Woman Notepad

UI, UGM, ITB remain Indonesia’s best performers

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:39:00 +0000

Jakarta’s University of Indonesia (UI), Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) have maintained their standard to be awarded a place on Asia’s top 100 higher education institutions list.

The Times Higher Education’s first-ever Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings, released Tuesday, placed UI at 50th place, UGM at 63rd and ITB at 80th.

Hong Kong, Japanese and South Korean universities dominated the QS’ premier regional rankings, with the National University of Singapore the only Southeast Asian university to break into the top 10.

Other Southeast Asian universities included in the big 50 list are Nanyang Technological University at 14th place, Thailand’s Mahidol University at 30th place, Chulalongkorn University at 35th place and Malaysia’s University Malaya at 39th place.

UI has retained its position as Indonesia’s best performer, having ranked 287th on the THE-QS 2008 World University Rankings. This year however, UGM and ITB swapped positions.

“Indonesian universities have performed well, with high peer and recruiter review scores. These results make study in Indonesia an attractive option for international students studying abroad,” QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli said in a statement.

Director General for Higher Education Fasli Jalal said considering Asia is home to more than 4000 universities and other higher education institutions, the rankings achieved by Indonesia’s top three universities were very commendable.

UI rector Gumilar Rusmiwa Sumantri said earlier that UI’s constant improvement was due to internal reforms such as efficient financial management, greater efforts to produce international journals and promoting the university as a destination for study to international students.

Similar measures have likewise been adopted by the ITB, whose rector Djoko Santoso said it had been enjoying an increasing number of foreign students in the past few years.

UI ranks best among Indonesian universities in Social Sciences, sitting on 18th place, while UGM is listed as 14th for Art and Humanities. UGM also performed well in Life Sciences and Medicine, securing 16th place.

ITB is Indonesia’s best performer in Engineering and Information Technology, ranking 21st while taking out 27th place for Natural Science.

The complete rankings can be viewed at www.topuniversities.com.

It measures academic peer review, recruiter review, student to faculty ratio, papers per faculty, citations per paper, international faculty review, international students review and student exchanges inbound and outbound.

RI’s top universities

No. Name Ranking
1. University of Indonesia 50
2. Gadjah Mada University 63
3. Bandung Institute of Technology 80
4. Bogor Institute of Agriculture 119
5. Airlangga University 130
6. Diponegoro University 171
7. Sebelas Maret University 171
8. Brawijaya University 191

Source: Times Higher Education - QS World University.

I'm selling Titanic relics to pay for my nursing care

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:17:00 +0000

AGED just nine weeks Millvina Dean lost her dad after they were separated during the sinking of the Titanic.

Now 97, the only living survivor of the disaster is hoping her connection to the legendary liner will come to her rescue.
You would think she had seen enough tragedy for a lifetime. Yet she is in danger of losing the cosy room where she hoped to spend her twilight years.
Determined to remain, devastated Millvina is auctioning the last of her Titanic memorabilia to pay monthly bills of up to £3,000.

The Woodlands Ridge Nursing Home where she lives is on the outskirts of Southampton, from where Millvina set sail aboard the Titanic on April 10, 1912.
When the “unsinkable” vessel struck an iceberg four nights later she was wrapped in a mail sack and loaded on to lifeboat number 13 with her mother, Georgetta.
Moments later the passenger liner slipped under the freezing waters of the Atlantic.
A post bag — the one Millvina thinks kept her warm — is among 17 items she is selling through Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, Wilts, in April.
They are expected to raise several thousand pounds, possibly running into five figures.

Millvina says: “It was a very cold night when the Titanic sank and I suppose in the rush I was bundled into whatever was most handy.

“That happened to be a mail sack. And it did a fine job of keeping me warm and dry. For years my mother held on to such a canvas bag and it could be the one I was put in when the Titanic went down
“I’m also selling a one-off Waterford Crystal Titanic model presented to me when I visited the factory in the late Nineties.

“The Titanic’s builders, Harland & Wolff in Belfast, gave me a large picture of the ship with my name on a plaque below it in April 1996. That’s going too.
“I don’t want to part with my possessions, but given the circumstances, I have no choice.”
Although wheelchair bound, Millvina remains outspoken and spirited — perhaps aided by the shot of Tia Maria liqueur she enjoys in her coffee every morning.

She was eight when her mum first told her about the luxurious ocean liner which hit an iceberg at 11.40pm on Sunday, April 14, 1912. Only 705 of the 2,228 passengers and crew survived.

Love

Before then Georgetta was too traumatised to speak of the events and couldn’t bring herself to mention her darling husband Bertram, 27, whom she lost in the tragedy.
Millvina says: “After later returning to England from the States my mother fell in love with a local vet called Leonard Burden. She married him in 1920.

“She felt I should know he was my step-dad and told me about what happened to the Titanic.”

Millvina’s mum died in 1975 aged 95. By then she had shared all the tragic details of the fateful night in 1912 with her daughter.
Millvina says: “My father got a letter from cousins in Kansas telling him to come to the United States for a better life.

“He sold the pub he owned in London, made a down-payment on a tobacconist’s in Wichita, Kansas, and bought third-class tickets to the New World.
“The night of the sinking my parents were in bed when they heard a crash. Dad rushed up to the deck and came downstairs yelling at Mum to get the children.
“My brother, Vere, was almost two and with the help of a sailor we struggled into the open air.

“There was room in a lifeboat for my mother and I but Dad wouldn’t board because of the ‘women and children first’ policy.
“My parents embraced and Dad said he would see us later. Mum never saw him again.”

Dream

Four hours after receiving the Titanic’s distress calls the Cunard liner Carpathia picked up the lifeboat containing Millvina and her mum.
They had been separated from Vere, so Georgetta was overjoyed to find him already aboard the rescue ship. From there the liner sailed to New York.
Millvina says: “Mum left England with her husband hoping for a new life.

“The situation she faced in New York couldn’t have been more different. We had no father, no money and no clothes.
“The Americans were extremely kind and provided clothing and food but Mum just wanted to get back to England to her family. The dream was well and truly over.
“We spent three weeks in St Luke’s hospital while Mum recuperated.
“We were given tickets back to England aboard the Adriatic, where I became a bit of a celebrity.

“I have a photo of my mother and I on the journey home. It’s something I’d never sell.”
Back in England Millvina was raised on her grandfather George Light’s farm in Bartley, in Hampshire’s New Forest.
She recalls a glorious, outdoors childhood spent looking after animals and making hay bales.

Millvina, who never married, went on to live an unremarkable adult life, working in the Ordnance Survey office and for an engineering firm.
Then, in 1985, Robert Ballard — from Wichita, where Millvina was to have started her new life — discovered the wreck of the Titanic two miles under the Atlantic and Millvina developed a fascination with the ship.

She says: “I got invited to conventions all over the world and travelled to the States, Canada, Germany, France and many other countries.
“Everyone made such a fuss because I was the Titanic’s youngest passenger. That’s how I ended up with so many mementoes. I had emotional meetings with other survivors too. But now I’m the only one left.”

Slipping three heaped sugars into a half cup of tea, Millvina struggles to explain the huge interest still surrounding the ill-fated ship.
“I suppose it’s because it was said to be unsinkable. It was also the most luxurious liner ever.

“Multi-millionaires went to their graves alongside steerage passengers such as my father.
“Naturally I wouldn’t choose to be linked with the Titanic. I would have dearly loved to know my dad, who was such a handsome man.”
Ironically, her connection with the Titanic now provides her only hope of further professional care.

10 things to know about internet dating

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:02:00 +0000

1. Don't waste your time. According to the US news channel MSNBC, one third of people using online dating services are married, so learn to read between the lines. If your potential date is “separated” but calls you from a mobile only at odd, or set, times, won't give you a landline number, and can't ever seem to meet you on a weekend night, forget it.

