husband, Tamale (it is sometimes claimed that the woman was upset that her husband was too vigorous regarding his sexual wants). With her husband hot on her tail, she climbed a tree. Her husband begged her to come down but she is adament to not to return to her husband. Finally the husband lost his patient and begins to climb the tree. Realizing that she got no other way to escape, she tied a tree vien to her feet and jumped off the tree. Seeing this, her husband jumped off too, not realizing his wife had tied her feet to a vien. He plummeted to his death while the wife survived the fall.

Since then, people at Vanuatu at Pentecost Island had been "land diving" or "N'gol/Nagol" off a makeshift tower, with viens tied to their feet of cause, to tell the women that they won't be tricked again and plummeted to their death.

While young men performed the land diving to show impressed certain girl in the crowd. (Oh, and only circumcised men jump from these towers).Most believed that the ritual is also to appeased the god of fertility. The locals execute the ceremony to ensure a good crop of yams, their stable food. As the vines stretch, the land diver's heads curl under and their shoulders touch the ground, making it fertile for the following year's yam harvest. Every year, as soon as the first yam crop begins to show its green tips in early April, islanders begin building at least one huge wooden tower in each village, often as high as 100 feet.

Although it might look dangerous, up to 2006, there is only one recorded death, the incident happened when the locals were persuaded to perform the "off season" jump infront of Queen Elizabeth. The viens tied to the jumper's feet snapped and he succumbed to the injury sustained.

But, if you think the jump is horrifying, you are dead wrong. The jumper's body MUST touch the gound. This will ensure the good harvest of yam.

This ritual is so popular that 'white man' copy it and introduced the bungee jump.



"To take a young woman and run away" ~ Ala kachuu

A very strange tradition from a land far far away from ours.

Ala kachuu (Kyrgyz ала качуу) is a form of bride kidnapping still practised in Kyrgyzstan. The term can apply to a variety of actions, ranging from a consensual elopement to a non-consensual kidnapping and to what extent it actually happens is controversial. Some sources suggest that currently at least a third of Kyrgyzstan's brides are taken against their will.
"Kyz ala kachuu" (кыз ала качуу) means "to take a young woman and run away". The typical non-consensual variety involves the young man abducting a woman either by force or by guile, often accompanied by friends or male relatives. They take her to his family home, where she is kept in a room until the man's female relatives convince her to put on the scarf of a married woman as a sign of acceptance. Sometimes, if the woman resists the persuasion and maintains her wish to return home, her relatives try to convince her to agree to the marriage.

The bride kidnapping process sometimes includes rape. Even when sex does not take place, once a woman has been kept overnight, even for a single night, her virginity is put in doubt. With her honor disgraced, she will have very few other options for marriage. Thus, after one night of capture, the woman is culturally compelled to marry the man. Such immense social stigma is attached to a refusal to marry after a kidnap that the kidnapped woman usually feels that she has no choice but to agree, and some of those who refuse even commit suicide after the kidnapping.
Source for кыз ала качуу

Now, Kyrgyz is a predominant muslim country. How could this still being practiced?

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah , through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.

Surah an-Nisa' 4:1 states that men and women are created from a single soul (nafs wahidah). One person does not come before the other, one is not superior to the other, and one is not the derivative of the other. A woman is not created for the purpose of a man. Rather, they are both created for the mutual benefit of each other.

It is clearly stated that men and women are equal in Islam. By kidnapping a young girl, forcing her to marry a man who she didn't even know is qruel. This clearly goes against the teaching of Islam. Lets say, her bride kidnapper is a low life, good for nothing man. What do you think would happened to the girl? Although the girl can refused the strange marriage but after being held at the man's house, the perception of surrounding community will cause the girl to be in difficult situation. To accept the strange proposal and live with him or be defiant and reject the proposal and be portray as a girl who lose her virginity outside the wedding lock? In a land where superstituos overruled the logical thinking, its a situation where most girls will want to avoid because at times, the bride kidnapping involved raping of kidnapped girls.

