Enjoy the comforting style of natural burlap with this small oval lamp shade.
Natural burlap fabric makes a casual lamp shade that's stylish and relaxing. This small oval softback shade features tan polyester lining and a chrome finished spider fitter.
8" wide, 6" deep at the top x 14" wide, 11" deep at the top x 11" slant x 10 1/2" high.
Natural burlap fabric for a natural, organic look.
Tan lining with a chrome finish spider fitter.
Design is by the Brentwood Collection™.


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papermadeprettier: Take Out Treats Frankenstein Box with VIDEO!
Take Out Treats Frankenstein Box with VIDEO!
Halloween is time for TREATS! This adorable treat is something you can make with the Takeout Treats bundle from Stampin' Up. Featuring Granny Apple Green, my new fave Stampin' Up color!
Dimensions: Black strip 1/2 x 2 1/4"


I'd like to talk a little bit about what single-payer healthcare would look like in the United States. Some of the most vicious comments I've ever received from this series come from my comments about single-payer in other countries. Many people in the United States are fans of it, but that's primarily because they do not understand what a disaster it truly is and how the countries all over the world that supposedly love their healthcare systems are morphing much more toward private efforts.
Privatization of healthcare in countries that have single-payer healthcare is ongoing and vigorous. Of course the Canadians have a private healthcare system at their disposal and that's the very dysfunctional one here in the United States.
Single-payer healthcare in the United States would not look like it does in many of these foreign countries. I argue that it would be worse because it would be run just like Medicare is run. Medicare is not run, after all, by the government. Medicare is run by private contractors, typically giant insurance companies.
Indeed, single-payer in the United States would very likely look something like this: the country would be carved up into regions and the giant healthcare companies would vie or bid for the complete control of that region of the country.
The premiums that those companies receive would no longer be dependent on the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the buyer or the consumer. They would plug directly into the taxpayer trough. They would take this money and determine what their profits needed to be at the end of the year and they would ration care accordingly to make sure their stock prices remained where they needed to be.
This will be enraging to many of you who are big fans of single-payer healthcare, but in the United States it will not take the form that it has in Canada even though in the Canadian system many of those people come to the United States for their care and there are vigorous privatization efforts there because it just simply doesn't work. Socialism doesn't work. It doesn't work in healthcare.
The good news is here at the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, we're showing how the free market can work. It's bringing prices down and quality is increasing… not just in this region of the country, but all over the country by those who are embracing the discipline of the free market and giving no credence to any ideas that socialism in healthcare works at all.


Welcome to 8tracks radio: free music streaming for any time, place, or mood. tagged with hip hop, ana tijoux, and Tiro de Gracia. You can also download one of our free apps to enjoy internet radio on your favorite device.


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Home Adult Fiction Tin Camp Road by Ellen Airgood
Tin Camp Road by Ellen Airgood
victor October 10, 2021 September 17, 2021 Adult Fiction
Review by Tyler Tichelaar
The wait is over. Fans of Ellen Airgood's South of Superior have waited a decade for her new novel Tin Camp Road. In the interim, Airgood published two young adult novels, Prairie Evers and its sequel The Education of Ivy Blake, but this is her first adult novel in a decade, and it has been well worth the wait.
Airgood, who owns a diner in Grand Marais, Michigan, might be called the UP's version of bestselling novelist Anne Tyler because she writes about real people, living real and often messy lives, in realistic places. In this case, her main character, Laurel Hill, lives in the small tourist town of Gallion on Lake Superior's shore, where she makes a living cleaning motel rooms, working for the people who now own her own family's home, and generally struggling to make a living as a single mother. Her daughter, Skye, is ten years old and a creative, intelligent spirit who is the center of Laurel's life.
Skye makes friends easily, including adults who want to help Laurel to give her a better life. However, their offers to help often place Laurel in a difficult position where she is torn between wanting what is best for her daughter and not surrendering her daughter to others' care. She feels bad that she cannot send her daughter to summer camps or buy her the things she would like to. It is all Laurel can do to keep a roof over their head, and for a time, she even finds herself homeless. Add to that Skye's dog and guinea pig to care for and Laurel has her hands full.
Several colorful and kind characters fill the pages, including an old man Laurel chops wood for to make some extra money, a divorced woman who runs a grocery store where Laurel helps out, and the people who own her family home that they have turned into a B&B and who almost seem to want to adopt Skye. And then there is Jen, Laurel's best friend since the third grade who finds herself in bad relationships with men and keeps expecting Laurel to rescue her when Laurel already has enough to deal with.
Airgood's style is one that penetrates to the hearts of her characters, showing us their strengths and weaknesses and especially the strengths they have that they do not always recognize. We feel the struggle that Laurel faces, while at the same time understanding why she chooses to stay in her hometown, even if work is often hard to come by or not well paying, even if she has a car that constantly stalls, and she has to shovel snow and live in a trailer out in the woods to get by. Laurel draws on fond memories of a perfect childhood and her grandmother to give her the strength to keep going, plus she is determined that she and Skye will stay together, no matter what anyone says.
Nor is Tin Camp Road a story all about sadness and difficulties. Skye and Laurel have a special relationship that is really filled with some wonderful moments of love, trust, and just having fun. While other adults don't always understand their situation, mother and daughter know they belong together and their bond of love is unbreakable.
The Upper Peninsula is depicted accurately in the novel. Airgood obviously knows and loves the area, not painting it at all as idyllic, yet reflecting its beauty, its power, its economic struggles, and the dangers that can exist from living along Lake Superior.
I kept hoping for a happy ending because I cared about the characters, but I also knew there would be no deus ex machina stepping in to save the day for Laurel, nothing that would be unlikely. I did not foresee how the book did end, yet Airgood planted the seed for the ending early in the novel like a good novelist should, and when the end did arrive, I couldn't help feeling it was perfect. It did not neatly wrap up the story but rather opened it up for the next adventure in the characters' lives.
Airgood sums up the novel's message a page or so from the end when she writes:
"Happiness was a net—that was it. You had to build a life that happiness would snag in. When it did, you took it up and used it. Ate it, salted it, relished it. Then you put the net down again. Nothing guaranteed you'd haul it up full every time. You wouldn't. But sometimes happiness would catch, and you'd have what you needed, at least for a while. Long enough to tide you over until the next time."
If you have not read an Airgood novel before, Tin Camp Road is a great one to start with. These are real characters you come to care about, and it reads so quickly that you will regret parting with them so soon. Hopefully, we won't have to wait another ten years for the next one.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, award-winning author of Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man
Ellen Airgood. Bookmark.
Gichigami Hearts by Linda LeGarde Grover
U.P. Colony: The Story of Resource Exploitation in Upper Michigan — Focus on Sault Sainte Marie Industries

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Olympus announces the M.Zuiko 300mm f/4 IS Pro
April 10, 2018 January 6, 2016 by Admin
Olympus has just introduced the fifth Pro lens designed for the Micro Four Thirds system: the M.Zuiko ED Digital 300mm f/4 IS Pro. It offers the same angle of view as a 600mm lens on a full-frame 24×36 sensor. Like the other members of the Pro family, the 300mm f/4 is entirely weather-sealed with dust, splash and freeze resistance. It has to be noted that this new lens is the largest and heaviest lens produced for the Micro Four Thirds system with a total weight of 1475g (tripod collar included).
The new 300mm f/4 is the first M4/3 lens by Olympus to feature Optical Stabilisation. The brand claims 6 steps of compensation, which is related to a new mechanism called Sync IS and compatible with just two cameras: the OM-D E-M1 and OM-D E-M5 mark II. With these two models, both the optical and sensor stabilisation are used, which is reminiscent of the Dual IS technology introduced by Panasonic on the GX8 last year. With the other Olympus and all Panasonic cameras, only the optical stabilisation is effective (4 steps claimed by CIPA standards).
The lens is composed of 17 elements in 10 groups with 3 Super ED, 2 HR and 1 E-HR elements. It has a minimum focus distance of 1.4m which, combined with the narrow angle of view, gives the lens almost semi-macro capabilities. The internal autofocus motor (MSC) is silent and fast, achieving a speed of less than 300ms with the E-M1 or E-M5 II.
The plastic hood can be slid back over the barrel when not needed. The focus ring can be clutched backwards to switch to manual focus. You will also find a L-Fn function button to which you can assign one of 27 different settings. There are also two switches: one will turn the internal stabilisation On or Off while the second will limit the focusing distance to certain distance ranges.
The lens is also compatible with the MC-14 teleconverter. With it attached, the focal length is extended by 1.4x which equals a 420mm and 840mm equivalent (35mm format).
The lens is expensive with a retail price of €2800. It is the most expensive autofocus lens for the system and is clearly aimed at a professional audience. It will be available in March 2016. Included in the package is a Duffel-shaped case and a plastic cover (DR-79) for the lens when the tripod collar is not mounted. Note that the tripod collar mount fits the Arca Swiss plate standard and therefore can be attached to a compatible tripod directly.
You can check out our complete review of the 300mm f/4 on MirrorLessons and watch our video review below. There is also a second video with 4K footage shot with the Panasonic GX8 and a series of sample images.
E-M1, 1/320, f/4, ISO 400
E-M1, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 640
GX8, 1/400, f/4, ISO 640
E-M1, 1/1600, f/4, ISO 200
E-M1, 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 200
Categories News, Olympus News


Holly A. Vokes, of Harbor Springs, died at her home on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007.
A memorial service has been planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Springs.
A memorial gathering will take place 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Stone Funeral Home in Petoskey.


