Montreal Film Festival (part 2 of 2) Film reviews and commentary by Mark R. Leeper Copyright 1994 Mark R. Leeper
Our fourth day is starting a bit rainy. The nice thing about a film festival is that if we get tired of all this cinema we can, without guilt, just say "the heck with it" and go to the movies. In line for MESMER I am holding an umbrella over my head and Evelyn's. There is room for a third so I edge over to include the woman ahead of us in line. We start a conversation and she is a Peruvian. Her husband who went off to get a pass to the film works for the National Film Board of Canada and we get to talk with him about the board. We are particularly fond of Canadian animation like "Hot Stuff" and "The Big Snit." One of the things I ask to know a little more about is a character who seems to run through a lot of Canadian animation. It is a cat who has shown up in many different National Film Board animations and of late I have seen even on bags of potato chips. That strikes me as odd since the different filmmakers rarely use the same invented character. Apparently the cat was introduced in "The Cat Came Back," which I assume is based on the song about the unwanted cat who keeps returning to his owner after the owner tries more and more desperate measures to be rid of the thing. The cat was used in other animations and now seems to be a trademark of films in a given style from the Film Board. The Board is a non-profit government agency and which ran into some controversy when private companies wanted to start using the cat figure, like the potato chip company. I imagine the controversy was not what to do with the profits, though that entered into it, but would this appear to be a government endorsement.
Present for the premiere of MESMER were director Roger Spottiswoode and Alan Rickman. Rickman was very popular with the audience. He is a major film actor after playing in a particularly good villain in DIE HARD, as well as appearing in CELLO (a.k.a. TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY), and the somewhat over-the-top sheriff in ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES. (Though in that film Rickman had Costner to act as a lightning rod. Most audiences found it jarring to have Costner talk with an American accent. He certainly should have known what the English accent sounds like. It is what Nazis or ancient Greeks and Romans sound like in so many films. In any case it is probably Rickman's worst performance, though the fault is more in that wretched script.)
Of course, having the director or even an actor on hand to discuss the film could be very interesting, but that is what the press conferences are for. I guess that the audience likes to just see the people involved with a film. Ironically, actors are more popular than directors. Audiences get a real thrill seeing actors in their three- dimensional form, particularly someone like Rickman who has been good in some popular roles. The directors come and say a few words and usually disappear. I suppose some can be looking at audience reaction and some may go off for coffee. Only a couple that I have seen so far have been answering questions about the film afterward and I think that the theaters discourage that behavior, since they have to follow a schedule. Generally the introductions are short. Rickman welcomed the audience in French and then translated into English saying "I THINK I just said..."
MESMER
[A note on the following. This review is being written at the Montreal Film Festival. I do not have materials to research Franz Anton Mesmer so what dubious historical knowledge I have of Mesmer, I have to take from the film.] Roger Spottiswoode has directed films as good as UNDER FIRE and last year's AND THE BAND PLAYED ON. His lesser films include TURNER AND HOOCH and STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT. His latest is an odd film about one of history's more enigmatic personalities, Franz Anton Mesmer, whose name has passed into common usage for "mesmerism," a word used synonymously with "hypnotism." It is not clear, however, that the force Mesmer called "animal magnetism" is hypnotism. In Dennis Potter's screenplay what Mesmer uses does not appear to be hypnotism or really any other technique as applied today. Just how he cures pain is something mystical that would probably today be ascribed to "power of suggestion." But this had to have been a real revelation in a time when the recommended treatment for hysteria- related ailment was slicing the patient's arm and bleeding the patient until he was no longer strong enough to be hysterical.
The film opens with a tribunal of Paris doctors examining the heretical techniques of Mesmer. Unfortunately, the unfriendly medical tribunal of hide-bound doctors is an all-too-familiar film stereotype going back to the Frederic March DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. It starts the film on a false note. Mesmer is apparently reviewing in his memory his own career and most of the story is told in flashback--also a bit cliched.
We find ourselves in Vienna sometime in the 1770s. Mesmer is already a controversial character: he cures the poor, or at least tries to, in mystical ceremonies that often seem to work. His approach is so radically different from those of his contemporaries that he is considered to be a charlatan. Yet surprisingly often his methods are effective. Since Mesmer offers his services to the poor free and rarely has a paying patient he must operate on funds provided by his wealthy wife. His wife and his dim-witted son or stepson are losing their respect for the unsuccessful Mesmer.
At a recital, famous blind pianist Marie Therese Paradis has a hysterical fit. The physicians want to bleed her right there in front of the recital audience, but Mesmer finds he can calm her with his mystical "animal magnetism" techniques. Paradis becomes Mesmer's patient and develops an emotional need for his attention and treatments. Parallels could be drawn to religious cults and indeed the script sees Mesmer not so much as a hypnotist as perhaps a faith healer. The plot centers on Mesmer's treatment of Paradis and later his career in a decadent Paris where he specializes in helping the rich with complex mystical ceremonies. Finally the French medical establishment, no more receptive than the Austrians, calls upon Mesmer to prove he is not a charlatan. Through much of the film I found myself wondering where Mesmer's theories had originated.
There are several problems with the script, but absolutely nothing wrong with Rickman's performance. Mesmer should be charismatic and hypnotic--in a word, "mesmerizing"--and pulls off his performance with aplomb. With the proper handling of the film, this could be Rickman's best remembered performance. Amanda Ooms as Maria Therese Paradis brings to her role a sort of otherworldly quality. Michael Nyman's score is not memorable but it does create a proper mood.
Spottiswoode occasionally seems to exaggerate on the side of the melodramatic, though when dealing with a figure like Mesmer, can one be sure? Scenes of his cure techniques have a wild madhouse feel. There are sensationalist and bloody scenes of opening veins and bleeding patients of a style one might find from Hammer Films of Britain.
This is a spotty film with moments of real intelligence as well as moment of pure sensationalism. Initially I gave it a lower rating, but on consideration I would rate it a high +1 on the -4 to +4 scale. Dennis Potter, considered an influential force in British drama, unfortunately did not live to see the film based on his script completed. He died last May.
A word or two about the ideas of this film that might constitutea spoiler. For me the techniques used by Mesmer are so bizarre a major attraction of the film would have been to find out the origin of Mesmer's ideas. Dennis Potter's script apparently was written intending to tantalize the viewer with just that specific question. He structures the film to save that revelation for the final lines of the film and then answers the question with a fascinating paradox. It is almost as if power of suggestion invented itself. Mesmer is so convinced that pain could not exist without a means to alleviate it that he has used power of suggestion on himself to convince himself there must be something like power of suggestion. The other interesting question the script plays with is, if you do not cure a patient, but only make the patient imagine that he is cured, have you not in fact cured the patient? As a personal example I suffer badly from the common cold unless I take Vitamin C. If I do take the vitamin the cold is usually very light by comparison. I am told that VitaminC does not help a cold, to which I respond it may be true, but I really value the illusion that it is helping.
MESMER played with "Intact," a short film by Turkish director Seyhan Cecilya Derin. It is about a Turkish woman whose family has arranged a marriage for her falsely convincing her intended that she is still a virgin. Now they are arranging a medical operation to give him the illusion that she was. The main character is not happy being treated as a commodity but meets another Turkish woman at the clinic who has a different outlook on the operation. The film touches on themes of personal freedom and self-worth.
I probably would have like to go for the press conference at 2PM but we had tickets for MEN LIE opposite it.
MEN LIE
The title pretty much tells it all in this hypocritical anti-male diatribe packaged as a light comedy. John Andrew Gallagher has turned from making the kinds of films cable services run at midnight to a feature-length diatribe which brings less and not more understanding to his issue.
There are basically three kinds of scenes in MEN LIE. There are interview scenes with women claiming that men are shitheels. There are scenes of men weakly defending their behaving like shitheels. And there is the wafer-thin story of Scott (played by Doug DeLuca) who acts like a shitheel after getting advice from other shitheels on how it is done. The joke that keeps repeating itself is to have a woman say Scott will act like a jerk and then, sure enough, the script has him do just that. If the same film were made with women as the target or blacks or just about any ethnic group it would be obvious that this film is hate propaganda, but by targeting men it can be considered a blow for women's liberation and will find a ready and even anxious, if not very discerning, audience.
(What little story there is the following paragraph may spoil.)  His uncle, who is an unsavory lawyer, gives him a lot of advice on how to be a more competent jerk.  She catches him once, but he apologizes then continues to cheat. When she catches him a second time, she ends their relationship.  That's not a very exciting plot, but it really is all there is to this film. Repeatedly the laughs come from Scott doing exactly what one of his detractors predicted. Supposed laughs also come from men using supposedly standard male tactics like Scott blaming Jill's anger on PMS.
Being fair, there are two male characters in the film who seem to be presented in a positive light. There are no women who are portrayed as being anything worse than gullible or angry. Also in fairness, the stereotypical male jerk as presented does have some basis in reality, but men do not have a monopoly on being jerks, and the stereotypes here have no more validity than other ethnic hate-stereotypes.
Generally the acting is sufficient, but there are at least two scenes in which it was jarringly bad. This is a bad film that is riding a political wave that is just about the only thing that would make it acceptable to anyone. By far this is the worst film I have seen at this festival. Some of the few on-target jokes in the film concern a character who insists on seeing female nudity in the films he rents from videostores. Gallagher may not be happy about this form of exploitation, but, hey, business is business so he includes exploitive sex scenes in this film. I wonder if he also felt bad about exploitation of women when he made BEACH HOUSE and POSED FOR MURDER.
MEN LIE has crude production values, a very flat plot, and perhaps a chuckle or two. For the sake of a couple of decent chuckles I rate this one a low -1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
That answers my question about whether or not being shown at the festival guarantees that a film will be good. Somebody must have liked it--it got a good review from Joe Leydon of "The Houston Post." I don't know who that is.
The evening film was THE ADVOCATE and it was introduced by Leslie Megahey, the writer director and by Lysette Anthony. She had a smallish comic role in the film. I know the name, but don't remember where I have seen her before. Oh, to have Internet access here!
THE ADVOCATE
The year is 1452 and Paris lawyer Richard Courtois is tired of the legal entanglements and corruption of city law. He wants to use his talents to help common people, so he and his clerk Mathieu travel to the small town of Abbeville. There he indeed finds that law is different, though no better and in some ways a lot weirder. Rural law cases involve accusations of witchcraft, devil pacts, and sodomy with animals. And the law extends to human and animal alike. If a farmer is shown to have had sex with his donkey, both might be hung on the same gibbet. Animals may also be called to court to be sworn as witnesses. One of Courtois's first cases is a very bizarre "murder trial," at least by modern standards. Today such an incident would not fall under the category of murder, but we are looking at a very different culture. Incidentally, the case really did get tried as it is portrayed in the film according to historical records. It seems at first like a ludicrous and trivial court action until Courtois starts sensing that the state's case is invented and may be a part of a larger conspiracy.
THE ADVOCATE is a film with a lot going for it. First and foremost is the setting. Years go by between good films set in so remote a historical period. Even without a good plot the historical detail by itself would keep this film intriguing. The historic detail that gives the film its texture and gives a feel of being very well researched. The viewer is consistently astonished by the differing attitudes and life-style of the 1400s. Unfortunately too often the attitudes we see are a mix of that century's and our own. Similarly to THE NAME OF THE ROSE, the photography often appears inspired by the master artists of the time like Breugel and Bosch. The peasants look grizzled and a bit grotesque.
But beyond the historical detail the plot is also enjoyable by itself. The mystery is not one of the best or most unpredictable, but it is likely to keep the audience guessing. THE ADVOCATE is at once an intriguing mystery film and a well-written drama with comedic overtones. One historical detail that the film makes clear is that in the Middle Ages people were a good deal less sensitive about being seen without clothing. That, however, tends to make me suspect it would get some editing before American public television would show it. But clearly it seems intended for some wide audience because of a major budget and a cast of familiar actors including Colin Firth in the title role, Ian Holm as a likable but corrupt local priest, Donald Pleasance as Abbeville's other attorney, Michael Gough as town judge, and Nicol Williamson thoroughly enjoying his role as a local lord.
