Wine 1.0 RC4 Released!

The popular Windows implementation for Unix has reached a new milestone with their 1.0 RC4 release. This brings them even closer to the anticipated 1.0 release sometime this year.

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Whya s trong foundation is the key to change

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey gives some timeless insights into living a truly effective life. The key is, before anything else, you must have a good foundation. This foundation is a ‘private victory,’ a self-mastery which comes before the success we aspire to achieve in our interdependent social environments.

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ingat 5 rahsia ini sampai bila-bila!

Saya akan dedahkan 5 sebab mengapa ramai orang yang
tidak akan menjadi kaya... dan bagaimana anda tidak
menjadi salah salah seorang daripada mereka.

Apabila anda tahu tentang rahsia ini dan buat apa
yang mereka telah lakukan, anda akan menjadi seperti
mereka. Sebaliknya, jika anda tidak faham dan buat apa
yang mereka tidak lakukan, anda tidak akan kaya.

Konsepnya cukup mudah tapi itulah hakikatnya.

Selepas mengetahui 5 sebab ini, hidup saya mula berubah.
Dan sekarang giliran anda pula. Berikut adalah 5 sebab
mengapa ramai orang susah untuk menjadi kaya dan
bagaimana anda tidak menjadi seperti mereka!

~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~=
Sebab #1 : Menunggu Untuk Bermula
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~=

Hampir semua orang tidak mahu menunggu untuk berjaya. Tetapi,
pada masa yang sama, mereka sanggup menunggu untuk mula
melangkah ke arah kejayaan.

Nampakkah anda masalahnya disini?

Lagi lama anda menunggu untuk bermula, lama lagi untuk anda
menjana wang, kejayaan dan gayahidup yang anda mahukan.

Ramai orang yang menunggu sehingga semuanya sempurna sebelum
mereka bertindak. Oleh sebab itu, mereka tidak akan bergerak
dan tidak akan mendapat ganjarannya.

Tiada perlumbaan yang akan dimenangi (atau diakhiri) oleh
seseorang yang tidak melepasi garis permulaaan.

Jangan menunggu untuk bertindak. Mulakan hari ini dengan
melangkah ke arah kejayaan.

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Sebab #2 : Ilmu Kewangan Yang Teruk
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~=

Kunci kekayaan terletak kepada pemahaman tentang aset dan
liabiliti.

Perbezaanya saya ringkaskan disini: Aset adalah sesuatu yang
masukkan duit kepoket anda. Hutang pula ialah sesuatu yang
keluarkan duit dari poket anda.

Aset : Wang masyuk
Liabiliti: Wang keluar

Ramai orang yang berfikir bahawa rumah, kereta dan harta
benda adalah aset mereka.

Tetapi, yang sebenarnya ialah hampir semuanya menyebabkan
anda keluarkan wang dari poket anda. Mereka MAHUKAN wang
daripada anda. Mereka tidak BERIKAN anda wang.

Oleh itu, daripada definisi diatas, semuanya itu adalah
liabiliti = hutang!

Bila anda mempunyai wang yang banyak MASUK daripada
aset yang sebenar daripada wang yang KELUAR untuk
membayar liabiliti, anda akan bebas dari segi kewangan.

Hanya terdapat satu cara untuk anda lakukannya. Dan ianya
membawa kita kepada...

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Sebab #3 : Fokus kepada pendapatan aktif daripada pasif
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~==~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~=

Salah seorang jutawan yang saya kenali pernah memberi
nasihat dengan selamba. Beliau berkata "Jika anda
tidak buat duit semasa tidur, anda tidak akan kaya."

Pendapatan aktif adalah gaji yang anda dapat daripada
bekerja. Anda bekerja sejam dan mendapat bayaran untuk
sejam bekerja dan sampai disitu sahaja.

Pendapatan pasif ialah anda bekerja sekali sahaja tetapi
terus mendapat bayaran tanpa putus daripada kerja yang
tidak lagi anda lakukan.

