Jangan sampai Tenggelam dalam Lumpur

Komunikasi politik menjadi salah satu faktor yang dipercaya bisa menjadi sebuah kekuatan besar yang meguntungkan, sekaligus kelemahan jika tidak bisa dikelola dengan baik. Oleh karenanya membahas praktek komunikasi politik seperti cara berbicara, berpidato, menyapa konstituen, menjalin hubungan antar kekuatan politik, apalagi di tingkat kepresidenan menjadi sangat menarik untuk dibahas. Karena berkaitan langsung dengan pribadi Presiden dan juga style kepresidenanya.

Namun bagi Mantan Juru Bicara Presiden Abdurrahman Wimar Witoelar, dalam sebuah Public Lecture berjudul ”Komunikasi Politik Seorang Pemimpin, Antara Menyampaikan dan Mendengarkan”, komunikasi politik bukan hanya sekedar public speaking, dan belum tentu hal itu menjadi penentu berhasil atau tidaknya masa kepresidenan. Presiden Soekarno misalnya, seorang yang pandai berpidato dengan jargon – jargon anti asingnya, ternyata pada faktanya pemerintahanya kacau balau karena Indonesia mengalami kegagalan politik dan ekonomi yang morat – marit.

Sementara Presiden Soeharto dengan komunikasi yang minim, namun bisa menciptakan pemerintahan yang efektif. ”Jadi kita tidak bisa menilai Presiden hanya dari public speakingnya saja”, ujar Wimar.

Menurut Dewi Fortuna Anwar bahkan di negara yang tidak demokratis, komunikasi politik bukan sebuah hal yang penting. ”Komunikasi Pak Harto hanya untuk menciptakan kontrol untuk mempertahankan kekuasaan”, ujar Juru bicara Presiden Habibie bidang luar negeri ini.

Namun semuanya mulai beruah ketika Presiden Habibie berkuasa dan kemudian dilanjutkan oleh Presiden Abdurrahman Wahid, yang meskipun sangat singkat masa kepresidenannya telah berhasil membuat legacy yang bisa terus kita nikmati sampai sekarang. seperti demokrasi, kebebasan pers, dan desakralisasi lembaga Kepresidenan. ” Presiden jatuh tapi, nilai-nilainya tetap hidup”, tambah Wimar.

Wimar menambahkan bahwa jatuhnya Presiden Wahid secara politis adalah pengalaman buruk bagi negara, tapi bukan tragedi. Karena legacy yang kuat ditinggalkan dalam penguatan demokrasi, pluralisme, demiliterisasi dan humanisme. Kalau SBY? "Jangan sampai jatuh." kata Wimar, "Gus Dur secara politis tenggelam di laut, tapi SBY kalau jatuh akan membawa negara tenggelam dalam lumpur"

[source :/perspektif.net]

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Merubah Indonesia dengan Memperbanyak Entrepreneurship

Merubah Indonesia dengan Memperbanyak Entrepreneurship, kaum wirausaha, pengusaha, Usaha Kecil Menengah UKM, dan pada kaum muda mandiri. Dalam kampanye-kampanye yang saya tonton di televisi sepertinya perhatian untuk kaum ini kurang, para jurkam bicara masalah pengentasan kemiskinan, pengurangan tingkat pengangguran, padahal peluang lapangan kerja baru, terbanyak dilahirkan dari para pengusaha, wiraswasta, pengusaha kecil dan menengah.

Menambah pegawai negeri bukan solusi, menbah pegawai negeri akan semakin menguras APBN, semakin menguras keuangan negara, sementara pegawai yang ada saat ini kinerjanya bekum maksimal, kualitasnya juga masih dipertanyakan. Banyak pegawai negeri berprinsip kerja serius dibayar, kerja santai juga dibayar, kenapa harus serius. Memang tidak semua pegawai negeri bermental demikian, maaf.

Banyaknya PHK menunjukkan bahwa kinerja para pengusaha menurun, banyak partai malah memojokkan para pengusaha, tidak semua pengusaha buruk, mereka butuh iklim usaha yang kondusif, mereka butuh fasilitas dari pemerintah untuk melawan badai krisis global yang mendera. Merka tidak mampu bersaing, para buruh menuntuk kenaikan gaji sementara pengusaha menjerit, jangankan menaikkan gaji bisa menggaji rutin saja sudah tidak mampu, ujung-ujungnya PHK besar besaran.

Definisi entrepreneur seperti apa?

Sorang yang memiliki daya kreasi dan inovasi untuk merubah barang yang tidak berguna menjadi bernilai, merubah sampah menjadi pupuk organik yang bermanfaat, merubah kebiasaan dari sekedar brosing untuk suka-suka dirubah menjadi kegiatan bisnis yang bernilai, merubah product open source menjadi product yang bisa membantu banyak orang dan bisa digunakan dengan mudah sehingga menjadi bernilai dan laku dijual.

Berani mengambil resiko dari setiap kegiatan, penelitian, riset dalam rangka membuat produk baru, menemukan cara baru, mendapatkan jawaban baru dari setiap masalah yang muncul disekelilingnya.

Tanggap terhadap perubahan, tidak mudah menyerah, selalu punya alternatif penyelesaian, tidak menyalahkan keadaan, tidak menyalahkan takdir.

Tidak takut rugi, tidak takut salah, tapi takut kalau tidak melakukan kegiatan, takut kalau hidupnya hanya menjadi beban, hanya bisa meminta, hanya bisa menunggu dari perubahan itu sendiri. Enterpreneur turut andil dalam sejarah perubahan.

Berapa wirausahawan lagi dibutuhkan?
Pendapat Sosiolog David McClelland suatu negara bisa menjadi makmur bila ada entrepreneur sedikitnya 2% dari jumlah penduduk. Singapura sudah 7,2% padahal pada 2001 baru 2,1%. Sedangkan Indonesia hanya 0,18% dari penduduk atau 400.000-an orang. Itulah kenapa Indonesia dibolak balik, tetap saja ketinggalan dengan negara tetangga. Bahkan para anggota legislatif banyak yang tidak tahu, tapi omong banyak tentang kemajuan Indonesia. Bagaimana kita bisa membuat perubahan semantara kita sendiri tidak pernah melakukan perubahan, dan tidak pernah memberi contoh nyata, setiap orang bisa omong, tapi sedikit orang yang mau mempraktekkannya.

Mengapa Indonesia sedikit Wirausaha

Ini mungkin hasil penjajahan yang terlalu lama, selalu diberi ikan bukan diberi kail dan jala oleh para pemimpin, para orang tua, para dosen dan guru di sekolah. Kebanyakan orang tua kita petani, dan pegawai negeri, pegawai negeri itu masuk zona aman, kerja dapat gaji, tidak kerja juga dapat gaji. Sekolah kita hanya mendidik jadi orang yang pintar teori, tapi seditik sekali praktek, pinter debat tapi kurang kerja nyata.

Kebanyakan dari kita bermental karyawan, bermental buruh, bukan salahnya tapi keadaan, lingkungan, kultur yang telah menempatkan pegawai adalah pekerjaan yang palin aman, pegawai negeri adalah impian setiap orang tua.

Yang paling parah adalah tidak mudah menjadi pengusaha, buruh demo naik gaji, sementara kinerja para buruh belum maksimal, perijinan yang sulit, mencari modal juga sulit, apalagi tidak punya jaminan.

Pengusaha dijadikan sasaran tembak,

Pengusaha sering menjadi sasaran tembak, tidak bisa menggaji diatas UMR, tidak memberi fasilitas pada karyawannya, padahal banyak pengusaha yang kena dampak krisis, jangankan menaikkan gaji, membayar gaji rutin saja susah. Jangankan menaikkan produktifitas, memproduksi saja tidak mampu karan bahan baku mahal, banyak uang siluman, biaya produksi tinggi, listri mahal, dan banyak masalah yang sering terabaikan.

