text:
package testsuite.simple;

import java.sql.CallableStatement;
import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.ParameterMetaData;
import java.sql.ResultSet;
import java.sql.ResultSetMetaData;
import java.sql.SQLException;
import java.sql.Types;
import java.util.Properties;

import com.mysql.jdbc.SQLError;
import com.mysql.jdbc.log.StandardLogger;

import testsuite.BaseTestCase;

/**
 * Tests callable statement functionality.
 */
public class CallableStatementTest extends BaseTestCase {
    public CallableStatementTest(String name) {
        super(name);
    }

    /**
     * Tests functioning of inout parameters
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if the test fails
     */

    public void testInOutParams() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createProcedure("testInOutParam", "(IN p1 VARCHAR(255), INOUT p2 INT)\nbegin\n DECLARE z INT;\nSET z = p2 + 1;\nSET p2 = z;\n"
                    + "SELECT p1;\nSELECT CONCAT('zyxw', p1);\nend\n");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testInOutParam(?, ?)}");

            storedProc.setString(1, "abcd");
            storedProc.setInt(2, 4);
            storedProc.registerOutParameter(2, Types.INTEGER);

            storedProc.execute();

            assertEquals(5, storedProc.getInt(2));

        }
    }

    public void testBatch() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            Connection batchedConn = null;

            try {
                createTable("testBatchTable", "(field1 INT)");
                createProcedure("testBatch", "(IN foo VARCHAR(15))\nbegin\nINSERT INTO testBatchTable VALUES (foo);\nend\n");

                executeBatchedStoredProc(this.conn);

                batchedConn = getConnectionWithProps("logger=StandardLogger,rewriteBatchedStatements=true,profileSQL=true");

                StandardLogger.startLoggingToBuffer();
                executeBatchedStoredProc(batchedConn);
                String[] log = StandardLogger.getBuffer().toString().split(";");
                assertTrue(log.length > 20);
            } finally {
                StandardLogger.dropBuffer();

                if (batchedConn != null) {
                    batchedConn.close();
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private void executeBatchedStoredProc(Connection c) throws Exception {
        this.stmt.executeUpdate("TRUNCATE TABLE testBatchTable");

        CallableStatement storedProc = c.prepareCall("{call testBatch(?)}");

        try {
            int numBatches = 300;

            for (int i = 0; i < numBatches; i++) {
                storedProc.setInt(1, i + 1);
                storedProc.addBatch();
            }

            int[] counts = storedProc.executeBatch();

            assertEquals(numBatches, counts.length);

            for (int i = 0; i < numBatches; i++) {
                assertEquals(1, counts[i]);
            }

            this.rs = this.stmt.executeQuery("SELECT field1 FROM testBatchTable ORDER BY field1 ASC");

            for (int i = 0; i < numBatches; i++) {
                assertTrue(this.rs.next());
                assertEquals(i + 1, this.rs.getInt(1));
            }
        } finally {

            if (storedProc != null) {
                storedProc.close();
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Tests functioning of output parameters.
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if the test fails.
     */
    public void testOutParams() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createProcedure("testOutParam", "(x int, out y int)\nbegin\ndeclare z int;\nset z = x+1, y = z;\nend\n");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testOutParam(?, ?)}");

            storedProc.setInt(1, 5);
            storedProc.registerOutParameter(2, Types.INTEGER);

            storedProc.execute();

            System.out.println(storedProc);

            int indexedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt(2);

            int namedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt("y");

            assertTrue("Named and indexed parameter are not the same", indexedOutParamToTest == namedOutParamToTest);
            assertTrue("Output value not returned correctly", indexedOutParamToTest == 6);

            // Start over, using named parameters, this time
            storedProc.clearParameters();
            storedProc.setInt("x", 32);
            storedProc.registerOutParameter("y", Types.INTEGER);

            storedProc.execute();

            indexedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt(2);
            namedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt("y");

            assertTrue("Named and indexed parameter are not the same", indexedOutParamToTest == namedOutParamToTest);
            assertTrue("Output value not returned correctly", indexedOutParamToTest == 33);

            try {
                storedProc.registerOutParameter("x", Types.INTEGER);
                assertTrue("Should not be able to register an out parameter on a non-out parameter", true);
            } catch (SQLException sqlEx) {
                if (!SQLError.SQL_STATE_ILLEGAL_ARGUMENT.equals(sqlEx.getSQLState())) {
                    throw sqlEx;
                }
            }

            try {
                storedProc.getInt("x");
                assertTrue("Should not be able to retreive an out parameter on a non-out parameter", true);
            } catch (SQLException sqlEx) {
                if (!SQLError.SQL_STATE_COLUMN_NOT_FOUND.equals(sqlEx.getSQLState())) {
                    throw sqlEx;
                }
            }

            try {
                storedProc.registerOutParameter(1, Types.INTEGER);
                assertTrue("Should not be able to register an out parameter on a non-out parameter", true);
            } catch (SQLException sqlEx) {
                if (!SQLError.SQL_STATE_ILLEGAL_ARGUMENT.equals(sqlEx.getSQLState())) {
                    throw sqlEx;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Tests functioning of output parameters.
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if the test fails.
     */
    public void testResultSet() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createTable("testSpResultTbl1", "(field1 INT)");
            this.stmt.executeUpdate("INSERT INTO testSpResultTbl1 VALUES (1), (2)");
            createTable("testSpResultTbl2", "(field2 varchar(255))");
            this.stmt.executeUpdate("INSERT INTO testSpResultTbl2 VALUES ('abc'), ('def')");

            createProcedure("testSpResult", "()\nBEGIN\nSELECT field2 FROM testSpResultTbl2 WHERE field2='abc';\n"
                    + "UPDATE testSpResultTbl1 SET field1=2;\nSELECT field2 FROM testSpResultTbl2 WHERE field2='def';\nend\n");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testSpResult()}");

            storedProc.execute();

            this.rs = storedProc.getResultSet();

            ResultSetMetaData rsmd = this.rs.getMetaData();

            assertTrue(rsmd.getColumnCount() == 1);
            assertTrue("field2".equals(rsmd.getColumnName(1)));
            assertTrue(rsmd.getColumnType(1) == Types.VARCHAR);

            assertTrue(this.rs.next());

            assertTrue("abc".equals(this.rs.getString(1)));

            // TODO: This does not yet work in MySQL 5.0
            // assertTrue(!storedProc.getMoreResults());
            // assertTrue(storedProc.getUpdateCount() == 2);
            assertTrue(storedProc.getMoreResults());

            ResultSet nextResultSet = storedProc.getResultSet();

            rsmd = nextResultSet.getMetaData();

            assertTrue(rsmd.getColumnCount() == 1);
            assertTrue("field2".equals(rsmd.getColumnName(1)));
            assertTrue(rsmd.getColumnType(1) == Types.VARCHAR);

            assertTrue(nextResultSet.next());

            assertTrue("def".equals(nextResultSet.getString(1)));

            nextResultSet.close();

            this.rs.close();

            storedProc.execute();
        }
    }

    /**
     * Tests parsing of stored procedures
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if an error occurs.
     */
    public void testSPParse() throws Exception {

        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {

            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createProcedure("testSpParse", "(IN FOO VARCHAR(15))\nBEGIN\nSELECT 1;\nend\n");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testSpParse()}");
            storedProc.close();

        }
    }

    /**
     * Tests parsing/execution of stored procedures with no parameters...
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if an error occurs.
     */
    public void testSPNoParams() throws Exception {

        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {

            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createProcedure("testSPNoParams", "()\nBEGIN\nSELECT 1;\nend\n");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testSPNoParams()}");
            storedProc.execute();

        }
    }

    /**
     * Tests parsing of stored procedures
     *
     * @throws Exception
     *             if an error occurs.
     */
    public void testSPCache() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {

            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            createProcedure("testSpParse", "(IN FOO VARCHAR(15))\nBEGIN\nSELECT 1;\nend\n");

            int numIterations = 10;

            long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

            for (int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++) {
                storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testSpParse(?)}");
                storedProc.close();
            }

            long elapsedTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;

            System.out.println("Standard parsing/execution: " + elapsedTime + " ms");

            storedProc = this.conn.prepareCall("{call testSpParse(?)}");
            storedProc.setString(1, "abc");
            this.rs = storedProc.executeQuery();

            assertTrue(this.rs.next());
            assertTrue(this.rs.getInt(1) == 1);

            Properties props = new Properties();
            props.setProperty("cacheCallableStmts", "true");

            Connection cachedSpConn = getConnectionWithProps(props);

            startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

            for (int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++) {
                storedProc = cachedSpConn.prepareCall("{call testSpParse(?)}");
                storedProc.close();
            }

            elapsedTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;

            System.out.println("Cached parse stage: " + elapsedTime + " ms");

            storedProc = cachedSpConn.prepareCall("{call testSpParse(?)}");
            storedProc.setString(1, "abc");
            this.rs = storedProc.executeQuery();

            assertTrue(this.rs.next());
            assertTrue(this.rs.getInt(1) == 1);

        }
    }

    public void testOutParamsNoBodies() throws Exception {
        if (versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            CallableStatement storedProc = null;

            Properties props = new Properties();
            props.setProperty("noAccessToProcedureBodies", "true");

            Connection spConn = getConnectionWithProps(props);

            createProcedure("testOutParam", "(x int, out y int)\nbegin\ndeclare z int;\nset z = x+1, y = z;\nend\n");

            storedProc = spConn.prepareCall("{call testOutParam(?, ?)}");

            storedProc.setInt(1, 5);
            storedProc.registerOutParameter(2, Types.INTEGER);

            storedProc.execute();

            int indexedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt(2);

            assertTrue("Output value not returned correctly", indexedOutParamToTest == 6);

            storedProc.clearParameters();
            storedProc.setInt(1, 32);
            storedProc.registerOutParameter(2, Types.INTEGER);

            storedProc.execute();

            indexedOutParamToTest = storedProc.getInt(2);

            assertTrue("Output value not returned correctly", indexedOutParamToTest == 33);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Runs all test cases in this test suite
     *
     * @param args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        junit.textui.TestRunner.run(CallableStatementTest.class);
    }

    /**
     * Tests the new parameter parser that doesn't require "BEGIN" or "\n" at
     * end of parameter declaration
     *
     * @throws Exception
     */
    public void testParameterParser() throws Exception {

        if (!versionMeetsMinimum(5, 0)) {
            return;
        }

        CallableStatement cstmt = null;

        try {

            createTable("t1", "(id   char(16) not null default '', data int not null)");
            createTable("t2", "(s   char(16),  i   int,  d   double)");

            createProcedure("foo42", "() insert into test.t1 values ('foo', 42);");
            this.conn.prepareCall("{CALL foo42()}");
            this.conn.prepareCall("{CALL foo42}");

            createProcedure("bar", "(x char(16), y int, z DECIMAL(10)) insert into test.t1 values (x, y);");
            cstmt = this.conn.prepareCall("{CALL bar(?, ?, ?)}");

            ParameterMetaData md = cstmt.getParameterMetaData();
            assertEquals(3, md.getParameterCount());
            assertEquals(Types.CHAR, md.getParameterType(1));
            assertEquals(Types.INTEGER, md.getParameterType(2));
            assertEquals(Types.DECIMAL, md.getParameterType(3));

            createProcedure("p", "() label1: WHILE @a=0 DO SET @a=1; END WHILE");
            this.conn.prepareCall("{CALL p()}");

            createFunction("f", "() RETURNS INT NO SQL return 1; ");
            cstmt = this.conn.prepareCall("{? = CALL f()}");

            md = cstmt.getParameterMetaData();
            assertEquals(Types.INTEGER, md.getParameterType(1));
        } finally {
            if (cstmt != null) {
                cstmt.close();
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Unraveling is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on January 31, 2020 on ATO Records. It was produced by long-time collaborator David Barbe, and recorded between 2017 and 2019.

The album continues the themes of political angst from their previous album, American Band. In the album's liner notes, songwriter Patterson Hood summarized the album's inspiration, writing "21st Century USA, tanks rolling through the streets of Washington DC as our utopian dreams give way to a dystopian now. Nearly a generation since the towers fell and the shit came down. William Gibson's dark visions have come to pass, everyone is connected and more disconnected than ever. Our children have lock-down drills." Hood's songs "Thoughts and Prayers" and "Babies in Cages" take on the issues of gun violence and the Trump administration family separation policy directly, and rank among the most political the band has ever written.

Reception

The Unraveling received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album holds an average score of 80, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "generally positive reviews". In a mostly positive review, Pitchfork wrote that "the new songs move like anguished monologues" and that the album "takes meticulous care with each mix" while criticizing some of the "hollowed out language" Hood leans on in the more political songs. In a very positive review, the Chicago Tribune opined that "the songs brim with nuances as they merge acoustic and electric textures, somber piano and distorted washboard, melancholy string accompaniment and feedback-streaked guitars." While discussing the overarching themes of the album, they added that "if there's a thread that links the piano-led "Rosemary with a Bible and a Gun", the surging "Armageddon's Back in Town" and the hard-riffing "Slow Ride Argument", it's a sense of personal disconnection."

Track listing

Personnel
Patterson Hood – vocals, guitar, mandocello
Mike Cooley – vocals, guitar
Brad Morgan – drums
Jay Gonzalez – keyboards, guitars and vocals
Matt Patton – bass, bass 6 and vocals
Kyleen King – viola and string arrangement on "Rosemary with a Bible and a Gun" and "21st Century USA"
Patti King – violin on "Rosemary with a Bible and a Gun" and "21st Century USA"
Cody Dickinson – electric washboard on "Babies in Cages"

Charts

References

External links

Drive-By Truckers albums
ATO Records albums
2020 albums

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
FedEx Seeks FAA Approval to Install Anti-Missile Lasers on Aircraft
Home Events Everything You Need To Know: Singapore Airlines Relaunches World's Longest Flight
Special Flights
Everything You Need To Know: Singapore Airlines Relaunches World's Longest Flight
Benjamin Bearup
NEWARK — On Friday, Singapore Airlines will once again take the claim of operating the world's longest commercial flight when flight SQ21 makes its return connecting Newark (EWR) to Singapore (SIN), nonstop.
Clocking in at a staggering 18 hours and 45 minutes, the flight will overtake Qatar Airways' 17 hour and 40 minute Auckland to Doha route as the world's longest commercial flight.
"Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest-technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR," said Singapore Airlines' CEO, Goh Choon Phong.
"The flights will offer our customers the fastest way to travel between the two cities – in great comfort, together with Singapore Airlines' legendary service – and will help boost connectivity to and through the Singapore hub."
Looking back at Singapore's A340-500 Service
While Singapore Airlines had previously operated nonstop flights from Singapore to Newark beginning in 2004, it did so with a specially configured Airbus A340-500, initially with a mix of business class and economy seats, and finally in 2008, in an all business class configuration.
Although the A340-500 successfully operated the route for nine years, the inefficient engines on the A340-500, high costs of fuel at the time, and low yields led to Singapore axing the route in November of 2013. Los Angeles non-stops to Singapore were axed as well.
AirlineReporter: Longest Flight in the World on the Singapore A340-500
Images from the now retired Singapore A340-500 taken in 2007 by Chris Sloan
To relaunch this historic route, Singapore will utilize Airbus' latest ultra-long-range aircraft, the Airbus A350-900ULR.
With a listed range of 9,700 nautical miles, the A350-900ULR allows Singapore Airlines to once again serve the greater New York City area with nonstop flights.
Although Singapore has not flown to Newark since canceling flight 21 in 2013, the airline has continued to serve New York-JFK via Frankfurt with the Airbus A380.
Including a one hour and 30 minute stop in Frankfurt, it currently takes 21 hours and 35 minutes to fly from New York to Singapore.
The A350-900ULR will shave off 2 hours and 50 minutes of blocked time.
Even with the reintroduction of flight 21 to Newark, Singapore does not plan to close its A380 route out of New York-JFK.
In fact, a quick search on Singapore's website found that for many dates, flying the A380 out of JFK to Singapore via Frankfurt is more expensive than flying on Singapore's new nonstop flight out of Newark.
Photo: Singapore Airlines.
To help combat the all but certain jetlag passengers will face on such a lengthy flight, Singapore has partnered with Canyon Ranch to formulate passenger wellness features aboard the Airbus A350-900ULR.
The partnership focuses on three key components including wellness cuisines developed by Canyon Ranch chefs and nutritionists, rest and relaxation including sleep strategies designed to help customers in all classes improve duration and quality of rest and guided stretching exercises available via personal seatback entertainment systems.
In addition, passengers will take advantage of the A350s jetlag combating higher cabin humidity, lower cabin pressurization, and reduced noise.
Business Class on the Singapore A350
Premium Economy on the Singapore A350
While already one of the largest operators of the Airbus A350 with 21 standard A350-900s in its fleet, Singapore Airlines recently took delivery of their first two A350-900ULR aircraft.
The two planes, registered 9V-SGA and 9V-SGB, were delivered on September 22 and September 28, respectively.
Coincidently, these exact aircraft registrations once flew on the very Singapore A340-500s that used to operate the Singapore to Newark route.
These two planes will solely serve the Newark route until Singapore takes delivery of additional A350-900ULR aircraft at a later date.
In total, Singapore has five additional A350-900ULR aircraft on order. All five A350-900ULRs have completed, or are undergoing, final assembly at Airbus in Toulouse, France at this time.
Upon delivery, Singapore will use these A350-900ULR aircraft to operate nonstop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Both cities are currently served by Singapore Airlines but flights to LAX require a stop in Tokyo or Seoul.
In San Francisco, the three weekly A350-900ULR flights will be in addition to the already daily standard A350-900 flights and daily 777-300ER flights to Singapore via Hong Kong.
While only adding three additional frequencies, the addition of the A350-900ULR in its premium heavy configuration will increase Business Class seats on the route by 32%, and premium-economy seats by 77% according to Flightglobal.
The addition of these premium seats comes as United prepares to add a second daily flight between San Francisco and Singapore with the 787-9 Dreamliner on October 27th.
In Los Angeles, the A350-900ULR will also be used to bolster Singapore's premium seat numbers on the city pair.
With the addition of nonstop flights, Singapore will discontinue their Seoul to Los Angeles route.
By overflying Tokyo and Seoul, the A350-900ULR will save passengers at least two hours and 10 minutes flying from LAX to Singapore.
As the launch carrier for the A350-900ULR, Singapore is the first airline to take advantage of the 1,600 nautical mile range increase offered by the ULR over the standard A350-900.
In order to increase the range, Airbus redesigned its fuel system to accommodate 6,340 additional gallons of fuel. By redesigning the fuel system, Airbus was able to increase the fuel payload without adding additional fuel tanks. In total, the A350-900ULR can hold 43,590 gallons of fuel.
Photo Courtesy: @FrenchPainter
Even with the A350-900ULRs impressive range, Singapore expects some ULR routes to be payload restricted.
Speaking to Flightglobal, Singapore Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong stated, "There could be some payload concerns, but on the cargo side particularly." Singapore expects the payload restrictions to be most prevalent during the northern winter when stronger headwinds are most common.
In addition, the A350-900ULR will have a deactivated 3,062 square foot front cargo hold.
"The A350-900ULR can be 'reversed' into a standard -900 if the airline decides. From an airframe perspective it is 'paperwork' and you need to re-activate the forward cargo hold…and install the cargo-loading system," said Airbus A350 marketing director François Obé to FlightGlobal.
To help passengers overcome the excruciatingly long flight, Singapore has configured its A350-900ULR in a low-density configuration with only 161 seats across two classes.
By comparison, Singapore seats either 253 seats in its standard A350-900s.
Bonus: Onboard the Singapore Airlines A380 Inaugural Flight
The aircraft will feature 67 Business Class lie-flat seats and 94 Premium Economy seats. The aircraft will not feature any standard economy seats.
While 18 hours and 45 minutes may be past the breaking point for most travelers, ultra long-haul flights are becoming a new normal in the airline industry. Of the top 10 longest flights by duration, only one of the top 10 flights predates 2014.
As aircraft and engine manufacturers continue to improve efficiencies, more and more airlines are seeking to push the limits of aircraft in hopes of connecting cities far and wide.
Just last year, Qatar Airways launched its 17-hour and 40-minute nonstop route between Doha and Auckland with the 777-200LR.
Earlier this year, Qantas launched a 17 hour and 20 minute nonstop route between Perth and London with the 787-9 Dreamliner. While this 9,009 mile route is impressive, it is just the beginning for Australia's flag carrier Qantas.
In June, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce publicly challenged Airbus and Boeing to design an airplane capable of flying nonstop from Sydney to London and New York.
The ambitious project, named 'Project Sunrise', would usher the airline industry into an era of 20+ hour flights. At present, Qantas is said to be mulling between the Airbus A350-900ULR and the Boeing 777-8X for 'Project Sunrise'.
Note: Chris Sloan (@airchive) will be Live Blogging the entire flight at airwaysmag.com. Connectivity is expected to be in place for entire flight except for a 2.5 hour blackout beginning 5.5 hours into the flight. Follow Airways Magazine on social media for continuing coverage of the inaugural A350-900ULR flight."
Cover photo courtesy: @FrenchPainter
A350-900ULR
A350XWB
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Aviation journalist from Atlanta, Georgia. Business student at the University of Georgia with a passion for aviation business management. ben@airwaysmag.com @TheAviationBeat
Airbus Flies Its A350 with 100% SAF
Dubai Airshow 2021: Day 3 Recap

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Video: UCD honours Laura Brennan, advocate who restored public confidence in HPV vaccine
HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan has received an honorary degree from University College Dublin in recognition of her advocacy in highlighting how the jab protects girls from developing cervical cancer as adults.
The 26-year-old, from Ennis in Co. Clare, was diagnosed with cervical cancer stage 2B two years ago, and decided to become involved with the HSE's campaign to restore public trust in the HPV vaccine after her cancer was diagnosed as terminal.
Laura contacted the HSE on Facebook to offer her personal story as encouragement for parents to have their children vaccinated against cervical cancer.
The HSE offers the HPV vaccine, free of charge, to all girls in first year in second level schools as this age group ensures the best response to the vaccine.
However vaccination wasn't available to Laura when she attended school, as this scheme wasn't introduced until 2010.
Laura with her father Larry and mother Bernadette at UCD following her honorary degree ceremony
Recommended by the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, the HPV vaccine is soon to be made available to boys in Ireland too.
Laura's tireless efforts have been instrumental in encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated against cervical cancer.
When Laura began this work, there was a significant crisis in public confidence for the HPV vaccination.
Now the rate of vaccination is above 70% and rising, with over 250,000 girls in Ireland having received the HPV jab.
Thank you so much to @ucddublin . Truly honored and humbled to have received a honorary doctorate https://t.co/vS2r7igwUv
— Laura Brennan (@laura_jbrennan) December 12, 2018
"Ireland is the only country in the developed world that has managed to overcome [this] crisis in public confidence," said Professor Donal Brennan, UCD Professor of Gynaecological Oncology at the UCD School of Medicine.
"Laura has travelled Ireland and the world to promote HPV vaccination… She has helped to rebuild trust and confidence in HPV vaccination and we can see that is increasing its uptake.
"Her honesty, courage and strength in delivering her own difficult story demonstrates the impact the patient's voice can have on the public.
"The fact that the vaccine will be extended to boys next September means that policy makers have also been listening."
Introducing Laura at the honouring ceremony, Professor Donal Brennan, who is also a Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at the Mater Hospital, praised the HPV campaigner for helping overcome the "communication challenge" faced by life-saving vaccine.
Laura Brennan, along with Professor Donal Brennan and Professor Cecily Kelleher, Principal at UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences
"Many years of basic science and clinical trials can be destroyed by a small number of anecdotes or videos, which can be posted online without any verification of their accuracy," he said.
"[Laura's] eloquence and honesty when speaking at scientific meetings or public events can be astonishing, making it much more difficult for the so-called professionals, like me, who have to follow in her wake.
"In many ways she has raised the bar for all of us who work in the field and we are absolutely privileged to consider her a colleague and a true partner in the on-going efforts to eradicate HPV-related cancers for future generations."
Laura Brennan at her honorary conferring at UCD
Early this month, UCD presented a Ulysses Medal, the University's highest honour, to Dr Douglas R Lowy, whose research on the molecular biology of viruses led to the development of the HPV vaccine.
Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology and Deputy Director at the United States' National Cancer Institute, Dr Lowy's research was undertaken in collaboration with his colleague Dr John Schiller.
His citation was delivered by Professor Stephen Pennington, UCD School of Medicine, who said Dr Lowy had had a "positive impact of remarkable scale" in fight to the eliminate cervical cancer and greatly reduce other HPV-associated cancers.


text:
Бетюн () — округ () во Франции, один из округов в регионе О-де-Франс. Департамент округа — Па-де-Кале. Супрефектура — Бетюн.
Население округа на 2019 год составляло 292 553 человека. Плотность населения — 414 чел./км². Площадь округа составляет 707,4 км².

Состав
Кантоны округа Бетюн (с 1 января 2017 года):

 Бетюн
 Бёври
 Брюе-ла-Бюисьер
 Дуврен
 Лиллер
 Не-ле-Мин
 Ошель
 Эр-сюр-ла-Лис (частично)

Кантоны округа Бетюн (с 22 марта 2015 года по 31 декабря 2016 года):

 Бетюн
 Бёври
 Брюе-ла-Бюисьер (частично)
 Дуврен
 Лиллер
 Не-ле-Мин (частично)
 Ошель (частично)
 Эр-сюр-ла-Лис (частично)

Кантоны округа Бетюн (до 22 марта 2015 года):

 Барлен
 Бетюн-Нор
 Бетюн-Сюд
 Бетюн-Эст
 Брюе-ла-Бюисьер
 Дивьон
 Дуврен
 Камбрен
 Лаванти
 Лиллер
 Не-ле-Мин
 Норран-Фонт
 Ошель
 Уден

См. также
 Департамент Па-де-Кале
 Округа департамента Па-де-Кале
 Список округов Франции
 Список префектур и супрефектур Франции

Ссылки
 Национальный институт статистики  — округ Бетюн

Округа Франции


text:
Q: WebView with ProgressDialog , and Dismiss Anyone know how to insert ProgressDialog that will show every link clicked ; into this webview?
public class ChatreaMainActivity extends Activity {

/** Called when the activity is first created. */

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
 [...]
        WebView engine = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.web_engine);
        engine.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/www/index.html");
        engine.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
 [...]

I have try with and it won't dismiss at all.
WebView engine = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.web_engine);
engine.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/www/index.html");
engine.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

progressBar = ProgressDialog.show(ChatreaMainActivity.this, "", "Loading Page...");
        }
    }

    public void onPageFinished(WebView view, String url)
    {

       if (progressBar.isShowing())
       {
          progressBar.dismiss();
       }

A: package com.mobiinteractive.Sandbar;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.ProgressDialog;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.webkit.WebView;
import android.webkit.WebViewClient;

public class SandbarinFacebook extends Activity {

WebView mWebView;

    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.fb);

        final ProgressDialog pd = ProgressDialog.show(this, "", "Loading...",
                true);

        mWebView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webkitWebView1);
        mWebView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
        mWebView.getSettings().setSupportZoom(true);
        mWebView.getSettings().setBuiltInZoomControls(true);
        mWebView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
            @Override
            public void onPageFinished(WebView view, String url) {
                if(pd.isShowing() && pd!=null)
                {
                pd.dismiss();
                }
            }
        });
        mWebView.loadUrl("http://m.facebook.com/sandbarathens");

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Work ?! Nooo…
All this is only preliminary. I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work. First of all: what is work? Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth's surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first kind is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid. The second kind is capable of indefinite extension: there are not only those who give orders, but those who give advice as to what orders should be given. Usually two opposite kinds of advice are given simultaneously by two organized bodies of men; this is called politics. The skill required for this kind of work is not knowledge of the subjects as to which advice is given, but knowledge of the art of persuasive speaking and writing, i.e. of advertising. In the past, there was a small leisure class and a larger working class. The leisure class enjoyed advantages for which there was no basis in social justice; this necessarily made it oppressive, limited its sympathies, and caused it to invent theories by which to justify its privileges. These facts greatly diminished its excellence, but in spite of this drawback it contributed nearly the whole of what we call civilization. It cultivated the arts and discovered the sciences; it wrote the books, invented the philosophies, and refined social relations. Even the liberation of the oppressed has usually been inaugurated from above. Without the leisure class, mankind would never have emerged from barbarism. (from "In Praise of Idleness" by Bertrand Russell [1932])
Counting pebbles
Smelling flowers
Taking a walk
Watching the sky
Watching the waves
http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html
No Books, No writing
You think you can be idle in reading or writing. Nope. Way too productive.
Calculations, worries? Have a tea!
Why calculating risks and worrying too much. Make time for yourself!
Litte ABC of Doing Nothing
Little ABC of Doing Nothing


text:
Poland officially requests Germany to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
A view of a part of the convoy as the mobile defence surface-to-air missile systems, Patriot, are transported to Poland, near Gnoien, Germany, January 23, 2023. REUTERS
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on Tuesday, that his country has officially sought permission from Germany to transfer its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. This comes as Berlin is facing mounting pressure from European allies to send tanks to Kyiv amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. However, Warsaw has recently cranked up the pressure on Berlin to give its approval. The announcement comes a day after the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said Warsaw will ask Germany for permission to re-export Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
"The Germans have already received our request for consent to the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. This is our common cause, because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!", said the Polish defence minister on Twitter.
However, Germany is yet to confirm if they have received such a request from Warsaw. Berlin's approval is required for the re-export of Leopard tanks but they have been reluctant as they believe their response can be viewed as an escalation or provocation by Russia.
This comes after the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, on Sunday, said that their government "if we were asked we would not stand in the way," referring to the request for the Munich-based defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann manufactured Leopard 2 tanks. While there are at least 2,000 such tanks across several European counries, since they are German-made it would require the authorisation of the country of origin.
Previously, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that sending tanks to Ukraine, which Kyiv has long sought, would have to be coordinated with the entire Western alliance, including the United States. So far, Ukraine's allies like Poland and the Czech Republic have only been willing to send the country Soviet-era T-72 tanks.
Cash is king in Lebanon as banks atrophy


text:
Dale Roberts
Måneskin debut on the Australian ARIA charts
Eurovision winners Måneskin have finally made their debut on the Australian charts.
After much success with 'Zitti e buoni' and 'I Wanna Be Your Slave' across Europe, the group hadn't managed to make an impact on the official charts down under until this week.
Their cover of The Four Seasons' 1967 track 'Beggin' reached no.22 on the ARIA singles chart released last night.
The song was recorded by Måneskin back in 2017 after performing it on the' X Factor Italy 'but has had new found success thanks to both viral use on TikTok and the group's rising profile since winning Eurovision.
The song is currently storming the charts across Europe including no.1 in Germany and no.10 in the United Kingdom.
By reaching no.22 in Australia, they have become the highest Eurovision winning artist on there since Måns Zelmerlöw peaked no.19 with 'Heroes' back in 2015.
Måneskin has also been successful on the Australian Spotify charts regularly featuring the Top 10 of the viral daily and weekly charts with 'Zitti e buoni', ' I Wanna Be Your Slave', 'Coraline' and now 'Beggin'.
We'll see if this introduction to the Australian market will lead to more success for the group here.
You can check out Maneskin on Spotify here.


On December 4th 2012, the ENCALS Satellite Meeting in Chicago was held (13:30–18:30).
This satellite meeting was prior to the 23rd International Symposium on ALS/MND. The focus of the meeting was on international collaborative projects and biomarkers.


YBNL wonder kid LYTA comes through with yet another inspirational freeestyle cut tagged For You.
In his world; "I woke up this morning with a lot of joy over me and decided to do something short for all my fans . GOD Bless you all . If No be GOD , IF no be y'all where I for Dey".
Download Lyta For You (Freestyle) Mp3.


PotNetwork Holding, Inc. (OTC: POTN), through wholly-owned subsidiary Diamond CBD, Inc., this morning announced that it is exhibiting its 2018 product line at the 37th CHAMPS Trade Show taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from February 19-21. CHAMPS Trade Shows are widely recognized among the largest and most trusted international counter-culture trade shows in the world. Diamond CBD's exhibit is located at booth 2249 and includes information on its recently-unveiled Meds BioTech product line. Per the update, past CHAMPS trade shows have been "highly successful" for Diamond CBD in terms of generating both publicity and sales.
This entry was posted in PotNetwork Holding, Inc. POTN, QualityStocksNewsBreaks on February 20, 2018 by QualityStocks.


text:
Eik Banki Føroya P/F is a financial services group in the Faroe Islands, which was previously one of the two major privately owned banking firms based in the country. Established in 1832, the group, which also operated in mainland Denmark, encompassed retail, corporate and investment banking activities as well as real estate brokerage. The company was nationalised by Denmark in October 2010 after becoming insolvent, with its Danish retail banking operations being sold later in the year to the regional bank Sparekassen Lolland.

History
Eik was established in 1832 as a savings bank. In 1992 it was transferred into a guarantor savings bank, and in 2002, it was converted to a public limited company. On 11 July 2007, it was listed on the Icelandic and Danish stock exchanges as Eik Banki P/F.

In Denmark, Eik Banki founded a subsidiary bank, Eik Bank Danmark A/S. In 2007, Eik Bank Danmark acquired the Swedish Skandiabanken branch in Denmark. Skandiabanken is the leading Danish internet bank in Denmark, with around 120,000 customers. Skandiabanken was merged into Eik Bank Danmark in December 2007. In the same month Eik Bank acquired the Faroese operations of Kaupthing Bank.

The company and its Danish subsidiary were taken over by the Danish banking regulator in October 2010 after failing to meet solvency requirements set by the Financial Supervisory Authority. Trading in the company's shares and bonds was suspended on the news, and Eik Banki's listing on the Nasdaq OMX Iceland exchange was subsequently cancelled. Subsequently 70% of the bank's shares were sold to Tórshavn based TF Holding for DKK 572 million. The bank later became Betri bank. Three of Eik's managers were fined DKK 150 million in 2019.

The retail banking operations of the company in mainland Denmark (Eik Bank Danmark A/S) were sold by the state to the regional bank Sparekassen Lolland for DKK 365 million on 17 December 2010.

Operations
After the sale of Eik Banki's Danish retail banking operations in December 2010, the company's principal remaining businesses are a retail and commercial banking network in the Faroe Islands and ownership of the leading Faroese real estate brokerage company, Inni P/F.

References

External links
Eik Banki official website

Bank failures
Banks of the Faroe Islands
Banks established in 1832
Danish companies established in 1832


Cafe Reboot was a challenging project with a broad theme and was one of Hoozinc's first big projects in Hyderabad. Our artwork here was the first of its kind, a graffiti on brick walls that blended in perfectly with the ambience and the theme of the space. We are proud to have been rewarded with significant media coverage of this artwork.


text:
« Voucher Scholar Turns Against Vouchers
Tennessee: The Rightwing Plan for Hillsdale Charters Just Backfired »
Dana Milbank: Trump Crowd Welcomes Hungarian Leader and Shows Its Values
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post chastises CPAC, the Trump wing of the Republican Party, for inviting Hungarian leader Viktor Orban as a keynote speaker at its meeting in Dallas this week.
He writes:
Thank you, Viktor Orban, for showing us where the American right is heading.
The Hungarian strongman, who derailed his country's nascent democracy, has been a darling of the MAGA crowd for his anti-immigrant policies. He has enjoyed a fawning interview and favorable broadcasts from Budapest by Fox News's Tucker Carlson, and he has been invited as a featured speaker to next week's Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas alongside a who's who of Republican senators, governors and members of Congress, as well as former president Donald Trump himself. Several such luminaries addressed a CPAC gathering in Hungary in May, at which Trump described Orban as "a great leader, a great gentleman."
But Orban made things awkward for his American friends a few days ago. During a July 23 address (in which he said immigration should be called "population replacement or inundation") he gave voice to the belief underlying his nationalism: He opposes the mixing of races.
"Migration has split Europe in two — or I could say that it has split the West in two," he said, after commending to his listeners a 50-year-old racist treatise. "One half is a world where European and non-European peoples live together. These countries are no longer nations. They are nothing more than a conglomeration of peoples." He went on to contrast that with "our world," in which "we are willing to mix with one another, but we do not want to become peoples of mixed race."
That was too much even for Orban's longtime adviser Zsuzsa Hegedus, who resigned and lambasted the prime minister for "a pure Nazi speech worthy of Goebbels." She said the speech could "please even the most bloodthirsty racists" and suggested he was "advocating an openly racist policy that is now unacceptable even for the Western European extreme right."
But not for the American right! CPAC's organizer confirmed to me on Wednesday that Orban is still scheduled to address the group next week. "Let's listen to the man speak," Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Coalition, told Bloomberg News on Tuesday. Orban's name remained on CPAC's speakers list, along with Trump; some two dozen GOP House members; Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.), Rick Scott (Fla.) and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.); Fox News's Sean Hannity; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott; and former Trump aides including Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller.
These leaders shouldn't say they're surprised to be sharing a stage with a man leading the fight against "peoples of mixed race." Last year, CPAC canceled an appearance by a speaker who had referred to Judaism as a "complete lie" that was "made up for political gain." After the Guardian reported that the CPAC conference in Budapest featured a speaker who had previously called Jews "stinking excrement," referred to the Roma population as "animals" and used racist epithets for Black people, CPAC issued a statement saying "anti-Semitism and racial intolerance are scourges that must be eradicated." (The program for the Budapest CPAC, from which many media organizations were banned, included live or virtual addresses by Trump, Carlson, four Republican members of Congress and former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows.)
Republicans have hailed Orban as "Trump before Trump" (Bannon), whose government is doing "so many positive things" (Sen. Ron Johnson). Among the things it has been doing: seizing control of the judiciary and media, banning the depiction of homosexuality, demonizing Jewish billionaire George Soros, expelling asylum seekers and erecting a wire fence on the border, forcing out the country's top university, and halving the size of parliament and redrawing districts to keep itself in power.
At its core, Orban's rule has been about sustaining, and being sustained by, white nationalism. His July 23 speech was an extended articulation of the "great replacement" conspiracy idea — embraced by Carlson and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), among others — that non-White people are plotting to wipe out White people.
He claimed: "Brussels, reinforced with Soros-affiliated troops, simply wants to force migrants on us." Orban railed against a "mixed-race world" in which "European peoples are mixed together with those arriving from outside Europe." He warned that "Islamic civilization" is "constantly moving toward Europe" and is now "occupying and flooding the West."
"This is why we stopped the Turks at Vienna," he said, citing the 1683 battle between a European alliance and the Ottoman Empire. "This is why, in still older times, the French stopped the Arabs at Poitiers." This was a reference to the Battle of Tours — in the year 732, when a Frankish Christian ruler defeated an army of Moors invading from Spain.
It was good of Orban to spell that out, because now we know what Hungary's white nationalists — and their American fan boys at CPAC — have in mind when they rage against immigration and the "great replacement." They want to take us back to the Dark Ages.
Categories Accountability, Extremism, Fascism, Racism, Trump
I would assume that Bannon et al would be happy to live in a world where everyone was a carbon copy of himself. I really wonder if that crowd has ever considered what such a world would be, since such a place has never existed. Orban has stated the platform of American conservatism perfectly. Conservative voters want a country run for the benefit of people like themselves. They are too myopic to see this can never be. They are far too different from one another.
Yossarian says:
Agreed, Mr. Turrentine. Looked at from their perspective, 385M people are just going to roll over for this? Nope. Maybe a few million would. But the rest? It would get very, very messy, very very quick in this country.
These people on the American right have no notion how backward they are perceived to be outside their own crowd. I guess that at some point they will resort to shooting those who laugh at them.
There is a group of Good Trouble" makers on Twitter called "The Good Liars." They troll right wingers. One of them was in the crowd at Bedminster Golf Club, Trump's golf club, when Phil Mickelson was about to swing at a golf ball. The commentator says to the camera, "The Saudis paid Phil $100 million to play in their league." As Mickelson is about to swing, the agitator shouts, "Di it for the Saudi Royal Family," and the golfer stops swinging and steps back.
In another prank, several of them go to a Trump rally and shout, "we're bored! You are boring." Trump wax rattled.
LOL. Wonderful.
Bannon and his ilk are not conservative. They want others to think that they are but they aren't. They are xtian regressive fundie reactionaries who wish to take America back to a time and place that never has been nor ever will be.
They want to obliterate, not conserve.
Actually, Bannon would fit right in in a Nenderthal clan living in a cave.
He even looks the part.
Except Neanderthals were much smarter than Bannon so he would have the job of cleaning up the bones after dinner.
moeone2015 says:
Republican Fascists on the rise. Next they will be saluting Trump as the Nazi did Hitler.
The Trump salute will be the "O" Trump regularly makes with his thumb and index finger..
It will be quite apt given that Trump is a zero.
The MAGA fascists already are showing their patriotism/loyalty is for Trump and not the US Constitution.
During the attempted overthrow of our democratically elected government on January 6, 2021, how many of the flags the domestic terrorists were waving as they waged a violent battle to murder members of Congress, had the traitor's name filling most of the space with Make America Great Again in smaller print below it?
https://thewire.in/world/us-capitol-storming-flag-india-militia-groups-nationalism
"The flags seen throughout the sea of rioters symbolize their support for far-right causes, white supremacy and anti-government militias."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/far-right-symbols-capitol-riot/
AFTER these morons stormed the Capitol, attempting to stop a democratic transfer of power and to HANG the Vice President, 147 STILL SITTING Republican Senators and Representatives STILL voted with the insurrectionists not to certify the election results. This is how bad things have gotten.
That dumpster is a TOTAL FASCIST and so stupid, too.
We can tell who a person is by the company that person keeps.
LetThemLearn says:
We are playing with fire by our continued tolerance of those who are intolerant.
The "Trump eing of the Republican party"?
Is there another wing?
If so, where has it been hiding for the past 6+ years?
Under Josh Hawleys bed?
The non-Trump wing of the Republican Party holds its annual convention:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44979/mr-floods-party
The other wing of the Republican Party consists of Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Gov Baker of Massachusetts, Rusty Bowers of AZ, and Gov Hogan of Maryland.
Bill Weld
That's not a wing.
That's just a few scattered feathers.
Clever quip, Poet. I'd add a stanza about the Cheney's flight pattern never going anywhere that created value for anyone other than the rich and powerful. And, Bowers' flight plan to the land of men over women.
For you, Linda:
Thanks, Greg- Bob pointed out to me that there's more reason to oppose religious indoctrination than my focus- religion driven, right wing politics.
I'll leave the argument to Carlin and Bob who are able to do it justice.
"This is why, in still older times, the French stopped the Arabs at Poitiers."
This quote from Orban is very interesting in light of real history. In Arab chronicles, I have been told by those who have read them, the battle is described as a fight between a small raiding party and the Franks. In the European telling, Charles Martel (The Hammer) changes the entire course of history by holding back the tide of Saracen invasion.
History is full of alternative narrative. Cultures generally accept parts of these stories. When Orban accepts only this traditional version, he speaks to a Eurocentric view only. He knows better. Maybe.
Another superb piece by Millbank!!!
It is no surprise that CPAC is CPAC , Nor that Trumpanzees will be Trumpanzees . Or that Fascists will be fascists.
But the question to as is who is WaPo that Milbank works for. Who is the NYTimes CNN … For six months starting in late spring of 2021 they all hyped inflation and gasoline prices. Inflation at the time was generated (and still is ) from supply disruptions from gasoline to Tampex and from shifts in demand from services to goods not from excess demand .
Hyping gasoline prices that were lower by 20 to 50 cents than the period from 2011 to 2015 as if it was the end of the world in 2022 when wages were higher as prices were lower. Than they went full throttle to recession in February when the Fed hinted at tightening .
For a group of people at these media outfits who are perceived as anti Trump they "are doing a heck of a job " trying to bring Orban's style of authoritarianism to America .
Fun Fact: In the first six months of the 1981-82 recession, we lost 1,046k jobs, in the first six months of the 1990-01 recession we lost 690k jobs, in 2001 we lost 761k jobs, in 2007-09, we lost 705k jobs. In 2022 we gained 2,740k jobs. " Dean Baker
They media will do its best to fix this.
to as x out .
The head of CPAC is Matt Schlapp (Bannon's twin). I recall an article that explained Schlapp, his wife, and Opus Dei.
Nan Mykel says:
I stand in awe of your posts and the width of your knowledge.
Here's why, even if the Fascists win in the short term, they will lose in the long term:
They have no clue about the extent to which people oppose them viscerally, how much they DESPISE the backward notions they wish to promote and people who hold those notions. A Senator (I'm looking at you, Ted Cruz) who reflects the values of middle-aged people in rural Texas or Florida (I'm looking at you, Rick Scott) just doesn't grok that a majority of people from elsewhere HATE and SCORN the things that he stands for. And, especially, young people hate those notions. They aren't religious nuts. They generally think it stupid when people are all Jesus-y. They are totally fine with gender fluidity and nonhetero sexual orientation. They think that HBO's Euphoria is fire. They welcome immigrants from other cultures and are disgusted by people who oppose "race mixing." Disgusted. As in viscerally revolted. As in how one responds to putrefaction.
If you thought the 1960s were tumultuous, just wait and see what's coming when the current Fascist, extremist, Trumpy Repugnican Party takes complete control. There will be lots and lots of protests. These will be met with state violence. That will lead to more protests and more state violence. It will be a positive feedback loop.
And the current Repugnican plan to turn the tide by creating fundamentalist Christian nationalist madrassas ala the 1776 Curriculum and Dominion Theology is going to fail bigtime when it runs up against natural youthful rebelliousness.
Even if you win in November and in 2024, Pugs, don't go giving thanks to your tribal god under the Mission Accomplished sign. Not a chance you will prevail in the long term. After the darkness of you, there will be a dawning.
cx:
A Senator who reflects the values of middle-aged and elderly people in rural Texas (I'm looking at you, Ted Cruz) or Florida (I'm looking at you, Rick Scott) just doesn't grok that a majority of people from elsewhere HATE and SCORN the things that he stands for.
My point: If you've taught high-school-aged kids recently, you know how far, far, far beyond the troglodytes in the current Repugnican Party they are.
Provincial Repugncian Fascists Christian Nationalists, I have some news for you:
You can't put them back down on the farm after they've seen Pah-ree.
In other words, the cat's out of the bag, and it's not going back in.
"These countries are no longer nations. "
Orbán is crapdiving deeper and deeper, searching for the bottom.
Commenting from Budapest.
Mate, glad to hear from you! Budapest is one of my favorite cities.
CPAC's head is Matt Schlapp. Articles have been written about the impact of their religion on what he and his wife promote politically.
The DJT/GOPee Crowd not only likes Orban. They like Orban's strong arm Dictator tactics which they've been using in Canada to help STOP Protests against oil & gas industry development on Indigenous Lands.
Manhattan, Cato, Heritage Institutes and other right wing USA groups have spent YEARS partnering with the right wing Canadian Atlas Network and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. All of them pressuring the Canadian Parliament to ignore the UN, Native Land Authority and Climate Change in favor of fossil fuel extraction and its tragic consequences.
They need lots of money to finance their takeover of USA democracy. Raging wildfires and East KY floods won't deter them. Orban is icing on their cake and an ally in their dream of dominating the world. GRIST.ORG
https://grist.org/indigenous/how-a-conservative-us-network-undermined-indigenous-energy-rights-in-canada/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily
It strikes me that using Hungary to promote political ideology would be like going to Mississippi to get world class health care and education. Or, for international context, Yemen.
Greg, a few years ago, ALEC claimed that Arizona was #1 among the states. The best! For one reason only: it had the most school choice, not the best education.


text:
Roundup: Md. has yet to administer 80% of vaccines
by Meg Tully | Dec 31, 2020 | State Roundup | 0 |
Baltimore Inner Harbor fireworks New Year's 2017 by Patrick Gillespie with Flickr Creative Commons License. This is a cropped version of the full panorama at https://www.flickr.com/photos/40423570@N07/31982194086/sizes/6k/
A HAPPIER NEW YEAR!
Let's hope 2021 turns out better than 2020. State Roundup and the newsletter will return Monday, Jan. 4.
***Today is the final day of Maryland Reporter's fifth annual NewsMatch campaign. Donations to our nonprofit news website are matched by national foundations and a new matching grant from Google. Make your tax-deductible contribution by midnight today. ***
MARYLAND RANKS LOW ON VACCINE ADMINISTRATION: More than 80% of vaccines from the initial allotment to Maryland have not been distributed, Pamela Wood and Danielle Ohl report for the Sun.
Bloomberg ranked Maryland the state with the lowest percentage in administering vaccines available, Drew Armstrong, Gabrielle Coppola and John Tozzi write.
As the vaccine effort gets underway, Candice Spector of the Easton Star-Democrat is reporting Talbot County has completed administering its first 100 vaccine doses to first responders and vaccinators, and has received 600 more doses.
In Elkton, Jacob Took of the Cecil Whig reports Union Hospital received 900 vials of the vaccine, enough to inoculate thousands of healthcare workers and long term facility patients.
Officials believe the vaccination numbers could ultimately be higher due to a lag in reporting, with 8,000 people vaccinated on Tuesday, the highest single-day total yet, Ray Strickland reports for WMAR. But there are some challenges administering vaccines. "It's not just sticking needles in arms," Gov. Larry Hogan said. "There's a lot of moving parts. And I think nobody is quite performing at the top capacity."
ANNE ARUNDEL REOPENS RESTAURANTS, ENDING LAWSUIT: A lawsuit challenging County Executive Steuart Pittman's order to close indoor dining has been dropped, after Pittman announced that restaurants could stay open at 25% capacity, Lilly Price reports for the Capital Gazette.
The settlement came after two days of hearings to continue an injunction against Pittman's executive order, Bryan Sears reports for The Daily Record. It appeared both sides were motivated by the potential for losing the hearing before Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge William C Mulford II.
STATE TACKLES BELTWAY CONGESTION: Maryland and Virginia are studying the possibility of running express bus routes that connect Montgomery and Fairfax counties, Rebecca Cooper reports for The Washington Business Journal.
The buses would relieve congestion at the American Legion Bridge and would connect Bethesda and Tysons with possible service to Germantown, Gaithersburg and Silver Spring, Briana Adhikusuma reports for Bethesda Beat.
The state is also moving forward with plans to widen the Beltway and I-270 by adding express lanes starting at the bridge as well, Adhikusuma reports.
MINIMUM WAGE, OTHER LAWS TAKE EFFECT: Maryland minimum wage is rising from $11 an hour to $11.70 an hour effective Jan. 1, Will Vitka reports for WTOP in a roundup of new laws in the region starting Friday.
With the coronavirus pandemic wrecking the economy since the wage increase was passed, Maryland businesses are saying the new wage will put even more stress on already foundering businesses, Tre Ward reports for WBAL-TV.
ECONOMISTS SPEAK TO MD BUSINESS LEADERS: An economist remarked "it's tough to be a governor right now," in a report by George Berkheimer for The Business Monthly about annual events of the Central Maryland Chamber and Howard County Chamber of Commerce in November, which featured the comments of several economists about the status of the U.S. and Maryland's economy. "There's no victory here, those decisions are going to cost somebody something, including potentially their job or their life," said Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, a Baltimore-based economic and policy consulting firm.
STATE ANNOUNCES HELP FOR UTILITY BILLS: With winter setting in as economic struggles from the coronavirus pandemic continue, the state has increased its energy assistance fund by nearly 40% to help Marylanders with utility bills, the staff of Eye on Annapolis reports. Gov. Larry Hogan announced that more than $154 million is available in energy assistance funds. More than $110 million was distributed in fiscal 2020.
POSITIVITY IS UP ABOVE 8%: The seven-day average for coronavirus test positivity has remained about 8% for two days, Marcus Dieterle reports for Baltimore Fishbowl. The average remained between 7% and 8% from Dec. 6 to Dec. 27, until it rose to 8.1 on Dec. 28. It has increased for the past three days.
JPR CHAIRMAN READIES FOR MAJOR LEGISLATION IN FIRST WEEKS: Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Will Smith (D-Montgomery) gave a preview of the legislative session to come in an interview with Bryan Renbaum of Maryland Reporter, describing several major goals he hopes the committee will tackle in the first two to three weeks of the General Assembly session. Among them: COVID relief such as civil representation for tenants in evictions proceedings, meaningful police reform and parole reform.
COMMENTARY: STOP LOCKING KIDS UP FOR LIFE: One reason Maryland is ranked last, tied with several other states, for its administration of juvenile justice, is that Maryland continues to impose sentences of life without parole on its juvenile offenders, writes Margaret Martin Barry, a member of the Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club, for Maryland Matters.
LEGISLATION REACTING TO MD ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE SCANDAL: Maryland lawmakers plan to reform the Maryland Environmental Service after learning that the agency's former director had obtained a large severance package and other perks as he voluntarily left to become the governor's chief of staff, Pamela Wood reports for the Sun.
REFORM CALLS CONTINUE AFTER FILLING MOSBY'S SEAT: In a behind-the-scenes look at the Democratic Central Committee's selection of Marlon D. Amphrey to fill the 40thdistrict delegate seat, Fern Shen of Baltimore Brew reveals the vote will continue to bolster cries for reform with political cronyism to be taken out of the nomination process for vacant seats.
PROFILE OF MAYOR SCOTT: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is "banking on his youthful urgency, years of government experience and lifelong roots in his hometown to accomplish what has eluded his predecessors," Paul Schwartzman writes for the Post. Scott has pledged to campaign against two urgent crises – the pandemic and gun violence.
VIGIL FOR VICTIMS: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is holding a virtual vigil Thursday night for victims of violence in the city, which saw more than 300 homicides in 2020, Rachel Aragon reports for WBFF.
Violent partners, random bullets led to more women, girls being killed in Baltimore this year than ever before, 48 total, Philip Jackson reports in the Sun.
HELP FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY BUSINESSES: Washington County will offer two new programs in 2021 to offer relief to businesses like hotels and restaurants, Mike Lewis reports for the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
TRONE'S FAMILY STORY OF ADDICTION: U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) shared the personal story of fighting for, and ultimately losing, his nephew to addiction, in an interview with Lindsay Renner-Wood for the Cumberland Times-News. His nephew Ian died four years ago on New Year's Eve due to a fentanyl overdose. Mental health and addiction were two major priorities for him when he ran for Congress, and it's only become more urgent with the coronavirus pandemic. "Addiction, mental illness, they don't care if you're an independent, Republican or Democrat, rich, Black, or white," Trone said. "It doesn't matter. We've all got skin in the game, and we've all got to work together.
PreviousSmith's Legislative Goals: First order of business will be housing and rental relief due to hardships caused by COVID-19
NextHough: GOP agenda for session will focus on help for small businesses, crime reduction
Meg Tully
Meg@MarylandReporter.com
http://MarylandReporter.com
Contributing Editor Meg Tully has been covering Maryland politics for more than five years. She has worked for The Frederick News-Post, where she reported during the General Assembly session in Annapolis. She has also worked for The (Hanover) Evening Sun and interned at Baltimore Magazine. Meg has won awards from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association for her state and county writing, and a Keystone Press Award for feature writing from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. She is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If you have additional questions or comments contact Meg at: Meg@MarylandReporter.com
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How do you top a triumphal tribute show that will go down as one of the most spectacular fashion moments of this era? It isn't easy, not even for a risk-taker like Donatella Versace. Having considered all of her options for Pre-Fall, the lady of the house decided to go home. Of course, home for Versace isn't a two-bedroom flat, but a stately palazzo on Milan's Via Gesù. The Versace siblings bought the noble mansion when they were basically kids—very young, talented, ambitious kids from Southern Italy. And the powerful Medusa's head was right there, as if waiting, a decorative mosaic smack in the middle of the courtyard. Clearly, it was fate.
Versace Casa was the home collection inspired by Gianni's love of baroque statuary and mythological imagery. Who can forget Richard Avedon's 1995 campaign featuring Claudia Schiffer and Nadja Auermann in a state of glorious undress save for their huge silk blankets covered in golden curlicue? Or a stark-naked Sylvester Stallone, hiding his attributes behind a bone china Versace dinner plate decorated with Baroque friezes? Let's just say that Gianni never lacked guts, and Donatella has clearly inherited them in spades.
She referenced the home collection for Pre-Fall as a kind of emotional coming-back to her family roots. Gianni's legacy remains so powerful that it connects the label with a new generation of customers who weren't yet born when he was alive. Next year, they'll wait in line to buy the cool sneakers printed with a revamped Versace logo, and they'll probably wear them with a full-on printed look: pleated miniskirt, men's shirt slit at the shoulders, and leggings.


The Alchemist, one of hip-hop�s more exciting producers, follows up his 1st Infantry disc with a collection of 14 instrumental tracks (some are unreleased beats and others are taken from studio sessions with artists like Mobb Deep and Jadakiss.) The Alchemist injects a lot of soul samples into this album, mixing some nice sounds and layering them with a variety of tempos that tend to loop into nice melodies. While lacking the depth of a DJ Shadow or Dan the Automator, The Alchemist�s newest offering is a throwback to a different era of hip-hop orchestration that is worth a listen if you enjoyed 1st Infantry.


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Annie Frances Burns, age 64
Miss Annie Frances Burns of 51 Gilbert Street, Thomaston, was born October 30, 1879 in New Britain, Connecticut, daughter of Irish immigrants Julia (McAvoy) and Garrett Burns. She was found seriously injured at the circus grounds after the fire on July 6 and admitted to Municipal Hospital for treatment. Despite the efforts of the hospital staff, Miss Burns died from her injuries shortly after noon on Friday, July 7, and was buried at the St. Thomas cemetery in Unionville after services at the Lyons Funeral Home in Thomaston. Annie leaves her sister and brother-in-law with whom she resided, Delia A. (Burns) and Daniel J. O'Connell, and a nephew, Dr. Enos O'Connell, whose wife and daughter Eveline and Doris Jean were also victims of the circus fire.
Annie attended the circus with her brother-in-law, Daniel O'Connell, her great-niece Doris Jean 4, and her great-nephew Robert, 6, and the children's mother, Eveline O'Connell. The group sat in the northeast section of the big top, section V or W, and became separated when trying to escape from the burning tent. Eveline and Doris Jean were found dead at the circus grounds after the fire, and Annie Burns was found severely burned and later died from her injuries. Six-year-old Robert O'Connell and his grandfather were able to escape with their lives.
Miss Burns, crippled from polio since age 2, had worked as a bench hand and clock and watch assembler at the Seth Thomas Clock Factory in Thomaston. Her parents died when she and her siblings were young, and they all promised to care of each other. Her estate was awarded $8,500 by the arbitration board.
Annie's great-nephew Robert O'Connell's story about his family and their experience can be read here: A Circus Fire Survivor's Story


Alfie Deyes has issued an apology after his latest vlog sparked outrage online.
Yesterday, Alfie shared a video called "Living Off £1 For A Day," in which he swapped his lavish lifestyle for just £1. But during the challenge Alfie was able to use petrol to drive and took a personal training session - all things that cost far more than the allotted £1.
Alfie was accused of being out of touch, with many criticising him for complaining that he has to drink tap water instead of bottled. He was also criticised for not using the vlog to raise awareness about real poverty, and publishing the vlog on the one year anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, which disproportionately affected poorer people.
Still bull and makes you come across as a spoilt brat. Oh poor little rich boy can't use his water filter machine, how on earth will I sleep at night worrying about that!!!
What about adding some links on where to find your local food bank? What about actually working with a charity who helps support people living in this kind of poverty? Other people's desperation isn't your privilege Alfie, this is actually a lot of people's reality.
In response, Alfie apologised and changed the title of the vlog to "Spending £1 In 24 hours."
"I just got to Twitter to some people are unhappy with the video I jut uploaded," Alfie wrote in a note shared to Twitter. "I'm so sorry if this has upset you, that was never my intention. I'd seen many others do this video recently and wanted to try it myself. Some people ave seen the video as me mocking others, which I for sure was not going in the video."


A 62 years old South African woman who married a 9 years old boy in 2014 has finally fallen pregnant.
According to South African tradition, the boy was married to replace the spirit of the late man.
The widow has 4 children from the first marriage who are all older than the boy's biological parents.
But after 4 years in marriage, the now 13 years old boy, has now succeeded in impregnating the 66 year old widow.
The two lovers are now expecting their first child who is expected to be born in October/November 2018.


AIPUT was pleased to launch five new warehouse units this week at its Taylors End estate at London Stansted Airport. Over 30 local and South East industrial consultants and occupiers viewed the units, which have been refurbished to a high quality over the Summer and range from 3,170 sq ft to 8,716 sq ft (295 sq m to 810 sq m) – they are available separately or can be combined up to 16,600 sq ft (1,542 sq m). The units have been designed to maximise efficiency and flexibility for a range of storage and logistics uses, complimented with yards and car parking, and are strategically positioned close to Stansted Cargo and Passenger Terminals and Junction 8 of M11.
The launch of these units follows the recent letting to Airline Rotables earlier this year. Existing occupiers on the estate include Ryanair, Alpha LSG Skychefs, Airline Services and AEM.
For more information/brochure please connect with us at www.aiput.co.uk/leasing or contact Jim O'Connell at Glenny's (01268 540771) for a quick discussion and/or viewing.
Airport Industrial Property Unit Trust (AIPUT) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.


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Tag Archives: Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton, Film Festival
Slapstick 2012 programme launched
Bristol's Slapstick Festival is one of the highlights of my cinematic year and it's back from 26 – 29 January 2012.
Stuffed with screenings of silent films introduced by experts and celebrities (including many experts that are celebrities) and illustrated talks on all aspects of comedy, Slapstick manages to walk the fine line between populist and scholarly without faltering.
The 2012 schedule looks typically enticing, with a heavy focus on my favourite silent star, Buster Keaton. Events include Ian Lavender recalling his time on Dad's Army; Buster Keaton expert Kevin Brownlow looking at various aspects of the silent star's career; Charlie Chaplin biographer, David Robinson, discussing the former's place in the history of world art; The Goodies' Graeme Garden looking at the work of the "forgotten" Charley Chase; Barry Cryer introducing a Harold Lloyd double bill; and Bill Oddie discussing his top comedy moments with Chris Serle.
Those are just a fraction of the events on offer (did I mention Terry Jones introducing Life of Brian or Griff Rhys Jones introducing Keaton's The General with a brand new score?) and I'd urge you to head over to the Slapstick 2012 website to take a look at what you can enjoy in January.
That's after you watch the brand new trailer for the event and my own short slide show from Slapstick 2011 including contributions from The Goodies and a few other well-known names:
Visit the Slapstick 2012 website and book your place now.
Tagged Bill Oddie, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Graeme Garden, Slapstick, The Goodies
Holyrood or Bust(er), Silent Cinema
Holyrood or Bust(er) #4: Love and Marriage
Buster Keaton in Daydreams
To celebrate TCM's month-long screening of Buster Keaton films every Sunday in October, I've been following along from the UK through the week with the aid of various DVDs, Twitter and this blog.
This final Holyrood or Bust(er) post takes many liberties with the TCM schedule and I've decided to end my personal Buster marathon with 1925's Seven Chances.
Seven Chances (1925)
Seven Chances is a film which Buster had little interest in making and that I find hard to label top level Keaton, even if he doesn't falter for a moment.
Opening with a clever gag involving the passage of time that sets up Buster's ineffectual character perfectly, here he's a young bachelor who inherits money, a cool seven million dollars, from his grandfather. The only catch is that he must be married by his 27th birthday, which happens to be that day. Cue Buster and his cronies trying to come up with the goods, namely a viable wife, before 7pm.
For many of Buster's contemporaries the story that follows would make a fine film, but for Keaton it's not particularly inspired. Trying to get both Buster and a girl to the alter results in a number of fun sequences, but it's the chase towards the climax that has endured more than anything else here.
It begins with hundreds of potential brides-to-be chasing Buster through the streets and climaxes with him being "chased" down a hill by dozens of boulders, the little man dodging them as best he can. On a TV set it's impressive but it deserves to be watched on a cinema screen, particularly the bit where he's whacked by a giant boulder.
If you haven't seen the film I won't spoil things by saying whether or not he does get himself a wife, hopefully you'll enjoy finding out.
Spending many of my October evenings in the company of Buster Keaton provided me with some of the finest viewing experiences I've had for a long time. I hadn't seen all of the films before, meaning some of those 85-year-old misadventures were as fresh as they were to the original audiences, even if my sitting room and TV aren't quite as impressive as the cinemas and big screen that they witnessed his antics in and on.
What has hopefully become obvious in these brief write-ups is that Buster's work was endlessly inventive and pretty much timeless. I suspect that if I can still enjoy a silent black and white film almost 100 years after they were made, in another 100 years the basic idea of a man taking on the world and winning (in one way or another) will still be funny.
It's also become obvious that while modes of transport and communication have changed radically, human relationships haven't. It's still about boy meeting girl. There are still men who'll fight for no apparent reason and little guys who have to fight back. We still want to improve ourselves and we still have to bounce back when things go wrong.
Buster Keaton may be shy, romantic, hopeful, happy, sad and determined but so are we. Buster takes things to the next level and often stretches credibility, but most of his films are based in some sort of recognisable reality and audiences want him to succeed, just as they try to in their own lives.
I've still got more Buster to watch, and I may blog about them at some point, but for now I salute Turner Classic Movies for taking the time to screen such a wealth of material and apologise I didn't manage to write about every film. As long as I showed that Buster is still relevant to film fans and the world all these years later, and perhaps inspire one of them to check out a film on DVD, at a film festival or on YouTube, I'll be smiling as much as Buster is behind that old stone face.
Tagged Buster Keaton, TCM, Turner Classic Movies
Holyrood or Bust(er) #2: Trains, boats and air balloons
To celebrate TCM's month-long screening of Buster Keaton films every Sunday in October, I'll be following along from the UK through the week with the aid of various DVDs, Twitter and this blog. This post will remain at the top of the blog until the next Sunday.
This first Holyrood or Bust(er) post will cover the initial 14 films being screened on TCM on Sunday 2 October 2011, all grouped under the banner of A Genius on the Move: The General, Cops, Our Hospitality, The Love Nest, The Navigator, The Boat and The Goat, The Play House, The Scarecrow, The Electric House, The Balloonatic, The Paleface, Convict 13 and Speak Easily.
Across the pond they'll be settling down to The General on TV on Sunday evening at 8pm. Here in Edinburgh I had to go for an early start thanks to other commitments tonight, and if I did try to match the outpouring on Twitter at 8pm US time it would be around 4am in the morning here. I'm devoted but not that devoted.
I'm using the 2005 Cinema Club edition of The General, a two disc set stuffed with extras and offering two scores for the film, a 1995 Robert Israel version and a more recent Joe Hisaishi track, which I went for (listen to an excerpt here).
Written and directed by Clyde Bruckman, The General takes us back to 1861 and casts Buster as locomotive driver (The General of the title), Johnnie Gray, heading to see his sweetheart, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), in Georgia. Sporting longer hair than we're used to in his earlier films (it suits him), Buster is soon caught up in the events of the Civil War, as Annabelle's brother decides to enlist with the Confederate Army and Johnnie is expected to follow suit.
Although he's not a coward, there's no real sign that Johnnie wants to fight and potentially die for his country, preferring to spend his time with his beloved Annabelle and his train. Aware that not enlisting won't be popular with his girl but being too important to the Confederate railway, Johnnie finds himself shunned and left to continue his work minus Annabelle.
It's here that the plot really kicks in (well, just after a lovely scene of Buster sitting on the side of the train and being taken away down the tracks) as we skip forward 12 months, discover that Union soldiers are planning to play dirty and watch as Johnnie becomes the perfect anti-hero.
For anyone used to seeing Buster in his short films, finding him in a feature film, on location in the woods of Oregon and taking control of a full size locomotive can be a shock to the system. Of course it's only right that he's given such a broad canvas to work against, the expanded running time reflecting the actor's increased status in the silent film arena.
With a hefty budget of $400,000, there was almost nothing Buster's imagination couldn't afford and the action sequences prove that he was revelling in the freedom. It seems that audiences and critics of the period weren't quite as ready as Buster for The General and its poor performance at the box office proved he was ahead of his time once again.
Thankfully Buster and Bruckman left us with a film that is both epic and small-scale. Epic in that the various explosions, action sequences and train wrecks work perfectly on the big screen but small-scale in that close-ups of Buster's facial expressions (don't believe the Old Stoneface moniker) and glances (check out the scene beside the cannon near the end when Buster looks around him trying to work out how the soldiers are being shot) keeping the viewer emotionally invested in Johnnie's plight.
An excellent start to this month's Buster-fest, the smaller scale Cops from 1922 is up next.
Tagged Buster Keaton, Cops, Jimmy Durante, Our Hospitality, TCM, The General, The Navigator
Holyrood or Bust(er) #1: celebrating Buster Keaton with TCM
Buster Keaton on TCM
There's good and bad news for Buster Keaton fans this month. The good news is that a major TV station, TCM, has named him their Star of the Month, screening Buster's films every Sunday in October. The bad news is that TCM is for US residents only.
Born on 4 October 1895 as Joseph Frank Keaton, the young son of vaudeville performer Joe Keaton was nicknamed "Buster" after being thrown around the stage once too often. Clever, athletic and determined, Buster worked his way up through the ranks of the entertainment world to make himself one of the greatest silent film stars alongside Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd.
I'm something of a recent convert to Buster, discovering his work properly around 2006 on DVD. I was soon hooked, something about his lack of sentimentality and willingness to innovate meaning that every picture was like an experiment with the medium that we were priviliged to see.
For those of us not in America it's hard to imagine quite how huge TCM is over there. I was introduced to the channel, and its many fans, in April when I flew to Hollywood for the second annual TCM Classic Film Festival, a chance for classic movie lovers to gather and watch fantastic films in legendary surroundings.
Buster flyer at the Egyptian
Buster was celebrated with a screening of The Cameraman at The Egyptian Theatre, where the film was accompanied by New York band, Vince Giordano and His Nighthawks. I was in the audience for the event and, even though I've watched the film many times, I noticed things I hadn't seen before as the packed auditorium shook with the laughter of the crowd. A truly wonderful evening that was worth the air fare alone.
On leaving The Egyptian I noticed a programme promoting screenings at LA cinemas [see image on right], including a weekend of Buster's films at the Aero Theatre. Film fans have it easy in that city.
While I can't sit and enjoy TCM's Buster screenings, as a huge fan of the actor (I rate him above Chaplin and Lloyd in case you hadn't guessed) I intend to follow proceedings with the aid of my various DVD sets, the TCM Twitter feed and this blog.
I'll provide some commentary on my rewatch of the majority of the features and shorts that the US audience will be seeing and I'd recommend anyone with a Buster Keaton set on the shelf dusts it off as well, or order Masters of Cinema's stunning boxset as soon as you can.
I've also got Edward McPherson's 2004 Buster biography, Tempest in a Flat Hat, to read this month, and some compilation DVDs, Keaton Plus and Industrial Strength Keaton, which I keep meaning to watch.
You'll also find a lot of Buster love over on film blog The Kitty Packard Pictorial, where Carley Johnson is hosting a month-long celebration.
Here's TCM's Scott McGee discussing the season on the latest TCM video podcast:
Tagged Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, TCM


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A Momentous Week in Annapolis
And other legislative updates in this week's Up the Street
Photo credit: Governor's office
THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS
The Blueprint Marches On: Don't Let Up the Pressure
Just a week ago, the House of Delegates passed House Bill 1300, the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, rejecting dozens of floor amendments before sending the bill to the Senate. Failed amendments involved "checkpoint" initiatives that would slow the rate of funding increases in later years. The Senate has resurrected some of those amendments and others that we oppose and do not improve the bill. If the full Senate passes the bill this weekend or early next week, a conference committee will convene to work out differences between the House and Senate on a final bill.
We're pleased that the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee and the Budget and Taxation Committee adopted an amendment offered by Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D, District 9-Howard and Carroll counties) to assure that the Accountability and Implementation Board "may not usurp the lawful collective bargaining process due school employees in the state." Additionally, with the help of Sen. Mary Washington (D, District 43-Baltimore City) and Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D, District 30-Anne Arundel), senators held over an amendment to increase ESP wages by $3/hour as a subject that could be discussed by the conference committee on the bill.
There is still a lot to get right before final passage. MSEA opposes the "checkpoint" proposal offered by the Senate. This measure would dismantle the program if any targets were not met and/or if dedicated funding were not sufficient to meet the fiscal year 2026 cost estimates. Failure to fund will lead to failure of the Blueprint and expressing such uncertainty in bill language weakens the state's commitment. We also oppose giving preferential status to the governor's representatives on the Accountability and Implementation Board nominating committee. We support a more broad-based, equitable selection process to populate the all-important seven-member oversight board. We also support the House action to enhance the influence of the Professional Standards for Teachers and Education Board (PSTEB) on matters related to teacher certification and licensure. The Senate version reverses this change and empowers the State Board of Education to overrule the advice and actions of PSTEB. We will continue to push for strong educator voices in state education policy and the implementation of the Blueprint.
The Blueprint is based on the findings of the Kirwan Commission and would revise the state's school funding formula for the first time in nearly two decades. Over the next 10 years, the Blueprint calls for billions of dollars of new investment in Maryland schools that would comprehensively address the chronic underfunding of Maryland public schools. We still need to raise our voices to make sure that it passes, so our schools and students get the funding and support that they deserve! Click here to email your legislators and urge them to pass the Blueprint.
Update on Coronavirus: Schools Close for Two Weeks; State House Closed to Public
The situation changes almost hourly, but Annapolis, like most of the country, is responding with calm and caution to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, the governor and state school, health, and government representatives announced government and school closures. Gov. Hogan has put the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) at its highest activation level to fully coordinate with counties, and he activated the National Guard to carry out any needed functions. The State House and legislative buildings are closed to the public and the rest of the session schedule is in doubt as of this writing. The public may submit written and electronic testimony. MSEA members and locals that have planned for lobby nights should cancel those plans and instead focus on calls and emails to their delegates and senators to help with our advocacy efforts. State School Superintendent Karen Salmon announced that public schools will be closed March 16 through March 27 to disinfect schools and buses.
The best source for local COVID-19 information is the State Health Department. The National Education Association also offers some NEA-related COVID-19 information that school employees may find helpful.
$47.9 Billion Budget Bill Unanimously Passes the Senate
On Thursday, the Senate passed an amended version of the governor's fiscal year 2021 budget. The House will take it up immediately, as this is a must-pass bill as part of the legislature's constitutional responsibility to pass a balanced budget. Within the budget, state aid for public schools based on the old formulas are funded, as are the mandated programs that were passed in last year's Blueprint legislation to expand community schools, increase access to pre-k, and improve funding for students receiving special education services. The Senate version restores funding the governor had proposed to cut from several health and social services and cultural organizations. MSEA continues to oppose the governor's proposal to fund the BOOST voucher program at $10 million, an element that the Senate did not adjust.
529 Plan Loophole Might Narrow
Some families have been cashing in on a loophole that allowed unlimited numbers of 529 Education Savings accounts to be opened for a single beneficiary and to collect hundreds of dollars in state bonuses on each account. The House will consider SB 615 that the Senate passed Wednesday to limit the number of accounts to two per beneficiary that could benefit from the state saving incentive bonus. In 2019, Maryland decided to offer incentives to families to save for college in tax-free 529 savings accounts. The state offers $500 to account holders who make a $100 minimum deposit into a 529 account and have individual income or married combined income up to $112,000 or $125,000, respectively, or, for a minimum deposit of $250, a couple making up to $175,000 will receive $250 from the state.
Teacher and Parent Closer to Taking Seats on State School Board
On Monday, the Senate Nominations Committee finally received the formal appointment paperwork for Rachel McCusker to take her rightful place on the Maryland State Board of Education (SBOE). She was elected by educators across the state at the end of 2019, two years after educators started lobbying to get an educator's voice on the SBOE. After the full Senate confirms her, she will be the first active teacher to serve on the board. Her term will run through June 2022. McCusker is a vocal music teacher in Carroll County at Linton Springs Elementary School. She will be joined by a new parent member, Lori Morrow, who was nominated to the governor by the state PTA to serve on the board for a term running through June 2023.
Census Has Begun: You Count!
Anyone associated with education has a stake in the completion of the 2020 Census. We support the state's resolution to ensure an accurate census count is accomplished this year, for the well-being of children in particular. Marylanders can respond and complete the census online, by phone, or by mail.
The strength of public schools depends on the precise count of Marylanders, which determines federal funding to alleviate poverty and guarantee public services are sufficient to meet a population's need. Tens of billions of dollars for poverty relief will be distributed based on the Census data. An accurate count is essential to assuring that resources for schools are distributed appropriately. Unfortunately, the 2010 Census missed 10% of children under the age of five, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The missed, hard-to-count population included the most vulnerable children in need of the most resources, including English language learners and those in transient living conditions. That population tends to experience more adverse childhood experiences, which can negatively affect their whole lives. We all benefit and depend on an accurate census.
MSEA has members all over the state. Find your affiliate today.
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issue? We've rounded up the most drool-worthy destinations around the world that would be perfect for a grand and unique wedding that everyone has been dreaming of having. You don't have to worry about the expenses when travelling as you can always use discounts such as ctrip promotion code flight.
Who would not want to be wed inside a castle? This 900-year-old country castle should fit the bill for a perfect fairytale-like wedding. Just two hours away from Florence, the venue screams romance with its Tuscan charm with a rustic twist. Indeed, nothing beats exchanging your vows amidst lush gardens and olive groves, a wedding dinner on its stunning lawn and scenic pool. You can use a discount such as albelli code or amazon voucher to prepare for the wedding decorations and giveaways.
Are you looking for a more exotic, tropical location? Well, the Alila Ubud Resort located in Payangan, Bali certainly fits the bill.
You can host your ceremony in an open-air pavilion with a traditional Balinese design. The resort boasts of perhaps one of the world's most picturesque infinity pools. One word to describe the wedding-perfect setting, enchanting. You can check for wedding souvenirs on local shops and you can also take advantage of the bestseller shop coupon when you shop.
If you've always wondered what it would be like to tie the knot in a palatial setting, look no further than the Oberoi Adiavilas located in Udaipur, India. The grand architecture can only be described as palace-like. You can even make the event more memorable for your guests by arranging them to arrive in style— by boat. You don't have to worry for your travel expenses as you can always get an angkas coupon code for new users.
Have you always admired the grandeur of 17th century France? Then you can book Vaux Le Vicomte, located in Maincy, France for your big event. With its sprawling gardens, the castle can certainly provide the perfect setting for a picturesque French-themed wedding. Its spacious interiors can comfortably seat 400 guests amidst luxurious, baroque style ambiance fit for royalty.
Are you still planning a perfect honeymoon? A couple of days in Amsterdam would be the perfect getaway. There are tons to do in the city like taking an Amsterdam canal tour, visiting its numerous museum and even just touring the city by bike. You can also get a lot of information for a romantic getaway on any "gratis datingsite online" or free dating site online.