2. Talk on the phone before your date. Voice tone and conversational nuances tell you things that e-mail can't.

3. If you don't like what you hear, question whether it is worth meeting. You should bother having face-to-face interactions only with people who have real intellectual, emotional and romantic potential.

4. Meet promising partners sooner rather than later. It will stop you projecting your fantasies on to them. The more you expect, the less likely it is that a person will live up to your expectations.

5. Tread a sensible line between optimism and caution. While there is every reason to believe that your date is a nice, normal person, meet in a public place, tell a friend where you are, carry a mobile phone and never accept a lift home.

6. Avoid bringing your date to your favourite haunts. If things don't work out, he could turn up uninvited at any time.

7. First dates should always take place in daylight. It's safer because there are more people around.

8. And you can see better. Research from Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that about 20 per cent of online daters admit to deception in their physical profile, but if you ask them how many other people are lying, that number jumps to 90 per cent. Nielsen NetRatings estimates that 33 per cent of online daters lie to some degree. Women tend to be more economical with the truth about their weight, height and age.

9. Sharing an activity rather than a coffee can be an easier way to break the ice, but keep it “kitsch” rather than “competitive”. Go for mini golf, not 18 holes; a trip to the zoo, not a ten-mile run.

10. If your date never returns your calls after meeting you, don't take it as a personal rejection because chances are you've either done the same thing to people you've dated in the past, or will do to people you meet online in the future. The great thing about internet dating is that there really are plenty more fish in the sea, so get back online and start over.

Brazilian beauty queen dies

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:55:00 +0000

A STUNNING Miss World finalist had her hands and feet amputated – after contracting a killer bug, according to reports.

Doctors carried out the drastic surgery on Mariana Bridi da Costa after she was struck down with a urinary disease – which can be fatal.

Her boyfriend Thiago Simoes said 20-year-old Mariana fell ill on December 30 – but was initially misdiagnosed with kidney stones.

The infection quickly spread – causing her to go back to hospital for tests that revealed her condition.

Septicaemia set in her limbs, cutting off circulation and forcing doctors to amputate her hands and feet.

Devastated Mr Simoes said: "We are all absolutely distraught and are just praying now that she can pull through.

"She fell ill on December 30 and we took her to hospital where she was misdiagnosed with a kidney stone.

"They gave her some medicine and sent her home. But two days later she started getting worse.

"We took her back to hospital and they said she had a very serious infection.

"She got more and more sick, and had no blood circulation to her limbs.

"First she lost her feet, then on Tuesday she lost both her hands.

"But she is a very strong person and we just want her to survive."

Miss Bridi is in a serious condition on a ventilation machine in hospital in Serra, in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo.

The infection was caused by the pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

Her father, Agnaldo da Costa, told a Brazilian newspaper that "the concern is over her life".

Mariana twice made it to the national finals of the Miss World contest and last year travelled to China to participate in the Miss Bikini International pageant.

Video footage has emerged of her taking part in a beauty pagent on the internet - which you can see above.

Deadliest weapon so far... the plague

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:19:00 +0000

ANTI-TERROR bosses last night hailed their latest ally in the war on terror — the BLACK DEATH.

At least 40 al-Qaeda fanatics died horribly after being struck down with the disease that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages.

The killer bug, also known as the plague, swept through insurgents training at a forest camp in Algeria, North Africa. It came to light when security forces found a body by a roadside.

The victim was a terrorist in AQLIM (al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb), the largest and most powerful al-Qaeda group outside the Middle East.
It trains Muslim fighters to kill British and US troops.

Now al-Qaeda chiefs fear the plague has been passed to other terror cells — or Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

One security source said: “This is the deadliest weapon yet in the war against terror. Most of the terrorists do not have the basic medical supplies needed to treat the disease.

“It spreads quickly and kills within hours. This will be really worrying al-Qaeda.”

Black Death comes in various forms.
Bubonic Plague is spread by bites from infected rat fleas. Symptoms include boils in the groin, neck and armpits. In Pneumonic Plague, airborn bacteria spread like flu.

It can be in the body for more than a week — highly contagious but not revealing tell-tale symptoms.

The al-Qaeda epidemic began in the cave hideouts of AQLIM in Tizi Ouzou province, 150km east of the capital Algiers. The group, led by wanted terror boss Abdelmalek Droudkal, was forced to turn its shelters in the Yakouren forest into mass graves and flee.

The extremists supporting madman Osama bin Laden went to Bejaia and Jijel provinces — hoping the plague did not go with them.

A source said: “The emirs (leaders) fear surviving terrorists will surrender to escape a horrible death.”

AQLIM boss Droudkal claims to command around 1,000 insurgents. Training camps are also based in Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

AQLIM bombed the UN headquarters in Algiers in 2007, killing 41. Attacks across Algeria last year killed at least 70 people.

In an interview last July, Droudkal boasted his cell was in constant contact with other al-Qaeda “brothers”. (thesun)

Victoria Beckham debuts as underwear model for Armani

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Not bad for a mother of three who insists that she looks "really awful" naked.

The first shots of Victoria Beckham advertising Armani underwear were released today and are soon to be plastered on billboards from London to Los Angeles, Paris to Tokyo.

They will also be prominently displayed in Milan, where Ms Beckham's footballer husband, David, is spending a few months on loan to AC Milan.

The new campaign, shot in the Beckhams' new home town of LA by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, features the Spice Girl-turned-fashion-designer perching on a unmade bed. In another shot for the Spring/Summer campaign, she reclines on the floor clad only in heels and underwear.

As the pictures were released today, designer Giorgio Armani described Ms Beckham as: "a stylish and intriguing woman," adding: "Great underwear is alluring and provocative, and so I wanted to work with someone who would make a real impression."

Victoria, 34, is being paid a reported £12 million to follow in David's footsteps as an Armani underwear model, which should help pay the bills in the Italian fashion capital.

Victoria is no stranger to designer campaigns. In March last year she appeared in Marc Jacobs advertisements. The shoot saw her adopting a number of unconventional poses, including one in which only her legs were visible, splayed out of a Marc Jacobs bag.

Victoria, who has carved out a successful career since her pop fame as a designer and muse, launched her own line of clothing at New York fashion week last year to critical aclaim, but clearly feels there is no conflict of interest with her latest venture.

Armani praised the former Spice Girl as "a style icon" who enjoyed international recognition. "I'm sure Victoria's presence will generate great excitement."

Laras the butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Kamil, a thin black man, met long-haired Laras in the deep of the night at a deserted bus stop near a pedestrian overpass.

Kamil was in his masculine prime while Laras was desperately in need of shelter to protect her slim frame dressed in a thin green blouse from the bite of the night wind.

Night brought a different charm from daytime. The whispers of the heart teased a hidden passion. Anything could happen, in the blink of an eye. After the first burst of passion, more suspect seductions would follow, moving through the blood until a sigh was heard. Kamil and Laras felt it.

Laras looked so attractive under the beam of street lamps, Kamil just wanted to embrace her tightly. Moreover, the night wind kept blowing harder, making the air colder. He imagined her soft skin and sweet-smelling long black hair. They would be taste enhancers for his loneliness, especially in the dark nights.

Laras appeared beautiful in Kamil's eyes when they arrived at Kamil's small, dirty rented house. Laras smelled that ordinary musty aroma that hangs in the rooms of economy inns or frugal lodgings.

Laras saw a guitar in the corner of. A sudden urge to hear the strumming of guitar's strings struck her.

"Can you sing?" Laras asked.

"Of course," replied Kamil. "I'm a street singer. I sing every day on the bus."

