HARGA energi dan pangan makin mahal. Kondisi ini membuat himpitan makin berat bagi masyarakat terutama golongan bawah. Dampak domino kenaikan harga energi dan bahan pangan terjadi pada semua sektor. Kemiskinan mengancam. Peran produk pangan dalam mendongkrak angka kemiskinan jauh lebih besar daripada bukan makanan, seperti perumahan, sandang, pendidikan dan kesehatan. Pada Maret 2008, sumbangan garis makanan terhadap garis kemiskinan sekitar 74,07 persen.
Meskipun data Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) 2008 menyatakan jumlah penduduk berada di bawah garis kemiskinan di Indonesia menurun, tetap harus diwaspadai. Data BPS menyebutkan pada Maret 2008 jumlah penduduk miskin sebesar 34,96 juta orang atau 15,42 persen. Dibandingkan periode sama tahun lalu, berjumlah 37,17 juta orang atau 16,58 persen. Dari angka ini penduduk miskin turun 2,21 juta orang. Periode Maret 2007-Maret 2008, penduduk miskin di perkotaan turun 0,79 juta dan di pedesaan berkurang 1,42 juta orang.
Harga minyak mentah terus berfluktusi, cenderung naik hingga mencapai angka tertinggi US$145 per barel. Ini membuat pemerintah kebingungan. APBN direvisi. Asumsi harga minyak diubah. Berbagai kebijakan penghematan energi dikaji, seperti kartu pintar buat premium, kartu kendali buat minyak tanah. Namun, akhirnya solusi lawas yang dipilih: menaikkan harga
bahan bakar minyak (BBM) sekitar 28 persen per Juni lalu.
Penolakan terjadi. Masyarakat sudah sulit dengan pangan mahal, masih ditambah harga BBM naik yang berujung kenaikan berbagai harga produk dan jasa.
Buat mengurangi beban masyarakat pemerintah memberikan bantuan tunai langsung (BLT) kepada 9,1 juta rakyat miskin. Lalu program penanggulangan kemiskinan melalui tiga kluster makin digalakkan. Pertama, program bantuan langsung seperti beras orang miskin (raskin), Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), Bantuan Operasional Sekolah (BOS) dan Jaminan Kesehatan Masyarakat (Jamkesmas).
Kedua, program pemberdayaan masyarakat, berupa bantuan langsung kepada kelompok masyarakat Rp3 miliar per kecamatan per tahun. Ketiga, program usaha mikro kecil (UMK) melalui kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) di bawah Rp 5 juta. Kredit yang dipinjamkan kepada masyarakat tanpa agunan sejak dikeluarkan November 2007 sudah tersalur Rp8,612 triliun dengan debitur 956.076 sampai awal Juli.
Menteri Negara Koperasi dan Usaha Kecil Menengah Suryadharma Ali mengatakan, pengembangan koperasi dan UMKM bisa menjadi salah satu solusi atasi kemiskinan. Antara lain melalui program KUR, penghapusan tagih tunggakan kredit usaha tani (KUT), dana program Perempuan Keluarga Sehat dan Sejahtera (Perkassa) pada tahun ini Rp100 miliar buat 1.000 koperasi wanita (kopwan). Lalu, dana bergulir yang anggarannya belum cair dan
lain-lain.
Usaha mikro, kecil menengah (UMKM) memang sektor yang mampu menyerap tenaga kerja besar. Sumbangan buat produk domestik bruto (PDB) juga lumayan. Tahun 2007 nilai PDB Indonesia mencapai Rp3,957,4 triliun, UKM berkontribusi Rp2.121,3 triliun atau 53,6 persen.
Dari data Kementerian Koperasi dan UKM, jumlah populasi UKM tahun lalu mencapai 49,8 juta unit atau 99,99 persen dari total usaha di Indonesia. Jumlah tenaga kerja mencapai 91,8 juta orang atau 97,3 persen dari seluruh tenaga kerja Indonesia.
Ekspor produk UKM tahun 2007 mencapai Rp 142,8 triliun atau 20 persen dari total ekspor nonmigas nasional Rp713,4 triliun. Nilai investasi fisik UKM yang dinyatakan dengan angka Pembentukan Modal Tetap Bruto (PMTB) tahun lalu Rp462,01 triliun atau 46,96 persen.
Dari gambaran ini, sektor UMKM memang berpotensi menggerakkan perekonomian, mengatasi pengangguran dan meredam kemiskinan. Semoga pemerintah sensitif melihat peluang ini. Sapariah Saturi Harsono
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
5 Things You Must Know About Sleep
Robin Lloyd
LiveScience Senior Editor
LiveScience.com
YOU’RE tired. You could put your head down on a desk right now and fall asleep immediately. You went to bed late last night, had trouble falling asleep and woke up too early. And let's not kid ourselves: Tonight will be the same unless ... well, read on.
This is the classic not-so-shut-eye experience of many Americans who think they are sleep-deprived and possibly need pills or other treatment to fix their insomnia, teeth grinding, jet lag, restless or jerky legs, snoring, sleepwalking and so forth.
Reality is quite different.
For instance, insomnia is said to be the most common sleep disorder, but these dissatisfying sleep experiences only get in the way of daily activities for 10 percent of us, according to the National Institutes of Health. And in almost half of those cases, the real underlying problem is illness (often mental) or the effects of a substance, like coffee or medication.
Here are five recent findings that might help you rest easier:
1. We sleep better than we think we do
For most of us, sleep deprivation is a myth. We're not zombies. The non-profit National Sleep Foundation (which takes money from the sleep-aid industry, including drug companies that make sleeping pills) says the average U.S. resident gets 7 hours a night and that's not enough. But a University of Maryland study earlier this year shows we typically get 8 hours and are doing fine. In fact, Americans get just as much sleep nowadays as they did 40 years ago, the study found.
2. We need less sleep as we age
We'll die without sleep. The details are sketchy, but research suggests it's a time when we restore vital biological processes and also sort and cement memories. Last year, the World Health Organization determined that nightshift work, which can lead to sleep troubles, is a probable human carcinogen. On the upside, the latest research suggests we need less of it as we get older.
3. You can sleep like a baby (or Thomas Edison)
Multiple, shorter sleep sessions nightly, rather than one long one, are an option. So-called polyphasic sleep is seen in babies, the elderly and other animals (and Thomas Edison reportedly slept this way). For the rest of us, it is more realistic and healthy to sleep at night as best we can and then take naps as needed. EEGs show that we are biphasic sleepers with two alertness dips - one at night time and one mid-day. So talk to HR about setting up a nap room, like they have for NASA's Phoenix mission team members.
4. Animals exhibit a range of sleep habits
The three-toed sloth sleeps 9.6 hours nightly. But newborn dolphins and killer whales can forgo sleeping for their entire first month. However, the latter extreme is not recommended for humans. We grow irritable and lose our ability to focus and make decisions after even one night of missed sleep, and that can lead to serious accidents driving and using other machinery.
5. Get used to being tired, hit the desk
The bottom line is that a good night's sleep is within the reach of most of us if we follow common-sense guidelines for sleep hygiene:
Go to bed at the same time nightly. Set aside enough time to hit that golden 7 hours of sleep. Refrain from caffeine, heavy or spicy foods, and alcohol and other optional medications that might keep you awake, four to six hours before bed-time. Have a pre-sleep routine so you wind down before you hop in. Block out distracting lights and noises. Only engage in sleep and sex in bed (no TV-watching, reading or eating). Exercise regularly but not right before bed.
But you already know all this and you don't do it. So your realistic plan might be to surrender to the mid-day desk nap.
LiveScience Senior Editor
LiveScience.com
YOU’RE tired. You could put your head down on a desk right now and fall asleep immediately. You went to bed late last night, had trouble falling asleep and woke up too early. And let's not kid ourselves: Tonight will be the same unless ... well, read on.
This is the classic not-so-shut-eye experience of many Americans who think they are sleep-deprived and possibly need pills or other treatment to fix their insomnia, teeth grinding, jet lag, restless or jerky legs, snoring, sleepwalking and so forth.
Reality is quite different.
For instance, insomnia is said to be the most common sleep disorder, but these dissatisfying sleep experiences only get in the way of daily activities for 10 percent of us, according to the National Institutes of Health. And in almost half of those cases, the real underlying problem is illness (often mental) or the effects of a substance, like coffee or medication.
Here are five recent findings that might help you rest easier:
1. We sleep better than we think we do
For most of us, sleep deprivation is a myth. We're not zombies. The non-profit National Sleep Foundation (which takes money from the sleep-aid industry, including drug companies that make sleeping pills) says the average U.S. resident gets 7 hours a night and that's not enough. But a University of Maryland study earlier this year shows we typically get 8 hours and are doing fine. In fact, Americans get just as much sleep nowadays as they did 40 years ago, the study found.
2. We need less sleep as we age
We'll die without sleep. The details are sketchy, but research suggests it's a time when we restore vital biological processes and also sort and cement memories. Last year, the World Health Organization determined that nightshift work, which can lead to sleep troubles, is a probable human carcinogen. On the upside, the latest research suggests we need less of it as we get older.
3. You can sleep like a baby (or Thomas Edison)
Multiple, shorter sleep sessions nightly, rather than one long one, are an option. So-called polyphasic sleep is seen in babies, the elderly and other animals (and Thomas Edison reportedly slept this way). For the rest of us, it is more realistic and healthy to sleep at night as best we can and then take naps as needed. EEGs show that we are biphasic sleepers with two alertness dips - one at night time and one mid-day. So talk to HR about setting up a nap room, like they have for NASA's Phoenix mission team members.
4. Animals exhibit a range of sleep habits
The three-toed sloth sleeps 9.6 hours nightly. But newborn dolphins and killer whales can forgo sleeping for their entire first month. However, the latter extreme is not recommended for humans. We grow irritable and lose our ability to focus and make decisions after even one night of missed sleep, and that can lead to serious accidents driving and using other machinery.
5. Get used to being tired, hit the desk
The bottom line is that a good night's sleep is within the reach of most of us if we follow common-sense guidelines for sleep hygiene:
Go to bed at the same time nightly. Set aside enough time to hit that golden 7 hours of sleep. Refrain from caffeine, heavy or spicy foods, and alcohol and other optional medications that might keep you awake, four to six hours before bed-time. Have a pre-sleep routine so you wind down before you hop in. Block out distracting lights and noises. Only engage in sleep and sex in bed (no TV-watching, reading or eating). Exercise regularly but not right before bed.
But you already know all this and you don't do it. So your realistic plan might be to surrender to the mid-day desk nap.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Indonesia Dancing in The Dark
By: Sapariah Saturi Harsono
dari Indonesia Rising
BLACKOUT is not a new message coming from Indonesia’s State Electricity Company (PLN). In the 1950s, when Indonesia began to replace the Netherlands Indies, and the Dutch electrical company was baptized into PLN, blackout was becoming a regular phenomenon in Java and Bali, the largest energy consumers in Indonesia. The Suharto regime slowly managed to reduce these difficulties.
But darkness strikes again. PLN recently announced that Jakarta would have successive blackouts on July 11-25. In the provinces, the regular power cut started months earlier. Some did not get prior notice, creating massive losses among industries and grumbles from ordinary people.
The blackouts obviously frustrated industrialists and businesspeople. Many companies asked their workers not going to work. Some also suffered losses, big and small, especially small and medium enterprises, that have no muscle to buy power generators.
In Ungaran, when PLN Central Java suddenly turned off the switch, around 67,000 liters of cow milk became spoiled in a single month. The losses affected five village cooperatives in Semarang and Boyolali regencies, including 10,000 liters of spoiled milk in Sidodadi Getasan village, 20,000 in Getasan, 4,000 in Pabelan, 21,000 in Boyolali and 12,000 liters in Ungaran.
Business association obviosly complain out loud. Ernovian G. Ismy of the Indonesian Textile Association said his organization’s data shows losses especially took place among small and medium-sized companies. For example, a spinning factory with 60 machines, producing 1.2 tones of material per day, with the price of US$2 per kilogram, might lose Rp 900 million per hour.
PLN blames the lack of power plants. Wait a minute! What’s about planning? What’s about management? Don’t they realize that in our MBA schools we have the word “growth”?
Currently, PLN produces a maximum capacity of 29,705 megawatts. Java-Bali produces 22,302 mw and the Outer Islands make 7,403 mw. The peak burden in Java-Bali is 17,000 mw. Now PLN has 22,000 mw installed in the Java-Bali power line with a backup of 5,000 mw or 20 percent of the needs. Ideally, PLN should have 30 percent of backup power.
The government argues the Asian crisis in 1998 helped slow down the power plant construction. Since 1998, the government only managed to build 3,000 mw of power plants. Meanwhile, the demands grow 3,000 mw annually.
The government promised to build 10,000 mw of power plants. They started the program in 2005. Last year the tender process began. Now contracts are being signed. It is not easy, as building the 10,000-megawatt plants will cost a lot of money.
Yogo Pratomo, who headed a government team to build the plants, aired his optimism, saying that 10 percents will be finalized next year, 80 percents by 2010 and the rest by 2011. In Java, they are building nine plants and 18 others in the Outer Islands.
Five cabinet members also signed an agreement on July 11 to overcome the electrical crisis. They included Industry Minister Fahmi Idris, State Minister of State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto and Man Power and Transmigration Erman Suparno
They agreed to partially shift the Monday-to-Friday working days to Saturday-Sunday. They calculated that weekends usually have extra 1,000-2,000 mw.
Achmad Taufik Haji, PLN’s deputy director on trade and consumer service, welcomed the joint decision, saying that it helps PLN to deal with its limited capacity.
Signing the joint decree is easier than doing it. Their program socialization still does not work. PLN is now planning to increase its tariff for businesses and factories. Once again, it wants to save power.
PLN chief commissionaire Al Hilal Hamdi said the tariff hike would affect only the top 8,000 business consumers. PLN currently has 3.5 million consumers.
Sofjan Wanandi of the influential Indonesian Employers Association said it is not appropriate to talk about price hike when the schedule of the blackouts is still not clear. “These are still government options. We told them to talk first about the five-minister decree.”
Will the workday shit be effective? Will it help overcome the darkness? Will the government fullfil its 10,000-megawatt promise? Well, let’s wait and see while dancing in the dark.
Diterjemahkan oleh Andreas Harsono dari tulisan Krisis Listrik yang Tak Kunjung Usai
dari Indonesia Rising
BLACKOUT is not a new message coming from Indonesia’s State Electricity Company (PLN). In the 1950s, when Indonesia began to replace the Netherlands Indies, and the Dutch electrical company was baptized into PLN, blackout was becoming a regular phenomenon in Java and Bali, the largest energy consumers in Indonesia. The Suharto regime slowly managed to reduce these difficulties.
But darkness strikes again. PLN recently announced that Jakarta would have successive blackouts on July 11-25. In the provinces, the regular power cut started months earlier. Some did not get prior notice, creating massive losses among industries and grumbles from ordinary people.
The blackouts obviously frustrated industrialists and businesspeople. Many companies asked their workers not going to work. Some also suffered losses, big and small, especially small and medium enterprises, that have no muscle to buy power generators.
In Ungaran, when PLN Central Java suddenly turned off the switch, around 67,000 liters of cow milk became spoiled in a single month. The losses affected five village cooperatives in Semarang and Boyolali regencies, including 10,000 liters of spoiled milk in Sidodadi Getasan village, 20,000 in Getasan, 4,000 in Pabelan, 21,000 in Boyolali and 12,000 liters in Ungaran.
Business association obviosly complain out loud. Ernovian G. Ismy of the Indonesian Textile Association said his organization’s data shows losses especially took place among small and medium-sized companies. For example, a spinning factory with 60 machines, producing 1.2 tones of material per day, with the price of US$2 per kilogram, might lose Rp 900 million per hour.
PLN blames the lack of power plants. Wait a minute! What’s about planning? What’s about management? Don’t they realize that in our MBA schools we have the word “growth”?
Currently, PLN produces a maximum capacity of 29,705 megawatts. Java-Bali produces 22,302 mw and the Outer Islands make 7,403 mw. The peak burden in Java-Bali is 17,000 mw. Now PLN has 22,000 mw installed in the Java-Bali power line with a backup of 5,000 mw or 20 percent of the needs. Ideally, PLN should have 30 percent of backup power.
The government argues the Asian crisis in 1998 helped slow down the power plant construction. Since 1998, the government only managed to build 3,000 mw of power plants. Meanwhile, the demands grow 3,000 mw annually.
The government promised to build 10,000 mw of power plants. They started the program in 2005. Last year the tender process began. Now contracts are being signed. It is not easy, as building the 10,000-megawatt plants will cost a lot of money.
Yogo Pratomo, who headed a government team to build the plants, aired his optimism, saying that 10 percents will be finalized next year, 80 percents by 2010 and the rest by 2011. In Java, they are building nine plants and 18 others in the Outer Islands.
Five cabinet members also signed an agreement on July 11 to overcome the electrical crisis. They included Industry Minister Fahmi Idris, State Minister of State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto and Man Power and Transmigration Erman Suparno
They agreed to partially shift the Monday-to-Friday working days to Saturday-Sunday. They calculated that weekends usually have extra 1,000-2,000 mw.
Achmad Taufik Haji, PLN’s deputy director on trade and consumer service, welcomed the joint decision, saying that it helps PLN to deal with its limited capacity.
Signing the joint decree is easier than doing it. Their program socialization still does not work. PLN is now planning to increase its tariff for businesses and factories. Once again, it wants to save power.
PLN chief commissionaire Al Hilal Hamdi said the tariff hike would affect only the top 8,000 business consumers. PLN currently has 3.5 million consumers.
Sofjan Wanandi of the influential Indonesian Employers Association said it is not appropriate to talk about price hike when the schedule of the blackouts is still not clear. “These are still government options. We told them to talk first about the five-minister decree.”
Will the workday shit be effective? Will it help overcome the darkness? Will the government fullfil its 10,000-megawatt promise? Well, let’s wait and see while dancing in the dark.
Diterjemahkan oleh Andreas Harsono dari tulisan Krisis Listrik yang Tak Kunjung Usai
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Belajar dari Po
PO melompat. Hiat-hiat. Terbang. Melayang. Tendangan kaki kiri kanan mengenai musuh-musuhnya. Jubah panjang menutupi tubuh tambun berbulu tebal itu berkibar-kibar. Hia...hia. Melompat tinggi lalu menerjang. Semua lawan takluk. Po, si pendekar kung fu sedang beraksi. Tiba-tiba....gubrak. Bunyi bak gundukan besar jatuh menyadarkan. Ternyata Po. Dia jatuh dari tempat tidur. Rupanya Po baru saja bermimpi menjadi pendekar kung fu. He he he....
PO, seekor panda gemuk yang ceroboh. Dia kerap bangun siang. Karena bermimpi menjadi pendekar kung fu, dia jadi malas membantu ibunya berjualan mie. Padahal, usaha mie itu sudah bisnis turun menurun keluarga itu. Po sangat mengidolakan Furious Five. Mereka ini Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper dan Monkey, lima pendekar karate terkenal seantero China.
Saat itu, di negeri China sedang berlangsung penentuan yang akan dinobatkan menjadi pendekar naga, buat melawan, Tai Lung. Si Leopard sakti ini diramalkan kabur dari penjara.
Tai Lung sebenarnya murid kesayangan Master Shifu. Bahkan, seperti anak sendiri. Dia dimanja, apapun keinginan dituruti. Tai Lung begitu bernafsu menjadi pendekar naga, hingga dia rela melakukan apapun. Tai Lung murid yang cerdas. Cepat menguasai jurus-jurus. Tai Lung tumbuh menjadi sosok sombong dan angkuh serta jahat. Kekuatan dan kepintaran membuat kejahatannya menjadi sempurna.
Master Shifu sangat bersedih hati sampai tak pernah tertawa sejak Tai Lung di penjara. Dia juga sedih mengapa bisa menciptakan pendekar kuat tapi berhati jahat.
Film ini penuh aksi kocak Po, yang secara kebetulan terpilih penjadi pendekar naga. Po tidak memiliki kemampuan kung fu sama sekali, awalnya. Hanya berbekal mimpi-mimpi. Namun, Po, panda yang baik.
Master Shifu melatih. Sulit sekali Po menguasai kung fu. Sang guru hampir putus asa. Namun Po berkeinginan kuat. Akhirnya berhasil. Tai Lung pun lolos dari penjagaan penjara super ketat. Ancaman mengintai warga China.
Film yang dibintangi nama-nama besar seperti Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, dan Ian McShane ini laku keras ketika ditayangkan.
Apa yang diambil dari film ini selain kekocakan Po? Aku menarik pelajaran dari sini. Meskipun pintar, meskipun berbakat, janganlah menjadi orang sombong. Jangan menjadi angkuh, seenaknya sendiri. Jika angkuh, menganggap oranglain lebih rendah, tinggal menunggu keruntuhan. Tinggal menanti kehancuran. Menanti kematian. Keangkuhan akan membunuhmu!
Seperti Tai Lung yang kalah di tangan Po. Seorang panda biasa-biasa saja. Namun dia bisa berpikir, dia mempunyai hati. Po bisa menjadi pendekar naga yang kuat dan bijak.
Semoga dalam dunia nyata, bisa banyak seperti Po. Bisa berperan seperti Po. Bakat bisa diasah. Keterampilan bisa dicipta.
Bagi para pemimpin, pekakanlah hati dan pikiran. Janganlah mencipta sosok-sosok baru Tai Lung. Jangan sampai mengulangi kesalahan Master Shifu.
PO, seekor panda gemuk yang ceroboh. Dia kerap bangun siang. Karena bermimpi menjadi pendekar kung fu, dia jadi malas membantu ibunya berjualan mie. Padahal, usaha mie itu sudah bisnis turun menurun keluarga itu. Po sangat mengidolakan Furious Five. Mereka ini Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper dan Monkey, lima pendekar karate terkenal seantero China.
Saat itu, di negeri China sedang berlangsung penentuan yang akan dinobatkan menjadi pendekar naga, buat melawan, Tai Lung. Si Leopard sakti ini diramalkan kabur dari penjara.
Tai Lung sebenarnya murid kesayangan Master Shifu. Bahkan, seperti anak sendiri. Dia dimanja, apapun keinginan dituruti. Tai Lung begitu bernafsu menjadi pendekar naga, hingga dia rela melakukan apapun. Tai Lung murid yang cerdas. Cepat menguasai jurus-jurus. Tai Lung tumbuh menjadi sosok sombong dan angkuh serta jahat. Kekuatan dan kepintaran membuat kejahatannya menjadi sempurna.
Master Shifu sangat bersedih hati sampai tak pernah tertawa sejak Tai Lung di penjara. Dia juga sedih mengapa bisa menciptakan pendekar kuat tapi berhati jahat.
Film ini penuh aksi kocak Po, yang secara kebetulan terpilih penjadi pendekar naga. Po tidak memiliki kemampuan kung fu sama sekali, awalnya. Hanya berbekal mimpi-mimpi. Namun, Po, panda yang baik.
Master Shifu melatih. Sulit sekali Po menguasai kung fu. Sang guru hampir putus asa. Namun Po berkeinginan kuat. Akhirnya berhasil. Tai Lung pun lolos dari penjagaan penjara super ketat. Ancaman mengintai warga China.
Film yang dibintangi nama-nama besar seperti Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, dan Ian McShane ini laku keras ketika ditayangkan.
Apa yang diambil dari film ini selain kekocakan Po? Aku menarik pelajaran dari sini. Meskipun pintar, meskipun berbakat, janganlah menjadi orang sombong. Jangan menjadi angkuh, seenaknya sendiri. Jika angkuh, menganggap oranglain lebih rendah, tinggal menunggu keruntuhan. Tinggal menanti kehancuran. Menanti kematian. Keangkuhan akan membunuhmu!
Seperti Tai Lung yang kalah di tangan Po. Seorang panda biasa-biasa saja. Namun dia bisa berpikir, dia mempunyai hati. Po bisa menjadi pendekar naga yang kuat dan bijak.
Semoga dalam dunia nyata, bisa banyak seperti Po. Bisa berperan seperti Po. Bakat bisa diasah. Keterampilan bisa dicipta.
Bagi para pemimpin, pekakanlah hati dan pikiran. Janganlah mencipta sosok-sosok baru Tai Lung. Jangan sampai mengulangi kesalahan Master Shifu.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Study ties bedroom TV to unhealthy habits in teens
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON-Reuters - Teenagers with a bedroom television tend to have poorer diet and exercise habits and lower grades in school than those without one, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
While many studies have examined TV viewing habits of young people, researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health said little had been known about the consequences in particular for older adolescents of having a bedroom TV.
They questioned 781 adolescents, ages 15 to 18, in the Minneapolis area in 2003 and 2004. Of them, 62 percent reported having a television in their bedroom.
