text:
Introduction To The Pentateuch
(The Five Books Of Moses)
fNames For The Pentateuch:
As explained in What is The Old Testament About, the Old Testament was divided into three divisions. The first division is known as The Torah. The name Torah is a Hebrew word that means Instruction, doctrine, and law. "Torah" was used for the Word of God, as it was in Psalm 1:2. The term "Torah" also referred to the Five Books Of Moses that were later named "The Pentateuch." The name "Pentateuch" was derived from two Greek words – "pente", which means "five", and "teuchos", which means "volume". The Pentateuch, then, was the five volumes, or books, of Moses.
In numerous verses of the Old Testament the Torah, or Pentateuch, was called: the law, the book of the law, the book of the law of Moses, the book of Moses, the law of the Lord, the law of God, the book of the law of God, the book of the law of the Lord, and the law of Moses the servant of God.
The word "Torah", or law, was used in more of a legal sense of the word, because of the legal elements of the books. The Torah, however, did include the narrative and historical parts of the books also, which made up the backdrop for the legal sections. The Book of Exodus addressed mostly the moral laws of God. The Book of Leviticus addressed mostly the ceremonial laws of worship. The Book of Numbers addressed chiefly the civil laws of the nation of Israel.
Originally the Torah, or the Pentateuch, was one book. The division of the Torah into the five separate books of the Pentateuch occurred in very ancient times. The Jews called the five books by their respective opening words: 1. Bereshith 2. Shemoth 3. Wajjikrah 4. Wajjedhabber 5 Debharim. In the Greek Septuagint the five books were called: 1. Genesis 2. Exodus 3. Leuitikon 4. Arithmoi 5. Deuteronomion.
Authorship:
Moses was the author of the Pentateuch. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write the first five books of the Bible. While Moses was the author, this does not mean that he could not have used another man as his secretary to write for him. He could also have made use of some available written records. And while Moses authored the Pentateuch, it is possible that a few verses, such as the conclusion of the Book of Deuteronomy, were added by another inspired man of God. There is internal evidence within the Pentateuch for Moses' authorship. See Exodus 17:14; 24:3-7; 34:27; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:19 & 22.
Moses' authorship of the Pentateuch was indicated in other books of the Old Testament as well. For example: Joshua 23:6; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings14:6. In 1 Chronicles 6:49 the offerings commanded by Moses refer to Exodus 27:1-8; 30:1-7; 30:10-16. 2 Chronicles 8:13 mentions various ceremonial laws commanded by Moses, which were written in the Books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The law of Moses was mentioned in 2 Chronicles 25:4; Ezra 3:2; Nehemiah 8:1; Daniel 9:11; Malachi 4:4.
Moses' authorship of the Pentateuch was also upheld in the New Testament by Christ Jesus and his apostles. See Matthew 8:4; 10:7; Mark 10:3-5; 12:19 & 26; Luke 5:14; 24:44; John 1:17; 1:45; 7:19 &23; Acts 3:22; 13:39; 15:5; 28:23; 1 Corinthians 9:9; Hebrews 9:19; 10:28.
The biographical information on the life of Moses follows below.
The Pentateuch is the opening history of God's plan of salvation.
Time Of Its Being Written:
During the exodus from Egypt to Canaan in 1440-1400 B. C.
The Life Of Moses:
What we know about Moses' life for the most part has been provided to us by Moses himself in his first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Key information about him, however, was also provided by Stephen in his address to the Jewish Sanhedrin before they stoned him to death, which Luke recorded in the seventh chapter of the Book of Acts. The writer of the Book of Hebrews also provided important information about Moses and his life in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. The biographical information below is based on these biblical sources.
Moses was born about 1,520 B.C. He was a Levite, the son of his father Amram and his mother Jochebed, who was Amram's aunt, the sister of Amram's father Kohath (see Ex.6:18-20).
When Moses was born, his mother Jochebed saw that he was a beautiful child. Acts 7:20 says Moses was beautiful, or very fair, to God. His mother hid him for 3 months, unafraid of Pharaoh's decree that every Hebrew infant son was to be cast to his death in the Nile River (Ex.1:15-22). When his mother could hide him no longer, she set him adrift in the reeds by the bank of the Nile in a basket made of reeds and covered with tar and pitch. Moses' sister, Miriam (1 Chr.6:3), stood not far away to see what would become of him (ex.2:2-4).
At that time Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, attended by her maidens. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent one of her maids to get it for her. When she opened the basket, she found Moses inside. He was crying, and she was then overcome with pity for him. At that time Moses' sister, Miriam, spoke up and offered to get a nurse from among the Hebrew women who could nurse him for her. Pharaoh's daughter accepted the offer. Miriam then brought Moses' mother. Pharaoh's daughter hired Moses' mother to take him and nurse him for her (Ex.2:5-9).
The loving, providential care of God was surely at work there. He saved Moses' life from danger and death. He arranged to have the infant Moses cared for by his own mother during those early, informative years of Moses' life. What is more, he blessed Moses' mother with an income for taking care of her own dearly loved son. And during those early, informative years of Moses' life, she was able to teach him about the one true God of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God who had promised to send the Messiah, the Christ, to save them from sin, death, and the devil and to give them eternal life with him in heaven. Furthermore, she was able to teach Moses about his Hebrew heritage as a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When Moses' mother had cared for him until he was weaned, which in those days occurred at about 3 to 4 years of age, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who then took him and adopted him as her own son. Pharaoh's daughter then named him "Moses", which means "Drawn Out", because she had drawn him out of the water (Ex.2:10).
In his Book of Exodus Moses passed over his own childhood and early life. However Stephen in his address to the Jewish Sanhedrin provided valuable information on that early life of Moses. In Acts 7:22 Luke wrote that Stephen stated, "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he continued to be a powerful man in his words and deeds." As a son of Pharaoh's daughter, Moses was educated as a prince of Egypt in all the wisdom and learning of the Egyptians, whose education and knowledge was foremost in the world at that time. Some commentators have thought Moses' Egyptian education would have included geometry, astronomy, music, painting, architecture, medicine, chemistry, history, poetry, religion, philosophy, and law. His education was likely to have included firsthand observation of the ways and affairs and protocol of the Egyptian court and business of government. While Moses' education no doubt was intended to prepare him for a life's work as a prince of Egypt in a high government position, in actuality the Lord was preparing Moses for his life as the leader and ruler and judge of God's chosen nation, the Israelites.
Now when Moses grew up, he was a powerful man in word and deeds. He was well aware of his Hebrew heritage and the promises of God to his people. Therefore he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter and chose to suffer mistreatment together with the Hebrew people of God rather than have the passing enjoyment of Egyptian sinful pleasures. He regarded being disgraced for Christ the Messiah a greater treasure than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to his reward from the Lord (Acts 7:22; Heb.11:24-26).
One day when he was nearly 40 years old it entered his mind to visit his Hebrew brothers. He watched them at work in their hard labor. He saw one of them being treated unjustly by an Egyptian. He defended the Hebrew man and carried out vengeance for him by killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand. In some manner Moses must have previously learned that he was to be the deliverer and ruler of the Israelite people, for when he visited his Hebrew brothers he supposed that they would understand that God was giving them deliverance by his hand. They, however, did not understand. The next day he went out to them again and saw two Hebrew men fighting with each other. Moses tried to reconcile them and stop their fighting. The man who was hitting the other asked Moses who had made him ruler and judge over them, and he wanted to know if Moses was going to kill him like Moses had killed the Egyptian the day before. Moses then became afraid that his killing the Egyptian had become known. When Pharaoh heard that Moses had killed the Egyptian, Pharaoh wanted to kill Mosses. Moses was not afraid of Pharaoh's anger, but he left Egypt and fled to Midian (Ex.2:11-15; Acts 7:22-29; Heb.11:24-27).
When Moses arrived in Midian, he helped the 7 daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, whose name was also Reuel (Ex. 2:18; Nu.10:29). Jethro's daughters tended their father's flock and brought the sheep to the well to water them. But some shepherds drove them away from the well. Moses stood up to the shepherds, saved the women from the oppression of the shepherds, and drew the water for their father's flock. When they told their father how Moses had saved them from the oppressive shepherds and drew the water for the flock. Jethro invited Moses to dwell with him. He gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses for a wife. Moses fathered 2 sons by Zipporah, Gershom and Eliezer (Ex.18:2-4; Ex. 2:16-22).
When Moses was 80 years old, and 40 years had passed since he fled from Egypt and had started living in Midian, he was tending Jethro's flock. He led the sheep to the far side of the wilderness into the area of Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. There from a distance he saw a bush burning that did not burn up. He went to investigate this strange sight. The angel of the Lord (an Old testament designation that was used a number of times for Christ, the Son of God) appeared to Moses from within the burning bush. He told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. The angel of the Lord identified himself to Moses as the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God also told Moses that he had seen the terrible oppression and enslavement of his Israelite people and had come to deliver them from the Egyptian bondage. The same Moses whom the Israelites had rejected 40 years earlier God commissioned at the burning bush to go to Pharaoh to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt (Ex.3:1-10;Acts 7:30-35).
But Moses did not want to go to Egypt to deliver the Israelite people. He began to make excuses for why he could not go to Egypt. The matured, 80 year old Moses, who 40 years earlier had been ambitious and had tried to assert himself as ruler and judge over the Israelites, 40 years later by the burning bush made excuses for himself of why he could not go to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But the Lord did not accept Moses' excuses; rather, he disarmed them. Moses pointed out to God that he was a "Nobody"; who was he to go and stand before Pharaoh? The Lord assured Moses that he would be with him. Moses argued that when he told the people that the God of their fathers had appeared to him, the people of Israel would ask him what was God's name, and he would not know what to say to them. The Lord told him his name is, "I AM WHO I AM", "The Lord" and Moses should say that "I AM" had sent him. Moses inquired what should he say if the people did not believe him or listen to him. The Lord gave Moses the miraculous signs of changing his staff into a serpent and making his hand leprous. Moses then made the excuse that he had never been a good man with words who could speak to others; he was slow of speech and tongue. The Lord responded he would be Moses' mouth and teach Moses what to say. Finally, Moses simply suggested that the Lord should send someone else. The Lord's anger then burned against Moses. The Lord told him that he would give him his brother Aaron; the Lord would speak to Moses, and Moses in turn would tell his brother Aaron what to say, and then Aaron would speak for him. (Ex.3:11-4:23).
So Moses departed for Egypt. During the journey at a place where he had his family stay to rest, the Lord became very angry with Moses and sought to kill him, for Moses had failed to fulfill the sign of God's covenant of circumcision by circumcising one of his sons. So Moses' wife Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised their son, which satisfied the Lord (Ex.4:24-26).
The Lord then sent Aaron to Moses. He met Moses, who told him everything that the Lord had said. Together they went to Egypt and assembled the Israelite people. Aaron spoke the words of the Lord to the people and performed the miraculous signs before the people. The people believed them and worshipped the Lord who was concerned about them (Ex.4:27-31).
At that tine Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 (Ex.7:7) when they went to speak to Pharaoh. Pharaoh refused to listen to them. Rather he increased the Israelites' bitter bondage by decreeing that the straw for making bricks would not be provided to them any longer. They themselves would have to forage for the straw needed to make their daily quota of bricks. Pharaoh's taskmasters beat the Hebrew foremen for not accomplishing their daily quota of bricks. The Hebrew foremen complained to Moses that he had made them a stench to Pharaoh and his taskmasters, who were about to kill them. Moses in turn asked the Lord why he had ever sent him to Pharaoh and why be had brought trouble upon his people. The Lord told Moses that he would see what the Lord would do to Pharaoh to make him let his people go (Ex. 5:1-21).
During the days that followed the Lord struck Egypt with 10 plagues, which he did through his servant Moses. The plagues took place over a period of about 10 months. The plagues utterly devastated the land of Egypt and carried out judgment against the gods of Egypt as well (Ex.12:12). After the last plague that killed the firstborn of Egypt, Pharaoh and the people of Egypt urged the Israelites to leave Egypt quickly. The first time that Moses went to tell Pharaoh that the Lord said to let his people go, Pharaoh insulted the Lord by saying the Lord was no one that he should obey, for he did not know the Lord (Ex.5:1,2). But the Lord told Moses that Pharaoh and the Egyptians would come to know that he was the Lord when he stretched out his hand against Egypt (Ex.7:5 & 15-17). And after the last plague that killed all the firstborn of Egypt, when Pharaoh summoned Moses, Pharaoh told Moses to take the people of Israel and go out of Egypt and worship the Lord. Pharaoh had indeed come to know who the Lord of the Hebrews was (Ex.6:1-12:36).
Before the last plague the Lord had Moses institute the Passover in what became for the Israelites their first month of a new calendar year. They were to slaughter a 1year old lamb from the sheep or the goats at twilight. Its blood was to be smeared upon the doorposts and the lintel of the door of every Israelite home. The lamb was to be roasted with fire and eaten with unleavened bread. On that night the Lord would go through the land of Egypt and strike down the firstborn of the Egyptians, but when he saw the blood on the doors of the Israelites homes, he would pass over their houses and not harm the firstborn of the Israelites. The Passover was to be an annual celebration for the Israelites throughout their generations. In connection with the Passover the Lord had Moses institute the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For 7 days the Israelites were to eat bread made without yeast in memory of their leaving their affliction in Egypt in haste (Ex.12:1-28).
When Pharaoh let the people of Israel go, the people of Israel had 603,550 men of military age who were 20 years old or older (Nu.2:44-46). That being the case, the population of Israel was very likely to have been about 2,000,000. When the exodus began the Lord did not immediately lead the Israelites to the Promised Land of Canaan by way of the land of the Philistines (Canaanites), which was the short, direct route, because the Lord knew that the people would have returned to Egypt when having to face war. Therefore the Lord led the Israelites around by way of the Red Sea. With Moses leading the Israelites the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that gave them light so that they might travel at night as well as by day (Ex.13:17-22).
In order to ensnare and destroy Pharaoh with all his chariots, the Lord had Moses lead the people of Israel back to encamp by the shore of the Red Sea. Then the Lord once again hardened Pharaoh's heart, this time to chase after the Israelites. When it appeared that Pharaoh had entrapped the Israelites and pinned them against the Red Sea, the people of Israel became extremely frightened. But Moses encouraged them not to be afraid but to stand firm and watch the Lord fight for them and save them from Pharaoh and his army. Then the Lord commanded Moses to lift up his staff and stretch it out over the Red Sea. The almighty power of the Lord then parted the Red Sea by a strong east wind that also dried the seabed during the night. Moses then led the people through the Red Sea on dry ground with walls of water standing on both sides of them. Then Pharaoh led his chariots and chased the Israelites into the Red Sea. But the Lord caused the wheels of Pharaoh's chariots to come off so they could not drive them. With the Israelites safely on the other side of the Red Sea, the Lord had Moses again stretch out his staff over the Red Sea, at which time the Lord caused the walls of water to collapse upon Pharaoh and all his chariots, destroying them all. Not one survived. (Ex.14:1-31).
As the leader of the Israelites Moses had to endure numerous trails during the 40 years in the wilderness. The Lord had Moses lead the people of Israel from the Red Sea into the wilderness of Shur. There the people took out their complaints upon Moses when they could not drink the bitter, brackish water of Marah, which name means "bitterness". When Moses cried out to the Lord at Marah, the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water. That sweetened the water and made it drinkable. Next in the wilderness of Sin Moses had to endure the grumbling of the people that they had no food to eat and wished that they had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt. There the Lord gave the people quail and manna to eat. They ate the manna for 40 years until they came to the border of Canaan. In Rephidim when the people again grumbled against Moses because they had no water to drink and they were near to stoning him, the Lord had Moses strike a rock and make water come out of it for the people. That place was then called Massah, which means "test", and Meribah, which means "quarrel", because there they tested the Lord and quarreled with Moses. Then at Rephidim the Amalekites attacked the Israelites. Joshua led the Israelites in battle but it was the Lord who gave Israel the victory as Moses held up the staff of God. When his arms became so tired he could not hold up the staff any longer, Aaron and Hur held up his hands until sunset and the battle was won (Ex.15:22-18:27).
Moses then led the Israelites into the wilderness of Sinai and camped at the mountain of God. The glory of the Lord came upon the mountain with thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud and a loud trumpet and smoke and fire. Then the Lord gave his people his Ten Commandments and laws and gave Moses the instructions for building the tabernacle. Afterwards he gave Moses the two tablets of stone on which the finger of God had written his Ten Commandments. Now while Moses was up on the mountain for forty days with the Lord, the Israelites below the mountain prompted Aaron to make them a golden calf to worship. The people then indulged themselves in idolatrous and sinful revelry. On the mountain Moses interceded for the people with the Lord, who in response did not carry out his wrath against the people. Moses went down the mountain and as soon as he drew near the Israelite encampment, he threw down the two stone tablets, smashing them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain. He confronted Aaron with his sinful making of the golden calf, and he had the Levites put the idolatrous revelers to death with their swords. Three thousand were killed. Moses then went back up the mountain and pleaded for the Lord's forgiveness of the people. The Lord sent Moses back to lead the people. Then the Lord struck the people with a plague for what they had done with the golden calf (Ex.19:1-32:35).
The Lord continued to speak to Moses face to face like a friend as the Lord spoke to no other prophet after him (Ex.33:11 & Dt.34:10). The Lord commanded Moses to cut 2 new tablets out of stone and bring them up to the mountain, which Moses then did. While on the mountain, Moses asked the Lord to show him his glory. The Lord hid him in a cleft of a rock and covered him with his hand. As the Lord passed by Moses the Lord proclaimed the meaning of his name "The Lord". Then the Lord commanded Moses to write on the new tablets of stone the covenant of the Ten Commandments. Moses was then on the mountain for 40 days and nights a second time. When Moses came down from the mountain, his face shone with the glory of the Lord. And whenever Moses spoke with the Lord, his face would afterwards shine while he was telling the Israelites what the Lord had said. Moses would then cover his face with a veil so the people could not see the glory of the Lord fading from his face (Ex.33:1-34:35; 2 Cor.3:7-13).
Moses gathered all the people together. He then explained to them that the Lord had commanded an offering be taken of the various materials that would be needed to build the tabernacle with its courtyard, all of its utensils, and the robes for the priests. He urged everyone whose heart was willing to bring his gift. The people brought more than enough, so Moses restrained them from bringing more. The work of building the tabernacle with its courtyard and all its utensils was undertaken until everything had been made according to the Lord's design and plan. Then according to the Lord's command the tabernacle and its courtyard were set up almost exactly 1 year after the last plague and the Passover and the Israelites' exodus from Egypt began. And in the tabernacle Moses put the Ark of the Covenant as the Lord had directed him. When everything was erected and put into its proper place as the Lord had directed Moses, the cloud covered the courtyard and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Ex.35:1-40:38).
As the Lord's servant, Moses led the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness. He endured their complaints and rebellious ways. Not long after they were in the wilderness the people complained about the adversities of their life in the desert. The anger of the Lord was aroused and the fire of the Lord burned among them and burned some of the Israelites. Then the ungodly foreigners among them lusted after different food and Israelites also wept over their diet of manna and their lack of meat and the foods that they had eaten in Egypt. Moses lamented to the Lord about the extreme burden the Israelites were upon him, and the Lord became very angry with them again. The Lord raised up a wind that brought millions of quail from the sea. There were so many quail that the ground was covered with them for a day's journey in every direction and about a yard deep. Then while the meat was between the people's teeth and before they could eat the meat the Lord struck them with a severe plague that killed the people who had craved and wept for the meat. After that Moses had to suffer the complaint of his sister Miriam and brother Aaron because he had married a Cushite woman. Nothing is recorded about what happened to Moses' wife Zipporah, but it would seem that she had died. And Miriam and Aaron complained that they were leaders just as much as Moses and that the Lord had spoken through them as well as through Moses. The Lord rebuked them and struck Miriam with leprosy. Moses interceded for her, so the Lord limited her leprosy to only 7 days outside the Israelite encampment (Nu.1:1-12:16).
At the Lord's command Moses sent 12spies to spy out the land of Canaan and bring back a report about it and its military strength. When the spies returned, only Joshua and Caleb urged the Israelites to go in and take possession of the land; the other 10 spies told the people they could not stand up to the strong nations with their fortified cities. The people believed the report of the 10 spies and refused to go in to possess the Promised Land. They lamented that they would be better off dying in the wilderness than to go in to take possession of the land of Canaan. So the Lord decreed to give them what they wanted. The Lord had Moses tell the people that all those who were 20 years old or older would die in the wilderness and never enter the Promised Land. They would wander about in the wilderness for 40 years until they all had died. Only their children would enter the Promised Land. And it happened that of the adults who had left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land of Canaan. The other 10 spies, who had spread a bad report about Canaan that incited the people against the Lord to refuse to enter the Promised Land, were struck with a plague, so that they died before the Lord. The next morning the sons of Israel decided to go up and fight the Amalekites and Canaanites without the Lord's going with them, even though Moses warned them not to do that. But they went anyway and were badly beaten, (Nu.13:1-14:45).
Then Moses and Aaron were opposed in a rebellion led by Korah and 250 leaders of the tribe of Levi. The complaint was made against Moses and Aaron that they were not the only ones who were holy and had the Lord with them. No, the whole congregation of Israel was holy and had the Lord with them. The Lord put an end to their rebellion when he opened up the earth and it swallowed Korah alive and those with him as well as their households and then closed up the earth over them again. The next day the congregation of the sons of Israel again rebelled against Moses and Aaron, blaming them for causing the deaths of Korah and those with him. The Lord's wrath incited a plague upon the people and 14,700 died. To silence the rebellion against him and his choice of Aaron as high priest, the Lord had the Israelites gather a staff from each of the leaders of their respective tribe. The staffs were placed for the night in the tent of the testimony in front of the Ark of the Covenant. The Lord made Aaron's staff blossom and produce ripe almonds to show he had selected Aaron of the tribe of Levi to serve as high priest. (Nu.16:1-17:13).
Moses led the Israelites to Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. There the people again quarreled with Moses because there was no water in that place. The Lord told Moses that he and Aaron should take the staff and speak to the rock in front of the people and the rock would bring forth water for the people and their animals, But Moses and Aaron did not honor the Lord as being holy when Moses struck the rock. Water flowed out abundantly, but the Lord was angry with them for not honoring him as being holy. For their sin against him the Lord said they could not bring the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan That place was called the waters of Meribah, which means "quarrel" because there the people quarreled with Moses and Aaron. From Kadesh Moses led them to Mount Hor where the Lord had Aaron die for not honoring him as holy. Aaron's son Eleazar became high priest in Aaron's place. (Nu.20:1-29).
While at Mount Hor the Canaanite king of Arad came and fought against Israel. Israel vowed it would destroy those Canaanites with all their cities if the Lord would deliver them up to Israel. The Lord listened to them and delivered up the Canaanites into Israel's hands. Israel then destroyed them and their cities. Then, because the nation of Edom would not allow Israel to pass through its land, the Israelites had to go around Edom. The people of Israel then complained against the Lord and Moses because of having to make the journey around Edom. The Lord then punished them with fiery serpents that bit many of them so they died. When the people appealed to Moses to intercede for them, the Lord told Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole for the people to see. All who became bitten and looked at the bronze serpent then lived and did not die. In the following days Israel defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and took possession of his land with its cities in which Israel began to live. When Og, king of Bashan, came out against Israel, the Lord gave him and his people and his land into the hands of the Israelites, who killed him and his sons and all his people. Then Israel possessed his land as well (Nu.21:1-35).
Afterwards the Israelites moved on and camped in the plains of Moab along the Jordan River and across from Jericho. The Moabite people became terrified of the Israelites. Balak, king of Moab, together with the elders of Midian hired Balaam, a diviner, to come and curse the Israelites. The Lord, however, made Balaam bless the Israelite people. Balaam did so but then advised Balak to entice the men of Israel into participating in the sacrifices of the Moabite gods and its sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, in order to move the Lord to curse his people of Israel. This was done. Men of Israel did engage in the idolatry and evil sexual customs of Moab. The Lord commanded Moses to have the leaders of the Israelites kill those wicked Israelite men in broad daylight, so that the intense wrath of the Lord would be turned away from Israel. Moses carried out the Lord's command and 24,000 were killed. (Nu.22:1-25:1-18)
In the plains of Moab at the Jordan River across from Jericho the Lord told Moses and Eleazar the high priest to take a second census of the men of military age who were 20 years old and older. The men numbered 601,730. None of them had been numbered in the first census that was taken nearly 40 years earlier. Then the Lord said to Moses that the Promised Land would be divided up among those men as their inheritance. Now the Levites, one month or older, who would serve the Lord in the service of the Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle, numbered 23,000. The Levites would not receive an inheritance of land among the Israelites (Nu.26:1-65) but would have designated cities and lands to live in among the 12 tribes of Israel.
After the Lord gave Moses instructions for carrying out his various ceremonial laws, he commanded Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites before he would die. Moses obeyed the Lord and sent an army of 12,000 armed men of Israel to make war against Midian. The army of Israel killed every Midianite male, including the kings of Midian and the diviner Balaam, who advised that the Israelite men should be enticed into the idolatrous and sexual sins of the Moabites. All the cities of Midian were burned and the women and children and flocks and possessions of Midian were taken as the spoils of war. But Moses afterwards became angry with the Israelite officers and captains of the army that they had spared the women and male children of Midian. He commanded that every Midianite woman who had had relations with a man be killed, for the Midianite women were the cause for the Israelite men to sin against the Lord. Moses also ordered every Midianite male child to be killed. And so Moses carried out the vengeance of the Lord (Nu.28:1-31:54).
The Israelite tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a great deal of livestock. When they saw that the land of Jezer and of Gilead were very suitable for raising livestock, they asked Moses and Eleazar if they could dwell in those lands on that east side of the Jordan River. When the men of Reuben and Gad promised that they would go to war on the west side of the Jordan with the other tribes to help those tribes obtain and possess their inheritances, Moses gave them permission to take possession of the land of Jezer and Gilead as their inheritance from the Lord.(Nu.32:1-42)
Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel on the plains of Moab at the Jordan River across from Jericho. There he delivered his last addresses to the people of Israel, a total of 3 of addresses that repeated and explained in a hortatory manner the Law of God. His first address recounted the 40-year history of the Israelites in the wilderness (Dt.1:1-3:29) . His second address repeated the Law of God – the moral law and the ceremonial law and the civil law (Dt.4:1-26:19). His third address urged the people to keep the Law of God (Dt.27:1-30:20).
And it was there on the plains of Moab also that Moses spoke his final words and performed his last acts. He informed the people of Israel that he was 120 years old and that the Lord had forbidden him to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Canaan. He assured them that the Lord would go before them and destroy the nations so that they may occupy the land as their inheritance from the Lord. Then Moses appointed Joshua as the next leader of Israel who would lead them into Canaan. At that time the Lord told Moses it was time for him to die. Moses then commissioned Joshua as his successor. He also commanded the Levites to place the words of the Law that he had written into the Ark of the Covenant. Afterwards Moses spoke the words of his song, "The Song of Moses," and pronounced his blessing upon the people. When Moses had finished his song and blessing, he went up Mount Nebo where the Lord showed him all the land that he was giving to the Israelites. So Moses died there on Mount Nebo in the land of Moab by the Jordan River and was gathered to his people, which was an Old Testament manner of speaking that he was taken into heaven. As evidence that he did enter into heaven, about 1,400 years later he appeared with the prophet Elijah before Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. He died in good health – his eyes were not dim and his bodily strength had not failed. The Lord buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, but no one ever knew where the Lord buried him. The nation of Israel then mourned 30 days for Moses (Dt.31:1-34:12).
Return to the Overviews Of The Old & New Testaments page


