William "Bill" Shankly

Anda bisa menyebut banyak legenda Liverpool FC, dari Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ian St. John, Ron Yeates, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, atau bahkan manajer sensasional yang menghadirkan 6 gelar liga dan 3 Piala Champions, Bob Paisley. Tapi gelar orang suci bagi sisi merah Merseyside hanya milik satu orang, Bill Shankly.

Tanggal 14 Desember 2009 tepat 50 tahun sejak Shankly pertama kali memegang jabatan manajer Liverpool. Klub tersebut akan mengenang peristiwa tersebut dengan mengadakan upacara peringatan sebelum menjamu Wigan Athletic esok hari. Tapi posisi Liverpool yang hanya ketujuh di klasemen sementara tentu bukan sebuah bentuk penghargaan yang baik bagi manajer yang menanamkan fondasi paling mendasar sehingga klub tersebut menjadi salah satu klub terbesar di dunia.

Sebagai pemain, Shankly lama bermain bagi Preston North End dan sempat menjadi manajer Carlisle United, Grimsby United, Workington, dan Huddersfield sebelum hijrah ke kursi bos di Anfield.

Saat pertama kali datang ke Liverpool, kondisi yang ditemui Shankly lebih dari parah. Liverpool berada di papan bawah divisi dua, dengan stadion yang bobrok, sarana latihan yang buruk, dan para pemain yang kurang mumpuni. Satu-satunya nilai lebih Liverpool adalah mereka memiliki staf kepelatihan yang lumayan di tangan Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett, dan seorang mantan pemain yang baru beralih menjadi staf pelatih, Bob Paisley.

Fasilitas latihan di Melwood, tempat latihan resmi Liverpool sangat memprihatinkan, bahkan mungkin lebih buruk dari tempat latihan klub Liga Indonesia sekarang ini. Rumput di Melwood panjang-panjang dan tumbuh liar akibat tidak pernah dipangkas. Yang lebih parah, hanya ada satu saluran air yang bisa digunakan oleh semua pemain untuk berbagai keperluan.

Shankly, seorang yang dilahirkan dalam kelas pekerja dan seorang sosialis sejati seumur hidup, tidak memandang buruknya Melwood sebagai masalah, malah ia mengubahnya menjadi sumber kekuatan. Ia lalu mengatur agar semua pemain berkumpul di Anfield sebelum latihan dan bersama-sama naik bus menuju Melwood.

Di Melwood, Shankly memperkenalkan metode diet dan berbagai jenis latihan skill yang terhitung baru saat itu. Shankly menggunakan jenis latihan lapangan kecil dengan lima pemain di masing-masing tim, sebuah metode yang menggambarkan filosofi sepakbolanya – oper dan bergerak, sesederhana mungkin, sebuah filosofinya yang didapatnya dari tim sepakbola para pekerja tambang di Glenbuck.

Selepas latihan, Shankly menginstruksikan para pemainnya agar mandi bersama dan makan bareng sebelum naik bus kembali pulang ke Anfield. Terlihat bagaimana Shankly benar-benar mengaplikasikan ideologi sosialisnya ke dalam sepakbola.

Dalam strategi permainan pun tak jauh beda, kesatuan dan persatuan menjadi fondasi dasar Liverpool FC di eranya. Jika seorang pemain bermain buruk dalam sebuah pertandingan, gantinya memarahi, Shankly akan menyuruh pemain lain untuk melapis dan membantunya seperti ”saat anda menolong seorang tetangga atau seorang pekerja tambang yang terjatuh di kedalaman.”

Filosofi sepakbola Shankly perlahan tapi pasti menunjukkan hasil. Hanya membutuhkan waktu 2 setengah tahun, pada tahun 1962 Liverpool FC kembali ke divisi satu. Target utama Shankly adalah mengembalikan supremasi kota Liverpool yang saat itu dikuasai Everton. Pada tahun 1964, Shankly membawa Liverpool merebut gelar juara Liga dengan mengalahkan Everton yang berstatus juara bertahan. Ini adalah awal dari era legendaris yang disebut The Shankly Years.

Sepanjang karir manajerialnya di Liverpool ia memberikan klub tersebut 3 gelar juara liga, dua Piala FA, dan satu Piala UEFA. Deretan prestasi tersebut ditambah bagaimana ia menarik Liverpool yang terjerembab di lumpur divisi dua menjadi klub juara liga sebenarnya sudah cukup mematrikan nama Bill Shankly menjadi legenda. Tapi kedekatannya dengan suporter, yang diwarnai dengan berbagai sikap simpatik yang ditunjukkannya, membuat sosoknya tak pernah mati di Anfield hingga saat ini.

Seperti sudah disebutkan, Shankly berasal dari kelas pekerja dan memahami dengan sangat bagaimana para suporter memandang sepakbola tidak hanya sebagai tontonan, tapi juga masalah hidup dan mati. Mayoritas penduduk Liverpool adalah kaum pekerja dan buruh pabrik.

Shankly merasa bahwa ia telah mengecewakan para suporter jika timnya tidak bermain dengan baik. Jika sedang tidak melatih, maka Shankly akan menghabiskan waktu membalas surat para penggemar yang masuk ke Melwood. Shankly bahkan kadang-kadang mengundang beberapa suporter datang ke rumahnya untuk membahas pertandingan sehari sebelumnya. Memberi tiket gratis kepada suporter bahkan telah menjadi semacam ritual bagi Shankly, tak terhingga.

Satu peristiwa legendaris menjadi contoh sempurna bagaimana Shankly menempatkan para suporter di tempat yang terhormat. Saat ia dan para pemain sedang berlari mengitari Anfield melakukan selebrasi kemenangan juara liga tahun 1973, seorang suporter melemparkan selembar syal ke arah Shankly. Polisi segera bereaksi dan menyingkirkan syal tersebut. Tapi Shankly mengambil syal tersebut, memakainya, dan menghardik polisi dengan kalimat yang membuat seluruh Merseyside merinding, “Jangan lakukan itu. Seseorang bisa jadi menaruh seluruh hidupnya di syal tersebut.”

Shankly secara mengejutkan mengundurkan diri sebagai manajer Liverpool tahun 1974 karena ingin mempunyai lebih banyak waktu dengan keluarga. Kota Liverpool mendadak heboh setelah kabar pensiunnya Shankly merebak. Paling tidak sebuah pabrik mengancam mogok kerja kecuali pahlawan mereka kembali sebagai manajer Liverpool FC.

Pengganti Shankly di Liverpool adalah Bob Paisley, yang kelak memenangi 3 gelar Piala Champions bersama The Reds. Tapi hari-hari pertama Paisley sebagai manajer Liverpool sangat sulit. Banyak orang yang masih belum mampu menerima kenyataan bahwa Shankly telah mundur sebagai manajer Liverpool. Bahkan di Melwood, orang-orang masih memanggil Shankly dengan ”Bos”, sedang Paisley dipanggil dengan nama depannya, ”Bob”.

Setelah Shankly pensiun pun ia masih menjalin kedekatan dengan para suporter Liverpool. Ia akan dengan senang hati berdiskusi tentang sepakbola dengan siapa saja di sela-sela kegiatannya. Bahkan saat final Piala UEFA tahun 1976 di Brugge, Shankly didatangi oleh seorang suporter yang mengaku tidak mempunyai uang untuk menonton pertandingan. Shankly segera merangkul pundak suporter tersebut dan membelikannya selembar tiket.

Liverpool dirundung muram durja tanggal 29 September 1981 saat Bill Shankly wafat di kota tersebut. Konferensi Partai Buruh Inggris yang digelar dekat hari itu mengadakan sesi hening semenit untuk mengenang Shankly yang berideologi sosialis seumur hidup.

