Saturday 26 November 2011

Fwd: Announcement for Muharram 1433H

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hilal Sighting Committee of North America <info@hilalsighting.org>
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:41:35 -0800
Subject: Announcement for Muharram 1433H

Bismillaah Walhamdulillaah WasSalaatu WasSalaam Ala Rasulillaah.

AsSalaamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah Dear Brothers and Sisters,The Hilal was not sighted in Mainland US and Canada on Nov. 25, 2011G. Hence we complete 30 days and start Muharram 1433H on Nov. 27, 2011G. Ashoora thus falls on Dec. 6, 2011G in North America.

Please encourage your friends and relatives to become members of Hilal Sighting Committee of North America by clicking on the link labeled Register and sign up to receive Hilal Alerts. (It only takes a couple of
minutes and is free). You are also encouraged to take pictures of the Hilal and email us.

If you wish to unsubscribe from this list so that you no longer receive emails from www.hilalsighting.org (
http://www.hilalsighting.org/ ) please update your membership on the website or email info@hilalsighting.org
( mailto:info@hilalsighting.org ) with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Jazakum Allaahu Khayran, WasSalaam,
Hilal Sighting Committee of North America

Wednesday 2 November 2011

How Big is Your Love (to your black berry)?

The busiest and most important man can always find time for you if he's in love with you and if he can't, then he is not in love.
If you are in touch with your Black Berry all the time through the day, then you are not in love with your family. If you can not find time for your family, and with any reason you open messages in your black berry instead, then you do not care with your family matters.

Monday 10 October 2011

Best Result of Positive Attitude

You will never see your best results without positive attitude.

Friday 16 September 2011

Michael S. Hart Obituary

Project Gutenberg's founder, Michael Hart, passed away this week. Please read Project Gutenberg's  brief obituary. Funeral services are being arranged, probably for Monday September 12 in Champaign, Illinois

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Sabang-Merauke

Di penjuru nusantara Indonesia, kota Merauke lah yang paling pertama melihat matahari terbit setiap hari. Mengapa begitu? Karena posisi kota Merauke yang berada di wilayah paling Timur dalam wilayah negara kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Pada saat sore, ketika matahari terbenam, kota Sabang yang terletak di bagian paling barat, akan melihat matahari terbenam paling akhir.

Dalam upacara detik-detik proklamasi tahun 2011 ini, Bendera Pusaka dinaikkan oleh tim Sabang, sementara penurunan Bendera Pusaka dilakukan oleh tim Merauke. Semoga kesalahkaprahan membaca peta dari kiri ke kanan ini tidak menutupi semangat penting: Bahwa Bendera Pusaka harus berkibar selama mungkin, seperti matahari yang terlihat selama mungkin, dilihat dari mulai terbitnya di kota Merauke, hingga terbenamnya di kota Sabang.

Semoga kesalahkaprahan berpikir di negeri ini nggak menutupi semangat untuk jadi bangsa yang memerdekakan jiwanya. Termasuk merdeka dari pikiran korup.

Friday 5 August 2011

About Time to Excel in Life

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the musical genius, once wrote to his friend,

“People err who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to composition as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.”

By the time he was twenty-eight years old, his hands were deformed badly because of so many hours he had spent practicing, performing, and gripping a quill pen to compose his extraordinary music.

There is no such a thing such as 'natural geniuses'. All those extraordinary things happened in human history takes time to achieve. Mention great names you have in mind, and read their biography, and learn what they did in their life. They devoted their life to whatever they are mastering. And when people talk about life, implicitly they talk about time, because life is about time.

Some people think the result will come instantly. They read one great book, and they think tomorrow they will get the 'big result'. It simply cannot happen.

Read many books, write many pages. Do many small errors, and learn from them. Be patient and be consistent. Don't give up because of those errors. And don't give up because the result seem so far away or so high to reach. Be confident and be patient to take a ladder a day, by the end of the week you will stepped seven ladders. And if you pay enough attention to the process of doing it, by the end of the year, you are 365 ladders higher than those people who are expecting instant results.

Patience is not the same as not doing anything. Patience is about put your faith about the end result, however long it will take to get there. Patience is about taking those ladders every day. Do something every day, whatever it is you can do. Take that one ladder today to make you higher than anyone else.

