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GRASSROOT INITITATIVE
Water in the wells
1. The scourge of water scarcity in Saurashtra
Saurashtra was not always a water-scarce area. People say that water was easily available in the region 10-15 years ago. Ashvin A Shah, a US -based engineering consultant who conducted a survey in 1998 on water availability in the region, says, �The presence of 700,000 dugwells in Saurashtra region indicates the presence of extensive groundwater aquifers throughout the region. This means there is one well for less than 20 people or one well every 300 metres"1.
Shamjibhai Antala of Saurashtra Lok Manch, who has single-handedly worked to recharge over 300,000 wells and tubewells in Saurashtra, says that the groundwater table in most areas of Saurashtra and Kachchh was about 12-15 metres below the surface till the 1960s. However, due to overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation, groundwater has been declining by an average of 2.5 m every year leading to steady intrusion of saline water2. According to G F Joshi, a government official in Rajkot, the groundwater table in these areas has fallen below even 300 metres in some parts of Saurashtra1. As a solution to the water scarcity, people have been digging deeper and deeper, going even up to 600m at which depth it is extremely difficult to recharge as these are confined aquifers2.
While cities get the attention of politicians and thus Rajkot city is now being provided Narmada water, the rural areas continue to face acute water shortages. The entire Saurashtra region had been severely drought-hit since 1985.
2 Worst drought of the century
The drought at the turn of the century in 2000-01 was one of the worst droughts of the century for Gujarat and Saurashtra was even more affected. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the Saurashtra and Kutch regions received 42% below normal rainfall.
In September 2000, water storage in different reservoirs of the state had come down to 2 to 12 per cent, the dead storage level or the minimum storage that needs to be maintained. Reservoirs, rivers, and streams of Gujarat had all dried up and in the Saurashtra region, 113 minor and major dams had dried and only 20 per cent had dead storage level. Big cities and towns like Rajkot and Bhavnagar received water every 20 days, and Dhoraji and Upleta, twice a month. When the state finance minister was in Upleta town near Rajkot to hold a public meeting, he was driven away by angry mobs1.
3 The hydrogeology and topography of Saurashtra
The Saurashtra region is made up of a central elevated region of about 75 m to 300 m above sea level that steeply slopes down to valleys. There is no perennial river but there are a number of rivulets, which flow away from the central elevations. The region is underlain by hard basaltic rock and has very limited storage potential. The soil is also clayey in nature, adding to constraints in natural storage of water. The annual potential evapotranspiration (PET) is highest at Rajkot, with a value of 214.5 centimetres (cm), which means that the little water the region gets quickly evaporates3. The average annual rainfall for Rajkot district is 592 millimetre (mm) with only 27 days of rainy days4, which is subject to a great deal of variability. All these factors contribute to high surface run-off and little recharge. Thus, the entire region is arid to semi-arid and prone to drought.
The region suffered from severe drought between 1985 and1988 and this catalysed a movement to harvest rainwater using diverse technologies. Recharging groundwater in this region, with high surface runoff and very little secondary porosity to hold the water is a difficult task. Farmers found that even when there was rain, the rainwater flowed away and their wells remained dry. Thus, one of the earliest innovations was to channelise the rainwater into the dry wells. This was the beginning of the highly successful Well Recharging movement in Saurashtra. Others have used the method of constructing sub-surface dams below the riverbeds to create additional storage, and recharge groundwater.
4 The work of Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust in Gondal and Jamkondarna talukas
Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust had been encouraging farmers to build check dams by getting them funds for the cost of the cement from various government projects for drought alleviation since 1987. After the severe droughts of 1999 and 2000, it decided to involve the people in constructing check dams to harvest and recharge groundwater. The water level had receded to more than 150 m and there was no assurance of taking even 1 crop in a year.
In 1998, the VPSST applied for and received the first grant of Rs.10-12 lakh (US $ 20000) to undertake work in 9 villages. In the beginning, the farmers were not willing to contribute funds as they did not believe in participating in government projects. Also, the villagers were unsure and not confident in their engineering and construction skills. In order to create confidence among the villagers to participate in this task of building check dams, VPSST announced that he would begin constructing check dams using funds from the government and if the villagers find it beneficial, they could then contribute their share of the money for the projects. By the year 2000, farmers began to see the effect of the check dams – water table had increased and there was water available in the wells. This was the beginning of the participatory water harvesting movement in Rajkot district.
Between 2001 and 2007, the Trust helped to construct a series of 1605 check dams in 27 villages of Gondal and Jamkondarna talukas. In addition, the Trust also constructed underground tanks to store harvested rainwater, farm ponds and soak-pits. Since 2001, the farmers of these talukas have been able to change their crop patterns for the better and have seen a vast improvement in their socio-economic life. The community-based rainwater harvesting undertaken through check dams completely changed the lives of the villagers in these talukas. Lush green grass, brimming rivers and wells depict the success story of 27 villages in Gondal and Jamkandorna talukas of Rajkot district.
The farmers have realised the usefulness of water harvesting and are recharging the groundwater in every possible way. They have increased the height of their farm boundary, so that the water collected in the fields during rain has ample time to get absorbed in the soil. They are also harvesting their rooftop for drinking water needs. The villagers are harvesting rainwater through different direct and indirect processes.
A total of 67 dams were constructed in Mespar village of Gondal taluka and 1538 dams in Jamkandorna taluka.
In January 2008, when CSE staff visited the village of Boriya, it found that rainwater harvesting was being carried out widely and there were several households that were depending only on rainwater for their drinking and cooking needs.
Premji bhai Patel and Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust
Premjibhai Patel was born in a small village of Bhavyavadar in Upleta Taluka, Rajkot District. Although he was from a farming family, he took to trading in textiles as a profession and moved to Mumbai in the 1970s. However, he did not get a sense of satisfaction and wanted to contribute to the community. Inspired by a character in a play written by Manubhai Pancholi (a well-known educationist in Gujarat, who created employment through tree plantation), Premji Bhai, decided to devote his life to planting trees.
He came back to his native village Upleta, in 1987, after retirement from his job and started working in Rajkot district by distributing seeds to people for plantation. He started Vruksha Prem with the idea of popularising tree plantation.
When he saw the people of his village deepening their wells every year to meet their water demands, he became interested in the idea of harvesting rainwater. The drought of 1987 further spurred his interest and in the late 1990s, he got involved in activities of building check dams as a measure of harvesting and recharging groundwater. He used funds from the drought alleviation programmes to catalyse a movement for water harvesting and recharging in Jamkandorna and Gondal talukas of Rajkot district.
He has received a number of awards for the watershed movement, including the Santbal Award (2003), Jalsanchay Gaurav Puraskar (2003) and the Jaldhara Award (2004)5.
5. Construction of check dams
Premjibhai followed Bhanjibhai of Visavadar, Junagadh in designing the check dams in this region. He developed the designs of the semi circular check dam by using iron bars in construction. In the initial phase stones were placed in the flowing water keeping a little distance between two stones. Later on this gap was filled up using river sand, stones and cement. The work started with the villagers digging out the foundation with the help of trikam – instrument for hand digging. Then they made holes in stones of 2-3ft depth and inserted 20cm dia iron bars in it, which will provide sufficient strength to the dam. The slope of the body wall of the dam should be making angle of 60° with the top of the dam. The width of this top wall is kept around 1m, so that the height can be increased in future. According to the experience of Premjibhai, these circular dams are more economical than the straight ones. This is because the thin walls of the dams make it cost effective. During construction phase, various other aspects were looked into, like mixing river sand and cement and using it within short period for more strength.
Impacts of water harvesting
6.1 Regeneration of the river Fofal
The river Fofal, like all the other rivers in the region, was not a perennial river. Water would be available in the river only up to November. As a result of the check dam building, the river has been regenerated. Today, water is seen in the river through out year including the lean months and the river flow is observed in almost nine months. Villagers use the river water for meeting all their needs, from drinking to irrigation. Women no longer have to walk miles to get water, and are able to devote time for education and other social activities.
Chart: Water level in seven new dug wells at the end of 2003
Map1: Check dams on Fofal river and its tributaries
Source: VPSST
6.2 Other ecological impacts
Villages, which once looked like a desert, have now turned into green areas. An integrated approach has been made to the watershed development including wasteland development, plantation of forest species and checking of soil erosion. The construction of dams helped to increase the water level in the wells from 152.4 m to 6 m below ground level. The sarpanch of another village, Mespar, said that water is now available for 24 hours.
Phases of check
dam building Total Area (Hectare)
Area brought under irrigation (Hectare)
1st batch (9 villages)
2nd batch (1 village)
3rd batch (7 villages)
4th batch (1 village)
5th batch (5 villages)
Because of the increased availability of irrigation water, the land that was lying fallow came under cultivation and the total area under farming increased from 890 hectare (ha) in 1995-96 to 22275 ha in 2006-07. More than 5000 hectares of land was brought under irrigation. Farmers began to raise three crops per year and there is no shortage of drinking water. The average yield of cotton, groundnut, wheat and chilly increased substantially. The villagers reaped a profit of 15 crore (approximately US $ 3 million) at the end 2004 from agricultural products.
