CIPUTRA WATERPARK. The Biggest Water Park in Indonesia

A million freshness and cheerful are waiting in Ciputra Water Park. Visit the best water means in the country; readily bring you and family to the unforgettable adventure of Sinbad water world.
Cheerful, Exclaimed, Full of challenge!!!

Sirens River
This special river designed to make you and family become increasingly chummy and intimate. Enjoy its besotted family relax and fringing artificial river along 425 meter length. The Sirens River flow calm will bring you to explore exclaiming the 1001 adventure story nights in the middle of the water ripples of Sinbad world.

Chimera Pool
Free laugh of all family members! Also the child who partaken with his friends. Chimera Pool is special pool for the child to play at as his satisfied. It is equipped with small water fountain runs sudden shine rotation; this child pool will invite laugh and cheerful of your child.

Marina Lagoon
Let children to dissolve in their wide imagine. Marina Lagoon provides supporting facilities such as; a playground for children that equipped with game as of small slip and bridge for them gather and jest. Here they have opportunity to have socialization and look for new friend passed various imaginative adventures, which they have.

Sinbad Playground
Explore palace towers to play at Sinbad, which is continued one another by rickety bridge. This towers equipped with water cannon for ignorant their friend, and exclaimer again is giant water drum that readily to spill 5000 water gallons and bath you in cheerful.

Roc Tower
Slip Tower with 15 meter high is full of challenge. It is guaranteed to make all trying and always addictive. Accelerate high-speedily in tunnel and racing adrenalin. And "burr...!" Sudden you have been be under and wanted soon to repeat the remarkable exclaimed experience.

Syracuse Beach
Chase one another with wave with family will surely incise smiling and laugh. You will not be numeral when coming just small billow or ripples wave hereinafter. Enjoy current pool with 1800 m2 width and 1,2 meter depth. Besides also can relax with coastal situation accompanied by kindhearted and funny giant whale.

Opening Hours
Tuesday – Friday: 13.00 - 19.00
Saturday, Sunday and the Holiday: 10.00 - 19.00

Every Monday CLOSE!

Tickets

tuesday-friday

publish : 60.000

promotion 45.000

saturday, sunday, and the holiday

publish 70.000

promotion 55.000

Packet Available:
Outing Plus (Team Building) packages
Gathering packages
Birthday packages
Call Sales Reservation & Marketing Department
Phone: (031) 7441155  
Fax: (031) 7441166
Water Park Boulevard Citraraya The Singapore of Surabaya 60219

Lowrider Bicycle History

Lowrider bikes have been around for years, although nobody has ever really pinpointed when the actual first lowrider bike hit the boulevard. Maybe the closest thing that has ever been documented was the Eddie Munster bike from the '60s TV show The Munsters, a George Barris-customized Schwinn Sting-Ray. The Sting-Ray has been the bike of choice for most lowrider bike builders ever since its introduction in the '60s. The popularity of the Schwinn and similar bikes remained strong throughout the '70s. In the mid '80s, however, Sting-Rays seemed to go into hibernation as BMX and freestyle bikes seem to be the direction that all bike manufacturers and enthusiasts took.

Even though Schwinn and other manufacturers had discontinued their cantilever frames and started specializing in BMX bikes, there was still a market for the old classics. When Lowrider Magazine busted back out in 1988, people started to build cars as well as bikes. There were a few bikes still out there during this hibernation period, but they were cruisers and not show bikes. Slowly but surely, classic Sting-Rays started to become more and more popular. By the beginning of the '90s, the competition started to become intense. As a result, the old Schwinns became far more scarce as well as more expensive.

The results of this revamped style left the doors open for then Lowrider Magazine Publisher Alberto Lopez, who invested time and money to rejuvenate the classic bikes. After several months of investigation, Alberto was not able to buy the Schwinn rights, so he was left to built something similar. This was the birth of the "Aztlan Cruiser" and also the start of Lowrider Bicycle, Inc., which would cater to all lowrider bike needs.

Thus began the tale of Lowrider Bicycle Magazine. Back in 1993 , Saul Vargas, brother Rene, and cousins Hector and "Yoyo" were on their way to a car show when they stopped at a local 7-Eleven to buy sodas and food for the high school show. At the newsstand, Saul was looking for Lowrider and other related magazines. The result from his scavenger hunt was a new magazine that stood out from the rest of the pack. Saul's eyes opened up and his mouth dropped as he picked up the first issue of Lowrider Bicycle Magazine. Hey, guys, check this out, and they all said, "It's about @$%#&*^% time. Hey, is this for real? Are we going to have our own magazine to read? A magazine dedicated to lowrider bicycles and model cars?" The answer was yes. At that time, Saul set a new goal, not just to be in Lowrider, but to have one of his pedal-scrapers featured in this new magazine.

As the years progressed, Saul kept going to shows where Nathan Trujillo and the LRM staff finally started noticing his work and soon we started seeing little pictures in the magazine. Little did he know that he was on his way to getting a full feature in the magazine as well as getting a job with the magazine. While competing on the show circuit, Saul got to meet many people and got to become friends with many in the lowriding community. This made it easier to see who was contributing to the lowrider cause and who would be the new trendsetters.

One of the first trendsetters was the infamous "Claim Jumper," owned by Danny Galvez, Jr. of Los Angeles, California. As the first cover bike for LRB, it made history as it was on the debut Winter '93 issue. This original creation elevated the standards of quality for lowrider bikes across the nation. Danny's custom flavor was also emulated as everyone started slamming their bikes by bending their forks as radically as possible to give the bikes that old school flavor. The Claim Jumper's show turntable design is still in use to this day, as people keep them as compact as possible. The now almost standard chrome and gold seat pans were introduced by the Danny's two-wheel scraper.

Read more: http://www.lowriderbike.com/bike_features/03lrbsum_lowrider_bicycle_history/index.html#ixzz1NRzfVvPZ

9 Reasons Why the Fixies Fad Should End Now!

They’re Immature

Fixie-enthusiasts are like small children who crave nothing more than attention. They roam the city, funemployed and bored, looking to get noticed on their circuit between one hipster-friendly coffee house and the next. They usually began riding bikes because they were too broke to drive a car, then they got lucky with the Green frenzy. Conveniently, their pedestrian lifestyle became a badge of honor, and they capitalized on it.

 

They Compete for the Darwin Awards

If they actually ride their fixed-gear bikes (a rare occurrence), they’re usually showing off and getting into trouble in city traffic. They’ve got a feeling of entitlement on the roadways since they’re cyclists and they routinely swerve out in front of cars. When a car darts out in front of them, they usually don’t have the skill it takes to stop their bike on time since they have no brakes.

This Is “Manly”

This guy and his purple shirt (with matching rims) looks ridiculous, but to Fixie-riders he’s a regular Joe. This is a good example of what happens when recreational sports-cyclists get caught up in the fixed-gear craze. Their bright colors and bike shorts don’t get thrown away, they just become the foundation for a extra-weird hipster wardrobe that we all have to endure.

They’re Always Walking

Spend enough time on a city street and you’ll see a Fixie-rider walking his bike down it. Since there is no free-wheeling on a fixed-gear bike, the rider needs to keep pedaling the whole time in order to keep moving. Most Fixie-riders are undernourished and sleep-deprived, so actually riding the bike would just be too much for them to handle for long periods of time (i.e. anything over 15 minutes).

The Worst Kind of Posers

Real bike messengers work hard, and some get seriously injured or even killed in accidents. It’s a risky job, and often a thankless one, with their main clients being the snobby suits in high-rise buildings who want their parcels ASAP. Posers running around acting like the real deal damage any respect these guys have earned, and that’s pretty damn lame.

An Excuse for Skinny Pants and Messenger Bags

It must feel like a fashion-dream come true for hipsters everywhere – a pragmatic excuse to justify their skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags. This probably played a role in their taking to the Fixi-rider fad so readily, considering most hipsters aren’t that prone to physical exercise. The problem is, now the rest of us have to put up with even more guys wearing skinny jeans and faux-messenger bags.

They’re Only In it For the Fixie-Girls

This one’s a no-brainer. With girls like that riding around the city, it’s tempting to say “who can blame them,” but you’ve got to resist the urge. Anyone who’s ever driven through a bike-heavy city has taken at  least a moment to admire the ladies in full cyclist regalia, traversing the motor-ways on their very high seats. It’s really no wonder why so many young men are hopping on the Fixie bandwagon, and because of the cycling community’s shared love of all things bike, these women actually go for them.

They Make People Hate Cyclists

Bikes are a good thing; they cut down on traffic, pollution, obesity, and make densely populated cities better places to live in by making them more tolerable. Among all the industrialized nations of the world, America, especially, has trouble letting go of cars and taking bikes seriously. Fixie-riders are damaging the hard-won progress in that movement through sheer annoyance. When other cyclists can’t stand them, you know there’s a problem.

Go All Out Or Go Home

Fixie-riders like to act as though they’re unique, crazy, creative and funky. The real fact is that they half-ass just about everything they do. If they really wanted to stand out, they’d man up and follow this guy’s example (picture above). He kept his gears and added a tiny dog (and a twelver of Coors Light)  to his ridiculous ride. What have Fixie-riders done that every other Fixie-rider hasn’t already done? In the end, we’ll just have to count on the fad cycle, and hope that the obnoxious trend of fixed-gear bikes collapses under its own weight.

Crazy Mug Ideas With Special Concept Canon and Nikon Coffee Mugs

Trans Studio Makassar

Trans Studio is the world’s 3rd largest indoor theme park (as of 2009), located in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The 20,000 m² wide and 20 meters high indoor theme park. Trans Studio is built on the area of 12.7 hectares with investment up to IDR 1 trillion (approximately USD 104 million). The indoor theme park was inaugurated by the Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, exactly on September 9, 2009 (09-09-09)^[3]. Trans Studio itself is a part of The Trans Studio World project, which will include Trans Walk and Rodeo Drive, Trans Studio, Trans hotels, and offices of Mega Bank^[4]. Under the management of PT. Trans Kalla, the Mega Development Project will provide an integrated development, comprising not only an indoor theme park, but also shopping mall, supermarket, hotel, office area, recreational beach area, and residential area. The 22 rides and attractions for the theme park are designed by John Stevenson, the director of the animation movie Kung Fu Panda. The whole project is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2010.

Background

Trans Studio is located on the main road of Metro Tanjung Bunga Street, Makassar. The 2.7 hectares indoor theme park consists four zones with 22 features and rides, which is able to hold 5,000 people. Trans Studio is developed under the management of PT. Trans Kalla, a partnership between Para Group and Kalla Group. Chairul Tanjung, the founder and the owner of Para Group, is the number 18th richest Indonesian businessman. He owns Bank Mega and television broadcasting company, Trans Corp. In fact, Trans Corp, who operates private television stations TransTv and TV7, is the first television station ever to own an indoor theme park. On the other hand, Kalla Groups is owned by Jusuf Kalla, the current Vice President of Indonesia. Together, Chairul Tanjung and Jusuf Kalla created PT. Trans Kalla in 2007. Para Group is responsible for funding and constructing the entire facility, while Kalla Group is responsible for providing the land. Para Group holds 55 percent of the share and Kalla Group holds 45 percent.

Rides and Prices

As a part of the entertainment, Trans Studio will provide the first mono train in Indonesia^[6]. The theme park consists of 22 features and amusement rides including Central Studio, Lost City, Magic Corner, Tsunami Island and Cartoon City. Many of the rides in Trans Studio are adopted from TransTV’s and Trans7′s shows such as Dunia Lain, Si Bolang, Jelajah, Ayun Ombak, and Angin Beliung; yet, some of them are adopted from Universal Studio and Disneyland in the United States. The rides also contain space simulation program of several television stations such as TransTV, Trans7, and other events in Indonesia. One ride that is pretty unique is “Dunia Lain”, which in english is “Another World”. It is an Indonesian style haunted house with different kinds of Indonesian ghosts such as kuntilanak and jelangkung.

The visitors can experience the feeling of a celebrity in front of the camera or to be the crew of a television show. Moreover, there is a Studio Central, an extraordinary theatre with 1960′s theme, providing the visitors the glamor world of Hollywood; the zone reveals tricks and secrets behind the scenes of great movies^[4].

The minimum package price per person is IDR 100,000, which is around $10. This package includes IDR 10,000 for the studio pass that has to be used to pay any transaction (no cash) and will not expire for lifetime, and IDR 90,000 for 15 tokens for 15 different rides. The minimum balance for the studio pass is IDR 100,000 (USD 10) and maximum is IDR 5 million (USD 500).

Here’s the list of the features and rides along with the price:
1. Trans City Theater IDR 15,000 (USD 1.50)
2. Studio Tour IDR 15,000

History of Labrador Retriever

The first St. John's dog was said to be brought to England around 1820; however, the breed's reputation had spread to England long before. There is a story that the Earl of Malmesbury saw a St. John's Dog on a fishing boat and immediately made arrangements with traders to have some of these dogs exported to England. These ancestors of the first labradors so impressed the Earl with their skill and ability for retrieving anything within the water and on shore that he devoted his entire kennel to developing and stabilising the breed.

The modern Labrador's ancestors originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The founding breed of the Labrador was the St. John's Water Dog, (also a founding breed of the Newfoundland), a breed that emerged through ad-hoc breedings by early settlers of the island in the 16th century. The forebears of the St. John's Dog are not known, but were likely a random-bred mix of English, Irish, and Portuguese working breeds. The Newfoundland (known then as the Greater Newfoundland) is likely a result of the St. John's Dog breeding with mastiffs brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen who had been fishing offshore since the 16th century. The smaller short-coated St. John's Dog (also known then as the Lesser Newfoundland) was used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water. These smaller dogs were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. The white chest, feet, chin, and muzzle - known as tuxedo markings - characteristic of the St. John's Dog often appear in modern Lab mixes, and will occasionally manifest in Labradors as a small white spot on the chest (known as a medallion) or stray white hairs on the feet or muzzle.

The St. John's area of Newfoundland was settled mainly by the English and Irish. Local fishermen originally used the St. John's dog to assist in carrying ropes between boats, towing dories, and helping to retrieve fishnets in the water. The Labrador's loyalty and hard working behaviour were valuable assets for fishermen.

A number of St. John's Dogs were brought back to the Poole area of England in the early 19th century, then the hub of the Newfoundland fishing trade, by the gentry, and became prized as sporting and waterfowl hunting dogs. A few kennels breeding these grew up in England; at the same time a combination of sheep protection policy (Newfoundland) and rabies quarantine (England) led to their gradual demise in their country of origin.

A surviving picture of Buccleuch Avon (b.1885), a foundational dog of many modern Labrador lineages.

The first and second Earls of Malmesbury, who bred for duck shooting on his estate, and the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch, and youngest son Lord George William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, were instrumental in developing and establishing the modern Labrador breed in 19th century England. The dogs Avon ("Buccleuch Avon") and Ned given by Malmesbury to assist the Duke of Buccleuch's breeding program in the 1880s are considered the ancestors of all modern Labradors.

sources : www.wikipedia.com

Ethnicity and culture of Java, indonesia

A teenager in Java wearing traditional Javanese attire: blangkon headgear, batik sarong and kris as accessory. 1913.

The Javanese kakawin Tantu Pagelaran explained the mythical origin of the island and its volcanic nature. Despite its large population and in contrast to the other larger islands of Indonesia, Java is comparatively homogeneous in ethnic composition. Only two ethnic groups are native to the island—the Javanese and Sundanese. A third group is the Madurese, who inhabit the island of Madura off the north east coast of Java, and have immigrated to East Java in large numbers since the 18th century. The Javanese comprise about two-thirds of the island's population, while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 20% and 10% respectively.
Four major cultural areas exist on the island: the kejawen or Javanese heartland, the north coast of the pasisir region, the Sunda lands of West Java, and the eastern salient, also known as Blambangan. Madura makes up a fifth area having close cultural ties with coastal Java. The kejawen Javanese culture is the island's most dominant. Java's remaining aristocracy are based here, and it is the region from where the majority of Indonesia's army, business, and political elite originate. Its language, arts, and etiquette are regarded as the island's most refined and exemplary. The territory from Banyumas in the west through to Blitar in the east and encompasses Indonesia's most fertile and densely populated agricultural land.
In the southwestern part of Central Java, which is usually named the Banyumasan region, a cultural mingling occurred; bringing together Javanese culture and Sundanese culture to create the Banyumasan culture.In the central Javanese court cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, contemporary kings trace their lineages back to the pre-colonial Islamic kingdoms that ruled the region, making those places especially strong repositories of classical Javanese culture. Classic arts of Java include gamelan music and wayang puppet shows.
Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region, and as a result, many literary works have been written by Javanese authors. These include Ken Arok and Ken Dedes, the story of the orphan who usurped his king, and married the queen of the ancient Javanese kingdom; and translations of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a famous contemporary Indonesian author, who has written many stories based on his own experiences of having grown up in Java, and takes many elements from Javanese folklore and historical legends.

Black Eyed Peas

Members

The Black Eyed Peas is made up of four members. Rapper will.i.am is the unofficial leader of the group, and provides the majority of the rap vocals. His counterparts, Apl.De.Ap and Taboo, have been with the band since their conception in 1995, and also provide rapping vocals. Fergie, the female addition to the band, joined in 2003, after a previous female vocalist, Kim Hill, departed in 2003.
Many fans and critics claim The Black Eyed Peas mainstream success is owed to Fergie, whose addition triggered Elephunk, the bands 2003 album, and launched the band as a worldwide smash success. Fergie has gone on to produce an independant album, as has will.i.am.

Albums

Behind The Front was released in 1998, was relatively successful for a new hip hop band. Bridging the Gap was released in 2000, and took another significant step towards the bands success. Compared with the more recent follow ups, however, these two early albums are virtually unknown by Black Eyed Peas fans, and emphasise the bands hip hop roots far more than their later pop albums.

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Elephunk was released in 2003, and is marked as the break-through album for the Black Eyed Peas. The single Where is the Love? featuring Justin Timberlake scored the band their first number one hit in the UK and Australia, and entered the top ten in the US. This was followed up with other big singles such as Shut Up, Hey Mama and the contentiously titled Let's Get Retarded. When released as a single, the band changed the song lyrics to Let's Get It Started, winning them a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2005.
Monkey Business was released in 2005, and tread a similar path to Elephunk. Similar in design, sound and success, the band had found their recipe for incredible popularity. The album's singles include Don't Phunk With My Heart, Don't Lie and My Humps. The singles scored well internationally and earned them another two Grammys.
After Monkey Business' success, Fergie and will.i.am persued individual interests and the band didn't reform until 2009 to produce their fifth studio album The E.N.D. It's first single Boom Boom Pow, once again climbed the charts internationally, and marks a new artistic direction for the band. With a heavier hip hop sound, the band appear to be returning to their hip hop roots.

Read on 

• Muscle Shoals to Memphis: A Rock-n-Roll Weekender's Guide
• The Grammys: A History of Bad Artists and Awards
• The Fifth Annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors"

The Music

The Black Eyed Peas represent a unique sound that manages to merge hip hop and pop with a sense of humour that proliferates through all their music. Songs such as My Humps or Let's Get Retarded, show a band wiling to make fun of themselves and have so far been rewarded for this attitude. The merging of rap with a mainstream female pop vocal, as provided by Fergie, makes The Black Eyed Peas a band that many may try and replicate, but virtually none have reached success.

Step Up! History

Step Up was founded in 2004 by Dr. Rangira Béa Gallimore, a professor at the University of Missouri. Dr. Gallimore lost several members of her family during the genocide of the Tutsi in 1994. In 2005, Step Up! was incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 organization to respond to the ongoing trauma experienced by Rwandan women during the 1994 genocide. Tutsi women were specifically targeted for rape, torture and extermination during the genocide.  Many who survived were left with unwanted pregnancies or infected with HIV. They remain impoverished, psychologically traumatized and chronically ill.
Since its incorporation, Step Up! has provided micro level income generating projects and trauma counseling to a self-help group of women in the Butare region of south Rwanda. (See ABASA). Also starting in 2008, StepUp! developed and delivered a certificate training program in trauma counseling as requested by the Kigali Health Institute. This program consists of short, intensive courses on effective counseling interventions for professionals in health, education, social and religious occupations.

Newspaper

  I’ve once heard someone who said that “All I know is what I read in newspapers.” This is an uncommon expression, but I’m sure it is true that newspapers are important sources of information. Many people begin their day by reading the papers. In this way they learn what is going on in the world. However, sometimes they don’t have time to read the news carefully and must be satisfied with a quick look at the front page; at other times they may be in such a hurry that they only have time to glance at the headlines.

 

There are newspapers to satisfy every reader. In big cities there are many types of papers, with several different editions every day. Some years ago, in small towns there were fewer newspapers and perhaps only one edition each day, but now the situation is different. In some areas, the papers are printed weekly.

Most newspapers have several sections, especially on Sunday when the edition is larger than usual. There are, in addition to the front page with the most important news, the sports section, the society page, the comics, the amusement section, the business page and the editorial.

  Another type of publication which helps people keep informed is a magazine. Some magazines are published weekly; others are issued monthly. There are news magazines and magazines for special interests such as photography, sport, art and music. Some are primarily for men, others for women, and there is a selection of children’s magazines too.

History of Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited) stretching along the equator in South East Asia. The country's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade; trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history. The area of Indonesia is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. The archipelago's landforms and climate significantly influenced agriculture and trade, and the formation of states.

Fossilised remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago. Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, were originally from Taiwan and arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE.

The theories presented above could be refuted and in need of revision due to new scientific evidence presented by HUGO (Human Genome Organization) through genetic studies of the Asian races that points to a single Asian migration from South East Asia traveling northwards and slowly populating East Asia instead of the other way around which as popularly depicted above. From the scientific discovery which has been a silent evidence, it has pointed out that the South East Asian civilizations are a of much older civilization compared to the widely researched and well documented east Asians' ancient civilisations
From the 7th century CE, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it. The agricultural Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties subsequently thrived and declined in inland Java. The last significant non-Muslim kingdom, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom, flourished from the late 13th century, and its influence stretched over much of Indonesia. The earliest evidence of Islamised populations in Indonesia dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra; other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences.

Europeans arrived in Indonesia from the 16th century seeking to monopolise the sources of valuable nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku. In 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power. Following bankruptcy, the VOC was formally dissolved in 1800, and the government of the Netherlands established the Dutch East Indies as a nationalised colony. By the early 20th century Dutch dominance extended to what was to become Indonesia's current boundaries. The Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation during WWII ended Dutch rule, and encouraged the previously suppressed Indonesian independence movement. Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, nationalist leader, Sukarno, declared independence and was appointed president. The Netherlands tried to reestablish their rule, but a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949, when in the face of international pressure, the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence.

An attempted coup in 1965 led to a violent army-led anti-communist purge in which over half a million people were killed. General Suharto politically out-manoeuvred President Sukarno, and was formally appointed president in March 1968. His New Order administration garnered the favour of the West whose investment in Indonesia was a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth. In the late 1990s, however, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis which led to popular protests and Suharto's resignation on 21 May 1998. The Reformasi era following Suharto's resignation, has led to a strengthening of democratic processes, including a regional autonomy program, the secession of East Timor, and the first direct presidential election in 2004. Political and economic instability, social unrest, corruption, natural disasters, and terrorism have slowed progress. Although relations among different religious and ethnic groups are largely harmonious, acute sectarian discontent and violence remain problems in some areas.

sources : wikipedia.com

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber Fans are TOO much to handle..
An old soul is the last thing you would expect to find inside Justin Bieber. But all it takes is one listen to the 17 year-old soul-singing phenomenon to realize that he is light years ahead of his manufactured pop peers.

After posting dozens of homemade videos on YouTube in 2007, where the multi-talented Bieber put his impeccable spin on songs from artists like Usher, Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder, Justin racked up over 10,000,000 views purely from word of mouth.

"I started singing about three years ago," says the Canadian native who grew up an only child in Stratford, Ontario. "I entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasn't taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house. I was only 12 and I got second place."

In an effort to share his victory with his loved ones, Justin began posting his performance footage online. "I put my singing videos from the competition on YouTube so that my friends and family could watch them," he says. "But it turned out that other people liked them and they started subscribing to them. That's how my manager found me. He saw me on YouTube and contacted my family and now I'm signed!"

Seven months after Justin started posting his videos online, former So So Def marketing executive Scooter Braun flew the then 13-year old singer to Atlanta, GA to meet with his elite colleagues. As if Justin's natural singing talent wasn't enough to impress Scooter's inner circle, Braun knew Bieber was also a self-taught musician who plays the drums, guitar, piano and trumpet.

"Right when we flew into Atlanta, Scooter drove us to the studio and Usher was there in the parking lot," remembers Bieber. "That was my first time ever being out of Canada so I went up to him and was like, 'Hey Usher, I love your songs, do you want me to sing you one?' He was like, 'No little buddy, just come inside, it's cold out.'"

All it took was a short time online for Usher to realize he was in the company of a future superstar. "A week later Usher flew me back to Atlanta," says Bieber. "I sang for him and his people and he really wanted to sign me then and there but I still had a meeting with Justin Timberlake who also wanted to sign me. It turned out Usher's deal was way better. He had L.A. Reid backing him up and Scooter had a lot of really good connections in Atlanta. I always tease Usher now and remind him he how he blew me off the first time we met."

In October of 2008, Justin Bieber officially signed to Island Records. His debut album, My World is an intimate look into the mind of a budding young renaissance man. With production from star hit men like The Dream and Tricky Stewart who produced "Umbrella" for Rihanna and Beyonce's latest smash, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Justin has everything he needs to achieve pop supremacy.

His first single, "One Time" produced by Tricky, is about one of Justin's favorite topics, puppy love. Usher joins Justin on "First Dance" where the two share verses on a song that Bieber describes as, "A slow groovy song that people can dance to." On the Midi-Mafia produced "Down to Earth" Justin digs deep to talk about growing up. "Bigger" finds the teenaged singer maturing at a steady rate, while motivating his listeners to strive for their goals.

"I'm looking forward to influencing others in a positive way," says Justin. "My message is you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. I grew up below the poverty line; I didn't have as much as other people did. I think it made me stronger as a person it built my character. Now I have a 4.0 grade point average and I want to go to college and just become a better person."

A virtually untapped well of natural artistic talent, Justin Bieber is primed to be a solid force in music for many years to come. "I think older people can appreciate my music because I really show my heart when I sing, and it's not corny," he says. "I think I can grow as an artist and my fans will grow with me." And just think, he's just getting started.