A deadly computer virus called the Conficker Worm (a.k.a Kudo, Downup & Downaup) surfaced in 2008, brutally attacking Civilian & Military targets around the world.
Detik reported that the virus has attacked the database of a French Navy jet fighter aircraft, making its computer system unable to download flight plans.
Law.com informed that the virus has forced the municipal court in Houston, USA, to shut down its operation last Friday.
Wikipedia mentioned that it has attacked the computer systems of the British Naval ships & submarines. Wikipedia quoted The New York Times which reported that Conficker had infected 9 million PCs by 22 January 2009, and The Guardian which estimated 3.5 million infected PCs. By 26 January 2009, an antivirus software vendor F-Secure reported that Conficker had infected more than 15 million computers, making it one of the most widespread infections in recent times. And in order to fight the virus from spreading any further, Microsoft has developed an antidote.
Considering the Conficker Worm has a big potential to destroy computer systems, I hope that its spread can be stopped immediately.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Current Issues
The Death of a New Student
The New Students Orientation programs have caused the death of many new students; however, older students seemed to love the program so much that they keep on organizing it eventhough without permission from the campus' authority. And this time the tragedy hapened to Dwi Yanto (22), a student of the Civil Engineering Faculty of the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), who died last Sunday night during the activity in Lembang, Bandung, West Java. Detik quoted two of ITB's Deputy Rector as saying that the activity is illegal because the campus authority has never gave permit for it. Due to which fact, ITB's Discipline Committee shall conduct an investigation and shall take action against those responsible for the death.
The Death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament
In connection with the death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament (DPR) Abdul Aziz, in Medan, North Sumatera last Tuesday, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Chief of National Police Bambang Danuri has dismissed the North Sumatera Police Chief and the Medan Police Chief for “negligence.”
While Tempo reported that the Police have named 31 persons as suspects, including four members of Parliament, and 70 persons as witnesses.
The Existence of Anti Corruption Court
On December 2006, the Constitutional Council has decided that the existence of the Anti Corruption Court (Tipikor) would cease by December 2009. In this regards, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged President SBY to rush the preparation of the bill of the Anti Corruption Court Law that would set a new Anti Corruption Court to replace the current one.
According to ICW, major political parties in the Parliament (DPR), including SBY’s Democratic Party, are seemingly reluctant to pursue such bill of law, because they are now busy preparing for the Parliamentary election on April 9.
The Presidential & Vice Presidential Candidates
During the opening of his Democratic Party national meeting, President SBY declined to name the Vice President who will run with him in the Presidential election on 8 July. According to The Jakarta Post, the President said that the name of candidate will only be announced after the result of Parliamentary election on April 9 has been known. This statement has leads to speculation that he would leave the option open to others than the incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
The report also mentioned that Jusuf Kalla's Golkar Party will not name a Presidential candidate during its national meeting this week.
The New Students Orientation programs have caused the death of many new students; however, older students seemed to love the program so much that they keep on organizing it eventhough without permission from the campus' authority. And this time the tragedy hapened to Dwi Yanto (22), a student of the Civil Engineering Faculty of the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), who died last Sunday night during the activity in Lembang, Bandung, West Java. Detik quoted two of ITB's Deputy Rector as saying that the activity is illegal because the campus authority has never gave permit for it. Due to which fact, ITB's Discipline Committee shall conduct an investigation and shall take action against those responsible for the death.
The Death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament
In connection with the death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament (DPR) Abdul Aziz, in Medan, North Sumatera last Tuesday, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Chief of National Police Bambang Danuri has dismissed the North Sumatera Police Chief and the Medan Police Chief for “negligence.”
While Tempo reported that the Police have named 31 persons as suspects, including four members of Parliament, and 70 persons as witnesses.
The Existence of Anti Corruption Court
On December 2006, the Constitutional Council has decided that the existence of the Anti Corruption Court (Tipikor) would cease by December 2009. In this regards, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged President SBY to rush the preparation of the bill of the Anti Corruption Court Law that would set a new Anti Corruption Court to replace the current one.
According to ICW, major political parties in the Parliament (DPR), including SBY’s Democratic Party, are seemingly reluctant to pursue such bill of law, because they are now busy preparing for the Parliamentary election on April 9.
The Presidential & Vice Presidential Candidates
During the opening of his Democratic Party national meeting, President SBY declined to name the Vice President who will run with him in the Presidential election on 8 July. According to The Jakarta Post, the President said that the name of candidate will only be announced after the result of Parliamentary election on April 9 has been known. This statement has leads to speculation that he would leave the option open to others than the incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
The report also mentioned that Jusuf Kalla's Golkar Party will not name a Presidential candidate during its national meeting this week.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Say it with Shoes
“Say it with Flowers!” that’s an old adage which implies that Males should express their feelings of Love to Females they loved by giving her Flowers.
