Russell Brand, someone whose thoughts we would not normally pay much attention to, may well be absolutely right when he says there are no politicians worth voting for.
The latest cash for access scandal involving two former foreign secretaries — Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind – serves to remind us that even the most experienced of them appear happy to exploit the system for financial gain.
Naturally, they both deny any wrongdoing and have submitted themselves to parliamentary scrutiny but the fact remains that they have been caught by secret cameras grasping for cash in such a way that cannot fail to horrify voters.
In the case of Sir Malcolm, his bill for half a day's work is up to £8000 while Mr Straw is slightly cheaper at £5000 a day.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these very shabby revelations is that despite what is now a very well-worn technique of investigators inviting public figures to impale themselves in the name of greed, both men could not help themselves.
The other major significance is that while similar scandals in the past have involved pretty non-descript politicians, this one involves two big beasts of Westminster whose experience and status should have set off the alarm bells.
If this is how they can behave, God help the rest of them.
While Straw was recorded describing how he operated "under the radar" Rifkind even suggested that he wasn't paid a salary, poor man, although he makes £67,000 a year as an MP.
Lobbying, in an attempt to influence political decision-making, has long been seen as a legitimate part of the democratic process and, very often, the lobbyists themselves are former politicians and civil servants.
Parliamentarians are allowed to take up paid directorships or consultancies although these must be declared in the register of interests.
There are rules: they are forbidden from acting as "paid advocates", which means that they cannot accept money for speaking in parliament, asking a question, tabling a motion, introducing a bill or urging other parliamentarians to do so on their behalf.
But the problem is that the very nature of MPs holding second jobs means that they are open to corruption and conflicts of interest.
The number of MPs with second jobs is high; there are 180 of them: 112 are Tories, 43 are Labour and 15 are Lib Dems.
Alas, despite these fears, nothing has been done mainly because successive governments have disingenuously believed that politicians' outside activities adds to their experience and knowledge.
There is, of course, a very simple solution to any prospect of politicians getting caught up in corruption and that is to ban them from holding paid directorships or consultancies.
The fact that Tony Blair, the former prime minister, rushed to Straw's defence by reminding us of his dedication to public service, only emphasises the depth of political embarrassment as we move towards the big push for the 2015 general election.
Following the MPs expenses scandal, when we learned about the duck house and how their homes were paid for by a shocked nation, is it any wonder that trust in politicians seems to have reached a new low?
The evidence for this is very apparent.
Unemployment in Britain is at its lowest for six years; there are 31 million people in work; wages are now outstripping the cost of living thanks to significant reductions in the cost of petrol, energy and food; the cost of borrowing and mortgages has never been lower while tax revenues have never been higher.
Yet the sitting coalition government, able to claim credit for all of the above, remains hugely unpopular while the ratings for the Labour opposition, which might expect to have a huge lead in the polls, are not much better.
It has taken Russell Brand to remind us how disenchanted we are with our politicians whom he regards as frauds and liars.
He doesn't vote and doesn't see anybody worth voting for anyway.
"Don't bother voting. Stop voting, stop pretending, wake up, be in reality now. Why vote?…we know it's not going to make any difference," he said.
Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw have done themselves and politics a huge disservice in a scandal which can only aggravate political apathy.
Brand, arguably one of the least attractive so-called celebrities in the country, has got more sense than either of them.


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When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off it is essential to keep your metabolism high.
There are a number of common lifestyle mistakes that may be slowing down your metabolism.
The following eating and lifestyle behaviours slow down your metabolism and make losing weight harder than it should and also makes you prone to future weight gain.
Eating too little calories can cause a major decrease in metabolism.
Although a calorie deficit is needed for weight loss, it can be counterproductive for your calorie intake to drop too low. When you dramatically lower your calorie intake, your body senses that food is scarce and lowers the rate at which it burns calories. To ensure optimum weight-loss women can consume around 1,800 calories per day and for men around 2,000 per day.
Studies have shown that, in addition to helping you feel full, a high protein intake can significantly increase the rate at which your body burns calories.
The thermic effect of protein is much higher than the thermic effects of carbs or fat. Indeed, eating protein has been observed to temporarily increase metabolism by about 20–30%, versus 5–10% for carbs and 3% or less for fat .
One study found that people needed to eat at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound (1.2 grams/kg) of their body weight in order to prevent their metabolism from slowing during and after weight loss.
Living a sedentary lifestyle may lead to a significant decrease in the number of calories you burn every day.
Unfortunately, many people have lifestyles that mainly involve sitting at work, which can have negative effects on metabolic rate and overall health.
One study found that performing a high amount of NEAT regularly could burn up to 2,000 additional calories per day. However, such a dramatic increase is not realistic for most people.
Simply taking the stairs or getting up to walk around several times per day can help increase your NEAT and prevent your metabolism from dropping.
Sleep is extremely important for good health. When you sleep for fewer hours than you may need you increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression.
Inadequate sleep also lowers your metabolic rate and increases your Several studies have found that inadequate sleep may also lower your metabolic rate and increase your probability of gaining weight.
A high consumption of soft drinks, juices and other sugary drinks has been linked to all sorts of health problems, including insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity.
Results from a 2012 study suggest that frequently consuming sugar-sweetened beverages may slow down your metabolism and promote fat storage in the belly and liver.
Adding in some strength training with weights keeps your metabolism from slowing down.
Strength training has been shown to increase metabolic rate in healthy people, as well as those who have heart disease or are overweight or obese.
Resistance training increases muscle mass, which makes up much of the fat-free mass in your body. Having a higher amount of fat-free mass significantly increases the number of calories you burn at rest.
Even 11 minutes per day for three days a week can increase your metabolic rate by 7.4% and burn an extra 125 extra calories per day, on average. Strength training also has anti-aging benefits by reducing muscle loss as you get older.
In conclusion engaging in healthy eating and lifestyle behaviours helps to keep your metabolism working at its optimum rate, prevents you from weight gain over time and keeps off the weight that you lost.


We really want you to love (love love!) your new purchase. If you don't, we will happily return it for you so long as we receive it (unworn) within 30 days. To return your order, for either an exchange or refund, please follow the procedure outlined below.
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2. Before returning, please ensure the product is in its original condition.
3. Once we receive the product and approve the return, we will credit the refund of the product back to you via the original method of payment.
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Then follow the instructions as above for the returns process. Once we receive the product and the exchange is approved, we will refund any price difference and ship the new product to you.


