AVAILS
I am available in the following areas for modeling, gender consultations, private BDSM sessions, ten minute stand up performances, emcee work and other creative projects.  Sadly, I cannot commit to any more long-term projects at this time.  I am very busy.

LA: Late Night July 22
San Diego Through July
San Francisco – August 4th – 16th
New England — August 17 – 25
NYC  — Mid-October and possibly one evening in late August.

~~ I Am Available to Model at Comic-Con ~~
I am an awesome super hero model.  I have an incredible hourglass figure.  36C, 25, 40.  My waist can corset down to 20 inches making me wildly curvy.  I have long red hair, white skin and I am a Second City trained improviser, making me quite talented at performing in character.
I am available for work at comic con.  I am looking for a gig that will let me shine, not just a table babe.  I’ll take what I can get though so don’t hesitate to contact me with whatever you have.
I’m updating my mm profile this afternoon with some more super hero ish images I have taken this year.
I hope to work with you at comic con!

A short film produced by the department of defense in the early 1950s about the role of women in the military. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.

Posted in memory of
Walter Cronkite
November 4, 1916 July 17, 2009

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE (And it’s LEGAL)
See YouTube video info for FREE & LEGAL download links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ5jlcsUcLM

Working backstage at a theater, Porky frees a little ant he finds in a cage, only to learn that it’s a rare and valuable trained pygmy ant.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE (And it’s LEGAL)
See YouTube video info for FREE & LEGAL download links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u1NuSK_FMw

I have mentioned here before that I am in school.  Lots of people have been asking how school is going and what my thesis is about so I thought I would write a little something for you to knawsh on.
My thesis topic is gender variant neologisms (GVN).  A neologism is a new word.  The words I am specifically looking at are grrrl, boi, cisgender, s/he, ze, hir, and shim.
My perspective on gender has changed radically in the last few years. After the last year of reading, things like Judith Butler and Foucault, I can no longer say that I believe in the truth of gender.  The dual gender truth that our culture supports is no longer something I can condone.  Truths that state that there really is something that is “a guy or a girl” and that based on biological sex characteristics (not even all of them – just a dual version of them) we offer up undeserved privilege to the aforementioned gender identities; this construct makes me question everything I thought I knew about what is real.
As I write this to share with the general pubic I wonder just how esoteric I must sound to the average reader.  Gender is a load of crap.  It’s a power structure that forces us to conform to ideals of femininity and masculinity in order to maintain the status quo.  Gender is a public prison.
GVN are slippery little words that have attracted my attention.  I’m curious about the potential for ubiquity of GVN in the English language.  My research focuses on if GVN have the potential to change the way we see the truth of gender and if so, how.
I will be doing a series of interviews during the spring of 2010.  If you would like to volunteer for my research study (or have any relevant links, reading suggestions, or informed recommendations) please send an email to WidowCentauri@gmail.com   I will schedule your interview as soon as I have IRB approval.

It is impossible to try and encapsulate the career of Elvis Costello in a few sentences or paragraphs. This has always been a very favorite Costello release of mine, and at the time, largely rumoured to be his last. Released in 1981, this CD  consists of all Country covers, including Hank Williams,  George Jones, Merle Haggard and Gram Parsons. This has long been a favorite release of mine, and one of the most intriguing recordings from Costello.

Why Don’t You Love Me Like You Used To—-Featuring some of the best rock-a-billy of the day, Costello delivers a vocal that is a nice mix of alt-country and folk. This is incredible in it’s ability to cross over and still keep the attention of the fans that were reeling with this release.

Sweet Dreams—-With a twang that can tear your heart out, Costello delivers a magnificent cover of the Country classic. The slow seductive whine of the guitar and the long, overly drawn out country drawl of the vocal equal a classic. This is heart-breaking and aching in vocal delivery. Who would have thought……?

Success—-With a rock-a-billy sound and the required country guitar whine, Costello enters with a country twang that makes you believe he has been in Nashville for years. This is an incredible and classic cover of a classic that remains my favorite all of these years later. Superb!!