Not surprisingly, those with a bedroom TV were more apt to watch it a lot, clocking four to five more hours in front of a television per week, the researchers said. Twice as many of the teens with a bedroom TV were classified as heavy TV watchers -- at least five hours a day -- compared to those without one.
Girls with a bedroom television reported getting less vigorous exercise -- 1.8 hours per week compared to 2.5 hours for girls without a TV. They also ate fewer vegetables, drank more sweetened beverages and ate meals with their family less often, the researchers said.
Boys with a bedroom TV reported having a lower grade point average than boys without one, as well as eating less fruit and having fewer family meals, the researchers said.
"It really clearly points out that there's some merit to not allowing your child to have a TV in the bedroom," said Daheia Barr-Anderson, one of the researchers.
"When you upgrade your TV in the living room and you have this smaller TV that's out of date but still usable, parents should really resist putting it in one of your children's bedrooms -- and resist the pressure from the child to have a TV in their bedroom," she said in a telephone interview.
Surprise on Obesity
The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to remove TV sets from children's bedrooms, the researchers noted. The findings were published in the academy's journal Pediatrics. Boys were more likely to have a television in their bedroom than girls -- 68 percent versus 58 percent.
Teens from the highest income families were far less likely than those from all other income levels to have a bedroom TV, the survey found. Among black teens, 82 percent reported having a bedroom TV, compared to 66 percent of Hispanics, 60 percent of whites and 39 percent of Asian Americans.
The researchers tracked body mass index -- a measure based on height and weight -- and found that having a bedroom TV had no influence on whether teens were obese.
Barr-Anderson said that finding was a surprise, considering that previous studies looking at younger children -- one on elementary school kids and one on low-income preschoolers -- found that having a bedroom TV was an even stronger predictor of obesity than the time spent watching TV.
Both boys and girls with a bedroom TV reported spending less time reading and doing homework, although the researchers said the differences were not statistically significant.
WASHINGTON-Reuters - Teenagers with a bedroom television tend to have poorer diet and exercise habits and lower grades in school than those without one, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
While many studies have examined TV viewing habits of young people, researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health said little had been known about the consequences in particular for older adolescents of having a bedroom TV.
They questioned 781 adolescents, ages 15 to 18, in the Minneapolis area in 2003 and 2004. Of them, 62 percent reported having a television in their bedroom.
Not surprisingly, those with a bedroom TV were more apt to watch it a lot, clocking four to five more hours in front of a television per week, the researchers said. Twice as many of the teens with a bedroom TV were classified as heavy TV watchers -- at least five hours a day -- compared to those without one.
Girls with a bedroom television reported getting less vigorous exercise -- 1.8 hours per week compared to 2.5 hours for girls without a TV. They also ate fewer vegetables, drank more sweetened beverages and ate meals with their family less often, the researchers said.
Boys with a bedroom TV reported having a lower grade point average than boys without one, as well as eating less fruit and having fewer family meals, the researchers said.
"It really clearly points out that there's some merit to not allowing your child to have a TV in the bedroom," said Daheia Barr-Anderson, one of the researchers.
"When you upgrade your TV in the living room and you have this smaller TV that's out of date but still usable, parents should really resist putting it in one of your children's bedrooms -- and resist the pressure from the child to have a TV in their bedroom," she said in a telephone interview.
Surprise on Obesity
The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to remove TV sets from children's bedrooms, the researchers noted. The findings were published in the academy's journal Pediatrics. Boys were more likely to have a television in their bedroom than girls -- 68 percent versus 58 percent.
Teens from the highest income families were far less likely than those from all other income levels to have a bedroom TV, the survey found. Among black teens, 82 percent reported having a bedroom TV, compared to 66 percent of Hispanics, 60 percent of whites and 39 percent of Asian Americans.
The researchers tracked body mass index -- a measure based on height and weight -- and found that having a bedroom TV had no influence on whether teens were obese.
Barr-Anderson said that finding was a surprise, considering that previous studies looking at younger children -- one on elementary school kids and one on low-income preschoolers -- found that having a bedroom TV was an even stronger predictor of obesity than the time spent watching TV.
Both boys and girls with a bedroom TV reported spending less time reading and doing homework, although the researchers said the differences were not statistically significant.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Perginya 'Bapak Pembangunan"
Ketika Berjaya pada Kesuksesan Semu
Oleh: Sapariah Saturi-Harsono
PERTUMBUHAN ekonomi, pengendalian laju pertambahan penduduk serta swasembada pangan merupakan tiga hal, yang sering dikaitkan dengan keberhasilan Orde Baru. Para kroni Presiden Soeharto pun menciptakan, dan merekayasa, sebuah gelar: Bapak Pembangunan Nasional. Ternyata prestasi berantakan ketika krisis ekonomi menghantam pada 1997-1998.
Kebijakan ekonomi Soeharto mulanya ditentukan oleh satu kelompok dosen Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Indonesia. Antara 1957 hingga1970an, dosen-dosen ini dikirim studi lanjut di berbagai kampus Amerika Serikat. Sponsor mereka adalah Ford Foundation.
David Ransom, seorang wartawan majalah Ramparts, menyebut mereka --Widjojo Nitisastro, Emil Salim, Mohammad Sadli, Saleh Afiff, Ali Wardana, J.B. Sumarlin, Suhadi Mangkusuwondo dan sebagainya-- sebagai “Mafia Berkeley” karena beasiswa ini dikelola dari University of California at Berkeley. Widjojo, yang disebut “lurah” oleh rekan-rekannya, juga belajar di Berkeley.
Soeharto merekrut para ekonom ini ke dalam kabinet. Mereka segera membuat sejumlah kebijakan. Mereka bikin rencana pembangunan lima tahun serta bekerja sama dengan World Bank dan International Monetary Funds.
Mereka sadar beras adalah isu vital. Impor beras terlalu mahal. Beras juga salah satu unsur yang bikin Presiden Soekarno jatuh. Mereka pun mengandalkan pendekatan bioteknologi. Sejumlah varietas padi unggul diperkenalkan. Bibit unggul tak hanya meningkatkan produksi beras tapi juga membantu menstabilkan ekonomi negara.
Revolusi Hijau ini ternyata membawa dampak lain. Padi bibit unggul butuh pupuk dan pestisida. Ini juga membutuhkan teknologi. Desa-desa pun mulai bergantung pada pabrik dan modal besar. Petani yang miskin tak bisa berbuat banyak. Mereka makin terjepit. Urbanisasi pun terjadi. Tampaklah di kota-kota besar, makin banyak pemulung, orang jalanan, kriminalitas meningkat.
Pada awal Orde Baru, para teknokrat ini juga tahu Indonesia perlu mengatasi laju pertambahan penduduk. Mereka pun bikin program Keluarga Berencana. Pada awal 1970-an, angka kelahiran di Indonesia 5,61. Pada 1998, angka kelahiran tinggal 2,7. Pertumbuhan penduduk pun turun drastis dari 2,34 persen pada 1971 menjadi 1,4 persen pada 1998.
Namun program KB dilakukan secara nasional tanpa melihat pulau yang jarang penduduknya. Di luar Pulau Jawa, Madura dan Bali --tiga pulau terpadat di Indonesia-- banyak orang memandang program KB dengan curiga. Slogan KB, “Cukup Dua Anak Saja,” juga dipandang kurang memerhatikan unsur kualitas keluarga, berapapun anaknya.
Kesejahteraan keluarga tak sesederhana dengan hanya memiliki dua anak. Yang terpenting bagaimana menciptakan keluarga berkualitas. Apalagi, sampai menggunakan kekuatan militer, misalnya di Timor Timur dan Papua, untuk menyukseskan program itu.
Soeharto suka belajar soal ekonomi dan pertanian. Pada 1980an, ketika anak-anak Soeharto mulai dewasa, interest Soeharto mulai bergeser. Ketika Soeharto sudah merasa “pintar” para ekonom ini tak dapat berbuat banyak. Dalam buku Menyambut Indonesia: Lima Puluh Tahun dengan Ford Foundation 1953-2003, Ali Wardana mengungkapkan bahwa pada masa awal jadi presiden, Soeharto tak hanya rajin mendengarkan para ekonom, tapi juga mencatat.
Saleh Afiff menambahkan, “Saya pernah dengan Ali Wardana menghadap Pak Harto mengenai deregulasi. Pertama masuk, belum bicara sudah diberi kuliah. Tapi Ali terus bicara. Akhirnya Pak Harto setuju deregulasi. Memang dulu Pak Harto menulis. Sekarang kita yang menulis!”
Mafia Berkeley berpendapat dasar ekonomi Orde Baru kuat kalau saja ia tak dihantam krisis ekonomi plus krisis politik. Mereka juga menyalahkan anak-anak dan kroni Soeharto. Anak dan kroni Soeharto merusak pasar dan menggeser kebijakan ekonomi dengan berbagai monopolinya.
Buahnya, kekacauan politik, krisis kepercayaan, krisis ekonomi dan moneter. Krisis multidimensi pun terjadi. Kerapuhan di segala bidang pun muncul dan terbuka. Ternyata sukses Soeharto semu adanya.
Daoed Joesoef, ekonom dari Sorbonne, yang juga kritikus Mafia Berkeley, berpendapat bahwa soal-soal ekonomi terlalu penting hanya diserahkan ke tangan ekonom. Pembangunan nasional, kata Joesoef, harus didasarkan pada bidang sosial, bukan sekadar meningkatkan pendapat nasional. “Ketika masuk kabinet, sebagai menteri pendidikan, saya berharap konsep saya bisa dipakai. Tapi Soeharto mengatakan,” Doktor Daoed cukup mengurusi bidang pendidikan, soal ekonomi sudah ada yang mengurus.”
Oleh: Sapariah Saturi-Harsono
PERTUMBUHAN ekonomi, pengendalian laju pertambahan penduduk serta swasembada pangan merupakan tiga hal, yang sering dikaitkan dengan keberhasilan Orde Baru. Para kroni Presiden Soeharto pun menciptakan, dan merekayasa, sebuah gelar: Bapak Pembangunan Nasional. Ternyata prestasi berantakan ketika krisis ekonomi menghantam pada 1997-1998.
Kebijakan ekonomi Soeharto mulanya ditentukan oleh satu kelompok dosen Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Indonesia. Antara 1957 hingga1970an, dosen-dosen ini dikirim studi lanjut di berbagai kampus Amerika Serikat. Sponsor mereka adalah Ford Foundation.
David Ransom, seorang wartawan majalah Ramparts, menyebut mereka --Widjojo Nitisastro, Emil Salim, Mohammad Sadli, Saleh Afiff, Ali Wardana, J.B. Sumarlin, Suhadi Mangkusuwondo dan sebagainya-- sebagai “Mafia Berkeley” karena beasiswa ini dikelola dari University of California at Berkeley. Widjojo, yang disebut “lurah” oleh rekan-rekannya, juga belajar di Berkeley.
Soeharto merekrut para ekonom ini ke dalam kabinet. Mereka segera membuat sejumlah kebijakan. Mereka bikin rencana pembangunan lima tahun serta bekerja sama dengan World Bank dan International Monetary Funds.
Mereka sadar beras adalah isu vital. Impor beras terlalu mahal. Beras juga salah satu unsur yang bikin Presiden Soekarno jatuh. Mereka pun mengandalkan pendekatan bioteknologi. Sejumlah varietas padi unggul diperkenalkan. Bibit unggul tak hanya meningkatkan produksi beras tapi juga membantu menstabilkan ekonomi negara.
Revolusi Hijau ini ternyata membawa dampak lain. Padi bibit unggul butuh pupuk dan pestisida. Ini juga membutuhkan teknologi. Desa-desa pun mulai bergantung pada pabrik dan modal besar. Petani yang miskin tak bisa berbuat banyak. Mereka makin terjepit. Urbanisasi pun terjadi. Tampaklah di kota-kota besar, makin banyak pemulung, orang jalanan, kriminalitas meningkat.
Pada awal Orde Baru, para teknokrat ini juga tahu Indonesia perlu mengatasi laju pertambahan penduduk. Mereka pun bikin program Keluarga Berencana. Pada awal 1970-an, angka kelahiran di Indonesia 5,61. Pada 1998, angka kelahiran tinggal 2,7. Pertumbuhan penduduk pun turun drastis dari 2,34 persen pada 1971 menjadi 1,4 persen pada 1998.
Namun program KB dilakukan secara nasional tanpa melihat pulau yang jarang penduduknya. Di luar Pulau Jawa, Madura dan Bali --tiga pulau terpadat di Indonesia-- banyak orang memandang program KB dengan curiga. Slogan KB, “Cukup Dua Anak Saja,” juga dipandang kurang memerhatikan unsur kualitas keluarga, berapapun anaknya.
Kesejahteraan keluarga tak sesederhana dengan hanya memiliki dua anak. Yang terpenting bagaimana menciptakan keluarga berkualitas. Apalagi, sampai menggunakan kekuatan militer, misalnya di Timor Timur dan Papua, untuk menyukseskan program itu.
Soeharto suka belajar soal ekonomi dan pertanian. Pada 1980an, ketika anak-anak Soeharto mulai dewasa, interest Soeharto mulai bergeser. Ketika Soeharto sudah merasa “pintar” para ekonom ini tak dapat berbuat banyak. Dalam buku Menyambut Indonesia: Lima Puluh Tahun dengan Ford Foundation 1953-2003, Ali Wardana mengungkapkan bahwa pada masa awal jadi presiden, Soeharto tak hanya rajin mendengarkan para ekonom, tapi juga mencatat.
Saleh Afiff menambahkan, “Saya pernah dengan Ali Wardana menghadap Pak Harto mengenai deregulasi. Pertama masuk, belum bicara sudah diberi kuliah. Tapi Ali terus bicara. Akhirnya Pak Harto setuju deregulasi. Memang dulu Pak Harto menulis. Sekarang kita yang menulis!”
Mafia Berkeley berpendapat dasar ekonomi Orde Baru kuat kalau saja ia tak dihantam krisis ekonomi plus krisis politik. Mereka juga menyalahkan anak-anak dan kroni Soeharto. Anak dan kroni Soeharto merusak pasar dan menggeser kebijakan ekonomi dengan berbagai monopolinya.
Buahnya, kekacauan politik, krisis kepercayaan, krisis ekonomi dan moneter. Krisis multidimensi pun terjadi. Kerapuhan di segala bidang pun muncul dan terbuka. Ternyata sukses Soeharto semu adanya.
Daoed Joesoef, ekonom dari Sorbonne, yang juga kritikus Mafia Berkeley, berpendapat bahwa soal-soal ekonomi terlalu penting hanya diserahkan ke tangan ekonom. Pembangunan nasional, kata Joesoef, harus didasarkan pada bidang sosial, bukan sekadar meningkatkan pendapat nasional. “Ketika masuk kabinet, sebagai menteri pendidikan, saya berharap konsep saya bisa dipakai. Tapi Soeharto mengatakan,” Doktor Daoed cukup mengurusi bidang pendidikan, soal ekonomi sudah ada yang mengurus.”
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