On 3 January 2013, the economic daily Handelsblatt informed that the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe; BGR) developed an analysis for the Ministry of Economics. The analysis states that shale gas extraction using the hydraulic fracturing method does not pose an environmental threat. The document has not yet been published.Its findings are expected to challenge the conclusions of the analysis prepared by the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt; UBA) for the Environment Ministry in September 2012, in which experts expressed a negative opinion on the possibility of extraction, precisely due to the environmental impact. According to the Institute for Geosciences, the Environment Agency's opinion was scientifically imprecise. For example, the terms 'groundwater' and 'potable water' are used in it interchangeably. In the opinion of BGR experts, potable water is extracted from much shallower rock layers than shale gas. BGR has also challenged UBA's conclusions regarding possible threats linked to the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process.
BGR's opinion is the second official document this institute will have issued stating the acceptability of the hydraulic fracturing method and the lack of threat for potable water. This was mentioned for the first time in this institute's survey entitled 'Shale gas resources in Germany (assessment as of May 2012)'. The contradictory conclusions in the analyses in this area are another expression of the difference of opinions on energy issues existing between the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Economics. The two ministries also disagree on such vital questions as: the implementation of the energy transformation, the value of subsidies to be allocated for electricity received from renewable energy sources and Germany's climate policy.
German public opinion is sceptical of shale gas extraction. At present, there are over thirty active associations opposing the hydraulic fracturing method [in Germany]. In November 2012, public resistance and the negative ecological opinion forced the US fuel giant, ExxonMobil, to postpone exploration drilling in Lower Saxony by half a year and to withdraw completely from gas exploration near the city of Osnabruck. Shale gas extraction is among the hottest issues in the election campaign in Lower Saxony (the elections are scheduled for 20 January).
The German government, regardless of public pressure and the resistance coming from the governments of individual federal states, has not decided to impose a ban on shale gas extraction. In December 2012, the Bundestag rejected the proposal from the Green Party, Die Linke and the SPD to introduce a temporary moratorium and stricter ecological requirements. The Bundesrat, where the opposition parties currently predominate, submitted a draft amendment of the Mining Act, which envisages the introduction of stricter requirements concerning environmental protection during shale gas extraction. Berlin is aware of the potential benefits of shale gas extraction – domestic gas supplies would make it less dependent on imports. With the present gas consumption level standing at 84.4 billion m³ annually, shale gas reserves would satisfy German demand for gas for at least twenty years. On the other hand, domestic gas production could adversely affect the profitability of Nord Stream, a project in which German corporations are engaged.


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Als Philippisten (auch: Melanchthonianer, Adiaphoristen) bezeichnet man die Anhänger der Lehre des Reformators Philipp Melanchthon, speziell eine Gruppe von Theologen, die sich aus internen protestantischen Lehrstreitigkeiten des 16. Jahrhunderts herausbildete.

Entstehung und Entwicklung
1548 wurden zwischen dem Kaiser Karl V. und den protestantischen Ständen das Augsburger Interim beziehungsweise die Leipziger Artikel geschlossen. Dies löste unter den evangelischen Theologen Disputationen über sechs Streitpunkte aus: den Adiaphoristischen Streit, den Majoristischen Streit, den Antinomistischen Streit, den Synergistischen Streit, den Osiandrischen Streit und einen zweiten Abendmahlsstreit. Die Anhänger Martin Luthers spalteten sich auf in gemäßigte Philippisten und orthodoxe Gnesiolutheraner.

Für die Philippisten lag der Schwerpunkt in der Frage, in welcher Art die kultischen Handlungen beim Gottesdienst praktiziert werden sollten. Dabei wurde von den Philippisten akzeptiert, dass im protestantischen Gottesdienst gewisse liturgische Besonderheiten der katholischen Kirche beibehalten werden sollten.

Sie galten als Vermittler zwischen den konfessionellen Fronten von Luthertum und Calvinismus. Schärfste Disputationsgegner der Philippisten waren seit dem Abschluss der Konkordienformel die Gnesiolutheraner. Die Philippisten wurden von ihnen unter dem Vorwurf, mit ihrem Kurs bewusst zur Etablierung des Reformiertentums beizutragen, zu den Kryptocalvinisten gezählt. Seitdem verlor die Strömung immer mehr an Akzeptanz und einige Anhänger, insbesondere landesfürstliche, konvertierten tatsächlich zum Calvinismus.

Verbreitung
Die gemäßigte ökumenisierende Verbindung der Lehren Martin Luthers und Jean Calvins der Philippisten fand quer durch das Reich zwischen den 1550ern und 1570ern Anhänger. Unter anderem in Böhmen, Niederschlesien und der Oberlausitz hielt der protestantische Adel noch während erster Verfolgungen durch August von Sachsen in dessen Gebiet an dieser Ausrichtung fest. Davon zeugt ein Altarbild im heute polnischen Jawor, das Philipp Melanchthon als gütigen Beichtvater darstellt, bei dem die edlen Herren der Stadt Schlange stehen.

Persönlichkeiten
Theologen: Georg Major, Andreas Osiander, Caspar Peucer, Caspar Cruciger der Jüngere und Alexander Alesius.

Landesfürsten: Philipp I. von Hessen, Wilhelm IV. von Hessen-Kassel, Christian I. von Sachsen.

Literatur
 Andreas Holzem: Christentum in Deutschland 1500–1850. Konfessionalisierung – Aufklärung – Pluralisierung. Paderborn 2015, ISBN 978-3-506-77980-9.
 Bent Jörgensen: Konfessionelle Selbst- und Fremdbezeichnungen. Zur Terminologie der Religionsparteien im 16. Jahrhundert. Berlin 2014 (= Colloquia Augustana, Bd. 32), ISBN 9783050064888.
 Franz Brendle: Das konfessionelle Zeitalter. Berlin [u. a.] 22015, ISBN 9783110405682.
 Jan Harasimowicz: Sichtbares Wort. Die Kunst als Medium der Konfessionalisierung und Intensivierung des Glaubens in der Frühen Neuzeit. Regensburg 2017.
 Jürgen Diestelmann: Usus und Actio. Das Heilige Abendmahl bei Luther und Melanchthon. Pro Business, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-86805-032-5.
 Wolfgang Klose: Das Wittenberger Gelehrtenstammbuch: das Stammbuch von Abraham Ulrich (1549–1577) und David Ulrich (1580–1623). Mitteldeutscher Verlag, Halle 1999, ISBN 3-932776-76-3.

Einzelnachweise

Reformation (Deutschland)
Lutherische Theologie
Philipp Melanchthon
Personenbezeichnung (Christentum)

