Walikota Bremen Resmikan Jazzahead 2009

Ini waktunya jazz - saatnya untuk menikmati, saatnya untuk berbisnis
Walikota Bremen, Jens Böhrnsen, membuka resmi acara jazzahead! 2009 di Bremen

Nama-nama besar datang dari utara: The American funk jazzers Defunkt, peraih nominasi Grammy Norma Winstone, pengelola Montreux Festival Claude Nobs, Universal Music, dan banyak lagi yang lain menyatakan kehormatannya dengan hadir di jazzahead! 2009. “jazzahead! merupakan acara yang unik. Ia tak hanya menajamkan posisi kota ini sebagai kota tempat berpameran, namun juga menumbuhkan Bremen sebagai kota metropolis penuh budaya“, ujar Jens Böhrnsen, sang walikota saat membuka edisi ke-4 jazzahead! tahun ini di Bremen Congress Centre tanggal 24 April 2009. “Pada saat yang bersamaan dengan integrasi Kulturzentrum Schlachthof dan Bremen College of Arts, jazzahead! membantu memperbaiki kualitas iklim jazz lokal. Bremen kini memainkan peran penting dalam hal pendidikan jazz dan itu terlihat dari hadirnya musisi-musisi muda berkualitas selama jazzahead! berlangsung.”

31 peserta pameran dari 18 negara ambil bagian dari eksebisi ini - labels, agency, event organiser, musisi, distributor, asosiasi, pembuat instrumen dan lainnya. Sisi bisnis yang lain, para peserta dan pengunjung dapat menikmati suasana jazz yang luas dengan hadirnya European Jazz Meeting, konser sore dan malam hari dan berbagai pertunjukan khusus. Bintang internasional maupun talenta muda dari Jerman juga turut mempertontonkan kebolehan mereka yang terbungkus dalam sekitar 40 konser. “Jerman jazz telah mencapai standard yang sangat tinggi dalam kurun 10 hingga 15 tahun terakhir”, kata Professor Ulrich Beckerhoff, yang bertindak selaku Artistic Director of jazzahead!. “Kami kini memiliki banyak musisi muda yang memainkan musik ambisius termasuk didalmnya memainkan berbagai gaya dalam jazz. Dengan kerjasama dengan negara eropa lainnyajazzahead! telah memastikan bahwa musisi-musisi ini dan Jazz di Germanmenjadi semakin dikenal diluar Jerman pula”

Pentingnya Jerman jazz ini telah diapresiasi oleh pemerintah federal. jazzahead! mendapat dukungan pendanaan dari Initiative Musik gGmbH, dalam konteks untuk kebutuhan struktural. Frank Dostal yang menjabat Supervisory Board Member dari Initiative Musik mengungkapkan “Konsen utama dalam jazzehead! adalah mengekspor jazz.Ada beberapa kelompok yang bagus dari Jerman. Para pengunjung internasional yang hadir dan turut berpartisipasi mendanai jazzahead! mendapatkan kesempatan untuk mendengar beberapa program terkemuka.
silakan kunjungi situs www.jazzahead.de

Readmore »»

'Human error' hits Google search

Google's search service has been hit by technical problems, with users unable to access search results.
For a period on Saturday, all search results were flagged as potentially harmful, with users warned that the site "may harm your computer".

Users who clicked on their preferred search result were advised to pick another one.
Google attributed the fault to human error and said most users were affected for about 40 minutes.

What happened? Very simply, human error," wrote Marissa Mayer, vice president, search products and user experience, on the Official Google Blog.
The internet search engine works with stopbadware.org to ascertain which sites

install malicious software on people's computers and merit a warning.
Stopbadware.org investigates consumer complaints to decide which sites are dangerous.
The list of malevolent sites is regularly updated and handed to Google.

When Google updated the list on Saturday, it mistakenly flagged all sites as potentially dangerous.
"We will carefully investigate this incident and put more robust file checks in place to prevent it from happening again," Ms Mayer wrote.