Sumber Alam Melimpah, Sumber Energi Banyak, Kenapa Masih tidak makmur

Semua orang ngomong target kemakmuran, tapi bila entrepreneurship tidak diajarkan, semuanya tidak tercapai, sejarah yang membuktikan.

Indonesia memiliki banyak komoditas, tambang mineral dan penghasil energi berlimpah tapi bukan bangsa kita yang mengubah menjadi end product, yang bermutu dan bernilai mahal harganya. Bila tidak ada tambahan nilai (added value) oleh bangsa kita, Indonesia tetap miskin. Kita lihat investasi dari luar negeri, orang kita jadi apa? Buruh!

Banyak Yang jadi TKI, karena di Indonesia Gaji Rendah, Lowongan Sedikit,

Mungkin kita bertanya kenapa banyak orang mencari kerja di luar negeri, ti Taiwan, di Malaysia, Hongkong, Singapore. Itu Karena di Indonesia sedikit lowongan kerja, kalaupun toh ada gaji buruh di Indonesia terlalu minim.

Ini disebabkan karena sedikit entrepreneur yang bisa menciptakan lapangan kerja di dalam negeri.
Bila saat ini memang tak bisa memberikan pekerjaan, kita perlu bekali kaum muda kemampuan menciptakan lapangan kerja baru, membuat sesuatu yang baru dengan memaksimalkan yang sudah ada. Entrepreneur tidak hanya menolong mereka yang menganggur tapi menciptakan kesejahteraan masyarakat, lingkungan dan bangsa. Dan, kehadiran mereka lebih dibutuhkan dalam pemanfaatan sumber daya alam bagi kemakmuran rakyat, bukan modal asing.

Kesimpulan :

Merubah Indonesia menjadi makmur bukan saja membagi-bagi dana ABPN untuk rakyat tanpa proses, apalagi hanya membagi-bagi pada para pejabat, legislatif yang terjadi selama ini. APBN hendaknya bisa didayagunakan secara maksimal untuk membangkitkan masyarakat madani, masyarakat mandiri, dengan terciptanya generasi muda mandiri yang mampu berwiraswasta atau berjiwa entreprenuer. Bukan hanya menjadikan rakyat menjadi semakit ketergantungan terhadap sumbangan, bukan menjadikan rakyat semakin tidak kreatif, menjadikan rakyat semakin manja, tetapi dana yang melimpah yang selama ini dijanjikan haruslah menjadi motivasi untuk selalu berkarya, menggunakan dana yang ada dalam rangka peningkatan kualias hidup, kualitas SDM, dan kemampuan untuk mandiri, menciptakan lapangan kerja baru, sehingga pada akhirnya bisa memberikan nilai dan kotribusi pada diri sendiri, lingkungan, masyarakat dan bangsa.

[Source : sumintar.com]

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William and Kate's Wedding Sealed with a Kiss

Britain's Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London Friday, April, 29, 2011.

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William and Kate Middleton married Friday with a mix of glittering pageantry and spontaneity, kissing twice in front of a sea of revellers and breathing new life into Britain's monarchy.

A million people lined the streets and two billion TV viewers worldwide watched as Kate swept up the aisle of Westminster Abbey, resplendent in an ivory and white satin dress with a veil and flowing train.

The future king and queen briefly kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace then repeated it when the crowds begged for more -- going one better than William's parents Prince Charles and Diana when they wed in 1981.

Vintage and modern Royal Air Force warplanes then roared overhead in a flypast.

And in a surprise treat for the crowd, they also took a spin in a classic Aston Martin sportscar with a joke registration number and learner plates, reflecting their status as the new generation of British royalty.

Tourists and Britons alike flocked to London to see the culmination of a romance that began eight years ago when the second in line to the throne and his "commoner" bride were university students.

The couple are now known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- the titles were a wedding gift from William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The wedding's show of pomp mixed with genuine affection offers the royals a chance at renewal after Charles and Diana's traumatic public split and her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

"They are the most glamorous and classy couple. They are a new face for the monarchy," said Katie Oresko, a student from Chicago.

Yet Diana's absence was keenly felt despite the joyful atmosphere, with several pieces of music related to her life taking centre stage in the wedding of her eldest son.

Among 1,900 guests in the abbey were musician Elton John, footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria, and Australian swimming icon Ian Thorpe, along with 40 foreign royals and hundreds of dignitaries.

The Beckhams said the ceremony was "beautiful and heartfelt."

All eyes were on 29-year-old Kate's dress, and there were cheers when she emerged from her hotel in a robe by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, the British designer who committed suicide last year.

Led by her father Michael, Kate took four minutes to walk down the aisle of the abbey which was lined with trees to create the feel of an English garden.

William waited for her accompanied by his brother and best man Prince Harry, wearing the red tunic of the Irish Guards infantry regiment, the uniform of his highest military rank, despite his day job as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot.

He smiled and mouthed "you look beautiful" to his bride.

The first hymn, "Guide me, O thou great redeemer", was the last sung at Diana's funeral at the abbey 14 years ago.

The couple both said "I will" before repeating their vows, while William briefly struggled to fit the ring, made from Welsh gold, over her finger.

Kate, however, did not promise to obey her husband in her marriage vows -- echoing Diana.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams then pronounced them man and wife.

After the service, they travelled in an open carriage to Buckingham Palace along The Mall, as the crowds cheered and mounted soldiers in their finery rode alongside.

When the couple appeared on the balcony Kate could be seen mouthing "Wow" at the ocean of people. William then appeared to ask "Shall we kiss?" before briefly embracing his bride and blushing, following it up with another shortly afterwards.

Scotland Yard said at least one million people thronged the procession route, with 500,000 of them watching the balcony kisses.

There was one more surprise after the wedding reception at the palace.

William and Kate appeared in a vintage Aston Martin sporting bunting and balloons and the registration number "JU5T WED", and drove to Clarence House, his father's residence, nearby.

A yellow Sea King search and rescue helicopter -- the kind William flies -- hovered overhead.

Several hours after they tied the knot, Kate changed into an evening gown, also designed by Burton, and headed with William to Buckingham Palace to party late into the night with a group of some 300 friends.

Sandra Russell, 65, who is of French-British nationality, said she thought the marriage would be successful because Kate is "much older than Diana was at the time, much more mature and they are marrying for love."

One surprise remains intact after the wedding, however -- the couple's honeymoon destination is still a mystery.

About 5,500 street parties took place across Britain on Friday, including in St Andrews, where the couple met at university, and in the bride's home village of Bucklebury.

Around the world there were celebrations from Australia to Afghanistan, where British troops took a rare break from frontline duties to celebrate with a barbecue and alcohol-free beer.

In Paris, well-wishers visited a statue by the Pont d'Alma, the site of the crash that killed Diana, that has become an unofficial memorial to her.

[Source : AFP]

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Seorang Anak yang Mencoret Mobil Ayahnya

Sepasang suami isteri – seperti pasangan lain di kota-kota besar meninggalkan anak-anak diasuh pembantu rumah sewaktu bekerja. Anak tunggal pasangan ini, perempuan cantik berusia tiga setengah tahun. Sendirian ia di rumah dan kerap kali dibiarkan pembantunya karena sibuk bekerja di dapur. Bermainlah dia bersama ayun-ayunan di atas buaian yang dibeli ayahnya, ataupun memetik bunga dan lain-lain di halaman rumahnya.

