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18 August 2018 at 11:57pm
Boris Johnson's Facebook page host to hate comments – report
Boris Johnson (Victoria Jones/PA) Photo: PA Wire/PA Images
Boris Johnson's official Facebook page is host to hundreds of Islamophobic messages, it has been reported.
The Sunday Times said an investigation it carried out into online abuse had uncovered calls to ban Islam, deport Muslims and "vile" attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan.
A source close to the former foreign secretary said he "totally condemns" the "hateful" views posted by a small minority of respondents.
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Mr Johnson is currently facing an internal Conservative Party investigation for an article he wrote for The Daily Telegraph likening women who wear the Muslim full face veil to "bank robbers" and "letterboxes".
According to The Sunday Times, the posts on his Facebook page include calls for "no Muslims in government, police or army".
One is said to read: "That's crazy to trust them. They are just waiting for the Jihad sign to turn on us. #islamophobicandproud."
A source close to Mr Johnson said: "Mr Johnson totally condemns the hateful views posted by a small minority on these Facebook pages, brought to light by The Sunday Times.
"However it is ridiculous to attack Mr Johnson for comments made by individuals on social media when even the official website and Facebook page of the Times and Sunday Times host racist and Islamophobic messages from page visitors."
Allies of the former foreign secretary indicated that, to date, his team had not "censored" comments on his Facebook page – including those attacking him – as he believed in free speech and that people should be able to contact their elected representatives easily.
They pointed out that Facebook was responsible for moderating Facebook pages, with a staff of 15,000 to investigate and remove offensive postings.
While Mr Johnson has yet to comment publicly on the furore over his Telegraph article, his supporters have made clear he did not accept his comments were Islamophobic and he would not be apologising.
Last updated Sat 18 Aug 2018


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How the telecom industry is building 'an Offer You Can't Refuse'
Telecom industry players have been under tremendous stress for the past years. The ubiquity of the internet, and all kinds of free messaging and voice services are nibbling away at their revenue. A revenue that is furthermore being squeezed by companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, who are using the their network capacity to deliver their own services, while billing consumers for those services directly.
Beneath this continuous pressure, the telecom industry has no other choice but to build an Offer You Can't Refuse (the title of my new book which you can order here) and invest in these three pillars: offering the ultimate convenience, becoming a 'Partner in the Life' and 'Saving the world'. For those of you who are not yet familiar with my OYCR concept, check my book trailer .
Offering the ultimate convenience
Vivo + Ace
Telecom service provider Vivo, Brazil's largest mobile operator with 80 million users' partnered with Ace Seguradora to give its customers protection while travelling via the "Vivo Seguro Viage" service. The insurance policy covers several types of expenses: from medical, hospital, dental, accident to illness, medical evacuation and baggage location, plus cancellation or interruption of the trip. The insurance is offered around the world, with the exception of countries subject to economic sanctions by the UN or the Brazilian government. It's a great way of offering zero effort protection to its customers who want to feel safe during their travels.
AT&T's Kiosks
AT&T, then, ventured into the healthcare industry to allow hospital patients to use the AT&T Check-in kiosk at the entrance to register themselves without the need for staff assistance and find out where they will need to go. With electronic medical records integration, patients can use the kiosks to review an appointment schedule, select an appointment time, and enter required preliminary records. The kiosks even add rideshare and transportation services to the check-in and check-out processes to further improve the patient experience. Last but not least, the kiosks can allow to streamline identity authentication as they can (optionally) be equipped with biometric authentication features, like fingerprint or facial scanning. The latter can also help staff to quickly find wandering or disoriented patients.
Deutsche Telekom's tech incubator
Deutsche Telekom has a slightly different approach. Through its tech incubator hubraum, it brings early-stage start-ups and the leading European telco together, sparking innovation transfer and creates business opportunities for both sides. Ultimately, Deutsche Telekom's customers too, will profit from the innovations and convenience that flow from the collaborations with the start-ups in the areas of for instance massive broadband connectivity (5G), AI, smart home, voicification, entertainment, AR/VR, tracking and IoT. I love how they are even partnering with start-ups that have the potential power to disrupt the telco industry with tech innovations like blockchain, neuroscience and human machine interfaces.
An example of a Deutsche Telekom hubraum partnership is the ultraconvenient eParkomat: a platform that predicts parking spaces availability on and off-street in real time by using AI and real-time Big Data to analyze the mobile operators' cellular networks. Another one is the book-summarizing subscription service Blinkist which has about seven million users and provides 15-minute read summaries of more than 2,500 bestselling non-fiction books.
Partner in Life
NTT + Toyota: a better citizen life
One of my favourite examples in the matter has to be Woven city, which is a smart city collaboration between car builder Toyota and the Japanese telecom player NTT. Toyota decided to become a mobility partner in the lives of its customers and intends to build an experimental city, as of 2021. To implement this project, Toyota is collaborating with the Japanese telecom player NTT, who will in its turn become the Partner in Connectivity for the residents of the city, connecting people, vehicles and buildings via smart censors. The purpose of this remarkable initiative is to see how the full potential of a city can be most efficiently utilised, whilst at the same time offering high standard of living to its inhabitants.
Orange + Dacom: a better life for farmers
Orange has a Smart Agriculture vertical within its Smart Cities & Territories strategic program to become a Partner in the (Business) Life of farmers. As digital services are becoming more accessible and farmers are more aware of the opportunities that new technologies provide, it started to offer solutions to connect sensors for fields, machines and livestock monitoring, agricultural machinery tracking and traceability and shipping control.
One example is its partnership with Dacom to help farmers enable digital services and support them in their day-to-day decision making. Another is how Orange Labs researchers have developed a measuring and visualization tool – Pig Data (as an analogy with Big Data, of course) – able to make use of data from pig farms in order to allow precision agriculture with Li-Fi, a wireless communication technology that uses light.
Telenor as a Life Partner for its employees
In my book, The Offer You Can't Refuse, I also talk about the OYCR for employees, which plays a crucial part in creating an OYCR for your customers. Telenor, one of the largest telecom players in the world, is a great example of the Life Partner OYCR strategy for employees. One of the greatest difficulties facing the company is recruiting and keeping the right talent to tackle the challenges that the telecom industry will face in the years ahead. More than ever, the sector needs people with a technological profile: strong in AI, data analysis and programming.
As many others, Telenor has been struggling to find these people. And so, it decided to launch a large-scale retraining programme for its own people, working together with the online training institutes Udacity and Coursera. Employees with an administrative background were encouraged to follow courses in for instance data science. This kind of talent is often hard to find on the external labour market, so by retraining its own internal candidates Telenor was able to generate a double benefit: the talent was immediately available and the employees concerned were enthusiastic about their change of career direction. As keeping their profile interesting for the labour market is a lifelong worry of employees, Telenor is able to become a Partner in the Learning Life of its employees.
Starlink: Internet for everyone
One of the best ways for telecom (related) companies to save the world is to fight the inequality that comes with lack of internet access. The best known project here is probably SpaceX' Starlink project which is meant to deliver high speed broadband internet – through satellites – to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. It is targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021.
AT&T + Loon: better coverage in disaster areas
Alphabet's Loon is another disruptive outlier focused on providing connectivity. They have a different approach than Starlink, though, working with high-altitude, stratosphere skimming balloons that can act as on-demand, deployable cell towers. At the beginning of 2020, the more traditional telecom player AT&T signed an agreement with Loon to help people with better coverage in disaster areas. This partnership is meant to help Loon ensure it's in a much better position to address any potential need for disaster response cellular network coverage, thanks to integration with AT&T and its global network partners.
Belgian Telecom operators against COVID-10
In my home country Belgium the main telecom operators supported the public authorities' Track & Trace call center in its fight against the spread of the Covid19 virus. As the volume of outgoing calls and SMS from this center was expected to be particularly high, BASE, Orange Belgium, Proximus, Scarlet, Telenet and VOO unanimously decided not to charge any interconnection and termination fee for these calls and SMS. The latter obviously translated in a massive reduction of the operational costs of the call center operated by the government.
Telenet offering low budget internet to lower income families
Telenet, one of Belgium's Telco providers, started offering a basic internet product for families with a lower income. For only 5 Euro per month everyone can have access to a fast internet connection. As connectivity is more important than ever, they are helping families to give them access to information but also access to eduction for their children. Telenet is using their assets to help society with this offering.
Ericsson and Telia + Einride & DB Schenker: sustainable transport
Telecommunications companies Ericsson and Telia teamed up with Swedish transport company Einride and supply chain management and logistics solutions company DB Schenker to co-create a safer, more sustainable transport ecosystem using 5G. They see 5G as a key enabler of sustainable transport as it provides the connectivity and reliability needed to safely introduce all-electric, autonomous trucks onto public roads.
The Ericsson Radio System and Cloud Core for 5G provide high-performance connectivity to Einride's T-pod – a driverless vehicle operating continuously at DB Schenker's logistics facilities in Jönköping, Sweden. The T-pod and autonomous transport system could potentially replace more than 60 percent of today's transport with a sustainable, affordable alternative.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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#WDR2018 Reality Check #21: "The educational "anti-policy" financed by the World Bank in El Salvador", by Israel Montano
Leading the profession
published 3 April 2018 updated 12 February 2019
Israel Montano Osorio
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The recommendations of the World Development Report (WDR) 2018 show that the World Bank has not learned from its mistakes and continues to offer poor advice regarding education policies. In El Salvador, as in other countries, rather than forming part of the solution, the World Bank is in many ways responsible for the supposed learning crisis. Yet, the WDR fails to analyse the role played by the World Bank's imposed educational agenda, an agenda that does not respond to the priorities of national governments regarding what is necessary to guarantee the fundamental right to free, socially referenced, public quality education for all children. In El Salvador, the World Bank policies have had a seriously negative impact. This blog explains why.
Between 1991 and 2018, the World Bank made loans of $331m to finance education reforms. Most of these reforms had common aims: to establish a minimum curriculum based on competencies; evaluate teachers and students; distribute funds according to performance and to continue the implementation of parallel educational management structures outside the control of the Ministry of Education. The World Bank continues to implement policies that weaken the right to education and the capacity of the State to guarantee it. That is, the Bank finances an educational "anti-policy".
Following almost two decades of war, El Salvador signed peace agreements in 1992. The signing of these accords created opportunities for communities to re-establish their social fabric, for the most neglected sectors of the population to enter into political life and for the State to be be present where, owing to the war, it had been absent for so many years, or rather, where it had exerted violence over the population for so many years. However, it was the neoliberal policies that did so much damage to the country: currently 41% of families live below the poverty line and are subjected to the violence of the maras(gangs). 36% of girls, boys and adolescents in the country live without their father or mother, or both. This may be due to their parents migrating to the USA, violent death at the hands of the maras, or abandonment. Therefore, the children we teachers have in our care do not always have a safe, protective family environment; they live in conditions of poverty and are frequently exposed to various forms of violence.
For us teachers, the first important blow to education struck by the World Bank was the Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) programme. Started in 1991, this programme consisted of giving money to parents in the communities to organize themselves in Community Associations for Education (ACE) and, together with some school directors, to form School Administration Boardsand take charge of primary education. By the end of the programme, they were also administering a number of secondary education businesses.
The excuse for launching EDUCO was that after the war, any process promoted by central government would require a long time to organise. The ACEs and the School Administration Boards then had thelegal capacity to hire teachers and decide what type of services and materials would be used in their communities.
The ACEs and the administration boards received the resources from the Ministry of Education (MINED) in large quantities. It was these groups of fathers and mothers who, without any technical or educational training, were directly responsible for the teachers in rural areas. The handling of the money was not transparent in the case of some community representatives who, moreover, took decisions regarding the educational process with no pedagogical or didactic criteria. Teachers were subject to a hiring system based on whim, servility and political cronyism. Schools were set up in whatever houses or rooms the community had and nobody obliged them to invest in adequate infrastructures with the necessary conditions for sports and games, for laboratories, libraries or school canteens.
According to the World Bank itself, of the almost $59m that were distributed in the communities, 44% was financed by the Bank, 51% by the Salvadorian government, 5% by USAID and 0.2% by UNICEF. A total of $26m came from the Social Sector Rehabilitation Project, which was a loan from the World Bank in 1991. This money could have served to improve a national educational system which guaranteed a fairer educational system, made a genuine contribution to the recovery of the social fabric, and provided quality initial training to teachers and proper in-service training. The reality is that this money was not used to bolster education, but to establish small mafias within the communities.
For us teachers, the World Bank, through its EDUCO program, supported and financed an educational anti-policy as its implementation meant that the State and the government did not take responsibility for education. This was extremely serious because at that time, following the war, the country needed a State with a strong presence that would begin to guarantee and make effective the rights that had been denied for so many years, including the right to education.
The Bank continues to prefer inequality in 2018
As teachers, we must be concerned about an educational reform that will profoundly affect our youth. It is financed by the World Bank through the 2005 Excellence and Innovation in Secondary Education (EXITO) Project loan scheme, for an amount of $85m, and the 2011 Education Quality Improvement Project, for a further $60m. All this money is being used to push through a reform in secondary education aimed at generating two types of secondary education: one for girls and boys who have better opportunities and another for poorer youngsters.
The Bank is financing a model based on a longer school day so that girls and boys spend more hours in the centre. This format is not without its difficulties as the working conditions and infrastructure to ensure the longer day respects the rights and needs of both the pupils and the teaching staff are not being created. Furthermore, the Bank is promoting a flexible model of distance or semi-distance learning for impoverished adolescents and those from areas of greater social conflict. These models focus on providing skills in the subjects of language, arithmetic, science and, in some cases, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support this methodology.
This second model worries us greatly. We understand that El Salvador is a young country, with over 55% of the population under 30 years old, and 26% of young people between 15 and 24 neither studying nor working. However, the Bank's vision of generating a model of secondary education for the poor which moves it away from the education centres isolates this group and arms them with very limited skills with which to enter the labour market.
In a country such as El Salvador which is so affected by violence, education centres must offer a safe space for containment and social integration and cohesion. In addition to attending school to study mathematics and Spanish, these boys and girls come to learn the value of participation, democracy, collaborative work, the history of their country and of their region.
The World Bank continues to seek to impose an education policy on us without understanding the transforming value of education. Or perhaps it is precisely because they do understand this value that the Bank fights against education so much. It is also for this reason that we in ANDES 21 de junio value the power for transformation and equality that education can generate, and we will continue to defend it as a social right, one which cannot be shaped from the perspective of a bank and its club of consultants and "experts".
#WDR2018 Reality Check is a blog series organized by Education International. The series brings together the voices of education experts and activists – researchers, teachers, unionists and civil society actors - from across the world in response to the 2018 World Development Report, Learning to Realize Education's Promise. The series will form the basis of a publication in advance of the WB Spring Meetings 2018. If you would like to contribute to the series, please get in touch with Jennifer at jennifer.ulrick@ei-ie.org. All views expressed are those of the authors alone and do not represent the views of Education International.
Check out the previous post in the series by Mark Ginsburg: #WDR2018 Reality Check #20: Half-Hearted Commitment to Teacher Learning.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of Education International.
World Bank Research and Policy Development El Salvador #WDR2018 school-based management Worlds of Education Israel Montano Osorio Leading the profession
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The Apache Pig ORDER BY operator sorts a relation based on one or more fields. It maintains the order of tuples.
In this example, we return only two tuples from all the tuples in the relation.
Let's return the first two tuples.


