text:
EXCLUSIVE: Joseph Schmitz Under Consideration For Secretary Of The Navy Should Bilden Drop Out
Courtesy Jake Greenberg/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS
Russ Read Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter
February 19, 2017 10:23 PM ET
Former Pentagon Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is "in consideration" to be nominated as the next secretary of the navy should President Donald Trump's current pick drop out, a source told The Daily Caller News Foundation Saturday.
"Joe Schmitz is in strong consideration to be nominated if Bilden backs out for [Secretary of the Navy]," an advisor on national security appointments within the Trump transition team told TheDCNF. The source spoke to TheDCNF on the condition of anonymity.
Philip Bilden, a former Army Reserve officer, was reportedly going to withdraw his nomination, according to two sources speaking to CBS News. The Pentagon later issued a statement denying the claims.
"There have been press reports suggesting that Philip Bilden may drop out from his nomination to be Secretary of the Navy. Secretary Mattis spoke with Mr. Bilden today," said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis in a statement. "Mr. Bilden remains fully committed to serving as Secretary of the Navy pending Senate confirmation, and Secretary Mattis remains fully committed to helping him. Secretary Mattis remains confident that Mr. Bilden is the right leader to rebuild the readiness of our Navy and Marine Corps."
Bilden has been a somewhat controversial figure given his lack of Navy experience. Schmitz is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent more than two decades in the Navy and the Navy reserve. He was nominated by former President George W. Bush to serve as the Pentagon's inspector general June 18, 2001.
Sen. Charles Grassley accused Schmitz of numerous allegations during his tenure. Schmitz eventually resigned from his post in 2005 after allegations that he intervened in an FBI investigation of former Pentagon official Jack Shaw's improper contracting practices during the Iraq War. In fact, it was Schmitz who insisted that the FBI investigate Shaw, and the timing of his resignation had nothing to do with any allegations. Shaw was fired from his post in 2004, but the FBI ultimately did not decide to charge him. The President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency cleared Schmitz of any wrongdoing in 2006.
Schmitz joined the Prince Group, the holding company for private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide (now known as Academi), after leaving the Department of Defense. He also advised the Trump campaign on foreign policy.
Follow Russ Read on Twitter
Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Tags : donald trump philip bilden united states navy
Russ Read


You are visiting the placeholder page for Bill Williams. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Bill Williams. We created this page automatically in hopes Bill Williams would find it. If you are not Bill Williams, but are an alumni of Mahwah High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace Csg.Data.Sql
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Represents a element of SQL statement that can be rendered.
    /// </summary>
    public interface ISqlStatementElement
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Renders the statement to the given writer/arguments.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="writer"></param>
        /// <param name="args"></param>
        void Render(SqlTextWriter writer, SqlBuildArguments args);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Knowledge dissemination /
Cochrane First Aid
In April 2019, CEBaP launched the Cochrane First Aid Field. In addition to the "Cochrane Review Groups", who have the task to conduct rigorous systematic reviews in a specific domain of health care (a specific healthcare problem), a "Cochrane Field" has as main task to contribute to knowledge translation (putting evidence into practice) to a specific target group (e.g. a specific setting, group of providers, consumers,…). This new member of the Cochrane Fields aspires to create a global independent network of people interested in developing, disseminating and implementing high-quality research evidence on first aid. Cochrane First Aid not only aims to link the major players in the field of first aid and Cochrane as the world's major evidence-synthesizing organization, but also focuses on building demand, knowledge translation, stakeholder engagement and review production.
Cochrane First Aid is led by CEBaP Manager Emmy De Buck, and coordinated by 2 CEBaP researchers. The Global First Aid Reference Centre (GFARC) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a collaborating centre of Cochrane First Aid.
Find out more about Cochrane First Aid and discover opportunities to become an active collaborator on the Cochrane First Aid website, or follow the Field on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Achievements in 2020
2020 has been a challenging year, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has emphasized the importance of providing reliable scientific evidence to everyone, including laypeople, in a timely manner. Cochrane First Aid feels proud to have contributed to this. Below, you can find their most important achievements of 2020 for each of their 5 main strategic goals. For more information and the full annual report, visit their website.
Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Motstraat 42, B-2800 Mechelen, Belgium
info@cebap.org
The CEBaP website use cookies to help make your visit as smooth as possible. We install necessary and technical cookies to ensure the websites run properly. We also use analytical and advertising cookies to measure and improve the general use of the websites. Indicate below whether you agree to this cookie policy in order to continue.
Yes, I accept all cookies.
No, I will set my own cookie preferences.
These necessary cookies ensure all parts of the website work properly. We can install these cookies without permission. By continuing to use our websites, you agree to the use of the necessary cookies.
We use cookies for functional purposes. This means that these cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of our websites. These cookies identify and store your preferences (including language) and record whether you have accepted cookies.
We use cookies for analytical purposes. These cookies gather information on the technical details of the exchange or the use of the website (pages visited, average length of visit etc.) in order to improve the site's operation. We use Google Analytics for this (in accordance with the Google Analytics Terms of Use: https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html).
We use cookies for advertising. These cookies provide us with statistics (which cannot be traced to individual users) to improve our online communications and recruitment for our activities through various channels and to tailor our service to your needs. By accepting these cookies, you also accept the use of the Facebook pixel.
Methodology & Training

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After your trial, if you choose to continue with us, the recipes you've created will remain in your Product Library. Should you decide to get your nutritional analysis elsewhere, your recipes will remain secure, and you can always log into the trial again and upgrade at a later date.
Sign up below to get started with the easiest nutrition analysis software platform on the market. With no obligation and no credit card required, our free trial is completely risk-free. We're excited to share our product with you!
Looking for FDA-compliant Nutrition Fact Labels? Click the green button below to get your instant, reliable FDA-approved food labels today!
To learn more about this revolutionary software, read about our innovative features designed specifically for restaurants that make nutritional analysis simpler and more dynamic. And if you're ready to dive in, try out our 15-day 5-recipe free trial.


Nearly a year ago, a very special 3 hour Survivor Roleplay occurred in the IRC. Dravivor: All Stars, hosted by Dra, took 14 of the most memorable (and unmemorable) characters to grace the first six seasons of the Dravivor franchise.
The cast along with the users who played them and their placement in All-Stars is posted below.
But, if you look beyond the users, a huge controversy erupted after the live reunion show and has just now surfaced.
And beneath the cast is the continuation of the Who Killed AarynGries? saga.
Dravivor654 returned from the sequester, angered that he had to be removed from the show. He claimed he was innocent, but denied the fingerprinting.
In order for a warrant to be issued, the detectives would need more evidence.
Detectives were able to isolate Wondrasch and Jenna Darabond's phone numbers. They traced their calls to find out who they had recently spoken to. Many of them traced to Dravivor654 and BrICE, while one traced to an unknown number and one traced to a penetentiary out of state.
While phone call traces were being worked on for other primary suspects, the accounts of Aaryn Gries were traced to find that many payments had been made to Dravivor654 and to Narrator before her death. An investigation of her home for more clues is currently ongoing.
Why would someone want to kill Aaryn Gries?
Did Narrator have anything to do with it?
Did the controversy involving Wondrasch and Jenna Darabond cause an uproar between Aaryn and the two?
Is there something deeper going on with the case?
Why would the multitude of people not agree to the fingerprinting? What reasons would they have to refuse?
With many suspects cleared, which of Dravivor654, BrICE, Narrator, Wondrasch, Jenna, Amber, and Cassie commited the crime in question?
Who did Wondrasch and Jenna call at the penetentiary?
Who is the unknown number traced from their phones?


Jun 25, 2009 - Milos Teodosic went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft making him an Unrestricted FA.
Jul 10, 2017 - Milos Teodosic signed a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dec 4, 2017 - The Los Angeles Clippers assigned Milos Teodosic to the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G League.
Dec 4, 2017 - The Los Angeles Clippers recalled Milos Teodosic from the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G League.
Jun 21, 2018 - Milos Teodosic exercised a Player Option to extend his contract.
Feb 7, 2019 - The Los Angeles Clippers placed the contract of Milos Teodosic on waivers.
Feb 10, 2019 - Milos Teodosic, previously with the Los Angeles Clippers, became a free agent.
Dec 4, 2017 - The Los Angeles Clippers assigned Milos Teodosic to the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Dec 4, 2017 - The Los Angeles Clippers recalled Milos Teodosic from the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Jun 29, 2014 - Milos Teodosic has signed with CSKA Moscow.
Milos Teodosic has been expected to return to Europe once his contract with the Clippers expired.
Rivers said that the Clippers are not looking to add money unless it's for a long-term piece.


