Iranian commander backs away from threat to close Strait of Hormuz, strategic oil route - The Washington Post

Iranian commander backs away from threat to close Strait of Hormuz, strategic oil route - The Washington Post: "TEHRAN, Iran — Talk of blocking the strategic oil route through the Strait of Hormuz is a discussion of the past, a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Saturday in comments that seemed to back away from an earlier threat. But he said Iran had other, unspecified strategies for reacting to any Western aggression.

“Discourse about closing the Strait of Hormuz belongs to five years ago. Today’s debate in the Islamic Republic of Iran contains new layers and the time has not come to raise it,” Gen. Masoud Jazayeri said in comments posted Saturday on the Guard’s website, sepahnews.com"

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New Year cheer starts early in time-jumping Samoa

New Year cheer starts early in time-jumping Samoa: "The New Year's Eve parties started a whole day early on the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, after a hop across the international date line transported the country 24 hours into the future — making it the first in the world to ring in the new year.

Samoans began celebrating under a rainbow of fireworks at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, Dec. 29 — when the country skipped over Friday and moved straight into 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 31."

Samoa and neighboring Tokelau lie near the date line that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean, and both sets of island decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side, to be more in tune with key trading partners.

The time-jump revelry in Samoa continued throughout Saturday as the hours ticked down to 2012. Pools and beaches across the capital Apia were packed with Samoans and tourists celebrating the country's sudden position as the first in the world to ring in the new year, rather than the last.

Despite the extended festivities, Samoan police said there had been no reports of any problems.

"More than 90 percent of our people really appreciate the change, and that contributes to its success," said one official who could not be named as he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Elsewhere across the globe, people prepared to say goodbye to a year that was marked by upheaval and mass protests in several Arab countries, economic turmoil and a seemingly endless string of devastating natural disasters.

In Australia, people began crowding onto the shores of Sydney's glittering harbor early Saturday in a bid for the best spot to watch the midnight fireworks extravaganza over the iconic Harbour Bridge. The display was designed around the theme "Time to Dream," a nod to the eagerness many felt at moving forward after the rough year.

"It's about giving people the opportunity to dream of the year ahead and that hopefully it is a bit better than the year we've had," said Aneurin Coffey, the producer of Sydney's New Year's festivities.

Some of the fireworks were expected to explode in the shape of clouds — "Because every cloud has a silver lining," Coffey said. A series of colorful lights will be beamed onto the center of the bridge forming an "endless rainbow" meant to evoke hope.

Many were eager for a fresh start.

"I've had enough this year," said 68-year-old Sandra Cameron, who lost nearly everything she owned when her home in Australia's Queensland state was flooded to the ceiling during a monstrous cyclone in February. "It's gotta be a better year next year."

For Japan, 2011 was the year the nation was struck by a giant tsunami and earthquake that left an entire coastline destroyed, nearly 20,000 people dead or missing and the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in meltdown.

At the year's end, many in Japan were left reflecting on the fragility of life, while remaining quietly determined to recover.

"For me, the biggest thing that defined this year was the disaster in March," said Miku Sano, 28, a nursing student in Fukushima city. "Honestly, I didn't know what to say to these people, who had to fight sickness while living in fear about ever being able to go back home. The radiation levels in the city of Fukushima, where I live, are definitely not low, and we don't know how that is going to affect our health in the future."

People across Japan were expected to spend Saturday visiting shrines and temples, offering their first prayers for the year. The giant hanging bell at temples will ring 108 times to purify the world of evil and bring good luck.

Kouichi Takayama, a university student, said 2011 was a year he would never forget.

"It was a year I felt the preciousness of life with a passion," he said. "But I was also able to catch a glimpse of the warmth of human relations, and reconfirm my gratitude for family, community and everyday life. I hope I can connect meaningfully with more people next year to create a Japan that truly endures toward the future."

In the southern Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro, people were still reeling from deadly flash flooding sparked by Tropical Storm Washi. The storm killed more than 1,200 in southern and central Philippines, 800 of which were in Cagayan de Oro.

For Ana Caneda, a disaster relief official in Cagayan de Oro, the new year "offers a new ray of hope."

"It's going to be a relief to write the date 2012, not 2011," Caneda said.

In Hong Kong, more than 400,000 people were expected to watch the 4-minute, $1 million display of fireworks that will shoot off from 10 skyscrapers, lighting up the city's famed Victoria Harbour.

Raymond Lo, a master of feng shui — the Chinese art of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck — said he wasn't surprised that 2011 was such a tumultuous year because it was associated with the natural elements of metal and wood. The year's natural disasters were foreshadowed, Lo said, because wood — which represents trees and nature — was attacked by metal.

2012 could be better because it's associated with ocean water, which represents energy and drive and the washing away of old habits, Lo said.

"Big water also means charity, generosity," Lo said. "Therefore that means sharing. That means maybe the big tycoons will share some of their wealth."

___

Gelineau reported from Sydney. Associated Press writers Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Teresa Cerojano in Manila, Philippines, Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong, Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/30/international/i180553S45.DTL#ixzz1i4xkBkZB

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Wartawan “Ngamplop” Enggak Usah Bicara Kompetensi

Wartawan “Ngamplop” Enggak Usah Bicara Kompetensi: "Kini sedang hangat di kalangan jurnalis bicara soal kompetensi. Sekarang wartawan rupanya serupa guru dan dosen, mesti berkompeten. Kalau tak berkompeten, tak layak jadi wartawan. Buat saya, ini menyederhanakan masalah. Tapi, soal uji kompetensi ini saya sepakat. Wartawan memang harus profesional karena tugasnya memang khas. Ia harus bisa mewawancarai narasumber dengan baik, menulis dengan bagus, cover both sides, konfirmasi, dan sebagainya. Semua saya setuju.

Namun, jangan sampai cuma gara-gara kompetensi, narasumber berhak menolak wartawan yang belum punya sertifikat kompetensi. Beberapa hal di bawah ini adalah catatan soal polemik uji kompetensi wartawan."

Pertama, jurnalis kita masih suka ngamplop.
Sebagian besar wartawan barangkali permisif terhadap amplop. Bukan amplop dalam artian sebenarnya. Ini menunjukkan pemberian dari narasumber, pemda, baik terkait maupun tidak soal pemberitaan. Kalau wartawan kita masih suka menerima amplop, jauh banget dari kompetensi.

Soal menulis, cover both sides, konfirmasi, saya yakin itu bisa diajarkan dalam–paling lama-sebulan. Tapi soal watak, karakter, kepribadian, butuh waktu lama. Naif sekali kalau ada jurnalis sudah lama bekerja dan menyandang wartawan berkompetensi tapi suka ngamplop, menerima bantuan sosial dari pemda, naik haji atas uang APBD, berkait mengait dengan partai, dan sebagainya. Buat saya, orang semacam itu bukan jurnalis berkompetensi. Sikap yang mesti dibenahi Dewan Pers, organisasi profesi pers, dan media massa.

Maka, menjadi heran kalau ada organisasi kewartawanan masih gagap menjawab saat ditanya soal amplop. Bukan menjawab, malah ngeles dengan mengatakan itu sikap masing-masing wartawan dan medianya. Kalau jawaban semacam itu dan orangnya ngotot bicara kompetensi, capek deh! Organisasi profesi dibentuk ya untuk membina wartawan. Selain teknis jurnalistik, juga soal independensi dan sikap. Salah satunya antiamplop, antisuap, antikorupsi. Kalau di organisasi profesi persnya tidak ada diskursus soal itu, bubarkan saja organisasinya!

Yang parah kalau ada organisasi kewartawanan setiap tahun dipasok duit dari APBD. Bagaimana mau bicara kompetensi, tapi dapurnya dikebuli narasumber yang rentan menyeleweng.

Kedua, banyak media tak menggaji layak wartawannya.
Kalau ada media yang tak menggaji karyawannya secara layak, juga tak layak bicara kompetensi. Benahi dulu manajemennya, baru bicara kompetensi. Bagaimana wartawannya mau berkompeten kalau sehari-hari mesti mencari seseran untuk keluarga. Ujung-ujungnya ya ngamplop. Ia tak bakal berlaku profesional andai independensinya sudah terganggu dengan duit yang diterima dari narasumber. Bagaimana mau menulis yang bagus, mendalam, investigatif kalau kantongnya sudah diracun suap dari narasumber.

Saya sepakat ada ambang minimal modal buat pengusaha yang mau membuat media massa, koran misalnya. Kalau dananya cuma cukup buat ongkos cetak tanpa mengalokasikan gaji buat wartawan, lebih baik media itu dilarang terbit. Ketimbang menambah permasalahan jurnalisme di lapangan, lebih baik sekalian tidak usah terbit.
Bos media wajib mengalokasikan gaji yang layak buat wartawannya. Pos ini harus dihitung juga sebagai bagian dari produksi. Dengan gaji yang layak, kans mendapatkan karya jurnalistik yang bermutu akan semakin besar.

Salah besar kalau berpendapat wartwan tak usah digaji karena setiap hari dapat amplop. Praktik itu tidak benar sama sekali. Tidak menggaji wartawan sama artinya dengan menghasilkan pemeras-pemeras baru. Dan kondisi itu makin mencemarkan nama baik wartawan. Kasihan jurnalis yang sungguh-sungguh bekerja dan cuma menerima gaji dari kantor.

Gara-gara ulah wartawan tak bermoral, jurnalis yang sebenarnya malah terkena getahnya. Lantaran perilaku wartawan amplop, jurnalis idealis makin terpinggirkan.

Ketiga, lebih baik berhenti daripada jadi pemeras.
Jurnalis yang bekerja pada media yang baik secara modal dan idealisme memang enak. Tempatnya bekerja memberikan gaji yang cukup untuk diri dan keluarga. Ia pun leluasa bekerja dan membangun jaringan dengan siapa saja. Dan tentu saja tetap menjaga idealismenya.

Akan tetapi buat jurnalis yang punya idealisme tetapi berada pada media yang tak menggaji, lebih baik mundur. Mengapa? Sebab, suatu waktu, saat kondisi mendesak, idealismenya bisa tergadai dengan menerima duit dari narasumber. Yang parah, menjadi bagian dari kelompok wartawan yang suka memeras narasumber atau korporasi tertentu. Andaikata saya menjadi penguji dalam uji kompetensi, pasti saya tanya, “Anda dari media mana?”

Kalau media yang disebut peserta tesnya bukan media bonafide dan tak menggaji wartawan, ujian selesai sampai di situ. Wartawan tak berhak punya sertifikat semacam itu. Medianya tak menggaji, wartawannya rentan menerima suap. Sebelum mengetes skill jurnalistiknya, itu dulu yang ditanya. Soal menulis, mengedit, konfirmasi, cover both sides, dan lain sebagainya bisa dipelajari. Tetapi menjadikan seorang wartawan menjadi jurnalis yang punya integritas, butuh waktu yang lama. Dan andai kita tak siap dari sisi mental, ketimbang menjadi pemeras dengan berbalut jurnalisme, lebih baik mundur. Sekarang juga!

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Christie Damayanti di The Jakarta Post

Christie Damayanti di The Jakarta Post: "Hari ini sebuah artikel tentang Christie Damayanti berjudul “After Stroke, Still Zealous” muncul di The Jakarta Post. Diungkapkan dalam tulisan itu bahwa Stroke gagal mengungkung Christie.

Dalam usia 39 tahun, ketika ia berada di puncak kariernya sebagai seorang arsitek Christie terserang stroke berat. Hingga kini tangan kanannya masih sangat sulit digerakkan. Jalannya masih terseok-seok. Namun dia sangat optimis akan bisa sembuh seratus persen.

Apa yang bisa dibayangkan dari seorang yang tadinya super aktif dalam pekerjaan dan terlibat dalam berbagai kegiatan tapi kemudian harus berhenti dari semuanya karena sakit stroke? Stress atau depresi? Atau dia tak bisa berbuat apa-apa lagi? Jika pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini diajakukan kepada Christie Damayanti (42), seorang penderita stroke berat (sedang recovery), dia akan menjawab tidak. Ya, dia tidak stres, apalagi depresi. Dia juga tetap bisa melakukan pekerjajaannya meski dalam kondisi belum pulih sepenuhnya. Bahkan, ia ketambahan satu kesibukan baru, yakni menulis pengalamannya dengan stroke. Hampir pasti, selalu ada tulisan yang ia hasilkan setiap hari."

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