Chart: Increase in crop production in Ambaredi village
As the salinity of the soil decreased, the farmers can now grow cotton in almost 80 % of the cultivated area, replacing groundnut in many fields. According to VPSST, the cotton production at the end of 2004 increased ten times in the villages under watershed project. Jerambhai Patel, chairman of Watershed Committee says that in 2003, he earned only Rs. 50,000 (US $ 1000) from cotton and groundnut crops, whereas, in 2004, after water harvesting, his income shot up to Rs. 4 lakh (Us $ 8000).
The availability of the fodder has also increased the milk production (5 litres/day to 8 litres/day) from the cattle in the area. As a result about 16,000 litres of milk is produced per day in the areas under the watershed program.
6.3 Socio-economic impacts
The ecological regeneration arising from increased availability of water has led to socio-economic and lifestyle improvements. Newly constructed houses can be seen in almost all the villages under this watershed project. Villagers have purchased tractors and constructed pucca (cement construction) houses. More than 150 families have purchased motorcycles and increase in percentage of admission in schools increased from 50 to 90 %. More numbers of girl children are being sent to school. Womenfolk now do not have to travel very far for washing, cleaning or collecting water for potable uses. Other small streams villages have appreciable water even during peak summer.
The increase in agricultural activities not only assured employment to the local people but also provided jobs to the villagers of the neighbouring areas. The villagers went back to their original profession of farming and gave up polishing of gems and jewelleries. The migration to nearby cities has completely stopped and people in the villages concentrate on farming. Today not a single inhabitant of the village depends on drought relief.
6.4 Community mobilisation
The VPSST acknowledges that local communities have an excellent knowledge of the geology, topography of the land and are thus best placed to decide on the design, height, location etc of the check dam. The role of VPSST was to secure and manage the finances and to provide training to the villages on construction technologies.
VPSST also encouraged villagers to involve themselves in the construction work. This would reduce the costs and also ensure quality of construction. Village communities, led by the sarpanch, would decide on the cost of the project, based on detailed calculations for stone, sand, cement etc. Villagers were then convinced of the genuineness of the cost estimates and contributed their share more willingly.
Initially people were not interested in the public participation for the construction of the check dams. Villagers were distrustful of government programmes and were reluctant to participate. The trust had to hold several meetings to convince the villagers that they stood to gain from the building of check dams to hold rainwater. VPSST therefore, started the movement by going ahead with the construction without any contribution from the villagers. Once the benefits of the check dams were visible to the people, they then came forward to be part of this endeavour.
By the end of 2005, the trust was successful in this movement and many farmers joined the user group for an assured source of irrigation. Due to availability of water in the river/rivulets through out year, there is no competition between the farmers for lifting water from the water bodies. Any one, irrespective of caste and creed, can use the river water for irrigation.
6.5 Institutional framework
To ensure sustainability of this movement, it was necessary to set up participatory systems to manage, sustain and expand this effort. The VPSST helped to form village management committees called "Watershed Vikas Samiti" (Watershed Development Committee). The committee consisted of eleven members, headed by the sarpanch of the village. Villagers from the agrarian class united together to form this user group. The main work of this Samiti was the proper management and planning of check dams.
The beneficiaries decided the location for construction of check dam so that maximum water can be stored and maximum amount of water can flow in their well. The beneficiaries did all the work right from acquiring the raw materials up to supervision of construction. When a check dam was under construction, various people from the neighbouring areas were invited to learn about construction methods. Sometimes, special workers (Kadia) were called for the construction purpose.
Besides implementing the water harvesting structures, the committee used the money for well recharging, building of underground tanks, animal husbandry, planting trees and seed sowing. The committee was in charge of the maintenance of the structures.
The interesting feature of the work on water harvesting structures in these villages of Gondal and Jamkandorna is that the villagers constructed the dams at a lesser cost as the farmers themselves were involved in the construction and they did not hire other labour. The involvement of the farmers also ensured that there was no wastage in the use of materials. Thus, while the government funding was as per standard guidelines, the Trust was able to use the funds meant for one dam to construct two more dams. Some of the funds saved from the money provided for check dam construction were also used for the construction of underground rainwater harvesting tanks in the villages. Some 206 such tanks were constructed.
In the first phase, the money was given to any villager who approached the trust, as it was necessary to get participation from the villagers. Initially, the rich landlords from the Patel community were the first to seek the funding. The farmers were able to derive great benefits from harvesting rainwater by way of improved crop production. This helped to catalyse farmers from other villages to get involved in the check dams movement7.
The study reveals that water scarcity was the major constraints to agriculturalproductivity in the villages of Gondal and Jamkandorna talukas. Perceptible changes were observed in the villages of this region after the water harvesting movement began in 2000. There was a big improvement in the areas under irrigation, cropping pattern and The sarpanch is the head of the village panchayat, which is official decentralized governance forum in each district.
Intensity along with diversification of crops from traditional to commercial or cash crops. The average yield of cotton, groundnut, wheat and chilly increased substantially over a period of time water storage capacity of the aquifers increased significantly, covering more area under irrigation. The water level in the wells increased from 150 m to 6 m below ground level. Water is available in the Fofal river throughout the year.
What is clear from this case study is that, this movement is more than just a water recharging activity. It has catalysed the involvement of the entire village and has resulted in many innovations and improvements. It has transformed this entire activity into a social movement, where the entire village is involved in improving their economic status by managing their natural resource base wisely. Rainwater harvesting has been shown to play an effective and a key role in improving food and livelihood security.
What should be the role of the government: It is clear from this and many other experiences that natural resource management can best be undertaken by communities who have a stake in its integrity. But is it realistic or sustainable that communities can be left to do this themselves? Many other experiences such as Ralegan Siddhi, Hiware Bazar, have shown that the government has an important role to play – but that of an enabler and not a doer. In all these cases, including this case study, the communities have taken advantage of the financial support provided by the government in order to begin the water harvesting activity and then go on to undertake wider watershed activities.
The government, while providing catalytic financial support, must ensure that the villagers participate in this activity at every step – from planning to design to funding. Only then will such projects be sustainable, as the villagers will have a sense of ownership over the project. Such a sense of ownership is crucial for the villagers to take responsibility to maintain the structures.
The government should also make available the technological resources at its disposal – for instance, by providing scientific tools such as GIS and remote sensing data and have its technical staff provide technical assistance to the villagers.
An effort has also been made to institute systems for sustainability.
Case study of Ambaredi village
Ambaredi is a village in Jamkandorna taluka, which experienced a complete changeover from dry agricultural land to lush green fields. The village is located in southwest portion of Rajkot district about 80kms from Rajkot city. River Fofal flows almost North-South through the village for about 40 km and joins the Bhadar River. There are numerous small streams connected to Fofal forming a dendritic pattern of network in the area. The soil in this area is predominantly black cotton and thus suitable for the cultivation of cotton and groundnut. Open dug wells are the main source of water and before the check dam movement, the wells used to be dry in summers. The VPSST has, till date, constructed a total of 70 check dams in Ambaredi village.
The villagers are able to raise three crops a year due to assured source of irrigation and there is no shortage of drinking water also. Groundnut and cotton are produced in the first rotation, jeera (cumin seed) and wheat in second rotation and in the third rotation onion and garlic are produced. The area under wheat cultivation had increased by 13 times at the end of 2003 . As a result, the earnings from wheat production also increased from Rs. 8, 000 (Us $ 160) to Rs. 125, 000 (Us $ 2500). The total income in the village, which came from selling of cotton, increased from Rs 1920 (Us $ 38.40) to Rs 6500 (Us $ 130) per day. Improved variety of groundnut and other seeds were also sown in the area.
Chart: Water level in Fofal River between 2002-2007 showing increase in water level due to water harvesting
Source: Gujarat State Groundwater Board
Prior to the recharging movement, the wells used to have water only during the monsoon period. At the end of 2007, all the 210 wells (200 dug wells and 10 borewells) were yielding water. The groundwater was observed at 3 m below ground level even during the lean period. The well and the surface water is enough to cater the year round and the villagers have not purchased water from the tanker suppliers for the last five years.
Standing the test of drought, 2000 in Down To Earth, Society for Environmental Communications, New Delhi.
Shamjibhai Antala 2001, The Awakening in Making Water Everybody's Business, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, p 75.
http://www.nih.ernet.in/learning.htm#Potential_Evapotranspiration_over_India
P N Phadtare 199, Geohydrology of Gujarat State (with status of work carried out by the Central Groundwater Board up to August 1988) Gandhinagar: Government of India, unpublished.
Premjibhai Patel, 2008, Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust, personal communication.
Mudrakartha, S. 2008. Adaptive approaches to groundwater governance-lessons from the Saurashtra recharging movement. Institute of Rural Management, Anand. Working paper no. 204. 49 p.


