text:
Member CEOs
Navigation HOME About Us Member Companies Member CEOs POLICY ISSUES NEWS & MEDIA CONTACT US
BARBARA LESLIE is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Leslie has over 20 years experience working in local, state, and federal advocacy on behalf of business in Oakland, and is a long-time advocate to elected leaders on the business climate. Leslie most recently worked as the Director of Government Affairs at AT&T in Alameda County and previously was the head of the Oakland Realtors Association. Leslie was previously involved with the Oakland Chamber as the Executive Director of the Leadership Oakland program.
Barry Broome is the first President and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. He is responsible for leading community-driven efforts to retain, attract, grow, and scale new businesses; develop advanced industries; and guide new job-creation strategies throughout a six-county region. In his role, he has established the first ever public/private partnership economic development organization led by Chief Executive Officers in in the State of California; the organization comprises 37 CEO's and 19 communities in the Greater Sacramento region.
Previously, Broome was the President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). He delivered more than 50,000 jobs and 250 company locates into the Phoenix Region. Under his leadership, for six out of the ten years, GPEC was named one of the top economic organizations in North America by Site Selection Magazine. In 2013 he was also named Arizona Economic Developer of the Year, Arizona Real Estate Executive of the Year, and received the Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce award.
Prior to Arizona, Barry was the CEO of Southwest Michigan First (SMF), where he built an organization from the ground up, which was later listen in the top 20 companies in North America by Site Selection Magazine. In 2006, SMF was named one of the fastest 50 companies in Inc. Magazine- the first nonprofit to have that honor. Barry built and co-developed venture funds, angel networks, and 31 new ventures 0 primarily in the life science space in the Kalamazoo region. Barry was named Michigan Economic Developer of the Year in 2001. Preceding Michigan, Barry led the economic development in Toledo, Ohio, where he completed the largest industrial deal in the history of the United States called Project Jeep; which was built on 450 acres of brownfields in the North Central Toledo area.
Barry's been featured and interviewed for his work in global and national media outlets including LA Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, and CNBC among other publications. In addition, he was the keynote speaker at Arizona State University's 2009 graduation and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago, Notre Dame, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Kalamazoo College, and Western Michigan University
BILL ALLEN is the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles. Mr. Allen is also Co-Chair of the California Stewardship Network, a Vice Chair of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley and a member of the Board of Directors of the Weingart Foundation, Regional Economic Association Leaders of California Coalition, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, FilmL.A., Unite L.A., and Sister Cities
CARL GUARDINO is the President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. His work at the Leadership Group has included leading or co-leading several county transportation measures that together have raised more than $10 billion in local funding for regional transportation infrastructure improvements, and co-creating Housing Trust Silicon Valley, which since 2000 has helped 20,000 families afford homes in high-cost Silicon Valley by raising more than $70 million in voluntary contributions. Guardino current serves as Chair of the California Transportation Commission, and as a member of the boards of California Forward and the California League of Conservation Voters. In 2000, the San Jose Mercury News named Guardino one of the "Five Most Powerful" people in Silicon Valley in a once-per-decade study.
CASEY BEYE was appointed the President & CEO of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce in March 2017. Prior to that, he served as executive director for the Santa Cruz County Business Council and was also a senior advisor to the president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group from 2011-2017. His leadership is credited with creating the collaboration that led to passage of Santa Cruz County's Measure D a 1/2 cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Santa Cruz County. He has worked on public policy issues at the local, regional, state, and national levels for members of Congress, U.S. Senate, California and Nevada state senators, and the California Secretary of State. In 2015-2016 he chaired the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), having been appointed to the board in 2009 by California's governor. Beyer continues to serve on the TRPA Board and serves on various community boards in the Santa Cruz region.
CYNTHIA MURRAY is President/CEO of North Bay Leadership Council (NBLC). She serves on the boards of many organizations including the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, First 5 Sonoma County Commission, Sonoma County Health Action Council, Marin School to Careers Partnership and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Policy Advisory Council. Murray received the 2010 Women in Business award from the North Bay Business Journal for her achievements in economic development. Prior to becoming CEO at NBLC, she served eight years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors and seven years on the Novato City Council, including one term as Mayor.
DARIEN LOUIE has over 40 years of experience in program development, fund development, economic development and community investment. Her background includes work in community non-profit, public sector and corporate partnership settings, and also experience as an entrepreneur. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board, the Oakland Workforce Development Board, ICA Fund Good Jobs, and the Jefferson Awards Foundation. he has been recognized as Alameda County's Woman of the Year for Assembly District 16, Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and received a City of Oakland Proclamation for "Darien Louie Day" from then Mayor Jerry Brown. Darien is a Bay Area native and resides in Oakland with her husband Michael Fong. Her son, Ryan, is a recent graduate from her alma mater, UC Berkeley.
GARY TOEBBEN has been the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce since July 1, 2006. The private-nonprofit organization was founded in 1888 and is the largest business organization in the largest county in America. Its 1650 member companies employ 650,000 people in Los Angeles County. Toebben served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives in 2003. He is a past chairman of Mobility 21, a seven county coalition for transportation funding in Southern California and has served on blue ribbon committees for L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the California Endowment, the Metropolitan Water District and Los Angeles Unified School District. Under his leadership, the Chamber has played a statewide leadership role by co- sponsoring two successful state ballot initiatives on Legislative Redistricting and Term Limits Reform and being a major proponent of the Top-Two Primary ballot proposition. In 2016 & 2017, Toebben and the LA Chamber championed four successful ballot measures in the city and county of Los Angeles that resulted in $140 billion for transportation projects, $3.4 billion for community college physical improvements, $1.2 billion for housing for the homeless and $350 million per year for housing and support services for the homeless. The Chamber also led the campaign to defeat Measure S which would have forced a two year construction moratorium in the City of Los Angeles. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Toebben served as President of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for seven years. Toebben began his chamber career in 1975 at the North Platte, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and from 1981 to 1999; he served as President of the Lawrence, Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Gary is a native of Nebraska and holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He and his wife Janice have four children and eight grandchildren.
JEFF ALLRED is the President & CEO of SGVEP, prior to his appointment he served as the city manager of Rosemead for seven years. As city manager, he oversaw an aggressive building program, completing a new civic center downtown plaza and two state-of-the-art aquatic centers without tax increases or new assessments on residents or businesses. Economic development was a key priority during Mr. Allred's tenure as city manager, with substantial new businesses opening in Rosemead along with major infrastructure and aesthetic improvements. Prior to joining Rosemead, Mr. Allred spent five years as the city manager of Norco in Riverside County. He has had a long and distinguished career in local government in the San Gabriel Valley, previously serving in key administrative roles with the cities of La Verne, Downey, El Monte, and West Covina. He served as president of the San Gabriel Valley City Managers Association in 2013-14 and as a member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments City Managers Steering Committee. Mr. Allred has also taught strategic planning and management courses as an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne, where he currently serves as a member of the MPA Advisory Board. Jeff Allred graduated with a Bachelor's Degree cum laude from the University of La Verne in 1978 and received his MPA from California State University, Los Angeles in 1986. He lives in La Verne with his wife Karen. They are the parents of five children and 16 grandchildren.
JERRY SANDERS Jerry Sanders began his lifelong career in public service when he joined the San Diego Police Department at the age of 22, fulfilling his dream of becoming a police officer. He ascended the police department ranks and became one of the youngest police chiefs in the city's history. In 1999, Sanders retired as Chief of Police and became CEO of the United Way of San Diego, where he reduced the organization's costs and increased fundraising by 20 percent. Three years later, he chaired the board of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. In 2005, with his reputation as a successful turn-around executive, civic leaders urged Sanders to run for mayor. Under Mayor Sanders, city financial staff completed six years' worth of back-logged audits, allowing the city to return to the public bond markets in January 2009-- helping to fund the mayor's commitment to repair San Diego's long-neglected water, sewer and transportation infrastructure. In addition to his broad reform agenda, Sanders placed a high priority on economic growth and job creation during his time in office. Sanders completed his second and final term as Mayor in December 2012, and now currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber, Sanders leads the organization's efforts to make San Diego a place where business can succeed and grow while creating jobs, supporting infrastructure and enriching neighborhoods.
JIM WUNDERMAN is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bay Area Council. In this role, Wunderman has led the Council's efforts to advocate for billions of dollars in federal, state and regional funding for major transportation projects completed or currently under construction. He has worked to expand the Council's leadership outside the region, including opening an office in Sacramento and overseas offices in SHanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing, and partnering with the state to reopen the California-China Trade Office. Wunderman positioned the council to lead in developing an innovative early education program - Talk, Read, Sing -- and partnering with the Clinton Foundation to introduce it nationally. Since becoming CEO in 2004, Wunderman hashoned the Council's regionalist approach to advocacy in key areas that impact the Bay Area's economy and competitiveness, including: housing, transportation, workforce, water and resiliency, carbon reduction and renewable energy, gender equality & diversity, and healthcare reform. in 2015, 2016, and 2017 he was named one of the TOp 100 movers and shakers in California politics. Wunderman serves on numerous boards and commissions including the University of California Business Executive Council, is Vice CHair of the Water Emergency TRansportation Authority (WETA) Board, and the State of California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council.
KATE ROBERTS has been the President of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership since September 2015. Prior to joining MBEP, Ms. Roberts spent seven years running her own independent management consultancy, The Wired Woman, and helped organizations solidify strategies and accelerate growth. Over her 25 years in the high-tech industry Ms. Roberts held leadership positions in sales, marketing, partner management, and corporate social responsibility. She spent a decade at Cisco Systems, Inc. leading strategic initiatives and creating successful partnerships with the United Nations, USAID and other global partners to further tech education and workforce development in the developing world.
Kate's varied nonprofit board experience spans both the social and environmental spectrum at the regional and national level. As a volunteer ambassador with Save the Children, she led a women's empowerment delegation to Ethiopia and Uganda, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with CARE to raise funds and awareness for their community-based programs in Tanzania and Zanzibar. She is an active community member, supporting a number of social and environmental causes.
Kate graduated with honors from the University of California at Irvine and received a post-graduate certificate in cross-sector partnership from Cambridge University in England. She is an avid traveler, speaks 4 languages, is an award-winning photographer, an accomplished knitter, and an intrepid hiker. A native Californian, Kate lives in Santa Cruz, California with her husband of 26 years, Buz Roberts.
KRISTIN CONNELLY is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the East Bay Leadership Council and the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Economic Partnership. Previously, Connelly was the Executive Director for California Forward. Earlier in her career, Connelly practiced employment law at Sidley Austin LLP. Connelly's areas of expertise include education reform, public health, hunger and the environment. Connelly has previous experience working as a policy advisor and advocate for many non-profit organizations that provided services to families affected by HIV/AIDS.
In 2018, she was named one of The Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times.
LUCY DUNN is president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council, where she leads a dynamic organization of business members, working with academia and government, to assure the county's economic prosperity and high quality of life. Before joining the Business Council, Lucy served as Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development in 2004. In 2008, she was appointed to the California Transportation Commission by Governor Schwarzenegger, re-appointed twice by Governor Brown, and in 2015 was elected its chair. She also serves on the California Economic Summit, Mobility 21, Pacific Symphony, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, and UCI Foundation boards.
She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Orange County Business Journal's "Women in Business" award, Women in Transportation's "Woman of the Year" award, Southern California Leadership Network's Public Sector Leader of the Year, and the prestigious "Vision and Visionaries" Award from Cal-State University, Fullerton. She was twice named as "Woman of the Year" by the California Legislature. OC Register named her as one of "Orange County's 100 Most Influential." She was honored by the Endangered Habitats League with its Award of Excellence for her work in advancing settlement of 15 years of litigation, protection of habitat and cultural resources, while providing for mobility solutions.
Lucy is an attorney and loves travel, music with her proudest role as mother of two adult sons (and one accomplished daughter-in-law) who reside in the Bay Area.
MATTHEW MAHOOD (pronounced May-hood) is the President & CEO of what local media call 'Silicon Valley's flagship business lobby' The Silicon Valley Organization (The SVO). he nonprofit business association represents nearly 1,400 member businesses that employ roughly 300,000 employees throughout the region. Under his leadership since July 2011, The Silicon Valley Organization, formerly the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, has re-engineered its scope of work to focus all efforts around regional economic development. Mahood has increased member value and community relevance by becoming a leader in the regional discussions of key issues that impact the business community's ability to attract and retain a talented workforce while growing their business. With his leadership, The VO has become the region's connector, convener, collaborator and champion on issues that affect business and the community's prosperity. He has served as the co-chair for both a countywide task force focused on solving the homeless housing crisis and a City of San Jose-focused jobs initiative for at-risk youth called SJ Works. Additionally, with Mahood's guidance The VO launched Silicon alley IDEA, the evolution of his five-year effort to grow and promote the region. Through Silicon Valley IDEA, The SVO engages in public policy advocacy and lobbying efforts at the local, regional, state and federal level to address Business Velocity, Quality of Life and Regional Branding challenges. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration – Organizational Communication and Public Relations.
In addition to being President of the SCLC, MIKE ROOS is also the Founder and President of his own public affairs management company, Mike Roos & Co., which he created in 1999. His previous roles include President and CEO of LEARN, a coalition of leaders who aimed to implement reform and restructuring within the Los Angeles Unified School District, and serving as an Assemblyman from 1977 to 1991. Mike's major achievements include the Robert-Roos Weapons Control Act of 1989 which banned assault weapons and the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act in 1982, which provided local government with alternative financing for their public facilities. Other policies and programs he has worked on include prohibiting sex discrimination, teaching children about genocide and human rights, early childhood development programs, and housing and shelters for low-income senior citizens.
Mike is from Memphis, TN. He has a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
PAUL GRANILLO, "With 27,000 square miles and California's fastest growing population, we are truly building an empire.Railroads have helped catalyze this growth and will continue to foster it as they invest substantially in the rail network that connects Inland Empire to the world." -IEEP President and CEO Paul Granillo Paul Granillo became President and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership in 2010. He serves on the board of Mobility 21, a coalition that pursues regional solutions to transportation challenges. Additionally, Granillo serves on the Southern California Association of Governments Global Land Use and Economics Committee, the Board of Directors for The Community Foundation serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, Cal State San Bernardino's Foundation Board, the Leonard Transportation Center Advisory Board and Regional Economic Alliance Leaders of California. A native of the Inland Empire, Granillo was born and raised in Redlands. He received a B.A. from California State University San Bernardino, a Master of Divinity from St. John's Seminary in Camarillo and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Peter Rumble
President & CEO, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber
Peter Rumble became President and CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber in February of this year. Prior to that appointment he was the Deputy County Administrator for the County of Sonoma for almost 2 years. Other previous roles include Planning Commissioner for the City of Santa Rosa, CEO of California Clean Power, and various other roles for the County of Sonoma. Throughout his public service to the County of Sonoma, he established the first community engagement plan, oversaw intergovernmental affairs and legislative advocacy programs, managed media relations, and established the Healthy Policy Division to prepare for and implement the Health Care Reform. Peter and the Metro chamber are focusing on creating new business opportunities, connections, and growth for their city, the 5th largest in the San Francisco Bay Area 26th largest in California. Peter has a Master's in Public Administration from San Francisco State University.
President & CEO, The Hourglass Project
Melissa James is the first President and CEO of the Hourglass Project, a regional economic development organization established in January of 2019 to create jobs and opportunity across the Central Coast - a region that stretches from Vandenberg Air Force Base to Camp Roberts representing nearly half a million people in northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County. Melissa has a decade of experience in public policy and strategic communications having served as a Capitol Director in the California State Senate and later as an Account Executive for a nationally recognized public affairs, media and polling firm in Sacramento, where she worked with Fortune 500 companies and trade associations to navigate complex public policy debates. She gained start-up experience as a core member of the team that founded the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo that developed, deployed and scaled technology-based innovations to impact real world problems. From there, Melissa went on to develop and champion regional economic development initiatives, for the Economic Vitality Corporation and later the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, in the areas of housing, infrastructure planning, regional collaboration and civility where she earned a reputation for building highly effective coalitions and teams. Melissa is a recipient of the Pacific Coast Business Times 40 under 40 award as well as the SLO Tribune's Top 20 under 20 award.


