1,000 Strong ......
Yes, folks, I've now posted for 1,000 days or more. It's a bit difficult to be precise as my host Blogger has a figure of something like 1,023, and my archives have my back-ups listed by the dates and a, b, & c when I've multi-posted on a particular day.
Started on 21st March 2004, Jakartass has survived and thrived, for which I must thank you, my readers. Without feedback, both positive and negative, it would have been nigh on impossible to keep on keeping on. Without honing my writing skills and voice I doubt that I would have been published in the Jakarta Post, nor would I have been invited to update Derek Bacon's Culture Shock-Jakarta, which is due out next month. Or the month after. Or ~ some time soon.
And I'm not done yet.
How could I be when untrustworthy moneybags like Fauzi Bozo continue to make fatuous statements?
He is the incumbent deputy governor and front runner in the first 'direct' election for the Jakarta Governor sinecure because he has (bought?) the backing of the two main Suhartoist political groupings, Golkar and ex-President Megashopper's PDI-P who have now formed a coalition, and other groups hanging on to the coat-tails of the money train.
Excuse the mixed metaphor, but that's a lot better than the excuse he's come up with for the lack of tourists.
"Every big city in the world has similar problems like traffic jams, but it does not echo as hugely as Jakarta's since their administrations have a good public relations division that bridges the government and the press," he told the Jakarta Post yesterday. He acknowledged that the administration's public relations division had been its weakest point because the less-competent officers were placed there.
Hey, hasn't he heard the expression about not shooting the messenger?
This total incompetent is going to be elected because the political party machinery is in place, but I have no hesitation in agreeing with the majority of Jakarta's electors who will not be casting their vote in August 8th. Given his nickname, they will be telling him to Foke Off.
There, that feels better. Now back to my main theme.
A number of bloggers worldwide 'inspired' me to join the 'blogosphere'. Diamond Geezer is but one, yet few have managed to be so consistently interesting. His city is London, my heritage for generations back. He highlights what's going on and respects what has been, a Samuel Pepys for our times. Incidentally, if you want to read Pepy's original diary, then it's in blog form here, a remarkable feat of scholarship which I have no hope or intention of emulating.
However, I do have to offer sincere acknowledgments to the ever-inspirational DG for the post below.
Labels: blogging, Jakarta
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