PASKIBRA SMKN 20 COMMUNITY :: Paskibra :: Lifestyle :: Appreciation :: Health :: Forum ::

Muhammad Yunus Terima Nobel Perdamaian 2006

2006-10-16T20:50:00.000+07:00

Hadiah Nobel Perdamaian tahun ini akhirnya secara mengejutkan diberikan kepada bankir asal Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus dan bank yang didirikannya, Grameen-Bank. Yunus dianggap telah mendorong kemakmuran kaum miskin di Baladesh dengan menawarkan kredit berbunga rendah.

Anugrah Nobel Peradamaian tahun ini diberikan kepada Muhammad Yunus dan bank yang didirikannya, Grameen-bank. Panitia hadiah nobel beralasan, bahwa tidak akan ada kedamaian, selama masyarakat gagal menemukan jalan keluar dari kemiskinan.

Kredit usaha kecil yang ditawarkan Yunus melalui Grameen-Bank dianggap sebagai salah satu solusi yang paling ampuh untuk menuju perdamaian. “Yunus telah menunjukkan dirinya sebagai pemimpin yang visinya menguntungkan jutaan manusia di dunia.“ Ujar juru bicara panitia Nobel.

Di Bangaldesh, Yunus berhasil memberikan kredit dengan bunga rendah kepada dua juta kaum miskin dan perempuan tanpa menuntut jaminan apapun. Konsep yang dikembangkan Yunus dan Grameen-Bank sendiri telah ditiru oleh banyak bank di negara-negara berkembang.

Ketua panitia hadiah Nobel, Ole Danholt Mjos, mengatakan, dengan penganugerahan Nobel Perdamaian kepada Yunus, mereka telah memperluas definisi perdamaian.

Keputusan tersebut memang mengejkutkan. Selain Yunus, sebenarnya terdapat nama-nama seperti Marti Ahtisaari dan Soesilo bambang Yoediyono yang sebelumnya dijagokan menerima hadiah nobel, karena berhasil menghentikan konflik di Aceh yang telah berlangsung lebih dari 30 tahun.

Lomba Baris Berbaris Kreasi

2006-09-28T22:04:00.000+07:00

Banyak sekolah di Jakarta yang sudah meninggalkan "kewajiban" baris berbaris. Itulah yang melatar belakangi SMU Negeri 70 Jakarta Selatan kembali menggelar kegiatan itu.

"Kita ingin membuat sesuatu yang beda dan kreatif. Baris berbaris itu jika dikreasikan merupakan sesuatu yang menyenangkan," kata Jihan Abu Bakar B, ketua pelaksana Lomba Variasi dan Formasi Pasukan Baris-Berbaris tingkat SMU se-Jabotabek di SMUN 70 kemarin (27/9).

Menurut siswa yang aktif di TLUP-Tata Laksana Upacara-SMUN 70 ini, lomba yang mengundang lebih dari 40 regu dari SMU Negeri maupun swasta se-Jabotabek ini, diselenggarakan karena panitia ingin mengubah pandangan banyak pelajar tentang kegiatan ekstrakulikuler paskibraka atau baris-berbaris itu membosankan.

"Kami ingin membentuk persepsi baru tentang paskibraka menjadi kegiatan yang melatih kreatifitas dan menyenangkan," tambah Jihan.

Pasalnya rata-rata siswa SMU pada umumnya melihat kegiatan baris-berbaris adalah membosankan dan tidak berkembang, alias begitu-begitu saja.

Keinginan 63 siswa penyelenggara lomba ini terbukti. Banyak siswa dari SMU lain antusias menyaksikan jalannya perlombaan yang berlangsung dari jam 07.00 sampai jam 18.00. Tak kurang dari 1.000 siswa dan masyarakat umum berduyun-duyun menyaksikan lomba di terik panasnya Jakarta itu.

Sambutan peserta lomba pun sangat positif. Pihak panitia terpaksa menolak tak kurang dari 50 tim, karena anggaran dan rencana mereka hanya untuk sekitar 40 tim.

Di tempat yang sama, Fadil Dewa Brata --ketua TLUP SMUN 70-- dan sekaligus pencetus ide perlombaan tersebut mengaku, persiapan lomba ini sekitar 4,5 bulan dan technical meeting-nya 1 bulan sebelum hari H.

"Kami sengaja memberikan kesempatan kepada calon peserta lomba untuk mengasah otak mereka membentuk variasi dan formasi barisan sekreatif mungkin," katanya.

Mengundang 40 lebih tim dari sekolah lain dan satu band remaja baru di blantika musik Indonesia Super Glade, tidaklah murah. Fadil, Jihan dan rekan-rekan panitia lain harus kerja ekstra keras mengumpulkan dana sebesar Rp 33 juta.

Bantuan paling besar dari Pemprov DKI, sebesar Rp 10 juta dan sisanya dari para sponsor. Dan, yang lebih membanggakan adalah siswa mengumpulkan dana mandiri dari mereka sendiri.

Bagaimana dengan Komite Sekolah, apakah mereka tidak membantu? "Sebenarnya mungkin bisa, tapi karena birokrasi mengajukan proposal dana ke KS itu lama, kami memilih cara cepat yaitu mengumpulkan dana dari siswa, toh kegiatannya juga untuk siswa juga," tambah Fadil.

Nilai edukatif dari kegiatan itu sendiri apa? "Sportvitas dan kebersamaan," jawab Fadil, terutama di dalam tim panitia.

Jika mengerjakan proyek kegiatan yang lumayan besar seperti ini, para siswa dari ekstrakulikuler berbeda bisa lebih mengeratkan kebersamaan. Soal sportivitas sudah tentu terbentuk karena dalam sebuah perlombaan peserta, panitia maupun juri dituntut kesportivitasannya.

Tentang kreativitas siswa, diperlukan karena setiap tim harus menampilkan paling tidak 3 variasi gerakan berbaris dan 2 formasi atau membentuk sesuatu dalam barisan. "Melakukan dua hal tersebut dalam barisan tidaklah mudah," ujar Jihan.

Diperlukan koordianasi tim yang kompak dan kreativitas tinggi untuk menghasilkan variasi dan formasi barisan yang bagus.

"Satu lagi yang paling penting, kegiatan ini secara tidak langsung mengalihkan perhatian pelajar ke arah kesibukan yang positif daripada tawuran atau jalan-jalan di mal," tambah Fadil.

Akhirnya, acara yang dihadiri delapan juri dari purna-Paskibraka Indonesia dan Kapolda Metro Jaya Makbul Padmanegara itu, berlangsung sukses. Bagi pemenang disediakan Piala Dikmenti DKI, serta hadiah dari sponsor. (tlup12/jawapos)

Mengusir Sariawan dengan Tanaman

2006-09-26T00:22:00.000+07:00

Sariawan, mungkin kata sariawan sudah tidak asing lagi bagi telinga kita, semua orang pernah mengalami sariawan. Bicara susah, makan susah, itulah yang kita alami saat sariawan dan terasa sangat perih di dalam mulut. Pada kesempatan ini saya akan membahas mengenai penyakit sariawan.

Mulut dan lidah perih, di dalamnya muncul luka-luka menganga, tenggorokan tak nyaman. Kalau kondisinya sudah begini, makan jadi tak enak, bicara pun jadi setengah balelol. Itulah akibat sariawan. Lebih parah lagi, bila penyakit rongga di mulut ini menimbulkan komplikasi berupa selulitis (radang sel) mulut akibat infeksi bakteri sekunder seriawan, infeksi dental (abses gigi), kanker mulut.

Gejala yang muncul akibat sariawan sebenarnya bisa saja dicegah dengan menjaga kesehatan mulut. Kalau sudah kena, biasanya dilakukan pengobatan dengan preparat antihistamin, antacids, kortikosteroid, atau preparat penyejuk lainnya. Selain itu, juga hindari makanan panas dan pedas yang sering menambah nyeri ”luka” di mulut tadi. Dalam pengobatan tradisional atau alami dikenal beberapa jenis tanaman yang sering disebut-sebut mampu menyembuhkan sariawan. Sebut saja daun sirih, daun saga telik, batang buah jambu mete, buah ketimun, dan nira aren. Tanaman tersebut bisa dijadikan obat tunggal, bisa pula digabungkan, seperti yang telah digunakan sebagai bahan dasar obat sariawan yang dijual bebas. Obat tersebut berbahan dasar daun saga telik, daun sirih, dan kulit kayu manis.

Seandainya di pekarangan kita tumbuh tanaman-tanaman yang memiliki kemampuan menyembuhkan sariawan, tentu lebih praktis bila membuat sendiri. Tak perlu repot-repot, tinggal petik, diolah menjadi obat, lalu digunakan. Bila di halaman rumah tumbuh tanaman sirih (Piper betle L.), kita bisa mengunyah satu sampai dua lembar daun ini sampai lumat. Hasil lumatan dibiarkan beberapa saat dalam mulut, lalu ampasnya dibuang. Atau, berkumur dengan air godokannya. Kalau mau, airnya boleh ditelan. Dalam sehari bisa dilakukan satu sampai dua kali.

Pada daun sirih terkandung minyak atsiri yang dapat menguap. Di antaranya yang terbesar adalah chavicol dan betlephenol. Aroma khas dari daun dan minyak sirih itu gara-gara kandungan chavicol tadi. Senyawa ini memiliki daya antiseptik yang kuat dan daya bunuh bakterinya bisa sampai 5 kali lipat fenol biasa.

Senyawa yang membuat daun sirih mampu meredam sariawan memang belum terlacak. Yang pasti, dalam beberapa buku kuno India dan Yunani, disebutkan daun yang merupakan bahan utama menginang ini memiliki sifat styptic (menahan perdarahan), vulnerary (menyembuhkan luka kulit), stomachic (obat saluran pencernaan), menguatkan gigi, dan membersihkan tenggorokan. Ada pula yang menyatakan daun sirih selain memiliki kemampuan antiseptik, juga mempunyai kekuatan sebagai antioksidasi dan fungisida. Minyak atsiri dan ekstraknya pun mampu melawan beberapa bakteri gram + dan gram -. Bisa jadi di antara kemampuan itulah yang membuat penyakit sariawan tidak betah bertahan.

Saat ini di samping dijadikan salah satu bahan obat sariawan, daun sirih juga digunakan pada kelompok obat saluran pencernaan, sebagai ekspektoran, dan kelompok obat mulut dan gigi pada umumnya. Khusus penggunaannya dalam kelompok obat mulut dan gigi, bisa jadi merupakan hasil penelitian ilmiah berdasarkan pengalaman empiris masyarakat yang menggunakannya sebagai obat sakit gigi, peradangan atau pembengkakan gusi, abses rongga mulut, obat luka akibat pencabutan gigi, atau sebagai penghilang bau mulut. Tentu saja, termasuk juga sebagai obat sariawan.

Cepat dan aman
Dalam mengusir si sariawan, sirih bisa juga dipasangkan dengan daun saga telik atau saga areuy (Abrus precatorius L.). Dengan memberi teman pada sirih diharapkan daya gempur terhadap sariawan semakin kuat. Sebab, menurut pengalaman dan hasil penelitian, daun saga pun punya kemampuan seperti daun sirih.

Oleh karena itu, kalau mau menggunakan daun saga telik saja juga bisa. Daun tanaman setengah belukar yang melilit ke kiri dan merambat hingga bisa mencapai ketinggian 5 meter bila tidak dipangkas ini, memang termasuk bahan obat seriawan yang bisa menyembuhkan dengan cepat dan aman.

Pemanfaatannya bisa dengan beberapa cara. Di antaranya dengan mengunyah daunnya satu atau dua kali sehari hingga sembuh. Jumlah yang dikunyah secukupnya saja. Bisa pula dengan berkumur air godokannya bersama daun sirih.

Atau dengan meminum air rebusannya. Caranya, dengan merebus 2 ons daun saga dalam 2 liter air hingga airnya tinggal setengahnya. Air rebusan inilah yang digunakan untuk berkumur dan ditelan. Rasanya mula-mula pahit, tapi kemudian rasa ini berubah menjadi manis macam kayu manis. Ramuan ini bisa pula diberi potongan kayu manis secukupnya.

Daun tanaman merambat yang berbiji sebesar kacang kedelai berwarna merah berbintik hitam ini mengandung abruslactone A., methyl abrusgenate, dan abrusgenic acid.

Sementara itu, bukti tertulis lain menyebutkan, daun tanaman yang dalam daftar prioritas WHO dinyatakan sebagai tanaman obat terbanyak digunakan di dunia ini mengandung glycyrhizin (glisirisin). Kadarnya tak kurang dari 15%. Kurang jelas, apakah asam organik lembut ini yang mampu melawan sariawan atau senyawa lain. Yang pasti, masyarakat telah memanfaatkan daun yang ukurannya mirip daun asam ini sejak lama dan terbukti mampu mengusir ”borok” kecil dalam mulut.

Jambu mete
Meski tak sepopuler sirih dan saga telik, jambu mete (Anacardium occidentale L.), yang sering pula disebut jambu monyet karena buahnya yang menyerupai kepala monyet, ternyata juga cukup mujarab menyembuhkan sariawan. Tetapi, yang dimanfaatkan bukan buahnya, melainkan tangkai buah yang sudah masak. Hati-hati, jangan memilih buah mete yang muda. Buah semu muda masih banyak mengandung getah yang bisa bikin kulit meradang.

