The tenth-annual Late-Summer edition of the West Fine Art Show, offers a perfect weekend adventure. Hosted at Glass House Estate Winery in beautiful south Langley, the show will feature eighteen exceptional artists in a three-day exhibition. Langley Hospice Society and Glass House Estate Winery are hosting the West Fine Art Show which will once again present an exceptional group of artists. The result will be a destination art show, with free admission, that will welcome thousands of attendees throughout the weekend at the beautifully situated South Langley Glass House Estate Winery.


School meals are cooked on the premises by our school cook and her staff and they offer a range of choices. We ask for the full weekly amount of dinner money (currently £10.75) to be paid on a Monday, with any cheques payable to 'Hampshire County Council'.
Children may bring a packed lunch (no fizzy drinks or sweets please) in a container which is clearly marked with the child's name. Fresh fruit and vegetables are provided for infants as a mid morning snack. Juniors are asked to bring a healthy snack. Your child can choose between school dinners or packed lunch on a daily basis, they make the selection at the beginning of the day in their class as part of self registration.
All infant children are automatically entitled to a free school lunch. If you are receiving Income Support or Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance you may continue to be entitled to free school meals when your child reaches the juniors. Please ask at the school office – all enquiries are dealt with sympathetically and in confidence.
Please click here for the current school menu.


text:
Pope Takes Over Knights of Malta After Condom Dispute
Gabriel Bouys/ Pool Photo via AP, files
FILE - In this June 23, 2016 file photo, Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his meeting with Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Matthew Festing, left, at the Vatican. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Vatican said Pope Francis will name a pontifical delegate to run the embattled Knights of Malta, effectively taking over the sovereign lay Catholic order after its leader Festing resigned in a bitter dispute with the pontiff over condoms.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican said Wednesday, Jan. 25, it was taking over the embattled Knights of Malta lay Catholic order in an extraordinary display of papal power after the Knights' grand master publicly defied Pope Francis in a bitter dispute over condoms.
The move marks the intervention of one sovereign state — the Holy See — into the governance of another, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, an ancient aristocratic order that runs a vast charity operation around the globe.
The Vatican said Matthew Festing, 67, offered to resign as grand master Tuesday during an audience with the pope, and that Francis had accepted it on Wednesday.
The statement said the order's governance would shift temporarily to the order's No. 2 "pending the appointment of the papal delegate."
The naming of a delegate signals a Vatican takeover, harking back to the Vatican's previous takeovers of the Legion of Christ and Jesuit religious orders when they were undergoing periods of scandal or turmoil.
But those are religious orders that report directly to the Holy See. The Knights of Malta is a sovereign entity under international law, making the Vatican intervention all the more remarkable.
Festing had refused to cooperate with a papal commission investigating his ouster of the order's grand chancellor, Albrecht von Boeselager, over revelations that the Knights' charity branch had distributed condoms under his watch.
Festing had cited the Knights' status as a sovereign entity in refusing to cooperate with what he said was an act of internal governance. Many canon lawyers had backed him up, questioning the pope's right to intervene.
But Festing's defiance had been fraught from the start, given that he took a promise of obedience to the pope as a top-level knight, and regardless was the leader of a prominent Catholic order who was entering into a public fray with the leader of the Catholic Church.
The spat unfolded against the backdrop of Francis' increasing clashes with more conservative elements in the church, especially those for whom sexual ethics and doctrinal orthodoxy are paramount. The dispute had once again pit Francis against Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading conservative and Francis critic who also happens to be the pope's envoy to the order.
Burke had been by Festing's side on Dec. 6 when Festing first asked, then demanded Boeselager's resignation. Boeselager refused, but was ousted two days later under a disciplinary procedure he contends violated the order's own rules.
Boeselager had been the Knights' health minister when its charity branch Malteser International was found to have been involved in programs that distributed thousands of condoms to poor people in Myanmar.
Church teaching forbids artificial contraception. Boeselager has said he stopped the programs when he learned of them. The order's leadership has said the scandal was grave, that Boeselager had hidden the revelations of the programs, and called it "disgraceful" that he had refused an order to obey Festing and resign.
Boeselager has challenged his removal, appealing to the Knights' internal tribunal.
Many of the order's members had lamented how the confrontation with the Holy See had drawn unwanted negative attention to the order, which relies on donations to fund its charity works around the globe.
Francis appointed a commission to investigate after Boeselager said he had been told by Festing, in Burke's presence, that the Holy See wanted him to resign over the scandal. The Vatican secretary of state has said the pope wanted nothing of the sort and wanted the dispute to be resolved through dialogue.
Last week, the Holy See said it expected the order to cooperate with its probe, and in a sharply worded statement said it planned to take action to resolve the dispute.
The Order of Malta has many trappings of a sovereign state, issuing its own stamps, passports and license plates and holding diplomatic relations with 106 states, the Holy See included.
The Holy See, however, has a unique relationship with the order since it is a Catholic entity, and the pope appoints a cardinal to "promote the spiritual interests" of the order and its relationship with the Vatican. Francis appointed Burke to that position in 2014 after removing him as the Vatican's supreme court justice.
The knights trace their history to the 11th-century Crusades with the establishment of an infirmary in Jerusalem that cared for people of all faiths. It now counts 13,500 members and 100,000 staff and volunteers who provide health care in hospitals and clinics around the world.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The city of Houston is the 4th largest state in the U.S., population-wise. Houston the largest city in Texas, extending to Galveston Bay. The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (Houston CMSA) consists of eight counties: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller. Littleton Claims is proud to offer our independent claims adjustment services throughout Houston, including all 8 counties.
If you are in Houston and need experienced, independent claims adjusters, Littleton Claims is here to provide a network of dedicated professionals that will efficiently handle any insurance claim from start to finish. When working with Littleton, you will be dealing with just one point of contact that will handle all aspects of your claim, regardless of how simple or complicated the claim is. That person will answer the phone and reply to emails as well.
Littleton Claims is a well-respected, nationwide claims adjusting company that offers a convenient, one stop source for all of your adjustment and appraisal needs. Our industry leading independent claims adjusting expertise will give your organization peace of mind that your claim will be handled in a prompt and professional manner.
In the Houston metropolitan area, when you call Littleton Claims, you'll deal with a claims supervisor that knows every aspect of the claim. Our network of expert forensic engineers and experienced investigators that will handle your claim above your expectations. Our surveillance, adjusting, and appraisal teams bring many years of experience with them.
If you're in Houston and you need independent claims services, please contact Littleton Claims. Houston, home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world, is a great location for visitors and residents alike. We'll handle any and all aspects of your claim, regardless of whether it's a simple, quick one or a long-lasting, complex case. We have the right experience that you'll need. Providing companies in the Houston area with seamless and timely reporting on the claim, Littleton is your source for all of your insurance claim needs, from the start all the way to completion.


Yesterday was our Cabin Fever Event. We had 29 fabulous ladies and 3 demonstrators (myself, Peggy Murwin & Cyndi H.) attend this fabulous event! We stamped, had demonstrations, enjoyed prize patrol and lunch together! What a great way to spend a Saturday!
This card is the card I designed for the event. I referred to it as a "dude" card :) As I was playing with cards that featured ties for my son, this one came up. So much fun!
Tranquil Tide 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", score at 4 1/4"
Night of Navy 4" x 5 1/4"
Very Vanilla 3 7/8" x 5 1/8"
Give it away... to some awesome/classy guy!


text:
Home Research > Constituencies > 1558-1603 > Arundel
See Arundel in
7 Jan. 1559 SIR FRANCIS KNOLLYS
THOMAS HENEAGE
1562/3 SIR JOHN ST. LEGER
WILLIAM AUBREY
1571 THOMAS BROWNE
MICHAEL HENEAGE
20 Apr. 1572 THOMAS FANSHAWE I
RICHARD BROWNE I
1584 THOMAS FANSHAWE I 1
ROBERT BUXTON 2
1586 THOMAS FANSHAWE I
THOMAS PALMER II
30 Oct. 1588 (SIR) OWEN HOPTON
THOMAS FANSHAWE I
RICHARD BAKER
13 Oct. 1597 WILLIAM ESSEX
1601 THOMAS PALMER II
THOMAS BAKER
The borough of Arundel was controlled by the earls of Arundel. Its officers, including the mayor and coroner, were elected at an annual court leet. Election returns were made in the name of the mayor, burgesses and commonalty. At the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, elections were in the hands of Henry Fitz Alan, the 12th Earl of Arundel, who brought in two fellow-courtiers, Sir Francis Knollys and Thomas Heneage, in 1559; Michael Heneage, a brother of Thomas, in 1571; a civil lawyer, William Aubrey, recommended by the 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1563; and three relatives, Sir John St. Leger (1563), Thomas Browne (1571) and Richard Browne I (1572). Thomas Fanshawe I, who represented Arundel in five consecutive Parliaments, was remembrancer of the Exchequer, and as such would have had dealings with the earls of Arundel over their debts to the Crown.3
Fitz Alan was succeeded in 1580 by his grandson Philip Howard, whose nominee in 1584 was his servant Robert Buxton, formerly servant of the Duke of Norfolk. By 1586, the 13th Earl was in the Tower, so the borough returned a local man, Thomas Palmer II, who farmed the Earl's manors. In 1588 (Sir) Owen Hopton, lieutenant of the Tower and the Earl's gaoler, was returned. Next year the 13th Earl was attainted and patronage of the borough passed into the hands of Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst. Richard Baker (1593) was Sackville's nephew by marriage. Thomas Baker (1601) may have been Richard Baker's cousin and therefore also a Sackville nominee. William Essex (1597) was a servant of Sackville. James Smith's identity remains unknown as does his patron at Arundel. Thomas Palmer II (1601) doubtless owed his second return for Arundel to a combination of his own local influence and Buckhurst's approval.
1. Browne Willis.
2. Ibid.
3. Tierney, Arundel, 691-708; Lansd. 45, f. 84.


