PRIMO steunde de start (2015) én oprichting (2016) van de opleidingen aan de St. Thomas University in Michigan. Peter Young is betrokken geweest bij de start van PRIMO Europe te Straatsburg in 2005 en ontwikkelde enkele jaren geleden de term Risk Leadership. Ook Jack Kruf, president van PRIMO Europe, is sinds twee jaar als partner verbonden aan deze opleiding.
PRIMO Europe en St. Thomas University gaan in 2019 door op de ingeslagen weg en intensiveren in Malta (5, 6 en 7 december 2018) hun samenwerking voor de Europese markt. Leiderschap is een onderdeel van het FORTE™ raamwerk dat PRIMO heeft ontwikkeld voor gerichte dialoog over publieke waarden, externe en interne factoren, mogelijke publieke risico's en de daarbij passende good governance. Peter Young geeft zijn duiding van het begrip risicoleiderschap.
For the last 10 years, UST has been developing a position that has led to the 2016 launch of the "The Risk Leadership Initiative". As we embark with you, our broad group of stakeholders, on the next academic year, we thought it might be useful to clarify our usage of the term Risk Leadership and invite you to participate with us in extending our understanding of this challenging and changing concept. We invite you to participate with us at UST events, in the classroom, at round-table dialogues, and on social media to explore and define what Risk Leadership means to you and your organization. Ultimately, as a teaching organization, we seek to develop your capabilities and skills and offer you a variety of ways to continue to inform your organization and enhance your career.
We have coined the terms, Risk Leader and Risk Leadership, to make a distinction between traditional risk managers of all stripes—insurance buyers, IT security managers, financial risk managers, internal auditors, compliance specialists, etc.—and a rather new phenomenon that has arisen in recent years. For example, most of the newer views of risk management assert that, in some sense, all managers are risk managers within the scope of their responsibilities.
Our investigation of this assertion led us to realize that while the word "management" applied to some of common understanding of managing risks (driving and protecting one's assigned objectives), there were many situations where the scope or size of the problem required cross-silo cooperation, effective communications, and advocating for collaborative responses. In other words, these activities required more "leadership" acumen than managerial competence. Given this, how do we describe those farther reaching, strategic activities? Our conclusion was that the managers were providing "Risk Leadership" to support enterprise-wide objectives.
We have also observed that top management and the board of directors play a particularly significant role in assuring that a comprehensive, strategic, and consistent approach to risk management is undertaken. In other words, they have a role that is not properly defined as managing, but rather—risk leading by setting the "tone at the top".
Additionally, we recognize that some type of specialized knowledge is necessary to provide effective "risk leadership". A common response in organizations has been hiring a high-ranking individual to provide overall coordination of all aspects of risk management within an organization. This individual may go by various titles (Chief Risk Officer is one), but we chose to refer to this highest-ranking position as the "Risk Leader". To be clear, all managers are risk managers and have risk leadership possibilities within their own area of responsibilities, but in part because of this dispersion of responsibilities among all employees, there has arisen a specific "Risk Leader" function within many organizations to coordinate, inspire, energize, and—well—lead on responding to risk.


You have to watch this Google Robot Bees video created by Google to commemorate their 10th anniversary.
Bees-on-the-Net advertised on Google Adwords to promote its offline business of bee hive removal. It was incredibly successful because it's possible to target very specific geographic areas. We're in San Diego, so there's no point in people calling us from Kathmandu to have a swarm of bee removed.
We just love the video, in part of course because the mechanical bees in the video make Africanized bees look positively benign. I would love to know how they managed to personalize the video for each advertiser.
Our videos are never likely to be as sophisticated as this, but we're working on it. To see some of our videos on our YouTube channel. Click on this link to leave the Google Robot Bees Video and see some of ours.


text:
Q: Deploy Code from GitLab Repository to Azure Web App using PowerShell I would like to setup continuous deployment from a GitLab repository to an Azure App using a PowerShell script. I'm aware that you can do this manually as per:
https://christianliebel.com/2016/05/auto-deploying-to-azure-app-services-from-gitlab/
However, I'm trying to automate this with Powershell. I've looked at this sample script for GitHub:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/scripts/app-service-powershell-continuous-deployment-github
But as there is no provider for GitLab, and none of the existing providers accept a GitLab URL, I'm unsure of how to proceed. I've looked at setting up a manual deployment with GitLab in the Azure Portal (using the External Repository option) and exporting the resource group template to get details of how the repository is connected to the App, but I get the error:
Could not get resources of the type 'Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols'.
Resources of this type will not be exported. (Code: ExportTemplateProviderError, Target: Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols)

At the minute, I'm working around this by mirroring my GitLab repository in GitHub, and using the continuous deployment pipeline from there to Azure. Note, this is for a repository hosted in GitLab.com, not in a self-hosted GitLab server. There is no Windows Runner setup for the project.
How can I use a PowerShell script to setup a Continuous Deployment directly from GitLab to Azure? Once the setup script is run, each subsequent commit/merge to the GitLab repository should then automatically be deployed to Azure. Preferably, this PowerShell script should use the AzureRM modules, but I'm willing to accept a solution that uses PowerShell Core and the new Az module (based on the Azure CLI). The specific test repository I'm using is public (https://gitlab.com/MagicAndi/geekscode.net), but it isn't a specific requirement for the solution to work with private repositories (but if it does, even better!).
Update 17/12/2018
I've awarded the bounty to the-fish as his answer best met my specific needs. However, given that Windows Powershell and the Azure RM module are being deprecated in favour of PowerShell Core and the new Az module (using the Azure CLI), I've created a new question asking specificially for a canonical answer using the Azure CLI and Powershell Core. I plan on offering a bounty for this question when it is open to me in 2 days. Thanks.

A: It sounds like you are looking for a direct deploy from GitLab to Azure Apps, however I'd suggest using a deployment pipeline tool to give you far more options.
Azure DevOps Services Pipelines would likely be a safe option and has a free tier and here's a very brief getting started guide for Web Apps deploys.
However it doesn't have built in support for GitLab, but there appears to be a marketplace tool for integrations with GitLab.
This doesn't appear to have the capability of release triggers, but could be triggered manually. Someone else has the question about release triggers in the marketplace Q&A so perhaps it will be in the roadmap.

A: Trying to reproduce your situation, I used the Azure CLI:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/?view=azure-cli-latest

Which is ready to be used in a script in powershell like you want.
First, I tried to get all information about current deployment with a Bitbucket repository, which was configured as a Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols/Bitbucket:
az webapp deployment source show --name XXXXXXX --resource-group YYYYY

And got answer:
{
  "branch": "master",
  "deploymentRollbackEnabled": false,
  "id": "/subscriptions/00000/resourceGroups/YYYYY/providers/Microsoft.Web/sites/XXXXXXX/sourcecontrols/web",
  "isManualIntegration": false,
  "isMercurial": false,
  "kind": null,
  "location": "North Europe",
  "name": "XXXXXXX",
  "repoUrl": "https://bitbucket.org/myAccount/myRepo",
  "resourceGroup": "YYYYY",
  "type": "Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols"
}

I disconnected it, and configured it manually, specifying External Repository exactly like in your link, defining the SAME Git repository, and branch, and at end, I got almost the same result:
{
  "branch": "master",
  "deploymentRollbackEnabled": false,
  "id": "/subscriptions/00000/resourceGroups/YYYYY/providers/Microsoft.Web/sites/XXXXXXX/sourcecontrols/web",
  "isManualIntegration": true,
  "isMercurial": false,
  "kind": null,
  "location": "North Europe",
  "name": "XXXXXXX",
  "repoUrl": "https://bitbucket.org/myAccount/myRepo",
  "resourceGroup": "YYYYY",
  "tags": {
    "hidden-related:/subscriptions/00000/resourcegroups/YYYYY/providers/Microsoft.Web/serverfarms/XXXXXXX-sp": "empty"
  },
  "type": "Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols"
}

You can see the differences:

*

*isManualIntegration is now True, instead of False

*the hidden-related tag but I'm not sure it is interesting here

All that to say, you can script easily, using the official Azure Cli, the deployment definition, this way:
az webapp deployment source config --manual-integration --repository-type git --repo-url https://bitbucket.org/myAccount/myRepo --branch master --name XXXXXXX --resource-group YYYYY

Edit 15/11/2018:
Once this deployment setup done, each new commits push to the regarded branch (e.g. master in previous samples) will automatically trigger a new deployment.
To be noted that sometimes it takes few minutes for the deployment to be triggered.
Eventually, if ever you would like to automatically execute something (a Powershell command, a GNU/Bash script, an .py, .bat, or whatever), you can create a .deployment file in root of your repository.
For instance:
[config]
SCM_COMMAND_IDLE_TIMEOUT = 9000
command = bash.exe build_my_project_on_azure.sh

You can get more information in the official documentation.