Apparently, said adage has now been changed to express Hatreds, in some parts of the world, including Indonesia. In which cases, the Flowers are changed with Shoes. Here are the excerpts of news reports on four incidents:
The Telegraph reported that on 3 February 2009, a protester threw a shoe at Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during his visit to London.
CNN reported that on 14 December 2008, an Iraki journalist threw a Shoe at the US President George W. Bush while he was giving a press conference in Bagdad.
Tempo reported two separate incidents of Shoe Throwing at the District Court of Central Jakarta, as follows :
On 8 May 1998, during the trial of Political Case against Dr. Sri Bintang Pamungkas, a spectator threw a shoe at the Council of Judges, for giving heavy sentence.
On 18 August 1987, during the trial of Fraud Case, Mimi, the victim, threw her Shoe at the Council of Judges for punnishing the Defendant lower than she expected.
As a conclusion I felt that people tend to express their hatreds towards other people by throwing their possession i.e. Shoes, which perhaps symbolize extended Kicking of the feet.
Pic:Xinhua
Friday, February 6, 2009
Political Storytelling
Politicians around the world have used storytelling to win the hearts of people who listens to their speeches. In this regards, Caren S. Neile, Ph.D wrote an interesting article titled Spinning on the Stump in the Toastmaster magazine last November. Here is an extraction of the said article:
One of the late US President Ronald Reagan’s favorite stories concerned the meeting of two men, one from the USA, the other a Soviet citizen.
“In my country,” said the American, “I can walk straight into the Oval Office and say that I don’t like the way Ronald Reagan is running the United States.”
“I can do that with Gorbachev, too,” replied the Soviet.
Having heard about Soviet repression, the American was incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding!” he said.
“Not at all,” replied the Soviet. “I can walk straight into Gorbachev’s office and say, “I don’t like the way Ronald Reagan is running the United States!”
In our cynical age, you might readily agree that politicians make great storytellers. After all, a common definition of “storyteller” is liar. But even the most jaded observers of politicians know that storytelling has long been a powerful tool for persuasion.
On May 13, 1901, Winston Churchill, who went on to become Prime Minister, gave a speech to the British Parliament in which he argued against increased government funding for the British Army. The language is a bit flowery, but the story stands out loud and clear:
“The government of the day threw their weight on the side of the great spending Departments, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Churchill’s father) resigned. The controversy was bitter, the struggle uncertain, but in the end the Government triumphed, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer went down forever, and with him, as it now seems, fell also the cause of retrenchment and economy, so that the very memory thereof seems to have perished, and the words themselves have a curiously old-fashioned ring about them.”
Mahatma Gandhi, a lawyer, became a famous proponent of non-violence as he led the successful Indian protest against the British occupation, or Raj. In a1919 speech he said:
“I am talking the other day to a member of the much-abused Civil Service. I have not much in common with the members of that Service, but I could not help admiring the manner in which he was speaking to me. He said: Mr. Gandhi, do you for one moment suppose that all we Civil Servants are a bad lot, that we want to oppress the people whom we have come to govern?” “No,” I said. “Then, if you get the opportunity, put in a word for the much-abused Civil Service.”
While these techniques may seem relatively benign, there are numerous ways in which political storytelling can seriously mislead and manipulate listeners, with often horrific results. Both Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich and its predecessor, the Weimar Republic, reworked old German fairy tales such as “Sleeping Beauty” to reflect their anti-Semitic agenda. In many countries, women’s rights are curtailed due to cultural beliefs and local folklore saying a woman’s place is in the home. And because the prevailing storyline of the American South for 350 years was that Africans were less than human, slavery was considered perfectly moral.
In connection with the general election in Indonesia on April 9, I felt that we should try to learn from history. Storytelling, like any other powerful tool, can be used by the power elite and the opposition – for good or for evil. So, it is our obligation as voters, to recognize when it’s being used.
One of the late US President Ronald Reagan’s favorite stories concerned the meeting of two men, one from the USA, the other a Soviet citizen.
“In my country,” said the American, “I can walk straight into the Oval Office and say that I don’t like the way Ronald Reagan is running the United States.”
“I can do that with Gorbachev, too,” replied the Soviet.
Having heard about Soviet repression, the American was incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding!” he said.
“Not at all,” replied the Soviet. “I can walk straight into Gorbachev’s office and say, “I don’t like the way Ronald Reagan is running the United States!”