text:
How To Obtain A Work Visa In Japan
Working in Japan is attractive for many reasons. The country has a powerful global economy, but an aging and declining domestic workforce has made many Japanese companies look abroad for workers.
Foreigners coming to Japan to work can usually look forward to higher wages than many other countries, great Social Security benefits and job security, a high standard of living, and access to public services, such as top-notch health care. Japanese culture, history and cuisine are also strong draws.
If you are a foreigner interested in working and living in the Land of the Rising Sun, here is what you need to know about obtaining a Japanese work visa.
Is a Work Visa Required in Japan?
In a word, yes. Just to visit Japan for tourism or business, citizens of some countries need a tourist visa. Others may not need a visa for stays up to 90 days.
However, tourist visas cannot be used as work visas or converted to work visas while in the country. And foreign nationals need a work visa before arriving in Japan, working through the Japanese embassy or consulate closest to you in your country. You'll also need the sponsorship of the company, university, research institute, board of education or school that will give you work.
The Embassy of Japan lists work visa categories for applicants. These include: Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Investor/Business Manager Legal/Accounting Service, Medical Service, Researcher, Instructor. Engineer, Humanities Specialist/International Services, Intracompany Transferee, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, Highly Skilled Professionals
If you are unsure which category you fall into, Relocate can help. Ask a question: Submit general inquiries to Advisors in Japan or find your perfect Advisor.
Types of Japanese Work Visas
Working through the Japanese embassy or consulate, you can apply for several different kinds of work visas, including a specified skilled visa, a working visa, the JET Program and a working holiday visa.
You can also get a spousal visa to engage in paid work (renewable every three years) if you are married to a Japanese national or permanent resident.
Specified Skills Visa
Working Visas
JET Programme
In April 2019, Japan introduced a new visa known as the specified skilled visa (tokutei ginou) to address labor shortages in different industries in the country, including:
Airport ground handling and aircraft maintenance
Electronics and electric machinery
Materials processing
The specified skilled visa 1 (SSV1) is good for five years but only allows limited renewals, and foreign workers with these visas cannot bring their families into the country.
Introduced in 2021, specified skilled visa 2 (SSV2) allows visa holders indefinite renewals and permission to bring family members into the country. Both visas require certain levels of proficiency in the Japanese language.
Working visas require a Japanese company, school, university or individual to act as a sponsor for the job applicant, who must fill out a form from the Japanese embassy or consulate. These visas are normally granted for periods of one year or three years, with the exception of entertainers, who are granted working visas for periods of three months, six months, and one year (these usually can be extended).
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) is a great opportunity for people to get a one-year contract (extendable over five years) working in their field in Japan, as well as round-trip airfare. Visas are issued for instructors, in the case of assistant language teachers (ALTs), or as specialists in humanities/international services as coordinators for international relations (CIRs).
Your local Japanese embassy or consulate does interviews for these opportunities and has a JET desk or coordinator who can provide the documents you need to apply for a work visa.
Japan has mutual working holiday visa agreements with Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, The Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. It allows young people, usually ages 18 to 25 (but sometimes as old as 30), to work part time during a one-year stay in the country.
The idea is to make some money while experiencing Japan on holiday, not to move there for full-time work.
Foreign nationals who have resided in Japan for a long time can sometimes apply to become permanent residents, which would allow them to do any kind of legal work in Japan. Typically, this period is 10 years, or less for people with Japanese ancestry or a Japanese spouse.
Besides the long-term stay in the country, other conditions for becoming a permanent resident include:
Being able to support yourself financially
Having made contributions to taxes and Social Security
Having exhibited good conduct (especially not having a criminal record)
Still meeting the requirements of your current visa (such as being employed, married and so on)
How to Obtain a Japanese Work Visa
The process of obtaining a Japanese work visa may vary as far as documentation, visa length and eligibility requirements, depending on which category of working visa you are applying for. But generally, you need to have a work sponsor in Japan and go to a Japanese embassy or consulate to fill out the necessary paperwork and provide any needed documentation, such as university degrees. You can also find out all you need to know about Japanese immigration requirements.
Not sure what documentation to provide? Request consultations directly with qualified Japanese Advisors.
Step 1: Get a Certificate of Eligibility
Step 2: Put Together Your Work Visa Application
Step 3: Enter Japan With a Work Visa
You will learn from the closest Japanese embassy or consulate what is required for a specific work visa. Anyone who enters Japan on a long-term basis, including for work, usually must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the country's Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau. Since it takes a few months to arrange and work visa applications often depend on having one, you should obtain your COE before handing in your work visa application. Your prospective employer in Japan actually handles this on your behalf through a domestic immigration office, but requires information and documentation from you to do so.
The COE does not replace a work visa but is usually a prerequisite for getting one. It serves to show that you meet the entry requirements set by the government authorities.
While waiting for your COE, you can put together items specified on the visa application form, such as a valid passport, a recent photograph, a letter from your new employer stating your position and salary, a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, and any required graduation certificates.
Depending on factors like your profession and the duration of your work contract, you can get work permits ranging from three or four months to five years. Often, work visas can be extended if you make an application before they expire.
While the processing time for a work visa may just be a week or two, getting the COE can take up to three months. Once you have your visa in your home country, you will travel to Japan and receive a landing permit at your port of entry, basically giving you permission to enter the country.
You will also need a residence card. You will receive one automatically with your landing permit if you enter through the Narita, Haneda, Kansai or Chubu airports. If you enter elsewhere, you will have to go to the closest municipal office to where you live to obtain one. Within 14 days of setting up your living arrangements, you are required to go to the local ward office to register your status of residence.
Get Help With Your Visa for Japan
If you are thinking of relocating and working in Japan, you can make the process easier and increase your chances for success by using the first independent marketplace for global migration, Relocate. Dig-deeper into the details through various relocation topics and connect with qualified, bilingual Advisors who can help with the relocation process to Japan.
Engage Expert Advisors in Japan
Featured Articles • Japan
Where to Stay in Japan - Finding the Perfect Tokyo Accommodation
🇯🇵 Visiting Japan for a few months but do not know where to live? Tokyo is a bustling metropolis, but the city can be daunting and confusing to navigate. This is especially true when it comes to finding accommodation in Tok...
Can Foreigners Purchase Abandoned Homes ("Akiya") in Japan?
Japan's immigrant population has radically increased over the years, and many have made Japan their permanent home. For many immigrants, renting or purchasing a new house seems like a daunting task. But with the rise of aba...
Myko Mendoza
Startup Visas
Japan Border Opening and the Hokkaido Startup Community 🚀
Japan has kept the border closed for 2.5 years after the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020. On October 11th, 2023, the Government of Japan finally decided to open the border and welcome all tourists without restriction on ac...
Miho Tanaka


On May 31, at 11 a.m. the Seattle LGBT Commission and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights hosted the third annual Seattle Pride Raise the Flag Ceremony at City Hall. The event has become known as the kickoff to LGBTQ Pride Month in Seattle.
When Dylan Orr takes up his new duties with the City of Seattle, he will be the first director of the City's new Office of Labor Standards, the agency that will oversee enforcement of the minimum wage ordinance and other City labor laws.
City Council member Kshama Sawant will host guest speakers from Ireland and Greece as well as local leaders in a mass campaign rally scheduled for June 6. The event will be at Town Hall, 1119 8th Avenue, and will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Gay New York City hotel owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass - who were forced into a public apology after hosting a fundraiser for anti-Gay Republican Ted Cruz - are in trouble again.


text:
"It will be the best yet." What we know about The Crown's highly anticipated fourth season.
After a hefty two year wait, season three of The Crown finally dropped on Netflix.
We saw the royals react to the devastating Aberfan disaster, Prince Charles meeting Camilla Shand and Princess Margaret's affair with Roddy Llewellyn, among many other juicy morsels of royal history.
But now fans are ravenous for their next instalment of the biographical royal series.
While the release date is hazy (fingers crossed for any time in 2020), this is what we can expect from the show's fourth season.
Watch the trailer for The Crown season three. Post continues below.
Video by Netflix
Unlike the two-year gap between season two and three – thanks to a complete cast overhaul – seasons three and four are being filmed back to back, with filming currently in progress.
If we're lucky, fans might even be able to expect new episodes in 2020. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Josh O'Connor (Prince Charles) shared the news.
"We're well into it now. We've got many months left, they've got a few episodes in, so it's really exciting. And I think it will be the best yet, actually," he said.
"I'm really looking forward to finishing that and then getting to share it sometime in 2020, I guess."
Fans could get their next instalment of The Crown in 2020. Image: Netflix.
Who will be joining and leaving the cast?
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana
The moment we've all been waiting for may finally happen. While season three introduced Prince Charles to Camilla Shand, season four will supposedly explore Charles' courtship and marriage to Princess Diana.
Given that the season should explore the period of Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, the show might even include glimpses of a young Prince William and Prince Harry.
A post shared by Emma Corrin (@emmalouisecorrin) on Apr 9, 2019 at 9:03am PDT
Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher
We can expect Margaret Thatcher's relationship with The Queen to feature quite prominently this season.
Dubbed 'The Iron Lady,' Thatcher was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and known for her uncompromising and fierce leadership.
Some royal sources also say she had a bit of a 'difficult' relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, so there's that to look forward to as well.
A post shared by Gillian Anderson (@gilliana) on Oct 7, 2019 at 5:13am PDT
What storylines can we expect The Crown Season 4 to explore?
Let's just say show-runner, Peter Morgan, will have his fair share of dramatic moments to choose from.
Margaret Thatcher's leadership will feature prominently.
Just some of the historical events they could explore include her involvement in the Falklands War, the miners' strike of 1984–85, the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Apartheid in South Africa.
From inside the palace, the show will probably also feature the intrusion of Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen's bedroom in 1982. The Crown could also cover an incident during the 1981 Trooping the Colour, in which Marcus Sarjeant fired six blank shots at the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth at the 1981 Trooping the Colour. Image: Getty.
Princess Diana fans will also see her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles, their royal tour of Australia in 1983, and the birth of her sons Prince William (1982) and Prince Harry (1984).
While it's unsure if Morgan has cast, or will be casting, for an actor to play an adult Prince Andrew, the time period will also see the royal leave to fight in the Falklands War.
Featured image: Netflix.
Have you watched The Crown on Netflix? Tell us in a comment below.
the-crown