Suatu hari dia melihat sebatang paku karat. Dan ia pun mencoret lantai tempat mobil ayahnya diparkirkan , tetapi karena lantainya terbuat dari marmer maka coretan tidak kelihatan. Dicobanya lagi pada mobil baru ayahnya. Ya… karena mobil itu bewarna gelap, maka coretannya tampak jelas. Apalagi anak-anak ini pun membuat coretan sesuai dengan kreativitasnya.

Hari itu ayah dan ibunya bermotor ke tempat kerja karena ingin menghindari macet. Setelah sebelah kanan mobil sudah penuh coretan maka ia beralih ke sebelah kiri mobil. Dibuatnya gambar ibu dan ayahnya, gambarnya sendiri, lukisan ayam, kucing dan lain sebagainya mengikut imaginasinya. Kejadian itu berlangsung tanpa disadari oleh si pembantu rumah.

Saat pulang petang, terkejutlah pasangan suami istri itu melihat mobil yang baru setahun dibeli dengan bayaran angsuran yang masih lama lunasnya. Si bapak yang belum lagi masuk ke rumah ini pun terus menjerit, “Kerjaan siapa ini !!!” …. Pembantu rumah yang tersentak engan jeritan itu berlari keluar. Dia juga beristighfar. Mukanya merah adam ketakutan lebih-lebih melihat wajah bengis tuannya. Sekali lagi diajukan pertanyaan keras kepadanya, dia terus mengatakan ‘ Saya tidak tahu..tuan.” “Kamu dirumah sepanjang hari, apa saja yg kau lakukan?” hardik si isteri lagi.

Si anak yang mendengar suara ayahnya, tiba-tiba berlari keluar dari kamarnya. Dengan penuh manja dia berkata “Dita yg membuat gambar itu ayahhh.. cantik …kan!” katanya sambil memeluk ayahnya sambil bermanja seperti biasa.. Si ayah yang sudah hilang kesabaran mengambil sebatang ranting kecil dari pohon di depan rumahnya, terus dipukulkannya berkali-kali ke telapak tangan anaknya . Si anak yang tak mengerti apa apa menagis kesakitan, pedih sekaligus ketakutan. Puas memukul telapak tangan, si ayah memukul pula belakang tangan anaknya.

Sedangkan Si ibu cuma mendiamkan saja, seolah merestui dan merasa puas dengan hukuman yang dikenakan. Pembantu rumah terbengong, tidak tahu harus berbuat apa… Si ayah cukup lama memukul-mukul tangan kanan dan kemudian ganti tangan kiri anaknya. Setelah si ayah masuk ke rumah diikuti si ibu, pembantu rumah tersebut menggendong anak kecil itu, membawanya ke kamar.

Dia terperanjat melihat telapak tangan dan belakang tangan si anak kecil luka-luka dan berdarah. Pembantu rumah memandikan anak kecil itu. Sambil menyiramnya dengan air, dia ikut menangis. Anak kecil itu juga menjerit-jerit menahan pedih saat luka-lukanya itu terkena air. Lalu si pembantu rumah menidurkan anak kecil itu. Si ayah sengaja membiarkan anak itu tidur bersama pembantu rumah. Keesokkan harinya, kedua belah tangan si anak bengkak. Pembantu rumah mengadu ke majikannya. “Oleskan obat saja!” jawab bapak si anak.

Pulang dari kerja, dia tidak memperhatikan anak kecil itu yang menghabiskan waktu di kamar pembantu. Si ayah konon mau memberi pelajaran pada anaknya. Tiga hari berlalu, si ayah tidak pernah menjenguk anaknya sementara si ibu juga begitu, meski setiap hari bertanya kepada pembantu rumah. “Dita demam, Bu”…jawab pembantunya ringkas. “Kasih minum panadol aja ,” jawab si ibu. Sebelum si ibu masuk kamar tidur dia menjenguk kamar pembantunya. Saat dilihat anaknya Dita dalam pelukan pembantu rumah, dia menutup lagi pintu kamar pembantunya.

Masuk hari keempat, pembantu rumah memberitahukan tuannya bahwa suhu badan Dita terlalu panas. “Sore nanti kita bawa ke klinik.. Pukul 5.00 sudah siap” kata majikannya itu. Sampai saatnya si anak yang sudah lemah dibawa ke klinik. Dokter mengarahkan agar ia dibawa ke rumah sakit karena keadaannya susah serius. Setelah beberapa hari di rawat inap dokter memanggil bapak dan ibu anak itu. “Tidak ada pilihan..” kata dokter tersebut yang mengusulkan agar kedua tangan anak itu dipotong karena sakitnya sudah terlalu parah dan infeksi akut…”Ini sudah bernanah, demi menyelamatkan nyawanya maka kedua tangannya harus dipotong dari siku ke bawah” kata dokter itu. Si bapak dan ibu bagaikan terkena halilintar mendengar kata-kata itu. Terasa dunia berhenti berputar, tapi apa yg dapat dikatakan lagi.

Si ibu meraung merangkul si anak. Dengan berat hati dan lelehan air mata isterinya, si ayah bergetar tangannya menandatangani surat persetujuan pembedahan. Keluar dari ruang bedah, selepas obat bius yang disuntikkan habis, si anak menangis kesakitan. Dia juga keheranan melihat kedua tangannya berbalut kasa putih. Ditatapnya muka ayah dan ibunya. Kemudian ke wajah pembantu rumah. Dia mengerutkan dahi melihat mereka semua menangis. Dalam siksaan menahan sakit, si anak bersuara dalam linangan air mata. “Ayah.. ibu… Dita tidak akan melakukannya lagi…. Dita tak mau lagi ayah pukul. Dita tak mau jahat lagi… Dita sayang ayah..sayang ibu.”, katanya berulang kali membuatkan si ibu gagal menahan rasa sedihnya. “Dita juga sayang Mbok Narti..” katanya memandang wajah pembantu rumah, sekaligus membuat wanita itu meraung histeris.

“Ayah.. kembalikan tangan Dita. Untuk apa diambil.. Dita janji tidak akan mengulanginya lagi! Bagaimana caranya Dita mau makan nanti ?… Bagaimana Dita mau bermain nanti ?… Dita janji tidak akan mencoret-coret mobil lagi, ” katanya berulang-ulang. Serasa hancur hati si ibu mendengar kata-kata anaknya. Meraung-raung dia sekuat hati namun takdir yang sudah terjadi tiada manusia dapat menahannya. Nasi sudah jadi bubur. Pada akhirnya si anak cantik itu meneruskan hidupnya tanpa kedua tangan dan ia masih belum mengerti mengapa tangannya tetap harus dipotong meski sudah minta maaf…Tahun demi tahun kedua orang tua tersebut menahan kepedihan dan kehancuran bathin sampai suatu saat Sang Ayah tak kuat lagi menahan kepedihannya dan wafat diiringi tangis penyesalannya yg tak bertepi…, Namun…., si Anak dengan segala keterbatasan dan kekurangannya tersebut tetap hidup tegar bahkan sangat sayang dan selalu merindukan ayahnya..

[Source : tettystak.wordpress]

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GOP Strategists Fear Fallout From Obama Birth Record

The question of whether President Barack Obama was born on U.S. soil will have zero impact on the 2012 campaign but could significantly damage Republicans’ prospects for retaking the White House if it lingers. That was the consensus analysis of more than a dozen experienced GOP political strategists, consultants and operatives who were interviewed Wednesday within an hour of Obama going on national television to publicly release the long-form version of his birth certificate.

These Republicans were nearly unanimous in their desire to see the issue permanently put to rest because they fear it could make the party seem too extreme.

“It doesn’t affect 2012. The economy is what will matter,” said one Republican operative affiliated with a prospective presidential candidate.

A second GOP operative, who also might land on a presidential campaign this cycle, added, “Having this issue go away helps any Republican candidate and the party as a whole.”

