Starting a new little project t'day.

our distinct personality, The Discoverer, might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. Your overriding goal is to go where no one else has ever gone before. Regardless of the number of available natural problems to be solved, it is not unusual for you to continually challenge yourself with new situations or obstacles that you have created. You are an insatiable explorer of people, places, things and ideas. You thrive on constant change and anything new or different. On the positive side, you can be creatively rational as well as open minded and just. On the negative side, you might be an impractical and indecisive procrastinator. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

(take your own survey)

Happy Birthday Digs, you old goat, you.

http://arnoldkling.com/econ/book/contents.html Free Economic Online Book.

or why these blood, sweats and pain are worth it ?

..to be continued.

”Well ladies, the good news is that those days are over.
   New York City — home of Michael Milken, Donald Trump, and the fictional Gordon Gekko — has been taken over by a new generation of men who are decidedly not hot for work. The faded economy, coupled with distance from the anthropological notion that men are supposed to provide anything for anyone, has played havoc with expectations for vigorous masculinity. These days, a pride of twenty- and thirty-something young lions emerge from their dens each day, stretch their sinewy backs and shoulders, give a mighty roar, nip out for a coffee, and then return to curl up and snooze for the rest of the day.” (Nerve.com)

Work is not the point. I want to build a lot of things and if that takes work, then fine. If it takes play, fab. Either way, I get to build.

”The aspect of the Internet Bubble that the press seemed most taken with was the youth of some of the startup founders. This too is a trend that will last. There is a huge standard deviation among 26 year olds. Some are fit only for entry level jobs, but others are ready to rule the world if they can find someone to handle the paperwork for them.

A 26 year old may not be very good at managing people or dealing with the SEC. Those require experience. But those are also commodities, which can be handed off to some lieutenant. The most important quality in a CEO is his vision for the company's future. What will they build next? And in that department, there are 26 year olds who can compete with anyone.” (What the Bubble got right)

Stephen Roach.  In 1980, America’s net international investment position — the broadest measure of the accumulated claims that the US has on the rest of the world less those that the rest of the world has on the US — stood at a surplus of $360 billion. By the end of 2003, that surplus had morphed into a deficit of -$2.4 trillion, or 24% of US GDP. This transformation from the world’s largest creditor to the world’s largest debtor is, of course, a direct outgrowth of year after year of ever widening current-account deficits. He points to estimates that this could grow to 40-50% of GDP by 2008. (John Robb)

Somber mood in downtown Chicago as the warmth of Summer has finally left us; My facilitation went well last night, although I arrived just at the nick of time due to my foolishness of not paying attention on what train I was transferring to.

The demand of work is crazy in the past couple of weeks but somehow I've reached a stable state of mind these recents days about those burdens. Keep them comin', I'll continue rollin'.

Today is developing to be the best Monday I've had so far.

“As we all know, when you ride a Virgin you boldly go where no man has gone before.” (slashdot post) about Virgin Galactic.

”So you may write me down in history
With your bitter twisted lies
You may trod me down in the very dirt
And still like the dust I’ll rise
Does my happiness upset you
Why are you best with gloom
Cause I laugh like I’ve got a goldmine
Diggin’ up in my living room” (I'll Rise)

”Looks like any post about anything happening in India seems to attract all the trolls like moths to a burning candle. The problem is not India - they are doing what needs to improve their lives; even if that means taking jobs for cheap from Americans. Capitalism and global economny are American ideas - we cannot ignore them because they are starting to hurt us now.
Instead of sitting on our fat behinds (yes, 60% of our country is overweight - that is a whole different problem), it's about time we figure out how to get the house in order before blaming others. Schools suck, college costs have sky-rocketed - have the stupid politicians fix this first.
All the jobs that were outsourced are history - manufacturing jobs in the last two decades to China, and now some of the tech jobs to India and elsewhere. And any amount of crying aren't going to get those back. Figure out what is relevant in today's economy and work towards using that to your advantage. “ (a slashdot post)

And we shall reward the ones who decide to take sides and do something about it.

Sending a good friend away today, a ritual I have been performing quite often this summer, waking up at 6.00, catching the morning red line, switching to brown, getting down at Western, walked past McDonalds, left, no 20210.

Helped her packing (last minute; woman), and said my goodbye. Couldn't be at the airport.

At the same time, miss my meeting with sarah at 9.00.

Bugger.

Had my last dance with her and sent her away to where she comes from, a place where she belongs.

”That all three elections have gone with barely a hitch is remarkable in a country with 220m people, spread across a huge archipelago of 17,000 islands.It is even more remarkable in light of the country’s political history: in just six years, Indonesia has gone from authoritarian rule to the brink of chaos and now to full democracy.

For Indonesians, having put up with dictatorship for decades, are all too keen to wield their democratic powers. The result is that rarest of creatures, a vibrant Muslim democracy.” (The Economist)

Yudhoyono is probably the first unabashedly pro-US leader in the Muslim world. This should be interesting.

“Yudhoyono, who has named U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a role model for bringing America out of the Depression and confronting foreign threats, comes into office with security as his stronger suit. He led the outgoing administration's efforts to combat terrorism as coordinating minister for politics and security. Though Indonesian police have arrested dozens of suspected Muslim militants in the last two years, some senior operatives have eluded capture, exploiting rivalries among the police, military and national intelligence agency. “ (WashingtonPost)

"I love the United States, with all its faults. I consider it my second country," the International Herald Tribune quoted him as saying last year.”

”General Yudhoyono must wait for Ms. Megawati to concede defeat before claiming victory, a process that could be several days away. He stayed closeted today at his home in Bogor, outside Jakarta, meeting with his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, and campaign officials.

The general is considered to be a steady hand, a broadly educated man who many here believe is the first person with a suitable background and sufficient training to become president since Indonesia's democratic transition began six years ago.

The general — dubbed in Washington as "the poster boy" of the training program — wants the program renewed and a full resumption of military relations with the United States, General Widjojo said. The training program was stopped more than a decade ago after the Clinton administration objected to human rights abuses by the Suharto military. ” (NYTimes)

Agree.

On the other hand, one must give credit to Megawati for successfully running three smooth elections in one year.  

”The couple exchanged rings and danced to Journey's "City by the Bay," the tabloid reported. Guests reportedly dined on chicken fingers, crab cakes, ribs and Waldorf salad.” (cnn)

“City by the Bay“ ???? by Journey ??/

This song ?

“So you think you're lonely
Well my friend I'm lonely too
I want to get back to my City by the bay
ooh, ooh
“ (Lights)

Yeah, it's Journey alright, but the title of the song is “Lights”.

There you go, an undeniable proof of my contribution to journalistic integrity.

”The election on Monday is the last round in the first direct voting for president here in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Both candidates favor a continuation of Indonesia's secular tradition, and questions about possible changes to the tolerant brand of Indonesian Islam have barely been raised.” (NYTimes)

If you care about someone, give them some slack, some benefit of the doubt.

2:10 hours. 13 miles.

I'm half ready for my Chicago Marathon (October 10)

Need: New running shoes.

Plan: Run 26.2 miles next Saturday. Scout the route, run the miles and not embarras myself on the final run. Goal ? Under 5 hours.

Copa Airlines informs that an erroneous airfare of $15 one way $30 US round trip was inadvertently published in its fare system on flights between Lima, Peru and LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, JFK and Los Angeles International Airport. This fare is obviously in error and will not be honored by Copa Airlines. In order to keep your reservation current, you may go to any Copa Airlines sales office and pay the difference with the applicable fare until Tuesday, September 21st or receive a complete refund of the $15 or $30. We regret any inconvenience this error may have caused our passengers. If any passenger have any questions they should contact 1-800-FLYCOPA.

”Indonesia and Iraq are both Muslim countries that endured years of brutal dictatorship. Indonesia kicked out Gen. Suharto in 1998 and next week will directly elect a president for the first time in its history.

Indonesia has been cited as a rare example of a functioning Islamic democracy - something the Iraqi politicians said could also be replicated in their own nation, which is surrounded by authoritarian regimes.“

“

Copa Airlines informs that an erroneous airfare of $15 one way $30 US round trip was inadvertently published in its fare system on flights between Lima, Peru and LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, JFK and Los Angeles International Airport. This fare is obviously in error and will not be honored by Copa Airlines. Passengers may pay the difference at any Copa office or airport counter. We regret any inconvenience this error may have caused our passengers. If any passenger have any questions they should contact 1-800-FLYCOPA.

“”

Copa Airlines informs its passengers that an erroneous airfare of $30 US was inadvertently published in its fare system on flights originating in Lima, Peru to LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, JFK and Los Angeles International Airport. This fare is obviously in error and will not be honored by Copa Airlines. Passengers may pay the difference at any Copa or at the airport. We regret any inconvenience this error may have caused our passengers.

Mr. Dody Gunawinata

Flight reservations:
19 Feb Copa Air Flight:CM803
From: John F Kennedy Int'l (JFK), New York, NY, USA
To: Tocumen Int'l (PTY), Panama City, Panama
Departing: 06:00AM Arriving: 10:10AM
Status: Confirmed

19 Feb Copa Air Flight:CM303
From: Tocumen Int'l (PTY), Panama City, Panama
To: J Chavez Int'l (LIM), Lima, Peru
Departing: 10:42AM Arriving: 02:07PM
Status: Confirmed

Flight reservations:
20 Mar Copa Air Flight:CM302
From: J Chavez Int'l (LIM), Lima, Peru
To: Tocumen Int'l (PTY), Panama City, Panama
Departing: 03:02PM Arriving: 06:30PM
Status: Confirmed

20 Mar Copa Air Flight:CM804
From: Tocumen Int'l (PTY), Panama City, Panama
To: John F Kennedy Int'l (JFK), New York, NY, USA
Departing: 07:30PM Arriving: 12:43AM
Status: Confirmed

”

Here it goes, I leave tonight for a mountain adventure to Borneo.  Granted Mt. Kinabalu is a relatively easy climb for a mountain it's size (4,101 metres or 13,455 feet high), it is still an no easy victory.  I'm really looking forward to getting out of the office, pushing my body to the limits and facing a real challenge in nature.

“ (Digidy)

While one dragon is going vertically scaling the highest peak in my old neighbourhood, I'll be pursuing the horizontal challenge of running 26.2 miles Marathon.

I'll be doing my try out soon..

”Practice can never adequately replicate what the real game, the real performance, the real day at work is like. Sure, let’s practice as much as we deem necessary. But let’s get into the action as soon as we can. That’s where the real payoff will be realized!” (Jeffrey)

” Harry Shum's office may be one of the best places to witness the next stage of China's rise as an economic powerhouse.

Set in the heart of the Haidian District in Beijing, with its canyons of universities, labs and high-tech ventures, his office occupies a corner of Microsoft Research Asia, the software giant's ambitious effort to tap scientific brainpower in China.

Dr. Shum oversees 170 scientists who huddle around computers in gray cubicles to brainstorm and tinker with ideas that may one day drive Microsoft's technological empire to even greater heights.

"Microsoft began to realize we can't find all the talented people in the U.S.," he said. Pointing outside, he added: "Nowhere in this universe has a higher concentration of I.Q. power."” (NYTimes)

I don't necessarily agree with the statement that I mark in bold. But here's the difference, the trend in China and other emerging nations is that they eagerly embrace globalization. They learn the rules and  play it aggressively. Now the US has it backward, with a worrying trend to isolate and the short term goal of “creating jobs” and “job security“. They are comforting goals, but it is out of touch from reality.

You have to compete. You have much of the advantage over a lot of countries. Take and run with it. Do not be a chickenshit. It's a hard game to play, but play you must otherwise the rest of the world will catch up with you and left you in the dust.

Slashdot discussions

”We were having one of our less and less frequent and less and less satisfying "catch up" calls and had worked our way through the pro forma checklist of mundane topics: work, home, and travel. Just when I felt he was metaphorically gasping for air, he turned to the one topic left: apologizing for not being in touch.

Now I've been down this same well-worn path many a time, and I know the response I'm supposed to give to keep the script moving, but this time my mouth said different words: "No need. The silence helped me put things in perspective."

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” (Jefrey)

“So the lesson here is the importance of being a generalist, of exposing ourselves to a variety of stimuli rather than becoming overly narrow and specialized. In doing so, seemingly unrelated snippets combine in new and interesting ways to yield innovative solutions.”

”I never really knew that you could dance like this..
She make a man wanna speak spanish..
Como se llama? Bonita. Mi casa, su casa.” (Dance Like This)

Dance on a Monday night. Who would've thought? Ah, I'm alive again.

”The Executive request a Change and then then use the tools to track risk, and the progress all the way through the development process to the QA.   Then moved it on to Operations, to deploy the product into production.

Lets facts: Forces that impact the gods of software (developers)

• Poor prioritizing of projects
• Poor management of people to projects
• Poor Management of requirements and Scope
• Poor Visibility into and across the process
• Poor process automation governing consistency across teams and timezones
• Poor understanding of what it takes to roll an app into

Software has been written to optimize most business processes, however software development has been neglected. 

• 30% Canceled before they are finished
• 54% Delivered over budget
• 66% Were not considered Successful
• 90% Delivered Late

Why?

• Competing business priorities & resources
• Constant change & shorter release cycles
• Distributed teams & External resources
• Increased complexity & mixed-It environments
• Inability to deploy even though developed on time“ (Robert Love)

The problem outlined above is not just applied to Software Development. All creative works are impacted by these fundamental problems in running a project. The diference is that in Software Development, the result of production stays in “virtual mode” (meaning purely intellectual/abstract context), other creative works are resulted in concrete stuff (campaign, ads, building, painting, a novel, report)

silverkey is faced with these problems day in day out because of the self-managing/distributed nature of our company. Now, we are tackling these issues directly and making good progress. It's a matter of life and death situation for us, not just a mere inefficiency problem. Once we tackle these beasts, we will let you know how.

> Local activists and educators Bob Schwalb and Kate Ervin will be
> facilitating an 8-week discussion course titled Globalization and Its
> Critics. The group will meet 6:30pm - 8:00pm on Monday Evenings
> beginning September 13. The course is free, with the exception of a
> charge for the reading materials.
>
> The course covers the following topics:
> Globalization Overview
> Questioning Free Trade
> Transnational Corporations
> Food and the Global Marketplace
> Globalization and the Environment
> Social Equity
> Shaping Opinion
> Homogenization of Cultures
>
> The course will be held at the Whole Foods Market - Lakeview, 3300 N.
> Ashland Ave., in the Cooking Classroom.

I'll be there.

”Another soldier asked me to bring him an amp and a wah pedal for his electric guitar. We ended up on the roof of the Palace as Kiowas buzzed around, celebratory AK fire rang out and the minaret speakers tried to compete with his speed metal version of The Star Spangled Banner. For me, that performance, done in full battle rattle against a Baghdad sun, is the definitive image of Gunner Palace: Culture Clash 2004.
 

..

After he died, a friend said to me, "Thank God it's a volunteer army." As if volunteers died easier. I felt sick to my stomach, because she didn't see the point. You always hear, "They signed up for it," as a rationalization for loss. The war in Iraq is far from WWII or even Vietnam. A tiny sliver of society is fighting a war while the rest of the country watches. We are not all "in this together". We live in two separate realities. I began to see that this film was more than just a snapshot of a place and time—it could bring the war home. For me, it wasn't about being "for the war" or "against the war," it was about the people in the war. They needed to have a voice. “ (Gunner Palace)

Sunday is a day spent working and laying comatose after 5 hours on the beach playing volleyball.

I find myself having a social fatigue, tired of reaching out to other people. I have a sizable social network here in Chicago (and they are growing by the day) . Ironically people that I can truly call friends seem to be shrinking by the day, thanks to the betrayal of friendships.

Friendship is  a give and take proposition. Give and Take. And honesty. You cannot be friends if you are hiding something behind your back.

You cannot call yourself a friend if you are not prepared to be the advocate of your friend.

It's a fucked up thing to have more closer friends that lives miles and miles away from where you live than the one in the city you live in.

I have changed quite a bit after been living in the Windy City. Can it be the city or is it the burden of trying to do something real meaningful that change me? My position on certain things have hardened, my skepticism level has raised to a new level, my patience pool is close to drying up and I have become numb to the concept of time.

I have lost my sarcasm. Too tired to be sarcastic.

At least I still retain my sense humour.

Pain doesn't bother me anymore. It's probably a sign of a lost soul, who knows.

Or is it just a phase in living a creative life.

Either case, I'm an angry young male.

AIESEC NorthWestern asks me to be in their BOA.

MidWest regional conference asks me to chair their conference.

Full Circle Borg Absorption.

”Saudi Arabia will hold its first nationwide elections early next year in a vote for municipal councils seen as the first concrete political reform in the absolute monarchy, the government said on Saturday.” (cnn)

”The family waited for two days for the arrival of her Italian husband Emanuel Musu before conducting Eva's funeral. Musu arrived at Eva's sister house on Saturday morning and immediately rushed to Eva's coffin and kissed his wife several times. He also asked the press to give him space to be alone with her.

Manuela and Eva were at the Australian Embassy when a car bomb, which police believed to be carried by a white Daihatsu Zebra van, exploded. Eva died instantly along with eight others, but Manuela survived although she was critically injured. “ (aftermath)

and I spend my day writing copious amount of codes instead.

http://911.aiesec.ws

Pasta is great because it has low glycemix index. So don't worry about your belly while enjoying your pasta.

No, I am not actually on one (I exercise, quite a bit;).

I like the Pasta Diet because they are easy to make and if you have a busy lifestyle, knowing how to cook your pasta well is paramount. And they are good for your health overall.

Here I'm going to give you the "3 am" pasta recipe, ready for you to use in those early hours when you wake hungry.

Ingredients:

Barrilla Angel Hair Pasta (only buy Barrilla)
Olive Oil
Fresh Citrus.

Instruction:

Boil a pot of water.
Put a little bit of Olive Oil.
Put a little bit of salt.
When the water starts to boil, put in your Angel Hair Pasta.
Angel Hair Pasta is going to be Al-Dente in just 3 minutes.
Take it out and drain the water with a strainer.
Cut the Citrus and squeeze it on top of the steaming pasta on your place.

Enjoy.

I know this is shockingly minimalist. This is why you must get only Barilla pasta. Other mass produce pasta will taste horrible in this style of cooking.

This one is low on calory, easy on your sugar level and will take only 7-8 minutes in total to prepare, perfect for an early morning eats.

The only way you can ever get closer to the truth is having an intellectual honesty.

If your reality is telling you something else, recognize and follow it , do not be blinded by your own assumption. Be ready to change and make 180 degrees turn.

Be ready to admit that you are wrong. Mistakes are overrated. Make lots of them. Have the courage to do so. The more courageous you are, the more original your mistakes gonna be.

There is a fine line between conviction and foolishness, without an intellectual honesty, you will end up more on the latter.

I have 5 more gmail accounts to give away. Email me at empirebuilder@gmail.com.

”Indonesia: A Nation & Its Music                                         

If Indonesia were superimposed on Europe, it would stretch from Ireland to the Caspian Sea. Only three countries--China, India, and the USA--have larger populations, and few encompass a greater diversity of societies and cultures. Indonesia's people belong to more than 300 ethnic groups, speak almost as many languages, and inhabit some 3,000 islands in the 13,700 island archipelago. Most (90%) are Muslim, but there also are substantial numbers of Christians, Buddhist/Taoists, Hindus, and animists.

Three-quarters of the population live in rural areas, but Indonesia's media is saturated with urban images, mostly generated from the capital, Jakarta, a megalopolis with more inhabitants than any U.S. city. Javanese rice-farmers, Buginese sailors, the Balinese pedanda (Hindu priest), the Acehnese ulama (Islamic teacher), Jakarta bureaucrats, noodle-vendors, Minangkabau traders, Chinese-Indonesia shopkeepers, batik-makers, bankers, shadow-puppeteers, shamans, peddlers, marketwomen, and dentists are all part of contemporary Indonesia.

Indonesia's music is as diverse as its people. Best known abroad are the Javanese and Balinese orchestras generally called gamelans, which consist of gongs and other struck metal instruments, but gamelans are only one aspect of a much larger musical universe. Solo and group singing and solo instrumental music (typically played on the flute, shawm, plucked lute, bowed lute, plucked zither, or xylophone) are found everywhere, as are ensembles of mixed instruments, and ensembles dominated by instruments of a single type--especially flutes, drums, xylophones, zithers, or gongs” (folkways)

Click the link to get a taste of various type of Indonesian music.

”He said that one of the men, based on descriptions given by local residents, could have been Azahari Husin, a Malaysian bomb-making expert in the militant group Jamaah Islamiyah. Malaysian Noordin Mohammed Top, another suspected Jamaah Islamiyah leader, could also have been in the group, he said.” (The Jakarta Post)

I had Chipotle for Lunch and Dinner.

The McDonald own Burrito place had a extravagant marketing ploy sending everyone in my building a voucher good for two burritos. Not to be missed. Chatted the lady behind the counter and she told me they sent about 3000 of those post card voucher away.

It would have been a good day, except the water system in our building was down most of the day and night. Toiled didn't flush, no water on tap, nothing, nada. Electrical problem  with the pump they say. I had to take a night shower in a friend's place accross the street.

For the Burrito dinner, Mike used his burrito voucher and I tagged along. Predictably enough our conversation started with one topic but always ended up with girls. This time is dating. He's been a serial dater for these couple of months thanks to online dating sites he's been hanging out with.

I'm an Internet guy and ironically I've never tried those online dating sites before. Adam has and with great success. Me, I'm the pick up girl on a bookstore kinda guy (thanks to the Border nearby;location, location, location).

Anyway, I told Mike that if you go on a first dinner date, observe on how the girl eats. The less she eats, the more interested she is in you. People tend to be self conscious when they try to impress you, and this sometimes translate into a girl eating less because she doesn't want you to think she's a pig.

Maybe I'm just full of shit.

And our conversation just flowed on, trading tips in between munching of Burritos.

And he mentioned that I tend to go out with Liberal Arts, Granolla, Activists, Travellers girl. Not entirely true, but close enough. His are more 'traditional', whatever that means.

If I examine the common themes of the girls I've been with, they share these characteristics: smart, opinionated, free-spirited beautiful gal. It's the ones the Beatles wrote“And if you see my love, you'll love her too“.

Never fails. But I guess they picked me, still don't understand why.

But those are history, and never limit yourself with your history. Can do and will do :)

Anyway, I haven't gone on a date this month. Too much work (yeah, it's a lame excuse, but an empire builder gotta earn a living;or could be it that work givers ROI in the medium-long term than dating a girl).

Last month I spent time mostly with my open-relationship girl. Yeah, that kind of thing. It sounds cool, but trust me, it's more trouble than it's worth. It's so unpredictable (in a bad way) because when it is open, there is no rule, and the most of the time, a game is only fun when there are rules.

Ah, you live and learn. My only problem is that I can't make mistakes fast enough.

”WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that abuses by government-supported Arab militias in Sudan qualify as genocide against the black African population in the Darfur region — a determination that should pressure the government to rein in the fighters. “ (USATODAY)

And now, whatcha gonna do about it? Let's see if “never again” means anything.

”The bombing outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta delivered an unequivocal message. Australia is, for the first time, the clear and specific target of Indonesian-based terrorists. The Bali bombings of 2002, which killed 88 Australians, and the later attack on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta were directed at "Western interests" in general. However, the car bomb which exploded outside the gate of the heavily fortified embassy struck at the very symbol of Australia's interests and policies. Suspicion has immediately fallen on the regional extremist network, Jemaah Islamiah (JI), despite the huge security operation which netted more than 200 senior JI operatives after the Bali bombings. The attack suggests the Indonesia-based JI, or a similar splinter group, is still active and dangerous, creating real cause for alarm over the security of Australia's large expatriate community.

This should not, however, mean any deterioration in Australia's broader relationship with the Indonesian Government or people. Hundreds of Indonesians have died in terrorist attacks since 2002 and there is considerable support for tough security measures. Radical Islam is a tiny movement and Indonesia's majority Muslim population has long rejected the concept of an Islamic state. Australia's standing has certainly been affected by the loss of East Timor in 1999, which many Indonesians regarded as a humiliation. More recently, many Indonesians opposed the US-led war in Iraq and are dismayed by the demonisation of Islam in the war on terrorism. Australia's recent plans to buy medium-range missiles - which will put Indonesia in strike range - also provoked Jakarta's ire. However, there continues to be exceptional co-operation between Australian and Indonesian police and security agencies. The struggle against terrorism is a common cause. Indonesia's overriding interest lies in stability and regaining the confidence of foreign investors crucial to its long-term economic recovery.

The Jakarta blast is likely to swing Australia's election campaign away from the bread-and-butter matters of tax and health care and back to national security. The Prime Minister, John Howard, is consistently seen as a strong leader on security issues. His swift response to the explosion, his appropriate sympathy for the families of those Indonesians killed, and his Government's record of effective co-operation with the Indonesian authorities after the Bali attacks are all likely to enhance this advantage. The fear provoked by the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington before the previous federal election consolidated support for Mr Howard and his security policies.

While the bombing comes on the eve of the Australian election, it is even closer to Indonesia's landmark presidential poll on September 20. The frontrunner, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is an articulate, outward-looking reformist, who is far more comfortable with Australia than his rival, the incumbent, Megawati Soekarnoputri. Regardless of who wins, the election represents substantial progress in Indonesia's transition to democracy. This suggests good prospects for a maturing bilateral relationship, extending far beyond the co-operation forged through the tragedy of terrorist attacks.” (SMH)

”A huge blast rocked the busy Kuningan district area in South Jakarta on Thursday morning, with earlier reports suggesting that the explosion took place closed to the Australian Embassy.” (The Jakarta Post)

I started work at 6 this morning. I'll be done in an hour or so.

”To remedy the problems, he said, Intel is focusing on making sure different divisions are better coordinated and doing a better job of delivering products on schedule. “ (San Francisco Chronicle)

Project management problems causes delay in Intel's delivery of 4 Ghz Pentium. If an admired company such as Intel still fumbles now and then in project planning and deliveries, there is little hope for the rest of us, unless we rethink the way we manage our projects. And in order to do that we will have to go back to basic and rethink the nature of task.

The grind of Fall work starts again.  New hiring, new projects. Gone are the spare time used chasing skirts. The drama of Summer is finally behind me, leaving it with a mixture of sadness and relief.

”Although he was famous and the recipient of many awards, he spent most of his life as a "vagabond", travelling between scientific conferences and the homes of colleagues all over the world. He would typically show up at a colleague's doorstep and announce "my brain is open", staying long enough to collaborate on a few papers before moving on a few days later. Worldly goods meant little to him, and he gave away most of the money he got from awards or other sources to people in need and various worthy causes.” (Wikipedia)

A model for silverkey.

Going North, with a dirt bike, along the lake, be back with sun etched on my skin.

”Russian special forces returned the rebel fire, joined by armed locals — frantic fathers and uncles who, one general said, "got in the way." The first explosions were followed by more, until the roof of the gymnasium collapsed. Half-naked children, some burned or bleeding, streamed out of the school as helicopters directed fire at the building. Some terrorists escaped, according to police, after swapping their camouflage uniforms for warm-up suits. In the mayhem, one young woman who made it to safety, shocked and disheveled, wailed, "They are killing us all!"

By the time it was over, more than 300 hostages had died, and more may lie buried in the rubble. The massacre was the most ghastly episode in a terrorist spree that has shattered public confidence in the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had built an image as a leader whose uncompromising toughness could bring security to Russians. For more than a decade, the Kremlin has waged a brutal war to prevent the secession of the republic of Chechnya. But it has done little to defuse the lethal determination of Chechen terrorists, who Moscow says have links to Islamic fundamentalist groups, including al-Qaeda. “

(Time)

life's good and it smells roses.

I was hanging out with a couple of friends up to the early morning light of Sunday. We were talking about life and stuff like that, and one of my drunk friend ask “what's the point of life?”

Nothing. No one answered. Off course I opened my big mouth and answered “love”, and I saw head shook around the table, a bunch of 'nahs' being repeated.

Yeah, it sounds corny. Being young and cynical are suposedly cool. A friend quipped I said that I was lucky because I have more money, a nice place in the city, my own company, etc.

Yeah, I was lucky.

I had the golden opportunity to leave home when I was 13 and be separated with my family. Goddamit, they dont' know what they have.

But I don't know. It's easy to take cynical view of life. Life's a bitch. So many dissapointment and setbacks (oh boy, do I got the scars). You love and be rejected (ditto). You tried and failed (many times). You weren't good enough, loved enough, respected enough, cared enough, helped enough, supported enough, noticed enough (all the time).

So what?

Who you are is what you give, not what you take. So appreciate more, love more, respect more, care more, help more, support more, pay attention more. 

You don't have forever, so make the time you have  counts.

The Beatles got it right, all you need is love. It's the fuel of life. Love of country, ideas, humanity, experience, happiness, etc.

And behind every love is courage. You don't always see it, but it is the essence of love.

Anyway, this could be Jack Daniel in my blood writing, but hey, take it for what its worth.

”I'VE WRITTEN BEFORE that our immigration policy seems to be designed to hassle honest people while letting actual terrorists slip through. This would seem to be the latest example:” (InstaPundit)

”The high court in Malaysia overturned the sodomy conviction of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday and allowed him to walk free after serving six years in jail.

The decision, which took many Malaysians and officials in surrounding countries by surprise, was the clearest sign yet of a new era since the election of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi six months ago.”(IHT)

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