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Q: Removing one image from ImageCollection in Google Earth Engine One image in an ImageCollection is giving me problems (2019030509) so I'd like to remove it. I am trying to use .filter.not() to remove by ID:
var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('HYCOM/sea_temp_salinity')
                   .filter(ee.Filter.date('2019-01-01', '2019-12-31'))
                   .filter(ee.Filter.inList('HYCOM/sea_temp_salinity/2019030509').not());
print(dataset)

var seaWaterTemperature = dataset.select('water_temp_0')

print(seaWaterTemperature)

var visParams = {   min: -20000.0,   max: 15000.0,   palette:
['000000', '005aff', '43c8c8', 'fff700', 'ff0000'], };
Map.setCenter(-76.55, 38.92, 8); Map.addLayer(seaWaterTemperature,
visParams, 'Sea Water Temperature');

But I am still getting an error saying
'Error in map(ID=2019030509): Image.select: Pattern 'water_temp_0' did not match any bands.' so I don't think it was removed.

A: You are not using the filter correctly. Look up the properties, you will see that the system:index property consist of a YYYYMMddhh format. Name that property (system:index) and that value ('2019030509', as a string) to filter the image of the collection:
var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('HYCOM/sea_temp_salinity')
                   .filter(ee.Filter.date('2019-01-01', '2019-12-31'))
                  .filter(ee.Filter.inList('system:index',['2019030509']).not());

But probably the filter neq is more convenient to use:
var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('HYCOM/sea_temp_salinity')
                   .filter(ee.Filter.date('2019-01-01', '2019-12-31'))
                  .filter(ee.Filter.neq('system:index','2019030509'));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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PiL's John Lydon on appearing in butter commercials and being on Judge Judy
Tom Murphy April 23, 2010 12:24PM
That a person could be in two hugely influential bands is rare enough, but John Lydon also became something of an icon for punk rock and experimental music. The Sex Pistols were instrumental in bringing punk rock to the attention of people worldwide, whether they liked the music or not.
Regardless of whether or not the significance that style of music and its attitude translated well outside the social context of late 1970s England, the Pistols made it seem both repellent and revolutionary, and Lydon was the band's primary spokesman.
As articulate as he has been provocative for his pointed but poetic honesty, Lydon was able to more fully express the musical ideas swarming in his imagination with post-punk pioneers, Public Image Ltd. All but defunct for nearly two decades, PiL came together again late last year for a string of shows, followed by its current world tour -- bankrolled, at least in part, by Lydon's unlikely stint shilling for Country Life butter.
We had a chance to speak with Lydon at length about his Country Life butter ad, as well as his humor, the legendary Judge Judy episode in which he appeared as well as the dark side of celebrity, when you dare to speak your mind beyond vapid platitudes.
Westword (Tom Murphy): Does it make you laugh to see that Country Life butter ad you were in?
John Lydon: I don't watch that kind of TV too much. I'm really proud of what I did. And, shock, horror, I actually do eat butter. And the idea of promoting a homegrown, British product made me feel rather proud. They treated me extremely well, and the money has helped me reform PiL.
I have no record company backing, to speak of. I'm seriously looking to go to pastures new, and with a bit of luck, this tour will make that clear to a wider audience. It's not been easy dealing with record companies and their lack of involvement over the years. They've done some really negative things on me.
I released a solo album a while back, and they kind of buried it. They absolutely showed no interest in even bothering to mentioning it existed. So it's made my life rather tough. But I'm me; I'm John, and I smile in the face of adversity.
WW: I always thought you had a fantastic sense of humor and did things to amuse at least yourself. What sorts of things amuse you the most these days?
JL: Well I've learned to laugh at funerals, haven't I? That's the Irish way. My dad died last year. That kind of helped push me into reforming PiL because I wrote the song "Death Disco," which is about my mother's death. One thing lead to another. How is this about laughter? I'm sure my dad would laugh like mad to see me crying my heart out on stage. And hopefully my mother too.
Joy and sadness are all kind of interrelated. The work I do, and the way I experiment with emotions in songs, definitely is teaching me that. Public Image, I think, go through the full gamut of human nature, and hopefully survive at the end of it. It's a roller coaster ride but anger requires just as much involvement as love.
Why waste it on the negative side of life? If you can't laugh, it's not worth it. In fact, this is my problem with most intellectuals: They seem not to require humor, and therefore, I think they miss the point. Whatever it is you're analyzing in your head, if it's not for the benefit of others, it's not worth it. When you lack humor, you lack empathy. What a dismal thing to have to have discovered.
I'm not judgmental on people. The only person I come down hard on is myself. If I don't do the best thing I can on stage, I'm bitterly, bitterly despondent. Then again, that's like time to sit down and write a song about it. I use everything I can in life. My songs are always about people in situations that directly involve me. From time to time,, I like performing other people's songs, but not as a rule. You can hook on to one or two samples from people here and there, and I don't mean sampling, just in case some twit out there misreads that -- "Oh! Johnny samples!"
Well you have to be careful. You do, it's a minefield. And with me, it seems to be, probably because the way I am, maybe I inspire it, but I'm over analyzed. Sometimes negatively, which I think is grotesquely unfair and disrespectful. I don't have to do this, and I do this, and I think it's for the benefit of people and not to their detriment. I try to tell it as close to the truth as it can possibly be in a song. That's sometimes personally very hurtful.
WW: Sometimes people can take it the wrong way.
JL: And do. I didn't know what my mother would think when I told her I was writing a song about her, because she was dying of cancer, and I told her it was called "Death Disco." She laughed. She was in a hospital dying of cancer, and she laughed! That's how it should be. Like we were saying, many people lack that fundamental humor. Too politically correct with themselves, and that's a dangerous thing. People who go for the jobs of politicians, they lack humor. They're dictatorial, and there's something missing in their brain. They become very destructive toward the rest of us.
WW: How did that Judge Judy episode make it to TV instead of being handled outside of a television program?
JL: My god, that there! That was a shock horror. It's because the person accusing me of assaulting him was a rather spiteful piece of work. Rather than trying to settle it a normal way, he wanted the TV coverage. He was being a musician. He'd seen the launching of a career.
I thought, "Well this is whack!" I've been accused of that being a fake and setting it up myself. That whole show -- I mean how mad can it get in life? And there it is. This alleged black belt karate expert is accusing me of beating him up. It was a complete fabrication. It really is hilarious because I'm well known for being a pacifist.
My hero is Gandhi, and yet, this kind of nonsense keeps creeping up. In America, being what it is, it's very easy to make an accusation here. It's not so easy or financially viable to defend yourself against that. It really is quite severe, and I have to watch myself when I tour or do any kind of work at all. I'm going to keep myself well-shouldered from the false accusations, and that is harming me, and it definitely is getting in the way of me being in contact with the people coming to my concerts.
Because I like to go out after. I like to sign autographs. I like to talk to people. I like to know what they thought, what their feedback is, because that's the payoff of all of this. It's communication with human beings. But you have to be so wary of that one lunatic fringe element in there that can spoil it, and there are so many of them, and they just keep coming out of the woodwork.
There's a stalker element in it too and you can never please them. Because their goal is destruction. It's a sad element of life. It's one that's very difficult to deal with but the system itself seems to protect them. I think you should be made to prove an accusation and not throw it out there willy nilly and destroy someone's life that way. It's so easily done, and it can be so easily stopped. But then again there are those that actually do commit those terrible crimes and they need to be stopped too. It's up to all of us really. Gandhi is probably spinning in his grave.
WW: I remember reading your autobiography, and I struck by how very candid it was.
JL: You mean No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs? You know, I was called a racist for that title.
WW: Do you mean people didn't get that that was a sign that used to appear in the windows of businesses? Or that you're Irish?
JL: Yeah, no. It's so twisted, the world. They just want to put a bad label on you. Freedom of thought is seen as disruptive by very many. Particularly by those who don't know how to think. That book, of course it's candid. That's me. That's my life. And there it is warts and all, and there are people in there contradicting me, which I think is essential.
That should be considered part of human nature. If you put three people in a room with one situation developing, all three of them will have a different interpretation. Each one equally valid and every possibility of being widely different. What's the difference between what is and what you assume? There's a delicious world of exploration in that. It's absolutely rewarding, I would be thinking, as my book explained.
WW: What do you think there was in Johnny Rotten Loves America that was too much for US TV?
JL: Ooh! [laughs] I think the fact that I actually do. I mean, many people do do these kinds of shows, but to my mind, they keep doing them wrong. There was one recently with Stephen Frye -- now he's an intelligent man, but in many ways, he likes to throw his intelligence at you, and it comes over rather superior. And I think that TV series he did, he didn't get to know anybody. It was almost flippant.
But he certainly didn't understand the South. He got that everybody is rather nice down there, but he still doesn't really understand the history of this country. He did the history of the Civil War. Still easily led by that idea that it was a war of freeing the slaves and all that nonsense, which it actually was not. You still have to explain to me how Lincoln's wife was the biggest slave owner in America -- all these contradictions. And how long it took black people to get a vote here.
Stop talking that Confederate flag is a racist flag. If you're going talk that, then talk about how all slaves were brought here under the United States flag. I just want the truth of it. Of course there's bad in it, there's bad in both sides. But you're never ever going to solve a country's problems until you stop lying about any of it. And particularly in history, which is the favorite place for liars to manipulate.
It should be the one absolute where facts have to be checked. Otherwise we're just shooting into space with fanciful fucking opinions. That's not helpful. I was brought up in England: the Civil War there is a minefield, in terms of who did what and why. So I'm fully aware of what the problems are of finding out what happened in history. But basically, everybody got it wrong. And it's about time we all got it right. Any time there's a war required, that's everybody getting it wrong.
WW: What can we expect out of the shows on this PiL tour?
JL: Live, we're going to be playing the full range of PiL, every area and every aspect of it. And I might put in a few songs off of Psycho's Path, my solo album, because we've been messing about with them, and they sound great live. Leads it into all kinds of terrain and texture and wonderful fun. Make the road rise and peace off! Cheers.
Public Image Ltd., 8 p.m. Saturday, April 24, Ogden Theater, $39.50-$45.00, 303-830-8495.
Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.
Twitter: @simianthinker