text:
Car Park Equipment and Systems
Car Park Management Services
Parking Application
Season Parking
Application for Container Parking
E-Receipt Download
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SEASON PARKING
The season passholder (hereinafter described as the "Licensee") in purchasing the season parking agrees to become the Licensee of Metro Parking (S) Pte Ltd (hereinafter described as the "Company") under the following terms and conditions:
1. The Licensee, its servants, agents and invitees shall use the parking areas of the building and occupy the car bays at their own risk and hereby release to the full extent permitted by the law, the Company and its agents, servants and invitees from all claims and demands of every kind resulting from any accident or injury to person or property howsoever caused, occurring in or upon the parking area of the building.
Billings & Notices
2. For new applications – Upon approval by the Company on the application, the Company will issue an official receipt to the Licensee via e-mail to the stated mailing address as per the application form.
3. For renewal of existing season passholders, the Company will e-mail the invoice to the Licensee and it will act as an official receipt.
4. Upon request, an additional administration fee of S$10.00 is applicable for the purpose of mailing of hardcopy invoice.
Duties of Licensee
5. Season parking license is strictly non-transferrable. All parking lots will be taken on first come first serve basis, unless stated otherwise.
6. In the event where there are no season parking lots available, the Licensee will be placed on the waiting list. The Company will only notify the Licensee in the event when there is an available parking lot to offer. The Company reserves the right to reject an application of such nature without giving any reasons.
7. The Licensee must notify the Company at least two (2) working days in advance in writing for termination or temporary suspension of vehicle registration number, IU unit number or cash card number. Termination or temporary suspension will only take effect on 15th or last day of the month, whereas temporary suspension periods are only allowed up to thirty-one (31) calendar days. The Company reserves the right to reject applications of such nature without giving any reasons.
8. Should any vehicle registration number, IU number or cash card number be different from the registered number with the Company, the vehicle will be treated as a non-season passholder and parking fees will be charged according to the casual parking rates.
9. The Licensee is not allowed to make such changes on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday.
Parking Fee and Refund
10. New season passholders may apply for season parking for the current month with the full rate of one (1) month. There is no prorated rate if the Licensee is parked lesser than one (1)month.
11. If the Licensee cancels its application before the commencement date, there will be an additional administration fee of S$20 per vehicle.
12. The Company reserves the right not to refund the season parking fee if the Licensee fails to recommence parking on the date specified or fails to provide a written request for any extension thereof prior to the commencement date to the Company.
13. Renewal season parking fees are to be paid by or on the 26th of every month, failing which the Licensee shall be treated as a non-season parker and shall then be charged according to the daily parking rate. There is strictly no refund for Licensees who are charged for the daily parking rate.
14. Payment mode:
i. New application: AXS only
ii. Renewal: AXS, internet banking, GIRO or credit card.
Additional requirement for specified private car park
15. The Company shall require the submission of relevant original documents with certified true copy of relevant supporting documents.
16. Availability of special reserved season parking lots with different rates are subject to the landlord's approval.
17. Additional administration fee of S$10.00 is applicable for each new application.
18. Deposit will only be refunded to the Licensee one (1) month after receipt of termination notice.
19. No tow truck is allowed to enter the parking area unless approved by the Company. The Company reserves the right to reject an application of such nature without giving any reasons.
20. The Company reserves the right to terminate the Licensee by giving a one (1) month notice in writing to the Licensee without giving any reasons.
21. The Company reserves the right to increase the season passholder fee by giving one (1) month notice to the Licensee at any time.
22. The Company reserves the right to alter any of the above terms and conditions without prior notice to the Licensee and any decision made by the Company is final.
23. Nothing contained herein will be construed as creating any tenancy or lease between the Licensee and the Company.
24. Failure by the Company to exercise or enforce any right contained herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any such right or bar the exercise or enforcement thereof on any later occasion.
25. Except as provided for elsewhere in these terms and conditions, all matters (including disputes) in connection with this contract and the use of the parking area shall be kept strictly confidential.
Metro Parking (S) Pte Ltd
Car Park Services
Block 1004 Toa Payoh North #03-11/12/14/15 Singapore 318995
Main Line | 6334 7773
24 Hours Helpline | 6250 0046
Metro Parking (S) Pte Ltd © 2023 | All Rights Reserved