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June 3, 2019 March 28, 2020 Sarah Cupitt
Gender-Based Violence is a Reality we Cannot Deny
Fact. Photo: Kat Jayne
Are we 'really' living in the most peaceful time in human history?
Gender-based violence brings into sharp relief the connection between sociocultural change, violence, and activism and similar to the world of Game of Thrones, reality can be a dangerous place for people to live, but particularly for women. However, believe it or not, violence has been in decline for a few centuries now. Moreover, Steven Pinker claims that "today we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species' existence." However, with the bombardment of distressing content in today's local and international media, this statement sounds ludicrous. The media should be representing, reporting, and facilitating content to reduce the conflict of violence in society. Instead, the mass media pay less attention to the factors that contribute to peace and cooperation than the attention given to the acts of violence and war.
Violence against women and girls is rooted in gender-based discrimination and social norms and gender stereotypes that continue such violence; it is a significant public health problem and a violation of women's human rights. Global statistics issued by the World Health Organisation show that about 1 in 3 (35%) of women worldwide have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. Globally, intimate male partners commit as many as 38% of the murders of women. The UN's Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women defines violence against women as: "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life," (United Nations, 1993). There is evidence that advocacy and empowerment are promising in preventing and reducing violence against women, which supports Pinker's claims.
The Decline of Violence
War, violence, and public perception challenge the ideas that war is ever-present, that violence is increasing, and how the mass media is influencing people by either representing and reporting on violence. Steven Pinker is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of 'Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined'. In his book, Pinker talks about the incidence of violence in society and challenges some of the preconceived ideas about violence. He mounts a strong challenge to the notion that war and violence have decreased over time. Pinker conducted a statistical study of rates of violence that occurred commonly, such as criminal events of war and mass atrocities throughout history. Pinker asserts that "the decline of violence is a fractal phenomenon. You can see it over millennia, over centuries, over decades and over years." There appears to be a turning point at the onset of the age of reason in the 16th century, especially evident in western societies.
Homicide: the killing of one person by another.
According to Pinker, "If you look at history we have undoubtedly gotten better" but when he asked people if they believed if violence has increased or decreased – everyone thought violence had increased despite statistics stating the exact opposite. The data says society is making things better, but "barbaric practices such as human sacrifice and execution by torture have been abolished, while cruelty towards women, children and animals is, Pinker claims, in steady decline," (Gray, 2015). Gray argues that the stats are deceptive, and the idea of moral progress is 'wishful thinking'. People have strong feelings about human nature. Human nature is not merely a scientific topic; it is a topic that borders on moral philosophy, history, politics, and ideas.
In order to achieve gender equality, society must first confront their hidden biases, in situations such as these, what is needed is not equal treatment, but fair treatment. People often debate, against the facts, that most Western societies have achieved complete gender equality, and claim that women have all the same constitutional rights as men, and workplace discrimination based on gender is illegal. Regardless, feminists continue to argue that the battle for gender equality is not yet won (Alba, 2018). Equity involves understanding that differences in ability mean that fairness often requires treating people uniquely so that they can achieve the same outcome. Equal treatment is essential to obtain gender equality, but there are many situations where this is not the case.
Domestic Violence has a History
Addressing the massive problem of domestic violence in today's society is fraught with many difficulties. One challenge is how the underlying constitutional and cultural notions about violence by men against female partners seem so inherent and resistant to change (Hall, 2016). Critical assumptions about domestic violence formed centuries ago, this is explored in terms of what historian Philippa Maddern called a "moral hierarchy of violence," where those in control had the moral authority to use violence to discipline and assert dominance over those beneath them. Women and children were expected to accept this discipline of punishment with submission, even if they thought it was unjustified or unnecessary.
Conversely, it was a husband's "greatest humiliation and shame, if he allowed himself to be subdued, ruled and criticised by a woman" (Fischer, 1613). Early understandings of violence differed from society's perceptions today, but this is not to say that abuse happening within society went unnoticed. Matters did not revolve around whether or not to practice violence, but rather what levels and types of violence were necessary to guarantee control. As society redefines the meaning of violence as a society more generally to disrupt the assumptions rooted in history, violence, and sexist power will hopefully disappear.
One of the forces behind the reduction in violence for both genders is the feminist movement, the enhanced role of women in society and positions of power. The rise of feminism relies on an increase of reliance on logical thinking instead of cultural traditions for creating policies. Sharing this movement has led to the potential for mass media to make it possible for people to see those lower in the hierarchy not as dangerous, but as humans with common humanity. However, there is a cognitive illusion – the easier it is to recall specific instances of something, the more importance assigned to that issue. The information consumed from the media burns memory with the intent for shocking viewers, thus exploiting the suffering of women and girls for the sole purpose of entertainment.
Gender-based Violence in the Media
The mass media makes people feel the world is becoming more dangerous; this is a sorely needed correction to conventional thinking. In today's technologically advanced society, all forms of media can reach more people than ever before. The press is a priority area in primary prevention because of its potential influence on public understanding of violence against women (Carll, 2003). Game of Thrones primarily glorifies and normalises violence against women in a period, now, when society is already experiencing these issues. However, it fails women. The media exploits the suffering of women for shock value unnecessarily. They hardly ever lead to significant developments outside of labelling a male as a rapist or evil monster without ever being held to account for his actions; the boys-will-be-boys approach is no longer acceptable. Critics have accused the series of being misogynistic and argue that gender-based violence against all women, especially rape, have become frequent unnecessary occurrences (Scalera, 2019). There is nothing wrong with incorporating gender-based violence into the mass media, just as long as it is not with the pure intention of shocking viewers.
The media plays a critical role in shaping public interest because they report on current issues and provide a framework for interpretation. Today, media audiences are not merely passive recipients of information; published stories about individuals and events can profoundly influence people's attitudes, beliefs and behaviours (Flood & Pease, 2009). News articles from 2017 detailing accusations of sexual assault and harassment against movie royalty Harvey Weinstein boosted the #MeToo movement into the nation's awareness. The wake of the #MeToo movement and the 'Weinstein Effect' provided a voice for victims of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and predatory behaviour. There is no simple reason to explain how or why audiences are influenced by what they view, read and learn from the news. Media influence is a multifaceted process involving various sources, journalists, editors, and audiences. However, undoubtedly, the way information is structured can increase public understanding of violence against women and, more importantly, challenge its position in society (Easteal, Holland, & Judd, 2015).
Finding ways to capture narratives of change or methods which communicate to contemporary audiences is an ongoing challenge. One new approach is data visualisation to use statistics that demonstrate the lessons of violence throughout history, such as those used throughout this article. Documenting history is extremely important, capturing what happened for the record, but it is also essential to not neglect stories about what it takes to create a cohesive society. Even though violence and distressing content dominate the media, there is a growing appetite for stories and content that is inspiring, insightful, and provocative on the complexities of the human condition. Stories that show how people resolve conflict without addressing to physical violence or potentially violent confrontation is apparent in an emerging trend of 'Possibility Journalism'. This question of 'what is possible here' opens up the discursive dialogue to use in media alternatives to convene conversations and foster collaboration, innovation, and action so that a diverse news and information ecosystem can thrive. In this case, the mass media pays less attention to the factors that contribute to peace and cooperation than the attention given to conflict and violence.
Deaths by Violence are Not All Equal
Estimating the numbers of individuals who die from violence involve examining combined questions of cause and effect, not necessarily separated from ethical judgments. Gender-based violence is a rising health and human rights issue. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life." Effectively disregarded is the physical and mental abuse of women in almost every part of the world. Men who are convicted and prosecuted for beating or raping women and girls are rare when compared to the numbers of assaults. Violence, therefore, still functions as a mechanism to maintain and reinforce the submission of gender-based violence. There are many kinds of lethal force that do not produce immediate death (Gray, 2011). If a woman gets sexually abused as a part of a military strategy and dies after the event takes place, will her passing feature in the data of the past? Another reason for misleading statistics is that women tend to typically avoid the harasser, deny or soften the significance of the situation, or try to ignore, forget, or tolerate the behaviour (Engel, 2017). In this sense, statistics can barely account for gender-based violence.
Reliable, accurate analogous data regarding gender-based violence is vital for society on a global scale to strengthen the advocacy for social change by understanding the predicament and conducting intervention mechanisms. Estimating the extent of violence in society, however, is a complicated task. Statistics available through the government, women's organisations, and other social institutions underestimate the amount of violence because of under-reporting, even if it has drastically improved since the 16th century. The absence of consistent practices and representations about domestic violence makes correlations across studies robust because interpretations are prejudiced and usually refer to specific acts of violence, during a fixed time. While some studies consider only physical abuse, others may consider physical, sexual and psychological harassment. In family violence investigations, some may involve solely women currently in a relationship, while others report on only single women.
Uxoricide: the act of murdering one's wife. Mariticide: the murder of one's spouse, but has become the most associated with the killing of a husband.
Violence is a Social Dilemma
Unfortunately, evidence suggests that the prejudice of gender-based violence is still widespread. Pinker's endeavour for the hope of peace in science is profoundly instructive, for it attests to society's enduring need for long-term peace. The world does not need science to assure them that humans are violent animals, history and contemporary experience provide more than enough evidence (Gray, 2011). It should not be uncommon to know that human beings are becoming less violent and more humane. The decline of violence has not been linear, has not brought violence down to zero and is not guaranteed to continue. Despite how people feel about the gender-based violence in the Game of Thrones or the news, mass media, history, or reality itself, it is evident that the series recalls statistics on violence against women in today's society. The mass media portrays its distressing content as a reflection of the violence against women today, in which the most privileged and influential women can still be subjected to gender-based violence, as exemplified by the Weinstein effect and the #MeToo movement. The investigation of the conflict of gender-based violence is a fact-based endeavour. It is pleasant when the facts make people optimistic, but even when they do not, it is critical to understand the data, so society can continue to make an effort to improve things. Things could be extremely worse, but they could also be a lot better.
#violence #violenceinmedia #representation #news #gender #women
Alba, B. (2018, March 8). To achieve gender equality, we must first tackle our unconscious biases. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/to-achieve-gender-equality-we-must-first-tackle-our-unconscious-biases-92848
Australian Government. (n.d.). What is violence against women? Retrieved from https://plan4womenssafety.dss.gov.au/resources/what-is-violence-against-women/
Carll, E. K. (2003). News portrayal of violence and women: Implications for public policy. American Behavioral Scientist, 46(12), 1601-1610. doi: 10.1177/0002764203254616
Engel, B. (2017, November 16). Why Don't Victims of Sexual Harassment Come Forward Sooner? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-compassion-chronicles/201711/why-dont-victims-sexual-harassment-come-forward-sooner
Flood, M., & Pease, B. (2009). Factors influencing attitudes to violence against women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(2), 125-142.
Gray, J. (2011, September 21). Delusions of peace. Retrieved from https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/john-gray-steven-pinker-violence-review
Gray, J. (2015, March 14). John Gray: Steven Pinker is wrong about violence and war. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/john-gray-steven-pinker-wrong-violence-war-declining
Gurchiek, K. (2018, October 4). One Year After #MeToo and 'Weinstein Effect': What's Changed? Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/sexual-harassment-workplace-weinstein-effect.aspx
Hall, D. (2016, December 3). Domestic violence has a history: Early modern family violence. Retrieved from http://www.auswhn.org.au/blog/domestic-violence-history/
Koehrsen, W. (2019, January 06). Has Global Violence Declined? A Look at the Data. Retrieved from https://towardsdatascience.com/has-global-violence-declined-a-look-at-the-data-5af708f47fba
Pinker, S. (2011). The Better Angels of Our Nature. Retrieved from https://casw.org/sites/default/files/CASWNewHorizonsPinker10-16-2011.pdf
Pinker, S. (2011). The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. New York: Viking.
Scalera, M. (2018, August 12). Why do the Women of Game of Thrones Suffer So Much? Retrieved from https://the-artifice.com/women-of-game-of-thrones/
Sutherland, G., McCormack, A., Pirkis, J., Easteal, P., Holland, K., & Vaughan, C. (2015). Landscapes: Media representations of violence against women and their children: State of knowledge paper. (Landscapes: Our Watch; No. 15). Australia: Anrows.
United Nations. (1993). Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (UN Resolution 48/104). Paper presented at the proceedings of the 85th plenary meeting, United Nations General Assembly, Geneva.
World Health Organization. (1997, July). Violence against women. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/gender/violence/v4.pdf
World Health Organization. (2017, November 29). Violence against women. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
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Thursday, May 18, 2017 Posted by Hari No comments Labels: Roundup
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 18th May)
Posted by Hari on Thursday, May 18, 2017 with No comments | Labels: Roundup
Jeremy Hunt quizzed over why nurses are using foodbanks
The Health Secretary was interviewed on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show after Theresa May said last week there "many complex reasons" why nurses are increasingly turning to the charitable centres. It comes after the Royal College of Nursing claimed that nurses are seeking debt advice and increasingly turning to food banks. Mr Hunt said: "The minimum a nurse can be paid in this country is £22,000 - £27,000 in inner London. The average pay was £31,000. Is that enough considering the brilliant work that they do? I think many people would say they want to pay them more. I think they do an incredible job." Nurses have had seven years of pay freezes. Mr Hunt also acknowledged that failure to hit A&E targets was "not acceptable" during Sunday morning's show, but insisted that the Tories were increasing funding and recruiting more doctors and nurses. A separate target is for 92% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral by their GP. But the NHS has not hit this target since February 2016 and performance has been slipping since then. Insisting that focusing on the targets was not a "fair reflection of the performance of the NHS" he said: "Just before the election was called, at the end of March, the NHS published an independent report in which they said that if you take most major conditions - heart attack, stroke, cancer, so on - outcomes have dramatically improved over the last five years." EVENING STANDARD
Germany admitted that crippling austerity measures would destroy Greece, claims former Greek finance minister
In his new memoir, Greece's former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis claims German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble candidly admitted to him that he would not have endorsed an EU-ordered austerity plan. In one exchange he said he asked Schauble whether he would sign up to the EU's austerity measures, to which his German counterpart responded: 'As a patriot, no. It's bad for your people.' The former Greek finance minister claims to have secretly recorded his conversations with top figures, and says his experience showed how far Germany was willing to go to protect the single currency. During one of these conversations, he said former US president Barack Obama agreed that 'austerity sucks', but said he could do nothing to influence Germany. In his new book, The Telegraph reports, the former Greek finance minister claims Germany blocked a Chinese rescue deal for Greece. He also warned British Prime Minister Theresa May not to expect the EU to play fair during Brexit negotiations. DAILY MAIL
New free schools funding system 'incoherent' and offers poor value for taxpayers' money, PAC warns
The Department for Education is spending "well over the odds" in its bid to create 500 more free schools, while local authority buildings crumble, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned. In a damning new report, the committee criticised the Government's focus on free schools, which it said were sometimes opened in areas with no shortage of places for pupils while existing schools struggle to make ends meet. The cross-party board also noted that each pupil place in a new free secondary school "costs 51 per cent more than places provided by local authorities". This was largely due to the high cost of land, which the DfE was found to be paying almost 20 per cent over official valuations for. Listening to evidence at the PAC hearing, MPs heard how one school was being forced to make two staff redundancies as a result of being unable to fund building maintenance costs. It was also noted that some 85 per cent of schools are known to have asbestos. The only way to address this would be to completely rebuild the schools at a total cost of £100bn. Analysing the report's findings, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said: "The outgoing government committed to freezing school spending per pupil in cash-terms up to 2019–20. This implies a real-terms cut in spending per pupil of about 6.5 per cent between 2015-16 and 2019–20." The IFS added: "We haven't had a proper funding formula since the early 2000s, which has allowed various inequities across areas to develop, which will only grow if left unaddressed." The committee added that the Government's pledge to create 500 free schools - including some grammars - by 2020 involved spending "significant funds", even in areas with no shortage of pupil places at a time when existing schools "struggle to live within their budgets and carry out routine maintenance". INDEPENDENT
£10.50 a call?! Ofcom opens investigation into the cost of 118 calls
The regulator will examine directory enquiries numbers, which begin with 118, after some providers were found to be charging up to £10.50 a call. It will also look at 070 numbers, which allow users to be contacted on any phone at any location, and can cost up to £3.40 a minute. The telecoms regulator said prices should be "transparent and fair". Ofcom, which raised its concerns last week, said there were now more than 400 directory enquiry services offering a variety of options and prices, with call costs ranging from 35p per call to £10.50. However, there is no stipulated cap on such charges, meaning operators are free to charge up to a maximum of £23.97 for calls of less than a minute. Ofcom said it knew of one client who had received a £150 bill for calling a 118 number. Meanwhile Ofcom said it was aware of one consumer who called directory enquiries in 2009, and ended up with a bill for £350. When directory enquiries was deregulated in 2003, calls to BT's 192 service cost just 40p. BBC NEWS
HMRC steps up inquiry into employment status of Hermes couriers
HM Revenue & Customs has stepped up its investigation into the delivery company Hermes classifiying its couriers as self-employed, while the business has also been hit with an employment rights lawsuit from the GMB trade union. Drivers for Hermes were sent letters from HMRC over the weekend asking them to provide evidence as the tax authority looks into their employment status. In the letter, seen by the Guardian, HMRC requests that the drivers disclose information such as their written contract and payslips, and agree to a one-hour interview. "This will help us decide what your employment status is/was," it says. HMRC's investigation follows one by the Guardian that found some self-employed couriers were being paid less than the "national living wage", in an arrangement the company said had been approved by HMRC. Separately, GMB has filed a lawsuit challenging Hermes over employment conditions for its couriers, vowing to battle "bogus self-employment and gig economy exploitation". Maria Ludkin, the GMB's legal director, said: "Under the false claims of 'flexibility', Hermes seems to think it's acceptable to wriggle out of treating its workers with respect. "Guaranteed hours, sick pay, pension contributions – these aren't privileges to be bestowed when companies feel like it; they are the legal right of all UK workers. The union won a similar case against Uber last year, resulting in a ruling that the ride-hailing service should pay the minimum wage and grant drivers holiday pay and other benefits. Uber is contesting the ruling at the employment appeal tribunal. As well as Uber and Hermes, takeaway food delivery service Deliveroo has come under pressure from workers seeking improved conditions. The company was accused of "creating vocabulary" last month, after issuing managers with a list of words to ensure it did not accidentally use terms that indicated its motorbike riders and cyclists were employees. GUARDIAN
AstraZeneca shareholders revolt over chief executive's £13m pay
Nearly 39% of investors voted against the pharmaceutical group's 2016 remuneration report at its annual meeting in London, similar to the rebellion it faced three years ago. Support for the new pay policy was much stronger, with 96% of investors backing it. AstraZeneca's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, received a total pay package of £13.4m last year because a long-term incentive plan and other rewards paid out. He was paid an annual salary of £1.2m and an annual bonus of £1.2m, down from £2m the previous year. But he pocketed a further £6.9m from a long-term incentive plan, plus a one-off payment of £3.6m in compensation for bonuses he lost when he left his previous employer. Royal London Asset Management, which holds 1% of AstraZeneca shares, said it voted against the remuneration report and the chair of the remuneration committee, but backed the new pay policy. Two advisory groups, PIRC and Institutional Shareholder Services, had urged shareholders to vote against the remuneration report and policy. PIRC described the £6.9m long-term incentive plan payment as "excessive". The housebuilding firm Persimmon suffered a near 10% protest vote over executive pay on Thursday, while Crest Nicholson has pushed ahead with plans to pay out controversial bonuses, even though more than 58% of shareholders rejected its remuneration report last month in a non-binding vote. GUARDIAN
UK pay growth outlook is 'among gloomiest in advanced economies'
The prospects for pay growth in the UK are among the gloomiest in advanced economies, with only Greece, Italy and Austria forecast to suffer bigger falls in real wages by the end of 2018, according to a TUC analysis. The trades union group said UK real wages – pay adjusted for the effects of inflation – were on course to fall by 0.5% between the start of 2016 and the close of 2018, based on forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In contrast, real wages were predicted to rise in most of the other 31 countries analysed. The average rate of real pay growth for those 31 countries was 2.6% between 2016 and 2018. Workers suffered years of declining real wages in the wake of the financial crisis. After a two-and-a-half-year period of respite, pay recently started falling again in real terms. That drop is the result of sluggish pay growth being overtaken by inflation, which has risen as the pound's weakness since the Brexit vote makes imports more expensive. Higher oil prices have also raised inflation. The TUC said UK real wages will be 6.8% lower in 2018 than they were in 2007 before the financial crisis, according to OECD predictions. Only Italy and Greece will have suffered bigger falls, of 7.3% and 25.2%, respectively. GUARDIAN
The risky loans that let drivers on minimum wage buy a £19,000 sports car and could be fuelling a debt crisis
Every day, flashy cars are being snapped up by motorists on modest incomes. Our investigation found that drivers earning as little as £8,200 a year can walk away with a brand new £12,500 Ford Fiesta, Britain's most popular car. You would need to earn just £13,500 to be able to afford a Mazda MX-5 — a flashy Japanese two-seater sports car that's worth roughly £19,000. You'd need a salary of £20,000 to buy an Audi TT, which starts at £28,500; while a Range Rover Sport, a £60,000 luxury 4x4 off-roader, requires an income of £41,000 a year, according to figures from car finance broker creditplus.co.uk. No wonder car sales are soaring in Britain. Indeed, dealerships shifted a record 2.7 million new cars last year — the fifth consecutive year of rising sales. According to the Finance and Leasing Association, some 320,000 new and used vehicles were acquired through some form of finance in March — £3.6billion worth of new cars and £1.4billion worth of second-hand motors. Fuelling the boom is a relatively new type of finance called Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) — a type of lease agreement that dramatically cuts the monthly cost of owning a car. As many as nine in ten new cars bought on finance are done so using PCP deals — £160 million in loans a day. But fears are now growing that PCPs are luring millions of drivers into taking on too much debt. So rapid has been the growth of PCP finance that the City watchdog is concerned that some customers are being sold complex deals they do not understand. It has launched an investigation. Once the money has been loaned, many car finance firms package up the debt to flog to investors — a chilling echo of the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2007. Last year, finance firms packaged and sold £6.7 billion-worth of car loans — more than double the year before. Experts say that while a car finance bubble bursting would not have the same devastating impact on the economy, it could still cause significant damage. DAILY MAIL
The big question: who was behind the NHS malware?
£100bn a year is missing from our high streets tha...