But then again, who am I to judge what other countries or races tradition.....


Points to ponder, for men out there....

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala berfirman:

فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ

“Kemudian jika kalian khawatir tidak dapat berlaku adil maka nikahilah seorang wanita saja atau budak-budak perempuan yang kalian miliki.” (An-Nisa`: 3)

Yang dimaksud dengan adil di sini adalah dalam perkara lahiriah seperti adil dalam pemberian nafkah, tempat tinggal, dan giliran. Adapun dalam perkara batin seperti rasa cinta dan kecenderungan hati tidaklah dituntut untuk adil, karena hal ini di luar kesanggupan seorang hamba. Dalam Al-Qur`anul Karim dinyatakan:

وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلاَ تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ

“Dan kalian sekali-kali tidak akan dapat berlaku adil di antara istri-istri kalian, walaupun kalian sangat ingin berbuat demikian. Karena itu janganlah kalian terlalu cenderung kepada istri yang kalian cintai sehingga kalian biarkan yang lain telantar.” (An-Nisa`: 129)

Al-Hafizh Ibnu Katsir rahimahullah mengatakan ketika menafsirkan ayat di atas, “Maksudnya, kalian wahai manusia, tidak akan mampu berlaku sama di antara istri-istri kalian dari segala sisi. Karena walaupun bisa terjadi pembagian giliran malam per malam, namun mesti ada perbedaan dalam hal cinta, syahwat, dan jima’. Sebagaimana hal ini dikatakan oleh Ibnu ‘Abbas radhiyallahu ‘anhuma, ‘Abidah As-Salmani, Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Bashri, dan Adh-Dhahhak bin Muzahim rahimahumullah.”

Hijra - The third sex

Alright, this got me confused, at first I thought Hijra means, "migrating" but to my surprise, it means transgender or men with women soul, literally, in Urdu. Some Hijras undergo an initiation rite into the Hijra community called Nirwaan, which refers to the removal of penis, testicles and scrotum.

In South Asia, especially in India, where Hijra have a recorded history of more than 4,000 years, ancient myths bestow them with special powers to bring luck and fertility. The power to do so comes to them through Bahuchara Mata who is a version of the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess plays the role of the mother, who is the creator and nurturer, as well as the destroyer. Hence, she has the power to grant fertility or take it away.

Yet despite this supposedly sanctioned place in Indian culture, Hijra face severe harassment and discrimination from every direction. The uphill struggle for the Hijra first begins with finding acceptance within the family. Most families will denounced their sons when they find out about it. Once the truth is out, hijras are usually forced to leave the family home.

Many hijras live in well-defined, organized, all-Hijra communities, led by a guru. These communities have sustained themselves over generations by "adopting" young boys who are rejected by, or flee their family of origin. Yet the society they must take refuge in is equally as unwelcoming. Hijras have few rights and are not recognized by Indian law. This denies them the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry and the right to claim formal identity through any official documents such as a passport or driving license. Accessing healthcare, employment or education becomes almost impossible. In the face of such odds they are forced to earn money any way they can and for many hijras the method of making ends meet is prostitution.

It doesn't sound right, right? A human being treated this way just because they are different from the normal us. Being abused and harassed by local authorities and gangs. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, since 2006, hijras in the state of Bihar have been employed by the government as tax collectors, singing loudly about the debt outside the defaulter's premises until they are shamed into paying up − one of the most effective tax recovery methods ever used in India.

Also, thanks to a large number of internationally funded support groups that are gaining considerable momentum in many big Indian cities, hijras, as well as other sexuality minority groups, are slowly starting to get a better deal. For instance, Bangalore support group “Sangama,” is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation and the Fund for Global Human Rights among others have been instrumental in establishing community networks with monthly meetings and safe spaces such as drop-in centers for all sexuality minority groups.

Oh, if you are planning to wed in India and in need of some luck on your wedding day you could do no better than seek the blessing of one of the country’s estimated 200,000 male to female transsexuals or "hijras".

