If you are looking for an excellent way to retain the good will and business of past clients, try handing out some promotional items. You've already got their names on your email list. Their addresses are likewise in your memory banks.
Send out a free USB stick along with a friendly note. It's a great way to touch base with past customers and let them know that you are still thinking of them. A friendly gift is a great way to restore a profitable business relationship.
It is never a good idea to take the good will of a past customer for granted. In fact, this is one of the very worst mistakes that a modern business owner can make. You will find out soon enough if you are not doing everything in your power to satisfy these needs, as a past client will not be shy to inform you. It all comes down to a matter of being able to pay attention to and then respond to their specific needs.
There are any number of things that a past client will want to receive from you in order to feel that you are treating them in a fair and considerate manner. A free USB stick might not be their first request, but who would ever turn down a free gift?
When you contact your past clients, there needs to be a solid reason for doing so. No one wants to receive spam emails from total strangers. You'll need to include a subtle reminder of your past association.
It's best to do this by adding a personalised touch so that the recipient not only remembers who you are but the specific connection they had with you. A free USB stick, along with a friendly note, is a great way to jog their memory.
It's an excellent idea to contact them with a phone call, postcard, or email every once in a while. You can also schedule a series of special events, such as an Annual Homeowner's Check-up, for your best and most faithful clients.
Keeping a strong line of communication with your past customers is an excellent way to encourage the future growth of your business. The advantages that come from keeping in touch can hardly be overestimated.
As a vast pool of resources to draw upon, your past clients can also be the key to acquiring a whole new generation of new customers. Much of this can be accomplished by using testimonials from your favourite former clients directly on your official company website. You can sweeten the pot by handing out a few timely gifts.
Free promo gifts are an excellent way to encourage the growth and future prosperity of your home inspection business. It isn't a matter of bribing people to write good reviews or recommend your business to their friends. The best part about giving gifts to your past clients is that it comes straight from the heart and is a gesture they'll always be grateful for.


Here are some useful web-based links to support learning at home. Click the link or the picture to take you to the website.
This site supports Reading and English Literacy. The children really enjoy the interactive activities - lots of fun!
This site from the BBC helps support a variety of early mathematics skills through games and activities.
This site is also from the BBC, and introduces Science knowledge and skills through interactive activities.


text:
<?php

namespace spec\Indigo\Metadata\Driver;

use Indigo\Metadata\HasMetadata;
use Metadata\ClassMetadata;
use PhpSpec\ObjectBehavior;
use Prophecy\Argument;

class StaticDriverSpec extends ObjectBehavior
{
    function it_is_initializable()
    {
        $this->shouldHaveType('Indigo\Metadata\Driver\StaticDriver');
    }

    function it_is_a_metadata_driver()
    {
        $this->shouldImplement('Metadata\Driver\DriverInterface');
    }

    function it_returns_null_if_class_has_no_metadata()
    {
        $class = new \ReflectionClass('stdClass');

        $this->loadMetadataForClass($class)->shouldReturn(null);
    }

    function it_returns_metadata()
    {
        $class = new \ReflectionClass('spec\Indigo\Metadata\Driver\MetadataStub');

        $this->loadMetadataForClass($class)->shouldHaveType('Metadata\ClassMetadata');
    }

    function it_returns_the_list_of_classes()
    {
        $this->getAllClassNames()->shouldContain('spec\Indigo\Metadata\Driver\MetadataStub');
    }

    public function getMatchers()
    {
        return [
            'contain' => function($subject, $value) {
                return in_array($value, $subject);
            },
        ];
    }
}