A: Assuming the repository is public you could use the following:
$gitrepo="<replace-with-URL-of-your-own-repo>"
$webappname="mywebapp$(Get-Random)"
$location="West Europe"

# Create a resource group.
New-AzureRmResourceGroup -Name myResourceGroup -Location $location

# Create an App Service plan in Free tier.
New-AzureRmAppServicePlan -Name $webappname -Location $location `
    -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup -Tier Free

# Create a web app.
New-AzureRmWebApp -Name $webappname -Location $location -AppServicePlan $webappname `
    -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup

# Configure deployment from your repo and deploy once.
$PropertiesObject = @{
    repoUrl = "$gitrepo";
    branch = "master";
    isManualIntegration = $true
}
Set-AzureRmResource -PropertyObject $PropertiesObject -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup `
    -ResourceType Microsoft.Web/sites/sourcecontrols -ResourceName $webappname/web `
    -ApiVersion 2018-02-01 -Force

Let me know if it's private, that may be more difficult. If you look at the CLI source you can see they currently only support access tokens with GitHub.
https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli/blob/4f87cb0d322c60ecc6449022467bd580a0accd57/src/command_modules/azure-cli-appservice/azure/cli/command_modules/appservice/custom.py#L964-L1027

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Copyright and OA Policy
Journal of Scientometric Research
A journal devoted to Innovation Studies and Policy Research
on Machine Learning
Indialics Issue
on Science Technology Innovation and Development in Africa
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Home / About Journal / Aim and Scope
Journal of Scientometric Research (J. Scientometric Res.) is an internationally targeted official publication of Phcog.Net. It publishes peer-reviewed articles online in an open access format. It follows the double-blind peer-review process. The journal encourages both empirical and theoretical contributions that advance scientometric research and also reaches out to scholars of science and technology studies (STS), sociology, economics and other related fields that use scientometric data as the 'object of investigation' or apply scientometric analysis in innovation and STS studies.
The journal thus publishes articles in all the different domains of scientometrics, including patent studies (techometrics) and web-based studies (webometrics). It also publishes articles that apply science-technology-innovation indicators to draw inasights of country/regional/sectoral research, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Papers in areas of contemporary focus such as open science, new tools, and techniques including new approaches for information retrieval, metrics, and new forms of publications among others are encouraged. The journal has various categories in which articles can be submitted, highlighted later in this document.
ISSN : [ISSN:Print -2321-6654, Online - 2320-0057] ; Frequency : Rapid at a time publication - Triannual (3 issues/year). Special issues are also published on contemporary areas from time-to-time.
Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Sujit Bhattacharya, Ph.D
Abstracting and Indexing Information :
The journal is registered with the following indexing and abstracting partners:
Scopus, Dimensions, Emerging Source Citation Index (ESCI), EBSCO Publishing's Electronic Databases, Exlibris – Primo Central, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Google Scholar, Hinari, Infotrieve, Journal Guide, National Science Library, OpenJGate, ProQuest, TdNet. The journal is also listed in India's UGC-CARE List of Journals.
Open Access Journal: JSCIRES is an open access journal, which allows authors to fund their article to be open access in the form publication.
Journal of Scientometric Research (J. Scientometric Res.) is an internationally targeted official publication of Phcog.Net. It publishes peer-reviewed articles online in an open access format, after a careful selection through a double-blind peer-review process. The journal encourages both empirical and the theoretical contributions that advance scientometric research (in its widest interpretation) and also reaches out to scholars of science and technology studies (STS), sociology, economics and other related fields that use scientometric data as the 'object of investigation' or apply scientometric analysis in innovation and STS studies.
The journal thus publishes articles in all the different domains of scientometrics, including patent studies (techometrics) and web-based studies (webometrics). It also publishes articles that apply science-technology-innovation indicators to draw inasights of country/regional/sectoral research, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Papers in areas of contemporary focus such as open science, new tools, and techniques including new approaches for information retrieval, metrics, and new forms of publications among others are encouraged. The journal has various categories in which articles can be submitted, Please refer instructions to authors for this and other details.
Scopus, Emerging Source Citation Index (ESCI), Dimensions.ai, Crossref.org, EBSCO Databases, OpenJGate, ProQuest, Exlibris-Primo Content Index, CORE.ac.uk, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Google Scholar, HINARI, JournalGuide.com, DBLP, UGC-CARE List (India), and TdNet. The journal is also listed with Publons.com for the reviewers' recognition.
Open Access Journal: JSCIRES is an open access journal and has no charges for publishing (No APC Charge).
We are pleased to inform you that the Journal of Scientometric Research is now covered by SCOPUS Index, and in Clarivate Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) products and services. The journal is indexed in SCOPUS since 2019. It is also indexed and abstracted in Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) since 2017. The ESCI is a new index in the Web of Science Core Collection.
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Happy New Year to one and all!! Congratulations if you are recently engaged and if you are getting married this year. We have exciting stuff happening that could be just for you.
We have a BIG January and even BIGGER February coming up for us at Paperless Wedding. Why I hear you cry? Well we are well underway with creating our brand new theme creator. The theme creator is the place where you select a theme and then edit it to suit your wedding. You could even create your very own design and not use any of our premade themes.
Over the last year we have looked at how past couples are using the site and how we can improve this experience and the overall design of your wedding websites.
We want each wedding website design to be unique to you and your wedding.
We want it to be easy to use for all levels of technical and design ability.
We want it to look great across ALL devices.
We want your guests to LOVE it and find it the perfect place to get all they need to know about your big day.
The site will be easy to navigate via a menu on the left hand side. Our current themes will be loaded in and you will be able to edit and add to them.
All details you enter about your special day will be visible straight away on the site and you will be able to change the font, colour and position of the text.
We are also changing the look of the envelope that your guests will see. It will tie in with your wedding colours and you will have 3 to choose from.
So as you can see there are some majorly exiting things happening and I can't wait to share them with you. If you are already designing your site now, don't worry you will be able to keep what you have done and nothing will change. However if you want to use the new site all your details will be there, you will just need to re-upload any design images into the new theme creator. We hope this will be launched in February!
Looking back on last year I can now share with you are most popular designs of 2016 and all will be available in the new system, along with many more!
Magical Soiree and Peonies both designed by Coeur Design.
Classic and Clean designed by Skyblue Creations and Sandy Sunset designed by my husband!
I can't wait to show you the new look designs in the next few weeks.


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Kingofwatersports Surf offers a free board bag on many of its boards and we stock the top brands like O'Shea, Bic Surf and Rusty. Surf packages for beginners and shortboards for the pro, we will get you on the water asap, and with free delivery on most boards there's no stopping you!
The home of Watersports. Our Surf section offers a full range of surfboards, fins, leashes and accessories for every surfer. From the Mini Mals to the shortboards, from the grom to the pro. We stock O'Shea, Bic, Rusty, Futures fins and board bags to suit all shapes and sizes. More brands coming soon so watch this space!
The world class SLAYER with Josh Kerr. The perfect board for the perfect board. Rusty is our top surf brand, rated by all our customers. Check out our defined range of boards, there is something there for everyone!


The last thing cinema needed was another boxing movie, and yet here is an unforgettable, instant classic that must be seen. Mark Wahlberg has been battling it in the ring for years with the help of his domineering mother (Melissa Leo) as manager and his once-successful, now has-been junkie brother (Christian Bale) training him. Having gotten nowhere with either of them at his side, Wahlberg decides to veer in the direction of a more devoted trainer thanks to the confidence of his new girlfriend (a surprisingly tough Amy Adams) behind him. What David O. Russell contributes with his scintillating direction to this heretofore well-known synopsis is what makes this film really zing: the tension between all these characters, what they want from each other and what they will take without asking, makes for more insane intensity outside the boxing ring than what goes on within. The scenes where Wahlberg gets to punching his opponents are a relief compared to the drama suffered by him as he tries to distance himself from his terrifying matriarch and his self-destructive brother. Based on the true story of Mickey Ward, the film is grounded by Wahlberg's performance: bland and opaque, but also sincere, a relief of stillness amid all the insane charisma going on around him. There are fireworks whenever Leo is on screen, while Bale's insanely accurate depiction of broken dreams gone berserk can be barely contained by the dimensions of the camera. Russell's drive gives the film so much of its dramatic thrust, but there is also a lot of humour and, as a result of all these elements combined, an overwhelming sense of humanity that leads to a very moving finale. A masterpiece.


Have you been worried about how safe your workplace is? You are not alone. There are plenty of employees who ask this about their places of work, and there are, as a consequence, many ways to ensure people's safety within the facilities of a company or institution.
Many merchants and most businessmen spend millions in hard currency to fight crime in their business and implementing insurance policies. However, if a sound safety program is implemented but not maintained, there will be no return on this investment. For example, improved door locks are useless if a ladder is left outside against the walls of the building and it provides the thief easy access to a second-floor window and therefore the whole area.
– Make sure all the doors and windows are adequately closed, and their mechanisms properly work. If you have any questions, call the locksmith, carpenter, or Security Company and tell them about your doubts.
– Stay alert while you or your employees open and close the business door. Be alert for any suspicious person who might be walking and wondering nearby.
– Create and save a list of the serial numbers of the equipment that belongs to the office.
– Examine in detail the portfolio and CV of your future employees before hiring them. Check their personal references and make them use their ID cards on Staff lanyards at all times.
– Try to keep very little cash in the office or counter. It is better to deposit the money in a safe or in a banking institution.
– If you have an alarm system, regularly check if it is working.
– Keep good control of the keys. Not knowing where the keys are set you and others in a vulnerable position. Change the codes of locks if there is any doubt.
– Park the vehicles away from the building to prevent them from being used to climb the roof or to block the view of the doors and windows.
– Provide your employees with a safe place to leave handbags and coats during work hours. Personal drawers in the offices are wrong places to deposit bags since they are a favorite for thieves.
– Install an adequate lighting system. Thieves prefer the darkness or another way to hide and conceal. A well-lit office and building is less appealing for the criminal.
– Keep trees and bushes properly gardened so that they do not block the view of the windows and doors.
Make eye contact with your customers. A good way to do it is by greeting them when they enter the business; look at them in the eye, always ask if they need any help. Continue with this contact during the visit.
Post signs that thieves will be prosecuted (as simple as "All Shoplifters will be Prosecuted ").
Check the testers or fitting rooms.
Adapt the store set to improve customer service and restrict thefts.
Illuminate dark areas, alleys, and corners, try not to create shadows that could interfere with surveillance.
According to some reports, crime, in general, is the result of many factors, these may include drug trafficking and organized crime; a poor judicial and law system that leaves room for impunity; and even the lack of opportunities for people living in disadvantaged communities.
It is also noteworthy to mention that crime and violence rates are concentrated in specific areas of neighborhoods and cities. So, not all countries, cities or communities in a given region suffer from the same levels of violence.
There is no magic formula to solve the problem of crime, and it should be emphasized that relying on the actions of the police is not enough. A combination of initiatives and strategies can play an important role in the prevention of violent acts and criminal behavior in the workplace.


