Top 5 Pictures of 2009 (click each image to enlarge)

#1. The Oracle of Omaha

Microsoft founder Bill Gates reacts during a game of bridge with Billionaire financier Warren Buffett (L) during the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska May 3, 2009.

#2. Mental Patient

A mental patient named Totok reacts as he is given a shower at the Galuh foundation house in East Bekasi, outskirt of Jakarta October 23, 2009. The Galuh foundation house has housed more than 285 underprivileged mental patients since it was founded in 1982 by Gendu Mulatip.
Credit: REUTERS/Beawiharta

#3. The Magic Lake

Chandra Tal (meaning the Lake of the Moon), is situated at an altitude of about 4,300 meters (14,000 feet) in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. What drives people to Chandartal Lake is the natural beauty, the peace and the azure blue waters. There is nothing around but the stillness as if the nature has come to a halt. Sitting here takes you to a world that you have never seen before; being here brings the magic of life back to you. (National Geographic/Dhurjati Chatterjee)

#4. Faith is a simple thing, not a complicated one.

Firemen touch the marble statue of Madonna after removing from the top of the church in Paganica, near Aquila, April 13, 2009.
Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi

#5

#5? It’s the big thumbnail in the beginning of this post. Yes, it is Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man. Reading stories about Usain Bolt, I was convinced that it’s not only talent that matters, but also personality.

In 2009, Bolt single-handedly transformed the world track-and-field championships, usually of interest only to devotees, into a mandatory-viewing event. He delivered a mind-numbing 9.58 at the 100 m in Berlin, a 0.11-sec. improvement over his Beijing time. In an event in which records are bettered in hundredths-of-a-second increments, this was stupendous. Bolt then bolted on another record, 19.19, in the 200 m. (Time) (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

But when you spend time with Bolt, another attribute becomes apparent. He has a great personality and just loves to tease and have fun. He recounts a phone call with his mother before taking the 200-meter gold in record time Thursday night.

“My Mom said that I was going to break the record, and I asked her if she was the one running. Ha! But I decided I was feeling good in the warm-up, so I decided, ‘let’s just try for it,’ so I did it,” he said.

He’s also friendlier on the track than many of the past champions – think American Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson, who tried to intimidate opponents with their dagger-like glares. Bolt jokes around and teases his competitors before races, as 200-meter bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon of the United States explains.

“He was telling me I need to finish second, and he was also telling me ‘Don’t step on the line,’ and he was also telling me, ‘Just try to stay close.’ They shot the gun and I saw him for about maybe two or three seconds. And then he got so far ahead of me that I couldn’t see him anymore. Then I looked at the clock and it said 19.19. Yeah, yeah, he’s fast. He’s “the Big Jamaican” and he’s very, very fast,” he said.

So who is Usain Bolt? He’s a mixture of talent, charisma and fun. Oh yes, and quite possibly the greatest sprinter ever.

(VOANews)

Top 5 Cartoons of 2009 (click each image to enlarge)

#1 (KAL)

#2

#3 (KAL)

#4

#5 (KAL)

Related posts:

1. Menteng Foodstalls (Near Formule Hotel) Last week I went to this place with Toni and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Anyway, I am working to redesign my blog (well, actually I am looking for a new-free-magnificent wordpress theme). Very likely there will be changes in content as well. Oh, regarding the new website which I mentioned in my previous post, I have discussed this my some of my friends. This will be my new personal project.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Few days ago Noel Gallagher announced his departure from Oasis. Liam, his brother, said that Oasis will go on without Noel. I think Liam’s just bluffing, big mouth, and he is a fucking joke. Oasis is Noel Gallagher bands, not more than that. I am quite disappointed because earlier this year, Oasis had their gigs in Hong Kong and Singapore and I missed the shows. I promised myself that I would see their concert next year but it won’t happen. Too bad…

I have list of my top 10 best rock n roll songs all the time and I put “Wonderwall” in it. This song is about an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself (some people said this is about Noel’s ex-wife).

