"UNKNOWN" FACTS

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate. I know some people like that!

A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.

A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2 by 3-1/2.

During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen in the distance.

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! That explains it!

Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver.

The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." There was never a recorded Wendy before.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.

By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

Sherlock Holmes NEVER said "Elementary, my dear Watson."

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing.

The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them. Not to mention the other drawback.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Basic techniques in dealing with people

1st Not criticize, condemn or complain.
2nd Enter honest and sincere appreciation.
3rd Awakening in the other person an eager want.


Six ways to people like you

1st If you have a genuine interest in other people.
2nd Smile.
3rd Remember that the name of a person is that the person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4th Be a good listener. Other encouraging about themselves.
5th Talk with regard to the other person's interests.
6th Take the other person feel important - and sincerely.


Win people to your way of thinking

1st The only way to get the best an argument is to avoid it.
2nd Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say: "You are wrong."
3rd If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4th Begin in a friendly way.
5th Get the other person say "yes, yes" immediately.
6th Let the other person can be a big part of the conversation.
7th Let the other person feel that the idea is his or her.
8th Try honestly to see what the other person's point of view.
9th Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10th Appeal to the nobler motives.
11st Dramatisieren your ideas.
12nd Throw down a challenge.


Be a Leader: How to change people without giving any offence or arouse resentment
A Leader's offer includes your employees frequently changing the attitudes and behaviour. Some suggestions on this:

1st Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2nd Call attention to the mistakes indirectly.
3rd Talk about your own mistakes to criticize the other person before.
4th Ask questions, rather than direct orders.
5th Let the other person face.
6th Praise the slightest improvement and praise any improvement. Be "in your warm approbation and lavish in your praise."
7th Give the other person a fine reputation needs.
8th Use encouragement. Make the mistake apparently easy to correct.
9th Take the other person happy to do what you propose.

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

1. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
3. Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
6. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
7. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
8. Practice making fax and modem noises.
9. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
10. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
11. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
12. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
13. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
14. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
15. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
16. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
17. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
18. Honk and wave to strangers.
19. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
20. TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
21. type only in lowercase.
22. dont use any punctuation either
23. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
24. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now."
25. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
26. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
27. Ask people what gender they are.
28. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
29. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
30. Sing along at the opera.
31. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
32. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

Bertatu dilarang

Oleh Idris MusaJIKA ditinjau dari aspek sejarah, masyarakat Melayu dahulu sangat menyanjungi adat resam, malah pada satu tahap menjadikannya sumber hukum dan kerana itu tidak hairanlah ada peribahasa 'biar mati anak jangan mati adat.'

Bagaimanapun, mutakhir ini adat resam semakin dilupakan, dek terkesan dengan gelombang modenisasi dan pengaruh budaya Barat. Cuma yang masih ketara di kalangan masyarakat hingga kini ialah dalam aspek kelahiran dan perkahwinan.


Bagi bakal pengantin, adat berinai masih diamalkan, sekali gus menunjukkan ia boleh bertahan dan meneruskan kelangsungan warisan adat resam Melayu, walaupun ada sesetengah pihak mengamalkannya secara sederhana.

Penceramah agama, Mohd Rani Awang Besar, berkata umumnya adat resam yang tidak bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam boleh diamalkan.

Malah, menurutnya, adat yang baik mencerminkan identiti dan warisan bangsa sesuai dengan agama wajar dipertahan serta diamalkan.

"Berinai pada dasarnya adalah harus dan tidak menjadi kesalahan selagi ia tidak menggunakan bahan dilarang agama dan tidak menyerupai kaum bukan Islam.

"Tidak mengapa setakat berinai pada jari, asalkan jangan berlebih-lebihan membawa kepada bahagian lain, seperti tapak tangan sehingga menyerupai kaum bukan Islam," katanya.