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
South Sudanese minister defects to join 'wise' rebel leader Riek Machar as war continues
Labour minister Gabriel Duop Lam is the second high-level official to resign in the past few weeks.
By Ludovica Iaccino
February 17, 2017 15:57 GMT
A South Sudanese minister has defected to the rebels as a civil war continues to claim lives in the country. Lieutenant General Gabriel Duop Lam, the minister of labour, is the second high-level official to resign in the past few weeks.
"I reaffirm my full allegiance and commitment to the... wise leadership of HE Dr Riek Machar," Lam wrote in a resignation letter, according to Reuters.
More on South Sudan
South Sudan war sparks 'Africa's worst refugee crisis' with millions in need of help
Could South Sudan become the Syria of East Africa?
President Salva Kiir blames neighbour's Sharia law for 2011 independence
Machar, South Sudan's former vice-president and now rebel leader, has been living in South Africa since he fled the country following deadly violence in the capital Juba in July 2016.
In an exclusive talk with IBTimes UK, he said he was ready "to go home". His wife, Angelina Teny also told IBTimes UK she believes her husband can contribute to achieve peace in the war-torn nation.
Government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth confirmed Lam's defection, which occurred just days after Lieutenant General Thomas Cirillo Swaka resigned after accusing the country's leadership of perpetrating ethnic-based violence in the war-torn country.
The government has denies the allegations.
The South Sudan conflict erupted in 2013 when President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka ethnic group, fired his deputy Machar, from the Nuer group.
IBTimes UK's exclusive interview with Machar:
Peace agreement is the salvation of South Sudan
Government 'must go' after interview ban
Ethnic-related violence targeting Dinka and Nuer has killed an estimated 50,000 people, amid allegations of crimes against humanity committed by both sides, including rape, torture and the use of child soldiers.
The UN has warned the country was on the verge of a Rwanda-style genocide. Meanwhile, at least 1.5 million people have fled the country according to the UN refugee agency (UNCHR). The exodus has been deemed as "Africa's worst refugee crisis".
Those internally displaced are facing severe food shortages due to a man-made famine. Many fear hunger will deepen as the conflict has now spilled into the Equatorial region, considered one of South Sudan's breadbaskets.
The UN has now appealed for $1.6 bn (£1.2bn) to provide life-saving assistance and protection to 5.8 million people across the country.