Sebaliknya, buah semu jambu mete yang sudah masak mengandung vitamin C dalam jumlah amat banyak. Kandungannya bisa mencapai 180 mg/100 g. Vitamin C yang pekat ini bersifat astringen (menciutkan) luka sariawan sehingga kadang-kadang dipakai mempercepat penyembuhan sariawan.

Cara memanfaatkannya adalah dengan memakannya seperti buah biasa. Atau, bisa pula seperti yang dilakukan orang Ternate tempo dulu, yakni berkumur dengan air perasannya. Namun, sebaiknya jangan diminum sebab rasa asam dan vitamin C-nya yang pekat bisa bikin mulas bila perut tak tahan.

Mentimun
Mentimun atau timun (Cucumis sativus L.), juga bisa menyaingi tangkai jambu mete dalam menyembuhkan sariawan. Dengan memakannya setiap hari dalam jumlah cukup banyak, niscaya buah yang memberi rasa dingin di rongga mulut ini mampu meredam ”panas”-nya sariawan. Akhir abad ke-19, penderita sariawan yang berusaha berobat dengan hasil sia-sia. Bahkan, mereka menjadi kekurangan darah. Mereka akhirnya sembuh sempurna setelah setiap hari memakan sembilan buah ketimun selama beberapa bulan sembari melakukan diet ketat terhadap susu, telur, dan anggur. Sayangnya, senyawa yang dikandung buah yang sangat berair, terutama yang mampu menendang sariawan, belum diketahui akibat sangat langkanya penelitian yang dilakukan.

Nira aren
Nira aren (Arenga pinnata Merr.) yang oleh orang Jawa disebut legen, ternyata menurut data empiris bisa mengobati sariawan, dengan hasil yang sering kali menakjubkan. Untuk itu, penderita mesti minum legen ini tiga gelas setiap hari hingga sembuh. Lagi-lagi, senyawa apa yang menyebabkan kesembuhan sariawan tadi belum terungkap. Yang pasti, cairan yang diperoleh dari tandan bunga jantan pohon aren setelah diiris dan diberi perlakuan fisik ini mengandung kadar gula cukup tinggi sehingga tidak baik bagi penderita diabetes.

Masih banyak lagi tanaman yang disebut-sebut punya khasiat anti-sariawan. Namun, penelitian ke arah itu tampaknya masih belum menarik bagi banyak peneliti. Hal itu tampak dari sangat langkanya hasil penelitian yang bisa dijadikan rujukan. Untuk sementara, tak ada salahnya mencoba tanaman-tanaman anti-sariawan di atas. Selama batasan-batasan pemakaiannya diperhatikan, pengaruh buruk bagi seseorang yang bersamaan waktunya menderita penyakit tertentu bisa dieliminasi. Makan jadi enak, bicara pun tak balelol lagi. (dari berbagai sumber)

Di Balik Misteri Sari Buah Merah

2006-09-24T19:23:00.000+07:00

Kekayaan Biodiversitas alam Indonesia memang sangat beragam dan terdapat di berbagai daerah. Pulau Papua yang cukup terpencil letaknya secara geografis dari pusat ibukota negara, ternyata menyimpan misteri tersendiri dalam tumbuhan yang satu ini.

Sejak tahun 2004 nama Buah Merah begitu mencuat hingga ke pusat ibukota negara ini, sehingga banyak orang yang kemudian mencari-cari buah yang kabarnya memiliki khasiat untuk pengobatan beberapa penyakit. Buah Merah yang nama latinnya disebut A Pandanus Conoideus Lam, merupakan tanaman khas spesifik atau endemik yang tumbuh di Papua dan sebagian kepulauan Maluku. Tanaman ini termasuk tanaman keluarga pandan-pandanan dengan tinggi 16 cm serta tinggi batang bebas cabang sendiri setinggi 5 sampai 8 meter yang diperkokoh akar-akar tunjang pada batang sebelah bawah.

Kultivar buah berbentuk lonjong dengan kuncup tertutup daun buah.
Sementara buah merah itu sendiri memiliki panjang buah 55 cm dengan diameter 10 hingga 15 cm dengan bobot 2 hingga 3 kilogram. Warnanya saat matang berwarna merah maron terang. Lalu khasiat apa yang dapat diberikan buah ini ?

Menurut hasil analisa yang dilakukan oleh pihak Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) maupun oleh Drs I Made Budi M.S ahli gizi dan dosen Universitas Cenderawasih, kedua hasil penelitian terhadap kandungan gizinya, ternyata dalam ujud sari buah merah itu banyak mengandung antioksidan dengan kandungan rata-rata, Karoten ( 12.000 ppm), Betakaroten ( 700 ppm) dan Tokoferol (11.000 ppm).

Selain itu, buah asal daratan Papua ini memiliki beberapa zat lain yang mampu meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh manusia, antara lain terdapat adanya kandungan asam oleat, asam linolenat, dekanoat, Omega 3 dan Omega 9 yang semuanya merupakan senyawa aktif penangkal terbentuknya radikal bebas dalam tubuh.

Belum lagi Betakaroten yang dikandungnya, dengan adanya Betakaroten dapat dimanfaatkan oleh manusia untuk memperlambat berlangsungnya penumpukan flek pada arteri, dengan zat ini aliran dari dan ke jantung dan otak akan berlangsung tanpa adanya sumbatan.

Sementara interaksinya dengan protein itu sendiri akan mampu meningkatkan produksi antibodi. Bahkan dari suatu kutipan studi membuktikan dengan mengkonsumsi betakaroten 30 hingga 60 mg per hari selama dua bulan akan membuat tubuh memperbanyak sel-sel alami pembasmi penyakit.

Dengan bertambahnya sel-sel alami itu akan menekan kehadiran sel-sel kanker, karena ampuh menetralisasikan radikal bebas senyawa karsinogen peyebab kanker. Dalam beberapa penelitian terbatas yang dilakukan I Made Budi dengan metode pengobatan langsung dengan sari buah merah, peneliti mengungkapkan keberhasilan yang amat tinggi dalam upaya pengobatan terhadap penyakit antra lain tumor otak, tumor kandungan, tumor payudara, kanker hati bahkan untuk penyakit HIV/AIDS, termasuk penyakit degenratif seperti diabetes, hipertensi dan penyakit jantung koroner.

Kini sari buah itu telah mampu dikonsumsi salah satunya dalam bentuk softcapsules dengan merek Rediss Papua. Tiap botol sari buah merah yang pengolahannya dilakukan di Balai Besar Industri Agro (BBIA) Bogor ini dalam satu botol berisikan 60 softcapsules.

Agar tidak terkecoh dengan produk yang palsu, diharapkan konsumen dapat menguji sendiri produk sari buah merah ini dengan menggunakan kertas lakmus yang banyak dibeli di toko buku. Setelah kertas lakmus ditetesi minyak buah merah selama beberapa menit, akan terlihat yang asli akan berwarna merah, sementara bila sari buah merah itu tidak asli yang muncul pada kertas adalah warna kekuning-kuningan.

Jus Belimbing Bisa Netralkan Asam Urat

2006-09-20T17:44:00.000+07:00

Bukan rahasia lagi bahwa pengobatan tradisional dibuktikan masyarakat mampu mengobati penyakit asam urat. Penderita banyak yang langsung bisa merasakan khasiat dari obat-obat tradisional seperti jamu-jamuan, meniran, jus belimbing dan lain-lain yang mampu menetralkan asam urat dalam tubuh.

Meski sudah dibuktikan masyarakat secara langsung, menurut dr Atik belum ada penelitian dan bukti empiris yang menguatkan pengobatan tradisional untuk mengobati penyakit asam urat ini. "Sejauh ini masih menjadi paradigma dalam masyarakat,belum ada bukti empiris," ungkapnya. Tetapi tak ada salahnya bagi mereka yang menderita asam urat mencoba pengobatan tradisional.

Olah Raga dan Banyak Minum Air Putih

2006-09-19T23:54:00.000+07:00

Bagi Penderita Asam Urat, waspadai Nyeri di Sendi-sendi.

Penggemar makanan enak, mau tidak mau harus berhati-hati dengan penyakit satu ini yakni asam urat. Apalagi bagi mereka yang berusia di atas 40 tahun, dimana metabolisme tubuh mereka dan kemampuan membuang asam urat lewat urin makin berkurang, harus lebih berhati-hati dalam mengontrol makanan yang masuk.

Sebetulnya, asam urat sendiri menurut dr Sri Hariyanti, dokter di Batam, merupakan sisa metabolisme dari zat purin makanan yang dikonsumsi seseorang. Zat ini juga bisa dikarenakan hasil perusakan sel tubuh yang terjadi secara normal atau karena penyakit tertentu.

Lalu jenis makanan seperti apa yang apa yang terdapat zat purin? Zat ini ada dalam setiap bahan makanan seperti daging, jerohan, buah dan sayuran. Tetapi kadar zat purin ini berbeda-beda setiap bahan makanan. Makanan yang dianggap memiliki banyak purin ini seperti jeroan, daging, ikan laut, kacang-kacangan, emping.

Sebetulnya setiap manusia secara normal memiliki mekanisme tersendiri dalam membuang zat purin yang menyebabkan asam urat. Bisa melalui kotoran ataupun air seni. "Bagi mereka yang gemar makan-makanan yang mengandung zat purin ini akan meningkatkan asam urat," tutur dokter alumni Universitas Indonesia ini.

Kemampuan tubuh bisa saja menurun dalam membuang asam urat di usia 40an keatas sehingga asam urat banyak diidap oleh mereka yang berusia diatas 40an tahun.

Lalu bagaimana gejalanya? Menurut dr Atik, sapaan akrab dokter Sri Haryanti ini biasanya penumpukan asam urat terjadi di persendian. Bisa di beberapa daerah seperti sendi jari-jari tangan, pergelangan tangan, siku, lutut dan pergelangan kaki.

Penumpukan asam urat ini akan terlihat membengkak, kemerahan , nyeri dan terasa panas. Saat bangun tidur pada pagi hari dan malam hari kerap memunculkan rasa nyeri bagi penderitanya.

"Zat aktif allopurinol selama ini bisa mengurangi pembentukan asam urat di dalam tubuh," ujar dr Atik. Tetapi karena keluhan pasien seringkali dokter juga memberikan obat-obat lain untuk mengurangi penderitaan para pasien.

Tetapi menurut dr Atik yang perlu adalah bagaimana penderita bisa mengontrol kadar asam urat dalam tubuh agar kembali normal. Bisa mellaui pengobatan tertentu atau mengontrol makanan yang dikonsumsi,

"Sebaiknya kurangi makanan yang mengandung purin dan menganggu pembuangan asam urat dalam tubuh. Air putih berperan penting di sini, mereka yang minum cukup banyak akan mencegah penjenuhan asam urat dalam darah sehingga pengendapan asam urat bisa dikurangi," jelasnya.

Logikanya dengan banyak minum, semakin banyak pula orang akan membuang urin atau air seni mereka. Sehingga penumpukan asam urat dalam tubuh bisa dibuang sedikit demi sedikit. "Olahraga teratur juga diperlukan bagi mereka agar metabolisme tubuh mereka kembali normal," ujar dr Atik.

Faktor-faktor penumpukan asam urat ini bisa terjadi karena banyak hal seperti stres, kegemukan, minum-minum alkohol dan makanan mengandung purin sebaiknya dihindari bagi mereka yang menderita asam urat.

Tomato ingredients 'fight cancer'

2006-08-21T18:43:00.000+07:00

Several components of the humble tomato act together to help fight prostate cancer, say researchers. It had been thought just one chemical, lycopene, had an anti-cancer effect. But researchers at the Universities of Illinois and Ohio State found lycopene's effect is boosted by other chemicals in the fruit. The finding, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests lycopene-only dietary supplements have only a limited effect."Poor dietary habits cannot be reversed simply by taking a pill"
Dr Steven Clinton

Lead researcher Professor John Erdman said: "It has been unclear whether lycopene itself is protective.

"This study suggests that lycopene is one factor involved in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.

"But it also suggests that taking lycopene as a dietary supplement is not as effective as eating whole tomatoes.

"We believe people should consume whole tomato products - in pastas, in salads, in tomato juice and even on pizza."

The researchers exposed laboratory rats to a chemical that causes prostate cancer, and then fed them on diets containing whole tomato powder, pure lycopene or no lycopene at all.

Different diets
Rats who fed on tomato powder had a 26% lower risk of dying from their cancer than rats who ate no lycopene.

But the rats fed lycopene had a risk similar to control rats.

By the end of the study, prostate cancer had killed 80% of the control group, 72% of the lycopene-fed rats and 62% of the rats fed tomato powder.

The researchers also found that restricting the amount of food given to the rats cut their risk of developing prostate cancer - regardless of which diet they were on.

Separate research has shown that higher levels of lycopene in the blood is linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

Lycopene, the substance that makes tomatoes red, is effective at mopping up particles called free radicals which can damage the body's tissues.

But Dr Steven Clinton, who also worked on the study, said: "Our findings strongly suggest that risks of poor dietary habits cannot be reversed simply by taking a pill.

"We shouldn't expect easy solutions to complex problems. We must focus more on choosing a variety of healthy foods, exercising and watching our weight."

