Alhamdulillaahirobbil'aalameen

Today, myself and my good friend Aizal Kusyairi paid a visit to Low Yat Plaza to get my brand new system. I initially only asked the guy about RAM configurations... but Aizal being Aizal... he had to overdeliver... and instead came up with a whole PC configuration! Thank you very2 much bro :D

Reason to buy the PC? Well... lately I've been commuting from my house in Nibong Tebal to Penang (Island). Have to do this... because now my wife is pregnant (3-4 months)... so I have to be around the house to attend to her and also my daughter's needs :D

Due to these, I have to do the work in the lab (where my workstation is), and also try to get home in time to pick up my daughter from school (must bertolak at around 4:40pm the latest from Penang island to avoid traffic congestion). The major drawbacks however are twofold.

Firstly, I spend around 1.5-2 hours, daily, commuting... That time might be better spent writing MATLAB codes or coming up with my thesis outline or even a conference/journal paper. Secondly, the cost is quite unbearable, as the TOLL ALONE IS RM11.20 per day :( So, I think I need to station myself at home for most of the week. One solution is to buy a PC workstation, so that can work from home. The current laptop I have is a bit too slow (RAM pon 1Gig je...) to handle each 40,000 images per video file for my work.

So tu la pasal why I need to get this system. Bukan pasal mengada... but it is indeed a necessity :) Anywayz... what started as a memory related question (to Aizal) is now a full system with quite impressive specifications (tq again banyak2 En Aizal Cikaro):

1) AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor (Yes, I've gone anti-Intel again) - 3.2 GHz (8Mb Cache)

2) Asus AM3 M4A785TD-M EVO Motherboard

3) Crossair DDR3 1333 4GB (Pair) RAM
4) Asus LCD Monitor (VH222H) - with built-in speakers (quite ok the sound)

5) Western Digital Hard Disk (BLACK) - 1 Terabyte 7200RPM SATA

6) Cooler Master ELITE 334 PC Casing

7) SAMSUNG (kampung dusun) DVDRW SATA

And all of that, running on a Windows XP Pro... very2 de fast one :) Alhamdulillaah. The system is now in its final stage of installation (Microsoft Word, Antivirus etc.). This is happening as we speak (read for you and write for me :P)

Anywayz... Just to share a silly but USEFUL experience (as how most experiences are)

We faced a glitch whilst initially trying to power up the machine. Tried to switch it on after installing the CPU, heat sink, RAMs, hard disk etc. The LED light on the ASUS motherboard was on! But for some reason, the CPU fan was not spinning :( This was really2 really2 really2 not normal. Thought about many techie reasons e.g.:

1) RAM tak betul... maybe this motherboard only supported 1GB installations... Aiyaaa.... But if the RAM was the problem, the fan should still be turning

2) Not enough power form the power supply. But we were already running a 460 Watt Cooler Master...

3) Might have accidentally scratched the motherboard surface while trying to pasang the CPU's heat sink & fan

4) Motherboard was not original... suspected a 'rogol-ed' version :P

Lepas dah lama godek... I finally tried to unplug the CPU. Tengok2... we plugged in the wrong power socket to the motherboard. Dayem... We accidentally plugged in a 6-socket adaptor to a 4-socket... ended up karen tak masuk la! This is almost equivalent to not being able to switch on your PC, while the problem was that the power cable is unplugged. Lama jugak la we took to solve this simple thing :P This shows that sometimes (or sometimes, most of the time...), the answer is so simple yet we overlook it due to the other stuff that we have to do :D

Okes. Tu je kot. Tq for reading :D

It is as they say... the end of the month! :) Not actually the end of August, but the end of the salary a.k.a. GAJI month :) Supposedly, tomorrow is GAJI TIME!!! It's when all we govt. people (most of us lah...) will get our monthly salaries. So, for a short while, we are all 'thousand-airs'... For a short while, our bank accounts will be full! For a short while... we feel at ease because the Maybank2u.com ACCOUNTS DETAILS page is no longer like the image shown below (screen captured at around 3-5 minutes ago):

Anywayz... this screen will be no more cometh 2moro :)

Alhamdulillaah :D Money will insyaAllaah come...

But as it comes... it goes just as fast. It is normally on the same day we were made 'rich'... that we make others rich... and richer to the richest! These people/companies/parties owe me some thanks, because now they are on their respective yachts sailing the seas of the Caribbean!!! Maybe even stopping at the Anguilla Beaches! :P Anyway... they are:

1. Public Bank (Islamic) - I am buying my car from you
2. Pejabat Bekalan Air , Penang - Alhamdulillaah, aplenty water each month
3. TNB - Electricity people, you are thunder-clappily-rich!
4. M. Derafi Hassan - RM320 per month to you... for a very comfi. terrace house
5. Tahfiz An-Nur - Plz ajar Farhanah sampek pandai iya :D RM250/month
6. Maxis - RM60 sebulaaannn... Ananda Krishnaa... kasik la rebate buang 100-200?
7. Petronas (and sometimes Shell or Caltex) - varying amounts
8. USM - RM180 per month for Asrama... but USM is naik gila already. They will increase the rent to RM300 per month!!! Squatters!!! I call you now... USM ingat dia kasik kondo ka sampai nak charge RM300... kueng krong thip betul sometimes I think...
9. Tabung Haji - Ok... takpe. This one is my money oso. Cuz it is my savings :D
10. Takaful Ikhlas - I am making someone by the name of Ahmad Azal Afarouk richer by the month :D

And I believe, without even realizing, the list goes on and on and on.

Anyhow... I don't quite mind that much in making these people richer :) Cuz it's sorta like, I scratch yer back, you scratch mind kinda relationship.... But of course, I do more scratching lah. Hehehehe. But in all... it's ok :D

So tomorrow will be the day insyaAllaah, that the $$$ will come. And of course, it will also be the day that it will go... But takpe. Cuz in every coming and going... there will always be next month! Hehehehe... insyaAllaah that is.

Okes. Thank you for reading this point-less post :D Salaaam and Ramadhaan Mubarak to all Muslims :D

Assalaam aleykom and a very good day :) I want to write about fried rice today. Ikan bilis tumis-ed fried rice to be specific. In short, I would just want to talk about the recipe... :) Ok. Let's start.

I will firstly clean some anchovies (about one handful). I will take 3-cloves of garlic, one big red onion... and then put all of them (anchovies, garlic & onions) into a grinder/blender/pulser etc. What I basically want to achieve is a paste sort of thinggy... Once everything has been blended together... I will heat up my wok. Wok with Pyan :D

Anywayz... add some veggie cooking oil. When all's hot.. put the anchovy-garlic-onion paste in :) Stir and leave for a while. Then come back and stir... then leave. Then smell. Then if you think you need to... stir. But of course don't stir too much. Let the dayem thing COOK!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!! (ok ok, jgn naik sheikh for no reason).

After satisfying you stir-leave-stir-leave routine thinggy... break in an egg (or two). Make sure it's washed aaa. You won't want chicken shait getting into your paste :D ... Stir and mix and mix and stir until about 15-25 seconds. THEN!... Add in the (cooked) rice :D

Stir and mix and stir and mix. Do this until the rice changes color from white (the default color of the rice)... to whatever color the paste is. If you overcook the paste, then it will become darker in color. But if you add the egg earlier... then a lighter hue is produced. Anywayz... just stir and mix until the rice's color becomes the paste's color...

Ok. Add some frozen veggies if you like :) Then of course, stir and mix some more. Stir and mix stir and mix... that's the essence of nasi goreng right :D ... Finally... wait until it cools down a bit. Then enjoy!!! Oh... lupa pulak. If kurang masin, add salt :D

Assalaam aleykom WBT, and happy cooking.

(Attention: Kalau ada iklan2 pasal ajaran2 tak betul... mcm scientology ke... atau yg bunyik pelik2 tu, abaikan aje iye :D)

Two days ago... I was a bit late for the Zuhr prayers at the USM mesjid [sebelah school je, so kalau tak turun melampau aa :P]. So I masbuq-ed (late) 1-rakaah. Anywayz... as I was praying the last rakaah, and sitting for the final tahhiyat, a man in his 40-s wanted to pass in front of me. Of course, we are all taught that you simply cannot pass directly in front of someone who is doing prayers... right? I mean, it's actually a big offense (is it a sin or big sin tho? can anyone please confirm this...). Unless of course there's an emergency and there is no other way to go except in front of the praying guy.

