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Truckload Carrier On-Time Performance
Many years ago, I was privileged to view the 'war room' at Joplin, Missouri-based Contract Freighters (CFI). It was a huge space, overlooked by a gallery and inspired, said then President Glenn Brown, by an old World War 2 movie that showed commanding officers peering down at maps of the world as young ladies – likely WRENs – pushed models of fleets of ships and squadrons of aircraft around in response to information coming in over their bulky headphones.
Brown's vision was to have this open plan office with information displayed on huge monitors around the room and everybody in the loop, just like that old WW2 war room.
The most dominating display was a red neon sign showing the number 97.7. Brown said that was CFI's on-time delivery performance. On-time meant the truck could be there two hours early. Not more. And never late. "And it's not good enough," he said.
That was probably 20 years ago that and Bruce Stockton was the maintenance director. He did the industry's best job of keeping CFI's all-Kenworth fleet on the ready line every day. It was an outstanding example of a team, led by a visionary leader with great people working together to achieve an outstanding performance.
But truck reliability has moved on a pace, and shipper and receiver expectations – and industry performance – has moved on too. Heartland Express has been awarded "Carrier of the Year" by FedEx Express for a 99.96% on-time performance.
"Achieving year-over-year improvement on near perfect levels, on our largest number of annual shipments with FedEx Express, is only possible through the hard work and safety of our professional drivers matched with effective collaboration between FedEx Express and our committed support teams," said Heartland CEO Michael Gerdin. "We are extremely proud to be the FedEx Express Core Carrier of the Year for six consecutive years; this is truly an honor that speaks to the core values of Heartland Express."
Michael Gerdin is the son of company founder Russ Gerdin who died in 2011. I was also privileged to have known him and on one occasion spent a week traveling Europe with Freightliner and a group of trucking executives that included Russ.
He oversaw the growth of Heartland Express from a company with four employees and 16 trucks in 1978 to one of the top truckload carriers in the United States. The company's revenue had grown from $21.6 million in 1986, when it went public, to $736.3 million in 2015.
The son of a truck driver, Russ Gerdin had more than a dozen years of experience working for his father's company and then owning or co-owning several other companies. He bought Scott's Transportation in 1978 and renamed it Heartland Express.
Back to CFI
CFI was founded in 1951 with one tractor and two trailers. Its first year revenue was just $12,000. The company was acquired by Con-way Express in 2007 for $750 million and Glenn Brown retired to his ranch to raise prize-winning cattle. He's now back in trucking as a director at Swift, the nation's biggest truckload carrier. Bruce Stockton has fetched up as VP maintenance at XPO Logistics – a company that is going places and is well worth watching.
CFI is now operated as Con-way Truckload.
Heartland is still the industry's top performer. And according to its 2015 earnings statement, it had a truly outstanding operating ratio of 84.2%.
Posted by Steve Sturgess at 12:56 PM 34 comments
You Can Start Me Up
Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones
Freightliner Appreciation Event, October 3, 2016
How much do you appreciate customers?
If you're Freightliner, it's enough to put on a private party with no less than Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones as the entertainment.
It was the buzz at the early evening reception for the dinner, held at the American Trucking Associations' annual convention in Las Vegas this week. Once a member of the Stones was spotted by an avid Rolling Stone fan, the cat was out of the band…make that bag. But nobody would believe it: How could a small group of truck fleet owners and managers possibly be at a private party with the legendary Rolling Stones.
Yet in his really hilarious intro to the headline feature of the evening, Daimler Trucks North America President Martin Daum announced the "band" would be the Rolling Stones. There was a rush to the crush to be center stage at this intimate concert with one of the world's legendary bands.
And it was standing room only the rest of the evening.
It was intimate: There was a center runway and Jagger was the incredibly high-energy on-stage entertainer, not just singing the lines that everybody knows but strutting the stuff as well. It was magic.
Last year, it was Paul McCartney and by sheer luck I had found a corner where I could get up close and view the action without having to fight everyone else for a clear view. It was incredible again this year. The level of energy Mick Jagger puts into a performance is legendary. But you have to see it. And, of course, hear it.
It was a Rolling Stones night to remember, a customer-appreciation party that none but the market leader could do. I make no apologies for making that remark. Daimler and Freightliner set the seal on their dominance of the truck business with the ultimate thank-you party for their customers.
Volkswagen to Rescue Navistar
Well, excuse me if I crow a little here. . . On July 7th 2012 I posted "Told You So" in this blog, and I invite you to go back and re-read. In the conclusion to the 2010 engine debacle, I predicted that Navistar's savior would likely be Volkswagen.
Back then, I reasoned it would be a fire sale (and indeed at today's tragic stock price, it is) but it is not to be the acquisition I assumed. It is a "strategic alliance," with VW buying a 16 percent share of NAV to allow both companies to share product, technology and purchasing muscle around the world.
The writing was on the wall since Andreas Renschler quit Daimler Trucks and went to work for VW Trucks and Buses. The company had acquired already the German heavy truck manufacturer MAN and the Swedish producer Scania to add to its own Latin American heavy truck maker Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus in Brazil.
And the company has been very public in stating it not only wants to be the biggest car maker and truck maker in the world, In cars it has to get over its dieselgate issue which will cost several tens of billions of dollars – and which may be the reason that the NAV deal is a strategic alliance instead of an acquisition – but there's no doubting it'll get back there. In trucks, VW could never hope to overcome rival Daimler in heavy and medium trucks until it had acquired a North American distribution and truck making partner.
Now it has.
And Andreas Renschler was very much the architect of Daimler's worldwide domination in trucks, with very successful partners in India and China. He knows how it is done. Make no bones about it, Volkswagen Truck and Bus has thrown down the gauntlet with this announcement and with Teutonic efficiency and determination it will strive to achieve that number one position.
Navistar gets a boost in investment from the injection of Volkswagen's cash to purchase the stock position. That will help initially and then the savings that worldwide purchasing can bring can lower Navistar's costs by $200 million within five years. Corporately, over the VW trucks and buses worldwide, this may reach $500 million, half way to the target billion dollar savings on the truck side Renschler has promised the VW board.
More importantly, the technology component of the alliance brings some very capable but underfunded technology engineers on the Navistar truck side into the VW truck fold. Scania is a very smart company with a very good understanding of safety and autonomous trucks, MAN has an office somewhere in its buildings with Rudolf Diesel's name on the door. Yes, he was there when it was Machinenfabric Augsberg von Nurenberg.
Indeed, identified in the news release laying out the first steps of the alliance is the fact that VW will supply engines to Navistar for its International trucks. They could be Scania, or VW from Brazil. Or MAN engines from Germany. The irony there would be that the ill-starred MaxxForce 13 liter was based on an MAN engine but that Navistar engineers could not get to work with Advanced EGR. Let me think . . . did I predict that. Oh yes!
This whole engines supply scenario must have some worried people in both the heavy duty N13 (nee MaxxForce 13) engine plant in Mississippi and over at Cummins in Columbus, IN. There are customers still buying the Navistar N13 engine with its Cummins aftertreatment, though 75 percent of International production is now Cummins as customers who like the Prostar+ truck opt for Cummins reliability, durability and economy.
And that, by the way, is going to get a significant boost for 2017. In a recent press event, Cummins predicted a 10 mpg truck is entirely do-able with its latest X12 and X15 engine platforms for 2017.
For everybody else at Navistar, there must be a jaunty lift in their steps as they head for their cars at the end of the day. More cash to run the business and gain market share and one of the world's great companies at your back: why wouldn't you feel good about the future.
Go back to "told you so". I said Navistar was a lucky company . . .
Posted by Steve Sturgess at 6:23 AM 17 comments
2016 Shell SuperRigs draws record turnout
Jake Lindamood won Best of Show with this heavy haul tractor.
Beautiful theme throuout and perfect execution for a truck
that works hard. Lindamood took home $15,000 in prizes.
The Shell Rotella SuperRigs beauty contest and 2017 calendar shoot drew a record turnout this year with 89 eye-popping glamor trucks vying for the nearly $40,000 in total prize money.
For this event, truckers come from all over the United States and Canada for a chance to take top prizes and for a brief moment of immortality should they be chosen to appear in the Rotella SuperRigs calendar.
Best lights went to the blue dump outfit of Luke Leister,
who was also nominated to a Limited Mileage award.
Hundreds of blue lights wowed the crowd on Joplin's streets.
Held mid-June at the Convention Center in Joplin Missouri, it was the second time the event was staged in this city. First time was shortly after the 2011 tornado did so much damage to Joplin and Shell's SuperRigs injected much needed revenue into the city.
This time it was more of a thank you, as truckers moved out of the parking lot Friday night and headed for the closed off streets of downtown Joplin for a parade and downtown where the top rigs could show off their lights.
One of the few cabover was this '95 Freightliner FLB
customized to look like an '85 took second in Tractor Trailer
for Andre Bellemare down from Quebec for the show.
The city responded with a fireworks display for the thousands of residents who walked the warm evening streets to admire the trucks.
As in last few years, 2016 judges were Jami Jones for Land Line Magazine; Eric Harley; the host of Red Eye Radio; Cliff Abbott from The Trucker newspaper; and me, Steve Sturgess, representing a slew of magazines around the world.
The Hard Working prize went to Chad Berry. The award
is given by the other contestants, who certainly; know a thing
or two about hard work!
To look their best, many contestants take their rigs out of commission in the winter for a total refurb that often sees them at the early Mid America Trucking Show contest in March in Louisville. Then the trucks are parked or used little for the next couple of months until SuperRigs.
When they reappear for the judging, it is a tough task for the judges to decide whether the gorgeous tractors and tractor-trailers are true working trucks, as required by the judging rules, or just "trailer queens" that just do the show circuit.
The dragon theme all over Uno Mas earned
Best Theme and mention in Working Truck -
Limited Mileage to give Suzanne Rodriguez
two trophies to take home.
Now, judges are aided by Doug Morris who is the director of security operations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and who comes with a career's experience in enforcement. As an expert in looking at registration, DOT numbers and the rest he can attest to the working status of the trucks.
There's also a mileage database that records odometer readings at the shows to check on the true mileages these rigs drive through the year. Shell wants the show to be for working trucks. Rotella lubricant's brand is the number one for hard-working trucks and Shell wants to keep that association strong.
The most unusual truck on the parking lot
was this R-Model Mack. Built for a
customer by Justin Dickerson, the RD is a
1991 with outstanding details all around.
So the trucks came – always some shut down for the week, getting on site early to start the task of cleaning to make them favorites or top candidates for the calendar. And the two goals are totally different. Only Best of Show is guaranteed a spot on the calendar.
2016 Best of Show winner Jake Lindamood's heavy haul day-cab tractor and lowboy trailer was chosen for the calendar before he won the award.
After the awards ceremony, he said "We won Best of Show and got picked for the SuperRigs calendar which was super exciting. Winning Best of Show was huge and we are just beyond thrilled about it." He was also no doubt thrilled to be taking home $15,000 in prize money.
Get complete 2016 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Results here.
Gorgeous trucks win thousands at SuperRigs
Impessably turned out tractor of Jay Blackbourn was perfectly
poised to pick up first runner up prized of $7,000. Note how
the tires are all set at the same point of rotation!
The Shell Rotella SuperRigs beauty show has been going for 34 years and I am privileged to have been a judge for most of them.
Over time, the event has morphed from a small regional show as it moved around the country to become the must-attend premium show on the calendar.
The trucks have evolved, too, from nice working trucks with some stainless steel – and yes, back then we even had a cabover class – to the eye-popping, traffic-stopping paint, color, chrome and stainless steel of the top trucks today.
And while the few hundred dollars prize money of those early shows has escalated to the tens of thousands today, it does not even closely track the investment and love the owners put in the trucks that come to SuperRigs today.
Complete 2016 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Results
$10,000 from Shell Rotella and $5,000 from MAC Trailer
Place in the 2017 Rotella SuperRigs Calendar
This rare Peterbilt 379X by Charles Self picked up second
runner up and then picked up $4,000. The X model was at
the end of the 379 limited run and this one's genuine throughout.
Jake Lindamood, Irving, Texas
Best of Show 1st Runner Up
$4000 from Shell, $3,000 from MAC Trailer
Jay Blackbourn, Fennimore, Wisconsin
Best of Show 2nd Runner Up
Charles Self, Neosho, Missouri 2004 Peterbilt 379X
Chosen by ballot at the event, the Peoples' Choice award went
to Jay Hawthorne for his Pete 389 and Wabash;van trailer.
Consistent theme and traditional design had wide appeal.
Most Hardworking Trucker
Chad Berry, Medford, Wisconsin
2012 Peterbilt 386; 2017 MAC with Curtain
Jay Hawthorne, Grand Mound, Iowa
2015 Peterbilt 389 Pride Class; 2015 Wabash DVHDHPC
Working Truck - Limited Mileage
Luke Leister, Pierpont, Ohio
2015 Peterbilt 389; 2017 MAC End Dump
Henry Lopez, San Antonio, Texas
2015 Peterbilt 389; 2015 Armorlite
Suzanne Rodriquez. Salinas, California
1999 Peterbilt 379 Ext. Hood
Best Lights
There were some outstanding entries for Best Engine,
but the consistency of design saw the prize going
to Josh Reed. Hard to imagine it's working every day.
The interior treatment of Eric Holthaus' 85 Pete
carried the design theme from the outside to the interior.
White areas are crackle finish and workmanship excellent.
Best Theme
Suzanne Rodriquez, Salinas, California
Best Engine
Josh Reed, Pioneer, Ohio
2015 W900L Kenworth; 2015 MAC Flatbed
Eric Holthaus, Seneca, Kansas
Show Truck
Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, Wisconsin
2016 Peterbilt 389; 2015 Mueller
Brian Davis, Owensville, Indiana
2015 Peterbilt 386; 2016 Wilson DH501
This impeccable heavy haul tractor regularly hauls
180,000 pounds and gets off highway a lot. But it's good
enough to win first place in Tractor Trailer for PaulPiretti.
Dustin Dickerson, Thorntown, Indiana
1991 Mac RD
1st Place Tractor/Trailer Division
Paul Piretti, Springfield, Missouri
2015 Peterbilt 389 Pride Class; 2015 Etnyre
2nd Place Tractor/Trailer Division
Andre Bellemare, Berthierville, Quebec
1995 Freelander Co8
3rd Place Tractor/Trailer Division
Darren Hutchison, Atkinson, Illinois
2007 T800 Kenworth; 2016 Wilson Livestock Trailer
Jarrod Russel took fourth place tractor trailer with this
livestock hauling Pete and Wilson trailer, both bought
in 2015 but with hard working miles on them already.
4th Place Tractor/Trailer Division
Jarrod Russell, Jerseyville, Illinois
2015 Peterbilt 389; 2015 Wilson Cattle Trailer
Best Chrome
Austin Roach, Jacksonville, Illinois
Kenworth W900A 79
1st Place Tractor Division
Joel Dawes, Waterford, Wisconsin
2014 T660 Kenworth
Unassuming Kenworth W900 A-model from 1979 sported
immaculate and tasteful chrome and polished stainless steel
and gave Austin Roach the title as well as scoring second place.
2nd Place Tractor Division
Sid Calangelo, Carthage, Missouri
2015 Kenworth W900L
3rd Place Tractor Division
David Foster, Joplin, Missouri
2005 Kenworth W900L Studio
4th Place Tractor Division
Top spot in Classic was taken by Billy Baker with this 2000
Kenworth W900L. Fine attention to detail and creativity earned
the award, making the trip from Ontario, Canada worthwhile.
Kiegan Nelson, Onalaska, Wisconsin
Sean M. McEndree Sr., Salado, Texas
2006 Peterbilt 379 Flat Top
1st Place Classic Division
Billy Baker, St. Catherine's, Ontario
2nd Place Classic Division
Green always shows well, but such was the competition
that Joel Dawes '88 Peterbilt 379 scored fifth. Still,
Classic was by far the busiest category.
3rd Place Classic Division
4th Place Classic Division
Jim Loggains, Carthage, Missouri
It's Totally Magic
Here's a device no maintenance shop, garage, marina or home should be without. It's a new ultra-capacitor-based jump-start combo from Chicago-based KBi that doesn't need plugging in to 110V outlet to charge. It will actually charge from the flaked-out battery in the vehicle or boat you're trying to start. How's that for a boot-strap device?
Because it has an ultra-capacitor for charge storage, the KrankingKart Mini doesn't have to go through the chemical process associated with conventional batteries. It will charge in about 90 seconds and will provide 1500 amps of cranking power.
Sounds impossible? You must understand the difference between the chemical charge process of a lead-acid battery (or Lithium-ion for that matter) and the physical energy storage on a capacitor. All a capacitor requires is a voltage to charge the plates. So the run-down battery in the vehicle that won't start likely still has a 12-volt nominal voltage at the terminals when it's not cranking and can build the capacitor charge. The ultra-capacitor in the KrankingKart can then deliver that physically stored energy to kick over the engine and, providing there's enough battery voltage to energize the engine electronics, you'll get a start.
Ultra-capacitors are getting a wider play in vehicle starting systems these days. Many of the stop-start fuel-saving modes in passenger cars use an ultra-cap to provide the sudden energy boost to restart the engine when it shuts down at a traffic light, for example.
The supplier, KBi, is a really interesting company. Its claim to fame was originally as the manufacturer of ether cold-start systems for heavy trucks and locomotives. Back then it was appropriately named Kold-Ban International. But as engine electronics and other modern technologies have made it possible to start diesels at ever lower temperatures, the need for the ether boost has waned. So KBi has re-invented itself as a different kind of starter systems company, offering ultra-capacitor conversion systems for military and heavy-truck applications.
KBi already offers a truck maintenance shop starter cart that uses the same technology as the KrankingKart Mini but on a larger scale. This smaller unit is really targeted at the marine market, but it's just as good for car and light truck jump starts.
Ultra-caps are ideal for engine start systems. They give a huge energy discharge over a short time. Conventional lead-acid batteries deliver a constant low-amperage discharge over time. So on a heavy truck, the number of group 34 batteries can be reduced for weight savings while still providing for "hotel" loads. In passenger cars, hybrid batteries of lead-acid and ultra-caps are staring to become common.
So, in this KrankingKart Mini you have the ultimate get you going package that weighs only 22 pounds, requires absolutely no maintenance, will cycle at least a million times and comes with its own 900-amp cables and battery clamps.
Lotus 7 in an olive grove in Cadaquez, Spain. By this time it had headlamps: the right
was a foglight and served as low beam, on high beam the left spotlight would come on in
addition to aid in night-time visibility. Note tiny marker lights that were original lighting.
Inside fiberglass nose you can see oil cooler, air horns and electric fan. Car was always
a trial to cool in traffic. Front fenders didn't do a lot for spray suppression. The license
plate had an attitude, too. And that's me, a little younger.
I think I bought it for GB pounds 600 (just $860).
It was a clubman's racer Lotus 7. Like all the 7s it was very simple.
A spaceframe and monocoque combination with riveted aluminum over a steel spaceframe structure that weighed about 300 pounds was the chassis.
Power was by a Cosworth pushrod Ford four-cylinder at 1558 cc displacement – the same displacement as the twin-cam Lotus Cortina I owned immediately before this – and another exceptional car I wish I could afford again!
Except, because the 7 was a genuine clubman's race car, it was a dry-sump genuine Cosworth motor with two side-draft twin-choke 42DCOE Webers, ported head, header exhaust and a Cosworth RSC camshaft.
The cam was an 80-40-40-80 grind from a Cosworth SCA OHC engine that was the de rigeur motor for Formula 2 open wheel racers back then. And we are talking 1969. The camshaft overlap would see flame out of the exposed carburetor inlets, sticking out of the left side of the hood.
The driveability of the car was awful as it was way too cammy for the road use I intended. And the fuel economy was ridiculous, so I switched out the camshaft for the Formula 3 Cosworth RSA engine after a couple of weeks.
The RSA grind was way better for bigger displacements than the 1000 cc of Formula 3 back then, but it was still a monster. It was still so cammy it would break the Dunlop race drive tires loose in second gear as the revs came on to 5000. And in the close ratio Ford-Lotus gearbox from the Lotus Cortina racers of the day, that would be speeds in the 50s.
In the wet, it was a beast. The peaky camshaft would spin the drive tires as it came on the cam in top gear – about 90 mph! Bear in mind the car only weighed 1300 pounds. But it was the best handling car you can imagine. Set up with all kinds of negative camber on the 5.5-inch R6 shod front wheels, it was neutral into a corner at neutral throttle.
So at a roundabout – there were and still are lots of them in the UK – entry on a trailing throttle would bring oversteer and a step out for the rear even though there were big Dunlop racing R6s on 7.5 inch rims. The oversteer would translate into opposite lock though a touch of steering through the apex of the roundabout and then power-out on opposite lock coming off the roundabout. The 7 was a hugely satisfying – and enormously forgiving – car to drive very fast.
The suspension was responsible for this: coil spring and wishbone up front and an A frame to the base of the diff with coil-over shocks at the rear giving a downward sloping roll center toward the rear. Just like the '65 Lotus Cortina I had so recently abandoned. That was an equally incredibly balanced car that could be flung at corners, not just driven round. The best thing is that it would always pick up the inside front wheel in a corner to give a few more feet of road space through the apex of a corner!
But back to the 7, because it was a race car, it had no lights and a straight exhaust on the passenger side exiting ahead of the rear wheel. I fixed all that. Back then in the UK, there was no legal requirement for headlamps (driving lights) so I fixed up marker lights front on the cycle fenders and rear on the aluminum flares that replaced the original fiberglass fenders so the lowered rear suspension had sufficient clearance.
That was part of the rewire I did when stripping and rebuilding the car, chroming the suspension, painting it a puce color instead of the Lotus green with yellow stripe. It had no ignition switch, either. You just flipped the switch for the ignition, the next toggle for the electric fuel pump, and then pressed the starter solenoid up under the dash.
The exhaust fix was easy. I just made up a can that looked like a muffler and welded it around the straight-pipe exhaust. It looked legal, but on a still night in rural Essex, a friend said he heard me coming from five miles away.
Driving at night was a challenge with no headlights. At the time I was working for Ford Motor Co, based at the Transit plant in Southampton, but I'd spend weekends back in my home base in Wimbledon, South London. So Sundays would find me heading back to the south coast on unlit pre-motorway A-roads. The trick was to poodle along till something faster would overtake, then tuck in behind till something faster came along and then tuck in behind that.
One night the last to overtake was a spiritedly driven Honda S800 – remember them – and I tucked in and followed like a limpet. Each time he'd overtake, I'd hang back till the road was clear than blast up behind again.
Eventually I ran out of gas. As a race car, the 7 only had a 4-gallon gas tank and no fuel gauge, but I always had a gallon can tucked into a special location in the rear spaceframe. So I cruised to a stop and pulled out the gas can. Meanwhile, the Honda stopped, then backed down to where I was and the driver jumped out.
"I wondered what the hell that was," he said, or words similar. "All I could see in the mirror were these two little lights dancing and bobbing around. Then I'd pass a car and the lights would disappear until there was a shattering roar and those lights would be in the mirror again."
I drove that 7 everywhere. On evening, backing into a parking slot in Montmartre, Paris, there was a bang from the rear and that was that. The car had a steel, small diameter race clutch that was all or nothing, and in backing up, I had broken a half shaft in the Standard 10 rear axle (Yes: Standard! It was a Triumph small car of the time and the axle Colin Chapman chose for the 7).
I arranged shipment back to the UK and while I was waiting for the 7 to appear at my doorstep in London I happened on a Standard 10 upended in a ditch while on a weekend in Sussex. It was the work of minutes to pull both half-shafts from this wreck – fortunate, because only a month after replacing the first broken half shaft, the other let go and I had a replacement ready to install!
Eventually I tired of the lack of heater, wind whistling in through ill-fitting side curtains (there were no doors) and rain coming in from every pore. So I built a beach buggy. Never mind there were no sandy beaches in UK to drive upon. But I did take it to the Sahara Desert, and there's a BIG beach there! And that's another story.
Posted by Steve Sturgess at 12:07 PM 299 comments


