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Recent Posts

Reformers and Peacemakers, Nobel Women

Oct 24, 11 Reformers and Peacemakers, Nobel Women

Posted by in International

Liberia’s first woman president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace campaigner Leymah Gbowee and youth activist Tawakkul Karman are the first women to receive the Nobel Peace Prize since 2004. These three women were chosen for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work. It seems the overarching theme attached to 2011’s prize was that of women’s rights and activism. In this regard, the Nobel committee was spot on. Democracy and lasting peace can only be realized if women’s needs and concerns are recognized in conjunction with the expansion of women’s aspirations and skills to their fullest potential. Until women are formally educated and can earn a living wage, they will not be able to take their rightful place in influencing development at all levels of society. However, having been criticized for imposing a political agenda on continuing events rather than capturing a moment of hope, the Nobel committee has received flack for their choice of winners.  I have no problem with this perceived political agenda, as long as that agenda arises from support of particular issues and is not just blanket coverage for the sake of granting women the Nobel peace prize. In a blanket coverage stance, the committee seems to have arbitrarily thrown the prize at three women, all in the name of merely supporting women’s interests. By doing so, they have diluted the standing of the Nobel peace prize. What the committee really needed to do was pick a particularly pertinent issue and stick with it or adopt a more representative approach. Over the last year and from their list of possible winners, the Nobel committee could have picked out three issues within the context of women’s rights and activism: The Arab Spring, Liberian women peacemakers and a decade of conflict in Afghanistan. But instead of focusing on one issue, the Nobel committee picked out two issues, Liberia receiving more emphasis than the Arab Spring while ignoring Afghanistan altogether. As part of a focused approach, the...

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Saffer craving passport and boerie

Oct 17, 11 Saffer craving passport and boerie

Posted by in International

Article 21 of the South African Constitution is not such a tricky provision to understand. It says pretty clearly that as a citizen of the country, I am entitled to a passport. It also says that I am allowed to leave the country and re-enter the country. So I am pretty confident that I am allowed to reside outside of South Africa, and the government has a duty to promote my right to come home when I wish, and specifically, to actually give me the passport I am entitled to. Sadly, I am but one of many expatriate South Africans being denied the rights of my citizenship. While I applied for a new passport some 11 months ago from my local embassy, neither Home Affairs nor the embassy itself is at any pains to actually provide me with one. A friend of mine in a similar situation (whose business promoting trade between Europe and South Africa has been severely hampered by the failure to supply her with a passport for many months) shared in my frustration recently when telling me how she was told by the consulate that they were rather stretched and really couldn’t establish constructive communication with Home Affairs on the issue. However, she was privy to overhear consulate staff’s dedication to the activity of locating the correct innards to craft some boerewors for an upcoming event. Apparently boerewors and parties fall within the priorities of our representatives abroad, but not so much the protection of citizens. And while we are in no shortage of incompetent government departments to moan about, nor violations of rights to be indignant about, this one is a painful reminder to me of just how ambitious our governments institutional incompetence is – stretching continents to annoy, limit and frustrate the lives of citizens. As a patriotic expatriate who longs for home, I must admit that there is something all too familiar in the experience of such attitudes. In conversations with folk at home, one often encounters this...

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Dalai Drama

Oct 03, 11 Dalai Drama

Posted by in Politics

The hand-wringing delays on securing a South African visa for the Dalai Lama has drawn sharp criticism from several principled circles, invoking impromptu vigils outside parliament and banner-clad protests demanding his approval forthwith. And if principles were the only deciding factor in accepting the Dalai Lama’s application I would agree fully. But they’re not, and the South African government would be foolish to think otherwise. Instead they are faced with a three-pronged problem here. Firstly, the principles of our constitution demand that an innocent citizen of another country should be allowed into South Africa, barring any criminal or diplomatic issues, secondly is the diplomatic relations-cost which will be incurred, and finally the economic consequences which could be brought to bear. He is one man; he wants to come to South Africa. It should not be an issue. But that diplomatic issue is a large one, and cannot be ignored based on the implicit holiness of moral imperative. If we allow the Dalai Lama into SA, we will suffer a negative political cost with or relations with China. Tibet has zero political and economic utility to South Africa. Absolutely nothing of notable worth goes to Tibet or comes from it, excepting perhaps a bevy of ‘enlightened’ backpackers returning from the mountainous region, brimful with spirituality and righteousness. But in terms of putting food on the tables of South Africans, it does nothing. The government would be foolish to heedlessly approve a visa for the Dalai Lama in the face of an understandable outrage by the Chinese government. Aside from the fact that they are our biggest trade partner now, we just had a delegation in China securing business and trade deals which will be of benefit to both countries. Allowing the Dalai Lama entry into our country would give the Chinese an excuse to reconsider any of these negotiated deals which may seem unpalatable under a new, less diplomatically-rosy light. The government cannot blithely ignore such larger issues for the sake of principles. It sounds...

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Goats on a plane – Santaco Airlines and Government

Sep 19, 11 Goats on a plane – Santaco Airlines and Government

Posted by in Politics

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) is taking on a whole new market: air travel. South Africa will soon have a new wholly black-owned, low-cost, commercial airline. Zuma has hailed the new airline as “a practical example of economic and social emancipation”. Others have also welcomed the idea of affordable air travel for the majority. There are some (DA) concerns about the airworthiness of the chosen operator, but on the whole, the enterprise seems set to go ahead. The first interesting thing about Santaco Airlines is the choice of routes. From the start, the taxi industry has said that the airline is intended to cater for those passengers who currently travel their long-distance taxi routes. The first routes of the airline will be between Lanseria, Johannesburg and Bhisho. Assuming the decision to launch this route has been based on market research and not just on wishful thinking, and it seems prudent to assume that at this point, this move suggests that travel between the Eastern Cape and Gauteng is popular enough, and popular enough with enough people who have money, to support the huge commercial expense of setting up an airline. The volume of people is important – a few wealthy people would justify more expensive SA Express routes to the area; a very low-cost airline requires volume to break even. This raises some interesting questions about the socio-economic status of those from the ‘poorest province in the country’. The Eastern Cape spends a lot of time painting itself (and being painted) as a province falling apart because people are so poor. Apparently there are enough people in the province who can afford basic airfares (or at least enough going home for the holidays) to justify the cost of an airline. Perhaps broad economic development is starting to happen for at least some of the people in the Eastern Cape? Bhisho and Lanseria are an interesting choice for another reason: they are not ACSA airports. There was lots of talk around the World...

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Scarred But Not Damaged

Sep 15, 11 Scarred But Not Damaged

Posted by in Culture

Every young woman I have spoken to has a story – stories of coercive circumstances; harassment, sexual propositions and overtures; emergency contraception; sexual abuse; controlling behaviour or intimidation.  I am not writing on behalf of all victims or survivors of sexual assault, harassment or gender-based violence (GBV). Nor am I writing about the all-encompassing normative power of GBV legislation for victims or survivors. In fact, I say ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ with a degree of caution because of their doubtful connotations of strength and weakness. Quite simply, for my tenth African Scene piece, I’m going to turn my analysis of gender relations inward and share my own story with you. A story which began with a guy I considered a friend. A person I trusted who threatened to break my pelvis in an act of sexual violence and ruin sex for me forever because I did not give him what he wanted, when he wanted it. And, in my lawyerly mind, I found it liberating to locate my experience squarely within the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 (DVA). This legal framework (for all of its procedural flaws) has incredible value as a normative touchstone in reminding me that a threat of physical and sexual violence against any women is inherently wrong and therefore, allowing me to work through my own internalized self-blaming GBV myths. But how could someone within my circle of friends – someone I thought was the teddy bear of the bunch – threaten me? For me, this question was founded on a myth of two extremes. On one side, women were only supposed to be harmed by nameless strangers. While on the opposite side, ‘domestic violence’ only occurred in the context of a ‘home’ or ‘family’ environment. There could be no grey area. Nonetheless, the DVA makes provision for grey areas by sanctioning a broad list of people who could qualify as abusers, ranging from someone with whom you’ve shared a residence to a person you’ve had any kind of romantic relationship...