I'm using pyexiftool to extract the Lens Models from an array of files but when I try to fetch the "lensID" tag all I get is: '32 54 6A 6A 24 24 35 02'.
Using "exiftool <file here> -lensid" returns a human readable name.
Now, pyexiftool is a wrapper to the ExifTool executable and I can't find in the docs why would the wrapper and the "executable" return different things for the same tag.
Is there a way to map these composite "machine format" tags to human readable names using the ExifTool executable?
Just to make sure, you don't have the -n (printConv) option somewhere in the code? As that result would indicate the -n option was included somewhere.
It's not included anywhere in my code but grepping through pyexiftool's code it does include this switch! (https://github.com/smarnach/pyexiftool/blob/master/exiftool.py#L163).
I'm pretty clueless with regards to python and pyexiftool, but that seems like a really bad thing to be included automatically. Especially if it's in play in writing tags. You could easily write data incorrectly with that option. For example, if you got your date data and orientation data mixed up, you could end up writing -DateTimeOriginal="Rotate 270 CW" and wouldn't get an error response.


In March 2016, Mathematics student Mark Graham presented his research at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR). With a taste for research, and experience in attending a conference, he decided to undertake a PhD.
With 19 students attending the weekend-long conference, UWE Bristol were one of the most represented universities at the event.
"It gave me an opportunity to build upon the presentation skills that I gained as a PAL Leader, and to present my research to a public audience."
Now Mark is undertaking a PhD at the University of Bristol through a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), where his research theme is Communication.
Mark's research is focusing on Error Correcting Codes, where transmissions are encoded as they are sent in order to improve the transmission's reliability. This has multiple potential applications, including for driverless cars. In addition to his research, Mark enjoys the teaching aspect of the PhD, he is currently teaching algebra to Computer Science students.
Looking to the future, Mark is hoping to stay in academia, finding the mix of impactful research and teaching rewarding.
Mark says "Maths is a great subject that everything relies on and with applications everywhere. It has good career prospects, such as employment in finance, or enables a more academic route.


