I N T E R N A T I O N A L
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
16 Pages Number 247 4th year Price: Rp 3.000,-
Entertainment
Friday, December 14, 2012
Far from the Shire, a Hobbit house in Pa. country
Associated Press Writer
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Shown is an exterior view of the “Hobbit House” Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a “Hobbit House” containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia.
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. — Worlds away from the Shire, a stone cottage tucked into the Pennsylvania countryside would make Bilbo Baggins feel like he was back home with his Hobbit friends in Middle-earth. Nestled in a part of Chester County dotted with picturesque barns and rolling fields surprisingly close to Philadelphia, this Hobbit house belongs to a lifelong fan of author J.R.R. Tolkien who wanted a worthy — and private — repository for the rare books and Tolkien-inspired memorabilia he
has collected in 30 years of travel in the U.S. and abroad. The 600-square foot building is a short walk from his main house, on a flat stone path and through an English-style garden. “We wanted a single structure, a relaxing place that was diminutive in scale, for the owner to come and hang out and just be in solitude with his collection,” said architect Peter Archer, speaking on the owner’s behalf. Hundreds of houses inspired by Tolkien’s books have been built in the U.S. and abroad. But Archer said, “This isn’t something that you can recreate on a suburban cul-de-sac; it was made for this
specific location and it wouldn’t work anywhere else.” Archer worked with a team of craftsmen to create the fantastical abode. They used stones taken from a long-collapsed section of an 18th-century low wall running through the center of the 16-acre property. Built up against a stone retaining wall of the same vintage, the Hobbit house looks like an original feature of the property. “We weren’t going to do a Hollywood interpretation. We wanted it to be timeless,” Archer said. “It was built in 2004 but looking at it, you could think it was from 1904, or 1604.”
Spice Girls musical ‘Viva Forever’ opens in London Associated Press Writer
LONDON — “Viva Forever”? Time will tell. Girl Power lit up London’s West End on Tuesday at the premiere of the new Spice Girls musical — but audiences and critics will decide whether it has the energy to become a hit. The five members of the 1990s girl group, who all attended the show, were confident as they took the stage alongside the cast for a curtain call at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. “It was ... great,” said Melanie Brown, also known as brassy band member Scary Spice. She inserted an emphatic expletive before “great.” Added band mate Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell: “That’s why we’re the Spice Girls.”
For a few hours Tuesday, it was as if the 1990s were back, as the Spice Girls and their fans attended the show, a tale of female friendship and mother-daughter bonds set to songs including “Wannabe,” ‘’Spice Up Your Life” and the title track.
Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
From left, Mel B, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton arrive for the press showing of Viva Forever!, a musical based on the songs of the Spice Girls, at a theater in central London, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012.
The show, written by comedian Jennifer Saunders, takes the Girl Power theme that made the band a pop sensation and updates it to a modern-day world of Twitter and TV talent shows. It got a standing ovation, but not everyone was impressed. Mark Shenton, a critic for The Stage newspaper, tweeted that it was “a phony, manufactured musical” — and not even funny. The Independent newspaper’s theater critic Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it “lacking in any truly original or challenging spark.” Some audience members might have reflected that the real-life story of the Spice Girls — their rise to global fame from obscurity, subsequent fallout and varied solo careers — is richer and more interesting than the show’s feel-good plot. Success of the big-budget show will depend partly on how well the Spice Girls are still loved, a decade and a half after their heyday. The five-piece group, known for its brash attitude and “Cool Britannia” branding, shot to fame in 1996 and sold 75 million records around the world. Halliwell left the group acrimoniously in 1998 and the group effectively split a decade ago. The five members appeared on stage together for the first time in five years at the London Olympics closing ceremony in August and have reunited to promote “Viva Forever.” Four of the Spice Girls arrived together on the red carpet ahead of the premiere, to cheers and chants of “spice up your life” from scores of die-hard fans. Melanie Chisholm — “Sporty Spice” — said she was not afraid of critics’ verdict on the show. “If people criticize it, we don’t care — because we love it,” she said.
WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps
Friday, December 14, 2012
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Jazz shock Spurs with Williams’ 3-point buzzer-beater
For North Korea, next step is a nuclear test
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Bali Big Sale inside get Discount Up to
50%
MDGs have benefitted Indonesia Antara
NUSA DUA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially opened the Regional Meeting and Stakeholder Consultation on the Post-2015 Development Agenda here on Thursday. President Yudhoyono in his speech said: “We are gathered here to contribute to one of the most, if not the most, important global efforts of our time, to help chart a path of progress for humanity in the 21st century.” “We do not have a fancy title for it yet. For now, we simply call it `Post-2015 Development Agenda’,” he stated. This process will involve massive efforts worldwide, requiring extensive data collection, lengthy consultations with all stakeholders, constructive debates, and myriad analyses and projections, the head of state added. According to Yudhoyono, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), formulated by the UN in 2000, have benefitted the people of Indonesia by reducing the country’s poverty rate and enhancing the healthcare services in Indonesia, said the president. “MDGs accelerate the development of a country. It is not a treaty. It is non-binding, and it does not need any ratification. The MDG programmes have been implemented by all the governments in the world, although there is no particular organisation that monitors the programmes,” said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, during the Regional Consultative Meeting, on Thursday. He said this is the first time that many countries have agreed on a common goal, based on the MDG programmes. “For example, Indonesia has managed to reduce its poverty rate from 20.6 percent in 1990 to 11.9 percent in 2012. We have also succeeded in achieving the basic education coverage target by coming up with a compulsory education system (that lasts for nine years),” he stated. The country’s infant mortality rate has decreased from 68 per 1,000 live births in 1991 to 34 per 1,000 live births in 2007. However, the poverty eradication programme, implemented by the government, is facing huge challenges due to the growing population, economic issues and disasters. Since the targets are set to expire in 2015, Indonesia’s president hopes that similar projects will be implemented for the development of the country. He urged the participants of the meeting to have a discussion on several programmes that could be implemented after 2015, based on the experiences of every nation. Among those present at the meeting were the Director of the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Ajay Chibber, and the Chairman of the National Committee on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto. A number of ministers attended the meeting, including the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Djoko Suyanto, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Hatta Rajasa, the Secretary of State, Sudi Silalahi, the Industry Minister, MS Hidayat, the Agriculture Minister, Suswono, the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Mari Elka Pangestu, and the State Enterprises Minister, Dahlan Iskan.
IBP/Yudi Karnaedi
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially opened the Regional Meeting and Stakeholder Consultation on the Post-2015 Development Agenda here on Thursday.
In memoriam Desak Gede Raka Nadha
Received Kanjeng Mas Ayu title from Keraton Solo
The late Desak Gede Raka Nadha is not only admired by the people in Bali but also from other region. The spirit of Desak Raka received special attention from Keraton Solo, Central Java. In 2006, Desak Raka received Kanjeng Mas Ayu Title given by Pakubuwono XIII, Kanjeng Sinuwun Tedjowulan. The title is very special and it is not common to be given to a person. The title is also the highest among 12 titles that can be given by Keraton Solo. “The title means that Desak Raka is considered as the member of Keraton Solo. The title is similar to
the one given to the former Indonesian President KH Abdurahman Wahid alias Gus Dur,” said DR. Kanjeng Pangeran Adiproyo Sumadi Kertonegoro, a family member of Keraton Solo in Pesraman Lumajang on Wednesday, December 12, 2012. He explained that the title Kanjeng Mas Ayu is the highest title that can be given to the women outside keraton. In 2002 through 2004, others also received the title Kanjeng pangeran Aryo, the highest title for men. “The title for Desak Raka is very rare and the keraton will not give the
title without any consideration. The one who received the title must have special achievement to the country. Generally, the title given to the people outside the keraton is Kanjeng Mas Tumenggung,” he said. According to Kanjeng Pangeran Adiproyo, the late Desak Raka is worthy of the title because during her life, Desak Raka fought hard for the nation especially in Bali. “Based on that consideration, Keraton Solo gave the highest title for her,” he added. There is great hope that by giving the title, the spirit of Desak Raka will be followed by others. (udi)