Name: Michael Jackson
Birth Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Height: 5' 10
Sex: M
Nationality: American
Birth Date: August 29, 1958
Birth Place: Gary, Indiana, USA
Profession: musician, song writer, actor
Education: California Preparatory School, Encino, California
Place of Death: UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles
Death Date: June 25, 2009
Death Cause: cardiac arrest
Husband/Wife: Debbie Rowe-Jackson (married on November 14, 1996 in Sydney, Australia; divorced on October 8, 1999), Lisa Marie Presley (married on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic; divorced in January 1996)
Father: Joseph Walter Jackson (music manager; born on July 26, 1929)
Mother: Katherine Esther Jackson (born on May 4, 1930)
Sister: Janet Jackson (born on May 16, 1966), LaToya Jackson (born on May 29, 1956), Rebbie Jackson (musician; born on May 25, 1950)
Brother: Randy Jackson (October 29, 1961), Marlon David and Brandon Jackson (twins; March 12, 1957; Brandon died shortly after birth), Jermaine La Juane (December 11, 1954), Tito Jackson (October 15, 1953), Jackie Jackson (May 4, 1951)
Half Sister: Joh'Vonnie Jackson (born on August 30, 1974; mother: Cheryl Terrell)
Grand Father: Prince Albert Screws (maternal grandfather), Samuel Jackson (paternal grandfather)
Grand Mother: Martha Upshaw (maternal grandmother), Crystal Lee King (paternal grandfather)
Uncle: Luther Jackson
Son: Prince Michael Jackson II (born February 2002), Prince Michael Jackson I (born on February 12, 1997; mother: Debbie Rowe)
Daughter: Paris Michael Katherine Jackson (born on April 3, 1998; mother: Debbie Rowe)
Niece: Stacee Brown (born 1971), Yashi Brown (born 1977), Brandi Jackson (born February 6, 1982), Autumn Jackson (born 1978), Jasmine Jackson (born 1988), Valencia Jackson (born 1977), Brittany Jackson (born 1979), Genevieve Jackson (December 3, 1989)
Claim to fame: album Thriller (1982)
Juli 05, 2009
Kabar Tokoh - Profile Michael Jackson
Kabar Tokoh - Profile Megan Fox
Name: Megan Fox
Birth Name: Megan Denise Fox
Height: 5' 6"
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: May 16, 1986
Birth Place: Tennessee, USA
Profession: Actress, Model
Relationship: Brian Austin Green (actor; born on July 15, 1973; engaged in November 2006)
Claim to fame: For her performances in the film Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and the TV program Hope & Faith
Megan FOx Trivia
- Admits she makes her boyfriends get at least a tattoo of her name or face.
- Says she suffers ''anxiety attacks'' when she looks at herself.
- Was ranked #1 on FHM's list of world's sexiest woman. (June 2009)
- Has issued a heartfelt apology to a young male fan - after accidentally snubbing his attempts to get her attention at the London screening of TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, claiming she was blinded by the paparazzi's flashbulbs. (June 2009)
- A big fan of Angelina Jolie.
- Confirmed she has split from fiance Brian Austin Green at the London premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. (June 2009)
- Has called for legalization of marijuana in the US, insisting that she would be the first person in line to buy a pack of joints. (June 2009)
- Said she almost cried when food from an actor's mouth passed into hers during a kissing scene.
- Admits she became an actress because she wanted to be a sex symbol. (June 2009)
- Is tipped by executive producer Dan Lin to play a young Lara Croft in a new ''Tomb Raider'' movie. (May 2009)
- Ranked #2 on Maxim magazine's top 10 most beautiful women list (May 2009)
- Says she is attracted to both women as well as men, but insists she would never consider dating another bisexual female because she wouldn’t want a male’s “dirty” leftovers. (may 2009)
- Reckons if she could be a male movie star, she'd be like George Clooney. (May 2009)
- Insists she’d never date the likes of Robert Pattinson or Zac Efron because they’re just “too pretty” and immature. (May 2009)
- Has rekindled her romance
with actor Brian Austin Green but despite sporting an engagement ring
, she insists she has no intention of walking down the aisle. (April 2009)
Personal Quotes
Michael Bay's name, if it's attached to a script, you know it's going to be a huge blockbuster released in the summer, with jets flying over at the premiere and all that kind of stuff. So, I knew it was going to be a huge movie.- On working with Michael Bay
[on George Clooney] He's sarcastic, and he has a different girlfriend constantly. It's considered charismatic. He's like this James Bond, sexy dude. The older he gets, the better he gets. It's a double standard. To be outspoken, or different at all, is a problem for women. As soon as you curse or, God forbid, make some sort of sexual reference that's a joke, you're labeled a party girl. They don't do that with men, so I feel it would be a lot easier.
[Director Michael Bay] doesn't like really skinny actresses. He's been traumatized by them for some reason in the past. So I always try to put on eight to ten pounds before [filming], and I'm always the fattest I've ever been when making a Transformers (2007) movie.
[on her Marilyn Monroe tattoo] I committed to having her face on my arm for the rest of my life, so I have to be a pretty big fan.
I don't want to have to go on talk shows and pull out every single Sat word I've ever learned, to prove, like, 'Take me seriously, I am intelligent, I can speak.' I don't want to have to do that. I resent having to prove that I'm not a retard.
Wonder Woman is lame. She flies around in an invisible jet, but she's not invisible. I don't get it.
Olivia Wilde is so sexy she makes me want to strangle a mountain ox with my bare hands. She's mesmerizing.
Zac Efron is my obsession, we're the same person. We're not actually here, it's like Janet and Michael Jackson. He just puts on his wig and a dress, and it's me, and you don't know that. It's one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
Boys in their twenties are a waste of time. They have nothing to offer conversationally; they're immature. I feel like I have a better shot with someone in his thirties.
When I go to a party, I always feel like I'm chum. Like my agent is just chumming the waters until I'm circled by all these dudes.
People assume that I'm really promiscuous. There's a difference between being very sexual and being promiscuous. I'm not promiscuous. I'm extraordinarily sexual within a monogamous relationship. Nothing's off-limits. But that has nothing to do with experiencing a lot of people. I've only had two boyfriends my whole life.
If I ever lose a role because of my tattoos, I'll quit Hollywood and go to work at Costco.
[on Shia LaBeouf] He probably is my favourite person in the entire world. Shia makes me laugh harder than anybody I've ever known in my life. I end up crying or almost peeing myself every time I'm with him. So he's just my favourite - I love you, Shia! And he's really super-handsome!