I am a quiet responsible person who loves animals. I travel a lot on business so don't have my own at the moment.
I have excellent reviews as an AirBnB guest as well as being an active member of Borrow My Doggy. In my photos you will see Gus and Buddha both of whom are Borrow My Doggy dogs.
As a person, I am quiet. I read a lot and work on my computer. I am in my 50s and self employed so quite flexible in terms of travel and time spent away - as long as there is wifi I can work anywhere. My hobbies include distance walking so if you have a big or energetic dog I am happy to walk as much and as far as the pooch likes.
I work in the Meetings and Events industry where we stay in hotels as part of work. I prefer house sitting when on holiday as it isn't a bus man's holiday.
I also love animals and spending time with cats and dogs is one of my great pleasures in life. Always happy for a furry cuddle.
I have stayed in numerous home swaps and am always rated as an excellent guest.
I have had cats for most of my life but also dog sit on a regular basis.
Rachelle was a first class sitter, both for my two cats and my home. She is totally reliable and organised. She clearly loves animals and I felt 100% confident that she would deal with any issues that might arise whilst I was away. I would recommend her services highly.
I've known Rachelle for almost 20 years, and over that time I've known her to be both a loving cat owner and dedicated cat and dog sitter. She loves pets, and if not for her busy travel schedule, she would have a house full of them! She is the best-traveled person I know (and my father was a pilot for 40+ years), and she is completely at ease wherever she goes. I would trust her in a heartbeat with my home and my pets. You won't find a more trustworthy, careful, or experienced pet caregiver and house-sitter anywhere.
I have known Rachelle for more than 30 year. She had one or more cats herself for most of her life. She has been taking care of our pregnant cat and her kittens last summer. I have also seen her getting along very well with small and big dogs. She is regularly dog sitting a Boxer/English Mastiff cross and a Beagle. She enjoys the company of animals and I am sure she will take good care of all types of animals. She is an active and well organised person and will for sure also take good care of any home. Rachelle loves to walk and if required will be most happy to take a dog on long walks.
I would trust my cat Selma with Rachelle without hesitation. Not long ago I was staying at her house while she was dog watching wonderful, large lump of pure love, Buddha. We went for walks together and spent time with him in the house, and we had great fun! It was easy to see that Buddha has a field day when he is with Rachelle. Rachelle is fun, generous and serious about commitments, and she doesn't do anything half-heartedly. She has a true heart for animals, and an understanding of communicating clearly and respectfully, so that the dog accepts her as a leader. She, and Buddha, opened my mind again to big dogs, and to the art and joy of dog minding!


text:
Home AG directs acting IGP to arrest and produce Pujith and Hemasiri
Failure to prevent or minimize Easter Sunday terror attacks
AG directs acting IGP to arrest and produce Pujith and Hemasiri
Lakmal Sooriyagoda
Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara
Attorney General Dappula de Livera PC has directed Acting IGP Chandana Wickremeratne to name IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando as suspects and arrest and produce them in court for their failure to prevent or minimize the Easter Sunday attacks.
Co-ordinating Officer to the Attorney General, State Counsel Ms. Nishara Jayaratne told the Daily News that the Attorney General had given these instructions to the Acting IGP through a letter dated June 27,2019.
'The Attorney General had directed the Acting IGP to initiate criminal investigations with regard to the major lapses attributed to two top officials for their failure to prevent or minimize the Easter Sunday attacks,' SC Jayaratne said. Meanwhile, the Attorney General yesterday requested the Acting IGP to show cause in writing explaining as to why he failed to comply with the Attorney General's directions to initiate legal action against IGP and former Defence Secretary.
In his directions, the Attorney General had requested the Acting IGP to take necessary legal action against two top officers in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code for acting which endangered the life or the personal safely of others. The Attorney General observed that the IGP and former Defence Secretary are alleged to have committed offences come under Section 296, 298, 327, 328, 329 and 410 of the Penal Code and thereby they can be arrested and produce before a Magistrate's court.
The Attorney General maintained that the the Easter Sunday terror attacks could be considered as grave crimes against humanity.
SC Jayaratne stated that the Attorney General has decided to issue these directions after taking into consideration the final report dated June 7, 2019 titled 'Special Board of Inquiry Appointed to Inquiry into the Series of Incidents Related to the Explosions that occurred at Several Places in the Island on April 21, 2019.
Based on the report issued by the Special Board of Inquiry, the Attorney General had earlier directed the Acting IGP to initiate criminal investigations against nine high ranking police officers. On April 25,Hemasiri Fernando resigned from the post of Defence Ministry Secretary over the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
President Maithripala Sirisena had requested the Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to submit their resignations.
However, IGP Pujith Jayasundara did not resign from his post. Later on, he was sent on Compulsory Leave over the investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks.
The President blamed them for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings despite receiving prior warnings of a possible attack.
Meanwhile, Pujith Jayasundara had filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an interim order suspending President's decision to send him on compulsory leave following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks.
On June 4, both former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara were appeared before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to probe the Easter Sunday attacks.
The Special three member Board appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks had submitted its final report to President Maithripala Sirisena on June 10.
This Board comprised Supreme Court Judge Vijith Malalgoda, former Inspector General of Police N. K. Ilangakoon and former Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne.


Situated near the airport, this hotel is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Richmond Night Market and 2.7 mi (4.3 km) from Richmond Centre Mall. Richmond Nature Park and Aberdeen Centre are also within 2 mi (3 km). Bridgeport Station is 28 minutes by foot.
Situated near the airport, this hotel is within 9 mi (15 km) of Central Park, Granville Island Public Market, and BC Place Stadium. Vancouver Art Gallery and Canada Place are also within 9 mi (15 km). Bridgeport Station is 17 minutes by foot and Aberdeen Station is 30 minutes.


text:
Jim McDonnell, P.E. - Engineering Instructor and School Mentor
"It takes five... Your first design is only about 50% viable, so it will take five iterations before you have a design that is over 90% viable."
Since 2010, Jim McDonnell has mentored middle and high school students in the use of project management and engineering principles to design and construction Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), underwater robots, in support of the Marine Advance Technology Education (MATE) programs. He has been instrumental in guiding several school ROV programs from start-up to self-sustainability. He is known for deconstructing complex engineering mechanisms and circuits into discrete systems that can be easily understood by students and teachers. Jim is a member of the MATE team developing ROV robotics curriculum and providing training to educators through the MATE Professional Development Institutes.
Jim has an extensive and impressive educational background including an Executive Masters of Business Administration from the University of San Francisco, a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Business Administration from the University of California Berkeley, and a Certificate in Purchasing from University of California at Berkeley. He is a certified ISO 9000 Auditor, a Certified System Professional, and a registered California Professional Engineer.
Jim enjoys scuba diving and is a PADI Master Diver, yoga, and distant running, having completed eight marathons and over 20 half marathons after turning 50. He is married and has two sons.


Shadow and Act has an exclusive clip from the upcoming film from Tyler Perry, Nobody's Fool.
The clip features an interaction between Frank (Omari Hardwick) and Danica (Tika Sumpter).
Here's the film's official description: Trying to get back on her feet, wild child Tanya (Tiffany Haddish) looks to her buttoned-up, by the book sister Danica (Sumpter) to help her get back on track. As these polar opposites collide — with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results — Tanya discovers that Danica's picture-perfect life — including her mysterious boyfriend — may not be what it seems.
Mehcad Brooks and Amber Riley also star.
The film is in theaters November 2.


Thousands of Pastors are now using Tithe and Offering Scriptures!
Pentecostal Tabernacle – CANADA – The Tithe and Offering Scriptures have been a helpful tool. I have used them in the past several weeks and our giving has dramatically turned around. God is using the scripture as I use it in preparing hearts to give each Sunday morning. I will be purchasing the second volume when it comes out.
Pastor – WI – I am using the scriptures every week and my giving has increased. We have not calculated the increase yet, but I will let you know. I will be interested in the second book when it is ready!
Bible Baptist Church – TX – We have used your book on Scripture offerings the last 2 Sundays. It makes taking up the offerings so much better. Before you felt like you were begging for money. This is great.
Assembly of God – LA – In an age of money manipulation from the pulpit, this book offers a sane, biblical approach to receiving tithes and offerings in the local church. I recommend this book to any pastor of any denomination.
Email – I talked with you last fall and ordered your scriptures on tithes and offerings. Our offerings have almost doubled in the months we have taught God's Word during our service. I just wanted to encourage you to keep up the good work!
Baptist – CA – The first Sunday I used a tithing Scripture our giving went up 40% and has been up 40% every since. That was 3 months ago.
United Methodist – I have been a pastor for 25 years and just found out about your tithing books. I pastor 4 (that's right) churches and I am using your first tithing book before taking the offering in each church. Thank you so much! What a blessing! It's not easy to find such scriptural material anymore. Praise God for your ministry!
CANADA – I just had to let you know how much I appreciate you and your tithe and offering books. Thank you so much for the time and effort you have put in to these great books so that thousands can be blessed by the truth of God's Word concerning finances. After seeing my copies of your books, my Pastor ordered a set for himself. Your web site is great and you are providing an invaluable service to Body of Christ.
Abundant Life Baptist Church ? NE – Just received my order (Tithes & Offerings – books 1 and 2) yesterday. Thanks for your prompt delivery and the books look great. What a blessing it will be to our church!
Email CT – Thank you for the quick response. Your company is the best.
Pastor -Thanks! Books are Great!
Lutheran – NC – On the first Sunday I read a Tithing Scripture in our church, a lady gave my Treasurer an envelop at the close of the service. The treasurer called me later that afternoon and said I should come to the church at once. I went to the church and the lady had written a letter and gave it with a check in her giving envelop. She said thank you for sharing the word on giving. She said she had been behind in her giving and wanted to honor God as the Scripture I had read said we should do. In the envelop there was a check for $10,000.00. Thank God for Tithe and Offering Scriptures!


text:
Q: Creating a database module in Perl I wanted to know if this is the correct way to create a database module, particularly the way the database handle is created and used:
use strict;
use warnings;
use DBI;

my $DB_NAME = 'dancerapp';
my $DB_USER = 'root';
my $DB_PASS = 'root';

sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    return {}, $class;
}

sub _connect { #use connect_cached() instead?
    my $dbh = DBI->connect($DSN, $DB_USER, $DB_PASS) or die $DBI::errstr;
    return $dbh;
}

sub getTickets {
    my $self = shift;
    my $ticket_holder = shift;
    my $dbh = $self->_connect;
    my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM table WHERE assigned_to=?");
    $sth->execute($ticket_holder);
    return $sth->fetchall_hashref;
}

1;

The main purpose of storing all my database queries in one module is to have a single place for them, I'm just concerned with having multiple connections/database handles flying around everywhere

A: In the Perl tradition, there are many ways to do this. But I would move as many one-off actions as possible into the constructor.
A couple of specific problems with your code