Dengan membuat pelaburan atau mencipta aset sebenar yang
memberikan pendapatan pasif kepada anda adalah tiket untuk
anda menuju kekayaan.

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Sebab #4 : Tidak faham atau tidak gunakan sistem menjana duit
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~==~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~=

Sistem buat duit ialah sesuatu aktiviti yang boleh buat duit
untuk anda tanpa perlu kerja. Dengan lain perkataan, ianya
satu sistem yang buat duit secara automatik.

Aset yang sebenar hanyalah satu sistem atau yang berkait
dengannya.

Selepas anda mencipta atau gunakan satu sistem buat duit,
tiada had berapa banyak duit yang boleh anda perolehi.

Dengan menjadi pakar kepada sistem duit akan membawa
kekayaan diluar dugaan anda.


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Sebab #5 : Tidak cukup sabar dan tiada keazaman
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~~=~=~=~=~==~~=~=~=~=~=

Untuk menamatkan apa juga perlumbaan, anda mesti memecut
daripada garisan permulaan dan mengikut terus sehingga
ke garisan penamat.

Ramai orang yang mencipta kegagalan mereka samada tidak
bermula langsung atau tidak tamatkan, atau kedua-duanya
sekali.

Untuk menjana kekayaan, berjaya dan hidup bahagia anda
mestilah mempunyai kesabaran dan keazaman untuk tiba
ke garisan penamat. Anda bukan sahaja perlu bermula,
tetapi mesti tabah mengharungi semuanya.

Bunyinya mungkin sudah jelas, tetapi ianya masih menjadi
punca kegagalan sesorang.

Sebab itulah jika anda sanggup menyertai 5 peratus
mereka yang mengikut 5 perkara diatas, anda mempunyai
peluang yang besar untuk menempa kejayaan dan kemewahan.

Ianya cukup mudah... anda perlu membuat keputusan untuk
mengikut perkara diatas dan lihat perubahan pada hidup
anda nanti. Tetapi, jika tidak, seperti kebanyakkan orang
lain anda tetap seperti sekarang, sama seperti dulu.

Inilah masanya untuk anda membuat keputusan.

Why I fired my secretary today

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A Honda on a Diesel Diet

HONDA has spent decades establishing a reputation for fuel efficiency. But nothing in the company’s current lineup, including its Civic Hybrid, can match the mileage of the diesel Accord that I recently tested in and around New York City.

Minus its diesel powertrain, the European-market 2007 Accord that I drove is nearly identical to the car that Honda had been selling in the United States as the Acura TSX. That Accord should give a solid indication of the mileage and performance American consumers can expect when Honda offers a diesel option for the redesigned 2009 TSX.

The Accord — a demonstration car provided by Robert Bosch, the German technology company, to highlight its fuel injectors and other diesel components — returned a remarkable 53 miles a gallon on the highway, 34 in the city and 44 in combined driving. Those miles included a bumper-to-bumper crawl through Manhattan, the worst possible conditions for fuel efficiency.

The model I drove was powered by a 4-cylinder diesel displacing 2.2 liters and producing 140 horsepower and a stout 250 pound-feet of torque — the force that drivers feel pushing them into their seats under acceleration. That huge torque relative to the engine’s size is a main advantage of modern turbodiesels, making them well-suited to small economy cars and to burly S.U.V.’s that need torque for towing and hauling.

The America-bound Acura will use a new version of the 2.2-liter engine that I tested. The engine is notable for meeting 50-state emissions standards with no need to carry an onboard tank of urea, an ammonia-generating solution that other diesels use to scrub smoggy nitrogen oxides from the exhaust. Honda’s patented pollution system generates its own ammonia to fulfill the same mission. While that cleaner emissions system wasn’t installed on the Honda I tested, engineers expect it to have no discernable effect on fuel economy.