Laras stood up and walked slowly to the corner. Her soft hand reached for the guitar. She brought it back to Kamil who couldn't keep his eyes from her long black hair. His eyes did not blink, his mouth hung open as he gazed admiringly at her.

"Sing for me," said Laras. Her gaze returned Kamil's unblinking stare. She smiled, her lips red and her teeth pearly white.

As if bewitched, Kamil took the guitar and started to strum a tune. He began singing the lyrics to his favorite song.

That girl with the long black hair Walks under the moonlight, Toward the moon's circle, That will bestow peace upon her. She turned into a butterfly Flitting everywhere 'Cause she belongs to no one.

Laras clapped her hands. Softly she said, "Did you know? That the song is about me, but nobody knows and cares. You sang it very melodiously."

Kamil did not hear what Laras said. He was already blind drunk on love wine, being unable to say a word and staring at every inch of Laras' body.

Seeing Kamil, Laras smiled with pleasure. It was the sweetest smile he had ever seen. He kept staring at her body. Night crawled, he could control his heartbeat no longer. It beat harder and harder, sounding like a wild ox that sees a waving red cloth. The pounding finally left when morning light broke.

"Stay here with me forever." Kamil's voice trembled when there was no more space between their bodies.

"But I am a free creature," said Laras. "I do not serve human beings."

"I don't care," Kamil said.

"And I am a butterfly which is bound up with the moon."

"Still, I don't care," said Kamil. "Even if you are a caterpillar."

Kamil pulled Laras' fingers to his chest so she could feel his heartbeat through her fingertips, which had reached tranquility now. His long-faithful beloved -- loneliness -- had been far away.

Gradually, without raising Laras' fingers from his chest, Kamil brought her fingers to his dark brown lips. He played them around his lips. Laras was simply quiet, giving a chance for Kamil to satisfy his thirst and hunger of a woman. Every night, Kamil dreamt of a woman sleeping beside him.

"I'll do anything you want as long as you stay here with me, becoming my spouse, my soul mate," Kamil begged.

Laras smiled. Her wings understood. It was not yet the right time to flap and fly to the full moon. It was still very far away. So she nodded. Seeing that, Kamil looked as though he had seen heaven unrolled in his future life. He felt he was the real man now.

The next few days became more beautiful for Kamil. Singing songs on the buses seemed more enjoyable. In the morning, there was a glass of coffee before working, and in the evening, arriving at home, he found a plate of rice complete with its side dishes.

His work schedule was already fixed, and he was very delighted when the time to go home had come. His longing always reminded him what time it was. Having a spouse in life was perfect and completed his life, everybody's dream.

Kamil became less choosy about which bus to ride. After he was done busking in one, he moved to another straightaway. There was always money coming into the plastic bag he'd been using for ten years. He thought Laras had brought him luck.

***

Months passed. Laras started to get bored by the unchanging atmosphere of the slum, the cry of neighbor children, quarrels between neighbors. All day was the same: the sound of food vendors and water hawkers, seeing tradespeople selling goods on credit going from one house to another, with vistas of laundry lines decked out with cheap, old and worn-out clothes.

"I'll give you what you want. Just tell me," said Kamil when he saw Laras' gloomy face one morning. Laras was thinking about the musty places which used to imprison her, before she would finally be free when the full moon shone.

"I am a butterfly who came from a caterpillar and a cocoon," she said amid the jangle of cooking pots the next-door neighbor was washing. "Here I feel like going back to the cocoon. It's hot and close. I don't feel at home."

"Don't worry, I'll buy you a fan so you don't feel the heat."

Kamil did not understand.

Ignoring Laras who was trying to say something, Kamil went out carrying his guitar. He thought to work harder to earn more money. He sang very seriously so his voice became sweeter, and the bus passengers started passing him more coins. He economized, eating a simple meal to save more money.

Passing a market, Kamil stopped in at an electronics store and asked the price of a standing fan. It cost more than 100,000 rupiah. Kamil was convinced he could collect that much money in a week if he worked much harder.

Coming out of the store, Kamil met an old friend who worked loading and unloading trucks at the market. Kamil asked him his wage, and got interested because it was more than he made trading song for coin. He would also get free meals and cigarettes. He decided to join his friend.

Inexperienced working by relying on his physical power, after the first few hours Kamil felt aches and pains all over his body. He could shoulder only a few sacks of rice before exhaustion hit.

"You'll get used to it," his friend said.

Because he wanted to buy Laras a fan, Kamil kept at it. In the evening when he got his wages, he felt as if his body had cracked.

"Save this money to buy a fan," Kamil said, passing his earnings to Laras.

Laras just followed Kamil's instructions because she thought it was useless to talk to him. Kamil would never understand who she really was.

Actually, Laras sense her wings would appear soon because the full moon was due to appear in a few more days. The wings had started to irritate her soul, urging her to go to the moon. Her heart had been away in a different place, a place that induced tranquility.

That day, Kamil could not budge from the bed. His body was sore all over, with the slightest movement. In his mind he recounted the money already saved to buy a fan.

The next day, Kamil decided not to keep working as a day laborer. He felt God had created him to be a street singer. Imagining a fan in his mind, Kamil sang so seriously he earned plenty.

At dusk, Kamil counted his bills and coins. His eyes gleamed when he realized the money would be enough to buy a fan along with the savings Laras was holding. He hurried home. Hearing Laras taking a bath, he silently took the savings and went on to the electronics store.

***

Laras finished her bath. Then she stared out the window intently. Her heart pounded as she waited for the full moon to rise.

Slowly her wings grew as the first arc of the moon appeared. The wings opened fully when the moon formed a complete circle above the horizon, radiating its cool light. Moonbeams touched all parts of the room. Laras could not resist letting her wings pump, throb and fill.

That girl with the long black hair Walks under the moonlight, Toward the moon circle, That will bestow peace upon her. She turned into a butterfly Flitting everywhere 'Cause she belongs to no one.

Kamil arrived home and called for Laras, fan in his hands. But the house was quiet. No lights were on. All was dark and dead. Groping in the air, he managed to enter his bedroom.

Opening the door, Kamil saw the trail of moonlight crossing the room. He dashed to the window and pushed it wide open.

Kamil stared at the full moon, its golden light gradually fading. Unconsciously, Kamil's right hand dropped the fan and reached for the butterfly flapping its wings as it rose in the direction of the moon.

"Laras." Kamil's lips trembled, the corner's dripping with tears.

He at last understood Laras was really a butterfly.(jktpst)

The secret to being positive, successful and happy - by the world's leading thinkers

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:36:00 +0000

From Malcolm Gladwell to Alain de Bottom - leading thinkers share their secrets of success

"Take the risk of giving; something will come back"

Camila Batmanghelidjh Founder of children's charity Kids' Company

You have to think of the challenges as obstacles that you can have fun overcoming, rather than as impenetrable brick walls.

It's important, too, to have a sense of urgency: you have to work out how to get things done. If that does not happen, you have to keep the art of responding to the situation gracefully without feeling dramatic or victimised.

To have resilience you have to visit your dreadful bottom line. What's the worst thing that could happen? To face it and work it through, rather than always being scared of it?

It's a great help if you can be kind and not underestimate the energising capacities of kindness.

We're in a climate that might make you want to hoard, but you should take the risk of giving out. Something always comes back to you from it. The art of giving is to share the important things that you have, rather than just giving what you can spare.

Don't take yourself seriously: our ancestors lived in caves with little to survive on. What we're going through is no big deal.

I am going into 2009 with a totally fun attitude. The economic situation will make it very difficult for us to raise funds. My team and I are trying to think of really creative ways to do this with fun events and activities. We have many thousands of children reliant on our charity so downsizing is not an option.