*

*You need a package (class) name for your module

*Your constructor needs to bless the hash reference, not just return it

*Your don't define $DSN

*Your getTickets method has no $dbh to use. The handle should be stored in the object when DBI->connect is called
Apart from that, I see no reason to have a separate connect method. That is something you can move into the constructor method
There is also no point in repeatedly calling prepare every time you want to perform a query.  Instead, cache the statement using ||= to save the processing time on queries used often.
Finally, it is best to pass the DB name, user and pass as parameters to new. That way you can use the same module for multiple databases without resorting to editing the module to change environments.
This is something like what I would write. Note that it's untested beyond ensuring that it will compile. After using it for a while you may find you want to move more information into the object - the DSN for instance - if only as an aid to debugging.
package MyDB;

use strict;
use warnings;

use DBI;

sub new {
    my $class = shift;

    my $self = {};
    @{$self}{qw/ db user pass /} = @_;

    my $dsn = "DBI:mysql:database=$self->{db}";
    $self->{dbh} = DBI->connect($dsn, @{$self}{qw/ user pass /}) or die $DBI::errstr;

    bless $self, $class;
}

sub get_tickets {
    my $self = shift;
    my ($ticket_holder) = @_;

    $self->{get_tickets} ||= $self->{dbh}->prepare('SELECT * FROM table WHERE assigned_to = ?');
    $self->{get_tickets}->execute($ticket_holder);

    $self->{get_tickets}->fetchall_hashref;
}

1;

A: There is no absolute "correct way" to create a database module. The way you went for it seems like a good starting point, especially if it works out for you in its current shape, however you will probably need a few iterations based on your own needs to refine the module and its features.
If I may offer some opinionated pointers:

*

*Having a reference module for handling your database connections is a great idea. Make it as easy to use "out-of-the-box" as possible if you need to get wide adoption. You wouldn't want an "XKCD: Standards" kind of situation to happen.

*Having all database queries in a single module also has some merits, however depending on how big your needs grow, you may soon end up with an unmaintainable multi-thousand lines monster. So ordering/classifying them in smaller submodules from the get go might save you from that pain.

*Pushing the previous comment further, if the queries are directly related to the behaviour of some objects of your system, consider using an ORM such as DBIx::Class instead.

*Separate the configuration (DSN, username, password) from the module. This is especially useful for not accidentally testing your bleeding-edge developments against a production instance.

*Use a set of dedicated, explicit parameters to pass in to DBI and the underlying driver (eg. AutoCommmit => 0), optionally allowing the user to override a few.

*If your DBMS supports transactions, ensure that your module lets no loose transaction behind by always committing or rolling them back. Alternatively, you could make the user responsible to explicitly use commit or rollback, and die() really hard if they don't. That will save you a lot of pain when a lot of other concurrent modules consume the database.

*connect_cache() has merits, but it could bring up its own set of concurrency problems.
Also, if your module is intended to be used in a web application, be aware that Apache::DBI might take liberties with the way you connect.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Æthelnoth or its variations Aethelnoth and Ethelnoth may refer to:

 Æthelnoth (bishop of London) (died between 816 and 824)
 Æthelnoth (archbishop of Canterbury) (died 1038), medieval prelate considered a saint

Old English given names
Masculine given names

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A surgery center in Oklahoma City that is dedicated to complete price transparency is apparently sparking a price war among some providers in the region, reported KFOR-TV.
The Surgery Center of Oklahoma began posting prices for about 100 procedures in 2009. The prices include all related services, such as anesthesiology.
"When we first started we thought we were about half the price of the hospitals," Steven Lantier, M.D., the Surgery Center's co-owner told KFOR. "Then we found out we're less than half price. Then we find out we're a sixth to an eighth of what their prices are."
According to KFOR, at least five other facilities in Oklahoma now post prices, although they all cater to specialty care, such as oncology or cardiac care and imaging. None of the state's acute care facilities post prices.
In an interview with FierceHealthFinance last year, G. Keith Smith, M.D., surgery center anesthesiologist and co-owner, said he intended to keep prices reasonable in order to encourage people to pay for them out of their own pockets. He also wanted to post prices to pressure competing hospitals to engage in more price transparency.
However, the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) does not believe price transparency will migrate to its membership in the near future. "Where we can reveal information that's meaningful to the patient, we very much support that; that's what hospitals need to do," OHA President Craig Jones told KOFR. "The difficulty when you compare hospitals with surgery centers is that surgery centers, most of the work they do are elective procedures, which are a bit more predictable."


text:
Q: Comparison to update table in PostgreSQL with psycopg2 doesn't work I want to update a table in PostgreSQL using Python's psycopg2. For every row, I want to compare if steine > 4 and if boden is equal to Ss, Su, Tt or Leer to exclude these from my following calculations by setting weienauschluss = True and thus the column weizen_ok to False.
However, only the comparison of steine is working, while the boden comparison doesn't. Is something wrong with the comparison? I tried setting it up in various ways, but none of them seem to work.
The data type of steine is integer and of boden is string.
Here is my code:
import psycopg2

conn = psycopg2.connect(*****)
cur = conn.cursor()

sql = "select min(id), max(id) from bsd_horizonte_test;"
cur.execute(sql)
gidsextent = cur.fetchall()
minimum = gidsextent[0][0]
maximum = gidsextent[0][1]

for gid in range(minimum,maximum+1):
    weizenausschluss = False
    sql = "select grobbod_k, boart from bsd_horizonte_test where id = " + str(gid) + ";"
    cur.execute(sql)
    data = cur.fetchall()
    if len(data) > 0:
        steine = data[0][0]
        boden = data[0][1]
        if steine > 4:
            weizenausschluss = True
        if boden == "Ss" or boden == "Su" or boden == "Tt" or boden == "Leer":
            weizenausschluss = True
        if weizenausschluss == False:
            sql = "update bsd_horizonte_test set weizen_ok = True where id = " + str(gid) + ";"
            cur.execute(sql)
            conn.commit()
        else:
            sql = "update bsd_horizonte_test set weizen_ok = False where id = " + str(gid) + ";"
            cur.execute(sql)
            conn.commit()
    print(gid)

#Close communication with the database
conn.commit()
cur.close()
conn.close()

Thanks!

A: Why not let Postgresql do the job in a single query? Just cur.execute this query and it will do it all.
update bsd_horizonte_test
set weizen_ok = not (steine > 4 or boden in ('Su', 'Tt', 'Leer'))
-- where id between (select min(id) from bsd_horizonte_test) and (select max(id) from bsd_horizonte_test)
;

And btw why loop all the values b/w min(id) and max(id)? These are ALL the possible values of id so you can safely comment the third query line. I have only written it in order to be literally equivalent to your logic.


The patented, molded-in WaveBrake® inhibits wave formation, which reduces splashing by 40%. Buckets stack, even with the wheels attached, for more efficient storage. Tested to exceed 50,000 cycles, the wringers are more than twice as durable. 30 degree handle bend is easier on the user's wrist and shoulder.
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Pizza Artista on Johnston Street in Lafayette just got a bit fancy as they've installed a self-serve beer and wine tap.
This new system called iPourIt allows guests the ability to pour their own drinks from the 24 tap kiosk with the simple swap of a wristband.
The wristband is linked to an open tab that allows guests to pour any amount of beer or wine up to a 32-ounce limit. After that limit has been reached, the guest can then request another round at the counter.
There are a total of 20 beers and 4 wines to choose from, with selections changing periodically.
And of course, we all know and love Pizza Artista for their great, fast-fired pizzas that you can custom craft yourself.
Pizza and beer, what a winning combination!


ASTURIAS GUITAR MANUFACTURING LTD. is a workshop of handcraft guitars with the highest reputation in quality of its products. The workshop is located in Kurume city of Kyushu island,and 15 highly skilled craftsman from all over the nation are building classical guitars,acoustic guitars, classical mandolins, and ukuleles. Production quantity has been limited in small numbers always since it started in 1962. Most of the instruments are sold through speciality stores with professional knowledge of stringed instruments.
More information available on the Asturias Guitar Company's web site.


Environmental scientist working on ecological economics and political ecology, professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His research forms part of the inter-disciplinary field of environmental studies. His current research is motivated by the double global economic and ecological crisis. He explores the hypothesis of sustainable degrowth.
Umweltwissenschaftler; arbeitet zu Ökologischer Ökonomik und Politischer Ökologie. Professor an der Autonomen Universität Barcelona. Seine derzeitige Forschung ist angeregt durch die zweifache, globale ökologische und Wirtschaftskrise. Er geht der These vom nachhaltigen Degrowth nach.
This paper is co-authored by Dr. Hug March.
Abstract: This paper analyzes Degrowth, a political project of radical socio-ecological transformation calling for decolonizing the social imaginary from capitalism Ìチs pursuit of endless growth. Benefiting from degrowth theory, Ursula Le Guin Ìチs science fiction and the nowtopias of Catalan anarcho-cooperativists, we argue that Degrowth signifies a "dialectical utopia". First, it imagines a future of process and conflict, not a blissful end-state. Second, it challenges established assumptions of the good life, a subversive utopia that questions collective desires. Third, it brings the past into the future and in the production of the present. A central signification of degrowth, we find, is self-limitation as liberation from scarcity. This is part and parcel of sharing the commons. We discuss the emerging networked and scalar politics of the movement which we find wanting.


At least 12 people are injured after a possible gas explosion caused a massive fire that raged in the 100 block of 2nd Ave near 7th St in the East Village Thursday afternoon, according to multiple reports.
At a press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio said three of the 12 injured suffer life-threatening injuries.
Fire officials said approximately 250 emergency personnel were dispatched to the 7-alarm fire at 121 2nd Ave, a mixed occupancy building, which includes apartments and retail or restaurant spaces. The New York Daily News reported that officials believe the fire was caused by a gas explosion at a restaurant in the building, Sushi Park. And as Eater reported, two restaurants -- Sushi Park and Pommes Frites -- appeared to have been destroyed in the blaze and building collapse. Phone calls made to both Sushi Park and Pommes Frites did not go through.
De Blasio said four buildings were involved in the explosion and affected by the fire, and that preliminary evidence suggests the explosion was "gas-related." At least one of the buildings has collapsed. Officials at the press conference said there are no signs of fatalities and that firefighters made extremely dangerous searches of the building prior to its collapse. As of 5:45pm, there were no reports of anyone missing in the buildings.
This photo by the Daily News appears to show the Sushi Park storefront blown out and fire raging in both the building above and the building next door that houses Pommes Frites.
Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist. Send news tips to him at tony@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.


