Cowboys In Paradise

Download Cowboys In Paradise - Bukan hal mudah bagi sutradara film pendek Cowboys in Paradise, Amit Virmani, untuk menghasilkan sebuah film pendek dokumenter yang belakangan menghebohkan Bali. Butuh tiga tahun Virmani melakukan riset di Bali hingga akhirnya ia bisa menyebut, "Mudah bekerja sama dengan 'cowboys'."

"Tentu saja ada hari-hari tanpa satupun wawancara dengan 'cowboys', tapi ini adalah bagian dari proses tersebut, khususnya sejak saya memutuskan untuk meneliti subyek di Bali," kata Virmani dikutip dari twitchfilm.net, Rabu (28/4/2010).

Virmani menerangkan, secara bertahap, dari 2007 hingga 2009, ia menggodok film tersebut. Selama itu, ia merekam wawancara dan mengerjakan struktur cerita. Kalau sedang mengalami kebuntuan dalam bekerja, ia, "Keluar dan bersenang-senang," katanya lagi.

Namun, begitu menemukan para "cowboy" di Bali untuk filmnya, pria keturunan India itu mulai mewawancara mereka. "Bekerja sama dengan 'cowboys' anehnya mudah. Mereka tidak punya masalah untuk berbagi cerita-cerita mereka dengan saya. Ini tentu kembali ke apa yang membuat mereka juga sangat menarik," terangnya.

Lanjut Virmani, alur cerita Cowboys in Paradise yang menarik telah membuat para "cowboy" blak-blakan dan mau difilmkan. "Mereka tak memiliki alasan untuk malu dan mereka mengetahuinya. Mereka bangga akan apa yang mereka 'taklukkan'. Justru ada yang sangat menginginkannya (untuk diwawancara)," ceritanya lagi.

Namun, menurut Virmani, lain halnya para perempuan pemburu "cowboys". Lelaki yang kini bermukim di Singapura tersebut mengaku sedikit kesulitan mencari mereka. "Untuk perempuan-perempuan Eropa, mereka lebih terbuka untuk membahas tentang seks daripada rekan-rekan mereka dari Amerika Utara. Tentu saja, ini menjadi pengalaman saya," ujarnya.

Astrological Signs

Five planets were known to the ancients: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Four of them are in plain view on many nights. But little Mercury is different. There’s a reason why it was named for the quick, mercurial messenger of the gods. It dashes back and forth between the sunrise and sunset sky, staying out of sight most of the time and usually hiding low in the twilight when it shows at all.

As a result, you may have never seen Mercury. This week, however, it stands in unusually plain view about as high and bright as it ever gets. What’s more, it has a brilliant companion practically hollering for you to come pay attention.

Look low in the west as twilight fades, and you’ll see not just one shining world, but two. The brilliant one is Venus. Mercury is the smaller, shyer partner just to Venus’s right or lower right, separated from it by about the width of two fingers at arm’s length.

Although they look close together, Venus is actually 50 percent farther away. It shines so much brighter, despite its greater distance, for three reasons. It’s about twice as big a planet as Mercury; it’s covered with brilliant white clouds, while Mercury is a bare world of dark gray rocks and dust; and Venus is also showing us more of its sunlit dayside right now.

The great Copernicus myth
Mercury’s elusive nature is legendary. And one of the best legends about it is false, yielding only now to a century of debunking.

In the late 1500s, the reclusive astronomer Nicolas Copernicus figured out two extraordinary things, that Earth is a planet like the ones in the sky and that all of them circle around the sun. He was the opposite of a glory seeker. He kept his secret largely to himself for many years, published it only in his dying days, and even then seemed to hedge it with qualifications and digressions. As a canon in the Catholic Church, perhaps he was afraid of the kind of harsh reaction that would later overtake Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei.

His theory took decades of work. The trick was to measure the positions of the planets on numerous dates — as seen on the apparent dome of the sky, like specks of paint on the inside of a huge hemisphere — and correctly interpret their complicated, puzzling motions.

Copernicus’s breakthrough was in realizing that their inexplicable loops, backtracks, and forward races on the starry sky-dome made sense if the planets were actually following simple orbits in three-dimensional space, centered on the sun — and if Earth was doing the same thing, too.

But getting it right required a large number of measurements. And each of these had to be processed with 3-D geometry and trigonometry when every calculation was done with pencil and paper. Copernicus relied mostly on measurements made by earlier astronomers. He made relatively few observations himself and spent most of his life indoors puzzling over the math.

Mercury was especially tough. It moves fast, it follows (we now know) an unusually elliptical orbit, and it spends a lot of time out of sight. A legend developed that on his deathbed, Copernicus lamented that he had never actually seen Mercury. In the 1840s, a popular German science book titled Kosmos, by the great naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, spread this legend far and wide. As a result, it became a fixture in popular science writing for more than a century.

It seemed plausible. Copernicus lived much of his life in what is now northern Poland, at a latitude where Mercury remains especially low. And he often complained about the Baltic mists and fogs blotting out his views.

But no. It is clear from Copernicus’s writings that what bothered him was his inability to measure Mercury’s position at times when the planet was especially near the horizon, leaving gaps in his data. By the 1890s, the deathbed tale had been debunked many times. But a good story is hard to kill. It was still being published when I was a kid learning astronomy in the 1960s.

Eventually, however, truth won out. You don’t run into the tale in the 2000s. It is good to know that sometimes it is possible to lay a popular falsehood to rest, though it may take more than a century.

Mobile Phone

Download Android - In late July, Google announced that it will be offering live traffic information to mobile phones in more than thirty U.S. cities. Plans to provide the traffic feature to PCs are still in the works. The Google traffic feature will be released as an update to the free Google Maps for Mobile service, which has been available for 18 months for download on the Google web site. Google would not disclose how many subscribers it has, but it says the number is growing rapidly.

The feature expands Google's mapping technology into an area where Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo already have a presence, but in different ways. Yahoo and Microsoft offer real-time traffic information on their Web-based mapping services for PCs. Microsoft has chosen to move into the mobile “space” by licensing traffic-monitoring technology for mobile devices to a Kirkland-based startup, InRix Inc. Yahoo currently has no mobile traffic service. MapQuest, an AOL property, offers traffic reports over cell phones for $2.99 per month.

With typical bombast, Microsoft announced that when operable, the InRix mobile service will actually predict upcoming traffic problems – however currently the MSN mobile mapping technology provides no traffic information at all.

In the cities where it works, the Google feature will show traffic conditions on most major highways - indicating green for clear roadways, yellow for medium congestion and red for high congestion or stopped traffic. Google Maps will work on most Java-enabled phones offered by Cingular and Sprint and all color BlackBerry devices. The service does not currently work on phones from other major carriers such as Verizon or T-Mobile USA. Google Maps sends the data – obtained from an undisclosed source - every five minutes.

Although Google's free service doesn't identify traffic hazards or accidents, it will let drivers know if there is a clogged road. Google also shows the expected drive time for a route when phone users search for driving directions. It has introduced a feature that lets users save their favorite locations and frequently used driving directions for future use.

The three search engines are not alone, however. In February, Rand McNally Traffic began offering a downloadable mobile application that delivers news of real-time traffic flow, accidents, weather conditions and road closures to 94 cities. Rand McNally Traffic is available on Sprint, Nextel, AT&T Wireless and other services for $3.99 a month.

Media giant Clear Channel Communications' Total Traffic Network feeds content in 125 markets in the country to 15 services. One of them provides the information to subscribers with Sprint mobile phones for a $9.99 monthly subscription. That service is relatively new. In addition to weather conditions and traffic information, the service also provides data on gas station prices.

Cell phones are rapidly turning into GPS devices, with localized information as an added feature. It remains to be seen how many people will turn to their cell phone screens for traffic news, one eye on the road and another on the phone. In some states and several local jurisdictions, it is already illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving. Some of these jurisdictions allow hands free use, but that won’t help with a visual feature. It will be interesting to see if this new functionality is limited by governmental concern over safe driving habits.

Minta Dapat Jodoh ‎

Maksud hati memeluk gunung, apa daya tangan tak sampai. Pepatah itu tepat melukiskan keinginan Nuri Maulida untuk menikah. Pengen menikah, tapi jodoh belum ada.

“Doain aja deh secepatnya dapet jodoh. Udah pengen nikah nih,” canda Nuri saat dijumpai di Omah Pawon, Kemang, Jakarta Selatan, baru-baru ini.

Bintang sinetron Cinta Fitri itu siap bangkit dari keterpurukan setelah gagal menikah dengan tunanggannya, Ferry Setiawan. Nuri pun siap menyusul teman-temannya naik pelaminan.

“Mencari pasangan memang sulit. Tapi kalau dapat, saya mau cepet menikah,” beber cewek kelahiran Bandung, 22 November 1985 itu.

Seharusnya, Nuri akan melepas masa lajangnya bersama Ferry Setiawan, tahun ini. Namun hubungan mereka kandas di tengah jalan.

“Mungkin belum jodoh. Sebab, yang namanya pernikahan juga memang harus sudah dipikirin matang-matang dan serius,” ungkapnya.

Soal kriteria pasangan, Nuri tak mencari yang muluk-muluk. Siapapun jodoh yang diberikan Tuhan, akan diterimanya dengan ikhlas. “Siapa aja deh, yang penting cepet dapet,” pungkasnya.

World Cup 2010 FIFA

South Africa, the host nation of FIFA Football World Cup 2010, is launching a whole new dance ton inspire football fans. Dance trainers said that they expect fans to be influenced by the so-called ‘Diski’ dance, just as much as they have been influenced by the ‘Mexican wave.

A troop of dancers is touring South Africa to teach the steps of their new vibrant dancing mode, and already many pre, primary and high schools have adapted the dance, which they practice as an extra mural activity. The dance is also a way to express African culture on one of the world’s poorest continents. “This is not a South African dance, but rather the dance for the whole of Africa,” said a trainer at one of the stations of their tour.

The dance has received such popular demand that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has been requested to repeat its invitation to a troop, which appeared on their breakfast show ‘Morning Live’.

World Cup 2010

Raymond Domenech has told his France flops to pull together for the World Cup - or he'll shoot them. The 2006 runners-up only qualified for the finals after the hand of Thierry Henry helped see off the Republic of Ireland in a play-off and Les Bleus have come in for intense criticism at home.

The campaign to remove Domenech from his post was even taken to the French parliament, but the boss says it is the players who must up their came in South Africa.'The lesson is that they must be intelligent and leave their egos behind and think that it is the team that counts, not them,' Domenech told L'Equipe. 'If they haven't understood that, I'll need a shotgun.'

The 58-year-old is due to name his provisional 23-man squad on May 11 but, in a bid to regain some authority, he is threatening to revise it any time up to June 1 if a player unsettles the group.

'It's possible,' he said. 'The real problem, once again, is that everyone leaves their ego behind. I've already told them, I can say it again, insist on it.'

Domenech conceded that his squad for Euro 2008, in which France suffered a shock first-round exit, had been hampered by a generation gap.

But he has not ruled out picking Thierry Henry, despite the 32-year-old struggling to get a game at Barcelona this season.We'll think about that in due time,' Domenech said of Henry. 'We'll look at every aspect and we'll make a decision but we still have one month left. I've always trusted great players and Titi (Henry) is a great player.'

Domenech tried to defend a disappointing qualification campaign that saw France finish behind Serbia in Group Seven, but he insisted his team were still within a shout of lifting the trophy.

'Beautiful babies sometimes come to the world after difficult deliveries,' he said.

'Qualifying was not easy and naming a squad will be difficult as well. When you have so many players that are injured or don't play in such a time, this is not reassuring.

'We will do everything to do it (win the World Cup). But that will come from the inside. The players must be persuaded of that.

'The players are the motor and it's them who will advance the machine. It's for that reason that selection is vital.'

Helm SNI Wajib

Helm SNI - Sebagian besar pengguna sepeda motor dan penjual helm SNI di Jakarta yang berhasil ditemui INILAH.COM, Rabu (7/4), mengaku sudah mengerti mengenai wajib helm SNI, meski beberapa diantara mereka mengaku sosialiasinya kurang dan menganggap beberapa institusi pemerintah mengambil keuntungan dari Undang-undang (UU) No. 22 tahun 2009 tentang Lalu Lintas Dan Angkutan Jalan pasal 106 ayat 8.

Berikut tips membeli helm SNI:

1. Belilah helm SNI di toko aksesoris atau toko helm resmi. Jangan beli di pedagang kaki lima atau pedagang berjualan di trotoar.

2. Helm SNI secara fisik ada emboss (timbul) SNI di bagian luar helm. Biasanya terletak di bagian belakang helm.

3. Sebelum membeli, selalu cek fisik helm yang akan dibeli, dimulai dari bentuk cangkang, busa dalam, hingga tali pengikat. Pastikan semuanya dalam kondisi baik dan tak ada yang rusak.

4. Helm sepeda motor SNI sesungguhnya hanya ada dua jenis, yaitu half face (menutupi sebagian kepalam, sekitar 3/4) dan full face (menutupi seluruh bagian kepala).

5. Hati-hati dengan logo SNI palsu. Logo SNI palsu biasanya hanya ditempeli stiker.

6. Sejumlah helm memang ada yang memiliki standar DOT (Department of Trade) oleh pemerintah AS dan standar SNELL. Helm-helm seperti ini harganya biasanya di atas Rp 1 juta. Helm seperti sama dengan standar helm SNI. Membeli helm seperti ini dijamin Asosiasi Industri Helm Indonesia (AIHI) dan Badan Standarisasi Nasional (BSN) tidak ditilang oleh pihak berwajib.

Pidato Megawati Menuai Pujian

Pidato Ketua Umum PDI Perjuangan Megawati Soekarnoputri saat pembukaan Kongres III PDI Perjuangan di Bali mendapat tanggapan dari sejumlah pengamat politik. Pidato Mega dianggap dahsyat.

Ikrar Nusa Bakti, peneliti utama dari LIPI mengatakan, pidato Megawati sangat luar biasa dan mampu membuat banyak orang meneteskan air mata ketika Megawati menangis di akhir pidatonya.

"Ada satu kata dalam pikiran saya, yakni dahsyat. Sebuah pidato politik yang tidak membosankan dari awal sampai akhir," katanya dalam diskusi "Partai Idelogis Berjuang untuk Rakyat" di Pendet Room, Inna Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur, Rabu 7 April 2010.

Tidak hanya Ikrar, beberapa pengamat lainnya juag berpendapat yang sama, bahwa pidato Megawati dalam pembukaan Kongres III PDIP mampu membuat setiap orang yang menyaksikan pidato Megawati baik secara langsung maupun melalui media elektronik ikut menangis.

"Meski saya menyaksikannya dari Jakarta, saya merasakan getaran pidato Megawati yang tampak tulus. Kalau politik dikerjakan dengan hati, maka inilah hasilnya, luar biasa," ungkap Yudi Latif, pengamat politk dari Reform Institute.

Meski kedahsyatan pidato Mega diakui banyak orang, beberapa bagian isi pidato dianggap mengulang catatan soal pemilu presiden 2009. Namun ada yang mengejutkan, yakni ketika Megawati secara gamblang membahas kemerosotan partai, dan berani keluar dari perdebatan koalisi atau oposisi sehingga menggunakan ideologi sebagai strategi yang efektif.

Makna Ideologi

Diskusi juga membahas soal posisi PDIP sebagai partai ideologi. Sejumlah pengamat politik menanggapi bagaimana semestinya PDIP harus memahami makna ideologi, dan tidak hanya sekedar simbolik.

Yudi Latif mengatakan apabila PDIP mengakui partai ini sebagai partai ideologi maka kader-kader partai dan elit politk harus mempunyai pengertian ideologi yang cukup. "Jika mengakui ideologi sebagai hal yang kental dalam partainya, semestinya PDIP memahami makna ideologi sesungguhnya, saya meragukan klaim pancasila 1 Juni 1945 apakah sudah diresapi oleh PDIP," ungkapnya.

Sohibul Iman seorang ideolog dari PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) mengatakan menjadi partai ideologis adalah partai yang senantiasa konsisten dengan ideologinya. "Ideologis bukan hanya untuk kesejahteraan satu kelompok tertentu, namun untuk kesejahteraan seluruh rakyat" ujarnya.

Menurutnya, Ketika bicara soal ideologi di dalam realitas politik, partai memiliki dua segmen penting, yakni kader parati dan elit politik yang menjadi ranah publik. "Dua segmen ini berbeda, kalau kader itu cenderung ideologis, sementara elit politik cenderung pragmatis, maka dari itu keduanya ini perlu penyeimbang yang menjembatani dengan baik oleh ideologi itu sendiri," ujarnya.