Bahkan Sir Matt Busby, bekas manajer Manchester United yang notabene rival bebuyutan Liverpool, merasa sangat sedih dan menolak untuk mengangkat telepon kepada dirinya yang ingin menanyakan komentarnya soal kematian Shankly.

Malam sesudah Shankly meninggal dunia, Liverpool bermain kandang di ajang Piala Champions dan sebelum kick-off sebuah spanduk raksasa dibentangkan di Kop bertuliskan, “Shankly Lives Forever.”

Empat hari sesudah wafatnya Shankly, saat Liverpool berhadapan dengan Swansea, manajer Swansea, John Toshack – bekas pemain yang ditransfer Shankly ke Liverpool – mengenakan baju Liverpool saat semenit peringatan memorial sebelum kick-off.

Sosok Shankly begitu penting dalam tonggak sejarah Liverpool FC. Tanpanya, Liverpool FC hanyalah sebuah klub kelas buruh dari kota pekerja yang terperosok ke divisi rendah tanpa prestasi.

Tapi lihatlah apa yang dilakukan Liverpool FC pada tahun peringatan 50 tahun kehadiran Shankly. Bertengger di posisi tujuh sementara – memiliki nilai sama dengan Birmingham, secara logis mustahil untuk meraih gelar juara liga, tersingkir dari penyisihan grup Champions League, dan memiliki jalan mendaki yang terjal agar bisa finis minimal di peringkat 4 agar lolos ke Champions League lagi tahun depan.

Apa yang sekiranya akan dikatakan Shankly seandainya ia masih hidup dan menyaksikan klub kesayangannya kepayahan seperti sekarang ini?

Bekas pemain Liverpool, Ian St John mengatakan sambil menggelengkan kepala, “Jangan tanya apa yang akan ia katakan.”

“Saya berpikir dengan penuh kesedihan dan timing saat kejadian ini terjadi membuat saya lebih sedih lagi. Kami hanya menang 3 kali dari 15 pertandingan terakhir. Ini memalukan, memalukan bagi Liverpool.

Kinerja Liverpool yang terseok-seok ini membuat kursi manajer Rafa Benitez menjadi terancam kembali. Apalagi ia sudah lama tidak akur dengan para pemilik klub asal Amerika Serikat, Tom Hicks dan George Gillet.

Tapi seandainya Shankly masih hidup, maka ia tidak akan mempedulikan para pemilik klub, ia akan lebih mencemaskan para suporter yang tentu merasa kecewa dengan rentetan hasil buruk Liverpool ini.

Seperti yang pernah dikatakan Shankly, ”Pada setiap klub sepakbola ada trinitas suci: Pemain, manajer, dan suporter. Direktur klub tidak masuk hitungan. Mereka hanya ada di sana untuk menandatangani cek. Hanya itu.”

It's Nature

hai blogger, it look I never post any pcture slide show ... well, now it's the time ... this pic I got from National Geogrpahic ... It almost perfect picture ... check it ...

cludy sunset

ligthing baech larkin

lightning westing house

owachomo bridge

sunrise everest decalles

superstition mountain

Bermuda Triangle Mystery II

Dalam satu abad terakhir ini diperkirakan sekitar 50 kapal laut dan 20 pesawat terbang menghilang secara misterius di suatu wilayah yang disebut segitiga bermuda. Tidak heran banyak orang menyebut wilayah ini dengan nama segitiga setan. Setelah hampir satu abad berlalu, adakah misteri yang masih tersisa dari segitiga bermuda ?

Segitiga bermuda membentang di lautan Atlantik yang dibatasi oleh garis yang menghubungkan Florida, pulau bermuda dan puerto rico. Luasnya sekitar 1,2 juta km2. Misterinya dimulai ketika banyak kapal laut, perahu dan pesawat terbang menghilang secara misterius di wilayah ini. Menurut para peneliti, di wilayah ini hukum fisika dilanggar habis-habisan.

Bahkan hingga kini, segitiga bermuda masih sering menjadi topik favorit buku-buku novel dan film-film Holywood. Kisahnya tidak pernah habis dibahas di situs-situs paranormal dan misteri, termasuk di blog ini.

Nama segitiga bermuda awalnya datang dari seorang wartawan bernama Vincent Gaddis yang menulis artikel berjudul "The deadly bermuda triangle" yang terbit pada FebruarI 1964 di majalah Argosy. Namun Legenda ini dihidupkan dan dipopulerkan oleh seorang penulis bernama Charles Berlitz yang menulis buku berjudul "The Bermuda Triangle" pada tahun 1974.

Salah satu kisah pertama mengenai misteri ini adalah peristiwa yang terjadi pada tahun 1918. Pada saat itu sebuah kapal bernama USS Cyclops yang memiliki panjang 542 kaki dan membawa batubara untuk angkatan laut Amerika sedang berlayar dari Salvador ke Maryland. Kapal itu tidak pernah sampai ke tujuan. Para pencari hanya menemukan keterangan bahwa kapal itu berlabuh di Barbados pada tanggal 3 dan 4 Maret untuk menambah persediaan. Setelah itu, hilang tanpa jejak.

Kisah lain yang populer adalah misteri hilangnya 5 pesawat militer Amerika (flight 19) pada tanggal 5 Desember 1945. Pada hari itu, 5 pesawat pembom Avenger berangkat dari pangkalan angkatan laut di Fort Lauderdale, Florida pada pukul 2:10 sore. Kelima pesawat itu dikemudikan oleh para prajurit penerbang dengan dipimpin oleh Lt. Charles Taylor.

Satu setengah jam kemudian, Lt Robert Cox di pangkalan menerima transmisi radio dari Lt. Charles Taylor yang mengatakan bahwa kompasnya berhenti bekerja dan ia kebingungan menentukan arah. Selama beberapa jam berikutnya, pangkalan masih bisa menerima komunikasi radio dari lima pesawat itu hingga komunikasi terputus total pada pukul 7:04 malam.

Dua pesawat kemudian diperintahkan terbang untuk mencari kelima pesawat itu. Salah satu pesawat pencari tidak pernah kembali ke pangkalan. Sang penolong telah bergabung dengan kelima pesawat tersebut, menghilang begitu saja.

Misteri ini telah membuat berbagai teori muncul ke permukaan. Menurut para ufolog, di dasar laut Atlantik tempat segitiga bermuda ada markas alien yang menculik para kapal dan pesawat. Menurut para penganut new age, pesawat dan kapal menghilang karena residu kristal yang berasal dari pulau Atlantis yang misterius. Menurut para spiritualis, segitiga bermuda adalah pintu menuju dimensi keempat.

Menurut peneliti yang lebih rasional, fenomena ini bisa disebabkan karena gangguan elektromagnetik. Bagi para skeptis, yang paling bertanggung jawab adalah cuaca buruk, ketidakberuntungan, bajak laut, navigator yang inkompeten dan human error.

Menarik, karena teori-teori tersebut tidak berakhir sampai disana. Seorang Psikiater bernama Dr Kenneth McCall memiliki teori lain. Ia melacak sejarah segitiga bermuda hingga ratusan tahun sebelumnya dan menemukan bahwa wilayah itu dulunya adalah tempat lalu lalangnya kapal pedagang barat. Dan ia menemukan satu fakta mengejutkan. Pada masa perdagangan budak, diperkirakan 10 juta budak dibuang ke laut itu, apakah karena mereka terkena penyakit, atau karena hukuman.

Menurut Dr McCall, arwah 10 juta budak itu dapat mengacaukan pikiran para pilot atau navigator yang melintas. Hmm. lumayan masuk akal.

Misteri segitiga bermuda terus berlanjut hingga tahun 2000. Pada saat itu sebuah kapal Inggris yang tenggelam 70 tahun sebelumnya (bukan di segitiga bermuda) berhasil diangkat dari dasar laut. Kapal ini terbukti menjadi kunci pengungkapan misteri Segitiga bermuda yang lebih rasional, yaitu gas Metana.

