text:
God, a guitar, a grave. At Christmas.
For the past three years, I've been conducting funeral services for folk who, for one reason or another, don't want any of the churches or their representatives involved in saying goodbye to their loved ones.
I'm not an official Humanist 'celebrant' ( I hate that word; I'm not that crazy about 'Humanist' either) and I'm happy to include religious content. Or to provide a completely secular service. My aim is to meet the needs of those mourning their loved one, to provide whatever will help in the grieving process. I've written about how this all began elsewhere but so far, over I think nearly 80 funerals, there has been uncompromising Marxism, Theravada Buddhism, some Star Wars, open-minded agnosticism, and Christianity in most of its manifestations. To a greater or lesser extent.
Anyway, in the run-up to Christmas two things happened. I conducted a graveside service on one of the most beautiful mornings of the Shetland winter, in one of the most lovely, remote cemeteries. I had been asked to pray, in public. So I did. And then, I found myself playing guitar for the choir at the Hillswick Kirk's Watchnight service.
A few of you will know that I'm not exactly a stranger to either prayer or playing the guitar in church, though that period of my life ended in the 1980s. Some may find it very hard to, well, believe. An obsession with guitars has continued, however, and as I stood among the Advent candles, picking at the latest guitar in my collection (a cheap Vintage VE660, if anyone cares...and of course, you should) I found myself remembering the first time I ever played the guitar in public, at Bethany Hall in Troon, almost exactly 50 years ago.
As for public prayers, the deal in the Brethren (Christian, Gospel Halls, not necessarily Plymouth-related in west central Scotland) was that they should always be extemporary. And I was never that good at making things up as I went along...until I'd had a lot of practice.
These verses were both written on an iPhone in the early hours of the morning:
On hearing myself praying beside an open grave at Christmas
There's nothing very odd
In thinking there might be a God
Or a first cause behind creation
it doesn't take much imagination
Or mean you need even a smidgeon
Of badly organised religion
With a promise of eternal glories.
You can still enjoy the stories,
The language and the architecture.
You don't have to accept conjecture
Or control. Or fear and dread
Of what might happen when you're dead.
It's possible to be a deist
Without the trouble being a theist
Always involves. There's too much grief
Comes with the baggage of belief,
That endless hope of revelation
Which always ends up in frustration.
No voice of guidance from above
Can contradict the care, the love
The fragile heart, community
Humanity. Divinity.
So on this still and sunlit day
I stand beside a grave and pray
With others. Together we trace
The silent, healing truth of grace.
A Guitar for Christmas
A wall of sound:
My dad's Elizabethan tape recorder
Volume at 11
An Eko archtop, Hoyer pick-up
The first electrified guitar
In any Ayrshire gospel hall
Now I play, gently,
Counting down to Christmas
With the Kirk choir
All acoustic, chords familiar
From half a century ago
Too many guitars to count
Since that first public strumming
Gibsons, Martins, Fenders
Costly as cars, encased, carried
From Texas to Bavaria
Even as far as Fife
Loud as war in churches
Drowned by conversation
In indifferent pubs and clubs
This steel-strung Chinese flat-top
Cheap as chips
Rings out like a bell.
Copyright Tom Morton 2019.
Labels: Church, Funerals, God, graves, Guitars
Season's greetings...
A Hillswick Christmas. Season's greetings.
For anyone interested, this is acrylic and pastel on a professional print made from a picture taken on an iPhone 7 through an old Brownie TLR Reflex! Then sandpapered.
Right, off to practise all those crazy chord changes on Hark The Herald Angels Sing while eating more of @marthamorton 's mince pies. Not easy when you add Dailuaine to the mix...
Let's get through this with as little damage as possible.
The Tory Midge
From the (out of print) book Beatcrofting.
The Reluctant Scessionist
I think I'll vote for Tom.
Helpful tips for Airbnb guests from an occasionally aggrieved host (Warning - may cause offence)
1 - You are not obliged to use every clean towel in the building. Especially if it's just you and you're only staying two nights
2 - Checkout is 10am for a reason. It's so we can clean the apartment, change linen and wash and dry 27 used towels before the next folk arrive at 3.00pm. So, no, "we assumed it was noon" isn't good enough. Similarly, arriving at 10.30am and expecting to move in immediately is not going to work. See above.
3 - Towels again. They are not a substitute for toilet paper.
4 - I'm sorry you felt the need to remove and wash every plate, pan, knife, fork and cup (100 objects of kitchenalia) as they 'did not meet your standards of cleanliness.' They were all autoclaved before you arrived.
5 - The description and pictures in the listing are accurate. You didn't read or look properly though, did you?
6 - I'm glad you enjoyed swimming in the sea and walking around in your bare feet. Vacuuming the sand and grit left in the flat would have been appreciated. But thanks for adding to the coastal atmosphere.
7 - Bed linen. That cupboard contains sheets and duvet covers for the next guests. You don't need to change the bedclothes nightly.
8 - Do not try to cook salmon in the dishwasher.
9 - Do not leave the mackerel you caught that first day in the fridge as a gift for us when you leave.
10 - I apologise for the weather but possibly you should have done some research
11 - I'm sorry about the 'humidity' in the flat. See above re weather
12 - That curry you made still smells...interesting. No need to send the recipe. I don't like whelks.
13 - There's a list of instructions regarding recycling and rubbish disposal. Do not sneak into the neighbour's garden at night to use their bins. I know those dogs are unexpectedly large and move quickly.
14 - Glass and can recycling is down the road about 100 metres. Do you recommend Buckfast and Relentless as a tonic in such quantities? I prefer Sanatogen and Lucozade.
15 - The toilet. It has now been unblocked.
16 - The shower. The drain has now been unblocked. The hair has been carefully dried and is being sold to a wig maker.
17 - Kitchen knives. I'm sorry you felt they were 'too sharp'. This is because they are knives.
18 - I'm sorry you didn't see any otters. They were around. I saw one stealing the chicken carcass you left on the beach 'for the birds'.
19 - I'm so glad you liked that bottom bed sheet enough to steal it, or do whatever it is you've done with it.
20 - Thank you for downloading so much unidentifiable 'dark web' material on the free WiFi that it has now stopped working and we've had a visit from the police.
21 - I hope you enjoyed Shetland. I understand Peterhead is interesting in winter and the accommodation commodious and well supervised.
22 - It would be helpful if we could identify those marks on the ceiling. The health authorities have been alerted.
Copyright Tom Morton 2019
Food Memory betrayed: Jacob's Club, ruined by the French, reclaimed by the Irish
Food memory. It's a funny thing, our ability to recall the shape, texture and taste of particular foods. Childhood taste experiences not only resonate down the years, but influence our adult food choices. We seek out the morsels which recreate past, innocent pleasures.
And sometimes, food memory deceives. Of late I've been eating Jacob's Club Orange biscuits reasonably often, for one simple reason: my wife hates them, and so does my daughter, who was home for the summer. Therefore I could guarantee a secure supply of sweetmeats was lurking in the fridge when I came in from my daily grind of mild dogwalking, in need of a snacky sugar rush.
Memory played its part, of course. Club biscuits were as near a chocolate bar, a proper sweet, as you could get when I was a child in the 1960s, and cheaper than a Mars or a Crunchie.
But I've gradually become aware that the Club Biscuit is different these days. I always recall it as squat, brick-like, very chocolatey, very crunchy. It still has a hint of that that, but it has definitely slimmed down. It's thinner, there's less chocolate. I didn't realise the reasons for that, or that the Club is mired in fear, loathing, hatred, anti-French sentiment, anti- (and pro-) Irish sentiment.
It all starts in Ireland, where, just prior to World War One, WR Jacob started producing the 'Club Milk' biscuit from a tiny bakery in Waterford. They quickly moved to Dublin and grew. It was a classic format: two biscuits, sandwiching cocoa cream, surrounded by thick layer of milk chocolate, wrapped in foil and then a slip wrap of paper. Within a year it was being made and marketed in the UK, from the company's Liverpool factory. By the 1920s, the UK and Irish branches were operating separately.
The range expanded (orange, fruit, mint, plain, even a honeycomb version ) and became hugely popular in the UK, until in 1970 the Irish and British divisions of Jacobs were separated. If you're old enough you may still remember the 'playing card' packaging used for the original biscuit, which provided the name 'Club' in the first place.
'If you want a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club." The jingle was everywhere and there WAS a lot of chocolate on a Club. You could nibble it off leaving the biscuit layers shorn and naked. Oh, and despite many west of Scotland jokes, Orange Clubs had and have no sectarian connotations.
Disaster struck in the mid 1990s when French firm Danone bought both the Irish and British branches of Jacobs. They changed everything: The packaging (no foil, no paper, just cellophane) and the recipe. One biscuit, less cocoa cream, a different, thinner layer of 'chocolate-based coating'. There was outrage. Sacre Bleu!
In 2004 things got complicated. Danone sold the UK arm of Jacobs to United Biscuits who reinstated the packaging but left the skinflint French single-biscuit recipe intact. The Irish arm was sold to the Fruitfield Group, and Jacob Fruitfield Foods was formed, who are now marketing the original Jacob's Milk Club, made exactly according to its full-thickness, double-biscuit, real chocolate recipe. There are stories of legal action in Ireland to stop cheaper (and inferior) biscuits being imported. And Jacobs in the UK are apparently in frequent legal 'communication' with Jacob Fruitfield over the use of the name on a number of other lines (like Cream Crackers, for instance; you can see how confusion could arise). Then in 2014 United Biscuits was acquired by Turkish group Yildiz for a reported £2bn and is run by a division of the business called Pladis, whose other brands include McVitie's. Last year (2018) there were reports that the Jacobs biscuit factory was for sale.
