Losing My Blogging Virginity

HELLO WORLD!

 

Wow, there I go – I guess I’ve just lost my blogging virginity…  It’s quite a nice feeling really.

 

My mum asked me the other day “What’s a blog?”, I explained to her what it was to the best of my ability, and then she said “So it’s a website?”.  I felt like replying “No, it’s when you do a bog and it comes out in logs”…  Parents hey…

 

Now me and some colleagues have gotten together with this little project as a way of helping us procrastinate (because we find procrastination so difficult otherwise, not).

 

I’m not too sure where the whole thing is going, but I expect we will fill it up with random thoughts and ideas, stories from our sometimes interesting (often ordinary) lives, quotes, jokes, donkey tails and comments and oppinions we have on current (and not so current) issues.  Who knows what might come up; you’ll have to see for yourself! ;p  I’m sure we won’t bore you, because if you get the slightest hint of bordum you’ll just close the browser or go somewhere else.

 

So ENJOY!

 

And read our self-indulgent woffle.

 

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Was it as good for you as it was for me?

 

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Anybody else wanna share their stories of how they lost their blogging virginity? Or any other kind of virginity for that matter?

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Popping My Cherry Blog

Well day one of our blog page and the sexual innuendos have already begun!

Hello i am Lee, like Charley has pointed out this was set up as a means for us to waste as much time as possible and avoid doing any work be it uni or otherwise. So far its proving pretty well considering i’ve been at work for 4hours now and have done nothing but work out how to navigate around this website and make it look nice lol. It looks like Blogging was a good answer.

So i think the people at my work think i have a bladder problem. Im trying to begin drinking 2 litres of water a day, apparently doing this makes you lose weight, makes your skin clear, makes you less tired, gives you more energy and helps keep your insides healthy – so i figure if i can do this i wont have to go to the gym, eat healthy, wash my face or sleep but it also makes you need to pee every 10 minutes! I guess theres always a down side huh ;)

So a bit about me, im a uni student who has just begun working full time – dont ask me why but i regretted the decision as soon as it was made! I was considering quitting but then i got my first pay cheque and well you know.. its funny how much money can change things.  Im just about to finish my undergrad degree and planning on doing another year of postgrad study after this, although i havent come up with a thesis topic and i only have about 3 more weeks to decide :( Its an impossible decision, how am i supposed to come up with a topic for a 20 thousand word thesis when i know i’ll start writing it and 5000 words in, i’ll change my mind ah well.

Well thats me for the moment, I’ve drawn a blank :) This was all very exciting – my very first blog entry! :) Hopefully the next one will be more entertaining! I’ll keep you posted on my water experienment, bye for now!

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Only the Poor Will Pay – Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga

Why can the world find money to save banks, but not lives?

Caritas Internationalis President, Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, discusses this worrying phenomenon in an interview with Italian magazine Famiglia
Cristiana.

“Last spring, leaders who met in Rome said the there wasn’t enough money for the Millennium Development Goals, yet no one had any problem finding millions
of dollars for the banks,” said Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga.

In a recent interview with Famiglia Cristiana, Cardinal Rodriguez said that the current global crisis has not only created more poverty but it is the poor
who are paying the highest price.

“The petrol crisis, where prices went through the roof this summer, created 100 million poor people,” said Cardinal Rodríguez.

“To feed one billion malnourished people in the world, you only need US$30 billion per year, less than  5 percent of the White House’s bank bailout plan,”
he said.

The Cardinal says financial crimes surely produce more deaths than war, hunger, thirst and disease because of the poverty they cause, and should be punished.

He says the money that disappeared  during the current crisis has actually gone into the pockets of the rich – to the detriment of the poor. He says that
change is the only way forward.

“We have to understand that capitalism, the ruler of the world economy for the past 30 years, has failed,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be built up again,
it needs to be changed.”

Cardinal Rodríguez warned  that the recession will create more unemployment and there will be knock-on effects from this. He says that remittances from
Latin American immigrants in the USA have already started to go down.

The Church has a key role in establishing rules and guaranteeing everyone’s well-being, said the Cardinal.

“What we’re seeing today is above all an ethical crisis, where people don’t limit their wants,” he said. “This goes as much for military spending as it
does for the housing boom. The world doesn’t just revolve around money, there are other values.”

The Cardinal said that lack of trust as well as fear have contributed to the current climate.

“Fear rules us,” he said. “Fear of losing our money, fear of other nations, fear of not being able to buy things.

“Post-September 11th terrorism has achieved its aim: it has spread fear across the world and laid fertile ground for racism which produces poverty and closes
societies.”