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Coaching/Workshops
© 2018 Sarah Henley.
The Unblinding
The Unblinding started as a musical and then developed into a graphic novel with audio and songs.
The Unblinding tells the story of Eden, a young man from Peckham, whose skin lights up revealing the mystical world of time and the creatures that weave it. It's set in a world where people are behaving recklessly - gambling away their worldly goods, throwing themselves off buildings...our reluctant hero must work out why this is happening and use his gift to save mankind before it's too late.
So far we have had a sharing of the pilot episode at the Bussey Building in Peckham with images and a cast of live actors on the radio play. It went brilliantly and we are currently assessing next steps.
'Sarah Henley may well be one of the most astonishing new talents in the British musical theatre world...there is something reassuringly familiar and traditional about this fable: although the characters have taken the guises of those people on the streets of Peckham you walk past to get to the venue, there is in the mythic figure at the centre of the story, and the cheerfully recognisable spaces in which his story is played out, a delightfully simple match of the whimsically fantastic and the simple and work-a-day that recalls a much more well-worn dramatic tradition.'
Julian Eaves - The Upcoming
Sarah Henley.


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810-429-3634	optimistsinaction@gmail.com
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Congressman Dan Kildee to be Honored by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint
Annual Suits & Sauce Dinner on October 14th
2015 Suits & Sauce Annual Dinner to be Held at New Location: Flint Farmers' Market
FLINT, MI (October 1, 2015) – More than 200 guests will visit the Flint Farmers' Market on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 to celebrate the 13th Annual Suits & Sauce Dinner presented by Fathead, LLC; QuickenLoans and Famous Dave's BBQ. The 8th Annual Patrick McInnis Community Hero Award will be presented to Congressman Dan Kildee at this year's ceremony, Growing Famous Futures. The evening kicks off at 6:00 pm with a silent auction and cocktail hour sponsored by Diplomat Pharmacy followed by the dinner at 7:00 with the meal compliments of Famous Dave's.
The Community Hero Award was established in 2008 as a way to recognize an individual or group for a significant investment of time, talent and treasure in youth living in Flint, Michigan. The award was named in recognition of Fathead CEO and Flint native, Patrick McInnis, whose investment in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint has directly resulted in a more vibrant and positive organization where area youngsters can learn, play and grow into productive citizens. Congressman Kildee joins other distinguished past award honorees such as Dr. Nita Kulkarni, Judge Duncan Beagle, Detroit Shock, Tom Izzo, Congressman Dale E. Kildee and Mateen Cleaves.
Congressman Kildee is being honored for his dedication and support of our youth, as well as our families throughout our community. It is a great honor to recognize Congressman Kildee as the 2015 Patrick McInnis Community Hero Award recipient.
The Suits & Sauce Dinner is a key component in the success of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint. This event has helped grow the local organization to include two sites, Averill Avenue and the Haskell Youth Center, to serving more than 6,100 youth per year with more than 2,400 of these youth as registered members.
QuickenLoans and Fathead LLC, a leading brand in sports and entertainment graphic products, are the official sponsors of the event. Dinner tickets per individual are $150; table sponsors which seats 7 people are available for $1,500; various sponsorship opportunities starting at $100 are available, as well. For more information about the event e-mail event coordinator, Marcia Heller at mheller@bgclubflint.org, or call (810) 249-3452.
Connie Peters
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint
3701 N. Averill Avenue
www.bgclubflint.org
"It is the mission of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint to inspire and enable all young people; especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens."
Optimists In Action


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Q: How can I set a layout to a tab in QTabWidget? I have created a QTabWidget (with no tabs) using the Qt Design tool, and now I need to create tabs and add widgets dynamically.
I can create the tab and add the widget using the following code:
MyCustomWidget *myCustomWidget = new MyCustomWidget(this);
ui->myTabWidget->addTab(myCustomWidget, "New Tab");

The problem is that the widget stays in the top left corner of my QTabWidget but I need to align it in the center (horizontally) of my QTabWidget.
How can I set a horizontal layout to this new tab created?
Note 1: My widget (MyCustomWidget) has a fixed size.
Note 2: I'm using Qt 5.3.

A: You can use QT designer.
Select QTabWidget and have the Tab that needs its layout changed visible (and it has to contain elements e.g. QLabel, etc..)
Right-click->Layout->Layout vertically
The problem is that it is intuitive to do it on the Qwidget while you have to do it on the QTabWidget

A: It will always be in the top left corner. You can either add another widget on top of yours and them put your widget in the middle of that widget, or make your widget the size of the tab and position its content in the middle. You can use setLayout method of QWidget to set your widget layout.

A: You do not need a QFrame, a simple QWidget and a centered layout will do it :
auto w = new QWidget;

auto txtEdit = new QTextEdit; // Replace with whatever custom widget
txtEdit->setFixedSize(150, 150); // Only here to simulate your fixed size

auto layout = new QVBoxLayout;
layout->addWidget(txtEdit, 0, Qt::AlignHCenter);
w->setLayout(layout);

ui->tabWidget->addTab(w, "MyTab");

A: I use QT Creator 4.7.0 Based on QT 5.11.1.
I can't change the layout of a tab of QTabWidget using QT designer. The all items from Lay out are disabled. I am very strange. Only method I solve this problem is to edit ui file(in my case, mainwindow.ui file).
From:
<widget class="QWidget" name="tab_3">
<attribute name="title">
<string>Insert Object</string>
</attribute>
</widget>

To:
<widget class="QWidget" name="tab_3">
<attribute name="title">
<string>Insert Object</string>
</attribute>
<layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
</layout>
</widget>

As result, the layout of tab of QTabWidget have changed.
Thanks.

A: Following @Satus idea, I create a new QFrame, set the minimum size as the size of myTabWidget, set a horizontal layout and add myCustomWidget inside it, adding two QSpacerItem (left and right):
QFrame *frame= new QFrame(this);
frame->setMinimumWidth(ui->myTabWidget->width());
frame->setMinimumHeight(ui->myTabWidget->height());

MyCustomWidget *myCustomWidget = new MyCustomWidget(frame);

QHBoxLayout *hLayout = new QHBoxLayout();

hLayout->addItem(new QSpacerItem(10, 10, QSizePolicy::Expanding, QSizePolicy::Expanding));
hLayout->addWidget(myCustomWidget);
hLayout->addItem(new QSpacerItem(10, 10, QSizePolicy::Expanding, QSizePolicy::Expanding));

frame->setLayout(hLayout);

ui->myTabWidget->addTab(frame, "New Tab");

It worked, but if someone has a more elegant way to do so, please share with us.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Nannine was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1894 to 1897.

The district was located in the Western Australian outback. It existed for one term of parliament, and was represented in that time by Ministerialist Frederick Illingworth. Following the district's abolition, Illingworth switched to the seat of Central Murchison at the 1897 general election.

Members for Nannine

Election results

References

Nannine
1894 establishments in Australia
Nannine
1897 disestablishments in Australia
Nannine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: SQL does not pull records based on exact date I exported records and I want to know which record was exported on a particular day. It does not work. Here is the data if I query it.
* comapny Name *     * date exported *
ABC Company, Inc    2011-08-01 15:44:52.857
XYZ Company, Inc    2011-08-01 15:44:52.857

I issue this command which does not retrieves the exact matches
select companyname, exporteddate from mytable exporteddate = '2011-08-01' <- does not work
select companyname, exporteddate from mytable exporteddate like '%2011-08-01%' <-- tried this variation too and many other, did not work

The interesting thing is >=, >, <= works. What really is the problem?  The exported date is declared as datetime field.
select companyname, exporteddate from mytable exporteddate >= '2011-08-01' <- this works

I am using Windows XP, MS-SQL 2005 SP3 (not exactly but close).

