Why isn't my NAL Shout reporting properly?
When tracking is enabled, the tracking symbol (at top right of screen) will change from a blue to a bright white. The time remaining until the next scheduled report will be displayed next to the tracking symbol. If the tracking symbol is blue, tracking must be enabled via the Tracking > Tracking On/Off > Enable Tracking menus and a proper reporting rate chosen via Tracking > Reporting Rate.
The Shout monitors statistics on the number of position reports and successful and failed transmissions. These can be found via the Tracking > Stats menu.
Successes - The total number of position reports successfully transmitted to the Iridium network both with valid and (invalid) position fixes. The number in parenthesis represents the number of successfully transmitted positions with invalid GPS fixes. A large number of these indicates GPS issues.
Fails - The number of valid position reports failed to send to the Iridium network.
Utilities > Check Iridium will turn on the Iridium transceiver and continuously display the signal strength. If no signal is observed, please ensure you have clear line of sight to the sky.
Utilities > Check GPS will turn on the GPS receiver and display the signal strength. If no or inaccurate signal is observed you most move to a different location as your environment is likely blocking reception.
Utilities > Test Report will send a test report to the portal, validating whether or not the device is working at your current location.
Ensure your device has been added to the portal with the correct IMEI. If so, contact us.
Version 1.4.3 - Added ability to set address book codes above 255. Codes above 255 will transmit as zero. - Added +PNAV command to set the GPS receiver position model. Allows for operation at high altitude.
Version 1.1.9 - Added support for a new LCD driver.
Version 1.1.8 - Added AT command to control the invalid course value (^ICV). Default is zero.
Version 1.0.3 - Modified the behavior of the power off button. Now holding the power button will always cause the device to power off even if tracking is enabled.
The SHOUT nano uses 256 bit (32 byte) AES encryption which pads messages to 16 byte increments. For example, a 30 byte GPS position report would be 32 bytes, a 40 byte text message would be 48 bytes, and a 49 byte message would be 64 bytes.
To setup encryption for the device, login to the tracking platform and go to the asset's Edit Asset menu. Under the Settings tab, there will be fields for Receive Encryption Key and Transmit Encryption Key. These must match the keys entered into the device in order for the two-way encryption to function.
The SHOUT nano has an internal 1.95 A-Hr Li-Ion rechargeable battery. When both the Iridium and GPS antennas have clear view of the sky and the battery is fully charged, the nano is capable of sending more than 1,200 tracking reports with the following settings: (1) report rate of less than two hours, (2) mailbox check rate and the report rate are the same and (3) Standard Accuracy. Blocked or partially blocked antennas will force the nano to retry multiple SBD transmissions for each report and, as a result, can significantly reduce the overall number of reporting cycles.
The nano saves valid ephemeris data after each 3-D fix. The data is used to reduce acquisition time in the next reporting cycle from cold-start to hot-start. If the ephemeris data is older than two hours (time between reports is set for more than two hours), the GPS receiver will go through cold-start each time it wakes up to send a report. As a result, the nano configured for report rate of more than two hours and Standard Accuracy can only send ~750 tracking reports. Setting the Accuracy to Best also reduces the number of tracking reports to ~750 regardless of the report rate setting.
IMPORTANT: Data presented here are only estimates and are highly dependent on the operating environment, accuracy setting and antenna type. Data are based on measurements made with multiple nano devices placed on the roof of NAL Research's facility with no blockage.
Each time the nano wakes up to send a report, it has two minutes to acquire a GPS fix and send an Iridium SBD message. Assuming the ephemeris data is valid (less than two hours old or time-between-reports is less than two hours) and the Accuracy option is set to Standard, the GPS receiver takes about 10 seconds for a position fix drawing approximately 55mA. The Iridium transceiver takes about 10 seconds to transmit an SBD message drawing an average current of 110mA. The nano circuit draws about 125mA during 25-second reporting cycle. The entire reporting cycle consumes ~1.32 mA-Hr of battery power. If the Iridium antenna is blocked or an overhead Iridium satellite is not available, the Iridium transceiver can potentially stay on for another 100 seconds in attempting to send a report. This results in additional consumption of 9.7 mA-Hr or 11 mA-Hr total. A missed report consumes ~8.5 times more power than a 'normal' transmitted report.
The second step is to attach your asset(s) to these canned messages and address books go going to the Tracking tab, then click the down arrow next to the asset name, and click "Edit Asset." Go the "Settings" tab and select the address book group and canned message group you would like to attach to the asset.
3) Options > View Address Book > Login > It will require your tracking portal login username and password to authenticate.
4) Options > View Canned Messages > Login > It will require your tracking portal login username and password to authenticate.
Note that when synchronizing your Address Book Entries, only the Short Code, Name and Location fields will appear on your device's interface. This is a limitation of the Shout synchronization interface. Messaging to those address book entries will still work, however, because the server translates the Short Codes into the associated phone and e-mail records.
Change the default Crypto Officer Password from the default "temp password" to your own unique password with the command "AT^CCOP"
Set the Encryption key TWICE with the command "AT^KE"
Set the Decryption key TWICE with the command "AT^KD"
Write the new configuration to memory with the command "AT&W0"
Enter Encryption Key again to set.
Enter Decryption Key again to set.


