In this hyper-partisan era, you wouldn't expect liberals and conservatives to agree about much of anything—certainly not taxes, definitely not taxes to stop climate change. But according to legal expert Shi-Ling Hsu, this controversial idea actually has surprising support on both sides of the aisle.
Ignorance and apathy prevents UK gadget lovers from cashing in.
New research from O2 reveals Brits lose out on a staggering £762million each year by failing to cash in on their old tech goods, including mobile phones, MP3 players, sat navs, games consoles and digital cameras.
Tags: 02, gadget recycling, Guernsey, Guinness World Record, mobile phone, O2, O2 Recycle, O2's Think Big initiative, recycle, recycleathon, recycling, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, weee.
Jennifer Holly, a representative from the AVA Project, has been invited by Options to speak on the links between Mental Health and Domestic Abuse at a breakfast seminar at Les Cotils, St Peter Port from 8 am to 9.45 am on Friday 7 October 2011.
Tags: 7 October 2011, Against Violence and Abuse, AVA Project, Guernsey domestic abuse, Jennifer Holly, Les Cotils seminar, mental health, Options.
Tags: department of energy and climate change, electricity, Energy statistics, Guernsey, renewable energy, Renewable UK, wind energy, wind power.
A mock trial on the guilt or innocence of the two CEOs accused of crimes of Ecocide is being held from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday 30 September 2011 at the UK Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London. The mock trial can be seen live on Sky.
The Jury will give its verdict at 5.00 pm. The indictments are based on real events.
A Press Conference will follow immediately afterwards in The Lawyers Suite, Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London.
The way in which global warming causes many of the world's organisms to shrink has been revealed by new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
Almost all cold-blooded organisms are affected by a phenomenon known as the 'temperature-size rule', which describes how individuals of the same species reach a smaller adult size when reared at warmer temperatures. But until now, scientists have not fully understood how these size changes take place.
Tags: abalone, Dr Andrew Hirst, Guernsey ormer, haliotidae, Haliotis tuberculata, marine life, Natural Environment Research Council, oreille de mer, ormeau, Queen Mary, Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, The American Naturalist, University of London.
When Guernsey last produced a report on its coastal defenses the scientific community stated that we should take into account a sea level rise of 70 to 80 centimetres by the end of the century.
A lot of scientific work in the last five years now suggests that the sea level could potentially rise by 1 to 1.5 metres (five feet) by the end of the 21st century. When witnessing a high spring tide you can imagine what an extra five feet of sea level would do to our coastline. The whole area would be swamped.
Tags: Carente Maritime, coastal defence, cyclone Xynthia, Delta Commissie, Delta Commission, Guernsey sea level, H++ scenario, Nick Day, Professor Nicholas Day, Renewable Energy Team, RET, Rocquaine Bay, sea level rise, storm surge, Thames barrier, The Royal Haskoning Report 2007, Vendee.
Residents of the Belle Greve area are being invited to a drop-in session to learn the latest developments in the planned wastewater installation at the site.
Tags: Belle Greve Bay, Guernsey Wastewater, Guernsey water, public meeting, Public Services Department, storm water, wastewater plant.
The Guernsey Bicycle Group (GBG) exists for the benefit of all by encouraging the use of bicycles and other environmentally friendly forms of transport to reduce the adverse effects of the internal combustion engine.
GBG seeks to coordinate and focus the efforts of other groups and individuals that share its aims.
GBG accepts the role of motor transport in Guernsey society but seeks to encourage the community to embrace sensible means to reduce its adverse effects.
GBG therefore supports measures to promote cycling and walking as well as public transport and car sharing as ways to achieve its mission.
GBG was launched in 1996 and is going strong.
Tags: bicycle, bicycling, biking, cycling, GBG, Guernsey, Guernsey Bicycle Group, Mission Statement.


Born in Zimbabwe and worked mainly as an independent curator for the past ten years before joining the National Gallery of Zimbabwe mid 2010 as it's Chief Curator. Chikukwa has been the 1st Zimbabwe Pavilion curator at the 54th Venice Biennale 2011. He is currently the Zimbabwe Pavilion curator for the 55th Venice Biennale. After taking Zimbabwe to Venice in 2011, Chikukwa has taken part in a number of Forums that include, Re Zimbabwe Pavilion talk at INIVA (London) 1st World Biennale Forum in South Korea, KLA 2012 (Uganda), Condition Report forum in Senegal and Arco Madrid 2013.


This intergenerational art project brought together pupils at St Clement Danes Primary School with members of the Westminster Community Reminiscence & Archive Group to consider how the WW2 principles of Make Do and Mend might still be relevant today.
The children learned about rationing, growing your own food (including a visit to the Dig for Victory allotments in St James's Park) and recycling. They then devised new characters that could be used to encourage people to Make Do and Mend in the 21st century. Working with the adults, the children turned their drawings into collages using paints, fabrics, wool, buttons and anything else they could sew or glue onto fabric squares.
The squares were sewn together like a quilt and exhibited as part of the Make Do and Mend exhibition at the Churchill War Rooms. The quilt is now on display at the school.


text:
Consumer 2017 Tablet Articles
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Ed Hardy - June 30, 2017
Before picking out a tablet, you first need to decide what OS you'd prefer: iOS, Android, or Windows. We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Lenovo Yoga Book Review: Outstanding Windows 2-in-1 for Taking Notes
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Windows 10 now has built-in support for handwritten notes. The Lenovo Yoga Book takes that and runs with it, offering a strong emphasis on drawing and sketching.
Best Tablet Deals 2017: iPad Pro, Surface Pro, & More
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While it probably won't be called the iPad Pro 2, fresh rumors and leaks give an UPDATED look at the changes coming in Apple's second-generation 12.9-inch tablet.
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The Lenovo Yoga 920 is the most premium convertible in this product line, with all the bells and whistles, including the latest Intel 8th generation "Coffee Lake" quad-core processors.
How To Install iOS 11 on an iPad Now
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UPDATED The official release date for iOS 11 is Wednesday, but anyone who just can't wait can install it now, thanks to a simple trick: Apple's beta program is already distributing[...]
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We were able to test out a prototype RCA 12.2" Android 2-in-1 at CES 2017, and offer our first impressions of this full-size but inexpensive computer.
Brydge 12.3 Keyboard for Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pro 3 Hands On
Ed Hardy - January 6, 2017
Brydge just announced that it's making a high-end keyboard for Microsoft's Surface Pro models. We went hands-on with the Brydge 12.3 at CES 2017.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: What We Think We Know
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The replacement for the popular Galaxy Tab S2 is reportedly right around the corner, and details of this Android tablet are leaking out.
RCA Windows 2-in-1 Hands On: 12.2-inch Budget Tablet/Laptop
Windows 2-in-1s like the the Surface are often expensive. An exception is and RCA Windows 2-in-1 set to soon debut. We got some hands-on time with this upcoming model at[...]
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The Samsung Chromebook Plus brings a clean, eye-catching design, gorgeous 2400 x 1600 display, and embedded stylus. Add in full Android functionality at launch and you have the complete package.
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2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
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Utilities/Operating Systems

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Как отсечь последние символы и оптимизировать запрос с regexp_replace? Выбираю рейсы из большого текста. В запросе ниже представлен примерный фрагмент.
Как отсечь последнюю запятую и остальные символы после неё? И можно ли как-то проще сделать запрос чем у меня? Это просто интересно, не придумываю ли я велосипед?
with t as
 (select '456 54 6g gh dfg h 356 36SVO SU1111 SU3911 прилёт SOF в SVO SU0222 SVO SU3333 прилёт SU0004ac' x
    from dual)
select y from (select regexp_replace(x, '(.*?(SU\w{4}))', '\2,') y from t);

Результат:
SU1111,SU3911,SU0222,SU3333,SU0004,ac

А ожидается:
SU1111,SU3911,SU0222,SU3333,SU0004

PS СУБД - Oracle 11g, IDE - PL/SQL Developer

A: Или так:
with t as (
    select '
    456 54 6g gh dfg h 356 36SVO SU1111 SU3911
    прилёт SOF в SVO SU0222 SVO SU3333 прилёт SU0004ac' x
    from dual)
select listagg (regexp_substr (x, '(.*?)(SU\d{4})', 1, level, null, 2), ',')
    within group (order by 1) res
from t connect by level <= regexp_count (x, 'SU\d{4}')
/

RES
------------------------------------------------
SU1111,SU3911,SU0222,SU3333,SU0004

A: with t as
(select '456 54 6g gh dfg h 356 36SVO SU1111 SU3911 прилёт SOF в SVO SU0222 SVO SU3333 прилёт SU0004ac' x
 from dual
)
select y
from (select rtrim(regexp_replace(x, '(.*?(SU\w{4})[^S]*)', '\2,'), ',') y
      from t
     );

https://dbfiddle.uk/?rdbms=oracle_11.2&fiddle=cbf3c0beadbc71247bdb45d6849dd42c

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Christiane Amanpourová (* 12. ledna 1958 Londýn) je britská novinářka íránského původu. V současnosti pracuje pro CNN, kde má mj. pravidelný rozhovorový pořad Amanpour.

