Gambling, Betting?

Gambling is a big ‘No-No’ in Indonesia. Categories of gambling: football bets, toto/ lotto, casino etc.

The reason: gambling will damage Indonesian morale further, and is forbid in Islamic teaching.
Is that so?
Malaysia is one of Islamic Country has Genting High Land, a paradise for gambler and an entertaining weekend passage for families with fantastic theme parks and up scale hotels, Singapore, rule stricken country, soon to be will have Casinos on Sentosa Island and Marina Bays and so many Cruises which also as on board Casino are eying potential customer from Indonesia. Monaco, Macau, Las Vegas are some examples of up scale gambling cities which their main economic structure are from casinos, so well managed, and the morale of their people are fine.
So what’s the fuss?
Even the authorities has banned all kinds of gambling in Indonesia, still the rich ones will spend their dimes on another countries and on cruises, so, who is losing here?

Since 2004/2005 after gambling was banned, Bantam, used to be one of the very prospective free-trading provinces in Indonesia, the economic has hit the bottom. From previous surveyed with local people, almost 80% of the economic has been doldrums. Hotels, apartments, real estates, restaurants were hit by the effect. Unemployment has increasing drastically. Local economic structures are spiraling downward.

Let’s be frank and a bit open minded here:
Casino can liven up infrastructure surrounding them; which employs lot of local people, from executive managerial jobs to cleaning services or office boys. Uncountable hawkers stall will grow on the streets around them, including ojek, bajaj, taxis and even hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars etc. Of cause there’ll be some negative impact such as growing prostitution, drugs dealer etc but as Chinese Wisdom Saying: To keep in harmony, just balancing Ying and Yang, So, with the right management, it all can be settle. Totally banned is absolutely useless and wasteful, as even gambling is banned, monies will fly to other countries.

And how can you banned a group of people watching one sports or event such as footballs, basket balls, boxing from putting bet? Betting has been part of cultures for centuries. Indonesian people so accustomed with ‘karapan sapi’ or ox racing, ‘sabung ayam’ or cocks fight, ‘buru celeng’ or pig hunting, also dog fight, birds whistle competitions, to erase it is similar not acknowledge own culture, right?

For my point of view (mind you, I’m not a gambler, not even football lover, never put any bets in Indonesia just bought a few lotto in Aussie) the authorities better using men powers, full forces, to catch drugs dealer , illegal logger, misused HPH by oil palm companies which’re more destructive then gamblers or bet-ers. Or even better, trying hard to clean up insider corrupted law enforcement.

By deforestation, the effect not only oneself on one family which gambling would cause but the whole world ecosystem and the lost are so much and irreversible.

Casino owner would also try to ‘clean up’ moneys by making large amount of donations or even better built ‘charities organizations. Mostly all of plantation owner felt they are doing ‘clean business’ only put aside some money just to avoid taxes or to be acknowledging by societies. Blah…who’s more dignity here?

Greener lives to save the world

Based on previous post about human and mother earth, now, what can we, humble human being whose voice is clearly ignored by politician, rich and famous can do?

We can start living a greener life. We can create greener environment. Can u imagine how good it will be if everybody is trying to live a greener lives?
So, how to live a greener life? Words are easier to be said, you know. Many will think: Ah….. if only me, won’t affect the world. Well... WRONG!!! Small steps leads to great result right?

First: We can reduce the using of fossil fuel by using energy efficiently.
Don't turn on air-con if you're not in the room, turn off your electrical equipments, don't just put them on stand-by mode. Use energy efficient lamps, don't build a house as big as palace if only a small family member who'll live in it (I know houses which are around 1000 meter square, three stories height and contain only 5-7 family members plus 5-6 maid. What a waste of land and energy),
Don't buy car as big as Hummer if you only use it as city car. Use car as needed and use public transport instead (although I can't apply it with Indonesia public transport condition, we don't only arrive our destination filthy, sticky with dust and sweat but also risk of being robbed or sexual harassment). Travel with neighbors if heading same destination ex. mall, church, temple, school office. Walks or cycles.
Second: Bring your own bags or basket to groceries store. Reduce using plastic bags. Plastic need ages (1000 years) to be unravel

Third: Bring your own chopsticks, to avoid using wooden/bamboo dispose able ones.

Fourth: Women, Use cloths pads for your monthly menstruation.
No, not our mum's type but now there are many comfortable and absorb able cloth pads with pretty prints also with wings.

Fifth: For new mums, use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers which are made of papers and full of chemical. Same goes with disposable baby wipes, please use cloth wipes.
There are many brands and pretty prints of cloth diapers and wipes out there, mostly made and sell by WAHM.