A: = '2011-08-01' will only match datetimes of exactly midnight on that date (i.e. any rows you have that have values of 2011-08-01 00:00:00.00).
The best way of doing the query is where exporteddate >= '20110801' and exporteddate < '20110802'
This is sargable, avoids ambiguous datetime formats and is better than the BETWEEN alternative with an end condition on 20110801 23:59:59.997 as that relies on an implementation detail about the max precision of the datetime datatype that will break if you move over to the new SQL Server 2008 datetime2 datatype at some later stage.

A: Your problem is that you're using a DATETIME field to store a DATE. As you can see, the data is actually stored down to milliseconds.
To get this to work, you can:

*

*Search on a range of DATETIME values
WHERE exporteddate BETWEEN '2011-08-01 00:00:00.000' AND '2011-08-01 23:59:59.999'

*Convert your storage from DATETIME to DATE (the simplest solution if you don't really need to distinguish multiple loads on single date).

A: A datetime field with no time specified is interpreted as a date with a time of 00:00:00.

A: unless you specify, the time part will be exactly 00:00:00 so all those seconds in your timestamp will prevent exact match.

A: Date fields don't work like text fields.
Your first non-working select doesn't include time (which is in the data).  You would need to trunc the date or convert it to a string using a format that only has year/month/day.
Same for the LIKE statement.  Its not a text field.
Date's however can be checked for equality using >, <, etc as you see.

A: Like many other suggest, because you don't supply time the SQL will use 00:00:00 instead. To compare a DATE to a DATEIME you may convert your DATETIME to a DATE.
I don't know how to achive this in SQL server but in MySQL it would be : select companyname, exporteddate from mytable DATE(exporteddate) = '2011-08-01'

A: Try this, you are converting both dates to same format and comapring them.
select companyname, exporteddate from mytable  CONVERT(VARCHAR,exporteddate ,103)=

CONVERT(VARCHAR,'2011-08-01',103);


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Tag Jewish World Review
Karpas And The Wait For Dinner
When's Dinner?
And now the fifth question – when do we eat? This question, a joke of course, should actually help us to focus on a vital Pesach theme: the extent of our ability to delay gratification for a higher purpose.
More than just a commemoration, every festival is intended to help us recapture a major event of Jewish history and internalise its message. As the Exodus was the moment of the founding of the Jewish people, Pesach is an opportunity to consider what it means to be a member of the Jewish nation. What character traits are we to inculcate and which areas of personal growth are we to spotlight at this time of year? What will we have gained from all the intense preparations, from the Sedarim, the vast expense and effort? If all we will be left with after Pesach is exhaustion and a few extra pounds to shed, will it be worthwhile?
The ability to delay gratification is a key determinant of adult human behaviour; it distinguishes us from everything else in the world. Animals are driven by irrepressible needs; hunger, fear, the urge to reproduce. Once a need arises, its fulfilment becomes paramount; all energies are channelled into its realisation. Babies are scarcely different; when little Jimmy is hungry, tired, cold or has a dirty diaper, nothing will divert him from screaming until he gets what he wants.
In contrast, adults have a sense of higher meaning and value, which can often be strong enough to enable us to delay realising our immediate personal needs in lieu of achieving something of greater overall significance. There are dozens of examples of this phenomenon, ranging from the simple decision not to eat another piece of chocolate, to complex life-choices in which personal needs are completely marginalised in favour of national or even world improvement. This is, of course, a function of the struggle between the physical and spiritual drives; while Judaism prioritises the harmonisation of the two, there are occasions in life when the higher, spiritual yearnings must overcome and sublimate the lower, physical needs. The extent to which we are capable of doing this determines just how successful we really are as human beings.
As popular psychologist M. Scott Peck puts is. 'Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.' (The Road Less Traveled) I think that Jewish sources would view it quite differently. While initially there may be a sense that one is scheduling the pain before the pleasure, the capacity to do so is one of the most profound human achievements, one that transforms the 'pain' into purpose and possibly a higher form of pleasure itself.
While central to meaningful human experience, the ability to delay gratification doesn't come easily. We don't naturally graduate from childhood into mature and disciplined altruists. What we gain at adulthood is the capacity to control ourselves, but development in this area is a lifetime's work. One need look only at advertising and the media to see that immediate gratification with no consideration for the consequences is very much in vogue. High-risk sports, sexual exploration and many other activities that focus solely on immediate gratification are as popular as ever. The descent into instant fun and the consequential move away from the development of quintessential human sensitivities is all too easy. And we have all experienced people consumed with physical needs of one sort or another – they are unstoppable until they have what they want. In position as major leaders, such people can quite literally destroy the world; they nearly have on a number of occasions.
The Jewish people are expected to be the world experts in the field of delaying gratification, when necessary, to achieve higher goals. All humanity was originally destined to be proficient in this area, as evidenced by the prohibition of eating from the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Seen through Kabbalistic eyes, God did not demand that Adam and Eve forever deny themselves the fruit, only that they wait to eat it until after the first Shabbat. Had they demonstrated their ability to postpone their desire to eat it in order to fulfil God's will, they could have enjoyed the fruit legitimately. Instead, they were expelled from the Garden, forever changing the course of history.
As the nation of the Torah, the Jewish people are charged with the task of restoring, by example, this capacity to the whole of humanity. This began at the Exodus, the birth of our people. Our ancestors clearly demonstrated the capacity to wait for redemption, to tolerate the backbreaking Egyptian slavery, to put their dearest yearnings for salvation on hold until the right moment. Some members of the tribe of Ephraim had not been able to wait and had escaped before the appointed time; the Talmud records that they sadly died in the desert. Even when the time for deliverance seemed to be at hand, the Israelites' ability to wait enslaved until God was ready for them was tested to the limits. No sooner had Moshe introduced himself to Pharaoh than the slavery deepened; the Jews were no longer given straw, yet were expected to maintain the same level of brick production. Just when they thought the end of the slavery was in sight, they discovered that they had to wait a little longer. When the Exodus finally occurred, the nascent Jewish people were already well-trained in the art of waiting.
Each Pesach, and especially on Seder night, we are afforded a unique opportunity to relive those crucial final moments in Egypt. The lessons learned there were so central to our national and personal mission that we must revisit them every year to ensure that we are attuned to our key Jewish responsibilities.
This message is most obviously expressed in the structure of the Seder. We begin the evening in much the same way that we would commence any Shabbat or Yom Tov. Kiddush is followed by hand-washing, in preparation for the meal. But instead of eating the matzah and commencing the delicious Yom Tov feast, there is disappointment in store. Each person gets a small piece of vegetable dipped in salt-water (known as Karpas), then the matzah is broken, as if to eat it, but then hidden away and the plate containing the Seder foods is removed from the table, to be replaced with story books! We are tempted into thinking that the meal is coming (the fifth question – when do we eat?); we are taken to the point when the food is almost in our mouths and then told that we will have to read the story of our ancestors' miraculous escape from Egypt before we can actually have the meal. The Karpas makes matters worse, for it is a salty hors d'oeuvres; not only do we prepare for the meal and then take the food away before eating it, but we make the participants extra-hungry before doing so!
This is all part of a genius plan to ensure that the annual re-enactment of our redemption inculcates within us the same sense of priorities as the original Exodus experience. We have waited all day to start the Seder, we are hungry, delicious food odours are wafting from the kitchen and all the 'let's eat now' switches have been thrown (Kiddush, hand-washing, hors d'oeuvres, breaking matzah). Pavlov would have been proud. Yet something much more important than food must happen first – recounting the story of the Exodus. Understanding our roots, the very fibre of our national being, the unfolding Divine plan for Mankind, God's miraculous intervention in human history and the very concept of purposeful freedom – all of these must be achieved before we may begin our meal.
On Seder night, we sacrifice our need for immediate gratification (having rather cruelly stimulated it) to the noblest ideal; transmitting the wonders of Jewish history and our unique relationship with God to the next generation. This should inform our sense of priority in all our endeavours, throughout the year. We have seen that developing the capacity to delay gratification is central to the Jewish understanding of real achievement, defines us as a nation and contributes to rectifying the primeval sin of the Garden of Eden. If we finish this Pesach having learned, even a little, to delay our immediate needs long enough to pursue some of the majestic goals of Judaism, then it will all have been worthwhile.
Have a kosher, joyful Yom Tov and meaningful and uplifting Sedarim.
Based on a sermon for the first day of Pesach at Golders Green Synagogue, a version of this article first appeared on Jewish World Review.
Anglo-Jewry
Inspiration And Jewish Thought
Yom Tov
Jewish World Review
How Flexible Is Your Judaism?
Movement and Tolerance
Those familiar with the cycle of Torah readings will know that at this time of the year, we read about the construction of the Mishkan – the portable desert Sanctuary that accompanied the Jewish people throughout their wanderings. At first glance, the minutiae contained in the hundreds of verses dealing with the Mishkan seem complex and, dare one say, tedious. Yet part of the brilliance of the Torah is that even the most arcane passages convey profound and accessible truths applicable in any circumstance.
The nerve-centre of the Mishkan was the Aron, a container that housed the tablets brought by Moshe from Mount Sinai. In common with the other Mishkan utensils, it was fitted with rings into which carrying poles were inserted; when the Jews travelled through the desert, the Aron would be carried by four bearers. Rather oddly, the Torah instructs that despite their obvious function, the poles were never to be detached from the Aron, even when it was at rest in the Mishkan. This contrasts with the carrying-poles for the other utensils, which were removed and stored as soon as the journey was over.
The Talmudic sources question how the poles could be made so that they couldn't be removed from the Aron. Apparently, their ends were thicker than their middles, so once the poles were forced through the rings, the Aron could slide around on them but never actually fall off.
Now all this seems obscure, irrelevant and so far removed from 2006 that you may even have stopped reading. But please don't, because, believe it or not, this ancient building instruction contains one of the most fundamental truths about Judaism and the survival of the Jewish people. Bear with me!
The permanently attached carrying-poles testify to the unqualified portability of Judaism. The relevance and applicability of Judaism is absolutely independent of place and time. While, of course, Judaism is ideally lived in the Land of Israel, it is always possible to pick up the Torah (the contents of the Aron) and move it to new surroundings. No matter where we end up, we can set the Torah down and immediately make it the focus and driving force of our lives. Throughout our long and often torturous history, we have lived in places that have been friendly to us as well as those that have been hostile; we have encountered theologically sophisticated as well as primitive peoples, lived through eras that were technologically advanced and others that were functionally backward. We have been hosted by nations sympathetic to our spiritual pursuits, those for whom they were utterly alien, places where we were respected as people of God, others where we were viewed as the devil incarnate; environments where the beliefs of the locals enticed us away from our faith, still others where they offered nothing whatsoever of interest to us. The common feature shared by these disparate national experiences is that the Torah has been successfully transplanted into each of them. Part of its genius is its immense portability – whether in sixth century Babylon or 21st century New York, the Torah has been equally applicable, inspirational and indispensable to the Jewish experience.
A sad fact of Jewish history is that we have needed to travel from place to place to escape persecution; we have had to demonstrate the portability of the Torah in every century, for our past is littered with tales of displacement, expulsion and flight from discrimination and hatred. To ensure our spiritual survival, we have 'lifted the Aron', often at a moment's notice, set it down in new surroundings and then began the arduous task of building a new Torah-centred life from scratch. This is a truly remarkable, and perhaps one may suggest, miraculous achievement, one that for at least for me, testifies to the historical truth of the Torah and the eternal survival of the Jewish people.
The nature of the carrying-poles educates us how this is to be done – remember that they were thick at the ends and thinner in the middles, enabling the Aron to move about on them without ever falling off. This teaches the critical concept of the need for flexibility within certain boundaries; the Torah itself has many different valid expressions, corresponding to the different positions that the Aron could occupy on the poles. It is hard to overstate the importance of this to a mature and properly-functioning Jewish community. The fact is that there are many manifestations of authentic Judaism. Of course, they all share the core belief in the historical truth of the Sinaitic revelation and the eternal imperative of Jewish law; nothing without these can be considered Judaism. Yet within these parameters, Judaism contains a great wealth of styles, philosophies, attitudes, complexions, emphases and even variations of observance. All of these are part of the amazing, and unsurpassable multichromatic Divine system we call Judaism.
Differing manifestations of Judaism (all, of course, committed to the core principles outlined above) are required in different places and times. In some societies, such, as I believe, our own, a whole range of different types of Judaism will be required, sitting comfortably next to each other, benefiting immeasurably from each other's company. While the truth of Torah is absolute and eternal, it is hardly likely that the same style of Judaism would have suited 12th century Provence as 19th century Galicia.
The idea of flexibility (albeit within limitations) is fundamental to the survival of Judaism. The Aron could only be carried to its next destination because it could move about on the poles; without this latitude, attempts to carry it would have resulted in the poles snapping and the Aron being left behind. This conveys a stark message – that portability is absolutely contingent on flexibility. Lack of flexibility will result in the Aron (and the Torah it represents) remaining forever at its previous location, absent from its rightful place as the focus of activity at all future destinations. In short it could spell the death of Judaism.
Sadly, in parts of the Jewish world today, we see a tendency to ignore this truth. There are many people who believe that Torah can be anything one wishes to believe, whatever one chooses to observe, a kind of insipid humanism with a Jewish flavour added at will. By denying the fundamentals of Judaism, they have, in effect, detached the Aron from its poles, for they believe that the Torah can be prostituted into anything they wish.
Yet at the other end of the Jewish world there is another, quite different, but almost equally worrying, phenomenon - the trend to extreme rigidity in Halachic practice and Jewish outlook. By this I mean the promotion of the attitude that there is only one right way to observe Judaism, only one way to view the world through Jewish eyes, and only one mode or style of Jewish life that is really 'correct'. In reality, in most areas of observance there is a range of practices, as well as a variety of philosophic positions on almost every issue, all within the parameters of Judaism. We deny the validity of other authentic expressions of Judaism at our peril, for once we 'shtetelise' it to the extent that observance in any other form is unimaginable to us, we endanger the very future of the Torah world. If we link Torah observance to specific conditions, be they socio-economic, cultural, educational, or any other, we jeopardize the portability of Torah, for when they change, as they must, Judaism disappears together with them. When we force the poles into the Aron so that it cannot move about, we deny ourselves the flexibility that has enabled us to carry the Torah with us proudly through history.
It is vital that we capitalise on the immense cultural heritage that we have gained from our travels through history. The Jewish world is immeasurably enriched by every experience that our past has thrown at us. We should enjoy, explore and revel in every nuance, style and custom gained on our journey. But when our Judaism becomes contingent on a certain set of external factors, when only one way of doing things becomes conceivable, the existential warning sign should light up.
We should have known this idea from the experiences of recent history, profited from the sad example set by a generation of European Jews who left their Judaism in the shtetl; learned the lesson of those who threw their tefillin into the sea as they approached the United States. But not all of us have internalised this message; the attempt by some to turn Jewish practice and thought into an unbending monolith is testimony to that.
We have much to gain from investing our energies into developing a diverse and heterogeneous Jewish society and a great deal to lose by not. We live in a dangerous and unpredictable world, one in which we cannot be sure of our long-term security wherever we may be. We hope and pray that we will remain comfortable in our host countries, but history has taught us that we must be ready to travel at any time. Are we up to the challenge? Is our Judaism portable? Only flexibility within the system will ensure its portability. Our very survival may depend on it.
Based on a sermon given at Golders Green Synagogue on 4th March 2006 a version of this article first appeared on Jewish World Review
Of Rosh HaShanah And Monkeys
Of humans and animals
One of the most meaningful things we can do on Rosh HaShanah is to review what we are trying to achieve with our lives and whether we have met our goals in the past year. Perhaps we should also review those aims and perform a reality check. If we don't do this on Rosh HaShanah, I think it's safe to say that we will probably never will. There are many ways of achieving this, but my suggestion for this year is to consider the following.
It is clear that before the great flood, Man was intended to be vegetarian - he was not allowed to kill animals for food until afterwards. It seems that human nature was somewhat different before the deluge; perhaps more passive and contemplative than today. Actually, it was the act of killing animals that was prohibited – there are sources that suggest that Adam was allowed to eat carrion. Only after the flood were Noah and his family permitted to slaughter animals for food. The Torah strongly contrasts its authorisation to kill animals with the prohibition of killing people, which remains strictly forbidden. Man must not make the mistake of cheapening human life, although he may kill animals.
This is a rather interesting point, as these days, it is not uncommon for people to equate the value of animals and humans. A while ago, I heard a radio broadcast in which a Californian academic with quite impressive credentials noted that as monkeys have over 90% of the genes of humans, they should be accorded rights in the same proportion. By this he meant 90% of the healthcare facilities, social services etc. We may assume that in response, our simian friends will have to bear 90% of the responsibility of humans – i.e. taxation and service in the armed. Presumably, in the future, we can expect to share hospitals wards, army barracks and dole queues with monkeys. Criminal monkeys will serve 90% of the prison sentences of their human counterparts and will be required to attend 90% of their quota of schooling. It may also means that a human who steals a banana from a monkey will be condemned to 90% of the consequences of robbing a fellow human. An old joke comes to mind – a monkey that has escaped from its cage is eventually found in a library holding a Bible in one hand and Darwin's 'The Origin of Species' in the other. When questioned about its behaviour it responds, 'I am wondering if I am my brother's keeper or my keeper's brother.'
A thought occurred to me on this theme – since bananas share some genes with humans, would it not be logical to accord them say 30% of the rights of people? Where is the line? Some people might even prefer sharing a prison cell with a banana than a monkey, although I think we can assume that the monkey would prefer to share with the banana! I recall a conversation a number of years ago with a prominent academic who asked me if I would eat a monkey, were it kosher. I answered in the affirmative. (I don't know if monkeys taste good, and many Hollywood adventure films feature the apocryphal monkey-brain feast, but that wasn't the point). He said that the higher functions of monkeys are so sophisticated that it seems morally wrong to eat them. They are just too human. When challenged about chicken and fish, which he seemed comfortable eating, even though they express certain humanoid faculties (such as thought and pain), he acknowledged that drawing the line can be very difficult.
The Torah is unequivocal about this – the line is drawn between humans and animals. Of course, we are obliged to respect animals and be sensitive to their needs and pain, but there is a dimensional gulf between us and them. It lies in something I mentioned above – the notion of responsibility. What divides us from the animals (and thereby makes us human) is that unlike them, we can be altruistic, focus on the needs of others and if, necessary, delay our need for immediate gratification to achieve higher goals. Animals live deterministic lives; they feed, reproduce, run from danger and migrate in instinctively. We, in contrast, have the freedom of choice that allows every moment and experience to be invested with meaning. Monkeys may share 90% or more of our genes, but they share none of our potential and or capacity to change ourselves and our world. In this regard, there is no distinction between a monkey and the banana he eats. The only cogent place to draw a line is between the free-choosing and the deterministic; between we humans and everything else in God's creation.
This notion helps us to formulate our life-goals at Rosh HaShanah. What makes us truly human is our capacity to live life in the presence of God, constantly aware that every action counts, that each thought and feeling is significant and can, quite literally, change the world. Regrettably, during the year we often lose this sensitivity, forgetting that we can dedicate ourselves to lives of altruism, focused on the needs of other human beings, tuned in to higher, spiritual concerns. Instead of a life in the spiritual fast lane, in which we transform ourselves and our world, we may favour the lazy and banal, relegating personal growth and the elevation of every experience to the bottom of our agenda.
Rosh HaShanah is the birthday of the world; as such it the annual chance to ensure that we are living up to God's expectations for us and His creation. Do we deemphasise our needs in preference to those of God? Do we grab every opportunity to set aside our own desires to bring happiness other human beings? Does our behaviour in private reflect the same high standards as those we exhibit in public? These things define who we are; they not only distinguish us from the animals, but validate God's decision to create the world in the first place. This is the theme of Rosh HaShanah – reawakening the God awareness in all of us that so fundamentally expresses the purpose of creation. So on Rosh HaShanah we crown God, paying homage to His majesty and limitless might through our renewed commitment to implementing His will with every act.
Let us celebrate our true human potential on Rosh HaShanah; may this be a year in which we take full advantage of every precious moment that God grants us.
A version of this article first appeared on Jewish World Review.
A First Response To The Tsunami Disaster
Responding to catastrophe
The unfolding cataclysm in Asia brought to mind a very brief Biblical quote – the words of sheer despair uttered by Judah to his disguised brother, Joseph. 'What can we say?'
What indeed can we say about a tragedy of such unprecedented span? What words of philosophy or theology could even scratch the surface of the issues raised by such large-scale devastation and human suffering? Is this not disappointing? Would we not expect there to be an immediate and succinct Jewish explanation of the recent phenomenon?
Not at all. Actually, our inability or unwillingness to offer a response is, perhaps, the most Jewish response of all. Any justification would be trite, foolish and an affront to the victims. While the suffering goes on, we cannot and will not offer an explanation. As we would expect, the Jewish sages tackled this reality millennia ago. The great Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar warned us not to comfort the bereaved when 'his dead lies yet before him,' meaning that while the calamity is still in progress, consolation and explanations are inappropriate. That's not to say that Judaism does not have profound answers to the greatest existential questions; it's just that they are reserved for the dispassionate arena of philosophy, one far-removed from real tragedy.
Psalm 124 adopts the metaphor of 'raging waters' to describe an enemy attack. 'If it were not for God when Man rose against us,' sings King David, then 'the water would have swamped us.' The bitter irony of the tsunami disaster is that if it were not for Man when God rose against us, many thousands more would have died. The relief effort, while too late for uncountable numbers, is saving thousands who would otherwise have certainly perished. In this lies the beginning of a Jewish response to current events, in which 'explanation' is set aside in favour of the two classic alternatives of action and introspection.
Upheaval on any scale, from personal difficulty to global catastrophe, is greeted by the Jew as an opportunity for self-examination. It is important to realise that this does not make a judgement about the cause of the tragedy – it simply insists that a correct response will include introspection. We may never know the 'reason' such events occur within God's plan for humanity, but can always identify much wrong with ourselves and our planet and then attempt to rectify it. At one end of the scale, it may be failures in our interpersonal relationships, at the other, the appalling imbalance between the haves and the have-nots of our world. Judaism expects us, at the very least, to be jolted from our complacency by events around the globe, to take notice and to recognise that all is not well with our lives and our society.
There is another aspect to this introspection, however. Very often we forget how incredibly fortunate many of us are. Whether in terms of health, security, wealth or opportunity, most in the West are living lives of comfort and affluence undreamt of just a few years ago. That much is obvious. But how many of us realise that the tsunami could just have easily struck the United States? Scientists are carefully watching the volcanic activity on La Palma in the Canary Islands. They believe that at some time in the next few thousand years (it could happen next week, although this is extremely unlikely), a section of the island, weighing 450 thousand million tons, will fall into the Atlantic ocean. This would trigger a mega-tsunami that would engulf the whole Eastern coast of the USA within a few hours. But it didn't happen in the West – we were mercifully spared. The words of the important thinker Rabbi Yitzhak Arama are apposite. 'The nature of water is to cover the land, and it remains in place only by God's instruction.' It may be a cliché, but events in Asia should be challenging us to value each moment of our comfortable lives. Together with our sympathy for the victims and our disbelief at their plight, we should experience a profound sense of gratitude for our own circumstances.
The natural consequence of these feelings and the flip side of Rabbi Shimon's exhortation is that action and action alone is the correct response. For most of us, there is little we can do directly, yet we can contribute generously to the relief agencies trying desperately to help the survivors and the families of the victims. We should applaud their efforts and encourage others to help to the best of their abilities. This is a proper Jewish response. The signs in this direction are encouraging – many nations have pledged vast aid packages. And cooperation is in evidence, transcending political divisions and religious prejudices. Even the BBC reported Israel's offer of a field hospital to Sri Lanka with guarded favour!
And we need to think and act before the pop-stars return from their holidays and the sportsmen resume their vulgar antics – for when they do, they will inevitably supplant the tsunami tragedy from the front pages of the newspapers and from the minds of their readers. If we do, perhaps a small ray of light will emerge from a horrendous calamity.
Based on a sermon given at Golders Green Synagogue on 1st January 2005, a version of this article first appeared on Jewish World Review
Jewish Response
Jewish Leadership
This Year, Throw Away Your Haggadah
A Meaningful Seder
Among the myriad laws of Pesach there is a rule that I find it very hard to persuade my congregants to accept! It is not some minutia of kitchen preparation, or even the amount of matzah they should eat at the Seder. Surprisingly enough, it is the requirement that they understand the story of the Haggadah while they read it. It seems such a simple idea – instead of struggling through the text, just about managing to get through it in the original, read the story in a contemporary English translation. Actually, the idea of reading the story of the Exodus in the vernacular is particularly interesting to a British rabbi, as it recorded in the name of the rabbis of the mediaeval rabbi of London. Now I use the word 'contemporary' with care, as there are many translations that are so out-of-date and archaic, that they are no use at all. One I saw recommends searching for Chametz with 'a wax randle in the gloaming', which, apart from the obvious spelling mistake, leaves the reader with the impression that he is about to engage in some wacky Victorian pantomime. Others are so full of 'thees' and 'thous' that they require translation themselves.
Why is so difficult to get those who are not fluent in Hebrew to read the story in a translation? Why would anyone choose to labour uncomprehendingly over the original text, syllable by syllable, instead of enjoying the drama and charm of the age-old story in a language that they can understand? Responses to this question vary. Some say, 'we have always done it like this.' Others feel compelled to use the Haggadah they received as a Bar Mitzvah present in the 1930s. Still others assume that it must be better to read it in Hebrew, even if they don't understand it. At some level, I suppose they are right - for those who have a good grasp of Hebrew, it is preferable to read the Haggadah in the original; after all, Hebrew is the language of God and of the Torah and expresses nuances and concepts that cannot be fully translated into English. But these are entirely lost on the non-Hebrew reader. In fact, reading an unintelligible story loses more than nuances, it loses everything else too.
In reality, I think that there is more to this problem than Haggadot and Hebrew. It cuts to the heart of our own self-perception and attitude towards Judaism. Incredible as it may sound, for many people, part of the Seder experience seems to be the mystique of not understanding! Some people are actually troubled by the prospect of understanding and enjoying the procedure. Since their earliest recollections are of incoherent mumbling, this is how things must remain for evermore. Any endeavour to disturb this state of affairs is met with resistance. 'It was good enough for my grandfather, so why isn't it good enough for you?' Surely some attempt to think through the long-term consequences of this attitude is called for. For whatever reason, previous generations were happy to accept that Judaism called for martyrdom – whether it was sitting through an unintelligible Seder, or tolerating lengthy, unrewarding Shul services. Younger people are simply unwilling and unprepared to do so. Worse still, many of us still expect youngsters to participate in this way and become frustrated with them when they refuse. It is hardly surprising that a generation that is well educated, advantaged and surrounded by exciting life alternatives, is also uninterested in a meaningless experience. Let us be honest – why would anyone participate willingly in a meaningless experience?
But the most destructive aspect of this is feeling comfortable with the unintelligible model. It permits us get away without a challenge - without allowing the real message of Pesach, and indeed of Judaism, to have any impact upon us. Happy with the meaningless, we have convinced ourselves that the experience has nothing to offer, and fulfilled our expectations by rendering it impotent; as such, it need not disturb our lives in any way at all. We have turned the Seder, without a doubt the most powerful educational tool in Judaism's armoury, into a gun loaded with blanks. We have inoculated ourselves against the most exciting inspiration to creating a vibrant Jewish future that exists. It suits us to extract the teeth of the Seder by keeping it incomprehensible, for in that way, we will require no self-examination, no reconsideration of the way we impart Judaism to our children and certainly no modification of our Jewish lives.
This problem pervades every area of Jewish life, but at the Seder, the contrast between the reality and the ideal is most evident. Seder night this year is a perfect opportunity to begin the revolution. It is time to fully exploit the magic of the Seder - the original all-singing, all-dancing, multi-media inspiration. It is time to recognise that young Jews need meaningful Jewish experiences if they are to play any part in the Jewish future. It is time to turn the Seder back into a real event, with genuine communication between parents and children, and consign the mumble-through-the-text and dash-to-the-meal of the past to the waste bin of failed Jewish experiments. Throw away that old Haggadah.
Old Haggadot must be treated with respect. Please ask a rabbi how to dispose of them properly.
A version of this article first appeared on Jewish World Review


We have invested R145 billion in key projects in the freight system across the rail, port and pipeline networks over the past five years. Closing the gap between the market demand for cargo transport and handling services, and the capacity to satisfy this demand is the key driver behind the large MDS capital investment programme. Investment in our manufactured assets enables us to generate long-term value for the Company, our Shareholder and the economy. The economic decline has set future growth projections for key commodity customers on a lower growth path, which requires a slower pace of capacity creation from Transnet. Additionally, keystone expansion projects need to balance economic benefits with social and environmental concerns raised by communities in and around our operations. We continue to actively engage project stakeholders to help guide the most responsible and beneficial balance of outcomes for all concerned. Transport operations (in general) have several impacts on the environment through emissions, noise pollution and ecosystems impacts. Transnet plans to bring about a lasting and substantial shift of rail-friendly cargo from road to rail, aligning directly with its strategy to grow rail volumes.
Transnet provides critical logistics infrastructure to meet the growth demands of the national economy. Long term, Transnet's infrastructure development programme will reduce the overall cost of doing business in South Africa and address capacity constraints in mining and other sectors.
Freight Rail runs world-class heavy haul ore export lines and transports a range of general bulk and containerised freight commodities.
Engineering is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for wagons and has started the journey to becoming a locomotive OEM. As the backbone of the railway industry, it provides in-service maintenance, repair, upgrade, conversion, design and manufacture of various types of wagons, coaches, locomotives, as well as equipment, machines and services.
Port Terminals operates container terminals at the ports of Durban, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, as a critical facilitator of cargo trade with the rest of the world, providing cargo-handling services to a range of customers.
Pipelines is strategic in the petroleum products supply chain, ensuring that capacity anticipates demand, thus securing inland product supply.
As a transportation and logistics company, ICT is moving beyond business enablement and becoming a source of competitive advantage. The integration between modal operators' operational systems (e.g. port and rail) enables Transnet to improve its asset utilisation and forward planning.
Innovative and disruptive technology is enabling us to create business value, such as 3D printing for rolling stock, electronic enclosures and certain mechanical sub-components. Aerial and underwater drones, as well as track-and-trace technology used to track port assets, such as tugs and dredgers, have been piloted successfully by the National Ports Authority at the Port of Durban.
Transnet's operations generate a variety of waste materials as by-products and we strive to implement the principles of waste management: avoidance, reduction, recovery, re-use, recycling and disposal, if no other use can be found. In the recovery, re-use and recycling stages, Transnet is pursuing ways to create value from waste generated.
Introducing a 'cradle-to-grave' solutions Specialist Unit (Group Capital) to advise Transnet and clients on capacity solutions through capital planning and advisory services, capacity development, engineering and management services.
Providing an integrated view of the capital portfolio, with transparency of projects in the capital pipeline.
Allocating Transnet's limited resources to programmes with the greatest alignment with strategic objectives.
Project optimisation through robust business case validation to test viability and ensure strategic alignment.
Implementing the Integrated Capital Projects/Programme Assurance Framework (ICPAF), which augments the assurance and control framework around capital projects, enforcing additional internal controls coverage.
Deterioration in the macroeconomic environment due to global economic influences rendered certain infrastructure capital projects unviable. We are currently re-prioritising capital projects to ensure affordability of capital investments.
Due to market challenges, Freight Rail is reviewing the delivery of the MDS rolling stock in line with the reduced capacity required. Delivery of new locomotives will be adjusted to suit reduced business requirements, allowing the retirement of the current aged fleet, thus reducing locomotive capitalised maintenance.
Transnet is changing the way it thinks and manages its business environment with the rapid advancements in digitalisation. Future security models will require that we secure our own environment while also requiring secured connections to multiple cloud environments globally. Our IT environment will no longer be a 'closed loop' system, but interconnect with other cloud data centres.
Transnet's operations generate a variety of waste materials as by-products. We have identified contaminated areas throughout our operations, using scientific methods and visual assessments. Management plans have been developed for the asbestos and hydrocarbon contaminated areas, and we work with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate remediation.
Our operations are industrial- and infrastructure-driven, with excellent productivity and safety as primary objectives. Accident avoidance and high productivity are tightly linked. In the short term, however, these systems may operate under tight human resource and time constraints, which may result in trade-offs between immediate productivity and safety. Transnet's safety management strategies for critical systems involve multiple dimensions, including design philosophy, maintenance policies and operating procedures, procedures for hiring the appropriate staff, occupational training and performance evaluation.


