BZ Presidential Election

Last Saturday, 22nd November was special moment for Britzoners, because that day we had Britzone Presidential Election and the result is the elect Britzone president for 2009 – Mr. Kikim.

There are some cases have to be noticed in the election. Firstly, we had 4 presidential Candidates; they were Farhan, Prass, Endah and Kikim. By the day of Election Farhan called Vemmi that he wouldn’t come because he had to work over time. Then, just minutes before voting Prass backed off, so the remain candidates was Kikim and Endah. Finally Kikim wins with 22 Votes over Endah who got 11 Votes.

I am interested in one of Kikim programs to involve Britzoners in Social Activity that is teaching the stray children which actually has been pioneered by Maria - member of Britzone who has involved in such activity in Depok. The program also got good support form Jati, who lately known as the volunteer teacher for the needy children in South Jakarta too.

This really reminds me to my postponed plain, a year ago. And I do hope that the program will be implemented seriously, and give me a chance to take part on that program.

Overall, Congratulation to Mr. Kikim, Hopefully you will bring bright light to Britzone, and make it shine brighter. ;)

Enlightenment

Hi Guys

I've nothing to do this morning, so it's a bit temptation to share with you that I just being so curious on my own background – Faculty of Letter

Literature actually is a rich and very general discussion, it could be a kind of gate to learn many things (do you believe in it?)

Literature almost have the same face as Philosophy, they are complementary each other.

I just want to review my actual 'deep lecture', I am browsing about some literary theories, like Structuralism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, etc. I just realized that those theories really related to what happen with the world today. Simply I say " some intellectual worldview" today. So it is a must to take part on such ‘glimmering’ discussion.

Today, precisely this morning. I’m tempted to dedicate myself to write what I should write as an English Literature scholar (??), but it's really great and uneasy challenge rather than field of research. coz of my limited understanding on my own (and unloved) background. pity me..!!!

But I will try…InsyaAllah

‘Obama Fever ‘

I have a glance of hope when Obama wins, at least he will be better than McChain or Bush if I refer to his campaign and his last debate. I was so resentful to hear the black campaign of MC Chain, never intended to say that Obama didn’t involve on such unhealthy campaign but he was one step better than Mc Chain. I witnessed the part of their last debate, in the section of National defense where Iran was their Focus of Issue; Obama firmly stated that he will conduct dialogue with Iran amidst Mc Chain’s hard criticism. Those are points I got to support Obama [just in my limited ‘hope’]

And we hope Obama will make great change in US foreign Policy even though it may 'endanger' himself, remember JF Kennedy case? John F Kennedy was the first Catholic president of US and the only US President who tried to step out of American "platform" (he repressed Israel policy at that time and he also stood for black Americans) some proofs said that he was assassinated because of those reasons.

But we can’t hope much from that country, because whosoever become the US president he/she can’t stay out of American “platform” - to be the superpower country in the world that means conquering world in any aspects of life, including Ideology!. and the hardest thing for US President is to stop creating ‘newspeak world’ which has been created by US government since R Reagen regime, will Obama be able to stop it??. I'm not sure

[Newspeak is George Orwell term to describe the world that has been created by US through Media Hegemony, since that US Government built its image and make stigmatization to its political and ideological enemies]

And, I was a bit disturbed by Indonesian over-reacting on Obama’s Victory. Some Indonesian Obama Supporters even gathered together to watch the election on the five stars hotel and some proudly said that Obama is ‘Anak Menteng’ who leads US now. What a naïve thing..!!. Unfortunately, Such ‘Obama Fever’ also struck our political ‘Elite’, even our president humbly said that he hope much on Obama’s contribution to Indonesia. Furthermore, the ‘inferiority’ action in the West-East Connection dialogue broadcasted by Metrotv just a few days after the day of election, acted by Rizal Malarangeng and Syafii Anwar as the representatives of Indonesia. They spoke as if a servant who hopes kind attention from his boss. What a pity we are!!

Why do we have to hope Obama, a President of USA not a President of Indonesia??. It’s a fact that Obama lived in Jakarta for 4 years, so what’s the connection then??. Do we think that Obama will prioritize Indonesia because of such reason?, it’s really a naïve assumption. Obama is chosen by American people, and will hardly pay it back to them.