Thinking Folly

Eckhart Tolle is a Canadian spiritual teacher, who is not aligned with any religion or spiritual beliefs and tradition, born in Germany in 1948 under the name of Ulrich Tolle had written a very exciting explanation article entitled Thinking Folly that discussed on the relationship between thinking and people.

Now, for those whose English is not their mother tongue, including me, might be wondering. What the heck is folly? Folly, according to several online dictionary sites,

• [mass noun] lack of good sense; foolishness: an act of sheer folly
• [count noun] a foolish act, idea, or practice: the follies of youth
• A lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight.
• An act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth.
• A costly undertaking having an absurd or ruinous outcome.

Hmm... doesn't makes any sense does it? Thinking foolishly? Nah, can't be. After sometimes it finally hits me, I've been trying to find the meaning of the title by directly translating it word by word. Its foolish practice, lack of good sense of how I do my thinking. Got it?

Thinking excessively is making an individual to become obsessed with it until forgetting the essential in life. However, an individual cannot steer clear from thinking, even if they tried so hard. It is in human’s blood to think about the consequences of what they did now, to the future. Thinking too much can also creates an invisible barrier that inhibits a person from making the right decision. Furthermore, he also said that thinking has been exploiting and manipulating human’s mind even though people generally think that they are the one in power over their own mind and thoughts

He stressed that what is needed in life is to be creative, and thinking is not needed to be creative because and thinking is stopping and blocking someone from generating new and fresh ideas in producing the greatest works. Even renowned individuals create their own masterpieces when they stop thinking. The inspirations for great artworks only come when the mind is at ease. Eckhart Tolle also proposed that all the miracles that happened in life is not because of thinking, but because of an entity in greater power (and I thought he is not aligned to any religion), and life will only become real and meaningful when an individual do not take their thoughts seriously.

Beyond Thinking
 Something I found along the way;

Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life. And don't be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Logical or Random? Rational or Holistic? Find out which side of brain dominated your way of thinking

Introduction:

What is left brain hemisphere and right brain hemisphere?

"A longitudinal fissure separates the human brain into two distinct cerebral hemispheres, connected by the corpus callosum. The sides resemble each other and each hemisphere's structure is generally mirrored by the other side. Yet despite the strong anatomical similarities, the functions of each cortical hemisphere are managed differently. For example, the lateral sulcus generally is longer in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere."(From Lateralization of brain at Wikipedia)

What does it mean to be left brain dominant or right brain dominant?

Scientists have explored theories about the two hemispheres of the brain and the ways that they differ in function and control of the body. According to recent research, people who are right brain dominant and those who are left brain dominant process information and respond in different ways. By understanding your dominant brain type, you may be able to adjust your study methods, and perhaps shape your schedule and coursework, to suit your own personality type.

Before we proceed deeper into this subject, of cause we first need to know which side of our brain is more dominance. 

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Which side of your brain is dominating your way of thinking or doing things?

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Unsure which side of brain hemisphere dominant are you? Why don't you click any of the link below?

Take the test if you dare

or

Left brain? Right brain? Unsure? try me!!!

Warning!! Warning!! 

Don't simply let the test change the way you think. Read and understand first before you follow the advises given. 

We, as human being are unique. You are unique! What stated in the results might not be applicable to you. 

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So, after taking the test above, which side of brain is more dominant for you? A simple table below will basically what are the strong points for left or right brain student.

Left brain students

• You probably work with a To-Do list
• You like to be the critic in class
• You're good at math or science
• You are rational and logical
• Your research is precise and well-documented
• You set goals for yourself
• You can interpret information well
• Your room is orderly
• You can answer questions spontaneously
• You follow directions and you do read directions (unlike some people)
• You aren't touchy-feely
• You can listen to a long lecture without falling asleep in the class
• You don’t let feelings get in your way
• You like action movies
• You read sitting up
• Your words are precise

Your Classes

• In history class, you are able to remember dates and processes.
• In math class, you enjoy going through a long calculation.
• You like the order of science.
• In English class, you have a good understanding of grammar and sentence structure.