Sixth: Plants trees as many as possible such as in the gardens, side walks, roof, etc. Trees act as world lungs as they breathe in CO2 and release O2 which will help to clear up the air.

Seven: Pile/ divide domestic rubbish into two group.
One dry garbage for papers, tins, glasses etc and wet garbage for scrape foods, etc.
Keep your environments clean. Rubbish will produce methane gas which contribute large portion of glass-house effect.

Eight: Don't order food excessively so it won't be soiled or throw away uneaten.
So many and increasing starving people in the world. How can you throw away your dinner if so many undernourishments children in the world crying with hunger and their parents only able to feed them with plain water to ease their stomach pain?

Nine: Stop Deforestation!
The world is not belonging only by human; so many other creatures live in it. Please consider the other. You will not happy if your neighbor car is parking in your garden, right? So stop the greed and egoistic thinking and respect other living creature. They have the same right as we, human, to live harmony in this world with different pattern.

Ten: Contractor and all real estate empire. Build vertically not horizontally.
Create a greener environment in your estate and provide park as “city lungs“ in your housing project.

Eleven: Reduce using tissue paper, because it’s un-recycle-able, use handkerchief instead.

Twelve: Preserve water by use water efficiently and reduce buying mineral/spring plastic water bottles. Each one little of water bottle needs 16 liter of water to cool down the plastic bottle in process.

Twelve are not enough but these will lead to big result if we apply them in our daily lives.

So, Please... SAVE THE EARTH!!!!

Human and Mother Earth

Now, almost everywhere we heard slogans (whispering, not screaming, considering only a small group of people pay attention to them) about: Safe our planet, safe our world, etc. The truth is, is this sentence ringing your inner bell?

Hello..... We can see our world is really sick and start showing sign such as catastrophe everywhere including: extreme weather either Heat waves or Cold waves, Floods, Landslide, Arctic ice melting, Island sinking, Tsunami, Floods etc, etc...

The culprit is us, human, who treat the world as unlimited source, who took it for granted. You see, we’re not the only creature in this world. There’re animals, plants, insects, etc and yet they must face the consequences and sufferer for what human had done.

They get the worst hit although they do nothings to cause these; they just run their life as generations before them. They are innocent but the must bear the consequence of us, human, arrogance. I pity them….

Look What we have done to their circle of life, we have damage the food chain by our industrial pollutant, by spilling tons of fuel on the sea, by illegal logging, by illegal hunting (I read an article from newspaper recently about a group of baby seal were massacre by unknown local youngster, really made me sick: how young people can did such unthinkable bad things?). We cause the famous "Global Warming" (Quote it because it's only empty words to most of us) and that leads to many...many disaster, we steal their forest by deforestations either for plantation, mining and housing.

Forest animal who had smaller and smaller habitat area will surely out of the forest to find foods for living. Elephants and other animals such as monkeys, tigers who actually scare of human, dare themselves to go to the village to steal crops and then must face being murdered or poisoned. Even tiger, lions that were once called "King of The Jungle" were king no more because being hunt for their skin, claws, bones, organs etc.
Animal become extinct. And once they're in endangered/extinction group, what we human do? We hunt them even more to sell to the collectors who dare to pay high price.
Gosh...What cruel creature we're!!
Yes, humans are not exception especially on the third counties ones. Starvation, calamities, weird epidemic, disease are everywhere. But for some, they are just number, just news on TV no means anything to them.

I wonder, do we really have humanity as a human after all? Do we have love in our heart? Or have it deteriorating along ago with the dying earth?

Only YOU, Yourselves, can answer that!

BioFuel An Energy Crisis Solution Or New Disaster?

In these past 2 years, the world food price become out of control. Some of important food such as canes, soy, corns and cooking oil become more and more out of hand.

Why? As far as we knew, the harvests were good so the stocks must be abundant. What’s really happening here?

With fossil fuel has broke its own record, increased up to US $130/ barrel and the “hotter” Global warming issues, there’s emergency needs for every countries to find cheaper and greener energy alternatives. Bio fuel is considered to be the “one” everyone is looking for, which is far cheaper and produce less CO2.

Not surprisingly if most developed countries such as USA, Europe, North America have invested more and more money on Bio fuel from US$38 milliard in 2005 up to US$100 Milliard on 2010.

Is Bio fuel the real solution? Nah here is the ugly parts

Bio fuel is made from plants, both food and edible crops. Bio fuel crops include corn, soybeans, rapeseed (canola oil) sugarcane, palm trees (palm oil) and cassava, as well as experimental "second generation" crops such as switch grass, jatropha/ Jarak, giant reed, hemp, and algae. USA using corns to produce maize-ethanol ( a.k.a vodka minus H2O) Brazil using sugar canes to produce ethanol and Europeans countries using seeds ( mainly rapeseeds) mixed with palm oil (a.k.a cooking oil), imported from Malaysia and Indonesia, to produce bio-diesel.

