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What to eat to lose weight is a question most dieters ask at some point. It is so easy to get confused given the amount of miss-information available.

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In order to lose weight you need to consume fewer calories than you are using. The best solution is to combine an exercise program with a diet as dieting alone will not have the same results.

Some people especially men seem to think that if you exercise enough, you can eat what you like, but this is an urban myth. Unless you are careful you could end up with heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses as well as having a weight problem. Yes! Exercise can make you hungry but that is not an excuse to chow down on fast food and snacks.

So what is the answer to the question what to eat to lose weight? You should eat something from all the food groups every day but in proper proportions. The food groups are as follows:

1) Fruit and Vegetables

2) Carbohydrates or starches

3) Protein

4) Dairy products

5) Foods containing fats and sugars.

Most of your food should come from the first group. Fruit and vegetables are great for people trying to lose weight as they help to fill you up without adding on loads of calories. They are also great for your skin, your hair and your general wellbeing. You need to try and vary the quantity; colour and type that you eat as eating carrots every day will soon become rather boring.

If you do not like raw vegetables try making homemade soup. If you make the soup from scratch and use spices and herbs instead of salt, you can make a very filling meal with very few calories. You should try and start your lunch and dinner with either a soup or salad as you will end up slimmer.

You need carbohydrates in order to get vital B vitamins and nutrients. Switch from white products such as bread, pasta and rice to the wholegrain or wholemeal varieties. Aim to eat your carb allocation as close to morning as possible so that you get a chance to consume the glucose released by these foods. Glucose converts to fat if it is not used up.

Proteins provide essential amino acids so are vital to your diet. You do not need a lot of protein and the best sources are lean meat, fish and sprouting beans. Eating a dinner made of protein and vegetables will help you to lose weight. In fact never eating protein and starches in the same meal will have a huge impact on the number of pounds you lose.

Dairy products are a great source of calcium and thus should never be fully excluded unless you have an allergy. The final group is the “bad” foods. While you shouldn’t consume much of these products, a little now and again will help to stop you feeling deprived. This may help you to stick to the diet a little longer. You now have the answer to the question of what to eat to lose weight.

The 12 day grapefruit diet is not a new concept. The original plan was developed in the 1930's. This fruit appears to be a dieter's dream. It has no fat, is high in fiber and low in calories. It also carries benefits for your skin as it is high in vitamin C.

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So how does this diet work? It's very simple. You eat half a grapefruit before every meal. The enzyme it contains reduces your appetite so you consume fewer calories. It also speeds up the fat burning process helping you to shed pounds. Everyone knows that if you use more energy than you take in from the food you eat, you will lose weight. Some studies suggest that you could lose up to ten pounds in less than two weeks simply by introducing this change. Personally, I believe you would have a better chance of success if you also cut your portion sizes, ate four or five smaller meals rather than three large ones.And took more exercise.

It is completely pointless thinking that one simple change in your lifestyle is going to result in a big weight loss. You need to review all areas of your life. Do you eat food because you are bored? Upset? Do you get enough exercise? Most Americans are not active enough. You don't suddenly need to become a gym fanatic but a little extra activity every day will help. I am sure you can think of a million ways to add some movement to your sedentary lifestyle. You could take the stairs instead of the lift; get off the metro one stop early, walk to the store etc.

In the same way, you can make progress by implementing simple changes at mealtimes. Instead of frying your food which only adds extra calories, try grilling, baking or steaming. Learn how to cook rather than relying on prepackaged meals that add dollars to your bills as well as pounds to your waistline. Use herbs and spices to flavor your meals rather than salt to help prevent fluid retention.

Eat more fruit and vegetables. They are high in fiber, low in calories and very filling. Your skin will glow from all the extra vitamins and minerals you are consuming. Don't eat carbohydrates after 5pm in the evening as your body will not have sufficient time to use up all the energy they release. The body converts excess energy into fat.

Eat protein but chose the leaner cuts of meat and forget about sausages and other processed foods for now. Don't exclude all treats but go for quality rather than quantity. Stop eating when you are full and not when your plate is empty.

Don't mistake being thirsty for feeling hungry. And stop ingesting hidden calories via flavored waters, fizzy pop and perhaps the biggest culprit of all, alcohol.

You can shrink your waistline by using the 12 day grapefruit diet. but only if you combine it with a healthy eating and exercise program.

When you are on a weight loss program you may find it a little boring. These diet shake recipes will help spice things up with the added benefit of helping you lose pounds.

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Shakes and smoothies are great to make in the summer months due to the plentiful supply of fresh fruit. Adding low fat yogurt makes them even more tempting. But you can still partake in the winter. All you have to do is use frozen fruit which has just as few calories and tastes almost as good.

So what recipes would be recommended? I love mango as it is very refreshing when you are feeling hot and bothered. I whizz up some mango, mandarin oranges and some ice. I then add a low fat yogurt and if I am feeling hungry some protein powder. Yummy!

Occasionally I will use a banana instead of the yogurt although I have been known to use both. Cranberry juice is an excellent tonic for your kidneys. Blend some with apple juice, strawberries, blueberries and a banana to make a delicious healthy breakfast.

If I am craving chocolate, I will add some unsweetened high quality cocoa powder to my shake although obviously I cannot do this every day! Unfortunately you cannot survive purely on diet shakes. In order to lose pounds and keep that slimmer figure you need to eat healthily and exercise more. But you should have fun doing it. Any activity that gets you moving is good for you. Think about what you love doing and do more of it. He will love you for it!

Think about your diet as well and see what changes you can implement to cut your calorie intake. White breads, pasta and rice are all bad for us dieters as they contain hidden sources of sugar. So swop them over to the brown variety. You may have to do this gradually as your palate will have to get used to the new taste. Also be aware that you need to cook brown rice and pasta for longer than the other varieties otherwise you will end up eating them raw like I did. Yuck!

Experiment with your food. We all get stuck in a diet rut where we eat the same type of foods day in and day out. So now it is time to broaden your horizons. Try out a new fruit or vegetable every week. You could also try cooking in a different way. For example if you always fry steak why not try grilling instead. Or steam your fish? Simple changes are great as you will lose pounds with very little effort.

There are some foods that are high in soluble fiber meaning they fill you up but have few calories. These include Brussels sprouts, mangoes, peas, dried apricots, sprouts and spring greens. Adding a couple of these to your meals will help you eat less and so reduce your waistline.

At the end of the day, tasty diet shake recipes are easy to find but can only be part of the overall weight loss program.

How can I lose weight in a day or two was the question I asked my diet guru last week. While he explained that it is not really possible to lose many pounds in 48 hours, you can fool other people into thinking you have lost excess weight.

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We can become bloated either due to fluid retention or gas. Fluid retention may be as a result of your period being due or you have overindulged in salty foods. Gas can be caused by a number of factors but almost always causes your stomach to become distended thus making you appear fatter than you actually are.

To beat bloating try drinking two glasses of hot water the night before your special day. Combine this with a gentle laxative to help deal with any constipation. It would be better for you to have tried taking laxatives prior to this event as some people can overdose really easily and spend all of their time in the loo. Not the ideal scenario when the result you were aiming for was thin and sophisticated.

On the morning of the day you need to look really thin, have some more hot water and another gentle laxative. Laxatives are not a long term answer to weight loss and you need to be careful as they can become addictive. But if you are suffering from constipation and bloating, an odd one now and again will not cause any harm. If you suffer a lot from constipation or other bowel problems you should see your doctor to rule out any illnesses.

Be realistic when asking how can I lose weight in a day or two. Cutting out alcohol and fizzy drinks will help as will reducing your wheat intake but nothing is going to make you drop 10 pounds. Instead try fooling your friends into thinking you have lost weight.

Go to your local store and invest in some Spanx. Celebrities are known to wear this fantastic underwear at red carpet events as they can hold in virtually any tummy or other offending body part. The best thing is that you do not need a celebrity’s bank account to fund the purchase.

Make sure you pick an outfit that flatters the figure you have and not the one you wish you had. Ask a trusted friend for their honest opinion. We often end up looking fatter than we are as we wear the wrong clothes.

Stand up straight and pull in your stomach. Practice doing this and you will look slimmer. When you go out on the special occasion skip the pre-dinner nibbles and the bread. Eat something that is easy to digest and skip dessert unless it is a sorbet. Finish your meal with mint tea to aid the digestion process and you should be able to avoid any bloating.

How can I lose weight in a day or two is not an easy question to answer but you may have some new ideas now!

It is almost impossible to answer the question what percentage of your body weight is muscle as it depends on each individual. In a healthy woman, whose body is in correct proportions, muscle and other lean tissues account for between 10% and 15% of her total body weight.

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Some people refuse to exercise as they believe that muscle weighs more than fat. But muscle burns more calories so people who try to lose weight by dieting alone are generally less successful than those that follow a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.

Walking is a great weight loss exercise. It burns fat, as it is aerobic, but as it is also weight bearing, it helps to build lean tissue and maintain healthy bones. A brisk walk is a low impact exercise which means you are at less risk of injury and probably best of all; it doesn’t cost a penny.

A leisurely stroll won’t burn the pounds though. You need to go for a brisk walk building up a slight sweat as you exercise.

If you start sweating excessively you are putting your body under too much pressure so slow down. It would also be a good idea to speak to your medical practitioner to ensure there are no underlying health problems that need to be taken into consideration.

Ask your family to buy you a pedometer so you can measure your steps. It is suggested that we all walk at least 10,000 steps a day, about five miles, but those that need to lose weight may wish to walk more.

People think that in order for exercise to work, you need to be down in the gym working out like Mr T. This is not the case at all. In fact gentle exercise works best to start with, as you are more likely to keep the new fitness regime going. You won’t see immediate results and the sooner you realise that you are in this for the long haul the easier your weight loss program will be.

you know it doesn’t really matter what percentage of your body weight is muscle, if overall you are in great shape, weigh the correct amount for your age, height, build and get sufficient exercise. What matters more is that you are happy and enjoying your life.

Muscle doesn’t turn into fat when you stop exercising. Some people believe this myth but it is completely false. Muscle cannot turn into fat and vice versa. What tends to happen is that you can lose muscle tone and definition; if you cease to work out. You may also put on weight if you do not reduce your calorie intake as you burn more calories when exercising. So if an illness or injury prevents you from being as active as usual, just cut your calorie intake slightly and you should be fine.

So stop wondering what percentage of your body weight is muscle and get out there and find ways of improving your overall lifestyle.

If you're trying to lose weight, the best thing you can do for yourself is also to exercise. Dieting is necessary because it really does matter how many calories you eat. But effective exercise for weight loss will make losing the weight much easier.

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Any kind of movement you can do will help. If you're not used to exercising at all, even 15 minutes of exercise is a good thing. But experts do recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise 4 to 5 times a week.

An important tip to keep in mind is that you need to start out slowly. If you haven't exercised in a very long time, then starting out with 15 minutes of time is perfectly fine. The worst thing you can do is jump in gung-ho, hurt yourself, and not be able to exercise for a long time.

When you're trying to lose weight, it's important to try different types of exercise. Aerobic exercise is one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss. It's effective because it helps you speed up your entire body's metabolism.

Aerobic simply means "in oxygen." So when you're doing aerobic exercise, you're essentially flooding body with oxygen. You're taking deeper breaths and using parts of your lungs that you don't use in your everyday life.

When you can keep up on aerobic exercise for 15 minutes, then it's time to move up to a half an hour. Or if you're unsure, move it up to 20 minutes. And then gradually increase until half an hour. Good aerobic exercise includes fast walking, aerobic dancing, and anything that gets your heart rate and your breathing up above what it normally is.

Fitness experts have certain goals they set as far as your heart rate and your rate of respiration. It's not necessary to measure things when you're just trying to exercise to lose weight. But a good way to judge whether or not you're overdoing it, or under doing it, is your ability to talk.

If you're walking fast or even slowly jogging, and you're unable to talk to someone because you're breathing so heavily, you need to slow down. During any aerobic exercise you do, you should be able to hold a conversation with someone.

You'll be breathing heavily, and perhaps having to pause longer than you normally would. But you should be able to do it. If you're breathing so heavily you can't talk, then you need to scale it back a little bit.

Swimming can also be an aerobic exercise that's very good for weight loss. Even strength training can be somewhat aerobic, if you do it without breaks and it does elevate your heart rate enough. The best exercise plan for weight loss incorporates both aerobic activities and strength training.

Building up your strength through either lifting weights or some other form of strength training, is an effective exercise for weight loss because it raises your metabolism. With this boost to your metabolism, your body burns fat more effectively all the time.

Because fitness is such big business, you can find exercise videos and DVDs by the dozen. But which are the best exercise DVDs for weight loss? That really depends on what you like. The best DVD for someone else might not be for you.

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What kinds of exercise do you like the best? Do you prefer walking or do you like to run? Do you use an exercise bicycle, or do you like to go swimming? Have you always wanted to try ballroom dancing? Or would you feel silly bouncing around in your living room?

You need to ask yourself several of these questions to help you decide which exercise DVD will help you lose weight. The general answer is, however, that any DVD you use will help you. No matter what it is, as long as you use it, it will help you lose weight. That's because you'll be getting a certain amount of exercise each week.

The problem is that if you don't like it, you're not going to use it. If you buy that weight loss exercise DVD that you can't keep up with and leaves you exhausted, how often are you going to put it in? You need to find one that you like and that you can do.

The best way to do this is to hit your local library or video rental. You don't have to buy the DVD to try it. Rent or borrow a few and try them for a couple of weeks. You'll have at least one that you like better than the others.

If none of them are standout favorites, then choose the one you like best and look for other DVDs that are similar. If your favorite DVD is an aerobic dancing weight loss workout, but you really don't like it that well either, you at least know what kind of exercise to look for.

Because dancing DVDs are so varied today, you can find almost any kind of dance routine you like. If you rented several and the one you liked best was a belly dancing routine, but you don't really like it that well, try a hip-hop dancing DVD or salsa dancing DVD designed for weight loss.

If you're more of the boxing, kickboxing and gym workout type, there are several weight loss DVDs that you'll enjoy. Tae-Bo DVDs were the first of this kind to become popular, and they are still available.

Maybe you're losing weight but you also want a work out to help you increase your strength and flexibility. These types of exercises are important, too. You can find yoga and Pilates DVDs that will lead you through excellent routines. There are many of these workouts to help you lose weight.

You can even buy exercise DVDs that lead you through a walking in place work out in front of your television. There really is something for everyone. The most important thing to remember is that the best exercise DVDs for weight loss are the ones that you will use on a regular basis.

Forget all the glitzy adverts for the latest must have diet product. The only way to lose weight successfully is by following the calorie reduction diet.

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Fluctuations in your body weight are caused by consuming more energy than you use up. Our system converts surplus food to fat and we put on pounds. Our body is actually protecting itself by storing food to prevent starvation if we do not have enough to eat. Worked quite well in the old days when people often went hungry but these days, the result is a nation suffering from obesity.

If you want to slim down, you need to expend more energy than you consume. Sounds easy right? So just how many calories a day do people need to reduce in order to lose weight? Well it depends on the individual to a point. If you are losing weight under medical supervision you should follow your doctor's advice.

If you are trying to do this on your own, the World Health Organization recommends that all adults have at least 1200 calories a day. If you try for less than this, your body may think you are in fact starving and slow your metabolism right down. This will stop you losing any excess pounds.

Crash diets i.e. those that restrict you to less than 1000 a day will result in rapid weight loss at first. But you will be miserable and starving and the results are not sustainable nor is it healthy.

The bigger the deficit you can cause between the amount of food you consume and the energy you expend, the more weight you will lose. But studies show that if you reduce your weight by one to two pounds a week, you are more likely to maintain your new waistline. So if you increase your level of activity you won't have to impose a huge calorie reduction. You will also preserve your muscles and they help to burn fat and keep your metabolism raised.

You can cut down quite simply by changing the way you eat and cook. Most of us rely too much on takeaways and packaged meals. These contain a lot of hidden fats and sugars. It is much healthier and cheaper to cook the meals from scratch at home. You can reduce your consumption by using semi-skimmed milk in recipes rather than the full fat version. You probably won't notice the difference. Using tomato based sauces also helps as does eating brown pasta and rice as opposed to the white versions.

Fruit and vegetables contain few calories and little fat. Increase your consumption via smoothies, salads and juices. They are great at filling us up and if we put a little extra effort into preparing our meals, they are very tasty as well. Eat little and often and keep carbohydrates for breakfast and lunch not your evening meal.

So if you are serious about that new figure, try the calorie reduction diet for yourself.

There is no real weight loss program comprising solely of cottage cheese, diets like this are unhealthy. Any plan based on just eating one food group is destined to fail even before you start. The boredom factor will also set in leading you into temptation.

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Cottage cheese is a good diet food compared with some other cheese as it contains fewer calories while still providing protein. But you cannot survive on one food alone. When you are trying to lose pounds, it is very tempting to flit from one plan to another but at the end of the day this will not help you. So how can you find the best diet for you?

You should look for one containing the following elements:

1) When you look at the rules, you feel you have a good chance of sticking to them. This is perhaps the most important element of a successful program. If calorie counting and weighing foods is not your thing, then it doesn't matter if it works for thousands of people, you will fail. Some people need the support of a group so would do better joining weight loss classes and following their regime. Others prefer to go it alone.

2) The diet should promise slow and steady results. This will give you a much better chance of keeping the pounds you have lost at bay.

3) There should be no forbidden food groups. For example, some "fad diets" will not let you eat carbohydrates. The problem is that as soon as someone says you can't have it, you will want it. We need to eat as wide and varied a diet as possible to get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals our body needs.

4) Regular exercise should be part of the program. People think you can lose excess pounds simply by dieting, and others think that going to the gym is sufficient but to be really successful you need a combination of both.

You can reduce your calorie intake without depriving yourself of your favorite foods by making different choices. For example if you love cottage cheese, you could try the version made with skimmed milk. Instead of eating the whole candy bar, have a square of very good quality chocolate once in a while as a treat. Start every meal with a fruit or vegetable juice or a salad. Reduce your portion size by 10% and you probably won't even notice.

Don't go on a crash diet. Not only do they not work but they can cause you to lose lean muscle. Muscle burns fat so you are shooting yourself in the foot. Any weight you lose will be regained and you may even end up weighing more. If you want to kick start your diet, you could try following a detox program for a week or ten days. Drinking water, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables combined with brown rice, whole meal cereals, and eating bio yogurt will help to detoxify your system.

You will lose pounds and feel better although perhaps not initially. This will help you get better results than following a cottage cheese diet alone.

The fat smash diet plan is quite a well known book written by Ian Smith. It became famous when Celebrity Fit Club was all the rage on TV. It is supposed to be a 90 day program and promises that you will not have to count calories and you will not end up feeling hungry. Sounds good doesn't it?

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So what does this diet involve and more importantly does it work? The good news is that this weight loss program encompasses all the things a good one should. It doesn't promise that you will lose pounds without effort and you do not have to avoid whole food groups. In order to lose excess weight, you need to follow a healthy eating plan combined with moderate exercise. That is the basis of Ian Smith's approach. He also strongly encourages you to get support from your family and friends. This is a great idea as you will sometimes struggle to stay focused and committed. It is a lot easier to put the pounds on than take them off!

Far too often, a regime either focuses on the food or the activities but you need both to succeed. The Fat Smash approach is to undergo a detox first. Although the experts disagree as to whether we actually need to detoxify our bodies, it certainly helps by giving you an initial burst of motivation as you watch the pounds fall off. This part of the regime lasts for nine days during which you may feel rather miserable. It is a good idea to start at a time when you can rest more as you may suffer headaches, nausea and tiredness. So if it is a busy time at work, postpone following Mr Smith until later.

The regime is divided into four parts. The first is the detox during which you will eat mainly fruit and vegetables. There is quite a Japanese flavor to some of the dishes so if you have a store locally, you will find plenty of the suggested items on sale there e.g. Miso Soup, Tofu, Seaweed etc. Phase 2 allows you to eat a wider variety of foods such as lean meat, eggs, shellfish etc. Phase 3 reintroduces wheat, bread, pasta and thankfully some deserts while phase 4 allows you to eat some pizza and other fast foods. At all times, he recommends that you eat little and often. This is a great way to boost your metabolism rate helping you to lose pounds faster.

Ian suggests various activities you could try in order to get the recommended amounts of exercise. It is pretty pointless not to follow his advice as otherwise the system will not work. All in all this seems to be a good weight loss program and most of those who stick with his schedule will lose weight. The main criticism of the course is the way the Fat Smash Diet Plan book was written. But if you can tone up and slim down, does that really matter?

People struggle to lose weight and keep weight off once it is lost. Dieting is by far the most common method people use to lose pounds, but sometimes it is not enough, or the weight mounts back up once the diet is finished.

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A good way to lose weight and keep it from being regained is with a plan of exercise; regular exercise helps the body to burn calories that would otherwise be converted to fat. There are so many options for exercise that there is something to suit everyone; however it can be difficult to find the best form of weight loss for the individual.

It is important when choosing an exercise program to consider the age and physical fitness of the exerciser; those with significant weight problems, or those who have a sedentary lifestyle, may be better off with a non-weight bearing exercise such as swimming or using an exercise bike.

Walking is an excellent way to begin losing weight and improving physical fitness. Walking helps those who are too unfit to be able to exercise strenuously, and has tremendous health benefits: a brisk walk of 30 minutes a day can help to lessen the risk of heart attacks by around 50%.

Swimming is perhaps the best form of exercise for weight loss, and like walking helps to improve fitness; it also builds muscle, which helps the body to burn more calories, even when resting. Swimming is also an excellent slimming aid for people who may have trouble walking or performing aerobic exercise. A regular routine of swimming can help improve the general health and fitness of the exerciser.

Exercise machines are a popular method of improving fitness, and for the person with access to them are superb methods of losing weight through exercise. The treadmill, stationary bike or cross-trainer are all good at burning calories – studies have suggested that the treadmill is the most effective, with the exercise bike much lower than might be expected – the latter, however, can support the weight of a heavier person, reducing the impact of exercise.

Running is probably the single best form of exercise for weight loss; by itself it can increase general physical health and reduce stress and the risk of heart attacks and diabetes. Running should be combined with a strength or resistance training program to get the greatest benefits of both calorie burning and stamina and muscle building. Running a few days a week will help weight loss and encourage fitness.

Exercising is perhaps the single best thing that anyone can do to improve their health. Even people with long-term chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or arthritis, can benefit from regular exercise. On a regular basis it improves the mental condition, helps the body to recover faster, and boosts the health. For people with diabetes, for example, the best form of exercise for weight loss can also help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and ease problems such as joint pain; it will also help with better control of the condition, boosting health.

Beware of imitators! While there have been diet programs in the past named after the Mayo clinic, there is only one diet plan that is endorsed and created by the Mayo clinic. The true mayo clinic diet plans are backed by the clinics own food pyramid and have been developed with dietitians to be nutritionally balanced.

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It's more about eating well balanced, nutritious meals forever, than a quick hit diet to lose a few pounds quickly.

The plan basically boils down to providing your body with the nutrients it needs and keeping the simple carbohydrates to a minimum. The plan stresses unlimited amounts of fruits and vegetables and more limited amounts of grains. Eating so many fruits and vegetables will actually lessen your desire to eat a lot of sugars over time...another benefit of the diet, fewer sweet cravings! Another benefit of a high fruit and vegetable diet is that you will be getting a lot of your necessary fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Providing your body with the nutrients it needs will keep it healthy and also make it run more efficiently, all while you are losing weight. While losing weight may be your primary goal, it's important to remember that providing your body with the fuel it needs so it can fight off illnesses and infections, is also a very worthy and important goal.

Of course, as with any good weight loss program, this diet encourages a well rounded approach to weight loss and health. It encourages not just diet changes but implementing some forms of exercise too.

This isn't some quick fix diet, it's a lifestyle change that will encourage you to make healthier choices for the rest of your life. By making these lifestyle changes you can not only lose weight on this plan but you'll be able to effortlessly keep it off for the rest of your life. No more yo-yo dieting!

This diet plan focuses on healthy choices rather than an ultra restrictive food plan. The plan teaches you how to pick more healthy foods that have fewer calories, but that can also help you feel full longer. Foods such as fruits and vegetables will give you a bigger bang for your buck: low calorie, fuller longer.

Following this program can realistically allow you to lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds a week. By adding exercise to your diet you can bump up your weekly weight loss a little bit, plus you'll be building muscle which will make it easier for your body to burn more calories throughout the day, no matter what you are doing.

This diet plan comes with a complete online resource to help you with your goals.

When it comes to finding a good weight loss plan be careful of all the mayo clinic diet plans out there. Instead find the one that is actually created by a real clinic that factors the nutritional benefit in with the weight loss benefit to give you a truly well rounded weight loss approach that is healthy and sustainable.

Many people struggle with their weight; diets can cause some loss, but that weight will often be gained straight back once normal eating patterns are resumed. Exercise is the most reliable way of losing weight and keeping it off; but it can be difficult to decide what are the best exercises for weight loss.

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Anyone planning to embark on an exercise regime should consider their fitness levels and age. There is no benefit to taking on a plan of exercise which is beyond the abilities of the exerciser. If exercise has not been done for many years, for example a sedentary office job with a car-ride to and from work, then the most commonly used exercises for weight loss may not be suitable.

It is also necessary to consider what is the intention of taking exercise; is it merely to lose a few pounds, or does the person also want to boost their general health, reduce heart problems, or diminish the risk of vascular problems and diabetes? A cardio fitness regime can combine the best exercises for weight loss with improvement in fitness and cardiovascular systems.

Walking is one of the best exercises for weight loss for sedentary people; begin with a daily walk of about 30 minutes, and then build up to a 45 minute daily walk. Improvements in health and fitness should become clear after only a few weeks; and walking is a relatively risk-free activity.

Once walking has begun improving the health, it is time to consider adding to the range of exercises. Regular fitness regimes should contain a combination of both aerobic or cardio work outs, the best exercises for weight loss, and strength training, which builds muscles and encourages the metabolism.

A good aerobic exercise for weight loss is running: a regular program of running burns more calories than other kinds of aerobic exercise; it produces endorphins which improve feelings of well-being and help reduce stress, and can boost general health, lowering risks of diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

When struggling to lose weight, many people concentrate upon aerobic exercise and ignore the benefits of a strength-training program. This is a mistake, as even a light amount of resistance training, done regularly, an improve the resting metabolic rate – a rise in metabolism which encourages greater burning of calories even when sitting down.

Cardio alone can build this metabolic rate up, and it lasts for about three hours after the exercise; but with strength training, this resting metabolic rate can stay higher for between 10 and 15 hours. In addition, strength and resistance training create more muscles – muscle is the most metabolically active of all the body’s systems, so the more muscle you have, the more rapidly you burn calories.

A combination of running and weight training are the best exercises for losing weight and keeping it off; begin with a low-impact walking regime if necessary, and remember to build muscle each week in order to benefit from a rise in resting metabolic rate. Aerobic and resistance training together help the body burn more calories and fat.

One of the best ways to get a good workout these days is to use an exercise video. How do you find the best exercise video for weight loss? The best exercise video for losing weight for someone else might not be the best one for you.

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Much like the meals we eat and the movies we enjoy, the type of exercise we do is a very personal choice. Your spouse or best friend might really enjoy running. But if you hate running, it's not going to be the best weight-loss exercise for you.

Why should you spend five days a week doing an activity that you dislike? Even if it's the best way to lose weight for most people, hating it will simply make you less likely to do it. So you need to find an exercise that you enjoy.

When you're trying to find the best weight-loss exercise video, you might have to go through a few before you find one you really like. There are so many to choose from today, but at least you have a good chance of finding several you enjoy.

If you don't want to purchase these DVDs and end up with a collection of exercise videos that you won't use, you can rent them to try them before you buy. You may be able to find them at your local library so that you don't even have to pay to rent them.

Trying several different ones is important. You can find weight-loss videos that let you walk in place in front of your television. If walking in place for 30 to 60 minutes is something that you think you would enjoy, there are several series of this type weight loss video.

There are weight-loss videos that lead you through aerobic dancing routines. You can find hundreds of these all based around a different type of dance and different fitness levels. Then there are the standard workouts with things like jumping jacks and some form of adaptive kickboxing moves.

If you love dancing or think you would enjoy that for exercise than there are so many different videos you could never possibly try them all. Rent or borrow from the library until you find a few that you enjoy and then purchase them.

You might run into a situation where you enjoy the exercise and the workout, but don't like the instructor. Don't give up on that particular weight-loss exercise video. Once you become familiar with the moves, you can turn the volume down and play music while you do it.

Also, don't be too swayed by other people's reviews of these weight-loss exercise videos. If you're looking online for a video, you might be hesitant about trying the weight loss DVD because some other people didn't like it. But you don't know them, their fitness levels or their personalities. And exercise is a personal choice.

The best exercise video for weight loss for you might be one that lots of other people didn't really enjoy.

It is important you follow recipes for a detox diet very carefully or you will not get the best results from your efforts.

2010-11-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

Some people believe that they can do it themselves without guidance. This can work but it is much better to have some input from a trained professional. They will know which foods work best and what ones should be avoided at all costs.

A simple cleansing diet works best although some people prefer to go on a fast for the first couple of days. During the fasting period, they will only drink water or natural fruit and vegetable juices. This won't do you any harm for a couple of days but should not be sustained for much longer than that. You need additional vitamins and minerals in order for your body to work at its optimum level.

At the beginning of a detox you are likely to suffer some headaches and nausea. This is a sign that the program is working. The symptoms won't last long so be kind to yourself and try and rest as much as possible until they pass.

Carrots and watercress make a lovely refreshing juice as does red pepper, tomato and coriander. If you like drinking tomato juice but find it a bit bland, try adding some black pepper. You could also add fresh basil and garlic.

Apple and fennel are great together as are carrots and lemon. Some people tell me that combining carrot, pear, lettuce and parsley makes a lovely drink but I have to admit it is not one that I have personally tried.

When you are juicing at home, try to only make as much as you will immediately consume. Fresh juices do not keep and start to deteriorate very quickly. If you are serious, you will only eat or juice organic fruit and vegetables. The whole idea of this plan is to rid our bodies of toxins and using produce treated with pesticides defeats this purpose. If you cannot afford organic, peel and wash all the fruit and vegetables very carefully.

If you like soup, try this cleansing vegetable soup. You will need 1kg of mixed vegetables including onion, leek, celery, carrots, parsnip, spinach, fennel, broccoli, watercress and peppers. Add four garlic cloves and some tomatoes. Clean and chop all the ingredients and cover with water. Add 2 spoons of chopped fresh herbs. Bring to the boil and cook until the vegetables are soft – don’t make them into mush. If you like smooth soup, puree it. It freezes very well so you can make additional portions to use later. Season with black pepper and some lemon juice, if liked, when you serve.

When making salads, try adding a couple of spoons of home roasted nuts and seeds to add flavor and nutrients. Some good ones to try are pumpkin seeds, pine kernels or poppy seeds.

Following a weight loss program is never easy but having recipes for a detox diet makes it a whole lot simpler.

If your son is obese or heading that way you should be looking at diet plans for overweight teenage boys.

2010-11-30T06:57:00.000-08:00

Studies show that kids learn from their parents and that includes their eating habits. So if your children are suffering from weight problems, perhaps the whole household could do with remodeling! We know that you need to combine healthy eating and moderate exercise in order to become slimmer and more toned.

Before you do anything, try not to make a big deal of your son's issue. Teenagers are self conscious enough and you do not want him to feel worse than he probably already does. All those hormones raging around are difficult enough to deal with never mind overanxious parents. I am not suggesting you ignore the problem, quite the opposite. Just don't tell him that he needs to lose lots of weight.

The first thing you need to do is take your son for a full medical checkup. This is to ensure that there is no underlying condition causing his weight gain. Also if he is obese, you should follow your doctor's advice with regard to suitable activities as well as a recommended calorie intake and suitable weight loss program.

Eating is a pleasant activity and food is there to be enjoyed and this is the attitude we need to adopt in our homes. As soon as you start banning particular items, you are almost guaranteed that your child will want them. Instead, we need to re-educate them gently into the ways of healthy eating. Mention the word diet and you will probably have a rebellion on your hands. So don't mention low calorie or low fat, but just gradually swop the obvious items. For example if they like cottage cheese, get the one made with skimmed milk and use low fat mayonnaise.

You can reduce your child's calorie intake subtly so that they may not even notice. For example, try slightly reducing the size of their meals. If they love pizza or curry, make your own at home. You can reduce the fat and salt content thereby helping them to lose pounds. Encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables. Ok so that last one may not be easy but there are ways around everything. Think of how you used to mask vegetables when they were toddlers i.e. in soups, blended into tomato sauces etc.

Review their overall level of activity. It may be that your teenager already has a healthy diet but just doesn't work out enough. Try encouraging him to take up extra activities such as ball games, swimming, running etc. While he might not want to go out walking, he could be interested in golf.

Be careful with the type of exercise program you choose. The American Academy of Pediatrics say children shouldn't try to lift heavy weights, power lifting or bodybuilding until they have stopped growing. Boys can continue to grow until they are 18 or more.

Diet plans for overweight teenage boys are similar to those for the rest of us. It is not rocket science just healthy eating combined with regular exercise.

If you're carrying around some pounds you want to get rid of, then you need to do some cardio exercise for weight loss. If that sounds horrifying, don't worry. There are many forms of cardio exercise that you're sure to enjoy.

2010-11-30T03:56:00.000-08:00

If you've not been exercising or doing any form of cardio exercise for a long time, you might feel really intimidated by the idea of starting. But you shouldn't be. Cardio exercise can be something as simple as taking a brisk walk.

You don't have to buy tights and leg warmers. There is no requirement as far as fashion or equipment to start out doing some good weight loss cardio. You don't even need an exercise DVD. Step out your door and walk briskly for about 20 to 30 minutes, or as long as you're comfortable at first.

If you'd like to try something besides walking, aerobic dancing is a good choice. You can just dance around your living room, but an exercise DVD is a good way to do it. You can find DVDs that will let you do basic dancing moves. Or you can choose a weight loss DVD of salsa dancing or belly dancing, and almost any kind of dancing you think you'd enjoy.

Cycling, swimming, hiking, and any type of activity that gets your heart rate and your breathing up are aerobic activities. That means it's a cardio workout. Doing any of these things for at least 30 minutes four times a week is a great way to use cardio to lose weight. It

Specifically for weight loss though, the best thing to do is to change up your exercise routine. If you start taking brisk walks for five times a week, that's wonderful. It will help you lose weight and it's good for your body. But you can lose weight even more efficiently and build your endurance more efficiently if you vary your routine.

Instead of just walking, try to also incorporate jogging or running. Walk for a few minutes, and then run for a little while to get some cardio work in. You can time the sessions or you can just do it as you feel it. This is called circuit training.

If you're cycling for cardio exercise, cycle at a leisurely pace for a few minutes and then go very quickly. If you're on an exercise bike, cycle at a normal pace for a while and then spin like mad. The same goes for any exercise that you do. If you're walking or cycling, using hills for this type of thing is wonderful.

You can also circuit training in another sense. Choose brisk walking one day, and then the next go for cycling or aerobic dancing. You can easily get into a rut doing the same thing every time.

Doing the same type of exercise is better than nothing, and it's wonderful. But if you can change it up a little bit, the cardio exercise for weight loss that you do will be more effective.

If you ask a very fit person what the best type of exercise for weight loss is, they'll tell you the type of exercise they do every day. But they are probably wrong. That might be right for them, but the best weight loss exercise for you can be totally different.

2010-11-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

If you just want to know the best exercise for burning calories, then running ranks at the top of the list. But that's not the same as the best exercise for losing weight. If you enjoy running and find it something that you can do several times a week, then running might be best for you. But most likely, something else will be better.

The best exercise for weight loss is very simply the one you will do. If you can get motivated to run for 30 minutes or five times a week, then it could be best for you. If you hate running or you can't run, then obviously trying to run won't do you any good.

If you're already fit, then you're probably already doing the best exercises for you. But if you need to lose weight, the best type of exercise to start with is probably walking.

You don't have to walk a mile a minute to get a benefit from the exercise. You can start out at a pretty leisurely pace. If you think you can walk for 30 minutes straight, then do that. If that seems like a challenge, then start with 15 minutes or even 10. Whatever you can do is the best thing to do.

Your goal should be to walk at least 30 minutes at a brisk pace at least 3 to 4 times a week. If you can do it every day, that's even better. And when 30 minutes is less of a challenge, aim for 45 minutes. When 45 minutes seems pretty easy to you, then walk for an hour.

If you never do any exercise but walking, you will greatly improve your health. And you will lose weight, as long as you're eating healthy, too. Eating Ding-Dongs and high-fat foods all day long will keep you from losing weight, probably no matter how much you walk. But a good diet with a walking routine will help you lose weight and get in better shape.

When you start to lose weight, if you're comfortable with the idea of jogging or running, that can be the best exercise to help you lose weight more quickly. Or if you hit a plateau where you're not losing weight, adding some jogging or running can help break you out of that.

You do need to be careful with running, however. You can hurt your knees or injure yourself and be unable to walk or run for a while. Try other activities like swimming or cycling if you're unsure.

The best type of exercise for weight loss needs to be something that you can do frequently. So walking is the easiest and safest exercise to help you lose weight.

If you are looking to lose excess weight, you may be tempted to try the hospital three day diet. It has become popular as it can result in the loss of ten pounds in three days. It allegedly got its name from a hospital using it on cardiac patients who needed to lose weight before they had surgery.

2010-11-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

With this eating plan, you have to follow very specific rules and cannot swop different foods. You should also drink plenty of water. Some people have said that you can replace the water with diet soda but personally I think this defeats the object of the exercise. Diet drinks contain hidden calories and ingredients that are not good for a healthy body so are best avoided. Not only that but carbonated liquids have been linked to cellulite.

You have a set menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The idea is that you follow the plan for three days, and then eat normally and if you wish to slim down further, you start the regime again. Most of the weight you lose happens as the daily calorie intake is capped at circa 1000.

This is the first problem as the World Health Organization recommends that you eat at least 1200 but preferably between 1400 and 1500 a day unless you are under medical supervision. Ideally you shouldn't diet below your own basal metabolic rate. This is the rate at which your body burns energy when you aren't doing anything. For most people this is around the 1500 calorie level. Your body may decide that you are being starved and thus reduce your metabolism rate making it harder to shift those pounds.

The WHO also suggest that you shouldn't lose more than 1-2lbs per week. Obviously the hospital three day diet is aimed at losing 10 pounds or more so you can see why people in the medical profession are concerned about the popularity of this plan.

There are other drawbacks with this regime. For a start, you should like tuna as it is one of the main foods. You can also eat grapefruit, some cheese, crackers and eggs. Unusually bread is not forbidden as it is on similar plans.

You are very likely to feel hungry and miserable so I wouldn't start until you are away from work. Your family may want you to be away from them too if the starvation makes you miserable! To be honest, there are better ways to achieve a slimmer toned you.

Eating less food is a great start but do it gradually and your body and mind are less likely to notice. Eat regular small meals to increase your metabolism rate. Drink some green tea and grapefruit juice as both contain fat busting enzymes to help speed up the process. Taking more exercise will increase the amount of energy you consume helping the pounds to fall off.

Fad diets like the hospital three day diet are best avoided. Most of the weight you lose will be regained as you haven't retrained your body into accepting a new healthy eating regime.

The best form of exercise for weight loss is a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training. Doing one or the other will help a great deal. But when you combine the two correctly, it's much easier to meet your weight loss goals.

2010-11-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

First of all, strength training can be done by almost anyone. Even people with enormous amounts of weight to lose who would have trouble doing things like running or even walking very far can do some form of strength training.

When a person is very out of shape and unused to doing things like walking, strength training is necessary for them to move up to aerobic exercise. Someone with bad knees or problems standing can sit in a chair and do basic strength training that will help them eventually become able to do more.

Strength training doesn't just mean dumbbells and bicep curls. You can use a variety of things like the elastic bands that are common in exercise today. These are wonderful because even just playing with them helps build your strength.

Anyone starting an exercise program for weight loss can benefit from using these types of tools. Even the most out of shape person can sit in a chair and do arm exercises with these bands. Standing on the end of the band and pulling it up simulates a bicep curl. Simply holding it with both hands and pulling arms outward tones your arms and your chest.

You won't build the muscles up like your body builder. It will actually make them smaller because active muscle tissue takes up less room than inactive tissue. So you'll build your strength while toning your body. And toned muscles burn fat more efficiently.

By doing strength training, will not only increase your endurance and your ability to do aerobic exercise, but you'll make your body burn fat faster. It's unwise to do strength training every day, because your muscles need a day of rest to really benefit from the strength training. Aim for 15 to 30 minutes of strength training every other day.

The aerobic part of your exercise plan for weight loss should include at least a couple different activities. Doing the same thing every time is better than nothing. But circuit training, which is nothing more than changing your activities, will help you achieve more weight loss faster. It'll also help keep you from getting bored.

An excellent way to start exercising, especially if you haven't been exercising for a long time, is to simply take a walk. Start out slowly and don't push yourself too hard at first, because you don't want to injure yourself or burn out too quickly. There's no need to start out on your very first day with a power walk that makes you gasp for air.

Do something that you enjoy like walking or swimming at a pace that doesn't push you too hard in the beginning. The best form of exercise for weight loss is one that you'll do consistently, so it's important to choose something you enjoy.

I know what you are thinking when you read the title of this article - Amazing peanut butter diet? I must be whacked out! How can you eat butter made from peanuts and still lose weight? But it is actually true.

2010-11-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

There are some foodstuffs that boost your metabolism allowing you to burn calories faster. The diet industry calls them super foods. Peanut butter is full of protein which helps to build lean muscle. Muscles burn calories faster than other organs.

You will have to forgo the jelly and bread though so sandwiches are out of the picture. If you like smoothies, you can combine the butter with some blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. Add some ice and whisk it all up into a power shake. Of course you can’t drink bucket loads of this or sit eating jars of your favorite brand and expect to lose pounds.

Life doesn’t work like that.

You still need to follow a healthy eating program combined with daily exercise. But the sad truth is that most dieters fail as they feel miserable and deprived as soon as they hear the word diet. So if you follow a plan that allows you treats you are more likely to succeed.

You may also want to introduce other power foods such as green and black beans. They help fill you up without adding on loads of calories. You won’t always be hungry which is unusual particularly at the beginning of most weight loss courses. Eating four or five small meals a day rather than three large ones will also help you to keep shedding the pounds. The worst thing you can do is to try to starve yourself as your body will think you are actually in danger of starving and will stop you losing any weight at all.

Drinking green tea may also help you in your goal to become slimmer. It apparently contains fat burning agents, they may account for the rather funny taste. Fish is also great for losing weight but not the deep fried variety. Tuna and Salmon contain Omega 3 acids, essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind. If you eat the tinned variety look for those packed in spring water. You do not need the extra salt that comes from brine nor the calories contained in oil.

I hope you are getting the idea that losing weight does not mean you have to start surviving on boring salads. You would be depriving your system of vital nutrients and minerals if you were to do this. We need to eat as wide a range of foods as possible. But be sensible i.e. lean meats, chicken, fruit and vegetable are the way forward rather than bread, cereals and white pasta.

Some recent studies have shown that diets high in peanuts and other nuts were great at reducing cholesterol and by connection your risk of heart disease, stroke and other potentially fatal illnesses. So try combining the amazing peanut butter diet with sensible eating and moderate exercise and see how many pounds you lose.

Women often struggle to lose weight by slimming alone; weight may also climb back on once the diet ends, despite efforts to exercise. Females take longer to lose weight than men, and often women require a different kind of exercise in order to help then lose weight. Women may despair, and find it difficult to know what the best exercise for weight loss is for them.

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After having a baby, new mothers may also find it harder to lose the pregnancy pounds – and what has worked for them previously may not be the best way to lose excess weight caused by childbirth.

Due to these factors, women often feel like giving up on exercise, and this is a mistake, as there are many exercises to help with weight loss: so here is a guide to some of the most suitable exercise regimes.

CARDIO: Cardio exercise has long been considered the best exercise for weight loss for women and men; even something as simple as a walk can help to burn calories, without putting strain on the body. Aerobic group exercise may be the first step towards helping women to lose weight in a regular way.

BREATHING EXERCISE: Kapalbhati Pranayam is the a great method of losing weight for women who have trouble moving around; air is forced through the nose in a forceful manner, and inhalation is passive. This exercise is sometimes not recommended for people with epilepsy or heart disease, but for healthy but overweight women

STRENGTH TRAINING: This is rapidly replacing cardio in medical opinion as the most effective weight loss method for women.

Strength training helps build muscle, which burns more calories than simple cardio by itself.

RUNNING: Many professional women take up running as a hobby, since it is both an excellent method of burning calories, and it also helps to relax the body and boost the mood of the runner. In fact, running may be the best exercise for weight loss for women, as it can also help to diminish the risk of osteoporosis.

Running is less expensive than a gym membership or the requirements of buying fitness machines; it protects women against heart attacks and stress related illnesses, also has positive emotional effects such as improvements in self-esteem and confidence.

Running can be the best exercise for losing weight in the stomach, buttocks and thigh areas: the abdominal muscles are used when running; legs and buttocks are exercised thoroughly, and it is also an excellent cardio workout for the entire body.

Running is by far the best exercise for women hoping to improve their general health; doctors sometimes recommend running as a way to reduce the risk of developing heart problems, diabetes, hypertension and stroke; there is evidence that it may also help women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer.

Running can improve the levels of cholesterol in the blood, diminish the risk of blood clots, and improve lung capacity. It also benefits the immune system by increasing white blood cell production.

In conclusion, it is clear that the best exercise for losing weight and improving health for women is running: it is cheap, beneficial, and can help women to relax after a stressful day at work.

Medtronic’s Ardian Purchase is a Bet on New Anti-Hypertension Tech

2010-11-29T03:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday medical-device giant Medtronic said it would buy Ardian, which makes an anti-hypertension device not yet approved by the FDA, for $800 million plus milestone payments.

Here’s the Dow Jones Newswires story, here’s a Daily-Start Up blog post that mentions the deal and here’s Medtronic’s press release.

You might not have thought of hypertension as a market for device-makers. But as DJN reports, Medtronic called treating uncontrolled high blood pressure via devices one of the most “exciting growth markets” for the industry. Boston Scientific has said the market could someday be as big as $5 billion.

Ardian’s system, called “renal denervation,” uses a catheter with an electrode on its tip. It is threaded from the groin into the renal artery and then to the kidney, where it zaps the renal artery wall with radio-frequency energy. That kills nerves involved with hypertension. It’s available on a limited basis outside the U.S., DJN says.

One reason researchers believe the procedure is safe is that these nerves aren?t connected in kidney transplant patients, to no apparent ill effects.? Still, the long-term effects of renal denervation aren?t fully understood. Also unknown is whether the ablated nerves will eventually grow back.

The WSJ’s Ron Winslow wrote last year about Ardian’s system, as well as another company’s approach that involves implanting a pacemaker-like device in the chest, with leads wrapped around neck arteries to affect receptors that play a role in hypertension.

As Winslow wrote then, this is all a bit of a throwback:

More than a half-century ago, doctors treating patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure might resort to crude and invasive methods such as severing nerves or zapping neck arteries with an electrical charge. Both strategies reduced blood pressure, but the procedures came with such major complications that they were reserved essentially for life-and-death situations. With the development of modern drugs, the treatments fell by the wayside.

Positive data on Ardian’s system was presented at last week’s American Heart Association meeting. (Here’s Ardian’s press release and here’s the study published in the Lancet.)

The trial that would be used as the basis for FDA approval is expected to launch in 2011, DJN says.

Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr

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Cancer Drugs Affected By Ongoing Shortages

2010-11-28T23:08:00.000-08:00

After we wrote about the ongoing problem of drug shortages, we heard from one of our readers.

“I start chemotherapy tomorrow and was to take adriamycin (generic doxorubicin),” she begins. But:

My oncologist called today to say there is a shortage so I have to have an alternative … I have enough stress right now with the diagnosis of breast cancer, surgery recovery and now this. What is the real answer to this shortage? I am told cancer patients all over the country are being told the same.

Indeed, several chemotherapy drugs are among those most in demand, Cynthia Reilly, director of the practice development division at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, tells the Health Blog. The group keeps a list of all medications and vaccines in short supply; it now numbers more than 140. (When the WSJ wrote about shortages in 2002, the list stood at 40.) The FDA has its own list, but it’s shorter than ASHP’s because it tracks only drugs deemed medically necessary.

Drug shortages occur for a range of reasons that vary by medication: the unavailability of raw ingredients, FDA enforcement actions that halt production, voluntary recalls, poor inventory ordering, a change in product formulation and even rumors of an impending shortage, which can cause hoarding, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. When drugs are made only by a few suppliers, any one manufacturer can have a huge impact, Michael Link, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, tells the Health Blog.

According to the ASHP’s entry on doxorubicin products, one producer reported an unexpected increase in demand, another suffered manufacturing issues and a third didn’t offer a reason.

Vincristine, used to treat leukemia and pediatric cancers, among others, has also been affected by increased demand and manufacturing problems, according to ASHP. One maker of etoposide, for testicular cancer and small-cell lung cancer, was beset by manufacturing delays, while others couldn’t provide an explanation, ASHP says. And cisplatin, which Link says is very important for use against testicular cancer, is also on the ASHP’s list.

“These are drugs that have become mainstays of curative therapy” for both pediatric and adult cancers, Link says. And for many of them, there are no good workarounds or alternatives — randomized trials have shown them to improve outcomes when added to standard treatment, he says. “When we’re forced to treat patients without that drug, we know we are giving suboptimal treatment,” he says. “And it’s adding stress at a time when [patients] can ill afford it.”

Link and Reilly were among the attendees at a drug shortages summit convened earlier this month by their organizations, the ISMP and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Manufacturers and representatives of regulatory agencies also attended. In addition to establishing working groups to study longer-term solutions to the problem, the group explored some short-term measures, including pushing back expiration dates when they are arbitrary, Link says.

Image: iStockphoto

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A.M. Vitals: Johnson & Johnson Recalls Kids’ Benadryl, Motrin

2010-11-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Another Recall: Even as some of its recalled kids’ medicines make their way back to store shelves, Johnson & Johnson announced another recall — this one of about 4.8 million packages of children’s Benadryl tablets and junior-strength Motrin caplets, the WSJ reports. But J&J says the drugs, which were made at the company’s trouble-plagued Fort Washington plant before it was temporarily closed, aren’t dangerous and that the recall is aimed at drugstores and suppliers. Consumers can keep taking the drugs, the company says.

Scanning Concerns: A new kind of CT scanner used in dental care is raising concerns over the radiation it delivers during kids’ orthodontic treatment, which isn’t likely dangerous in itself but adds to cumulative exposure, the New York Times reports. Cone-beam scanners, which produce 3D images, have been aggressively marketed as a way to produce more precise images, but there are few guidelines for their use, the paper reports.

Inspection Gap?: The FDA doesn’t typically inspect medical-device manufacturing facilities when the devices are being produced for use in clinical trials, the WSJ reports, citing people involved in the process. That gap may be dangerous; participants in a study of a stent-graft used to treat aortic aneurysms had an unusually high rate of blood clots, and physicians involved in the study as well as the company say that was due to a manufacturing issue.

STD Snapshot: The picture on sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. is mixed, with gonorrhea rates dipping to a record low in 2009 but rates of chlamydia and syphilis continuing to climb, the Los Angeles Times reports, citing new stats from the CDC. Herpes and HPV are far more common, but those three are the only STDs physicians are required to report to the government agency.

Image: iStockphoto

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‘Love & Other Drugs’: Viagra Sales Rep as Romantic Lead?

2010-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend is a big moviegoing opportunity, with at least one film that aims to please families, from Grandpa down to toddlers.

Unless you are 17 or older and also feel comfortable viewing many instances of onscreen nudity while sharing Milk Duds with blood relatives, “Love & Other Drugs” is not that movie.

The film is of interest to the Health Blog, though, because the male lead, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a Pfizer sales rep, responsible for persuading doctors to switch to Zoloft from Prozac and eventually, to sell them on the then-revolutionary Viagra. (The movie’s action begins in 1996.)

Gyllenhaal’s character also meets a patient (played by Anne Hathaway) on the job and ends up romancing her — quite explicitly, according to the reviews we read this morning, which were mixed. (Here are links to reviews from New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and RottenTomatoes.com’s amalgamation of reviews.)

The way he first encounters Hathaway’s character, by pretending to be an intern so he can see her with her shirt off, as well as other instances of untoward sales practices and conduct, isn’t pleasing Pfizer so much. As the WSJ reported last month, a spokesman for the drug giant said that based on the trailer alone, “we do not condone the sales practices portrayed.” He continued: “They do not conform to our policies and procedures, which hold our employees to high ethical standards.”

Yesterday, Pfizer released a statement reminding viewers the company was not involved in the film’s production. And — spoiler alert! — the company said it was “glad to see appropriate attention paid to the complex challenges facing Parkinson’s disease patients and their families,” noting that Pfizer scientists are among those seeking a cure and improved therapies for that and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The movie’s director, Ed Zwick, told the WSJ that he consulted with physicians and pharma reps to “get the details right,” including instances of reps discussing how to promote off-label use of drugs. Pfizer, of course, paid $2.3 billion last year to settle allegations of improper marketing of its painkiller Bextra, which is no longer on the market, and other open investigations.

If this pharma-industry-as-movie-backdrop thing works out, we can suggest Zwick’s next project: a biopic based on the sales rep who blew the whistle on both AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly, getting a chunk of the companies’ multi-million dollar settlements with the government.

(We should note that both the WSJ and 20th Century Fox, which is releasing the film, are owned by News Corp.)

Update: This post has been updated with a statement from Pfizer.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

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A.M. Vitals: Gilead Pill Cuts Risk of HIV Infection in Study

2010-11-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

Prevention Advance: A pill now used to treat HIV infections can also be used to prevent them in men who have sex with men, with a 73% lower risk of acquiring the virus for those who took the medication every day as directed, the WSJ reports. The pill, Truvada, is a combination of drugs and is made by Gilead. In the study of nearly 2,500 men, those receiving the drug as well as those given a placebo were instructed to also use condoms, though not all complied.

Declining Coverage?: A new poll finds 53% of 707 registered voters surveyed believe members of Congress who ran against the health-care overhaul law should turn down the government-sponsored coverage that is part of their congressional benefits, Politico reports. Meantime, NPR’s Shots Blog reports on the congressman-elect who ran against the health bill and then asked at orientation why his own coverage would take 28 days to kick in, and whether he could purchase government insurance in the meantime.

Combine and Conquer: A study published in JAMA shows that type 2 diabetics who regularly do both aerobic exercise and strength-training — but not either activity alone — lowered blood-sugar levels, the WSJ reports. Doing both forms of exercise also better promoted fat loss. The advice to do a combination of exercises applies to everyone, not just diabetics, the study’s lead author tells the paper.

Trimming the Salt: More packaged food companies — including Butterball, Snyder’s of Hanover and Hostess — have pledged to reduce salt levels in their products by 25% over the next five years, the Associated Press reports. Health departments in NYC and other cities are pushing the initiative, which with the new signers-on has 22 participants thus far, the AP says.

Image: iStockphoto

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CDC: Nearly Half of Cervical and Colorectal Cancers Caught Late

2010-11-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

Despite the availability of screening tests, almost half of cervical and colorectal cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed at late stages, when the disease is more difficult to treat.

That’s the conclusion of a CDC report out today, which also found that a third of breast-cancer cases are caught at a late stage. “More work is needed to widely implement evidence-based cancer screening tests which may lead to early detection and, ultimately, an increase in the number of lives saved,” said Marcus Plescia, director of the CDC’s division of cancer prevention and control, in a statement.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommendations for screening for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer (among other diseases.) So does the American Cancer Society. In the case of cervical and colon cancer, screening tests can actually help prevent disease, since they identify pre-cancerous lesions or abnormal cells that can be removed before they progress into a health threat.

Of course, screening tests aren’t perfect. Mammograms, for example, don’t catch all tumors — some aren’t visible on X-rays, and others grow quickly enough to become dangerous even when a woman has regular mammograms. And tests carry their own risks — of complications during a procedure, referral for further procedures that may cause harm and of finding and treating disease that wouldn’t have amounted to a health threat were it left alone.

But many people fail to get tests backed by scientific evidence and recommended by the USPSTF and ACS. The report says 62% of adults met recommended screening guidelines for colorectal cancer, while 81% of women aged 50-74 reported having a mammogram in the previous two years and 88% of women for whom cervical cancer screening was recommended said they’d received a Pap test in the previous three years.

The incidence of late-stage disease varied by age, ethnicity and geography, the CDC says. For example, black men and women tended to have both higher rates of late-stage cancer — as measured by number of cases per 100,000 people — and also higher percentages of late-stage cancer, meaning a larger proportion of total cancers caught at a late stage. Incidence of late-stage colorectal cancer also increased with age, and late-stage breast cancer incidence was highest among women aged 70-79. Late-stage cervical cancer incidence rates were highest among women aged 50-79 and Hispanics.

Read the full report for a list of the study’s limitations, including the self-reporting of screening tests and lack of high-quality incidence data for two states.

Further reading:

Image: iStockphoto

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Abbott, Roche, Gen-Probe Among Those Seeking XMRV Test

2010-11-28T02:48:00.000-08:00

As readers of this blog know, Amy Dockser Marcus has been all over the XMRV story, writing just last week about a study attempting to settle the question of whether the retrovirus is linked to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Today she writes in the WSJ about the push to develop tests to detect XMRV in the blood supply and to assess infection rates. On the government side, the CDC and National Cancer Institute are pursuing a test. So are Abbott, Gen-Probe and Roche, she reports.

Studies looking at the connection between XMRV and CFS have been conflicting. Research published in Science last year suggested a link, but some other scientists weren’t able to duplicate that finding.

Meantime, out of caution, an association of facilities that collect most of the U.S. blood supply this summer advised CFS patients not to donate blood.

It’s been difficult to reach consensus on identifying the virus in blood samples, so some researchers are turning to animal studies to confirm samples are infected, Dockser Marcus reports today. Others are using blood from chronic fatigue patients to develop their tests. One adapted a test used to detect HIV. Gen-Probe’s test looks for genetic material of XMRV in the blood.

The next step, Dockser Marcus writes, is to assess these tests outside of the research setting, with protocols for processing and handling blood.

Image: iStockphoto

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Without Darvon and Darvocet, What’s a Pain Sufferer to Do?

2010-11-27T23:13:00.000-08:00

Darvon and Darvocet have a lot of fans.

We learned that after writing last Friday that the FDA had requested manufacturers stop making the painkillers because of evidence that propoxyphene (the generic name for Darvon; Darvocet includes that ingredient plus acetaminophen) raises the risk of dangerous heart rhythm changes.

Public Citizen, which had long pressed for the drug’s removal, was happy; some (though definitely not all) Health Blog commenters were not:

“My mother is 95. She has an allergy to morphine. Darvon and Darvocet were the only pain meds that the PA could prescribe. What does she take now[?]“ wrote Kateb.

“I’ve been on Darvocet for 1 week now for a herniated disc/annular tear. I can’t take oxycodone because of severe vomiting. I figure I’ll just [be] careful and not over use it,” wrote LaLa.

And Sarah wrote: “I have taken this pain killer off and on for 30 years..I cannot tolerate ANY other. I have had severe reactions to anything morphine based or any synthetics that are similar to morphine, codeine etc. What is the alternative??”

There’s no single answer to that question, says Edward Michna, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who practices anesthesiology and pain management at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Responses to pain meds vary, and in many cases, medicine is “not sophisticated enough to understand why,” he says. (Michna is also chair of the American Pain Society’s public policy committee.)

Needless to say, patients who take Darvon or Darvocet should have a conversation with their physician about the next step. The drugs were indicated for mild to moderate pain, such as that from osteoarthritis, Michna tells the Health Blog. That might suggest a chat about switching to Tylenol, with or without codeine, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

But those have their downsides, too, he says. Codeine, for example, makes a lot of people nauseous or sparks other GI problems, while ibuprofen can cause GI bleeding.

Other drugs indicated for moderate to moderately severe pain, such as tramadol, and tapentadol (sold under the brand name Nucynta), for moderate to severe acute pain, may also be possibilities, says Michna. “In pain, we have to individualize care based on the individual and prior experience,” he says. (In some cases, that may mean your doctor will recommend trying more powerful painkillers such as oxycodone or hydrocodone-containing drugs, which are intended for serious pain.) Of course, all drugs have risks in addition to benefits, so be sure to ask your physician about those.

For those who have had success at pain control using propoxyphene, the transition may not be easy. “It’s hard for people to switch,” Michna says. And, he adds, despite the fact that pain is the most common reason for visiting a physician, we are still very ignorant about chronic pain, pointing to the need for more research — and funding.

Photo by greefus groinks via Flickr

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Another Recall at J&J — With More Likely to Come

2010-11-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

Johnson & Johnson announced another recall of Tylenol products today.

This one’s a bit different from other production-related recalls that have plagued the company recently. The almost 9.3 million bottles of three Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom products are being pulled due to a labeling issue — the front-of-the-bottle label didn’t disclose the small (less than 1% of the product) amount of alcohol present. The labels on the back of the bottle and on the packaging did disclose the ingredient, the WSJ reports. J&J says there’s no reason consumers shouldn’t use the products.

Moreover, the paper says, “The company has indicated more such actions are likely, as it tries to bring its manufacturing up to compliance under the watchful eye of regulators.” J&J has been reviewing its operations and that ongoing process is likely to lead to more recalls, the WSJ says.

Another result from that review: earlier this week, the WSJ reported that the company told drugstores and suppliers to return about 4.8 million bottles of children’s Benadryl and Motrin. Again, there weren’t any health problems associated with the products — which is why J&J says consumers can keep the drugs and continue to take them — but they were made at the company’s Fort Washington, Pa., plant before it was temporarily closed to address manufacturing deficiencies.

In the putting-it-back-on-the-shelves rather than taking-it-off-the-shelves category, J&J children’s medicines recalled in May are beginning to make their way back to drugstores.

Photo: Associated Press

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Toy-Related Deaths Fell in 2009, CPSC Says

2010-11-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

Some good news for parents as they gear up for holiday shopping: fewer kids died in toy-related incidents last year, and while there were more toy-related ER visits, in 96% of cases victims were treated and released, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Moreover, the number of toy recalls is on the decline, with 44 in fiscal 2010, down from 50 in 2009 and 172 in 2008, the CPSC says.

Now obviously, any toy-related death is too many. But the numbers are coming down — 12 deaths of kids under 15 in 2009, following 24 deaths each in 2007 and 2008. (These reported fatalities are associated with toys, but not necessarily caused by them.)

Riding toys including tricycles were associated with more than half the fatal accidents, often by drowning when the toy goes into a pool or ditch.

Scooters were associated with 49,500, or 27%, of ER-treated, toy-related injuries last year. That’s up from 42,900 scooter-related injuries in 2008.

In total, there were 185,900 ER-treated injuries associated with toys in the under-15 age group, a number that has been steadily growing since 2005.

Image: iStockphoto

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Hospitals 'struggling' to protect patient data

2010-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's not as if no one raised this concern. But the train was leaving the station regardless.

If one overlooked (not to say, ignored) consequence of HITECH's agressive promotion of not-quite-ready-for-prime-time electronic medical records technology is now that the risk of having my medical records compromised has increased (which it surely has if almost 60% of administrators have no confidence in their security), can I, the patient, sue the government for damages when my records are lost, stolen or hacked? Probably not. So the benefits of electronic medical records flows to govt, big insurance and big medicine, but the risks, damages and costs go to the patient and the healthcare institution.

Spending $2B after the fact, "managing security breaches" does not ensure that the actual damages of these reported breaches have been rectified. That's just what it cost to try to comply with regulations. As a patient, I may never know the real cost and consequences of my medical records being breached in terms of hiring decisions (for example, "increased insurance cost for existing diabetic condition"), promotion ("father had heart condition - too much risk"), social stigma ("been to a psychiatrist twice for depression"), etc., decisions which could all be made behind closed doors and never disclosed to me. I could never recoup damages because I could never prove they happened. Notifying me that a breach occurred doesn't come close to fixing it.

In addition, a "significant number" of breaches (like maybe "most"?) are probably unreported. So the damages are actually even higher. Which certainly means that the unforeseen costs of eventually increasing security to an appropriate level are not in the already marginal ROI calculations offered by advocates of aggressive EMR adoption.

Believe it or not, I am decidedly FOR EMR adoption for a whole lot of good reasons, but the implementation so far, politically driven with a penchant for simply ignoring any downsides because the votes to do so are there, is extremely frustrating.

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Healthcare sector among top adopters of iPad

2010-11-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

REDWOOD CITY, CA – The healthcare sector is among the top three industries seeing the heaviest adoption of the iPad for business use, according to data from Good Technology, a Redwood City-based provider of multiplatform enterprise mobility.

The data comes from an analysis of Good Technology's user base, which includes more than 4,000 enterprise customers, whose iPad deployments range from one to more than 1,000 iPads.

"We took a close look at our customers who have deployed iPad devices so far," said John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Good Technology. "We found that the financial services sector dominated, accounting for 36 percent of Good's iPad activations to date. The technology sector came in second at 11 percent, followed closely by healthcare at 10 percent. We believe these industries are embracing the iPad because its unique design makes it easier to perform time-sensitive, mission-critical tasks."

One reason the iPad is being adopted in the industry is because hospitals' current mobile devices have become a "barrier" due to their size, weight and battery life, said Nick Volosin, ISS director of technical services at Kaweah Delta Health Care District in California. The hospital is considering using the iPad in areas like pharmacy, emergency, dietary, home health, hospice, clinical engineering/bioMed and for private practice physicians and nursing supervisors.

According to feedback from the hospital's emergency department the iPad is also a potential cost saver. The emergency department estimates that it could trade a COW (computer on wheels), which costs $7,500, for three iPads, costing $1,500.

Kaweah Delta Health Care District is also looking into having the iPad work with a barcode scanner for a portable device for MAK (Medication Administration Check), which helps prevent medication errors, said Volosin.

Electronic medical records applications that are specifically designed for the iPad could be another reason why adoption in the healthcare industry may see more growth. Experts predict that the iPad could even be a "game changer" for EHR adoption.

According to one study, sales of tablets to the healthcare industry could reach $63 million by 2013.

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San Francisco Dept. of Health rolls out EHRs to 800 docs

2010-11-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

Having worked in the VA for about 28 years and having worked in a primary care clinic that had purchased eClinicalWorks, I was able to compare VA VisTa with eClinicalWorks. VA VisTa's CPRS has a free text clinical note centric means of entering clinical information with availability of templates, clinical practice guidelines, CPOE and "form filled hypertext" entry of information into the clinical note. CPRS has an annotatable problem list where one can annotate key information per problem over time.

eClinicalWorks has a template driven centric means of entering clinical information with availability of relatively small "cells" where free text information can be entered. eClinicalWorks did not have an annotatable problem list or one where it is possible to enter problems that are not ICD-9 coded (as of when I last used it in Oct 2008). In a visit to the eClinicalWorks website and a call to their sales line, I was unable to affirm that they have an annotatable problem list. The "dump data" template-centric focus continues unabated and is not apparently different in the soon to be released EHR form of eClinicalWorks.

I found myself constantly frustrated by the above comparison since I felt eClinicalWorks was forcing me to "dump data" into the clinical note using templates and it did not have an annotatable problem list that I could refer to instead of reading through progress notes pertinent to specific problems to get the "gist" of what was happening in the continuity and breath of care of the patient.

If those deficientcies have not been corrected in eClinicalWorks I predict there will be some major league frustration among real clinicians working in the SF Dept of Public Health.

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Tackling the EMR with planning and preloading

2010-11-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND, MAINE – There is about a 50 percent failure rate for electronic medical record implementations, and most of those failures stem from poor planning and preparation, said a family physician who spoke at a regional extension center (REC) forum held for providers in Maine.

Scott Patch, MD, practices in Yarmouth, Maine, and is part of a multi-specialty medical group called InterMed P.A., which has been using an EMR for about five years and is considered a “paperless” environment.

Patch says when a practice is considering moving to an EMR the whole organization has to “buy-in.” In other words, everyone has to be onboard – even staff at check out. There is a “redistribution of work” said Patch. "There is going to be more and new work. For us it was our check out staff that required more training,

The hardest part is maintaining good communication, said Patch. That is why it is important to identify a plan and choose a physician champion. “There is nothing more powerful” than choosing another doctor for this role, as doctors tend to listen to other doctors, he said.

Part of an EMR plan is assessing what your practice does and doesn’t do well, said Patch. “The EHR represents a fundamental change to the way the office handles the movement of patients and information,” he added.

This is where document management comes in. “Scanning is not the answer to everything,” said Patch, noting that “preloading is more important for productivity; if you favor preloading it is much more efficient down the road.”

Preloading, he explained, is having someone enter key data about the patient’s medical history, like medications, allergies and immunizations, into their chart before an appointment. Patch said it's helpful to determine beforehand a list of items that are important to preload. For his practice it's a list of ten. If a doctor has to go back to a paper chart to find something, then the chances that they are going to use the electronic one are slim, he said.

“If you are scanning, remember structured data,” Patch also advised. “Capturing structured data is the most important part of the EMR.” Any data for which you can generate a report is important for reimbursement and patient tracking, he said -- this is why standardization is a key benefit of implementation, and why having the lab interface with your EMR is important.

Finally, Patch said to be prepared for the EMR transition to take months, not weeks, and to make sure to listen to the feedback of your staff and have a good relationship with your vendor.

The session was part of regional forum series being held by The Maine Regional Extension Center (MEREC), overseen by HealthInfoNet, and Quality Counts, a regional healthcare collaborative committed to improving health and healthcare for the people of Maine.

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IT chief: mHealth moving forward faster than expected

2010-11-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – Marketplace innovation to move healthcare forward using mobile technology is advancing at speeds that only a short time ago could not be imagined, said Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer at the mHealth Summit on Tuesday.

This year's mHealth Summit, organized by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the mHealth Alliance and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is being held Nov. 8-10 in Washington, D.C., and has drawn more than 2,000 professionals from the U.S. and 30 countries to hear from experts on mobile health technology and policy.

At a luncheon keynote, Chopra told attendees that cloud computing and improved connectivity could help unlock progress and compress the cycle time from idea to operation. Already, examples can be seen across government and the marketplace, and the results "are astounding," Chopra said.

But questions remain. When it comes to mobility, "do we have the right necessary infrastructure over the next 10 years and beyond?" Chopra asked.

"We need to increase bandwidth and infrastructure," he said, "but we also need to take our learnings from research and development and think anew about how to use existing spectrum in a more efficient manner."

One example of using what already exists to innovate change is the new download system for personal health records available for veterans.

On Aug. 2, President Obama announced that for the first time ever, veterans would be able to go to the VA website, click a simple "blue button," and download or print their personal health records to share with their doctors outside of the VA. Since the program was soft-launched in September, the system has provided more than 100,000 PHR downloads, Chopra said.

In addition, Northrop Grumman has developed an iPhone app to be used with the blue button data, he said.

"A year ago, if someone would have asked me if we could use data this way, I would have said we have a long way to go," Chopra said. "Yet here we are."

Meanwhile, it's important that the government convene groups from the private sector to help remove blocks to innovation, he said.

Chopra offered another example of new solutions created now, using what already exists. Recently, a group of companies with "diametrically opposed opinions" came together to develop a shared code physicians could use to send private health information securely via email to their colleagues, he said. The code was developed in 90 days – a surprisingly short amount of time – and will be shared on NHIN Direct.

"It is important for us to knock down bottlenecks and barriers as they come," he said.

In closing, Chopra gave innovators a challenge. With the impending advent of the electronic health record incentives funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the government has laid an opportunity for the marketplace "to hit a ball out of the proverbial ballpark."

Within the meaningful use requirements, the government has elevated the importance of patient engagement, he said. They are encouraged to ask for copies of their personal health information, clinical summaries after doctor visits, alerts to remind them of care and electronic access to their patient records.

This is "a tremendous opportunity" for marketplace innovators to develop new and creative approaches to engaging the public in accessing this information, said Chopra.

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Hospitals plan to invest in new information management systems

2010-11-26T14:36:00.000-08:00

BURLINGTON, VT – More than 40 percent of U.S. hospitals plan to invest in new health information management systems, according to a new study from healthcare technology research firm CapSite.

CapSite released Oct. 29 its 2010 U.S. Health Information Management (HIM) Study, an analysis of the U.S. HIM market in response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

CapSite executives say the study represents unique insight from more than 500 U.S. hospitals across a series of HIM areas including:

recovery audit contractor (RAC),document management,coding,record management,compliance, andcomputer-assisted coding.

"The objective of our HIM study was to provide a strategic assessment of the HIM market to better understand the business challenges and competitive landscape in terms of vendor market penetration, as well as which HIM vendors are currently top of mind with prospective buyers," said CapSite Director of Research Michael Lee. "Additionally, we wanted to assess the historical and projected purchasing activity within the HIM market.

"Our findings indicate that regulatory requirements and compliance represent the greatest HIM business challenges that U.S. hospitals are dealing with today," Lee added. "As evidence of this focus and business challenge, we found that 50 percent of U.S. hospitals have recently invested in RAC solutions to assist in their preparation for RAC audits."

The vendors covered in the report are: 3M, Advisory Board Co., Cerner, CPSI, Cobius, Compliance 360°, Dolbey, Epic, Healthland, HealthPort, HMS, Hyland, Ingenix (A-Life Medical and Lynx Medical Systems), McKesson, MedAssets, MediRegs, Meditech, MIDAS+, Nuance, QuadraMed, Siemens, Streamline Health and TruCode.

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Tefal Toast and Light: The Clever Colour Changing Toaster

2010-11-26T10:11:00.000-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | Christmas Gifts Ideas 2010!, Cool Gadgets, General, Gift Guides, Home Gadget

I don’t know about you but I always manage to over do my toast. I like it lightly browned but often it turns quite brown…sometimes burnt! Well, that’s until I found out about this little invention by Tefal.

The Tefal Toast n Light lights up and changes colour as it cooks your bread so you make sure you’re not overdoing it. This neat little toaster starts at indigo, goes from green, then yellow and then orange and then when it is red it is time to reach for the jam and margarine as your toast is ready.

This cool toaster doesn’t only toast, it has setting for reheating and defrosting and the pull out tray will make it easy to clean.

This also makes the perfect gift for any family member or friends who have a tendency to burn things in the kitchen or love quirky kitchen inventions.

Currently this Toaster is available from Argos for just under £30 (click on the buy now link above), compared to it’s original price of £45 so hurry fast if you want to pick one up because we predict that these are going to sell like as fast as you can say ‘hot toast’!

How do you like your toast? Leave your comments below….

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Facebook to trademark the word face?

2010-11-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | Facebook, Social Networking

Here’s one that will make you laugh. Facebook is said to be a few steps away from trademarking the word face

Apparently the social networking site has been asked to detail a “statement of use” by the US Patent and Trademark Office, explaining how it intends to use the word.

If granted, the trademark will only apply to online sites and services used to exchange messages. So it’s not quite as ridiculous as it first sounds.

You’re not going to get sued every time you right down the word face but ‘services like Apple’s Facetime for example, could be affected’ said lawyers.

Trade mark specialist Fiona McBride, from law firm Withers and Rogers, said the move was “not as unexpected as it may sound.”

“Facebook is right to lay legal claim to use of the word ‘face’ in the context of social networking sites and other specific computer-linked activities because they have built up a reputation in the name Facebook, of which arguably ‘face’ is the dominant element,” she said. What about ‘book’? is that next?

The rumour stems from a document floating around online that shows the social network has applied for the trademark for use in telecommunication services, namely, providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users”.

Obviously ****book declined to comment on the story.

Source: BBC

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The IDAPT i4 Charging Station: Perfect Practical Gift for the Gadget Lover

2010-11-26T02:10:00.000-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | Christmas Gifts Ideas 2010!, Cool Gadgets, General, Gift Guides, MP3 Players, Mobile Phones, PC, Photo & Video

If you’re looking at getting a practical yet cool gadget gift for your gadget loving friend or family member this Christmas then take a look at the IDAPT charging station. So ok it’s not the most coolest gadget on the planet but then again I don’t think you have the bank balance for the coolest, however we are almost certain your gadget lover will appreciate this gadget and is likely to make use out it rather than buying them a gift whereby it’s novelty runs out after a Boxing Day!

The IDAPT charging station does exactly what it says on the tin. This universal charge lets you juice up up to four portable gadgets at one. Just slot in the appropriate tip and plug in the stylish IDAPT into the mains and wait for the waves of juices to flow through the station and into the gadgets.

Whether it’s an iPhone, GPS, BlackBerry, Nokia, camera or headset, the IDAPT is compatible with most gadgets, just makes sure you read the small print when buying. So whether you’re looking for a practical gadget gift or are thinking ahead on those lovely gadget gifts you’ve receive from Santa, the IDAPT is certainly a worthy investment.
The price will set you back around £40 for the 4 charging station (IDAPT i4). If that is breaking the balance then there is a smaller version, IDAPT i3 which is also available.

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Xbox 360 sales triple in Japan

2010-11-25T22:35:00.000-08:00

Xbox 360 console sales were expected to increase with the launch of Kinect, but I must admit I was a bit pessimistic. I just couldn’t see people who don’t already have an Xbox 360 forking out for one and then the Kinect itself which is over £100, plus games, but then again there are bundles on offer and it is close to Christmas, plus some lucky people have money to burn.

In Japan the Kinect has been a huge boost for Microsoft, almost tripling sales of the 360 console.

Kinect arrived in Japan on Saturday 20, just one day before the end of the weekly hardware tracking period, but in one day helped lift sales from 2,686 units to 7,083, even though no games made the software top 20.

But it’s not all good news for Xbox, earlier this week, a major Japanese electronics retailer said Kinect was “off to a pretty rough start” in the country, selling around “one-fourth” the units PS Move is managing.

Here’s a look at the hardware sales in Japan, as you can see Playstation are dominating, strangely with their portable console the PSP way ahead of the rest of the hardware, and PS3 is hanging in second place.

Hardware chart (previous week’s sales):
PSP: 96,601 (40,328)
PS3: 29,058 (21,114)
Wii: 27,851 (39,308)
DSi LL: 21,836 (18,711)
DSi: 20,550 (13,994)
Xbox 360: 7,083 (2,686)
DS Lite: 1,904 (1,752)
PSP Go: 1,816 (2,727)
PS2: 1,255 (1,233)

Will this be the story everywhere else? increased Xbox sales and PS move way outselling Kinect

Which have you bought? and why?

Source: CVG

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Richard Branson to publish ‘iPad magazine.’

2010-11-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | News, iPad

It’s official, the iPad is a rich man’s toy. We just found out the other day that media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is to publish a newspaper especially for Apple’s latest gizmo and now billionaire Richard Branson wants in on the action.

Branson is interested in launching a magazine solely for ipad users after trying his hand in the media, cola, space-flight, cosmetics and railway industry to name but a few.

Invitations to an event in New York City were sent out under the codename “Project” where it was announced that the magazine is set to incorporate the themes of entertainment, travel, business, design and international culture.

If Branson manages to build up a decent audience, then he has effectively created an easy way to funnel advertisements for his business empire into unsuspecting readers. We’ll be booking flights to the moon before we know it.

At the moment there is no word on whether Branson’s effort at the publishing will be given away for free or will be subscription based.

If things keep going the way they are Murdoch and Branson will have a lot of competition as more and more publishers see potential in the iPad as a platform and as iPad sales increase and expand its audience they’ll be people lining up to pop out the latest iPad magazine or newspaper.

Source: Inquirer

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Star Wars Jedi Robe: Snuggle Up This Christmas

2010-11-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | Christmas Gifts Ideas 2010!, Cool Gadgets, General, Gift Guides

It’s simple. As much as we love the partying and festive cheer about Christmas, the season is also about chilling out and relaxing.

So it’s time to chill in style this Christmas and invest in one of these Jedi Robes. If you’re a bit of a couch potato and are unlikely to get out of your PJs until late evening on Christmas then the Jedi Robe is the must have fashion accessory.

Now I will leave out all the preposterous statements related to the Star Wars (I am sure you are now tired of them all) and tell you all about this top Christmas lounging solution. It is made from soft 100% cotton velour and an embroidered Star Wars/Imperial logo. It comes with a large hood , wide sleeves and a sash belt.

For £50 it is certainly a pretty penny to pay for a robe but definitely worth the investment to keep you warm and snug on Christmas and through the cold winter months ahead. However, it’s uses don’t stop there…I am sure you have all thought of this but think next fancy dress party…sorted!

View the original article here

North Face NSE Tent Mule Slippers: Keep Warm this Winter and Xmas Day

2010-11-25T09:56:00.001-08:00

| Posted on 25 November 2010. Categorized | Christmas Gifts Ideas 2010!, Cool Gadgets, General

It’s all about looking stylish at home this Christmas. We’ve already talked about the Star Wars Jedi Robe which is set to keep you all snuggled up on Christmas day. Well, why not accompany your robe with some North Face NSE Tent Mules II Slippers.

Not only can these mules be used as indoor slippers for Christmas day but with the wintry months ahead in the icicle conditions, it is time to slide your feet into these Tent Mules and treat them to some well deserved comfort beneath the 450 fill down insulation.

The mules are water resistant too so if they get wet whilst you pop your snow covered feet into them or drop some egg nogg onto them on Christmas day, have no fear.

These are perfect for yourself or a excellent gift for your Grandad this Christmas. The price for these is just under £30, so you can’t really go wrong for pure luxury and warm feet.

View the original article here

NASA Develop Hypersonic Plane

2010-11-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

NASA plans budgeted U.S. $ 5 million or about Rp44 billion per year within the next three years to develop a hypersonic vehicle that could fly up to 5 times the speed of sound. If the aircraft is used in commercial aviation, so he no longer need 21 hours to travel between New York and Sydney. Enough 2 hours only. Also reportedly, the technology will be implemented on commercial aircraft.

However, the main goal of this project is to find ways how people can go into space and to planets like Mars without using rockets. Instead of a rocket, the vehicle will use a machine that uses air, like a commercial aircraft. Although hypersonic flight ever achieved several times before, this approach is a new technology. The aircraft will be capable of taking off and landing like a passenger plane, but with more power.

According to NASA proposal quoted by TG Daily, 9 November 2010, the plane will have to be used repeatedly. To that end, new materials need to be developed so as to overcome the very high temperatures. Mentioned, the main problem is an obstacle in developing a hypersonic plane is overheating. And since the plane will fly and land like a normal plane, the transition from normal speed to hypersonic speeds after the plane left the atmosphere. For that, control and energy management is critical.

For information, hypersonic aircraft is currently the fastest X51-A Waverider is also developed for NASA. The aircraft is airborne with the help of B-52 bomber aircraft is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 6 (about 7350 kilometers per hour) for about 3 minutes.

In addition, NASA also has X43-A, hypersonic aircraft capable of flying at nearly 7 times the speed of sound (speed of sound to reach 1236 kilometers per hour at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius)

Russians Build Underground City

2010-11-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

A Russian architectural firms presented their detailed plans to build an area referred to as 'mega city' environmentally friendly. The city itself will be built underground. If nothing gets in the way, the city will be built in the former a mine in eastern Siberia region. The mine in question has a diameter of more than a kilometer and a depth of 550 meters.

As quoted from TG Daily, 17 November 2010, a glass dome will be built on the city. The aim is to protect the metropolitan underground from a frozen winter in Siberia as well as very high temperatures in summer. glass dome that was built on it is also mentioned to be coated by a layer of photovoltaic cells. This layer is capable of storing solar energy in large quantities.

Developers estimate the project underground city can accommodate up to 100 thousand people. They will live in residential areas at levels designed specifically for human habitation. In addition to residential areas, there is also a floor that was built specifically to accommodate a vertical farm, forest and recreation zone.

City of workmanship will be performed by AB Elise, architectural firms from Moscow, Russia was given the name Eco-city 2020.

Hosting Profesional Indonesia yang murah

2010-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hosting Profesional Indonesia yang murah merupakan salah satu komponen hosting terpenting dalam rangka pemilihan hosting profesional dan murah bagi blog anda, khususnya untuk layanan di Indonesia. Membeli webhosting menurut saya adalah hal yang paling sulit, ketimbang membeli atau memilih nama domain. Karena hosting berkaitan dengan kapasitas, kualitas dan akselerasi blog kita.

Hosting Profesional Indonesia yang murah memang bisa menjadi pilihan anda. Untuk anda yang serius berbisnis di bidang jual beli webhosting, anda bisa memanfaatkan layanan reseller hosting dari HostingKita dot com. Selain melayani penjualan hosting secara personal, HostingKita dot com juga melayani anda yang berniat menjual kembali hosting yang anda beli disitu. Dengan menjadi reseller hosting hostingkita. anda akan mendapat akses support secara langsung mengenai tata cara reseller dan didukung oleh staff yang memang ahli di bidang web hosting.

Demikian postingan tentang Hosting Profesional Indonesia yang murah. Semoga setelah membaca postingan ini anda bisa berbelanja domain, hosting dan menjadi reseller hosting dengan hemat, murah dan berkualitas.

Used Stationary Bikes assignment

2010-08-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Used Stationary Bikes abide popular, maybe because they work. Maybe it’s added able to say they accomplish YOU work. Rain or shine, night or day, these machines accommodate counterbalanced workouts. Balance is area the bifold activity machines excel.

See, Used Stationary Bikes assignment above anatomy forth with affection and lungs. The big anatomy of the legs, achievement and thighs are the ones that can do above work. That’s the ones that can absolutely move and accomplish work. To accomplish fettle improvements, assignment the big anatomy aloof as a bike does.

Working the anatomy is key to fat loss. That’s because anatomy bake fat. Build beef and access metabolism. It’s afire calories that helps, but it’s architecture beef that helps accumulate the fat gone for good. Turning a fan creates attrition or amount as you pedal and pump a bifold activity Used Stationary Bikes. Working with legs and accoutrements gets at anatomy everywhere in the body. It’s actually a absolute anatomy workout. Accoutrements and amateur get in the account forth with the above lower anatomy muscles.

Bored with used stationary bikes

2010-08-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

Bored with used stationary bikes seo contest optimization. This contest make me lost a lot of my time and used stationary bikes article just hanging at google.com page 2. I never crash other contestant, they are a great seo and have experience with seo contest. Very different. Im just a newbie in seo, and used stationary bikes blog that i make seo contest is free blog. Yes this blog is free.

But i never give up until used stationary bikes got the final result. It doesn’t matter i loose this seo contest. The important thing is my seo capabilites grow up. It very benefit for me that i hanging my job with internet. Maybe all of you doesn’t bored with used stationary bikes everyday optimization your used stationary bikes article to the top of position. Okay guys, have a nice day with your used stationary bikes optimization.

TRAVEL JAKARTA BANDUNG 2

2010-07-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

TRAVEL JAKARTA BANDUNG ialah traveling perjalanan wisata dari Jakarta ke Kabupaten Bandung yang dapat anda nikmati dari biro-biro perjalanan terkemuka di Indonesia. Travel saat ini khususnya dari jakarta ke bandung merupakan alat transportasi yang banyak digemari selain alat transportasi umum.

Salah satu biro agency travel jakarta bandung yang bisa anda gunakan baik wisata (tours) maupun pulang kampung (mudik) adalah “trans hari” :D. Anda bisa menggunakan biro atau agent travel tersebut dengan tarif yang murah dan pelayanan yang siap serta profesional. Banyak wisatawan yang mengakui kenyamanan dan kemudahan transportasi travel jakarta bandung dari biro (agencies) perjalanan tersebut.

Nah, bagi anda yang ingin berwisata atau travel ke Jakarta maupun ke bandung, maka layanan travel jakarta bandung yang dipersembahkan oleh “trans hari” adalah pilihan yang tepat. Sekian dulu informasi travel kali ini, saya bukan orang jakarta, bukan pula orang bandung, tapi saya berkeinginan untuk berwisata ke dua tempat tersebut, terima kasih.

Ariel Lega Sudah Ditangkap

2010-07-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Judul asli : Ariel Lega Pengunggah Pertama Video Porno Sudah Ditangkap. Jakarta Berada di dalam penjara, bukan berarti Ariel ketinggalan informasi mengenai perkembangan kasus video pornonya. Ariel yang sudah tahu pengunggah video pornonya telah ditangkap, kini pun merasa lega.

Soal kelegaan itu diungkapkan oleh manajer Peterpan, Budi Soeratman saat ditemui di Mabes Polri, Jl Trunojoyo, Jakarta Selatan, Rabu (14/7/2010). "Ya pasti," ujar Budi menjawab pertanyaan wartawan apakah Ariel lega pengunggah videonya sudah ditangkap.

Pengunggah pertama video porno Ariel itu adalah K. K mengaku mendapatkan video itu dari A. A adalah mahasiswa yang drop out kuliah dan disebut polisi sebagai ahli IT.

Apakah Ariel mencurigai A mendapatkan video tersebut dari teman dekatnya? Budi menjawab pihaknya belum berani mencurigai siapapun.

"Kita tidak ada kecurigaan sama sekali," katanya.

Sampai saat ini, kekasih Luna Maya itu sudah lebih dari 20 hari mendekam di penjara. Selama menjalani pemeriksaan kasusnya, Ariel belum mengakui kalau pria dalam video porno itu adalah dirinya.

Sumber : detikhot
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Selecting a Used Stationary Bikes

2010-06-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

Used Stationary Bikes are a safe and able agency of exercise. They accommodate a agency of low-impact cardiovascular exercise, are about quiet in operation, and are able with their use of space.

There are two above characteristics to accede aback selecting a Used Stationary Bikes. First, the basement position on the Bikes, and second, the adjustment of resistance. Exercisers may accept the accepted cocked bike or semi-recumbent (sitting) anchored bicycles, which may be added adequate for some individuals. For resistance, anchored bicycles use abrasion belts or wheels, magnets, hydraulics, or fans. Additionally, abounding bicycles are able with computers that will address conditioning abstracts and in some cases alike absolute exercise sessions. All these characteristics access the amount of Used Stationary Bikes.

You charge accede your needs and interests aback purchasing a Used Stationary Bikes. Position is important. Best cocked bicycles appear with a large, beefy saddle, so abundance for best will not be an issue. However, for individuals with lower aback pain, mobility, or antithesis concerns, a semi-recumbent anchored bike may action a safer, added adequate option. Computer, size, and attrition apparatus options will acquiesce you to baddest the anchored bike to accommodated your fettle goals. Remember, added big-ticket models do not inherently accomplish you added fit. An bargain archetypal acclimated consistently can abundantly accommodate the all-important attrition to access cardiovascular fitness.

Quality Fitness Equipment For Your Home

2010-06-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

Used Stationary Bikes Info : If you have been to health clubs and gyms before, you should have some appreciation fitness Fitness Equipment & Fitness Equipment which has worked very well with a fitness routine. Now that you are ready to invest in a serious exercise routine from your home, you may be wondering to find places where home gym equipment quality.

If you are a little confused, you're not alone. With so many home fitness equipment that claims to be the best alternative to gym quality fitness machines or Fitness Equipment & Fitness Equipment, in a way that is easy to get lost in the choices. But with a little patience and some research, you'll find the perfect home fitness equipment is best for your fitness needs. Here's how before you buy at Shop Fitness Equipment & Fitness Equipment Sales, such you buying Used Stationary Bikes as fitness equipment for your home:

You know your fitness goals
One of the biggest mistakes ever made you can buy fitness equipment is the biggest, meanest gym quality fitness Fitness Equipment monster exists only because seeing one of the best in Fitness Equipment Store, Selling Fitness Equipment, Fitness Store - Fitness & the Selling Pen. Truth, choosing home fitness equipment such as choosing a partner for marriage. What can be suitable for one can cause havoc for others.

Known to maintain fitness goals while shopping for fitness equipment home fitness. Take note of the physical activities you enjoy doing. For example, if you're just trying to shed a few pounds and like hiking, a treadmill is the obvious choice. If you want to burn calories and target your lower body for toning, a bike will be changed to suit your needs better. Do not buy more fitness equipment than you need or they'll end up just collecting dust in the corner of the house you find the best fitness equipment in Fitness Equipment Shop Fitness Equipment & Selling.

This article just wanna ping Fitness Equipment blog as Used Stationary Bikes seo contestant.

Used Stationary Bikes

2010-06-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Today, house is a place of fitness, that is most comfortable. The trend arises because arise because of the easier to buy fitness equipment. At the time of the past, we must come to the gym to use the fitness equipment. Stationary bikes is one of fitness equipment that is currently most widely used, either in gym or home. According to Men’s Health, stationery bike believed to be able to burn more calories than other fitness equipment. If aerobic exercise is the number one choice, so Stationary bikes is the first choice fitness equipment. But the constraints faced by the high price of a stationary bikes. one way to overcome these problems is to buy Used Stationary Bikes.

Used Stationary Bikes is fitness equipment that could be considered, if you have financial problems. With the increasing awareness of healthy living, even in the midst of busyness, buying a Used Stationary Bikes of course is the best way. But a little note, before actually buying fitness equipment such as Used Stationary Bikes, you must learn the various types of fitness equipment and then decide if anything will be always used. In the end, the most important thing is how you build goodwill and adequate time to exercise in order to be healthy, fit, and also has the ideal body. Stationary Bikes is suitable for cardiovascular ability, burn fat, and when done with proper portions, can be slimming. Calories burned on the stationary bikes the same as calories burned when you practice on the road. Stationary bikes suitable almost for everyone with all conditions. Those who have experienced back pain, ankle, or knees weak, for example, can still do it because the stationary bikes to reduce the pressure on the joints.

In cities that lack natural land for sports, many people choose a fitness center as a place to exercise. Fitness Centre provides sports facilities which are usually full. Would you also like to exercise at the gym? Having a healthy body, to support a happy and prosperous life. How not currently cost medical treatment and hospital care is very expensive. With used stationary bikes, house is a great place of fitness. Thus, it should be worth a healthy lifestyle for everyone. Way too easy, simply by diligent exercise and the intake of nutritionally balanced, healthy life was necessarily easy to achieve.

You can find and buy a used stationary bikes at centre of Used Fitness Equipment. Just visit google and type "Used Fitness Equipment".

Sumenep

2010-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Sumenep merupakan salah satu kabupaten di terletak di pulau madura, masuk di wilayah provinsi Jatim, Indonesia. Kabupaten Sumenep luas wilayahnya kurang lebih 2.093.45 km² dan memiliki jumlah penduduk kurang lebih 1 juta jiwa.

Sumenep juga merupakan kabupaten di madura yang tercatat sebagai kabupaten dimana Pendapatan Asli Daerah (PAD)nya paling tinggi di pulau madura. Kabupaten sumenep memiliki sumber gas dan minyak yang cukup besar. Sumber gas ini terletak di pulau Pagerungan.

Sumenet.Net adalah situs informasi Kabupaten Sumenep

KPU Bagikan Buku Perundangan ke PPK dan PPS

2010-04-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

Pemilukada Surabaya | Pilwali Surabaya. Setelah menetapkan nomor urut Calon Cawali dan Cawawali Surabaya. KPU Kota Surabaya siap menyebarkan empat buku terkait regulasi Pemilu. Buku perundang-undangan itu akan disebar ke PPK dan PPS di seluruh Surabaya.

Empat buku itu adalah UU 32/2004 tentang Pemerintahan Daerah, UU 22/2007 tentang Penyelenggara Pemilihan Umum, Peraturan Pemerintah 49/2008 tentang Perubahan Ketiga atas Peraturan Pemerintah 6/2005 tentang Pemilihan, Pengesahan Pengangkatan, Pemberhentian Kepada Daerah dan Wakil Kepala Daerah serta UU 12/2008 tentang Perubahan Kedua atas UU 32/2004 tentang Pemerintahan Daerah.

Menurut Komisioner KPU Kota Surabaya Divisi Teknis Penyelenggara Edward Dewaruci, buku perundangan itu untuk pegangan petugas PPK dan PPS atas penyelenggaraan Pemilukada Surabaya.

”Dalam sosialisasi Pemilukada Surabaya, petugas bisa mengacu pada perundangan yang ada. Dengan begitu, penjelasan yang disampaikan petugas tidak keluar dari lajur hukum yang berlaku,” papar Edward. (windhi). Sumber kpusurabaya.go.id.

Penetapan Calon Cawali dan Cawawali Surabaya

2010-04-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Pemilukada Surabaya | Pilwali Surabaya. Penetapan dan pengundian nomor urut pasangan calon peserta Pemilukada Surabaya 2010 di lantai III Kantor KPU Kota SUrabaya, Sabtu (3/4) berjalan lancar. Semua pasangan calon menerima penetapan nomor urut hasil undian.

Petugas keamanan baik dari kepolisian maupun Bakesbang Linmas, sudah bersiaga di kantor KPU Surabaya sejak pagi. Sekitar pukul 10.45, rapat pleno terbuka KPU Kota Surabaya dalam rangka pengundian nomor urut pasangan calon, dilangsungkan.

Dalam sambutannya, Ketua KPU Kota Surabaya Eko Sasmito juga membacakan pasangan mana saja yang lolos verifikasi KPU. Mereka adalah Bagio Fandi Sutadi-Mazlan Mansur, Tri Rismaharini-Bambang DH, Fandi Utomo-Yulius Bustami, Arif Afandi-Adies Kadir dan Fitradjaja Purnama-Naen Suryono.

“Saat ini, hanya pasangan Pak Sutadi (BF Sutadi, red) Mazlan Mansur yang tak bisa hadir. Tapi Pak Mazlan sudah mengirimkan surat permohonan izinnya karena tidak bisa hadir. Saat ini, Pak Mazlan masih menjalani ibadah Umroh dari tanggal 25 Maret sampai 7 April,” jelas Eko Sasmito.

Sementara, Ketua Pokja Pencalonan Eko Waluyo Suwardyono, sempat membacakan tata cara pengundian. Saat itu, seluruh pasangan diminta untuk mengambil undian untuk menentukan posisi siapa yang lebih dulu mengambil nomor urut pasangan calon yang disimpan dalam amplop. Amplop yang disimpan dalam kotak khusus itu, posisinya sudah diacak pihak Panwaslukada. Namun sebelum amplop tersebut dimasukan ke dalam kotak, juga dilakukan pengecekan oleh Panwaslukada, KPU, serta saksi dari partai politik pendukung pasangan calon.

Sutadi yang lebih dulu maju mendapat nomor urut 1, pasangan Arif Afandi-Adies Kadir mendapat nomor 3, Tri Rismaharini-Bambang DH nomor urut 4, Fitradjaja Purnama-Naen Suryono nomor urut 5 dan Fandi Utomo-Yulius Bustami nomor urut 2.

Namun setelah pengambilan nomor urut pasangan calon yang tersimpan dalam amplop, justru posisi pasangan itu sudah sesuai dengan nomor urut pengundiannya. Pasangan Sutadi-Mazlan mendapat nomor pasangan 1, Fandi Utomo-Yulius nomor 2, Arif Afandi-Adies Kadir 3, Tri Rismaharini-Bambang DH 4 dan Ftiradjaja-Naen nomor 5. Setelah nomor itu sah, seluruh pendukung masing-masing pasangan meneriakkan dukungannya. Sumber : kpusurabaya.go.id

Pilwali Surabaya 2010, PDIP target Menang !

2009-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Pemilu Surabaya [dot] Com. Dewan Perwakilan Daerah PDIP Jatim mematok target menang pada pilwali surabaya 2010 mendatang. Hal tersebut diungkapkan Ketua DPD PDIP Jatim, H. Sirmadji. “Langkah yang tepat dan jitu harus diterapkan termasuk memilih koalisi dengan partai lain” Ungkap H. Sirmadji pada sebuah kesempatan.

Saat ini, terjadi berbagai wacana dan spekulasi mengenai kandidat cawali maupun mitra koalisi PDIP pada Pilwali Surabaya 2010. seperti yang diberitakan sebelumnya bahwa terdapat rumor bahwa PDIP akan menggandeng Partai Demokrat untuk memenangkan Pilkada. Namun hal tersebut ditepis oleh H. Sirmadji, “Itu semua kami lihats sebagai kewajaran dalam demokrasi. Keluarga besar PDIP tidak boleh terpancing oleh berbagai manuver politik yang berkembang di lapangan, justru bisa melemahkan dukungan”.

Saat ini PDIP masih ngotot mengusung Bambang DH sebagai cawali, sedangkan posisi cawawali terdapat dua nama yang dalam penggodokan, yaitu Saleh Ismail Mukadar dan Wisnu Sakti Buana. PDIP juga terlihat mulai melakukan sosialisasi dan mendekati masyarakat dalam rangka memenangkan cawali dan cawawali yang mereka usung.

BEREBUT Partai Demokrat

2009-10-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

PILWALI Surabaya 2010 berlangsung Juni tahun depan, namun suhu persaingan bakal calon walikota kiat sengit. Salah satu persaingan adalah persaingan untuk memperebutkan kendaraan lewat Partai Demokrat, yang sudah diketahui pada pemilu legislatif dan Pilpres Juli kemarin menang mutlak. Dari alasan itu para bakal calon walikota berharap akan diusung oleh partai berlambang bintang segitiga itu. Tiga nama bakal bersaing antara lain Alisjahbana Kepala Bapertarum PNS, Arif Afandi incumbent wakil walikota dan Fandi Utomo. Ketiga nama tersebut akan bersaing dalam penjaringan bakal cawali dari tim sembilan yang akan menjaring beberapa nama untuk diusung Partai Demokrat dalam pilwali Surabaya.

Kebijakan Partai Demokrat yang tidak menutup diri bagi kader di luar partai, semakin membuat persaingan kiat sengit. Sehingga belum ada jaminan jika kader partai Demokrat untuk bisa lolos dari penjaringan karena partai Demokrat ternyata juga membuka terhadap kader diluar partai. “ kami nanti akan melakukan mekanisme membuka pendaftaran untuk umum, sebagai calon kepala daerah yang bakal diusung Demokrat”, kata Nur Muhidin, wakil ketua bidang Polkam, DPD PD Jatim. Sehingga. Siapa yang di ajukan bisa kader sendiri bisa dari luar. lanjutnya.

Partai Demokrat sendiri akan mulai menjaring membuka pendaftaran untuk umum pada Oktober 2009 yang akan dilakukan oleh tim sembilan terhadap kandidat yang akan diusung oleh tim sembilan

Peluang Calon Independen

2009-10-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Pemilihan umum walikota Surabaya akan berlangsung pada Juni 2010. Namun bursa calon dan saling dukung mendukung untuk maju sebagai cawali sudah ramai. Mulai dari calon parpol sampai calon perseorangan (Independen). Seperti dukungan dari Himpunan Penghayat Kepercayaan Terhadap Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (HTK) kota Surabaya, terhadap Alisjahbana. Mantan Sekretaris Kota Surabaya yang pernah gagal dalam pencalonan Walikota 2005 lalu untuk didorong maju di 2010.

Dalam pilwali 2010 nanti mungkin ada perbedaan untuk pertama kalinya karena diperbolehkannya calon perseorangan, inilah untuk pertama kali dalam pemilu Surabaya setelah KPU Surabaya menetapkan secara resmi, yang tertuang dalam peraturan KPU nomor 15/2008 tentang Pedoman Teknis Tata Cara Pencalonan Pemilihan Umum Kepala Daerah dan Wakil Kepala untuk membolehkan adanya calon perseorangan disamping dari partai.

Namun pencalonan melalui jalur perseorangan dan jalur parpol bukan tidak ada perbedaan. Perbedaan pada sang calon perseorangan dengan kriteria-kriteria yang ditetapkan oleh KPU, seperti calon perseorangan harus didukung sekurang-kurangnya 3% dari total jumlah penduduk, dan dukungan harus dibuktikan dengan KTP dan daftar nama serta alamat pendukungnya. Sedangkan jumlah populasi kota Surabaya sekarang 2,3 juta jiwa penduduk, itu Berarti calon perseorangan minimal harus mengumpulkan 84 ribu KTP dan nama-nama pendukungnya.

Apakah hanya itu saja syarat calon walikota perseorangan? Tentu tidak, syarat-syarat lain telah menunggu juga seperti harus berusia di atas 30 tahun serta minimal berpendidikan SLTA dan sederajatnya serta tidak pernah dijatuhi sanksi pidana minimal 5 tahun.

Menurut Eko Sasmito Ketua KPU Surabaya selain telah membuka jalur perseorangan pada pilwali 2010. KPU Surabaya akan terus melakukan diskusi dan perlu mengambil pengalaman dari daerah dan kota-kota seperti Kediri, Madiun, Probolinggo dan Mojokerto yang telah lebih dulu.

Pilwali Surabaya 2010; PKB Masih Kebingungan

2009-10-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Tidak seperti partai lainnya yang sudah melakukan pentahapan persiapan pemilu Walikota (Pilwali) Surabaya 2010, Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB) masih mau membahas tahapannya.

PKB tidak mempunyai kendaraan sendiri, mengingat dalam Pemilu Legislatif (Pileg) 2009, perolehan PKB di DPRD Surabaya tidak cukup 15% dari total kursi. “Mau tidak mau, PKB harus berkolaborasi dengan partai lainnya untuk bisa mengusung calon walikota ke Pilwali Surabaya di 2010 mendatang. Tapi kita masih mau membahas pentahapannya dan belum me-launching,”tukas MUSYAFAK Ketua DPC PKB Surabaya yang dikutip Pemilu Surabaya [dot] Com dari Suarasurabaya.net.

Begitu pula tentang petunjuk pelaksanaan (juklak) maupun petunjuk teknis (juknis), kata MUSYAFAK, Jumat (16/10), belum diterbikan DPP PKB. Juklak biasanya mengatur soal Mantap (Mahkamah Penetapan), pembentukan Tim 9 serta konvensi. Selama juklak dan juknis belum diterbitkan DPP PKB, MUSYAFAK mengatakan, tidak berani mendahului pusat. Ini belajar pengalaman dalam Pilgub Jawa Timur dimana ACHMADI diusung PKB untuk menjadi kandidat Gubernur Jawa Timur.

“Imbasnya, Pak ACHMADI hanya menjadi ‘korban’ saja. Kita tidak mau mengulang kejadian itu. Meski demikian, kita sudah menyiapkan Tim 5 yang diketuai ALI YAKUB untuk menyusun aturan main, jadual dan cara pendaftaran.”kata MUSYAFAK.

Tim 5, kata MUSYAFAK, nantinya juga akan mempersiapkan pentahapannya serta memutuskan menggunakan AD/ART yang lama atau yang baru. Kalau tetap menggunakan Mantap, MUSYAFAK meminta DPW PKB Jawa Timur hendaknya tidak ikut campur.

Sedangkan soal koalisi dengan partai lain, MUSYAFAK menyebut, akan menunggu keputusan dari Pusat. Artinya, apakah menggunakan koalisi permanen seperti yang dilakukan antara DPP PKB dengan DPP Demokrat atau tidak. “Pasalnya, di Surabaya ada ‘koalisi pengkhianatan’ sedangkan di pusat seperti sekarang. Jadi kita akan minta ketegasan DPP PKB mengenai koalisi ini,”pungkas MUSYAFAK.

Alisjahbana Siap Jadi Walikota Surabaya

2009-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sementara itu, Alisjahbana menyatakan dirinya semakin mantap untuk maju menjadi calon walikota pada pilwali surabaya mendatang. Jika tidak melalui parpol, pria yang kini menjabat kepala pelaksana Sekretariat Tetap Badan Pertimbangan Tabungan Perumahan (Bapertarum) Pegawai Negeri Sipil itu siap maji melalui jalur independen.”mau lewat parpol atau Independen, sama saja,” ujarnya (Jawapos:12-10-2009)

Dia menambahkan, selama ada dukungan riil dari masyarakat dirinya siap untuk maju dalam pilwali mendatang. “selama ini, saya tidak pernah minta jabatan, tapi jika memang ada dukungan mengapa tidak,”ucapnya.

Berbeda dengan Bambang yang bersedia dicalonkan menjadi calon wakil walikota, Alisjahbana menolak jika dicalonkan menjadi wakil walikota. Alasannya posisi walikota lebih leluasa dalam membangun Kota Surabaya.

Jika Alisjahbana benar-benar maju maka, pertarungan pada Pilwali Surabaya mendatang bisa berjalan seru. Karena, sebagian nama yang bertarung adalah nama-nama lama yang pernah bertarung pada Pilwali 2005 lalu. Ditambah lagi beberapa nama yang siap maju melelui jalur independen salah satunya M. Sholeh, mantan politikus PDIP yang memenangi gugatan suara terbanyak untuk pemilu legislatif lalu.

Bambang D.H Siap jadi Wakil Wali Kota (Wawali)

2009-10-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sesuai dengan Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2004 Tentang Pemerintah Daerah, Bambang D.H. sudah tidak bisa lagi menjabat Wali Kota Surabaya. Hal ini dikarenakan Bambang D.H. sudah dua kali menjabat jabatan yang sama. Tapi, hasil Rakercabsus PDIP memutuskan untuk mengusung dua nama yakni Bambang D.H dan Saleh Ismail Mukadar sebagai calon walikota atau calon wakil walikota surabaya pada Pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang.

Untuk dapat maju lagi menjadi calon walikota, PDIP mengajukan uji materi atau Judicial review ke Mahkamah Konstitusi atas UU Pemda. Pasal yang digugat adalah pasal 58 huruf o yang berbunyi calon kepala darah dan wakil kepala daerah adalah warga negara RI yang memenuhi syarat: belum pernah menjabat sebagai kepala daerah atau wakil kepala daerah selama dua kali masa jabatan dalam jabatan yang sama.

Meskipun pengajuan uji materi atas pasal yang sama pernah dilakukan oleh H.M. Said Sagaf (bupati Bantaeng Sulsel 1993-1998 dan Bupati Mamasa Sulbar 2003-2008) yang hasilnya MK menolak Gugatan tersebut, namun uji materi tetap diajukan dengan alasan kasus Bambang sedikit berbeda dengan kasus H.M. Said Sagaf .

Bambang pada periode pertama menggantikan Walikota Surabaya sebelumnya, Cak Narto-Sunarto Sumoprawiro-yang lengser sebelum masa jabatannya habis. Baru setelah itu Bambang terpilih menjadi Walikota surabaya melalui pemilihan langsung. Seperti diberitakan, Bambang siap maju dalam Pilwali mendatang. “ Di manapun saya siap, mau jadi calon wali kota atau calon wakil wali kota atau tidak dicalonkan,”ucap Bambang (jawapos;12-10-2009). Untuk saat ini Dia lebih memilih menunggu keputusan MK.

Menurut Bambang larangan menjabat dua priode ditujukan pada jabatan yang sama, sehingga dia berhak menjadi Wakil Wali kota Surabaya periode mendatang, untuk itu jika MK menolak gugatan partainya, dia siap untuk dijadikan calon wakil walikota dari PDIP. Baginya menjadi walikota atau wakil walikota sama saja, yang terpenting dia bisa mengabdi untuk membangun kota Surabaya agar lebih baik.

Lebih lanjut, Bambang menyatakan bahwa pencalonan dirinya atau siapa saja dari PDIP harus dilakukan sesuai dengan mekanisme yang ditetapkan partai. Dia berharap agar dalam Rakercabsus tidak ada rekayasa sehingga bisa menjaring calon walikota dan wakil walikota yang sesuai dengan keinginan konstituen.

Ditemui secara terpisah, Saleh ismail Mukadar mengatakan bahwa DPC tidak akan memutuskan sendiri calon walikota dan calon wakil walikota. Ketua DPC PDIP Surabaya ini menambahkan bahwa hal tersebut bertujuan menghindari friksi di internal partai.

Keputusan DPP PDIP yang mengusung dua nama yakni Bambang D.H dan Saleh Ismail Mukadar untuk di jadikan menjadi calon walikota atau calon wakil walikota akan dilaksanakan secara hati-hati. DPP terlebih dulu akan menurunkan tim khusus ke Surabaya untuk mensurvei konstituen PDIP dan masyarakat Surabaya pada umumnya. Mereka akan mencari informasi dari masyarakat mengenai siapa diantara dua calon walikota tersebut yang lebih dikehendaki untuk memimpin Kota Pahlawan.

PDIP dilamar Tiga Partai

2009-10-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

Gejolak politik di PDIP menjelang Pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang semakin memanas. Meskipun selama ini akan mencalonkan kandidat walikota dari internal partai, tawaran untuk berkoalisi dari partai lain terus berdatangan. Bahkan, dari partai yang selama ini dikenal selalu berseberangan dengan partai dengan ikon Megawati tersebut.

Sedikitnya tiga partai besar sudah merapat dan berkomunikasi politik dengan PDIP. Partai yang merapat tersebut, di antaranya adalah Partai Demokrat, Partai Gerindra, hingga PKS.

Ketua DPC PDIP Surabaya Saleh Mukadar, dia membenarkan ada beberapa partai yang telah melakukan komunikasi politik untuk berkoalisi pada pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang. Seperti yang dikutip Pemilu Surabaya [dot] Com dari beritajatim.com, Meski telah dilamar oleh beberapa partai besar untuk berkoalisi pada pilwali mendatang, tetapi pihaknya masih belum memutuskan. "Masih belum diputusakan, kita akan bicarakan lebih lanjut," Kata Saleh.

Saat ini, PDIP sudah mengantongi beberapa nama yang menurut informasinya sebagai calon kuat untuk menjadi kandidat yang diusung oleh PDIP, yakni Bambang DH. Berdasar keterangan Saleh, nama Bambang DH, saat ini masih menjadi favorit dalam internal PDIP, syaratnya jika tidak terganjal di Mahkamah Konstitusi.

Sholeh Lirik Jalur Independen

2009-10-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

Meskipun pelaksanaannya masih lama, namun gaung kompetisi dalam merebutkan kursi Walikota Surabaya sudah mulai terasa. Setelah partai-partai disibukkan dengan dinamika internal perebutan tiket, kini giliran calon independen yang sudah mulai muncul. M. Sholeh, salah satu nama yang bakal maju dalam Pilwali mendatang mulai bermanuver dengan mendatangi kantor KPUD Surabaya untuk mempertanyakan tata cara pendaftaran bagi para calon perseorangan.

Dengan ditemani oleh para pendukungnya, mantan caleg PDIP Kota Surabaya ini mendesak kepada KPU untuk mempermudah proses pendaftaran bagi para calon perseorangan sebagaimana yang telah diamanatkan oleh Undang-Undang. ”Meskipun waktunya masih lama, namun bagi calon perseorangan harus mulai mempersiapkan sejak sekarang,” ujarnya.

Sholeh menambahkan, Surabaya mendatang membutuhkan figur kepemimpinan kaum muda, karena disamping dibekali dengan idealisme perubahan, kaum muda juga memiliki tenaga yang lebih untuk mensejahterakan rakyat. ”Kompleksitas masalah yang ada di Surabaya sangat membutuhkan pemimpin dari generasi muda, ” imbuhnya.

Disinggung mengenai kesiapan materiilnya, mantan aktivis PRD ini mengaku siap lahir batin, karena sebagai seorang advokat yang sudah menangani kasus-kasus besar dirinya memilki kecukupan modal untuk membiayai pencalonannya. ”Saya jadi advokat sudah lama, jadi saya punya modal yang bagus, ” paparnya.

Sementara itu Eko Waluyo anggota KPUD Surabaya yang menemui rombongan Sholeh mengatakan sesuai dengan peraturan yang ada memang kandidat perseorangan diperbolehkan untuk mencalonkan diri, namun yang harus diperhatikan adalah syarat-syarat pendaftaran yang harus dipenuhi.

Syarat pendaftaran yang dimaksud, lanjut Eko adalah mengumpulkan bukti dukungan minimal 3 persen dari jumlah penduduk Kota Surabaya. ”Bukti dukungan harus dibuktikan dengan foto copy KTP warga asli Surabaya, ” ujar mantan ketua KPUD Surabaya ini.

Pihaknya juga berjanji tidak akan mempersulit proses pendaftaran pasangan calon Pilwali baik itu dari unsur partai maupun dari unsur perseorangan. Namun dirinya masih menunggu surat dari DPRD Surabaya tentang pelaksanaan Pilwali. ”Karena prosesnya masih lama, jadi tentunya semua pihak harus menahan diri terlebih dahulu,” pungkasnya

Demokrat Gandeng PDIP di Pilkada Surabaya?

2009-10-11T03:42:00.000-07:00

Merapatnya Ketua Dewan Penasehat DPP PDI Perjuangan, Taufik Kiemas ke Partai Demokrat langsung disikapi DPD Partai Demokrat Jatim. Mereka berencana menggandeng PDIP dalam Pemilihan Walikota (Pilwali) Surabaya 2010 mendatang.

DPD Partai Demokrat (PD) Jatim menawarkan DPD PDIP Jatim untuk menetapkan calon wakil walikota (cawawali) untuk dipasangkan dengan calon walikota (cawali) yang diusung DPD PD Jatim yaitu Arif Afandi dan Wisnu Wardhana.

"Kalau cawali-nya sudah pasti kita usung Arif dan Wisnu. Sedangkan cawawali-nya dari PDIP. Terserah siapa yang akan diusung oleh PDIP," kata Ketua Umum DPD PD Jatim, Imam Sunardi kepada wartawan di Kantor DPD PD Jatim, 09-09-2009.

Imam Sunardi mengaku punya alasan tertentu kenapa DPD PD Jatim memilih cawawali dari PDIP. Yakni, PD menjadi pemenang pemilu legislatif (pileg) 2009. Sementara, PDIP yang dalam pemilu 2004 sempat merajai kini menjadi pemenang kedua.

"Jadi, jaman sudah terbalik. Kalau dulu PDIP pantas mencalonkan kadernya sebagai cawali, sekarang harus wakilnya. Giliran yang menjadi walikota-nya dari Demokrat," ujarnya sambil tersenyum.

Soal cawali yang dipastikan diusung DPD, Imam Sunardi menyebut calonnya sementara baru dua yaitu Arif dan Wisnu. Dari dua calon ini, DPD lebih condong kepada Arif. "Arahnya nanti pasti ke Arif. Tapi, bukan berarti itu sudah jadi keputusan lho," ucapnya.

Calon lain seperti Fandi Utomo yang telah mengklaim dapat dukungan dari DPP, Imam Sunardi mengaku sudah mendengar kabar itu. Namun, dia membantah telah mendukungnya. Apalagi, sampai sekarang DPP belum pernah memberikan restu kepada siapapun kader Demokrat yang ingin maju dalam Pilwali.

"Itu hanya klaim dia. Jangankan Fandi, dua calon yang bakal kita usung saja belum ada restu dari DPP. Tapi, kita tidak minta restu, hanya petunjuk DPP saja. Karena, yang berhak menetapkan calon hanya DPD," jelasnya.

Arif Afandi sendiri menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada keputusan DPP. Sebab, siapapun yang akan dicalonkan sebagai cawali sepenuhnya ada ditangan Ketua Dewan Pembina Pusat Partai Demokrat, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

"Maju tidaknya saya sebagai cawali, saya serahkan sepenuhnya kepada lembaga survei yang dibentuk DPP. Hasil survei masyarakat Surabaya itu bakal menjadi pertimbangan SBY untuk memilih siapa yang terbaik dan layak dicalonkan dalam pilwali," jelasnya.

Menjelang Pilwali marak Bisnis Domain

2009-10-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

Pemilihan Walikota (Pilwali) Surabaya tahun 2010, dianggap sebagian kalangan sebagai ladang mengais rezeki. Jika biasanya bisanis yang dilirik adalah bisnis percetakan, tetapi yang dilakukan Achmad Lutfi, pemuda asal Sidoarjo ini berniat bisnis domain dan pembangunan web blog.

Sebelumnya, Lutfi membeli sebuah nama domain dengan nama walikotaku.com, dengan harapan kelak jika ada salah satu calon yang tertarik memakai nama domain tersebut maka Lutfi akan menjualnya. "Saya suka domain itu. Jika ada yang tertarik memiliki, saya lepas Rp 50 juta," kata Lutfi, seperti dikutip pemilu surabaya [dot] com dari detik.com, Selasa (6/10/2009).

Usaha yang lain, yang juga berhubungan dengan dunia maya adalah bisnis pembangunan web blog. Salah satunya adalah Agus Supriyadi. Menurut Agus, tidak sedikit, bakal calon walikota yang menggunakan dunia maya untuk mengkampanyekan program kampanyenya serta berinteraksi dengan komunitas dunia maya. Yang sudah memesan adalah Yusuf Husni, Adies Kadir (keduanya kader Golkar) dan M Sholeh, kader PDIP yang akan mencalonkan dari jalur independen.

Kedua fenomena tersebut diatas sebetulnya bukan hal baru di dunia maya, pada pemilu 2009 lalu presiden SBY juga membuat website untuk mempopulerkan dirinya dengan domain SBYPresidenku.com, bahkan ada yang menawarkan domain dengan nama sbyboediono.com dan sby-boediono.com dengan harga 300 juta (lihat Blog dijual).

Alisjahbana Calonkan Walikota !

2009-10-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

PILWALI Surabaya 2010 bakal diramaikan oleh kandidat berpengalaman. Meski belum ada pengumuman siapa kandidat calon walikota dari Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) Kota Surabaya, beberapa nama kandidat sudah mulai bermunculan. Kali ini giliran nama Alisjahban a yang didorong untuk maju kembali dalam pilwali mendatang. Dukungan terhadap Alisjahbana ditegaskan oleh Sukaryo perwakilan dari Pengurus Himpunan Penghayat Kepercayaan Terhadap Tuhan Yang Esa (HPK) Kota Surabaya. Menurut Sukaryo, sosok Alisjahbana dianggap mumpuni sebagai calon pemimpin Surabaya.

Selain memiliki pengalaman di bidang birokrasi, Ali juga dianggap sebagai sosok pemimpin yang jujur dan adil. “Yang jelas Pak Alisjahbana orang pas menjadi walikota mendatang. Beliau ini memiliki keahlian di segala bidang,” terang Sukaryo yang mengaku belum membicarakan persoalan ini kepada Alisjahbana. Namun Sukaryo menyakini dukungan dari HPK ini akan disambut baik oleh Alisjahbana untuk maju kembali dalam pilwali.

Rencananya, terang Sukaryo, pembicaraan terkait dukungan tersebut akan disampaikan setelah Lebaran nanti. “Saya yakin Pak Alisjahbana akan mau maju kembali,” kata Sukaryo dengan nada optimis.

Jika tawaran HPK ini diterima Alisjahbana, berarti untuk kedua kalinya Alisjahbana akan maju sebagai kandidat cawali, setelah 2004 lalu bersama Wahyudin Husein gagal memperebutkan jabatan walikota. “Kalau dulu mungkin buat masyarakat masih belum pas. Mungkin kali sosok Alisjahbana sudah pas di mata masyarakat,” ungkapnya.

Ditanya tentang kendaraan politik untuk maju dalam pilwali mendatang? Sumarno mengatakan, pihaknya akan terus melakukan komunikasi politik dengan para petinggi partai di Surabaya hingga pusat.

Dikutip Pemilu Surabaya [dot] Com dari http://www.dutamasyarakat.com/

Walikota Ideal Untuk Surabaya

2009-10-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Pemilihan walikota Surabaya baru akan dilaksanakan pada pertengahan tahun 2010. Namun bursa calon dan hal-hal yang berbau kampanye mulai terasa dalam beberapa bulan terakhir. Hal tersebut terlihat dari banyaknya baliho-baliho besar dan spanduk-spanduk calon kandidat walikota dan wawalikota yang terpampang di beberapa papan reklame di sudut-sudut jalan Kota Surabaya serta lobi-lobi politik yang banayk dilakukan kandidat pada partai-partai yang mempunyai suara signifikan pada pileg dan pilpres yang lalu.

Sekedar mengucapkan selamat menunaikan ibadah puasa, hari raya atau mendukung club sepak bola Persebaya, para kandidat calon walikota ini berupaya mensosialisasikan diri kepada masyarakat Surabaya serta membentuk citra positif sebagai modal awal membangun kepercayaan masyarakat.

Sebagai langkah awal, hal tersebut mungkin wajar-wajar saja. Namun perlu diingat, Kota Surabaya merupakan kota Metropolitan terbesar kedua di Indonesia. Kota dengan segudang permasalahan yang kompleks dan diperlukan solusi-solusi penyelesaian yang cerdas dan komprehensif untuk mengatasinya tanpa harus mengorbankan pihak manapun.

Pada dasarnya persoalan-persolan yang muncul di kota-kota besar di Indonesia seperti Surabaya adalah persoalan-persolan yang sudah lama ada. Namun seiring dengan pergantian kepemimpinan persoalan-persoalan tersebut masih saja menjadi momok yang merusak citra Surabaya sebagai kota Metropolitan. Untuk itu dalam pilwali mendatang diharapkan akan muncul calon yang memang benar-benar mampu mengorganisasi dan melihat situasi, menginventarisasi masalah, dan merumuskan banyak alternatif solusi. Bukan calon-calon yang hanya mempunyai kepentingan sendiri dan golongannya.

Permasalahan yang mendera kota Surabaya memang sangat kompleks. Namun ada beberapa hal yang perlu dijadikan prioritas bagi walikota terpilih nanti. Pertama, pemberdayaan masyarakat melingkupi bidang pendidikan, kesehatan, dan kesejahteraan. Selama ini bidang-bidang tersebut hanya dinikmati oleh segelintir orang. Masih banyaknya anak-anak di bawah umur yang berjualan Koran di perempatan jalan pada jam sekolah dan yang paling memprihatinkan adalah masih adanya balita di Surabaya dengan kondisi gizi buruk.
Kedua, Reformasi birokrasi. Akuntabilitas dan profesionalisme pegawai dalam pelayanan public seringkali menjadi bahan kritik yang sangat tajam bagi para birokrat. Termasuk masih belum seimbangnya jumlah pegawai dan proporsi kerja.

Ketiga, kelestarian lingkungan. Sebagai kota besar Surabaya mempunyai banyak persoalan lingkungan, limbah pabrik dan sampah rumah tangga yang mencemari sungai membuat cadangan air bersih berkurang. Belum lagi banyaknya kendaraan bermotor dan limbah udara pabrik-pabrik sekitar Kota yang menjadikan kualitas udara menurun drastis sehingga dikhawatirkan akan menggangu kesehatan warga kota.

Keempat, Tata Ruang Kota. Penggunaan lahan kosong untuk dijadikan pemukiman liar seringkali dibiarkan begitu saja oleh pemkot, baru setelah terjadi gejala-gejala tidak normal Pemkot melakukan penggusuran yang justru menimbulkan masalah baru. Termasuk alih fungsi lahan yang sering dilakukan oleh para pemodal.

Calon walikota Surabaya harus menyusun Visi-Misinya sesuai dengan kondisi aktual dan realitas yang terjadi di masyarakat. Sehingga masyarakat yakin akan program kerja calon walikota yang secara otomatis akan menekan pemilih yang golput.

Pengalaman pemilu atau pilkada di beberapa daerah di Indonesia, angka golput selalu saja menjadi “pemenang” pemilu atau pilkada. Bukan tidak mungkin pilwali Kota Surabaya mendatang akan terjadi hal yang sama jika para kandiat calon hanya focus pada usaha menyosialisasikan figure tanpa memeperkenalkan ide-ide brilian dan agenda yang kongkrit untuk kebaikan dan kemajuan kota Surabaya.

Makelar PIlwali Bergentayangan

2009-10-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

Menjelang pilkada sering terjadi lobi-lobi politik dari para kandidat kepada partai-partai politik, terutama partai politik yang mempunyai suara signifikan pada pemilu legislatif dan pemilu presiden kemarin. Lobi-lobi politik tersebut dilakukan untuk mendapatkan rekomendasi dan dicalonkan dari partai. Meskipun secara undang-undang pencalonan kepala daerah bisa dilakukan dengan jalan independen, namun tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa partai politik merupakan salah satu penentu calon akan dipilih masyarakat.

Untuk mendapatkan rekomendasi dari partai politik tertentu, seringkali calon mengandalkan jaringan di internal partai, baik di tingkat daerah maupun di pusat. Atau menggunakan jasa para “makelar” politik yang banyak bergentayangan menjelang pilkada. Para “makelar” yang kebanyakan merupakan oknum partai politik bahkan pengurus partai itu bermunculan untuk memanfaatkan statusnya atau pengaruhnya di partai, sehingga menarik perhatian calon.
Dari beberapa sumber menyebutkan para “makelar” politik mengambil sasaran kandidat dari kalangan Profesional maupun birokrat, karena pemahaman politiknya yang lemah sehingga mudah dimanfaatkan serta didukung kemauan dan materi yang besar. Untuk itu, seringkali para calon tidak segan-segan mengeluarkan modal fantastis untuk membiayai pergerakan para makelar politik tersebut.

Untuk menjadi makelar politik, kerja yang dilakukan harus benar-benar terukur. Dan hall paling mutlak yang harus dimiliki adalah jaringan internal partai yang kuat, mulai daerah hingga pusat. “Lobi-lobi di tingkat pusat merupakan hal utama yang harus diprioritaskan karena keputusan akhir berada di pimpinan pusat” ujar Ismed Rama yang pernah menjadi “makelar” politik (surabaya pagi; 29-09-2009). Disinggung mengenai tingkat keberhasilan praktek tersebut, Ismed mengatakan berkisar 20-30 persen. Namun ada juga yang sampai berhasil.
Menjelang Pilwali Kota Surabaya 2010, ditengarai banyak “makelar” politik yang bermunculan melobi bakal calon walikota maupun calon wakil walikota. Mengingat kota surabaya yang merupakan kota besar kedua di Indonesia maka kemungkinan akan banyak yang mencoba peruntungan dengan mencoba mencalonkan diri menjadi walikota ataupun wakil walikota. Mereka menjajikan calon kandidat mendapatkan rekomendasi dari partai yang diinginkan. Tentu saja, para “makelar” ini meminta imbalan uang Rp. 500 juta hingga Rp. 1 miliar. hal utama yang ditawarkan adalah kemampuan mereka yang bisa melobi politik ke struktural partai, baik di tingkat daerah hingga pusat.

Pada dasarnya pergerakan para ”makelar” politik ini didasari atas kepentingan pribadi, namun karena kebetulan statusnya sebagai pengurus partai maka nama partai ikut terbawa. Ketua DPC Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB) Surabaya Musyafak Rouf mengatakan dirinya melihat adanya praktek makelar politik ini. Disinggung mengenai adanya kader PKB yang menjadi “makelar” politik, mantan ketua DPRD Surabaya ini menegaskan sejauh ini belum terlihat di internal partainya ada kader yang menjadi “makelar” politik. “Alhamdulillah di PKB masih steril dari “makelar” politik”. Ujar musyafak(surabaya pagi;29-09-2009).

Hal yang sama juga dikatakan Ketua DPC Partai Demokrat Surabaya Wisnu Wardhana. Sebagai partai yang memenangi pileg dan pilpres kemarin bukan tidak mungkin Partainya menjadi rebutan para calon yang menginginkan rekomendasi dari partai bentukan presiden SBY. “Saya belum melihat ada praktek “makelar” politik di Partai Demokrat, karena mekanisme pencalonannya masih belum dilakukan,”ujarnya. Lebih lanjut Ketua DPRD Surabaya ini mengatakan walikota Surabaya harus diraih kader Demokrat. Apalagi Ketua Pembina Partai Demokrat yang juga Presiden RI memback up siapapun walikota yang diusung partai demkokrat (surabaya pagi; 29-09-2009).

Untuk menjadi Walikota Surabaya paling tidak dibutuhkan dana sekitar Rp. 50 miliar. jika calon hanya menyediakan dana kurang dari itu, maka disinilah para “makelar” politik “bermain” dengan cara mencarikan donatur dengan imbalan proyek jika terpilih nanti. Proyek-proyek itupun sudah di mark up sedemikian rupa untuk bisa mengembalikan dana yang telah habis untuk membiayai “makelar” politik dan kampanye. Hal ini yang pada akhirnya menimbulkan pelaksanaan tender pengadaan barang dan jasa dilakukan dengan cara tidak benar. Serta cenderung asal-asalan dalam mengerjakan suatu proyek dan menjadi lahan korupsi.
Praktek makelar politik merupakan hal yang sudah lama terjadi, dan berkembang terus menerus seiring dengan perkembangan sistem demokrasi di negeri ini. Berawal dari kultur politik pedesaan dan berkembang hingga menjadi seperti sekarang. Dimana seseorang yang mencalonkan diri menjadi kepala desa atau daerah harus menyiapkan modal besar agar bisa dipilih.

Oleh sebab itu, jika ingin pelaksanaan demokrasi di Indonesia berkembang dengan baik, maka para makelar politik ini harus dihilangkan. Ini merupakan tugas untuk partai-partai politik agar menindak tegas para kader yang menjadi “makelar” politik. Serta melakukan penjaringan calon pemimpin yang kompeten, yang bisa mewujudkan keinginan masyarakat luas.

Surabaya Milik Siapa?

2009-10-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Pemilu walikota Surabaya sebentar lagi akan dihelat, namun selama itu adakah calon pemimpin (kandidat walikota) Surabaya baru yang mampu dan berani melakukan sebuah transformasi kehidupan rakyat Surabaya menuju taraf hidup yang lebih baik secara keseluruhan, bukan menciptakan segelintir konglomerat-konglomerat di kota Surabaya. Tentunya dengan hal tersebut, kandidat walikota Surabaya berikutnya harus tahu betul situasi dan kondisi serta berpengalaman dalam menangani persoalan-persoalan kota yang kian hari kian bertambah, sehingga diharapkan yang menjadi Walikota kedepan bukan ‘pemimpin yang coba-coba’.

Walikota Surabaya kedepan harus mampu sebagai sosok pemimpin yang mengayomi masyarakatnya sekaligus seorang ‘manajer’ yang bertugas mengelola sumber daya Pemerintah Kota. Otonomi daerah harus diwujudkan dalam kerja-kerja yang nyata, bukan hanya menjadi trend pemerintah kota. Misalnya ketika otonomi masing-masing daerah diharapkan dapat meningkatkan PAD, berbagai cara pun ditempuh dalam mengejar keuntungan ekonomi melalui kebijakan pembangunan. Pertokoan berkapasitas besar seperti pasar modern, menjadi salah satu pilihan pemkot/pemda untuk menjadi mesin ekonomi. Pembangunan mal dan pasar modern di Surabaya sudah overload, dan mengancam keberadaan pasar tradisional. Maraknya pusat-pusat perbelanjaan modern tidak lepas dari sikap pemerintah yang mudah menerbitkan ijin pendirian pasar modern. Marginalisasi pasar tradisional terjadi karena desakan arus modal besar yang kuat ditambah kebijakan pemerintah yang semakin berpihak kepada pemodal besar.

Fenomena maraknya pusat-pusat perbelanjaan modern ditanggapi beragam oleh para stakeholders yang berkaitan dengan pemberdayaan pasar tradisional. Hal ini berkaitan dengan perbedaan kepentingan diantara para stakeholders tersebut. Esensi kebijakan publik adalah ”kepentingan publik”. Kepentingan publik merupakan hasil akhir dari proses tawar-menawar sekian banyak kepentingan yang ada di dalam masyarakat.

Kebijakan publik merupakan preferensi nilai dari para elit yang berkuasa. Seringkali kebijakan publik tidak merefleksikan tuntutan dari masyarakat luas ”rakyat”. Sikap para pedagang pasar tradisional terhadap maraknya pasar modern adalah merasa dirugikan karena penurunan omset, dan kecewa karena pendapatnya tidak diakomodir dalam sebuah Perda. Para pedagang hanya dapat pasrah dan menganggap ancaman dari pasar modern merupakan tantangan bagi pasar tradisional.

Sehingga pantaslah bila kita menanyakan Surabaya milik siapa?, apakah segelintir konglomerat yang akan terus menikmati menguras habis segala bentuk potensi Surabaya sehingga berdampak tersingkirnya masyarakat kecil, atau Surabaya menjadi milik seluruh masyarakat Surabaya, tentunya pertanyaan tersebut lebih bijak walikota Surabaya berikutnya yang menjawab, sesungguhnya mau dibawa kemana Surabaya kedepan. Sehingga ‘even’ pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang bukan even seremonial semata, tapi memiliki korelasi dengan tingkat kesejahteraan masyarakat Surabaya.

Dikirim oleh Iza Sadzili, mahasiswa FH Unair

Substansi Pilkada Langsung (pilkadal) dalam Pemilihan Walikota Surabaya 2010

2009-10-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Secara normatif, pilkada langsung bukanlah semata-mata arena kontestasi kekuasaan, melainkan sebuah ruang yang terbuka bagi warga di aras lokal untuk memperoleh semacam pendidikan politik; training kepemimpinan politik dan sekaligus mempunyai posisi yang setara untuk terlibat dalam pengambilan keputusan politik. Dalam alur pemikiran semacam itu, para kandidat justru dituntut “bertarung” untuk membicarakan berbagai isu yang terjadi di daerahnya. Sehingga melalui perdebatan gagasan, ide dan program yang ditawarkan oleh para kandidat, warga di daerah bisa sekaligus belajar untuk mendengar, ikut berbicara dan akhirnya membuat keputusan politik.

Tema pilkada langsung seharusnya masih harus terus disuarakan agar substansi pemilihan secara langsung dapat konsekuen dilaksanakan oleh pemimpin yang terpilih. Surabaya sebagai pusat kekuasaan politik terbesar kedua di negeri ini akan segera melangsungkan agenda pilkada langsung yakni pemilihan walikota (pilwali) tahun 2010. Substansi pemilihan secara langsung hendaknya terus menerus kita ulas agar sosok pemimpin (walikota) merupakan wujud dari harapan masyarakat surabaya.

Apa yang seringkali diharapkan dan dicita-citakan tidak selalu sesuai dengan kenyataan. Boleh dikatakan harapan untuk menjadikan pilkada langsung sebagai ajang pendidikan politik warga, bisa diibaratkan sebuah keinginan “menggantang asap”. Mengapa disebut sebagai sebuah harapan yang sia-sia ? Pertama, dari pengalaman kota surabaya yang telah menyelesaikan prosesi pilkada langsung (pemilihan walikota) tahun 2005 lalu, kurang terdengar walikota yang berbicara secara lantang tentang isu-isu substantif di yang ada di Surabaya, seperti bagaimana mengatasi problematika kemiskinan, akses warga miskin pada pelayanan dasar, dan sebagainya. Isu-isu substantif kedaerahan justru tenggelam di tengah hiruk pikuk “janji surga” yang diwartakan oleh kandidat walikota yang bersaing. Bahkan, ada kecenderungan sebagian besar kandidat walikota justru berbicara soal bagaimana memperbesar “kue” ekonomi, melalui strategi pertumbuhan ekonomi, dan peningkatan PAD (yang dalam istilah ekonomi disebut big push strategy) dibandingkan bagaimana membagi “kue” ekonomi yang lebih merata, terutama pada kelompok marginal.

Kedua, selain memberikan “janji surga”, para kandidat walikota pada saat pemilihan walikota (pilwali) 2005 yang lalu juga seringkali menggunakan politik simulakra (pencitraan), sehingga tidak aneh kemudian ketika mendekati masa-masa kampanye, para kandidat walikota sibuk “membungkus” dirinya dengan menebar pesona yang menarik simpati warga. Misalnya, membangun citra intekektual-dengan meluncurkan buku atau menjadi pembicara di kampus-kampus; citra dermawan dengan meningkatkan jumlah sumbangan ke warga di masa-masa menjelang pilwali; citra moralis-agamais; dengan mendatangi forum-forum pengajian atau citra populis; dengan membuka warung murah dan sebagainya.

Sudah sangat jelas, dari kedua model kampanye di atas, warga tidak memperoleh pendidikan politik untuk menjadi pemilih (voters) yang berkualitas dan kritis, melainkan justru ditempatkan sebagai pendukung-obyek politik yang siap dimobilisasi (supporter). Kalau hal itu memang terjadi maka tentu saja para kandidat walikota yang tengah bertarung dalam pemilihan walikota surabaya 2010 mendatang tidak akan pernah peduli dengan kemiskinan, pengangguran hingga segala bentuk problematika perkotaan surabaya. Hal ini terbukti masih tingginya angka jumlah keluarga miskin serta pengangguran di Surabaya. Belum lagi persoalan gizi yang kian hari mendera keluarga diperkampungan pelosok-pelosok surabaya.

Akhirnya, semua gejala penurunan kualitas hidup warga surabaya ini mengandung makna bahwa kita perlu memikirkan kembali berbagai prosesi demokrasi yang telah berlangsung selama lima tahun terakhir ini, yang ternyata tidak selalu berhubungan dengan perbaikan tingkat kesejahteraan warga daerah. Itu berarti perayaan pilkada langsung ; pemilihan walikota bisa jadi bermata dua; menjadi berkah untuk membangun tatanan governance di daerah yang lebih baik, namun juga sekaligus bisa sebagai musibah yang datang kembali untuk kesekian kalinya bagi kelompok-kelompok marginal.

Fasum bagi penyandang cacat, PR bagi Kandidat Walikota

2009-10-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Kandidat walikota yang hendak bersaing pada Pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang mulai sekarang dapat menginventarisasi ‘masalah-masalah’ yang masih membelenggu Kota Surabaya. Salah satu masalah tersebut adalah fasilitas umum (fasum) yang kurang ramah bagi penyandang cacat. Fasum yang dimaksud seperti pembangunan jalan trotoar yang tidak rata atau naik turun.

Fasum yang ramah terhadap penyandang cacat merupakan bagian dari pelayanan publik kota-kota di banyak negara. Wuri Handayani, dikutip pemilu surabaya [dot] com dari Surabaya Raya, mengatakan bahwa “Pembangunan tata kota di Jawa Timur, Surabaya khususnya, menyulitkan penyandang cacat.”. Ia berharap kelak siapa saja kandidat yang terpilih menjadi Walikota Surabaya periode 2010-2015 adalah orang yang tanggap terhadap nasib penyandang cacat.

Memang benar yang dikatakan oleh Wuri Handayani, bahkan tidak hanya penyandang cacat, fasum yang hendak dibangun pemerintah Kota Surabaya mempertimbangkan faktor kelayakan. Banyak kita temui di ruas-ruas atau jalan-jalan di Surabaya tidak layak untuk dilalui oleh pengguna jalan. Hal ini kiranya menjadi PR sendiri bagi kandidat walikota Surabaya yang akan bersaing lewat Pilwali Surabaya 2010 mendatang. Semoga

Basis Tradisional versus Pencitraan dalam Pilwali Surabaya 2010

2009-10-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Semakin mendekati hari pelaksanaan Pilwali Surabaya tahun 2010, diskursus mengenai pembelahan masyarakat mungkin masih relevan untuk dibicarakan. Akan banyak manuver politik yang dilakukan elite politik agar memperoleh dukungan dari basis masyarakat berdasarkan iktan tradisional. Pendeknya, manuver itu mempertegas kecenderungan utama pembelahan masyarakat Indonesia.

Pembelahan masyarakat (Liddle, 1992) disebut sebagai Sungai Budaya; memang tidak pernah berhenti. Dia terus bergerak, deras dan lambat. Di dalam aliran itu, banyak aliran yang mengalir terpisah tetapi suatu saat mereka bertemu dan berpisah kembali. Perjalanan aliran sungai ini sering dihalangi oleh batu, pohon tumbang dan mungkin kerikil. Dia dikotori sekaligus mendapatkan limpahan air bersih dari sungai lain. ’Sungai Budaya’ adalah formulasi dinamis dan tentu saja sebuah percakapan dramatis dari masyarakat yang bergumul dalam budaya itu. Dengan metafora demikian, interpretasi mengenai pembelahan masyarakat Indonesia; khususnya masyarakat Surabaya menjelang pilwali bergerak secara dinamis dari waktu ke waktu.

Dalam sejarah, Soekarno (1964), misalnya, membelah masyarakat Indonesia menjadi tiga, yaitu, Nasionalis-Agama-Komunis (Nasakom). Dalam tataran politik praktis, kelompok Nasionalis diwakili oleh PNI, Agama oleh Masyumi dan NU sedangkan Komunis direpresentasi oleh PKI. Selanjutnya Geerz (1965) menyodorkan trikotomi Santri (PPP)-Abangan (PDI)-Priyayi (Golkar). Pada tahun 1970, Feith dan Castles menyodorkan pembagian yang lebih kompleks untuk Sungai Budaya tahun 1950-an, yaitu, nasionalisme radikal (PNI), tradisionalisme Jawa (PNI-PKI-NU), Islam (NU, Masyumi), sosialisme demokratis (PNI-Masyumi) dan komunisme (PKI). Mencoba mengikuti Feith dan Castles, Dhakidae (1999) membagi masyarakat ke dalam 4 kelompok, yaitu, kelompok Nasionalis (PDI-P), Pembangunan (Golkar), Agama (PBB) dan Sosialisme (PRD). Sedangkan Suryadinata (2002) mengkristalkan kembali pemikiran dan aliran politik yang ada ke dalam dua kategori besar, yaitu, Pancasila dan Islam Politik ( Political Islam).

Tetapi mengikuti dinamika masyarakat Surabaya saat ini, yang bisa diidentifikasi melalui figur-figur tokoh politik yang mendapatkan dukungan massa, tampak bahwa Sungai Budaya yang ada terbelah dalam dua aliran besar, yaitu, Nasionalis dan Islam. Karena itu, manuver yang mereka lakukan pun secara otomatis memusat pada kedua aliran tersebut. Hal ini bisa diidentifikasi dari tidak munculnya nama seorang tokoh pun dari aliran tersebut yang mendapatkan dukungan luas dari responden. Namun yang harus dicermati adalah fenomena gelombang tsunami Partai Demokrat yang sebetulnya tidak memiliki basis tradisional mampu mendobrak asumsi ’sungai budaya’ sejak tahun 2004 hingga kemenangan mutlak pemilu 2009 kemarin (pileg dan pilpres). banyak kalangan menganggap kemenangan partai demokrat tidak lain sosok dan figur SBY. Bagaimana pendapat anda, bagaimana gerak perilaku pemilih dalam pemilihan walikota (pilwali) Kota Surabaya mendatang? Masih relevankah ’sungai budaya’ dalam mencerminkan perilaku memilihnya?

Pilkada Surabaya dan Golput

2009-10-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Meningkatnya golput dalam pileg dan pilpres hampir di sebagian kota/kabupaten beberapa waktu yang lalu tidak mustahil akan memuncak pada pemilihan kepala daerah (pilkada) Kota Surabaya pada 2010. Kinerja pemerintah, parlemen, dan partai-partai yang masih buruk di tengah berbagai pidato dan jargon tentang keadilan, korupsi, dan pengentasan kemiskinan bisa menjadi faktor penting yang mendorong meluapnya ekspresi kekecewaan masyarakat dalam pemilu.

Apalagi jika pilkada/pilwali mendatang tidak menawarkan format partisipasi publik yang lebih baik, mekanisme pencalonan para kandidat yang lebih transparan dan demokratis serta tidak ada jaminan bagi lahirnya elite politik yang lebih bertanggung jawab. Kandidat walikota mendatang harus memiliki jiwa kepemimpinan yang kuat dan visi yang pro terhadap kepentingan masyarakat. Karena haruskah para pemilih digiring ke tempat-tempat pemungutan suara jika setelah pilwali ternyata mereka yang terpilih akhirnya hanya ”berpesta” di atas penderitaan rakyat?

Di sinilah letak pentingya kesadaran elite politik di partai, lembaga perwakilan, dan pemerintahan, baik di tingkat pusat, provinsi maupun kota/kabupaten. Bukan rahasia umum jika kursi kekuasaan (walikota surabaya, pen) selalu menarik keterlibatan tidak hanya level Kota Surabaya, melainkan Provinsi hingga Pusat. Mereka harus sadar bahwa fenomena golput adalah suara protes rakyat yang tak lagi mampu bersuara. Golput bisa mendorong lahirnya sikap pembangkangan dan tindak anarki jika elite politik serta penyelenggara negara tidak cerdas dan tak kunjung becus mengelola republik ini. Pemilihan Walikota Surabaya 2010 mendatang harus memberikan garansi kesejahteraan pada masyarakat kota surabaya, kalau tidak, Golput akan selalu menjadi pilihan rakyat

Pentingnya Pemilu

2009-10-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Meskipun pemilu bukanlah satu-satunya arena berdemokrasi, namun pemilu memiliki arti yang sangat strategis bagi proses berdemokrasi di sebuah negara. Pertama, melalui pemilu warga negara dapat menunjukkan bahwa kedaulatan ada di tangan rakyat. Dimana rakyat yang berdaulat memilih wakil-wakilnya yang diharapkan akan memperjuangkan aspirasi dan kepentingannya.

Kedua, melalui pemilu warga negara dapat mengekspresikan hak-hak dasar mereka secara bebas, termasuk di dalamnya hak-hak untuk menyatakan pendapat dan hak untuk berkumpul dan berserikat. Ketiga, melalui pemilu dapat terbentuk pemerintahan yang memiliki legitimasi (pengakuan dari rakyat). Tanpa pemilu maka pemerintahan hanya mewakili kepentingan elite atau sekelompok masyarakat seperti yang terlihat dalam sistem politik monarkhi, diktator dan otoriter.

Keempat, melalui pemilu pergantian kekuasaan dapat dilakukan secara teratur dan damai. Kelima, melalui pemilu dapat dilakukan rekruitmen politik secara terbuka. Dimana setiap warga negara mendapatkan kesempatan yang sama untuk mengisi jabatan publik.

Keenam, melalui pemilu konflik kepentingan yang ada di tingkat masyarakat dipindahkan ke lembaga perwakilan rakyat, sehingga konflik bisa diselesaikan secara terlembaga dan tanpa kekerasan. Ketujuh, melalui pemilu dapat dilakukan pendidikan politik kepada semua warga negara. Karena dalam pemilu warga negara dididik untuk memahami hak-hak dasarnya sekaligus tanggung jawab sosialnya sebagai warga negara. Dengan pemilu warga negara juga akan terbiasa menerima perbedaan kepentingan, sehingga perbedaan kepentingan tidak menimbulkan ancaman bagi keutuhan negara.

Bercermin amuk massa Pilkada Tuban

2009-10-03T00:48:00.000-07:00

Tanggal 29 April 2006, kota Tuban dalam keadaan mencekam. Seiring diberlakukannya jam malam untuk menertibkan masyarakat yang melakukan amuk massa saat dilakukan perhitungan suara hasil pilkada untuk memilih bupati Tuban. Amuk massa tersebut terjadi karena"ada isue"temuan terjadi kecurangan penggelembungan suara yang dilakukan oleh pasangan bupati lama [ibu Haeny] yang dijagokan GOLKAR bertarung merebut jabatan Bupati Tuban periode 2006-2010, sedangkan saingannya pasangan H Noor dan Go Tjong Ping dijagokan PKB -PDIP.

Kurang lebih 5 Jam, massa tak terkendali ini menumpahkan akumulasi kemarahan yang diekpresikan lewat tindakan Amuk Massa, Memang mengagetkan terjadinya amuk massa tersebut karena Tuban yang selama ini mendapat julukan kota WALI;secara umum kehidupan sosial rakyatnya adem ayem saja dan penuh toleransi,meskipun sangat jomplang kondisi taraf hidup rakyat kecil yang mayoritas berprofesi sebagai buruh, nelayan dan petani dibanding taraf hidup para elite2 birokratnya yang terlihat WAH banget,apalagi setelah harga BBM naik.

Bagaimana dengan pilkada surabaya tahun 2010 mendatang? Adakah potensi kerusuhan (amuk massa)? Kejadian amuk massa pilkada Tuban sudah 3 tahun yang lalu. Masyarakat Surabaya juga telah melewati serangkaian pemilu; mulai dari Pilgub, Pileg dan Pilpres yang lalu. Dan pada kenyataannya, masyarakat Surabaya melewatinya dengan damai tanpa adanya tumpahan kekecewaan yang berlebihan. Siapapun mungkin bisa kecewa dengan jago yang dipilihnya menelan kekalahan. Tetapi masyarakat menganggap bahwa menang kalah dalam pemilu adalah persoalan demokrasi, tidak lebih.

Di Surabaya, hanya Supporter Persebaya yang seringkali melakukan kerusuhan. Lantas apakah bonek berpotensi kisruh pada saat pilwali surabaya 2010 mendatang? Penulis menganggap bahwa “Bonek“ sudah semakin dewasa, mereka cukup pandai membedakan mana wilayah yang memang harus perlu berkorban dan mana yang tidak. Konyol jika kita berasumsi bahwa bonek bakal kisruh pada pilwali surabaya 2010. Kita juga harus memahami bahwa tingkah laku berlebihan yang dilakukan bonek bukan tanpa sebab. Sistem persepakbolaan nasional yang tidak fair –lah yang menyebabkan pendukung kesebelasan manapun menumpahkan kekecewaan secara berlebihan.

Begitu pula dengan agenda pilwali kedepan. Di manapun potensi kerusuhan masih tetap ada. Tinggal bagaimana seluruh komponen yang terlibat dalam pilwali surabaya 2010 benar-benar menjunjung tinggi kejujuran dan keadilan. Pilwali yang demokratis sudah pasti akan menutup peluang bagi siapa saja yang kecewa terhadap hasil pilwali. Jika hal itu mampu kita raih, harapan kita bersama, harapan masyarakat kota Surabaya pada pilwali mendatang akan berjalan aman, tertib dan damai.

Pelajaran untuk kandidat pada Pemilihan Walikota Surabaya 2010

2009-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Pada tahun 2010, Kota Surabaya untuk pertama kedua kalinya akan diselenggarakan Pemilihan Kepala Daerah (pemilihan walikota; pilwali) secara langsung sebagaimana diatur dalam UU No. 32 tahun 2004. Setidaknya 176 daerah otonom akan mengadakan hajatan ini hampir secara serentak di seluruh Indonesia. Hajatan ini banyak mengundang perhatian masyarakat surabaya, meskipun bukan pengalaman yang pertama, tetapi juga bahwa peluang untuk mengubah struktur kekuasaan menjadi demikian dekat. Besar harapan masyarakat surabaya, pemilihan walikota (pilwali) 2010 mendatang membawa perubahan yang mendasar bagi mereka, karena banyak persoalan perkotaan yang hingga kini belum mampu diselesaikan.

Belajar dari pengalaman Pemilihan Umum 2004 serta 2009 yang lalu, dan dua kali Pemilihan Presiden Langsung ternyata banyak hal yang muncul menjadi variabel baru bagi kemenangan seorang calon. Ada demonstration-effects yang mengakibatkan perubahan dalam sikap dan kebiasaan masyarakat Indonesia. Kecenderungan perubahan pola berpikir pada hal yang lebih maju juga semakin jelas terlihat. Hal ini sangat terkait dengan ‘besarnya-harapan-perubahan’ yang terutama sekali disebabkan oleh kampanye media-massa seperti surat-kabar, radio, dan pada akhirnya adalah televisi. Demonstration-effects inilah yang pastinya juga akan terjadi menjelang pemilihan walikota surabaya. Harus cukup cermat kita melihat bahwa ada peran besar lembaga-lembaga polling baik nasional maupun internasional untuk pemenangan partai-partai tertentu dan dalam pemilu baik pemilu legislatif, pilpres maupun pilkada, tak terkecuali pemilihan walikota surabaya 2010 mendatang. Ada usaha yang secara intens disuntikkan pada kesadaran masyarakat untuk membentuk makna tertentu dalam kesadarannya dan menjadi sebuah produk politik. Seperti layaknya sebuah iklan produk sabun atau pasta gigi, dsb. Sebenarnya produk-produk ini sama tetapi masyarakat/konstituen memilih produk tertentu karena mendapatkan internalisasi yang berbeda atas image dari produk tersebut. Perbedaan-perbedaan atas pilihan terhadap produk-produk baik itu produk politik ataupun produk konsumeris dipengaruhi banyak sekali faktor-faktor dan latar belakang yang dimiliki oleh masyarakat/konstituen. Misalnya, seorang yang berasal dari kalangan santri tidak akan memilih produk sabun yang mengandung unsur lemak babi walaupun sewangi dan sebagus apapun produk sabun tersebut. Tetapi pilihan itu akan lain jika orang tersebut berlatarbelakang dari masyarakat yang sekuler atau liberal.

Kecermatan-kecermatan yang demikian inilah yang mengharuskan seorang calon kepala daerah, khususnya kandidat walikota surabaya, juga memiliki kecerdasan baik dalam hal kognisi maupun afektif. Karena menilik kasus Pilpres ternyata bahwa pertama, mesin partai politik tidak sepenuhnya mampu mengunci konstituennya untuk tetap memilih apa yang partainya pilih sebagai calon presiden. Kedua, jaringan patron-klien juga tidak mampu memobilisasi massa (basis konstituennya) untuk memilih calon yang dekat dengan elit jaringan tersebut. Ketiga, politik uang tidak berlaku sepenuhnya. Karena masyarakat yang didorong oleh pragmatismenya mempunyai prinsip bahwa “boleh saja diberi uang dari ‘calon A’ tetapi di bilik pemilihan siapa yang tahu bahwa yang dicoblos adalah ‘bukan calon A’”. Tulisan ini sekiranya memberikan sebuah acuan (pelajaran) bagi seluruh kandidat walikota yang akan bertarung memperebutkan kursi walikota Surabaya periode 2010-2015. Kursi walikota yang bukan hanya berisi kekuasaan semata melainkan tanggung jawab seorang pemimpin membawa masyarakat surabaya menuju ke pintu kesejahteraan. Hambatan-hambatan pemilihan walikota harus segera diantisipasi. Semoga.

Pilwali Surabaya, Partai Politik dan Demokrasi

2009-10-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Kontraksi politik makin mengencang terasa di seluruh pelosok kota surabaya, terlebih bulan-bulan mendekati tahun 2010. Tahapan klinis politik ini menjalar mulai dari sentrum kekuasaan (Grahadi, Kantor Pemeritah Kota dan DPRD Surabaya) sampai ke ujung teritorial perkampungan di Surabaya. Ya, tahun 2010 mendatang Kota Surabaya akan menggelar hajatan politik bernama “ Pemilihan Walikota (pilwali) “. Pemilihan Walikota (pilwali) merupakan bagian dari proses pemilihan umum (pemilu) pada tingkat daerah atau biasa disebut dengan pemilihan kepala daerah (pilkada).

Pilwali dan Demokrasi

Proses konsolidasi sumberdaya dan sumberdana politik diprediksi akan kian meningkat oleh hampir semua penggiat pemilihan walikota surabaya. Bagi partai politik peserta pemilu, seperti halnya pilkada didaerah-daerah lain, akan berkonsentrasi penuh pada pilkada surabaya. Bisa kita bayangkan tiada hari tanpa penggalangan dana dan massa. Mereka tidak terlalu meribetkan diri dengan sorak sorai pengamat politik atau teriakan aktivis yang mempersoalkan peran dan program kandidat yang akan didukungnya. Sepi pula respon mereka atas tuntutan political tracking untuk mewujud dalam bentuk kontrak politik dengan pemilih dan konstituennya. Padahal kesejahteraan masyarakat perkotaan surabaya ada ditangan walikota terpilih lewat pilwali kota surabaya 2010.

Prioritas partai politik bukan meyakinkan masyarakat pemilih bahwa kandidat dari partainya adalah calon walikota yang akuntabel serta memiliki kapabilitas prima, tetapi urgensi langkah mereka adalah mempersiapkan kemenangan dalam pengumpulan suara. Inilah realitas partai politik di republik ini, baik ketika menjelang pemilu nasional, maupun sekelas pilkada surabaya. Apalagi Surabaya merupakan kota kedua terbesar di Indonesia, diprediksi hingar bingar pemilihan walikota surabaya akan sangat terasa.

Sederet fenomena memilukan yang seringkali terjadi pada pemilu-pemilu yang lalu merupakan konteks politik yang melatarbelakangi pilwali surabaya yang akan diselenggarakan tahun 2010. Pemilihan walikota Surabaya 2010 mendatang, bagaimanapun, merupakan arena pertarungan politik yang mahal untuk konsolidasi dan transformasi demokrasi bagi masyarakat surabaya. Jika pengalaman getir pemilihan umum sebelumnya terulang kembali, maka Surabaya tidak bakal mampu exit dari kemelut politik yang membelenggu. Sebaliknya jika masyarakat surabaya mempersiapkan dan mengorganisir diri secara kuat, maka akan memberikan kontribusi yang berharga bagi proses konsolidasi demokrasi ke depan. Akan tetapi, karena pengalaman masa lalu dan kekecewaan yang serius, masyarakat mempunyai sikap dan pandangan yang sangat beragam terhadap Pemilihan walikota Surabaya 2010 mendatang.

Sebagian besar masyarakat mungkin bersikap apatis (masa bodoh) terhadap pemilu, tetapi mereka adalah penerima utama risiko buruk jika pengalaman pemilu sebelumnya terulang kembali. Sementara elemen-elemen masyarakat pro demokrasi mestinya sudah memulai memberikan aksi-aksi politik untuk mencegah carut-marutnya Pemilihan walikota Surabaya 2010. Semoga (ruz). Sumber pemilu surabaya [dot] com

Dilema Penggusuran Pedagang Kaki Lima

2009-10-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dimana ada keramaian disana akan muncul peluang untuk mencari nafkah bagi para pedagang. Apapun yang dipasarkan pasti bisa laku terjual, mulai dari barang bekas hingga barang baru yang dipalsukan ataupun barang-barang hasil curian yang bisa didapat dengan sangat mudah dan murah. Sejak awal, munculnya pedagang kaki lima memang sudah sangat mengganggu arus lalu lintas, kebersihan dan pemandangan kota di Surabaya. Bagaimana tidak? Mereka mengambil seluruh area pejalan kaki dan semua tempat yang bisa didirikan sebagai lapak. Dampaknya adalah kesemerawutan disana-sini

Pemda/Pemkot selalu saja mengalami keterlambatan dalam menangani kasus pedagang kaki lima yang sudah menjamur dimana-mana. Tidak ada satupun tindakan pemerintah daerah untuk mencegah sejak dini menjamurnya pedagang kaki lima di Surabaya. Pemerintah daerah baru bertindak setelah terjadi akibat dari menjamurnya para pedagang kaki lima tersebut. Penanggulangan yang dilakukan oleh Pemkot tidak dibarengi dengan solusi nyata bagi mereka (pedagang kaki lima), akibatnya adalah setiap dilakukannya penertiban pedagang kaki lima selalu saja terjadi tindakan-tindakan kekerasan (represif), baik itu dari pihak aparat maupun pedagang kaki lima.

Kondisi dilematis ini nampaknya akan selalu terjadi jika tidak dicari akar permasalahannya. Tingginya urbanisasi yang terjadi setiap tahunnya merupakan salah satu faktor yang mendukung bertambahnya populasi di wilayah Surabaya. Persaingan hidup yang cukup ketat, menyebabkan mereka (urban) yang tidak mempunyai bekal dan kemampuan yang cukup akan tersingkir dari persaingan hidup di Surabaya. Dampak lebih lanjutnya adalah, mereka (urban) akan melakukan hal apapun untuk dapat bertahan hidup di Surabaya ini, mulai dari menjadi pedagang, pengamen, pengemis, gelandangan bahkan menjadi perampok. Hal ini tentunya akan menciptakan masalah-masalah baru dan sangat berperan dalam menambah ruwetnya kondisi Kota Pahlawan ini.

Dalam hal menanggulangi masalah urbanisasi dan menjamurnya para pedagang kaki lima di wilayah Surabaya ini, semestinya pemerintah kota bekerjasama dengan Pemda harus melakukan tindakan pencegahan (preventive action) dan melakukan seleksi sejak dini bagi para pendatang baru yang tidak layak untuk tinggal di wilayah Surabaya. Program kembali ke desa yang pernah dilaksanakan oleh mantan gubernur jawa timur Basofi Sudirman merupakan salah cara untuk mengurangi arus urbanisasi. Kalu dulu bisa kenapa sekarang tidak? Barangkali persoalan PKL menjadi 'kewajiban' tersendiri bagi calon walikota Surabaya kedepan.

Kamus Pilkada

2009-10-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Apa itu PILKADA?
DEFINISI PILKADA
“Sarana pelaksanaan kedaulatan rakyat di wilayah provinsi dan/atau kabupaten/kota berdasarkan Pancasila dan Undang-undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945 untuk memilih Kepala Daerah dan Wakil Kepala Daerah.” (Pasal 1 ayat (1) PP No. 6/2005 tentang Pemilihan, Pengesahan, Pengangkatan, dan Pemberhentian Kepala Daerah dan Wakil Kepala Daerah)

“Kepala Daerah dan Wakil Kepala Daerah adalah Gubernur dan Wakil Gubernur untuk propinsi, Bupati dan Wakil Bupati untuk kabupaten, dan Walikota dan Wakil Walikota untuk kota.” (Pasal 1 ayat (2) PP No. 6/2005 tentang Pemilihan, Pengesahan, Pengangkatan, dan Pemberhentian Kepala Daerah dan Wakil Kepala Daerah)

Persyaratan Pengajuan Peserta
• Peserta pemilihan adalah pasangan yang diusulkan oleh partai politik atau gabungan partai politik. (Pasal 36 ayat 1)
• Partai politik atau gabungan partai politik dapat mengajukan pasangan calon jika memenuhi syarat sekurang-kurangnya memiliki 15% dari jumlah kursi yang ada di DPRD atau 15% dari akumulasi suara saha dalam pemilihan anggota DPRD di daerah bersangkutan. (Pasal 36 ayat 2)
• Partai politik atau gabungan partai politik hanya dapat mengusulkan satu pasangan calon.
• Pasangan calon yang telah diusulkan oleh partai politik atau gabungan partai politik tidak boleh diusulkan oleh partai politik atau gabungan partai politik lain. (Pasal 37)
• Belum pernah menjabat sebagai Kepala Daerah atau Wakil Kepala Daerah selama dua kali masa jabatan dalam jabatan yang sama.

Persyaratan Pasangan Calon (beberapa calon)
• Berusia minimal 30 tahun.
• Tidak pernah dijatuhi pidana penjara perdasarkan putusan pengadilan yang
telah memperoleh kekuatan hukum tetap karena melakukan tindak pidana yang
diancam dengan pidana penjara paling lama 5 tahun atau lebih. (Pasal 38 ayat f)
• Memiliki NPWP.

Penetapan Kepala Daerah
• Kepala daerah dan wakil kepala daerah yang memperoleh suara lebih dari 50% dari jumlah suara yang sah ditetapkan sebagai pasangan calon terpilih.
• Pasangan calon yang memperoleh lebih dari 25% dari jumlah suara yang sah, pasangan calon dengan perolehan suara terbesar ditetapkan sebagai calon terpilih.

Kumpulan Artikel, Tips dan e-book Psikologi

2008-11-27T03:48:00.000-08:00

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Klasifikasi Anak Tuna Laras

2008-11-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Klasifikasi Anak Tuna Laras

Secara garis besar anak tuna laras dapat diklasifikasikan menjadi anak yang mengalami kesukaran dalam menyesuaikan diri dengan lingkungan sosial dan anak yang mengalami gangguan emosi. Sehubungan dengan itu, William M.C (1975) mengemukakan kedua klasifikasi tersebut antara lain sebagai berikut:

1. anak yang mengalami kesulitan dalam menyesuaikan diri dengan lingkungan sosial:
a. The Semi-socialize child, anak yang termasuk dalam kelompok ini dapat mengadakan hubungan sosial tetapi terbatas pada lingkungan tertentu. Misalnya: keluarga dan kelompoknya. Keadaan seperti ini datang dari lingkungan yang menganut norma-norma tersendiri, yang mana norma tersebut bertentangan dengan norma yang berlaku di masyarakat. Dengan demikian anak selalu merasakan ada suatu masalah dengan lingkungan di luar kelompoknya.
b. Children arrested at a primitive level of socialization, anak pada kelompok ini dalam perkembangan sosialnya, berhenti pada level atau tingkatan yang rendah. Mereka adalah anak yang tidak pernah mendapat bimbingan kearah sikap sosial yang benar dan terlantar dari pendidikan, sehingga ia melakukan apa saja yang dikehendakinya. Hal ini disebabkan karena tidak adanya perhatian dari orang tua yang mengakibatkan perilaku anak di kelompok ini cenderung dikuasai oleh dorongan nafsu saja. Meskipun demikian mereka masih dapat memberikan respon pada perlakuan yang ramah.
c. Children with minimum socialization capacity, anak kelompok ini tidak mempunyai kemampuan sama sekali untuk belajar sikap-sikap sosial. Ini disebabkan oleh pembawaan/kelainan atau anak tidak pernah mengenal hubungan kasih sayang sehingga anak pada golongan ini banyak bersikap apatis dan egois.

2. Anak yang mengalami gangguan emosi, terdiri dari:
a. neurotic behavior, anak pada kelompok ini masih bisa bergaul dengan orang lain akan tetapi mereka mempunyai masalah pribadi yang tidak mampu diselesaikannya. Mereka sering dan mudah dihinggapi perasaan sakit hati, perasaan cemas, marah, agresif dan perasaan bersalah. Disamping juga kadang mereka melakukan tindakan lain seperti mencuri dan bermusuhan. Anak seperti ini biasanya dapat dibantu dengan terapi seorang konselor. Keadaan neurotik ini biasanya disebabkan oleh sikap keluarga yang menolak atau sebaliknya, terlalu memanjakan anak serta pengaruh pendidikan yaitu karena kesalahan pengajaran atau juga adanya kesulitan belajar yang berat.

b. children with psychotic processes, anak pada kelompok ini mengalami gangguan yang paling berat sehingga memerlukan penanganan yang lebih khusus. Mereka sudah menyimpang dari kehidupan yang nyata, sudah tidak memiliki kesadaran diri serta tidak memiliki identitas diri. Adanya ketidaksadaran ini disebabkan oleh gangguan pada sistem syaraf sebagai akibat dari keracunan, misalnya minuman keras dan obat-obatan

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