Anyway, these are my 10 favourite songs of Oasis:

1. Wonderwall

2. Don’t Look Back in Anger

3. Champagne Supernova

4. I’m Outta Time

5. Acquiesce

6. Live Forever

7. Some Might Say

8. Don’t Go Away

9. Slide Away (I like Liam’s voice a decade ago…)

10. Stand By Me

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Thanks to the relatively successful General Election, stable financial system, and GDP growth (4.4%) during the first quarter of 2009, apparently foreign investors have relatively positive view regarding Indonesia (not to forget the rampant corruption and terrible infrastructure).

I just read positive tone economic reports from EIU, Goldman Sachs, CLSA Asia, BarCap, and Morgan Stanley. Moody’s also has upgraded the rating of Indonesia from Stable to Positive. Not really agree with all they said, but they are market-opinion maker and in this business, opinion is more important than facts (reality bites!).

I expect under Yudhoyono’s second term, Indonesia will move upward, adding another “I” to BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China). By the way, I think “Chindonesia” sounds better than “BRIC”.

Some citations from Bloomberg:

—————————————————————————–

July 10 (Bloomberg) — Indonesia’s economy is set to emerge a “winner” after avoiding the worst of the global financial crisis, the World Bank’s country director said.

Asia’s fastest-growing major economy after China and India can expand “significantly” more than 7 percent once President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonofixes the nation’s congested roads, neglected ports and ageing power plants, according to Joachim von Amsberg, the World Bank’s representative in Jakarta.

Faster growth and a “maturing democracy together put Indonesia in an incredibly exciting position to come out as a winner from this global turmoil,” von Amsberg said in an interview yesterday in Jakarta. “It shows that Indonesia is a positive outlier in the world right now.”

Indonesia’s move to increase deposit insurance, boost coordination with the central bank and strengthen bank supervision helped the nation largely avoid the worldwide credit crisis, von Amsberg said.

Asia’s third-most populated country has also skirted recession, unlike many of its neighbors that rely more on exports. Declining interest rates helped boost consumption, which accounts for more than 60 percent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product.

——————————————————————————-

July 9 (Bloomberg) — President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swept toward a second five-year term, receiving a strong mandate from Indonesia’s 176 million voters to take the country’s economy to new heights of growth.

Leveraging that victory into achieving his goal of growth rates on par with China and India will hinge on the ability to build roads, ports and power plants and lure foreign investment. To do so, he’ll have to overcome a bureaucracy where power is decentralized down to the district level across 17,500 islands.

“I would say a ‘definite yes’ in maintaining very solid economic growth, a ‘maybe yes’ to become the 9 percent superstar,” said Milan Zavadjil, Indonesia country head for the International Monetary Fund. “To go to the China level you need to take care of some issues, like major improvements in infrastructure, the investment climate and the legal system.”

———————————————————————————

July 11 (Bloomberg) — Indonesia’s economy may double in the next six years as the world’s biggest exporter of power- station coal and largest producer of palm oil taps surging demand from India and China, CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets said.

China, India and Indonesia will generate $10 trillion of wealth for investors by 2015, Nicholas Cashmore, head of Indonesia research at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, said in a note titled “Chindonesia: Enter the Komodo,” a reference to the reptile found only in eastern Indonesia. The three economies are Asia’s “next growth triangle,” he said.

—————————————————————————————

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This is the reason why I support the incumbent, ultimately his running mate!