Increased demand for bio-fuels crops is causing fundamental changes to agricultural pattern where farmers starts to switch their crops to bio fuels’ crops rather than others to gain more benefits, and on the other hand, the diverting increasing amount of basic food crops (corns, soybeans, rapeseeds) from farm animal feeds (which produce dairy products, eggs, meats) to bio fuel cause the costs of animal feed being pushed up. Beside, bio fuels require massive amounts of nitrogen fertilizers to produce, and the price of fertilizer rose by more than 200% in 2007 alone. Nitrogen fertilizers are largely made from natural gas. Bio fuel are pushing up the cost of all foods that require fertilizers and farm made products , including rice, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, eggs, meats and dairy products.

Competition between crops for bio fuel rather then for food has caused massive decrement on world food supply. FAO has declared global food prices had jumped up to 40% in 2007 and warned that 82 countries are facing food emergencies (a.k.a starvation) because cereal stocks are at an all-time low.

Bio fuels frenzies also cause environmental damage the two great world sponge of CO2. The increasing speed of deforestation of tropical forests in mostly in Asia countries (2.8 million hectare/year) for oil palm plantation has caused ecosystem damage. And the increasing acidity of oceans due to pollution has caused their losing ability to absorb CO2.

No wonder the new studies show that Bio fuel isn’t solution after all but another disaster which make global warming even worse by destroying world lungs.

Is bio fuel must be banned? Maybe not if the second experimental generations (mentioned above) actually work.

But, Scientist, why don’t make used of unlimited solar source instead? Is the invention of using solar energy has already hit the wall or has it become out of fashion? Please answer me….

Have you ate your breakfast today?

In this modern world where people live in fast lanes, mostly will skip breakfast (approximately 15 per cent of teenagers and one-third of adults don’t eat breakfast). The majority reasons are: no time, too tired to bother, need more the extra time dozing in bed and no readily available breakfast foods in the house.

Well, actually, Breakfast is considered an important meal because it breaks the overnight fasting period, replenishes your supply of glucose and provides other essential nutrients to keep your energy levels up throughout the day.

For additional info: Glucose is the body’s energy source. It is broken down and absorbed from the carbohydrates you eat. In the morning, after you have gone without food for as long as 12 hours, your glucose levels have dropped. Your body compensates by releasing the glucose that has been stored in your muscle tissue and liver, called glycogen.

Once all of the energy from the glycogen stores is used up, your body starts to break down fatty acids to produce the energy it needs. Without carbohydrate, fatty acids are only partially oxidized, which can cause reduced energy levels.

So eating breakfast can boost your energy levels as well as your metabolism for the day.

Extensive research in world wide has found that

• Many children who skip breakfast are significantly heavier than those who eat breakfast
• Skipping breakfast can diminish mental performance. Breakfast helps learning, as you are better able to pay attention and are more interested in learning.
• Eating high fiber breakfast cereals reduces fatigue.
• Children who eat an inadequate breakfast are more likely to make poor food choices for the rest of the day and in the long term.
• People who eat breakfast have more nutritious diets than people who skip breakfast. They also have better eating habits as they are less likely to be hungry for snacks during the day.

It’s essential for all of us to eat breakfast, As Chinese wisdom said “guidelines for 3 meals of the day are of nutritive breakfast, fulfilling lunch and just enough dinner” so no need fancy food for breakfast ,the most important is the nutrients value.

Some quick suggestions for easy to prepare breakfast yet nutritive are: whole-wheat or wholegrain breakfast cereals (such as wheat biscuits, muesli or bran cereals) , porridge (use quick oats or regular oat cook in microwaves or for more scrumptious one: throw some brown rice, some meats and other ingredient into slow cooker the night before and adjust the timer to be ready cooked in the morning), fresh fruits, whole meal or multi grain bread to toast with toppings, such as baked beans, eggs, cheese or spreads,Muffin and crumpets, yogurts, fresh fruit juices and of course low fat milk.

If you’re a type a person whose stomach will turn with the idea of eating breakfast, switch to morning tea or mid-morning snack time instead.

So, Ready to be breakfaster now?

Tortured to Death, poor elephant...

Read an article today from local newspaper. A male elephant was found tortured to death at one of the rubber plantation in Riau. The poor elephant’s head was severely damaged, there are numerous deep punctured wounds all over its body. The trunk was almost chopped off and the ivory surely be show off. The saddest thing was this poor creature’s front legs were tied with 14mm of barbwire. This meant all the tortured were planned and purposefully.