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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Lamarcus Joyner #29 of the Oakland Raiders breaks up a pass intended for Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 thoughts on the 2020 schedule by Pete Hernandez III
Countdown to 2020: Best Raiders player to wear No. 98 by Brad Weiss
5 Las Vegas Raiders who are on the hot seat entering the 2020 season
by Evan Groat 1 year ago Follow @egroat5
Raiders edge rusher Arden Key (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders enter a huge year in terms of their franchise's history, and these five guys are on the hot seat entering the 2020 season.
As a team, the Raiders made big strides in 2019, finishing with a 7-9 record. Although the record indicates another losing season, they were mathematically still alive for a playoff spot in the final weeks of the season, something that has not been the case in a long time.
Now, as the 2020 season approaches and the franchise moves into their new home in Las Vegas, expectations are high. On paper, the team has the makings of a playoff-caliber team, but it is whether or not they can put it together and execute on the field which is the big question.
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have done a commendable job building the roster into a competitive one with depth at all positions. Two of those areas are along the defensive line and in the secondary.
Through the draft and free agency they have invested heavily in upgrading in the trenches, in the secondary, and at the wide receiver position. Because of this, there are five players who are squarely on the hot seat heading into the 2020 campaign.
Next: Hot Seat: Tyrell Williams
Just Blog Baby 1 yearLas Vegas Raiders will take on new-look Miami Dolphins in Week 16
Bleacher Report 1 yearJerry Jeudy Taken by Jaguars in B/R User 2020 NFL Mock Draft
Just Blog Baby 1 yearRaiders WR Tyrell Williams named an elite deep ball threat
Just Blog Baby 1 yearLas Vegas Raiders linebacker group dramatically improved for 2020
Just Blog Baby 1 yearCountdown to 2020: Best Raiders player to wear No. 48 all-time