As for availability of the 'Original Milk Club' in the UK, I know nothing, though I am hoping to source some next month during a trip 'across the water'. No double wrapping, though, if the pictures are anything to go by.
In 2008, the massive old Jacob's factory in Tallaght, Ireland, closed, although biscuits are still being made elsewhere. As for Jacobs in the UK, I have my Orange Club, and I quite like them. The thing is, before researching this piece, I had no yearning for the old, higher, double-sandwich, real chocolate pre-Danone version. My food memory had been traduced.
Now I want them back. Now I remember.
A wee political domestic...
It seems nobody loves me
But you and the SNP
I know you're quite particular
But I'm not sure about Nicola
Our relationship was full of promise
But in her e-mails she calls me 'Thomas'
She never uses 'Tom' or 'Tommy'
She's always wanting money from me
Her or that Peter Murrell
I'm not inclined to quarrel
But they don't seem to remember
It's six months since I was a member
At least you know how to say my name
And married life is pretty much the same
I cook your breakfast, lunch and tea
Although politically we disagree
About the basics of independence
We both hate the binary nature of referendums
(Although some say the plural's 'referenda')
I detest everything about Eastenders
You never miss a single show
But there's one thing we both know
One unifying truth we've been absorbed in
Neither of us can abide Jeremy Corbyn
That romantic, 1970s pseudo-Marxist
That deluded, arrogant narcissist
Who'll destroy the Labour Party, given time
I don't know why you've not resigned
But where would you go then?
You ask how I can defend
The posturing hypocrisy
Of the governing SNP
Navigating a road to ruin
When there's so much they could be doing?
Truth is, I'm no starry-eyed student
And I wouldn't.
As for the Greens and the Lib Dems
No-one gives two Tweets about them
And their fantasies of power and glory
Don't even mention the Tories
Who - some of my best friends fear -
Could be in power for the next 15 years
In thrall to the far right
Led by a suppurating bucket of Etonian shite
Oh, it's a crisis, all right; but let's not make it a domestic drama
We both like Homes under the Hammer
And though, largely, I favour secession
We need to wait for a proper recession
When London house prices start falling
And the Trotskyist Hampsteaders start calling
Estate agents in Wick
Saying: 'Buy me a shooting lodge, quick'
And Dion Dublin's advice
Is that Thurso is nice
I know, I know. It's a fantasy
Fuelled by daytime TV
So let's not argue, please
Have some more toast and cheese
Crowdie for me, and Cheddar for you
Camembert or Rauchkässe would do
Cambozolo, Weisslager,
Queso Cabrales or Limburger
Manchego, Roquefort, or Mimolette
At least Brexit hasn't happened
Trowie tragedy. Wind farm proposals blamed
(With thanks to Rev Couth Rivvens (retd) for this contribution)
As can be seen from the photographs which accompany this instalment of North Notes, disaster has struck the burgeoning community of trowies just off the main A970 near the Heights of Olnesfirth. It is understood a combination of the recent northerly breezes and marauding sheep have caused some of the trow offspring to come to grief, either through being wedged in crevasses, or simply falling over and being unable to rise from their prone positions. One trow has complete lost his (or her – it is difficult to ascertain gender among trows) hair.
The invisible presence of trows in the empty hill land between the Flossy Loch and the Burn of Eela Water has been an accepted fact for many generations, but their more public advent in recent times is thought to be connected with the prophecies of the 18th century hermit known as the Shunn of Sheenabrek. He it was who warned, in a statement made while he was being forcibly removed from a Christmas service at the old Hillswick Kirk, of 'a great advent of whirling wheels in the sky over Hamargrind Scord', which is now thought to be a reference to the impending Contracts for Difference auction regarding the Viking Energy windfarm at the Lang Kames.
The Shunn also said, as he was submerged in the sea off the West Ayre by Kirk minister Rev Humpff Bailliwick in an effort to shut him up, that 'the Trows of Flossy will stand guard against wind farm developments anywhere in Eshaness', a statement little understood at the time by those watching. However, the appearance of, initially, a mother and father trow and what is clearly a flourishing offspring, followed by perhaps a dozen much smaller creatures (known as 'micro-peerie trowies', and once extremely common in North Roe) has caused much conjecture locally as to the relationship between windpower developments and the trowie population, so long well-nigh dormant, except in Bressay.
Suggestions that electric fencing and windbreaks be erected to prevent sheep causing further alarm, despondency and injury to the trow population have been vetoed by locals, concerned at the possible effect on the many tourists who stop to photograph and occasionally bend the knee in trowie-worship.
A proposal for grant funding to carry out a consultation on possible trow-protection measures is understood to be on its way to the SIC, and meanwhile, anyone passing is urged to stop and rescue any fallen or wedged trows. An application for retrospective planning permission to site what is called 'suitable trow accommodation' nearby has been with the SIC Planning Department for, it is said, over 20 years.
There are no plans for any major windfarm developments in Eshaness. Yet. Though it is understood some steps have been taken.
Seven Waves - the finished installation
From now until September, the 'Seven Waves' installation by Erlend Brown and Dave Jackson is open to the public at St Clement's Church, Rodel on the Isle of Harris. See posts below for details.
Based on the the cycle of poems by George Mackay Brown called Tryst in Egilsay, which have been specially translated into Gaelic for this project, the spectacular sails painted by Dave and Erlend meditate on the tragic - and inspiring - events on Egilsay, which saw the martyrdom of the Earl who would become Saint Magnus.
Seven Waves was opened on 1 June by Jane Ryder, chair of Historic Environment Scotland, the organisation which manages St Clement's.
All photographs by Lea Schuetz-Cohen
Labels: art, Church, Dave Jackson, Erlen Brown, George Mackay Brown, Harris, Hebrides, HES, Historic Environment Scotland, Jane Ryder, Rodel, St Magnus
First pictures of 'Seven Waves' installation at St Clement's, Rodel, Harris
'Seven Waves' opens at St Clement's Church, Rodel, Harris, on Saturday 1 June, and will be there until September. The huge 'sails' painted by Dave Jackson and Erlend Brown to interpret George Mackay Brown's poem-cycle 'Tryst on Egilsay', about St Magnus, Earl Haakon and the murder of Magnus offer a breathtaking counterpoint to the stunning medieval architecture of this ancient Hebridean kirk. All photographs by Lea Schuetz-Cohen.
A write-up on the project is in the latest Orkney News.
St Magnus sails into the Western Isles
Wave One: Earl Haakon, by Dave Jackson
One of Europe's greatest martyred peacemakers celebrated in Harris.
'Seven Waves' is the first major art installation at historic St Clement's, Rodel.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) welcome art collaboration "of international importance"
George Mackay Brown's 'Tryst on Egilsay' translated into Gaelic
Interpreted by artists Dave Jackson and Erlend Brown – George Mackay Brown's nephew
Opening 1 June by Jane Ryder OBE, Chair of HES
Wave Six: The Men of Egilsay by Erlend Brown
The links connecting Orkney, the Western Isles and Scandinavia will be celebrated this summer in a major contemporary art installation at St Clement's Church in Rodel, Harris – managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and recognised as the finest medieval building in the Hebrides.
Dave Jackson and Erlend Brown's Seven Waves is an interpretation on a spectacular scale of George Mackay Brown's cycle of poems 'Tryst on Egilsay'. It's the story of how, nine centuries ago, the devoutly Christian Earl Magnus Erlendsson, joint ruler of Orkney and Shetland with his cousin Earl Haakon, under Norwegian oversight, was betrayed and murdered on the island of Egilsay, ushering in an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity in Northern Europe.
Each poem, in English and translated for the first time into Gaelic by Ruairidh MacLean, is matched with a huge hanging canvas 'wave' suspended from the St Clement's roof.
George Mackay Brown called the martyrdom of Magnus 'the most precious event in Orkney's history' and Seven Waves makes explicit the Western Isles – and Scotland's – Scandinavian heritage.
Ruairidh MacLean:
"Old Norse and Gaelic interacted a lot, especially in the Western isles. A very high proportion of the place names in the Western Isles are actually Norse."
Dave Jackson:
"Erlend and myself have interpreted George Mackay Brown's beautiful and insightful poetry in a way which conveys both the haunting physical landscape of Egilsay and the huge political and metaphysical power of what happened there. St Magnus's martyrdom and his search for peace in a viciously warlike world has resonated down the ages and is as powerful a symbol today as it ever was."
Being able to mount the exhibition in St Clement's was both a thrill and an immense privilege, Dave said
"This is a building of worldwide historical importance and enormous spiritual and emotional power. Erlend and I really hope our art and the poems about one of Europe's greatest religious and political martyrs is both appropriate and inspiring in this context. It is a real privilege to be here and tremendously exciting."
Erlend Brown said his uncle would have been happy with the project:
"George would have been pleased with the translation of his poems into Gaelic as his mother (born Mhairi Mackay) was a Gaelic speaker from Sutherland and she was a strong influences as he grew up."
Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager for HES, said the organisation was delighted to be involved in the project.
"It's wonderful to have been able to bring this truly extraordinary art installation to Harris, and to be able to stage it in such a historic and atmospheric space has really created a special experience. We have worked closely with Dave and Erlend and believe that Seven Waves complements St Clement's architecture and spirit, as well as bringing together aspects of Gaelic, North isles and Norse culture in an effective and moving way."
Seven Waves is open to the public from 1 June until 1 September.
The official opening of Seven Waves is on Saturday 1 June, 6.45 for 7.00pm, St Clement's Church, Rodel, Isle of Harris, HS5 3TW.
Part of an earlier installation of Seven Waves at Birsay in Orkney
Helpful tips for Airbnb guests from an occasionall...
Food Memory betrayed: Jacob's Club, ruined by the ...
First pictures of 'Seven Waves' installation at St...


