Merry X'Mas and Happy New Year

I am not able to verify if this message is indeed written by RAJA ZARITH IDRIS, the Sultanah of Johore.  I received it via an email from a Singaporean friend.

But there is one thing for sure.  If you read the philosophy shared here, it will make you very proud just thinking that it is written by one of your countryman.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"

From My InBox:

MESSAGE FROM THE SULTANAH OF JOHORE   RAJA ZARITH IDRIS (Sultanah of Johore)   Season of goodwill MIND MATTER  by RAJA ZARITH IDRIS (Sultanah of Johore) If Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Isa (Jesus), a prophet respected and revered in Islam, is it so wrong to wish a blessed day for those who celebrate it? DURING the days before Christmas last year, I wished my friends who were celebrating it "Merry Christmas" in much the same way they would wish me "Selamat Hari Raya" or "Happy Eid". I find it rather sad that such a simple greeting – one which I grew up with and which I have never regarded as something that would compromise or de-value my own faith – is now regarded as something so religiously incorrect for us Malaysian Muslims. When I was at boarding school in England , I had to go to church every Sunday because it was part of the rules. My father advised me to consider it as part of my "education" and he had no doubt that the experience would strengthen rather than weaken my own faith. I was able to see the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. I learned more than the average Malaysian Muslim would about Christianity. I learnt that just as we Muslims categorise ourselves according to the four different schools of thoughts of the four Imams (Imam Malik, Imam Al Shafi, Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ahmad Abn Hambal) and are either Sunnis or Shias, so Christians too are divided into different sects or churches. Going to church did not make me less of a Muslim when I was a young girl, and neither does saying "Merry Christmas" make me less of a Muslim now. My faith has not been shaken just because I wished some friends a time of joy with their families. Neither will I suddenly suffer from amnesia and forget what my religion is. What I do not wish to forget, however, is that there are good, kind people who are not of the same faith as me. As Harun Yahya, the Turkish writer (he was selected last year as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Isla mic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan ) noted: "Islam is a religion of peace, love and tolerance". Today, however, some circles have been presenting a false image of Islam, as if there were conflict between Islam and the adherents of the two other monotheistic religions. Yet Islam's view of Jews and Christians, who are named `the People of the Book' in the Quran, is very friendly and tolerant. "This attitude towards the People of the Book developed during the years of the birth of Islam. At that time, Muslims were a minority, struggling to protect their faith and suffering oppression and torture from the pagans of the city of Mecca . Due to this persecution, some Muslims decided to flee Mecca and shelter in a safe country with a just ruler. The Prophet Muhammad told them to take refuge with King Negus, the Christian king of Ethiopia . The Muslims who followed this advice found a very fair administration that embraced them with love and respect when they went to Ethiopia . King Negus refused the demands of the pagan messengers who asked him to surrender the Muslims to them, and announced that Muslims could live freely in his country. "Such attitudes of Christian people that are based on the concepts of compassion, mercy, modesty and justice, constitute a fact that God has pointed out in the Quran." I do not wish to be a self-centred Muslim who expects friends of other faiths to wish me Selamat Hari Raya or, for those who are not Malaysians and therefore do not know about Hari Raya, a Happy Eid and yet do not return their goodwill when it is Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Vesak Day. Every year, friends who are Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs or those without any faith come to our home to celebrate Hari Raya with us. They do so with sincerity and as a mark of respect for one of the most important days in the Muslim calendar. Why should we not reciprocate their kindness, show them the same mark of respect for their religion and wish them the same joy on their holy days of celebration? An Islamic scholar and lecturer also reminded me that as Muslims we must remember the importance of both the five Pillars of Islam and in the six Pillars of Iman (Faith), which are:Belief in Allah; Belief in the angels; Belief in the revealed Books (which include the Bible, the Torah and the Holy Quran); Belief in the Prophets (May Peace be Upon Them); Belief in the Resurrection and the events of Kiamah, the Day of Judgement; and Belief in the predestination (Qada' and Qadar) by Allah in all things. The prophets include not just Muhammad (May Peace Be Upon Him) as the last prophet and as the Messenger of Islam, but also in the 24 earlier ones who are mentioned in both the Bible and the Quran. Four of them are Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Daud (David), and Isa (Jesus). So, if Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Isa (Jesus), a prophet respected and revered in Islam, is it so wrong to wish a blessed day for those who celebrate it? We are now in the second decade of the 21st century. Surely, we should, now more than ever, be far more enlightened at a time when information of any sort and of all kinds are so readily available to us. What is most important is that we regard one another as fellow citizens and treat each other with respect, regardless of our race or religion. The writer is Royal Fellow, School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and holds a BA (Honours) degree in Chinese Studies, University of Oxford . [The writer is also the current Sultanah of Johor]

Single handed Inspiration

Need to motivate your children to pick up playing a musical instrument?  Let them watch this video.  It may encourage them to do more.