text:
Laboratory/pathology
Analysis identifies five health dimensions that correlate with women's life expectancy
Source: Hologic
News • Roadmap for Improvement
Inaugural Global Women's Health Index
Hologic, Inc. shared the findings from its inaugural Hologic Global Women's Health Index, the world's most comprehensive, globally comparative survey about women's health.
Developed in partnership with leading analytics and advice firm Gallup, the Hologic Global Women's Health Index is an unprecedented, in-depth examination of critical markers for women's health, by country and territory, and over time. Its findings are based on the experiences of more than 60,000 women and girls from 116 countries and territories, captured in more than 140 languages. Conducted as part of the Gallup World Poll, which began in 2005, the Hologic Global Women's Health Index represents the feelings and actions of approximately 2.5 billion women and girls.
Based on responses from the 120,000 total individuals surveyed, women's health needs are not being met globally. The global score was 54 out of 100 on the Index, and no one country or territory scored more than 69. Country and territory rankings can be found here. Notably, 40% of those surveyed – equating to about a billion women and girls – said they had not talked to a healthcare professional in the last year, while approximately 60% – about 1.5 billion – were not tested for four common diseases that affect women's health.
"We urge global healthcare and government leaders to use this data and the five dimensions to guide the development of actionable and measurable plans and investments that prioritize women's health."
Steve MacMillan
"Women's health is the cornerstone of families, communities, societies and economies," said Steve MacMillan, Hologic's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "As a leader in the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of women's health issues, we know firsthand that measurement is the key to improvement. We saw a clear need for more robust, quality data to track and measure women's health on a global level — particularly as COVID-19 has worsened longstanding healthcare disparities. The Hologic Global Women's Health Index is the first global survey that uniquely draws from women's perspectives to determine priorities."
"In line with critical UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN General Assembly theme of 'Building Resilience Through Hope,' we urge global healthcare and government leaders to use this data and the five dimensions to guide the development of actionable and measurable plans and investments that prioritize women's health," said MacMillan.
While the Hologic Global Women's Health Index was initiated before COVID-19 affected the world, the pandemic and its effects on the already precarious state of women's healthcare — including postponed or canceled preventive care examinations, increased poverty levels, and insufficient access to medical facilities and education — have created a more urgent need for world leaders and policymakers to prioritize women's health.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has both exacerbated and shed light on longstanding gaps in access and quality of healthcare," said Vipula Gandhi, Senior Managing Partner at Gallup. "The Index provides a baseline from which we can measure the state of women's health globally. We hope this study will serve as a call to action for world leaders and policymakers as they navigate the global recovery."
Country and territory rankings
In this first year of the Hologic Global Women's Health Index, no single country or territory scored more than 69 out of 100. Generally, most countries and territories that lead the world on the Index also lead the world in how much of their wealth they invest back into their health systems, including Austria, Switzerland and Norway. Overall, while women in high-income countries and territories were only 17% of the women surveyed in the Index, they collectively have at least a seven-point lead on the Index over all other women globally.
Conversely, the countries and territories with the lowest scores on the Hologic Global Women's Health Index all share high income inequality and weak or destabilized infrastructure for healthcare. The countries and territories with the lowest scores on the Index are a mix of mostly low- and lower-middle income economies. Few countries and territories in this group score well in meeting women's basic needs and are significantly lagging in the Preventive Care dimension.
Universal challenges around preventive care
Preventive measures are a crucial first step to combating diseases and infections affecting life expectancy and fertility in women," said Susan Harvey, MD, Vice-President of Global Medical Affairs, Hologic. "Failing to ensure women get routine testing for cancers, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and cardiometabolic diseases can lead to larger complications that would otherwise be preventable if monitored or treated early."
While international testing standards differ, the Hologic Global Women's Health Index found that within the past 12 months, more than 1.5 billion women were not tested for any of four critical diseases for women: cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STDs/STIs).
Just 12% of women worldwide reported being screened for any type of cancer.
Globally, only about one in five (19%) women reported being screened for diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death for women around the world. In countries and territories with high obesity rates such as the United States, one in three women (34%) reported being tested.
On average, only one in three women (33%) worldwide had their blood pressure tested despite heart disease being the leading cause of death globally for women and men.
Fewer than one in nine women (11%) reported being tested for STDs/STIs, which are risk factors for further health issues like HIV, cancer and infertility.
Holistic approach to women's health
Collectively, the world in 2020 felt the worst it has in 15 years. Global experiences of worry, stress, sadness and anger continued to rise and set new records. About four in ten women said they experienced worry (40%) and stress (38%) during a lot of the previous day.
Many women surveyed also expressed concerns about their safety and ability to meet basic needs like food and shelter.
Two in three women (66%) — which translates into roughly 1.7 billion women — cited domestic violence as a widespread problem in their country.
Nearly one in three (32%) — more than 800 million women — said they are afraid to walk alone at night.
More than one in three (34%) — nearly 900 million women — said they struggled to afford food in the past year.
Nearly three in ten (29%) — or nearly 700 million women — said they struggled to afford adequate housing for themselves and their families.
For more information about the Hologic Global Women's Health Index and year one findings, please visit hologic.womenshealthindex.com.
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California EcoRestore is an initiative to help coordinate and advance at least 30,000 acres of critical habitat restoration in the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta over the next four years.
The administration of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. is working on both regulatory and voluntary ways to improve stream conditions for the sake of native fish.
The Governor directed the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to identify key actions for the next one to five years that address urgent needs and provide the foundation for the sustainable management of California's water resources.
The Salton Sea is California's largest lake. Thirty-five miles long and 15 miles wide, the desert lake extends from the Coachella Valley into the Imperial Valley. The Salton Sea Management Program is coordinating multiple state, local and federal agencies to address air quality and habitat threatened by a shrinking sea.
California WaterFix is a prudent, realistic, science-driven, and achievable approach to fix California's aging water delivery system and protect our economy and public safety.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the largest estuary on the West Coast. It's a maze of floodplains, rich farmlands, and leveed waterways that helps provide freshwater to 27 million Californians. For centuries, the Delta was a dynamic and rich ecosystem of tidal wetlands, riparian forests, and vast seasonal floodplains.
But about 98 percent of the native habitat disappeared after the Gold Rush and a population boom across the Golden State. The spike in human development contributed to a decline in native fish, wildlife, and plants. The State of California recognizes the critical need to restore the Delta's natural habitat and protect water for fish and human uses. In 2015, the California Natural Resources Agency embarked on an initiative to restore 30,000 acres habitat across the Delta.
In 2018, the California EcoRestore initiative broke ground on five habitat restoration projects that create new tidal wetlands, establish new riparian habitat, and improve fish passage through flood infrastructure built over a century ago.
The Department of Water Resources is the lead agency on 28 of 30 EcoRestore projects, including those that launched last year. The ecological restoration of today also supports the modern Delta as a place for people to live, work and play.
EcoRestore is about unifying the partner agencies and organizations involved in Delta environmental restoration, and accelerating results.
Watch the video below to learn more about how EcoRestore projects seek to repopulate salmon, smelt and other endangered species by either improving flood infrastructure or creating sustainable habitats.
Editor's note: The following article is part of a continuing series highlighting the California EcoRestore Initiative, which seeks to restore 30,000 acres of habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by 2020. California EcoRestore is an umbrella program that includes habitat restoration efforts implemented and funded by departments under the California Natural Resources Agency including Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Delta Conservancy.
The Sacramento River moves water from Mt. Shasta to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, gathering runoff from the Coastal Range and Sierra Nevada before turning toward Sacramento and joining with the American River. In wetter years, the Sacramento River swells to flood levels and releases water into the Yolo Bypass, a major flood control feature for the Sacramento Valley.
At 59,000 acres, the Yolo Bypass can hold four times the capacity of water as the Sacramento River.
The primary trigger for river releases into the bypass is the Fremont Weir, a 1.8-mile concrete wall that automatically overtops when the Sacramento River reaches a designated high-water mark. Water flows over the weir every two out of three years on average.
Built in 1924 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Fremont Weir has been hailed as a simple yet impressive feat in sustainable flood protection and engineering.
The weir design, while forward-thinking at the time, revealed unintended consequences over time. Scientists discovered that when the Sacramento River overtopped the weir to flow into the Yolo Bypass, many adult Chinook salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon were delayed or stranded in the bypass.
As the fish, several of which are designated endangered or threatened species, swim north against the river's current toward their spawning ground, they often mistakenly swim into the Yolo Bypass instead of staying in the river's main channel. Some fish never make it back to the river. Even if they do, the diversion causes migration delays that may result in fish not spawning that year.
In 1965, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) built a "fish ladder" to help salmon, but over time scientists and engineers found that many fish were still marooned in the bypass. The fish ladder was an insufficient portal to pass through the weir.
In 2018, DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) updated the fish ladder with a deeper, wider passageway in the weir to facilitate fish passage from the bypass to the river. In designing the Fremont Weir Adult Fish Passage Modification Project, DWR and Reclamation worked with an array of scientists, engineers and landowners from different organizations, including California Trout and American Rivers.
The design features an open channel fishway and a modern gate structure that automatically opens when water overtops at the Fremont Weir.
"The project allows fish to return to the Sacramento River. This connection improves fish passage and reduces the likelihood of fish getting stranded in the Yolo Bypass," said Manny Bahia, DWR senior water resources engineer.
The passage corridor also accommodates migrating sturgeon, which can grow up to six feet long.
The retrofitted Fremont Weir will begin operations in winter 2019. DWR and Reclamation collaborated on the project in compliance with the 2009 biological opinion from the National Marine Fisheries Service to offset harm to fish populations caused by the State Water Project and Central Valley Project.
"Every adult fish we save helps protect the species. One adult that makes it to the spawning grounds can lay thousands of eggs," said Karen Enstrom, program manager for the Yolo Bypass Habitat Restoration Branch at the Department of Water Resources.
Beyond flood control and fish habitat, the Yolo Bypass of today provides an array of benefits including waterfowl habitat, agriculture, recreation, and cultural preservation.
The Fremont Weir Adult Fish Passage Modification Project is one of many restoration and infrastructure improvements within the Yolo Bypass aimed at boosting salmon survival rates. Other projects include the Wallace Weir Adult Fish Rescue Facility, the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project, and the Lower Putah Creek Restoration Project.
Learn more about these projects on our website.
Located just south of the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers, the McCormack-Williamson Tract is a north Delta island with a long history of flooding. During the highwater events of 2017, water filled the island after the Cosumnes River overtopped the levee on the northeast bank. McCormack's southern levees held firm, but had the levees broken, water could have rushed toward surrounding islands, potentially inundating private properties.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Nature Conservancy, a conservation group that owns the site, and local, state, and federal partners acted fast: opening notches in levees on the north and south sides of McCormack to allow water to slowly drain off the island.
Once the flood season ended, DWR and its partners pumped the remaining water off the island, and repaired portions of the levees. Nearby landowners worked closely on the project, adding input as to where officials could open the levees.
"Landowners were happy we were able to move quickly and take action," said Dawit Zeleke, Director of Conservation with The Nature Conservancy.
In 2018, DWR and its partners broke ground on a restoration project nearly a decade in the making. The project incorporates some of the fixes and lessons learned from the breaching event in 2017.
The McCormack-Williamson Tract restoration project, a 1,500 acre site, lowers the levees on the north side of the island to allow the river to overtop into the site. On the south side, DWR will alleviate the surge flows that pose a risk to neighbors by opening small holes in the levee. It's a near replication of the response to the 2017 overtopping event.
2018 saw the completion of construction of a levee to protect existing infrastructure on the site, as well as progress on habitat restoration plans. For the next phase of the project, DWR will strengthen the interior levees and take steps toward opening the site up to tidal flows.
"We hope the restoration project will provide a tidal habitat for Delta smelt, and a shallow area for giant garter snakes and migratory birds," she added.
The project brings together the goals of DWR, the Nature Conservancy and Reclamation District 2110 to restore the Delta island while balancing flood protection for neighboring residents.
McCormack-Williamson Tract is located at a higher elevation relative to most of the Delta. If the same project were attempted at a lower elevation, the land would be constantly inundated, a tidal habitat wouldn't be possible, and fish and wildlife couldn't adequately recolonize the area.
"The project is kind of a sweet spot in conservation because it has multiple benefits for people and wildlife," Zeleke said.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently broke ground on the Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration Project, the largest tidal wetlands restoration project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to date. Located on the Delta's western edge in Contra Costa County, the Dutch Slough project will transform approximately 1,200 acres of former grazing and dairy lands into a rich habitat for fish and wildlife.
Once completed, the project will utilize natural daily tides to allow water to flow in and out, creating a natural tidal wetland that provides a safer environment for salmon, splittail and other endangered fish species.
Historically, the Dutch Slough site was tidal marsh open to the rest of the Delta's waterways. These wetlands helped support the base of the food chain.
Starting in the early 20th century, the creation of levees blocked off thousands of acres of wetlands from the Delta's main channels, which diminished food production for fish and wildlife.
"It basically shut the grocery stores for most of the animals, there just wasn't that much for them to eat anymore," said Patty Finfrock, DWR Dutch Slough project manager.
Opening up the site to create the tidal wetland helps increase the density of the base of the food chain (such as clams, insects, and single-celled organisms) that support the fish in the main channels of the Delta.
Additionally, baby salmon migrating through the tidal wetlands to the ocean will now have a place to hide from predators and have greater access to food, which will help them grow stronger.
"Hopefully, the baby salmon will see this as a really great neighborhood to grow up in, because it is going to provide the things that they need – enough food to eat, and a safe place to live," Finfrock said.
The site provides flood protection to surrounding neighborhoods, acting as a buffer against rising sea levels triggered by climate change. The project also includes a 55-acre regional park that will allow visitors to hike, bike, boat, fish, and birdwatch. The project also protects a historical vineyard, a local cultural heritage site that the public will be able to admire as part of the planned regional park.
"We don't have to just restore habitat and set it aside for nature; we can do it in a way that provides lots of benefits to humans," said John Cain, Director of Conservation for California Flood Management with American Rivers, a longtime advocate for this effort.
This project was designed to help scientists learn about restoration in the Delta. It will serve as a living laboratory where scientists can advance their understanding about the benefits of tidal habitat at a range of elevations. This knowledge will help inform future restoration projects – making them more cost-effective and ecologically valuable.
Dutch Slough is part of an effort by DWR's Delta Levee Program, which ensures that there is no net habitat loss in the Delta because of the state's levee improvement projects. The Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration Project is the result of years of hard work and a dedicated partnership between local, state, and federal agencies to plan and implement. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2021.
Editor's note: The following article is part of a continuing series highlighting the California EcoRestore Initiative, which seeks to restore 30,000 acres of habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by 2020. California EcoRestore is an umbrella program that includes habitat restoration efforts implemented and funded by the Departments under California Natural Resources Agency including Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Delta Conservancy.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) completed construction on a 350-acre tidal restoration project at Yolo Flyway Farms on the northwestern edge of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The Yolo Flyway Farms Tidal Habitat Restoration project floods grazing land to create a tidal habitat for Delta smelt in the Yolo Bypass, a floodwater diversion zone in Yolo County. The effort was the result of a partnership between DWR and a private landowner for the creation of habitat restoration.
Through a first-of-its-kind agreement, DWR worked with Charles Tyson, the property owner, to develop the 350-acre tidal habitat restoration site. Following project completion, DWR will take ownership of the site and will be responsible for its long-term maintenance and upkeep.
"Individuals and farmers who own land can see an opportunity to enhance the value of their land – that's very positive and very possible," Tyson said.
On September 25, DWR breached the levee allowing the land to tidally connect to the toe drain, a narrow channel that connects the Yolo Bypass with the Sacramento River. Tules were then planted along portions of the newly excavated channels, which will create a conducive environment for the production of food for fish as the vegetation breaks down. The food will eventually wash back into the larger channel, boosting salmon survival rates within the Yolo Bypass.
"We're doing restoration work in this region because it provides food and habitat to support endangered species," said Bonnie Irving, DWR senior environmental scientist and Yolo Flyway Farms project manager.
"The more food that we can put back in the Delta, the more food we can produce for endangered fish," Irving said.
The restoration effort is federally required. In 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that the pumps, aqueducts and other water infrastructure in California contributed to endangering the existence of the Delta smelt. USFWS mandated that the state of California restore 8,000 acres of tidal habitat in the Delta and Suisun Marsh.
Endangered fish populations continue to decline in the Delta. A 2017 survey by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) found only two Delta smelt after four months of trawling (dragging a fishing net across water).
The restoration project at Yolo Flyway Farms is part of the California EcoRestore Initiative (EcoRestore), a multiagency initiative coordinated by the Natural Resources Agency, which seeks to restore 30,000 acres of land in the Delta by 2020. EcoRestore responds to the 2008 USFWS mandate and other mandates by accelerating the work of 30,000 acres of restoration across the Delta, which will protect the Delta smelt, salmon, and other native species.
EcoRestore, which includes the tidal marsh projects launched by DWR's Fish Restoration Program to achieve the federal mandate, also involves projects related to floodplain habitat restoration, fish passage, and improving subsided land and carbon sequestration. EcoRestore provides a vehicle to share lessons and other resources across these state-sponsored restoration efforts.
The overarching goal of California EcoRestore, and projects like Yolo Flyway Farms, is to return the natural ecological function to the Delta, the West Coast's largest estuary that has badly deteriorated under human development.
DWR recently completed construction that transforms an island in the heart of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from a managed leveed site to an open tidal wetland reminiscent of the historical landscape.
Decker Island (Solano County) is located amidst the largest estuary on the West Coast, between freshwater and saltwater, where the endangered Delta smelt are concentrated. Over time, the Delta ecosystem and food web that native fish species depend on has been greatly diminished.
The Decker Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project, which broke ground in August 2018, converts an existing wetland into tidal habitat. Under the plan, DWR breached levees along the perimeter of the 140-acre site, allowing water from the Sacramento River to move through the marshland. As the water flows out of the marshland, it carries microscopic plankton, plant particles, and other nutrients across the Delta's waterways, where the tiny bits are eaten by Delta smelt and other fish and wildlife species.
"These tidal wetlands are the bread baskets of the Delta. This is where the basis of the food web is created," said Dennis McEwan, Chief of the State Water Project Mitigation and Restoration Branch within DWR.
More than a century ago, levee systems were built up to protect agricultural land and urban areas from the seasonal and tidal waters. Since the 1800s, tidal wetland habitat in the Delta has declined from an estimated 350,000 acres to about only 10,000 acres. This loss of habitat has contributed to the steep decline of native fish and wildlife species. The restoration projects under California EcoRestore, such as this effort on Decker Island, seek to reverse this trend by providing the habitat and food sources needed to boost fish survival rates.
Decker Island is one of 13 projects planned and implemented by DWR's Fish Restoration Program charged with restoring 8,000 acres of tidal wetland habitat in the Delta and Suisun Marsh, as required mitigation for the State Water Project and Central Valley Project long term operations. This effort has been a close partnership between DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). CDFW will carry out the on-site biological monitoring to ensure the site functions as it was designed and to inform future restoration efforts.