Beliau menegaskan, Rasulullah s.a.w melarang umatnya menyerupai kaum bukan Islam dalam amalan kehidupan, sebagaimana dijelaskan dalam satu hadis bermaksud:

"Sesiapa yang menyerupai satu kaum maka ia tergolong dalam kumpulan mereka." (Hadis riwayat Abu Daud)

Kata bidalan ada berbunyi 'hidup bersendikan adat, adat bersendikan hukum, hukum bersendikan kitabullah.' Ini menunjukkan orang Melayu turut menekankan prinsip agama dalam mengamalkan adat resam.

Mohd Rani berkata, adat yang tidak ada percanggahan dengan hukum agama boleh diteruskan, tetapi dilarang sama sekali meniru pengaruh budaya asing secara melulu tanpa memikirkan akibatnya.

Jika berinai itu satu adat resam Melayu dan hukumya boleh dilakukan selagi tidak terkeluar daripada lunas Islam, apakah hukumnya perbuatan membuat ukiran pada tangan, lengan dan anggota badan yang lain atau lebih tepat bertatu?

"Berinai itu dibolehkan kerana tidak menyerupai kaum bukan Islam dan selagi ia menggunakan bahan dibenarkan agama, manakala membuat ukiran atau tatu itu haram hukumnya, kerana ia meniru budaya agama lain," katanya.

Dalam hadis riwayat Thabrani, Rasulullah s.a.w melaknat perempuan yang membuat tatu dan minta dibuatkan tatu, mengikir gigi dan yang minta dikikir giginya.

Tatu ialah tanda ukiran pada tangan, muka atau bahagian lain pada badan dan ia bukan adat resam Melayu. Ia adalah pengaruh budaya asing, sesetengahnya baik lelaki mahupun wanita membuat tatu pada bahagian badan mereka.

Bagi mendapatkan tatu, kulit badan biasanya dicucuk dengan jarum atau seumpamanya sehingga keluar darah, kemudian ditabur di atas badan yang dicucuk jarum itu dengan nila atau lain-lain bahan supaya tempat itu menjadi biru atau seumpamanya.

Tujuan bertatu biasanya kerana suka-suka untuk tujuan perhiasan, malah tidak kurang yang melakukannya kerana amalan budaya dalam suku kaum mereka dan melambangkan persembahan agama seperti orang Kristian mengukir lambang salib pada bahagian badan mereka.

Perbuatan itu termasuk juga mengubah ciptaan Allah dan ia adalah haram. Banyak hadis menerangkan Allah dan Rasul-Nya melaknat orang yang melakukan tatu.

"Daripada Ibnu Umar radhiallahu 'anhuma sesungguhnya Rasulullah s.a.w melaknat perempuan yang menyambung rambutnya, yang minta disambungkan, yang menyucuk kulit badan dengan jarum (bertatu) dan yang minta dibuatkan tatu." (Hadis riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)

Pensyarah Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), Zaharuddin Abd Rahman, dalam tulisannya menegaskan, perbuatan yang buruk itu menjadi semakin besar pengharamannya apabila ia dilakukan dengan menyeksa dan menyakiti badan, iaitu dengan menusuk-nusuk jarum pada badan orang yang ditatu itu.

"Semua ini menyebabkan laknat, baik terhadap yang mentatu atau orang yang minta ditatu," katanya.

Fatwa dikeluarkan kerajaan Brunei menjelaskan, bagi golongan terbabit (yang melakukan tatu) wajib menghilangkan kesan tatu itu jika diperoleh cara yang selamat dan tidak memudaratkannya.

"Jika tidak dapat dihilangkannya dengan apa juga cara, tidaklah mengapa yang tinggal (dari kesan tatu itu), bolehlah dia melakukan ibadat seperti sembahyang sebagaimana orang Islam yang lain bersembahyang."

Perkara ini sesuai dengan firman Allah dalam surah al-Baqarah, ayat 286, bermaksud: "Allah tidak memberati seseorang melainkan apa yang terdaya olehnya. Ia mendapat pahala kebaikan diusahakannya dan ia menanggung dosa kejahatan diusahakannya.."