Haru Menangis

2006-08-18T00:04:00.000+07:00

Batam, INDONESIA- Anggota Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Kota Batam saling berpelukan menangis setelah sukses mengantarkan Merah Putih ke puncak tiang. (tribun batam/iman)

Persiapan Upacara

2006-08-17T23:53:00.000+07:00

Batam, INDONESIA - Anggota Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Kota Batam sedang berbaris dalam persiapan untuk upacara memperingati HUT Republik Indonesia ke 61 di Temenggung Abdul Jamal. (tribun batam/iman)

Kibarkan Bendera

2006-08-17T21:14:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, INDONESIA: 3 orang penyelam mengibarkan bendera merah putih di dalam aquarium ikan hiu di Sea World, Jakarta, Kamis (17/8). Pengibaran bendera tersebut dilakukan dalam rangka peringatan hari kemerdekaan RI ke-61. (ANTARA)

INDONESIA IDAY CELEBRATION

2006-08-17T19:06:00.000+07:00

Jakarta-INDONESIA: Indonesian soldiers hoist the national flag during the Independence Day celebration at the presidential palace in Jakarta, 17 August 2006. (AFP PHOTO)

INDONESIA IDAY CELEBRATION

2006-08-17T18:42:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, - INDONESIA : Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) hands over a national flag to a soldier for hoisting during a ceremony to celebrate country's 61th anniversary of Independence Day at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, 17 August 2006. Outside a house in central Jakarta on the morning of August 17, 1945, a small group of nationalists gathered for a simple ceremony to declare independence for the remains of the former Dutch East Indies empire and Indonesia was born. After three centuries of Dutch colonial rule and three years of Japanese occupation, the world's largest archipelago had been declared one nation, although it was another four years before the Dutch abandoned their attempts to retake their former possession and recognised Indonesia. (AFP PHOTO)

INDONESIA IDAY CELEBRATION

2006-08-17T18:33:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, - INDONESIA : Indonesian soldiers parade prior to hoisting the national flag during the Independence Day acelebration at the presidential palace in Jakarta, 17 August 2006. Outside a house in central Jakarta on the morning of August 17, 1945, a small group of nationalists gathered for a simple ceremony to declare independence for the remains of the former Dutch East Indies empire and Indonesia was born. After three centuries of Dutch colonial rule and three years of Japanese occupation, the world's largest archipelago had been declared one nation, although it was another four years before the Dutch abandoned their attempts to retake their former possession and recognised Indonesia. (AFP PHOTO)

INDONESIA IDAY CELEBRATION TIGER

2006-08-17T18:21:00.000+07:00

Pasuruan, INDONESIA: A white tiger climbs a pole to reach the top decorated with miniature Indonesian flags as a part of show in a safari park in Pasuruan, East Java, 17 August 2006, to celebrate country's 61st anniversary of Independence Day. Outside a house in central Jakarta on the morning of August 17, 1945, a small group of nationalists gathered for a simple ceremony to declare independence for the remains of the former Dutch East Indies empire and Indonesia was born. After three centuries of Dutch colonial rule and three years of Japanese occupation, the world's largest archipelago had been declared one nation, although it was another four years before the Dutch abandoned their attempts to retake their former possession and recognised Indonesia. (AFP PHOTO)

INDONESIA IDAY CELEBRATION

2006-08-17T18:13:00.000+07:00

Jakarta-INDONESIA: Indonesian boys make a human ladder to reach prize items placed on the top of a slippery pole in Jakarta, 17 August 2006, to celebrate country's 61st independence day anniversary. Outside a house in central Jakarta on the morning of August 17, 1945, a small group of nationalists gathered for a simple ceremony to declare independence for the remains of the former Dutch East Indies empire and Indonesia was born. After three centuries of Dutch colonial rule and three years of Japanese occupation, the world's largest archipelago had been declared one nation, although it was another four years before the Dutch abandoned their attempts to retake their former possession and recognised Indonesia. (AFP PHOTO)

Lilis Pertama Mencium Merah Putih

2006-08-16T18:16:00.000+07:00

Batam, Tribun - Wali Kota Batam, Drs Ahmad Dahlan mengukuhkan 30 orang Pasukan Pengibar Bendera (Paskibra) Kota Batam di lantai 4 Kantor Wali Kota Batam, Senin (14/8) malam.

Paskibra Batam tersebut terdiri dari 16 putri dan 14 putra yang berasal dari seluruh sekolah SMA se-Batam. Acara pengukuhan tersebut dihadiri Ketua DPRD Batam Soerya Respationo, Wakil Wali Kota Batam Ria Saptarika, Ketua Pengadilan Batam Djanatul Firdaus, Kapoltabes Barelang Kombes Pol Eko Hadi Sudtejo dan unsur muspida lainnya serta para kepala dinas di lingkungan Pemko Batam.

Acara pengkuhan juga dihadiri orangtua siswa yang anaknya terpilih menjadi Paskibra Kota Batam, serta petugas yang membinanya."Kami dikirim dari sekolah 5 orang terpilih 3 orang. Saya bangga dan senang. Pokoknya sangat senang sekali sebagai pengibar bendera untuk Kota Batam," kata Lilis.

Awal acara, Dahlan meminta supaya semua anggota Paskibra berikrar dan berjanji untuk tanah air Indonesia. Para anggota Paskibra mendapatkan kesempatan mencium bendera merah putih secara bergantian. Yang pertama mencium bendera adalah Lilis Heriani dari SMA 1 sebagai pimpinan Paskibraka.

Usai pengukuhan, Lilis mengatakan sangat senang bisa terpilih menjadi Paskibraka. "Kami dikirim dari sekolah 5 orang terpilih 3 orang. Saya bangga dan senang. Pokoknya sangat senang sekali sebagai pengibar bendera untuk Kota Batam," kata Lilis.

Pembina Paskibraka, Aiptu Arman Amirudin mengatakan latihan dilakukan dua tahap. Tahap pertama 25-27 April jumlahnya 200 orang. Setelah diseleksi tahap kedua tinggal 47 orang. 47 orang tersebut 7 orang dikirim ke provinsi dan 10 orang cadangan. Sedangkan 30 orang mengikuti pengukuhan sekarang. "Kita membina mereka dengan ketat sehingga hasil yang sekarang benar-benar terlatih dan terampil," papar Amran.(tribun batam/hat)

Paskibra Terbaik Dapat Beasiswa

2006-08-16T18:07:00.000+07:00

Tanjungpinang, Tribun - Kepala Dinas Pendidikan Provinsi Kepri Ibnu Maja, selaku pembina Pasukan pengibar bendera (paskibra) melakukan kunjungan dan melihat kesiapan 34 anggota Paskibra, di Hotel Bali, Minggu (13/8).

Kunjungan tersebut menjadi penambah semangat bagi 34 anggota paskibra tersebut. Dalam dialog yang dilakukan Ibnu menanyakan kesiapan mental dan psikologis para anggota paskibra. "Kami siap seratus persen!" ucap mereka dengan serentak.

Selama 12 hari mereka digembleng oleh lima orang pelatih dari kepolisian dan anggota TNI, yang dibantu oleh para purna Paskibra Kepri. "Kepercayaan diri kami semakin bertambah dan kami merasa lebih disiplin," ucap seorang anggota Paskibra.

Ibnu saat ditemui beberapa wartawan mengatakan, kedatangannya untuk melihat persiapan akhir dan melakukan gladi pengukuhan pasukan Paskibra yang akan dilaksankan pada 15 Agustus, di aula Kantor Gubernur. "Pengukuhan dilakukan oleh Gubernur Ismeth Abdullah," ujar Ibnu.

Setelah melakukan dialog dengan para anggota Paskibra, Ibnu mengatakan, persiapan Paskibra sudah maksimal. Dia hanya mengingatkan bahwa yang mereka lakukan adalah kebanggaan dari orangtua, sekolah dan daerah, yang dijaga.

Ibnu juga mengatakan peluang bagi anggota Paskibra untuk meraih beasiswa dari pemprov untuk melanjutkan ke perguruan tinggi. Dua anggota Paskibra terbaik akan mendapat beasiswa ke Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya. Sedangkan peserta terbaik dari kabupaten kota akan diberi beasiswa Universitas Maritime Ali Haji pada Fakultas Keguruan. "Perguruan tinggi tersebut akan mulai beroperasi tahun ajaran 2007," tukas Ibnu. (tribun batam/gas)

Water

2006-08-15T21:35:00.000+07:00

Although it contains no nutrients, water is a vital component of our diets. It's essential for the growth and maintenance of our bodies, as it's involved in a number of biological processes. But most of us don't get nearly enough.

Why do we need water?
Water comprises 50 to 70 per cent of an adult's total body weight, and without regular top-ups, our body's survival time is limited to a matter of hours or days.
Water is lost from the body through urine and sweat, and must be replaced through our diets. Many people, though, don't consume enough and as a result may become dehydrated, causing symptoms such as headaches, tiredness and loss of concentration. Chronic dehydration can contribute to a number of health problems, such as constipation and kidney stones.

How much do we need?
The body gets its water from three sources:

From drinks, either plain water or as part of other beverages.
From solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

How to achieve your daily water intake

1. Start as you mean to go on, with a glass of water when you wake.

2. If you're at work, keep a jug of fresh water on your desk so it's within easy reach to top your glass up throughout the day.

3. If you're out and about during the day, carry a bottle of water so you can have a drink whenever you want.

4. Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables; they have a high water content as well as many other health benefits.

As a by-product of chemical reactions within the body.

The British Dietetic Association advises that the average adult should consume 2.5 litres of water per day. Of this, 1.8 litres - the equivalent of six to seven glasses of water per day - must be obtained directly from beverages. This should be increased during periods of hot weather or during and after periods of physical activity.

Water is the major ingredient of all drinks: carbonated and still drinks are 65 per cent water, diluted squashes are 86 per cent water (after dilution) and fruit juices are 90 per cent water. But drinking plain water is still the most effective way of replacing lost fluids.

Bottled waters
What about bottled waters? There are two types of bottled water: spring water and mineral water. Spring water is collected directly from the spring where it arises from the ground and must be bottled at the source. UK sources of spring water must meet certain hygiene standards, but may be treated in order that they meet limits set on pollution.

Mineral water emerges from under the ground, then flows over rocks before it's collected, resulting in a higher content of various minerals. Unlike spring water, it can't be treated except to remove grit and dirt. Different brands of spring and mineral waters will have differing amounts of minerals depending on their source.

In 1999 Government regulations came into force covering the labelling requirements of bottled waters, to help consumers make informed choices about the products they buy. As a result, the levels of all minerals in natural mineral water must be listed on the label.

But is it necessary to buy bottled water? The drinking water available from our taps is perfectly adequate to replenish our fluid loss, and undergoes many processes to bring it up to the standards set out in the Water Supply Regulations. In 1999, according to Which? Online, 98.8 per cent of tap water sampled passed drinking water inspectorate tests.

There are certainly no proven health benefits of bottled water over tap water - it basically comes down to personal taste and cost.

Indonesia Iday Preparation Vendor Flag

2006-08-15T21:00:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, INDONESIA : A flag vendor cradles her child as she waits for customers on a footpath in Jakarta, 15 August 2006. Hundreds of vendors find brisk business selling national flags as the country is preparing to celebrate its 61 Independence Day on 17 August. (AFP PHOTO)

Indonesia Wildlife Orangutans

2006-08-15T20:53:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, INDONESIA: Handlers carry Bijay, a 10-year-old orangutan in Jakarta, 15 August 2006, after drugging him to transfer him to Borneo. Three out of 13 orangutans, which were being used for commercial public performances at Jakarta's seaside Ancol recreation park, were taken to the jungle-clad Borneo island for progressive reintegration into their natural habitat. The 13 orangutans had been given to the park, which holds a wildlife conservation license, by individuals who could no longer keep them as pets or who had to hand them over as keeping them went against the law, a spokesperson said. (AFP PHOTO)

INDONESIA KITE FESTIVAL

2006-08-14T00:27:00.000+07:00

Tanah Lot, BALI INDONESIA : A participant from the Philippines prepares his kite during the Bali International Kite festival in Tanah Lot Bali 12 August 2006. Around 18 countries including France, Germany, British, Thailand, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Sweden, Philippine, Singapore, Taiwan, India, US, Japan, Australian, Hungary, Hongkong and Indonesia participated in the festival. (AFP PHOTO/Sonny TUMBELAKA)

INDONESIA IDAY PREPARATION FLAGS

2006-08-11T23:07:00.000+07:00

Jakarta, - INDONESIA : A man decorates a footpath with miniature Indonesian flags and plastic cup painted with the national colors in Jakarta, 11 August 2006, ahead of the country's Independence Day. Indonesia is preparing to celebrate its 61th Independence Day on 17 August. (AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD)

70 romantic ways to have fun

2006-08-11T22:44:00.000+07:00

In our busy lives, time can often seem in short supply so it's important that couples make the most of their time together. If you're stuck for ideas, Relationship psychotherapist Paula Hall has some suggestions.

