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Geologists blame gas drilling for Indonesia mud disaster
A resounding vote of international petroleum geologists from around
the globe concluded that the mud volcano was triggered by drilling
of a nearby gas exploration well. This may have implications for
compensation of the local population affected. (Physo.org) |
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Detectives testify against former top spy in Munir case
Two police detectives testified Thursday at the trial
of former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy head Muchdi
Purwopranjono, denying pressuring witnesses and manipulating
testimonies in the defendant’s dossier. (TJP) |
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COME TO
CELEBRATE LENS BIRTHDAY
Jakarta's most popular expat bar is celebrating its
managers' birthday on Monday November 3th. Although Lens does not
like to celebrate the fact that he gained another year and thus lost
another few hairs, we like to invite you all. Monday is normally the
day he likes to take it easy, and was insisting on not announcing
anything. I did not copy him into this newsletter, so lets surprise
him with a full house. The first barrel is on the house from 8pm
onwards. |
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From the editor
What a hectic week this
was! From a tried businessman, quietly planning to semi-retire in Bali, I
am suddenly in the world headlines! I do not like to brag, but most of the
readers are people I personally know anyway, and you might find it
interesting to follow the story of my journey into the (sub) headlines
around the world.
It started last week when I was surfing on the internet late in the
evening, with the TV behind me tuned on FOX News. I suddenly heard the
voice on TV behind me, struggling in a sentence. "Sweet Barack.. no, what
is it? Sweet Obama.. .uh…" The other Fox anchor helped her out: "Oh, yes.
The story about a Dutch business man planning to open a Sweet Home Obama
bar in the house he used to live in Jakarta!" I literally froze on my
chair. The other announcer continued: "He wants to sell a Barack Blend of
coffee in that house!" My heart started pumping. I was on FOX News. They
showed the old house in Menteng and the whole news flits was only 20
seconds probably, but, he! I was on it! I did a quick Google News search
for Sweet Home Obama and I found there were over 100 newspapers that had
published it already, including
The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the
Washington post!
 The
telephone started ringing. People wanted live radio interviews. "When did
you first have this idea?" a Dutch radio station asked me. "Well, it was
even before Obama was known", I explained. I told about the idea I had at
the time when Kofi Annan was still Secretary General to the UN and I
planned to open a coffee house with the name Kopi Annan. At that time I
couldn't get people interested. "But now, with the link that Obama had
lived in Menteng for a couple of years, the Sweet Home Obama idea suddenly
seemed to get more attention", I told the radio presenter.
 For the coming days I have been scheduled to do live interviews for AP, El
Jazeera and even on CNN for their prime time show on Election Day. I am
deadly nervous but I have to do it. It's once in a life time opportunity.
The only thing that rest me is to convince Abu Bakar to turn the house
that his family owned since 1939 into a Sweet Home Obama. He is 78 old
retired navy officer and it will not be easy. I'll bring him some
stroopwafels later today and explain again that it is not the idea to sell
alcohol, but strictly coffee and waffles. After all, there is huge mosque
nearby...
To be continued…/ Bartele
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