FASHION, THE LATEST TOOL OF DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA

After globalization, many western brands opened their outlets in India. It was followed by the large scale advertising of these products. Advancements in technology and new satellite links enabled the transmission of Western Television Channels, in India. People were exposed to a whole new world. This was followed by the BPO Boom. The unemployment rate of the educated people, living in the metros, came down drastically. The disposable income of people went up and the new range of lifestyle products and brands were hard to resist. The fashion obsession in the West was transferred to India. Every individual is expected to look his/her best today. Packaging is as important as the product, but in case of women, it seems more important. India is a multi-cultural and multi-racial society and people of different regions and across the social classes, have different beliefs. So those who haven’t been able to adapt to the changing lifestyles, are looked down upon.

Advertisements play a very important role in creating new ‘needs’ in the society. Women, who have a tanned skin tone, don’t get lucrative jobs and can’t attract the attention of men. A variety of beauty products are advertised in such a way that a person who does not use these products, feels like a loser. Dandruff-problem seems to be a life-taking disease! These ad-films have catchy punch lines, which are used to tease people. As a result, people, especially women, become victims of fashion. They are willing to even risk their health to look beautiful.

The ‘Plain Jane’, despite her intelligence and talents, is discriminated against in every field. She is not liked by her teachers, who cuddle and pamper the cute, fair and well dressed girl. She is teased and bullied by all her classmates, when she is a teenager. Impressionable teenagers are easily influenced by advertisements and television programs, which make the ‘Plain Jane’, look like a sinner. Despite her academic qualifications, she finds it hard to get a job. And of course an Indian man needs a wife who could be put on display, so she doesn’t find love.

There are many women who like being simple. However, in order to be accepted by the society, they try everything they could, to look fashionable. They don’t have the ability to understand contemporary fashion. As a result, a new class of women has emerged who are popularly known as ‘Behenji Turned Modern’ (BTM). Why do we need to use such a term? Why can’t a woman choose her own style? If she wants to maintain her former ethnic style and deportment and combine it with the western, where is the harm? We live in a free country, don’t we?

As has been already stated, people from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds cannot share many similarities. Not many women can afford to spend their hard earned money on cosmetics and sessions in the beauty parlour. They might also be bound by some restrictions imposed by their traditional families. Yet, they have the courage and the talent to dream big. They should be encouraged and not insulted.

The Power of Poetry

A while back, I posted a poem written by Drew Dillinger. It begins:

it's 3:23 in the morning
and I'm awake
because my great great grandchildren
won't let me sleep
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
what did you do while the planet was plundered?
what did you do when the earth was unraveling?

Words have power. And these are powerful words.

I am not the only one who think so. Recently a congresswoman quoted the poem during Congressional hearings on climate change legislation.


DellingerPoem_Congress from drew dellinger on Vimeo.

Salão Móvel Milão 2009 - Kartell

Salão Móvel Milão 2009 - Moroso

Salão Móvel Milão 2009 - Magis

SMS dari Sang Habib

Ramlan Nugraha
Kadept. Kebijakan Publik KAMMI Wilayah Jawa Barat


Malam kemarin (26/04) saya menerima pesan singkat (SMS) dari seorang rekan aktifis Pengurus FPI Jawa Barat. Isinya SMS tausiyah langsung dari sang ketua umum, Ustad Hb. Rizieq terkait situasi politik yang sedang berkembang saat ini. Rekan saya ini memang lumayan dekat dengan sang ustad yang selalu vocal dalam menyuarakan amar ma’ruf nahyi munkar. Dalam pesan tersebut Ketua Umum FPI ini menulis, “SBY ibarat RACUN, walau DARURAT tetap tidak boleh dipilih. Karenanya, Partai (JUALAN) Islam yg dukung SBY adl PENGKHIANAT yg MERACUNI umat.”



Saya sebut ini sebagai bimbingan atau fatwa perjuangan. Di tengah hiruk pikuk konsolidasi partai-partai yang sibuk mementingkan urusannya sendiri, masyarakat cenderung - atau mungkin - diarahkan pada sesuatu yang bernama wilayah abu-abu. Urusan mengelola rakyat hanyalah urusan internal pengurus partai, masyarakat pemilih hanya menunggu dan menunggu jawaban dan intruksi dari para pengurus partai. Partai kini hanya milik segelintir orang, bukan lagi milik umat.

Kritik tajam kepada Partai (Jualan) Islam – mengutip istilah Habib Rizieq – adalah terkait dengan haluan perjuangan. Fleksibilitas medan lapangan menjadi propaganda partai-partai untuk meyakinkan para konstituennya. Di satu ketika mengatakan A, tetapi setelah itu mengatakan B. Sulit dipercaya, ketika janji hanyalah sebuah lips service belaka.

Terlepas apakah Anda setuju atau tidak terkait pesan singkat di atas, secara pribadi saya cukup salut kepada Beliau. Peran Ulama untuk memberikan bimbingan perjuangan terhadap umatnya memang harus terus digencarkan. Apalagi di tengah kondisi seperti ini. Tentu, bimbingan yang harus diberikan kepada umat harus mencakup semua aspek kehidupan. Kepada Sang Habib, Ana tunggu SMS-nya kembali.

Wassalam.

SARAN KRITIK UNTUK BUKU PROF. DR. H. BUCHARI ALMA, M.PD. DKK

Yang Saya hormati,
Penerbit Alfabeta
di
Tempat



Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb.
Bismillahirrohmanirrohim


Salam teriring do’a semoga rahmat dan ridho Alloh SWT senantiasa menyertai segenap aktivitas keseharian kita. Amin.

Setelah membaca buku yang berjudul Guru Profesional (Menguasai Metode dan Terampil Mengajar), karya Prof. DR. H. Buchari Alma, M.Pd. dkk, penerbit Alfabeta Bandung cetakan kedua Maret 2009, ada beberapa hal yang ingin saya sampaikan terkait dengan isi dari buku tersebut. Sebelumnya, saya mohon maaf bila dalam penyampaiannya terdapat kesalahan baik itu dalam redaksi kata maupun content tulisan. Insya Allah tujuan yang ingin dicapai murni demi kemaslahatan umat dan perbaikan kondisi pendidikan kita saat ini.

1. Sesuai dengan pengantarnya, buku ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan keterampilan mahasiswa yang akan ataupun sedang mengikuti Program Latihan Profesi (PLP) untuk menjadi sosok guru yang profesional. Saya pribadi, sebagai salah seorang peserta PLP pada semester genap (Februari-Juni 2009) merasa terbantu dengan isi buku ini, khususnya tentang pengetahuan keterampilan, metode dan model mengajar.

2. Penjelasan dalam buku ini masih dalam konteks umum, tidak mengupas tuntas kedalaman dari keterampilan mengajar yang ingin disajikan. Oleh karena itu, tujuan yang ingin dicapai tidak secara maksimal bisa menuntun mahasiswa untuk mendapatkan keterampilan yang ingin dicapai. Dalam bahasa saya, pengetahuan dalam buku ini bisa kita temukan juga dalam buku-buku pendidikan yang lain. Sesuatu yang different-nya, tidak saya temukan. Tema yang diangkat masih bersifat umum.