Rivalry isn't one of the seven deadly sins-but perhaps it should be the unofficial eighth. In the Redefining Rivalries podcast, sponsor generated content for Billions on SHOWTIME, produced by WSJ Custom Studios, a unit of the advertising department of The Wall Street Journal, the intricacies and impact of interpersonal competition will be explored in four distinct areas. In finance, we'll talk with an activist investor who battles the conventional mindset of making money at all costs. We'll dissect sports rivalries and discover the root of our irrational dislike for the "other team." The series will also pull back the curtain on rivalries in classical music-a world rife with competition. And in New York City, we'll enter the kitchen of a restaurant that employs a staff of chefs with their own set of unexpected feuds. WSJ. Custom Studios is a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.
Rivalry isn't one of the seven deadly sins-but perhaps it should be the unofficial eighth. In the Redefining Rivalries podcast, sponsor generated content for Billions on SHOWTIME, produced by WSJ. Custom Studios, a unit of the advertising department of The Wall Street Journal, the intricacies and impact of competition will be explored in four distinct areas. On this episode, which should really be titled, "Battle of the Grandmas," we'll examine the unique rivalries that boiled to the surface when a restaurant hired "nonnas" as chefs. WSJ. Custom Studios is a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.


text:
Lost Souls 2018 • Studio Album
The Journey So Far – The Best Of 2014 • Compilation / Live
Troubadours On The Rhine2011 • Live Recording
The Wind That Shakes The Barley2010 • Studio Album
A Mediterranean Odyssey2009 • Live Recording
A Midwinter Night's Dream2008 • Seasonal Recording
An Ancient Muse2006 • Studio Album
Live in Paris And Toronto1999 • Live Recording
The Book Of Secrets1997 • Studio Album
The Mask And Mirror1994 • Studio Album
The Visit1991 • Studio Album
Parallel Dreams1989 • Studio Album
To Drive The Cold Winter Away1987 • Seasonal Recording
Elemental1985 • Studio Album
No Journey's EndDVD
Nights From The AlhambraLive Recording / DVD
A Moveable Musical FeastDVD
Tours & Appearances
Join LM Community
You Asked Us
You Told Us
LM Message Board
About Quinlan Road
UK Privacy Case
Honorary Colonel
Putting The Music Business On Hold
29/10/2019 • The View From Here
There is a wise adage which states, "It's a long road that knows no turning" and here I am writing to say that I see a turn in my road coming.
As those of you who were at our concerts this summer may recall, I have been contemplating putting my career on hold.
Once the final leg of my year-long Lost Souls Tour concludes in Québec, Canada on November 3rd, I will be taking an indefinite period of time away from my music.
In addition to spending more time on my personal and family life, I intend to lean against the threats posed by global warming and the harmful effects of technology.
With respect to technology, clearly I am not averse to it. I use it every day in the operations of my career and business and have witnessed its benefits across a range of disciplines.
At the same time, I'm only too keenly aware of some of the unintended consequences of this technological revolution. In the music business, we've seen an almost complete decimation of the ecosystem of professions, including the creative class. My little company also experienced the perils of ransomware this spring.
I am also deeply troubled by its adverse effects on children's mental health, education and self-esteem, as well as by the disruption it brings to family life and children's connection with nature.
I am alarmed by the unchecked proliferation of technology, as it has contributed to the erosion of democracies and the rise of fake news. It has also compromised our privacy, as a result of the misuse of personal data and surveillance capitalism.
I recently outlined these concerns in a speech I made in my home base to the Rotary Club of Stratford, entitled Facing the Music: Unintended Consequences of the Digital Age. You can hear it or read it here.
My overarching concern comes from the view that technologies have been allowed to proliferate in the absence of a truly democratic debate about their potential harms, not just their benefits. I worry that we have not learned the lessons of having adopted fossil fuels wholeheartedly a century ago only to learn decades later that they also come with great perils.
As a mother and as a citizen, it is hard to sit idly by. I genuinely believe that we as citizens have been called to action, particularly on these two vital fronts of technology and climate change. We must be prepared to make sacrifices if we are to be successful in dealing with them.
These concerns are not new for me. You may recall that in 2018 I took a stand and removed my profile from Facebook after revelations of its misuse of personal data. I did this fully cognizant of the potential negative consequences to me and the inconvenience to my 596,000 followers.
I am not afraid of controversial or challenging topics, as many of you know, and have already tackled issues related to copyright and privacy laws.
As for what comes next, at the very least it is my hope and intention to support the growing number of experts and leaders across many professional disciplines, including the tech industry itself, to bring about a greater public awareness of the perils of unfettered technology. I will be adding my voice to the call for our elected officials to move quickly to regulate the companies behind them.
As to precisely where this will take me, or for just how long, l cannot definitively say. Perhaps I'll leave that to the fates for now.
I admit there are still so many creative directions I'd like to pursue and many more places to perform. I regret, for example, that we didn't make it back during this Lost Souls Tour to the Atlantic & Western Canada, The United States, Portugal, Mexico, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and points beyond.
There will likely be special invitations extended from time to time, which we may accept. If so, we'll be sure to let you know and hopefully see some of you there.
Last night, after our rehearsal for this final leg of touring, the whole group was assembled for what we quietly hoped would not be our last supper. It was so gratifying to look down the table of 16 people – musicians, crew and my trusty assistant Mark. All of them have played an enormous role in this road travelled – a creative and operational comradery that has spanned more than three decades. This journey has seen many, many miles and very few bounds, only a few tears, and deeply memorable times.
A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped make this journey so meaningful for all of us.
Should you be interested in following my path of civic issues, I invite you to subscribe to The Stolen Child Project updates.
If you are primarily interested in any developments in my music, we promise to stay in touch. And of course, we always welcome your correspondence.
Loreena
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The Electronic Regulatory Submissions Software Solution from QUMAS delivers fully automated FDA Electronic Submissions in compliant manner. The FDA is moving towards requiring electronic submissions under FDASIA (FDA Safety and Innovation Act). With the release of the new guidance on the standards and format of electronic submissions including electronic Common Technical Document (eCTD) format, it's a good time for organizations still using paper-based to transition to an industry standard electronic document management system (eDMS). The QUMAS Electronic Submission Solution provides template-based authoring capabilities with full metadata integration, allowing for a simplified electronic submission management process. Take advantage of the digital and electronic signature capabilities while managing all submission documents with full 21 CFR part 11 compliance, meeting all international regulatory requirements and standards.
The QUMAS R&D Solution provides end-to-end regulatory content management, by linking document creation using Microsoft Word authoring templates and management to content gathering, tracking and submissions compilation for an efficient one-stop shop for submissions lifecycle management. By combining content authoring, content management, real-time collaboration and submission management, we provide one, integrated solution for all functional R&D areas. This solution includes but, is not limited, to Regulatory Affairs, Clinical, Nonclinical, and Quality. The solution is all inclusive — there is no additional sourcing, customization or additional integration required to immediately take advantage of a complete R&D strategy out of the box.