Život
Její otec byl íránský muslim, matka anglická křesťanka. Je neteří generála Nadera Jahanbaniho, který velel téměř 20 let íránskému letectvu, než ho popravili islámští revolucionáři v roce 1979. Její rodina byla spřízněna přímo s královskou rodinou Pahlaví. V mládí žila nějaký čas v Teheránu a mluví plynně persky. Od jedenácti let žila v Anglii, vysokou školu ale vystudovala v USA, a to žurnalistiku na University of Rhode Island v Kingstonu. Roku 1983 začala pracovat pro CNN, brzy jako zahraniční reportérka. Její první velkou příležitostí bylo zpravodajství z Blízkého východu o íránsko-irácké válce. V roce 1986 byla převelena do východní Evropy a pokrývala tak i pád Berlínské zdi a konec komunismu v roce 1989. Poté byla vyslána reportovat Válku v Perském zálivu roku 1991. Poté pokrývala konflikt v Jugoslávii. Tehdy však také čelila první kritice. Někteří kritici upozornili, že její reportáže jsou příliš emocionální a zjevně nadržují bosenským muslimům. Nakonec přiznala, že skutečně muslimům stranila. "Existují určité situace, ve kterých prostě nemůžete být neutrální. Když jste neutrální, stáváte se komplicem," hájila se. V roce 2009 začala vysílat svůj rozhovorový pořad Amanpour. Hostem tohoto pořadu byli mj. íránští prezidenti Muhammad Chátamí a Mahmúd Ahmadínežád. V roce 2010 přešla nakrátko na ABC News, kde měla mj. známý rozhovor s Muammarem Kaddáfím, ale v roce 2012 se vrátila na CNN. Od roku 2013 se angažuje v tématu syrské občanské války a vyzývá k zásahu proti silám Bašára Asada. Velmi kritizovala administrativu Barracka Obamy za nečinnost v této věci. V roce 2007 vystoupila na konferenci konferenci Forum 2000 v Praze. V roce 2017 v jejím pořadu vystoupil i český premiér Andrej Babiš.

Odkazy

Externí odkazy

Britští novináři
Narození v Londýně
Narození v roce 1958
Narození 12. ledna
Žijící lidé
Ženy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Meet the Redwood Region Audubon Society volunteer leader in the parking lot at the end of South I Street near Klopp Lake at 8:30 AM, rain or shine!
Bring your binoculars and have a great morning birding! Join Redwood Region Audubon Society volunteers for a guided bird walk tour of the Arcata Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. This tour takes place rain or shine! All ages are welcome and reservations are not required. Participants are instructed to meet in the parking lot at the end of South I Street near Klopp Lake at 8:30 am.


Global Village, the world's leading multicultural Festival Park and the region's first family destination for culture, shopping, and entertainment, has announced a new attendance record with more than three million guest entries over the two-month period since its opening on 30th October 2018.
Based on this performance and guest feedback, this makes for unprecedented performance, especially as Global Village has also achieved the 9/10 rating on its Guests Happiness Index amid strong guest appreciation of its various shows and offerings.
The number of guests and sales statistics from 30th October to 31st December, 2018, showed a massive increase in its popularity and validate the status of Global Village as the leading family destination in the UAE and the Middle East region.
To improve the experience, feedback numbers and results are run through smart software that analyses the guest trip plan, reviews survey results at all touch points and refines responses to guest behaviour. It now takes an average of nine minutes to enter and exit the park, even on weekends, official holidays and during concerts, which again speaks well about the planning and execution of its infrastructure upgrades.
Bader Anwahi, CEO of Global Village, said, "We strive to achieve the highest international quality standards and provide a distinctive and diverse entertainment experience that brings out the rich heritage and diversity of the participating cultures. But that is not the only reason for repeat visits and our dedicated and growing fan following. We offer something for everyone and help them experience, explore and enjoy in a convenient and exciting environment. Guests have appreciated our quality improvements as well as the several infrastructure enhancements that we continue to develop upon every season to help to make their visits a pleasure."
'We expect to welcome a record number of guests this season that will also positively impact the tourism industry in the UAE. Global Village has become an international family destination by any standard and is considered one of the largest cultural family destinations in the world. We expect to welcome record-breaking numbers in the 23rd season but our most important objective is to provide a sustainable family entertainment experience that spreads happiness and is suitable for all cultures. We are pleased to contribute to the diversity of the tourism offering that the county is offering its residents and visitors from around the world."
A record-breaking 130,000 guests attended on the night of Egyptian superstar Mohamed Hamaki's concert on 28th December 2018. The expanded facilities, the broader walkways and enhanced parking with well thought out exit and entry points, contributed to a smooth and convenient guest experience. Once the concert ended, the fans could exit the park within minutes.
The series of concerts at Global Village this season has been unmatched as guests have enjoyed performances by the best Arab and international superstars. These include Arab stars Hossein Moheb, Mohamed Hamaki, Essa Al Marzouq, Samira Said, Assi El Hallani, Hamad Salem Al Ameri, and Fouad Abdel Wahed. Shows by international superstar Jason Derulo, Philippines heart-throbs TAG:LIVE featuring Mayward and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Neha Kakkar and Ankit Tiwari were also well attended. Arab star Rabeh Saqer's concert will take place at the Main Stage on 4th January, 2019. Pakistani Superstar Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will also be performing on the following Friday, 11th January, 2019, at one of the most anticipated concerts for the season.
7 giant New Year's Eve celebrations With its enormous New Year's Eve, Global Village proved that it was the perfect venue for family celebrations as it provided a wide range of interactive activities and welcomed more than 110,000 guests on the night. Celebrations commenced at 8.00 pm UAE time, with the countdown and an intense firework show in sync with the advent of the New Year in China. At 21.00, it heralded the New Year in Thailand, at 22.00 it was in line with Bangladesh, at 22.30 with India and at 23.00 with Pakistan. At midnight in the UAE, the largest celebrations of its kind began with the countdown that was viewed on the screen of the Wheel of the World, which is considered to be the largest fixed screen on a Ferris Wheel in the world. After the countdown, one of the biggest fireworks displays left the guests speechless. At 01.00, the night concluded with the fireworks display celebrating the New Year in Moscow, Russia.
Selection of exclusive shows Guest interest in the spectacular Superloop Stunt Show, produced by the Global Village entertainment team, continues with a full house thrice a day. Other shows appreciated by guests include the Malevo show from Argentina and Urban Crew from the Philippines, which both are talent shows. Its own shows include Globo The Musical, Box Car Capers, Elemental and Bollywood Nights that feature resident performers selected from different countries around the world.
International cuisines, high-quality shopping opportunities This season, guests have a choice of 24 restaurants and cafes and 140 food kiosks. They can also enjoy unparalleled international shopping experiences through pavilions and more than 3,500 outlets. They can purchase unique handicrafts and souvenirs to celebrate the world as they choose unique products from among 78 countries.
Global Village will welcome guests until 6th April, 2018. It is open from 16.00 to midnight from Saturday to Wednesday and from 16.00 to 01.00 on Thursdays, Fridays and public holidays. On Mondays, it is dedicated to families and women only. All its events are included in the ticket price of AED15.


text:
Q: Show that $dim\ rm{span} \{u_1,...,u_n\} = n-1 $ if and only if $dim\{(a_1,...,a_n) \in \mathbb{R}^n \vert a_1u_1+...+a_nu_n=0\} = 1$ Struggling with the following question:
Let $n \in \mathbb{N} $ with $n\geq 2$. Let $V$ be a vector space. Let $u_1,...,u_n \in V$. $\\$Show that $\dim\rm{span}  \{u_1,...,u_n\} = n-1 $ if and only if $\dim\{(a_1,...,a_n) \in \mathbb{R}^n \vert a_1u_1+...+a_nu_n=0\} = 1$$\\$
My "attempt" for the forward direction:
Let $\left \{(a_1,...,a_n) \in \mathbb{R}^n \vert a_1u_1+...+a_nu_n=0 \right \} = W$
I believe we need to show that $\exists v \in W s.t. v \ne 0$ and $\rm{span}\{v \} = W $
I formed a basis of dimension $n-1$ from $\dim \rm{span} \left \{u_1,...,u_n \right \}$, call it $\beta$.
Now, am I supposed to show $\beta \in W$ and that $\beta$ spans $W$? This is where I'm lost. Any pointers or corrections are greatly appreciated.
Edit: Not allowed to use rank-nullity theorem.

A: Consider a subset of $I\subset \{1, \ldots, n\}$ that $\{u_i \ | \ i \in I\}$ is linearly independent and $I$ maximal with this property.  May assume that $I= \{1,2,\ldots, k\}$. Now, for every $j>k$ the system $(u_1, \ldots, u_k, u_j)$ is linearly dependent, so we have
$$- \sum_{i=1}^k c_{j i} u_i + u_j = 0$$
Therefore, the $n-k$ vectors
$$\phi_j = (-c_{j1}, - c_{j2}, \ldots, - c_{jk}, \delta_{j, (k+1)}, \ldots, \delta_{j n}) $$
for $j = k+1, \ldots, n$,  are in the space $\Phi\colon= \{(a_1, \ldots, a_n) \ | \ \sum a_i u_i = 0\}$. Let us show that they form a base of this space. It should be clear that they are linearly independent, since the $(n-k) \times n$ matrix formed by them has as  an identity block $I_{n-k}$. Let us show linear independence:  Consider $\phi\colon = (a_1, \ldots, a_n)$, $\sum a_i u_i = 0$.  The vector
$$\phi-\sum_{j=k+1}^n a_j \phi_j $$
has the last $n-k$ components $0$ and gives a linear dependence of $u_i$, $i=1, n$. Hence it also gives a linear dependence of $u_1, \ldots, u_k$. But these $k$ vectors are linearly independent. It follows that the vector
$\phi-\sum_{j=k+1}^n a_j \phi_j $  has all its compoents $0$, that is
$$\phi = \sum_{j=k+1}^n a_j \phi_j$$.