The Republican operatives include strategists tied to possible presidential candidates and advisers to House and Senate candidates whose races could be swayed by the White House contest. Almost all believe the Republicans have an opportunity to seize the upper hand given the slow economic recovery, persistent unemployment, rising gas prices and anxiety over the federal deficit.

But they worry that any attention given to the birth certificate issue could paint the Republican Party as out of touch and extreme, making it anathema to independents and swing voters while protecting Obama from the glare of what they view as troubling economic indicators that should sink his re-election bid.

One Washington-based Republican strategist who advises Congressional candidates said no issue could be of less relevance in the upcoming campaign.

“The whole question — and that word gives the whole bizarre thing too much credence — has never mattered to any swing voters in any election,” this strategist said. “And, it won’t.”

Dave Gilliard, a Republican consultant based in Sacramento, Calif., argued that the GOP presidential field needs to stay focused on “kitchen table” economic issues. “Legitimate GOP presidential contenders need to pound away on the spending and debt, gas prices, and most of all the economy, which is an albatross Obama cannot escape from,” he said.

The matter seems to have catapulted potential celebrity candidate Donald Trump into the forefront of the 2012 presidential discussion, while doing wonders for Trump’s initial support with GOP primary voters. That’s despite his recent support for high-profile Democrats and vague positions on key Republican issues. Trump, making a political swing in New Hampshire on Wednesday, took credit for forcing Obama to release his birth certificate. He also began pressuring the president to make public his college transcripts, something Obama has previously declined to do.

But many in the Republican political class remain unimpressed. More than one GOP operative interviewed for this story referred to Trump as a “nut.” Just about all who discussed the birth certificate issue said the matter is unlikely to reach beyond the party’s “black helicopter” crowd, voters who they said are unlikely to accept Obama’s birth certificate as legitimate documentation.

“I’m not sure how it would play in a primary,” a D.C.-based Republican strategist said. “Unless you take Donald Trump seriously as a candidate, which I do not. I take his involvement in Wrestlemania more seriously than his involvement in politics.”

“It is absurd and embarrassing that we have such a vacuum of substance that a carnival barker like Trump can actually elevate this issue to the level that the president finally had to confront it,” added Rob Stutzman, a Sacramento-based GOP consultant who has advised Golden State Republicans.

But the issue has haunted Obama nonetheless. To serve as president, an individual is required by the Constitution to be at least 35 years old and be a citizen born on U.S. soil.

The president was born and raised in Hawaii by his American-born mother and maternal grandparents. He briefly lived with his mother and stepfather in Indonesia as a young boy. After college and law school, he ended up in Chicago, serving in the Illinois Legislature and the Senate before winning the White House.

A fringe minority on the far right of the political spectrum has questioned whether Obama, whose father was a native of Kenya, was born in Hawaii. This small group, many of whom also questioned Obama’s religion, has continued to believe that the president is foreign-born.

Viral emails first spread the false rumor, forcing the Obama campaign in 2008 to release the short version of his birth certificate and numerous fact-checking entities to declare he was, indeed, a citizen.

Officials in Hawaii have been bombarded with requests to view the certificate, costing taxpayer dollars and frustrating both parties.

That “birther” viewpoint appeared to gain mainstream traction in recent weeks, according to public opinion polls, as Trump loudly questioned whether Obama was born here. A USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday showed that only 38 percent of Americans thought the president was definitely born in the U.S.; 24 percent said he probably or definitely was not.

Obama had repeatedly declined to release the long-form version of his birth certificate. But on Wednesday morning, Obama went before reporters to reveal it even as he described the issue as a “silly” distraction from the real problems facing the country. He suggested the issue was cooked up by dishonest “carnival barkers.” Republican strategists focused on the 2012 elections tend to agree, among them Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

“Unfortunately [Obama’s] campaign politics and talk about birth certificates is distracting him from our number one priority — our economy,” Priebus said in a statement following the president’s remarks.

Some praised Obama for deftly putting the issue to bed in a way that diminished Trump and Republicans generally.

“I think it was a clever tactic by the White House,” Stutzman said. “Releasing the certificate draws sympathy to the president from swing voters and further defines elements of the GOP as, frankly, wacky.”

But others said the president erred by allowing the birth certificate controversy to build to a point where he felt it was necessary to address it personally, particularly considering he had the documentation to quash the issue long ago. One Republican operative noted that Obama stepped all over his administration’s unveiling of a new national security team.

Republican media consultant Fred Davis said that how long it lingers “totally depends on the validity of the birth certificate.”

Davis added: “Like Ricky Ricardo, he’s got a lot of [explaining] to do on why the multi-year delay.”

[Source : rollcall.com]

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Membeli Kulkas Baru dan Membuang Kulkas Lama

Jono membeli kulkas baru untuk rumahnya. Untuk bisa membuang kulkas tuanya, ia meletakkannya di halaman depan rumahnya dan memberi tanda di atasnya yang tertulis: "Gratis. Silakan dibawa ke rumah Anda!"

Selama tiga hari, kulkas itu tetap ada di sana bahkan tanpa satu orangpun melihatnya. Dia akhirnya berpiki bahwa banyak orang yang tidak terlalu percaya pada tawaran gratis ini, karena terlalu bagus untuk jadi kenyataan, maka ia mengubah tandanya menjadi: "Lemari es dijual, harga Rp. 500.000!"

Pada hari berikutnya hari seseorang telah mencurinya.

[Source : ketawa.com]

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Ground Zero in Tuscaloosa : Horror and Hope, Tears and Prayers

CNN -- It was around by 5 p.m. Wednesday when residents first saw the monster tornado heading toward the heart of this proud Southern university town.

Many prayed. Others grabbed video phones. Some fled for their lives.

The winds hissed. The destructive force of Mother Nature that day won't ever be forgotten by the 93,000 people who call Tuscaloosa home.

That day has united them, through horror and hope, tears and prayers.

Michael Zutell, a manager at a CVS, rushed a family of three into the pharmacy's breakroom, where they huddled with employees. Their car had screeched to a halt at the door, the tornado just across the street.

Not too far away, Lenora Bolden saw it from her front porch and cuddled with her 5-year-old daughter and husband. Her daughter sang out, "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" Bolden chimed in with "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you."

Janet Puckett buried her head in clothes in an alcove of her house a few blocks away. "Oh God," she said as her house trembled.

Gallery: Nightmare scenes in Alabama

Survivors stunned by devastation

A town ravaged by tornado

Gar Blume had a different reaction. "Oh s---," he screamed.

Blume was in his law office in a Tuscaloosa neighborhood known as Alberta or Alberta City -- a working-class residential area east of downtown that's predominantly African-American and Hispanic.

Blume would owe his life to five people who pulled him from rubble -- one of whom he said was a known drug dealer. In a one-block radius around Blume's office, he said, at least 15 people were killed.

Sharon Burns had no way of knowing at the time, but Alberta Baptist Church -- the house of worship where three generations of family have attended, the church where her grandfather laid the cornerstone in 1922 -- was about to get pummeled.

Just up the road, Alberta Elementary had stood as a beacon of hope for low-income children here. Built in recent years, the school was a state-of-art facility, complete with a computer lab, gym, library and plush rooms. Luckily, it was empty Wednesday afternoon.

One of the few things still standing at the school is a doorway. Above it, the sign reads, "School is cool."

As bad as the destruction is across Tuscaloosa, Ground Zero lies in Alberta, where homes and anything else in the tornado's path were demolished for blocks on end.

"I've never seen devastation like this," President Obama said as he toured Alberta during a visit to Tuscaloosa on Friday.

Front yard a trash can

Janet Puckett stands outside what's left of her home on 30th Avenue in Alberta. Its walls crumbled under the force of the storm. Her living room and a front bedroom disappeared. The roof of the house got sucked up, too.

