text:
Facts about Hong Kong
Article 84 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong allows Hong Kong's courts to refer to decisions (precedents) rendered by courts of other common law jurisdictions.
image: www.immd.gov.hk
British rule may have ended a decade ago, but Western culture is deeply ingrained in Hong Kong and coexists seamlessly with traditional philosophy and practices of the Orient.
image: assets.nydailynews.com
One of the notable buildings in Hong Kong is I. M. Pei's Bank of China Tower, completed in 1990 and now Hong Kong's third tallest skyscraper.
image: www.hong-kong-traveller.com
Many of the manufacturing operations moved to mainland China during the 1980s and Hong Kong became a global financial center, with industry now constituting just 9 percent of the economy.
image: image.slidesharecdn.com
When the People's Republic of China initiated a set of economic reforms in 1978, Hong Kong became the main source of foreign investment for the mainland.
image: images.jagran.com
The oldest service, the legendary Star Ferry, operates four lines between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island and has provided cost-effective transport for over a century.
image: www.themilliardaire.co
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) was established on the American model of higher education.
image: upload.wikimedia.org
Hong Kong's population has an extremely dense urban core, consisting of Kowloon and the north of Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, architecture, education, and street culture.
image: s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
Justices of the Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive.
image: images.dailyhive.com
The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes.
image: www.biosch.hku.hk
Hong Kong residents, especially the elder generations, visit Daoist or Buddhist temples to appease the deities and, usually, to request compassion, good health or good fortune.
image: cdn3.i-scmp.com
Laws in Hong Kong are enacted only by approval of the Chief Executive and majority consent from the 60 seat Legislative Council of Hong Kong, or LegCo.
Second to HKU historically, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) follows the American model with a characteristically British college system.
image: cdn.theculturetrip.com
Each district is represented by a District Council that advises the Government of Hong Kong on local matters such as public facilities, community programmes, cultural activities and environmental improvements.
image: www.zonaeuropa.com
Hong Kong has little arable land and few natural resources within its borders, and must therefore import most of its food and raw materials.
image: 1.bp.blogspot.com
Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to the alternating wind directions between winter and summer.
image: www.kowloon.climatemps.com
The transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong occurred at midnight on the night of June 30, 1997, marked by a handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
image: i2.cdn.cnn.com
The GDP per capita (PPP) of Hong Kong even exceeded the four big economies in Western Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy) and Japan in Asia.
image: mecometer.com
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome took hold of Hong Kong in the first half of 2003.
image: slideplayer.com
Barristers, on the other hand, are licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Bar Association.
image: i.imgur.com
Hong Kong maintains a capitalistic economy built on a policy of free market, low taxation and government non-intervention.
image: farm3.staticflickr.com
Implementation of the Airport Core Programme led to the opening of the new Hong Kong International Airport in 1998, after six years of construction.
The tramway system covers the northern parts of Hong Kong Island and is the only tram system in the world run exclusively with double deckers.
Back in Hong Kong, several homegrown films have also gained international recognition, such as Chungking Express, Infernal Affairs, Shaolin Soccer, Rumble in the Bronx and In the Mood for Love.
image: www.mumonthemove.com
Hong Kong has several different modes of public rail transport.
image: economictimes.indiatimes.com
The Hong Kong highway code uses the same road sign system as Great Britain, whereas the Chinese system is different.
image: i.ytimg.com
Hong Kong consists primarily of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories as well as some 260 other islands in the South China Sea.
Hong Kong is also the world's main hub for Cantopop music.
image: grahamdennis.me
Hong Kong was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Beginning in 2003, the Individual Visit Scheme has allowed travelers from some cities in mainland China to visit Hong Kong without an accompanying tour group.
image: economists-pick-research.hktdc.com
Karaoke culture is also part of Hong Kong's nightlife.
image: chungkingdiary.files.wordpress.com
Pursuant to the Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document, the local Hong Kong government retains sovereignty over the territory except in areas of national defense and foreign relations.
Between December 25, 1941, and the end of World War II, Hong Kong was under Japanese control.
Taxis are also widely used throughout Hong Kong, with 99 percent of them run on liquefied petroleum gas; the rest are still diesel operated.
Dense commercial skyscrapers lining the coast of Victoria Harbour between Central and Causeway Bay form one of Hong Kong's most famous tourist attractions, which is ranked as the best skyline in the world.
image: cache4.asset-cache.net
Hong Kong's economy is dominated by services, which account for over 90 percent of its gross domestic product.
The currency used in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar.
image: wizardofmacau.com
Four of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in the world are in Hong Kong.
image: worldmost.org
The goddess Tin Hau, the protector of seafarers, has been honored with several temples throughout Hong Kong for at least 300 years.
image: thumbs.dreamstime.com
Hong Kong is 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta.
image: amp.businessinsider.com
Hong Kong occasionally has tropical cyclones in the summer and early autumn.
image: img.ev.mu
The declaration stipulated that Hong Kong would be governed as a special administrative region, retaining its laws and a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer.
image: stevedrewett.com
Many government and administrative operations are located in Central on Hong Kong Island near the historical location of Victoria City, the site of the original British settlements.
image: media1.britannica.com
Several Hollywood performers originate from Hong Kong cinema—Bruce Lee, Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Jet Li, to name a few.
image: images.amcnetworks.com
Hong Kong Island was first occupied by British forces in 1841, and then formally ceded from China under the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the war.
image: fpif.org
The vast majority of lawyers are solicitors, who are licensed and regulated by the Law Society of Hong Kong.
image: www.hwbhk.com
Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years, though landslides are common especially after heavy rainstorms.
image: www.landsd.gov.hk
Acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has commented he was strongly influenced by Hong Kong action cinema.
image: media.gettyimages.com
Hong Kong's population declined from 1.6 million before the invasion to about 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony following Japan's defeat in the war.
image: www.scmp.com
Life expectancy in Hong Kong is 81.6 years as of 2006, fifth highest in the world.
image: www.global-link-worldwide.com
The rest is relatively sparsely populated, with millions of residents scattered irregularly throughout the New Territories, south Hong Kong island and Lantau Island.
image: spryt.ru
Hong Kong is the only place in China where missionaries from the Mormon Church can serve.
image: i1.wp.com
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport.
image: l7.alamy.com
Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou also shifted their operations to Hong Kong.
The tallest building in Hong Kong is the International Finance Centre 2.
The Hong Kong Observatory is the government department responsible for providing meteorological forecasts, weather-related hazard warnings and geophysical surveys for the territory.
image: www.hko.gov.hk
Hong Kong was declared a free port to serve as an entrepфt of the British Empire, and grew rapidly into a center for international trade.
image: www.freeexceltemplates.net
Human settlement in the location now known as Hong Kong dates back to the Paleolithic era.
After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the Hong Kong government became involved in the processing of refugees from Viet Nam.
Most of the territory's urban development exists on the Kowloon peninsula, along the northern shores of Hong Kong Island and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories.
Both banks' buildings are featured on many of Hong Kong's banknotes.
image: www.chinaurbandevelopment.com
All parking meters in Hong Kong accept payment by Octopus card only, and Octopus card payment can be made at various car parks.
image: m1.i.pbase.com
The Basic Law of Hong Kong, which would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer, was ratified in 1990.
image: www.pbookshop.com
The majority of Hong Kong's population, as in Mainland China, practice a folk version of Buddhism.
Flora and fauna in Hong Kong are affected by climatic change, sea level alternation and human impact.
Hong Kong Island is the second largest island and the most populated.
image: www.engelvoelkers.com
In 2006, the total value of initial public offerings conducted in Hong Kong was second highest in the world after London.
image: www.charltonslaw.com
The highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong is 38°C (100.0°F) while the lowest recorded temperature is -4°C (25.0°F).
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected in its constitutional document, the Basic Law.
image: allhdwallpapers.com
