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If the rest of 2015 is like this first month, we are in for an extraordinary year. January was a month of breaking records, getting connected, and celebration- often with all three woven into one.
1 Million Cups Fargo celebrated its first birthday on Wednesday, January 29 (I'm sure you heard about it because we decided to blow up social media.) There were cupcakes, there was Twenty Below coffee, and there was a record-breaking 363 people in attendance. Previously, Fargo already held the largest attendance record at 350 people – and this past week, we broke our own record for biggest 1 Million Cups in the nation. That's what's up.
This month also saw t he debut of Emerging Prairie's newest event, 1 Million Thanks. This idea, organized largely by Emerging Prairie event planner extraordinaire Annika Nynas, was purely a celebration of our community and a grand, open-armed thank you to our supporters.
There was champagne topped with marshmallows, live percussion, a slide show, a video from the team, and an awards ceremony (full re-cap here.) For the start of a new year, it seems fitting to begin with gratitude. We had a great time, and we hope you did too.
Now for the fun stuff: Notably, this month, it seems Fargo's game design industry got a major booster pack – or else we're just starting to take more notice! We covered CJ Schnase's exciting news that he is now developing a game for the Nintendo Wii U, and the story took hold; Fargo Forum, WDAY, and Prairie Business ran stories as well, prompting Schnase to write a big thank you post on Facebook.
"Thank you all for your support. I read every one of your likes, comments, and shares. It means a lot to me," he wrote, giving a shout out to Emerging Prairie, and the Fargo Game-Makers meetup that got him involved (without his participation with that meet-up, I never would have heard his story!)
CJ Schnase
Kyle Weik and Chad Close also released their wilderness survival game On My Own at the beginning of January, which rocketed to over 25,000 users in almost every country in less than a month. The game industry in Fargo is definitely not holding back, and they're ready to claim North Dakota as a game design hub.
Chad Close and Kyle Weik
Another field that has really taken flight here in North Dakota is the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry. We're talkin' drones. And so is everybody else; just a few days ago, President Obama himself was responding to the fact that a small drone was found on the White House lawn, calling for more industry regulations.
Drones take the stage at 1 Million Cups.
And right here in our own backyard we have a team of experienced engineers, pilots and developers at Botlink, nearly ready to launch a platform that would do just that- increase a way to regulate drone flying, while allowing pilots to use drones in resourceful ways (see Vine Rangers). All the drone talk culminated into Botlink CEO Shawn Muehler gathering prominent figures in North Dakota's UAS industry for a meet-up two weeks ago, to explore how this state can own the soon-to-be billion dollar drone industry. Things are moving fast!
Already, Botlink is making their mark in the industry; just yesterday UAS Magazine released an article outlining how this software could provide the safety net that drone pilots desperatley need. Check it out here.
In similar fashion, two other collaborative meet-ups were held this month that are worth noting: Social Tilt brought together both national and international community builders for a weekend of relaxation and brainstorming on what the heck "community-building" really looks like; and, as TEDx events sweep the midwest, regional planners from nearby cities and states gathered here in Fargo to brainstorm on how to create a phenomenal event.
Social Tilt
Locally, planning for both TEDxFargo and Startup Weekend is at full throttle. Teams are working hard to ensure we uphold our reputation for hosting mind-blowing events. Startup Weekend is on March 27-29, and sign ups are going quick – if you haven't already, sign up here! And TEDxFargo is going to be BIG. Right now, we're hoping for at least 2,500 people.
January also saw some big announcements from the local community. The Fargo Startup House officially has two active entrepreneurs working hard while enjoying the benefits of free lodging; Dante Battocchi left his old job to join the startup he has with his wife full-time; and dogIDs won a Happiest Company award.
Sarah English and Trent Cahoon in front of their new home.
Lastly, this month proved that the energy from 2014 has not dwindled one bit. Fargo is still seeing new residents, new stores and restaurants, and new job openings. At the last 1 Million Cups, we held an internship fair and 30 companies announced they were looking for interns (full list, here).
Next Wednesday we'll have a job board, where companies can present positions they are looking to fill, and anyone searching for a job can present him or herself as well. These methods have proven themselves successful; we've seen many hirings happen after a connection made at 1 Million Cups, or other networking events. Be sure not to miss it.
What are other people saying about Fargo? On Twitter, the hashtag #ilovefargo was used 41 times. Keep spreadin' that love.
All in all, a celebratory month. Full speed ahead!
Photos courtesy of Rick Abbott, Eric Kim, Annika Nynas, and Marisa Jackels
Marisa Jackels
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Q: EF6 seeding via initializer and one-to-many ICollection I am following the EF6 code first walk-through, and have tried to adapt it slightly to suit my own project, but I have run into a problem when seeding the database with the initializer.
I have created 2 classes:
A property mode:
namespace MyApp.Models

{
    public class Property
    {
        public int ID { get; set; }
        public string PropertyName { get; set; }

        public virtual PropertyType PropertyType { get; set; }
    }
}

and a property type mode:
namespace MyApp.Models
{
    public class PropertyType
    {
        public int ID { get; set; }
        public string Type { get; set; }

        public ICollection<Property> Properties { get; set; }
    }
}

My understanding is that there is a one-to-many relationship between these 2. A property can only be 1 property type, but many properties can have the same property types?
However, when I try to initialize the context and seed the database (using the code below), I get an error:
    public class MyAppInitializer : System.Data.Entity.DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges<MyAppContext>
{
    protected override void Seed(MyAppContext context)
    {
        var propertytypedata = new List<PropertyType>
        {
            new PropertyType {ID = 1, Type="Villa" },
            new PropertyType {ID = 2, Type="Apartment" }
        };

        propertytypedata.ForEach(p => context.PropertyType.Add(p));
        context.SaveChanges();

        var propertydata = new List<Property>
        {
            new Property {PropertyName="Property 1", PropertyType=1, }
        };

        propertydata.ForEach(p => context.Property.Add(p));
        context.SaveChanges();
    }
}

The issue is, that when I try to set the property type on the property I am seeding, it says:

Cannot implicitly convert type 'int' to 'MyApp.Models.PropertyType'

A: Example:
protected override void Seed(MyAppContext context)
    {
        var propertytypedata = new List<PropertyType>
        {
            new PropertyType {ID = 1, Type="Villa" },
            new PropertyType {ID = 2, Type="Apartment" }
        };

        foreach(var propertyType in propertytypedata){
             propertyType.Properties = new List<Property>
             {
                 new Property {PropertyName="Property 1", PropertyType = propertyType, }
             };
             context.PropertyType.Add(propertyType)
        }

        context.SaveChanges();
    }

You don't need two separate adds. Entity Framework will add the sub collection to the database. Whenever you access that propertyType now it will have the properties as a sub collection already loaded if you mark ICollection<Property> Properties as virtual, otherwise you'll need to include() it when you load.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Dotnet Semantic Versioning and Release with Github Actions I have a dotnet project and am trying to build a CI/CD pipeline that does the following using Github Actions:

*

*Builds the project on a PR or master change.

*Tests the project on a PR or master change.

*On a master change calculates a semver (ideally a changelog too but that's less important).

*On a master change uses this semver, builds a nuget package, and publishes it to GitHub and Nuget.

So far, I have this workflow that builds and tests my project. This seems to work nicely. However, it also has a publish step, which never seems to be run (I guess the if is wrong(?)) and I'm really not sure where to start with the SemVer part of what I want.
name: .NET Build, Test and Publish

on:
  push:
    branches: [ master ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ master ]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      DISCOS_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.DISCOS_API_KEY }}
      DISCOS_API_URL: http://localhost:3000/api/
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      with:
        submodules: recursive
    - name: Build docker stack
      run: docker-compose -f src/DISCOSweb-Sdk/DISCOSweb-Sdk.Tests/docker-compose.yml up -d --force-recreate --build
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v1
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Restore dependencies
      run: dotnet restore src/DISCOSweb-Sdk/DISCOSweb-Sdk.sln
    - name: Build
      run: dotnet build --no-restore src/DISCOSweb-Sdk/DISCOSweb-Sdk.sln
    - name: Test
      run: dotnet test --no-build --verbosity normal src/DISCOSweb-Sdk/DISCOSweb-Sdk.sln
  publish: # This stage is never run
    if: github.event.pull_request.merged == 'true'
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Publish
        id: publish_nuget
        uses: brandedoutcast/publish-nuget@v2
        with:
          PACKAGE_NAME: DISCOSweb-Sdk
          PROJECT_FILE_PATH: "**/DISCOSweb-Sdk.csproj"
          BUILD_CONFIGURATION: Release
          NUGET_KEY: ${{secrets.NUGET_KEY}}
          VERSION_STATIC: 1.0.0 # Replace with something better

I feel like this should be a relatively common and straightforward thing to do so any assistance would be really appreciated.