I don't agree with Supt. Janet Barresi on every issue, but there's no question she is a strong advocate for giving parents as many educational options as possible. The same cannot be said for her opponents. Below is a new ad and a press release from the Barresi campaign.
While State Superintendent Janet Barresi has always fought for parents' right to choose the best education for their children, her opponent Joy Hofmeister actually conspired to prevent some of Oklahoma's neediest children from obtaining a quality education, according to public records.
A new ad released by the Barresi campaign today highlights Hofmeister's duplicity. In it, Deborah McGrath notes that her son, Michael, has thrived thanks to the scholarships. Michael has Dysgraphia, which impacts motor and information processing skills, and Dyslexia.
The Oklahoma Legislature voted to create the Lindsey Nichole Henry scholarship program, which provides state-funded scholarships to children with special needs. The program allows that small group of children to receive specialized education at private schools. In response, the Jenks and Union school districts filed harassment lawsuits against the parents of children who legally qualified for scholarships.
In 2012, the Oklahoma Supreme Court tossed the schools' lawsuit out of court. The Supreme Court noted the schools had suffered no losses due to the scholarship program and had no standing to sue. And the court explicitly noted "the parents are clearly not the proper parties" to be sued.
In response, the Oklahoma Legislature later passed a law requiring school districts to pay parents' legal fees if they engage in similar frivolous litigation in the future.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling made clear that the districts had filed a baseless harassment lawsuit whose only intent was to financially bankrupt the parents of children with special needs.
Yet emails obtained through a Freedom of Information request show Hofmeister conspired with the litigious school officials. Hofmeister participated in email exchanges with Jenks Superintendent Kirby Lehman and others discussing efforts to deprive children with special needs of educational opportunities.
In a March 22, 2013 email exchange, Hofmeister endorsed a proposal to change state law to discourage private schools from accepting children with the scholarships, declaring, "Great idea!" That proposal would have resulted in children being qualified for state scholarships, but unable to use them.
Further evidence of Hofmeister's hostility to families of children with special needs can be seen in her campaign finance reports. Dozens of Hofmeister's campaign contributors work for the districts that sued parents or the law firm that represented the schools, while Lehman has personally hosted fundraisers for Hofmeister.
"The emails leave no doubt that Joy Hofmeister supported lawsuit harassment of families whose children have special needs," Matthews said. "She then opposed legislation to protect those families from financial ruin if they are targeted by frivolous lawsuits. And then she endorsed efforts to gut the scholarship program so children with special needs are left trapped in schools unable to serve them. Her indifference to the very real challenges facing these families is staggering.
The Hofmeister emails can be viewed here.


