“One view of Jesus as he is,
Will strike all sin for ever dead.”

William Cowper, “Hatred of Sin,” Olney Hymns, Book 3 (Hymn 64).

i have been studying off and on about the origins of scripture. A good book to start with would be “The Bible: The Biography” by Karen Armstrong.

According to history, during the birth of civilization, when the world was immensely tribal (still is in some sense), the Jewish people were worshipping and sacrificing to a pantheon of gods that were rife in that part of the world. Baal, Ra, and then there was this warrior god called Yahweh. Now, he was part of the pantheon as well. (Research Google: ‘Yahweh’, ‘Warrior’) He was known to be a jealous god. well, if you were a warrior god, i think anger management would definitely be on the list of things to deal with.

Somewhere in their history this band of traveling nomads came upon the one and only God. And they begin using titles like Yahweh to describe their understanding of God. Now, this is where the details get fuzzy. Because, either the Jews were projecting their beliefs on this new God or God was YHWH all along. What I can’t seem to get away from is the reality that the Jews were writing about God from their perspective. I wonder, since they were human, if they too got their perception of God wrong? That maybe the verses we have come to quote are specific interactions with the divine, but it was a record of them getting it right and getting it wrong. They weren’t shy enough to not share both. They thought it was important to share both to let us know we could do the same. And it is with the Bible I make my case. Now, before I go on, I know this incredibly murky subject. I don’t presuppose that the Bible isn’t useful or that it can’t be used by God, but many in the conversation would almost seek to deify scripture. And scripture even says scripture isn’t the point or plumbline with which we should live by. Even when the Jews talk about the law which in Hebrew is the word ‘halakh’ it means ‘to walk’….to be a Jew was to journey. To find God is to journey, not read about Him in a book. Sure, we can start there. But, what is the Bible; a collection of ‘experiences’ from the ‘chosen’ (I think the Jews thought this) one of God. Like one of my friends reminded me recently, the Bible was written in hindsight. For example, when they went to war and lost, it could be possible that they looked back on it and thought they must have ’sinned’ against their God, couldn’t they? Which was a prevalent view in most religions in this time in history. Now, its’ gets scary when someone might respond with such assurance about these events, because neither of us were there. This is simply to open dialogue on the subject. When the Bible talks about the word of God, most would interpret that phrase to mean the Book….yet the phrase when separated out from the Greek or Hebrew signifies a person. It signifies a relationship.

And so it is important to understand that when we come to scripture that all the things that were recorded weren’t meant for us to go and find a way to see how God works, or to apply situational ethics or to create a doctrine. It was meant to show us what it looks like to be in a relationship with the Divine and how the divine thinks we all could be just like Him/Her.

And people wrote it, either with an audience or a message in mind. For example, Luke had a heart for the Samaritan and so added a whole bunch of stories about Jesus interacting and restoring the status’ of Samaritans. John was writing to a Greek community of people. The OT writers were writing to fellow community members (some of the time). And sometimes what they record is people getting it wrong. But not even that, I think we reduce the message if we began using ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ language. It is a series of stories of a people who thought that their God chose them to deliver a message globally, and they soberly wrote that they didn’t get it many times. That that is what the Divine wanted of them. I think somewhere along the way God showed up and did decide to use Israel as the messengers, but I also think that the ‘people of God’ recorded their perspectives, points of view, and theological standpoints and even when they misunderstood (which some people take their misunderstandings and create theological statement out of them.) and when they found their way. Beautiful stuff when that happens!

The Bible points to relationship. To romance. Not a set of rules. Romance that drips with mysterious intrigue.

Près de 2 millions, c’est le nombre de pèlerins musulmans attendus cette année pour le Hadj. Constituant le plus grand rassemblement humain annuel, le pèlerinage à la Mecque est placé cette année sous la crainte de la pandémie de grippe A. L’Arabie Saoudite a donc pris des mesures pour éviter la propagation du virus. Samedi les autorités sanitaires ont annoncé les décès de quatre pèlerins, liés à la grippe H1N1. A la menace sanitaire, se sont ajoutées de fortes pluies et inondations, qui ont provoqué hier la mort d’au moins 13 personnes.

Une Marocaine, un Soudanais et un Indien, tous trois âgés de 75 ans, ainsi qu’une Nigériane de 17 ans sont décédés de la grippe A, alors qu’ils s’apprêtaient à faire le Hadj. Deux d’entre eux présentaient des facteurs de risque de complication. Jusque-là, les autorités sanitaires n’ont recensé qu’une soixantaine de cas de contamination, un bilan très inférieur à ce que redoutait l’Arabie Saoudite.

“Je suis très confiant. J’ai confiance en l’équipe du ministère de la santé, en nos réserves et en nos infrastructures qui sont suffisantes”, a indiqué le ministre de la santé, Abdullal Abdul-Aziz Al-Rabeea. En effet, le pays a pris d’importantes dispositions pour limiter la transmission de la grippe A. Ainsi, près de 20 000 personnels médicaux sont mobilisés et un million et demi de doses d’antiviraux sont stockées. Par ailleurs, des caméras thermiques ont été placées aux points d’arrivée des pèlerins : à l’aéroport et au port de Djeddah. Enfin, le parcours du Hadj est marqué par des ambulances et des équipes médicales mobiles.

En raison du contexte pandémique, l’Arabie Saoudite a également imposé le report du pèlerinage aux personnes à risque. En théorie, les visas ne devaient pas être délivrés aux personnes les plus fragiles : femmes enceintes, enfants de moins de 5 ans, personnes atteintes de maladies chroniques et personnes âgées de plus de 65 ans.

Le cinéaste va être assigné à résidence en attendant son extradition vers les Etats-Unis…

Dominique Strauss-Kahn a pris “une dimension nouvelle” grâce à son poste de directeur général du FMI, notamment aux yeux des Français, et ceci est “un atout dont le Parti socialiste aurait tort de se priver”, a fait valoir jeudi un de ses proches, le député socialiste de Paris Jean-Marie Le Guen.