class MetadataStub implements HasMetadata
{
    public static function getMetadata()
    {
        return new ClassMetadata(get_called_class());
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Vancouver developer Pinnacle International has been busy in the GTA over the last decade or so, with multiple projects in both Toronto and Mississauga. One of their ongoing developments is Pinnacle Uptown, which is a 36 acre master planned community of both highrises and townhouses, located near Hurontario St. & Eglinton Ave. in north central Mississauga. Today we will look at the architecture of the very clean and modernist townhouses that are part of this development.
There are 100 townhouses which are in various stages of completion. They are located in a triangular lot to the west of the current highrises, and are three stories. Each comes with a double car garage, located in the rear, something not easily found in the townhouse inventory of Mississauga. These townhouses were marketed and sold under the brand "Marquis Townhouses on the Park". There are two new streets where the townhomes are located: Little Creek Road, and Four Springs Avenue.
Amenities are located on the inside of the triangle, and are bundled and branded as the "Marquis Club". Features include an outdoor pool, hot tub, party room, and outdoor playground. Each townhouse unit features an outdoor terrace over the garage, and 9 foot ceilings on the main floor are standard.
What we really like about the design of these townhomes are the clean, modernist designs. Colours are predominantly soft pastels and warm earth tones, with tan, or sand colours featuring, and there are clean white framing details. Each unit has plenty of windows, and should provide a bright and airy living experience. The townhouses of Pinnacle Uptown have a very clean look. The architects are Richmond Architects of Toronto.
These are high end properties, each over 2000 square feet, and the few that remain for sale are in the $750K range..
Kudos to Pinnacle International for bringing such clean, modernist architecture to their Mississauga project. So many other developers are still stuck in the more traditional mode. It's great to see a very urban design here in Mississauga. You'd expect it in the downtown areas of Toronto or Vancouver, so to find it here is yet another sign of Mississauga's growing urban maturity. When I first saw these in person, they were like a breath of fresh air. Just my opinion, mind you!
So what are your thoughts about this type of modernist architecture! Do you like these, or do you prefer a more traditional style? The location is good. Would you live here?
Mississauga was recognized as one of the Top 100 neighborhoods to invest in Canada, in the recently published annual investment guide put out by Canadian Real Estate Magazine. I was asked to contribute to the article, and in it we review three separate areas of Mississauga – Clarkson, Cooksville, and Meadowvale Village. In the guide we review detailed information on population, population growth, vacancy rates, cap rates, average price, average rent, and projected cash flow.
Clarkson has been selected as a good place to invest due to several reasons. It is an older area, where the price of housing is a bit less than some of the newer areas of Mississauga. It nevertheless has an excellent location, with close proximity to the QEW highway, the Clarkson GO station, as well as good schools and shopping. One profitable strategy for investors in Clarkson has been to purchase semi-detached homes with a separate basement apartment. This way, the investor benefits from two streams of income – one from upstairs, and one from downstairs.
Cooksville, along with Clarkson and Meadowvale, was one of the original towns which were amalgamated to form the City of Mississauga. Cooksville is centered near Dundas and Hurontario streets, the old intersection known as 5 + 10. It is also an older area, with pockets of reasonably priced homes that attract good rents. Cooksville may also benefit if the planned and fully funded Hurontario LRT is eventually built. As it is today Cooksville is ideally located near the QEW highway, and features Trillium Hospital, a major employer and source of good tenants.
Meadowvale Village is situated in the extreme northern edge of Mississauga, and has great connectivity to Pearson Airport, highway 401, and the major employment areas which surround the airport. Once again, for the investor we recommend the semi-detached house, with a separate basement apartment, for an ideal source of two streams of income.


Haddad, S., Britz, W., Börner, J. (2017): Impacts Of Increased Forest Biomass Demand In The European Bioeconomy, selected paper presented at the Gewisola 2017, Weihenstefan (Germany), Link.
Haddad, S., Britz, W., Börner, J. (2017): Impacts Of Increased Forest Biomass Demand In The European Bioeconomy, Poster presented at the EAAE XVth Congress, Parma (Italy).


