Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
New Ways To Stay on Track With Resolutions - The Jakarta Globe
Daniel Giovanni, a traceur and a Nike Plus user. (JG Photos/Lisa Siregar)
New Ways To Stay on Track With Resolutions
Twice a week, Daniel Giovanni gets up at 5:30 a.m., puts on his running gear and does laps for an hour around the Bung Karno stadium in Senayan, South Jakarta.
“I’ve measured the circumference of the stadium with my motorcycle. It’s exactly one kilometer,” Daniel said on Tuesday morning after his run.
Daniel is a traceur , which refers to someone who practices parkour , a sport from France that involves moving efficiently from one obstacle to another in a built up environment. Advanced traceurs leap without harnesses from building to building, often quite high up. But running is the first skill they must master.
As the new year approaches, Daniel said his health resolutions were to maintain his workout schedule and add to his endurance. For his training he relies on technological gadgets to track his progress, as well as using Twitter — the micro-blogging Web site that sprang into the mainstream this year. Twitter allows him to keep in touch and compare notes with other athletes.
Daniel recently bought a Nike Plus Sport Kit at a midnight sale. The kit includes a receiver and sensor that allows runners to track their progress, giving them data on distance covered, calories burned, number of steps taken and the time they spent training. It works in conjunction with an iPod, which receives the data from the sensor. Daniel uses an iPod Nano, but the device also works with the newest generation of iPod Touch or the iPhone 3GS.
There are also special Nike Plus running shoes available that have a slot for the sensor, but Daniel said you can slip the sensor into any shoes. “My shoes are not Nike, but I can still use this sensor to help me keep track of my workout results.”
Every time he finishes running, Daniel pulls his iPod Nano out of his pocket to see how he went.
“Knowing how I’m going motivates me to run faster,” he said, adding that since he has been able to measure his progress he has found he has been able to increase his pace.
Daniel also discovered a Twitter group of Nike Plus users who share their running results with one another. So when he returns home after training he synchronizes his iPod with his iTunes, which uploads the results graphic to Nike’s official Web site for archiving. The Web site automatically sends his results to his Twitter account.
He said that having friends online to compare results with has given him even more motivation, “especially after one of [his] Twitter friends started the GLTD challenge.” GLTD stands for ganyang lemak to demak , which roughly translates as “burn fat to the max.”
When running, Daniel listens to PodRunner, a free podcast of workout music. There is a variety of music on the podcast, all categorized by the tempo, or beats per minute. Daniel has four songs with different beats per minute on his iPod. He said any song with 130 BPM or above was a good choice for running, but if you were new to the sport, you may want to subscribe to PodRunner Interval, a similar free podcast that lets you take it easy with a slower BPM every few minutes.
Hey! We've got our faces on Los Angeles Times! XD
College student Daniel Giovanni, far right, and friends visit the Obama statue at a school in Jakarta. Its earlier site in a public park drew Indonesians' objections. (John M. Glionna / Los Angeles Times / March 15, 2010)
This picture was taken by an LA Times journalist. We've been exploring parkour spots around the area from Pasar Festival Kuningan, had a lunch at Sunda Kelapa Mosque, continued to Suropati Park, and then stopped by at SDN 01 Menteng to see Obama statue before we continue our walk to Menteng Park.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Kiat / Cara Merawat Kaos Agar Tetap Awet
1. Jangan direndam terlalu lama
Usahakan merendam kaos tidak lebih dari 1 jam untuk kaos yang udah lama, sedangkan kaos baru malah tidak boleh lebih dari 30 menit. Deterjen bisa menyebabkan sablon pada kaos kesayangan kita cepat rusak. Baik itu kaos pakaian pria maupun pakaian wanita.
2. Pisahkan saat dicuci
Maksudnya pisahkan antara kaos yang berwarna kuat (hitam, merah, biru, hijau) dengan bahan lain yang berwarna putih. Bersiap kalau ada yang luntur. Pisahkan juga kaos yang sangat kotor dengan yang kurang kotor, karena kalau dicampur nanti akan transfer kotoran aja (Biasanya kaos pakaian pria lebih kotor dari kaos pakaian wanita)
3. Jangan disikat
Kalau pas nyuci kaos kita sikat terlalu keras, maka bisa merusak sablon pada kaos kita. Juga hindari kucekan dan perasan yang terlalu kuat karena dapat merusak pori-pori baju. Misalnya kaos yang dibeli secara shopping online / shop online kelihatannya bagus, ternyata pas disikat sama saja.
4. Jemur terbalik
Sinar matahari dapat mengakibatkan warna kaos dan sablon anda memudar. Makanya dibalik dulu kalau mau jemur.
5. Jangan digantung
Jangan digantung pakai hanger, karena bisa bikin leher kaos kita melar.Kecuali mungkin passudah kering jadi kaos tidak terlalu berat seperti toko atau tempat jual kaos / jual kaus.
6. Hindari pemutih
Pemutih pakaian mengandung zat kimia yang sangat kuat, yang bisa menyebabkan sablon menjadi luntur dan terkelupas. Pemutih pakaian juga bisa bikin kaos jadi cepat tipis dan kasar. Walaupun kaos mahal atau dibeli secara shopping online / shop online, itu bukan jaminan.
7. Hindari mencuci dengan mesin cuci
Sebaiknya cuci kaos secara manual/pake tangan. Karena mesin cuci bisa bikin kaos jadi melar, sablon cepat rusak, dan pori-pori kasar. Hal ini dikarenakan saat berputar kaos akan menerima beban tarik-ulur dan gesekan dengan kain lain disekitarnya.
8. Setrika
Agar awet selalu setrika kaos setelah dicuci dan dijemur. Juga pastikan kaos disetrika pada keadaan kering.
9. Kaos Keren bukan untuk tidur
Agar awet, jangan pakai kaos kesayangan anda untuk tidur, hal ini karena sadar atau tidak kita berkeringat saat sedang tidur, keringat ini bisa membuat kaos kita cepat kotor dibagian leher.
10. Pakailah seperlunya
Pakailah kaos kesayangan anda yang paling keren seperlunya, sayang kan kalo kaos kesayangan kita cepat rusak gara-gara keseringan dipakai.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Health-Care Reform Passed. So What Does It Mean? | 80beats | Discover Magazine
Here’s a primer on what some of the biggest changes will be in the current health care system. While some changes won’t come into effect till 2014, there are some things that will affect your insurance this year.
Immediate Changes (2010)
These are the changes that Obama and team call the “early deliverables,” because they would kick into effect as early as six months after the bill is signed into law. Here are a few.
- The uninsured can finally get coverage: Adults who have been denied coverage because of preexisting conditions will be able to sign on to a federally subsidized insurance program that is due to be established within 90 days. This stopgap insurance program, whose coverage isn’t expected to be comprehensive, will expire once new insurance exchanges start operating in 2014.
- Coverage for everyone: Insurance companies will not be allowed to drop people from coverage when they get sick, nor can they make health plans vastly more expensive for people with preexisting conditions. Lifetime limits on the amount of health care an insurer will pay for will be eliminated, and annual limits will be restricted.
- Coverage for kids: For parents with a sick child, there’s some relief—companies won’t be able to drop kids under the age of 19 from coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Parents can also keep their kids on a family plan till they turn 26 or get a job that offers them benefits.
- Closing the doughnut hole: An estimated 4 million Medicare beneficiaries who hit the so called “doughnut hole” in the program’s drug plan (the gap in coverage which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs) will get a $250 rebate this year. The cost of drugs in the coverage gap will then drop 50 percent next year, and the hole will be closed entirely by 2020.
- Tax credits for small businesses: For small businesses with fewer than 25 employees and average wages of less than $50,000, the government will provide a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the cost of healthcare premiums so that they may provide coverage to their employees.
Short-Term Changes (2011-2014)
- Free annual wellness visit for Medicare beneficiaries: Medicare beneficiaries will get a free annual wellness visit, and the new health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients. Medicare will also provide 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
- New Medicaid program for poor: A new Medicaid plan for the poor will allow states to provide more home- and community-based care for disabled people who would otherwise require institutional help.
Long-Term Changes (2014 onwards)
- Get insurance or face penalties: Beginning in 2014, all Americans would be expected to get insurance or face penalties. The fine depends on household income, but there’s also an upper limit; a family would pay a maximum of $2,085. Extremely low-income people will be exempt from the fines.
- Large employers must provide insurance: Big employers are also expected to provide coverage to workers or face fines. Businesses with 50 or more workers who do not provide coverage will be fined $2,000 for each uninsured employee.
- Extending Medicaid to cover low-income families: Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor and disabled, will be expanded sharply starting 2014. People with annual incomes less than 133 percent of the poverty level ($29,326 for a family of four) will be granted subsidies so that they may purchase insurance.
- Buying insurance on state exchanges: State-based insurance marketplaces called exchanges are expected to go into effect in 2014, where people can pick and choose the plan that works best for them. Once the exchanges are up and running, insurers will be barred from rejecting applicants based on their health status. The new policies sold on the exchanges will be required to cover not just hospitalizations, doctor visits, and prescription medicines, but also maternity care and certain preventive exams.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Ban Motor Bocor Berujung Wejangan Dari "Pakde" Si Tukang Tambal Ban
- Hukum di Indonesia itu nggak adil. Orang kaya kalo dihukum masih bisa dibela pengacara dan ada usaha hukum lainnya. Sementara rakyat kecil kalo dapet hukuman langsung jadi aja gitu. Maling ayam versus koruptor contohnya.
- Pemerintah itu kalo ngasih kebijakan nggak liat-liat dulu kondisi negaranya kayak gimana. Dia nyontohin pake konversi minyak tanah ke gas. Konversi sih boleh-boleh aja tapi jangan dipaksa gitu. Dia bilang minyak tanah kalo di desa bisa tahan berminggu-minggu, soalnya dipake cuma dikit buat nyalain kayu bakar doang. Sama aja contohnya kalo orang beli motor kredit, ngantor, sama kantor dipaksa suruh ganti mobil.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The physical and mental benefits of running
Mental benefits
Running reduces stress by boosting levels of serotonin in your brain and creating a more positive mood.
Self esteem is improved and goals are achieved through running. Runners realize a greater sense of self-reliance and accomplishment. In other words, running provides an individual with an all natural, drug free, power-packed ego boost!
Running fights depression with the brain’s release of beta endorphins. These are neurotransmitters made in the pituitary gland that can reduce pain, boost the immune system, and bring a greater sense of well being. These “miracle” compounds have eighty times as much pain-easing effect as morphine.
Runners can enjoy a sense of freedom, by forgetting about troubles and feeling the wind in their hair. They can control their own destiny, as they alone make the decision to run as fast and as far as they want!
Running sharpens focus and improves mental stamina, by giving circulation a boost and increasing the flow of blood to the brain!
Social circles can be widened through running by joining a group or a club of fellow enthusiasts.
Lastly, running helps to improve appearance by getting the blood pumping which creates a healthy glow and by reducing the waistline. The bottom line is, when we look better, we feel better!
Physical benefits
In addition to the psychological benefits, running has so many physical benefits that it is hard to know where to begin.
As mentioned earlier, running helps to keep weight under control. With the exception of cross-country skiing, running burns more calories than any other physical activity!
Cardiovascular health is greatly improved through running by increasing your heart rate and working the heart muscles on a regular basis.
Running can increase HDL levels, which improves overall cholesterol in the body.
The immune system gets a boost through running with an increase in white blood cells. These are the fighter cells in the body, which can combat the early stages of diseases like diabetes and cancer.
Running also improves bone health. Weight bearing exercises increase bone density and prevent injury and the onset of osteoporosis.
And finally, running improves lung capacity and promotes better breathing which enhances general overall health.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Jakarta Creative City: Video Mapping Projection
Jakarta Creative City: Transforming Kota Tua as Creative Playgound Taman Fatahillah Kotatua Jakarta
Sabtu, 13 Maret 2010, pukul 18.00 - 21.30 Acara ini akan dibuka oleh Gubernur DKI Jakarta DR. Ing H. Fauzi Bowo. Karya Kolaborasi seni multimedia Inggris dan Indonesia ini menandai peresmian Kota Kreatif Jakarta Punya! - Sebuah inisiatif bersama Pemprov DKI, British Council, Kadin Jakarta - yang bertujuan mendukung program revitalisasi Kotatua sebagai ruang bermain bagi para pelaku Industri Kreatif. Acara ini juga mendukung program pemerintah Weekend at Kotatua dan Tahun Kunjungan Museum.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Agnes Monica got a new boyfriend! Just call him Indosat.
The LXD: In the Internet age, dance evolves ...
The LXD (the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) electrify the TED2010 stage with an emerging global street-dance culture, revved up by the Internet. In a preview of Jon Chu’s upcoming Web series, this astonishing troupe show off their superpowers.
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