Time to excel in anything, takes time, endurance, and patience.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Salah Belajar

Bagi sebagian orang, kesalahan yang dilakukan orang lain adalah bahan lelucon dan hiburan. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang tak pernah belajar, orang-orang yang mentertawakan kesalahan orang lain itu.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

A Conversion Program from Solar to Hijri (in Python)



In his blog, prof. Thomas Djamaluddin, a researcher in LAPAN (Indonesia's National Institute of Aeronautics and Space) posted a small program to do a conversion between a Solar date to a Hijri date, and vice versa. Here is the translated version of his program, written in Python programming language. The original paper of prof. Thomas regarding the program can downloaded here.

Hope this small program is useful.

def main():
    print "*** Calendar Conversion Program ***"
    print " Hijri (Islamic Calendar) <-> Solar Calendar "
    print " (Caution: There is the Islamic Date Line which"
    print " causes this calculation may differ about (+/-) 1 day)."
    print " 6 August 1991, 25 Muharram 1412"
    print " Calculated by T.Djamaluddin"
    print " Dept. of Astronomy, Kyoto University"
    print " Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606, Japan"
    print "*******"
    print ""
    conv = ""
    while conv <> 0:
        print "1. Conversion Hijri (Islamic Calendar) to Solar Calendar"
        print "2. Conversion Solar Calendar to Hijri (Islamic Calendar)"
        print ""
        conv = input("Choose 1 or 2 (0 to exit):")
        if (conv == 1):
            hijriToSolarMenu()
        elif (conv == 2):
            solarToHijriMenu()
        else:
            pass


def hijriToSolarMenu():
    '''
    Ask user to enter (assume valid) Hijri date. Calls
    hijriToSolar().
    '''
    print "*** Conversion from Hijri to Solar Calendar ***"
    print ""
    hd = input("Hijri date:")
    print "1. Muharram      5. Jumadil Awal    9. Ramadhan"
    print "2. Safar         6. Jumadil Akhir  10. Syawal"
    print "3. Rabiul Awal   7. Rajab          11. Zulqaidah"
    print "4. Rabiul Akhir  8. Shaban         12. Zulhijjah"
    hm = input("Hijri month:")
    hy = input("Hijri year:")
    (sd, sm, sy) = hijriToSolar(hd, hm, hy)
    smStr = solarMonthName(sm)
    print hd,"/",hm,"/",hy, "Hijri is", sd,"/",sm,"/",sy, "A.D.","(",smStr,")"


def hijriToSolar(hd, hm, hy):
    '''
    Converts a given Hijri date to Solar date.
    '''
    nhd1 = (hy - 1) * 354.3671 + (hm - 1) * 29.5306 + hd
    nhd = int(nhd1)
    nsd = nhd1 + 227016
    if nhd > 350721:
        gc = 10
    else:
        gc = 0
    if nhd > 393898:
        gc = 11
    if nhd > 430422:
        gc = 12
    if nhd > 466946:
        gc = 13
    sy = int( (nsd + gc)/365.25) + 1
    mn = round((nsd+gc)-(sy-1)*365.25)
    mn1 = 0
    sm = 1
    if mn > 31:
        mn1 = 31
        sm = 2
    if int(sy/4) == (sy/4):
        (mn1, sm) = leapYear(mn, mn1, sm)
    else:
        (mn1, sm) = ordinaryYear(mn, mn1, sm)
    if sy == 1700 or sy == 1800:
        (mn1, sm) = ordinaryYear(mn, mn1, sm)
    if sy == 1900:
        (mn1, sm) = ordinaryYear(mn, mn1, sm)

    smStr = solarMonthName(sm)

    sd = int(mn - mn1)
    return (sd, sm, sy)


def solarMonthName(sm):
    '''
    Given a month number 'sm', returns its corresponding solar month name.
    '''