A: I managed to accomplish this by splitting my CI and CD workflows, and making use of some very helpful packages.

CI Workflow
This first workflow runs on PRs and pushes to master. It's worth noting that when branch protection is on, a push to master is synonymous with a merged PR.
name: .NET Continuous Integration

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [ master ]
  push:
    branches: [ master ]

jobs:
  test:
    name: Test Project (Mock API)
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      DISCOS_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.DISCOS_API_KEY }}
      DISCOS_API_URL: http://localhost:3000/api/
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Build docker stack
      run: docker-compose -f ./src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk.Tests/docker-compose.yml up -d --force-recreate --build
    - name: Run tests against mock API
      run: dotnet test --logger GitHubActions ./src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk.sln

CD Workflow
There's a bit more to the CD workflow. It runs on pushes to master but only when there are changes made to the folder containing the actual source code for the SDK (that's what the paths block does).
I then used the mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.0 action to tag the commit with a calculated semantic version (calculated using conventional commits).
The package build is then tagged with this version using the -p:PackageVersion=${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.new_version }} option on dotnet nuget pack.
The ncipollo/release-action@v1 also creates a release on Github.
Finally, building and pushing the release to Github and Nuget is done using dotnet nuget push as usual.
name: .NET Continuous Deployment

on:
  push:
    branches: [ master ]
    paths:
      - src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk/**
  workflow_dispatch:
jobs:

  test:
    name: Test Project (Real API)
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      DISCOS_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.DISCOS_API_KEY }}
      DISCOS_API_URL: https://discosweb.esoc.esa.int/api/
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Test against real API
      run: dotnet test --logger GitHubActions ./src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk.sln

  semantic-release:
    needs: test
    name: Create a Package Release
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3 # Need the full commit history for conventional commit
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Bump version and push tag
      id: tag_version
      uses: mathieudutour/github-tag-action@v6.0
      with:
        github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    - name: Create a GitHub release
      uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
      with:
        tag: ${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.new_tag }}
        name: Release ${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.new_tag }}
        body: ${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.changelog }}
    - name: Create Nuget Package
      run: dotnet build -c Release ./src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk.csproj && dotnet pack -c Release -p:PackageVersion=${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.new_version }} -o . ./src/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk/DiscosWebSdk.csproj
    - name: Upload Package for Publishing
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
      with:
        name: PackedLib
        path: ./*.nupkg

  github-publish:
    needs: semantic-release
    name: Publish to Github
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Download built project
      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
      with:
        name: PackedLib
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Push Package to GitHub
      run: dotnet nuget push --api-key ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}} --source "https://nuget.pkg.github.com/hughesjs/index.json" *.nupkg

  nuget-publish:
    needs: semantic-release
    name: Publish to Nuget
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Download built project
      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
      with:
        name: PackedLib
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
      with:
        dotnet-version: 6.0.x
    - name: Push Package to Nuget
      run: dotnet nuget push --api-key ${{secrets.NUGET_KEY}} --source "https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" *.nupkg


On April 8th, 2011 road to zzyzx officially opened with a reception for Warren's friends and family. I was hoping to take a lot of photos that night but got distracted talking to all of his friends. The next day my father, my friend Coleen and I went back to the gallery and spent a few hours there. I am so glad that the RJ chose Left of Center gallery. It is the perfect space for his work. Along with his photographs, letters hang written to Warren by loved ones. We poured our hearts into the letters telling him exactly how his suicide has affected us personally. The mixture of the letters along with his photographs and the music that is played in the background gives a sense of lonlieness that seems to fit the way he died. At the same time there is immense beauty. Beauty in his work and beauty in the person Warren was.


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"I dare you, whoever you are, to share with others the fruits of your daring. Catch a passion for helping others, and a richer life will come back to you."
"It's the kind of thing that really interests him ... preserving the environment and keeping the world inhabitable for his grandchildren,"
"Hidden down in every person is the Divine -- Real faith, dreams and visions. Lift your thoughts above the commonplace and live in the Presence of the Best. Spiritual investments are repaid a thousand fold."
"History records the successes of men with objectives and a sense of direction. Oblivion is the position of small men overwhelmed by obstacles."
"I dare you, boys and girls, to make life obey you, not you it. It is only a shallow dare to do the foolish things. I dare you to do the uplifting, courageous things."
"Aspire nobly, adventure daringly, and serve humbly."
"I am on a voyage of discovery. I search for those of you who will go on a great adventure . . . if you are one of those audacious few willing to dare and then to share . . . then come with me."


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The Value of Investment in Math and Science
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August 1, 2007 Recruitment and Retention of Paramedics (200-1203-11)
June 1, 2007 Administrative Hearings II (200-1203-10)
March 1, 2007 Shaming Taxes (200-1203-08)
March 1, 2007 Global Warming (200-1203-07)
February 2, 2007 H5N1 (200-1203-04)
February 1, 2007 Debit Cards (200-1203-06)
February 1, 2007 Real ID (200-1203-05)
February 1, 2007 Can We Help Our Drop-Outs? (200-1203-03)
January 16, 2007 Development Impact Fees (200-1203-01)
January 1, 2007 Takings in Mississippi? (200-1203-02)
December 4, 2006 Katrina's Aftermath (200-1206-01)
October 1, 2003 The Biloxi Port Commission: Management Review and Analysis
January 1, 2002 The City of Winona, MS Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
December 15, 2001 The City of Hattiesburg, MS Personnel and Compensation Study: Summary of Findings
December 11, 2000 The City of Calhoun, MS Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
May 5, 2000 The City of Gautier, MS Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
November 30, 1999 The City of Aberdeen, MS Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
November 2, 1998 Finding the Best Strategies for Long Range Water/Wastewater Planning
July 7, 1997 Municipal Revenue and Expenditure Report
January 3, 1997 Creating a Computerized Mississippi Voter Poll: A Feasibility Study
May 23, 1996 The City of Ocean Springs Personnel and Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
March 26, 1996 The City of Petal Personnel and Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
November 1, 1995 The State Revolving Loan Fund: Past, Present and Future
September 18, 1995 The City of New Albany Personnel and Compensation Study: A Technical Assistance Report
June 16, 1994 An Examination of The Status and Trends of Public Human Resource Management
Employment || Legal || Webmaster || Support || MSU
Political Science and Public Administration, Mississippi State University College of Arts & Sciences, Mississippi State University Office of Research and Economic Development, Mississippi State University
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© 2018 John C. Stennis Institute at Mississippi State University. – All rights reserved. Executive Director, Dr. J. Dallas Breen
Design and content: Dr. Dallas Breen, Executive Director

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Very delicious dessert that is very simple to make. Use any fresh or frozen fruit of your choice.
4 cups of sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, or whole blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits (or 2 (12-oz.) packages of frozen fruit).
Put butter in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl. Add milk, whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
**You may a make a smaller recipe by cutting in half and putting it in a 8-inch square baking pan. Serves 4.