Menurut mereka di wilayah tertentu di lautan, kadang gas metana tersembur keluar dari dasar laut. Naiknya gas ini ke permukaan menyebabkan berkurangnya kepadatan air laut dan akan menyebabkan apapun yang ada di permukaan laut tenggelam. Bahkan jika para awak kapal terjun ke permukaan dengan pelampung, tetap saja mereka akan tenggelam.

Dan di wilayah segitiga bermuda, ditemukan beberapa bagian dimana gas metana biasa menyembur ke permukaan laut. Ini memang bisa menjelaskan penyebab tenggelamnya kapal laut. Tapi masih belum bisa menjelaskan penyebab hilangnya pesawat terbang.

Kemudian pada tahun 1975, seorang bernama Larry Kusche yang berprofesi sebagai pustakawan di Arizona State University meneliti misteri ini dengan sungguh-sungguh dan mendapatkan kesimpulan yang sangat berbeda. Menurutnya, tidak ada misteri di segitiga bermuda. Ia menulis hasil penyelidikannya dalam sebuah buku berjudul "The Bermuda Triangle Mystery - Solved".

Ia menemukan banyak laporan kecelakaan di segitiga bermuda tidak dilaporkan secara akurat. Contoh, ia menemukan satu laporan mengenai kapal yang tiba-tiba hilang di lautan yang tenang, padahal kenyataannya lautan saat itu sedang dilanda badai.

Di bagian lain, ia menemukan banyak kisah yang ditulis mengenai kapal-kapal yang menghilang secara misterius. Padahal kenyataannya bangkai kapal-kapal tersebut ditemukan dan penyebab tenggelamnya sudah dapat dijelaskan.

Dalam kasus lain ia menemukan seorang penulis menyebutkan satu kapal hilang di segitiga bermuda. Padahal sesungguhnya kapal tersebut tenggelam 3.000 mil jauhnya dari segitiga bermuda.

Lagipula dengan luas 1,2 juta km2 (9 kali pulau jawa) dan lalu lintas pelayaran yang padat, adalah hal yang wajar apabila ada beberapa kapal yang tenggelam disitu. Lagipula pesawat dan kapal yang tenggelam beberapa puluh tahun yang lalu memang belum memiliki sistem navigasi yang memadai.

Setelah hampir satu abad, pertanyaannya adalah, apakah masih ada misteri yang tersisa dari segitiga bermuda. Kelihatannya yang masih menjadi misteri adalah bagaimana segitiga bermuda bisa menjadi misteri.

Mungkin kisah dan cerita yang kita dapatkan memang bercampur aduk dengan imajinasi manusia. Mungkin Larry Kusche memang benar. Tidak ada misteri di segitiga bermuda. Lagipula insiden terakhir yang terjadi adalah pada tanggal 22 Desember 1967, 42 tahun yang lalu.

Bermuda Triangle Mystery

Membicarakan tentang keistimewaan kawasan Segitiga Bermuda termasuk berbagai macam peristiwa yang dirahasiakan oleh alam di sana, tentunya bak mendulang air lautan. Tidak akan pernah habis.Kendati demikian, ribuan naskah tentang Segitiga Bermuda sejak awal abad 17 hingga kini, masih menjadi daya tarik yang imajinatif dan menantang bagi hampir semua pakar sains dan teknologi.

Terkadang apa yang disajikan para penulis memang dianggap cenderung mengada-ada, atau bahkan di luar kemampuan nalar manusia awam seperti kita. Maksud saya dengan manusia awam, adalah semua manusia dari semua ras dan suku bangsa, dari semua golongan serta para ilmuwan, pakar fisika dan matematika. Sebab, sebagai makhluq yang memiliki keterbatasan waktu dan ruang, kita tidak lebih hanyalah setitik “atom” (zarrah) dari sebuah jagat raya yang maha luas!

Karena kelemahan kita (keterbatasan waktu/ruang) inilah yang kemudian oleh Al Khaliq (Sang Maha Pencipta), kita dipersenjatai dengan keimanan yang berupa setitik cahaya yang diselipkan dalam diri kita. Titik cahaya inilah yang kita kenal dengan sebutan “Nur”, yang implementasinya -salah satu diantaranya- terlontar dalam bentuk “hati nurani”.

Saya tidak bicara tentang suatu agama, tapi mencoba memasuki sebuah dimensi alam metafisika yang absurd namun dapat kita jelajahi dengan penalaran yang sederhana, yang kita punyai. Penalaran yang saya maksud di sini adalah mencakup seluruh dinamika olah-pikir dan suara hati nurani (bathin). Penalaran yang aktivitasnya dikendalikan oleh otak dalam batok kepala setiap manusia, yang sesungguhnya merupakan sebuah senjata sekaligus kendaraan yang luar bisa ampuh untuk menerobos berbagai keghaiban mayapada.

Barangkali, bagi mereka yang hanya percaya dengan hitungan matematis dan ilmiah, tentu hal-hal yang mustahil tidak akan pernah diakui adanya. Seandainya mereka mau sedikit “berendah hati”, tentunya mereka akan sadar, bahwa : “otak” kita yang kecil ini sesungguhnya merupakan gudang memory dengan kapasitas jutaan GB. Namun ternyata, kemampuan “otak” ini bisa ditundukkan oleh kedigdayaan setitik (nokhta) “nur” (baca: cahaya) hati nurani, yaitu tatkala situasi kondisi cahaya hati nurai terakumulasi dalam sebuah titik letupan terdahsyat. Dia meledak dan meruntuhkan keperkasaan sang “otak”, lalu menyeret diri kita ke arah yang diinginkan oleh hati nurani -sekalipun besarnya “cahaya” yang bersemayam dalam hati (qalbu) ini jauh lebih kecil dibanding otak kita.

Kedigdayaan bathiniah seseorang adalah hasil kerja keras individu itu dalam melatih “nur” yang dimilikinya. Latihan yang rutin, konsisten dengan berbagai persyaratan yang sesuai, bisa membuat seseorang memasuki level-level tertentu. Dalam level-level -maksud saya tingkatan- tertentu, tidak jarang orang-orang ini akan dikategorikan sebagai “manusia nyleneh” oleh masyarakat awam.

Kaum supranatural sampai pada kaum yang mengutamakan ibadah yang mengagungkan ke-Maha Esa-an Sang Pencipta, adalah mereka yang menyadari akan kelemahan fisik mereka di hadapan alam terlebih lagi di hadapan Tuhan. Manusia yang sudah mencapai taraf wali atau pertapa suci, adalah manusia-manusia yang memiliki kemampuan untuk menjelajahi dunia lain. Mereka bisa menembus dimensi waktu dan ruang, sehingga dapat menyaksikan hal-hal yang belum terjadi atau yang sudah terjadi yang tidak mereka lihat sendiri. Kendati demikian, pengetahuan dan kemampuan mereka itupun masih sangat terbatas. Masih ada tabir lain yang menghalangi mereka, yakni para wali dan pertapa suci itu tetap saja hanya seorang manusia alias makhluk belaka. Sekalipun manusia itu sudah bergelar Nabi atau Rasul.

Kembali pada topik “misteri Segitiga Bermuda”. Dalam berbagai kupasan yang tersimpan dalam data base bermuda-triangle, dapat kita lihat betapa fenomena ghaib dan fakta-fakta ilmiah seakan bersinergi dan bersama-sama menuju pada satu titik pembuktian bahwa Segitiga Bermuda memang merupakan kawasan yang patut disegani sekaligus layak untuk diteliti demi masa depan anak cucu manusia kelak.

Apabila kutub Utara dan kutub Selatan merupakan poros bumi untuk berotasi, maka ada apakah sebenarnya di Segitiga Bermuda? Apakah kawasan ini memiliki peranan bagi stabilitas iklim dan perputaran bumi? Suatu saat, penggabungan riset ilmiah dan kekuatan “nur” hati nurani, niscaya akan sanggup memecahkan misteri yang menyelubunginya. Sebab, di kepulauan Bermuda juga ada manusia yang ternyata hidup survive di sana sejak jaman dahulu.

Menurut data base bermuda-triangle ada tempat di Segitiga Bermuda yang disebut Tongue of the Ocean atau “Lidah Lautan”. Lidah Lautan mempunyai jurang bawah laut (canyon) Bahama. Terjadi beberapa peristiwa kecelakaan di sana. Banyak yang belum diketahui tentang Segitiga Bermuda, sehingga orang menghubungkan misteri Segitiga Bermuda ini dengan misteri lainnya. Misalnya saja misteri Naga Laut yang pernah muncul di Tanjung Ann, Massachussets AS, pada bulan Agustus 1917. Mungkinkah naga laut ini banyak meminta korban itu? Ataukah arus Cromwell di Lautan Pasifik yang menyebabkan adanya gelombang lautan disitu atau angin topan, gempa bumi di dasar lautan? Tak ada orang yang tahu.

Konon di sekitar kepulauan Bahama terdapat blue hole, yaitu semacam gua lautan. Dulu gua ini memang sungguh ada, tetapi setelah jaman es berlalu, gua ini terendam. Arus didalamnya sangat kuat dan sering membuat pusaran yang berdaya hisap. banyak kapal-kapal kecil atau manusia yang terhisap ke dalam blue hole itu tanpa daya, dan anehnya kapal-kapal kecil yang terhisap itu akan muncul kembali ke permukaan laut selang beberapa lama. Tapi yang menimbulkan pertanyaan ialah: Mungkinkah Blue Hole ini sanggup menelan kapal raksasa ke dasar lautan?

Misteri lain yang masih belum terungkap adalah misteri Makhluk Laut Sargasso, yang bukan semata-mata khayalan. Di Lautan Sargasso itu banyak kapal yang tak pernah sampai ke tujuannya dan terkubur di dasar laut itu. Di sana terhimpun kapal-kapal dari berbagai jaman, harta karun, mayat tulang belulang manusia. Luas Laut Misteri Sargasso ini 3650 km untuk panjang dan lebarnya 1825 km, dan di sekelilingnya mengalir arus yang kuat sekali, sehingga membentuk pusaran yang sangat luas yang berputar perlahan-lahan searah jarum jam. Didasar lautnya terdapat pegunungan yang banyak dan mempunyai tebing dan ngarai yang terjal.

Keanehan lain di dekat pulau Puerto Rico, tampak suatu pancaran air raksasa yang membentuk cendawan atau kembang kol. Laut di tempat itu mempunyai kedalaman sampai 10 km. Kejadian ini sempat dilihat oleh awak pesawat Boeing 707 pada tanggal 11 April 1963. Menurut mereka cendawan air itu mempunyai garis tengah selebar 900-1800 meter dengan ketinggian separuhnya. Mungkin itu hanya percobaan nuklir dari negara Amerika atau lainnya? Tapi pihak Amerika tidak membenarkannnya, sebab tak mungkin mencoba bom di jalur penerbangan. Mungkin ledakan itu berasal dari kapal selam nuklir Thresher yang hilang sehari sebelumnya, tapi lokasi hilangnya kapal selam itu ribuan km dari sana.

Ada sebuah tempat di perairan Boca Raton, yang di sana terdapat sebuah pipa bergaris tengah 20 cm. Jelas bukan milik Amerika (untuk lebih lanjut: Orang Bumi). Peristiwa ini dilihat oleh suami istri Lloyd Wingfields. Mereka melihat sebuah tiang asap disana, dan ketika didekati oleh mereka, tampak sebuah pipa yang muncul dari dasar laut yang merupakan sumber keluarnya asap itu. Asap itu sendiri tak mengeluarkan bau dan berwarna kekuning-kuningan. Mungkinkah pipa itu tertancap dari sumber api di dasar laut? Pangkalan UFO di dasar lautkah yang menyebabkannya? Lagipula kedalaman laut itu cukup dalam, sehingga mereka tak berani menyelam untuk melihat lebih lanjut, juga mereka melihat (sesudahnya) sebuah helikopter yang mengalami kerusakan mesin dan berusaha mendarat darurat di laut.

David Coperfield Sang Illusionis

Sebagai illustrasi saya sajikan cerita tentang seorang illusionis kelas dunia, David Coperfield . Seorang illusionis yang hampir tak pernah gagal dalam menampilkan kebolehannya, ternyata penah merasakan kekecewaan dan ‘tidak berhasil’ menjalin komunikasi dengan makhluk dunia gaib. Lokasi tersebut terletak di lepas pantai antara Miami dan San Juan, yaitu Bermuda.

Pada aksinya, David mencoba mengembalikan sebuah kapal yang diduga hilang dikawasan Bermuda. Dengan segenap kemampuan yang dimiliki, David mencoba mengangkat kapal tersebut untuk membuktikan bahwa kapal tersebut memang karam di sekitar wilayah Bermuda.

Untuk beberapa menit awal David memang berhasil menghadirkan kapal tersebut ke permukaan laut; namun, David ‘gagal’ menjalin komunikasi dengan ‘penguasa’ Segitiga Bermuda, akhirnya kapal itu terbakar dan hilang kembali.

William Gillies, Penyelam Asal Bermuda

Seorang kakek 80 tahun asal Bermuda, William Gillies baru saja mengeluarkan buku berjudul ‘Reefs, Wrecks & Relics — Bermuda Underwater Heritage’ atau ‘Karang, Bangkai Kapal, dan Relik - Warisan Alam Bawah Laut Bermuda’.

Dalam bukunya, Gillies menceritakan pengalamannya menyelami Lautan Bermuda. Seperti dimuat The Royal Gazette, Rabu (28/4), meski tak mungkin lagi turun ke air, tapi ingatannya tentang masa mudanya sebagai pencari harta di bangkai kapal, belum pupus. “Dengan menyelam, saya mengetahui kekayaan laut Bermuda,” kata dia.

Salah satu dari memori awalnya tentang laut Bermuda adalah peristiwa tenggelamnya sebuah kapal mewah Spanyol, Cristobal Colon di wilayah Karang Utara, 25 Oktober 1936. Saat kapal itu tenggelam, Gillies masih berusia enam tahun.

Gillies memulai penyelamannya pada 1965, saat dia berusia 35 tahun. Penemuan sebuah bel dari kapal tua yang tenggelam memicu gairahnya untuk menyelam dan mencari sisa-sisa harta yang karam di dasar laut. Objek-objek menarik di pasir dan sekitar bangkai kapal sering dia temukan. Misalnya potongan lampu tua berbahan bakar minyak ikan paus.

Kadang dia dan pendamping selamnya menemukan pecahan atau potongan tembikar atau porselen. Beberapa potongan itu dia rekonstruksi menggunakan fiberglass dan getah damar. Beberapa karya restorasi Gillies kini dipajang di Bermuda Underwater Eksplorasi Institute (BUEI).

Beberapa benda diakui Gillies misterius. Misalnya, dia menemukan pipa karatan yang tersimpan di peti kayu di sebuah kapal layar yang hancur dan tenggelam di awal tahun 1900-an. Ada lagi benda berbentuk sekelompok kristan berbentuk cincin kecil. “Ini mungkin digunakan seorang wanita untuk menghias gaunnya,” kata dia.

Pengalaman Gillies jauh dari kesan horor Segitiga Bermuda. Itu juga yang dirasakan masyarakat setempat. The Royal Gazette pada tahun 1992 pernah memuat berita kemarahan penduduk Bermuda pada sebuah iklan telepon genggam yang sesumbar, dengan produknya, orang tetap bisa berkomunikasi, meski ‘tersesat di Segitiga Bermuda’.

“Ini akan membunuh pariwisata Bermuda. Kita harus menuntut orang ini,” kata pengusaha pariwisata, RJ Zuill, saat itu. Orang-orang yang melihat iklan itu mengatakan pada istrinya, mereka tak akan pernah pergi ke Bermuda karena momok Segitiga Bermuda itu.

“Ini sangat konyol. Kapal dan pesawat melewati wilayah kita setiap hari dan tak ada apapun yang terjadi,” kata dia.Misteri Segitiga Bermuda kali pertama dipopulerkan tahun 1960-an, termasuk oleh buku “Segitiga Bermuda” yang dikarang Mr Charles Berlitz. Kepercayaan adanya kekuatan jahat di wilayah ini menyebar ke seluruh dunia.

Keyakinan ini dipicu banyaknya kapal dan pesawat yang hilang secara misterius di Segitiga Bermuda. Yang pertama diketahui adalah tenggelamnya kapal HMS Rosalie pada 1840, hingga hilangnya Kapal Freighter Genesis setelah berlayar dari Port of Spain menuju St Vincent pada 1999. (TVOne)

Catatan : “Nur” hati nurani adalah cermin tentang keimanan kita terhadap adanya Tuhan, pendekatan ilmiah yang digabungkan dengan pendekatan bathiniah (maksud saya sudah tentu pendekatan religius) akan merupakan senjata ampuh untuk menuntaskan misteri Segitiga Bermuda. Albert Einstein pernah bilang : Science wihtout religion is lame, religion without science is blind.

Avril Lavigne (Englsih Version)

Avril Ramona Lavigne (pronounced /ˈævrɨl ləˈviːn/; born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, fashion designer, actress, and philanthropist. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent the majority of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista (now RCA Records) worth more than $2 million. When she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album, Let Go, released in 2002.

Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach #1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. By 2009, over 16 million copies had been sold worldwide. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at #1 in many countries around the world, as did the album Let Go. Her second album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and was her first album to peak at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne’s third album, was released in 2007, becoming her third #1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored a total of five #1 singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm With You", "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". With more than 30 million copies of her albums sold worldwide, Lavigne is currently one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, will be released in March 2011.

Lavigne branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in feature film acting and designing clothes and perfumes. She voiced a character in the animated film, Over the Hedge, in 2006. That same year, she made her on-screen feature film debut in Fast Food Nation. In 2008, Lavigne introduced her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, and in 2009, she released her first perfume, Black Star, which was followed by her second perfume, Forbidden Rose, in 2010. In July 2006, Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for Sum 41. The marriage lasted a little over three years, and in October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce. Whibley and Lavigne continued to work together, with Whibley producing her upcoming fourth album, as well as Lavigne's single, "Alice", written for Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland.

Early life

Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, the daughter of a working-class family. Her father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, who is of French Canadian descent, named her Avril after the French word for the month of April. At the age of two, Lavigne began singing church songs along with her mother, Judith-Rosanne "Judy" (née Loshaw). Judy recognized her two year old daughter's talents after hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me" in church. Lavigne has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Michelle, both of whom teased Lavigne when she sang. "My brother used to knock on the wall because I used to sing myself to sleep and he thought it was really annoying."

When Lavigne was five years old, the family moved to Napanee, Ontario, a town with an approximate population of 5,000. Although she struggled with paying attention in school, sometimes kicked out of class for misbehaving, her parents were supportive of her singing. Her father bought her a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, several guitars, and converted their basement into a studio. When Lavigne was 14, her parents would take her to karaoke sessions. Lavigne also performed at country fairs, singing songs by Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, and Shania Twain. She also began writing her own songs. Her first song was called "Can't Stop Thinking About You", about a teenage crush, which she described as "cheesy cute".

“	I’ve known all my life that this is what I was supposed to do.... Visualizing like what it would be like to be famous with my music. And always just dreaming, always daydreaming.	”
—Avril Lavigne, NBC News

In 1998, Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain at the Corel Centre (nowScotiabank Place) in Ottawa, before an audience of 20,000 people. Twain and Lavigne sang "What Made You Say That", and Lavigne told Twain she was going to be "a famous singer". During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folk singer Stephen Medd. He invited her to contribute vocals on his song, "Touch the Sky", for his 1999 album, Quinte Spirit. She later sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow-up album, My Window to You, in 2000. In December 1999, Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario. Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives. Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firmNettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement, and arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo in New York during the summer of 2000, where she wrote the song "Why?". It was on a subsequent trip to New York that Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records.

Lavigne would go on to sell more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide, becoming one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. In 2009, Billboard named Lavigne the #10 pop artist in the "Best of the 2000s" chart, and she was listed as the 28th overall best act of the decade based on album sales, chart success, and cultural relativity in the U.S.

Music career

2000–03: Let Go

Main article: Let Go (Avril Lavigne album)

In November 2000, Ken Krongard, an A&R representative, invited Antonio "L.A." Reid, then-head of Arista Records, to producer Peter Zizzo's Manhattan studio to hear Lavigne sing. Her 15-minute audition "so impressed" Reid, he immediately signed her to Arista with a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance. By this time, Lavigne had found that she fit in naturally with her hometown high school's skater clique, an image that carried through to her first album, but although she enjoyed skateboarding, school left her feeling insecure. Armed with a record deal, she dropped out to focus on her music career, but she still had to inform her parents of her decision. "I wasn't going to turn [the record deal] down. It's been my dream all my life. They knew how much I wanted this and how much I've put into it."

Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, on 4 June 2002 in the U.S., where it reached #2 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at #1 on the Australian, Canadian and United Kingdom charts. This made Lavigne, at 17 years old, the youngest female soloist to have a #1 album in the UK until that time. By the end of 2002, the album was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, making her the bestselling female artist of 2002 and Let Go the top-selling debut of the year. By May 2003, Let Go had accumulated over 1,000,000 sales in Canada, receiving a diamond certification from the Canadian Recording Industry Association. As of 2009, the album has sold over 16 million units worldwide, and the RIAA has certified the album six-times platinum, denoting shipments of over six million units in the U.S.

“	I don't get overwhelmed, just because I feel like I've kind of prepared myself for it. All my life this is what I've wanted, what I've dreamed about, and I knew this would happen. I've been singing ever since I was really young and I've wanted this so bad, and I told myself I would do it.	”
—Avril Lavigne on her success, MTV

Lavigne's debut single and the album's lead single, "Complicated", peaked at #1 in Australia and #2 in the U.S. "Complicated" was one of the bestselling Canadian singles of 2002, and it was also featured on the teen television show,Dawson's Creek. "Complicated" later ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at #83.

Subsequent singles, "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You" reached the top ten in the U.S. Thanks to the success of her first three singles, Lavigne was the second artist in history to have three #1 songs from a debut album on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. For the music video to "Complicated", Lavigne was named Best New Artist at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. She won four Juno Awards in 2003 out of six nominations, received a World Music Award for "World's Bestselling Canadian Singer", and was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist andSong of the Year for "Complicated" (2003).

In 2002, Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the music video to "Hundred Million" by the pop punk band Treble Charger. In March 2003, Lavigne posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and, later in May, performed "Fuel" during MTV's Icon tribute to Metallica. During her first headlining tour, the Try To Shut Me Up Tour, Lavigne covered Green Day's "Basket Case".

Lavigne was featured in the 2003 game, The Sims: Superstar, as a non-playable celebrity.

2004–05: Under My Skin

Main article: Under My Skin (Avril Lavigne album)

Lavigne in Vancouver, Canada during the Live and By Surprise mall tour

Lavigne co-wrote "Breakaway" with Matthew Gerard, which was recorded by Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the 2004 film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. "Breakaway" would later be included on Clarkson's second album and released as the album's lead single. Lavigne covered the Goo Goo Dolls song "Iris", performed with the band's lead singer John Rzeznik at Fashion Rocks, and she posed for the cover of Maxim in October 2004. She also recorded the theme song for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. "I made the song a little more edgy," Lavigne said. "There are a lot of loud guitars, and we picked the tempo up a little and sang it with a little more attitude." Lavigne rearranged the song with the help of producer Butch Walker.

Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin, was released on 25 May 2004, debuting at #1 in several countries, including Australia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the U.S. The album has sold more than 10 million copies. Lavigne wrote most of the album's tracks with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk's husband, Our Lady Peace front man Raine Maida, co-produced the album, along with Butch Walker and Don Gilmore. Lavigne went on the Live and By Surprise twenty-one city mall tour in the U.S. and Canada to promote the album, accompanied by her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld. Each performance consisted of a short live acoustic set of songs from the new album. At the end of 2004, Lavigne embarked on her first world tour, the Bonez Tour, with stopovers in almost every continent and which lasted for the entire 2005 year.

“	This record definitely proves that I'm a writer and people can't knock that, because each song comes from a personal experience of mine, and there are so much emotions in those songs.	”
—Avril Lavigne, The Ledger

"Don't Tell Me", the first single off the album, went to #1 in Argentina and Mexico and reached the top five in the UK and Canada and the top ten in Australia and Brazil. "My Happy Ending", the album's lead single, went to #1 in Mexico and the top five in the UK and Australia. In the U.S., it reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and went to #1 in the Mainstream Top 40, making it her fourth-biggest hit there. The third single, "Nobody's Home", did not make the top 40 in the U.S., reaching #1 only in Mexico and Argentina. The fourth single from the album, "He Wasn't", reached top 40 positions in the UK and Australia and was not released in the U.S.

Lavigne won two World Music Awards in 2004 for "World's Best Pop/Rock Artist" and "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist". She received five Juno Award nominations in 2005, and picked up three, including "Artist of the Year". She won the award for "Favorite Female Singer" at the eighteenth annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and was nominated in every MTV Award show shown around the world.

2006–08: The Best Damn Thing

Main article: The Best Damn Thing

On 26 February 2006, Lavigne represented Canada at the closing ceremony of the Torino Olympics, performing her song "Who Knows" during the eight minute Vancouver 2010portion.

While Lavigne was in the studio for her third studio album, Fox Entertainment Group approached her to write a song for the soundtrack to the 2006 fantasy-adventure film Eragon. She wrote and recorded two "ballad-type" songs, but only one, "Keep Holding On", ended up being used for the film. Lavigne admitted that writing the song was challenging, making sure it flowed along with the film. She emphasized that "Keep Holding On", which later appeared on the album, was not indicative of what the next album would be like.

Lavigne during 2008 The Best Damn Tourin Beijing at Wukesong Indoor Stadium.

Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing, was released on 17 April 2007, which Lavigne immediately promoted with a small tour. Its lead single, "Girlfriend", topped the Billboard Hot 100 the same week The Best Damn Thing debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Girlfriend" was Lavigne's first single to reach this #1 position. The single was a worldwide hit; it also peaked at #1 in Australia, Canada, Japan, and Italy and reached #2 in the UK and France. "Girlfriend" was recorded in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Mandarin. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked "Girlfriend" as the most-downloaded track worldwide in 2007, selling 7.3 million copies, including the versions recorded in eight different languages. "Girlfriend" ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at #94.

"When You're Gone", the second single, went to #3 in the UK, the top five in Australia and Italy, the top ten in Canada, and was very close to reaching the top twenty in the U.S. In December 2007, Lavigne, with annual earnings of $12 million, was ranked number eight in the Forbes"Top 20 Earners Under 25". "Hot" was the third single and has been Lavigne's least successful single in the U.S., charting only at #95. In Canada, "Hot" made the top ten, and in Australia, the top 20. The Best Damn Thing has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

During this era, Lavigne won nearly every award she was nominated for, including two World Music Awards for "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist" and "World's Best Pop/Rock Female Artist". She took her first two MTV Europe Music Awards, received one Teen Choice Awards for "Summer Single", and was nominated for five Juno awards.

In mid-2007, Lavigne was featured in a two-volume graphic novel, Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes. She collaborated with artist Camilla D’Errico and writer Joshua Dysart on the manga, which was about a shy girl named Hana who, upon meeting her hero Avril Lavigne, learned to overcome her fears. Lavigne said, "I know that many of my fans read manga, and I'm really excited to be involved in creating stories that I know they will enjoy." The volumes were released on 10 April (one week prior to the release of The Best Damn Thing) and in July, respectively. The publication Young Adult Library Services nominated the series for "Great Graphic Novels for Teens".

In March 2008, Lavigne undertook a world tour named The Best Damn Tour to support the album. In that same month, she also appeared on the cover of Maxim for the second time of her career. In mid-August, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, attempted to ban Lavigne's show in Kuala Lumpur, judging her stage moves "too sexy". Her concert on 29 August was considered as promoting wrong values ahead of Malaysia's independence day on 31 August. On 21 August 2008, MTV reported that the concert had been approved by the Malaysian government.

2009–present: Goodbye Lullaby

Main article: Goodbye Lullaby

Only a month after completing The Best Damn Tour, Lavigne began recording in her home studio in November 2008 with the song "Black Star", written to help promote her first fragrance of the same name. By July 2009, nine tracks had been recorded for the new album, including the songs "Fine", "Everybody Hurts" and "Darlin". Several of the tracks were written in Lavigne's youth. "Darlin" was the second song Lavigne wrote as a 15-year-old while living in Napanee, Ontario. Lavigne described the album as being about "life". She stated, "It's so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that's really close to me, something I've been through, it's a totally different thing." The album is expected to be a return to Lavigne's older musical style and may be largely acoustic. With the exception of the album's lead single, "What the Hell", Lavigne described the songs on the album as different from her earlier material: "I'm older now, so I think that comes across in my music, it's not as pop-rock".

In January 2010, while simultaneously writing and recording for her new album, Lavigne worked with Disney on Alice in Wonderland-themed clothing designs, inspired by Tim Burton's feature film, Alice in Wonderland. She asked the executives if she could write a song for the film. The result was the song "Alice", which was played over the end credits and included on the soundtrack, Almost Alice.

On 28 February, Lavigne gave a performance at the concert portion of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, performing "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". Lavigne was honoured to perform at the ceremonies, but she regretted not being able to attend the U.S. vs. Canada hockey match. "They had us on lockdown. We weren't allowed to leave our trailers, for security purposes."

In September, Lavigne's third single from her debut album, "I'm With You", was sampled by Rihanna on the track "Cheers (Drink to That)", which is featured on Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud.

The release dates for Goodbye Lullaby and its lead single were pushed back several times. In response to these delays, Lavigne said, "I write my own music and, therefore, it takes me longer to put out records 'cause I have to live my life to get inspiration," and that she had enough material for two records. In November, Lavigne was featured in Maxim, where she revealed that Goodbye Lullaby took two and a half years to complete, but she cited her record company as the reason for the album's delays, stating that the album had been completed for a year. Goodbye Lullaby is scheduled to be released on 8 March. The lead single, "What the Hell", premiered on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December.

In December 2010, American singer Miranda Cosgrove released "Dancing Crazy", a song written by Lavigne, Max Martin and Shellback. It was also produced by Martin.