    # Result
    if sm == 1:
        smStr = " January "
    if sm == 2:
        smStr = " February "
    if sm == 3:
        smStr = " March "
    if sm == 4:
        smStr = " April "
    if sm == 5:
        smStr = " May "
    if sm == 6:
        smStr = " June "
    if sm == 7:
        smStr = " July "
    if sm == 8:
        smStr = " August "
    if sm == 9:
        smStr = " September "
    if sm == 10:
        smStr = " October "
    if sm == 11:
        smStr = " November "
    if sm == 12:
        smStr = " December "

    return smStr


def leapYear(mn, mn1, sm):
    '''
    # Leap (Kabisat) Year
    '''
    if mn > 60:
        mn1 = 60
        sm = 3
    if mn > 91:
        mn1 = 91
        sm = 4
    if mn > 121:
        mn1 = 121
        sm = 5
    if mn > 152:
        mn1 = 152
        sm = 6
    if mn > 182:
        mn1 = 182
        sm = 7
    if mn > 213:
        mn1 = 213
        sm = 8
    if mn > 244:
        mn1 = 244
        sm = 9
    if mn > 274:
        mn1 = 274
        sm = 10
    if mn > 335:
        mn1 = 305
        sm = 11
    if mn > 335:
        mn1 = 335
        sm = 12

    return (mn1, sm)


def ordinaryYear(mn, mn1, sm):
    '''
    # Ordinary (Basitah) Year
    '''
    if mn > 59:
        mn1 = 59
        sm = 3
    if mn > 90:
        mn1 = 90
        sm = 4
    if mn > 120:
        mn1 = 120
        sm = 5
    if mn > 151:
        mn1 = 151
        sm = 6
    if mn > 181:
        mn1 = 181
        sm = 7
    if mn > 212:
        mn1 = 212
        sm = 8
    if mn > 243:
        mn1 = 243
        sm = 9
    if mn > 273:
        mn1 = 273
        sm = 10
    if mn > 304:
        mn1 = 304
        sm = 11
    if mn > 334:
        mn1 = 334
        sm = 12

    return (mn1, sm)


def solarToHijriMenu():
    '''
    Ask user to enter (assume valid) Gregorian date. Calls
    solarToHijri().
    '''
    print "*** Solar Calendar to Hijri ***"
    sd = input("Solar date:")
    print "1. January   5. May      9. September"
    print "2. February  6. June    10. October"
    print "3. March     7. July    11. November"
    print "4. April     8. August  12. December"
    sm = input("Solar month:")
    sy = input("Solar year:")
    (hd, hm, hy) = solarToHijri(sd, sm, sy)
    ddStr = hijriMonthName(hm)
    print sd,"/",sm,"/",sy, "A.D. is", hd,"/",hm,"/",hy, "Hijri (", ddStr, ")"


def solarToHijri(sd, sm, sy):
    '''
    Calculates a Hijri date to Solar date.
    '''
    if sm == 1:
        mn = 0
    if sm == 2:
        mn = 31
    if sm == 3:
        mn = 59
    if sm == 4:
        mn = 90
    if sm == 5:
        mn = 120
    if sm == 6:
        mn = 151
    if sm == 7:
        mn = 181
    if sm == 8:
        mn = 212
    if sm == 9:
        mn = 243
    if sm == 10:
        mn = 273
    if sm == 11:
        mn = 304
    if sm == 12:
        mn = 334

    y = sy + (mn + sd)/ 365.25
    if y > 1582.76 and y < 1582.788:
        print "Gregorian: Omitted"
        return None
    else:
        if y > 1582.76:
            gc = 10
        else:
            gc = 0
        if y > 1701:
            gc = 11
        if y > 1801:
            gc = 12
        if y > 1901:
            gc = 13
        ydn = (sy - 1) * 365.25
        if sm < 3:
            pass
        else:
            if int(sy/4) == (sy/4):
                mn = mn + 1
            if sy == 1700:
                mn = mn - 1
            if sy == 1800 or sy == 1900:
                mn = mn - 1
        nsd = ydn + mn + sd - gc
        nhd1 = nsd - 227016
        nhd = int(nhd1)
        hy = int(nhd1/354.3671 + 1)
        hm1 = round(nhd1 - (hy - 1) * 354.3671)
        hm = int(hm1/29.5306) + 1
        hd = int(round(hm1 - (hm - 1) * 29.5306))
        ddStr = weekDayName(nhd)
        if hd == 0:
            hm = hm - 1
            hd = 30

        hmStr = hijriMonthName(hm)

