text:
Beryl Wajsman
Exclusive: Lisée on language and Montreal
By Beryl Wajsman on March 13, 2013
The man who is arguably Quebec's busiest Minister, and some would say the one holding the brief on the most contentious issues, took time out for a rare weekend interview this past Saturday. Jean-François Lisée, Minister for International Relations, External Trade, La Francophonie and Minister responsible for Montreal, forthrightly addressed concerns on the politics and policies of language of the Marois administration that have many Montrealers, regardless of cultural background, angry and concerned. To his credit, Minister Lisée set no preconditions on the questions that would be posed.
Beryl Wajsman: Minister, during the campaign you characterized the drop in the number of francophones on the island of Montreal as a problem that had to be addressed and corrected. Many observers believe that connecting language and geography raises the spectre of segregation and legitimizes, in the minds of some people, an aggressive response to anyone speaking English as we have seen in the past four months in several unfortunate incidents in the city. What is your answer to these concerns?
Jean-François Lisée: Some of the interpretations of our government's concern about Montreal, and my comments, are wrong and I am glad to be able to clear this up once and for all. Nothing in our policies or my views should be construed in any way as opening the door to restricting or directing who may or may not live on the Island. Nor should they be construed as seeking to change normal daily interactions of Montrealers, some of which are, naturally, conducted in English. We're not suggesting counting heads or words. What we do want to guard against is a trend that, unchecked, could weaken the French character of Montreal. It is Quebec's largest city after all and the foundation of much that goes on here. But we want to do it by finding persuasive incentives not by enacting coercive restrictions.
BW: The exit of many people, francophone and anglophone, from the island that has caused a slight drop in the francophone population of Montreal is due to economic factors, mostly cheaper housing in Vaudreuil, Laval and the south shore. Recognizing that, what can or should your government - or any government for that matter - do about such a catalyst which is economic and not political?
J-FL: Clearly as you say, the reasons are economic. We do not mean, or intend, to engage in a blame game. We have to look for ways to create incentives, for all Montrealers particularly young families, to stay on the Island. This will naturally help restore the balance.
BW: But it is not only the francophone community that is being affected by the departure of Montrealers from the island?
J-FL: Quite so. The incentives we seek are also important to maintain the security of the anglophone community as well. We need to arrive at a common consensus where every community - francophone, anglophone, and first nations - are secure and feel they have a stake in each other's viability..
BW: Meaning?
J-FL: Meaning that each community needs a critical mass of population to maintain its continuity and institutions. As much as we want to assure the French character of Montreal to the degree reasonably possible, we also understand the importance of a vibrant anglophone community to the future of this city and to Quebec. It also needs a critical mass of population on the Island. That is why I am also very attentive to the decline in enrollment of anglophone school boards. I am working on policies of retaining families on the Island, also anglo families that would address this problem.
BW: So if I understand you correctly, what you are seeking is a balance between the public square and the private sphere?
J-FL: That is correct. Look, families leaving the Island are one variable that accounts for the decline of the number of francophones. Another variable is the extent at which allophones eventually integrate either the French or English communities. In order to replicate the current equilibrium, we would need 15 percent of allophones to eventually switch to English as their primary language, and 85 percent to be French. But Statistics Canada tells us that the split is 50-50. So we have some ways to go. Of course, the state should have no say in the choices of individuals on private decisions of where to live or what language to use in private. We need to use, as I stated earlier, tools of persuasion and incentives to get to that equilibrium for the future.
BW: We have also heard that your government is planning to use immigration policy as a means of maintaining francophone vitality. Can you shed some light on what is being considered?
J-FL: What our main goal is in immigration reform is that all immigrants succeed in Quebec. That is the primary objective. That all immigrants have the best chance at success. That means having a set of skills that matches the needs of the labor market, that means arriving here with a basic knowledge of French and, as you know, candidates for immigration to Quebec get more points if they also have skills in English. In addition, we need to recognize that someone who not only knows French but actually lives in French - that can be in Paris or anywhere else in the world - will have a better chance at integrating in Quebec society. Oddly, that had never been taken into account previously.
BW: So it is not all about economics nor even strictly about language?
J-FL: Exactly. If we achieve a balance where immigrants coming to Quebec can feel at home faster, and have the skills that Quebec needs at any given time, it will not only make it easier for the immigrant to build a better life - economically and socially - but will also reduce our societal cost of integrating them into the economic, social and cultural fabric of Quebec. And that will benefit all citizens here morally as well as materially. Our willingness to adopt a Charter of secularism is also a way of saying to would-be newcomers that this is a nation that values gender equality and secular institutions, so there is no misunderstanding that the overwhelming majority of all Quebecers - be they English or French, Christians, Jews or Muslims - share as members of the family of western, pluralistically liberal nations.
BW: I have to turn now to the question of language and small business. Part of your responsibility for Montreal must be economic viability of course. Your government has decided to impose Francisization requirements on businesses of 26-49 employees whereas the previous limit was 50 or more. With the OQLF itself reporting that almost 90 percent of small businesses in the downtown core serve customers in French first - and almost 80percent on the West Island doing the same - what was the necessity for that?
J-FL: Look, we are not saying that, as a whole, businesses are not doing a good job of meeting the goal of French in the workplace. But since the great majority of new jobs are being created by small business, and a great number of allophones are in these jobs, it is important that the signal we give is that French is the common language in their workplace as well.
BW: But Minister, industry reports have demonstrated that Quebec businesses spend some 19 full working days a year on compliance with government forms, rules and regulations. Won't these new language laws create yet another level of bureaucracy for business that will hurt their productivity?
J-FL: We are conscious of that. That is why we intend these new rules to have the lowest possible impact on the ability of small business to function and achieve their first goal of profitability. That is precisely why we have laid out a reasonable period of adaptation - three years - and we will be supplying all the support, advice and assistance that any small business may need for adaptation. And that will go for everything from changing computer programs on up. We want to be partners with small business in this change not enforcers. As for the proportion of people working in French, though the OQLF numbers are positive on the top line, they have also shown a significant slippage from even five years ago. We just want to assure that there will be no further regressive impact on French as the common language of the broad workplace in Quebec.
BW: The Premier and yourself have made a point of sending a message to big business that Quebec wants them investing here. That we're open for business. Now, many international corporations want to send some of their top executives here to oversee their operations. Many executives come from English jurisdictions - particular in the mining and resource sectors that your government wants to encourage - have children and want their children to attend English schools. Will your government give any consideration to exemptions to Bill 101 for executives of companies locating in Montreal which is the economic engine of Quebec's GDP?
J-FL: If the executives are coming here for a limited time to start-up operations, Bill 101 already provides exemptions for them. So for example, if there is an executive who is here on a work visa of 5-7 years, he may send his children to English schools. But if they want to have permanent status, then they would not have the benefit of this exemption. They could of course always send their children to, private schools. But on a personal note, I would like to think that English speaking executives that move to Quebec for the long term might want their children to learn another language and culture since they will always have English at home.
BW: Minister, I have to bring up one other issue that has come up this week. Minister of Health Réjean Hébert decided to pull Lachine General Hospital, out of its four year arrangement with the MUHC because he felt that arrangement would threaten Lachine's "francophone vocation." Minister Hébert's decision has been denounced by citizens groups, the Mayors of Lachine and Dorval and the physicians of the hospital itself. Should not the language of hospitals be healing not politics and should not the primary deciders be the medical staff itself?
J-FL: With all respect, I would rather Minister Hébert speak for himself on this question.
BW: Minister, thank you for taking the time for this on the weekend in what I know is an extremely busy schedule.
J-FL: My pleasure and my best wishes for a healthy new year to all your readers
Please login to post comments.


text:
Health officials list steps for Blue Bell to resume production
BRENHAM, TX -- Texas health officials today finalized with Blue Bell Creameries the steps the company must take before selling ice cream from its Brenham plant. The company temporarily shut down its operation following the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes in certain ice cream products.
Texas health officials outlined requirements and milestones the company must reach before releasing ice cream into the marketplace. The company agreed to the terms with the state early today.
Blue Bell must notify the Texas Department of State Health Services at least two weeks before its intent to start producing ice cream for sale so health officials can conduct a full assessment of the company's progress and test results. The company must conduct trial production runs of ice cream that will be tested separately by DSHS and the company for Listeria monocytogenes. The products must consistently test negative before they can be distributed to the public. A trial run with negative test results must occur for each production line before the line can begin making ice cream for sale.
State health inspectors will be on site at the Brenham plant regularly to evaluate test results and monitor the trial runs. The company will be testing ice cream, ingredients, food surfaces, machinery and other equipment in its Brenham plant for Listeria monocytogenes and allow state health inspectors to review all results.
For at least two years after resuming production, Blue Bell must report any presumptive positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes in a product or ingredient to DSHS within 24 hours. For at least one year after resuming production, Blue Bell must implement "test and hold" procedures for all finished product, meaning products made at the Brenham plant must have negative test results before they can be distributed for sale to the public.
State health officials also are reviewing deep-cleaning procedures, ongoing sanitation processes and training activities at the Brenham plant. Blue Bell has retained an independent expert to oversee sanitation efforts and, as part of the agreement, will conduct root cause analyses to try to determine the sources of contamination.
Texas is working with state and national experts to examine frozen dessert manufacturing and identify changes that may be needed to strengthen regulations to protect public health
brenhamhealthlisteriatexas newsblue bell
'Several months' before return of Blue Bell
CDC: Blue Bell's listeria troubles may go back 5 years
Blue Bell ice cream for sale on Craigslist after nationwide recall
Another person caught on video licking Blue Bell ice cream
Teen will not face adult charges in Blue Bell licking: Police
Blue Bell licker faces up to 20 years in prison: Police
Blue Bell licking: Strep and mono risks possible from ice cream

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With a history of 1,200-year, Wuzhen is about one hour's drive from Hangzhou,the capital of Zhejiang Province.
The streets there all run alongside rivers with bridges for intersections. Houses are built along the rivers, and they are typically imposing dwellings with spacious courtyards, overlapping roofs and high eaves.
In 2007, the reconstructed western part of town, Xizha, was opened to visitors. Xizha used to be the largest and most prosperous area of town, and dozens of intact Ming-and-Qing style buildings line the streets.