text:
UK – India Trade & Investment Statistics – July 2010
Posted on July 27, 2010 by Vikas Pota
I found the following here:
India's economic and political influence in the world is growing. It has enormous dynamism and potential.
India is critical to HMG's objectives; from development, regional stability and trade and investment to energy security, climate change, counter terrorism and reform of the global international systems.
The government is committed to a special relationship with India, one that reflects our deep and historic ties and recognises India's strategic importance.
This is underpinned by strong people-to-people links. Over 1 million people travel between the UK and India every year. Between 1.5m and 2m people of Indian origin live in the UK, the largest ethnic group. They make a significant contribution to the UK economy and enrich British society with their traditions, culture and diversity.
Trade and investment flows between the UK and India are two-way and continue to expand rapidly. The UK is by far the most popular business destination in Europe for Indian companies. 700 out of the 1200 Indian firms in the EU operate from the UK. Tata is the largest single manufacturing company in the UK.
Bilateral trade was £11.5 bn in 2009 and £ 12.6 bn in 2008 (Source: BIS Economics & Statistics Directorate, UK). In 2009, UK exports to India (goods and services)were £ 4.7 bn (£4,687mn) and imports from India were £ 6.8 bn (£6,763mn).
The UK is the largest European investor in India and the fourth largest internationally (after Mauritius, Singapore and the US) with £3.87bn of FDI stock in 2008. Indian FDI stock in the UK stood at £3.43 bn at the end of 2008.
The two biggest acquisitions for India globally involve the UK: Vodafone's £7.3bn ($11bn) acquisition of Hutchison in 2007 and Tata's £8bn ($12bn) acquisition of Corus in the same year.
Partners in the Knowledge Economy
Together, the UK and India are leaders in ensuring that knowledge sectors drive inclusive economic growth in the 21st century.
There is an increasingly close partnership across all stages of learning, from support to primary school children, between UK and Indian Universities, to research into the most advanced technologies. UK skills providers and their Indian partners help deliver vocational training to young Indians.
International education is worth over £5bn each year to the UK, part of a total of £28bn generated by the UK's international education and skills sector. Over 40,000 Indian students enrolled for higher education courses in the UK in 2009, the second largest number after China.
There are over 80 collaborative UK-India programmes leading to UK degrees or awards in India. There are some 5,000 Indians studying for UK degrees in India.
India is one of the British Council's biggest operations. In 2009-10 British Council administered over 210,000 UK exams in India. These were primarily English language tests and professional qualifications. The Council's Project English aims to ensure that teachers and students of English have access to materials they need. The Project will train 3000 master teachers of English, and eventually reach 750,000 English teachers in India.
Up to 700 scholarship awards are offered to Indians by UK institutions each year, including 50 FCO-sponsored Chevening scholars. The 2006-11 UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) has linked 475 schools and higher education establishments in the UK and India.
UK and India researchers collaborate in a wide range of areas, including key issues of global concern. The Research Councils (RCUK) Office in India and the UK Government Science and Innovation Network promote this work. In 2010, agreements were reached for up to £70m of joint-funded research in key areas including renewable energy, water, food security and health.
Partners in development
The UK works with the Government of India to reduce poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals. DFID provided £285 million in aid to India in 2009-10, of which 44% went to national government programmes; 41% to the states of Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh; and 15% to multilaterals and civil society organisations. DFID graduated from its programme in Andhra Pradesh in 2010.
This partnership has delivered real impact in India. Since 2003, it has put 60 million additional children into school and provided 1 million new classrooms and teachers. Since 2005, it has helped save one life every 30 minutes (17,000 each year). Between 2008-10, it has provided 13 million people with access to improved sanitation.
Partners in security
Both the UK and India have suffered serious terrorist attacks over the years and are among the strongest proponents of international co-operation to counter terrorism and extremism.
The UK and India are strategic partners in this field. Bilateral operational links are expanding and deepening, in particular in the run-up to the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and the 2012 London Olympics. The UK and India are sharing best practice in planning and preparedness in crisis management.
The UK-India defence relationship has never been stronger. The bilateral programme of exercises, exchanges, training courses and high-level visits across all Services continues to accelerate. The defence equipment co-operation is in good shape and includes supply of AW101 helicopters and Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers.
Partners on global issues
The UK strongly supports India's candidature for a Permanent Seat on the UN Security Council and will continue to work with India to achieve this.
The UK and India are partners in the G20 and worked closely together to promote a global recovery after the 2008-9 financial crisis.
Migration is an important part of the UK-India relationship. The UK has its largest visa operation in India – with close to 425,000 visa applications made in 2009. The aim of the visa system is to allow the admission of genuine visitors, workers and students, whilst preventing abuse of the UK's immigration system.
UK and India have a shared priority to prevent irregular migration and associated exploitation, and to effect the timely return of illegal migrants. We are working well together to achieve these objectives
The UK looks forward to celebrating the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October. The UK will be represented at the highest level by HRH the Prince of Wales.
The UK has full confidence in India's commitment to deliver safe, secure and successful Games. British and Indian police and security officials are co-operating closely in the run-up to and the hosting of the events.
Posted in doing business in India, Trade & Investment	| Tagged David Cameron, UK - India Trade & Investment Figures, UKTI, vikas pota	| 2 Replies
Where's our Trade Minister Mr Cameron?
I agree with Iain Dale (click here)on the huge ommission by Cameron on appointing a city heavyweight to the vacant International Trade Ministers' portfolio. Surely, this isn't the right signal to send when you're trying to develop a commerce based foreign policy. UKTI, whilst being ably steered by Andrew Cahn, could do with a vocal champion who undertakes the role with as much gusto as Lord Digby Jones, combined with the phenomenal practical experience that Mervyn Davies brought to the role.
In any case, if you're interested, I've done or am doing the following media on Dave's visit to the motherland:
BBC Radio 5 Live with John Piennar
BBC Radio Wales Breakfast Show
BBC Radio 5 Live with Gaby Logan
BBC World Service News
BBC Radio 5 Wake Up To Money
BBC Breakfast Business News with Simon Jack
BBC Breakfast News with Sian Williams & Bill Turnbull
BBC News 24
Any new insights you can provide are welcome.
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Global business, India Business, India Inc, Trade & Investment	| Tagged Al Jazeera, BBC News 24, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC World Service, BBC1 Breakfast, Hindustan Times, India Inc, Indian Express, vikas pota, Wake Up To Money	| Leave a reply
Lockerbie & Bhopal: How UK & India can take on the might of the US, together
This piece has featured on Reuters: http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk/2010/07/26/bhopal-and-lockerbie-on-the-agenda-for-cameron-and-singh/
With his admission last week that Britain plays second fiddle to America, David Cameron has an opportunity to get one over Barack Obama during his much trumpeted first Prime Ministerial visit to India.
That Britain is keen to forge a more strategic relationship with India is not in question. Who wouldn't? The India of even ten years ago is a much different place to one that I see every time I visit. Whether we're talking of the new Delhi airport, the Worli flyover in Mumbai, or the ever increasing number of middle class consumers armed with cash, there's no doubt that India's on the rise.
Facts and statistics aside, India's influence needn't be solely defined by economics. In real, I believe the biggest influence she can have rests in the realm of global politics.
Under Tony Blair, the British Government lead the charge to bring India to the top table. As cheerleader, Blair did the unthinkable; he changed the way India was talked about by stating his support for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council for India. Immediately, you saw India being invited to G8 meetings, where the world's richest nations got together to decide the future course of global events. Like a new student in an old school, India observed attentively and said little.
However, as time has progressed; and as events have benefited India, Manmohan Singh is no longer the new student. He has an edge over Obama and Cameron. His experience in dealing with global finance and economics is proving to be a major strength for India. Not only is India at the top table, but it's bringing its experience to bear by offering solutions to global problems, like it has with the debate around the imposition of a global bank levy.
But, what I believe is that Manmohan Singh has a lot to gain from this visit. Whilst it cannot openly speak of American double standards, it can certainly use this visit to flesh out some arguments that Cameron may wish to take the lead on.
With the media debate and focus on the release of the Lockerbie bomber during Cameron's first official visit to the U.S., Singh would do well to point out the double standards being applied. He could rightly claim that Pakistan ought to have the same treatment as Libya, after all there's compelling evidence that both states were complicit in terrorist outrages in Lockerbie and Mumbai. Do Indian lives matter less to America?
In a similar manner, Cameron ought to take the opportunity to raise the burning issue of Bhopal, especially in the light of the U.S. attitude on BP. The EU, in the past two weeks, has offered to fund a complete survey to assess what needs to be done to make the site safe, which Singh seems reluctant to take up. By making the offer during their forthcoming talks, Cameron would neatly be making the point that America cannot be allowed to berate a UK multinational without dealing with Dow Chemicals over Bhopal.
Whilst everyone speaks of the burgeoning trade and investment relationship, the real champion of the enhanced relationship in this coalition government, surprisingly, isn't the British Business Secretary but the new Foreign Secretary William Hague, who understands that India's potential lies in her engagement on multilateral political issues.
I'm sure India will receive Cameron in the only way it knows, with warmth, friendship, and mutual admiration, but he needs to keep in mind that he's going to be judged on substance, and not style – something he's often criticised of favouring. This visit offers a defining opportunity, the type that comes along once in a while. Let's hope David Cameron seizes the moment.
Posted in Indian Politics, International politics, Trade & Investment	| Tagged Bhopal, BP, David Cameron, Dow Chemicals, G8, Lockerbie, manmohan singh, obama, UK - India Partnership, vikas pota	| Leave a reply
Britain must adjust to being the junior partner with India, also
The following is an article that's been carried by Reuters, written by me (http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk/2010/07/26/britain-must-adjust-to-new-relationship-with-india/)
Last week, on his first Prime Ministerial visit to the United States, David Cameron conceded that Britain was the "junior partner" in the special relationship. Next week, I fear that at the end of the much anticipated visit to India, he may yet again, have to concede that Britain is the junior partner in this ever increasing important relationship.
I attended an event some years ago in which the then Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) — Digby Jones — evangelised the need for UK Plc to embrace India, not for nostalgic or historic reasons, but to secure their survival. He explained "in the fullness of time, the past 250 years will be seen as a mere blip, an anomaly, in which India was subjugated. The future belongs to a resurgent India".
It's difficult to argue otherwise, just take a look at some of the statistics that stand out:
• Almost 25 percent of the world workforce will reside in India within the next 15 years. The average age of its citizens will be a youthful 29 in 2020, whereas in Western Europe the average stands at 45. India's demographic profile provides a huge opportunity for her in the next century.
• India has a middle class larger than the entire population of the US — some 300 million residents, armed with a disposable income and looking for new avenues to spend their cash. The spectacular thing is that India's middle class isn't confined to its big cities or metros as they refer to them, but to far flung corners of the country in what are second and third tier cities, representing new markets — the Holy Grail as far as some of the world's biggest fast moving consumer goods companies are concerned.
• Just today, I read a tweet from someone I follow on Twitter about how the Indian Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council has forecast GDP growth at 8.5 percent this year and nine percent next year. Now, compare that with all the talk of Britain having avoided a double dip recession as a result of the growth in our economy at a measly 1.1 percent.
That David Cameron understands the need to forge a stronger relationship with India is not in question. He's made all the right noises, starting with a pro–India election manifesto culminating in the Queen highlighting her government's desire to cosy up to the sub-continent in her first speech in the coalition era. He's packed this visit with an unprecedented number of Cabinet Ministers signalling his intent on developing a wide-ranging cross departmental affair with India.
But the true question on the minds of crystal ball watchers, like me, is to work out whether this visit will fundamentally change the way we work with India or whether it's just about style, something Cameron's been accused of frequently.
In either case, in true Indian fashion, Cameron will be welcomed with open arms; and his eagerness to strengthen the bilateral relationship will be warmly reciprocated. Howeve securing the future prosperity of British jobs and industry will be on India's terms, as the senior partner, unlike those set by the East India company some 250 years ago.
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Global business, globalisation, International politics, Trade & Investment, Uncategorized	| Tagged Confederation of British Industry, David Cameron, Reuters, UK - India relationship, vikas pota, William Hague	| Leave a reply
Af-Pak: this is the ONLY game changer in the UK – India relationship