Du fait de son poste au Fonds monétaire international, DSK est “un homme aujourd’hui libre”, qui “a pris une dimension nouvelle”, a affirmé sur France-Info M. Le Guen, assurant que “les socialistes en général et a fortiori les électeurs de gauche sont fiers” de ce qu’il y fait.

“Indiscutablement, le regard des Français vis-à-vis de son action aujourd’hui se renouvelle et prend une ampleur tout à fait importante”, a constaté le député, en allusion à plusieurs sondages qui placent DSK en bonne position parmi les candidats socialistes préférés des Français.

Avoir “un de ses membres qui a une action qui pèse dans le bon sens et qui est vu (ainsi) par les Français au plan international (…), c’est un atout dont le Parti socialiste aurait tort de se priver”, a-t-il plaidé.

Toutefois, “concentré” et “totalement impliqué dans la gestion de la régulation financière internationale”, Dominique Strauss-Kahn “n’est pas dans un calcul tacticien par rapport à des échéances”, a affirmé le député, estimant qu’il était “beaucoup trop tôt” pour lui de se positionner pour la présidentielle de 2012. “Ce n’est absolument pas aujourd’hui l’objet de sa réflexion”, a-t-il répété. AP

La circulaire indiquant aux préfets les critères à prendre en compte pour l’admission exceptionnelle au séjour des salariés étrangers pourrait déboucher, selon Éric Besson, sur la régularisation de 1.000 étrangers.

AFP/MEHDI FEDOUACH

Le président de l’Assemblée nationale, Bernard Accoyer, a jugé “irrecevable”, jeudi 26 novembre, la requête des députés socialistes réclamant la mise en place d’une commission d’enquête sur les sondages financés par l’Elysée.

Epinglé l’été dernier par la Cour des comptes, l’Elysée a communiqué à l’Assemblée nationale les factures, après l’audition par la commission des finances, le 13 octobre, de Christian Frémont, directeur de cabinet de Nicolas Sarkozy. Le budget sondages de l’Elysée s’est élevé à 3,281 millions d’euros en 2008, à 1,989 million en 2009 et il est estimé à 1,424 million pour 2010, selon un rapport du député socialiste Jean Launay. L’opposition y voit plusieurs problèmes. Outre le coût jugé important, elle estime que certains sondages pré-électoraux concernant l’UMP n’avaient pas à être financés par des fonds publics.

La Chine annonce qu’elle ambitionne de réduire de 40 à 45% d’ici 2020 son “intensité carbone” en prenant pour référence l’année 2005, dévoilant un objectif chiffré dans la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique. Selon l’agence de presse officielle Chine nouvelle, la Chine vise une réduction de 40 à 45% de son “intensité carbone” d’ici 2020, en prenant pour référence l’année 2005. (Loic Hofstedt) L’intensité carbone se définit par la quantité de gaz à effet de serre rejetée pour chaque yuan du revenu national. “Cela signifie que si l’économie chinoise continue de croître, les émissions augmenteront mais elles augmenteront à un rythme plus lent”, souligne Trevor Sikorski, qui dirige les recherches sur le carbone chez Barclays. C’est la première fois que les autorités chinoises avancent un objectif chiffré dans la lutte contre les rejets de gaz à effet de serre, facteurs du réchauffement climatique. Cette annonce, conjuguée avec celle des Etats-Unis, était attendue avec impatience avant le sommet de Copenhague, le mois prochain. “C’est un formidable coup de fouet”, s’est réjoui John Hay, du secrétariat de l’Onu sur le changement climatique Kim Carstensen, spécialiste du dossier au sein du WWF, note pour sa part que compte tenu de la taille de l’économie chinoise “ce découplage de la croissance économique et des émissions est un des facteurs les plus importants qui détermineront si le monde peut maintenir sous les 2°C l’élévation des températures moyennes. Avec cette annonce de la Chine, nous parlons de plusieurs gigatonnes d’émissions qui seront évitées.” La Chine et les Etats-Unis sont les deux principaux pays émetteurs de CO2. Ensemble, ils pèsent environ 40% du volume total de gaz rejeté du fait de l’activité humaine. Mercredi, l’administration Obama a annoncé que les Etats-Unis entendaient réduire de 17% leurs émissions de gaz à effet de serre d’ici 2020 par rapport à 2005. WEN JIABAO PRÉSENT À COPENHAGUE “Il s’agit d’une action volontaire prise par le gouvernement chinois sur la base de la situation nationale et c’est une contribution majeure à l’effort mondial pour faire face au changement climatique”, rapporte l’agence officielle Chine nouvelle en citant le comité permanent du Conseil d’Etat, ou gouvernement. Atteindre ce but générera “d’énormes pressions et des difficultés particulières” mais, ajoute l’agence de presse, il s’agit d’un “objectif contraignant” qui s’imposera à la planification économique. La Chine a parallèlement annoncé jeudi que son Premier ministre, Wen Jiabao, participerait à la conférence de Copenhague sur le réchauffement climatique qui se tiendra du 7 au 18 décembre. “La participation de Wen Jiabao à cette réunion démontre l’importance que le gouvernement chinois accorde à cette question et démontre que le gouvernement chinois est prêt à coopérer avec la communauté internationale”, a dit le porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères, Qin Gang. Pour Allan Zhang, spécialiste à Pékin du marché carbone chez PriceWaterhouseCoopers, l’objectif chiffré par le gouvernement chinois est un “objectif très ambitieux”. “Je suis persuadé que cela ajoutera à la pression qui s’exerce sur les Etats-Unis. C’est sans aucun doute un développement significatif, mais remplir cet objectif sera un véritable défi”, ajoute-t-il. Pan Jiahua, expert de la politique climatique à l’Académie des sciences sociales, estime pareillement qu’il sera “extrêmement difficile” de tenir cet engagement. Le gouvernement chinois, qui évoquait jusque-là une réduction “notable” des émissions de gaz à effet de serre, a précisé jeudi que son action reposerait sur des mesures fiscales, budgétaires, financières et impliquerait aussi la politique de fixation des prix. L’augmentation de la part des énergies non fossiles passera, elle, par le développement de l’énergie nucléaire, des énergies renouvelables et des techniques de capture du carbone. “C’est une tâche ardue pour la Chine, chacun sait en effet que l”intensité énergétique’ tend à croître en phase d’industrialisation et qu’il est par conséquent difficile de réduire les émissions”, souligne Dai Yande, directeur adjoint de l’Institut de recherche sur l’énergie dépendant de la Commission nationale de développement et de réforme.

While I was enjoying reading the series of articles and discussions around the subject, some points of concern questions were crystallizing in my mind, and now I feel ready to join the discussion by asking them.

Part I – Overview

What’s it about?

In the nutshell (in my humble opinion), a dire need in terms separation was inspired by highly analytical nature of authors on the one side, and a serious misunderstanding of the subject (Software Testing) by business (and I mean Sr. Management and all kinds of recruiters here) on the other side.

Long time ago

Historically testing derived from debugging. Since programs that times didn’t have much of “User Interface”, testing was closely involving looking at the source code and tracing it. Once program functionalities were wrapped around with user interface, functional testing (“Black Box”) arose. With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven, and code testing (“White Box”) separated from debugging. In the mean time, functional testing was growing mature on its own, no longer requiring programming knowledge and skills, but indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing.

Added 11/25/2009

“With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven”

Coding, i.e. creation of program code, could be done in a variety of ways, utilizing different logic and following different patterns.

Programming language (compiler or interpreter) looks after syntax but not the logic. Some logics may seem to be working but not for the all user scenarios. Some other logics work perfectly but they are hardly maintainable or they may impact other areas, security, for example.

 
Creation of code that is defect-prone, hardly maintainable, or may impose other issues is a bad coding practice.
Following coding standards and using right programming patterns is good coding practice.

Please refer to “Making Wrong Code Look Wrong” article by Joel Spolsky for detailed examples. 

Added 11/25/2009

“indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing”

Functionality-oriented testing is not a new definition or type of testing but is about verification and validation testing types, like User Acceptance Testing and Business Acceptance Testing processes used in Waterfall software development model.

On the other hand, User Story Testing in Agile methodology, is also a process of verification of implemented functionalities, allowing to confirm that it works as expected.

Defect-oriented testing is an exploratory process targeting any unwanted (defective, inconsistent, unsafe, etc.) functionalities, side effects, any other behavior of an application. That involves “improper” interaction with the application-under-test (Negative Testing, Stress Testing, etc.), or putting the application-under-test into “improper” conditions (Disk Failure, Low Memory, Network Timeout, etc.), or “hacking” the application (Security Testing, DB Attacks, etc.).
“Improper” is quoted because it’s not a regular interaction way or environment state but most likely may accidentally happen or be created on purpose with harmful intensions and thus have to be tried.

New branches on a tree

Certain types of tests were impossible to conduct purely manually  sapiently, and they were called “non-functional” (load/performance testing, security testing, etc.). However, those tests are generally conducted NOT on development team’s side.
Certain testing activities (i.e. GUI and non-GUI interaction, data entry, verification, reporting, etc.) became possible to conduct with help of other programs, and this is how computer-aided testing appeared. In turn, it could be separated to manual sapient testing with help of a tool, and automatic test case execution by a tool.
Certain managers found out that when requirements are clearly documented, and the all possible “needed” test cases are created, test execution tasks do not require much of tough testing skills. Testing becomes simple data entry task which can be done by virtually anyone.

Automation of “Black Box” testing activities

Creation of automatically executable test cases requires programming skills; the more comprehensive tests are, the more powerful test automation framework should be, and the more skilled and experienced developer is required to create the framework. Note that it is still about testing activities automation with test results as an output, and the final judgment is still on human. Anyway, here’s how we got automated testers (obviously, oxymoron, but look how many positions are named so), and automation developers (ironically, hands-on testing skills very often are not considered mandatory, while they should be critical in automation skillset).

Automation of “White Box” testing activities

Apart from code reviews conducted by a human being, isolated pieces of code (functions, procedures) could be verified by calling and executing them. The core idea here that for a call with particular arguments a function is expected to return specified value. If the value is wrong then the test is failed. This is how automatic unit testing appeared. Once test rules were created (either manually by programmer or by using code-generator), tests could be run by a person without programming skills. Note that even if “right” result was returned by a function-under-test, it does not 100% guarantee that the functionality is always correct, or even the function will work the same way in production environment.

“Data entry testing”

Degradation of testing to data entry opens wide saving opportunities for business. Surprisingly, some managers also find it beneficial because they get more [junior] people to manage. All kinds of outsourcing perfectly fit here too, from summer students to off-shore companies. However, down this road company will face two types of critical issues. First of all, “data entry testing” is purely verification-oriented; except of trivial ones, defects won’t be revealed. Second, as automatic test execution requires final human judgment, “data entry testers” are incapable of qualified analysis and investigation of defects they may encounter. Outsourced teams require heavy coaching and support. As a result, either somebody has to do re-testing, or software product’s quality degrades. 

Why separate?

From a hiring perspective, job requirements for QA/testing positions are total mess. Irrelevant subjects are often thrown in, and mandatory skills are overlooked. Separation and, more importantly, clear description of the each role in testing world might help in getting higher quality candidates. That in turn will benefit teams with higher quality resources, and companies – with higher quality of testing.
Clear distinction will benefit professionals too. At the end, 10 years of “data entry testing” are not nearly equal to 1 year of sapient testing, and such experiences must be treated differently. 

Conclusion

I strongly support the initiative of distinction and clarification. However, looking on how it evolves so far I see that it becomes unclear itself. Certain subjects and concepts that are distinct by nature are now mixed up.

I hope my questions will be considered by authors. (I don’t put any obligation to reply, of course). 

Part II – Questions

1. Code Testing vs. Product Testing – why mixing up?

Any program code becomes a software product after the build. Before that happens, code modules and atomic functions also can be (and should be) tested. This phase of testing does not substitute Functional Testing in any manner. Code testing is not meant to be only function checks. Primarily, it is code review, which is purely sapient activity.
The original article, however, fully disregards the sapient part of code testing, and also sets code testing as opposite to functional testing. Why?

Added 11/25/2009

Testing vs. Checking, “Testing Is Not Quality Assurance, But Checking Might Be”

“Checking, when done by a programmer, is mostly a quality assurance practice. When an programmer writes code, he checks his work. He might do this by running it directly and observing the results, or observing the behaviour of the code under the debugger, but often he writes a set of routines that exercise the code and perform some assertions on it. We call these unit “tests”, but they’re really checks, since the idea is to confirm existing knowledge. In this context, finding new information would be considered a surprise, and typically an unpleasant one. A failing check prompts the programmer to change the code to make it work the way he expects. That’s the quality assurance angle: a programmer helps to assure the quality of his work by checking it.”

The whole chapter and the quoted block put label “checking” on programmer’s part of testing – the code testing. Since “checking” is posed as non-sapient, and code testing is checking only, does it mean programmers don’t do any sapient testing as opposite to software testers?

In fact, when a programmer writes code, he reviews every created block. Before code is checked-in to the code base it has to be reviewed.

In the article I see “compliant” examples were elaborated (e.g. Automated Unit Testing) but “non-compliant” (what about Pair Programming ?)  were omitted.

2. Why checking is a confirmation?

As per suggested definition, checking is rule-based, while the rule itself is comparison-based. It is also assumed that the comparison rule returns either “TRUE” or “FALSE”. But that’s not the end! Any verification (or checking) also needs to be validated. Validation is a context-specific rule, outside-of-the-box rule, which is applied with sapience.
Example: “Check if the door is open”. Both TRUE and FALSE could be VALID, depending on the context. Without validation, checking results are useless.

3. Why testing must be done only through exploration and investigation?

Any sapient investigation, broken down to atomic steps, involves obtaining actual results, defining or retrieving expected results, defining or retrieving a comparison rule, applying the rule, and finally validating the check performed, based on the context.

5. Testing programs do not create new rules. Testers do. Why didn’t you clearly state that? 

Added 11/25/2009

Regular computer programs may strictly follow the predefined rules, may come up with one of the predefined rules, even may build-up a new statement from the predefined blocks, but they do not learn and do not create.

The whole idea of “Testing vs. Checking” is in “Testing is a sapient activity”. Large part of the article is dedicated to proving of that with examples and logical chains. Did it have to be so complicated?  

Testing programs do not create new checking rules. Testers do.

What could be more sapient than the act of creation of something new?  

6. What is the value of testing if it doesn’t help improving the quality?

Added 11/25/2009

  

If a tester finds a lot of defects and throws reports via email or into ticketing system is it the end of tester’s job? Developers may reject them [defect reports]; sales people may urge with the release; PM may not realize severity of issues…

  

Bug fixing improves the quality. Bug finding without hunting them down until they’re fixed has zero business value. That’s useless (no profit, no saving and minus tester’s paycheck) gathering of information.

 

Testers should not and don’t have to be able forcing bug fixing through management or business power. They have other means to do it. Communication, first of all.

 

Not having power is not an excuse. It’s just stepping back from quality.

I don’t know what business would hire people interested in “gathering of information” only, and careless about product’s quality.

 

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” - Romans 11:29

There are certain instances in life where you have the option of changing your mind. Work is one of those instances. Every day, people decide to leave their current job for another. People choose to go into retirement and decide shortly thereafter to come our of retirement. People choose a college one semester, and a different one the next. People choose a church, and then leave to find another one. People even choose one thing for dinner and change their mind before the meal comes. Life is full of revocable decisions.

Salvation is not one of those. Salvation is an irrevocable decision of God. He does not call a man to salvation, and then change His mind. He does not adopt a child from the orphanage of sin, only to abandon him. The gifts and calling of God cannot be taken away. Since His ways are perfect, there is no need to second guess Himself. There is not need to change course because more information is at hand, since He knows all things. “He is not a man that he should change his mind” (Num 23:19). In the verse above, Paul continues to make the case that the calling of the spiritual Israel will not be revoked. There will always be a remnant of his people that prove that the calling of God is sure and true.

This should give the child of God great confidence that “He who began a good work in you will carry it out unto completion at the day of Christ” (Phil 1:6) If God “called you out of darkness into His marvelous light“ (1 Peter 2:9), you may be sure that He will not send you back into the darkness. As the song says, “No power of Hell nor scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand!” Our salvation is one that is irrevocable by the one who gave it. What a blessed assurance!

But beware, lest this assurance be a license for complacency. We must remember that just because we walked an aisle does not mean that we have embraced all that God is for us in Jesus. It is easy to allow a walk down the aisle to give a sense of false assurance. Knowing that the calling of God is irrevocable can lead one to mistakenly believe that He is forever saved when he is still, in fact, lost. If one sits back with a lazy attitude towards the gifts and calling of God, then perhaps they were never saved to begin with. Perhaps they are claiming a promise that was never theirs to claim.

Have you received the gift of salvation and been called by faith to believe in the Son? Oh do rejoice, redeemed one, that the cross was accomplished for you, and it will not be undone. His blood will not be un-spilt, His Gethsemane prayer will not be un-said, and His body will not be un-resurrected. It is finished. There is finality in the cross and in the gift of salvation. All of this He did for you, child of God. We may change our minds a thousand times today, but rest assured that God never changes His.

• Le gouvernement marocain donne un coup de pouce aux produits bancaires islamiques.
  
• Dès 2010, le financement immobilier Mourabaha ne sera plus sanctionné par la TVA.

Les produits bancaires halal reviennent au-devant de la scène bancaire marocaine. Cela fait plus de deux ans qu’ils ont reçu le feu vert de la banque centrale, mais ces produits trop taxés coûtaient plus cher et avaient du mal à trouver preneur. A partir du premier janvier 2010 la TVA sera appliquée uniquement sur la marge de la banque – et non sur la totalité de l’échéance – et au taux de 10% seulement contre 20% auparavant.

L’un des principaux types de financement autorisé par Bank Al Maghrib, la Mourabaha est un contrat par lequel un établissement de crédit acquiert, à la demande d’un client, un bien meuble ou immeuble qu’il lui revendra avec une marge bénéficiaire. Le règlement par le client donneur d’ordre se fait par des versements sur une période convenue d’avance.

Surtaxé, ce financement immobilier restait trop cher par rapport au crédit classique. Grâce à la loi de Finances 2010, cette formule ne sera plus sanctionnée par la TVA puisqu’elle ne supportera plus la TVA sur l’échéance totale, mais uniquement sur le profit de la banque et au taux de 10% seulement contre 20% auparavant.

Pour Lahcen Daoudi, membre de la commission parlementaire des finances et du développement économique, qui milite depuis vingt ans au sein de l’Association des études et recherches en économie islamique qu’il a fondée, cette mesure est la bienvenue, même si elle a beaucoup tardé : « Beaucoup de familles auraient pu avoir un logement et sortir de la pauvreté grâce à ce produit. Pendant longtemps on a traité ces produits de manière idéologique et non comme des outils de financement comme les autres. » Il estime qu’aujourd’hui des dizaines de milliers de citoyens, qui refusent le taux d’intérêt des banques, vont recourir à ce mode de financement pour se procurer une voiture ou une maison. Pour que les financements islamiques remportent le succès escompté, Lahcen Daoudi invite les banques à ne pas être trop gourmandes au niveau de leur marge bénéficiaire.

En plus du coût jugé trop élevé, les équipes d’Attijariwafa bank qui travaillaient sur les produits islamiques étaient parvenues à la conviction qu’il y a aussi un problème de distribution : les produits alternatifs ne peuvent pas marcher tant qu’ils seront distribués dans les agences bancaires classiques. D’où l’idée qui commence à germer d’un réseau de points de vente exclusivement dédiés aux produits islamiques.

Avec cette baisse de la TVA, le gouvernement donne un coup de pouce à la Mourabaha, et partant au marché immobilier marocain. Des analystes voient derrière cette baisse de la TVA une volonté de relancer un secteur qui a connu une année 2009 difficile en ouvrant le marché à des citoyens réfractaires aux crédits immobiliers traditionnels.

Une chose est sûre, ces mesures vont promouvoir les produits financiers islamiques et répondre à une demande bien réelle. Pour Belkacem Boutayeb, expert consultant en finances et banques islamiques, outre l’attrait de ces produits lié aux sensibilités culturelles et cultuelles des populations, les banques marocaines – par ailleurs très performantes et se positionnant superbement au Maghreb et sur le continent africain – peuvent parfaitement jouer leur rôle de relais commercial pour ces produits financiers islamiques, si l’Etat marocain décide des formules d’incitation et d’encouragement en faveur de ces nouvelles opportunités de financement.

Source : Aujourd’hui le Maroc et La Vie Eco. Syndication : RIBH

Lire aussi :
Finance Islamique : le Maroc s’attaque enfin à la surtaxation de la Mourabaha

Rev 11:17  We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

This alone is reason enough for disciples of Christ to give thanks and take comfort!  His power to ultimately change all things and authority to rule over all things is wondrous, indeed.

Unfortunately, how His present reign is manifest is missed or distorted, leaving genuine followers of Christ mistaken and/or confused about their involvement in His kingdom.

“He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me… whenever… wherever – in case I need him. And I expect I will – as I always have. He is just my dog.” – GH

In my pursuit of an Owner, I seek to fulfil his needs, to fuel his imagination, to inspire his heart and to have earned his respect. When his world is spinning, I want to be a force that helps to stable him, to assure him of his ability, and to keep him earthed. I want to help him explore his dreams, and to achieve them, to be the best he can be.

This may sound strange to some, in that I may become his property, but I seek to be more than just object or plaything. I seek to become part of him, an extension of his abilities and his goals.

La création de la Banque Zitouna répond à une demande de plus en plus importante de produits et services conformes aux principes de la Finance Islamique. Elle offrira aux ménages tunisiens des solutions bancaires innovantes, de même qu’elle accompagnera les entreprises et investisseurs tunisiens et internationaux exerçant leurs activités en Tunisie.

La banque islamique Zitouna offrira toute la gamme de services d’une banque universelle : services de financement et /ou de placement, à tout type de clientèle : particuliers, professionnels, Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, Grandes Entreprises nationales et internationales, Institutionnels…

Pour ses clients Particuliers et Professionnels, la Banque Zitouna développera une gamme de produits et services couvrant leurs besoins quotidiens, leur financement de projets, la gestion de leur épargne et la préparation de leur retraite. En outre, la banque offrira à ses clients Entreprises (Grandes Entreprises, PME-PMI, Institutionnels et Administrations Publiques) un ensemble de prestations notamment par le biais de ses équipes spécialisées dans les domaines des activités de marché, de banque d’affaires, de commerce international et d’ingénierie financière.

Offre de Produits et Services

Banque Zitouna a conçu et mis en place une gamme complète et innovante de Produits et Services :

Particuliers et Professionnels

Banque Zitouna répondra aux besoins de sa clientèle de particuliers et professionnels en matière d’épargne et de placement via une gamme innovante de comptes de dépôt, d’épargne, de plans d’épargne et de comptes d’investissement participatifs permettant une rémunération à la fois intéressante et conforme à ses principes et valeurs. En matière de financement, l’offre de produits de Banque Zitouna satisfera les différents types de demandes de financement couvrant l’immobilier, l’automobile et moyens de transport, le mobilier et l’électroménager…

Entreprises et Institutionnels

Pour sa clientèle “’entreprises et institutionnels”, Banque Zitouna offrira des solutions de placement et d’investissement participatif ainsi qu’une panoplie complète de produits de financement de stock, d’équipements, d’immobilier, et de projets. D’autre part, la banque accompagnera ses entreprises clientes dans le développement de leurs activités à l’international, notamment dans la conduite des opérations de commerce international.

