During the course of experimentation with 11gR2, I was given some space on a Sun Storage 7410 NAS.   In the past NAS meant using NFS with obscure mount options that seemed to vary from platform to platform.  So, at first I went scrambling for the “best practices” to use with Oracle NAS on Solaris.

There is a nice Metalink article Note:359515.1 with the latest information for all platforms.  This Metalink note does include the “tcp” option which is not necessary on Solaris.  So it boiled down to the following mount options for using Oracle data files on NAS devices with Solaris.

rw,bg,hard,nointr,rsize=32768,
wsize=32768,noac,
forcedirectio, vers=3,suid

But wait, what about the new 11g feature to use direct NFS “dNFS”?    More searching…

configuring dNFS on Solaris

This is a fairly simple process.  Although Oracle dNFS configuration is fairly well documented for Linux, I will post my interpretation and commentary to help other Solaris users that might want to configure dNFS.

First, create mount the NFS share just as you would have in the past.  Oracle still needs to see the file system from the OS point of view.  You don’t have to use the mount options as in the past, but you might want them anyway for OS tools may access the mount.  You would most likely place these options in the “/etc/vfstab” file, but I will just show the mount command.

mount -o rw,bg,hard,nointr,rsize=32768,\
wsize=32768,noac,forcedirectio,vers=3,suid \
toromondo.west:/export/glennf /ar1

Second, you have to link the direct NFS libraries in place of ODM.  This is a little clunky, but not terrible.

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib
cp libodm11.so libodm11.so_stub
ln -s libnfsodm11.so libodm11.so

Third, create the “$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/oranfstab” file.  This file defines the various details Oracle needs to directly access the NFS share.  You can configure multiple paths, so that Oracle can multiplex access to the NFS share.  This is for redundancy and load balancing.  There is another Metalink article ID:822481.1 that details how to configure dNFS with multiple paths across the same subnet and force the OS to not route packets.  This is a great feature, which I will try once I get some more network plumbing.  For now, I just did the most simple configuration as shown below.

cat $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/oranfstab
server: toromondo.west
path: toromondo.west
export: /export/glennf mount:/ar1


Finally, you will be able to see if this takes effect by looking at the “alert.log” file.  When Oracle starts up it places debug information in the alert.log file so we can see if Oracle is using Direct NFS or not.

grep NFS alert_*.log
Oracle instance running with ODM: Oracle Direct NFS ODM Library Version 2.0
Direct NFS: attempting to mount /export/glennf on filer toromondo.west defined in oranfstab
Direct NFS: channel config is:
Direct NFS: mount complete dir /export/glennf on toromondo.west mntport 38844 nfsport 2049
Direct NFS: channel id [0] path [toromondo.west] to filer [toromondo.west] via local [] is UP
Direct NFS: channel id [1] path [toromondo.west] to filer [toromondo.west] via local [] is UP

That’s all there is to it.  Hopefully, you will find this useful.

Mas o que são ODM?

 A Declaração do Milênio foi aprovada pelas Nações Unidas no ano 2000 e os 191 países-membros da ONU, incluindo o Brasil, assumiram um compromisso universal com a erradicação da pobreza e com a sustentabilidade do Planeta.

Os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio  são um conjunto de 8 macro-objetivos(8 jeitos de mudar o mundo), com metas e indicadores precisos, a serem atingidos pelos países até 2015, por meio de ações concretas dos governos e da sociedade na busca pela solução de alguns graves problemas da humanidade.

 Quais são?

1.Acabar com a fome e a miséria
2. Educação de qualidade para todos
3. Igualdade entre sexos e valorização da mulher
4. Reduzir a mortalidade infantil
5. Melhorar a saúde das gestantes
6. Combater a Aids, a malária e outras doenças
7. Qualidade de vida e respeito ao meio ambiente
8. Todo mundo trabalhando pelo desenvolvimento

Por meio de um mecanismo com 21 metas e 60 indicadores, os ODM podem ser acompanhados por qualquer pessoa de qualquer município, região ou país. Esses instrumentos tornaram-se um importante elemento para a construção de políticas públicas e são fundamentais para avaliar e comparar o comportamento de cada objetivo em diferentes espaços e no decorrer do tempo

Veja aqui a descrição de cada objetivo, metas e indicadores.

Quem está envolvido? O que é necessário fazer para atingi-los?

Para alcançar os ODM é necessário que toda a família das Nações Unidas constituída pelos Estados-Membros, pelas organizações internacionais, pelos fundos e organismos autônomos, pelos programas, pelo setor privado e pela sociedade civil se una para trabalhar em prol do desses compromissos definidos na Declaração do Milênio. O envolvimento da sociedade civil é fundamental e a solidariedade será a chave do êxito.

Fonte: http://www.pnud.org.br (acesso outubro 2009)

Der Designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (JCDC) hat seine allererste Uhrenkollektion herausgebracht – und vertraut dabei (ausnahmsweise und einmalig) auf bereits prämiertes Design der vor zehn Jahren gegründeten Uhrenmarke o.d.m., konkret auf deren Erfolgsarmbanduhr Link.

Und da JCDC bestens bekannt ist für seine Liebe zu verspieltem und irgendwie auch lautem Design einerseits und Lego andererseits, ist die Pop Hours Kollektion eine wie ich finde recht gelungene Mischung. Hartgesottene Lego-Fans…… und Leute deren Lieblingsfarbe „bunt“ ist, finden vier Modelle in dieser Uhrenkollektion, die definitiv nicht zu übersehen sind.

Rot, Blau, Gelb und Grün stehen hier zur Auswahl, wer es lieber dezenter hat, kann auf die Modelle in Schwarz oder Weiß zurückgreifen. 140 US-Steine pro Uhr. Und für alle die es noch nicht kennen kommt hier noch das Video zu JCVD Modeschau für die Frühjahr/Sommer Kollektion des Jahres 3001, die er von Legofiguren präsentieren lässt.

[bianca]

[via JCDC, odm, dazeddigital]

A Cores do Globo (Associação de Promoção de Comércio Justo), a QUERCUS (Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza) o ISU (Instituto de Solidariedade e Cooperação Universitária) e o LNEG (Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia), apresentam na última semana (23 a 28) de Novembro, em Lisboa, a Semana do Consumo Responsável – no âmbito de um projecto co-financiado pelo Instituto Português de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento, “Territórios Sustentáveis”.

A 23 de Novembro estarão reunidas na Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa diversas organizações, em torno de uma Feira de Informação que promove não só as temáticas aliadas ao Consumo Responsável, como também as entidades que sobre elas trabalham. Neste espaço, cujo acesso será livre, e aberto ao público em geral, serão exibidos documentários, uma exposição sobre o tema, bem como será levada a cabo uma Acção de Formação, pela Rede Nacional para o Consumo Responsável (as inscrições são obrigatórias e limitadas ao número de lugares disponíveis). Este dia contará ainda com a participação das Aldeias do Xisto. Pode ver o programa dste dia aqui.

A 24 de Novembro irá realizar-se o Workshop de Consumo Sustentável, organizado pela Câmara Municipal de Loulé e a Associação Almargem, em Loulé. O programa pode ser consultado aqui.

Também no dia 24 de Novembro, terá lugar um dos Encontros “Que caminhos até 2015?” organizados pela Agência ODM, desta vez dedicado ao tema “Agir pelo Desenvolvimento – Consumo Responsável”. Este encontro decorrerá pelas 18h no Bar AE ISCTE (Av. das Forças Armadas, Lisboa).

A 26 de Novembro, o Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia promoverá o Seminário “Consumo Sustentável e Alterações Climáticas”, no Campus de Alfragide, Lisboa. Pode ser feito aqui o dowmload do folheto do evento, que inclui o programa.

Finalmente, a 27 e 28 de Novembro, a Cores do Globo organizará o Seminário “Territórios Sustentáveis”, cujos principais painéis remetem a: “Consumo Responsável e a Crise Financeira”, “Media e Consumo”, “Sustentabilidade e Consumo – o Envolvimento dos Stakeholders”, no Goethe Institut (Campo dos Mártires da Pátria nº 37, Lisboa). O programa provisório pode ser consultado aqui.

Fonte consumoresponsavel.org

credits:

odm Official site
Shared in SJ-World.net

Qual TRATOR mais aparece?

Qual TRATOR é mais danoso?

Na manhã de hoje, terça 27, os tratores iniciaram a derrubada da mata no interior da reserva indígena Bananal, para a construção do Bairro “sustentável” noroeste.

Cerca de 50 pessoas estão no local para impedir os tratores, mas às 13:00 chegaram as viaturas policiais para inibir os indígenas e manifestantes.

Os policiais alegam a legitimidade do ato com base em um TAC (termo de ajustamento de conduta) celebrado sem participação dos indígenas, IBAMA ou FUNAI.

O MPF no DF, por meio da procuradora Luciana Loureiro, encaminhou ofícios para os órgãos competentes para manter as obras sustadas.

A vigília continuará, é importante que as pessoas contrárias à esse empreendimento absurdo se mobilizem, quem puder, leve alimento.

As I have been grading papers for most of the weekend, I have turned my attention toward this process and started to notice a rather disturbing trend in a large majority of student writing – the inability to do anything by regurgitate information they have already been given.  In no fewer than 25 of the 45 papers that I have graded so far, I was on the alert for plagiarism because the authors seemed to be saying the exact same things in almost the exact same format with only little variation.  Furthermore, after investigating the book and my lecture, I found the problem – they were reciting my lecture slides (verbatim in some cases) and not really going beyond the scope of what they were told.

Upon noting this fact, I was instantly thrown back to Marcuse and Habermas: one-dimensional society and the role of the expert.  Student papers, and I have been making this argument to myself for some number of years now, are following the path that was described by Marcuse in One Dimensional Man.  Students are taking ideas and applying them without thought, without critical analysis, without really anything at all.  Because individuals are loosing their ability to think critically and openly about issues, we have a generation of psychic automatism where orders are given, followed and not questioned.  It is almost as if the highly rationalization society has finally worked and we do have a nation of worker bees carrying out the orders of talking heads in picture screens.  Why do we have so much inequality in the world?  Because people are unquestioning and are indoctrinated in fear and individualism.

I wonder if anyone in my class actually understands the brevity of the issues that we are talking about every day, or if I have taken over as the “expert” (in Habermas’s view) and they are now just blindly reciting what I have to say?  I would like to think that I am providing an alternative viewpoint from the mass-produced culture trash that they are getting from family and TV that reaffirms difference without the chance of reconciliation or common ground, but I really have to wonder now – am I just replacing the TV that will fill their heads with things that they still wont possess the ability to think about?  Is this really part of forward progress?  Granted, I would rather them recite things they hear from me instead of reifying hate-speech and propaganda from TV, but I really have to wonder if people “get it?”

At least this has given me the proper motivation to completely abandon PowerPoint in future teaching excursions.  I love the technology that we have and the things that I can use, but I have to be a bit cautious here.  If we are socializing our young to accept what they see on a screen as fact and to not think about it, what happens?  I know that when I actually lecture without slides, people are more engaged and actually listen, but once I post a slide no one is engaging with ideas, they are engaging with rote programs of “note taking” and fact accumulation.  I guess I need to give this some more thought, but it is kind of frightening to think about.  Have I really just given people a new set of factoids that they wont think about?  I hope this is not the case.

As usual, Mutahi Ngunyi has a provocative piece in the Sunday Nation. I am sort of sympathetic to his idea of ethnic suicide (by which he means dumping ethnic identities and what they stand for) – I was in Eldoret and Timboroa for two days this summer and saw with my own eyes the fruits of ethnic hatred. The short-term operationalization of the idea may be problematic though. To make Kenyans out of Luos and Kikuyus and Kalenjins will take time. Because of this the process of “ethnic suicide” ought to take place sub-consciously, for if it is “managed” the end results or the process itself may be nasty.