A: Prove of $\Rightarrow$: From you hypothesis $\dim \rm{span}\{u_1,\ldots,u_n\} = n-1$. There is a linear independent subset that spans this very hyperplane, thus WLOG assume it is $\{u_1, \ldots, u_{n-1}\}$. Hence we have the unique decomposition of $u_n$ under this basis:$u_n = k_1u_1 + \ldots k_{n-1}u_{n-1}$.
Let $v=(k_1, \ldots, k_{n-1}, -1)$, then $v\ne 0$ and $v\in W$. Suppose $w=(l_1, \ldots, l_n)\in W$. If $l_n=0$, the by the definition of $W$ and the linear independence of $u_1, \ldots, u_{n-1}$, $l_1 = \ldots = l_{n-1} = 0$. Otherwise, $l_n \ne 0$, but $l_1 = \ldots = l_{n-1}$  is still uniquely determined by that unique decomposition in the previous paragraph: a multiple of $v$. This is enough to conclude $v$ spans $W$.


text:
Native Application Files? Only in a Fairy Tale World
This month marks the third installment in a series of "Digital Directions" columns devoted to file formats. In January, we delved into TIFF/IT-P1; last month, we discussed PDF/X-1. This month, let's take a closer look at native application files.
Native applications are software solutions we've come to know and love. We use them to manipulate images; they enable us to create breathtaking illustrations, and we employ them to layout documents, books and magazines. Native apps have been around since the pre-dawn of desktop publishing, and the graphic arts community has learned to use them in some notably creative ways.
But therein lies one of the reasons why we can't rely on native application files for final content delivery: editability. When your advertisers turn files over to your capable hands, the last thing they'll appreciate is if someone plans to "get creative" with them, unless, of course, they've authorized someone to make those changes on their behalf.
As a content creator, you expect that a digital file's ultimate recipient, the printer, will produce that document in the exact state in which you last approved it, either on screen or as a proof. The problem is that so much can happen on a file's journey from creator to manufacturer. Text can reflow. Hyphenation can be knocked out of whack. Fonts may be substituted. Color space could be altered. And so on, and so on.
Concerning PostScript, a word of caution: There's no guarantee of compatibility if the PostScript version used by the creator differs from that of the supplier, so data could be interpreted differently at the RIP (Raster Image Processor). In spite of this, PostScript is a step in the right direction—more reliable than native application files, at least.
Into the looking glass
How did we get ourselves into such a fine mess, accepting native applications as a necessary workflow evil? Native application files are not an acceptable file format for the transmission of final content. Just ask any prepress vendor or printer that's receiving them! If you're supplying native application file and you're happy with the quality and consistency of output on the printed page, I guarantee there's someone behind the scenes struggling to make them work.
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calls "so appealing, readers will want to start scoping out real estate."
To overcome her painful past, baker Shelby Gilmore goes on the hunt for a friend—a male friend—to convince her stubborn psyche that men can be trusted. But where in a town as small as Fool's Gold will the petite blonde find a guy willing to not date her?
Dark, charming Aidan Mitchell puts the "adventure" in Mitchell Adventure Tours…and into the beds of his many willing female tourists. Until he realizes he's inadvertently become that guy—the one-night Casanova—and worse, everyone in town knows it. Maybe Shelby's boy/girl experiment will help him see women as more than just conquests so he can change his ways and win back his self-respect.
BEST OF MY LOVE, the 20th and final book in the very popular Fool's Gold series by best-selling author Susan Mallery, is a variation on a friends with benefits theme. Can two people who have been unsuccessful in previous relationships come together strictly as friends in order to help "fix" each other so they'll be ready to go out and pursue long term relationships with someone new?
That's the question proposed by Shelby Gilmore, one of Fool's Gold's newer citizens. Raised in a home with a very abusive father, Shelby finds it very hard to trust men. She continually has chosen the wrong men for relationships and she hopes that the move to Fool's Gold will let her start over. Not wanting to find herself in another failing relationship, she decides that, instead of a boyfriend, she needs a man who can be her friend only so that she can learn to be comfortable with him and eventually trust him without a romance complicating everything. In order to make her idea work, she needs to find a man that she is not attracted to romantically, but that she could see herself being friends with. Additionally, the man in question needs to also have had trouble with relationships so that she can help fix him by helping him understand what he does wrong around women.
Enter local hiking and camping trip guide and business owner, Aiden Mitchell. Aiden has the reputation in Fool's Gold of being quite a player, especially since he has had many one night stands with tourists who hire his company for their vacation plans. Shelby cannot imagine ever being in a relationship with Aiden because of his reputation, but she decides that he would be perfect for her plan. She presents her idea to Aiden, and after some thought, he agrees to her plan. He's tired of sleeping with woman whose names he can't even remember later. Maybe Shelby can help him turn things around so that he can become a respected member of society again.
I liked Shelby very much. She was a stronger woman than she thought she was because she survived her father's abuse, but surviving didn't let her get past it when dealing with the other men in her life. I applaud her for wanting to work on her issues, even though she may have not really known how deep those issues were. I wasn't as fond of Aiden when the book began. I thought he was a total jerk, and I wouldn't have been as optimistic about Shelby's chances of redeeming him as she was. I also thought that the book was a little slow at the beginning as they are starting to get to know each other. I was glad to see that the pace picked up as their friendship grew.
As in the other books in this series, the town of Fool's Gold served as another character in the book. I have not read all of the books in this series, but I felt that this book, being the last, may have brought back a lot more of the characters from the previous books. I didn't always know who the characters were, and somehow I felt I should have known their history. It didn't seem to work as well as a standalone book as some of the others I've read. It was also very obviously setting up for a new series, Happily Inc., and I'm excited to be starting new with a new series now that I've discovered Susan Mallery and her wonderful books.
Despite its slow start and the seemingly many characters that I didn't know but felt that I should, I enjoyed Shelby and Aiden's story very much.
With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan's books have made Booklist's Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, "When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself." With her popular, ongoing Fool's Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.


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Q: Empty a DynamoDB table with boto How can I optimally (in terms financial cost) empty a DynamoDB table with boto? (as we can do in SQL with a truncate statement.)
boto.dynamodb2.table.delete() or boto.dynamodb2.layer1.DynamoDBConnection.delete_table() deletes the entire table, while boto.dynamodb2.table.delete_item() boto.dynamodb2.table.BatchTable.delete_item() only deletes the specified items.

A: Deleting a table is much more efficient than deleting items one-by-one. If you are able to control your truncation points, then you can do something similar to rotating tables as suggested in the docs for time series data.

A: While i agree with Johnny Wu that dropping the table and recreating it is much more efficient, there may be cases such as when many GSI's or Tirgger events are associated with a table and you dont want to have to re-associate those. The script below should work to recursively scan the table and use the batch function to delete all items in the table. For massively large tables though, this may not work as it requires all items in the table to be loaded into your computer
import boto3
dynamo = boto3.resource('dynamodb')

def truncateTable(tableName):
    table = dynamo.Table(tableName)

    #get the table keys
    tableKeyNames = [key.get("AttributeName") for key in table.key_schema]

    """
    NOTE: there are reserved attributes for key names, please see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/ReservedWords.html
    if a hash or range key is in the reserved word list, you will need to use the ExpressionAttributeNames parameter
    described at https://boto3.amazonaws.com/v1/documentation/api/latest/reference/services/dynamodb.html#DynamoDB.Table.scan
    """

    #Only retrieve the keys for each item in the table (minimize data transfer)
    ProjectionExpression = ", ".join(tableKeyNames)

    response = table.scan(ProjectionExpression=ProjectionExpression)
    data = response.get('Items')

    while 'LastEvaluatedKey' in response:
        response = table.scan(
            ProjectionExpression=ProjectionExpression,
            ExclusiveStartKey=response['LastEvaluatedKey'])
        data.extend(response['Items'])

    with table.batch_writer() as batch:
        for each in data:
            batch.delete_item(
                Key={key: each[key] for key in tableKeyNames}
            )

truncateTable("YOUR_TABLE_NAME")

A: As Johnny Wu mentioned, deleting a table and re-creating it is more efficient than deleting individual items. You should make sure your code doesn't try to create a new table before it is completely deleted.
def deleteTable(table_name):
    print('deleting table')
    return client.delete_table(TableName=table_name)

def createTable(table_name):
    waiter = client.get_waiter('table_not_exists')
    waiter.wait(TableName=table_name)
    print('creating table')
    table = dynamodb.create_table(
        TableName=table_name,
        KeySchema=[
            {
                'AttributeName': 'YOURATTRIBUTENAME',
                'KeyType': 'HASH'
            }
        ],
        AttributeDefinitions= [
            {
                'AttributeName': 'YOURATTRIBUTENAME',
                'AttributeType': 'S'
            }
        ],
        ProvisionedThroughput={
            'ReadCapacityUnits': 1,
            'WriteCapacityUnits': 1
        },
        StreamSpecification={
            'StreamEnabled': False
        }
    )

def emptyTable(table_name):
    deleteTable(table_name)
    createTable(table_name)

A: This builds on the answer given by Persistent Plants. If the table already exists, you can extract the table definitions and use that to recreate the table.
import boto3

dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb', region_name='us-east-2')

def delete_table_ddb(table_name):
    table = dynamodb.Table(table_name)
    return table.delete()

def create_table_ddb(table_name, key_schema, attribute_definitions,
                     provisioned_throughput, stream_enabled, billing_mode):
    settings = dict(
        TableName=table_name,
        KeySchema=key_schema,
        AttributeDefinitions=attribute_definitions,
        StreamSpecification={'StreamEnabled': stream_enabled},
        BillingMode=billing_mode
    )
    if billing_mode == 'PROVISIONED':
        settings['ProvisionedThroughput'] = provisioned_throughput
    return dynamodb.create_table(**settings)

def truncate_table_ddb(table_name):
    table = dynamodb.Table(table_name)
    key_schema = table.key_schema
    attribute_definitions = table.attribute_definitions
    if table.billing_mode_summary:
        billing_mode = 'PAY_PER_REQUEST'
    else:
        billing_mode = 'PROVISIONED'
    if table.stream_specification:
        stream_enabled = True
    else:
        stream_enabled = False
    capacity = ['ReadCapacityUnits', 'WriteCapacityUnits']
    provisioned_throughput = {k: v for k, v in table.provisioned_throughput.items() if k in capacity}
    delete_table_ddb(table_name)
    table.wait_until_not_exists()
    return create_table_ddb(
        table_name,
        key_schema=key_schema,
        attribute_definitions=attribute_definitions,
        provisioned_throughput=provisioned_throughput,
        stream_enabled=stream_enabled,
        billing_mode=billing_mode
    )