Fables of the Kingdom II Collector's Edition is a newly released time management game with an adventure and a whole lot tasks for you. Just like many time management games, this one features bright and colorful scenes and friendly characters, but don't think there is no challenges and obstacles to overcome!
Domini Games has launched a brand new series that could be the next big thing in casual gaming! Enchanted Kingdom: A Dark Seed Collector's Edition is the first episode in the Enchanted Kingdom franchise and will by no means be the last; get in on the action now and be one of the first to enjoy the long run.
Mystery Case Files is a classic hidden object puzzle adventure hit. If you know it, you are probably surprised about why the new game was released not for Thanksgiving, but so much sooner. Well, nobody knows the answer to this question. But if you ask if Mystery Case Files: The Black Veil Collector's Edition is any good, the answer is a definite yes!
Dark Parables: Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow came out as a great addition to the Dark Parables series. Eipix Entretainment has come up with another adventure for you in this thrilling hidden object puzzle adventure game.
Boolat Entertainment have presented a new release from the Subliminal Realms series. Subliminal Realms: Call of Atis Collector's Edition is a fascinating adventure into absolutely beautiful worlds. The game will appeal to players of all ages. If you like hidden object puzzle adventure games and fantasy, you are going to love it!
Now fun free mobile games are only one tap away! Absolutist is proud to present an immersive games collection for various audiences. This app makes it easy to browse the entire catalog of our mobile games, tailored to your preferences. Discover new releases by genre (hidden object, adventure, card & board, match 3 puzzles, arcade & action) and watch video previews.
The third chapter of the Incredible Dracula series is finally here! In this cute string of point-and-click games, you get to take on the role of a little Dracula character (who is really not as terrible as he may sound in this franchise) with the goal of actually restoring order to the chaos around him. Adorable!
Yet another adventure with Emily and her family! This time around it is during one of the best times of the year - Christmas time. The O'Malley family is super busy this time of the year and they have some work for you too.
The hit casual gaming company, Elephant Games, has come out with a Yuletide game for the 2016 Christmas season and it is hot! Christmas Stories: The Gift of the Magi Collector's Edition brings you around the fireside for a Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure full of Christmas cheer.
Throw your gloves on the ground and challenge your enemy to a duel! …and then line up three pairs and clear a line! In Jewel Match Royale, you will be matching three of a kinds all over the place in a Renaissance setting. There is even a romantic storyline to take you along the way in the adventure.


text:
package examples.ssh;

import org.apache.commons.net.ssh.SSHClient;

/**
 * This example demonstrates downloading of a file over SFTP from the SSH server.
 */
public class SFTPDownload
{

    // static
    // {
    // BasicConfigurator.configure(new ConsoleAppender(new PatternLayout("%d [%-15.15t] %-5p %-30.30c{1} - %m%n")));
    // }

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
    {
        SSHClient ssh = new SSHClient();
        ssh.loadKnownHosts();
        ssh.connect("localhost");
        try
        {
            ssh.authPublickey(System.getProperty("user.name"));
            ssh.newSFTPClient().get("well", "/tmp/");
        } finally
        {
            ssh.disconnect();
        }
    }

}


text:
Q: HTML Sidebar Closed By Default I'm currently developing a website to test my django skills, and my HTML skills are not up to par. This might be a really simple question, but how do I get my sidebar to close by default? I've tried to look at other questions but they don't solve my question in my scenario. As a side note, I got the sidebar off of here.
HTML

        {% if user.is_authenticated %}

Bootstrap Sidebar

                BS

                        Home

                            Home 1

                            Home 2

                            Home 3

                            About

                        Pages

                            Page 1

                            Page 2

                            Page 3

        {% endif %}

                    <button type="button" id="sidebarCollapse" class="btn btn-info">

                    </button>

                        {% if messages %}
                            {% for message in messages %}

                                    {{ message }}

                            {% endfor %}
                        {% endif %}

                            {% block content %}
                            {% endblock %}

CSS:
/* ---------------------------------------------------
    SIDEBAR STYLE
----------------------------------------------------- */

.wrapper {
    display: flex;
    align-items: stretch;
}

#sidebar {
    min-width: 250px;
    max-width: 250px;
    background: #7386D5;
    color: #fff;
    transition: all 0.3s;
}

#sidebar.active {
    min-width: 80px;
    max-width: 80px;
    text-align: center;
}

#sidebar.active .sidebar-header h3,
#sidebar.active .CTAs {
    display: none;
}

#sidebar.active .sidebar-header strong {
    display: block;
}

#sidebar ul li a {
    text-align: left;
}

#sidebar.active ul li a {
    padding: 20px 10px;
    text-align: center;
    font-size: 0.85em;
}

#sidebar.active ul li a i {
    margin-right: 0;
    display: block;
    font-size: 1.8em;
    margin-bottom: 5px;
}

#sidebar.active ul ul a {
    padding: 10px !important;
}

#sidebar.active .dropdown-toggle::after {
    top: auto;
    bottom: 10px;
    right: 50%;
    -webkit-transform: translateX(50%);
    -ms-transform: translateX(50%);
    transform: translateX(50%);
}

#sidebar .sidebar-header {
    padding: 20px;
    background: #6d7fcc;
}

#sidebar .sidebar-header strong {
    display: none;
    font-size: 1.8em;
}

#sidebar ul.components {
    padding: 20px 0;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #47748b;
}

#sidebar ul li a {
    padding: 10px;
    font-size: 1.1em;
    display: block;
}

#sidebar ul li a:hover {
    color: #7386D5;
    background: #fff;
}

#sidebar ul li a i {
    margin-right: 10px;
}

#sidebar ul li.active>a,
a[aria-expanded="true"] {
    color: #fff;
    background: #6d7fcc;
}

a[data-toggle="collapse"] {
    position: relative;
}

.dropdown-toggle::after {
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    right: 20px;
    transform: translateY(-50%);
}

ul ul a {
    font-size: 0.9em !important;
    padding-left: 30px !important;
    background: #6d7fcc;
}

ul.CTAs {
    padding: 20px;
}

ul.CTAs a {
    text-align: center;
    font-size: 0.9em !important;
    display: block;
    border-radius: 5px;
    margin-bottom: 5px;
}

a.download {
    background: #fff;
    color: #7386D5;
}

a.article,
a.article:hover {
    background: #6d7fcc !important;
    color: #fff !important;
}

/* ---------------------------------------------------
    CONTENT STYLE
----------------------------------------------------- */

#content {
    width: 100%;
    padding: 20px;
    min-height: 100vh;
    transition: all 0.3s;
}

/* ---------------------------------------------------
    MEDIAQUERIES
----------------------------------------------------- */

@media (max-width: 768px) {
    #sidebar {
        min-width: 80px;
        max-width: 80px;
        text-align: center;
        margin-left: -80px !important;
    }
    .dropdown-toggle::after {
        top: auto;
        bottom: 10px;
        right: 50%;
        -webkit-transform: translateX(50%);
        -ms-transform: translateX(50%);
        transform: translateX(50%);
    }
    #sidebar.active {
        margin-left: 0 !important;
    }
    #sidebar .sidebar-header h3,
    #sidebar .CTAs {
        display: none;
    }
    #sidebar .sidebar-header strong {
        display: block;
    }
    #sidebar ul li a {
        padding: 20px 10px;
    }
    #sidebar ul li a span {
        font-size: 0.85em;
    }
    #sidebar ul li a i {
        margin-right: 0;
        display: block;
    }
    #sidebar ul ul a {
        padding: 10px !important;
    }
    #sidebar ul li a i {
        font-size: 1.3em;
    }
    #sidebar {
        margin-left: 0;
    }
    #sidebarCollapse span {
        display: none;
    }
}

A:

$('#sidebarCollapse').click(function(){
 $('#sidebar').toggleClass('active');
})
/* ---------------------------------------------------
    SIDEBAR STYLE
----------------------------------------------------- */

.wrapper {
  display: flex;
  align-items: stretch;
}

#sidebar {
  min-width: 250px;
  max-width: 250px;
  background: #7386D5;
  color: #fff;
  transition: all 0.3s;
}

#sidebar.active {
  min-width: 80px;
  max-width: 80px;
  text-align: center;
  margin-left: -100px;
}

#sidebar.active .sidebar-header h3,
#sidebar.active .CTAs {
  display: none;
}

#sidebar.active .sidebar-header strong {
  display: block;
}

#sidebar ul li a {
  text-align: left;
}

#sidebar.active ul li a {
  padding: 20px 10px;
  text-align: center;
  font-size: 0.85em;
}

#sidebar.active ul li a i {
  margin-right: 0;
  display: block;
  font-size: 1.8em;
  margin-bottom: 5px;
}

#sidebar.active ul ul a {
  padding: 10px !important;
}

#sidebar.active .dropdown-toggle::after {
  top: auto;
  bottom: 10px;
  right: 50%;
  -webkit-transform: translateX(50%);
  -ms-transform: translateX(50%);
  transform: translateX(50%);
}

#sidebar .sidebar-header {
  padding: 20px;
  background: #6d7fcc;
}

#sidebar .sidebar-header strong {
  display: none;
  font-size: 1.8em;
}

#sidebar ul.components {
  padding: 20px 0;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #47748b;
}

#sidebar ul li a {
  padding: 10px;
  font-size: 1.1em;
  display: block;
}

#sidebar ul li a:hover {
  color: #7386D5;
  background: #fff;
}

#sidebar ul li a i {
  margin-right: 10px;
}

#sidebar ul li.active>a,
a[aria-expanded="true"] {
  color: #fff;
  background: #6d7fcc;
}

a[data-toggle="collapse"] {
  position: relative;
}

.dropdown-toggle::after {
  display: block;
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  right: 20px;
  transform: translateY(-50%);
}

ul ul a {
  font-size: 0.9em !important;
  padding-left: 30px !important;
  background: #6d7fcc;
}

ul.CTAs {
  padding: 20px;
}

ul.CTAs a {
  text-align: center;
  font-size: 0.9em !important;
  display: block;
  border-radius: 5px;
  margin-bottom: 5px;
}

a.download {
  background: #fff;
  color: #7386D5;
}

a.article,
a.article:hover {
  background: #6d7fcc !important;
  color: #fff !important;
}

/* ---------------------------------------------------
    CONTENT STYLE
----------------------------------------------------- */

#content {
  width: 100%;
  padding: 20px;
  min-height: 100vh;
  transition: all 0.3s;
}

/* ---------------------------------------------------
    MEDIAQUERIES
----------------------------------------------------- */

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  #sidebar {
    min-width: 80px;
    max-width: 80px;
    text-align: center;
    margin-left: -80px !important;
  }

  .dropdown-toggle::after {
    top: auto;
    bottom: 10px;
    right: 50%;
    -webkit-transform: translateX(50%);
    -ms-transform: translateX(50%);
    transform: translateX(50%);
  }

