Work Gossip is Good for You?

You might have heard that it's bad workplace etiquette to gossip, but if you've witnessed someone with bad behaviour, feel free to spread the news. "Prosocial" gossip - the kind that helps prevent others from being taken advantage of - does not only benefit the greater good, but also improves the health of the gossiper, according to a recently published study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (via the ScienceDaily).

"Gossip gets a bad rap, but we're finding evidence that it plays a critical role in the maintenance of social order," said Robb Willer, a psychologist and co-author of the study.Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley says that gossip is actually therapeutic and can lower stress levels for participants. In one experiment, participants were hooked up to heart rate monitors as they observed two people playing a game. After a couple of rounds, the participants saw one player not playing by the rules, which caused their heart rates to increase. When the observers were able to pass along the "unsavory characters" to other people, their heart rates decreased.

"Spreading information about the person whom they had seen behave badly tended to make people feel better, quieting the frustration that drove their gossip," Willer said.

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Police Records FPI Involved in 34 Violence Cases in 2010-2011

The police have recorded a total of 34 cases of violence or destructive behavior by FPI (Islam Defenders Front) members across the country in the period 2010-2011, a spokesman said.

"According to our records, the FPI engaged in violence and destructive behavior in 29 cases in 2010 and in 5 cases in 2011 in the following regions : West Java, Banten, Central Java, North Sumatra, and South Sumatra," Insp Gen Saud Usman Nasution, head of the National Police’s public relations division, said here Friday.

So far, he said, the police had mainly played a role in facilitating the central and regional governments in supervising and nurturing existing mass organizations to keep them from taking high-handed or arbitrary actions in exercising their freedom of expression. "There are certain rules that must be observed and if a violation happens, it is our job to legally process it."

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The Zuckerberg Roommate Who Said No to Facebook

Facebook is due to become a publicly traded company on Wednesday when it will launch with an expected $100billion valuation, but one man in Mark Zuckerberg's social network won't be celebrating to the same extent. Joe Green is the former college roommate of Mr Zuckerberg who, unlike his famous friend, decided to stay enrolled in Harvard instead of dropping out to make Facebook. That decision is called his $400million mistake.

Even in spite of the mistake, Mr Green now runs a charitable giving site called Causes and through that as well as the shares of Facebook which he owns, he will still likely make a multi-million dollar profit from the company's expected launch. 'My father, who's a professor, was not too happy with the prospect of me getting kicked out of school,' Mr Green told Good Morning America.

Instead of going on to launch the world's biggest social network, Mr Green graduated and went to work for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, and is now running an online charitable giving service that is one of Facebook's largest applications. Though he wasn't one of the original founders of Facebook in full, Mr Green was a part of the company's original iteration and helped Mr Zuckerberg create the website's predecessor. The college boys first made a site called 'FaceMash' which allowed visitors to judge the looks of people online.

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Malaysia's Anwar Acquitted of Sodomy Charges

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted Monday in a stunning conclusion to a two-year sodomy trial that he had condemned as a conspiracy to cripple his resurgent political alliance.

“Thank God, justice has been served,” Anwar told reporters after being cleared of sexual misconduct with a young male aide, and pledged to topple the government in national polls expected to be held this year.

“In the coming election, voice of the people will be heard and this corrupt government will be toppled from its pedestals of power,” he added in a Twitter posting.

The unexpected decision set off pandemonium at the Kuala Lumpur High Court where Anwar was mobbed by his wife, daughters and opposition politicians. Thousands of opposition supporters who had gathered outside under heavy security erupted into cheers and raised their fists in the air.

In his brief verdict, Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah said he could not rely on controversial DNA evidence submitted by the prosecution in the case lodged by Anwar’s aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

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Jakarta to be World's Halal Food Center

Jakarta will be a center of the world’s halal food as headquarter of the World Halal Food Council (WHFC) that will be officially opened in January 16 2012.

"The office, located in the MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council) Building, Central Jakarta, will be inaugurated concurrently with the opening ceremony of the WHFC annual meeting," the Director of MUI Food and Drug Analysis Agency (LPPOM) Lukmanul Hakim said in a release received here, Thursday.

Indonesia as a world’s halal food center is supported by some international halal certification agencies such as those in United States, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore.Last year, Coordinating Minister of Economy Hatta Rajasa has signed the declaration that established Jakarta as the head office of the World’s Halal Food Council. and supports from the international keeps coming to Indonesia.

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Obama Bans Daughters from Facebook

He relied heavily on social media to get him elected in 2008. But Barack Obama has admitted he has banned his daughters from using Facebook – because he doesn’t want ‘strangers knowing our business’. The U.S. President said it ‘does not make much sense’ to put the most private details of his family life on public view.

His elder daughter, Malia, is 13, and just old enough to use Facebook. Her younger sister Sasha is ten. But Mr Obama said he won’t consider allowing them to join the site until they are both four years older. His admission seems somewhat ironic, given that he made full use of Facebook and other websites to encourage the young to vote for him in the presidential election – and to raise millions of dollars for his campaign. As a result, he became known as the ‘First Social Media President’.

His Facebook page – which has 24million ‘likes’ – remains a key part of his ongoing efforts to seek re-election.

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Clinton criticism sparks Israeli anger

Israeli ministers reacted angrily on Sunday after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she feared for the future of Israel`s democracy and the rights of women in the Jewish state.

Israeli lawmakers, particularly right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu`s government, have in recent months championed a series of bills criticised by local rights groups as an attempt to rein in left-leaning NGOs and journalists.

Among the most controversial of the proposed laws is one that would limit foreign funding for certain NGOs -- legislation that leftist activists say targets groups opposed to Israeli occupation that report on violations of Palestinian human rights.

A senior State Department official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Clinton "is concerned about the NGO law" and Israeli "conservative comments on women."

Clinton`s remarks, reportedly delivered behind closed doors Saturday at the Saban Forum in Washington, made headlines in most Israeli newspapers.

Top-selling Yediot Aharonot said Clinton had described shock at hearing that some buses in Jerusalem were gender-segregated and that some religious Israeli soldiers refused to attend events where women would sing.

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Obama condemns storming of British embassy in Iran

Declaring himself "deeply disturbed" by the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran, President Barack Obama strongly urged the Iranian government to hold those responsible to account.

"For rioters to essentially be able to overrun the embassy and set it on fire is an indication that the Iranian government is not taking its international obligations seriously," the president said.

Obama made his remarks at the beginning of an Oval Office meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

"That kind of behavior is unacceptable," Obama said, adding that the Iranian government has a responsibility to protect diplomatic outposts.

Hard-line Iranian students stormed the embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, bringing down the Union Jack flag, burning an embassy vehicle and throwing documents from windows in scenes reminiscent of the 1979 attack on the U.S. embassy there.

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Peneliti: Menganggur Lebih dari 6 Bulan Beresiko Sakit Mental

Peneliti dari Washington and Lee University menemukan menganggur selama lebih dari 25 minggu (6 bulan) dalam 1 tahun terakhir, maka akan mengalami 3 kali lebih mungkin menderita masalah kesehatan mental.

Temuan lain dalam penelitian ini adalah kondisi ini lebih besar terjadi pada orang yang memiliki pendidikan tinggi dibandingkan dengan orang yang pendidikannya kurang.

Pada studi ini peneliti melibatkan orang yang belum pernah didiagnosis memiliki masalah kesehatan emosional dalam kehidupannya. Lalu peneliti membandingkan kesehatan psikologis dari pekerja fulltime dengan pengangguran jangka pendek (kurang dari 25 minggu) serta orang yang sudah menganggur jangka panjang.

"Kami menemukan pengangguran jangka panjang 3 kali lebih mungkin berperang dengan tekanan psikologis dibanding orang yang bekerja," ujar Arthur Goldsmith, seperti dikutip dari HealthDay.

Goldsmith mengungkapkan ketika seseorang terkena pengangguran jangka panjang maka ia merasa kehilangan kendali atas kemampuannya untuk mencari nafkah dan mengurus keluarga sehingga ia khawatir dengan masa depannya. Kekhawatiran ini akan memicu gangguan psikologis seperti stres, depresi dan menurunnya kepercayaan dan harga diri.


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Membaca Karakter Tulisan Tangan Spasi Tak Beraturan

Dalam analisis tulisan tangan, segala sesuatu yang tidak beraturan menunjukkan kecenderungan yang kurang baik.

Jarak spasi tidak beraturan menunjukkan suasana hati yang tidak beraturan pula. Apabila terjadi pada anak dan remaja, diharapkan dengan berkembangnya kedewasaan mereka, hal ini dapat mereka atasi dengan baik. Jarak spasi tidak beraturan juga menunjukkan kecenderungan dan potensi kurang jujur.

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Suicide bomb kills one, 14 injuredin in Solo church

A suicide bomber was killed in front of the Kepunton church door in Solo, Central Java on Sunday at about 10.55 am, the church security official Suharto said, adding that the bomb also injured eight other people and 14 was injured.

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Bom Solo: Korban Tewas adalah Pengebom

Hingga Minggu (25/9/2011) petang ini, korban tewas akibat ledakan bom bunuh diri di Gereja Bethel Injil Sepenuh Kepunton, Kelurahan Tegalharjo, Kecamatan Jebres, Kota Solo, sebagaimana dilaporkan berbagai media hanya satu orang. Korban tewas adalah pria yang diduga sebagai pelaku.

Adapun satu korban lain yang disebut tewas saat perjalanan ke rumah sakit seperti diumumkan Menteri Koordinator Politik, Hukum, dan Keamanan Djoko Suyanto sejauh ini belum diketahui.

Kepala Pelayanan Medis Instalasi Gawat Darurat RS dr Oen Solo Rudy S Handoyo mengatakan, dari 15 korban yang terluka, 14 orang di antaranya harus menjalani rawat inap di RS dr Oen. Dia juga menegaskan, tidak ada korban meninggal dunia, tetapi ada satu orang yang harus masuk unit perawatan intensif.

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PAN: Reshuffle Kabinet Dilakukan Oktober

Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN) sudah mendapat bisikan dari Presiden SBY terkait reshuffle kabinet. Diyakini reshuffle akan dilakukan bulan Oktober 2011. PAN pun siap menghadapinya.

"Ya memang reshuffle kabinet akan dilakukan bulan depan, kita yakin itu dan memang sudah saatnya presiden mengambil langkah evaluatif terhadap kinerja menteri yang makin menurun," ujar Ketua FPAN DPR, Tjatur Sapto Edy.

Menurut Tjatur, kinerja sejumlah kementerian memang tidak optimal. Reshuffle kabinet dipandang sebagai finalisasi dari evaluasi pemerintahan.

"Karena memang sekarang ini banyak pembantu presiden tidak bekerja maksimal. Kemudian pelayanan terhadap masyarakat tidak optimal. Konsekuensinya ya silahkan presiden mengambil sikap tegas," saran Wakil Ketua Komisi III DPR ini.

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Pasukan PBB Dituduh Melakukan Pemerkosaan Sesama Jenis di Haiti

Peristiwa pemerkosaan menimpa seorang pria warga negara Haiti berusia 18 tahun. Presiden Haiti, Michel Martelly, mengutuk pemerkosaan yang dilakukan oleh anggota angkatan laut PBB asal Uruguay. Tindakan memalukan ini telah mengancam citra pasukan perdamaian PBB di Haiti.

"Presiden mengutuk keras tindakan yang telah bertentangan dengan hati nurani bangsa dan terus menunggu laporan mengenai fakta-fakta dari kejadian yang sebenarnya," kata juru bicara kepresidenan Haiti, seperti dilansir Reuters.

Kejadian pemerkosaan yang terekam dalam sebuah kamera ponsel itu telah beredar luas di internet. Dalam rekaman tersebut, pria muda Haiti itu dipaksa melayani napsu 4 serdadu Uruguay di atas kasur. Peristiwa tersebut telah menyebabkan masyarakat Haiti marah.

Pejabat PBB di Haiti dan Departemen Pertahanan Uruguay telah melakukan investigasi dan penyelidikan terhadap video tersebut. Empat tentara yang diduga terlibat telah ditahan.

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Batasan Umur Pengguna Facebook Akan Dihapus?

CEO Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, kembali melontarkan komentar yang kontroversial terkait layanan di jejaring sosial. Tahun lalu, ia menyebut privasi tak lagi terlalu penting. Kali ini, ia mengusulkan dihapuskannya pembatasan umur bagi pengguna Facebook. Artinya, bayi yang masih merah pun boleh membuat akun di Facebook.

Sebagaimana diketahui, umur minimal pegguna Facebook adalah 13 tahun. Namun, dari sebuah penelitian yang dirilis beberapa waktu yang lalu, terdapat 7,5 juta pengguna Facebook yang berada di bawah 13 tahun, umumnya 11 tahun. Tetapi, tentu hal ini tidak bisa dijadikan alasan untuk membuka keran bagi mereka yang berada di bawah usia 13 tahun tersebut. Anak-anak tentu belum bisa melindungi diri mereka dari berbagai hal yang menyangkut dunia orang dewasa yang mampir ke halaman Facebook-nya.

Mark Zuckerberg menyatakan idenya tersebut dalam sebuah kesempatan berpidato di California beberapa hari yang lalu. Menurutnya, ia memiliki filosofi bahwa untuk pendidikan diperlukan waktu memulai yang sangat muda. Oleh karena pembatasan itu membuat anak-anak di bawah usia 13 tahun tersebut belum bisa memulai hal tersebut. Dengan membiarkan mereka menggunakan Facebook, kita bisa melihat apa yang akan mereka kerjakan. Mark juga berjanji untuk membuat anak-anak aman di Facebook.

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Nazaruddin Dipantau dengan Tiga CCTV, Efektif?

Dalam kunjungan ke Rumah Tahanan Markas Komando Brimob, Kelapa Dua, Depok, Jawa Barat, Satgas Pemberantasan Mafia Hukum dan wartawan diperlihatkan pemantauan dengan kamera CCTV, Minggu (28/8/2011). Ada 14 kamera CCTV yang dipantau Mako Brimob.

Khusus di blok yang dihuni tersangka kasus suap pembangunan wisma atlet SEA Games, M Nazaruddin, dipasangi tiga kamera CCTV yang langsung tersambung ke bagian penyidikan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi. Satu kamera memantau pintu masuk blok, kamera kedua dipasang di ruang tamu blok, dan kamera ketiga dipasang di sel Nazaruddin. Efektif?

Dari hasil kunjungannya, Sekretaris Satgas Pemberantasan Mafia Hukum Denny Indrayana menilai, sampai sejauh ini, Rutan Mako Brimob adalah tempat tahanan yang aman. Denny disertai anggota satgas, Mas Achmad Sentosa, serta Direktur Informasi dan Komunikasi Direktorat Jenderal Pemasyarakatan Kementerian Hukum dan HAM Mudianto.

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PM Naoto Kan Akan Mundur

Perdana Menteri (PM) Jepang Naoto Kan akan mundur dari jabatannya seusai terpilihnya ketua Partai Demokrat (DPJ). PM Kan mengemukakan hal itu di depan parlemen. Menurut warta Xinhua, sampai kini DPJ adalah partai yang tengah berkuasa di Negeri Sakura tersebut. Pemerintahan PM Kan sendiri tengah menggarap dua hal yang terkait dengan masa depan Jepang. Pertama, soal energi terbarukan. Sementara kedua adalah soal penerbitan obligasi negara.

Persiapan untuk pemimpin baru DPJ akan memunculkan perdana menteri baru keenam dalam kurun waktu lima tahun ini. PM Kan terpilih menjadi Presiden DPJ pada Juni lalu. Ia sendiri terpilih kembali dalam pemilihan presiden partai pada September tahun lalu. Kala itu, ia mendapat dukungan 60 persen.

Kendati demikian, PM Kan tidak lama menikmati dukungan itu. Dalam jajak pendapat yang diselenggarakan oleh Kyodo, popularitas dukungan untuk PM Kan justru anjlok hingga 15,8 persen.

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US: 29,000 Somali children under 5 dead in famine

The drought and famine in Somalia have killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5, according to U.S. estimates, the first time such a precise death toll has been released related to the Horn of Africa crisis.

The United Nations has said previously that tens of thousands of people have died in the drought, the worst in Somalia in 60 years. The U.N. says 640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished, a statistic that suggests the death toll of small children will rise.

Nancy Lindborg, an official with the U.S. government aid arm, told a congressional committee in Washington on Wednesday that the U.S. estimates that more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in the last 90 days in southern Somalia. That number is based on nutrition and mortality surveys verified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.N. on Wednesday declared three new regions in Somalia famine zones, bringing the total number to five.

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Doa Anas untuk Nazaruddin

Dalam pelariannya selama lebih kurang tiga bulan, Nazaruddin "bernyanyi" menuding Anas ikut menerima aliran "dana haram" hasil patgulipat Nazaruddin dalam proyek pembangunan wisma atlet dan Stadion Hambalang.

Menanggapi tudingan itu, Anas lebih banyak diam. Ia pelit bicara. Sesekali saja ia buka suara di hadapan wartawan. Bahkan, ketika Nazaruddin sudah ditangkap, Anas juga hemat komentar.

Di Gedung MPR/DPR/DPD, Senin (16/8/2011), Anas kemudian dimintai komentar soal Nazaruddin yang saat ini dikatakan saudara sepupunya, Nasir, sedang ketakutan. Menurut Nasir, untuk makan pun Nazaruddin tidak berani, takut diracun. "Ya, mudah-mudahan aman dan selamat," komentarnya singkat. Tak ada lagi kata yang keluar dari mulutnya.

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Nasir: Nazaruddin Ketakutan

Politisi Partai Demokrat M Nasir mengkhawatirkan kondisi sepupunya, mantan Bendahara Umum Partai Demokrat M Nazaruddin. Menurut Nasir, saat ini kondisi kesehatan Nazaruddin tengah menurun. Tersangka kasus suap wisma atlet SEA Games 2011 itu disebut dalam kondisi kebingungan dan ketakutan.

"Nazaruddin kondisinya sakit, kondisi Nazaruddin sekarang lagi sakit. Jadi, saya sangat khawatir sebagai keluarganya karena Nazaruddin kemarin minta dokter. Setelah dokter itu datang, Nazaruddin juga takut terima dokter itu. Kita berikan makanan, Nazaruddin juga takut menerima makanan itu. Dia menanyakan makanan, tapi dia khawatir. Setelah saya tulis daftar tamu, akhirnya dia makan, tapi kita khawatir," ungkapnya sebelum bertemu dengan pimpinan DPR di Gedung DPR, Jakarta.

Nasir sendiri mengaku terakhir kali bertemu langsung dengan Nazaruddin saat hendak dibawa ke kantor Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsii (KPK). Menurut anggota Dewan dari daerah pemilihan Riau ini, pertemuan tersebut pun hanya sepintas.

Bersama OC Kaligis, Nasir mengaku hanya ingin menyampaikan kepada pimpinan DPR bahwa penyidik KPK melarang kuasa hukum dan keluarga untuk bertemu dengan Nazaruddin. Keluarga, lanjutnya, padahal hanya berharap bertemu dengan Nazaruddin untuk melihat kondisinya.

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