Cardinal Rodríguez said the current crisis is not about to end. On the contrary, it is only just beginning.

 

 

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The above was posted on the Caritas Internationalis blog on 17 November 2008.

 

Although I don’t usually listen to the Church or anyone from the Church, this guy seems to be talking sense.  I agree with much of what he’s saying.  But there are a couple of points he glossed over.

 

He blames governments for not putting enough money towards the Millennium Development Goals, saying how little money it would take, but doesn’t mention why the Catholic Church still feels it necissary to hang on to all those priceless statues, paintings and relics when the sale price of them could probably feed the world.

 

It’s too easy to blame others.  There’s always someone else with more money, who’s more responsible, who we can blame for not doing anything about the problem and eas our own consciences.  The problem is us.  We have to start taking responsibility our selves.

 

If we demanded that our governments put more money into foreign aid than military spending, if eradicating poverty was truely our priority, I’m sure politicians would listen and alocate the budget accordingly.  But politicians know that most of us really care far more about our own pockets, our own jobs and mortgages than starving children in other countries.

 

I know that whenever I start thinking that I could be giving a lot more of my money to charity I soon start justifying why I need it more.  I tell myself that I will, as soon as I’ve payed this bill, or come back from that holiday, or as soon as I start earning more money etc etc.  And then I think that really it should be the responsibility of the government, or the rich people of the world, and that my small contributions wouldn’t really make much difference anyway.  They’re all just disgusting ways of trying to avoid my own responsibility by putting the responsibility and blame on someone else.  As long as we can continue finding someone else, some other country, institution or system to blame, we will never fix the problem of poverty.

 

That’s why I’m trying to take some advice from Michael Jackson, and start with ‘the man in the mirror’.

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Resigning

For those of you keeping score, I finally quit my job today. As i have been waiting anxiously for this day for the past few weeks it dawned on me – post resignation- how odd the resignation process is. 

It could be the kind of person I am or it could be the nature of the business but I was nervous and stressed about telling my (previous) place of employment of my desire to leave them.  I kept imagining this scene where i would walk into my boss’s office with a false bravado and declare my resignation in which he would respond with a glare pick up his stapler and throw it at me whilst erupting into rage startling the whole office. As much as I knew this was unlikely to happen I still couldnt help but think it was a definate possibility.

My fear of this scene becoming a reality took control and waited to resign until my boss was out of the country – far away. Thus i could resign through email and no face-to-face confrontation. Call me weak, scared, gutless or all of the above but the anxiety caused from thinking about quitting was too much to bear. Why so anxious?

I dont owe these people anything. Sure i made a commitment, and yes i have not been here a very long time but in reality i took the job in good faith and ultimately it didnt fulfill my expectations (hence the creation of Mutual Procrastination) so why shouldn’t i resign? – i know your all thinking i am trying to justify my actions to avoid any feelings of guilt – which is slightly what i am doing (hehe) but really i am trying to understand why resigning strikes fear into the heart of so many.

It is a nerve-racking experience with a million ways of going about it. I could have stormed in here and announced to the whole office that i think this job is boring and awful and i quit effective immediately whilst going to my desk and clearing it (meaning taking to packet of nuts out of my top drawer) and slam the door behind me whilst screaming obscenities, now that would be an awesome way to resign :) however i chose to tread a less dramatic path. I came into work sat down at my desk and proceeded to do my morning duties (check facebook, check hotmail, then check my uni website). After this i strolled into the head of HR’s office and said i have decided to quit. Insert awkward silence here. She then asked why and i a made a reasonable excuse and she said fine, and she was sorry to hear it. I gave her the official letter and that was the end of it.

Hmmm… was it worth all the stress? Apparently not! What a disappointment and i was prepared for blood sweat and tears. Oh well guess we can’t have everything hehe.

Anyway the point of this rant is to say from now on i am going to consciously try to be more confident and learn to say No to people without justifying why it is i say no. It is also to announce my new found sense of absolute freedom (4 weeks from now – damn notice!) and how happy that makes me! Dont ever let the man get you down…

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Slowly Slowly

1.28pm. 3 hours and 32 minutes until i can leave this place. I have nothing to do but do not want to go on lunch yet.  I’d rather go at two so when i return it will be 2:30 and then its only 2.5 hours until i can leave.  Whats killing me is its a public holiday and everyone else gets the day off, except for my office, why i ask! why! on top of this we don’t get paid anything extra for being here and we had a ’special lunch’ which ended up being paid for by us, talk about incentives to come to work!