1 Tim. 4:7 "Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;"
Lazy Christianity has plagued the modern church mistakenly claiming that since we are under grace, we are also under no obligation to do anything. As Dallas Willard put it in The Great Ommission, "Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort." Spiritual Disciplines are some of the ways we receive God's grace and are necessary as we grow in Christ.
How did you do with last week's homework? Share with the group.
Study the diagram. Focus on the portion titled "discipline".
Why are "individual" disciplines important in our walk with Christ?
Why are "corporate" disciplines important in our walk with Christ?
1. What do the following passages say about what we are becoming in Christ as His disciples?
2. INDIVIDUAL: What does this passage say about prayer? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your individual prayer life as compared with the other 7 areas?
3. CORPORATE: What does this passage say about prayer? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your desire and discipline of joining in corporate prayer as compared with the other 7 areas?
4. INDIVIDUAL: What does this passage say about Scripture? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your individual love for God's word and discipline in spending time reading, memorizing and meditating on it as compared with the other 7 areas?
5. CORPORATE: What does this passage say about Scripture? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your love for hearing God's word preached and support of the public proclamation and reading of Scripture as compared with the other 7 areas?
6. INDIVIDUAL: What does this passage say about the Church? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your individual devotion to a local church as compared with the other 7 areas?
7. CORPORATE: What does this passage say about the Church? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your mutual commitment to biblical fellowship within your local church as compared with the other 7 areas?
8. INDIVIDUAL: What do these passages say about your individual ministry? In light of the passage below, how would you rank your individual ministry as compared with the other 7 areas?
What are your 3 weakest areas? Write them down.
Now, write down 2 practical things that you plan to do in order to improve in those areas.
Bring this lesson with you to the next meeting so that you can share how you did in each of these areas.


Like spicy chicken but with a zest of sweet taste? Asam and pedas flavours in one dish will make the taste buds dance.
Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan. Add in the dried chillies, curry leaves and chilli powder. Stir and let the oil heat up. Once the oil is hot, remove the pan and strain the oil through a fine sieve; discard the solids.
Put 2 tablespoons chilli oil in a nonstick saucepan and saute the chilli bean paste until aromatic. Add in the chicken. Stirfry briskly over high heat.
Pour in chicken stock and season to taste with sugar and pepper. Add lemongrass, curry leaves and spring onion. Stirfry well. Then cover and braise for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender to the bite.
Add in red capsicum, red chilli and onion. Stirfry and toss briefly. Season with thick soy sauce and add the thickening. Bring to boil and drizzle with the remaining chilli oil.


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Q: MySQL - Delete older Records from a huge table I have some huge tables which have around 10years data, and each table has approx 10000000+ rows.
Basically, I want to remove older than 2 years data and make a copy of deleted data in a separate table(I'll export the separate table to CSV and drop it later)
I found this great article: Archive huge record
I want the same thing, but I don't have an ID column in my tables.
So the process should like this,
Insert a single row in my separate table, then delete the row from the main table; commit.

Then, repeat the same step.
Its my main production table and its always busy, so no locks, blocks, and deadlock.
Can anyone suggest a better approach for this?
I have already asked a question about archival, but here I don't want to partition the table.

A: Since you want to archive most of the table, here's what I recommend.  And it will facilitate subsequent archivings.
This assumes

*

*The table has a DATETIME or TIMESTAMP; I'll call it dt in the code below.

*New rows will be INSERTed in chronological order or nearly so.  (This assumption may not matter.)

*You can take some downtime, roughly equivalent to twice the time it takes to scan the entire table.  If you cannot handle this much downtime, then other (messier) techniques may be possible.

Setup:
SELECT @cutoff = CURDATE() - INTERVAL 2 YEAR;  -- need same cutoff twice
CREATE TABLE new LIKE real;   -- this will become `real` later.
ALTER TABLE new ADD some partitioning ENGINE=InnoDB

The partitioning will be BY RANGE(TODAYS(dt)) with 26 monthly partitions.  See http://mysql.rjweb.org/doc.php/partitionmaint for discussion of what they will look like.  See below for future archivings.
Shrink real to the last 2 years:
-- Stop writes to the table `real`
-- Note:  This will take a long time
INSERT INTO new SELECT * FROM real WHERE dt >= @cutoff;  -- 2 of 10 years = 20% of table?
RENAME TABLE real TO old, new TO real;
-- Allow writes to the table `real`

Archive older stuff:
SELECT ... INTO OUTFILE '...csv' FROM old WHERE dt < @cutoff;

Future archivings:
Now that you have the table partitioned, you need to do some monthly maintenance:

*

*Use "transportable tablespaces" to remove the oldest partition from real and turn it into a csv.  (Perhaps ALTER TABLE foo ENGINE=CSV;?)

*REORGANIZE PARTITION future INTO next-month, future to slide the timescale forward.