——————————————————————————-

Baru kemarin (3/6) saya melihat iklan itu di TV…
ttg penumpukan hutang Indonesia, yg dihitung2 mencapai 7 juta rupiah per kapita.
Buat saya, iklan tersebut cukup berbahaya, sebagaimana tertera dlm status FB di halaman Profile saya…
Hanya dlm wkt kurang dr 1 jam, komentar maupun tanda "jempol" (like) berdatangan di Status saya, seperti layaknya Manohara yg diserbu stasiun TV utk wawancara… (alah, lebay!).
Nah, ini note utk menjelaskan kepada publik, kenapa iklan tersebut tidak mencerdaskan bangsa…
Bagi yg merasa terlalu teknis, maafkan… bs lgsg di-skip ke kesimpulan.
Bagi tmn2 yg lebih ngerti ekonomi, maafkan kalo banyak salah… maklum, kompre aja blm… hehehe
Bagi tmn2 yg ga setuju, good, ini demokrasi. Asal jgn marah2, mencemarkan nama baik, or bawa2 SARA ya (kaya debat tim sukses beberapa hr lalu)…
Bagi aparat, kalau ada pihak yg tersinggung, jgn lgsg main cekal dgn basic UU ITE!!!
OK, gini…
Sebelum mengatakan iklan itu benar, salah, keren, or justru menyesatkan, let’s take a look at this:

Undang2 no.17 thn 2003 tentang Keuangan Negara
UU ini mengatur hal2 seperti total defisit APBN tidak boleh lebih dari 3% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dan rasio hutang juga tidak boleh lebih dari 60% dari GDP.

Debt-to-GDP Ratio Indonesia
2001 – 77%
2002 – 67%
2003 – 61%
2004 – 56%
2005 – 47%
2006 – 39%
2007 – 36%
2008 – 33%
2009 – 32% (s/d Maret)
sumber: Dirjen Pengelolaan Hutang

Karena saya ini bukan ahli ekonomi, apalagi makroekonomi, maka saya cm mencoba mengedepankan sudut pandang saya sebagai wong cilik pelaku ekonomi mikro yg coba menerapkan prinsip2 bisnis ke dalam suatu negara…

Dupont Analysis
Kalau Anda baca buku2 management keuangan (entah itu karangan Keown, Ross, Fabozzi, Riley, or siapalah itu), tentu ada yg dinamakan Financial Leverage (pengungkit keuangan), sebuah besaran yg nilainya ditentukan dari rasio Total Asset per Total Equity.
Sekedar penyegaran, coba kita liat dulu yg namanya Return on Equity (ROE).
ROE adalah persentase laba per total modal (equity), atau gampangnya seluruh return yg diperoleh pemegang saham (entah itu dibagikan sbg dividend atau tidak). Dalam investasi, rasio ini adl. yg paling penting (Buffet, 1995).
Berdasarkan Dupont Analysis, Return on Equity dijabarkan sbb:

ROE = Return on Asset x Financial Leverage

ROE = Total Asset Turnover x Net Profit Margin x Financial Leverage

Apabila FL = 1, berarti perusahaan tsb tidak punya hutang, krn Asset perusahaan dibiayai seluruhnya dari modal sendiri (Equity), sehingga ROA = ROE
Apabila FL = 2, berarti asset perusahaan nilainya 2 kali lipat equity, yg berarti hutang (debt) sama besar dgn equity.

Sementara itu, kita jg ketahui bahwa pertumbuhan (growth) laba perusahaan adalah fungsi dari ROE, di mana

g = ROE x % laba ditahan

sehingga pertumbuhan perusahaan sangat ditentukan oleh ROEnya…
Nah, berarti si Leverage ini (yg sumbernya dari hutang) digunakan utk mendongkrak pertumbuhan.

So, apa hubungannya sih dgn hutang negara?
Just so simple, hutang digunakan untuk mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi.

Then, hutang itu bagus or not?
Simple jg, semua yg berlebihan itu ga baik.
Jadi, ada titik yg optimal, ada titik yg kurang optimal, dan ada jg titik maksimal or berlebihan.
Titik optimal adalah ketika level hutang mampu mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi.
Titik maksimal adalah batas level hutang yg tertinggi yg tidak boleh terlampaui, krn faktor resiko yg tinggi. (High risk – high return)…