1:30pm. Only two minutes has passed, its excruitiating.  I know this is a cliche question but why is it that when you are having the time of your life time flies but when your literally about ready to take the stapler in front of you and staple yourself to see if you are indeed alive, time decides to drag on and on and on and on.  What is with that?

1:32. i am hoping this writing will kill the time but as you can see only four minutes has passed, i thought ten had.  Maybe i can send a sneaky email around my work encouraging people to go on strike in protest against this entrapment on a glorious public holiday, i’ll organise i coup and overthrow those in power and announce a free day for all, or at least an early mark?? Come on, you know you want to.

1:33pm. Maybe i should just go to lunch now.

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The office worker

I’m not new to the world of the office worker, having worked in one for over 5 years.  Yet since recently changing employers i realise the role of the office worker is not quite what i thought it was.  You see at my old job i was the Office Assistant aka Office Bitch, no real role or post just a general ‘helper’ which was fine with me considering i am a uni student and the last thing i want is responsibility.  However i decided to leave this job and try and pursue something more in line with my degree.  On good faith i took a job that seemed full of opportunities to expand my knowlege and obtain some real hands on experience – i was wrong. 

My day as Receptionist / Personal Assistant consists of checking emails, distributing the mail and faxes, and filing.  Yes that’s a full stop after filing, i have no more tasks required of me other than this, which means when 9:30am strikes i have finished my work for the day.  What to do with my time i wonder, lets just say google books is a god send!

Anyway back on track, as i go through my day i cant help but think surely there is something else i am meant to be doing, they cant really have hired me if all they want me to do is an hour’s worth of work.  I ask my colleauges and they don’t require any help so i am left to my own devices, which currently entails making files look extra pretty and constantly browsing the stationary cupboard for new additions to my top drawer. 

Maybe this is how all offices run, and my previous job was just out of step? Considering at my old job i was literally running around the offices meeting deadlines and typing away as fast as i could to make sure things were done by 5pm, it has taken a lot of will power to slow down and do nothing.  Anyways if you can’t already tell i am starting to dislike my new exciting opportunity filled job as it is slowly sucking my soul from within me.

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Do unto Bali Bombers as You Would Have Them do unto You

This issue has been really getting to me recently, so here I am putting my 2000 rupiahs in.

 

First let me say that  the Bali bomb was a terrible tragedy, terribly sad, cruel, unfair and unjust what happened to the 88 (or there abouts) Australians killed, the countless more Indonesians who died, and all their friends and families.  The perpetrators should certainly be brought to justice.  (Of course, same goes for the second Bali bombing)

 

But the key here is “justice”.  It’s funny how so many Australians were concerned with whether or not Schapelle received a fair trial, whether or not her guilt was proven beyond reasonable doubt, but no one seems to care whether or not the accused Bali bombers had a fair trial or not, all they seem to care about is that they are punished severely enough.

 

I’ve heard a number of comments in the media recently along the lines of “they need to hurry up and execute them.  It will be an embarrassment to Indonesia if they don’t execute them soon”.  Developing countries can’t win can they; one day they’re a disgrace to the international community because they’re executing people, the next day they’re an embarrassment because they’re not executing people.

 

We need to be principled, and consistent.

 

There are many good, rational, and reasonable justifications for capital punishment.  Keeping people locked up is a burden on tax payers money, money that could otherwise be spent on helping the innocent and the poor, for example.  If faced with 20 years + in a ridiculously hot, stuffy, stinky, disease-ridden Indonesian prison, with open drain toilets and high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, with I can’t even imagine what kind of food, I might very well prefer death.

 

Despite this, I don’t believe in capital punishment.  I don’t think it’s right to make killing illegal, and then kill people ourselves if they break the law.  And just think of the consequences if we get the wrong person.

 

However, whether you are pro or anti capital punishment, I think we need to be consistent.  If you would not support capital punishment in your own country, your own state, then don’t support it in other people’s country.

 

Before you wish capital punishment on others, think about it if it was your children, your parents, or your friend who was facing that sentence.  Surely life in prison is bad enough?

 

As I believe most people would be against capital punishment in Australia, it shocks and angers me to hear people demanding Indonesia executes the Bali bombers.  I think we should be demanding Indonesia abolishes capital punishment altogether, rather than demanding they implement it.

 

So please, unless you would be happy to see capital punishment make a come back in Australia, don’t demand the Bali bombers’ execution!  Be consistent with your principles and demand that the Bali bombers, what ever their crimes, are not killed by their government.