With the recent heightened interest in crypto-space technologies in general and blockchains in particular, I thought it would be interesting to show how to build and run a simple blockchain explorer.
The easiest way to go would obviously be to consume a ready-made API service such as blockchain.info's Data API, however then we'd miss most of the fun, and so instead we're going to set up a Bitcoin core full node, and consume its native JSON RPC API in a web front-end Blockchain Explorer application.
The frontend SPA is written in Angular 5 using Angular CLI so we can quickly scaffold and modify it. It communicates with a Bitcoin JSON RPC Proxy Server is written in node.js and using the Express framework. The Proxy communicates directly with either bitcoind (the bitcoin core daemon) or bitcoin-qt (bitcoin core bundled with a simple UI).
In this configuration, both the Bitcoin Core node and the JSON RPC Proxy server are running on the same machine.
This is the simplest and easiest configuration to setup.
In this configuration, the Bitcoin Core node runs on a different machine than the JSON RPC Proxy server. If we want the Bitcoin Core node to accept requests from any source, we will need to use a reverse proxy to tunnel any source requests to localhost port 8332.
There are several options for running a bitcoin core full node; it can be downloaded directly from bitcoin.org, launched as a docker container (for example you can use this docker image, note that this option is limited to bitcoind, i.e. headless), or compiled from sources (you can find many instruction sources on the web).
Whichever path you take, make sure to provide it with a volume with at least 170GB of free space, 2GB swap space and 1GB of RAM.
bitcoin.conf should be located at the bitcoin core root data directory. This is the folder that will be used by bitcoin core to create and maintain its databases, indexes and the config file.
By default on Windows installations its location is %APPDATA%\Bitcoin, on Linux it is ~/.bitcoin/ and on Mac OS it is ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/.
txindex=1 tells the node to maintain a transactions index. Without it, the node will not index transactions (only blocks) so we won't be able to run RPC queries to get raw transaction details. If you forget to set this flag before running the node and then want to enable it, then you'll first need to run the node with the -reindex command line argument to construct the transactions index.
disablewallet=1 tells the node not to provide any wallet management functionality, as we're only interested in querying the blockchain data for the sake of this exercise.
rpcallowip=127.0.0.1 tells the node to accept incoming connections on the local interface. If you plan to install the proxy on a different machine than the bitcoin core node, you'll need to either set the ip address to your proxy's machine address, or add more rpcallowip entries (you can add as many as you need), or install a local reverse proxy to tunnel requests from all interfaces to the local 127.0.0.1 interface.
If you closely follow the instructions detailed above you should have your bitcoin core node running without too much hassle, and all you need now is to allow it a few days to sync with the network, download the blockchain and create the transactions index.
The proxy (project on github) is a tiny intermediary between the frontend and the RPC server (the bitcoin core node), written in node.js and using this bitcoin-core npm package and the Express framework.
health route is used by the frontend to check that the proxy is up and running.
The connect route is used to establish a connection with the bitcoin JSON RPC Proxy server. This method has to be called first before we can make any further queries. The frontend calls this method when we click the "Connect" button.
/api/get-block-count route (currently unused by the frontend application) executes the getblockcount JSON RPC method call.
Our web frontend application (project on github) is written in Angular 5 and was built using the Angular CLI scaffolding tool.
This version is modest and currently provides the ability to view basic blockchain information, search for blocks and traverse them by paging to the next/previous block, and drill down into individual transactions.
To start the exploration the user needs to login by providing the full node details: host, port, rpc username and password.
Thanks for reading through. I do urge you to go ahead and try it out yourself, since there are plenty learning opportunities during the process (and of course you'd be contributing to the network's security by running a full node).


Are you an information governance professional with experience of managing complaints within local government?
Do you have knowledge of the legislative and regulatory framework governing Children's Services?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, self-motivated Complaints and Information Governance Team Leader to lead the Children's Services Complaints and Information Governance Team to ensure that complaints, members' enquiries, freedom of information requests and subject access requests are responded to in a timely and efficient way and managed to a high standard.
The person we are looking for will have experience in the handling of complex complaints from receipt to resolution and will be confident in delivering training and awareness programmes to staff and managers within Children's Services.
You will have excellent analytical and reporting writing skills as well as exceptional written and verbal communication skills. With a solid grounding in complaints processes and the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts, you will be able to advise, guide, support and influence people at all levels including complainants, external stakeholders and senior council leaders.
The successful candidate must be able to work well under pressure, problem solve and be able to recommend and drive service improvement.
For an informal conversation about this role, please contact Gerard Murphy on 020 8921 3082.


text:
Jed rides again with Explosions & Fireworks
So, whatever previous agreement I had with Jed Hutchinson appears to be kind of worthless, because he didn't tell me when he was going to announce the Explosions & Fireworks remix of 'The Cowboy Song'. He didn't though. I'm hurt. A bit hurt. I was still in on the ground floor ish and got myself an early listen, and even got a bemoustached profile of Mr Explosions & Fireworks himself, or one of them. I don't know much about him/them. There could be a few of them. I'll see if I can find out. Anyway, the picture went a long way to healing wounds.
The remix is good in a way that gives the song a different life. It's been restructured and has some added flavours rubbed in, but the original is still in there and recognisable. I like this in a remix. You can like this in a remix too. I say this because it's available: The remix. By heading over to SoundCloud. Throw your ears at it. While you are there you should probably spend a little time with the Explosions & Fireworks tunes.
This is separate and distinct from the other remix that emerged recently, which is still available for download, isn't so much a really new remix, but a different mix of the original. The song itself, in whatever form, has been one of my favourite Jed Hutchinson tunes for a very long time, and is definitely my favourite of those that have been officially released, and I'm definitely glad for the attention it has received recently. Did I mention it was recently played on the radio?
Posted by Jacob Henwood at 17:48
The Search Function
Tools for Improved Wordy Prowess
There are purists that argue that if you are a 'real writer', all you need is a pen and some paper. Maybe a few pens. The quanti...
Batman vs Superman Review: Geek Free and Spoiler Free
It's awesome. Wait, from the outset, I must make clear that I'm bringing bias to this table. That's a disclaimer. I...
Some people stand in the darkness, afraid to step into the light
"When I feel difficulty coming on, I switch to another book I am writing. When I get to the problem, my unconscious has solved it." - Is...
That's about all there is to it
"You can start now." That's about all there is to it really, but you've already started. The decomposition started some...
The Dendy Newtown is playing Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday
The Dendy Cinema at Newtown, being the sort of place that it is, is currently showing Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday , which is a go...
▼ December ( 11 )
Space pirates are the best flavour of pirate
Science, now with less science
Kate in The Blue House
Space Dandy Times and Dates
Welcome to the Space Show
The Next Doctor Who
What kind of show is the The Space Show?
And the Summer you rode in on!!
Petite, Whizzy Ninja-Bucket Action!
The Subjects
Adaptations anime Batman blog books comics DC Comics Doctor Who Edutainment fantasy film fractal genres franchises freeware Games Great Tradition ICT Justice League Languages life Music Octo-Hoff Panda Productivity Programming public domain sandwiches sci-fi Snacks space Statistics Superheroes Superman Technology Television WebComic Wonder Woman writing
The Give Me Your E-mail Address
The Followers
The Contact Form


text:
class StageSchematicScene;
class StageSchematicNode;
class StageSchematicColumnNode;
class StageSchematicNodeDock;
class TStageObject;
class QPixmap;
class QRegExpValidator;
class TStageObjectId;
class TStageObjectSpline;
class StageSchematicSplineDock;
class StageSchematicColumnNode;
class StageSchematicPegbarNode;
class StageSchematicSplineNode;
class StageSchematicCameraNode;
class StageSchematicTableNode;
class StageSchematicGroupNode;
class QTimer;

enum eStageSchematicPortType {
  eStageSplinePort      = 100,
  eStageParentPort      = 101,
  eStageChildPort       = 102,
  eStageSplineGroupPort = 103,
  eStageParentGroupPort = 104,
  eStageChildGroupPort  = 105
};

//========================================================
//
// ColumnPainter
//
//========================================================

class ColumnPainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicColumnNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;
  QString m_name;
  int m_type;

public:
  ColumnPainter(StageSchematicColumnNode *parent, double width, double height,
                const QString &name);
  ~ColumnPainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setName(const QString &name) { m_name = name; }

  QLinearGradient getGradientByLevelType(int type);

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);

public slots:
  void onIconGenerated();
};

//========================================================
//
// GroupPainter
//
//========================================================

class GroupPainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicGroupNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;
  QString m_name;

public:
  GroupPainter(StageSchematicGroupNode *parent, double width, double height,
               const QString &name);
  ~GroupPainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setName(const QString &name) { m_name = name; }

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);
};

//========================================================
//
// PegbarPainter
//
//========================================================

class PegbarPainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicPegbarNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;
  QString m_name;

public:
  PegbarPainter(StageSchematicPegbarNode *parent, double width, double height,
                const QString &name);
  ~PegbarPainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setName(const QString &name) { m_name = name; }

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);
};

//========================================================
//
// CameraPainter
//
//========================================================

class CameraPainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicCameraNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;
  QString m_name;
  bool m_isActive;

public:
  CameraPainter(StageSchematicCameraNode *parent, double width, double height,
                const QString &name);
  ~CameraPainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setName(const QString &name) { m_name = name; }

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);
};

//========================================================
//
// TablePainter
//
//========================================================

class TablePainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicTableNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;

public:
  TablePainter(StageSchematicTableNode *parent, double width, double height);
  ~TablePainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);
};

//========================================================
//
// SplinePainter
//
//========================================================

class SplinePainter : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)

  StageSchematicSplineNode *m_parent;
  double m_width, m_height;
  QString m_name;

public:
  SplinePainter(StageSchematicSplineNode *parent, double width, double height,
                const QString &name);
  ~SplinePainter();
  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setName(const QString &name) { m_name = name; }

protected:
  void contextMenuEvent(QGraphicsSceneContextMenuEvent *cme);
};

//========================================================
//
// StageSchematicNodePort
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicNodePort : public SchematicPort {
  QString m_handle;

public:
  StageSchematicNodePort(StageSchematicNodeDock *parent, int type);
  ~StageSchematicNodePort();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void setHandle(const QString &value) { m_handle = value; }
  QString getHandle() { return m_handle; }

  bool linkTo(SchematicPort *port, bool checkOnly = false);

private:
  SchematicPort *searchPort(const QPointF &scenePos);
  void hideSnappedLinks();
  void showSnappedLinks();
};

//========================================================
//
// StageSchematicSplinePort
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicSplinePort : public SchematicPort {
  StageSchematicSplineDock *m_parent;
  QPixmap m_squarePixmap, m_rhombPixmap;

public:
  StageSchematicSplinePort(StageSchematicSplineDock *parent, int type);
  ~StageSchematicSplinePort();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  bool linkTo(SchematicPort *port, bool checkOnly = false);

private:
  SchematicPort *searchPort(const QPointF &scenePos);
  void hideSnappedLinks();
  void showSnappedLinks();
};

//========================================================
//
// SplineAimChanger
//
//========================================================

class SplineAimChanger : public SchematicHandleSpinBox {
  bool m_aim;

public:
  SplineAimChanger(QGraphicsItem *parent);
  ~SplineAimChanger();
  void setAim(bool aim) { m_aim = aim; }
  bool getAim() { return m_aim; }

protected:
  void mouseMoveEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);
  void mousePressEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);
  void mouseReleaseEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);
};

//========================================================
//
// StageSchematicNodeDock
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicNodeDock : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
#ifndef MACOSX
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)
#endif

  StageSchematicNode *m_parent;
  StageSchematicNodePort *m_port;
  SchematicHandleSpinBox *m_handleSpinBox;

  bool m_isParentPort;
  QTimer *m_timer;

public:
  StageSchematicNodeDock(StageSchematicNode *parent, bool isParentPort,
                         eStageSchematicPortType type);
  ~StageSchematicNodeDock();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);

  StageSchematicNodePort *getPort() { return m_port; }
  StageSchematicNode *getNode() { return m_parent; }
  bool isParentPort() { return m_isParentPort; }

protected:
  void hoverEnterEvent(QGraphicsSceneHoverEvent *he);
  void hoverLeaveEvent(QGraphicsSceneHoverEvent *he);
  void hoverMoveEvent(QGraphicsSceneHoverEvent *he);

private:
  // void updateHandle(bool increase);
  // void moveZValueLinks(int value);

signals:
  void sceneChanged();

protected slots:
  void onPortClicked();
  void onPortReleased(const QPointF &);
  void onTimeOut();
  void onModifyHandle(int);
};

//========================================================
//
// StageSchematicSplineDock
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicSplineDock : public QObject, public QGraphicsItem {
  Q_OBJECT
#ifndef MACOSX
  Q_INTERFACES(QGraphicsItem)
#endif
  SchematicNode *m_parent;
  StageSchematicSplinePort *m_port;
  bool m_isParentPort;

public:
  StageSchematicSplineDock(SchematicNode *parent, bool isParentPort,
                           eStageSchematicPortType type);
  ~StageSchematicSplineDock();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);

  StageSchematicSplinePort *getPort() { return m_port; }
  SchematicNode *getNode() { return m_parent; }
  bool isParentPort() { return m_isParentPort; }

signals:
  void sceneChanged();
};

//========================================================
//
// class StageSchematicNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicNode : public SchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

protected:
  TStageObject *m_stageObject;
  StageSchematicNodeDock *m_parentDock;
  QList<StageSchematicNodeDock *> m_childDocks;
  StageSchematicSplineDock *m_splineDock;
  SchematicToggle *m_pathToggle, *m_cpToggle;
  bool m_isGroup;
  QString m_name;
  SchematicName *m_nameItem;

public:
  StageSchematicNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *obj, int width,
                     int height, bool isGroup = false);
  ~StageSchematicNode();

  void setWidth(const qreal &width) { m_width = width; }
  void setHeight(const qreal &height) { m_height = height; }
  void setSchematicNodePos(const QPointF &pos) const;
  bool isNameEditing() { return m_nameItem->isVisible(); }
  void onClicked();

  int getChildCount() { return m_childDocks.size(); }
  StageSchematicNodePort *getChildPort(int i) {
    return m_childDocks[i]->getPort();
  }
  StageSchematicNodePort *getParentPort() { return m_parentDock->getPort(); }

  TStageObject *getStageObject() { return m_stageObject; }
  StageSchematicNodePort *makeChildPort(const QString &label);
  StageSchematicNodePort *makeParentPort(const QString &label);
  virtual void updateChildDockPositions();  // TODO: commento! doxygen
  void setPosition(const QPointF &newPos);

signals:
  void currentObjectChanged(const TStageObjectId &id, bool isSpline);
  void currentColumnChanged(int index);
  void editObject();

protected slots:
  void onHandleReleased();
};

//========================================================
//
// class StageSchematicPegbarNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicPegbarNode : public StageSchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

  PegbarPainter *m_pegbarPainter;

public:
  StageSchematicPegbarNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *pegbar);
  ~StageSchematicPegbarNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);

protected:
  void mouseDoubleClickEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);

protected slots:
  void onNameChanged();
};

//========================================================
//
// class SchematicTableNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicTableNode : public StageSchematicNode {
  TablePainter *m_tablePainter;

public:
  StageSchematicTableNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *pegbar);
  ~StageSchematicTableNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
};

//========================================================
//
// class SchematicColumnNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicColumnNode : public StageSchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

  SchematicThumbnailToggle *m_resizeItem;
  SchematicToggle *m_renderToggle, *m_cameraStandToggle;
  ColumnPainter *m_columnPainter;
  bool m_isOpened;

public:
  StageSchematicColumnNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *pegbar);
  ~StageSchematicColumnNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  QPixmap getPixmap();
  bool isOpened() { return m_isOpened; }
  void resize(bool maximized);

  void getLevelTypeAndName(int &, QString &);

private:
  void updatePortsPosition();

protected:
  void mouseDoubleClickEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);

protected slots:
  void onNameChanged();
  void onChangedSize(bool expand);
  void onRenderToggleClicked(bool isActive);
  void onCameraStandToggleClicked(int state);
};

//========================================================
//
// class SchematicCameraNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicCameraNode : public StageSchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

  CameraPainter *m_cameraPainter;

public:
  StageSchematicCameraNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *pegbar);
  ~StageSchematicCameraNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);

protected:
  void mouseDoubleClickEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);

protected slots:
  void onNameChanged();
};

//========================================================
//
// class StageSchematicSplineNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicSplineNode : public SchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

  TStageObjectSpline *m_spline;
  QString m_splineName;
  SchematicName *m_nameItem;
  SchematicThumbnailToggle *m_resizeItem;
  StageSchematicSplineDock *m_dock;
  SplinePainter *m_splinePainter;
  bool m_isOpened;

public:
  StageSchematicSplineNode(StageSchematicScene *scene,
                           TStageObjectSpline *spline);
  ~StageSchematicSplineNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  void onClicked();

  void setSchematicNodePos(const QPointF &pos) const;
  TStageObjectSpline *getSpline() { return m_spline; }
  bool isNameEditing() { return m_nameItem->isVisible(); }
  bool isOpened() { return m_isOpened; }
  QPixmap getPixmap();
  StageSchematicSplinePort *getParentPort() { return m_dock->getPort(); }
  void setPosition(const QPointF &newPos) { setPos(newPos); }
  void resize(bool maximized);

protected:
  void mouseDoubleClickEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);

signals:
  void currentObjectChanged(const TStageObjectId &id, bool isSpline);

protected slots:
  void onNameChanged();
  void onChangedSize(bool expanded);
};

//========================================================
//
// class StageSchematicSplineNode
//
//========================================================

class StageSchematicGroupNode : public StageSchematicNode {
  Q_OBJECT

  GroupPainter *m_painter;
  QList<TStageObject *> m_groupedObj;
  TStageObject *m_root;
  bool m_isOpened;

public:
  StageSchematicGroupNode(StageSchematicScene *scene, TStageObject *root,
                          const QList<TStageObject *> groupedObj);
  ~StageSchematicGroupNode();

  QRectF boundingRect() const;
  void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option,
             QWidget *widget = 0);
  QList<TStageObject *> getGroupedObjects() { return m_groupedObj; }
  int getGroupId();
  TStageObject *getRoot() { return m_root; }
  void updateObjsDagPosition(const TPointD &pos) const;
  bool isOpened() { return m_isOpened; }
  void updatePortsPosition();
  void resize(bool maximized);

protected:
  void mouseDoubleClickEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *me);

protected slots:
  void onNameChanged();
  void onChangedSize(bool expanded);
};

#endif  // STAGESCHEMATICNODE_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


On Friday, February 20, 2015 Jerry Cavalieri and Steven Brown from HPC America presented a webinar on the top five SAP Controlling best practices for utilities.
When utility companies first started to use SAP ERP in the mid-nineties, cost flows were meant to be simple and system designs were largely FI-centric. Much has changed in the last 20 years: cost models have grown more complex; CO document contain valuable, often untapped, information; and assessments are increasingly used. As a result, good visibility into costs is harder to achieve and defensible regulatory reporting requires more work. Fortunately, this trend can be reversed. Learn five SAP Controlling best practices from HPC America that increase reporting clarity and efficiency, eliminate reconciliation issues between CO and FERC, and ultimately strengthen the utility's position in regulatory inquiries and rate cases.
Watch a recording of the top 5 SAP Controlling best practices for utilities (plus a bonus 6th best practice).
This webinar was presented by Jerry Cavalieri, Chief Executive Officer of HPC America. Mr. Cavalieri is a former Pacific Gas & Electric principal FERC accountant and the original co-designer of the IS/U-FERC module. He now leads HPC's team of SAP consultants and utility industry experts. Jerry has a clear vision for mid-size utilities to enjoy the benefits of SAP without the traditional costs, and he continues to work closely and directly with HPC clients to ensure they receive the highest level of service. His combined SAP and utility experience enables HPC to solve problems faster and more effectively than clients have experienced before.
Jerry joined HPC in 1999 after 15 years in financial roles at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco. He led the team that developed the very first SAP solution for utilities to comply with U.S. accounting requirements. He has held positions as Vice President, Professional Services, Director, Utilities Business Practice, and SAP Project Manager on premier client engagements. He is a guest lecturer on SAP topics in the utilities industry.
HPC America is an SAP Financials expert and certified SAP partner with more than 20 years of experience consulting and delivering ROI-boosting solutions to companies on SAP. Our latest offering is the HPC Journal Entry Transfer Solution (JETS), a NetWeaver-based application that provides total control of primary and secondary cost adjustments in the ERP itself. HPC JETS eliminates reliance on lump sum journal entries, maximizes data integrity, and minimizes audit discrepancies for any company running SAP. Other HPC innovations include the first real-time FERC solution for the SAP New General Ledger; HPC Utility Financials Accelerator, an advanced reporting solution certified by SAP; and the original FERC module, which HPC created for PG&E and then sold to SAP in 1996.
HPC America will be an exhibitor at Controlling 2015 and will moderate a customer panel discussion on modern cost accounting and FERC strategies for utilities and will lead a networking discussion for public sector and utilities companies.
What's New at Controlling 2015?
SAP FICO ONLINE TRAINING Thank you for the information, it is useful for us.


text:
CMA PolicyBase
Ethics and medical professionalism 8
Health care and patient safety 42
Health information and e-health
Pharmaceuticals/ prescribing/ cannabis/ marijuana/ drugs 4
Population health/ health equity/ public health
Policy Type
Parliamentary submission 6
Policy resolution 12
topic:"Health care and patient safety"
https://policybase.cma.ca/en/permalink/policy719
Health care and patient safety
That the Canadian Medical Association recommend: a) that the federal departments of transport and consumer and corporate affairs enact legislation for the purpose of setting national safety standards for all-terrain vehicles, b) that provincial governments be urged to review and strengthen regulations related to the use of all-terrain vehicles, c) that provincial governments be urged to introduce a specific driver's licence category for all-terrain vehicle drivers; such licence would require demonstrating competence in handling the vehicle.
Policy resolution
Last Reviewed
Breastfeeding and HIV
Where safe alternatives exist, breast feeding should be avoided by mothers at high risk for HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] infection and by those known to be infected.
The Built Environment and Health
https://policybase.cma.ca/en/permalink/policy11258
The Canadian Medical Association will develop an action plan to promote the recommendations outlined in its policy, The Built Environment and Health.
Canadian Medical Association Submission to Health Canada's Notice of proposed order to amend the schedule to the Tobacco Act
Parliamentary submission
BR2015-04.pdf
Read PDF Download PDF
Canadian Medical Association Submission to the House of Commons Study on E-Cigarettes
The Canadian Medical Association will collaborate with other disciplines to ensure that the mutual benefits to health and the economy of climate action are more broadly understood and incorporated into policy.
Coal-fired electricity generation
The Canadian Medical Association supports government efforts to phase out coal-fired electricity generation within a 10-year time limit.
Efforts to protect arable land from non-agricultural development
The Canadian Medical Association supports efforts to protect arable land from non-agricultural development.
Food security for all Canadians
The Canadian Medical Association supports targeted population health programs aimed at improving food security for all Canadians.
Health care from the first trimester of pregnancy
The Canadian Medical Association believes that all provinces and territories should have a legal obligation to provide health care from the first trimester of pregnancy.
© Copyright Canadian Medical Association 2020


text:
Mongolia – Amended Securities Market Law Adopted.
Legal News & Analysis – Asia Pacific – Mongolia
On 24 May 2013, the Parliament of Mongolia approved an amended version of the Securities Market Law ("Revised Securities Law"). The Revised Securities Law replaces the current Securities Market Law enacted on 12 December 2002 ("Securities Law"). The official version of the Revised Securities Law was published in the State Gazette on 24 June 2013.
An amendment to the Securities Law had been pending for several years and was hoped to create an enabling regulatory environment for further development of the securities market. This follows the adoption of the revised Company Law in 2011, which introduced international standard corporate governance regulations to Mongolia.
In Mongolia, public trading in securities only commenced in 1995 and capital-raising opportunities are limited. Industries are still heavily reliant on conventional debt financing.
The Mongolian Stock Exchange ("MSE") has over 300 listed companies, the majority of which are former state-owned enterprises. Total market capitalisation of the top 20 companies is around US$ 713,000,000, but shares are heavily concentrated with majority shareholders. Average daily trading volumes are approximately between MNT 30 to 150 million, which represents only a handful of securities. Only two forms of securities are publicly offered and traded, being open joint stock company shares and bonds. Although provided for in prior legislation, dual-listing of Mongolian-listed companies has not taken place in actual fact, and depositary receipts are not permitted.
The absence of an enabling regulatory framework restricts capital-raising opportunities for Mongolian companies, especially those who are engaged in capital intensive mining activities. The Revised Securities Law seeks to overcome the limits and shortcomings of the existing Securities Law and introduce international standard market regulations. In doing so, the monitoring and regulatory authority of the Financial Regulatory Commission ("FRC") is increased in order to counter-balance the increased accessibility of the market.
The Revised Securities Law will enter into force on 1 January 2014, following a phase-in period. To support the Revised Securities Law and facilitate its implementation, Parliament has also amended other laws, including the laws on advertising, licensing, and personal and corporate income taxes. Further, it is expected that the Company Law and the Criminal Code will be amended to provide a compatible regime.
1. Introducing a distinction between legal and beneficial ownership
Mongolian law does not distinguish between nominal legal and beneficial ownership, which is an important and established concept in common law jurisdictions. To overcome this, the Revised Securities Law expressly introduces the concept of beneficial and nominal ownership of securities.
A "nominal holder" of securities is defined as a regulated entity who is registered as depositor/custodian of a given security and who is not the beneficial owner of such security. By contrast, "beneficial owner" is defined as the "real" owner of the security who is entitled to enjoy the rights and benefits attached to such security.
2. Towards increased liquidity and capital raising opportunities
The Revised Securities Law increases the range of tradable securities to include derivatives, depositary receipts and warrants. Further, over-the-counter trading of securities is expressly permitted.
While the Securities Law recognised the concept of derivatives, the offering and trading of derivatives has not been a feature of the Mongolian market to date. Under the Revised Securities Law, derivatives are defined as options or futures agreements as well as such other financial instruments that are permitted to be traded on the regulated market. The FRC and the MSE will issue implementing regulations to govern the trading of derivatives, and securities dealers will only be able to trade derivatives with professional investors.
Depositary receipts
The Revised Securities Law provides a basic regulatory framework for the issue of depositary receipts. The law recognises both global and Mongolian depositary receipts, issued by Mongolian-listed and foreign-listed companies respectively. Depositary receipts are defined as securities that are issued by depositors for the purpose of trading on foreign securities markets, with the underlying securities to be held by a custodian. The law briefly sets out the process for issuing depositary receipts – detailed regulations will be issued by the FRC.
Dual-listing
Although the Securities Law referred to the possibility of dual-listing, it did not provide detailed regulations. The Revised Securities Law specifically allows for the dual-listing of Mongolian-listed companies abroad as well as the listing of foreign-listed companies in Mongolia. The FRC will be in charge of approving and monitoring such dual-listing.
3. Towards protecting investors during IPOs and takeovers
The Revised Securities Law provides detail on the IPO procedure and imposes stringent requirements on issuers and their advisors in terms of disclosure requirements, update obligations, and sanctions for non-compliance.
The Revised Securities Law distinguishes between the primary and secondary securities market and the FRC is authorised to approve trading on the secondary market in the event an IPO is successful.
Disclosure during IPOs
The Revised Securities Law enhances IPO disclosure requirements, stipulating that prospectuses now must include detailed financial information, lists of related parties, a business plan for the capital raised by way of public offering and risk management plans. Further, the issuer and its "governing persons" (1) will be liable for losses resulting from any misinformation. Information contained in a prospectus must be verified by authorised auditors and legal professionals.
The Revised Securities Law requires the FRC's consent for any amendment/update to the prospectus. Such amendments will be compulsory in the event of changes in market conditions or to the issuers themselves which could change an investor's decision.
Takeover regulations
The Revised Securities Law shortens the takeover offer period from 6 months to 1 to 3 months. The law places increased disclosure and reporting obligations on parties acquiring a controlling block or all the shares in a listed company and sets out minimum requirements relating to the offer. The offer price must not be less than the market price, which will be calculated on the basis of a methodology to be issued by the FRC.
4. Towards increased monitoring and enhanced regulation of market participants
Under the Revised Securities Law, at least 14 activities will require an FRC-licence including securities trustee services, securities registrars, custodial and credit rating services. Further, property valuation companies, audit companies and law firms may only provide services to listed companies upon registration with the FRC.
The FRC will be authorised to monitor and regulate professional participants. Any dealing in certain regulated entities will require the FRC's consent.
Further, the FRC will issue a package of regulations/rules concerning regulated activities, which cover matters including the issuance, extension, and termination of licences, requirements for regulated participants, risk management, service fees, advertisements, customer issues, reporting to the FRC and the appointment of governing persons, who must be "appropriate", i.e. have the relevant qualifications and satisfy certain criteria which are to be determined by the FRC.
In general, the Revised Securities Law seeks to impose stricter liabilities and obligations on market participants and to protect investors' interests and rights.
5. Towards preventing insider dealing and market abuse
To protect investors' interests, the Revised Securities Law expressly prohibits insider dealing and market abuse.
Insider dealing
Insider information is defined as such information not publicly available which may influence the price of certain securities. Holders of insider information are influential shareholders (holding 5 per cent or greater), competent officials, employees of the relevant company and their related parties, as well as those individuals who obtained insider information in the course of performing their official duties, or negotiating or preparing transaction documents.
Holders of insider information are prohibited from trading in the relevant securities, inducing others to trade, and from disclosing insider information other than when required.
The Revised Securities Law expressly prohibits market abuse which includes fraudulent trading, artificial pricing, and misleading clients in order to promote/prevent securities trading.
6. Towards increasing market transparency and reporting/disclosure requirements
The current Securities Law is limited in its scope of disclosure requirements – the annual reports and financial statements of listed companies are often not publicly available.
To increase transparency and ensure adequate levels of disclosure, the Revised Securities Law shifts the onus of compliance to listed companies and the MSE. The scope of disclosable information for each entity is provided by law. Issuers must disclose within 1 business day of the occurrence of certain organisational changes, changes in shareholding structure affecting influential shareholders and such other information that may influence share prices. Immediate disclosure is required in certain circumstances.
The MSE must facilitate the disclosure of certain information relating to listed companies through its website.
Professional market participants will owe reporting and disclosure obligations to their customers and the FRC, and the FRC is also obliged to make certain information publicly available.
7. Towards increased monitoring and efficient regulation
The FRC
Under the current Securities Law, the key regulator is the FRC, who is authorised to exercise the state authority in regulating, monitoring, and ensuring the sound operation of the securities market.
Under the Revised Securities Law, main authority is still vested in the FRC, but with increased monitoring and regulatory powers.
The FRC has wide regulatory and monitoring authority, including issuance of implementing regulations, licences, recommendations and instructions, and the monitoring of professional participants. The FRC now may issue binding "instructions" to licensed market participants, issuers or self-regulating bodies, instructing them to take or refrain from taking certain actions for the purpose of implementing securities legislation or protecting investors. The Revised Securities Law strengthens the powers of the FRC's inspectors to carry out ad hoc investigations/monitoring, and allows the FRC to bring claims on behalf of investors against offending entities.
Self-regulating bodies
In order to raise professional standards and delegate certain monitoring powers, the Revised Securities Law introduces so-called self-regulating bodies, which include associations comprising of licensed market participants and licensed individuals, the MSE, the securities settlement organisation and the central securities depository. It becomes compulsory for a professional participant to become a member of the relevant self-regulating association/body, whose mandate is to increase professional standards and ethical discipline and to protect the interests of its members.
Dispute resolution body
The Revised Securities Law introduces a dispute resolution body at the FRC to resolve disputes among regulated entities, issuers, investors and/or customers. This introduces a non-judicial dispute resolution mechanism which may offer benefits in terms of efficient and fast dispute resolution determined by experienced market professionals.
Enhancing regulatory enforcement
As is customary with Mongolian laws, the Revised Securities Law imposes administrative sanctions on offending persons, expressed in financial penalties. The Revised Securities Law significantly increases these fines by 200 to 300 times the existing levels to a maximum of MNT 86,400,000 (approximately US$ 59,000).
The adoption of the Revised Securities Law is certainly a welcome development for the strengthening and improving of the current regulatory regime and market practices. It provides a general regulatory framework within which the FRC, the MSE and the self-regulating bodies have the authority to issue implementing regulations and rules. It will be important for regulators to involve relevant market participants in adopting implementing regulations so as to ensure efficient implementation of the law.
Both the FRC and the MSE have been assigned the task of promoting and effectively implementing the new legislation, and this may prove a challenging exercise. Thus it remains to be seen to what extent the new regulatory environment will advance the development of the Mongolian securities market and capital-raising opportunities for Mongolian companies.
Michael Aldrich, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Chris Melville, Partner, Hogan Lovells
In-House Lawyer Profiles
Sharyn Ch'ang
PWC, Director, Global Office of the General Counsel
Wesley Chiu
SCA Asia Pacific, General Counsel, Shanghai
Kapil Kirpalani
Pacific Harbor Capital, Legal and the Chief Compliance Officer, Hong Kong


text:
package com.wordnik.sample.model;

import io.swagger.annotations.ApiParam;

public class PaginationHelper {
    private Integer limit;
    private Integer offset;

    public PaginationHelper() {
    }

    public Integer getLimit() {
        return limit;
    }

    @ApiParam(value = "The pagination limit", name="limit")
    public void setLimit(Integer limit) {
        this.limit = limit;
    }

    public Integer getOffset() {
        return offset;
    }

    @ApiParam(value = "The pagination offset", name="offset")
    public void setOffset(Integer offset) {
        this.offset = offset;
    }
}