text:
by Mike Masnick
Mon, Dec 12th 2011 3:22am
Filed Under:
copyright, lobbying, pipa, protect ip, rupert murdoch, sopa
news corp.
Well, well. Apparently dealing with the fallout from the News of the World reporters hacking into phones in the UK isn't keeping Rupert Murdoch busy enough. He showed up in DC last week to make a personal plea to Congress to support SOPA and PIPA and censor the internet. It's been clear for quite some time that Rupert Murdoch doesn't get the internet. His history is littered with massive and expensive internet failures. So it's no surprise that he's lobbying hard for a law like SOPA and PIPA, which will restrict up and coming online competitors and help clear out some of the field so that maybe he and his son James can finally get their wish to turn the internet into something that looks a lot more like TV: with the big media conglomerates delivering the content, and everyone else just consuming (and paying for) it.
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FM Hilton, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:44am
Rupert is stupidHe doesn't have a clue-he's about to lose his shirt over the telephone hackings in Britain, and all he can complain about is the SOPA/Protect IP? In person?
Just because he thinks he's still powerful enough to do it?
Oh, yeah-he was given a special dispensation as an 1%er to be able to access Congress on everything.
I think it was Newt Gingrich who pushed along his petition for American citizenship. It should be revoked.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:49am
Re: Rupert is stupidI'll tell you why he wants SOPA.
Back in the day, you only had a handful of sources of news: newspaper, radio, television, magazines...Your knowledge of the world was limited to what a few people wanted you to experience. This was great for those people: they could lie to you all they wanted. How would you do fact-checking? Most of the times that would require you to travel across the globe...
With the arrival of the Internet, that has changed. Now any kid can be a reporter: all he needs is guts and an Internet connection. Gather enough "kids", and you can cover most of the world news, and reach a population of Billions instantly.
This scares the old gatekeepers. They are scared of things like wikileaks. They are scared of things like Techdirt, or basically any site where Intelligent people can gather and discuss world issues.
Rupert Murdoch wants SOPA because he wants the old ways back. He wants to be in control, and SOPA could give him that.
jupiterkansas (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 9:19am
Re: Re: Rupert is stupidAnd that's why the government wants SOPA too, because they know big media will never pose a real threat to what they do or seriously question their desire for war, and if the press ever does cause trouble, it can be stopped with a few phone calls.
They can't stop the internet with a few phone calls.
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 10:32am
Re: Re: Re: Rupert is stupidBut damned is they don't think they can try. But them pesky microfilters stop that from happening.
gorehound (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:58am
Re: Rupert is stupidRupert can go to the hell he deserves.Hope they hammer him good in the UK as they won't do it in our Country.
He is one hell of a scumbag.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:46am"Get off my lawn! I'm trying to beat the Simpsons even further into the ground!"
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 4:06am
Heh.This coming from the guy who went to the Supreme Court, with his company Fox News for their Constitutional right to lie.
John Doe, 12 Dec 2011 @ 4:51am
I can assure you I will not participatemaybe he and his son James can finally get their wish to turn the internet into something that looks a lot more like TV: with the big media conglomerates delivering the content, and everyone else just consuming (and paying for) it.
If that is what becomes of the internet, I can assure you I will not be participating. In fact, I will become the worlds greatest pirate that the world has ever seen.
The Devil's Coachman (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:34am
Re: I can assure you I will not participateDitto! I have not been a pirate, but that would make me one, and joyfully!
mike allen (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 7:32am
Re: Re: I can assure you I will not participateme too
CommonSense (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:00am
That friggin guy...By now, the world should realize that if that asshole (You Rupert, Rupert Murdoch) is in favor of any form of legislation, we need to take a second, and third look at it. This would be like the guys in charge of Enron during that scandal coming out to lobby for a new energy bill so that they could get back in the game... We should know that there are NO good intentions behind it.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:00am
And in breaking news...Satan has come out in support of SOPA/PIPA.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:24amYou are still unable to explain why user content will disappear.
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:35am
Re:See dajaz1 and Rojadirecta for details. No-one wants that level of liability - it would be akin to Ford being liable for all road deaths caused by cars they made, or making the movie/TV studios liable for Charlie Sheen's drug habits.
Butcherer79 (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:39am
Re:Perhaps you should read previous posts (and there's a number of them) before coming out with false accusations.
John Doe, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:40am
Re:Yes he did. This article shows why YouTube would shut down.
Dark Helmet (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:42am
Re:Because sites which allow the uploading of user content will be burdened to monitor those uploads such that they will no longer be viable and disappear, or spurious action against them when they fail to catch infringing user uploads will put them out of business.
Either way, those sites will either not be around any longer, or there will be far fewer of them, making for less of an outlet for user generated content.
Was that really so hard?
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:36am
Re: Re:It seems silly to assume that such a vacuum would not be filled by something else, say like sites owned by the "users" who generate the content, example, or collectives, co-ops, etc.
It seems that you guys are focused on a single solution, and are unable to think outside of that very small box.
Gwiz (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:56am
Re: Re: Re:....filled by something else, say like sites owned by the "users" who generate the content, example, or collectives, co-ops, etc.
How would you fund such a site and pay for bandwidth, etc. if your avenue for donations is cutoff by a single accusation of infringement?
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 7:52am
Re: Re: Re: Re:If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about - in fact, if someone tried to shut you down that way, you could sue their asses into the dirt for doing it.
The foolish assumption is that a single complaint will get your site shut down. It's bullshit, you know it.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 7:59am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:DAZJ1 doesn't received that treatment though.
Tens of thousands of DMCA's are issued against other business, thousands more are just plain wrong almost criminal ones and you are saying people will not abuse a law that has zero consequences for being abused?
You believe in Santa Claus too, which is good maybe he gives you more breaking freedom laws.
Gwiz (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:19am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:The foolish assumption is that a single complaint will get your site shut down. It's bullshit, you know it.
Yeah, OK, it's early on a Monday. Of course you are right, perhaps a single complaint of infringement wouldn't get the site's funds cut off, but a single accusation of being a website "dedicated to theft of U.S. property" would surely be enough.
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:27am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:See Rojadirecta for why this may actually be the case.
Gwiz (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:27am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about - in fact, if someone tried to shut you down that way, you could sue their asses into the dirt for doing it.
Yeah, OK, sure you could. But, of course this would all take place after your funds have been cut off. And who would you sue? The payment processors? Can't do that because they would shielded from liability. Not only that, the payment processors have lots of reasons to cut you off to avoid liability themselves and absolutely no reason to reinstate if you did somehow prove you were 100% legal.
techflaws.org (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 9:35am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about
It's funny to see you repeating this while Dajaz1 so clearly proves you wrong. Talk about silly.
Richard (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 10:43am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about
if someone tried to shut you down that way, you could sue their asses into the dirt for doing it.
If you are a small group of ordinary people and your accuser is UMG you might prevail in the end - but only by betting you houses and your families' future. How many are prepared to do that? Frankly your suggestion is just completely ridiculous.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 1:06pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:tell that to dajaz1.com
oh they weren't declared "legal", you say?
tell that to rojadirecta.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:22pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:"If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about"
That's the problem, any site that hosts a lot of content will inadvertently host some infringing content and hence be technically illegal. The whole intent of this law is to stop competition.
Your argument is the same argument that can be used by collection societies that demand money, with lawsuit threats, from restaurants and other venues who want to host independent performers under the pretext that someone 'might' infringe. The result is that many venues stop hosting independent performers many whom won't play infringing content. The result is a reduction in competition and this is an intended result. Your analysis is wrong then and it's wrong now.
Your argument is little different than the argument that the FCC granting broadcasting monopolies and the government granting cableco monopolies won't stop free speech because [...]. That argument turned out to be wrong, copy protection lengths are 95+ years long and yet the government established mainstream media doesn't wink an eye and, and as a result, many people are ignorant of laws that they would oppose had they been aware. Government established broadcasting monopolies have resulted in censorship galore. The result is that almost all content, outside the Internet, is sold at monopoly prices. Permissibly licensed content doesn't make it past government established monopoly gatekeeper distribution channels and the government grants a monopoly on both distribution (through broadcasting and cableco monopolies) and content (through copy protection laws) yet those who question this legislation would never have their views see the light of day outside the Internet.
In fact, the government grants a monopoly on almost everything, from taxi cab monopolies to mailbox delivery monopolies to patents, yet most people are ignorant thanks to a self interested government established mainstream media cartel.
Your wrong. These laws are not in the public interest just like 95+ copy protection lengths. The public doesn't want them, just like they don't want 95+ copy protection lengths. These laws are outrageous and are intended to result in the reduction of competition, just like so many other laws in this country does. Why should I believe otherwise? The government passes so many other anti-consumer anti-competitive laws so why should I believe that this law is any different? It's not. It's a selfish law that goes against the public interest just like the many many other laws that the government passes.
Bengie, 12 Dec 2011 @ 4:41pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:So much sarcasm, I love it
Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 13 Dec 2011 @ 2:18am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:"If your site is legal, you don't have anything to worry about..."
BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH! Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.
Not to mention that it's already been shown that a number of the media companies have already done DMCA takedowns on items that they don't own and on items they do own but gave to the sites for promotional purposes. I don't know where you got those rose-tinted glasses but the real world doesn't look like that.
"...in fact, if someone tried to shut you down that way, you could sue their asses into the dirt for doing it."