Elliott Green Power (EGP) has completed the construction and grid connection of its 95 MW Susan River Solar Farm in South East Queensland. The utility scale array is part of a three-project, 300 MW portfolio EGP is developing in Queensland and New South Wales.
EGP has highlighted the contribution of local suppliers and jobs created during the construction of its 95 MW Susan River project, the completion and grid connection of which was announced this week. 75% of EGP's utility scale project workforce is being sourced through "local labour hires", EGP released in a statement, alongside the developer tapping a number of suppliers from the region.
"Construction has made use of local quarries, concrete suppliers, contractors, surveyors, geo-technical engineering firms, hire equipment, fuel supplies and on-site amenities," the EGP statement reads.
PV components for the Susan River Solar Farm came from established international suppliers. China's BYD supplied the 290,000 modules utilized, with Spain's Ingeteam the central inverters, and Nextracker the single-axis trackers.
Biosar was the EPC on the project, and is also completing EGP's 78 MW Childers Solar farm near Bundaberg, which is said to be nearing completion, and the 132 MW Nevertire Solar Farm in north-west NSW.
"Elliott Green Power is proud to be investing in renewable energy projects across regional Australia and we'd like to thank the construction and engineering teams who are working to ensure their smooth delivery," said Tamburrino.
In June 2018, Suntech announced that it was supplying Biosar with 275,000 1500V multicrystalline modules for its Australian projects.
The Susan Rivers array was approved by the Fraser Coast council in 2016. It and the Childers Solar Farm were acquired by EGP from Esco Pacific. The Susan Rivers' location was said to be favourable due to close proximity to grid infrastructure.
A spokesperson for EGP would not be drawn as to how the company overcame grid connection challenges when it came to completing the project.


text:
Q: The best way to modify a CollectionType I am extending CollectionType and want to be able to modify the collection type easily.
You can't do myCollection[Index] = whatever
Whats the best way to modify it's contents?
example
extension CollectionType {
    func doSomething() -> Self{
        var result = self
        result[self.startIndex] = result[self.endIndex]
        return result
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Addiction is a complex condition that affects all aspects of a person's life. Left untreated, addiction is a chronic, debilitating and often life-threatening disorder that diminishes one's health, happiness and capacity to live a productive and fulfilling life. Hawaii Island Recovery approaches addiction as an affliction affecting body, mind and spirit. To support a full and enduring recovery, all manifestations of an addiction require attention to ensure a lasting return to wellness. Our experiential and holistic therapies are designed to inspire, stretch, soothe and restore you to a natural state of wellbeing.
Wild Dolphin Assisted Psychotherapy is a powerful experiential therapy that interfaces our clients with wild dolphins in the open ocean.
Experiential therapies are intended to inspire insight and healing through one's own exploration of their feeling state relative to a new experience. Unique the world over, Hawaii Island Recovery's Wild Dolphin Assisted Psychotherapy is a powerful experiential therapy that interfaces our clients with wild dolphins in the open ocean.
Imagine the intelligence of a creature that approaches us by choice in its natural environment, motived by curiosity and a mutual affinity to seek out our company. Our likenesses are many; we share in common rich and complex inner worlds, we are sentient, self -aware mammals who experience a wide spectrum of emotion and foster deep attachments. To look a wild dolphin in the eye, is to feel the presence of something extraordinary. That is what will define your WDAP experience, what YOU feel at that moment. Maybe it will transform you, ignite feelings of joy, aliveness, gratitude, and calm. The experience is yours to uniquely discover.
The benefits of Animal-Assisted therapies are significant for many people in early recovery. The presence of animals in therapeutic settings has been noted to reduce stress and improve mood. Animal Assisted therapies may evoke strong feelings and elicit pivotal insights that support long term sobriety.
Hawaii Island Recovery's Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program engages our clients with horses in unexpected ways. Horses have been said to mirror our emotions back to us, and what they reflect often surprises us! Equine Assisted Psychotherapy can help clients access feeling states that were not accessible through talk therapy and may also aid with verbal and non-verbal communication, improved self-awareness and expanded capacities for lateral thinking, problem solving and teamwork.
Presently Hawaii Island Recovery does not provide Equine Assisted Therapy.


