Chrisye works on new album JAKARTA (JP): After years of helping to map Indonesia's pop music, singer-composer Chrismansyah Rahadi, better known as Chrisye, has finally had a "man" at hand he can be proud of. The moon man is an award, shaped like a silver astronaut, Chrisye won in this year's Asian Viewers Choice at the MTV Video Music Awards 1998 in Los Angeles.

Pregnant badminton queen to miss Asian Games JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best female badminton player Susi Susanti sees her bid to win her first gold medal in an Asian Games vanishing but a baby she will give birth in about eight months is more than enough consolation.

Soeharto's guard briefs vendors JAKARTA (JP): A bodyguard of former president Soeharto told vendors operating near his residency on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, to gather at a house in the neighborhood for a briefing on Saturday morning. "You have to come right now. There is a briefing," he told a cigarette vendor at the corner of Jl. Cendana and Jl. Tanjung. "All vendors around here, Sir?" the vendor asked the yellow batik-clad man. "Yes, all," said the man, who drove a sedan.

You are what you eat: A healthy diet for a well-functioning brain By Joko Pambudi and Mohamad Harli BOGOR (JP): If you are moody, have trouble concentrating, and think this problem may be getting worse, then beware, your brain may not be working well. Brain cell damage is a possible cause of the problem. If that is the case, appropriate nutrition intake should set you on the road to recovery.

Viagra 'good for Asian men' HONG KONG (AP): Viagra's effectiveness in treating impotence crosses racial lines, with new tests proving that it works for Asian males, the drug's manufacturer has said. Tests showed that 81 to 86 percent of Asian men suffering impotence reported an improvement after taking the drug for 12 weeks, Pfizer Corp. said in a statement Friday. "The results are not surprising, considering the extensive clinical trials already conducted in the U.S.

Is national reconciliation feasible? JAKARTA (JP): "If only there were a button one could push to wipe the ribbon of life clean, so that he could begin again..." wrote Harold Robbins in The Pirate. And that kind of magic button is what, apparently, this nation is looking for with the proposal to form the National Reconciliation Team.

Guess What? Anjasmara Prasetya Talk of reel-life is turning real-life. The main characters of the sinetron (TV series) Romi dan Yuli (Romeo and Juliet) have decided to stop the beating of hearts of hundreds of housewives, married men and teenagers alike. Anjasmara Prasetya, 23, and Dian Nitami, 27, have already started making wedding preparations for next year. "Actually, it's more than a wedding plan; I am preparing myself for the marriage.

The psychology of the battle of the bulge By Tri Hafiningsih JAKARTA (JP): To lose several kilograms of excess weight might not be very difficult, but to deal with the insults of being overweight can take a lifetime. For many years, people have commonly thought that obesity resulted from bad eating habits, greed or stress, rather than medical or hereditary problems.

Ethnic music needs innovation to flourish By Yogita Tahil Ramani JAKARTA (JP): Although the nation is composed of over an estimated 400 ethnic groups, indigenous music as one of its cultural riches is poorly developing in the face of western pop culture, observers say. The efforts to preserve indigenous culture have been facing tough challenges as broadcast media has made Indonesia part of the world's borderless village.

Ethnic Chinese pick up pieces from riot JAKARTA (JP): "I once felt ashamed to be Indonesian," says fashion designer Kim Thong, 37. The Chinese-Indonesian designer of western wedding gowns has his own reasons for feeling ashamed. He was one of the victims of the rioting that set Jakarta ablaze in mid May. His three-story showroom on Jl. Mas Mansyur in downtown Kota, an area targeted by looters, was seriously damaged.

Spotlight Photo A: RedCross JP/msa DISASTER ANTICIPATION: Indonesian Red Cross chairman Jusuf Talib (second right) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies country delegate Herman Henk Bergsma (right) chat after attending the 53rd anniversary celebration of the Indonesian Red Cross at its headquarters in Jakarta. The local Red Cross received 12 vehicles for disaster relief operations at the celebration on Thursday.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. News: Sari Berita Sepekan 6:30 Morning Focus 6:45 Healthy and Fresh 7:00 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:30 Children's Program: Arena 123 8:00 Children's Program: Kumbang and Family 8:30 Children's Program: Nuansa Anak 9:00 Music 9:30 Creative Program: Widya Wahana 10:00 Cooking Program: Indonesian Food 10:30 Music 11:30 Talk Show: Bincang-Bincang 12:15 p.m.

Month-long Art Summit Indonesia opens JAKARTA (JP): The month-long Art Summit Indonesia II 1998 opened at Taman Ismail Marzuki Art Center last night.

How designer Ramli copes with the devastating crisis By Agni Amorita JAKARTA (JP): Ramli is extremely worried about some of his fellow fashion designers who are straining under the weight of the crippling economic crisis. The 48-year-old, who has been in the business for 23 years, cannot stop wondering why many designers are helpless when a lot of opportunities are there for the taking.

Crisis dries up fashion industry By Rita A. Widiadana and Agni Amorita JAKARTA (JP): The once lucrative and glittering Indonesian fashion industry is singing the blues, especially with the 14- month-old economic crisis showing no signs of abating. A number of prestigious boutiques that sell famous international fashion brands in Jakarta malls and hotels have put "On Sale" signs in their windows because buyers rarely enter their stores.

Discovering the ancient charms of old Jakarta By Izabel Deuff JAKARTA (JP): Pollution and traffic jams have buried the centuries-old historical charms of the megacity of 10 million people. Although it is not as old as ancient cities in Europe, the Far East or Middle East, Jakarta boasts innumerous historical edifices from past centuries.

Writers told to keep up with world trends JAKARTA (JP): The anticipation of the new millennium concerns not only the world's computer programmers but also Indonesian poets. Although the predicted network breakdowns will not be the poets' main worry, the breakdown of natural cultural boarders seems to be catching young Indonesian poets and writers in the proverbial headlights.

What does one 'wear' during the economic crisis? JAKARTA (JP): The economic abyss into which the country has fallen has destroyed numerous businesses and has brought even more to the verge of bankruptcy. The unemployment rate continues to rise and rapid inflation is gnawing relentlessly away at people's incomes. The fashion business has not remained free from the vagaries of the crisis.

The missing values of harmony and plurality Politik Perhatian: Rasa Dalam Kebudayaan Jawa; By Paul Stange; LKiS, April 1998; 308 pp YOGYAKARTA (JP): Traditional Javanese plays have taken an important place on the stage of Indonesian politics. Javanese spiritual values are often disseminated through characters in wayang (shadow puppet) performances.

Guess What? Alya Rohali The 1997 Indonesian beauty queen Alya Rohali has proved once again she is a sports enthusiast. She turned up at the National Sports Council office on Thursday to cheer on national athletes who will compete at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok from Dec. 6 to Dec. 20.

Mar'ie silent on meeting with Habibie JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad held a 30-minute talk with President B.J. Habibie on Saturday at Merdeka Palace. Mar'ie however refused to talk to journalists after the meeting, despite his promise beforehand that he would brief them on the result of his discussion with Habibie. He rushed to his car after the meeting and just shook his head when asked about the meeting.

Women's art on spiritual road to Rome By Yudha Kartohadiprodjo JAKARTA (JP): The idea began with a lost passport in June last year. Toeti Heraty N-Roosseno, the owner of Cemara 6 Gallery-Cafe, Jakarta, lost her passport while attending a painting exhibition in Venice. Her quest for a substitute passport took her to Rome, where she met Irawan Abidin, the Indonesian ambassador to the Vatican.