On rainy days

Clear out the garage, attic, cupboards or wardrobes* - it really doesn't matter as long as you do it together.
Go charity shopping. While away the hours browsing for books, CDs, games, retro clothing, bric-a-brac. You could try a carboot sale or trawl round some antique shops.
Get some exercise. Go swimming or ice skating, or enjoy a walk in the rain.
Enjoy a movie marathon.* Visit the video shop, stack up on snacks and spend the day being film critics.
Visit an art gallery. Find an exhibition in your area.
Step back in time and visit a museum. Many of the buildings themselves deserve a look and you never know you might learn something at the same time!
Improve your memory. Try our online memory test then spend the day testing each other's powers of recall.
Discover yourself. Bookshops and the internet offer a wealth of personal-profiling tools, which can help you find out your personality type, your IQ or your relationship style.
Make something,* such as a coffee table, some shelves, a bird table, pottery dishes, vases, face sculpture, candles or soap. Craft shops are full of ideas.
Go to the football or rugby.* Even if you're not into the sport, you'll find the atmosphere electric. Especially if your team is playing their arch rivals! Take a look at the fixture list before you go.
Have an evening of pick'n'mix. Take a look at the TV listings and create a night of entertainment.

On sunny days

Go for a stroll* - anywhere you like.
Take a hike. Find a nice big hill and see who can fall into an exhausted heap at the top first.
Go for a bike ride.* Like walking, cycling can be energetic or gentle - it's up to you. But either way it's sure to give your health a boost!
Hire a boat. Choose from an energetic canoe ride, a romantic row down the river or the wind in your hair in a sailing boat.
Visit the park.* Spend the day on the swings or play a game of tennis. If you're really adventurous, you could even try out your skateboarding skills on the half-pipe.
Take to horseback. Look in your local directory for places that offer riding lessons (you may need to book in advance). Or better still, along a beautiful beach!
Be risky. Try some exptreme sports - skydiving, rock climbing, potholing, ballooning, motor racing... the list is endless. (You'll definitely need to book ahead, though.)
Visit a stately home.* You might even get some inspiration for your own love nest!
Obey your animal instincts by visiting a zoo or farm.* Relax as you wander round the park. And if you don't like spiders you can always go and talk to the monkeys!
Remember the picnic.* To make all the above even more enjoyable, don't forget to pack some gorgeous food and wine. Let BBC Food help you choose the perfect tipple!

At the weekend

Walk way
Go youth hostelling.
Take a city break.
Book a themed weekend break. There are plenty of options, from murder mystery tours to salsa dancing to yoga.
Go camping,* either in your own back garden or at one of the hundreds of specialised sites around the country. Staying put will give your children the chance to learn more about their surroundings...
Visit friends or relatives.* Take the chance to spend time with people in another part of the country. If they can't put you up for the night, book into a B&B.
Indulge and pamper yourself at a health farm.
Pick any room in your house and give it a complete makeover.
Spring clean the house or give your garden a serious sort out. Make sure you take regular breaks and treat yourself to a delicious takeaway or meal out in the evening.

When the children are in bed

Play games, whether they're board games, computer games, card games or naughty games...
Work your mind with brain-teasers, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords or quiz books.
Pamper each other. Give your partner a massage, manicure and pedicure. We all need a little pampering sometimes!
Rent a film to suit your mood, be it a comedy, weepy, romance or horror movie.
Star gaze. Lie in the garden and see if you can name the constellations.
Have a blind food tasting.
Enjoy a romantic dinner for two: light those candles, put on some soft music and get out the posh crockery. As if you needed an excuse to indulge!
Have a picnic in the garden.
Put on a themed evening. Try a little Eastern promise or a sushi night.
Drag out the duvet, make two cups of hot chocolate and snuggle up on the sofa or in front of the fire.
Read the same book and compare notes.
Dig out the photos and enjoy a night of nostalgia. Or if you want to get more involved, why not take some of your own portraits? You could be the next icon!
Try a new recipe together. Have a go at Thai, Indian, Greek - whatever tickles your taste buds.
Learn a language.
Go internet shopping.Why not treat each other to a surprise? Buy online and then wait for it to arrive!
Compose something: a poem, a story or - if you're feeling musical - a song.

For an evening out

Go to the theatre. It could be the Palladium or, if the budget's tight, your local am-dram group. Find out what's near you or pack your overnight bag and make a weekend of it!
Get some exercise. Go swimming or to the gym, or play a game of badminton or squash.
Have an evening of ten-pin bowling.* Or join your local bowling club. Many are opening their doors to a wider range of participants!
Attend a concert. Try something different, such as jazz, classical or rock.
Go to the dogs* - but agree before you go how much you're willing to lose in bets.
Enjoy a few drinks at your local pub, and keep a look out for quiz nights and local bands. They say music is the food of love!
Join an evening class. There's a huge range available, from poetry and dancing, to local history, cooking and wine tasting.
Have a leisurely dinner. Whether it's cheap and cheerful or top-class nosh, enjoy the chance for uninterrupted conversation.
Go to the cinema. Slip into the back row and enjoy the latest blockbuster.

When you've only got an hour to spare

Have a fight* - with balloons or pillows rather than words. Or if you're worried to be more loving, why not indulge in some sensual touching...
Have a bath with oodles of bubbles.
Eat in bed, whether it's breakfast time or not. Make it all the more special by preparing an aphrodisiac meal!
Use your limited time to plan what you'll do when you have a whole evening to yourselves.
Start researching your family tree, then add to it every time you have an hour to spare.
Bake a cake* or anything you'll enjoy eating together.
Do a fitness video together, whether it's aerobics, Pilates or yoga.
Do an online quiz.

Romantic gestures

Say "I love you"
Give each other a hug
Leave a love note, in a briefcase or on the TV screen. Or request a love song on the radio.
Blow a kiss - or just start flirting outrageously!
Give flowers.
Keep in touch. When you're apart, send a text or email, or pick up the phone.
Write "I love you" in lipstick on the mirror or in glow-in-the-dark chalk on the front wall.

Germany Animals Protection PETA Demonstration

2006-08-10T23:04:00.000+07:00

Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen GERMANY : Activists of the animal protection organisation "Peta" made up as supermarket meat portions demonstrate 10 August 2006 in Cologne, western Germany. Under the motto "Put yourself in animals' place", the activists protested against eating meat and cruelty to animals. (AFP PHOTO)

Indonesia Papua Baliem Valley Festival

2006-08-10T22:53:00.000+07:00

Wamena, - INDONESIA : Papuanese tribal dancers perform during the festival of Baliem valley in Wamena, 10 August 2006. The annual three-day long festival locally knows as "Lembah Baliem" showcases Papua's indiginous art and customs, that continues to allure a number of tourists each year. (AFP PHOTO)

Indonesia Sultanate Ternate

2006-08-09T00:18:00.000+07:00

Ternate, - INDONESIA : A school boy stands outside his house in Ternate, North Maluku, 05 August 2006. Ternate sultanate is one of Indonesia's sultanate that still exist. Up until the Dutch completed colonization of Maluku in the 19th century, the sultan of Ternate ruled an extensive empire that at the time stretched across the archipelago, from Sulawesi to Papua. The peak of its power came near the end of the sixteenth century, under Sultan Baabullah, when it had influence over most of the eastern part of Sulawesi, the Ambon and Seram area, and parts of Papua. It frequently engaged in fierce competition for control of its periphery with the nearby sultanate of Tidore. According to historian Leonard Andaya, Ternate's "dualistic" rivalry with Tidore is a dominant theme in the early history of the Maluku Islands. (AFP PHOTO/ADEK BERRY)

Indonesia Mideast Conflict Israel

2006-08-09T00:05:00.000+07:00

JAKARTA, - INDONESIA : Activists of Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI) cover their faces in Jakarta, 08 August 2006, as they gather to register as volunteer to fight against Israel. The hardline Indonesian Islamic group, MMI, has started registration for volunteers to fight against Israel in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, its leaders said as police vowed to stop them leaving. MMI, led by radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir who has served a jail sentence over his role in the 2002 Bali bombing, already had 500 members willing to go to fight Israel, it said. (AFP PHOTO/Bay ISMOYO)

Anorexia

2006-08-08T23:49:00.000+07:00

Anorexia nervosa is a common eating disorder that often starts with normal dieting to lose weight, but turns into a form of intentional starvation, causing a person to become dangerously underweight.Anorexia usually starts in the mid-teens, although it can start at a younger or older age. Women are more likely than men to have anorexia - about 90 per cent of those affected are female.

It's estimated that about three or four people in every 100 have anorexia. Most deny they have a problem and many have depression. It can run in families.

Symptoms
People with anorexia become obsessed with dieting and weight. They develop a fear of becoming fat and have a distorted image of their body, seeing themselves as fat, even when they're very thin.

Under-eating, vigorous exercise, ritualistic food habits and abuse of laxatives cause excessive loss of weight.

Most anorexic people have no history of being overweight.

What happens to the body?
Lack of food deprives the body of essential protein and prevents the normal metabolism of fat resulting in:

an irregular heartbeat that can lead to heart failure and death
dehydration
kidney stone formation and kidney failure
weakness because of muscle wasting
constipation
growth of fine downy hair on the face and arms
lack of calcium may cause osteoporosis
periods may stop.

Diagnosis and treatment
It's difficult to prevent anorexia from developing because it's unclear precisely why the condition occurs.

However, it may be possible to avoid or address some risk factors - such as social and cultural pressures to be thin, bullying, low self-esteem and family dysfunction. The most important step is recognition by the individual that they've a problem.

After assessment at a specialist eating disorders unit by a psychiatrist, counselling, antidepressants and advice on healthy eating may be offered. Admission to hospital is often needed to treat any physical problems that have resulted from under-eating.

EGYPT ARCHEOLOGY RAMSES

2006-08-07T23:47:00.000+07:00

Cairo, - EGYPT : The mummy of Pharaoh Ramses IV, who was a 21st dynasty king who ruled for only six years (1152-1145 BC) and died at the age of about 50, is exhibited at the new Royal Mummy Room at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo 06 August 2006. Eleven mummies of kings and priests from the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom's 20th and 21st dynasties are the highlights of the exhibition. (AFP PHOTO/STR)

Top Beauty Tips

2006-08-07T23:38:00.000+07:00

Health and beauty are inseparable. The healthier you are, the better you look. Here are some dos and don'ts to keep you looking your best.

Don't smoke. Smoking damages the microcirculation to the skin, making it dull, grey and lifeless. Your hair is affected in the same way. It also leads to the early formation of wrinkles, especially fine lines around the mouth. Many models smoke partly as an attempt to keep slim, but they are in fact wrecking their careers.
Keep alcohol intake to a moderate level, no more than 14 units a week. The most important thing is to avoid binges when you drink all your allowance in one go, which is particularly toxic to the liver.
Enjoy a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.
Regular exercise will help to make your skin glow, give you beautiful poise, and help you keep in good shape.
Cover up in the sun. The big danger is ultraviolet light A (UVA) rays, which cause the collagen in the skin to break down, making it thinner and helping wrinkles to form.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for body repairs and keeps body and soul ticking along as they should.
Find effective ways to deal with stress. Don't let it show in your face and posture.
Look after your teeth and have regular check-ups at the dentist.

Indonesia Mideast Conflict Australia Indonesia Attacks

2006-08-05T21:45:00.000+07:00

PONTIANAK, - INDONESIA : Masked members of the hardline Asian Muslim Youth Movement (AMYM) demonstrate martial during a show of force at a public square in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, 05 August 2006. About 160 Indonesian Indonesian "jihadis" held the show of force before being sent abroad to attack Jewish interests in countries that support Israel, their leader Suaib Didu said at the end of the ceremony. The AMYM claims it has already dispatched 217 suicide bombers, including 72 Indonesians as well as citizens of six other Southeast Asian nations, to attack Jewish targets in countries such as Britain, the United States and possibly Australia. Police in Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic nation, said they would look into the group's claims but were sceptical. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD

Philippines Film People Chan Coffee

2006-08-05T00:42:00.000+07:00

Manila, - PHILIPPINES : International movie star Jackie Chan serenades Filipino fans and journalists with a song during a press conference at a hotel in suburban Manila 04 August 2006. The popular action star is in Manila to establish his global coffee beverage business through his Jackie's Java Company Ltd. in Asia. Chan is negotiating with partners in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. (AFP PHOTO / Jay DIRECTO)

9 Tips For Designing at Small Newspapers

2006-08-05T00:34:00.000+07:00

1) Keep it simple. You don't have time to deal with complicated designs requiring three different software programs. Try pushing the envelope in one program, and avoid time-consuming tasks such as doing a cut-out on a porcupine.

2) Define your perimeters early. Knowing your limits is essential to creating a design quickly. Decide on things like grid structure, art elements and font early on in the process and avoid looking back. Good design doesn't require hours of contemplation.

3) Stick to one font. You don't have time to browse font foundry catalogues or to experiment with 100 different fonts. Try to be as creative as possible within your paper's font family. Experiment with different sizes, weights, and color (if appropriate).

4) Avoid spending money. Most small newspapers don't have the budget to buy outside photography, graphics and fonts. Look for inexpensive art elements such as leaves for a fall foliage splash, file photos for a look-back story and clip art for logos.

5) Make friends. Never forget if it wasn't for reporters, photog-raphers and copy editors, designers would be out of a job. You don't have time for senseless, ego-driven arguments. If the managing editor is bent on using indigo instead of blue for a feature headline, go with indigo!