so fine — such skin, such a waist, a really tiny waist!
her fingers flap their exclaimings — she is half-seas over.
And my belly — I was beautiful; my belly, it was white, smooth, tight.
Just one baby it took to spoil it, you can't imagine.
has the boys a-shout on the back slope and keeps filling glasses.
your wife s very clever very definite. You're a lucky man.
She understands you; anybody can see it.
with people, just humanly, I've talents; they say I'm quite managing.
come on, I can see it suits you.
Menelaus and I are well-trained, we have that in common.
smiling at intervals, making small-talk with some kind of house-friend.
tools, weapons, cordage, decking, bartered for in foreign places.
her daringly innocent prime. He's past seeing it.
go about free-striding, frank in talk and enticement.


A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Nationwide President of the South East Consultative Parliament, Udo Mbu Agoha, has mentioned that the get together shouldn't be thought of a celebration within the South-East if the area fails to get any of the principal places of work of the Nationwide Meeting.
Agoha, a former govt Chairman of Owerri North Council and commissioner for Agriculture, Setting, Petroleum and Pure Useful resource acknowledged this in an interview with the Solar, including that former Abia governor, Orji Uzor Kalu needs to be expressly picked because the Deputy Senate President.
He mentioned, "Who zoned it? And if that's the case it may be re-zoned to the South East and because it was performed with out us I don't assume it's correct.
"I believe if the get together actually needs the zone to assist the APC, I believe conceding the place to the South East is just not an excessive amount of.
"But when they assume that they can not re-zone it then Orji Kalu needs to be expressly thought of for the Deputy Senate President.
"If the South East doesn't get any of the principal officer's positions, then rely APC as a lifeless get together within the South East.
"We've sturdy leaders of the get together within the zone like Orji Kalu and different outstanding individuals however it's not a assure that the APC goes to outlive as a result of these sturdy get together chieftains won't have any marketing campaign level to retain the individuals in APC in 2023.
"So, one thing should come to us with which we will use to influence the individuals to not desert the get together that one thing good is coming.


On Tuesday, the New York State Assembly withdrew a bill intending to suppress the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel "after a chorus of educators and legal groups denounced it as a bold assault on academic freedom," reported The New York Times.
A similar bill, passed on 28 January, targeted the American Studies Association due to its landslide vote in December to boycott Israeli academic institions. These bills, introduced by state legislators, "prohibit colleges and universities from using state aid to fund academic groups or associations that have passed resolutions or taken official actions to promote boycotts against higher education institutions in countries where the New York Board of Regents charters institutions, which includes Israel, Lebanon, the Czech Republic, and Hungary," says the American Studies Association, in a press release emailed to The Electronic Intifada.
The bill also prohibits a college or university from using state funds to pay membership dues to those associations or to reimburse travel or lodging for an employee attending any meeting of such an association.
… This legislation would impose restrictions on academic freedom, represent an assault on free speech and professional activity, and set a dangerous precedent. We join the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Lawyers Guild—New York City Chapter, and Jewish Voice for Peace in believing that, regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the ASA's specific boycott or with the use of academic boycotts in general, this legislation must be opposed.
We are especially alarmed that faculty and students at public universities and colleges across the state would bear the financial burden of this test, a de facto assault on their right to participate in their professional association. In addition, these bills, unlike the ASA boycott itself, penalize individual faculty and students who do not support the academic boycott or do not wish to take a public stand one way or another.
In December, the interim chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY) system joined the chorus of university officials in condemning the American Studies Association's vote to boycott Israeli institutions.
The free exchange of ideas is at the heart of the academic enterprise. Any effort to impede that flow is antithetical to the values that universities hold most dear.
… We take this opportunity to reaffirm our long association with Israeli scholars and universities, and we note with particular pleasure a new joint MBA program between the Zicklin School at Baruch College and the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon LeZion. The need for global cooperation has never been more urgent, and we repudiate any effort to foreclose productive dialogue.
In fact, the ASA's boycott resolution upholds and encourages academic freedom, by acknowledging that Israel's occupation and system of apartheid denies Palestinians their right to an education. Many scholars, including the British-Israeli scholar Oren Ben-Dor have argued that the academic boycott of Israel encourages academic freedom by recognizing that academic freedom should not only apply to privileged groups, but rather be extended to all, including to Palestinian students and professors who have their mobility and academics severely restricted by the Israeli occupation.
ASA's endorsement is an expression of academic freedom, whose commitments to social equality, anti-racism and anti-colonialism have been at the forefront of critical transformations in the humanities and the social sciences. Similar resolutions were passed by the Association of Asian American Studies in April, 2013 and another was recently passed by the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association in December 2013.
We note with particular pleasure a new joint MBA program between the Zicklin School at Baruch College and the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon LeZion.
At CUNY, as at other reputable institutions of higher education, academic freedom informs the entire academic community: the free exchange of ideas applies to students choosing a course of study, to faculty pursuing scholarly research and teaching, and to institutions admitting students, appointing faculty, and setting standards. A condition of mutual respect enables the existence of this many-faceted scholarly discourse.
By collaborating with the College of Management Academic Studies (COMAS), an Israeli institution directly complicit in the occupation and dispossession of Palestinians, Baruch College violates the university's statement on academic freedom while also denying and normalizing the reality of oppression Palestinians face on a daily basis. According to the college's website, COMAS offers a program of "security studies" to students who have the distinct option of involvement in the Israeli security agencies.
Furthermore, it has a "Research and Development Institute for Intelligent Robotic Systems" which, according to its own testimony "has set itself the goal of creating robot-powered applications particularly for the military and security forces." COMAS, like many Israeli academic institutions and programs, enables the continuation of military and security infrastructure of a state that is practicing forms of colonialism, occupation and apartheid.
We repudiate any effort to foreclose productive dialogue.
We encourage you to read ASA's own words on what the academic boycott of Israel entails as it may help correct some of the misinformation presented in your statement. Judith Butler perfectly answers this question in her article in The Nation.
Some people argue that the boycott cuts ties, but that what is needed is to build ties. But this formulation fails to realize that the ties the boycott movement builds are ones of solidarity in a struggle against damaged rights, occupation and dispossession, and it is these sorts of ties, not the ones that maintain the status quo, that are most important at this time.
We would like to conclude by expressing our full support to the American Studies Association, the Association of Asian American Studies and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association for honoring and endorsing the Palestinian call to boycott Israeli institutions. We are proud of those who refuse to stay silent any longer about the human rights violations in Palestine. It is truly a sign that times are changing and we are honored to be part of this movement for justice and equality for all.


text:
Q: Replace 12 MS apps with a single ASP.NET application I wonder if you could give your opinion on something I am working on right now?
 We have 12  MS Access applications that look quite similar in terms of data and functionality: each app allows 12 practices to capture data for services they provide  to patients. The practices cover physical therapy, orthotics, speech and language , social services , etc. 6 are for inpatients and 6 for outpatients.
I built a  MS SQL database to replace the 12 apps  and respective 12 databases. The model looks pretty good and I think it will scale well.
Now  I am working on designing an asp.net web forms app to replace the above 12 apps.  My dilemma is: how should I approach this challenge?
In the current version of the apps, each data entry screen looks almost the same amongst practices; there are a few cosmetic changes and fields may be laid out differently but the result is the same: allow the user to enter service codes for work performed on their patients.
So, say that for each app, we have a page called charges.aspx which will look almost the same per practice.
My question is: should i build 12 similar pages, one for each of the old apps, since the data entry is very similar? Or, maybe, generate the UI, previoulsy defined in sql using something like a template for each practice?
Any suggestions would be welcome!
Regards,
Huambo

