“Tag this photo!”, shouted a friend. “Tag that one!”, said another. I hear these words a lot when I carry around my black Nikon D60 while hanging out with friends at our old high school, cafes, and malls. It is as if our gathering was arranged in the first place primarily so it could be publicised on Facebook.
I accordingly upload and tag the requested photos. The photos I add are just a few out of more than 800 million uploaded to the site each month.
What is it about Facebook that makes its 150 million users sacrifice the precious time they have to upload that many pictures? A lot of factors can be attributed to this phenomenon; and uploading pictures is certainly not the only feature on this and similar sites that people make routine use of.
Other features that people can’t stay away from include the core functions such as Profile, Friends, Networks and additional applications such as Notes, Groups, Events, and Posted Items. The key to the growth of Facebook lies in the simplicity and originality of these features.
The Facebook statistics are staggering. In one month, there are more than 5 million videos uploaded; 20 million pieces of content, such as web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, and photos shared, and as many as 2 million events created.
Facebook started out in February 2004 when 20-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard friends conceived the idea of a social networking site, originally to create a network for university students. The site became an instant success and expanded to other Ivy League universities such as Stanford, Columbia, and Yale Universities. By the end of the year, Facebook had reached nearly 1 million users.
Although displaying users’ profiles is hardly a new feature on social networking sites, the way Facebook displays them is somewhat different in that it is more subject to social interaction. The Wall feature on the Profile is a simple, effective way to communicate Facebook activities to the world. “We can talk about anything; we can even send emoticons and cute gifts,” said Karin, who logs in to her Facebook account every day.
“Ghian is now friends with Fransisca Laij”, “Ghian is excitedly waiting for a President Obama”, or “Ghian commented on his own photo”, these pieces of information are typical examples of Facebook’s Wall entries; these can be commented on and feed our need both to tell other people what have we been doing and, as we scroll through the pages of our friends, to find out what they have been doing.
However, this can also turn out to be a major inconvenience.
I certainly wouldn’t like my friends to comment obsessively on “Ghian went from being ‘in a relationship’ to ‘single’”. I wouldn’t like it either if other parties read my “Wall-to-Wall”, a feature that allows us to display our posts on a friend’s profile and read his or her replies. For the former, I can settle the issue by simply altering my privacy setting whereas for the latter, I wouldn’t even know it if anybody has attempted to do such thing.
A feature called ‘News Feed’, acts as the groundwork for our Facebook experience. It randomly picks out any friend’s activities and shows them on the Home page, thus providing us with potentially interesting information which we might want to learn more about.
The News Feed is another important element in Facebook. If you have, say, one thousand friends, it is impossible to keep track on all of your friends. This is where News Feed comes in handy; you might have been tagged on a long-awaited picture, a childhood friend might now be in a relationship with your co-worker, a group in which you are affiliated to might host an event that you might be interested in attending to. News Feed can offer that element of surprise which can easily slip through the cracks.
The Photo application is another feature crucial to the Facebook experience. The two elements that appeal to users are tag and comment. When a friend ‘tags’ you in a photo, you will be notified and be given a direct link to it. This way, the variety of photos in your profile does not entirely depend on yourself. If you feel uncomfortable with any of your tagged photos, you can simply click ‘remove tag’ and you cannot be tagged again into the same photo.
“It’s something new. You could share photos with friends and family in a click, plus you could chat and comment as much as you want with them,” said Putri, a Facebook user who has been tagged 433 times.
A unique feature that Facebook provides is its Applications. Users not only can enjoy them; they are wikis; they can create them. Most Facebook Applications are created by users around the world.
Facebook Applications has added a new dimension in social networking websites. Users can engage in activities other than commenting on a photo or posting an entry on other users’ wall. They can now send virtual plants to grow in an Application called ‘(lil) Green Patch’; they can now describe five characteristics of a friend through ‘iDescribe’; they can even arrange their own soccer team comprised of their Facebook friends through ‘Premier Football’.
“My favorite Application is iDescribe,” said Annisa, a digital native.
For digital natives, the generation that has grown up with digital technology, Facebook has become the social tool in this era of the Internet. However, they aren’t the only ones who are exploring the social networking site. The fastest growing demographic of Facebook users is, in fact, those who are 30 years old and older.
That was one of the main viewpoints that Professor Sarlito Sarwono expressed when I interviewed him about the Facebook social phenomenon.
Professor Sarwono is a well respected expert in his field. He obtained a Bachelor of Psychology degree at University of Indonesia and a Masters degree in Psychology from Leiden University. He has written dozens of books on psychology that discuss social issues, adolescent issues, and sexology issues. He has been attending international seminars for thirty years, lectured in various universities for forty years, both home and abroad, spent time at Cornell University as a visiting professor.
For a sixty four year old, he is still very much up and running. He is now a professor on the Faculty of Psychology on his almamater, UI, and on Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Kepolisian. Professor Sarwono is still active in writing, giving speeches, and consulting. He is respected as one of the great social thinkers of this country.
“Facebook is just one of the new social tools of current young adults,” he explains. “On the other hand, it is not just for young people. I myself have a Facebook account, and among my friends are ministers, mayors, medical doctors, as well as other professionals, and my ex-students.”
Whether Facebook will endure still remains to be seen. Although the young adults comprise a hefty segment of the users, the professor is not optimistic regarding the site’s future. “Facebook will also fade out once there is a better medium or technology; it happened to Friendster.”
The rise of Facebook is driven by the concept of ‘online social playground’. People nowadays can communicate with each other through a keyboard and a glass that emits lights and colours, while having the sensation that the conversation partner is right next to us. However, chatting with friends face-to-face in a café and chatting with them through Facebook, even from a café, are completely different experiences.
“They are not similar, of course. Cyber social interactions can never replace real person-to-person live interactions,” the professor argues.
He also emphasises that Facebook cannot reach a majority of society. “Facebook is only for those who are able to access computers, particularly the Internet.” Moreover, he adds, the generation gap on the technology can also become a factor. “Not everybody is interested in learning how to operate computers.”
With the digital natives becoming increasingly plugged in to their smarphones such as iPhone and Blackberry, this ‘Facebook Revolution’ has the potential to change fundamentally the way young adults communicate or will communicate in the future. However, Professor Sarwono thinks otherwise.
“It is the Internet, not just Facebook. The possibility of virtual communication, including e-mail, blog, and etc, changed the life of all human beings, not just young adults,” he explains.
One of the main reasons why millions of Facebook users log in to the site, or to any social networking site for that matter, is because of the natural expression of human curiosity. We are curious about how other people are doing and feel the need to stay updated with the latest news, by our nature.
“Everybody needs to know what are other people doing,” the professor affirms. “When you meet somebody on the street, you will automatically ask ‘Apa kabar?’. Gossip and infotainment are some other forms of the expressions of human curiosity.”
Nowadays, Facebook has somewhat become a necessity, if you don’t want to miss all of the latest topics among your friends. For non-digital natives, Facebook presents the dilemma of jumping on the bandwagon or not. One could survive without having a Facebook account. However, going into the 21st century, the era of the Internet where the world is more connected than ever, not having a Facebook account may prove to be like living in a secluded cave, while life goes on outside.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
How real is reality?
Television is a mass communication medium that provides various both entertainment and information to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
It has existed for many years and its content has been presented in many ways; what we are going to discuss is the television shows that are categorized as “reality shows”. For the sake of this report we will exclude documentary, news, and non-fictional television programs from the definition.
The reality television programming popularly known as “reality shows” can be presented in many forms. Reality shows are produced in the form of games, quiz, or many other structures that in some countries, particularly Japan, can be regarded as absurd, silly, and ridiculous.
Even before television, radio produced programs intended to illustrate the realities of their subjects, people, or situations; these also were unscripted. There has long been an appetite for reality in the entertainment media. The audience wants to see into other people’s lives and producers love the low production costs.
An appearance on a television show can make people instant celebrities; however they need to sacrifice some of their privacy and dignity. Their lives become more open to scrutiny when the shows are broadcast. The early reality shows, starting the 1960s, were becoming too personal, they focused for instance on poverty, weddings and dating games. The reality shows with which we are most familiar started to become popular in the 1980s. The shows began utilizing modern technology; cameras and microphones became small enough to be easily moveable and virtually unobtrusive. Current technology shortens editing hours, and modern trends are to make quick cuts and to include dramatic or suspenseful music to make up for their lack on the raw footage.
Nowadays, reality shows are numerous and it is almost impossible to list them. This clearly demonstrates their popularity – both among their producers and the audiences.
With widely broadcast programs, the shows could make people instant celebrities, causing unprepared people a great deal of personal anxiety. Programs like Kontes Dangdut Indonesia (KDI), Akademi Fantasi Indosiar (AFI) and Indonesian Idol have made the participants famous. Not all of those people can cope with sudden fame; some of them ended up having psychological problems that created difficulties in their lives. One example is Januarisman (Aris), the winner of Indonesian Idol 2008, whose family became so disturbed by the sudden change of life style, as a result of the constant intruding of the fans.
It isn’t just the contestants who suffer negative impact, however. The audiences themselves suffer a degree of degradation. People seem to enjoy watching the humiliation of people pictured in the shows. We find that people are in an awkward situation and are being humiliated, but the viewers seem to enjoy the scenes. Things like this can be seen in Fear Factor or other programs, that encourage the audience to enjoy humiliation as entertainment.
However, reality shows have also some impact politically in some countries, especially those under authoritarian regimes. People in a country like China, for instance, find that unscripted shows demonstrate freedom of expression and doing thing differently.
In Middle East countries, particularly Muslim countries like Afghanistan, women are strictly forbidden to do things openly. Afghan women see that they really want to have the same freedom as the women who live in other countries. Reality shows have contributed a vision and depiction an alternative lifestyle. So it is not all that bad.
However, some shows sometimes are not really “reality”; they are made to appear as such by some coaching beforehand. This arguably makes a reality show a “fake” show. These participants can be seen more as actors, having gone through drills by the show crews and, of course, they would undergo some post-production processing before being broadcast .
Many people make negative comments about these shows, especially those which were produced by the local TV stations in Indonesia.
“Oh no, all reality shows in Indonesia are fake “, Titi said to her friend.
Sad to say, some television shows are copying each other’s ideas. Therefore, we may find many so-called “reality shows” produced by local TV stations; different types of shows yet with great similarities among them.
Like it or not, reality shows play an important role in our life. With a very simple concept, it could be seen as a reflection of ordinary people’s lives or even offering some insights into the lives of some successful or high achieving people.
The latter should be seen as motivating factors, inspiring people to try to reach similar achievements. Some reality television programs originally produced in the early 2000s in the United States have reached extreme popularity throughout the world and it can be seen that many countries, including Indonesia, have tried hard to copy the ideas. TV series like: The Survivor and American Idol have been at the top of the list in the United States and also have enjoyed a lot of publicity. As such they have had a wide impact globally.
There are some other series that are successful and even have been franchised in many countries, including Indonesia, for instance: Indonesian Idol.
But, is it true that all reality shows in Indonesia are “fake” shows?
A reality show is just entertainment. If you see most reality shows in Indonesia, you’ll see that they are generally something that relates to people, events or current situations. A portrait of life may be featured by an ordinary person, not a celebrity. The only reason not to use the celebrity as the actor is because the story is about real daily life activities. It is simple, yet it is intended to be an entertaining program.
What makes people judge that reality shows in Indonesia are not really reality?
There is no reality show that is one hundred percent real. If the producer tries to make it a “real” reality show, it might not be a reality show; it should be called a documentary. The mission of a reality show is to entertain society and to be enjoyed. With a little bit of exaggeration, the show will be more dramatic. But, the show must be good so people will not get bored while watching the show.
Among the reality shows currently being shown on the local TV stations in Indonesia are:
1. Pacar usil (Naughty boy/girl friend): shown in AnTV – it is a rather unique program featuring the naughtiness of a boy or girl friend making fun on each other.
2. Orang ke tiga (The 3rd person), featuring a problem of a spouse with the 3rd person entering in their lives.
3. John Pantau: criticizing the life style of people. For instance, the life of the government employees.
4. Termehek-mehek: stories about man or woman who wanted to rebuild a relationship with their ex.
5. Maafin dong ( Please forgive me) : a reality shows supposedly to help people to express their regret and asking for forgiveness
6. Cinta monyet: is about the first love stories of early teens.
7. Pacar pertama (First boy/girl friend) : about the first girl or boy friend
8. Cinlok: is about love affairs between celebrities during the film making at the shooting location.
9. Kacau (chaos): is regarding the chaotic situations in one’s life in a day.
10. Playboy kabel : featuring the life of four playboys trying to get some ‘victims’
11. Backstreet ; about secret or unapproved love
12.Makin gaya : about improving the appearance of person through changing their make-up and dress style
13. Mata-mata : is about unapproved boy or girl friend by the parent
14. CLBK : featuring of the returning old love
15. Jika aku menjadi.... (If I were….) : is about people who must try to live in the conflicting situation from the one they have
As we can see, some of those programs are simply made to entertain and as stated before, people love to see other people being victimized, but many of them are about boy -girl relationships.
Everybody should realize that Termehek-Mehek, Katakan Cinta, Playboy Kabel, three shows categorized as “Love Reality Shows”, are selling dramatic love scenes regardless of their relation to reality.
“Ah, Termehek-Mehek is fake. It is all scripted. The story wasn’t making any sense at all” said Titi, an extra on CLBK when I asked her opinion on reality shows.
What is now becoming very popular but sacrificing the privacy of many people is the kind show that is called “infotainment”. These shows usually are very gossipy and intrude in the personal matters of the celebrities.
What is disturbing is that the privacy of the people in the show is being openly described, often up the level of humiliating the persons. Even those who are facing marital problems that may lead to real divorce, nothing is hidden and even some very private matters are exposed openly. The programs are also on the celebrities that are still in the initial stages of developing a relationship, but it is not limited to that. Some feature the sad part of a celebrity’s life like what happened to the late Sophan Sofyan who died tragically in a motorbike accident in East Java while participating in the Independence Day 2008 celebration.
The Nielsen Media Research (NMR) survey found that reality show viewers may also want the chance to shine in their life, as we see in their favorite reality shows: star-search contests. Shows such as Indonesian Idol, AFI, and KDI give ordinary people the chance to change their lives 180 degrees by becoming singing stars or comedians.
"More young Indonesians want the chance to appear on such shows. In conclusion, many of them want to improve their lives dramatically," NMR executive director Irawati Pratignyo said during an interview in 2004. People seem so desperate to change their lives by taking short cut – a quick, easy way. In reality, it is not that easy and may even lead to a lot of difficulties in their life.
Nielsen did not explain the new trend, simply saying that horror and mystery shows remain the most popular for TV audiences. In terms of popularity, children's programs and entertainment shows, including reality shows and celebrity gossip programs, followed horror and mystery series and are still favored by the Indonesian viewers.
Reality shows apparently provide a glimmer hope for many ordinary people, but most of them will probably never get their big break to appear on let alone win on these shows. At least, these shows have some educational value for the contestants, in that they may at least gain some performing experience at the auditions.
Whatever one thinks of reality shows, the truth is they are not real. They can’t be real. Having a camera and a microphone in an ordinary person’s face is not reality. It is, however, entertainment. That’s why they are produced and that’s why they are watched. If one wants genuine reality, one would be well advised to turn off the television, get up from the sofa and go out into the real world.
It has existed for many years and its content has been presented in many ways; what we are going to discuss is the television shows that are categorized as “reality shows”. For the sake of this report we will exclude documentary, news, and non-fictional television programs from the definition.
The reality television programming popularly known as “reality shows” can be presented in many forms. Reality shows are produced in the form of games, quiz, or many other structures that in some countries, particularly Japan, can be regarded as absurd, silly, and ridiculous.
Even before television, radio produced programs intended to illustrate the realities of their subjects, people, or situations; these also were unscripted. There has long been an appetite for reality in the entertainment media. The audience wants to see into other people’s lives and producers love the low production costs.
An appearance on a television show can make people instant celebrities; however they need to sacrifice some of their privacy and dignity. Their lives become more open to scrutiny when the shows are broadcast. The early reality shows, starting the 1960s, were becoming too personal, they focused for instance on poverty, weddings and dating games. The reality shows with which we are most familiar started to become popular in the 1980s. The shows began utilizing modern technology; cameras and microphones became small enough to be easily moveable and virtually unobtrusive. Current technology shortens editing hours, and modern trends are to make quick cuts and to include dramatic or suspenseful music to make up for their lack on the raw footage.
Nowadays, reality shows are numerous and it is almost impossible to list them. This clearly demonstrates their popularity – both among their producers and the audiences.
With widely broadcast programs, the shows could make people instant celebrities, causing unprepared people a great deal of personal anxiety. Programs like Kontes Dangdut Indonesia (KDI), Akademi Fantasi Indosiar (AFI) and Indonesian Idol have made the participants famous. Not all of those people can cope with sudden fame; some of them ended up having psychological problems that created difficulties in their lives. One example is Januarisman (Aris), the winner of Indonesian Idol 2008, whose family became so disturbed by the sudden change of life style, as a result of the constant intruding of the fans.
It isn’t just the contestants who suffer negative impact, however. The audiences themselves suffer a degree of degradation. People seem to enjoy watching the humiliation of people pictured in the shows. We find that people are in an awkward situation and are being humiliated, but the viewers seem to enjoy the scenes. Things like this can be seen in Fear Factor or other programs, that encourage the audience to enjoy humiliation as entertainment.
However, reality shows have also some impact politically in some countries, especially those under authoritarian regimes. People in a country like China, for instance, find that unscripted shows demonstrate freedom of expression and doing thing differently.
In Middle East countries, particularly Muslim countries like Afghanistan, women are strictly forbidden to do things openly. Afghan women see that they really want to have the same freedom as the women who live in other countries. Reality shows have contributed a vision and depiction an alternative lifestyle. So it is not all that bad.
However, some shows sometimes are not really “reality”; they are made to appear as such by some coaching beforehand. This arguably makes a reality show a “fake” show. These participants can be seen more as actors, having gone through drills by the show crews and, of course, they would undergo some post-production processing before being broadcast .
Many people make negative comments about these shows, especially those which were produced by the local TV stations in Indonesia.
“Oh no, all reality shows in Indonesia are fake “, Titi said to her friend.
Sad to say, some television shows are copying each other’s ideas. Therefore, we may find many so-called “reality shows” produced by local TV stations; different types of shows yet with great similarities among them.
Like it or not, reality shows play an important role in our life. With a very simple concept, it could be seen as a reflection of ordinary people’s lives or even offering some insights into the lives of some successful or high achieving people.
The latter should be seen as motivating factors, inspiring people to try to reach similar achievements. Some reality television programs originally produced in the early 2000s in the United States have reached extreme popularity throughout the world and it can be seen that many countries, including Indonesia, have tried hard to copy the ideas. TV series like: The Survivor and American Idol have been at the top of the list in the United States and also have enjoyed a lot of publicity. As such they have had a wide impact globally.
There are some other series that are successful and even have been franchised in many countries, including Indonesia, for instance: Indonesian Idol.
But, is it true that all reality shows in Indonesia are “fake” shows?
A reality show is just entertainment. If you see most reality shows in Indonesia, you’ll see that they are generally something that relates to people, events or current situations. A portrait of life may be featured by an ordinary person, not a celebrity. The only reason not to use the celebrity as the actor is because the story is about real daily life activities. It is simple, yet it is intended to be an entertaining program.
What makes people judge that reality shows in Indonesia are not really reality?
There is no reality show that is one hundred percent real. If the producer tries to make it a “real” reality show, it might not be a reality show; it should be called a documentary. The mission of a reality show is to entertain society and to be enjoyed. With a little bit of exaggeration, the show will be more dramatic. But, the show must be good so people will not get bored while watching the show.
Among the reality shows currently being shown on the local TV stations in Indonesia are:
1. Pacar usil (Naughty boy/girl friend): shown in AnTV – it is a rather unique program featuring the naughtiness of a boy or girl friend making fun on each other.
2. Orang ke tiga (The 3rd person), featuring a problem of a spouse with the 3rd person entering in their lives.
3. John Pantau: criticizing the life style of people. For instance, the life of the government employees.
4. Termehek-mehek: stories about man or woman who wanted to rebuild a relationship with their ex.
5. Maafin dong ( Please forgive me) : a reality shows supposedly to help people to express their regret and asking for forgiveness
6. Cinta monyet: is about the first love stories of early teens.
7. Pacar pertama (First boy/girl friend) : about the first girl or boy friend
8. Cinlok: is about love affairs between celebrities during the film making at the shooting location.
9. Kacau (chaos): is regarding the chaotic situations in one’s life in a day.
10. Playboy kabel : featuring the life of four playboys trying to get some ‘victims’
11. Backstreet ; about secret or unapproved love
12.Makin gaya : about improving the appearance of person through changing their make-up and dress style
13. Mata-mata : is about unapproved boy or girl friend by the parent
14. CLBK : featuring of the returning old love
15. Jika aku menjadi.... (If I were….) : is about people who must try to live in the conflicting situation from the one they have
As we can see, some of those programs are simply made to entertain and as stated before, people love to see other people being victimized, but many of them are about boy -girl relationships.
Everybody should realize that Termehek-Mehek, Katakan Cinta, Playboy Kabel, three shows categorized as “Love Reality Shows”, are selling dramatic love scenes regardless of their relation to reality.
“Ah, Termehek-Mehek is fake. It is all scripted. The story wasn’t making any sense at all” said Titi, an extra on CLBK when I asked her opinion on reality shows.
What is now becoming very popular but sacrificing the privacy of many people is the kind show that is called “infotainment”. These shows usually are very gossipy and intrude in the personal matters of the celebrities.
What is disturbing is that the privacy of the people in the show is being openly described, often up the level of humiliating the persons. Even those who are facing marital problems that may lead to real divorce, nothing is hidden and even some very private matters are exposed openly. The programs are also on the celebrities that are still in the initial stages of developing a relationship, but it is not limited to that. Some feature the sad part of a celebrity’s life like what happened to the late Sophan Sofyan who died tragically in a motorbike accident in East Java while participating in the Independence Day 2008 celebration.
The Nielsen Media Research (NMR) survey found that reality show viewers may also want the chance to shine in their life, as we see in their favorite reality shows: star-search contests. Shows such as Indonesian Idol, AFI, and KDI give ordinary people the chance to change their lives 180 degrees by becoming singing stars or comedians.
"More young Indonesians want the chance to appear on such shows. In conclusion, many of them want to improve their lives dramatically," NMR executive director Irawati Pratignyo said during an interview in 2004. People seem so desperate to change their lives by taking short cut – a quick, easy way. In reality, it is not that easy and may even lead to a lot of difficulties in their life.
Nielsen did not explain the new trend, simply saying that horror and mystery shows remain the most popular for TV audiences. In terms of popularity, children's programs and entertainment shows, including reality shows and celebrity gossip programs, followed horror and mystery series and are still favored by the Indonesian viewers.
Reality shows apparently provide a glimmer hope for many ordinary people, but most of them will probably never get their big break to appear on let alone win on these shows. At least, these shows have some educational value for the contestants, in that they may at least gain some performing experience at the auditions.
Whatever one thinks of reality shows, the truth is they are not real. They can’t be real. Having a camera and a microphone in an ordinary person’s face is not reality. It is, however, entertainment. That’s why they are produced and that’s why they are watched. If one wants genuine reality, one would be well advised to turn off the television, get up from the sofa and go out into the real world.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
CNN: Sober Obama speech draws on surprising sources
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barack Obama, who shot from obscurity to fame based on a single speech and then captured the White House in a campaign marked by soaring rhetoric, delivered a restrained, sober inaugural address Tuesday.
Gone was the mantra-like "Yes we can" chanted by supporters, which Obama invoked as a refrain right through his victory speech on Election Night.
Largely absent, too, were citations from the two historical figures on whose shoulders Obama stood Tuesday -- Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., both of whom he quoted on the night of his triumph in November.
He took his oath of office on Lincoln's 1861 inaugural Bible, closing a circle of symbolism that began when he declared his candidacy for president two years ago on the same spot in Illinois where Lincoln launched his own first campaign.
But other than mentioning "the lash of the whip," an echo of Lincoln's towering second inaugural address, and "gathering clouds and raging storms," Obama did not seem to quote the 16th president.
And, perhaps thinking that the simple fact of an African-American being sworn in as president was sufficiently drenched with significance, he made only the most glancing reference to King. "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers," Obama said, a contemporary variation on King's hope that "Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics" would one day join hands and sing.
In fact, if the speech could be said to have an animating spirit, it was that of Thomas Paine, the great 18th-century pamphleteer who played a key role in the American and French revolutions.
Obama referred to "the rights of man," the title of a book Paine wrote in praise of the French Revolution.
And his speech ended with a long quote from Paine that George Washington ordered read to his troops when the revolt looked bleak for the Colonies: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it.)"
The passage comes from Paine's critical 1776 essay "The Crisis," which famously begins: "These are the times that try men's souls."
Indeed, Obama used the word "crisis" four times in his speech -- one more time than he used the word perhaps most closely identified with him: Hope.
"That we are in the midst of a crisis is now well-understood," Obama said, in a speech that warned Americans to prepare for a long, hard -- but certain -- slog toward better days.
He drew on the touchstones of American civic life, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, with phrases such as "we the people," "common defense" and "all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
He nodded towards John F. Kennedy with a reference to "rising tides of prosperity" and Franklin Roosevelt in saying Americans had chosen "hope over fear." And he seemed to carry on a bit of an argument with Ronald Reagan, listing key battlefields in American history ("Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn"), as Reagan did in his first inaugural, but rejecting the most famous phrase from that speech.
"Government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem," Reagan declared in 1981.
No, Obama seemed to respond 28 years later, "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works. ... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end ... because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."
He also borrowed a notion associated with Reagan, but running through American history right back to the Puritans, who in turn took it from the book of Isaiah: that American ideals "still light the world."
And his conclusion bookended the two great sources of quotes in the English language, Shakespeare and the Bible.
America, he said, may be experiencing "this winter of our hardship" -- riffing on Richard III's "winter of our discontent" -- but will prove "when we were tested" -- as Abraham was by God -- "we refused to let this journey end ... with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
(Original article can be found at http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.speech.sources/index.html?iref=topnews)
Gone was the mantra-like "Yes we can" chanted by supporters, which Obama invoked as a refrain right through his victory speech on Election Night.
Largely absent, too, were citations from the two historical figures on whose shoulders Obama stood Tuesday -- Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., both of whom he quoted on the night of his triumph in November.
He took his oath of office on Lincoln's 1861 inaugural Bible, closing a circle of symbolism that began when he declared his candidacy for president two years ago on the same spot in Illinois where Lincoln launched his own first campaign.
But other than mentioning "the lash of the whip," an echo of Lincoln's towering second inaugural address, and "gathering clouds and raging storms," Obama did not seem to quote the 16th president.
And, perhaps thinking that the simple fact of an African-American being sworn in as president was sufficiently drenched with significance, he made only the most glancing reference to King. "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers," Obama said, a contemporary variation on King's hope that "Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics" would one day join hands and sing.
In fact, if the speech could be said to have an animating spirit, it was that of Thomas Paine, the great 18th-century pamphleteer who played a key role in the American and French revolutions.
Obama referred to "the rights of man," the title of a book Paine wrote in praise of the French Revolution.
And his speech ended with a long quote from Paine that George Washington ordered read to his troops when the revolt looked bleak for the Colonies: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it.)"
The passage comes from Paine's critical 1776 essay "The Crisis," which famously begins: "These are the times that try men's souls."
Indeed, Obama used the word "crisis" four times in his speech -- one more time than he used the word perhaps most closely identified with him: Hope.
"That we are in the midst of a crisis is now well-understood," Obama said, in a speech that warned Americans to prepare for a long, hard -- but certain -- slog toward better days.
He drew on the touchstones of American civic life, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, with phrases such as "we the people," "common defense" and "all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
He nodded towards John F. Kennedy with a reference to "rising tides of prosperity" and Franklin Roosevelt in saying Americans had chosen "hope over fear." And he seemed to carry on a bit of an argument with Ronald Reagan, listing key battlefields in American history ("Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn"), as Reagan did in his first inaugural, but rejecting the most famous phrase from that speech.
"Government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem," Reagan declared in 1981.
No, Obama seemed to respond 28 years later, "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works. ... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end ... because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."
He also borrowed a notion associated with Reagan, but running through American history right back to the Puritans, who in turn took it from the book of Isaiah: that American ideals "still light the world."
And his conclusion bookended the two great sources of quotes in the English language, Shakespeare and the Bible.
America, he said, may be experiencing "this winter of our hardship" -- riffing on Richard III's "winter of our discontent" -- but will prove "when we were tested" -- as Abraham was by God -- "we refused to let this journey end ... with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
(Original article can be found at http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.speech.sources/index.html?iref=topnews)
BBC News: Obama speech censored in China
China has censored parts of the new US president's inauguration speech that have appeared on a number of websites.
Live footage of the event on state television also cut away from Barack Obama when communism was mentioned. China's leaders appear to have been upset by references to facing down communism and silencing dissent. English-language versions of the speech have been allowed on the internet, but many of the Chinese translations have omitted sensitive sections.
Selective editing
China keeps a firm grip on the country's media outlets and censors their news reports as a matter of routine. Like the rest of the world, it has been keenly following developments in the United States; President Obama's inauguration was front page news.
But the authorities seem not to want ordinary Chinese people to read the full, unexpurgated version of the president's speech.
In his inauguration address, President Obama said: "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." That entire passage was retained for an English-language version of the speech that appeared on the website of state-run Xinhua news agency. But in the Chinese-language version, the word "communism" was taken out.
President Obama's comments addressed to world leaders who "blame their society's ills on the West" also fell foul of the censor's red pen. "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history," the president said. Once again, Xinhua included the passage in full in its English version, but the sentence was taken out of the Chinese translation.
Similar changes were made to versions of the speech that appeared on other websites based in China. And websites were not the only media organisations that struggled to report some of the comments made by President Obama.
China Central Television, the country's main broadcaster, aired the speech live with a simultaneous Chinese translation.
But when the translator got to the part where President Obama talked about facing down communism, her voice suddenly faded away. The programme suddenly cut back to the studio, where an off-guard presenter had to quickly ask a guest a question.
Censoring sensitive news reports is nothing new in China, where officials go to great lengths to cut critical material.
These officials appear a little nervous about the arrival of a new US President, who might not be as friendly to China as President George W. Bush. As an editorial in the state-run China Daily put it: "Given the popular American eagerness for a break from the Bush years, many wonder, or worry to be precise, whether the new president would ignore the hard-earned progress in bilateral ties."
(Original article can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7841580.stm)
Live footage of the event on state television also cut away from Barack Obama when communism was mentioned. China's leaders appear to have been upset by references to facing down communism and silencing dissent. English-language versions of the speech have been allowed on the internet, but many of the Chinese translations have omitted sensitive sections.
Selective editing
China keeps a firm grip on the country's media outlets and censors their news reports as a matter of routine. Like the rest of the world, it has been keenly following developments in the United States; President Obama's inauguration was front page news.
But the authorities seem not to want ordinary Chinese people to read the full, unexpurgated version of the president's speech.
In his inauguration address, President Obama said: "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." That entire passage was retained for an English-language version of the speech that appeared on the website of state-run Xinhua news agency. But in the Chinese-language version, the word "communism" was taken out.
President Obama's comments addressed to world leaders who "blame their society's ills on the West" also fell foul of the censor's red pen. "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history," the president said. Once again, Xinhua included the passage in full in its English version, but the sentence was taken out of the Chinese translation.
Similar changes were made to versions of the speech that appeared on other websites based in China. And websites were not the only media organisations that struggled to report some of the comments made by President Obama.
China Central Television, the country's main broadcaster, aired the speech live with a simultaneous Chinese translation.
But when the translator got to the part where President Obama talked about facing down communism, her voice suddenly faded away. The programme suddenly cut back to the studio, where an off-guard presenter had to quickly ask a guest a question.
Censoring sensitive news reports is nothing new in China, where officials go to great lengths to cut critical material.
These officials appear a little nervous about the arrival of a new US President, who might not be as friendly to China as President George W. Bush. As an editorial in the state-run China Daily put it: "Given the popular American eagerness for a break from the Bush years, many wonder, or worry to be precise, whether the new president would ignore the hard-earned progress in bilateral ties."
(Original article can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7841580.stm)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The role of education in saving the world
The recent Israeli attack on Gaza has caught my attention to learn more about the issue of terrorism. With the Hamas trying to overthrow Israel no matter what while Israel will stand still, no matter what, the only conclusion I am able to draw is that it is an extremely complicated issue. Then again, there's the issue of climate change. The simple notion that mankind is contributing to its own home's destruction is apparently not enough to arouse an epiphany in all sides; if we do not take this problem seriously, we will suffer. The excuses range from economic reasons to practical issues, making it, too, a not so simple issue. Now there's this global financial crisis, an issue so complicated that I still have a less than mediocre understanding on the issue itself. But I understand one thing, numerous jobs have been lost and it's not doing the prices any good.
Now how on earth are we going to survive this era, one might think. While it is perhaps a grave misfortune for us to be living in this era, this also means that we are living in an era of opportunity. However, it's a long shot from turning the former set of mind into the latter. It is difficult because our culture teaches us not to care; it teaches us that our lives are separated from other people's lives.
The core problem of my generation, the well-educated, middle to upper class Indonesian youth who are coming of age in the dawn of the 21st century, is that as we are not directly affected by the major issues of our time, we are also not exposed enough to these issues. Our culture, and our education system for that matter, does not encourage us to help take care of the world; it only encourages us to take care of ourselves.
When we sit down at elementary school, we learn math. We study English. Throughout high school, biology and history added further complications to our heads. After we graduate from high school, we enter university passionately as we are finally able to study only in the fields that really caught our attention. We don't have to study physics if we don't want to.
While choosing a major in fashion design, music, or business management is in no way faulty, but just how many of those who do made the decision to became masters in the specified fields have in their minds the commitment to solve the climate change? The commitment to help relieve poverty in impoverished areas? The commitment to eradicate corruption in the government? When have we ever been directly exposed to the real problems in the world around us and be encouraged to do something about it?
As a result, our goals and definition of success have been limited only to ourselves. One should only look to two examples to learn the importance of education: Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors) and Barack Obama.
The based on a true story of Laskar Pelangi reflects just how education can shape one's character. It portrays the ever-wise Pak Harfan with his committed effort to teach his students the values of boldness to do the right thing and the ever-determined Bu Mus to be the window of the world for her students. One of their students, as a result, has become a man who inspires millions of people through his literary works.
The story of Barack Obama continues to dazzle the world. The Hawaii born son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, a guy whose 4 years of his childhood was spent in Indonesia, has been elected to become the 44th President of the United States. The man who received his education from Columbia University and Harvard Law School was directly exposed to the problems of the world when he was a community organizer in Chicago. It aroused him to help make change in a bigger scale, and, indeed, he inspired millions to follow his footsteps. One of his principles, he once declared: "Because it's only when you hit your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role that you'll play in writing the next great chapter in the American history."
A wise teacher of mine once said, "The greatest success stories are made by people who turn problems into opportunities."
If we are to fix this world that is troubled by issues as grave as terrorism, climate change, economic meltdown, we need to prepare future generations with proper insights that will equip them not only the mind needed to solve those problems, but more importantly, the heart. As we carry the burden of the issues facing the 21st century, it is in our hands to write mankind's greatest success stories.
(Original article can be found at http://cosmic-boy.blogspot.com/2008/12/role-of-education-in-saving-world.html and http://www.dailyavocado.net/musings/event-issues/359-the-role-of-education-in-saving-the-world.html)
Now how on earth are we going to survive this era, one might think. While it is perhaps a grave misfortune for us to be living in this era, this also means that we are living in an era of opportunity. However, it's a long shot from turning the former set of mind into the latter. It is difficult because our culture teaches us not to care; it teaches us that our lives are separated from other people's lives.
The core problem of my generation, the well-educated, middle to upper class Indonesian youth who are coming of age in the dawn of the 21st century, is that as we are not directly affected by the major issues of our time, we are also not exposed enough to these issues. Our culture, and our education system for that matter, does not encourage us to help take care of the world; it only encourages us to take care of ourselves.
When we sit down at elementary school, we learn math. We study English. Throughout high school, biology and history added further complications to our heads. After we graduate from high school, we enter university passionately as we are finally able to study only in the fields that really caught our attention. We don't have to study physics if we don't want to.
While choosing a major in fashion design, music, or business management is in no way faulty, but just how many of those who do made the decision to became masters in the specified fields have in their minds the commitment to solve the climate change? The commitment to help relieve poverty in impoverished areas? The commitment to eradicate corruption in the government? When have we ever been directly exposed to the real problems in the world around us and be encouraged to do something about it?
As a result, our goals and definition of success have been limited only to ourselves. One should only look to two examples to learn the importance of education: Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors) and Barack Obama.
The based on a true story of Laskar Pelangi reflects just how education can shape one's character. It portrays the ever-wise Pak Harfan with his committed effort to teach his students the values of boldness to do the right thing and the ever-determined Bu Mus to be the window of the world for her students. One of their students, as a result, has become a man who inspires millions of people through his literary works.
The story of Barack Obama continues to dazzle the world. The Hawaii born son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, a guy whose 4 years of his childhood was spent in Indonesia, has been elected to become the 44th President of the United States. The man who received his education from Columbia University and Harvard Law School was directly exposed to the problems of the world when he was a community organizer in Chicago. It aroused him to help make change in a bigger scale, and, indeed, he inspired millions to follow his footsteps. One of his principles, he once declared: "Because it's only when you hit your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role that you'll play in writing the next great chapter in the American history."
A wise teacher of mine once said, "The greatest success stories are made by people who turn problems into opportunities."
If we are to fix this world that is troubled by issues as grave as terrorism, climate change, economic meltdown, we need to prepare future generations with proper insights that will equip them not only the mind needed to solve those problems, but more importantly, the heart. As we carry the burden of the issues facing the 21st century, it is in our hands to write mankind's greatest success stories.
(Original article can be found at http://cosmic-boy.blogspot.com/2008/12/role-of-education-in-saving-world.html and http://www.dailyavocado.net/musings/event-issues/359-the-role-of-education-in-saving-the-world.html)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
World's Youngest Professor
Maybe this is an old story. But, she's my inspiration to study hard, and havin lots experiences. She was incredible. I'm proud of her. The most impossible thing I couldn't believe is that she started talking and reading when she was 8 months old! For further information, check this link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24273418/
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Learn Without Studying
7 Ways to Learn More Without More Study
"How would you like to learn more without having to study more?"
Here's the article: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2008/9/2/7-ways-to-learn-more-without-more-study.ht
"How would you like to learn more without having to study more?"
Here's the article: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2008/9/2/7-ways-to-learn-more-without-more-study.ht
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