Advice for Left Brain Students

• Study in a quiet room
• You can do math but get impatient trying to explain it to someone who struggles—so don’t volunteer to be a tutor unless you know you have the patience
• You like to lead in a study group, so go ahead and volunteer
• Join a debate team or academic competition
• Try to excel at the science fair. You can be a winner
• Take advantage of your skills in math and science
• Choose non-fiction reading
• You prefer factual questions and assignments, as opposed to open-ended questions
• You can organize your notes well, so you should Keep your room organized
• Don’t argue with the teacher too much
• Choose to do analytical essays
• Work alone when you have a choice. You get frustrated with others who “clown around”
• Avoid “free thinking” teachers if they confuse you
• Take more risks. Don’t be afraid to be creative

Right brain students

• You take notes but lose them. You may have a hard time keeping track of your research
• You might have a hard time making up your mind
• You are good with people
• You don't fall for practical jokes as easily as some
• You seem dreamy, but you're really deep in thought
• People may have told you you're psychic
• You like to write fiction, draw, or play music
• You might be athletic
• You like mystery stories
• You take time to ponder and you think there are two sides to every story
• You may lose track of time
• You are spontaneous
• You’re fun and witty
• You may find it hard to follow verbal directions
• You are unpredictable
• You get lost
• You are emotional
• You don't like reading directions
• You may listen to music while studying
• You read lying down
• You may be interested in “the unexplained”
• You are philosophical

Your Classes

• In history class, you enjoy the social aspects most. You like to explore the effects of things that happened in history. You like the essays, too.
• You can do well in math class if you apply yourself, but you get bored doing long problems.
• Science? Boring.
• You do well in English class, especially when it comes to reading literature and writing essays about books. You also do well in creative writing assignments.

Advice for Right Brain Students

• Choose to do personal essays
• Watch your daydreaming—keep it under control
• Let your imagination work for you in the arts
• Let your intuition work for you in social situations
• Let your deep thinking work for you during essay tests—but don’t ponder too long
• Be creative with essays. You can use colorful language well
• Use images and charts when you study
• Write down directions
• Try to be more organized!
• Don’t be overly suspicious of others
• Make outlines to organize your thoughts.
• Choose fiction in reading assignments
• Try to avoid teachers who lecture a lot; choose teachers who use activities
• You tell stories well, so write some!
• Put information into categories for better understanding
• Avoid getting bogged down by thinking of all possibilities when answering questions
• Finish things! You have so much talent, but you don’t always complete things.

What about people who are right in the middle? Me included. Everyone is different, and everyone has characteristics from both types. Some people are very equal when it comes to characteristics. Students who are middle brain oriented can have strong qualities from either hemisphere. Those students can benefit from logic from the left and intuition from the right. That sounds like a great recipe for success in business, doesn't it?

homeworktips.about.com

All the cool kids are quitting Facebook by Jenna Wortham

Hah? Another excerpt?! And this time its from a technology reporter named Jenna Wortham of New York Times. In this report, she wrote about popular social website, Facebook who seems to be losing its momentum in generating revenue in 2011 after a boosting 56% grew from 2009 to 2010.


This report is mentioning bout people who finally decided to quit Facebook after finding out that they spent too much time updating their status and pictures or merely looking at others posts on their wall or pictures which cut them off from the real world.


I believe it depends on individual. Myself, for example, I've registered to Facebook since, I can't remember when. As a student, we are using Facebook as a mean of communication to communicate with our classmates for any assignment given which have to be done in group. Calling each and every member of the group ever so often will surely cost us a lot. Not trying to be stingy but the money saved can be used on other more important things.


Furthermore, in certain cases. A written statement or conversation is much, much better compare to doing it over the phone. People changed their words to suit the situation they are in, I've learnt it the hard way. So for me, I'd prefer to have a something in black and white when it comes to important matters.


