Public election 2009 in Indonesia

Public election 2009 in Indonesia is coming soon. There is 34 political party has ready for fight to get every attention fom citizen. They struggle to get the chair in “ Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat”. After that the public election will chose the president and vice president for 2009-2014.

Komisi Pemilihan Umun (KPU) is the independent government institution say that at 9 April 2009 is the election day. At this day every citizen has been registration and have right for vote should vote one of more candidate to lead our country.

At this time we have more schedule for public election 2009, and there is:

1. Selection for the political party

2. Give the number of political party in public election card

There is so many political party in public election 2009. It is about 34 political party, there is 16 old political party an 18 new political party. You should know if they was succeed in the selection. And it is the list of the political party in the public election 2009:

1. Partai Hati Nurani Rakyat (New)
2. Partai Karya Peduli Bangsa
3. Partai Pengusaha dan Pekerja Indonesia (New)
4. Partai Peduli Rakyat Nasional (New)
5. Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya (New)
6. Partai Barisan Nasional (New)
7. Partai Keadilan dan Persatuan Indonesia
8. Partai Keadilan Sejahtera
9. Partai Amanat Nasional
10. Partai Perjuangan Indonesia Baru (New)
11. Partai Kedaulatan (New)
12. Partai Persatuan Daerah (New)
13. Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa
14. Partai Pemuda Indonesia (New)
15. Partai Nasional Indonesia Marhaenisme
16. Partai Demokrasi Pembaruan (New)
17. Partai Karya Perjuangan (New)
18. Partai Matahari Bangsa (New)
19. Partai Penegak Demokrasi Indonesia
20. Partai Demokrasi Kebangsaan
21. Partai Republik Nusantara (New)
22. Partai Pelopor
23. Partai Golongan Karya
24. Partai Persatuan Pembangunan
25. Partai Damai Sejahtera
26. Partai Nasional Benteng Kerakyatan Indonesia (New)
27. Partai Bulan Bintang
28. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan
29. Partai Bintang Reformasi
30. Partai Patriot (New)
31. Partai Demokrat
32. Partai Kasih Demokrasi Indonesia (New)
33. Partai Indonesia Sejahtera (New)
34. Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (New)

If you want more information about the political party in public election 2009. You can visit in the KPU site at www.kpu.go.id.

Every political party have campaign section more long than public election 2004. It have mean 9 month 7 day. I think it’s very long time for get the citizen sympathy. That section is big give from KPU to political party. And every candidate of president and vice president always wait this section. This section will be big news and good time for us to who they are. WHO IS THEY? I think what ever. But you should vote right president and vice president for our country

We hope if the public 2009 election more better than before. There is no cheat, and crime. We want the public election 2009 will be successful. And I hope every Indonesian can use the right for vote the president and vice president for Indonesia. Because the essential of public election is every one can participate for make new Indonesia with they chose.

Ngaben In Bali

Ngaben is the burning corpse ceremony in Bali. Actually for hindunese, hindu is majority religion in one hundred temple island. In Panca Yadya, this ceremony is in order to Pitra Yadnya, it mean this ceremony give honour for ancestor. The essential of this ceremony is make the ancestor soul come back to heaven. The Pedanda say every human have Bayu, Sabda, Idep it will come back to Bahma, Wisnu, Siwa.

Every family actally do this ceremony if one of them died. It is one form honor from son to they parents. If some one will make this ceremony they should have money 15 until 20 million rupiah. This Ceremony usually become big party. There is no cry, because Bali they believe they can’t cry if one of they family died. Because it make soul of the death people can’t go from the earth.

The Pedanda always search good day for Ngaben ceremony. Many day before ritual Ngaben, many people help the family to make luxurious “Bade and Lembu” from wood, color paper and another thing. “Bade and Lembu” it is the place for corpse in Ngaben.

Before Ngaben begin, the family and many people always gether to make the preparation for Ngaben Ceremony. The fist the family ands society wash the corpse , Balinese say it “Nyiramin”. The elder person in the society lead the “Nyiramin” ritual. After that give the corpse Balinese dress like he still live. Before the big ritual begun. Every family give the last honour and they pray for him. They want gthe soul of the corpse get nice place in heaven. After every thing ready, so the corpse put into “ Bade”. After that every one bring him to the ceremony place, they walk with “gamelan”, “Kidung suci”, dan every family walk together with it. White cloth stay In front of “Bade” , it have mean the key of the new way to heaven. Every branching off way the “Bade” will rotate 3 times. At the Ngaben place, the Ngaben Ceremony begin with put the corps into “Lembu”, if it fixed. The ceremony begin. The Ida Pedanda lead the ceremony with pray, and the last burn the “Lembu” until become dust. This dust will throw way in the holy river.

After this ceremony, the family can pray for they ancestor in the temple. It make Balinese strong. Because they always remember and honour with they ancestor. Beside that they believe if the ancestor soul will be reincarnation. It has mean a grandchild is the reincarnation of they parents.

About Business

Six tips make a business

1. Start with a dream

Start with a dream because every think start from dream. Like computer in long time ago it is just dream. “A dream is where it all started” every dreamer always make and create new things.

2. Start from we can do it

We should know what we can and can’t do. Because if you success in everything follow your passion first.

3. What they need (Customer)

Make a survey in around of you. And think what they need. We give what they needs.

4. Look what people around of you can do.

Look for everything like things and service, it can be our commodity.

5. Who can do it?

Make a team or group because people say “Superman is death, now is superteam” there is no single fighter in business can stay.

6. Kick off

If the mach begun we should kick the ball (our business). We should struggle until end.

Five delay factor in business

1. Negative thinking

a. Impossible

b. Difficult

c. Don’t make anything

2. Negative feeling

a. Fear

b. Shy

c. Tired

3. Negative doing

a. Just sleep

b. No action

c. Surrender

4. Negative speaking

a. It is Impossible we can do

b. It make us shay

c. There is no better job than this

5. Paradigm

a. Live is just one time so we use our live jus for fun

b. No money no problem

c. Ask money from parent

Four businessman disease

1. NADO (No Action Dream Only)

The businessman just dreams they don’t do any things. They just dream in they sleep. And the dreams never come true.

2. NAPO (No Action Plan Only)

The businessman just makes a plan. But the plan never they makes come true. It just the plan never becomes reality

3. NATO (No Action Talk Only)

The businessman just talks his business but it just dream and plan. In the reality it never comes true. It just in the businessman mind

4. NARO (No Action Review Only)

The businessman just looks what he or they do. But they didn’t do nothings. Because it just dream and plan without actions.

WHO IS THE NEXT LEADER IN INDONESIA?

President is big people in our country. He can lead every thing in our country. He have big power to make our country more better than before. The public election is coming soon. We should use our right for choose the right man. Because this country will be good country or not, it is in our hand. You must know if the position of president in Indonesia is very big thing for many people. And they begun the war from long time ago. Example Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) with Megawati Soekarno Putri. And they will become candidate of president in the public election 2009.

What do you think about it? And it is the list of the candidate of president in the public election 2009. And they may be become candidate of vice president. I think they actually 100% percent ready to lead Indonesia until 2014

WHO ARE THEY?

1. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
2. Jusuf Kalla
3. Soetrisno Bachir
4. Megawati
5. Wiranto
6. Prabowo Subianto
7. Yusril Ihza Mahendra
8. Amien Rais
9. Rizal Mallarangeng
10. KH Abdurrahman Wahid
11. Sutiyoso
12. Akbar Tandjung
13. Hidayat Nur Wahid
14. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X

I think that name is very familiar in your mind. Because from the list we know if some name had lead our country. And the other person became important person in our country. And the have big power to control many people in Indonesia. To vote they. So we should thinking harder to choose right person for Indonesia.

Spring Festival 2009

Spring Festival which is also called Chinese New Year falls on January, 1st, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is usually called as Yinlinian. This is the most important festival in China. It originated in Shang Dynasty.

When Spring Festival comes, spring comes as well. Everything comes to life and plants are prosperous. Just having experienced a cold winter, people are so excited to welcome a new spring.

In ancient times, only rich men celebrated Spring Festival. The poor peasants would suffer more when Spring Festival came because the landlords would force them to pay land rent before Spring Festival. The land rent was so high that no peasant could afford it so Landlords seized everything valuable from peasants in place of rent.

After the foundation of People's Republic of China, Spring Festival became a much happier festival for all Chinese People. It does not matter how far people stay away from their family home, they are always eager to go home to be together with their families on this special festival.

The warm atmosphere is not only in the houses, but also in the streets. In many places, lion dances and dragon lantern show are performed during Spring Festival. In some places, people kept the customs of Shehuo performance, visiting flower market, going to the temple fair. During this period, the cities are full of lanterns and the streets are crowded with people. Activities last to the 15th of January, this can be an end of Spring Festival.

People in different places celebrate Spring Festival in different ways. Generally speaking, a Chinese family will hold a Spring Festival feast, light firecracker and give lucky money to children during Spring Festival. See details of Chinese New Year Celebration (Spring Festival).
Chinese New Year Food: Want to know Chinese New Year Foods? There are quite a few. See why Chinese Dumplings, Fish, Spring Rolls and Nian Gao are so popular during Chinese New Year Celebration.

Obama story under fire

The Washington Post is accustomed to criticism of its coverage from the right and left blogospheres, but a Nov. 29 front page story about Barack Obama’s rumored Muslim ties came with a twist: Many voices within its own newsroom joined in the firestorm.

Post editorial cartoonist Tom Toles lampooned it on the editorial page last Friday, and media critic Howard Kurtz wrote Monday that he didn’t “believe the piece was well executed.” This Sunday, Deborah Howell will weigh in with her ombudsman column.

Assistant Managing Editor Bill Hamilton, who oversees political coverage and edited the article, said that he was “a little puzzled” that readers didn’t see that the paper’s intention was to call into question rumors that Obama is secretly a Muslim (rather than a Christian), and was educated in an Indonesian madrassa.

“I’m sorry it was misunderstood,” Hamilton said. “It obviously makes me think about how I edited it.”

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Both Post Managing Editor Phil Bennett and Perry Bacon Jr., the reporter who wrote the piece (and is now on the campaign trail in Iowa), deferred questions to Hamilton.

Since Thursday, there have been angry e-mails, Hamilton said, and allegations that the Post is swift-boating the Illinois senator by discussing rumors at length, without mentioning whether they’ve been thoroughly discredited by other media.

In a web piece titled “Is Perry Bacon Serious?”, Columbia Journalism Review’s Paul McLeary wrote that the Post’s A1 story “may be the single worst campaign ‘08 piece to appear in any American newspaper so far this election cycle.”

McLeary contended that the Post played up rumors about Muslim ties, including one from Insight magazine about how the young Obama was educated at an Indonesian madrassa, without mentioning that a CNN reporter jetted off to Jakarta nearly 11 months ago and debunked it.

Responding to McLeary’s piece, Hamilton said that for a “journalism review to adapt the language of the most extreme blogs totally discredits it.” He also took offense at CJR’s singling out Bacon in the headline.

Indeed, Hamilton said that the story originated in the past few weeks, following discussions with political reporters who noted how a small segment of the public—despite evidence to the contrary—believed that Obama was Muslim, or at least had a Muslim education. Executive editor Len Downie liked the finished story enough for it get front page treatment, according to Hamilton.

The paper’s intention, Hamilton said, was “to write a story about the kind of rumors that are out there,” and added that “saying something is a rumor is not saying it’s true.”

“We didn’t say it was a false rumor,” Hamilton added. “To me, a rumor is not true.”

In the Post article, the madrassa story is described as “an early rumor,” rather than a “false report,” which is how CNN summed it up in Jan. 2007.

“I don’t mean to be immune to criticism,” Hamilton said. “Obviously we did something that we should have been careful about.”

However, he added, “Not every imperfect story generates this type of controversy.”

Accepting internal criticism, Hamilton said that the Post “is a big family, and families have lots of disagreements.”

“We’re not a hierarchical organization that promotes message discipline,” he added.
Read more stories in Life.

Will Barack Obama's Inauguration Be The Star-Studded Affair His Victory Party Wasn't?

The presidential inauguration is an event that's about as close to a royal coronation as American government gets. It's a day filled with ceremony, guards, salutes, parades, speeches, a party that's actually still called a "ball" and, of course, symbolism: of new beginnings, rites of passage, of change. It's the president's opportunity to declare his administration's intent: At John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, he made his legendary "Ask not what not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country" speech.

It's also an opportunity for surreal mismatches, as anyone who remembers the sight of President George W. Bush dancing awkwardly next to Ricky Martin during the 2001 inaugural celebrations can attest. (Several years later, Martin extended his middle finger when singing a lyric including Bush's name during a concert, which he later said was a comment on the war in Iraq.)




The historic nature of Barack Obama's presidency — not to mention his oratorical abilities — guarantees that his inauguration on January 20, 2009, will be one for the ages.

Until that day, Obama will not be president; he'll be president-elect, meaning that the people have voted him in power, but he hasn't taken office. While the lag between election and inauguration was originally designed to allow for travel in pre-rapid-transit days, it has since become the sitting president's opportunity to finish up his term and/or tidy up his office (literally or metaphorically) — and, of course, issue last-minute pardons.

The inauguration usually takes place at noon on the steps of the west front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., an appointee of outgoing President Bush, will oversee the changing of the guard by administering the oath, which traditionally is done on a Bible. Also present will be members of the U.S. armed forces, since the president is also commander-in-chief.

Joe Biden, the vice president-elect, will take his oath first, in the same ceremony. A band will play "Hail to the Chief," the infantry guard will give a 21-gun salute, and then Obama will make his inaugural address — his first speech to the country as president.

The United States Congress then will invite Obama and Biden to lunch, after which Obama will parade down from the Capitol to the White House.

And after all this pomp and circumstance, it's party time. Inaugural celebrations can last up to five days after the initial ceremony, but the most anticipated one is the Inaugural Ball — tickets, which are available on various ticket Web sites at exorbitant prices, are going fast. The official inauguration Web site unhelpfully says: "Tickets for the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony will be distributed to constituents in January 2009 by both Senators and Representatives of Congress of the 111th Congress."

It seems likely that the events surrounding the inauguration will be the kind of star-studded affair that Obama's victory celebration Tuesday night was not. The day before the election, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Obama campaign had asked some of its famous supporters to stay away from Tuesday's rally. Although the campaign is reportedly grateful for the high-profile support, several prominent celebs had reportedly been asked "politely but very firmly" to skip the rally — and focus on attending the Obama inauguration.