Trus, baiknya level hutang itu berapa?
Wah, ini kuncinya…
kalo utk company sih, liat Dupont analysis di atas. Gampangnya, leverage itu memang tujuannya mendongkrak ROE, yg tujuan akhirnya mendongkrak growth. Hanya saja, perlu diperhatikan bhw hutang ini jangan sampai:
1. Tidak produktif, sehingga menurunkan rasio Revenue thdp Asset (Total Asset Turnover).
–> hal ini bisa saja terjadi apabila nilai Asset meningkat krn meningkatnya hutang, namun tidak disertai produktifitas penjualan (revenue) perusahaan.
2. Menurunkan Net Profit, oleh karena beban bunga yg tinggi.
(nomor 1 & 2, pada akhirnya malah menurunkan ROE jg)
3. Tidak sesuai dgn tipikal organisasi
–> perbankan dan lembaga keuangan jelas memiliki leverage yg tinggi, namun perusahaan seperti manufaktur, pasti tingkat leverage jauh lebih rendah.
Nah, untuk negara, mari kita lihat di bagian berikut ini.

Hutang Negara yg Optimal
Menurut Smyth, David J & Hsing, Yu (1995), level hutang yang optimal adalah 48,9% dari GDP.
(dihitung dr GDP, krn kalo hitung dari asset negara, tentu sulit menghitung besaran asset negara)
Apakah angka ini dapat diterima begitu saja? tentu harus dicermati lebih lanjut, apakah hutang tersebut hutang dalam negeri or hutang luar negeri.
Secara kasat mata, berdasarkan teori yg ada, rasio Indonesia sbsr 32% adalah level yang aman.
Berdasarkan data Bloomberg, Jepang pun rasio Debt-to-GDP bahkan mencapai hampir 200%. Namun, perlu dicatat bhw mereka:
1. itu hutang mayoritas duit rakyatnya sendiri
2. beban bunganya rendah, krn interest rate di Jepang rendah bgt, sekitar 1% or bahkan mendekati 0%

Ada beberapa cara spy dlm hal financing, negara kita lebih bergantung pada negara sendiri daripada internasional:
1. Langkah mengurangi hutang luar negeri dan lebih mengoptimalkan hutang dalam negeri.
–> mengapa ini rada bermasalah? krn yield (return atau interest rate) di negeri kita sangat tinggi. Lebih murah utk meminjam dr negara lain yg yieldnya lebih rendah. (tapi catatan nih, global bonds yg terakhir itu sih kegedean yieldnya!!!)
2. Berkaitan dgn nomor 1, bagaimana menurunkan interest rate (yield)
–> yang saya tahu, interest rate dipengaruhi oleh tingkat inflasi dan tingkat resiko suatu negara. Kalau negara ini inflasinya rendah, resiko bisnis di negara ini rendah, disertai likuiditas pasar modal yg baik, tentu yield jg rendah. Hal ini krn return (yield) yg diharapkan oleh investor or kreditor adalah = suku bunga bebas resiko + risk premium… risk bisa berupa resiko likuiditas, resiko usaha, resiko politik-keamanan, etc.
Dengan menerbitkan obligasi2 semacam SUN versi retail (ORI) maupun SUKUK (obligasi Syariah) versi retail, niat pemerintah sudah menunjukkan arah yg baik. Pertama, adanya pembelajaran bagi masyarakat ttg alternatif "menaruh uang" selain nabung di bank… Kedua, ya itu, meningkatkan partisipasi dana domestik dlm rangka mengurangi porsi dana pinjaman asing.

Kesimpulan
Meskipun hutang kita meningkat, dan angkanya tampak menyeramkan, namun rasio hutang thdp GDP sebesar 32% sudah turun jauh daripada tahun 2001 sebesar 77%.
Ini berarti resiko keuangan negara jg berkurang. Dan angkanya sudah jauh dari amanat U
U no 17 thn 2003 (ambang batas 60%).
Gampangnya gini, mendingan punya utang 7 juta dgn gaji 20 juta, daripada punya hutang "cuma" 5 juta dgn pendapatan 10 juta…
Tentu proses pengurangan rasio ini tidak lepas dari pelunasan hutang kepada IMF dan pembubaran CGI.