Gitau Warigi pours some cold water on Bethuel Kiplagat’s TJRC. I like his argument. I am always baffled by how much we spend on such useless commissions only to be rewarded with “classified reports” issued to the president.  Philip Ochieng‘ has an interesting piece on ethnicity and politics in Kenya. I wonder how many politicians read his column… And Kwendo Opanga just gave me one more reason to think that Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is as misguided as ever. This is not to say that the alternatives to Mr. Musyoka in the post-Kibaki dispensation are any better. Woe unto Wanjiku.

And in other news, is this legitimising crime or what?

Alcalá de Henares acoge la XVI Muestra Internacional de Humor Gráfico. 166 obras de 44 paísos. El título de la exposición és La letra con humor entra. El tema central de los trabajos presentados ha sido en esta ocasión la Educación universal como derecho de todo ser humano (Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio núm. 2).

[Imágenes 1. Corne 2. Oktan 3. Yépez 4. Arcadio | Vistas en El País]

OPINION – Published October 21, 2009

Furniture manufacturers see the light

Designers believe that Singapore can be the next Milan but it will have to create something special first

By ARTHUR SIM

THERE are times when yesterday’s so-called sunset industries can become the sunrise industries of tomorrow. Such has been the happy fate of Singapore’s furniture manufacturers. Like many developing nations, Singapore turned to furniture-making in the 1960s to help kick-start the manufacturing sector. But neighbouring countries quickly caught up and it soon became clear that furniture manufacturers here would not be able to remain competitive.

Businesses could have pumped in more capital to upgrade this sinking industry but many decided to either give up or move out. Bert Choong, chairman and group managing director of Nobel Design Holdings remembers how, about 25 years ago, the government had indicated to industry players that the outlook was ‘not rosy’. ’The government encouraged us to move out of Singapore,’ he added.

With the help of government agencies such as the Productivity and Standards Board (PSB), these pioneer furniture makers moved to lower-cost countries such as Malaysia. Mr Choong, a former president of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC), also recalls how, in the early 1990s, a group of about 20 industry players went to China to set up a ‘furniture hub’ in Kunshan.

Today, it’s a different story. Singapore’s furniture industry has staged a comeback. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong even recently dubbed it a ’sunrise industry’, holding it up as example for all SMEs. James Koh, deputy chairman and managing director of furniture maker Koda believes much of this revival has to do with design. ‘The focus on design is moving the industry substantially and quickly up the value chain. This enables us to catch the latest trends and appeal to the customers’ sense of aesthetics,’ he adds.

Koda understands it cannot simply compete on price. ‘Cut throat competition is not going to be sustainable,’ says Mr Koh.

Rising output

For whatever reason, things are looking up for furniture makers. Latest figures from the SFIC reveal that the total furniture trade amounted to $4.2 billion in 2008, of which exports accounted for more than 75 percent, or $3.2 billion. Official statistics from EDB and Spring Singapore also show that between 2006 and 2007, total output for furniture manufacturing firms increased by 10 per cent, from $564 million to $619 million.

Koda represents one of the bigger players in Singapore. For its financial year 2008, revenue was close to US$55 million (although it did fall to about US$38 million in 2009, in the wake of the global financial crisis).

But while its business strategy emphasises R&D, marketing, supply chain management and quality control, the actual manufacturing takes place in Vietnam, Malaysia and China. Mr Koh says Vietnam is Koda’s most important manufacturing base. Apart from lower overheads and the availability of skilled carpenters, he revealed that, the Vietnamese government is very supportive of the industry and offers a wide range of incentives.

Koda depends on foreign support in other ways too. While it has Singapore-based designers, more recently, it has found that some foreign designers have a better understanding of markets in the US and Europe.

Even for Nobel Design Holdings, which registered an annual turnover of $44.3 million in 2008, a significant chunk of the business happens outside Singapore. In order to service US clients such as the chain store JC Penney, for instance, Mr Choong explains that the company maintains an office and warehouse in Chicago. Moreover, US designers dictate much of the design, with the furniture subsequently imported directly from China, Indonesia and Malaysia.

So while the industry may be turning around, one has to wonder whether Singapore can capture more of the value-added components. For instance, is it inconceivable to have manufacturing (and logistics) bases in Singapore? Interestingly, the president of the Italian furniture manufacturer association – FederlegnoArredo (FLA) Rosario Messina – who was recently in town, revealed that all Italian furniture is actually manufactured in Italy, even if some components are imported.

And with an annual turnover of 37.5 billion euros ($78.2 billion), and exports of close to 13.5 billion euros, the industry is an important contributor to the Italian economy. Apart from manufacturing much of the world’s high-end furniture, design capabilities and services are also an important reason why Italy is a furniture capital.

Lessons learnt

There are perhaps some lessons Singapore can draw from the Italian experience. Tan Soon Kim, deputy director for lifestyle and business services at IE Singapore notes: ‘From starting OEM to ODM (original design manufacturing), our companies began to add value to their customers by offering complete solutions across the value chain even as they try to lower the costs of production by shifting production bases to the region while maintaining the core functions in Singapore.’

He added: ‘It is important to note that (furniture companies) headquarters remain here, contributing to the talent pool and knowledge economy in Singapore.’ Andrew Ng, president of SFIC also believes that through funding by the Local Enterprise and Association Development programme launched by IE Singapore and Spring Singapore, SFIC has developed ‘many initiatives aimed at helping the local furniture industry’ which includes nurturing a quality workforce, promoting design as well as branding and marketing.

If Singapore is to become a furniture design capital, it will need more companies such as Air Division to help it build an identity. Air Division started in 1991 because its founding partners felt that Singapore lacked a design-led furniture company.

It began by serving a largely local market but this has changed, with exports now accounting for about 15-20 per cent of its business since it began export operations five years ago. According to a study by KPMG, turnover tripled between 2003 and 2006 to $2.6 million.

Air Division has to tap the Asian manufacturing base too. But that a Singapore company is actually recognised around the world for its brand and designs is encouraging. Michael Toh, managing director at Air Division claims: ‘What we offer to consumers is something that one will not be able to find anywhere else in the market.’

Singapore-based designs

Partly because of their Singapore-based design strengths, Air Division and others in the industry actually have an advantage over regional competitors. The industry has even been able to draw the attention of the Italians, who through the FLA, signed an MOU with SFIC to further trade ties earlier this month. As the Italians probably know already, a new design capital closer to the manufacturing base (Asia) will inevitably emerge.

So while Singapore may not be able to have the full spectrum of activities as a furniture manufacturer, there still appears to be a window of opportunity for it to seize the high ground as Asia’s new furniture design capital. The window, however, is small. And few understand this better than designer Patrick Chia.

Among Singaporeans, Mr Chia is a veteran of the international design scene, having first exhibited at the Milan Furniture Fair in the mid-1990s (at his own cost) to critical acclaim – Philippe Starck bought Mr Chia’s designs. Today, he is also design director of the Design Incubation Centre (DIC) at the National University of Singapore.

So it is with some authority that he can say: ‘Milan is no longer the reference point for global designers. They have been doing the same thing for the last 10 years.’

Can Singapore step in?

‘We need to be more aggressive. At the moment, we are still aping the west,’ he points out.

But he is working on bringing about change. Through the DIC, Mr Chia hopes to find new ways to create products such as the Dandella, a pointing device that can be paired with a GPS enabled mobile phone to ‘point you in the right direction’. Dandella, designed by Singaporean designers Yong-kai Tan and Priscilla Lui, received the only Gold Prize in the International Design Competition 2006 in Osaka.

Mr Chia believes Singapore can be the next Milan but it will have to create something special first. ‘The world order is changing and everything has been reset to zero. Whoever makes what is most interesting, that can resonate with the buyer, will come out on top,’ he says.

Source : The Business Times 21.10.2009

” Hoje é comemorado o Dia Mundial da Alimentação, em decorência a criação da FAO. Saiba mais… “

O motivo de comemoração dessa data, é a criação da FAO (  Organização das Nações Unidas para a Agricultura e a Alimentação, e para ser mais preciso: Food and Agriculture Organization ), inalgurada em 1945. O objetivo do Dia Mundial da Alimentação é conscientizar o conjunto da humanidade sobre a difícil situação que enfrentam as pessoas que passam fome e estão desnutridas, e promover em todo o mundo a participação da população na luta contra a fome.

Durante o Dia Mundial da Alimentação, celebrado pela primeira vez em 1981, ressalta-se cada ano um tema em que se focalizam todas as atividades. Abaixo estão os temas em seus respectivos anos.

-  2006-2007 – “O Direito à Alimentação”
-  2005 – “Agricultura e diálogo de culturas“
-  2004 – “Biodiversidade e Segurança Alimentar“
-  2003 – “Trabalhar juntos para criar uma Aliança Internacional contra a Fome”
-  2002 – “A Água, fonte da Segurança Alimentar”
-  2001 – “Combater a fome para reduzir a pobreza”
-  2000 – “Um milénio sem fome” – “Nós Podemos!” – ( das famosas metas do milênio. Não as conhece? Acesse o Portal ODM ).

De TheJokerSpace Equipe [ Christian! ]

jean-charles de castelbajac´s first watch collection, in cooperation with odm looks very cute with its playful lego look.

• Información campaña y materiales (LIBRO ACERCA DE LOS OBJETIVOS DEL MILENIO, parte I y II – GENIAL!!!):  http://www.pobrezacero.org/

Libro ODM 1

Libro ODM 2

• GUÍA PARA CELEBRAR UN SEMANA SOBRE LOS ODM
• Unidad de Voces Contra la Pobreza

• www.rebelatecontralapobreza.org

• Ideas para rebelarte contra la pobreza desde el Aula

El Grito de mi Generación.

Versión ROCK. Muy buena!!

(versión acústica)

ESTRIBILLO:
Quiero oír el grito de mi generación
Dispuesta a levantarse y a vivir sin miedo
Y a dar un giro, un golpe de emoción
Una revolución donde las armas son tu voz

Dame un camino hacia la salvación
Y seguiré tus pasos sin pensarlo
Dirán que estás perdiendo la razón
Pero prefiero estar loco a ser su esclavo

Y yo no
No tengo miedo y sigo esperando
A que estalle la revolución

• Intermón Oxfam siempre dispone de materiales muy atractivos, entre otros:

Propuesta educativa:
Pobreza y Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio

• MATERIALES de IO en Internet sobre Pobreza Cero

Recursos adicionales                                         

  Infantil y primer ciclo de primaria

   Marta está contenta (infantil)   Kidane tiene un tesoro (1º ciclo)  Guía didáctica 

  Segundo ciclo de primaria

   Ale y la bola del mundo mágica   Guía didáctica   

  Tercer ciclo de primaria

   La carrera de tu vida

  Secundaria

 Muévete por la Pobreza Cero Carpeta de recursos

     Global Express
     La pobreza, la gran olvidada

Otros Materiales

• Guía didáctica sobre la Erradicación de la Pobreza( IES El Rincón) 
• PowePoint:DÍA INTERNACIONAL PARA LA ERRADICACIÓN DE LA POBREZA.
• Resolución ONU: Obetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio.
• Cartel: Objetivos Desarrollo del Milenio.
• Comunicado de la RCES ante el Dia Internacional por la Erradicación de la Pobreza (17 Oct. 2007)
• Cartel: Deuda Externa, La Condena de los Empobrecidos.

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The following is adapted from the notice in the church news.  I’ll be cross-posting some of the prayer resources I share as I go.  As always prayers and support are welcome!  I’m looking forward to this new adventure!

ODM Prayer Partners

It is said that when we work, we work but when we pray GOD works.  Prayer is our opportunity to put our trust in God and let Him work in our lives.  Here are a couple of reminders about what God’s word teaches us about prayer:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” - Jer 29:11-14

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” – Col 4:2

If you’d like to add some zest to your prayer life, to connect with God and His people in new and exciting ways, then we’d like to invite you to participate in our exciting new ministry: ODM Prayer Partners!  Special thanks to Christianqueergrrl for developing this exciting new ministry!

What is a prayer partner?  A prayer partner is:

• Someone to pray with
• Someone to praise with
• Someone to help you stay accountable for your prayer practice, daily devotions, etc.
• Someone new you can connect with that you might not have sought out otherwise
• Someone to keep you involved and connected even when you can’t make it to Sunday services
• Someone to partner with in praying for the needs of our congregation and our pastoral search
• Someone to promote your growth in and through prayer

Sound like someone you want in your life?  If so, this is the perfect opportunity for you.  Please join us!

The process is simple: Sign up by answering a few quick questions.  You’ll be paired up with a prayer partner and you’ll have six weeks to share the awesomeness of prayer together!

Your commitment:  You will make a commitment to your prayer partner to share time in prayer twice a week for six weeks.  This can be on the phone, in person, through online chat, whatever works for you and your schedules.

We’ll have opportunities to connect as a group and celebrate our commitment to growing in our prayer life.  Thea will also be available as a resource to you and she will provide you with weekly ideas, suggestions, scriptures or songs that you may find useful or inspiring in your prayer practice with your prayer partner.

To sign up please answer the following questions and email christianqueergrrl by October 8^th.

If you don’t feel this is something you can participate in right now, we humbly request that you support us with your prayers.

Thank you!  We look forward to hearing from many of you and starting on this new and exciting prayer adventure.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

The furore over Justice Aaron Ringer’a reappointment to the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission is an unfortunate piece of drama that has induced a frenzy of euphoria among legislators and the general public.

Justice Aaron Ringera

When the euphoria wears off, most will realize that nothing really changed despite what is billed as an iconic step by Kenya’s Parliament to reject the re appointment done by President Mwai Kibaki.

If anything, the ongoing cheap drama is working out perfectly as a tactic by Kenya’s ruling classes to engage in political bargaining, or horse trading, while hoodwinking the people that democratic space is growing.

Now, legislators are on a blood frenzy as they vow to re-examine previous executive appointments and subject them to a similar fate. If Members of Parliament go through with their threat, there will be total chaos in State Corporations and government departments as it will be difficult to tell who is in charge.

Despite all the hullaballoo about the legality or otherwise of the reappointment, the core of the saga was that the ODM wing of government was not consulted over the appointment. Prime Minister Raila Odinga tried to play down the issue so as not to appear as opposing the President but his allies, James Orengo and Prof Anyang Nyongo, could not have opposed Ringera’s reappointment without Raila’s tacit approval and encouragement.

The Ringera saga is reminiscent of previous tussles over the powers of the two main principles in the Giant Coalition Government, namely President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The Prime Minister has numerously said that he is an equal to the President and therefore should be consulted in every government decision. The result of the impasse over powers has resulted in a divided government.

Confusion in government was evident in parliament during the week as Cabinet Ministers harshly attacked their own government. When challenged to resign for disagreeing with their boss – the President – the ministers argued that they were debating as ordinary legislators and not as Cabinet Ministers.

The principle of an independent prosecution agency to tackle grand corruption was proposed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) back in 1997. It was then known as the Kenya Anti Corruption Authority (KACA) and was meant to be an independent body that could prosecute top government officials. However, the very concept of a parallel prosecution body was not acceptable to Kenyan authorities and efforts were made to ensure its downfall.

On December 22, 2000, the High Court in the case of Gachiengo Versus Republic (2000) ruled that the existence of KACA undermined the powers conferred on both the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police by the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. In addition, the High Court further held that the statutory provisions establishing KACA were in conflict with the Constitution. That spelt the death of KACA.

The present KACC was established in 2003 by enactment of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act. Justice Aaron Ringera as Director and three Assistant Directors formally took office on 10th September, 2004.

KACC has been accused of not prosecuting top personalities who have been implicated in corruption and instead going after “small fish.” In its defence, KACC says that it lacks powers to prosecute and it can only investigate and forward the files to the Attorney General. This situation is likely to persist as there are many in government who are uncomfortable with the idea of multiple prosecuting agencies in the country.

In an ideal world the ranking of an institution as the most corrupt in a country is enough reason for the head of that institution to resign or initiate radical reforms to mitigate the situation. But this has never been true for the Kenya Police Force. Every year,  the Kenya Police Force has emerged as the most corrupt institution in the country without serious repercussions at Vigilance House. It therefore came as welcome news when the president announced today the replacement of Major General Ali with Mathew Iteere as Police Commissioner.

Ali tried to rein in organized crime and to tame the proscribed Mungiki sect. The executive lacked the political will to let him finish the job and Ali lacked the spine to take the fight to those who stood in his way. He was also anti-reform, which must be the main reason why the president has chosen to show him the door. His legacy will forever be tarnished by the force’s extra-judicial killings that took place on his watch. But he will also be remembered as the no-nonsense commissioner who moved the force from the backward days of the Nyayo era police state towards a force befitting a quasi-democracy. Many would agree that for a reformer he lasted for too long at the helm and therefore failed  (kind of like what will become the fate of his former boss, President Kibaki).

Mr. Iteere, from the paramilitary GSU, comes in at a time when the force needs urgent structural and operational reforms (as recommended by the Ransley report). I know nothing about the man but I hope he is strong enough to stand up to the president’s  men (and increasingly the Premier’s men too) who might stand in his way. We wish him well.

 4 Minute – MUZIK

A new handphone~~~ and a list of ODM watches~

And also a new mp3 player.. I want one that had a big filespace so that I can put all my songs in…

1 and 2 gigs are so not enough for all my songs~ o.o

Walkman model, the NW-A820 The player features a 2,4″ 320×240 QVGA screen, noise canceling features, Bluetooth functionality, and sizes up to 16GB.

BLUETOOTH!!!!! -screams and kicks- I WANT ONE!!!!

More than a phone… o.o

I want the gold looking one… But the white one looks nice too~~~~ :3

Nem os deuses, ninguém..., escapa da PRIMAVERA.

Setembro é um mês especial.

Começa e termina com tristes lembranças, o inicio da Segunda Guerra Mundial e a morte de James Dean.

Os patriotas brasileiros lembram e celebram a independencia……

Para quem gosta de futebol, como esquecer o DIA do CORINTHIANS?

Das tristes lembranças recentes, no caso dos americanos, não há como esquecer o absurdo terrorista do World Trade Center.

Evidentemente que você acrescentará outras importantes efemérides e registros históricos nessa minha modesta introdução.

Neste mês eu irei pensar em PRIMAVERA e em Objetivos de Desenvolvimentos do Milênio – ODM.

Será o meu desagravo a um tema e a profissionais e formadores de opinião desrespeitados e ignorados.

Para horror de alguns alcaides, principalmente do ABC e mais notadamente de Santo André, setembro traz à luz a ignorância, abandono – e timidez em alguns casos – na implementação de propostas de Planejamento Estratégico Participativo a Médio e Longo Prazo das Cidades em conexão com a ONU e os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio.

Com todas as dificuldades internas, a governo municipal de Santo André que terminou em 2008 avançou em uma proposta inovadora de discussão do projeto da Organização das Nações Unidas. Respeito e credibilidade nacional e internacional foram conquistados.

ENTÃO, VAMOS ÀS PERGUNTAS:
 

Como os andreenses irão comemorar o acordo mundial da Cimeira do Milênio de setembro de 2000?

O Projeto CIDADE FUTURO – AGENDA DO MILÊNIO foi definitivamente enterrado?

Seria interessante se as Nações Unidas e as Organizações Internacionais soubessem que por conta de uma nova visão – ou ignorância – administrativa um projeto que agrega valor e respeitabilidade não mais existe?

Será que aqueles que viraram e iniciaram novas PÁGINAS nos Governos Municipais do ABC não estão interessados sobre este ASSUNTO?

Não creio que isso seja verdade em pelos menos em três prefeituras do ABCD.

E agora, a pergunta MAIS IMPORTANTE:
 

Independentemente dos GOVERNOS, o que os segmentos sociais estão fazendo? O que as famílias estão fazendo para que os ODM sejam alcançados até 2015?

Falando de minha praia e arraial: O que as igrejas e lideranças evangélicas estão fazendo para cumprir os ODM que representam de maneira prática os ensinos de Jesus de Nazaré?

Será que continuaremos empurrando a RESPONSABILIDADE para os políticos eleitos?

SAIBAM: Alguns contam e capitalizam em cima de nossa incapacidade em responder agindo ás perguntas anteriores.

Está tudo bem para você?