These steps will be very fast, and have no impact on inserts into real (unlike the original split).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Susan Bayard earned her M.A. in pastoral ministry and Post Master's Certificate in Spiritual Formation at Boston College, and she is now enrolled in a spiritual companioning program through the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. For 20 years she served as pastoral associate for community outreach in a parish in MetroWest Boston, helping to nurture and support the faith lives of parishioners. Susan is a former high school history teacher, and she maintains a lively interest in the stories of nations and tribes and the shaping of community. Social justice and faith development are areas of particular and ongoing interest.
Paula Gendreau received her M.Ed. in religious education and a post-master's certificate in the practice of spirituality from Boston College. She also holds a B.A. in multiple disciplinary studies with a concentration in health and education from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Paula currently serves as a pastoral associate at Saint Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She has vast experience in religious formation and sacramental preparation. Over the years Paula has served on several diocesan religious education advisory boards and committees. A much loved part of her work in parish ministry finds her directing the RCIA process, as well as leading and forming leaders of small faith communities. She greatly enjoys serving STM Online: Crossroads as a regular online course facilitator, a role she has held since 2004.
Kathy Hendricks received her master's degree in adult Christian community development from Regis University in Denver and certification as a spiritual director from Benet Hill Center, Colorado Springs. She has worked as a pastoral minister, director of religious education, teacher, and catechist in diocesan offices, parishes and Catholic schools in Colorado, Alaska, and British Columbia, Canada. She also served as parish life coordinator for Pax Christi Parish in Littleton, Colorado, administering the day-to-day operations of the parish in the absence of a resident pastor. Kathy is author of several books, including Everything About Parish Ministry I Wish I Had Known, and writes for various publications. She is a national consultant for William H. Sadlier and an editorial consultant for Twenty-Third Publications. She is a member of the Colorado Authors League and Spiritual Directors International.
Carolyn Weir Herman, holds undergraduate degrees in Theology and Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame; an M.A. in Theology from The Catholic University of America; and the Post-Master's Certificate in the Practice of Spirituality and Ph.D. in systematic theology, both from Boston College. Prior to coming to Boston, Carolyn worked for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Departments of Education and Family, Laity, Women, and Youth. Presently, she serves as Director of Staff Formation at Xaverian Brothers High School, where she plans programs for faculty and staff to deepen their faith life and to support their understanding of the school's mission. In addition, she works as a spiritual director and serves on her parish council and school board.
Marianne Ivany is a 2011 graduate of St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Euclid, Ohio, where she earned an M.A. in theology and is also continuing her post-graduate religious education studies. She also holds a B.S. in applied science from Youngstown State University. Since 1999 Marianne has been involved in a wide array of religious education programs in her home parish, and she currently has a concentration in adult education. She is also a facilitator for the University of Dayton's online religious education program. In addition to her work in ministry, Marianne holds a position as a technical lab consultant for an outpatient rheumatology clinic in Akron, Ohio, where she has been employed since 1986.
Susan Kay holds the M.Ed. in Religious Education from Boston College, and for more than 25 years she has served the Archdiocese of Boston as an ecclesial minister. Her roles ranged from parish catechist and DRE to Archdiocesan Assistant Director of Religious Education-Director of Catechetical Ministry and Assistant for Ministry to Regional Bishop John McNamara. An adjunct professor in religious education for the Master's in Ministry program of St. John's Seminary, Boston, Susan also serves on various Archdiocesan interreligious and ecumenical initiatives. A religion consultant for William H. Sadlier Publishers, she has advised on the writing and editing of several books, and she has written for national publications. Susan has been named a National Catholic Education Association Catechetical Scholar.
Joan Kennedy received her master of theological studies degree in 2011 from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, with the aim of empowering the laity through adult faith formation programs. Since then she has presented her programs in parishes, retreat centers, private homes, and as a component of archdiocesan offerings. Joan earned a B.A. in biological sciences from Mount Holyoke College, a master of science degree in biobehavioral sciences from the University of Connecticut, and a certificate from the School of Spirituality at Mercy Center in Madison, Connecticut. She is an experienced teacher, businessperson, artist, and art museum docent. She is also a lifelong volunteer in Catholic milieux, having served at various times as religious education teacher, Eucharistic minister, lector, and parish council member.
Mary Lemire-Campion is a Pastoral Associate at St. John Chrysostom Parish in West Roxbury, MA where she does pastoral work in many areas including social justice, liturgy and adult faith formation. Her career includes a strong focus on education, first as a high school teacher, then in the publishing industry, and now both in the parish setting and online with Crossroads. Mary is also a freelance writer. She is a 2013 graduate of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry where she earned the M.A. in pastoral ministry. Mary also holds a B.A. in Spanish from Holy Cross College and an M.A. in Hispanic studies from Brown University. She has studied in Madrid, Spain, and enjoys the language and culture of Spanish speakers. She has been involved in small group Bible study, the ministry of marriage preparation, social justice projects, and pro-life education.
Katherine Maher has worked in the field of clinical social work providing counseling and advocacy services for children and families in a variety of clinical, legal, and educational settings. She is a trained spiritual director, with a background in Ignatian spirituality rooted in her experience in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Katherine has accompanied others on the Spiritual Exercises 19th Annotation Retreat and other retreat experiences at several retreat centers in the Boston area. She currently serves as the Spiritual Life Coordinator at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry where she received the M.A. in pastoral ministry. Her clinical training also includes a master's in social work from Boston University and a 2-year certificate in spiritual direction and retreat programming from the Spiritual Life Center in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Anne Marie Mahoney earned the master's degree in pastoral ministry and the post-master's certificate in spiritual formation at Boston College as an older adult. She has worked in parish religious education in the Archdiocese of Boston as a director overseeing formation for kindergarten through high school as well as RCIA, baptism preparation, and adult programs. After doing more courses and workshops she moved into freelance bereavement work. She currently offers a bereavement program that utilizes the creative arts in both parishes and senior centers. Previously, Anne Marie worked in municipal government and was a high school English teacher.
Sara Milone is the director of campus ministry at an all-girls Catholic high school outside of Boston. Steeped in Jesuit education, Sara received her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, a M.Ed. from Loyola Marymount University, and a Masters in Divinity degree from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Seeking to further accompany individuals through the act of holy listening and discernment, Sara completed her Post-Master's Certificate of Spiritual Formation from Boston College in 2017. Her areas of ministry experience include high school campus ministry and education, parish youth ministry, college and young adult retreats, hospital chaplaincy, adult faith formation and spiritual direction.
James A. Mongelluzzo is a priest of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, where he has served as parish priest, cathedral rector, founding director of the diocesan office for worship, and diocesan master of ceremonies. He holds three degrees in sacred liturgy, including a master's degree from the graduate program in liturgical studies at the University of Notre Dame, and a pontifical licentiate and pontifical doctorate from Weston Jesuit School of Theology formerly of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Currently, Jim teaches homiletics and sacramental theology at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, and offers occasional liturgy courses in the Continuing Education program at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, in addition to facilitating online courses. On weekends he ministers at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Leominster, MA.
Judi Pasino holds a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology (from Arizona State University), a Master of Divinity (from Boston University), and a Master of Social Work (Simmons College). A nationally certified chaplain, Judi has worked in schools and hospitals, work that awakened a deeply-felt calling to serve those who are aging, seriously ill and/or dying, and their loved ones. She hopes to bring both social work and spiritual care skills to working with these populations. Judi has also served in multiple ministries in her Catholic communities (having lived in 5 different cities!), including lectoring, Eucharistic Ministry, liturgical dance, and preaching reflections.
Janet Schaeffler, O.P., an Adrian Dominican Sister, spent many years in parish and archdiocesan faith formation ministry and served as director of adult faith formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. She is currently ministering as a freelance consultant and presenter for catechetical/adult faith formation. Active in faith formation at the national level, Janet has been an elected officer of the executive committee of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), and continues to serve on the NCCL adult faith formation committee. She is the author of various publications, including Creative Connections for Catechists from A to Z: Catholic Social Teaching, A Prayerbook for Eucharistic Ministers, and Nuts and Bolts: Ideas and Practices for Adult Faith Formation. She is a regular contributor to Take Out: Family Faith on the Go and Catechist magazine, and she has also written hundreds of articles in catechetical and parish ministry.
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Hello corn! I'm a bit behind the eight ball here, I know summer has ended and corn season has passed, however I loved this recipe so much that I want to share it with you! I moved back to Seattle after living in New Zealand last year, it was an incredible experience. New Zealand is a beautiful country, the color of the water there is a sea of amazing blues. If you haven't been, please put New Zealand on your bucket list!
Onto the corn! There is nothing more refreshing to me than fresh corn, it doesn't even need to be cooked but a light sauté can be quite nice. I used a Deborah Madison recipe as the base and made a few adjustments, fresh feta was one of them. Feta is probably one of my favorite cheeses to add to a dish to bring another level of flavor to it. I hope you enjoy next time fresh corn is in season, or go ahead and try some frozen corn!
Roast the pepper and dice. I used the gas stove top method, I'm still figuring this one out so I will direct you to The Kitchn for a how-to. If you like more heat, you could try a hotter pepper than a poblano (Deborah Madison suggests Anaheim or New Mexican chile).
Prepare the onion and tomatoes and have these ready to go.
Puree 1 cup of corn kernels with 1 cup of water in a blender for 3 minutes. Then strain out as much liquid as possible using a strainer and set aside.
Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a large skillet over medium – medium high heat and then add the onion, garlic and pepper and sauté for 4 minutes.
Stir in the corn kernels and corn milk. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato and cook just until it is warm.
**If you make enough for leftovers like me, only use the feta on what you will be eating. Reheat the corn and add fresh cold feta to your leftovers. Reheated feta is good too, but changes the flavor and is not as strong as when it is added cold at the end.


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Louisiana Governor – Decision on Mask Mandate Could Come This Week
Bruce Mikells Published: April 26, 2021
Governor John Bel Edwards, Facebook
This news will come as a shock to a great number of you reading this article. Louisiana still has a statewide mask/face covering mandate as it relates to coronavirus mitigation measures. Now, I realize that you couldn't tell that by looking if you were to observe the people that might have gathered at a local watering hole over the weekend or maybe were doing some shopping in your neighborhood grocery. But the mandate is still in effect.
However, Governor John Bel Edwards, speaking last week, offered some hints that he is at least considering doing away with the obligatory face covering. He also said, he would not make a decision on ending the statewide mask mandate until after he has reviewed the latest data on coronavirus mitigation measures across the state. That review of new data could come as early as this week.
At last Thursday's press briefing Edwards touted the states Bring Back Louisiana Program as one of the key reasons he might considering rescinding the masking protocol. The state has announced vaccination events in all nine of Louisiana's public health regions. Many were held over the weekend and there are plans to hold more.
As more and more of the state's residents get the vaccination you can expect fewer and fewer mitigation measures to be renewed or reinforced. This is of course assuming that the current vaccines do what medical professionals believe they will in not only fighting off the current version of the coronavirus but the different variants that have been noted over the past few months as well.
Over 1.1 million Louisiana residents have been vaccinated against coronavirus. In Acadiana, that's almost 125,000 people with more and more getting jabbed every day. Louisiana Department of Health officials estimate that about 25% of Louisiana residents have been vaccinated.
In Acadiana, the vaccination rate is listed at 20.5% of the population. The New Orleans area has the highest rate of vaccination at 31.2% while the lowest rate of vaccinations in the state is in the Lake Charles area where only 17.2% of people have been vaccinated.
Okay, for a lot of us the mask mandate hasn't been something we've embraced. We've done it because, well you have your own reasons, but it's not the only thing in the state that we don't care for. Believe it or not, there are a few other things we'd just as soon not see. I guess we can add face masks to the list.
Things Not Welcomed Into State of Louisiana
Filed Under: Coronavirus (COVID-19), face mask, John Bel Edwards, Mask Mandate
Categories: Health/Wellness, Louisiana News, Shreveport News


SimCity aficionados are turning to Google Earth to ensure the accuracy of their creations… Sometimes you can practically taste the convergence.
Toponymic tussle: Asia Media reports South Korea's National Geographic Information Institute "will hand over an English-language map of Korea to Google this month with a request that the U.S. Internet company stop using Japanese terms on the map of Korea." Other organizations will get the map as well.
The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) tries out Atlas Gloves, and posts a video . It works!
I kinda dropped the ball on Microsoft's Photosynth, a photo georeferencing tool with a twist whose technology preview video demo is wholly impressive. Digitally Distributed Environments has a nice writeup, as does Search Engine Watch.
I wonder if their choice of venue — St. Marks Square, an urban space — has to do with the limits of the technology. Trees and lanscapes must be more difficult, but so would photos taken of the same place over time, as new buildings are added. I suspect all of these challenges could be circumvented with some user-generated tweaking, though.
Photosynth certainly looks like a prime candidate for inclusion in Microsoft's upcoming 3D virtual globe — Microsoft principal researcher Rick Szeliski is quoted in the video saying "Once we can take all the world's photos and organize them in 3D…" That definitely carries an echo Google's mission statement.
Google Earth for Dummies, coming in December (Via Google Earth Blog).
Thanks for including the Virtual Globes Directory in your news brief.