Readmore »»

Ring of fire: Indian Ocean to see solar eclipse

PARIS (AFP) – A few lucky people in the Indian Ocean will be treated to a rare event on Monday when an annular solar eclipse will transform the Sun into a dark disc with a blazing ring-shaped corona around its rim.
In solar eclipses, the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the terrestrial surface.
In an annular eclipse, a tiny shift in distance that results from celestial mechanics means the Moon does not completely cover the Sun's face, as it does in a total eclipse.

nstead, for those directly under the alignment, the Moon covers most of the Sun's surface, and a ring-like crown of solar light blazes from the edge of the disk.

For those watching from the fringe of the track, the Sun is partially obscured, as if a bite has been taken out of it.

According to veteran NASA eclipse-watcher Fred Espenak, the total eclipse track will run from west to east on Monday from 0606 GMT to 0952 GMT.

It will traverse the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia before petering out just short of Mindanao, the Philippines.

The partial eclipse will be seen in a much wider swathe, including the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia, Southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

It will be the only annular solar eclipse this year. The last was on 7 February, 2007, and after Monday, the next one will be on 15 January, 2010.

The big event for eclipse junkies this year is on July 22, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from India and China, the world's two most populous countries.

Readmore »»

So who will Obama meet first?

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Everyone wants to be the friend of newly inaugurated U.S. President Barack Obama -- none more so than leaders in Europe.

Many claim he has already had his first meeting with a foreign head of state.
Obama met Mexican President Felipe Calderon last week, afterwards telling media that there was an "extraordinary relationship."

"My message today is that my administration is going to be ready on Day One to build a stronger relationship with Mexico," President Obama added.

But the meeting had less to do with Obama's intentions -- although he is keen for a strong relationship with Mexico -- and more to do with tradition.

Every incoming U.S. president since Ronald Reagan in 1980 has made a point of holding talks with his counterpart across the border before taking his place in the Oval Office.

So, who will Obama meet first?

Any move is likely to hinge on Obama's keenness to repair some of the damage caused by U.S. foreign policy during George W. Bush's administration, and in particular the split with continental Europe over the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

That military action was backed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, but such support could count against his successor Gordon Brown in his relationship with Obama.
Brown's spokesman played down the relevance of being the first leader to meet Obama in comments reported by the British Press Association Tuesday.

"We wouldn't attach too much importance to who has what meetings when," said the spokesman.

"The important thing is whether or not you share the same values and have similar approaches and are able to work together on challenges."
Britain's traditional rivals, Germany and France, both opposed the invasion.
Nicolas Sarkozy gave Obama a warm welcome at the Elysee Palace, the official Parisian residence of the French presidents, when he visited in July -- and afforded him a much higher profile press conference than that given to Republican rival John McCain (in contrast Brown gave both leaders equal treatment).

Then French President Jacques Chirac was also the first European leader to visit President George W. Bush, the previous holder of the Oval Office, in 2001.

And then there is Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany, which Obama visited in July, drawing a crowd of some 200,000 people to a speech at the Victory Column in a central Berlin park.

Commentators said the event evoked the historic "I am a Berliner" delivery in 1963 by then U.S. President John F Kennedy, who Obama has been compared to.

Of course Obama could look beyond Europe and perhaps make his first meeting with a leader from the Middle East, Asia -- or even Mwai Kibaki, president of Kenya, the new U.S. president's ancestral homeland. After all, Obama's presidency has long heralded its fresh approach to the rest of the world.

But perhaps his priorities have been hinted at in comments made by Hillary Clinton, the designated U.S. secretary of state, earlier this week.

"The new administration will reach out across the Atlantic to leaders in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and others including and especially, the new democracies."

After words like that, who would bet against the nation that gave America the Statue of Liberty being the first to take a phonecall from the 44th U.S. president?

Readmore »»

2 million to show up to see Obama being sworn in

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Based on their latest estimates, congressional officials organizing next week's presidential inaugural expect 2 million people to brave extra-long security lines in the bitter cold to witness Barack Obama being sworn in as the first African-American U.S. president.