Although the elephant was one of the endangered animal under government protection, seem the authority do almost none to maintain their welfare. Even the case is now under police investigation, I, personally, feel skeptics about the outcome. So many unsolved killed elephants in Indonesia and this was the first tortured case I’ve ever read , feeling so sad and helpless even when I’m writing this down.

The irony is, the villages near by seem to glad the attention they got by authorities in investigating the case. They said, the governor seem to care much more about elephant than the villages(well they were wrong, they care none but their own butt). They claimed that the elephant was not alone, usually with a group of 40 would out of the forest to steal and ate the crops and young palm plant. Almost 2000 young oil palm trees already been eaten. Now, the elephant dead, the group were gone.

I’m sure the culprit is one of the villages. The torture is supposed to rid the group away because they’re tiring of night watch.

But, who’s really fault? The villages? The elephants? The villages are poor, they are just try to save their crops, they are wrong to tortured animal but still they are so poor and uneducated which in some condition will force them did un logic things. They blamed the elephant, and that was wrong. The elephants are a very huge mammal which needs a large space to live and eat a lot of greens. The elephants never stay at one place but always moving around the forest in circle, due to their memories. The main problem is, there isn’t much more forest to be circling now, maybe the village was located/ built on their pathway, but I think they out of forest due to hunger. They eat a lot, you see, because they are so big. Actually most animals scare of human being. Their instinct told them to avoid us, human, but as human will do, unbearable hungers overcome the fear, and they took the consequences which cause death to one of their member. So sad…make me want to puke....

Riau forest has reduced from 6, 2 million hectares to 2.2 million hectares (maybe less) due to illegal logging but mostly for oil palm plantation for there are many crude palm oil factories in Riau which needs a lot of oil palms. The villages will still clearing the forest in order to plant more oil palm trees to make a living. The government and authorities seem to keep their eyes closed and many have enjoyed big fat enveloped from local oil palm factories owner.

If not because of WWF active observation in Riau forest due to protected the rest of endangered Sumatra elephants which have been dying in alarming pace ( population decline to 75% in 11 years and currently there are only approximately 400 Sumatran elephants in Riau.) , I’m 100% sure even when all the elephants have been slaughtered to none, no one in this world will know because this is Indonesia, where money talks never morals.

Ps.I post the picture of other elephant because the real one is to sadist to be posted ( I can't even make myself stare at it)

Carribean Monk Head Seal become extinction!!

I read the title from our local newspaper a few days ago. Then I remembered, the seals I saw on Fisherman Wharf in USA a few years back. I did some research and find out that throughout the world, there have been three known species of monk seals: Hawaiian, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. Caribbean monk seals were last sighted in 1952. The species is now thought to be extinct. Mediterranean monk seals continue to survive in small numbers in isolated caves and beaches rarely visited by humans in the Mediterranean. The present population of Mediterranean monk seals is believed to be between 500 and 1,000 individuals and is thought to be declining. The population of the Hawaiian monk seal is currently estimated to be between 1,500 and 1,200 individuals. They are considered an endangered species.


Caribbean monk seals used to be found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the west Atlantic Ocean. They probably preferred to haul out at sites (low sandy beaches above high tide) on isolated and secluded atolls and islands, but occasionally would visit the mainland coasts and deeper waters offshore. This species may have fed in shallow lagoons and reefs.
Despite broad and intensive surveys, this species has not been seen since the early 1950s. Sightings of Caribbean monk seals are occasionally reported, but these are most likely harbor seals, hooded seals, harp seals that have ventured a long distance from their normal habitats.

Caribbean monk seals were killed by hunters beginning when Spanish explorers arrived from Europe (~1494). Besides early explorers, fisherman, sailors, and whalers targeted and/or opportunistically took this species for its fur hides, meat, and oil. Hunters were able to closely approach these seals due to their non-aggressive and tame behavior. They were also captured and killed for display in museums and zoos.

Kyle Baker, a biologist for NOAA's Fisheries Service southeast region, said the species is the only seal to become extinct from human causes. How? Because of humans hunting the docile creatures for research, food and blubber left the population unsustainable and also of fishing, coastal development and other exploitation activities infringed on these animals may have caused them to abandon their critical and vital habitat or depleted their prey and also face different types of challenges, including entanglement in marine debris, climate change resources.
Monk seals are particularly sensitive to human disturbance. And the sea creatures have been losing their food supply and beaches, officials say.

