Bubonic Plague called Dysentery

Couple days ago, few of my friends were sick because of diarrhea, for a couple of days. But after they went to see doctor, the doctor told them that they were having a disease called dysentery. Some people might called dysentery was just a mild disease, but if it not treated well, it can be fatal and will end up to death.

A legendary hero, a Saint who led the 7th and 8th Crusades, King of France, St. Louis IX was believed to have died from this bubonic plague, which called dysentery. King Louis IX died of the plague outside the walls of Tunis (Aug. 25, 1270), when he tried to capture the city of Tunis, Tunisia.

The Bettmann Archive

St. Louis IX of France, in a portrait by Jean Fouquet (c.1416-1480)

So, What is this Bubonic Plague called Dysentery?

Dysentery is a painful inflammation on the large intestine, it's usually accompanied by severe diarrhea. The principal types are amebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery.

Amebic Dysentery is caused by the ameba Endamoeba histolytica. The majority of persons infected with E. histolytica manifest no symptoms, or discomfort. They are called carriers because, although not apperently ill, they may transmit the disease to the others, through their infected feces.

In some cases may have mild indigestion and a slight fever. Weakness, nausea, vomitting, and abdominal cramps are usually present. Severe untreated cases may be fatal. However, it can be treated readily through the use of various medications, including diodoquine, oxytetracycline, and carbarsone. The prevention of infection can be accomplished by sanitary disposal of human waste, control of food and water supplies, also early detection and treatment of carriers.

Bacillary Dysentery is caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Shigella. Epidemics are likely to occur where conditions are crowded and unsanitary. The disease has played an important role in military history. The differs from the amebic form in that most cases develop rapidly, display symptoms consisting of violent, often bloody, diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomitting.

5 or more bowel movements an hour are not uncommon during the 1st day, and dehydration may result. Fluids must be administrated to replace those that are lost. In severe cases, solutions containing sodium and potassium are introduced through the veins. In milder infections, symptoms may be limited to 1 or 2 days of mild diarrhea. Bacillary dysentery is not ordinarily fatal. The preventive techniques used in amebic dysentery also apply to the bacillary form.

Taken from Encyclopedia International:
Amebic Dysentery by Jerome D. Waye, M.D.,
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical School, New York.
Bacillary Dysentery by Robert Woods Brown, M.D.,
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Fransisco.

Dream or Hallucination?

Have you been experienced a condition where your soul leaves your body? A real dream and not Déjà vu. The Javanese paranormal called it ajian ragasukma, or the act of body and soul. Although it was really dangerous things to do, but I have done it for several times. I'm not mastered on that such Javanese's paranormal expertise, due to I did it only for some purposes.

Do I have a 6th sense? Yes I do. Some people can master their 6th sense by studying, just like a magician, especially an illusionist. But you need an expert to guide you, if not, it will turn your mind to be unstable, or I may say crazy.

The 1st time I did this ajian ragasukma, was when I worked in Jakarta. My mom back home in Sidoarjo was having diarrhea for two days, and didn't get better after taking several medication. That night I talked with my mom by phone, I asked my mom to put a glass of warm water on the dining table. Shortly after, I place a glass of water in front of me. I sat on the floor and begun to meditate, closed my eyes and placed my right palm covered the glass. I imagined myself that I had already arrived at my home, and went to dining table and done exactly the same thing as I did with the glass in front of me. Cast a spell on the glass with a pray for God to give healing for my mom's illness.

Minutes later when I woke from my meditation, I felt that my body had already covered in sweat. Then I took my phone and told my mom to start drinking the water. In the next morning I called my mom by phone to ask what was she felt. She told me that it was getting better. I was not actually believed it for the 1st time, that what I'd done was really healed my mom. Perhaps it's God's will that healed my mom.

But what was happened with my 2nd experienced opened my eyes. I visited my cousin who just had a motorcycle accident, in his bedroom, in Magelang, Central Java, while I was actually in Sidoarjo, East Java. My cousin told me that he saw my arrival in his room, in the night after he got that accident, by phone couple days later. I was doing the visit in my bed just before I went to sleep.

Was it just my dream, or hallucination?