After a year off, "Game of Thrones" has returned to Primetime Emmy Award contention in a big way. The fantasy epic drew 22 nominations Thursday, the most for any show — edging out NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and fellow HBO drama "Westworld," which each attracted 21 nominations. Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" followed with 20 nominations.
FX's "The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" led all limited series with 18 nominations. "Atlanta," also from FX, was the most nominated comedy series at 16.
Netflix, however, supplanted longtime industry leader HBO as the most nominated network or platform. The streaming service drew 112 nominations, up from 91 last year. HBO, despite the return of "Game of Thrones" to Emmy eligibility for its most recent season, slipped to 108 nominations from 111 last season.
The big haul for Netflix demonstrated the scope of its original programming lineup, which is fueled by unprecedented spending on content that the company's chief content officer Ted Sarandos in May estimated would, this year, rise to $8 billion. While pay cabler HBO in recent years has relied on a handful of outsize awards-season performers to lift its Emmy fortunes, Netflix's nominations were spread among a wide array of offerings — "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld" account for nearly half of HBO's nominations; Netflix, for its part, boasts none of the 10 most nominated series this year.
FX drew 50 nominations, the most of any basic-cable channel. NBC led all broadcast networks with 78 nominations, more than twice as many as any other broadcaster. Other networks or platforms with 10 or more nominations were CBS (34), ABC (31), Hulu (27), Amazon (22), Showtime (21), National Geographic (17), Fox (16), VH1 (12), and CNN (10).
Returning to eligibility in a category it won in 2015 and 2016, "Game of Thrones" was nominated for best drama series alongside last year's winner "The Handmaid's Tale," FX's "The Americans"; Netflix's "The Crown" and "Stranger Things"; NBC's "This Is Us"; and "Westworld." This year is the first since 2009 that no season-one show was nominated for best drama. Last year, five series were nominated for their premiere seasons.
In the lead drama actress race, last year's winner Elisabeth Moss of "The Handmaid's Tale" was joined by fellow 2017 nominees Claire Foy of Netflix's "The Crown," Keri Russell of FX's "The Americans," and Evan Rachel Wood of "Westworld." Tatiana Maslany, who won the best lead actress award in 2016 for BBC America's "Orphan Black," also earned a nomination Thursday for the sci-fi series' final season. The lone freshman nominee was Sandra Oh for "Killing Eve," also from BBC America.
Three freshman series and one long-absent veteran shook up the best comedy series category. HBO's "Barry," Netflix's "Glow," and Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" were nominated for their debut seasons alongside HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which returned to TV last year with its first new season since 2011. ABC's "Black-ish" and HBO's "Silicon Valley"earned nominations for best comedy series with fellow returning nominees "Atlanta" and Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Not present was multiple past winner "Modern Family" of ABC, the first time in the show's nearly decade-long history that it failed to be nominated for best comedy series. HBO's "Veep," which has won the last four comedy-series awards, was not eligible this year after production on the show's forthcoming final season was delayed due to star Julia Louis-Dreyfus' battle with cancer.
Nominees for best limited series included TNT's "The Alienist"; "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"; National Geographic's "Genius: Picasso"; Netflix's "Godless"; and Showtime's "Patrick Melrose." For best actress in a limited series or movie, the nominees were Laura Dern (HBO's "The Tale"); Jessica Biel ("The Sinner"); Michelle Dockery ("Godless"); Edie Falco (NBC's Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders); Regina King (Netflix's "Seven Seconds"); and Sarah Paulson (FX's "American Horror Story: Cult"). Nominees for best actor in a limited series or movie were Antonio Banderas ("Genius: Picasso"); Darren Criss ("The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"); Benedict Cumberbatch ("Patrick Melrose"); Jeff Daniels (Hulu's "The Looming Tower"); John Legend (NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar"); and Jesse Plemons ("Black Mirror: USS Callister").
In addition to "Game of Thrones," "Saturday Night Live," "Westworld," "The Handmaid's Tale," The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," and "Atlanta," other shows receiving 10 or more nominations were "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (14); "Barry" (13); The Crown (13); "Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert" (13); "Godless" (12); "Stranger Things" (12); "Glow" (10); VH1's "RuPaul's Drag Race" (10); "The Voice" (10).
"The Handmaid's Tale" star Samira Wiley and star "New Amsterdam" star Ryan Eggold revealed this season's nominees on Thursday. The actors, along with Television Academy chairman and CEO Hayma Washington and president and CEO Maury McIntyre, made the announcement from the Wolf Theatre at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center.


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All My Films #002: 12 Angry Men
Film: 12 Angry Men
Director: Sidney Lumet
Format: Criterion Collection Blu-Ray
Fiction can be serve as a mirror to look back at ourselves or it can be used to make a world dramatically different than what we experience. The closer you get to reality, the more unnerving the experience can be. A fear I have is to have my fate be decided by twelve strangers. Just like we want for our President or teachers, we want the jury to be smartest set of 12 people that ever were assembled, because it's your life on the line.
In a very tense 90 minutes, 12 men walk into a small sweltering room to decide whether a young boy will get the electric chair after allegedly stabbing his father to death. 11 men believe the kid is guilty and don't want to discuss any further after six grueling days in court. Only one man, Henry Fonda's Juror #8, is willing to treat the process fairly and voting not-guilty so they can spend more time discussing the facts.
When I said that I want to see a smarter and nobler use of the justice system, that doesn't mean these 12 men need to be Rhodes Scholars. In fact, it's better that they aren't. In the most insignificant spoiler I can give, Fonda's character is revealed to be an architect. (Since all the characters are only named Juror #X, for clarity I will refer to them all by the actor's name.) We also have a sports reporter and an ad man. They are average men who excel themselves to the extraordinary, simply by taking the time to talk, think and listen.
With the economy of time, some characters only get a couple of key character moments. The actors are able to seamlessly use those to embody a full person as everyone dances around the table and this boy's fate. Rhetoric is not only about how to interpret how the lawyers gave their case, but how each of them view the world. E.G. Marshall seems to embody the professorial approach with an upper-class lifestyle while the man sitting next to him, Jack Klugman, is bringing into the discussion a lifestyle more similar to the accused. The greatest clash is what pushes escalates the drama is between Fonda's quiet pragmatic approach to Lee J. Cobb's stubborn and screaming persona.
The evolution of each character towards their final decision is due to the strength of the ensemble. There is so much information about each one of them, just by watching them react to certain lines and seeing how and why they are defending their vote. The table represents a place of civility in discourse so when people are so impassioned to stand-up and walk away, it is harder to create any type of understanding. Director Sidney Lumet uses the camera to wander around the room to see everyone's reaction and then in the same complicated shot, he will then pause to let one person speak. The claustrophobia and felt because we are always with as many people as possible. One frame even had all 12 of them in the shot as they stand aghast at the escalated level of discourse. Even a trip to the bathroom is occupied with at least three men who are still trying to sell their perspective. There's no escaping their responsibility. Jack Warden tries and is judged harder than the bigot by the end of the film.
Where other countries uses judges for cases like these, the United States relies on the hopeful sense of internal justice bestowed upon their peers. This film shows a complex look at what a peer means. These are 12 men with different backgrounds and none of them can really compare their lives to the accused. Yet as the film continues, it's clear the peer relationship we all hope for is the comradery of humanity. With the final verdict, these 12 become heroes as they achieved a beautiful example of what the system was designed to do.
Introduction of the TV Version by Ron Simon – I'm really glad that I watched this before the live television version because I received so much more context about the writer, Reginald Rose. I always thought it was a play before a TV movie, but I was wrong. I loved hearing how Rose's personal jury experience over a manslaughter case led to an eight-hour debate was the inspiration for this film. Since Simon is a curator for the Paley Center, he also provided some fantastic context for what live television was like in the 50s.
12 Angry Men (Teleplay) – The TV version is a half hour shorter than the movie. I expected that to make it feel rushed, but since this was the original script, it completely works. There's plenty of breathing room at the beginning as they all slowly go into their assigned place. The direction is really vibrant as it moves around the room. It's a big disorganized when compared to Sidney Lumet, which probably isn't a fair comparison. Lumet had time to set up every shot and see what works; this version is live. This was part of a three-part series where one of the other ones was the Best Picture winner, Marnie. I liked the cast, but it was harder to distinguish them all because they all move around so much and their suits are very similar. The best indicator of their perspectives begins right at the beginning where we can watch their reactions as the judge gives them their responsibilities.
While I can compare every actor, I'll just stick with the main role of Juror #8. This version was played by Robert Cummings who I best recognize as the lead of Hitchcock's Saboteur. As opposed to Henry Fonda, he seems very nervous as he is going up against 11 men. He knows he has the facts and the sense of justice, but he's more hesitant in his actions. Whereas Henry Fonda was badass and noble Henry Fonda. The guy had played Lincoln by this point, for goodness sake. I found Cummings' approach to be really interesting and made it feel more like an uphill battle against the reluctance of the room.
12 Angry Men: From Television to Cinema – For most of this 25-minute documentary/interview with film scholar Vance Kepley, it works mostly as a nice tribute to the teleplay for people who haven't seen the teleplay. It's not bad, but it's showing the differences between the two and that can also be accomplished by watching the two. I did respect the teleplay even more when I realized how much had to be done to hide the other cameras for this live production and to have 12 actors hit their marks to never hide the central character of the moment or get in the camera's way.
When it enters the transition to the film, then it really becomes interesting. It's great to see how the studio wanted the success of Marty but only wanted to spend $400,000 on the whole movie. This was accomplished thanks to Sidney Lumet and here we get to see the joyful photographs of him and his hat on the set.
I'm sure that Criterion didn't have the rights to them, but they tease other versions of the movie including a Russian version and one directed by William Friedkin. I wish we could hear more about their productions and their narrative differences.
Interviews About Sidney Lumet – This was an amazingly edited complication that took interviews throughout the years with Lumet and put them in chronological order from the stories he was telling. I loved his advice when asked if a kid should go into the theatre: "It's better than stickball." It was almost inevitable he was going to be a talent when you hear about his insane work schedule as he transitioned from the theatre to working in television. He described movies as simple after that. What's seen throughout all of his interviews and ages was his enthusiasm about storytelling and to have "the best job in the world."
There was also a shorter interview with Walter Bernstein. He was a blacklisted screenwriter who was able to get work thanks to Lumet during his television days. You Are There was the major show they worked on, which was done by three blacklisted writers, and directed by Lumet. It was a secretly political show that I really wish I could watch.
Interview about Reginald Rose – This was the best breakdown of Rose's genius. He is described as one of the most important television writers of his time alongside Paddy Chayefsky and Rod Sterling. It shows that his themes exploring injustice, mob mentality and how society shifts was used so well through his scripts but also through the changing state of television. This easily stepped out as one of the best bonus features on the disc because it's the most informative because it's like discovering a great talent who we thought just had one hit.
Tragedy in a Temporary Town – I am so happy that I saw this. This is another pairing of Sidney Lumet and Reginald Rose and it's excellent. The 12 Angry Men teleplay was my first exposure to live TV from this time and that's a story all set in one room. (Aside from the first scene.) This was a really complex set with many rooms and an impressive main space that was allowed to have really dramatic shots and confrontations.
It's about a small construction village who investigate the assault of a young woman. Jack Warden is furious about what happens and is ready to go to every room and interrogate each man on the premises to find out who is responsible. Even just in an hour, so much happens and the film takes the time to really feel the rise in anger. There are so many interrogations and you see Warden become more intense and the victim feeling like she's experiencing a second assault.
The one quietly questioning this role of police without the authority is Lloyd Bridges. He's scared about what this means and what the outcome shall be. Without any spoilers—seriously, watch this—Bridges has to go into a different mindset and has to stand up against the suddenly unreasonable Warden. This is early Lumet and Rose masterwork and I'm thrilled it was included on this DVD.
Interview About Boris Kaufman – Definitive is the word that comes to mind when I look at this 40 minute documentary. This is about the cinematographer, Boris Kaufman, and that topic may seem like it would be dull to even most movie fans. Yet it's presented as a visual tour through film history. We get to see Kaufman's family and their influence on Russian silent films and then we get to see his triumphs with his collaborations. He worked with Sidney Lumet on this film and The Fugitive Kind. Yet the interviewee really can't help but gush over what he does with Elia Kazan especially with On the Waterfront.
Trailer – Oh man, this was terrible. From the first few seconds, they ruin the knife reveal. Then they show every major part of the movie while giving it the wrong tone. It is repeatedly called the most explosive movie in years. The 12 jurors are like 12 sticks of dynamite. They make this seem like a crazy b-movie noir than a quiet courtroom drama. No wonder it bombed at the box office. Whenever you misrepresent a film, audiences tend to turn on it.
Booklet – First of all, the booklet is filled with page sized photos of the 12 jurors that fill the cover and they are glorious. The essay on the Criterion booklet is called "Lumet's Faces" by Thane Rosenbaum. The prose is really engaging and it makes for a really enjoyable read. Yet it's more of summary than Lumet's career more than anything else and it didn't deep-dive as much as I would have hoped.
NEXT UP….The 39 Steps
12 Angry MenAll My FilmsBoris KaufmanCriterion CollectionHenry FondaJack KlugmanJack WardenLee J. CobbLloyd BridgesReginald RoseReviewSidney Lumet
Episode #2 — The Deer Hunter
Episode #25 — Tristana / The Message / Another Girl, Another Planet / Autumn Term / Space Ghost: Coast to Coast