3. Tagline yang cukup excited dari buku ini menurut saya adalah opini penyusun tentang Nyontek. Uraian tentang Nyontek yang ditulis dari hal. 127-131 cukup memberikan emphasis (penekanan) tentang harapan sekaligus cita-cita seorang pendidik. Jujur saya akui, tagline ini cukup memberikan inspirasi bagi saya untuk lebih memperketat proses ujian yang dilakukan pada siswa. Hanya memang, flow dalam kalimat yang disampaikan terkesan seperti terburu-buru –mungkin idealisme penulis yang menggebu-gebu, saya salut – .

4. Untuk buku yang ditulis oleh borongan, Prof. DR. H. Buchari Alma, M.Pd., Drs. H. Hari Mulyadi, M.Si., Drs. Girang Razati, M.Si., dan DR. B Lena Nuryati S., M.Pd. saya pikir buku ini sangat jauh dari kesan –mohon maaf- karya ilmiah yang disusun oleh para akademisi tingkat tinggi. Contentnya sangat umum, dan sangat didominasi oleh pengetahuan umum tentang pengajaran. Alangkah baiknya kalau didukung dengan data-data hasil research penulis.

5. Sesuai yang diutarakan dalam pengantar, referensi yang digunakan lebih banyak menggunakan hasil penataran metodologi yang diperoleh dari para narasumber Australia pada Desember 1980, selain dari pengalaman penulis tentunya. Saya sempat bertanya dalam hati, tanpa meremehkan para narasumber Australia tersebut, kenapa para penulis buku ini tidak mengeluarkan seluruh kemampuannya dalam menemukan metode ataupun model yang bersumber dari kearifan lokal bangsa kita. Kesan terlalu memposisikan lebih referensi barat sangat terlihat dalam buku ini. Secara eksplisit juga, tidak satupun firman Tuhan, Hadist yang saya temukan dalam buku ini.

6. Dari sisi tampilan, layout cover depan cukup menarik dengan warna orange sebagai main colour. Untuk bagian dalam, alangkah bagusnya kalau dilengkapi dengan gambar. Untuk orang visual seperti saya, mungkin sangat banyak membantu dalam proses penyerapan ilmu.

7. Selain isinya yang sederhana, satu alasan lagi kenapa saya membeli buku ini yaitu, di dalam pengantarnya buku ini khusus ditujukan bagi mahasiswa yang mengikuti PLP. Walaupun secara umum tidak menutup kemungkinan siapapun bisa membeli buku ini. Tapi saya cukup salut, karena walaupun banyak sekali buku-buku pendidikan yang mengulas tentang hal ini, sangat jarang yang secara terang-terangan menyebutkan bahwa buku tersebut untuk mahasiswa PLP. Saran saya untuk penerbit, ciptakan kesan pada buku ini “Bagi Anda yang sedang ikut PLP, tidak lengkap rasanya kalau belum baca buku ini !”

8. Entah menambah market values atau tidak, tapi kalau seandainya di cover depan dicantumkan tulisan “Buku Panduan Bagi Mahasiswa yang Mengikuti Program latihan Profesi (PLP)” mungkin bisa menambah daya jual buku ini.

Demikian saran dan kritik yang saya sampaikan. Semoga bermanfaat dan kedepannya bisa terjalin hubungan yang harmonis antara pembaca, penulis dan penerbit khususnya. Terima kasih atas perhatiannya.


Wassalamu’alaikum wr. wb.



Bandung, 28 April 2009

Hollywood has a LOT of FAKE H_ _ _ _ RS

Get your mind out of the gutter....I'm talking about the "celebrity" golfers HACKERS who sport those handicaps that are complete bullsh!t.

We have all watched with great amusement as "celebrities" hack it around in the "Celebrity Pro-Ams" that we are tortured with. There are two utterly ridiculous parts to this ruse: (1) the celebs (alleged) handicaps, and (2) the inane remarks that the commentators feel obliged to pimp out (Google "Kelly Tilghman & Tim Finchem's solid six handicap" for a real gutbuster). It would only be funny (and not sad as well) if we just had to watch them play - but to listen to the talking heads act as if these are "real" handicaps is preposterous.

Well - finally,someone has broken ranks and has come clean about the "Celebrity Golfing" community. According to a quote in Golfweek from Mark Wahlberg (creator of "Entourage" , aka"Marky Mark"), "All the guys in Hollywood stink. They've all got fake hadicaps". Wahlberg, who has been previously reported as a "single digit" handicapper, admits that his game has slipped of late, and that he usually shoots in the high 80's and 90s.

The photos above are just a few of the most egregious offenders, but below is an excerpt from a recent "celebrity golf" list and their um, handicaps - read it and laugh your azz off...(my comments in italics)

1. Dennis Quaid 1.1 Improved from 4.5 to 1.1 in four months - RIIIIGHT. That equates to about 7 strokes per round improvement.

6. Samuel L. Jackson 4.9 Most improved since our 2001 rankings - Ever watch him play - Don't...

15. Bill Murray 7.5 Pebble fave keeps Index on East Coast - As a Caddyhack standard bearer, he should be ashamed of posting this.

23. Andy Garcia 9.1 Won AT&T with Paul Stankowski in '97 - All flash, no game.

T34. Sylvester Stallone 12 Plays often at MountainGate in L.A. - About as real as that hair and that taut jawline. "Yo Adrian, I'm taking 5 mulligans today"..

45. George Lopez 14.2 A hit on ABC and with AT&T galleries - Glad to see him gone from the ATT Pebble.

T46. Joe Pesci 14.3 Plays most rounds at Lakeside - Maybe the most laughable on the list. He hits it like 165 off the tee.

Who among you would not be happy to take any of these guys at their handicap ? I'll admit there are some celebs who can play (Jack Wagner, Quaid, Kenny G, etc) - but most are, as Marky Mark so aptly puts it "fake"...

Oh, as far as the Donald, he's currently a 1.2 . That handicap is about as real as a Mother-in-Law's love...Come on out to Bushwood, Donald - I'll play you straight up..., but remember "There is no gambling at Bushwood" !!!

Mesa / Table Eileen Gray

Esta mesa foi concebida por Eileen Gray como uma mesa de apoio ao pequeno almoço para o quarto de hóspedes de E-1027, na villa que ela e Jean Badovici desenharam em 1927, Roquebrune.

This table was designed by Eileen Gray as a bedside breakfast table for the guest room of E-1027, the villa which she and Jean Badovici designed at Roquebrune in 1927.

Encomende já / Order Now:

geral@4udecor.com
Telf: 214 867 378
Tlm: 966 312 602
Cascais / Portugal

Mobiliário Juvenil / Infantil

Mobiliário Juvenil para a sua filha/o, esta é a mobilia de quarto juvenil escolhido por uma cliente nossa para o quarto da sua pequeninha filha e já a contar com o mais recente membro da familia que chegará em breve. Assim tem um quarto com duas camas uma das quais com rodas encontra-se disfraçada por baixo da cama superior. Com 3 grandes gavetões que permitem uma enorme arrumação bem como uma escada de acesso à cama superior igualmente com 3 gavetas para arrumar roupa ou brinquedos. Este quarto também está dotado de uma secretaria adaptada para PC e colocação do CPU na vertical. Associado existe um movel com gavetas e prateleiras. Para agradar aos pequeninos foi colocada uma "pegada" de urso nas gavetas. Existe a possibilidade de escola de cores, acabamentos, etc. Pode personalizar o quarto do seu pequenino de forma a maximizar o espaço e com um design magnifico.

Encomende já / Order Now:

geral@4udecor.com
Telf: 214 867 378
Tlm: 966 312 602
Cascais / Portugal

Crime Against Women in India

Gender equality is a very popular topic of debate in this country. Urbanized men often crib that women have all the rights and some laws should now be framed to protect men from women! This article is going to show how different the real situation is. There are several laws in our constitution, to protect women. The sad part is these laws are rarely ever imposed.

Over 32000 murders, 19,000 rapes, 7500 dowry deaths and 36500 molestation cases were reported in India in 2006. However there are many instances where crime against women, goes unreported. These are figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau. While Madhya Pradesh is worst off among the states, the national capital New Delhi continues to hold on to its reputation of being the most unsafe city in India. Delhi takes the top slot for crimes ranging from murders and rapes to dowry deaths and abductions. Instead of leading the way in tackling crime, the country’s capital is a cauldron of crime. While the national crime rate declined negligibly by .02 % in 2006; Delhi's rate grew to 357.2, more than double the national average of 167.7. These details reflect the efficacy of our law and order system.

Giving and taking dowry is a crime, yet the practice goes on. In fact people unabashedly display the objects they get as dowry and no action is taken against them. Female foeticide and infanticide is also a crime. Then why is the female population of North India, less than the male population? If a rapist agrees to marry his victim, his crime is forgiven! Wife-bashing is the favourite sport of Indian men! A woman can’t step out of her house at night. If she does, she fears that she will be the next Saumya Vishwanathan. If a beautiful woman does not want to love a man, he publicly throws acid on her face. Women are exploited by their bosses in their workplaces and owing to dire financial constraints, they have to suffer their nonsense. After all India is an overpopulated country and there aren’t enough jobs.

As many as 18 women are assaulted in some form or the other, every hour, across India. Even foreigners aren’t spared. We have a reputation, alright! Cases of rape have become so commonplace that people don’t even bother to express their shock or despair, when they hear about a rape. Filing a police complaint in this case, is a nightmare and the investigations which follow are humiliating. Policemen are expected to protect women. However, if you are an Indian woman, you should know that they are more dangerous than most criminals. They’ll give you the nastiest of glares.Ladies who go to police stations at night often complain of misbehaviour and the charges of rape and molestation against police officers are a proof of this. Alas! Our society forgets the rapist but it never forgives the victim. It seems women have accepted the reality. They don’t complain any more, they choose to be careful, instead.

Meetings and seminars are organized from time to time to analyze the cases of crime against women. Most come to the conclusion that laws should be enforced. These days people are talking about making molestation a non-bailable offence. However, like the other laws, this would also be forgotten. Punishments set an example. People who are guilty of crime against women, should be humiliated and insulted in every possible way, in public. Their life should be made a living hell and every aspect of their trial should be covered by the media. So that, people think twice before molesting women.

References:

1) http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010852440300.htm

2) http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/crime-against-women-in-india.html

Playing "Tiger Golf"...

Let me start by admitting that I am not a Tiger "fan" - there is no denying he is a dominant presence, and probably the best ever, but he's not someone I root for. It's kind of like cheering for the Yankees or the Patriots - it's easy to be a fan because they are almost guaranteed to win. I'm more of a Raiders and A's fan...I suppose I like some uncertainty with those whom I cheer for...

We've all heard about (and witnessed) what a fierce competitor that Tiger is. More specifically, we often hear that he "never quits" and is "always playing to win" - contrary to some PGA players who,once they know they are out of contention, seem to play it safe.

Anyway, enough background info - this post is about a real life experience. I am a decent golfer,but will never be a real low handicapper. My handicap fluctuates between 8 and 12, depending on the season and my iron game. I've been playing competitively for about a year (thanks TGC Amateur Tour), so no one would ever suggest that my competitive edge is as finely honed as a well stropped razor. Generally, I play hard because I want to do well, but certainly accept my shortcomings with good humor. What follows is a story about how I learned what "Tiger Golf" really means to us mere mortals.

Last week, I was playing golf with some buddies - we were playing cart vs cart, and our team won the front nine (and the small wager) by a couple of strokes. I was low man by 3 strokes, with a 40. At the turn, on of my colleagues suggested he and I play straight up on the back nine with a small side bet. I gladly accepted, eager for a little individual challenge (note that I bested him by 4 strokes on the front). My pal, let's call him "Phil", started the back nine like a man afire - 5 under after 4 holes, and no putts of more than 8 feet. As I found myself 8 strokes down after 4 holes...I was thinking that I had been completely set up. So what did I do ? Did I suck it up, and focus ? Draw upon my enormous intestinal fortitude ? Will myself to mount a comeback ?

Not exactly.... I conceded the bet, effectively giving up after 4 holes (impressive,huh ?). I then proposed a second bet match play for the final 5 holes, which he (obviously) accepted, as this looked like a sure thing for him. Then, something funny happened - I hit it to 4 feet on a par three and he went over the green and into some tall grass. I birdied, and he triple bogeyed (we continued to play as if it were stroke play, because the team bets were still on). Two holes later, I had won three in a row, and thus won the second bet (3 and 2). We then agreed on a THIRD bet - stroke play for the last two holes. I went up one stroke on 17, and we were both in the fairway on 18. I pulled my approach left, while he was just short of the green. At the end, he had a four footer for par, which he missed - while I made my 8 footer for a bogey, and the win.

Now for the moral of the story, and the entire point of this post. When I tallied up the final totals for the back nine, and circled the final scores, I was rather violently reminded of all those times I had heard about Tiger "never giving up". You see, I had beaten "Phil" by one stroke...meaning that I would have won the ORIGINAL BET, if only I had not given up after 4 holes...

I think that's what they mean by "Tiger Golf".... . As obvious as this all may seem to those seasoned competitors out there, it was a very enlightening and powerful lesson to me.

Indian Women

According to Indian Mythology, the woman represents ‘Shakti’. Our goddesses destroy all evil and ensure that justice is done. Saraswati is the goddess of education and wisdom. Laxmi, is the goddess of wealth and prosperity and Kali, is the destroyer of evil. Ironically, Indian women are not allowed to educate themselves and be financially independent. They also become victims of crime. Our religious texts accord equal rights to women. However, the perpetrators of patriarchy misinterpret these very texts to subjugate women.

India got its independence in 1947. Indian women played a very important role in the freedom struggle. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi Sarla Devi, Muthulaxmi Reddy, Susheela Nair, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani Aruna Asaf Ali, Vijayalakshmi Pandit and Sarojini Naidu, are some of the women who helped us in winning our independence. Yet can Indian women be called truly independent?

