Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

I've loved this series. I've had a few issues with it, but it was mostly formula things that are not unique to Harry Potter. Chief of those complaints is that adults are either actively neglectful or antagonistic to the hero children. If an adult is supportive of them, they are generally powerless characters or characters that are publicly labeled as "bad" people like Hagrid or Sirius. Again, this is nothing new. Think about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz : 100th Anniversary Edition (Books of Wonder). The same thing happens there.

Regardless, the series is a lot of fun. I've read each one straight through like most everyone else on here. I've been to every movie. I've even gotten supplemental books. I think it's a great story for any age reader. I love the fact that it addresses lots of issues that most "children's books" tend to avoid, like death and Harry's relationship with his guardians. I think these could easily be used to help bring up all sorts of great conversations with children above and beyond discussions of Harry and Hogwarts.

Now, in this book. I was sad to see the series end, but really respect the fact that Rowling had a vision for 7 years of school and 7 books and stuck with it. Maybe future books may come out, but it doesn't look like it. That's really great of her for not compromising for a buck.

Everything pretty much gets tied up in this final novel, but that's really my only problem with it. Everything gets tied up. In order to do that, something ended up feeling a little forced. I'm glad we didn't get left wondering but some of the resolutions left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Still, there's lots of action, plenty of adventure, and it will thrill anyone who's been following Harry, Ron, and Hermione. You will feel trapped in them when you follow the adventures of the first series. This is very amazing. And I hope someday I will meet them.

Simple Present : Hijau

Simple Past : Ungu

Simple Future : Kuning

Life insurers project good year ahead for premium income

Indonesian life insurance companies expect their total premium income to recover and reap annual growth of 20 percent this year, as the government-sponsored national health insurance (JKN) program helps drive business.

Hendrisman Rahim, chairman of the Indonesian Life Insurance Association (AAJI), said in Jakarta on Thursday that the industry had seen signs of a recovery in early 2014 as business started revving up.

“We are, therefore, maintaining our expectations that annual growth in the industry will stay between 20 and 30 percent in 2014-2018,” he said.

He added that the presence of the national health care, which the government began to phase in early last year, would drive business forward by raising public awareness on the need to have good insurance.

“Insurers will provide products that complement the basic insurance organized by the government,” Hendrisman said.

“We are in the final stage of discussions with regulators and the Association of Indonesian General Insurance Companies [AAUI] regarding the coordination of benefits. We hope it will to reach a decision by the middle of this year,” he said.

Hendrisman added that the general election would not hamper business. “On the contrary, we think the election hopefuls will be taking out insurance,” he said.

The number of policyholders rose 92.5 percent year-on-year to 88.1 million people by the end of 2013.

AAJI executive director Benny Waworuntu said the firm’s total premium income reached Rp 114 trillion (US$10.01 billion) in 2013, a 5.8 percent increase year-on-year. This rise, however, was far lower than the 14.38 percent increase registered in 2012. 

Based on association data, total premiums stood at Rp 27.4 trillion in the first quarter, with second quarter numbers touching Rp 30.2 trillion. “However, total premium growth reverted by 13.1 percent year-on-year to Rp 27.5 trillion in the third quarter,” he said, adding that figures took a further nosedive in the last quarter.

“Total premiums in the fourth quarter of 2013 amounted to Rp 28.7 trillion, which was 12 percent below the Rp 32.6 trillion made during the same period the previous year,” he said.

The AAJI’s actuarial and research head, Azwir Arifin, added that the weak premium growth during the last two quarters of last year had adversely affected insurance investments. “Investments amounted to Rp 7.3 trillion in the third quarter of 2013, a decline of 66.7 percent compared with 2012,” he said.

However, total investments for the whole of 2013 rose by 10.8 percent to Rp 251.5 trillion, association data shows.

Azwir added that investments went down as consumers deferred taking out unit-linked products, which they considered investment tools.

“The drab market conditions caused people to rethink their investment plans and, hence, taking out unit links,” he said.

Rising interest rates and a depreciating rupiah pummeled the economy in the second half of last year. In November, the central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 7.5 percent, while the rupiah sank to a four-year low, surpassing 12,000 per US dollar.

“As a result, new business related to unit links saw respective negative growth of 2.3 percent and 44.4 percent in the third and fourth quarters of 2013,” he said.

Unit-linked new business accounted for Rp 7.3 trillion in the third quarter, and nearly Rp 7 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year.

Sumber : Mariel Grazella, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Fri, March 14 2014, 10:30 AM

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/03/14/life-insurers-project-good-year-ahead-premium-income.html

Simple Present : Hijau

Simple Past : Ungu

Simple Future : Kuning