Euronav are digital distributors for the UKHO and Primar ENC services. We are fully trained in the UKHO E-Navigator and Planning Systems. For more information on E-Navigator, visit the UKHO E-Navigator site.


dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services - as a burglar - on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's life is never to be the same again. The Hobbit became an instant success when it was first published in 1937, and more than 60 years later Tolkien's epic tale of elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, myth, magic and adventure, with its reluctant hero Bilbo Baggins, has lost none of its appeal. Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children's fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published - it was the Harry Potter of its generation. With new Lord of the Rings movies around the corner, this special Children's edition is designed to put the book back where it belongs - at the top of every child's 'must-read' list.


text:
Sakhalin-1 consortium sets drilling record
Forums » Drilling & Completions
The Sakhalin-1 consortium has announced that it had set a new extended reach drilling record with the completion of its 0-14 well at the Chayvo offshore field. The well, which was drilled from the Orlan platform, was drilled to a depth of 13,500 metres and a horizontal reach of 12,033 metres, according to Russia's Rosneft. ExxonMobil's Fast Drill technology was used to complete the well.
The consortium began its drilling programme for the Sakhalin-1 project in 2003 and has since set drilling records for nine of the 10 longest wells in the world. The last record to be set by the consortium was in June 2013, when the Z-42 well was measured at a depth of 12,700 metres with a horizontal reach of 11,739 metres.
In addition to the Chayvo field, the project includes the Odopto and Arkutun-Dagi fields in the Okhotsk Sea. Other members of the consortium include India's ONGC Videsh and Japan's Sakhalin Oil & Gas Development Company, known as Sodeco.
The Oil and Gas Year, April 15, 2015. http://www.theoilandgasyear.com/news/sakhalin-1-consortium-sets-drilling-record.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Buying a car is one of the biggest purchases people make. The Credit Union 1 Car Buying Service powered by TrueCar has been designed to help you save time and money if you are looking to replace your vehicle or add to your garage.
Not only will you be able to get dealer pricing information before you leave home, but your Guaranteed Savings Certificate will lock in your savings so you can spend more time enjoying driving your new car, and less at the dealership.
It's easy to purchase a car with TrueCar and finance it with Credit Union 1.
Select the right loan amount for you and apply in minutes.
Before heading to the dealership, save time and apply for pre-approval for an Auto Loan.
1Between 7/1/18 and 9/30/18, the average savings off MSRP presented by TrueCar Certified Dealers to users of TrueCar powered websites based on users who received in-stock price offers and who TrueCar identified as purchasing a new vehicle of the same make and model as one of the in-stock price offers from a Certified Dealer as of 10/31/18, was $3,402. Your actual savings may vary based on multiple factors including the vehicle you select, region, dealer, and applicable vehicle specific manufacturer incentives which are subject to change. The MSRP is determined by the manufacturer, and may not reflect the price at which vehicles are generally sold in the dealer's trade area as not all vehicles are sold at MSRP. Each dealer sets its own pricing.
2To qualify for the $100 bonus, there is a $15,000 minimum loan amount and loan must close within 30 days from the application date. Offer does not apply to existing Credit Union 1 loans or the refinancing of existing Credit Union 1 loans. Bonus will be deposited into member's Credit Union 1 account at the loan closing. Bonus will be reported on 1099-MISC.