        # Result
        if hm == 0:
            hmStr = " Zulhijjah "
            hy = hy - 1
        if hm == 1:
            hmStr = " Muharram "
        if hm == 2:
            hmStr = " Safar "
        if hm == 3:
            hmStr = " Rabiul Awal "
        if hm == 4:
            hmStr = " Rabiul Akhir "
        if hm == 5:
            hmStr = " Jumadil Awal "
        if hm == 6:
            hmStr = " Jumadil Akhir "
        if hm == 7:
            hmStr = " Rajab "
        if hm == 8:
            hmStr = " Shaban "
        if hm == 9:
            hmStr = " Ramadhan "
        if hm == 10:
            hmStr = " Shawal "
        if hm == 11:
            hmStr = " Zulqaidah "
        if hm == 12:
            hmStr = " Zulhijjah "

        return (hd, hm, hy)


def hijriMonthName(hm):
    '''
    Given a Hijri month number 'hm', returns corresponding Hijri month name.
    '''

    # Result
    if hm == 0:
        hmStr = " Zulhijjah "
        hy = hy - 1
    if hm == 1:
        hmStr = " Muharram "
    if hm == 2:
        hmStr = " Safar "
    if hm == 3:
        hmStr = " Rabiul Awal "
    if hm == 4:
        hmStr = " Rabiul Akhir "
    if hm == 5:
        hmStr = " Jumadil Awal "
    if hm == 6:
        hmStr = " Jumadil Akhir "
    if hm == 7:
        hmStr = " Rajab "
    if hm == 8:
        hmStr = " Shaban "
    if hm == 9:
        hmStr = " Ramadhan "
    if hm == 10:
        hmStr = " Shawal "
    if hm == 11:
        hmStr = " Zulqaidah "
    if hm == 12:
        hmStr = " Zulhijjah "

    return hmStr


def weekDayName(nhd):
    '''
    Given an integer 'nhd', returns the name of the weekday.
    '''
    nhd1 = nhd - 7 * int(nhd/7)
    dd = nhd1 % 7
    if dd == 0:
        ddStr = " Thursday "
    if dd == 1:
        ddStr = " Friday "
    if dd == 2:
        ddStr = " Saturday "
    if dd == 3:
        ddStr = " Sunday "
    if dd == 4:
        ddStr = " Monday "
    if dd == 5:
        ddStr = " Tuesday "
    if dd == 6:
        ddStr = " Wednesday "

    return ddStr


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Sunday 29 May 2011

Shalat, Zakat, dan Rukuk

Dalam alQuran, surah alBaqarah ayat ke-43, tercantum:

"Dan dirikanlah shalat, tunaikanlah zakat dan ruku'lah beserta orang-orang yang ruku'."

Beberapa pertanyaan yang saya pikir perlu direnungkan:
  • Jika dilihat hanya satu ayat ke-43 saja, ajakan ini ditujukan untuk siapa?
  • Jika dilihat konteksnya, dari mulai ayat ke-40 surah alBaqarah hingga ayat ke-46, ajakan ini ditujukan untuk siapa?

Saturday 19 March 2011

Pernyataan PPI Jepang dan tautan Informasi Radiasi di Jepang

Sumber: http://www.facebook.com/notes/fithra-faisal-hastiadi/siaran-pers-ppi-jepang/10150120747727280

Tabel Daftar Radiasi di tiap Perfektur : http://eq.wide.ad.jp/index_en.html

SIARAN PERS


Pernyataan Sikap Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia di Jepang (PPI Jepang)
Perihal Pemberitaan Media Nasional yang Tidak Profesional Terkait Bencana di Jepang, Maret 2011

Berkaitan dengan bencana gempa di Perfektur Miyagi, Jepang, berskala 9 Richter yang disusul dengan tsunami dan ancaman radiasi nuklir, kami mahasiswa Indonesia di Jepang sangat menyayangkan berita-berita di beberapa media nasional yang dinilai tidak profesional dalam menyiarkan informasi. Kami mendapati berita-berita tersebut salah dan tidak sesuai dengan fakta sebenarnya di Jepang sehingga mengakibatkan
keresahan berlebihan bagi masyarakat dan keluarga di tanah air. Untuk itu, atas nama seluruh mahasiswa Indonesia di Jepang, Pengurus Pusat PPI (Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia) Jepang menyampaikan pernyataan
sikap seperti di bawah ini, meliputi peringatan bagi pers dan informasi keadaan WNI di Jepang secara umum.


Peringatan bagi pers

Menimbang:

1. bahwa kami banyak mendapati berita di media-media nasional yang bersifat berlebihan dan meresahkan. Berita-berita ini umumnya salah dalam mengungkapkan data serta salah dalam memahami konteks sehingga
menimbulkan misinterpretasi bagi masyarakat Indonesia.

2. beberapa contoh yang kami anggap fatal dari beberapa berita yang tersebar adalah berita bertajuk:
- "881 WNI di Jepang Selamat, 30.636 Belum Diketahui Nasibnya" tanggal 15 Maret dan,
- "Jepang Berusaha Hidupkan Kembali Listrik PLTN Fukushima" tanggal 17 Maret.
Keduanya dipublikasikan oleh salah satu portal berita nasional.
- berita pertama, walaupun kemudian diralat, dinilai salah dalam memahami konteks demografi persebaran WNI yang ada. Sebab, selain keempat perfektur ini, Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, Aomori, kondisi WNI
di lokasi lain tidak mengalami gangguan yang berarti. Angka 30.636 orang adalah salah konteks.
- berita kedua dinilai tidak mengindahkan kaidah jurnalistik sehingga menimbulkan kesan seluruh Jepang mengalami pemadaman listrik padahal kenyataannya tidak demikian.
3. berita-berita seperti di atas menyebabkan kecemasan yang berlebihan, terutama di tanah air. Salah satu akibatnya adalah Posko Crisis Center KBRI Tokyo banyak sekali menerima permintaan konfirmasi
terkait berita-berita tersebut, padahal KBRI Tokyo telah menyediakan informasi di situsnya.


Meminta:
4. kepada media nasional agar lebih profesional dalam berpedoman pada Kode Etik Jurnalistik (KEJ) dan Undang-Undang Pers. Salah satunya dengan menyiarkan berita secara informatif, berimbang serta diambil
dari sumber-sumber yang kredibel.


Kondisi umum WNI di Jepang

5. PPI Jepang menghimbau agar segala informasi mengenai kondisi WNI di Jepang dapat dirujuk melalui satu sumber yaitu Posko Crisis Center KBRI Tokyo. Silahkan merujuk pada situs KBRI Tokyo, Twitter @KBRITokyo maupun Facebook Kbri Tokyo.

6. bencana gempa, tsunami, dan meledaknya PLTN Fukushima hanya berdampak langsung pada perfektur-perfektur di daerah utara Pulau Honshu, seperti Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, Aomori. Sedangkan secara
umum kondisi di daerah selain itu, termasuk Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, di mana masyarakat Indonesia paling banyak berkumpul, dilaporkan aman dan tak ada korban.

7. KBRI telah berhasil mengevakuasi dan memulangkan lebih dari 100 WNI asal Sendai, Perfektur Miyagi ke Indonesia. Dan sampai saat ini, KBRI sedang mengevakuasi WNI lainnya di kota-kota di utara, seperti Iwate,
Fukushima, Kesennuma, dan sebagainya. Selengkapnya bisa diakses di situs KBRI Tokyo.

8. terkait ancaman radiasi nuklir PLTN Fukushima, berdasarkan pada hasil rapat antara KBRI Tokyo dengan para ahli nuklir Indonesia di Jepang tanggal 16 Maret 2011, dinyatakan bahwa ancaman radiasi nuklir
masih dalam lingkup kota Fukushima (radius 0-50km dari PLTN), sehingga tidak ada ancaman serius bagi kota-kota di luar radius 50km. Namun demikian, dilaporkan bahwa KBRI Tokyo terus melakukan evakuasi
terhadap WNI yang berada pada radius 0-100km ke Tokyo. Perlu diketahui, KBRI Tokyo berada pada lokasi berjarak 250km dr PLTN Fukushima. Selengkapnya dapat diakses di situs KBRI Tokyo.
Demikian pernyataan sikap ini kami sampaikan dengan iktikad baik menuju perubahan positif. Semoga menjadi peringatan bagi insan pers di Indonesia untuk lebih berhati-hati dalam menyampaikan berita.

Tokyo, 17 Maret 2011
Ketua Umum PPI Jepang
Fithra Faisal Hastiadi
fithra.faisal@ppijepang.org
HP: +81 9064762891