Pornography and Anti-Pornography

Heated debates are going on in several media and Indonesian milis (mailing lists) over the controversial draft of anti-pornography act (RUU APP- rancangan undang-undang anti pornografi). This note doesn’t want to make further commentary on the concerned issue, on what the pornoghraphy is and what’s not, etc. If you’re interested to join or follow the debates, however, you can watch it here. You gotta be familiar with Bahasa Indonesia, though. This note would only highlight things beneath the line of the contentious debates.

First, it seems to me that the cons, represented by the so-called moderates, are much more dominant than the pros. This only means that as far outsiders are concerned, Indonesia is still dominated by those who want to solve any disputes with cool minds. And therefore, this country is save.
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Books and Celebrities

Another Side of Shakhrukh Khan, the King of Bollywood

According to The Times of India (TOI), the largest English selling newspaper in India, SRK is a pure bookworm. He just loves reading any kind of books, fiction and non-fiction. He has a vast collection of books he bought whenever he travel. His personal library will make any other bookworms envious. Considering huge money he accumulate from his ever box office movies, that’s understandable.

One might suspect that his love of collecting books is just for the sake of collecting and prestiges without any concern to read them. The assumption, if the TOI journalist who interviewed him to be believed, is wrong. During the interview, he eloquently quote some thought and ideas he took from some books.
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Bali Ask Playboy to Go

There is an interesting story in Detik online today regarding the Playboy Indonesia (PI) which just shifted its office from Indonesian capital Jakarta to Hindu-dominated and tourism-destination province of Bali. Community leaderships rejects the Playboy to have an office there! And the reason is more interesting: they dont want Bali to be branded as a porn-loving island!

Bali dignitaries who voiced their reservation over PI are mostly the big wigs including Head of Bali tourism I Gede Nurjaya, Head of Religious affairs I Gusti Made Ngurah, and Head of Bali Culture Nyoman Nikayana, Head of Hotel and Restaurant union Cokorde Ardana Sukawati, and from academicians are Prof. Dr. Putra Agung and I Dewa Ngurah Swastha. All are member of Pemerhati Bali (Bali Observer).
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US image slips further worldwide

WASHINGTON: The global image of America has slipped further, even among people in some countries closely allied with the US, a new opinion poll has found. Favourable views of the US dropped sharply over the past year in Spain, where only 23% said they had a positive opinion, down from 41% last year.

It was done in 15 nations, including the US, this spring by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

Other countries where positive views dropped include India (56 %, down from 71%); Russia (43%, down from 52 %); and Indonesia (30%, down from 38&%). In Turkey, only 12% has favourable opinion.

Full story

Indonesia Media Starving, None Feed Them

What I’d like to say is that I barely found any Indonesia media which have feed/RSS version of their websites. I come to know that annoying stuff when today I wanted to put a feed of Indonesia and world newspapers headline in the sidebar of this page. I remember only Media Indonesia which has feed/syndication, but it turns out to be invalid! So, how and why? It’s impossible the media webmasters and the boss don’t have a clue about the feed things; and/or it’s unlikely they (webmasters) are too ‘busy’ to do that.
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FIFA World Cup Germany 2006

A football expert who’d been interviewed by CNN recently failed to give a brief and convincing answer as to why so much worldwide hype and brouhaha everytime the once-in-four-year competition being held. Why that’s hype is not happening to Olympic, a larger sporting event with more variety of sports and participating countries? And why the FIFA Worldcup anthusiasts is not only cheered about by the participating countries?

Post-independence Indonesia, as a good case in point, has never ever reached to final rounds of football worldcup, but most Indonesians joyfully stay up late night to be one of the most faithful spectators ever. How could you explain that?

PS: Comments are welcome in any of the following languages: English, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Jawa & Madura.

The Flying Professors

The term is derived from literal translation of “dosen terbang”. This word is used to refer to university teachers/lecturers in Indonesia who never feel comfortable to teach at one university, and instead, go everywhere around country whenever and wherever their skill/expertise are required by any other Indonesia universities particularly outside Java where the qualified professors are of short supply. And as a natural consequences, their real students in which they are supposed to teach are step-motherly treated.

No wonder if a professor of UI (universitas Indonesia), for example, sometimes can only teach at UI for once in a month. There some case in which they can meet their real students only once in 6 months i.e. at the end of semester. Beyond that the task will be borne by the so called lecturer assistant (asisten dosen).
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How to Retire Early

How to retire early? It’s easy. Be a genius techno geek like Google founder. If you are not the one (that’s the most probability), well there’s another choice: go to Iraq, find the whereabouts of a man named Abu Ayyub al-Masri or Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. Yes, he’s Abu Musab al-Zarkawi’s successor. If you’ve found any information leading to his death the US occupying forces in Iraq will reward you a mouth-watering amount of $5 million.

That’s more than enough for you to live a lavish and extravagant lives in Caribian islands or quench your thirst lust of gambling at, where else, Las Vegas surrounded by many glomorous stuff your wildest imagination has ever thought of.
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Police Officers Blog

Blogging seems to be spreading its “pendemic” into an alien territory that so far more known for its secrecy: the Police departments. How many police officers or police departments in the world have their own blog? Not much. According to an Indian local newspaper, only three police departments start blogging; two in the US and one in India.

The Boston Police Departments started its blog at November 2005, so it deserves to claim as the first blog by any police dept. anywhere in the world which was then followed eleven days after by Dakshina Kannada District Police in Mangalore, India. And Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) blog comes third.
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