Summaries of the latest tax developments being reported by KPMG firms from around the globe.
Global editions of TaxNewsFlash provide summaries of the latest tax developments being reported by KPMG firms from around the globe. The global editions are filtered into various publication series available below.
TaxNewsFlash-Asia Pacific — KPMG's reports of tax developments in the Asia Pacific region.


text:
Egypt, Ethiopia 'bound together' by Nile, says minister
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that Egypt considered its relations with Ethiopia as a primary component of its foreign policy.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, currently on a daylong visit to Ethiopia, asserted on Thursday that the Nile River "binds us [Egypt and Ethiopia] together."
His statements came during a joint press briefing between Shoukry and Ethiopian counterpart Tedros Adhanom, held Thursday in Addis Ababa after half an hour of closed-door discussions.
"The Nile binds us together," Shoukry said. "Historically it has done so and it will bind us together in the future as a source of mutual benefit, understanding and cooperation."
The aim of his trip to Ethiopia, he added, was to maintain the "high level" of dialogue between the two countries.
Shoukry stressed that Egypt considered its relations with Ethiopia as a primary component of its foreign policy, noting that he had discussed with Tedros preparations for an upcoming Egypt-Ethiopia ministerial meeting.
"I think we set the stage for new areas of cooperation between the two countries to consolidate our already deep historic relations," the foreign minister said.
He said a June meeting between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn had laid the groundwork for a new phase of Egyptian-Ethiopian cooperation – one based on mutual understanding and respect.
"We [Shoukry and Tedros] also had the opportunity to discuss how to move higher political dialogue meetings to the level of heads of state," Egypt's top diplomat said.
"We look forward to the heads of state and senior officials from the two countries meeting [in order] to consolidate bilateral relations," he added.
Shoukry said the trilateral technical committee that convened in Sudanese capital Khartoum late last month had allowed all parties to demonstrate the confidence that was built as a result of the June meeting between al-Sisi and Desalegn.
He added that the recent committee meeting in Khartoum had also been an occasion for all parties to reevaluate the situation from each other's perspective.
"I'm equally interested in developing Ethiopia's interests and I'm sure that my brother [Tedros] is equally interested in taking Egypt – and the interests of the Egyptian people – into account," he said
Tedros, for his part, said he and Shoukry had agreed to remain in close contact.
Citing the adage, "Let's swim together or sink together," Tedros asserted: "This [recent high-level meetings and the Khartoum meeting] is an excellent opportunity for the countries to swim together."
"We have no other option," he added.
Tedros went on to note that, since June, Ethiopian and Egyptian officials had had several opportunities to engage one another.
He stressed the need to deepen the two countries' relations, noting that a joint Egypt-Ethiopia ministerial committee would convene soon.
"There are agreements in the pipeline – [agreements] on health, agriculture, air service, urban development and tourism, the last being an area where Ethiopia has a lot to learn from Egypt," he said.
After meeting his Ethiopian counterpart, Shoukry proceeded to Desalegn's office, where he gave the prime minister a message from al-Sisi.
Güncelleme Tarihi: 04 Eylül 2014, 17:20
#Egypt,
#Hailemariam Desalegn,
#Ethiopia,
#Grand Renaissance Dam,
#river nile,
#sameh shoukry
More children suffering from malnutrition in Somalia amid looming famine
Thousands displaced by tribal violence in Sudan: UN
Uganda overcomes Ebola outbreak
2 UN peacekeepers killed in Mali
Türkiye, Algeria work hard to improve ties: Turkish foreign minister