But then again back in 2004, when I was still in dating with my wife, we both were promised to meet again in dream after we have a dinner that night. What happened then was just really surprised me. The next day we both met, we were telling the same dream that we both had last night. What have I done? Before went to bed, I'm only pray to God, that if the Lord permits us, we will meet each other in our dreams.

So, what exactly a dream is?

Dreams, a series of images, thoughts, or emotions occuring in the mind during sleep, or daydreaming. In many primitive societies the dream state is considered a sojourn of the soul outside the body during sleep.

Fantasy and dreams may be considered irrational symbolic ways of dealing with reality, comparable to the use of myth and legend by societies. According to Sigmund Freud's book The Interpretation of Dreams, published in 1900, the confused, illogical, and contradictory features of the dream represent the attempt of a cencoring mechanism, to disguise and symbolize the unconscious contents, thus allowing sleep to continue.

Without this censoring mechanism, controversial thoughts and ideas might wake the dreamer, since direct confrontation with unconscious material can't normally be tolerated, and must be suppressed in the waking state. The loss of contact with reality, as experienced in the dream, resembles that occurring in psychosis, but the sane person realizes that he is dreaming, whereas the insane accepts his hallucinations as real.

You can plan your future, but you can not plan your dream before you went to bed

I never get used to remember the dream I had, after I woke up from my sleep, due to I'm a forgetful person. I had broke my own motto above, cause I can plan my own dream. A dream, in which me and my former girlfriend (my wife) had already planned before. Be careful with your dream! Cause it might be come true. Never stop dreaming! Cause nothing is impossible, if it's the will of God.

Click here to read the book on Amazon.com.

The term dream above is taken from Encyclopedia International by Aristide Henri Esser, M.D., Rockland State Hospital, Orangesburg, New York.
Image is courtesy of toonpool.com.

Something To Think About

Children Learn What They Live

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Copyright © 1998 by Dorothy Law Nolte and Rachel Harris

Click here to read the poem on Amazon.com

The Poem Copyright Controversy

a different version of the poem

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn . . .
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight . . .
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive . . .
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself . . .
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy . . .
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilt . . .
BUT
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient . . .
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident . . .
If a child lives with, he learns to be appreciative . . .
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love . . .
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is . . .
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice . . .
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him . . .
If a child lives with friendly-ness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live . . .
WITH WHAT IS YOUR CHILD LIVING?

Dorothy L. Law

TORRANCE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
2336 Plaza del Amo
Torrence, California

The Curse of Bandung Bandawasa

Javanese people really believe in mystical legend that have been told by generations over generations for century. In this case, the legend about The Temple of Thousands (Sewu temple, or Prambanan temple), in which connected with the curse upon Rara Jonggrang. I'm not telling you the story here, because you may find the whole legend of Rara Jonggrang in wikipedia, here.

Do you believe that this statue of Durga was not made by any human beings? Was it really Rara Jonggrang who turned to stone?

I do believe. It was really Rara Jonggrang who was cursed in turning to stone by the mighty Prince Bandung Bandawasa, a Prince who has powerful supernatural power. You should try to see and touch the statue for yourself! I have already done it, and I believed it.

The Sewu temple, also known as Prambanan temple, or Rara Jonggrang temple is located in the village of Prambanan, which its territory is divided between the district of Sleman and Klaten. I used to make fun of this two districts by saying them with an english spelling, the district of Slaymen and Clayton.

Km.16 Yogya-Solo St., Prambanan, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Just remember one thing! Do not ever visit the Prambanan temple with your love-mate! Even if you have already engaged with your partner, the another curse of Bandung Bandawasa may affect on you and your partner. Your engagement will be broken shortly after you leave the temple. If you eventually manage to get married, your marriage will not last long.

You must be a marriage couple or alone to be able to see the statue without having a curse spells on you! You may have believed it or not, it's all yours to decide. Because Prince Bandung Bandawasa also cursed all girls who lived around Prambanan, that they would not be married with a man who also lived around Prambanan.

The girls will be getting marry with a man who born and lived outside Prambanan. If a couple, both from Prambanan were managed to get married, their marriage will not last long. There will be a divorced, or creating an unhappy living family. Such a horrible curse for the girls who helped Rara Jonggrang, cheated on her impossible requests to Prince Bandung Bandawasa's proposal. A curse which should be carried by generations over generations.