"Hopefully, people will be of good temper and willing to go through the lines it will take," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, who chairs the congressional committee organizing inaugural events on Capitol Hill. "Because they are going to have to go through magnetometers and they are going to be wanded. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the time."

orecasts show the high temperature on Inauguration Day will be 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 Celsius).

Speaking with other officials at a news conference Friday previewing the inaugural festivities, Feinstein warned that people will have to walk long distances to get to the event and should plan to arrive early.

"Most people will be standing for a substantial period of time, and be sure you can do it," she said. "People have to be prepared to handle very cold weather, especially if the wind comes up."

She suggested people not bring infants or children unless they are of an "age and durability" to withstand the cold over a long period of time.

"Be very careful if you're planning to bring your children, cause it's not going to be easy," she said, speaking as a mother and grandmother.

Contingency plans exist to move the swearing-in inside the Capitol if the cold becomes "life-endangering," according to Howard Gantman, who works for Feinstein. "But in view of the large number of people, there's a strong intent to do this outside," he said.

Crowd estimates are down from an original prediction from District of Columbia officials that as many as 4 million people would crowd the Capitol grounds and the National Mall to see the event. The new figures, based on fresh surveys of charter bus companies, show far fewer are coming than initially thought.

Feinstein ticked through other facts and figures about the event:

# More than two dozen construction workers hammered together 22,000 sheets of plywood to build the dramatic inaugural platform on the West Front of the Capitol where Obama will take the oath of office.

# While 2 million people will attend the event, many will see it best on one of two dozen jumbo televisions placed along the Mall. Only 240,000 people will get official inaugural tickets, and most of them will have to stand. A mere 28,000 seats are available on the Capitol grounds.

# Five thousand portable bathrooms will be set up for ticketed guests on the Capitol grounds. Feinstein didn't know how many toilets would be available along the Mall for people without tickets.

# It cost $3.5 million to build the inaugural platform and rent the chairs and fencing on the Capitol grounds, according to Stephan Ayers, the acting architect of the Capitol.

# Almost 2 million people have visited the inaugural.senate.gov Web site, with most of the attention going to the page featuring the menu for the inaugural luncheon that will immediately follow the swearing-in in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

The elite few who are invited to that lunch will enjoy a three-course meal featuring wines from Feinstein's home state of California, she said.

The first course will be "seafood stew served with Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley." That will be followed by "a brace of American birds (pheasant and duck), served with sour cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes; served with Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley."

And finally, "apple cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glace served with Korbel Natural 'Special Inaugural Cuvee,' California Champagne."

Feinstein said she and a small group of senators' wives, and Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, chose the menu after a competition of the "very best that the Washington catering establishment has to offer."

Over the head table at the lunch will hang an 1865 painting, "View of the Yosemite Valley," by American artist Thomas Hill. The picture is on loan from the New York Historical Society.

The swearing-in ceremony itself won't change from previous inaugurals, Feinstein said. She and her staff studied DVDs of past ceremonies "so everything is according to historical procedure."

She said the ceremony is "scripted, and it is concise and it moves quickly."

Feinstein's Senate office received more than 60,000 requests for inaugural tickets. But, as a senator, she was allotted just under 300 to give out. House members get just under 200.

She said everyone she is giving a ticket to must pledge not to sell the ticket for a profit.

As chairman of the inaugural committee, Feinstein will make "very formal and very brief" introductions for all the speakers at the inauguration.

Asked if she would have trouble introducing Pastor Rick Warren -- who will deliver the invocation -- with whom she disagrees politically on some issues such as gay rights, she said no.

"This is not a political event," she said.

Feinstein was also asked to sum up her feelings about the first African-American being sworn in as president.

"For me, that's going to be the most amazing part," she said. "I'm going to look out at the Lincoln Memorial as Barack Obama takes the oath of office. I'm going to think back into our history 200 years and what America was like at that time, especially for African-Americans. And then to realize that we've gone from the monument to the White House in that 200 years. And the doors are open. And we have a bright, young, energetic president who happens to be African-American, and the American people are rejoicing."

Readmore »»

How to Make a New Year's Resolution By eHow Holidays & Celebrations Editor

Tradition dictates that every 365 days, you should try to kick bad habits and start your life anew. So sit down with a cup of coffee, a paper and a pen, and reflect: What kinds of New Years Resolutions will you make for yourself this January 1st?


Instructions
Step1
Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp.

Step2
Describe your resolutions in specific terms. Instead of "I don't want to be lazy," opt for "I want to exercise regularly" or "I will cut down on my television watching."

Step3
Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits.

Step4
Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. So you want to quit smoking but you smoked to relax yourself? What other forms of relaxation are available to you?

Step5
Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Readmore »»

China Launches Anti-Piracy Mission

Chinese destroyers and supply ship at port in Sanya, southern Hainan province, before leaving for their first overseas mission, 26 Dec 2008
By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
26 December 2008

Three Chinese warships were on their way to the Gulf of Aden Friday to join international efforts to fight Somali pirate attacks. Japan's prime minister also said Japan may consider joining the anti-piracy mission.

China's official news agency Xinhua reported that two destroyers and a supply ship carrying Special Forces troops left from a base in the southern province of Hainan Friday.

The commander of the three warships, Rear-Admiral Du Jingchen, described the mission as the vessels were preparing to leave.

He said each ship will have different tasks and assignments, but the main mission is to protect ships in Gulf of Aden, and escort ships to protect them and their cargo.

China announced Tuesday that it planned to join anti-piracy efforts after the United Nations Security Council authorized nations to attack pirate bases from air and land.

The Chinese ships will join warships from other countries including India, Russia, NATO and the United States.


At a news conference in Tokyo Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said his country was also considering joining anti-piracy efforts.

He said each nation is taking measures against the Somalian pirates. So, Japan should also take its own steps.

"It is inappropriate to say that we cannot help foreign national ships in danger while we protect Japanese national ships. So, I think we need to revise the bill and put the proposal at the next parliamentary session. We will probably put it [forward] as maritime policing activity," said Japan's prime minister.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, Karim Kudrati, managing director of the Mokatu Shipping Company, urged the Chinese and other anti-piracy missions to protect the interests of all ships in the piracy-prone area.

"All the countries are sponsoring their vessels to protect their interests. What about the people that we don't have, the navies of their country?" He asked.
A vessel from Kudrati's shipping company was hijacked by pirates last year.

Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks against ships plying the waters off Somalia's coastline over the past year, seizing tens of millions of dollars in ransom fees.

The International Maritime Bureau reports that 63 of 199 piracy incidents recorded worldwide in the first nine months of 2008 were in waters off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

News from VOA

Readmore »»

What is World AIDS Day?

World AIDS Day (WAD) is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. WAD, organized by The National AIDS Trust, increases awareness of the dangers of HIV and AIDS, including the challenges finding a cure, efforts to prevent the disease and the obstacles faced by those living with the virus.
When is World AIDS Day?
World AIDS Day takes place annually on December 1.

How can I show my support for World AIDS Day?
Read these "take action" steps for ways you can get involved.

Where can I get more information on HIV/AIDS?
HIV/AIDS on About.com is a comprehensive resource for HIV/AIDS information, including information and resources for those living with the HIV/AIDS.

Medication Adherence is the Key
Taking Your Meds the Right Way and On Time
HIV medications have helped people live healthier and longer. But the key to success is medication adherence.

Safer Sex
Protect yourself and your partner. Safer sex is the key to staying healthy and stopping the HIV epidemic in its tracks. Here are several safer sex resources to help you get started.