Happy Halloween & Bonfire Night!
With Halloween and Bonfire night fast approaching it's a tough time for our lovely furry friends…. firstly the humiliation of an absolutely adorable pumpkin/ ghost outfit ('Mum do i have to wear this') and then secondly, and most importantly, the terrifyingly loud noises of fireworks.


text:
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, January 13, 2022; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2). is pleased to report the results from the fall 2021 program of 3D Induced Polarization (3D IP), prospecting and rock sampling on the company's...
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, January 7, 2022; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) Further to the Company's news releases dated November 4, 2021 and November 26, 2021 with respect to the Option Agreements on the Lone Star -...
Highlights: Wide zones of high-grade copper mineralization (up to 18.5% Cu) confirmed from first two diamond drill holes with significant elevated gold (up to 10.4g/t Au) and silver (up to 106 g/t Ag) values also received. Multiple zones of mineralization intersected...
Belmont Announces Results of AGM
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, December 20, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L1) is pleased to announce results of voting at its annual general meeting of shareholders which was held December 17, 2021 in Vancouver, Brutish...
Belmont Provides Update on Option Partner Lone Star Drilling Program
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, December 2, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) announces its option partner Marquee Resources Ltd. (ASX:MQR) has completed the first two holes of a planned 42 hole, 5,800 meter drill program on...
Belmont Signs Binding Term Sheet for its Crackingstone Uranium Property
XS Resources Pty Ltd.To Acquire Up To 80% Interest in Crackingstone.Vancouver, B.C. Canada, November 24, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding term sheet...
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, November 17, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2 announces its option partner Marquee Resources Ltd. (ASX:MQR) has commenced a 5,800 meter ("m") drill program to further develop the known...
Belmont Provides Update on Lone Star Copper-Gold Project
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, November 10, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) is pleased to provide an update on its preparation for its upcoming drill program. Option/JV Belmont recently signed an option/JV agreement with...
Belmont Announces Appointment of New Director to the Board
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, November 9, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Geoffrey D.G. Peretz to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Peretz is a senior Investment Industry...
Belmont Signs Option/JV Agreements With Marquee Resources On Lone Star Copper-Gold and Kibby Lithium Properties
Marque to make cash payments totaling $604,000 and $5,050,000 in exploration expenditures on two projects over a two-year earn-in period.Vancouver, B.C. Canada, November 4, 2021; Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) is...
Belmont Identifies Drill Targets From IP Survey January 13, 2022
Belmont Updates Finder's Fee On Lone Star & Kibby Properties January 7, 2022
Belmont and Marquee Announce Drilling Results At The Lone Star Copper-Gold Project Highlighted By 1.3% Copper Over 44.2 Metres January 6, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Lightweight Lounge Heaven a soft modular revolution.
Your home lifestyle deserves stunning bean bags that are real furniture pieces. Choose from our ambient lounge® collection beautifully made for contemporary interiors & the New Zealand outdoors.