  #sidebar.active {
    margin-left: 0 !important;
  }

  #sidebar .sidebar-header h3,
  #sidebar .CTAs {
    display: none;
  }

  #sidebar .sidebar-header strong {
    display: block;
  }

  #sidebar ul li a {
    padding: 20px 10px;
  }

  #sidebar ul li a span {
    font-size: 0.85em;
  }

  #sidebar ul li a i {
    margin-right: 0;
    display: block;
  }

  #sidebar ul ul a {
    padding: 10px !important;
  }

  #sidebar ul li a i {
    font-size: 1.3em;
  }

  #sidebar {
    margin-left: 0;
  }

  #sidebarCollapse span {
    display: none;
  }
}

Bootstrap Sidebar

      BS

          Home

            Home 1

            Home 2

            Home 3

          About

          Pages

            Page 1

            Page 2

            Page 3

        <button type="button" id="sidebarCollapse" class="btn btn-info">
          CLICK ME
        </button>

            message

            content

You can add the class 'active' to the #sidebar, and it be hidden on page load.
I noticed that you were missing this crucial JQuery snippet that toggles a class to trigger the show/hide:
$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#sidebarCollapse').on('click', function () {
        $('#sidebar').toggleClass('active');
    });
});

Then I added this css rule... They have a margin-left of -250px, but using that seems too much, so I reduced it to -100px
#sidebar.active {
  margin-left: -100px;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Erewash Borough Council has issued another warning to residents to be on their guard against fake phone calls which are trying to get money out of homeowners as part of a Council Tax scam.
The council has issued an immediate alert after a resident in the borough got in touch to say she had taken a call from a company telling her she was in the wrong banding for her property and they could get it lowered and win her thousands of pounds in cash if she paid them £120 over the telephone.
The resident initially paid the money but became worried and cancelled the payment with her bank after she couldn't get back in touch with the company on the telephone number she was given.
The council has previously issued alerts of nationwide scams about council tax refunds which ask for personal information sent via fake emails or text messages.
Any residents with concerns over any phone call they receive about council tax or any document sent by email or through the post can contact the council's revenues team on 0115 907 1000.


The Witcher ® is a trademark of CD PROJEKT S. A. The Witcher game © CD PROJEKT S. A. All rights reserved. The Witcher game is based on a novel of Andrzej Sapkowski. All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The Witcher® is a trademark of CD PROJEKT S. A. The Witcher game © CD PROJEKT S. A. All rights reserved. The Witcher game is based on a novel of Andrzej Sapkowski. All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Home»Entertainment»Games»Leander Dendoncker Starts for Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard makes a Surprise return to the side
Leander Dendoncker Starts for Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard makes a Surprise return to the side
By admin December 9, 2022 Updated: December 20, 2022 No Comments5 Mins Read
Bournemouth Vs Aston Villa lineups
Leander Dendoncker starts for Aston Villa
Steven Gerrard makes a surprise return to the side
Mauricio Pochettino is in goal for Bournemouth
John McGinn has joined the club as skipper
Leander Dendoncker Starts for Aston Villa,Mauricio Pochettino has been able to make a surprising return to the Bournemouth squad, while Steven Gerrard has also returned to the side. In addition, John McGinn has also been able to join the club and be called upon as a skipper.
Having failed to break into the Wolves squad on a regular basis, Steven Dendoncker is set to join Aston Villa on loan. The Belgian midfielder is a right-footed professional footballer and he is a 27-year-old from Passendale, Belgium. He was born on 15 April 1995.
Dendoncker has played for the Belgium national team. He also represented his country at the 2018 World Cup. He started his career with Anderlecht. He was a member of Belgium's squad that finished third at the FIFA World Cup. He joined Anderlecht in 2009 and made over 170 appearances for the Belgian club.
Leander Dendoncker is a versatile player who can play in various positions. He can operate in the middle of the field, on the wing or as a centre-back.
Despite their recent record, Aston Villa are only two points from safety. But the appointment of former Liverpool and England defender Steven Gerrard has the potential to take them to the Premier League summit.
The new Aston Villa manager hasn't had much time to assess the squad he's been handed. However, he will be tasked with rebuilding a mid-table team after five defeats in the Premier League, and a disastrous performance against Chelsea.
Although Gerrard hasn't managed to win his first game as manager, he has made some changes to the side which should help the team stay in the top flight. Aston Villa have drawn 1-1 with Leeds, while their solitary victory came in the form of a 1-0 victory over Fulham.
Aston Villa's recent run of four straight defeats has prompted Gerrard to make a number of changes to the side. It's likely that he'll make further changes, as he looks to build a solid foundation for next season.
Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of his 500th game as a manager when Tottenham host newly-promoted Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on Friday night. The Argentinian coach is expected to field a strong side, with a couple of injury concerns to contend with. However, it's unclear whether Pochettino will make any changes from his starting XI for the game.
Aston Villa lost 2-0 to Chelsea at the weekend, bringing their record to a fifth defeat in six matches. They've also failed to beat the Cherries in the league, having lost seven of the last eight matches against them. This bleak record has raised concerns for the Villa boss.
Aston Villa are now in 15th place in the table, and have failed to win any of their last five Premier League games. Aston Villa were unable to defend against settled attacks, and they showed plenty of fundamental errors when defending deeper. They were vulnerable to the ball getting past three defenders in the front line.
Previously a youth player with St Mirren, John McGinn has represented Scotland at under-19 and under-21 level. He has also won major honours with Aston Villa.
Despite a sluggish start to the season, the former Hibernian midfielder has been a fan favourite at Villa Park. He scored the goal that helped Aston Villa secure promotion back to the Premier League last season. He is now set to be the club's new captain.
Gerrard has praised the attitude of McGinn and his preparation for the role. He has also praised the ability of the new captain.
The former Rangers manager has stated that he will continue to support McGinn, despite the recent sacking. Steven Gerrard has made a decision that could divide the dressing room. He has axed Tyrone Mings and replaced him with Aston Villa's former captain, John McGinn.
Despite the fact that Bournemouth and Aston Villa are both in the relegation battle, the teams are separated by just two points and could face each other in the next round of the Premier League. AFC Bournemouth have won three of their last four matches against Aston Villa. They will be looking to keep the side at arm's length, while also playing through Villa's press.
Aston Villa are coming off a 2-2 draw at home to Everton in the EFL Cup, while their wait for their first away win may continue until the new year. The Villa players are used to a technical game after Graham Potter's reign. They are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, while the midfield is likely to be led by Boubacar Kamara.
Bournemouth Vs Aston Leander Dendoncker starts Villa lineups
The Eggy Car Unblocked Game is one of the most Popular free Online Games Available
What Are The 5 Most Popular Game Apps 2022
What Was Twitch's Most Watched Video Game In November?
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text:
Q: PowerShell pipeline Get-Content to split and then select expression i have a file and i want split selective lines and take selective cells.
this work:
Get-Content F:\dat | ? {$_  -like "1,*"} | % {$_.Split(',')}

but I can not continue to concatenate a select some items:
Get-Content F:\dat | ? {$_  -like "1,*"} | % {$_.Split(',')} | Select -Property  @{name="Name"; expression = {$_[0]}}, @{name="Value"; expression = {$_[5]}}

i recive unexepted result, suce as the file like this:

1,"123",456,"bla bla bla",0,569.2

the result exepted:
Name  Value
1     569.2

1     569.2
the result done:
Name Value
---- ----
  1
  "
  4
  "  b
  0
  5

A: Here is were it all breaks down:
| % {$_.Split(',')} |

The next command in your pipeline will just receive an enumerable stream of individual strings (the results of the split operation), not arrays of strings.
Thus, the $_[0] operation is parsed as "Take the first [char] from this string", which is why you see the strange output you get.
Wait until you actually calculate the properties before splitting the string:
Get-Content F:\dat | ? {$_  -like "1,*"} | Select -Property  @{name="Name"; expression = {$_.Split(',')[0]}}, @{name="Value"; expression = {$_.Split(',')[5]}}

A: You can just use ConvertFrom-Csv instead:
Get-Content F:\dat|
Where-Object {$_ -like "1,*"}|
ConvertFrom-Csv -Header Name,Ignore1,Ignore2,Ignore3,Ignore4,Value|
Select-Object Name,Value