Living with HIV and AIDS
We've made great strides in HIV care. People have families, relationships, and continue to work despite their illness. In short people are LIVING with HIV and AIDS. Living with HIV means knowing all you can about the disease. Make your day to day life much easier with this expansive collection of articles and resources related to all aspects of living with HIV and AIDS.
Type rest of the post here
http://www.about.com/AIDS/HIV

Readmore »»

World AIDS Day 2008:LEAD-EMPOWER-DELIVER

The theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008 is “leadership”. This theme will continue to be promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.”

Leadership was selected as the theme for World AIDS Day to encourage leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through. The theme empowers everyone from individuals to organisations to governments to lead in the response to AIDS.

In 2007, people around the world were encouraged to take the lead to stop AIDS. Campaigns took the shape of marches, leadership discussions, public awareness events and pledges from leaders. These events all helped to put leadership in the spotlight.

People have offered their leadership – now it is time to deliver. Promises must be kept, and people must feel empowered to act.
Why is 2008 important?

2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Since 1988, the face and response to AIDS has greatly changed. While many of these changes are positive, this anniversary offers us an opportunity to highlight how much more still needs to be done.

For example:

* Leaders in most countries from around the world now acknowledge the threat of AIDS, and many have committed to do something about it. As of 2007, nearly all countries have national policies on HIV. However, despite these policies, most have not been fully implemented and many lack funding allocations.
* While treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved and become more widespread since 1988, many still do not have access to it – in 2007 only 31% of those in low- to middle-income countries who need treatment received it.
* Despite HIV awareness now reaching nearly all areas of the globe, infection rates are still happening 2.7 times faster than the increase in number of people receiving treatment.
* While the number of countries protecting people living with HIV continue to increase, one third of countries still lack legal protections and stigma and discrimination continues to be a major threat to universal access.
* More broadly, real action on HIV and AIDS and human rights remains lacking. Legal barriers to HIV services still exist for groups such as women, adolescents, sex workers, people who use drugs, and men having sex with men, and programmatic responses promoting HIV-related human rights have yet to be prioritised.

World AIDS Day began in 1988 when health ministers from around the world met and agreed on the concept of the day as an opportunity for all of us to come together to demonstrate the importance of AIDS and show solidarity for the cause. In 2008, this underlining principle of solidarity and awareness remains the same.

We have only two years to go for “the goal of universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010”[1].”

To achieve this goal, leadership and action is needed now. Governments must deliver on the promises they have made. Communities must encourage leadership of its members. Individuals must feel empowered to access treatment, to know their rights and take action against stigma and discrimination, and to know and use methods of prevention against receiving and transmitting HIV.
Now, more than ever is the time to lead – empower – deliver.

Get Involved

Why should you get more actively involved with the WAC?

The WAC was established to support and promote a global campaign on HIV and AIDS. The campaign strengthens and connects together many of the AIDS-related advocacy and campaigns happening in our countries and regions – each are supported by a multitude of groups who are demanding that their governments and other key stakeholders deliver on previous promises and commitments on HIV and AIDS.

The civil society-led WAC campaign targets politicians and policy-makers countries most affected by HIV as well as donor governments, international agencies such as those of the United Nations, as well as civil society. It supports people and organisations to work together more closely, unite and soundly advocate at the national and international levels, so the campaign can deepen the partnership for a stronger response to AIDS.

The WAC hopes to build on the diverse strengths and contribution of individuals and organisations by first encouraging them to pledge their own leadership in the response to HIV and AIDS. . Organisations who register as partners have an important role to play also by influencing national leaders. The campaign stresses that individuals and organisations can make a difference through personal pledges, statements of commitment, and by taking action to reverse the epidemic. Added together, these commitments can also make governments realise that a wide range of people and organisations care about HIV and AIDS and want to be part of an effective response.

How to get involved:

Make a Leadership Pledge to Stop AIDS
Sign up for the newsletter and action alerts
Get involved with local civil society campaigns
Use our campaign tools in your own campaigns
Have your organisation become a partner to the World AIDS Campaign
26/11/2008 12:49:04

Readmore »»