THE ADVOCATE was written and directed by Leslie Megahy, a director nearly unknown in the United States but who has made several TV movies for the BBC. This is his first feature film and deserves attention. My rating would be a low +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
That was probably the best film so far. Certainly it was the most enjoyable, though MESMER left me with more to think about. It is a pity that there are not more Medieval mystery films like THE NAME OF THE ROSE and THE ADVOCATE. I guess it is surprising there aren't more considering how often you hear about Medieval mystery plays; it is surprising more have not been made into films. [On the Internet that last line is e-mail bait.
The fourth day started with THE STORY OF YUNNAN. From this point on we did not learn anything especially novel about the fest, so the balance of reviews follow.
THE STORY OF YUNNAN
Mainland Chinese films are generally a fairly bleak lot. On the whole life in China is fairly harsh. Between the living conditions and the politics, the people in their own films do not seem to lead very happy lives. It is unusual to find a Chinese film that is uplifting or inspiring, but THE STORY OF YUNNAN, directed by Zhang Nuanxing, is a sort of Chinese KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. Shizu, a Japanese woman, was living with her family in Manchuria when the Japanese lost the war. In the ensuing chaos she finds herself alone in a hostile country. She attempts cutting her wrists, but is stopped by a sympathetic Chinese soldier who sends her to a hospital. Two years later she is a hospital nurse and again meets the soldier. They marry, but the soldier is forced to leave the army for marrying a Japanese. He takes her to his home in Yunnan province, only to sicken on the way and die upon reaching his home. Shizu is now all alone in a village where the superstitious people blame her for the death and want to punish her to placate ghosts. [Bad subtitling make it appear they actually wanted to throw her in the fire, but I am assured by the director that was not her intent with the scene.] Things could not seem more bleak.
From this inauspicious beginning, Shuzi will build herself into the one most important person, a matriarch, in the community. She will help to banish superstition and bring enlightened ways to the mountain village. In a story told all too fast she remains in spite of suspicion of her background, government attempts to send her back to Japan, and the Cultural Revolution. Finally she is reunited with her family in Japan and must make some final difficult choices.
Nuanxing in 97 minutes takes the viewer from a village with centuries-old rituals and customs to a Japan with cellular phones and huge department stores. Through the eyes of one woman we see the modernization of Asia. Her film is curiously positive on the former enemy Japanese. It is a Japanese, not the government, woman who brings modern knowledge to the village. The government is portrayed as being well-meaning if occasionally officious. Shizu's Japanese family are shown positively in spite of their participation in the Chinese occupation. Part of the intention of the film seems to be to mend fences with the Japanese.
The worst fault of Nuanxing's film is its sketchiness. To cover so many years in 97 minutes the film has to let one or two scenes cover three or four years. There is often a feel that scenes are rushed. Perhaps to save time or perhaps to make this film more acceptable with the government, after the first few days Shuzi is accepted a little too easily in her new village. The script is determined not to assign any fault and not to have villains. This film could easily used another 30 minutes of screen time. The film is at its best when it is showing village life. It shows customs like fertility dances that one rarely sees in Chinese films but which add texture to the picture of village life.
THE STORY OF YUNNAN is the director's statement of women's values. It is unique for a film from China. I give it a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
The film was accompanied by a short "Schrei der Erde" ("Cry of the Earth") by Arvo Blechstein. Blechstein created last year's Oscar- winning "Black Rider." This film is a tribute to French painter Jean- Francois Millet. It also has an ecological comment. It is, however, less involving and more serious than "Black Rider."
CYBERTEENS IN LOVE
In a near-future world recreational drugs have become passe. Those who want drug-like kicks have electrodes surgically attached to their brains and tap directly into cyberspace. This is a very dangerous form of entertainment, worse than drugs, but with a greater and more exciting variety experiences that the mind can tap into. Of course a lot of this is only rumor in Child Support, the prison-like orphanage run by the state. Teenager Su decides to escape Child Support and her escape is aided by Kon, a stranger whose truck she uses. Before long she is getting to know Kon better and discovers he is up to his frontal lobes in the illegal "trode trade." But Kon's partners are up to something incomprehensibly big concerning something called the "eternatrode" that offers a kind of immortality in cyberspace. The head of the team, the mysterious and aptly-named Olderman is particularly intrigued by Su and her ability to see in her dreams visions of the mysterious "Shadowfaces," beings that seem to have a life of their own, but until Su came along only in cyberspace.
That is the basis for a visionary but curiously unengaging cyberpunk science fiction film. One of the features of the cyberpunk writing style is an interesting use of language and here the dialog is all written in a style given the cliched name of "futurespeak." In futurespeak the language is permuted in odd ways that take the viewera few minutes to get used to. Show up late to a meeting and you might say "Sorry for my late self-delivery." Instead of "Kon, can I ask you something?" "I'm trying to sleep." the dialog comes out "Kon, question and answer phase." "No, I have my sleep lids on." As someone once said, prediction is difficult, particularly about the future, but I would hazard a guess that technology will get to the point shown in the film long before language would evolve as much as it appears to have done in this film.
CYBERTEENS IN LOVE is a low-budget quickie made on grant money. The film makes use of computer graphics where possible to create visual effects cheaply, though even now many of those effects are passe. Beyond that it is a weak melodrama with a plot that could have come from a 50's exploitation drive-in movie but given a new lease on life by the addition of science fiction concepts. Those concepts all too often come out in the dialog rather than showing them to us on the screen. Because of the obvious budget constraints we have a film that shows more promise than quality. That also goes for the acting talents of Justine Priestly as Su and Martin Cummins as Kon. Occasionally their acting rings hollow; more often they just fail to be interesting.
This is the first feature film in high definition Sony Digital Betacam format with a 9x16 aspect ratio. Generally the format is fairly good, but it still looks like video, particularly when there are near-horizontal lines in the image being filmed. The scan lines are still all too evident to give this image the quality of a celluloid one.
There are some concepts in the film, but the viewer has to meet them more than halfway. Stretches of the film are talky and dull. There are lots of ideas in the film but few are intriguing. I give CYBERTEENS IN LOVE a 0 on the -4 to +4 scale.
CINEMA OF TODAY
This is a random collection of five short films that have been submitted to the festival. As far as I can tell they will be shown together no place else. And they are very different from each other, but the mind does tend to look for patterns even in random data and various pairings make for interesting contrasts. [Short films I generally rate as poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent.]
"Tall Stories": This is a light animated film with a little boy talking about his house and family while an older man talks about his home as a child and keeps playing "one-ups-manship" talking about how everything he had was better. The punchline is in finding out what exactly is going on. Rating: fair
"Ignotus": This is a nice, ironic little horror film from Spain. Two obnoxious punk rockers, lost on the Spanish countryside find an old village. They are taken for saints by the locals because their punk spikes look so much like the golden spikes of light on the heads of statues of saints. The locals worship them as they would saints and the rockers think they have lucked into something pretty good. But being taken for a saint is not necessarily such a good thing. This is a story with a Rod Serling feel. Rating: good
"Death in Venice, CA": The title says it all. This is a retelling of the Thomas Mann story with the site relocated in Venice, California. The effect is much the same as doing Shakespeare in modern dress. Something is lost in the atmosphere, something is gained in supposed identification value and relevance. This is a long and introspective half hour. An author visits his sister-in-law and finds himself fixated on his nephew Sebastian. As a curious touch the main character is familiar with the writing of Mann, but does not recognize that he is living out one of Mann's most famous stories. Rating: good.
"The Train": Perhaps this one just caught me in the right mood. For a twenty-five-minute film Mike Mathis's film is one impressive piece of cinema. It is introspective like "Death in Venice, CA" but realistically rather than in a literary sense. It is a horror story, but far more believable than "Ignotus" and apparently could well be based on a true incident. "The Train" is told mostly in flashback two years after the events of the story. The main character, Eddie, was working with his brother Jim in a trainyard. Eddie should be doing his job, but untrained Jim is filling in for him and involved in a horrifying accident of a type that was common in 50s trainyards. Jim who feels fine, is told he has just minutes to live. He can die instantly and painlessly, or painfully over a fifteen-minute interval. Jim has just minutes to say goodbye to his life. Eddie has years to make peace with himself or not. This is a very powerful story and a deeply affecting film. Rating: excellent.
"Tick... Tick... Tick...":  A man, a woman, and a bomb are tied up together in an abandoned shack. Obviously somebody is not happy with them. But can they figure out what is going on and can they escape before the bomb goes off? The film combines suspense and a puzzle for the viewer. Rating: very good.
EROTIC FILMS
I had gone to this in the hopes that it would be similar to ARIA, a single cohesive film in which different respected directors would see what they could do given a single theme in this case working on a sensual story rather than showing what they see when they hear opera music. Well, I was half right. It certainly was major directors, but with each piece just a minute or two short of a half hour, this had the feel of a series of episodes made for cable. My major complaint is that of these three half-hour erotic tales, the first two are not erotic and the third is not a tale.
"The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch" (co-written and directed by Ken Russell): This film is surprisingly tame given that it was directed by the uninhibited Mr. Russell. The story might almost be out of Somerset Maugham. Simon Shepherd plays a writer escaping from the world to write at an exclusive hotel. There he finds himself completely fixated on the beautiful Mrs. Kirsch who seems like the most oversexed woman he has ever seen. She seems to eat only long and narrow food, like corn- on-the-cob and sausages, she frequents sex-shops, and much more. The author decides to take advantage of the situation leading to the obvious plot twist. The story is quite predictable. Rating: fair
"Vrooom! Vroom! Vroooom!" (written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles): This one has a sort of "Twilight Zone" feel. Leroy is the lonely kid who never gets the girls. The other kids are all singing and dancing and waving body parts at each other, but Leroy is alone. Then Leroy saves an old witch-woman from being hit by a car. For this she grants him a wish. He would like a motorcycle and a girl, but he gets only one wish. The witch-woman, however, finds a way to grant both wishes with a single wish, but with bad results. Rating: fair
"Touch Me" (co-written and directed by Paul Cox): Sarah is an artist. Christine is a nude model. Sarah gives art classes. Christine models nude in Sarah's classes. Sarah has a student who thinks he is Toulouse-Lautrec. He faxes her poems with obscene artwork. Christine has a boyfriend who does not understand her. Sarah and Christine spend a weekend together in the country. They chase horses.  Christine gets muddy and Sara cleans her off. Sarah gets another fax from her student. It isn't a great story, but it is the only one they have. There is a lot of very sensual photography but little dramatic resolution at the end. There also seems to be little theme except take love where you find it. Rating: fair
THE REVENGE OF ITZIK FINKELSTEIN
Itzik Finkelstein would like to be a big time wheeler-dealer. Unfortunately his big-time deals all fall through and the wheel has a flat. Itzik is a total failure and has a chip on his shoulder against everyone who has ever wronged him, which he thinks is pretty much everybody in his life. Itzik would like to take his vengeance on the world, but what are the chances for a poor slob who couldn't hit the floor with his hat in three tries?
Then, as luck would have it, a mystical cult from the bowels of the Earth decides that the world must be destroyed to be saved. They send an all-powerful invisible monk to give Itzik the power to kill with impunity. The time has come for Itzik to wreak his terrible revenge.
THE REVENGE OF ITZIK FINKELSTEIN is a slyly written comedy from Israel with more than a little similarity to Peter Cook's's BEDAZZLED. Not too surprisingly Itzik's hate-tour of the villains of his past is less than the killing spree that he at first envisioned. Instead Itzik has an opportunity to reevaluate the values he has been given by others that he thinks have led to his sorry state. As his attitudes change, his self-image and others' images of him change.