See a few weeks ago, my cousin gave me his Iphone 5 hoping that I could fix it. He apparently dropped it in water and cant turn it on. So I put it inside a container with rice for a few days and when I tested it, it worked... for a few minuites before it died and I couldnt do anything. So I bought a battery from ebay and replaced it. I double checked all the connections and charged it. A few hours later...I checked and it still wont turn on. So any ideas on how to fix this?
Daaamn. You know how to disassembly phone, but after phone get water damaged You put him in to rise ?
Um I charged it and it became really hot any other ideas?
So it did come back on? After what?
You only way to MAYBE fix this, it is by using isopropyl alcohol on corrosion on motherboard.
Fred Lee, "I charged it and it became really hot " your rice obviously did not work. Heat = short circuit. Next time skip the rice. It will not prevent corrosion nor will it fix the phone, it is a misleading myth. totally agree on this with Phonetech93 on this one. The very first thing you want to do is to not try to restart the phone. This may further damage your phone. You also do not want to try to charge it any further. The next thing to do is to clean it. Disassemble your phone using these guides. Once it is disassembled remove the EMI shields from the logic board. After that you do need to clean it properly. You will need high grade isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush. Use this guide to see how to clean it. Even so it was written for a 3G all the points are still pertinent to your phone. While you are cleaning it, check for any broken, missing or burned looking components. When it is properly cleaned, replace the battery. All these steps are to avoid delayed failure caused by corrosion. Once all this is done, reassemble your phone and reevaluate. Water damage is the hardest to diagnose since virtually any part may have short circuited.
Fred Lee zal eeuwig dankbaar zijn.


Roasted carrots is the easiest and quickest side dish to accompany and complement a main dish. These roasted carrots are cooked simply with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper! Serve them warm or chilled with hummus as the perfect snack.
Homemade strawberry preserves bursting with spring strawberries' flavor takes me straight to strawberry fields where the fresh strawberries fill the air with their bright and floral aroma.
The Spinach Cornbread recipe requires less than 10 accessible and common ingredients! It is a quick and easy snack recipe for busy days!


text:
Q: SSRS Next 6 Months based on Year and Month Field Chart Filter I have number of charts that I am creating using a data set. I have one chart which is only supposed to be subset of the data. Essentially It should show data for the next 6 months based on the current month. If i ran it today, it should show the entire month of August 2016 - Jan 2017.
Within the data-set I am returning Year and Month. However; How do I create a filter function? I have tried Fields!Month.Value >= Month(Today()), but it misses Jan 2017.
I have also tried Fields!Year.Value >= Year(Today()) AND Fields@Month.Value(Today()). What am I missing? Would I be adding a filter to the chart properties, or the Category groups (Year and Month)?
Help would be immensely appreciated.

A: Create a filter in your chart by right click on it / chart properties and select the Filters tab. Add a new filter with the following settings.

In Expression use:
=CINT(Fields!Year.Value & RIGHT("00" & Fields!Month.Value,2))

If your Month field is an integer from 1 to 12 representing month number and it doesn't include leading zero. Ohterwise if your month field include leading zero use:
=CINT(Cstr(Fields!Year.Value) & Cstr(Fields!Month.Value))

Select Integer and Between for Operator.
In the first Value use:
=CINT(CSTR(Today.Year) & RIGHT("00" & CStr(Today.Month), 2))

In the second Value use:
=CINT(CSTR(Today.AddMonths(5).Year) & RIGHT("00" & CStr(Today.AddMonths(5).Month), 2))

It should filter the rows to use in your chart to dates between 201608 and 201701 if you run the report in this month.
Let me know if it helps.