Mixed Martial Arts returns to San Diego today with Strikeforce fights at the Valley View Casino Arena. I attended the weigh-in's yesterday at the Arena, which was fun because you get to see the fighters from a fairly close distance and get a feel for the confidence levels of the various fighters. There will be a total of 9 fights, 6 with men and 3 with women.
I think there are two particularly interesting fights on the card.
The Main Event, featuring the current Strikrforce Woman's Bantamweight (135 lbs) Champ, Rhonda Rousey (5-0)vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1), who is a former Strikeforce Champ in this division. This fight was will be a classic contrast of styles, pitting Rousey's high level judo (she won the Bronze Medal at the 2008 Olympics) and grappling against Kaufman's high level boxing. Rousey has won every one of her pro fights by submission (armbar). Kaufman has only lost one fight and that was by an armbar, so it will be interesting to if she can prevent Rousey from submitting her. I'm going to give the edge to Rousey. I think if Rousey can take the fight to the ground Kaufman won't be able to handle her Olympic level judo skills. But, and this is a big but, she has to careful about avoiding strikes that could KO her.
Rousey by submission, 2nd Rd.
Souza is the heavy favorite for this fight. The Brazilian is a 5-time World Jui Jitsu Champion Brunson and trains with the famous Black House team, which also includes Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, among others. Brunson , OTOH, has some serious Wrestling credentials. Brunson is a former 3-time Div. II All-American (UNC-Pembroke). Brunson also trains at the highly regarded Jackson's MMA in New Mexico. So, Brunson may give Jacare a battle, we'll see.
In the end I think Souza's ground game will be too much for Brunson.
Souza wins by submission, 2nd Rd.
This fight is a consequential because if Souza wins it is believed he will receive a rematch with current Strikeforce Middleweight Champ Luke Rockhold. Both Rockhold and Souza are very good fighters and it would be very interesting to see how one or both of them would fare against highly ranked UFC fighters. Now that Zuffa owns both promotions it may be possible that we will see Rockhold, Souza and a few others take on UFC fighters within the next year or two, at least I hope that happens. It would be great for the fans.
Well, I went for 2 for 2 with picks, but I honestly did not think that Rousey and Souza would make such short work of their respective opponents.
How awesome is Rousey's ground game?!? At this point, all her opponents know she is going to try to secure an armbar and yet they can't stop it. Took all of 54 seconds this time!
As for Jacare Souza, I guess I should have added he has pretty good hands too. Brunson found out about that the hard way, being KO'd in the first round. Strikeforce definitely has to set up a rematch fight between Rockhold and Souza. Let the winner take on a top 5 UFC middleweight.


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Deloitte are proud of our commitment to an inclusive work environment where all of our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Including our continued support for the LGBTI community - internally and in the community.
On Wednesday 15 November, the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced that the majority of Australians have voted 'yes' in the postal survey to allow for a change in legislation for same-sex couples to marry. The final result was 61.6% in favour of the change, with a significant 79.5% of all postal votes returned.
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Being inclusive of all our people, regardless of their sexuality, gender identity or any other form of diversity makes us more unified as a Firm so that we can continue to make an impact that matters for our clients, our people, our communities, and society as a whole.
Margaret Dreyer
Partner, Audit & Assurance
mdreyer@deloitte.com.au
Margaret is a senior Audit and Assurance partner. She is a former member of the Deloitte Australia board and is the Lead Inclusion, Diversity and Wellbeing Partner nationally. Margaret champions a num... More
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What's in it for the startup? Not too much, I believe. Why? Because startups founders should be working day and night to de-risk their startup assumptions, reach paying customers and build a profitable business. Many partnerships I see don't serve this purpose, and many startup founders don't seem to realize that 2 happy customers are better than 20 partners.
We failed with partnerships over and over again, but it didn't kill us. In the case of an average startup, wasting time on the wrong partnerships or putting too much hope into a partnership that seems right might lead you to failure.
So, startups: avoid suicide by waste, even if partnerships are tempting and may entail some PR. The world might get excited about partnerships sometimes, but don't live by what the world expects. Be focused and live by what your business needs. It needs to validate tons of risky assumption about the product and the market, and it needs paying customers. Quick.


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Brigham City boy advertises 'Ice Cold Beer' at root beer stand
(Brigham City Police Department via AP) Seth Parker stands at his soda stand in Brigham City, Utah, on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Parker is earning widespread social media attention for his neighborhood soda stand thanks to a sign he holds that reads, "Ice cold beer" with "root" above the word beer in tiny print. Brigham City Police Lt. Tony Ferderber said Thursday, July 18, 2019, that several residents in the northern Utah city called police concerned about a young boy selling alcohol in front of a church. Officers realized that it was just a clever marketing ploy and posted pictures of 11-year-old Seth Parker on Facebook with the comment, "a twist on a lemonade stand."
By Brady McCombs | The Associated Press
· Published: July 18, 2019
A Utah boy has earned widespread social media attention for his neighborhood soda stand thanks to a sign he holds that reads, "Ice Cold Beer" with "root" above the word beer in tiny print.
Several residents in the northern Utah city called police earlier this week concerned about a young boy selling alcohol in front of a church, said Brigham City Police Lt. Tony Ferderber on Thursday.
Officers that went to check it out realized that it was just a clever marketing ploy and posted pictures of 11-year-old Seth Parker on Facebook with the comment, "a twist on a lemonade stand."
Sen. Mitt Romney, of Utah, tweeted a picture of Seth.
A lesson in reading the fine print! The future is bright for this young Utah entrepreneur. https://t.co/bJgyaIFhQe
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) July 17, 2019
Seth's mother Alexis Parker said Thursday that the family is dumbfounded and excited by all the attention. She estimated that some 60 people a day come to the stand.
Seth started the stand because his parents urged him to get out more after they noticed he had struggled to make new friends since the family moved from Georgia last year, Alexis Parker said.
Seth thought about a yard sale or lemonade stand but settled on selling the soda because he is a root beer "fanatic," she said. He chose the sign with the tiny print as a little "wise crack."
The first day brought some scoffs and scowls, especially for people without good vision, she said.
But people soon caught on to the joke.
"We're loving people stopping by and just having a good laugh," said Alexis Parker. "It is a joy all the way around."


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Above all else is our concern for quality and care taken in everything we do. Every member of the Troymill team, from management and foremen to our Amish craftsmen, takes their performance to heart and seeks new ways to better serve our customers. Only by taking immense pride in every aspect of our work can we build and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers, and employees.


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Q: moving to previous window in emacs C-xo
moves you to the next window in emacs, how do you move to the previous window?
I sometimes have up to 10 windows open and it would be great to move in either direction.
Also is there a way to jump to a specific window by number? (jump to the 3rd window for example)

A: How about this:
(defun other-window-backwards (count)
  (interactive "p")
  (other-window (- count)))

(global-set-key [(control meta prior)] 'other-window-backwards)
(global-set-key [(control meta next)]  'other-window)

Then use C-M-prior (Page Up) to move to previous window, C-M-next (Page Down).  Flavor bindings to suit!

A: you mean buffers?? if so there are next-buffer and previos-buffer functions which perform Switch to the next/previous buffer in cyclic order.
Edit:
with spong answer. I use windmove for window switching.
(windmove-default-keybindings) ;; Shift+direction
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x O") (lambda () (interactive) (other-window -1))) ;; back one
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-o") (lambda () (interactive) (other-window 2))) ;; forward two

A: I have these lines in my init.el:

    ;; Use shift key to move between various split windows
(when (fboundp 'windmove-default-keybindings)
(windmove-default-keybindings))

This helps me to move between various split windows by using Shift+ arrow keys.