6) Ask for help. One of the biggest drawbacks of designing for a small newspaper is the lack of people of people to bounce ideas off of. Get to know designers (preferably good ones) at other papers, and solicit their input whenever possible on pages you've already created or pages you're working on.

7) Look at other publications. Look at as many papers, magazines, books, and other publications that you can get your hands on. Just because you're not The Boston Globe doesn't mean you can't look at The Boston Globe. Post your favorite designs on the wall and look at them daily.

8) Read. Many small newspapers don't have the budget to send their designers to workshops and quick courses. If this is the case, read up on design yourself. Do a search for "newspaper design" on Amazon.com for the latest books on design or browse through the classics at your local library.

9) Pray to the God of Small Newspaper Design. Good design at small newspapers is just short of a miracle. You don't have to be religious or even spiritual to get some help from the Universe. It might be as simple as putting a little statue of a Buddha on your computer terminal or wearing a lucky pair of socks. Know that you're not alone. Even if you're the only designer for 50 miles, the God of Small Newspaper Design is looking over you.

RUSSIA ANIMALS PROTEST

2006-08-04T01:12:00.000+07:00

Moscow, - RUSSIAN FEDERATION : PETA Activists (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) stage a protest in front of a KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) restaurant in Moscow, 01 August 2006. The organization accuses KFC of ill-treatment of chicken at their farms. AFP PHOTO/ VANO SHLAMOV

Tyre, LEBANON

2006-08-04T00:43:00.000+07:00

Tyre, - LEBANON : An Israeli warplane flies past the moon over the southern port city of Tyre late 03 August 2006. Israeli planes continued bombarding the southern Beirut suburbs, while overnight, seven civilians, including an 80-year-old couple, were killed in an intense bombardment of the Tyre region. AFP PHOTO/Hassan AMMAR

Hong Kong and Chinese film artists

2006-08-04T00:31:00.000+07:00

Hong Kong and Chinese film artists (L to R) Daniel Wu, Zhang Jingchu, Andy Lau, Anita Yuen and Louis Koo pose for the picture during a press conference for their latest film "Protege" in Hong Kong, 03 August 2006. The film, involving years-long in-death research into the drug trafficking world and highly realistic portrayal of drug users, is scheduled to be released during the Chinese New Year early in 2007. AFP PHOTO/Samantha SIN

Understanding Asthma

2006-08-02T00:24:00.000+07:00

What is asthma ?
Asthma affects the small airways (bronchioles) that carry air in and out of the lungs. If you have asthma your airways can become inflamed, swollen and constricted (or narrowed), with excess mucus being produced. Over 5.2 million people in the UK have asthma, - about one in 12 adults, and one in eight children. It can affect anyone, at any age, anywhere.

An asthma 'attack' describes the symptoms of tightness in the chest, a wheezing or whistling noise in the chest, coughing and difficulty breathing that occur when the airways become narrowed, inflamed and blocked by plugs of mucus.

An attack can occur suddenly. However, many people with asthma learn to recognise the warning symptoms - such as an itchy nose or itchy skin, dizziness or light-headedness, or an irritating cough - that herald an attack.

Learning the warning signs can often alert a sufferer in time to take preventive action.

Asthma is a chronic condition, which means attacks will occur over a long period of time. Although there are times when acute episodes strike asthmatics, most people can say there are long periods during which they suffer few, if any, symptoms.

Main symptoms
The main symptoms of asthma are:

coughing
wheezing
shortness of breath
a tight feeling in the chest.

It's becoming increasingly common in the developed world and is now the most common chronic condition in the west. Aspects of our modern environment such as air pollution, processed foods, and centrally heated, double-glazed houses (ideal breeding grounds for house dust mites) are thought to be contributing factors.

Possible causes
Asthma has many different causes. Scientists still don't know exactly what these are. You may have oversensitive airways, have a family history of asthma or be allergic to one or many asthma triggers.

Some doctors believe the airways become oversensitive because cells in the lungs are damaged by viruses. Others believe the initial damage is caused by an allergic reaction causing the lungs to overreact to viral infections.

One of the most common predisposing factors for asthma are allergies to house dust mites, mould spores, pollen and pets, and sometimes food allergies. Most people find there are several things that can trigger their asthma.

The inheritance factor
Asthma tends to run in families that are prone to allergies. So, belonging to a family where some members have asthma and others have other allergies - such as eczema, hayfever or allergic rhinitis - makes a person more allergy-prone. However, because there are so many factors involved, it can be difficult to predict exactly who in a family will develop asthma.

Although asthmatic and allergic tendencies are inherited, there is no single gene involved. Rather, there are a number of different ones which react with factors in your environment to trigger the onset of asthma. Scientists are searching for the genes involved in asthma and this may eventually lead to a cure.

Environmental factors
Environmental factors that increase the risk of developing asthma include:

exposure to allergens during pregnancy (eg from foods in the mother's diet) which sensitise the unborn baby's immune system
infections such as colds during early life
being brought up in a house where there is a pet (especially a cat)
being introduced to certain foods such as cow's milk and eggs at a young age
being born at a time of year when the pollen count was high
being exposed to cigarette smoke in the uterus or early life - babies whose mothers smoke are twice as likely to develop asthma
air pollution

Let Us Design a Custom Favicon for Your Web Site

2006-08-01T01:05:00.000+07:00

What is a favicon?
Favicon (pronounced fav-eye-con) is short for 'Favorites Icon.' A Favicon is a multi-resolution image included on nearly all professional developed sites. Within Internet Explorer the Favicon is displayed on the Address line and in the Favorites menu. The Favicon allows the webmaster to further promote their site, and to create a more customized appearance within a visitor's browser. Often, the Favicon reflects the look and feel of the web site or the organization's logo.

Where and when will our Favicon be seen? The Favicon was first popularized by its appearance in the Address Bar and Favorites Folder using Internet Explorer and is now a prominent fixture of web browsers such as Mozilla and Netscape. Each web browser has a unique user interface, and as a result uses the Favicon in different ways. For additional detail, please look at our documentation on specific web browsers such as KONQUEROR, INTERNET EXPLORER, GALEON, and MOZILLA/NETSCAPE.

What is an ico file? An ico file is actually a repository of bitmap like images. They are used because in some locations a 16x16 pixel image is desired, and sometimes a 32x32 image may be needed. Sometimes a 16 color image is desired, and sometimes a 256 color icon is desired. This repository is scanned for the image size/color count appropriate for the location and the computer's color capability. If the image is not ideal, it may be compressed, expanded, and/or colors may be modified producing unexpected results.

How to Create a "Favicon.ico" File

Create an image 16X16 pixels in size. Yes, it is really small and you can't really draw much in it. You should also restrict yourself to the standard Windows 16 colours, although I suspect that 256 colours will work fine. If you like, you can also create a 32X32 pixel icon, which will be scaled to size for the Favorites menu and the location bar. You can even put both 16X16 and 32X32 pixel icons into the same icon file. Windows will use the former for its menus and the latter when the user opens up a folder that is set to display large icons. It's probably not really necessary to do this if you can't be bothered.
Save the image as an ICO file (named "favicon.ico", of course).
Upload it to your website. You don't need to upload one to every directory of your site if you don't want to waste space - simply put it in your root directory and IE will apparently locate it eventually. You can also upload it into your images directory, but you will need to modify your web pages if you do. See later in this article for more information on this.

Help! My Web Host Doesn't Allow ICO Files!
If your hosting company does not allow files with the .ICO extension to be uploaded, you might try to work around it by uploading it (in binary mode) with some other extension (like GIF). Once it's on your site, rename it using your FTP program to the correct extension.

You can make faster Favicon in this http://www.htmlkit.com/services/favicon/

Osteoporosis

2006-07-29T01:19:00.000+07:00

FDr Trisha Macnair
ew women are aware that they have brittle bones, or osteoporosis, until the damage is done. But the key to prevention is as simple as a healthy and active life.

What is it ?
Osteoporosis means just as the name suggests - porous bones (also often called thinning of the bones). It's remarkably common: one in three women and one in 12 men in the UK develop osteoporosis, a rate that's increasing by about ten per cent a year. Yet despite this, few people are aware of it or the damage it can lead to.

This may be because we tend to think of our bones as solid, static objects. But, in fact, our bones are an active, dynamic organ and - just like the rest of the body's organs - they're involved in a constant process of cell growth, repair and change. And this process can go wrong.

Our bones
Rather than being solid objects, our bones are made from a honeycomb of strands formed by the protein collagen and hardened by calcium salts and other minerals. This honeycomb is filled with bone marrow and blood vessels and protected by a dense outer shell. Scattered throughout are millions of living bone cells, which continually break down and replace old bone. Our bones are completely renewed over a period of about ten years.

While we're young, our bones continue to grow and get denser and stronger. They reach maximum strength at 25 to 30 years, known as peak bone mass. After this, sadly, it's all downhill. Bone is lost faster than it can be replaced and the holes of the honeycomb become larger, leaving bones weaker and more likely to break. (Compare pictures of healthy bone with osteoporotic bones at the website of the National Osteoporosis Society.)

Women are especially prone to the disease, owing to loss of oestrogen after the menopause
Unless you take special precautions, osteoporosis can develop, especially if you're particularly vulnerable. Women are especially prone to the disease, owing to loss of oestrogen after the menopause.

In osteoporosis, fractures can occur anywhere in the skeleton, but especially in the wrist, spine and hip.

Risk factors
The risk factors for osteoporosis include:

Getting older, although in some cases it can also affect children and adolescents.
Loss of oestrogen as a result of the menopause (especially early menopause), hysterectomy (especially if the ovaries are removed), infrequent periods (especially linked to anorexia or excessive exercise).
Long-term use of high-dose steroids.
Family history (ie, a genetic tendency).
Lack of exercise.
Smoking.
Excessive alcohol consumption.
Low testosterone levels in men.

Diagnosis
Many people don't discover they have osteoporosis until they break a bone as the result of a relatively minor fall. Screening tests - usually involving a bone density scan - do exist, although you may have to pay for them privately.

Prevention
The most important thing you can do to prevent osteoporosis developing is to keep your bones strong and healthy while you're young. The aim is to maximise peak bone mass, reached at the end of your 20s. If this is high, you'll have greater bone reserves to help you face the natural loss of ageing. If you're already in your 30s, the priority is to maintain bone strength.

This can be achieved through:

A calcium-rich diet.
Exercise, especially weight-bearing. Tennis players, for example, have a 30 per cent higher bone density in their serving arm than in their non-serving arm. Try running, cycling or bouncing on a trampoline for at least 30 minutes three times a week. Simply jumping up and down 50 times a day will keep your bones strong.

Treatments
Once you've lost bone mass, it can't be regained. However, you can prevent further damage by:

strengthening the remaining bone structure
preventing further thinning

Treatments include:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - the hormone oestrogen significantly reduces the risk of osteoporosis. However, research has shown that long-term use of HRT may be associated with significant risks as well as benefits, in particular doubling the risk of breast cancer and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Therefore, each individual woman needs to weigh up the risks and benefits before deciding whether to use it.
Bisphosphonates - these drugs, such as alendronate and etidronate, switch off the cells that break down bone, so bone building can take over.
Calcium and vitamin D supplements - these are especially useful for those on a limited diet or who are housebound.
Calcitonin - a hormone made by the thyroid gland that inhibits the cells which break down bone.
Testosterone supplements for men.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) - these are a new type of drug that acts like a synthetic form of hormone replacement. They reduce the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, but don't increase the risk of breast or endometrial cancer.

Insomnia

2006-07-27T22:13:00.000+07:00

Sleep is a natural - if still rather mysterious - process we take for granted, until it goes wrong. There are more than 80 recognised sleep problems, with insomnia - the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep once you've dropped off - being one of the most common.

How much sleep do we need?
Most adults need between seven and eight hours' sleep each night, although we're all different. Some people find they can manage on just three hours. The amount we need reduces as we age. The elderly, therefore, need less sleep and often find their night's sleep is broken, especially if they've taken a nap during the day.

Remedies
There are many remedies for sleep problems, some more effective than others. The most important thing is to have a good bedtime routine, as this helps to prepare the mind for sleep.

Other things you might like to try include:

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, whether you're tired or not.
Making sure the environment is right for sleep. Your bedroom should be the right temperature and not too noisy. Don't have a television in the bedroom.
Getting some moderate exercise each day, such as swimming or walking.
Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine in tea and coffee before going to bed. Try a milky drink instead.
Avoiding too much alcohol. This induces unnatural sleep, so although you may fall asleep easily, you'll almost certainly wake up during the night.
Not eating or drinking a lot late at night - keep supper to the first half of the evening. (An American study looked at what sort of foods people used to get them off to sleep. They found that foods said to increase levels of the brain chemical serotonin might help. The most effective was banana muffins.)
Trying relaxation techniques before going to bed, such as yoga, hypnosis or simply listening to music.

If you can't sleep, don't lie there worrying about it. Get up again and do something relaxing such as reading or watching television.

Some complementary therapies and medicines may also help with insomnia.

If your sleep problem persists, see your doctor. He or she may be able to refer you to a local sleep disorder clinic, which will investigate your problem in depth, although there may be a long waiting list.