A: Put the security and user handling code in the masterpage.
If you have a field or a block of fields that you have to re-use ( patient basic information),
make a user control with those fields on it.
Please look at jQuery to simplify the client side of your code. jQuery.UI can provide usefull control out-of-the-box!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Search The Sible Hedingham
Sible Hedingham The Web
Alderford And Hovis Mill
Written By Pauline Day
Local mills were once of importance to the farming community but sadly the post mill at Cut Maple and the brick Tower mill in Lamb lane have been demolished. However the two watermills which were once so important can still be seen.
ALDERFORD MILL.
An early reference to Alderford mill dates back to 1597 when seven Sible Hedingham men broke the floodgates, let out the water and netted 100 Roach worth 40 shillings. They were prosecuted for poaching and fined one shilling each at the quarter sessions. At this time the mill was owned by The Earls of Oxford of Hedingham Castle. For most of the 20th. Century the mill was owned by the Rawlinson family who ground flour until the Second world war and then Animal feeds. During and post war many villagers kept poultry in their gardens some for eggs and some for 'fattening' for Christmas These were generally fed on household scraps but when extra feed of corn or meal was needed 'Rawlinsons' was convenient and able to supply them. Some people became quite fond of their poultry, as did one lady in Alexandra Road who purchased a chicken from the local butcher for her family Christmas dinner having refused to allow her husband to kill a Goose she had raised for the purpose.
Alderford mill is a medium sized timber building and one of the best preserved watermills in Essex. The mill is now owned by Essex County Council, is currently undergoing restoration to its former glory by their experts and will be open to the public on the second Sunday of the month through the summer. Visit www.alderfordmill.org.uk for details.
HULL'S MILL/ HOVIS MILL/ MAPLESTEAD MILL.
Rebuilt in its present form in 1848, there has been a mill here on the river Colne for many centuries. It was generally known as Hull's Mill and during the latter half of the nineteenth century was owned by the Metson family who also owned Tower mill and Cut Maple mill. After the First world war it was bought by Hovis Ltd. who installed an engine for flour milling but still used water power for grinding corn. When it was closed down in 1957 it was one of the last country flour mills. More recently it has become known as Maplestead mill because although always considered a part of Sible Hedingham it is actually on the Great Maplestead side of the river. The mill building has been converted into a private dwelling but this attractive building and its mill pool can be seen from the public footpaths alongside the river and the road passing through.
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Frequency of meditation among adults who feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing once or twice a month by views about government aid to the poor
Frequency of meditation among adults who feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing once or twice a month by views about government aid to the poor (2014) Switch to: Views about government aid to the poor among adults who feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing once or twice a month by frequency of meditation
% of adults who feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing once or twice a month who meditate…
Views about government aid to the poor
38% 14% 9% 39% < 1% 172
Learn More: At least once a week, Once or twice a month, Several times a year, Seldom/never


The Kitchener Rangers named goalie Luke Richardson as their top playoff performer.
The team dished out their annual awards before the post-season started but had to obviously wait for this one.
Richardson started all four games in the Guelph sweep and had a 5.00 goals against average and .872 save percentage.
Not exactly stellar numbers but the four game sweep would have been much worse - score wise - without Richardson. Joseph Garreffa was the only Rangers player that had more than two points in the series (he had three).
Overage defenceman Cole Cameron has committed to the University of Guelph for next season. Cameron was an alternate captain for the Rangers this past season and one of the team's most reliable rearguards.
Sophomore blueliner Michael Vukojevic was named to Canada's training camp roster for the U18 world championships. The tourney runs April 18-28 in Sweden.
Rangers education consultant Dave Tennant is also apart of the contingent as is Waterloo native Keean Washkurak of the Mississauga Steelheads.
Kitchener has picks 12, 32 and 52 in tonight's OHL U18 draft.


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Lansing Township is a township in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,292 at the 2000 census. The largest city contained partially within the township is Austin with 23,314 people. The southern part of Austin is in Austin Township. Lansing Township also contains the town of Mapleview (population 189) and the unincorporated areas of Ramsey, Corning, and Lansing.

History
Lansing Township was organized in 1858, and named after Lansing, Michigan and as a tribute to Alanson B. Vaughan.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which   is land and   (0.28%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,292 people, 488 households, and 374 families residing in the township. The population density was .  There were 514 housing units at an average density of 15.9/sq mi (6.2/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.29% White, 0.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.62% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 488 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $39,911, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,301. About 9.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Alderson's Mill
Simon and Sophia Alderson moved to Austin in 1866 from Council Hills Station, Illinois. In 1867 Simon built a flour mill containing just one run of buhr stones on the Cedar River. It was located on Water Street, the street that is now 4th St. NE in Austin. The Hormel company bought the mill in 1915 and used it to produce Hormel Minnesota Peerless flour.  The mill burned to the ground in January, 1967.

Andyville
Andyville is an unincorporated community on U.S. Route 218, approximately three miles north of Austin.

Ramsey

Platted in 1873, Ramsey is an unincorporated community about a mile northeast of Austin near the Ramsey Golf Course. It was at the junction of two railroads and at one time a stagecoach service operated between Austin and the small community. Gregson's Mill was located on the Cedar River and Ramsey's other main attraction, "The Old Mill" restaurant, is named to honor this time in the community's past. Ramsey Golf Course lies north of Ramsey Mill Pond. A dam was built for this pond and the old mill which used to be there. The old millstone can be found embedded in the fireplace of the course's clubhouse.

Cemeteries
Lansing Cemetery is located on the northern side of the northwest quadrant of section 11 of the township. It is directly south of Mower County Highway 2. Its oldest known burial dates to 1859.

Oakwood Cemetery is located in section 34 of the township, directly across from the Holiday Inn in Austin. It is bounded on the south by Interstate 90 and on the north by the town of Mapleview. With over 10,000 burials, it is the largest cemetery in Mower County. At one time it was three separate cemeteries. The northernmost was Cedar Cemetery and the southernmost Baudler Cemetery, with Old Oakwood Cemetery between them. Many of the poems contained in Richard Eberhart's 1947 work Burr Oaks were influenced by the area around this bur oak-filled cemetery.

References

Further reading

Townships in Mower County, Minnesota
Townships in Minnesota

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Marcel Brooks Patrick Queen Lamical Perine Emory Jones Trevon Grimes Tyrion Davis-Price Van Jefferson Derek Stingley Kyle Trask Clyde Edwards-Helaire Justin Jefferson JaMarr Chase Dan Mullen Ed Orgeron Joe Burrow K'Lavon Chaisson Sports College sports College football Football
Burrow's 3 TDs lift No. 5 LSU over No. 7 Florida, 42-28.
LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22) celebrates after the team defeated Florida 42-28 in an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) passes in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Florida in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. LSU won 42-28. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) catches a pass over Florida defensive back Shawn Davis (31) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask (11) passes in the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) celebrates his interception with linebacker Jacob Phillips (6) in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Florida in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. LSU won 42-28. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) carries against LSU safety Grant Delpit (7) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates his touchdown reception with wide receiver Josh Hammond (10) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Florida in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. LSU won 42-28. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22) carries on a 57-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LSU safety Grant Delpit (7) breaks up a pass intended for Florida wide receiver Freddie Swain (16) as cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. (5) defends in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)


Our research concerns the dynamic production systems of goods and services, subject to uncertainties. We seek to develop methods to help in decision making and to ensure good performance of such systems, despite the uncertainties.
Our work involves both, the solution of generic problems by taking into account the general characteristics of given problems, and the solution of industrial problems which require developing specific tools.


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Konst och musik i Orrholmsgaraget var och är ett projekt för att förbättra miljön i ett stort parkeringsgarage på Orrholmen, Karlstad.

Under hyreshusen i Orrholmen finns ett stort garage med busshållplatser och garageytor för ett hundratal fordon. Miljön i garaget upplevdes som trist och lite skrämmande. För att förbättra miljön i garaget bildades en garagegrupp och sedan hösten 2003 har garaget fyllts med klassisk musik och konst. Under 2008 och 2009 arbetade konstnärerna Steven Jones, Monika Eliasson och Unni Brekke Widenfalk med elever från Folkuniversitetets gymnasium för att skapa ytterligare konstnärliga utsmyckningar på busshållplatserna i garaget. Projektet genomfördes i samarbete med garagegruppen, det kommunala bostadsbolaget KBAB och Karlstadsbuss.