A little bit of advice, know what are the dos and don'ts. I'm not having any problem so far when it comes to segregating between real world and cyber world. I still call or meet the ones that are dear to me and from time to time updates my status in Facebook or simply chat with friends.

The Jews and their Deceits

I was given an article about Jews by my lecturer. It's an excerpt from a book by Adolf Hitler, titled Mein Kampf (My struggle or My battle). My first thought was, Jews? This should be easy, all the inputs I've been receiving all these while telling me that, they are bad for your health, so to say. Until someone (no name will be mentioned tho.. haha) knocked me oh my head and say "Stop generalizing. Not all Jews are bad (is it?) and not all Christians or Muslims are holy too. Do you know that, for thousands of years, Arabs and Jews used to live in peace?" Err, okay, so what makes the Fuhrer hates Jews so much?


After reading it countless of times, hopping from one website to another. Trying to grasp the events that happened hundreds of years ago, 520 years ago, to be precise and forcing myself to kick out all the negative things that been taught and written about Jews. Without doing that, I can say, it will be easy for me to just put myself into the Fuhrer shoes and nods my head, agreeing to what is written in the excerpt or book as whole. Now, that wouldn't be right, right? And that someone might come and give me another knock on my head.


The excerpt started with an event that took place in 1492, the year Christopher Columbus set to sail out and discover the world. Heck, that was a very, very, very long time ago. An unlucky bunch of people, Muslims and Jews alike, being kicked out from their homes or killed. Some of the Jews were forced to accept Christianity just so that they can continue living while still retaining and practicing their beliefs and religion secretively.


If we put aside our already implanted hatred and see it from a natural point of view, isn't that what we know today as survival skill? Instead of sulking at any corner of the world after being expelled and became a forgotten race. They took the opportunity given and manipulated the leniency shown to their advantage.


Heck, who wouldn't? Being the race in the history of mankind with the highest rate of being expelled from countries where they reside. Averaging of nearly one expulsion in every twenty-one years from between the years 250 CE and 1948 CE. From the First Crusade in 1096, up til now, Antisemitism is still around. They got to do what they got to do in order to not to let history repeats itself.


By gaining wealth and power, they have the bargaining tools to ensure it won't happened, ever again. Human being has always been attracted to power, not only Jews but Muslims, Christians and others alike. But unlike others, Jews managed to came up with a plan that is still relevant until today. Have to give them credits for that.


So, why is it so wrong to others? Jealousy? of what? Historians had six explanations to why others hate Jews.

• Economics: 
• Kinda reminds me of George Soros, rich and powerful but history shows that most of them are not rich during the above mentioned period.

• Chosen people: 
• They used to claim or maybe still claiming they are, so are Muslims, Christians and other religions. Why only Jews are hated?

• Scapegoat:
• The scapegoat Theory does not then cause anti-semitism. Rather. anti-semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient scapegoat target.

• Deicide:
• They are accused of killing Jesus then vindicated by the second Vatican Council in 1963.

• Outsiders:
• When they live their life in isolation, people around them became suspicious. When they try to live within the society, people rejected them.

• Racial theory:
• Contradictory issues regarding this, while America recognized Jews as a race. Some scholars mentioned that Jews is not a race as anyone can be a Jew regardless of their previous background.

There are a lot of reports and papers written about this issue, googling around will gives you a lot of info. But for the time being, I would say, all these while, Jews been doing what they think is best for their survival. Unless of course, I found something else if I ever cracked my head by reading and understanding The Talmud, The Bible and the other holy books out there. 

But, the question remains, why were they expelled in the first place? Is it because they managed to do what others can't? Or maybe is it because of whats being said in holy books? Hmm... that would require me to dig deeper into their history. Intriguing....


Or maybe I should start just by simply listening to the song titled River Of Babylon. Care to join me? ;)

Edit:
Suddenly remember a song mentioned by Mr. Mark... Dedicated to you sir!!