Dirk Pitt, the director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, is on the Black Sea, helping to locate a lost Ottoman shipwreck, when he responds to an urgent Mayday—"Under attack!"—from a nearby freighter. But when he and his colleague Al Giordino arrive, there is nobody there. Just dead bodies and a smell of sulfur in the air.
While investigating a toxic outbreak in the Caribbean Sea that may ultimately threaten the United States, Pitt unwittingly becomes involved in something even more dangerous—a post-Castro power struggle for the control of Cuba.
A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming...a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia...a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war...NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there's a connection here somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control.
Dirk Pitt Sr. and his partner, Al Giordino, take center stage in this latest National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) adventure. The two are on Lake Baikal in Siberia when a massive earthquake disrupts their research. The rescue of a scientific survey vessel and its passengers reveals a sinister agenda somehow tied to the history of Genghis Khan, one of the world's greatest conquerors.
In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese tried a last desperate measure-a different kind of kamikaze mission, this one carried out by two submarines bound for the West Coast of the United States, their cargo a revolutionary new strain of biological virus.
In Trojan Odyssey, Dirk Pitt battles his deadliest, and most extraordinary, foe - with help from a very unexpected source.
It is July 2003. In the middle of its maiden voyage, the luxury cruise ship Emerald Dolphin suddenly catches fire and sinks.
When a research ship manned by Dirk Pitt and members of the U.S. National Underwater and Marine Agency is nearly sunk by a vessel from the past, Pitt finds himself caught up in an ancient mystery with lethal ties to the present, matching wits with a malevolent and powerful adversary.
Dirk Pitt's nemesis is a wealthy Chinese smuggler who has made a fortune in human slavery. Tracking his nefarious activities leads Pitt from Washington State to Louisiana, where the Chinese slaves are constructing a shipping port in the middle of nowhere.
Dirk Pitt finds himself in a deadly race against time to stop a family's murderous diamond mining operations and to find the source of a mysterious plague.
In 1532 a fleet of ships sails in secret to an island in the middle of an inland sea. There they hide a magnificent treasure more vast than that of any pharaoh. Then they disappear, leaving only a great stone demon to guard their hoard.
August 1945: A lone B-29 takes off from Alaska for the long flight to Japan, bearing the third atomic bomb as back-up to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. Shot down just short of its target, the plane crashes into the sea, taking its secret to the bottom.
When a mysterious and extremely deadly poison spreads through the waters off the coast of Alaska killing everything it comes in contact with, including several scientists and members of the crew of a Coast Guard cutter, Dirk Pitt and his NUMA team are dispatched an attempt to find the source of the poison.
Dirk Pitt, death-defying adventurer and deep-sea expert, is out to the ultimate test as he plunges into the perilous waters of the Pacific Vortex—a fog-shrouded sea zone where dozens of ships have vanished without a trace.
In 1954 Vixen 03, a top-secret flight bound for the military's testing grounds in the South Pacific, crashes and is never recovered.
In 1912, the RMS Titanic went to the bottom of the North Atlantic in one of history's most infamous maritime disasters. Seventy-five years later, it is discovered that Titanic's hold contains a shipment of a rare mineral, the only available supply in the world large enough to power a top-secret and vital United States defense program.
Dirk Pitt is summoned from his vacation on the sunny beaches of California and sent to the Arctic when an iceberg is discovered that contains the remains of a missing luxury yacht.
Dirk Pitt is up against an international drug smuggling ring and the evil Bruno Von Till, a German pilot who survived both World Wars to become one of the most ruthless smugglers in history.


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Why do so many gays have mustaches? To hide the stretch marks.
Joke has 56.26 % from 178 votes. More jokes about: gay
Gay translation I want a commitment. I'm sick of masturbation. Haven't I seen you before? Nice ass. I need you. My hand is tired. You're the only man I've ever cared about. You are the only man who hasn't rejected me. I'm a Romantic. I'm poor. I really want to get to know you better. So I can tell my friends about it. It's just orange juice, try it. 3 more shots, and he'll have his legs around my head. He's kinda cute. I want to have sex with him till my dick turns blue! He's not my type. He won't sleep with me. I miss you so much I am so horny that my dog is starting to look good. I had a wonderful time last night. Who the hell are you? Do you love me? I've done something stupid and you might find out. Do you 'really' love me? I've done something stupid and you're going to find out. I'll give you a call. I'd rather have my nipples torn off by wild dogs than see you again. I've been thinking a lot. You're not as attractive as when I was drunk. I think we should just be friends. You're ugly. I've learned a lot from you. Next!!!!
Joke has 54.22 % from 258 votes. More jokes about: animal, gay, love, masturbation, ugly
Q: Why can't gays drive faster than 68mph? A: Because at 69 they blow a rod.
Joke has 47.80 % from 131 votes. More jokes about: car, gay
A gay couple had been partnered for 25 years and was celebrating the 60th birthday of one of them. During the party, a fairy appeared and said that because they had been such a loving couple all those years, she would give them one wish each. The one who was giving the party said, "We've blown all our money on parties and fine dining and decorating this house, I've never gotten to see the world. I wish we could travel all over the world." The fairy waved her wand and POOF! He had the tickets in his hand. Next, it was the birthday boy's turn. He paused for a moment, and then with a sly grin said, "Well, I'd like a boyfriend 30 years younger than me." The fairy waved her wand and POOF! He was 90.
Joke has 71.22 % from 317 votes. More jokes about: age, birthday, couple, gay, party
Q: How do 5 gay men walk? A: One Direction!
Joke has 57.43 % from 266 votes. More jokes about: gay, music
Q: What does a homo say to another gay going on vacation? A: Can I help you pack your shit?
A guy arrived home after a long shopping trip, and was horrified to find his lover in bed with a young, handsome boy. Just as he was about to storm out of the house, his lover stopped him with these words: "Before you leave, I want you to hear how this all came about:" "Driving home, I saw this young guy, looking poor and tired, I offered him a ride. He was hungry, so I brought him home and fed him some of the roast you had forgotten about in the refrigerator. His shoes were worn out so I gave him a pair of your shoes you didn't wear because they were out of style. He was cold so I gave him that new birthday sweater you never wore even once because the color didn't suit you. His trousers were worn out so I gave him a pair of yours that you don't fit into anymore. Then as he was about to leave the house, he paused and asked, 'Is there anything else that your lover doesn't use anymore?' "And so, here we are!"
Joke has 76.24 % from 544 votes. More jokes about: driving, food, gay, sex
Son: Dad, what does 'gay' means? Father: It means 'to be happy'. Son: Are you gay? Father: No, son. I have a wife.
Joke has 80.53 % from 2584 votes. More jokes about: gay, wife
Chuck Norris can use a Shake Weight without looking gay.
Joke has 39.18 % from 45 votes. More jokes about: Chuck Norris, gay
Q: What did one gay sperm say to the other gay sperm? A: "How are we supposed to find an egg in all this sh*t?"
Joke has 68.44 % from 93 votes. More jokes about: disgusting, gay
Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and good-looking? They already have boyfriends.
Joke has 49.00 % from 35 votes. More jokes about: gay, men, relationship


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Zak Nakhoda, PE, has 36 years of design experience in a wide range of projects. Prior to founding tsa, he was a Principal and Partner at Thornton Tomasetti (1997-2005) and Vice President and Partner at Ellisor & Tanner (1982-1997). With a Master's degree in structural engineering and PE registrations in TX, PA, NY, NJ, GA, IN, FL, LA, AL and UT, he has managed projects in the DFW area and across the country. Project history includes numerous high rise residential, office & hotel, retail malls, vertical expansion and renovations, religious facilities, multi-building mixed-use projects, parking decks, hospitals and institutional buildings.
Joel Adair, PE, LEED AP, with over 17 years of structural design experience, has overseen design and documentation of commercial and civil structures. Prior to joining TSA, Joel was Lead Structural Engineer at an A/E firm, providing leadership to engineers and technicians. His diverse experience with various structural systems and project types is well suited for managing complex multi-building projects.