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A Step Too Far? Paris Tours The Latest Race To Go Extreme | The Cycling Race News Show
Welcome back to the GCN Racing News Show - this week we've got the Giro dell'Emilia and the GP Beghelli, the sprinters have their showdown in the Munsterland Giro, but don't have it their own way in a revised Paris Tours. Pre-Order Your Casual Winter Jackets Now! http://gcn.eu/SH Subscribe to GCN: http://gcn.eu/SubscribeToGCN Register your interest in the GCN Club: http://gcn.eu/SG Subscribe to GCN en Español: http://gcn.eu/gcn-en-espanol LIVE racing on our Facebook page: http://gcn.eu/LIVE-RACING Top level cyclo-cross resumes in Europe with the Brico Cross series, whilst the final round of the Red Hook Crit took place in Milan, with our very own James Lowsley Williams taking part. Paris Tours - one of the oldest classics in cycling. It began in 1896, and throughout its history, it has consistently re-invented itself. This year, that was in the form of gravel roads, 9 sectors of the rough stuff through vineyards - organisers ASO clearly jumping on the bandwagon, hoping to emulate the popularity of Strade Bianche, a race which has become one of the season's main attractions, despite being just 12 editions young. It certainly changed the race - Paris Tours has, in the last few decades, been a race where sprinters have had their chance, where the question of breakaway or bunch often hung in the balance until the final metres of the race. This year, the sprinters had no chance, the peloton was decimated with groups littering the road with still 50km's remaining. Making the most of the conditions was Soren Kragh Andersen - the Dane soloing to victory. A consummate display of skill and strength, but he had also taken advantage of a spat between Niki Terpstra and Benoit Cosnefroy. One race that has remained true to its roots, albeit a much younger event, is the Munsterland Giro. This year's event finished with a vastly reduced sprint after crosswinds saw some major splits in the peloton. Upsetting the favourites was Max Walscheid of Team Sunweb - a Giant win in more ways than one - he got the better of John Degenkolb and Nils Politt on an all-German podium. Down in Italy, racing resumed on Saturday with the Giro dell'Emilia - a climbers classic which finishes the 5th time up the brutal San Luca climb, 2km's long with an average gradient of over 10%. Alessandro De Marchi spent a decent amount of those final laps out front on his own, a move which looked futile but which ultimately paid off - the Italian held of Rigoberto Uran and teammate Dylan Teuns to take the first one day win of his career. Submit your content with our new uploader: http://gcn.eu/upload Join our Facebook community: http://gcn.eu/FBCommunity If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍 If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link - http://gcn.eu/SF Watch more on GCN... Ollie's Everesting Challenge 📹http://gcn.eu/Everesting Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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'There's no cure outside of a miracle'
Fred thinks Tanya understands how sick Patty is, mostly, at least. But occasionally, she'll say something that makes him think twice.
She's made comments before that start with "when mom gets better" which lead to Fred's doubt.
Fred has taken over the main caregiver role to their daughter, but a nurse comes to the house to help with Tanya a couple days a week.
He thinks Tanya will handle Patty's death well but not without tears.
"We'll all greatly miss (Patty), but what we don't want to see is (Tanya's) mom without any quality of life," he says. "...We want Patty to go fairly quickly without pain, and at the same time, you don't want her to go because of semi finality of it, if there is such a thing."
As a family of Christian faith, the Shultz's don't see a full finality in death. Fred says it's more of a graduation time.
Up until a few months ago, the family had its hopes invested in a liver transplant for Patty.
Doctors prioritize the distribution of organs for transplants using the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease. It tells them the severity of the disease within an individual person.
Patty was back and forth from Newburgh to Indianapolis quite a few times, and eventually, her MELD score fell low enough to be put on the transplant list in March.
"We were elated over that," Fred said. "Probably only about a month into it we received a call one Sunday evening, 'Hey come up here; we have a liver.'"
Patty was calm once they arrived.
"You can't take it lightly," Fred said. "But she seemed up and ready for it."
The liver was coming from out of state. But around 12:30 a.m. that morning they were told it was bad. The transplant wasn't happening.
Patty continued appointments, but there were problems. Cirrhosis can cause people to bleed easier, and one night she ended up in the emergency room with profuse bleeding.
"They helped stop it, but she seemed to be going downhill," Fred said. "They decided she needed to be in Indy."
She was in Indianapolis for about two weeks in an intensive care unit for transplants. Her blood pressure wasn't stable, dialysis was a permanent accessory, she needed to have fluid removed from her liver, and the doctors thought at one point her kidneys had shut down too.
But what bothered Patty the most was the feeding tube. It didn't come out until an hour or two before she was released.
"It was kind of funny; she was more anxious to get that out than anything else," Fred said.
The transplant team stayed in touch, but eventually, her name was taken off the list. It had been decided she was too weak to survive a transplant.
"Patty really wanted to come home, and she knew what it meant. And she was amazingly calm about all that and good about it," Fred says. "...But still, it's a difficult time for the family and for anybody because you're crossing over to something you've never known before. Your faith sustains that."
Even with faith, they know there aren't many options left.
"There's no cure outside of a miracle," Fred said.
'We want her to be alert if she can be'
Patty and Fred's options led them to Deaconess VNA. Hospice contacted them quickly and began to line up with the family's schedule. This includes times for a nurse, nurses' aides, a chaplain, a few visits from social services and volunteers.
Fred told them he would need to leave the house occasionally for shopping and the couple hours a day he heads off to be a financial manager -- the job that led the family to Newburgh from West Virginia in the first place. So, Deaconess sets him up with volunteers who come and sit with Patty if needed.
Hospice makes meeting Patty's medical needs easier. When she needs paracentesis -- the draining of fluid -- done more frequently it isn't an issue.
"I get a call every week to make sure we have everything we need," Fred says. "...They are just there for whatever you need and whenever you need."
Fred says the nurses and workers have been through so much; he's sure there isn't much they haven't seen.
"It's a real sense of peace or calm or feeling good when you have that lifeline," he says.
At this point, Patty doesn't require much medication. At night, Fred gives her a sleeping pill, and she takes a dose of pain medication.
But Patty doesn't talk about much pain, nor has she ever. The reason she wants to be home is to experience life with her family, so keeping her off unnecessary medications is important.
"The whole idea is to keep her comfortable," Fred says. "We want her to be alert if she can be and wants to be."
Hospice staff wants patients as alert and active as they can be as well. Cheryl Arnold, the manager of Deaconess VNA, says medication can sometimes negatively affect a person's well-being.
"We talk a lot about pill burden," Arnold says. "You get patients when they first come on that might have a whole list of medications they've taken over the years that really aren't helping them anymore."
Jenna Wade, a registered nurse and case manager with Deaconess VNA, says she spent some time with Fred at the start of the process to discuss medications. If the medication wasn't benefitting Patty, they removed it to help with comfort.
Wade is the primary nurse for Patty and says sometimes Patty's toughness makes it difficult to tell if she is actually in pain or not.
"She never showed discomfort," Wade says. "... She never complained, ever."
Hospice often carries a stigma for people. Wade says there are some nurses who have to take their badges off before they enter a home because there may be certain family members who can't handle hearing about the process.
She says it can be especially hard for family members who don't live close by -- who haven't seen their loved one's decline in real time and don't understand the need for hospice.
This isn't the case for Patty's son, Mark, who the family adopted from South Korea when he was 4 months old. He and his family live in Maryland, but he's remained tuned in.
This means Facetime calls with the grandchildren and check-in texts with his dad. He sees the help hospice is offering Patty and the comfort it is for Fred.
Fred tells Mark the nurses have helped Patty feel comfortable, even made her laugh, which is what he wants. Mark doesn't want his mom feeling pain at all.
"As long as they're taking care of that, I think they're doing what they're supposed to," he says.
For Amanda, Mark's wife, hospice helps give them peace of mind when they're so far away.
"I know we would worry a lot more if he didn't have the help," she says. "Us being so far away has been hard for us."
'They were always accepting'
Amanda's connection to Patty and Fred started long before her relationship with their son.
Fred and Patty held a weekly church meeting in their home in Maryland, and Amanda's family always attended.
Now the couple has been married for 12 years and has three children. Amanda had the couple's oldest, 15-year-old Alyssa, from a previous relationship when she was 19-years-old. Mark adopted her after he and Amanda married.
"Fred was the first person in our church that (my family) told when I got pregnant with Alyssa," Amanda says. "Because I was only 19, it was a big thing."
Patty responded by throwing Amanda a baby-shower.
"Patty always said I was going to find somebody that loved Alyssa like their own daughter," she says, starting to choke up. "She didn't know she was talking about her own son."
Mark has always known he's adopted, but he was never made to feel any different from his sister.
"No matter what your faults were or whatever," Mark said about his parents, "they were always accepting."
'She would just take over'
Patty and Fred met in high school in Kingwood, West Virginia. He passed her house every day, but he didn't ask her out until he was a senior. Specifically, he had someone ask her out for him.
"I asked a friend to set me up with a date," Fred says smiling. "I don't know why you have to do that unless you're a coward, but most of us are, you know."
They were both in the school band. Fred played trumpet while Patty did double duty as a majorette and clarinet player. Fred jokes that the majorette uniform is what caught his eye to begin with.
A Dairy Queen, movie theater and bowling alley were pretty much the only date spots in town, but the two didn't need much. Fred would borrow his dad's car and put 50 cents in the gas tank -- and spend 50 cents more on a banana split to share.
"A dollar went a long way there," Fred says. "If you ate fast you could get more than half of it."
The two dated on and off for a few years. And when Fred was a semester away from graduating college, he asked Patty to marry him.
Fred's math and physics degree earned him an offer from the National Security Agency to work as a cryptanalyst – a person who studies code systems and algorithms. The couple didn't have much at first, settling in Laurel, Maryland, with a card table and a pile of blankets to muffle the noise from a broken TV that would only let them lower the volume so far.
"Patty was such a help. She was more outgoing than I was then," Fred says. "Kind of the opposite of what we are now."
After the two moved, Patty earned a degree in biblical studies. She taught at a Christian school where she directed multiple plays and musicals. She later became an administrator.
"When (people) met her, they found her very shy and backward, but when she was in her element doing one of those programs, she was a totally different person," Fred said. "She would just take over."
Maryland was the scene for several major life events. Tanya was diagnosed with her syndrome at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and later as a toddler would fall into a coma there as well.
When Tanya was around 10 years old, Patty and Fred decided to adopt a child. Mark came to them through Catholic Charities in a diaper and cotton shirt.
There were about 20 people at his "delivery" to watch Mark come off the plane.
Maryland is also where some of Patty's health problems began. She was diagnosed with gallbladder problems and through the years struggled with fibromyalgia, diabetes and herniated discs in her back. Fred says none of this ever stops her.
"She's always had health issues, although she's always worked through them," he says. "She's the type of person I could never keep up with because she'd work me under the table, as they say."
'There's no answer to say how you'll handle it'
Because Mark lives so far away, he knows each visit to Indiana could be the last time he sees his mom.
When Patty was in Indianapolis with the first drastic turn, Mark flew out. At that point, it had been about a year since he had seen her. The last time she had been moving around and talking. Though her decline had been steady, Mark said that time in Indianapolis felt different.
"We thought that was it," he said. "I thought that was the last time I was going to see her."
Then in mid-August, he decided it was time to come for a visit, with the rest of the family in tow.
The first night the family was in town Patty didn't want to go to sleep. Amanda says Patty smiled a lot that visit, mostly at the chaos of the children.
Mark has dealt with the death of all of his grandparents, two of whom he saw take their final breaths. But this is different.
He says those deaths were extremely hard, but nothing is at like losing a parent.
"I just don't know that there's a way to be prepared for (your mom's death)," he says. "Anyone who says they are, is lying."
What helps him and the other family members is they aren't saying goodbye forever.
"I am comfortable knowing where she is going," he says. "I'll see her again."
'It was strange'
Patty died in her sleep during the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 9.
Around 11 p.m. Friday night, Fred kissed Patty and took the opportunity to say a few words to her before lying down on his side of the bed. He woke up around 7 a.m. and realized she was gone.
Fred checked her breathing and even shouted her name. He wanted to know for sure.
"It was strange, but not really different from what had taken place the past couple days because of her being so unresponsive," he said. "But I knew she was gone."
Fred followed protocol and called hospice. The nurse who makes the death visit helps to notify the patient's physician as well. They help instruct family members how to properly dispose of medications. Later, someone will help cancel and collect medical equipment.
The preparation for this day and the days to follow started when Patty entered hospice. Even though Fred didn't feel it should be, the conversation about a funeral was awkward for him to broach with Patty.
But Fred's a planner. And by the time Patty died, there wasn't much left to finalize other than dates and times.
Patty's service took place at 11 a.m. Sept. 15. The chapel was bordered with pictures of Patty, family portraits and flowers. Handwritten notes from Tanya and Patty's three grandchildren leaned against the lid of the casket.
A few of the hospice nurses came for the visitation the evening before. Deaconess VNA announces the funerals and viewings of their patients at the start of each workday.
After the service, Fred, Tanya, Mark, Amanda and the grandchildren were left to say their final goodbyes together in the chapel. Fred wheeled Tanya away from the casket as Mark and Amanda embraced behind him. Their son wrapped his arms around them while their oldest daughter walked up with tears in her eyes.
'It felt like getting rid of a memory'
The Sunday before Mark and Amanda head back to Maryland, they encourage Fred to start cleaning out some of Patty's things. They send 10 bags to Goodwill.
Any hint of hospice care was already gone by this point. Pills were disposed of. The oxygen tank had been removed.
"It felt like getting rid of a memory," Fred says. "But it's not the positive side of a memory."
There are some things, though, Fred could never get rid of such as a little wishbone that hangs from a silver chain -- the first gift he ever gave Patty. There's her initial wedding band, which he had her wear during the funeral. Also, anything he thought came from her mother.
Some items he passes to Tanya, his daughter-in-law Amanda and granddaughter Alyssa.
"Anytime you can give something like that to someone, it helps them to remember," Fred says.
He still has some calls to make. He's sent out thank-you cards from the funeral, which was much more pressing. If he hadn't, Patty would have come down to slap him.
Right now Fred still finds himself thinking about the little things. If something happens during the day, he'll think to himself, "I need to tell Patty about that."
"I find myself staying up a little bit later," Fred says. "Because you don't really want to go to bed."
He knows that will eventually fade, but for right now he still starts most days turning over to tell Patty good morning.