This call or longing compels an answer. Many find comfort and consolation in conventional spiritual doctrines and this is fine, while others choose to probe an alternate pathway. This second choice, on the road less traveled, eventually leads the seeker to what is called the Perennial Philosophy or "The Way". Within this pathway the traveler is guided to the hidden mystery teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tze, Mohammed and the other great sages who have come to serve humanity. This is the way of the Masters.
We are all traveling the Prodigal Son's Path, as described in the spiritual parable of the West. Birthed in loving innocence and full of unlimited potential, we soon become enmeshed in the cultural programing of custom, myth and challenging life experiences. Frustration and disillusionment can occur as we journey forward in this world. It is in truth we seek for a more transcendent meaning in life, and a return to our "first estate" which is a manifestation of God's Love.
"Gary's ability to create sacred space and facilitate spiritual healing has been transformational for me. Through direct divine guidance and with wisdom, knowledge,and advanced master training, Gary connects to each individuals' unique being and path to unveil or reveal to us, the truth that is within... I appreciate Gary most for his inspired 'living from the place of clarity'".
KNOWLEDGE... We have all heard it said that knowledge is Power. The perennial wisdom contains this knowledge base that gives the seeker the tools to move forward and transform the human condition on all levels. This can be done without a specific religious affiliation or being subjected to an external authority figure. However, the seeker is strongly prompted to use their newfound "tools" only for righteous acts of love.
HEALING... Healing is a broad term that includes the body, mind and spirit. Since we now know that the Mind directly affects the health of the body, the perennial wisdom gives the seeker specific answers on how to use the Mind and Heart for restored wellbeing.
SELF-REALIZATION... Beyond the preliminary stages of self knowledge and healing lies a realm of Transcendent Awareness of the Source and our true nature in Spirit. This state of being, that the Master of Nazareth called "the kingdom within", is the goal of the practical mystic today.
Although only the individual seeker can unlock the "personal doorways" to the previous three questions, there is still additional help along the way. Rarely does the hand of Divinity touch a human lifestream and completely transform it instantly. This unfoldment is a Journey. However, the journey can be ACCELERATED with right knowlege, faith and persistance of purpose from the Sourse of all.
It has been my previlege and honor to have worked with some of the finest and most dedicated healers and teachers on the planet. I have taken those years of study and direct experience and distilled the essence of it into my new book "I AM LIGHT"---The Prodical Journey and Beyond".
I am inviting you to take that journey with me in this three part narrative and applied study. It is my sincere belief that you will find additional wellbeing in its application.
I am aware that there are many fine healers and teachers in the field of alternative medicine and practical mysticism today. However, if you are seeking an uncomplicated easily applied set of principles that any "layman" can use, I believe this book will be of great assistance to you.
"Gary Layman's autobiographical story of the return of the prodigal son to the Father's house is a journey that I am sure most on the spiritual path will be able to relate to. It is written in a clear, direct way with great humility".
As a way of "paying it forward" to my readers, I am offering you a free gift. Although I know there is great depth in reading "I Am Light", I am offering my 16 page "Spiritual Tool Kit" online, for your immediate use. This concise guide will give you immediate insights into leading a more stress-free, joy-filled life, by using the Universal Principles found within your own mind and heart. Life becomes an amazing and joyful process of enfoldment when we come to the realization that the guidance and happiness we have long sought is close at hand.
Rest assured that we value your privacy as much as you do, and your name will never be shared with anyone for any purpose other than to keep in touch as described here.


text:
16 Saudi universities feature in 2023 QS World Rankings list
The QS World University Ranking Index has seen a growth in the number of Saudi universities included in the classification system over five consecutive years, starting with 9 universities in 2019.
The number of Saudi universities in the QS World University Ranking Index jumped to 16 for the year 2023, an increase by seven universities compared to the 2019 ranking.
The QS World University Ranking Index has seen a growth in the number of Saudi universities included in the classification system over five consecutive years, starting with 9 universities in 2019. In 2020, 10 universities were listed and 11 universities in 2021 — a constant increase for three years at a rate of one university per year. In 2022, 14 universities and in 2023, 16 universities were included in the ranking, with five universities entering the classification in the last two editions.
With this new progress, the Kingdom is 6 places away to be included in the top 100 international universities list.
According to the QS World University Ranking Index, King Abdulaziz University tops the Saudi universities, followed by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and King Saud University. Al-Faisal and Northern Border Universities also entered the rankings for the first time in the ranking.
The QS classification evaluates universities based in several criteria, mainly the university's reputation, which is calculated in the largest survey of academic opinions around the world, by sending the questionnaire to more than 130,000 experts.
Source: Saudi Gazette
qs world university ranking
king fahd university of petroleum and minerals
Saudi University
QS World University Ranking Index


text:
Q: how do I write to a spawned terminal? For this little script:
package require Tcl 8.4
package require Expect 5.40

spawn gnome-terminal

while {1} {
    puts -nonewline "Enter your name: "
    flush stdout
    set name [gets stdin]
    puts "Hello $name"
}

how can I write to the spawned gnome-terminal so that user input is echoed to both terminals?

A: You run Expect inside the gnome-terminal, not the other way round. Expect is a command-line program really, and gnome-terminal is really not (it's a graphical terminal emulator). In particular, gnome-terminal ignores its stdin and stdout entirely; it effectively creates those for other programs to use. Meanwhile, Expect controls other programs by talking to their stdin and stdout (with trickery with extra virtual terminals); this means that the interface it uses to its subprocesses is something that gnome-terminal basically ignores from the outside.
Though in this case, why not use Tk to pop up a GUI to ask for the password instead? Instead of putting up a proxy to ask the question, you can ask it directly. This can make for a much richer interface if you desire…


text:
Agrotis procellaris är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Edward Meyrick 1900. Agrotis procellaris ingår i släktet Agrotis och familjen nattflyn. IUCN kategoriserar arten globalt som utdöd. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Nattflyn
procellaris

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Had no intention of shooting boring CSX on my Philli trip, but had some time to kill and this pair of GEVO's was parked across the street from the AMTRAK station. Aside from a bit of darkening, this image was just as the camera saw it. No croping, rotating, levelling, contrast work etc.
A couple of old engines found in an industrial park in Philadelphia, PA. They are used for some kind of welding training. The 2402 is a rare SD20-2.
One of a pair of old engines found in an industrial park in Philadelphia, PA. They are used for some kind of welding training. The 2402 is a rare SD20-2.
A Norfolk Southern rock train with to ex-Conrail locomotives heads south on the NE Corridor in Philadelphia, PA - June 8, 2008.
A CSX stack train travels north onto the ex-Reading main at Belmont Junction just north of Philadelphia after just traversing the "High Line" across the city.
NS slab train 69J rolls above Philly's Spring Garden Street. Maybe it's just my imagination, but the guy in the mural seems to be looking up.
CEFX leaser leads a short K206 north across the Reading-built Columbia Bridge in Philly.
CSX 681 leads train K295 west, past the site of the former B&O station in Philly.
Originally built in 1947, a Septa PCC trolley passes below a vintage 1963 Budd Silverliner II. What year is it again?
PCC trolleys made a welcome return to Septa's Route 15 on Sept 4th.
"Synchronizing the World of Commerce"
UPS intermodal crosses the Columbia Bridge in winter. Am told that the shade of brown UPS uses for its logo and trucks is called "Pullman brown." Hmmm.
PRR's Midvale yard was once a busy place but now sees little freight traffic. The main continues to serve Septa's R8 Chestnut Hill West line.
SD70MAC leads CSX Q439 off the Trenton Line in Philly.
SOO power makes a guest appearance on this NS manifest.
Remote control unit (coupled to a manned CSX geep out of frame) waits permission to re-enter Falls Yard.
Dash-nines haul a string of aging gons heavy with steel slabs.


Indian wedding clothes: India is a very big country, where people have different customs and traditions in its various regions. In their different customs and ceremonies, various parts of India have different wedding dresses.
One of the most popular wedding gowns India Indian Bridal Saree or sari. As various parts of India have different customs, style of wearing wedding dresses such as saris also differs in different parts of India.
Indian wedding sari is the type of tissue, which is made of different fabrics. The most common fabric used for the manufacture of silk saris. way of wearing Indian wedding sari is the same as a simple sari.
Women wear a sari, wrapped it around the body using a pin. While wearing a sari, the most important thing that a woman should have in mind is its design.
one part of the sari is wrapped around the body, and its remainder is put on the shoulder of the bride. This remainder is called "Pallu". Some times it falle also put on his head to show respect to elders.
Today, wedding sarees are available in various forms and styles, depending on the wedding theme. Beautiful embroidery work with sequins, has Patty, beads and pearls to make a sari real wedding dress.


Corinne Bailey Rae summons the forces of nature in this awesome video from Chloe Hayward.
Combining incredible scenery, flawless costume and an absolutely gorgeous colour grade by Toby Tomkins, this video sees Rae performing whilst seemingly conducting the sky in a series of surreal and beautiful landscapes.
Chloe Hayward combines her post production artistry as well as directing skills to create a good-looking multi-layered performance video for Andy Burrows' typically melodic As Good As Gone.
Chloe Hayward singlehandedly creates an otherworldy experience across alien terrain in this video for Vessels' 4AM.
Taken from their debut album Soft Friday, rising UK band Coves team up with Chloe Hayward for the promo to Wake Up.


To visually reduce the size of lips, outline its inner contour. If you want to make your lips look bigger, simply define its outer line.
PPG-2 MYRISTYL ETHER PROPIONATE, MICA, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX/CERA MICROCRISTALLINA, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX/CERA CARNAUBA, BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, SILICA, POLYETHYLENE, SYNTHETIC BEESWAX, OCTYLDODECANOL, BEESWAX/CERA ALBA, DIMETHICONE, BORON NITRIDE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) OIL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, [+/- (MAY CONTAIN): LAUROYL LYSINE, RED 6 LAKE (CI 15850), RED 7 LAKE (CI 15850), RED 40 LAKE (CI 16035), RED 33 LAKE (CI 17200), YELLOW 5 LAKE ( CI 19140), BLUE 1 LAKE (CI 42090), CARMINE (CI 75470), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), MANGANESE VIOLET (CI 77742), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)].
For best effect choose lip liner in the same shade as your lipstick or a tone darker.
To make your lips look smaller, accentuate the inner contour.
To make your lips look fuller accentuate the outer contour.


text:
Category Archives: Article
Caliban covering an aspect of geek culture.
Posted on July 17, 2019 by Caliban
"18 years in the making"
Daniel reviews All is True.
Jeff talks about having seen Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Men in Black International, and Spider-Man: Far from Home.
The Disney live action remakes and why Mulan may be the best of them.
The boys talk about Good Omens.
Jeff talks about the movie Constantine and how it stands up despite being an adaptation.
Daniel talks about reading the short story collection Trigger Warning.
Thanks to a steam sale there is a quick review the Friday 13th game.
Jeff talks about joining a twitch community based around WWE 2K19 and getting a character on the show.
(Check out https://www.twitch.tv/takahata101 and https://www.twitch.tv/edwardbosco for more details)
Posted in Conventions, Fanboy News Network Podcast	| Tagged All is True, Constantine, Friday the 13th, Godzilla, Men In Black, MNW, Mulan, Neil Gaiman, Spider-Man, Trigger Warning, Twitch, WWE 2K19	| Leave a reply
Review: Upgrade
Posted on March 25, 2019 by Caliban
Upgrade flew largely under the radar when it came out last year, which is a shame. So, I am doing my part to get it a wider audience by reviewing it. Upgrade is a near-future cyberpunk/action/horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell and produced through Blumhouse.
The story follows Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), a mechanic that specializes in restoring vintage cars. After delivering a car to high-tech billionaire Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson), Grey and his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) have their car hijacked, leaving Asha dead and Grey paralyzed from the neck down. Eron approaches Grey in the hospital with an offer: he has created a microchip (called STEM) that will allow Grey to regain his mobility. However, as the development is not cleared for human experimentation, Grey will need to keep it secret. He agrees and receives the chip, whereupon he learns STEM's artificial intelligence can communicate with him and, with his permission, assume control of his body. The AI (voiced by Simon Maiden) helps him to track down the attackers and under STEMs control, he becomes a hyper-competent fighter.
The movie becomes a race for Grey to learn why he and his wife were targeted for attack, while staying ahead of Eron, who is not pleased with how Grey is using STEM. The attackers, led by Fisk (Benedict Hardie), are hunting to learn who is taking them out. And then there is Cortez (Betty Gabriel), the detective investigating Asha's murder. She suspects Grey is killing Fisk's men despite appearing to be a quadriplegic.
Leigh Whannell, best known for writing the Saw franchise for James Wan, has branched out from writing to directing. He brings a distinctive visual feeling that shows influence from Wan, while still remaining original. Made on a typical Blumhouse shoestring budget of $5 million, every cent shows on screen, from the near-future cyberpunk aesthetic to the brilliant cinematography whenever STEM assumes control of Grey's body. The movie is paced like an action film but builds tension like a horror film.
The cyberpunk setting is handled well. There is no year given, which will help the movie from dating itself too much. The advancements we see – self-driving cars and voice-activated devices making meals and helping around the house – are excellent extrapolations of current tech. This helps to ease the audience into the more advanced tech that drives the plot.
As the lead, Logan Marshall-Green does an amazing job. Due to his resemblance to Tom Hardy, there are some inevitable comparisons, but by the end of the film Marshall-Green's abilities truly shine through. He conveys Grey's frustration and grief, but also plays his shock and confusion when STEM is in control and performing some truly impressive choreography.
Betty Gabriel, best known as the maid in Get Out, does a good job as Cortez. She does well in showing her simultaneous confusion at how Grey could possibly be taking out trained killers from a wheelchair and her certainty that he is doing it. Harrison Gilbertson is serviceable as Eron. The character is meant to be creepy, which he brings across, but there is not much else to the character. Benedict Hardie's Fisk is the weak link in the acting. He is never anything but an over-the-top fanatic. This is very evident in scenes with Marshall-Green who brings a much more nuanced performance. Simon Maiden manages to steal the movie as the voice of STEM. He manages to be sympathetic and menacing, often at the same time.
I give Upgrade a grade of B. It is a solid movie that genre fans will embrace whole-heartedly. Non-genre fans should still enjoy it for the tight action and pace.
Posted in Article, Horror, Review	| Tagged Action, Blumhouse, Cyperpunk, Horror, Leigh Whannell, Logan Marshall-Green, Upgrade	| Leave a reply
Review: EOS 10
Posted on November 9, 2015 by Caliban
In my effort to create a scripted podcast, I decided one of the best things I could do is go and find other scripted podcasts to listen to. In this pursuit, I came across EOS 10.
EOS 10 is a podcast created by Justin McLachlan. The title is the name of the space station where the show is set. The premise is that the chief medical officer on the station, Dr Horace Urvidian (Dan Berry) has become an alcoholic. Since Urvidian is a well-known figure in the Alliance (with a children's book written about him.) his failure would be an embarrassment. To head this off, Dr. Ryan Dalias (McLachlan) is assigned to be his new chief of surgery. Ryan, the son of an admiral with a history with Urvidian, has experience with substance abuse, and convinces Urvidian to go sober.
In addition to the two doctors, the medical staff also includes Nurse Jane Johns (Natalie Cutcher), a snarky extrovert who likely became that way to survive Urvidian. She also pines for Dr. Osolong, a staff member who is mentioned but never appears, and also happens to be gay.
Rounding out the main cast is Levi (Charles Lipper), a deposed alien prince who now works at the station cafeteria. Levi is friendly, but a hypochondriac, hence his constant interaction with the medical staff. Levi is also not above going outside the law if he wants something.
This last trait puts the crew in contact with the recurring character Akmazian (Tim Torre). Akmazian is wanted by the Alliance as a terrorist, and has been hiding out in an unused section of the base. Akmazian claims to have been framed and tries to be helpful when he can, to get the crew, especially Ryan, on his side.
The only other recurring character of note is the Quarter Master (Chris Stinson), a two headed alien who for reasons unknown dislikes Ryan.
As there is no narrator, EOS 10 has to find ways to convey locations and situations while not resorting to the dreaded "as you know" trope. Fortunately, the writing is up to the task. It is helped along by being a clear pastiche of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, at least in set up. This fills in a lot of blanks in the back story.
One thing the show does very well is create a sense of space. This is from small things like background noise. All scenes on the station have a particular background hum. Scenes in the cafeteria have the sounds of people chatting and plates clinking. But there are other sound effects used to tell the story, like having the Quarter Master's voice alternate between speakers to show which head is currently talking.
The story itself covers a few themes. One is dealing with addiction of course, as shown through Urvidian and Ryan and their straight forward cases, but also in things like Jane dealing with her obsession with a man that will never notice her, and Levi pining for his past life as a royal.
There is also a government conspiracy plot, thanks to interaction with Akmazian that slow burns in season one, and comes to the forefront in season two. The show also tackles other issues, such as the episode Antivaxx which, as the title suggests, deals with the anti-vaccination movement.
On the acting front the show does well, pulling it's cast from actors working in the Washington D.C. area. They all do fine work, but Dan Berry and Charles Lipper stand out as Urvidian and Levi. McLachlan does a good job as Ryan, but at times he can come off as a bit too relaxed.
If you are looking for a podcast that tells an interesting story without being too heavy, I would suggest checking EOS 10 out. So far, two seasons have been released consisting of eight episodes each.
I give EOS 10 a grade of B. It should entertain Science Fiction fans looking for a podcast, but might leave some people behind.
Posted in Article	| Tagged EOS 10, Justin McLachlan, Scripted Podcast	| Leave a reply
Horror Review: Let Us Prey
Let Us Prey is an interesting film to review. On the surface it seems like a very generic horror film but, as it is with events in the film itself, looks can be deceiving.
Let Us Prey is set in a small, out of the way, Scottish town. Its police force consists of four officers; one of those officers, Rachel (Pollyanna McIntosh), is literally heading in for her first shift with the department when she witness a car hit a pedestrian. The driver, Caesar (Brian Vernal), stops and she arrests him, but the victim is nowhere to be found.
After getting back to the station ,she meets her commanding officer, Sgt. McReady (Douglas Russel), who seems intent on keeping the status quo and isn't very warm to having Rachel in his department. Her fellow officers, Jack (Brian Larkin) and Jennifer (Hanna Stanbridge), are having an affair and seem to be pretty clearly corrupt.
Besides Caesar the police are also holding Ralph (Jonathan Watson), who is being held for domestic abuse, and not for the first time. Things get complicated when the man Caesar hit (Liam Cunningham) shows up at the station, battered, but apparently alright. After having Dr. Hume (Niall Gregg Fulton) examine the man, the Sargent decides to put the man in cell six, in part due to his refusal to identify himself, thus the character is referred to as simply Six.
After this, odd things start happening around the station. It becomes increasingly clear that Six is manipulating events and that each person in that station is not there by chance. It is up to Rachel, who has vague memories of meeting Six as a child, to figure out what is going on.
As I said at the top, Let Us Prey starts out as a very standard horror movie, with the introduction of the victims and then the slow thinning of the cast. What makes it stand out is that, as the plot unfolds, it starts playing with our expectations. Writers David Caims and Fiona Watson know who their audience is, and what they have come to expect, and use that knowledge to take the story to places that play with those expectations.
Director Brian O'Malley keeps the pace slow, but never dragging. When he does pick up the pace at the ending, he remembers that this is a horror film and not an action movie. The mood is also aided by the lighting, often coming off as if the whole movie is lit by the halogens in the station.
For the actors, this is clearly Cunningham's film. Being the most recognizable of the cast (from his role as Davos Seaworth, the onion knight on Game of Thrones) Cunningham carries the film as the enigmatic Six. As the story moves on it becomes clear to the audience who Six is supposed to be, but the movie never comes out and confirms anything.
McIntosh manages to hold her own with Cunningham, as the film's protagonist. Rachel's history, showing she was kidnapped by a child murderer when she was a young girl, leads to a character who is determined to help others, but dealing with her own darkness from the event. All this leads to the final scene of the movie; without giving away spoilers, it is unexpected, but McIntosh's performance makes it stand out as a triumphant moment, where it could have easily fallen flat.
The rest of the cast is fine, but no one really stands out. They just play as figures in the game between Six and Rachel.
I give Let Us Prey a grade of B. Horror fans should enjoy the mood and how it plays with genre tropes, non-fans should still like it, but may be thrown by twists.
If you want to check it out, Let Us Prey is currently available on Netflix.
Posted in Article, Horror	| Tagged Horror, Let Us Prey, Liam Cunningham	| Leave a reply
"Horror Month and more"
Jeff talks about the Podcast "The Black Tapes Podcast"
Dicussion of They Live and how well it has aged.
Recommendations for good short horror on YouTube.
Jeff talks about attending Geek Girl Con.
News from NYCC
The flopping of the movie Pan and why this made Jeff and Daniel happy.
How the geek community came together to support Ahmed Mohamed.
Daniel talks about why he enjoyned the Martian and Jeff talks about why he is looking forward to Crimson Peak.
Daniel talks about reading the Fight Club II comic and his decision to buy the first issue of Dark Knight 3.
Jeff talks about his impression of the returning comic book inspired TV shows.
Discussion of the post-Secret Wars Spider-Man stories.
Daniel talks about the novel Ancillary Justice.
A quick plug at the end for the Kickstarter for Thea Maia and Jillian Venters Adult and kids coloring books.
Posted in Fanboy News Network Podcast, Horror, Podcast	| Tagged Crimson Peak, Geek Girl Con, The Black Tapes Podcast, They Live	| Leave a reply
Review: Flash Season 1
Posted on September 28, 2015 by Caliban
When last year's TV season began, The Flash was one of the most highly anticipated shows amongst the geek crowd. When we looked at it here during the beginning of the season it was certainly living up to that buzz, but did it maintain that level?
Well yes, actually it did; no need to beat around the bush on that. But let's look at how it managed that.
The one thing the Flash had going for it, from the start, was that it embraced its comic roots without shame. It also went against the grain for just about every other DC live action property by not going the grime and gritty route, instead choosing to have an optimistic hero who acted as a symbol of hope.
CW already had the required grim hero in the Arrow. One observation of the two shows is that in the CW DC universe, Superman's role is covered by the Flash and Batman's by the Arrow. One episode highlights is when Barry tries to emulate the Arrow's grimmer way of handling things, only to have it blow up in his face.
One of the factors that influenced the story more than any other was the time travel aspect. Time travel was always a part of the Flash in the comics and the show did not shy away from this in the least. Like any show involving time travel there were questions about what the consequences of changing the past would be, and the creation of a plot hole or two. However, the overall execution was well handled.
So how did the characters evolve over the course of the first season?
Of course, as the main character Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) had the most growth. Starting out as enthusiastic but unsure of himself, Barry grew into a responsible hero who (when it came down to it) would make the choice of serving the greater good. Gustin nailed the character from the start.
If the show rested on Gustin's shoulders, then his best support came from Tom Cavanagh. As Harrison Wells, Cavanagh portrayed a wonderfully complex character. As Wells, he was Barry's mentor and a surrogate father figure, but in his true identity of Eobard Thawne (aka The Reverse Flash) he was Barry's worst enemy who wanted nothing more than to destroy him. Cavanagh was able to portray Wells as both affectionate to Barry and the rest of the S.T.A.R. Labs crew, while at the same time being a threat to them.
While Wells' goal was to push Barry's powers to greater heights, Barry's foster father Joe West (Jessie L Martin) guided him on the path of the kind of hero he wanted to be. The father/son bond between Joe and Barry was easily the series emotional core. Joe cared so much for Barry that he was willing to have their relationship erased from history, if it meant that Barry could get his mother back.
Of Barry's colleges It was interesting to watch Cisco Ramon's (Carlos Valdes) arc over the season. Cisco had fanboy glee over Barry's powers and being part of a team fighting supervillains. It was also interesting watching his bonds with Barry's father figures. He worshipped Wells and took his betrayal hard. Conversely. over the season. Cisco had a growing working relationship with Joe, being his secret partner in investigating the truth behind the death of Barry's mother. The revelation that he can subconsciously remember timelines that time travel erased directly opened a door to his (eventually taken on) identity of Vibe from the comics.
On the flip side you have Catlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) whom, thanks to a glimpse of the future, we got to see as her villainous alter ego of Killer Frost. While she continued her role as caregiver to Barry when injured, the show steered away from having her fall for him, instead bring in her supposedly dead fiancé Ronnie (Robbie Amell), who was still alive, as his comic book alter ego Firestorm. She was also the most resistant of the S.T.A.R. Labs team to the idea that Wells was really the Reverse Flash.
Iris West (Candice Patton) suffered most of the season from being more of a plot motivation, for Barry, than an actual character. For the first two thirds of the season, she was defined by her relationships with Barry, her father Joe, and her boyfriend Eddie. It was only towards the end of the season, when she learned that Barry is the Flash, that she started coming out of that and showing signs of being an actual character. Hopefully in the next season they can build on that and give her some more defining characteristics.
Speaking of Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett), for starting out as a bit of a cliché (romantic rival for Barry) he turned out to have an interesting arc. Half way through the season Barry and Joe let him in on Barry's secret so that he could help with the investigation of Wells. Eddie was not happy that they insisted on keeping it from Iris. But he turned out to be a stanch ally and a tragic hero when he learned that he was the Reverse Flash's ancestor, and that his romance with Iris was doomed to fail. His arc ended in a heroic manner and I, for one, am disappointed we will not be seeing more of him in season 2.
There were some notable guest and reoccurring characters that warrant mentioning.
Besides Ronnie, you had Professor Stein (Victor Garber) the other half of Firestorm. Garber is a great actor and brought both fun and gravitas to Stein. I look forward to seeing more of him both on the Flash, and in the mid-season spin off Legends of Tomorrow.
John Wesley Shipp, as Barry's father Henry, was also a great part of the show. Although initially just a bit of stunt casting (Shipp played Barry in the 90's Flash series), he did an excellent portrayal of a man accepting the bad hand he was dealt and just being happy his son was doing well. He made the pride Henry felt upon realizing that Barry was the Flash radiate.
And of course there was the other great nod to the old series of having Mark Hamill as the Trickster (the character he played on the 90s series, as well as doing the voice on the Justice League cartoon). Hamill is a fantastic actor and I hope we get more of him in the future.
In the end, I give the first season of the Flash an A+. It is the best comic book series ever and we can only hope that others learn from its example.
Posted in Article, Review	| Tagged CW, DC Entertainment, Grant Gustin, The Flash, Tom Cavanagh, TV Show	| Leave a reply
Review: Gotham Season 1
With the second season premiere of Gotham just around the corner, I want to take this time to do my season wrap up review of the first season. If you want to check out my review of the first few episodes of the season you can go here.
So did the season improve as it went along?
The problem that plagued Gotham (from the beginning) was its uneven mix of good, passible, and bad elements. As the season progressed the good elements got better, the passible elements improved, and the bad parts generally got worse.
Last time I started with the good, so this time lets lead with the bad.
From the beginning, Gotham's biggest problem was that it did not know what to do with its female characters. None fared worse than Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith); as an original character, Fish had no predestined arc. This would not have been a problem, but most of her story was always a tonal shift from the rest of the show and would bring everything to a screeching halt. It got worse as the season went on, with a truly awful arc that took her out of Gotham and had nothing to do with the rest of the show. It was literally a waste of screen time. In the final episode of the season she met up with Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and made the young girl part of her new gang. Since Fish was played like a version of Eartha Kitt's Catwoman, if she had been played as a mentor to Selina early on, that would have made sense, be here it was too little too late. Fortunately, Fish was killed off in the finale, which can only help the next season.
The only complete waste of potential was Gordon's fiancée Barbara Keen (Erin Richards). At first Barbara was just a bland girlfriend for Gordon, with the only tension that she had previously dated Rene Montoya (Victoria Cartagena), who wanted her back, causing friction between Montoya and Gordon. After that was resolved, Barbara left Gotham after getting caught in the crossfire of Gordon's crusade against the corruption in Gotham. After a bad visit with her parents, she came home, took in Selina (and her friend Ivy), and generally showed signs of not being all that stable. Her season story ends with her actually going insane and becoming a murderer. I don't mind that they are departing from her comic book depiction, I mind that her arc was so badly written.
As for Montoya, right after Barbara leaves town we never see her or her partner, Crispus Allen, (Andrew Stewart-Jones) again.
On the plus side, the show added Firefly vet Morena Baccarin as Dr. Leslie Thompkins. In the comics, Leslie was a college friend of Thomas Wayne and one of the few people to know Bruce Wayne is Batman as she was the closest thing he had to a maternal figure in his life. Here she is introduced as Jim Gordon's new girlfriend and the new city corner, after a bad stint on the Arkham Asylum staff. While she doesn't have a great arc of her own yet, she makes a good compliment to Gordon as she actively wants to help Gordon and understands what he is fighting for.
One character I did not really touch on the first time was Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), the future Riddler. At that time he was a walk-on character who provided exposition and would insist on making it a riddle to remind us how he ends up. His character ended up getting more of an arc when they had him develop a crush on a fellow staff member at the GCPD and kill her abusive cop boyfriend. The problem is that his parts of the story feel shoehorned in.
Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) had his arc improve as the season went on. A lot of that was thanks to having Bruce and Selina meet, as she was the only witness to his parents' murder. This actually helped both characters as it gave both important interactions and set a lot of foreshadowing to their future selves. It also had romantic tension, which was handled well considering we are talking about two fourteen year olds. Bruce's scenes were also helped by the presence of Sean Pertwee as Alfred. Pertwee continues to be one of the best things about the show and is arguably the best on-screen Alfred ever.
One of the best interactions that Alfred had were scenes with Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock. Not surprising, as Logue is another of the big reasons to keep watching the show. Harvey's arc the entire season has been one of the corrupt cop having his former idealism reawakened. Logue plays the conflict perfectly and is always a treat when he is on-screen.
Since we are talking about the best things on the show, we might as well talk about Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). The Penguin's story was easily the most engaging as he was always actively working towards something. In this case that something was taking out all the Gotham city mob bosses and leaving himself on top. Taylor did an amazing job with the role, which was also the best written of the whole cast.
And that takes us to our star Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie). I will say this, since I wrote the first review Gordon became less passive and started to truly drive for change in how the GCPD operated. So he is definitely more interesting now, especially with his relationship with Thompkins. Sadly he is stuck with a characterization that is just going to pale in comparison to the presence of Bullock, Penguin, and Alfred.
In the end, I am giving the full first season of Gotham a C+. As I said the first time, it is going to drive the long time Batman fans up the wall with its handling of the characters and story arcs. It probably does better with non-comic fans who are not as invested in the mythos, but even they still have to deal with the uneven mix of good and bad performances, writing, and characters.
Posted in Article, Review	| Tagged Batman, Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Gotham, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee	| Leave a reply
The State of Geek Culture
Posted on March 2, 2015 by Caliban
It's March, and we are now weeks away from the beginning of Convention season.
I know that conventions actually go on year-round, but March is often considered the kick-off of convention season with Emerald City Comicon at the end of March and going through New York Comic Con at the beginning of October.
Already, I hear the laments of cosplayers trying to get their costumes done in time. I hear fans complaining that San Diego Comic Con sold out in under an hour, again. I have friends doing panels at conventions who are stressing about what they are going to say. I had one person explain to me how the Gen Con Hotel lottery system is broken and how he wrote a program to fix it, if they would just respond to him.
All in all, pretty normal stuff.
But this year feels different.
There has been a lot of stress lately in geek culture and, with convention season almost here, people have to deal with what is happening in person instead of just online. The concerns about harassment, and even violence, have a lot of people on edge.
Most of what is going on is not new. I have been covering it here for the last few years. A lot of the old factors are still at play: misogyny, gatekeeping, fear mongering, and privilege. What has changed is the level of focus.
It would be easy to say that this is all Gamergate's fault, but that would be over simplifying the situation. Gamergate is not the cause of what is happening, it has simply provided a rally point for the problematic aspects of geek culture. The old triggers are still at the heart of what is going on, but what has caused things to go ballistic is actually the fact that things have been improving.
Last year we saw several conventions adopt harassment policies that were well worded and comprehensive enough to actually be effective. You have also seen women, minorities, and LGBT come forth and demand representation and a safe place to be geeks with the rest of us. You've seen the industries that fuel geek culture start to respond positively to these segments of their audience.
Sadly, for many people, strides made by others are seen not as an expansion of geek culture but as a threat to them. It's as if even though 95% of everything is still being about them, they begrudge the other 5%.
Thus, we have the atmosphere of fear that now pervades geek culture. The old guard fear that they are losing something, and they use fear to try to drive off those they see as interlopers. And with the escalation of threats, there is a legitimate fear of violence.
But as awful as Gamergate is, it also has a silver lining.
Yes, there are people being driven off, or deciding never to join in geek culture due to this, but others are being galvanized. People who might have just been going along have become activists to show that the harassers are a vocal minority and not representative of our culture.
The escalation of harassment is terrible, but it has caused wider exposure to it, resulting in more discussion on how to deal with it. It has also led to more mainstream media attention, which helps.
I am not saying it is all rainbows and kittens. I know several people who have been targeted. One had to find a new bank, due to repeated hacking attempts at her account. Another deleted her twitter history after receiving a Gamergate education post, so that she could remove any potential information about her daughter.
As a white heterosexual cis male, I doubt I can even begin to imagine what it is like to be a woman, minority, or LGBT on the internet.
I also do not expect any of this to just go away. I have been writing about it since 2012 and I expect I will still be writing about it, on some level, in 2020.
But as long as we still talk about it, and make sure we as a culture strive to be better, I can have hope for the future.
Until then I am still going to several conventions this year, and plan to do my part to make sure they are safe and inviting events for everyone there.
Posted in Article, Conventions, Industry	| Tagged Conventions, Emerald City Comicon, gamergate, Geek Culture, Gen Con, Harassment, misogyny	| 1 Reply
The Legacy of Continuity in Comics
Posted on January 26, 2015 by Caliban
Continuity in comics is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it allows the creation of a complex universe of interrelated characters and epic storytelling; on the other hand, it means that new readers may not fully understand aspects of a story that has years of background across many titles feeding into it. And in modern comic continuity we have to deal with canon, with some older stories having been removed from continuity.
Before looking at why this is relevant right now, I want to cover a bit of history. Continuity in comics is hardly new. In the early 1940s, Timely comics had its hero (the Human Torch) battle its anti-hero (the Sub-Mariner), each of whom had their own ongoing series. At the same time, DC comics had several of its heroes team up as the Justice Society of America. Almost every comic company had team ups with its various characters. Back in these early days keeping track of continuity wasn't a priority, so there were often inconsistencies resulting from these stories and they rarely had any lasting impact on the character's individual titles. This wasn't a big deal, especially with the waning of superhero comics in the years post World War II.
But it became a very big deal after the birth of the Silver Age of comics in 1956, with DC comics introducing new versions of their characters with different origins and identities. This meant, at the time, that the Golden Age stories were no longer part of the DC continuity. And then DC decided to up the ante by introducing the concept of a multiverse, in 1961, with the story Flash of Two Worlds where the Golden age Flash met the Silver Age Flash who had accidently entered the first Flash's reality. Suddenly, you had the potential for stories for characters from both eras. These led to dividing up which stories belonged on Earth 1 (The Silver Age Earth) and Earth 2 (The Golden Age Earth). In general this was easy as anything prior to 1956 belonging to Earth 2. But the wrinkle was that there were a few characters that were the same across both Earths as they were the handful that had never gone out of publication, those being Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. In general the 1956 cut off was used for them as well, with the idea that some stories counted for both, without a lot of concern as to what those were.
Over the years stories were told that on some level clarified the histories, but nothing was comprehensive. Another factor that played into the continuity issue was the static nature of the characters. Most superheroes were presented as being in their mid to late twenties. That meant that in the 1960s you had Superman stories where he met President Kennedy. Years later there would be a Superboy story, back when they were all flashback stories of Superman's youth, where he met President Kennedy. Things of that nature were usually just hand-waved. In fact, the only characters that aged at all were the teens. Spider-man was introduced as a high school student in 1962. Flash forward to the mid-1980s and he was a college student. Similar aging happened to Robin and Kid Flash over at DC. But that was it for character aging. If there was an update to a character, it was usually handled as a reveal of previously unknown information.
One of the best known of this type was in 1984, when Alan Moore wrote the Swamp Thing Story Anatomy Lesson where he revealed that Swamp Thing was not Alec Holland, a scientist transformed into a plant monster, but instead a plant creature that had absorbed memories from Holland's corpse as part of its creation. The story was ground breaking, and is still considered the best example of a soft reboot, where the previous continuity is not altered in any way.
In 1985 DC released the ground breaking 12 issue series Crisis on Infinite Earths, which was the first full out reboot of a comic book's continuity. In it DC merged Earth 1 and Earth 2, as well as other alternate Earths that contained characters DC had purchased from other companies (such as Fawcett and Charleston) creating a single Earth with one history. The stated purpose was to make a cohesive history and create an easy entry point for new readers who were being drawn in by books like Swamp Thing and The Dark Knight Returns.
Over all Crisis was a success, but there were some snafus in the backstories of some characters (especially Hawkman and Donna Troy) that led to several rewrites, which in Donna's case were ok, and in Hawkman's case just made things worse. Eventually DC had two different series that tried to do patching rewrites to clear these issues up, Zero Hour, and Infinite Crisis. Both had mixed success at best.
Over at Marvel they decided not to go the full reboot route, stating that they had gotten their universe right the first time. Not that they didn't like to play with the continuity idea. They have a series, which has come and gone a few times, called What IF. In it the Watcher looks at different universes in which the Marvel characters have made different choices; it's basically a chance to look at stories Marvel wrote in the past to see what would have happened, had they gone down a different path.
On a more official level they tried some different routes to make clean entry continuities for new readers. The first of these was the poorly received Heroes Reborn, where the Avengers were sent to a new Universe where their histories were rewritten (the basic idea was sound, it was just really badly written – where all the stereotypes of bad 90s comics writing got codified).
A few years after that failed experiment Marvel created the Ultimate Universe. This was a separate continuity from the main Marvel Universe that allowed them to do new stories for the Marvel heroes without the baggage of the old continuity. Overall this was a success, as the old universe was also still going on so the fans didn't feel a sense of loss and could enjoy the new stories as their own thing. Part of the significance of the Ultimate Universe is that years later, when Marvel studios came into being and created the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they cherry picked the best elements of both the old Universe and the Ultimate Universe to make their stories.
As for the movies, a lot of people attribute the MCU success to that fact that it has continuity between all of its films, just like the comics. Some say it is a throw-back to the old movie serials. This has led other studios to try and create their own mega-franchises, such as Universal attempting new Universal Monster movies with this type of continuity.
But not all was well with Marvel continuity. Marvel was not above tweaking characters with various soft reboots. None are more infamous then the reboot of Spider-man's continuity in the story One More Day, where Peter made a deal with a demon to save Aunt May, but at the cost of having his marriage erased from history; this remains a hot button topic for many fans.
In more recent years DC did another reboot (which I have written about a lot) called Flashpoint which lead to The New 52. Here I will simply reiterate that it was a hastily thrown together reboot designed as a means to drawn attention to DC comics (who were getting crushed in sales by Marvel). It has been a complete mess and divided fans nearly as bad as Heroes Reborn did.
And that leads us to now.
Both DC and Marvel have events going on that are pulling deep on their continuities. Over at DC is Convergence. This is a two month event that will be replacing DC's entire line of comics for its duration, that will cover the gap created by DC moving their staff and offices from New York to California. It will feature characters from different DC continuities, such as the pre-Flashpoint universe and DC's various Elseworlds (their answer to What If). This has fans wondering if this will lead to a more permanent return of the pre-Flashpoint universe, which fans have been asking for since it became clear that The New 52 was a mess. Marvel is doing an event called Secret Wars nameds after an event they had in the 1980s. This series has apparently been in the works for three years and will apparently lead to a new Marvel continuity that combines the old Marvel Universe with the Ultimate Universe (remember how I said that the Cinematic Universe was a combination of the two). There is a lot of speculation that this is an attempt to bring the comics more in line with the movies, and therefore an easier entry point for fans who are picking up the comics because of the movies. There is also hope that it will clear up missteps such as One More Day.
No matter which way you slice it, continuity is a big deal in comics, and will fuel fan debate in all corners of comic culture.
Posted in Article	| Tagged comics, Continuity, Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC comics, Marvel Comics, Mavel Cinematic Universe, New 52, Secret Wars	| Leave a reply


All the hues of the rainbow shine out of this spray of many colors. Lilies, statice, gladioli, heather, carnations and fuji mums come together in gorgeous symphony. Overall height approx 72", floral display approx 45" x 28"