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FACE-TO-FACE WITH TERROR – PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
by esibadmin on Sep 22, 2014
Face-to-face with terror. It was December 14, 2003, and I was on my way home to Army House after having landed in Islamabad a few minutes earlier. Religious extremists had struck right in my midst, and it was only by the grace of God that I was saved and no precious lives were lost.
I have confronted death and defied it several times in the past because destiny and fate have always smiled on me. I only pray that I have more than the proverbial nine lives of a cat.
I first avoided death as a teenager in 1961, when I was hanging upside down from the branch of a mango tree and it broke. When I hit the ground, my friends thought I was dead.
In 1972, when I was leading a company of commandos as a major in the mountainous Northern Areas, I should have been on a plane of Pakistan International Airlines that crashed into a glacier up in the Himalayas on a flight from Gilgit to Islamabad. At the last minute, I hadn't boarded it, because the bodies of two of my men who had been killed by an avalanche had been found, and my commanding officer and I opted to give up our seats to make the weight available for the conveyance of the bodies. The plane has still not been found.
I should have been on President Zia ul-Haq's C-130 airplane that crashed on August 17, 1988. I had been selected to become military secretary to the president, but as luck would have it, another brigadier was appointed to the post at the last minute. That poor man went to a fiery death instead of me. The United States ambassador, Arnold Lewis
Raphael, was also among the unfortunate passengers. The crash was never fully explained and remains a mystery in the modern history of Pakistan.
My closest call was in 1998, when, as a lieutenant general commanding the Mangla Corps, I was called to army headquarters in Rawalpindi for a conference. After finishing my official commitments, I went off with a friend, Lieutenant Colonel Aslam Cheema, to play bridge in his office, which was at a remote location. My commander of aviation, who was flying a helicopter back to Mangla started looking for me. He wanted to take me back to Mangla by the chopper to avoid the two-hour road journey. I would have readily flown with him. But he didn't know where I was, gave up looking, and left. The helicopter crashed and he died. A simple game of bridge with a friend saved me.
On October 12, 1999, I was chief of the army staff, the highest military position in Pakistan. My plane was about to land at Karachi from Colombo, when the prime minister effectively hijacked it from the ground, blocking the runway and closing all airports in Pakistan. He ordered my plane to leave Pakistan air space. Our fuel was so low that we would have crashed had the army not taken control of Karachi Airport before it was too late. We landed with only seven minutes of fuel to spare. The nearly fatal confrontation with the prime minister brought me to power-a story that I will relate fully in this book.
I also had two brushes with death in the India-Pakistan war of 1965.
As if these real risks were not enough, in 2001, when I took off from New York to Pakistan after the United Nations Summit, the pilot alarmed me by relaying a message that air traffic control claimed there might be a bomb on the plane. We returned to New York to find, after hours of search, that the warning was a hoax.
But the events of December 2003 put me in the front line of the war on terror and are part of my reason for writing this book now, while I am still fighting. On December 14, 2003, I landed from Karachi at Chaklala Air Force Base, about 2.5 miles (four kilometers) from Army House in Rawalpindi, and six miles (ten kilometers) from Islamabad. My aide-de-camp met me with two pieces of news: Pakistan had beaten India in a polo match, and Saddam Hussein had been caught. I made my way home to Army House. I was talking to my military secretary,Major General Nadeem Taj, seated to my right, when I heard a loud, though muffled, thud behind us. As my car became airborne I immediately realized what was happening-I was staring terrorism in the face. I thought ruefully that while leaders of other countries only visit scenes of carnage later or see it on a television screen, I was personally in the midst of it. Not only that-I was the target. But unlike most leaders, I am also a soldier, chief of the army staff, and supreme commander of my country's armed forces. I am cut out to be in the midst of battle-trained, prepared, and equipped. Fate and the confluence of events have seen to it that Pakistan and I are in the thick of the fight against terrorism. My training has made me constantly ready for the assignment.
I had just crossed a bridge very near Army House when it happened. All four wheels of my car left the road and we shot quite some distance up in the air. Though the sound of the explosion was muffled by the armor plating of the car, I knew instinctively that it was a bomb. So did my military secretary. I knew too that it was a huge bomb, because it had lifted the three-ton Mercedes clean off the road. I looked back and saw a pall of smoke, dust, and debris on the bridge that we had just sped over. When we reached Army House, about 500 yards (400 meters) away, my deputy military secretary, Lieutenant Colonel Asim Bajwa, who had been traveling in another vehicle in my motorcade, confirmed that the explosion was an assassination attempt.
I entered the house to find my wife, Sehba, and my mother sitting in the family lounge. Sehba has been with me through thick and thin-avalanches, hijacked flights, risky road journeys. She had heard the explosion because Army House is so close to the bridge. She saw me enter and started to ask what the explosion had been about. My mother's back was to the door, and she didn't realize that I had arrived. I put my finger to my lips and motioned to Sehba to come out of the room, lest my mother hear and become terribly upset, as any mother would. In the corridor, I told Sehba that it had been a bomb meant to kill me, but that everything was all right now. After comforting her I drove back to the bridge to get a firsthand look at the situation. The bridge had literally been ripped apart-so if the explosion had occurred a second before my car reached the spot, we would have crashed
twenty-five feet (7.5 meters) to the ground through the gap. There was still chaos at the bridge, and the people there were utterly surprised to see me.
Keeping the news from my mother was impossible, of course. She soon discovered what had happened as concerned colleagues, relatives, and friends started calling or dropping in. The story was all over television and on the front pages of newspapers the next day. I had over-shadowed both Saddam and polo, at least in Pakastan.
That evening Sehba and I were to attend a wedding at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. We did not hesitate. Both of us went. Our decision caused no little consternation among the guests, as they thought that I had good reason to remain in the safety of my house only a few hours after terrorists had tried to assassinate me. I am sure that my escape, and my not breaking my schedule, must have caused disappointment and dismay among the terrorists. Sticking to the schedule may have caused some concern among my security personnel, but they are trained to take such things in stride. It certainly did cause some inconvenience to motorists, as the traffic along the route was blocked.
Before the assassination attempt, I would flow with the normal traffic, stopping at every red light. Now things started changing. The police started blocking all traffic in either direction along the route that I was to take. There were new escort vehicles on either side of my car. And, of course, my exact schedule would not be known to anyone except those closest to me.
People had barely stopped chattering about this assassination attempt when-on December 25, 2003, a holiday-there was yet another one. After addressing a conference at Islamabad's Convention Center, I left for Army House at about one fifteen PM. My chief security officer, Colonel Ilyas, and my aide-de-camp, Major Tanveer, were in the lead car of my newly expanded motorcade. Next came the escort car. I was in the third car with my military secretary.
We crossed the fateful bridge, which was still under repair after the bomb blast, and reached a gasoline pump on the right. In front of the pump there was an opening in the median of the two-way road for U-turns. The oncoming traffic had been blocked. There was a police-man standing at the opening. I noticed that though all the oncoming
traffic was facing straight toward us, a Suzuki van was standing obliquely, as if to drive into the opening to get to my side of the road. Reflexively, I turned and looked over my right shoulder at the van, as one does when one sees something odd. Then I looked straight ahead. It all took a split second. Hardly had I turned my head back when there was a deafening bang and my car was up in the air again.
All hell broke loose. There was smoke; there was debris; there were body parts and pieces of cars. Vehicles had been blown to smithereens, human beings ripped to pieces. It turned dark, and we couldn't see any-thing. It was the middle of the afternoon, but it seemed like dusk.
Jan Mohammad, my admirable driver, reflexively put his foot on the brake. I took out my Glock pistol, which is always with me, and shouted to Jan Mohammad in Urdu, "Dabaa, dabaa"-"drive, drive." He floored the accelerator but had gone only about 100 yards (90 meters) when we came to another gasoline pump. Again there was a horrendous bang. in all hell broke loose. The first explosion had come from our right rear; this one came straight on from the immediate right front. Something big and very heavy hit the windshield. I don't know what it was, but it made a big dent in the bulletproof glass-which, however, did not break. It came from such an angle that any broken glass would have gotten either my driver or me.
Once again my car took off. Again there were human parts, car parts, debris, smoke, and dust-and a lot of noise. in it went dark-very dark. It seemed as if midnight had come at noon.
My car's tires had blown. We were on the rims now, but such cars are designed to go on their rims for thirty-five miles or so (fifty or sixty kilometers). in Jan Mohammad hit the brakes, and again I shouted, "Dabaa, dabaa. Hit the accelerator. Let's get out of here." The car lurched forward on its rims, making a lot of noise, like a rattletrap, and got us to Army House.
Sehba, of course, had heard the horrific explosions and had run out to the porch. When she saw the first car roll in on its rims-spewing smoke, filled with holes, and plastered with human flesh-she started screaming. She screamed and screamed. I had never seen her do that before. She is always calm in the face of danger and during horrific events, then she has a delayed reaction the next day, when tears come. But now she was screaming uncontrollably, hysterically. She wouldn't look at me. She started running toward the gate. I asked her, "What are you doing? Where are you going?" But she just went on screaming. I couldn't understand what she was saying, except, 'at is going on?
at is happening?" It was understandable hysteria, and it helped her to get the shock out of her system. It also diverted my mind and the minds of others with me from our own shock. I got hold of her and took her inside the house. I sat with her and told her, "Look at me, I am all right, everything is all right." When she finally calmed down I went out again.
I looked at the cars and saw that the lead car was the most badly dam-aged, especially its right rear door. It too had sunk down to its rims. Tanveer's hair was standing straight up, I suppose because the blasts had created static. Any normal car would have been blown to bits, destroyed beyond recognition. As it was, human flesh and blood were all over the cars. They were a gruesome sight.
The squad car that had been behind me was also very badly damaged. All in all, I was told, fourteen people had been killed. Three of our people had been injured. The poor policeman standing at the gap between the two roads had come in front of the first suicide van and been blown to bits. A police van had stopped the second suicide bomber from hitting my car by ramming into his vehicle. The van had blown up, killing all five policemen in it, including an inspector. It was heartrending. The first suicide bomber had hit the nine-inch-high (22.5-centimeter) divider between the roads and rolled back, probably because he had made a cold start with a heavy, bomb-laden vehicle. If the police hadn't blocked the oncoming traffic, God alone knows how many more would have been killed or mutilated.
We later discovered that there was supposed to be a third suicide bomber to attack me frontally where the road had no median divider. For some reason he didn't materialize. At the time I thought that either he had lost his nerve after seeing what had happened to his two co-terrorists, or he thought that they must have gotten me, and ran away to save himself and come back to kill another day. If he had not abandoned the job he would almost certainly have succeeded in killing me, for by then my car was in very bad shape and was "naked," without protection. Such are the ways of the Almighty.
The investigation into my would-be assassins led us to some of al Qaeda's top people in Pakistan. The full story of that investigation needs to be told, because it represents one of our greatest victories in the war on terror. I will relate it in full in these pages. But first, you need to know how I came to be the man the assassins were targeting. The story of my life coincides almost from the beginning with the story of my country-so the chapters that follow are a biography not only of a man, but of Pakistan as well
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I would like to suggest that all ISC members and Sculpture readers have a responsibility to push for, and to help provide, ongoing arts education in our public school system.
Whether you are a practicing artist or a lover and supporter of the arts, there is a good chance that your career choice or your appreciation of the arts was influenced, at least in part, by the arts education you enjoyed as a child in the public school system. As you probably know, statistics convincingly suggest that you are also a smarter and more well-rounded individual as a result of that early exposure to the arts.
According to published data, students who receive arts education earn better grades, do better on exams, perform more community service, and watch fewer hours of television than those who do not. Students who receive four years of high school arts education score 100 points better on their SATs than those who do not. Arts education also greatly reduces school dropout rates.
It is similarly well established that an arts education greatly assists at-risk kids by improving communications skills, increasing the ability to work on tasks from start to finish, decreasing delinquent behavior, improving attitudes toward school, increasing self-esteem, and reducing court referrals and new offenses.
Pick up any American newspaper, and you'll be reminded again and again that today's children—tomorrow's working artists and arts patrons—are receiving less and less arts education in our public schools. By definition, that also means that all of the established benefits of public school arts education are being denied to an increasing number of today's children.
The budget cuts behind the reduction in arts education and programming represent a quick and simple response to overall deficits and the necessity for corresponding spending cuts. They may also result from a misapplication of the priorities established by the No Child Left Behind law, which emphasizes performance measurement through math and reading scores—although that law does recognize the importance of an arts education on these very same measurables.
Notwithstanding this apparent trend, the news is not all bad. Federal and state funding for public school arts programming has generally regained the ground lost after 9/11. In addition, new initiatives are underway around the country, and studies show that a staggering 90 percent of Americans consider the arts vital to a well-rounded education for all students and are opposed to arts-education cutbacks.
While these budgetary battles will likely rage on, and funding for public school arts education will continue to ebb and flow, we, as art professionals and supporters of the arts, can have a direct and personal impact on this important topic. I urge you all to get involved with your local school system and your local art centers and museums to learn how these institutions are helping ensure that tomorrow's artists and arts patrons—who, by the way, are our children—are receiving the arts education that they so richly deserve, and so desperately need.
Josh Kanter
Chairman, ISC Board of Directors
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DeNA expands Mobage roster with 10 new international developers
By Kathleen De Vere
DeNA announced today it has signed 10 new international developers to its Mobage mobile-social gaming network, adding games that range from casual collection titles to zombie horror games to the platform.
According to Barry Dorf, the senior director of third party at DeNA's U.S. subsidiary ngmoco, today's announcement has been in the works for several months and marks the debut of DeNA's new international publishing strategy.
"Last year our strategy was to really do a shotgun approach with developers and try to really go after every single person we possibly could," he explains. "It didn't work out as well as we had hoped. We really figured out that we needed developers to be extremely focused and to work with us in a partnership."
Dorf tells us that over the past six months, DeNA executives had met with more than 500 developers, whittling them down into the 10 mentioned in today's announcement.
When we asked him why DeNA has been so selective, Dorf explains DeNA isn't trying to zero in on a single type of game or target a specific audience with its partnerships — the goal is simply to find titles where the monetization strategies DeNA has brought over from Japan will seem like a natural fit.
"We're trying to look for content that we can put into these games that will delight users. It's never about monetizing on the negative — having to monetize to go forward — it's about having them make a purchase that's going to make them happy and make them feel rewarded," says Dorf. "It does seem like we're going all over the map a little bit, but it's not true. When you start playing all these games, you're going to get a sense for the rhythm and the timing and the pacing of the gameplay."
Considering DeNA's gaming division was able to generate revenues of 41.5 billion yen ($527 million) in the last quarter alone — most of which came from Mobage Japan, where DeNA has just over 43 million registered users — it's not surprising the company is looking for international games compatible with the strategies DeNA has found so lucrative at home.
As part of the partnership deals, DeNA is providing cross-platform porting assistance, to ensure all its Mobage titles will be available on both iOS and Android. DeNA's ngmoco subsidiary is also still working on a lineup of first party titles to compliment the company's expanded third party lineup.
The full list of the 10 new Mobage development partners follows. Two of the developers announced today, BigHut and Cobalt Play Games have already launched their Mobage titles.
BigHut (Brazil) – Boney The Runner
Cobalt Play Games (Asia) – Monster Mall
Electrified Games (San Francisco)
GameCloud Studios (USA/China)
Joywinds, Inc (China)
Kyy Games (Finland)
Massive Damage (Canada)
Oh BiBi socialtainment (France)
Runaway Play (New Zealand)
XMG Studio Inc. (Canada)
http://adweek.it/2kaBHzi