Posted on July 8, 2010 by Vikas Pota
ADVICE TO DAVID CAMERON FOR HIS FORTHCOMING PRIME MINISTERIAL VISIT TO INDIA
Accompanied with the increasing level of media interest in the Prime Minister's forthcoming visit to India, it's heartening that my recent posts on the bilateral relationship have also stirred some interest.
Regardless of the substantive points that result from this visit, it's obvious that this opportunity will be used to affirm the new Government's desire to bring a step change to the relationship.
There's been speculation as to the shape and size of the accompanying delegation, and the only difference from the past, as far as I'm concerned is that David Cameron's taking almost a third of his Cabinet with him, I assume, to underscore the emphasis on building a wide ranging, cross departmental, relationship. So, I'm lead to believe Messrs Hague, Willets, Cable, Osborne, are definitely on, as are blue chip CEOs like Stuart Rose of M&S.
Such a symbolic act serves to assure Indian counterparts of Team GBs' seriousness, which I'm sure will be warmly received and all goodwill credited & reciprocated over the term of this parliament.
Apart from the presentational aspects of the visit, which I accept are fairly important, my thinking on the substantive points that may emerge and set the path for an enhanced relationship have also been in development.
In previous posts, I realise that there's been a far too great an emphasis on the trade & investment relationship. Actually, when I sat down to think about the real game-changers in the relationship during the Blair era, the vast majority came as a result of a change in thinking in our Foreign Office.
So, it's no surprise that William Hague, during his years in wilderness, has cultivated a fairly strong understanding on India, and that he should realise that the following two aspects are critical to the step-change that the coalition govt aspires to:
DECOUPLE INDIA-PAKISTAN
Not that I see this as too much of a problem, but there is a tendency to link the two neighbours. This hyphenation creates unnecessary tension, as the past ten years clearly demonstrate, India's charted a very different path to Pakistan, there's definitely a sense that the world needs to treat both countries on their own merits and not as a hyphenated couple.
The most obvious example of such a change in thinking i.e. one based on merit, is that of the US – India Civil Nuclear Agreement, which broke the mould and provided a much needed step change to the US – India relationship. Despite both India & Pakistan being nuclear armed nations, it was made clear that no such deal could be done with India's neighbour as a result of her poor proliferation record.
We really don't need to balance what we do with India in Pakistan. Both countries are separate entities, with their own prospects and challenges. So let's treat them as such.
The added advantage the Tories have is that they don't need to be worried about the Pakistani vote bank in constituencies across Britain, which to a degree resulted in Labour's need to perform a finely balanced act in the way it treated India & Pakistan. It was felt that the impact in Labour seats of any divergence in treatment could have a material impact in local & general elections.
That India wants what we and the Americans do is not in doubt. A stable Afghanistan is the aim that the international community rightly aspires to. However, the big difference is in approach.
Also, there's a school of thinking that promotes that India has a limited role and view to offer, which couldn't be further from the truth. India has a vested interest in the region, and used to share a border with Afghanistan pre 1947, so to argue otherwise shows a shallow understanding of the region.
The difference in approach I refer to is that of engaging the enemy, which in this case is the Taliban… which we seem to favour. For India, this is a total show-stopper. Given that the last time the Taliban got involved in running Afghanistan, India suffered badly.
We'd do well in remembering the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 184 in 1999 where the Taliban regime provided safe passage to the Pakistani hijackers who took control of the plane, which was forced to land in Kandahar. On the airstrip, the Taliban even moved its well armed fighters near the aircraft in an attempt to prevent Indian Special Forces from storming the aircraft! This flash-point was a massively significant event for India, which played out on national TV for days and is etched permanently in their national psyche. So to ask them to cast it aside as an extreme, sole example shows our total insensitivity.
Furthermore, it transpired in later investigations that one of the Pakistani militants who was released by the Indian authorities in the barter deal for the return of hostages, went onto form a terrorist group called Jaish-e-Muhammed, which received extensive aid from the Taliban and pro – Taliban groups in Pakistan for attacks in India.
To say that the approach to bringing an enduring stability to Afghanistan matters is important, would be a major understatement and show a major disregard to a country that Cameron is trying to forge a "strategic partnership" with.
A "strategic partnership" necessitates the convergence of views on domestic, regional, and global issues, where you try and understand each other's sensitivities in order to work more effectively to achieve mutual goals. In 2004, Blair ensured there was a convergence of views on foreign policy – by stating our support for India's seat on the UN Security Council; by calling a spade a spade when it came to condemning Pakistan for supporting cross border terrorism in Kashmir; and finally by ensuring India was invited to G8 meetings, albeit as an observer.
We may have our political pressures in wanting to bring our troops back home, but if this means that we'd have to engage the Taliban in discussions, India's track record with them and their obvious discomfort need to be taken into consideration, as once we've left we're going to have to rely on regional partners (read: India) in ensuring Afghanistan's stability.
Prime Minister Cameron needs to work towards assuring India that our approach to Afghanistan and Pakistan would have their interest at heart. Without this, I fear the "strategic partnership" that we're all looking for remains an aspiration.
If there's a game-changer, then this is it.
Posted in International politics, Uncategorized	| Tagged Af-Pak, Afghanistan, David Cameron, foreign office, foreign policy, india, India visit, Indian Airlines, Kashmir, Pakistan, Taliban, tony blair, vikas pota, William Hague	| Leave a reply
Our future depends on an alternative view… the Hindu view
I wasn't brought up to be a culture junkie who enjoys traipsing around galleries, museums, and art shows commenting on the significance of the treasures and sensory delights that may be displayed. I was brought up in a working class environment by loving parents who wanted me to do the best that I could, and it's this sense that I try to inculcate in my kids, also.
But, as I've grown older, my appreciation of all things considered 'elitist' by some circles has increased as a result of being exposed to a very different world after I started my business. I've had the opportunity to meet and discuss all types of subjects with some fairly serious figures from the arts, business, and politics, some of whom I have forged fairly strong associations with.
The one moment I'd like to recall is a discussion I had with a much respected Jain businessman, who'd called me over to his home one Sunday for a lovely Gujarati breakfast, who I'd helped to organise an event in the House of Commons, and as a result became aware of their significant achievements.
For those unaware, the Institute of Jainology is currently engaged in digitising ancient Jain manuscripts that will be made available to all using the internet. Naturally, all of this work is extremely expensive to do, so I questioned their wisdom in embarking on such an ambitious and resource intensive project.
His response sticks out because it marked a turning point in my thinking. He explained, in brief, that history teaches us that our world will be characterised by the decimation of various civilisations that have come and gone. His understanding on the subject was quite extensive and he went to great detail to identify critical events that contributed to such decline.
Whilst today it seems that what he said was so obvious, at that time my thinking was somewhat uninitiated on such topics. He elaborated that one of the critical aspects that can save civilisations is the preservation and protection of its arts, high culture, language, wisdom materials & traditions, as when these are destroyed, the trickle-down effect of their loss is a major contributory factor in these civilisations being wiped out.
My reason for explaining the above is that earlier this week, I was invited to the Annual Governors Dinner of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS), which is an institution that was created to promote the further study of Hindu studies at the most acclaimed Oxford University. From what I understand, this is the only such centre of its kind that exists anywhere in the world.
Dixit Joshi, Head of European Equities at Barclays Capital was invited to deliver the keynote address, and he made some fairly sensible points, of which he affirmed:
1.	How the centre provides a deeper understanding of the Hindu traditions, which are complex.
2.	How the centre provides a connection between Hindu thinking and the challenges we face as a global society.
3.	How the centre is helping to strengthen a sense of Hindu identity and a better understanding of what it means to be a Hindu today.
He concluded his speech by stating: "And for every text collected and preserved, for every new insight into our past, and for every new parallel drawn to the present; there will be a stronger foundation and greater relevance for our Hindu traditions."
"We have an opportunity to ignite a spark in people's minds. To help the centre reach across our society and light the fires of knowledge in all that it touches. And to build the traditions of our past into the foundations of our future."
"I believe that we have before us an opportunity to invest not just in the Centre for Hindu Studies but in the quality of thought and debate that will help to shape our future.
And, for me, that's an investment opportunity too good to turn down."
Given the importance of the subject and the manner the OCHS has gone on to building itself, it struck me how they're so massively underfunded, which is surprising given the material strength of Britain's Hindu community.
To me such a situation definitely points to (i) a lack of confidence in Hindu values, which should be a major concern for all of us, and also (ii) for a need to create a centre that is fit for attracting investment by philanthropists, trusts, and other major benefactors, which must be addressed by the OCHS, which it's not currently in the best shape to do.
We may be a god fearing, temple going, enterprising community, but if we seek to stem the decline in the practice our traditions and the applicability of our values in the post recession world, then we ought to take the lead from Dixit Joshi and Harish Patel who I salute and give them the credit they deserve in firstly, recognising the need and secondly, for raising the profile of a promising institution like the OCHS.
I'm not here to bat for the OCHS, so rather than argue that we ought to support them for our own selfish interest, I believe that we owe it to humanity to provide a sensible and balanced alternative view on how to tackle some of the biggest challenges humanity faces.
I sincerely believe such institutions can play a pivotal role in doing so, but it's important that they ask themselves and understand fully whether they're truly fit & equipped for purpose before embarking on such a journey.
Posted in culture	| Tagged Dixit Joshi, Harish Patel, Institute of Jainology, OCHS, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, saffron chase, vikas pota	| Leave a reply
Dear Dave… game-changing ideas on India for the PM
Dear Dave-bhai,
Further to my last blog-post about the UK – India relationship, I wanted to offer two specific suggestions on how you could create a name for yourself on the UK – India circuit, which I know is what you and the remaining political class would love to do.
Whilst you've not announced it yet, we're all aware that some people jumped the gun by letting it be known that you're visiting India in July. In preparation, you may want to incorporate the following:
With the UK – India Trade & Investment relationship floundering rather than flourishing, your visit could mark a departure and arrest the decline if you did the following:
DITCH THE HIGH PROFILE CEO DELEGATION ON YOUR FORTHCOMING VISIT
As news worthy as they are, ditch the high profile CEOs that you're planning to take along with you. What's the point? They already have operations in India, they have the money to survive, and enjoy the access they so crave.
Instead, why don't you take the Director's of 20 SMEs ranging from widget manufacturers to regional retailers. It's these guys that need the education and improved understanding of the opportunities a country like India provides. They fear the uncertainty of a very complex environment in India, but get the cost advantage of China, which is something your government needs to get right. After all, if you're after a strategic partnership with India, you need to think a little beyond schmoozing the good & great from UK Plc on this much awaited visit.
EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION
There's no two ways about this, the world marvels in envy at our education system. We've known for a very long time that the education sector is as central to our global influence as the Bollywood film industry is to India, so let's try and regain the lead that's been stolen from us by the Americans and Australians in India.
We already have examples of success, such as Lancaster University that have set up a joint venture partnership in Delhi to provide accredited courses and degrees to students in India. They predict that in the not too distant future, they'll have more graduates coming out of the Delhi campus than the mother base in Lancaster!
That's just one example, but we could look at funding a new wave of research collaboration, educational exchanges at all levels, and perhaps could look at helping India in bridging its skills deficit as a result of our excellence in this field.
We know that India churns out more graduates that the whole of Europe together, but rather than get lost in such statistics, you would do well to understand that the Indian education system, on the whole, is not as great as we're lead to believe. Why can't UK centres of excellence enter into partnerships with struggling institutes of technology, science & engineering colleges, business schools etc which exist all over India to assist them actively?
Education could easily be the game-changer that you're looking for.
Dave – the truth, as unpalatable as this may be to you, is that the previous government brought a paradigm shift to the way India is dealt with, here and in international quarters. However, the opportunity you have is also very clear to me. Put simply, exert some effort in making things happen and you'll create a legacy that's enduring.
With my best regards,
Posted in doing business in India, International politics, Trade & Investment	| Tagged David Cameron, education sector, IITs, India visit in July 2010, prime minister, saffron chase, SMEs, UK CEOs, UK India Business Council, vikas pota	| Leave a reply


We have various kinds of products, which are mainly lubricants to meet customers' needs.
Lucant of Mitsui Chemicals Incorporation is an new type of product with a co-oligomer of ethylene and α-olefin and has been commercialized for the first time in the world. It is used for synthetic lubricating oils and viscosity index improvers with excellent shear stability. The grades of low viscosity are used for base oils of lubricating oil.
OCP blended with synthetic hydrocarbon base oil for your needs.
Chevron Phillips Chemical has been a leader in the development and production of PAOs.Showa Sangyo is promoting the PAO in the Japanese market.
SantotracÒ 2000 is a low viscosity synthetic hydrocarbon base for traction fluid especially designed for applications where medium to high film strength is desirable. This product has high traction coefficient and bulk modulus.
Neste`s base oil has high viscosity index, excellent low temperature properties, and very low volatility. It is approved for European fuel economical engine oil specifications.
Nyco`s ester has superior low temperature properties as well as excellent thermal oxidation resistance and biodegradability. There are wide range of viscosity grades to meet various kinds of applications such as engine oil, gear oil, hydraulic oil, gas turbine oil, grease, and other industrial lubricants.
Esters (Taoka Chemical) have advantages at low temperatures and are suitable for base oils of fuel-efficient engine oil.
Antioxidant from Lanxess(Germany) for lubricant and grease.
Designed for excellent performance in antifoam agent.
MCA has heat-resistance, improves lubricity and reduces friction.
PTFE improves lubricity and reduces friction.
SR-1000R (Mitsui Fine Chemicals) has lubricity, wear resistance and biodegradability . It also eliminates sludge after thermal cracking and suitable for industrial and engine oils.
Hi-Wax and Excerex are polyethylene wax and melt at normal temperature to 150°C. Their molecular configuration is crystalline low-molecular-weight resin(Molecular number: 300~10000). They improve lubricity and wear resistance in lubricant application.
Used as a material for a thickener of urea grease.
Siltech supplies various types of modified silicones such as alkylated silicone fluid to meet different kinds of customer`s need.
Traction Fluid from Santolubes has high traction coefficient, heat-resistance and oxidation stability. It has been used for planetary roller of continuously variable transmission.
OS-124 and Santovac5, Polyphenyl ether (5P4E), from Santolubes has excellent performance in heat resistance, oxidation stability and radiation resistance in extreme environment.
DeSOx and CO Promoter from Intercat are used in Refinery all over the world.
We look for any other products.
Please feel free to contact us. We look for products, that you need, from all over the world.