Musical style and songwriting

“	I know my fans look up to me and that's why I make my songs so personal; it's all about things I've experienced and things I like or hate. I write for myself and hope that my fans like what I have to say.	”
—Avril Lavigne, Girl.com.au

Themes in Lavigne's music include messages of self-empowerment from a female or adolescent point of view. Lavigne believes her "songs are about being yourself no matter what and going after your dreams even if your dreams are crazy and even if people tell you they're never going to come true." On her debut album, Let Go, Lavigne preferred the less mainstream songs, such as "Losing Grip", instead of her more radio-friendly singles, such as "Complicated", saying that "the songs I did with the Matrix... were good for my first record, but I don't want to be that pop anymore." Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, had more personal themes underlying each song. Lavigne explained, "I've gone through so much, so that's what I talk about.... Like boys, like dating or relationships". In contrast, her third album, The Best Damn Thing, was not very personal to her. "Some of the songs I wrote didn't even mean that much to me. It's not like some personal thing I'm going through." Her objective in writing the album was simply to "make it fun". Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne's fourth album, is expected to be much more personal than her earlier records, with Lavigne describing the album as "more stripped down, deeper. All the songs are very emotional".

Lavigne has an alto vocal range. Growing up, Lavigne listened to Blink-182, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty and Shania Twain, and her influences include Courtney Love andJanis Joplin. Because of these influences, musical genres, and her personal style, the media frequently defined her as punk, something she denied being. Lavigne’s close friend and guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld, said, "It's a very touchy subject to a lot of people, but the point is that Avril isn't punk, but she never really pretended to claim to come from that scene. She had pop punk music and the media ended up doing the rest". Lavigne also commented on the matter: "I have been labeled like I'm this angry girl, [a] rebel... punk, and I am so not any of them."

While Lavigne denied being angry, her interviews were still passionate about the media's lack of respect for her songwriting. "I am a writer, and I won't accept people trying to take that away from me", adding that she'd been writing "full-structured songs" since she was 14. Despite this, Lavigne’s songwriting has been questioned throughout her career. The songwriting trio, the Matrix, with whom Lavigne wrote songs for her debut album, claimed that they were the main songwriters of Lavigne’s singles, "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You". Lavigne denied this, asserting that she was the primary songwriter for every song on the album. "[N]one of those songs aren't from me". In 2007, Chantal Kreviazuk, who wrote with Lavigne on her second album, accused Lavigne of plagiarism and criticised her songwriting. "Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything". Lavigne also disclaimed this, and considered taking legal action against Kreviazuk for "clear defamation" against her character. Kreviazuk later apologised: "Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her". Shortly thereafter, Tommy Dunbar, founder of the 1970s band, the Rubinoos, sued Lavigne, her publishing company, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for allegedly stealing parts of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" for her song "Girlfriend". Gottwald defended Lavigne, stating, "me and Avril wrote the song together…. It has the same chord progressions as ten different Blink-182 songs, the standard changes you'd find in a Sum 41 song. It's the Sex Pistols, not the Rubinoos." In January 2008, the lawsuit was closed after a confidential settlement had been reached.

Other work

Film career

Lavigne at the Los Angeles premiere ofOver the Hedge on 30 April 2006.

Lavigne became interested in appearing on television and in feature films. The decision, she said, was entirely her own. Although her years of experience in making music videos would be to her advantage, Lavigne admitted that it was the singing that actually removed any fear of performing before the camera. She specifically mentioned that the video "Nobody's Home" had the most amount of actual "acting" in it. Her first television appearance was in a 2002 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, performing "Sk8er Boi" with her band in a nightclub. She later made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Going the Distance. The main characters bump into her backstage at the MuchMusic Video Awards after her performance of "Losing Grip".

She moved into feature film acting cautiously, choosing deliberately small roles to begin with. In November 2005, after going through an audition to land the role, Lavigne travelled to New Mexico to film a single scene in the 2007 film, The Flock. She starred as Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, appearing alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere. Gere gave Lavigne acting tips in-between takes. On her role in The Flock, Lavigne said, "I did that just to see how it was and to not jump into [mainstream acting] too fast". The Flock would not be released in American theaters, and because it would not be released in foreign markets until late 2007, it would not be considered Lavigne's debut. The film made $7 million in the foreign box office.

Lavigne's feature film debut was voicing an animated character in the 2006 film Over the Hedge, based on the comic strip of the same name. She voiced the character Heather, a Virginia Opossum. The process of recording the characters' voices was devoid of interaction with other actors. Lavigne stated, "All the actors went in individually, and [director] Tim and [screenwriter Karey] and directors were there with me every time I went in, and they made it go so smoothly; they made me feel comfortable.... That was the interesting part, going in by yourself, with no one else to kind of feed off of." Lavigne found the recording process to be "easy" and "natural", but she kept hitting the microphone as she gestured while acting. "I'd use my hands constantly and, like, hit the microphone stand and make noises, so Tim and Karey had to tell me to hold still.... It's hard to be running or falling down the stairs and have to make those sounds come out of your mouth but keep your body still." Lavigne believed she was hired to perform Heather due to her rock star status. "[The director] thought I'd give my character... a bit of attitude". The film opened on 19 May 2006, making $38 million over its opening weekend. It went on to gross $336 million worldwide.

In December 2005, Lavigne signed on to appear in Fast Food Nation, based on the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. The fictionalized adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater, traces fast-food hamburgers contaminated with cow feces back to the slaughterhouses. Lavigne starred in her on-screen acting debut as a high school student intent on freeing the cows. The film opened on 17 November 2006 and remained in theaters for 11 weeks, grossing $2 million worldwide.

Both Over the Hedge and Fast Food Nation opened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, which Lavigne attended. Lavigne felt honoured to be able to attend and was proud of her work. When asked if she would pursue her film career, she stated that she wanted to take her time and wait for the "right parts and the right movies." Lavigne was aware of the roles she had chosen. "I wanted to start off small and to learn [that] I wouldn't just want to throw myself into a big part." In August 2006, Canadian Business magazine ranked her as the seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood in their second-annual ranking Celebrity Power List. The results were determined by comparing salary, Internet hits, TV mentions, and press hits.

Entrepreneurship

In July 2008, Lavigne launched the clothing line Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection. It is produced by Kohl's, which is the brand's exclusive U.S. retailer. Named after Lavigne's childhood nickname, Abbey Dawn is designed by Lavigne herself. Kohl's describes Abbey Dawn as a "juniors lifestyle brand", which incorporates skull, zebra, and star patterns, purples and "hot pinks and blacks". Lavigne, who wore some of the clothes and jewellery from her line at various concerts before its official launch, pointed out that she was not merely licensing her name to the collection. ""I actually am the designer. What's really important to me is that everything fits well and is well-made, so I try everything on and approve it all."

“	I just love clothes and colors and patterns. I'm very visual and very hands-on.	”
—Avril Lavigne, Billboard

The designs were also featured on the Internet game Stardoll, where figures can be dressed up as Avril Lavigne. On 14 September 2009, Lavigne took her latest collection for her clothing line to be a part of the New York Fashion Week. "It's fun to be a chick and design clothes and things I'd like for myself. I design things I [can't] find." In December 2010, the clothing line was made available to over 50 countries via the line's official website. At the end of 2008, Lavigne signed a contract with Canon Canada to appear in ad campaigns and commercials to promote the latest line of cameras, along with a full range of other accessories.

Lavigne released her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products. The fragrance was announced via Lavigne's official website on 7 March 2009. Black Star, which features notes of pink hibiscus, black plum and dark chocolate, was released in summer 2009 in Europe, and later in the U.S. and Canada. When asked what the name meant, Lavigne replied, "I wanted [the bottle] to be a star, and my colors are pink and black, and Black Star resembles being different, and standing out in the crowd, and reaching for the stars; the whole message is just about following your dreams, and it's okay to be unique and be who you are." Black Star won the 2010 Best "Women's Scent Mass" by Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). Black Star was followed by a second fragrance in July 2010, Forbidden Rose, which took two years to develop. It features notes of red apple, winepeach, black pepper, lotusflower, heliotrope, shellflower, praline agreement, sandalwood, and vanilla. Its message is an extension of Black Star's "follow your dreams", though the tagline for the new perfume is "Dare to Discover". The commercial takes place in a gothic garden setting, where Lavigne, upon entering the garden, finds a single, purple rose. Lavigne is to launch a third fragrance in August 2011 and filmed the commercial for it in late 2010.