text:
Why a Kosovo-Serbia White House deal could be dangerous
Molly Montgomery Friday, June 19, 2020
The prospect of White House talks between Serbian President Vučić and Kosovo President Thaçi, independent of a parallel EU effort, further underlines the poor state of transatlantic relations and risks a catastrophic result, all likely as part of President Trump's pursuit of a Rose Garden spectacle, argues Molly Montgomery. This post was originally published by the Atlantic Council.
The announcement of White House talks between two parties to a longstanding international dispute would typically be cause for celebration, particularly given the expectation that, if all goes as planned, such talks are usually followed by a Rose Garden ceremony sealing some sort of deal between the parties. The announcement this week that the White House will host Serbian President Aleskandar Vučić and Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi at the White House on June 27, however, has caused trepidation among many Western Balkans watchers, and rightfully so.
Molly Montgomery
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe
Twitter MollyMontgomery
The reasons for skepticism of the planned talks are many. The talks usurp the longstanding EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, which the EU intends to restart in the near future under the leadership of its new envoy for the region, former Slovakia Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák. That Washington and Brussels may soon be conducting parallel negotiations exemplifies the sad state of US-EU relations and the complete lack of transatlantic coordination, which has been a necessary ingredient for progress in the Western Balkans since the 1990s.
Worse yet, there appears to be little coordination between U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grenell, former U.S. ambassador to Germany, and U.S. experts on or in the region. This has given rise to fears among many in Washington and the region that the Trump administration's primary goal is the public spectacle of a Rose Garden ceremony, rather than a workable agreement that achieves normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia without inflaming tensions elsewhere in the region.
The rumored discussions of land swaps as part of such a deal (which Grenell continues to deny), only add to these concerns. While the Trump administration and the EU have both flirted with the idea of territorial exchanges at times over the past three years, experts on both sides of the Atlantic fear the precedent such an agreement would set in a region where nationalists regularly demand secession or union with ethnic brethren. Even if Pandora's box could be closed, the implementation of such an agreement would almost certainly result in de facto ethnic cleansing, heightened tensions, and the potential for renewed violence. There is little evidence of any planning by the Trump administration on these complicated—yet crucial—implementation questions.
Perhaps to lower expectations, Grenell has promised that the parties will first discuss economic questions. If this is the case, with any luck there may be a positive outcome to the summit after all—a Balkan version of Chinese promises to buy more soybeans, the Rose Garden spectacle Trump and Grenell so desperately seek, and no lasting harm to the region's stability. My fingers are crossed.
Will COVID-19 create a new surge in poverty in the Western Balkans?
Jamele Rigolini, Marc Tobias Schiffbauer, and Edith Kikoni
Shadows of the past threaten Europe's shared future
Constanze Stelzenmüller
Europe whole and free: Why NATO's open door must remain open
A how-to guide for managing the end of the post-Cold War era. Read all the Order from Chaos content »


Let an Elite Agent find the home that's right for you. It's what we're here for!
At Market Elite we do all the work so that you don't have to. Let us worry about it!
3 BR 2.10 BA 2,438 SQ. FT.
We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 217036971 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.
5 BR 2.00 BA 2,110 SQ. FT.


OSF is back in session for Semester 2. We value "Creativity, Social Responsibility, Professionalism, & Fun"!
Congrats Sem. 1 Students: OSF maintains a 92% course credit pass rate!
An extra special thank you to Kayla & Matt at Anomaly for coming in on the weekend to take down our show! You both deserve a lot of credit for the success of last night's event and the whole OSF crew sends the Anomaly crew huge hugs!
Upcycled new RAT KING Minis divert old boards from the dump.
Thankyou to our partners at SUGARBOMB for helping OSF students complete their culminating Business/Design projects!
Reminder to New and Returning Students: Semester 2 starts this Friday. All students are required to claim their spot, do course timetabling and participate in a Student Meeting this Friday, January 30th at 10:30AM sharp!
OSF fieldtrip to the Gladstone Hotel getting inspiration on display and installation as students prepare to present their brands and art Jan 23.
Discarded Textbooks, Rotten Apples, Skateboards & Skulls: Just the obvious OSF items littering the base of our Gr12 Art collab 3D printed big sculpture with SCULPTRAITS Studio. See the final Rat-tastic piece at our Jan 23 event!
Dang, the printed copies of our upcoming Pop Up poster looks so good up!
Congrats to our OSF Students completing their Sem 1 Coop Placements today and thanks to all our community mentors!
Diverting old decks from the dumpster, these Upcycled OSF Rat King Minis are almost ready to ride at our "Youth Are Revolting" Jan 23 Pop Up Shop!
SUGARBOMB in the OSF Studio today helping students make siiick skate stickers!
So stoked that these boxes are full of our new limited edition OSF x Andrew Pommier street decks to be launched at our Jan.23 Pop-Up!
Join the OSF Student Design Team & Start School in February Sem 2: Info Session today at 9AM!
OSF Back in Business: Classes resumed and students are pumping out products for our Jan. 23 Pop-up!
Wednesday, January 7 at 9AM: Don't miss the next OSF Info Session to apply for a Sem. 2 February school start!