text:
Logic/Philosophy of Mathematics x
Political Philosophy x
See results from UPSO (1)
Logic/Philosophy of Mathematics (1)
1963 1965 1967 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 — 1963 1965 1967 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Logic on the Track of Social Change
David Braybrooke, Bryson Brown, and Peter K. Schotch
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198235309.001.0001
Philosophy, Logic/Philosophy of Mathematics, Political Philosophy
This book sets out a new logic of rules, developed to demonstrate how such a logic can contribute to the clarification of historical questions about social rules. The chapters illustrate applications ... More
This book sets out a new logic of rules, developed to demonstrate how such a logic can contribute to the clarification of historical questions about social rules. The chapters illustrate applications of this new logic in extensive treatments of a variety of accounts of social changes, analysing in these examples the content of particular social rules and the course of changes in them.Less
David BraybrookeBryson BrownPeter K. Schotch
This book sets out a new logic of rules, developed to demonstrate how such a logic can contribute to the clarification of historical questions about social rules. The chapters illustrate applications of this new logic in extensive treatments of a variety of accounts of social changes, analysing in these examples the content of particular social rules and the course of changes in them.
Keywords: logic, rules, social rules, social changes


text:
High ranking Alberta PC official claims Earls restaurants "supports terrorists"
A member of the Board of Directors of Alberta's Progressive Conservatives has levelled a bizarre accusation against Earls Restaurants.
April 29, 2016	Share Tweet
A member of the Board of Directors of Alberta's Progressive Conservatives has levelled a bizarre accusation against Earls restaurants, an "upscale casual dining" chain based in Vancouver.
He claims the restaurant chain "supports terrorists."
Craig Chandler, who was acclaimed as the Alberta Tories' regional director for Calgary earlier this month, made those comments in the wake of an online backlash – with some conservative politicians leading the charge – after the restaurant chain decided to switch to beef raised without the use of antibiotics, hormones or steroids.
Only problem? Earls says they couldn't find a supplier in Alberta "to meet the volume we use," so they switched to a U.S. supplier. They say they're willing to switch back to Canadian beef if they can find a supplier that meets their needs.
But that might not be good enough for Chandler, who has previously vied for the leadership of both the federal and Alberta PCs.
After learning that Earls' supplier also offers a separate line of halal certified meat, Chandler took to the Earls restaurants Facebook page to claim the chain is supporting terrorists:
And if you think that's just a knee jerk reaction, think again.
Following his bizarre comment, Chandler filled his Facebook feed with links to Muslim foodie blogs about the supplier's line of halal certified meats:
Except as Earls restaurants explains, although their supplier offers a line of certified halal products, Earls is not actually selling that particular line of beef themselves:
But those assurances might not be good enough for Chandler:
On Thursday, Chandler's "eyebrow-raising beef" with the restaurant chain attracted the attention of Huffington Post Alberta – although it seems Huffington Post wasn't aware he's a top ranking PC official.
In a round-up of comments on the Earls restaurants backlash, Chandler's comment was cited as an example of "racists" who are raging against Earls restaurant for supposedly supporting "Jihad fighters" and "barbaric" culinary practices:
UPDATE: A few hours after this story was published, Craig Chandler announced he is resigning from the Alberta PC's Board of Directors.
@CraigBChandler is resigning from the PC Party's board. This comes after his social media comment that Earl's supports terrorists. #ableg
— Scott Dippel (@CBCScott) April 29, 2016
Photo: Facebook.
Alberta PC beef craig chandler earls restaurants they said what?
Jason Kenney to climate change denier: "the climate's been changing since the beginning of time"
Jason Kenney was caught on camera playing footsies with climate...
AUDIO: This Alberta Tory has some questions about diversity and "Oriental students" in universities
Progressive Conservative MLA Dave Rodney has some questions about making...
A big money BC Liberal donor is mad about topping up Christy Clark's salary
The head of a firm that has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the BC Liberals isn't too impressed his money has ended up in BC Premier Christy Clark's pocket.
The head of a firm that has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the BC Liberals isn't too impressed his money has ended up in BC Premier Christy Clark's pocket.
The Globe and Mail reported Wednesday that the BC Liberal Party pays Clark $30,000 to $50,000 per year for work that includes attending BC Liberal fundraising events.
That extra cash is in addition to Clark's nearly $200,000 Premier's salary and taxpayer-funded expenses, which has controversially included…


text:
wyatt x lucy
Timeless 1×16 "The Red Scare" Recap
What the Rittenhouse?
Episode Summary | Time in History: DC, 1954 — the big Rittenhouse summit. When the Time Team follows Flynn back in time, Jiya must accompany them to help Rufus, but since it isn't built for more than three people, something messes with her psyche. Lucy and Wyatt find her Grandpa then convince him to work as a double agent within Rittenhouse. Mason chooses a side. Wyatt almost says goodbye. And Lucy's mom drops the biggest bombshell of all.
We're never going to stop telling you that Timeless is the most exciting show on TV right now. And though it is only in its freshman season, it's safe to assume the series is headed towards greater places because of what it has already done. Its portrayal of the horrors in America have been done with such poignant accuracy, it's astounding how the series doesn't shy away from topics that are either glossed over or treated as taboo. In its first season's final episode, "The Red Scare", Timeless gave its viewers the opportunity to see the true horrors of the 50s while showcasing the growth that's already taken place today.
February 22, 2017 mgcirclesmedia	carol preston, claudia doumit, connor mason, jiya, jiya x rufus, lucy preston, lyatt, malcolm barrett, matt lanter, nbc timeless, rittenhouse, riya, rufus carlin, rufus x jiya, time team, timeless, timeless nbc, timeless review, tr, tv review, wyatt logan, wyatt x lucy	Leave a comment
Timeless 1×14 "The Lost Generation" Review
The roaring 20's — the smell of adventure?
Episode Summary | Time in History: Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, and Charles Lindergh. Timeless knows what it's doing with these guest stars — Brandan Barash, Tiffany Daniels, and Jesse Luken were outstanding. That said, in "The Lost Generation", our heroes took a trip to the May 21, 1927: Paris, France once again following Flynn on his quest to destroy Rittenhouse. Only Wyatt was still in detention and replaced by Bam Bam — he tragically doesn't make it back from the past though. (This is why we break the rules, buddy!) Agent Christopher is replaced and the team, now officially reunited with Wyatt, go rogue in order to fight Rittenhouse? Can we call them Rogue Four? No? Okay, that's cool.
Timeless' play on fate vs. free will has become the most enthralling part of the series layering the characters beautifully in ways only such a theme could. If Lucy comes from a long line of ancestors who were a part of Rittenhouse, does that mean she needs to join it? Is it truly her fate or could she make the choice to rewrite her supposed future? And in exploring this concept, the series ties each of the characters together in ways that feel incredibly organic. In Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms he states that, "the world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." And right now, our Time Team is at that broken place — stronger than they've ever been, but concurrently destroyed.
February 7, 2017 mgcirclesmedia	abigail spencer, loganston, lucy preston, lyatt, malcolm barrett, matt lanter, nbc timeless, rufus carlin, time team, timeless, timeless nbc, tr, wucy, wyatt logan, wyatt x lucy	Leave a comment
Timeless 1×13 "Karma Chameleon" Review
The 80s was best for music, but I don't think I'm down with the fashion.
Episode Summary | Time in History: The 80s — the good ol' days. The time where people didn't want to be forgotten. They wanted their finest hours celebrated. The time where they wanted to bless the rains in Africa. But the real question is, is Will Byers missing at this time or no? Oh, wait, wrong show. It's easy to confuse two really great shows isn't it? On a more serious note, this week's Timeless didn't actually take us back to a significant point in our history, but rather Wyatt's — more so Jessica's, but the point is clear. Thankfully, this week Wyatt didn't have murder on his mind, but rather a Back to the Future reversal. And one I can actually agree with: stop a one night stand in order to prevent a serial killer's birth.
However, as we all know, things are never that easy, and as much as Wyatt's plan was practical, it's safe to assume that a lot of us knew it wouldn't bring Jessica back. Nevertheless the showcase of teamwork has been superlative. And if all falls apart from this moment on at least we know that the A-Team Time Team will always have each other's backs. Also, hopefully the lesson has been learned, and the team won't travel without Lucy anymore.
January 31, 2017 mgcirclesmedia	abigail spencer, garcia flynn, jessica logan, loganston, lucy preston, lucy x wyatt, lyatt, malcolm barrett, matt lanter, nbc timeless, rittenhouse, rufus carlin, time team, timeless, timeless nbc, tr, wucy, wyatt logan, wyatt x lucy	Leave a comment