"A war zone," she says of the mountains of broken 2-by-4s and other debris all around.

See hi-res photos of the devastation

She raised her three boys in that home, lived there for 30 years. She points across the road, three homes up, to where her truck landed in an oak tree. "It's buried in a twisted part of the tree," she says. Her other vehicle got tossed across the yard, its windows smashed in.

The tornado picked up a neighbor's home and dropped it across the street. The woman inside was killed.

Puckett is glad to be alive, she says, "but I've lost everything really."

She laughs, smiles and chuckles as she surveys the damage, her family all around. The only thing intact in her home is the deep freeze, which sits where it always has in the kitchen.

"You have to laugh to keep from crying, I guess."

When the tornado hit, she simply hung on tight and kept her head buried. Walls shook, dust fell everywhere.

"When I looked up, all I could see is sky," she says. "It was still daylight. You see the pictures on TV of these war zones. That's what I was thinking of.

"My nerves were shaking all over my body."

Her youngest son, Tommy, was killed seven years ago at age 23 in a car accident.

Her husband has been hospitalized for the last six months with an array of health problems. Now this.

"They say the Lord can't put on you more than you can take," she says. "But how much more can I take?"

Amid the debris, she's found some photos of her youngest son, "but not all."

"I don't know where they are," she says. "Under all that mess, I guess."

She tosses an empty french fry container on the debris heap. Her front yard is now a trash can. The family has planted an American flag out front, a ray of hope that they will rebuild.

A few houses up, amid the twisted piles of former homes, someone's walker stands in a front yard. Resting against it is a young woman's wedding photo, a wide smile on her face.

Roger Davis stands outside a cousin's home. He raises his hand and points up and down the road. "This is Ground Zero," he says. Many people here are renters.

"Do you think most these people have insurance? This is just ridiculous."

"Just take a walk through, it's a mess. It's a mess."

"But I'm hopeful. There is some hope in this," he says. "All I can say is God Bless America."

'The woman with the baby is screaming'

The CVS lies in the heart of Tuscaloosa's commercial district, next to the city's main mall and the Wood Square Shopping Center, just west of Alberta.

CVS manager Michael Zutell herded workers into a windowless breakroom after news of a tornado was confirmed. He and shift supervisor Devin McAnnally then walked to the front of the store to lock the door.

They couldn't believe their eyes. The tornado was across the road, above a Chipotle restaurant. A 4-door Dodge Stratus sped into their parking lot and stopped right outside the front door. A husband and his wife jumped out, the woman clutching their young baby. Zutell ushered the family into the breakroom.

"I've always heard the story of the train sound, and that is what it was," Zutell says. "It was just loud as can be."

About 12 people were hunched in the breakroom.

"You're just hearing glass breaking, the woman with the baby is screaming."

Standing outside of what is now a shell of a building, he says, "I thank God."

"Absolutely blessed," McAnnally adds.

"It's mindboggling to think you walked away OK." Zutell said.

The day after the tornado, the two men were handing out water to strangers.

Proof of how lucky they are lies next door inside the shopping center. Not a single wall is left of Big Lots. The Krispy Kreme and Full Moon BBQ are gone too. Cars tossed like toys sit on top of each other.

'We heard a freight train and we just cuddled'

Lenora Bolden walks around to the back of her house where one of Tuscaloosa's classic druid oaks fell between three homes, only scraping one. Its trunk juts 15 feet into the sky.

"We're all safe," she says. "That's why I can tell you God is good."

She lives at the edge of Alberta City. She's lived at the modest home for 10 years.

"My husband and I were standing on the porch and we seen the funnel coming across," she says. "We heard a freight train and we just cuddled."

She was heartened by the community's resolve. As soon as the storm cleared and the sun shone, neighbors helped neighbors. Strangers pitched in, too. Anything to help.

As she talks, about eight members of Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue stroll down the street carrying axes and other chopping equipment. They've been conducting a street-by-street search of the city.

Jim Ray, one of the firefighters, pitched in along the Gulf Coast after Katrina. "This damage is much more devastating than what we saw in Katrina."

He keeps walking. There are more homes to search.

'It's just a building'

"Let's just say he's a self-employed pharmaceutical salesmen," the lawyer says. "A drug dealer."

"He gets free legal services for the rest of his life."

How anyone survived in Blume's law office is one of those freaks of nature. Nothing remains but a pile of twisted wood, smashed cinder blocks and wrecked bookshelves.

"We're grateful and fortunate to be alive," he says. "Fifteen bodies were found in a one-block radius of my building."

He and his wife, Nettie, were inside when the tornado hit. The lights had flickered and he'd gone into the server room to cut off all computer systems. His wife followed. Then the walls crashed in. He got buried, she got slammed by an 8-foot-tall bookcase.

"Are you alive?" Nettie screamed.

"Yes," he said.

Her legs were pinned. Blume gently tried to make his way out. He heard voices and waved his arms. "Help!"

The drug dealer and four other people, he says, "dug me out and dug my wife out."

"If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have gotten out."

Across the street, the sun shines through the roof of Alberta Baptist Church, many of its stained-glass windows smashed.

Soft notes from a baby grand piano waft through the tattered area, a girl at the keyboard, surrounded by about 10 friends and family.

The church has been here for 89 years. It had just gone through a $3 million renovation.

Inside, the piano -- and faith -- is about the only thing still holding together.

Sharon Burns, the granddaughter of the man who founded the church, sheds gentle tears.

"It's just a building," she says softly.

"But with lots of great memories," her close friend, Jeanne Silliman, adds.

[source : edition.cnn.com]

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Kate Middleton Wedding Dress by Designer Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

by Michele Laufik

Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey on Friday wearing a long-sleeved wedding dress with English and French Chantilly lace appliqué bodice, satin gazar pleated skirt and nine-foot train by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. Her bridal look included a full veil, a Cartier tiara borrowed from the Queen and a small bouquet of white blooms. Her hair was styled half-up, half-down.

"It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it," Burton said, according to Elle UK. "It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created."

From the moment Prince William and Kate announced their engagement, the rumor mill started buzzing about who would be designing the bride's prized gown. Alice Temperley, Sophie Cranston, Bruce Oldfield (who confessed to not being the dressmaker just days before the ceremony) and Burton all took a spin on the dressmaker merry-go-round.

The dress was reportedly made in private at Buckingham Palace. Those with knowledge of the details were sworn to secrecy, including the designer. But a sighting of Burton on Thursday at The Goring Hotel, the same place where the bride and her family were staying before the wedding, seemed to confirm the gossip.

According to the Palace, "Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing."

Burton said she was "delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship. Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design, we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day."

The custom-made lace featured four emblems of the United Kingdom -- the rose, thistle, daffodil and the shamrock. Kate and Burton may have been inspired by the delicate lace dress that Grace Kelly wore when she wed Prince Rainier of Monaco.

Back in March, Mark Niemierko, a luxury wedding planner based in London, told AOL that Kate's rumored selection of Burton was a bit of a shock. "[The bridal industry] really thought Kate Middleton would choose a lesser known British bridal designer, keeping with tradition and not being too fashion-forward. It also shows Kate is perhaps far more fashion-forward than anyone thought. High fashion at that."

Burton became creative director of the British fashion label in 2010, following the suicide of founder Alexander McQueen. She presented her first womenswear collection without him at Paris Fashion Week. It received rave reviews for combining femininity with McQueen's unique style.

This isn't the first time an Alexander McQueen gown has been worn by a high-society British bride. In 2005, Camilla Parker-Bowles' daughter-in-law, Sarah Buys, had McQueen design her gown for her wedding to Tom Parker-Bowles.

Besides her royal clientele, Burton is also a celebrity favorite. Stars like Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been spotted in her designs.