An Obama insider reportedly told the newspaper's Bill Zwecker that Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Sean "Diddy" Combs (who was surrounded by media, including MTV News, when he voted Tuesday), Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Ben Affleck were among those asked to stay away.

"There really only needs to be one star in Grant Park, and that's Barack," the insider reportedly said. "There will be plenty of time for a new President Obama to be surrounded by famous fans, all hopeful about a new administration."

So either way, on January 20 our nation's capital looks to be filled with A-listers of every stripe.

"Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" will air live on MTV on Tuesday, January 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. MTV News will have wall-to-wall coverage of the event and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya in the days leading up to the event and in the days that follow.

Obama Inauguration Theme: "A New Birth Of Freedom"

Barack Obama will be sworn in as president just days before the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, and his inauguration theme will reflect the timing: "A New Birth Of Freedom," a phrase from the Gettysburg Address.

From Lincoln's speech:
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

From the press release announcing the theme from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:
"A New Birth of Freedom" commemorates the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The words come from the Gettysburg address, and express Lincoln's hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the nation shall lead to "a new birth of freedom" for our nation.


The inaugural theme, which was selected by Senator Feinstein and the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, will be woven through the inaugural ceremonies. The theme is traditionally linked to a major anniversary, and in her announcement Senator Feinstein spoke of the appropriateness of the chosen theme to our present day circumstances, particularly in light of the historic election of Senator Barack Obama.

In addition to Senator Feinstein, the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies include: Senator Bob Bennett, Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and House Republican Leader John Boehner.

"At a time when our country faces major challenges at home and abroad, it is appropriate to revisit the words of President Lincoln, who strived to bring the nation together by appealing to 'the better angels of our nature'," Senator Feinstein said. "It is especially fitting to celebrate the words of Lincoln as we prepare to inaugurate the first African-American president of the United States."

"On January 20, as President-elect Obama takes the oath of office, he will look across the National Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, where the sixteenth president's immortal words are inscribed. Although some inaugural traditions have changed since Lincoln's time, the swearing-in ceremony continues to symbolize the ideals of renewal, continuity, and unity that he so often expressed."

From the Abacus to the Computer

The modern age is usually considered to have begun with the renaissance (“rebirth”), a time medieval man rediscovered the literature and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. For several centuries, European were busy both discovering the rest of the world and investigating the laws of universe. A belief in the rationality of the universe gradually took the place of the purely religious view. Modern science was born at this time with the help such men as Newton and Galileo. What is rational can be controlled, and so people began to believe that the universe could be controlled in order to serve humankind. The Industrial Revolution, the next stage of modern time, was an attempt to control the universe by making use of energy sources other than the labor of men and animals, such as coal and, later, petroleum. It began with watt’s invention of the steam engine in the latter part of eighteenth century.

The next revolution, and the one were are concerned with here, was an attempt to do for intellectual labor what the Industrial Revolution did for physical labor. The modern computer uses an energy source outside the human brain to perform a much larger amount of intellectual labor than the brain could do unassisted.

The earliest form of computer was the abacus, used in oriental countries for thousands of year. It is more what we would call a calculator than a computer, it did not make use of any energy source beyond human fingers and human brain. It is essentially a system of beads strung on a set rods to enable the user to keep track of the number while doing the basic arithmetic operation of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

The interest in science that was sweeping Europe in the seventeenth century. Gave rise to an interest in mathematics and to a need for being able to do numerous kinds of calculation. The famous philosopher/ mathematicians Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) and Gottfried Leibnitz (1646-1716) both devised somewhat primitive calculating devices as did a lesser known professor of astronomy named William Schickard (1592-1635).

The real advance towards the computer, however, came in nineteenth century. Of particular interest to us were Charles Babages’s invention of the Analytical Engine, George Boole’e development of Symbolic logic (or Boolean algebra), and the use of the punched card in the United States Census of 1890.

Charles Babbage (1791-1871) was an Englishman who was one of the most respected mathematicians of his time. His interest in calculating devices was stimulated by his irritation and boredom at the amount of arithmetic that mathematicians had to perform in the course of working out problem. His fist attempt at automating such calculations was a difference Engine designed to deal with the calculations involved with a specific type of algebraic problem. After a great deal time and effort, a working model of this difference Engine was constructed. It was essentially a very specialized calculator that suffered from a number of practical problem.

However, Babbage’s real contribution was his idea for Analytical Engine, a device that he has unable to finish constructing. Babbage was inspired by an invention in the textile industry known as the jacquard loom, in which holes in them determined the pattern of the cloth. He conceived of this Analytical Engine as consisting of two parts: (1) a set of cards on the which the mathematical operations are stored, and (2) a set of cards on which the numbers to be operated on are stored. It was a revolutionary concepts and a long step towards to modern computer.

Two other events in the nineteenth century are worth noting: the first is George Boole’s symbolic logic. This new mathematical methodology would later make programming a computer both easier and more affective. The second event of importance was the development by Herman Hollerith (1860-1929) of the punched card for use in sorting out of data for the 1890 U.S. Census. Although the punched card is now becoming obsolete, it was of critical importance in the development of computer.