A: You can give the command C-x o an argument of -1, like so:
C-u -1 C-x o
That will take you to the previous window
Also to get 3 windows back use:
C-u -3 C-x o

A: Bart (and others) have given correct answers for your exact question.  You can also look at windmove which should came packaged into the latest Emacsen.


text:
Nicola Mira
Etro is latest label to opt for co-ed show
From the spring/summer 2018n season, Italian fashion label Etro will present its men's and women's collections together in one show during women's Milan Fashion Week.
Etro catwalk shows have always been must-see events at Milan Fashion Week, whether for menswear or womenswear, all featuring a setting unique to each collection, mirroring the aesthetic of the looks created by Kean Etro, Creative Director for menswear, and his sister Veronica, in charge of the women's collections.
The latest Etro women's collection, which showed in February 2017 - © PixelFormula
From next September however, the label known as a fabric specialist and for its signature paisley motifs will be showing only once per season. The spring/summer 2018 show will see it showing both its men's and women's collections in one co-ed event held during the women's fashion week.
"This will bring about the amalgamation of the two collections, through the joint work of our two creative directors," the label said in a press release, adding that how the mixed show format "is the best way to strengthen the brand's image, also giving the opportunity for telling the story of Etro and its values in the most coherent and effective way possible."
For the time being the label will continue to have twin creative directors, while adopting the new mixed show formula, as many other labels big and small have done in the last year.
Burberry was one of the first to go co-ed, followed Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Coach and Philipp Plein, among others.
Valentino's 'Impossible Rendez Vous' between couture and clubbing


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Entertainment › Cine News › K S Ravikumar's humble gesture in Sivakarthikeyan's 'Remo'
K S Ravikumar's humble gesture in Sivakarthikeyan's 'Remo'
Posted by Oor Kaalan
Modified: April 21, 2016
Popular director K S Ravikumar is doing a cameo in Sivakarthikeyan's upcoming film 'Remo'.
Sivakarthikeyan's upcoming film Remo with Keerthi Suresh seems to be getting a lot of appreciation from people who are working in the film. The unit of Remo produced by RD Raja of 24 AM Studios got a big surprise from director KS Ravikumar recently. The director has played a pivotal role in the movie recently and completed his portions in few hours.
But the production house (24 AM Studios) paid full day remuneration to KSR. However, the 'Nattamai' and 'Padayappa' maker refused to take it, and gave back half day salary. "He said it would not be fair on his part if he took full compensation," sources said. The production team was hesitant to take the money back but he insisted.
This gesture of the veteran filmmaker has touched the unit members of 'Remo', especially Sivakarthikeyan. He telephoned KSR and lauded him, sources added.
Tipped to be a rom-com, 'Remo' is directed by Bhagyaraj Kannan. It is said to be fast nearing completion. The film which has Keerthi Suresh as heroine has cinematography by P C Sreeram and music by Anirudh.
KS Ravikumar Remo Siva Karthikeyan


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All financial success begins with a hope, then a fantasy and ultimately some active step. Bill Gates started off using this method. Donald Trump did the same. I have come across by far the most powerful individuals worldwide and have learnt that there is no science in acquiring our desires. It's reliant on making that which you want in your dreams to be reached and spend all of your energies in that direction.
I have owned expensive cars and stayed in houses worth vast amounts. I have wined and dined with celebrities. I have hired a butler and a personal body guard and I would like you to master how you can achieve all this plus much more in the shortest time possible. Your wish is your command can help you with the strategies that members of private societies have used in achieving their success. They have kept this data top secret because rivalry is not pleasant. This info is that effective and stems from the horse's mouth as I'm a former part of a secret society; the brotherhood.
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GENEVA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) vowed on Wednesday to strengthen awareness and actions against gender-based violence wholesale air jordan shoes retro , as it took over the leadership of a major global initiative in the field for the year to come.
Formally taking over the leadership of the global initiative "Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies" from Sweden on Wednesday, the EU pledged to focus on strengthening awareness and implementation of the Call to Action by the humanitarian community, in particular at field level.
"Gender-based violence is a very serious issue in humanitarian crises across the world. It is a priority to tackle for the European Commission wholesale air jordan shoes ," said Christos Stylianides, the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.
"We will use this role to focus on strengthening awareness and encourage the humanitarian community to take stronger action, particularly in crisis zones."
The EU has been an active member of the Call to Action since its launch in 2013. In 2016 wholesale air jordan shoes free shipping , the EU allocated more than 18 million euros in humanitarian aid for the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence, reaching almost 3.4 million women, men wholesale air jordan shoes cheap , girls and boys through 84 different projects.
The bloc also funds global capacity-building projects on gender and gender-based violence to support the implementation of the Call to Action Road Map.
The "Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies" is a global multi-stakeholder initiative which brings together over 60 members, including states and donors, international organizations and NGOs.
CARACAS wholesale air jordan sneakers , Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's National Electoral Council decided on Tuesday to bar the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), from running in seven of 23 states for regional elections in December.
In a report wholesale retro air jordans , the CNE says the MUD "must abstain from presenting candidates in Zulia, Apure, Monagas wholesale jordan shoes from china , Bolivar, Trujillo, Aragua and Carabobo cheap air jordan 1 , in compliance with legal judgments granted in these state."
The seven states in question are run by the official ruling coalition, and have found irregularities in a petition presented by the MUD to call a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro in 2016.


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If you are wondering if gluteal augmentation is right for you, request a consultation with Kouros Azar, M.D., to discuss the possibilities.
Or, you can call our office at (805) 373-7073 and one of our knowledgeable, friendly staff members will schedule your appointment.
Dr. Azar offers two treatments to help you achieve a shapely, lifted buttocks.
Buttock implants feel much like natural gluteal muscle. They are made of soft, solid silicone that will not rupture or break. Dr. Azar performs buttock augmentation while the patient is under general anesthesia. During the procedure, Dr. Azar makes a single discreet incision over the tailbone between the buttocks. He carefully places an implant beneath the gluteus maximus muscle in each buttock, and then sutures the small incision closed.
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Dr. Azar performs gluteal augmentation to help patients have more rounded, shapely and curvaceous buttocks. For enhanced contouring, Dr. Azar combines gluteal augmentation with other cosmetic body contouring procedures, including a buttock lift and liposuction.
After your surgery, you will need to avoid sleeping on your back for about 2 weeks. You will be given specific restrictions regarding sitting on your buttocks, as well.
While experiences vary, most patients are allowed to resume work about 2 weeks after surgery and most normal activities after about 4 weeks.


African Business, the bestselling pan-African business magazine, is partnering with leading international recruitment consultancy Global Career Company to release the inaugural Careers in Africa Employer of Choice, in association with Towers Watson. This flagship study will examine what makes a great employer from the perspective of Africa's top talent and include a ranking of the top employers from candidate ratings.
As the first-ever continent-wide survey aimed at gaining an insight into the perceptions of current and future employees, this research is designed to give a voice to high-calibre and high-potential talent in Africa and the Diaspora, to ensure that the opinions of key candidates are heard by African employers, thereby informing change and best practice in the 54 markets across Africa.
'The Careers in Africa Employer of Choice initiative will shape the future of African careers across a range of areas' said Rupert Adcock – Founder and CEO of Global Career Company. 'This is the first Pan-African study of the motivations of African graduates and professionals around the world. The survey, which we are conducting in association with the employee engagement powerhouse Towers Watson, will give a strong voice to African professionals in our Global Talent Pool and beyond to have their say on the best African Employers. What is unique about this study is that it covers international and local talent, graduate and experienced talent, as well as a full range of markets, sectors and career functions across 54 separate markets covering all of Africa. 500 major brands including indigenous and multinational companies have been included in the survey'.
He added: 'Towers Watson will provide unique industry insight to accompany our market expertise and reach. They are a leading global professional services company that helps organisations improve performance through effective people management, with rich experience in offering practical, tailored solutions in the areas of benefits, talent management '.
The full insights and results from the inaugural survey will be published in the December issue of African Business magazine, following its release at the Careers in Africa Johannesburg Conference taking place at the end of November, which feature the Employer of Choice Awards.
Omar Ben Yedder, Group CEO of IC Publications which publishes African Business said that as the media partners for this initiative, the Special Report on the Careers in Africa Employer of Choice will provide readers with a leading edge analysis into employer rankings, as provided by the Global Talent Pool. 'This unique ranking will make for some interesting reading and hopefully will create the right incentives so this becomes a race to the top for employers in Africa. Africa today is competing globally to attract the world's best talent. We all know what a wonderful place the continent is to live in and we need to create the opportunities for our best brains to thrive in. We hope this ranking will bring to light and help employers focus on the areas that matter to Africans and the ever more discerning young professionals'.
Careers in Africa is an initiative of Global Career Company. Global Career Company is a specialist recruitment consultancy focused on recruiting excellence for Africa. Established more than 12 years ago, the Company delivers a range of recruitment services through a diverse team of sector and market specialists and a range of well-known regional brands, including the highly successful Careers in Africa and Careers in Maghreb initiatives. At the heart of our solution is our Global Talent Pool, an environment for recruiting high-calibre and high-potential African talent from locations around the world, encompassing all local, regional and international markets. By maintaining relationships with key partners worldwide, by building on a track record of credibility through successful outcomes for clients and candidates, by continuing to extend our leadership of knowledge in this market and by offering excellence across a diverse mix of industry, function and market requirements, we have become, and will remain, the consultancy of choice for more than 550 leading employers across Africa.
Global Career Company's recruitment services include Recruitment Summits, Search and Selection, Digital and Direct Sourcing, Consultancy Services and Recruitment Campaigns. Any of our services can be easily aligned to your recruitment processes, and combined for efficiency and economy of scale, allowing your business to tap into our Global Talent Pool wherever, whenever and however will best deliver for your strategic recruitment objectives.


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