I’m Your Toy—-A countrified cover of the Gram Parsons classic, Costello gives the song a flair and enunciation that is only his. The band is a classic ensemble of country aficionados that rarely go wrong. This is bleeding heart country at it’s best. C;mon Elvis, give us a great part 2.

Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down—-A great cover of the Haggard original. It is easy to buy into the story, as Costello has a way with his voice that takes you back to the whiny days of country. The band is incredible in sound and retains all of the required old country flavor.

Brown To Blue—-From the onset of this song, the casual listener would never know that Costello was not a seasoned Country artist. The delivery is solid and consistent with the old Country twang. The band delivers an incredible 70’s delivery that is warm and Kentucky in feel. This is classic stuff….don’t miss out on this.

Good Year For The Roses—-A tried and true country classic, George Joneswould find it difficult to match the emotion in Costello’s vocal. A whole lot of people really hated this record, but to this day it remains my favorite….and this is a perfect example why….not any artist could do something like this and do it half as well. This is classic alt-country stuff that should not be missed.

Sittin’ And Thinkin’—-Not a favorite track of mine from this release, but let it be known the band is top notch. Costello is a little raspy which fits this mood well, but the faster country sound is not suited to him. Not a throwaway track, but not a favorite of mine.,

Color Of The Blues—-When you hear tracks like this, you can almost believe that Costello was made to sing this stuff. His vocal is so emotive and powerful, the country flair is erased with a feeling of pain and sorrow instead. This is classic Country with an Alt feel even before anyone knew such a thing was possible. Fantastic!!!

Too Far Gone—-Costello again dives headfirst into a song that is full of angst and heartache with a sound that is true and not the least bit contrived. I love how the band wraps itself around the vocal and makes the song belong to the vocalist. Wonderful!!!

Honey Hush—-My least favorite track on this release, the track is too bluesy and rock-a-billy for me. I prefer my country syrupy sweet and hurtful. This is a little to Elvis/Little Richard for me.

How Much I Lied—-Piano based and not as country in sound as previous tracks, Costello delivers a vocal that is classic and almost heart warming. The emotion is the simple vocal is over powering and comforting, This is a classic track and should be investigated by you if you are reading this review.

**** out of 5

by Cliff Cawthon

Healthcare is a human right, and our rights have been violated for long enough. President Obama stated in his weekly web address last month (Friday, June 5) that “The status quo is broken.” The profiteers have failed and the system is in shambles. The United States spends more on healthcare than any developed nation and in turn we have 46 million (15 percent of the population) without healthcare; 8.1 million are children. We need a renewed system, something that works and something that is a public, not-for-profit system.

The president kicked off his town hall tour in Green Bay, WI, a city that has kept down costs and in turn it has provided fertile soil for political support for Obama’s initiative. This strategy of “going public” is designed to harness the existing popular support for his new initiative. According to a Rasmussen poll, 65 percent of Americans favor the idea of universal healthcare and this public health option initiative is a universally available option designed to compete with the private sector.

Moderate Democratic and Republican legislators have revolted against President Obama’s initiative with the theme “Anything but public.” Reactive protestors say that a public option would cost too much, take away choice, and enjoy an unfair market advantage. The American Medical Association and the opposing legislators profit from the disenfranchisement of millions of Americans while the government picks up the check (i.e. corporate welfare). A recent Politico.com article, “Centrist Democrats Raise Big Concerns,” cites the New Democratic Coalition and the Blue Dog Coalition’s attempt to “ensure that that government-backed health care plan doesn’t undermine the private market,” which would maintain healthcare services as a market commodity—and “ensure” that Representative Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania (NDC vice-chair, co-chair of the healthcare committee) would receive $38,823 in campaign funds from the health professionals sector for the 2009-10 reporting period. According to opensecrets.org, eight of New York’s congressional representatives and our junior senator Kirsten Gillibrand ($23,825) also received funding from health professionals.

Our policy interests and course is clear: The interests of a few cannot outweigh the welfare of the many. The objections to universal healthcare, whether by a public plan or a single-payer system that has worked for other developed nations, are largely based on private economic interests; fear from the status quo, and class prejudices.