The early part of twentieth century was saw the development of the mechanical calculator, now also almost obsolete. Other developments occurred as well, but we shall skip over them to the development of a device called ENIAC during World War II. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) combined Babbage’s concepts with the use of vacuum tube, a device unknown in Babbage’s time. ENIAC made use of about 18,000 vacuum tubes and 1500 relays and was capable of solving complex problems in ballistics. It could perform a single addition or subtraction in 1/5000 of a second. (This was amazing at the time but extremely slow by modern standards.)

Further developments from this point were greatly influenced by truly remarkable genius, John Von Neumann (1903-1957), who was born in Budapest, Hungary. Von Neumann developed the theory of Games in the years between World War I and World War II. His facility with mathematics and languages was legendary. When he was six, he joked with his father in ancient Greek. Once in less than ten minutes, he mentally solved a series of problems that a colleague had stayed up until 4:30 the previous morning to complete using pencil and paper.

In working on the development of ENIC’s successor, EDVAC, Von Neumann perfected the idea of the stored program, which was basic to the future evolution of the computer. A program-the sequence of arithmetic and logical operations that the computer was to perform-was not built the circuitry of the computer but was fed into it from the outside and stored within the computer. When a particular program was completed, a new one could be started and the old discarded. (Actually the new one is simply read in over the old one, which is destroyed in the process.) Subsequent technological developments have replaced vacuum tubes by transistors and then by printed circuits and microchips. Thus the size of the modern computers has been greatly reduced arid the speed greatly increased from the ones Von Neumann developed, but his basic concept of the stored program underlies all of them.

Source: Reading for A Reason, 1989 p. 167-9

Language

Language is a marvelous thing. Every langue consists of limited number of sounds, a limited number of ways in which these sounds can be combined to form words, and a limited number of rules for combining word in to sentences. For example, English has about 45 sound pattern and about 30 pattern for combining these sounds sentences. Yet from these limited quantities of sounds and limited number of rules and pattern for combing these sounds, a speaker of English can produce an unlimited number of sentences that will be understood by other speaker of English.

The above is true of all languages. All languages are systematic. That is, all languages have internally consistent system of rules for combining sounds into speech that is comprehensible to all those who speak the same language. There is no such thing as a “primitive” language, meaning an incomplete or rule-deficient language. Both culture can discuss concrete things and abstract ideas. Both culture can use their language to gossip, to lie, to tell jokes, to tell stories, and discuss life.

And all human beings of normal hearing and adequate intelligence learn at least one language. Babies who are born deaf cannot hear language have trouble learning to speak. (They can, nevertheless, learn another systematic form of language called sign language.) Also some severely retarded children can fail to learn a complete language system. The rest of us, however, learn the basics of our fist languages by the time we are five years old, a remarkable achievement.

Source: More Reason for Reading, 1992 p.3-4

Is Geography Destiny?

The history of a part of the world is often partially the result of the location. China, India, The Near East, and Europe developed in different ways. These different ways were the result of their nearness to a specific ocean-the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, or The Pacific Ocean. Their location, their geography, was part of their destiny.

Look at the map of the world. You can see that the continent of Africa is connected to continent of Eurasia by an area called the Near East. People often think of Eurasia as two continents, Europe and Asia. It is difficult to see where Asia ends and Europe begins, however. Europe is really a peninsula or extension of Asia.

In the middle ages, the followers of Islam controlled The Near East and North Africa. Because the followers of Islam controlled the Near East, it was possible for traders from Europe to get to the Indian Ocean. Because it was impossible from Europe to get to the Indian Ocean, the followers of Islam controlled the trade the countries on the Indian Ocean. These countries were India and Ceylon and the various countries of Southeast Asia.

People could get to China from Indian ocean. They could also get to China by traveling across the Northern part of Asia. However, European could cross northern Asia only when Mongol controlled it in 13th Century. When the Mongols controlled northern Asia, traveler were usually safe from robbers and other dangerous people. The famous Italian traveler Marco Polo went to China when much of Asia was under Mongol control. Unfortunately, the time Mongols control did not last long.

China and the countries on the Indian traded freely which each other all through the middle ages. Europeans were prevented being part of that trade. Europeans wanted very much to be part of that trade. They also wanted to travel across Africa and trade for gold in Africa. Because the followers of Islam controlled North Africa, the European were not able to do so.

The European began to explore the Atlantic Ocean because they could not reach the Indian Ocean. Prince Hendry the Navigator sent Portuguese ship down the west coast of Africa. He hopped to find a way around the southern tip of Africa to the Indian Ocean. He didn’t find the way, but Portuguese explorers found it after Prince Hendry died.

The Geeks knew that earth was a sphere. or ball. Many educated Europeans in the late middle ages knew the earth was a sphere. Chistopher Colombus was one of these Europeans. He thought the earth was smaller than it really is, however. The rulers of Spain gave Colombus money and ship to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to China and the other countries that Europe was cut off from by Islam.

Colombus did not get to the China, but he reached the islands of the Caribbean and eventually South America. No one in the world knew that North and South America existed. It look time before the European realized that they had discovered a new world.

Because they were cut off from Indian Ocean. The people were of Europe were forced to use the Atlantic Ocean. Completely by accident, they discovered the new trade that was possible there. They had no reason to try to cross the Pacific Ocean, so they did not discover the new world.

Source: More Reason for Reading, 1992 p.36

Moral Power or Gun Power

Not since the revolution that brought the communist to power in 1949 has the People’s Republic of China experienced anything like the evens of the spring of 1989. Tiananmen Square- the central landmark of the capital city of Beijing-was the scene of an unprecedented five-week demonstration in support of greater political democracy. The demonstrators, numbering in the thousand, were initially mostly student encouraged by recent economic reform to demand a greater voice in government. Clustered together in the shadow of the Great Hall of people, some began the hunger strike; others resolutely displayed banners and headbands that proclaimed their goals. As the day passed, their numbers steadily increased, until more than 1 million of the city’s people mixed uneasily with a growing number of soldiers around the square.

Reformer among the country’s leaders supported the demonstration. Hard-liner strongly opposed, urging used of force to crush the protest. The balance or power slowly shifted toward a policy of repression. Ominous signs appeared: troops from other regions of China (denied news of how popular the protest had become) were trucked to the outskirts of the city. Waves of soldier periodically tried to cleaner section of the square; each time, the demonstrators held their ground. Premier Li Peng then announced that the “turmoil” was to be swiftly ended. Anxiety rose as the government ordered satellite dishes o and other communication links operated by foreign news agencies shut down.

About 2 A.M. on the morning of Sunday, June 4, the political dueling ended in convulsions of violence and horror. From three sides, a fifty truck convoy of the thousand troop converged of square. Soldiers leveled AK-47 assault rifles barriers, crushing the people behind them. Some demonstrators bravely fought back, but their fate had been ready sealed. Within three hours, the pro-democracy movement had ended and Tiananmen Square was awash with the blood of thousands of people.

Events such as those in Tiananmen Square make clear a lesson often lost in the concerns of daily life: the operation of every society is shaped by those who have power and control events. Power, of course, takes many forms, but all are not necessarily equal. As they occupied the center of their nation’s capital city, the Chinese people claimed the moral power to direct their own lives. the response their government, in words once used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong, was: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”

Source: Reading with Meaning, 1999 p. 156-7

Oral Hygiene

Careful inspection at every visit, preventive fluoride programs, and oral hygiene are very important throughout the duration of orthodontic treatment. Proper brushing and flossing three times daily is recommended, flowed by fluoride dentifrice and daily rinsing with a fluoride combination of daily brushing with a fluoridated dentifrice and daily rinsing with a fluoride was provide complete protection for the orthodontic patient by inhibiting demineralization or by promoting remineralization the surfaces at risk. Toothbrushing with a new relativity new electric, counterrotational power toothbrush is highly advisable. A rotary electric toothbrush is more effective than conventional toothbrushes for removing plaque and controlling gingivitis in adolescents during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. A recent study that compared electric and manual toothbrushing found that the use of the electric system resulted in overall lower plaque scores. Another study of the effectiveness of the new appliance conclude that the plaque and gingival scores were significantly lower after brushing for two months with the electric counterrotational toothbrush then after brushing with manual one. Twice-daily use of the electric toothbrush with a standard fluoride toothpaste and once-daily use of a 0.05% NaF rinse is more effective for preventing decalcification in adolescents during the orthodontic treatment with fixed appliance then either conventional toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste, or toothbrushing and toothpaste with a once-daily NaF rinse. Electric toothbrushes of the new generation are real alternative to the often laborious manual hygiene may benefit from their use especially because plaque removal can be achieved easier and faster. The orthodontic treatment itself has an impact on oral hygiene in the long term as well; a study showed that children who received orthodontic treatment had a greater reduction of plaque and gingivitis than children who did not. This was related more to behavior factors than to improve tooth alignment.

Source: Viaziz AD, Atlas of Advanced Orthodontic: A Guide to Clinical Efficiency. W. B. Saunders Co, 1998

What Is Culture?

The world culture has many different meanings. For example, we sometimes say the people who know about art, music, and literature are cultured. However, the word culture has a different meaning for anthropologist (people who study humankind). To an anthropologist the word culture means all the ways in which a group of people of act, dress, think, and feel. People have to learn the cultural ways of their community; they are not something that the people in group are born with.

Instinctive behavior, on the other hand, is a pattern of behavior that an animal is born with. Spiders spinning their webs are examples of instinctive behavior. The mother spider doesn’t teach her babies how spin the webs. (In fact, she is not even there when they born.) They know how to do it when they are born. This is what we mean by instinctive behavior. Baby bird will instinctive run away if cardboard shape of a hawk is moved forwards over their heads. However, they do not run if the cardboard shape is moved backward. Hawk do not flay backwards, so the baby bird’s instinct does not tell them that their instinct is quite specific: the shape of hawk must be moving in the correct direction.