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Posted Jul 22, 2021
NVERS, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Northern Virginia Cybersecurity Working Group, has secured servers and Albert Network Monitoring service plans for eleven (11) Northern Virginia jurisdictions through Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funding.
On April 30, 2021, the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) and Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance (NVHA) announced exciting news about the future of the two organizations. Thanks to the commitment and efforts of many regional partners, the two organizations have successfully coordinated, supported, and promoted a regional approach to preparedness, response, and recovery activities for the past two decades.
On June 1, 2021, Stafford County Government held a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating Stafford County's connection to the National Capital Region Network (NCRnet). NCRnet is a fiber optic network built to establish a strong, safe, and effective way for community leaders and first responders to communicate and share critical information during regular operations and emergencies.
As the region's responders have worked tirelessly to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, NVERS has taken action to support efforts across disciplines. The infographic above outlines the key NVERS efforts to date.
The NVERS team is pleased to announce the launch of the NVERS Workspace, a SharePoint platform for regional document sharing. Previously registered users of NVERS.org may have received notification of the site's April 29, 2020 launch date.
NOVA Fire Incident Command Boards
Earlier this year, the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) procured 644 incident command boards for Northern Virginia (NOVA) Fire & Rescue Departments.
NVERS Launches Monthly Newsletter
This February, NVERS launched a monthly newsletter to highlight new and ongoing projects, share information on committee work, and provide updates on organizational activities. With a readership base of over 500 Northern Virginia first responders, emergency preparedness professionals, and partners, the newsletter will provide a platform for NVERS and stakeholder communication.
Responders Exercise NOVA Silver Line Incident Coordination Tool
Posted Feb 4, 2020
On December 11th, 2019, NVERS sponsored a tabletop exercise for first responder agencies and partner organizations to test the recently-developed Northern Virginia Silver Line Incident Coordination Tool. Over the past six months, an interdisciplinary planning team of subject matter experts from Northern Virginia collaborated with WMATA and Tidal Basin Government Consulting to refine the tool and develop a tabletop exercise to evaluate the tool's ability to enhance agency coordination across jurisdictional and discipline boundaries.
Fire Departments Aid Fellows in West Virginia Hit by Flooding
Posted Jul 5, 2016
(TNS) - The volunteer firefighters in Clendenin, W.Va., weren't around to save their equipment as the Elk River poured over its banks, flooding their fire station and their town. They were busy in neighboring communities where flooding already was worse, rescuing people trapped in their homes. The ruined gear at their station included air packs that cost thousands of dollars and about $6,000 in gear that had just been ordered and was still in boxes at the station. Fire trucks left at the station were moved to high ground before the flooding started, but little else was saved.
A Chat With Emergency Management Institute Leader Tony Russell
(TNS) — On Tuesday morning, Emergency Management Institute superintendent Tony Russell spoke to members of the media about his career with FEMA, his passion for training communities and how he views disaster preparedness in the 21st century.
As an emergency responder tasked with assisting Louisiana during its recovery from hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike in 2009, Russell said his time spent at ground zero has helped shape his approach to emergency management as a leading official.


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Business ReportOpinion
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi. File photo: ANA/Bongani Shilubane
OPINION: New employment equity bill is progressive, must become law
By Matthew Parks Jul 18, 2019
JOHANNESBURG - Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has announced in his budget vote that the government is soon to table the long-awaited Employment Equity Amendment Bill in Parliament.
This is a crucial bill that seeks to strengthen the Employment Equity Act and support the nation's efforts to eradicate the legacies of apartheid discrimination, and inequality in the workplace.
It is a powerful bill that employers, unions and workers should familiarise themselves with to ensure that when it becomes law, most likely in mid-2020, we all understand its rights and obligations.
Critics of the government's efforts to achieve employment equity will complain that it is unnecessary 25 years into democracy, and that it would bully business.
However, the complaints are not based on fact.
In the public service, women constitute 45.3percent of employees, 39percent of senior management and 32.6percent of top management. The private sector fares far worse with women only making up 32.3percent of senior management and a mere 21.6percent of top management.
The statistics for persons with disabilities are a shocking indictment on employers. While they constitute at least 10percent of the nation, they make up less than 1percent of employees in the public and private sectors, despite the employment equity target of 2percent.
The EE Amendment Bill has six essential components:
Targets - It empowers the minister to set employment-equity targets for economic sectors, as well as regions. This is crucial as many sectors are significantly untransformed, eg they are still overwhelmingly white and/or male-dominated (such as the insurance, banks, and mining industries).
It allows the minister to set regional targets given that racial diversity in South Africa often has regional differences, such as the Western Cape and Northern Cape are provinces with coloured majorities or KwaZulu-Natal where 10percent is of Indian descent or Limpopo where minorities constitute less than 3percent of the population.
Plans - The bill requires employers with more than 50 employees to submit employment equity plans for their companies, spelling out how they will achieve these targets.
Employers are then required to submit annual reports to the department. Employers will complain about this, but the bill's regulations have provided user-friendly forms to make it much easier to develop plans and submit annual reports. The point is to spur employment equity and not to bog companies down with paperwork.
Remuneration - The bill requires employers to pay workers equal pay for equal work. This is still a major problem facing millions of women as well as African, Coloured and Indian workers, 25 years into democracy.
The bill clarifies what is discrimination, as well as what workers can do to when facing such abuses such as lodging grievances with the CCMA or the Labour Courts.
This will empower the CCMA and the courts when making judgments on equal pay cases.
Testing - Increasingly job applicants are being subjected to very dubious psychological tests by employers. These are often irrelevant, unfair, unscientific, and unregulated.
Frequently, such tests have been used to discriminate against black or women applicants or to favour jobs for pals.
The bill now requires such tests to be fair and relevant to the job, not be discriminatory or biased and most importantly, that they must be approved by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
An aggrieved employer can now refer dubious tests to the CCMA.
The employer will then be forced to provide proof why the tests are relevant and fair, and that they have been approved by the HPCSA.
Inspection - As part of ensuring the employment equity objectives become reality, the bill seeks to strengthen the hand of the labour inspectors.
The inspectors are compelled to inspect workplaces and empowered to issue employers with compliance orders.
Nxesi also announced that the number of labour inspectors are to be increased from 1400 to 1900, and that an additional 200 health and safety inspectors are to be employed. However, given a labour force of more than 12 million, this is still far too few.
The department will be establishing a toll-free hotline where workers can SMS the names and addresses of employers who are in violation of any labour laws.
This information will be given to the labour inspectors who will then raid, fine, and issue compliance orders to offending employers.
Tenders - Companies seeking to do business with the state will be compelled to submit a certificate from the department confirming that they are in compliance with the Employment Equity Act and its objectives, and that they do not pay their employees less than the national minimum wage. This will ensure that recalcitrant employers abide by the progressive labour laws.
Cosatu has engaged extensively on this bill with other stakeholders at the National Economic Department and Labour Council (Nedlac). While employers complain about filling in forms, these have been made simple and user-friendly.
Some will object to being made to comply but it is crucial that we do so, if we are serious about building a non-racial and non-sexist society.
To do nothing means that we are happy to see women, persons with disabilities and African, Coloured and Indian workers remaining in low-paying jobs.
If we want to be a humane, modern and productive economy, we must accept the responsibilities that come with it.
As trade unions, we have to ensure all our shop stewards, members and workers know their rights, and challenge and report employers who break the laws.
Cosatu looks forward to seeing this progressive bill become a reality, and will ensure its speedy passage through Parliament and its signing by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Matthew Parks is Cosatu's Parliamentary co-ordinator.