See more photos of the dress here

From the Official Royal Wedding website:

Miss Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress has been designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen's work. Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress.

The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom. The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration. Ms Burton's design draws on this heritage, additionally giving the cut and the intricate embellishment a distinctive, contemporary and feminine character.

The Design

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim. With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour. The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

The Fabrics

French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition.

All other fabrics used in the creation of the dress were sourced from and supplied by British companies. The choice of fabrics followed extensive research by Sarah Burton and her team.

The Royal School of Needlework

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in accurately cutting out the delicate motifs from the lace fabrics and positioning the lace motifs with precision into the new design. The lace motifs were pinned, 'framed up' and applied with stab stitching every two to three millimetres around each lace motif. The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.

The RSN workers included existing staff, former staff, tutors, graduates and students, with the youngest aged 19.

The RSN's work was used primarily for the train and skirt of the Bride's dress, the bodice and sleeves, the Bride's shoes and the Bride's veil.

Veil and Jewellery

The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, which was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The veil is held in place by a Cartier 'halo' tiara, lent to Miss Middleton by The Queen. The 'halo' tiara was made by Cartier in 1936 and was purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now The Queen) by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday.

The Bride's earrings, by Robinson Pelham, are diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves. The earrings were made to echo the tiara. The earrings were a personal gift to the Bride from her parents for her Wedding Day.

Robinson Pelham have also designed and made a pair of diamond earrings for Miss Philippa Middleton. These earrings are more floral in nature to compliment the headpiece worn by Miss Philippa Middleton during the Service.

A tourmaline and diamond pendant and matching earrings have been designed and made for Mrs. Carole Middleton. Two gold stick pins, one with a single gold acorn at the head and the other with an oak leaf, are also worn respectively by the Father of the Bride, Mr. Michael Middleton, and the Bride's brother, Mr. James Middleton.

Wedding Shoes

The wedding shoes have made hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen and are made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

[Source : royalwedding.aol.com]

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Studi Ungkap : Wanita Cantik Sulit Dapat Kerja

London – Banyak orang beranggapan wanita cantik mudah mendapat keinginan mereka. Namun studi menunjukkan, wanita menarik ternyata lebih sulit mendapat kerja. Mengapa?

Wanita cantik akan lebih sulit mendapat kerja jika atasan atau pegawai SDM adalah wanita. Peneliti yakin, mayoritas pegawai SDM yang merupakan wanita muda berusia 20-an dan tak menyukai ‘persaingan’ merupakan penyebabnya.

Ekonom Israel Bradley Ruffle dan Ze’ev Shtudiner meminta 5.000 orang mengisi lebih dari 2.500 lowongan. Ruffle dan Shtudiner mengirimkan dua CV untuk posisi sama. CV pertama tak menyertakan foto, lainnya menyertakan foto wanita menarik atau biasa.

Kemudian, ekonom itu menemukan, wanita berpenampilan menarik lebih jarang dipanggil wawancara dibanding wanita biasa atau yang tidak menyertakan foto.

Seperti dikutip Telegraph, wanita yang tak menyertakan foto dalam CV mendapat respon 22% lebih baik dibanding wanita berpenampilan biasa.

Selain itu, 30% wanita biasa memiliki kesempatan lebih tinggi dibanding wanita menarik. Ruffle dan Shtudiner juga menemukan, 96% pegawai SDM adalah wanita dan sebagian besar berusia 20-an dan berstatus lajang.

Fakta menunjukkan prediksi, wanita SDM ini bisa cemburu ketika harus berhadapan dengan wanita menarik di tempat kerjanya. Berbeda, pria menarik tak dibayangi risiko seperti wanita cantik.

Pria menarik memiliki kesempatan 20% lebih tinggi dibanding pria yang mengirim CV tanpa menyertakan foto (14%) maupun yang berpenampilan biasa (9%).

[Source : Telegraph]

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Direksi Citibank tak Hiraukan Tuduhan Melinda Dee dan Hotman Paris

Direksi Citibank bergeming menghadapi tuduhan Melinda Dee bahwa direksi telah melindungi kejahatan yang sudah dilakukannya selama 10 tahun terakhir. Pengacara Hotman Paris pun menuntut direksi Citibank dijadikan tersangka karena memperbolehkan debt collector menagih utang dan berakhir pada kematian seorang nasabah mereka.

Juru Bicara Citibank, Dita Amahorseya menyatakan, direksi tetap mendukung sepenuhnya investigasi pihak kepolisian. Citibank lebih memilih untuk menahan diri menghadapi tuntutan tersebut hingga proses investigasi polisi usai. “Sampai saat ini tidak ada indikasi ke arah itu, “ ujarnya, Kamis (28/4).

Saat ini Bank Indonesia (BI) tengah menyiapkan sanksi ganda untuk menjerat Citibank, baik untuk persoalan private banking maupun penagihan kartu kredit. Hasil Rapat Dewan Gubernur (RDG) menemukan beberapa pelanggaran antara lain dalam perjanjian kerja sama antara Citibank dan pihak penagih.

Dalam perjanjian tersebut segala tanggung jawab akhir berada di pihak penagih. “Padahal di Peraturan Bank Indonesia (PBI) diatur bahwa segala permasalahan dalam penagihan harus menjadi tanggung jawab bank,” ujar Direktur Perencanaan Strategis dan Hubungan Masyarakat BI Difi Ahmad Johansyah,

Selain itu, Citibank dianggap melakukan pelanggaran soal kolektibilitas atau tingkat penunggakan utang dari nasabah kartu kredit yang berdasarkan PBI baru. Dalam aturannya, bank hanya boleh mengalihkan kegiatan penagihan utang kepada pihak ketiga setelah tunggakannya masuk kolektibilitas empat (diragukan) dan lima (macet).

Sistem pengawasan Citibank terhadap jasa penagih juga dinilai lemah. Citibank juga dianggap lambat merespon lemahnya penanganan keluhan nasabah yang banyak keberatan atas sikap para debt collector.

Sementara itu, Gubernur Bank Indonesia Darmin Nasution pun menilai Citibank telah melakukan pelanggaran prosedur (SOP) transaksi keuangan, hingga Melinda Dee dengan leluasa menggasak dana nasabah. Darmin menyatakan pihak BI masih membutuhkan waktu agar dapat memberikan sanksi yang matang dan tidak setengah-setengah. "Kami tidak ingin menyicil sanksi," katanya.

Ekonom INDEF, Didik J Rachbini menyatakan, sanksi yang diberikan sebaiknya hanya ditujukan pada orangnya bukan instansinya. “Kalau sifatnya kriminal, orangnya saja yang dihukum,” tuturnya. Selain itu menurutnya, BI juga harus diberi hukuman atas kelalaiannya.

“Kemarin Citibank, sekarang ada Bank Mega, artinya pengawasan BI lalai, makanya pengawas juga mesti dihukum,” ujarnya. Menurutnya, pengawasan BI seudah jebol sejak 1998 sejak kasus Century, makanya hingga kini respon pengawasannya lambat.

[Source : Republika]

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Royal Wedding Brings Back Memories of Princess Diana

(CNN) -- I'll never forget watching Lady Diana Spencer tie the knot with Charles, the Prince of Wales, on July 29, 1981. Like most women in the Western world, I'd been obsessed with "The Royal Engagement" since the shocking announcement that Charles was finally giving up his single status at the fairly old age of 32, to marry the adorable 20-year-old Diana.

I was as naïve as the poor unsuspecting Diana and had no idea that this wasn't a real fairy tale romance. I breathlessly read the stories about how the pair had met through her older sister, Sarah Spencer, whom Charles had once dated! And I closely followed the endless speculation about who would design Diana's dress.