Continuing the practice established under the British administration, the Government of Hong Kong generally leaves the direction of the economy to market forces and the private sector.
image: www.sunskypro.com
Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanized, the territory has made much effort to promote a green environment.
image: randbinternationaltravel.files.wordpress.com
A revival of external and domestic demand led to a strong recovery the following year, as cost declines strengthened Hong Kong export competitiveness.
image: www.hku.hk
The H5N1 avian influenza also surfaced in Hong Kong that year.
image: truthfrequencyradio.com
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civilians suffered from widespread food shortages caused by the imposition of rations, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes.
The Asian financial crisis of 1997 that hit many East Asian markets affected Hong Kong's economy.
The Peoples Republic of China set up a Provisional Legislative Council (PLC) in 1996 just before the handover, which moved to Hong Kong to have its meetings after the handover.
The Octopus card stored value smart card payment system can be used to pay for fares on almost all railways, buses and ferries in Hong Kong.
image: fthmb.tqn.com
The building attracted heated controversy, as its sharp angles were said to cast negative feng shui energy into the heart of Hong Kong.
image: i.cdn.travel.cnn.com
About 95 percent of Hong Kong's population is of Chinese descent, the majority being Cantonese or from ethnic groups such as Hakka and Teochew.
image: cdn3.vox-cdn.com
Rapid industrialization between 1960s and 1990s made Hong Kong one of the four Asian Tigers of economic growth.
image: www.hkmemory.hk
Lacking confidence in this arrangement, some residents chose to emigrate from Hong Kong, particularly after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
image: csisprosper.files.wordpress.com
The Airport Express zooms passengers to Central on Hong Kong Island in just 23 minutes.
Hong Kong has one active international airport, known as Hong Kong International Airport located at Chek Lap Kok.
image: cdn.herschelsupply.com
The People's Republic of China Central People's Government (CPG) assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, and stationed a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) there to manage its defense affairs.
Hong Kong has an active nightlife in major entertainment districts such as Lan Kwai Fong, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai.
image: onestep4ward.com
Under British rule, Chinese Hong Kong residents (and other Hong Kong residents) were able to join the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong.
image: static3.businessinsider.com
Aside from prosecuting criminal cases in Hong Kong, officials of the Department of Justice also appear in court on behalf of the government in all civil and administrative lawsuits against the government.
In 2006, Hong Kong's per-capita GDP ranked as the 6th highest in the world at US$38,127, ahead of countries such as Switzerland, Denmark, and Japan.
image: statinfo.biz
Despite the banning of the Falun Gong movement by Beijing in 1999, adherents are still free to practice in Hong Kong.
image: www.hongkongfp.com
Most comprehensive schools in Hong Kong fall under three categories: public schools, subsidized schools and private schools.
image: cd.edb.gov.hk
When it opened in 1998, this replaced the former Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak Airport located at Kowloon City, which was simultaneously closed.
image: smaiyl.com
The currency is allowed to trade within a range between 7.75 and 7.85 Hong Kong dollars to one United States dollar.
Hong Kong underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in the 1980s, when growth averaged 7.2 percent annually.
image: www.avidbots.com
Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong in 1949 and are now used almost exclusively, as in Singapore, Dublin and the United Kingdom.
image: www.hkdigit.net
Both Hong Kong International Airport and Cathay Pacific Airways have been voted best in the world, in the airport and airline criteria respectively, by Skytrax from 2001 to 2005.
Services gradually replaced textiles and manufacturing in the economy of Hong Kong, as the financial and banking sectors became increasingly dominant.
image: media3.ausbt.com.au
Considered less historically reliable than the synoptic gospels with its longer, more theological speeches, John's treatment of the last days of Jesus is, however, widely thought to be the more probable account.
image: files.lsecities.net
Approximately 140,000 Filipinos work in Hong Kong as foreign domestic helpers.
The civil service of Hong Kong maintains its quality and neutrality following its tradition in the colonial times, operating without discernible direction from Beijing.
image: c8.alamy.com
Hong Kong has set low rates in both personal and corporate taxation.
image: media.gadgetsin.com
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (???????, ???????, commonly known as Hong Kong (Chinese: ??), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, along with Macau.
image: image.shutterstock.com
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated countries/dependencies in the world, with an overall density of more than 6,200 people per kmІ.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047.
image: www.chinadaily.com.cn
All defense matters have been dependent on the state which controls Hong Kong.
image: www.tax4tip.org
The territory's official languages are Chinese and English; signs in both languages are omnipresent throughout Hong Kong.
image: qph.ec.quoracdn.net
Articles 82 and 92 allow judges from other common law jurisdictions to participate in proceedings of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal and sit as Hong Kong judges.
The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian forces surrendering control of the colony to Japan on December 25, 1941.
Due to the creative destruction endemic to Hong Kong over the past 50 years, few historical buildings remain in Hong Kong.
The narrow body of water which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula is known as Victoria Harbor and is one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world.
image: www.geckosadventures.com
Hong Kong's long, irregular and curvaceous coastline provides many bays, rivers and beaches.
image: sassyhongkong.com
Cantonese, a Chinese language commonly spoken in southern China, is Hong Kong's official dialect.
Hong Kong's religious beliefs are tied to the region's early role as a fishing community.
The Hong Kong government also supports cultural institutions such as the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
image: c1.staticflickr.com
A Special Economic Zone was established the following year in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, located immediately north of the mainland's border with Hong Kong.
image: image1.slideserve.com
Hong Kong's public schools are operated by the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
image: theedge.com.hk
Five separate companies (KMB, Citybus, NWFB, Long Win & NLB) operate franchised public bus services in Hong Kong.
image: www.orientalmodelbuses.co.uk
The recent opening of Sunny Bay Station of the MTR allows easy access to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Hong Kong has often been cited as a prime example of laissez-faire capitalism in practice, most notably by economist Milton Friedman.
image: pmindia.gov.in
Tung Chee Hwa assumed office as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
image: news.bbc.co.uk
Despite the territory's extensive wooded and ocean setting, Hong Kong's air ranks as among the most polluted, and environmental awareness is growing.
image: s.yimg.com
The name "Indonesia" derives from Greek "indus" or "India," and "nesos" or "islands").
image: rlv.zcache.com
A large portion of Hong Kong's exports are re-exports, which are products made outside of the territory, especially in mainland China, and distributed through Hong Kong.
image: www.momentousasia.com
Hong Kong is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, and some unusual methods of transport have been devised to ease movement up and down the slopes.
image: monotonundminimal.files.wordpress.com
Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity, with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its gross domestic product.
image: timedotcom.files.wordpress.com
Hong Kong's population increased sharply throughout the 1990s, reaching 6.99 million in 2006.
image: www.newgeography.com
Hong Kong has a fertility rate of 0.95 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world and far below the 2.1 children per woman required to sustain the current population.
image: static.businessinsider.com
The Hong Kong Garrison, composed of ground, naval, and air forces, is under the command of the Chinese Central Military Commission.
image: img.news.sina.com
Over strong objections from Beijing, Governor Chris Patten introduced democratic reforms to the election process for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world, with a market capitalization of about US$1.69 trillion as of February 2007.
The people of Hong Kong take their food seriously and many top chefs make their way to the city to show off their talents to these discerning diners.
image: www.sassyhongkong.com
What is the difference between Hong Kong and King Kong?
Is hong kong a country or part of china?
Is hong kong in china or japan?
Is hong kong part of china?
When did hong kong go back to china?
When did hong kong became part of china?
When did hong kong return to china?
When was hong kong returned to china?
Where is hong kong in china?
What time is it in hong kong china right now?
The Longest River In The World (1)
The Oceans Of The World (1)
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World Hunger (5)
Related Types
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Hong Kong Disneyland (12)
Hong Kong's Population (1)
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text:
Q: Set Cookie with htaccess I'm using WordPress on an Apache server & would like to use my .htaccess to set a cookie when someone first lands on my site.
If possible I'd set TWO Cookies to:

*

*store the full URL

*store the value in a parameter in the URL (e.g. teamname)

Ordinarily in PHP, I'd just have:
function set_user_cookie() {
    $url = "http://$_SERVER[HTTP_HOST]$_SERVER[REQUEST_URI]";
    if (!isset($_COOKIE['LandingPageURL'])) {
        setcookie('LandingPageURL', $url, time()+2678400, "/");
    }
}
add_action( 'init', 'set_user_cookie');

However we've been noticing issues with caching so I wonder if it's possible to achieve this within my .htaccess instead.
Example URL: www.example.com/?teamname=Chicago+Bulls

A: you can use something like this. this stores the full URL in a cookie called LandingPageURL .
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
// if the cookie "LandingPageURL" is not set
RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !^.*LandingPageURL.*$ [NC]
// then set it ...
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [co=LandingPageURL:$1:.example.com:2678400:/]

you probably want to use options like HttpOnly and Secure for your cookie
there is also another method to set a cookie in .htaccess that goes like this :
<If "%{HTTP_COOKIE} !^.*LandingPageURL.*$">
    Header edit Set-Cookie ^(.*)$  $1;SameSite=None;Secure;HttpOnly
</If>

if you want to read the cookie with php you can go like this
<?php
if(!isset($_COOKIE['LandingPageURL'])) {
  error_log ("Cookie named 'LandingPageURL' is not set  in ".__FILE__." #".__LINE__);
} else {
  error_log("Cookie 'LandingPageURL' is set in ".__FILE__." #".__LINE__);
  error_log("Value of Cookie is: " . $_COOKIE['LandingPageURL'] );
}
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


GeorgiaPeachez Wreaths is on the cover!
Thank you Romantic Homes magazine for featuring my wreaths on your cover and inside your magazine.
I am in full blown wreath production mode from now until the vintage ornies run out.
I will be adding them to the store as I get them made so check in often or follow me on facebook.
I don't create custom orders, I let the shapes and colors guide me to the finished product.
If you have just discovered my place, then welcome and I hope you come back often.
This is my place to share my slight obession with all things vintage christmas.
How awesome, Suzy! Love that!
Wow! You must be soooo proud! I'm sure it's amazing to see something you created on the cover of a magazine! I'm afraid I would be haunting magazine racks to see if I could spot it if my wreath was on there! Congratulations!
That cover caused me to buy the magazine...high praise. It's gorgeous.
Congratulations on the cover! That is an amazing accomplishment.
Congrats on the cover!!! You SOOOOOO deserve it! I know I am just one person but I want to tell you that you are my "Wreath making hero"!!! Your work is amazing---so beautiful, so inspiring...THANK YOU for sharing your special art with the world!!!


text:
<?php
/**
 * Created by PhpStorm.
 * User: kristjan
 * Date: 9/25/14
 * Time: 8:07 AM
 */

namespace Application\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;
use User\Entity\User;

/**
 * Transaction
 *
 * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="Application\Repository\BankRepository")
 * @ORM\Table(name="bank_transaction")
 */
class BankTransaction extends AbstractEntity {

    const STATUS_PENDING = 'pending';
    const STATUS_ASSOCIATED = 'associated';
    const STATUS_HIDDEN = 'hidden';

    const TYPE_INCOMING = 'incoming';
    const TYPE_OUTGOING = 'outgoing';

    const TAB_TYPE_IMPORT = 'import';

    const BANK_KREDIIDIPANK = 'BANK_KREDIIDIPANK';
    const BANK_SEB = 'BANK_SEB';
    const BANK_SWED = 'BANK_SWED';
    const BANK_NORDEA = 'BANK_NORDEA';

    const PAYMENT_TYPE_CASH = 'cash';
    const PAYMENT_TYPE_TRANSFER = 'transfer';

    public static $paymentTypes = array(
        self::PAYMENT_TYPE_TRANSFER => 'paymentType.transfer',
        self::PAYMENT_TYPE_CASH => 'paymentType.cash'
    );

    public static $types = array(
        self::TYPE_INCOMING,
        self::TYPE_OUTGOING
    );

    public static $bankCodes = array(
        self::BANK_KREDIIDIPANK => 'bank.code.crediidipank',
        self::BANK_NORDEA => 'bank.code.nordea',
        self::BANK_SEB => 'bank.code.seb',
        self::BANK_SWED => 'bank.code.swed'
    );

    /**
     * @ORM\Id
     * @ORM\Column(type="integer")
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
     */
    protected $id;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(name="payment_date", type="datetime")
     */
    protected $paymentDate;

    /**
     * @var string
     * @ORM\Column(name="status",type="string", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $status;

    /**
     * @var string
     * @ORM\Column(name="type",type="string", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $type;

    /**
     * @var string
     * @ORM\Column(name="payment_type",type="string", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $paymentType;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="string", length=45)
     */
    protected $name;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(name="reference_number", type="string", length=45)
     */
    protected $referenceNumber;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="decimal", precision=14, scale=2)
     */
    protected $sum;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="text")
     */
    protected $description;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(type="text")
     */
    protected $comment;

    /**
     * @var Document
     *
     * @ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="Application\Entity\Document", inversedBy="transactions")
     * @ORM\JoinColumn(name="document_id", referencedColumnName="id", nullable=true, onDelete="CASCADE")
     */
    protected $document;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(name="archive_sign", type="text", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $archiveSign;

    /**
     * @ORM\Column(name="payer_iban", type="text", length=20, nullable=true)
     */
    protected $payerIban;

    /**
     * @var Company
     *
     * @ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="Application\Entity\Company")
     * @ORM\JoinColumn(name="company_id", referencedColumnName="id", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $company;

    /**
     * @var \User\Entity\User
     *
     * @ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="User\Entity\User")
     * @ORM\JoinColumn(name="user_id", referencedColumnName="id", nullable=false)
     */
    protected $user;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->status = self::STATUS_PENDING;
    }

    /**
     * @param \User\Entity\User $user
     */
    public function setUser(User $user)
    {
        $this->user = $user;
    }

    /**
     * @return \User\Entity\User
     */
    public function getUser()
    {
        return $this->user;
    }

    /**
     * @param string $paymentType
     */
    public function setPaymentType($paymentType)
    {
        $this->paymentType = $paymentType;
    }

    /**
     * @return string
     */
    public function getPaymentType()
    {
        return $this->paymentType;
    }

    /**
     * @param string $status
     */
    public function setStatus($status)
    {
        $this->status = $status;
    }

    /**
     * @return string
     */
    public function getStatus()
    {
        return $this->status;
    }

    /**
     * @param string $type
     */
    public function setType($type)
    {
        $this->type = $type;
    }

    /**
     * @return string
     */
    public function getType()
    {
        return $this->type;
    }

    /**
     * @param \Application\Entity\Company $company
     */
    public function setCompany(Company $company)
    {
        $this->company = $company;
    }

    /**
     * @return \Application\Entity\Company
     */
    public function getCompany()
    {
        return $this->company;
    }

    /**
     * @param mixed $archiveSign
     */
    public function setArchiveSign($archiveSign)
    {
        $this->archiveSign = $archiveSign;
    }

    /**
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function getArchiveSign()
    {
        return $this->archiveSign;
    }

    /**
     * @param mixed $comment
     */
    public function setComment($comment)
    {
        $this->comment = $comment;
    }

    /**
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function getComment()
    {
        return $this->comment;
    }

    /**
     * @param mixed $description
     */
    public function setDescription($description)
    {
        $this->description = $description;
    }

    /**
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function getDescription()
    {
        return $this->description;
    }

    /**
     * @param Document $document
     */
    public function setDocument(Document $document = null)
    {
        $this->document = $document;
    }

    /**
     * @return Document
     */
    public function getDocument()
    {
        return $this->document;
    }

    /**
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function getId()
    {
        return $this->id;
    }

    /**
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Michael Jace's Kids Spend 4 Painful Hours In Police Custody Following The Death of Their Mother… | Platt Law P.C.
Much to the public's shock and surprise, actor Michael Jace, best known for his role in the 'The Shield,' was charged with murder following the untimely death of his wife in May.
According to reports, Jace called 911 on himself after allegedly shooting his wife in front of his small children. Besides the obvious trauma that the children faced, family members are up in arms that the kids were forced to spend four painful hours in the sheriff's office while police sorted out the situation, rather than being placed in the care of loved ones.
As unfortunate and terrible as it sounds, what most parents do not realize is that if something happens to them, whether it be a car accident or a heinous crime (as in this case), without TEMPORARY GUARDIANS named, the police have no choice but to take your children into custody until authorities can decide where they should be placed. As Provo guardianship lawyers, we see this happen all the time.
Please understand that the authorities are not taking these actions to be mean or cold. They have protocol to follow and keeping temporary custody of your kids is routinely part of the deal.
Yet as parents we all know that the police station (or Child Protective Services) is the LAST place your children should be if something happens to you. Your kids will likely be upset, shocked, and confused, and desperate to be in the care of someone they know and trust.
Even if you have a will, it's simply not enough to avoid this situation.
What you must do is take one extra step to legally name temporary guardians who can take short-term custody of your kids following your death or incapacity.
Documentation of your short-term nominations must then be given to family and friends so they can act on your behalf and ensure your child(ren) never spend one second in the care of strangers if something happens to you.
Naming legal guardians is something that's easy to do, inexpensive and can save your kids from a tremendous amount of confusion and heartbreak if the unthinkable happens. So if you haven't done so already, talk to your Provo guardianship lawyer about legally naming BOTH permanent and temporary guardians for your kids. It's worth every bit of time, effort and expense to take care of this critical task.


text:
Alexis Panselinos () (born 1943 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek novelist and translator. He is the son of Assimakis Panselinos (1903-1984) an author and poet and Ephie Pliatsika-Panselinos (1907-1997) also a poet and a novelist. He read Law at the University of Athens and worked as a practicing lawyer. He is a resident of Athens, married to novelist Lucy Dervis. His first book, a collection of four stories, appeared in 1982. In 1986 he published his first novel, 'The Great Procession" (Η Μεγάλη Πομπή) which obtained a Novel State Prize. In 1997 he was the Greek candidate for the European Literary Award (Aristeion) with his third novel, 'Zaida or the Camel in the Snow' (Ζαΐδα ή Η καμήλα στα χιόνια). Many of his books have been translated into Italian, German, English, and Polish. Panselinos has also translated novels from English and German.

Works

Novels
Η Μεγάλη Πομπή (The Great Procession), 1985
Βραδυές μπαλέτου (Ballet nights), 1991
Ζαΐδα ή Η καμήλα στα χιόνια (Zaide or The camel in the snow), 1996
Ο Κουτσός άγγελος (The Lame Angel), 2002
Σκοτεινές επιγραφές (The Dark Inscriptions), 2011
Η κρυφή πόρτα (The secret door), 2016
Ελαφρά ελληνικά τραγούδια (Greek light songs), 2018

Short fiction
Ιστορίες με σκύλους (Dog stories), 1982
Τέσσερις Ελληνικοί Φόνοι (Four Greek Murders) 2004

Non-fiction
Δοκιμαστικές πτήσεις (Test flights), 1993
Mία λέξη χίλιες εικόνες (One Word A Thousand Pictures), 2004

Translated works
Betsy Lost (transl. Caroline Harbouri) Kedros Publications, Athens
La Grande Procession (transl. Henri Tonnet) Les Editions du Griot, Paris
La Grande processione (transl. Maurizio De Rosa) Crocetti Editore, Milano
Zaide ou Le chameau dans la neige (transl. Henri Tonnet) Gallimard, Paris
Zaide oder das Kammel in der Schnee (transl. Theo Votsos) Berlin Verlag, Berlin
Zaida (transl. Mario Cazzulo) Crocetti Editore, Milano
Tajemnicze inskrypcje (The Dark Inscriptions) (transl. Alicja Biadun) Kziazkowe Klimaty, Wroclaw

Translations
Hope, Anthony, Ο αιχμάλωτος της Ζέντα (The Prisoner of Zenda), 1988
Mörike, Eduard,Ο Μότσαρτ στον δρόμο για την Πράγα (Mozart auf der Reise nach Prag), 1996
Barth, John, Ο Βλακοχορτοφάγος (The Sot-Weed Factor), 1999
Harbouri, Caroline Petrie, Φιλάδελφος (The Brothers Carburi), 2002

Awards
 2nd State Prize for his novel The Great Procession in 1986
 Novel Prize of the 'Diavazo' Magazine for his novel The Dark Inscriptions in 2012
 The Greek Candidacy for the European Literary Prize (Aristeion) with his novel Zaida or The Camel in the Snow in 1997
 Novel Prize of the Athens Academy (K. & E. Ouranis Foundation) for his novel Light Greek Songs in 2018
 The Great Award for Life Achievement by the literary magazine O Anagnostis (The Reader) in 2020

External links
A page dedicated to his work (Greek) ( ( 2009-10-25) and (English) ( ( 2009-10-25).
His entry for the 2001 Frankfurt Book Fair (Greek)
His page at Ithaca Online
His page at the website of the Hellenic Authors' Society (Greek) and (English)

Notes

1943 births
Living people
Writers from Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni
Greek novelists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
West Potomac Students Speak Out
Students and faculty search for compromise between walking out, speaking out.
For first generation immigrants, especially those in the country illegally, raising your voice could mean losing your job or being deported. For their children, born and raised in the United States, raising their voices to assert their identity was often less a matter of survival than of popularity. Teenagers' desire to fit in transcends borders and languages. But with Congress in the throes of an ideological struggle over the future of immigrants in America, the restraints, whatever they were, have been lifted. And members of every generation, in every part of the country, have united to be heard, whether by marching among tens of thousands of people in city centers or by holding signs among tens of people on street corners.
But what message is being sent, and who is listening? These issues were at the fore at West Potomac High School on April 5, the day students planned a walk-out to protest on Route 1. Although she respected the students' desire for civic participation, Nancy Kreloff, an assistant principal at West Potomac, questioned whether missing a day of classes and addressing passers-by on the Route 1 corridor was the most effective way for the students to channel their enthusiasm. Kreloff tried to turn the protest into a "teachable moment" by holding an after-school forum for the students. Despite the announcement of this school-sanctioned opportunity, about 50 students walked out of school at 9 a.m.
Robert Castro was among them. He said the protesting students carried signs and gathered on Route 1. "A lot of people would stop and honk and give us thumbs up," Castro said "we had a lot of people flick us off too." He said the students also stopped at Hayfield and Edison High Schools. "Walking out, we're actually expressing our voice to the public."
But other students questioned whether the walk-out was the best form of self-expression. "The mentality's not where you want to be… a lot of kids don't know what they're talking about, on both sides," said Evan Dobbs, a first generation American, whose mother emigrated illegally from Mexico with her family and is now a naturalized citizen. Dobbs listed similar protests all over the country. "I guess it was our school's turn to have our walk-out." He mentioned violent incidents that occurred at similar events at other area schools, such as the student in Franconia who was stabbed two weeks ago.
"I did not feel as if walking out would prove the better point… We need to speak out and tell people why we're walking instead of just walking out... I feel more can get accomplished actually speaking to the other side."
ARTHUR CLAY'S mother emigrated illegally from El Salvador when she was 18. Her family was fleeing a civil war. "They worked their butts off" when they got to America, Clay said. He discussed how bills that would deport undocumented immigrants could affect families like his own. "I'm a citizen. I'm lucky my Mom is a citizen… What would I do if they kicked her out?.. El Salvador is my heritage, but not my country."
Many of the students at the forum had not participated in the walk-out. Castro, who walked out and returned for the forum, said that many students were suspicious of the school's motivations. "We felt as if they were trying to put us down, calm us down, quiet us down," he explained. Jocelyn Garay, who also walked out and returned, said "I think [the school's] intentions were good." But she thinks the school would have had more participation if they had clarified the goal of the meeting. Still, she felt more of the protesting students should have taken the opportunity given to them by the school. "It's really disappointing and upsetting. There should have been people here."
But students continued to trickle in, and eventually about 30 were gathered in the auditorium.
"I want to congratulate you because you are being part of the democratic process," said Kreloff, who had photocopied information on how to contact Senators George Allen and John Warner, and U.S. Rep. James Moran (D-8). Haroldo Suarez, one of the school's parent liaisons who helps the school reach out to the community, translated for Kreloff and other speakers. About 100 of the 2,000 students at Mount Vernon need translators because they do not speak English.
Suarez also expressed his own opinion on the immigration bills being debated. "A law should solve a problem not make another one," Suarez said. "The way I see the law, as proposed, it would punish a priest, a doctor, a preacher for helping someone else who happens to be illegal… this is the opportunity for you to be a part of history. For you should be the future of the conscience of this country." But, "By leaving the school… you were violating a law." Demonstrations draw resources from police and cause public disruptions, "forcing school administrators to take an issue with you." He urged students to be "constructive: you are voicing a civilized opinion."
Garay took the opportunity to speak to her classmates. "There is a negative connotation with Latinos. That is our generation's fault. You can't complain about it if you aren't doing anything to change it." She said students must speak-out, and walk-out, for the right reasons, "It was made clear at the demonstration this morning, 'If you're here to skip school we don't want you here. You're not welcome here."
"I feel that I'm here to make a difference," she said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Teacher Thumbprint Tree Print for $5.39 (Reg $20)!
This is a super cute Teacher Appreciation Gift to do with your child's entire class! The tree is personalized with your teacher's name, class and school year. To make this keepsake, have the students place their thumbprints to look like leaves on the tree. The students can also sign their names next to their thumbprint to make this gift extra special! Great for teachers, coaches, dance teachers, or church teachers!
Teacher Thumbprint Tree Print for $5.39 (Reg $20)! *Use code welcome10 to get this price.
Order includes one 8×10 print printed on 8.5×11 110 lb. cardstock.
Shipping is $3.45 for the first item and $0.10 for each additional.


text:
Q: Use Functions to get total number of in-progress and ringing calls to number Am familiar with Twilio Studio and Twilio API (via PHP). Not familiar with Functions/node, so I'm a little lost on how to do this simple requirement...
In Studio I need to call a Function to return an integer of the total number of 'in-progress' and 'ringing' calls to a specific phone number (added together).
For example, if there are 7 'in-progress' and 5 'ringing' the function would return 12.
Any help appreciated. Thanks!

A: Twilio Functions allow you to run JavaScript in response to an HTTP request (or request from Studio). You can read about how Functions work in the documentation. To fetch the calls and filter them by their current status, you would use the Call Resource. There are examples in the documentation for fetching calls and filtering and all the documentation has examples in Node.js, as well as PHP so you can compare.
Here's a Function I put together quickly (I haven't tested it, but I think it looks good). It fetches the calls that are ringing and in-progress, and returns an object with individual totals and a total. You can then use this in your widget and refer to the values with variables like {{widgets.FUNCTION_WIDGET_NAME.parsed.ringing}}.
exports.handler = async (context, event, callback) => {
  const client = context.getTwilioClient();

  const ringingPromise = client.calls.list({ status: 'ringing' });
  const inProgressPromise = client.calls.list({ status: 'in-progress' });

  const [ringing, inProgress] = await Promise.all([ringingPromise, inProgressPromise]);
  const response = {
    ringing: ringing.length,
    inProgress: inProgress.length,
    total: ringing.length + inProgress.length
  };
  callback(null, response);
}


text:
Budget Bill - SB1100 (Introduced)
Bill Order » Legislative Department
Legislative Department
General Assembly of Virginia
$46,981,541 $46,981,541
1 Enactment of Laws $46,981,541 $46,981,541
2 Legislative Evaluation and Review $13,775,147 $13,775,147
Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program
$1,540,045 $1,540,045
3 Ground Transportation System Safety Services $1,540,045 $1,540,045
Division of Capitol Police
4 Administrative and Support Services $10,831,214 $10,380,214
Division of Legislative Automated Systems
5 Information Technology Development and Operations $5,565,665 $5,565,665
Division of Legislative Services
6 Legislative Research and Analysis $6,884,115 $6,884,115
Capitol Square Preservation Council $221,297 $221,297
7 Architectural and Antiquity Research Planning and Coordination $221,297 $221,297
Virginia Disability Commission $25,647 $25,647
8 Social Services Research, Planning, and Coordination $25,647 $25,647
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission $50,763 $50,763
9 Human Relations Management $50,763 $50,763
Joint Commission on Technology and Science $222,993 $222,993
10 Technology Research, Planning, and Coordination $222,993 $222,993
Commissioners for the Promotion of Uniformity of Legislation in the United States $87,520 $87,520
11 Governmental Affairs Services $87,520 $87,520
State Water Commission $10,245 $10,245
12 Environmental Policy and Program Development $10,245 $10,245
Virginia Coal and Energy Commission $21,645 $21,645
13 Resource Management Research, Planning, and Coordination $21,645 $21,645
Virginia Code Commission $93,681 $93,681
14 Enactment of Laws $93,681 $93,681
Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council $208,260 $208,260
15 Governmental Affairs Services $208,260 $208,260
Virginia Housing Commission $21,265 $21,265
16 Housing Assistance Services $21,265 $21,265
Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Committee $25,339 $25,339
17 Human Relations Management $25,339 $25,339
Commission on Unemployment Compensation $6,072 $6,072
18 Consumer Affairs Services $6,072 $6,072
Small Business Commission $15,261 $15,261
19 Economic Development Services $15,261 $15,261
Commission on Electric Utility Regulation $10,015 $10,015
Manufacturing Development Commission $12,158 $12,158
Joint Commission on Administrative Rules $10,015 $10,015
Autism Advisory Council $6,475 $6,475
23 Health Research, Planning, and Coordination $6,475 $6,475
Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council $598,128 $598,128
24 Personnel Management Services $598,128 $598,128
Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability $28,200 $28,200
25 Ground Transportation Planning and Research $28,200 $28,200
Commission on Economic Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring and Diverse Communities $10,560 $10,560
Virginia-Israel Advisory Board $215,184 $215,184
26.10 Economic Development Services $215,184 $215,184
Chesapeake Bay Commission
27 Resource Management Research, Planning, and Coordination $332,368 $332,368
Joint Commission on Health Care
28 Health Research, Planning, and Coordination $779,133 $779,133
Virginia Commission on Youth
29 Social Services Research, Planning, and Coordination $355,201 $355,201
Virginia State Crime Commission
30 Criminal Justice Research, Planning and Coordination $940,402 $940,402
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
31 Legislative Evaluation and Review $5,194,132 $5,545,132
Virginia Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation
Legislative Department Reversion Clearing Account
33 Across the Board Reductions -$194,600 -$194,600
34 Enactment of Laws $610,315 $610,315


Director – Paul Currie, Screenplay – Nathan Parker & Todd Stein, Story – Todd Stein, Producers – Paul Currie, Bruce Davey, Steve Hutensky & Jodi Matterson, Photography – David Eggby, Music – Lisa Gerrard & David Orr, Visual Effects Supervisor – Simon Maddison, Visual Effects – Cumulus Visual Effects (Supervisor – William Gammon), Cutting Edge (Supervisors – Jonathan Dearing & Alex Lay), Plural & Flywheel Entertainment (Supervisor – Juan Robertson), Special Effects Supervisor – Tim Riach, Production Design – Michelle McGahey. Production Company – Lightstream Pictures/Walk the Walk Entertainment/Wild Eddie/Ingenious/2929 Productions/Screen NSW.
Dylan Branson works as an air traffic controller at New York's JFK Airport. He is very much attuned to the rhythms and patterns of life around him. One day, his inner tempo is off and he is only able to save two planes from colliding by a narrow margin. Afterwards, he is placed on a leave of absence. At a ballet performance, he meets and is attracted to art gallery manager Sarah Barton. With time on his hands, Dylan becomes aware how certain patterns repeat themselves every day – the same people he passes in the street saying the same things, the same noises and small inconsequential happenings. He becomes obsessed with these patterns, believing they draw him to Grand Central Station to something that happens at 2:22 every day and that this is a premonition of events to happen. As he becomes more obsessed, he believes that a murder that happened between a woman and the two men she was torn between back in 1986 is repeating itself between himself, Sarah and her ex Jonas.
2:22 was the second feature film from Australian producer/director Paul Currie. Currie had previously directed One Perfect Day (2004), a similar kind of life-changing drama, and a couple of sports biopic tv documentaries. Beyond that, he also has several credits as a producer, most notably on Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge (2016).
2:22 is a head-scratching oddity that left me not know what to make of much of the film for most of the running time. You feel like it is trying to be a variant on Groundhog Day (1993) and one of the films that have come out copying its timeloop theme – Repeaters (2010), Source Code (2011), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Before I Fall (2017), Naked (2017) etc. Michiel Huisman seems to be repeating the same day and the same events happening over and over again. On the other hand, he is also experiencing normal sequential time and everything else is happening in the direction of time's arrow – ie. he meets Teresa Palmer and a relationship develops, is put on leave from his job – and everything proceeds from there as opposed to these events repeating themselves. At the same time, Michiel, Teresa and her ex Sam Reid all appear to be re-enacting a doomed love triangle that culminated with one jealous party shooting the other at Grand Central Station at 2:22 on April 18th of 1986, which also happens to be Micheil and Teresa's birthdays. Here the film seems something akin to Dead Again (1991) wherein various people in the present find they are the reincarnated souls of the parties from a tragic love triangle in the past.
This certainly proves intriguing and holds your attention for some way in. As a non-New Yorker, Paul Currie has a very nice eye for the rhythms of the city and makes eye-catchingly pretty patterns out of the planes taking off and coming in at JFK Airport. It is just that the entire film falls down from a fatal case of failing to allow anything that happens to make sense. Why are people replaying the lives of three others from thirty years before? Why does the entire universe around Michiel Huisman seem to be repeating the same events but equally not at the same time? Is it reincarnation or what? The film reaches an end that gives all of this some emotional sense of closure while leaving your logic circuits melting down because nothing that happens in the film makes sense.
(Nominee for Best Cinematography at this site's Best of 2017 Awards).


Click here for a flyer to help you learn about the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and to keep track of them. Each time you do an act of mercy or donate to a cause that supports these works of mercy, you can make a mark on your flyer.
At the end of the Jubilee Year add up the total and turn in to us. We will make a total for the whole parish and publish the results so we can see the effect we can have in the world!


text:
Home Christmas music Enya – Christmas Carols from Cork
Enya – Christmas Carols from Cork
If you missed this last year, make sure to check out Enya's Christmas special! The video was recorded at the historic Honan Chapel at University College Cork, UK.
The TV special, which was screened on Irish TV and hosted by Mary Kennedy, also featured soprano Celine Byrne, singing 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'; Brian Kennedy performed 'Little Drummer Boy'; The Gloaming's Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill; The Priests; and dance group Prodijig.
Thanks to Juan Antonio Díaz Gómez-Guillamón for uploading this to Youtube!
Also, the complete show is available here on RTE.ie.
Eoin English in the Irish Examiner wrote about the concert:
"The Donegal-born singer, who has sold more than 80m albums worldwide and who guards her privacy intensely, posed for Irish Examiner staff photographer Denis Minihane during a break in recording for a Christmas TV special in the historic Honan Chapel at University College Cork (UCC).
Enya spent the day in the landmark chapel, which celebrated its centenary last weekend, recording carols, including 'Adeste Fideles', and a stunning version of 'Oiche Chiúin'.
Roger Childs, head of RTÉ religious programmes, said they are delighted the star agreed to appear in the show. "We thought the setting would appeal to her," said Mr Childs. "We asked, and she agreed. The time was right, the setting was right, and it's been really great."
UCC president Michael Murphy spoke to the enigmatic star about the features of the chapel built in 1916, famous for its mosaic floor and 19 stained-glass windows."
Read the article in The Irish Examiner.


Preserve your hearing! It is one of our most important senses. It helps keep us safe and lead a fulfilled life. It's also something that we take for granted. While hearing can diminish on account of age or illness, loud music and lack of proper hearing healthcare can also lead to a hearing loss or impairment.
Recognize the different noise levels present in your environment. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85dB is a hearing health hazard.
Wear ear plugs or muffs when using loud equipment (i.e. lawn mowers, power saw, leaf blower). Foam plugs are available at your pharmacy while muffs and specialized ear protection can be purchased at sporting goods or safety equipment stores.
Keep a distance from loud noise or sound. Also limit the number of noisy appliances running at the same time.
Avoid medications that can affect your hearing. Talk to your healthcare provider about the side effects of medicines you might be taking.
When listening to music through iPods, headphones or earbuds, keep the volume low-to-medium. If someone else can hear it, it is too loud.
Be aware of the signs of hearing loss and measure yourself against them. Even temporary hearing loss should be checked out by a hearing specialist.
If you work in a noisy environment make sure you take the necessary precautions. There may be some protective measures that are mandated by the government.
Make sure your hearing specialist has the right credentials i.e. he/she is licensed to provide services in your province.
If your hearing loss is reversible take the necessary steps to correct it in a timely manner; the longer you wait the more it will deteriorate.
If any permanent hearing loss is diagnosed, choose hearing aids to slow it down, and preserve your hearing.
If you are experiencing any kind of hearing loss see a hearing specialist as soon as possible. Neglect will only make it worse.
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Discover more about hearing loss today. Contact Bravo Hearing Centre at 416-207-9711, or contact us online.


text:
Mad Men, 'Seven Twenty Three': Reviewing episode seven
Updated: Jan. 19, 2019, 12:39 a.m. | Published: Sep. 28, 2009, 3:02 a.m.
By Alan Sepinwall/The Star-Ledger
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in "Mad Men."
Spoilers for tonight's
"Mad Men"
coming up just as soon as I spend time with my family reading the Bible...
A total solar eclipse arrives midway through "Seven Twenty Three," and characters are warned repeatedly to not look directly at it. Betty tries and feels faint. Don puts on his sunglasses and waits for the sun to pass a bit before looking up, while Sally and Miss Farrell watch the eclipse from the safety of a cardboard camera obscura. And at other points in the episode, both Roger Sterling and Francine's husband Carlton talk about looking at the normal sun without any ill effects.
And all throughout "Seven Twenty Three" (the title stands for the date on which Don signs his contract), characters are given the opportunity to directly face something they want, or something they fear. Some choose to stare into the sun, while others try looking indirectly, each with varying degrees of success.
The episode itself starts with the indirect approach, as we get glimpses of Betty, Peggy and Don in situations that won't explain themselves until much later in the hour. It's not really necessary - I'm not fond of non-chronological storytelling, or
openings, unless they reveal something that wouldn't have been apparent had the episode been told in a traditional way - but it at least sets the tone for another intense, unsettling episode.
"Seven Twenty Three" doesn't have the macabre comedy of "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," nor does anyone lose a foot (and the ability to golf). But by episode's end, we may have witnessed a murder, because it feels like when Don signs that contract on 7/23, Dick Whitman dies.
And if that's the case, good riddance to bad rubbish.
Because most of Dick's appearances in the first two seasons were in situations where Jon Hamm got to play him as vulnerable, even tender (think Don-as-Dick in Anna Draper's house), it's easy to forget just what a bastard he is. He's the one who coldly stole the real Don Draper's life without thinking of the consequences, the one who chased away his own brother to protect his secret, the one who makes Don hold himself at such a crippling distance from his wife. And Dick Whitman is the one whose first impulse at a sign of trouble is to bail on everyone who cares about him. As
Jon Hamm put it to me
, "When Don's in trouble, Dick runs."
And in "Seven Twenty Three," forces conspire to keep Dick from running, maybe ever again. Sterling and Cooper have always indulged Don's refusal to work without a contract, looking the other away and allowing him to make his power play against Duck. But Conrad Hilton's lawyers force the firm to look directly at this particular quirk, and they realize that it's no longer acceptable. Cooper won't let Don avoid the confrontation, and when Don tries, Roger tries going around Don to Betty, who calls out her husband for his wanderlust - where, she rightly wonders, does he plan to be in the next three years that this is such a burden?
Don-as-Dick is not pleasant to watch in this one. Cornered, he lashes out in ugly fashion at Peggy (who's devastated by it) and then at Betty (who has learned how to fight with her husband), and I'm not sure the character has been any more unappealing than he is in those two scenes. Then he tries going hobo, but he can't even do that well anymore, as his getaway is interrupted by visions of Archie Whitman calling him out for what Don fears is an empty life ("What do you make? You grow bulls--t!"), and as he winds up getting rolled by the two hitchhikers. Dick's supposed to be the hustler, not the victim.
The man Dick Whitman turned himself into is a master of the universe, capable of playing all the angles and finding a way to win the unlikeliest of victories. But here, we see other men sitting in Don's chair, putting him ill at ease and telling him how his life is going to be. Connie makes it clear that, however they bonded at the country club, he's going to dictate the terms of this relationship. And Bert Cooper turns out not to be the doddering eccentric we've taken him for, but an absolute killer. He's had the Dick Whitman card in his pocket since the end of season one, but he's declined to play it until now, going straight at Don with it, yet being elegant enough to phrase his attack in an oblique way. (He paraphrases a line he used on Don in last season's "The Gold Violin" about how he knows a little about him, then asks, "After all, when it comes down to it, who's really signing the contract, anyway?")
With no contract, Don has always had the ability to walk away from his job, and even from his life. That's gone now, at least for the next three years. He completely loses this fight, able only to divorce himself from Roger (who poked his nose into Don's private life one time too many), and he's stuck. Throughout "Seven Twenty Three," we see how Don/Dick behaves when there's even a threat of taking away his freedom. Now that it's gone, will things get even uglier? Or will rooting him to one place - and therefore making Dick Whitman irrelevant - allow him to finally accept that this is his life, and to maybe be content with that?
Whatever happens, we can now forget about the idea of Don leaving Sterling Cooper to open his own shop anytime soon (unless Weiner decides to throw us a curveball and opens season four sometime in 1966, as Don's contract is coming to an end). This is where he is, and he, the show and the viewers need to make peace with it.
Getting back to the direct vs. indirect approach, the episode's three lead characters each try a different strategy in dealing with business and with potential romantic partners.
Betty, having realized that the baby isn't going to fix her marriage, is eager for the opportunity to do business with the very interested Henry Francis (who touched her belly at the same party where Don met Connie), and she and Henry flirt with each other without either one coming right out and admitting that they want to jump the other's bones. The closest they come is when Betty calls Henry out for knowing in advance that he wouldn't have time to see the endangered reservoir, and he cleverly changes the subject to the fainting couch in the furniture store window. And Betty, interested but maybe not ready for another affair just yet, can at least buy the couch so she can lie on it and fantasize about him (while looking like a character out of a Renaissance painting).
It's unclear whether Don is actually trying to flirt with Miss Farrell or if he's just making conversation, but things get frosty when she cuts right through all the talk about vacations to accuse him of hitting on her like every other dad. Between her behavior in the classroom, the drunk-dialing episode and now this, sometime tells me that Abigail Spencer is once again playing a role that needs to be measured on
the Crazy/Hot scale
. But even if she's as cuckoo bananas as I fear, her forthrightness clearly appealed to Don; if he wasn't interested before their conversation began, he is now. And this won't end well for anyone involved, least of all poor Sally.
Peggy tries the indirect approach with Don about the Hilton account, and he sees right through it. This is the second time this season she's had the bad timing to go see him after he had a bad meeting with one of his bosses, and it's just brutal to see Don be that cruel to Peggy, even if he does have a point about her ambition.
And just as Don chewing out Pete in last season's "Flight 1" (after a similar case of poor timing) drove Pete to become Duck's acolyte, Peggy goes to Duck's hotel suite. Duck - who has never had a problem being direct - tries to give her a glimpse of "what opportunity looks like," but she has to look away. And having never looked in Peggy's direction during their time at Sterling Cooper, Duck finds he can't stop looking at her now. Though the Peggy/Duck hookup comes from out of the blue, it makes sense in the moment. Peggy has only ever been with boys like Pete and the college kid, who don't know what they want and/or need Peggy to take the lead. Duck is a man, one who knows what he wants and can describe it in detail to Peggy. As with the Don/Miss Farrell flirtation, this will not end well - Duck is always too impulsive (he sees what he wants and goes after it), and the way he talked about loving the taste of liquor on Peggy's breath doesn't speak well to the long-term prospects for his sobriety - but at the moment I'd prefer not to look straight at that probability for the time being, and instead look around to the more immediate questions. Will Peggy be smart enough to realize that taking the Grey job now would be a big mistake? Will she feel so close to Duck now that she won't be able to resist it? And either way, how will Don and/or Pete react when they find out?
Some other thoughts on "Seven Twenty Three":
• I can only cover so much - and only notice so much - in any given episode, and sometimes the analysis in the comments of these reviews has me smacking my head, wishing I had thought of (or wrote about) something one of you suggested. With last week's episode, it was the notion (
first suggested here
) that Guy's maiming and its aftermath could be read as a kind of black comic allegory for the Kennedy assassination: an energetic, charismatic young rising star (who may have been more style than substance) has his life cut down in a moment of shocking violence, and in the aftermath, the beautiful woman by his side (Joan standing in for Jackie) wanders around in a blood-soaked dress. I'm never sure how much of any of this stuff is intended by the writers, but it's fun to talk about all the possibilities while we wait for the next episode, isn't it?
• Along similar lines, I had a long conversation with Mo Ryan (who should have her own "Seven Twenty Three" review up on
her blog
before long), and she had a slightly different take on the eclipse, suggesting the episode is about people being blocked in the same way the moon blocks the sun. Don loses his escape route, Peggy is denied a choice account, Betty appears to lose her chance to save the reservoir, etc. "But," she added, "nobody denies Connie or Bert. Two sun kings who used their power and schooled Don about who's in control."
• Joan was unsurprisingly absent from the proceedings this week. I think Hamm, Jones and Moss are the only castmembers who appear in every episode each season (many shows these days have what are called 10-for-13 deals - as in, you're a regular, but you're only paid to be in 10 out of 13 episodes - with their supporting actors to save money), and it makes sense that one of Christina Hendrick's non-appearances would be immediately after Joan's grand exit from Sterling Cooper. I still believe she'll be back, and hopefully soon.
• The book Roger mentions on the elevator is "Confessions of an Advertising Man," by David Ogilvy, one of the most influential books ever written about the profession. Ho-Ho (still being swindled by Don, Pete and the gang) mentioned reading the galleys of the book back in "The Arrangements," though he mispronounced the author's name as if he were an Irishman named O'Gilvy.
• Loved how Don the amateur decorator was able to concisely identify the one part of the new living room that needed changing, and that the professional quickly realized he was right. And even my completely untrained eye can tell that she's right about the fainting couch: that thing is way too big for the space, and too out of sync with the other furniture. It sticks out just as badly as Marty Crane's recliner did in Frasier's apartment, and it blocks out the fireplace in the same way the moon blocks the sun for a few minutes.
• Interesting that Lucky Strikes would still be considered Sterling Cooper's biggest account, though it makes sense given that Connie is so far only letting them take over the New York hotels. If he had handed Don the keys to the entire chain, they'd be number one on the client list, right?
• Ever since
Hamm told me
about all the pieces of physical business that Weiner likes to throw at him, I can't help paying more attention to them, and how easily he seems to pull off bits like Don refilling his cigarette lighter while he talks to Roger. And his grace then stands in contrast to a moment like Don and Pete's conversation about the Hilton account, where Vincent Kartheiser spends the entire scene struggling to button his jacket with one hand. That may have been intentional (to show, again, that Pete isn't nearly as smooth as Don), or it may just be that Kartheiser was having a problem, but the director liked his performance enough to stick with that take; either way, it was momentarily distracting.
• When baby Gene came home at the end of "The Fog," it sounded like Carla wasn't going to be around for a while to help, though some other people suggested all the dialogue implied was that Carla wouldn't be a night nurse because she had to get home to her family. But if Carla's not around, then Gene is either the easiest baby of all time, or Betty Draper really does have the assistance of magical fairies to always look so put together (and to have time for things like the Junior League) during the newborn stage.
• Note that Betty, the anthropology major-turned-housewife, often feels compelled to show she's just as smart as the professionals she meets. Hence her saying "like in a skyscraper" to make it clear that she understood Henry's joke about not sleeping well with so many people on top of him, or her peevish reaction when he tried to explain his reference to
. Do you think she actually knew what it was, or is she trying to act worldly in front of him?
• Hard as it is to see Don rip into Peggy, it's more than a little amusing to see the two of them awkwardly come face-to-face the next morning: Don with his busted nose, Peggy wearing the same clothes from the day before after doing the walk of shame from Duck's hotel. Now, does Peggy have the apartment with Karen yet? Was there no time to go home and change? The Pierre is at 61st and 5th, and Sterling Cooper is on Madison between 47th and 48th; I suppose it's possible that the apartment, if she has it already, was in the opposite direction.
• Though I'm sure Don already regrets his relationship with Connie, I'm going to enjoy watching Chelcie Ross spar with Jon Hamm on a regular basis. Connie's not a man who's used to being told "no," and you can tell he's equal parts peeved and intrigued when Don does it. (In that way, Don was right when he said Cooper should have told Connie's lawyers to pass along the message about it being important to Don.)
• Bert's sharp as a tack moment in Don's office is nicely set up by a more typical moment of Cooper goofiness, as he puts his shoeless feet up on the coffee table and says of Connie, "I met him once. He's a bit of an eccentric, isn't he?"
• Carlton, played by Kristoffer Polaha, is skinny again after sporting a gut in his lone season two appearance. I guess the running is paying off for him.
• When Don is in the car with the hitchhikers, it's the second time this season (the first was with the stewardesses) he's briefly let a stranger believe he's some kind of spy. Come to think of it, the Europeans in "The Jet Set" also assumed Don was a spy until they saw his business card. Weird foreshadowing, or just an acknowledgment that Jon Hamm looks like he could have played James Bond?
• After sharing very little screen time together in the first two seasons, we've had a good amount of Roger and Peggy moments this season, here with him running into her on his way out of Don's office, complaining, "Didn't we give you an office?" (Which, to play the role of Betty the joke-explainer, is funny because Roger's the one who gave it to her.)
• Do Don and the thieving hitchhikers stop at the liquor store on the way to the motel, or did Don have that much booze in the Caddy? There are a lot of bottles on the motel room table.
What did everybody else think?


text:
Home → current affairs → GS-2 → IR → Protests in Hong Kong - Extradition Bill
Protests in Hong Kong - Extradition Bill
current affairs, GS-2, IR
Why in news?
Lakhs of protesters marched the streets of Hong Kong in the biggest protest since the Umbrella Revolution of September-December 2014.
What is the political status of Hong Kong?
Hong Kong, at roughly 1,100 sq km, is smaller in size than Delhi, and is home to an estimated 7.4 million people.
It was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997.
Hong Kong is now part of China under the "one country, two systems" principle.
Under this, the city of Hong Kong remains a semi-autonomous region with the Basic Law (the city's mini-constitution) for 50 years.
This ensures that Hong Kong keeps its own judicial independence, its own legislature and economic system.
It has its own laws and courts, and allows its residents a range of civil liberties.
[The Umbrella Revolution/Umbrella Movement/Occupy Movement refers to a series of sit-in street protests in Hong Kong in Sep-Dec 2014.
It was triggered over a decision regarding proposed reforms to the Hong Kong electoral system, and is largely a movement for democracy and autonomy.]
What is the extradition agreement status?
Extradition agreement refers to arrangement in regards to surrender of person(s) accused of a crime.
Hong Kong has entered into extradition agreements with 20 countries, including the UK and the US.
When the extradition agreements for Hong Kong was finalised, Taiwan and mainland China were excluded.
This was because of the different criminal justice systems that existed in those regions.
China has steadily tried to deepen its influence in this regard, but an extradition agreement with it has never been reached.
What is the recent extradition Bill?
The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 was proposed by Hong Kong's government in February, 2019.
Carrie Lam, who became Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2017 as the candidate favoured by Beijing, is pushing for the amendments.
The Bill will allow the local government to extradite a suspect to places with which the city has no formal extradition accord.
In effect, this would allow suspects accused of crimes such as murder and rape to be extradited to mainland China to face trial.
Once the law is changed, Hong Kong will also handover to China individuals accused of crimes in Taiwan and Macau.
[Macau, like Hong Kong, is a Chinese special administrative region with significant autonomy.
Taiwan is seen as a sovereign state but its sovereignty is highly contended, and it has a tense relationship with China.]
The government says that the proposed amendments would plug loopholes in the criminal justice system.
The current shortfalls allow criminals evade trial elsewhere by taking refuge in Hong Kong and allow the city to be used by criminals.
The government has assured that, under the bill, the courts in Hong Kong would make the final decision on extradition.
Courts can specify that only certain categories of suspects would be liable.
They can also lay down that individuals accused of political and religious offences would not be extradited.
What are the protesters' concerns?
Despite government assurances, there is a firm concern that China would use the changed law to target political opponents in Hong Kong.
Protestors highlight China's flawed justice system and thus there is a fear that extradited suspects would likely face torture.
Also, there is a concern that the provision would deal another blow to Hong Kong's already declining autonomy.
It would further erode the freedoms people enjoy under the Basic Law.
[There are already instances of disqualifying elected lawmakers, banning activists from running for office, prohibiting political parties and expelling foreign journalists.]
The recent march included people from the business community, lawyers, students, members of religious groups, and even housewives.
The issue thus brings to light the tensions between the Hong Kong's Beijing-appointed elite rule, and the expectations of civil society and pro-democracy movement.
In all, the Bill could affect Hong Kong's reputation as an international finance centre and also its judicial system.
What is the global reaction?
The Human Rights Watch and the International Chamber of Commerce have warned against changing the law.
A body of the US Congress has said that the amendment would make Hong Kong vulnerable to Chinese "political coercion".
The UK and Canada as well have expressed concern over the potential impact on their citizens in Hong Kong.
The EU has also sent a diplomatic note in this regard.
But China has criticised the alleged "politicisation" of the Hong Kong proposal, and the "interference" in China's internal affairs.
Moving forward, Beijing should reach out to the people of Hong Kong, alleviate their fears and concerns, and assure them of their guaranteed rights.


New England Book of Acts, Part 2.
Grace Fellowship Sermons and Things. Date: 10-28-07. Title: New England Book of Acts, Part 2. Speaker: Paul Berube. Primary Text: Matthew 28:16-19.
Grace Fellowship Sermons and Things. Date: 10-11-07. Title: GOIAM 2007 - Thursday Session 2. Speaker: Paul Berube.
Grace Fellowship Sermon and Things. Date: 10-11-07. Title: GOIAM 2007 - Thursday Session 1. Speaker: Paul Berube.


When the league rules are configured to drop a bowlers average after they have been absent for a specified number of weeks, the bowler's average may drop prior to reaching the designated number of weeks.
This problem will occur if the bowler record was initially configured as a VACANT. When typing over the VACANT with the bowlers name, the previously entered "Vacant" scores can potentially be considered as absent since the bowler was not present.