Tijani Haddad is the President of the International Federation of Journalists and Travel Writers (FIJET), having held the position since 1990. For fifteen years, from 1989, he was also President of the Mediterranean Journalists and Travel Writers Organization (OMJET). Mr. Haddad has a Master's in English and American Literature, having studied at the University of Tunis and the Queen Elizabeth College of London. Mr. Haddad was the Minister of Tourism of Tunisia from 2004 to 2007, after being a Member of the Tunisian Parliament for 15 years. He was the founder of various publications including the monthly magazine la Gazette Touristique, the weekly magazine Hebdo Touristique and the weekly newspaper Tunisia News, the latter two of which he also edited. Mr. Haddad was the founder of the Marina Hotels Company and acted as President from 1997 to 2004 and from 2008 up to now.
Stefan Bratosin is full professor exceptional class at Paul Valéry University of Montpellier 3, France. He holds a PhD in Communication and Information Sciences at University Charles de Gaulle Lille 3, France. He supervises PhD Candidates in the following fields: organizational and institutional communication (political, religious, economic and cultural areas), mediatisation, spirituality and public sphere.
Stefan Bratosin is Associate director of the research laboratory CORHIS EA 7400 (Université Paul Valéry de Montpellier) and director of the international network of researchers Institute for Advanced Religious Studies and Communications Internetworking (IARSIC). He is also the editor of Essachess – Journal for Communication Studies, the only French journal in communication sciences to promote in French and English language original contributions in the field of social, cultural, symbolic or economic communication. He has authored many books, book chapters, and articles on the above topics.
Director of the Convention Bureau of Cartagena and Lecturer at the Technical University of Cartagena, Spain, in the area of Economic Analysis, Tourism, Macroeconomic and Labour Economics.
Bsc in Economics Valencia, Diploma and Master in Economics in the London School of Economics, UK, and PhD in Economics University of Murcia, Spain. Director of the Research Team of Economic Analysis and Tourism, at the Technical University of Cartagena, member of AECIT (Spanish Association of Scientists and Researchers in Tourism) Vice-president 2008 and 2012.
He has published several contributions in articles in scientific journals, such as International Advances in Economic Research, Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Economic, Maritime Economics and Logistics, Investigaciones Económicas, Maritime Policy & Management,etc. He has published numerous book chapters and books, as author or coordinator, the most recently being "20 years of Tourism in Spain", Síntesis Publishing House, Madrid. His areas of research focus on tourism economics, cruisers industry,economic impact and labour economics.
The founder and CEO of Romania's largest tourism agency, Paralela 45, president of the National Association of Tourism Agencies (ANAT) and former Secretary of State for the Ministry of Tourism (2001-2002).
At age 26, he became one of the five founding members and the very first president of ANAT, and in 1998 a member of the Romanian Association for People in Business (AOAR). In 1990 he founded Paralela 45, one of Romania's first travel agencies. In 2002, he was knighted by Romania's president. In 2007, he received his PhD with a dissertation on "The Business of Tourism in Romania".
As Secretary of State for the Ministry of Tourism, he coordinated and implemented projects such as the development of Predeal-Azuga ski resort, the "Seaside for All" to facilitate vacationing for individuals with a lower disposable income, the "Children of the Sun" to promote free housing for children on the Black Sea Coast, and the writing of 631/2001 Law.


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text:
Opinion: Putin's breathtaking lies about Russia
Alexander J. Motyl
Crisis in Ukraine —
Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.
Pavel Golovkin/aP
Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25.
Valeriy Kulyk/AP
Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25.
VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian militia members remove a local resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.
Ivan Sekretarev/AP
Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22.
A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.
SERGEI ILNITSKY/EPA /LANDOV
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch.
Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images
A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.
YURI KOCHETKOV/EPA/LANDOV
Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.
Sergei Grits/AP
Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.
Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.
Andrew Lubimov/AP
A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.
Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.
A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.
Vadim Ghidra/AP
Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.
Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.
Bulent Doruk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.
YEKATERINA SHTUKINA/AFP/Getty Images
Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.
Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.
IVAN BOBERSKYY/EPA/LANDOV
Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17.
Artyom Geodakyan/ITAR-TASS/Landov
Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.
SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images
A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.
ROBERT GHEMENT/EPA/LANDOV
Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17.
A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.
Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.
KHUDOTEPLY/AFP/Getty Images
Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.
A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.
DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images
Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.
XINHUA /LANDOV
A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16.
Sergei Chuzavkov/AP
Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.
Andrey Basevich/AP
A child casts her mother's ballot March 16 while holding a Russian flag at a polling station in Simferopol.
A pro-Russian soldier, with the Russian flag behind him, mans a machine gun outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on Saturday, March 15.
Vadim Ghirda/AP
A pro-Russian soldier guards the perimeter outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 15.
Russian flags wave in front of a monument dedicated to Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin during a pro-Russia rally in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 15.
Evgenyi Batyukhov cries March 14 at the site where pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists clashed the night before in Donetsk, Ukraine.
A line of policemen stand in front of a bus of pro-Ukrainian activists as pro-Russian supporters confront them during a rally in Donetsk on Thursday, March 13.
Alexander KHUDOTEPLY/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian supporters clash with pro-Ukrainian activists in Donetsk on March 13.
Recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto walks through Independence Square in Kiev on March 13. During his Oscars acceptance speech in early March, the actor spoke to protesters in Ukraine and Venezuela saying, "We're thinking of you tonight."
Sergey Starostenko/Kommersant Photo via Getty Images
A member of a pro-Russian self-defense unit checks a polling station near Simferopol on March 13.
Manu Brabo/AP
A Ukrainian soldier looks out of the window of a regional military building with a poster reading "Ukraine's armed forces wait for you!" in Donetsk on March 13.
An armed Cossack stands guard at a checkpoint on the road from Simferopol to Sevastopol on March 13.
A pro-Russian soldier speaks to a truck driver outside the Ukrainian infantry base in Perevalne on Wednesday, March 12.
Cossacks stand guard at Crimea's regional parliament building in Simferopol on March 12.
Soldiers are seen aboard the Ukrainian ship Slavutych in the harbor of Sevastopol on Tuesday, March 11.
Ukrainian naval officers board a boat in front of the Russian minesweeper Turbinist in Sevastopol's harbor on March 11.
People shout slogans during a pro-Russia rally in Donetsk on Sunday, March 9.
Ukrainian police detain a demonstrator during a pro-Russian rally in Donetsk on March 9.
Pro-Russia protesters remove a Ukrainian flag from a flagpole taken from a government building in Donetsk on March 9.
Cossacks and other pro-Russian forces stand guard outside a government building in Simferopol on Saturday, March 8.
Ukrainian soldiers load armored personnel carriers into boxcars in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 8.
YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFP/Getty Images
Armed men believed to be Russian military march in a village outside Simferopol on Friday, March 7.
MAXIM SHIPENKOV/EPA/LANDOV
Pro-Russia protesters demonstrate outside the Belbek air base, near Sevastopol, on Thursday, March 6.
A Ukrainian navy officer looks at the scuttled, decommissioned Russian vessel Ochakov from the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, Ukraine, on March 6. Russian naval personnel scuttled the ship, blockading access for five Ukrainian naval vessels.
Darko Vojinovic/AP
A member of the Russian military patrols around Perevalne on March 6.
Maxppp/Landov
Servicemen guard a checkpoint at a Ukrainian navy base in Perevalne on March 6.
Stanislav Krasilnikov/ITAR-TASS/Landov
Ukrainian troops guard the Belbek air base on March 6.
ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE/EPA/LANDOV
A woman walks past barricades March 6 that were set up by anti-government protesters in Kiev's Independence Square.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
A sailor guards the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych in the Bay of Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 5.
People wait in line for food distribution in Independence Square on March 5.
Ukrainian sailors carry meat to their vessel in the Sevastopol harbor on March 5.
courtesy Denis Sinyakov
Riot police stand at the entrance of a regional administrative building during a rally in Donetsk on March 5.
A Ukrainian police officer gives instructions to members of the media in front of the business class lounge of the Simferopol airport on March 5.
Pro-Russia demonstrators wave a Russian flag after storming a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.
Demonstrators break a police barrier as they storm a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.
Ukrainian military recruits line up to receive instructions in Kiev's Independence Square on Tuesday, March 4.
People stand on the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych while it's at harbor in Sevastopol on March 4. Mattresses were placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault.
Courtesy Andrew Lubimov
Ukrainian troops watch as a Russian navy ship blocks the entrance of the Ukrainian navy base in Sevastopol on March 4.
A woman photographs pro-Russian soldiers guarding Ukraine's infantry base in Perevalne on March 4.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine March 4 for the people who were killed in February during anti-government protests in Kiev.
Kevin Lamarque/Pool/AP
Yuli Mamchun, the commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek air base near Sevastopol, salutes on March 4.
Russian soldiers stand guard at the Belbek air base on March 4.
Ukrainian military members march at the Belbek air base on March 4.
Russian soldiers fire warning shots to keep back Ukrainian military members at the Belbek air base on March 4.
A Ukrainian airman puts the Ukrainian national flag over the gate of the Belbek air base as they guard what's left under their control on March 4.
Russian soldiers aim a grenade launcher and machine gun as they guard positions at the Belbek air base on March 4.
Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutych in the Sevastopol harbor on Monday, March 3.
Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier, kisses his girlfriend, Svetlana, through the gates of the Belbek base entrance on March 3. Tensions are high at the base, where Ukrainian soldiers were standing guard inside the building while alleged Russian gunmen were standing guard outside the gates.
Wives of Ukrainian soldiers walk past Russian soldiers to visit their husbands guarding a military base in Perevalne on March 3.
A Russian soldier guards an area outside Ukraine's military base in the village of Perevalne on March 3.
A sailor looks out a window near the entrance to the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 3.
Armed men in military uniform walk outside a Ukrainian military unit near Simferopol on Sunday, March 2. Hundreds of armed men in trucks and armored vehicles surrounded the Ukrainian base Sunday in Crimea, blocking its soldiers from leaving.
ALEXEY FURMAN/EPA/LANDOV
Soldiers walk outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne as a local resident waves a Russian flag March 2.
Demonstrators shout during a rally in Kiev's Independence Square on March 2.
Ukrainian soldiers, left, and unidentified gunmen, right, stand at the gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.
Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.
A woman cries during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.
Protesters hold flags of the United States, Germany and Italy during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.
People attend a morning prayer service at Independence Square on March 2.
LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images
A soldier and a truck driver unload bread outside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 2.
Heavily armed troops, displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants, stand guard outside a local government building in Simferopol on March 2.
A woman waits in front of unidentified men in military fatigues who were blocking a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 1.
U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pete Souza/White House Photo
Troops stand guard in Balaklava on March 1.
Heavily armed soldiers displaying no identifying insignia maintain watch in Simferopol on March 1.
People gather around the coffin of a man who was killed during clashes with riot police in Independence Square.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian activists hold Russian flags during a rally in the center of Donetsk on March 1.
Sergey Vaganov/AP
Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan supporters as they storm the regional government building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1.
SERGEY BOBOK/AFP/Getty Images
A protester stands at a memorial March 1 for the people killed in clashes at Independence Square.
Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport on Friday, February 28.
An image provided to CNN by a local resident shows Russian tanks on the move in Sevastopol.
provided to cnn
Russian troops block a road February 28 toward the military airport in Sevastopol. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based at the port city.
Armed men stand guard in front of a building near the Simferopol airport on February 28.
An armed man wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside Simferopol International Airport on February 28.
Police stand guard outside the Crimea regional parliament building Thursday, February 27, in Simferopol. Armed men seized the regional government administration building and parliament in Crimea.
Police intervene as Russian supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on February 27.
A man adds fuel to a fire at a barricade in Independence Square on February 27. Dozens of people were killed during clashes between security forces and protesters.
Pro-Russia demonstrators wave Russian and Crimean flags in front of a local government building in Simferopol on February 27.
Barricades in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27 hold a banner that reads: "Crimea Russia." There's a broad divide between those who support the pro-Western developments in Kiev and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine.
Protesters stand in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27. Tensions have simmered in the Crimea region since the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Protesters in support of the president's ouster rally in Independence Square, which has been the center of opposition, on Wednesday, February 26.
Marko Drobnjakovic/AP
Security forces stand guard during clashes between opposing sides in front of Crimea's parliament building in Simferopol on February 26.
Pro-Russian demonstrators, right, clash with anti-Russian protesters in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 26.
A police officer gets pulled into a crowd of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on February 26. The Tatars, an ethnic minority group deported during the Stalin era, rallied in support of Ukraine's interim government.
A man places flowers at a barricade near Independence Square on February 26.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP
On February 26 in Kiev, a woman holds a photograph of a protester killed during the height of tensions.
Police guard a government building in Donetsk on February 26.
Darko Bandic/AP
Protesters remove a fence that surrounds Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 26.
People sing the Ukrainian national anthem at Independence Square on Monday, February 24.
Gas masks used by protesters sit next to a barricade in Independence Square on February 24.
A woman cries February 24 near a memorial for the people killed in Kiev.
People wave a large Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Sunday, February 23.
Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Two pro-government supporters are made to pray February 23 in front of a shrine to dead anti-government protesters.
A man and his daughter lay flowers at a memorial for protesters killed in Independence Square.
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks at Independence Square on Saturday, February 22, hours after being released from prison. Tymoshenko, considered a hero of a 2004 revolution against Yanukovych, was released after 2½ years behind bars.
Tymoshenko is greeted by supporters shortly after being freed from prison in Kharkiv on February 22.
A protester guards the entrance to Yanukovych's abandoned residence outside Kiev on February 22.
Anti-government protesters guard the streets next to the presidential offices in Kiev on February 22.
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Image
Anti-government protesters drive a military vehicle in Independence Square on February 22. Many protesters said they wouldn't leave the square until Yanukovych resigned.
Ukrainian lawmakers argue during a session of Parliament on Friday, February 21.
ANDREW KRAVCHENKO /LANDOV
Men in Kiev carry a casket containing the body of a protester killed in clashes with police.
Protesters cheer after news of an agreement between the opposing sides in Kiev on February 21.
Editor's Note: Alexander J. Motyl is professor of political science at Rutgers University-Newark. He was associate director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University from 1992 through 1998. A specialist on Ukraine, Russia and the former Soviet Union, Motyl is the author of six academic books and several novels, including "The Jew Who Was Ukrainian," "My Orchidia" and "Sweet Snow." He writes a weekly blog on "Ukraine's Orange Blues" for World Affairs Journal.
Alexander J. Motyl: Putin describes both an aggrieved and aggressive Russia
Motyl: He rewrites history, portraying Russia as a victim of the West and Communists
Motyl: Putin says Russia has the right to be a bully, dismisses its previous abuses
Motyl: West must hold him to his statements that he wants peace with Ukraine
Vladimir Putin's gala address before Russian parliamentarians and officials Tuesday surprised no one when he announced Russia's annexation of Crimea. The interesting part was his distorted view of Russian history, and his proclamation that a bizarre kind of simultaneously aggrieved and aggressive hyper-nationalism is now Russia's official ideology.
In discussing Ukraine, however, Putin seemed to go out of his way to suggest he had no aggressive intentions and was not planning to divide the rest of the country.
Listening to Putin, one could easily forget that Russia is and for many centuries has been the largest country in the world and that it acquired its territories by imperialist expansion often accompanied by genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Instead, Putin prefers to see Russia as having been permanently on the defensive, a victim of both Western and Communist machinations: "In a word, we have all the reasons to believe that the notorious policy of containing Russia, which was pursued in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, is continuing to this day.
"They are constantly trying to drive us into some corner, because we have an independent position, because we defend it, and because we call things by their names and are not hypocrites," he said.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, according to Putin, it was the turn of the Bolsheviks to aggrieve Russia. Putin conveniently ignores that the vast majority of Bolsheviks were Russian and that the party Lenin founded was institutionally Russian as well. No matter.
Mounted Cossacks patrol an area near Russian-Ukrainian border near the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, on March 19, 2014.
Could Putin 'walk back' Crimea crisis?
exp Lead vo paton walsh ukraine crimea first death_00002001.jpg
Ukraine cries 'robbery'
ukraine russia Petro Poroshenko amanpour crimea global system of security_00002424.jpg
After Crimea, 'global security finished'
Putin says: "The Bolsheviks, for a number of reasons – may God judge them – added large sections of the historical South of Russia to the Republic of Ukraine. This was done with no consideration for the ethnic makeup of the population, and today these areas form the southeast of Ukraine. Then, in 1954, a decision was made to transfer Crimean Region to Ukraine. … What matters now is that this decision was made in clear violation of the constitutional norms that were in place even then."
Once again, Putin's historical myopia is breathtaking: Nikita Khrushchev's decision to grant Crimea to Ukraine was as constitutional as anything any Soviet Communist leader did in the entire period of the USSR's existence. The Soviet Union rested on illegality and the systemic violation of human and civil rights. If Khrushchev was wrong, then that's only because the USSR was wrong and should never have been created in the first place.
Unsurprisingly, there is no room in this narrative for the nation that Russian imperialism almost managed to annihilate – the Crimean Tatars. Russia conquered the Crimean Tatar khanate in 1783. Afterward, the Russian authorities forced the Tatars out of their ancestral homeland and replaced them with settlers from Russia.
Tens of thousands of Tatars died or were killed; some two-thirds had to leave the Crimea. In 1944, the ethnic cleansing was completed when Stalin expelled the entire Crimean Tatar population – about 200,000 people – to Uzbekistan and some other Soviet regions. About half died on the way. It was only in the late 1980s that they began returning to their homeland to find that their land and their homes had been occupied by Russian settlers.
Instead, Putin primarily explains why Crimea matters to Russia: "The graves of Russian soldiers whose bravery brought Crimea into the Russian empire are also in Crimea. This is also Sevastopol – a legendary city with an outstanding history, a fortress that serves as the birthplace of Russia's Black Sea Fleet … symbolizing Russian military glory and outstanding valor."
And what of the Crimean Tatars? Here's Putin: "True, there was a time when Crimean Tatars were treated unfairly, just as a number of other peoples in the USSR. There is only one thing I can say here: Millions of people of various ethnicities suffered during those repressions, and primarily Russians."
The mendacity is astounding. The Crimean Tatars were not just "treated unfairly" by some vague force. They were subjected to genocide by a Russian totalitarian empire. Russians also "suffered," but the brunt of the suffering fell, as Yale historian Timothy Snyder describes in "Bloodlands," on Poles and Ukrainians.
Despite all this victimization, Putin's speech loudly asserts that Russia is back: It's mad as hell and it won't take being humiliated anymore. This Russia, the new Russia, is both victim and bully:
"Today it is imperative to end the hysterics and to renounce the rhetoric of the 'Cold War,' and to recognize an obvious thing: Russia is an independent and active participant in international life, and it has, like other countries, its national interests, which must be acknowledged and respected."
And then, remarkably, Putin adopts a conciliatory tone with respect to Ukraine. Naturally, he first denounces the new democratic government as illegitimate and in the thrall of imaginary fascists and asserts Russia's obligation to help defend Russians and Russian speakers from their supposed assaults and predations.
Here's the soft and fuzzy Putin:
"I appeal to the people of Ukraine. I sincerely want you to understand us: Under no conditions do we wish to bring you harm, to insult your national feelings. We have always respected the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state. …
"Don't believe those who terrify you with Russia, who shout that other regions will follow Crimea. … We want Ukraine to be a strong, sovereign and self-sufficient state. … We want peace and amity to come to the land of Ukraine, and together with other countries we are ready to provide full cooperation and support to that end. But I repeat: Only the citizens of Ukraine are able to bring order to their own home."
If these words were sincere, then they may mark a significant departure from the war-mongering rhetoric Putin employed at his March 4 press conference, where he stated he "wasn't worried" by war with Ukraine. Indeed, if sincere, Putin has clearly stated that he will not invade the rest of Ukraine and attempt to annex some of its southeastern provinces.
Is Putin being truthful, or is the speech a smoke screen for further aggression? We don't know, of course, but now that Putin has gone on record as having nothing but peaceful intentions toward Ukraine, the international community would do well to remind him of that whenever the temptation to rattle sabers on Ukraine's borders and foment trouble in Ukraine's southeast proves too strong for him to resist.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alexander J. Motyl.