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You are here: Cheshire Inspiration > Read our blog > (December 2022)
Read our blog (December 2022) - Visit Cheshire
New app adds touch of magic to winter walk at Alderley Edge
Visitors heading to Alderley Edge in Cheshire for a refreshing walk this Christmas season can enjoy a whole new perspective on the wooded sandstone escarpment with its balcony views of the Cheshir..
Tatton Park's Wonderful Winter offers
If you're already thinking about how to switch off and relax after a busy Christmas and wondering where to head outdoors with friends and family, why not step into Tatton Park's winter wonderland, for some wholesome walks, fresh air and some wonderful offers.
Turtle Bay to open new restaurant and bar at Chester Northgate
Caribbean restaurant and bar, Turtle Bay, are set to open their first restaurant in Chester this March at Northgate, the city's new market and leisure destination.
The Ice Cream Drive In Offers Affordable Festive Outing for Visitors
Cheshire's Ice Cream Drive In has enhanced its environment and offering in time for the Christmas holidays, providing visitors with "a low cost outing where they can set their own budget".
Twixmas: What to do between Christmas and New Year in Chester
The festivities don't have to stop between Christmas and New Year's in Chester. There's a lot going on this Twixmas in the city including spectacular shows, sumptuous dining, fascinating history, indulgent spa escapes, and, of course, those Boxing Day deals.
Twixmas: What to do between Christmas and New Year in Cheshire
Twixmas; that time of year between the big day and New Year. It's usually a little sleepy, but we recommend that you get out and about and enjoy everything Cheshire has on offer.
Fans of live performance are in for a treat with a fantastic range of new shows heading for the Storyhouse stage during 2023
Whether you love theatre, dance, music, comedy or the spoken word, there is something for audiences of all ages on the programme over the next 12 months as Storyhouse welcome new and returning companies and a host of talented performers.
Brand-new club nights for people with learning and physical disabilities
Storyhouse, working closely with Cheshire West and Chester Council, its in-house service Vivo Care Choices and Peoples Choice Group, has launched new club nights.
5 Places to Watch England at the World Cup in Cheshire (with some local brews)
To mark England reaching the quarter-finals, we thought we'd spotlight some spots around the county where you can cheer on England, perhaps enjoying a locally-made tipple too.
Nordic-inspired winter wonderland opens in Golden Square – and it's free for families to explore
A free festive installation which aims to capture the magic of Christmas morning has returned to Warrington by popular demand.
New Year's Fireworks spectacular is back with a bang at Gulliver's World
Gulliver's World in Warrington is preparing to host the party of the year with a fun-filled family-friendly New Year's Eve party and fireworks spectacular.
BeWILDerwood Presents Christmas – a HUGE hit with families!
With opening weekend out of the way, we wanted to see what visitors really thought of BeWILDerwood Cheshire's first ever Christmas event, BeWILDerwood Presents Christmas – A Sparkly Light & Panto Trail.
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Q: Editlog and fsimage I read some where that if namenode fails then we have to copy FsImage and editlog manually to secondary Namenode.But my question is if namenode is failed then from where we will get FsImage and Editlog file as both are the part of NameNode.
Can we store FsImage and EditLog outside of NameNode such as in NAS ?

A: FSImage and EditLog is stored in Persistent Storage(disk).
When Hadoop cluster starts,Namenode loads both fsimage and editlog to the memory.
Please go through documentation below in order to have better understanding of Secondary Name Node.
https://hadoop.apache.org/docs/r1.2.1/hdfs_user_guide.html#Secondary+NameNode

A: Well , We don't need to manually copy fsimage and editlogs to Namenode. Secondary Node is always having snapshot of Latest Metadata after merging these two files to create new fsimage. And whenever Namenode fails, once you restart it. It will get metadata from Secondary Namenode.


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You are here: Home / American Public Opinion
We must give a great deal of credit to Ronald Reagan for the fact that freedom of emigration was not just a political matter, but his personal creed. Still the question remains: how was it that freedom of Jewish emigration became one of the top priorities in American policy vis-a-vis the USSR?
Congressman Charles Vanik Senator Henry Jackson
American public opinion generally reacted to issues of human rights violations in the USSR. But the issue of freedom of emigration was especially meaningful for Americans, who perceived themselves as a nation of immigrants.
The Jewish National Movement apparently was the largest mass national moment persecuted by the KGB. The persecution included denial of emigration rights and any expression of national identity, including the ban on teaching and learning Hebrew.
The ongoing persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union provided Western media with a constant stream of news on human rights violations, and earned favorable media coverage. The issue was enthusiastically lobbied by the Soviet Jewry Advocacy Movement in the West. A wave of empathy emerged across a whole spectrum of Western political groups and public organizations.
Public interest encouraged political figures to take part in the struggle for freedom of emigration, especially as the emigration ban was perceived in the West as violating a fundamental human right. Besides, the struggle for freedom of emigration was perceived as having realistic chances of success. It was all the more important since it affected a broad range of population groups.
The dissident groups who focused on the issue of emigration triggered a process that ended with approval of the famous Jackson-Vanik amendment, which linked the freedom of emigration with preferential rights in trade with the USA.
This is why in the 1970s and 1980s, the issues of freedom of emigration and persecution of Jews became central in the overall struggle against human rights violations in the Soviet Union.
More: My Jewish learning
Thank you, Mr.Uris