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In just a few days will take place in Montréal, at the Officer's Mess of the Black Watch (RHR) of Canada, the annual event presented by the Quebec Thistle Committee to winners in several categories including Scottish music, cuisine, culture, athlete of the year, country and highland dancing, piping and "Scotsman / Scotswoman of-the-Year".
The Quebec Thistle Committee is dedicated to bringing together the Scottish community of Quebec through its programs to keep Scots and Scottish Culture an essential part of Quebec society, as it has been for centuries.
As we are in continous quest for French-Scottish-Quebec links, we are delighted to outline this event inside Scotiana's blog.
Congratulations and cheers to all winners!
Janice, on behalf of Scotiana.com team.
Ian Aitken has been a solid supporter of the Scottish Community in Montreal for decades. Serving on Council of the St. Andrew's Society and then as its President, Ian quietly yet in a businesslike manner introduced new methods to running the Society while at the same time passionately promoting everything the Society did.
He was instrumental in reviving the Montreal Highland Games in 2014 and remains a generous supporter both personally and through his company – Pembroke Management, where he is the President and Chief Executive Officer.
He is an organizer of the Alex Hutchison Award for piping, an Honorary Member of the Black Watch Pipes and Drums, a member of the committee establishing the McGill Chair in Canadian-Scottish Studies and a Patron of the National Trust for Scotland. He also has the unique designation of "Keeper of the Quaichs" for the Society.
Ian was recognized for his contribution in 2012 when he received the when he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In addition to his commitment to the Scottish community, Ian is devoted to building a more entrepreneurial country and is the Founder and Chairman of Enactus Canada and a Director of the John Dobson Foundation.
Ian spent many summers in the Highlands of Scotland as a child and has been one of Montreal's links to the old country.
He has danced at the Royal Caledonian Ball, been invited to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and facilitated the invitation of many of the Guests of Honour to the St. Andrew's Ball.
Ian is dedicated to his family. He was married in a kilt and his three children have each been the Page or Flower Girl at the Ball.
Ian's passionate commitment to promoting the Scottish community and preserving its legacy over many years, in many ways, makes him a model "Scotsman of the Year".


Open Door Health Center welcomes and seeks volunteers. Since we try to address the multiple needs of our patients, many areas of service are always available. Contact us via telephone or e-mail for more information. A visit to the clinic will help you visualize your possibilities.
Volunteers choose the amount of time, frequency and location of services offered.
Possible non-clinical services include the organization of donated supplies, stocking, sending out monthly mailings, copying and filing, and much more! Your help will be very appreciated and stimulated.
Applications for medical and non-medical volunteers are available on site. Sovereign immunity protection is provided through the State of Florida once this process is completed for Florida licensed health care professionals with an active non restricted license. Please complete the application and send to Volunteer Coordinator for processing. We will keep you posted on the application completion.


MB ChB (1999 - Liverpool) MRCGP. Honorary lecturer of the University of Leeds - Principal.
Liz became Practice Manager on 12th May 2014.
Co-ordinates all referrals made by the practice. She is the main person who ensures that all patient data is accurate and up to date. Deborah has varied duties within the practice.
Julie works as a part time receptionist providing a valuable link between patients and the surgery.


Please take pardon that I may be throwing a wrench into this whole "illegal alien" rhetoric that is bandied about and has been for some years.
Here are some points you might want to ponder before speaking on the subject.
1) not all illegal aliens are from "south of the border"....i.e. there are plenty of illegal Canadians and Europeans here. (yep, they go undetected because they "look like" Americans and have no "accent" when they speak.
2) No US customs agent can stop someone with a valid passport from another country (who's country does not require a visa to enter the US) to enter the US as a tourist.
3) I, as a US citizen, have done the above mentioned.......... I flew to Germany...(no visa needed)...... nor do Germans (or the French or the Dutch or the Brits, etc.) need a visa to come here......... no questions asked. just show your passport.
So, on we go. When the three months were up(as a tourist in Germany) I simply applied for another 3 months extension and .........wow, hey........ I ended up living and working there for 10 years........ sometimes under the table and sometimes with a work permit.......Oh and by the way...... I did a lot of office jobs....... I don't see many Latin Americans running around taking over managerial jobs or admin jobs here in the US.
It's seriously not that different if you go the other way around. e.g. coming from europe...... or not even being a European but having a European passport(its' all about the paperwork) and coming on over to the US of A for a "vacation". Who's checking that any one of those "tourists" are going back home??.... the answer...... no one!
Your just trying to skirt around the main issue. And FYI, if you'd have read all of the comments you would see that Latino's, Mexicans and Hispanics are not the only ones being mentioned.
Illegal Immigrant means any and all Illegals, no matter where they came from.
Well, I have to admit that my experiences have been mostly centralized to the orchards in Oregon.
And I also fully agree I'm looking at it from a humanitarian point of view.
But from what I see, while we may not get this generation of immigrants to weave into our culture, the next one certainly would.
I know where you are coming from because I lived all of my life in Oregon except for the last four. The migrants worked the crops and the orchards day in and day out. I never did see an American citizen doing the work in those fields, did you? I see it from a humanitarian view also, but that is one part of my personality I hope I never lose and that is to view all humans as worthwhile.
If most Europeans "don't have an accent", that's news to me...even many Canadians have one, IMHO. However, that's neither here nor there. I've known illegals for decades, and it was generally tolerated as a 'victimless crime' up until the past decade or so....at THAT point, it was a combination of a LOT of things...the sheer overwhelming RATE of illegal immigration...the fact that they're 'moving out' into more and more desirable jobs...And, in the case of Mexican activists, the outrageous, "in-your-face" flag-desecrating street demonstrations which practically GUARANTEED that these folks would get HUGE attention....almost all of it NEGATIVE attention...that more-or-less brought on the current 'rancor'. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the case. The behavior of these activists ended any hope that the public wouldn't 'notice' them....and believe me, they got 'noticed'.
I ALSO have a personal theory, which I posted recently, and that is this..although most of the Southwest has had LONG familiarity with Mexico, and with Mexicans..(who, after all, were here "first"), MUCH of the US.. outside the big cities, does NOT. In some places, particularly in the south, NO IMMIGRANTS have arrived in any number, for generations...no Catholics, no Jews, no Mexicans, NOBODY. Many such areas, until recent times, were 95% PLUS, "American born"....black or white.
NOW, in recent years, these areas, which aren't prosperous (nor really al that 'sophisticated') to BEGIN with, are having their first "experience" in generations, with immigration...and a good percentage of it is illegal. Not too surprising that the welcome mat isn't ALWAYS out....THis is only my personal 'guess', of course.
Unless you personally interviewed ALL of them, you might have been surprised at just who was, and was not, an American citizen, among the pickers you observed.
you're right, but it was on the news and in the paper that they needed help for their crops.
It will be crop season soon there again and it will be the same story.
Your argument fails right here. Paco is not without a job. His family isn't starving. He comes here because he can make several times what he makes in Mexico, at the job he leaves.
So Paco adds to the US labor force size, increasing the US supply of labor, which decreases American wages. We Americans certainly appreciate Paco's "help" in driving down our wages and taking another one of the limited jobs in this country.
There are 232 million working age Americans (http://www.bls.gov/web/cpseea1.pdf - broken link), but only 146 million of them are employed. That's a surplus of 86 million not employed Americans. We don't need any more workers.
And we don't need any more Pacos, or anyone else, to take jobs away from Americans, and drive wages down in the process.
So do you think that any of those 86 million "Americans" applied for one of those jobs? And if so, then it follows that the Employer chose to hire an illegal instead of a legal person? Why would he do that? Maybe to violate the law?
There ARE thoussands of Mexicans who come to the US to work legally everyday. In the southern California and Arizona areas they are bussed over everyday to work the fields and packing plants, and go home each day. I would think if there were Americans wanting the jobs, then they would be hired (and there are,of course, just not enough).
In Tijuana thousands drive over the border every day to go to their jobs in the US (and back home at night). The same all along the border.
Simple answer: Greed. If an employer can hire someone for $5/hr and pay no benefits, they will make a greater profit than if they hired someone for $8/hr with benefits.