If you think that the media and the public have gone hog wild over Prince Williams' wedding to Kate Middleton, you'd be surprised by how we were whipped into even more of a royal frenzy by the Diana and Charles nuptials.

Watch the royal wedding and share it with iReport

After all, William and Kate have dated for eight years, whereas Charles was linked to a series of blue-blooded types and then, suddenly, was marrying an adorable kindergarten teacher who had also worked as a nanny. Diana may have been the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, but she was also the first relatable royal.

Diana was just like us! She was shy and pretty but not beautiful, and she was caught by photographers wearing a skirt that turned sheer in the sunlight. She'd suffered a wardrobe malfunction that we could all sympathize with. So of course, I had to be one of the 750 million people out of bed on the big wedding day, watching the royal procession to St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In fact, my husband and I honored the occasion by gathering for a 6 a.m. tea party around my friend Barb's TV, along with several other of our friends. While we watched Diana ride in a beautiful traditional carriage to St. Paul's, we munched on scones and clotted cream, and drank endless cups of tea. The guys all wore bow ties and top hats. My girlfriends and I turned out in old prom dresses and white gloves. Hey, we wanted to get fully into the wedding spirit.

When Diana stepped out of her carriage, our mouths dropped at the sight of her stunning ivory silk taffeta and lace dress designed by the husband-and-wife design team, David and Elizabeth Emanuel.

The unusual design of Diana's dress, with its ruffled v-neck neckline, stunned us. It was unlike anything we'd ever seen --extravagant but but modest, with its big puffed sleeves and full skirt. And as romantic as it was, Diana herself with her adorable shaggy haircut looked perfectly modern.

No one expected a bride to be sexy in those days, like many brides today -- especially celebrity brides. I hope Kate Middleton resists the temptation to go sexy or body conscious when she weds William. Hopefully, the reason she is dieting down to next-to-nothing now isn't because her gown is form-fitting.

When I watched Diana wed Charles, I never imagined that I would get to meet her twice, in the coming years.

The first occasion was when Diana hosted a party honoring English designers at London Fashion Week in Flare, 1987. At the time, I was editor-in-chief of Flare, Canada's fashion magazine. Diana greeted all of us in a reception line, with 5-year-old Prince William by her side.

Little William looked thrilled to be standing next to his beautiful mommy in formal shorts and a white shirt, shaking everyone's hand.

When it was my turn to take Diana's hand, I complimented her on what a wonderful job she was doing as Princess of Wales, and she smiled, looked directly into my eyes and murmured that her husband was a wonderful teacher. She seemed completely genuine and still very much in love with Charles. She was also charismatic and even more stunning up close, in person, than in pictures.

She made me feel like she was thrilled to meet me.

She had the same effect when I met her again at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in January 1995, in New York City. Diana had come to present her good friend Liz Tilberis, then editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar magazine, with an award for editorial achievement.

Diana was stunning, and you could see her toned arms in a sleek navy gown. When we were introduced, she seemed completely engrossed when we chatted for a few minutes about how competitive the fashion magazine world was. I was the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire then, and Diana had the same effect on me as she had the first time we met -- she was far more beautiful in person than in photos. Everything about her -- from her skin and her eyes to her handshake and conversation -- emanated warmth.

With a mother like that, it's no wonder William wanted to marry Kate, a woman he knows through and through, and with whom he has an obviously warm and loving relationship. Having met Diana, I have no doubt she would have made Kate, her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, feel like her BFF from the moment William brought her home.

If Diana were here Friday, she'd be beaming to the Westminster Abbey rafters. There's no doubt in my mind that she's beaming in heaven!

[Source : edition.cnn.com]

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Madu dan Racun-nya Jadi Pengusaha

Di Era Modern seperti sekarang ini, kita dapat melihat bagaimana pertumbuhan dunia usaha dan juga munculnya pengusaha-pengusaha baru. Semuanya mencoba untuk berlomba memasuki dunia wirausaha. Namun tidak semua orang siap menerima tantangan dan resiko yang terjadi dalam dunia usaha. Untuk teman-teman yang ingin dan sangat semangat ingin memasuki dunia usaha, saya mencoba untuk menshare dampak positif dan Negatifnya menjadi seorang pengusaha yang saya sebut MADU & RACUN.

Adapun Madunya sebagai Berikut.

1. Bebas Financial

Orang yang terjun didunia usaha otomatis akan mendapatkan kesejahteraan finansial, namun itu baru terjadi apa bila bisnis anda melejit.

2. Memiliki Derajat yang tinggi

Pengusaha adalah sosok orang yang memiliki banyak jaringan,dihargai serta diganrungi oleh banyak orang. Itu semua disebabkan karena seorang pengusaha yang sukses memiliki rasa berbagi yang tinggi, uang yang banyak, SDM yang banyak serta pengetahuan dan ekslusitas pada dirinya.

3. Percaya Diri

Ketika anda sukses merealisasikan Ide, minat dan bakat anda maka anda akan memiliki rasa percaya diri yang tinggi disebabkan banyaknya kendala yang anda mampu tangani.

4. Free Time

Hampir setiap orang menginginkan untuk bisa berkumpul dan memiliki banyak waktu dengan keluarga. Untuk itu dunia usaha memberikan jaminan hal yang seperti itu. Bisa kita lihat bagaimana orang berlomba untuk bisa menjadi pengusaha karena ada banyak hal yang menjadi impian semua orang.

Adapun Racunnya sebagai Berikut.

1. Bersiaplah untuk Rugi

Seorang pengusaha memiliki orientasi yang banyak orang tidak mampu melewatinya,dalam dunia bisnis jika ada untuk maka sudah jelas ada yang disebut Rugi, inilah salah satu kendala yang harus dirasakan seperti rugi waktu, tenaga, pikiran serta materi

2. Kesibukan/Kepadatan Jadwal

Hal ini akan terjadi ketika seorang pengusaha tak memiliki ilmu manajemen yang baik dalam hal mengatur waktunya. Pengusaha yang memiliki kelemahan seperti itu sudah jelas akan terjebak yang namanya self employee, namun hal seperti ini biasanya terjadi ketika anda pertama kali merintis usaha anda.

3. Tingkat Stress yang Tinggi

Kenapa hal tersebut bisa terjadi. Itu mungkin saja, disebabkan betapa kompleksnya masalah-masalah yang akan anda temui mulai dari bagaimana membuat cashflow perusahaan anda normal bahkan meningkat, hingga mengatu SDM yang anda miliki, bahkan lebih banyak lagi hal-hal yang diluar dugaan dan nalar anda.

[Source : rsbisnis.wordpress.com]

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Rahasia Sikap Mental Pengusaha

Banyak orang yang mencoba untuk berwiraswasta, tak semuanya berhasil. Pendiri Grup Saratoga dan Recapital Sandiaga Uno menceritakan rahasia suksesnya.

Pengusaha muda yang juga orang terkaya nomor 27 di Indonesia ini menekankan bahwa sikap mental adalah modal utama bagi calon pengusaha. Sikap mental ini harus dimiliki pengusaha dan calon pengusaha yang ingin berhasil.

Pertama, seorang wirausahawan harus punya pola pikir seperti pengusaha. "Mereka harus punya paradigma yang positif dan optimis," kata Sandiaga saat ditemui Yahoo! di kantornya, 26 April lalu.

Sandiaga sendiri mulai berwiraswasta setelah dipecat dari perusahaan tempatnya bekerja pada 1997. Untuk memulai usaha, modal bukan hal yang dinilai penting oleh Sandiaga. Tabu baginya untuk berkata "saya mau mulai berusaha tapi tak ada modal".