As with other diesels I’ve driven recently, the Honda’s frugal highway mileage and versatile power are important advantages over the typical hybrid. The Accord covered the zero-to-60 run in just under 9 seconds in my testing, which doesn’t sound spectacular on paper. But its passing power from 30, 50 or even 70 miles an hour was terrific, as the Honda easily shot past slower cars.

And as more hybrid owners are discovering, their cars deliver little or no mileage gain on the highway. That’s because battery packs and electric motors add several hundred pounds, and the system also contributes negligible energy at freeway speeds.

Also unlike hybrids, which require drivers to go easy on the gas pedal, watch the speed limit and coast when possible to improve the mileage, the diesel Honda delivered brilliant economy with no special effort. Even spirited driving didn’t dent the mileage much. The Accord delivered 50 m.p.g. even during a 75-m.p.h. cruise and 40 m.p.g. when I flogged it like a Nascar yahoo.

The Acura’s only diesel telltale is an idle that’s slightly louder than a gasoline car’s, though it’s not at all obtrusive. There was no trace of diesel smell or black exhaust and except for the enormous diesel decal on the car’s side, my passengers would have been unaware that a diesel was under the hood.

I also recently spent a week with the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI sport utility, which will go on sale in January. That model, with a 3-liter turbocharged V-6, delivered about 25 m.p.g. on the highway. But the Audi’s mileage seemed more fragile than the Honda’s, dropping sharply in city traffic and in spirited driving. That was probably due to its sheer mass; the Q7 weighed more than 5,000 pounds.

Audi also demonstrates the performance possibilities of diesel with its exotic R8 V-12 TDI concept sports car, which I took for a too-brief test drive. That blood-red, all-wheel-drive Audi had a 12-cylinder diesel mounted behind my head, generating 500 horsepower and an astounding 737 pound-feet of torque. Audi claims the R8 will rocket from 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 m.p.h., all while delivering 24 m.p.g. Audi has not said whether it will put the car into production.

Balancing Your Money Mindset

How to make cash an asset to your marriage.
by Gary D. Chapman

Through the years, many of the conflicts I've heard in my counseling office have focused on money.

"I never know how much money we have because he won't let me see the checkbook." "All I ask is that she record the checks she writes. Balancing our checkbook is a nightmare." These are the kind of verbal spears couples throw at each other when they can't agree.

Most of our financial conflicts have nothing to do with how much money we have but rather our attitudes toward money and how we handle it. Here are some ways to make sure money is an asset rather than a liability to your marriage.

Gain a biblical perspective
The first step is to get a biblical perspective. Jesus said,

"A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). Many couples fail to take Jesus' words seriously. Instead, they act on the belief that more money will solve their problems.

No amount of money will make life meaningful. Life's meaning is found in our relationships—first with God, then with our spouse and family, and finally with others.

When we allow money to overly influence our decisions, we're likely to make poor ones. I remember the husband who said, "I moved my family halfway across the country against my wife's wishes. My motivation was a $50,000 salary increase. Two years later, my daughter is into drugs and my son's joined a religious cult. I've spent more money trying to rescue them than my increased salary."

Money was designed to be our servant, never our master. It's to be used to build our marriage and family and to honor God. Getting a proper perspective on money is the first step to solving financial conflicts.

Become equal partners
The second step relates to whether you handle money as partners or competitors. There's no room for competition in marriage; you and your mate are equal partners on the same team. Certainly one partner will need to pay the monthly bills and balance the bank statement. But this doesn't mean the bookkeeper controls the money. Together you must develop a plan for processing your finances. The bookkeeper simply follows the plan to which you've both agreed.

Consider the following plan: Give 10 percent of your net income to the causes of Christ. Save 10 percent for future needs. Use the remaining 80 percent to pay for housing, food, clothing, recreation.

Be sure to include some discretionary spending money for each partner so that neither has to ask for a dollar to buy a soda.

If either desires to make a purchase that goes beyond the budget, discuss it with each other, agree that it's a wise decision, and determine where the money will come from.

When couples object that they can't pay their bills on 80 percent of their take-home pay, I suggest two alternatives.

(1) Lower your standard of living. Most of us could live on far less, and in the process, deepen our family relationships. We don't need the most expensive cable tv service. We can drive our car four more years. We can do without name brand clothes and shoes. In short, we can spend less.

(2) Explore ways to increase your income. This may involve changing jobs or finding creative ways to make more money. If you're a stay-at-home mom, perhaps you could watch another child for additional income. One husband started a Saturday car wash in his backyard. Since his children were old enough to help, it gave him quality time with them as a bonus.

But if increasing income means adding more work hours to one or both of the partners, you must answer the question, "How will this affect our marriage and family?" Additional money that's accompanied by deteriorating relationships is a move in the wrong direction.

Money need not be a battlefield. If you both can't carve a workable plan, then reach out for help. Many churches have financial counselors and offer courses on money management from a Christian perspective.

Gary D. Chapman, Ph.D., author of Profit-Sharing: the Chapman Guide to Making Money an Asset to Your Marriage (Tyndale), has been married to Karolyn for 45 years.

Copyright © 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Marriage Partnership magazine.

Sungai Terah mempunyai kilang memproses sawit termoden di Malaysia

GUA MUSANG , Syarikat Ladang Sungai Terah (SLST), anak syarikat milik Perbadanan Kemajuan Iktisad Negeri Kelantan (PKINK) mempunyai kilang memproses kelapa sawit termoden di negara ini.

Kilang sawit yang membabitkan kos RM19 juta dibina di kawasan seluas 8.498 hektar dimula pembinaannya pada November 2004 setelah mendapat kelulusan Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB).

Ia dibina hasil usahasama antara SLST dengan Agropalm Sdn. Bhd. Kilang kelapa sawit itu dirasmikan oleh Menteri Besar, Tuan Guru Dato� Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat baru-baru ini.

Kilang tersebut mempunyai kapasiti memproses 20 metrik tan buah tandan segar sejam menggunakan teknologi third generation modipalm mill melalui konsep continuous sterilisation dan pendekatan automasi.

Menteri Besar berkata, beliau bersyukur kerana SLST berjaya mengadakan usahasama dengan Agropalm Sdn. Bhd. bagi membina kilang berteknologi tinggi tersebut.

�Tahniah kepada Modipalm Engineering yang mengambil kesempatan untuk menggunakan teknologi terkini di kilang tersebut yang dapat membantu mempertingkatkan lagi pengeluaran hasil sawit,� ujarnya.

Katanya juga, kejayaan SLST menguruskan ladang kelapa sawit seluas 5,000 ekar dijangka dapat memberi pulangan hasil yang besar kepada syarikat terbabit dan PKINK.

Sehingga SLST mampu menghasilkan buah tandan segar sawit sebanyak 50,000 metrik tan setahun dan boleh mencapai sehingga 100,000 metrik tan setahun beberapa tahun akan datang.

Sebelum ini, perjanjian usahasama pembinaan kilang itu ditandatangani pada 16 Oktober 2003 dan kerja-kerja pembinaannya mengambil masa 12 bulan. Operasi memproses buah sawit bermula Oktober tahun lalu.

Teknologi terkini yang digunakan direkacipta CB Industrial Product Berhad, sebuah syarikat yang tersenarai di Papan Utama Bursa Malaysia melalui anak syarikatnya Modipalm Engineering Sdn. Bhd.
Selain itu Menteri Besar berkata, pembinaan kilang itu juga dijangka memberi manfaat pemilik ladang-ladang lain yang terdapat di kawasan berhampiran, terutamanya dari aspek penjimatan kos pengangkutan dan memendek tempoh penghantaran buah ke kilang.

Misalnya SLST dapat menjimatkan kos pengangkutan hampir RM0.5 juta setahun serta memastikan mutu dan kualiti buah tandan segar. �Kilang ini juga memberi peluang pekerjaan 28 penduduk tempatan,� katanya.