Comodo = the Next 7 Wonders

Everyone who ever knew about Comodo will agree on pointing this special species to become a part of 7 Wonders. Comodo only live at Flores and majority scientists agree that this reptile is an ancient reptile from the age of dinosaur that survived. If the other 7 Wonders put down some ancients things from human civilization, so why don't us pointing Comodo from a very ancient era, dinosaur!


PS: Give your voice by message to Comodo at 7 Wonders, last on 11 November 2011.

Internal Disagreement; Where Will They Go For Now?

Geert Wilders always makes sensation. But now he becomes a critical object, which is come from his mentor in VVD Party, Frits Bokestein. Bokestein thinks that Wilders is going too far on labeling Islam as the merely threat. It can be seen from some statements which put Moslem immigrant as the problematic source of any Netherlands social issues, not Jews or other countries. If we assume that Wilders is truly a far-right politician, he will put radical nationalism -based on national identity- as the determinant point, not religion tendency. So, maybe we can predict the way of Netherlands if VVD Party win the governmental election, but we may be confuse if Geert Wilders become the party's leader.  

Dialectic: Erwin Arnada and FPI; Who’s On The Truth??

Erwin Arnada and FPI; Who’s On The Truth??

Muhammad Abdul Mannan

On October 9, Erwin Arnada which known as Ex-Chief Editor of Indonesia’s Playboy Magazine, surrendered into domestic prosecution of South Jakarta. He was verdict as a suspect of anti-pornography and porn-action (APP) rules violation, which proposed in Indonesia since 2002 under Megawati Soekarnoputri’s Government.  We can guess any tendencies upon this proposal, but indeed it influenced by moral degradation in Indonesian society, moreover for the young generation. In here, Erwin also became the ‘victim’.

Erwin’s case being published widely by some international media, which it media-judged as a repression into journalist freedom (Playboy still acclaimed as a text-media which uploaded by journalist, although picture content is dominating the whole part of magazine). On the other hand, FPI or Forum-Pembela-Islam as the plaintiff also being judged by Associated Press as an extremely-hard-organization, responsibly for many abuses upon adult-public facilities.

Analyzing process on the whole case should be saw from 2 different elements: the violation of journalist rights and the actual position of FPI. On the first point, there is a complaint from Erwin’s side on why this case should be brought into criminal article, not simply into journalist rule. If we would like to talk in the law-sphere, journalist rules is merely arranging the standard-operating-procedure of journalist on their work, so it will be punished on technical foul. In Indonesia’s context, playboy discourse had been complained since it not published well from many parties, and it backed-up by APP rules which included into criminal sphere. On the other hand, although Indonesia’s Playboy claimed had been articulated into Indonesian behavior (also claimed that many other magazines are more ‘porn’ regarding to Playboy Indonesia’s Version), the stigma of Playboy as a popular-adultery-magazine-for-men is enough. The adultery-magazine should containing the attractive contents for adult, and it will be sold as-simple-as sweets in the shop. For an addition, if the major purpose of APP rules is saving the moral values of youth, this product should be banned in the first hand.

Secondly, about FPI’s judgment. As one of the biggest democratic country (at least in the 3^rd, based on total people number after USA and India), people voice rights are uphold as the essence of democracy. FPI being one of active-fully-pressure group, move on the name of Islam as the majority. Representing point here is debatable, I do agree with that (Islam is majority, but almost will not supporting violence as the option). However, if we agree that social movement likes FPI is the product of democratic system, and the minority voices will be uphold as well as majority, FPI status cannot be sued, as long this organization is coordinated-well with national security staffs.

So how long Erwin will stays in the jail?

*Note: sorry for miss-terms-used in this article, I am not an expert in this sphere. Only try on sharing more about the sensitive issue in this lovely country

Brain's Kidd: Is it clear???

 Is it clear???


Prof: It may be hard for foreign student coz it delivered in Portuguese..What is your name? Your first name?? (pointing one of us)

Stud A: Ph*c.. (also spelling it, although it is short)

Prof: P-H-*-C (write down on d board),, and you??

Stud B: Li*n.. (keep spelling d name)

Prof: L-I-*-N (write it also),, you???

Me: Muhammad.. (no spell at all)

Professor: (only smile, with d whole class)

Me: ??? (is it clear?)

Dialectic: Debating The True Values; Is The 2010 Peace Nobel Judgment Bias??

Debating The True Values; Is The 2010 Peace Nobel Judgment Bias??*

Muhammad Abdul Mannan

Nobel prizes in this year have not much surprise. Almost all of the candidates are being agreed by world public as the proper-persons. But it not happens also to Liu Xiaobo, a freedom-right-activist from China, which awarded Peace Nobel for 2010. The massive contra comes from China’s Government, indeed, as the protest object from Liu Xiaobo and his compatriots since Tiananmen’s incident on 1989. For some observer, although it is protested by China’s Government, it seems showing the Nobel award is back to the nature; goes on the most “proper” person; after awarded to Barrack Obama and assessed as “immature award”.

It may not be Nobel if the status is not debatable. People may think that the proper one is A, based on the universal values, but some others may think no for A because sometimes the true values are bias. We still remember upon one of the most popular awarded-people in Peace Nobel, Nelson Mandela, which chosen after proved delivered South Africa better in the terms of society (kept the majority rights on the top, also impacting to the societal welfare). It seems like approved by everyone. How about Liu Xiaobo case? If we ensured that China now is much better rather than several decades ago (simply if the purpose of democracy is making people “happy”, it still needed to uphold this system when another way of politic make people “happier”?), and Tiananmen protest case being the old story of China, is Liu Xiaobo still proper enough to receive the Nobel prize?   