You are always inspired if you are surrounded by children who have experienced huge trauma. It takes a lot for them to get up each morning and be hopeful for the next day.

If they can still hold on to hope, then the rest of us can learn from their example.

"Exercise every day, regardless of how tired you feel"

Nicky Kinnaird Founder of the British beauty chain, Space NK

Regardless of economic issues, a new year brings an opportunity to reassess our lives and adopt new lifestyle resolutions. I believe a better balance between work and play makes for greater productivity.

Having spent pretty much the past two months on the road in the US travelling from coast to coast (launching Space NK in Bloomingdale's), it opens your eyes to different ways of looking at things and to how other people prioritise in their lives.

Here are a few simple plans for 2009 that I have made during my recent journeys:

Exercise every day, regardless of how tired you feel. It gives you more energy and imparts a positive outlook.

But allow time for more meditative exercise rather than solely adrenalin-based competitive sports. Stretching and yoga make you much more aware of your body.

Forgo caffeine and alcohol, at least this month. You will be surprised how much better it makes you feel, and how much clearer and brighter your skin looks.

Be much more aware of your eating habits; the body needs a steady intake of fuel or it tends to make bad choices and few of those make us feel good. How different do we feel in the morning after a dinner of chicken or fish as opposed to red meat? Perhaps keep red meat for special occasions.

Spring-clean your closet. Anything that hasn't been worn over the past 18 months is unlikely to make another appearance. Donate it to charity and help someone else.

Invite friends around for dinner rather than go out to restaurants; enjoy your home rather than anonymous spaces. Stimulate your senses with inspirational music.

Enjoy the great outdoors - get some fresh air into your lungs and sunlight on your skin. Just remember sunscreen 365 days of the year. The sight of southern Californian skin has firmly knocked that into me.

"We must maintain direction and mission...then we can make it"

Malcolm Gladwell Author of Outliers, Blink and The Tipping Point

We have to find a new equilibrium. We are going to go through a very difficult period and a lot of people will suffer. The process of adjusting won't begin until we have found that we are at the bottom. We don't know if this thing will go away in one year or five years, whether it goes down 1 per cent tomorrow or 6 per cent. We have never been in this territory before.

You can look at it like the failure of strategic bombing in the Second World War. Strategic bombing always fails to bring populations to their knees... why? It's not the absolute level of hardship that causes people to crumble. It's the level of uncertainty that can destroy them. If we don't know what is going to happen and where it's coming from, then uncertainty is more of a hardship than hardship is.

We know we're in a terrible place, what it looks like and how we're going to suffer. But if we maintain a sense of direction and mission, and have faith in our leadership, then we can make it.

To succeed you have to work. In my book Outliers, I found that people who become remarkably successful put 10,000 hours of practice and learning into what they become great at.

The key words that the psychiatrists use are “deliberate practice” - it is careful, rich in feedback and intensive. Michael Jordan, the basketball star, was a manic practiser and incredibly self-critical. I'm talking about people who are critical so they can understand what they are good at and what they should focus on.

Developing obsessiveness is key. Being given an opportunity to channel that obsessiveness is central to success - and being in love with doing it. In fact, I wonder if the love part is the most important aspect.

"It is more important than ever not to get caught up in negative thinking"

Judy Piatkus Entrepreneur and specialist in lifestyle publishing

What people actually have to do is sit quietly and think about life in an orderly way. You have all this current whirling about you and you need to look for peace inside yourself because you are not going to find it outside. We have to be calm and in control, rather than making panicky decisions.

We can't control the world's financial situation. There isn't anything that any one of us can do about it. It is indeed global and looks very hard to fix. But there is one thing that we are all able to control and that is how we think about what is going on around us.

In these difficult times, and however hard life is and may be about to become, it is more important than ever not to get caught up in the downward spiral of negative thinking.

Because once you get caught up in negative thinking, that is what you will attract into your life.

Everything really does have a silver lining. If you are unemployed or about to lose your job or experience any other major loss or hardship, it is of course really difficult to think positively about the situation. But you do have to try - because the alternative is worse. You have to try to talk yourself into the idea that some good will come out of the current situation, even if you can't see what it will be at the present time.

For me, this year I am hoping to do some public speaking on aspects of managing companies in difficult times. I've been through two recessions, though not as bad as this one. I also want to do public speaking on managing fear.

There is a lot more opportunity next year for creativity to come through. If people want to think about what they want to do with their lives, rather than just go back into the wrong job again, it could be very constructive. It's an opportunity, if you see it that way.

These times mean that everyone will be evaluating every financial decision that they make and whether it adds to their pleasure in life. I hope that there will be a much greater sense of community because we are all in this situation together. Contentment isn't going to be about what you are earning.

For more on Judy Piatkus visit www.judypiatkus.com

"I'm a great believer in being postive"

Zita West Fertility and alternative therapy pioneer

There is doom and gloom all around. But I am a great believer in being positive. It's all you can do. Be optimistic, work hard and learn from what you are going through. What's the alternative? I think that in some ways, what is happening with the world economy is ultimately a good thing because there have been so many excesses in our society in recent years. It is now time to take stock of what we are doing. It is about pulling in our horns. I've learnt from Chinese medicine that health is a lot about balance and living within our natural bounds.

Whereas in generations past our ancestors suffered sicknesses of poverty, we now have more sicknesses of spirit - people never thinking that they have enough, and wanting to have everything now. You have to manage your mind.

A lot of what I see in my clinic is about mindset. It's what you find with women who go through IVF, give up and then become pregnant. I'm a big fan of IVF, but often the couples I see, their problem is about being impatient, rather than about being unable to conceive.

"It will be an exhilarating time"

Alain de Botton Author and philosopher

This will be the year when the question of how society should be arranged will cease to be an idle, abstract topic, dwelt upon by ivory-tower intellectuals. Everyone will become a political philosopher and all of a sudden some of the great issues facing our world will be up for grabs. It will be a frightening, exhilarating time.

A two-decade-old consensus about the virtues of individualism, liberalism and consumer capitalism is splintering beneath us. At the heart of the debate lie questions about fulfilment. We'll be asking how accurately the modern economy has been attending to our real needs.

There will be a whole new climate of scepticism about the market system - but one that will defy the old shrill labels of left and right. Expect ex-bankers to find unexpected points of agreement with environmental activists, poets and fashion designers.

Ultimately, the question will be: are our economies delivering on their promises? It'll once again be pointed out that our outer success is masking some deep-seated inner disturbances. Western society has always been an uneasy amalgamation of the values of the old Roman Empire - success, wealth and individual glory - and the values of the Judaeo-Christian world, with its emphasis on charity, serenity and love.

Those who will thrive are those who put the values of the Roman lion into abeyance and place the more compassionate lamb into centre stage again.

RI condemns Israeli air raids on Gaza Strip

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Thousands of protesters stage a rally against Israeli military attacks against Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, Jakarta, on Friday. Many of the protesters were sympathizers of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Indonesia has demanded the UN issue a formal resolution to condemn Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip and urge it to end the strikes that have left more than 300 Palestinians dead.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono joined the chorus of condemnation from leaders around the world over the air attacks that began on Saturday and resulted in the bloodiest days the Palestinians have seen in more than 20 years. Yudhoyono called for immediate action from the world community and the UN to force Israel to stop the attacks.

“I have written a letter to the UN secretary-general and the UN Security Council president condemning the Israeli attacks that are unproportional and have claimed huge numbers of lives and material,” he said at a press briefing, as anti-Israel demonstrators took to the streets nationwide.

The President underlined the need for the Security Council to set up a formal meeting to issue a resolution forcing Israel to stop the attacks and urging both sides to return to peace talks as stipulated in the 2007 Annapolis agreement, which helped maintain an uneasy peace in the region over the past six months.

“I am aware the UN has held an informal meeting, producing a written statement from the Security Council president. But Indonesia wants the council to hold a formal meeting to issue a resolution to force Israel to stop the attacks,” Yudhoyono said.

Indonesia has pledged US$1 million in cash aid, with another $2 million in medical supplies.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement saying he “deplored that violence is continuing today”, and strongly urging “once again an immediate stop to all acts of violence”.

The UN Security Council issued a nonbinding statement calling for “an immediate halt to all violence” in the Gaza Strip, where the air strikes are in their third day and Israeli tanks are massing on the border.

Yudhoyono’s statement was welcomed by the House of Representatives, Islamic organizations and civil society groups across the country.

“It’s time for the UN and the world community to get tough on Israel. The attacks can no longer be tolerated,” legislator Theo Sambuaga of the House’s Commission I on foreign affairs said.
Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin demanded the UN place sanctions on Israel, which he said had committed gross human right violations.

Suripto, a legislator and the chairman of the National Committee for Palestinian People, also urged the UN Human Rights Council to bring Israel to the International Criminal Court over the attacks.

Anti-Israel demonstrations took place across the country on Monday, with more than a thousand people rallying in Jakarta. Hard-line Islamic groups, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), have recruited volunteers to be sent to Palestine to fight.

“Go to hell, Israel! Israel is a terrorist!” the protesters shouted during their rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

Suripto said up to a million people would gather on Tuesday in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Central Jakarta to demand the country open its doors to Palestinian refugees.(jktpst)

Of death and destruction: Tsunami recalled

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:02:00 +0000

Thousands of Aceh residents held communal prayers in places of worship across the province on Friday as they honored the victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

In Banda Aceh, prayers were held at Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman mosque.

In Meulaboh, West Aceh, a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami was held at Ujung Karang Beach. The picture (right) shows women praying at a wrecked house on which a boat was left after the tsunami in Lampulo village in Banda Aceh.

Moments after the ceremony, hundreds of students and tsunami survivors, yet to receive housing aid, took part in a rally in front of the West Aceh Legislative Council.

Carrying banners, they demanded the government build them the houses they were promised, saying they were still living in temporary shelters.

They also demanded the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias' (BRR) verification team review thoroughly the list of recipients of new homes and take back homes from those who had received more than one.

"We urge donor countries to audit the BRR's performance and seek its accountability," said protest coordinator Edi Candra.

He also called on the authorities to investigate possible corruption within the BRR and local administrations.(jktpst)

Rafael: Fergie is a lovely man

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:42:00 +0000

TO some, Alex Ferguson is the godfather of English football: Powerful, successful and often ruthless.

But to his players, he remains more of a father figure: Kind, caring and encouraging — no matter who you are.

Just ask Rafael da Silva. The Brazilian right-back has broken into Manchester United’s first team this season to great effect and is set to face Stoke today.

He played in the weekend’s World Club Cup final triumph over Ecuador’s LDU Quito and is hungry for more success.

But the teenager admitted he would never have done that without the paternal care of the man who everyone at United calls “gaffer”.

At 19 and far from home, Rafael and his left-back brother Fabio have been able to look at the Old Trafford chief as more than just their boss.

Rafael said: “Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father for me. Off the pitch, he is a great and lovely man.

“He helps me out a lot in Manchester. He knows perfectly how to deal with youngsters and when to bring them to the first team. He doesn’t talk much but when he talks, he says only right things.

“He knows when he needs to be supportive and explain ‘look, you can’t do that now’.

“And he knows how to be really tough when the team is not playing well.”

But the boss is not the only help the young hopeful has had since signing for United from Brazilian side Fluminense two years ago.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo speaks the same language and has been a great help and inspiration.

Rafael revealed: “I will never forget the first training session with Cristiano Ronaldo. I think it was my third trip to Manchester. I was 16 and we were going to play a game in Belgium. I scored in that game.

“Ronaldo is a sensational person. Very humble and he jokes with us all the time and is nothing like his public superstar image.”

Rafael has burst on to the scene in the absence of the injured Gary Neville.

He even scored his first goal for the Premier League champions in their 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates last month.

Advertisement

And if he and Fabio progress the way Ferguson expects, they will become the first brothers to play for United since the Gary and Phil Neville partnership was broken by the latter’s move to Everton in 2005.

It is an ambition which both lads share and one which they are trying to help each other to achieve.

Rafael said: “As my brother and I play full-back, one knows when the other is not doing the right thing.

“We are very demanding towards each other.

“Yes, one day our paths might be separated. But on the other hand, maybe one day we can play together for Brazil as well as for United. It is my dream to be in the Brazil national team.”

English football’s boast of being the best in the world is supported by Rafael.

Even though one part of life in England the young Brazilians do not enjoy is the nightlife — something which no doubt pleases Fergie!

Rafael said: “English football is the best right now.

“It was easy to adapt, because I’ve always enjoyed physical football. I am fast, I like to run and I like to pass the ball quickly. In life we need objectives and I want to be a starter in this team.

“You can't be worried about who is playing, history or whatever. I just want to play ... always.

“A player’s career ends early but, more recently, it has been starting earlier and earlier.

“I am so young and have accomplished lots of dreams already.

“I don’t like losing. Absolutely nothing. In life, I enter every competition, be it a video game or a football match, to win.

“Off the pitch, my brother and I are used to staying at home. And to be honest, for anyone who likes going out, Manchester must be horrible.

“But that’s fine. We like to stay home!”

‘Father’ Fergie must be so proud.(thesun)

Bare-ack Obama

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:36:00 +0000

HE’S the world’s most powerful man, dashingly handsome and about to be sworn in as America’s first black President.

And if any blokes out there weren’t already feeling inferior . . . yes, Barack Obama also has a V spot.

The new US Commander-in-Chief — or maybe Commander in Briefs — couldn’t resist whipping off his T-shirt and showing off the taught lines of abdominal muscle while on holiday in Hawaii with wife Michelle and their girls.

His buff chest and toned tum belie his 47 years and show he’s got more in common with George Clooney than George Bush.

It also seems he visits the same chest-waxing salon as Chelsea’s Frank Lampard.

There is just a crumb of comfort for us ordinary men — at least we can nip to the boozer for a quick pint without a cavalcade of TWENTY police motorcycles roaring after us.

For while Barack found time to chill out and play a round of golf with his aides, his twitchy security servicemen couldn’t afford to be so relaxed.

They have been watching his every move in case anyone should try to have a pop at the President-elect.

The squad bikes lined the front of the compound where the Obamas are staying and secret servicemen prowled the perimeter with headsets.

Super-fit Barack leaves all other political heavyweights looking just that — chubby and out of shape.(sun)

*Uneasy riders ... Barack's twitchy security team included 20 guards on motorbikes

*Hot stuff ... Obama with beach towel and, right, playing golf

Military, police stage national counterterrorism drills

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:13:00 +0000

Jakarta.
Security forces stormed airports, glitzy hotels, passenger ships and the Indonesia Stock Exchange on Sunday during a massive national counterterrorism exercise.

The drill, the biggest and final in a series of joint exercises begun Friday, involved nearly 7,000 military and police personnel and emergency response workers -- almost all dressed head to toe in black.

Sunday's drill was held in six areas across the country -- Jakarta, Denpasar, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and the Strait of Malacca -- and involved simulated clashes with gunmen, attacks, hostage-takings and rescues.

The exercise came on the eve of Christmas, when churches become the rare target of assaults, and New Year celebrations.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently ordered the police and military to organize drills to demonstrate preparedness in the wake of last month's deadly attacks on Mumbai in India.

Heavily armed anti-terrorism police swarmed a five-star hotel in Jakarta where masked gunmen carried out a mock attack similar to those in Mumbai in which 172 people were killed.

A military helicopter hovered over the Borobudur Hotel as police slid down a rope to the roof before blasting through windows to rescue screaming hostages.

In another scene at a local airport, mock terrorists seized an airplane carrying the president, killing the pilot and dumping the body onto the tarmac. After a 90-minute standoff, security forces overpowered the militants, who were demanding a ransom.

Similar drills were held in Bali, where terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005 killed more than 200 people, many of them foreign tourists.

Security forces also stormed a passenger ship in the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, in a bid to free hundreds of people seized in another mock raid.

In Semarang, Central Java, seven mock terrorists occupied a state power plant (PLN) building and took employees hostage, threatening to bomb the office should authorities reject their demand for the release of their accomplices. After negotiations reached a deadlock, anti-terrorism squads stormed the building, killing five terrorists and capturing two others. In this simulated attack, one hostage was killed.

A mock hostage rescue was among similar drills at three locations in Surabaya -- Juanda Airport, the Sheraton Hotel and the Shangri-La Hotel.

"The important thing we have to underline in this joint exercise is the coordination and cooperation between the police and the military," chief security minister Widodo Adisucipto said. "We will evaluate it to see what has to be improved."

The military said security forces took significant lessons from the recent terrorism attacks in Mumbai and would try their best to prevent any similar incidents in Indonesia.

It said the exercises also aimed to warn terrorists against targeting Indonesian cities and other locations, saying armed forces would be ready to take them on.

Indonesia was hit by a string of deadly suicide bombings targeting Westerners in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

However, experts say the risk of more large-scale attacks has diminished with the arrest of hundreds of suspects.(jktpst)

AC Milan unveil Beckham

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:04:00 +0000

DAVID BECKHAM has admitted it will be "tough" to leave AC Milan - after the Italian giants insisted he could stay as long as he wants.

The ex-England skipper was unveiled to the world's media - watched by wife Victoria - after joining on loan from LA Galaxy until March 9.

AC vice-president Adriano Galliani claimed: "The doors will be open for all the periods he wants to come back and maybe who knows even remain in Milan.”

Becks uttered a few words in Italian - and then claimed it was a "dream" to join Milan after Three Lions boss Fabio Capello urged him to find a top club.

The former Manchester United midfielder, 33, said: “You have to excuse my Italian. I’m still learning.

"Buona sera, thanks from my heart, it’s an honour. I love Italy and I’m very happy to be here.

"I’m very happy to be here it’s a great honour. I’ve been very lucky to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world.

"I’m very honoured with this chance and I’m going to enjoy myself.

"It’s going to be great fun and I hope to give everything like I’ve always done in my career.

"Thank you. Grazie mille.”

Beckham, who will wear Milan's No 32, admitted that a loan move was the only way to save his international career because of Major League Soccer's lengthy close-season break .

He added: "I need to keep myself fit and keep playing during the season. With five months off, I can’t do that.

"I was grateful to be given this opportunity. I wouldn’t take it if I didn’t think I could help the team and club. That’s what I came here to do.

"It’s not about anything else than the football."

Becks admitted Capello's views were the deciding factor.

He said: “I have to be playing and well and be fit.

"It’s great he’s given me a chance with England. It looked in doubt quite a few times.

Fabio was the person that I respect greatly in the game.

"When I decided to go on loan I asked his advice.

“I said I wanted to play in Italy and Milan but he said the best thing for you is to play football at the highest level wherever that is, England or Spain.

Advertisement

"If a player is not at the top level, to play at international level is impossible.

"I’ve done it for a few months but what is great about Capello is, wherever you're playing, if you’re playing well he’ll give you a chance to play."

Becks added: "Everybody knows how much it means to me playing for my country. Whether it’s five or 10 minutes I’ll always be there for my country."

"I’ve got 107 caps when I didn’t think I would get 96. I hope it continues and I’m going to do everything to make it continue."

But the ex-Real Madrid ace played down Milan's open-door message.
Becks said: "I’m a Galaxy player and will go back there.
"I will be playing as well as I can to keep being selected and that’s all I can do.
"It will be tough to leave the club, I’ve left two of the biggest clubs in the world now. But I’m going to enjoy being here."

The 150 journalists who packed in to hear Beckham outnumbered fans waiting outside in the freezing cold by five to one.
But Galliani hopes Becks will soon become an idol.

He said: “After a flirting period that lasted since the summer of 2007 we finally got David." (thsun)

RICHARD COCCIANTE - JUST FOR song

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:12:00 +0000

RICHARD COCCIANTE - JUST FOR YOU song DOWNLOAD

Richard Cocciante - Just For You

I can't stay now and just wait now, my hands then go so impatient
many things I've got to do now for the first ray of the morning.
Though she play in peaceful chamber, sleep to me just doesn't come
when she wake I have to tell her everything I have to say.
And the night so dark inside me makes me finaly understand
where the love that she has given me, she can light the sky forever.
It's the way she give so freely, it's the way she takes my hands,
I just ask the sun shine brightly got to see her smile again.
Then I sing a song I've writen and I'll make the whole world listen

in the silence just for you, like no one has ever heard.
And I wake up all the lovers and I give them back for hours
and we'll do the things we wanted the way that lovers do.
And we'll run into the street and we'll start to dance like crazy
cos she want only to feel joy in the love she gives and needs.
And we'll paint the street and building, rainbow color everyone
those she wants, colors to sing, and we'll paint full fill with flowers,
make the street alive with spring, make a place where lovers go, fly away like lovers do.
Then we'll fly into the sky and we'll look into the stars
and our stars return the hole world,
the love we have, we are, the love we share is sweet
the love we know is real, that love is not to dream but last, we know that alone
Because you love and my begin without dreaming all begin,
and the love that you have give return to us to win
cos your love for me is not begining and the end your love
for me, forever, you love for me forever...

Download File

Museum shows how Jakarta started

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:04:00 +0000

The Maritime Museum's exhibition "Jakarta: Built by sea trade and ports" showcases hundreds of years of trading activity at the port that started the city's history.

The organizer hoped the exhibition would draw the government's attention to the site's historical value.

"Jakarta started with the presence of Sunda Kelapa Port, where the traders stopped. Then the city got bigger until today," said Ida Subaedah, head of the administration office at the 9,700-square-meter museum, Thursday.

"The museum, the old spice warehouse, was an integral part of the port and its history should not be neglected."

For the event, there are displays in two rooms providing visitors with evidence of trading. Posters containing the letters of the Ottoman Empire rulers in Turkey show spice relations as early as 1567.

One of the letters tells how the empire took some native plant seeds from the Botanical Gardens in Batavia (the old name for Jakarta) to Turkey.

Replicas of ships from Greece, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden are on show, along with replica Indonesian vessels.

The exhibition will also hold a replica-ship making competition Saturday, with around 200 secondary school students participating. The Swedish Embassy have provided a video presentation about merchant ship Gothenburg.

Although it will draw a crowd, Ida said it was more important to reach out to the government and trade companies.

"We hope this event will impact decision makers to pay more attention to revitalization of the area," she said.

She said the museum had proposed a major redevelopment plan, with the help of a private company. The plan is under the scrutiny of the City Planning office.

"There are a lot of things we can do if there is cross-office cooperation, including cultural tourism, shopping tourism and food tourism. We can have a joint tour with the Luar Batang mosque or Sunda Kelapa Port," she said.

The Jakarta administration will sign a memorandum of understanding with the transportation department early next year to allow the start of cooperation with the port.

Ida said the museum also hoped the event would increase interest among shipping companies and members of the public who had maritime collections to donate or lend their collections to the museum.

"We have a limited budget to acquire new items so we hope the public can share their collection with us," she said.

Volunteers are also welcome to help out the 10 members of the museum, as interpreters or tour guides. As a start, the museum plans to train the boy scouts to be tour guides.

The exhibition ends Dec. 24. Entrance cost to the museum, located on Jl. Pasar Ikan, is Rp 2,000 (17 US cents) for adults, Rp 1,500 for students and Rp 600 for children.(jktpst)

Indonesian 'ride for peace' Jeffrey Polnaja (Jurig Jalanan)

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:02:00 +0000

Indonesian motorbike rider Jeffrey Polnaja has visited over 62 countries among them Iran, Burma, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and China. He is due to finish 'ride for peace' around the world in 2011.

"I am just a rider, but I hope to see peace in the world. I hope (politicians) will make peace part of their policy," said Polnaja in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI).

"I want to share peace with all the people in the world. We only have one planet, and it is not for us, it is for our grandchildren," he said.

His journey began in 2006 in Indonesian capital Jakarta after his eight-year-old son asked him why the world is in such a state of war.

His 'peace ride' has already taken him to to 62 countries and by the time he finishes his journey he will have visited 100 countries in all five continents.

Polnaja, who is 45, said he felt particularly close to Afghanistan (photo), where he would hear gunshot wherever he went.

He comes from Bandung in the Indonesian province of West Java.

Polnaja said he was shot three times in a South Asian country, although he declined to name it.

After crossing through the notorious Khyber Pass, which links Afghanistan with Pakistan, he was hit by a drunk driver in the the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, near the border with Iran.

His expensive motorbike was badly damaged, its navigation system destroyed and his right arm was broken in the accident, which left-him stranded in the desert for days.

During that time he recalled having hallucinations and seeing birds fly over his head that he believed would attack him after his death.

"I only had me, my bike and my god," said Polnaja.

"I had an adrenaline rush, and decided to ride as fast as I could," he told AKI.

He then encountered a truck driver who gave him directions to get to the nearest town so he could find food and shelter.

After this near-death experience, he crossed into Iran, where he was escorted through the dangerous border area between Pakistan and Iran, where opium is smuggled from Afghanistan

Polnaja told AKI that although Iran is usually portrayed as being a 'dangerous' and 'bad' country, his experience was quite the opposite.

"Iranians fixed my motorbike at no cost, saying: 'We do not want your money, you are representing us, go for peace, we want peace'," Polnaja told AKI.

He said he is very grateful to Iranians. His sponsors offered him a new motorbike, an offer he refused, preferring to continue his journey on the same bike once it was repaired.

Polnaja has had to get a visa for nearly every country he has visited, and is making the journey alone, with a specially equipped BMW motorbike.

As well as a navigation system, the motorbike has a video camera and extra containers for tools and supplies specially designed for long distance rides.

He has already clocked up 101,000 kilometres and still has nearly 40 more countries to visit on his 'ride for peace'.

During his stay in Rome, he visited the Town Hall and is due to visit Vatican city. He will visit San Marino and Venice on Italy's Adriatic coast, before heading to Austria and Slovenia.(AKI/rideforpeace)

Ride for Peace on Mira Adanja-Polak TV SHOW

Ride for Peace On Jordan TV

JakJazz swings into life with Lica Cecato, Zarro

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:28:00 +0000

Hundreds of music lovers turned out at Istora Senayan Stadium in Central Jakarta on Friday for the opening of the 10th Jakarta International Jazz Festival, known as JakJazz.

Sultry Brazilian singer Lica Cecato and local band Zarro wowed the audience at the Amphitheatre stage with a sizzling combination of excellent music, vocals and dance.

The performers had rehearsed together for only a few hours, Cecato said, "but we could feel the connection during the performance. I found out that this country is a musical country ... The artists are catching up with music (trends) very fast," Cecato said after the show.

Eighteen-year-old student Vidi Aldiano stole the show with his performance of 10 songs, including five from his latest album, released two weeks ago.

The newcomer kicked off his set with "Masquenada", following it up with "Friday Night", "Tomorrow" and others from his new album.

The show just got hotter as Aldiano brought Keenan Nasution, J-Flow and Tohpati onto the stage.

"This was my first performance at JakJazz. I was a bit nervous at the beginning but when I was on stage I felt free," Aldiano said after the show.

"Jazz is difficult but good to listen to, with lots of variation."

Local band Kunokini hypnotized their crowd with their unique combinations of traditional and modern instruments. The audience laughed and sang along with the reggae version of the traditional Ambonese song "Rasa Sayange", a jazz version of a re-mixed Javanese traditional tune "Gundul Gundul Pancul" and Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up".

Little-known Abe Simpson Trio, featuring young singer Alexandro, had the honor of starting the action at the Jazz on Green stage, watched by a crowd of about 40 people.

Other international acts in the lineup were Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Marina Xavier & Enrique Marcos and Kiboud Maulana & Friends.

Rain delayed the schedules of some shows and some performances overlapped but, as with most festivals, crowds roamed around before deciding where to stop for a listen.(jakartapost)

Michael Jackson converted to Islam took name

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:29:00 +0000

Give Thanks to Allah for "Michael Jackson(swaramuslim)

Jackson may turn to Islam

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:16:00 +0000

MUSLIM Jermaine Jackson believes that his superstar brother Michael may convert to the faith.

“Michael needs to become a Muslim because I think it's a great protection for him from all the things that he's been attacked with, which are false,” said Jermaine.

“There's a strength and a protection there.”

Jermaine, who proved to be the voice of reason in the Celebrity Big Brother house, says that his faith kept him calm under the stresses of the reality show.

“If I didn't have Allah and my prayer rug, I would not have survived, and the reason why is because it kept me focused, it kept me calm,” he said.

And he adds that he is hoping Michael will join him in the faith.

“I brought him a lot of books, and he reads everything and he reads a lot,” said the 52-year-old.

“I think he's probably given it serious thought because he's spent a lot of time in Bahrain.”

“I was the reason why he had gone there because I wanted him to get out of America and just go somewhere peaceful and quiet, where people pray five times a day. It's a beautiful thing.”

Meanwhile, Jermaine has offered to help Jo O’Meara relaunch her
career - by giving her one of his songs.

"I thought that Jo is a very, very wonderful talent and there’s a bit of confusion that’s trapped inside of her," he said.

“She needs to step out of her shell. She’s young, she’s beautiful, she looks great on camera. She can sing."

“I was most impressed by Jo because of her musical talent. But she needs to take off those shackles, those handcuffs.”

“I told her that I have a song that I wanted to present to her. I’m going to do it.”(thesun)

By The Way: Batik, a symbol of Javanese domination?

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:21:00 +0000

Sri Muljani Indrawati and Mari Elka Pangestu are the icons of Indonesian batik. The two women in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's cabinet can be seen sporting batik dresses perhaps more often than any other public figures.

The two look elegant and comfortable as they go about the business of managing the country's economy.

Batik is experiencing somewhat of a resurgent lately, with more and more people wearing the designs regularly, even to work. In the past, batik was generally reserved for special occasions, such as wedding ceremonies; most men for example would keep just two or three in their wardrobe.

Today, government agencies, state enterprises and an increasing number of private companies, make Friday "batik day" or "casual wear" day. The batik industry has responded to this by introducing more creative designs and motifs.

Short-sleeve batik shirts, long dismissed as too casual, are now in vogue even for office attire.

Personally, this is important for me. I am one of the few Indonesians who have never felt comfortable wearing batik. And if you don't feel comfortable in something, you just don't look good in it. Thankfully, a short sleeve batik shirt is not as torturous as the long ones.

