Karmasutra

If you're dragged here hoping to read about Kamasutra, then stop and leave immediately cause unfortunately this is not about that. I'm gonna talk about Karma.

Sutra means some kind of teaching, so there are Yoga Sutras, Brahma Sutras, Sutra Pitaka and so on. I'm not sure about Karma Sutra existance, maybe just Sharon Stones' Karma Sutra :-D.

Personally, I don't believe in Karma. Even if I were not Christian, I would not believe in Karma. As a Christian, I believe that the world has become a grave place since Adam and Eve lured by satan. That makes by default, the world is an evil place where any malicious things are happening in every single tiniest measure of time, doesn't matter if one is good or bad, evil power still can reach. Death then has become an inevitable fate, though for Christians death is not a period of life. Good people will be granted a place in Heaven after death, and the bad apples will be baked forever in an eternal flame.

Enough with the preaching, let's continue to Sharon Stones' karma saying.
I feel what China people feel with what Sharon Stones' saying. Cruel and shameful saying.
I confronted the same issue some time ago after Tsunami hit some parts of Indonesia. One of my experiences is when I was on a taxi in Penang Island, Malaysia. The driver expressed a big relief to that unspeakable big tragedy, he said Aceh people deserved it because they were wicked and that's their karma. I did wonder at that time, what about the Tsunami victims in Penang Island then?
He looked too poisoned by hatred and I don't have a skill to educate, so I just ignored him. My other experiences came the net where I bumped into some dull postings on some internet forums threads and comments mentioning that Indonesia deserved tsunami because of the riot in May1998. Pretty stupid, because the Tsunami victims were not only native Indonesia but also Chinese ethnic, Arabic ethnic, and so on.

I don't know if those people who condemned Indonesia's tsunami victims ever regret their moronic thought, but Sharon Stones finally realised that she's very wrong and she bravely apologised. I hope Stones' incident also opens their eyes.

Sources:
Sutra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra
Karma http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm
Karma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma

Photo by IM SNOT REAL

For the Love of Batik

I am a bit swayed by the current Batik enthusiasm movement in -at least Jakarta- my country. Everywhere I see people wear the products of Batik. Batik is really in fashion. So I think it would be nice to adorn this beautiful template with a look-a-like Batik print. I can't say it a Batik pattern though, cause Batik is not actually a pattern but it is the process.

Let me talk a bit of what I heard about it. The word Batik is derived from Ambatik and also tritik. Both words are originated in Javanese language. Amba means "to write" or "to do", while the word 'tritik' which means a dying process where the patterns are done after tying and sewing the areas. It was similar to tie dye techniques. So I think that's why it's said it's not a pattern but the process of making the pattern.

Having said those, I want to point out that Batik is the pride of Indonesia and the most beautiful Batiks are from Java Island in Indonesia.

Interested in reading more about Batik? A site that's mainly addressed for expatriates in my country features an educative and concise article about Batik.
Want to make some groovy pattern like mine for your own template background? Do it easily on www.colourlovers.com or just click the above pattern.
The more complicated and exotic process of making the product of Batik by Batik artists, however, can be seen here.

Scrumptious Choco Template

I changed my blog template again because I can't resist to see the beautiful magazine style Blue Steel template from Blogger Buster. The template is so far hassle-free and easy to install.
What I especially like about this template is this template looks good on firefox and IE, my previous templates have slightly problems on IE.

Amanda, the creator of this beautiful template, made the template available with:

• An optional magazine style layout for the home page
• Optional customized recent posts widget for the sidebar
• Themed icons for sidebar widgets, post features and post options
• Custom made favicon to match the blog theme
• Integrated search function
• Tabbed navigation with easy customization of links
• Related articles beneath each post on post pages
• Integrated (optional) post summary hack

There's also bookmark tabs such as del.icio.us, stumble it and digg included underneath each post. One more important thing -for me, cause I've been searching for something like this- I like the comment thing!! I don't know how to explain it exactly, but unlike normally blogspot templates which will go to default blogspot comment template whenever its comment is clicked, the comment on this template is integrated with the template design.

This template is also very versatile, see the difference on my two blogs that use this template, this Origena and Faithship. I just made a small change, but the difference is visible. I am sure those who are an advance at html or css code will be glad to experiment with this template, for instance like Buzz Nutter.

I wonder why Mashable misses to include Blue Steel - Blogger Buster into its
70 Fresh And Modern Blogger Templates list, because many of those in the list have already been around for a long time already, and are converted from wordpress theme. This Blue Steel, I think has its originality and it's really fresh.

See No Evil Here

As I thought already, we can't expect more for free things. I should just be glad to have this beautiful template available for free and accept it as it is.

Sometime ago, I made queries twice on eblogtemplates -the provider of this template- about a little problem I'm having with this template, ie. the post on 29/4 is overlapping with the post on 22/4, and all the images cannot be centered. I also found that it's not only me that have that problem, actually some other users too. Unfortunately my queries aren't qualified to be answered. I don't know why, maybe because of its free status, that makes my queries considered too much :-D

There was another user that asked about similar issue too previously -Cat- and she got a response but not an answer.

I had also wondered, why no one else was aware about the issue. Until some days ago a blogger named RicardoUK brought the issue back -I feel somehow relieved. He has been waiting for provider to answer my question because he has similar problem. He finally couldn't wait anymore to post the query himself and he also points out that my question is being ignored.
This time it strikes :))
He gets a response, and yet it's still not an answer to that problem, and no mention about my questions either on the provider's response.

Well, anyway, this template is truly beautiful, probably I just have to pretend there's no problem at all. After all, the provider has been kind enough to tweak it for free, so I have to keep my mouth shout now :-P

Yay I got Fire Eagle Invite

Seriously, I think this beta invite web2.0 things have somehow spurred some razzle dazzle. People are in rush to try those alpha or beta version service when they're labeled with by invite only, and that can be seen from some jaiku or twitter messages.

I found out about Fire Eagle on Jaiku invitation channel, some people are looking for Fire Eagle invite there and it seems it's hard to get it. I went to Fire Eagle site to see what is it about. I'm not that informed person, so mind that :-P.
I requested an invite there though I know it usually takes a longer time to get from the main source, so I didn't really count on that. It was one Twitter message that is floating somewhere on this virtual world that guided me to another source, and the next day within less than 24 hours, my invite arrived.

The person who sent me the invite is Giuseppe from Plazes, another web2.0 locator service that I already joined. Plazes developed integration with Fire Eagle that's way Plazes have some Fire Eagle invites to share -I think. The system integration between Plazes and Fire Eagle is done only with one click.

To learn about what Fire Eagle is, go here and here (this has some invites links, don't know if any of them still works)
To integrate it with Twitter, go here.
If you are still confused, ask me not :-P
Happy hunting your invite!

Idan Raichel..Boi..O Boi...

This is the third times in a day I mention about Idan Raichel on the net.
Idan Raichel is an Israeli musician whose songs currently hold spellbound on me.
I love mostly Bo'i, it's really mesmerising me to the bone.
The tunes, the language, especially that Amharic language...magical...and Idan Raichel...I'm unashamedly saying this, sei molto bellissimo.
I would love to see his concert but I think Idan Raichel will never be able to perform in my country. Sigh.

Here, the lyrics and video of Boi from Idan Raichel and friends.

Come, give me your hand and we will go
Don't ask me where
Don't ask me about happiness

Maybe it will come too
When it will come
it'll fall upon us like rain.

Come, let us embrace and go
Don't ask me when
Don't ask me about home
Don't ask me for time
Time does not wait, nor stop or remain.*

Here's the translation of Amrahic language used in the song, the part that's uttered by a female member of Idan's group.

Do you remember back then, when you used to always bring me flowers
You'd entertain me, I'd entertain you,
You'd talk to me, I'd talk to you
We'd hold each other
We'd spend every day with joy

When evening came, we'd ask when a new day would begin
When we'd separate, I would feel sad
When we'd meet, I would feel immense joy
And now all that has passed and here we are now.**

Official Idan Raichel Project
*Bo'i
**Lucio Garcia