Tapi hal ini ga cukup!
PR pemerintah selanjutnya adalah bagaimana lebih meminjam dari rakyatnya daripada dari pinjaman asing. Perlu diketahui, dari penambahan hutang pemerintah selama 5 thn terakhir sebesar Rp392 T, Rp264 T di antaranya berasal dari hutang domestik, berarti "masih" ada sebesar Rp128T dari pinjaman asing
Tentu hal2 spt ini masih harus diusahakan lebih baik lagi.

BTW, apapun bisa dijadikan komoditas politik ya di hari2 ini…
Hutang kek, Ambalat kek, kasus Prita, or mgkn nanti Manohara jg…
Hal lain… kawan bisa jadi lawan –> wapres bisa jd capres saingan.
Mantan lawan bisa jadi kawan –> Thn 2004 mengeluarkan isu Jenderal (militerisme), sekarang merekrut Jenderal sbg cawapresnya…

PS: Neolib
Saat ini banyak org yg bicara bahkan latah bicara ttg "Neoliberalisme ekonomi", terlepas dari mengerti atau ga. Mgkn note ini ga banyak membahas ttg Neolib.
Akhir dari note ini cm menunjukkan bahwa ga perlu kita sembarangan teriak neolib, krn bisa jd orang2 terdekat kita jg terlibat atau termasuk tertuduh dgn istilah/hal tsb.

Jadi, apa hubungannya dgn hutang luar negeri?
Menurut sebagian tokoh, hutang luar negeri adalah salah satu bentuk ketergantungan kita dgn luar negeri, dan menjauhkan diri dari kemandirian ekonomi… dan menurut sebagian tokoh, lepasnya kemandirian ekonomi menyebabkan kita "disetir" oleh pihak lain (negara lain or lembaga donor) sehingga ekonomi kita menjadi pasar bebas, seperti pembebasan tarif impor, jual2 BUMN, menggelar "karpet merah" pada investasi asing, dsb yg (katanya) kemudian menjadi ekonomi neoliberal.
Kemudian, istilah ini dibangun terus-menerus utk jadi "senjata" kampanye partai or pihak tertentu.

Ekonomi Kerakyatan
Menurut saya, ekonomi itu mesti pro-rakyat. Ini hal yg tidak bisa ditawar2 lagi…
Pro rakyat caranya banyak:
- Program kpd UKM, spt program Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR),
- pendidikan gratis, peningkatan kesehatan
Tapi apa yg disebut "pro-rakyat" itu jangan dibenturkan atau dibedakan dgn "pro-pasar" or "pro-pengusaha"… Why? krn:
1. "pasar" terbesar tidak lain dan tidak bukan adalah "rakyat" itu sendiri, dan tugas pemerintah adalah menjadi juri-wasit-hakim-regulator yg adil dan tegas, spy pasar ini mampu mensejahterakan bangsa (Basri, 2006).
Mnrt saya, daripada teriak2 "kerakyatan", lebih baik gimana caranya menghapus kemiskinan dgn meningkatkan pendidikan & kesehatan, serta bagaimana meningkatkan kemudahan/infrastruktur untuk mengakses informasi, karena asymetric information adalah sumber utama penyebab kemiskinan (Stiglitz, 1997).
2. "pro-pengusaha" hrs diterjemahkan jg sbg "pro-rakyat"… mengutip seorang Capres yg jg pengusaha, "siapa lagi yg mau menciptakan lapangan kerja kalo bukan saudagar atau pengusaha"
Model yg saya kembangkan, based on model Sollow modified dan Audretch & Thurik (2004):
Y = f (K, L, H, E)
Output perekonomian-Y, adalah fungsi dari Capital-K, Labor-L, Human Capital-H, dan juga Entrepreneurship-E (Christmas, 2009).

Perlu dicatat jg, bhw isu2 neolib yg ditujukan kepada Cawapres tertentu saat ini akar2nya berasal dari (alm.) Prof.Sumitro Djojohadikusumo (ayah salah seorang Cawapres yg kubunya getol menuding Cawapres lain sbg neolib).
Sebagai begawan ekonomi Indonesia, beliau kerapkali dituduh sbg "dedengkot Mafia Berkeley" yg katanya membangun dan menyebarkan sistem/paham neolib di Indonesia, yg dipandang membawa Indonesia kepada kehancuran, bergantung kepada asing, etc.
{*Catatan: Berkeley sbnrnya adalah kampus yg trmsk yg rada pro government intervention, mirip2 Keynesian. Sedangkan pembela ekonomi super-liberal ada di Univ.of Chicago or sering disebut Chicago School, dgn tokoh2 spt Milton Friedman, Eugene Fama, yg kebanyakan penentang John Maynard Keynes. (baca: Bloomberg Magazine, edisi Maret 09).}

Nah, sebelum teriak2 di kampanye, "Sistim ekonomi kita, SALAH!"… adakah kemungkinan untuk bilang "Rakyatku, maafkan ayah saya…sistim ekonomi yg Ayah saya bangun, SALAH!" ???

Mohon masukannya teman2… thanks.

Regards,
Eduardus Christmas
PT Enervolution
Founder & CEO

——————————————————————————————————

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

• Black Canyon Cofee, which located near Abuba steak. Here you could see people who do not want to be seen. But last time I went there, probably 1-2 years ago, it was quite packed. A nice place actually with good food and it is (or was?) located in somewhat unusual spot for cafe, so no wonder it was a little bit ‘hidden’.
• Cemara 6. It’s a cafe within an art gallery in Menteng. Very quite, but because I am not an Art lover, I find it quite boring (not many to be seen, even the arts themselves).
• Lara Djonggrang. Selling expensive Indonesian cuisine with so-so taste. However I like it because it is quite and not many people go there, probably because it looks spooky. Quite famous among expats, and because very very unlikely they know me, I am quite comfortable with this place.
• Bunga Rampai. In overall it is better than Lara Djonggrang, Great place for date or meeting with big clients.
• Cork & Screw. Used to like the one in Wisma Kodel but met with many acquaintances there, so I moved to Cork & Screw Plaza Indonesia. Not so crowded during weekend, probably because it is located in a hole-and-corner spot of Plaza Indonesia. Nice place and nice drinks. Hopefully it won’t be famous  
• Papilion Duo. Aha! This actually has the best location as a clandestine place. Located near (or inside) Huize van Wely in Pacific Place and you can’t see this place from the inside of the mall. However, apparently this place is becoming famous among Bankers. Last week I went there with my boss to meet with a potential client. There we also met with other Bankers who are pitching to some clients (and we know them all!). Yeah, the news spread so fast. So when everybody thinks the same, everybody goes to the same place.

Now I am considering which place I can consider as my next clandestine place. Last week I went to Nirwana Lounge at Kempinski. Nice place, nice atmosphere and not so crowded, but probably because it was just opened around two weeks ago. Perhaps within few months it will be loaded with people.

By the way, the new management tried to revive the glory of Nirwana Lounge in the past. But the Nirwana porridge (bubur) and satay are so-so and quite expensive. In addition to that, if you pay with credit card, its card machines will ask for your Credit Card’s PIN. Perhaps they want you to use BCA Card or Paspor BCA .

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Posted by Wordmobi

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Dream on
Though its hard to tell
Though you’re foolin’ yourself
Dream on

You can hide away
There is nothing to say, so dream on
Dream on
Though its hard to tell
Though you’re foolin’ yourself, dream on

You can laugh at me because Im crying
You can tell your friends how much
I begged you to stay
You can live your fantasy without me
But you’ll never know how much I needed you

Dream on
Its so easy for you
Though I’m broken in two, dream on
Dream on
You can never see
What you’re doing to me, so dream on

You can cross your heart and still be lyin
You can count the reasons why youve thrown it away
You can dream your life away without me
But you’ll never know how much I needed you

You can laugh at me because Im crying
You can tell your friends how much
I begged you to stay
You can live your fantasy without me
But youll never know how much I needed you

Dream on
Its so easy for you
Though Im broken in two, dream on
Dream on
You can never see
What you’re doin to me, so dream on
Dream on
Though its hard to tell
Though you’re foolin yourself,dream on
Dream on

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.