*This post is dedicated to Prambanan's Kartini.

Happy Kartini's Day!!

Walking in The St. Peter's Square

Image from wikimedia.org

As long as I lived, the biggest hope for me is to visit Vatican. My mother always said to me, if you want to go there, you should have got a call from the Lord! The call of God? Would it means I have to become a priest? To become priest, we must have a call from the Lord.

Though not all priests able to go to the Vatican. My grandmother's brother, my mother's uncle, a bishop who blessed my marriage, was not on every month, or every year, he travelled to the Vatican.

The call of God? After all, if we are on the call of God, does that mean we are leaving from this world? Our duty in the world is finished! Though there are many our hopes that have not fulfilled. Walking in St. Peter's Square for instance.

What my mother had said to me, means that even if you already have enough money to be able to go there, it would not be achieved without the will of God, a calling from God. It is really true what has said by my mother. Although we already have enough money, we will never be satisfied with what we have been gained. We will forget all of our hopes of the beginning.

But I will never forget! One day I would stand in St. Peter's Square and carry the flag of Indonesia, to receive a blessing from the highest Catholic leader.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Intelligence has been defined in many diferrent ways, and writers on the topics are still in wide disagreement. The term was used synonymously with intellect, which was defined as the faculty or capacity of knowing. Most definitions of intelligence emphasize certain capacities as basic to general intelligence.

The 3 most often mentioned are the ability to learn, the ability to educe relations (abstract reasoning ability), and the ability to profit from experience. A 4th capacity is frequently added, the ability to envisage and solve problems. Also a variety of capacities which in one way or another, enable the individual to cope effectively with his environment.

According to Charles Edward Spearman's Bifactor Theory, which all intellectual ability may be expressed as a result of the operation of 2 factors. A general intellectual factor which is common to all abilities. The other is a specific factor which is specific to any particular ability, but different in every case. The specifics tend to cancel each other, so that in the long run most of what accounts for an individual's intellegence is determined by general.

On the contrary, according to L. L. Thurstone's Multifactor Theory, intellegence is not determined primarily by a singel general factor, but by a variable number of similiarly broad factors. Each of these is important in certain respects, and all are considered necessary to account for different encountered in the performance of individuals on different kinds of intellegence tests. Thurstone's factors are construed as aspects, or components of mental function, corresponding in a rough way to different kinds of sensation (vision, touch, and the like).

While intellectual ability can't be localized in any specific part of the brain, effective mental functioning depends upon the intactness of the brain as a whole. Recognition of this fact once gave rise to the belief, that intellegence could be correlated with the size of the brain. This has proved incorrect.

What has been found is that individuals with markedly undersized brains (technically known as microcephalic brains, less than 750 grams) turn out to be mental defectives. However, brains above the average weight (1,400 grams for males) are not related to higher level of intellegence.

An intellegence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.

Howard Gardner
Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)

According to Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory, he claimed that an individual has 9 intelligences:

1. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence
   A developed verbal skills, words, spoken or written ability. An individual with verbal-linguistic intelligence is managed to learn foreign languages very easily, due to they have high verbal memory and recall.
2. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence
   The ability of logic, abstractions, reasoning and numbers. An individual with mathematical-logical intelligence is able to recognize abstract patterns, doing scientific thinking or an investigation, and having the ability to perform complex calculations.
3. Musical Intelligence
   Having the sensitivity to rhythm, pitch, meter, tone, melody or timbre. An individual with musical intelligence is able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music.
4. Visual Spatial Intelligence
   The ability with spatial judgment and to visualize with the mind's eye. An individual with visual spacial intelligence is able to visualize accurately and abstractly.
5. Body Kinesthetic Intelligence
   Having a sense of timing, and clear sense of the goal of a physical action. An individual with body kinesthetic intelligence is able to train responses, more reflexes actions, control body movements and handle objects skillfully.
6. Interpersonal Intelligence
   The ability to interact with others. An individual with interpersonal intelligence is characterized by his sensitivity to other's moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations. Having the ability to persuade and to motivate others.
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence
   A philosophical and critical thinking. Having the ability with introspective and self-reflective capacities. An individual with intrapersonal intelligence is able to predict his own reactions or emotions.
8. Naturalistic Intelligence
   The ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature. An individual with naturalistic intelligence is sometimes having a career as naturalist, farmer, or gardener.
9. Existential Intelligence
   The ability to contemplate phenomena, or questions beyond sensory data, such as the infinite and infinitesimal. An individual with existential intelligence may choose to become a priest, or philosopher as his calling, or career.

Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner

Click here to buy book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner from Amazon.

The term Intelligence is taken from Encyclopedia International book 9 page 331 by David Wechsler, New York University College of Medicine.

Cat's in The Cradle

A fruit fell never far from its tree. An original song from Harry Chapin that sung again by Ugly Kid Joe really reminds me. Ugly Kid Joe is one of my favorite band when I was a teenage. If you are a father and have a son, perhaps you should read below lyric from the song Cats in The Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe.

My child arrived just the other day.
Came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
He was talking before I knew it.
And as he grew, he said, I'm gonna be like you, Dad. You know I'm gonna be like you.

Chorus:
And the cats in the cradle, and the silver spoon.
Little boy blue, and the man in the moon.
When you coming home?
Son, I don't know when, we'll get together then. You know we'll have a lot of good time then.

Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
He said, Thanks for the ball, Dad.
Come on! Lets play!
Could you teach me to throw?,
I said, Not today, I got a lot to do.
He said, That's okay!
And he walked away, and he smiled, and he said,
You know, I'm gonna be like him, yeah. You know, I'm gonna be like him.

Chorus

Well, he came from college just the other day.
So much like a man, I just had to say,
I'm proud of you. Could you sit for a while?
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys. See you later! Can I have them please?

Chorus

I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I'd like to see if you don't mind.
He said, I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time. You see my new job's a hassle, and the kids have the flu, But it's sure nice talkin to you, Dad. It's been sure nice talkin to you.
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me. He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

Chorus 2x

What we can learn from the lyric, is to appreciate on what we have got. Our most valuable treasure! Your son in this case. If you are a father, you must love your son more than your love to your daughter, and pay more attention to your daughter's manner than to your son! What do you think then?

Photo : flickr.com

How Famous Junk Food Marketed to Your Children

Do your kids love McDonald's? My daughter loves McDonald's is not because of its toys embedded on their Happy Meal offers. McDonald's fried chicken and fries are what she loved most. Thank God my younger son is not following his sister habits.

All restaurant foods in my own opinion are considered to be junk foods, especially those which offers fast food products. It will be better for you to cook your own home made fried chicken, and fries from a fresh potatoes. You may then wondered? What are healthy labelled foods based on your own perspective?

Below infographic will tell you what are the benefits your kids get from McDonald's Happy Meal, despite of the toys they are marketing.

Though my daughter loved McDonald's fried chicken so much, but now her grand mother, my mom, is always paid attention on her. By providing a home made fried chicken for my daughter, which is more healthy, and delicious than any restaurants's fried chickens. The infographic above is courtesy of frugaldad.com

The Navigator Who Never Navigated

Henry the navigator (1394-1460)

Portuguese Prince and promoter of exploration. Though he never navigated, Henry more than anyone else inaugurated the Age of Exploration that produced such remarkable results in the late 15th century. For him, Portugal might not have undertaken its dazzling but exhausting leadership in overseas expansion.

Son of King John I of Portugal, and born from a British mother, Philippa. In 1415, young Henry participated brilliantly in the capture of Ceuta, on the Moroccan shore opposite Gibraltar. Henry later conceived the idea of exploring the sea route down the west coast of Africa. This would lead him to India, though he may not have seen that far ahead.

To finance the ambitious project, his father made him grand master of the well-endowed Order of Christ. In this role, Henry remained rigidly celibate all his life. At Sagres, near Cape St. Vincent, he established a center for exploration, gathering all the writings and experts available. Superstition and navigational difficulties slowed progress down the African coast, until one captain, Gil Eanes, pushed past Cape Bojador in 1434.

Henry had taken an active part in colonizing Madeira and the Azores, the islands of the atlantic, some of which had been discovered before his day. He also tried to buy the Canaries which, however, finally went to Spain. By the time Henry died, Portugal was thoroughly commited to the policy of exploration and expansion, that led to the voyage (1497-99) of Vasco da Gama, around the Cape of Good Hope to India, and the establishment of the first modern colonial empire.

Consult: E.D.S. Bradford, Wind from the North (1960).

Click here to buy book A Wind from the North: The life of Henry the Navigator by Ernle Dusgate Selby Bradford from Amazon.

Source Encyclopedia International by Robert G. Albion, Harvard University.

I'm Not Jesus Mommy (a Film by Vaughn Juares)

An interesting 2010 movie that you should see! Here is some of my review for you:

Kimberly would stop at nothing to have a child of her own. The world first successful human cloning project brings an unthinkable solution for her. Her husband, Bruce Gabriel was angry with her decision of using the infant from the project. Bruce leaves the house with anger, driving his car, then died in a car accident when he tried to reach Kimberly's phone call (one thing you shouldn't have done when driving a vehicle).

9 months later, a son named David Gabriel was the result. 7 years after David's birth, wars, famine, and natural disasters of every kinds have plagued the Earth. Kimberly struggels to survive her biggest challenge on raising David. Strange occurrences surrounding the young boy David, as he managed to bring back the dead mouse to be alive again.

Roger, the head researcher of the cloning project reveals that David was cloned from DNA taken from the Shroud of Turin, from blood of Christ. Is David is the Second Coming of Christ, or something else? Who is David's imaginary friend? You should see the movie for yourself!

If you're a Christian, or Catholic like me, my suggestion for you is to not take the movie seriously! Just enjoy watching the movie! It's really nice story with no special effect at all, kind like a drama.

Happy Good Friday !!

Revenge To Failures

Words of Wisdom by Dahlan Iskan

How do leaders deal with their failures? I heard that I'm always considered to be a cold handed man, always being successful person, or everything I've done were always worked well, if I was the person who handled.

Those assumptions actually are not entirely correct, I often also failed. In fact, I often lead a business, or a business unit, in which it lead to a total failure business. That's because no one had never been asked my failure sides. Generally people just asked for my success stories.

Actually I do much errors too. I also do lots of failures. But instead of giving up, I always learnt from my failure. I analyzed why it was failed. I felt very strongly that I should be able to bury all of my failures. I also should be able to get revenge to all of my failures. And then it will be covered with lots of success stories in the future.

Do not be afraid of making failure! As long as we want to learn from it. Do not despair! As long as we are determined to get revenge to all of our failures.

Words of Wisdom by Dahlan Iskan is taken from http://www.suarasurabaya.net/titiknol/

The Water of Life

The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy

A book written by J.W. Armstrong based on his own experience. He had childhood memory of his mother smearing urine on his face which was swollen from a bee sting. Just like my childhood memory when I got an eyeache. Read my post about it here...

I had over 30 cases of Bright's disease and other afflictions of the bladder and kidneys to advise upon, and in no instance did it take longer than from 4 to 14 days of urine fasts to restore normality, and a satisfying state of general health. (page 57)

J.W. Armstrong was diagnosed to be suffered from TB. After 2 years of unsuccessful medical treatment, in which doctor after doctor proved unable to cure him, he started doing urine therapy, and was cured within two months.

Urine therapy is an entirely drugless system of healing that treats the body as a whole. The only ingredient needed is a substance manufactured in the body itself, rich in mineral salts, hormones and other vital substances.

You may find it to be disgusting to take back into your body, something that your body is apparently discarding. Your own toxic waste. As long as you can beat yourself (dringking your own urine), and then you might able to defeat your diseases.

Some people may not find the urine therapy to be a benefit for them, but for some desperate people, it became the last hope on finding cures. The book was published by Random House UK on December 3, 2004, which has 136 pages. Click here to buy The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy book from Amazon.

Did you know that rabbit's urine is worth IDR 10,000 ($1 USD) per litre?

Would you believe it? A fertiliser price which is more expensive that a litre of gasoline in my country Indonesia.