Have you ever seen someone play favorites based on a person's appearance, bank account, employment, or some other factor—and you weren't the chosen one? It's not a good feeling.
Is God showing a form of favoritism in his election of only some of humanity for salvation? Let's look closely at this issue and see why God's electing grace is not favoritism.
One of the earliest writings in the New Testament is the letter by James to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion," a way of referring to the Christian church that was scattered throughout Asia Minor due to the persecution of Christians circa AD 40 in Jerusalem. James's letter was most likely intended to be read among many congregations to address issues that were becoming problematic in all the churches, one being favoritism—the giving of special attention to people because of their position, influence, or wealth.
The favoritism James warns against in James 2:1-4 is different in every way from the favor God shows in choosing to save some but not all humans. The salvation God graciously provides by the gift of faith (Eph. 2:8-9) begins in Genesis 3:15 with the promise to Adam and Eve of a Savior. His favor begins to take further shape in Genesis 4:25 with the birth of Seth to Adam and Eve. Even though sin seems to have won when Adam and Eve's firstborn, Cain, murders his brother Abel, hope returns in Seth through whom the God-fearing ancestral line would run to the promised Messiah.
In the days of Noah, the increasing corruption on the earth results in God bringing judgment on all mankind. Yet, God, being rich in mercy, shows favor toward Noah (Gen. 6:9-22). God preserves Noah and his family through the water judgment so that the plan of God—announced in Genesis 3:15—would continue.
Of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, God chooses Shem, who alone is favored by being given faith to continue the ancestral line that would eventually lead to Jesus (Gen. 4:26). In Genesis 11:10-26, we read the list of Shem's descendants. The list ends with Abram to whom God extends His favor by calling him out of a people and nation of idol worshippers in Ur and promising to make him a great nation (Gen. 12:2). That nation would be Israel, chosen by God (favored if you will) to be his people and the apple of his eye (Deut. 32:10). God also promises Abram offspring as numerous as the stars (Gen. 15:5). Paul explains later in Galatians that the offspring promised to Abram are spiritual offspring (Gal. 3:28-29). So the favor of God toward Abram extends beyond a physical offspring and a physical land to a spiritual offspring that would include people from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rom. 16:26; Gal. 3:8; Rev. 7:9).
The Bible clearly shows that God favors some and not all. But God's "favor" is not sin, where "favoritism" is indeed sin, as James rightly points out. Favoritism is when someone chooses a person or thing because of some perceived merit, worth, or bias; but, as Paul declares in Romans 3:23, all people have sinned and fallen short of God's righteous requirements. There is no human being who justly deserves God's favor. Instead, all people deserve the wrath of God. Yet, God, by his grace, chooses to give some people faith in Christ and the resulting righteousness that comes through this faith. This reality was as much in play in Israel's history as it is today.
The decision of God to choose some for salvation is not because of any inherent goodness in the person. It is simply God's prerogative, and it demonstrates his unfathomable grace. It was a decision made in eternity past (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 20:12) by the Father, who gave his Son a kingdom and a people as a reward for his finished work of redemption by his perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice. All those given to Jesus receive the perfect righteousness of the Son through faith alone by God's grace alone (John 6:37, 44; 10:26; Eph. 2:8-9). By this, they are qualified for God's eternal kingdom (John 15:16; 17:9, 24; 1 Cor. 15:23-28).
These biblical truths are centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This objective fact is the Gospel. We struggle because God's decision to choose some, but not all, seems unfair, but this is only because we have a corrupted sense of "fairness." If God were to be fair, all would perish. Thankfully, God is just and also gracious.
Whether we accept this doctrine of election or not doesn't change the Bible's central message about a Savior promised by and sent from God the Father to save a people—a Savior who humbled Himself by taking on the flesh of humanity as the "last Adam." As fully human, Jesus fulfilled the Father's requirement for righteousness where Adam failed. As fully God, Jesus was able to bear the wrath of the Father for the sins of those he was saving. So as Adam brought death to all, Christ brings life to all who trust in him (1 Cor. 15:22, 45). His sinless life qualified him to be the final "Passover Lamb," so that all who believe in him will not face the final judgment. His resurrection from the grave and His enthronement at the right hand of the Father is proof that the Father was satisfied by the work of his Son (Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 11:15).
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2:22-24).
It's important to recognize that these truths are not the ultimate favoritism but rather the ultimate in favor by a God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son to redeem people who were absolutely unlovable to a perfectly holy God. This is grace that fills us with its never-ceasing comfort—grace that is unmerited favor, not favoritism. Far from being a form of sinful preference, the doctrine of election is the ultimate expression of love and is biblical to its core.
When we drive this message into the very center of our hearts—the message of a Savior sent to redeem a sinful undeserving people—our response is to love and obey God and Christ more and more, which we do through the power of his Spirit. In this way, we confirm the favor—not favoritism—that he has shown us in our election for salvation. May God be glorified in each of us, his children.