From My InBox:

Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to birth

Watch how a baby is formed in the womb, right from the egg and sperm stage.

From My InBox:

Newest MRI x-ray scanning technology won its two inventors the Nobel Peace Prize.

Starting my weekend...

Obviously my friends want me to start my weekend laughing, reading my "office" mails.

From the Laughter Club

"Morning Sex "

She was standing in the kitchen, preparing our usual
soft-boiled eggs and toast for breakfast,
Wearing only The 'T' shirt that she normally slept in.
As I walked in, almost awake, she turned to me and said softly,
"You've got to make love to me this very moment!"
My eyes lit up and I thought, "I am either still dreaming or
This is going to be my lucky day!"
Not wanting to lose the moment, I embraced her and then Gave it my
all; right there on the kitchen table.
Afterwards she said, "Thanks," and returned to the stove,
Her T-shirt still around her neck.
Happy, but a little puzzled, I asked,

"What was that all about?"

She explained,

"The egg timer's broken."

A camping he will go

Four guys have been going to the same fishing trip for many years.
Two days before the group is to leave, Ron's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going.
Ron's mates are very upset that he can't go, but what can they do.

Two days later the three mates get to the camping site only to find Ron sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and dinner cooking on the fire.
"Shit Ron, how long you been here?
How did you talk your missus into letting you go ?"

"Well, I've been here since last night. After dinner at home yesterday evening, I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, 'Guess who ?'"

I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing sexy brand new lingerie. She said had been reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and she had a devilish look in her eyes!!!
She took my hand and led me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over.
On the bed she had handcuffs, and ropes!

She told me to tie her up and cuff her to the bed, so I did.

And then she said, "Do whatever you want."

So . . . . here I am !

THE MEDIUM

In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the Mystic
delivered grave news:

"There's no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just be blunt. Prepare
yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible
death this year."

Visibly shaken, Laura stared at the woman's lined face, then at the
single flickering candle, then down at her hands.

She took a few deep breaths to compose herself and to stop her mind
racing. She simply had to know.

She met the Fortune Teller's gaze, steadied her voice and asked, "Will
I be acquitted?"

Kick start your business

Who's that at my door?  Let me check my mobile phone… Oh, that's me dreaming that I have DoorBot, that Wi-Fi-connected "doorbell" thingy, installed in my house.

Design think tank Edison Junior broadcasted at kickstarter.com that they needed USD250,000 to start the production but by September 22, 2012 they have reached their million dollars mark.  Don’t believe me?  See for yourself at KickSstarter.

Crowdfunding is the way to go for creative inventors when they need the capital to start their venture. 

I picked this up from reading gizmag

WHEN I SAY I'M BROKE - I'M BROKE!

From The Laughter Club:

A little old lady answered a knock on the door one day,
To be confronted by a well-dressed young man carrying a vacuum cleaner. 
'Good morning,' said the young man.' 
'If I could take a couple minutes of your time, 
I would like to demonstrate the very latest in high-powered vacuum cleaners.' 
''Go away!'' said the old lady. ''I'm broke and haven't got any money!'' 
And she proceeded to close the door. 
Quick as a flash, the young man wedged his foot in the door and pushed 
It wide open... 
''Don't be too hasty!'' he said. ''Not until you have at least seen my demonstration.'' 
And with that, he emptied a bucket of horse manure onto her hallway carpet. 
"Now if this vacum cleaner does not remove all traces of this horse manure from your 
carpet, Madam, I will personally eat the remainder." 
The old lady stepped back and said, "Well let me get you a fork and a bib smartass
'cause they cut off my electricity this morning." 

Looking through a window...

I tested this with the addresses of a shop in Victoria, Australia and one in Oregon, USA and it works!

If this works for you too, you won't have to miss your friends or relatives, who live overseas, as you can take a peek at the environment they live in.

I think that this is also a great way to find out if the address someone gives you does exit.  What do you think?

From My InBox:

This is quite astonishing. How "they" do it is mind boggling. Makes you wonder what is happening that we don't know about. The picture of your house (as in Google maps) may not be its best aspect, but how "they" are able to get it up so quickly is astonishing!! The originators of this is a group called Pusher. Pusher is a digital creative agency with offices in Sydney and Brisbane.

Just type in your address or any family/friend's addresses and look through the window at the snow falling on your home today.  
 
Click below to get something for Christmas you won't get anywhere else. 
 
http://www.pusher.com.au/clients/pusher-christmas-2011