Why am I become so disturbed on such thing? In my point of view such manners are a reflection of our inferiority complex. Why don’t we believe in our country?, why don’t we start to be more independent? It’s fine if we hope improvement on US foreign Policy through Obama’s Hands, but we shouldn’t hope in such humble fashion. We have to try to stand on our own feet.!!

First Chance at BZ

Last Saturday was my first chance to be a conductor on BZ Discussion. I formatted the discussion in form of group presentations. The theme was Transportation and Education in Indonesia. The presentation had to follow the certain scope that was Introduction, Problem formulations, solutions, and Conclusion. The determined scope was aimed to limit their discussion for the general theme given. Then the appraisal was derived from the compatibility between problem and solutions, the reasonability/applicability of the solutions and the team work.

Firstly, I divided the participants into groups, comprising of 4-5 persons and gave them 15 minutes to discuss. After that they presented the result before other groups, then they had to answer the questions or criticism given by other groups which has the same topic as them and the questions or criticism from our Judges (they were Ridwan and Ali).

We got many enlighment about those two major problems which has been lasting for decades in our country. And from the discussion we got various solutions - in our version ;). For education themes, the major attention was in the rotten government institution that cut off the education budget which gives bad impact to facilities and Teachers’ salary, unstable curriculum, poor management and system, unqualified teachers, and such, and such. So the solutions were there must be clean government to realize 20% or more of State Budget for education, having stable and appropriate curriculum, improving system and management, creating much more qualified teacher through trainings, workshop, etc. In the field of transportation, most was only focus on Roadways especially in Jakarta; where the major problem is traffic gridlock. They also offered various solutions such as the limitation of Private vehicles, lengthen the aging of Vehicles, and the implementation of 10 in 1 regulation for cars, as the substitute to 3 in 1 regulation implemented nowadays. The latter was the most debatable issue from Yosi’s group, but finally got support from one of our Judges – Mr. Ridwan ;)

It was interesting and alive discussion, coz all participants had chances to speak up and exercised their idea. They could question and criticize other groups’ Idea. Besides this we had insightful and ‘charming’ judges to make the discussion running livelier. And we also had an American native speaker - Merry, who gave us one some brainstorming about education system in her ‘American mindset’.

In the end of the discussion the Judges chose the best group base on their field of discussion. In Education theme Ali decided to choose Merry’s Group as the best group, and for transportation theme Ridwan decided to choose Yosi’s Group.

Anyway, it’s really great chance for me and I am thankful for Vemy, Ridwan, Ali and all participants who enthusiastically helped and followed the discussion. ;)


GROUP PRESENTATION
[Britzone Discussion, on 15th Nov’08]

Theme : Transportation and Education in Indonesia (Chose one of them)
Groups : Comprising of 3-4 Person
Scope of Presentation : Introduction, Problem Formulations, Solutions, Conclusions
Appraisal : Compatibility between problems and solutions, reasonability/applicability and team work

BRIEF INFORMATION

Education in Indonesia

Education in Indonesia is the responsibility of the Ministry of National Education of Indonesia (Departemen Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia/Depdiknas). In Indonesia, every citizen has to have nine years of education, six years at elementary level and three in middle school.

Law No. 20/2003
Based on the correct constitution, education is defined as a planned effort to establish a study environment and education process so that the student may actively develop his/her own potential to gain the religious and spiritual level, consciousness, personality, intelligence, behaviour and creativity to him/herself, other citizens and for the nation. The constitution also noted that education in Indonesia is divided into two major parts, formal and non-formal. A formal education is divided again into three levels, primary, secondary and tertiary education.

Current structure: Primary Education (Kindergarten), Elementary School, Middle School (SMP), High School (SMA/SMU/SMK), Tertiary education (College/University) (Source: http://www.wikipedia.com/)

Education in Indonesia faces many problems that make it left behind compared to other country.

Some facts about Educations in Indonesia
1. high number of Illiteracy in Indonesia:
2. high number of unschooled children
3. poor quality of Education
4. Poor quality of Human Resources


Transportation in Indonesia

Indonesia is a fairly large country consisting mainly of islands. The archipelagic nature of the country plays an important role in designing the transportation system of the country.

The major form of Indonesia transportation is roadways with a total length of 370,500 kilometer (in 2003) and growing. Most of the important cities are connected by bus services through roadways. There are direct and regular bus services between major cities like Java, Sumatra and Bali with no stops in-between. The remote areas are served by mini buses or vans. Buses and vans also form the primary transport of cities.

Taxis, auto rickshaws (Bajaj) or cycle rickshaws also serve as alternate transports. The cycle rickshaws called becak by the people act as a convenient and cheap form of Indonesia transportation. Being blamed for causing traffic congestion, the becak is banned in most parts of central Jakarta.

Alongside the paved roadways, Indonesia also has a large part of its roads unpaved. There are various toll roads, most expensive of them being Cipularang Toll road, connecting Jakarta and Bandung.

The railways mainly provide transportation for long distance traffic or bulk commodities. There are 4 unconnected networks of the railway system in Java and Sumatra. Two major rail lines running the entire length of Java constitute the most railways in the country. A commuter rail service also runs in Jakarta metropolitan area.

Sea transports are important for trade and transportation alike. Each Indonesian island has at least one major port city. Boats here range from large maritime vessels to small motorized transports. Long distance ferry services connect to distant Indonesian islands or neighboring nations. Many of the islands lack roads and river or sea transportation. (source: form Website)

Airways provide the fastest transportation among the others. Domestic airlines connect many of the cities having airports.

Some Facts about Indonesian Transportations:

1. The high number of Airplane Accidents have made EU, forbid Indonesian Airplane to fly in the EU Air Territory (plane go missing, crash into the sea or mountains, or burst into flames on landing)
2. Poor management of Railway has caused number of Train accidents (Train Crashes, Trains jump its track, etc )
3. Poor management of road Transportation has made great number of Accidents, severe traffic jam, congestion (especially in the down town Area), the overcrowding.
4. Poor Management in Waterways has caused many Sea Accidents (Ships or Boats sink or burst into flames)

The Effects of Pornography [Britzone Discussion]

Mr Reeds,

it's A rebuttal for melani’s opinion that there is no actual link between porn and social problem, I quote the fact of research results ( for Additional Information only ;))

The Effects of Pornography
http://forerunner. com/forerunner/ X0388_Effects_ of_Pornograp. html

Defenders of pornography argue that it is not harmful, and thus should not be regulated or banned. Citing the 1970 Presidential Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, they conclude that there is no relationship between exposure to erotic material and subsequent behavior. But two subsequent decades of research based on the increased production of more explicit and violent forms of pornography has shown the profound effects pornography can have on human behavior.

Psychologist Edward Donnerstein ( University of Wisconsin ) found that brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behavior. Male viewers tend to be more aggressive towards women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape. (Pornography and Violence Against Women, 1980.)

Dr. Dolf Zimmerman and Dr. Jennings Bryant showed that continued exposure to pornography had serious adverse effects on beliefs about sexuality in general and on attitudes toward women in particular. They also found that pornography desensitizes people to rape as a criminal offense. (Pornography, Sexual Callousness, and the Trivialization of Rape,” Journal of Communication, 1982.)

These researchers also found that massive exposure to pornography encourages a desire for increasingly deviant materials which involve violence, like sadomasochism and rape.

Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book Rape and Marriage the correlation between deviant behavior (including abuse) and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction. (The Effect of Erotica Featuring Sadomasochism and Bestiality of Motivated Inter-Male Aggressions,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1981. 4 Rape and Marriage, 1982.)

Researcher Victor Cline ( University of Utah ) has documented in his research how men become addicted to pornographic materials, begin to desire more explicit or deviant material, and end up acting out what they have seen. (Where Do You Draw the Line?” 1974.)

According to Charles Keating of Citizens for Decency Through Law, research reveals that 77 percent of child molesters of boys and 87 percent of child molesters of girls admitted imitating the sexual behavior they had seen modeled in pornography.
Sociologists Murray Straus and Larry Baron ( University of New Hampshire ) found that rape rates are highest in states which have high sales of sex magazines and lax enforcement of pornography laws. (Legitimate Violence and Rape: A Test of the Cultural Spillover Theory,” 1985)

Michigan state police detective Darrell Pope found that of the 38,000 sexual assault cases in Michigan (1956-1979), in 41 percent of the cases pornographic material was viewed just prior to or during the crime. This agrees with research done by psychotherapist David Scott who found that “half the rapists studied used pornography to arouse themselves immediately prior to seeking out a victim.”

The Final Report of the 1986 Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography lists a full chapter of testimony (197-223) from victims whose assailants had previously viewed pornographic materials. The adverse effects range from physical harm (rape, torture, murder, sexually transmitted disease) to psychological harm (suicidal thoughts, fear, shame, nightmares).

Pornography' s Relationship to Rape and Sexual Violence

http://www.protectk ids.com/effects/ harms.htm
According to one study, early exposure (under fourteen years of age) to pornography is related to greater involvement in deviant sexual practice, particularly rape. Slightly more than one-third of the child molesters and rapists in this study claimed to have at least occasionally been incited to commit an offense by exposure to pornography. Among the child molesters incited, the study reported that 53 percent of them deliberately used the stimuli of pornography as they prepared to offend. (W. L. Marshall, "The Use of Sexually Explicit Stimuli by Rapists, Child Molesters, and Nonoffenders, " The Journal of Sex Research 25, no.2 (May 1988): 267-88.)The habitual consumption of pornography can result in a diminished satisfaction with mild forms of pornography and a correspondingly strong desire for more deviant and violent material (See H.J. Eysenck, "Robustness of Experimental Support for the General Theory of Desensitization, " in Neil M. Malamuth and Edward Donnerstein, eds., Pornography and Sexual Aggression (Orlando, Florida: Academic Press, 1984), 314. D. Zillmann, "Effects of Prolonged Consumption of Pornography, " in Pornography: Research Advances and Policy Considerations, eds. D. Zillman and J. Bryant (Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1989), 129.)

Pornography' s Relationship to Child MolestationIn a study of convicted child molesters, 77 percent of those who molested boys and 87 percent of those who molested girls admitted to the habitual use of pornography in the commission of their crimes.iii Besides stimulating the perpetrator, pornography facilitates child molestation in several ways. For example, pedophiles use pornographic photos to demonstrate to their victims what they want them to do. They also use them to arouse a child or to lower a child's inhibitions and communicate to the unsuspecting child that a particular sexual activity is okay: "This person is enjoying it; so will you." (Take Action Manual (Washington, D.C.: Enough is Enough, 1995-96), 9.)

Pornography Bill [Britzone Discussion]

Hi Guys,

I found a web that post the testimony of former porn actress, may be it can draw different point of view ;)

http://www.ilmupsik ologi.com/ ?p=71 (In Bahasa Version)
http://obscenebeaut y.blogspot. com/2007/ 12/conspiracy- of-denial- porn.html
(In English Version)

And I have different point of view in this matter ;)

Adri Murni Msi, (Psychology Scholar) states that pornography is mostly contribute bad effects to Teenagers, because adolescence is a time of transition form childhood to adulthood, some psychological experts call this phase with ‘strum and drang’. In this phase psyche-shock may happen caused by physical, psychological, social and cognitive changes. Such condition makes the teenagers unstable emotionally and then drags them to be more ‘fragile’ in social interaction. They will be easily influenced by any information spread out around them.

Besides it, teenagers tend to be more interested in sexual matters, because in this phase their physical development experiences rapid growth, indicated by the developing of their primary and secondary genitals.

Moreover, teenagers also experience prominently psychological development, such as:
they have Fluctuate Emotion (changeable)
they like daydreaming and frequently make conflict with family
they have big curiosity in anything
they prioritize performance
they easily influenced/effected by their environment, mainly their peer groups

***
According to Sigmund Freud (the Father of Psychology), teenagers who experience anxiety will use defense mechanism to repress their anxiety. (Anxiety in this case can be caused by their changes). Ego defense mechanism often used to identify – that is reducing tension by imitating the style or the act of their idols (Actor, actress, etc) to lift up their self esteem.

other self defense mechanisms can be used are Repressing (The person pushes painful or threatening memories, thoughts or emotions out of their mind), Denying (Using the defense mechanism of repressing, the person 'forgets' about something), Displacing (the person cope with his/her feeling anxiety or anger by directing them elsewhere), Sublimating (The energy of impulses that the person finds disturbing, threatening or frightening is directed into something else)

The abovementioned reasons are an argument that pornography can be destructive mainly to teenagers that‘s why the access and distribution must be limited or regulated.

Frankly speaking, I haven’t read the complete draft of the bill yet, that’s way I can’t argue the wrong or incompatible articles inside the billJ.

But my point is the disputable matters should be in the substantial or in the implementation case (As we see that law enforcement in our country is poor) not in the ‘existence of the bill’.