In January 2010, Lavigne began working with Disney to incorporate Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs into her Abbey Dawn line of clothing. Her designs were exhibited at theFashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in California beginning in May through September, alongside Colleen Atwood's costumes from the 2010 film.

Philanthropy

Lavigne has been involved in a number of charitable activities, such as Make Some Noise, Amnesty International, Erase MS, AmericanCPR.org, Camp Will-a-Way, Music Clearing Minefields, U.S. Campaign for Burma, Make-a-Wish Foundation and War Child. She has also appeared in ALDO ads with YouthAIDS to raise money to educate people worldwide about HIV/AIDS. Lavigne took part in the Unite Against Aids concert presented by ALDO in support of Unicef on 28 November 2007 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In November 2010, Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.

Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organisation, for her 2005 east coast tour. She covered "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" for War Child's Peace Songs compilation, and she recorded a cover of the John Lennon song "Imagine" as her contribution to the compilation album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Released on 12 June 2007, the album was produced to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur.

On 5 December 2009, Lavigne returned to the stage in Mexico City during the biggest charity event in Latin America, "Teleton". She performed acoustic versions of her hits "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" with Evan Taubenfeld and band member, Jim McGorman. In 2010, Lavigne was one of several artists who contributed their voices to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as a benefit single to help raise money for several charity organisations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

On 14 September 2010, Lavigne introduced her charity, "The Avril Lavigne Foundation". The next day, the foundation's official website was launched. The foundation aims to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities and works with leading charitable organisations; The foundation partners with the Easter Seals, Make-A-Wish foundation and Erase MS, the latter two being charities Lavigne has previously worked with. Her work with the Make-A-Wish foundation was the inspiration behind her own charity, with Lavigne stating, "I just really wanted to do more". Lavigne said on the foundation's website, "I have always looked for ways to give back because I think it’s a responsibility we all share".Philanthropist Trevor Neilson's 12-person firm, "Global Philanthropy Group", advises Lavigne with her foundation as well as several other celebrities, including musician John Legend.

Personal life

Public image

“	I have to fight to keep my image really me.... I rejected some gorgeous publicity shots because they just didn't look like me. I won't wear skanky clothes that show my booty, my belly or my boobs. I have a great body.	”
—Avril Lavigne, MTV

When Lavigne first gained publicity, she was known for her tomboyish style, in particular her necktie and tank-top combinations. She preferred baggy clothes, skater shoes or Converses, wristbands, and sometimes shoelaces wrapped around her fingers. During photo shoots, instead of wearing "glittery get-ups", she preferred wearing "old, crumpled T's". In response to her fashion and musical influences, the media would call her the "pop punk princess". Press and fans regarded her as the "anti-Britney", in part because of her less-commercial and "real" image, but also because she was noticeably headstrong. "I’m not made up and I’m not being told what to say and how to act, so they have to call me the anti-Britney, which I’m not. "By November 2002, however, Lavigne stopped wearing ties, claiming she felt she was "wearing a costume". Lavigne made a conscious effort to keep her music, and not her image, at the forefront of her career. "I'm just saying, I don't want to sell sex. I feel that's sort of lame and low. I've got so much more to say."

Lavigne eventually took on a more gothic style as she began her second album, Under My Skin, trading her skating outfits for black tutus and acquiring an overall disposition of angst. During The Best Damn Thing years, Lavigne changed directions entirely, dying her hair blonde with a pink streak and wearing more feminine outfits, including "tight jeans and heels," and modelling for magazines like Harper's Bazaar. Lavigne defended her new style: "I don't really regret anything. You know, the ties and the wifebeaters and all... It had its time and place. And now I'm all grown up, and I've moved on". She now tries to eat healthy foods and participate in athletic activities, including yoga, street hockey, soccer, rollerblading, and surfing.

Tattoos

Lavigne's tattoo on her right wrist

Only a few of Lavigne's tattoos are unique to her; the rest are matching tattoos, shared with friends. Lavigne had a star tattooed on the inside of her left wrist that matched the style of the one used for her first album artwork. It was created at the same time as friend and musical associate Ben Moody's identical tattoo. In late 2004, she had a small pink heart around the letter "D" applied to her right wrist, which represented her boyfriend at the time, Deryck Whibley. Lavigne and Whibley each received matching tattoos again in March 2010, in celebration of his 30th birthday. In April, Lavigne added another tattoo on her wrist, that of a lightning bolt and the number 30, and her boyfriend, Brody Jenner, received a matching lightning bolt tattoo under his ear.

“	Everything is always spur-of-the-moment. All of my tattoos, I decide that second and do it.	”
—Avril Lavigne, Inked

Her love of tattoos, however, gained media attention in May 2010, after Lavigne and Jenner received matching tattoos of the word "fuck" on their ribs. Lavigne appeared in the June/July cover story for Inked magazine, where she discussed and showed off her tattoos, including an "Abbey Dawn" on her left forearm and an "XXV" and star on her right. Although she confirmed the "fuck" tattoo verbally in the article, calling it her "favorite word", she had it applied after the magazine's photo shoot. She added that she wanted to eventually get a "big-ass heart with a flag through it with a name.... I'm going to wait a few years and make sure I still want it then. I have to wait for that special someone to come back into my life." In July 2010, Lavigne had the name "Brody" tattooed beneath her right breast.

Marriage to Deryck Whibley

Lavigne's ex-husband, Deryck Whibley

Lavigne and Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for punk band Sum 41, began dating when she was 19 years old, after being friends since she was 17. Only a few weeks before they met, Lavigne had publicly stated that she was having trouble meeting boys because her bodyguards scared them away. In June 2005, Whibley surprised Lavigne with a trip to Venice, including a gondola ride and a romantic picnic, and on 27 June, he proposed to her.

She initially wanted to have a "rock n' roll, goth wedding", but she admitted to having doubts about going against tradition. "I've been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a little girl. I have to wear the white dress.... People thought that I would [wear a] black wedding dress, and I would have. But at the same time, I was thinking about the wedding pictures, and I wanted to be in style. I didn't want to be thinking, 20 years later, 'Oh, why did I wear my hair like that?'"

The wedding was held on 15 July 2006. About 110 guests attended the wedding, which was held at a private estate in Montecito, California. Lavigne, wearing a gown designed by Vera Wang walked down the aisle with her father, Jean-Claude, to Mendelssohn's"Wedding March". Lavigne chose a colour theme of red and white, including red rose petals and centerpieces of distinctly coloured flowers. The wedding included cocktails for an hour before the reception and a sit-down dinner. The song "Iris", by the Goo Goo Dolls, was played during Lavigne and Whibley's first dance.

Seven months into their marriage, Lavigne stated that she was "the best thing that's ever happened to him", and suggested that she helped Whibley stay off drugs since they'd begun dating. "He doesn't do drugs. Clearly, he used to, because he talked about it, but I wouldn't be with someone who did, and I made that very clear to him when we first started dating. I've never done cocaine in my life, and I'm proud of that. I am 100 percent against drugs." The marriage lasted a little more than three years. It was announced on 17 September 2009 that Lavigne and Whibley had split up and that divorce papers would soon follow. On 9 October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce, releasing the statement, "I am grateful for our time together, and I am grateful and blessed for our remaining friendship." The divorce was finalized on 16 November 2010, officially ending the marriage.