In our cynical age, you might readily agree that politicians make great storytellers. After all, a common definition of “storyteller” is liar. But even the most jaded observers of politicians know that storytelling has long been a powerful tool for persuasion.
On May 13, 1901, Winston Churchill, who went on to become Prime Minister, gave a speech to the British Parliament in which he argued against increased government funding for the British Army. The language is a bit flowery, but the story stands out loud and clear:
“The government of the day threw their weight on the side of the great spending Departments, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Churchill’s father) resigned. The controversy was bitter, the struggle uncertain, but in the end the Government triumphed, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer went down forever, and with him, as it now seems, fell also the cause of retrenchment and economy, so that the very memory thereof seems to have perished, and the words themselves have a curiously old-fashioned ring about them.”
Mahatma Gandhi, a lawyer, became a famous proponent of non-violence as he led the successful Indian protest against the British occupation, or Raj. In a1919 speech he said:
“I am talking the other day to a member of the much-abused Civil Service. I have not much in common with the members of that Service, but I could not help admiring the manner in which he was speaking to me. He said: Mr. Gandhi, do you for one moment suppose that all we Civil Servants are a bad lot, that we want to oppress the people whom we have come to govern?” “No,” I said. “Then, if you get the opportunity, put in a word for the much-abused Civil Service.”
While these techniques may seem relatively benign, there are numerous ways in which political storytelling can seriously mislead and manipulate listeners, with often horrific results. Both Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich and its predecessor, the Weimar Republic, reworked old German fairy tales such as “Sleeping Beauty” to reflect their anti-Semitic agenda. In many countries, women’s rights are curtailed due to cultural beliefs and local folklore saying a woman’s place is in the home. And because the prevailing storyline of the American South for 350 years was that Africans were less than human, slavery was considered perfectly moral.
In connection with the general election in Indonesia on April 9, I felt that we should try to learn from history. Storytelling, like any other powerful tool, can be used by the power elite and the opposition – for good or for evil. So, it is our obligation as voters, to recognize when it’s being used.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tragedy in Medan
Since May 1998, Indonesia has gone through a process of democratization which has often been excessive and even chaotic.
And last Tuesday, the process faced its worst test when the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament (DPRD) Abdul Aziz Angkat died of heart attack after an angry mob ransacked the house of parliament last Tuesday.
According to The Jakarta Globe, the tragedy happened after Abdul Aziz, who was meeting with other member of DPRD, refused to meet with 2,000 demonstrators who came to the DPRD to demand the creation of a Tapanuli Province separate from North Sumatera. Angered by the said refusal, the demonstrators forced their way into the meeting room.
A video footage of Metro TV showed the politician in severe pain, his hands holding his chest, beleaguered by the mob. Several riot policemen and security guards tried to take him out of the building, but failed because they were outnumbered by the mob. A diagnosis by the Gleneagles Hospital in Medan described that Abdul had died from a heart attack.
Due to the above tragic incident, Kompas reported that many politicians have demanded the Chief of North Sumatera Police and Chief of Medan Police to resign. As a response, the Chief of National Police Bambang Danuri has instructed the Police Supervision Inspector to conduct on the spot investigation in Medan.
What happened to Abdul Aziz is clearly a tragedy for human being, therefore the law enforcement agencies should take legal action on those responsible for the incident, and take appropriate actions to prevent it from happening again. That way, the democratization process can be carried out smoothly & safely.
Pic:WaspadaOnline
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Trafficking of Children
For many years, Indonesia has been plagued by big problems related to the illegal trafficking of children, but only few were exposed to the public.
One of the victim was Erwin, who according to Hukum Online was two months old when an Irish couple Joseph and Lala Dowse brought him to Ireland in 2001, processed adoption, changed his name to Tristan Dowse and arranged Irish nationality for him.
According to Wikipedia, two years later Lala got pregnant, so the couple sent Tristan back to the orphanage in Jakarta where they have adopted him, saying that the adoption didn't work.
The Indonesian Department of Social reacted by claiming that the adoption was illegal, which was denied by the Irish Adoption Board.
In 2006, an Irish court ordered the Dowses to pay an immediate lump sum of €20,000 to Tristan, maintenance of €350 per month until he is 18 years of age, and a further lump sum of €25,000 when he reaches the age of 18. In addition, Tristan would remain an Irish citizen and enjoy all the rights to the Dowses’ estate, and Tristan’s mother Suryani was appointed his sole legal guardian.
What happened to Erwin=Tristan is actually not so bad compared to many thousand others whose faith were uncertain. According to The Jakarta Globe, Local and international groups have estimated that more than 100,000 Indonesian women and children are trafficked annually for commercial sex exploitation, to foreign countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
In order to prevent Trafficking of Women & Children to foreign countries, nine years ago, our government has signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes, which was ratified by the parliament (DPR) last December. Further, on Tuesday the DPR ratified the UN Protocol Againts Human Trafficking.
As a conclussion, I felt that now that we have our national laws and the above UN Conventions, the law enforcement would have no more problem to protect our Children from becoming victims of human trafficking, and to take actions against any violators.
One of the victim was Erwin, who according to Hukum Online was two months old when an Irish couple Joseph and Lala Dowse brought him to Ireland in 2001, processed adoption, changed his name to Tristan Dowse and arranged Irish nationality for him.
According to Wikipedia, two years later Lala got pregnant, so the couple sent Tristan back to the orphanage in Jakarta where they have adopted him, saying that the adoption didn't work.
The Indonesian Department of Social reacted by claiming that the adoption was illegal, which was denied by the Irish Adoption Board.
In 2006, an Irish court ordered the Dowses to pay an immediate lump sum of €20,000 to Tristan, maintenance of €350 per month until he is 18 years of age, and a further lump sum of €25,000 when he reaches the age of 18. In addition, Tristan would remain an Irish citizen and enjoy all the rights to the Dowses’ estate, and Tristan’s mother Suryani was appointed his sole legal guardian.
What happened to Erwin=Tristan is actually not so bad compared to many thousand others whose faith were uncertain. According to The Jakarta Globe, Local and international groups have estimated that more than 100,000 Indonesian women and children are trafficked annually for commercial sex exploitation, to foreign countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
In order to prevent Trafficking of Women & Children to foreign countries, nine years ago, our government has signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes, which was ratified by the parliament (DPR) last December. Further, on Tuesday the DPR ratified the UN Protocol Againts Human Trafficking.
As a conclussion, I felt that now that we have our national laws and the above UN Conventions, the law enforcement would have no more problem to protect our Children from becoming victims of human trafficking, and to take actions against any violators.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Elections Preparations
The Parliamentary Election (9 April 09) is still two months away yet rivalry among candidates is heating day after day.
Faces of the candidates appeared on street banners, TV, newspapers/magazines, etc. making big promises which are often confusing and boring. For example last Thursday evening, Laksamana Sukardi of Partai Demokrasi Pembaruan/PDP (Democratic Reform Party) told the audience of MetroTV about his plans, while actually the audience asked him about his achievements.
And there was the polemic between Megawati and President SBY regarding the latter’s decision to decrease fuel several times as reported by Kompas.
The latest one is the uproar caused by President SBY’s allegation that some Army and Police generals are waging Anti S campaign as reported by Detik.
Moreover, there is the verdict of the Constitutional Court which ruled that the election would be determined by majority votes, which according to The Jakarta Globe is protested by female activists who feared would lessened their chances to be elected.
This year's election is troublesome because there are 34 political parties competing, but only those which win 20% of the vote can name a candidate for the presidential election next July. Thus, although there are many people who want to be president, incl. 4 retired generals, only 2 will have a chance i.e. President SBY and former President Megawati.
On top of that, the elections would costs more than Rp 3 Trillions according to Nielsen as quoted by Kompas, which is too much to waste at a time when we are facing a global economic crisis.
As a conclusion I felt that the election candidates should do their very best to win the hearts of the people in order to be elected, and to keep their promises after they are elected.
Faces of the candidates appeared on street banners, TV, newspapers/magazines, etc. making big promises which are often confusing and boring. For example last Thursday evening, Laksamana Sukardi of Partai Demokrasi Pembaruan/PDP (Democratic Reform Party) told the audience of MetroTV about his plans, while actually the audience asked him about his achievements.
And there was the polemic between Megawati and President SBY regarding the latter’s decision to decrease fuel several times as reported by Kompas.
The latest one is the uproar caused by President SBY’s allegation that some Army and Police generals are waging Anti S campaign as reported by Detik.
Moreover, there is the verdict of the Constitutional Court which ruled that the election would be determined by majority votes, which according to The Jakarta Globe is protested by female activists who feared would lessened their chances to be elected.
This year's election is troublesome because there are 34 political parties competing, but only those which win 20% of the vote can name a candidate for the presidential election next July. Thus, although there are many people who want to be president, incl. 4 retired generals, only 2 will have a chance i.e. President SBY and former President Megawati.
On top of that, the elections would costs more than Rp 3 Trillions according to Nielsen as quoted by Kompas, which is too much to waste at a time when we are facing a global economic crisis.
As a conclusion I felt that the election candidates should do their very best to win the hearts of the people in order to be elected, and to keep their promises after they are elected.
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