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The past cannot be fixed

Sep 05, 11 The past cannot be fixed

Posted by in News & Media, Politics

The recent debate over Tutu’s ‘white tax’ has an awful lot of people hot under the collar. I have no problem with people debating this and Richard Stupart’s thoughtful piece is a great contribution to the discussion. It’s an interesting philosophical question to bounce around the privileged coffee shops and wine-bars of Sandton and Stellenbosch. I do have a problem when it becomes the whole national dialogue. The current problem in South Africa is not Apartheid. Some, who like the issue for scoring political points or to raise public ire for the purposes of increasing their own fame and fortune, might pretend that it is. But it isn’t. The past was a contributor to the present, it is not the present. We live in a society where millions of people are born into a situation where their families have no capital and no way to build capital. They don’t own land, they don’t have houses, they don’t have savings, they don’t have jobs. Their income streams are informal or ‘social security net’ at best, non-existent at worst. 22% of South Africans survive below the poverty line. 12 million people in this country do not have access to regular, healthy food. 12 million of a population of 50 million. That is more than 1 in 5. Many have no income, no assets and no access to credit beyond the R200 a month social grant that makes them utterly dependent on, and at the mercy of, the state. Unemployment is even higher. We have a system that is set up in such a way that a ridiculously large proportion of the country is kept vulnerable and dependent. This cannot be sustained. We spend our time bickering about the past and arguing about which 50 people have a greater right to have control of the largest economic assets in the country. That isn’t what’s important. What is important is how we plan to continue to feed 50 million people with declining food production and rising food costs...

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Voluntary & direct

Aug 28, 11 Voluntary & direct

Posted by in Politics

Generally, I hate the white privilege debate in South Africa. Not because I feel it is unwarranted – god knows it exists, is immense, and increasingly needs addressing. I hate the debate because, for the most part, I wholly distrust the motivations of behind many of the most strident voices arguing in the arena.

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Best Shore: Johannesburg

Aug 22, 11 Best Shore: Johannesburg

Posted by in Economics

When last were you, when addressing a problem with your printer or shiny new Apple junk-Mac, patched through to a call-centre in Alexandra? Numerous of those dreaded service-related calls have resulted in me being patched through to scripted Indians, incomprehensible Filipinos, and angry Glaswegians, but never to a cheerful Durbanite or chatty Bloemfonteinian. While outsourcing services to remote, low-wage economies has become industry standard for many large companies, South Africa, despite appearing to be an ideal offshoring location, has lagged behind other developing nations in raking in foreign capital. The Indian model has been held up as an offshore example for over a decade. Booming in the late 90s, the IT sector in India has risen, to date, from below 1% to over 5% of GDP, in a country where only 7% of the population have access to the internet. The industry, which has created thousands of new jobs and drawn millions in foreign investment, contributes substantially to the sustained growth of this emerging market. Of the $30+ billion dollars of revenue generated by the services industry, about 75% is comprised of service “exports” to western-based multi-nationals. Both government and the private sector have made large investment in colleges, which take some of the brightest students from a mediocre schooling system and turn them into professionals who are able to communicate effectively in English, follow well-defined processes and convert designs into deliverables. Though not necessarily delivering a full spectrum of business services, these centres excel in delivering the core bulk of IT requirements, from maintenance to development. This allows large technology companies to pay below-the-market prices for human resources and provide cheaper IT solutions to newly budget-conscious foreign institutions. Part of the revenue generated from the vast amount of work offshored to India is ploughed back into the education system and used to strengthen infrastructure – investment which supports business and benefits the economy as a whole. South Africa, largely, has missed the wagon and hardly heard the band. While South Africa has established...

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Fundraising with Tea Collection!

teaschool2(Faith with her attempt at making caramel apples in of her favorite Tea Collection dresses!  She always wears this dress first, straight out of the laundry ;))

How is Fall here already?

Well, in San Diego it will be Summer for another 2 months as far as the weather is concerned.  September is usually our hottest month of the year and October trails along in the same manner, leaving us locals longing to wear sweaters in the Fall.  A week or so ago, we ventured into the local mountains to snag some of the apples before they were gone.  Last year we missed them by a few days.  So, up we traveled with tank tops and flip-flops, with the sun on our shoulders, to pick apples and pretend it’s Fall.  This week Faith and a friend we have visiting attempted the very difficult task of making caramel.  Didn’t quite work but they seemed like they had fun.

For many of you, your kids have gone back to school and you are starting to switch gears to schedules, practices, school meetings, and hopefully ways you can reach out to people in need inside your community or town.

Last week, I was so excited to learn that one of my very favorite kid’s clothing companies, Tea Collection, is running their school fundraising program again!  So generous of them to give back in this way, especially considering how much we all know our teachers would love to have a little spending money to use in their classrooms to make learning that much more amazing for your littles!

Here’s how it works:

Shop for clothes between October 21st and 27th.

Select your school.

Your school gets 15%!!  Amazing, right?  So generous.

Find a list of schools here.

Don’t see your school?  You should totally sign them up (deadline September 13th)!  Schools need proactive parents like you to help in ways like this to keep a smooth system running.  Go for it!

Don’t have a school to support?

Tea is giving back to ANY non-profit with a 501(c)(3) program!  Yay!  Sign up those non-profits!

Make sure you follow Tea’s Facebook here and Instagram here for reminders. ;)

Don’t miss out on FREE money for your school when you shop at an already amazing store!

Can you tell I LOVE Tea?

Stick around and find us on:

F a c e b o o k  //  T w i t t e r  //  P i n t e r e s t  //  I n s t a g r a m  //  E m a i l

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Showing posts from July, 2011

Did A Henna Gloss Since Forever

Music That Can Mac: Accept the New by Theophilus London

Support Good Music!: Please Donate to Siraj Nuri's Kickstarter Campaign

See n Try Hairstyles: Toni Daley's 3 Flat Twists

The Dandy Lion Exhibit at MoCADA

Summer Chic: Headwraps

Music That Can Mac: Siraj Nuri

Mixtress Chronicles: Made a New Hair Mist

Nutricious Can = Delicious with Food Heaven Made Easy

Maid of Honor Hairstyles

Music That Can Mac: Teedra Moses' Luxurious Undergrind Mixtape

Mixtress Chronicles: My Lastest Shealoe Cream

Kurly New: Check Out New Product Line Curly Kinks

Kurly Directory: Darker than Brown

Fros for the 4th [of July]

Initial Thoughts After Using the Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Nectar for the 1st Time

Music That Can Mac: Things I Should've Told Her Mixtape

A Different Technique for Doing a High Bun

Taren's Journey to Getting Fit

On Track to Reach BSL by December

Good Hair Day w/ the Curly Fro

I Trimmed My Hair

Music That Can Mac: Paper Chase - Clara Hill ft. Vikter Duplaix


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Dr. Francesc Malet Giralt

Post-doctoral researcher

Dr. Francesc Malet Giralt studied Physics at the University of Barcelona (Spain). In 2008, he obtained his PhD degree at the same university, with a thesis on the ground-state and far-infrared-response properties of semiconductor nanostructures. For these studies, he made use of Density Functional Theory (DFT) as main theoretical tool.

In 2009, Malet Giralt joined the group of Prof. dr. Stephanie Reimann at Lund University (Sweden) as a post-doctoral researcher, where he started to work on the field of ultracold atomic gases. Despite their very different nature, these systems share many analogies with semiconductor nanostructures, related, for example, to the occurrence of persistent currents, vortex structures, interaction-blockade effects and many other interesting phenomena.

In 2012, Malet Giralt moved to the Netherlands to work as a post-doctoral researcher at the Theoretical Chemistry research group, in the group of Dr. Paola Gori-Giorgi. His research focuses on the development and application of a new DFT methodology, able to overcome the difficulties encountered by the standard approaches when dealing with strongly-correlated systems. For this project he has been awarded a Marie Curie 2-year postdoctoral fellowship.


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Shmini(Leviticus 9-11)

In Front of God

On the eighth day, all was prepared; the Mishkan was completed and ready for service. It was meant to be a glorious day. On this day a revelation was promised, a revelation that would convey a message of forgiveness to the entire nation, and most particularly to Aharon.(1)

And Moshe said, 'This is the thing which God commanded that you should do, and the glory of God shall appear to you." And Moshe said to Aharon, "Approach the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and bring the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as God commanded." (Vayikra 9:6-7)

The promise came to fruition as Moshe and Aharon blessed the people; the result was revelation and ecstasy:

And Moshe and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of God appeared to all the people. And there came a fire out from before God, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat; which when all the people saw, they said praise,(2) and fell on their faces. (Vayikra 9:23-24)

Perhaps caught up in the holiness of the moment, Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aharon, proceed to bring even more fire down from heaven:

And Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, took each of them his censer, and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before God, which he did not commanded them. And fire went out from before God and devoured them, and they died before God. (Vayikra 10:1-2)

Apparently, something went terribly wrong. In a stark reversal, the ecstasy turned to tears, the celebration to mourning, and the anticipated forgiveness to bitter punishment. Two of Aharon's sons were suddenly dead. While the result of their actions is clear, the significance or cause of their demise is unclear: the Torah seems silent as to the cause of their sudden deaths. Rabbinic literature abounds with possible scenarios, each describing a different but equally terrible sin that was behind this punishment. From the verses themselves, we know that on a purely technical level they had brought an offering that was not called for; specifically, they offered incense which God had not instructed. Interestingly, the Midrash goes to great lengths to limit the scope of their guilt, stressing that their only indiscretion was the bringing of this incense:

In four places Scripture records both the death of Aharon's sons and their offence as well. And why all this? To inform you that they had no other iniquity to their account except this one alone. (Bamidar Rabbah 2:24)

The Midrash notes that every time the deaths of Nadav and Avihu are mentioned, the Torah never makes a negative value judgment nor does it label them as sinners in a general sense. In fact, the Torah uses the same term, time and again, when describing their deaths: "in front of God."

R. Elazar of Modiin said: 'Go forth and see how heavily the death of Aharon's sons weighed upon the Holy One, blessed be He; for on every occasion when He records their death He also records their offence. Why all this? So as not to afford any living being a pretext for maligning them, and so that people might not say that they had been secretly misconducting themselves and had died as a result of this.' "And Nadav and Avihu died before God:" Said R. Yohanan: 'Did they indeed die before God? No; but this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is grieved when the children of the righteous depart from this world during the lifetime of their fathers.' "When they offered strange fire before God:" R. Yohanan of Jaffa inquired of R. Pinhas b. Hama, in the name of R. Simon: 'How is it that the phrase "before God" is used twice, while the phrase "before Aharon their father," which you find elsewhere, is used once? It teaches that the grief of the Holy One, blessed be He, was twice as keen as that of their father. (Bamidar Rabbah 2:24)

One of the most basic tenets of our belief is that all of mankind stands "in front of God" at all times: God is Omnipresent. Nonetheless, this phrase, used in this context, connotes a special proximity and intimacy with God. While death is tragic, to die "in front of God" sounds almost tantalizing.(3) And yet, it is this same description, "in front of God," that caused the Midrash to admonish us to look no further, and not to ascribe any further indiscretion to these two sons of Aharon.(4)

We should note that this same phrase appears in the verses that immediately precede the tragedy; there, too a fire came "from in front of God" - to indicate God's acceptance of the offering.

And there came a fire out from before God, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat; which when all the people saw, they said praise,(5) and fell on their faces. (Vayikra 9:24)

The Mei Shiloch says that their deaths came from an excess of love of God, from an uncontrolled desire for intimacy with God.(6) Rebbi Nachman is quoted as saying that they were carried away by the holiness of the moment: after experiencing the revelation at the convocation of the Mishkan they felt an intense desire to embrace and be consumed by the divine, even though death would surely be the result.(7)

This approach is reminiscent Rashi's explanation of the demise of Ben Azzai, one of the four great scholars who entered pardes. Pardes was a mystical journey undertaken by four of the greatest sages of their time:

Our Rabbis taught: Four men entered Pardes, namely, Ben Azzai and Ben Zoma, Aher, and R. Akiva. R. Akiva said to them: 'When you arrive at the stones of pure marble, do not say, "water, water!" For it is written [Tehilim 101]: "He that speaks falsehood can not be exist before me." Ben Azzai cast a look and died. Of him Scripture says [Tehilim 116]: "Precious in the sight of God is the death of His devout ones." Ben Zoma looked and was struck. Of him Scripture says [Mishlei 25]: "Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you be filled with it, and vomit it." Aher mutilated the shoots. R. Akiva (entered unscathed and) departed unscathed.

Rashi explains the death of Ben Azzai:

He looked - at the Schechina.

"Precious in the sight of God is the death of His devout ones" - His death was difficult before God, for he died young, nonetheless it was impossible that he not die, for it says [Shmot 33] "For man cannot see Me and live". (Rashi Talmud Bavli Chagiga 14b)

The implication is that Ben Azzai looked and beheld the Divine Shechina and therefore died, for "man can not see Me and live" - and if he looks - he will die. Ben Azzai, like Nadav and Avihu, beheld the Shechina and could not return to a pedestrian life. The pull of the Divine was like a magnet, too inviting, too intense; return to earthly life from such a spiritual plane is impossible.(8) This was explained to Moshe by God Himself: in the aftermath of the Golden Calf debacle, it seemed that the magnitude of their transgression would lead to the demise of the entire nation, but Moshe implores God, and gains favor and forgiveness for the nation. When Moshe senses that this is a moment of mercy, he seizes the opportunity and asks God:

And he said, 'I beg You, show me Your Glory.' And He said, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of God before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' And he said, 'You can not see My face; for no man shall see Me and live.' And God said, 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon a rock; And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. And I will take away my hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.' (Shmot 33:18-23)

Moshe asks for a higher level of revelation, and is told it would always be incomplete; human beings cannot assimilate a face-to-face encounter with the Divine. Pure spirituality negates the human condition, makes it an impossibility. Moshe learns that there are limits, barriers that will always exist between God and man. But Nadav and Avihu, like Ben Azzai generations later, forge ahead; they seek a greater degree of encounter than is humanly possible. They attempt to see God, to engage God in an impossible rendezvous. They cause the fire to emerge and consume them. Already at Sinai we are told of a near catastrophe, for there were those who looked when they should have averted their eyes.

And he said to Moshe, 'Come up to God, you, and Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from far away…' Then Moshe, and Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up; And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet a kind of paved work of a sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And upon the nobles of the people of Israel He laid not his hand; also they saw God, and ate and drank. (Shmot 24:1,9-11)

They looked and glanced(9) and were guilty of an offence requiring death, but God did not wish to combine (their deaths) with the joy of the Torah. He waited (to carry out punishment) on Nadav and Avihu until the day of the consecration of the Mishkan. (Rashi, Shmot 24:10)

Here, once again, one of our foremost sages finds that Nadav and Avihu were, in fact, guilty of other transgressions. In this instance, this may be seen not as an additional, unrelated "sin", but as an earlier incidence of the same transgression: Both at the foot of Mount Sinai and on the day of the consecration of the Mishkan, Nadav and Avihu attempted to see what they should not have seen, boldly going forward when they should have obeyed the boundaries of human experience.

What made them so bold? The details of their biographies may hold the answer. They were scions of an illustrious family, as we know: Their paternal grandparents, Amram and Yocheved, were leaders of the Jewish People in Egypt, and those leadership qualities were passed on to their father's generation, to Moshe, Miriam and Aharon. Their maternal ancestry was also quite impressive: Aharon's wife, Nadav and Avihu's mother, was a woman named Elisheva, and when her marriage to Aharon is recorded, the Torah shares some information that at first glance seems superfluous:

And Aharon took Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon, for his wife; and she bore him Nadav, and Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar. (Shmot 6:23)

Elisheva is described not only as her father's daughter but also as her brother's sister. Why is her brother's identity significant? Rashi, who was clearly perturbed by this oddity, illuminates the lesson we learn from this anomaly:

Sister of Nachshon - from here we learn that one who weds a woman should scrutinize (the character) of her brothers. (Rashi, Shmot 6:23)

Nachson was a leading member of the tribe of Yehudah.(10) But he is remembered primarily for boldly jumping into the sea as the Egyptians pursued them, and act which precipitated the splitting of the sea:

R. Yehuda said to [R. Meir]: That is not what happened; but each tribe was unwilling to be the first to enter the sea. Then Nahshon the son of Amminadav sprang forward and descended first into the sea; as it is said (Hoshea 12): "Ephraim encompasses me about with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Yehudah yet rules (or, descends) with God." (Talmud Bavli Sotah 37a)

When all the others were afraid to jump into the water, Nachshon had no fear. He was brave and bold, and his faith in God was complete; into the water he leaped. To reward him for his unflinching faith and courage, he was the first tribe leader to bring an offering on the day the Mishkan was consecrated.(11) He was first to step up to the challenge of faith at the banks of the sea, and first to consecrate the Mishkan, first to bring a sacrifice and draw closer to God. Nadav and Avihu, nephews of Nachshon, were no less bold. They, too, hoped to forge ahead, to blaze a new trail to God. At the foot of Mount Sinai, they did not turn away from the Shechina. Once again, on the eighth day of the consecration of the Mishkan, they seek out the Shechina, leaping forward rather than obeying the natural lines of human experience, bringing incense that was not prescribed. They turn toward the Schechina; as a result, God embraces them. They leave behind their human limitations and form, and God takes them.

As readers, we are numb; if all they wanted was spirituality, proximity, intimacy with the Divine, then they got exactly what they wanted. Nonetheless, the result seems somehow unfair, unjust. Their "sin" was that they wanted to engage God, to be in front of God - to grasp the mystery.

And yet, even Moshe, the human being who above all others enjoyed such intimacy and proximity, was denied the very thing Nadav and Avihu sought to take by force. Even Moshe, the greatest prophet of the Jewish People, the man who stood with God for forty days and forty nights, who stepped outside of the physical limitations of the human form - even Moshe accepted the spiritual limitations that are part and parcel of humanity: It is impossible for man to see God's "face"; humans may see God's "back". Jewish tradition has always understood this limitation as anthropomorphism, as a metaphor that establishes and elucidates much deeper philosophical truths about human understanding, human experience and spirituality. According to the Talmud,(12) what Moshe asked for was an explanation of theodicy, an answer to the age old question of why bad things happen to good people. Clearly, this would require a type of prescience and omniscience that is beyond human abilities - even for Moshe: the "face", the entire, all-encompassing countenance of the future that provides a unified rationale for all of human history, cannot be seen; all we can see is the "back". We have the ability to see God's attributes as we look back on human history and understand that God's Hand guided all the seemingly random events of the past.

The Talmud extends this metaphor, connecting it with another mystery of Jewish life: When Moshe saw "God's back", what he saw was the "knot of the tefillin" on the "back of God's head."

"And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back." R. Hama b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simon the Pious: 'This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moshe the knot of the tefillin.' (Talmud Bavli Brachot 7a)

While this seems quite fanciful, a profound lesson lies beneath the surface of the text. tefillin are worn high on the forehead behind the hairline; two straps lie on the chest, one near the right arm, and the other near the left. To the casual observer, it appears that the right side, identified with compassion, and left side, associated with judgment,(13) are independent. This is what might be learned regarding God's attributes if one were to see "God's face": The God of Compassion and the God of Judgment at odds with one another, as it were. Only when we see the knot of the tefillin, on the back of the head, do we realize that what seem to be two distinct attributes, the right and left, compassion and judgment, come from the same place. Although often seemingly independent, presented on two sides, they share a common origin, and are in fact one.(14) Similarly, while we may see Jewish history as a series of random events, while we may be unable to understand the wisdom of God's judgment, while we may not discern the connection between our personal or national history and God's trait of Compassion, this is because we are unable, as limited human beings, to comprehend "God's face." We are, as Jews, given the spiritual capacity to understand "God's back." We are reminded each day, by the knot of the tefillin, that all of God's attributes are a unified whole, and all of human history is guided by His wisdom.

Nadav and Avihu die, as they must. But is this a harsh and exacting judgment? They die precisely where they want to be: in front of God. They are taken - with a kiss and an embrace. Truly, God is one, and his Compassion and Judgment are one; they are intertwined and united.

1. See Toldot Yitzchak, Vayikra 9:22.

2. Rashi directs us to the Targum who translates vayaronu as praise. The Recanati renders vayaronu "with songs (or praise) like the Levites."

3. The Megaleh Amukot, Parshat V'etchanan, aspect 90, says that they died "by God's kiss"; this description also highlights their proximity and intimacy with God at the moment of their death.

4. Presumably those commentaries who take this Midrash into account yet nonetheless point to any number of shortcomings as the reasons for the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, are trying to explain the underlying cause that led them to bring the "foreign fire".

5. Rashi directs us to the Targum who translates vayaronu as praise. The Recanati says with songs (or praise) like the Levites.

6. Mei Shiloch Acharei Mot.

7. Likutei Halachot Hilchot Nitilat Yadayim L'seuda law 6.

8. The comments of the Maharsha to Chagiga 14b explain how Ben Azzai was enticed to proceed further than the others, yet he stops short of saying that Ben Azzai actually beheld the Shechina; that would imply that Ben Azzai was on a greater level than Moshe.

9. The word hititz is also found regarding Ben Azzai see Liquity Halachat Hichot Nedarim law 3.

10. Bamidbar 1:7, 7:12, 10:14, Ruth 4:20.

11. See Bamidbar 7:12, and Rashi Vayikra 10:16.

12. Talmud Bavli Brachot 7a. The Talmud debates weather this request was granted.

13. See Mishna Breurah 4:22.

14. See Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar Tefilin chapter 2.

April 7, 2010

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Visitor Comments: 2

(2) David, April 8, 2010 8:43 AM

Thanks dear Rabbi Khan, You have indicated the directions of the relationship with G-d. We have to keep silence and listen, obey Him in front of G-d. This is the confrontation. As the back, we can follow the way of G-d by the knot of tefillin. How great is the knowledge and ways of G-d.

(1) umberto, April 7, 2010 6:10 PM

thank you. I didn't understand what "the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moshe the knot of the tefillin" means until now.

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text:
 US warships deploy for Taiwan vote | News | Al Jazeera

US warships deploy for Taiwan vote

Official says carriers "responsibly positioned" ahead of polls and referendum.

    Opposition KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou is widely expected to win Saturday's vote [Reuters]

    The official, who spoke to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, declined to elaborate on the positions of the two ships and could identify only the USS Kitty Hawk, a carrier based in Japan, by name.

    The Kitty Hawk has approached Taiwan before during previous elections and observers say the move is usually intended to discourage any military action from mainland China, about 160km northwest of the island.

    The defence official said the carriers were not near enough to the island to provoke China but would be able to "respond if there's a provocative situation".

    US navy officials said the Kitty Hawk left its base in Japan en route to Hawaii on Tuesday and would continue on to the US mainland later for decommissioning.

    China warning

    China-Taiwan relations

    Taiwan split from mainland China at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949

    Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory, and says it will use force if it ever declares independence

    Taiwan has been a multi-party democracy since 1996

    Taiwan's defence ministry says China now has nearly 1,000 missiles aimed at the island

    The US is the major arms supplier to Taiwan and has warned China that any attack on the island would be viewed with "grave concern"

    has repeatedly threatened to invade self-governing Taiwan if the island, which Beijing regards as its own, makes moves to formalise its de facto independence.

    A Chinese invasion of Taiwan could raise the prospect of a war between China and the US because American law compels Washington to come to the aid of Taiwan if its security is threatened.

    On Tuesday, Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, urged Taiwanese voters to reject a referendum being held alongside the presidential vote on whether the island should join the UN.

    "That would deal a serious blow to cross-strait relations. That would harm the fundamental interests of the people on both sides, cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait and threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region at large," he said.

    The referendum happens alongside presidential elections that pit Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang party against Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive party.

    Both candidates have advocated a more moderate tone in relations with China than has been the case under the current president, Chen Shui-bian.

    The US has said it too is opposed to the referendum, which it views as unnecessarily provocative.

    Status quo

    The Kitty Hawk will stay off Taiwan
    until after the vote [AP]

    "We believe it is unnecessary and unhelpful and will not have an effect on Taiwan's ability to join the UN or other organisations requiring statehood and has the potential to raise tensions in the Taiwan Strait," Tom Casey, the state department's deputy spokesman, said earlier this week.

    The United States has urged Taiwan and China to avoid steps that would change the status quo in cross-strait relations and to resolve their differences through dialogue.

    A recent report by the Pentagon said China was continuing to focus the bulk of its military build-up along its side of the strait separating Taiwan from the mainland.

    "China's near-term focus on preparing for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of US intervention, is an important driver of its [military] modernisation," the report said.

    It said that while the region remained stable, China was adding more than 100 missiles a year to the estimated 1,000 it already has pointing at the island.

    With hundreds of thousands of troops based in the area and hundreds of aircraft, the report said the balance of power was increasingly growing in China's favour.

    SOURCE: Agencies

    Double standards: 'Why aren't we all with Somalia?'

    Double standards: 'Why aren't we all with Somalia?'

    More than 300 people died in Somalia but some are asking why there was less news coverage and sympathy on social media.

    The life and death of Salman Rushdie, gentleman author

    The life and death of Salman Rushdie, gentleman author

    The man we call 'Salman Rushdie' today is not the brilliant author of the Satanic Verses, but a Picassoesque imposter.

    The Beirut Spy: Shula Cohen

    The Beirut Spy: Shula Cohen

    The story of Shula Cohen, aka The Pearl, who spied for the Israelis in Lebanon for 14 years.


text:
Showing posts with label freak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freak. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Makeup freak mother used makeup on her new born baby.

I seriously don't know what she was thinking while doing this to her baby. Although, makeup makes the baby looks like an old woman but eye brown is so fly. Someone plz call the social services before she does something else to the poor baby. lol

Thursday, 14 November 2013

WEIRD! Jealous woman forces boyfriend not to watch TV & take a lie detector test everytime he leaves the house.

If you think you relationship is bad, i think you should get your popcorn, relax and read this story. Debbi Wood, 42, of Leicester, is so paranoid that her partner Steve Wood, 30, will stray. She forces him to take a lie detector test every time he leaves the house, she checks his phone, email accounts and bank statements several times a day for evidence of infidelity. Mr Wood, who started dating Miss Wood in 2011 after they met through a friend, is even banned from watching women on television or looking at pictures of them in magazines.

She has been diagnosed with a rare condition that causes delusional jealousy called Othello Syndrome. It's a psychiatric disorder which causes sufferers to believe their partners have been unfaithful even without evidence.
She said:
"I'm relieved to finally know what’s wrong with me but I still have a long way to go. Even if Steve pops out for 15 minutes to buy a pint of milk, I make him take a lie detector test as soon as he gets home. I get so worried that he's been eyeing up the shop assistant that I just have to know the truth. I think he's gorgeous, but that's not the issue, it's about whether or not I can trust him not to look at other women while he is out on his own. I don't want him thinking they're hot. If you're in a relationship and you're happy with your partner, you should only have eyes for that person."


text:
Compare book prices at 110 online bookstores worldwide for the lowest price for new & used textbooks and discount books! 1 click to get great deals on cheap books, cheap textbooks & discount college textbooks on sale.

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Search Results: displaying 1 - 1 of 1   --> 0789025183 ( ISBN )

Management Science Applications in Tourism and Hospitality (Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing Monographic "Separates")
Author(s): Zheng Gu
ISBN: 0789025183 ISBN-13: 9780789025180

Format: Paperback   Pages: 126 Edition: 1
Pub. Date: 2004-09-16 Publisher: Routledge
List Price: $63.95

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Book Description

Management Science Applications in Tourism and Hospitality (Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing Monographic "Separates")

Find out how accurate forecasting and analysis can prevent costly mistakes!

Management Science Applications in Tourism and Hospitality examines innovative tools for evaluating performance and productivity in tourism offices, hotels, and restaurants. This collection of recent studies focuses on two important topics of management science: forecasting and a relatively new analytical methodology called data envelopment analysis (DEA). This book will show you how tourism forecasting accuracy can be enhanced and how DEA can be used to benchmark productivity and improve advertisement efficiency.

Management Science Applications in Tourism and Hospitality provides you with a useful blend of analysis from both theory and real-data perspectives. This book uses case studies, application techniques, and expert advice to review various productivity measurement methods and compare them to DEA, revealing DEA s strengths, weaknesses, and its potential in the operating environment.

With Management Science Applications in Tourism and Hospitality, you ll be able to:

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text:
Mississippi Vet Tech School

Education for Veterinary Technicians in Mississippi

As a student of Mississippi vet tech schools you will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science in veterinarian practice. During your course of study, you will be exposed to many of the same practices anyone in medicine participates in. This will include basics such as animal hygiene and care. You will also be taught how to instruct the pet owner on “best practices and care” of their pet. Other skills will prepare you for medically determining disease and other health related issues found in animals. The coursework that will prepare you for this is analytical in nature and includes X-ray technologies, laboratory examination and sampling evaluation. http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/mississippi.asp

Continuing Education (CE) Requirements in Mississippi

According to the Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi has a minimum of ten continuing educational hours required to renew a license. They are generous in the manner in which you obtain them by allowing you to choose from state and local association meetings and any other board approved training. You will be responsible for supplying proof of attendance to qualify for the CE units.

Veterinarian Technician Expected Yearly Income

Veterinarian Technicians in the Mississippi have an annual median wage of $46,000.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Veterinary Techs in Jackson, West Gulfport, Gulfport, Biloxi and Hattiesburg, Mississippi can prepare themselves for careers at some of the best animal hospitals and facilities in the country.

Veterinary Technician Schools


text:
North Carolina Says You Can’t Revoke Consent If Sex Has Already Started

A new bill proposed by a North Carolina senator has recently brought the state’s existing and terrifyingly archaic laws surrounding sexual assault to light. In March, Senator Jeff Jackson introduced a new bill that allows women to revoke consent at any time during vaginal intercourse, “even if the actual penetration is accomplished with consent,” According to Jackson’s proposed bill, any person “who continues the act of vaginal intercourse after consent is withdrawn is deemed to have committed the act of vaginal intercourse by force and against the will of the other person.”

Because of a 1979 court case, the Supreme Court of North Carolina decided that “If the actual penetration is accomplished with the woman’s consent, the accused is not guilty of rape, although he may be guilty of another crime because of his subsequent actions.”

The court had decided in that case that while consent can be withdrawn, it was only illegal if there had been “more than one act of intercourse.”

The Fayetteville Observer recently reported on 19 year old Aaliyah Palmer, who had initially consented to sex with a man, tried telling him to stop after the sex turned violent and he started pulling out her hair. She later found out when she tried to report the case, that because of the existing North Carolina laws, a woman is not allowed to revoke consent once the act has started.

Sen. Jackson told The Fayetteville Observer, “Legislators are hearing more and more about women who have been raped and are being denied justice because of this crazy loophole.” According to Jackson, “North Carolina is the only state in the U.S. where ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘no’.”

Source Article


text:
Tai Chi classes a success

Special to the Altus Times

Tai Chi was originally developed as a martial art and is typically taught as a series of slow, low-impact movements that integrate the breath, mind, and physical activity to achieve greater awareness and a sense of well-being.

“Studies have shown Tai Chi improves muscular strength, balance, postural control, and reduces the older adults’ risk of falling by 47 to 55 percent, as well as reducing the risk of falls by Parkinson’s Disease patients by 67 percent,” said Rhonda David, education specialist for Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative

About 34 people attended a series of one-hour-long Tai Chi classes twice a week from July through August at the Altus Public Library.

“The evaluations revealed how beneficial the classes have been,” said Kathy Hale, director of the Southern Prairie Library System. “The participants were in strong agreement that the instructor improved their knowledge of Tai Chi and that they were likely to apply what they had learned about improving balance and increasing flexibility. Two of the participants enjoyed it so much that they completed the Tai Chi instructor training at the Jackson County Health Department.”

Special to the Altus Times

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text:
Thursday, October 20, 2016

daring greatly

I hope this isn't the case
but beware that this is yet another Brene Brown post.
She did it again.
Made me want to shout her praises again.
Because just last week I emailed my peep Holly
about my favorite quote from Brene's "Daring Greatly" book.
{It's actually a quote by Theodore Roosevelt
but Brene made me love it.}
I emailed Holly to see if she knew where I could get
a "pretty" version of the quote because you know
I'm a sucker for cool fonts and quote boxes.
Holly is such a doll.
She said if we can't find one, we could make our own.
I know.
She's my tribe and as talented as the day is long.

So I searched and they're out there for purchase,
just not what I had in mind,
especially a particular size I wanted
for a particular space in my house
that I've always struggled with.
But just like last year when I'd mumble to myself
"I don't know"
{I had a major internal struggle going on}
I'd look at this particular space in our entry way,
with its multiple light switches,
doorbell box, and a thermostat all crammed on one wall,
and it would bother me more than it should probably.
I'd study it and wonder out loud
about what to do with the space
with the same old, same old
"I don't know."
Every single time I entered or exited.
I know.
I have issues.
Ones I'm constantly working on in my arena.
As well as my house.

If you're a regular around here then you'll know
I found Brene Brown's courageWorks semester in January
and life for me began in a new way.
If you've never struggled with self-compassion
or self-confidence then you might not get it,
what I'm trying to convey...
but for me,
the lessons I learned were nothing short of life changing.
I've tried before here to explain it,
what this class meant to me.
I've tried and probably failed...
it's hard to put into words what is sometimes
etched into the cracks of your soul
from when your heart breaks.
You can put the pieces back together again,
and you have to -
but it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt
when you share your story sometimes,
whether its what caused the crack
or whether its about the salve you used to heal it.
But this quote...
this sums it up for me...

I cry every time I read it.
Like now.
I AM the {wo}man in the arena.
Every single day.
Aren't we all?
The difference in my life now
is that I don't care
what the people in the cheap seats are saying.
They don't matter.
I used to care.
Too much in fact.
I used to put more value on what someone else thought of me
rather than what I thought of myself.
My self compassion skills were in the toilet.
Virtually nonexistent.
Shaking my head now.
I'm so thankful not to be that person any more.
I'm not perfect but I'm now ok with that.