Argentina-born director Enrique Rottenberg emigrated to Israel in 1963 and has produced films previously but is directing for the first time. He co-authored the screenplay with Estaban Gottfried, basing it on the story "La Venganza de Beta Sanchez" and moving the setting to Israel. Gottfried appeared in the film in the role of the invisible monk. The film won seven Israeli Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Moshe Ivgi's Itzik Finkelstein can be very funny, but some of the more verbal humor seems to be lost in the subtitling. He does however show considerable personality. Gottfried's monk is well-written but flatly played.
Not all of the screenplay's humor is in the best of taste, and often humor is more vulgar than funny. Then again, perhaps more humor would come across to people more fluent in Hebrew. I would rate this one a low +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
THE TOTAL BALALAIKA SHOW
Aki Kaurismaki is a Finnish director generally known for very downbeat films like ARIEL. He did try his hand at comedy, however, with somewhat spotty results with THE LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA. That film told the story of a hapless rock band either from Finland or someplace very cold in the Soviet Union touring the United States on the cheap. The band is actually played by a Finnish comic rock group called the Sleepy Sleepers, but the film seems to imply the characters might be Russian.
A sequel was made (word of mouth is that it is not very good) and the third film featuring the Cowboys is a concert film. This one magnifies the incongruity of the first film by matching the rock band with the Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble. The Chorus and Dance Ensemble was always a bit of an incongruity itself. As a branch of the Soviet Army, they were responsible to preserve beautiful Russian folk singing and dancing and to bring them to the world. Even people who hated the Soviets would buy records of their Army Chorus and Band because the music was good. The whole existence of the chorus was a bit of an anomaly, sort of smoothing over the conjoining of Slavic traditions to Soviet militarism.
This film opens with a solemn diplomatic scene. It is apparently the signing, under a watchful poster of Lenin, of a contract for the Red Army Ensemble to have a concert with the Leningrad Cowboys. We then flash to the concert itself, which took place on in front of an audience of 50,000 on June 12, 1993. The resulting film is full of ironic humor with more than a little touch of sadness. There is a little hint of lost traditional values in seeing Russian women in traditional folk finery doing traditional Russian dancing to the sound of "My... my... my... Delilah." A buffoonish Cowboy and a squat folk singer in full Soviet military uniform arm-in-arm sing "So Happy Together." This is more than a concert, it is a comment on the closing of the cold war and the coming of new values, with little respect for the old.
The Red Army seems more able to enhance the popular music than vice versa. For traditional songs like "The Volga Boat Man" and "Kalinka" the Cowboys are able only to clown around a little awkwardly on stage. The Russians lend far more to the popular lyrics contributing the sound of a full orchestra and chorus to music usually carried by five or six performers. Their clowning is more like adding snatches to the old Soviet National Anthem to "Gimme All Your Lovin'" Some how they also add poignancy to "Those Were the Days."
This is a short film, only 55 minutes, with a good sense of humor and a lot of perhaps overly familiar music. Perhaps the music is just not as important as the subtext. On the scale of short films, I would rate it a very good.
CARL, MY CHILDHOOD SYMPHONY
Carl Nielsen is considered the greatest Danish musical composer. The famous post-Romantic composer wrote the story of his youth in his autobiographical MY CHILDHOOD (1927). Erik Clausen has now adapted Nielson's memoir of his youth into the film CARL, MY CHILDHOOD SYMPHONY. As the title implies, we see a set of reminiscences from a poor but not particularly sad childhood. As a set of remembrances we get an episodic montage that is more than the sum of its parts.
The film covers Nielsen, who was born in 1865, at three periods of his youth. The 1871 segment has Dog of Flanders feel. We are introduced to young Carl as a boy of only six, but we see the seeds of a budding genius in him.  In one sequence the six-year-old leaves his geese, spellbound by the sound of a young piano student playing. When the girl gives up in frustration, he sneaks into the strange house just to see the piano. His father is angry when he hears of his son's trespass, but he appeases his son's curiosity about music by giving him a violin to play with. The boy takes to the violin as a favorite toy and soon is able to make real music with it, preferring to compose his own tunes over playing other people's music.
The young Carl makes friends through his music with people of his village including a blind musician and a cobbler. Carl meets a sister whom he never knew he had when she returns home to die of consumption. Carl builds a relationship with an older brother who Carl thinks is even more musically gifted only to have Carl accidentally injure the brother and end what he thinks might have been a brilliant career. Though his family and friends suffer from poverty and disease, the film seen from Carl's eyes never gives in to self-pity. The film does not have the structure of a single directed story, but more that of a lot of little reminiscences that go to form a single piece, much as many themes go to form a symphony.
The film develops Carl's character through two more chapters. In 1879 Carl joins the army as a bugle boy. He hides his violin skill and learns the cornet, plays in a military band with near clashes, meets more colorful characters. But in his youthful enthusiasm for his music he remains oblivious to much that goes on around him. By the third chapter in 1883 he has a more mature outlook on life. This section is more introspective with Nielsen falling in love and finally coming toa better understanding of himself and his friends.
CARL could easily have made a social or political point like so many other films about people who grew in poverty. CARL seems almost aimless in not sending some similar message. But that was not Clausen's point in making the film. This is a story of a man with a destiny, and it is that destiny that binds the film together, seeing how the mind of Nielsen came together. This is a film of awe, not anger. And as such, it is the best musical biography to come along in years, rating a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
DADDY, COME TO THE FAIR
This documentary by Nitza Gonan is an uneasy mix. One documentary combines a tearful visit to the Auschwitz death camp and scenes from the main character's stand-up comedy act. That is as uneasy a mix asI can imagine.
Mordechai Vilozny lost both parents of his parents in the Holocaust and a large part of himself, though he managed to survive and emigrate to Israel.  In 1993 he is returning to Poland to visit the sites of his childhood and to see where his parents were murdered. Schmuel, now an actor and a stand-up comic has resented his father's unwillingness to share Holocaust experiences. The film is about the effect of the journey on the three people and in a broader sense the effect of the Holocaust on the second generation of survivors.
Schmuel is really the main focus, rather than his father, which somewhat detracts from the film since he seems a rather unpleasant character. One tends to agree with him when he dismisses skinheads as "idiots" but it seems a tactless comment. However his jibes at the expense of a Polish soldier who will be taking part in a memorial to victims of the Holocaust seems less than fair. Some of his style is reminiscent of Michael Moore, but not as funny. He also expresses some anger at auditioning but not being chosen to act in SCHINDLER'S LIST. He says that he is actually a piece of the Holocaust and many of the actors chosen were not. It would be more accurate to say his father was a piece of the Holocaust. In a later visit to Auschwitz he pockets a standoff insulator from the electronic fence as a souvenir.
Some of his shots seem unreasonable. He shows us some skinhead graffiti ("same hatreds, same graffiti") and then shows us a peasant woman who claims there is no anti-Semitism in Poland. Clearly denying the anti-Semitism is factually incorrect, but it seems a very human thing for a peasant woman to try to deny it. She is hardly going to start giving case histories for the camera.
The film's best sequence is the visit to Auschwitz, where Mordechai finds records of his father. Even here the camera is more interested in Schmuel than in his father. By this point the viewer is far more interested in the father's experience than the son's. The sequence is certainly touching, but could have been a lot better.
The documentary was apparently made for Israeli TV and then poorly subtitled into English. Some subtitles are flashed on the screen for as little as three-quarters of a second. There are long and pointless sequences like Schmuel's "walk to beach like Fellini," which seems like nothing more than showing Schmuel strut and hum a Fellini-esque tune. It seems like three minutes of screentime are wasted on this eminently cuttable sequence.
This documentary showed potential, but it could have been handled in a much better way. I would give it a 0 on the -4 to +4 scale.
KILLER
Mick (played by Tony LaPaglia) is at the top of his profession. His profession is eliminating people his employers think are inconvenient. He has just finished a big and important job that at first went wrong. An old friend Archie (played by Matt Craven) had been part of the hit and had nearly wrecked everything, but Mick had salvaged things, finishing the job, and for now he deserves a rest. But his boss George (Peter Boyle) comes to him with an emergency. A woman has to be killed that very night and Mick is the only person who can be depended on. But, George mysteriously assures Mick, she knows about the hit and will cooperate. All Mick has to do is pull the trigger. And the odd thing is, he seems to be right. Fiona (Mimi Rogers) is an extremely intelligent and attractive woman who is entirely blase about the fact that she is about to be murdered. And thus begins a very odd few hours in the lives of Mick, Fiona, and Archie.
Gordon Melbourne has written the kind of script that keeps the viewer guessing what exactly is happening and where the film is going. While in premise there are similarities to DIARY OF A HITMAN, which may well have been part of the inspiration for KILLER, Melbourne has his own ideas on what to do with the premise. One is never sure what plot details will be important. Fiona gets Mick and Archie talking about the business of murder. Is she looking for something specific or is it natural curiosity? She also seems extremely friendly to Mick, all the while seeming to be walking into her own murder with both eyes open. Why does she do what she is doing? Mick has been successful to this point as a hit man and he even explain to Archie his philosophy of exactly what it takes to do his job right, but in one night he has fallen in love and has developed a conscience about killing. And that puts a whole new twist on the game that it has never had before.
While Tony LaPaglia is a generally good actor, his is the most straightforward of the three main characters. Mimi Rogers carries much more of the load of making the film work. She has to be the most desirable woman on the screen since Kathleen Turner in BODY HEAT. Under Mark Malone's direction she manages quite nicely. Matt Craven, as the incompetent hitman wanting so much to succeed does an excellent job of projecting both comic and tragic dimensions of his character.
Mark Malone is directing for the first time, though previously he co-wrote DEAD OF WINTER and SIGNS OF LIFE. His KILLER is slickly produced and it works reasonably well. My rating is high +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
THE SILENT MOVIE LOVER
Pablo Torre's film THE SILENT MOVIE LOVER is an atmospheric melodrama from Argentina that is reminiscent of Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD, but is even stranger. It is the story of a boy coming of age and of a silent film star near the end of his days.
Paulito is a fatherless boy living in an apartment with his beautiful mother. Money is always a problem and he has to turn to stealing from neighbors and giving the proceeds to his mother who does not question the "miracle" of money appearing in her drawers.  Finally Paulito's mother gets work living and working in a mortuary and playing the piano. The mortician is an intense and aging silent film star who cannot let go of the past. He looks and moves as if he were constantly in front of the silent film camera. Even the architecture of his funeral parlor is that of movie palaces of the 1920s and his funeral send-offs, performed in silence except for Schubert on the piano, are spectacular silent film scenes.
The old film star, Ralph, who went to Hollywood back in the days when there was demand for Latins following the death of Valentino. By blackmailing Keaton he is able to break into the movies and become a great film star, only to lose everything with the coming of sound. We are told Ralph's story with classic Hollywood documentary and film footage supplemented with antiqued new film footage of Ralph as a young man. In a marvelous way, like the characters, once we are pulled into the claustrophobic film palace mortuary, we get out only through the movies. When suddenly we find ourselves out on a big river reminiscent of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, we are momentarily shocked and it feels very out of place. The characters must feel the same and that too is part of the story. The pacing of THE SILENT MOVIE LOVER is slow, deliberate, and very atmospheric, like a silent film. The style of telling is probably better than the value of the story itself.
Pablo Torre, who wrote and directed THE SILENT MOVIE LOVER, is the son of film director Leopaldo Torre Nielson. Until this point Pablo has been a novelist and this is his first film as director.
THE SILENT FILM LOVER is heavy with atmosphere, and is enjoyable as a reminder of the early days of cinema, but the plot is dissatisfying. I rate it a low +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper<EMAIL_ADDRESS>.
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Module: Renee
- Defined in:
- lib/renee_core.rb,
lib/renee_core/version.rb,
lib/renee_core/matcher.rb,
lib/renee_core/routing.rb,
lib/renee_core/response.rb,
lib/renee_core/chaining.rb,
lib/renee_core/transform.rb,
lib/renee_core/exceptions.rb,
lib/renee_core/responding.rb,
lib/renee_core/env_accessors.rb,
lib/renee_core/url_generation.rb,
lib/renee_core/request_context.rb,
lib/renee_core/rack_interaction.rb
Overview
Top-level Renee constant
Defined Under Namespace
Classes: Core
Class Method Summary (collapse)
Class Method Details
+ (Object) core(&blk)
18 19 20 21 22 |
# File 'lib/renee_core.rb', line 18 def self.core(&blk) cls = Class.new(Renee::Core) cls.app(&blk) if blk cls end |


| lesson 28 Five pounds too dear |
| Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour. |
| Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board |
| and the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware. |
| It was difficult not to be tempted. |
| Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, |
| but I decide not to buy anything until I had disembarked. |
| I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring. |
| I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds. |
| Some of them were as big as marbles. |
| The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real. |
| As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass. |
| It took me over half an hour to get rid of him. |
| The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches. |
| I examined one of the pens closely. |
| It certainly looked genuine. |
| At the base of the gold cap, the words 'made in the U. S. A' had been neatly inscribed. |
| The man said that the pen was worth $50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for $30. |
| I shook my head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay $5. |
| Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced the price to $10. |
| Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands. |
| Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the $5 I give him. |
| I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain -- until I got back to the ship. |
| No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written a single world! |


class: center, middle, inverse, title-slide # Module 04 ## MPA 6010 ### Ani Ruhil ### (updated: 2018-11-17) ---  # Agenda 1. The Logic of Hypothesis Testing 2. One-tailed versus Two-tailed hypotheses 3. One-Sample `t-tests` 4. Two-group `t-tests` 5. Paired `t-tests` 6. Assumptions of `t-tests` --- class: inverse, middle, center # The Logic of Hypothesis Testing --- **`Hypothesis testing`** is an inferential procedure that uses sample data to evaluate the credibility of a hypothesis about a population parameter. The process involves ... 1. Stating a **`hypothesis:`** an assumption that can neither be fully proven nor fully disproven. For example, * Not more than 5% of GM trucks breakdown in under 10,000 miles * Heights of North American adult males is distributed with `\(\mu = 72\)` inches * Mean year-round temperature in Athens (OH) is `\(> 62\)` * 10% of Ohio teachers are Accomplished * Mean county unemployment rate is 12.1% 2. Drawing a sample to test the hypothesis 3. Conducting the test itself to see if the hypothesis should be rejected --- #### The **`Null`** and the **`Alternative`** Hypotheses - Null Hypothesis: `\((H_{0})\)` is the assumption believed to be true - Alternative Hypothesis: `\((H_{a})\)` is the statement believed to be true if `\((H_{0})\)` is rejected `\(H_{0}\)`: `\(\mu > 72\)` inches; `\(H_{1}\)`: `\(\mu \leq 72\)` `\(H_{0}\)`: `\(\mu < 72\)` inches; `\(H_{1}\)`: `\(\mu \geq 72\)` `\(H_{0}\)`: `\(\mu \leq 72\)` inches; `\(H_{1}\)`: `\(\mu > 72\)` `\(H_{0}\)`: `\(\mu \geq 72\)` inches; `\(H_{1}\)`: `\(\mu < 72\)` `\(H_{0}\)`: `\(\mu = 72\)` inches; `\(H_{1}\)`: `\(\mu \neq 72\)` `\(H_{0}\)` and `\(H_{1}\)` are `mutually exclusive` and `mutually exhaustive` * Mutually Exclusive: Either `\(H_{0}\)` or `\(H_{1}\)` is True `\(\cdots\)` both cannot be true at the same time * Mutually Exhaustive: `\(H_{0}\)` and `\(H_{1}\)` exhaust the Sample Space `\(\cdots\)`; there are no other possibilities unknown to us --- ### `Type I and Type II Errors`

Decision based on Sample

Null is true

Null is false

  Reject the Null 	  Type I error 	  No error

  Do not reject the Null 	  No error 	  Type II error

 .pull-left[ `Type I Error:` Rejecting the Null hypothesis `\(H_0\)` when `\(H_0\)` is true i.e., we should not have rejected the Null ] .pull-right[ `Type II Error:` Failing to reject the Null hypothesis `\(H_0\)` when `\(H_0\)` is false i.e., we should have rejected the Null ] The probability of committing a Type I error `\(= \text{ Level of Significance }= \alpha\)` We have to decide how often we want to make a Type I error (i.e., falsely Reject `\(H_0\)`). Conventionally we set this rate to one of the following `\(\alpha\)` values: `$$\alpha=0.05 \text{ or } \alpha=0.01$$` Note the very cautious language ... `Reject` `\(H_{0}\)` versus `Do Not Reject` `\(H_{0}\)` --- ### The Process of Hypothesis Testing: One Example Assume we want to know whether the roundabout on SR682 has had an impact on traffic accidents in Athens. We have historical data on the number of accidents in years past. Say the average per day used to be 6 (i.e., `\(\mu_0 = 6\)`). To see if the roundabout has had an impact we could gather accident data for a random sample of 100 days `\((n=100)\)` from the period after the roundabout was built. Before we do that though, we will need to specify our hypotheses. What do we think might be the impact? Let us say the City Engineer argues that the roundabout should have decreased accidents. * If he is correct then the sample mean `\(\bar{x}\)` should be less than the population mean `\(\mu_0\)` i.e., `\(\bar{x} < \mu_0\)` * If he is wrong then the sample mean `\(\bar{x}\)` should be at least as much as the population mean `\(\mu_0\)` i.e., `\(\bar{x} \geq \mu_0\)` --- ### The Sampling Distribution of `\(\bar{x}\)` We know from the theory of sampling distributions that the distribution of sample means, for all samples of size `\(n\)`, will be normally distributed (as shown below) Most samples would be in the middle of the distribution but `by sheer chance` we could end up with a sample mean in the tails. This will happen with a very small probability but `it could happen!!`  --- ### Scenario 1: Engineer says `\(\bar{x} < \mu\)` If we believe the City Engineer, we would setup the hypotheses as follows: - `\(H_0\)`: The roundabout does not reduce accidents, i.e., `\(\mu \geq \mu_0\)` - `\(H_1\)`: The roundabout does reduce accidents, i.e., `\(\mu < \mu_0\)` - Next set `\(\alpha\)` (the probability of making a Type I error) - We then calculate the sample mean `\((\bar{x})\)` and the sample standard deviation `\((s)\)` - Next we calculate the standard error of the sample mean: `\(s_{\bar{x}} = \dfrac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\)` - Now we calculate `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{x} - \mu_0}{s_{\bar{x}}}\)` and this is what we call `\(t_{calculated}\)` - Using `\(df=n-1\)`, find the area to the left of `\(t_{calculated}\)` - If this area is very small we can conclude that the roundabout must have worked to reduce accidents - How should we define `very small`? By setting `\(\alpha\)` either to 0.05 or to 0.01 We Reject `\(H_0\)` if `\(P(t_{calculated}) \leq \alpha\)`; the data provide sufficient evidence to conclude that the roundabout has reduced accidents If `\(P(t_{calculated}) > \alpha\)` then we Fail to reject `\(H_0\)`; the data provide insufficient evidence to conclude that the roundabout has reduced accidents --- ### Rejection rule Reject `\(H_0\)` if calculated `\(t\)` falls in the green region (i.e., calculated `\(t \leq -1.6603\)`)  --- ### Failure to reject rule Do Not Reject `\(H_0\)` if calculated `\(t\)` falls in the grey region (i.e., `\(t_{calculated} > -1.6603\)`)  --- ### Scenario 2: Engineer says `\(\bar{x} \neq \mu\)` If we believe the City Engineer, we would setup the hypotheses as follows: - `\(H_0\)`: The roundabout has no impact on accidents, i.e., `\(\mu = \mu_0\)` - `\(H_1\)`: The roundabout has an impact on accidents, i.e., `\(\mu \neq \mu_0\)` - We then calculate the sample mean `\((\bar{x})\)` and the sample standard deviation `\((s)\)` - Next we calculate the standard error of the sample mean: `\(s_{\bar{x}} = \dfrac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\)` - Now calculate `\(t_{calculated} = \dfrac{\bar{x} - \mu_0}{s_{\bar{x}}}\)` - Using `\(df=n-1\)`, find the area to the left/right of `\(\pm t_{calculated}\)` If this area is very small then we can conclude that the roundabout must have worked to reduce accidents How should we define `very small`? By setting `\(\alpha\)` either to 0.05 or to 0.01 We can then Reject `\(H_0\)` if `\(P(\pm t_{calculated}) \leq \alpha\)` ; the data provide sufficient evidence to conclude that the roundabout has reduced accidents If `\(P(\pm t_{calculated}) > \alpha\)` then we will Fail to reject `\(H_0\)`; the data provide insufficient evidence to conclude that the roundabout has reduced accidents --- ### Rejection rule Reject `\(H_0\)` if calculated `\(\lvert{t}\rvert\)` falls in the green region (i.e., calculated `\(t \leq -1.98\)` or calculated `\(t \geq 1.98\)`)  --- ### Failure to reject rule Do Not Reject `\(H_0\)` if calculated `\(\lvert{t}\rvert\)` falls in the grey region (i.e., `\(-1.98 < \text{calculated } t < 1.98\)`)  --- ### The process revisited ... 1. State the hypotheses - If we want to test whether something has `changed` then `\(H_0\)` must specify that nothing has changed `\(\ldots H_0:\mu = \mu_{0}; H_1: \mu \neq \mu_{0} \ldots\)` **two-tailed** - If we want to test whether something is `different` then `\(H_0\)` must specify that nothing is different `\(\ldots H_0:\mu = \mu_{0}; H_1: \mu \neq \mu_{0}\ldots\)` **two-tailed** - If we want to test whether something had an `impact` then `\(H_0\)` must specify that it had no impact `\(\ldots H_0:\mu = \mu_{0}; H_1: \mu \neq \mu_{0}\ldots\)` **two-tailed** - If we want to test whether something has `increased` then `\(H_0\)` must specify that it has not increased `\(\ldots H_0:\mu \leq \mu_{0}; H_1: \mu > \mu_{0}\ldots\)` **one-tailed** - If we want to test whether something has `decreased` then `\(H_0\)` must specify that it has not decreased `\(\ldots H_0:\mu \geq \mu_{0}; H_1: \mu < \mu_{0}\ldots\)` **one-tailed** 2. Collect the sample and set `\(\alpha=0.05\)` or `\(\alpha=0.01\)` 3. Calculate `\(s_{\bar{x}} = \dfrac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\)`, `\(\bar{x}\)`, `\(df=n-1\)` 4. Calculate the `\(t\)` 5. Reject `\(H_0\)` if calculated `\(t\)` falls in the **critical region**; do not reject `\(H_0\)` otherwise --- ### Problem 1 Last year, Normal (IL) the city's motor pool maintained the city's fleet of vehicles at an average cost of 346 per car. This year Jack's Crash Shop is doing the maintenance. City notices that in a random sample of 36 cars fixed by Jack the mean repair cost is 330 with a standard deviation of 120. Is Jack saving the City money? `\(H_0: \mu \geq 346\)` and `\(H_1: \mu < 346\)`. Let us choose `\(\alpha = 0.05\)`. Note `\(df=n-1=36-1=35\)` `\(s_{\bar{x}} = \dfrac{s}{\sqrt{n}} = \dfrac{120}{\sqrt{36}} = 20\)`, and hence `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{x} - \mu_{0}}{s_{\bar{x}}} = \dfrac{330-346}{20} = \dfrac{-16}{20} = -0.80\)` .pull-left[  ] .pull-right[  ] Fail to reject `\(H_0\)`; the data suggest that Jack's Car Shop may not be cheaper --- ### Problem 2 Kramer's (TX) Police Chief learns that his staff clear 46.2% of all burglaries in the city. She wants to benchmark their performance and to do this she samples 10 other similar cities in Texas. She finds their numbers to be as follows:

  Rate 	  Rate

  44.2 	  32.1

  40.3 	  32.9

  36.4 	  29.0

  49.4 	  46.4

  51.7 	  41.0

 Is Kramer's clearance rate significantly different from those of other similar Texas cities? `\(H_0: \mu = 46.2\)` and `\(H_1: \mu \neq 46.2\)`. Set `\(\alpha = 0.05\)` Note `\(df=n-1=10-1=9\)`, `\(\bar{x}=40.34\)`, and `\(s_{\bar{x}} = 2.4279\)` `\(t = \dfrac{ \bar{x} - \mu_{0} }{ s_{\bar{x}} } = \dfrac{40.34-46.2}{2.4279} = -2.414\)` --- .pull-left[  ] .pull-right[  ] Reject `\(H_0\)`; the data suggest that Kramer's clearance rate may be significantly different from that of other similar Texas cities. --- ### Problem 3 The Director of Philanthropy at the Fleckman Institute of the Arts is curious to assess the impact of this year's changes in federal tax laws on donations. Last year the average donation was 580. A random sample of 50 donors yields an average donation of 625 with a standard deviation of 97. Has the change in federal tax laws had an impact on donations? `\(\ldots\)` **solve this on your own** --- ### Problem 4 Springdale University is concerned that student volunteer activity has decreased. Last year their students volunteered an average of 7.3 hours of community service per month. This year, a random sample of 75 student volunteers reveals an average of 6.8 hours per month with a standard deviation of 1.5 hours. Should the University be concerned? `\(\ldots\)` **solve this on your own** --- ### Overlap Between Hypothesis Tests and Confidence Intervals - Calculate the 95% confidence interval for a sample mean `\(\bar{x}\)` - Note that in this confidence interval, `\(\alpha = 0.05\)`; `\(\alpha/2=0.025\)` - Use the Test Statistic with `\(\alpha = 0.05\)` to make a decision - Note the similarity? --- class: inverse, middle, center ## Comparing Means --- ### Comparisons of Means from Common Parent Population

Common Parent Population

 --- ### Comparisons of Means from Different Parent Populations

Separate Parent Populations

 --- We often need to compare sample means across two groups. For example, are average earnings the same for men and women in a specific occupation? Perhaps we suspect (a) women are underpaid or (generally) that (b) their salaries differ from those of men. Let the population and sample means be `\(\mu_m, \mu_w\)` and `\(\bar{x}_m, \bar{x}_w\)`, respectively (a) `\(H_0: \mu_m \leq \mu_w\)` and `\(H_1: \mu_m > \mu_w\)`, `\(\therefore H_0: \mu_m - \mu_w \leq 0\)` and `\(H_1: \mu_m - \mu_w > 0\)` (b) `\(H_0: \mu_m = \mu_w\)` and `\(H_1: \mu_m \neq \mu_w\)`, `\(\therefore H_0: \mu_m - \mu_w = 0\)` and `\(H_1: \mu_m - \mu_w \neq 0\)` Standard Error of the difference in means: `\(s_{\bar{x}_m - \bar{x}_w} = \sqrt{\dfrac{s^{2}_{m}}{n_m} + \dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w}}\)` Confidence Interval estimate: `\(\left(\bar{x}_m - \bar{x}_w\right) \pm t_{\alpha/2}\left(s_{\bar{x}_m - \bar{x}_w}\right)\)` The Test Statistic: `\(t = \dfrac{\left(\bar{x}_m - \bar{x}_w \right) - \left(\mu_m - \mu_w \right)}{\sqrt{\dfrac{s^{2}_{m}}{n_m} + \dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w}}} = \dfrac{\left(\bar{x}_m - \bar{x}_w \right) - D_0}{\sqrt{\dfrac{s^{2}_{m}}{n_m} + \dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w}}}\)` --- The degrees of freedom for this test: `\(df = \dfrac{\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_m}{n_m} + \dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w} \right)^2}{\dfrac{1}{(n_m -1)}\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_m}{n_m}\right)^2 + \dfrac{1}{(n_w -1)}\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w}\right)^2}\)` Note: We usually `round down` the `\(df\)` to the nearest integer We have two ways of calculating the estimated standard error `\((s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2})\)` and the degrees of freedom `\(df\)` (1) When the population variances are `assumed unequal` (2) When the population variances are `assumed equal` --- ### (1) Unequal Population Variances `Standard Error will be:` `\(\left(s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2}\right) = \sqrt{\dfrac{\sigma^{2}_{1}}{n_1} + \dfrac{\sigma^{2}_2}{n_2}}\)` `Degrees of Freedom will be:` `\(df = \dfrac{\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_m}{n_m} + \dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w} \right)^2}{\dfrac{1}{(n_m -1)}\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_m}{n_m}\right)^2 + \dfrac{1}{(n_w -1)}\left(\dfrac{s^{2}_w}{n_w}\right)^2}\)` - Use this when `\(n_1\)` or `\(n_2\)` are `\(< 30\)` and - Either sample has a standard deviation at least twice that of the other sample --- ### (2) Equal Population Variances `Standard Error will be:` `\(\left(s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2}\right) = \sqrt{\dfrac{n_1 + n_2}{n1 \times n_2}}\sqrt{\dfrac{(n_1 -1)s^{2}_{x_{1}} + (n_2 -1)s^{2}_{x_2}}{\left(n_1 + n_2\right) -2}}\)` `Degrees of Freedom will be:` `\(df = \left( n_1 + n_2\right) -2\)` - Use when the standard deviations are roughly equal, and - `\(n_1\)` and `\(n_2\)` `\(\geq 30\)` --- ### Assumptions and Rules-of-thumb (1) Random samples (2) Variables are drawn from normally distributed Populations **Rules-of-thumb:** - Draw larger samples if you suspect the Population(s) may be skewed - Go with assumption of `equal variances` if both the following are met: (a) Assumption theoretically justified, standard deviations fairly close, & (b) `\(n_1 \geq 30\)` and `\(n_2 \geq 30\)` - Go with assumption of `unequal variances` if both the following are met: (a) One standard deviation is at least twice the other standard deviation, & (b) `\(n_1 < 30\)` or `\(n_2 < 30\)` Of course, some statistical software packages (SPSS, for instance) will run the test under both assumptions so you can `choose` on the basis of the results (a bad idea in some eyes) --- ### Testing Variances: Levene's Test for Homogeneity of Variances - Assumes roughly symmetric frequency distributions within all groups - Robust to violations of assumption - Can be used with 2 or more groups `\(H_0: \sigma^{2}_{1} = \sigma^{2}_{2} = \sigma^{2}_{3} = \cdots \sigma^{2}_{k}\)` and `\(H_A:\)` For at least one pair of `\((i,j)\)` we have `\(\sigma^{2}_{i} \neq \sigma^{2}_{j}\)` Test Statistic: `\(W = \dfrac{ (N-k)\displaystyle\sum^{k}_{i=1}n_{i}\left( \bar{Z}_{i} - \bar{Z} \right)^{2} }{(k-1)\displaystyle\sum^{k}_{i=1}\sum^{n_i}_{j=1}\left( Z_{ij} - \bar{Z}_{i}\right)^{2}}\)` `\(Z_{ij} = |{Y_{ij} - \bar{Y}_i}|\)`; `\(\bar{Z}_i\)` is the mean for all `\(Y\)` in the `\(i^{th}\)` group; `\(\bar{Z}\)` is the mean for all `\(Y\)` in the study; `\(k\)` is the number of groups in the study; and `\(n_i\)` is the sample size for group `\(i\)` If you opt for the more robust version that uses the Median, then, `\(Z_{ij} = |Y_{ij} - \tilde{Y}_{i}|\)` where `\(\tilde{Y}_{i}\)` is median of `\(i^{th}\)` group `\(W \sim F_{\alpha, k-1, n-k}\)` --- ### Example 1 The Athens County Public Library is trying to keep its bookmobile alive since it reaches readers who otherwise may not use the library. One of the library employees decides to conduct an experiment, running advertisements in 50 areas served by the bookmobile and not running advertisements in 50 other areas also served by the bookmobile. After one month, circulation counts of books are calculated and mean circulation counts are found to be 526 books for the advertisement group with a standard deviation of 125 books and 475 books for the non-advertisement group with a standard deviation of 115 books. Is there a statistically significant difference in mean book circulation between the two groups? Since we are being asked to test for a "difference" it is a two-tailed test, with hypotheses given by: `$$\begin{array}{l} H_0: \text{ There is no difference in average circulation counts } (\mu_1 = \mu_2) \\ H_1: \text{ There is a difference in average circulation counts } (\mu_1 \neq \mu_2) \end{array}$$` --- Since both groups have sample sizes that exceed 30 we can proceed with the assumption of equal variances and calculate the standard error and the degrees of freedom. The degrees of freedom as easy: `\(df = n_1 + n_2 - 2 = 50 + 50 - 2 = 98\)`. The standard error is `\(s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2} = \sqrt{\dfrac{n_1 + n_2}{n_1n_2}}\sqrt{\dfrac{(n_1 -1)s^{2}_{x_{1}} + (n_2 -1)s^{2}_{x_2}}{\left(n_1 + n_2\right) -2}}\)` and plugging in the values we have `$$s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2} = \sqrt{\dfrac{50 + 50}{2500}} \sqrt{\dfrac{(50 -1)(125^2) + (50 -1)(115^2)}{\left(50 + 50\right) -2}} = (0.2)(120.1041) = 24.02082$$` The test statistic is `$$t = \dfrac{\left( \bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2 \right) - \left( \mu_1 - \mu_2 \right) }{s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2}} = \dfrac{(526 - 475) - 0}{24.02082} = \dfrac{51}{24.02082} = 2.123158$$` --- Since no `\(\alpha\)` is given let us use the conventional starting point of `\(\alpha = 0.05\)` With `\(df=98\)` and `\(\alpha = 0.05\)`, two-tailed, the critical `\(t\)` value would be `\(\pm 1.98446745\)` Since our calculated `\(t = 2.1231\)` exceeds the critical `\(t = 1.9844\)`, we can easily reject the null hypothesis of no difference Conclusion: These data suggest there is a difference in average circulation counts between the advertisement and no advertisement groups We could have also used the the p-value approach, rejecting the null hypothesis of no difference if the p-value was `\(\leq \alpha\)` The p-value of our calculate `\(t\)` turns out to be 0.0363 and so we can reject the null hypothesis Note, in passing, that had we used `\(\alpha = 0.01\)` we would have been unable top reject the null hypothesis because `\(0.0363\)` is `\(> 0.01\)` --- The 95% confidence interval is given by `$$(\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2) \pm t_{\alpha/2}(s_{\bar{x}_1 - \bar{x}_2}) = 51 \pm 1.9844(24.02082) = 51 \pm 47.66692 = 3.33308 \text{ and } 98.66692$$` We can be about 95% confident that the true difference between the groups lies in this interval Had we used the 99% interval for a test with `\(\alpha = 0.01\)` the interval would be `$$51 \pm 2.627(24.02082) = -12.10269 \text{ and } 114.1027$$` subsuming the null hypothesis difference of `\(0\)` and leaving us unable to reject the null hypothesis. --- ### Example 2 Say we have a large data-set with a variety of information about several cars, gathered in 1974. One of the questions we have been tasked with testing is whether the miles per gallon yield of manual transmission cars in 1974 was greater than that of automatic transmission cars. Assume they want us to use `\(\alpha = 0.05\)`. We have thirteen manual transmission cars and 19 automatic transmission cars, and the means and standard deviations are 24.3923 and 6.1665 for manual, and 17.1473 and 3.8339 for automatic cars, respectively. The hypotheses are: `$$\begin{array}{l} H_0: \text{Mean mpg of manual cars is at most that of the mean mpg of automatic cars } (\bar{x}_{manual} \leq \bar{x}_{automatic}) \\ H_1: \text{Mean mpg of manual cars is greater than mean mpg of automatic cars } (\bar{x}_{manual} > \bar{x}_{automatic}) \end{array}$$` --- The calculated `\(t\)` is 4.1061 and the p-value is 0.0001425, allowing us to reject the null hypothesis Conclusion: These data suggest that average mpg of automatic cars is not at most that of manual cars Note a couple of things here: (i) We have a one-tailed hypothesis test, and (ii) we are assuming equal variances since both conditions are not met for assuming unequal variances In addition, note that the confidence interval is found to be `\((3.6415, 10.8483)\)`, indicating that we can be 95% confident that the average manual mpg is higher than average automatic mpg by anywhere between 3.64 mpg and 10.84 mpg --- ### Matched (aka Dependent or Paired) Samples Sometimes you may have two sets of measures on the same units. Now - `\(H_0: \mu_d = 0; H_1: \mu_d \neq 0\)` or - `\(H_0: \mu_d \geq 0; H_1: \mu_d < 0\)` or - `\(H_0: \mu_d \leq 0; H_1: \mu_d > 0\)` `\(\bar{d} = \dfrac{\sum{d_i}}{n}\)` `\(s_d = \sqrt{\dfrac{\sum(d_i - \bar{d})^2}{n-1}}\)` and `\(s_{\bar{d}} = \dfrac{s_{d}}{\sqrt{n}}\)` Test Statistic: `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{d} - \mu_{d}}{ s_{\bar{d}} }\)` With normally distributed population `\(df = n-1\)` Interval estimate: `\(\bar{d} \pm t_{\alpha/2} \left( s_{\bar{d}} \right)\)` --- ### The Testing Protocol Let us see how the test is carried out with reference to a small data-set wherein we have six pre-school children's scores on a vocabulary test before a reading program is introduced into the pre-school `\((x_2)\)` and then again after the reading program has been in place for a few months `\((x_2)\)`.

Vocabulary Scores pre- and post-intervention

  Child ID 	  Pre-intervention score 	  Post-intervention score 	  Difference = Pre - Post

  1 	  6.0 	  5.4 	  0.6

  2 	  5.0 	  5.2 	  -0.2

  3 	  7.0 	  6.5 	  0.5

  4 	  6.2 	  5.9 	  0.3

  5 	  6.0 	  6.0 	  0.0

  6 	  6.4 	  5.8 	  0.6

 Note the column `\(d_i\)` has the `difference of the scores` such that for Child 1, `\(6.0 - 5.4 = 0.6\)`, for Child 2, `\(5.0 - 5.2 = -0.2\)`, and so on. The mean, variance and standard deviation of `\(d\)` are calculated as follows: `\begin{eqnarray*} d_{i} &=& x_{1} - x_{2} \\ \bar{d} &=& \dfrac{\sum{d_i}}{n} \\ s^{2}_{d} &=& \dfrac{\sum(d_i - \bar{d})^2}{n-1} \\ s_d &=& \sqrt{\dfrac{\sum(d_i - \bar{d})^2}{n-1}} \end{eqnarray*}` --- Say we have no idea what to expect from the program. In that case, our hypotheses would be: `$$\begin{array}{l} H_0: \mu_d = 0 \\ H_1: \mu_d \neq 0 \end{array}$$` The test statistic is given by `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{d} - \mu_d}{s_d/\sqrt{n}}; df=n-1\)` and the interval estimate calculated as `\(\bar{d} \pm t_{\alpha/2}\left(\dfrac{s_d}{\sqrt{n}}\right)\)`. Once we have specified our hypotheses, selected `\(\alpha\)`, and calculated the test statistic, the usual decision rules apply: ... - Reject the null hypothesis if the calculated `\(p-value \leq \alpha\)` - Do not reject the null hypothesis if the calculated `\(p-value > \alpha\)` In this particular example, it turns out that `\(\bar{d}=0.30\)`; `\(s_d=0.335\)`; `\(t = 2.1958\)`, `\(df = 5\)`, `\(p-value = 0.07952\)` and 95% CI: `\(0.3 \pm 0.35 = (-0.0512, 0.6512)\)`. Given the large `\(p-value\)` we fail to reject `\(H_0\)` and conclude that these data do not suggest a statistically significant impact of the reading program. --- ### Example 1 Over the last decade, has poverty worsened in Ohio's public school districts? One way to test worsening poverty would be to compare the percent of children living below the poverty line in each school district across two time points. For the sake of convenience I will use two American Community Survey (ACS) data sets that measure `Children Characteristics (Table S0901)`, one the 2011-2015 ACS and the other the 2006-2010 ACS. While a small snippet of the data are shown below for the 35 school districts with data for both years, you can [download the full dataset from here](https://aniruhil.github.io/avsr/teaching/dataviz/sdpoverty.csv).

Percent of Children in Poverty

  District 	  2006-2010 	  2011-2015

  Akron City School District, Ohio 	  35.3 	  41.0

  Brunswick City School District, Ohio 	  6.8 	  7.6

  Canton City School District, Ohio 	  44.1 	  49.6

  Centerville City School District, Ohio 	  10.5 	  5.4

  Cincinnati City School District, Ohio 	  39.5 	  43.0

  Cleveland Municipal School District, Ohio 	  45.8 	  53.3

 --- `$$\begin{array}{l} H_0: \text{ Poverty has not worsened } (d \leq 0) \\ H_1: \text{ Poverty has worsened } (d > 0) \end{array}$$` Subtracting the 2006-2010 poverty rate from the 2011-2015 poverty rate for each district and then calculating the average difference `\((d)\)` yields `\(\bar{d} = 4.328571\)` and `\(s_{d} = 3.876746\)` With `\(n=35\)` we have a standard error `\(s_{\bar{d}} = \dfrac{s_d}{\sqrt{n}} = \dfrac{3.876746}{\sqrt{35}} = 0.6552897\)` The test statistic is `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{d}}{s_{\bar{d}}} = \dfrac{4.328571}{0.6552897} = 6.605584\)` and has a `\(p-value = 0.0000001424\)`, allowing us to easily reject the null hypothesis ... These data suggest that school district poverty has indeed worsened over the intervening time period. The 95% confidence interval is `\((2.9968 \text{ and } 5.6602)\)` --- ### Example 2 A large urban school district in a Midwestern state implemented a reading intervention to boost the district's scores on the state's English Language Arts test. The intervention was motivated by poor performance of the district's `\(4^{th}\)` grade cohort. Three years had passed before that cohort was tested in the `\(8^{th}\)` grade. Did the intervention boost ELA scores, on average?

English Language Arts: Scaled scores, grades Three and Eight

  Student ID 	  Grade 	  Scaled Score

  AA0000001 	  3 	  583

  AA0000002 	  3 	  583

  AA0000003 	  3 	  583

  AA0000004 	  3 	  668

  AA0000005 	  3 	  627

  AA0000006 	  3 	  617

 --- `$$\begin{array}{l} H_0: \text{ Intervention did not boost ELA scores } (d \leq 0) \\ H_1: \text{ Intervention did boost ELA scores } (d > 0) \end{array}$$` We have `\(\bar{d} = 14.62594\)`, `\(s_d = 66.27296\)`, `\(df = 12955\)` and the standard error is `\(0.5822609\)` The test statistic then is `\(t = \dfrac{\bar{d}}{s_{\bar{d}}} = \dfrac{14.62594}{0.5822609} = 25.11922\)` and has a `\(p-value\)` that is very close to `\(0\)` and obviously way smaller than `\(\alpha = 0.05\)` and `\(\alpha = 0.01\)` Hence we can reject the null hypothesis; these data suggest that the reading intervention did indeed boost English Language Arts scores on average. --- ### Testing Options and the Protocol - Data are coming from a `paired` design -- Use the two-sample `\(t-test\)` for paired samples - Data are coming from two `unpaired` groups -- Use the two-sample `\(t-test\)` with - the assumption of equal variances if `\(n_1 \geq 30\)` and `\(n_2 \geq 30\)` and `\(s_1 \approx s_2\)` - the assumption of unequal variances if `\(n_1 < 30\)` or `\(n_2 < 30\)` and `\(s_i \geq 2\left(s_j\right)\)` - Use `Levene's test for homogeneity of variances` if the assumption of normality is not supported - Normality is not as big a deal since these tests are robust to small violations of normality


This is a repost of a post I did in the Visual C# IDE forum. (the original
Warnings preventing test run after adding new
test class)
I recently installed a copy of Visual Studio Team System over Visual Studio 2008.
I
am adding a test class to an old test project. Whenever I run tests in
this class I get a test run error with the following warnings.
Code coverage instrumentation warning while processing file Hunt.EPIC.Utilities.dll:
Warning
VSP2013 : Instrumenting this image requires it to run as a 32-bit
process. The CLR header flags have been updated to reflect this.
Warning:
Test Run deployment issue: The assembly or module
'SourceRouteHeaderExtension' directly or indirectly referenced by the
test container 'd:\workspaces\command
center\main\tests\hunt.epic.readingsprocessing.unittest\bin\debug\hunt.epic.readingsprocessing.unittest.dll'
was not found.
I cannot find anything on the net about
SourceRouteHeaderExtension. I am also perplexed that all my other tests
run just fine but this new one doesn't. Maybe I have to change the
target of these tests or something?
Acutally if you click on the test run little yield sign you get these warnings.
But the actual exception itself in the test run itself throws an exception as such
"Unit
Test Adapter threw exception: Type is not resolved for member
'Hunt.EPIC.Data.ScrewedUpDuplicateKeyException,Hunt.EPIC.Data,
Version=<IP_ADDRESS>, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.."
But the project compiles fine and this particular exception declaration has been in there for a long time.
I have a hunch the warnings are not the problem but the exception that appears in the test run is the actual problem. Why cant it resolve the type? Where does it look to resolve type. It sounds a simple as a misplaced reference or an old DLL, but I can't seem to find it.
N8


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Plane with 17 passengers crashes in DR Congo
by REUTERSA passenger plane with about 17 passengers on board crashed on Sunday in the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing several people, the provincial governor's office said.
The plane, operated by the local company Busy Bee, crashed during takeoff for a flight to the city of Beni, North Kivu Governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita's office said in a statement. The number of fatalities was not yet clear.
Busy Bee was not available for comment.
Air accidents are relatively frequent in Congo because of lax safety standards and poor maintenance. All Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are banned from operating in the European Union.
A cargo plane departing from the same airport crashed an hour after take-off in October, killing all eight passengers.


@esfx/async-barrier Package
The @esfx/async-barrier
package provides the AsyncBarrier class, an async coordination primitive.
Installation
npm i @esfx/async-barrier
Usage
Note
The following example is derived from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.threading.barrier?view=net-6.0#examples
import { AsyncBarrier } from "@esfx/async-barrier";
async function main() {
let count = 0;
// Create a barrier with 3 participants and a post-phase action to print results.
// When phase 2 completes, throw an exception to be observed by all participants.
const barrier = new AsyncBarrier(3, b => {
console.log(`Post-phase action: count=${count}, phase=${b.currentPhaseNumber}`);
if (b.currentPhaseNumber === 2) throw new Error("Oops");
});
// Add two participants
barrier.add(2);
barrier.participantCount; // 5
// Remove one participant
barrier.remove();
barrier.participantCount; // 4
const action = async () => {
count++;
// Wait for the current phase to end. During the post-phase action 'count' will be 4
// and 'phase' will be 0.
await barrier.signalAndWait();
count++;
// Wait for the current phase to end. During the post-phase action 'count' will be 8
// and 'phase' will be 1.
await barrier.signalAndWait();
count++;
// When phase 2 ends an exception is thrown to all participants:
try {
await barrier.signalAndWait();
}
catch (e) {
console.log(`Caught error: ${e.message}`);
}
// Wait for the current phase to end. During the post-phase action 'count' will be 16
// and 'phase' will be 3.
await barrier.signalAndWait();
};
// Start 4 async actions to serve as the 4 participants.
await Promise.all([action(), action(), action(), action()]);
}
main().catch(e => console.error(e));
// prints:
// Post-phase action: count=4, phase=0
// Post-phase action: count=8, phase=1
// Post-phase action: count=12, phase=2
// Caught error: Oops
// Post-phase action: count=16, phase=3
Classes
AsyncBarrier
Enables multiple tasks to cooperatively work on an algorithm through multiple phases.


Constructor
new Vec2(x, y)
Create a vector.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
x |
number | The x coordinate. |
y |
number | The y coordinate. |
Methods
add(v) → {Vec2}
Add another vector to this.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
addOfMultiplied(v, f) → {Vec2}
Same as this.add(v.multiply(f)).
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
f |
number | the scale of another vector. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
angle(v) → {number}
Calculate the angle between this and another vector.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
Returns:
The angle between them (in radians).
- Type
- number
assign() → {Vec2}
Assign with another vector.
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
clone() → {Vec2}
Clone this vector a new instance.
Returns:
The cloned vector.
- Type
- Vec2
cross(v) → {number}
Calculate the (2d) cross product with another vector.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
Returns:
The (2d) cross product.
- Type
- number
distance(v) → {number}
Calculate the distance between two point (i.e. vector).
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another point (vector). |
Returns:
The distance between them.
- Type
- number
distanceSqr(v) → {number}
Calculate the squared distance between two point (i.e. vector).
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another point (vector). |
Returns:
The squared distance.
- Type
- number
dot(v) → {number}
Calculate the dot product with another vector.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
Returns:
The dot product.
- Type
- number
length() → {number}
Returns:
The length of vector.
- Type
- number
lengthSqr() → {number}
Returns:
The squared length.
- Type
- number
multiply(f) → {Vec2}
Multiply a scalar to this vector.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
f |
number | the scalar. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
normalize() → {Vec2}
Normalize the vector.
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
projected(n) → {Vec2}
Calculate the projection to a specific direction.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
n |
number | projection direction, should be normalized. |
Returns:
Projected result.
- Type
- Vec2
projection(n) → {Vec2}
Project the vector to a specific direction.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
n |
number | projection direction, should be normalized. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
rotatedCCW() → {Vec2}
rotate counter clock wise with 90 degrees.
Returns:
Rotated result.
- Type
- Vec2
rotatedCW() → {Vec2}
rotate clock wise with 90 degrees.
Returns:
Rotated result.
- Type
- Vec2
sub(v) → {Vec2}
Subtract another vector from this.
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2
subOfMultiplied(v, f) → {Vec2}
Same as this.sub(v.multiply(f)).
Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
v |
Vec2 | another vector. |
f |
number | the scale of another vector. |
Returns:
Instance of this.
- Type
- Vec2


|
JavaTM 2 Platform Standard Ed. 5.0 |
|||||||||
| PREV CLASS NEXT CLASS | FRAMES NO FRAMES | |||||||||
| SUMMARY: NESTED | FIELD | CONSTR | METHOD | DETAIL: FIELD | CONSTR | METHOD |
java.lang.Object javax.print.attribute.Size2DSyntax javax.print.attribute.standard.MediaSize
public class MediaSize
Class MediaSize is a two-dimensional size valued printing attribute class that indicates the dimensions of the medium in a portrait orientation, with the X dimension running along the bottom edge and the Y dimension running along the left edge. Thus, the Y dimension must be greater than or equal to the X dimension. Class MediaSize declares many standard media size values, organized into nested classes for ISO, JIS, North American, engineering, and other media.
MediaSize is not yet used to specify media. Its current role is
as a mapping for named media (see MediaSizeName
).
Clients can use the mapping method
MediaSize.getMediaSizeForName(MediaSizeName)
to find the physical dimensions of the MediaSizeName instances
enumerated in this API. This is useful for clients which need this
information to format & paginate printing.
| Nested Class Summary | |
|---|---|
static class |
MediaSize.Engineering
Class MediaSize.Engineering includes MediaSize values
for engineering media. |
static class |
MediaSize.ISO
Class MediaSize.ISO includes MediaSize values for ISO
media. |
static class |
MediaSize.JIS
Class MediaSize.JIS includes MediaSize values for JIS
(Japanese) media. |
static class |
MediaSize.NA
Class MediaSize.NA includes MediaSize values for North
American media. |
static class |
MediaSize.Other
Class MediaSize.Other includes MediaSize values for
miscellaneous media. |
| Field Summary |
|---|
| Fields inherited from class javax.print.attribute.Size2DSyntax |
|---|
INCH, MM |
| Constructor Summary | |
|---|---|
MediaSize(float x,
float y,
int units)
Construct a new media size attribute from the given floating-point values. |
|
MediaSize(float x,
float y,
int units,
MediaSizeName media)
Construct a new media size attribute from the given floating-point values. |
|
MediaSize(int x,
int y,
int units)
Construct a new media size attribute from the given integer values. |
|
MediaSize(int x,
int y,
int units,
MediaSizeName media)
Construct a new media size attribute from the given integer values. |
| Method Summary | |
|---|---|
boolean |
equals(Object object)
Returns whether this media size attribute is equivalent to the passed in object. |
static MediaSizeName |
findMedia(float x,
float y,
int units)
The specified dimensions are used to locate a matching MediaSize instance from amongst all the standard MediaSize instances. |
Class<? extends Attribute> |
getCategory()
Get the printing attribute class which is to be used as the "category" for this printing attribute value. |
static MediaSize |
getMediaSizeForName(MediaSizeName media)
Get the MediaSize for the specified named media. |
MediaSizeName |
getMediaSizeName()
Get the media name, if any, for this size. |
String |
getName()
Get the name of the category of which this attribute value is an instance. |
| Methods inherited from class javax.print.attribute.Size2DSyntax |
|---|
getSize, getX, getXMicrometers, getY, getYMicrometers, hashCode, toString, toString |
| Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object |
|---|
clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait |
| Constructor Detail |
|---|
public MediaSize(float x, float y, int units)
x
- X dimension.y
- Y dimension.units
- Unit conversion factor, e.g. Size2DSyntax.INCH
or
Size2DSyntax.MM
.
IllegalArgumentException
- (Unchecked exception) Thrown if x
< 0 or y
< 0 or units
< 1 or x
> y
.public MediaSize(int x, int y, int units)
x
- X dimension.y
- Y dimension.units
- Unit conversion factor, e.g. Size2DSyntax.INCH
or
Size2DSyntax.MM
.
IllegalArgumentException
- (Unchecked exception) Thrown if x
< 0 or y
< 0 or units
< 1 or x
> y
.public MediaSize(float x, float y, int units, MediaSizeName media)
x
- X dimension.y
- Y dimension.units
- Unit conversion factor, e.g. Size2DSyntax.INCH
or
Size2DSyntax.MM
.media
- a media name to associate with this MediaSize
IllegalArgumentException
- (Unchecked exception) Thrown if x
< 0 or y
< 0 or units
< 1 or x
> y
.public MediaSize(int x, int y, int units, MediaSizeName media)
x
- X dimension.y
- Y dimension.units
- Unit conversion factor, e.g. Size2DSyntax.INCH
or
Size2DSyntax.MM
.media
- a media name to associate with this MediaSize
IllegalArgumentException
- (Unchecked exception) Thrown if x
< 0 or y
< 0 or units
< 1 or x
> y
.| Method Detail |
|---|
public MediaSizeName getMediaSizeName()
public static MediaSize getMediaSizeForName(MediaSizeName media)
media
- - the name of the media for which the size is sought
public static MediaSizeName findMedia(float x, float y, int units)
The MediaSize is in turn used to locate the MediaSizeName object. This method may return null if the closest matching MediaSize has no corresponding Media instance.
This method is useful for clients which have only dimensions and want to find a Media which corresponds to the dimensions.
x
- - X dimensiony
- - Y dimension.units
- Unit conversion factor, e.g. Size2DSyntax.INCH
or
Size2DSyntax.MM
IllegalArgumentException
- if x <= 0, y <= 0, or units < 1public boolean equals(Object object)
object
is not null.
object
is an instance of class MediaSize.
object
's X dimension.
object
's Y dimension.
equals
in class Size2DSyntax
object
- Object to compare to.
object
is equivalent to this media size
attribute, false otherwise.Object.hashCode()
,
Hashtable
public final Class<? extends Attribute> getCategory()
For class MediaSize and any vendor-defined subclasses, the category is class MediaSize itself.
getCategory
in interface Attribute
java.lang.Class
.public final String getName()
For class MediaSize and any vendor-defined subclasses, the category
name is "media-size"
.
getName
in interface Attribute
|
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--- layout: post title: "Why trust tests?" description: "Tests are trustworthy if they are simple and you've seen them fail." date: 2013-04-02 07:40 UTC tags: [Unit Testing] --- {% include JB/setup %}
{{ page.description }}
When I started out with TDD some ten years ago, it was really hard to convince programmers that unit testing was valuable. It's better today, but much software is still produced without test coverage. One of the most common arguments for unit tests is to ask the question: "How do you know that your code works?"
That's a darn good question, and one of the best answers is that you should cover the code with automated tests (unit tests).
Okay, then: How do you know that your unit tests work?
A test watches the correctness of the SUT, but who watches the watchmen? Should you write some more unit tests to test your unit tests? Is it going to be turtles all the way down?
Obviously, that's not what we do. Then why do we trust unit tests?
I think that there's two different reasons for that:
The reason that a lot of code fails to do what you think it does is because it's complicated. Sometimes there's also going to be subtle bugs, but I think that the most common problem is that as the code becomes more involved, it becomes more difficult for you to hold it in your brain. A simple Hello World application is easy to understand. Typical software isn't.
Unit tests tend to be a lot simpler. First of all, unit tests should be deterministic. This means that there should be a clear path through each test case. In other words, a unit test should have a Cyclomatic Complexity of 1.
If you follow the AAA or Four-Phase Test patterns, keep the Cyclomatic Complexity at 1, keep the total line count down, and use good names, you should have a readable test case. Such test code is easy to review for correctness. If you are Pair Programming, you and your partner review the unit test code as you write it. If you use other review mechanisms (e.g. pull requests), the reviewer can review your unit test code.  Ultimately, it can't be more error prone than single-handedly writing production code without tests.
Part of the reason why we trust unit tests is because, if written well, they are easy to review for correctness.
Deeply ingrained into proper TDD is the Red/Green/Refactor cycle. It's extremely important to see the test fail. Personally, I'm saved by this rule about once a week. I write a test and run it, and much to my surprise it turns out to be a false negative. Although I've been doing TDD for some ten years, this still happens to me regularly, so I think it's one of those rigid rules you should always follow. Seeing the test fail verifies that the test indeed tests something.
This is also the reason why, if you don't do TDD, but rather write tests after the fact, it becomes extremely important to follow a proper procedure for writing Characterization Tests.
Part of the reason that we trust unit tests is that we've seen them fail. It's like double-entry bookkeeping. The tests keep the SUT in place, and the SUT makes the tests pass.
Both of the reasons I've provided are focused on the test as it's being created.  As time goes by, you should end up with a test suite with lots of tests. Do you ever look at those tests?
You trust them because they were correct when they were created. Are they still correct today?
Well, they probably are if you never again touched them, but every time you modify a test case, you make it just a little less trustworthy. Similar in spirit to the Open/Closed Principle, a test suite should be open for extension, but closed for modification. Trustworthy test suites are append-only.


"x" "1" "QUILLARDET,P, JENEK,J, DEMERSEMAN,P, ROYER,R AND HOFNUNG,M, GENOTOXICACTIVITY OF TWO FURAN ANALOGS OF BENZO[A]PYRENE AND THEIR 2-NITRO DERIVATIVES,MUTAT. RES. 172(3):223-230, 1986"


Display ONLY on Desktop?
-
mindcrash
I am wondering if it's possible to set Synergy to only display on my Desktop. That is, I don't want it to show in front of my active application.
Thanks!
-
Greg Hurrell
Yes, it is. See the release notes for version 1.3:
https://wincent.com/a/products/synergy-classic/history/
[Feature] New "power user" feature (accessible from command-line), display floater on desktop. To activate, enter "defaults write org.wincent.Synergy desktopFloater -bool true" in the Terminal and restart Synergy. To deactivate, enter "defaults write org.wincent.Synergy desktopFloater -bool false".
-
mindcrash
Great, thanks for the tip.
Awesome program by the way!
-
mindcrash
Ok, here's a related question, and I promise this is the last you'll hear from me.
Now that the app is set using the command posted above, is it possible to adjust a setting so that if I click the floater it will come to the foreground, like a regular application?
Thanks!
-
Greg Hurrell
Not at the moment.
The Floater has always been "transparent" to mouse clicks, as it's intended for temporary display only (fade in, fade out) and isn't meant to get in the way.
That was the original rationale. Having said that, there is a feature request in the database to make it clickable, and I have various ideas for things that can be added once that's implemented.
Relevant links:
"Click to dismiss Floater": https://wincent.com/a/support/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=274
"Draggable Floater": https://wincent.com/a/support/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=282
Another thing worth mentioning here is that if you have Growl installed you can configure it to display notifications from Synergy, and that will offer you some customization options as well. Note that normally you'd choose either the Synergy Floater or the Growl notifications, not both.
Reply
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