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Dar El Marefeh Signs ePublishing Agreement with Al Manhal
Beirut, January 18
Beirut, January 18: Dar El Marefah for Printing & Publishing signed an ePublishing agreement with Al Manhal. The agreement was signed by Mr. Adnan Ibrahim Foladkar; General Manager of Dar El Marefeh; and Mr. Ibraheem Al Shlool from Al Manhal.
This agreement gives Al Manhal copyrights to electronically publish and distribute Dar El Marefeh's content through its databases. Founded by Mr. Ibrahim Foladkar in 1969 in Beirut, Dar El Marefeh is a cultural institute which aims to disseminate knowledge related to Islamic and Arabic heritage. With his faith in the publishing house, Dar El Marefeh built an authoritative role in the distribution of Arab and Islamic culture and heritage. The publishing house, for more than 45 year, has been publishing books and other resources in different fields, but mainly books on the Arabic language and Islamic jurisprudence. It took a serious and sincere interest in Hadith books, in which it researched, indexed, classified and printed them for publishing with excellent quality standards. Dar El Marefeh also played a role in disseminating Islamic thought in various sciences for contemporary and unique authors, such as but not limited to: Doctor Zaghloul Al Najjar, Dr. Mohammad Saleem Al Owa, Dr. Ali Al Salabi, Dr. Ahmad Al Kabisi, Dr. Sheikh Khalid Al Jundi, al-Da'iyah Khaid Omar… Committed to upholding Islamic ethics and standards of quality in the publication, Dar Al Marefeh has always been.
It's noteworthy to mention that Al Manhal is the only full-text searchable platform for Arabic electronic publications, where publishers can display their print publications electronically using the best-in-class intelligent platform, and where library users, research centers and scientific societies can access their content, regionally and globally using one of the most advanced research platforms.


Fundraising campaigns are vital to the sustainability of nonprofit organizations, and a significant amount of planning must take place prior to the campaign's launch to help ensure success. In addition, once a campaign is in progress, organizations must understand the importance of capitalizing on momentum and further engaging not only donors, but also key volunteers and employees. With proper measures in place, your organization can enhance the effectiveness of current capital campaigns, while also building a foundation for future initiatives.
RSM US LLP recently held a Strategies for a successful fundraising campaign webinar series to help nonprofit organizations understand and overcome capital campaign challenges. In this article, the last of a three-part Muse series, we examine how to get the green light for a campaign and how to build and maintain momentum. The first article examined strategies to lay the groundwork for an effective fundraising campaign, while the second article provided insight into properly managing accounting, risk and technology.
Your campaign operating plan is your blueprint for fundraising success. Your development staff, and potentially outside counsel, should develop this document from feasibility studies and due diligence exercises completed prior to the campaign. It should reflect the activity and progress you have completed before launching the campaign, and align with the overall business plan.
The campaign operating plan should include the overarching strategy and goals for the campaign, as well as an organizational chart that identifies key individuals and relationships. The organizational chart should include detailed roles and responsibilities for the key parties in the campaign, starting with the board and then including staff (including any new positions), volunteers and any outside counsel.
The plan should also include a quarterly timeline during the solicitation period of the campaign, as well as a monthly task summary for at least the outset of the campaign. As opportunities present themselves, you can react and adjust any tasks as needed. In addition, the plan must provide a detailed revenue and expense budget.
During planning, your organization must develop financial projections, including pledged commitment attainment and cash flow and fulfillment. In this process, discount your anticipated gifts and what you will probably attain, while establishing a reserve for pledges.
If you have not developed a formal business plan, you can likely seek assistance from a board member, or leverage templates that are available on the internet. Your business plan is your road map, including an executive summary, the target audience, benefits of the campaign, a financial plan with cash flow and the decision factors that led you to move forward with the campaign.
Capital campaigns can often feel like a roller coaster, with slow climbs followed big excitement, and numerous twists and turns along the way. In any campaign, several obstacles can force you to potentially extend the timeline, or alter strategies to help ensure that you meet your goals. Many difficulties are completely unexpected, but some offer warning signs, and your organization should always plan ahead as much as possible to avoid any challenges.
External factors that can cause donors to hesitate to make commitments can include economic challenges, terrorism, natural disasters or epidemics, and election cycles. Internal factors that may require a strategy shift include transformational gifts that may reduce motivation for other donors, institutional public relations crises or key employee departures. Potential donor factors that can impact pledges include job changes, divorces, children entering college or a death in the family. If a donor passes away, but has signed a pledge form, your organization should be in contact with the family to notify them of the decedent's intent, which will dramatically increase the likelihood that the pledge is fulfilled through the estate settlement process.
As the campaign progresses, an organization must take advantage of momentum by continuing the planning process. Throughout the campaign, you will discover new donors, new volunteers and renewed enthusiasm; make sure you have a system in place, such as a strategic planning committee, to capture those people and ideas and channel that energy.
During the campaign, major donors, volunteers and staff may have creative ideas, such as potential new facilities or renovations to existing facilities. In addition, a campaign can help identify new leaders for future campaigns, including fundraising volunteers, advisory or planning committee members and potential board members. New prospects will also emerge during the public phase that may not be completely engaged, but want to learn more about your mission or organization.
The treatment of donors as, and after, they fulfill a pledge is an often overlooked aspect of a campaign, and can affect future giving. Communication is essential to keep donors invested in you. Your organization can send letters or various communications such as campaign newsletters, hold donor engagement events, publicize major donors and make pledge reminders more informative, rather than just an invoice. Donor involvement ultimately increases engagement with the institution.
From a volunteer's perspective, they should feel like they are in the know with regular communications and informative, efficient meetings. Key volunteers can be recognized with profiles on your website, in the community or in press releases. Campaigns can be a long grind for volunteers, and keeping them refreshed and engaged is a key factor in continuing momentum.
In addition, your organization has a number of opportunities to recognize donors and volunteers at events. Campaign kick-off meetings, milestone achievements and victory celebrations all have the potential to create a shared sense of accomplishment and pride in the organization.
Your campaign can bring a plethora of good news that can be leveraged in public relations outreach, such as milestone achievements, groundbreakings and major gift announcements. These communications can help your standing in the community, improve your image and help to recruit new volunteers and donors. A best practice is to create a content calendar, sharing success stories 12-18 months beyond the end of the campaign.
Transparency is also important during your campaign, as it will create a deeper understanding of your mission and build trust. For effective campaign accounting, consider report formats that reconcile transactions with the development department and provide proper reporting to the board. You should consider utilizing dashboards that track key performance indicators, including pledges, cash raised, and any construction budgets and timelines. Finally, developing a formal final recap report can communicate all necessary data and information about the campaign to key stakeholders.
Even following a successful campaign, you should stay in campaign mode, because your operating needs remain the same and new needs will emerge. Retain the staff members who have built relationships with donors and transition them to major gift roles, and work with key volunteers to determine how they want to stay involved. Personally visit donors and plant the seeds for the next capital campaign, so they can become engaged early in the process.
The conclusion of a campaign is also a great time to increase communications and evaluate your publications, messaging and website. Remember to be consistent and persistent with reminders for donors on multiyear pledge payment schedules, and use a personal approach for top donors.
After the campaign, maintain a commitment to the major gifts function. Make sure the trustees are regularly assigned to prospects so that methodology of checking in with best practices moves forward. Also, renew the focus on the annual fund, transitioning donors to a higher level of annual support.
Developing a successful fundraising campaign can bring a new normal to your organization, with increased enthusiasm and support for your mission. It's important to stay there, implementing key planning steps, engaging donors, employees and volunteers, and capitalizing on that momentum to generate sustained success for future campaigns.
This article was developed with content from David Coyne, CFRE, The Sheridan Group.


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John Shakin
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Add Fetility dataset
Rahim Rasool committed Jan 24, 2019
Data Science Dojo

Update copyright year README.md
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Rebecca Merrett committed Feb 10, 2020
Copyright (c) 2019 - 2020
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**Level:** Beginner

**Recommended Use:** Regression/Classification Models

**Domain:** Healthcare/Life

## Fertility Data Set
### Predict seminal quality of an indivisual
![](547578-PJXSFK-222.jpg)
This *beginner* level data set has 100 rows and 10 columns.
The data set includes semen sample of 100 volunteers, analyzed according to the WHO 2010 criteria.
This data set can be used to determine if it is possible to reach a diagnosis without a laboratory approach, which include expensive tests, sometime uncomfortable for the patients.
Sperm concentration are related to socio-demographic data, environmental factors, health status, and life habits. Thes eattributes can be taken easily using a questionnaire.
This data set is recommended for learning and practicing your skills in **exploratory data analysis**, **data visualization**, and **regression/classification modelling techniques**.
Feel free to explore the data set with multiple **supervised** and **unsupervised** learning techniques. The Following data dictionary gives more details on this data set:
### Data Dictionary
| Column   Position 	| Atrribute Name                           	| Definition                                                                                | Data Type    	| Example       	| % Null Ratios 	|
|-------------------	|------------------------------------------	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	|--------------	|---------------	|---------------	|
| 1                 	| Season                                   	| Season in   which the analysis was performed (-1: winter, -0.33: spring, 0.33: summer, 1:   fall)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 1, -1, -0.33  	| 0             	|
| 2                 	| Age                                      	| Age at the   time of analysis. Age is between 18-36 and scaled from 0 to 1                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 0.64, 0.78, 1 	| 0             	|
| 3                 	| Childish Diseases                        	| Childish   diseases i.e chicken pox, measles, mumps, polio (0: no, 1: yes)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 1, 0          	| 0             	|
| 4                 	| Accident or serious trauma               	| Accident or   serious trauma  (0: no, 1: yes)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 1, 0          	| 0             	|
| 5                 	| Surgical intervention                    	| Surgical   intervention (0: no, 1: yes)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 1, 0          	| 0             	|
| 6                 	| High fevers in last year                 	| High fevers in   the last year (-1: less than 3 months ago, 0: more than 3 months ago, 1: no   fever)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 0, 1, -1      	| 0             	|
| 7                 	| Frequency of alcohol consumption         	| Frequency of   alcohol consumption in 5 categories scaled from 0 to 1. Following are the   categories in order: 1) several times a day, 2) every day, 3) several times a   week, 4) once a week, 5) hardly ever or never 	| Quantitative 	| 0.2, 0.6, 1   	| 0             	|
| 8                 	| Smoking Habit                            	| Smoking habit   (-1: never, 0: occasional, 1: daily)                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 0, 1, -1      	| 0             	|
| 9                 	| Number of   hours spent sitting per day  	| Number of   hours spent sitting per day. Between 0 and 16, scaled from 0 to 1                                                                                | Quantitative 	| 0.32, 0.83, 1 	| 0             	|
| 10                	| Output                                   	| Output: Result   of Diagnosis (N: Normal, O: Altered)                                                                                | Qualitative  	| N, O          	| 0             	|
### Acknowledgement
This data set has been sourced from the Machine Learning Repository of University of California, Irvine [Fertiltiy Data Set (UC Irvine)](https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/Fertility).
The UCI page mentions the following publication as the original source of the data set:
*David Gil, Jose Luis Girela, Joaquin De Juan, M. Jose Gomez-Torres, and Magnus Johnsson. Predicting seminal quality with artificial intelligence methods*


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HYBRID MOMENTS: Paintings and Prints by Slapstik's Shawn Beeks at Pittsburgh's Trundle Manor
The Mr. Arm and Rachel at Trundle Manor locating in the hills of Pittsburgh were kind enough to provide temporary home for the paintings and prints of Slapstik Skateboard Art and Pusher Wheels artist Shawn Beeks. During the month of September and mid October of 2015 you will be able see the comedic nightmares illustrated in oils amongst the walls of taxidermic experiments at the manor. Pittsburgh's City Paper promoted the opening here. You still have time to check out the show and if you're in Pittsburgh on October 16th, come by for the closing.
What Jasper Said: A Word on Columbia Arts
Slapstik Skateboard Artist Andrew Thomas was interviewed by What Jasper Said reporter David Bland in his article Pushing Further. David and Andrew discussed his creative process and Andrew's involvement with Slapstik for his guest artist deck release in May 2015. Below is a portion of the interview. You can read the full text here.
"Andrew Thomas has to be honest. He's a bit drunk—the ideal state for learning what's at the heart of a man. He's in Charlotte about to see Primal Scream, one of his favorite bands since he was young. You learn quickly that Thomas is more than a fan of music—he's a cultivator of sound culture. He's just as fast to give up the fact that David Bowie resides as an idol in Thomas' personal pantheon."
"Thomas's style consists of scrawled out sketches on a canvas dowsed in spray paint and acrylic. While the color and line work may be furiously formed what the pieces show are figurative and representational.
"I find it hard to hold back from all that stuff," Thomas says about the frenzied process of his work. "I wish it would be more minimal, but I think frantic's a pretty good word," he says to describe his art.
The visuals Thomas contrived for the deck are being put to wood by Slapstik Skateboard Art out of Philly. The company creates skate decks on an artisan level, manufacturing a short run of boards that are probably better fit hanging on your wall than sliding down handrails. For now the board is exclusively available for purchase at Bluetile Skateshop and slapstikskateboardart.com"


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Passover in New Mexico
Clip Featured in Haggadot's
Love and Justice in Times of War
Contributed by Haggadot
by Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Horseradish is hard to find in the hinterlands outside Gallup NM. On this dry bit of Earth, next to what's left of Navajo/Hopi/Zuni lands, Pesach was clearly going to be a new experience. I had taken the year off from Brandeis to join the Global Walk for a Livable World 1990, figuring the truest education would be to "get up and walk the land" (Gen. 13:17), and to "serve and defend it" (Gen. 2:15). We'd started in L.A. two and a half months earlier, and would arrive in New York six months later, "walking our talk" of sustainability.
There were nearly sixty of us crossing the AZ/NM border, when suddenly Passover was upon us. We decided to hold two sedarim -- the first as an all-group program, and the second as a Jewish space. We typed up a "freedom seder" on the office bus that accompanied us; worked with that week's cooks on Pesach-friendly foods; took the outreach van into Gallup to copy the haggadah and scout out the basics (no horseradish, but chiles did the trick); picked up specially-delivered matzah from back east. Amid sand and sagebrush, in an interfaith group devoted to protecting Creation, the story of the Exodus took on new meaning:
"This is the bread of affliction...let all who are hungry come and eat" -- our walk had taken us through some of the poorest urban and rural areas in the country already; we knew that social and environmental sustainability were intertwined.
"This year we are slaves; next year may we be free" -- living out of a backpack, and getting almost everywhere on foot, upper-middle-class folk like me quickly realize how enslaved we are to the external trappings that make up our daily lives. We also realize that this is how most people in most lands and through most of history live.
"Blood; frogs; lice..." -- the longest part of our desert sedarim was recounting the plagues, noting the environmental relevance of the original ten, and coming up with our own lists. We offered ten plagues of sexism and homophobia, ten plagues of economic injustice, ten plagues of human rights abuses. Over our abuse of Earth, ten simply could not suffice.
"On all other nights, every other vegetable; on this night, bitter herbs" -- the group's favorite reading was Reb Zalman's kavannah over the maror: "We are the Egypt, and we are the Pharaohs whose hearts have been hardened and who refuse to let our Mother the Earth heal. We must shout a "Dayenu" to that, and begin to act.... As we are observant of the laws of Peach, so we must become observant about what is helpful to Earth; and like chametz on Pesach, we must avoid what destroys her."
Lessons learned: Tradition gives us not just symbols but also roots, sustaining us in our struggles for justice in the modern world. Seders are at least as good for bridging across cultures and religions, as they are for bonding within our own communities. To understand the Exodus, walk. And near a desert or not, to understand and relive Pesach as the Torah tells us to (Ex. 12:14ff), celebrate it outdoors.
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, www.jrf.org/adatsmd
haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: Love and Justice In Times of War Haggadah
Family Lessons
by Haggadot
by Dan Berger Though my family would never admit it, one of my first lessons in oppression and resistance came at Seders. Sitting around the table with my grandmother, who survived Auschwitz; my mother, who was raised by two survivors; and my father, who teaches Holocaust studies -- Passover had a very political character to it for me. Resistance was portrayed as a natural and necessary outgrowth of brutal oppression. We always talked about the Holocaust and what it meant for...
Social Justice Blessing
Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu lirdof tzedek Brucha Yah Shechinah, eloheinu Malkat ha-olam, asher kid'shatnu b'mitzvotayha vitzivatnu lirdof tzedek Blessed is the Source, who shows us paths to holiness, and commands us to pursue justice.
Pesach Thoughts
by Lisa/Leah Russ I dreaded passover growing up. It seemed boring and oppressive and... dreadful with the emphasis on DREAD. I never really named it, but felt somewhere in my hungry gut that this wasn't a great place to be...my grandparents' overheated undersized apartment in Queens, with these flat books in our hands, these hollow songs, this jelly on my fish. A couple of years ago I was at a workshop called L'dor V'dor (generation to generation) and I thought about...
Always A Process
by Deirdre Silverman For me, the recent meaning of Passover in my life has been a reclaiming of the seder ceremony away from the patriarchal tradition. My children may remember the seders of their early childhood, conducted by their grandfather entirely in Hebrew, incomprehensible to most in attendance, unvarying from year to year, except for how long it took until the children were sent away from the table for giggling. Before that, there were the Vietnam-era seders when we got into...
Making Halaik
by Julie Iny Some Jews prepare for Pesach by getting rid of all their hametz. Last year, I inadvertently created a ritual for a near reenactment of the 40 days and 40 nights our people spent wandering in the desert when I decided to learn how to make halaik, the date syrup that is the critical and divine ingredient of Iraqi charoset. In years past, my Aunt Rachel, keeper of many Iraqi and Indian-Iraqi culinary and cultural traditions, would, because she...
Welcome to the Love and Justice Haggadah
We're so glad you can join us. The word "haggadah" means "telling", and refers to the story of the Exodus that we read at Passover. As you may soon notice, there is a bit more in here than the traditional Passover story. There are stories from some of our friends about what Passover means to them. There is a glossary and a resource list, and lots of commentary. We aimed high and have pulled out quite a bit of hair; fought...
My Jewish Anniversary: A Liberation Story
by Stosh Cotler I had danced for D before- a leather butch who came into my club with her old school, high femme wife and their entourage. That particular night, the Saturday before Passover, I sat with their crew after my table dance for D, and was shocked when D's lover started talking about Seder arrangements. Immediately, I outed myself as a Jew, which caused a huge burst of excitement at the table- imagine the odds, not only of randomly running...
by Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb Horseradish is hard to find in the hinterlands outside Gallup NM. On this dry bit of Earth, next to what's left of Navajo/Hopi/Zuni lands, Pesach was clearly going to be a new experience. I had taken the year off from Brandeis to join the Global Walk for a Livable World 1990, figuring the truest education would be to "get up and walk the land" (Gen. 13:17), and to "serve and defend it" (Gen. 2:15). We'd started...
The whole point of the seder is to ask questions. This is your time to ask about things that confuse you, things you don't understand, or even things you don't agree with. There really is no is no such thing as a stupid question, especially tonight. - Joy Levitt (age 16) Questions are not only welcome during the course of the evening but are vital to tonight's journey. Our obligation at this seder involves traveling from slavery to freedom, prodding ourselves...
Exodus and After
by cynthia greenberg 1 leaving is the easy part not where to run, how to get there children pulling at your hems so many bags to carry which way in the dark will you wander what star use as your guide stepping out into the uncertain sands what then it is more than the worry of food, shelter, water, food what will become of us this is what holds you back 2 leaving is the simplest part to turn, in panic,...
Wrestling with Tradition
by Mark Silverman My early years immersed me in a Judaism of male dominance in life and at the seder table, inevitably enticing me to gulp my glasses of real wine as a way of dulling the scene, blurring the edges, until the final songs sent me off to bed in a not unpleasant stupor. Dayenu! Later, still a child but more aware, I saw the family kowtow to my father, a Yeshiva boy who went secular except for a few...
The Journey, In Gerangl
[Yiddish for: In Struggle] by Margot Meitner Passover is my favorite chag (holiday). It's the one in which I have always taken the opportunity to make a STATEMENT: Sometimes a political statement about my personal life; other times a personal statement about my political life. There was the time I plopped an orange on the Seder plate (representing the role of women in Judaism), or the time I nervously placed a crust of bread there (representing Queers in Judaism). There was...
More clips from Haggadot
Traditional - Hallel
Hallel הלל לֹא לָנוּ ,יי, לֹא לָנוּ, כִּי לְשִׁמְךָ תֵּן כָּבוֹד, עַל חַסְדְּךָ, עַל אֲמִתֶּךָ. לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם, אַיֵּה נָא אֱלֹהֵיהֶם. ואֱלֹהֵינוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ עָשָׂה. עֲצַבֵּיהֶם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם. פֶּה לָהֶם וְלֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ, עֵינַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִרְאוּ. אָזְנָיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעוּ, אַף לָהֶם וְלֹא יְרִיחוּן. יְדֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְמִישׁוּן, רַגְלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְהַלֵּכוּ, לֹא יֶהְגּוּ בִּגְרוֹנָם. כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עֹשֵׂיהֶם, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בֹּטֵחַ בָּהֶם. יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּטַח בַּיי, עֶזְרָם וּמַָגִנָּם הוּא. בֵּית אַהֲרֹן בִּטְחוּ בַּיי, עֶזְרָם וּמַָגִנָּם הוּא. יִרְאֵי יי בִּטְחוּ...
Beyonceder - He Better Call Becky With the Good Hair


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Home Middle East Saudi Arabia Signs Deal With Vatican to Build Churches for Christians in...
Saudi Arabia Signs Deal With Vatican to Build Churches for Christians in KSA
In wake of wide Saudi Arabian cultural and social global openness, for the first time in the country's history it has signed a cooperative agreement with the Vatican to build churches for Christian citizens to advocate the important role of religions and cultures in renouncing violence, extremism, terrorism and achieving security and stability in the world.
The agreement was signed by the Secretary General of the Muslim World League Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdel Karim Al-Issa and the President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue in the Vatican and the French cardinal of the Catholic Church Jean-Louis Tauran to achieve mutual goals between both sides.
The agreement also states that a coordinating joint committee will be established comprising two representatives for both sides to organize future meetings. The committee is expected to be held once every two years and its meetings will be alternated between Rome and a city chosen by the Islamic World League, according to the Saudi Arabian press.
The historic visit also included a meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohamed Bin Salman in the Saudi capital Riyadh
Tauran said that he supports equal treatment to all citizens regardless their religion, including those who do not profess any religion; he also called on setting common basis in building worship places, according to "L'osservatore romano", the Italian newspaper published by the Vatican.
In an interview with the Vatican News newspaper after the visit, Tauran said he was pleased by what he described as 'the beginning of the rapprochement'. "It is a sign that the Saudi authorities are now ready to give a new image to the country," he added.
Earlier in March, Bin Salman met with Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark during his visit to Egypt; Tawadros strongly praised Bin Salman, saying he represents an open and modern image of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"The visit of the Saudi Crown Prince was a great pleasure, and I was very impressed by his personality and smile, and his knowledge and understanding of history and current events," the Pope said during an interview on MBC TV satellite channel.
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On the afternoon of Friday 5th April 2019 we will be taking part in the March of the Elephants fundraiser. This is a sponsored event and the money raised will go to Happy Days Children's Charity. Happy Days are always very generous to us here at The Avenue School and have paid for such things as M & M Productions theatre company coming in to perform pantomimes and plays to the whole school. We have also had the pleasure of welcoming the Lions of Zululand who are a group of cultural musicians and dancers whose aim is to expose the world to the wonderful richness of traditional Zulu culture.
If it hadn't been for the generosity of the charity the pupils may not have had those lovely experiences so the sponsored event is a small way in which we can help them to help others.
The pupils have all been given an elephant mask to decorate and they will wear them whilst marching around the school's sensory garden.