*Note: However, political tendency nowadays always influencing the policies. Sometimes right or wrong is depends on that.

2nd paradox in Portugal…

Preface for paradox

This part of note is an instrument for acknowledging the readers about differences among nations, states, races, religions, which included into global world elements. No judging or final statement, only describing the irony.

 

2^nd paradox in Portugal…

Shock culture is a usual thing when you go abroad; leaving your base-community, which has similar values and sights. That’s what actually happening on me since the first time I saw this country, Portugal. Not all are different, but much things are there.

No matter how simple is it, differences about attitudes will felt significantly. Furthermore if it related with the most sacred ritual of human, eat. Every person are banned to get burp (saltpeter) after eating, it such an impolite attitude around Portugal, generally, or maybe in the whole Europe (I had informed while took table manner course in my home university). It may more impolite rather than fart, also. It can disturbing other people while eating.

In Indonesia, although burping also looks like uncivilized, but it still respected as a satisfied expression after eating. As an Indonesian which has no doubt about this, the Portuguese reaction upon it sometimes are too reactive for me. However, I can accept it if should be banned because disturbing others while eat; Portuguese logic reason.

On the other hand, there is another culture which shocking eastern viewer like me. It is ‘legal’ for each couple here to do lip-kiss (often added with other moves which are done privately on usual) at public area, which can be showed freely by others surround them. There are general regulation for keep up the private right people in Europe, so that is why others which disturb them can be punished, even they do that because being disturbed upon this vulgar action.

Paradoxically, burping with your own human-right as a people are banned, but kissing even it may triggering sense should be kept??   

inspiratif,, mungkin???

Entah malam ini menjadi malam keberapa, yang jelas rasa rindu akan kampung halaman mulai terasa. Fasilitas dunia maya semisal facebook, email, yahoo messenger, skype, dan masih banyak lagi yang bahkan baru ku tahu sekarang telah kucoba, karena mereka tiba-tiba menarik perhatian. Jika dulu aku tak peduli, maka kini mereka terasa begitu berharga.

Seketika aku memahami betapa segala sesuatu bermula dari nol. Tiada menjadi ada. Sebagaimana adanya kutub Utara, maka disaat yang sama dapat terlihat arah Selatan. Yin-Yang dalam mitos Cina merupakan pasangan tak terpisahkan. semua bersifat komplementer, bukan subtitusi, dimana berarti ada yang positif berpasangan dengan negatif. Netral. Tidak + atau -, alias nol.

Itulah hidup. Dimana ada kesulitan, disitu ada kemudahan. Dalam kasus hidupku kali ini, dimana ada kemajuan, disitu pula ada kemunduran.
Meskipun belum dan tidak berniat untuk mencapai tahap expert dalam hal jaring-menjaring teman di dunia maya, aku gembira mendapati kini bisa dengan leluasa berhubungan dengan orang-orang terdekat, meskipun berada pada titik terjauh bila ditarik dari sumbu ordinat Indonesia. Mungkin. Namun disisi lain aku merasakan hobi yang baru ini menyita rasa lapar akan ilmu yang kugeluti selama kurang-lebih 3 tahun, bukan apa-apa, rasa ingin tahu yang besar dipadu dengan minimnya ilmu yang dapat kuserap menjadi sumbu rasa lapar itu. Kini perlahan menguap.

Tidak adil meng-kambinghitam-kan sesuatu atas kekurangan yang kita temui di dalam diri, tentu saja. Aku pun berupaya berpikir dewasa dengan berasumsi: 1) ini adalah titik jenuh setelah dibakar sekian lama, tinggal mencari pengganti sepadan yang memiliki kadar tak-jenuh lebih tinggi, 2) lebih simpel, jalani hidupmu yang sekarang dengan semangat menuju-kesempurnaan seperti sebelumnya.  I didnt satisfied with my brain usage-duration.. I lose it if there is no more accelerator!!!

Husnudzan, aku membuka-buka facebook teman, sambil mencari keberadaan teman lainnya (yang mungkin terlupakan, atau melupakanku). Ternyata ada hal menarik, yang meskipun bukan sama sekali hal baru namun isinya menggugah. Aku baru menemukan facebook milik AABP (Anak Agung Banyu Perwita, profesor HI termuda di Indonesia, yang walau bagaimanapun masih menginspirasi jiwa-jiwa kosong anak muda HI Indonesia). Tidak kaget memang menemukannya, namun sekilas melihat profilnya, baru kusadari bahwa dia memiliki tanggal lahir yang sama denganku: 6 Februari.

Its not superficial..tentunya. Namun kemiripan ini lantas mengingatkanku akan impianku yang senantiasa terasa idealis (namun riskan berubah menjadi utopis setiap saat). Segera kudapati diriku berada pada titik nadir kehidupan, hidup banyak orang yang umumnya menghabiskan waktu di dunia hanya untuk mewariskan sebilah papan: fulan/ah bin/ti fulan, lahir sekian, wafat sekian..dan seterusnya. Apakah hidup terlalu berharga untuk dilewatkan, atau terlalu berharga untuk dipaksakan melewati rintangan ujian yang terlampau berat? Setiap orang memiliki jawaban masing-masing.

Salahkah bila aku berniat menggantikan posisi AABP sebagai profesor HI termuda berikutnya??