Konst i Orrholmsgaraget

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It's Still Very, Very Hard to Make it as a Food Truck in LA
Plus a vegan Cajun restaurant in the works, and more
by Farley Elliott Dec 29, 2016, 9:00am PST
Share All sharing options for: It's Still Very, Very Hard to Make it as a Food Truck in LA
Shao Kao BBQ
Lucas Peterson
Food truck trials and tribulations
It seems to be the end of the line (at least in food truck form) for Shao Kao BBQ, the high-minded charcoal-grilling truck that parked for a while near USC. Chef/owner Luther Chen is selling off the rig over at Roaming Hunger, and says on Instagram that his days running the truck are over, though the concept could live on elsewhere.
The loss of Shao Kao pinpoints just how hard it still is to make a food truck viable in Los Angeles. If anything, following the initial boom from years ago, it's only gotten more complicated as low-overhead, low-resource trucks scour for the same customers, often in predetermined areas like weekend flea markets and festivals. Of course one could go the lonchero route and just park in the same spot night after night, hoping to catch on with a local audience, but there's no guarantee of success, stability, or an engaged fan base. In the end it's a struggle that thousands of hardworking folks must face every day — and one that you can face too, apparently, if you feel like buying the Shao Kao truck.
How much coffee is too much coffee?
There's seemingly no end to the caffeine wave crashing in Los Angeles at the moment, though it seems like at some point it's going to get harder and harder for new places to stay afloat. That hasn't kept the market from growing though, as evidenced by Melrose newcomer Basal, which is under construction just east of La Brea.
#basal #design #melroseavenue #coffeebar #espresso #losangeles
A photo posted by @basal_la on Dec 22, 2016 at 1:50pm PST
The Smoking Korean
Speaking of food trucks, here comes a new one: The Smoking Korean, a burger truck that sources their beef from northern California. Though the menu and full details are still in the works, this rig has the backing of the Revolutionario team, and is planning a launch early-ish next year.
Peking duck at Little Fatty
Got no plans for New Years? You could do worse than an evening spent inside Little Fatty in Mar Vista, dropping $25 for half a roasted Peking duck. Grab some extra dishes, a few friends, and a drink, and you've got yourself a night.
Vegan Cajun in North Hollywood
Coming next year is Cali Cajun, a down-south option making its way to Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood. The all-vegan option lands at 12906 Victory Blvd. sometime in late January, with more info to be found here.
Mainland is in the works
Looks like things are coming along at Mainland Poke in Santa Monica. The place is still in construction mode, but signage is up and neighbors are already trying to keep between the cracks to check on the status of the place.
18 Hottest Restaurants in Los Angeles, January 2022 Where to eat right now around the City of Angels
38 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles LA's definitive restaurants across an array of cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points
Marty Roberts of the Dresden's Legendary Lounge Act Marty & Elayne Has Died The 89-year-old was an LA icon and had performed in films like Swingers over the years. He is survived by partner and collaborator Elayne Roberts


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Is the Tesla-Panasonic Battery Deal in Trouble?
By Shobhit Seth
Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. (TSLA) seems to be hitting the wrong notes in all directions. Earlier, it was bad quarterly results, then it was Musk's improper reaction to analyst's question, and now there's trouble brewing with partners. (See also, Elon Musk: Famous or Infamous?)
Panasonic-Tesla Battery Production Partnership
A few Panasonic executives have reportedly expressed concerns about the new investments with Tesla in their joint battery manufacturing program, the Nikkei Asian Review reports.
The noted Japanese conglomerate and the famous American electric vehicle maker have a partnership program for battery and vehicle manufacturing. Under the deal signed in 2014, they are jointly building a vast battery production facility, called the Gigafactory One, in the U.S. state of Nevada. The facility is expected to mass produce 35 gigawatt-hours' worth of Panasonic's electric car batteries per annum that will power Tesla's electric vehicles, such as the Model 3 sedan. The joint investment by the two companies in the plant is to the tune of $5 billion, which will be spread through the year 2020.
Panasonic already exclusivly supplied battery cells for other popular Tesla cars like Model S, Model X and Model 3. Their joint venture has fended off competition, like Contemporary Amperex Technology in China and LG in South Korea.
Panasonic has already borne the investment worth $1.82 billion in the joint venture. Though it is reported to be open to further investments, it intends to "decide based on a frank assessment of the situation," an executive familiar with the matter told Nikkei Asian Review.
Along with the Nevada factory, the two companies were earlier expected to start a new factory in China that would support combined production of vehicle as well as the lithium ion battery from a single location. However, Panasonic executives told Nikkei Asian Review that plans were "not solidified yet" and "nothing is set in stone."
Tesla's Production Problems
Despite the last year's high-profile launch of the much awaited Model 3 at a modest price tag of $35,000, Tesla has suffered major challenges in ramping up production. Last month, leading investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc's (GS) research analyst David Tamberrino issued a sell recommendation citing the company's inability to meet its production target for its Model 3 car. It led to a challenging response from Musk, who responded by tweeting "Place your bets …," daring the investors to exit the stock. (For more, see Elon Musk Challenges Goldman on Negative Report.)
The earlier stated output target of 5,000 units per week has been deferred to June, and the slow pace has hit Panasonic's operating profit by 20 billion yen (around $182 million) in the recently ended fiscal year. Situation turned out to be worse for Tesla as it posted its worst-ever quarterly operating loss for the January-March period. The problem was compounded as Musk refused to entertain a question from an analyst calling "boring bonehead questions are not cool."
The reaction led to a plunge in Tesla share price, and a displeased Panasonic executive said "He's in no position to say something like that." (For more, see Is Elon Musk Making Things Worse for Tesla?)
Tesla shares were trading at $306 apiece during Friday morning pre-market hours.
Tesla Expansion Rolls On After Stock's Crash
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Musk's Tesla Stock Sale May Trigger Trading Probe
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Apple Downshifts Self-Drive Car Plans for 2026
The Story Behind Tesla's Success (TSLA)
Model 3 Production at 500 Cars/Day: Musk Email
Bottleneck
A bottleneck is a point of congestion in a production system that prevents the system from functioning at full speed.
FTX: An Overview of the Exchange and Its Collapse
FTX, once the third-largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange, is now in U.S. bankruptcy. Its founder faces criminal and civil charges and goes to trial in October.
Performing due diligence means thoroughly checking the financials of a potential financial decision. Here's how to do due diligence for individual stocks.
Who Is Bernard Arnault and What Companies Does LVMH Own?
Arnault, the wealthiest person in France and one of the wealthiest in the world, is Chair and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury conglomerate.
What Is Personal Finance, and Why Is It Important?
Personal finance is about managing your budget and how best to put your money to work to realize your financial independence and goals.
Brexit Meaning and Impact: The Truth About the UK Leaving the EU
Brexit refers to the U.K.'s withdrawal from the European Union after voting to do so in a June 2016 referendum.


New Thermo King Compressor Model S391LS R134. SOME PARTS MAY NOT BE IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING.
WE MAKE SURE TO CHECK FOR DAMAGES ON ALL OF OUR PARTS BUT SOME MAY HAVE SLIGHT COSMETIC DAMAGE WHICH IS NOTED IN THE CONDITION OF THE PART AND CAN BE SEEN IN THE PICTURES. WE WILL NOT RETURN AN ITEM CLAIMED TO BE DAMAGED IN TRANSIT WITHOUT PICTURES PROVIDED FROM THE DAY THE PACKAGE WAS SIGNED FOR. PLEASE CHECK THE DESCRIPTIONS AND PICTURES BEFORE PURCHASING TO AVOID ANY ISSUES. Powered by Solid Commerce The All-in-One Listing, Inventory & Order Management Solution.
The item "New Thermo King Compressor Model S391LS R134" is in sale since Thursday, May 18, 2017. This item is in the category "eBay Motors\Parts & Accessories\Car & Truck Parts\Engines & Components\Other".
The seller is "nationwidetransitsales" and is located in Carson, California. This item can be shipped to United States.


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A Summary and Analysis of 'The Ebony Horse' from the Arabian Nights
'The Ebony Horse' is one of the most exciting and enchanting story from the Arabian Nights, also known as the One Thousand and One Nights. Indeed, the tale is interesting because it even borders on being 'science fiction' before the genre existed. It sees a cunning inventor design an ebony horse which is capable of flying. A prince uses the horse to travel to other lands, where he falls in love with a princess.
'The Ebony Horse': plot summary
In Persia, a king named Sabur has three beautiful daughters and a handsome son named Kamar al-Akmar. On two days of the year, the king holds a special feast at which he invites men to come before him with exciting gifts. One year, three men show up and present their gifts, and one of them – a Persian inventor and sorcerer – shows the king a wooden horse made of ebony which, he claims, can fly. This remarkable horse can cover in one day the same distance an ordinary horse can cover in a year.
When the Persian demonstrates how it works, the king is impressed, and gives the Persian his most beautiful daughter as a bride. But when the daughter sees how ugly and old her husband-to-be is, she cries and hides away in her bedchamber. Her brother, the handsome prince, asks her what's wrong and when he learns of her unhappiness, he goes to intervene, asking his father not to marry his sister to the Persian.
But when the prince sees the ebony horse, he is interested in how it works, so the wily Persian tells him to climb on it and try it out. He shows him the button to press in order to make the horse fly, but doesn't tell him which button while enable the horse to land. And so the prince flies off, higher into the sky.
Needless to say, the king isn't too pleased with his only son being tricked in this way, so he promptly throws the Persian in prison.
Meanwhile, the prince, high up in the sky, manages to figure out which button which make the horse land, and he finds himself in a distant land, in the city of Sana'a. Landing the horse on the roof of the royal palace, he climbs down and into a bedchamber where the king's daughter is asleep. It just so happens that she – like the prince's sister – is to marry a hideous man she doesn't love, but when she claps eyes on the prince, she falls in love with him, and he with her.
Unfortunately, the servants of the palace think the prince must be a genie or sorcerer, as he managed to make it past the guards and into the princess's private chamber. The king doesn't trust him, so the prince says he will prove his mettle by facing the king's best men in a
fight the next day. But before the fight can take place, he sends for his horse from the roof of the palace, insisting that he will ride it into battle against the king's soldiers. But once he has mounted the ebony horse, he promptly flies off, leaving everyone thinking he must be a magician or a genie.
Arriving back home, the prince is greeted with joy by his father, who feared that his son had been lost to him forever. The king orders the release of all prisoners in the city, including the Persian who invented the ebony horse. But the prince misses the beautiful princess he left behind in Sana'a, so he mounts the horse again and flies back to her, carrying her back home with him so that they can be married.
But when they arrive, and the preparations for their wedding are underway, the cunning Persian takes the horse and abducts the prince's bride-to-be on it, flying her away with him. When they arrive in a foreign land, they are apprehended and the Persian thrown in (another) prison, when the princess tells them she has been kidnapped by him. She then falls ill with shock, and heartbreak over being separated from her beloved.
The prince scours the surrounding lands for the princess, and eventually overhears some men describing a pair of people whose descriptions match the Persian and the princess. But in searching for his beloved, he attracts the suspicions of the guards, who have him thrown into jail as well. There he gets talking to the Persian (who doesn't recognise the prince in the dark) and learns that the princess has fallen ill and the king is trying to cure her, having taken a shine to her himself. And the prince hatches a plan to get them both out of the kingdom and back home.
When he is presented before the king who has imprisoned them all, the prince tells him that he is a healer who can help to heal the princess. To do so, he must go to her and examine her. While doing so, the prince whispers his plan in the princess's ear, and she agrees to play along. When the prince asks the king to send the ebony horse to him, so that he can banish the devil from it, the king is happy to oblige. But as soon as the prince has mounted the horse and pulled the princess onto it as well, he presses the button and they both ride off into the sky, leaving the king to stamp his feet at having been tricked.
Arriving back in his homeland, the prince promptly marries the princess, and they live happily ever after. The king, his father, destroys the ebony horse, so that nobody can ever fly it again. The prince writes to his bride's father in Sana'a to tell him his daughter is married, and the king writes back from Sana'a with his blessing, sending the married couple gifts. Eventually, the prince succeeds his father as king and he and his wife rule justly for many years.
'The Ebony Horse': analysis
'The Ebony Horse' is notable among the Arabian Nights in that, rather than having a genie or jinnee who can grant wishes, or even a traditional evil magician figure, it has an inventor – or what we might even, now, term a 'scientist' – as its central antagonist. Rather than presenting the Persian as a sorcerer or magician who has 'charmed' a real horse into being able to fly, the storyteller offers us an inventor who appears to have used scientific means to construct a horse made from ebony, with buttons and some kind of bellows which inflates with air to make the contraption fly. This qualifies 'The Ebony Horse' as an early example of science fiction.
Indeed, we might also analyse 'The Ebony Horse' as an example of proto-science-fiction in that the ebony horse is the device – both literally and as a plot device – which drives the whole narrative forward. Its destruction at the end might even be considered as a kind of warning against the dangers of scientific invention and experimentation: see what happens when science enables people to travel across vast distances and meddle in foreign countries? Just as Doc Brown wants to destroy the Time Machine in Back to the Future when he sees the havoc his invention has unleashed, so the king wishes to prevent any further antics by destroying the ebony horse.
Of course, what problematises such a neat interpretation of the tale is the fact that the ebony horse has made the prince's meeting with, and marriage to, the beautiful princess of Sana'a possible. So is the story a cautionary tale about how scientific innovation can cause mayhem, or a celebration of the power of technology to make unions between different nations and kingdoms possible? Is 'The Ebony Horse' a story about how intermarriage between cultures is a good thing? Could the story even have originated as a piece of diplomatic entertainment celebrating a royal wedding between Yemen and Persia (now Iran)?
Perhaps this is to read too much into a tale which was designed, first and foremost, as entertainment, full of adventure and love and danger and suspense. Indeed, we cannot be sure how old the tale is, since, like the stories of Aladdin and Ali Baba, the tale of the ebony horse was a late addition to the collection we know as the Arabian Nights, and was only added by Antoine Galland in 1709.
There are many similar stories found in different cultures around the world, and 'The Ebony Horse' is sometimes analysed as a variation of a common trope in folk tales known as the 'Prince's Wings' motif. A prince is given the ability to fly – usually by magical means – and this skill allows him to woo and marry a beautiful princess. But what is curious about 'The Ebony Horse' is that this ability is made possible by mechanical, rather than magical, means.
Tags: Arabian Nights, Books, Classics, Fairy Tales, Literature, The Ebony Horse


text:
Q: Kubernetes Startup probe when endpoint is not reachable I have the following deployment config. The test-worker-health and health endpoints are both unreachable as the application is failing due to an error. The startup probe keeps restarting the container after failing as restartPolicy: Always. The pods enter CrashLoopBackoff state. Is there a way to fail such startup probe?
livenessProbe:
          failureThreshold: 3
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 8080
          periodSeconds: 20
          successThreshold: 1
          timeoutSeconds: 30
startupProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /test-worker-health
            port: 8080
          failureThreshold: 12
          periodSeconds: 10

A:
The startup probe keeps restarting the container after failing

The startupProbe does not restart your container, but the livenessProbe does.

The pods enter CrashLoopBackoff state. Is there a way to fail such startup probe?

If you remove the livenessProbe, you will not get this restart-behavior. You may want to use a readinessProbe instead?

Is there a way to fail such startup probe?

What do you mean? It is already "failing" as you say. You want automatic rollback? That is provided by e.g. Canary Deployment, but is a more advanced topic.

A: According to your configuration, the startupProbe is tried within 120seconds after which it fails if it doesn't succeed atleast once during that period.
If your application requires more time to start up .i.e > 120seconds, then the startupProbe would keep restarting your application before it's booted up completely.
I'd suggest increasing the failureThreshold to afford your application sufficient time to boot-up.


text:
French women enlisting for war work in Germany, 1940-1944
French women enlisting for war work in Germany, 1940-1944. Faced with a decline in the supply of forced labour from occupied Poland and Russia, the Nazis demanded that France send 250, 000 labourers to Germany by the end of 1942... Read more
French women enlisting for war work in Germany, 1940-1944. Faced with a decline in the supply of forced labour from occupied Poland and Russia, the Nazis demanded that France send 250, 000 labourers to Germany by the end of 1942. As an incentive the Germans agreed to repatriate one French prisoner of warfor every three volunteer labourers. In the event the number of volunteers was insufficient and a form of conscription had to be introduced. By the time France was liberated an estimated 650, 000 men and 44, 000 women had been sent to work in Germany
© Artmedia / Heritage-Images
Collaboration Collaborator Counter Forced Labour Handbag Labour Occupied Office Queue Queuing Recruitment Shop Shopping Shops Volunteer Volunteers Wartime


text:
{{Ficha de taxón
| name = Euthenarus
| image         = Euthenarus promptus.jpg
| image_width =  240px
| image_caption = Euthenarus promptus
| regnum        = Animalia
| phylum        = Arthropoda
| classis       = Insecta
| ordo          = Coleoptera
| subordo       = Adephaga
| familia       = Carabidae
| subfamilia = Harpalinae
| tribus = Harpalini
| subtribus = Stenolophina
| genus         = Euthenarus
| genus_authority = Bates, 1874
| subdivision_ranks = Especies
| subdivision = Ver texto
| synonyms      =
Euthenaris

}}Euthenarus es un  género de coleópteros adéfagos de la familia Carabidae.

 Especies
Comprende las siguientes especies:

 Euthenarus bicolor Moore, 1985
 Euthenarus brevicollis Bates, 1874
 Euthenarus brunneus Sloane, 1917
 Euthenarus comes Sloane, 1898
 Euthenarus morganensis (Blackburn, 1890)
 Euthenarus nigellus Sloane, 1902
 Euthenarus promptus (Erichson, 1842)
 Euthenarus puncticollis'' Bates, 1874

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Euthenarus en ION
 Nomenclator Zoologicus
 Carabidae of the World

Stenolophina


text:
Changelog for Timex Interval
============================

This file lists the changes in each moment version.

0.4.0
-----

- `Timex` minimum required version set to `0.13.1`.

0.3.0
-----

- Interval duration provided by `DateTimeInterval.duration/2`.
- `Timex` minimum required version set to `0.12.9`.

0.2.3
-----

- Warning suppressed: function `to_list/5` is unused.

0.2.2
-----

- Optimization: do not generate an intermediary list in the reduce implementation of the Enumerable protocol.

0.2.1
-----

- First version published on hex.
- DateTimeInterval implements the Enumerable protocol.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: sharing data between controllers in different pages. angular I try to share data between controllers in different pages,
In the first page i change the data, and is changing!.
but in the second page the default values are shown.
The factory:
app.factory('Sponsor',function(){

    var name='XXX';
    var order=1

    return {
        getName: function () {
            return name;
        },
        getOrder: function () {
            return order;
        },
        setSponsor:function (order1,name1) {
            order=order1;
            name=name1;
            return name;
        }
    };
})

In the first page:
app.controller('sponsors', function($scope,$http,Sponsor) {
...
     $scope.sponsorSelect=Sponsor.getName;
     $scope.sponsorSelect=Sponsor.setSponsor(order,name);
     window.open('./../hhh/kkk.html');
}

In the second
app.controller('studyManagerControll', function($scope,$http,Sponsor)
{
...
$scope.sponsor=Sponsor.getName;
}

What can i do to share the data successfully?
p.s
I have try: service and return object: sponsor={}.. sponsor.get..{} and return sponsor.

A: your getname is not property it is a method you first need to attach braces with it
like
 $scope.sponsor=Sponsor.getName();


text:
Checking on Tasmanian Devils' Facebook to Save Them
Well, it is not really Facebook, but analyses of the social network of Tasmanian Devils, a threatened species on the brink of extinction because of an infectious disease, are used to help in their conservation.
The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is the largest extant carnivorous marsupial. Its populations have suffered severe declines due to an infectious cancer, the devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). DFTD is an aggressive non-viral transmittable parasitic cancer. It produces facial tumors that interfere with feeding, and the affected animal starve to death. DFTD has ravaged Tasmania's wild devils, with declines up to 50% of the population.
Determining exactly how the animals interact could improve control efforts, but few studies have managed to reproduce social networks. Rodrigo K. Hamede and colleagues of the School of Zoology of the University of Tasmania, Australia, have just published in Ecology Letters their research on the structure of the contact network between individuals, a key factor on the transmission of infectious disease.
These researchers used a novel technology, proximity sensing radio collars, that detects when two animals came close to each other. These collars were fitted into 27 devils. Results indicate that all studied devils were connected in a single giant component. Since all animals are therefore connected directly or indirectly to every other animal, diseases would easily spread throughout the network from any single infected individual. More male-female contact occurred during mating season, while females interacted more frequently with females during non-mating periods.
These results suggest that there is limited potential to control the disease by targeting highly connected age or sex classes. The team was unable to find one sex or age group that had more connections than others. That information might have allowed control programs to stanch the spread of disease by targeting the most connected class.
Photographs: Wikipedia & author
Access the scientific article: Hamede, R.K. et al. 2009. Contact networks in a wild Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) population: using social network analysis to reveal seasonal variability in social behaviour and its implications for transmission of devil facial tumour disease. Ecology Letters DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01370.x
See Journal Watch Online Blog Entry: http://journalwatch.conservationmagazine.org/2009/08/20/ties-that-bite/
Previous Revisando el Facebook de los Demonios de Tasmania para Salvarlos!
Next New Glassfrog from northwestern Ecuador


Greg Lais and Wilderness Inquiry just celebrated the organization's 40th birthday.
Today: Greg Lais, executive director of Wilderness Inquiry, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit. Its mission is to get people into the outdoors regardless of financial, cultural and physical barriers — from canoe trips for Minnesota school kids and families to far-flung adventures into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow. Big read! The much-misunderstood Grant did so much to shape the United States, even today. He was a radical and a civil rights hero. I also am reading "The Hidden Life of Trees," a fascinating book about how trees interact with each other and their environment.
The exploration of space has always intrigued me, and there is so much going on now, from China landing on the far side of the moon to our New Horizons spacecraft studying Ultima Thule — 4 billion miles away. As demonstrated by the Apollo 8 photo of "Earthrise," I think the "wilderness" of space can bring us together unlike anything else. We need that now.
Like many others, my wife and I watch Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV. "The Good Doctor," "Killing Eve" and "Madame Secretary" are among our favorites. The only show I'd say I am hooked on is "Star Trek," and lucky for me Patrick Stewart is coming back this year to reprise his role as Captain Picard! I like Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision of the future. It's all about escaping our day-to-day.
I listen to Minnesota Public Radio, and I still read the newspaper. I do follow stories and articles about connecting people to the outdoors. Of course, that's been my passion for my entire career and I've never grown tired of it. I love nurturing that spark of curiosity that comes with discovery and exploration, whether that's in your backyard or on the other side of the planet. Everyone has that spark somewhere inside of them.
We've just celebrated Wilderness Inquiry's 40th year, and in celebration one of our staff came up with the idea of "exiling" me from the office for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. I readily agreed and have been enjoying some spectacular trips in very special places. Last year we hiked Glacier National Park, kayaked in the Apostle Islands, climbed up to see Machu Picchu, explored Utah's Capitol Reef National Park, and just returned from a fabulous trip to New Zealand's South Island. This year I think I'll ask to be banished for 50 days.


text:
Q: Android record video as seen in preview Right now I'm showing a preview that occupies only half of the screen using camera(v1) in a TextureView. I apply some matrix transformations to this preview to make it larger and seem cropped. Now I'm trying to record a video of exactly what the user sees in this preview, but all I manage is to get a normal video from the camera, without my transformations.
Here is how I'm recording the video.
private void initRecorder() throws IOException {
    File file = (new DirectoryManager(mContext).getNewVideoFile());

    if( mMediaRecorder == null ) {
        mMediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
        mCamera = getCurrentCamera();
        mCamera.unlock();
        //Surface surface = new Surface(surfaceTexture);
        mMediaRecorder.setCamera(mCamera);
        mMediaRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.DEFAULT);
        mMediaRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.DEFAULT);
        //mMediaRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(surface);
        mMediaRecorder.setProfile(CamcorderProfile.get(CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_HIGH));
        mMediaRecorder.setOutputFile(file.getPath());
    }
    if(!mStartRecording) {
        try {
            mMediaRecorder.prepare();
            mMediaRecorder.start();
            mStartRecording = true;
        }  catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    } else {
        mStartRecording = false;
        try {
            mMediaRecorder.stop();
            mMediaRecorder.reset();
            mMediaRecorder.release();
        }
        catch (Exception e){
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        mMediaRecorder = null;
    }

}

Also I try to use MediaRecorder.VideoSource.SURFACE instead with the same luck.
Any help/hint would be appreciated.


text:
USD 4500 - USD 7499 (2) USD 7500 - USD 10000 (2)
Future of Logistics
Unbundling of the Supply Chain
The supply chain market is becoming more complex in a time-constrained environment as speed of delivery and user experience emerge as critical factors; in fact, instant and same-day delivery solutions are now key service differentiators. Firms must rethink their strategies and devise more agile models that leverage economies of scale and still meet...
COVID-19 Growth Impact Assessment for the Automotive Industry, 2020
Stakeholders to Focus on Resource Optimization, New Growth Segments and Cost Rationalization to Overcome Slowdown
The mushrooming corona virus outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency in late January. The corona virus outbreak isn't just a massive health crisis; it's an economic one as well. If the pandemic is not contained by a large extent by April, the drop in consum...
2030 Vision of the Automotive Industry
More than 40 Million Electric Vehicles, 18 Million Highly Autonomous Vehicles, and $1.37 Trillion in Shared Mobility Opportunities
The automotive ecosystem is changing rapidly with new business models and connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) mobility trends. Subtrends and service markets related to these Mega Trends are shaping the industry's future and creating new business opportunities for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), suppliers, mobility participa...
Generation Z as Future Customers, Forecast to 2027
Understandings of the Preferences and Trends of the New Customer Base
Generation Z currently makes up 24% of the global population and are set to have significant spending power. This "digitally native" population cohort, born between 1993 and 2007, will be an important customer base in the future. This age cohort is expected to be the most ethnically diverse and tolerant generation yet. It is also a socially and env...


I took 50mg for just two days. I found I became quite hyper and buzzy about four hours after taking them so I think taking them in the morning is best. I had a terrible night on the second day of taking them - I had a panic attack at 2am and then woke up at 6am feeling I hadn't been breathing at all. The doctors said that anxiety and breathing could get worse for two weeks before they improve but that is a long time to wait. I stopped taking them and started doing reduced breathing exercises which helped. I still have them on standby but hope I can get through without them.
Hi, I have just started taking sertraline 50mg today. I too had heartburn and felt a little shaky, and after a couple of hours more, a bit buzzy.
I'm worried what the effects might be further down the line - after taking for six months or so. Like Chartforum, I might just come off them after a few days or when I see the doctor again in two weeks. However, I have had four panic attacks in the last six months and do not want to keep having them.
I am also doing talking therapy which I find really helpful. In fact, I find it's a bit like having a massage! Does anyone else have experience of sertraline?
Nena, I've been on and off of my sertraline for about the past 2-3 years now. I started taking mine again today 100mg as advised by the gp short term makes me feel nauseaus and quite shaky but once there in your system they help me quite well as im studying at uni doing nursing. im also having counselling and I am finding it very therapeutic and feel like it is helping me quite a lot to deal with whats going on in my head. whatever you do don't take them at night as there keep you awake well mine did anyway.
As everyone says, take them first thing in he morning. Sertraline takes about 10-14 days to start really working, and a little light headed ness and 'blonde ness' as I like to call it in that time is completely normal. I haven't heard before of them making people feel lethargic but that's most likely connected to the lack of sleep you're getting. Which is because one of the ingredients in Sertraline is Prozac, so it would effectively be like taking a line of cocaine before you go to bed. One of the main saddening affects of anxiety is viewing the rest of the world asall tickety boo to make you feel like youre the only one. Whenever youthink that, remember this website: tens of thiusands had to feel the way we fo day in dayout for someone to conceive that the wirkd needed ths site. Hope some of this helped beechcroft. Alex.
Anyone ever feel like you have too many symptoms to even remember?
Am i the only person to have a headache all day and everyday?
I was wondering if anyone else sufferers with psychosis? And how are you handling it?


text:
Bankless Times
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Alt-Finance
Lax cryptocurrency oversight raises KYC/AML issues
Kelvin Dickenson
Tony Zerucha·
· April 29, 2019 ·3 min read
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As new technologies become more prevalent in financial services, newer doesn't automatically mean better, Kelvin Dickenson said. Mr. Dickenson is the president of Opus, an anti-money laundering and KYC compliance firm. We recently spoke about the future path for cryptocurrencies and the challenges financial companies of all types face in maintaining accurate records.
The goals cryptocurrency creators may have had when designing them are not close to being reached, Mr. Dickenson said. The market participants they have largely attracted so far have taken them in another direction.
"Cryptocurrencies are interesting. When they were first becoming popular, the topic was them becoming a currency…a means of exchanging value. Now it's a means of speculating ABOUT value. They're a means of storing and accumulating value as opposed to a means of settling financial transactions."
Most Opus clients are tier one and tier two banks for whom cryptocurrencies barely register, Mr. Dickenson said. But he's fielding more queries from cryptocurrency companies and platforms worried about their exposure to fraudulent operations and those laundering criminal proceeds. That doesn't surprise him, as cryptocurrencies operate outside of normal controls established banking systems have in place to help manage and report suspected transactions.
"There's no system monitoring in place," Mr. Dickenson said. "That lack of visibility is very attractive to people who want to launder proceeds of crime. The relative potential anonymity of exchanging digital currencies takes that further."
Your ideas for how to address these issues likely depend on the role you play in the financial world, Mr. Dickenson suggested. If you are a regulator, you will wonder how to properly control cryptocurrencies so the emerging systems are not abused by criminals. If you work for a bank, you are well aware of the penalties you face for compliance lapses with well-established processes and wonder why the crypto world doesn't have to meet the same standard.
"Banks have become the eyes and ears of global enforcement," Mr. Dickenson said. "They've become the financial police force and that's not a job they've asked for.
"The whole cryptocurrency system is outside of that…They are open to abuse. The cryptocurrency ecosystem is going to be regulated and watched."
Opus' two main business lines are data cleansing and enrichment, Mr. Dickenson said. These are massive challenges for financial institutions. They keep information on customers, counterparties, and suppliers on multiple data bases, each established for a unique purpose.
ImagineBC looks to blockchain to help people monetize their data and IP
But data changes over time, as people change jobs or move, Mr. Dickenson said. Changes entered in the data base of one area of a company's system won't likely migrate across a company whose systems are not synchronized. John Q may only be one person, but if changes in his information are not updated, with each job or city switch a bank could end up with several John Q's in different cities working for different companies. The end result is a head scratcher as to which John Q is most accurate.
"Our services around data cleansing and data enrichment help banks get around this problem," Mr. Dickenson said.
The importance of maintaining records of the utmost accuracy was made clear in the cleanup after the 2008 financial crisis, Mr. Dickenson said. Banks didn't know their actual level of exposure, as they owned pieces of hundreds of different companies. As bad debt kept getting sliced and repackaged, no one knew what they actually had. A major investment bank deployed a large compliance team who took three weeks to determine their exposure to bad investments in companies they had an interest in, he said.
That is where Opus comes in, Mr. Dickenson said.
"Our proprietary technology makes it easier to cross reference to almost all sources of entity data. That provides a single view of the customer and allows a client to make accurate risk decisions."
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Tony Zerucha is the managing editor of Bankless Times.
A two-time LendIt Journalist of the Year nominee and winner in 2018, Tony has written more than 2,000 original articles on the blockchain, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding and emerging technologies over the past seven years, making him one of the senior writers in the alt-fi sector.
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text:
Q: Disposing ActiveX resources owned by another thread I've got a problem problem with threading and disposing resources.
I've got a C# Windows Forms application which runs expensive operation in a thread. This thread instantiates an ActiveX control (AxControl). This control must be disposed as it uses a high amount of memory. So I implemented a Dispose() method and even a destructor.
After the thread ends the destructor is called. This is sadly called by the UI thread. So invoking activexControl.Dispose(); fails with the message "COM object that has been separated from its underlying RCW", as the object belongs to another thread.
How to do this correctly or is it just a bad design I use?
(I stripped the code down to the minimum including removing any safety concerns.)
class Program
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        // do stuff here, e.g. open a form

        new Thread(new ThreadStart(RunStuff);

        // do more stuff
    }

    private void RunStuff()
    {
        DoStuff stuff = new DoStuff();
        stuff.PerformStuff();
    }
}

class DoStuff : IDisposable
{
    private AxControl activexControl;

    DoStuff()
    {
        activexControl = new AxControl();
        activexControl.CreateControl(); // force instance
    }

    ~DoStuff()
    {
        Dispose();
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        activexControl.Dispose();
    }

    public void PerformStuff()
    {
        // invent perpetuum mobile here, takes time
    }
}

A: I'm not clear what you mean by an ActiveX Control that implements a Dispose method.  The IDisposable pattern is intended for managed code.  To release a COM object, you would normally use Marshal.ReleaseComObject - perhaps you're doing that inside your AxControl class, whose implementation you don't show.
A couple of things wrong with the above code.
You should be disposing the IDisposable DoStuff instance:
private void RunStuff()
{
    using (DoStuff stuff = new DoStuff())
    {
        stuff.PerformStuff();
    }
}

You should not be accessing managed resources in a finalizer - in your case the finalizer calls Dispose which then references the managed axControl instance.  This instance may have already been collected by the time your finalizer runs.
Since you are not using unmanaged resources directly in the DoStuff class, you probably don't need a finalizer, but if you do have one, follow the standard IDisposable pattern on MSDN, and don't attempt to dispose any managed objects.
UPDATE
Comment:

The AxControl is the .NET Interop Wrapper DLL which is generated by Visual Studio.

In this case, what is the Dispose() method?  I don't see why you would implement such a method in an ActiveX control, which has deterministic finalization - normally you'd do your cleanup when the last COM reference is released.
Your DoStuff.Dispose method might want to release the COM object, e.g.
public void Dispose()
{
    activexControl.Dispose();
    Marshal.ReleaseComObject(activexControl);
}

A: Why don't you have the worker thread dispose of it explicitly?
You could possible change the
DoStuff stuff = new DoStuff();
stuff.PerformStuff();

To a
using(DoStuff stuff = new DoStuff())
{
     stuff.PerformStuff();
}

So you don't even have to worry about it.

A: I'm dealing with an active x control provided by a third party, so changing the disposal routine inside ActiveX is not possible.
I believe you are correct that the "COM object that has been separated from its underlying RCW" issue is a threading issue, not a dispose implementation issue.  COM just doesn't get along well with managed threads and managed memory.
Try something like this:
// Check to see if we need to use Invoke before wasting time with it
if (activexControl.InvokeRequired)
{
    // invoke Dispose on the control's native thread to avoid the COM exception
    activexControl.Invoke(() => activexControl.Dispose());
}
else
{
    // run dispose on this thread
    activexControl.Dispose();
}

The invoke is all that's needed to avoid the COM error, the if statement helps performance in cases where invoke is not required.
Do beware that the thread that created the active x control needs to still be alive, or you'll get different problems.  In your stripped down code main exits right after you spawn the new thread and it won't likely be alive when you need it later.  I run into this in unit testing all the time, and have to insert blocking calls that wait on the conclusion of other threads before exiting my top level function.