OK so to start- what in the world is an octogenarian? It happens to be one of my favorite words. It means a person who is 80. And if you are 80 I think you really do deserve such a fancy and fun name as octogenarian. Anyway, I was out in the water playing dunk my 11 year old daughter. My mother and her cousin were doing their exercises in the waist deep water. Walking, using their arms, and looking solid and strong, and just a bit serious.
Then all of a sudden they began to play catch. They tossed the little orange and black water ball-the new ones for this sumer that "bounce" in the water- And things changed. There was bit of a giggle floating across the water. They began to have just a bit of a bounce in their movements. Then it happened- they let loose and began to splash. These two old ladies- yes my mother and her cousin are old ladies- they splashed each other for all they were worth.
Needless to say I was in utter hysterics, as were many other beach goers. Who ever saw old ladies just let loose and play like that? Not me.
SO after they settled down in their beach chairs, I asked them what it was like to get out there and play like that. "OH, were we playing?" said my mother. "I was just trying to get your mother back for all the times she got me. I thought this might be my best chance ever." "And was it?" asked my mother. "No- you won again like always." "And boy was it ever fun!" They both said in unison and burst into that laugh you usually only hear with a couple of 8 year olds.
So at 8 or 80+ the desire to play a physical competition still lingers. My mother wasn't about to let her "little" cousin get the best of her. And her cousin still longed to win. Bottom line- It was fun.
But how could they still do it? Lots of things. Here's a few things.
So as you do your play or compete formally, know that you may be setting yourself up for an octogenarian all out splash fight in a few years down the line. IF nothing else it will make others have a great ab workout with all the laughing caused by you.
Wisdom Wednesday: What is Natural Self-Esteem?
I am a busy mother filled with all the daily tasks that seem to overwhelm us and have more things in a day than can be done. I could be constantly question myself about my parenting. But instead, I have a rather calm, well-managed life that is so busy no one can keep up. How in the world can I have life that is so contradictory? Simple – my family and I have natural high self-esteem. And you can have this too.
In the dark ages of my life- from BC, you know "before children" – to AD, that means "all done" having children- there was a time when I was a psychotherapist. And I had a specialty-high self-esteem.
When you have low self-esteem your entire life is affected. Life just does not work out the way you want it to. You are continually trying to improve your life. You are never satisfied and you know that you are not measuring up to others. You need constant reinforcement. Life is a task to get through and others have it but you don't.
The "it" others have is natural high self-esteem. Now I am not saying that you personally have low self-esteem; I am saying that our media has made low self-esteem a rampant part of our culture.
Rather than go on with my angst about low self-esteem I want to get to a solution. I want to get away from developing low self-esteem in our children to allowing and encouraging them to live a life of fulfillment and confidence.
All of these 5 GEMs are about communicating the value of your parenting in such a way that your children actually understand what natural high self-esteem is and how to keep it.
Parents who have joined the teleclasses and programs, listened to the podcasts, or have been private clients with GEM Parenting (that's the company I have started) have had wonderful changes in their lives and their children's lives.
Stress reduces for both you, the parent, and your child. Choices diminish. Communication between you and your child improves. Your child feels strong and confident. Peer pressure has little power. The media cannot induce your child to feel inadequate. You and your child learn time management. Manipulation comes to a halt. And "attitude" is stopped in its tracks.
Find out what natural high self-esteem is and how to infuse it into the lives of your children.


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Jari Bradley
Jari Bradley is a black genderqueer poet and scholar from San Francisco, California. Jari has received fellowships from Callaloo, Cave Canem, and Tin House. Their work has been featured in the Huffington Post, and is listed by Blavity among "15 Creatives in the Bay Area You Should Know." Jari's work has also been published or forthcoming in The Adroit Journal, MARY: A Journal of New Writing, Callaloo, Hot Metal Bridge, Nomadic Ground Press, The Virginia Quarterly Review, BOAAT Journal, and Punctum Books' Anti-Racism, Inc: Why the Way We Talk About Racial Justice Matters. Jari has an M.A. in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University, and is an MFA candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. They currently serve as Poetry Editor of the University of Pittsburgh literary magazine, Hot Metal Bridge.
Involuntary Exits
By JARI BRADLEY
I am a child of wayward fruit / trying to touch a violence— / its bruised shape, a mirror / of my own dark face & hers.


text:
Regal Princess home page
INSIDE VIEW:
A HIGH PERFORMING SHIP
A conversation with Captain Tim Stringer
by Richard H. Wagner
Captain Tim Stringer originally planned to join the police. However, before doing so, he thought he would spend a year working at sea. More than 30 years later, Captain Stringer is still at sea. "Now, I would never turn back. When you are aboard, you are focused, it is a big operation that we are running here but I can see you are delivering some great memories to people. I do the weddings and every wedding is different. Engagement with the guests, hear their stories, it is nice for me to do that. I enjoy the life aboard but I also enjoy my time off."
When he is off, this native of Bedfordshire, England now lives with his family in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. "I enjoy the outdoors. The ship is always in the sunshine. I go home now it is the middle of winter. I get the wood burner going, I get the snow cleared. [At sea], it is very intense, you've got a lot of people around. I go home it is completely opposite. I am out in the woods with the dogs. I am out walking or on the bike. It is a nice kind of relaxing contrast."
Except for a handful of years on oil tankers, most of Captain Stringer's career has been with Princess Cruises. He has served in a wide variety of ships. His commands have included Dawn Princess, Island Princess, Ocean Princess and Pacific Princess. "I did the world cruise on the Pacific. The Pacific is nice because you have the intimacy of that ship. You build a big bond on the world cruise. It is really exciting, I enjoy the adventure side of it. Small ships are challenging."
Still, Captain Stringer speaks with the most enthusiasm about his current command, Regal Princess, which along with her sister ships Royal Princess and Majestic Princess, are the largest ships in the Princess fleet. "I was lucky enough to be on the build project for this class of ship. I was two years with the naval architects in Southampton, a year in the shipyard and then I came out with the Royal as Staff Captain."
"This class of ship has come out really well. We maintained the feel of the existing ships because we want to make people feel at home when they are aboard. It is a bigger ship, which just means that we can offer a lot more amenities onboard. I don't think you feel that you are on a big ship when you are on it because of the layout."
"We have a good crew here and we get good comments back. We look very closely at the comment forms. Two things that are very strong: One is the service level of the crew. This ship year-to-date is the highest performing ship in the Princess fleet. The food ratings on this ship are phenomenal."
Regal Princess is versatile, able to handle a variety of cruises. "It works well in the Caribbean - - the Sanctuary is beautiful, we have the Movies Under the Stars but at the same time, it works so well in the Baltic, Canada New England. It is very adaptive as we change our cruising area."
"It is also amazing how the crew can adapt to the changing demographics." In the Baltic, her passengers can include more than 50 different nationalities with North Americans in the minority. In the Caribbean, the passengers are mostly North Americans. Regal Princess, does some short cruises where the passengers are typically young and long cruises where they are usually mature. "But she just handles it."
"The ship is performing really well and I think that is why [Princess has] the confidence to have three more of these on order. We are getting a following. We are seeing a lot of people returning."
Captain Stringer is also impressed by Regal Princess' nautical qualities. "This ship is probably easier to handle than the Pacific. We have stern thrusters for a start which make a big difference. We are heavier. We have a lot more momentum and we have ramped up the power."
Regal is also better able to handle rough seas than earlier cruise ships. "We have a lot more of a sharper bow line so you don't get that kind of slap that you get with the Grand class' broader bow. We have our duck tail which gives extra stability." The hydrodynamic design of her hull also enhances her seakeeping abilities.
Unlike most cruise ships of her size, Regal does not have a pod propulsion system. Instead, she has propellers and rudders like on a traditional ship. Nonetheless, Regal is very maneuverable. To illustrate, many ports prohibit ships that are beyond a specified length from entering. The problem is that if a ship is too long, it will not be able to maneuver through the channel leading to the port and in the port. Regal, however, was able to obtain exemptions in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wundemonde Germany and Stockholm, Sweden after proving it could safely maneuver through those ports.
"It is because she has these big rudders and so much stability. She doesn't heel so we can use the rudders to put her into the [required] turns. [The guests do not] even notice that we are doing these turns when in reality, we have done some big sweeping turns. She is so stable."
Another impressive behind-the-scenes feature of Regal Princess is the design of her bridge. Captain Stringer pointed out that the placement of the consoles and instruments was done with the need to enhance communication between the members of the bridge team.
Regal was also designed to meet the Safe Return to Port regulations, which are intended to enable a ship to continue on to a port despite fires and flooding. Regal is divided into 1,000 compartments with duplication of her vital facilities such as the bridge.
Captain Stringer concluded with the understatement.. "All in all, she is a good ship."
Click here for our photo tour of Regal Princess
Click here for the Regal Princess menus page
Click here for an article about Ocean Medallion services on Regal
Click here for an interview with the Cruise Director
Click here for an interview with Master Chef Alfredo Marzi
Click here for a review of the Crown Grill on Regal Princess
Cruise ship interview - - Princess Cruises - - Regal Princess - - Captain Tim Stringer


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KDnuggets Home » News » 2020 » Dec » Tutorials, Overviews » Feature Store vs Data Warehouse
Feature Store vs Data Warehouse
Tags: Data Warehouse, Databases, Feature Store, Pipeline
A feature store is a data warehouse of features for machine learning. Differently from a data warehouse, it is dual-database: one serving features at low latency to online applications and another storing large volumes of features. Learn how Data Scientists leverage this capability in production-deployed models.
By Jim Dowling, CEO of Logical Clocks, Associate Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
TLDR; The feature store is a data warehouse of features for machine learning (ML). Architecturally, it differs from the traditional data warehouse in that it is a dual-database, with one database (row-oriented) serving features at low latency to online applications and the other database (column-oriented) storing large volumes of features, used by Data Scientists to create train/test datasets and by batch applications doing offline model scoring.
Features Store: Data Warehouse Déjà Vu
Data warehouses democratized access to Enterprise data by centralizing data in a single platform and then empowering business analysts with visual tools, such as Tableau and Power BI. No longer did they need to know what data resides where and how to query that data in that platform. They could derive historical insights into the business using BI tools.
Data scientists, in contrast, build predictive models to derive business insights. The feature store is the data warehouse for Data Science - it is a central vault for storing documented, curated, and access-controlled features that can be used across many different models. The feature store ingests data from the Enterprise's many different sources after transforming, aggregating, and validating the data.
Feature pipelines need to be written to ensure that data reliably flows from existing sources and is available in a format ready to be consumed by ML training pipelines and models.
Most Data Scientists currently do not have a feature store. They spend most of their time looking for, cleaning, and featurizing data. Hence, the (very real) cliche that 80% of data science is data wrangling. Data Scientists without a feature store work in an era akin to how business analysts worked before the advent of data warehouses, with low individual and organizational productivity.
The Data Warehouse is an input to the Feature Store
Both platforms are a central store of curated data used to generate insights into the data. Both platforms have pipelines (ETL and feature pipelines, respectively) to ingest data from one or more disparate sources (operational databases, data lakes, etc).
Both benefit from metadata catalogs to organize data sets and access control to share data with only authorized actors.
Both platforms can be designed to scale-out on commodity hardware and store large volumes of data, although typically, a data warehouse stores only relevant to analysis (modern data lakehouses are designed to store large volumes of data more cost-efficiently).
Feature Store as a Dual Database
The main architectural difference between a data warehouse and a feature store is that the data warehouse is typically a single columnar database, while the feature store is typically implemented as two databases:
an offline feature store for serving large batches of features to (1) create train/test datasets and (2) batch applications scoring models using those batches of features, and
an online feature store for serving a single row of features (a feature vector) to be used as input features for an online model for an individual prediction.
The offline feature store is typically required to efficiently serve and store large amounts of feature data, while the offline feature store is required to return feature vectors in very low latency (e.g., < 10ms). Examples of databases used for the offline feature store are Apache Hive and BigQuery, and examples of online feature stores include MySQL Cluster, Redis, and DynamoDB.
Note that if you want to reuse features in different train/test datasets for different models, your database or application will need to join features together. This is true for both the offline and online feature stores. If your feature store does not support joining features, that is, you do not reuse features across different models, then you (or some system) will need to create a new ingestion pipeline for every new model you support in production.
Detailed Comparison: Feature Store vs. Data Warehouse
In the table below, we see an overview of the main architectural differences between feature stores and data warehouses. Data warehouses are used primarily by business analysts for interactive querying and for generating historical reports/dashboards on the business. Feature stores are used by both data scientists and by the online/batch applications, and they are fed data by feature pipelines, typically written in Python or Scala/Java.
Data scientists typically use Python programs to create train/test datasets by joining existing features in the feature store together and materializing the train/test datasets in a file format best suited to the framework they are going to train their model in (e.g., TFRecord for TensorFlow, NPY for PyTorch). Data warehouses and SQL currently lack this capability to create train/test datasets in ML file formats.
Feature Data should be Validated before Ingestion
The table also shows the differences in the types of data stored, as well as how the data is stored, validated, and queried. A data warehouse stores data in tables along with schemas for describing the type of data and constraints for columns. Similarly, the feature store stores typed data (typically in tables), but as features are typically stored as ready-to-consume numerical values or vectors (embeddings) or tensors, there is less need for a richer set of column types compared to a data warehouse. Foreign key constraints are typically not supported in feature stores due to the difficulty in enforcing such constraints between online and offline stores.
As model training is very sensitive to bad data (null values, outliers cause numerical instability, missing values), feature data should be validated before ingestion. Data validation frameworks, such as Great Expectations and Deequ, have appeared to help implement feature pipelines that apply predicates (data validation rules) on all the features ingested into the feature store, ensuring high data quality in the feature store.
Domain-specific languages (DSL) are sometimes used to define the feature transformations, aggregations, and data validation rules in feature pipelines, but general-purpose languages (Python, Scala) are commonly used when non-trivial feature engineering is required.
Using the feature store to create train/test data
Data scientists are one of the main users of the feature store. They use a feature repository to perform exploratory data analysis (EDA) - searching/browsing for available features and inspecting feature values/schemas/statistics. Data Scientists mainly use Python to select features to create train/test datasets. This typically involves joining features together to create a train/test dataset in their file format of choice (.tfrecord, .csv, .npy, .petastorm, etc). Sometimes ML feature stores support a DSL (domain-specific language) to create train/test datasets or other languages such as Scala/Java.
Online feature store
Online applications use the online feature store to retrieve feature values with low latency to build feature vectors that are sent to ML models for predictions. In contrast to higher latency data warehouses, feature stores may be required to return feature vectors in single millisecond latency - only really achievable in row-oriented or key-value stores.
The typical access pattern for retrieving features is a key-value lookup, but if features are to be reused in the online feature store, then joins are again required (either in the database or in the application). In some databases (such as MySQL Cluster), a small number of joins can be performed at very low latency.
Feature statistics to monitor for feature drift and data drift
Descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, standard deviation) for features are also useful when identifying data drift in online models. Your monitoring infrastructure can calculate statistics on live prediction traffic and compare those statistics with the values in the feature store to identify data drift for the live traffic, potentially required retraining of the model.
Temporal databases support time-travel: the ability to query data as it was at a given point-in-time or data changes in a given time-interval. The "AS OF SYSTEM TIME" syntax was introduced to SQL 2011 to standardize point-in-time queries, while the "VERSIONS BETWEEN SYSTEM TIME ... AND ... " syntax was introduced to identify the versioned changes to data in a time interval. Time-travel is supported in some data warehouses but does not have universal support across all vendors.
For a feature store, time-travel has several important uses: when creating train/test data (e.g., training data is data from the years 2010-2018, while test data is data from the range 2019-2020). Time-travel is also useful to make changes to a dataset (e.g., rollback a bad commit of data to the dataset) or to compare metadata (statistics) for features and how they change over time. We rarely require time-travel for features used in serving. Time-travel is also important when performing point-in-time joins, where we ensure that there is no data leakage from the future when we create train/test datasets from historical data.
Feature Pipelines
Data warehouses typically have timed triggers for running ETL jobs (or data pipelines) to ingest the latest data from operational databases, message queues, and data lakes. Similarly, feature pipelines can have timed triggers to transform and aggregate the latest data from different sources before storing it in both the online and offline feature store for scoring by online and offline applications. However, additional pipelines can also feed features to the feature store.
Predictions made by models can be stored in the feature store along with the outcomes for those predictions. There can be long lags of even days or months or years before outcomes become available - e.g., a prediction on whether a loan will be repaid or not), but as they arrive, new training data becomes available that can be used to trigger retraining of models.
Data warehouses can be used to store pre-computed features, but they do not provide much more functionality beyond that for ML pipelines. When Data Scientists need to create train/test data using Python or when online features (for serving features to online models) are needed at low latency, you need a feature store. Similarly, if you want to detect feature drift or data drift, you need support for computing feature statistics and identifying drift.
Bio: Jim Dowling is CEO of Logical Clocks and an Associate Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. He is lead architect of the open-source Hopsworks platform, a horizontally scalable data platform for machine learning that includes the industry's first Feature Store.
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Published on December 22, 2020 by Jim Dowling


Find out what you need to pay attention to when selecting shipping insurance.
Depending on the type of goods being transported, the whole shipment might be worth six or even seven figures. If something goes wrong and you do not have the right insurance, the results can be fatal. But how do you avoid situations like that? And how do you choose the right insurance for your own transport company? Klaus Schäfer, from the German shipping insurance experts KRAVAG, provides important tips and advice.
1. just like every car driver needs car insurance, road hauliers also require truck insurance.
2. The moment goods are being transported, freight forwarder insurance is mandatory. This type of insurance is legally required for road hauliers and transport companies shipping commercial goods. The goods being transported are then insured with a price per kilogram on a case to case basis.
3. However, if the goods being transported are, for example, electronics, tobacco or other high price items, their value may quickly exceed the amount covered by insurance. "Let's assume you have freight forwarder insurance that covers 100,000 €, but the shipment is worth a total of 200,000 €. This extra 100,000 € requires additional insurance. In this case, the freight forwarder or transport company must offer the customer additional transport insurance" explains Klaus Schäfer, Marketing Director at KRAVAG.
Just as with any other important decision, it is very helpful to consult an expert before selecting shipping insurance. This is because insurance for transporting goods requires expert knowledge. "I need to know how my freight forward insurance relates to the shipping insurance and the truck. There are so many rules to take into account, for example, where should I park my truck at night? The consultant must be able to check my freight orders and recommend and provide me with the relevant insurance" says Schäfer.
Another important criteria when selecting shipping insurance is the issue of claims settlement in the event that the goods are damaged. Relationships with customers are on the line, so it has to be wrapped up quickly. According to Klaus Schäfer, the speed is more important than the claims method. "Let's assume we are dealing with a truck transporting dangerous goods. There's an accident, and a dangerous liquid leaks from the container. Professionals must deal with it immediately. At KRAVAG, it is our subsidiary KUSS (KRAVAG Umweltschutz und Sicherheitstechnik GmbH – KRAVAG Environmental Protection and Safety Technology), that deploys immediately to the site of the accident, secures it professionally, and contacts the police and the environmental authority." The same thing applies to load theft. Because the more time that passes between the damage and the claim, the more expensive it is. "The sooner we learn about load theft, the quicker we can start activities to help us find the goods again. Or inform neighbouring countries about the theft," Schäfer continues.
HGV drivers often find it challenging to find a parking spot for their truck when they have to stop for the night. Not only that, it has to be a safe parking spot, in which fuel will not be stolen overnight and nobody will slit open the tarpaulin and steal the goods. And then there is the 45 hour rule, which often prevents the driver from spending the night in their vehicle. This has a negative effect on insurance. "Usually, the driver shouldn't be on the road when they have to take their weekly break. But sometimes it can't be avoided. If the driver is forced to stop but can't find a secure parking spot, then we have to talk about it and find a solution together." A recommendation from the KRAVAG director.
In general, regular communication between the insured party and the insurance company is required to keep insurance up to date at all times. "Especially when starting a transport company, it is important to talk to the insurance provider on a regular basis and if necessary, to say to them: well, that was my original plan. But now I have an order that is a bit different from the plan. Is it still covered by my insurance?", Schäfer explains. Transport companies and freight forwarders should therefore check with their insurance when taking on unusual orders.


text:
Neoseiulus vanderlindei är en spindeldjursart som först beskrevs av van der Merwe 1965.  Neoseiulus vanderlindei ingår i släktet Neoseiulus och familjen Phytoseiidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Spindeldjur
vanderlindei

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We deliver well-designed buildings and infrastructure shaped by a profound understanding of the educational requirements of each establishment. WSP has close ties to the communities we work in – we work where we live. Motivated by this connection, our teams are able draw on local and global expertise to support schools, universities, local authorities, and government bodies in meeting the high standards demanded by today's students while responding to the challenges of increasing budgetary constraints, the ever-growing reliance on technology, new expectations from students, security needs, and the impacts of climate change.
WSP designs sustainable academic buildings that are healthy, safe, and fit for purpose. A positive and productive atmosphere contributes to improved student attention by ensuring high levels of comfort, air quality, natural lighting, and acoustics.
It is not just about buildings: our transport specialists develop safe and healthy ways for children to travel to school while reducing traffic congestion and pollution. In addition to designing inherently low- energy buildings, we consider the environmental impact of educational facilities on their surrounding areas, addressing issues such as water, materials, ecology, and land use.
Whether our involvement is in a new building or a modernization of existing facilities, we work closely with clients to develop flexible learning environments adapted to the increasing thirst for knowledge and the rapidly evolving needs of the 21 st century. Above all, we are committed to delivering sustainable solutions which support academic aspirations and help educational institutions attract and retain students and staff, all while contributing to the wider community.
Primary and secondary schools must be inspiring and inviting, but also designed to survive the daily wear and tear of thousands of children and adolescents over the course of decades – all within strict budget constraints.
With a long list of successful projects, we recognize that flexibility is crucial to design. Whether classrooms need to be able to change physical sizes and layouts or electrical systems need to allow for increased connectivity and digital support, we have the expertise and knowledge to address virtually any challenge no matter how large or small. We don't just deliver high performing and adaptable classrooms, but also solutions that take into account the whole system that includes administration offices, cafeterias, playgrounds, gymnasiums, labs, and libraries – creating welcoming spaces where children, teachers, and mentors can thrive.
Our education sector experts have provided engineering and advisory services to hundreds of universities and colleges. From parking garages, parks and landscapes, to specialized research laboratories and library facilities, to the student accommodation, lecture, and dining halls – we deliver on all aspects of campus life.
Recognized by our peers for excellence, our services for post-secondary institutions include, among others, structural engineering, buildings services engineering, lighting design, acoustics, sustainability consulting, and project management. Projects like the University of British Columbia's Library in Vancouver, the new campuses for Goethe University in Frankfurt, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Manhattanville campus of Columbia University in New York demonstrate our ability to deliver expertise across the globe.


text:
class QStandardItemModel;

namespace Ui {
class SearchDlg;
}

class searchData
{
public:
    searchData()
    {
        name = QString("");
        email = QString("");
        usrname = QString("");
        jid = QString("");
    }
    QString name;
    QString email;
    QString usrname;
    QString jid;
};
class SearchDlg : public QDialog
{
    Q_OBJECT

public:
    explicit SearchDlg(QWidget *parent = 0);
    ~SearchDlg();

    QString createSearchIQ(QString search,QString srv);
    enum Type{AddContact,UserSearch};
    void setType( int tp);
    int  getType(){
        return type_;
    }
    QString                 getJid(){
        return addJid_;
    }
 void addFriend();
signals:
 void addnewfreind(QString);

public slots:
    void                    btnSearchClick();
    void                    addContactClick();
    void                    handleSearch(QString s);
    void                    treeClick(QModelIndex index);
    //void                    slotchangeID();
    //void                    slotchangeName();
private:

    Ui::SearchDlg *ui;
    QStandardItemModel      *itemModel_;
    QString                 addJid_;
    int                     type_;
   // int                     flag_search;
};

#endif // SEARCHDLG_H


Home/ Forums/ Immunology: Assay Development & Protocols/ Peritoneal Macrophage Cultures - how long do they keep?
Peritoneal Macrophage Cultures - how long do they keep?
I'm about to try to isolate these cells for the first time and manipulate them. Are these cell cultures generally tricky to work with?
I specifically want to know how long these cultures keep for. My plan was to take the peritoneal macrophages from the same mice that I take another cell type from in order to do eventual co-culture experiments. Will pMacrophages stay in culture for 2 weeks? If so, what medium do i put them in? Anyone know if they respond to growth factors (EGF/FGF2)?


On an ongoing basis we receive lots of tips relating to eating healthy on the road and ways to save money doing it. Some ideas are very practical while some get extra kudos for ideas outside of the box. Here are 14 bits of advice guaranteed to boost your energy while being kind to your traveller's budget.
1. Drink, drink, drink water -- In many countries tap water can cause serious stomach upsets yet buying easily portable bottled water can become very expensive. Here's one woman's advice. Travel with your own stainless steel reusable water bottle. Not only is it the healthiest choice (no crevices for bacteria to lodge) but it is eco-friendly as well. When possible fill your bottle with water supplied on your breakfast buffet or if you are in one place for a few days, buy a galloon jug of water and refill from there. This last option is much cheaper than buying separate small bottles of water.
2. Carry a large plastic mug and pack some individual packages of oatmeal, hot chocolate and a small supply of 2-minute noodle soups. It's easy to get hot water almost anywhere you are. Simply mix and presto you've saved at least a buck. This tip comes in very handy during long train rides.
3. Have snacks available when you need them -- There are times during the day when your energy wanes and you really need a snack. Buying candy and chocolate bars on the spot make both the calories and expenses soar. Instead visit a bulk food emporium prior to your trip and buy a supply of dried fruits and almonds. Mix, then package in individual portions in plastic snack bags and they are there, at a fraction of the price, when you need them.
4. Cereal bags keep everything fresh -- Save the large empty waxed bags that hold the contents of your cereal boxes. If they keep your cereal fresh for so long they will be great at storing any left-overs from your breakfast plate. This doesn't mean you should be packing a lunch from the breakfast buffet table but if you don't finish that muffin, take it with you. Somewhere around 3:00 PM you'll be glad you did.
5. Picnics are definitely money savers -- They are cheaper and (depending on your choices) healthier than eating in restaurants. Head to the market and have fun picking out a small bread stick (ask for une baguette if you are in France), cheese, cold meat and a small bottle of wine or juice. Oh what a feast you will have! P.S. You know those thin colored plastic tablecloths sold in the party supply section of the dollar store? They have a multitude of uses and are definitely light enough to pop into your pack. Pick your favorite color, pay your four quarters and you now have a tablecloth to cover your hotel bed as you snack and watch TV or for those delightful picnics in the park.
6. Fruit is a healthy and low cost dessert -- On average a pastry will cost you close to $2.00 and it's absolutely filled with sugar. We say, pop into the supermarket pick up your supply of apples and oranges for a day or two. They don't need refrigeration, they cost at least 50% less than cakes and most important of all, they are a healthy choice.
7. If you are yearning for cookies with your coffee, check the supermarket shelves for a store brand packet of tea biscuits. They are always an economical choice. P.S. Next head to the produce department and pick up a small plastic bag. Later put your open box of cookies in that bag to keep the opened package fresh and ready for that next cup of tea or coffee.
8. When out for the evening drink like a local -- When choosing alcoholic beverages, choose the local beers and wines. They're fun to try and you will pay far less than if you order the special imported brands you drink at home.
9. Grilled cheese sandwiches on the go -- My favorite money saving tip for families on the road is to purchase a loaf of whole wheat bread, good cheddar cheese and a roll of tin foil. Back at your hotel wrap the cheddar cheese sandwiches in foil and use the iron in your room to make hearty grilled cheese sandwiches at a fraction of the price you'd pay anywhere else. Add some slices of tart apple to the mix. The kids love 'em!
10. Be an inventive cook -- Pack an easy recipe and cook dinner at a hostel -- Tuna casserole is a cinch to make, the ingredients are inexpensive and the finished product can be shared with new travel friends. You'll not only save money you'll be the star of the hostel.
11. Big splurge restaurants are part of the fun when you travel -- Eating out is enjoyable yet it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Simply trade your big splurge for a business man's lunch rather than a romantic dinner out. Guaranteed you'll be eating the same dishes at a much more affordable price. And, if you are solo you'll be a lot more comfortable.
12. Last minute specials at the market -- Most markets are closed one day of the week and the afternoon before that they put their produce and baked goods up for sale. For example Friday night and Saturday are the Sabbath in Israel. By 2:00 PM on Friday you can get great deals for your next picnic meal.
13. Need a fast, inexpensive meal? -- Don't eat at restaurants that post English menus. These are tourist spots with higher prices. Look for the small spots where the office workers congregate. You'll get hearty food at a lesser price.
14. Finally, don't forget about MacDonalds -- We suggest you stop there for an inexpensive cup of coffee. The brew isn't half bad and you get the added opportunity to use their bathrooms (save on tipping, too) and also to log on to their free WIFI. A great deal!
Print and carry this recipe in your wallet. You will thank us at the end of a long day of sightseeing.
The recipe serves four and can be prepared in 5 minutes. Cooking time is 30 minutes.


text:
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Ethan The Maker
Ethan has already begun to make big splashes in the maker community, and at 15 is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Here, he talks about why he won't be slowing down any time soon as a keen product creator, and how to ensure productivity that can take you to the top.
Noemi Stauffer
Appreciating your community can make you unstoppable, and stepping into the tech industry Noemi ensured that her growth came from immersing herself with other creators. Using business acumen, she shares how it's never too late to walk away from something that doesn't give you joy and turn it into something you love.
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Ryzal Yusoff
Looking for opportunities has always been a strong character trait in Ryzal, and even when rejection could have kicked him; he persevered ensuring that he his love for computing and programming came out on top. Moving halfway across the world to chase his dreams, he now continues to prove that by starting from scratch you can find success if you utilise the right resources and the right mind set for what you want to get out of your creator career.
Jess Wallace
Life can sometimes take you on an unexpected journey and as the creator of Coderstory; Jess is a living example of what can happen when life surprises you. As she begins a new chapter in her life with Coderstory she shares why she was ready to bring a platform to life that would educate others, whilst still learning and embracing a community that welcomed her with open eyes. Never one to sit still, she's ready to grow and expand, sharing her passion to bring change to the world one platform at a time.
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Jet Holt
Starting in his garden shed, Jet's imagination would take him from creating swords and crossbows and transform him into the programming traveller that he is today, out seeing the world and using his love for coding to share his travels with everyone. Embracing every opportunity to not just learn, but learn from his failures; Jet provides a thorough insight into what it means to be an enthusiastic coder in an ever changing community and how he intends to keep going no matter where in the world he is.
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Omar Rasool
Sometimes you can lose your passion, and when you take time away; breathing space can make your perspective change. For Omar, taking time to see the world re-lit the fire he needed to take back control of his love for technology and embrace his skills in accordance with his own rules. His outlook is refreshing as he looks to climb every steep hill and continue his development to become a maker continuously bringing a splash of colour to the world around him.
Arthur Ampofo Brunner
Arthur identifies a hard working ethic and a humble mind key to your success which has allowed for him to control the pace of his journey as a coder. With education at the forefront of his priorities he is keen to ensure that his work is completed at a speed that works best for him, as rushing through will only allow for mistakes in the future. With the finishing line of his degree in touching distance, he is ready to spread his wings and flourish as a creator knowing that there will always be opportunities for him to bring great new things to the coding community.
Becoming part of CoderStory was only the beginning for Ben as this particular swim was in uncharted waters. With an opportunity handed to him, his focus has been trying to ensure that everyone's stories are told in the best way possible and bringing content to readers that makes a difference. Just like the stories told before him, and those happening around him he is learning to appreciate what he can do, build his confidence up and become an integral part of the maker community by writing what he believes can make a difference in the future.
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Samuele Dassatti
At 19 years old, Samuele has already launched a product with Microsoft and is currently in the process of launching a new platform that will only cement further the hard work and determination of a young maker who doesn't see boundaries, only a future filled with bright challenges and the opportunity to make excellent products. From creation, to the build and what comes next he is all about pushing himself out of his comfort zone and encourages you to do the same if you want to take your creations as far as they can go.
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Daniel Vinnicombe
Daniel's ideas were built from a desire to learn on his own terms and as time has passed; he has seen what has worked and what hasn't for other platforms. As a maker who was never a fan of the noise that surrounds many applications he wanted to bring something to the community that took out the excess and focused on what they really need, and this is how Makepad was born. Now as he looks to the future, Makepad's light shines bright as he takes it to the next level, all the while ensuring that his knowledge is true to his passions and focus that he controls.
April Speight
Before cementing herself as an on-trend creator, April's journey as a programmer started in the fashion industry before she took her well designed heels and decided to put her stamp on the tech world. Using her 'Don't give up' attitude she has taken her love for programming and turned it into a career that continues to flourish now that she has found her forever home with Microsoft. With a colourful future ahead of her, she's a force to be reckoned with and the tech runway is the platform that she will continue to keep on giving to.
Shawn Wang
Persistence and utilising the public coding community have been detrimental in Shawn's journey. From one country to another, he has found his calling in a continuosly evolving industry and sees that by learning with your peers, the impossible can become the possible. If there are new toys out there, he's like a kid in a toy shop but utilises this to make him a better maker. Knowing when one thing doesn't work for you is key as like Shawn you can choose to go all in on your passions which will always make for a happier life and creative mindset.


text:
Rob Shults
Equity Portfolio Executive
Rob Shults is an Equity Portfolio Executive at C-III Capital Partners, leading the asset management team for the company's real estate Recovery Funds.
In this capacity, Mr. Shults is responsible for overall execution of operating strategies and positioning assets for optimal disposition.
Prior to joining C-III in 2019, Mr. Shults was a portfolio director for Equity Office Properties, a Blackstone portfolio company, where he was responsible for 13 million SF of premier office space in eight domestic markets. Before joining EOP, he headed the property management group for Cottonwood Partners, a private investment firm that acquired, developed and operated 6 million SF of institutional office space.
Between 1992 and 1998, Mr. Shults worked for Island Capital's predecessor company, Insignia Financial Group, where he was a leader among the core group who built Insignia's national asset management organization from the ground up. Insignia's asset management team assimilated portfolio acquisitions exceeding $6 billion, comprising over 1,100 properties nationwide.
Mr. Shults earned an M.S. in Land Development from Texas A&M University and a B.A. in Political Science from Truman State University.


We help provide standards solutions in diverse subject areas such as health and disability, environmental management, legal risk, information technology, sport and recreation, and fertility services. Use the list below to browse our local catalogue of over 3000 Complianceonline Standards, handbooks and other documents, as well as over 50000 documents from overseas Standards bodies. The catalogue is organised by ICS (International Classification for Standards) codes.


You have two options to learn Spanish in Tarifa: private tutors or an established language school. Private tutors are an excellent choice because they can organise classes with a flexible schedule. Considering every local is Spanish you will have to make sure to consider better and experienced teachers. They will have more streamlined course and experience to handle difficult questions. Private tutors give you an extra bit of advantage by allowing you to be more open to suggestions and complaints. Moreover, if you have a flexible schedule, private tutors can fit you into their daily schedule.
Spanish Tarifa is a well-known private Spanish learning centre. The Spanish Tarifa tutors are better than most of the other options for good reasons. The reason why tutor in Spanish Tarifa is often preferred is the passion, zeal and expertise of Spanish Language. Learning Spanish may sound easy, but the significance of it can only be understood when the classes begin.
You can get any tutor over the internet but how effective that will be? Well, learning Spanish is may not be as easy at seems. Moreover, without proper guidance, you cannot expect to learn much. Moreover, it cannot be learned just by any private teacher. One needs proper orientation, practice, and the required exposure to learning the language with greater efficiency. Tutor in Spanish Tarifa gives the same to the seeker and makes learning pretty easy.
The ability for an open environment learning has many benefits. Utilising casual conversations with learning elements stimulate your brain to learn better. It is not only about the teachers at Spanish Tarifa but the initiatives and the ambiance provided to learn the language that helps the students to excel and achieve more.
Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and the entire world is now keen on learning one of the most spoken and significant languages of the world. Spanish Tarifa is just helping people to learn the language in a better way. If you are passionate about learning Spanish for growth, excellence, and effectiveness, there is no better option that Spanish Tarifa.
When you are learning a language, you must understand it. The passion and enthusiasm to learn the language and culture are imperative. The Spanish Tarifa tutors encourage this attitude every day. They do not only teach you the language, they, in fact, but also help you to understand it from its roots. There are many methods of teaching and tutor in Spanish Tarifa follows the best one.
Science and Language cannot be understood unless you learn the roots and experiment as you go. With our tutors, you would regularly practice the language while you are learning. In a private group learning scenario, you can be more open to critiques than in a classroom or a group situation. This freedom to be yourself can benefit you in learning faster and more precisely.


Bobby Levinger, a finalist in the 2014 Bolz Young Artist Competition, is a Sr. at Central High School in La Crosse. He has been playing piano since second grade. In 2013, Bobby was a finalist in the Disklavier Round of the Minnesota International Piano Junior Competition and placed 2nd in both the La Crosse Rising Stars Concerto Competition and the Thursday Musical Young Artist Competition in St. Paul.


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Description: Description Field installation of fabricated IPA tower at sulfuric acid plant site.
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