HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

My wishes for you in 2013 :

Great start for January, Love for February, Peace for March, No worries for April, Fun for May, Joy for June to November, 

Happiness for December, 

Have a lucky and wonderful 2013

Minister mulls longer school hours to protect children

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Wed, September 19 2012, 4:17 PM

A- A A+

Education and Culture Minister Muhammad Nuh. (JP/R Berto Wedhatama)

Can longer school hours protect children? The Education and Culture Ministry thinks so, and plans to extend school hours, similar to the practice of several private schools.

“The outside world potentially introduces children to negative things that eventually damage educational values instilled in school,” Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh said on Tuesday in Jakarta, as quoted bykompas.com.

Pointing out that students were left unsupervised by busy parents, he said classes at public elementary schools would be extended from 26 to 30 hours per week.

The nation’s public schools implement shorter school days compared to several private institutions.

To accommodate the new school hours, the ministry is drafting a revised curriculum to implemented in 2013.

Education expert Arief Rahman supported the plan, saying that additional courses would “protect some children from falling prey to bad influences.”

“However, the extra courses have to keep children happy, otherwise it will be a counterproductive policy,” he told The Jakarta Post Digital on Wednesday.

Raihan Iskandar, a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission X on education and youth affairs, suggested the minister improve the quality of educators before implementing the plan.

“The program will be useless if it is not supported with improvements in the quality of teachers,” he said. (yps/iwa)

Volunteers aim to Balinese teach children English

BY AGNES WINARTI ON 2012-09-18

Volunteers are taking part in empowering more Balinese school students to master speaking English through the island’s first English-language festival, YouthSpeak Fun Day, hosted by The Jakarta Post Foundation.

“I believe education is the key for empowerment. And I also believe the ability to speak English, as one of the most common languages spoken internationally, will greatly benefit the children of Bali. I’m living here and as an Englishnspeaker I hope to contribute to that. It’s something I can give back while I’m here as an expat living in Bali,” member of Bali Pink Ribbon committee Nickie Edwards told Bali Daily on Monday.

“If I can help to make even one child feel more comfortable practicing English, I’m willing and happy to do that,” said Edwards, a Jamaican-born expat who has been living on the Island of the Gods for the past three years.

Around 10 to 20 volunteers from the Bali Pink Ribbon community and the Bali International Women’s Association (BIWA), to name a few, have, since last week, been introducing the three-day festival to students at various senior high schools in Denpasar.

The YouthSpeak Fun Day event will kick off its preliminary rounds at SMKN 3 on Jl. Tirtanadi 2 on Thursday and Friday, while the final round will be showcased at the Bali Art Center on Jl. Nusa Indah on Saturday. The festival is co-organized by The Jakarta Post Foundation, the Education and Culture Ministry, Denpasar Mayoralty and Chevron, the second-largest US oil company.

“The English ability of most Balinese here is very basic, but I believe the Balinese would love to be able to do much better. However, one of the things that gets in the way for them is that they get a little embarrassed at not speaking very well,” said Edwards.

Themed “Bridge to the future”, the festival carries the motto “Speak English no matter what”.

Member of both BIWA and the Bali Pink Ribbon, Fiftin Rorimpandei, similarly acknowledged that despite better opportunities for children nowadays to learn English compared to in the olden days, some still lack access to quality education. “We can’t argue that there’s a disparity of opportunity for students in state-owned schools compared to those in private schools.”

“In Bali, English is quite a familiar language, even to parking attendants, domestic helpers and shop attendants. Last week, during the school visits, most of the students were familiar with the language, but some were still reluctant and shy to use it.”

“Thus, through this festival, I want to encourage these children to be brave enough to make mistakes in using their English. It’s better to make mistakes and be corrected than to never know what is right,” said Fiftin, who originates from Manado, North Sulawesi, and has been residing in Bali for 14 years.

“I really hope that English will be the language of the day throughout the festival,” said Fiftin, as she encouraged both participants and visitors to brace themselves to practice English in small things, for example, when purchasing things at the snack and beverage booths.

The festival features activities that will motivate children to become accustomed to using English as their second language, as well as appreciating English literature through competitions, such as debate, spelling bee, writing, news reading, song lyrics and photography; games like cupid pen, poster making and scrabble; as well as school performances, such as singing and operetta. There will be a special performance on the day by national band Naïf.

BIWA vice-president Mayke Boestami Anderson expressed her association’s enthusiasm to fully support the festival by supplying more volunteers for the D-Day of the event. “We will be sure to deploy our ‘troops of volunteers’ to help act as the festival’s native-speaker judges, and other things, as needed,” said Mayke, who has called Bali her home for the past 35 years.

“In general, as a person coming from Jakarta, I see that the Balinese have a higher ability to adapt to foreign languages compared to people from other major cities [in Indonesia], despite the thick local accents and sometimes misspelling. That sort of confidence is a good thing,” said Mayke.

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Can we still trust alternative medicines?

Tommy Dharmawan, Jakarta | Opinion | Sat, September 15 2012, 2:18 PM

Paper Edition | Page: 7

In Indonesia, many alternative medicines are not fully regulated and monitored. This allows for uncertainty regarding the efficacy and safety of such products. Many alternative medicines are not supported by evidence-based research.

Furthermore, manufacturers of alternative medicines exaggerate their healing properties by making promotional advertisements filled only with comments from satisfied customers rather than proper research data.

Indonesians have seen plenty of examples within the past few months, with television channels broadcasting advertisements about traditional Chinese medicine.

In one of the advertisements, an alternative clinic states that their traditional medicine can cure diabetes. Since when could diabetes be cured?

Diabetes is a degenerative disease that cannot be cured. It can only be controlled within normal levels with lifestyle changes and medication. So, it does not make sense when this traditional Chinese medicine clinic states that diabetes can be cured by only three visits to the clinic.

This problem is not only limited to Indonesia. Several international organizations have already made statements about traditional medicine.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in an attempt to promote the highest attainable health standards, stated that each country had an obligation to stop traditional preventive care, healing practices and medicines, from marketing unsafe drugs and from applying coercive medical treatments.

Believing it to be cheaper than modern medicine is one of the reasons people go for traditional and alternative medicine. Many people, especially the impoverished, think that alternative medicine is inexpensive.

That point of view, however, is completely wrong. Many traditional Chinese medical fees are more expensive than doctors’ fees. People pay millions of rupiah but are not cured of their ailments. Furthermore, they risk their lives by consuming unsafe medicines.

In terms of promotion, many government regulations have been abandoned by traditional medicine manufacturers.

According to Health Minister Regulation No. 1787/2010 on Health Care Advertising and Publicity, testimonials from patients are prohibited in advertisements.

 In reality, though, many traditional medicines used patients’ testimonials for promotional enhancement. Moreover, the Consumer Protection Law states that people have the right to be given accurate information about a product.

But, we can see that some advertisements for traditional medicine are less than honest. If a traditional clinic is proved to be dishonest, its owner will be fined around Rp 2 billion (US$210,416) or sentenced to up to five years in jail.

World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2005 stated that 80 percent of the world’s population still used traditional medicines.

The 2010 Indonesia National Economic Social Survey similarly revealed that the number of Indonesians who preferred alternative medicine had increased rapidly. Many Indonesians believe in the efficacy of their traditional herbal medicine or jamu. From common colds to impotency, people will go to jamu stalls to drink herbal medicine.

Some of the traditional herbal medicine producers have improved their production systems by including evidence-based research on their products.

They have also set up modern and hygienic facilities to produce their herbal medicines. Although we often hear and read news about fake herbal medicines that contain hazardous chemicals, the big herbal medicine companies tend to comply with safety regulations.

In 2009, the WHO recommended that countries add traditional medicine into their respective national health systems.

The Indonesian government also encourages public hospitals to incorporate alternative and traditional medicines, such as acupuncture and jamu, into their health care services. State universities have also collaborated with herbal medicine producers on some basic efficacy research about jamu.

Earlier in 2008, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared jamu the brand of Indonesian herbal medicine.

With the government committed to only regulating evidence-based herbal medicines, manufacturers should accept if the efficacy of their products does not live up to their promotion.

Many scientists believe that traditional medicine works only as a placebo on the human body, which means it does not actually heal the body. It merely offers a degree of comfort to those who consume it.

While access to health care is a basic human right, so it is the government’s responsibility to supervise the practice of traditional and alternative medicine.

The government, especially the Health Ministry and the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency should protect society from the perilous effects of traditional treatments that are toxic to humans through strict regulations and monitoring. If traditional medicine manufacturers cannot prove that their products are safe, the government should close their factories.

The government should also promote the wider distribution of professional health workers. With more health workers spread equally throughout the country, people can go to the right place and gain a better understanding of a particular disease and the safe medicine to treat it.

The government should further ensure that medical treatment in public hospitals is free for those on low incomes, so that they are not encouraged to seek out unproven traditional medicines.

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) should rebuke television stations that broadcast traditional medicine advertisements that could mislead consumers. Health organizations, such as the Indonesian Medical Association (IMA) should promote evidence-based medicine to society, so that people will only trust medicine that has been proven to work through research.

They can also organize talk shows or advertising campaigns on television, radio, in print media and on social media sites about the danger of untested medicines.

Finally, we want safe drugs — including traditional and alternative medicines — for all. This can happen if traditional medicines are subjected to scientific research and government monitoring and regulation.

The writer, a medical doctor, lives in Jakarta.

MORE THAN WORDS

More Than Words lyrics
Songwriters: Cherone, Gary; Bettencourt, Nuno;

Saying "I love you"
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew how easy
It would be to show me how you feel

More than words
Is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already known

What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real

What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
More than words
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

Now but I've tried to talk to you
And make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands
And touch me
Hold me close, don't ever let me go

More than words
Is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already known

What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real

What would you say if I took those words away
When you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"

laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

More than words
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

More than words
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

More than words
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

More than words
laletaraera . . . . raera . . . raera

More than words

these lyrics are last corrected by JuliesCannine

SEMPURNA

Kau begitu sempurna

Dimataku kau begitu indah
Kau membuat diriku akan slalu memujimu

Disetiap langkahku
Kukan slalu memikirkan dirimu
Tak bisa kubayangkan hidupku tanpa cintamu

Janganlah kau tinggalkan diriku
Takkan mampu menghadapi semua
Hanya bersamamu ku akan bisa

[Reff:]
Kau adalah darahku
Kau adalah jantungku
Kau adalah hidupku
Lengkapi diriku
Oh sayangku, kau begitu
Sempurna... Sempurna...

Kau genggam tanganku
Saat diriku lemah dan terjatuh
Kau bisikkan kata dan hapus semua sesalku

Janganlah kau tinggalkan diriku
Takkan mampu menghadapi semua
Hanya bersamamu ku akan bisa

[Reff:]
Kau adalah darahku
Kau adalah jantungku
Kau adalah hidupku
Lengkapi diriku
Oh sayangku, kau begitu
Sempurna... Sempurna...

Kau genggam tanganku
Saat diriku lemah dan terjatuh
Kau bisikkan kata dan hapus semua sesalku

Arti Sejati Hidup

" Hakikat Hidup Sejati . . . "

ibarat merajut  . . . .
berpangkal lobang berujung lobang
tak satu tertinggal tak satupun kan terulang . . . .

ibarat akar pepohonan . . . . . .
menusuk seolah kan menggapai pusat bumi
tak kan terputus oleh serpihan pasir dan batu
meski kadang harus menembus,  berputar,  bertemankan sepi
tuk mengejar asa dari indahnya mimpi-mimpi
hingga berbuah manis seakan tak mau henti
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
" Apapun ujung yang terjadi pasti hakiki "

hardi, sugeng, 22 August 2012

Untuk Apa Berpuasa

Metro Kolom | Selasa, 31 Juli 2012 23:03 WIB

Dalam ibadah puasa terdapat dimensi metafisik. Ini sebaiknya disikapi dengan iman, semata menjalani perintah Allah. Sebagai orang beriman sikapnya hanyalah mengimani dan menjalani apa yang diperintahkan-Nya. Seberapa besar pahala puasa, kita serahkan saja pada Allah, yang paling pokok kita melaksanakan dengan sebaik-baiknya. 

Namun, dalam puasa juga terdapat dimensi-dimensi lain yang bisa diamati dan dianalisis secara ilmiah-empiris. Terutama yang menyangkut kesehatan fisik dan mental. Dimensi ini telah banyak dikaji oleh kalangan kedokteran dan psikolog. Ada lagi dimensi sosial-budaya, seperti acara buka bersama sebagai ajang silaturahmi. 

Semua perintah ibadah selalu ada pesan yang bersifat metafisik yang nalar sulit menjawabnya kalau saja diperdebatkan. Misalnya saja, mengapa batal wudhu gara-gara buang angin, lalu dibasuh mukanya? Tetapi jika menyangkut aspek pembelajaran yang bersifat psikologis-sosial, maka ilmu pengetahuan bisa turut menjelaskannya. Bukankah agama menuntut pemeluknya untuk menggunakan nalar dalam memahami dan melaksanakannya? Dalam ibadah puasa terdapat pesan agar hidup menjadi sehat jasmani, nafsani, ruhani, secara social maupun  individual. 

Yang paling mudah diamati, perintah puasa mengajak kita untuk menjaga lisan dan tindakan agar tidak melukai pihak lain. Efek dari perintah ini adalah menciptakan hubungan sosial yang santun dan saling menghargai, sehingga hubungan sosial menjadi sehat, harmonis.

Seperti kita saksikan bersama, begitu masuk bulan Ramadan masyarakat kita berubah menjadi lebih religius dan santun. Orang yang sedang menjalankan puasa akan berusaha semaksimal mungkin menjaga puasanya agar sempurna dengan menghindarkan omongan dan perbuatan tercela. Emosi yang biasanya  meluap ketika sedang berpuasa menjadi terkontrol. Orang lebih memilih diam, membaca kitab suci atau menghadiri ceramah keagamaan dari pada nongkrong di kafé atau ngerumpi. Mereka merasa rugi kalau puasanya hanya sebatas menahan lapar dan haus.  

Selain bagus bagi kesehatan fisik dan mental, berpuasa juga dapat mengantarkan kita kepada kesalehan sosial. Sudah banyak pakar dan ilmuwan yang melakukan kajian hikmah puasa dari pendekatan medis dan psikologis. Ini sejalan dengan sabda Nabi Muhammad, “Berpuasalah, niscaya kalian akan sehat.” Sehat di sini menarik dikaji dari berbagai aspek, baik aspek fisik, mental maupun sosial. 

Dalam bulan puasa, di dalamnya juga terkandung perintah salat tarawih yang dilakukan malam hari secara berjamaah. Secara fisik, mental dan sosial salat tarawih juga dapat meningkatkan kelenturan tubuh, rileksasi dan memelihara silaturahim dengan tetangga, sehingga tercipta hubungan sosial yang baik mengingat salat tarawih umumnya dilakukan secara berjamaah di masjid. 

Namun, rahasia puasa dan salat tarawih dari sisi spiritual semua itu kita serahkan saja sepenuhnya kepada Allah. Manusia tidak memiliki wewenang dan kemampuan untuk mengukur skala ketulusan, keikhlasan, dan ketakwaan seseorang. Tak ada yang tahu kualitas dan kedalaman puasa seseorang kecuali Allah. 

Apakah kita bersungguh-sungguh melaksanakan puasa ataukah tidak, orang yang bersangkutan akan lebih tahu dan merasakannya mengingat aktivitas ibadah itu sesungguhnya sangat bersifat pribadi. Meski bersifat pribadi, dari semua ibadah dalam Islam dituntut agar membuahkan kebajikan sosial. Dengan menghayati dan menjalani ibadah puasa, seseorang mestinya senantiasa menyebarkan vibrasi kebaikan, kejujuran, kedamaian, dan kenyamanan kepada siapa saja yang berada di sekitarnya. Jadi, sungguh ironis kalau sebuah bangsa yang rajin berpuasa namun juga senang melakukan korupsi dan bertengkar. 

Memang, kita tidak bisa menarik garis lurus dan mengharapkan puasa untuk memberantas korupsi, karena ibadah puasa lebih bersifat individual dan komunal, sementara korupsi berada pada ranah birokrasi dan pelanggaran hak-hak publik. Jadi ibadah puasa hanya bisa memberikan pesan dan kekuatan moral, namun lembaga eksekusinya adalah instrumen negara. Tanpa penegakan hukum dan keadilan secara konsisten dan tegas, perilaku keberagamaan seseorang tidak efektif untuk memberantas korupsi.    
    
Komaruddin Hidayat, Rektor Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta.

PRINSIP DAN INSTRUMEN UKG

18 July 2012 02:45 Posted by Team UKG Online

Prinsip UKG

UKG mengukur kompetensi dasar tentang bidang studi (subject matter) dan pedagogik dalam domain content. Kompetensi dasar bidang studi yang diujikan sesuai dengan bidang studi sertifikasi (bagi guru yang sudah bersertifikat pendidik) dan sesuai dengan kualifikasi akademik guru (bagi guru yang belum bersertifikat pendidik). Kompetensi pedagogik yang diujikan adalah integrasi konsep pedagogik ke dalam proses pembelajaran bidang studi tersebut dalam kelas.

Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah tes penguasaan subject matter pada jenjang pendidikan tempat tugas guru. Instrumen tes untuk guru bidang studi SMP, SMA dan SMK akan dibedakan dengan asumsi bahwa
pembinaan profesi dan penilaian kinerja guru didasarkan pada tempat tugas mengajar guru. Uji kompetensi pedagogik mengunakan pendekatan inti sel dari varian dari kompetensi pedagogik dimaksud.

Instrumen UKG

Pengembangan instrumen uji kompetensi awal terdiri atas kisi-kisi dan butir soal. Soal UKG dikembangkan oleh Tim Ahli dengan bentuk soal obyektif tes jenis pilihan ganda dengan 4 opsi pilihan
jawaban.Komposisi instrumen tes adalah 30% kompetensi pedagogik dan 70% kompetensi profesional dengan waktu pengerjaan soal ujian adalah 120 menit dan jumlah soal maksimal 100 butir soal. Kecuali guru Tuna Netra waktu yang diberikan 180 menit.

Aspek kompetensi yang diujikan

1. Kompetensi Pedagogik

Standar kompetensi pedagogik sesuai dengan Permendiknas sebagai berikut:

a.     Mengenal karakteristik dan potensi peserta didik

b.    Menguasasi teori belajar dan prinsip-prinsip pembelajaran yang efektif

c.     Merencanakan dan mengembangkan kurikulum

d.    Melaksanakan pembelajaran yang efektif

e.     Menilai dan mengevaluasi pembelajaran

Kompetensi yang diinginkan adalah konsistensi penguasaan pedagogik antara content dengan performance,yaitu bukan sekedar penguasaan guru tentang pengenalan peserta didik, model belajar,
perencanaan, pelaksanaan, evaluasi, tetapi tes yang mampu memprediksi bagaimana guru mengintegrasikan kelimanya dalam pelaksanaan pembelajaran.

2. Kompetensi Profesional

a.     Penguasaan materi, struktur, konsep dan pola pikir keilmuan yang mendukung mata pelajaran yang diampu.

b.    Mengembangkan keprofesian melalui tindakan reflektif

c.     Konsistensi penguasaan materi guru antara content dengan performance:

- teks, konteks, & realitas
- fakta, prinsip, konsep dan prosedur
- ketuntasan tentang penguasaan filosofi, asal-usul, dan aplikasi ilmu

Kisi-kisi dan soal UKG dijabarkan berdasarkan:

a.     Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 16 Tahun 2007 tentang Standar Kualifikasi Akademik dan Kompetensi Guru.

b.    Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 22 Tahun 2006 tentang Standar Isi.

c.     Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 27 Tahun 2008 tentang Standar Kualifikasi  Akademik dan Kompetensi Konselor.

d.    Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 32 Tahun 2008 tentang Standar Kualifikasi Akademik dan Kompetensi Guru Pendidikan Khusus

e.     Keputusan Direktur Jenderal Manajemen Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Nomor 251/C/KEP/MN/2008 tentang Spektrum Keahlian Pendidikan Menengah Kejuruan.

Sumber: Pedoman Uji Kompetensi Guru 2012 (http://bpsdmpk.kemdikbud.go.id)

Lindungi Otak Anda dengan Tai Chi

Metrotvnews.com:
Kamis, 26 Juli 2012 15:54 WIB


Ada banyak cara untuk meningkatkan memori dan volume otak. Salah satunya dengan melakukan Tai Chi, senam kuno ala China.

Demensia dan penurunan kemampuan kognitif secara progresif berhubungan langsung dengan penurunan volume otak secara bertahap ketika sel-sel saraf mulai mati, dan hubungan keduanya mulai renggang.

Menurut ilmuwan di University of South Florida, latihan meditasi lambat dapat membantu orang tua untuk berlatih Tai Chi yang merangsang aktivitas otak. Ini menjadi tahap pencegahan yang amat baik terhadap penyakit Alzheimer.

Dalam delapan bulan, peneliti mengawasi kondisi kesehatan dan indikator aktivitas otak orang tua di China yang tidak terlibat dalam aktivitas fisik apa pun. Mereka ini melakukan Tai Chi setidaknya tiga kali sepekan. Partisipan diminta terlibat aktif dalam diskusi yang dilakukan beberapa kali sepekan.

Hasilnya, volume otak pada mereka yang tidak berlatih Tai Chi mengalami penurunan. Ini berhubungan dengan parameter biasa dari orang tua berusia 60-70 tahun.

Telah lama diketahui latihan aerobik tak hanya bermanfaat secara fisik, tapi juga pada mental. Namun, ini adalah studi pertama yang menunjukkan secara jelas bahwa Tai Chi dapat disarankan pada pasien penderita stres, depresi, dan hilangnya sebagian memori. 

Saat ini sudah ada bukti bahwa latihan Tai Chi dapat membantu melindungi daerah kritis otak yang mengalami perubahan ireversibel karena demensia atau penyakit Alzheimer.(geniusbeauty/***)

Nutrition Tips for Ramadhan Fasts

Nutrition Tips for Ramadhan Fasts

Although I realize that Ramadan fasting is primarily for spiritual purposes, there may actually be some health benefits as well! Research shows that short fasts, lasting anywhere from 20 to 36 hours can in fact reduce some risks for heart disease and diabetes–and maybe even cancer.  See also my article on Benefits of Fasting.

But to maximize the potential benefits of fasting, it is important to eat as healthfully as possible when you break your fast.  I realize that can be challenging when the nightly Ramadan feasts feature so many less-than-healthful holiday treats!

Here are my best tips for navigating through the shoals:

Stay hydrated.  Those fasting for Ramadan usually go without water throughout their fasts. Although no lasting harm appears to come from it, they do often end up somewhat dehydrated.  That’s why Ramadan feasts traditionally begin with fruit, soups, and other hydrating foods.  These foods also help decrease the urge to binge on other, less-nutritious foods.

Forego vigorous exercise while fasting.  A brisk walk is fine but it’s not a good idea to run a marathon or swim the English Channel on a day when you’re not eating as much as usual.

Exercise caution when driving or operating heavy machinery.  In Muslim countries, car accidents tend to go up during Ramadan. Then again, that may not be all due to the fasting. A good bit of it may be due to sleep deprivation. Families and friends often gather to break the fast and visit until the wee hours—then get up early for another meal before the fast begins again.

Optimize your nutrition.  When you break your fast in the evenings, it’s okay choose foods that are higher in fat and calories–after all, you have to fit an entire day’s calories into just a few hours. But try to focus on foods that are nutritious as well as calorie-dense–such as nuts, avocados, cheese, meat, and so on.  Salads, fruits, and juices are nutritious and can help replenish lost fluids.  In the morning, try to be up early enough to grab a good-sized healthy meal (and lots of water) before the fast begins.

And finally, it’s OK to enjoy some of the special foods that accompany this this special observance…even if they’re not super healthful. Just exercise some moderation and be ready to resume your new, healthier eating habits when the festival is over.

*** 

sources: http://nutritionovereasy.com

METROLIFE

Lima Tips Tingkatkan Kapasitas Diri

Rabu, 11 Juli 2012 09:20 WIB

APAKAH Anda sering merasakan beberapa perasaan seperti khawatir orang lain tidak menyukai kita, kurang nyaman mengekspresikan emosi dan tidak ingin dinilai egois?

Hal ini biasanya terjadi karena ingin menghormati orang lain. Tapi sayangnya terkadang kita tidak menghormati perasaan diri sendiri dan seringkali akhirnya memutuskan hubungan. Seharusnya hal itu tidak perlu terjadi bila Anda meningkatkan kapasitas diri dengan mengikuti beberapa langkah berikut ini:

1. Jadi diri sendiri

Apapun langkah pertama dari setiap proses adalah nyata. Tentunya berkaitan dengan diri sendiri. Bahkan pada situasi tidak jelas dan tidak nyaman yang memicu emosi, kemampuan dari diri kita sendiri secara nyata untuk menghormati diri sendiri, perasaan orang lain dan bersikap jujur.

2. Berhenti menghakimi diri

Terkadang sulit mengekspresikan keinginan kita. Ujungnya jadi menghakimi diri sendiri dengan menggunakan pikiran kritis demi menekan perasaan kita yang sebenarnya. Konsekuensinya bisa negatif dan berpengaruh pada diri sendiri dan orang lain.

3. Menilai diri

Manusia cenderung menyukai hal baik yaitu kasih, sukacita, rasa syukur dan perdamaian. Dan tidak menyukai hal buruk seperti marah, takut, sakit hati dan ketidakberdayaan. Namun pada tingkat terdalam, semua emosi bernilai dan bermanfaat tergantung kita meresponnya dalam kehidupan.

4. Berbagi cerita

Kehidupan seringkali terjebak pada situasi drama yang menambah tingkat emosional. Untuk itu Anda butuh teman bercerita yang secara tidak langsung merasakan hubungan, situasi dan keadaan hidup baik masa lalu dan sekarang.

5. Dukungan emosional

Emosi sama pentingnya dengan kesejahteraan dalam hidup. Sayangnya kita tidak mendapatkan banyak pelatihan emosional di sekolah dan tempat kerja. Dalam kehidupan, dukungan emosional difokuskan pada tindakan, hasil dan penampilan.(MI/huffingtonpost/DSY)

MARHABAN YAA . . . RAMADHAN

BISMILLAHIRRAHMANIRRAHIM

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Do'a malaikat Jibril adalah sebagai berikut: "Ya Allah tolong abaikan puasa ummat Muhammad, apabila sebelum memasuki bulan Ramadhan dia tidak melakukan hal-hal yang berikut:
-  Tidak memohon maaf terlebih dahulu kepada kedua orang tuanya (jika masih ada); 
-  Tidak berma'afan terlebih dahulu antara suami istri; 
-  Tidak berma'afan terlebih dahulu dengan orang-orang sekitarnya.

Maka Rasulullahpun mengatakan Amiin sebanyak 3 kali. 

Dapat kita bayangkan, yang berdo'a adalah malaikat dan yang meng-Amiinkan adalah Rasullullah dan para sahabat, dan dilakukan pada hari Jum'at. 

Selamat menunaikan Ibadah Puasa 1434 H.
****  " Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Bathin " ***

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MARHABAN YAA RAMADHAN

Allaahumma baariklanaa fi Sya'ban wa ballighnaa Ramadhan
Ya Rabb, berkahi kami pada bulan Sya'ban dan pertemukanlah kami dengan bulan Ramadhan,
Aminn.

Semoga dengan puasa mempertemukan kita dengan Keagungan Lailatul Qadar
dan kita semua menjadi pilihan-Nya untuk dikabulkan do'a - do'a
dan kembali menjadi fitrah
Amien

JOKES

(1) DON'T LOOK AT A NAKED LADY

 

 Boy 1: "Why do you run from a naked lady?"
 Boy 2: "Becos my mum said that if I look at a naked lady, I'll turn into stone. A

             part of me is getting hard already!"

(2) NAMES OF WIVES

 A Malay man had 4 wives, and he called his...
 4th wife..... baby doll
 3rd wife.....china doll
 2nd wife.....barbie doll
 1st wife..... Panadol

(3) HOW INDIA GOT ITS NAME
 

The king was having sex with his mistress while thinking a name of his country and his mistress ask him "Is it In Dear........ ?"

(4) RESEARCH FINDING

 

Research shows men are fatter than women because every night men get fresh milk & 2 big papayas, while women only get 1 banana, 2 peanuts & 1 teaspoon of starch!

(5) ARAB MAN

 An arab was being interviewed at a US checkpoint.
 "Your name please?"
 "Abdul Aziz"
 "Sex?"
 "Six times a week!"
 "No, no, I mean male or female?"
 "Doesn't matter, sometimes even Camel."

(6) SERVICE

Sex is like a restaurant :
Sometimes you get full satisfactory service, and sometimes you have to be satisfied with selfservice. "

(7) HAPPY MAN

 What makes a happy man?
 Daughter on the cover of Cosmo.
 Son on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
 Mistress on the cover of Playboy and ...

 Wife on the cover of "Missing Persons."

(8) SWIMSUIT

 Why was the 2-piece swimsuit invented?
 To separate the Hairy section from the Dairy section.

(9) GOOD AMBITION

 Teacher: "What do you want to become?'
 Little Johnny: "A doctor!"
 Teacher: "Why?"
 Little Johnny: "Coz it's the only profession where you can tell a woman to take 

 off her clothes and ask her husband to pay for it."

(10) DENTIST

Woman complaining to dentist: "It's so painful, I'll rather have a baby than have a tooth removed."
Dentist: "Make up your mind soon, I'll adjust the chair accordingly. "

(11) VIRGIN

 Old lady, 85, a virgin and about to die, wanted her tombstone to read :
 "BORN A VIRGIN, LIVED A VIRGIN, DIED A VIRGIN".
 The engraver shortened it to: " RETURNED UNOPENED "

(12) OLD MAN AND YOUNG GIRL

 75 year old man got married to a 15 year girl.
 On their first night both were crying, why???
 Coz she didn't know anything, and he had forgotten everything!

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EDUCATION

Education

"A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can out-compete countries around the world. America's business leaders understand that when it comes to education, we need to up our game. That's why we’re working together to put an outstanding education within reach for every child"

-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, JULY 18, 2011

Read the Transcript  |  Download Video: mp4 (316MB) | mp3 (30MB)

Guiding Principles

Providing a high-quality education for all children is critical to America’s economic future. Our nation’s economic competitiveness and the path to the American Dream depend on providing every child with an education that will enable them to succeed in a global economy that is predicated on knowledge and innovation. President Obama is committed to providing every child access to a complete and competitive education, from cradle through career.

Progress

·         On May 29, 2012 the Obama Administration announced that eight more states have agreed to implement bold reforms around standards and accountability, and will receive flexibility from the most burdensome mandates of No Child Left Behind, bringing to 18 the total number of states who have been granted waivers. In exchange for this flexibility, these states have agreed to raise standards, improve accountability, and undertake essential reforms to improve teacher effectiveness.

·         On December 16, 2011 the Obama Administration announced that nine states -- California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington -- would receive grant awards from the $500 million Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge fund. The grants will support states in creating systems of high-quality early learning and development programs, developing new approaches to raising the bar across early learning centers, and closing the school readiness gap.

·         On October 25, 2011, the Obama Administration announced a proposal to make managing student loan debt easier. “Pay As You Earn” will allow about 1.6 million borrowers the ability to cap their monthly payments at 10 percent of their discretionary income starting in 2012. The plan will also forgive the balance of borrowers’ debt after 20 years of payments.

·         On September 23, 2011, President Obama announced that his administration would provide relief from the No Child Left Behind Act. The flexibility will help states move forward with education reforms that are based on rigorous college- and career-ready standards, state-developed accountability systems that reward progress and address achievement gaps, and meaningful educator evaluation systems that support increase student achievement.

·         On August 8, 2011 President Obama directed Secretary Duncan to move forward with plans to provide flexibility to states who are looking for greater relief under the No Child Left Behind law. In September, 2011 President Obama announced the final package providing states the flexibility to make sure that every single child is getting an excellent education, making sure that they are ready for college and career, and that they are going to be competitive in a global economy.

·         On July 18, 2011, President Barack Obama announced  four major commitments to education that take advantage of leading industry leaders' areas of expertise and the skills of their employees. President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign is designed to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and includes efforts from the federal government and from leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies to work with young people across America to excel in science and math.“

·         On May 25, 2011 the Obama Administration announced a $500 million state level grant competition, the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge. States applying for grants will be encouraged to increase access to quality learning programs for vulnerable children across America. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services will jointly administer the program.

·         On May 16, President Obama gave the commencement address to the Booker T. Washington Class of 2011, and stressed the importance of education in a highly competitive world. The Memphis, TN high school was the winner of the second annual Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge, which is designed to reward schools that best demonstrate how they are preparing students for college and a career.

·         The President reiterated his commitment to improving American education and said his administration is focused on achieving reform, promoting responsibility and delivering results in a speech in Miami on March 4, 2011.

·         President Obama signed an overhaul of the student loan program into law, doubling funding for Pell Grants and allowing for direct student loans.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invested heavily in education both as a way to provide jobs now and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity.

·         The Act includes $5 billion for early learning programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs.

·         The Act also provides $77 billion for reforms to strengthen elementary and secondary education, including $48.6 billion to stabilize state education budgets (of which $8.8 billion may be used for other government services) and to encourage states to:

o    Make improvements in teacher effectiveness and ensure that all schools have highly-qualified teachers;

o    Make progress toward college and career-ready standards and rigorous assessments that will improve both teaching and learning;

o    Improve achievement in low-performing schools, through intensive support and effective interventions; and

o    Gather information to improve student learning, teacher performance, and college and career readiness through enhanced data systems.

·         The Act provides $5 billion in competitive funds to spur innovation and chart ambitious reform to close the achievement gap.

·         The Act includes over $30 billion to address college affordability and improve access to higher education.

Focus on Early Childhood Education

The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in his or her life to influence learning. President Obama is committed to providing the support that our youngest children need to prepare to succeed later in school. The President supports a seamless and comprehensive set of services and support for children, from birth through age 5. Because the President is committed to helping all children succeed – regardless of where they spend their day – he will urge states to impose high standards across all publicly funded early learning settings, develop new programs to improve opportunities and outcomes, engage parents in their child’s early learning and development, and improve the early education workforce.

Reform and Invest in K-12 Education

The President  will reform America’s public schools to deliver a 21st Century education that will prepare all children for success in the new global workplace. President Obama’s Commencement Challenge, Race to the Top, fosters critical thinking, problem solving, and the innovative use of knowledge to prepare students for college and career, helping America win the future by out-educating our competitors and achieving his goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

President Obama will push to end the use of ineffective, "off-the-shelf" tests, and support new, state-of-the-art assessment and accountability systems that provide timely and useful information about the learning and progress of individual students.

Teachers are the single most important resource to a child’s learning. President Obama will ensure that teachers are supported as professionals in the classroom, while also holding them more accountable. He will invest in innovative strategies to help teachers to improve student outcomes, and use rewards and incentives to keep talented teachers in the schools that need them the most. President Obama will invest in a national effort to prepare and reward outstanding teachers, while recruiting the best and brightest to the field of teaching. And he will challenge State and school districts to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom.

The President believes that investment in education must be accompanied by reform and innovation. The President supports the expansion of high-quality charter schools. He has challenged States to lift limits that stifle growth among successful charter schools and has encouraged rigorous accountability for all charter schools.

Restore America’s Leadership in Higher Education

President Obama is committed to ensuring that America will regain its lost ground and have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020. The President believes that regardless of educational path after high school, all Americans should be prepared to enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare our workforce for a 21st century economy.

To accomplish these overarching goals, the President is committed to increasing higher education access and success by restructuring and dramatically expanding college financial aid, while making federal programs simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students. The President has proposed a plan to address college completion and strengthen the higher education pipeline to ensure that more students succeed and complete their degree. His plan will also invest in community colleges to equip a greater share of young people and adults with high-demand skills and education for emerging industries.