my desk, sketched in tempe, on september 13th, 2008*)

Clutter, clutter
we adore thee
sign of life and liberty
jumbly-muddly topsy turvy (more…)

When I was little, I always dreamed of flying. I wanted to see the earth from above. I dreamed of seeing the cloud closely. I read that book Around the World in 80 Days and thought that someday I’d fly around the world, too. Of course, just like most lower class Indonesians, I didn’t have a chance to fly when I was a kid. I flew for the first time in 1996, for free. The I flew again once in 1997 and nothing happened in 1998. My academic flight started in 1999, with a trip to Taiwan funded by TungHai University — that was my first academic trip. Then second one was in summer 2000 with a trip funded by the National University of Singapore, to Singapore of course. I came there as perhaps the youngest conference presenter. I was so happy! Little did I know that I’d speak at conferences regularly after that.

2001 marked the beginning of my academic jet-setting, with the first big trip across more than one-third of the globe to the Netherlands. And since then, I’ve been flying for free for more than 160 times! (Yes, I did try to count it — in August 2007, it was 157 times, but perhaps I missed some flights). (more…)

Sometime ago, commenting in someone’s blog to answer a question ‘why i blog?’, i wrote ‘i blog to exist’. Does that sound that I was making a joke? No way, Jose.

Of course I exist even when I do not blog. I have a physical body. People can see me, they can touch me. But existence is a relative thing. Your existence isn’t something that is always related to your material/physical being. (more…)

Can we talk about non-ness without nonsense?
Can you be nonscientific and yet be rational?
Can you be rational and non-utilitarian?
Is there intellectual space for non-evidential knowledge?
Can technology close intellectual space for alternatives to technology?
Can we open a self-sustaining space for interactions of systems of knowledge?
Can story-tellers capture reality better than scientists? (more…)

…after finished writing my previous posting on “Changing” (hey, go read it before reading this one, yes, you… go!!) I was contemplating a bit about ‘change’… so here is my unorganized thoughts on it…. and yes, also showing my usual attempts to create not-so-inspiring quotes on “change”….. enjoy! or unenjoy!

Many people make changes because they want something better, something more meaningful. But the problem is life itself is constantly changing and might as well the meaning, purposes, and goals of life are changing too. So, in the end, “you have to constantly change your change!” As for me, “every time I find a meaning of life, somebody changes it!”
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There are many successful people in the world — though not as many as those who are unsuccessful :D. A successful politician, a successful writer, a successful artist, a successful CEO, et cetera et cetera. Most of these people are labeled successful because either they have become famous for what they do or who they are, they have become super rich, they work is highly recognized, and they have reached highly acclaimed status in their professions — in either international, regional, national, or sub-national level. Usually we don’t really asses whether they are happy or not and whether they think their lives are meaningful or not. Indeed, it’s difficult anyway to asses such intangible aspects.
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My friend Jennie always posts her quote(s) in her blog. So, I thought, why not I continue posting some of my quotes too as I did in the past.

The big difference between me and Jennie though, she always makes wise quotes, while I make not-so-useful (and silly) quotes! (more…)

Sixty two years ago, the so-called founding fathers of the Republic Indonesia, Soekarno and Hatta, declared the Independence of the country. And since then, in each calendar of Indonesian household, August 17th is marked as the most important national day.

Surely, it’s true that Indonesia has been independent for 62 years. The history books say it all. Indonesians have celebrated it 61 times. The flag, the ceremony, the fiesta, all always mark the celebration. And the national anthem, Indonesia Raya, is sung gloriously (three stanzas?). Yes, Indonesians do celebrate the Independence day.

But is it really independence day? (more…)

The commencement is around the corner and you still don’t know where to go? Perhaps it’s a little late to apply, but grad school is one of great paths to go.

These are 10 of 79 reasons why I went to grad school!

0. get funded to think, write verbose essays, and intimately debate about God, science, insanity, sex, politics, cow and democracy with your cohort!

1. build a path to a well-respected career where you’re paid for speaking nonsense

2. chances to travel around the world without spending any pennies
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“a butterfly”
photo by mer, dessert botanical garden of phoenix, may 14, 2007
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