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Newsline for June 25, 2021
"And the one who was seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new'" (Revelation 21:5a).
1) Budget parameter for 2022, priorities for denominational ministries top agenda for Mission and Ministry Board
2) Annual Conference to feature original composition 'All Things New!'
3) The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership celebrates its 2021 graduates
La Academia de los Hermanos para un Liderazgo Ministerial celebra sus graduandos del 2021
4) In North America, can borders become shared spaces, even amid racism and division?
5) 'During my two years as moderator': A pastoral letter from Annual Conference moderator Paul Mundey
6) Brethren bits: Atlantic Northeast District seeks church video streaming specialist, BVSer visa denied, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy signs letter opposing military FOIA proposal, Annual Conference virtual blood drive, and news from churches, districts, colleges, and more
Daily coverage of the 2021 Annual Conference will be available from Wednesday, June 30, to Sunday, July 4, at www.brethren.org. Newsline also will be alerting readers to the coverage of the Conference and pre-Conference events including the Mission and Ministry Board meeting on the weekend of June 26-27, the Standing Committee of district delegates on June 27-30, and the Ministers' Association annual meeting and continuing education event on June 29-30. For detailed information about the Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac2021.
Landing page of Church of the Brethren COVID 19 related resources and information: www.brethren.org/covid19
Church of the Brethren congregations offer a variety of worship opportunities in English and other languages: www.brethren.org/news/2020/church-of-the-brethren-congregations-worship-online.html
*Spanish/bilingual; **Haitian Kreyol/bilingual; ***Arabic/bilingual
*español/bilingüe, **kreyol haitiano/bilingüe, ***عربي / ثنائي اللغة
Lifting up Brethren who are active in health care: www.brethren.org/news/2020/brethren-active-in-health-care.html
Send information about your congregation's worship services to cobnews@brethren.org.
Add a person to the list of Brethren active in health care by sending first name, county, and state to cobnews@brethren.org.
The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board will hold its pre-Annual Conference meeting on Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27. The meeting will be a hybrid of in-person and Zoom options for attendance, with most of the board members gathering at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
Open session meetings of the full board will be broadcast via Zoom Webinar. Pre-registration is required to view the meeting. Find the meeting schedule, agenda, background documents, and registration link to attend at www.brethren.org/mmb/meeting-info.
Topping the board's agenda are decisions on the budget parameter for 2022 and priorities for ministries. The board is continuing to work on aligning denominational ministries with its new strategic plan. Action also will be taken on recommendations from a Brethren Press Reimagining Team, a new communications policy, and updates to the financial policies, among other business.
This will be the closing meeting of Patrick's Starkey's term as chair of the board. Assisting him in leading the meeting will be chair-elect Carl Fike, who takes leadership as chair following Annual Conference 2021. At the end of this meeting, the board will recognize and say farewell to four members, in addition to Starkey, who also are completing their terms of service: Marty Barlow, Thomas Dowdy, Lois Grove, and Diane Mason.
Patrick Starkey concludes his term as chair of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board with the board's pre-Annual Conference meeting. Photo by Glenn Riegel
"Don't miss the original composition 'All Things New!'" says Conference director Chris Douglas, inviting Church of the Brethren members to log in early to the Sunday morning worship service of the 2021 Annual Conference on July 4. "Worship will actually begin 10 minutes before the hour (9:50 a.m. Eastern time) with gathering music featuring an original composition by Greg Bachman of the York (Pa.) First congregation."
In other Annual Conference news
Those who register for the Conference will receive several emails with identical access codes for the virtual Conference–"buttons" that appear as green boxes. These are personalized for each attendee. Click on the button to go to the Conference event page. If you are registered and have not received an email, check your "junk" or "spam" folder before contacting annualconference@brethren.org.
First-time attendees and anyone who would like an overview of the Conference are invited to "New Attendee Orientation" led by the moderator-elect David Sollenberger, Annual Conference secretary Jim Beckwith, and Conference director Chris Douglas on June 30 at 3:30-5 p.m. (Eastern time). Request the link from annualconference@brethren.org.
The logo for Annual Conference 2021. Art by Timothy Botts
Nondelegates registered for the Conference will be assigned to virtual "tables" of 10 people for small group break-out sessions during business on July 1-3. Both delegates and nondelegates will have the option of responding to the compelling vision questions and offering their input. Only delegate "tables" will have assigned facilitators.
The Office of Ministry reminds ministers of the many opportunities to gain continuing education credit (CEUs) during Annual Conference. All sessions that offer CEUs are being recorded and will be available for several weeks after the Conference. Fill out the CEU registration form on pages 191-192 of the Conference booklet and mail it to your district office for inclusion in your ministerial file.
All Things New!
Bachman composed "All Things New" especially for this Annual Conference and was able to virtually direct and record this orchestral and choral anthem. Musicians who are featured include:
— Ron Bellamy on bells
— Josh Tindall on the organ
— Jan Fisher Bachman, Anabel Ramirez Detrick, Benjamin Detrick, Matthew Detrick, Venona Detrick, William Kinzie, and Joel Staub playing violin and viola
— Sebastian Jolles and Bree Woodruff playing the cello
— Benedikt Hochwartner playing the bass and Nate DeGoede on electric bass
— Singers Joe Detrick, Emery DeWitt, Mary Ellen DeWitt, Elizabeth Tindall, and Josh Tindall
Find the free log-in to Annual Conference worship services at www.brethren.org/ac2021/webcasts. Registration is not required to attend worship services. More details about the 2021 Conference are at www.brethren.org/ac2021.
By Janet Ober Lambert with translation by Aida L. Sánchez
Four Brethren Academy students completed their programs in the 2020-2021 academic year. All four students are currently serving churches and are listed alongside their ministry placements. Graduates of the Brethren Academy receive certificates of completion during celebrations within their districts.
Cuatro estudiantes de la Academia de los Hermanos han completado sus programas en el año académico del 2020-2021. Cada uno de los cuatro estudiantes sirven en iglesias y están enlistados juntamente en sus colocaciones ministeriales. Los Graduandos de la Academia de los Hermanos recibieron certificados de finalización durante celebraciones dentro de sus propios distritos.
Training in Ministry / Ministerio en Entrenamiento (TRIM)
Rita Carter
Pastor of Visitation / Pastor de Visitación
Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren / Iglesia de los Hermanos Mechanic Grove
Atlantic Northeast District / Distrito Noreste Atlántico
Jamie Nace
Pastor of Child and Elder Ministries / Pastor de Ministerios para Niños y Ancianos
Lancaster Church of the Brethren / Iglesia de los Hermanos Lancaster
Associate Pastor / Pastor Asociado
Woodbury Church of the Brethren / Iglesia de los Hermanos Woodbury
Middle Pennsylvania District / Distrito Pensilvania Central
Seminario Bíblico Anabautista Hispano de la Iglesia de Los Hermanos / Hispanic Anabaptist Biblical Seminary of the Church of the Brethren (SeBAH-COB)
Leonor Ochoa
Iglesia de los Hermanos Ebenezer / Ebenezer Church of the Brethren
Distrito Noreste Atlántico / Atlantic Northeast District
The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a partnership of the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Theological Seminary, coordinates non-graduate certificate level ministry training in both English and Spanish languages.
La Academia de los Hermanos está asociada con la Iglesia de los Hermanos y el Seminario Teológico de Betania, proveyendo a los no-graduados, entrenamiento en ministerio a nivel de certificado.
— Janet Ober Lambert is director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. Aida L. Sánchez is the academy's coordinator of Spanish-Language Ministry Training Programs.
A release from the World Council of Churches
In an ecumenical meeting for North American church leaders on June 24, prayers and discussion centered on issues that are both deeply painful and seemingly insurmountable: racism, division, vaccine hesitancy, genocide, war. But hope found a way into the virtual gathering as participants supported each other to find ways forward.
Archbishop Mark MacDonald from the Anglican Church of Canada, who moderated the discussion, sadly noted that the meeting occurred the same day that news broke of an indigenous group finding the remains of as many as 751 people, mainly children, in unmarked graves on the site of a former boarding school in Saskatchewan.
This follows news earlier this month that the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential School in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.
Bethany Theological Seminary president Jeff Carter (second from top row, at right) takes part in the World Council of Churches Central Committee meeting on June 24. On that day, committee members and WCC staff demonstrated their commitment to end sexual and gender-based violence by marking "Thursdays in Black" in their online regional meetings. Carter is representing the Church of the Brethren on the WCC Central Committee. Screenshot courtesy of the WCC
"These children's graves are the residue of genocide, genocide that paved the way for the enslavement of millions of people, and genocide that paved the way for the destruction of the environment of the planet," said MacDonald.
H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) USA, shared his candid lamentation and frustration with the ongoing destruction of churches as well as religious and cultural monuments amid the conflict Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and the wider region.
"They destroyed every single Christian monument," said Aykazian. "You may have seen coverage on BBC or on EuroNews but the US news doesn't talk about it–yet systematically they are destroying the churches."
He thanked the ecumenical organizations and the World Council of Churches for statements of solidarity and prayers. "Please pray for my country and please pray for my people," he urged.
"We will we be praying fo you–I promise you that," said MacDonald.
Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, who also serves on the WCC Central Committee, reflected on vaccine hesitancy. "It really feels a bit ironic to me that, a year later, when we have an effective vaccine, a lot our churches are having to spend so much time convincing people to get the vaccine when other parts of the world don't even have access to the medicine," she said. "I never expected, after the horrific pandemic, that we would be seeing this kind of resistance," she said.
One after another, North American religious leaders also brought up the scourge of racism and the creative ways in which churches are combating it.
"We're awash in bigotry and hatred," lamented Pastor Peter Noteboom, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, adding that, in addition to racism, the WCC Pilgrim Team Visits in North America during the past year also highlighted the effects of climate change.
Another emerging issue from Noteboom's perspective is genetic engineering, particularly in food production. "All the changes we are making to the genome–will they be felt decades from now?"
Jim Winkler, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches (USA), said he believes the fruits of the Pilgrim Team Visits will feed into the 11th WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe.
Winkler also said he was looking forward to a women's Pilgrim Team Visit focused on North America. "They will examine issues that women face in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and explore how women, particularly women of color, fight for issues of justice, their families and their dreams."
MacDonald ended the meeting by reflecting on how racism, war, and division are often exacerbated by our concept of borders. "For indigenous people, the border between Canada and the US has been a wound, not a border," he said. "I believe we should define borders the way indigenous people did: they found that the best way to keep peace was to define borders as shared spaces."
Will Willmon tells of an Episcopal friend committed to eradicating apartheid in South Africa. After months of intense effort, including weeks of lobbying in Washington, D.C., a breakthrough felt distant and dim. Commiserating with colleagues at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City, Willimon's friend was discouraged along with her compatriots; all seemed for naught. But then, unexpectedly, the door to their meeting room flung open, and in walked famed anti-apartheid leader Bishop Desmond Tutu. Tutu sensed the anguish in the room but didn't drop his customary exuberant countenance; instead, he accentuated it. "Well, chappies," Tutu exclaimed, "Why the cast-down faces? Why are you looking so sad? Come on; we've got the resurrection. Let's get busy!"
During my two years as moderator, I've encountered any number of cast-down faces. It's been a difficult season, marked by an onslaught of pandemic, schism, racism, and violence. But I'm with Tutu: the heart of the gospel is a Jesus who rises above despair. Such a response doesn't minimize strain and sorrow but keeps it in perspective; lament does not cancel resurrection.
As Glenn Packiam notes: "Lament is not our final prayer. It is a prayer in the meantime. Most of the lament psalms end with a 'vow to praise.'… Because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, we know that sorrow is not how the story ends. The song may be in a minor motif now, but one day it will resolve in a major chord" ("Five Things to Know About Lament," N.T. Wright Online, www.ntwrightonline.org/five-things-to-know-about-lament).
I challenge us to sound God's major chord, even as we muddle through a minor motif. The Anabaptists, key influencers of our faith tradition, spoke of "walking in the resurrection." Though there's a future element to resurrection, our forerunners believed there's also a present-tense reality–now.
The Apostle Paul concurs: "It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!" (Romans 8:11, The Message).
Our current season of life and faith is arduous, taxing us in compound ways. But Paul is on to something: God is breathing into us, nevertheless. Can you sense God's breath moving…animating?
The classic evidence is God's encounter with the prophet Ezekiel: "The hand of the Lord was on me…and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones…. He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' I said to him, 'Sovereign Lord, you know.' Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones.'… So I prophesied…I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them. He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath.'… So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet" (Ezekiel 37:1-10, NET).
I challenge us to "prophesy to the breath," believing God not only rattles but infuses with the Spirit, empowering us to stand. Jurgen Moltmann is best known for his theology of hope, a belief system advancing God's resurrection ability today.
Among Moltmann's resurrection convictions is a revisualization of the church as a fellowship of friends: "Friendship [in Christ] is a new relationship, which goes beyond the social roles of those involved…. The community of brethren is really the fellowship of friends who live in the friendship of Jesus and spread friendliness…by meeting the forsaken with affection and the despised with respect. Its brothers and sisters cannot choose each other" (The Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993, p. 316).
Continuing, Moltmann concludes: "The church will not overcome its present crisis through reform of…its ministries. It will overcome this crisis through the rebirth…of fellowship and friendship among the rank and file" (ibid., p. 317).
I call us to a rebirth of friendship in Christ, a resurrection of affection and respect. For as brothers and sisters in Jesus, we don't choose each other; Christ chooses us, calling us to live together, even amid our diversity.
The Human Library (https://humanlibrary.org) is a European movement promoting understanding among diverse persons. The concept is bold and innovative but straightforward: "borrow" a person much like you borrow a book. The purpose: to learn from someone you normally wouldn't engage with, especially persons you tend to minimize or normally don't encounter. For example, you might borrow a single parent if you've always lived within a traditional family, or a homeless person if you've always had food and shelter.
This approach got me thinking: how might a Human Library be "stocked" in the church; what "books," what categories of people would be eye-opening to have on our "shelves"? Certainly, single parents and the homeless–but I'd love for a progressive believer to be able to borrow a conservative believer; a person puzzled by women in ministry to be able to borrow a woman preacher. You catch my drift. The purpose of "borrowing" and listening is not necessarily to change our convictions but to soften harsh or indifferent hearts, becoming newly awash in understanding–even empathy–for those we don't know or tend to disregard.