text:
Home : Magazine : History
Amazing feasts
The most expensive party ever
Martin Beglinger
In October 1971 the Shah of Persia flew in eighteen tons of food to celebrate his country's 2,500th anniversary and his own glory. Emperors, kings, presidents and sheikhs from all over the world were regaled for three days amidst the ancient ruins of Persepolis.
©Abbas Magnum Photos
"Allow me to introduce myself briefly: I'm Dante Franzetti and I just turned 80. Dio mio, in my life I've served just about everyone: Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Pope John XXIII. Even Greta Garbo. From 1964 until 1993 I was manager of the legendary King's Club at the Palace Hotel in St. Moritz. I organised hundreds of parties there, for the Onassis and Agnelli families, for Flick, Heinecken, Heinrich Thyssen and the Rothschilds. And, of course, for the Shah, whom I knew from 1957 on. He was my very best client, along with Henry Ford II. I've undoubtedly experienced more intimate parties, but in size, Persepolis outdid all the others. Everyone wanted to attend, I mean, everyone. As for my position: I was the only waiter in a tuxedo. All the others wore uniforms."
"But they were custom made! Our jackets were violet blue, in the colours of the imperial court. My name is Oswald Toutsch, I'm now 74. At the time, I was chef d'étage at the Palace. We were some 120 waiters and 40 cooks in Persepolis. Most of us were hired from the Palace or from Maxim's in Paris."
Hugo Keusch, who was first head waiter at the Palace and head waiter in Persepolis, elatedly pronounced in Blick magazine four days before the party: "It will be the peak of our careers!"
"Poor Keusch. He had no idea what was in store for him," says waiter Dante Franzetti.
A different time
1971: Mao was in power in China; Leonid Brezhnev, in the Soviet Union. The dictator Franco ruled Spain; and Richard Nixon, the USA. Students were protesting against the war in Vietnam and the Shah of Persia. The Shah's visit to Berlin sparked the 1968 riots in Germany, after the police shot down student Benno Ohnesorg during a demonstration against "America's puppet Pahlavi".
Billion-Dollar Camping
In Persepolis, near the tomb of Cyrus I, the Shah planned to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire, for three days, from 12 to 14 October, 1971. It would be "the biggest party on earth", announced the Shah. He wanted to show the world the new face of an ancient empire, a modern and proud Iran, a nation of oil, not of Islamic mullahs.
As Farah Diba asserted 33 years later in her memoir, the royal family had to prove that the Pahlavi era was "a period of renaissance for Iranian civilization". The Shah hired French architects, interior decorators and couturiers to design 50 tent-like suites for the royal visitors, right next to the ruins. A main tent, measuring 68m by 24m, was to be the banquet hall. The tent city took a year to build and 37 km of silk. The tents were arranged along five avenues, radiating out from a central fountain.
"Billion-Dollar Camping" read the headline in the Schweizer Illustrierte.
"The party of the century", claimed Life magazine.
And according to Stern: "The mother of all parties".
"It was magical, like in One Thousand and One Nights – except for the punch-up, but we'll get to that later," enthuses waiter Oswald Toutsch.
50,000 songbirds were flown in from Europe.
Three days later they were all dead.
"The ladies were provided with a separate bunker for their jewellery. As with their clothes, they had to change into something new for each meal," recalls co-organiser Felix Real, 85. "Right next to the tent city they built an airfield, as well as a 1000-km motorway from Tehran to Persepolis. They also planted an entire forest next to the ruins. And to create atmosphere, 50,000 songbirds were flown in from Europe. Three days later they were all dead — the desert climate had been too much for them. At noon, temperatures topped 40, and at night they dropped below zero."
Emil Real, 74, Felix's brother and co-organiser: "Of course, we had a big kitchen, too. Iranian military machines flew in 150 tons of kitchen equipment, some 5000 kilometres, from Paris to Persepolis. Everything was of the very best quality, and I've seen some hotel kitchens in my day."
Felix Real: "The culinary preparations for the celebration began in the summer of 1970, when the Iranians asked Louis Vaudable, the owner of Maxim's in Paris, to manage this part of the festivities. In those days, Maxim's was considered the best restaurant in the world."
Emil Real: "Three days before the gala banquet, eighteen tons of food arrived. According to the list, this included: 2700 kg of beef, pork and lamb. 1280 kg of fowl and game. And 30 kg of caviar — although some people claim it was 150 kg."
"And a lorry full of ice," waiter Oswald Toutsch adds.
"Everything was flown in from Paris, even parsley and chives. Only the caviar came from Iran," Felix Real recalls.
"The director of Maxim's, Monsieur Louis Vaudable, believes that in the history of humankind there has never been a party as extravagant as this one," reported the Bündner Zeitung.
Farah Diba remarked with annoyance in her book: "… what I discovered went against my Iranian sensibility: a host of foreign suppliers had been contracted, and among the most expensive, when we could have hired Iranians in certain areas. … Was it still possible to cancel these arrangements? I was told that the given time frame necessitated using European expertise."
In the world's capitals people were closely following who was planning to pay their respects to the Shah and who wasn't. According to protocol, the most eminent guest was Haile Selassie, 79, Emperor of Ethiopia. He was accompanied by his daughter and his dog, Cheecheebee. With its diamond-studded collar, it never left the Emperor's side, not even on the sofa. US President Nixon had Vice-President Spiro Agnew represent him. Queen Elisabeth of Britain sent her husband Prince Philip and Princess Anne. French President Pompidou first accepted, but then cancelled, which angered the Shah.
Everything was equipped to perfection.
Except for the coffee machine.
Dante Franzetti, waiter: "Everyone suspected that the only reason Pompidou wasn't coming to Persepolis was because he wouldn't be able to sit next to Empress Farah Diba. That seat was already reserved for Haile Selassie."
"The serpentine table for the guests of honour was almost 70 meters long. 125 women spent six months embroidering the tablecloth," reported Paris Match.
Emil Real, co-organiser: "I was responsible for room service in the 50 tent suites. Each of them had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, and a lavishly furnished salon that could accommodate twelve people. A tapestry – with a picture of the head of state who was staying there woven into it – hung on the wall of each tent. A gift from the Shah."
Felix Real, co-organiser: "Everything was equipped to perfection. Except for the coffee machine. At most it could make two cups at a time – for 500 guests! This could have been terribly embarrassing. Luckily I'd brought 20 kg of Nescafé from Vaduz with me. We ended up mixing big kettles of it.
My main job was the wine. To go with the first meat dish – saddle of lamb stuffed with champignons, roasted medium rare and garnished with tips of fresh asparagus – we served one of the world's most superb red wines, a magnum Château Lafite Rothschild, vintage 1945. I tasted all the wines, first for poison and then for cork."
In Maxim's official journal of the festivities, listed under "Quelques precisions" were: 2500 bottles of champagne, 1000 bottles of Bordeaux, 1000 bottles of Burgundy, packed in 410 crates, delivered to a cellar built specially for this purpose in Persepolis four weeks before the celebrations began.
"We also had to test the glasses. They were crystal and their necks were ultra-thin, magnificent, wow! We tested by flicking our forefingers against them – and ping, a few hundred broke," Rudolf Pazeller recounts, still with a tinge of regret today.
"As I said, I tasted every single wine, hundreds of bottles, but not even a drop trickled down my throat – I spat it all out. There was a strict ban on alcohol during the festivities. I also tasted all the sorbets. The champagne was from 1911 and had turned a pinkish colour. But not one bottle had gone bad, which was pretty astonishing for a 60-year-old champagne. The vintage cognac was from 1860. But we only had twelve bottles, not many for 500 guests. When I realized it wouldn't be enough, I found two empty bottles and refilled them with Courvoisier. Nobody noticed."
Rudolf Pazeller: "It's time to mention the dishes served at the gala banquet. Here's the original menu, on parchment:
Persepolis, le jeudi 14 octobre.
- Oeufs de Cailles aux Perles
- Mousse de Queues d'Ecrevisses
- Selle d'agneau des grands plateaux farcie et rôtie dans son jus
- Sorbet au vieux Champagne
- Paon à l'Imperiale
- Turban de Figues
- Café Mokka"
The menu in an exquisite cover that opens up to an expensively bound booklet.
© Andreas Kohli
Luxurious menus were provided at each meal for over 500 guests.
The pages on the left are decorated in gold. On the right are the individual courses and wines. Here: Mousse de Queues d'Ecrevisses, Sauce Nantua / Château Haut-Brion blanc 1964
Rudolf Pazeller with two menus from the festivities in Persepolis. A third menu is in the display case behind him. Pazeller was a cook at Persepolis. Today he is a successful hotelier at the Schlosshotel Chasté in Tarasp, Switzerland. On special occasions, he cooks a menu from Persepolis for his guests.
Menu from the gala dinner in Persepolis. Here the dessert: Turban de Figues, garni de Framboises au Porto / Dom Pérignon Rosé 1959, Cuvée Rarissime
Menu from the festivities; in the possession of Rudolf Pazeller, who was a cook at the celebrations in Persepolis.
Criticism from the future ruler
"Let them go all the way to Mars or beyond the Milky Way; they will still be deprived of true happiness, moral virtue, and spiritual advancement and be unable to solve their own social problems," roared Khomeini. Eight years after the "party of the century" he would chase the Shah out of the country and transform the Persian Empire into an Islamic theocracy.
"Should I serve heads of state bread and radishes instead?" was the Shah's brusque reply.
Estimates of the costs vary, depending on the source, from 300 million to 2 billion Swiss francs.
"The attack was all the more unfair because most of the money spent for amenities considerably increased Iran's assets: 2500 schools were opened for the occasion," Farah Diba protested in her memoir. "In the eyes of the most fundamentalist clerics, the ceremonies themselves must have increased this cause for vexation – without our being really aware of it – since they began on 12 October 1971 at the tomb of Cyrus the Great, with this homage from my husband, spoken in a voice shaking with emotion."
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, self-proclaimed Shahanshah, King of Kings, Light of the Aryans, Shadow of the Almighty, began his grand speech with the following words: "Cyrus! Great King, King of Kings … you immortal Hero of History, father of the world's most ancient empire, great liberator of all time, worthy son of mankind. … After 2500 years, the Persian flag waves as proudly as in your era of glory. … Today, as in your day, Persia bears the message of liberty and love of mankind in a troubled world … Cyrus, Great King, King of Kings…, you may rest in peace, for we are vigilant and will remain so forever."
The punch-up
Dante Franzetti: "A day after the parade was the gala banquet. Green, red and yellow traffic lights were installed at the entrances of the big tent to make sure all the waiters entered at the exact same moment. It worked absolutely perfectly."
"That's right. Though we did have problems with the French," Oswald Toutsch retorts. "We Swiss waiters arrived in Persepolis a few days before the French ones, and Hugo Keusch, our boss, started organising everything immediately. But then, at the last moment, the staff from Maxim's arrived – and they thought they knew how to do everything better. Of course, Hugo didn't like that at all."
Two of the French guys held him, while a third guy punched him right in the face with his fist.
Emil Real: "True. The stars from Paris just told us to do it like this or like that. Which led to a punch-up. Just imagine – a day before the big banquet!"
Felix Real: "Poor Herr Keusch… he even got a bloody nose!"
Dr. Eugen Riedi: "Two of the French guys held him, while a third guy punched him right in the face with his fist. It took only ten seconds and, I must say, it was a very professional lesson in how to get rid of an opponent. Since I was responsible for the medical care of the personnel, I treated Keusch afterwards."
Oswald Toutsch, waiter: "Then they told him that his mother in Switzerland had unexpectedly passed away. Keusch left on the spot for Tehran. By the time he found out it was just a trick to get rid of him, the festivities were over."
"I didn't want to mention it, but unfortunately that's what happened," said Franzetti.
Gerhard Müller, chef: "The kitchen was like an oven, with all those gas stoves. Sixteen hours a day, it was as tough as working in a mine."
"In anticipation of these days, for the first time in my life I asked my doctor to prescribe some tranquilizers for me. ... The kitchen staff had to be kept happy, given a helping hand, and sometimes comforted, and catastrophes had to be averted," wrote Farah Diba in her memoir.
Blick quoted Princess Anne as saying: "I'll never eat another peacock!"
Gerhard Müller, chef: "We ended up clearing away three-quarters of the cold buffet, the guests were simply full to bursting."
Emil Real: "At noon, on the day before the big dinner, Tito consumed a whole turkey. And Haile Selassie, a duck."
Oswald Toutsch, waiter: "By the way, I spilled a drop on Tito's white uniform. He didn't say a word, just quickly rubbed it off his sleeve with his hand."
Emil Real: "Though after the banquet, Soviet President Podgorny had to be supported on both sides, one man to his right and one to his left. In Podgorny's tent, the drink was whiskey; in Vice-President Agnew's, vodka."
The Bündner Zeitung claimed that: "12,000 bottles of whiskey were flown into Persepolis." Other papers spoke of 25,000 bottles.
Business, not women
"Grace Kelly, Princess Grace of Monaco, was the most beautiful," confirms men's cloakroom attendant Anna Nutt.
"But the men had absolutely no time for women in Persepolis. Except when they were eating, everything revolved around politics and business. Just like in St. Moritz. When the Shah was there, everyone wanted to talk to him, to get into the Iranian oil industry. Some guests even offered me money to introduce them to the Shah. Of course, that was out of the question," recalls waiter Dante Franzetti.
"Of all the tasks that fell to me in the preparation for the festivities, coping with (the press) was the most difficult and depressing, for just as I had predicted, a wave of acerbic criticisms about expenditures on luxuries slowly arose from the West. The journalists got on this hobbyhorse, and rode it again and again. What kind of monarchy is dressed by Lanvin and eats at Maxim's when its people still sometimes lack food and schools? … A final fireworks display was held on this occasion and, in the last group photo, I can clearly be seen giving a sign of relief," concluded Farah Diba.
Oswald Toutsch, waiter: "At the end of the three-day celebrations, loads of goods were left over, and when the soldiers began tossing whole crates of wine into rubbish bins, we waiters ran over to them like crazy, saying, dear Lord, please help us save as much as possible."
Gerhard Müller, chef: "Just imagine: soldiers emptying the wine from opened magnum bottles over their shaved heads and not drinking a drop! Even today I can hear Andrea Badrutt, proprietor of the Palace, who had also been invited to Persepolis, shouting: 'Gerhard, the soldiers are throwing everything away, wine, plates, cutlery.'
"Afterwards, if I remember rightly, the plan was for Club Méditerranée to use the tent city for tourists. But it wasn't long before everything was dirty and frayed."
Guests at the fund-raising dinner for the French charity "Le Bal des Petits Lits Blancs", presided over by Queen FARAH. On the right is actor VILLALONGA. 1971.
© Abbas/Magnum Photos
Drinks are served before the gala dinner in the big tent.
Dinner in the grand tent. From left to right: Prince Rainier of Monaco, Prince Philip of Great Britain, Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden and Vice President Spiro Agnew of the USA.
Dinner is served to official guests in an extravagantly designed tent.
3rd from left is SHARIF EMAMI, 4th (back) Dr EQBALl, 5th (partly hidden) AMOUZEGAR.
Queen FARAH is serenaded during the fund-raising dinner for the French charity "Le Bal des Petits Lits Blancs". On her right is Prime Minister Amir Abbas HOVEYDA, on her left Court Minister Assadollah ALAM. 1971.
Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI, Queen FARAH, Crown Prince REZA, Prince ALI and Princess FARAHNAZ take the stand upon arrival at the airport to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of the monarchy in Persepolis.
Martin Beglinger has worked since 2003 for the Tages-Anzeiger magazine; it was here that his text about the festivities at Persepolis was first published.
Cow tongue and venison
The 20th anniversary of the GDR was a modest affair.
14.05.2014 Andreas Kohli
In the land of Cockaigne
Culinary excesses, sexual...
14.05.2014 Denis Rohrer