Now call use the function:
table_name = 'test_ddb'
truncate_table_ddb(table_name)


text:
A Christmas Haven
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Excerpt ~ The Winnowing Season
Rhoda shoved her to-do list into the hidden pocket of her apron and slipped out of the summer kitchen. A brief glance assured her no one was around to see her. She needed a few minutes, however fleeting, without anyone tugging at her. Her shoulders and arms ached as she walked into the orchard.
She breathed in, and the heady scents of fall and ripe apples helped soothe her frayed nerves. After nearly two months of nurturing the tornado-ravaged orchard, she found the view both uplifting and disheartening. Despite their long, hard days of cleaning up felled trees and mending broken ones, the once-vibrant orchard looked like a battlefield strewn with injured, defeated soldiers. Would all of her and Samuel's tending restore the wounded trees? Or simply prolong their dying?
How strange that she found comfort in walking among these wounded trees. Much of the orchard lay dormant, waiting for late winter, when new trees would be planted.
But she wouldn't be here for that.
A ladder rested against a tree where she and Samuel had grafted tree limbs from storm-damaged trees into healthy ones, hoping their grafts would take. It wasn't the right time of year for such work, but they were giving this orchard their all before leaving it behind tomorrow.
A wavering, misty image stepped out from behind an apple tree.
The vision appeared real enough, but it wasn't actually her little sister. Emma had been with God since the day she was murdered, since the day Rhoda all but sent her teary-eyed sister to that convenience store by herself at exactly the wrong time. Emma often formed in a visible way, as if Rhoda's guilt over her death was burned so deeply into Rhoda's soul that she would see her sister the rest of her days.
And maybe she would, but Rhoda dared to hope the move to Maine would end the haunting reminders.
Emma held out her arms, and Rhoda wished her little sister were truly here to embrace, but all Rhoda could do was watch. And pray.
Not long after she met Samuel King of Kings' Orchard last summer, he asked if she'd partner her canning business with his family's apple farming business. When she finally agreed, she did so hoping for several things to come from the agreement. One desire was for the aberrations to remain at home in Morgansville, some thirty miles away—and where all memories of Emma had been made.
But whether Rhoda was here at Kings' Orchard or at home with her family, she had yet to be freed of Emma's constant reminders that Rhoda had failed her.
Would Maine be an escape?
Emma stretched a hand toward her. "Don't let me go. Don't be afraid to hold on."
Rhoda's heart rate increased. Did it do any good to speak her sorrow out loud? "I have to move on. Can't you see that?"
Emma's eyes filled with tears, and Rhoda made herself turn away without responding. She walked to the top of a knoll. This orchard would be majestic again in a few years. Still, was Samuel doing the right thing by leaving its future in Eli's hands?
They would move to Maine tomorrow, to Orchard Bend specifically. Until Samuel went to close on the house a month ago, they had thought the land was in Unity, Maine. But at the closing, Samuel discovered that the farm bordered Unity.
Once they arrived there tomorrow, they would begin the challenge of restoring an abandoned apple orchard twice the size of this one. The aim was rock solid: reestablish the abandoned orchard in Maine so Kings' Orchard and her Rhode Side Stand canning business could bring in the needed profits while this orchard was restored and returned to production.
But the reality of this venture was terrifying…and exhausting.
Hoofs rumbled against the earth, and she turned to see Samuel riding the chestnut Morgan toward her. He had the reins in one hand and a five-gallon bucket in the other. The bucket housed what they called their first-aid kit for the trees.
"Hey." His lack of a smile as he dismounted didn't surprise her. For every ounce of energy she gave working, he seemed determined to give double. "I thought I'd find you here where we worked last." He gazed into her eyes for a brief moment. "I know you're tired, and you aren't going to like what I have to say, but could you do me a favor and try to take it well?" Without waiting for her to answer, he walked the horse to a nearby tree and tethered it.
He had her pegged on both counts: bone tired and edgy. They'd had more spats in the last few weeks than two alpha dogs sharing a food bowl. Who knew that accomplishing everything on her to-do list would be so draining?
Actually, now that she thought about it, the answer to that was Samuel and Jacob. Both had tried to get her to take numerous things off her list, like the experiments of growing herbs and developing mulch under horticultural lights. And both had tried for weeks to stop her from harvesting and canning the apples left by the tornado.
But she couldn't let apples rot. And she couldn't move to Maine without understanding how commercial greenhouse lights affected herbs and rotting leaves.
He dusted off his hands and returned to where she stood. "Well?"
A Bible verse echoed inside her—Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. "I'll do my best."
His jaw clenched. "You have to appear before your church leaders tonight."
The orchard around her turned hazy as she stared into Samuel's eyes, trying to make sense of what he'd said.
With the message delivered, he turned and walked away.
She took off after him and grabbed his arm. "What do you mean?"
He barely glanced at her before shifting his attention to the horizon. "You know what it means."
Her heart skipped a beat and felt as if it might stop altogether. "But why?"
He pulled a letter from his pocket. "This arrived in today's mail."
"Addressed to you?"
Without the slightest response he headed for the ladder and handsaw a few trees away.
She unfolded the plain white paper to find a short message in perfect handwriting.
Subject: Rueben Glick and his possible involvement in the destruction of Rhoda Byler's crops.
Her hands trembled. How did they know what had happened to her fruit garden? She clutched the letter and shook it at him as he headed back her way. "Did you take that incident to my bishop and deacon?"
Her family wouldn't. They knew it would stir up trouble for her. Landon wouldn't. He was too loyal a friend. The only other person she'd told who was responsible for destroying her fruit garden was Samuel.
Samuel's jaw set. "It needed to be done."
"But…but you gave me your word." Compelled to read the rest, she returned her attention to the letter.
Dear Samuel, after much consideration we have prayerfully agreed that the matter you brought to our attention must be addressed. The charges are of such a serious nature that we cannot allow Rhoda Byler to go to Maine as a member in good standing unless this matter is settled first.
Since this matter needs to be settled before Rhoda leaves for Maine, and since your concern is that Rueben Glick is not only guilty of this incident but may be causing problems with others as well, we feel we have no choice but to allow this meeting to be open to anyone in the district who chooses to come.
Her blood ran hot as realization continued to dawn. Anger began to mingle with fear, but she couldn't stop staring at the letter. Why had the ministers waited until the day before the move to call a meeting? But more important…why would Samuel do this to her?
Wasn't it bad enough that Rueben Glick and his small band of nitwits had destroyed her fruit garden last August? She had been devastated when she'd arrived home with Samuel, Jacob, and Leah to discover what had been done. The garden meant the world to Rhoda. Her Daed had given her the first blueberry bush when she was just seven. Every year since then he gave her more plants and land to plant them on. The garden grew and became her sanctuary, especially after her sister was murdered.
Rhoda had worked year after year to make the garden beautiful and yield a healthy crop. All the naysayers who didn't like her and her odd ways had wanted her out of that garden. Some were jealous, but others were truly concerned that she was overstepping her place as a single Amish woman with too much independence and too much success. The number of stores that carried her canned products only increased. If she were married, those against her would probably feel different. Then again, if she were married, she wouldn't have the time to devote to her business, and it wouldn't be so successful.
For more reasons than she could explain, it meant everything to her to conceal from her community and neighbors that Rueben had uprooted her beloved vines and bushes. So she had called her friend Landon and asked him to bring over his Bobcat. By morning the land looked as if she had deliberately cleared her garden.
She needed people to believe she chose to give up the land. She'd made all that clear to Samuel, had told him how important it was that no one else find out what Rueben had done. Samuel had objected, but she'd been adamant. She refused to let the neighbors see her plants uprooted like a white flag of surrender. Nor would she give the vandals the satisfaction of seeing her treated as a victim. She had thought Samuel understood.
Why couldn't he accept that she needed it handled this way? Why couldn't he trust that she was doing what was right for her?
The familiar sound of an unsteady ladder against a tree drew her attention. Holding on to the handsaw, Samuel was climbing the rungs. She shoved the letter into her apron pocket and headed toward him. As she clasped the sides of the ladder, her hands shook against the wooden frame. Part of her wanted to knock him off his perch. Rather than give in to her desire, she gripped the ladder until her knuckles turned white. "You had no right, and you know it."
"So now you hold your tongue? You couldn't have done that a couple of months ago? Why am I just now learning that you took my private business to the church leaders?"
Again, silence.
He continued severing another healthy branch from the half-upended tree. The few remaining Baldwin apples shook, and some plunked to the ground. A fresh sense of powerlessness washed over her. No doubt some of her emotional upheaval was due to her exhaustion. They'd had no reprieve, no harbor of rest since the tornado came through, destroying crops, homes, and lives.
She looked to the horizon, hoping to see Jacob top the hill. At least he understood her.
How could two brothers little more than a year apart in age and raised in the same Amish home be so very different? Jacob would never consider ignoring her wishes while he manhandled her life. Ever. Samuel had times when he seemed to think it was his right, no, his obligation to fix things as he saw best.
"Samuel King, the least you could do is answer me."
He gazed down at her. "I've already said my piece. It needed to be done." His tone was even, as if he were talking to a child, and with that said, he returned to his work, pushing and pulling the sharp blade against the healthy branch.
"Needed to be…" She took several deep breaths, shaking like the branch he was sawing off. "Do you have any idea what a meeting like this could do? Some, maybe most, within my district do not see my horticultural skills as simply having a green thumb or my talking to myself as a weird habit. Since my sister was killed, my bishop has been waiting for any justifiable reason to question me directly. And you gave it to him."
Samuel stopped and stared across the field as if considering her words. Was he capable of seeing her point? It wouldn't undo what he'd done, but if he couldn't at least see that he had been wrong, how could she continue to be his business partner? She held her tongue, hoping the silence would give him a chance to see how wrong he'd been.
Afternoon light streamed through the thick white clouds, casting a glow on the vibrant leaves of the different kinds of apple trees. The leaves were turning red, yellow, and orange, a welcome sign that some of the trees, or parts of them, were alive enough to change with the season. She tried to focus on the colorful leaves rather than on the sickening brown ones of the trees that had already died.
Samuel sighed and began sawing again. "Be ready to step back on command."