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Irrational Immigration Laws

A German man’s application for Australian permant residency has just been denied because his 13year old son has Down Syndrome.  Apparently the Australian government believes if a migrant will be a burden on Australia, in this case put pressure on Australian health services, then they will not be permitted to stay for good.  Oh sorry did i forget to mention that the dad of this boy is a doctor? and not just a doctor but the ONLY fulltime doctor at Wimmera Base Hospital.  Huh… this makes absolutely no logical sense to me.  Moreover there are constant complaints about the lack of doctors within Australia, especially within rural areas, and here they are kicking someone who is not only willing to work in rural Australia but actually wants to work there! Sometimes i wonder who makes these decisions, i really do.

Australian immigration policies are bad enough, and this is just icing on the cake. Where is the justification? Is this not utter discrimination? I am aware of health checks on incoming migrants, and i understand the threats posed to Australians if migrants are able to come without being checked for disease etc, BUT i do not see how this arguement fits in with this case?  Can a 13 year old boy really be classified as a ”significant cost to the community”? Especially when his father’s occupation contributes so much more?

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A work in progress…

As I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings I couldn’t believe what I saw. A tall gangly figure staring intently at her, he was so pale with eyes the colour of steel but most notably he had two golden antlers growing from the side of his head.  Next to him stood a woman of unimaginable beauty, raven curls tumbling down her back, dressed in a white silk dress clinging to her womanly curves.  What an odd pair, yet i somehow felt I had seen them before, but where?

“Don’t be frightened’, said the beautiful woman as she extended her hand to pull me up.  It was at this moment that i realised I was completely naked, save for a golden anklet which was digging into my flesh, i was sitting in a large pond filled with emerald coloured water.  Whenever the light caught at the ripples vibrant colours of gold and red would shimmer through the water, the whole pond was covered in white lillies with dragonflies darting here and there.  What was this place.

I hesitated before taking the woman’s hand, this was a mistake.  The tall pale man glared at me with such ferocity i thought i would fall back into the water with a thud.

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My Best Friend’s Girlfriend: To Flirt or Not To Flirt?

I’ve had a few awkward moments recently with one of my close friends and his girlfriend.  I’ve known this friend of mine since childhood, but he has only recently hooked up with this current girlfriend of his.  We’ve had quite a few nights out together now, and I’m slowly getting to know her.  She’s an incredibly lovely girl, and her and my friend are so perfect for each other.  They’ve got a lovely and really close relationship, and I’m so happy for the both of them.  Let’s just call my friend Brian, and his girlfriend Tamika.

 

Originally Tamika and I were making a Fair effort to get to know each other and to get along, as Brian and I have been close friends for quite some time now.  This wasn’t hard, as Tamika is a really lovely girl, like I said before.  However, Tamika’s compliments towards me have started becoming almost a little too frequent and personal, to the point that Brian has been commenting.  Now when Tamika says things to me like “mmm you smell nice”, I feel really awkward and don’t know how to respond.  I often just don’t say anything, not wanting to sound rude, but also not wanting to sound like I’m flirting with her.  There’s usually a little awkward silence, but now Brian usually says something to her like “you’re meant to say that to ME”, or “I donno about this..”.  We’ve also been saying flirtacious things to each other in French, just for the sake of speaking French, but this too has aroused Brian’s attention.  There were also a few moments the other nnight when a song would come on that both Tamika and I loved, and we would start singing together, and Brian I think felt a bit left out.

 

It’s awkward because on one hand I want to get close to Tamika as she’s my good friend’s girlfriend, and I want us to all get along and be able to have fun together.  At the same time I don’t want to cross the line or make Brian worried, anxious, awkward or angry.  There’s toatally nothing actually going on between Tamika and I.  I’m just naturally a flirtacious person, with all my friends.  It’s just how I interact and joke with people.  I find it’s a good way to break any ice.  I have absolutely no feelings for Tamika beyond that of friendship.  And even this is only because she’s my friend’s girlfriend.  I’m sure she feels the same way about me.  Brian and her are so obviously in love and right for each other, and I would never do anything to jeopardize that anyway.  So I don’t know whether I should be a bit colder towards her so we hopefully don’t have any more of these awkward moments, or whether I’m just being stupid, and I should just continue to be my usual flirtacious self around her, and take any concerned comments by Brian or her as jokes, and respond to them as such.

 

I would appreciate any comments, thoughts or advice from my colleague Dr Lee docter of sex love and relationships, or anyone else.  Cheers!

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PONDER THIS

Here are a few things to think about that you may have never thought about before:

 

Can you cry under water?

 

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

 

Why do you have to “put your two cents in”.. . but it’s only a “penny for your thoughts”? Where’s that extra penny going to?

 

Once you’re in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

 

 

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

 

What disease did cured ham actually have?

 

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

 

Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up like every two hours?

 

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

 

Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ON TV?