Many of us in the progressive community would like to insure all Americans under a single-payer plan that uses our large national tax base to fund healthcare (as opposed to “defense” or corporate subsidies), but this is our opportunity and we cannot pass it up. In Western New York, the Healthcare Education Project is organizing pillars of the community to engage in the debate towards progressive solutions. This is now or never; we cannot settle for “market solutions” from conservatives and moderate profiteers who are beholden to special interests. If any readers want to get involved e-mail Sergio at sergio@hepny.org. Let us call on those who say that they represent our interests and remind them to do just that.

As everyone knows Barack Obama created history by becoming the first black president of the United States of America beating John McCain in the election polls. Now during his campaign Obama created a persona of confidence with the American public, speaking with a air of passion & intelligence that placed him in the oval office.

Now it has been just over 6 months since Obama was elected and the question remains Are the public losing confidence? The promises that Obama has prmised mainly to try to fix an ailing economy have failed so far. it seems in the recent poll by CNN that the American public are losing patience with Obama. It is of course too early to judge whether this is a temporary blip or a continued progression but one thing is clear Obama must deliever the promises he announced during his successful campaign or risk being challenged out of the oval office. Two topics that lie high on the public agenda is the enormously high spending to try and dig our way out of the failing economy and the Iraq/Afghanistan war. Obama must justify his high spending with results and also bring home troops from a war that has been deemed a shambles. Though Bush was responsible for the deployment of the troops, Obama must be responsible for bringing them home.

Any thoughts to this?

Punk Poser, Electronic Genius, Industrial God…..just a few titles I give to one of my personal heroes-Gary Numan. Released in 2003, Hybrid features 3 new songs and classic remixed Numan classics from his 30+ year career. Most of the re-workings expand on the new Industrial driven flavor that Gary has adopted in the past decade. Hybrid also features Numan’s first top 20 UK hit since his 1996 Cars remix.

Hybrid [New Recording]—-Full of dark atmosphere and cloudy ambiance, Numan continues in the theme of heavier music and more distorted vocals. This is a lite reworking of the song Rip, although it retains few of the original characteristics of the original. Numan continues to grow and reshape his career and the outcome is hugely magnificent.

Dark [Andy Gray Remix/From The Release Exile]—-From the onset, the music is so machine laden that at first you do not even recognize it. The sound is deeper and more menacing and the effects show where Gary was going in the first place. The mood of the song, captures the vocal tone as well. When Numan sings in a higher register, the emotion comes through so well that you actually ache and feel the pain and anguish of the lyric. This is classic ‘Nu-Numan’ and should not be ignored.

Crazier [New Recording] —-This is an example of the new Numan sound personified. This song is so good, I find it hard to find words that will do it justice. Numan delivers a vocal that is classic and so emotive you want to grab your head and scream. The music is very heavy, in Numan terms, but works so well. This is a clear and concise recording describing the direction of Numan….you must hear this…check out the video on YouTube!!

Bleed [Remixed By Sulpher/From The Release Sacrifice]—-The Sacrifice was the beginning of the new direction that Numan took in his music…the entire release has a darker more desperate feel. Make no mistake, this song in it’s original form sounded nothing like this magnificent journey into Industrial madness. One must think that Gary was listening to NINa lot at the point of this reworking. This is absolute and astounding. When Gary lets loose. be prepared for your ears to bleed and your eyes to tear. This is the heaviest I have ever heard Numan sound, and it is exquisite.

Torn [Remixed By Sulpher/From The Release Pure]—-A defining release in the new Numan era, this entire album was a thing of shock and awe. The reworked version of an already great song, continues to lead us down a dark path that is full of subtle melancholy and confusion about life and God. Numan delivers a vocal that is so expressive and matched to the music so well that it has become more dear to me than the original.

Down In The Park [Remixed By Curve/From The Release Replicas]—-The remarkable thing to remember when approaching this song is that the original version is 30 years old!! The fact that it has a fresh new sound to it just solidifies the power of the material that Numan releases. The song is much darker and moodier than the original…which is saying something!! The subtle effects and knob twisting works to an optimal effect and produces a great result. Numan delivers a vocal that is pretty much true to the original but it is hard to improve on a perfect release from the onset.

Everyday I Die [Remixed by Andy Gray/From The Release Tubeway Army]—-Originally released in 1978, before Numan broke out on his own, this song stands the test of time remarkably well. This reworked version has more moodiness and knob twisting than anything being released today. The vocal is played with to the extreme and the outcome is incredible. When Gary returns to the classic sound that we are accustomed to it is with great effect, the basic elements of the song remain the same, there is only a steroid effect added!!! This is so beefy and heavy in sound. I Love This Man!!!

Absolution [Remixed By Andy Gray/From The Release Exile]—-On the original release, Gary was deep in the mode of questioning God and existence. When you combine this mindset with a more Industrial sound, you know that the outcome is going to be something really great and this song does not disappoint. The music swirls around your head and the mechanical sounds emerge from a fog that is heavy over the whole song. I was much happier with this remix than I was with the original track and it helped me to rediscover this great CD all over again. This man is a genius. When Gary simply spits out oohs and ahhs, the effect is sublime and incredible.

Cars [Remixed By Flood/From The Release The Pleasure Principle]—-Of course, no Numan compilation would be complete without this over played and over mixed classic. The result is so much beefier and pleasurable, it is almost orgasmic. The sound is much heavier and feature some interesting mechanical sounds throughout. It is hard to do justice to a song that has been played with so many times, but the result of this remix is incredible. The song gets rid of the trademark hand claps and heavy synth overlay for a more musical selection that is simply fantastic.

Disc Two:

Ancients [New Recording]—-Again, the song begins with so much atmosphere and swirling music that yopu are almost overwhelmed. I can only imagine this song as a show opener for Numan. The bass guitar is featured with prominence and the machine generated sounds are incredible. Numan returns with his higher register that pleases me so much and continues his tirade against organized religion and the concept of God. This is a little old, but Gary always manages to keep things fresh and new in sound.

Dominion Day [Remixed By Sulpher/From the Release Exile]—-Beginning with a noisier than usual intro, Gary continues his tirade against religion. The song has the new trademark Numan sound that is unmistakable. The vocal is much harder and louder than the original and the point is gotten across much better in this reworked version. The Industrial edge gives the song a whole new point of interest and sound. Fantastic!

A Prayer For The Unborn [Remixed By Andt Gray/From The Release Pure]—-Still retaining much of the introspective feel of the original, Numan delivers a vocal that is wrenching and soul stiring. The music is loud and in the forefront of the mix. There are lots of interesting blips and beeps that keep the song new and fresh. I just love it when Gary lets loose with that emotion filled higher register of his—-it carries a lot of force and impact.

Me! I Disconnect From You [Remixed By Alan Moulder/From The Release Replicas]—-Giving the song a much deeper and new sound, Moulder is a master at electronic remixes. This reworking is far better than the original and the deep sound gives it new clarity. For a song that is 30 years old, it is fresh and new. this is a remarkable working of a song that has been overplayed and over released. This is great!!!

Listen To My Voice [Remixed By Rico/From The Release Pure]—-Another consistent tirade against the idea of God, Numan carries a much more impactful message with the harder sound of the song. This is perhaps one of the best remixes on this release. The sound is so hard and heavy, you can not be sure that you are actually listening to Numan at all. The staccato elements of the song, the up and down of the mood, the anger and the ire…all work incredibly well in getting across the feelings of Numan. Incredible!!

RIP [Remixed By Andy Gray/From The Release Pure]—-Featuring a great whispered vocal by Numan set to a beat that is almost danceable. This is a remarkable remix once you listen to the original. I love the atmosphere….the beats are way up front in the mix, but further back are lots of swirling effects and knob twisting that is a journey in it self. Numan delivers a vocal that is full of disgust and irritation. I love this!!!

This Wreckage [Remixed By Gemini/From The Release Telekon]—-A great track from my personal favorite Numan release of all time. This is a pretty remarkable departure from the original, but the basic elements of the song remain the same. The song is as fresh and new as the day i first heard it…the vocal is slight in distortion and the music is layered and layered with effects. This is magnificent and needs to be heard by all Numanoids!

Are ‘friends’ Electric? [Remixed By Andy Gray/From The Release Replicas]—-Perhaps one of my favorite Numan tracks of all time. Sometimes I am slow….it was after years of listening to Numan that I actually discovered this song. I know….where the hell was I? This is a classic trip down the Numan trail of alienation and science fiction. This re-interpretation is not a favorite of mine though. although some of the basic elements of the song are there, it strips the song of many special effects that add to the feeling of the song. Not disappointing is the vocal delivery, it remains as cold and distant as I have come to expect. This is not a throw away track, but I would rather have the original.

M.E. [Remixed By Gary Numan/From The Release The Pleasure Principle]—-Another very favorite track of mine….this reworking is atmosphere filled and bass heavy. Numan delivers a classic vocal that is really in an upper register and full of alienation. I love this track and it speaks to me of oneness, disappointment with life and the failure of friends. When Numan reminds us that there is ‘only me’, you realize his hurt and loneliness. Remarkable and very powerful!

Down In The Park [Remixed By Monti/From The Release Replicas]—-Very little new in the reworking of this song, the track features some extra echoes on the vocal and a slight change in tone musically. Really insignificant when setting next to the remarkable remixes on this CD.

****3/4 out of 5

Welcome to A Child’s Musings, a blog about God and the experiences we as Christians (or even people who don’t believe in Christ) can share. To learn more about the goal of this blog, please see the About page.

I hope you all decide to learn, grow, and share with me and others on this blog. So please look around and read what I have to say, but most importantly post what YOU have to say. Happy blogging, and God bless!

Suck to core this few weeks…

dun noe wat to say….

But because of S.H.E new songs….i survived!!!

Tired Tired….dun feel like going out…

I hate my life….

Sry my friends…i dun feel like going out…..i feel like sleeping

GTG….time to go out!!HAHAHAHA

By benni on March 31st, 2009

Mungkin alasan ini kenapa org2 berlomba-lomba jadi caleg…..

Pemilu 2009 adalah pemilu terbanyak yang melibatkan caleg atau calon legislatif, sebenarnya berapa sih gaji dari anggota DPR?
Penerimaan anggota DPR terbagi menjadi tiga kategori, yaitu:

rutin perbulan, rutin non perbulan dan sesekali. Rutin perbulan meliputi :

Gaji pokok : Rp 15.510.000
Tunjangan listrik : Rp 5. 496.000
Tunjangan Aspirasi : Rp 7.200.000
Tunjangan kehormatan : Rp 3.150.000
Tunjangan Komunikasi : Rp 12.000.000
Tunjangan Pengawasan : Rp 2.100.000
Total : Rp 46.100.000/bulan
Total Pertahun : Rp 554.000.000

Masing-masing anggota DPR mendapatkan gaji yang sama. Sedangkan penerimaan nonbulanan atau nonrutin. Dimulai dari penerimaan gaji ke-13 setiap bulan Juni.

Gaji ke-13 :Rp 16.400.000
Dana penyerapan ( reses) :Rp 31.500.000
Dalam satu tahun sidang ada empat kali reses jika di total selama pertahun totalnya sekitar Rp 118.000.000. Sementara penghasilan yang bersifat sewaktu-waktu yaitu:

Dana intensif pembahasan rencangan undang-undang dan honor melalui uji kelayakan dan kepatutan sebesar Rp 5.000.000/kegiatan
Dana kebijakan intensif legislative sebesar Rp 1.000.000/RUU

Jika dihitung jumlah keseluruhan yang diterima anggota DPR dalam setahun mencapai hampir 1 milyar rupiah. Data tahun 2006 jumlah pertahun dana yang diterima anggota DPR mencapai Rp 761.000.000, dan tahun 2007 mencapai Rp 787.100.000. Woww…!!!! Pantas jika mereka mengejar kursi DPR, belum lagi dana pensiunan yang mereka dapatkan ketika tidak lagi menjabat.
Sumber:
www.kabarinews.com
http://warnadunia.com/rahasia-kenapa…i-anggota-dpr/

http://bennisurbakti.com/2009/03/31/gaji-dpr/

Behind the Scenes:

currently watching…..

nice…

heechul’s hair so hot….

Since Ana is trying to improve our diets and add a bit of culture to us at the same time, I think it important to preserve Real American traditional food. We’ll just gussy it up a bit so it can compete better with the foreign stuff. To do that, we will refer to the Fancy Fast Food blog. via Freakonomics. We ill use the ingredients listed below, follow the instructions available at the link, add fancy plates, employ the finest presentation techniques and end with something that looks like the picture below. (Note: This will still give you heart attacks, it just looks better at the table.)

“Ingredients:

1 White Castle Sack Meal #1, with cheese and bacon (four bacon cheeseburger Slyders, a box of french fries, and a medium Coca-Cola)
1 White Castle Sack Meal #8 (two chicken sandwiches, a box of onion rings, and a medium Hi-C Poppin’ Pink Lemonade)
1 order of fried clams
packets of tartar sauce and ketchup
parsley (for garnish)”

My son was chosen to participate in a camp at a local university this week. The camp was for kids who might possibly be interested in a career in Materials Engineering. He had a great week and learned a lot. It was a camp intended to influence kids into choosing engineering in general, and Materials Engineering (ME) specifically, as a career. Today, the parents were invited. It was a nice presentation that was clearly primarily a recruiting event.

Schools recruiting? Hardly a surprise, but it was not the school, but rather a group from private industry that was recruiting. Schools are having a difficult time attracting American students into engineering. I had heard different stories about whether or not this was really true. Talking with the guys today, they all lamented the lack of qualified American engineers. One of the presenters noted that industry is especially looking for Master’s and Ph.D. level engineers. Ok, now I could see why there is a shortage. Cost. College costs a fortune.

I was wrong, mostly. At lunch, I got to speak with several of the engineers and a couple of professors. It turns out that in engineering, most, but not all areas of engineering, grad students do not pay for their Master’s or Ph.D. programs. The cost is borne by the department, with students doing some research work which applies to their graduation and also helps the professors. Basically, they are getting paid to work and learn while getting a degree. Yes, they lose the opportunity to make a larger salary during those years, but they are not coming out with big debt.

I was surprised. Free grad school and you still cannot get American kids to sign up? What gives? Medical school has decreased in popularity as kids were not willing to accept the lifestyle costs, even with salaries that remain very good. Instead, they flock to finance, marketing, business school and law school. Fine professions, but why not engineering? What are we doing to discourage kids from this profession. Or, what signals are we sending that make them want to choose non math/science oriented professions?

As my son pointed out, there is only one American Ph.D. engineer working in the R and D department in one of the sections they toured. This creates issues when they want to work on classified materials for the military. In the longer run, it creates issues for our country. Can we maintain a competitive position in the global economy while importing so many of our top tech and science workers? Yes, immigrants, legal ones, are a self-selected group that may be over achievers. In many ways it is not surprising that they are overly represented in these areas. It has long ben one of our strengths that we can attract and integrate elites from other countries. That is not my worry, rather I am concerned that Americans are not interested in some of the professions needed, I believe, for a country to be a top economic competitor.

Sabtu, 18 Juli 2009 | 03:18 WIB

Oleh Radhar Panca Dahana

Bagaimana sebenarnya cara kita mengapitalisasi 235 juta warga Indonesia, mengapitalisasi diri sendiri? Dalam pengertian paling umum, jumlah itu adalah sebuah potensi kerja yang luar biasa. Yang diukur dengan kemampuan produktifnya dan sumbangannya pada ”pendapatan nasional”.

Maka angka hebat itu sekadar bermakna ranking terbesar keempat di dunia, bermakna Rp 5.000 triliun dalam PDB, 2.000 dollar AS per kapita, Rp 200 triliun untuk pendidikan, 52 persen persen konstituen untuk satu putaran pilpres, Rp 70 triliun subsidi energi, 10 persen penganggur, Rp 100 triliun kontribusi industri kreatif, atau 100.000 megawatt tambahan listrik, dan seterusnya.

Dengan itu, kita sadar, betapa nilai satu manusia di negeri ini, jiwa, raga, dan seluruh potensi mentalnya, dihitung dalam materialisasi angka-angka yang pada akhirnya melenyapkan kenyataan dan keberadaan manusianya sendiri. Simplifikasi yang penuh reduksi ini membuat negeri kita bukan hanya tampak miskin dan sengsara, tetapi juga rapuh tak berdaya.

Betapa semua angka itu hanya menjadi artifisialisasi dari realitas majemuk dan padat dimensi dari kemanusiaan kita sendiri. Satu bentuk komprehensi yang juga menunjukkan kemiskinan visi, wawasan, dan bacaan para penyelenggara negeri atas negeri yang dipimpin. Dan kemiskinan ini begitu rentan dalam pertarungan global, bahkan di tingkat virtual.

Hanya dalam hitungan hari, bahkan mungkin jam, angka-angka itu bisa berubah radikal, anjlok ke jurang terdalam, oleh ulah pialang-petualang. Katakanlah semacam George Soros, yang bukan hanya pernah menghantam Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, dan banyak negara Asia, tetapi juga negeri dengan kekuatan moneter dahsyat seperti Inggris. Maka, bila tidak rentan dan rapuh, angka-angka yang memaknai dan mengapitalisasi 235 juta manusia itu sebenarnya adalah palsu.

Unikum kebudayaan

Kepalsuan itu terlihat bukan hanya karena sebuah argumentasi teoretis atau filosofis saja, tetapi juga berdasar fakta dan realita, bahwa sejarah para penghuni negeri kepulauan itu, lebih dari dua milenia membangun dirinya, sama sekali tidak dengan angka, tidak dengan statistik ekonomi, data kependudukan, atau jumlah produksi celana yang dipakainya.

Negeri yang dipahami dengan baik oleh Soekarno dengan Pancasila-nya ini dibangun melalui kekuatan-kekuatan kebudayaan (sebagaimana Soekarno memaksudkan semua sila yang ia kristalkan itu sebagai hasil dan bermakna kebudayaan). Kekuatan yang membuat negeri-negeri dan bangsa-bangsa di dalamnya bertahan, berkembang, bahkan memiliki posisi atau peran yang tidak remeh dalam percaturan mancanegara.

Karena, bagaimana kita dapat mengapitalisasi, mematerialisasi, karya dan produk kultural, seperti Borobudur, wayang, batik, kitab-kitab ajaran kuno, keterbukaan dan kosmopolitanisme yang membentuk identitas suku-suku, bahasa yang menyatukan, pergaulan yang intens dan progresif di antara mereka, kemampuan mengakulturasi semua adab/budaya asing yang datang dan seterusnya.

Kealpaan pada hal-hal itu bukan hanya menafikan keunggulan dan kekayaan kita, tetapi juga seperti mempabrikasi bom waktu kehancuran sendiri. Karena justru dengan itulah, dengan—katakanlah—nilai-nilai ideal Pancasila-Soekarno, sebenarnya kita bisa bertahan sebagai sebuah negeri, sebuah bangsa, dari kemungkinan segregasi yang diramal, dicemaskan dan ditiupkan segolongan pihak.

Itulah fakta. Sebenarnya 235 juta manusia adalah jumlah dari para produsen kebudayaan, dari unikum-unikum kebudayaan. Mereka, pada setiap entitasnya, memiliki daya, kekuatan produktif, bertahan dan berkembang tersendiri. Yang secara akumulatif terbukti membangun negeri ini, dengan atau tanpa modal kapital yang serakah, dengan atau tanpa—setidaknya keterlibatan minimal—negara.

Seorang wartawan National Geographic melukiskan dengan haru saat ia berkunjung ke negara yang merupakan ”Naga Kecil” di tahun 1950-an. Satu konjen AS di Surabaya saat itu membuat pengumuman yang membuka lowongan kerja bagi juru ketik dengan gaji cukup. Negeri miskin ini dipercaya akan membanjiri lowongan itu. Berminggu-minggu ditunggu, pelamar yang datang hanya sehitungan jari.

Namun, saat pengumuman itu diganti lowongan juru gambar, maka hanya dalam hitungan hari, puluhan pelamar datang. Kejadian mengejutkan ini tak bisa lain hanya menciptakan impresi sederhana dari sang wartawan yang lalu menuliskan, ”di negeri ini semua orang seniman”.

Pragmatisme idealis

Sebagai sebuah impresi, komentar hiperbolik itu sah. Namun, setidaknya ia telah menunjukkan, kekuatan terbaik dan terbesar bangsa ini ada pada kebudayaan yang inheren bahkan transenden dalam hidup sehari-hari masyarakatnya. Sebuah kekuatan pimpinan yang penuh visilah yang akan mampu menangkap, mengolah, dan mengoptimalisasi kekuatan itu menjadi kesejahteraan, sebuah kejayaan.

Di sini, kesejahteraan tidak lain adalah terjadinya integrasi sinergis antara daya-daya praktis-pragmatis dari standar hidup sehari-hari dan daya-daya idealis dari kekuatan kultural-spiritual masyarakat. Ini juga sebuah realita—yang kian rusak karena pemahaman dan penataan yang keliru—di mana hidup pragmatis manusia Indonesia tidak dapat dipisahkan dari ritus-ritus artistik dan religiusnya. Ini pula yang mungkin membuat Soekarno menempatkan sila ”Ketuhanan Yang Mahaesa” dari tempat kelima, 1945, menjadi sila pertama di saat berikutnya.

Maka, misalnya, bila daya ekonomi kita, terutama di pedesaan atau grass root, didesak untuk meningkatkan produktivitasnya, sementara kultur atau ritus religiusnya dirusak budaya kota/asing melalui berbagai media, jangan harap hasil memuaskan akan didapat. Karena tiap butir gabah yang dihasilkan petani bukan hanya wujud kebutuhan pragmatis, tetapi juga sebagai rasa syukur, sebagai ibadah, sebagai kewajiban kultural.

Seberapa jauh presiden terpilih menyadari hal ini, bisa dibaca dari dialog atau debat. Keringnya wacana, sempitnya apresiasi pada realitas itu, juga cara mereka mengukur diri dan bangsa melalui angka, menunjukkan visi—dengan ruang dan waktu lebih lapang dan dalam—yang kita harapkan masih jauh dari jangkauan.

Untuk itu, tidak ada alasan lain, keberanian dan kehendak politik harus kuat untuk bekerja sama dengan elemen-elemen lain, khususnya kebudayaan. Karena dari sana bisa diharapkan, keluasan dan kedalaman visi dapat ditingkatkan. Mereka, kekuasaan dan kebudayaan, yang selama ini arogan dengan mengatakan ”aku bisa hidup tanpa kau”, sudah saatnya datang ke ruang yang sama. Bukan untuk sekadar salaman dan minum bersama, tetapi beradu hati, kepala, dan mimpi: menemukan diri kita yang sebenarnya, saat ini dan nanti. Pada kala itu, harapan tidak lagi tinggal dalam kotak kenangan.

Radhar Panca Dahana Sastrawan

When the villagers of Klineschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism. While police inspector Karl remains skeptical, scientist Dr. von Niemann cares for the vampire’s victims one by one, and suspicion falls on simple-minded Herman Gleib because of his fondness for bats. A blood-thirsty mob hounds Gleib to his death, but the vampire attacks don’t stop.

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Dramatized history of the Coca-Cola company and some of the people who participated in its origin and growth. Made in the style of a feature film.

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See YouTube video info for FREE & LEGAL download links.

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Carl-Bolle Elementary School by Die Baupiloten

The Baupiloten are a group of students at the Institute for Architecture within the Berlin Technical University’s Department for Planning, Construction, and the Environment. Under the leadership of architect Susanne Hofmann AA dipl, the Baupiloten conduct their studies through the realization of actual building measures. The students experience the architectural curriculum as a praxis-oriented ideal and take part in all phases of design and construction

Architects: Die Baupiloten
Location: Berlin, Germany
Client: Jahn, Mack und Partner
Project Team: Lena Fischer, Anna Lafite, Lukas de Pellegrin, Lisa Plücker, Nadia Poor-Rahim, Daniel Theiler
Project Manager: Dipl.-Ing. Constantin von der Mülbe
Project year: 2006-2008
Photographs: Jan Bitter

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