"Kuncinya adalah kemauan. Begitu kemauan ada, harus ada keberanian," kata dia. Keberanian tersebut akan menjadi modal yang paling utama dengan dukungan ide, rencana mencapai kesuksesan, kemampuan berjejaring dan kepercayaan dari kolega bisnis.

Dengan rangkuman bisnis yang solid tersebut, Sandiaga percaya, bukan pengusaha yang akan mencari modal melainkan modal yang akan menghampiri. Saat mengawali usahanya, Sandiaga mengakui bahwa menjalin usaha memang sangat sulit. Pernah selama enam bulan dia tak mendapatkan satu klien pun. "Sulit sekali mendapatkan kepercayaan dari investor," kata dia.

Seorang pengusaha juga harus mengubah paradigmanya, bukan lagi sebagai karyawan yang menggantungkan hidupnya dari gaji bulanan. Kondisi terjamin itu membuat karyawan tak suka mengambil risiko. Padahal, seorang pengusaha harus berani mengambil risiko.

"Pengusaha jatuh bangun karena bisnis memang penuh risiko," kata dia. Sandiaga menekankan bahwa kesuksesan tak pernah instan. Kesuksesan hanya dapat dicapai dengan kerja keras dan pantang menyerah.

[Source : Yahoo News]

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Kate Middleton Dicibir di Twitter: Kalah Anggun dari Grace Kelly

Keanggunan Kate Middleton tidak hanya disandingkan mendingan Putri Diana. Jauh, kata sejumlah pengamat mode. Bahkan Kate, dikatakan kalah anggun dengan Putri Grace Kelly, ibunda pangeran Albert II dari kerajaan Monaco.

"Grace Kelly putri paling cantik di kerajaan Eropa menyusul Lady Diana," ungkap, Konsultan Fesyen, Dian Pelangi dalam akun twitter miliknya, Jum'at (29/4).

Dian juga mengatakan, Kate Middleton memang sangat anggun dalam pernikahaannya itu tetapi tidak lebih anggun dari Grace Kelly. "Tapi kenapa Grace Kelly keliatan lebih stunning ya?" tanya Dian.

Dikatakan Dian, dalam sisi keanggunan memang tidak bisa disamakan lantaran setiap individu memiliki aura yang berbeda. "Beda auranya, kalau Grace Kelly, pembawaannya anggun. Garis rahangnya bagus dan saat itu (pernikahannya) rambutnya (Grace Kelyy) digelung ke atas," kata Dian.

Pernyataan Dian itu, kemudian menjadi bahan pembahasan dalam Twitter. Bahkan sebagian dari Twitts, sependapat dengan Dian dalam balasan twitter mereka. Dalam isi Twitts balasan itu, ada pula yang menyebut bahwa gaun penganting yang dikenakan Kate Middleton mirip dengan gaun yang dikenakan Grece Kelly dalam pernikahannya dengan Pangeran Rainer.Bagaimana dengan pendapat anda?

[Source : republika]

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Uang Dari Melinda Dee Digunakan Andika Beli Arloji

Penyidik Kepolisian akhirnya menahan artis Andika Gumilang terkait kasus pembobolan uang nasabah Citibank dengan tersangka utamanya Inong Malinda atau Melinda Dee.

"Tersangka Andika mulai ditahan hari ini setelah ditetapkan sebagai tersangka pada Selasa (26/04)," kata Kepala Bagian Penerangan Umum (Kabag Penum) Polri Kombes Pol Boy Rafli Amar di Jakarta, Rabu (27/04/2011).

Dia menjelaskan, Andika Gumilang ditangkap pada Selasa (26/4) sekitar pukul 14.30 WIB di wilayah Jakarta Selatan.

"Penetapan sebagai tersangka dan penahanan Andhika karena yang bersangkutan patut diduga menerima transfer dana dari Melinda sebesar Rp311 juta," kata Boy.

Uang tersebut diakui Andika di antaranya digunakan untuk membeli arloji dan membayar uang muka mobil Hummer, katanya.

Artis sinetron dan bintang iklan itu diduga melanggar pasal 6 Undang-Undang Nomor 15 Tahun 2002 tentang Perbankan junto Undang-Undang Nomor 25 Tahun 2003 Tentang Pencucian Uang.

"Ancaman hukuman minimal lima tahun maksimal 15 tahun, denda minimal Rp100 juta maksimal Rp15 miliar," kata Boy.

[Source : antara]

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The Royal Wedding Schedule of Events

A general view of Westminster Abbey in advance of the royal wedding on April 27, 2011 in London. With only two days to go before the royal wedding, security checks and last minute preparations are continuing around Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and along the route that Prince William and Catherine Middleton will take. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The following schedule of royal wedding events is in Eastern Standard Time.

3:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. -- The morning of April 29 will start with an announcement from the Queen's office stating the titles that Prince William and Kate Middleton will take.

3:15 a.m. -- General wedding guests will start showing up at Westminster Abbey. These guests will enter the church through the Great North Door.

4:50 a.m. -- VIPs, such as Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Countries under the Commonwealth of England, Diplomatic Corps and distinguished guests, arrive at Westminster Abbey. They will enter the church through the West Door.

Watch Live Video Coverage of the Royal Wedding

5:10 a.m. -- Prince William and best man, Prince Harry, depart Clarence House.

5:15 a.m. -- Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey.

Follow Prince William's Wedding Route to Westminster Abbey

5:20 a.m. -- Members of foreign royal families, including Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain, arrive at the church.

5:20 a.m. -- Kate's mother Carole Middleton and brother James Middleton, depart the Goring Hotel.

5:27 a.m. -- Carole and James Middleton arrive at Westminster Abbey.

5:30 a.m. -- Members of the Royal Family begin arriving at the Abbey.

5:38 a.m. -- Father of the groom, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, depart Clarence House.

5:40 a.m. -- Prince Andrew (uncle of the groom) and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie; Princess Anne (aunt of the groom), and her husband; Prince Edward (uncle of the groom) and his wife, arrive at Westminster Abbey and enter church through the West Door.

How Well Do You Know the Royals? Test Yourself with Our Family Tree

5:40 a.m. -- Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip depart Buckingham Palace.

5:40 a.m. -- Prince William and Prince Harry will move into St. Edmunds Chapel until moments before the royal wedding begins.

5:42 a.m. -- Prince Charles and Camilla arrive at the Abbey.

5:45 a.m. -- Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are the last guests to arrive at Westminster Abbey.

5:48 a.m. -- Kate's bridesmaids and William's pageboys depart the Goring Hotel.

The Wedding Dress: Explore Wedding Dresses of the House of Windsor

5:51 a.m. -- Kate Middleton, accompanied by her father, will depart the Goring Hotel in a 1978 Rolls-Royce from the royal state car collection and make her way to Westminster Abbey.

5:55 a.m. -- Bridesmaids and pages arrive at the church.

5:58 a.m. -- The bride, Kate Middleton, who will be officially be known as Catherine, and her father Michael arrive at Westminster Abbey.

6 a.m. -- The ceremony begins. The service is set to last just over an hour and will include vows and a sermon delivered by the Bishop of London, private clergyman to the queen.

7:15 a.m. -- Prince William and the new Princess Catherine will depart Westminster Abbey, by carriage, and process to Buckingham Palace. The carriage carrying the bride and groom will be followed by 4 other carriages carrying their bridal party, parents and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Leave a Message for Kate and William in the Royal Guestbook

7:30 a.m. -- The Bride and Groom arrive at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace.

7:40 a.m. -- Members of the royal family, foreign royal families, and other reception guests begin arriving at Buckingham Palace.

8:25 a.m. -- The married couple reappear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the Queen and their families for 10 minutes.

8:30 a.m. -- The Royal Air Force, where Prince William serves as a search-and-rescue pilot, will perform a flyover.

[Source : abcnews.go.com]

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