Trained birth attendants at delivery are important for preventing both maternal and newborn deaths. West Java is one of the provinces on Java Island, Indonesia, where many women still deliver at home and without the assistance of trained birth attendants. This study aims to explore the perspectives of community members and health workers about the use of delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province.
A qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews was conducted in six villages of three districts in West Java Province from March to July 2009. Twenty FGDs and 165 in-depth interviews were conducted involving a total of 295 participants representing mothers, fathers, health care providers, traditional birth attendants and community leaders. The FGD and in-depth interview guidelines included reasons for using a trained or a traditional birth attendant and reasons for having a home or an institutional delivery.
The use of traditional birth attendants and home delivery were preferable for some community members despite the availability of the village midwife in the village. Physical distance and financial limitations were two major constraints that prevented community members from accessing and using trained attendants and institutional deliveries. A number of respondents reported that trained delivery attendants or an institutional delivery were only aimed at women who experienced obstetric complications. The limited availability of health care providers was reported by residents in remote areas. In these settings the village midwife, who was sometimes the only health care provider, frequently travelled out of the village. The community perceived the role of both village midwives and traditional birth attendants as essential for providing maternal and health care services.
A comprehensive strategy to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of delivery care services should be considered in these West Java areas. Health education strategies are required to increase community awareness about the importance of health services along with the existing financing mechanisms for the poor communities. Public health strategies involving traditional birth attendants will be beneficial particularly in remote areas where their services are highly utilized.
Each year around four million newborns die in the first week of life, worldwide [1, 2], and an estimated 529,000 mothers die due to pregnancy-related causes [2, 3]. In low and middle-income countries many deliveries still occur at home and without the assistance of trained attendants [4–7]. This has generated serious concern, since women who develop life-threatening complications during pregnancy and delivery require appropriate and accessible care. A recent review reported that around 20-30% of neonatal mortality could be reduced by implementing skilled birth care services .
The effort to increase access to trained birth attendants was initiated by the World Health Organization in 1987 in Nairobi, Kenya, through the launching of the Safe Motherhood Initiative, aimed at ensuring women have a safe pregnancy and childbirth [9, 10]. Attention to maternal health was demonstrated in 2000 when 147 heads of state and government and 189 nations in total signed the Millennium Declaration, in which the proportion of births assisted by trained birth attendants became an important indicator to measure the progress of improving maternal health (Millennium Development Goal 5) [11, 12].
In 1989 the Indonesian Government embraced the concept of the Safe Motherhood Initiative through the implementation of the "Village Midwife" program. This program aimed to place one midwife in every village to ensure a safe pregnancy and delivery for all pregnant women [13–15]. In its initial phase, nurses were trained in a one-year midwifery program to qualify them to become a village midwife. Later, as the pre-services training was claimed to be inadequate, an additional two-week in-service training was carried out for village midwives in the form of classroom-based training as well as clinical training for the management of normal delivery and life-saving skills [13, 15, 16]. By 1996, more than 50,000 village midwives had been placed in villages in Indonesia, and the one-year pre-service training was then replaced by a three-year specialist program for high school graduates [13, 17]. Between 1970 and the early 1990s, health personnel were employed in the public sector, and with the implementation of the contract scheme, doctors and midwives, not including nurses, worked for a prescribed time period of around three years for the government and then proceeded to either a private practice or a specialist training . It has been observed that the distinction between private and public clinical practice in Indonesia remains unclear . Midwives, including village midwives, employed by the state can also charge private fees for the same services, except for services delivered at health centres.