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Topic: Best Anime Ever Watched?
Re: Best Anime Ever Watched?
Anyone looking forward to seeing it? It seems like it's going to be coming to the US in Feb.
I'm still really new at Ren'py, just trying it out now in creating my own visual novels.


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Is it Eu based or Us ?
The announcement of 5.3, nearly 3 months ago, and what was going to be included in it has really demoralized the community. I've never seen it so small, and inactive. It has been hard getting exciting about 5.2x maintenance patches, so 5.3 simply can't come soon enough.
The delays in this, however, really make me question the game coming out this year for a soft launch. I hope we can expect an update, to honor the concept of transparent development you originally pledged to give us, as to how far back this pushes the soft-launch of Crowfall. I know you never want to give exact dates, but acknowledging that Crowfall is now coming out in 2018 and NOT 2017 is a courtesy owed to all.
Trust me, you aren't tricking anyone by simply saying nothing. We know. Own it.
Video from yesterday's "Bloothbath" map run.
Druid support, mainly duo rampage footage with @Yumx's champion and some duo's with @Soulreaver ranger and a couple of trios with @DravoiX templar near the end.
The current build is a steaming hot mess, disciplines are coming up, the assassin is near, and the Tuesday news post is... fluff. Not even a new mob, just a tiny lore snippet on an existing one. No model for the Spring / Summer version of the hellcat, even.
With translucent stealth ... the night time is the right time.
Up until the soft launch, we'll be bringing on guests to discuss all manner of Crowfall related topics. The primary goal is to be informative to a non-backer prospective-Crowfall player and help educate them on what makes Crowfall awesome ... and more importantly... why they should buy it! We are going to tie it to all manner of games that are popular out there, reaching out to everyone who loves this game and is passionate about it to be on the show.
You'll find this season more like a family friendly PBS marathon of all things Crowfall.
This is going to be wildly different in tone and scope. Season Two will be the resumption of what this podcast was originally intended for; politics. We know the Crowfall universe is going to be highly contentious and we plan on bringing on guild leaders or diplomats and talking about what is going on inside YOUR campaign. Who are the players, the guilds, the power brokers and the trolls. We want to know it all, and we want others to know all about it. History can be made and winners crowned in Crowfall and we aim to be a historical snapshot of those events and moments in time.
I've likened this second season to the Sunday political talk shows like Face the Nation. Should be _very_ entertaining.
is is pvp based project? we can't (and won't) test pvp coz 11 ppl online whole EU prime time. this is our time waste.
decrease servers amount for now and cut out 5+ rank nodes and mobs from PVE servers so ppl can get motivation to get in PVP zone.
Since there was only one mino from -W- (me) I shall take this as a great compliment.
Over the weekend, a lot of us (on both sides of the ball) finally saw some of the potential in Crowfall. We had multiple extended engagements with various groups of people that were nail-biting all the way through.
During one of these key engagements, we ran across Sugoi as they were in the middle of a 5v5 scrimmage catching them unawares. After the initial hit, Sugoi was able to form up and push us as we worked our way farther and farther from the respawning graveyard. After reviewing the footage, our 7 players went up against at least 12 uniquely named characters through the almost 15 minute engagement. This fight proved to us that in Crowfall, a smaller force can take on a larger force given key battlefield advantages and coordination.
The following is a lightly edited version of the events so that you can listen to our TS audio and the key calls made during the engagement.
Commitment: This game has my full attention atthe moment.
If there's anything else you'd like to ask me before recruiting, just send me a PM and I'll answer.
Played most of all the mmo's who came out after wow + 10 years of wow with ups and downs.
And when we do video-only updates some people want the write-up only! It's a good suggestion, as people often absorb information better from one medium over another. I don't know that we have the bandwidth to always do this but we are aware of the issue.
This was reported early on which is why we were limiting thing. The ways to do it were blocked. The people that took advantage of it did lose any ill-gotten gains (still a few in progress).
If they allow these dupers to keep their upgraded packages then they need to allow everyone else the same chance to gain the advantage. If they don't allow others to exploit in the same manner then ACE needs to reroll the packages of these exploiters back. Pretty easy to see who some of them were.
Think i would rather b a stalker then a ranger. More melee combat thats the way i like it and really hope there's a stealth option in anyway.
This is Larissa (can't log into my "official" account so this will have to do) I feel incredibly grateful for all the support and love that this community has given us. Thank you so much for caring about the individuals who've made Crowfall apart of their lives. I've been on the project for two years and, though there were times that it still felt like a job, there's really no experience like working on badass stuff and shooting the ---- with amazing coworkers.
What's so great about the game industry is that we're all family here. It's such a small world. You'll hear from us again in some project or another.
I have faith that Crowfall will be an incredible game. Please continue to support the people who are still there; they deserve a lot of appreciation for all the effort they've put into making this an enjoyable game. They really DO care. They are passionate and wonderful, and I really will miss them a ton.
If ACE allows me, I'll probably still stalk the forums too.
Anyway, super mushy stuff aside, thanks again! It means a lot to us!


Learn more about Hagerstown Regional Airport by choosing a menu item on the left.
Hagerstown Regional Airport(HGR) is proud of having had the opportunity of playing a role in aviation history as well as providing both public and private aviation services to the community. HGR hosts many businesses and services and continues to play an important role in the community.
Also available is information on Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting [A.R.F.F.], Airport Development Inquiries, the Airport's Primary Guiding Documents, and more.


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Category: Naturally Ottawa
Planning the Manotick Drumlin Forest
What makes a large urban forest special, and to whom? How do you plan it? How do you manage it?
Maple Trees, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Not planning and managing it won't do. "Just leave it alone," the City often hears. That might work in the Marlborough Forest, or the Carp Hills. In an urban forest, though, we don't have that choice. Whether the City plans it or not, people will use and change the forest. People will walk their dogs. Kids will ride their bikes, build forts, and climb trees. Homeowners will dump yard waste along the edges. Over time, a network of shortcuts and dusty, packed paths will develop. Soon the blanket of wildflowers will thin and fray into a scattered patchwork, while invasive periwinkle and buckthorn creep inward from the edges. Where massive maples and pines once aged and rotted, providing homes for woodpeckers and other wildlife, Forestry Services will remove any tree that could be a hazard to public safety. Skunks and raccoons, enjoying the bounty of adjacent yards and gardens, will proliferate. Where shaded forest pools once vibrated with the chorus of spring peepers and tree frogs, a silence will fall.
Swamp, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Tree Fort, Manotick Drumlin Forest
We would like to avoid that fate for the Manotick Drumlin Forest. Acquired by the City from Minto over the winter, the Manotick Drumlin Forest (also known as the Mahogany Forest) comes as close to an old-growth, northern hardwood forest as one can find in Ottawa. In his original evaluation of the forest, the renowned biologist, Dan Brunton, commented on its outstanding beauty, especially the proliferation of wildflowers. In a more recent evaluation, the biologists of Kilgour and Associates noted the remarkable diversity of the woodland. Within its relatively small area, the forest includes not only a mature stand of sugar maple, but also a healthy hemock grove, a red maple swamp, and large specimens of every other tree species commonly found in northern hardwood forests: white pine, beech, yellow birch, basswood, white ash (albeit infected with EAB), black cherry, red oak. Not surprisingly, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has long identified the forest as a candidate Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI). Together, the City of Ottawa and Minto have begun planning the preservation of these qualities, while enhancing the value of the woodlot to the surrounding community and the City as a whole.
Manotick Drumlin Forest Looking North (excludes the woodland on the right)
Over the next ten years, a new subdivision will grow up on the east side of the forest, with thousands of new homes and residents. The City has a rare opportunity to work now with the land developer to decide how the forest and the new community will fit together. Where will trails go, and how will they look? How can we bring children into the forest and make it safe for them? Where can we allow dogs, and can they be off-leash? Can we turn the forest into a living classroom, and if so, how do we bring students to it? Where will people find quiet, cool shade for contemplation? And, most important, can we accomodate all of these uses while still protecting the trees, wildflowers, wetlands, and wildlife that make the forest unique?
Hemlock Grove, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Some answers already seem apparent. If we don't plan and create trails, then future residents will create their own. By planning trails now, we can direct traffic away from the most sensitive places and leave space for natural forest processes to continue. By considering the viewscapes along streets and across open spaces, we can highlight the natural beauty of the forest as a centrepiece of the community. By working with the shape of the forest, we can create smaller, more intimate scenes for retreat and gentle appreciation. Most important, in my mind, we must also plan for kids, for the creation of spaces and zones along and within the boundary of the forest, where free play can occur. In doing so, however, we must consider the risk posed by Ottawa's new status as a Lyme disease area. This emerging issue emphasizes the need for particular attention to "edge management" in the transition zone between the forest and adjacent landscaped areas, both for protection of residents from natural hazards, and for protection of the forest from residents.
Old "Field" Maple in Younger Second Growth Trees, Manotick Drumlin Forest, North Section
Sunlit Canopy, Manotick Drumlin Forest
We know that no matter how carefully we plan, we cannot protect the woodlot from all impacts — whether intentional or incidental. Very sadly, unauthorized tree cutting and harvesting of wild plants has already caused substantial damage to the most sensitive portion of the forest. In the end, the fate of the forest will lie in the hands of the community. It will reflect the love and care that the community residents provide. If they value and respect the beauty and wonder of the woodlot, then they will preserve it. If not, then no amount of planning and City management will compensate. As the City and Minto move ahead with planning, we will seek community partners in stewardship and conservation.
Unauthorized Tree Cutting, Mature Black Cherry, Manotick Drumlin Forest
The Manotick Drumlin Forest preserves a glimpse into the forests of the past. Not a pristine glimpse — sadly the chestnuts, elms, and now white ash of old have fallen victim to imported pests and diseases — but one that conveys a strong sense of how the forest must have appeared to the Algonquins. Majestic in scale; intimate in sense; timeless in experience.
Nurse Log and Fern, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Mature Maple, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Beech Tree, Manotick Drumlin Forest
Author nicholasstowPosted on May 24, 2017 Categories Naturally Ottawa, Personally OttawaTags conservation, development, environmental management, environmental planning, Mahogany Woodlot, Manotick, Manotick Drumlin Forest, nature photographyLeave a comment on Planning the Manotick Drumlin Forest
Mer Bleue
South of the Canadian Shield, Ontario has very few true bogs. The two largest occur in Eastern Ontario, anchoring both ends of a 60 km long, regionally-significant, natural landscape corridor known as the Bog-to-Bog Link. At the east end of this link lies the Alfred Bog — Southern Ontario's largest. At the west end of the link lies Mer Bleue — Southern Ontario's second largest and, arguably, most accessible and famous.
Mer Bleue Beaverpond
Mer Bleue occupies an old, post-glacial flow channel of the Ottawa River. Two forested ridges — immense, old river sandbars — thrust into the heart of the flat, peaty wetland. Cold, nutrient-poor groundwater seeping through the sandy ridges, along with the poor drainage of the old clay channel, creates the perfect conditions for the formation of peat, which lies almost 10 metres deep in places. Toward the centre of the wetland, the peat has built up into an almost imperceptible, low dome. Out of contact with the underlying water, most of few, hardy plant species growing in the centre of the raised peat must survive entirely on trace nutrients deposited by rain, snow and dust. One or two carnivorous species, like the pitcher plant, supplement that diet with captured insects. This reliance on aerial deposition of nutrients is what makes Mer Bleue a true bog.
Mer Bleue Bog
Mer Bleue welcomes visitors in any season. In the spring, the ridges attract migrating songbirds, while the watery moat along the edge of the peat mat (technically known as a "lagg") attracts migrating waterfowl. Hawks hunt high over the ridges or low over the wetland. A dozen or so sandhill cranes stop in the area annually on their way north, with a few perhaps nesting somewhere deep within the bog. Beavers and muskrats ply the waters in the morning and evening to a chorus of frogs.
Through the summer, the shady, ridge trails provide a cool, relaxing hike. Vireos and pewees sing overhead. Ferns push up through the underbrush. Where a trail skirts the edge of a field, grey catbirds mew in a hedgerow, while a brown thrasher scolds from the treetops. Along the boardwalk, the heat of afternoon fills the air with the perfume of Labrador tea, bog rosemary, bog laurel, and leatherleaf. The scent of a few tamarack needles rubbed between the palms calls forth old memories.
Walking Trail, Mer Bleue
Mature Forest, Mer Bleue
Start of the Mer Bleue Boardwalk
Tamarack Needles – Autumn
In autumn, the contrast of vegetation communities makes Mer Bleue one of the best places at which to enjoy the fall colours. The bog turns a deep red, accented by the paling tamarack. Red and gold maples line the edge of the ridges, brilliant against backgrounds of pine and spruce. Variegated thickets of young birch stems support an awning of yellow leaves. The forest floor rustles with life, as squirrels, thrushes, sparrows and other creatures prepare for the long winter. Flocks of blackbirds and starlings pass noisily overhead, while strings of geese call plaintively in the distance.
Afternoon Light on Maples
In winter, well-stocked bird feeders guarantee that the bright chatter of chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches will greet visitors at every trailhead. Animal tracks criss-cross the trails: squirrels, snowshoe hares, mice and voles, coyotes, weasels, deer, and even moose. Those hoping to lay down their own tracks in fresh snow will need to rise early. Later in the day, when the parking lots begin to fill with visitors, the compacted trails provide an easy walk in the woods or out onto the boardwalk.
The NCC does not provide heated shelters or warm-up huts at Mer Bleue, so winter visitors should dress appropriately. The boardwalk, in particular, lies exposed to the wind, which blows unhindered across the bog. At those times, frostbite becomes a real risk. On calm days, however, particularly those brilliant blue days of January and February, when a frigid Arctic high sits over the City and the snow squeaks underfoot, the moisture rising from the peat will sometimes crystallize in a delicate, morning hoarfrost on the bog, sparkling in the sunlight. On those mornings, one hardly feels the cold.
Winter Forest Panorama
NCC Trail 53 A, Mer Bleue
Mer Bleue lies only fifteen minutes from Parliament Hill and just five minutes off Highway 417 — the Trans-Canada Highway (http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/greenbelt/mer-bleue). Every trailhead has a small parking area, where visitors will find basic outhouses. There is no charge for parking or use of the area.
Visitors should remember that the international community has recognized Mer Bleue as a globally significant wetland under the Ramsar Convention (www.ramsar.org). Please stay on the trails and the boardwalk. The bog may look inviting, but it is both delicate and hazardous. A stray footstep can destroy decades of painstakingly slow plant growth or lead to a fatal plunge through the mat into the tannic waters below. Such a plunge would lead to an immortality of sorts, as the tannins of the bog preserved and slowly transformed the unwary soul into a leathery mummy. However, such immortality would be unappreciated both by the victim, the victim's family, and posterity. Take a photograph instead.
Admiring the Wetland
Author nicholasstowPosted on January 8, 2017 Categories Naturally OttawaTags bog, forest, hiking, Mer Bleue, nature photography, skiing, snowshoeing, wetlandLeave a comment on Mer Bleue
Hiking the Crazy Horse Trail
With a clear, blue sky, the autumn foliage at its peak, and rain forecast for the next few days, I decided to check out the work of the Friends of the Carp Hills on the Crazy Horse Trail. Parking my car at the trailhead on March Road, where it intersects Huntmar Drive, I tucked my pants into my socks (tick prevention) and strolled into the forest. The trees closed around me, and the sounds of traffic gradually faded.
The Precambrian bedrock of the Carp Hills rises from the clay-covered limestone of Ottawa's west end. Historically, the thin soils and rock barrens resisted settlement, leaving the hills as one of Ottawa's most beautiful natural areas. The City of Ottawa already owns and protects large portions of the Hills. Other landowners have protected additional areas through voluntary conservation easements. At the heart of these efforts, the Friends of the Carp Hills have committed themselves to seeing the area preserved for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Crazy Horse Trail Boardwalk
Under the guidance of their Trail Foreman, Bernard, the Friends of the Carp Hills have created an 8 km long hiking trail on City-owned property. Much of the trail follows an informal network of cross-country ski trails. With the help of City staff from the Parks and Natural Systems branches, the Friends have blazed a route that visits shady forests, sunny glades, and luscious wetlands. While avoiding the most delicate and sensitive features, the trail winds past maples and pines, crosses beaver dams, and curls around boulders. Short spur trails lead to lookouts over wetlands and lichen-encrusted rock barrens. Where a short bridge spans a narrow watercourse, a rich fen lies to one side, gorgeously clad with sedges and other wetland plants. Markers guide hikers along the way, and the Friends provide a map on their website.
Crazy Horse Trail
The Big Pond, Crazy Horse Trail
Rock Barren, Crazy Horse Trail
Bridge, Crazy Horse Trail
Rich Fen, Crazy Horse Trail
On this day, the woods seem quiet. Here and there a downy woodpecker taps on a tree, a blue jay rustles in the underbrush, and small, foraging flocks of chickadees and tardy kinglets pass through the forest. A few scarlet, autumn meadowhawks dart here and there over the barrens. A red squirrel scurries across the trail, carrying a mushroom almost as large as itself. A garter snake curls up in mock aggression as I pass. A small flock of geese honk on the Big Pond. Mostly, though, I wander alone along the trail, simply enjoying the beauty of the day.
Garter Snake, Crazy Horse Trail
Grayling, Crazy Horse Trail
Autumn Colours, Big Pond, Crazy Horse Trail
Reflections, Crazy Horse Trail
Author nicholasstowPosted on October 15, 2016 March 19, 2017 Categories Active Ottawa, Naturally OttawaTags Carp Hills, hiking, landscapes, nature photography, Ottawa, wildlife8 Comments on Hiking the Crazy Horse Trail
Constance Creek
We glide on dirty, brown water under a green, sunlit canopy of silver maple trees. Spring run-off on the Ottawa River has pushed nutrient-rich floodwaters back into the forests along lower Constance Creek. Warblers sing brightly in the tree-tops and multi-hued wood ducks peek shyly from the shady depths of the swamp. The nighttime chorus of spring peepers and tree frogs has dwindled in the warming day to a few desultory chirps and clucks. We pass between the spreading, fluted tree trunks in quiet awe, like visitors to some southern, bald cypress bayou. But instead of alligators basking along the channel, map turtles and painted turtles crawl on to logs to sun themselves, while pike and gar lie up in the shallow reed beds.
When biologists speak of the diversity and productivity of wetlands, they have places like Constance Creek in mind, where life overspills its banks. Scoop the creek water into your cupped hands, and you hold a galaxy of microscopic, living things. Look up to the trees to see life thrust by the laws of thermodynamics toward its origin in the dust and energy of stars. Energy flows through a tangled web of matter, seeking stability, building in complexity, expressed in a fractal lattice in which dragonflies hang like jewels. A wetland brings together the elements of life like no other place. Perhaps in no other place does a biologist feel more like a priest.
Turtle Basking on Constance Creek
A confluence of fortuitous circumstances has preserved Constance Creek as a uniquely healthy riverine wetland. About 10,000 years ago, when meltwaters of the retreating glaciers swelled the Ottawa River, part of it flowed along a side channel from Constance Bay in the north to Shirley's Bay in the south. Along the banks of this channel, it deposited large sandbars over the flat clays left by the retreating Champlain Sea. Over time, as the Ottawa River shrank to its current size, flows along the channel reversed direction, draining the adjacent Carp Ridge and Dunrobin Ridge north through a meadering stream and wide, swampy floodplain. Annual flooding limited farming and permanent settlement along the creek, while the deep, sandy soils supported the growth of a rich riparian forest to further screen and protect the creek. Some unauthorized filling of the Constance Creek wetland occurred in 1989 with the construction of the Eagle Creek Golf Club. Sand pits have also opened at places along the creek, although they remain hidden from the main channel. For the most part, though, the creek remains well buffered from surrounding land uses.
Several locations give access to the creek, but thick cattails often limit paddling. At the upper end, an alm0st impenetrable marsh blocks access from Constance Lake. The reach downstream of the bridge at Thomas Dolan Parkway provides a short, easy paddle through a lovely riverine marsh. Painted turtles, snapping turtles and Blanding's turtles bask along the channel in the midday sun, and a colony of black-crowned night herons hides back in the reeds. Damselflies and dragonflies hunt over the water. The bridge at Vance's Side Road provides a pretty view over marsh and swamp, but the channel quickly chokes off both upstream and downstream. In contrast, the mouth of the creek on Constance Bay offers one of the most beautiful, flat water paddles in Ottawa.
Yellow Pond Lilies
I like to start my trips up Constance Creek at the far, north end of Greenland Road, where the City-owned road allowance runs up to the water at tiny Horseshoe Bay. I paddle through the sandy shallows, tracked by freshwater clams and mussels, into the wider expanse of Constance Bay. I don't recommend it for breezy days, when the wind driving across the wide river can raise substantial waves. But on calm days, the glassy water parts smoothy to either side of the bow, as I round the point to the west. Sometimes I paddle straight across Constance Bay to the mouth of the creek. More often, though, I skirt the shoreline, looking for turtles and scanning the flats for longnose gar finning in the shallow water.
Constance Bay provides some of the best fishing along the Ottawa River shoreline. The clean, Ottawa River, the shallow reed and weed beds, and the steady influx of nutrients from Constance Creek create a perfect mix of spawning, nursery and adult habitats. Although I haven't yet tried flyfishing for longnose gar, I've heard that they rival bonefish for fun. The technique seems roughly the same, and one can find lots of instruction online. Usually, however, I troll a streamer fly or a spinnerbait behind the canoe and pick up some of the pike for which Constance Bay is famous. Musky also lurk in the weeds, although for the sake of my light tackle (and their health), I don't try for them. Closer to the mouth of the creek, though, I've caught catfish and bass. Walleye forage in deeper water, along the outer edge of the bay. At times, in fact, fish have struck so frequently as I've paddled across the bay, that I've had to bring in my line to make any real progress toward the creek.
Small Pike on a Spinnerbait
Constance Creek flows through a stunning swamp forest into Constance Bay. Large, mature silver maples line the banks along the channel, while swamp bur oaks sit further back on slightly higher ground. During the spring flood, one can sometimes paddle into the swamp itself, threading between standing and fallen trees. Great blue herons stalk along the boundary of swamp and stream, while pileated woodpeckers cackle and hammer deeper in the recesses of the forest. In the autumn, ducks and geese descend like leaves into the marshes around the creek mouth, and the sounds of shotguns echo distantly from further up the creek, where several duck clubs operate hunting blinds.
Silver Maple Swamp, Constance Creek
Swamp Bur Oak, Constance Creek
Great Blue Heron, Constance Creek.
Not surprisingly, many of Ottawa's most interesting animals and species at risk find a home along Constance Creek. Five of Ottawa's six at-risk turtle species have been recorded along the creek and at its mouth, including the extremely elusive (and possibly extirpated locally) spiny soft-shelled turtle. Red-headed woodpeckers still nest locally. Terns no longer nest in the area, but pass through during migration. Ospreys can often be found hunting along the creek. Bald eagles migrate along the creek and the Ottawa River shoreline, as do many other raptors, including peregrine falcons. Lake sturgeons and American eels still inhabit the waters.
This richness of life is no doubt what attracted aboriginal peoples to the creek. Archaeologists have documented at least one 2500 year-old camp and burial site at the mouth of Constance Creek, on its west shore (https://ottawarewind.com/2014/02/24/ancient-ottawa-lost-relics-from-500bc-found-at-constance-bay/). More undocumented sites seem likely, perhaps in the large woodland on the east side of the creek mouth. Unfortunately, that woodland remains at risk of future aggregate extraction. Lying atop one of the largest, untouched sand and gravel deposits in the north end of the City, it currently enjoys protection by Provincial wetland policies and an unopened City road allowance. These prevent the legal access required for an aggregate license. Nonetheless, so long as the property remains privately-owned, the threat exists.
In the meantime, one can travel back 2500 years with just a canoe trip up the creek. The present swirls behind from the blade of your paddle. Lying quietly up in the swamp, daydreaming and staring serenely up at the translucent leaves, one can easily imagine that it has always appeared this way. With a whisper of wings and ragged croak, Raven passes over the canopy. Floating there, you surrender to thought and memory.
Great Blue Heron, Constance Creek
Swamp Panorama, Constance Creek
Author nicholasstowPosted on September 13, 2016 Categories Naturally OttawaTags Aboriginal history, archaeology, canoeing, fishing, nature photography, Ottawa, Paddling, wildlifeLeave a comment on Constance Creek


text:
Księga ziemiańska – spis uprawnionych do głosowania na sejmikach ziemskich po reformie przeprowadzonej przez Sejm Czteroletni.

Na sejmikach zapewniono głos szlachcie-dziedzicom wraz z synami i braćmi niedzielnymi, zastawnikom oraz posesorom dożywotnim, pod warunkiem opłacenia podatków. Od zastawników i posesorów dożywotnich wymagano cenzusu opłaty rocznej 100 złotych polskich ofiary dziesiątego grosza. Nieposesjonaci zostali z sejmików usunięci.

Obowiązek zestawienia liczby osób uprawnionych do udziału w sejmikach, osobno dla każdego powiatu i ziemi należał do komisji porządkowych cywilno-wojskowych.

Bibliografia

 Juliusz Bardach Bogusław Leśnodorski Zdzisław Kaczmarczyk, Historia państwa i prawa Polski Tom II od połowy XV wieku do r. 1795, Warszawa 1968, s. 535.
 Jacek Sobczak, Sejmiki województwa podlaskiego po reformie w r. 1791, w: Studia Historyczne, r. XXIX, 1986, z. 4 (115), s. 518-519.
 Volumina Legum, t. IX, Kraków 1889, s. 240-241.

Historia szlachty w I Rzeczypospolitej
Sejm Czteroletni
Sejmiki I Rzeczypospolitej


text:
Wabash Valley College Athletics
THE OFFICAL SITE OFWABASH VALLEY COLLEGE ATHLETICS
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Warriors catch fire in second half to rout Lakers
Lake Land College 35 44 79
Wabash Valley College 42 53 95
Pts: Clint Weber - 23
Reb: Clint Weber - 11
Ast: 2 Players (#3, #13) - 4
Pts: Marcus Garrett - 23
Reb: Jejuan Weatherspoon - 12
Ast: 3 Players (#1, #2, #15) - 4
By Evan Merrill Sports Editor
Mt. Carmel Register
MOUNT CARMEL -- One thing's for sure, Wabash Valley College Men's Basketball Coach Mike Carpenter prefers not to have his team play games during finals week.
"I'd like to petition the NJCAA not to play during finals week in the future," Carpenter joked. "We've had final exams this week, we wrapped them up today, we haven't done a whole lot in practice because of that."
Carpenter went on to note that he typically won't schedule his team games this week, but they instead had one due to how the conference schedule fell this year.
Fortunately they finished all of their finals on Wednesday, so they won't have any mental strain from cramming for finals week for quite some time, but the Warriors endured a sluggish start likely as a side effect.
Lake Land stuck with the Wabash Valley for much of the first half until the Warriors came alive in the second half, scoring a 95-79 victory over their conference foe on Wednesday night at Wabash Valley College's Spencer Sports Center.
Their understandably slow start allowed the Lakers to build a 13-7 lead just five minutes into the game. Defensively the Warriors (5-5) were surrendering too many easy drives in their man-to-man defense, and offensively they struggled to convert some easy looks around the basket.
They'd start to turn that around, largely thanks to sophomore guard Marcus Garrett.
Garrett became instant offense for the Warriors and was shooting extremely efficient. He scored six straight to tie the game back up at 13-13, just six points in what would be a monstrous first half for Garrett.
Lake Land would take a 30-27 lead before the Warriors started to really piece it together collectively. Freshman forward Darius Osborne tied the game at 30-30 with a 3-pointer, followed by a pair of free throws by sophomore Bobby Harvey to put the Warriors ahead 32-30.
Garrett would close the half for the Warriors by scoring eight of the final 10 points. They'd close on a 15-5 run in the final three minutes to seize a 42-35 halftime lead.
"Coach Isaac [Wodajo] told them at halftime, if we don't hit some shots there at the end we're probably down at the half," Carpenter said. "It was one of those deals where we got a few stops in a row and the offense clicked like it had been. That was the first time all half that we had both working at the same time."
Garrett led the Warriors at the break with 19 points on an efficient 64 percent shooting clip.
Though he was pleased with how the half concluded, Carpenter preached for his team to piece together a more consistent performance in the second half, rather than turning it on for the final minutes.
"We told them at halftime," Carpenter recollected. "You get to write your history here, do you want to be the team that played like this for a whole game, or be a team that made an adjustment and played better in the second half and they most certainly did."
With as much as their man-to-man had struggled at times, Carpenter elected to switch to a zone to open the second half. It turned out to be a good call, as it gave the Lakers fits.
"I don't know if it's the zone or the guys out there, but it's been good to us lately," Carpenter said. "They're doing a good job of getting out to shooters and making them shoot quicker than they want to shoot. The coverages have been good, we have a few ways we play it depending on how the offense moves. Our guys did a really good job tonight of adjusting to the zone on the fly."
Lake Land couldn't seem to find lanes to penetrate into the zone, stuffed with lengthy Warrior defenders. The Warriors went on a 10-2 run out of the gate to increase the margin to 52-39. Sophomore big Amir Yusuf had a strong showing over the stretch, scoring six points in the first few minutes.
As Wabash Valley's lead steadily continued to trickle up, reaching as high as a 24-point lead, Carpenter elected to insert some of his reserves to allow them to gain much needed experience.
Once the reserves entered however, Lake Land went on a 19-3 stretch to reduce the lead down to 77-69, forcing Carpenter's hand in sending some of his starters back onto the court.
Osborne, though he wasn't in the starting rotation, became a steady piece late in the game, knocking down a trey to end the run and blocking three shots down the stretch. Osborne's defense on Lake Land's Clint Weber was a point that stood out to Carpenter, who was highly complimentary of Osborne's low-post defense.
"I just saw that he was getting weak side offensive rebounds in the zone," Osborne said. "So when I got in I wanted to wall up and use my length to block his shot."
With the starters back in order was restored, allowing the Warriors to coast once again to victory.
Five Warriors ended in double-figures scoring, including Garrett scoring a game-high 23 points with seven boards. Bobby Harvey was next highest with 19 points, but strong contributions also came from Yusuf (12 points), Jejuan Weatherspoon (11 points, 12 boards), sophomore Raekwon Drake (11 points, eight boards), and Osborne (eight points, three blocks).
Offensively, tonight's second half effort may have been their best of the season. They shot an astounding 66.7 percent from the field, including 55.6 percent from three. Oddly enough, they shot higher percentages from the field (66.7 percent) and 3-point line (55.6 percent) than they did the charity stripe (47.1 percent) in the second half. Still, it's an encouraging display for the Warriors.
"They were open looks, they were not forces," Carpenter spoke of his team's shot selection. "There were two or three forces in the first 11 minutes when we were out of it. We were playing like we did the first week of the season, settling for shots and not getting into the paint. When you take open shots they're a lot easier to make. I look at the second half field goal percentage of 67 percent. We were moving the ball and the right guys were shooting it."
Now sitting with a 5-5 record and their 2019 slate almost complete, the Warriors will face one of their toughest conference challenges yet, John A. Logan.
"They're pretty talented," Carpenter spoke of Logan. "We're looking forward to the challenge, it's early but we'll see what happens on Saturday. I know one thing, our guys aren't going to be afraid of them. We'll look forward to that, glad finals are over and move on and get ready for a very good John A. Logan team on Saturday."
Saturday's road contest at Logan will begin at 3 p.m.
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text:
\section{Introduction}

Recent progress in superconducting qubits have resulted in longer coherence times. How far this improvement can continue depends crucially on the losses intrinsic to the Josephson junction. Qubit energy spectroscopy have revealed a density of avoided level crossings arising from the interaction of the qubit with two-level systems (TLSs) in the junction barrier~\cite{BrittonFluxSplittings, MicahTLS, UstinovTLSCoupling}. Additionally, critical-current fluctuations in Josephson junctions are known to exhibit a low-frequency $1/f^{\alpha}$ ($\alpha \sim 1$) spectrum~\cite{Savo,FogliettiSQUIDs}, which is generally understood to arise from a collection of TLSs in the tunnel barrier~\cite{DuttaHornModel, RogersBuhrmanConductanceFluctuations}. The precise microscopic origin of these TLSs and the coupling mechanisms remain relatively unknown.

A survey of a variety of junction architectures from several laboratories found the low frequency $1/f$ critical-current noise spectral density, $S_{I_{c}}$, to have an almost universal magnitude at $T=4.2~\textrm{K}$ ~\cite{DVHUniversal}. By postulating a $T^{2}$ temperature dependence based on  noise measurements in dc SQUIDs~\cite{WellstoodT2} an almost universal noise characteristic was proposed: $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2} (f=1Hz) \approx 1.44\times 10^{-10}(T/4.2~\textrm{K})^{2}~\textrm{Hz}^{-1}$.

However, results on the tunneling resistance noise~\cite{Eroms}, $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$, in Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al shadow junctions showed a linear temperature dependence. The noise magnitude can be compared through the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation, $I_{c}R_{n}=\pi\Delta/2e \tanh{\left(\frac{\Delta}{2k_{B}T}\right)}$, which implies an equivalent critical-current noise at $4.2~$K that is three orders of magnitude lower than previous $S_{I_{c}}$ measurements. This apparent discrepancy between $S_{I_{c}}$ and $S_{R_{n}}$ led to the proposal of a Kondo-traps noise mechanism~\cite{IoffeFaoro1, WilhelmKondo} that could account for the excess noise magnitude and $T^{2}$ dependence in the SC state.

Furthermore, recent measurements of the kinetic inductance noise~\cite{SiddiqiResonatorCriticalCurrent} $S_{L}/L^{2}$ of Al shadow junctions at $T=25~$mK placed an even lower bound to the noise magnitude than previous measurements of $S_{I_{c}}$ and $S_{R_{n}}$.

To clarify the apparent discrepancy, in this Letter we present extensive measurements of both $S_{I_{c}}$ and $S_{R_{n}}$ in Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al junctions, the material system most relevant in current superconducting qubits. Our measurements show an equivalence between $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2}$ and $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ as expected from the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation. We find a linear temperature dependence in all devices and a noise magnitude that is consistent with previous measurements in Al-shadow junctions~\cite{Eroms}. Our results place an upper limit on the proposed additional Kondo-traps noise contribution. Combining our results with those from other laboratories~\cite{StonyBrookIcNoise,Eroms} and junction architectures we suggest a scaling relation for noise in AlO$_{x}$ based junctions. We discuss the implications for superconducting qubits and the consistency with recent qubit measurements.

We fabricated shunted and unshunted Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al Josephson junctions using either the double-angle shadow evaporation or the cross technique. In double-angle evaporation the junction electrodes and barrier oxidation are completed in one step without breaking vacuum. In the cross technique the electrodes are deposited in two evaporation steps. In the second evaporation step the base electrode is ion-milled to remove surface contaminants, followed by the controlled oxidation of the junction barrier and the top electrode evaporation. Both junction architectures were completed in a chamber with a base pressure of $\approx 3 \times 10^{-10}~$Torr. For the shunted junctions the shunt resistors were fabricated by e-beam evaporating $60~$nm of Pd, with typical low temperature sheet resistances $R_{s}\approx1.3~\Omega/$sq. The shunt resistors are patterned with large, $300 \times 300~\mu\textrm{m}^{2}$, cooling fins to minimize hot-electron effects~\cite{ClarkeHotElectrons}.

Measurements of the critical current noise $S_{I_{c}}$ were performed in a bridge configuration (Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig1}A inset) with a dc SQUID monitoring the current fluctuations across the two bridge arms. A small $R_{std}\approx 0.5~\Omega$ is placed in series with the SQUID pickup loop. The two junctions in the bridge are matched and fabricated on-chip in the same lithography step. Potentiometers at room-temperature are used to adjust the currents through the junctions, while the dc-SQUID monitored the voltage imbalance, which is typically kept at zero.

Since the critical-current noise in the junctions are uncorrelated, their noise power contributions add to give the total noise seen at the SQUID:
\begin{multline}
S_{I}^{sq}=\dfrac{R_{D1}^{2}}{(R_{std}+R_{D1}+R_{D2})^{2}}\left(\dfrac{I_{c1}}{I_{1}} \right)^{2}S_{I_{c1}}+ \\ \dfrac{R_{D2}^{2}}{(R_{std}+R_{D1}+R_{D2})^{2}}\left(\dfrac{I_{c2}}{I_{2}} \right)^{2}S_{I_{c2}},
\end{multline}
where $I_{i}$, $I_{ci}$, and $R_{Di} = \partial V_{i}/\partial I_{i}$ are respectively the bias current, critical current and the dynamic resistance of the $i$th junction. When the junctions are closely matched, $R_{D1}\approx R_{D2} = R_{D}$, and are biased near $I_{c}$, $I_{c}/I_{b}\approx 1$, the noise seen by the SQUID is given by:

\begin{equation}
    S_{I}^{sq} = \frac{1}{2}S_{I_{c}},
\end{equation}
where $S_{I_{c}} = \frac{1}{2}(S_{I_{c1}}+S_{I_{c2}})$, is the averaged critical-current noise power density across the two junctions. The reduction by a factor of two in the noise power sensitivity compared to the standard SQUID potentiometry technique~\cite{WellstoodT2} is more than compensated by the attenuation of common-mode noise sources such as spurious temperature fluctuations and external biasing noise.

\begin{center}
\begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[width=230pt]{Fig1_1
    \caption{ \label{fig:Fig1}(A) Critical current power spectrum measured at $T=315~\textrm{mK}$, and $I_{b}/I_{c}=1.05$. The dashed line is a fit to $1/f +$ a white noise component. Top inset: Schematic representation of the bridge-SQUID potentiometry circuit. Bottom inset: SEM image of the Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al junctions. (B) Time traces of the sample temperature and the SQUID signal, monitored across a small temperature perturbation at $T=315~\textrm{mK}$ for $I_{b}/I_{c}=1.05$.}
\end{figure}
\end{center}

In double-angle evaporated junctions the critical currents can be matched to within $1\%$, allowing for a high attenuation of small temperature fluctuations $\sim 100$s $\mu$K (Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig1}B). The residual signal from common temperature fluctuations can be detected when the fluctuations exceed $\sim 1~$mK, which is much larger than the typical thermal instabilities of the system (examined in detail in Ref.~\onlinecite{AntonTemperatureFluctuations}.

The system background noise, $S_{BG}$, was determined by monitoring the SQUID output while keeping the junctions in the superconducting state (zero bias). In this regime the high-frequency, $f>10~\textrm{Hz}$, noise spectrum is dominated by the Johnson noise of the standard resistor, while the low-frequency, $f<10~\textrm{Hz}$ spectrum is dominated by the $1/f$ flux noise of the SQUID and feedback electronics. A base $1/f$ equivalent flux noise of $S_{\Phi}^{1/2}($1$Hz) \approx 6\mu\Phi_{o}/\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ is observed, consistent with the calibration data for the SQUID sensor. The $S_{BG}$ is subtracted from the measured data and the remainder is attributed to fluctuations in the junctions.

\begin{center}
\begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[width=250pt]{Fig2_1
    \caption{\label{fig:Fig2} Temperature dependence $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2}$ (A) and $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2}$ with $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ (B) at $f=1~\textrm{Hz}$ in several sets of devices. The noise values are area normalized to $A=1~\mu\textrm{m}^2$. The dashed line shows linear T dependence (see text). Inset: Critical current noise (not area normalized), $S^{A}_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2}$, at $T=500~\textrm{mK}$ as a function of junction area. The dashed line depicts $1/A$ dependence.}
\end{figure}
\end{center}

Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig1}A shows noise power spectral density for device S1 taken at $T=315~$mK and $I_{b}=10~\mu$A, corresponding to $I_{b}/I_{c}\approx 1.05$. The low-frequency spectrum shows a $1/f^{\alpha}$ noise which crosses over to the frequency independent noise resulting from the thermal noise of the shunt and the mixed down junction quantum noise~\cite{DVHQuantumNoise}. It is important to mention that for all the junctions reported here the measured values of $\alpha$ ranged between 0.9 to 1.1 and were independent of T. The dependence of the noise power on the junction area is shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig2}B. The inverse area scaling ($1/A$) of the power density is consistent with noise resulting from an ensemble of uncorrelated fluctuators, with sufficient density to produce featureless $1/f$ spectrum in all measured junctions down to $\approx 0.1~\mu\textrm{m}^{2}$. Furthermore, the $1/A$ dependence rules out spurious fluctuations induced by the bath temperature, which would have generated a noise that is independent of the junction area~\cite{AntonTemperatureFluctuations}.

The normalized noise magnitude increases linearly with temperature (Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig2}A) with average T dependence given by $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2} \approx 1.3\times 10^{-13}~(T/\textrm{1K})~\textrm{Hz}^{-1}$ (Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig2}A, dashed lines). Both, the noise magnitude and the linear-$T$ dependence are consistent with results in Nb/AlO$_{x}$/Nb trilayer junctions~\cite{StonyBrookIcNoise}, but differed from the $T^{2}$ dependence observed in dc-SQUIDs~\cite{WellstoodT2}.

Following the theoretical proposals in Ref.~\onlinecite{IoffeFaoro1, WilhelmKondo}, the noise characteristics in the superconducting state and normal state are expected to be different. To observe directly this possible crossover we extended the noise measurement for samples S3 and S4 above the $T_{c} \sim 1.25~\textrm{K}$ of Al. For $T>T_{c}$ the shunted junction is represented by the equivalent parallel resistance $R_{eq} = R_{n}R_{s}/(R_{n}+R_{s})$, of $R_{s}$ the shunt resistance, and $R_{n}$ the tunneling resistance the unshunted junction. Assuming that the noise is dominated by fluctuations in $R_{n}$ (fluctuations in $R_{s}$ are small), we can relate the tunneling resistance noise $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ to the signal measured by the SQUID $S_{I}^{sq}$ as:
\begin{equation}
    \frac{S_{R_{n}}}{R_{n}^{2}} = \frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{R_{\Sigma}}{R_{n}}\right)^{2}\frac{1}{(dR_{eq}/dR_{n})^{2}} \frac{S_{I}^{sq}}{I^{2}},
\end{equation} where $R_{\Sigma}$ is the total resistance in the loop, which can be determined from the Johnson-Nyquist noise measured at zero bias, and $I$ is the current bias through each of the junctions. Since $R_{s} < R_{n}$, most of the current flows through the shunt resistor, thus to measure fluctuations due to the tunneling resistance we used bias currents $I \approx 50 - 250~\mu$A to obtain sufficient signal visibility. To remove the ambiguity from self-heating we verified the quadratic dependence of the noise power on biasing current $S_{I}^{sq}\propto I^{2}$.

Measured $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ varies linearly with temperature similar to the dependence in $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2}$, and with a noise power magnitude consistent with the equivalence $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2} = S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ as expected from the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation. Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig2}B shows the comparison between $S_{R_{n}}$ and $S_{I_{c}}$.

To rule out a contribution of the low-frequency noise from the shunt resistors we have also measured $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ on a collection of unshunted junctions. The measurement of the resistance fluctuations were performed in an ac-bridge configuration as described in Ref.~\onlinecite{Eroms}. We used first stage amplifiers with an input noise $\approx 1.6~\textrm{nV}/\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ for a $1~\textrm{k}\Omega$ load impedance. For some of the junctions we have also measured the noise without the bridge layout, while still computing the cross-spectral density of the two readout branches. The modulation frequency is dictated by the sample and setup resistance and capacitance and is typically in the range $1-3~\textrm{kHz}$. Measurements below the $T_{c}$ of Al were done by suppressing the superconductivity with an applied magnetic field, $B_{\bot}>100~$mT.

The area dependence of the noise in unshunted junctions (Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig3}A) follows $S_{R_{n}} \propto 1/A$, suggesting the averaging over an ensemble of uncorrelated fluctuators. The area scaling and a featureless $1/f$ spectrum are found to hold down to $A\approx 0.04~ \mu \textrm{m}^{2}$ at $T=2~\textrm{K}$, indicating a high degree of barrier uniformity. For junction areas in the limit $A \leq 0.04~\mu\textrm{m}^{2}$ at $T=2~\textrm{K}$ the noise becomes more non-gaussian leading to a deviation from the linear area scaling. At even smaller junction areas the noise is dominated by distinct two level systems, where the noise magnitude at $1~$Hz is generally lower than that expected from the $\propto 1/A$ scaling. The detailed dynamics of the fluctuator and transition to $1/f$ noise is beyond the scope of this letter and will be discussed elsewhere.

Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig3}B shows the dependence of area normalized $S_{R_{n}}$ on temperature. The three dashed lines in Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig3}B represent the upper and lower bounds, and the average $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ magnitude of the noise. The average noise magnitude over all the junctions is well fitted by $S_{R_{n}}^{\textrm{av}}/R_{n}^{2}=1\times 10^{-13}~(T/1\textrm{K})~\textrm{Hz}^{-1}$, while the upper and lower bounds differ by a factor of two from this value. Part of the spread can be explained by the uncertainty in the junction sizes. The averaged tunneling-resistance noise and the observed upper and lower limits are consistent with the measured critical-current noise as shown by the dashed lines in Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig2}B. For $T\approx 70~\textrm{K}$ we observed a deviation from the linear temperature scaling, which may indicate the thermal activation of additional noise mechanisms.

\begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[width=250pt]{Fig3_1New
    \caption{\label{fig:Fig3}(A) Area dependence of the $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}(f=1~\textrm{Hz})$ in unshunted junctions at $T=2~\textrm{K}$. Note the deviation from the linear scaling at $A\sim 0.04\mu\textrm{m}^2$. (B) Temperature dependence of $S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ in unshunted junctions. The noise value is quoted at $f=1~\textrm{Hz}$ and is area normalized to $A=1~\mu\textrm{m}^2$. The dashed lines depict the average noise value as well as its upper and lower bounds (see text).}
\end{figure}

Among the important questions is the location of the fluctuating TLSs. We note that recent noise measurements in junctions with AlO$_{x}$ barriers and Nb electrodes~\cite{StonyBrookIcNoise} showed similar noise magnitude and a linear temperature dependence. Additionally, we measured identical noise characteristics in double-angle evaporated AlO$_{x}$ junctions with $\sim 1~\textrm{nm}$ of Ag deposited on the AlO$_{x}$-Al interface. Lastly, the same noise behavior is observed even in the AlO$_{x}$ cross junction where the barrier is oxidized after an aggressive ion milling of the surface. These properties suggest that the noise sources are insensitive to the barrier interfaces and that the main contribution comes from TLSs buried within the amorphous AlO$_{x}$ barrier. Most likely the TLSs correspond to atoms that tunnel between two positions in the barrier modifying locally tunneling probability. Combining our results with measurements from different laboratories and various junction architectures lead to the empirical formula for T dependence of the $1/f$ noise in AlO$_{x}$ based junctions:
\begin{equation}
    \frac{S_{R_{n}}}{R_{n}^{2}} = \frac{S_{I_{c}}}{I_{c}^{2}} \approx \frac{1}{A/\mu m^{2}}\left(\frac{T}{1~\textrm{K}}\right)\times \frac{1}{f} \times 10^{-13}~\textrm{Hz}^{-1}
\end{equation}

The low-frequency noise properties measured here can be used to estimate the density of TLSs in the amorphous AlO$_{x}$. Gaussian featureless $1/f$ spectrum requires the averaging of $\sim 1-2~$ active fluctuators per frequency octave~\cite{Restle}. In our measurements we observed a crossover from featureless $1/f$ and the onset of non-gaussianity for junctions with $A\leq 0.04~\mu\textrm{m}^{2}$ at $T=2~\textrm{K}$. Assuming that the $1/f$ noise persists in the frequency range $1~\mu\textrm{Hz}-1~\textrm{THz}$ ($\sim 60~$octaves), the estimated density of fluctuators at $T=1~\textrm{K}$ is $\rho_{TLS}\sim 10^{17}-10^{18}~\textrm{cm}^{-3}~\textrm{K}^{-1}$. This estimate is similar to the almost universal density of TLSs in glassy systems~\cite{ClareYuSaysStudyTLS, WAPhillipsTLSGlasses}, and consistent with the density of TLSs inferred from the number of avoided level crossings in qubit energy spectroscopy~\cite{MicahTLS,MartinisDielectricLoss,PappasEpitaxialQubits} -  $\sim 0.5~\textrm{GHz}^{-1}~\mu\textrm{m}^{-2}$.

\begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[width=250pt]{Fig4_1New
    \caption{\label{fig:Fig4} (A) Simulated noise resulting from averaging over different number of TLSs per frequency octave. (B) Amount of fluctuators extracted from measured $1/f$ noise as function of temperature for several junction sizes. Dashed line shows statistical threshold for featureless $1/f$ noise.}
\end{figure}

Fig.~\ref{fig:Fig4}B plots the total number of active TLSs in the barrier as a function of temperature assuming the estimated TLS density. The threshold which may be relevant for qubit architectures is set by having only a few TLSs in the entire tunnel barrier. For temperatures $T\approx 50~\textrm{mK}$ and a junction size $A\sim 0.01~\mu\textrm{m}^{2}$, which is the size of the junctions in transmon~\cite{SchreierTransmon} and flux qubits~\cite{BrittonFluxSplittings}, the average number of TLSs is estimated to be less than one. This size threshold is consistent with the high intrinsic quality factor of the junctions observed in 3D transmon~\cite{3DTransmon} and measurements of the junction kinetic inductance noise~\cite{SiddiqiResonatorCriticalCurrent}. Additionally, recent measurements of the free induction decay in 3D Transmons have shown a $\sim 15$~kHz beating in the qubit frequency, which would be consistent with the presence of one active TLS in the junction~\cite{SchoelkopfPrivate}.

Following the arguments of Ref.~\onlinecite{IoffeFaoro1} we derive:
\begin{equation}
    \frac{S_{I_{c}}}{I_{c}^{2}}(f) \approx (\delta A)^{2}\rho t \frac{1}{A} \frac{T}{f},
\end{equation}
where $\delta I_{c}=I_{c}(\delta A/A)$, $\delta A$ parameterizes the effective change in the area of the junction, $t \approx 1-2~\textrm{nm}$ is the tunnel barrier thickness and $\rho$ is the density of TLSs. Using the density of TLSs obtained previously and the measured noise magnitude, we estimate the effective change in the area of the junction to be $\delta A \sim 0.1 - 0.3~\textrm{nm}^{2}$, consistent with Ref.~\onlinecite{IoffeFaoro1, Eroms}.

In summary, we have measured both the critical current and tunnel resistance noise in Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al Josephson junctions, the material commonly used in qubits. The measurements uphold the equivalence $S_{I_{c}}/I_{c}^{2} = S_{R_{n}}/R_{n}^{2}$ with a linear temperature dependence down to the lowest temperatures measured. The estimated TLS density is consistent with observations from qubit energy spectroscopy.

This research was funded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), through the Army Research Office. All statements of fact, opinion, or conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be construed as representing the official views or policies of IARPA, the ODNI, or the U.S. Government.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


I created this application to write the current real time stock price to our intranet server. The application uses Google's stock price API. The resulting XML file is parsed for the price and volume which is then saved to the local web server as a text file to be included in a web page.
The code retrieves the stock price every five minutes and then saves a file to the server. The code also updates the line chart with the price.