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Red Summer is a photographic response to the locations in the American landscape where a series of racial conflicts occurred between 1917 and 1923. The selected locations are not meant to be comprehensive, however, they are offered as examples of these post World War I conflicts. A simplified view of the causes can be divided into three categories of particular concern (all race based) for my project; growing African American response to decades of lynching, labor conflicts stemming from the mass immigration of white European labor and the disappointment of black veterans that returned home to second class status in a segregated and biased society.
The prints incorporate landscape images of the communities where many of the significant events occurred with fragments of contemporaneous newspaper accounts of the era. "Red Summer" was a term used by James Weldon Johnson to describe the concentration of racial conflicts (at least 25) that took place across the U.S. during 1919.
Click thumbnail images below to view full versions. Prints are available for exhibition. A selection of images from the Red Summer project will be on display in eight cities (U.S. and Canada) as part of The FENCE 2018.


Indianapolis—Many families have historical objects that are passed down from generation to generation. Now, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is giving guests a free opportunity to learn the value of those items and how to care for and preserve them.
In honor of National Preservation Week (April 24-30), IHS is hosting a Preservation Week Road Show on Saturday, April 23, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The free event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., brings appraisers and conservators together in one space, a unique take on the popular road show format.
Anyone interested in speaking with a professional appraiser or conservator must reserve a time slot for a free one-on-one consultation. From 10 a.m. to noon, and again from 1 to 3 p.m., appraisers will evaluate a wide variety of objects including works on paper, textiles, paintings, furniture, artifacts, rugs and jewelry. In addition, conservators can answer questions about caring for works on paper (fine art, letters, certificates and photographs), vellum, textiles and paintings.
For objects too large to carry, guests are encouraged to bring detailed photographs to share with appraisers and conservators. Appraisers also invite registered guests to send photos of any object prior to the road show to allow time for detailed research.
In addition to one-on-one consultations, the road show will feature a series of free presentations on a variety of topics such as how to read the history of an object, as well as digital and family history resources. No appointment is necessary for the presentations led by staff members of IHS, the Indiana State Library and the Indiana State Archives.
Guests may register for their one-one-one consultations online at tickets.indianahistory.org or by calling (317) 232-1882. Appointments include parking and same-day admission to IHS's Indiana Experience, which includes the W. Brooks and Wanda Y. Fortune History Lab, where guests can learn a variety of conservation methods.
The Preservation Week Road Show is presented by IHS, in partnership with the Indiana State Library and the Indiana State Archives.
Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana's Storyteller, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, interpreting and sharing the state's history. A private, nonprofit membership organization and an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, IHS maintains the nation's premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest and presents a unique set of visitor exhibitions called the Indiana Experience. IHS provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; produces and hosts art exhibitions, museum theater and outside performance groups; and provides youth, adult and family programming.
11:15 a.m. | Learning to Look: Reading Objects and Uncovering the Past, Jessica Jenkins, former curator of collections at Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield, Conn.


Hi Faith, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hi! Thanks for having me! I've been doing amazingly, actually. Life has been pretty sweet to me here lately.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single "I'm Yours'"?
"I'm Yours" is the leading track on Lessons in Falling and was recorded alongside the rest of the album at historic Royal Studios in my hometown of Memphis, TN. The song was co-produced by Kevin Houston and Ryan Peel. The opening energetic "cha cha cha HEY" made it a top pick to open the record with and the horn lines are probably my favorite part. In fact, I actually imagined those horn lines as I was writing the song and wrote a lot of the structure around them.
"I'm Yours" was written on my parent's dock on the bay in the gulf of Lower Alabama. It was a cold morning in March and I'd arrived the night before. I'd had a fight with significant other at the time the previous evening and thought that his reason for being upset was silly and petty so I'd been hardheaded and wouldn't apologize, standing my ground that he was being "over sensitive". I felt bad for leaving mad and for having too much pride to accept and admit that sometimes it's more important that you hurt someone you love than whether or not you think it should have hurt them. So I took my guitar and went down to the dock and wrote "I'm Yours" as a love letter to him to apologize and let him know how much I really adored him.
Making music videos is probably one of my favorite parts of the job. I was acting long before I was singing (at least publicly) so the opportunity to get to put that passion into work with my music is always a great time. I love being on set and shooting. With that being said, I definitely have plans to shoot a couple of videos for this record, but I honestly haven't decided for which songs yet. I have a few in mind but you'll just have to wait and see what I narrow it down to for now!
The single comes off your new album Lessons In Falling – why did you take so long on releasing this material?
Well, making an album is time consuming and it's very expensive when you're funding your own work, so we knew upfront that this record may take time to release, but we weren't anticipating some of the obstacles I met along the way. I recorded the first 3 singles off the record in December of 2015 and released them over the course of 2016 to keep my fans engaged and bring them new material while we worked on funding and recording the rest of the album. We had finally nailed down a target release date for the spring of this year but just before the last recording session I endured a devastating breakup that left me wondering if I had it in me to finish an album that had started as a love letter two years prior. Shortly after that I was hospitalized with a life threatening case of meningitis. During that time I was met with the struggles of being placed on medical bedrest away from my nursing job and regular pay check for over a month, had to cancel some of our in and out of town summer shows, and had to manage paying medical bills while also trying to finish an album. I honestly almost gave up on the project. It was just so much happening at once. However, my long time producer and friend, Kevin Houston, convinced me not to throw away all the work we had to put into Lessons in Falling(originally titled "Mercy"), and to find a way to make peace with the record and finish it. With the support of my family, friends, band, and my two supportive producers, I was able to finally release the record this month. Better late than never, right?
This album explores the experiences of falling in and out of love. It's something we all do and all go through. What I have found in my own life most importantly defines these experiences is how we handle them and what we learn from them, or "how we choose to fall". I mentioned that I had previously named the record "Mercy" and it was sequenced to be a love letter. As I was coming to terms with how to change the album in accordance with my own life changes (my music is unapologetically very personal to me), a friend of mine had a daughter in ballet class and she was telling me about how she had been concerned about her because she kept randomly falling down. Come to find out that the little girl was learning in ballet class how to "fall gracefully". I immediately thought, "Oh my God… is this not what we strive to do in the face of pain and hardship and heartbreak? We all go through these ups and downs, but what really matters is how we handle it; how we take the blows of the inevitable falls." That's when I knew how to make peace with my album… I rearranged the tracks and I named it "Lessons in Falling". The closing track "Thank You" summarizes this sentiment perfectly.
This was the first time I'd ever gone into a record writing for it rather than putting it together with already written material. A few of the songs were already completed when we went into the pre-production planning phase, but the vast majority of the songs were written towards the theme of the record. I knew I wanted a lot of soul and a lot of horns and we nailed it! With that sound in mind, Kevin suggested that we take this record to Royal Studios (home of legendary Hi Records-think Al Green and Ann Peebles) because you can't walk into that place and not get soaked in soul. We cut the first 3 singles over a day there and recorded the rest of the album live in-studio there in February of this year over a 3 day period (fun fact: we were actually in the studio on my birthday). We then did horn and background vocal overdubs as Jim Dickinson's Zebra Ranch in Coldwater, MS and went back to my old stomping ground, Music+Arts Studio, back in Memphis for mixing. The album was mastered by Kevin Nix at L. Nix Mastering.
What role does Memphis play in your writing?
I think it would be hard to be brought up here and not have that reflect in your music. After all, Memphis is music. I'm a 4th generation Memphian so I grew up on the sounds of my town. From blues, to soul, to rock and rockabilly, to classic country (we are in the south), I'm a Memphis girl through and through from my deep love and appreciation of fine BBQ to the multitude of sounds you'll find pleasantly fuse in the delta on this record.
What lessons did you get to explore on this record?
It was more than just an album concept. This record saw me through some of the best and then some the hardest and lowest times of my life, and in a sense, it made me a stronger person. "Lessons in Falling" forced me to learn how fall down with grace and how to pick myself back up, though not always with ease, and place myself back higher than where I last fell from. I made this, it made me better, and nothing and no one can ever take that from me.
We released this record just kind of right before the holidays which is a busy time for me with family and my nursing job (holidays are work days in the medical field and I've been a labor and delivery nurse for 7 years), so right now I'm playing a lot of local shows but on my days off I'm working on booking late winter/early spring dates on the road so I can visit all my out of town fans and bring them the new record. Stay tuned for date announcements!
What else is happening next in Faith Evans Ruch's world?
Right now I'm thinking ahead about music videos, tour dates with plans to extend outside of the south and southeast this spring, and hoping to actually get back to the UK with this record. I was fortunate to tour England in the spring of 2015 with my last EP "After It's Said & Done" and I fell in love with the country, so getting back across the pond is probably the biggest goal on my to-do list right now. In the meantime, you can find me delivering babies by day and playing music by night here in the 901 while I raise that money for all these exciting big plans. What can I say? It's a damn good life to be living.


text:
(Laura Collins-Hughes's article appeared in The New York Time, 4/6; via Pam Green.)
There's a line near the start of the new musical "The Lucky Ones" that's a deliberate hedge — an explanation of the rules of the show that also leaves those rules a little murky.
"This is a true story," Shaun Bengson tells the audience from the stage of the Connelly Theater in the East Village. "Even the parts that never happened."
And with those words, Mr. Bengson and his wife, Abigail — the other half of the folk-rock duo the Bengsons, the indie-theater darlings who created the show for Ars Nova — attempt to draw a cloak of privacy around themselves and the people they love.
Ms. Bengson, 35, has a tale to tell about the autumn she was 15, when her family shattered and the seemingly safe Eden she grew up in was lost forever. Yet she is terrified of compounding anyone's anguish.
← EDWARD ALBEE: 'THREE TALL WOMEN' WITH GLENDA JACKSON AND LAURIE METCALF (SV PICK, NY) OLIVIER AWARD WINNERS, 2018 (FULL LIST) →


It wasn't what I expected. Whenever I heard or read about this book, I got the impression that the majority of it would be set in a fantasy world steeped in magic, but such wasn't the case. Instead, we are mostly grounded in reality as the protagonist learns about the magical world she's tied to where she believes her mother was kidnapped and carried off to. This didn't bother me much. The posts and videos about this book sung it such high praises that my curiosity about it was too high for my interest to be easily swayed. And since I began the story with an open mind, I was hardly annoyed by much.
But it wasn't what I expected in any way. It was a decent read and it kept my attention, but I thought it would be dripping in magic and wrapped in prose so descriptive that I'd yearn to sample the fantasy world of this book. But that didn't happen. I was never fully immersed and when we do visit the fantasy setting, it didn't draw me in. However, I liked the few fairy tales included in the story and would love to read more of those. Actually, I'd love to read Tales from the Hinterland, the book of dark fairy tales mentioned in the story. It sounded intriguing and had a sense of creepiness about it that I liked.
As for the characters, they didn't stand out to me and I didn't like the protagonist. She's very much an unlikeable character. I don't think this series is one I'll continue with but if Albert does publish the Tales from the Hinterland book mentioned in the story, I'll read it.
It's decent and well-written and the fairy tales are interesting.
This entry was posted in book reviews and tagged book blog, book recommendations, books, fantasy novel, Melissa Albert, reading, ya novel. Bookmark the permalink.
Thanks. I hope it works out better for you.
Lol probably is. I was still tempted to get it though I wasn't crazy about the story. Love that cover.
Hmmmm. One of my other blogger friends just posted a review of this recently and enjoyed it quite a bit (she gave it 4 stars out of 5). I hadn't really heard much about The Hazel Wood until recently, so I guess I'm behind the curve here. *lol* But it sounds interesting. Maybe it's worth borrowing the book from the library instead of buying it?
I think it's a hit or miss. Those who read it with not much expectations tend to enjoy it more.
Almost every review I read for this one starts off "It wasn't what I was expecting." LOL I've seen this one on way to many "top disappointments of 2018" lists. It is such a shame the insides don't seem to match the cover. It is absolutely stunning!
Lol. I think that's because of the great expectations for the content. I think we all expected it to be more magical. Those who go in open-minded tend to enjoy it more.
Oh yes! The cover totally got me.
The cover looks good. The book sounds like a good read.
I really love the cover on this one and almost want to pick it up just for that, but not sure I'll like it based on all the varying reviews. Thanks for your review!
The cover is part of the reason why I wanted to read it. If I'd loved it, I would have bought it.
Well there are surely lots of mixed reviews about this book. I still haven't purchased the book so I don't really know on whether should I give it a go or choose another series instead.
It'll depend on what you like. I think it's best to go into it with an open mind. That's what kept me reading. It just wasn't what I expected which is why I didn't love it, but it was a decent read.
Yeah, many of the criticisms I read in reviews echoed yours. I didn't know much about the book before I started, which is probably why I wasn't disappointed by the relative lack of magic and fantasy. I actually liked the beginning a lot, but hated the ending, lol!
Lol! I didn't like the end either, but for me I think it's because I don't care much for the protagonist so I didn't care for how it ended. The part where she meets peeps in Hazel Wood got me excited. I was expecting more from those parts.
Ahh the disappointment is real. I've heard people complain that they would have wished there was more of that fantasy world instead of the real world too. Hope your next read will be much more fun and satisfying.
The fairy tales in it were good though.
I really loved this book, but I do see the points you made about it. There are things I hope gets answered or ironed out in the second book. I do agree that if Tales from the Hinterland was published, I would love to read it too. It was one of my favourite aspects of the book.
Yea, I really liked the fairy tales themselves. They were quite interesting n creepy.
I've seen lots of mixed reviews for this book. I kind of think I might really like it, so I will give it a try at some point.
Yea, I've seen mixed reviews of it too but I was really curious about it. It's decent.


Paul Gallen's said it. Johnathan Thurston's said it. And everyone either side of the Tweed - even that bloke from accounting who asked you who was playing tonight, knows it.
When it comes to the Origin arena, all eyes will be on the smallest men on the field as NSW take yet another run ending Queensland's eight series reign. Sure the big boppas will whack each other senseless, and GI and the Hayne Plane can tear the opposition apart without a moment's notice, but above all it is the halves pairings upon which the respective fortunes of NSW and Queensland lie.
In the maroon corner, weighing in at a combined 173 kilos (which doesn't include the litany of premiership rings, Dally M Medals, Golden Boots and other accolades the pair have racked up over the years) are the all-conquering Queenslanders Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.
And in the blue corner, the challengers, punching at a combined 180 kilos (with the weight of the entire state of NSW that rests on their shoulders also not included); Blues pairing Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson.
With 39 Origins between them versus the 15 minutes Reynolds spent on the park across his two games in last year's series, the Maroons' halves pairing undoubtedly have the Blues pair beat for experience in the interstate clash. And a look at some of the key playmaking numbers from the two halves pairings suggests the NSW rookies are going to be up against it when it comes to bettering their more experienced opposites, though their running and defensive outputs are cause for optimism among long-suffering Blues fans.
Playmaking: The dynamic Dogs duo may have guided their side to the top of the NRL ladder, but their playmaking stats have taken a bump due to the fact they are a halves pairing in the truest sense of the term at club level, the exact reason Laurie Daley plumped for Reynolds and Hodkinson over the likes of Pearce and Maloney at the Roosters or Souths combo Sutton and Reynolds.
While the pair have been amongst the best in the league for try assists (Reynolds 9; Hodkinson 7) and line break assists (Reynolds 9; Hodkinson 6), their numbers are dwarfed by the efforts of their Queensland counterparts. Thurston (14) and Cronk (13) are ranked numeros uno and dos for try assists, as well as line break assists (Thurston 13; Cronk 10) - mostly due to the fact they are the best playmakers in the game, but also partly because they are the dominant ball distributors for the Cowboys and Storm respectively. The Maroons halves pairing have had their hands on the ball a whopping 298 more times (Thurston 542 possessions, Cronk 484) than the Blues' rookie combination (Reynolds 337, Hodkinson 391) and will have no hesitation in taking control at a ground that is effectively a second home for two of Queensland's favourite sons.
Running Game: When it comes to taking on the line and running the ball themselves, a facet of Thurston's game in particular that has come to the fore in plenty of clutch Origin situations since his debut in 2005, JT again leads the quartet for tries (5) and line breaks (5), though Reynolds and Hodkinson have taken the line on consistently more than their Maroons opposites. The Blues pair have run the ball on average 18 times a game for the Bulldogs this year, earning almost nine metres a run between them compared to the 16 runs a game at 7.44 metres of Thurston and Cronk. Hodkinson especially has added an extra string to his bow this year in breaking 14 tackles - double Cronk's tally of seven - and a few early runs will do any nerves the world of good in front of 52,000 Queenslanders baying for blood.
Defence: For all the talk that NSW has played best when picking a big, physical five-eighth (think Greg Bird shifting into the No. 6 in the 2007 and 2008 wins) and concerns over Reynolds as a potential liability in the defensive line, going by the numbers of 2014 suggests it's actually Thurston who is the half most likely to come up with a defensive lapse. JT has registered the most missed tackles (33) out of the playmaking quartet, and his tackle efficiency (79 per cent) is well down compared to both the Blues halves and Cronk, who all rank just over 89 per cent in pulling off a successful tackle whenever challenged by the attack. Daley has selected Knights hardman Beau Scott with the explicit intention of blunting Thurston's offensive prowess, but Scott himself has upped his running game in recent years (he's broken the line four times in 2014 and broken 21 tackles) and could prove himself a handful for the Cowboys' skipper. Reynolds meanwhile (2.7 missed tackles per NRL game) will be hard-pressed keeping the game's most destructive attacking player, Greg Inglis, quiet on his outside shoulder, though he will have Bulldogs teammate Josh Morris marking up on the Maroons leading try-scorer in a role he has handled with aplomb in the past.
Kicking: Where Queensland have dominated for much of the past eight years has been in the territory department, with Cronk and Thurston consistently outkicking the various NSW halves pairings they have done battle with over the years. Cronk again enters the Origin arena in sublime kicking touch, particularly when it comes to his long-distance game, booting 3938 metres to sit behind only Brisbane's Ben Hunt (4152m) at club level. Thurston and Hodkinson are by no means slouches in hoofing the ball downfield either, ranking eighth and ninth for kick metres respectively, but expect Hodkinson to take on the majority of the long-range kicking duties, as Reynolds has kicked 31 less times this season (69 kicks to Hodkinson's 100) for over 1200 less metres. The Bulldogs' halfback does hold an advantage over Thurston off the tee, sending them between the sticks at 83 per cent compared to Thurston's 78 per cent this season, but how often the Blues give their sharpshooter a chance to turn four points into six will depend on him matching the Queenslanders' kicking in general play.


Start your day with a fried side of fun! Funny Side Up is a handy frame that shapes and molds two eggs into attractive egg art. Just place the mold in your frying pan, crack two eggs into the rings and soon you'll have a breakfast buddy to hang out with!! It's two eggs, funny side up!!
Categories: Kitchen, Winter Warmers. Tags: egg, fun, gift, kitchen, mould, novelty, owl.
Funny Side Up! Give a hoot, make eggs cute!!!
Start your day with a fried side of fun! Funny Side Up is a handy frame that shapes and molds two eggs into attractive egg art. Just place the mold in your frying pan, crack two eggs into the rings and soon you'll have a breakfast buddy to hang out with!! It's two eggs, funny side up!!!


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text:
Q: Vulkan - instance creation fails when loading extensions I run into some problems creating a basic Vulkan application: When trying to create an instance it fails, as soon as I tried to load any extensions via ppEnableExtensionNames. If ppEnableExtensionNames is NULL, the instance creation succeeds (quite pointles though, since I cant create a surface that way).
I double checked with different tutorials and couldnt find any mistakes. I installed the SDK and checked for the vulkan-1.dll, as well as running the cube demo successfully. Furthermore I enumerated through available extensions and all extensions I tried to load were listed, so my device should basically support them.
Heres my Code, breaks at vkCreateInstance as long as ppEnableExtensionNames != NULL.
EDIT: Even though I solved this problem meanwhile, I changed the code to what caused the actual problems, in case anyone makes the same stupid mistake.
    #define VK_USE_PLATFORM_WIN32_KHR

    //STD
    #include <Windows.h>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <string>
    #include <vector>

    //NON-STD Libraries
    #include "vulkan\vulkan.h"

    //==================
    //Window Reference
    //==================
    WNDCLASSEX window;
    MSG msg;
    HWND hwnd;
    HDC hdc;

    //===================
    //SETUP VULKAN
    //===================

    //Global VK Variables
    VkInstance instance;
    VkPhysicalDevice physDevice;
    VkApplicationInfo appInfo = {};
    VkInstanceCreateInfo instanceInfo = {};

    void loadExtensions{

std::vector<const char *> enabledExtensions;
        enabledExtensions.push_back(VK_KHR_SURFACE_EXTENSION_NAME);
        enabledExtensions.push_back(VK_KHR_WIN32_SURFACE_EXTENSION_NAME);

        instanceInfo.enabledExtensionCount = enabledExtensions.size();
        instanceInfo.ppEnabledExtensionNames = &enabledExtensions[0];

}

    //==================
    //WinMain, Entry Point
    //==================
    int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hinstance, HINSTANCE hprevinstance, LPSTR lpcmdline, int nshowcmd) {

        appInfo.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_APPLICATION_INFO;
        appInfo.pNext = NULL;
        appInfo.pApplicationName = "Monody";
        appInfo.applicationVersion = VK_MAKE_VERSION(0, 0, 0);
        appInfo.pEngineName = "Monody Engine";
        appInfo.engineVersion = VK_MAKE_VERSION(0, 0, 0);
        appInfo.apiVersion = VK_API_VERSION_1_0;

        instanceInfo.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_INSTANCE_CREATE_INFO;
        instanceInfo.pNext = NULL;
        instanceInfo.flags = 0;
        instanceInfo.pApplicationInfo = &appInfo;
        instanceInfo.enabledLayerCount = 0;
        instanceInfo.ppEnabledLayerNames = NULL;
        instanceInfo.enabledExtensionCount = 0;
        instanceInfo.ppEnabledExtensionNames = NULL;

    loadExtensions();

        //Create Instance
        VkResult error = vkCreateInstance(&instanceInfo, nullptr, &instance);

        return 0;

    }

A: Since the vector is only within the loadExtensions() function within scope, and it is only given as a pointer to the instanceInfo struct, the pointer becomes invalid, when - back in the WinMain function - the vector is out of scope. So just make the vector global or store it somewhere else, until the Instance is created.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


What does the word M.O.H. mean?
Abbreviation of Medical Officer of Health.
Each person working in the medical industry sometimes needs to know how to define a word from medical terminology. For example - how to explain M.O.H.? Here you can see the medical definition for M.O.H.. Medical-dictionary.cc is your online dictionary, full of medical definitions.


READ and consider carefully the words which I speak, ye learned, who appear to be distinguished in mind and doctrine above others. I have added this my little German work for the celebration of the rite of Baptism. For I am not well able to promote this cause in Latin, and if able, am unwilling that this, my labor, should perish in the hands of the few, but desire that it may become known to every christian and yield the greater advantage. That there are, in this work, no interpolations of Scripture, nor satires, nor falsehoods, judge for yourselves. Moreover I know it is not the spirit of a christian to lead in any way deceitfully, especially in an affair so serious. Indeed the christian does not know deceit. It becomes the evangelical teacher to set before himself nothing except these most illustrious precepts of the evangelist - such as faith, charity, patience, life, gentleness, peace, mildness, truth, moderation, and finally to so live that no one is able with justice to thrust against him any taint of baseness, that he may teach not only by word, but also by example, following the teachings of Paul who says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway," 1 Cor. 9:27. And elsewhere, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers," "they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ," 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:16. For in the midst of these things it behooves one to repress such ignorance and stupidities, lest that saying of the Savior be turned against us which says, "Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye," Luke 6:42. For how can I induce others to become christians when I myself am not a christian.
Read therefore, and if anything be found in this work that has not the flavor of evangelical purity and spirit, I am confounded, not you. For I have written from a sense of pious affection, not that I may injure any one, but for the benefit of all men. Nevertheless, such are my thanks from you for this my kindness toward you, that I know it is not enough except I, with my sanctified Leader, having indeed received Christ as my reward, endure all evil, ignominy and tortures. No wonder. They indeed do not spare me while I seek the truth and declare openly the offered sacrifice, when almost all teachers of righteousness, who were from the beginning, have yielded to death in the same way. This is indeed gratitude, when the world displays its subjection to God. Would that in very truth they were christians who persuade themselves that they are christians. May grace abound with all the diligent through our Lord Jesus Christ, with sincerity.


Autographed Maxim Afinogenov Buffal Sabres 16 x 20 Photo. This photo would make a terrific addition to your collection. All of our Autographed Memorabilia comes with our Certificate of Authenticity. Thanks and GOOD LUCK !!


David's training and experience includes working at a busy family medicine practice over a year which involved all aspects of care including treatment of allergies, asthma and COPD. David is a licensed Physician Assistant through the Virginia Board of Medicine and is NCCPA certified. David lives in Richmond with his wife and two sons.


text:
International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
Vol. 6 No. 7 (2020): July 2020 /
Original Research Articles
Does tranexamic acid have role in controlling intraoperative blood loss in tonsillectomy?
Heempali Das Dutta Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University
Pabina Rayamajhi Department of ENT and HNS, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
Nazeef Ibrahim Department of ENT and HNS, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20202776
Tranexamic acid, Tonsillectomy, Intraoperative bleeding
Background: The study was done with the objective to assess the effect of tranexamic acid in controlling intraoperative bleeding in tonsillectomy.
Methods: Retrospective study was conducted in the Department of ENT and HNS, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal from August 2016 to July 2017. Patients more than 15 years who underwent bilateral tonsillectomy were included in the study. Whereas patients who underwent unilateral tonsillectomy and patients who had hypersensitivity to tranexamic acid were excluded from the study. The patients who received tranexamic acid during surgery were taken as study group whereas the patients who didn't receive tranexamic acid were taken as control. The amount of the intraoperative blood loss, i.e. mean and the frequency of early post-operative bleeding were evaluated.
Results: A total of 48 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were evaluated. Among whom, 24 patients who received tranexamic acid during tonsillectomy were taken as study group and other 24 patients who did not received tranexamic acid were taken as control. The mean blood loss in study and control group were 92.85 ml and 91.40 ml respectively and the difference was statistically not significant (p=0.785). There were no cases of early postoperative bleeding recorded in either group within the first 24 hours of surgery.
Conclusions: There is no significant role of tranexamic acid in controlling intraoperative bleeding in tonsillectomy.
Heempali Das Dutta, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University
Department of ENT & HNS, Assistant Prof
Junior J, Hermann D, Americo R, Stamm R, Hirata C. A brief history of tonsillectomy. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;10(4):314-7.
Kerrow WSCR. Tonsillectomy. In: Gleeson M, ed. Scott- Brown's Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. 7th ed. London: Hodder Arnold; 2008: 1229-1241.
Macnamara M. Acute and chronic pharyngeal infection. In: Gleeson M, ed. Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. London: HodderArnold; 2008: 1981-2024.
Dunn CJ, Goa KL. Tranexamic acid: a review of its use in surgery and other indications. Drugs. 1999;57(6):1005-32.
Longstaff C. Studies on the mechanisms of action of aprotinin and tranexamic acid as plasmin inhibitors and antifibrinolytic agents. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis. 1994;5(4):537-42.
Reid RW, Zimmerman AA, Laussen PC, Mayer JE, Gorlin JB, Burrows FA. The efficacy of tranexamic acid versus placebo in decreasing blood loss in paediatric patients undergoing repeat cardiac surgery. Anesth Analg. 1997;84(5):900-96.
Perel P, Salman ASR, Kawahara T. CRASH-2 (Clinical Randomisation of an Antifibrinolytic in Significant Haemorrhage) intracranial bleeding study: the effect of tranexamic acid in traumatic brain injury - a nested randomized, placebo- controlled trial. Health Technol Assess. 2012;16(13).
George A, Kumar R, Kumar S, Shetty S. A randomized control trial to verify the efficacy of re-operative intravenous tranexamic acid in the control of tonsillectomy bleeding. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;63(1):20-6.
Santosh UP, Prashanth KB, Abhilash S. A comparative study to verify the efficacy of preoperative intravenous tranexamic acid in control of tonsillectomy bleeding. Otolaryngol Clin. 2016;8(1):22-5.
Windfuhr J, Chen Y, Remmert S. Haemorrhage following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in 15,218 patients. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006;132:281-6.
Lee M, Ingvertsen B, Kirpensteijn J, Jensen A. Quantification of surgical blood loss. Vet Surg. 2006;35(4):388-93.
Guragain R, Bhusal C, Adhikari P, Pokhrel R. Intraoperative blood Loss and Operative Time in Tonsillectomy: Is Electodissection Better. Nepalese J ENT Head Neck Surg. 2010;1(1):6-7.
Mazauric F, Boudon A, Rheingold C. Value of tranexamic acid in extracapsular tonsillectomy in adults. J Fr Otorhinolaryngol Audiophonol Chir Maxillofac. 1973;22:165-8.
Brum M, Miura M, Castro SI. Tranexamic acid in adenotonsillectomy in children: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. J Paediatr Optolaryngol. 2012;76:1401-5.
Soliman R, Alshehri A. Assessment of the effect of tranexamic acid on perioperative bleeding in paediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy. Egypt J Anaesth. 2015;31(4):297-301.
Castelli G, Vogt E. Result of an antifibrinolytic treatment using tranexemic acid for the reduction of blood loss during and after tonsillectomy. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1977;107(22):780-4.
Vol. 6 No. 7 (2020): July 2020
International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. Copyright © 2023.
Print ISSN: 2454-5929 | Online ISSN: 2454-5937


text:
Q: Mixing C++ instance methods with C callback functions problem
I have the following C callback signature from a C library called Foo:
void (* RequestCallbackFunc)(int)

This library also provides a utility function for registering said callback.
extern void SetRequestCallback(RequestallbackFunc request_cbf);

I have a C++ class App with a instance method HandleRequest. What's the correct way to have HandleRequest called when request_cbf is called?
my naive solution
App.hpp
#include <Foo.h> // include my C library

#include <Bar.hpp>

class App {
    public:
        App();
        ~App();

        void HandleRequest(int x);
    public:
        Bar * bar_; // raw pointer for demonstration purposes
}

App.cpp
#include "App.hpp"

extern "C" {
    static void handle_request(int x);
}

static void handle_request(int x) {
    static std::auto_ptr<App> my_app( new App() );
    my_app->HandleRequest(x);
}

App::App() {
    SetRequestCallback( handle_request );
    bar_ = new Bar();
}

App::~App() {
    delete bar_;
}

void App::HandleRequest(int x) {
    bar_->DoSomething( x );
    // more 'work'...
}

Am I approaching this problem the correct way? Are there additional ways to interface C++ with C callbacks?

A: What is the purpose of that int parameter in the callback?
Well designed C interface APIs usually provide a way to pass a "status" parameter to the C function callback (which can be used to pass some information like the C++ class instance this pointer), like CreateThread's LPVOID lpParameter.

A: why use pointers?
static void handle_request(int x) {
    static A instance;
    instance.HandleRequest(x);
}

(Same goes for Bar), though to be honest, you may as well call the method in Bar directly (unless the redirection through A is required)
Alternatively, rather than a free function, pass in a pointer to a static function in A matching the same signature - inside this you can access the single instance of A to use...
btw. some apis use a pattern where during registration you can pass in a pointer to some user data, which is passed in the callback, this could be for example a pointer to an instance of A to handle the callback - this way you can avoid all the singleton business...

A: I would create another class which can be accessed statically and which registers different objects to manage the callback. The object to use can be determined by the x parameter (or if not necessary, you can register a single handler).
// Pseudocode
class Middleman {
    // map to select the handler object
    std::map<int, App> handlersMap_;

public:

    registerNewHandler(int x, const App& a) {
        // add new entry to the map
        [...]
    }

    static std::map<int, App> getHandlersMap() {
        return handlersMap_;
    }
}

Managing the callback:
static void handle_request(int x) {
    Middleman::getHandlersMap[x].HandleRequest(x);
}

With this design you have great flexibility.
The map of the Middleman could be replaced by a single handler, which is registered using the same registerNewHandler method.

A: Try using the cify trick and try to offer a lambda object to C, still, you need to be careful:
https://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/79612/c-ifying-a-capturing-lambda

A: static void handle_request(int x) {
    static std::auto_ptr<App> A( new A() );
    A->HandleRequest(x);
}

This is a kind of a singleton. Since it is an anti-pattern, therefore it is bad.
I would create a function, and a global variable or type App. Something like this :
//App.hpp
#include <Foo.h> // include my C library

#include <Bar.hpp>

class App {
    public:
        App();
        ~App();

        void HandleRequest(int x);
    public:
        Bar * bar_; // raw pointer for demonstration purposes
}

extern App app;
void HandlerRequest(int x);

Then the implementation :
//App.cpp
#include "App.hpp"

App::App() : bar(new Bar) {
    SetRequestCallback( handle_request );
}

App::~App() {
    delete bar_;
}

void App::HandleRequest(int x) {
    bar_->DoSomething( x );
    // more 'work'...
}
App app;
void HandlerRequest(int x)
{
  app.HandlerRequest(x);
}


Our photographer was shooting it by Canon EOS 60d camera with shooting mode 18-200mm - 76.0mm · ƒ/5.6 · 1/125s · ISO 125. Our contributor was tagging for this image: Hydrangea, Flowers, Blue, Blossom, Bloom. size of photo 3131×2021 pixels, you can download it with JPEG format.


text:
The Motley Fool Canada » Energy Stocks » Don't Buy into the Canadian Solar Inc. Hype
Don't Buy into the Canadian Solar Inc. Hype
Karl Utermohlen | December 27, 2016 | More on: CSIQ
Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:CSIQ) is a stock that bulls believe could offer a big payout, but the current risk associated with the company is enough reason to avoid this Ontario corporation for now.
The solar energy equipment provider has a lot going for it as it is among the industry leaders in terms of sheer quantity of solar panels. Canadian Solar has 5.8 GW of module capacity, giving the company the opportunity to garner a larger share of the solar energy market. However, growing comes with its risks as expanding could result in higher fixed costs that have caused the demise of other companies.
Another one of the company's better moves in recent times comes in the form of a non-recourse term loan worth GBP$49.3 million (US$62.8 million) as part of a plan to refinance the portfolio of 10 solar power plants. These will amount to 50 MW in the United Kingdom. A construction loan worth GBP$28.1 million (US$35.3 million) will be repaid as part of the deal, which will exist over 18.7 years.
Canadian Solar chairman and CEO Dr. Shawn Qu discussed the matter proudly, noting that the refinancing of its portfolio with U.K. bank NatWest will ensure an expansion of the company's potential to offer solar energy to the world. However, the move also means higher debt for the company, which has experienced some setbacks recently.
Bulls will note that the declining cost of solar energy boosts the potential for the industry to grow, but this growth sometimes causes companies to struggle. At the end of the company's third quarter, Canadian Solar held $1.2 billion of project assets on its balance sheet. Higher rates mean lower value for these projects, amounting to a dip of about 18%. The company was also hampered by an event that has yet to fully rear its ugly head.
The price of solar modules fell drastically in the company's third quarter with prices slumping 25% over the three months. The change didn't immediately affect Canadian Solar as the company revealed that it beat earnings expectations by three cents per share when it reported on its third quarter about a month ago. However, the current quarter will see lower revenue and earnings as it will have to reduce the prices of its assets.
The company is better positioned to absorb this hit than other solar energy providers due its low-cost manufacturing structure. Companies with less volume of modules will be affected more. Nevertheless, Canadian Solar will still face financial trouble due to the price decline of solar modules as such an event will result in lower profits for the industry as a whole.
Overall, analysts are calling for an EPS decline of 28.7% for the current fiscal year. Firms polled by Thomson Reuters give CSIQ shares a rating of 2.70, which is between two (which is a "Buy") and three (which is a "Hold" rating). The price target is at $15.72 within the next year on an average basis. The stock is down 57.4% year-to-date, and Canadian Solar has market capitalization of $722.58 million.
While there is some upside to investing in CSIQ thanks to the company's potential following its expansion, there are no guarantees that growth will boost profits for Canadian Solar as costs will be much higher than before. Additionally, a weaker market for the solar industry could spell trouble for the company in 2017.
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Learn more about this man and how you can start down the path toward financial independence.
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Fool contributor Karl Utermohlen has no position in any stocks mentioned.


Sara who was born in Iran, studied electrical engineering at UCLA and after working for large companies, pursued her passion for teaching at California State University Fullerton, where she met the founder of the Empower Nepali Girls foundation.
She decided to climb to the summit Mount Everest (29,000ft.) to bring funds and awareness for girls who become victims of human trafficking or are forced into early marriage. Last year, during the devastating 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal, she survived the avalanches on Everest and came back down to help the victims and families, 10,000 of whom lost their lives not to mention 100,000 children who lost their homes. She received the award for The Global Citizen from United Nations Association in 2015. She is also now a board member and director of development in Empower Nepali Girls.
She recently wrote an inspirational book about her life changing experience, spiritual redemption and a search for social justice called "Follow My Footsteps". She is donating all the proceeds to from the sales of this book to Empower Nepali Girls.
Sara's mission is to conquer the famous 7 Summits, each for an organization involved in empowering women and girls. She has already conquered 3 of the 7 which are: Aconcagua in South America, Mount Elbrus in Russia/Europe and Kilimanjaro in Africa.
We are delighted to announce that In her next attempt, she will be climbing Antarctica's highest peak, Vinson Massif and this climb is dedicated to OMID Foundation, this climb is planned to take place in December 2017, weather permitting. Her target is $1 per each foot, so $16,000 for the 16,000 foot peak.
CLICK HERE to support this forthcoming climb by way of a donation. We wish Sara much success in all her endeavours to raise awareness and funds empowering women all over the world.
Click here to find out more about Sara Safari's work.


Arms buried at invasion site | Daily Express Online, Sabah, Malaysia.
Lahad Datu: A cache of rusted weapons and ammunitions was found buried under a former residential area in Kampung Tanduo here, Monday, raising eyebrows among security forces as to its origins.According to State Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun, all the weapons were badly damaged and unusable. Judging by their condition, it is believed that they have been kept underground for more than two years.
"It is believed that they were hidden by the terrorist group before they fled Kg Tanduo during Ops Daulat," said Rashid.
The weapons, two M14 rifles, one Uzi pistol, three Colt .45 pistols, one revolver, a pair of handcuffs and 173 bullets of different calibres, were kept in a sack before being buried under the sand.
The discovery was made by a team of 15-member General Operations Force led by two officers following a tip-off from the public when the team was conducting Ops Taring in the area.
An excavator was used to recover the weapons and ammunitions.
All the recovered items were handed over to Cenderawasih Police Station for further action. The case will be investigated under Arms Act 1960.
From Feb 11 to March 24, 2013, a group of 253 men and women, some armed, who called themselves the "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo", held a standoff with Malaysian police and military forces in their effort to assert the unresolved territorial claim of the Philippines to eastern Sabah.
Malaysian security forces surrounded Tanduo village where the group had gathered and after several weeks of negotiations and unmet deadlines for the intruders to withdraw, the security forces attacked and routed the Sulu militants.
In the aftermath, 10 security forces members and 70 militants were killed, one Special Branch officer was convicted for intentionally withholding information about the intrusion, and 27 Filipinos and three Malaysians are being prosecuted for various charges mainly for waging war against the King, harbouring of terrorists, being members of a terrorist group, and the recruiting of terrorists.
Among those being prosecuted is the nephew of Jamalul Kiram III, one of the claimants to the throne of the so-called Sultanate of Sulu, called Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram, who abandoned his men in Tanduo and was caught by Malaysian security forces hiding 80 km away in the swamps around Semporna.