With your smtplib and the 2nd example I was able to send mail to Pushover and receive a notification on my phone. How cool is that?!
That's awesome, thanks for the update. I'll clean up the file a bit, implement Damien's suggestion and then add it to the official library.
I tested sending through Yahoo's smtp server and it worked like a charm.
I loaded the library and modified the program with my mail credentials and it worked the first time. I sent a message from my gmail account to my work account. I have since created an e-mail account for the WiPy to use.
Has there been any progress on getting urllib on the WiPy?
I was looking for smtplib but did not locate it.
Does someone have any information about it OR is this retired?
The WiPy doesn't support turning a standard socket into a secure one on the fly, it needs to be secure from the very beginning, therefore there's no need to call [code]smtpserver.starttls()[/code], but on the other hand, when creating the stmp instance with [b]tls=True[/b] (default value), the correct secure port must be used (465 in the case of gmail).
I am trying to send emails through an ESP32 with micropython with the same code you provide, however I get the following error, can someone help me? I am using the library provided here as well.
Hi, I had lots of trouble trying to send emails from esp8266 that way, I worked the issue around using available services on the cloud as Thinkspeak and Pythonanywhere for sending emails, (Treated IFTT but is unstable with gmail), Configure a channel in Thingspeak, a Thinghttp instance, React and Timecontrol (there are plenty of tutorials on this on youtube and forums), then prepared a web app in pythonanywhere to proccess the emails in python (Django framework) . It works very well and the only thing you have to program in the esp8266 is the comunication protocol, and send the data in mqtt to Thingspeak. Please let me know if you are interested in details.


Take a journey with us to the past! We are taking a rather self-indulgent look over the last quarter of a century in business.
For the very loyal amongst you, you may remember Cotswold Woollens, before we re-branded to Cotswold Collections.
"We did a Christmas shoot in a lovely house in Burford, Cotswolds one year. This was at the height of summer when my husband worked in Oxfordshire. He came home one day saying he couldn't understand why there was a Christmas tree and decorations being put up in this house he drove past on the way to work… I was able to put him right!"
Our models have a much harder job today as our winter and Christmas shoots are located in Europe and further afield with temperatures reaching upwards of 35C!
The buyers have seen so much change over the past few decades which has also enabled them to perfect the fit of the garments with improvements in garment technology and machinery and as is the nature of fashion, it is cyclical and they have seen "trends come and go and come back again."
However, as the saying goes 'What goes up, must come down' and tragedy struck in 2007 bringing Cotswold Collections to the edge. Massive floods affected vast areas of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. Tewkesbury was described as an 'isle' as it was effectively surrounded by flood water (the abbey can be seen in the background above). Unfortunately, our warehouse at the time was located in the picturesque village of Winchcombe, which was flooded so badly that both floors of stock were damaged. Thankfully, our dedicated staff made a heroic effort to rescue as much as they could so that customers could still receive their orders but several candles from our well-being range still managed to make their escape and floated down the Isbourne river!
Nonetheless, out of this tragedy came new beginnings - we moved the location of our warehouse to Cheltenham and based all of our operations in one building. The benefits of "all departments of the company operating under the same roof made for great efficiencies and improved communication and our working environment" and so from this disaster emerged a better and brighter future for us.
"Building the heritage side of the business, forming great relationships with British woollen mills and the remains of the British garment manufacturing industry, which keeps our quality high and the product exclusive."
Of course, none of this would have been possible without you, our loyal customers! You've seen us through the past quarter of a century and we hope to be with you for some time to come. We absolutely love hearing from you, whether that's your fantastic reviews on Trustpilot, your stunning photos or on the phone to our customer service team. Your opinions help shape our future collections and we can't wait to hear more from you!
You may have noticed that the vintage covers all have one thing in common. They look similar to the classics you know and love today. We haven't drifted from our mission of creating unique classic clothing that stands the test of time. So here's to another 25 years of Cotswold Collections!
Do you have a treasured garment from Cotswold Collections? Do you remember the very first catalogue you received from us? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Hi Pauline, thanks for letting us know - how great that it's still going strong!
Hi Catherine, thanks for letting us know of your favourites! We do love a Liberty blouse!
Hi Brenda, thank you for your kind comments, so lovely to hear of your first purchases!
A button-up-to-the-neck ribbed, navy waistcoat bought just last year - the most useful and smart winter woollie that I've found for years. Any chance of a repeat in other colours?
I found Cotswold (as we call it) in the 1990s as a young mum who just wanted a white cotton blouse at a fair price. There are 'Cotswold' colours and I love them all meaning we can match items from different years. The style has an English feel with international appeal. My only gripe is that the styles and fabrics are following my mum's age group. I'm not a fan of viscose jersey or polyester. I would love a simple cotton frock or cool sundress. Cotswold got me on the computer because I asked spouse to see if I could look at it online. I've never looked back although Cotswold is the only paper catalogue that i still retain. It's just so nice to read with my coffee! Thanks for all the enjoyment and excellent service your company has given me.
Hi Magnolia, thanks so much for sharing your lovely memories and comments! We've passed your feedback on to our design team which helps shape future collections.


Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle, by Erica Fyvie. (Illustrations by Bill Slavin.) Kids Can Press, 2018.
All the "stuff" that surrounds us has a life cycle: materials are harvested, the stuff is made and distributed, it's consumed, and then it gets trashed or recycled. Using the typical contents of a backpack (defined as water, food, clothing, paper, plastic, metals, and electronics), this book explores those stages in detail, including lots of ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle waste along the way. Children will gain new insight into the routine decisions they make about their own consuming and trashing or recycling practices. For example: How long does it take for a cotton T-shirt to decompose in a landfill? Can a bike helmet be made from recyclable materials? Which is better for Earth, wrapping a sandwich in aluminum foil or plastic?
By learning to use critical thinking skills to make informed choices, children will feel empowered by the important, constructive role they can play in the future health of the planet. With infographics, short subsections, sidebars, and charts, the information presented is engaging and accessible.


Joyci Milagros is an incredible young woman. Her friends, Bianca and Sarai are in the same league - along with a few other women in Iquitos, Peru. They walk around with hearts as large as the Pacific Ocean. The three angels operate under the umbrella: Iquitos Libre De Crueldad Animal (ILCA). They don't have much, but the little they do have goes to save dog after dog from their dejected life on the street. Ojitos is one of them. This is his story.
On a steamy jungle morning Joyci was on her way to work. She spotted a very sick dog, skin and bones, scavenging through the wet garbage with only a few strands of hair covering his back. This isn't an unusual sight in Iquitos or in most places in South America where strays roam around in large numbers, in conditions that is beyond comprehension. Joyci felt an immediate obligation to help the poor canine, but before she could do anything, the dog was gone. She returned the next day hoping to find the canine in need, but no luck. She was about to give up when - from a distance - she noticed another dog in dire need of care.
Covered in mange and bacterial infections, malnourished and on the verge of death the dog stood in traffic as if wanting to deliberately end his own life. He felt like he didn't matter to all those who walked by him day after day turning a blind eye. But he did matter to Joyci.
The dog's eyes penetrated deep into his soul, one could see years of indifference and suffering at the hand of the very human that domesticated him. Right there, on a steamy morning Joyci promised the dog that she will never let him be in that state...ever again. She named him Ojitos, for he only had eyes, big eyes...his body so thin, almost invisible.
On September 12 Bianca, Joyci's friend offered to take Ojitos off the street and give him shelter. The Director of Amazon Cares - a local non-profit rescue organization- offered free treatment for Ojitos. That was the easy part. The hard part was bearing the eyes of all the people who stared at the women in utter disgust, every day , for three months. No one could understand why the women would touch a 'dog like that'. Even the tenant next door moved out because he couldn't stomach the sight of a 'sick' alien of dog.
But the women were unshakeable. They saw through the mange, they saw through the hardened skin. They saw a beautiful being underneath all the neglect. After moths of daily treatment Ojitos finally emerged from his shelter as a playful, stunning, eager dog. His enthusiasm for life is inspiring many around him. He is a few months away from completing his treatment and the team is already taking applications for his adoption.
Sometimes it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes -if not a village but- the compassion of many likeminded individuals to save and give a life. The coordinated efforts of the wonderful women of Iquitos gave Ojitos another chance to love, to serve, to smile, to frolic, to gallop and to inspire.
Many thanks to Sarai for her support, to Tanith Pena Araujo at Amazon Cares, to Dr. Cindy for the healing food, to Vinka for Ojitos' first bed, to Veronica, to Mrs. Maria Elena, to Yuriko, to Dr. Esther and to the entire team at AMAZON CARES.
If you would like to help more dogs like Ojitos, please visit amazoncares.org and make sure to add OJITOS as a note so we can allocate the funds accordingly. Thank you!


Reach us at Customer Care Between 10:00 am to 10:30 pm hours. Happy to Assist.
Thank you for my deliciously Chocolatey Cake which you made and delivered to the Monday. It was fabulous, everybody loved it.
I wanted to thank you for the beautiful cake you made for my daugher.
Just wanted to say thank you very much for our wedding booking. Our guests said the cake was delicious and it was a beautiful design!
Wow! Thanks again for the cake, it was delicious and the awesome decoration. I would never go anywhere else for a cake - you just can't be beaten.


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Review: Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
www.amonamarth.com
With Oden On Our Side
Genre: Viking Metal
Review online: September 12, 2006
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Rated 4.73/5 (94.55%) (55 Votes)
I will come right out and say that I was not expecting this to be that great. Despite the fanboying, Amon Amarth have been in a slump since The Crusher, with the much-fellated Vs The World being a solid but unambitious album of standard Death Metal, and Fate Of Norns being even more lackluster. I was expecting this to be just another pale echo of a fading band who had lost the will to do anything but just go through the motions. But thank the Aesir, Amon Amarth are not done yet.
Album opener "Valhall Awaits Me" is not that great, pretty much a standard AA song, and since their opening song is usually the best one, I thought it boded ill for this album. But then the awesome riffs of "Runes To My Memory" woke me up, and the album hardly lets up after that, through the pounding "Asator", the massive title track, or the neck-snapping headbang fest that is "Hermod's Ride To Hel". This is the same Amon Amarth we know and love, but they have not been this on the ball since Once Sent From The Golden Hall, I kid you not. The band that seemed to meander somnambulistically through the second half of Fate Of Norns just can't stop killing on this album. At last we have songs worthy to stand beside classics like "The Mighty Doors Of The Speargods Hall" or "Victorious March". This is the album we all wanted from Amon Amarth, but didn't think we'd ever get.
I am so used to AA albums being only so-so that I have to keep spinning this one to reassure myself that this kills as much as I keep swearing it does, and every time I play it, it kicks my ass all over again. Maybe not the band's best album ever, but easily their best in the last eight years, and right up there with their debut. I am just surprised and delighted by how much ass this album kicks. If you've written this band off, then get this album and reconsider, trust me. Amon Amarth is back at the prow of their longship, and blood and fire are coming ashore one more time.
Review: Berserker (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Deceiver of the Gods (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Deceiver of the Gods (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Fate Of Norns (reviewed by 4th Horseman)
Review: Fate Of Norns (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Jomsviking (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: Once Sent From The Golden Hall (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Once Sent From the Golden Hall (Re-issue) (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: Once Sent From the Golden Hall (Re-issue) (reviewed by Jason Cominetto)
Review: Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Surtur Rising (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Avenger (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Crusher (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Twilight of the Thunder God (reviewed by Mike Henn)
Review: Twilight of the Thunder God (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Versus The World (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Versus The World (reviewed by Scott Murray)


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Collection: 'Arctic 30' Part 2 - Saint Petersburg and Release on Bail (All Photographers)
GP0ALBLI
This collection contains images from when the 'Arctic 30' are transferred to Saint Petersburg after their first two months of detention in Murmansk and includes their release on bail.
On 18 September 2013, Greenpeace peacefully protested against the giant Prirazlomnaya oil rig, where Gazprom intends to become the first company to pump oil from icy Arctic waters. Over a day later, the ship was illegally boarded by armed special forces, before being towed to Murmansk, Russia. Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo has stated, "The Arctic is melting before our eyes, and these brave activists stand in defiance of those who wish to exploit this unfolding crisis to drill for more oil."
Colin Russell Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Colin Russell Released on Bail in St.Petersburg
Phil Ball Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
SIZO 1 Detention Centre in St. Petersburg
Detention Center N4 St.Petersburg
Christopher Iain Rogers Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Jonathan D Beauchamp Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Frank Hewetson Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Dimitri Litvinov Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Roman Dolgov Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Dimitri Litvinov and Roman Dolgov Released On Bail
Alexandra Harris Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Gizem Akhan Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Faiza Oulahsen Released on Bail in St. Petersburg
Ruslan Yakushev Released on Bail in St. Petersburg


Do you know someone in leadership I can speak with at ETourandTravel? I spoke with a representative last week and he hung up on me twice because I wasn't interested in paying an additional $200 to extend a $400 vacation package purchased on 2/8/2009. I called back several times and he continued to hang up.
When I called today, I spoke with a young lady. She hung up when I mentioned my experience with the gentleman last week. I keep calling back and I am not getting an answer. I believe my phone calls are being routed to the same representatives based on my the phone numbers of record. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.
I've tried to go online to book the vacation several times throughout the year and I kept getting an error message stating my account number did not exist. When I requested online support to help with this concern, I received a message indicating "no one was 'unavailable' to assist with my concern". I thought that was an unusual typo for an online automated response from a reputable company.


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Awards Data
OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Opera Winners
Best New Opera Production
2012 English National Opera's Castor And Pollux at the London Coliseum
2011 OperaUpClose and Soho Theatre's La Boheme at the Soho Theatre
2010 The Royal Opera's Tristan und Isolde
2009 English National Opera's Partenope
2008 Pelleas Et Melisande
2007 English National Opera's Jenufa
2006 English National Opera's Madam Butterfly
2005 The Royal Opera's Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk
2004 English National Opera's The Trojans (Parts I and II)
2003 The Royal Opera's Wozzeck
2002 The Royal Opera's Boulevard Solitude
2001 The Royal Opera's The Greek Passion
2000 Welsh National Opera's Hansel And Gretel
1999 Welsh National Opera's La Clemenza Di Tito
1998 The Royal Opera's Paul Bunyan
1997 English National Opera's Tristan And Isolde
1996 The Royal Opera's Billy Budd
1995 English National Opera's Khovanshchina
1994 The Royal Opera's La Damnation De Faust
1993 The Royal Opera's Stiffelio
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
2012 ENO for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme
2011 Christian Gerhaher for his performance in the Royal Opera's Tannhauser at the Royal Opera House
2010 Nina Stemme for her performance in the Royal Opera's Tristan und Isolde
2009 Edward Gardner for conducting English National Opera's Boris Godunov, Cavalliera Rusticana, Der Rosenkavalier, I Pagliacci, Riders To The Sea, and Punch And Judy At The Young Vic
2008 Natalie Dessay for her performance in La Fille Du Regiment
2007 Amanda Roocroft for her performance in English National Opera's Jenufa
2006 Simon Keenlyside for his performances in the Royal Opera's 1984 at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera's Billy Budd
2005 Thomas Adès and the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of The Tempest
2004 Cristina Gallardo-Domas for The Royal Opera's Madama Butterfly
2003 Antonio Pappano for a distinguished opening to his tenure as Music Director of The Royal Opera with Ariadne Auf Naxos and Wozzeck
2002 Bernard Haitink for his contribution to The Royal Opera's Jenufa and The Queen of Spades and the musical directorship of a season of great distinction by the Royal Opera
2001 Mark-Anthony Turnage (composer) and Amanda Holden (librettist) for creating English National Opera's The Silver Tassie
2000 English National Opera for its high standard of production and for championing the works of Handel
1999 The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House for its consistently outstanding musicianship in The Royal Opera's Le Nozze Di Figaro, The Bartered Bride and The Golden Cockerel
1998 Paul Daniel for conducting English National Opera's From The House Of The Dead and for his contribution to English National Opera
1997 Elgar Howarth for conducting English National Opera's Die Soldaten and The Prince of Homburg
1996 Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera's Siegfried and Gotterdämmerung
1995 Roberto Alagna for his performance in The Royal Opera's Roméo Et Juliette
1994 The Orchestra of English National Opera for Lohengrin and Inquest Of Love
1993 Sir Edward Downes for conducting The Royal Opera's The Fiery Angel and Stiffelio
1992 The Royal Opera's Mitridate, Rè Di Ponto
1991 Mark Elder for conducting English National Opera's Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Macbeth, Pelléas Et Méllisande, and Wozzeck
1989/90 The Komische Oper's Orpheus and Eurydice
1988 Leontina Vaduva for her performance in The Royal Opera's Manon
1987 English National Opera's Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk
1986 English National Opera's Doctor Faust, Graham Clark and Thomas Allen specially commended
1982 English National Opera's Rigoletto
1981 The Royal Opera's Les Contes D'Hoffman
1980 English National Opera's Così Fan Tutte
1979 The Royal Opera's The Rake's Progress
1978 English National Opera for their enterprising repertoire
1977 Glyndebourne Festival Opera's Don Giovanni
Additional Opera Awards
1985 Kathleen Battle for Ariadne Auf Naxos (The Royal Opera)
1985 English National Opera's Xerxes
1984 Welsh National Opera's From The House Of The Dead
1984 Philip Langridge for Osud (English National Opera)
1983 The Cologne Opera's Il Matrimonio Segreto
1983 Valerie Masterson for Semele (The Royal Opera)
1982 Jeffrey Tate for La Clemenza Di Tito (The Royal Opera)
1981 Anne Mackay for The Gypsy Princess (Sadler's Wells Theatre production)
1980 Rosalind Plowright for The Turn Of The Screw (English National Opera)
1978 The Royal Opera's Lohengrin
Written by: WestEndTheatre
Tags: Amanda Holden, Antonio Pappano, Castor And Pollux, Christian Gerhaher, Così Fan Tutte, Edward Gardner, English National Opera, Hansel And Gretel, La Boheme, Macbeth, Madam Butterfly, Olivier Awards, OperaUpClose, Rigoletto, Royal Opera House, Soho Theatre, Tannhauser, The Tempest, The Young Vic, Welsh National Opera


HomeProducts FolkArt ® Painted Finishes - Dark Rust, 4 oz.
Pair with Light Rust to create an authentic rust look. Transform the look of your projects using these creative finish options. Add rustic, but contemporary, flair to your indoor or outdoor decor pieces with these easy to use, non-toxic paint finishes. Since they can be used on a variety of surfaces, including wood, metal, terra cotta, or plastic, the finish options are almost endless.
What is FolkArt Painted Finishes – Rust?
FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust is a water-based, non-toxic, easy-to-apply, textural paint that when applied to a variety of surfaces will create the illusion of rust.
How many colors of FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust are available?
FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust is available in two colors, Light Rust and Dark Rust.
How can I re-mix Folkart Painted Finishes Rust if it has settled?
If your paint has settled, simply shaking the FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust bottles will fully incorporate the paint.
How much coverage does the Rust FolkArt Painted Finishes kit provide?
One 2 fl. oz. bottle of FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust will cover approximately 1.5 square feet of surface.
When combining Light and Dark Rust 2 fl. oz. bottles, approximately 3 square feet of project surface can be covered.
How do I clean FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust from of my Shortie Brushes?
FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust can be easily cleaned from used paint brushes while the bristles are still wet using soap and warm water.
Is FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust safe to use on outdoor surfaces?
Yes, FolkArt Painted Finishes can be used on outdoor projects, assuming the surface itself can withstand outdoor elements.
Will FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust stain my clothing?
FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust can penetrate your clothing the same as when working with acrylic paints. However, it can be washed out immediately while wet using FolkArt Brush Plus and water.
Should I seal my FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust project after it is dry?
FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust is self-sealing and does not require any added varnish or sealers for protection.
How should I clean my FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust project?
Projects created using FolkArt Painted Finishes Rust can be wiped clean to remove dust using a slightly damp paper towel or soft cloth.


This course introduces OSHA and the OSHA regulations that apply to the manufacturing industry. Introduces safety rules and issues in the use of overhead cranes, hoists, rigging equipment, attachment components, calculating sling angle stresses, and safe lifting and turning loads. Provides the knowledge and skills necessary to help sustain life and minimize the consequences of injury or sudden illness to meet the various training needs of those in workplace, school or community settings.


The concept of conscience has come under siege during the last few decades as a result of structural changes in the health care system. Starting with the pluralization of values in modern societies, a new debate has been launched about the place of conscientious objection in providing medical services. The volume approaches this problem from an interdisciplinary perspective and elucidates the diverse dimensions of decisions of conscience.


A game can be rated 3, 7, 12, 16, 18. The rating on a game confirms that it is suitable for players over a certain age. Accordingly, a PEGI 7 game is only suitable for those aged seven and above and an PEGI 18 game is only suitable for adults aged eighteen and above. The PEGI rating considers the age suitability of a game, not the level of difficulty.


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January 13th, 2016 January 13th, 2016
By Audrey
Brie Larson & Lenny Abrahamson discuss Room and winning Golden Globe!
Director Lenny Abrahamson said Brie Larson winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress for their movie Room was "like a dream".
The Irish were well-represented at the awards, with five nominations on the night.
Room tells the story of a young mother held captive in a tiny garden shed with her five-year-old son, who is played by newcomer Jacob Tremblay.
Emma Donoghue adapted the script from her 2010 novel of the same name.
"It was an amazing night, it was bizarre and very starry. The red carpet was the longest thing I've ever seen – it was like a red carpet city," Lenny told the Herald.
"It was like the Iftas, but with better dresses and bigger stars. I only came home yesterday, so it's still all like a dream," he added.
Brie has had smaller parts in movies such as Trainwreck and Lenny said he's glad this film is showcasing her talent.
"I'm so proud of her because she's an amazing actress and she's been working for a while, and I don't think people recognised how good she is," he said.
"I'm thrilled that Room is the film that brought her to that attention."
However, he did say it was bittersweet that she won over Irish actress Saoirse Ronan.
"That was the only thing that took the shine off things," he said.
"But Saoirse is only 21 and has the most amazing career ahead of her and I believe she could win an Oscar."
The Academy Award nominations are set to be announced tomorrow, but Lenny doesn't think he'll be included in the best director category. "There's no way I'll get a nomination, not a chance,' he said. "I'd like to see Brie and Emma get nominated, but there's no way I'm going to get one.
"The best director category is very tight and it also has an element of lifetime achievement about it. Who knows, there's a chance the movie might get one," he added.
The cast and crew have been promoting the Irish-Canadian production for a number of months now and Lenny said they keep bumping into the same people on the awards and festival circuit.
"I kept ending up next to Matt Damon for some reason, so now I keep thinking he's going: 'Who's this little bald guy that keeps appearing next to me'," he said.
Once award season has ended, Lenny is working on a new TV show with House actor Hugh Laurie.
"It's called Chance, it's set in San Francisco, and it's going to be aired on Hulu," he said.
"It's about another doctor but in a very different world. I'm going to shoot one episode and maybe more and I'll be overseeing the rest of it."
Lenny was speaking at a special screening of Room at the Lighthouse Cinema last night.
The film goes on general release this Friday.
Interview ,Movies ,Room ,Videos
The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards
Live! With Kelly & Michael !


text:
package com.google.cloud.assuredworkloads.v1.samples;

// [START assuredworkloads_v1_generated_AssuredWorkloadsService_Create_SetCredentialsProvider1_sync]
import com.google.cloud.assuredworkloads.v1.AssuredWorkloadsServiceClient;
import com.google.cloud.assuredworkloads.v1.AssuredWorkloadsServiceSettings;

public class SyncCreateSetCredentialsProvider1 {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    syncCreateSetCredentialsProvider1();
  }

  public static void syncCreateSetCredentialsProvider1() throws Exception {
    // This snippet has been automatically generated and should be regarded as a code template only.
    // It will require modifications to work:
    // - It may require correct/in-range values for request initialization.
    // - It may require specifying regional endpoints when creating the service client as shown in
    // https://cloud.google.com/java/docs/setup#configure_endpoints_for_the_client_library
    AssuredWorkloadsServiceSettings assuredWorkloadsServiceSettings =
        AssuredWorkloadsServiceSettings.newHttpJsonBuilder().build();
    AssuredWorkloadsServiceClient assuredWorkloadsServiceClient =
        AssuredWorkloadsServiceClient.create(assuredWorkloadsServiceSettings);
  }
}
// [END assuredworkloads_v1_generated_AssuredWorkloadsService_Create_SetCredentialsProvider1_sync]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


These days, with so many gift ideas available at the click of a button, we're often overwhelmed when it comes to buying Christmas gifts for gardeners. Therefore, I decided to make it easier for you by reaching out to my network of Plant Geeks, and asking them what they would love for Christmas 2018!
Stack them up into a cactus shape, or use them to prevent water rings – it's up to you!
Buy them here for £15.
Know someone who would love to take a trip to an RHS flower show? These vouchers are perfect!
Buy them here from £5.
Keep warm, and fashionable, in winter with this cosy knitwear.
This fabric bucket can be used as a plant cosy, desk organiser, and more!
A treat for the eyes, this book bring the world of plants to life on its pages.
Buy it here for £39.95.
Modern terrariums are one thing, but these vintage terrariums are something else!
Buy it here from £45.
Garnish your gin with your own homegrown herbs!
Buy it here for £19.95.
Buy it here for £7.99.
Nourish your hands after a long day of gardening with this super soft balm.
Take your pick of these high quality tools – only the best for your garden!
Buy here from £2 to £164.
Plant your way to a super stylish garden – in blush pink, too!
What do you think of these Christmas gifts for gardeners? Let me know what you would love for Christmas in the comments section below, or find me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
Previous Post Your December Plant Geek magazine is here!