As human, we learn some of ways our culture by being taught by our teacher or parents. We learn more of ways of our culture by growing up in it. We see how other people in our culture do things, and we do them the same way. We even learn how to think and feel in this way.

All human beings have certain basic needs, such as eating, drinking, keeping, warm and dry, and so on. However, the way in which they take care of these needs depends on the culture in which they grow up. All cultures have ways of eating, drinking, dressing, finding shelter, marrying, and dealing with death. The foods that we think are good to eat, the kinds of clothes we wear, and how many people we can marry at one time are all parts of our culture.

Our own culture seems very natural to us. We feel our hearts that the way that we do things is the only right way to do them. Other people’s cultures often make us laugh or feel disgusted or shocked. We many laugh at clothing that seems ridiculous to us. Many people think that eating octopus or juice red piece of roast beef disgusting. The idea that a man can have more than one wife or that brothers and sisters can marry each other many shock other culture.

Ideas of what is beautiful differ from one culture to another. The flathead Indians of North America used bind the heads of babies are between boards so they would have long sloping foreheads. In the flathead culture, long sloping foreheads were beautiful. Other culture might think that they are strange-looking and unattractive. A tribe of Peruvian Indians shaped their children’s skull into tall, narrow domes. The Chinese used bind women’s feet because they regarded small feet as beautiful. (These small feet were also a sign that husband was wealthy because the women could not walk very well, they could not much housework, and so the small feet showed that husband could afford to have many servants.) Many people cut scars into their bodies or tattoo themselves so that others in their culture will think they are beautiful. Objects are inserted in holes in the nose, lips, and ears in a number of different cultures. in many twentieth-century societies, rogue, lipstick, eye shadow, perfume, and hair spray are all used to increase attractiveness.

when people die, different cultures dispose of their bodies in different ways. Sometimes bodies are burned. Sometimes bodies are buried in the ground. In many cultures in the past, people were buried with food, weapons, jewelry, and another things that might be useful in the next live. For example, the ancient Egyptians buried with little human figures made from clay. These clay figures supposed to work for the dead person in the other world. A religious group called the Parsees exposed their dead on platforms for birds to eat. Some people practice a second burial. After the bodies have been in the earth for several years, the bones are dug up and reburied, sometimes in a smaller container.

These are just a few of the many different customs that are found in different cultures. Most of the time, the different ways that are the customs of different cultures are neither right nor wrong. It is simply different people do the same things in different ways.

Source: More Reason for Reading, 1992 p.4

Who’s Doing the around the House?

Most adult women in United States today work outside the home. And the majority of men and women believe that men and women live together, household task should be shared by men and women. But what really happens?

When asked who does the household chores, 41% off all women report that they do, another 41% say they do a lot and they husbands help some, 15% report the chores being evenly divided, and 2% say the husbands do more. Clearly, there is a gap between deciding that things should be equal and the reality of who, in the facts, gets things done.

However, it must be noted that in families where both spouses are employed among husbands, 24% say the wife does nearly all the work around the house, 42% report that the wife does most of it the husband help some, 28% report that the work is evenly divided, and 5% that the husbands does more around the house. Greater sharing within couple also seen more among young married families under 30 years of age and among those who are the collage-educated.

Sharing Money

When both spouses work, 79% of both men and women that both salaries are combined and used for all household expenses, personal expenses, and savings. Only 15% of husbands whose wives work say that the spouses keep their money separated after both contribute a part of their salaries or household and living expenses and savings. Obviously, when it comes to money, sharing of both salaries and expenses has become the norm.

Beyond Sharing: Exchanging Roles

One possible way for men and women to share family responsibilities is for people to change roles: the men would stay home and the women would become the breadwinners of the family. This possibility has been surveyed since 1970. Back then, 63% said they would have respect for a husband stayed home than for one who had a job outside the home, only 8% would respect him more, and 15% said it make very little difference. By 1980 things had begun to change. A much lower 41% said they would respect the stay-at-home husband less, 6% more, but 42% about the same. Now only 25% say they would respect a man who stayed home to do household chores less, 12% more, and a big 50% say the same.

Thus the number who say they would think less of a husband exchanges roles with his wife and stay home take care of the household has declined from 63% to 25% over a generation’s time. What is more, the younger people are and the money they have, the less likely they are to say they will respect a stay-at-home husband less.

The Future: Teenagers on Sharing Chores

Attitudes toward change are usually formed early in life or no later than the teens. Therefore, it is significant to find that teenagers today expect to share almost all house hold and child-rearing chores in married life.

Here is what they say about sharing chores:

- On vacuuming the house, only 40% off all teenagers think this should be the responsibility of the wife, compared with 38% who say both do it, and 20% who believes it doesn’t matter who does it. The point is that a 60%-40% majority does not think it is the duty of the wife to vacuum the house.

- On mopping the house, an even 50% think that it is a woman’s chore only, but en equal 50% do not think so.

- On preparing meals, 39% of teenagers think this id wife’s responsibility, but a higher 46% see cooking as a shared future responsibility, 2% see it as primary a man’s task, and the remaining 13% say it doesn’t matter.

- On washing dishes, in the past generally only a task for women, no more than 54% of teenagers believe this is a wife task and 46%, nearly as many, do not agree that this task should only be done by women.

- On washing car, traditionally a man’s duty, now only 40% of all teenagers think the husband should do it. Thirty-nine percent think the chore should be equally shared (49% of teenage girl feel this way), 2% think the women should do it, and the rest say it doesn’t matter.

- On moving the lawn almost always the man’s job around the house, a large 64% still agree with tradition and say let the husband do it. But 15% of the young men and much higher 43% of the young women simply don’t agree with that. It is significant that teenage girl lead the way traditional men’s chores should now be shared by women.

Caring for Young Children

On caring for young children, the teenage vies is that chores should be shared all the way:

- 91% of all teenagers believe that playing with children should be an equal responsibility of husbands and wives.

- 71% believe that feeding babies and young children should be an equal husbands and wives.

- 64% of all teens believe that changing diapers should be shared all the way, although a much higher 78% of teenage girls think this, compared with a lower 50% of teenage boys.

- 87% believe that disciplining young children should be a responsibility shared between men and women.

- 56% believe that bathing a baby should be the equal and mint responsibility o men and women.

- 73% think that putting baby to bed should be done just as often by husbands and wives.

- 68% of all teenagers believe that putting a young child to bed must be shared responsibility of both spouses in a good marriage.

Observation

It seems that the public believe is very difficult for a young mother to work, take care of the household, and be primarily responsible for raising children. There simply is not enough to do it all. And there is no doubt that most women in the future are going to choose the work, marry, and be mothers. Therefore, people conclude, tradition must change and male spouses must do many things that their fathers and grandfathers would not have agreed to do.

Women, especially young women, are determined to see the change come about. Even more interesting is that males, particularly teenage boys, agree with the women.

The significance of this is that right in the home, daily, the reality of equality between the sexes is being created. The newfound sharing is not simply something that say people without doing. It is a real revolution.


Source: Choice Reading, 1996 p. 97

Yoga is a sin?

The Council of Ulemas (MUI) said exercises containing Hindu elements such as chanting were forbidden and could weaken the faith of Muslims.

The move follows a similar ruling by the religious authorities in Malaysia last year.

Such religious edicts are not legally binding in Indonesia, but most Muslims consider it a sin to ignore them.

Maruf Amin, chairman of the MUI, said some yoga exercises involved the reciting of Hindu religious mantras, something which is forbidden, or "haram", in Islam.

"Muslims should not practise other religious rituals as it will erode and weaken their Islamic faith," he told AFP.

But he said yoga could still be practised if it was purely as a sport or a means of exercise.

Indonesia is officially a secular state but about 90% of the country's 235 million people are Muslim.

Mr Amin said that if any Indonesian Muslims refused to follow the fatwa, they would be committing a sin.

smoking is a sin?

In a country where cigarette production is high, providing a living for millions, and consumption also high, the Clerics’ Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), is having a difficult time deciding whether to issue a fatwa against smoking, or make it haram within Islam.

Maruf Amin of the MUI said on 25th October that the fate of the farmers who grow tobacco and the workers in cigarette factories had to be considered, and this would make an anti-smoking fatwa unlikely.

In countries like Saudi Arabia, where fatwas have been issued against smoking, there were no tobacco farmers or cigarette factories, but things were different in Indonesia.

Any MUI fatwa against smoking would have to be preceded by government programs to find an alternative living for people dependent on the cigarette industry, he said. [1]

Meanwhile Akhmad Muzakki, a young Muslim intellectual, says the MUI should pay attention to serious problems like corruption, and the habit of people/companies to take “commissions” and “incentives” in building or development projects.

In any case, Akhmad said, MUI fatwas were not binding on anyone and Muslims tended to pay more attention to mass organisations like NU and Muhammadiyah, anyway. [2]

Death toll in Gaza exceeds 850

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Gaza’s humanitarian situation has only gotten worse as the war continues [GALLO/GETTY]

UPDATED ON:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
08:28 Mecca time, 05:28 GMT

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 854 and more than 3,650 injured as the Israeli offensive entered its third week.

The air and ground attacks continued on Sunday with Israeli aircraft bombarding different targets in the strip and ground forces advancing further into the outskirts of Gaza City.


Medics in the embattled Strip said three Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by heavy Israeli tank fire and air strikes early on Sunday, some allegedly by banned white phosphorus shells that Israel denied using.

Earlier, eight members of one family were among the fatalities, killed by an Israeli tank shell in Jabaliya.

“We were at home when the bombing started,” Umm Mohammed, one of the survivors of the attack, said. “We fled towards another house and the tanks started firing. Several of us were hit.”

source : Al jazeera