The outdoor life extension to the backyard is a cool way to utilize the space in your backyard to serve your relaxation and entertainment needs. Your backyard space with good landscape design can be the best placement for the patio you will appreciate. You can have your backyard well-structured in a patio suitable for a time out in the yard.
A garden atmosphere is a place where you can site your patio and enjoy the soothing comfort of nature around the place. The backyard patios are therefore ideal for this purpose. This will serve as a means of beautifying your patio with natural flowers and other decorative appeals. With an open patio you take your shade from the plants around especially if there is a cover tree available.
Pavers are one other thing that stands out a patio design. Paving construction itself is an adorable design in a patio plan. You have the selection of designs to pick from. These are the circular pattern, the European fan pattern, the basket weave pattern, Herringbone pattern and the running bond pattern. All add beautify decorative outlook to a patio design. Any of the choices made are good for the total outlook of the backyard patios that you have in mind.
Furniture in patio can have various forms depending on what you desire for your design. A patio is made to have a dining set which has both the table and the chairs to make up a complete set. You might want to get the comfy cushions for softer and comfortable sitting. Chairs of all kinds are available for any patio design that will satisfy your taste in patio design.
For all backyard patios design ideas, a proper layout is what brings out the uniqueness in your patio. You may consult a landscape expert or a professional gardener to help you with something suitable for your home style.


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Sat 1st Feb 2020, 7:00pm
at The Glee Club Birmingham
Saturday Night Comedy
Please note that the artists appearing may be subject to change.
With her infectious laugh and high energy Rosie Jones brings 'huge laughs' (Chortle) and has quickly become a must-see act on the comedy circuit. The ex-television researcher was awarded second place in the Leicester Mercury's New Comedian Of The Year 2018, and has already starred on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Last Leg: The Correspondents. With seemingly no end to her talents, Rosie is also an incredible actor, making her primetime debut as Serena in a Silent Witness two-part special.
See 18 tour dates featuring Rosie Jones
Eleanor Tiernan
Eleanor Tiernan abandoned her civil engineering training to become a stand-up in 2004 – and within her first year appeared on RTE's The Liffey Laughs and BBC's One Night Stand. In 2007, she starred in the Edinburgh Fringe play Help!, and made her solo show debut the following year. She then played to more than 120,000 people as the support act for her cousin, Tommy Tiernan, on his Bovinity tour, She also played the ditzy waitress, Emer, on RTE2's youth-orientated chat show The Cafe. 'The fastest-rising comedy talent in the country' (Irish Times) 'Her laid back delivery and engaging stories are both interesting and unique' (Finhouse Comedy) 'Eleanor Tiernan is far and away the best comic actress I have seen on stage' (Hot Press Ireland).
See 21 tour dates featuring Eleanor Tiernan
Adam Hess
He has been nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award (2015) Chortle Best Circuit Comedian and Chortle Best Newcomer and was a staff-writer on Russell Howard's Good News. He has appeared on ITV's Tonight at the London Palladium, Live From The BBC, The Chris Ramsey Show, Elevenish, Count Arthur Strong, Australia's 'Comedy Up Late'. 'For good quality gags per minute, there is no better comedian' **** The Independent 'Relentlessly entertaining, full of beautiful imagery' **** Time Out 'One of the most out and out hilarious shows on the fringe' **** 1/2 Chortle 'I've seen few shows that are funnier' **** The Times
See 23 tour dates featuring Adam Hess
> Birmingham Standup Comedy
> The Glee Club Birmingham
The Glee Club Birmingham
The Arcadian
70 Hurst Street
B5 4TD
glee.co.uk/venues/#birmingham
Find places to stay on Sat 1st Feb 2020


Ludacris, Akon, Big Boi and a host of hip hop stars handed out turkeys to flood affected families in Atlanta this week as a special Thanksgiving treat.
Over 1000 Thanksgiving turkeys, greens, and sweet potatoes were handed out to metro Atlanta families who were impacted by the flooding in early October. In addition, The Ludacris Foundation, supported by Chef Ashley and Straits restaurant , prepared 40 cooked meals for Cobb County homeless and senior citizens.
The Thanksgiving turkey giveaway is a part of the Foundation's LudaCares Initiative. The LudaCares program provides families with nutritious food during the Thanksgiving holiday. Each Thanksgiving the Ludacris Foundation chooses a different community to bring the program. Previous Atlanta area communities for LudaCares Thanksgiving include, Bankhead, College Park, DeKalb County, Hollywood Homes, Morrow GA, Gwinnett County, Marietta, Cobb County, Roswell, Southwest Atlanta, Fulton County, Jonesboro, Clayton County.
"This holiday season our focus is on helping the families impacted by the Atlanta flood," said Ludacris. "Last month when T.I. and I reached out to our friends in the hip-hop and entertainment community they did not hesitate when we called. We received over $80,000 in less than eight hours and raised over $110,000 to support flood survivors in the Atlanta area. As a result of these efforts we were able to provide over 1,000 coats to youth last week.


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It is imperative for the Chinese side to "play" in the solar game.
Abstract The second round of price negotiations on photovoltaics has begun. After the 27th China-EU Economic and Trade Mixed Commission on Friday, EU Trade Commissioner De Gucht revealed that China and the EU have reached an agreement on the resolution of the price commitment. The EU representatives are currently working with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and China. Electromechanical...
The second round of price negotiations on the photovoltaic case has started. After the 27th China-EU Economic and Trade Mixed Commission on Friday, EU Trade Commissioner De Gucht revealed that China and the EU have reached an agreement on the resolution of the price commitment. The EU representatives are currently working with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and China. The Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronics will negotiate on specific technical issues. The Chinese side also stated that the current technical negotiations are positive. It is hoped that in the next consultations, we will strive to reach an agreement on price commitments that are balanced in interests, reasonable and compliant, and acceptable to both parties.
However, "positive" does not mean that the Sino-European PV dispute will be optimistic in the future. The Sino-European trade friction case, which has the largest amount of money involved so far, has evolved into a game between the two sides in the entire economic and trade field. In the remaining one-month buffer period, whether or not an agreement can be reached determines whether the Chinese PV companies can hold the average high tax rate of 47.6% hanging overhead.
This is undoubtedly a hard battle. First of all, from a technical point of view, there are many disputes between the two sides. Even in the framework of the big plan of price commitment, there are still many details involved. Specifically, the price commitment includes price, quantity, price + quantity. The European side wants to set limits on price and quantity, and we are not willing to talk about the quantity limit. In addition, the specific extent of the price increase and the base period of the price increase must be agreed. In this process, the interests of hundreds of large and small PV companies in China should be coordinated, the interests of China and the EU should be coordinated, and operational feasibility should be considered. The difficulty can be imagined in the next 40 days.
This is not the main thing. The hard-line attitude of the European Commission and the determination to be sure will be the biggest obstacle in the consultations. It can be said that the European Commission's bet under this round is too big. The defeat in the voting of the member states before the preliminary ruling, and the counter-measure of the Chinese wine against the double-reverse of the European wine, made the European Commission feel disfigured. In order to save face, and to ensure the independence and prestige in the EU countries, the European Commission also promotes a series of more complicated action plans such as the investigation of China's communications equipment. It is the real purpose of raising the asking price through the rubbing case and pointing directly to the core of the Chinese market system. Degucht, who will expire his term next year, will also take the hard line against China in order to gain personal capital. The success or failure of his plans for photovoltaic taxation may directly affect his career. Judging from this, in the next negotiation, it is unlikely that the European Commission will make a big concession.
In addition, there are still different opinions within the EU. Although 18 members chose to oppose taxation in the pre-primary vote, most of the member states want to stand on the side of the European Commission to pressure China to benefit from future market opening, and do not want to offend China and its related Enterprises in the industrial chain hope to benefit from trade investment in China. This kind of swing mentality can be seen from the twists and turns in the previous vote. In the future voting on the anti-subsidy preliminary ruling and the final anti-dumping ruling, how these countries "stand in the queue" is still uncertain.
The sledgehammer of the EU trade protection has been lifted, but it has not yet reached the finale. At present, the situation is urgent and not optimistic. In a limited time, we still have to play the cards in the hands as soon as possible, in the automotive, polysilicon, steel and other fields, and in a reasonable and positive direction, and timely consider the EU's unreasonable practices to appeal to the WTO in order to win in the photovoltaic The best possible result in the contest.
Other Name: Glycine betaine,Glycocoll betaine, Lycine ,Oxyneuyine
CAS NO.: 67-48-1
Einecs NO.: 590-46-5
Appearance: White Powder
Assay: 99.0% to 101.0%
Raw Material: Plants
Extraction Type: Solvent Extraction
Grade: Feed Grade Proteins
MF: C5H11NO2
Feed Additives: Pig, Fish, Sheep
ITEMS USP30 Feed Grade Feed Grade
Content ,% 98.0-100.5 >=98.0 >=95.0
Loss on drying ,% 0.5 2.0 2.0
Heavy metalsPb,% =<0.001 =<0.001 =<0.001
As,% -- =<0.0002 =<0.0002
Residue on ignition,% =<0.1 -- --
pH1+4 aqueous solution 0.8-1.2
Anti-caking agent 0 0 3.0
A betaine in chemistry is any neutral chemical compound with a positively charged cationic functional group such as a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium cation (generally: onium ions) which bears no hydrogen atom and with a negatively charged functional group such as a carboxylate group which may not be adjacent to the cationic site. A betaine thus may be a specific type of zwitterion. Historically the term was reserved for trimethylglycine only. It is used as a medicine as well.In biological systems, many naturally occurring betaines serve as organic osmolytes, substances synthesized or taken up from the environment by cells for protection against osmotic stress, drought, high salinity or high temperature. Intracellular accumulation of betaines, non-perturbing to enzyme function, protein structure and membrane integrity, permits water retention in cells, thus protecting from the effects of dehydration. It is also a methyl donor of increasingly recognised significance in biology.
25 kgs/bag, 20MT/20'FCL without pallet, 18MT/20'FCL with pallets, or 800kgs/bag, 16MT/20'FCL with pallets
Loading Port: Qingdao port, Shanghai port
Lead Time : within 15 days after the order
Glycine betaine,Glycocoll betaine,Lycine,Oxyneuyine
Jinan Forever Chemical Co., Ltd. , http://www.jinanforever.com
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In 2004, Ray Petro transformed a Cleveland warehouse into a rideable version of Chutes and Ladders, inspiring a wave of other indoor bike parks to open across the country. Not just for mountain bikers, these playgrounds offer a haven for cyclists who want to ride through the winter and hone their bike-handling skills. Practicing wheel lifts and subtle weight shifts on uneven terrain will improve your confidence and agility on the road or trail come spring. Put these five parks on your must-ride list.
This 83,000-square-foot facility in Syracuse, New York, claims to have the largest indoor jump line, the biggest, softest foam pit, and "the best flow of any park." An XC loop offers expert and beginner-friendly features. Skills camps, after-school programs, and ladies' nights welcome all levels.
Although this 112,000- square-foot playground north of Toronto has a distinct kid focus—with summer camps and programs for at-risk youth—there's plenty to please adults. Cruise the XC loop, sign up for a class, or learn a few tricks in one of the 10 zones that house pump tracks, jumps, and a foam pit.
Ray's Cleveland location is a 130,000-square-foot, two-story wonderland filled with swoopy jump lines, XC loops, pump tracks, teeter-totters, and foam pits. Ray's opened a second park in Milwaukee in 2010 and both locations host a free annual Women's Weekend featuring female pro instructors.
This 80,000-square-foot Pittsburgh facility has an earth-friendly vibe, with repurposed skate-park ramps, indoor bikes with generators that power the lights, and teeter-totters built from reclaimed lumber. All cyclists are welcome—even roadies, who can train on a 110-yard banked track while games of bike polo play out on the infield. Slated to open early 2013.
Stand on the pedals, keeping them level. Push your bike down the back of a roller using your arms and core. As you head up and over the next one, unweight the front wheel and keep your body roughly level as the bike rises and falls. This motion uses kinetic energy rather than pedaling force, making you a more efficient rider.
Mountain Biking in National Parks? Hell Yeah.


text:
2021-22 Preschool Registration (Paseo Pointe, Desert Meadows, Vista del Sur)
Preschool registration for the 2021-22 school year begins February 3. All registrations must be completed at the Kids Club office, located at Desert Meadows, 6855 W. Meadows Loop East. (There are visitor restrictions in place due to COVID. Please call at 602-237-7058 or email at kidsclub@laveeneld.org to schedule an appointment to present required documentation.) Please review program details in our handbook prior to enrolling. Children must be at least three years of age at the time of registration.
View our Preschool Information Presentation. Our staff will be standing by on on February 2 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to answer your questions in real time. Email us at kidsclub@laveeneld.org at this time for immediate responses.
2021-22 Preschool Handbook
Desert Meadows 2021-22 Registration Packet
Paseo Pointe 2021-22 Registration Packet
Vista del Sur 2021-22 Registration Packet
All registrations must be completed at the Kids Club office, located at Desert Meadows (6855 W. Meadows Loop East). Please review program details below prior to enrolling. Children must be at least three years of age at the time of registration.
The Laveen Elementary School District offers three preschool programs at select campuses within the district.
Preschool for Children with Special Needs
The district's developmental preschool for children with special needs operates on the campus of Laveen Elementary School.
Additional Preschool Programs
Dual Language Immersion Preschool-Paseo Pointe
Paseo Pointe School offers a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) preschool. In the Dual Language Immersion program students receive instruction in two languages. Paseo follows a 50/50 model in which participating students spend half of their day in a classroom where teaching and learning are done in English, while the other half of the day is done in Spanish. Students participating in the DLI preschool will continue with the immersion program as they transition through the grade levels at Paseo.
General Education Preschool-Desert Meadows (Computer Coding) and Vista del Sur
Desert Meadows and Vista del Sur offer a general education preschool in which instruction is provided solely in English. Desert Meadows' signature program is computer science and preschoolers will be introduced to computer coding. This will build a foundation that will better prepare them for elementary school.
Preschool is open to children that are four and five years old. Three-year-olds may be accepted depending on available space. Children must be potty-trained prior to enrolling.
Preschool is available to families living within the Laveen School District. Children residing outside of the district boundaries may also attend as long as space permits.
Preschool Regular Hours Early Release Hours
Desert Meadows 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Paseo Pointe 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Vista del Sur 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Extended care (Kids Club) is available before and after school for an additional fee.
Program Hours
Morning Care 6:30 a.m. – Preschool Start Time
After School Care Preschool Dismissal – 6:00 p.m.
Camps are available during school breaks (fall, winter, spring, summer) when school is not in session.
View the District Calendar for early release days, holidays, and breaks.
Laveen's preschool program is academics – based. Certified teachers lead instructional lessons.
Laveen's preschools are separated from the rest of the school campus. The preschool has its own secure gate and playground area. Students have lunch in the cafeteria and snacks within the preschool classroom. Preschoolers that participate in before and after school care are also separated from the rest of the school population.
Preschool programs are tuition-based. Tuition for 2020-21 as follows: Payments may be made via our secure online portal.
Plans Fees
Preschool Program – School Hours only $125 weekly
Preschool plus Kids Club Morning Care $135 weekly ($140 at Vista due to additional time)
Preschool plus Kids Club Afternoon Care $165 weekly
Preschool plus Kids Club Morning & Afternoon Care $170 weekly
Early Release Day After School Care (if not enrolled in the after care program) $25 per day
Registration for tuition-based preschool programs must be completed at the Kids Club office which is located at Desert Meadows School. Hours are 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
You must bring the following documents at time of registration:
Completed Enrollment Packet
Official Birth Certificate
Parent/Guardian Photo ID
$150 (Registration fee of $75 and Supply fee of $75)
First week's tuition
Placement is on a first come, first served basis and priority will be given to children ages 4 and 5.
Enrollment in preschool does not guarantee enrollment in that school's kindergarten.
Please contact Kids Club with any questions at 602-237-7058 or KidsClub@Laveeneld.org
Kids Club Day Camp
Bus Safety Information
Utilizing Bus Service
To-Go Meals for Children
Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
School Cafeteria Contacts
Child Nutrition Employment
School Wellness
Cafe Connections Newsletter
Life Time Foundation
Gifted Resources
Gifted Testing
Gifted Video Resources
Life Threatening Allergies
Keep Your Child Healthy
Health Office Contacts


Elephant Reach is a mid-range hotel option for those wishing to visit Yala, Kataragama and Tissa - a good alternative for those not wanting a luxury camping and also for families. The property, built on a four-acre site, is made up of chalets built under the shade of tropical trees laden with ripe mangoes and cashew. Initial feedback is promising with guests commenting on the property's relaxing natural feel and the friendly, courteous staff.
The 21 airconditioned chalets, most of which are interconnecting, blend with nature. The chalets are equipped with a fully-stocked mini bar, 20" TV with satellite channels, DVD player, hair dryer, tea and coffee-making facilities and attached spacious bathrooms with hot and cold water. Baby cots are provided upon request as well as baby-sitting facility.
A restaurant serving Sri Lankan and Western cuisine, the Mahout's Bar, landscaped gardens, swimming pool, pool table, pool bar, kid's play area, IDD, Internet & e-mail facilities, and safari jeeps with guides for tours inside the wildlife parks.
Elephant Reach is ideally located for visits to Yala National Park, Bundala, Kataragama and Tissa. The drive direct from Colombo will take approximately six hours. The drive from the highlands will take from 3-4 hours. The beaches of Tangalle are a short 1.5 hours drive away. The nearest airport that is serviced by the Air Taxi is Weerawilla.
Feb 19, 2018 : Dinner & Breakfast good.
Jan 21, 2017 : Restaurant manager was perfect. He gave us special extra free Sri Lankan food. However there was a bad smell when you flush the toilet.
Jan 09, 2016 : Ok. Bit old, poor service.