New Design

2006-07-26T17:56:00.000+07:00

Tampil baru dengan design baru web Paskibra SMKN 20, silakan kunjungi Forum Tlup 12 untuk saling bertukar informasi, ada informasi Paskibra, Lifestyle, Lowongan Kerja, Design dan masih banyak lagi kategori di Forum ini dan tentunya register dulu untuk jadi member di forum. Bagi anggota Paskibra SMKN 20 yang mempunyai foto-foto kenangan pada waktu masih aktif di Paskibra silakan dikirim ke email tlup12@yahoo.com nanti admin akan menampilkannya di album web kita ini.

Batam Island

2006-07-22T21:12:00.000+07:00

Situated in the north-east of the Riau province, this island is only a short ferry ride from Singapore. During the 1980's and early to mid-nineties, new industries relocated there, a huge industrial park was built with a housing estate for workers. New ports and a ship repair yard were built and oil drilling operations began earnest. Today the industrial park is home to thousand of workers from all over Indonesia and also some of the world's biggest names in electronics.

Being so close to Singapore, the potential for tourism from its affluent neighbour has not been ignored. With some truly spectacular beaches on the north coast, several beach resort have sprung up offering guests a balmy tropical island gateway. Ferries from Singapore run directly to this part of the island making the perfect weekend gateway from the bustle of the 'Lion City'.

Golfers will also find a lot to keep them happy with no less than half a dozen international-standard courses. Some of the courses like Palm Springs which calls itself a 'golf and beach resort' offer not only golf but all the luxuries and diversion of a resort holiday,and it has it own private stretch of white sandy beach. Also attracting tourists is the lively nightlife in Batam's main town of Nagoya.With a string of high-tech discos, pumping out high-decibel music and state-of-the-art laser light shows this is defineitely the place to party, and it won't break the bank like a big night out in Singapore.

This island is famous for its fresh seafood, which you can find in any number of restaurants. You could try some trekking, mountain biking or a leisurely boat cruise in the untouched southern islands of Rempang and Galang. Or if you prefer you could go snow skiing at the 'Waterfront' an ambitious resort development with direct ferry access from Singapore where 'it snows everyday' - incridible but true, with luxury hotels, a range of waterspots, bungee jumping and every other diversion you could imagine.

NONGSA BEACH
Nongsa Beach lies on the Northeast Side of Batam Island. It has become the island's most popular tourist area. Beautiful resorts, golf courses and a marina extend along the beaches of Nongsa. The natural beauty of lush jungle, seafront scenery and charming culture provides and idyllic respite from urban life.

Visitor from Singapore find great convenience travelling to Batam. The frequent ferry crossing from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore take 25 minutes to reach Nongsapura, Nongsa Beach's own ferry terminal. International and acclaimed golf resorts such as Palm Springs, Tamarin Santana and Tering Bay are within 10 minutes drive of the ferry terminal. As are the four-star resorts Turi Beach Resort, Nongsa Point Marina, Batam View and Purajaya.

The Nongsa area is still populated by many quaint Indonesian villages. One can see the culture and way of life through organized walks and bicycle rides through these areas .There area also many local 'warungs' (food stalls) and fresh seafood to choose from.

The best time of the day to visit is in the late afternoon and evening. Nongsa and especially the Island Bar at Turi Beach Resort is the best place to watch the sun go down over the horizon of the Singapore skyline.

Death toll from Indonesia tsunami at 327

2006-07-18T19:10:00.000+07:00

Tearful parents searched for missing children Tuesday, and soldiers dug through the debris of homes flattened by the second tsunami to hit Indonesia in as many years. Well over 300 people were killed and more than 160 others were missing. The waves tossed fishing boats 100 yards inland and turned the resort's main street into a tangled junkyard of busted buildings, cars and furniture. Bodies were piled in temporary morgues.

"I don't mind losing any of my property, but please God return my son," said Basril, a villager who goes by one name, as he and his wife searched though the debris piled up on Java island's southern coast.

The area hit by Monday's disaster was spared by the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami, and many residents said they did not even feel the 7.7-magnitude undersea quake that unleashed the 6-foot-high wall of water.

But some recognized the danger when they saw the ocean recede and fled to higher ground, screaming "Tsunami! Tsunami!" A black wave shot to shore a half hour later, witnesses said, sending boats, cars and motorbikes crashing into resorts and fishing villages. The water reached 300 yards inland.

The death toll rose to at least 327, and it was expected to go higher.

"We are still finding many bodies. Many are stuck in the ruins of the houses," said local police chief Syamsuddin Janieb. He said at least 181 people were killed and 85 missing in the Pangandaran area alone.

Most of those killed were Indonesians, but a Pakistani, Swede and three Dutch nationals were among the dead, Janieb and consulate officials said.

At least 23,000 people fled their homes, either because they were destroyed or in fear of another tsunami, so accounting for the 160 missing could take time, other officials said Tuesday.
Survivors, meanwhile, recounted tales of horror.

"We saw a big wall of black water. I ran with my son in my arms and when I looked back, the waves were at our house. They destroyed our house," said Ita Anita, who was on the beach with her 11-month-old child and other relatives. "The water knocked me down, my son slipped out of my hands and was taken by the water."

Pedi Mulyadi, a 43-year-old food vendor, said he was waiting on the beach for customers when the wave struck, killing his wife, Ratini, 33. The pair were clinging to one another when they were swallowed by the torrent of water and pulled 30 yards inland, he said.

"Then we were hit, I think by a piece of wood," Mulyadi said. "When the water finally pulled away, she was dead. Oh my God, my wife is gone, just like that."

Ira was playing with her 6-year-old son on the beach when the tsunami struck. The beach-front vendor survived Monday's onslaught, but her only child was torn from her arms.

"The water was too strong," Ira said as she dug through a pile of rubble with her bare hands, close to the spot where she was last with her son. "Oh God. Eki, where are you?" cried Ira, who gave only one name.

Roads were blocked and power cut to much of the area.
Indonesia was hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami that killed at least 216,000 people in a dozen nations along the Indian Ocean rim — more than a half of them on Sumatra island's Aceh province.

Though the country started to install an early warning system after that disaster, it is still in the early stages, covering only Sumatra. The government had been planning to extend the warning system to Java by 2007.

The island was hit seven weeks ago by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 5,800 people, though the 110 miles of coastline hit by Monday's tsunami was not affected by that temblor.

Monday's quake struck at 3:24 p.m. about 150 miles beneath the ocean floor, causing tall buildings to sway hundreds of miles away in the capital, Jakarta. The region was rattled by a series of strong aftershocks.

After the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Japan's Meteorological Agency issued warnings of a possible tsunami. It struck Java about an hour later and its effects could be felt as far away as Bali island and near Australia's Coco Islands.

In addition to the 181 deaths tallied in Pangandaran, central Java police chief Dody Sumantiawan said at least 89 people were killed and more than 70 others missing in nearby Cilacap district.

Another 44 were found in Tasikmalaya district, and 13 in other areas, local officials said.
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Indonesia Quake Triggers Tsunami Warning

2006-07-17T19:15:00.000+07:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 triggered a tsunami warning Monday on Indonesia's Java and Sumatra islands and Australia's Christmas and Cocos islands, tsunami and meteorological agencies said.

The earthquake, which hit at 3:24 p.m. caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital and at least one other city on Java Island for around two minutes, witnesses said.

"There is a possibility of a destructive local tsunami in the Indian Ocean," Japan's Meteorological Agency said in a statement, adding that if triggered, waves should start reaching shores in the region within an hour.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a similar bulletin.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Indonesia.
The Japanese and Pacific tsunami warning centers did not give the depth of the quake, but local media reports quoting Indonesian officials said it was more than 18 miles below the ocean floor.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 216,000 people, nearly half of them in Indonesia's Aceh province.

On May 27, a magnitude-5.9 earthquake devastated a large swath of Java Island, killing more than 5,800 people.

Wayang

2006-07-16T21:24:00.000+07:00

Wayang is an Indonesian word for theater. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. "Bayang", the Javanese word for shadow or imagination, also connotes "spirit." Performances of shadow puppet theater are accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by "gender wayang" in Bali.

UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003.

Drama and theatre

2006-07-16T21:22:00.000+07:00

The Javanese and Balinese wayang kulit Shadow puppet theatre shows display several mythological events.

Randai is a folk theatre tradition of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festivals. It incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the silat martial art, with performances often based on semi-historical Minangkabau stories and legends.

Music of Indonesia

2006-07-15T23:13:00.000+07:00

Indonesia is culturally diverse and is home to hundreds of forms of music, with those from the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali being the most frequently recorded. The best-known traditional or classical music from Central/East Java and Bali is the Gamelan.

A very popular modern style of music is Dangdut, with an accompanying free dance style. It is so popular that many political rallies have Dangdut performances to attract a larger audience. Dangdut first surfaced during the 1970s. It is now extremely popular throughout the archipelago among both young and old. On first impression Dangdut has a distinct Indian sound.

Keroncong is said to have its roots in Portugal, brought to Indonesia by Portuguese traders in the 15th century. Most popular in the 20th century, keroncong is now often considered "old people's" music. The most revered keroncong composer is Gesang. A more modern form of keroncong is called Pop Keroncong with Hetty Koes Endang as one of the most versatile singers. In addition, there are regional variations such as Langgam Jawa, which is most popular in Central Java and Yogyakarta.

Completely different is the soft Sasando music from West Timor in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sasando is an instrument made from a leaf of the lontar palm. It bears some resemblance to a harp.

In West Java popular musical styles include Angklung, played with bamboo instruments and Degung.

Bali, Indonesia

2006-07-15T00:43:00.000+07:00

Bali, also known as an island of thousand temples, is an island in Indonesia. There are about 3,100,000 inhabitants in Bali. Bali's most important city is Denpasar. Bali is a popular place amongst tourists. Bali is also known for its folk music called gamelan. They have lots of historic temples. The most common religion is Hindu at more than 90%. Textiles and garments are 45% of their exports. The literacy rate for bali is 45.55%. The currency in Bali is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Bali's food mainly consists of rice and mostly hot foods. Balinese people uashaly eat local food called barbi golang. Bali is a great place to take your kids and you will love the environment.

Paul McCartney's First Guitar Up For Sale

2006-07-12T23:59:00.000+07:00

Paul McCartney's first guitar is to be auctioned this month at the Abbey Road studios in London. The instrument is expected to fetch around $100,000 in the sale, which takes place at Cooper Owen's Music Legends auction on July 28.

Sir Macca is understood to have learnt to play on the Rex acoustic, which was owned by his best friend, Ian James, who is now selling the guitar. Mr. James, 64, who went to school with McCartney, is selling the instrument, which comes with a letter of authenticity, to aid his retirement.

The letter from the music legend comments: "The above guitar belonging to my old school pal Ian James was the first guitar I ever held. It was also the guitar on which I learned my first chords in his house at 43 Elswich Street, Liverpool 8."

McCartney apparently played the guitar to John Lennon at a school fete in Liverpool in July 1957, prompting the pair to form the partnership that changed music forever.

Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90

2006-07-12T02:55:00.000+07:00

Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90 makes its première
Part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range, the Nokia N90 brings Carl Zeiss optics into the mobile arena

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur - Nokia today proudly presented the Nokia N90 multimedia, an advanced and inspirational multimedia device. Starring Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features, the Nokia N90 is targeted at high-technology enthusiasts who value the ultimate in connected mobile photography. The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.

"We foresee that already this year, the camera phone market will grow to be over four times the size of the digital camera market," said Juha Putkiranta, Senior Vice President, Multimedia Imaging, Nokia. "And not only is the market growing at an enormous pace but, as fantastically highlighted by the Nokia N90, camera phone functionality is also developing rapidly to meet the needs of the more demanding picture taker. With its pioneering multi-hinge twist-and-shoot design, we have brought ease-of-use and high quality photography into mobile telephony."

Facilitated by its two screens, the Nokia N90 features two ergonomic modes for instant photo and video capture. Simply twist the unique rotating camera barrel, and automatically the 2 megapixel camera is ready to shoot high quality photos, in a snap. A dedicated capture key and the cover display (128 x 128 pixels) of up to 65,536 colors as a viewfinder make the snapshot experience ever more effortless. Unfold and twist the main display (352 x 416 pixels), and the Nokia N90 is ready to shoot high quality video in MP4 format using the high-resolution (352 x 416 pixels) 262,144 color landscape display as a viewfinder. Dedicated record and zoom keys, including up to 8x digital zoom for video capture, provide for very convenient one-hand operation.

Capture
The Nokia N90 is packed with advanced camera features that ensure high quality photos and videos every time. With autofocus, pressing the shutter key halfway automatically focuses in on the target, after which pressing the key all the way captures the image with amazing clarity. Furthermore, the macro mode feature provides for striking accuracy when taking close-ups.

Print
Printing great quality images is now possible directly from the Gallery with just a few pushes of a button. With the Nokia XpressPrint printing solution, users can select from a range of mobile printing options, including PictBridge, where the handset is connected directly to a compatible photo printer with a USB cable; wireless printing over Bluetooth wireless technology; or by extracting the Reduced Size Dual Voltage MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) from the side of the phone and inserting it into a compatible printer.

Store
Photos and video clips taken with the Nokia N90 can conveniently be stored on the phone's internal 31 MB memory or the 64 MB in-box RS-MMC. Users can also easily store captured content at full resolution using the Nokia PC Suite Image Store, which, when connected, automatically saves images and video clips to the PC.