Once I got into the nitty gritty of the class
I realized that the changes I needed to make in my life
were changes I had to
and wanted to make
so that I could break the cycle
for my children...
a cycle of self-perfecting ways that I,
 as a now-recovering perfectionist myself,
could spot a mile away.
Not happening if I can help it.
Not on my watch.

So when I got the email from Brene last week
announcing her collaboration with Sugarboo Designs
to turn some of her favorite quotes into artwork
I held my breath as I searched for it,
then exploded with joy when I saw it!
The man in the arena piece above
and these too...

Merry Christmas to me.
I ordered my quote,
knowing exactly where it will go...
that awkward space in our entry way.
I thought I didn't know what to do with it.
But really I knew it all along deep down.
I'd had this idea about a quote wall in the back of my mind
but never found the perfect words.
Until now.
Now my kids will know these words.
I'll tell them the story of what it means to me once it arrives.
They'll know my struggle.
They will know how hard I tried,
how I still try every day -
to show up,
to be seen,
to dare greatly in my life.
I'll do my best to use these words to teach them
they are worthy, just as they are.
They'll enter their own arenas,
I guess they already have really...
but they'll see this great reminder
as they come and go from our home,
to know that sometimes they will fall,
because we all fall,
but they'll learn how to brush themselves off
so that they can rise up strong,
to try again until they succeed.
Because, in my humble opinion,
 you only fail if you stop trying.

To see all of the pieces offered by Brene and Sugarboo Designs click here.
I hope you find something inspiring for you
or for someone you know...
I'd love to hear about it if you do.
Have a happy weekend!

  1. What a beautiful quote, Nancy. I think almost every one can identify. Have a great weekend.

  2. Brush themselves and rise up strong...I like that.

Blog Design by Get Polished


text:
• Amadeus Home
  • About us
  • Amadeus Ventures

Amadeus Ventures

Amadeus Ventures – The travel venture fund

The travel venture fund

Amadeus Ventures is a travel venture fund which aims to drive strategic value through early stage minority investments in startups sitting at the crossroads of travel and technology. We strive to shape the future of travel by working with exceptional teams who have brilliant minds and excellent business ideas.

At Amadeus we pride ourselves on leading innovation for the travel industry. Nowadays, business and leisure travellers are rapidly adopting new approaches to enhance their travel experience, enabled by an ever increasing number of travel technology entrants. We believe being a leader in Travel IT also means helping to nurture new ventures and startups in the travel industry and this dedicated travel venture fund will be one of the vehicles to achieve this objective.


text:
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University

Berlin Prize Fellow - Class of Fall 1999

Brent Sockness is an associate professor and the Graduate Director in the Religious Studies Department at Stanford University. He holds an MA in religious studies and PhD in Theology from the University of Chicago, and specializes in modern Western religious thought. His teaching covers a variety of exemplary figures, movements, and topics in the history of European religious thought since the seventeenth century and explores the way in which the Christian religion has undergone modernization via its engagement with the rise of the natural sciences, critical history, and liberal democratic institutions. His current research interests focus on German post-Kantian Protestant theology and ethics in the nineteenth century, especially the work of the philosopher, theologian, and humanist, Friedrich Schleiermacher. Sockness is author of Against False Apologetics: Wilhelm Herrmann and Ernst Troeltsch in Conflict, and numerous articles on Herrmann, Troeltsch, and Schleiermacher. He is co-editor of Schleiermacher, the Study of Religion, and the Future of Theology. Sockness has held fellowships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Stanford Humanities Center, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He is vice president of the German Schleiermacher-Gesellschaft and served as the interim director of Stanford’s program in Ethics in Society.


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• Research

Americas: On the frontline - Regional Action Network on Human Rights Defenders. Vol. 1 No. 2

, Index number: AMR 01/005/1997

This is the second issue of AI's Human Rights Defenders Network publication "On the front line". It contains some news on the Network and updates to Worldwide appeals on the cases of human rights defenders in Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

Choose a language to view report


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Burst of Spring Quilt & Pattern

I’ve been teasing you with progress pictures of this quilt for the last month, and I’m so happy to finally have a finished quilt to show you!

The quilt is made with Spring Promise by Ana Davis for Blend Fabrics – which is shipping now!

I love the soft colors, and simple piecing in the blocks. This pattern is a great intro to flying geese, I included lots of illustrations so even the newest quilter can be proud of them.

The quilt measures 45″ x 54″ – in the pattern, I’ve included six size options and four block sizes.

The pattern is available on Craftsy, and Meylah

I loved making this quilt, so much, I’m working on it again!  Hopefully I’ll have more to share next week, so far it’s in pieces.

Hopefully you’ll like making it too ~ Amy

By | 2017-02-06T09:18:23+00:00 May 7th, 2012|finished quilt, pattern|13 Comments

  1. Dianne May 7, 2012 at 7:10 am - Reply

    Very very pretty, Amy! Love the spring colors, and that green binding is fabulous!

  2. Beth May 7, 2012 at 7:27 am - Reply

    Amy, your talents are endless. What a beautiful pattern and quilt! Hope your weekend was funfilled. Smiles~Beth

  3. randi May 7, 2012 at 7:34 am - Reply

    This is lovely, Amy!

  4. Jacque May 7, 2012 at 7:50 am - Reply

    This is gorgeous! Thanks for showing us the whole quilt…those peeks were tantalizing!

  5. Vicki May 7, 2012 at 8:40 am - Reply

    it’s beautiful, Amy!

  6. Marilyn May 7, 2012 at 9:54 am - Reply

    Love it!

  7. Shaylynn May 7, 2012 at 11:09 am - Reply

    Very soft and feminine looking. LOVE the binding as well!

  8. Dana May 7, 2012 at 11:43 am - Reply

    Love it Amy!

  9. Queenie Believe May 7, 2012 at 1:27 pm - Reply

    Beautiful and soooo full of Spring life.
    Have a great day.
    Always, Queenie

  10. Amy C May 7, 2012 at 5:18 pm - Reply

    Super cute! Love your choice of fabrics for this pattern.

  11. amy smart May 9, 2012 at 10:04 pm - Reply

    I love it, Amy! It’s so fun to see one of your finished quilts. I know there’s a whole slew more out there and I’m so excited to see them too. ;)

  12. […] My entry is my recent finish – Burst of Spring. […]

  13. Sewfrench May 24, 2012 at 7:03 pm - Reply

    I would never have thought to use a patterned fabric, however loosely it’s designed, for the background. Why, I wonder, this looks fabulous!

Leave A Comment


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Join Us...

Anderson's Canoe Outfitters

/Art Unlimited Admin

About Art Unlimited Admin

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So far Art Unlimited Admin has created 29 blog entries.

Quetico adventures include fishing, sight-seeing and teamwork

Anderson’s Canoe Outfitters has provided my group with equipment and shuttle service to Quetico Provincial Park every year we have been since 1993. Anderson’s is a family owned and operated business and it shows with their quality of service and genuine connections with their clients, we feel like part of the family. They always provide excellent service [...]

By | 2017-09-14T16:37:42+00:00 April 30th, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

Reliable BWCA Canoe Trips

I've taken about a dozen BWCA canoe trip and Quetico canoe trip, and the majority of those trips were booked through Mark Anderson and Anderson Outfitters.  My confidence in Anderson Outfitters stems from decades of family experience, as my father and grandfather have been using their service since the 1980's...(I have an AO branded oar [...]

By | 2017-09-14T16:37:42+00:00 April 28th, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

Over 20 Years using ACO for BWCA Canoe Rental

We have been using the Anderson Canoe Outfitters team for around 20 years for our BWCA canoe rental.  They have always been very accommodating no matter the size of our BWCA group. Their equipment is first class and their staff is always friendly. We have found their tow service to various entry points into the [...]

By | 2017-09-14T16:37:42+00:00 April 26th, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

Big Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, and big Northern Pike caught on BWCA Canoe Trip

I have been outfitting with Anderson Canoe Outfitters for over 25 years.  They are truly a first-class operation, no question.  They take the time to give you and your BWCA canoe trip personal attention.  They go over maps, campsites, portages, fishing spots, tackle, points of interest, everything you need to know about to maximize your enjoyment of your trip.  The [...]

By | 2017-09-14T16:37:43+00:00 April 22nd, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

Marc Enjoys Quality BWCA Canoe Trip Service

We have used Anderson's Canoe Outfitters as our bwca canoe trip outfitter for numerous trips to the BWCA and Quetico over the past 20 years, and they always deliver.  Great comfort in being able to trust in a reliable outfitter to honestly answer all of your questions, secure permits, provide quality gear, and make your BWCA [...]

By | 2014-04-20T06:14:50+00:00 April 20th, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

Boundary Waters Canoe Trips

Do you have just 3 to 5 days to spend on and adventure? Or can you spend more time in our great wilderness area? Look no further than Anderson Canoe Outfitters for great Boundary Waters Canoe Trips. Here's just a sample of one of the routes you can experience. Day 1 Starting from entry point [...]

By | 2017-09-14T16:37:43+00:00 February 23rd, 2014|Blog|0 Comments

2013 Ice Out

Lets think spring. It's going to be close on ice out but Mother Nature can do it. Picture of Loon Falls Portage 2012.

By | 2013-04-18T19:10:23+00:00 April 18th, 2013|BWCAW|Comments Off on 2013 Ice Out

Spring 2013

Waiting for spring to come. The Boundary Waters will have plenty of spring run off this year. This is a photo of Anderson Canoe Outfitters on March 20th the first day of spring.

By | 2016-02-02T11:13:22+00:00 March 21st, 2013|Blog|Comments Off on Spring 2013


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New data retention planned for border crossings of all European Union citizens

The European Union could soon save the date and place of each crossing of the EU’s external borders. Travellers’ identification documents would be read out and their biographical data saved along with information regarding border crossings. Police forces and intelligence services would have access to this data.

By Matthias Monroy

The European Commission published the final report of the High-Level Expert Group on Information Systems and Interoperability in May. According to this document, European border authorities could soon – unbeknownst to the travellers – be able to trawl through the travel routes of all nationals of EU member states. Alongside their biographical data, the system to be set up will log the direction in which borders are crossed. This new data repository on border crossings at all land, sea and air borders might form part of the Schengen Information System II (SIS II), which is the largest police and border authority database. Preference is being given to the establishment of an entirely new database, however.

This proposal has been tabled against the backdrop of the Schengen Borders Code, which, since March, has stipulated systematic controls for all European Union citizens when crossing external borders. Identification documents are no longer only checked for their authenticity, but are cross-checked against the Schengen Information System II (SIS II) and two Interpol databases for stolen identification documents or those that are being traced. This new regulation is currently giving rise to long queues at passport control points at airports in EU member states.

Logs to be expanded

Each retrieval of documents is logged in the interests of data protection and the freedom of information. The Expert Group is now proposing that this log be expanded to include the place and time when borders were crossed. Law enforcement agencies could then access this data and trace individuals’ travel routes. The purpose of the database is not only to enhance protection against threats, but also to facilitate investigations relating to terrorism and serious crimes.

This new proposal does not fall within the remit of the EU’s Passenger Name Record (PNR), which is to be introduced in the near future. The PNR will likewise process extensive data on travellers’ border crossings and store this information for a period of five years.

The idea of subjecting European Union citizens’ travel histories to greater surveillance is not new. The French and the German Ministry of the Interior had already launched a proposal of this kind. This initiative recommends that the upcoming Entry-Exit System (EES), in which all border crossings of third-country nationals are to be stored, be extended to include EU nationals. However, the Expert Group established by the Commission rejected this option as it deemed it to be contrary to the object and purpose of the EES – namely monitoring of matters pertaining to residence law.

Further data repositories in the pipeline

Further proposals by the Expert Group include combining all biometric datasets from SIS II, the Visa Information System (VIS), the fingerprint database EURODAC and the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). What is more, the European Commission is planning an EU-wide Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for travellers from third countries. This is intended to supplement existing databases with timely information on planned border crossings.

An Entry-Exit System (EES) that is also being planned is intended to record the entries and exits of third-country nationals at EU external borders and process biometric data (fingerprints and/or facial images). The European Parliament and the Council agreed to a principled compromise on this matter last week. While access to data on the part of police forces and intelligence services is not in dispute, the Council has also called for migration authorities to be given access.

Translation: German Bundestag

Andrej Hunko, MdB 2017


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Khyber Pass railway revival contemplated

The government of Pakistan is considering plans rebuild the Khyber Pass railway, reports the Express Tribune.

Pakistan Railways’ chairperson Perveen Agha along with other senior officials visited the track on Thursday. “The purpose of the visit is to start work on reviving and restoring the Peshawar-Torkham railway track,” said an official of the political administration. The political administration has already given shopkeepers and other encroachers along the railway track to vacate Pakistan Railway’s property within a week so that restoration work can begin.

Source: Govt mulling plans to restore historic railway track at Torkham, Express Tribune, 15 September 2017

Railway to a place of evil memory

A railway has been opened through the Khyber Pass—a place of evil memory to British troops and a nightmare to India. The railway is 27 miles long from the entrance to the Pass to a valley near Londi Khotal. There are 32 tunnels, and the steepest gradient is one over 25. The old military problems of India and Afghanistan are now altered.

Source: Gloucester Journal, Saturday 7 November 1925

Khyber Railway revival?

Steam train in Khyber Pass

“A railway track, spanning 145 kilometers, from Peshawar to Jalalabad is likely to be laid soon. Authorities are in the process of awarding contract for this ambitious project”, reports Afghan Zaria.1

The report says the government of Pakistan’s 2015-16 budget has allocated 620m rupees for a nine-month feability study, which would involve engineers from Pakistan and Afghanistan. NESpak, Mines Construction, Mine Hart, ILF (LIK), MMBP, Usmania Associates Karachi and “a company from China” have submitted tenders. Tracklaying could begun in 2017-18.

The request for proposals was issued in March 2015.

This is not the first time a railway to Jalalabad has been proposed, but so far railways have never crossed the border from the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan.

Peshawar to Jalalabad railway project RFP issued

Pakistan Railways issued an international request for proposals for a “Feasibility Study For New Rail Link Between Peshawar And Jalalabad Through Loi Shalman Valley” recently. I can’t track down exactly when it was issued, and the document is just dated “March, 2015”.

The Loi Shilman valley (spelling varies) is in the loop of the Kabul River to the north of the Khyber Pass, while Jalalabad is the first major settlement in Afghanistan, on the route from the Khyber Pass to Kabul. The Loi Shilman valley seems to be a pretty remote and obscure area, which has a small internet footprint compared to the famous pass to the south (I’ve not even found decent maps).

The consultants chosen will be required to propose at least three alternative corridors for the line, including the “existing Khyber railway alignment and the alignment through Lio-shalman valley etc”. Using the existing Khyber Railway would presumably mean the line would not actually pass through the Loi Shilman valley, which is further north.

The RFP documents can be downloaded from the Pakistan Railways website (if you can get it to work) or the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority website.

Proposals were initially required by 14.00 on 31 March 2015, but following a “pre-proposal conference” on 17 March, an addendum was issued on 24 March extending the deadline to 15 April 2015, and extending the timescale from nine months to 10 months.

The feasibility study

According to the RFP documentation:

Government of Pakistan has recently sanctioned PC-II for the feasibility study of construction of a new railway line from Peshawar to Jalalabad (Afghanistan). Pakistan Railway now intends to carry out this feasibility study in accordance with these Terms of Reference (TOR).

Most of the Project area is located in hilly terrain and the study aims at selecting and designing most suitable alignment for providing the proposed rail link for a design speed of 100 km/h. A map of the Pakistan Railway Network indicating the Project area is place as Appendix-A of this Terms of Reference. The Consultant will carry out the feasibility study in accordance with the Pakistan Railway’s specifications, design parameters and schedule of dimensions etc. For this study, the areas where Pakistan Railways specifications/design parameters are either not available or need any revision / updation, the European Norms (EN) and UIC/AREA standards will be followed with the prior approval of the Employer.

Afghanistan is a land-locked country and three gauges of railway track are in use in its neighboring countries; standard gauge (1435 mm) in Iran and China, broad gauge (1520 mm) in Central Asian States and broad gauge (1676 mm) in Pakistan. The Consultant shall propose the location (s) for change of gauge and arrangements for the trans-shipment at interchange points/stations. The study conducted by World Bank through HB Consultant Bangladesh may also be kept in view in this context while preparing the Feasibility Study Report.

The objectives of the study are:

a. To estimate the present and future freight and passenger railway transportation demand between Peshawar and Jalalabad;
b. To determine the optimal technical solution for the construction and operation of a broad gauge (or Standard Gauge) railway between Peshawar and Jalalabad (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”);
c. To estimate the construction, operating and maintenance costs of the project based on the optimal technical solution at (b) above;
d. To establish the nature and magnitude of the environmental and social impacts of the optimal technical solution at (b) above, and to recommend measures necessary to mitigate the adverse impacts and/or enhance the positive impacts;
e. To establish a basis for the future detailed engineering design and construction bid documentation for the project;
f. To determine the economic and financial viability of the project basing on – among other factors – the rail transportation demand determined at (a) above and the development/operating/maintenance costs estimated at (c) above.

Source: Request For Proposals For Feasibility Study For New Rail Link Between Peshawar And Jalalabad Through Loi Shalman Valley, Pakistan Railways, March 2015

The RFP specifies a single track line suitable for 80 km/h freight and 100 km/h passenger trains, with diesel or electric traction. The line should be to either Pakistan’s 1676 mm broad gauge or to standard gauge (1435 mm, as used in China and Iran).

It is hard to see what purpose would be served by using standard gauge for this particular line; even if the Chinese eventually build a standard gauge railway to the Mes Aynak copper mine, a break of gauge on this section would make little sense.

Some history

There have been been past proposals for a railway through the Loi Shilman valley, with the British authorities undertaking surveys and actually starting work in the early 20th century.

Having rejected a route through the Khyber Pass, there were two options for a line from Peshawar to the Afghan frontier: one following the Kabul River gorge to an appropriate site for a terminus, and the other initially following the river route but then turning left and running up the Loi Shilman valley, with a significant tunnel needed to reach a suitable terminus on the side of the hills facing Afghanistan.

Construction of the line was approved as far as the point where the two potential routes diverged, pending a final decision on the rest of the alignment, and work began. However the Anglo-Russian Convention of St Petersburg in 1907 reduced the threat which the British military authorities felt Russia might pose to the northern frontier of India, and the civilian authorities were getting concerned about the rapidly increasing cost of the project. As a result, work was halted. Maps of the various alignments which were considered can now be found in the British Library.

Further surveys subsequently showed that a railway through the Khyber Pass was feasible, and the construction of this line which opened in 1925 made the Kabul River or Loi Shilman lines unnecessary. Although the Khyber Pass line never crossed into Afghanistan, preliminary studies were undertaken by the British for an possible extension to Dakka, the first suitable place for a major army camp, and from there to Jalalabad, as it was felt that the rapid construction of such a line could prove useful in the event of any future war with Afghanistan.

The Khyber Pass railway survived, albeit moribund, until sections were destroyed by floods in 2006-09.

This is a perhaps somewhat surprising idea for a brand new line, especially given the many problems which Pakistan Railways is currently reported to be facing on its existing network. While I cannot claim any knowledge of the area, I find it very hard to believe that anything other than a reinstatement of the out-of-use Khyber Pass line, perhaps combined with an extension to Jalalabad, could be even remotely viable.

I wonder if in reality this is about reinstating the Khyber Line, and the Loi Shilman route is there purely to give something to compare it with, or as a legal technicality to show that some alternative options have at least been considered?

Khyber Railway photos at the British Museum

A couple of photos of the Khyber Railway at the British museum website. As is all too common in Britain, the terms and conditions of the website are written in complicated legalese and don’t really give a clear answer to the question “can I use the image on my own website?”, so here are links instead.

Bagiari Cutting through the Khyber Pass

Photograph of a railway engine [2287] stopped in a narrow defile in the Khyber Pass (NWFP, Pakistan) with two persons standing next to it, one a local man and the other a European identified in the caption as Dr E S Appleby. A third local man stands on the front of the engine itself.

Photograph of a railway engine [2287] stopped at Jamrud Station (NWFP, Pakistan) at the eastern end of the Khyber Pass. Dr E S Appleby and ‘Guard’ Garlick said to be in the scene. The station name is visible in the photo.

Opening of the Khyber railway

The UK’s National Army Museum has this rather good photo of The opening of the Khyber railway, 1925. Photograph by Randolph Bezzant Holmes (1888-1973), India, North West Frontier, 1925. NAM Image Number 118645.

The text says:

The Khyber Pass Railway from Jamrud, near Peshawar, to the Afghan border near Landi Kotal was opened on 4 November 1925. Built to allow easier movement of troops to the frontier, the railway climbed more than 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) through 34 tunnels and 92 bridges, and culverts to reach Landi Kotal.

RAF on the Afghan border

(no trains in this post!)

“ON THE AFGHAN BORDER – Air-Marshal Sir John Steel inspects the Bomber Squadron R.A.F. at Risalpur.”

Air Marshal Sir John Steel inspects the line of planes at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base, Risalpur, India. Formation of planes flying over Khyber Pass – problem bordering area between India and Afghanistan. Several shots of the planes in the air.

Hawker Hearts – early biplanes.

Several shots of the aircraft in flight over snow covered mountains in Afghanistan. RAF (Royal Air Force) man handle plane at base on the North West frontier. Shots of aircraft coming into land at the base. More shots of planes in-flight.

(Hawker Heart should presumably be Hawker Hart.)


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RSSAll Entries Tagged With: "mayansoftware"

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    Bubble Breaker : Insanely Addictive Lite for Android

    Mayan Software has proudly released “Bubble Breaker : Insanely Addictive” for the Google Play. Now you can play one of the most classic game on Android, reinventing the classic and adding new features and game modes with the most crisp and gorgeous graphics you can find. Pop bubbles where the same colored bubbles connect and score as much as you can. Compete your scores among other players with the Online Leader Board and collect all 14 in game achievements.


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If you've been anxiously waiting for the chance to order up a Verizon Moto X, now is the time! The Moto X order page just went live on Verizon's website. If you want one as soon as possible, you'll have to buy online – Verizon won't have the device in stores for a few weeks.

2013-08-29 00_58_55-Moto X by Motorola

The Verizon Moto X is only available in black and white at this time. Also, there is only a 16GB storage option. Moto Maker is coming later, which is an AT&T exclusive right now. Oddly, the off-contract price is $20 higher on Verizon than it is on AT&T or from Motorola itself ($600). Also, in case you forgot, Verizon is stressing this phone was made in the USA.

2013-08-29 00_17_24-Customer Information murica

This might be your only chance to buy a phone from Verizon that has only a single tasteful logo on it. So, I would strongly consider this if I was on Verizon. If you take the plunge, enter VERIZON30 as the promo code. That will take 30% off the price, making your total for the device $139.99. That's a certifiable good deal.

[Verizon Moto X, Reddit]


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VARIOUS Hits And Angels – The Stowmarket Sound

£10.99 (GBP)
VARIOUS Hits And Angels - The Stowmarket Sound

1. CULTURE CLUB “Karma Chameleon”
2. GO WEST “The King Of Wishful Thinking”
3. SAILOR “A Glass Of Champagne”
4. ROGER CHAPMAN “My Friend The Sun”
5. SPENCER DAVIS GROUP “Gimme’ Some Lovin’”
6. IAN GILLAN BAND “Smoke On The Water”
8. TYGERS OF PAN TANG “Love Potion No 9″
9. MEDICINE HEAD “Rising Sun”
10. RMS and GIL EVANS “Stone Free”
11. Oliver/Dawson SAXON “747 (Strangers In the Night”)
12. COLOSSEUM ” Stormy Monday Blues”
13. TROGGS “Wild Thing”
14. Mickey Finn’s T-REX “Jeepster”
15.HARDIN & YORK’S Wind In the Willows
Rock Concert “Fairground Fantasy”
16. Steve Ellis’s LOVE AFFAIR
“Bringing On Back The Good Times/A Day Without Love”
17. DON WILLIAMS “I Recall A Gypsy Woman”

The Stowmarket Sound? Well not really. Stowmarket, a sleepy market Town in the English county of Suffolk is the home to Angel Air and that is where all the DVD clips originated from either by filming artists in concert as in the majority of cases or Licensing in entire concerts for DVD release.

This release is the 20th scheduled release from Angel Air so they have included one track from each of the previous releases from household names such as CULTURE CLUB, GO WEST, IAN GILLAN BAND, SAILOR, DON WILLIAMS and COLOSSEUM to name just a few.

A superb collection of rare in concert footage by some of the biggest names in popular music. Performing their HITS and best known songs. Music from the Angels

...there are some wonderful performances on interesting collection, and certainly an easy way to check out what Angel Air have to offer.

Feedback (September 2004) performances from an interesting and diverse list of artists...a fine compilation of archive footage.

Classic Rock Society (September 2004)

Leave a Comment/Review


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