🥇 Table Saw or Circular Saw: What to Pick?
Table Saw or Circular Saw: What to Pick?
When it comes to woodworking, picking the right tool for the job can be a bit confusing. Looking at the numerous types of saws and their cutting capacities, it can be confusing deciding which of them can actually be the "right" tool for your collection.
One of the greatest dilemmas for aspiring woodworkers is picking between a table saw, and a circular saw. Comparing the benefits of the large supports on a table saw to the compactness of a circular saw can be a head-scratcher. In this article, we're going to take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of both of these types of saws and give you our opinion of which would be the better saw to start off with.
A table saw is a large variety of circular saws in which the blade protrudes upward from the work table. The blade is driven by an electric motor and belts or gears to give it the cutting power and speed needed to rip through long, thick boards.
You slice and dice your work by pushing wooden boards through the blade with a push stick while lined it is up against the support fence. The fence can be shifted to either the left or right side of the blade depending on which part of the board you wish to cut.
A number of different jigs can be used to assist in making angled cuts while spinning a wheel or lever can tilt the blade to make beveled cuts. Cutting on both planes – angled and beveled – is possible with the right jig, a tilted blade, and a steady hand.
The greatest benefit that a table saw offers is the ability to make repeated cuts on several pieces. You simply need to adjust the cutting depth of the blade, the tilt of the blade, and the distance from the fence to the blade. After everything is locked in place, you can cut boards to an identical size in no time at all.
Table saw models range from large, stationary units to light, portable ones. Although there are several types of table saws out there, for first-time buyers and aspiring woodworkers, the two that you should consider are cabinet and benchtop table saws.
A cabinet table saw is a heavy-duty machine that's used in professional woodshops. It comes with a beefy motor, a huge work table, and a large blade for cutting through large wooden boards. This is the type you need if you plan on establishing a home business.
If you're more of a hobbyist, then take a look at benchtop table saws. These are the lightest, most compact type of table saw available. As the name suggests, this tool is mounted onto a workbench or table to give it stability and height. It works just like any other table saw, but the supports to the left and right are small, limiting how large a board you can cut with this tool.
Many people would argue that the table saw is the heart and soul of any woodshop. We feel that it can be, but this doesn't mean it doesn't have disadvantages. For starters, even a compact benchtop table saw can be pretty heavy, and transporting it from place to place can be troublesome if you don't have the right cushioning for both your truck and the tool.
Second, the only way to make use of this tool is by lifting your boards onto the table saw's work table. If you need to cut huge boards down to size, you can skip the gym since lifting and positioning the board onto your table saw will be enough of a workout.
The term "circular saw" can refer to any saw that uses a circular blade, such as a table saw. However, the tool that's generally called a circular saw is a portable, handheld saw that's driven by an electric motor. The size of the blade ranges from 4-1/2 inches to 7-1/2 inches, but there are several models with huge 10-inch blades for heavy-duty cutting.
This saw solves the problem of carrying huge lumber onto a work surface. Instead of lifting and building muscle mass, you simply need to carry the tool to where it's needed and do your cutting there.
Essentially, there's nothing that a table saw can do that a circular saw can't. Miter cuts, beveled cuts, cuts on both planes, rip cuts, crosscuts – a circular saw can do it all.
Circular saws can be gas-powered, corded-electric, or cordless. Gas-powered circular saws are the most portable type since you don't need to deal with power cords or recharging batteries. They're also the most powerful type of circular saw. But just like any gas-powered tool, it's not safe to use indoors even with ventilation.
Cordless or battery-powered circular saws, like a gas-powered saw, won't tie you down with long power cords. However, they're the weakest of the three and typically come with smaller blades and shallower cutting capacities.
Corded-electric circular saws are in the middle-ground between cordless and gas models in terms of power. They generally come with 7-1/2-inch blades for slicing through 2-inch thick boards in a single pass. Their power cords will tie you down, but you can solve the problem of limited movability by utilizing a long extension cord.
Even though a circular saw can do everything that a table saw can, it does have some drawbacks. First of all, using a circular saw requires a lot of extra measuring and double-checking in order to get the right cuts every time, unlike a table saw which just needs to be adjusted once. There's also no fence to help ensure that you make straight cuts using a circular saw, but you can purchase an aluminum rail which guides the blade in a straight trajectory across the surface of your board.
Something else that you should be aware of is that a circular saw will leave a messy finish on the newly cut edge. The only way to make a board usable after cutting it with this tool is if you have a sheet of sandpaper or a power sander on hand.
Looking at these tools and what they can do, their range of use is just about equal to each other. So if you were to ask us whether your first saw should be a table saw or a circular saw, we'd have to say it depends. We know, this non-committal answer isn't exactly what you're looking for, but the right tool really depends on what you're doing.
If you need a heavy-duty saw for dimensioning numerous boards and you have the space for it, then a table saw can be the most time-efficient tool to do it. If you need to simply rip and/or straight cut through boards, then a circular saw would be the most cost-effective tool to have.
A benchtop table saw, and a circular saw would be an excellent combo to have. One will give you the ability to produce identical, precise cuts across several boards while the other will let you reduce the size of your boards where they lay.


State Police say they are looking for a missing endangered person. Pennsylvania State Police Kittanning is searching for Kenneth Himes, 70. He is 6'2″, 140 lbs with short light brown and gray hair, and blue eyes. Himes is wearing a black winter coat, black winter hat and black pants.
Authorities say Himes was last seen on Christmas night at approximately 11:30pm. on Cadogan Slate Lick Road, South Buffalo Township in Armstrong County.
Police say they believe Himes person may be at special risk of harm or injury and may be confused. Anyone with information regarding Himes should contact police immediately by calling 911 or PSP Kittanning at (724) 543-2011.


text:
// Copyright 2000-2019 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.

package com.intellij.psi.impl;

import com.intellij.lang.ASTFactory;
import com.intellij.lang.Commenter;
import com.intellij.lang.Language;
import com.intellij.lang.LanguageCommenters;
import com.intellij.openapi.fileTypes.LanguageFileType;
import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
import com.intellij.psi.*;
import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.DummyHolderFactory;
import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.SourceTreeToPsiMap;
import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.tree.FileElement;
import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.tree.LeafElement;
import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.tree.TreeElement;
import com.intellij.psi.util.PsiTreeUtil;
import com.intellij.util.IncorrectOperationException;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;

/**
 * @author yole
 */
public final class PsiParserFacadeImpl implements PsiParserFacade {
  private final PsiManagerEx myManager;

  public PsiParserFacadeImpl(@NotNull Project project) {
    myManager = PsiManagerEx.getInstanceEx(project);
  }

  @Override
  @NotNull
  public PsiElement createWhiteSpaceFromText(@NotNull @NonNls String text) throws IncorrectOperationException {
    final FileElement holderElement = DummyHolderFactory.createHolder(myManager, null).getTreeElement();
    final LeafElement newElement = ASTFactory.leaf(TokenType.WHITE_SPACE, holderElement.getCharTable().intern(text));
    holderElement.rawAddChildren(newElement);
    GeneratedMarkerVisitor.markGenerated(newElement.getPsi());
    return newElement.getPsi();
  }

  @Override
  @NotNull
  public PsiComment createLineCommentFromText(@NotNull LanguageFileType fileType,
                                              @NotNull String text) throws IncorrectOperationException {
    return createLineCommentFromText(fileType.getLanguage(), text);
  }

  @Override
  @NotNull
  public PsiComment createLineCommentFromText(@NotNull final Language language,
                                              @NotNull final String text) throws IncorrectOperationException {
    Commenter commenter = LanguageCommenters.INSTANCE.forLanguage(language);
    assert commenter != null;
    String prefix = commenter.getLineCommentPrefix();
    if (prefix == null) {
      throw new IncorrectOperationException("No line comment prefix defined for language " + language.getID());
    }

    PsiFile aFile = createDummyFile(language, prefix + text);
    return findPsiCommentChild(aFile);
  }

  @NotNull
  @Override
  public PsiComment createBlockCommentFromText(@NotNull Language language,
                                               @NotNull String text) throws IncorrectOperationException {
    Commenter commenter = LanguageCommenters.INSTANCE.forLanguage(language);
    assert commenter != null : language;
    final String blockCommentPrefix = commenter.getBlockCommentPrefix();
    final String blockCommentSuffix = commenter.getBlockCommentSuffix();
    assert blockCommentPrefix != null && blockCommentSuffix != null;

    PsiFile aFile = createDummyFile(language, blockCommentPrefix + text + blockCommentSuffix);
    return findPsiCommentChild(aFile);
  }

  @Override
  @NotNull
  public PsiComment createLineOrBlockCommentFromText(@NotNull Language language,
                                                     @NotNull String text) throws IncorrectOperationException {
    Commenter commenter = LanguageCommenters.INSTANCE.forLanguage(language);
    assert commenter != null : language;
    String prefix = commenter.getLineCommentPrefix();
    final String blockCommentPrefix = commenter.getBlockCommentPrefix();
    final String blockCommentSuffix = commenter.getBlockCommentSuffix();
    assert prefix != null || (blockCommentPrefix != null && blockCommentSuffix != null);

    PsiFile aFile = createDummyFile(language, prefix != null ? (prefix + text) : (blockCommentPrefix + text + blockCommentSuffix));
    return findPsiCommentChild(aFile);
  }

  private PsiComment findPsiCommentChild(PsiFile aFile) {
    PsiComment comment = PsiTreeUtil.findChildOfType(aFile, PsiComment.class);
    if (comment == null) {
      throw new IncorrectOperationException("Incorrect comment \"" + aFile.getText() + "\".");
    }

    DummyHolderFactory.createHolder(myManager, (TreeElement)SourceTreeToPsiMap.psiElementToTree(comment), null);
    return comment;
  }

  private PsiFile createDummyFile(final Language language, String text) {
    return PsiFileFactory.getInstance(myManager.getProject()).createFileFromText("_Dummy_", language, text);
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub