tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11628663978367255952024-03-13T15:19:26.935-07:00Selandia BaruNow you find more information in this siteSelandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162866397836725595.post-7706802773365074212012-04-20T04:43:00.001-07:002012-04-21T00:13:16.709-07:00Frozen Flower<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">A Frozen Flower is a 2008 South Korean film. It stars Jo In-seong, Ju Jin-mo and Song Ji-hyo. Directed by Yoo Ha, the movie is set in Goryeo Dynasty Korea, particularly during the reign of Gongmin of Goryeo (1330-1374). Though based on true events, it is not 100% historically accurate.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Plot. </b> The film begins with an overview of <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">the old</span> kingdom in Korea. During Goryeo Dynasty Korea, the king has a select battalion of thirty-six young soldiers, <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">called</span> Kunryongwe, led by <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">military</span> commander Hong-lim. Unknown to <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">everyone</span>, Hong-lim is special to the king for he is his “boy toy”, and regularly, he makes sexual contact with <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">the king and</span> sleeps in his bed.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">However, the King is already married to a Yuan Dynasty princess. Because the King is not attracted to women and that he has never touched her, the couple does not have any children. Thus, there is a strong and constant pressure to the King from both the Yuan emperor and the Goryeo Kingdom to produce a crown prince. Due to the threats arising from the lack of an heir, the King <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">resorts</span> to a very absurd secret plan. He orders <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">the Queen</span>and his commander Hong-lim to make <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">love and</span> beget a child.</span><span style="font-size: medium;">Both are uncomfortable with the King’s arrangement but they are bound to follow. At first attempt, they fail as both are unaccustomed to a body of an opposite sex. But as the sessions go on, the affair does not only involve the sexual experience for both fell for each other and a passionate love blossoms between them. This has now become their secret, and in this overwhelming love, the King has no place.</span><br /><a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la3bjegjTQ1qc6r6u.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #996633; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la3bjegjTQ1qc6r6u.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hong-lim and the Queen go beyond their official mission and continue to meet each other at midnight in the library. Soon, the King suspects this affair, and after assuming that their involvement is purely out of lust, he forgives him. He decides to forget everything and sends Hong-lim away for a while to cool him down.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">However, the Queen lures Hong-lim back to the library the night before his departure. She tells him the news that she has finally conceived. Later, they end up making love in the library. Suddenly, the King appears and have them tied up. When the two tries to save each other by asking the King to “kill me instead,” the King realizes that everything is not anymore lust but a very strong love. Infuriated, he has Hong-lim castrated and sent to prison. Everyone who knows about the child is then put to death.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The Queen finds a way for Hong-lim to escape from the prison. In the end, the King, the Queen, and Hong-lim face a heart-breaking battle. Enraged by a deception that the Queen is beheaded, Hong-lim fights the King with a sword. In this fight, the King asks him if he had ever loved him; Hong-lim replies that he had never felt love for him. With their last ounce of <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 153, 0) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; color: #009900; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">strength</span>, both men kill each other.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Commentary.</b> The movie is a controversial portrayal of a forbidden love. It is very different from many romantic Korean films which are playful, witty, humorous, and current. <i>The Frozen Flower</i> is the exact opposite – very sentimental, serious, deep, violent, and historical. It is overwhelmingly romantic with hot and explicit sex, almost like soft porn without the exposure of sex organs. The bed scenes are between the two male characters and between the Queen and the military commander. In those scenes, we can really see people burning with love and lust, not playacting.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The movie has blended well love, sword fight and history. It may not be as excellent as those Chinese productions, but the film succeeds in being vibrant, dynamic and fluid in the fight scenes. The stunts look so clean and the cuts and blood seem believable. Plus, it gives us a short lesson of history in pretty and colorful dresses.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Aside from the technical aspects of the movie, <i>A Frozen Flower</i> has a deep message about love and life. Homosexuality, or the love between two same sexes, is not a modern thing but a concept that already existed since ancient times. One man is in need of the love from a man he cared for since childhood. One man has not known love, only the heat of another man’s body, and so when a woman comes, he becomes trap in an uncontrollable raging love. It is really pathetic, for in the end, it is love that kills them. Both die due to pursuit of love – one seeking for the love he really never had, and one for the love denied on him. And audience will also feel a complex emotion of rage, sympathy and sadness. Truly, love is a force of nature.</span><br /><a href="http://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/assets/images/stills/09/460/17.FROZEN%20FLOWER/A-Frozen-Flower-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #996633; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/assets/images/stills/09/460/17.FROZEN%20FLOWER/A-Frozen-Flower-5.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></h2>
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</div>Selandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162866397836725595.post-7889646829820130272012-04-20T00:14:00.003-07:002012-04-20T00:14:43.820-07:00my life story<h4>
pada suatu hari,entah hari apa,tanggal berapa.aku tak mengerti mengapa aku melupakan itu.pada hari itu yang aku tunggu hanyalah sms dari sahabat terbaikku yg pernah aku kenal.entah mengapa dia menelantarkanku sendirian didalam kegelapan karena tiada cahaya hatimu yang menerangi jalannya hidupku.aku ditinggalkan disebuah ruang yang gelap,sepi bagiku.aku sungguh rindu dngan sapaanmu yg mengingatkanku pada ciri khas pada dirimu.dan yang aku harap dari kamu hanyalah kamu yang bisa menghibur kesedihan hatiku.memang aku terlihat bahagia tanpamu,tetapi,tetap saja berat hatiku untuk membuat hati ini menjadi bahagia tanpamu.berulang kali aku sms kamu,tetapi kamu hanya diam tak merespon smsku selama satu bulan lamanya.setelah sekian lama,handphoneku berbunyi tanda sms masuk,aku mengira itu adalah sms dari kamu,tetapi,setelah aku buka,ternyata itu adalah sms dari temanku.aku sangat kecewa,lalu,aku membentaknya.aku tidak membencinya,tetapi aku kecewa</h4>
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ohh sinka,aku ingin kehadiranmu dihatiku,aku rindu kamu.sejak kau meninggalkanku,sejak hal itu,aku kehilangan banyak sahabat.tetapi,aku tidak tau harus berbuat apaa</h4>
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suatu hari,akhirnya Sinka sms aku dengan singkat.tetapi mengecewakan hatiku...tetapi,aku tak boleh terlihat sedih.dngn berbagai cara yg aku lakukan agar tak mengingatnya lagi.tetapi hasilnya sia-sia.dia terlalu baik untuk dilupakan.mungkin aku hanya bayangan saja bagimu.dan mungkin aku hanya bisa berkata.</h4>
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bersambung....................</h4>Selandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162866397836725595.post-83308808020247315412012-02-15T05:55:00.000-08:002012-02-15T05:55:52.195-08:00Aussie & NZ dlrs jump on yen, China hope<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt;">Aussie & NZ dlrs jump on yen, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> hope<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: grey; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">On Wednesday 15 February
2012, 17:57 NZDT</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">* Risk assets rally on hopes <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
to support <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">* Yen retreats in wake of surprise BOJ easing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">* A$ clears major resistance to hit 6-mth high on yen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">By Cecile Lefort and Gyles Beckford<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Feb 15 - The Australian and <st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region> dollars scaled multi-month peaks
against the yen and rallied on the U.S. dollar on Wednesday after <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>
reiterated its support to euro zone government debt, lifting risk sentiment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Antipodean currencies had already been up on the yen after
the Bank of Japan surprised on Tuesday by launching another round of
quantitative easing, boosting stocks there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
dollar surged to 84.35 yen, its highest since August and clearing key
resistance at 83.93. It is now up 7 percent so far this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The kiwi jumped to 65.87 yen, its highest since September. It
was last at 65.74, having gained a whopping 9 percent this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"The Aussie benefited from general weakness in the U.S.
dollar following comments made by <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
about its support of <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>," said
Masafumi Yamamoto, chief forex strategist at Barclays Capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Verbal reassurance by <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>'s
central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan that <st1:city w:st="on">Beijing</st1:city>
would continue to invest in euro zone debt, gave a lift to sentiment which had
earlier been subdued by simmering concerns about <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"It is surprising we are still reacting the way we are
given a lot of this had been stated before," said Hamish Pepper, a
strategist at Barclays in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Chinese have often offered verbal support for the euro zone
without necessarily acting on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"This is an indication of the environment we are in... We
are playing tennis headline," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Still, there were enough hope for real Chinese assistance to
lift Asian share markets and risk sentiment in general.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Aussie responded by rallying to $1.0731, from a two-week low
of $1.0629 hit on Tuesday. It was still short of last week's six-month high of
$1.0845, but a move above Tuesday's top of $1.0739 would suggest an end to
corrective consolidation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Australian government bond prices eased with three-year future
contracts down 0.07 points to 96.420 and the 10-year 0.03 lower at 95.920.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Local data were overlooked but showed consumer confidence was
surprisingly upbeat for February while sales of new cars rebounded in January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The <st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region>
dollar got a lift to $0.8380, from $0.8300 late in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> and an overnight low of $0.8273.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The kiwi was weighed on one hand by persistent concerns about <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s debt
woes and then lifted by much stronger than expected local retail data.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"For now it looks like it's topped out at around 84 U.S.
cents and struggling to make any more ground, and it will pay attention to
European headlines for the most part," said Westpac senior strategist Imre
Speizer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Near-term support for the kiwi is seen at the previous session's
low around $0.8270, with $0.8400 still major resistance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Speizer said if the kiwi broke convincingly through $0.8250 then
it may signal the start of a significant reversal in the next few months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Exceptionally strong fourth-quarter <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region> retail sales, which saw
a 2.2 percent rise in volumes against expectations of a 0.8 percent gain, gave
the currency a modest boost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The data reflected one-off effects -- the Rugby World Cup,
changed school holidays, and retailers discounting prices to shift stock -- and
was not seen as a game changer for the central bank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"The RBNZ will place more weight on spending trends evident
over early 2012 ... (and) continue to look for a tightening cycle to begin in
the fourth quarter 2012, with the risk skewed towards this being pushed into
2013," said Goldman Sachs economist Philip Borkin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">New Zealand has a slew of data due Thursday ranging from
snapshots of the manufacturing and jobs markets and consumer confidence, while
the government issues an outline of its policy and spending priorities in the
May budget.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">New Zealand</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> government bonds
mostly slipped in price, sending yields as much as 3.5 basis points higher.
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Selandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162866397836725595.post-76512503995233278482012-02-15T05:52:00.001-08:002012-02-15T05:52:28.219-08:00Australia on track to halve Aboriginal child mortality<br />
<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 13.4pt;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 23.5pt; font-weight: normal;">Australia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 23.5pt; font-weight: normal;"> on
track to halve Aboriginal child mortality<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class="info" style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial;"><span class="dateprinter-date"><span style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">February 15, 2012, 6:31 pm</span></span></span><span class="sourceprinter-source"><span style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">AFP</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">SYDNEY (AFP)
- <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
is on track to halving Aboriginal child mortality and progress is being made in
raising indigenous life-expectancy rates overall, Prime Minister Julia Gillard
said Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Aborigines
are the most disadvantaged Australians, with indigenous children twice as
likely to die before their fifth birthday as other children and Aboriginal men
estimated to die 11.5 years earlier than other males.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Delivering
her annual report on the nation's indigenous people, Gillard said bridging the
gap on the overall life expectancy was a 25-year project and "while the
challenge is very large... some progress is being made."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"The
target of halving the infant mortality rates for indigenous children under five
by 2018 is on track," the prime minister said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Closing
the Gap report presented on Wednesday said the gulf in mortality rates has been
narrowing and under-five mortality rates were declining for indigenous children
due to improvements in antenatal care, sanitation and public health conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">But it also
noted that child mortality rates were volatile due to small numbers. Just nine
fewer deaths in the target year of 2018 are needed to meet the government goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The report
said the biggest gap in mortality rates was not for children but for adults under
55, with indigenous Australians aged 35-44 more than four times more likely to
die than non-indigenous Australians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Circulatory
conditions, cancer and injury -- including suicide and traffic accidents --
were the leading causes of death among indigenous people between 2005 and 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">While many
Aborigines live in urban areas, large numbers also live in remote, outback
regions where access to health and other services are lacking and alcohol abuse
rife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Gillard said
in three key states and territories -- Western Australia, South Australia and
the Northern Territory -- the indigenous mortality rate had declined by 36
percent from 1991 to 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Four
years into a 25-year project, this much is true: health outcomes, employment
outcomes, education outcomes are improving, they need to keep improving and to
improve more quickly," Gillard told parliament.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The prime
minister said decades of under-investment in services and infrastructure in
areas with high Aboriginal populations were "unquestionably a major cause of
disadvantage, especially for the very young."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">As she called
for greater unity between Aboriginal Australians, who make up about 2.0 percent
of the population, and the rest of the country, Gillard backed a proposal to
recognise indigenous peoples in the constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Describing
it as "perhaps the ultimate manifestation of respect", Gillard said
it would build on the apology given to indigenous people for past wrongs four
years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Selandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162866397836725595.post-47483116390321441762012-02-15T05:51:00.001-08:002012-02-15T05:51:36.932-08:00Costa Concordia Sunk<br />
<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 13.4pt;">
<span style="color: #006b99; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt;">Cruising in the wake
of Concordia disaster<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div style="border-top: solid #E3EAF0 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid #E3EAF0 .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 4.0pt 0in 0in 0in;">
<div class="info" style="border: none; line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.2pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #E3EAF0 .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 4.0pt 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="border-left-color: initial; border-left-width: initial;"><span class="date"><b><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">February 14, 2012, 12:20 pm</span></b></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="author"><b><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">Kerri Westenberg of the
Star Tribune</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="source"><b><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">AAP</span></b></span><span style="color: #739ec8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The cruise industry was jolted, but not grounded, after the
Costa Concordia passenger ship struck a rock and capsized off the Italian <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">island</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Giglio</st1:placename></st1:place> on January 13, leaving at least
17 people dead and more than a dozen people missing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Since the accident, the cruise industry has announced plans to
re-examine its emergency procedures even as it asserts the safety of its ships.
And while some Americans are now wary of heading out to sea, others seem to
view the tragedy as a horrific anomaly that has no bearing on cruise safety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"I don't understand why anyone would be leery of taking a
cruise," said Matt Mayfield of <st1:city w:st="on">St Paul</st1:city>, who
will set sail in the <st1:place w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place> in mid-February
on his honeymoon with Rachel Hultman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Both are first-time cruisers. "If you see someone else in a
traffic accident, you feel bad, but do you stop driving" he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In a poll at www.cruisecritic.com, a website that caters mostly
to veteran cruisers, about 65 per cent of the 6000 who responded said that they
are unfazed. An online poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal, which
presumably reaches a broader audience, found that 52 per cent of more than 3000
respondents are less likely to take a cruise after the disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Most people understand that human error was to blame, said BJ
Hall, a travel adviser and cruise expert with Indigo Journeys. No clients of
the Twin Cities-based travel agency have expressed fears about taking a cruise.
In fact, since the accident, Hall has been busy with customers looking to book
cruises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"The ship was safe," she said. "Somebody made a
stupid decision. I think people understand that."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Costa Concordia, which was carrying 4200 passengers and crew
members, ran aground after the captain steered to within 500 feet of the
shoreline, well off course, for a look at Giglio. A rock slashed the hull,
leaving a 49 metre hole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">About 70 minutes passed before the evacuation alarm sounded.
Making matters worse, about 700 passengers who had joined the cruise at <st1:city w:st="on">Civitavecchia</st1:city>, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">port</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Rome</st1:placename></st1:place>,
had not taken part in a muster drill designed to instruct passengers about what
to do in the event of an evacuation. Cruise ships are required by international
law to conduct such a drill at least 24 hours after embarkation. The Concordia
drill was scheduled for the following morning, when more passengers would
embark at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Savona</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place>. That would have been within
the legal time frame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cruise ships, many of which carry enough people to populate a
small town, all have voyage plans and deviations from those plans require at
least a two-person review. Italian authorities have recovered the ship's voyage
data recorder, equivalent to an airline's black box, so they're likely to learn
if such a check occurred on the Costa Concordia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the meantime, the industry is taking action to review safety practices.
Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Costa and nine other cruise lines
including Princess Cruises, Seabourn and Holland America Line, announced on
January 19 that it would assess emergency response practices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Concordia accident raises questions about the company's
safety, Carnival Chairman and CEO Micky Arison acknowledged in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"While I have every confidence in the safety of our vessels
and the professionalism of our crews, this review will evaluate all practices
and procedures to make sure that this kind of accident doesn't happen
again," he is quoted as saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 25 of
the major cruise lines serving North America, has also begun a review of safety
operations among its members, and "is fully committed to understanding the
factors that contributed to the Concordia incident," according to a
statement on its website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">As a travel agent, Hall has received letters from many cruise
lines outlining their safety practices and standards since the Concordia
accident. She said cruise lines will be looking at their hiring, training and
evacuation plans. But she sees no major changes in what the sailing public will
see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Ships are extremely safe," Hall said. "They just
aren't meant to be run in shallow waters when they are that big."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">SAFETY FIRST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">For our vacations, we anticipate sunny skies and smooth sailing.
But sometimes the worst occurs. Cruise ships are quite safe. According to
Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 25 of the major cruise
lines serving <st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>, between 2005
through 2010 there were 16 marine casualty-related deaths out of nearly 100
million passengers worldwide. Still, it never hurts to know ways to protect
yourself if the unexpected occurs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">1. Attend the muster drill and pay close attention. Cruise lines
must conduct these safety drills at least 24 hours after setting sail; most do
so before ever leaving port. As boats have grown in size, the drills have moved
from decks near the lifeboats to large areas, such as a dining room or theater,
from which passengers would be led to their lifeboat in an emergency. If that's
the case, ask a crew member to show you your lifeboat so you know how to get
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">2. Study the ship's layout and carry a map of the ship
everywhere you go onboard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.4pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">3. Wear shoes with good treads, especially if you're going on
deck, where surfaces may be wet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.4pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">4. Crime, though not common, poses the
likeliest threat onboard a cruise ship. Combat it the same way you might at
home: Don't flaunt cash or jewels, avoid walking alone through unpopulated
areas and don't drink excessively. By law, doors must have peepholes. Always
use them<o:p></o:p></span></div>Selandia Baruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18415891370399934435noreply@blogger.com0