Anywayz... I sort'a realized that the guy was contemplating whether or not to pass. After a few seconds, he made the decision to pass. And in being a polite Malay... he adopted the ever famous custom of bowing a bit (jalan tunduk tu... tanda hormat nak lalu depan orang.... apa nama dia ek?) and started to walk.

As I saw him starting move, I immediately put my hand out as a gesture to halt him from going any further. As a result, he stopped for a few milliseconds... I believe this guy (as well as many other Malaysians) was not familiar with people doing this. I mean, what is this guy doing putting out his hand during prayers....???

Anywayz... after those milliseconds passed, he made up his mind... he actually reached for my hand, and gave me a hand shake. Walllaweeehhh......!!!!

I shook back to release his grip as well as to to signal "No... I am not asking for your hand in friendship or brotherhood... I am asking you not to pass....". But undeterred, he shook my hand anyway and just passed in front of me.

This was a first for me. LOL! At first I was a bit shocked, but at the same time I understood that not many people know about things related to what you can or can't do regarding solat.

For example... you can gesture during solat... No problem with that... as long as it's necessary and not overly excessive. Even scratching an itch! Some people believe that you can't scratch as it would invalidate the 3-movement rule... But think about it... The concentration level would be better if that itch was gone right? (I actually asked an 'alim about this)

And also... People know that you cannot pass directly in front of others who are performing solat. But somehow, they believe that by employing the jalan-tunduk (the sign of respect)... passing in front can be done. This is a definite NO-NO! Jalan tunduk macam mana pon, you cannot pass in front of someone performing prayers. You either have to wait... or find an alternative path.

I see this phenomenon happening so very often in mesjids around Malaysia... mostly due to misinformation (self-misinformation that is :P) I guess. I'm not an ustaz or hadith expert for that matter... but I think we should try to educate ourselves regarding these matters... ya?

Anywayz... that is what I experienced :D Quite an interesting thing... But at the same time, it was quite a serious offense. Because it violates the adab of solat... and I think it really2 makes Allaah angry. Mostly, people do NOT know the magnitude of the offense, and that's why many don't mind doing it! And worst... many take it rather lightly :(

So... after this... for those who are doing it... DO NOT PASS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF PEOPLE DOING SOLAT! ... You can pass in front, but it must be at a certain distance. But never pass directly in front of his/her prostration area... as I think this is the limit!... (if this info. is wrong, please anyone, correct me...)

With all that being said... I sincerely hope that this the first and last time my hand gets shaken during prayers :) Shelamaat.

Some hadith I got regarding this from http://www.zaharuddin.net/content/view/726/89/:

"Ertinya : Sekiranya seorang yang melalui di hdapan orang yang sedang bersolat ini mengetahui apa jenis dosanya (lalu di hadapan orang solat) nescaya untuk berhenti menunggu empat puluh lebih baik dari lalu di hadapan orang solat ini, berkata perwai : aku tidak tahu samada Nabi menyebut EMPAT PULUH hari atau bulan atau tahun" ( Riwayat Al-Bukhari) [1]"

Ertinya : Apabila seorang kamu sedang solat dan mempunyai sutrah menghalangnya, dan jika tiba-tiba ada orang yang ingin mencerobohi hadapannya maka hendaklah ingin menegahnya, jika ia (yang ingin menyeberang) enggan berhenti, hendaklah kamu bersungguh menghalangnya kerana ia adalah Syaitan" ( Riwayat Al-Bukhari) [2]

* sutrah here... I think it refers to a divider sort'a thinggy... to indicate the area up to where your head lies when prostrating (sujud). If performing sunnah prayers, it would be good to put something in front of you... as I believe this is sunnah (some even say Wajib...). This could also serve as an indicator as to the limit of where people should not cross...

## But for those who know better, and seen that I have erred in giving these information... please correct me for I do not want to be the disseminator of false facts, especially pertaining to Islam :)

Today I have nothing to blog about. But I still have the urge to blog is there. So here goes... the blogging process will start now!

I checked my Adsense account today. For those of you who are not familiar with what Adsense is... it is basically Google punya way of letting people place text-based (and now they also have image-based) advertisements on their websites, which is (and normally should be) highly related to the website content. On this blog though, the ads are rather random, because the nature of this blog is random! :P So not that much targeted ads, and sometimes you can also see very2 improper ads as well (especially the Malay ones...). Anywayz....