Conformité aux principes de la Charia

L’offre de Produits et Services de la Banque Zitouna sera basée sur des contrats financiers conformes aux principes de la Charia :

Mourabaha

La Mourabaha est un contrat de vente au prix de revient majoré d’une marge bénéficiaire connue et convenue entre la banque et le client. (البيع بربح معلوم). La banque achète le bien qu’elle revend au comptant ou à terme à son client moyennant une marge bénéficiaire convenue entre les deux parties.

La Mourabaha est un mode de financement qui sera proposé par Banque Zitouna aussi bien pour les clients particuliers qu’aux entreprises. La mourabaha pourra financer l’immobilier, les véhicules de tourisme, utilitaires et industriels, les besoins d’exploitation (stocks, matières, produits intermédiaires…), ainsi que les équipements professionnels et / ou privés.

Pour que le contrat de Mourabaha soit conforme aux principes de la Charia : l’objet du contrat doit être licite ; l’achat/revente doivent être réels et non fictifs ; le prix de revient, la marge bénéficiaire de la banque et les délais de paiement doivent être préalablement connus et acceptés par les deux parties.

Ijara

Le contrat d’Ijara est un contrat de location, le cas échéant avec une option d’achat du bien à terme. Sous la transaction Ijara, la banque (référée comme Mu’jir) achètera le bien immobilier tel que sollicité par le client (référé comme Must’ir) et donne au client le droit de l’utiliser et d’en bénéficier pour une période de temps prédéterminée et en contre partie le client paye un loyer convenu d’avance (référé comme ujrah).

Le bien immobilier reste la propriété de la Banque vu que seul l’usufruit, c’est-à-dire le droit de l’usage, est transféré au locataire. L’ijara est une technique de financement des investissements mobiliers et immobiliers qui constitue un moyen souple et pratique donnant accès à des avantages fiscaux.

Conformité à la Charia : l’objet de la location (l’utilisation du bien loué) doit être connu et accepté par les deux parties ; la location doit porter sur des biens non destructibles du fait de la jouissance ou de l’utilisation ; la durée de location, le délai de paiement, le montant du loyer et la périodicité doivent être déterminés et connus à la conclusion du contrat de leasing.

Moudharaba

Dans le contrat de Moudharaba, la banque en tant que financier d’une opération remet les fonds à un moudhareb afin qu’il l’investisse dans un projet spécifique nécessitant un savoir-faire particulier. Les profits sont partagés in-fine selon un ratio préétabli (principe de la société en commandite (article 67 du CSC Tunisien). La banque peut jouer le rôle de Moudhareb en utilisant les fonds des déposants dans divers projets (Moudharaba restrictive /Libre).

La Moudharaba constitue un investissement direct, semblable au capital risque. La banque se fixe pour objectif d’assurer une rentabilité satisfaisante des capitaux investis, dans le cadre d’un compte d’investissement et rémunération de l’épargne.

Réseau et Direction

Le siège social la banque, situé aux Berges du Lac II à Tunis est en cours de construction, et son ouverture est prévue pour la fin du 1er trimestre 2010. Par ailleurs, un vaste programme d’ouverture d’agences a été engagé et couvrira dans une première phase les principales villes de Tunisie. Prés de dix agences seront ouvertes d’emblée pour le démarrage de la banque, courant 2010 dont 5 sur le Grand Tunis dans les localités d’Ennasser, La Marsa, Centre Ville et le Kram, ainsi que 2 à Sousse et 2 à Sfax.

Mahfoudh Barouni, nommé Directeur Général est considéré comme le spécialiste de la finance islamique en Tunisie. Economiste de formation, il peut se prévaloir d’une longue et riche carrière, dont 25 ans à la tête de la BEST Bank. Pour le seconder, Walid Koubaa, n’est pas non plus un inconnu dans le domaine bancaire et dans le secteur de la finance islamique. Ancien de la Citibank à Tunis, il a notamment travaillé sur la création de la Noor Bank et de la Sharjah Islamic Bank.

RIBH

Une Québecoise sourit sur Facebook, son assurance maladie suspend ses droits – actu24.be.

Ca se passe au Canada : En arrêt maladie depuis un an et demi pour dépression, Nathalie Blanchard vivait des versements que lui faisait son assurance. Mais l’assureur a récemment arrêté tout paiement. Celui -ci aurait vu sur Facebook des photos de Mme Blanchard en train de s’amuser à la plage notamment !

Si la femme affirme être sortie et avoir voyagé sur les conseils de son médecin, l’assureur (Manulife) a confirmé enquêter régulièrement sur ses clients en surveillant Facebook. Manulife affirme cependant que dans une telle enquête, les informations trouvées sur le réseau social ne sont qu’un élément parmi d’autres.

Un tribunal devra bientôt trancher…

Plus d’infos à laSource (1 min de lecture)

I think Bonnie is trying to smash the cake into my face.

I take pleasure in allowing my taste buds to be massaged by a delicious piece of cake, especially chocolate with whipped butter frosting. As my wife and I prepare to celebrate our 24 wedding anniversary next month, I am excited and energized about the prospect of having a piece of scrumptious cake as we celebrate our union together.  I know that may seem a little silly, making a big deal out of having a piece of cake, but our society says that we can’t have our cake and eat it too.  I got to tell you that this is not true, because I am convinced that in life YOU CAN HAVE Your Cake and EAT IT TOO!

When we got married almost 24 years ago, it was during the Christmas season, and we had a beautifully decorated medium size wedding that was attended by family and friends.  We were blessed with catered food that I suppose was fantastic. although I would not know since I only gazed at and smelled the aroma of the wonderful display, not able to eat any due to all of the attendees wanting to congratulate us prior to being escorted away in a limousine for our honeymoon. Our wedding included this incredible cake too, complete with multiple levels and a top all of its own that nobody ate from; you know, the type with the plastic bride and groom on top.

We fed a small amount of the cake to each other, believe it or not without smashing it into our faces, then saved the top level for a future anniversary, at which time we would eat the rest of our cake. We had a predicament though, we never wanted to really eat the cake because we didn’t want to see our wedding day memory disappear. So, we kept it in the freezer thinking that maybe we could have our cake and eat it too. The problem with this plan is most people would say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. But we saved the cake for almost 24 years now, that is until today.  You see, we noticed that our freezer shrunk and we now needed the room. No, we didn’t eat it, can you imagine eating a 24 year old cake?  What we did was, believe it or not, throw it in the trash!  Yes, all those memories, now gone!  Bummer.

At first, I really did not want to throw it in the trash, as it felt like I was throwing a part of my life away. As we took pictures of ourselves gazing at the cake, memories of those blissful 24 years of our life and the day we got married passed through my head. At this point I said to my wife that although the cake would fade away, my love for her would last forever. I know that may be a little mushy, non unlike the frosting on the cake, but its the truth, and we both realize how fortunate we are. Although we would not be able to look at our broken down box filled with stale, freezer burned cake anymore, the marriage that we have built over a lifetime extends itself due to a loving and caring relationship. We realize that as material things in our life disappear and dissipate with time, our love is eternal. You see I believe that YOU CAN HAVE Your Cake and EAT IT TOO!

A great many people believe that our time on earth is all there is to life, that when we die there is nothing else.  But who we are, humans made in the image of God, does not cease to exist at the end of this physical life.  God created us so that we could be with Him forever, but unfortunately, as sinners, we are unable to coexist with a Holy God.  We need to be redeemed in order to be with God, who is perfect in His being and love for us.  After all, while we were still sinners, God sent His only begotten son to save us from ourselves (Rom 5:8), from our sin, from our unrighteousness.

If you look at this life as a piece of cake, thinking that the cake is finite and will someday disappear, then you will have the view that you can’t have your cake and eat it too.  You will think this way because you believe that when the day comes for you to die, that so will all of your existence.  But, on the other hand, if you understand and believe that God created us in His image (Gen 1:26) for the purpose of giving all the glory to Him in everything we do (1 Cor 10:31), then you should take comfort in knowing that you can have your cake and eat it too.

God desires for us to be with Him eternally, so that we can glorify His name in paradise.  But we are sinners by nature, imperfect and unworthy of being in His presence, due to our polluting of the image that God made as in.  Being born into sin since the fall of Adam, we are like a piece of cake that has gotten freezer burned and disintegrates.  But you ask how can we have our cake and eat it too, how can we, as sinners, exist with a Holy God forever?  It’s not too difficult to obtain this eternal existence with God, since He does not want us to suffer the anguish and torment of being eternally separated from him, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:41-42).  God wants us to have a relationship with Him whereby we can seek out forgiveness and salvation by His grace and through our faith (Eph 2:8).

The beauty of God’s plan is how we can be sinners by nature and at some point conforming to the world, yet through our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and savior be transformed by the renewing of our minds, discerning what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).  This my friends, is how WE CAN HAVE Our Cake and EAT IT TOO! You see, although we are unworthy to be in the presence of God due to our sinful and unrighteous nature and behavior, we are loved by God in a way that He provides a way out, a way to His kingdom, a way to change who we are.  Romans 8:10 (ESV) tells us, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”  Although we are dead in our sins, we are redeemed into righteousness because of Christ.  This is the parallel between the cake and our lives.  We still can live eternally with God, through our acceptance by faith of Christ as our savior, even though we are still sinners.  This is where YOU CAN HAVE Your Cake and EAT IT TOO! You can be unworthy, yet worthy of eternity with God, you can have it both ways.

All you need is the right recipe, and that recipe is Jesus Christ, who came into the world to show us how to love one another and for the redemption of sins. YES, YOU CAN HAVE Your Cake and EAT IT TOO! Just grab a piece of the cake of salvation from Jesus, and enjoy it for eternity.

May you all be blessed in life with the eternal cake of salvation.  Go ahead, grab a slice, you will LOVE IT.

Daryl Dho

206422     การประกันคุณภาพทางอุตสาหกรรม     Industrial Quality Assurance

หลักการประกันคุณภาพ ความต้องการและข้อกํ าหนดของลูกค้าและตลาดการพัฒนาและจัดการผลิตภัณฑ์ การหาแหล่งต้นทางและความสัมพันธ์กับผู้ส่งมอบ การประกันคุณภาพในกระบวนการผลิต การบริการและความสัมพันธ์กับลูกค้า ความรับผิดชอบและการรับประกันผลิตภัณฑ์ การคุ้มครองผู้บริโภค ต้นทุนและระบบสารสนเทศคุณภาพ การตรวจประเมินคุณภาพ

(Quality assurance principles, market and customer needs and requirements, product development and management, sourcing and supplier relation, quality assurance in manufacturing process, customer service and relations, product liability and warranty, consumer protection, quality cost and information system, quality audit.)

(206422 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

With practice you’ll come to a point of competence.
You’ll find yourself accomplishing your goals gracefully and confidently.

It’s then that you’ll do things that you never dreamed you could do.
You’ll discover powers you never knew existed.
If you’re prepared, you’re able to feel confident.

There can be no great courage when there is no confidence or assurance.
Half the battle is in the conviction that you can accomplish what you undertake.

Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the result of constant work and dedication.

My Weight Loss Story

Up-Date:

I began my journey on March 26, 2009 at 261 pounds and have settled in at 205 for a total weight loss of 56 pounds. My friends are telling me to stop the drop because I’m looking a little to thin for their taste. Just thought you would like to know when this all began. Now the story of the Journey….

People ask me how I have lost so much weight and so I thought I would write it down to pass along to others who struggle with weight gain.

Some asked if I am using any particular diet plan and the answer is no. I have been on a journey of self discovery for some time and when I went to my doctor for my annual physical and stepped on the scale it was then that I felt the 2×4 slap against my head. I weighed 261 pounds. 20 more pounds than the prior year. I almost fainted. I knew I was getting bad but you know, in your mind there is a justification for everything.

My doctor told me that unless I lost weight I would continue to have BP, prostate and other developing problems. And that they would only get worse if I did nothing. (Awareness)

I knew at that point I needed to take control of my eating life for the sake of my own personal well being and I have done just that. (Acknowledgment)

Here are the steps I took that began to pay immediate returns:  (Action)

1. Stopped eating fast food. Unless you can practice restraint and do your research BEFORE you walk in the door or go through the drive through, then you are doomed to consuming some of the worse food products you can eat.  I only eat food prepared in a fast food environment as a last resort and only what I know to be low in fat and calories.

2. Stopped eating candy and other sugar based sweets. This included ice cream, soda pop, cookies, cake, pies, donuts, sweet rolls, all of it. I moved to natural fruit based sweets like fruit based popsicles, dried fruit mixes and raw nuts.

3. Began to walk. I could only walk to the end of my block at first but soon I was up to one mile then two. Within three months I was walking then jogging and worked my way up to 3 miles. At 5 months I was running 3.25 miles. The point is you must do some kind of exercise to really make this work. A visit with your doctor might be in order to get the best advice on what you should do and where to begin your exercise program.

4. I began to swim laps. We have a pool and swimming laps works other muscles and I love the water. No pool, think about joining a health club that has a pool. If indoor then you can swim year-round.

5. Began to institute portion control. I weigh, measure and control everything I consume. Buy a food scale, you will be surprised at how much some foods weigh. I use the smaller lunch plate for my meals. A smaller plate means you will not have the room to put all you use to put on your plate. You must read labels to not be tricked into consuming more fat grams. Take “Serving Size” seriously.

 6. I began to record everything that I consumed. I use www.myfitnesspal.com. It is a great way to see how what you eat adds up. You plug-in some info about yourself, set your goals and the calculator does the rest. You might think about recording what you normally eat for a week or two, to see exactly how many fat grams and calories you are consuming. You can also record your exercise there too. The calculator will show you how the exercise can impact your caloric intake. Then set your goals, adjust your portions and record what you eat under your new regiment. Do this religiously for at least two months to get a real view of what you are eating and what it costs you in terms of calories and fat. When you have to record it you begin to think about what you are eating and where you can make adjustments to reduce fat and calories.

7. Went through my fridge and pantry and began to replace any food product that had High Fructose Corn Syrup and Partially Hydrogenated oil of any kind in it with products that didn’t. They are the worst things that you can put in your body and they are in everything that is processed and packaged. HFCS is used to train your brain to want to eat more. READ THE LABELS!

8. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Whatever you have been doing, in most cases you can double it. You say you don’t like vegetables? Experiment and try to expand your taste in food.  The more raw fruits and vegetables you eat the better. If you are cooking vegetables, be careful that you don’t over cook them or add a lot of butter to them. Fresher and cooked less is the goal.

9. I stopped eating red meat. There are many reasons to not eat red meat. Do some research.  This was a personal decision for me and you might not be ready to dump red meat right away. If you can reduce your consumption by half you will be better for it.

10. Reducing the amount of pork and chicken too.  Read the book “The End of Food” by Paul Roberts, it is an eye opener. I have a copy and will gladly loan it to anyone.

11. I began to eat more fish, including sardines. I try to eat a can a week. Because my family can’t stand the smell I eat mine outside sometimes. Remember, Omega 3 is good for you.

12. Reduce or eliminate beer, wine, liquor and any mixed drink. I will drink and occasional lite beer or have a class of wine, but that is about it. If you are going to drink, be reasonable and use moderation. Your internal organs will thank you for it.

13. Get in the kitchen and start cooking and reduce the number of meals you eat out. Restaurant food is expensive, they serve too much and it generally contains too much fat and calories. Also, there are some really good social interactions possible if you have others involved in the food preparation.

All of this requires a total commitment on your part. Only you can make the changes to better your life. Now when I look in the mirror I can see the results of the effort. I have more energy, feel better and have a better outlook on life. (Assessment)

They tell me that men can do this more easily than women because we tend to not attach emotion to our eating. (Ladies, please don’t take that last statement as sexist it just is the truth in most cases) Eating is something men do, like mowing the lawn. Some have bigger lawns to mow than others. Some might benefit from getting some counseling about issues that trigger emotional eating. But regardless of gender and age, weight loss can happen.

I know that I will be better off in the remaining years I have, by taking better care of this body of mine now. (Assurance)

If you want the same results, make a decision and commit to it. For some, making a decision will be the most difficult part of the process. Build a support group around you and work your plan. Remember that it took years to put it all on and it will take years for it all to come off and for your new eating life patterns to become engrained.

I will say this; I do treat myself in some way each week. And I jump off the wagon about once a month and go to Lenny’s Burger Shop on Central Avenue at Thomas Road in Phoenix, the best hamburger shop in AZ. I have their Mexican Burger, fries and a soda combo. It does the trick and I can continue to live my new eating lifestyle without feeling like I’m missing anything. You have to keep your sanity as you go through this process.

Here’s the best part, no costly plans, no monthly memberships, no “special meals” to purchase, no joining for- profit weight control organizations. How does FREE sound?

You decide, you control it all, you reap the benefits, you feel better and you CAN do this. It starts with a simple decision to change what you are doing now.

 Awareness, Acknowledgement, Action, Assessment and Assurance – the 5A’s

In future installments I will drill down on the 5A’s.  

Richard Compton – 2009