I felt somewhat unpatriotic at times whenever the nation gets up in arms at Malaysia for promoting their own batik styles, and more recently at China, which has flooded malls in Jakarta with their batiks.

The resurgence in batik in Indonesiais in part a response to this growing intrusion into what Indonesians feel is our heritage. If Japan in the 1970s and 1980s had a slogan "Buy Japanese First", then Indonesians are now being told wear batik if they love their country.

I, for one, don't buy this at all.

Batik is an ancient method of dyeing fabric that was developed in Java -- so it's more correct to say that its part of Javanese heritage.

We Sumatrans have kain or songket and Baju Melayu or Teluk Belanga as traditional costumes for men. Admittedly, I'd never be seen dead in one of those.

I don't think Indonesia has the right to accuse other countries of stealing our batik. Wax printing methods have been around for centuries, which I think makes it a sort of an "open source" style. What we, or rather what the Javanese have done, is to develop the designs into a higher form of artistic expression.

The Javanese claim to batik is more a claim to specific motifs and designs. Indeed, no one can take this away from them, but if you think about it that way, there is no such thing as Indonesian batik in Indonesia, just as there is no such thing as Chinese restaurant in China or a Padang foodstall in Padang.

In Indonesia, batik aficionados recognize Yogya batiks, Solo batiks, Pekalongan batiks or Cirebon batiks for their unique designs. But there is no such thing as Indonesian batik.

The Malaysians, Indians, Chinese and Africans have every right to claim their own batiks, at least as far as motifs and designs are concerned. Incidentally, if Wikipedia is to be believed, Nelson Mandela is not wearing Indonesian batik. He may have worn a few from Iwan Tirta's collections, but apparently most of his Madiba shirts are supplied by a South African designer.

My sorry excuse for not wearing batik is that to me it is just another form of Javanese cultural domination that we other ethnic groups in Indonesia have had to endure.

They already dominate the nation through the sheer size of their numbers, especially among the ruling elite. Their culture permeates our lives, and batik is just another part of this.

But you can't win them all.

We Sumatrans won the language war back in 1928 when the Javanese, the largest cultural group in what is now Indonesia, agreed to use Malay as the root for Bahasa Indonesia, the national language. That's a huge concession on their part that no amount of "Javanization" of our local cultures can ever match.

Perhaps, I'll start wearing that batik shirt after all, if only to preserve Malay's linguistic domination. (jakartapost)

Record number of HIV victims

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:08:00 +0000

RECORD numbers of Brits are now living with HIV – and more than a quarter have no idea they are infected.

Figures from the Health Protection Agency show an estimated 77,400 people had HIV in 2007, up from 73,000 a year before.

Of those with the infection, 28 per cent were unaware they had HIV while a significant number were diagnosed late.

“It is very worrying that so many people remain unaware of their HIV status,” said Dr Valerie Delpech, head of HIV surveillance at the HPA.

“Wider HIV testing in high-prevalence areas of the UK is urgently needed to reduce the number of undiagnosed infections.”

Worrying

There were 7,734 estimated new diagnoses, continuing the high upward trend of recent years, the HPA said.

The number of people who had contracted the infection through heterosexual contact in Britain had also significantly risen.

Dr Delpech said a third of those found to have the infection were diagnosed late, meaning they missed out on the benefits of an early diagnosis including prolonged life expectancy.

“Diagnosing HIV infections earlier will reduce transmission of this infection as those unaware of their positive status pose a greater risk to future sexual partners,” she said.

Advertisement

“Late diagnosis also has a major impact on disease and life expectancy and it is vital that people are diagnosed early.”

Lisa Power, Head of Policy at HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said the figures were worrying.

“There are now well over 20,000 people in the UK who have HIV and don’t know it.

"Not only is this dangerous to their own health, but they are more likely to pass the virus on than someone who has been diagnosed,” she said.

“Gay men and African people are most likely to have undiagnosed HIV in the UK so we’d urge people in those groups in particular to recognise their level of risk and get tested for HIV regularly.” (thesun)

Going up in smoke: Raids begin

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:11:00 +0000

Rizki, 22, was about to get off a bus at the Blok M terminal, South Jakarta, when a public order officer caught him for smoking a cigarette.

The officer informed him that he had violated a bylaw on smoking in two restricted areas: public transportation and bus terminals.

“Really? I don’t even know about the bylaw,” a confused Rizki told the officer. “I often smoke on the bus because there are no written rules about not doing so.

“If you forbid me from smoking in public areas, I can do it. But if you ask me to quit smoking, well, that will be hard,” he said.

Rizki was one of dozens of commuters and bus drivers caught smoking at the bus terminal on Wednesday.

Officials from the Jakarta Environmental Management Body (BPLHD) took down each violator’s personal details as part of judicial investigation procedures, while members of antismoking NGOs, including the Indonesian Network of Women Against Tobacco and the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, lectured on the bylaw and the dangers of smoking.

That was the scene on the first day of antismoking raids conducted by the BPLHD, municipal agencies and NGOs.

The sweep, which would end on Nov. 27, targets smokers flouting the bylaw on smoking in public areas such as office buildings, medical centers, schools, places of worship, playgrounds, public transportation and shopping centers.

On Wednesday, the BPLHD ran its campaign in South Jakarta, taking in the Blok M bus terminal, Blok M Mall, the Amazone game arcade at Blok M Plaza, the Victoria office building, Pertamina Hospital, Al-Azhar high school and Al-Azhar mosque.

The bus terminal netted the most violators — 20 — followed by Blok M Mall and Al-Azhar Mosque with six smokers respectively, Pertamina Hospital with three, and no smokers spotted at either Amazone or Al-Azhar high school.

Most of those caught smoking pleaded ignorance of the bylaw.

“Never heard about it. If the administration really wants to enforce the bylaw, they should provide smoking rooms,” said Andi, a university student.

Joni Tagor, head of the South Jakarta BPLHD, said violators would not face punishment because the raids were more about raising people’s awareness of the bylaw than about enforcing it.

“We will put more ‘No Smoking’ signs around the terminal and in public transportation in a bid to raise people’s awareness,” said Joni, admitting the lack of such signs was behind the high number of violators at the terminal.

The sweep at the Victoria office building saw BPLHD officers check on the provision of ‘No Smoking’ signs and smoking rooms in the building.

Joni urged the building management to be strict in forbidding staff or visitors from smoking outside the designated areas.

Bachtiar Sonda, head of the building’s tenant association, said he supported the raids, saying it could help reduce the number of smokers.

Ria Musiawan, from the Indonesian Network of Women Against Tobacco, agreed the raids were quite effective.(thejakartapost)

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:11:00 +0000

Obama missing 'rambutan, bakso and nasi goreng'

noreply@blogger.com (FLO) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:03:00 +0000

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a telephone conversation with U.S. president-elect Barack Obama during his stopover in Seattle, and invited him to visit Indonesia, tempointeraktif.com reported on Wednesday.

When the presidential flight touched down at Nagoya airport in Japan on Tuesday, Yudhoyono made a statement to reporters over the airplane's intercom.

"He addressed me with, 'Apa Kabar Bapak President?' (How are you Mr. President?), with his fluent Indonesian language," Yudhoyono said.

Obama was missing several local delicacies such as nasi goreng (fried rice), rambutan and bakso (meatball soup), he added.

Yudhoyono had congratulated Obama's election as U.S. president and suggested he visit Indonesia after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Singapore next year.

Yudhoyono said they had both agreed to maintain good relations between the two countries.

"I felt his warmth and friendship in the conversation."

During one of his campaign speeches, Obama said he would visit Indonesia within the first 100 days of his presidency. Obama is due to take office on Jan 20, 2009.