Rhoda raised her eyebrows and shook her head, a silent venting that Samuel couldn't see. For heaven's sake, she knew the drill. And he knew she knew it. Yet he warned her every time. When Rhoda worked beside Jacob, she enjoyed their easy banter and humor. It used to be that way with Samuel too. But not of late, not since a group of them—nine Amish and Landon—went to Maine to inspect a foreclosed farm and dormant apple orchard. After walking the land, they had agreed to buy it. But since then, with few exceptions, Samuel had been especially hard on her. Why?
Jacob once described her and Samuel as oil and water. Though she and Samuel argued a little too easily, she had never felt powerless or truly disappointed with him.
How could he have gone behind her back and taken charges against Rueben to her church leaders?
The night she discovered her beloved garden virtually destroyed, she had decided to beat Rueben at his own game by uprooting what he'd left of her garden and grading the land. Then she gave the acre to her brothers so at least one of them could build a home. With both married brothers and their offspring living under the same roof with Rhoda and her parents, she'd looked like a hero to her community. Her family knew the truth, but rather than Rueben getting to gloat over what he'd done, he had to watch as the church members patted her on the back for her generous gift. To her, that had a sense of justice about it, and since Rueben's attack had only harmed her and her business, and her plan hadn't included any physical harm to him, she felt she had the right to dole out the punishment as she saw fit.
But now Rueben would find satisfaction in what he had accomplished, and she would have to answer to the church leaders for not coming to them promptly, when the misdeed had been done, and for taking credit for giving up the land instead of admitting someone had ruined her crops.
"Now!" Samuel's growl echoed off the hills.
Rhoda swooshed to the far side of the ladder, clasping both hands on one side. The branch crackled as it finally let go of the tree and fell to the ground and then bounced like a springboard.
Samuel made his way down the ladder, and his brown eyes met hers. He paused, then turned away, set his saw against the tree trunk, and pulled a knife from his pocket.
She folded her arms. "We're supposed to leave before daylight tomorrow, and now we have this mess to contend with?"
He cut several ten- to twelve-inch twigs off the branch, creating scions for grafting. His Adam's apple moved as if he'd swallowed hard at her question, but other than that, he didn't acknowledge she had even spoken.
When he walked away, carrying the grafting stock with him, Rhoda grabbed the bucket and followed.
He paused. "You can't let Rueben get away with what he did."
"Don't be ridiculous, Samuel. He's already gotten away with it. Nothing anyone can say or do could change that. I had one chance of being free from the humiliation of his vandalism. Can't you see that?"
"What I see is a man who needs to be held accountable to the church leaders."
She dropped the bucket and let her frustration out on a scream. "Ahhh!" She was shaking. "That wasn't your decision! Until you can see that, we have nothing else to talk about."
"Gut." He set the first-aid bucket upright and slung into it the items that had fallen out, along with the scions. "Silence would be welcome."
She needed to talk about this until the air was cleared between them, but maybe being mute for now was their best chance of protecting their budding partnership. Several who were going to the new settlement had invested money in purchasing the farm: Jacob, Samuel, Rhoda, and her brother Steven. Despite not going with them, her Daed had invested in the venture too. But only Samuel's name was on the mortgage. Rhoda didn't have a credit score, so the bank wouldn't allow her name to be on the loan. Steven hoped to buy a home of his own in Maine within a year, and having his name on the farm mortgage could keep him from qualifying for a loan on his own place when the time came. And Jacob didn't want to be listed on the financial papers, although she didn't know why. Maybe he also hoped to buy a home in the near future.
All those details aside, the farm had been purchased, and the Kings and the Bylers were depending on her and Samuel's expertise to make a go of the new apple orchard. She and Samuel had a lot to safeguard, and the work of restoring the orchard hadn't yet begun. Not really.
"Fine, you want me to shut up. You have it." She turned and started to walk off. "Oh." She faced him. "And you can go to that meeting tonight with the church leaders by yourself."
"Be reasonable." He jerked the black felt hat off his head and threw it across the field. "Without you, the ministers will cancel the meeting. But they'll hold me accountable if you don't go. It could cause enough scandal to make my church leaders question whether any of us can go tomorrow."
"Shoulda thought about that before you stuck your nose into my business."
"Okay, look, we're both beyond weary at this point. We've been pushing too hard and trying to accomplish too much before leaving tomorrow, and I know this meeting couldn't happen at a worse time, but you don't have a choice about attending."
"Ya? Well, then, you should've thought about that too. Decisions that affect other people's lives aren't so easy to disregard when those decisions start messing with your life, are they?" She raised her eyebrows, daring him to argue.
"It's inconvenient, and it won't be easy, but Rueben needs to be confronted. The train tickets are for seven in the morning, and—"
"Would you please stop repeating what I already know and admit you were wrong? Just say the words 'I shouldn't have contacted the church leaders. Forgive me.'"
"Why do you have to see me as wrong in this?"
"A much better question is why would you dare to believe you knew what was right about the destruction of my fruit garden!"
A horse and rider thundered over the hill and came to a quick stop. Jacob glanced from Samuel to Rhoda. "A few minutes ago I was unsure where to find you two—until I heard yelling." He stared at his brother for a moment, then he winked at Rhoda and slid off his horse.
She couldn't manage a smile.
Jacob picked up Samuel's hat and held it out to him. "Thirty acres of orchard to search for you two, and the sound of arguing guided me here. Can't say I'm pleased."
Rhoda had never heard an edge to Jacob's tone before, but as he held his brother's gaze, it was clear Jacob was correcting Samuel. Jacob slapped the reins against the palm of his hand. "Daed says you're needed in the office immediately. He says something is up that could hinder us from even boarding the train tomorrow." Jacob shrugged. "He didn't elaborate. He insisted I stop updating the bookkeeping and rushed me out the door to find you. What could possibly be going on that might cause that big a problem?"
Samuel angrily knocked the dust off the brim of his hat. "Nothing that a reasonable woman couldn't fix."
If this man understood anything, he would stop antagonizing her before she resigned from Kings' Orchard. She glared at him. "There would be nothing for this woman to fix if you'd respected my decisions concerning my life."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand, silencing him. "I will not go to Maine and work beside someone who will be the head authority over the business but has no respect concerning my decisions as well as my boundaries."
Samuel's face filled with disbelief. "Are you threatening me?"
"Okay, guys." Jacob pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it between them. He let it dangle and gawked at the red fabric. "Just what I don't want to do—wave a red flag between two bulls." He made a face. "I thought it was white. Just pretend it is." He waved it again. "'Cause I'm calling a truce."
It wasn't like Jacob to get between her and Samuel when they disagreed, but he seemed to realize that what was happening went way beyond two people having a difference of opinion.
"Here." Jacob shoved the horse's reins at Samuel, despite the Morgan being twenty or so feet away. "Go. Whatever has you two riled, you both need some time to cool off."
Rhoda shook her head. "I'm not changing my mind. This isn't about being angry. I stand on principle."
"What do you think I'm standing on, Rhoda?"
Jacob thrust the reins toward Samuel again. "Quicksand, the best I can tell. Go."
Rhoda took a deep breath. "All I want is a sincere acknowledgment that you were wrong to go behind my back."
"I'm not apologizing, and it'd be nice if you'd be a little grateful that I went out of my way to see that justice was done."
"Grateful?" He had opened up her life to an authority that, at best, treated her with suspicion. She wasn't going to tell Samuel that. It was embarrassing. Besides, if he had never seen a church authority treat someone unfairly, he would assume her concerns were only in her mind.
She hated feeling trapped and vulnerable, but what made it unbearable was that Samuel had no remorse for putting her in this spot. The earlier temptation to knock him off the ladder paled in comparison to what she felt now: a searing desire to end her working relationship with Samuel King.
Samuel looked at Jacob, motioning toward Rhoda. "You talk to her. I have work to do." He started to walk off.
"Samuel,"—Rhoda fisted her hands at her sides—"you're sure you want to be this stubborn?"
"Not an ounce of doubt."
"Samuel!" Jacob stepped in front of his brother and angled away from Rhoda. "This is going too far. Reel it back in."
He shook his head. "I did what I thought was right, and I'm not apologizing for it."
Rhoda drew a deep breath and held out her hand.
Samuel frowned. "What are you doing?"
"We're parting now. You and Rueben have each gotten your way, and I'm done with both of you."
Confusion and disbelief drew taut lines across his face. "You can't possibly put what I did in the same category as what he did."
"I don't have to. Life isn't that black and white. He ran roughshod over God's will in order to damage my life. You did the same, but the will you ignored was mine. The fact that you can't see what you did was wrong tells me we can't continue." She stepped forward, extending her hand again.
Samuel glanced at Jacob, raw emotions washing over his features. And then he shook her hand.
Excerpted from The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall Copyright © 2013 by Cindy Woodsmall. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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text:
Engaging dads in a parenting intervention improved outcomes
A parenting programme in which fathers engage with their children through reading was found to boost the fathers' parenting skills while also improving the child's school readiness and behaviour, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.
The randomised controlled trial, conducted by Anil Chacko and colleagues, evaluated the effects of Fathers Supporting Success in Preschoolers, an intervention that focuses on integrating parent training with shared book reading to improve outcomes among fathers and their pre-school children. For the study, 126 low-income fathers – the majority of whom spoke Spanish – and their children were recruited across three Head Start centres in New York City. The intervention included eight weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. The effects of the programme on parenting skills, child behaviour and language, and outcomes for fathers including stress and depression were measured before and immediately after participation in the programme. Measures included observations by the researchers using a behavioural coding system that measures the quality of parent-child social interactions, reports from the fathers and standardised assessments of child language.
The study found that parenting behaviours, child behaviours and the language development of the children improved. Moderate effect sizes were found for observed positive parenting (+0.63) and for observed child problem behaviour (+0.34). Using the Preschool Language Scales (PLS-4) to measure language outcomes, effect sizes of +0.52 were reported for auditory comprehension and +0.51 for expressive language. Parental stress and depression effect sizes were insignificant. Overall, the findings suggest more than a 30% improvement in parenting and school readiness outcomes.
Source: Chacko, A., Fabiano, G. A., Doctoroff, G. L., & Fortson, B. (2017). Engaging fathers in effective parenting for preschool children using shared book reading: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 1-14.
How do teacher-student interactions affect emotions and behaviors?


Recently I wanted to teach my children about the concept of saving money and earning interest. My parents taught me by opening a bank account. The problem is that banks pay almost nothing to hold your money. Savings bonds yielding 1% or 2% are no better. My children are simply not very excited about the prospect of investing $100 and waiting patiently for an entire year (a lifetime for them), only to receive an extra $1 or $2 for their trouble! They have a point; there is a lesson here for all of us. In the end, I used their money to purchase a few stocks as a learning exercise. Thanks to Apple's stock, their portfolio has done better than mine over the past year!
There is an old rule of thumb about the right mix of stocks and bonds: The amount in stocks should be 100 minus your age. So, following this rule, a 55-year-old would have a portfolio with 45% stocks and 55% bonds. This may have been good advice 25 years ago when interest rates were much higher. Someone fortunate enough to retire with a million dollars back then could invest entirely in high-quality bonds and have an income of more than $90,000 [annually]. That same million-dollar bond portfolio today would only generate less than $20,000 of income [annually]. This is not a viable retirement plan!
Better investment yield: Stock investors are effectively buying partial ownership of a company's profits. There is no guarantee that these profits will remain constant. There is also no guarantee that the price one pays for each dollar of profit (the P/E ratio) will remain constant. But in the long run it is helpful to think about stock ownership as ownership in a stream of profits. Buyers of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the S&P 500 (such as the S&P ETF "SPY") enjoy an implied profit stream of almost 7% on their investment. This is the "earnings yield" calculated as the inverse of the P/E multiple (Earnings / Price). Some of these profits are paid out as dividends, some are reinvested in the companies. As profits grow this 7% earnings yield also grows. Meanwhile bonds yield only about 2 to 3% with no possibility of an increase during the lifetime of the bond.
Superior cash flow: There are many stocks where the dividend on the stock is actually higher than the yield on a bond issued by the same company. Even better, these dividends tend to go up over time, represent only a portion of the total profits of the company and are taxed more favorably than bond interest. The stock of GE, for example, currently has a 3.4% dividend yield. Meanwhile GE's 6 year bond only yields about 3%.
Better track record: The average annual returns for stocks over the past 87 years is 10.2% compared to 5.5% for bonds. Given current interest rates, it is mathematically certain that bonds will be worse than their historical average going forward if held to maturity.
So, do I really believe a 55-year-old planning to retire in 10 years should put 100% of their life savings in stocks? In theory, yes, but in reality I have very few client portfolios at or close to 100% stocks due to the short-term risk involved. Most cannot stomach this volatility. I maybe right about my 10 year view, but if the market crashes next year my clients would likely fire me well before I had a chance to be proven correct! Still, I suggest a much higher stock allocation than normal, especially for retirement and other long-term investment portfolios.


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Air Liquide – Gas Upgrading System
Home / Catalog Entries / Air Liquide – Gas Upgrading System
Biogas: From waste to renewable gases
Air Liquide employs more than 20,000 people in the U.S. in over 1,300 locations. The company offers industrial and medical gases, technologies and related services to customers in energy, industrial, electronics and healthcare markets.
With over 50 biogas sites worldwide and more than 100 years of experience in gas separation, Air Liquide is the world leader in biogas purification, with a capacity of 160,000 m3/h. Since 2006, Air Liquide has upgraded 20 landfill biogas for grid injection in the U.S., with up to 20,000 Nm3/h of raw biogas.
Air Liquide's purification modules are able to separate methane and carbon dioxide using an innovative process involving patented polymeric membranes manufactured by Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS). This efficient system generates high quality biomethane with methane content between 95% and 99%.
Air Liquide 9811 Katy Freeway, Suite 100 Houston, TX USA 1-800-819-1704 [email protected] Visit Company Website
On February 14, 2019 Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and biogas producer Calgren Dairy Fuels (Calgren) announced that renewable natural gas produced at Calgren's dairy digester facility in Pixley, California was being injected into SoCalGas pipelines. The project marks the first time that carbon-negative renewable natural gas produced from cow manure has been injected directly into SoCalGas' natural gas system.
The Air Liquide system which is a membrane based gas upgrading system has multiple other systems that will be coming on line in California and across the country. Newtrient will continue to update the 9-point score as more systems are installed on dairy operations.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Aberdeen council's customer service centre to remain open
by Danny McKay
Marischal College
A local authority's customer service centre is remaining open with a restricted service to help the people of Aberdeen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Aberdeen City Council's centre at Marischal College remains open from 10.30am until 1pm Monday to Friday with a restricted service and non-essential face-to-face contact suspended.
A number of council services can be accessed online at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk, and updates on council services and support can be found at https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/coronavirus-covid-19
The Council has also launched a free crisis support line to prioritise help for the most vulnerable and at-risk people who are unable to obtain help from their existing support networks.
The number, 0800 0304 713, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Between 8am and 8pm welfare and emotional support including what to do if someone is struggling to get food or pay bills is on offer, but urgent emotional support is also available outside of those hours..
Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership is providing daily updates for service users and service providers, which can be found at https://www.aberdeencityhscp.scot/
Aberdeen City Council is also working with Aberdeenshire and Moray councils and partner organisations including Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland to maximise knowledge-sharing and expertise as part of the Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub.
The Grampian Coronavirus (Covid-19) Assistance Hub website https://gcah.org.uk/ is a focal point for information and assistance for anyone affected by coronavirus anywhere in the region.
Councils are also appealing to people to consider volunteering to help provide a lifeline to people who are isolated, struggling to make ends meet, need someone to do their shopping, walk their dog or be someone to talk to on the other end of the phone.
Anyone interested in volunteering can register to be a volunteer through the Hub and help support and care for people in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or Moray.


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Lister's latest tackles Hurricane Michael
Murder mystery explores the storm's aftermath
Tony Simmons
tsimmons@pcnh.com
WEWAHITCHKA — Hurricane Michael's effect on the Panhandle was always going to feature in author Michael Lister's work.
His latest novel, "The Blood-Dimmed Tide," finds protagonist John Jordan on trial for his life while on the trail of a serial killer in the wake of the storm.
"Hurricane Michael and its aftermath is a character," Lister said. "This book is really like three books in one — one about John Jordan's trial for wrongful death, one about the impact of Hurricane Michael on the region, and one about a killer taking advantage of the chaos and confusion of the post-storm landscape to commit his wicked acts."
The title comes from W.B. Yeats' "The Second Coming," which Lister worked into the book because "its imagery was perfect for the post-apocalyptic world we found ourselves in following the storm."
"The Blood-Dimmed Tide," the 23rd book in the Jordan series, is the second of Lister's novels to deal with Hurricane Michael. It's a direct sequel to "And The Sea Became Blood," released in May, in which Jordan was caught in what Lister described as "an existential superstorm of apocalyptic proportions" — while seeking to solve the murder of a kindly old priest. Writing about the hurricane was difficult in some ways, but ultimately cathartic.
"At this point in the series, I'm almost writing in real time which affords me the opportunity to explore the experiences of something like Michael," he said. "I started formulating the idea for (both novels) as soon as the storm hit. I knew I wanted to write about it. I started doing research and making notes through the experiences we were having. It wasn't until probably a month after the storm that I started the writing process. It brought to mind a lot of the recent suffering we were going through. We are still going through it seven and eight months after the hurricane. It was also very helpful to process it."
Lister grew up in in Wewahitchka, a small town world famous for tupelo honey. He holds degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative. In the early 1990s, he became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections, serving nearly a decade as a chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle. The unique experience led to his first novel, 1997's critically acclaimed "Power in the Blood," which started his John Jordan series.
There will be other stories set in the storm and its aftermath, he said, because it was such a catastrophic event in the lives of Northwest Florida residents. It's inevitable, because he writes about this area and its people.
"The truth is, there's so much to deal with in this storm ... and we will be for not months but years to come," he said. "Something as significant as Hurricane Michael makes it into the stories and has a huge impact."


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Posts from the 'Microbial Contamination' Category
Pathogen persistence on leafy vegetables
Pathogen persistence webinars:
Dr Jenny Ekman, AHR
IE: Irish authorities probe salad link in crypto outbreak
Food Safety News: Officials in Ireland are investigating an outbreak of cryptosporidium linked to a salad that has affected more than 40 people. The Health Service Executive's (HSE) Department of Public Health East was notified of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in the Dublin and Wicklow area. To date, 42 cases have been notified; with the onset of symptoms occurring over a 14 day period from July 15. More here.
US: US stores recall onions amid salmonella outbreaks
BBC: US stores are recalling onions over contamination fears amid a salmonella outbreak that has caused over 600 people to fall ill. On 1 August, Thomson International recalled their red, yellow and white onions that had been shipped across all 50 US states and Canada since 1 May. Salmonella cases have been reported in 43 states as well as Canada. More here.
SEA: WHO framework targets improved food safety in South East Asia
Food Safety News: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified key priorities to improve food safety in the next five years in South East Asia.
The Framework for Action on Food Safety in the WHO South-East Asia Region covers 2020 to 2025 and has guidance for authorities across the food chain and those involved in food safety emergencies, preparedness and response. Several countries are included. More here.
Key learnings from the CPS 2020 Research Symposium
The Center for Produce Safety in the US has prepared key learnings summaries of its Annual Research Symposium, with five sessions held over June and July 2020.
The full set of Key Learnings from the CPS Research Symposium is here. The following text is drawn from the CPS Key Learnings:
During Session 1 held on June 23, 2020, the Symposium explored the use of computer-based modelling to help address two burning issues for the produce industry: understanding potential Listeria growth and persistence in whole produce commodities and the development of sampling strategies to support the validity of assumptions surrounding microbial testing needs and design of acceptable protocols (Key Learnings Session I).
In Session 2, the Symposium expanded the knowledge base on Listeria monocytogenes and its persistence and growth on specific commodities and fresh-cut products and examined novel methods to control Listeria growth on food contact surfaces (Key Learnings Session II).
In Session 3, the Research Symposium explored projects that took wholistic, systems approaches to solving challenges with pest intrusion into leafy greens fields, pathogen transference on co-managed farms and the impact of traits associated with concepts of soil health on pathogen persistence. It also examined Cyclospora presence in the irrigation canal systems in the Yuma, AZ production region (Key Learnings Session III).
Session 4 featured the use of genomics and metagenomics to address challenges in identifying new or revisited indicators and index testing-targets of human viral pathogens that may ultimately be used in the produce industry, the distribution and relatedness of Listeria species in the U.S., and the use of that information to better understand source-risk related to facilities and product, identification of competitors of Listeria monocytogenes that might control that organism in composts, and build our knowledge base of bacterial pathogen persistence and rates of genetic diversification in the Yuma and Salinas vegetable production regions (Key Learnings Session IV).
Session 5 featured research describing the "die-off" rates of human pathogens in agricultural water from three locations around the world, the persistence of pathogens in shade-house production environments, pathogen persistence in wash water systems and the potential role
of damaged cells to contaminate washed products, the efficacy of irrigation water sanitation and the potential role of sediments in canal systems as reservoirs of human pathogens (Key Learnings Session V).
AU: New paper on environmental drivers for pathogenic persistence
A paper has been published on "Environmental Drivers for Persistence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Manure-Amended Soils: A Meta-Analysis" by Dao Tran and colleagues at the ARC Training Centre for Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry.
The paper, which appeared in the Journal of Food Protection in July, examines 42 primary research studies on pathogen persistence from manure-amended soils, and concludes that "Based on the significant variation observed among individual field studies, it is unlikely the risks associated with the use of manure amendments containing high levels of enteric bacterial pathogens (such as in raw manure) in soils may be solely managed by a uniform exclusion period. Management of the risks associated with the use of soils amended with raw manures is best achieved through risk-based approaches incorporating differences in climate, soil management, and initial levels of bacteria during application."
While it is recommended that only certified composted organic amendments are used in the production of fresh produce, the message is clear: risk-based approaches taking into account local environmental factors must be used by growers for determining appropriate exclusion periods after using untreated manures. More here.
Norway: Spinach suspected in Norwegian Yersinia outbreak
Food Safety News: The source of a national Yersinia outbreak in recent weeks in Norway that affected 23 people is believed to have been salad with spinach or baby spinach.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) said the Yersinia enterocolitica O3 outbreak was considered to be over.
It started in mid-May and people fell sick from mid to late May. There are 15 women and eight men affected aged 2 to 58 years old. More here.
US: Fast detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in berries
Fresh Plaza: The consumption of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries has increased worldwide in recent years because these fruits are considered an important source of antioxidant compounds. Unfortunately, consumption of berries is associated with a risk of foodborne parasites, such as Cyclospora cayetanensis.
In the USA and Canada, many cyclosporiasis cases have been linked to consumption of berries, while at the farm level, the presence of this human pathogen in berries is directly associated with the presence of the parasite in soil. For these reasons, it is fundamental that producers monitor the presence of this pathogen on farms and packing facilities.
Conventionally, detection of C. cayetanensis in clinical and environmental samples is based on identification of oocysts by microscopy, following modified acid fast staining or by UV-light autofluorescence under ultraviolet, this technique is time-consuming, non-specific, and lacks sensitivity. To overcome these issues, food producing industry requires a molecular method able to detect a low oocyst concentration (40–1500 oocyst per gram) as found in food and environmental samples. More.
Outbreaks, occurrence and control of norovirus and Hep A in berries
The team from the ARC Training Centre for Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry has published a review paper in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition on norovirus and Hep A in berries. Dr Hayriye Bozkurt, Dr Kim-Yen Phan-Thien, Dr Floris van Ogtrop, A/Prof Tina Bell and Prof Robyn McConchie co-authored "Outbreaks, occurrence, and control of norovirus and hepatitis a virus contamination in berries: A review". The review found that inadequate handler hygiene was the predominant source of pre- and post-harvest contamination, but that the current industrial processing methods (freezing, storage and washing) provided limited efficacy in reducing viral load. They recommended key interventions in personal and environmental hygiene and the development of alternative processing technologies to induce sufficient viral inactivation in berries while maintaining sensory and quality attributes.
Read the review paper here.
Fact Sheet: Animal Impact on Produce Safety


Samantha is a Yorkville University student completing her Master's degree in Counselling Psychology. Over the past five years, she has worked at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) assessing clients with depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders and has also volunteered at the Toronto Distress Centre providing support and crisis intervention for clients in distress.
Samantha will utilize a holistic and individualistic approach throughout the therapeutic process. In addition, she will help clients attain insights into their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and strengths by applying cognitive-behavioural and solution-focused therapeutic approaches.


Something odd was happening to us. After years of doing two, sometimes three dives easily, it was now a gargantuan effort to even manage a second dive. We felt tired all the time--with "all" being no exaggeration.
Finally we figured it must be the hour-and-a-half rigorous exercise we put in each morning before we ever do our turtle stuff. D'oh! So this week, we took a weed whacker to our regimen and limited ourselves to a half-hour cardio jog.
This seemed to do the trick. We're still tired--just not exhausted. We also "gained" an hour every day. This week we actually got to play in the pool and act like tourists!
Before we arrived on Maui, we'd vowed to get up at 5 and write for two hours but that simply hasn't happened.
Before we arrived on Maui, we'd vowed to get up at 5 and write for two hours.
In the two weeks here, we've only managed to write one page! At this rate, it will take us three years to write this book, taking into account that we will have less time back in Canada to work on it than we do here.
Last summer we reported on the nesting of a famous "Maui Girl"--famous at least if you follow turtle happenings. We'd watched her lay eggs and we even saw her hatchlings erupt from the sand.
She was a big part of why Summer 2002 was one of our best ever.
George Balazs attached a satellite transmitter to 5690 during her second nesting and then we spent almost a year watching her hug the Napili coastline, which is clearly her Kuleana.
George Balazs attached a satellite transmitter to 5690.
This summer we vowed to sight 5690 and get her picture. Perhaps this effort is part of the reason we're so tired! The strategy is simple: go to Napili Bay and try and find her. This involves one of us staying high on a ridge, scanning the water with binoculars and directing the other, who is in the water with camera and snorkeling gear, to any turtles sighted.
This involves one of us staying high on a ridge, scanning the water with binoculars.
It's worked well, but so far none of the turtles have been 5690.
By bizarre circumstance, one of the first Napili turtles sighted turned out to be a male first identified at Honokowai!
While snorkeling Napili Bay this week, we came upon a rather nonchalant male with a left front flipper missing. He looked familiar. Once back at our computers, we did a quick scan of our database to see if we could match this male's profile with that of a male we sighted a couple of years ago, and who also had a missing left front flipper.
If only all turtle identifications were this easy!
The first picture below shows this male in Summer 2000 as he's swept about in a strong current. Three years later, we find him merrily munching Pterocladiella just off the Gazebo Restaurant look-out.
Nearly swept into Ursula by the current.
Munching Pterocladiella just off the Gazebo Restaurant look-out.
That's one of the great things about observing sea turtles. They provide you with such wondrous, delightful surprises!
The underwater housing for our new Canon S45 digital still camera arrived and we put it to the test this week. Not only did it keep our camera dry, it functioned much better than we had a right to expect for such a small (and light) housing.
Ursula and Uwapo. It ain't the Nikon, but what it lacks in quality it makes up for in ease of use and transport.
What this means is in addition to our Nikon SLR camera and Sony digital video camera we can now bring in a third (one that can shoot 65 photos at maximum quality). This means we now have a point-and-shoot, compact, easily maneuverable still camera for documentation purposes.
This means we now have a point-and-shoot, compact, easily maneuverable still camera for documentation purposes.
We call our Nikon SLR in its IKELITE housing "The Behemoth". Complete with its flash and industrial strength housing, it's heavy and a tough slog in strong currents, but it guarantees quality images that the Canon digital camera can only dream about. For publication quality (magazine covers, full-page spreads) it's the photographic vehicle that delivers.
Thus we end this summary with our favourite photograph of the week, courtesy of The Behemoth.
Tutu, eyes fixed on a landing spot, flies over 605C.
These are both adult tagged female honu. Both were confirmed nesting last summer at East Island, French Frigate Shoals. Summer 2003 finds them home in their Kuleana. Tutu, eyes fixed on a landing spot, flies over 605C.
Tutu has lived at Honokowai since 1990 and is an old friend. If honu had queens, Tutu would be monarch here. She's royalty.
605C has her own special story. Two summers ago, she was selected as a research turtle and carried a time/depth recorder (TDR) for an ongoing project. The last week of August of that year found us desperately trying to retrieve the TDR.
But even with three dives a day we could not locate 605C when it really counted. We headed home with a mission incomplete. Next we heard of 605C was June 2002 when George Balazs confirmed she was nesting at East Island--without her TDR!
George is eager to attach more TDRs to this summer's crop of Honokowai honu--but will take a huge act of faith for George to select 605C again!


The past month I was fortunate to attend and moderate a number of automotive industry briefings which highlight the challenges and opportunities the industry faces as it moves into its anticipated peak years of 2017-18. As was pointed out in August at the annual Management Briefing Seminar sponsored by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR: www.cargroup.org), with the industry tapering to 17.7M units in North America for 2017, industry management skills can be historically challenged given the sharpness of action stemming from growth and decline cycles. Long term, slow growth remains vexing for most companies – making it more difficult to place their bets – and how best to emerge prepared and readied for the next wave of growth opportunities in a vastly different (and digital) ecosystem.
At the recent Best Practices for Automotive event co-sponsored by SAP, ASUG and Eventful Conferences, Executive Vice President of Research Dave Andrea of CAR brought this topic up again during his keynote and challenged those in the room with thinking differently and embracing the rapid digital changes sweeping the automotive industry. His head-scratcher question of "is the automotive industry ready to become a utility?" in light of emerging Transportation as a Service (TaaS) models sweeping automaker boardroom left many attendees re-evaluating their own directional response to these changes. IDC Principal Analyst Jeff Hojlo contended that key issues from vehicle security to the open platform of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how we securely connect various components together to provide a personalized driver consumer experience would remain at the forefront. I had the pleasure of moderating the financial transformation track featuring presentations by FCA, Karma Automotive and Delphi which further explored how these companies were readying for – and embarking – on their digital journeys.
The Annual Original Equipment Supplier Association (OESA: www.oesa.org) further challenged the industry to move to a "new clock speed" and how the disruption in the industry has changed the notion of a "vehicle" to more a personalized transportation model. Tesla stands as a disruptor in this area impacting the industry supply chain by behaving (and demanding) more and different relationships from suppliers while providing the personalized driver consumer experience echoing other briefings this season. Management remains the top challenge facing suppliers, with talent management now the primary management issue given the continuing workforce transition, Millennial shifts, and need for transition planning at all levels of the workforce. (Catch my full audio recap of the OESA conference here).
And finally the Automotive Aftermarket Supplier Association (AASA: www.aftermarketsuppliers.org) Tech conference yielded a number of industry opportunities including the findings of the joint white paper with SAP. As part of our findings, we learned that the aftermarket segment does indeed have aspirations to move to digital – particularly in the on-line self-service consumption of product information that is so key to engaging Millennial buyers. However the gap between "where we want to go" and "where we are today" across the industry is pretty stark. When buyers can go to Amazon.com and engage in a fully preferences-driven experience – even touchless routing to recommended parts and equipment – it puts most conventional parts suppliers to shame. This high bar is reality today, and the "Big 4" aftermarket direct to consumer distributors (Amazon, Ebay, Autozone and Napa) are capturing the lion's share of Omni-channel (web, phone, app, etc.) sales in the segment. (Read the full discussion and find a link to our whitepaper here).
With the 2017 "peak year" on the horizon, automotive companies clearly have to focus their investments to prepare for a more digital and connected future. Making those decisions now will enable companies the ability to fund investments now while moving towards a more moderated growth forecast in the coming planning round cycles.
(Follow me on Twitter @William_Newman and my blogs on LinkedIn Pulse as well as WordPress).


Do you feel a deep love for the Earth and a concern for our ecological future?
Join us for a deeply nature-connected weekend honoring our love for the world in ways that transform despair into creative energy. This program is based on the work of Joanna Macy, which blends theory and practice drawn from Deep Ecology, Systems Theory, and Spiritual Traditions. These engaging practices encourage profound truth-telling, allowing us to access our collective courage and creative potential.
Experiential practices, poetry, ritual, music, movement, yoga, and silence will guide our journey through the four stages of the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects. These practices help us experience first hand that we are larger, stronger, deeper,and more creative than we have believed. Leave with a renewed sense of Active Hope!
or who have read Joanna Macy's books: World as Lover, World as Self, or Active Hope and wish to deepen their understanding. If you're unfamiliar with the work, read the first 60 pages of Coming Back to Life as preparatory reading.
Please let us know that you are interested in attending this series by signing the interest list below.
That way we can notify you as soon as registration opens.
Hope Horton, DMA, MS, has a background in music, writing, counseling, teaching, organizational management and facilitation. As the co-founder of Sound Accord, Hope and her colleague created and led weekend workshops in sound and energy healing for fifteen years. In the fall of 2011, Hope attended two workshops with Joanna Macy and then collaborated with a small group of people to bring Joanna to North Carolina for eleven days in June of 2012. This deep engagement with Joanna and the Work that Reconnects motivated Hope to participate in founding Hart's Mill Ecovillage and Farm, a forming intentional community near Hillsborough, NC, organized around sustainability (hartsmill.org). Hope has been most active in governance, introducing and implementing sociocracy as a powerful system for community development and decision-making. She has also been led to serve on the board of Timberlake Earth Sanctuary and the advisory council for the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain.


As bicycle commuting continues to grow in popularity, so does the sophistication of bags for the everyday ride. Witness the crop of cycling accessories designed to ferry your laptop and essentials in style. Luxe leather cycling bags are not only durable, but also make a statement on the ride and at your destination.
The pluses of leather bike bags for the urban ride are clear, proving that you don't have to sacrifice style to utility. Your bike bag can be as buttoned down as you are.


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AN AGRESULTS INITIATIVE
IMPLEMENTED BY GALVMED
Prize News & Media
The Brucellosis Challenge
Brucellosis is a costly disease that affects ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, etc.) and causes abortions, infertility, decreased milk production, and weight loss, amongst other effects. Brucellosis is endemic in a number of developing countries, and the toll on smallholder farmers (SHFs) in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly devastating, since cattle and small ruminants, such as goats and sheep, are a crucial source of income for this population. The annual impact of Brucellosis to SHFs across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is estimated at USD $501 million per year.
Brucellosis is also the most common type of disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with approximately 500,000 new human cases reported each year.
Wholesale vaccination of livestock can be a cost-effective way of controlling the disease and limiting its impact on both human and animal health. However, the existing Brucellosis vaccines are not safe or efficacious enough to use in developing countries. Current vaccines do not provide protection across different species of animal hosts, are unsafe for use in pregnant animals, have variable efficacy, and can harm humans. A new vaccine that addresses these shortcomings would deliver lasting benefits to SHFs' health and livelihoods.
The Brucellosis Vaccine Prize is a global US $30 million competition funded by AgResults (a collaborative initiative between the governments of Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and implemented by the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed).
AgResults and GALVmed are looking for animal health innovators to develop and register a vaccine that is safe, efficacious, and viable for use against Brucella melitensis in small ruminants across the developing world.
We support collaboration between animal health innovators in achieving this aim and encourage organisations to use the Partnering Page to identify potential partners.
The winning vaccine will need to meet all the requirements set out in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and will ideally overcome all current hurdles that inhibit the safety and efficacy of current B. melitensis vaccines in developing countries.
Considerations for the MVP include:
Species: B.melitensis in sheep or goat
Safe: Safe for pregnant animals (Less than 5% abortion)
Efficacious: More than 80% animals protected
Convenient: Single vaccination annually
Smallholder Farmer Friendly: Affordable cost, long shelf life
Full details on the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) requirements can be found in Appendix 3 of the official Competition Rules.
(Archived Competition Rules: April 2018)
For the Grand Prize of US $20 million, the winning vaccine will need to both meet the requirements of the MVP and obtain regulatory registration in any one of the following regions/countries: EU, Japan, USA, Canada, or Australia.
Full details on vaccine registration requirements can be found in Section 7 of the official Competition Rules.
An additional US $5 million prize will be available to Solvers that develop a vaccine that meets the MVP requirements and any one of the Best in Class criteria. The Best in Class prize will be open to Solvers for one year after the award of the Grand Prize.
Best in Class criteria include:
Cross - Species Protection: Protect against both B. melintensis in small ruminants and B.abortus in cattle
Safety: Providing maximum human and animal safety (e.g. inactivated)
Thermoresistance: Effective at 45 degrees centigrade for 3 weeks
Curative: Curative/therapeutic effect on infected animals
Full details on the Best in Class requirements can be found in the in Appendix 4 of the official Competition Rules.
Prize Structure and Milestone Phases
HAVE A WINNING IDEA?
Animal health, biotech and pharmaceutical companies and other organizations are invited to submit their proposals via this website.
Please click "Register here" to begin the online application process.
This is not an official competition document, all prizes and all requirements regarding the competition are subject to the Official Competition Rules
THE AGRESULTS INITIATIVE IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN:
For more information on applications and implementation, contact:
GALVmed
www.galvmed.org
brucellosis@galvmed.org
@GALVmed
AgResults
www.agresults.org
info@agresults.org
@AgResults