[on Angelina Jolie] I'm actually frightened of her, I haven't had the opportunity to meet her and I try to avoid that because I'm afraid. Angelina's a powerful person and I bet she would eat me alive. I guess that is why I'm afraid of her. There have been a lot of films I've had to pass on because I don't want people thinking I'm trying to emulate her.
When I moved to Los Angeles I had no money. I remember needing to shave my legs, and I didn't even have enough money to buy disposable razors. So I'd wear pants all the time.
Women are expected to be conformist automatons in L.A. but in Britain you can be more yourself and people will take you on face value.
I don't trust male intentions, usually, because they don't approach me for intellectual conversation.
Hollywood is the most superficial thing you could possibly be a part of and if I weren't attractive I wouldn't be working at all.
I'm definitely labelled in the pin-up category. I haven't given people a reason to take my work seriously yet, which is my responsibility. I think the expectation for me, as far as my ability as an actress goes, is very low. I feel like that means I can only ever be an over-achiever when people expect so little from me.
I was with someone from the time I was 18 and I've never been my own independent adult. Right now there's no space in my head for who's going to be next or how I need to fill my time. I'm trying to expand myself and grow and be comfortable with who I am before I get into another relationship where I'll just repeat a cycle. Otherwise I will have ten failed relationships. I will be Elizabeth Taylor by the time I am 60 and I don't want that.
I'm kind of a recluse. I'm a hermit and it's because I do have a great fear of Hollywood, just watching what it does to people. You have to be a really strong human being to survive it, as a girl especially. So I try to avoid the Hollywood scene as much as possible and people who enjoy the Hollywood scene -- that's usually a red flag to me. Some people might think my life is boring, but I haven't been to rehab yet, so I think I'm doing something right!
I didn't decide I'm gonna be an actress cause I wanna be respected for how I play chess.
I do have a 22-inch waist, I will say that.
[on Marilyn Monroe] I just had an incredible amount of empathy for her my whole life. I cry when I see her on camera.
I worked at a Tropical Smoothie in Florida when I was 15. I would sometimes have to go out by the street in a gigantic banana costume and dance to try to get customers to come in. There was no anonymity - the costume had a big hole cut out so that everyone could see your face. My friends from school would drive back and forth and yell all kinds of awesome obscenities at me.
I grew up craving the spotlight and once it happened I immediately recoiled. It just always seemed really glamorous. As a child you think everyone who's famous is very wealthy and powerful. I thought my internal issues would be solved and I would be this really confident person. And I'm not.
[On giving male writers an amped-up version of her past] They're boys; they're easily toyed with. I tell stories and have them eating out of my hand.
Sex and the City (2008), the movie, was so tragic. Costume dramas bore me and Hollywood comedies are total garbage, not funny at all. Fame doesn't mean anything because anyone can be famous, and TV news is mindless.
I have no friends and I never leave my house. You just have to make a choice to just refuse to be involved with things that could get you in trouble. It's easy when you feel upset or depressed about something to want to go to a club and want to drink, but instead I just force myself to sit and feel it and deal with it, and try to grow from it, because I don't want to go down that path. I'm one of the most isolated people in existence right now, but it's worth it because if I wasn't making that decision I would be throwing away my career.
[on Angelina Jolie] She always seems otherworldly in her power and her confidence. I'm sure she has no idea who I am.
[on Transformers (2007)] I'm terrible in it. It's my first real movie and it's not honest and not realistic. The movie wasn't bad, I just wasn't proud about what I did.
I think one day I could be a very good actress. But so far, I haven't done anything.
I'm not going to win an Oscar anytime soon. I'm not Meryl Streep.
[on being asked if she had a crush on Angelina Jolie] Absolutely. Every time a relationship ends, I say, 'If I could just be Angelina's girlfriend, I would be so happy.' I love Angelina Jolie. She's someone I admire and look up to. She's my favourite actress in Hollywood. I just love that she's incredibly honest, and I feel that she's not afraid to be herself. She tells you exactly what's on her mind.
I am not a Jennifer Aniston or a Britney Spears or even a Lindsay Lohan, you know? My pictures don't sell for that kind of money. But [of] the small level that I do deal with it, it is hard and there have been times [when] people don't want to hang out with me because they don't want to end up on the Internet. I sometimes just turn around and go back home and don't do anything and have to have someone go do my grocery shopping.
[on her childhood playtime] I played with Barbies but I used to decapitate them. I used to take their heads off then dye their hair and do weird things.
[on rumours that she will star in a new Lara Croft movie] I think that's a role that Angelina Jolie mastered, and I would never attempt to take that over from her.
When you think about it, we actors are kind of prostitutes. We get paid to feign attraction and love. Other people are paying to watch us kissing someone, touching someone, doing things people in a normal monogamous relationship would never do with anyone who's not their partner. It's really kind of gross.
[on her role in Jonah Hex (2010)] I'm sort of a tough, no-nonsense prostitute, like, she'll shoot you in the head if she has to. And she does. Actually not in the head but I get to shoot someone somewhere. It's a lot of fun.
I like to cut through the BS. I don't like small talk and I don't like to have to be a cookie cutter. That's a quality I started to develop as a kid in middle school. You know how everybody goes into cliques and you all talk behind everyone's back? I thought it was so ignorant. So I just really started being completely honest with everybody all of the time. It gets me into trouble often, but, at the end of the day, I think it's a good quality to have. I have become a little more aware of the media's tendency to twist things that I say.
If you know how to take control of being a sex symbol, then it can be powerful. But I have no idea how to handle it yet, how to deal with it.
Where Are They Now
(September 2004) Starred in "Hope & Faith" (2003) as "Sydney Shanowski", replacing Nicole Paggi.
(July 2007) Starred in Transformers (2007) as Mikaela Banes.
(June 2008) Filming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).
(May 2008) Voted the sexiest women in the world by readers of FHM.
(June 2009) Attends Premiere of Transformers sequel in Japan
Maret 18, 2009
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Jason Statham
Name: Jason Statham
Date of birth: 12 September 1972
Place of birth: London, England, UK
Height: 5' 11
Jason Statham Trivia
* Did nearly all of his own stunts in The Transporter including car chase sequences, scuba diving sequences and fight sequences.
* His break into the entertainment business came when an agent put him on an advertisement for the French Connection clothing company.
* Prior to The Transporter (2002), he already had a background in martial arts, which enabled him to perform his own fight sequences.
Jason Statham Detailed Biography
Actor Jason Statham joins the new generation of young action heroes in the Twentieth Century Fox feature The Transporter, written specially for him by Luc Besson. Directed by Hong Cong born Cory Yuen, one of the world's foremost action directors. The Transporter is about Frank Martin a man who lives a quiet life on the French Mediterranean, who is a transporter, someone who moves goods (human or otherwise) no questions asked. He follows three rules: 1. Never change the deal 2. No names 3. Never look in the package. When he breaks the third rule, he is faced with a new companion, shocking secrets and deadly complications.
Statham was born in Sydenham, England and came into the acting profession in a most unconventional manner. His parents' first love was entertaining, they moved around England finding a better way to make a living. They ran mock auctions, a major street con. By the time he was nine, he was surrounded by an unsavory group of characters, gangsters and con artists, and found he was very good at the con game. Selling counterfeit goods and products that didn't make the grade proved to be the initial training grounds for Statham's street theater.
As a teenager he became interested in sports and became a high diving competitor, traveling abroad and making the cut for the Great Britain diving team. He placed third in the Olympic trials on three different occasions, eventually placing 12th in the world. While training at the famed Crystal Palace National Sport Center in London, film crews and photographers pursued him as new talent for commercials and print campaigns. One of those jobs was a French Connection print ad where he met the owner of the company. The owner showed an interest and it turned out he was the executive producer of an upcoming film who introduced him to director, Guy Ritchie. The film was Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Ritchie found in Statham, not just an actor, but more importantly someone who could play a role that he lived, a street-con. He was encouraged by Ritchie to improvise, as the director wanted honesty.
Shortly after Statham's film debut, Ritchie cast him again in the gangster film Snatch as a boxing promoter starring opposite Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro. After the shoot, executive producer Matthew Vaughn brought Statham to Los Angeles and introduced him to an American agent and he was well on his way. He also co-starred in the sci-fi action thriller The One opposite Jet Li for Sony/Revolution as well as the Paramount Classic's film The Mean Machine. The role was not a stretch for Statham, who was a natural born athlete and who studied boxing and martial arts.
Most recently he was seen co-starring with Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton in The Italian Job for Paramount Pictures and directed by F. Gary Gray. The film is about a gang of robbers who create the largest traffic jam in Los Angeles history, giving them time to pull off a theft of gold bullion.
Statham recently completed filming the feature Chaos opposite Ryan Philliippe and Wesley Snipes. He is currently shooting the sequel Transporter 2, and then will star in Guy Ritchie's upcoming film Revolver.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/jason_statham/index.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Rihanna
Name: Rihanna
Profession: Singer
Birth name: Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Rihanna Trivia
* Was signed to Def Jam Records
* Her musical
inspirations include Alicia Keys, Beyonce Knowles, and Mariah Carey.
* Attentend Combermere which is a sixth form school similar to technical school in America
* Performed Hero at her school's talent show
* Won a Beauty Pageant contest at her school
Rihanna Detailed Biography
Robyn Rihanna Fenty born on February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian (Bajan) R&B singer with influences from Raggamuffin/Dancehall and Pop. Rihanna's musical inspirations include Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé Knowles.
Rihanna was born on the Caribbean island of Barbados in the parish of St. Michael. She was discovered by Music producer Evan Rogers while he was vacationing in Barbados with his wife Jackie, who is also a Bajan. Rogers, along with his partner Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record demo material that was sent to various recording companies including Def Jam, where Rihanna auditioned for CEO Jay-Z and was signed on-the-spot. Her debut album Music of the Sun was released during the summer of 2005 and was led by the single "Pon de Replay", which peaked at number two on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart. The second single
, "If It's Lovin' That You Want", was less successful than its predecessor but stilled reached the top twenty in most regions. The album itself peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, and the U.S., and within the top forty in the UK. Music of the Sun has received several Platinum certifications around the world since its release, and has helped solidify Rihanna's presence on the music scene. In 2006, Rihanna landed several endorsement deals, including ones for Nike and J.C. Penney. In addition to a cameo role in Bring It On 3, she is also releasing her next album, titled A Girl Like Me, this spring. The lead single off the album "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)" was recorded for her recent endorsement deal with Nike. Rihanna is an Arabic name.
Album information Music of the Sun Released: August 30, 2005 (U.S.) W.W. Sales: 2,500,000 (est.) Chart positions: #7 AUS, #8 CAN, #35 UK, #10 U.S. Certifications: Platinum (CAN), 2�— Platinum (JPN), Gold (UK), Gold (US) Singles: 2005: "Pon de Replay" #6 AUS, #2 UK, #2 U.S. 2005: "If It's Lovin' That You Want" #9 AUS, #11 UK, #36 U.S. 2006: "Let Me" #48 JPN - never officially released in the US A Girl Like Me Released: April 11, 2006 (U.S.) Chart positions: TBD Certifications: TBD Singles: 2006: "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)" #56 U.S. 2006: "Unfaithful"
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/rihanna/index.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Angelina Jolie
Name: Angelina Jolie
Full Name: Angelina Jolie Voight
Date Of Birth: 4 June 1975
Place Of Birth: Los Angeles, California
Sign: Gemini
Height: 5'7
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Father: Jon Voight
Mother: Marcheline Bertrand
Brother: James Haven Voight
Spouse: Billy Bob Thornton (May 2000-present)(actor, director, writer)
Jonny Lee Miller (1996-1999)(actor), Brad Pitt (now)
Profession: Actress
Angelina Jolie Detailed Biography
Angelina Jolie is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight, and former actress/model Marcheline Bertrand. Jon Voight separated from Bertrand when Jolie was 1, remained in California while the family lived on the East coast. ''He was the perfect example of an artist who couldn't be married,'' she says. ''He had the perfect family, but there's something for him that's very scary about that.'' Jolie, is her middle name. Ultimately, she decided to use it because, she says, ''I love my father, but I'm not him''.
Angelina began training and performing at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute at around 12. She was seen in several stage productions at the Institute. She worked as a professional model in London, New York
and Los Angeles, and has also appeared in music videos for such artists as the Rolling Stones, Meat Loaf, Lenny Kravitz, Antonello Venditti and The Lemonheads. In addition, she has acted in five student films for the USC School of Cinema, all directed by her brother, James Haven. She landed her first feature film starring part in HACKERS, about a group of high school computer hackers. Previously, she had roles in independent features Gathering Evidence and Oh No, Not Her.Angelina was married to her co-star from Hackers, Jonny Lee Miller. The marriage took place in May of 1996 where she wore black rubber clothes (although they are now divorced). She has a extensive dagger collection (likes knives) and has several tattoos (one is the Japanese word for death on her shoulder). Today Angelina splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/bio/angelina_jolie.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Michelle Obama
Name: Michelle Obama
Birth name: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson
Date of Birth: January 17, 1964
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
Nationality: American
Proffession: Lawyer
Religion: Protestant (UCC)
Spouse: Barack Obama
Children: Malia Ann and Sasha (Daughters)
Height: 5'10"
Michelle Obama Trivia
* Graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Sociology, and went on to earn a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
* The movie she saw on her first date with Barack Obama was "Do the Right Thing (1989).
* Her brother is the head coach of the Oregon State basketball team.
* She has two daughters, Malia Ann (born in 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha) (born in 2001).
Michelle Obama Detailed Biography
Michelle Obama, whose birth name is Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Frasier Robinson, is a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain. Her mother, Marian Robinson, is a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store. She grew up in the South Shore community area of Chicago. Michelle graduated from Whitney Young High School in 1981 and went on to major in sociology and minor in African American studies at Princeton University, where she graduated 'cum laude' with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. She mostly traces her roots to pre-Revolutionary War African Americans in the American South; much of her family still resides in the state of South Carolina.
At Princeton, Michelle challenged the teaching methodology for French because she felt that it should be more conversational. As part of her requirements for graduation, she wrote a thesis entitled, "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community". She obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. While at Harvard, she participated in political demonstrations advocating the hiring of professors who are members of minorities.
After graduating from Harvard, Michelle accepted a position at a downtown Chicago law firm. In 1989 she was asked to mentor a summer associate from Harvard name Barack Obama. Their relationship started with a business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her. The couple married in October 1992. They have only two daughters.
Michelle's professional relationships were helpful when her husband in 2004, then a state senator, ran for the United States Senate, where he faced a primary dominated by some of the Democratic Party's most powerful political families. In this 2004 race, Obama had the support of influential black business leaders, some of whom had closer ties to his wife than they did to him. According to Newsweek, a former boss of Michelle Obama's, a powerful black woman Valerie Jarrett, chair of the Chicago Stock Exchange, served as finance
chair of Barack Obama's U.S. Senate campaign.
After Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate, Barack and Michelle choose to keep their children in Chicago, where Michelle continued her career as well.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/michelle_obama/index.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Kristen Stewart
Name: Kristen Stewart
Birth Name: Kristen Jaymes Stewart
Height: 5' 6"
Sex: Female
Nationality: American
Birth Date: April 9, 1990
Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
Profession: Actress
Father: John Stewart (a TV Producer)
Brother: Cameron Stewart (older)
Claim to fame: Her role oppositing Jodie Foster in David Fincher's atmospheric thriller Panic Room (2002)
Kristen Stewart Detailed Biography
Kristen Stewart was born on April 9, 1990 in Colorado. Her father is John Stewart, a TV Producer who works at FOX TV. Currently co-producing the Ryan Seacrest Show, On-Air. A fervent surfer who bears a striking resemblance to the young Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart was poised to become a preteen star with her role opposite Foster in David Fincher's atmospheric thriller Panic Room (2002). A resident of Los Angeles, Stewart's nascent acting career got off to a promising start when she was cast in two vastly different films. Eschewing fluffy kids' movies, Stewart played troubled single mother Patricia Clarkson's tomboy daughter in independent film darling Rose Troche's tough examination of suburban angst, The Safety of Objects (2002). Stewart subsequently got her first taste of major Hollywood success with Panic Room. Replacing the original child actress cast as divorc�e Meg's sullen, diabetic
daughter Sarah, Stewart became an even more felicitous choice when original star Nicole Kidman dropped out and Foster stepped in. Though critics were less than ecstatic about the film, Stewart still garnered positive notice for her believable presence as Foster's offspring.
Following a supporting performance as the daughter of a couple who unknowingly move into a seemingly haunted house in the 2003 chiller Cold Creek Manor, Stewart took top billing in the emotionally charged drama Speak in 2004. Cast as a traumatized high school freshman whose status as a selective mute draws the concern of friends and family, Stewart's handling of the remarkably intimate material drew praise from critics and Sundance audiences. A subsequent role in Catch That Kid (a remake of the Danish blockbuster Klatretosen) found Stewart in super-spy mode as a scheming twelve-year-old who recruits a pair of friends to rob a high tech bank in hopes of paying for a life saving operation for her dying father.
Sumber: http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/kristenstewart.html
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Robert Pattinson
Name: Robert Pattinson
Birth name: Robert Thomas-Pattinson
Nickname: Rob, Rpattz
Date of birth: May 13, 1986
Place of birth: London, England
Profession: Actor, model
Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Trade Mark: Messy hair
Robert Pattinson Trivia
* He is an excellent musician playing guitar and keyboards.
* He attended Harrodian private school in London.
* He has two older sisters, Lizzy and Victoria.
* Was taught how to scuba dive for his role in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire" in 2005.
* He takes interest in Football(soccer), Skiing, Snowboarding, and more.
* His acting inspiration is Jack Nicholson.
* He was ranked #23 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'(2008).
* He was chosen by the Hollywood Film Festival
Award Committee as the recipient of the 2008 New Hollywood Award.
* He was awarded Best Actor 2008 at the Strasbourg
Film festival for his performance as Art in the film How To Be.
* He beat 3,000 people to play Edward in the movie 'Twilight'.
* He was named as Yahoo's Top Movie Heart Throb of 2008.
* He was named as Rolling Stone Magazine's Hottest Actor of 2008
* He was named by Entertainment Tonight (ET) as their top hunk of 2008.
* He was named as one of the LA Times Breakout Stars of 2008.
* He was named as one of Forbes Breakout Stars of 2008.
Robert Pattinson Detailed Biography
Robert "Rob" Pattinson born 13 May 1986) is an English actor and former model, best known for playing Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
He became involved in amateur theatre through the Barnes Theatre Club. After some backstage experience there, he took on acting roles. He caught the attention of an acting agent in a production of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and began looking for professional roles.
Since then he has performed in an amateur version of Macbeth at the Old Sorting Office Arts Centre (also in West London), as well as trying his hand at modelling, for which he was sometimes credited as Robert Thomas-Pattinson.
He had supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs (2004), and in director Mira Nair’s 2004 Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted, and only appear on the DVD version.
He was slated to appear in a stage production of The Woman Before in May 2005, but was fired shortly before the opening night. He was replaced by Tom Riley.
In late 2005, Pattinson appeared as the character Cedric Diggory in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Consequently, he was named that year's British Star of Tomorrow by Times Online and has more than once been touted as the next Jude Law, and was considered for the 2007 membership list for The Coterie as an honorary member.. He names Jack Nicholson as his acting inspiration.
He has a role in the as-yet unreleased short film The Summer House, the film How To Be and will next work on the vampire film After Dark.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/robert_pattinson/index.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Will Smith
Name: Will Smith
Birth Date: September 25, 1968
Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Birth Name: William Christopher Smith Jr.
Height: 6' 2
Education: Overbrook High School in Winfield, Pennsylvania
Profession: Actor, musician
Nationality: American
Claim to fame: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air television series
Will Smith Detailed Biography
Will Smith was one of the biggest superstars of his time not only a pop music sensation, he also conquered television and eventually feature films, starring in a string of box-office megahits. Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, he was 16 when he met aspiring DJ Jeff Townes; joining forces as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, the duo immediately became local favorites, but their continued existence was threatened when Smith graduated high school and was offered a scholarship to MIT. Ultimately, he chose to pursue a career in music, and in 1987 he and Townes issued their debut record, Rock the House, scoring a hit with the single
"Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble."
Propelled by the smash "Parents Just Don't Understand," DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke into the mainstream a year later with He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, one of the first hip-hop LPs to achieve double-platinum status. And soon Hollywood began taking notice of Smith's success; in 1990, he was tapped to star in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a sitcom for NBC. An immediate hit, it made Smith a household name, and continued in production through 1996.
Smith also continued his music career, and in 1991 DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince scored their biggest chart hit to date with the excellent "Summertime," from the album Homebase. The year following, he made his feature film debut in the drama Where the Day Takes You; in 1993, his supporting turn in Six Degrees of Separation was the subject of much critical acclaim. That same year, the final Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince record, the disappointing Code Red, was released. In 1995, Smith co-starred in the action film Bad Boys, a major box-office hit; it set the stage for his leading role in 1996's Independence Day, the summer's biggest smash. A year later, he starred in Men in Black, again the box-office champ of the summer season; recording for the first time under his given name, he also scored a smash with the movie's rap theme. Smith's debut solo LP, Big Willie Style, also appeared in 1997, notching the hits "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," "Just the Two of Us," and "Miami." Shortly on the heels of his first box-office disappointment, 1999's Wild Wild West, he returned with the album Willennium.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/will_smith/index.shtml
Maret 17, 2009
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Jason Mraz
Name: Jason Mraz
Profession: Singer
Birth Details: born June 23, 1977
Birth name: Jason Thomas Mraz
Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Spouse: Sheridan Edley Mraz (2001 - ?) (divorced)
Trade mark: Red hat tipped to the right. Frequently ad-libs and improvises lines in his songs when singing them live
Jason Mraz Trivia
* His last name is of Czech origin, it means "frost".
* Former cheerleader
* Used to play weekly shows at the world-famous Java Joe's in Ocean Beach, CA.
* Lives in northern San Diego, California, with girlfriend and fellow musician
Tristan Prettyman. She is sometimes the opening act on his tour.
Jason Mraz Full Biography
Jason Mraz (born June 23, 1977) is an American singer, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia, which is a suburb of Richmond. He went to Chickahominy Middle School (grades 6-8) and Lee Davis High School (grades 9-12). His last name is Czech for "frost". Though he did not pick up the guitar until the age of 18, his musical appetite was strong. After a brief stint studying musical theater in New York, he moved to San Diego. There he became a hit on the Southern California club scene, playing with percussionist Toca Rivera and his brother, latin-pop guitarist Carlos Olmeda. He was briefly married to a woman named Sheridan; however, they divorced amicably and still remain good friends. Mraz is mostly popular in the United States, Japan, and Australia. His clear, strong tenor voice and easygoing, optimistic lyrics gained popular acclaim in 2003 when his first single, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," began to receive regular play on radio, MTV, and VH1. Co-written by music production team The Matrix, the popularity of "The Remedy" boosted the sales of his debut release, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which has been certified platinum by the RIAA. Mraz has played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Paula Cole, and Jewel Jason Mraz performs at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California on November 26, 2005 Mraz's stylistic influences seem multiple and varied, a mixture of pop, rock, jazz, folksy country, and even hip-hop/rap. He is nothing if not eclectic. Mraz was most recently on tour with Alanis Morissette and the Rolling Stones. His follow up to his major label debut, Mr. A-Z (which reads as "Mraz") was released on July 26, 2005. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No.5 selling nearly 90,000 copies in its first week, later on in December 2005 the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while producer Steve Lillywhite recieved a nomination for Producer of the Year for his work on the LP. He began touring in support of the album on September 12, 2005 in San Diego. Also in 2005, he was one of many singers featured in the new fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites." The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morisette, and Michelle Williams. In January of 2006 he had two concerts in Manila
, Philippines, as to promote his album Mr. A-Z. In 2006, he will be touring the U.K. with James Blunt. Mraz has recently ended a serious relationship with singer-songwriter and former Roxy model Tristan Prettyman, whom he met at Java Joe's in San Diego, CA. Mraz has often collaborated and performed with funk-hip-hop-folk artist Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood, a friend from New York who studied musical theater with Jason. Together, they have written and recorded several songs, including "Curbside Prophet" Jason's 3rd single off his major label debut Waiting for My Rocket to Come. Most recently, Bushwalla has toured with Jason during his fall 2005 tour. They both describe eachother as one of their biggest influences, and they perfected their skills by jamming and freestyle rapping for hours on while living in New York.
Albums Live at Java Joe's (2001) - independent release Sold Out (In Stereo) (2002) - independent release The E Minor EP in F (2002) - independent release Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002) #55 US Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004) Mr. A-Z (2005) #5 US Geekin' Out Across the Galaxy
(2006) - digital live EP Guest contributions I Melt With You, from the album 50 First Dates Soundtrack (2004) Summer Breeze, from the album Everwood: Original TV Soundtrack (2004) Rainbow Connection, from the album For The Kids Too! (2004) Shy That Way, with Tristan Prettyman from the album twentythree (2005) Good Old Fashioned Loverboy, from the album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen (2005) Keep on Hoping, with Raul Midon from the album State of Mind (2005)
Year Award 2002 San Diego Music Award win for Best Acoustic 2003 San Diego Music Award win for Artist of the Year 2003 San Diego Music Award win for Song of the Year 2005 Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Mr. A-Z.
Sumber: http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/jason_mraz/index.shtml
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profile Christiano Ronaldo
Berikut ini bio-data Cristiano Ronaldo, pemain sayap Manchester United dan Portugal yang dipilih FIFA sebagai pemain terbaik dunia 2008.
Nama :Cristiano Ronaldo
Tanggal lahir: 5 Februari 1985
Tempat lahir: Madeira Islands, Portugal
2002: Memulai debut bersama Sporting Lisbon pada usia 17
2003: Agustus: Mencetak gol pada pramusim dalam laga persahabatan melawan Manchester United sebelum pindah ke Old Trafford dengan nilai transfer 12,42 juta pound.
Mengenakan kostum nomor tujuh (7) yang dipakai David Beckham menyusul pemain tengah Inggris itu pindah ke Real Madrid.
Melakukan debut di United sebagai pemain pengganti ketika timnya menang 4-0 di kandang melawan Bolton Wanderers.
Bermain untuk Portugal ketika menang 1-0 atas Kazakhstan.
1 November : Mencetak gol pertama untuk United ketika menang 3-0 di kandang atas Portsmouth.
1 Desember : Didenda 4.000 pound dalam dengar pendapat komisi disiplin FA karena kelakukannya di Old Trafford menyusul main tanpa gol melawan Arsenal.
2004: Juni, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik United musim ini.
2005: September, bintang dalam tim Portugal di penyisihan Piala Dunia melawan Rusia, beberapa waktu setelah ayahnya meninggal.
2006: Januari, dilarang tampil dalam satu pertandingan oleh UEFA karena membuat gerakan cabul ke arah pendukung Benfica ketika United kalah 1-2 pada laga Liga Champions di Stadion Light, Desember.
10 Juli, memerotes wasit setelah rekan setimnya di United, Wayne Rooney, berseteru dengan Ricardo Carvalho di perempat final Piala Dunia. Rooney dikeluarkan dari lapangan dan Ronaldo terlihat di televisi mengdipkan matanya di bangku cadangan. Ronaldo mencetak angka kemenangan untuk menggugurkan Inggris.
Pada akhir bulan Juli, Ronaldo menyatakan ingin pindah ke Spanyol setelah diisukan berhubungan dengan Real Madrid.
2007: Setuju dengan lima tahun kontrak baru dengan United.
April, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik tahun ini dan pemain termuda tahun ini oleh Asosiasi Speak Bola Profesional Inggris (PFA), pemain pertama yang mendapatkan dua penghargaan pada tahun yang sama sejak striker Skotlandia, Andy Gray pada 1977.
Mei, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik tahun ini oleh Asosiasi Penulis Sepak Bola Inggris, ketika United menjuarai kompetisi Liga Utama Inggris.
15 Agustus, dikeluarkan karena melukai kepala Richard Hughes dari Portsmouth dalam pertandingan liga yang berkesudahan 1-1.
2008: 19 Maret, mencetak dua kali dalam kemenangan 2-0 atas Bolton, sehingga total golnya menjadi 33 dalam musim ini dan ini mengalahkan rekor George Best, si pencetak gol terbanyak musim ini.
April, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik PFA untuk kedua kalinya setelah tahun sebelumnya.
Mei, membantu United meraih gelar Liga Utama.
21 Mei, mendukung United dalam final Liga Champions melawan saingan mereka di Inggris, Chelsea, di Moskow. Gagal dalam tendangan penalti tetapi United masih unggul penalti. Mengakhiri musim ini dengan mencetak 42 gol.
Juni, United melaporkan Real ke badan sepak bola dunia FIFA karena mengejar Ronaldo.
Juli, menjalani operasi kaki.
Bulan ini juga, ketua FIFA Sepp Blatter mengatakan Ronaldo harus dibiarkan mengikuti keinginannya, karena kalau tetap dipaksakan di Old Trafford, hal itu bertentangan dengan kemauannya dan hal itu merupakan "perbudakan modern" dalam sepak bola.
Agustus, memutuskan tetap bersama United, Ronaldo kembali tampil setelah sembuh dari cederanya. Ia sebagai pemain cadangan dalam permainan tanpa gol di kandang sendiri melawan Villareal di kompetisi Liga Champions.
15 November, mencetak gol ke-100 United melawan Stoke.
30 November , dikeluarkan karena mendapat kartu kuning kedua, karena kelihatan memegang bola ketika bertanding derby melawan Manchester City.
20 Desember, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik Eropa dan juga memenangi penghargaan Ballon d`Or.
2009: 12 Januari, terpilih sebagai pemain terbaik FIFA 2008, mengalahkan pemain terbaik 2007 Kaka (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Fernando Torres (Spanyol) dan Xavi (Spanyol).
Sumber: http://sports.roll.co.id/p-players/25-players/5260-sepak-bola-bio-data-cristiano-ronaldo.html
Maret 16, 2009
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profil Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono adalah Presiden RI ke enam dan Presiden pertama yang dipilih langsung oleh Rakyat Indonesia. Bersama Drs. M. Jusuf Kalla sebagai wakil presidennya, beliau terpilih dalam pemilihan presiden di 2004 dengan mengusung agenda "Indonesia yang lebih Adil, Damai, Sejahtera dan Demokratis", mengungguli Presiden Megawati Soekarnoputri dengan 60% suara pemilih. Pada 20 Oktober 2004 Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat melantik beliau menjadi Presiden.
Presiden SBY, seperti banyak rakyat memanggilnya, lahir pada 9 September 1949 di Pacitan, Jawa Timur. Seorang ilmuwan teruji, beliau meraih gelar Master in Management dari Webster University, Amerika Serikat tahun 1991. Lanjutan studinya berlangsung di Institut Pertanian Bogor, dan di 2004 meraih Doktor Ekonomi Pertanian.. Pada 2005, beliau memperoleh anugerah dua Doctor Honoris Causa, masing-masing dari almamaternya Webster University untuk ilmu hukum, dan dari Thammasat University di Thailand ilmu politik.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono meraih lulusan terbaik AKABRI Darat tahun 1973, dan terus mengabdi sebagai perwira TNI sepanjang 27 tahun. Beliau meraih pangkat Jenderal TNI pada tahun 2000. Sepanjang masa itu, beliau mengikuti serangkaian pendidikan dan pelatihan di Indonesia dan luar negeri, antara lain Seskoad dimana pernah pula menjadi dosen, serta Command and General Staff College di Amerika Serikat. Dalam tugas militernya, beliau menjadi komandan pasukan dan teritorial, perwira staf, pelatih dan dosen, baik di daerah operasi maupun markas besar. Penugasan itu diantaranya, Komandan Brigade Infanteri Lintas Udara 17 Kostrad, Panglima Kodam II Sriwijaya dan Kepala Staf Teritorial TNI.
Selain di dalam negeri, beliau juga bertugas pada misi-misi luar negeri, seperti ketika menjadi Commander of United Nations Military Observers dan Komandan Kontingen Indonesia di Bosnia Herzegovina pada 1995-1996.
Setelah mengabdi sebagai perwira TNI selama 27 tahun, beliau mengalami percepatan masa pensiun maju 5 tahun ketika menjabat Menteri di tahun 2000. Atas pengabdiannya, beliau menerima 24 tanda kehormatan dan bintang jasa, diantaranya Satya Lencana PBB UNPKF, Bintang Dharma dan Bintang Maha Putra Adipurna. Atas jasa-jasanya yang melebihi panggilan tugas, beliau menerima bintang jasa tertinggi di Indonesia, Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipurna.
Sebelum dipilih rakyat dalam pemilihan presiden langsung, Presiden Yudhoyono melaksanakan banyak tugas-tugas pemerintahan, termasuk sebagai Menteri Pertambangan dan Energi serta Menteri Koordinator Politik, Sosial dan Keamanan pada Kabinet Persatuan Nasional di jaman Presiden Abdurrahman Wahid. Beliau juga bertugas sebagai Menteri Koordinator Politik dan Keamanan dalam Kabinet Gotong-Royong di masa Presiden Megawati Soekarnoputri. Pada saat bertugas sebagai Menteri Koordinator inilah beliau dikenal luas di dunia internasional karena memimpin upaya-upaya Indonesia memerangi terorisme.
Presiden Yudhoyono juga dikenal aktif dalam berbagai organisasi masyarakat sipil. Beliau pernah menjabat sebagai Co-Chairman of the Governing Board of the Partnership for the Governance Reform, suatu upaya bersama Indonesia dan organisasi-organisasi internasional untuk meningkatkan tata kepemerintahan di Indonesia. Beliau adalah juga Ketua Dewan Pembina di Brighten Institute, sebuah lembaga kajian tentang teori dan praktik kebijakan pembangunan nasional.
Presiden Yudhoyono adalah seorang penggemar baca dengan koleksi belasan ribu buku, dan telah menulis sejumlah buku dan artikel seperti: Transforming Indonesia: Selected International Speeches (2005), Peace deal with Aceh is just a beginning (2005), The Making of a Hero (2005), Revitalization of the Indonesian Economy: Business, Politics and Good Governance (2002), dan Coping with the Crisis - Securing the Reform (1999). Ada pula Taman Kehidupan, sebuah antologi yang ditulisnya pada 2004. Presiden Yudhoyono adalah penutur fasih bahasa Inggris.
Presiden Yudhoyono adalah seorang Muslim yang taat. Beliau menikah dengan Ibu Ani Herrawati dan mereka dikaruniai dengan dua anak lelaki. Pertama adalah Letnan Satu Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, lulusan terbaik Akademi Militer tahun 2000 yang sekarang bertugas di satuan elit Batalyon Lintas Udara 305 Kostrad. Putra kedua, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, mendapat gelar bidang Ekonomi dari Curtin University, Australia.
Sumber: http://www.presidensby.info/index.php/statik/profil/
Kabar Tokoh Dunia - Profil Barack Husein Obama
Kemarin tanggal 5 November 2008, Amerika Serikat telah memutuskan untuk mengubah sejarah dalam perjalanan negaranya. Presiden Amerika Serikat pertama yang berasal dari ras Africa Amerika berhasil menduduki posisi nomor satu di negara Adi daya Amerika Serikat. Beliau adalah Barack Hussein Obama II atau lebih dikenal dengan nama Barack Obama.
Profile Barack Obama
Barack Obama dilahirkan di Honululu, hawai tepatnya di Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children. Anak dari pasangan Barack Hussein Obama Sr. berasal dari Kenya Afrika dan Ann Dunham seorang kulit putih yang berasal dari Wichita Kansas. Ayah dan Ibu Obama ini bertemu tahun 1960 di Universitas Hawaii dimana saat itu Ayahnya adalah mahasiswa luar negeri. Setahun kemudian, tepatnya 2 februari 1962, mereka menikah. Namun pernikahan ini tidak bertahan lama, ketika itu Barack Obama Jr berumur 2 tahun, Ayah dan ibunya memutuskan bercerai di tahun 1964.
Setelah bercerai inilah Ibu Barack Obama bertemu dengan Lolo Soetoro dan keluarga ini pindah ke Indonesia di tahun 1967. Di Indonesia Barack Obama mengikuti sekolah di Indonesia seperti Asisi, Jakarta hingga umur 10 tahun. Setelah itu Barack Obama kembali ke Honululu dan tinggal dengan nenek dari pihak ibunya. Disini Obama sekolah di Punahou hingga tamat SMA di tahun 1979.
Di masa sekolah, Lolo soetoro kembali ke hawai tahun 1972 untuk tinggal beberapa tahun. Kemudian tahun 1977 Beliau kembali ke Indonesia untuk pekerjaan di bidang antropologi. Di Indonesia pula ia menghabiskan sisa hidupnya, hingga tahun 1994 kembali ke hawaii. Istrinya meninggal dunia karena kanker rahim di tahun 1995.
Saat SMA, Barack Obama mengakui ia pernah terlibat dengan obat-obatan terlarang dan alkohol. Ia menyebutkan periode ini sebagai kesalahan moral terbesar dalam hidupnya. Tamat SMA, beliau pindah ke LA dan melanjutkan kuliah di universitas occidental selama 2 tahun. Kemudian Obama pindah ke Universitas Columbia di New York. Jurusan yang diambil adalah ilmu politik dan spesifik ke hubungan internasional. Tahun 1983, Obama lulus dan kerja di Business International Corporation dan New York Public Interest Research Group.
4 tahun di New York, Barack Obama pindah ke Chicago dan bekerja sebagai direktur Developing Communities Project (DCP), sebuah organisasi berbasis gereja. Obama bekerja selama 3 tahun dari juni 1985 sampai 1988. Disini Obama mencapai sukses kecil dalam hidupnya. Obama berhasil meningkatkan budget tahunan yang membantu kegiatan sosial bagi organisasinya. Periode ini juga Obama mengunjungi eropa untuk pertama kalinya selama 3 minggu dan 5 minggu di Kenya. Di Kenya Obama bertemu dengan familinya untuk pertama kali.
Akhir Tahun 1988, Barack Obama mengikuti kuliah di Universitas Harvard. Di akhir tahun pertamanya, Obama terpilih sebagai editor Harvard Law Review. Ini dikarenakan nilainya dan prestasinya dalam kompetisi menulis. Bulan Februari 1990, Obama mengikuti pemilihan president Harvard Law dan merupakan orang kulit hitam pertama yang mencalonkan diri menjadi president Harvard Law. Hal ini menjadi kegemparan yang luar biasa di Harvard.
Selama liburan musim semi, Barack obama kembali ke chicago dan bekerja di perusahaan hukum Sidley & Austin di tahun 1989 dan Hopkins & Sutter di tahun 1990. Tahun 1991, Barack Obama lulus dengan gelar Juris Doctor (JD) dan mencatat sejarah sebagai orang kulit hitam pertama yang berhasil lulus dengan predikat magna cumlaude. Setelah lulus Obama balik lagi ke chicago.
Barack Obama mendapat tawaran untuk menulis sebuah buku yang berhubungan dengan ras karena kepopulerannya dalam pemilihan presiden Harvard Law lalu. Obama bahkan mendapat segala support dan kantor baru di Universitas Chicago Fakultas Hukum untuk menyelesaikan buku itu. Buku ini direncanakan selesai dalam setahun, namun ternyata melebihi waktu itu. Untuk fokus kepada penyelesaian buku itu, Obama dan Istrinya Michelle pindah ke Bali dan menulis dalam beberapa bulan di sana. Akhirnya naskah buku tersebut berhasil dipublikasikan di pertengahan tahun 1995 dengan judul Dreams from my father.
Dari tahun 1992 hingga 1995 Barack Obama terlibat dalam berbagai kegiatan di bidang politik dan hukum. Diantaranya Illinois Project Vote, mengajar hukum di universitas chicago, bergabung dengan perusahaan hukum Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, pendiri Public Allies, direktur Woods Fund of Chicago dan masih banyak posisi lainnya.
Barack Obama menjadi seorang senator
Perjalanan politiknya dimulai ketika terpilih menjadi senator negara bagian Illinois tahun 1996. Obama memperjuangkan perubahan undang-undang untuk tata susila dan perlindungan kesehatan. Obama juga mendukung pengurangan pajak bagi pegawai kelas bawah, negosiasi perbaikan kesejahteraan, dan menambah subsidi untuk anak-anak.
Dengan prestasinya pada masa jabatan pertamanya sebagai senator, maka di tahun 1998 dan 2002 Obama terpilih lagi menjadi senator. Bulan Januari 2003 Barack Obama menjadi ketua komite Layanan Kesehatan dan kemanusiaan Illinois ketika partai demokrat selalu menjadi minoritas. Partai demokrat berhasil mendapatkan posisi mayoritas. Obama masih memperjuangkan masalah ras dan diskriminasi sosial.
Bulan November 2004, Obama mengundurkan diri dari senat illinois untuk mengikuti pemilihan senat Amerika Serikat. Sebenarnya mulai pertengahaan 2002, Obama sudah menjalankan promosinya untuknya menjadi senat US. Dibantu oleh strategis politiknya, David Axelrod, ia mengumumkan pencalonan diri bulan Januari 2003. Keputusan dari Pemegang jabatan di partai demokrat dan republik untuk tidak mengikuti pemilihan ini telah membuka kompetisi di antara 15 kandidat.
Popularitas Obama meningkat karena iklan Axelrod yang menggunakan gambar dari Mayor Chicago Harold Washington dan dukungan dari anak perempuan Paul Simon, US Senator terkenal dari Illinois. Akhirnya Obama berhasil mendapatkan 52 persen suara, unggul 29 persen dari rival democratic terdekatnya.
Akhirnya 4 Januari 2005, Barack Obama disumpah sebagai Senator US dan merupakan orang kulit hitam kelima yang pernah menjabat jabatan itu. Obama juga merupakan satu-satunya senator US yang menjadi Congressional Black Caucus. CQ Weekly, publikasi non partai bahkan menyebutkan Obama sebagai Demokrat yang loyal. Kemudian National Journal meranking Obama sebagai orang yang terliberal di senator.
Masa Pemilihan presiden Amerika Serikat
Bulan Februari 2007, Obama menyatakan mengikuti pemilihan Amerika Serikat sebagai kandidat presiden dari partai Demokrat. Pernyataan ini dilakukan di depan Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois. Pemilihan tempat ini simbolik karena disana juga Abraham Lincoln berpidato “House Divided” tahun 1858.
Selama masa kampanye, Barack Obama mengangkat isu penghentian perang Irak, meningkatkan kebebasan energi, dan menyediakan perawatan kesehatan menyeluruh. Tiga hal ini adalah prioritas utamanya. Dana kampanye meningkat menjadi 58juta USD walaupun ini merupakan sumbangan kurang dari 200USD yang diklasifikasikan sebagai sumbangan kecil oleh UU kampanye. Hal ini pula yang menyebabkan Obama terkenal karena berhasil menggalang dana kampanye dari donasi yang kecil.
Januari 2008, Obama dan Hillary berkompetisi untuk merebutkan posisi sebagai calon dari partai Demokrat. Setelah melalui berbagai macam halangan maupun kontroversi, akhirnya Obama sekali lagi membuktikan bahwa ia berhasil meraih kepercayaan partainya.
Kemudian 23 Agustus 2008, Barack Obama mempublikasikan calon wakilnya, Joe Biden, Senator Delaware. Selain itu Hillary clinton juga mengakui kekalahan dan mendukung sepenuhnya Barack Obama. Di pemilihan presiden antar partai, Barack Obama berhadapan dengan McCain dari partai republic ( separtai dengan Presiden Bush dan memiliki kebijakan yang hampir sama dengan Presiden Bush ). McCain adalah bekas pejuang perang vietnam.
Akhirnya 4 november 2008, Barack Obama mengalahkan McCain dalam pemilihan presiden AS yang ke 44. Barack Obama merupakan presiden Amerika Pertama dari ras Kulit Hitam. Pada pidato kemenangannya di Chicago, Obama mengucapkan kalimat “change has come to America.”. Ia mendedikasikan kemenangannya untuk seluruh warga Amerika Serikat.
Penutup
Barack Obama adalah sosok yang sederhana dan memiliki pandangan demokratis yang bersifat universal. Sosok yang saya pikir bisa menyatukan dan mengubah amerika serikat menjadi negara adi daya seperti masa presiden Clinton, bukan sebagai negara yang suka peperangan seperti yang dilakukan oleh Presiden Bush.
Satu hal yang menarik dari proses pemilihan umum di Amerika Serikat adalah jiwa besar dari kandidat dan pendukungnya. Yang kalah mengakui kemenangan dan mensupport yang menang. Yang menang merangkul yang kalah, sungguh indah demokrasi yang terjadi di Amerika Serikat. Seandainya kita bisa seperti mereka, tentunya tidak ada ribut-ribut dalam pemilihan kepala daerah atau mungkin presiden nantinya.
Hal lain yang dibebankan kepada Barack Obama adalah mengatasi krisis ekonomi Amerika Serikat dan saya pikir dunia pun mengharapkan sesuatu terjadi di Amerika Serikat ke arah yang lebih baik. Karena mau tidak mau krisis yang terjadi di Amerika serikat telah berdampak pada perekonomian di dunia.
Pemilu kali ini juga mencatat sejarah sebagai pemilu dengan pencoblos terbanyak dalam sejarah sejak wanita diijinkan memilih. Untuk itu selamat atas Presiden Amerika Serikat Barack Obama.
Sumber: http://www.jualanbuku.com/2008/11/06/barack-obama-profil-presiden-amerika-serikat/