India is a multi-cultural and multi-racial, country. Each state has a unique identity with a varied set of customs, traditions, values and superstitions. People follow different religions and the level of development in different states and cities, is also not the same. So, it is very hard to generalize the situation of women in India. However, they can be classified into two broad categories: The Women in Urban India and The Women in Rural India.

In most Indian states, especially in the rural areas, when a girl child is born, there is mourning on a large scale. Female feticide and infanticide are major social problems in India. Even when the girl child is allowed to live, she is made to tolerate every form of torture – mental, physical and emotional. She is not allowed to educate herself and enrich her mind. Instead she is trained to manage the house and encouraged to take up menial jobs. She is married off even before she begins to understand her womanhood and is forced to multiply. She has no individuality, no identity and no life of her own. She is ever too busy serving others. Finally she meets her end and no one even notices her absence. This is the story of women in rural India.

The plight of the urbanized Indian woman is of a different kind. She is expected to have academic and professional qualifications. She is trained to be reasonable and rational, yet her life is an anti-thesis of rationality. Despite the fact that she is trained to be independent, she is forced to conform to the gender codes for purposes of social acceptance. She is expected to be the jack-of-all-trades, with recognized qualifications, a good job and excellent communication skills. Apart from this, an urbanized Indian woman should also have a good family background, a nymph like frame, clear complexion, wrinkle and pimple free face and silky-dandruff free hair. She becomes a victim of fashion. Besides, she knows that she has to be perfect by the age of twenty-four, because, without the aforementioned qualities, she cannot expect to get an Indian man. The poor thing knows that she is going to be an obsolete product in the Indian marriage market by the age of thirty, which is ordinarily, her expiry date.

Woman is treated like an inanimate object in our society. She is displayed in the marriage market and is purchased by the groom’s family. Ironically, she is the one who pays the price, in the form of dowry. Despite her education she is forced to accept the unreasonable demands of her prospect bridegroom’s family. She has to love her mother-law, more than her man. And mum-in-law always forgets that she herself is a woman and inevitably assumes the role of a slave-driver. She rants and curses all the time. If she fails to balance her personal and professional life, she is expected to forget her professional life, altogether. Her desire to succeed and attain self-fulfillment is of no consequence to anyone. So, she has to manage her house, be a good mother, wife and daughter-in-law, look beautiful and also earn a living.

There are a large number of women in our society who are single. A spinster is tortured all her life for not finding the right man. It is believed that a widowed woman brings bad luck to the people she associates with and the social stigma attached to the term ‘divorcee’ is far from gone. Single women are seen as threats to the society by the so-called happily married women.

An Indian woman spends her whole life, looking after other people. She rarely gets the time to think about her own health. A woman’s body needs special care during teenage, pregnancy and after child birth. If she is callous about her health during these stages, she suffers from many diseases and ailments, later on in life.

The crime against women is also on the high. Over 32000 murders, 19,000 rapes, 7500 dowry deaths and 36500 molestation cases are the violent crimes reported in India in 2006 against women. There are many instances of crime against women which go unreported in India. These are figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau recently. While Madhya Pradesh is worst off among the states, the national capital New Delhi continues to hold on to its reputation of being the most unsafe city in India. Delhi takes the top slot for crimes ranging from murders and rapes to dowry deaths and abductions.

Indian women can rightfully be called Superwomen. They are expected to be experts at multi-tasking. They are trained to be ideal daughters, sisters, wives, daughters-in-law and later, useful and adaptable mothers, mothers-in-law and grandmothers. They hardly get the time to thing about their own well being and health and when they fall ill and fail to be ‘useful’, they are abandoned. It seems that their existence on earth has only one purpose and that is, to satisfy the needs of others. The critics of my articles would contend that Indian women are now free. They have the right to lead their lives the way they want to, with the full support of their families. These are unfortunately, the ‘fortunate few’. It is very convenient to be idealistic. The truth is, women in India, rural or urban, are expected to conform. There is hardly any improvement in the lives of rural women and urban women are paying the price of their so called freedom, every day of their existence.

References:

1) http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/crime-against-women-in-india.html

2) http://www.indianetzone.com/2/women_freedom_struggle.htm

Papel de Parede - New York City

Este magnifico Papel de Parede, um Painel de New York, foi colocado na sala de um cliente, fazendo-o recordar os excelentes momentos por ele passados nesta cidade que nunca dorme.

Disfrute também desta fabulosa vista sentado na sua sala.

Encomende já / Order Now:
geral@4udecor.com

Telf: 214 867 378

Tlm: 966 312 602

Cascais / Portugal

Caroline Larsson Interview

The third part of our interviews with the Ladies of Big Break PEI is here and ready for your reading pleasure. Pleasure is a good word to describe our chat with Caroline Larsson - she was a joy to talk to, and was quite patient with yours truly after a series of calendar FUBARs . Anyway, Caroline was SUPER COOL, and we thank her for that. We caught up to her as she was on her way to play in the Louisiana Pelican Classic (which was shortened to 36 holes by torrential downpours). She was making the mega haul from South Florida (where she lives) to Lafayette, La for the event. Caroline is a full member of the Duramed Futures tour this year, and is widely rumored to be the favorite among the female participants on The Big Break.Anyway, enough with the intro, let's roll the tape !

Cash: Hi, Caroline - It's great to catch up with you. Thanks for taking time to chat with me.

Caroline: No problem, Caroline: Glad to be here - I never imagined it would be so nice in here. These are some plush digs !

Cash: Nothing but the best for the Bushwood Brigade....you should see it around here on the weekends ! But enough of that, let's learn a little more about you.
Caroline: Ok, cool....well, I am 25 years old, 5'9" tall, and I am from Stockholm, Sweden. I came to the States in 2002 right before college, but my family is still back in Stockholm. Luckily, I get to see them a couple of times each year - they just came to visit me a couple of weeks ago.

Cash: Go on...

Caroline: I attended college at Florida State, where I played on the golf team for four years. I received a degree in Psychology, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. My time at FSU was amazing and I have Coach Dillman and my lovely team mates to thank for that! We played against some great teams (Duke was one of them), and the tournaments were always filled with great players. One of most fun things was our friendly rivalry with South Carolina, especially my first two years - we were always pranking around with them, throwing water balloons and just generally having a good time. Some great memories there, for sure.

Cash: So are you like, a nerdy bookworm or something ?

Caroline: No, but I am a really determined person and I do my very best in the things that are important to me. During college that was school and golf and now I can put all my energy to golf!

Cash: Wow! So tell us a little about what we can expect from you in 2009 - what are some of your goals ?

Caroline: My top priority is to qualify to play on the LPGA tour next year, so everything I do professionally is directed at that. A great way to achieve that goal is to finish in the top 5 on the Duramed Futures Tour money list this year.

Cash: Tell us about playing on the Duramed Futures Tour.

Caroline: I've played on that tour for two years. I played in every event both 2007 and 2008. My best finish is a 2nd place at El Paso,TX, but I've also had a couple of 3rd and 4th finishes, so it feels like the win is just around the corner! Last year, I finished 23rd on the money list and the year before that 14th. The Tour is a great place for us get the final tune up before moving onto the LPGA - there are some super talented players on the tour. I plan to play in all 17 events this year, so my schedule is pretty full.

Cash: What are you working the hardest on ?

Caroline: Well, I'm always focusing a lot on short game because it's REALLY important. This off season I also worked a lot on my swing in order to get more consistent and to get more distance. I average about 245-250 with my driver, so now you don't have to ask that, haha.

Cash: So, what's in your bag ?

Caroline: I am a hard core TaylorMade fan, and have played their clubs since I was 12 years old. I play their Tour Preferred irons, and R7 460 driver, and R7 TP 3 wood, Rac TP Wedges, and a Daytona Putter (no hybrids, at least not yet). My ball is a Titleist Pro V1, which I mark with a circle around the number. I like to use red, because red means "birdie", haha.

Cash: Tell us a little about your on course style...

Caroline: I don't really have a preference with shorts or skorts, but the best kinds are the ones you can have a big belt with! I prefer sleeveless tops and I like visors the best. When it comes to colors, I like to wear either black or white and match that with a fun color! I don't wear a lot of earth colors like beige or khaki. On guys, I like it when the pants are not too wide...come on, I am from Sweden! Hats or visors really depends on the individual.

Cash: How many hole in ones in your career ?

Caroline: I've had 3 aces in my career, but my none in a tournament, so I'm due!

Cash: Tell us about your dream golf foursome...

Caroline: Tiger (the best ever!!!), Will Smith (he's hilarious and a great actor), and Ellen Degeneres (don't even know if she plays golf, but her show is the absolute best!)

Cash: What do you do when you are not golfing ?

Caroline: I like to work out, hang out with friends, go shopping, or some fun activities outside like kayaking or go to the beach.

Cash: Tell us something about Sweden that will surprise us..

Caroline: We don't have snow 6 months out of the year ! Actually, we only have snow in Stockholm about 2 months each year. We do have the midnight sun in the middle of summer, which is incredible. However, our climate is milder than people think due to the Gulf Stream.

Cash: Well, Caroline, that about wraps us up. Thank you so much for taking time to stop by Bushwood...you are out first international member, ...what can we say except "välkomnande till klubban" !!!

Caroline is a SUPER TALENTED golfer and a SUPER COOL CHICK - so don't be surprised to see her go far in the Big Break PEI. For more info on Caroline, check her out at www.carolinelarssongolf.com and also at www.thegolfchannel.com/bigbreak.

I'ver gotta run now because , as Caroline would say, Det är coctailtimmen på Bushwood!

Why Can't Titleist Seem to Hold on to Young Players ?

Let me start this post by apologizing to you - because, generally people come to Bushwood for ANSWERS, dammit....not questions !  However, this is one that I have pondered for a while...

I've noticed a long time trend that is puzzling to me - tons of young players come up through the ranks (Amateur and Early Pro years) sporting the Titleist logo and/or being sponsored by Titleist. I get it that amateurs are not accepting sponsor cash, but if they are pimping someone's logo the chances are pretty damn high that they are using that type of equipment.  However, it does not take long before they switch.

David Dusek reports on the latest young gun to switch from Titleist to someone else - this time it is Danny Lee switching to Callaway.  And I don't mean just a partial switch either - it's the whole hog...balls, clubs, wedges, etc. (my boy Al Czervik says Danny even asked for some Callaway "naked lady" tees, but everyone knows those are a Bushwood exclusive !!!!)

Although I am only a middling golfer at best (8-11 handicap throughout the year), I am pretty specific about my gear, and pay close attention to it.  It's tough for me to imagine that people who are playing for millions would just switch - I know, I know, thay are GETTING big bucks to switch, but it just seems awfully strange.

Could Rory McIlroy be the next high profile defector ???

(postscript: I see that he has recently played Callaway irons..., but still it seems that Titleist would have really gone out hard to keep this guy in the stable...)

Candeeiros / Lamps

Encomende já / Order Now:

geral@4udecor.com
Telf: 214 867 378
Tlm: 966 312 602
Cascais / Portugal

The media have finally discovered homelessness. Not surprisingly, they get the story wrong

One of the fundamental human requirements is shelter. How do homeless people survive? Where do they sleep? On friends and family's couches and floors (if they are lucky), at shelters, in churches, in parks, on sidewalk grates, in abandoned buildings, in doorways, under bridges, in cars, or wherever else they can.

And of course, they sleep in tents. The burgeoning tent cities in the U.S. have finally made the national awareness. Interestingly, it seems as though the media is only interested in the newly homeless, those middle class folks who lost their homes because of the economic collapse. In other words, those who they believe are homeless because of circumstances, not because of some kind of individual moral failing. Unlike, you know, the other kind of poor.

Over the past few months, reporters from around the world have flocked to the now-famous tent city in Sacramento, Calif. When they find out that 55-year-old John Kraintz has been living in a tent for almost seven years, they turn around and walk away.

"They don't want to talk to me," he says. "They're searching for people who just lost their homes. It's kinda tough to lose a home when you've never owned one. Sorry, but most of the people here have been homeless for a long time."

Homelessness is seen as an anomaly, a sign of the economic crisis, not as a structural problem with capitalism. But there are homeless during the boom times, too, lots of them.

"The other day, I heard a German reporter ask if this is happening because of the recent economic collapse," says Kraintz. "This has been happening for 30 years, but the powers that be have been able to pretend it doesn't exist. Why aren't reporters asking about flat wages, jobs being shipped overseas and the lack of affordable housing?"

Burke agrees, saying one of the many issues ignored in most articles about tent city and homelessness is the fact that poor people cannot afford housing, especially in an expensive state like California.

"People who are poor end up homeless through no fault of their own, but because people higher up on the food chain have made affordable housing a very scarce commodity," she says. "If we had sound housing policies and programs that helped people when they have a run of bad luck, we would not have a tent city."

Kraintz says he knew the system would finally blow up. It was just a matter of time. The question, according to him, is this: Do the powers that be have the political will to create a fairer, more just economic system? <Alternet>

Photo Credit: A tent city in Fresno, from a 2004 article by Mike Rhodes on Indybay

UN lagi, UN lagi..

Ramlan Nugraha
Mahasiswa Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Ketua Dept. Kebijakan Publik KAMMI Wilayah Jawa Barat


A. Pendahuluan

Pro kontra tentang keberadaan Ujian Nasional (UN) masih menjadi perdebatan panjang di Republik ini. Secara hukum, seharusnya perdebatan tentang hal ini sudah selesai. Kenapa ? Karena pada tanggal 21 Mei 2007, Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat melalui keputusannya telah mengabulkan gugatan subsider dalam perkara Citizen Lawsuit tentang Ujian Nasional. Pasca keputusan tersebut, seharusnya para stakeholders yang memberikan kebijakan pelaksanaan UN berpikir ulang tentang keberadaan UN. Tapi nyatanya sampai sekarang, hal ini belum juga dilakukan. Sudah bukan rahasia umum lagi, muatan politis seringkali bahkan hampir mendominasi setiap kebijakan yang dikeluarkan, termasuk dalam pelaksanaan UN ini.

Keberadaan UN pada dasarnya untuk menilai sebuah mutu pendidikan. Dengan cut off score sebesar 5,5 untuk nilai beberapa mata pelajaran dan 7,0 untuk nilai kompetensi siswa Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK), pemerintah berkeyakinan bahwa mutu pendidikan dapat meningkat jika rekapitulasi siswa yang lulus meningkat tiap tahunnya.




Sebelum melangkah lebih lanjut, alangkah baiknya sekiranya kita membaca kembali pengertian pendidikan yang tercantum dalam Undang-Undang RI No. 20 Tahun 2003 Tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional.

Pasal 1

(1). Pendidikan adalah usaha sadar dan terencana untuk mewujudkan suasana belajar dan proses pembelajaran agar peserta didik secara aktif mengembangkan potensi dirinya untuk memiliki kekuatan spiritual keagamaan, pengendalian diri, kepribadian, kecerdasan, akhlak mulia, serta keterampilan yang diperlukan dirinya, masyarakat, bangsa dan negara.

Secara luas, pendidikan diartikan untuk mewujudkan manusia yang memiliki beberapa aspek diatas. Artinya mendidik dan menilai siswa harus memakai perspektif menyeluruh dan tidak bisa menjustifikasi hanya dengan ranah kognitif saja, seseorang menilai mutu sebuah pendidikan berhasil atau tidaknya.

Menurut Prof. Soedijarto (2007), Beberapa negara seperti Amerika Serikat dan Jerman tidak menggunakan UN sebagai standar untuk melihat mutu pendidikan. Mereka menerapkan beberapa kebijakan seperti di bawah ini :

1. Menyediakan guru yang profesional.
2. Menyediakan fasilitas yang lengkap seperti adanya fasilitas olah raga dan ruang kerja guru.
3. Media pembelajaran yang kaya, kelengkapan perpustakaan sehingga memungkinkan siswa untuk terus menerus membaca.
4. Evaluasi terus menerus, komperehensif dan obyektif.

Metode ujian yang dilaksanakan tidak seperti di Indonesia. Di kita, sebagai contoh adalah UN untuk tingkat sekolah menengah. Ujian Nasional sebagai penentu keberhasilan seorang siswa dilaksanakan setiap 3 (tiga) tahun sekali. Dengan materi yang luar biasa banyak, maka setiap siswa harus berupaya maksimal dalam melakukan proses persiapan.

Masih menurut Prof. Soedijarto (2007), dari empat poin kebijakan diatas maka yang menjadi penekanan adalah poin terakhir, yaitu evaluasi terus menerus, yang dilakukan secara komperehensif dan obyektif. Sederhananya, metode evaluasi yang dilakukan adalah setiap hari belajar maka selalu ada tugas dan penilaian. Ketika belum lulus dalam satu pelajaran siswa belum bisa melangkah ke pelajaran berikutnya, tetapi harus mengulangnya sampai dengan lulus. Dalam dunia pendidikan kita menyebutnya belajar tuntas (mastery learning).


B. Penilaian komperehensif dan Fairness

Program belajar tuntas (mastery learning) akan menekankan penilaian yang objektif atas kualitas ketercapaian seorang siswa. Penilainya tentu guru yang bersangkutan. Nah, tingkat kemampuan seorang gurulah yang nanti sangat menentukan proses objektifitas penilaian (assessment) tersebut. Kemampuan yang harus dimiliki oleh seorang guru atau pendidik adalah professional, kepribadian, sosial dan pedagogik. Proses belajar mengajar bukan sekedar transfer ilmu pengetahuan (knowledge) saja, tetapi transformasi seseorang menjadi lebih bermakna. Peran memahami ilmu pedagogik tentu akan sangat membantu seseorang dalam memahami kewajibannya sebagai seorang pendidik. Sangat disayangkan memang, orang yang tidak mempunyai standar/sertifikasi sebagai pendidik (di lembaga pendidikan) bertebaran dengan bebas di Republik ini. Terlepas dari kualitas Lembaga pemberi sertifikasi yang harus kita kupas tuntas juga, tapi akan sangat panjang jika kita bahas di sini.

Pandangan yang tidak komperehensif sangat terlihat pada pelaksanaan UN. Ujian yang dilakukan hanya ditekankan pada beberapa mata pelajaran tertentu saja. Padahal pelajaran-pelajaran tersebut lebih mengarahkan pada aspek kognitif yang merupakan sebagian kecil saja aspek yang harus dimiliki oleh setiap siswa.

Mengutip pendapatnya Prof. Hamid Hasan (2007), bahwa dalam teori pendidikan salah satu prinsip tes adalah fairness. Prinsip ini menjelaskan bahwa suatu tes haruslah dilakukan secara fair kepada mereka yang telah memiliki pengalaman belajar yang sama. Jika suatu tes (yang sama) diberikan kepada peserta tes yang memiliki pengalaman belajar yang berbeda dalam kualitas, maka prinsip fairness telah dilanggar. Oleh sebab itu, tes yang digunakan dalam UN melanggar prinsip ini karena UN harus diikuti oleh mereka yang memiliki pengalaman belajar dengan kualitas yang berbeda.


C. Penutup

Sangat panjang jika kita runut alasan-alasan mengapa UN tidak mencerminkan mutu pendidikan secara komperehensif. Yang patut kita lakukan hari ini adalah mendorong stakeholders agar mempunyai goodwill yang jelas terhadap peningkatan mutu pendidikan di Indonesia.

Kritik bahwa sudah seharusnya pemangku jabatan yang berwenang dalam bidang pendidikan – Menteri Pendidikan Nasional, red. – adalah mereka yang mempunyai kapasitas yang jelas dalam bidang pendidikan (kepakaran) mestinya mendapat perhatian yang lebih bagi siapapun presiden yang nanti terpilih.



Wallahu’alam bishshawab.
Bandung, 20 April 2009

Taylor Made Performance Lab Perfects Cloning...

Ok, I admit the headline is a little sensationalistic, but heck it IS Monday - so we needed to juice it up a little bit (No, A-ROiD, that's not a casting call for you and your latest "New York Housewife" ...).

Many of you know of the space age wizardry that TaylorMade has in it's quiver of TaylorMade Performance Labs scattered across the USA - well, I have some good news for readers in the Beantown area (no, it's not those photos of Alex and Perez Hilton that you were hoping for - it's even better ! TaylorMade is announcing tomorrow that they are opening their newest TaylorMade Performance Lab at The International in Boston on April 27th - and it's rumored to be the best yet.

A few snippets from TaylorMade:

• Beginning April 27, TaylorMade Performance Lab’s certified professionals will fit men, women and junior golfers of all ages and abilities to a custom set of TaylorMade® golf clubs using an exclusive technology previously available only to Tour professionals, called Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade (MAT-T).
• “After visiting The International and seeing the fabulous golf courses and great facilities, I knew we had to bring our exclusive fitting system there,” said Herb Meistrich, President and CEO of TaylorMade Performance Labs. “The International is steeped in tradition and we know golfers from the Northeast will take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy an unparalleled custom fitting experience at a world class facility.
• Dan Weadock Jr, President of The International added, “With the introduction of the TaylorMade Performance Lab, The International reinforces its commitment to providing a world class golfing experience to our members, guests and the golfers around the world who come to play our two fabled courses.”

The labs use something called "motion capture technology", which is the same stuff used in the Tiger Woods golf game, and lots of movies. From what I have seen of the process, you feel a little bit like you are in a sci fi flick and are getting fitted for your on screen bod. From there, they analyze your swing,body movements, and posture - capturing the data necessary to come up with a custom set of specs for you. Based on these specs, a custom set of new sticks - driver to wedges, can be cranked out JUST FOR YOU in about 48 hours. The TMP Labs are located at The Four Seasons Resort in North San Diego,CA; the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida; Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro,GA (where I was last week !!!); and The Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago,IL. More info is available at www.tmplabs.com.

Stay tuned for updates on this - I will be paying a visit to the TMP Lab at Reynolds Plantation later this summer, and will put up a couple of posts detailing what it is like from a first person guinea pig's perspective. I'm hoping that they can even clone a perfect golf partner for me (to the TMP guys - Use this recipe: Angelina Jolie + Megan Fox + Paula Creamer + my wife...)

That's it for today - gotta go watch some "Eastbound and Down".....Kenny Powers is callin' my name !

Cadeira / Chair Eros

A cadeira giratória Eros, desenhada por Philippe Starck para a Kartell. Elegante e sofisticada cadeira que se caracteriza pela sua forma orgânica de um ovo. Uma magnífica combinação de conforto e de luz, cor e transparência sobre uma base rotativa em alumínio polido com apoio central, produzidas de forma clara e transparente em policarbonato. Disponível em diversas cores.

Eros swivel chair designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell. An elegant and sophisticated chair which is characterised by its organic egg shape. A magnificent combination of light and comfort, colour and transparency on a polished aluminium rotating base giving central support produced in clear and transparent polycarbonate. Availabel in several colors.

Encomende já / Order Now:
geral@4udecor.com

Telf: 214 867 378

Tlm: 966 312 602

Cascais / Portugal

Dr. Beeper Prescribes a Cure for What Ails the PGA...

Not many people know this, but here at Bushwood, we employ a team of economists, statisticians, accountants, philosophers, and general brainiacs....all part of our "Think Tank". This team of brilliant individuals is led by our own Dr. Beeper. Beeper's crew was recently contacted by the PGA and the new Democratic administration to see if we could come up with a cure to current round of ailments that the PGA is suffering with - you know, sponsors who are revealed to be ponzi schemers, sponsors who need some bailout funds, viewers who no longer have homes to put their TV sets in, and layoffs everywhere.

Our team of crack "think tankers", led by longtime member Dr. Beeper (the presenter), convened at the 19th hole, tapped a fresh keg of Sweetwater 420, and prepared to enlighten the membership (and the world). As they began their presentation, they promised that their solution would do four things:

(1) Create Jobs (yeah, baby....we've got a future in politics)

(2) Increase viewership (thereby increasing ad revenues)

(3) Create excitement at the events (increased attendance)

(4) Increase revenues from product sales (hooray for the manufacturers)

The entire membership was on the edge of their seats, anxiously awaiting more information. The presenters went on to assure the crowd that this was a proven solution, and had been used successfully by many other organizations and different sports.

What could this panacea be, you ask dear reader ?

One word, proclaimed Dr. Beeper.... CHEERLEADERS !!!

That's right official PGA Cheerleaders! Not only could the manufaturers have cheerleaders (gimme a P, gimme an I, gimme an N, Gimme a G...gimme a PING !!!! Go Ping!!!) And we won't stop there - each player could have their own cheerleading SQUAD !!! Can you IMAGINE what kind of talent Camilo and Sergio would bring to the event ! Ay caramba !!!! (note to Mark Calcavecchia - please do not recruit your cheerleaders from the cast of "The View" - maybe you can just sit this one out..). For those doubting Thomases among the readers, I proudly submit the following examples of what could be in store for us....

By the way, in case you are wondering - two of the three teams represented above made the playoffs this year - so we are definitiely on to something !!! "Gimme a T, Gimme an A, Gimme a Y"..... Hooray for Cheerleaders !!!

(All photos property of Sports Illustrated - see more at www.si.com)

Semangat Hidup Para Calon Pemimpin Bangsa

Oleh : Ramlan Nugraha
Pengurus Wilayah KAMMI Jawa Barat Periode 2008-2010


Semangat yang Tinggi

Empat puluh lima tahun yang lalu atau tepatnya tahun 1964, seorang ulama besar Indonesia dituduh melakukan subversi. Sebuah tuduhan tidak beralasan sampai beliau harus mendekam di dalam penjara selama dua tahun empat bulan. Di penjara, sebuah ilham dari Allah SWT mengantarkannya untuk menyelesaikan tafsir sebanyak 28 juz dan mengkhatamkan al-Qur’an 150 kali. Beliau adalah tidak lain Buya Hamka. Sosok ulama kharismatik yang disegani sekaligus teladan yang mempunyai semangat luar biasa di tengah kondisi sulit yang menimpanya.



Ada pesan yang ingin beliau sampaikan kepada kita semua, “Bahwa hidup dengan bertawakal kepada Allah SWT, maka setiap kesulitan pasti ada kemudahan. Pasti ada jalan keluarnya jika kita menggunakan otak untuk memecahkannya”.

Perjalanan seorang Buya Hamka harus menjadi teladan kita semua. Tidak hanya sikap tawakalnya saja, tetapi semangat menimba ilmu yang begitu luar biasa. Setidaknya beliau mengajari kita, mencari ilmu tanpa orientasi ijazah semata-mata. Ikhlas karena berjuang di jalan dakwah.

Dalam sebuah karya sastranya, Imam Syafi’i mengingatkan kepada para pencari ilmu untuk mempunyai hirsh atau semangat yang tinggi untuk mencari ilmu. Bukan hanya itu saja, ternyata hirsh adalah salah satu dari enam hal yang disebutkan sang Imam sebagai syarat-syarat memperoleh ilmu. Diantaranya adalah kecerdasan (dzaka), kesabaran (ishtibarin), bekal (bhulgahtin) dan guru yang membimbing (irsydul ustadzin). Tentu menurut Imam Syafi’i, sejalan dengan perjalanan waktu (thulu zaman) maka hal-hal diatas jika diaplikasikan dengan ikhlas dan diimbangi dengan doa maka akan berdampak pada hasil yang luar biasa.

Paparan kisah hidup Buya Hamka seakan menjadi bukti nyata bahwa sudah seharusnya kita bangkit menjadi bangsa yang besar jika setiap individu mempunyai semangat yang tinggi dalam mencari ilmu. Tentunya tidak lupa harus mempunyai lima syarat yang disebutkan oleh Imam Syafi’i diatas.

Perjalanan Calon Pemimpin Bangsa



Sebuah proses panjang yang melahirkan calon pemimpin tentu tidak semudah membalikkan telapak tangan. Janganlah kita meniru Partai-Partai Politik yang dengan seenak udelnya menyulap seseorang menjadi calon wakil rakyat. Menjadikan Pemilu layaknya Indonesian Idol.

Ada beberapa hal yang mungkin kita harus belajar kepada Che Geuvara. Dalam bukunya yang berjudul The Motorcycle Diary, Ia menceritakan tentang perjalanannya menggunakan sepeda motor mengelilingi seluruh wilayah Amerika Latin. Tujuannya tidak lain hanya untuk mengetahui kondisi bangsanya. Perjalanannya tersebut akhirnya mengantarkan sang calon dokter menjadi pejuang tangguh dari Kuba.

Perhatikanlah, perjalanan waktu seorang calon pemimpin tidak dihabiskan untuk mengejar kesenangan pribadi saja. Tetapi Ia habiskan untuk kebermanfaatan kepada orang lain. Disinilah titik frekuensi yang sepertinya harus kita samakan, yaitu nilai kebermanfaatan. Nilai ini juga didapatkan setelah tidak hanya cukup mengidentifikasi permasalahan saja, tetapi terjun langsung dalam setiap kondisi nyata di masyarakat.

Che Guevara mungkin melakukan hal yang tepat untuk mengetahui kondisi masyarakatnya dengan cara terjun langsung melihat kondisi nyata. Tetapi perjalanan yang dilakukan tidak memberikan pencerahan bagi dirinya. Hal ini tentu sangat berbeda dengan apa yang diajarkan oleh Islam. Perintah al-Qur’an untuk “menyebarlah ke permukaan bumi” (fanthasiru fil ardh) tidak lain dan tidak bukan untuk berdakwah dan menambah syukur kepada sang pencipta, Allah SWT. Maka kepada setiap calon pemimpin bangsa, mari lakukanlah perjalanan.

Ikhtisar

Inti tulisan singkat diatas adalah pertama, pesan kepada setiap pencari ilmu untuk senantiasa bertawakal kepada Allah serta memahami syarat-syarat yang harus dimiliki dalam perjalanan mencari ilmu. Hal ini penting di tengah kondisi materialisme yang melanda dunia, seolah indikator kesuksesan seseorang menempuh pendidikan adalah hanya terletak pada selembar ijazah an sich.

Kedua, perintah Allah untuk fanthasiru fil ardh menjadi hal yang harus menjadi kewajiban para pencari ilmu. Sejarah mengajarkan kepada kita bahwa Rasulullah melakukan perjalanan dan menyuruh para sahabatnya untuk menyebarkan kebaikan ke seluruh penjuru dunia.



Wallahu’alam bishshawab.

Libur panjang nih..

Sampai dengan Rabu besok, saya mendapat libur panjang. Siswa kelas XII sedang menempuh Ujian Nasional (UN), jadi untuk sementara KBM dihentikan dulu.

Abra as portas para a 4UDECOR - Design de Interiores

A 4UDECOR - Design de Interiores ajuda-a na criação do seu projecto de interiores. Com uma equipa multi disciplinar, recorrendo aos mais elevados padrões de qualidade propocionamos aos nossos clientes ambientes unicos, graças a uma vasta oferta de artigos. Contamos com mais de 60 representações das mais conceituadas marcas internacionais. Igualmente podemos elaborar na nossa fabrica peças exclusivas para si, nos mais distintos acabamentos. Não existem barreiras nem obstaculos para a 4UDECOR, vamos até si onde quer que esteja de norte a sul do Pais, ou inclusivamente no estrangeiro. Seja mais um cliente satisfeito com um projecto 4UDECOR.

Consulte-nos hoje mesmo:

geral@4udecor.com

Telf: 214 867 378

Tlm: 966 312 602

Cascais / Portugal

Early Farmers in the Americas - Farming because they wanted to, not because they had to

This is an interesting article, especially for me, with my interest in indigenous precolumbian agriculture in the Americas.

Three thousand eight hundred years ago, long before U.S. plains rippled with vast rows of corn, Native Americans planted farms with hardy "pioneer" crops, according to new evidence of the first farming in eastern North America.

Because the area appears to have been well stocked with wild food sources, the discovery may rewrite some beliefs about what led people to start farming on the continent, scientists say.

Rather than turning to farming as a matter of survival, the so-called Riverton people may have been exercising "free will" and engaging in a bit of gastronomic innovation, archaeologists say.

This does not surprise me in the least. We always assume 'prehistoric' peoples started farming because they had to, as a survival technique, but we don't ever stop to think that they might be just like us, inventing new things simply because they want to. Did we need the iPod or the car? Was our survival significantly enhanced because of either of them? We grow later to think we can't live without electricity, flush toilets, and the internet, because they make our lives easier or more enjoyable.

Around the world and throughout ancient history, people switched from mainly hunting and gathering to farming as a way to cope with environmental stresses, such as drought—or so the conventional wisdom says.

But the new research "really challenges the whole idea of humans domesticating plants and animals in response to an external stress [and] makes a strong case for almost the polar opposite," said lead study author Bruce Smith, curator of North American archaeology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Before they began farming, the Riverton people lived among bountiful river valleys and lakes, apparently eating a healthy and diverse diet of nuts, white-tailed deer, fish, and shellfish, the study says.
[...]
But that doesn't mean farming didn't give the Riverton culture a practical advantage: In addition to their normal fare, the people may have relied on the crops as a stable source of food—insurance against shortages of wild food sources..

2009 Faculty Announced

IDAS 2009 FACULTY

DIRECTOR OF ACADEMY:
Bojana Skrt, Slovenia
Three times orld cham[pion EFL coach, World Schools Debating Championship.

DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION:
Alfred Snider, USA
Twice winning coach, Northeast USA Universities Debating Sweepstakes Champion, six debate textbooks, USA Coach of the Year.

FACULTY:

Loke Wing Fatt, Singapore
WUDC breaking judge, honorary doctorate, legendary debate trainer.

Jens Fischer, Germany
Berlin Debating Union, Euros Chief Adjudicator

Sam Greenland, Australia
Semifinals WUDC Vancouver

Leela Koenig, Netherlands
Cork Worlds 2009 Best ESL speaker, Top ESL Speaker at Euros 2007 and 2008, DCA Newcastle Euros 2009, CA of Amsterdam Euros 2010 bid

Christopher Langone, USA
Veteran lawyer, Cornell University coach

Branca Marusic, Croatia
Former EUDC President, IDAS Finalist

Rhydian Morgan, UK
CA of numerous tournaments around Europe

Maja Nenadovic, Croatia
Founder of several debating societies across Europe, currently busy with introducing debate to countries in the Western Balkans region, and with finishing her PhD in political science at the University of Amsterdam

Debbie Newman, UK
President of Cambridge Union, England and Wales National Champion, WSDC 2008 World Champion coach for England

Anne Valkering, Netherlands
ESL World Champion, Bangkok Worlds

ASSISTANT TRAINERS

Maja Cimerman, Slovenia
IDAS finalist, WSDC EFL champion

Filip Dobranic, Slovenia
IDAS finalist, WSDC EFL Champion, twice EFL top speaker, WSDC

Banco / Stool Janet

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Designed by Ramón Ubeda and Otto Canaldo. The seat in aluminium and dos structures ( inox for interior and exterior and chromed steel only for interiors), this is the best complement for the contract projects which need a big range of finishings ( lacquered , wood, upholstered in fabric, leather or COM) The collection Janet was born as a classical vocation,to honour two important designers Jacobsen and Thonet.

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