I have just logged in to my account! And Walaweh!!! I AM RICH! I am an ADSENSE MILLIONAIRE!!! .... millionaire minus a few million, where the amount adds up (down) to.... 70-cents for the month of August :D Hehehehe. But aaaa.... this can be considered a "good" month as at least I have 70-cents this early in the month. LOL! :P Anywayz... 70-cents is still money. And Alhamdulillaah for that :D Alhamdulillaah for everything! :D

I think Google misplaced the decimal point lah. And they also forgot a few zeroes.

So, that is what I am blogging about today. Of course, this would not qualify as bragging, as 70-cents can only buy me half-a-plate of rice with some lauk-pauk in Penang. Hehehehe. Anywayz... that is my Adsense story. Salamaatz!!!

Assalaam aleykom WBT :) And a very good day to all... Alhamdulillaah, had a good drive today from Nib. Tebal to USM. I must say that the (almost finished) improvements made to the bridge has certainly made the traffic a whole lot more bearable for bridge-folks :) Used to be a crazy bottle-neck from the toll plaza entering the bridge, but now... just by adding one (or is it two? tak perasan pulak...) lane(s)... things seem to be clearing up :) I can even leave my house at around 7 a.m. and still be able to catch the "good-flow" onto the bridge.

Anywayz... Today's post is not about my drive or the 20-something-year old Penang bridge. It's about Miley Cyrus and her song... THE CLIMB :) And as you can see from the title... ada relation la pulak between M.C. and oso P.H.D. Hehehehe... what de relation? Okes....T'is like this...

Evertytime I hear her song on the radio (or on my phone. I know lagu bebudak... tapi ok gak apa melody dia :P) one part (the chorus ke? Ke apa ke ntah orang panggil...) relates to my current situation really well:

Ain't about how fast i get there

Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side

...

...

...

It's the climb.... Yea yea yea yeawooo yo yo ala gazambo and the rest...

So I think all PhD-doers can oso relate to what I'm relating to. If cannot? Okes, I will explain.

Actually... the PhD is not about how fast you finish it. Some tho, are genius enuff to finish before time (which is great for them! syabbas!). I have no rows with them. But just don't make that a yeard stick of the quality of the degree :) Don't be:

"I did it in 2.33-years! Wallaahooo!!!!"

... Or...

"Saya habis PhD saya umor 21 tahun awak tau dok.... [disusuli gelak setannn....]" etc.

And it also ain't about the DR that you're gonna get at the end of the journey... The Doctor of Philosophy is a great title to achieve, mashaAllaah :) But it all don't end there... T'is just a beginning :D Don't expect or be:

STUDENT: "Selamat pagi Dr. Takrom Bilaghlul"

...Or...

STUDENT: "Encik Mat Samid.... saya nak tanya...." [DR MENJAMPUK DENGAN GANAS]

The DR: "HOIT! What did you say? I didn't spend 4-years for some half-brained paramecium to call me ENCIK!" - ni exaggerate je ni... hehehehe. I myself will never do this insyaAllaah.

Someone once told me (A professor) that it's the training that we get during the PhD is what matters. How to do the research. How to get yerself into deep dung, and then get yerself out of it... and at the same time emerging triumphant!!! Yeahooo!!!! ... In short... sama macam apa Hannah Montana kita kata la... IT'S THE CLIMB!!!!! (Perasan tak, kalau buang 'L', jadik nama bank! HAHAHAHAHA! ok, iklan je tu...). Pendek kata, it's the journey that counts :) Tak sangka she can make a PhD song. Hehehehehe...

But of course, hopefully we get a good "travel guide". Some are fortunate enuff to get very2 good ones (DLYNN!!! AKU JELEESSS :P). But for the vast majority, most have to climb on their own. But nonetheless, it will be a good journey also insyaAllaah. Good guide or bad guide... the climb will be challenging nonetheless.

The main supervision that we need of course, is from the ALL MIGHTY ALLAAH :D Ask from him, and insyaAllaah all will be well.

Orait. anyway... itu lah kisah Miley Cyrus dan PhD :D T'is da climb MAT NABIL TAJUDIN!!!!

Salaam