text:
Gender Network
Protests continue in Lebanon amid economic and political crisis
Thu 11 Mar 2021
A demonstrator stands near a burning fire blocking a road during a protest against mounting economic hardships.
Lebanon has seen the value of its currency plunge to a historic low, posing a big threat to the stability in the country. More than half the population is now in poverty, and with no government plan in sight, protests are being held throughout the country.
Protests continue to escalate
Throughout the past week, protesters all over the small country in the Middle East have blocked roads with burning tyres. The main roads leading into the capital Beirut were blocked, and in Beirut itself, protesters briefly blocked the road to the central bank. Some have called for a revival of the street movement of 2019, which demanded the removal of Lebanon's entire political class, widely seen as incompetent and corrupt.
The protests have led to some casualties. In Tyre, a man tried to pour petrol on his body and set himself on fire, but security forces have stopped him on time,. Three men were killed in a car accident, when they drove into a lorry that was blocking a main motorway in the north of the country.
The traffic jams have prompted hospitals to sound the alarm bell. Suppliers faced difficulties in delivering supplies necessary to treat Covid-19 patients, such as oxygen.
Historic low in financial crisis
Protesters are demanding political action to end the economic crisis that has prevailed for more than a year. The protests erupted after the collapse of the Lebanese pound, which sank to a historic low last week, at 10,000 pounds to the US dollar. The currency has decreased about 85 percent in value. This was the last straw for the Lebanese.
The financial crisis erupted in 2019 and has wiped out jobs, locked people out of their bank deposits and raised the risk of widespread hunger. Nearly half of the population of six million has been driven into poverty and purchasing power has plummeted. According to news reports, people in the country can barely afford basic goods such as sandwiches, or a bus journey. Bus fares have risen by 33 percent according to the Transport Ministry, and so has the price of shared taxis.
Videos have gone viral on Lebanese social media, showing customers fighting over basic products such as baby milk in supermarkets. Lebanon's economic crisis has been aggravated by several lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The escalating crisis is posing a big threat to the stability in the country since the 15-year civil war, which came to an end in 1990.
Unrest in the security forces' ranks
The Lebanese army has been clearing the roadblocks, made of burning tyres, debris, dumpsters and vehicles, as protesters obstruct roads across the country. There was a short delay in clearing the roads due to a political disagreement between the chief of the armed forces and President Aoun.
Lebanon's president told the army and security forces to start removing the obstructions, but the army chief warned that troops should not get sucked into the political crisis and insisted on keeping the army neutral, affirming the right to demonstrate peacefully.
In unusual comments on the political situation, high-ranking army officials also highlighted that the ongoing and deepening economic crisis was having effects on morale among the security forces. Discontent is brewing in the ranks, as the financial crisis is wiping out most of the value of their salaries and unrest and crime are surging. "Soldiers are going hungry like the people," an army chief said on Monday.
In response, the Lebanese parliament is set to meet in a legislative session Friday to endorse an urgent draft law to compensate security forces for the increased cost of living.
No political action in sight
Adding to the despair, the country is at a political deadlock and there seems to be no government plan to get out of the crisis in sight. The Diab government formally resigned after the massive Beirut port explosion last August, which killed more than 200 people, and has failed to form a new cabinet since then. A new cabinet can tackle the country's worsening economic and social crises.
Former prime minister Saad Hariri was nominated as successor, but has yet to form a government because political parties are quarreling over cabinet positions. Disagreements are deeply entrenched between Mr Hariri's party, the Future Movement, and President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement. Hariri announced that he has presented Aoun with a "cabinet consisting of 18 ministers who are non-partisan specialists", but Aoun objected to the cabinet, because they had been "especially Christians" and they had been named "without the agreement of the presidency."
In most recent developments, the Lebanese president's son-in-law and de facto president Gebran Bassil gave a speech in late February, in which he made little effort to facilitate the task of forming a cabinet. Instead, according to analysts, he used the speech to present himself as the de facto president and to laud the efforts of Hezbollah. The Islamist political movement wishes to obtain at least a third of the ministerial portfolios, because this will allow it to control government decisions. Hariri emphasises that the cabinet should consist of non-partisan specialists in order to make much-needed reforms.
In a desperate attempt to get parties back to the negotiating table, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab threatened in a televised speech on Saturday to "withdraw" from his duties unless Lebanese politicians agree to form a new government. It is feared that his ultimatum will fall on deaf ears.
France24, TheArabWeekly, DailyStar1, TheNationalNews1, DailyStar2, TheNationalNews2, TheNationalNews3, AlJazeera
Image: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
We are supported by


text:
Bharatpur City Map Poster
Name:Bharatpur
Label:Bharatpur, India
Design your own map of Bharatpur
About Bharatpur
Bharatpur is known for the Keoladeo National Park, a World Heritage Site and one of the best bird sanctuaries in India. It is also famous for its palaces, lakes and temples. The city was founded by Bharata Singh who settled here with his seven brothers after they had left Hastinapur at the time of Mahabharata war. Bharatpur: History The city was earlier called Jatsar or Jaitaran (Jitra). In 1727 CE Maratha ruler Sardar Ranoji Scindia conquered Bharatpur State from Jaswant Singh's grandson Surajmal Jat (1724–1752), son of Brij Raj Deo Chauhan Ruler Of Bharthipur state . After this it came under control of Marathas till 1803 when it became part of British Empire after Treaty Of Bassein signed between Lord Wellesley & Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II on 29 March 1802 .
Cities near Bharatpur
BharatpurBhiwadiJaipur


text:
Canada markets open in 35 minutes
STOCK FUTURES DROP, NETFLIX SLIDES AFTER SUBSCRIBERS MISS
Netflix projected 2.5 million new users for the first quarter of 2022 versus the 6.3 million anticipated
Olaf Scholz elected to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor
Philip Oltermann in Berlin
December 8, 2021, 8:33 a.m. ·4 min read
Photograph: Carsten Koall/Getty Images
Olaf Scholz will succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's new chancellor after securing a majority of 395 of 736 delegates' ballots in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday morning.
Scholz will oversee a liberal-left "traffic light" coalition government between his Social Democratic party (SPD), the Greens and the liberal Free Democratic party (FDP), the first power-sharing agreement of such a kind in Germany, and the first governing alliance with three parties since 1957.
Related: New faces, policies – and accents: Germany's next coalition
Scholz, a former mayor of Hamburg and finance minister in Merkel's final term, secured 21 fewer votes than the 416 seats the three coalition parties have in the Bundestag, though several politicians were absent from the vote because of illness.
Wearing a bordeaux red tie, the Social Democrat politician removed his black mask to accept the vote. Amid applause, delegates congratulated Scholz with fist bumps, handshakes and flowers. One gave him a basket of red apples.
Several politicians from Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, which plummeted to its worst result in German history at September's national vote, also took the opportunity to congratulate Scholz on social media.
The conservatives' failed chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, who not only lost the election but will make way as party leader next spring, tweeted: "Even if we fought for a different result, we can count ourselves lucky that there is so much mutual respect between democrats in this country."
After the vote Scholz headed to the Bellevue Palace residence of the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to be formally appointed.
By noon, he was back in the Bundestag to take his oath of office, swearing to use the powers bequeathed to him "for the good of the German people". Scholz, who was raised in a Protestant household but later opted to leave the church, declined to utter the optional final line of the oath, "So help me God".
Guests watching the ceremony from the visitors' gallery included the former chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Scholz's wife, Britta Ernst, his parents, Gerhard and Christel Scholz, and his brothers Jens and Ingo.
The new government was finally announced in parliament at 1:30 pm, after which the ministers in Scholz's cabinet took their oaths.
The gender-equal new cabinet contains several firsts: women will for the first time hold Germany's foreign and interior ministries, with the Green politician Annalena Baerbock in the former and the Social Democrat Nancy Faeser in the latter. The defence ministry will be held by Christine Lambrecht, the third consecutive woman in the role.
The agriculture minister, Cem Özdemir, of the Green party, will be the federal republic's first minister with Turkish roots.
As the names of the new ministers were read out, the loudest cheer echoed around the chamber at the mention of Germany's new health minister.
Karl Lauterbach, a studied epidemiologist and Harvard graduate who has been a mainstay of television panel debate throughout the pandemic, has become a hate figure for Germany's anti-vaxxers and lockdown sceptics but was desired by many as the most qualified politician for the job in the health ministry.
Merkel, too, watched proceedings from the visitors' gallery. The outgoing chancellor, who is ending her political career and will not continue as an MP, received a standing ovation from almost all delegates in the last minutes of her tenure. Only members of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland remained seated.
As the new president of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, read out the names of all delegates eligible to vote for the new chancellor, a mask-wearing Merkel scribbled furiously on a notepad.
Merkel's final day as chancellor was her 5,860th day in office, falling short of the record set by her late former mentor Helmut Kohl by a mere ten days.
Merkel will formally hand over her offices at the chancellory in central Berlin to Scholz and his team on Wednesday. The cuboid building opposite the parliament, nicknamed the "federal washing machine", has been the seat of German leaders since 2001, making Scholz only the third chancellor to govern from its premises.
Germany's new head of government is expected to make his first trip abroad as soon as Friday, when he will also attend the "summit for democracy" hosted by the US president, Joe Biden, via video link. During September's election campaign, Scholz had stated he would follow the example set by Merkel and make his first trip abroad to Paris.
Germany's new chief diplomat, Baerbock, had vowed to make Brussels her first destination in office, and there have been reports in German media she could make a brief trip to the seat of the European Commission on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday.
On Saturday and Sunday, Baerbock is due to attend a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Liverpool, where she could introduce herself to her colleagues from Britain, France, the US, Italy, Japan and Canada.
Scholz's new spokesperson and representatives of the 14 federal ministers will hold their first press conference on Monday, in keeping with a thrice-weekly question-and-answer session with the media.
Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, has indicated his intention to withdraw from politics, with his tweets from the official government handle to be archived.
Futures tracking the Nasdaq 100 index slipped on Friday after a weak forecast from Netflix sent its shares along with other streaming companies spiraling lower, with Wall Street's main indexes headed for another week of losses. Netflix Inc plunged 19.6% in premarket trading after the streaming giant fell short of market forecasts for new subscribers at the end of last year and offered a downbeat outlook for early 2022. Shares of technology and media companies including Walt Disney Co, ViacomCBS and Roku that have invested heavily in streaming also fell between 1.7% and 5.4%.
December marks 3rd straight month of growth for US builders
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Construction of new homes in the U.S. rose for the third consecutive month in December and data released Wednesday suggests that the frantic pace of building will continue this year. The December increase puts home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.7 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. In all of 2021, nearly 1.6 million housing units were started a 15.6% increase over 2020. The December housing data was boosted by multi-unit p


text:
GM posts 1st monthly sales gain in almost 2 years
PUBLISHED: November 3, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 1, 2017 at 6:54 a.m.
DETROIT – GM reported its first monthly gain in U.S. sales in almost two years while Toyota and Ford also improved, a sign the auto industry it starting to crawl back from a yearlong slump.
Demand for new cars and crossovers in October fueled better results for General Motors Co. and Detroit rival Ford Motor Co. GM's sales rose 4 percent from October 2008, while Ford notched a 3-percent gain. Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp said its sales edged up less than a percent. Less rosy news came from Chrysler Group LLC, whose sales fell 30 percent, though they improved from September. Check GM stock
Automakers had said October would be a test of how strong the market was without any effect of the government's Cash for Clunkers program. The industry staggered through a tough September, hurt by the collapse of demand following the clunker rebates that fueled a sales surge over the summer.
The mood was in contrast to a year ago, when consumers were frightened away from showrooms by the early effects of the financial meltdown and credit freeze.
This October, Ford got a boost from new products launches and gained U.S. market share for 12th time in 13 months as it critically acclaimed vehicles continue to grab buyers from rivals. Ford has also benefited from consumer goodwill because it didn't take government bailout money or go into bankruptcy, as General Motors Chrysler did.
More than 80 percent of Ford's sales last month came from 2010 models, which also helped the company lower its incentives.
That was in line with the industry, which spent less to give car buyers big rebates. Automakers focused on clearing out old inventory and focused on selling 2010 models, which are not discounted as heavily.
Fuel-efficient models like the Ford Fusion sedan and Escape small sport utility vehicle sold well, with both notching sales jumps of around 25 percent. Ford's overall car sales rose 11 percent over last October, while crossovers climbed 23 percent.
New 2010 models like the Taurus and Lincoln MKT crossover also flew off dealer lots.
Ford's truck sales, by contrast, fell 10 percent.
Chrysler, the maker of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram truck brands sold 65,803 vehicles last month, up 6 percent from September. That was when its sales slumped because dealerships could offer few popular models. The automaker, which is announcing a new product strategy on Wednesday, is aiming to show steady improvement from month to month.
Looking to boost November sales, Chrysler will offer a slew of new incentive programs this week. The carmaker will offer 0 percent financing for up to 48 months on all its vehicles, and a no-cost maintenance and service program its Jeep and Chrysler brands. Buyers also can opt for $2,500 off their purchase if they don't take the no-interest financing. The deals begin Wednesday and run until Nov. 30.
Ford, meanwhile spent the least on incentives among the Detroit Three automakers, according to Edmunds.com. Ford spent $2,909 per vehicle. That's down one-fourth from October last year and 6 percent from September.
Still, it spent more on incentives than the industry average, with Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota spending significantly less.
Japanese automaker Subaru said its October auto sales surged 41 percent, helped by strong sales in its Outback and Forester models.


text:
Q: Cast a void pointer to another type based on an input parameter I am trying to create a variable of type A or B based on an input parameter and assign a casted void pointer to it.
void set_info_param(void* info, bool req)
{
    ...
    if (req)
        struct info *capa_info = (struct info *) info;
    else
        struct info_old *capa_info = (struct info_old *) info;
    ... [Use capa_info]
}

When I try to compile it I get the following error:

expected expression before 'struct'

A: Since you define new variables you need to put it into blocks like:
if (req)
{
    struct info *capa_info = (struct info *) info;
    ...
}
else
{
    struct info_old *capa_info = (struct info_old *) info;
    ...
}

A: In C declarations are not statements.
On the other hand, the if statement expects a sub-statement.
So if you want that the sub-statement of the if statement had a declaration then enclose the declaration in the compound statement like
if (req)
{
    struct info *capa_info = (struct info *) info;
}
else
{
    struct info_old *capa_info = (struct info_old *) info;
... [Use capa_info]
}

A:
I am trying to create a variable of type A or B

This is not how C types works. Every variable has a type which is known statically at compile time. You cannot have a variable assume one of the two types based on a run-time condition. If you need two different types, you have to use two different variables.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kress Restoration understands that mother nature can be destructive. We can come in and protect your home from the dangerous winds and debris before any storm hits.
Along with our Board Up program, we also have emergency services to help you in any way possible.


text:
Debra L. Reilly, Esq.
Reilly Workplace Investigations Blog
A Guide To Investigating EEO Complaints & Other Workplace Problems
Laws Requiring Harassment and Discrimination Investigations
By Debra Reilly on June 21, 2012
Posted in Sexual Orientation, Why Conduct Investigation?
Harassment and discrimination investigations in California should be conducted by the employer whenever the alleged victim contends that the wrongful conduct was motivated (at least in part) by the alleged victim being a member of any of the following classes:
Age (40 and over);
Ancestry;
Color;
Religious Creed;
Denial of Family and Medical Care Leave;
Disability (mental and physical) including HIV-positive and AIDS;
Medical Condition (cancer and genetic characteristics);
Genetic information;
National Origin;
Race;
Religion;
Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, and breastfeeding);
Gender, Gender Identity, Gender Expression;
Sexual Orientation.
Under Federal law, Title VII (Civil Rights Act of 1964, 29 CFR Section 1604.11(f)) requires the employer to "take all steps necessary to prevent harassment from occurring." According to the EEOC's Enforcement Guidance: Vicarious Employer Liability for Unlawful Harassment by Supervisors (June 1999), "when an employee complains to management about alleged harassment, the employer is obligated to investigate the allegation." Further, at least one federal appellate court has said that the "Employer's investigation of a sexual harassment complaint is not a gratuitous or optional undertaking but required by law." Malik v. Carrier Corp, 202 F.3d 97 (2nd Cir. 2000).
Under California law, the Federal Employment Housing Act (FEHA) (Calif. Gov't Code Section 12940(j)(1) and (k)) requires employers to "take all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring." "Under FEHA, an employer … has an obligation to 'take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring in the workplace.'… The affirmative and mandatory duty … requires the employer to conduct a prompt investigation of a discrimination claim." American Airlines v. Superior Court (Di Marco), 114 Cal.App.4th 881 (2003).
Tags: breastfeeding, cancer, childbirth, color, creed, DFEH, disability, discrimination internal investigation, FEHA, FMLA investigation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic characteristics, genetic information, harassment internal investigation, marital, medical condition, national origin, pregnancy, race, Religion, religious, sex, Sexual Orientation, status, Why Conduct Investigation?
Throughout her 30-year legal career, Debra L. Reilly has conducted over 900 internal workplace investigations for various counties, municipalities (including police departments and fire departments), water districts, sanitation districts, transportation authorities, public and private elementary schools (K-12), private and public colleges and universities, the United States Postal Service (holding a "sensitive" security clearance by the Postal Inspector's Office), and a multitude of private sector employers . Debra has conducted employment investigations throughout the United States and California. She has testified in depositions, arbitrations, and trial concerning the findings of her investigations. Given her legal training and litigation experience representing both management and employees, Ms. Reilly's investigations are impartial, objective, and thorough. Ms. Reilly has also testified as an expert witness in Human Resources standard practices in conducting harassment and discrimination investigations, as well as Human Resources standard practices in conducting reasonable accommodation assessments of disabled employees and engaging in the interactive process.
Subscribe to this blog via RSS View My Linkedin Profile Follow Me on Twitter
CFRA
Credibility Determinations
Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights
Investigation Goals
Investigation Tips
Police Officer Bill of Rights
Pregnancy / Breastfeeding
Reduction-In-Force
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Whistle-Blower Investigations
Why Conduct Investigation?
Archives Select Month May 2013 October 2012 June 2012 March 2012 October 2011 April 2011 September 2010 July 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009
2240 Encinitas Blvd, Suite D-104
Encinitas, CA 92024-4345
Website: http://www.reillylaw.us
Copyright © 2021, Debra L. Reilly, Esq. All Rights Reserved.


text:
/**
  * @author THOMAS Alexandre
  */

import java.io.File;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.filechooser.*;

/**
  * Class to select a filter for the FileChooser objet (*.xml)
  */
public class GanttXMLFileFilter extends FileFilter
{

    /** Is the file OK??. */
    public boolean accept(File f) {
        if (f.isDirectory()) {
            return true;
        }

        String extension = getExtension(f);

		if (extension != null && extension.equals("xml"))
			return true;

        return false;
    }

    /** Description of the file */
    public String getDescription()
	{
		return "XML Files";
    }

	/** Extention return */
	public static String getExtension(File f) {
        String ext = null;
        String s = f.getName();
        int i = s.lastIndexOf('.');

        if (i > 0 &&  i < s.length() - 1) {
            ext = s.substring(i+1).toLowerCase();
        }
        return ext;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


At a series of meetings held by the Neighbourhood Planning Sub-Committee, town councillors and residents responded to a number of issues on how the 'preferred option' in the recently updated Wealden Local Plan would affect Hailsham in terms of economic strategy, local environmental quality and infrastructure delivery.
At the meeting, it was confirmed that the Hailsham Town Council will support plans by Wealden District Council and other service providers for long-term infrastructure improvements to support future housing developments, subject to a number of questions being answered and assurances made before a formal acceptance of the key 'sustainability' issue of the draft plan can be agreed.
Areas of concern that the Town Council will ask to be addressed and both the feasibility and affordability of proposed additional infrastructure demonstrated before full support for the plan can be given include education, medical services, road and public transport, conservation and the environment, employment, tourism, sport and leisure, cemetery grave spaces, utilities and services, emergency service provision and the allocation of social and affordable housing.
Wealden District Council agrees to and pays for a jointly developed "Area Action Plan" (AAP) to plan for the required infrastructure in advance – The Town Council will continue to work on the establishment of a Neighbourhood Development Plan however, at least until such time that the proposed Area Action Plan is developed.
Wealden District Council reviews and upadates their approved Wealden Design Guide (WDG) where necessary in order to ensure that only appropriate design development proposals are allowed to come forward during the Local Plan delivery period.
All service stakeholders (e.g. East Sussex County Council, local schools and clinical commissioning groups) are identified for the timely delivery of the requirements in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).
Wealden District Council will work with the Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to agree the construction of a Hailsham Specialist Medical Centre whilst funds are available.
Wealden District Council will establish a Revolving Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to meet the increased demands placed on the local area such as education, health, transport (road and public), business, employment, sport, tourism and leisure.
Hailsham Town Council will also work with other local authorities to lobby other major infrastructure suppliers for needs in South Wealden that have been identified as critical to the proposed development.
This includes the major upgrade of the A27 from Polegate to Lewes, major public transport requirements and commercial, employment and retail developments deemed necessary to sustain the housing numbers and growth in population.
"We will continue to work with Wealden District Council and support the Local Plan subject to a number of assurances being met," said Town Mayor and Chairman of Hailsham Town Council Nigel Coltman, who states it is vital that the infrastructure to support new housing in Hailsham and Hellingly comes either before or in parallel with the proposed developments.


text:
Interview with Hermann Boehnhardt
Hermann Boehnhardt is astronomer at the Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research in Lindau (Germany). A short bio is available below.
What has been your involvement during the Deep Impact observation campaign?
I am principal investigator (PI) of one of two successful proposals to observe the Deep Impact event from ESO. The scientific goals of this proposal focuses on the dust and nucleus of the comet. There is another proposal led by Heike Rauer who will observe the gas phase phenomena of the event. Heike and I plus the principal investigators (PIs) of two more proposals who observed the comet before the event are closely collaborating. The team of colleagues who will help us to perform the observations and data analysis of Deep Impact at ESO comprises more than 15 people from Chile and several European countries.
Why is the ESO campaign so particular among the observations made from Earth both before and after the impact?
In Paranal and La Silla, two of the best astronomical sites in the world, we will observe the Deep Impact event simultaneously with all seven ESO telescopes, among them the four VLT 8.2m telescopes that, when used together as we do, form the largest telescope in the world. The usage of the ESO telescopes with all together 10 instruments during our campaign has an enormous power and potential, since we can measure the comet at different wavelengths in the visible and infrared by imaging, spectroscopy and polarimetry. Such multiplexing capabilities of the instrumentation does not exist at any other observatory in the world.
Could you describe the way you will be working at La Silla Observatory on the 4th of July and following days?
We will have one team of observers and data analysists each at Paranal and at La Silla. Each telescope will be equipped with one observer and one data analysist such that we can hope for smooth operations and almost simultaneous data evaluation despite a possibly demanding workload for the people. On each site the team is coordinated by one of the PIs of the two proposals: Heike Rauer will take care of this task at Paranal and I will do so at La Silla. I assume that we will "work around the clock", i.e. there will be always someone from the teams awake working for the campaign for most of the day. However, the daily work of the team will start in the early afternoon with a on-site team meeting followed by a video conference between the VLT and LSO teams. These meetings will be used to summarize the recent results - not only from the two ESO sites, but also from other groups worldwide - and to define the plans for the upcoming observations. The PIs will also have a videocon in the afternoon with the DI mission coordinator of the Earth-based observations, Karen Meech in Hawaii. Before the start of the observations each day a short debriefing of the site teams will be performed. During the observing runs, the observers and data analysts will be in the control rooms of the VLT and at La Silla, respectively, i.e. the on-site teams will have direct access to follow the observations at all 4 telescopes in Paranal and the 3 telescopes in La Silla. Contact between sites is possible by email, telephone and videolink if needed and data can be transfered almost in real time between the teams. After the end of the Di observations, typically around 01:00 (Chilean Time) in the night, the two teams will meet again by video to perform a first synoptic assessment of the observations and the results achieved. Here, further tasks for data processing or preparation of the observations for the following day will be defined and the work of the several team members will continue during the rest of the night while others may go to sleep to resume work again early in the morning.
How soon will your team at La Silla be able to get and process images from Tempel 1 after the impact?
We hope to get the first images of the comet after impact on 4 July around 14-15 Chilean time. These images will come from the mid-IR instrument TIMMI2 at the La Silla 3.6m telescope where we expect to be able to observe the comet during daytime. All 7 La Silla and Paranal telescopes will point the comet around 45min after sunset and around 19:00 Chilean time images and spectra in various wavelength regions will become available.
What results do you expect to obtain?
Well, a prediction of the expected results is simple and difficult at the same time. The simple part is that we know what and how we can measure physical and chemical properties of the comet. For instance, with the ESO telescopes and instruments we can determine the amount and the chemistry of gas and dust in the cometary atmosphere that is produced by the nucleus and the impact crater and we will be able to detect larger fragments of the comet possibly created by DI. All this information gives us a "message in the bottle" from the past history of the planetary system, i.e. from its formation some 4.5 billion years ago. The difficult part is played by the comet and we depend on it to be cooperative for our scientific observations. The goal of Deep Impact is to produce a deep and wide crater on the nucleus that will expose to sunlight for the very first time after its creation the original unaltered material from the formation period of the solar system. And this in turn will only allow us to measure its physical and chemical properties of the primordial matter. Otherwise, we will see heavily processed and altered cometary dust and gas from an unknown evolutionary history of the object, still very interesting and challenging, however most likely not the original material the Sun, the planets, the comets and all matter in the solar system are made of.
How is it possible for astronomers to know from Earth the make-up of an object located farther than 100 million km from Earth?
The telescopes and instruments on Earth and in space measure the comet in various wavelength regions from X-rays, UV, visible to infrared and radio, basically over the whole electromagnetic spectrum the object is emitting light in. These measurements tell us much about the cometary constitution, chemistry and its physical appearance. However, they cannot answer to all questions a scientist would like to get an answer for. For instance, with Earth-based telescopes we cannot obtain clear and well-resolved images of the cometary nucleus nor can we really analyse the emitted gas and dust by experiments like in terrestrial laboratories. Here, spacecraft missions help and bring cameras and lab experiments in the immediate neighbourhood of the comet. The latter is a tremendous effort, time consuming and very expensive, and can thus only be done for a few well selected samples as a kind of highlight of cometary science. The Earth-based observations can be done on many more objects and provide the overall framework for our astronomical subject, the comets.
From your personal point of view, how challenging is it to take part in a project like Deep Impact observation?
The Deep Impact project is a unique event for cometary science maybe comparable to the impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter in 1994. It is the first experiment of its kind and only a few colleagues worldwide will have the opportunity to take part in it at the telescopes, so to say in one of the best seats of the Earth-based theaters that can watch the event. DI is a real "premiere" for cometary science that has the potential to produce a tremendous progress in our understanding of these primordial bodies that were important ingredients in the formation of our planetary system. And this "premiere" will happen without rehearsals and exercises before and without repetitions afterwards. This mixture of unique science to be collected in a short period of time around the impact day comprises the challenge and the thrill for me as a scientist.
Short Bio of Hermann Boehnhardt
Hermann Boehnhardt, 50 years, is a cometary scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Katlenburg-Lindau/Germany. After studies of physics and astronomy at the University of Erlangen, and a diploma on orbital dynamics of earth satellites in 1981, he obtained his PhD thesis on cometary dust in 1985. Thereafter, he spent five years of post-doctoral research on comets at Dr. Remeis Observatory in Bamberg/Germany. In 1990-1992, he is dynamics analyst at the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) of the European Space Agency in Darmstadt/Germany. As of 1992, he is project manager and senior scientist of the FORS instrument project for the ESO VLT with duty station at the University Observatory in Munich/Germany. Close to the completion of the first FORS instrument in 1997, he moved to the La Silla Observatory as ESO staff astronomer, and from 1999 to 2002 he was staff astronomer at VLT at Paranal. He then returned to Germany, first to the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg/Germany, managing the LINC-NIRVANA interferometry project for the Large Binocular Telescope at Mt. Graham/USA. Finally, in 2004, he returns to his scientific roots when accepting a senior staff position at the MPS. He became responsible for the small bodies group and for coordinating the MPS science teams of the experiments onboard ESA's cometary mission ROSETTA, as well as lead scientist of the ROSETTA Lander PHILAE. His main scientific interest are comets, the Kuiper Belt, asteroids, moons of the outer planets and a bit of exoplanets as well as the building of instruments for doing the necessary observations from the ground and in space.
During free time, he likes gardening at home, travelling to exotic places (when affordable), reading books and listening music (from classic to heavy metal) - and enjoying to live with his family and animals in a nice home in a 100-people village in a beautiful landscape close the Harz mountain range in the middle of Germany.


Bits are present in every game level in TRON Run/r. Collect Bits that appear along game paths – when you complete a level, you will be awarded Bits which can be used to purchase customizations and program enhancements in the armory. Small Bits are common and have low value, and large Bits have high value and are rare.


text:
Second Life Syndrome is het tweede studioalbum van Riverside. Het album werd opgenomen gedurende de maanden juni (drums), juli en augustus 2005 in de Serakos Studio. De productie was in handen van de groep zelf en Robert en Magda Srzedniccy. Het is deel twee in de trilogie Reality dream met voorganger Out of Myself en opvolger Rapid Eye Movement. Dankzij het commercieel succes van dat eerste album binnen de progressieve rock en progmetal mocht Riverside het album opnemen voor een wat grotere speler in de progressieve markt InsideOut Music. Thema van het album is een sombere man, die zijn verleden probeert te verwerken.

De site Metal Storm verkoos het album voor langere tijd tot een van de beste tweehonderd albums aller tijden binnen de categorie metal. Het album viel ook in de smaak van Mike Portnoy, drummer van Dream Theater.. Het album stond drie weken in de Poolse Album top 50 met als hoogste notering plaats 22.

Musici
 Mariusz Duda - zang, basgitaar
 Piotr Grudziński - gitaar
 Michał Łapaj - toetsinstrumenten
 Piotr Kozieradzki - drumstel

Muziek
Alle teksten zijn van Duda, de muziek is van Riverside.

Muziekalbum van Riverside
Muziekalbum uit 2005
Muziekalbum uitgegeven door InsideOut Music

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The General Assembly, noting that annual statutory meetings of Provincial Synods have been suspended since 2009 General Assembly, and that the reduced number of Presbyteries in the Church has resulted in this tier of Church government becoming largely redundant, and desiring therefore that Provincial Synods be dissolved and removed from the governmental structure of the Church, ordain as follows with the consent of Presbyteries:
1. Dissolution of Provincial Synods. The General Assembly, noting that statutory meetings of Provincial Synods have been suspended since the 2009 General Assembly, and that Provincial Synods no longer have a meaningful purpose in the government of the Church due to reduction in the number of Presbyteries over the years, declare that Synods be dissolved with no prejudice to the review procedures regarding Complaints and Appeals, Petitions, and References.
2. Review Procedures. The General Assembly declare that the business of reviewing matters from Presbyteries now be directed to the Commissions of Assembly and finally to the General Assembly. They instruct that all future meetings of the Commissions of Assembly be empowered to receive appeals, complaints, petitions and references from individuals and from the lower courts of the Church.
2.1 The General Assembly declare that the procedure for the submission of papers, etc., regarding references, appeals, complaints, and petitions be such that these be forwarded to the Principal Clerk of Assembly for inclusion in the business of the Assembly or its Commissions. They instruct the Principal Clerk to bring all such papers to the attention of the Assembly Business Committee who will bring a recommendation to the Assembly or to its Commissions on the acceptability and relevance of all papers.
2.2 The General Assembly declare that the final decision regarding the reception of papers, etc., associated with references, appeals, complaints, and petitions will rest with the Assembly and its Commissions and that it shall be competent to submit amendments to the Committee's proposal at the time at which its report is taken up for consideration.
2.3 The General Assembly affirm that in general terms, the findings of the Commissions of Assembly are final and not subject to appeal. However, they declare that, in the case of Complaints and Appeals, Petitions, and References, it shall be competent for parties in the review process to appeal to the General Assembly.
3. Examination of Records. The General Assembly instruct that Presbytery records be submitted for examination to the General Assembly Business Committee annually by 31st March. They instruct the Business Committee to examine the records at its annual April meeting and to report on the examination to the next General Assembly.
4. Financial Arrangements. The General Assembly instruct all Synods to meet in order to make suitable arrangements for the allocation of funds held in the name of the Synod.
4.1 General Funds. The General Assembly direct that, where monies are held in a general account in the name of the Synod, such funds be divided equally between the Presbyteries of the Synod.
4.2 Bursary Funds. The General Assembly further direct that, where funds are held by the Synod in restricted funds such as bursary accounts and grant-aid accounts, Synods make suitable arrangements for the administration of such fund by the Central Offices of the Church. They instruct the Central Offices to arrange the dispersal of such funds according to the terms of the deeds of the funds. They also instruct the Central Offices to ensure that bursaries or grant aid are advertised to students in Edinburgh Theological Seminary and any others who are engaged in postgraduate studies who may qualify for financial support from the terms of the bursaries or grants.
4.3 Reporting. The General Assembly instruct each Synod to report to the Assembly Clerks' Office on the completion of the financial re-arrangements set out in Paragraph 4.1 and 4.2 and to do so not later than 31st December 2020. They instruct the Assembly Clerk to report accordingly to the next General Assembly.
5. Dissolution. The General Assembly declare that Provincial Synods be dissolved and that the provisions of this Act are implemented as soon as possible after the rising of the 2021 General Assembly.
6. Repeal. The General Assembly repeals all Acts of the General Assembly relevant to the constitution of Synods, the re-organisation of Synods and to general meetings of Synod.
PrevPreviousAct 11, 2020 – Appointing the 2020 General Assembly
NextAct 17, 2020 – Church History Programme Leader / LecturerNext


The self-styled "World's Most Famous Limousine Driver" Mike Hughes, 61, has suffered a setback in his attempts to prove the Earth is flat. On Saturday, a federal agency blocked his homemade rocket launch by withholding permission to use public land.
The steam-powered rocket was scheduled to take off in Amboy, California, a ghost town in the Mojave Desert along route 66, but Hughes couldn't get permission from the Bureau of Land Management to conduct the launch. Hughes claims he was given verbal permission over a year ago while awaiting final approval from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).
Next post: Does The Flat Earth Theory Kill The Theory Of Evolution?


Research Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed, and are maintained and updated as necessary, to provide consistency for designing and managing clinical trials: from initial concept through submission to research committees, recruitment, managing subjects and data, to source documentation and final close-out and archival. They serve as a reference guide for new and existing staff and as an assurance to potential sponsors of the institution's commitment to rigorous adherence to Good Clinical Practice.
A UVA login is required.