 

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

 

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you naked anyway.

 

Why is “bra” singular and “panties” plural

 

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

 

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

 

If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?

 

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs!

 

If Wiley E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn’t he just buy dinner?

 

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

 

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

 

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

 

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

 

Why do they call it an asteroid when it’s outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it’s in your butt?

 

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you,  but when you take him for a car ride; he sticks his head out the window?

 

Do you ever wonder why you read this posting in the first place?

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PANCASILA SEBAGAI SUMBER DARI SEGALA SUMBER HUKUM NEGARA

Saya ingin sampaikan komentar mengenai salah satu isu yang sering muncul baru-baru ini, yaitu mengenai Pancasila sebagai dasar negara dan sebagai sumber dari segala hukum negara Republik Indonesia.

 

Pasal 2 Undang-Undang No. 10 Tahun 2004 Tentang Pembentukan Peraturan Perundang-Undangan menyatakan ‘Pancasila merupakan sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara.  Ironisnya, ketentuan yang maha penting ini – yaitu mengenai ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’ – tidak diatur dalam Undang-Undang Dasar yang secara formil merupakan dasar negara.  Dengan demikian, patut dipertanyakan: apa dasarnya dari Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu?  Kita dapat melihat bahwa sila-sila dari pancasila telah tercantum dalam pembukaan dan pasal-pasal Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia 1945 (UUD 1945) jika dilihat secara keseluruhan; namun, tidak ada ketentuan secara eksplisit bahwa Pancasila harus menjadi ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’.  Berikut ini saya akan berikan contoh-contoh bab, pasal dan ayat UUD 1945 yang mengandung sila-sila dari Pancasila, namun ini memang sebagai contoh saja dan tidak menggambarkan secara lengkap bagaimana Pancasila sudah dijamin dalam UUD 1945.

 

Pancasila sudah tercantum dalam paragraf terakhir pembukaan UUD yang berbunyi ’…Negara Republik Indonesia… berdasar kepada Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa, Kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab, Persatuan Indonesia dan Kerakyatan yang dipimpin oleh hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam Permusyawaratan/Perwakilan, serta… mewujudkan suatu Keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia’.  Selain itu, Pancasila telah tercantum secara konkrit dalam berbagai pasal UUD 1945.  Pertama, Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa sudah tercantum dalam Pasal 29 Ayat (1) yang berbunyi ‘[n]egara berdasar atas Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa’.  Kedua, kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab tercantum dalam Bab XA tentang hak asasi manusia.  Ketiga, persatuan Indonesia telah ditentukan dalam Pasal 1 Ayat (1) yang berbunyi ’Negara Indonesia ialah Negara Kesatuan…’, dan juga dalam pasal-pasal yang mengatur tentang struktur pemerintahan Indonesia yang bersifat unitary (kesatuan) dan disentralisasi.  Sifat ini dapat dilihat, antara lain, dalam Pasal 18 Ayat (5) dan Bab VII tentang DPR yang secara implicit memberikan wewenang seluas-luasnya kepada pemerintah pusat untuk menentukan mana yang merupakan urusan dan kewenangan pemerintah pusat dan mana diserahkan kepada daerah.  Apalagi, kesatuan Indonesia dijamin dalam Pasal 37 Ayat (5) yang melarang dilakukannya perubahan mengenai kesatuan Indonesia.  Keempat, kerakyatan yang dipimpin oleh hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam permusyawaratan perwakilan telah dijamin dalam Pasal 1 Ayat (2), dan Bab VII tentang DPR yang menyerahkan kewenangan pembuatan Undang-Undang kepada DPR yang merupakan badan perwakilan.  Namun, sila ini mungkin dapat dikatakan tidak sekuat dulu sejak MPR tidak lagi ditetapkan sebagai lembaga tertinggi negara.  Kelima, keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia dijamin dalam Bab XA tentang hak asasi manusia, serta Bab XIV tentang perekonomian nasional dan kesejahteraan sosial.  Dengan demikian, dapat dikatakan bahwa UUD 1945 tidak bertentangan dengan Pancasila, bahkan Pancasila sudah tercantum secara implisit dalam UUD 1945.  Akan tetapi, oleh karena UUD 1945 merupakan sumber utama dan pertama dari segala hukum Indonesia yang tidak dapat disimpangi dalam keadaan apapun, apa gunanya Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu?  Apabila UUD 1945 telah mengandung Pancasila, dan segala peraturan perundang-undangan di Indonesia di bawah UUD 1945 harus sesuai dengan UUD 1945 tersebut, apakah Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu diperlukan untuk menjamin Pancasila? 

 

Menurut saya, Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu tidak diperlukan untuk menjamin Pancasila, bahkan Pasal tersebut membahayakan demokrasi di Indonesia.  Pertama, walaupun mengenai Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu dapat dilakukan perubahan, isi Pancasila tidak bisa diubah atau ditinjau kembali sehingga secara formil Pancasila itu tidak demokratis.  Meskipun Pancasila merupakan aspirasi rakyat Indonesia pada saat ini, dan biarpun sifat Pancasila itu sangat mendasar, belum tentu pada masa yang akan datang aspirasi rakyat tidak akan berubah atau berkembang.  Apabila isi Pancasila tidak dapat ditinjau, dikritik, ditentukan serta disahkan melalui  proses yang demokratis, berarti Pancasila itu tidak dapat dikatakan mengandung aspirasi yang telah disetujui rakyat dan oleh sebab itu, maka tidak patut dijadikan ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’.  Apabila Pancasila disamakan dengan pembukaan UUD, maka sebaiknya UU 10/2004 Pasal 2 itu diubah agar berbunyi seperti pembukaan UUD 1945 yang merupakan sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara.

 

Kedua, dalam keadaan tertentu kedudukan Pancasila sebagai ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’ bisa membenarkan penyimpangan dari UUD 1945.  Sebagai contoh, dalam kasus pengujian UU 27/2004 Tentang KKR di MK diargumentasi para pemohon bahwa UU tersebut berkemungkinan membangkitkan kembali wacana mengenai PKI, dan oleh karena filsafat PKI itu bertentangan dengan Pancasila yang merupakan ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’, maka UU 27/2004 itu harus dibatalkan.  Argumen tersebut tidak relevant karena berdasarkan UUD 1945 Pasal 24C Ayat(1) MK berwenang menguji UU terhadap UUD, bukan terhadap Pancasila.  Apalagi, pengabulan atas argumen tersebut dengan tidak mempertimbangkan bahwa UU KKR itu bertujuan untuk memberikan jaminan atas berbagai hak asasi manusia yang diatur dalam UUD 1945 itu berkemungkinan menyimpangi UUD.  Sebagai contoh lain, misalnya ada suatu peraturan pelaksana UU tentang kebebasan berpendapat atau perizinan PKI, hal ini bisa diuji di MA karena dianggap bertentangan dengan UU 10/2004 Pasal 2, dengan argumentasi bahwa peraturan tersebut tidak bersumber dari Pancasila karena memperbolehkan wacana filsafat komunisme yang menentang Pancasila, sementara kebebasan berpendapat atau perizinan PKI itu telah dijamin oleh UUD 1945 Pasal 28E Ayat (2) dan (3), Pasal 28F, Pasal 28I Ayat (2) dan (5), dan ’hak kemerdekaan pikiran dan hati nurani’ telah ditentukan sebagai hak yang ’tidak dapat dikurangi dalam keadaan apa pun’ oleh Pasal 28I Ayat (1). 

 

Ketiga, penempatan Pancasila di posisi suci yang tidak tersentuh ini dapat membatasi kebebasan berpendapat dan berekspresi serta mengangkangi pembahasan demokratis.  Dalam negara demokratis, seharusnya  pembahasan, penilaian dan pengkritikan masalah apa pun tidak dilarang, sepanjang dilakukan secara adil dan akademis.  Suatu rancangan peraturan perundang-undangan harus dilihat dan dinilai manfaat dan kekurangannya berdasarkan civic reasoning, bukan berdasarkan kesesuaiannya dengan suatu filsafat semata.  Yang saya khawatirkan adalah bahwa masyarakat nantinya tidak akan lagi menilai, membahas atau mengkritik sesuatu yang berbau Pancasila karena takut akan dituduh sebagai warga negara yang tidak baik.  Apalagi dalam hal kehakiman, yang seharusnya memutus perkara apa pun secara imparsial: seorang hakim bisa takut memutuskan sesuai dengan permohonan sepihak karena pernah dikatakan oleh tokoh-tokoh tertentu bahwa pemohon itu menentang Pancasila, dan nantinya si hakim itu sendiri bisa dituduh tidak mengacu kepada Pancasila. 

 

Keempat, kedudukan Pancasila sebagai ’sumber dari segala sumber hukum negara’ bisa digunakan untuk membenarkan diskrimoinasi, misalnya terhadap mantan anggota PKI.  Diskriminasi atas dasar Pancasila mungkin dianggap positive discrimination karena berdasarkan atas sesuatu yang positif yaitu Pancasila, padahal diskriminasi atas dasar agama atau diskriminasi karena seseorang atau suatu organisasi tidak memeluk suatu agama yang diakui Indonesia merupakan pengingkaran UUD 1945 Pasal 28I Ayat (2), Pasal 29 Ayat (2), pengingkaran International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Pasal 20 (2) dan Pasal 26, serta pengingkaran Pancasila itu sendiri, yakni pengingkaran sila kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab.  Yang menarik juga adalah bahwa seringkali idiologi komunisme dikritik oleh para perjuang Pancasila karena mengenal suatu prinsip yaitu the ends justify the means (tujuan membenarkan cara), sedangkan tidak jarang para nasionalis sendiri menyebutkan perlindungan Pancasila sebagai tujuan yang membenarkan cara mereka.  Misalnya, kasus pembantaian masal yang dilakukan terhadap anggota PKI dan orang-orang yang diduga anggota PKI pada tahun 1965 sering dibenarkan karena merupakan upaya untuk membela Pancasila. 

 

Maksud saya bukan untuk menilai bagus atau tidaknya isi Pancasila itu, tetapi hanya untuk mempertanyakan kepatutan Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu, serta membahas dan menilai kedudukan dan fungsi dari Pancasila tersebut.  Menurut saya, sebaiknya Indonesia memilih apakah Pancasila masih diinginkan menjadi idiologi negara yang tetap, jika iya, maka sebaiknya Pancasila dibiarkan sebagai idiologi saja, dan tidak dijadikan hukum positif ataupun judiciableTentu saja ini berarti Pasal 2 UU 10/2004 itu harus dicabut.  Namun, walaupun bukan hukum positif, Pancasila masih bisa berperan penting dalam negara Indonesia sebagai suatu alat mengukur sejauh mana suatu peraturan perundang-undangan melaksanakan atau bertentangan dengan Pancasila.  Kalau Indonesia ingin mempunyai Pancasila sebagai idiologi Negara yang judiciable, maka seharusnya isi Pancasila itu dituangkan ke dalam suatu peraturan perundang-undangan dengan kedudukan tertentu dalam hierarki peraturan perundang-undangan Indonesia, serta dinilai, dikritik dan didebatkan agar terus berkembang sesuai dengan zaman dan nilai-nilai masyarakat.

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CONFESSIONS OF A THINKER

It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then — just to loosen up. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.

 

I began to think alone — “to relax,” I told myself — but I knew it wasn’t true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.

 

That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother’s.

 

I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don’t mix, but I couldn’t help myself.

 

I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Muir, Confucius and Kafka. I would return to the office dazed and confused, asking, “What is it exactly we are doing here?”

 

One day the boss called me in. He said, “Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don’t stop thinking on the job, you’ll have to find another job.”

 

This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. “Honey,” I confessed, “I’ve been thinking…”

 

“I know you’ve been thinking,” she said, “and I want a divorce!”

 

“But hon, surely it’s not that serious.”

 

“It is serious,” she said, lower lip aquiver. “You think as much as college professors and college professors don’t make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won’t have any money!”

 

“I think that’s a faulty syllogism,” I said impatiently.

 

She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama.

 

“I’m going to the library,” I snarled as I stomped out the door. I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with ABC on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors. They didn’t open. The library was closed.

 

To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra , a poster caught my eye, “Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?” it asked.

 

You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinkers Anonymous poster.

 

This is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was “Porky’s.” Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting.

 

I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed…easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking.

 

I think the road to recovery is nearly complete for me.

 

Today I took the final step.

 

I joined a political party.

 

 

AUTHOR: Anonymous

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Soko

Funnest lyrics ever :) Love Soko! :)

Lyrics to I’ll Kill Her :
So, of course, you are supposed to come tonight.
You are supposed to come tonight.
We’ll have gone to the cinema
and after to this restaurant, the one you like in your street.
We’ll have slept together,
have a night breakfast together.
And walking about together.
How beautiful is that!
You would have said ‘i love you’ in the cutest place on earth where some lullabies are dancing with the fairies.
I would have waited like a week or two but you never tried to reach me, no, you never call me back.

[2 sentences]

So, if I find, I swear,I swear,

CHORUS
I’ll kill her, I’ll kill her.
She stole my future,
She broke my dream,
I’ll kill her, I’ll kill her.
She stole my future
When she took you away

I would have met your friends
We would have drunk like a drink or two.
They would have lied to me,
‘Cause sometimes I’m funny!
I would have met your dad,
I would have met your mum.
She would have said ‘please, can you make some beautiful babies?’
So we would have had a boy called Tom, and a girl called Suzanne
..born in Japan !

I thought it was a love story,
But you don’t want to get involved.
I thought it was a love story,
But you’re not ready for that.
Me neither,

CHORUS

She’s a bitch, you know
She’s got her blondless
No need a tenderness
She’s cleverless.

I would have waited like a week or two but you never tried to reach me, no, you never call me back.
Lyrics to Shitty Day :
I hate myself today.
I don’t know what’s happening to me.
I hate my face today.
I think I look so shitty.

I have some sweat everywhere.
I’m not even shaved.
My hair all greasy.
I look disgusting.

My eyes are glued.
My lips are chaffed.
My legs are prickling.
And plus I’m stinky today.

How can I date someone with a face like that?
I know you’re gonna dump me again,
And I am gonna cry.

Cuz you want a perfect girl,
And I’m not what you expected.
You want a perfect girl,
And I look shitty today.

Maybe I should put some makeup,
And find some crazy outfits.
But I am very tired today
And I don’t care if I’m not pretty.

Should be like these girls,
Skinny and great all the time.
I’m still wearing my slippers
And eat all the candies at home.

I should sleep more,
And stop going out everyday.
I should focus more,
And stop complaining today.

Tell me, How can I date someone with a face like that?
I know you’re gonna dump me again,
And I am gonna cry.

Cuz you want a perfect girl,
And I’m not so perfect.
You want a perfect girl,
And I look shitty today.

Tell me, how can I date someone with a face like that?
I know you’re gonna dump me,
And I am gonna cry

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Financial Crises

My brain numbs whenever financial reports come on the television. In light of the current financial crisis that has hit the US and the subsequent media coverage updating us all about how much money was lost etc. I am SO confused about what the hell is going on! Its normal primetime news and they go into these crazy explanations that apparently the lay man is supposed to understand yet i sit there and listen and try with all my might to work out what is actually going on and nope nothing… i hope i am not the only one that feels like a complete idiot whenever the words stock market, drop, financial crisis, subsidary, bail out and all the rest of them are mentioned! You’d think the news could just try and dumb it down a little bit so those with no economic knowledge whatsoever can understand what has happened, why and how its going to affect the individual.

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The Farmer’s Donkey

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out a way to get him out. Finally he decided it was probably impossible and the animal was old and the well was dry anyway, so it just wasn’t worth it to try and retrieve the donkey. So the farmer asked his neighbors to come over and help him cover up the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, when the donkey realized what was happening he cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down and let out some happy brays. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well to see what was happening and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was shaking it off and taking a step up. (Shifting)

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, to everyone’s amazement, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Every adversity can be turned into a stepping stone. The way to get out of the deepest well is by never giving up but by shaking yourself off and taking a step up.

What happens to you isn’t nearly as important as how you react to it.

 

- Chris Thomas (http://talesofwisdom.com/)

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Cappucino Kids

Cappucino Kids, Mongrels, Bannana’s, Half-castes, Mixers whatever you wanna call it, growing up the daughter of an Indonesian and Australian comes with its labels.. the fun of it is trying to work out what they all mean.. so i guess Mongrel, Mixer and Half caste are self-explanatory. But Bannana? Upon further analysis it seems a bannana is actually a full blooded Asian who has grown up in a western country – hence yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Cappucino kid is a mix of half milk half coffee – this one has to be my favourite because it just rolls of the tongue..

This leads me onto the whole half-breed category of people, obviously im only talking from my own experiences and in no way aim to make any generalisations, but its hard to work out where one fits in. I’ve often found myself in the midst of heated debates about Indonesia and Australia and find myself experiencing an inner turmoil about who to defend. Whichever one i choose i always feel inately guilty about the decision. So what to do in such a dillemma? I find sitting there quietly gives a sign of indifference or compliancy yet when you say your bit your viewed as defensive or as having an inherent bias.

The question of nationality always confuses me also, for some reasons the question “Whats your nationality?” or the even cooler version “Whats your natio?” have become common introductory questions. I tend to follow citizenship so I say Australian but then the question is followed up with “Nah but whats like you know your natio, like your background and stuff” (imagine that being asked in a bogan accent) in which case the answer would still be Australian because that is my background, yet what they’re really asking is from where my parents are from right? or why is it that i have darker skin, slantier eyes, and black hair? To which i go into a detailed explanation of ‘my background’ – i find the whole thing really odd. If i were completely white, rounded eyed, with brown – blonde hair i dont think anyone would ask me what my nationality was. The question of background is always a bit odd too because everyone has a background if i was to get into real detail about it all i could go into western europian ancestors and probably trace myself back to somewhere in Ireland aswell… anyway thats the end of my rant :)

Thoughts?

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