Share
Images and video clips can also be instantly shared via MMS, email or by uploading them to web albums directly from the new improved rotating Gallery, which also allows on-handset editing of captured images and video clips. In addition, video clips can easily be trimmed further on the PC with the in-box Adobe Mobile Video Editor software.

Part of the Nokia Nseries, a new multimedia device range that combines rich functionality into one device, the Nokia N90 capitalizes on the convergence of imaging, smartphone features and 3G. 3G-enabled features, such as two-way video calling*, video sharing* and push email, are further complemented by an organizer, video streaming, Internet browser and add-on software.

Based on the leading Series 60 Platform, the Nokia N90 is a tri-band phone for GSM 900/1800/1900, EDGE and WCDMA networks, and is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2005.

*To check the availability and cost of the service, contact your network operator or service provider.

About Nokia Nseries
Nokia Nseries is a range of high performance multimedia devices that delivers unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences by combining the latest technologies with stylish design and ease of use. With Nokia Nseries products, consumers can use a single device to enjoy entertainment, access information and to capture and share pictures and videos, whenever and wherever they want.

About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

History DVD Player

2006-07-10T21:24:00.000+07:00

In the early 1990's two high density optical storage standards were being developed: one was the MultiMedia Compact Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the other was the Super Density disc (SD), supported by Toshiba, Time-Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC. IBM's president, Lou Gerstner, acting as a matchmaker, led an effort to unite the two camps behind a single standard, anticipating a repeat of the costly format war between VHS and Betamax in the 1980s.

Philips and Sony abandoned their MMCD format and agreed upon Toshiba's SD format (not to be confused with secure digital cards) with two modifications that are both related to the servo tracking technology. The first one was the adoption of a pit geometry that allows "push-pull" tracking, a proprietary Philips/Sony technology. The second modification was the adoption of Philips' EFMPlus. EFMPlus, created by Kees Immink, who also designed EFM, is 6% less efficient than Toshiba's SD code, which resulted in a capacity of 4.7 GB as opposed to SD's original 5 GB. The great advantage of EFMPlus is its great resilience against disc damage such as scratches and fingerprints. The result was the DVD specification Version 1.5, announced in 1995 and finalized in September 1996. In May 1997, the DVD Consortium was replaced by the DVD Forum , which is open to all companies.

"DVD" was originally an initialism for "Digital Video Disc." Some members of the DVD Forum believe that it should stand for "Digital Versatile Disc" to reflect its widespread use for non-video applications. Toshiba, which maintains the official DVD Forum site [1], adheres to the latter interpretation, and indeed this appeared within the copyright warnings on some of the earliest examples. However, the DVD Forum never reached a consensus on the matter, and so today the official name of the format is simply "DVD"; the letters do not officially stand for anything.[2]

The first DVD players and discs were available in November 1996 in Japan, March 1997 in the United States, 1998 in Europe and in 1999 in Australia. The first pressed DVD release was the film Twister in 1996. The film had the first test for 2.1 surround sound. The first titles released in the U.S., on March 19, 1997, by Lumivision, authored by AIX Entertainment, were IMAX adaptations: Africa: The Serengeti, Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature, Tropical Rainforest, and Animation Greats.

By the spring of 1999 the price of a DVD player had dropped below $300 US. At that point Wal-Mart began to offer DVD players for sale, but DVDs represented only a small part of their video inventory; VHS tapes of films made up the remainder. Wal-Mart's competitors followed suit, and DVDs began to increase in popularity with American consumers.

DVD rentals first topped those of VHS during the week of June 15, 2003 (27.7 M rentals DVD vs. 27.3 M rentals VHS). Major U.S. retailers Circuit City and Best Buy stopped selling VHS tapes in 2002 and 2003, respectively. In June 2005, Wal-Mart and several other retailers announced plans to phase out the VHS format entirely, in favor of the more popular DVD format. However, blank VHS tapes are still widely available since DVD video recorders are significantly less common than DVD players. Many films released to theaters from 2004 onwards are released solely to DVD format and not to VHS format. Consumers have predicted that 2006 would be the final year for new releases on VHS.

According to the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), all DVD sales and rentals (films, television series, special interests, etc) totaled $21.2 billion in 2004. The sales portion of that was $15.5 billion. In comparison, the total 2004 US box office for theatrical rentals was $9.53 billion (per the National Association of Theater Owners or NATO). While the growth of theatrical films on DVD has cooled recently, that of television programs and music video has increased dramatically.

As of 2006, some retailers, such as Circuit City, no longer offer titles on VHS media, instead concentrating solely on DVDs. The price of a DVD player has dropped to below the level of a typical VCR (although DVD recorders are still usually more expensive than VCRs); a low-end player with reasonable quality can be purchased for under $35 US in many retail stores and many modern computers are sold with DVD-ROM drives. Also popular are units that have integrated a DVD and VHS VCR into a single device; these can be purchased for under $100 US. Most, but not all, movie "sets" or series have been released in boxed sets, as have some entire seasons or selected episode volumes of older and newer television programs.

Indonesian History

2006-07-09T07:45:00.000+07:00

Indonesia, a Nation in Transition

Although hundreds of ethnic groups have been know as the indigenous of Indonesia for hundreds and thousands of years, Indonesia did not exist in its present form until the turn of the 20th century.
Of the so-called natives of Indonesia, archaeologists have speculated that the first people to populate Indonesia migrated from mainland China some 1,000 years ago and inhabited a stretch of islands along the equator, later known as Nusantara.

Over the centuries they built and refined their statecraft in the form of kingdoms and principalities. Sharing similar characteristics with other Southeast Asian kingdoms, these Nusantara kingdoms based their conception of state more on people than on space or territory. But intercourse with the western world changed the course of history in Nusantara.

In 1511, the Portuguese conquered Malacca, located on the Malay peninsula, which was then still an inseparable part of Nusantara. The Dutch followed in 1512 and landed on Banten shore in Java. At first, the Dutch came more as traders under the trading umbrella of the Royal East Indies Company (Vereniging Oost Indische Compagnie, VOC). For the next two centuries, the Dutch conducted business with the natives, although in many cases the trade was not on equal terms. Often, trade was accompanied by violent pacification processes.

Then the VOC went bankrupt and the Dutch government took over the business in Nusantara (called the East Indies by the Dutch). Starting from about the mid-seventh century and lasting until the arrival of the Japanese in 1942, was the "real colonization" called "high colonialism" in literature. The period was disrupted briefly when the British took over colonial rule in 1811 to 1814. Among other things that the natives learned from colonization was statecraft based on territorial conception rather than on people.

In the early 20th century, the natives of Nusantara learned that as diverse as their ethnicities were, they could imagine themselves as a unified community. A nationalism had grown in a process that Benedict Anderson, a doyen of Indonesian studies, calls an "imagined community". During the first half of 20th century Nusantara, its people built an imaginary nation called Indonesia -- the name itself was borrowed from the West. By the end of the 1930s, it was clear that the end of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia was only a matter of time.

During World War II, 1942-1945, the Japanese occupied Indonesia. Although short-lived, the occupation enabled Indonesians to arm themselves for the very first time. Shortly after Japan's defeat in WWII, Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed Indonesia an independent state, and they became the founding fathers of the new country. The largest archipelago in the world, with over 17,000 islands -- only 3,000 of which are inhabited -- has emerged into a new Indonesia.
When the Dutch returned and tried to reestablish colonial rule, armed Indonesians resisted. The Dutch were forced to recognize an independent Indonesia in 1949.

The new Indonesia adopted a federal system of governance for a short time. But for a longer period, within a five-year span (1950-1955), leaders of the new country were eager to adopt a liberal system of government. Although there is no proof that the system ruined the economy, it was clear that the elite's political stability was shaky. The longest serving prime minister was only two years in office.

The government then held a general election in 1955, the first and only democratic general election Indonesia ever had. But feeling that the country was still unstable two years after the election, president Sukarno, backed by the Army, declared the 1950 Provisional Constitution void and reintroduced the 1945 Constitution. The latter provided an ample opportunity for Sukarno, popularly known as Bung Karno (Comrade Sukarno), to balance three political powers -- the Indonesian Communist Party, the Army and himself.

In the first half of the 1960s, Bung Karno leaned toward the left. On domestic politics, he was trying hard to balance the communists and the Army; on the international stage he was establishing himself as leader of a new world, free from Cold War antagonism. But economic decline and mounting conflicts, especially between communists and noncommunists, the latter of which was backed by the Army, caused him to lose control over the situation.

On Sept. 30, 1965, an abortive coup occurred. There are two conflicting versions of events surrounding the attempted coup. The official Army version insists that the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was behind the coup attempt, while the communist version asserts that the coup was an internal matter of the Army. In fact, several members of PKI's central bureau were involved, as well as many Army officers and personnel.

The abortive coup cost Indonesia dearly. It took the lives of seven high-ranking Army generals, followed by a pogrom of communists -- a moderate estimate ranges between 300 thousand and 500 thousand alleged members of PKI. Soeharto, who then was a major general and commander of the Army Strategic Reserves Command, took over leadership and deposed Bung Karno from his presidential seat.

In 1966, Soeharto received a letter known as the March 11 Letter of Instruction which reportedly transferred state power from Sukarno to him.
In 1967, Soeharto unseated Sukarno as president in the special session of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS).

Consolidating his power under a new regime called the New Order, Soeharto launched a "regime cleansing" against the Old Order.

Together with Hamengkubuwono IX, the sultan of Yogyakarta, and Adam Malik -- the three were known as the triumvirate -- Soeharto divided the tasks for economic and political reconstruction. Sultan Hamengkubuwono was assigned to lead efforts for economic recovery, Adam Malik was assigned to redirect Indonesia's foreign policy toward the West, and Soeharto himself was "assigned" to rebuild the lamentable domestic politics.

Soeharto was determined to change Indonesia's course, from its emphasis on politics to prioritizing economic development. He set up the trilogy of development: political stability, economic growth and equality.
To gain political legitimacy, perceived as a prerequisite to economic growth, the government conducted a general election in 1971. The election, however, was far from democratic. Soeharto introduced the "floating mass" concept that banned political parties from operating at village level.

From the 1971 election and throughout the New Order period, the Functional Group (Golongan Karya, or Golkar) served as Soeharto's main political machinery. Golkar legally operated not as a political party, although in fact it was a party. Golkar ran in the 1971 elections against 10 other political parties -- including PKI and Masyumi which were two of the four biggest parties in 1955 but which had been out of political scene -- and won 62 percent of the vote.

In 1974, Soeharto forced all political parties to merge into three: Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Again, legally speaking Golkar was not a political party. Five more elections were conducted every five years. During those years, Soeharto tightly controlled politics; not even the slightest room was available for opposition.

There were several cases of serious opposition during the New Order regime. The first came rather as a blow in 1974, when students protested against Japanese investments. Added by political rivalry between Gen. Soemitro and Maj. Gen. Ali Moertopo, student protests in Jakarta turned into riots. The movement ended with the removal of Soemitro from his powerful position as deputy commander of the Armed Forces and chief of staff of the Operation Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Kopkamtib).

The second serious opposition movement came in 1978. Again it came from students, who protested Soeharto's bid for a second term in office, which would be decided upon by the People's Consultative Assembly in its General Session in March 1978.

Several retired Army officers backed the students, while factionalism was apparent within the Armed Forces. Soeharto moved fast to crush the movement. Hundreds of opposition and student leaders were arrested, dozens of newspapers and magazines were closed down. The movement lost its momentum, and after that Soeharto enjoyed an incontestable position.

If Golkar served as Soeharto's main political machinery, the Army functioned as guardian of the state. And since the state was personalized around Soeharto alone, the Army also served to protect him. Under its dual function role doctrine -- the doctrine argues that the duties of a professional Indonesian Armed Forces includes attending to nonmilitary business, especially if it has to do with politics -- the military intervened in almost all sectors of public life. At its peak, the number of military personnel serving in nonmilitary affairs reached over 40,000. Later, history witnessed excesses of the doctrine.

Some businesspeople, many of whom were of Chinese descent, enjoyed state protection and sometimes two-digit economic growth; some grew to become tycoons and magnates. The privileges that these businesspeople enjoyed sparked resentment from other communities. As a result, racial tension grew.
But Chinese businesspeople were not the only ones to enjoy state protection and preference. Some indigenous businesspeople also enjoyed similar privileges. In general, what Kunio Yoshihara calls "ersatz capitalism", or pseudocapitalism, grew. Those "capitalists" were not real capitalists.

Then the financial crisis came. It first hit in mid-1997, and many believe it was a direct result of Thailand's economic crisis. The crisis worsen with the scheduling of the People's Consultative Assembly's General Session in March 1998, with the main agenda being to "elect" a "new" national leadership. It eventually turned into a political crisis too. But Soeharto was determined to run for his seventh consecutive five-year term in office. Supported by his political machine, Soeharto, as expected, became president again.

The economic and political crises made the political climate like a house of cards. Lacking sensitivity, Soeharto filled his new Cabinet with cronies, and appointed one of his daughters minister of social affairs. Less than two months after the formation of the new Cabinet, political tension mounted to an unbearable level. On May 12, four Trisakti University students were shot dead following a peaceful demonstration.

