the machine of narratives

the machine of narratives http://republic.multiply.com/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:09:00 -0000 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:34:54 -0000 the machine of narratives http://images.republic.multiply.com/logo http://republic.multiply.com 100 100 good old times http://republic.multiply.com/video/item/10/good_old_times Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:34:54 -0000 the engineers versus the economists <img style="width: 166px; height: 216px; " class="alignright" src="http://images.republic.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SE9rgwoKCDcAADgmvlI1/bsts.gif?et=%2BndR62RUJrvwVhKwAMFlrQ&nmid=0" border="0">This article observes the competition between two groups of technocrats in Indonesia during the New Order era that has hitherto afflicted national policy making. The first group is the engineers who advocate technology-based development strategy. The other group is the market-oriented economists who promote a comparative-advantages approach in development policies. The rivalry between these technocratic groups occurs in the arenas of policy-making process and bureaucratic structure. To explain how such a clash has emerged, this article offers a notion of disunity of technocracy to examine different logics, rationalities, and argumentations used by each group. It emphasizes that this confrontation is rooted in the epistemological foundations of technocratic expertise. Link to <a href="http://bst.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/0270467608319591v1">Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society</a> http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/67/the_engineers_versus_the_economists Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:07:13 -0000 efek rumah kaca an indie band trying to voice their concern on environmental degradation of the gigantic kampung called Jakarta where they base. http://republic.multiply.com/music/item/42/efek_rumah_kaca Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:50:30 -0000 oh my god....he's still alive?? when the most notorious man of Orde Baru is trying to get back on the stage. http://republic.multiply.com/video/item/9/oh_my_god....hes_still_alive Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:13:04 -0000 american prejudice <img style="width: 302px; height: 377px;" class="alignright" src="http://physics.unl.edu/%7Etgay/content/suspicious.jpg" border="0">in the middle of february, the peak of winter. i was at the lansing airport en route back to singapore. my flight heading to cincinnati was 30 minutes away when i felt taking a leak. so men's room i went to. nobody's around and i just dropped my bulky backpack on the clean floor and took the position before an urinoir. a few seconds later, a mid-aged male caucassian wrapped by thick leather jacket entered straight to urinoir at the other end. after finishing my natural call, i moved to the washing sink without picking up my backpack. i saw the man took a suspicious gaze at my backpack lying idly on the floor. he then rushed out and didnt even bother to wash his wet hands. suddenly i felt unconformtable with his gesture. i picked up my heavy backpack and got off wondering if he's waiting outside. i was right. i saw him standing there looking at me. seeing me carrying my backpack, he seemed relieved and then turned around to disappear around the corner leaving me with a thought o... http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/66/american_prejudice Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:06:02 -0000 upon weak state <img style="width: 309px; height: 283px;" class="alignright" src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0bMcgTFgVt2hs/610x.jpg" border="0">What we see in Indonesia today is not so much the failure of democratic system as many would suggest but rather the failure of the state to perform its duty of serving the public interests and needs. The malfunctioning of the state elements to provide minimum level of public services in various sectors and structures indicates the condition of weak state characterized by deteriorating organizational and institutional capacities. Australian observer of Indonesia Harold Crouch argues that the weak condition of the post-Soeharto state is mostly caused by the abrupt disappearance of patrimonial structures that heavily underpinned Soeharto's power for three decades. Once the regime fell down, the state institution underwent unprecedented destabilization that consequently led to deformation of authority structures running from the central government in Jakarta all the way down to local bureaucracy. read <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/18/democracy-and-problem-a-weak-state.html">the whole article here</a> p.s. it's good the jakpost didnt change my wording but too bad... http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/65/upon_weak_state Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:20:27 -0000 upon selangkangan and lendir an uneducational debate that involves a parliament member who got pissed off by a slank' song due to his unnecessary http://republic.multiply.com/video/item/8/upon_selangkangan_and_lendir Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:12 -0000 sociology of fun a preliminary proposal for a study of the social construction of game and entertainment. apologies for amateur music editing http://republic.multiply.com/video/item/7/sociology_of_fun Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:43:35 -0000 sociology of fun <img style="width: 275px; height: 228px;" class="alignright" src="http://www.thegamerag.com/pics/vido-game-kid-4.jpg" border="0">that day, i was looking at my vitae on <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/sulfikar/">my newly designed homepage</a> and then something struck me. i suddenly realized how terribly serious my research interests sound: nuclear, politics, nationalism,  social movments, development, and stuff like that. why dont i do something fun? the next day all i know is that i proposed a new project in line with the estalishment of a new research institute at ntu that deals with interactive digital media. voila....i came up with a proposal to study game and entertainment sociologically. that is, the sociology of fun. today i did a laptop presentation to pitch my ideas and got intriguing responses from colleagues from other schools. some even invited me to join their research project. that's cool. a new exploration has begun and it should be exciting. because the sociology of fun is a fun sociology, right...    http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/62/sociology_of_fun Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:49:52 -0000 chak de getting bored with hollywood movies as i flew back to spore non-stop from newark, i picked this one out of curiosity. it turned out that the movie was quite different from classic indian pictures normally loaded with singing and dancing. it was kinda hollywood style but the story led me intrigued to finish the whole movie. it's a blend of nationalism, gender discrimination, and personal redemption. no fatal twist but it was quite enjoyable to watch a different popular genre of indian pictures. i didnt confer four stars due to too exaggerating musical backgrounds that somehow could not escape the dancing gesture of ordinary indian movies. http://republic.multiply.com/reviews/item/26 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:26:28 -0000 Power, Identity, and Technoscience “Power, Identity, and Technoscience: Exploring Nation-State in Southeast Asia” Presented by Sulfikar Amir 1:00 p.m., Room 118 Berkey Hall Sponsored by the Department of http://republic.multiply.com/calendar/item/10002/Power_Identity_and_Technoscience Sat, 9 Feb 2008 13:28:40 -0000 Online Lecture: Laboratory Studies Pre-recorded lecture for my course HS 219 Science, Technology, and Society as I'm away for Michigan. Some application may be required to view the content http://republic.multiply.com/links/item/11/Online_Lecture_Laboratory_Studies Thu, 7 Feb 2008 13:27:04 -0000 suharto: the end of an asean era a calmly written piece by Yang Razali Kassim of RSIS Singapore http://republic.multiply.com/links/item/10/suharto_the_end_of_an_asean_era Fri, 1 Feb 2008 07:02:38 -0000 harmony an eloquent composition by piyu of padi. been listening lately and it keeps me imagining a community bound by a dream of living in a harmonious life. Ciptaan: Piyu Aku mengenal dikau Tak cukup lama ... separuh usiaku Namun begitu banyak...pelajaran Yang aku terima Kau membuatku mengerti hidup ini Kita terlahir bagai selembar kertas putih Tinggal kulukis dengan tinta pesan damai Dan terwujud harmony Segala kebaikan Tak akan terhapus oleh kepahitan Kulapangkan resah jiwa Karna kupercaya Kan berujung indah Kau membuatku mengerti hidup ini Kita terlahir bagai selembar kertas putih Tinggal kulukis dengan tinta pesan damai Dan terwujud harmony Kau membuatku mengerti hidup ini Kita terlahir bagai selembar kertas putih Tinggal kulukis dengan tinta pesan damai Dan terwujud http://republic.multiply.com/music/item/36/harmony Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:33:26 -0000 Employment Opportunities The Division of Sociology at the new School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University is seeking qualified applicants for a number of positions at the Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor level. Substantive fields of research are open, though we will be especially interested in candidates with research agendas directly relevant to East (including Southeast) Asia. We are currently seeking candidates in the fields of Urban Sociology, Sociology of Education, Deviance, Crime & Law, Sociology of Migration, Environmental Sociology and/or Sociology of Risk, Popular Culture and/or Media and Communication. Applicants should have a PhD in hand or be able to present evidence of completion in order to take up a full-time appointment in August 2008. Interested persons should send a cover letter, CV, writing samples, and three letters of reference ASAP to: Lawrence Wong, PhD Chair, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Nanyang Tec... http://republic.multiply.com/links/item/9/Employment_Opportunities Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:20:57 -0000 The Kite Runner I dont read the novel yet, but the movie is absolutely splendid. http://republic.multiply.com/reviews/item/25 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:05:09 -0000 kalla, arendt, democracy Politics is founded upon -- according to Arendt and using Plato's concept -- vita active; the actual political experience of humankind. Arendt warned the treating of politics and democracy as mere tools could create a depoliticized situation. This was actually what Karl Marx achieved when he sought to create a classless society, which became bureaucratic authoritarianism as in other socialist-communist countries. Such a similar situation is still fresh in our collective memory, cast by our thirty-year experience with the New Order regime. During that period, Soeharto ruled our political lives by systematically depoliticizing public affairs from Jakarta all the way down to the village level across the entire country. The result was a prolonged political nightmare that we certainly do not want to repeat. read <a rel="nofollow" href=http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20071221.E02>the article here</a> http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/60/kalla_arendt_democracy Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:59:03 -0000 when the east penetrates the west http://republic.multiply.com/video/item/4/when_the_east_penetrates_the_west Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:34:09 -0000 The State and the Reactor: Nuclear Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia <a rel="nofollow" href=http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events/east-west-center-events/?class_call=view&conf_ID=1283&mode=view>SOUTHEAST ASIAN VISITING FELLOWS SEMINAR</a> Abstract In the mid 2006 Indonesia has announced that it will soon start building a nuclear power plant. After a prolonged procrastination, the Yudhoyono government eventually feels determined to execute the plan that has been around since 1972. Four reactors will be put up in the Muria Peninsula of Central Java. The first will be constructed in 2010 and expected to start operating commercially by 2016. By 2025, the four reactors will produce electricity up to 4,000 MW serving soaring demands for power in Java and Bali. As the Yudhoyono government is taking serious steps in to realize the plan, an anti-nuclear movement emerges to challenge the state's nuclear policy. This massive movement involves diverse civil society groups joining together to create an organized resistance. Situated within this critical circumstance, this study takes the phenomenon to a political terrain to understand the state-society relation in the post-Suharto In... http://republic.multiply.com/calendar/item/10001/The_State_and_the_Reactor_Nuclear_Politics_in_Post-Suharto_Indonesia Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:55:44 -0000 where have you been? "Budaya membaca dan menulis masyarakat Indonesia sekarang jauh menurun jika dibandingkan dengan masa penjajahan Belanda. Keadaan ini, antara lain, disebabkan oleh orientasi pembangunan pemerintah yang terlalu bersifat materialistis." Demikian disampaikan penyair Taufik Ismail di Kantor Habibie Center, Jakarta, Senin (3/12). Berkat usahanya menumbuhkan minat baca dan menulis di kalangan pelajar sejak beberapa tahun terakhir, tahun 2007 ini Taufik mendapat anugerah Habibie Award untuk bidang budaya. taken from <a href=http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0712/04/humaniora/4045927.htm>Budaya Baca dan Menulis Turun Drastis</a> cum'on pak taufik, where have you been? kids are reading and writing more and more these days. not on paper, but on the internet. so use your habibie money to get a macbook and get connected. you will see the world in a lot different way. http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/59/where_have_you_been Mon, 3 Dec 2007 22:14:15 -0000 into the wild HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED http://republic.multiply.com/reviews/item/24 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:53:57 -0000 ORGANIZED RESISTANCE What is that? ORGANIZED RESISTANCE is a concept of social movement I am currently working on for my project on nuclear politics in Indonesia. What does it mean? Hmm….basically it’s about how various groups of civil society shared by a common concern on particular issues (e.g. risks of nuclear power in my case) have come to confront the big brother, i.e. the state that holds authority to create the problem-making (instead of problem-solving) policy. What characterizes organized resistance is a network of multiple groups (in my case activists, academics, scientists, businessmen, religious leaders, labors, farmers, and local residents). These resisting groups organize information, agendas of action, and disseminate knowledge regarding the ensuing problem. They are all united by a common goal of rejecting, and to some cases, offering alternative approach to solving the perceived problem (e.g. energy security in my case). What makes organized resistance unique is that it is a kind of se... http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/58/ORGANIZED_RESISTANCE Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:05:00 -0000 framing nuclear, religiously http://republic.multiply.com/photos/album/38/framing_nuclear_religiously Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:19:35 -0000 upon synchronization there appears a disconnect between technology policy and the public. The way the ministry determines technological choices is quite elitist so that people are marginalized in research decision-making and implementation. The so-called "socialization of technology" is one indication of this elitism. "Socialization" here means more about how to make people blindly accept technology than to shape technology according to social conditions. The nuclear project currently underway is an example of how the government attempts to persuade people to accept a technological choice the government has already made. <a href=http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070112.E02>complete</a> image taken from <a href=http://www.sgeier.net>here</a> http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/54/upon_synchronization Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:56:27 -0000 power, culture, and the airplane in case you're interested in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-culture-airplane-Technological-nationalism/dp/054225123X/sr=1-10/qid=1161437371/ref=sr_1_10/102-2191649-6197721?ie=UTF8&s=books>this>http://www.amazon.com/Power-culture-airplane-Technological-nationalism/dp/054225123X/sr=1-10/qid=1161437371/ref=sr_1_10/102-2191649-6197721?ie=UTF8&s=books">this one </a> http://republic.multiply.com/reviews/item/23 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:33:49 -0000 upon ethics <img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left;" src="http://images.republic.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RQ5tmgoKCrMAADl-Gd01/mud%20volcano%20130.jpg?et=QaYSzoeM7UTqPvjm9yhxbA">Apa yang paling menyesakkan dada dari sebuah tragedi yang memakan biaya sosial ekonomi yang luar biasa? Jawabannya adalah jika tragedi tersebut dapat dihindari. Inilah yang sedang kita saksikan bersama dalam peristiwa blow out lumpur panas di Sidoarjo, Jawa Timur. Ratusan keluarga harus meninggalkan tempat tinggal mereka dalam keadaan yang sangat memprihatinkan. Mereka harus kehilangan sawah, ternak, dan barang berharga lainnya yang mungkin tidak seberapa tetapi sangat berarti bagi mereka. Kerusakan ekosistem yang mencapai titik irreversible menambah daftar ongkos yang harus ditanggung tidak hanya untuk hari ini, tetapi juga untuk jangka panjang ke depan. Beberapa skenario telah dilakukan oleh pihak Lapindo dan pemerintah untuk menghentikan luapan lumpur panas tersebut, tetapi sampai hari ini hanya kegagalan yang menjadi cerita. Kemungkinan terburuk adalah menunggu luapan lumpur panas itu berhenti secara alamiah. Kapan itu terjadi, tidak ada yang bisa menjawab dengan p... http://republic.multiply.com/journal/item/53/upon_ethics Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:58:20 -0000