And so, I call us to walk in newness of life, in resurrection, calling forth dry bones and hearts to live! For "if all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries" (1 Corinthians 15:19-20, The Message).
Where is life deadened for you, cast down, sad? Where is your spirit eroded, thin, and limping? Christ has left the cemetery. Life can be raised. Hope is alive. Let's get busy!
Discussion Starters / Questions
Glenn Packiam notes: "Lament is not our final prayer. It is a prayer in the meantime…. Because Jesus is risen from the dead." How do you keep honesty (lament) and hope (resurrection) in proper balance, avoiding being either too naïve or too pessimistic?
Reread Romans 8:11. Have you experienced God bringing you alive to himself through the resurrection power of Jesus? Describe the experience and the difference it made/makes.
Jurgen Moltmann believes we must reimagine the church as a fellowship of friends meeting "the forsaken with affection and the despised with respect." What steps can your congregation take to become a fuller fellowship of friends?
Moderator Paul tells of the Human Library. Imagine such a library existed in your congregation, district, denomination. Who's a person you'd be open to "borrowing" and learning from? Who would be difficult for you to "borrow" and learn from? Why?
To dig deeper:
Timothy Keller. Hope in Times of Fear. New York: Viking, 2021.
N.T. Wright. Surprised by Hope. New York: Harper One, 2008.
— Paul Mundey is serving as moderator of the Church of the Brethren's 2021 Annual Conference. Find this and other "Trail Thoughts" from the moderator at www.brethren.org/ac2021/moderator/trail-thoughts.
— Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren seeks applicants for the fulltime salaried position of church video streaming specialist, assisting congregations and church leaders with implementing online and hybrid church services. Primary responsibilities include helping local leaders evaluate strategies for streaming, suggesting specific hardware and configurations solutions, assisting with installations, configuring setups, training church members to use the equipment, being available for questions and requests, and coordinating volunteers to assist with all the above. Secondary responsibilities include presenting monthly workshops on tech topics and best practices, assisting with streaming district events, responding to tech requests, and more. These consultation and technical services are provided to all congregations in the district—large and small—along with limited availability for congregations and events outside of ANE, as the hope is that these services (and staffing) will expand to other districts and the denomination. As such, this position is breaking new ground, giving the opportunity and responsibility to help shape this ministry and how it is grown. Qualifications include experience with live video production and live streaming; knowledge of and familiarity with video, audio, and computer systems, especially streaming video methods, protocols, and best practices; experience with worship and various worship styles; ability to teach technology to non-techies (lay people); ability to work independently; communication skills, including the ability to listen; help desk tech support and troubleshooting skills; ability to envision, create, shape, and implement new programs and initiatives; ability to work with, encourage, and organize volunteers and other staff; ability to understand and embrace the unique dynamics and needs of worship while utilizing technology; familiarity with the Church of the Brethren. To apply, submit a résumé and a letter of interest describing what attracts you to this position, your qualifications, and your salary requirements to Atlantic Northeast District at office@ane-cob.org. Applications will be received until the position is filled.
Brethren Press is offering a virtual bookstore for the virtual Annual Conference. Usually, the bookstore is a highlight of the exhibit hall at in-person Conferences, but this year the bookstore is going online. Among the new offerings: advance sales of Hoosier Prophet, a collection of essays, letters, and speeches from Dan West, founder of Heifer Project (now Heifer International). Edited by Bill Kostlevy and Jay Wittmeyer, it is a joint project of Brethren Press, the Brethren Historical Library and Archives, and the denomination's Office of Global Mission. Also new is this year's Annual Conference mug, reimagined as a travel mug. A jigsaw puzzle of a photo of beautiful Lake Junaluska (taken by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford), arrives in time for participants in this year's virtual National Older Adult Conference to remember meeting around the lake at previous NOACs. Go to www.brethrenpress.com.
— Brethren Volunteer Service staff have shared the news that a volunteer who was part of orientation this past winter has had her visa denied and will unfortunately not be able to continue with the program. Ronah Kavumba of Kampala, Uganda, had been waiting for her pending project placement since her participation in training with BVS Unit 328.
Brethren Disaster Ministries is Facebooking photos of people donating blood as part of the Annual Conference Virtual Blood Drive, starting with the oldest donor so far, 96-year-old Ivan Patterson. "Ivan first donated in 1945 and with his June donation reached 553 pints with a goal of 600 (or more!)," said the post, encouraging potential donors to "Be like Ivan!" Join the Virtual Blood Drive by making a pledge at www.brethren.org/virtualblooddrive2021 or contact BDM@brethren.org and then donate at a blood drive near you. The goal for the virtual drive this year is 150 pints. The blood drive ends at the end of July.
— The Church of the Brethren's Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is one of 45 organizations that have sent a letter urging Congress, via the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, to oppose the Department of Defense's proposal to alter the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. "The Pentagon's proposed language would undermine FOIA by creating an unnecessary and overbroad secrecy provision at odds with the law's goal of transparency and accountability to the public," the letter said, in part. "The department's proposal to exempt from disclosure unclassified information on 'military tactic, technique, or procedure,' and on military 'rule of engagement or rule for the use of force' would create an unnecessary and broad carve-out to public disclosure laws. Accountability and transparency are particularly important for the Pentagon, the largest executive branch agency with the largest discretionary budget. Because of the potential long-lasting effects on the public's access to information, we urge you to reject this proposal." The letter noted that this is the seventh time the Pentagon has attempted to include this exemption, in various forms, since 2011, and each time the faith-based and humanitarian community "has sounded the alarm and pointed out that the department's justification for the exemption does not include any indication that the language is necessary or that existing limits on disclosure have not sufficiently protected the effectiveness of military operations." The letter also noted that "FOIA already exempts 'properly classified' national defense information from disclosure, which addresses concerns from the Department of Defense that it would be required to disclose information that would give potential adversaries advance knowledge of certain military tactics, techniques, and procedures. When pressed by congressional staffers and members of the open government community in years past, Pentagon representatives admitted that the department has never had to release information pursuant to a FOIA request that it would be able to withhold under this proposed exemption." Read the full letter at www.pogo.org/letter/2021/06/organizations-urge-congress-reject-the-pentagons-request-for-foia-secrecy-again.
— A blogpost from Office of Peacebuilding and Policy intern Angelo Olayvar highlights "The Saudi Arabia-Iran cold war and the looming nuclear arms race in the Middle East." The post cited the Church of the Brethren 1975 "Resolution: Concern for Peace in the Middle East," and warned that "the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran is stirring up events that could lead to a nuclear arms race between the two countries. Furthermore, US involvement in the Middle East via military engagement, weapons sales, defense transfers, and security assistance is fueling the instability of the already volatile region. The rivalry…has plunged the region into a cold-war style conflict that is complex, fueled not only by political differences but religious ones. It elicited events that cast the region into a state of geopolitical instability defined by despair, countless deaths, endless wars, worsening humanitarian crises, and a looming nuclear arms race. Read the blogpost at https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?e=df09813496&u=fe053219fdb661c00183423ef&id=bf8e15f391.
— Following the EF3 tornado that touched down in Naperville, Ill., and other towns in the west and southwest of the metro Chicago region last Sunday night, Newsline received word that no Brethren churches or families were affected. The two congregations in that general area are Naperville Church of the Brethren, pastored by Dennis Webb, and Neighborhood Church of the Brethren, pastored by Purvi Satvedi.
— Chicago (Ill.) First Church of the Brethren partnered in a unique Juneteenth Celebration with Front Door, a West Side organization, and the Old Town School of Folk Music, which gave a drumming class in the garden next to the church. Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5nkHSTQ1Jw for a short video from the drumming class.
— Ephrata (Pa.) Church of the Brethren was part of a food giveaway celebration for Dairy Month. "Last year's food giveaway in New Holland, Pa., was in response to milk being dumped during the early stage of the pandemic," said a report by Art Petrosemolo in Lancaster Farming. "This year's return of the event–revamped as a community lunch to celebrate Dairy Month–was a response to last year's community spirit." Brothers Karl and Mike Sensenig, third-generation operators of Sensenig's Feed Mill, initiated with event in 2020 and decided to organize it again on June 9 this year, teaming up with a number of local businesses and organizations. "The milkshake trailer from the Ephrata Church of the Brethren was a big hit." Sensenig said. "Who doesn't like a cold vanilla milkshake on a summer day?" Find the article at www.lancasterfarming.com/news/main_edition/dairy-month-giveaway-draws-new-holland-community/article_d858ad55-b543-55c2-b3dc-61901ccec3ea.html.
— Shenandoah District released an update on outcomes of its Disaster Ministries Auction. Chair Catherine Lantz thanked "those who gave very generously of their time, talents, donations, etc. Through your dedicated time and work, many individuals are touched in some of their roughest times." Director of finance Gary Higgs reported a rough figure of $160,000 for the possible proceeds from this year's auction, with monetary donations still arriving at the district office. Some $144,000 came in during the auction.
— Shenandoah District also reported on the donations it has received of Church World Service disaster relief goods. Disaster Ministries coordinator Jerry Ruff reported picking up 272 clean-up buckets; 47 boxes of health and school kits each weighing between 49-82 pounds, representing approximately 1,000 school kits and 400 health kits; 10 boxes of comfort care kits for children donated from the Virlina District; and 63 buckets from other churches including Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian. About 10 volunteers helped load the truck to deliver the donations to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The District Disaster Ministries team is still working towards its goal of 400 clean-up buckets.
— "Visit us and like us," said an announcement from Missouri and Arkansas District, which has a newly revamped webpage at www.missouriarkansasbrethren.org. The district also is publicizing its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MoArkDistrict.
— Also from Missouri and Arkansas District, the Discipleship Task Force has decided to cancel church camp again this year "due to a lack of volunteers and the rise in positive COVID-19 cases in Missouri," said the district newsletter. "As the coronavirus pandemic continues and is still a threat to children who would be attending camp, the lack of a camp nurse was a major factor in this decision. It is the hope of the DTF that congregations will be creative in finding alternative ways to provide some sort of special experience for their youth this summer." The district newsletter also named Renee Staab as the new district camp manager.
— "Embodiments of Peacebuilding" is the title of a networking session from Elizabethtown (Pa.) College's dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, Kevin Shorner-Johnson, who also is an associate professor of music education, during the virtual Annual Conference. Those who register for the full Conference will have access to participate in this networking session on July 3 at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time). Said an announcement: "The richness of our Anabaptist heritage has been in putting our feet into paths of peace and love. The very essence that makes an Anabaptist heritage so beautiful is that it is a fully embodied faith, one where we place our lives and our actions into the model of Christ." The session will explore scholarship and the new Master of Music Education degree at the college, "the first of its kind in the nation, is focused on the study of peacebuilding, social-emotional learning, and world music drumming. Through this program, graduate students understand that the essence of peacebuilding comes through bringing a lived presence of humble love, and committing to practices of intentional community, empowered voice, and prophetic imagination." Shorner-Johnson's work focuses on the intersection of peacebuilding and music education. His work has been published in the Philosophy of Music Education Reiew, Music Educators Journal, International Journal of Music
Education, and Advances in Music Education Research, and his most recent scholarship in the international book, Humane Education for the Common Good, approaches and critiques the United Nations' temporal constructions in education policy.
— The Death Row Support Project has announced that seven students from Northwestern University completed a capacity-building project with DRSP earlier this month. "Thanks to these students, many of you received information in the last few months about abolition groups working in your state; the connections made by the students have given DRSP stronger ties with many of those groups," said a recent newsletter. "You've seen glimpses of the students' work in DRSP's social media. In addition to a few changes already made, they created an extensive social media guide with several recommendations." For Instagram, the students designed a template to display information about the death penalty in individual states, go to www.instagram.com/deathrowsupportproject. For Twitter, the project will be shifting its focus to following state abolition groups, highlighting their events and efforts, go to www.twitter.com/COB_DRSP.
— "We are living in a Nehemiah moment," said an announcement of new resources from Creation Justice Ministries. Citing Nehemiah's response to his critics on returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and temple, "Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble–burned as they are?" (4:2), the announcement said: "Now is the time for us to work shoulder to shoulder. Now is the time for us to work with all our heart. It is clear that the climate crisis has arrived. We are standing in the rubble of climate breakdown. All around us, our communities are being affected by climate disasters on a physical, spiritual, and social level. Like Nehemiah, it is time for our faith communities to respond not only with words, but with actions."
The new resources are designed to help congregations find "faithful resilience" during the climate crisis. The Faithful Resilience Guide for congregations is a six-part guide providing theological reflections, educational materials, and practical steps for building climate resilience in your faith community. Also, Faithful Resilience workshops are available to view online, along with a Climate-Church Crisis Map. Go to www.creationjustice.org/resilience.html.
Newsline is the email news service of the Church of the Brethren. Inclusion in Newsline does not necessarily convey endorsement by the Church of the Brethren. All submissions are subject to editing. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Contributors to this issue include Chris Douglas, Sharon Franzén, Rachel Gross, Janet Ober Lambert, Pauline Liu, Nancy Miner, Paul Mundey, Angelo Olayvar, Aida L. Sánchez, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. Please send news tips and submissions to cobnews@brethren.org . Find the Newsline archive at www.brethren.org/news . Sign up for Newsline and other Church of the Brethren email newsletters and make subscription changes at www.brethren.org/intouch . Unsubscribe by using the link at the top of any Newsline email.
Find more Church of the Brethren news:
Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy signs joint letter from faith groups urging leaders to de-escalate tension, pursue peace in Ukraine
Mission Advancement office makes change in gift acknowledgment and receipt process
Pemi church burned in violent attack in northeastern Nigeria
Two-part Ventures course to focus on 'Peace, Violence, and Nonviolence'
Church of the Brethren congregations offer a variety of worship opportunities
Posted in Church of the Brethren NewslineTagged Church of the Brethren, news, Newsline
Brethren bits for June 25, 2021Children's Disaster Services volunteers serve families affected by building collapse in Florida