Duff's Sweeter Than Honey Cornbread & Muffin Mix makes Just add milk and eggs to bake a batch of Duff's warm, delicious Sweeter Than Honey Cornbread muffins or a loaf! It is an easy recipe made with bakery quality ingredients. Enjoy game time, dinner time, or any time!


text:
UN exempts North Koreans meeting with Trump from sanctions
Originally published May 23, 2018 at 12:51 pm Updated May 23, 2018 at 3:07 pm
EDITH M. LEDERER
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. committee on Wednesday granted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's entire delegation an exemption from U.N. sanctions ahead of its scheduled trip to Singapore to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Singapore's U.N. ambassador, Burhan Gafoor, asked the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea for a sanctions exemption for the delegation to attend the scheduled June 12 meeting as well as for "preparatory work for the summit."
A deadline of 3 p.m. was set to raise objections and diplomats said none were received.
The exemption will directly affect anyone in the delegation who is on the U.N. sanctions blacklist and therefore is banned from traveling and subject to an asset freeze. It would also allow all delegation members to take home luxury goods whose import to North Korea is banned by the council.
Gafoor's letter, sent Friday and obtained by The Associated Press, did not mention the names of any members of the delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.
The sanctions committee can grant exemptions on a case-by-case basis for any reason consistent with the objectives of relevant Security Council resolutions.
In requesting the exemption, Gafoor said, "The summit will serve as an opportunity to advance the objective of a peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue and the establishment of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the region."
Ambassador Karel Van Oosterom of the Netherlands, who heads the North Korea sanctions committee, sent a proposed letter of approval to the sanctions committee, which includes all 15 members of the Security Council.
South Korea asked the committee for similar exemptions that were granted for the North Korean delegations which attended the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in February.


Social Media - The Great Seduction?!?
It is unfortunate that some folk in Aoteaora use social media to push racism, and sexism in the guise of comedy to sell T-Shirts.
Case in point - The image to the left is from a Facebook Page that has 38 0000 people listening to their messages, and the messages their contributors place on their page. If you research the page and it's content, you find that it is a jumble of racist and sexist jokes, It is also an indicator of this group striking a chord with the lowest common denominator in society.
Enter the scene Andrew Keen, one of the staunchest opponents to social media. Here he discusses his thoughts relating to web 2.0 in a briefing to Google 4 years ago.
Perhaps Andrew Keen was right when he said "the internet is like a mirror, when we look at it we see ourselves".


text:
/*
    This file is part of the WebKit open source project.
    This file has been generated by generate-bindings.pl. DO NOT MODIFY!

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
    License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
    version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

    This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
    Library General Public License for more details.

    You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public License
    along with this library; see the file COPYING.LIB.  If not, write to
    the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
    Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
*/

#pragma once

#include "JSDOMWrapper.h"

namespace WebCore {

class JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor : public JSDOMObject {
public:
    typedef JSDOMObject Base;
    static JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor* create(JSC::Structure* structure, JSDOMGlobalObject* globalObject)
    {
        JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor* ptr = new (NotNull, JSC::allocateCell<JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor>(globalObject->vm().heap)) JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor(structure, *globalObject);
        ptr->finishCreation(globalObject->vm());
        return ptr;
    }

    static JSC::JSObject* createPrototype(JSC::VM&, JSC::JSGlobalObject*);
    static JSC::JSObject* prototype(JSC::VM&, JSC::JSGlobalObject*);
    static void destroy(JSC::JSCell*);

    DECLARE_INFO;

    static JSC::Structure* createStructure(JSC::VM& vm, JSC::JSGlobalObject* globalObject, JSC::JSValue prototype)
    {
        return JSC::Structure::create(vm, globalObject, prototype, JSC::TypeInfo(JSC::ObjectType, StructureFlags), info());
    }

    static JSC::JSValue getConstructor(JSC::VM&, const JSC::JSGlobalObject*);
    static void visitChildren(JSCell*, JSC::SlotVisitor&);

    // Custom attributes
    JSC::JSValue testAttributeCustom(JSC::ExecState&) const;
    JSC::JSValue testAttributeRWCustom(JSC::ExecState&) const;
    void setTestAttributeRWCustom(JSC::ExecState&, JSC::JSValue);

    // Custom functions
    JSC::JSValue testCustomFunction(JSC::ExecState&);
protected:
    JSTestJSBuiltinConstructor(JSC::Structure*, JSDOMGlobalObject&);

};

} // namespace WebCore

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: how to make User Controls to run on their own thread how can i make a user control to run on its own thread ?
e.g. by following code in a user control , coz user control uses main app thread it make main thread to sleep
Thread.Sleep(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2));

A: User controls need to run on the UI thread because that is a restriction in the Windows API. If you try and use Windows Forms controls from another thread you will get an exception.
You can run other code in another thread, but use the UI thread to update the controls. You can use BackgroundWorker for this. Or you can use the InvokeRequired and Invoke or BeginInvoke methods on the control instance to have it execute code on the UI thread.

You mention you want to use a mutex lock. A mutex is to avoid having multiple threads access a resource at the same time. If all your code is running in the same thread then you don't need a lock at all.

A: Objects don't really "run" themselves - methods are executed on a thread.
Now if you want a particular method to execute in a different thread, you need to either create a new thread, use the threadpool explicitly, or use something which uses the threadpool for you - such as BackgroundWorker.
What are you doing when you want to sleep for two minutes? Could you avoid sleeping by just setting a timer to fire (in the UI thread) in two minutes instead? If this is part of some long-running process, you should use BackgroundWorker or some other way of executing on a different thread, but with the control itself still handling updates and events on the UI thread.


text:
Keep On Truckin'  is an American comedy/variety series that aired on American Broadcasting Company from July 12, 1975 to August 2, 1975. Each episode was to have been introduced by Rod Serling, but he died of a heart attack two weeks before the series premiere and his pre-taped introductions were omitted from the telecasts.

Regulars
Franklyn Ajaye
Rhonda Bates
Dick Van Dyke
Kathrine Baumann
Jannine Burnier
Scott Baio
Didi Conn
Charles Fleischer
Anson Williams
Wayland Flowers
Mike Lookinland
Larruy Ragland
Buddy Handleson
Marion Ramsey
Ted McGinley
Rhilo Fahir
Jack Riley
Fred Travalena
Gailard Sartain
Richard Lee Sung

References

1975 American television series debuts
1975 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
1970s American musical comedy television series

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


AcousticEye's DUET™ system introduces an innovative, non-traversing technology for inner and outer diameter tube and pipe inspection that aims to deliver ultra-fast and accurate results for today's challenging turnaround requirements.
Featuring patented dual mode pulse reflectometry (acoustic and ultrasonic operating in parallel), the system has been designed to achieve full coverage of all defects and tube types, regardless of shape or material. DUET™ is an advanced, yet easy-to-use tool with automated analysis and report generation that requires much less operator expertise and minimal training for a more efficient inspection cycle.


text:
Digg'n Thru DC You: Week Two – Quite The Hullabaloo!
Paul Miranda | June 15, 2015 | Columns, Reviews, Top Story | No Comments
Welcome to Digg'n Thru the DC You!
Week Two is causing quite the hullaballo! A dozen titles make the racks spin. Five are first-timers, three are original from the defunct 52, and the remaining four are growing legs. The ladies get recognition this week with three books focused on them, and one sharing space with a very special guest star. Comedy, crime, humour, horror, sci-fi, and straight-up super-heroics. Are you ready, readers? This is for YOU after all. Instead of presenting alphabetically, I'm going to examine in terms of the ones fresh off the printers, followed by longevity, and then the on-growing 😉
Novices
ALL-STAR SECTION EIGHT #1 (of 6)
"I Often Wonder What the Vinters Buy" (20 pages) by Garth Ennis, John McCrea, John Kalisz, Pat Brosseau
Haven't you ever heard of the most fantabulous team to exist in the entire DCU? Who, you inquire? Why, none other than Bueno Excelente, Defenestrator, Dogwelder, Flemgem, Friendly Fire, Jean de Baton, Shakes, and Sixpack!! Their feats surpass those of the Trinity! The Big Three got diddly squat on these eight individuals. After an undetermined hiatus (and falling out multiple deaths), it's time to strike up the band again. Sidney Speck, art critic and darling among the upper crust, regains his Sixpack identity after falling off the wagon. Someone really should've paid attention to a Coke filled with rye. Oh well. This is the push that Sid needed. At an unnamed bar, Sid goes through a list of losers with a pushy barkeep insisting on joining. His mind made up, the new roster is selected. Only one more slot to fill. Fortune smiles on him when Sid spots the Batmobile making a stop in front of an ATM. Batman himself needs to make a withdrawal. Sixpack pleads with the Dark Knight as they relive some classic moments. Things end on a sour note when Bats gets a parking ticket. He is taken aback and infuriated. He speeds off leaving Sixpack confuzzled.
Need I spell it out? Take the first letter of the first three words from this eponymous title and what do you get? ROTFLMAO!!! Emphasis on the 'A'.
Sound-off! Starro, Eclipso, Sinestro, Fuggo, Amazo. One of these doesn't belong. Guess who?
Bottom of the barrel: Argus, Edge, Geist, Gunfire, Hook, Joe Public, Layla, Loose Cannon, Nightblade, Pax, Razorsmith, Shadowstryke, Slingshot, Terrorsmith. A long list of losers, specifically from the BLOODLINES mega-event from 22 years ago. Dis!
Whose line is it anyway? "I Am Baytor!" sounds a lot like "I Am Groot!" No lawsuits, please!
Welcome: Baytor, The Grapplah!, Guts, Powertool
Welcome back: Bueno Excelente, Dogwelder
Shameful/Shameless Use of a Guest-Star to Increase Sales: Na-na-na-nah-nah, BATMAN!!
Garth Ennis fires off another cylinder of comedic outrageousness. Crimefighting is anything but serious in this world. Who needs powers when you have alcohol-fueled hallucinations as well as thirst for justice?? Mr. Ennis really takes a potshot at DC's number one money-maker portraying him in the most unflattering light. John McCrea deserves multiple Eisners!!! It's outstanding that he emulated the following: Neal Adams' first work on Batman, Kelley Jones' rendition of the broken Bat, and Jim Aparo's mournful cover from Death in the Family. Not to be ignored, he produced a neat blurry effect for Speck's descent into inebriation. [9/10 circles]
CONSTANTINE: the HELLBLAZER #1
"Going Down" (19 pages) by Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV, Riley Rossmo, Ivan Plascensia, Tom Napolitano
John, John, the leprechaun, paraded through the streets with nothing on. Well, the second part of that jingle is accurate. What a way to crack open a book. HAH. Crack. Get it?? I think it's obvious to say that the Con in Constantine is in full force. After con-juring his way into some snazzy new threads, John needs a break from the pestering Gary Lester and all his other ghost groupies. John comes across a big bear and picks him up (or vice-versa) but that almost-had-a-moment is ruined by a demoness named Blythe.
She and Johnny Boy have a sordid past (in every sense of the word). After getting his rocks off, she tells him that she wants and needs her biz partner to take a hike. She can't do it alone. If she banishes a demon, she's sent back to Hell as well. Boo-hoo! Her establishment is appropriately named Inferno, after Dante's epic poem. There are nine floors accurately named for each level of Hell just like the literary work. The basement is where it all goes down. It is closer to Satan's domain, right? There's no use trying to con a con. John is the ultimate at that. He pulls a Mxyzptlk situation when he purposely screws up a spell forcing Blythe to complete it. Once she utters the right words, down she goes. Infuriated, she cuts right through his core: his 'trick' is that he's utterly alone but brushes it off and acts like scuzz. Topside, Gary finally gets an audience with John. The wandering spirit tells him that one of the ghosts is gone for good. Come again?!?
Open your eyes: "The truth is right there in plain sight for anyone to see if they want to. But they don't. They know better than that. That's the trick." – John Constantine
Read a book, for Chrissakes! 1st circle: Limbo; 2nd circle: lust; 3rd circle: gluttony; 4th circle: greed; 5th circle: anger; 6th circle: heresy; 7th circle: violence; 8th circle: blood; 9th circle: treachery.
yU.K., yU.K., yU.K.: Polter-gits
Pest control: Demon Deportation Agency
Synchro: Elements from the recently cancelled (sniff) TV show: Gary Lester; the use of Latin for spells; "Sod off!"; the unvarying attire of the trenchcoat, white shirt, and black tie.
What's in a name? Blythe — not as free-spirited as she or anyone else might think!
The writing duo present a Hellblazer more in line with the current interpretation from the small screen. He has one-third charm mixed with two-thirds double-cross. Constantine is condemned many lifetimes over. His existence is a combination of Sartre's "Hell is other people" as well as Pope John Paul II's claim that Hell is right here on Earth. Riley Rossmo excels at the other-worldly creatures and John's potential main man but the title character himself looks more bug-eyed than dashing. Either way, Mr. Rossmo should be properly recognized for the 10-panel widescreen format as Blythe and John descend every level of the nightclub. To my knowledge, this has never before done in comics! Tom Napolitano also gets a nod for inserting teeny skulls in lieu of expletives when Gary curses at John. He gets another mention since the font for Blythe is miniscule!! I almost needed a magnifying glass. [7/10 circles]
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #1
"Planetfall" (20 pages) by Daniel H. Wilson, Jorge Jimenez, John Rauch, Travis Lanham
The infant Earth 2 [take two] is anything but paradiso especially New Gotham. It seems like all Gothams are prone to being the lowest of the low. Dick Grayson, legitimately the inheritor of the Bat mantle is in hot pursuit of Terry Sloane, the planet's most wanted man. Some snipers deter Dick. Johnny Sorrow comes across the fugitive. The dare-not-look-under-the-mask villain is about to show his true face when Batman arrives in the nick of time. Terry Sloane is sought for crimes against humanity. He sabotaged the twelve ships that survived Darkseid's destruction. He's the world's greatest intellect and the most armed man but he's scared silly. He produces a jetpack and flies away. Undeterred, Batman decides to hitch a ride. Foolish move. Dick is still an amateur at adventuring. Sloane slams him right into a skyscraper. Far from graceful landing.
There is a flashback as well. Dick lost his legs again after Telos left. He is completely paralyzed as the ships descend from orbit in raging blazes. It has yet to be explained how he regained his mobility. A plea to a higher power is answered as Green Lantern comes from out of the blue and spares all the vessels. Alan Scott is infinitely more powerful and more impersonal. Huntress grabs Mr. Terrific and Red Arrow at the inception of this natal Earth. Mr. T snatches Dick. Thus, it is most likely he that helps Dick walk again. Perhaps through the Bat-suit? Dick already mentioned metamaterials in his costume thanks to his Terrific armorer.
Welcome back: 12 ships survived Darkseid's attacks – 12 new cities for the twin Earth with one law entity — Overwatch-One. OW-1 contains Sonia Sato, Sandman, and Terry Sloane. Endurance has Huntress, Power Girl, and Mr. Terrific among its occupants. Erebus houses Hawkgirl and Jimmy Olsen). Belgica transports Aquawoman. Aurora has Red Tornado at the helm.
Already the spotlight is on the new Batman?? Other heroes are just as important!! Sure, they're all presented intermittently. Daniel H. Wilson has already done a half-year's worth of stories with this cast from EARTH 2: WORLD'S END but he has to start all over again. I was super-psyched when the original series appeared and was engrossed in James Robinson's world-building. Tom Taylor carried the torch until editorial edicts changed direction. This is no disrespect towards Mr. Wilson but this next chapter just didn't grab me. Jorge Jimenez juggles a lot of characters. He delivers decently but his style remains inconsistent. At times, his work has a Francis Manapul vibe especially Sandra Sato and Dick Grayson's faces on pages 10 and 12. Besides, I can't say I'm love with the Bat costume because that would be lying. [5/10 circles]
RED HOOD/ARSENAL #1
"Desert First, Then Dinner!" (20 pages) by Scott Lobdell, Denis Medri, Tanya Horie, Dave Sharpe
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. Abbott and Costello. Laurel and Hardy. Tom and Jerry. Whoa, whoa! Getting off track here. What do they all have to do with this book?? Well, they're all the best of friends with brotherly bonds. Part adventure, part comedy. That's how I describe this first issue!
Arsenal is riding solo. He badly misses his ex-GF and his BFF but won't admit it. He observes an exchange between a captured CIA agent and a drug cartel. Trying to warn the woman in charge falls on deaf ears. Roy decides to step up and take charge but badly Roy botches the op. The agents can't even take him seriously. Roy is forever associated to the Red Hood. The elderly Senator pulls a WTF with guns blazing! It's none other than RH in holo-disguise!! The reunion is anything but sweet as the buddies bicker and boast. Jason calls Roy the three S's: stupid, stubborn, sulky. Tara Battleworth thinks that Jaybird is Jason's actual codename. The boys get the job done. Roy mentions taking the money. Battleworth doesn't dispute that and presents them with her business card. She will hire them in the near future. One week later, Paris is burning…ish. The twosome better not destroy the Eiffel Tower!
Message received, but ignored: #setup #turnaroundandgetout [Real clever, Roy]
My name is…: "Also not known as Arrow-Boy." Just like Rodney Dangerfield and Jabberjaw, Arsenal gets zero respect as a one-man show.
Factoid: Most secret files' photos are B&W. I'll take Tara's word for it.
Scott Lobdell gets to play with his men a bit longer. He provides really good insight into the buddy dynamic. These two can operate individually but they inexplicably compliment each other despite the obvious differences. The buddy book is bound to have unintentional guffaws or absurd situations. Denis Medri has produced work for five of the six big companies. Sadly, the art leaves a lot to be desired. The faces are elongated and too cartoony. The bodies are more bulky than necessary. [5/10 circles]
STARFIRE {2nd Series} #1
(20 pages) by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Hi-Fi, Tom Napolitano
The powerhouse wife & husband team strike gold (pretty much) a second time with the latest and greatest offering!! The former princess turned slave only to become an eventual super-heroine has chosen Earth as her home! She decides to place roots in Key West, Florida! Since this story is presented in short chapters, I'll use bullet points for the information.
"Everything to Everyone" (4 pages)
Sheriff Gomez listens to Star's origin and witnesses her power.
" You're like a big orange Supergirl." – Sheriff Gomez
The lawwoman will help Kori find lodging. Moolah is a major necessity.
"Show Me Your Jewels" (2 pages)
Star's gems are out of this world [natch!] pricely!! Two of them might be eggs!
Where to store all that mad cash??
Star makes Stella cry when her dearly departed grandma is mentioned.
"From Tears to Beers" (4 pages)
Star discovers golden ale. That's my girl!!
A clear riff on Blue & Gold when two guys try to impress Kori and duke it out for her attention/affection.
"I got three big ones to spend on one." "I only count two." – Starfire and 'Mr. Gold'
Kori uses a starbolt to break up the buddy's quarrel.
Next stop: clothes shopping!
"You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but…" (2 pages)
No pants for this beauty. Skirt it is. Great legs and gorgeous skin tone.
Tropical storm is fast approaching. Stella is worried.
Science lesson: tides
Tamaran has 12 colossal weather machines that are pretty much useless for Earth.
"Hurricane Toy" (2 pages)
Kori is smitten with Boone, her soon-to-be landlady's grandson. She lunges at him and they smooch. "You're…orange." "You're beautiful." "You're rather forward."
Fun fact: Kori can learn languages by kissing someone. "Really? Well, you already know English. So, what were you trying for?" "More English." – Stella and Star
Welcome to Key West, Kori 😀
"Tropical Depression" (2 pages)
Stella's young sib Sol is still grieving over his wife's death and can't move on.
His colleagues Raveena and Gabe try to pry him away from work, especially Rave.
"Wet, then Wild" (2 pages)
Shower scene. Down, boys! Down!!
Kori comes out nude much to Boone's delight but propriety is a must.
Kori finds Tina's parrot Burtie.
"Sneak Attack!" (2 pages)
Hurricane is on its way!!
Kori is astounded at Mother Nature's fury as the hatch is blown open.
Called for a reason: Stella is Latin for "star"; Sol means "sun". Kwinydink? Nope!!
What a wonderful mix of naïveté, drama, suspense, and silliness. Starfire is a much-needed ray of light in a formerly dark DCU. Ms. Conner and Mr. Palmiotti have another starfire surefire hit on their hands!! Star is strong and stunning but has unlimited lessons to learn about humanity. She's fortunate to have decent people to guide her way. This is an honest-to-goodness sitcom! Make this a DCTV show!! Are you listening, Warner Bros.? Emanuela Lupacchino couldn't be better suited to illustrate an inadvertent sex symbol that is warm fuzzies all around. [9/10 circles]
Old Timers
BATMAN {2nd Series} #41
"Superheavy, pt. 1" (22 pages) by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, FCO Plascencia
For my extensive review on this game-changer, click here. [8.6/9 Batmen or 95.5%]
CATWOMAN {3rd Series} #41
"Cæsar or Nothing, pt. 1" (20 pages) by Genevieve Valentine, David Messina, Lee Loughridge, Travis Lanham
Turf war is on the horizon. Any day now, the tension between the various families as well as Gotham's criminals is going to release. One side plays the other, etc. etc. Shaky alliances are forged and loyalties are tested to save one's own skin. The Queenpin of Crime is executing a power play. Others will pay the Calabreses for protection so she can put Black Mask out of business. No one knows that she stole Roman Sionis' stash and replaced it with funny money. Penguin is nobody's friend. He chums with Selina at the opera but then reports to Black Mask and critiques him for not taking her out. News of Batman's demise travels to the underground and also hits the airwaves. Selina takes it really hard despite putting on a brave face in front of her two most trusted lieutenants. Mario Falcone comes to Selina's family for asylum and clemency. It won't be that easy. Selina leaves that to her cousin Antonia. Toni wants the Falcones to bring the body of the triggerman who tried to assassinate Selina. Eiko suits up as Catwoman. Her mission is to keep the Falcones at bay. Ward confronts Selina about holding back a major secret from her cousin. It seems that blood isn't thicker than water. Selina also dons her Catwoman costume. She is dead-set at finding the genuine Batman and determining the sequence of events.
Shadow of the Bat: The police-sanctioned Batman (Jim Gordon) causes different reactions. Tammy Keyes spots the Bat-airship and is unsettled by it. Selina is also not a fan. Eiko is definitely wary of a police-sanctioned Batman. Selina confirms that it would bother the original as well.
Kindred spirit: Selina compares herself to Lucrezia Borgia. She tells her baby-boo "Letting people imagine us as enemies is sometimes good for business."
Gain some culture: The story ends with a quote from Johannes Lucas' inability to spot sinister qualities within Lucrezia Borgia.
This should be called The Borgias meets The Godfather. The mob mentality is well-examined here. There will be the nevitable betrayals, bombs, and bloodshed. Genevieve Valentine definitely dared to be different by having Ms. Kyle (Calabrese) rule all the mobs and individuals of ill repute. That's a giant step for the felonious feline!! She seems to be well-versed with the hardboiled nature of the underbelly of society. David Messina displays Selina in a wide range of feelings and emotions: aloof, confident, steely, tender, vulnerable. Penguin is deplorable and Black Mask is a walking horror show. [7/10 circles]
DETECTIVE COMICS {2nd Series} #41
"Reunion, pt. 1" (22 pages) by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato, Fernando Blanco, Brian Buccellato, Jared Fletcher
A tale of two cities or two tales of one city? The creative team continue to highlight Harvey Bullock and his closest colleagues at the GCPD. The flipside is showcasing Jim Gordon is his unexpected gig. There are also flashbacks for each main character. I'll focus on Harvey first.
Harvey Bullock is getting it on hot and heavy with his ex-partner and current lover Nancy Yip. Their throw of passion is interrupted by Batman. [More on that momentarily.] Going back three weeks, Commissioner Maggie Sawyer wants Harv to lead the new task force that'll work in conjunction with the mecha-Bat. Harv flatly refuses and opts for a demotion: being a beat cop once more. Harv mopes about the former status quo. Going back one week, some bikers enter a cop bar that Harv and Nancy happen to frequent. They're not there for commiserating nor chit-chat. Bullock watches as fists begin to fly. Yip jumps in to break up the brawls. Harv is about to get his head bashed in when Renee Montoya takes out the bruiser. SURPRISE!! Renee wants Harv to join the BTF. She lures him in with one major bait: she knows who it'll be. Harv also wants Yip reinstated. Can Renee work that magic? Renee will grant Harv's request because she has a top notch ally – Jim Gordon. Harv is flabbergasted. Harv accepts the offer. He'll robot-sit Jimbo but he wants to find the real deal and tells Montoya that she'll be part of that mission. Fast forward to right now: the three are members of the BTF. Little does Harv know that his pookie-pie is still dirty and conspiring against him. She is instructed to kill all the good cops.
What about a certain someone who should get equal or top billing in this series? Don't fret. He hasn't been forgotten. Jim Gordon is trying to duke it out with a dodgy Day of the Dead chump. Learning the ropes is no easy task. Jim knows that had he not accepted, another cop would've easily been chosen. Jim won't let anyone else take bullets for him. At the end of that thought, his amateurishness has him thrown against a wall due to a bomb placed on his shoulder. Two weeks prior, Maggie meets with Jim at a soon-to-be-open circus. Jim's successor is dying to know if he has accepted the gig. He's unsure. He wants to tell Harv but Maggie denies him that, even if he chooses not to take part in the endeavour. It's a super-sensitive matter. Plus, Harvey is not to be entirely trusted due to his closeness to suspended officer Yip.
Things come full circle. The Death's Head guy isn't alone. One of his buds blasts Bats with an Uzi. Harvey looks genuinely worried and visibly upset.
Flub: The cover says "To Serve and Protect" but this new arc is titled "Reunion".
Welcome back: Renee Montoya! My question is this: was she already featured in the New 52?
On the nose: "A police-sanctioned vigilante may sound like an oxymoron…" You said it, Jimbo!! Highly ironic too given the situation you now are placed in!
Catch the drift? Le Cirque de Volant — French for "Flying Circus". Technically, it should be written without the "de". Does this signal a return for the Graysons??
I'm taken aback by the fact that Mssrs. Manapul and Buccellato are not involved in the art process. Correction: Brian covers the colours, so there's that. Their scripting, plotting, and dialoguing are solid. They flush out the detective elements flawlessly. It's in the name of the book after all. Harvey has come around as a 'supporting character'. It's safe to say he's the one that carries the weight here [no pun intended] and that Gotham's main protector rightly remains in the background. I dropped DETECTIVE once the tag team came on board (sorry, guys) but I'm intrigued by Nancy Yip's corruptness. She was pegged as dirty by more savvy individuals and sure enough, WYSIWYG. Fernando Blanco's strength is the facial expressions matching each of the protagonists (and antagonist). He must have been thrilled to be one of the few artists to take a crack at the nascent Bat-suit. It definitely shows. [8.5/10 circles]
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #21
"Truth Hurts" (20 pages) by Greg Pak, Adrian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh
Clark Kent is the most targeted man on the planet. With the word spread worldwide, he's not safe anywhere. He's engaged in fisticuffs with some tech-powered thugs but still has what it takes. He's euphoric at experiencing the human sensations of pain, so much so that the knife in left leg is not just a simile. The Metropolis SWAT clear a path for him after he stares them down. Lex thinks Clark is scamming him about being an alien hiding in plain sight until Clark pounds his desk. The two take a trip to Gotham when Lex informs him that the tech came from there. A brief scuffle with Robo-Bat (one punch) ends just as quickly as it began. Clark makes his way to the Batcave to analyze the evidence. He is reunited with Alfred. Alfie bears him the bad news about Bruce's demise. After a brief heart-to-heart, Clark remains unconvinced. He needs bona fide support. He calls a friend. None other than Lois Lane. Get out!! Their convo is strained. Her actions have ramifications for her and her associates. His silence shuts her out. Enough moping around! Clark returns to the Batcave. He helps himself to a Bat-bike and spray-paints it red and blue. Nice!! He fires off a two-rocket salute to Bruce. That gets Jim's attention and an imminent re-match!!!
Getting ahead: Sgt. Mizoguchi, who will be introduced in ACTION #42
Re-take: Lex's disbelief that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same is acknowledging John Byrne's radical realization from SUPERMAN {2nd Series} #2.
Surreal: A girl is playing with Batman and Superman action figures. She unintentionally points out the change in the relationship between the World's Finest by having them duke it out.
Welcome back: Alfie!! The dutiful, diligent and devout butler/father figure carries on the fight even without Master Bruce.
Sleight of hand: Pardon the pun but Greg Park is being purposely coy. Alfie's right hand is obscured from view. We know it was severed. Has it been reattached? Not meant to be viewed in this book??
Two halves of a whole: "His greatest gift to you was to be the shadow that let your light shine. That darkness was for him, not you" – Alfred
"I'm not built to live like this. In darkness and suspicion. I belong in the sun." – Clark
By my lover betrayed: Diana is in on the outing. How? Why?
I have not followed this series but I'm immensely impressed with Greg Pak's handle on Clark Kent. I know that he also writes his adventures in ACTION COMICS. Mr. Pak has a clear understanding of Clark's thoughts and poignantly expresses his voice. I drool over Adrian Syaf's art. It's so precise, refined, and near perfection. His collaborator Vicente Cifuentes adds to the appeal. [9/10 circles]
HARLEY QUINN {2nd Series} #17
"The Gang of Harleys!" (22 pages) by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Alex Sinclair, John J. Hill
Harley pulls a Thor with that hammer toss. Real smooth. The Gang complete their first case. It was a sloppy, unnecessarily destructive operation. The victim pays Harl with a rooster. Harley blackmails the Mayor. She wants no arrests while she and her gang 'fight crime'. She has enough dirt on him for him to begrudgingly oblige. Interlude: Capt. Horatio Strong is exposed to radioactive seaweed when he tries to untangle his fishing net. Harl's date with Mason Macabre is ruined when the GCPD barge in. The Gang's training is unorganized and confrontational. Coach tells Harl that Harlem Harley and Harvey Quinn have left to check out a fisherman's disappearance. Hilarity ensues when Harvey is unsuccessful at his interrogation while Harlem is treated like gold. The two find their quarry: he's a pumped-up Popeye!!
Cuckoo @_@: Harl ordered 140 parakeets simply to set them free.
Harley Quinn is a solo act, not an ensemble piece. I get that the Gang members are deliberate foils for the headliner and I realize that this is a temporary situation for this current arc but there are just too many players. Harl herself has to compete for screen time. Chad Hardin has been on this title from the get-go. He expertly highlights the absurdity with the star of the show and her cohorts. [7/10 circles]
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #9
"Monsters" (20 pages) by Sean Ryan, Philippe Briones, Blond, Tom Napolitano
Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot are asked to infiltrate a sect of the League of Assassins simply calling themselves The League. They are very visible mass murderers and pilferers of U.S. villain tech. Harley Quinn, Parasite, and Reverse Flash are on standby to pull them out. The trio must educate themselves on this radical group to be fully convincing. They meet their contact Tomorrow Thief in Turkey. The set-up is enacted. Each of them are savagely beaten and endure quite a bit before they all utter the key phrase. DDAAMMNN!! Manta must have literal abs of steel to endure several hits from a baseball bat that ends up breaking. The League takes them to an undetermined location in the desert for their initiation. Three frozen individuals acting as heroes are revealed. They are given bats. Manta takes the first swing. The other two follow suit. Mission successful.
Saved from obscurity: I actually had to look up Tomorrow Thief. He is so 'new' that my encyclopedic mind couldn't place him. He had one and only appearance in MR. TERRIFIC #6. Anyone recall that book? Well, now he's made a second showing.
Much criticism against Sean Ryan and less than favorable reviews have hit the writer once he took over this title. Fan reactions have been lukewarm. He delivers a tight plot here. Focusing on only three individuals instead of the entire team builds the tension, not just among themselves but due to the extremely dangerous operation they have decided to undertake. Philippe Briones flexes his muscles here especially when he shows the trio mostly in the buff. Why is it that Deadshot is completely nude, à la Daniel Craig in Casino Royale? I'm not complaining!! The League members are an interesting mix of military ninja. [7.5/10 circles]
GOTHAM ACADEMY #7
"Curse of the Inishtree Quill" (20 pages) by Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher, Mingjue Helen Chen, Steve Wands
I wrote wwwaaayyy too much about this issue. It's an absolute delight that I couldn't stop pumping it. Unfortunately (air quotes), I decided to curb my enthusiasm. I will simplify: the new boy in school has one of the girls head over heels. That's pretty much what happens when the two end up hanging from a window ledge. [I'll get back to that.] Maps Mizoguchi is lovestruck to the nth degree by the dashing, brooding Damian Wayne. Unbeknownst to her, the plume she uses to scribble her notes is a magical object!! Mayhem ensues and this has Damian blow his cover (and secret identity) to his newfound friend and possibly future crimefighting partner. Professor MacPherson's knowledge of the quill, which coincidentally ties in to the Wayne family history, and her dog Ham are a major assist. The shenanigans have two negative results: (1) Mr. Scarlet magically appears and downplays the whole thing. There was no spell. (2) Damian is expelled by Headmaster Hammer. That gives the old goat much pleasure. After all that adventuring and Damian's departure, Maps regains her composure. The overabundant joy and floating hearts are interrupted by Prof. Mac. She has news of Olive and it is probably isn't good.
Better half? Olive Silverlock, Maps' roomie and BFFL, is curiously absent from this issue. Prof. Mac assures Maps that it's a temporary thing and nothing to fret over. However, by issue's end, the implication is maybe not.
My not-so-secret identity: Maps watches Damian train, pulls out his grappling gun, and is given a batarang by him. Even after she blurts "Damian…Are you Batman?" he dismisses that silly question. This girl doesn't miss a trick. She can match the two columns.
The Scottish Connection: This alludes to the graphic novel by Alan Grant and Frank Quitely. I'm absolutely certain Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher used this as a source of inspiration and to clevery add another layer to the Batman mythos.
Maps takes centre stage this issue. At the risk of labelling this a 'filler', I'll aver that it's a refreshing change of pace. She is the heart and spirit of this title. Her unbridled enthusiasm is the complete opposite of the dark world that is Gotham City. She believes in herself even when she is dismissed for her silliness. That confidence speaks volumes and creates waves. Damian guest-starring and not sticking around is a smart move. He has his upcoming on-going. It'd be hard for a globe-trotting Boy Wonder to also occupy space at the Academy. Damian's actions and attitude reflect his unruliness and was a perfect way to send him off. His presence was a ruse since he already has the diary of Millie Jane Cobblepot. Karl Kerschl is presumably the artist slotted for the long haul. His style has been synonymous with this title. However, Mingjue Helen Chen brings the dramatis personæ to life. The colours and the inks are fresh and vibrant. It's good to break away from the routine every so often. [9.8/10 circles]
Tags: Commissioner Gordon, DC You, Digg'n Thru DC You
Paul Miranda
Comic book junkie, now blogger/reviewer. Trilinguist. Educator of many. Complex individual with simple insights.


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On Regime Change, Reputations, the Markets, and Gold and Silver
Sector expert Michael Ballanger ruminates on how the storming of the U.S. Capitol has affected both the American reputation and the precious metals markets, as well as on the value of "value."
Source: Michael Ballanger for Streetwise Reports 01/11/2021
The events of this week are dominating the news cycle, with a sitting president days away from being replaced while Congressional and Senatorial leaders debate whether he should be impeached immediately.
If I were having a chat with Mr. Trump, I would advise him to refrain from reading his own press clippings because they will only offer you glimpses of past glory and never reveal the reality of the moment. It's like that great story where Gordie Howe asks a hungover rookie to pick up his game, to which the rookie replies, "I had four goals last night; I can afford a night off." Gordie placed his size fifteen hand around the kid's neck, slowly squeezing, and said "Son, you are only as good as your last shift." Trump should have been on the bench to hear that.
In fact, Gordie Howe would have been a superb chief of staff, because no one (including the president) would dare deviate from what can only be described as "proper decorum," and inciting a mob of "deplorables" to storm the Capitol building would certainly have had Gordie's attention.
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As a former resident of the U.S., I carry two dominant emotions with me as I watch the mayhem in Washington. The first one is heartbreak: I mourn the loss of America's role as global beacon of social order. The second is terror: I fear for the millions of U.S. citizens that deserve better and there are hundreds of millions that get up every morning in search of gainful employment, freedom of speech and love of family.
However, that the 1% elite have chosen to gut the American middle class in order to earn their stock option bonuses have brought this civil sword of Damocles upon themselves, with a violence of conviction and solidarity of intent. The Law of Unintended Consequences dictates a certainty of negative outcome when lawmakers favor the elite and ignore the masses. Just go back and read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," and you will be astounded that it was written in 1957 rather than in 2020, because Rand's description of a futuristic America is exactly where we are today. It sad; it is heartbreaking; and it is enraging. It is also going to change.
Alas, after a precious metal rout the likes of which we saw on Friday, the very first task on the agenda for a purist like me is to assess the longer-term impact of the technical action for both gold and silver, and then reassess. Before I proceed, there is a Ballanger Rule that absolutely must be heeded, and that rule is this:
"Only in the gold and silver markets does one sell "breakouts" and buy "breakdowns." Why? Because they are rigged."
To most readers, statements like this evoke yawns, because anyone familiar with my work over the years has heard that rule so many times that it is like reciting the 23rd Psalm or the Oath of Allegiance. (A better example would be The Lord's Prayer, but since one of my resolutions for 2021 is to avoid offending people, I will try to befriend the 22.7% of non-Christians at the risk of alienating the 77.3% majority, as logically inane as they may appear.)
Charts are beautiful things to behold, particularly for stocks and commodities, because they are like roadmaps that explain where you are and where you were, and if you delicately engage in the Art of Extrapolation (with a Ouija board and a pair of dice), you can often discern the next movement in the market and book profits.
In gold and silver, the bullion banks that act for the large Commercials also use charts, but they don't just "use" charts, they deploy all manner of watercolors, oils and acrylics to create optics that will lure the masses into either bullish actions or bearish actions, all designed to create accelerated volumes into which to sell large synthetic positions of (alleged) gold and silver bullion. In other words, the Wall St. bullion banks are wizards at "painting the tape," and that is why they are able to orchestrate "takedowns" with such violent mastery and malevolent outcome.
With a decidedly leftist government about to assume the helm, money spigots firmly in the crosshairs, the last thing the financial spin doctors need is a soaring precious metals market. The action on Friday on a disappointing jobs report and decomposing U.S. dollar was predictable; they need to keep things orderly in the financial arena to offset the disorder in the political arena. Hence, we got a totally familiar intervention and reactionary panic, and while it is near-term both infuriating and absurd, it is simply "noise" of the highest order.
Interestingly, Friday, Jan. 8 was as close to a carbon-copy clone to the infamous "Sunday Night Massacre" of April 13, 2013, when, during the overnight session, certain "entities" dumped literally four times annual global gold production into the paper market exchange, crushing a decade-long uptrend. Friday's volumes reported on the Crimex had nothing to do with the movement of actual gold; it had everything to do with the pricing of gold futures.
As subtle a difference as that may appear, one glance at the weekly chart posted above reveals a market that remains in a powerful uptrend that will remain in effect even if the price pulls back to $1,700/ounce.
Now, I do not subscribe to the view that prices are headed lower over the near term. In fact, I believe that the odds favor Friday's Crimex low of US$1,827.80/ounce as being "the" low for the move. The weekly chart removes the "noise" from my analysis and portrays a much more benevolent picture than a daily or hourly chart, which is what is watched day to day, hour by hour, by all forms of millennial and Gen-Xer portfolio managers, whose collective psyche has their definition of a "long-term investment" being in and out by lunch hour.
Silver has an even better set-up than gold because it is not coming off anything close to an overbought condition and still remains around US$1.50/ounce above the uptrend line, giving it a distinct technical advantage over gold. As for portfolio allocations, I have no preference between gold and silver; I own physical metals in both and am overweight shares in developer/explorers in both, while holding a decent cash position that is seeking out opportunities in both.
I have elected to use Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; GOLD:NYSE) (US$23.97/share) as my proxy for the senior gold miners, and own the position from Nov. 30, at US$22.65. I am using Eldorado Gold Corp. (ELD:TSX; EGO:NYSE) (US$13.17) as my proxy for the junior gold miners, and own the position from Nov. 30 at US$12.60, so while they are not breaking records, they are exactly where I want to be.
Moving to another topic, it was one year ago that I gave offered my GGMA 2020 Portfolio and urged all subscribers to not buy it until I gave the green light. My reasons were simple; the U.S. and Canadian stock markets and the miners were overbought and were, in my opinion, overdue for a pullback. Here we are, one year later, and I am once again torn between the egregiously overbought stock markets and the bearish implications of the mutated virus and the undervalued precious metals markets, whose fundamentals are as bullish as I have ever seen in forty-five years of capital markets navigation.
The problem lies in trying to assess where the precious metals will be when (not if) the bubble pops and Bitcoin and U.S. growth stocks all get pummeled into oblivion. As we saw last March, outrageously bullish fundamentals for gold and silver mattered not when the pandemic panic took hold. As we now can see, silver was cheap pre-COVID crash at $18/ounce, but it got smoked to $12 into the liquidity regurgitation before resuming the much-deserved uptrend to nearly $30.
As I wrote about earlier in the week, in Email Alert 2021-03, in all "bubble" markets, price behaves orderly over 90% of the advance and usually adheres to a smooth 45∞ ascent until the finally 10% of the move during, which it always accelerates into a parabolic vertical ascent that marks the terminus of the move. The psychology of this advance lies in the phenomena called "FOMO" or "Fear Of Missing Out," and it is that point, over the last five hundred years, where a maximum of fortune was lost. South Sea bubble or Dutch tulip bulbs or the Roaring Twenties, from the distant past, are joined by late '70s silver bubble, the late '90s dotcom bubble, the 2008 housing bubble and finally the current "everything" bubble, where currency debasement in response to the pandemic has created a cash-revulsion not unlike Weimar Germany or Zimbabwe or present-day Venezuela.
We are in the final inningsóextra innings in my bookóof a global collective of mass speculation in almost everything. With the CAPE ratio even further extended than it was a week ago, the bubble that threatens to derail everything is the speculation bubble. Owning bonds paying a negative return is the ultimate form of financial risk ignorance; paying someone to borrow money from you is economic suicideóand yet it is pervasive around the globe. Storing one's life savings in a little box on your desk, totally reliant on electrical power and vulnerable to theft, is a highly speculative venture and yet entire generations are totally engaged in it and prospering with a near-religious fervor that resembles Cisco Systems in 1999 or U.S. Steel in 1929.
Ironically, the one sector that should be in "bubble" territory, having 5,000 years of currency-debasement historyógold and silveróare not anywhere close to rampant speculation status. In fact, the outlook for earnings growth for both is simply outstandingóbut in the same breath that I use the word "outstanding," I am forced to use the word "unpopular," because the new generations of stock junkies buying Tesla at 300 times book value could care less about Barrick trading at two times free cash flow.
So, what I need to see (and it might remain highly elusive) is a return to traditional stock analysis by these legions of youngsters, where value trumps momentum and risk management trumps risk acceptance.
Most certainly, a major 40ñ50% correction in the most widely owned "bubble" assets of 2021 would swing the pendulum back in favor of our sector, but I have to look in the mirror and ask, "Will it happen?", or better still, "If it happens again, like last March, will my portfolio be dragged down despite outstanding balance sheets and torrid income statements?"
While there is no sense debating the fundamentals for gold and silver, here in 2021, with moderate energy costs and superb revenue outlooks, it is demand versus supply that determines whether a stock or commodity goes up or down, and until we can figure out who exactly it is that sells Barrick at five times forward earnings to buy a tech stock at fifty times forward earnings, it remains a guessing game.
I will continue to invest my capital in a manner that adheres to the time-tested strategy of owning companies that are undervalued relative to their peers or relative to the broad market. Investing in gold and silver developers involves a certain degree of speculation, but is where the risks are definable and trackable, such that I can react to corporate developments gradually and not suddenly, which is where most people make mistakes.
You all have to remember that in all markets, there are always going to be assets that are going up faster than yours, and that is what triggers the greed in you. I recall being lectured by a youngster in 2008 who had just seen his Blackberry stock hit $140 per share from the $8 he paid in 2004, and how I agonized but refused to bend only to watch it crash and burn a few years later. A house, a cottage and marriage represented the collateral damage associated with undue hubris, as it is that very result that usually dominates cult-like devotion to any investment or asset class.
I intend to avoid any asset class where valuation is suspect; I intend to be overweight any asset class where valuation is seriously underappreciated. You know which assets fall in the former category; gold and silver belong solidly in the latter camp.
Invest accordingly.
Originally posted on Jan. 9, 2021
Follow Michael Ballanger on Twitter @MiningJunkie.
Originally trained during the inflationary 1970s, Michael Ballanger is a graduate of Saint Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Art in marketing before completing post-graduate work at the Wharton School of Finance. With more than 30 years of experience as a junior mining and exploration specialist, as well as a solid background in corporate finance, Ballanger's adherence to the concept of "Hard Assets" allows him to focus the practice on selecting opportunities in the global resource sector with emphasis on the precious metals exploration and development sector. Ballanger takes great pleasure in visiting mineral properties around the globe in the never-ending hunt for early-stage opportunities.
1) Michael J. Ballanger: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: Barrick Gold and Eldorado Gold. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures are below.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. Please click here for more information.
4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.
Michael Ballanger Disclaimer: This letter makes no guarantee or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the data provided. Nothing contained herein is intended or shall be deemed to be investment advice, implied or otherwise. This letter represents my views and replicates trades that I am making but nothing more than that. Always consult your registered advisor to assist you with your investments. I accept no liability for any loss arising from the use of the data contained on this letter. Options and junior mining stocks contain a high level of risk that may result in the loss of part or all invested capital and therefore are suitable for experienced and professional investors and traders only. One should be familiar with the risks involved in junior mining and options trading and we recommend consulting a financial adviser if you feel you do not understand the risks involved.
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The "Press This" function allows quick posting and publishing through the use of a special web browser favourite. You can create a shortcut to allow use of "Press This" from the new post screen. You then activate the function when browsing by selecting the favourite from your web browser favourites list.
One of my reasons why I like to share on Facebook using their bookmarklet is the ability to post a short abstract and an image thumbnail. I've known of the WordPress Press This for a while now but mostly been using it to save drafts for future posting.
Recently I discovered the joys of using it. If you highlight a section of text before hitting the bookmarklet, it'd automatically copy it to the post section with a nice via link like above. This trumps the Facebook's bookmarklet as it allows you to choose the abstract and not just post the first few lines of the page, which usually happens to be a bunch of header links that do not contribute to the content.
What amazes me most is the Press This bookmarklet's ability to upload images automatically. One of the things I try to avoid is to hotlink images from other sites and have to go through the tedious pains of manually uploading and linking. The WordPress bookmarklet provides a list of images on the original site when you click on the tiny Insert an Image icon at the top. When you select the image to be added to your post, it's automatically uploaded to your site so it won't be broken if the original site removes it.
A bunch of people must have probably already discovered this usage but I'm simply amazed at my new findings about the bookmarklet and have to share it! Hopefully someone else would find this useful.


We provide our Specialist Services to a wide range of Commercial customers including Landlords, Property Management Companies, Leisure Centres, Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs, Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, Retail Businesses and many more.
In addition to our Commercial Service we also provide our Pressure Washing services to a large number of domestic customers across Dorset. This includes our specialist Driveways, Patios and Garden Decking Cleaning Services.
With the combination of our proven procedures and using the latest technologies we can provide you with the perfect Pressure Washing Service to bring your property or business premises to life. We are a CHAS accredited contractor and a full B&ES member. Our service is Insurance Company Compliant. We carry out a full risk assessment before we carry out any work.
At Pinnacle Specialist Cleaning Service our Pressure Washing team have a wealth of knowledge and experience of working with commercial customers across Dorset.
Our Pressure Washing services are regularly used to carry out a wide range of tasks for customers including general maintenance for Property Management Companies, Nursing Homes and Retirement Homes and Sprucing up car parks and outdoor areas for Pubs, Hotels, Restaurants. Industrial Estates and Retail Stores. Our dedicated Pressure Washing service offers the perfect solution to restore and refresh the main areas of your business premises.
We offer a flexible service where we can provide our Pressure Washing Services at a time that is the most convenient to you to avoid disruption and let you get on with the day to day running of your business.
For more information on our Pressure Washing Bournemouth Service please Click Here or call us today on 0345 202 5757.
At Pinnacle Cleaning Services over the years we have provided our specialist Pressure Washing Bournemouth service to homeowners across Bournemouth and throughout Dorset.
Our Pressure washing team are highly experienced so whether it is rejuvenating your driveway, revitalising your patio or giving your garden decking a new lease of life for the summer BBQ season, we can provide you with the perfect Pressure Washing Service to get those areas of your property looking as good as new.
We pride ourselves on providing a reliable, efficient and affordable Pressure Washing Service.
Spring / Summer Pressure Washing Promotion - Claim a 15% discount off our Specialist Pressure Washing Service. To claim your discount call 0345 202 5757 and quote ref code: PINNPW2017 today offer ends 01/09/2017.
Why Choose Our Specialist Service?