All you need is more money and better lawyers than, say, Warner Bros. Or Disney. Or both, since one could do a takedown the same day as the other. And -- silly me -- I figured most companies would rather spend their money on generating income than fighting in court.
"The foolish assumption is that a single complaint will get your site shut down. It's bullshit, you know it."
Apparently you either haven't read a single article in the last few months, or you just assume anything you don't want to hear is bullshit, or your reading comprehension approaches zero as a limit. This is exactly why we're fighting SOPA -- because it requires cutting off of support on a single accusation.
Either that or you're a shill.
TtfnJohn (profile), 13 Dec 2011 @ 9:21pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:Reread SOPA carefully. It only takes one such complaint to shut it down.
As I run a church site, for example, that allows user content the parish, in theory could end up being accused of liability with a spurious complaint.
I've already had one DCMA takedown notice which got responded to with " please note that a .ca site is Canada and as we are not covered under the DCMA my first impulse was to ignore this. On further investigation the material you are complaining about has the copyright of The Anglican Church of Canada on it and being an Anglican parish we have every right to use it with the blanket permission of the National Church. Please do not waste my time any further and please do your research properly. I can show you how if you wish. We'd want a substantial donation for that. In Christ. John Wilson"
Maybe a bit snarky but it got the point across. Never heard another thing.
But I don't want to have to monitor constantly because some people seem to feel that Canadians have some "moral" need or obligation to follow US laws in our own country. Not that some Canadians are any better.
The moral is that it's not the big sites that will suffer because of the bills it's the smaller ones. The ones where interaction and creativity DO take place.
It's the places that don't employ lawyers and watch every twitch on their sites 24 hours a day that'll suffer and vanish cause they just give up.
But I guess that doesn't matter cause the bills will stop piracy, right? Or at least put a dent in it. So it's all worth it.
They won't of course, far from it. They're unlikely to put so much as a dent in it.
Remember to say hi to Santa Claus on the 24th. I'm sure you believe in him and the tooth fairy too.
John Doe, 12 Dec 2011 @ 7:44am
Re: Re: Re:say like sites owned by the "users" who generate the content
You sir, have hit the nail on the head as to what SOPA is really all about. Problem is, will a music blog/video site allow me to post videos of my RC airplane doing maneuvers? Will it allow me to post videos of my niece singing in her Christmas play? What, a music blog won't allow non-music videos? Or videos with music it doesn't own? So now I have to post my niece singing on the right label owned site? But then they will not post it because I don't have it licensed even though my niece singing in a play should be fair use. Not to mention the fracturing of the web because you have to figure out what site to post your video on.
Oh, and the RC plane video could get me thrown in jail or an RC plane video site shutdown because I happened to show the plane doing stunts to dubbed in music. What site could afford to take that risk? Fair use or not, no way to risk getting your ad revenue shut down. But then again, there will be no ad revenue because there will be no site.
Richard (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 10:48am
Re: Re: Re: Re:You're right how would this video fair?
(btw it's well worth watching!!)
Cixelsid (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 2:37pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:I get this message a lot these days:
"Unfortunately, this SME-music-content is not available in Germany because GEMA has not granted the respective music publishing rights."
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:05am
Re: Re: Re:Right now the only solution I want is the end of copyrights, the sooner they are gone the sooner we can move on with out lifes and have some freedom instead of monopolies for social parasites that want to call themselves "creative".
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:38pm
Re: Re: Re: Re:But what about their creative accounting?
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:28pm
Re: Re: Re:"It seems silly to assume that such a vacuum would not be filled by something else"
So you admit that a 'vacuum' will be created? Everyone must be inconvenienced to work around these overarching laws to create another, less efficient, solution?
That's unacceptable. Why should we allow a few corporations to dictate laws against the public interest, laws that will force society to substantially change how it operates to its detriment.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:31pm
Re: Re: Re:"It seems that you guys are focused on a single solution, and are unable to think outside of that very small box."
Because the existing solution is more efficient. If these other solutions were more efficient we would have adopted them already. Why should we be forced to adopt a less efficient solution just to meet some overreaching laws?
The intent of these laws is to force everyone to adopt a less efficient solution because that would make it more difficult for independent content to compete with those who benefit from government established monopoly power. You even seem to almost admit this.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 3:37pm
Re: Re: Re: Re:At least you admit that these laws will force many who don't partake in illegal activity to substantially change their behavior. It will have a huge impact on legal behavior and not just on 'rogue' sites. and this impact on legal behavior is the intended result, to negatively impact legal behavior that competes with the existing government established monopolists.
out_of_the_blue, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:39am
And Google has failed at times too! It's called experiment.Don't recall a figure off top of head, but Google lost several hundred million in obviously loony experiments, notably the "cheaper than coal" project, and yanked away numerous "platforms" after foolish developers put time into them.
So Murdoch's failures, much as we'd all like more, seem to only point up that the advertising model doesn't work on the Internet. -- The main point about the Internet is that one can, through use of "technology" avoid much of advertising. As Google spreads and becomes more obnoxious, more people will block it through the simple method of the "hosts" file and Noscript. And then the whole Internet monetizing scheme collapses, as the media parts relies on products made elsewhere, obtained "free", paid for with eyeballs on ads.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:22am
Re: And Google has failed at times too! It's called experiment.Of course you know that Google, Facebook and a lot of others make almost all of their revenues from advertising.
If advertising died on the internet why do we still have spam problems?
JarHead, 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:24am
Re: And Google has failed at times too! It's called experiment.Let me get this straight, your argument is cos Google and their ads are getting more intrusive, people will block it, hence ads couldn't be delivered to users, then internet monetizing scheme collapse?
AFAIK advertisement is only one business on the net. There are others, like stores offering digital goods and cloud services. So if the advertisement industry do fall down, it doesn't necessarily bring the entire internet monetizing scheme down with it.
More over, today the software vendors like to use "online activation", or DRM if you like, not to mention delivering update patches to their products to the user. This make the user have to weigh in the pro and cons of having insulate his/her devices like that.
So, for your scenario to play out, if we thought for the moment the advertisement industry is the whole net industry, everyone needs to use "pirated" copies (circumventing the DRM) and forgo vendor's auto update, or everyone migrate to the open source variant. I for one have a hard time imagining the feasibility of the 2nd option especially for business/enterprise level users. That leaves the 1st option, everyone is or will be a freetard.
Kevin H (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:23am
Re: And Google has failed at times too! It's called experiment.Google has lost money on a number of projects, but so has any other company that tries to be innovative. When working in R&D there really isn't anything that is a clear cut failure. You have now learned one more way in which your goal cannot be acheived. The only ones who would call that a failure are execs who care nothing about what a success may mean, and are only interested in dollars spent.
Google and Facebook are living proof that advertising on the internet can be wildly successful. Where Rupert and other legacy companies got is wrong is that they tried to treat it like they do TV. Its not TV, and there continued push to make it one will hopefully be doomed to failure. Having them tell us HOW we get our content will not be tolerated. We are the consumer and we dictate how we want things to be. Not the other way around.
TtfnJohn (profile), 13 Dec 2011 @ 10:36pm
Re: And Google has failed at times too! It's called experiment.Ad Block works much better than NoScript for that sort of thing. But Google text ads can't be blocked that way because they form part of the HTML that's delivered to the browser from the site you're viewing. So that's pretty much impossible to block with hosts allowed and hosts denied which most people don't know how to use at all if effectively. Might be able to do it if you script something that identifies where links are going as a site comes in but it strikes me that's a total waste of time and energy.
There's also been the prediction of the death of internet banner advertising because it's intrustive, ugly, chews up clock cycles, leaves cookies all over machines and all of that stuff. It hasn't yet. In fact, if anything, banner ads are growing.
What's most interesting is the fact that the most intrusive, annoying, clock and memory consuming ads are on media sites and not much else.
In many cases ads are paid for by eyeballs as well as click troughs. If you're an advertiser you're willing to pay more for an ad on the NY Times given it's very high traffic outside the pay wall which results in more eyeballs and more clicks. Even better if you can geo-locate the browser and serve up ads that will attract users in that area.
Murdock's failures have little to do with advertising on the internet. It's his and his son's complete failure to understand the internet, the opportunities it brings and the risks and dangers. Like the RIAA and MPAA they're more interested in attempting to regain control of the supply chain where they dictated what came out and the customer be damned. Now it's the customer who has incredible power and they have to adapt fo that or die. Murdock's not adapting.
His son's meanwhile have been too busy hooking up illegal wire taps in England (a criminal act) it's not beyond the realm of possibility that they could be spending some time "at Her majesties pleasure" in an English jail, most of which make American jails, even maximum security ones, look like a country club holiday. The continuing apologies are running thin now.
And what media parts rely on product made elsewhere obtained for free? Are you talking print or tv?
Or Internet? On that you're out of your mind. Cisco routers pretty much have the entire show at that end. Linux and BSD servers have the vast majority of internet servers, The dominant web and file sever presence is Apache with Micosoft second and Netscape a distant third. You have a point regarding hardware but even then for high efficency and high throughput servers the design and assembly is largely done in North America notably Silicon Valley, Boston and the Ottawa Valley and the Pacific North West from Tacoma in the south to Vancouver in the North. Most closed and open source software is written by the best people they can find find for the job as the internet has made location immaterial to what's eventually released.
I don't know where you get the idea that Google's text ads are all that obnoxious but fine you have a well known hate of for Google anway. But the largest distributor and sever of banner ads, the stuff than can be stopped by AdBlock and NoScript comes from a Microsoft owned company called doubleclick.
Thing is though that Internet advertising is increasing, not decreasing. So it must be working at some level or another. Even in display advertising it's actually getting better and more creative that anything on TV and less obtrusive that it was before.
Not that I like it. But I'm not at all sure that it's failing as badly as you think. And the Internet itself doesn't need monetizing it's sites that do. There are many ways to do that besides having annoying ads.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:46amNot a good idea Murdoch, when you run such a polarizing news network like Fox News you're bound to have people abuse the law to fight back at your perceived propaganda network. It wouldn't be too difficult for me to see the following abuse of SOPA happening.
1) Daily Kos or some other liberal blog posts something outrageous, hoping one of Fox News talking heads covers it.
2) One of Fox News talking heads covers liberal blog's story, mainly to heavily criticize liberal blog for saying such an outrageous thing and to paint them as unamerican.
3) Fox News publishes a story of their criticism on the Internet, and a video of their talking heads talking about the story published on liberal blog.
4) The liberal blog goes to ad companies and demands they cease all ad revenue to Fox News & other news groups owned by Murdoch for copyright violation.
5) Other liberal blogs realize that SOPA is a great way to fight Fox News and other Murdoch owned news groups, and start doing the same thing, or just issuing baseless demands to ad companies to cease all ad revenue as soon as the previous one is lifted.
6) Conservative blogs decide to retaliate by doing the same thing to every news company that's not owned by Murdoch, since Fox News is the only news station most conservatives listen to.
7) Everyone loses, just about every media group loses a lot of ad revenue money by being labeled too liberal or too conservative by one political group or another.
Vincent Clement (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:59am
Re:Everyone doesn't lose. Those involved with the court system (lawyers, judges, clerks, etc) will win.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 11:52am
Re:The problem is that murdoch is big enough to not be subject to such SOPA shenanigans. He probably has a stake in the payment processor or could indemnify it (and be taken seriously) thus it would not work on fox.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:09amBetter check your sources Chubby. I don't think Murdoch was in DC last week.
Jay (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:19am
Re:You never read stories while you troll, do you?
Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:39am
Re:Just realized that the AC shills must be using GLaDOS for their insult filled, information lacking responses.
Butcherer79 (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:45am
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/07/rupert-murdoch-stop-online-piracy-act_n_1135452.h tml
Posted on 07th December 2011 and updated on the 8th...
Perhaps the position of Murdoch's PA isn't for you...
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:31am
Re:Why, were you in DC last week?
Care to have citations for that?
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 9:40am
Pic or it didn't happen!
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:30amHere is what I believe it will happen again.
When the internet started nobody wanted commercial interest in it, I do remember the first people who tried to use it to make some money in the early 90's(i.e. a couple of lawyers announcing their services) they got a tone of hate mail, that was the beginning of the greedy into cyberspace, people found a place where they could express themselves and exchange information and those other people came right behind it, is not them that build things, is all of us, without nobody to listen they have no market, so they can transform the "legal" internet into something they like, the rest of us just will move on to another layer the freeworld(free as in freedom) where all the critical parts become distributed and thus censor resilient and again those clowns will come banging on the doors trying to get in, the difference will be they will have no control over it, cyberspace is a place with infinity layers.
ken (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 6:46am
Murdock says he will break fair use.This from a man who destroyed his flagship paper the Times of London and to this day will not admit it was a mistake even after causing the Times to lose all relevance in world news and even hurt the dead tree addition. Many reporters have jumped ship because why write for a paper no one is reading.
Murdock says he will break the concept of fair use through the courts so we know where he is coming from.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 7:57amRupert the reindeer.
C'mon people is xmas.
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 8:29am
Re:Rupert the Red nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny cause
But all the other people
wouldn't even say it glows
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
All of Congress said
"Let's all pass the SOPA bill
And make it law instead"
Rupert the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny cause
and made the lawmakers sing
to follow all the money aglow.
Anonymous Coward, 12 Dec 2011 @ 9:41am
Re: Re:I dare you sing that and make it sound good.
The eejit (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 10:34am
Re: Re: Re:I'll see if I can't make it happen :p
Cixelsid (profile), 12 Dec 2011 @ 2:26pm
DamnitWhy can't this guy just die already.
Anthony, 12 Dec 2011 @ 5:46pmThis is outrageous. This criminal is not only allowed in our Congressional Chambers, but has the ability to sway their opinion. Obviously his agenda is no privacy. Not one for the whole secret society conspiracies, but this guy is following their plan to a T. Throw his ass in prison!!
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Joel Sweeney ran for 232 yards and posted the game-clinching 20-yard catch to lead UW-Eau Claire to a 20-14 victory over the UW-Oshkosh football team on Saturday (Oct. 30) in Eau Claire.
In addition to his 42 carries, Sweeney grabbed Austin Neu's third-down toss in the closing minutes. Neu escaped the Titans' defense and found his tailback to help the Blugolds (4-4/2-3 WIAC) run out the clock. UW-Oshkosh (4-4/3-2 WIAC) trailed 20-0 with just over seven minutes left, but it scored a pair of touchdowns to make things interesting. The Titans were doomed in the contest by three turnovers and three fourth-down failures.
Neither offense accomplished much during the opening 25 minutes of play. The game's first score came when Charlie Weissman (Jr. • Colgate) fumbled at his own 13-yard line during the opening quarter. Chris Olson scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 13 yards to give the Blugolds a 7-0 lead.
The Titans got a turnover of their own midway through the first, with Jacob Juedes (So. • Sheboygan Falls) recovering a fumble in UW-Eau Claire territory. Matt Haass (Sr. • Brownsville) then threw an interception on fourth down as the Blugolds stayed on top.
Sweeney made sure his team increased its cushion before halftime. Starting at his own 42-yard line, Sweeney rushed the ball on 11 consecutive plays. Just one of those carries (15 yards) went for a gain of more than seven. After converting a 4th-and-1, he sprinted in for a seven-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left. The Blugolds took a 13-0 advantage into the break.
UW-Oshkosh went 0-for-7 on third-down conversions in the opening half, but it moved the ball early in the third quarter. Jake Dostalek (So. • Waterford) caught passes for gains of seven, nine and 18 yards to enter the Blugolds' side of the field. Following Nate Wara's (So. • Oshkosh) 11-yard carry, he was picked off at the goal line by Mark Bader.
The Titans' next possession featured 13 plays, including a 20-yard grab from Garrie Fox (Jr. • Madison) on third-and-long. That drive ended with a turnover on downs at the UW-Eau Claire 23-yard line. From there, the Blugolds marched 77 yards while taking eight minutes off the clock. They got huge conversions thanks to a UW-Oshkosh personal foul and a reception of 20 yards by David Goodman. Sweeney ran for 13 and two yards to cap the drive with a touchdown and make it 20-0 with 9:17 remaining.
Good field position allowed UW-Oshkosh to record a quick scoring drive midway through the final quarter. Wara hooked up with Paul Coburn (Sr. • Sussex) to keep the offense moving. After running for a 29-yard gain, Wara hustled into the end zone from six yards out to cut the deficit to 20-7 with 7:03 to play.
Fox took back a punt 23 yards to set up another opportunity for quick points. Dostalek got things started with a 14-yard run. With 3:08 to play, Dostalek ran around the corner and barreled in for a 10-yard score to make the margin six points. Dostalek totaled 55 yards on 12 attempts, while Wara compiled a career-high 98 rushing yards on 14 carries.
The Titans finished 6-of-15 on third down, while UW-Eau Claire went 8-for-16. The Blugolds held a slight edge in rushing yards, 242-241, as each squad threw for less than 154. Following two weeks of 75 percent or better passing, Wara hit 15-of-31 attempts for 134 yards. Neu didn't throw a touchdown either in going 13-of-23 for 153 yards.
UW-Eau Claire, which snapped a three-game losing streak, was led by Goodman's five receptions for 67 yards. Andy Neumann paced his defense with nine tackles (all solo). On this date last season, the Blugolds notched a 44-35 win in Oshkosh.
UW-Oshkosh's defense got eight tackles from both Adam Lochmann (So. • Colgate) and Vince Sciano (Jr. • Franklin). Nate Heard (Sr. • Milwaukee) posted an interception for the Titans, who were held under 28 points for just the second time this year. Fox pulled down five passes for 51 yards to lead his offense.
National powerhouse and top-ranked UW-Whitewater comes to J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium next Saturday (Nov. 6) for UW-Oshkosh's final home game of the 2010 season.


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In Hong Kong, luxury real estate prices keep climbing to the stratosphere.
Developer Sun Hung Kai Properties HK:0016 is listing House No. 1 at its new Twelve Peaks development located in the city's exclusive Victoria's Peak neighborhood at 819.1 million Hong Kong dollars (US$105.7 million).If a buyer pays full price, it would represent a cost of HK$175,735 per square foot and would be the world's most expensive home ever sold on a per square foot basis. It would also be the most expensive home ever sold in the city.
The recently constructed home spans 4,661 square feet, with four bedrooms, a private pool, a garden, rooftop terrace and a carport that can house two cars.
Hong Kong has broken its share of records before. The most expensive home sold to date in Hong Kong was a 5,989 square-foot manse on 10 Pollock's Path, also located on the Peak. That house sold for HK$800 million, or HK$133,578 per square foot, in 2011.
Luxury realtors in Hong Kong have long hoped that the luxury home market, which has stalled since the Hong Kong government implemented higher stamp duties to constrain a runaway housing prices, would breathe life again.
Those interested in the latest listing will be encouraged to act fast: A buyer will be offered a 3% discount if a deal is made within five months. Sun Hung Kai is also offering the early-bird buyer a 11.75% rebate on the 15% buyer's stamp duty.
Discounts have lately become common practice in Hong Kong as developers hope to stoke lagging demand of new homes.
Also read: As home-equity loans reset, these owners are most at risk
McDonald's warns over China supply issues
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Thanks to a 528-yard offensive outburst and a defensive effort that kept their opponent scoreless for nearly 34 game minutes, the Endicott football team ran their win-streak to five games with a 52-21 victory over NEFC rival MIT. The Gulls improved to 6-2 (5-0 NEFC) and remain one of two unbeaten teams in the league along with their opponent in two weeks, Salve Regina.
Before their showdown with the Seahawks, Endicott will meet Western New England under the lights of Endicott Stadium on November 9th at 5:00 pm. The Gulls are 6-4 all-time against the Golden Bears with each of their last five games being decided by just one score. Endicott is 2-3 in their last five games with Western New England including last year's 50-45 win at home.
The Blue and Green improved to 11-0 all-time against MIT with Saturday's convincing road win. The team's offensive outburst was a balanced attack that featured 268 pass yards and three touchdowns from junior quarterback Drew Frenette (New Bedford, Mass.) as well as 173 rushing yards with three touchdowns from sophomore back Spencer Walsh (Malden, Mass.).
Another 98 rushing yards in the fourth quarter came from freshmen Andrew Cross (Lancaster, Mass.) and Christian Martinez (Tariffville, Conn.). Martinez recorded his first career touchdown on a 24-yard dash to the Engineer end zone with just 1:34 left in the game.
Defensively, senior linebacker Nick Kozlowski (Beverly, Mass.) led the Gulls with a team-high nine tackles while linemen Marcell Cooper (Dorchester, Mass.) and Craig Anderson (Franklin, Mass.) stuffed MIT's rushers with six takedowns apiece. On special teams, freshman Jake Pelletier (Trumbull, Conn.) had four tackles and recovered an Engineers fumble, caused by Jamison Craft (Phillipston, Mass.) on a kick return, which led to Walsh's third touchdown of the game to put Endicott on top 42-7.
The Gulls found themselves in a hole early in the game as MIT's second drive lasted 11 plays, 78 yards, and 4:50 leading to a Brad Goldsberry (Elizabeth, Colo.) touchdown reception from passer Peter Williams (Portland, Ore.).
Trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter, Endicott jumpstarted their offense with Walsh's first score of the game as the sophomore punched it in the end zone from two yards out with 1:52 left in the quarter.
The Endicott defense forced MIT to punt on their next two possessions. A short, 20-yard punt by the Engineers put the Gulls in prime field position on the MIT 46-yard line and Frenette wasted no time getting Endicott into the red zone with a 41-yard connection with sophomore receive Alec Matys (Woburn, Mass.) down to the five. Frenette found Nate Lewis (Acushnet, Mass.) on the very next play to put the Gulls ahead 14-7. It was Lewis' third touchdown grab of the season.
Gulls senior linebacker Andrew Holfinger (Sterling, Mass.) recovered an Engineer fumble behind the line of scrimmage to hand the ball back over to the offense and after a defensive pass interference penalty on Endicott receiver Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) that put the Gulls on the two, Walsh punched it in again to make the score 21-7.
Endicott turned to their two-minute offense late in the first half to build a 28-7 advantage heading into the break. Frenette used timely catches senior tight end Greg Dellorco (Franklin, Mass.) and Craft to set up a Matys 24-yard touchdown catch, his first of two end zone grabs. Matys' second touchdown came on the opening drive of the third quarter as his 29-yard reception made it a 35-7 game. Matys now has team-high nine touchdowns.
After Walsh scored for the third time from inside the five yard line, Endicott tacked on three more points on a 19-yard chip shot from senior Dylan Rushe (Palos Verdes, Calif.). The run capped off 45-straight unanswered points by the Gulls as MIT would get touchdowns from a quarterback run for Williams and a 50-yard route up the seam from Seve Esparrago (St. Louis, Mo.).
Frenette finished 21-of-26 with 268 passing yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Matys five times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis led the team with seven receptions for 75 yards and a score. On the ground, Walsh averaged 4.4 yards per carry as he took the ball 39 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns. It was his fifth straight game with at least two touchdowns.


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The 25 Best Twitter Reactions To Wiz Khalifa's #ONIFC Album
Back in April 2010, Wiz Khalifa's career got a huge boost thanks to the success of his Kush & Orange Juice mixtape. It wasn't just the actual music that helped him out, though. It was also the support of his loyal fans—the "Taylor Gang"—that pushed his name into the forefront of rap. They took to Twitter and turned the hashtag #kushandorangejuice into a Trending Topic and, in the process, turned Wiz Khalifa into a household name.
Fast forward two and a half years and the Taylor Gang is still at it. Shortly after Wiz's sophomore album, O.N.I.F.C.—the follow-up to last year's Rolling Papers—leaked last week, they took to Twitter armed with the hashtag #ONIFC and gave their opinions on the album. And, those tweets continued well into this week, too, when the album hit stores on Tuesday. Some of the Taylors loved the album; others felt slighted. But, regardless, they helped #ONIFC gain traction and turned it into one of this week's Trending Topics on Twitter.
With that in mind, we decided to allow the Taylor Gang to have a voice on VIBE.com today. So, we put together a list of the The 25 Best Twitter Reactions To Wiz Khalifa's #ONIFC Album. You guys helped turn Wiz into one of the most popular rappers in the game. So, you guys get to help us break down his latest project. And, this is what you had to say…
The Vibe Mix Newsletter
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


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Difference between revisions of "Jakarta"
Revision as of 05:38, 29 January 2013
Jakarta [33] is the capital and largest city of Indonesia, located on the northwest of the island of Java. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre and the most populous city not only in Indonesia but in Southeast Asia as a whole.
Jakarta is administratively divided into the following named districts:
Finding places in Jakarta, especially smaller buildings not on the main arteries, tends to be difficult due to poor signage and chaotic street names. Sometimes, the same name is used for different streets in different parts of the city, and it's often difficult to find the correct street/address without the postal code/region. A sign with a street name facing you indicates the name of the street you are about to enter, not that of the cross street.
Alleys off a main road are often simply numbered, in a sequence that may not be logical, so a street address like "Jl. Mangga Besar VIII/21" means house number 21 on alley number 8 (VIII) off or near the main road of Jl. Mangga Besar.
If you don't want to waste time, ask for the descriptions/name of nearby buildings, billboards, colour of the building/fence and the postal code of the address. If you still cannot find the address, start asking people in the street, especially ojek (motorcyle taxi drivers).
Jakarta's nickname among expats is the Big Durian, and like its fruit namesake it's a shock at first sight (and smell): a sweltering, steaming, heaving mass of some 10 million people packed into a vast urban sprawl. The contrast between the obscene wealth of Indonesia's elite and the appalling poverty of the urban poor is incredible, with tinted-window Mercedes turning left at the supermall with its Gucci shop, into muddy lanes full of begging street urchins and corrugated iron shacks. The city's traffic is in almost perpetual gridlock, its air is polluted and sometimes the the smells of burning garbage and open drains fill the air.
Keep in mind that rules and regulations are very rarely enforced in all aspects of life in Jakarta. This is not to suggest that you break the rules, but simply to explain why many of its citizens act so haphazardly, particularly on the road.
Jakarta may initially seem a bit overwhelming, but if you can overlook the pollution and indulge in her charms, you can discover what is also one of Asia's most exciting, most lively cities. There is plenty to do in Jakarta, from cosmopolitan shopping at the many luxurious shopping centres to one of the hippest nightlife scenes in Southeast Asia.
The port of Sunda Kelapa dates to the 12th century, when it served the Sundanese kingdom of Pajajaran near present-day Bogor. The first Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese, who were given the permission by the Hindu Kingdom of Pakuan Pajajaran to erect a godown in 1522. Control was still firmly in local hands, and in 1527 the city was conquered by Prince Fatahillah, a Muslim prince from Cirebon, who changed the name to Jayakarta.
By the end of the 16th century, however, the Dutch (led by Jan Pieterszoon Coen) had pretty much taken over the port city, and the razing of a competing English fort in 1619 secured their hold on the island of Java. Under the name Batavia, the new Dutch town became the capital of the Dutch East Indies and was known as the Queen of the East.
In 1740, Chinese slaves rebelled against the Dutch. The rebellion was put down harshly with the massacre of thousands of Chinese slaves. The remaining Chinese slaves were exiled to Sri Lanka.
In 1795, the Netherlands were invaded and occupied by France, and on March 17, 1798, the Batavian Republic, a satellite state of France, took over both VOC debts and assets. But on August 26, 1811, a British expedition led by Lord Minto defeated the French/Dutch troops in Jakarta, leading to a brief liberation and subsequent administration of Indonesia by the British (led by Sir Stamford Raffles of Singapore fame) in 1811-1816. In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, Indonesia was officially handed over from the British to the Dutch government.
In the early 1800s most canals were filled in, the town was shifted 4 km inland and the Pearl of the Orient flourished once again.
The name Jakarta was adopted as a short form of Jayakarta when the city was taken over by the Japanese in 1942. After the war, the Indonesian war of independence followed, with the capital briefly shifted to Yogyakarta after the Dutch attacked. The war lasted until 1949, when the Dutch accepted Indonesian independence and handed back the town, which became Indonesia's capital again.
Since independence Jakarta's population has skyrocketed, thanks to migrants coming to the city in search of (illusive) wealth. The entire Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi-Depok) metropolitan region (now officially Jabodetabekjur last census count (2010) was 28 million people, a figure projected to have hit 30 million already. The official name of the city is Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta Raya (DKI Jakarta), meaning "Special Capital City Region".
Get in
By plane
At the airport
The Soekarno Hatta airport has three terminals, further split up into sub-terminals, which are really just halls in the same building:
A free but unreliable shuttle bus runs between the terminals; if you're in a hurry, it's a safer bet to take a taxi, although they may ask for a rather steep Rp 50,000 for the service (not entirely unjustified, as half of this goes to paying their parking fees), however it should really be a metered ride. If you have time, though, it's not a problem to wait for the next one - just ask the airport staff where it stops and what it looks like (yellow color, normally). Also, be sure to know which terminal you will disembark from.
Visas on arrival (VoA) are available at the airport, see the main Indonesia article for the details of the rules. If possible, provide an exact payment of US$25 and ignore any requests for any additional fees. ATMs and currency exchange services are available in the baggage claim hall, and Terminal D has a left luggage service. The Visa on Arrival is payable in cash or by a credit card. The nearest ATM is past the customs area, so if you don't have cash, you will need to be escorted to the ATM and back. Although it is possible to pay for a VoA using my credit/debit card it is a slower process and may not be available at times, so cash is best. Please also remember to carry exact change as sometimes the officials may cause problems. Sometimes immigration officers may ask for a bribe to provide you with a visa. Please avoid paying this bribe as you'll have to pay another one while leaving the country. Also it is good to note that even at the airport hardly anyone speaks fluent English here.
Be cautious of having any involvement or contact with the baggage porters, the greater majority of them are committed scamsters and they often attempt to obtain money by cheating and misleading passengers. They should be paid Rp 5,000 to carry bags but that is best avoided, seek out a trolley and deal with it yourself.
Exchange rates in the airport are not significantly worse than the centre of town and better than you will get from hotels. Bear in mind that you will need some cash and Jakarta is not a place where you can just stroll down to the nearest bank in town as it is pedestrian unfriendly. ATMs generally have limit of Rp 1-3 million per transaction; for the latter, try CIMB or bii-Maybank - in the international terminal, there are several of these on the second (departure) floor.
If you are taking a domestic flight from Soekarno Hatta, you can enjoy cheap airport lounges. There are several private lounges open to travellers on any airline that are in stiff competition with each other. For Rp 50,000, you can get a few hours in one of these lounges where you can relax on the comfy couches, eat and drink as much as you want and use the internet (either by wifi or through their computers).
For overnight transits, there are a few hotels near the airport:
The older Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (IATA: HLP, ICAO: WIHH), to the southeast of the city, is used by the military, VIP flights, charter flights, sea planes, helicopter leasing companies and private jets.
Get into town
To get to the city, the easiest option is to contact your hotel to pick you up in the airport, as many hotels in Jakarta provide free airport transfers. Getting a taxi is a little more complicated:
Xtrans, ☎+62 21 5296-2255, +62 21 5296-4477. Provides reliable airport shuttle service from Soekarno Hatta airport to major hotels in Sudirman and Thamrin Street in Jakarta and Bumi Xtrans in Cihampelas Street in Bandung. Cost: US$3.30/adult and US$2.20/child. Schedule: once every hour from 5AM-10PM. Xtrans booth are available at Terminal IA, IB, IC and IIE.
An economical alternative is the frequent DAMRI shuttle buses (15 min to 40 min between buses, depending on route and time) which connect to numerous Jakarta destinations; Gambir (the most appropriate for those going to Jalan Jaksa area), Rawamangun, Blok M, Tanjung Priok, Kampung Rambutan (for Depok), Pasar Minggu, Lebak Bulus and Kemayoran (Rp 20,000) as well as directly to the neighboring cities of Bekasi, Serang (Rp 30,000), Bogor and Cikarang (Rp 35,000). The bus service from the airport operates until midnight (despite what taxi touts may say to you). It is reliable, comfortable and airconditioned. You can get the tickets in the many counters after the airport exit.
If arriving by an international flight at Terminal 2, head to the left after going out of the building until you see DAMRI ticket booths and bus stops. In terminal 3, the bus stop is in front of it just behind taxi ranks. Note that DAMRI service to the airport shuts down much earlier - for example, the bus from Gambir operates from 3.30am to 7.30pm. From Terminal 1 (domestic), just cross the taxi stop, the bus stop is on the other side of the road (signs read Shelter Bus).
By train
Information about train tickets from PT Kereta Api (Persero) is available on the Web, but no on-line reservation is possible. In Jakarta, you can buy your tickets in the major stations up to 30 days in advance. Except on weekends, you can generally buy a ticket just before departure. Beware of ticket touts! They will offer their wares even to people waiting in the queues in front of the ticket sales points. You should expect to pay 50-100% more if you do so, and you might find that your coach has empty seats anyway. <INSERT>Most travel agents will also be happy to sell you train tickets to every destination. Simply order the tickets, pay (preferably)in cash and later in the day they will be delivered to your hotel.<insert>
Jakarta has several train stations.
Stasiun Gambir
The current main station for long distance passengers in Jakarta is the Gambir station, located in Central Jakarta, just east of the Monas. Eksekutif (AC) and some bisnis (non-AC) class trains arrive at this station.
Most trains from big cities in Java (Purwokerto, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, Malang and Surabaya) arrive in late afternoon or evening.
An airport bus service connects Soekarno-Hatta International Airport with Gambir station.
Stasiun Pasar Senen
Cheaper trains without air-conditioning generally use the Pasar Senen station located two blocks east of Gambir. Beware that the location is rife with crime, although the station itself has been spruced up recently. Anyway, these ekonomi trains are not really suggested for tourist travel: they are slow, facilities are poor, and they are overloaded.
Stasiun Jatinegara
Most trains arriving in Jakarta also stop at Jatinegara station in the eastern part of the city, giving better access to the eastern and southern parts of the city.
Stasiun Kota
Jakarta Kota station is located in the old part of the city, and serves as the departure point for commuter trains and some trains to Merak. It is an interesting Art Deco style building that is currently being restored.
By bus
Passengers from other cities arrive in bus terminals such as Rawamangun (East Jakarta) Kampung Rambutan (Southeast Jakarta), Pulo Gadung (East Jakarta), Kali Deres (West Jakarta) or Lebak Bulus (South Jakarta). You'll need to speak at least functional Indonesian to manage, and the terminals are notorious for muggers and pickpockets, so observe the safety precautions under #Stay safe.
By boat
The national ferry company, PELNI, and other sealines, operate passenger services to destinations across the archipelago from Tanjung Priok port in the North of the city. Some smaller speedboats, particularly to the Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu), depart from Ancol also on Jakarta's north shore.
Get around
Getting around Jakarta is a problem. The city layout is chaotic and totally bewildering, traffic is indisputably the worst in South-East Asia with horrendous traffic jams (macet "MAH-chet") slowing the city to a crawl during rush hours (several hours in the morning and in the evening), and the current railway system is inadequate to say the least. The construction of a monorail system, started in 2004, soon ground to a halt over political infighting. The gradually expanding Transjakarta Busway (Bus Rapid Transit) system) helps to make things easier, but this is not enough for the biggest city in the world without rail rapid transit system. The first line of Jakarta MRT is currently scheduled to open in 2016 - but the construction, as of April 2012, has not started yet, so it's likely to be delayed (if not worse).
Various areas of the city have different levels of chaos. The most well organised traffic is only at Golden Triangle (MH Thamrin, Jendral Sudirman, and H.R.Rasuna Said.) Recently, new housing complexes also have good traffic too.
By train
Commuter trains in Jakarta connect the city centre with outlying regions, namely Tangerang, Bekasi, Depok, Bojonggede, Bogor and Serpong.
Commuter services operate from 5AM (first train departing Bogor to Jakarta) to almost 10PM (last train leaving Jakarta for Bogor). Trains often run late, though. Weekend special services connect Depok and Bogor with the popular Ancol entertainment park in Jakarta.
Commuter services operate over these lines:
Station names written with CAPITALS are regular express stops. Several express trains (and semi-express trains) stop at other stations only at certain times outside the rush hours. All trains other than the expresses do not stop at Gambir station, the main station in Jakarta, so this might be a problem for those arriving from other regions and wanting to continue to other stations. The choice is to take an express train to the nearest station and continuing by other forms of transport, or taking a taxi to Juanda station, located a few hundred meters north of Gambir, close enough if you wish to walk. If coming from Jalan Jaksa area, another option is just to walk to Gondangdia (next one south of Gambir) station, it's just 5-10 minutes walk to the left from the southern end of Jaksa.
Currently (after the express service was discontinued in 2011) there are 2 types of trains left: commuter line (air conditioned, similar to ekonomi AC before) and ekonomi. Both types normally stop at all stations.
This site [37] provide Time Table for Commuter and Ekonomi class (expect some delay). For your information, since 5 December 2011 there are change in commuter train route [38]
Riding the ekonomi class is not advisable: crime and sexual harassment are known to happen inside packed trains (during rush hours some people even travel on the roof, despite the obvious danger of overhead wires!). During the non-rush hours, though, economy train travel is quite an interesting experience. It is a tour of Jakarta's darker side, with peddlers offering every imaginable article (from safety pins to cell-phone starter kits), various sorts of entertainment, ranging from one-person orchestras to full-sized bands, and a chance to sample real poverty; you are riding a slum on wheels. Just remember to keep an eye on your belongings all the time, do not flash valuables if you have any, and, if you have a bag, hold it in front of you (that's what many locals also do in these trains).
By busway
The Transjakarta Busway (in Indonesian known as busway or TJ) is modern, air-conditioned and generally comfortable, although sometimes service can be spotty (they have a knack of going to the depot for service and refueling at the same time during the rush hours). The bus is often crowded during rush hours. There are ten lines operational as of late 2010.
The other four corridors will be finished before end of 2016.
The transfer points for the Transjakarta Busway lines are:
Unlike Jakarta's other buses, busway buses shuttle on fully dedicated lanes and passengers must use dedicated stations with automatic doors, usually found in the middle of large thoroughfares connected to both sides by overhead bridges. The system is remarkably user-friendly by Jakartan standards, with station announcements and an LED display inside the purpose-built vehicles. Grab onto a handle as soon as you enter the bus as they move away from the stop suddenly and quickly.
Park and Ride facilities are in Ragunan, South Jakarta, Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta and Kalideres, West Jakarta and in late 2010 the city administration was holding a tender for the construction of Park and Ride facilities in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta. That construction of that facility is planned to start in 2011.
Buses run from 5AM-10PM daily. Tickets cost a flat Rp 2,000 before 7AM, and Rp 3,500 after. Transfers between lines are free be careful not to exit the system until your journey is completed. The hub at Harmoni station is the busiest interchange. The buses can get very crowded, especially during rush hours at 7AM and 4PM, when office workers are on the move. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, a Transjakarta Application map is also available to download. As of May 2009, the application is free. For blackberry users a Transjakarta Guide for Blackberry software download[39] is available.
By bus
It's advisable to refrain from using other buses for intracity travel; stick with taxis as they are safer. If you're feeling adventurous, as of October 2005 the flat fare for regular buses is Rp 2,000, while air conditioned buses (Mayasari or Patas AC) cost Rp 5,000. Some buses have a box at the front next to the driver where you can pay your fares, while others employ a man or a kondektur who will personally collect the fares from passengers.
Cheaper yet are mikrolet (mini-buses) and angkot (small vans) that ply the smaller streets and whose fares vary from Rp 1,500 to 2,500, but good luck figuring out the routes. You pay the fare directly to the driver after getting off.
You may need to spare one or two Rp 500 coins before boarding the bus, since there is on-board "entertainment" and other distractions. On a typical day, you may find street musicians singing unplugged versions of Indonesian and Western pop songs asking for donations at the end of the performance, and street vendors, one after another, trying to sell almost everything, from ballpoint pens and candies to boxed donuts and health goods. If you do happen to be travelling in a bus, refrain from sitting or standing at the back area of the bus as this is where muggers find their prey. Always keep an eye on your belongings and be alert at all times as pickpocketing occurs.
Note that buses do not run according to any schedule or timetable. Sometimes a bus may take a while to come,in other circumstances it is possible that two of the same bus routes may come together and these drivers will definitely drive aggressively to get more passengers. They do not stop at any particular bus stop and can stop just about anywhere they like. If you want to get off, simply say "kiri" (to the left) to the "kondektur" or just knock on the ceiling of the bus for three times (be sure that the driver hears your thumping), and the bus driver will find a place to drop you. An additional tip to alight from these buses is to use your left foot first to maintain balance and try to get down as quickly as possible as they do not fully stop the bus.
Also note that seats in these buses are built for Indonesians who are typically shorter and more slender and agile than people with a larger build such as Caucasians and Africans. Non-Indonesians might find the seats in these buses to be confining and uncomfortable.
List of bus terminals in Jakarta: Blok M (South Jakarta), Lebak Bulus (South Jakarta), Pasar Minggu (South Jakarta), Grogol, Kota, Kalideres (West Jakarta), Manggarai (South Jakarta), Pulogadung (East Jakarta), Rawamangun (East Jakarta), Kampung Melayu (East Jakarta), Kampung Rambutan (South Jakarta), Tanjung Priok (North Jakarta), Senen (Central Jakarta).
By car
Rental cars are available, but unless you are familiar with local driving practices or lack thereof, take reputable taxis. If you're from a foreign country, it is not recommended to rent a car and drive on your own. The chaotic and no-rules traffic will certainly give you a headache. Renting a car with a driver is a much better idea.
The price of fuel in Indonesia is relatively low due to the application of subsidies by the central government. Pertamina outlets supply gasoline (bensin) (petrol) at Rp 4.500/litre, diesel fuel (solar) is also Rp 4,500/litre. Non-subsidised prices for products such as Pertamax (RON 92 Pertamax high-octane gasoline are higher at Rp 10,200/litre, RON 95 Pertamax Plus Rp 10,350 and Pertamina-Dex (diesel fuel) is around Rp 10,100. Prices at outlets operated by Shell, Mobil and Petronas are similar.
Toll roads circle the city and are faster when the traffic is good, but are very often jammed themselves. The drainage systems of major roads are poorly maintained and during the rainy season from Dec-Feb major roads may be flooded, leading to even worst traffic congestion than normal.
Finding parking places in residential areas can be difficult due to the narrow roads. Paid parking is easy to find in shopping malls, offices and the like is typically Rp 2,000/hr plus Rp 2,000 for each subsequent hour. Street parking often requires to payment of Rp 2,000 to a parking 'attendant'.
If you do decide to drive by yourself or having a driver in Jakarta, please remember that there is a 3 in 1 system implemented in some of the main thoroughfares in the morning from 7.30-10AM and in the afternoon from 4.30-7 PM, this requires a a car to have a minimum of three occupants. The routes include the whole stretch from Kota train station through Blok M via Jl. Hayam Wuruk, Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Sudirman and Jl.Sisingamangaraja; Jl. Gatot Subroto from the Senayan-JCC overpass to the intersection with Jl. HR Rasuna Said. There are intentions from the local government to change this system to an Electronic Road Pricing system beginning in the future.
By taxi
Most visitors opt to travel by taxi, which is cheap and occasionally even fast. There are a multitude of taxi companies of varying degrees of dependability. Taxis are widely available and usually easily hailed off the street in a matter of seconds however demand often exceeds supply during periods of heavy rain and weekday peak hours (generally about 4:30-8:00PM). If you absolutely need to be somewhere during rush hour (i.e. the airport) it is a good idea to make alternative transportation arrangements.
The Blue Bird group ☎+62 21 79171234, (24 hr) is known for their reliability, has an efficient telephone order service and always uses their meter. Fares are Rp 6,000 flagfall (including the first kilometer) and Rp 300 for every subsequent 100 meters or minute stuck in traffic.
Alternatively the Express group ☎+62 21 26509000, is fast overtaking Blue Bird's reputation as best taxi firm in Jakarta. Unlike Blue Bird, Express requires a minimum of three years' experience at another Jakarta taxi firm from its drivers. As a result, Express drivers generally know their way around the city better than the often newly arrived Blue Bird drivers. Metered fares are slightly cheaper too at Rp 5,000 flagfall (including the first kilometer)and Rp 250 for every subsequent 100 meters or minute stuck in traffic.
Some other large, generally reliable companies include Taxiku, Gamya, Dian Taksi, Putra and TransCab. You can generally determine a good cabbie by asking "argo?" ("meter?") - if they say no or "tidak", get another taxi.
Taxis parked near train/bus stations, tourist attractions, and hotels often refuse to use the meter and quote silly prices (especially from foreigners) - in this case, it's a good idea to walk away a bit, then hail a passing Blue Bird or Express taxi.
Many taxis are mechanically unsound and have drivers of highly questionable skill. They also often engage in determined efforts to overcharge, including via rigged meters. There have been occasional but recent cases of people being robbed at knife-point after taking non-reputable taxis, so it's best to stick to the firms above. Be particularly vigilant late at night, when you will spot a number of taxis from firms you have never heard of or seen before roaming around.
Rates for Taxis depend on the company, though most use the "Tarif Bawah" rate of Rp 5,000 flagfall (including the first kilometer) and Rp 250 for every subsequent 100 meters or one minute stuck in traffic. Blue Bird group and a handful of other companies charge Rp 6,000 flagfall (including the first kilometer) and Rp 300 for every subsequent 100 meters or one minute stuck in traffic. Minimum charges apply to taxis ordered by phone, this should be posted on the inside of the taxi and generally varies from Rp 20,000-Rp 30,000. No minimum applies to taxis flagged off the side of the road or taken from ranks though drivers may be upset if you give them less than Rp 10,000.
Carry plenty of small denomination notes to pay fares as there is no guarantee that drivers will have any change. On the meter, fares are rounded up to the nearest Rp 1,000 as a matter of course and tips are generally expected from foreigners, though by no means mandatory. When paying, it is usual to round up to the nearest Rp 10,000. On a longer trip, if the service has been good, allow 10% for the tip and again, round up to the nearest Rp 10,000.
Keep the doors locked and the windows closed when travelling in a taxi, as luxury items or a bag can be an attractive target when stuck in a traffic jam or traffic light. Avoid using the smaller taxi companies especially if you are alone, and try to know the vague route - the driver might well take you a roundabout route to avoid traffic, but you will know the general direction. Stating your direction clearly and confidently will usually pre-empt any temptation to take you on the long route. It is also not uncommon for taxi drivers to be recent arrivals in Jakarta - they often don't know their way around and may be relying on you to direct them - ensure that they know the way before you get in.
By rental car
Another solution for getting around in Jakarta is to rent a car. However for most visitors it is best to use a local driver rather than self drive.
Griya Mobil Kita Rent Car: Apartemen Taman Rasuna #1506H Kawasan Epicentrum Jl. HR Rasuna Said, Jakarta Selatan 12960 Telp: 021-71386345 website: sewa mobil jakarta
LagunaTrip Car Rentals in Java - Bali website: LagunaTrip Car Rentals
By bajaj
The Jakartan equivalent to Thailand's tuk-tuk is the bajaj (pronounced "bahdge-eye"), orange mutant scooters souped up in India into tricycles that carry passengers in a small cabin at the back.
They're a popular way to get around town since they can weave through Jakarta's interminable traffic jams much like motorbikes can. Although slow, boneshaking (suspension is not a feature in a bajaj), hot (locals joke about the "natural A/C") and the quick way to breathing in more exhaust fumes than you ever thought possible, riding around in these little motor-bugs can really grow on you.
There are no set prices, but a short hop of a few city blocks shouldn't cost much more than Rp 5,000. Be sure to agree to (read: haggle) a price before you set off. Bajaj drivers are happy to overcharge visitors, and can often ask double or even more of what you would pay by meter in air-conditioned Blue Bird taxi (obviously, the normal price should be less than even for a cheaper variety of taxi). Locals who regularly use the bajaj know what a typical fare should be and are happy to tell you. Also, since bajaj aren't allowed on some of the larger roads in Jakarta, your route may well take you through the bewildering warren of backstreets. Try to keep an eye on what direction you're going, because some unscrupulous bajaj drivers see nothing wrong with taking the "scenic" route and then charging you double or triple the price.
By ojek
If you're poking around narrow back streets, or just in such a hurry that you're willing to lose a limb or more to get there, then Jakarta's motorcycle taxis (ojek) might be the ticket for you. Jakarta's ojek services consist of guys with bikes lounging around street corners, who usually shuttle short distances down alleys and roads but will also do longer trips for a price. Agree on the fare before you set off. And insist on a helmet, and wear it properly. No need to make it more insanely dangerous than it already is. The ojek drivers will insist you're safe with them and that they'll drive carefully, but this has little to do with reality. What locals normally pay to them is Rp 5,000 for a short ride and Rp 7,000 to 10,000 for a longer (roughly more than kilometer or 15 minutes walk) one. Foreigners are likely to be asked for more, but generally ojek drivers will accept the proper fare if you insist on it, unless they see you really need to use their service, such as if you're in a hurry but there's a huge traffic jam so using a taxi or bus will be too slow.
In November 2011, Ojek with argometer is called Taxijek has launched in Jakarta and is provided with company's driver identity card, a helmet for passengers, disposable shower caps to wear underneath and an extra raincoat. The fee is cheaper than the non-argometer ojeks make drivers of non-argometer ojeks jealous, moreover the Taxijek can enter the gate of elite housing complexes to pick up passengers due to Taxijek have special driver identity cards. The first flag start at Rp 4,000 ($0.44) and Rp 1,000 ($0.11) for another each kilometer. Call (021)94440739 or visit www.taxijek.com for more information.
By helicopter
Janis Air Transport ☎+62 21 8350024. If you're in a hurry and seriously loaded, charter a helicopter.
On foot
As a rule, walking around the centre of Jakarta is neither fun nor practical. With the exception of a few posher areas, sidewalks are crowded with pushcart vendors, drivers disregard pedestrians and crossing streets can be dangerous. On many busy streets there are no pedestrian crossings, so it's best to latch onto a local and follow them as they weave their way through the endless flow of cars. Muggings occasionally occur, such as on overhead bridges, and can happen even in the daytime. If you use pedestrian bridges, watch out for wonky steps and holes, and also motorcycles and bicycles that often use the bridge illegally.
Casual work in Jakarta is difficult to come by and Indonesian bureaucracy does not readily facilitate foreigners undertaking employment in Indonesia. As in the rest of Asia, teaching English is the best option, although salaries are poor (US$700-3000/month is typical, although accommodation may be provided) and the government only allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA to work as teachers. Formal work visas, residency permits and registration with several government offices is necessary. Formal approval from the Department of Manpower and and the provision of documentation and guarantees from an employing sponsor is required to engage in any form of employment in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia. Business visas are available for the purposes of conducting business related activities in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia, this class of visa has strict conditions and requires a local business to sponsor the applicant. A business visa does not permit the holder to undertake any form of employment.
If you're stopping in Jakarta, consider buying an extra suitcase, because there's lots of good shopping to be done.
Jakarta has a vast range of food available at hundreds of eating complexes located all over the huge city. In addition to selections from all over the country, you can also find excellent Chinese, Japanese, and many other international foods thanks to the cosmopolitan population. Longer-term visitors will wish to dig up a copy of "Jakarta Good Food Guide" (JGFG) or "Jakarta Java Kini". The JGFG, as its affectionately known to Jakartans, is now in its 3rd edition, with the latest version published in 2009 and covering over 600 restaurants and casual eateries in the city. The JGFG has now also been made into an iPod touch & iPhone application, so you can download all 600 reviews and have them in the palm of your hand for whenever you're craving a bite of some good local food.
You can find Jakartan versions of many dishes, often tagged with the label betawi (Indonesian for "Batavian").
Your stomach may need an adjustment period to the local food due to many spices locals used in their cooking. Standard price on this guide: The price for one main course, white rice ("nasi putih") and one soft drink, including 21% tax and service charge.
The food courts of Jakarta's shopping malls are a great way of sampling Indonesian and other food in more hygienic and air-conditioned comfort.
Mal Kelapa Gading
South Jakarta
Most budget restaurants have delivery service or you can call Pesan Delivery service [40], ☎ +62 21 7278 7070. You can order take away foods from most budget restaurants. Some traditional Indonesian cuisine may be too hot and spicy for many foreign tourists. At some restaurants you can ask for food without chilli: "Tidak pakai cabe" or "Tidak Pedas". Standard price is Rp 15,000-50,000.
Mid to Upper-scale restaurants are plentiful and prices range from Rp 30,000-100,000 for entrees.
The best gourmet splurges in Jakarta are the opulent buffet spreads in the 5 star hotels such as the Marriott, Hotel Mulia, Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La, which offer amazing value by international standards. Standard price: Rp 150,000-300,000 per person
Jakarta may be the capital of the world's largest Islamic country, but it has underground life of its own. If you're the clubbing type, its nightlife is arguably among the best in Asia. From the upscale X-Lounge to the seediest discos like Stadium, Jakarta caters to all kinds of clubbers, but bring a friend if you decide to brave the seedier joints (though they tend to have the best DJs). Fans of live music, on the other hand, are largely out of luck if they go to budget bars, at least unless they're into Indonesian pop.
When out and about, note that Jakarta has a fairly high number of prostitutes, known in local parlance as ayam (lit. "chicken"), so much so that much of the female clientele of some respectable bars (operated by five-star hotels, etc) is on the take.
A nightlife district popular among expats is Blok M in South Jakarta, or more specifically the single lane of Jl. Palatehan 1 just north of the bus terminal, packed with pubs and bars geared squarely towards single male Western visitors. While lacking the bikini-clad go-go dancers of Patpong, the meat market atmosphere is much the same with poor country girls turned pro. Blok M is now easily accessible as the southern terminus of BRT Line 1. For a more off-the-beaten track experience, head a few blocks south to Jl. Melawai 6 (opposite Plaza Blok M), Jakarta's de-facto Little Japan with lots of Japanese restaurants, bars and (what else?) karaoke joints.
Jalan Jaksa is also popular among expats and backpackers. Jalan Jaksa has the cheapest (or equal cheapest) beer in Jakarta. Generally a little cheaper in other respects as well, Jalan Jaksa is also a bit more lay back. The Beatles can be heard most nights at Memories cafe, however there is a variety of entertainment along with cheap to moderately priced accommodation.
To hang out where Indonesia's young, rich and beautiful do, head to Plaza Indonesia's EX annex, packed full of trendy clubs and bars including Jakarta's Hard Rock Cafe. Plaza Senayan's Arcadia annex attempts to duplicate the concept, but with more of an emphasis on fine dining. The Kemang area in southern Jakarta is popular with expats and locals alike. It has numerous places to eat, drink and dance.
The Kota area in northern Jakarta is the oldest part of town with numerous colonial buildings still dominating the area. It is also considered to be the seediest part of town after midnight. Most karaoke bars and 'health' clubs there are in fact brothels who mostly cater to local Jakartans. Even regular discos such as Stadium and Crown have special areas designated for prostitutes. Other notable establishments in this area are Malioboro and Club 36 which should not be missed. This part of town has a large ethnic Chinese population who also dominate the clubbing scene there.
The bulk of the clubbing scene is spread throughout Jakarta however, most usually found in office buildings or hotels. A help of an experienced local with finding these places is recommended. Do note that nightlife in Jakarta tends to be pricey for local standards.
In general, dress codes are strictly enforced in Jakarta: no shorts, no slippers. Drunken, rowdy behavior is frowned upon. During the month of Ramadan, all nightlife ends at midnight and many operations close for the entire month.
Please see the individual Jakarta district articles for accommodation listings
The travel agencies at Jakarta's airport can have surprisingly good rates for mid-range and above hotels. Star ratings are reserved for midrange and better hotels, while budget places have "Melati" rankings from 1-3 (best). Tax and service charge of 21% are usually added to the bill.
Budget, Hotels with standard room rate below US$25/night. Backpacker hostels (losmen) can be found in Jalan Jaksa, which is close to Gambir station. Rooms start from Rp 50,000/night. Clean, air-conditioned rooms with own bathroom start at about Rp 100,000/per night.
Mid-range, Hotels with standard room rate of from US$26-100/night.
Splurge, Jakarta has more than its fair share of luxury hotels, and after the prolonged post-crash hangover new ones are now going up again. Many remain good value by world prices, but opulent lobbies do not always correspond to the same quality in the room. The standard room rate on splurge hotels are more than US$100/night. Accor Group hotels (Mercure, Grand Mercure, Ibis, Novotel, Pullman), Intercontinental, Le Meridien, Shangri-La, Kempinski are just to name a few existing foreign chains, as well as local brands such as Mulia and Sultan whose hotels are situated in Senayan, and Santika hotels.
For stay of a month or more, monthly rental rooms (called kost) and apartments are a good alternative to budget and mid-range hotels, respectively. Fully-furnished rooms (with TV, A/C, large bed, hot shower, kitchen outside) can be rented for Rp 1.5-4 million/month. In most cases, rental fee already includes electricity and water usage, often there are additional services included like laundry, Internet access, breakfast, etc. There are cheaper rooms as well (starting from Rp 500,000-700,000), but those are usually small, without window, and the furniture includes just bed or even nothing. Also, some cheaper places are exclusively for either men or women (no opposite sex tenants or visitors allowed); many others allow couples to stay together - but only if they're legally married. Check on this before committing.
For apartments (one or more rooms + private kitchen + often balcony), prices are from Rp 3-4 million and up. Cheaper rates can be obtained in some places which are oriented to the long-term rental (6 months or 1 year minimum); however, there may be same limitations as for cheaper rooms. Once again, check before committing.
A good choice of kost and apartments available in Jakarta can be found here: [41] (Indonesian language only). You can also try : [42], in case you would like to stay at an apartment owned by a local host who can guide you. (English and 5 other Asian Languages)
Wartel telephone shops are ubiquitous on the streets of Jakarta.
If you see a public telephone, lift the receiver and check the number in the display near the keypad. If the number is not 000, don't insert coins, because the phone is broken. They usually are, but are very cheap (just $0.01/min) when they do work.
If you have your own laptop you may be able to access networks at many of the capital's malls. Ask at the information desk for access codes. Free hotspots are also available on most McDonald restaurants and StarBucks Cafes. Several hotels also provide a free wifi hotspot in their lobby.
Internet cafes are available in many parts of the city with a price of Rp 4,000-5,000. However, most of them only have dial-up capabilities. Most of the internet cafes can be found around universities, residential areas, and in most shopping malls. However, the internet connection speed can be better in the internet cafes found at malls.
If you are keen on using the internet for long hours, try to get the "happy hour" deals provided by internet cafes near universities or residential areas. They provide 6 hr of surfing on the internet for Rp 12,000, but only available at midnight-6AM.
Tourism information
Jakarta City Government Tourism Office [43], Jl. Kuningan Barat No. 2, ☎ +62 21-5205455 ([email protected]).
Jakarta City Digital Map and Travel Guide [44], Wisma 77 Lantai 5 Jalan Letjen S. Parman Jakarta Barat. ☎ +62 21 5369 0808 .
Stay healthy
Tap water in Jakarta is not drinkable. Always drink bottled water. If buying bottled water from a street vendor always check the 'tamper proof' seal is intact.
Remember to check the water you bathe in and only brush your teeth with drinkable water.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Jakarta is the 3rd most polluted city in the world after Mexico City and Bangkok.
During the rainy season (December, January, and February), lower parts of Jakarta (mostly those to the north) are often flooded, turning the lower parts of Jakarta into 'Little Venice' or 'Jakarta's Venice' because of the roads changing into canals that resemble Venice, Italy.
There is a law against smoking at public places in Jakarta, and the smoker can (in theory) be fined up to US$5,000. You may see the signs threatening a fine (denda) of Rp 50 million or 6 months jail for smoking, although that law seems not to be enforced, as locals still smoke everywhere on the street and even in local buses, as anywhere in Indonesia. It's generally prohibited to smoke, however, inside shops, offices, and air-conditioned buildings generally. If in doubt, you can ask locals: Boleh merokok?
Stay safe
The high-profile terrorist bomb blasts at the JW Marriott in 2003, the Australian Embassy in 2004 and the JW Marriott (again) and the Ritz-Carlton in 2009 mean that security in Jakarta tends to be heavy, with car trunk checks, metal detectors and bag searches at most major buildings. Statistically, though, you are far more likely to be killed in the traffic.
Theft and robbery are real problems. Even these appear to have improved in recent years, but still take care. Violence is low, and most criminal acts are done by stealth or intimidation rather than lethal force. It is rare for even serious injuries to occur during these situations, although there are exceptions.
If the theft is done by stealth, often simple catching the thief in the act will cause him to run away. For intimidation such as robberies, simply giving them an object of value will usually satisfy the thief, who will leave without further ado. Most Indonesians are also very protective of their neighbors and friends; in many neighborhoods, a thief caught by the local residents will be punished "traditionally" before being taken to police. Indonesians rarely ignore pleas for help ("Tolong!").
Be on your guard in crowded places such as markets, because pickpockets often steal wallets and cellular phones. Keep a close eye on your valuables and choose your transportation options carefully, especially at night. Business travellers need to keep a close eye on laptops, which have been known to disappear even from within office buildings. For all-night party excursions, it may be wise to keep your cab waiting; the extra cost is cheap and it's worth it for the security. Lock your car doors and windows, and show no cellular phones or wallets on the dashboard. Organised criminals sometimes operate on the streets (especially at traffic lights) without fearing crowds.
Get out
Anyer resort beach 160 km west of Jakarta. Driving time: up to 4 hours.
Bandung some 140 km southeast of Jakarta, full of universities and famous for both its food and its fashion markets. Driving time: 2-2.5 hours (through Cipularang toll road). X-Trans shuttle transport depart hourly from several location for Rp 80,000.
Bogor cooler climes and a beautiful botanical garden an hour away. Several great golf courses are located in Bogor. Sentul A1 Race Circuit is located in Citeurerup, Bogor. Express train takes a bit over an hour, economy a little longer. (Waiting and train cancellations are the bigger issue.) Driving time: up to 2 hours. On weekends, the trip may take up to 3 hours by road, and the trains can be crowded.
Puncak — cooler climes and beautiful view of tea plantations. Up to 2.5 hours by tollway.
Ujung Kulon National Park — a beautiful national park, southwest of Jakarta. Driving time: up to 5 hours.
Taman Safari Wildlife Recreational Park — Jalan Raya Puncak 601, Cisarua, Bogor. 70 km south of Jakarta. Drive time 2.5 hours from Jakarta (outside rush hours) and about 20 km past Bogor. Impressive drive-through zoo with lions, tigers, hippos, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, as well as plenty of other animals in well-kept large enclosures. There are also some amusement park attractions for children, a water park, a baby zoo, as well as conventional zoo exhibitions including penguins, snakes, kangaroos and Komodo dragons. This is a very well maintained zoo and a much better visit than other zoos found in the region. Admission is around Rp 100,000/person. When visiting with children reserve a full day. For adults 3 hours is enough to see the most interesting animals.


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The Forsyth County Voter File and Voter Registration Statistics are available for downloading. These files contain complete Voter Data information for the county or a specific precinct. The downloaded data files can be used for further analysis on your personal computer.
The voter registration statistics are accumulative totals. New registrations are added but at the same time, voters are removed as a result of death or moving from the County.
North Carolina law (General Statutes § 132-1 et seq.) provides that:
"The public records and public information compiled by the agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions are the property of the people. Therefore, it is the policy of this State that the people may obtain copies of their public records and public information free or at minimal cost unless otherwise specifically provided by law."
Voter registration records are not exempt from this law. In fact, under General Statute § 163-82.10(b), the County's Board of Elections is required to furnish a listing of the registered voters of the County to any person who makes a request. If the County maintains or has its voter registration list on a computer, as Forsyth County does, the computer listing must include: "voter name, county voter identification number, residential address, mailing address, sex, race, age but not date of birth, party affiliation, precinct name, precinct identification code, congressional district, senate district, representative district … and any other district information available, and voter history including primary, general, and special districts, . . ."
Certain information in voter registration records is kept private. Electronically captured images of the signatures of voters, full or partial social security numbers, dates of birth, and driver's license numbers are confidential and are not required to be released under this law. The Forsyth County Board of Elections does not collect telephone numbers as part of the voter registration database. Additional information may be withheld under court order or under the State's address confidentiality program for victims of domestic violence, sexual offense and/or stalking.
The availability of voter registration information is required by State law rather than by policy of the Board of Elections.