The shootings immediately sparked the emotions of the masses. To the majority of people, the New Order regime had become soulless. Within a week, Indonesia experienced one of its most tumultuous periods in history. For three days, from May 13 through to May 15, six of the country's largest cities were hit by massive riots, probably the largest riots in Indonesia's history. Days later, hundreds of thousand students and members of the public poured into the streets. Chanting and demanding total reform, thousands marched to the legislative building in Jakarta and occupied it for several days.

This forced Soeharto to step down. Instead of returning the presidential mandate to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) he gave the mandate to vice president B.J. Habibie. The new president is weak, but his weakness is one of his strengths. Everyone close to him feels that they can use him, and thus balancing the power is everyone's interest. The government scheduled another general election on June 7, 1999, only two years after the last election.

Forty-eight political parties, instead of three, competed for 462 seats in the House of Representatives, with the remaining 38 seats going to the military. The election was the first democratic poll since 1965, and the results should have a long-term effect on domestic political stability. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) won a majority in the House (DPR) with 35 percent of seats, followed by Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Crescent and Stars Party (PBB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Despite its position as a simple majority party, PDI Perjuangan lost the political battle to install chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri as president. In a tight race against a strategic coalition of Golkar and the Axis Force, a coalition of various Islamic parties, PDI Perjuangan also lost the strategic posts of speakers of the House and People's Consultative Assembly. After losing out on the presidency, Megawati was elected as vice president.

Graphic design theory

2006-07-09T07:35:00.000+07:00

According to the classic theory of design, or graphic design, visual design, art, the visual excitement of a work of design is a result of how the composition of the design elements create mood, style, message, and a look.
See also Aesthetics
There is research and planning that is needed for most design work:

the design process, which encompasses the step-by-step and often complex path that a designer takes toward a design solution through research, exploration, re-evaluation, and revision of a design problem.
use of a grid to help improve or speed up the layout of images and text. Like the steel internal frame of building, the grid helps the 2D designer place information on paper or screen in a way that improves the design visually and its usability.
impact and use of technology for design solutions Graphic designers are usually first to adopt and incorporate new technology in solutions or concepts when possible. This experimentation is not always to the benefit of the design or the user.

The classic theory of design continues to be the first one introduced to starting students and amateurs, with details such as the number of principles varying from book to book and instructor to instructor. However, the classic theory of design is limited in scope as it only considers the decorative aspects of design. More comprehensive theories and treatments include or emphasize aspects of visual communication and usability, sometimes referring to sociology and linguistics.

Principles and elements of design

2006-07-09T07:33:00.000+07:00

Main article: Design principles and elements
Design principles and elements are the basic visual toolbox of design tactics in every design discipline. The elements (including space, shape, form, mass, line, texture, pattern, time, light, and color) compose the basic vocabulary of visual design.
Design principles, such as scale, proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis, variety, and unity, constitute the broader structural aspects of the composition.

About Graphic Design

2006-07-09T07:29:00.000+07:00

Graphic Design is a form of visual communication. It is a process in which visual information is given form and structure. This is often done through the arrangement of typography and images and take any form from photography to 3D design. Graphic design can incorporate the use of illustration, iconography, and branding, but is not limited to these devices.
The principles of graphic design, in classic design theory, are traditionally related mainly to functionalism and formalism. But with recent developments in digital media and theories of information design, graphic designers have been more in tune with the problems of information and structure.
Graphic design is practiced in numerous fields and media, the most common are:

Print - Magazines, newspapers, posters, periodicals, business collateral materials, print advertisements
World wide web and software user interfaces
Film, videos, CDs, DVDs - title design, motion graphics, promotional materials
Identity systems, environmental graphic design including signage, wayfinding, and retail environments
Products, packaging, point-of-purchase displays

:: Love is Choice ::

2006-07-09T07:18:00.000+07:00

Love is Choice
When we meet the right person to love when we're at the right place at the right time, That's chance.When you meet someone you're attracted to, that's not a choice. That's chance. Being caught up in a moment (and there's a lot of couples who get together because of this)is not a choice. That's also a chance. The difference is what happens afterwards. When will you take that infatuation, that crush, that mind-blowing attraction to the next level? That's when all sanity goes back, you sit down and contemplate whether you want to make this into a concrete relationship or just a fling. If you decide to love a person, even with his faults, That's not a chance. That's choice. When you choose to be with a person, nomatter what, That's choice.Even if you know there are many people outthere who are more attractive, smarter, and richerthan your mate, and yet, you decide to love your mate just the same, that's choice.Infatuation, crushes, attraction comes to usby chance. But true love that lasts is truly achoice. A choice that we make.Regarding soul mates, there's a beautiful movie quote that I believe is so true about this:"Fate brings you together, but it's still up toyou to make it happen."I do believe that soul mates do exist.That there is truly someone made for you. But it's still up to you to make the choice ifyou're going to do something about it or not.We may meet our soul mates by chance,but loving and staying with our soul mates isstill A Choice we have to make. We came to the world not by findingsomeone perfect to love...

BUT to learn how to love an imperfect personPerfectly...

Conclusion:It is not the matter how to findsomeone perfect to love, but how to love someone imperfect perfectly .....

Love itself is a choice.

: Love is Choice :

2006-05-23T21:00:00.000+07:00

”...Kita ada di dunia bukan untuk mencari seseorang yang sempurna untuk dicintai TETAPI untuk belajar mencintai orang yang tidak sempurna dengan cara yang sempurna...”

C inta Adalah Suatu Pilihan Ketika kita bertemu orang yang tepat untuk dicintai, Ketika kita berada di tempat pada saat yang tepat, Itulah kesempatan. Ketika kita bertemu dengan seseorang yang membuatmu tertarik, Itu bukan pilihan, itu kesempatan. Bertemu dalam suatu peristiwa bukanlah pilihan, Itupun adalah kesempatan.

Selanjutnya baca disini

Arti Mencintai Seseorang

2006-05-19T22:12:00.000+07:00

S angatlah menyakitkan mencintai seseorang, tetapi tidak dicintai olehnya. Tetapi lebih sakit, bila mencintai dan tidak pernah menemukan keberanian untuk memberitahu dia apa yang kamu rasakan.

Hanya butuh satu menit untuk dapat suka dengan seseorang, satu jam untuk menyukai seseorang, satu hari untuk mencintai seseorang tetapi membutuhkan seumur hidup untuk melupakan seseorang.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Rahasia Lelaki

2006-05-13T22:28:00.000+07:00

Kalau Lelaki mengirimkan sms ke kamu lebih dari sekali setiap harinya walau hanya untuk mengucapkan met lunch, tandanya dia ada perhatian sama kamu..
karena: lelaki jarang melakukan hal itu kalau hanya karena iseng atau gak ada kerjaan.

Selanjutnya baca disini

Sikap yang Dilakukan Saat Kencan

2006-04-20T19:24:00.000+07:00

B anyak pakar menyebutkan, bahwa sebuah hubungan yang bagus ditentukan dari komunikasi yang bagus pula. Pada kenyataannya, sangatlah mustahil memiliki hubungan dengan seseorang, kecuali jika Anda terhubung denganya. Poin dasar dalam kemampuan berkomunikasi dengan efektif berarti Anda mesti dapat memberi perhatian penuh dan mendengarkan secara seksama. Anda perlu untuk memahami, menghargai, dan menghormati bagaimana orang lain berkomunikasi, khususnya jika itu teman kencan Anda.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Tentang Cinta

2006-04-17T23:32:00.000+07:00

Cinta adalah ketika kamu menyingkirkan perasaan, napsu, dan romantika dalam persahabatan. Dan menemukan bahwa kau masih peduli pada orang itu. Memberi seseorang seluruh cintamu bukanlah suatu jaminan bahwa seseorang tersebut akan mencintaimu kembali!

Selengkapnya baca disini

Forum TLUP 12 Lebih Interaktif

2006-04-13T19:59:00.000+07:00

Bagi rekan-rekan anggota Paskibra SMKN 20, kini FORUM TLUP 12 telah mempunyai konsep terbaru dan lebih interaktif, silakan kunjungi FORUM TLUP 12 dan jadikan forum ini sebagai media diskusi Paskibra SMKN 20.

Photo Angkatan 10

2006-04-07T22:51:00.000+07:00

Ini dia photonya Angkatan 10, di photo anggotanya lengkap ada 16 orang. Ada yang mau kirim photo Paskibra, silakan kirim ke email tlup12@yahoo.com nanti admin akan menampilkannya di web komunitas kita ini...

Curhat, Awas Keterusan Selingkuh

2006-04-07T21:03:00.000+07:00

Dalam dunia cinta, istilah selingkuh tak pernah terlepas di dalamnya. Salah satu sisi negatif dalam hubungan antara dua insan ini seringkali menjadi pemicu masalah yang bisa berbuntut ke arah perpisahan.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Pacaran Jarak Jauh, Mungkin Enggak..

2006-04-06T23:53:00.000+07:00

"KITA-kita yang sekarang kelas III SMA maupun SMP sebentar lagi akan lulus-lulusan. Kita yang sudah punya pacar mungkin enggak satu sekolah lagi, bahkan akan tinggal di kota yang berbeda. Bisa enggak sih kita pacaran jarak jauh?"

Selengkapnya baca disini

Hubungan Langsung Jarak Jauh

2006-04-06T23:46:00.000+07:00

Wah, sebentar lagi ujian. Hore lulus-lulusan! Ada kemungkinan kuliah di luar kota, nih. Hm... gimana cara pacarannya, ya? Atau... milih sekolah yang dekat dengan pacar saja?

Pedekatan seseorang, baik sesama jenis maupun lawan jenis, pasti ada prosesnya. Dari sekadar teman sampai ke status yang lebih intim. Entah jadi sahabat atau pacar. Pacaran di kala masih duduk di bangku sekolah, hampir jarang banget disiapin buat menikah, biasanya cuma komitmen buat jalan bareng. Gimana keterusannya, yah itu sih entar-entar aja dipikirin.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Sayang, Jujurlah Padaku...

2006-04-03T23:31:00.000+07:00

Apa rasanya jika pasangan yang amat kita sayangi berlaku tidak jujur dan "main belakang"? Terluka... sudah pasti. Siapa yang tidak sakit "dikhianati", sekecil apapun ketidakjujuran itu.

Jika kondisi seperti itu tak segera ditangani dengan tepat, berpotensi merusak hubungan kepercayaan yang sudah lama terbina. Tapi melupakan dan menganggap "tak pernah terjadi apa-apa" hampir tak mungkin dilakukan, bukan?

Selengkapnya baca disini

Makna Dibalik Angka Lahir...

2006-04-02T23:28:00.000+07:00

Tahukah anda bahwa angka-angka dalam tanggal lahir Anda menyimpan banyak makna. Jumlahkan sampai menjadi satu angka, lalu lihat artinya. Misalnya Anda lahir tanggal 25 desember 1998, maka jumlahkan 25 + 12 + 1998 == 2 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 8 == 36 == 3 + 6 == 9.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Pentingkah Mengungkap Masa Lalu?

2006-04-02T19:08:00.000+07:00

Setiap orang pasti memiliki masa lalu, entah itu buruk atau pun indah. Apakah perlu masa lalu yang buruk itu di ceritakan kepada kekasih kita? Apakah jika diceritakan akan memperdalam cinta Anda dan Pasangan? Ataukah justru merusak dan memporak-porandakan hubungan Anda.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Cinta Sejati dan Teman Sejati

2006-03-21T22:14:00.000+07:00

Kenapa kita menutup mata ketika kita tidur?
Ketika kita menangis?
Ketika kita membayangkan?
Ketika kita berciuman?
Ini karena hal terindah di dunia TIDAKTERLIHAT...
Kita semua agak aneh...
dan hidup sendiri juga agak aneh...
Dan ketika kita menemukan seseorang yang keunikannya SEJALAN dengankita..
Kita bergabung dengannya dan jatuh kedalam suatu keanehan serupa yang dinamakan CINTA..

Selengkapnya baca disini

Sejarah PASKIBRA SMK N 20

2006-03-21T21:33:00.000+07:00

PENGGUNAAN NAMA TATA LAKSANA UPACARA (TLUP)

TLUP singkatan dari “Tata Laksana Upacara” adalah suatu organisasi yang didirikan untuk menggembleng anggotanya agar terbentuk watak dan kepribadian yang siap ilmu dan mentalnya sesuai dengan Pancasila dan UUD 1945.

Selengkapnya baca disini

Sumbang Foto Paskibra Dong....

2006-03-13T23:27:00.000+07:00

Bagi rekan-rekan Pakibra SMKN 20 siapa saja boleh mengirimkan foto-foto Paskibra biar web Komunitas kita tambah OK... Caranya gampang, tinggal di scan fotonya truz kirim ke email paskibra, emailnya tlup12@yahoo.com, ditunggu ya fotonya......

Komunitas TLUP 12

2006-03-13T22:47:00.000+07:00

Salam Paskibra

First of all, we want to apologize to anyone who can't read Indonesian. Because every information in this website is written in Indonesian. In this global era, multilingual is a must. Enjoy!

Selamat datang di website PASKIBRA SMK N 20 JAKARTA. Website ini dibuat untuk mempererat tali silaturahmi antar anggota Paskibra agar semua informasi atau kegiatan Seluruh Paskibra SMKN 20 dapat diakses oleh semua anggota...

Selamat menikmati !