text:
Stanstead St Margaret's Parish Council Chairman's Report, 2018
Author LemckoPublished on 17th July 2018 Leave a comment on Stanstead St Margaret's Parish Council Chairman's Report, 2018
I first became a Parish Councillor replacing my father when he died in 1966, which means I have been a councillor for 50 years. So, this is not quite an annual report but more like a look back in History.
St Margarets was one of the smallest Parishes with a population of about 100. It consisted of Hoddesdon Road from the bottom of St Margarets Road northwards to Station Road, then eastwards towards the River Lea.
In the early 70's Fred Eva was Chairman and he received a letter from the Boundaries Commission asking if we were satisfied with our boundaries. I said if they are considering changing the boundaries we can't get much smaller, so we should ask for an increase to include 'St Margarets Road and St Margarets Station. To our surprise they agreed to St Margarets Road and the fields northwards up to Amwell Cross Roads (as it was then). They would not accept our request for the Station but agreed to define a boundary down the middle of the road between Great Amwell and St Margarets down to the River Lea. The river would then separate St Margarets from Stanstead Abbotts replacing a wavy line on the map which nobody could follow.
Some time later the industrial village of Stanstead Abbotts was getting very difficult for the residents. With many thousand vehicles including juggernauts blocking the High Street every day when the railway gates were closed, flood wardens were needed to warn when the High Street and low-lying houses were likely to flood. When two young children were killed, one in the High Street and one in Roydon Road trying to cross the road, a group of responsible people decided to form an amenity society to try and improve life in the village and get a bypass. They called themselves the Ashlea Society.
Mr Eva raised this idea and said "We don't want a lot of 'hotheads' from Stanstead Abbotts telling us what we should do in St Margarets. Nigel will you go and keep an eye on them".
When I meet them, I was amazed how sincere they were. They organised dances in the village, a shop window display competition – best kept from gardens & hanging baskets – and an annual fun day in St Margaretsbury where all charities could have a stall to raise funds. They commented on every planning application received in the village. These were so well respected that they were included in the agendas of East Herts Planning Committees.
In 1982 I became an East Herts District Councillor where I worked with the Director of Planning, David Beales. When the paint factory closed with the loss of about 100 jobs, unwelcome guests began using the empty sheds. I approached the Director of Planning and he said the buildings should be demolished and suggested they be replaced with houses. So, Lawrence Avenue was born with the name suggested by the Parish Council taken from one of the plaques in the floor of the church dated 1657.
The County Council eventually decided to build a bypass. Councillors, officers and Ashlea members worked together on the details.
The amenity society wanted to organise a fun day to celebrate a grand opening on the bypass itself. Before anybody had actually seen it, the officers joined in the preparations with us and we attracted 10,000 people on the day.
Once the bypass was opened cash was made available to redesign the High Street from Roydon Road to the River Lea. David Beales then found £40,000 to complete the job down to the station while cleaning up the area left with closing of the Buntingford Line.
Since then the industrial village has completely changed. Starting with the tomato nursery, now under the bypass. Then Smiths Farm selling large lorryloads of hay and straw was replaced by the Granary housing development. Westcliff Engineering rented the Manor Barn, which has now been reverted back to residential premises.
A large builders yard, The Spinney no houses 43-69 Hoddesdon Road. The nursery growing flowers for Covent Garden Market is now 1-87 Sanville Gardens. Stockers coal yard is now Louisville Close, while the petrol station has been replaced by Springwell Court.
All this has been completed in a village Conservation area where the planning officers consider the general massing detailed design, use of materials, and a landscaping has been pleasantly executed, to create a rural village atmosphere.
Our most valuable asset now is the area of green belt north of St Margarets Road down to Amwell Roundabout, the last bit of rural East Herts. Any development in that area would connect us to Hoddesdon, which is within the Greater London sprawl.
With ever increasing traffic on the roads Great Amwell roundabout has always been a problem. It has now reached the stage where any increase in traffic will make access nothing short of a gamble for motorists from Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets.
Mr RN Copping
Chairman for Stanstead St Margarets Parish Council
Published on 17th July 2018 Author LemckoCategories Uncategorized
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Outdoor patio bar ideas – Imagine sipping a drink in the company of friends or family, in a nice place and with the cool exterior: What more? It seems to us that this described atmosphere is already perfect. But can also become unforgettable. And that's why we see ourselves in the marvelous obligation to show you some ideas of outdoor bars so that the creation of drinks is then a total enjoyment.
The requirements of weather resistance are numerous. The ideal is that the bar is extremely strong and resistant. Just look at this nice bar to understand that sustainability is a key feature without removing aesthetics. If the area immediately at the main entrance of your house is cover by a roof. Oor you have the structure of a porch, you will be able to install there a bar and make the protagonist of the space.
If the area immediately at the main entrance of your house is covered by a roof, or you have the structure of a porch, you will be able to install there a bar and make the protagonist of the space. A bar is much more functional if you can also have a cooling device. Here is some example for you.


Driven by signs of economic recovery and the prospect of higher interest rates, the US dollar has powered ahead over the past 18 months. The lure of the US is also reflected in our December Portfolio Poll with global fund managers showing few signs of trimming back on their weighty exposure.
European fund managers appear to be particularly bullish on the US market with an average weighting of 50.9% compared to 47.5% for American managers.
The most striking underweight positions are in Asia ex-Japan where allocations have been trending lower since 2011. That's especially true for European managers who have less than half the benchmark weighting of 11.9%. That's substantial bet given that six of the top fifteen equities markets in the world are now located in Asia – Australia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India.
Asian-based managers are also cautious about prospects in their own region but less so than their counterparts in Europe and North America. They are also less negative on emerging markets where overall weightings have fallen sharply over the last three months. Exchange rate valuation effects have clearly played a part in this trend but the evidence is that underlying weightings have also been cut significantly.


text:
Transatlantic Relations and its Impact on the EU's strategic Autonomy Towards Iran
Document Type : Original Article
Seyed Davood Aghaee 1
Ebrahim Bagheri 2
1 Professor, Department of Regional Studies, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran
2 Ph.D. Candidate, University of Tehran, Faculty of Law and Political Science
The present study seeks to answer the question, of why the EU despite its political will to expand relations with Iran and its efforts, in particular, to maintain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) within the framework of the designed mechanisms, failed to exercise its strategic independence and fulfill its obligations within JCPOA? The findings show that the lack of European strategic independence is due to its transatlantic dependence on three levels: Institutional security deficit, Asymmetric interdependence in the economic sphere, and the preferences of European transnational corporations concerning US markets. At the level of the institutional security deficit, Given the United States security umbrella and the lack of military-defense independence, the European Union is forced to adjust its approaches to US interests and goals. At the economic level, the interdependence of economic, trade, and highly intertwined transatlantic investment interactions and the asymmetry of this relationship (US strategic economic superiority) has severely limited the possibility of EU economic action independence. The methodology of this research is descriptive-analytical and the method of data collection in the library. In this regard, books, articles, documents, Internet resources, and comments of relevant officials have been used to collect data.
Strategic autonomy
20.1001.1.20088221.2021.12.34.9.5
European Union foreign policy and and Iran`s Position
Iran and International Organizations
Iran and the Persian Gulf Countries
Article Title [Persian]
Authors [Persian]
سید داود آقایی 1
ابراهیم باقری 2
1 Tehran
Abstract [Persian]
Keywords [Persian]
Nagib Zadeh, Ahmad (2003), European Union from the beginning to today. Tehran: Tehran: Qomes Publishing. (in Persian)
Pfaltzgraff,E.&,R.L.Dougherty.Contending Theories of International Relations. translated by Alireza Tayeb and Vahid Bozorgi. Tehran: Ghoomes Publishing. (in Persian)
Rostami, Farzad, Ghodrat Ahmadian, and Hamidreza Karimi (2017)," An Analysis of the EU-US Strategic Relations in the Light of the Nuclear Agreement," Quarterly Journal of Strategic Policy Research, Year 7, Issue 28, Spring 2017. (in Persian)
Dehnavi, Mehdi, and Ghorbani, Saeed (2016), "A Survey of the Territorial Deployment of US Nuclear Weapons (European Case Study)," Strategy Quarterly, Spring 2016, No. 78, pp. 159-135(in Persian)
Bruton, B. (2010). EU-US transatlantic relations: the Obama moment. EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).
H. (2009). Remarks by Hillary Clinton during Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on January 13, 2009.
J.(2009). Remarks by Vice President Joseph Biden at 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy, 7 February 2009.
D and Foster.N.(2010). The Obama administration and Europe. EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).
Transatlantic Trends (2009). Transatlantic Trends: Key Findings 2009. German Marshall Fund of the United States
Hamilton, D. S., & Quinlan, J. P. (2019). Annual survey of jobs, trade, and investment between the United States and Europe.
Hanhimaki, J., Schoenborn, B., & Zanchetta, B. (2012). Transatlantic relations since 1945: An introduction. Routledge.
N.H (2019). Whither Transatlantic Security? Values, Interests, and the Future of US–European Relations. Northern European and Transatlantic Security (NOTS).
Transatlantic Economy 2021(2021). The Transatlantic Economy 2021: Annual survey of jobs, trade, and investment between the United States and Europe. Washington, DC: Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University SAIS/Woodrow Wilson Center, 2021.
Riddervold, M., & Newsome, A. (2018). Transatlantic relations in times of uncertainty: crises and EU-US relations.
Burton, J. (2020). Rejuvenating transatlantic strategic culture: Towards a new Atlanticism.
Pollack, M. A. (2005). The new transatlantic agenda at ten: Reflections on an experiment in international governance. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 43(5), 899-919
Lachmann, N. (2013). Rivalry, Community, or Strained Partnership? Relations between the European Union and the United States1. L'Union européenne et le nouvel équilibre des puissances, 137.
Friends of Europe. (2019). EU-NATO COOPERATION A SECURE VISION FOR EUROPE. Friends of Europe - June 2019
(2021). Nato and Relations with the European Union. Available at: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49217.htm
Verheul, J. (2012). "A Peculiar National Character": Transatlantic Realignment and the Birth of American Cultural Nationalism after 1815. European Journal of American studies, 7(7-2).
D.L, (2018), 2019 Index of U.S. Military Strength (Davis Institute for national security and foreign policy), The Heritage Foundation.
Coffey, L. (2012). Keeping America safe: why US bases in Europe remain vital. Heritage Foundation
US Army Base in Germany (2013), Maps of World, available at: http://www.mapsofworld.com/germany/about/us-army-bases.html.
S. Air Forces in Europe (2012), Public Affairs Office, "United States Air Forces in Europe," April 23, 2012.
Fuhrhop, P., Kühn, U., & Meier, O. (2020). Creating an Opportunity to Withdraw US Nuclear Weapons from Europe. Arms Control Today, 50(8), 18-22.
Statista (2020). Foreign direct investment (FDI) from Europe in the United States from 2000 to 2020. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/188884/foreign-direct-investment-from-europe-in-the-us-since-1990/
Statista (2021). The United States direct investments in the European Union from 2000 to 2019. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/547108/us-fdi-in-eu/
Wilson center reports. (2021). The Transatlantic Energy Economy.Available at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/transatlantic-energy-economy
Katzman, K. (2021). Congressional Research Service: Iran Sanctions. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
Fact Sheets on the European Union. (2021). TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS: THE USA AND CANADA. European Parliament
Rana, W. (2015). Theory of complex interdependence: A comparative analysis of realist and neoliberal thoughts. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(2).
Magri, P., & Perteghella, A. (2017). Post-vote Iran: giving engagement a chance. Ledizioni.
Snyder, J. (2002). From Voting to Violence: Democratization and National Conflict. Now York: Norton.
Byers, M. (2017). Crises and international cooperation: an Arctic case study. International relations, 31(4), 375-402.
Keohane, R. O., & Nye Jr, J. S. (2001). Power and interdependence (Third edition). United States, Harrisonburg.
Moravcsik, A. (1997). Taking preferences seriously: A liberal theory of international politics. International organization, 51(4), 513-553.
Moravcsik, A. (2001). Liberal international relations theory: a social scientific assessment. Cambridge, MA: Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.
Adesnik, D., & Ghasseminejad, S. (2018). Foreign Investment in Iran: Multinational Firms' Compliance with US Sanctions. Available at SSRN 3257581.
Lundestad, G. (1986). Empire by Invitation? The United States and Western Europe, 1945-1952. Journal of peace research, 23(3), 263-277.
Roosevelt, Franklin D., and Winston S. Churchill. "The Atlantic Charter, 1941."
Zandee, D., Deen, B., Kruijver, K., & Stoetman, A. (2020). European Strategic Autonomy in Security and Defence: Now the Going Gets Tough, It's Tie to Get Going. Netherlands Institute of International Relations' Clingendael'.
Declaration by United Nations (1942), was signed by 47 national governments between 1942 and 1945
Lohmann, S. (2016). The convergence of transatlantic sanction policy against Iran. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 29(3), 930-951.
E & Lafont.R. M. (2019). Meeting the challenge of secondary sanctions. The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Policy Brief 25 June 2019.
International Crisis Group Report (2018). The Iran Nuclear Deal at Two: A Status Report. 16 January 2018.
(2019). The impact of renewed sanctions on Iran. The International Institute for Strategic Studies
https://www.ft.com/content/cfe5b294-7e0e-11e8-bc55-50daf11b720d
https://per.euronews.com/2018/08/24/international-companies-leave-iran-us-sanctions-french-german-firms-head
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/210469/New-Transatlantic-Agenda_EN.pdf
http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/us/docs/trans_econ_partner_11_98_en.pdf#
Receive Date: 02 December 2022
Accept Date: 02 December 2022
Aghaee, S. D., & Bagheri, E. (2021). Transatlantic Relations and its Impact on the EU's strategic Autonomy Towards Iran. Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 12(34), 525-555.
Seyed Davood Aghaee; Ebrahim Bagheri. "Transatlantic Relations and its Impact on the EU's strategic Autonomy Towards Iran". Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 12, 34, 2021, 525-555.
Aghaee, S. D., Bagheri, E. (2021). 'Transatlantic Relations and its Impact on the EU's strategic Autonomy Towards Iran', Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 12(34), pp. 525-555.
Aghaee, S. D., Bagheri, E. Transatlantic Relations and its Impact on the EU's strategic Autonomy Towards Iran. Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 2021; 12(34): 525-555.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
// Copyright 2014 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

/**
 * Formats string by replacing place holder with actual values.
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 * @param {...*} var_args Values inserted into the place holders.
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function formatString(str, var_args) {
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}

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    this.offsetY_ = 0;
    this.rotation_ = 0;
    this.update_();
  }

  /**
   * Recalculate the viewport parameters.
   * @private
   */
  update_() {
    // Update scale.
    this.scale_ = this.getFittingScaleForImageSize_(
        this.imageBounds_.width, this.imageBounds_.height,
        this.imageBounds_.width, this.imageBounds_.height);

    // Limit offset values.
    var zoomedWidht;
    var zoomedHeight;
    if (this.rotation_ % 2 == 0) {
      zoomedWidht = ~~(this.imageBounds_.width * this.scale_ * this.zoom_);
      zoomedHeight = ~~(this.imageBounds_.height * this.scale_ * this.zoom_);
    } else {
      var scale = this.getFittingScaleForImageSize_(
          this.imageBounds_.height, this.imageBounds_.width,
          this.imageBounds_.height, this.imageBounds_.width);
      zoomedWidht = ~~(this.imageBounds_.height * scale * this.zoom_);
      zoomedHeight = ~~(this.imageBounds_.width * scale * this.zoom_);
    }
    var dx = Math.max(zoomedWidht - this.getScreenBounds().width, 0) / 2;
    var dy = Math.max(zoomedHeight - this.getScreenBounds().height, 0) / 2;
    this.offsetX_ = ImageUtil.clamp(-dx, this.offsetX_, dx);
    this.offsetY_ = ImageUtil.clamp(-dy, this.offsetY_, dy);

    // Image bounds on screen.
    this.imageBoundsOnScreen_ = this.getCenteredRect_(
        zoomedWidht, zoomedHeight, this.offsetX_, this.offsetY_);

    // Image bounds of element (that is not applied zoom and offset) on screen.
    var oldBounds = this.imageElementBoundsOnScreen_;
    this.imageElementBoundsOnScreen_ = this.getCenteredRect_(
        ~~(this.imageBounds_.width * this.scale_),
        ~~(this.imageBounds_.height * this.scale_), 0, 0);
    if (!oldBounds ||
        this.imageElementBoundsOnScreen_.width != oldBounds.width ||
        this.imageElementBoundsOnScreen_.height != oldBounds.height) {
      this.generation_++;
    }

    // Image bounds on screen clipped with the screen bounds.
    var left = Math.max(this.imageBoundsOnScreen_.left, 0);
    var top = Math.max(this.imageBoundsOnScreen_.top, this.screenTop_);
    var right =
        Math.min(this.imageBoundsOnScreen_.right, this.getScreenBounds().width);
    var bottom = Math.min(
        this.imageBoundsOnScreen_.bottom,
        this.getScreenBounds().height + this.screenTop_);
    this.imageBoundsOnScreenClipped_ =
        new ImageRect(left, top, right - left, bottom - top);
  }

  /**
   * Clones the viewport.
   * @return {!Viewport} New instance.
   */
  clone() {
    var viewport = new Viewport(this.window_);
    viewport.imageBounds_ = ImageRect.createFromBounds(this.imageBounds_);
    viewport.scale_ = this.scale_;
    viewport.zoom_ = this.zoom_;
    viewport.offsetX_ = this.offsetX_;
    viewport.offsetY_ = this.offsetY_;
    viewport.screenTop_ = this.screenTop_;
    viewport.screenBottom_ = this.screenBottom_;
    viewport.windowWidth_ = this.windowWidth_;
    viewport.windowHeight_ = this.windowHeight_;
    viewport.rotation_ = this.rotation_;
    viewport.generation_ = this.generation_;
    viewport.update_();
    return viewport;
  }

  /**
   * Obtains CSS transformation string that matches the image dimension with
   * |screenRect|.
   * @param {number} width Width of image.
   * @param {number} height Height of image.
   * @param {!ImageRect} screenRect Rectangle in window coordinate system. The
   *     origin of the coordinate system is located at the left upper of the
   *     window.
   */
  getScreenRectTransformation(width, height, screenRect) {
    var dx = screenRect.left + (screenRect.width - width) / 2;
    var dy = screenRect.top + (screenRect.height - height) / 2;

    return formatString(
        'translate($1px,$2px) scale($3,$4)', dx, dy, screenRect.width / width,
        screenRect.height / height);
  }

  /**
   * Obtains CSS transformation string that places the cropped image at the
   * original position in the whole image.
   * @param {number} width Width of cropped image.
   * @param {number} height Width of cropped image.
   * @param {number} wholeWidthMax Max width value that is used for layouting
   *     whole image.
   * @param {number} wholeHeightMax Max height value that is used for layouting
   *     whole image.
   * @param {!ImageRect} cropRect Crop rectangle in the whole image. The origin
   *     is left upper of the whole image.
   */
  getCroppingTransformation(
      width, height, wholeWidthMax, wholeHeightMax, cropRect) {
    var fittingScale = this.getFittingScaleForImageSize_(
        wholeWidthMax, wholeHeightMax, wholeWidthMax, wholeHeightMax);
    var wholeWidth = wholeWidthMax * fittingScale;
    var wholeHeight = wholeHeightMax * fittingScale;
    var wholeRect = this.getCenteredRect_(wholeWidth, wholeHeight, 0, 0);
    return this.getScreenRectTransformation(
        width, height,
        new ImageRect(
            wholeRect.left + cropRect.left * fittingScale,
            wholeRect.top + cropRect.top * fittingScale,
            cropRect.width * fittingScale, cropRect.height * fittingScale));
  }

  /**
   * Obtains CSS transformation for the screen image.
   * @param {number} width Width of image.
   * @param {number} height Height of image.
   * @param {number=} opt_dx Amount of horizontal shift.
   * @return {string} Transformation description.
   */
  getTransformation(width, height, opt_dx) {
    return this.getTransformationInternal_(
        width, height, this.rotation_, this.zoom_,
        this.offsetX_ + (opt_dx || 0), this.offsetY_);
  }

  /**
   * Obtains CSS transformation that makes the rotated image fit the original
   * image. The new rotated image that the transformation is applied to looks
   * the same with original image.
   *
   * @param {number} width Width of image.
   * @param {number} height Height of image.
   * @param {number} rotation Number of clockwise 90 degree rotation. The
   *     rotation angle of the image is rotation * 90.
   * @return {string} Transformation description.
   */
  getRotatingTransformation(width, height, rotation) {
    return this.getTransformationInternal_(width, height, rotation, 1, 0, 0);
  }

  /**
   * Obtains CSS transformation that placed the image in the application window.
   * @param {number} width Width of image.
   * @param {number} height Height of image.
   * @param {number} rotation Number of clockwise 90 degree rotation. The
   *     rotation angle of the image is rotation * 90.
   * @param {number} zoom Zoom rate.
   * @param {number} offsetX Horizontal offset.
   * @param {number} offsetY Vertical offset.
   * @private
   */
  getTransformationInternal_(width, height, rotation, zoom, offsetX, offsetY) {
    var rotatedWidth = rotation % 2 ? height : width;
    var rotatedHeight = rotation % 2 ? width : height;
    var rotatedMaxWidth =
        rotation % 2 ? this.imageBounds_.height : this.imageBounds_.width;
    var rotatedMaxHeight =
        rotation % 2 ? this.imageBounds_.width : this.imageBounds_.height;

    // Scale.
    var fittingScale = this.getFittingScaleForImageSize_(
        rotatedWidth, rotatedHeight, rotatedMaxWidth, rotatedMaxHeight);

    // Offset for centering.
    var rect = this.getCenteredRect_(width, height, offsetX, offsetY);
    return formatString(
        'translate($1px,$2px) scale($3) rotate($4deg)', rect.left, rect.top,
        fittingScale * zoom, rotation * 90);
  }
}

/**
 * Zoom ratios.
 *
 * @type {Array<number>}
 * @const
 */
Viewport.ZOOM_RATIOS = [1, 1.5, 2, 3];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
require "metamorpher/builders/ast"
require "metamorpher/builders/ruby/uppercase_rewriter"

module Metamorpher
  module Builders
    module Ruby
      class UppercaseConstantRewriter < UppercaseRewriter
        include Metamorpher::Rewriter
        include Metamorpher::Builders::AST

        def pattern
          builder.const(builder.literal!(nil), super)
        end
      end
    end
  end
end


text:
New Springfield Public Schools policy sends whistleblower tips to top district officials
Claudette Riley
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM
After talking about the idea for several years, Springfield Public Schools' internal auditor this spring launched a hotline that employees and others can use to anonymously report concerns about fraud, abuse, mismanagement or ethical violations.
Wayland Mueller, who served as the district's independent watchdog until last month, set up the hotline so that calls and emailed tips were filtered first through a contracted company, ensuring anonymity.
He planned to monitor the tips and forward the information, if needed, to others within the district. "I will see everything that hits but it will be routed depending on what type of report it is," he told the News-Leader in January.
SPS payroll, athletics, building services to be scrutinized by internal auditor
Following Mueller's decision to take another district job, and the school board's decision to outsource the work of the internal auditor, there was a question about who would monitor and receive the hotline tips in his place.
The answer: The company will send the reports to Superintendent John Jungmann and cabinet members Carol Embree, chief financial and operations officer; and Lisa Turner, chief human resources officer.
If one of the three is named in a complaint, a protocol is in place to handle it, Embree said.
"If I'm named, I won't get it but Lisa and John would both get it," Embree said. "If John is named, Lisa and I would get it."
And if all three leaders are named in the tip? Embree said the report would go to a local attorney. The company is also expected to alert board president Denise Fredrick.
Fredrick and Jill Patterson, vice president of the board, said they are comfortable with the revised reporting structure. Both board officers were part of a district team that met with firms interested in taking over work of the internal auditor.
"Through this process, we learned how important it is to have this hotline," Patterson said, noting that firm the team recommended for the contract stressed the need for a hotline. "We are pleased we already have it and it's important to us that we maintain it."
But Carl Herd, a former teacher who collected signatures to compel a state audit of the district, worries the change could have a chilling effect.
"This is a fox-in-the-henhouse type of an approach," he said.
Herd said employees may be uncomfortable with submitting concerns to a hotline if they know it will be forwarded to top district officials.
"When I was teaching, I would have been afraid to voice concerns to the administration," he said. "I'm afraid that would suppress people calling."
Teresa Bledsoe, director of communications, said the district opted to contract with a third-party vendor to ensure the anonymity of tipsters.
Springfield school board will outsource 'internal' auditing
Late last year, the district contracted with Pennsylvania-based Lighthouse Services, Inc. to provide the hotline for $2,300 a year.
Lighthouse provides a toll-free number and web address that can be used by employees and others. In the contract, the company agreed that in forwarding tips to the district it would make every effort "not to jeopardize the anonymity of the reporter if they elected to remain anonymous." There is also an option that allows tipsters to leave their names.
"Some people, yes, may have reservations about using it," she said. "But I don't know how we can stress any more that we sincerely want to hear their input or concerns they have."
Gabe Isackson, president of the Springfield National Education Association, which represents teachers and several other employee groups at the bargaining table, said he is aware of the change in who is alerted to the hotline tips and will monitor feedback from employees.
The internal auditor identified the hotline as a priority shortly after being hired in 2012. It was included in the board-approved work plan each year he was in the position.
The hotline system was tested early this year. It was launched in the spring, but few tips have been submitted.
"I don't know that we've had three," Embree said. "And every one of them has been a particular employee situation."
A review of "best practices" for whistleblower hotlines shows the district is following many of the recommendations. For example, it contracted with an external company that accepts tips in multiple ways, ensures anonymity and assigns a number to each report so tipsters can check to see if there is any action without giving a name or phone number.
But, when it came to who would receive the reports inside an organization, there were numerous options.
Mary Mannix Decker, director of finance for the city, said the city set up a "totally anonymous" way for tipsters to report concerns. Like the district, it went with an external company.
She said the hotline transcribes the message and sends a report to the city attorney, director of finance and the human resources director.
"Every report goes to three different people so if (the concern) were in my department, it would be impossible to ignore."
Missouri State University also contracted with an external company to provide a hotline. MSU President Clif Smart said "our internal auditor runs that system."
The university set up the reporting structure so that after the internal auditor receives each tip from the company, it can also be sent to Smart and to the MSU Board of Governors.
Smart said use of the hotline is limited, but it has spurred action.
"It is helpful. Occasionally, meaningful things are reported through that channel," he said. "In any given year, two or three things are reported through that channel that, when we find out, we need to change."
To report a concern
The Springfield school district has set up a hotline, through a third-party vendor, for employees and others who want to anonymously report a tip or concern.
The reports can be made by calling 1-844-405-0003 or by visiting www.lighthouse-services.com/spsmo.


We source our Rainbow Trout from an aquaculture operation in the pristine wilderness of North Carolina's Smoky Mountains. The fish are in our all natural marinade within a few days of being harvested. After brining, the fillets are mildly hot-smoked using a combination of applewood and hardwoods.


Close to downtown, Knoxville's Urban Wilderness presents a unique urban experience for hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners!
Designed and championed by the Legacy Parks Foundation, phase 1 of the Urban Wilderness project is the South Loop, 35 miles of natural surface trails connecting five parks and natural areas along with public and private lands creating an unparalleled outdoor venue!
The South Loop connects Ijams, Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area, William Hastie Natural Area and Marie Myers Park with trailheads and parking along the route.
The main trail along the 11.5 mile loop features easy to moderate trails for all users. An additional 24 miles of secondary trails accommodates users from beginner to advanced on dozens of trails of varying terrain.
Whether on foot or on a bike, plan on experiencing the splendors of the trail today!
Other maps can be found at OutdoorKnoxville.com. Learn more about our partner Legacy Parks Foundation.
Photographs of paddle board and canoes courtesy of Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel.


text:
Out & Back: Walking through time in Seattle's Central District
A Juneteenth outing with Club Seattle Runners Division and Wa Na Wari art center sheds light on the neighborhood's history and future.
/ December 9, 2022
On-Air Host
When I moved to Seattle in January 2021, I came for the outdoors, but I was also looking for community. I started searching for running groups, hoping there might be something similar to the community I had built in Harlem.
My initial search revealed that while yes, there were many running groups in Seattle, there didn't seem to be any group where I would feel like I belonged; almost every one I found was all white. That's when I received a DM from Club Seattle Runners Division, or CSRD, on Instagram inviting me to join them for a Monday-night run. One of the co-founders even gave me his phone number to begin helping me find my way around the city. When I finally showed up for my first run with CSRD on Global Running Day in June, I knew that I had found my people.
The CSRD community welcomed me with open arms, and it was thanks to them that I felt a sense of belonging as I continued to adjust to this new place. Two co-founders in particular, Ashley Davies and David Jaewon Oh, have become close friends, and I'm continuously inspired by their creativity and commitment to introducing new people into the sport.
Ashley and Jaewon both helped start CSRD in 2017, to create a space of joyful movement for all paces and all faces, breaking from the more traditional idea of long-distance running as a sport for thin, fast white people. Several nights a week, the racially diverse group gathers and then gets moving, using running as a vehicle for personal transformation and social change.
CSRD isn't alone. Groups like it have cropped up in cities across the nation, including in New York, where I founded Harlem Run in 2013. I had run my first marathon in 2012, and, in my training and on the starting line, realized that I was one of the only Black people participating. Running was changing my life for the better, and I wanted to share that experience with more people like me. I founded Harlem Run to be a running movement that centers Black and brown people. Collectively, groups like Harlem Run and CSRD are changing the narrative of who long-distance running is for and helping to address some of the obstacles that prevent people of color from getting and remaining active.
One obstacle is the lack of a safe space and clean environment in which to do so. On this episode of Out & Back, I co-host a walk in celebration of Juneteenth in Seattle's historic Central District, once a center of Black culture, commerce and entertainment.
In fact, for more than 150 years – before Washington was even a state – Black people have called the Central District home. Manuel Lopes, Seattle's first black resident, businessman, and property owner, arrived there in 1858.
Black-owned and -operated businesses that flourished along East Madison Street in the early 1900s included barber shops and restaurants, a fuel yard, a drug store, a hotel, and a theater. Churches and cultural organizations were also established in and near the East Madison district.
After World War II, the Central Area, as it was known then, became home to most of Seattle's growing Black population because of housing discrimination and restrictive covenants that barred people of color from buying homes in most other areas of the city.
However, since then, this once-redlined neighborhood has experienced multiple waves of gentrification and displacement. In the 1970s, more than 73 percent of the Central District's residents were Black. Today that number is down to 18 percent, while the white population has climbed to nearly 60 percent. (source) "There are fewer and fewer places for people to congregate in the commons; the fabric of Black cultural production in the Central District, from imagination to presentation, is disintegrating." (source)
Redlining did not just affect Black people's ability to purchase homes and acquire wealth, it also contributed to health disparities, including a disparity in who moves, runs, walks, hikes and cycles.
Even with the rapid gentrification, the legacy of redlining and a lack of resources continue to shape behavior in the Central District. Heat maps that show movement activity in a particular place (running, walking, cycling, etc.) align with redlining maps; there is considerably less heat, or movement, in historically redlined areas than in areas lined green or blue, highly resourced and historically reserved for white people.
Check it out here: https://www.strava.com/heatmap#12.22/-122.31323/47.59831/bluered/all.
Compare heat-map data in the Central District with that surrounding the historically white Green Lake neighborhood, for example. The contrast is stark and illuminating.
Through our movement on this episode, we are creating more heat and reclaiming the Central District as our space.
For more from this episode, listen to the Out & Back podcast. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.
Alison Mariella Désir is the host of Out & Back with Alison Mariella Désir.
ArtSEA: Bunny-hopping at Seattle galleries in the year of the rabbit
Plus, Lunar New Year celebrations, and two artistic losses for the city.


text:
CEO Seat: Dr Jane Thomason on giving back
Public health expert Dr. Jane Thomason has spent 30 years in the field. We asked her to share the highlights.
Public health expert Dr Jane Thomason has spent over 30 years working on health and development programs across the Asia-Pacific region; 16 of them as Chief Executive Officer of JTA International, the company she founded in 1999.
The company's string of successful projects has included responses to the Bali bombings and Banda Aceh Tsunami; health impact assessments for mining operations in Mongolia and elsewhere; supporting improvements in rural health services in Papua New Guinea; and, closer to home, establishing an evidence based home visiting program to improve health outcomes for young mothers and their infants in indigenous communities.
What took you down the public health route?
When I was 15 my mother took me on a study tour of Indonesia with Community Aid Abroad. I was inspired by the work of an Australian volunteer called Mary Johnson who'd been working in central Java with poor communities for about 14 years.
I developed this youthful ambition that I wanted to go and do that; it was really from that age that I had a desire to go and work in developing countries and do something about intractable poverty.
I've had a bit of a circular route, as one does. I first thought that I needed to do what Mary had done so I did social work and community development and went as a volunteer to Indonesia.
One of the things that experience taught me was that youthful ambition and desire to lend a helping hand wasn't actually that valuable. So, I came back to Australia and did a Master's degree in public health.
You returned home after working 15 years in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and The Philippines and held leadership positions with Queensland Health before starting JTA. How did the company come into being?
In a way, it was started by accident. I had made a decision to come back to Australia because my son was ready to start school.
I got a job as director of Women's Health and shortly afterwards was transferred over to run the Royal Children's Hospital but all the time I was doing that work I missed the development work. It was hard to feel a real sense of accomplishment or of touching people's lives, so I was looking for a way to still live in Australia and continue the international work. One day there was an advertisement for a $50 million rural health services program in PNG and I just thought, 'I could really do that'.
I knew I couldn't win a $50 million tender, so I rang companies who could bid on it and said, 'I'll put together the team. We can win this job. I'll run the job, but I want to do it as a joint venture.'
The whole motivation behind this company hasn't been a business motivation; it's been a vehicle for doing the work. The fact that this business grew behind it was completely unanticipated.
What did your stints in corporate health management at Queensland Health teach you?
There were massive benefits. Because I'd worked overseas for 15 years, I hadn't had much contact with the Australian healthcare system. Understanding how the Australian health systems works, industrial relations, how tertiary hospitals in a well-functioning system work and what good practice looks like – that's something that's been incredibly helpful to me ever since, and people respect that I bring that experience.
You've served on the Foreign Minister's Aid Advisory Council and committees for Red Cross Australia and the World Health Organisation, as well as lecturing at university. How have you juggled it all?
I only ever wanted to do two things. I wanted to be the best mother to my children that I could be, and I wanted to have a meaningful and successful career. I don't have hobbies or social life, and I'm happy about that because my work is so interesting, and my children are so interesting as well.
I found being on the committees enhances the other work I'm doing – it all feeds into my understanding of how things work and my ability to help other people make things better or different. If I've been invited to serve, then I've always wanted to fit it in because I think the experience I bring from Australia and elsewhere is helpful to those institutions. I also take away important lessons that will help me somewhere else.
You sold JTA International to international health consultancy Abt Associates three years ago and will finish up as its CEO next year. Where to next?
I'm not finished yet! I was really lucky to sell to a mission driven company who share the same values, so I will keep doing technical work through them. For example, through Abt, I have recently been appointed to the Devex Impact Strategic Advisory Council which is a group of high-level global development organisation principals and private business leaders representing key industry sectors who meet to lead global discussion on socially responsible development in emerging market regions. I hope to continue my work on a large poverty reduction program in Indonesia.
I'll also be asking where the opportunities are in Australia and globally where my experience and advice could be useful.
I'd like to continue my work on the global strategy for Women's and Children's Health aimed at ending preventable deaths. PNG, which is five kilometres away from us, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. To find ways to do something about that … I would like that.
I've also been turning my attention increasingly to mentoring young women and developing young women as leaders, and I'd like to do more of that on a bigger scale.
Ceo Seat: Trish Hogan on transforming Pindara Private Hospital
This hospital CEO has overseen more than $110 million of redevelopment. We took a few minutes to have a Q & A with her.
Budgeting for a more successful practice
It's easy to procrastinate about creating a budget, but they're not that hard to do. Here's why you should get onto it.
Six strategies for creating a safer medical practice
Have you seen aggressive behaviour in your practice? Here's six strategies to help improve safety for yourself, patients and staff.
GPs take on the role of managing multidisciplinary care
What will GPs of the future look like? For starters, they're going to be much more involved in managing teams of different types of practitioners.
Find the right mix of transaction and savings accounts for your business.
Medfin Finance
Medfine has helped Australian healthcare professionals set-up, run and grow their businesses for over 20 years.
Take your payments online with ease, with NAB's range of merchant products and services. Find the business solution that's right for you.
Looking for a specialist?
Contact a healthcare banker


Last week I posted the first in the series of Hennepin Minus Minneapolis: Density of People of Color.
Today in the series of maps I'm highlighting Three Rivers Park District's map showing the demographics of Hennepin County's residents with annual income under $50,000 per acre. To remind you, these maps are from Three River's Visitor Inventory .pdf.
Rest of Hennepin, excluding Minneapolis, household income less than $50K by acre.
There are some strong correlations with the Density of People of Color maps from last week. Golden Valley, Edina, and St. Anthony Village stand apart from the rest of the first tier communities. The 494 boundary of Richfield and Bloomington, the Zane Ave and Brooklyn Blvd area. The boundary area of Hopkins and St. Louis Park has strong concentrations in pockets.
I think you could make an argument that Winnetka Ave through New Hope and Crystal has a few pockets. Plus downtown Robbinsdale shows up.
It is interesting to compare last week's map and this one to see where there are concentrations of people of color that aren't concentrations of low income residents. I wonder if the pockets of people of color in the second tier communities like Eden Prairie, Plymouth, and Maple Grove still end up correlating with rental instead of home ownership?
What patterns do you notice when you compare the map from last week and this week's map?
While the Three Rivers Park District Maps show parks, preserves, and trails, I'd like to see a similar map with high frequency bus routes overlaid.
Next week I will post third and last in the series of Hennepin Minus Minneapolis: Age 60+ Years.
Many years ago, in the process of doing some research on another issue, I discovered to my surprise that the Wayzata area had quite a few people on public assistance, Don't know how it looks at present.
I think that will also show up in my next map, coming soon, Age 60+ Years. There is a pocket of Wayzata of income under $50K that is also a noticeable bump of Ago 60+ Years.
I wish this Income under $50K and the coming map for Age 60+ Years were as detailed at the previous map Three Rivers produced for People of Color. I'd like to see which neighborhoods are low income and people of color and which are low income and seniors.


text:
Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka pregnant with third child
25th Sep 2015 12:00 PM
IVANKA Trump is pregnant with her third child.
The daughter of US Presidential candidate Donald Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, 34, will add to their brood - which already includes four-year-old Arabella and 23-month-old Joseph - early next year.
Ivanka told PEOPLE: "Jared and I are thrilled to announce that we'll be welcoming baby number 3 to our family early next year. It's an incredible blessing. We feel so grateful - and so excited!"
The 33-year-old businesswoman also announced the news on her Facebook page, with a cute video featuring her two children.
And she posted a message on her website, detailing their excitement.
She said: "I couldn't be more thrilled to share the news with you that I am expecting. Arabella and Joseph are both incredibly excited to have a new sibling on the way (of course, Arabella desperately wants a baby girl, and Joseph hopes it's a boy!), and I wanted them to join me in making the announcement."
She added: "I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have a career that I am deeply passionate about, but, at the end of the day, it's my family that is at the centre of my life- and to be adding another baby to our family is a tremendous blessing. Jared and I are so thankful, and so excited!"
Republican candidate says US can't have Muslim leader
Schwarzenegger 'honoured' to host Celebrity Apprentice
Heidi Klum's racy butt selfie
Jacqui Ainsley knew Guy Ritchie would father her kids
Pamela Anderson hasn't seen her sex tape
The A-Team gets rebooted with women
Caitlyn Jenner legally acknowledge as a woman
Donald Trump sometimes carries a gun 'to feel protected'
Donald Trump has called for the US to bar all Muslims
bang showbiz us election 2016


text:
Dylan Fletcher wins SailGP's race to break the 50 knot barrier
Dylan Fletcher's Great Britain SailGP Team today achieved what no other sail racing team in the world has done, breaking the sport's elusive 50-knot speed barrier during training ahead of Cowes SailGP.
The historic moment – a first aboard the supercharged F50 catamaran – occurred during the British team's fourth day training on the Solent, off the Isle of Wight, four days before SailGP's European debut on August 10 and 11.
Training off Egypt Point on the racecourse for the penultimate event in SailGP's opening season, Fletcher and the British team comprising of Chris Draper, Stuart Bithell, Matt Gotrel, Neil Hunter and Richard Mason were the first ever to fly at a record speed of 50.22 knots on the 50-foot foiling catamaran. It is the equivalent to 58 mph and 93 kph.
"We're always trying to push the boundaries, and to be honest, it feels pretty wicked to get a notch up on Tom Slingsby," said Fletcher of the rival helmsman from Australia who initially believed he broke the mark in San Francisco. "Cowes has a long history of hosting iconic sailing events and we knew this stretch of water, with the right conditions, could set us up well for breaking this record. It's unbelievable how far sailing has progressed in the last few years and SailGP and these F50s really represent the next generation of our sport. We now can't wait to hit it again in racing and really showcase these fantastic boats."
Dylan Fletcher signs the hull of the British F50 to commemorate the 50 knot barrier being broken today on the Solent.
With the Brits having promoted earlier in the day that they had reached 49.54 knots of boat speed, it wasn't until SailGP data analyst Scott Babbage interrupted the team's debrief to set the record straight. He reported that when the higher-frequency data was pulled off the F50, it was revealed that the British team had recorded 50.22 knots, making them the first SailGP team to break through the 50-knot barrier. The top speed was achieved in 19.3 knots of wind speed.
The Great Britain SailGP Team is set to take on rival teams from China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 in front of the SailGP Grandstand along Cowes seafront. All six teams will now be seeking to break 50 knots for the first time ever in a sailing race – truly setting the official record for SailGP – taking advantage of the strong sea breezes and tidal flows in Cowes, which is widely regarded as one of the world's top sailing venues.
The upcoming grand prix will mark the penultimate event in the championship's 2019 inaugural racing calendar and the first in Europe. Competing in a total of five short-format fleet races across the two-day event, the fate of the top two teams will be decided in a match race final on the Sunday afternoon (August 11), determining the Cowes SailGP winner. For the first time for viewers in the UK, the racing will be offered live on the innovative SailGP APP.
As all teams are using identical, purpose-built cutting-edge F50 racing boats, the result of the SailGP championship is purely down to the human performance and skill of the sailors.
Launched in October 2018 and inaugurated with a first-ever event in Sydney in February 2019, SailGP is the only inshore international championship in which national teams compete for their countries on identical, supercharged catamarans set against the backdrop of iconic harbour locations.
The action-packed season will conclude in Marseille, France, in September, where teams will compete in a breath-taking finale for the championship trophy and a $1 million dollar prize.
Tickets for Cowes SailGP are available at SailGP.com/Cowes. The event will also be broadcast in over 100 countries globally. Details on how to watch can be found here.
World Match Racing Tour 2021: skippers announced
All set for Vendée Globe photo finish on 27 January
INEOS close to qualifying for Prada Cup final


$50 So You Want To Be A Paediatrician?
Join us for an evening of storytelling and chat at The George Hotel (139 Cecil St, South Melbourne) on Sunday 26th August.
We will hear short, personal stories from DFTB delegates on the theme of Hope; Justice; Kindness.
Tickets include admission and a free drink.
Door open 1930; stories start at 2030.
Come and celebrate 5 years of DFTB with us at the Melbourne Gallery on Tuesday 28th August at 7pm.
Join us for a relaxed yet glamorous evening of delectable canapés, upbeat conversations, delicious drinks and live music.


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Tag Archives for " Barack Obama "
Inside Barack Obama's "Epic" Star-Studded 60th Birthday Party
Barack Obama showcased his best dance moves at a star-studded bash to celebrate his 60th birthday.On Saturday, Aug.7, the former U.S.president celebrated his 60th birthday at a Hawaii-themed, star-studded party on the grounds of his family's lavish home in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.An eyewitness told E! News that famous guests included Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend, fellow couple […]
Why Barack Obama Let Daughter Malia's Boyfriend Move In During Quarantine
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Barack Obama's Favorite Films of the Year Include 'Nomadland,' 'Mank,' and 'Time'
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Barack Obama Boasts That This Rihanna Song Is a "Jam" He Can Sing Perfectly
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Everything Barack Obama Shared About His Family in His New Book, From Inside Jokes to Those Lonely Nights
You'd be forgiven for thinking you know every last detail about former president Barack Obama's life. Between the memoirs, the high-profile interviews and eight years living under the brightest spotlight that exists in the Western hemisphere, one would think we'd eagerly consumed every last anecdote out there about the onetime commander-in-chief, his even more popular […]
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Barack and Michelle Obama's Wedding Anniversary Tributes Will Make You Believe in Love
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama continue to prove they're relationship goals.The longtime couple, who happen to be celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary, took to social media to express their love for each other."Even with everything going on, I wanted to take a moment to say happy anniversary to the love of my life," the former president shared […]
Hollywood Mourns Chadwick Boseman: 'This Is a Crushing Blow'
As the news hit social media that Chadwick Boseman died at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, Hollywood is remembering the actor who became a household name when he starred in the title role of the Marvel superhero movie "Black Panther."Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to Boseman online noting that he […]
Michelle Obama Shares Sweet Birthday Tribute to "Favorite Guy" Barack Obama
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Beyoncé Accepts the 2020 BET Awards' Humanitarian Award From None Other Than Michelle Obama
Who runs the world? Girls.And, who helps the world? Beyoncé! Tonight, at the 2020 BET Awards, the Grammy-award winning artist was recognized with the show's Humanitarian Award, honoring the star for her many initiatives that help those in need.The well-deserved award was also perfectly presented by former First Lady Michelle Obama, who herself has built a […]
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Will we learn our … Lessons of War (Matt McGinn)
byRaquel GOMEZ
by Raquel GOMEZ for Shared Future News
What is carried by the DNA of people affected by war? May the pain and the hate remain within the DNA of those who have lived in conflict? Dealing with suffering and moving on could be a big challenge.
Could people affected by conflict give us lessons of war?
The Northern Irish songwriter, Matt McGinn, heads the global music project, Lessons of War, with the assistance of the local filmmaker Colm Laverty and Arts Council of Northern Ireland. As a part of the Belfast Film Festival, Lessons of War was screened at Black Box Belfast, and followed by live music played by McGinn (guitar and voice), John McCullough (keys) and Karen Porter (cello).
Lessons of War blended McGinn's narrative, segments of talking heads, and brilliant pieces from the recording studio.
The project brings together musicians across the world from areas affected by war, to speak about the doom of conflict: Yazan Ibrahim, flamenco guitarist from Golan (Syria); Haris, a singer from Bosnia; Seydu, a percussionist from Sierra Leone; Citizens of the World Choir from London; Richard Moore, a musician from Derry-Londonderry (blinded at age 10 by a plastic bullet); and Joby Fox, a songwriter from Belfast.
The film also includes the perspectives of Mark Kelly (Wave Trauma Centre) (who lost his legs in a paramilitary explosion) and Elke Ross, a historian from the small city of Mödlareuth, Germany, which remains divided by walls 28 years after German reunification. They believe in the reconciliatory role that music is capable of, transcending political and religious differences.
Marianna Suri (Vocal Coach and Assistant Director of Music, Citizens of the World Choir) claims that music brings healing and sense of belonging. In the choir, you can feel the music, the voices and the interaction of the people. Music is a common language that can cross barriers and borders.
War and conflict mean division, physically and mentally. A person who has suffered war or has grown up in the conflict is going to carry a little bit of it in his or her heart. Music, according to McGinn, is about connecting people and healing memories.
Music could be an useful tool dealing with the past. Learning about the past will help ensure it's not repeated.
Music has the power to touch the heart. Music has the power to inspire people. Music has the power to create awareness. Perhaps, music has the power to create peace.
May war teach us something? When will we learn our lessons of war?
I am an only child of blame
Nothing but sorrow in my veins
A lonely child is all you see
Don't make a monster out of me
Oh oh I am a child of war
I can't undo the things I've done
You can't undo what you have done to me
All I have is all I grieve
I am a child of war
–Lyrics from "Child of War" by Matt McGinn.
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I've been meaning to upgrade to the latest version of WordPress for a while now, and now that I did it, I'm impressed. During my hiatus from blogging while I focused on school, the WordPress developers were busily adding features and improving the code. Nice work guys! I also updated my dashboard replacement so it works with 2.0.x in case anyone wants to use it.
Comment spam continues to pour in at a rate of around 40 a day, but with the Akismet plugin it's almost fun to see them waste their time trying to get spam on my site and being able to delete it all with the click of a single button. The new look of the administrative interface makes it feel like I'm using a whole new blogging application.
If there are any issues you notice as a result of the upgrade, please let me know. The only thing I'm aware of is that the plugin I was using to create a Google Sitemap was causing the web server to return a blank page whenever I saved a post. I've disabled it until I can find a solution to that problem. If anyone is aware of a plugin that works with the latest release of WordPress or of a fix to get the old version working, I'd love to hear about it.
Now that the administrative items are out of the way, I plan to return to a more frequent blogging schedule. I'm still fine tuning my daily schedule now, so we'll see how it goes. I have a stockpile of over 50 drafts that I can draw on, so that should help.
I haven't been reading any blogs for the past 8 or 9 months in addition to not posting, so I have a lot of catching up to do. It's good to be back.
I've been meaning to upgrade my blog to WordPress 2.0 for awhile now. I just haven't found the right day + I'm a little bit scared of the process. At the same time I'm aware of how much better the latest version must be.
The upgrade from 1.5 was relatively painless and the only glitches were due to plugins. I'd estimate it took around 30 minutes to do the main upgrade and get things working.
Welcome back, Dan! And I'm glad you like 2.0 — I upgraded all of my sites a few weeks ago, and I'm in love with it!
Levi: Thanks. It took a little longer than I planned.
David: No kidding. I think the Akismet deserves special kudos. It has only missed a few comment spams, but has caught the rest (over 250 since Sunday night).
Cameron: Good one. And I like how you snuck in the 'You got married bit.' Very humorous indeed.
It's great to have you back! What plugin were you using to create a Google Sitemap?
I was using Arne Brachhold's Google Sitemaps plugin (version 2.7.1). I saw that he had a 3.0 beta version but from the comments I read that hasn't solved the problem yet.
I just tried 3.0 beta and it had the exact same problem. I applied the patch he mentions in the FAQ but it didn't change the outcome. I don't think 1130 posts is all that many. Maybe I'll have to delve into the code and see what can be optimized.
I found a suggestion to alter the allowed memory usage for PHP in php.ini and that did the trick. I'd prefer not to have to do that, but at least it works now.
I once believed in reincarnation, but that was in another life.


A statue that stands outside Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
A former Nike executive is suing the company for racial discrimination, which he says was chronic and eventually forced him out of a job. Ahmer Inam, who was senior director of advanced analytics at Nike North America until his departure in December 2018, is seeking $866,000 in financial and other damages including psychological harm.
The suit alleges that Inam, who is of Indian descent, was passed up for promotions, paid significantly less than his white counterparts and regularly subjected to unfair treatment by the company and his managers because of his race. His former managers—senior director of North America marketplace analytics Gail Cornelius and vp of global marketplace analytics Drew Carpenter—are also named in the suit.
Carpenter and Cornelius did not reply to emails seeking comment. Through a spokeswoman, Nike declined to talk about the case but emphasized its support of employees.
"We can't comment on the recently filed complaint, but Nike is committed to creating a culture of empowerment and respect where everyone can succeed and contribute to our success," the spokeswoman said in an email to Adweek.
Inam joined Nike in October 2015 to spearhead the formation of the advanced analytics division and built Nike's first advanced analytics community, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in the Circuit Court for Oregon's Multnomah County.
During his first two years with the company, Inam reported to Heather Paulson, senior director of Nike's digital marketplace and new commerce partnerships, who the suit says consistently gave Inam rave performance reviews and recommended his promotion to the senior director of advanced analytics North America, which occurred in March 2016.
According to the suit, Inam was starting to get noticed throughout the company for his efforts to bolster the advanced analytics division, prompting another employee of color to warn him that he should "take a step back" because his visibility was becoming an "issue" for Carpenter.
In August 2017, Nike formed a new analytics team overseen by Carpenter as part of a reorganization. At the time, Inam was the only person of color reporting to Cornelius and one of two people of color working under Carpenter, according to the suit. Inam alleges that he faced a series of discriminatory incidents under both managers, who are white.
The suit alleges that Carpenter told Inam during their first meeting, "Consider all the hurdles I have created for you gone because we are one team now." Inam was "distressed to learn that Mr. Carpenter had previously taken steps to interfere with his success" and took the comment as a threat.
The suit alleges that Inam faced a pattern of allegedly discriminatory behavior, and subsequent inaction from Nike's human resources department, over the following several months. The lawsuit accuses Cornelius of yelling at and humiliating Inam during various staff meetings, refusing to include him in meetings with upper-level management, reassigning his projects, "falsely and unfairly" criticizing his work performance and suggesting he leave Nike on multiple occasions.
The suit also alleges Inam was being paid significantly less than his white counterparts and states that when Inam raised the topic with Cornelius, he was told, "If you don't think you are paid fairly then feel free to leave; there are plenty of jobs out there." Inam was passed up for a promotion even though the person leaving the position recommended Inam to take over the role, according to the suit, which also alleges Cornelius treated other employees of color in a similarly hostile, dismissive and degrading manner.


Unlimited Vacations & Cruises Inc.
Unlimited Vacations is looking forward for the opportunity to act as your booking agent for your travel needs. These terms and conditions (the "Agreement") describe what you are legally entitled to expect from us when you purchase travel related services through us, in addition to your obligations as a customer. The terms "we", "us" and "our" refer to Unlimited Vacations & Cruises Inc. The term "you" refers to the customer visiting our website, booking a reservation through us or otherwise using our services.
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The Virgin Rainbow opal from the South Australian Museum opal exhibition. (Credit: South Australian Museum).
The 'Virgin Rainbow' is one of the world's rarest and most expensive opals. This extremely rare opal exhibits incredible fluorescence with a rainbow of different colors that make opal so distinctly unique. The opal was found in Coober Pedy of southern Australia by miner John Dunstan, working solo in the opal field. It is worth over $1 million and is now owned by the Southern Australia Museum in Adelaide.
"That opal actually glows in the dark - the darker the light, the more colour comes out of it, it's unbelievable." John Dunstan told ABC.
Opals are a form of amorphous hydrated silica with up to 20% water locked within the silica structure. The mineraloid, similar to a mineral but without a crystalline structure, is formed from mineral precipitation at low temperatures. The process is similar to the salt left behind when sweat or salt water dries. The complex internal structure of opal diffracts light differently depending on which angle light hits the opal. This imparts a rainbow of colors, from milky white, to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, black, etc.
The Virgin Rainbow is an opalized fossil, which means the shape and initial formation of the opal replaced a fossil, likely from an ancient ancestor of today's cuttlefish. The very generalized evolution of the opal started with an aquatic cuttlefish dying and sinking to the seafloor. As sediment buried the fish, the surrounding sediment began to lithify into rock as the shallow sea dried and became a desert. Meanwhile, silica rich pore fluids within the rock deposited opal in the cavity where the cuttlefish once remained. This is a similar process to how petrified wood is formed, whereby mineral precipitates replace organic objects.
The South Australian Museum recreated the mine where Virgin Rainbow was found for its exhibit last winter (Credit: South Australian Museum).
Opals form as microscopic spheres composed of silica and other minerals, closely packed together to form a lattice framework. The order and variability in size of silica spheres determines the degree and type of diffraction of light as it passes through the opal's structure. More regular-sized silica spheres provide more intense diffraction and are thus more desirable.
Australia has the world's largest supply of opals, accounting for 95-97%, with most of them found in southern Australia. Of the prolific South Australia mines, Coober Pedy is the most famous, claiming many of the world's famous opals.