I bought some avocados recently, and one of them was rock hard when I tried to cut it. I left it out for a couple days hoping it would ripen, but it didn't help.
To ripen a California Avocado, place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag and store at room temperature 65-75° until ready to eat (usually two to five days).
Including an apple or banana in the bag accelerates the process because these fruits give off ethylene gas, a ripening reagent.
Soft ripe fruit can be refrigerated until it is eaten, but not for more than two or three days.
The California Avocado Commission does not recommend using a microwave to accelerate the ripening process.
You can ripen an avocado in one day by double wrapping in foil and placing in low (250°) oven for +/- 30 minutes. Check by pressing lightly until avocado is starting to soften. Check every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on counter still wrapped in foil for an hour. Remove foil and let cool completely before using. I have used this method successfully for years.
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text:
Yingli Tower, also known as Ying Li International Financial Centre is a skyscraper in the Jiefangbei CBD area of Chongqing, China. Its construction started in 2009 and was completed in 2012. It is an office building with a retail podium. In 2012 Yingli Tower eclipsed the Chongqing World Trade Center to become the tallest building in Western China, although this title was short lived since Chongqing Poly Tower received the title later in the year.

Architecture
Like traditional American skyscraper design, articulated setbacks are used to separate and taper the vertical shaft of the main body as it rises, similar to the Empire State Building. The tower bears some resemblance to IFC 2 in Hong Kong. Subtle features characteristic in Art Deco design are embedded within the corners of the base and the central main shaft of the tower. Each of the outer corner setbacks are curved outwards. A similar method was reused to form the crown of the building but the design curves inwards instead to form a single pinnacle consisting of a series of tessellated diamonds. This curvature was also applied on the roof design of the retail podium which also curves inwards towards the tower.

References

Skyscraper office buildings in Chongqing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia