text:
Category: Crimea
EVENTS IN UKRAINE THREATEN BOTH THE INTERNATIONAL RULE OF LAW AND NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION
In Council of Europe, Crimea, Helsinki Final act, NATO, Ukraine, USSR
On the 1 August 1975, the then Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave was one of the signatories of the Helsinki Final act governing relations between European states. He signed along the United States, all other European countries (except Albania), and the USSR, which at the time encompassed both Russia and Ukraine.
Article one of the Helsinki Final Act said that the signatory states would
"respect each other's sovereign equality, juridical equality and territorial integrity",
and that they would refrain from the
"use of force or the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state".
As a small militarily neutral European state, Ireland has a greater interest, even than has a state which enjoys the comfort of a military alliance, in ensuring that these clear interstate principles are respected.
The Russian annexation of Crimea by force, and its present increasingly overt invasion of Eastern Ukraine is obviously a flagrant breach of the Helsinki Final Act. It is the first of its kind since the end of the Second World War, unless one includes the NATO action against former Yugoslavia over the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, which was then part of sovereign former Yugoslav territory. I argued at the time that this was a dangerous precedent.
As Taoiseach, I happened to have been invited to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the very day the Assembly was voting to admit the Russian Federation to membership of the Council. I spoke in favour of Russian accession. Russia became a member on 28 February 1996. The Council of Europe is the source of a dense and comprehensive network of treaties on many topics, including human rights. The Council of Europe, and its Treaties, only have meaning to the extent that its members are willing to abide by international law.
The European Union itself also rests on the foundation of respect for international law. The EU only EXISTS because there is an assumption that international Treaties will be respected in ALL circumstances. The EU has no force to govern its own members beyond the force of international law in the form of EU Treaties. The European Court of Justice interprets these Treaties and its rulings are accepted by all EU states.
Dividing the EU has been a long standing Russian goal, and President Putin's aggressive tactics appear to be succeeding in the goal of dividing the EU, in a way that previous Russian efforts have failed. At a meeting I attended last June, the new EU Foreign Representative, Federica Mogherini, admitted that, as then Italian Foreign Minister, she had been "advocating for Putin" within the EU. Her promotion will now encourage Putin, and is more eloquent than any verbal warning he may have been given about the EU ending its "partnership "with Russia, whatever that means.
Within the EU, countries like Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Italy are relatively accommodative towards what Russia is doing, while others, like Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Latvia are alarmed and looking for resolute action. The bigger EU states are, painfully and unsuccessfully, trying to balance commercial interests against professed principles. The Russian tactics are very similar to those adopted by Hitler in his dealings with the Czechs in 1938, and the present tactics of the EU are not dissimilar to those adopted by the French and British Governments of the day.
As 28 nations, the EU will never be able to move with the dexterity of an autocracy like Russia, but if it is not to have its policies dictated in the Kremlin, as a result Russian pressure on energy supplies, it needs to make a radical change in its own energy policies. It needs to build a proper energy union in Europe, independent of Russia, with complete inter connection of its energy distribution grids. That will require a lot of (job creating) investment, and the diversion of funds from current consumption. But a long term decision like this would create a new momentum with which Russia could not ignore.
The EU also needs to reflect on the contradictory messages it is sending out about nuclear disarmament.
Libya, which had got rid of its nuclear weapons programme, was attacked by EU countries, who were supporting the ouster of the Gaddafi regime. In an agreement to encourage it to give up the nuclear weapons on its territory, Ukraine's sovereign integrity was guaranteed, in the Budapest memorandum, by a number of countries, including Russia, the UK, and France. Against the background of what happened in Libya, more recent developments in Eastern Ukraine reduce the incentives for nuclear disarmament in a very dangerous way.
Given the vast economic superiority that EU countries enjoy over Russia, it is surprising that they have so little influence on it.
If EU countries refused to buy Russian gas, Putin would have to stop and think. But the effect of such a decision would hurt some EU countries much more than others, and that would require the EU to set up a budget big enough to compensate the countries that would suffer the most . The biggest resistance to this would come from countries, like the UK, that do not want a large EU budget. Likewise German business interests who are heavily invested in Russia.
It is really difficult to see who can now stop Putin, except perhaps an awakened Russian public opinion, that will become sickened by the casualties Russian soldiers will suffer in a needless war against another Slav country.
ARE WE SEEING A REPETITION OF 1938?
In Crimea, Czechoslovakia, Hitler, NATO, President Putin, Russia, Ukraine
Adolf Hitler's 1938 threats to, and eventual occupation of, Czechoslovakia bore some similarities to what is now happening between President Putin and Ukraine.
In 1938,Hitler exaggerated, and stirred up, grievances over language rights in the German speaking part of Czechoslovakia. He directed the local German speaking leaders inside Czechoslovakia to ensure that they did not reach any settlement with the Czech Government. He used the lack of an internal settlement as a basis for seeking to incorporate these areas in Germany, under the pretext of protecting the rights of the German speakers.
Western leaders tried to mediate and negotiate without success, culminating in the showdown at Munich, where Chamberlain abandoned Czechoslovakia in return for piece of paper signed by Hitler and himself in which both agreed on "the desire of our two peoples never to go to war again.".
Eventually, when Hitler broke his word and occupied the whole of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, trust broke down completely.
Hitler tried the same game with Poland in August 1939, possibly thinking he would get away with it again and the British and French would again huff and puff but do nothing. If that was his calculation, he was mistaken.
The crisis over the Sudetenland in 1938 played out more slowly than the one over Crimea. Putin has acted with much greater speed. In the former case, there was even time for a British Commission of Enquiry, the Runciman Commission, to spend a few weeks studying the situation on the ground in the Sudetenland and reporting back to London.
There is another important difference between the situation of Ukraine and that of Czechoslovakia. France had a Treaty of Mutual (military) Assistance with Czechoslovakia, which had been signed in 1925, guaranteeing Czech borders. Britain had no such Treaty but was drawn in because of its strategic commitment to France. That is why the Czechs feel, to this day, a particular grievance about France's lack of action in 1938.
In contrast, Ukraine does not have a military alliance with any western country. It is not a member of NATO, and has no Treaty based military guarantees of its borders.
But, since 1994, Ukraine does have a general guarantee of its borders from Russia, the US, and Britain, given in return for giving up its nuclear weapons arsenal. According to this so called Budapest memorandum, Russia, the U.S., and the UK confirmed, in recognition of Ukraine becoming a member of the nuclear non proliferation Treaty and in effect abandoning its nuclear arsenal to Russia, that they would,
+ respect Ukrainian independence and sovereignty within its existing borders,
+ refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine, and
+ refrain from using economic pressure on Ukraine in order to influence its politics.
This is hugely important, and creates a major moral obligation because one of the goals of global policy is to get countries with military nuclear capacity to give it up in return for guarantees. If such guarantees can be unilaterally abandoned without consequence, this strategy for opposing nuclear proliferation breaks down.
President Putin may feel that Russia should not have agreed to that memorandum in 1994. But it did. Hitler certainly felt the then German Government should not have signed the Versailles Treaty. But it did. Indeed, German negotiators had much less choice, in signing the Versailles Treaty in 1919, than Russian negotiators had in 1994, in signing the Budapest Memorandum.
There was no duress in 1994.
What is happening to Ukraine, and in a different way what happened to Libya, will make it more difficult to get nuclear armed regimes to give up weapons in return for guarantees, however solemn. This is not just a matter of international law. It is one of practical politics and global security, for everybody including militarily neutral countries, like Ireland.
Unlike Ukraine, the Baltic States, Latvia and Estonia, which also have Russian speaking minorities, are members of NATO and do have military alliance guarantees.
It will be the existential test for NATO, if Russia makes or carries out threats on Latvia or Estonia, similar to the ones it has carried out on Ukraine.


The ASHRAE Ireland Section is pleased to announce a Technical Seminar at Cork Institute of Technology on the 20th October. The event will focus on improving operational energy efficiency through the optimisation of building control systems and the use of ice storage techniques. We will also learn about how Building Information Modeling (BIM) is transforming the FM sector.


Ananda Lal, the editor, is Professor of English at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He taught previously in the Department of Comparative Literature at the same university. He also directs and translates, and is theatre critic of The Telegraph, Kolkata. His books include Rabindranath Tagore: Three Plays (second edition, OUP, 2001) and Rasa: The Indian Performing Arts (1995), and on CD, The Voice of Rabindranath Tagore (1997). He has contributed entries on Indian drama to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance, Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre, Encyclopedia of Postcolonial Literatures in English, and Critical Survey of Drama.


The Center for Open Education Research (COER) is an international research consortium, that was established in 2018 in order to increase international collaborative research projects, furthering innovation and understanding in the areas of open education, educational technology, lifelong learning and international education. COER will also offer a fully online Master of Technology-Enhanced Learning (MTEL) program, which addresses a market need for leadership and management in realizing digital transformation within educational institutions, connecting students with a faculty of leading and renowned scholars and researchers in the field of online, distance, and open education.
The Open University of Sri Lanka is offering the first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP), available for practitioners/professionals from any field of study.
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of COER member, valued colleague and treasured friend, Professor Colin Latchem. He was a preeminent Australian researcher, writer, consultant and teacher within the field of open and distance learning, and we had been eagerly looking forward to his keynote address at the Inaugural COER Symposium on October 1st this year. Prof. Dr. Som Naidu will present the address at the Symposium in honour of Colin's memory.


Deep Ocean expands the somewhat overlooked portion of the main game, Anno 2070.
Deep Ocean features a new faction, new resources, larger supply chains, new buildings, a new monument, new disasters, and a new campaign featuring the techs and their rise to glory.
While focusing on the underwater aspects of the game, Deep Ocean also impacts the above water experience with the new faction, the Geniuses. There are also over 150 new quests in the game via this expansion.


text:
Bridging the Gap, Columns
Transcending Time
by Mariam Bonyadi at University of Illinois College of Medicine
The definition of "getting old" has changed dramatically in recent years. Due to the remarkable advances in medical technologies and interventions, the average life expectancy in the United States has been rising exponentially over the past 50 years. But while our bodies are lasting longer, our brains are still susceptible to the cognitive decline associated with aging. Memory loss and decreased visuospatial skills (such as those used for driving) are notable changes that take place in older adults. Although there is an entire industry dedicated to anti-aging skincare technologies, research into the factors that offset the cognitive effects of aging is still in its early stages.
There are a number of theories concerning the physiological processes underlying brain aging. One of these is the "dopamine hypothesis," which suggests that cognitive decline is due to dopamine dysregulation in multiple brain regions, including input into the frontal cortex. Another theory is the frontal hypothesis, which attributes cognitive decline to a decrease in frontal lobe efficacy with age. Importantly, the most widely accepted theories describe a pattern of weakened frontal cortex activity with the aging brain.
The frontal cortex is responsible for top-down modulation of brain activity, meaning that it plays an important role in problem solving, memory and judgment. Evidence that points to a declining frontal cortex in the aging brain includes the finding that there is a notable decrease in frontal cortex brain volume that accelerates after 60 years of age. Volume decreases in the frontal cortex leading to age-related impairments in cognition and memory have been observed as part of the normal brain-aging process. In addition, studies showing decreases in cerebral blood flow and overall brain activity in the aging brain also point to a decline in frontal lobe function in aging.
Greater cognitive reserves, which have been suggested by some to be responsible for Albert Einstein's intellectual achievements in his old age, enhance the brain's resilience to damage due to aging. Cognitive reserve has both nature and nurture components, meaning that it is partly inherited and partly acquired through nutrients and activities that support cognitive ability. Factors that offset the effects of aging include education and mental exercise. Recently, there has been a number of games developed by researchers to help increase cognitive reserves. Although their beneficial outcomes so far appear limited, this is an area that is currently being heavily researched. Education, however, has been shown to be directly involved in increasing cognitive reserves.
Other factors include physical exercise and improved diet. Improved cardiovascular fitness, as well as overall fitness, have both been shown to increase cognitive reserves. Overeating and lack of exercise have been shown to greatly increase the risk for prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Interestingly, epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with the lowest caloric intake had the lowest risk for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This finding from 1995 has fueled more recent studies involving dietary restriction and neurodegeneration.
In 2000, one group subjected mice to an alternate day dietary restriction regime in which the mice were only allowed to eat every other day. This was an uncomfortable level of dietary restriction in these animals. The caloric intake of the animals was decreased by 30% on this new diet; however, the benefits were tremendous. The researchers found that their neurons experienced decreased damage from neurodegenerative disease in multiple brain areas.
Fasting is not yet a widely accepted dietary habit due to its relationship with eating disorders. It is important to note, however, the specifics of dietary restriction benefit. Dietary restriction provides just the right amount of stress to neurons, leading to increasing levels of heat-shock protein-70 and glucose-regulated protein-78, both of which are involved in protecting neurons from oxidative stress. Perhaps most importantly, fasting has been attributed to increasing the levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which can protect neurons by inducing the expression of genes for proteins that defend against oxidative and other forms of stress.
Humans are living longer than ever, and research into preserving our brains through the aging process is still relatively new and incompletely understood. Recent findings about cognitive reserves provide potential methods for improving cognitive resilience. We might even see video games and fasting being incorporated into our physician's lifestyle recommendations. Our brains are fundamental to who we are and how we interact with the people around us. Research into the aging brain can not only help prevent premature death from neurodegenerative disease, but can also provide hope for a better quality of life in old age.
Mariam Bonyadi (14 Posts)
Columnist and in-Training Staff Member
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Mariam graduated with a BS in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she conducted undergraduate research in B-cell development and lymphomagenesis as well as the neurobiology of stress. In high school, Mariam spent several years studying mechanisms of induced pluripotency in an embryonic stem cell research lab at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. She now studies computational neuroscience and medicine as part of the Medical Scholars Program (MD/PhD) and the Neuroscience Program (NSP) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Outside of research and clinical experiences, Mariam has earned a black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys yoga and San Diego beaches.
Bridging the Gap focuses on the relationship between basic research and medicine, in order to develop an appreciation for the science that underlies the foundations of modern medicine.
Tags: md/phd, MD/PhD track, medical research, physician-scientist
<< Previous PostA Third Year Opus — Chapter Four: A Walk on the Ward
Next Post >>Check Your Vitals

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
'Thieving, Cheating Gypsies' v Royal Spanish Academy
The Roma community in Spain are protesting over the entry of a definition in the latest edition of a Dictionary published by the Royal Spanish Academy.
Against one of the entries, the dictionary describes the Roma as "those who use deceit and trickery in order to swindle someone in any question... Those who try to cheat someone using lies and tricks".
Representatives of the Feminist Roma Association immediately announced their plans to stage protests on November 7th outside the premises of the Royal Spanish Academy building in Madrid.
In a statement to an ABC journalist, the Director of the Royal Spanish Academy's commented that the dictionary does not have to be politically correct.
Only 2 years ago the Roma community asked the Academy to reconsider the literal definition of their name, with the Scholars responding that they would "think about it", but that any changes must be made in consultation with the Association of Spanish Language Acadamies.
However, 2 years down the line and the request seems to have passed unheeded.
* Spain looks to bring Gypsies into community
Venezuela recalls ambassador to Spain
Three-Quarters of Spain's fighter jets unable to fly
I'm loving the multiple ironies going on here : On one hand you have a very public representative of the Spanish Institution claiming that Spain is not all politically incorrect, and then on other hand you have the Roma community claiming that the Gypsy stereotype has been unfairly and unjustly pinned on them.... all while they shoot their neighbours and marry their 12 year old cousins !
Robster - Sat, 1st Nov 2014
A gang of 20 Pikeys (gypsies) arrived at the Gates of Heaven demanding to get in. St. Peter didn't know what to do, so he went to see the Boss. He was told to go back and check that they had pure hearts etc., and if so, to let them in. St. Peter went away and came back after just a couple of minutes. 'What's up?' asks God. St. Peter answers, 'They've gone, Lord.' 'What?, Says God, 'the Pikeys.' 'No,' said St. Peter, 'the Gates!'
Mick Cb - Thu, 30th Oct 2014
I see no problem with the definition... What would they prefer "... fine, upstanding and model members of the community who are passionate, honest and hard working. Strongly believe in helping others without reward and work closely with law enforcement to hold wrong doers accountable and bring them to legal justice" - Maybe "lazy, selfish, pikey robbing filth is more appropriate!" - If you don't like my words, try living next door to a family of them for a few months... You'll soon be on my wavelength...
Ed Bishop - Wed, 29th Oct 2014
How to Complain in Spain
How to Complain About the Police in Spain
How do I make a Denuncia ?
May the best house win
Measure my Anus


See samples of our extensive experience with heavy industry and automotive plant projects.
Equiped with the latest technology, this VW plant will be operated by approximately 3,000 people. The plant can make 20 vehicles per hour, which produces 450 cars per day. Sika supplied steel corrosion protection, roofing, flooring, concrete admixture, concrete impregnation, joint sealing and grouting systems to this project.
A new production plant for Mercedes-Benz has been built in the Hungarian city of Kecskemét.
Several mining company truck shops required repair or replacement of flooring and chose the Sikafloor® range of products for their high mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance.
Branson decided to reconstruct the existing roof of this welding equipment manufacturing facility. At the investor's request, Sika provided a roofing system solution to replace the roof during full business operation, with a traditional fastened system including Sikaplan®, PIR panels Thermaroof®, and Sarnavap®.
Around 4,000 m2 of floor area was levelled in this refrigerator plant's production and storage areas using Sika flooring systems.


Citadel's Spacefarers range of figures was designed to accompany the delayed Spacefarers ruleset designed by Nick Henfrey and Andy Murdin and published by Games Workshop (1981).  The figures appeared first, being seen in White Dwarf 16 (1979) and then shown in the first Citadel catalog (1980). A fresh sales push started in White Dwarf 25 (1981) when the Spacefarers rules were finally published. The figure range was more-or-less complete by 1981 with only the final 2 security guards being added in 1982. Most of this range then turned into C100 Spacefarers in 1983.
Like most sci-fi series at the time, there is more than a nod to Star Wars but this series is more interesting when viewed as a precursor to Warhammer 40,000 since many familiar terms are in use below. The figures all had integral bases and were sculpted by Michael Perry.
S49-S53 were sometimes listed as Spacefarer Specials.
Sometimes these two vehicles were mixed up in the advertising/packaging as to which is which but, generally, the above is correct.
This page was last modified 20:55, 31 March 2019.


text:
The Legacy of Late Shelby County Mayor Roy C. (Skip) Nixon
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 3, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0
Mayor Nixon, 1975
Roy C. Nixon, better known to his friends by his nickname, Skip, was the first Shelby County mayor and he too often – and unjustly – is treated as a footnote in the history of county government.
He died Sunday at the age of 85.
I first met him when I was a young reporter for the Memphis Press-Scimitar assigned to cover the sheriff's office and the criminal justice system. It was 1972 and his affable approach and his ready humor made him a great character in so many news stories at the time, and even when the coverage was negative, he held no grudges and engaged in no whining or griping. He simply loved the job too much for that.
When voters decided at referendum in 1974 that the cumbersome administrative structure of Shelby County Government – duties were blurred between the three-headed commissioners and the County Court chairman – had to be streamlined, he entered in the race to be the first county mayor for the newly restructured government.
It was 12 years after the landmark Baker v. Carr Supreme Court ruling that established the "one man-one vote" principle and required redistricting of the Shelby County legislative body (as well as every legislative body in the entire U.S.). Until that ruling, although the majority of Shelby County's population lived inside Memphis, the majority of the county's legislative body's members were from outside Memphis to the point that each town had their own member. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, county government continued to maintain its suburban focus, but after taking office, Mr. Nixon set out to bring more balance to the county's services.
Setting The Firm Foundation
The new law set out the new structure but there was room for disagreement about how the mayor would function within in. From the beginning, Mayor Nixon said that he was intent on creating a "strong mayor" form of government and an office that would stand on equal footing with his counterpart in the City of Memphis.
He understood that he would set the standard for future mayors, and because of it, he strongly resisted any blurring between the lines between legislative and administrative powers and duties. If the county mayor was to be a so-called "strong mayor," he often said he had to fight to make that happen.
After covering him as a reporter, a few months after he took office, he offered me a job in the mayor's office and I refused. I dearly loved journalism, but the birth of a second daughter made that love suddenly secondary to the need for a better salary.
When he asked again, I took the job, but only after I told him that he needed to know that I hadn't voted for him. In classic form, he laughed and slapped me on the back. "I don't care who you voted for," he said. "I care that I need you."
Touching the Future
It was not always a smooth ride as Shelby County Government transitioned from a good old boy, rural-oriented government into the modern government envisioned in the restructure law, but his "hail fellow well met" approach to life brought supporters to his points of view and because of it, in 1978, when he decided not to run for reelection and turned over the office to Bill Morris, who had been sheriff when he had been chief deputy, the mayor's position was firmly set as the leader of county government.
Although Mayor Nixon was in office only a few months shy of three years, it is easy for me to point to one key decision of his that touched the future – his attitude toward the 4,500 acres at the Shelby County Penal Farm. Because of him, for the first time, we could envision the expansive land as a park.
To quote from the history that I wrote for the book, Shelby Farms Park: Elevating a City:
With $50,000 donated by Abe Plough, well-known San Francisco landscape architect Garrett Eckbo was hired to consider the future of the land, and the title of his 1975 report said it all: "Shelby Farms Public Use Program." Forevermore known as the Eckbo Plan, the report said unequivocably that the land's future should be as a 3,500 acre regional park with "compatible facilities."
And yet, there was still no roadmap for getting there, a fact acknowledged by Eckbo: "There may be some feeling of disappointment that this is not a 'final' plan…there are decisions left to be made."
The Eckbo Plan had ended the debate about whether the Penal Farm should be sold or developed, but the question of how to create a "regional park" remained to be answered. The quest to answer that question is the third chapter of the land's history, and a major step forward came with the restructure of Shelby County Government and the 1976 election of its first mayor, Roy Nixon.
Weary from years of controversy, some county officials suggested that Shelby County Government give the land to City of Memphis, but Nixon refused to hear of it. He appointed Tommy Hill, former policeman, state trooper, and chief of the Shelby County Sheriff's Department Reserve Deputies, as superintendent of the Shelby County Penal Farm, and it began a relationship that was pivotal to the park's history.
On a perfect spring day in 1976, Hill was hiking the Penal Farm's 4,500 acres to familiarize himself with his new responsibilities. Wildflowers were peeking out of the pasture grasses, trees were leafing out and beginning to bud, and the landscape was at its bucolic best. Drawn to the large pine forest south of Mullins Station Road and east of Farm Road and two 14-acre lakes nearby, Hill had an epiphany: "The beauty of the lakes and the about 400 acres surrounding them astounded me, and since the land was no longer being used for farm production, my thoughts were that the area should be opened to the public as a park."
Nixon gave him the go-ahead, and little more than a year after Hill's hike, 333-acre Plough Park opened, named in honor of the benefactor who had played a key role in protecting the land. Any question about the public's interest in a park was answered emphatically with a rush of visitors.
A Foxhole Kind of Friend
After leaving the mayor's office, Mr. Nixon would go on to work as a state official and move to Middle Tennessee before returning a few years ago to live in Collierville.
While there are many stories that illuminate who he was, what defined him for me was that if you were in a foxhole, he was the person you wanted to be there with you. You never had to look to make sure he was still with you. He never forgot a friend. He never made a politically expedient decision when a friend needed help, even if he hadn't spoken with him for many years. He was the embodiment of the word, loyal.
In this way, he represented the best kind of politician, some say old-style politician, and that may have the ring of truth considering how much expediency, one-upmanship, and ego drive so much political theater today.
Everyone who knew him will have their own special story of this special man to tell, but this is mine.
He is survived by his wife, Betts, three daughters, two step-sons, 13 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Services are Saturday, June 8, at 11 a.m. at S. Patrick Presbyterian Church, 710 W. White Road, Collierville.
Join us at the Smart City Memphis Facebook page for daily articles, reports, and commentaries relevant to Memphis.
PreviousGetting Past The Big Picnic Table To The Big Question
NextPoliticians Cite Budget Woes As Property Values Climb
SCOTUS Leak, A Cartoon By Award-Winning Bill Day
What Loving the Grizzlies Says About Memphis
County School System Continues Its Questionable Decisions About New Schools
Graffiti Artist Uses Dirt as Medium


A meta tag is a coding statement in HTML that describes some aspect of your site's content.
the description meta tag - a brief one- or two-sentence description of the page.
The information that you provide in these two meta tags are used by search engines to index a page so that someone searching for the kind of information the page contains will be able to find it easily.
Your meta tags will always be placed near the top of the HTML in a Web page as part of the heading.
What meta tags (for search engines) are added to your paper by default?
By default, all papers include a description meta tag, which is constructed from the subtitle of your paper if you have added one. If you have not added a subtitle, the description meta tag is created from an extract of your Editor's note. If you have not added an Editor's note, the default description meta tag is "A selection of articles, blog posts, videos and photos recommended by" and your publisher name.
Pro users may now edit and/or add both the keywords and description meta tags directly in their paper settings.
From your Paper Settings Dashboard, choose Web Newspaper > Custom Meta tags.
In the text field, if you've selected "keywords meta tag", enter your list of keywords directly. If you selected the "Description meta tag", enter one or two sentences about your paper.
The meta tag code is automatically added to the <head> section of your paper.
Verify your domain by following the steps found here.
If you wish to add a custom meta tags not mentioned in this article, please submit a request.


A number of PGA tournaments are coming to Victorian RACV Resorts thanks to an expanded partnership between RACV and PGA of Australia. This new partnership complements the existing Australian PGA Championship event held at RACV's Royal Pines Resort in Queensland.
Victorians will greatly benefit from the expanded partnership with premier golf events now being held in their home state.
"RACV members will now be able to experience premier golf opportunities in their home state as well as enjoy exclusive RACV Golf member benefits," said Neil Taylor, RACV Managing Director and CEO.
The Victorian PGA Championship, part of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, will move to the newly expanded RACV Cape Schanck Resort in October 2018 and new Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series events will be held at the RACV Healesville Country Club and RACV Torquay Resort.
RACV Goldfields Resort will also host a brand new two-day pro-am in the same format as the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth. Healesville and Goldfields will also host two new Ladbrokes Legends Tour events.
"RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast has been a fantastic host of the Australian PGA Championship and we look forward to extending our events to RACV's Victorian Resorts," said Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which oversees the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.


HSBC has agreed to pay $101.5m (£73m) to settle a US criminal investigation into the rigging of currency transactions.
The case, brought against the UK-based bank by the Department of Justice in New York, centred on the activities of traders accused of using confidential information provided by clients to the benefit of the bank.
One former British employee, Mark Johnson, was convicted of fraud in October in connection with a $3.5bn currency transaction by Cairn Energy in which he was said to have deployed a tactic known as "front-running".
He is awaiting sentencing while Cairn received an $8.1m payment from HSBC in settlement.
The agreement with HSBC, announced by the DoJ on Thursday night, is yet to be officially signed off by a judge.
But under the so-called deferred prosecution agreement, which means the bank avoids criminal charges so long as it abides by a series of terms, it will pay a $63.1m fine.
On top of that is a $38.4m payment in restitution to a corporate client.
That company was not identified by the DoJ.
The deal with HSBC is also dependent on the bank bolstering its internal controls.
HSBC said the fine reflected a 15% reduction that took into account the bank's cooperation and "extensive remediation" efforts.
Europe's largest bank is no stranger to US settlements.
This deal was announced just a month after the conclusion of a five-year deferred prosecution agreement over its alleged dealings with money launderers including Mexican drug cartels and other activity in defiance of US sanctions.
It had to pay almost $2bn in that case.


text:
Philip J. Gordon
Elizabeth A. Rodgers
Kristen M. Hurley
Benjamin M. Flam
Commission Disputes
Record Keeping Requirements
Timing of Payments
Wrongful Deductions
Wrongful Terminations
Executive Advocacy
Equity Compensation
FAQs – Executive Advocacy
New York City to Settle $98m Discrimination Case Against Minorities
Home The LawBlog New York City to Settle $98m Discrimination Case Against Minorities
A case spanning seven years that sought to end discrimination in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), will be settled for $98 million. A black firefighters' group alleged that the FDNY's hiring practices were biased against minorities. As a result of the settlement, over 1,500 FDNY applicants will share $98 million covering lost medical payments, back pay and benefits.
In 2007, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit claiming that two written exams for prospective firefighters were biased against minorities in an attempt to keep the FDNY overwhelmingly white, and the new mayor, Bill de Blasio, has just moved to settle the case. The FDNY will now change its hiring process, create an executive position for diversity, and have an independent monitor appointed to oversee the hiring of new firefighters.
The statistics themselves are stunning: according to the New York Daily News, the FDNY is 86% white, 9% Hispanic and 5% black, while the NYPD is 52% white, 27% Hispanic and 16% black. The NYPD numbers are more in line with the overall population of New York City which is 57.6% white, 18.2% Hispanic and 17.5% black, according the United States Census Bureau.
Employees and prospective employees are protected against discrimination under federal and state law. Any decision made by the employer—such as docking pay, hiring, firing or denying promotion—that is based on a discriminatory factor, gives the employee a right to take action against the employer. This landmark lawsuit is a big victory for victims of discrimination.
If you or one of your colleagues has been a victim of discrimination, do not hesitate to contact one of our attorneys. For more information, check out our page on discrimination or contact us..
March 19, 2014 / Blog / Tags: discrimination
Philip Gordon
Novartis settles class action gender discrimination for $152 million
Breastfeeding mothers protected from discrimination and prosecution
Women Still Earning Less Than Men
Pregnant workers may get better protections
Boston Globe features and Harvard Professor
WBZ interviews Philip Gordon about discrimination at MBTA
Gordon Law Group on "Channel 5 Investigates"!
Disruptive discrimination – a down side of big data
Gordon Law Group, LLP
Gordon Law Group, LLP is a leading employment law firm dedicated to employee litigation and advocacy, representing employees at all stages of their careers, from service workers to CEOs. Led by a talented team of attorneys, Gordon Law Group is focused on you. We understand what you're up against. Our attorneys have a long history representing large organizations, and we put that knowledge to work for you. Contact us, and learn what Gordon Law Group can do for you.
I have read, understand, and agree to our Contact Us Terms & Conditions
© 2003-2021 Gordon Law Group LLP


Grades K - 6. Homeschooling families are invited to join Jean Mai from Science Snoopers to investigate the world of nature! Every kitchen is a chemistry lab! Each session of Science Snoopers includes a lecture that is enhanced with hands-on material, props, or experiments.


text:
static const char *bagKey = "INExtensions_objectBag";

@implementation NSObject (INExtensions)

- (id)bag {
    return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, bagKey);
}

- (void)setBag:(id)bag {
    objc_setAssociatedObject(self, bagKey, bag, OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN_NONATOMIC);
}

- (BOOL)isNull {
	return [self isKindOfClass:[NSNull class]];
}

- (void)performSelector:(SEL)selector withParameters:(NSArray *)parameters {
    NSMethodSignature *methodSig = [[self class] instanceMethodSignatureForSelector:selector];
    NSAssert(methodSig != nil, @"Method signature not found on object");
    if (methodSig != nil) {
        NSInvocation *invocation = [NSInvocation invocationWithMethodSignature:methodSig];
        invocation.target = self;
        invocation.selector = selector;
        NSUInteger argumentIndex = 2;
        for (__unsafe_unretained id object in parameters) {
            [invocation setArgument:&object atIndex:argumentIndex];
            argumentIndex++;
        }
        [invocation invoke];
    }
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In tough economic times, people who lose their jobs often have to file for bankruptcy. But some employers frown on bankruptcy and don't want to hire someone who can't pay his or her bills.
Now the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a private employer is free to turn down an applicant because he or she filed for bankruptcy.
Recent case: Shani Burnett applied for a job with Stewart Title and was offered a position contingent on passing a drug screening and background check. That check revealed that Burnett had filed for bankruptcy. The company rescinded the job offer.
Burnett sued, alleging that the federal Bankruptcy Code forbids refusing to hire someone based on bankruptcy.
Caution: The Bankruptcy Code may allow a no-hire rule for private employers, but that doesn't mean you can fire or otherwise punish current employees for filing a bankruptcy petition. The law prohibits all employers from firing employees based on bankruptcy status.
Final note: The EEOC is actively pursuing whether using credit scores to bar employment may be race or other discrimination. Expect more litigation on this issue in the next few years.


text:
Jennifer Bauwens
Director of the Center for Family Studies
Dr. Jennifer Bauwens serves as Director of the Center for Family Studies at Family Research Council. In her role, she researches and advocates for policies that will best serve the health and well-being of families and communities.
Jennifer has a Ph.D. from New York University, where she was bestowed the Robert Moore Memorial Award and granted valedictorian for her dissertation on Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Bauwens has worked extensively as a clinician providing trauma-focused treatment to children in foster-care and behavioral health settings and to adults who've experienced interpersonal traumas, such as sexual abuse and assault. She created programs to mitigate the effects of traumatic events for survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and she's trained on violence prevention for youth and adults in both national and international contexts.
Her scholarship has focused on the effects of psychological trauma, including man-made and natural disasters. She's worked on projects to investigate the long-term psychological sequalae of witnesses and survivors from September 11, 2001, and other acts of community violence. Additionally, Jennifer has taught on psychological trauma and research methods in several graduate programs, including Rutgers University and Princeton Seminary. She has also served as an editorial consultant for, and published in, peer-reviewed journals focused on clinical practice and traumatic stress.
Download High Quality Photograph
Women Facing Violence in Prison Deserve Better
The Public Is Being Primed To Feel Groovy About Psychedelic Drugs
The Trend Toward Normalizing Pedophilia Must Be Halted
Civil Society WW Live with Tony Perkins
Sean Timmons, Mary Szoch, Jennifer Bauwens, Melanie Conway
Pat Fallon, Ralph Norman, Jennifer Bauwens, David Closson
Australian Psychiatric Group Takes Important Step Towards Keeping Children Safe
Marriage, Family and Sexuality Issue Analysis
Remembering 9/11: One New Yorker's Testimony About the Power of Prayer
Finland Looks Reasonable on Gender Transition for Minors
Suicide Risk and Gender Transition: The Facts
Gender Identity Issue Brief
Protecting the Vulnerable: A Call to Uphold Ethical Standards in Treating Gender Confusion
Jennifer Bauwens, Director of the Center for Family Studies
Gender Identity Issue Analysis
Do Not Sterilize Children: Why Physiological Gender Transition Procedures for Minors Should Be Prohibited


text:
Q: Getting Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError Exception I am getting Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError while running following code,
public class JPAUtil {

    private static final EntityManagerFactory emFactory;

    static {
        try {
            emFactory = Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory("org.hibernate.events");
        }catch(Throwable ex){
            System.err.println("Cannot create EntityManagerFactory.");
            throw new ExceptionInInitializerError(ex);
        }
    }

    public static EntityManager createEntityManager() {
        return emFactory.createEntityManager();
    }

    public static void close(){
        emFactory.close();
    }
}

Stacktrace:
Cannot create EntityManagerFactory.
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
    at util.JPAUtil.<clinit>(JPAUtil.java:16)
    at event.EventManager.createAndStoreEvent(EventManager.java:30)
    at event.EventManager.main(EventManager.java:18)
Caused by: javax.persistence.PersistenceException: No Persistence provider for EntityManager named org.hibernate.events
    at javax.persistence.Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory(Persistence.java:69)
    at javax.persistence.Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory(Persistence.java:47)
    at util.JPAUtil.<clinit>(JPAUtil.java:13)
    ... 2 more

Please help me & tell me where i am wrong?

A: emFactory = Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory("org.hibernate.events");

Right syntax:
emFactory = Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory("org.hibernate.events.jpa");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange