TitS: Kena Deh...

A recent viewpoint from the Economist "In Praise of a Twit" must be a high water mark in Indonesian history for a serving minister of the Indonesian government. But, when one thinks about it, it is a wonder that it has taken this long for Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) to be recognised for his wonderful work. TitS is desperate to always be relevant and this is the driving force in his populist nationalist rhetoric invading the Twitter-sphere (the picture reflects his desire to his need to be relevant!)

TitS has a skill that many Indonesian politicians crave for but rarely achieve, the ability to unite liberals and conservatives alike. Sadly, this is not uniting them together but positioning them as diametrically opposed extremes on the pornography debate. There really seems to be little middle ground here as the debate has morphed into one of "you are either with us or you are against us".

There has been plenty of commentary about the TitS vs. RIM / BlackBerry shenanigans. One of the best pieces has been written by Treespotter. It is in Indonesian which makes it for an Indonesian-reading audience. However, many of the points have been made by him in the past in English and you will also find many of those points here.

It appears that TitS has had a bit of a victory. RIM the makers of the BlackBerry Smartphone have agreed to block porn on their devices for the Indonesian market. RIM will be up for considerable expense in reconfiguring their devices to comply with the TitS demand. However, it is worth noting that this has to be done in conjunction with the local providers of BlackBerry services. It will be interesting to see how much of the "cost" local providers are willing to bear in order to see compliance happen. Or is the expectation that RIM will cover all the costs?

Some would consider this victory one for censorship and perhaps point out that this reflects the growing power of more conservative Islamic political forces. To be honest, I am not sure that the arguments here are being made on purely religious or political grounds. Anyways, a Google search using the terms BlackBerry, Islam, and Censorship turned up this image (no offense intended so hopefully none is taken).

Once again, RIM should have just stood its ground and said "No". If TitS had of pushed through with his ban he would have only ensured his legacy as a good source of comedic material for comedians around the world, including the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Jay Leno and the like in the US. I am sure there are comedians in Europe who are also "taking the piss". But, even more so, all of the politicians and other high-ranking public officials would have begun jumping up and down demanding that TitS pull his head in and do something worthwhile with his time as it is becoming increasingly obvious that the man is getting blinded by the sunshine that he thinks is shining out of his arse.

The reality is that even if RIM blocks porn to its BlackBerry devices there is going to be a negligible effect on overall supply of pornography to the Indonesian consumer. Let's face it, people can still go down to Block M or over to Glodok and buy pirated local and foreign pornographic DVDs until their collective hearts are content or stop beating because of the shock of the sudden release of all that sexual tension. The truly sad thing is that TitS still does not get that a national internet filter is not ever going to happen until such time as their is only one government controlled entry point to the Indonesian marketplace.

Probably more worrisome than RIM's capitulation on the porn filters is that TitS is touting that RIM has also agreed to allow the Indonesian government to intercept messages and other communications on BlackBerry devices. There is no need for BlackBerry to make any such concessions to TitS. The reality is that if there was a lawful reason for an interception to occur then a warrant issued by a legitimate court would see RIM comply. Besides, there is little doubt that Indonesia has agencies both public and spook-like that would already  have the capabilities to intercept communications without the communicator knowing about it so there really is no need or reason for the Minister of [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information to have this power as well.

There will be a time in the future, perhaps it is now, that Indonesians when they think of TitS will collectively sigh and say in a most colloquial of ways "kena deh!"

Suicide in Indonesia...

Suicide is a tragedy. It is not only a tragedy for those that make the ultimate choice to end it all, it is also a tragedy for those that are left behind and who must deal with the shattered lives that remain. Two things had me thinking about death and the way it is portrayed and discussed this morning: the first was an article in The Jakarta Globe and the second was seeing that "RIP Justin Bieber" was trending on Twitter (just about anything that has a Justin Bieber link trends or goes viral on Twitter, just ask Conan O'Brien. And, I am wondering whether or not "Justine Bieber: Suicide Death" within this post will result in any additional traffic to this blog post? If there is, then this might be a good thing from an awareness perspective).

This short post is an opinion piece on suicide in Indonesia.

According to The Jakarta Globe, the Ministry of Health's 'suicide hotline' has been ringing off the hook with a sharp increase in the number of calls during the first three months of operation. The hotline number for those that need it is 500-454 (although I recall Jakarta phone numbers having more digits than that...the number is correct, I checked!). The hotline was launched as part of World Mental Health Day in October 2010. Dr. Bella Patriajaya, Head of the Suharto Heerjan Mental Health Hospital, said that the reason was that more people were seeking help for their problems.

The data to-date is showing that not everyone who calls the hotline is intending to commit suicide. There are also significant numbers of people calling who are depressed or suffering other mental disorders. Even though, there is no confession of intent to kill themselves, the suicide hotline is still an excellent starting point for a sympathetic ear and perhaps some direction to services that can provide longer-term support.

Interestingly, the World Health Organization 2001 data states that the suicide rate in Indonesia is 1.6-1.8 suicides per 100,000 people. Nevertheless, a more recent study conducted by Ahmad Prayitno of Trisakti University in Jakarta supports more recent WHO data for Southeast Asia that claims that the suicide rate is closer to 24 incidents per 100,000. This is a staggering number as it would equate to about 50,000 suicides per year or 1,500 suicides per day. The reality is that even this study suspects that the actual rate and numbers are much higher.

The more recent studies are showing a trend in the reasons for suicide becoming more economic related. This includes losing a job, being demoted, or even living beyond one's means and getting into a spiral of uncontrollable debt. Nevertheless, the study also shows that more 'traditional' reasons relating to an inability to deal with emotional trauma remains a significant factor.

One of the biggest difficulties in determining exact numbers is the taboo nature of the subject. In most religions, and communities, suicide is frowned upon. Therefore, it is not uncommon that many suicides go unreported or are misreported as natural or accidental deaths.

It is important to remember that suicide is not a problem unique to one country. So, speak up and reach out! You might just save a life.

Ice-T and Coco...

Ice-T and Coco sounds like a drink. But, it is not. Ice-T made his name as a rapper. He has had much success recently in Law and Order: SVU. He is married to Coco. Coco Austin's claim to fame, aside from being married to Ice-T, seem fairly evident from these Twit Pics, don't you think?





This post may seem a little gratuitous, but there really is a point. That point is: How do you convince people that sending out pictures of themselves that leave so little to the imagination is not a good idea when you see photos like this one and stories that suggest the person pictured has made a career out of this very sort of thing?

Ho hum...

I would follow the links, the pictures are better quality on the original links.

Twitter or a Press Conference?

The Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information has decided, seemingly, that the best way to get his message out is via Twitter as opposed to holding the traditional press conference.

The basic thrust of Tifatul Sembiring's (TitS) argument is taken on a decidedly nationalistic fervour. It now seems that the Minister feels it is time that this foreign infidel who is raping and pillaging the resources of Indonesia needs to be made an example of. It would seem that TitS is now arguing that Indonesians have lost the plot. Why would you want to defend a foreign economic invader like RIM who gives you a small piece of cake to placate you rather than defend the rights of your fellow citizens?

To make his point, TitS has now made the tax argument. RIM does not pay taxes in Indonesia but does help itself on average to USD 7 per customer or some IDR 189 billion per month. The Minister's argument is that this equates to RIM stealing the money of ordinary Indonesians.

The standard porn causes natural disasters is also a point in the TitS Manifesto.

It would have been interesting if RIM had have stood their ground. A ban of BlackBerry services would have undoubtedly seen some very irritated and upset politicians carrying useless pieces of telecommunications equipment.

I have no problem with the principle that foreign businesses must follow the prevailing laws and regulations of the country where they are operating. I do wonder though whether RIM is the right target for this particular fight.

Anyways, here are a few screen captures of the Minister's choice Tweets.

Free Days...

For anyone wondering what to do on your "free" days:

Via twitpic.

I Am Spartacus...

The moral of this story...

No matter what the occasion, no matter what the circumstances, and no matter how funny you think you might be being...don't do it!

Paul Chambers has learned this the hard way. His lesson has also shown how far we have come in taking the silly to the extreme of seriousness with respect to consequences. Chambers crime was to jokingly suggest in a Tweet that he might have to blow up Robin Hood Airport in northern England if the airport stayed closed because of snow. There is obviously nothing micro about micro-blogging site Twitter. The actual message looked like this: "Robin Hood Airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get [it] together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!"

In that perversely funny way there is nothing very charitable about Robin Hood in this story.

Unfortunately, for Chambers, an airport manager discovered the Tweet and reported it to a superior, who then reported it to police. The initial discovery came five days after the tweet was made, but for some reason the message was deemed to be "non-credible" but worthy of being passed onto police.

Chambers was charged and convicted for sending the Tweet. He appealed. That appeal was rejected and he was fined and ordered to pay costs.

The case has attracted plenty of attention from all directions. Stephen Fry has offered to pay any fine that Chambers ultimately is required to pay. However, the Twitter-sphere has ratcheted-up support for Chambers. In Twitter-land "IAmSpartacus" has been used as a tag to show support for Chambers. In fact, "IAmSpartacus" has become a hot trending topic.

The "IAmSpartacus" tag comes from the 1960 Stanley Kubrick film "Spartacus" starring non other than Kirk Douglas. In the film Spartacus' fellow rebels adopt his name in a show of solidarity.


What I do not get about this case is how a non-credible threat results in a charge and a conviction, which is then upheld on appeal. The offending Tweet was clearly a joke. In these times, a poor joke. I find it difficult to see how if Chambers had been serious about blowing up the airport that he would have Tweeted those plans in advance. Oh well!

TitS: A Fan of Gandhi...

There is always something to be said about "practice what you preach" or "do as I say and not as I do". Perhaps, good ol' Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) should have taken his own advice by way of Gandhi instead of taking to Twitter and other social networking mediums as a means of defending his actions post that fateful Michelle Obama handshake incident.

Therefore, it was with interest that I read this TitS tweet as it entered my Twitter-sphere.

Maybe TitS should take a whole lot more time in conquering his enemies with love rather than trying to ban things that are almost impossible to ban, like porn for instance. Time to show a little love, TitS...If I am not mistaken, Vicky Vette would be happy to receive a little of that love!

So, does quoting Gandhi, a devout Hindhu, amount to an exhibition of religious tolerance?

Vicky Vette & TitS...

It would seem Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) has gone global. He is no longer just an Indonesia joke but a joke on a worldwide scale. Impressive!

This whole handshake affair could have been nipped in the bud by TitS by simply fessing up that he touched her hand and it was what it was; a handshake in the course of greeting a foreign dignitary.

Instead, TitS has taken to Twitter to say that he was forced to shake the First Lady's hand against his better judgment and wishes. It is one thing to be pious and take your beliefs seriously. It is a complete other thing to be caught out using religion and your beliefs to crassly advance your own political ambitions. As it is, the video of the incident seems to suggest otherwise on how the handshake went down.

However, it would seem that there are plenty of women out there who would now like to have the opportunity to press the flesh, so to speak, with the Indonesian Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information. Among the more notable flesh pressers is the irrepressible Vicky Vette. Ms. Vette is better known for her international work as a porn star with ample proportions.

Here is a copy of the tweet that she sent to TitS. Do you think the "pubic" part is a Freudian slip?

Meanwhile, here are a few photos of Vicky Vette in all her glory...

The Job of the White House Spokesperson...

is never done!

Photo of Robert Gibbs doing the BlackBerry thing during a live press conference in Indonesia. My guess is that the news does not stop for anyone. Besides it must be coming around to wake up time on the East Coast of the USA, and you would not want to miss the morning news cycle.

Photo courtesy of Ed Henry (@edhenrycnn) of CNN fame via Twitpic.

Meg Whitman, Press Secretaries, Twitter, and an Oops Moment...

I am not sure what the YouTube video below has to do with an endorsement from the San Diego County Deputy Sheriffs' Association other than the fact that Meg Whitman's Press Secretary inadvertently left out a letter at the end of the bit.ly link and instead of getting the endorsement they received the video.

Another one of the dangers of the over-zealous use of technology, perhaps?

Ho hum...



and the actual link that was supposed to be part of the Tweet.

Don't know about you, but the "other" endorsement might work as well.

Thanks to buzzfeed for the links.

Twitter...

I am now on Twitter...

@rabexperience

I still need to learn how to use it properly. But, feel free to do whatever it is that Twitterers do with the follow and be followed thing.

Ranga -- Derogatory and Offensive?

Barry O'Farrell is the New South Wales Opposition Leader, and he believes he is a shoe-in to be the next Premier of New South Wales.

It is pretty hard to see how the Labor Party can pull this one out of the fire as they are behind in all the polls and it would seem that there is some Labor fatigue in the electorate.

However, where there is a will there is a way and O'Farrell would not be the first NSW Opposition leader to shoot themselves in the foot on the way into a seemingly un-lose-able election!

This is evident in a recent Twitter post the leader of the opposition made, supposedly off the record, to a journalist, Latika Bourke. He referred to Australia's current Prime Minister as a "Ranga". Now ranga is derived from the word orangutan (in Indonesia this is an abbreviation of the words orang hutan, which means simply forest dweller). The word reflects the colour of one's hair, in this case, red. There is little doubting that the PM's hair has been a topic of discussion over the years as it moves between various shades of red.

However, the offense is not so much singling the PM out for the colour of her hair, but rather referring to her as a monkey. It was not all that long ago Australians were up in arms when one of our cricketers, Andrew Symonds, was called a monkey by a visiting Indian player, Harbajan Singh. When will people realise that calling other people monkeys is going to attract attention, most probably negative, despite the intent.

The 'tweet' was regarding the problems that the Liberal Party was having in selecting candidates in key seats leading into the 'soon' to be announced Federal Election. Verbatim the tweet reads like this:

"Deeply off the record - I think the timetable and struggle to get candidates reflects internal poll - pre and post the ranga."

My guess is he could have said the same thing in a different way and made the same point, even though Twitter restricts posters to 140 characters or less. This also reflects how much more difficult it is to have things off the record in the twitter-verse. O'Farrell realised the error of his ways pretty quickly and removed the offending tweet. However, this was not done soon enough and people had already re-tweeted it and as they say, the rest is history.

As an aside, on my most recent practicum placement, I had a red-headed student in one of my classes and he was regularly referred to as a ranga. This did not seem to bother him though, and was seemingly accepted as par for the course. I was only observing the class, but apparently the offensive nature of the word had been discussed. Yet, the young lad referred to himself as a ranga as well. So, it is perhaps an interesting debate as to whether the context and the usage of the word is exclusively offensive or are there times when it can be co-opted and used as a source of empowerment.

Luna Maya Returns to Twitter...

What is it with this grabbing the dog from behind picture. Everywhere one goes looking for a Luna Maya picture, this is one of the first ones to appear...





Luna Maya (@lunmay) has returned to the Twittering fold and reactivated her account on the microblogging site. I guess this means you cannot keep a good woman down, even if you lodge a criminal defamation complaint against her?

The Luna Maya fiasco erupted when some infotainment journalists became a little over-zealous in their pursuit of the interview and photo that we mere mortals crave in our daily celebrity fix. During the ensuing free-for-all Ariel's (the boyfriend of LM) little girl was clocked in the head with a camera or something. This led to the famous tweet comparing infotainment journalists to prostitutes and murderers. Subsequently, the Luna Maya Twitter account disappeared after a short apology was posted.

But, it is back! There have been no new tweets apparently. Apparently is because I do not tweet or twitter and I am going on what others have said. Ah, the beauty of second hand information.

What is interesting is that the Minister of Communication and Information, Tifatul Sembiring, has come out and said that the Information and Electronic Transactions Law that the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) is using as the basis of its criminal defamation claim was not drafted not designed for this sort of criminal defamation action.

According to Sembiring, the ITE Law was drafted and is designed to prevent computer related crimes such as credit card fraud and hacking., That said, it would seem that Article 27 also seems to open the door for arguments that the ITE Law also conceives that criminal defamation might also be a crime within the scope of the law.

As usual, a Luna Maya post lends itself to some gratuitous picture posting.

Luna Maya, Twitter, Paparazzi, and Prostitutes

One of the good things about not having a twitter account is that there is no temptation to vent one's frustrations and anger out into the public sphere. Perhaps on a little reflection Luna Maya might have thought twice about ranting that "infotainment are lower than prostitutes, murders!!! May your soul burn in hell!!!" I guess it is fair to say that she was not mincing any words there. But does she have a point?

To work this out one needs to consider the situation that preceded this little rant. Luna Is dating a singer of one of Indonesia's bigger bands, Ariel of Peter Pan fame. Ariel was married and has a beautiful young daughter (no where near as good looking as Will of course). There has been some suggestion that Luna is a home wrecker and it is her fault that Ariel split with his former wife. However, that was not the issue that sparked the most recent venting.

Luna's twitter account, lunmay, was shut down recently after the vent went public. Luna has apologized to her 123,952 followers for shutting down the account. I probably would not have had one in the first place if I was a star of the small and silver screens. Simply, tweeting that you are watching a movie is like a red rag to a bull and is certain to bring the paparazzi stalkers out in force.

As the story goes, Luna, Ariel, and Alleia (Ariel's daughter) went to watch the premiere of Ariel's first movie, The Dreamer (Sang Pemimpi) at EX Plaza. Now, my recollections of EX are that it was an excellent place for a little bit of celebrity spotting if that was your thing. In any event, little Alleia had fallen asleep during the movie and was being carried out by Luna.

This is where it gets really interesting. In the scramble for good photos and an interview one of the infotainment throng cracked little Alleia on the head with a camera. For a parent, even the girlfriend of a parent, this can certainly arouse some pretty heated emotions. If someone clocked Will in the head with a camera, then I would be tempted to grab the camera a clock the fella right back.

The lesson here is two-fold, Luna Maya had apparently agreed to an interview in the lobby once little Alleia was in the safety of the car. So, the gathered throng of infotainment journalists would have got their interview and obligatory shots if the had been a little more patient. the second lesson is do not vent your frustrations on Twitter no matter how justified you feel about it.

The spat, if the Twitter message can be called such, has escalated with the Indonesian Journalists Association threatening to take legal action against Luna for allegedly comparing them to prostitutes. The comparison to murderers was a little harsh, but the comparison to prostitutes probably is not so harsh.

In fact, it is probably a slur against all the prostitutes out there. Let's face it, infotainment journalists and photographers sell their assets to those willing to pay for it, similar to prostitutes. But, on a more serious note, the Indonesian Association of Journalists might also want to consider that one of their members was responsible for the assault of a child. My question would be, "does the Indonesian Association of Journalists really want to pursue this one?"

Most people might have an insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip and news, but most of these people would also balk at the idea that journalists need to assault and harm children in order to get their pound of flesh.

Maybe it is time that the government considered putting into place specific laws that protect celebrities from over-zealous infotainment journalists. And, perhaps it is also time that those that drive the market, infotainment publishers started to self-regulate what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to getting that all important shot or all important interview.

Public figures are what they are, but this does not mean that they forfeit all their rights to privacy because they have appeared in a film or worked as a presenter on TV.

It is time the infotainment industry got their collective act together and showed some class.

Meghan McCain -- That Twitpic...

Being the daughter of the former Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, probably attracts some unwarranted attention to you. However, posting a self-portrait of yourself with some exceptional cleavage is likely to bring a whole lot more. So much, in fact, that the picture gets removed from your account and you then feel the need to tweet about the "learning" experience you have just endured, and then thank your family and friends profusely for their support.

Welcome to part of the life of Meghan McCain. You can find Meghan McCain and her twitter escapades here.

Ms. McCain is a columnist with The Daily Beast. But, was probably more famous for campaigning on her father's behalf during the most recent US presidential campaign. She, is definitely more famous now and her Yahoo Search is undoubtedly buzzing as punters go in search of the now missing Twitter pic (above).

She said in the text accompanying the Twitpic: "My 'spontaneous' night in is my Andy Warhol biography and takeout." To many, this would most likely be a couple of real endearing characteristics. There are plenty of people that would have, and perhaps are sitting, sat down with an Andy Warhol biography and enjoyed some good Chinese takeout.

McCain further added that this must mean that she is getting old. I would argue the picture does not show someone who is old. Now, if I posted my picture, then that would be a picture of someone looking old.

What this story does show that in our world of instant information, the world has become a much smaller place, and much quicker too. What is nothing more than a simple picture has become in next to no time a bit of a controversy and a lot of news. It also goes to show that we as consumers have an insatiable appetite for celebrity in any form.

The picture though inspired a lot of less than inspiring comments suggesting that she was a 'slut' for posting the picture. To be honest, looking at the picture, the first thing that comes to mind is not the word 'slut'. It shows a lot of narrow-mindedness on the part of commenters who think wearing a tank-top and a pair of sweat pants makes one a slut. But, that is the nature of the world sometimes, people with nothing positive to say still feel the urge to let their fingers get into gear before their brain catches up. Sad!

Keep on tweeting!

Tila Tequila, Lights Out?

I have seen the name Tila Tequila around, but admittedly have never paid that much attention, anyway with a name like Tila Tequila I always figured she was probably an adult star / porn star. However, names can be deceiving. It turns out Tila is in fact Tila Nguyen, hails from Singapore with Vietnamese roots and makes her living singing and doing TV, MTV to be precise. Although in my defense she has appeared in Playboy.

Apparently, the Tequila alludes to the fact that she is allergic to alcohol and doesn't drink, so it is supposed to be a touch of irony. However, recent reports suggest that despite any Tweets to the contrary, Ms. Tequila lives up to her name and does not mind knocking back the odd tequila shot or five. It also seems that she does not mind taking a few slugs on the vodka bottle. Gossip, rumors, or eyewitness testimony to her appetite for liquor sort of puts paid to the idea that the girl is allergic to alcohol.

Her consumption of the wicked liquor has led to some trouble so it seems with her current boyfriend of San Diego Chargers fame, Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman, has been arrested and bailed for allegedly assaulting the diminutive Tequila. Lights Out comes in at a hefty 1.93 meters and some 120kgs so it is hardly going to be a fair contest.

Lights Out reckons there was no assault, rather he was trying to be protective and stop Tequila, who seemingly had a few too many tequilas from driving home. According to reports a scuffle occurred, Tequila eventually broke free, and then called the police. Tequila then signed off on a citizen's arrest warrant that alleges battery and false imprisonment, both of which are felonies as I recall.

So, it seems at the moment to be a he said, she said scenario. This means that the fun and games are just about to begin.

And they have. James Brennan, the owner of Stingaree (a celebrity spotting paradise apparently), and where Lights Out and Tequila kicked off their fateful evening, has said that in interviewing all of his staff the gist is that Lights Out was drinking bottled water and Tequila was living up to her name knocking back tequila and vodka until she was visibly intoxicated (I would guess this is code for pissed).

The reason for this post is self-serving as it lets me post a picture of Tequila in most of her glory.