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World news briefs: Catalan separatists clash with Spanish police
Sep 29, 2018 at 10:12 PM Sep 29, 2018 at 10:12 PM
Catalan separatists
clash with police
Clashes between Catalan separatists and police in Barcelona left 14 people injured and led to six arrests Saturday as tensions boiled over days before the anniversary of the Spanish region's illegal referendum on secession, which ended in violent raids by security forces.
Separatists tossed and sprayed colored powder at police officers, filling the air with a thick rainbow cloud and covering anti-riot shields and police vans. Some protesters threw eggs and other objects and engaged with the police line, which used batons to keep them back.
There were more confrontations as the separatists tried to enter Barcelona's main city square where 3,000 people supporting Spanish police had ended their march.
Tens of thousands
protest top candidate
Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far-right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America's largest country.
The protests came the same day that Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a hospital after being stabbed at a campaign rally Sept. 6.
In Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, people flooded avenues to sing, dance and shout "Not him!" — the rallying cry of groups trying to prevent Bolsonaro from taking office in October elections.
Canada delays speech
amid US trade talks
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland postponed her U.N. speech as free trade talks between the U.S. and Canada intensified.
Freeland was set to deliver Canada's address to the General Assembly on Saturday in New York, but Canada exchanged the slot with another country. Freeland might speak Monday.
A senior Canadian official said talks are progressing but it's not certain a deal will be reached soon.
Beacon Journal/
Ohio.com wires


I am starting to understand why sock knitters find a great pattern and keep doing it. I seem to be developing a similar affliction with with hats. As breaks in between a fiddly lace shawl, or a sweater, there is fun in hats. And, with thick enough yarn I can finish one in and evening or two. Or a weekend retreat. Or waiting in an airport.
So, I present to you, the Amanda Hat in Blue.
This one was knit on eights with two Fibre Company yarns (yet another addiction) - Terra (Dark Woad - what is a woad anyway?*) and Organik (Dark Blue). The organik is not quite as snuggly as the Terra so I started with the Terra in the brim and then alternated throughout.
And then, I was reading over at Gina's blog that someone made one with Patons SWS and I had an aha moment.
It turned out so cool. I am really having fun seeing how differently the yarns and the pattern combine.
Oooh - pretty. I have some Patons SWS for a sweater. Now I KNOW what to do with the leftovers.


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We understand that every business is different and therefore our solutions are completely tailored to your specific needs and the requirements of your team. We work with you to ensure that you have everything you need to put your people first.
Stay compliant and avoid legal headaches
Build a workplace your people want to be in
Leadership Capability
Helping you to invest in your leaders
Don't face the changing landscape alone
Happy people improve productivity
Expert outsourced project management
Health And Wellbeing Is At The Core Of What We Do
Archives: August 2020
Are your employment contracts up to date with the latest legislation?
We've never had a year like it. Rapid organisational changes brought on by lockdown, government furlough schemes and economic instability. In the light of everything else that 2020 has thrown at businesses, you may have missed some of the new employment legislation that came into force this year.
Whatever the size of your business, it's vital that your HR processes and employment contracts stay up to date with all of the latest legislation. Make sure you haven't missed any of the following:
National Minimum Wage changes
Ensure that your contracts reflect the latest increases in National Minimum Wage, which increased in April 2020 to £8.72 for workers over 25, £8.20 for those aged 21–24, £6.45 for workers aged 18–20, and £4.55 for those who are 16 and 17.
It's vital that your organisation has the proper pay records to prove it has complied with minimum wage increases.
2020 saw the introduction of "Jack's Law". Parents who experience the death of a child are now entitled to up to two weeks parental bereavement leave, with a statutory minimum rate of pay.
This entitlement also applies where parents have experienced a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Make sure that your leave policies cover this new right, and that managers are equipped to administer it properly.
Increases in other statutory payments
Ensure that your contracts and policies include the new higher rates of statutory pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay, which rose to £151.20 per week this year. Statutory sick pay also rose, and is now £95.85 per week.
Also, be aware that statutory sick pay for employees with coronavirus begins on day one of their sickness absence, rather than requiring three 'waiting days' before coming into effect. This will also need to be reflected in your sick leave procedures.
Written statements for all workers from day one
A further major change to employment legislation this year means that all workers require a written statement of terms and conditions. Previously this was only required for employees, and not for casual or zero hours workers.
There is also no longer a minimum length of service before receiving a written statement. All workers will require one on their first day of employment.
Employers will also have to include details such as training, probation period, rights to any paid leave such as maternity/paternity etc. and detail any additional bonuses within the employment contract.
Holiday pay for workers on irregular hours
New legislation in 2020 requires businesses to calculate holiday pay for workers on irregular hours (such as seasonal staff) differently. The reference period for calculating holiday pay changes from 12 weeks to 52 weeks.
This will require an adjustment in how HR teams and businesses calculate holiday pay allowances, which will need to be reflected in employment contracts for workers on irregular hours.
Keep your business up to date
Make sure that your business stays up to date with all the latest changes in legislation. If you'd like a free contract review, please get in touch with us.
Or Sign up to our mailing list, and you'll also stay in the know about the key developments in HR, employment and management.
Three ways to invest in your company culture during a crisis
It's natural, during times of crisis, to retreat into survival mode. But crises — whether they're internal or external — are opportunities to continue investing in your company culture, to ensure you're building the business you want to build, staying on mission and giving your teams the opportunity to thrive.
Here are three ways you can continue to invest in your company culture, even during times of crisis.
Increase perks, don't cut them
People make organisations. And stressed-out, overwhelmed people aren't what you need right now.
Rather than a knee-jerk reaction to cut perks during this time, consider what employee perks will really serve your team and your business. Focus on health and wellness-boosting deliveries or online subscriptions.
Anything you can do right now to boost employee appreciation will reap big rewards. In 2019, staff turnover, sickness and lost productivity resulting from poor mental health cost UK employers £42bn. This reinforces the fact that improved physical and emotional wellbeing programs are worth investing in.
Recognise and reward staff — and not just for performance
It doesn't take much to make sure you're giving recognition to team members for a job well done. And a little recognition and reward can go a long way.
During times of crisis, with shifts in working patterns and environments, it's natural that some staff will appear to be less productive than usual. So make sure that you're also recognising and rewarding team members for the quality of their work, their attitude, and even acts of kindness or charity work.
Explore virtual team building
Don't neglect team building, even if you can't all get together in person. A quick Google search will take a lot of the legwork out of finding good team building games and apps you can all take part in online – and have great fun doing so.
Make sure you find a balance that works for your company and your people. Nobody needs to have a mandatory daily quiz booked in, but well-timed and organised team building can work wonders for cohesiveness, trust and communication.
We want to make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. Download our free Returning To Work guide here.
How 360 feedback can help you make important cultural changes in your business
If you want your organisation to strive towards constant improvement and help your managers become better leaders, performance review should never be just a one-way street. 360 feedback, as the name suggests, draws on multiple perspectives, including peers, direct reports, teams, senior staff and even clients. This can form a broader and more objective understanding of somebody's performance, or the success of a particular project.
360 feedback is also an excellent tool to help you make important cultural changes within your business. Here are four reasons why.
A culture of openness leads to more cohesive teams
By its nature, 360 feedback fosters a culture of openness, in which team members at all levels are reminded that their honest opinion is vital to the success of the exercise.
Teams which can communicate honestly without fear of reprisals or awkwardness become more cohesive, and ultimately more productive.
Everyone's voice is heard
By drawing in voices from all levels of your company's hierarchy, 360 feedback can help to ensure that the changes you're making are actually going to bring about the benefits you hope.
Imagine a new system being brought in by a manager without first consulting with the team who are going to be using the system, finding out their pain points and requirements. Attempting to push through cultural change without understanding voices at all levels can have a similar effect.
Empowered employees are likely to be more loyal
In a recent Hubspot survey, 69% of workers interviewed said that they would work harder if they felt more appreciated. Where employees feel engaged, empowered and appreciated you can expect a boost in quality of work, and also in company loyalty.
Seeking 360 feedback is one step towards empowering employees, giving them buy-in to the culture and mission of your business. In turn this can boost productivity and loyalty, and reduce the costs of employee turnover.
Must be acted upon to see continuous improvement
There's a catch, however. To achieve all of the above and see the continuous improvement you're longing for, 360 feedback needs to be paired with action.
Ensure that you set in place a clear roadmap to weigh and act on the outcomes of your 360 feedback process, and communicate with the whole team why and how you've done so.
Do you need a robust and effective 360 feedback process for your business? Speak to one of our team for a free 30 minute consultation.
Why mental health is a critical business issue
The importance of Mental Health First Aiders in the Workplace
How to avoid COVID-related Employment Tribunals in 2021
How to onboard employees remotely in 2021 and beyond
5 creative ways to reward remote workers
HR Support Chester: we are a consultancy specialising in providing businesses of all sizes with HR Support, Business Improvement and Project Management Services. Speak to us today to discover more.
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An additional 100 protesters gathered yesterday in Kampong Thom province's Sandan district, joining roughly 200 villagers that have demonstrated since Sunday against a rubber company they fear will clear their forested land.
The villagers are continuing to protest outside the offices of CRCK Rubber Development Company – which was granted a 6,044-hectare concession last year – despite efforts by district and military police to stop them.
The villagers came from communities in Kampong Thom, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces that border Prey Lang forest, one of Cambodia's largest at about 200,000 hectares. They fear the company will destroy forested land they depend on for their livelihoods.
Long Sokun, Kampong Thom deputy police chief, declined to comment in detail on the protest, but said "I don't know why they deployed a lot of police around that place".
Last July, more than 100 villagers gathered in Phnom Penh to deliver petitions to Prime Minister Hun Sen's cabinet and the Ministry of Agriculture requesting action to protect Prey Lang.