Okay, so I don't need to convince you, you know that your customers are all online. No matter the industry our customers are all the same. They research you before they trust you. Any business large or small needs to have an online presence other than their website. Companies need to be engaging and be accessible to make money and find new customers.
But seriously, $0ci@L is here to help you along the way so you can focus on delivering a great customer experience. That is after all, what keeps your customers coming back and singing your praises.
Set aside time to focus on your social presence. Don't be fooled you will need a budget to send your message and watch your audience grow.
Understand who you want to target and get some idea of where they are.
Your customers will not look for you on every channel. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Start off with Facebook, see how it grows. You can progress to other channels as you get the hang of things and you see where your customers prefer to engage the most.
First impressions count. Start with your profile and header.
Does your imagery clearly show what you about and what you do?
Understand from the start that it's not always going to be easy and people will say what they feel. Be ready on your side for the worse case.
Be ready to engage, listen and learn. Comment and acknowledge, even if when it's hard to hear.
Most important thing to do in the social space is to be human!
← What's different about $0c1@L?


The Department and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs briefed the Committee on the amendments being proposed by the National Council of Provinces to the Provision of Land and Assistance Amendment Bill. The amendments included new definitions for "agricultural enterprise", "Department", and "enterprise". In Clause 4, there was a new arrangement of Clause 4, pertaining to Sections 10(1)(b)(iv). The words from "which he or she considers suitable" through to "specific cases" were to move down one line. A new Clause 10A was then proposed, relating to a trading entity. Some Members objected to the amendments proposed by way of the new Clause 10A but this objection was overruled by three other ANC Members and one DA Member. An ANC Member argued that the Department of Land Affairs current policy of buying up land proactively, with the aim now of redistributing it, would lead to disaster. In his experience, people had over the years had to buy more land to farm more productively and profitably. He said that unless there were plans in place to ensure that land brought from one would immediately be transferred to others who already had skills, technical knowledge, infrastructure and monitoring, this would lead to disaster.
The Committee received a lengthy briefing by the Department of Agriculture on its Annual Report for 2007/2008. This consisted of the Departmental officials reading through the document (attached) that detailed each of the programmes, their achievements and challenges. Members noted that they were in many cases unhappy with the Report, which they noted had not addressed the real issues and tended to report only on the successes. Although the Chairperson congratulated the Department on being one of the few to achieve an unqualified audit report, with no emphasis of matter, this did not mean that the Department was doing well overall.
Members questioned the Department's livelihoods, economics and business development programme, asked whether the assistance rendered through the programme was sufficient to enable beneficiaries to earn a sustainable livelihood, and whether the Department was really alleviating poverty or unwittingly driving the people down into a deeper mire of poverty. Members commented that although they interacted with their farmer constituents, they did not see much evidence of implementation of these programmes and their value to farmers. It appeared irresponsible that funds earmarked for fire and other assistance were left unused in the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo to assist farmers. Members asked that any genuine difficulties must be explained. There was also interrogation of the cooperation across Departments, in light of some apparently conflicting statements in the presentation, the suspension of a Deputy Director General pending investigations, the failure of the Department to notify members about the new credit scheme and other projects, the delays in obtaining land, the situation with the Land Bank, the delays in rendering assistance from Disaster Management funding, and bio-safety and genetically modified organism programmes. Members criticised the amounts made available for some projects, commenting that they were not sufficient, and suggesting that there should be an inter-departmental planning committee. Members were severely critical of the fact that several projected targets given last year had not been achieved. Further criticisms were expressed about the numerous errors of editing, proof reading and content in the presentation. It was agreed that some of the questions must be responded to in writing, and that further engagement with the Department was necessary.
Mr Mduduzi Shabane, Deputy Director General, Department of Land Affairs and Mr Sunday Ogunronbi, Director, Land Planning and Property Law, briefed the Committee on the amendments that had been proposed to the Provision of Land and Assistance Amendment Bill (the Bill). They noted that during the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) process, the National Treasury had proposed the establishment of a Trading Entity, which the Department of Land Affairs initially had not supported. However, after further discussions with the National Treasury, the Department of Land Affairs had agreed with the NCOP's proposed amendments, which were then passed on 11 November 2008. These were now tabled at this meeting. The amendments included new definitions for "agricultural enterprise", "Department", and "enterprise". In Clause 4, there was a new arrangement of Clause 4, pertaining to Sections 10(1)(b)(iv). The words from "which he or she considers suitable" through to "specific cases" were to move down one line.
A new Clause 10A was then proposed, relating to a trading entity, and this was set out in the attached document.
Mr S Abram (ANC) said that he was opposed in principle to purchase of ongoing enterprises. He believed that these would lead to a bureaucracy that would eat away at the income of enterprises, and pointed out that agriculture already did not have a high profit rating. He cited the examples of various farms in which the income from the enterprise was not enough even to pay the salaries of some of the administrators of the enterprise.
Mr Abram said that there was a dichotomy. In the case of immovable property alone, the administration would not be too arduous but if there was a business on it then he believed there would be a large administration problem. He asked that it be recorded that the buying up of running enterprises with moveable assets would be regretted. If there was not immediately a succession plan whereby the purchase from one person led smoothly into the takeover by another, the moveable assets would deteriorate fast.
Mr Abram noted that to date, the Department had failed to give up-to-date records of the entities that it had already bought prior to this Bill on what he described as a "purchasing spree". He thought that many of the moveable assets would not now be able to be found. He was also concerned at the trend that the Department was proactively engaged in buying land, but would then decide that the property was too large for one beneficiary and would divide it into several portions. That, in his view, was a recipe for disaster. Unless the Department had a plan already in place prior to purchase, and the beneficiaries were already skilled and had the necessary capital and technical assistance and mentorship, it would cause more problems than it cured. He wanted the Department to tell the Committee exactly what it had bought and what had become of that land. He claimed that he could give examples of a dozen farms that have been bought up where there was very little happening on the ground. He also said that he feared that, although the Department had some excellent officials, there were not sufficient loyal officials to give the true picture. He did not believe, in short, that the Department could achieve what was set out in the Bill. He also warned again against the "cutting up" of farms, saying that a person could make a living on 10 to 15 hectares of irrigable land, but this would not be productive if the land was not irrigated, as five to seven hectares per head of stock were needed for grazing, and to prevent over-grazing.
Dr A Van Niekerk (DA) said that this Bill would only succeed if different departments were able to synchronise themselves, with someone in charge of the whole. The problem was to some extent being rectified, since in the past people were given land but not the infrastructure to farm it productively. However, he, like Mr Abram, was worried about the management. Different departments and the Land Bank were involved, but no one was taking final responsibility.
The Chairperson said that colleagues from the Department of Agriculture would be interested, since there was a narrow definition being applied to agriculture here.
The Chairperson asked if the definition of enterprise was a universally accepted definition.
The Chairperson asked, in relation to the amendment to Clause 10A (2), how the proposed entity would act with regard to land that had already been disposed of. He asked about the accounting records of land that had been disposed of.
The Chairperson clarified that respondents must explain the definitions of 'trading account' and 'trading entity', since that appeared to be the focus of the confusion.
Ms Jeannine Bednar-Gigose, Director of Fiscal and Intergovernmental Legislation, National Treasury explained that the term 'trading entity' was chosen, as opposed to 'trading account', because 'trading entity' was clearly defined in the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) as an entity operating within the administration of a department for the sale of goods and services, with the approval of the National Treasury. The National Treasury had indeed proposed to the Department of Land Affairs that the most appropriate mechanism would be to establish a trading entity. The PFMA made it clear that funds of such an entity were separate from those of the department concerned and should be accounted for separately.
A 'trading entity' did not necessarily mean that a large staff complement was required in order to ensure that there was a separate accounting system. That was the key concern of National Treasury, who had undertaken to assist the Department of Land Affairs (DLA) in the establishment of the entity and provide on-going advice and assistance, in the interests of the National Treasury and the country.
Advocate Dirk du Toit, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, remarked that the Public Finance Management Act was almost as important as the Constitution. He referred to Section 38 (1)(j), which Ms Bednar-Gigose read to the Committee before explaining the implications.
Mr Shabane said that he firstly wanted to address the general issues raised by Members. He stressed that land reform was being implemented in the context of the land and agrarian reform programme. It was not the sole responsibility of the Department of Land Affairs, which was working in conjunction with the National Department of Agriculture (DOA), and with the provincial departments of agriculture. These Departments acknowledged that, with all the will in the world, the State could not have the capacity to do all that was required. It had therefore adopted the private-public partnership framework, through which the Department was levering the resources of the private sector, including the commercial banks, to help with the expertise that the State lacked.
Proactive land acquisition was but one land acquisition instrument at the disposal of the Department of Land Affairs. Of course, it contributed a substantial amount in terms of budget.
Answering the questions posed by Mr van Niekerk and Mr Abram, he said that part of the failure of the past, as identified in a review undertaken by the Department, was that for example when land was acquired with standing timber on it, then the value of the timber growing on the land was greater than the value of the land. The crops must be at the disposal of the emerging farmers. In the past, many beneficiaries lacked even operating capital. A decision was taken to put these assets under the control of land reform officials, so that the assets could start to generate revenue before the State disposed of them. The Department had circulated a draft implementation plan, and was very mindful of the causes of the past failures, being lack of skills, equipment and funding.
Mr Shabane then addressed Mr Abram's concern about the dividing of farms. The Department had stopped the division of a farm in the Free State precisely because of this kind of concern, having accepted the complaint of the Free State Agricultural Union that such division was unworkable.
Mr Shabane said, in relation to capacity, that it was possible to purchase any number of dairy farms, but such farms without cattle would be doomed to failure.
Mr Abram pointed out that many farmers were working up to 18 hours per day.
Mr Shabane acknowledged that the Department found itself in a dilemma. If it did not provide resources to the farmers, they would fail automatically. This was the reason for trying to adopt an integrated approach. Until now, land reform had primarily focused on land acquisition, but it could not be seen as a stand-alone, nor would providing funding work on its own. The Department believed that this Bill could contribute to the transformation of the agricultural sector, by ensuring that existing assets would remain on the land and be at the disposal of beneficiaries.
Mr Shabane said that the Department's budget was increasing, and gave figures. The Department was establishing a financial management directorate. The Department was recruiting directors with financial accounting and cost accounting skills.
Mr Shabane then assured the Members said that acquisition of land was still going to be carried out by the Department. The DLA, with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture, would tighten its criteria of selection of farmers to benefit from land acquisition. This would minimise the present failure rate.
Mr Sunday Ogunronbi, Director, Land Planning and Property Law, Department of Land Affairs, addressed the questions around definitions, and emphasised that the Department of Land Affairs was the sole department involved in the acquisition of land.
Ms B M Ntuli (ANC) called for further explanations. She spoke with passion, saying that she feared the proposed new entity would operate in a similar way to Eskom and the poor would suffer. If the Committee were to pass the amendments, she felt that the Members would be betraying people to whom a better life had been promised. She pleaded on behalf of the vast numbers of poor people who were in desperate need and struggling every day to find food.
The Chairperson confirmed that it was not a public entity that was to be established, but a trading entity.
He then asked that the Committee vote on the NCOP's amendments.
In respect of Clause 10A(2) Mr S Abram (ANC), Ms B Ntuli (ANC) and Mr D Dlali (ANC) raised an objection.
However, three other ANC Members and Mr A Nel (DA) voted for the adoption of this particular amendment, defeating the objection.
Members therefore adopted all the NCOP proposed amendments to Clauses 1, 4, and the insertion of the new Clause 10A.
Ms Njabulo Nduli, the new Director-General, DOA, and colleagues from the Department submitted the Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), as contained in the attached document. She gave an overview noting what programmes had been carried out, as listed on page 3 of the slide presentation. The Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development Programme was described, noting that this promoted equitable access to the agricultural sector, commercial viability and growth of emerging farmers and work towards achieving food security. It would also promote Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE). The performance and challenges of each sub-programme were listed.
The objectives and achievements of MAFISA were then described, with a note of the number of programmes dealt with and the funding. The achievements under the Land and Agrarian Reform Project (LARP) and support to farmers were also described, listing those projects across the provinces that had been supported. 304 agricultural cooperatives and self help groups (SHGs) were profiled. A training programme on cooperative governance and management was rolled out and 105 agricultural cooperatives were established across the provinces.
The draft Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Bill was completed and discussed with the provinces. Funds were delivered to two centres of excellence.
The purpose, programmes, and challenges of the Bio-Security and Disaster Management programme were then set out. It was explained that this programme sought to develop and implement policies for food safety, agricultural risk and disaster management strategies in order to control animal and plant disease and ensure food safety. Drought-coping Strategies were completed and were translated into 10 official languages. Other pamphlets and bookmarks were also distributed.
The Production and Resource Management programme, which managed productivity and sustainability in agriculture, was described, with a note of the achievements and challenges.
The presentation also reported on the inspections, survey and analyses, infrastructure, sector services and partnerships, capacity building, and trade agreements.
In respect of the financial statements, it was noted that an unqualified audit certificate with no emphasis of matter had been issued. The spending was at R3.32 billion, as against a final appropriation of R3.45 billion, and the reasons for that were explained, which included Classical Swine Fever claims, capital projects not yet billed by Department of Public Works and a drilling rig not delivered. This under spend represented 0.6% of the total appropriation. The summary set out the main achievements of the Department.
The Chairperson noted that there was little time left, since Members had to attend in the House.
Mr D Dlali (ANC) expressed concern that the Committee would not have sufficient time for its interaction with the Department of Agriculture about the 2007/2008 Annual Report.
The Chairperson noted Mr Dlali's concern.
Mr Abram expressed concern that the Deputy Director-General responsible for business development was not present, and asked to know why. He wanted to know if this official was involved in the purchase of any land, whether it was on behalf of the Department, or whether it was done in his personal capacity. If there was an enquiry against him, Mr Abram wanted to know the scope of that enquiry.
Ms Njabulo Nduli explained the absence of this deputy director-general. As a precaution, this person had been suspended for 60 days on account of some newspaper allegations about his conduct while in the service of the Land Bank. The suspension would enable the Department to investigate these allegations, together with allegations arising from a forensic audit report. The Department would keep the Committee informed about that process.
Mr Abram noted that the Department was involved in a new credit scheme. He asked for details of the partnership, what motivated it, and why the Committee was not informed of it at least by a letter.
Mr Abram wished the new Director-General well, but wished to stress to her that this Committee was concerned with delivery on the ground. Although some of the questions might appear difficult, the Committee was mindful of its responsibility to represent the people with whose interests it had been charged.
Mr Abram noted that in regard to the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) there had been under performance, whilst there were many people seeking assistance. Apart from their capacity problems, he asked that the Committee be informed of the specific difficulties that the Department had faced, such as inability to verify potential beneficiaries.
Mr Abram also asked about the Land and Agrarian Reform Programme (LARP).
A Departmental official responded that the first pillar of this Programme dealt with land acquisitions.
Mr Abram asked about the Department's confessed delays in obtaining delegations for the disposal of land agricultural land and departmental land, other than DLA land. He wanted to know why there were such delays, and what the Department had done to ensure that those delays were minimised.
The Acting Deputy Director-General for Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development, DOA, responded on the delays, stating that the category of State land which the Department of Agriculture was managing related to land from the Agricultural Credit Board. The delegations for the disposal were still in the Ministry of Public Works. The documents must be processed up to the Minister of Public Works for approval and it was this process that was taking some time.
Mr Abram expressed regret at having to say that control of the Land Bank had been lost. He had predicted that the Bank might as well close down. He wanted to know what the Department's role was in relation to the Land Bank, with regard to assisting the people, especially where the Bank was engaged in foreclosing at the moment. He asked what the Department of Agriculture was doing to prevent people from losing their land.
The Acting Deputy Director-General for Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development responded that the Department of Agriculture was working with Mafisa on certain areas of concern. The Department of Agriculture had signed two agreements with the Land Bank; one being a participation agreement and the other an agreement for them to keep the funding for the Department to be able to enter into agreements with other institutions that would be accredited to Mafisa.
Mr Abram said that the export of meat to the European Union had been lost. The cause of the loss appeared to be poor implementation of policy, but he sought the exact reasons for the loss of this market, and why there had apparently been a failure to ensure that South Africa's meat had been certified free of all problems.
An official from the Department denied any loss of export markets. Although South Africa was not exporting any beef currently, it was exporting ostrich meat in large quantities, followed by game meat, and it was also still exporting milk and dairy products, and some other products in smaller amounts. Meat products were therefore still being exported and it had not lost any markets to the European Union at all.
Mr Abram asked what attempts the Department had made to render assistance and relief immediately with regard to disaster assistance. There were many subsistence and emerging farmers who suffered in this process.
Mr Nel also asked about the delayed payouts from disaster funds. This was a major problem, since those in need required immediate assistance, and should not have to wait for two years. He asked if the problem lay with roll-out at community level or in obtaining funds from the Treasury.
The Department responded that, in the past, it had not been possible to plan for disasters, since there had never been any prior allocation of funding for disaster management. The Department was working with the National Treasury to establish a fund, so that as soon as disasters happened the Department could disburse funds to those affected. Capacity to assess and report disasters differed from one province to another. Some provinces, but not all, had teams in place to make an immediate assessment of a disaster. The Western Cape was performing very well in this regard. Its turnover time in assessing and extending disaster relief was, on average, only two weeks. The Department sought capable assessors to reduce turnover time.
Mr Abram asked why machinery and drilling equipment had been withdrawn with the result that boreholes could not be drilled. He also asked what contingency plans had been put in place.
Mr Abram warned the Department that Land Affairs was likely to become the next 'pseudo-agricultural' department, because that Department was going to buy up farms and enterprises, and would engage in farming. He asked about the quality of interaction between the two Departments that would enable them to do that.
Mr Abram said that in view of the fact that the Department of Agriculture had been unable to assist with CASP beneficiaries, allegedly because of lack of capacity, then the question must be asked how DOA could then intercede to ensure success of the Department of Land Affairs' endeavours.
Mr Abram said that the Department of Agriculture provided attractive packages to assist people, and agreed that this should be one facet of the Department's activity. However, in order to enable people to become commercial farmers he suggested that the DOA then had a responsibility to liaise with organised agriculture, to ensure that every large commercial farmer in the country released one employee to run land that the Department would buy up and to assist emerging farmers to become successful farmers. He offered this suggestion in the light of the Department of Agriculture's admission that it could not promptly identify beneficiaries. This would give the commercial farmer a buy-in, as he would be proud that one of his employees had been chosen by the DOA and would want that employee to succeed.
A Member asked for a further explanation around bio-safety and genetically modified organisms.
The Department responded that DOA was represented on an interdepartmental Committee, comprising also of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), the Department of Health (DOH) and other government departments to ensure that the Genetically Modified Organisms Council approved all genetically modified organisms that came into the country. The Department had employed independent scientists to make assessments and recommendations to the Genetically Modified Organisms Council. The Council was approved by the Minister. Last year the Committee had requested a workshop.
Ms Ntuli asked whether the assistance rendered through the Department's economic development and livelihood programme was sufficient to enable beneficiaries to earn a sustainable livelihood.
Ms Ntuli then commented that she had some experience as a poultry farmer. She asked what kind of enterprises the 27 poultry enterprises were, and whether they reared egg-layer or broiler chickens. If they were broilers, she asked how many chickens each farmer would be able to rear per cycle of 45 days, and what grade of chicken was being reared. She pointed out that whilst new-born chicks cost only R2 each, chicken feed currently cost about R4 000 a ton. She noted that if there was a sincere wish to develop farmers, then the sum of R3 000 was so small as to be "derisory" and made a mockery of the projects intended to develop the people.
Mr Abram said that one could not even buy a bag of starter feed with such an amount.
Ms Ntuli agreed that to buy three bags of feed – 'starter', 'grower' and 'finisher', the farmer needed R10 000. She added that these calculations were for food alone, and the costs of medication, heaters and other equipment must also be taken into account. There was also the need to consider losses through mortality as even with a healthy batch of chickens, there was likely to be around a 5% mortality rate.
The Acting Deputy Director-General for Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development explained that this programme aimed to promote household food security, rather than wider economic development, as it was essentially a scheme that dealt with social aspects. It was based on the idea that if a household could be enabled to obtain 25 egg-laying chickens, who could each lay up to two eggs per day, then 50 eggs would be sufficient for the household's food security. Food security was the purpose of the scheme.
Ms Ntuli questioned whether the Department was really alleviating poverty or unwittingly driving the people down into a deeper mire of poverty.
Ms Ntuli then asked the Department about its economic and business development programme. She would have thought that all the Deputy Directors-General in the Department should have formed a planning committee, together with other departments and provinces, to plan a methodology for creating agricultural businesses in the communities. However, the Annual Report and the presentation led her to conclude that the Department was instead working "in silos", with each individual doing his own job in isolation. She suggested that ideally such a committee should be formed, and that Deputy Directors General should implement the plans of the Departments of Agriculture, Land Affairs and Trade and Industry. This would also encompass BBBEE and entrepreneur development. It was essential to sit together and discuss these reports to assess whether an impact was being made. She referred to farms in Bushbuckridge that still did not have pipes to receive the water that was being offered to them.
Mr P Ditshetelo (UCDP) said that this presentation must be related to the developments on the ground and improvements in the lifestyle of the people. The Committee had a duty to ask questions, for instance, to obtain an idea about the impact of these programmes on the emerging farmers. Members who were interacting with their farming constituents did not see much evidence of implementation of these programmes nor their value to farmers. The question must be asked whether such programmes had improved the lives of the people. He asked the Department to give an "unbundling", by way of statistics, on the progress of cooperatives, to note and what value these had to emerging farmers.
Mr Ditshetelo asked if there were any particular reasons why funds that were made available and earmarked for fire and other assistance were not used in the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo to assist farmers, as he thought that the failure to do so was irresponsible. If there were difficulties in the utilisation of these funds, then he would like this to be explained, so that Members could then give explanations to their constituents.
The Acting Deputy Director-General for Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development responded that during his presentation he had mentioned several co-operatives that had been profiled. That was done precisely to show the impact of those co-operatives on the beneficiaries. When dealing with issues arising from high food prices it was necessary to consider the problem of high input costs Some fertiliser companies, following the DOA's engagement with them, had made special concessions so that farmers could buy directly from them provided that they bought in bulk. This was possible only by using a cooperative, and bulk buying through cooperatives would help farmers to achieve economies of scale.
Mr Dlali launched a formidable critique of the Departmental presentation's editing and proof-reading, before proceeding to attack its content, although he acknowledged that perhaps the legibility of the hard copy might have been degraded in the photocopying process. He noted that the errors, some of which he highlighted, showed that the Department had not checked the presentation, and this reflected poorly upon the presenters. He wanted to know why they did not review, revise and check their work. It was utterly unacceptable for the Department to come to the Committee with work that had not been properly prepared, as it assumed that the Committee would sit passively and accept the information without questioning its accuracy.
Moreover, Mr Dlali criticised the briefing team for just reading through the presentation, and not telling the Committee about what the Department was planning to do. When a challenge was identified, it was necessary to inform the Committee how that challenge would be addressed.
Mr Dlali referred to the livelihoods, economics and business development section, noting that the Department had spoken about lack of co-ordination in all spheres of government. However, when the Director-General had given her overview, she had praised the co-operation between two spheres of government but she had not mentioned local government. These statements were contradictory. Throughout the presentation there were implications that there was a serious lack of co-ordination.
The Acting Deputy Director-General for Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development responded to this point. He said the emphasis was on the social cluster, in which other departments such as the Departments of Education and Health were involved in food matters. Co-ordination was necessary to ensure that another departments would not begin to implement programmes that were essentially agricultural in nature, since these might fail to conform to the prescribed specifications. There was a sub-committee of the social cluster and a task team to ensure co-ordination and liaise with provincial counterparts.
Mr Dlali said that the Department's projection of the number of farmers to be awarded production loans: was 7 000, but that in the first six months only 29 farmers received such loans. He furthermore that when the Department had come to the Committee in 2007 it had promised an improvement of the inspecting personnel at the ports, projecting that 35 people would be appointed, but now the achievement was described as nil. This was especially important in respect of diseases such as those from China. Once again, in respect of bio-security and disaster management, the projection had been for three people for plant health, but the final result was again nil. In agricultural product inspection services, the projection was two, and the final result was once again nil. He said that this did not reflect the performance that the Department was asserting.
Mr Dlali added that these questions also related to the funds that the Department should have spent. He had been informed that there were certain monies that had been returned by the service providers on account of inability to spend those monies. He asked if the Department had established a monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure that service providers fulfilled their obligations. R11 million had been allocated in the medium term. He asked if it would all be spent.
Mr Nel asked if the Department monitored the smaller livelihood projects to ensure that money was well spent.
Ms Njabulo Nduli said that the Department had strengthened its own monitoring and evaluation unit in order to address some of the challenges that the Department had identified. In terms of the concurrent function of agriculture, the Department of Agriculture remained at one end of the process. Once the Department had transferred money to the province or implementing agency, the DOA was essentially at the mercy of that organisation as to whether it had the capacity to perform its duties. The challenges of implementation might not rest at the national level but at the provincial level. The Department had strengthened its monitoring capacity to ensure that in accordance with the Division of Revenue Act the Department was able to track those activities. The Department's presentation could never be complete without obtaining a picture of events at the point of delivery at the provincial level, not just at the national level point of dispensation.
Mr Dlali said that, if he remembered correctly, the Committee had now heard on four occasions that the line of command for veterinary services was not harmonised (page 21 of the presentation). He asked why, as there were people employed and paid to correct such disharmonies.
The Department responded that it had signed a protocol with the MECs to ensure that they knew their responsibilities regarding veterinary services and animal health. The Department had also forwarded that protocol to the Heads of Departments. DOA had also signed a service level agreement with the directors of veterinary services to ensure that no areas were being left out. This was important because disease knew no borders. There was a proposal presently under consideration for returning veterinary services to the national level. The Department admitted that in the past five years there had been a lack of adequate policy implementation, but this shortcoming had evolved around the people, not the policies.
Mr Dlali said, with regard to food security, that he had written a letter to the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture in 2006/2007 requesting a certain report. To date he had not received the report. Monies expended in that project had not been properly accounted for.
Mr Dlali had been informed of an interdepartmental report under the leadership of the Department of Agriculture on the food crisis. He noted that at the very least, and as a matter of courtesy, the Committee should have been briefed.
Mr Dlali said that the Department should be called to engage with the Committee further. He was dissatisfied with this briefing, which he considered had been selective, as it tended to report only on the areas where there had been successes.
Ms Nduli said that there would not be enough time to respond in detail to all questions at the present time.
Mr Nel agreed that in future the Committee must set aside more time to engage with the Department.
The Chairperson said that it was quite clear that there were some issues on which follow-up was required.
Mr Abram asked, and the Chairperson ruled accordingly, that the Department provide written answers to those questions that it did not answer in the meeting.
The Chairperson congratulated the Department of Agriculture for being one of only seven departments to receive an unqualified annual report for 2007/2008. However, he pointed out that that fact did not necessarily meant that the Department was doing well overall.


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BTSR Winners
Broadcast Industry Announces National Training Award Winners
The winners of this year's Broadcast Award – the only sector-specific accolade within the acclaimed National Training Awards (NTA) – were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony last night.
Global Radio, Ideal Shopping Direct, and Lincs FM Group were all announced Broadcast Award winners for their commitment to staff learning and development with Global Radio receiving the highest accolade of the night, a UK Award.
Global Radio's Masterclass is a modular, action-based learning programme, created to target directly the top 10% Account Managers. The judges praised Global Radio on the direct attributable results of Masterclass – a highly motivated workforce, a revolutionary approach to selling radio advertising and a million pound return on investment.
Ideal Shopping Direct were commended on the measurable changes their management training Foundation Programme had brought about – cross-departmental communication and increased staff motivation plus a dramatic drop in numbers of disciplinaries, grievances and staff turnover.
Lincs FM Group were congratulated on the design and delivery of an excellent training model targeting on-air talent. Through Performance Coaching Lincs FM Group has encouraged good quality broadcasting as well as growing sales revenue.
The awards ceremony took place at BAFTA, and was hosted by radio and TV favourite, Maggie Philbin, with the awards themselves being presented by Baroness Kennedy.
Peter Block, Executive Director of the Broadcast Training and Skills Regulator (BTSR) – which launched the NTA for the Broadcast Industry alongside Skillset, and Ofcom, in partnership with UK Skills – said: "Congratulations to all our winners, and also our finalists. These awards really are special. Individuals and companies all over the UK want to win one. This year we saw a three-fold rise in the number of applications received. So to even be a finalist is a tremendous achievement. A real 'well done' to Global Radio, for winning a UK National Training Award, it's a fantastic achievement."
On collecting the UK Award in the Large Employer category, Janet Jones, Account Director at Global Radio said: "We would like to thank everybody who has helped make this possible, especially Apex who we have worked very closely with over the last 12 months. Our training sessions started out as just a pilot scheme, led by all of us involved in the business. Our goal was to learn off each other and develop our own skills, which we have done. This has delivered so many benefits that now we're taking it to the next level. We are starting two new courses as of tomorrow, and see training as a key ingredient in taking this organisation forward."
Global Radio will now be invited to the NTA Gala Celebration in London on 10th December, where they will find out if they have won the ultimate accolade of NTA Winner of the Year in the Large Employer category.
Maggie Philbin, who hosted the awards ceremony, commented: "Training is a very important aspect of any business, whatever sector you operate in. The younger generation nowadays look for the best companies to work for, those who train and look after their staff. So companies who do put the time, effort, and money into training are the ones who will attract the best young talent and ultimately succeed. Therefore to receive an NTA is not just an outstanding achievement but a fantastic way to attract new and young talent."
"I agree," added Baroness Kennedy. "Training has never been as vital as it is right now. There's a lot of great practice going on out there; a lot of organisations understand that in these critical times, training and learning can make the difference between success and failure."
Simon Bartley, Chief Executive of UK Skills which manages the National Training Awards said: "The winners have demonstrated that training is an investment not a cost and that it can transform companies, careers, and communities. I congratulate them all on what they have achieved."
For more information, please contact Energy PR on 01993 823011 or email louise@energypr.co.uk.
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A big day at the Sydney launch of BUB
Thank you to everyone who turned out last Saturday for the Sydney launch of Blowing Up Balloons. A great crowd filled the room at The Children's Bookshop where owner, Paul Macdonald, provided drinks and welcomed guests. Shannon Dearing recalled the challenges and joys she and Vanessa shared with the others in their mothers' group when their children… Read More A big day at the Sydney launch of BUB
March 28, 2017 March 28, 2017 gregorypiko
Owen Bullock to launch BUB in Yass
Vanessa Proctor and myself are thrilled that Owen Bullock has agreed to launch our book, Blowing Up Balloons: baby poems for parents, at Tootsie's in Yass. Owen is the author of four collections of poetry and recently submitted his thesis for a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Canberra. Tootsie's gallery and café,… Read More Owen Bullock to launch BUB in Yass
March 17, 2017 April 3, 2017 gregorypiko
Details for the Sydney launch of BUB
The Sydney launch of Blowing Up Balloons: baby poems for parents will take place at The Children's Bookshop, located at 6 Hannah Street in Beecroft. 1:30pm for a 2:00pm start Saturday 25 March 2017 Vanessa and myself would like to thank bookshop owner, Paul McDonald, for allowing us to hold the event in his store.… Read More Details for the Sydney launch of BUB
A Brush With Poetry returns for 2017
Robyn Sykes is again coordinating A Brush With Poetry on behalf of the Binalong Arts Group Inc. The 2017 series of poetry afternoons will commence on Sunday 26 March 2017 and, as usual, Yvette Gilroy will host the event at the historic Black Swan Gallery and Wine Bar in Binalong. For this first date on 26 March, Robyn… Read More A Brush With Poetry returns for 2017
Charlotte Digregorio: The Daily Haiku
A big thank you to Charlotte Digregorio from the USA for including one of my haiku on her writer's blog. Charlotte's site offers tips and thoughts about writing in general, and haiku in particular. You can find her blog here. As part of her site, Charlotte runs The Daily Haiku which has to date featured haiku by… Read More Charlotte Digregorio: The Daily Haiku


This entry was posted on March 5, 2016 at 6:12 pm and is filed under If it sounds country, Lyrics.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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https://www.theridgefieldpress.com/arts-leisure/article/Classic-films-like-Casablanca-and-The-14927432.php
Classic films like 'Casablanca' and 'The Godfather' take over cable this weekend
By Mark Schumann
Published 1:00 pm EST, Friday, December 27, 2019
Check out the movies playing on your television this weekend.
Photo: Metro Creative Connection/ Contributed Photo
Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford and Humphrey Bogart are a few of the stars with movies playing this weekend on broadcast and cable stations.
Friday, Dec. 27
The Godfather (1972): What if a man, in order to protect his family, positions himself to lead an underworld syndicate? Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star. 5:30 p.m. AMC.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1980): What if an adventurous archaeologist discovers an ultimate search for buried treasure? Harrison Ford stars in this Spielberg classic. 6:30 p.m. PAR.
Casablanca (1943): What if desperate people, during World War II, are so anxious to get to America they will take any steps? Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star. 6:15 p.m. TCM.
Saturday, Dec. 28
Dear Brigitte (1964): What if a father discovers that his young son is infatuated with actress Brigitte Bardot? James Stewart and Glynis Johns star. 9:20 a.m. FXM.
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997): What if a selfish woman decides to destroy the wedding of her best (male) friend? Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett star. 11 am POP.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986): What if a most likable high school senior makes us want to be his best friend as he discovers how fun life can be? Matthew Broderick stars. 12 noon AMC.
Air Force One (1997): What if the President of the United States is kidnapped by terrorists while traveling on his official jet? Harrison Ford and Glenn Close star. 1:30 p.m. PAR.
Hidden Figures (2016): What if women with a knack for details teach NASA a few lessons about mathematics and decency? Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star. 7:15 p.m. FXM.
Claudine (1974): What if a hard-working domestic worker in New York City discovers real romance for the first time in her life? Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones star. 8 p.m. TCM.
Sunday, Dec. 29
Roman Holiday (1953): What if a royal princess chooses to escape her destiny to explore Rome? Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for William Wyler's romantic fantasy. 12 noon. TCM.


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A medical school's safe return
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools around the world, medical student Deep Patel wanted certainty that he and his classmates could return to the classroom and clinical environments for their...
Essential service for those serving others
When the U.S. Air Force started running low on hand sanitizer during the coronavirus pandemic, ExxonMobil quickly stepped in with a 10,000-gallon donation to help keep service members safe and healthy. That's...
COVID-19hand sanitizer
How we're supporting communities around the world
ExxonMobil continues to respond to the needs of health care workers, first responders and impacted communities around the world, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. While the crisis is global, a great deal of work is...
Special delivery: Supplying sanitizer to frontline professionals
Across the country, frontline medical workers and first responders are receiving supplies of medical-grade sanitizer donated by ExxonMobil. For many communities, the sanitizer – provided to hospitals, fire and...
COVID-19emergency response
Donations by the gallon: A new solution from Louisiana
Making sanitizer for those in need. When the technicians, engineers and scientists at ExxonMobil's manufacturing facilities in Baton Rouge and Port Allen, Louisiana, heard about the urgent need for sanitization...
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Our coronavirus response: Meeting a new challenge
ExxonMobil is working to help meet the needs of health care professionals fighting this pandemic on the front lines, as well as those socially distancing themselves at home. While those needs continue to evolve,...
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A rapid response to protect travelers and frontline TSA officers
To protect travelers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers during the COVID-19 pandemic, TSA needed thousands of gallons of disinfectant – and they needed it quickly.
A new collaboration to fight COVID-19
When it comes to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn't matter the size of the company. Everyone has a role to play. For ExxonMobil – one of the world's largest producers of isopropyl alcohol (IPA), a...
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Mask ambition
A chance Facebook friendship between an Atlanta-based physician and a digital transformation expert from ExxonMobil could help unlock a wave of medical masks that health care workers need to help treat patients...
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Helping doctors and nurses breathe safely
Today, health care workers are faced with a scarcity of protective face masks and shields, and the supply chains to produce them are taxed to their limits. That's why an ExxonMobil team of experts in chemicals,...
Producing solutions for frontline professionals
ExxonMobil is maximizing its production of the high-performance polymers used to make face masks, surgical gowns and other critical medical supplies for those treating patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by...
Getting disinfectant into the right hands
The simple acts of washing your hands and using hand sanitizer can have a dramatic impact on slowing the spread of diseases like COVID-19. And in the midst of this global pandemic, access to chemicals used in...


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History of Edwin Mellen Press
10 Reasons Publish with us
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Smith, Peter Dunbaugh
Peter Dunbaugh Smith earned his Ph.D. in Humanities from Florida State University. He previously taught at the College of Central Florida as an Associate Professor for the Humanities and Social Sciences and is currently an independent scholar and musician.
Cultural History of the First Jazz and Blues Communities in Jacksonville, Florida 1896-1916. A Contribution of African Americans to American Theatre
2015 1-4955-0351-8
This rich and descriptive analysis of one particular neighborhood and its contributions to the formation of new, and distinctively African-American, performance ideologies by lesser known performers contributes to a greater understanding of this historical period and the body of creative work that has never been fully chronicled or acknowledged before.
Scholarly publisher of academic research.
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Teen driver loses life in jet dragster accident
Oct 3rd 2006 at 5:58PM
In a tragic accident on Sunday, 17-year-old Canadian drag-racing protégé Kendall Hebert died when her jet-powered dragster crashed into a wall at Toronto Motorsport Park in the suburb of Cayuga, outside Hamilton, Ontario.
The accident occurred during a demonstration, not a race. The young Hebert had just finished a quarter-mile sprint down the track, reaching over 480 km/h (just under 300 mph) when the car inexplicably hit a concrete wall, sending the vehicle rolling and throwing its driver out of the cockpit. To make matters even worse, Kendall's family was in attendance and saw the crash that took their young daughter's life. According to provincial police, the event was also being broadcast over the internet.
(For those who have been following the news and might be wondering what made this accident fatal, while Top Gear's Richard Hammond is alive and recovering after a similar accident, the difference may lie in Kendall sadly having hit a wall directly, while Hammond rolled over grass, lessening the impact.)
Kendall came from a racing family; her father and sister both race competitively, and Kendall was looking forward to joining them after her 18th birthday, which she sadly never reached. Our condolences to the bereaved Hebert family.
(Our gratitude to Kevin for having sent us the sad news.)
[Source: the Toronto Sun]


Squirrels change their minds halfway across the road. Squirrels blithely scurry along high voltage power lines.
Squirrels are hilarious. Squirrels are clever. Squirrels will empty your bird feeder in 30 seconds flat.


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"The boy's going global", Kwaku DMC, an akata-boy, has proclaimed in his freestyle rap song, Off White Flow. But akata in itself is already global. What is local are the people who embody this phenomenon. What is akata and who becomes an akata-boy? The akata-boy is many persons, but also one person. Many persons because the akata-boy is found in many places, shaped by many social forces. By virtue of his near ubiquity, it is as if the akata-boy is one body extended to many places. He may be misattributed as the New York hipster who frequented kitsch-land (a place for trading low brow goods) in Upper West Side in the aughties. The akata-boy may also be confused with the Limeño hipster, who despised cumbia music but started dancing to 'cumbias psicodélicas' because it became cool. Jace Clayton (aka DJ Rupture) has noted in nplusone magazine's 2010 series that anatomized the hipster, 'What was the hipster?', that the Limeño hipster's acceptance of cumbias psicodélicas was because "Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru" was produced by a cool Brooklyn-based recording label, Barbes. Cumbia now looked cool to the middle-class Peruvian hipster.
The akata-boy runs deeper than the New York or Peruvian hipster, and his birth earlier than the hipster. Before the hipster took flight from/to Brooklyn, and to/from Lima, or anywhere else in the world, there was the akata-boy.
In retrospect, the akata-boy could be Norman Mailer, the American novelist's white negro. Mailer, who was well celebrated as a philosopher of hip, explored the hipster as an American existentialist in The White Negro. According to Mailer, the American existentialist was framed from the horrors that feature modernism, particularly the terrors of the 20th century and the injustices that Blacks in the US face from the state for centuries. The marginalized black in US live life by engaging death, for in his consciousness, he could die deus ex machina, not by atomic bomb or radioactivity, but by state aggression. Greeting state aggression with aggression only resulted in his physical death, therefore, the marginalized black harmonized with the state through his jive philosophy, as Anatole Broyard had made clear in his 1948 essay, The portrait of the Hipster. Through jive philosophy, the marginalized black was able to reconcile with the society symbolically: through music, and other creative arts.
The akata-boy is not unlike the marginalized black in North America, or elsewhere around the globe, in that the social forces that created the marginalization of blacks in North America are similar to those that formed the akata-boy who lives at a trap-house (the akata-boy's residence, which is usually co-habited by his coterie) in a suburb of Kumasi, Ghana's second metropolis. These forces emanate from capitalist ideals, such as unrestrained accumulation that alienate the individuals involved in the resource extraction that drive this accumulation from their human essence. Once alienated, the akata-boy strives to reconcile with his essence through symbols: music, fashion and argots. Through these symbols, the akata-boy reconnects with his essence, and by so doing becomes a source of resistance to capitalists and the mechanisms put in place to protect accumulated wealth. Not surprisingly, these symbols are core to the jive philosophy that are adapted by the marginalized black in North America to cope with state aggression.
If the akata-boy is spatially related to the black in North America, temporally, he may not be any different from the nkwankwaa.. The nkwankwaa were individuals who descended from low-income families or clans in the Asante Empire, and who were cast into servitude throughout the empire's history. As political beings, the nkwankwaa served as sources of resistance against many imperial forces. In 'The Quills of Porcupine; Asante Nationalism in an Emergent Ghana', Jean Marie Allman traced the role of the nkwankwaa from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial Ghana. During the heyday of the Asante Kingdom, the nkwankwaa's resistance were directed at the Asante aristocrats who extracted the surplus of their labor. In the colonial era, the nkwankwaa were largely influential in Asante's resistance to British and other European infiltration that sought to displace them from their land (or so they thought). Nationalism drove the nkwankwaa's contribution to Asante resistance because colonialism threatened to supplant an attachment to a place or people that itself was the substance of the nkwankwaa's existence. Although this attachment was directed at a place and people that subdued them, they regarded their relations with the Asante aristocrats as the concrete of their existence. Without it, they vaporize into nothingness and to nowhere. Just as Anatole Broyard's hipster "….longed to be somewhere", the nkwankwaa desired to be somewhere.
Somewhereness is central to jive as well as akata. The akata-boy's trap-house or 'hood' dominates his symbols: his murals, music and music videos. He lives in slums and poor neighborhoods in urban centers, which embody relics of infrastructures and other resources that attracted people to the inner cities in the first place. As these infrastructures attract varieties of persons; proles and aristocrats alike, diverse communities are formed. It becomes harder to control such diverse communes, leading to the accumulation of filth, increasing crimes and other dystopic conditions that characterize most urban centers. As has been observed elsewhere around the world, in no time, the aristocrats take flight to suburbia, that utopic place that is insular to all the putrescence of the urban centers. This exodus is no more a familiar feature of modernism than inequality has become customary for more than 10,000 years of human history (which, by the way, is only 3% of human existence). Akata translated the decaying urban centers into bohemia, which ironically attracted the kids whose affluent parents took flight to suburbia in search of immunity against the troubles of urban centers. By patronizing kitsch from bohemia, these late arriving privileged kids, who may be the hipster, provide a conduit for capital to kitsch-land or bohemia, fueling hyper-consumerism of kitsch. This consumerist drive of kitsch removes kitsch and bohemia from the grasp of the akata-boy [What I refer to as late removism].
To guard against such removism, the akata-boy uses a priorism to fight back the hipster and capital. As Anatole Broyard noted in The Portrait of the Hipster, a priorism constitute a central theme of jive philosophy. A priorism, the concept that it is given to know the score, is, as Broyard rightly put it, "a primary self-preserving postulate". It binarizes the akata-boy, and the late-comer (hipster): it is either you dig the flow, or you don't. As an archetypal akata-boy would proudly put it, "This is our lifestyle; you either live it or you don't." That way, there is no channel for mobility between outsiders and akata. Akata employs a priorism as a defensive weapon against the predatory hipster and their capitalistic accoutrements which constantly threaten to gentrify bohemia. In no time, however, you find an outsider knowing the score or an akata betraying the lifestyle and revealing the score to outsiders (through making love to capital). These few double-dealers punch holes in akata, leading to its death, although akata never dies forever. It keeps resurrecting after capital kills it. Akata is capital's nemesis.
Tags: akata, Asakaa, Life Living Records


The Testing Center is a partner in the enrollment process and before registering for your first college course, you must take the TSI Assessment. The TSI Assessment is used to determine whether the student meets the requirements for the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). If you are a transfer student or a returning student, please check with the Testing Center staff to determine course placement. All students who plan to enroll at St. Philip's College must complete an ApplyTexas application, complete the AlamoEnroll modules and have a AlamoStudent ID # to test. Your AlamoStudent ID is generated from your Apply TX application and can be located by accessing the AlamoStudent ID lookup Tool.
As of August 26, 2013, an institution of higher education shall use the TSI Assessment as the only approved assessment instrument for all students attending a public college. The state-mandated program is designed to help determine if you are ready for college-level course work in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. The TSI Assessment minimum passing standards for college readiness are: Mathematics score ≥ 350, Reading score ≥ 351, and Writing score 340 - 390 with an essay ≥ 4 or < 340, ABE > 4 with an essay of 5.Students who score below the cut scores are placed in the appropriate developmental course and will need to earn a "C" or better.
Am I Exempt for the TSI Assessment?
All students not meeting the exemptions, exceptions, and waivers (see table 1) as defined must take the TSI Assessment as a diagnostic tool to determine reading, writing, and mathematics basic skills. All students who qualify for an exemption, exception or waiver must complete the GO FAARR module and bring the appropriate documentation to the Testing Center.
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Cross Institutional Reporting Form - Use this form if you need our office to pull your TSI Assessment scores electronically from another institution.
Start your application by reviewing Ready, Set, Apply & click on the Apply Texas link.
When items 1, 2, & 3 on the checklist are complete, schedule your testing appointment.
* Non-Alamo College students must complete a pre-assessment activity and submit proof of completion prior to taking the TSI Assessment at any of our test sites.
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The GED Testing Center is located in the St. Philip's College Welcome Center, room 207B. We administer the Official GED and HiSET in room 206B.
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Rage Against the Machine (tudi RATM) je ameriška glasbena skupina, znana predvsem po svojih politično obarvanih besedilih in mešanici hard rock, metal, rap in funk glasbi (imenovani rapcore).

Skupina je 8. februarja 2000 nastopila tudi v Ljubljani.

Člani skupine
Vse od ustanovitve skupine leta 1991 pa do njenega razpada leta 2000, se člani skupine niso spreminjali:
 pevec: Zack de la Rocha,
 kitarist: Tom Morello,
 basist: Tim Commerford,
 bobnar: Brad Wilk.

Po razpadu RATM leta 2000 so kitarist, basist in bobnar skupaj z nekdanjim pevcem ameriške glasbene skupine Soundgarden, Chrisom Cornellom, leta 2001 ustanovili skupino Audioslave.

Leta 2007 pa je skupina zopet začela z aktivnim igranjem.

Albumi
 1992: Rage Against the Machine
 1996: Evil Empire
 1996: Live & Rare
 1999: The Battle of Los Angeles
 2000: Renegades
 2003: Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium

Ameriške rock skupine
Glasbene skupine, ustanovljene leta 1992
Glasbene skupine, razpadle leta 2000
Glasbene skupine, obujene leta 2007

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A few TechHub residents have been caught on camera recently - see below what Toby, Gerry & Simeon, Michael, Daniel, Richard and Jinder had to say about being a vital part of the exciting London startup community.
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Q: what is responsible for HDFS master (Namenode) Hi could anyone explain me what is HDFS master (Namenode is responsible for? also what is exactly Namenode and Datanode metadata in HDFS. I am recently started studying SPARK but our lecture was not deep enough for HDFS. Many thanks

A: HDFS has a master/slave architecture. An HDFS cluster consists of a single NameNode, a master server that manages the file system namespace and regulates access to files by clients. In addition, there are a number of DataNodes, usually one per node in the cluster, which manage storage attached to the nodes that they run on. HDFS exposes a file system namespace and allows user data to be stored in files. Internally, a file is split into one or more blocks and these blocks are stored in a set of DataNodes. The NameNode executes file system namespace operations like opening, closing, and renaming files and directories. It also determines the mapping of blocks to DataNodes. The DataNodes are responsible for serving read and write requests from the file system's clients. The DataNodes also perform block creation, deletion, and replication upon instruction from the NameNode.
https://hadoop.apache.org/docs/r1.2.1/hdfs_design.html#NameNode+and+DataNodes
https://www.edureka.co/blog/apache-hadoop-hdfs-architecture/

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