"Once Hawaii, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean were teeming with fish, but these are areas under severe fishing pressure," said Vicki Cornish, a wildlife expert at the Ocean Conservancy, "They'll eat almost anything - shellfish or finned fish - but their food supply is waning and they're in competition with man."
As the time is running out, there is great need to continued support from organizations and the public if we are to have a chance at saving it from extinction
And for the Caribbean monk seal, NOAA said it is working to have them removed from the endangered species list. Species are removed from the list when their populations are no longer threatened or endangered, or when they are declared extinct.
So Sad....

Breastfeeding? YES!

Breast milk is the best food for babies. For the first six month of babies lives, which they're still fragile, low of immunities, stress and weak (because after 9 months living in enclosed warm and dark environment and suddenly must face the cool, light, hei, it's wild wild world out here) , breast milk provide all the immunities that they need to avoid early infection and fight off illness such as UTI, ear infection, cough, cold, etc. And also because breast milk is all natural and easiest on their digestive system so there's less chance of constipation or diarrhea. So, 6 months exclusivity is a must!
Breast feeding also will increase bounding between mummies and babies, when a baby suckling mummy nipple and mummy cradle him/her in her arm the baby stress level will drop and will feel being loved, protected and healthier. Some researches also shown breastfed babies have higher IQ than formula ones. So, breast milk is superb, right?

Now, the problem is : why women refuse to breastfeeding their babies? Their children as proved of their own existence in this word? That's what I never able to understand.
Note: except because of medical condition which prevent mummy to breastfed the baby, like my friend who suddenly got thyroid infection and the medicines prescribe by doctor were strong and harmful for baby
From my personal survey, mostly because of:

• Breast milk production is low
  
• Troublesome, afraid to have clinging baby (so they can't shopping or hanging out with friends)
• Out of fashion/ out of date
  
• want to have soundly night sleep/ fully rest (see if you baby got sick, how soundly you can sleep except you're truely heartless mum)
• Confinement lady didn't want to cooperate and kept influencing MIL( 'her baby still hungry, her milk is not enough' )
  
• husband complain (because of his wife lack attention for him and crying baby in his bedroom *please lah, this is you baby too* )
• MIL and visiting aunties complain ( ' aiyo.. your baby so small, doesn't eat enough, aiyo you're so old-minded' )
  
• scare of breasts shape changes ( gym..gym..gym)
  
• and most annoying is the believe that formula got all what a baby need aka formula is the best ( so, why each formula claimed their breakthrough new adding formulation/ingredient is more similar or close match to breast milk then their other piers?)
• Full time working mums ( so, no time lah )
  
• etc...
  

True, breast feeding is not easy for everyone and need sacrifice. Mostly women not only must endure the hardship of breastfeeding ( engorgement, mastitis, infection, broken sleep ) but also must have a heart of steel and deaf ears to fend off all negative remarks and move forward.
Many women, who're determined at first to breastfed their baby will failed later because not strong enough.
SO, how to solve it? These are some important steps :

• Proper education about benefit and how to breastfeed not only for mummies to be but also DH, MIL, DM, as long as you've supportive people behind you, it will be much more easier
• Early breastfeeding initiation for newborn babies
  
• Supportive group for all breastfeeding mummies
  
• Supportive environment to breastfed such as rooms for breastfeeding mums in public places
• Stop giving away free sample of milk formula from the sponsors in nursing wards.
• Most important is a supportive hospital including (pediatrician, gynecologist, nurse)

For some women, especially first time mums usually will faced no breast milk for almost 3 days, need 3-5 days for new mum to produce sufficient amount of early milk/ colostrum which is highly nutritions and antibodies. To speed up the process, mums needs to relax and encourage babies to suckle nipples as often as possible. If the babies showing sign of dehydration ( although very rare ), feed them with plain cooled down boiled water or a little formula with spoon to avoid nipple confusion.
And also there is a believe chubby/fat baby is healthy baby. Many baby photo contests were won by chubby, fat babies, this in not right, right?
But I think the main point of failure is the lack of proper eduction and lack of supportive group, so breastfeeding mummies not only felt a lot of pressure but also left behind.
Since public places at mostly Asia country specially in Indonesia lack of breastfeeding rooms/areas for mummies and babies, so women better buy some proper breastfeeding dresses or tops , so don't need to flip up tops in the public. Breastfeeding attire usually have hidden holes for nipple or breast to feed babies.
And for mummies...Breastfeeding your babies will help you slim down and get rid of post natal extra pounds. It burn about 500 calorie from breastfeeding alone :) ( imagine equal with 1 hour running on treadmill ) so a very nice extra bonus, right?
Don't hesitate, let encourage breastfeeding, only breast milk for our precious babies from now on....