To encourage the community to contribute to help pregnant women in their own society, in 1998 Indonesia initiated the Siaga (alert) program . The Desa Siaga (village alert) program embraces the safe motherhood concepts through including community support for pregnant mothers by arranging transport, funds, and access to blood donations. This scheme helps those who have limited financial resources to access health professionals' services through a communal financing mechanism, such as the pregnant mother saving scheme or Tabulin (Tabungan Ibu Bersalin), and the social funds for pregnant women or Dasolin (Dana Sosial Ibu Bersalin) .
In 2007 a partnership initiative was put forward by involving village midwives and traditional birth attendants through the 'Improving Maternal Health in Indonesia' program . Under this scheme the midwives and traditional birth attendants were expected to work together. The traditional birth attendants could continue to provide services including herbal drinks or post-delivery care, whereas all medical treatment was to be provided by midwives .
The Indonesian government committed to providing universal health insurance through a mandatory public health insurance scheme called the Health Insurance for the Poor Population or Asuransi Kesehatan Masyarakat Miskin (Askeskin), as the initial phase of universal coverage in 2004 [22, 23]. This scheme evolved into a Health Insurance Scheme for the Population, called Jaminan Kesehatan Masyarakat (Jamkesmas) covering more than 76 million poor and near poor populations . This scheme aims to provide free health care services, including antenatal, delivery, or postnatal care services for mothers and infants .
The improvement of maternal health care services in Indonesia has been demonstrated by the increased percentage of deliveries assisted by trained delivery attendants - from 43% in 1997 to 79% in 2007 [24, 25]. However, the 2007 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey still reported a large percentage of home deliveries (53%), although the percentage has decreased substantially over the last decade (73% in 1997) [24, 25]. The survey also found that 79% of institutional deliveries took place in private facilities such as hospitals, clinics, or private practices of midwives . Although the Indonesian Ministry of Health set a target to achieve 90% deliveries attended by trained delivery attendants by the year 2010, the percentages of home deliveries and deliveries assisted by traditional birth attendants varies widely across provinces in Indonesia.
West Java is one province on Java Island with a high percentage of utilization of traditional birth attendants (30%) and home deliveries (55%) . Although health facilities and health professionals in West Java are available at the village level [18, 26], the percentage of deliveries assisted by traditional birth attendants and home deliveries was higher compared to East Java Province, where the percentage of deliveries assisted by traditional birth attendants was only 22% and home deliveries was 32%; or in Central Java where the percentages were 17% and 46%, respectively . These findings indicate the importance of developing strategies at the local level to increase the utilization of delivery care services in this region.
This project is part of a larger study aimed at exploring community members' and health workers' perspectives about antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services in West Java. We present here the results from the analyses of the perspectives of community and health care workers about delivery care services in three districts of West Java. We explored the reasons community members used traditional birth attendants and why they preferred home delivery.
This study was conducted from March to July 2009 in West Java Province, the most populous province in Indonesia with more than 39 million people living in 17 districts and nine municipalities . The majority of the population is from the Sundanese ethnic group who speak Sundanese language. Agriculture and industrial production are the main source of livelihoods for the people in this area.
Using purposive sampling methods, three districts with a low use rate of trained delivery attendants were selected, namely Garut, Ciamis, and Sukabumi [28, 29]. In 2008, the population in Garut district was 2,481,471 ; in Ciamis was 1,538,469  and in Sukabumi was 2,405,777 . The proportion of deliveries assisted by trained delivery attendants in Garut, Ciamis, and Sukabumi districts was 53%, 67% and 66%, respectively [30–32].
The selection of villages was conducted after consultations between the researchers and the local district health office (Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten) of each district. In all districts, villages in urban areas, as defined by the Statistics Indonesia , have better access to health facilities such as health centres and health clinics compared to their rural counterparts. Based on this information, two villages were selected from each district to represent urban and rural areas. The selected villages were Sukarame (urban) and Sukajaya (rural) villages in Garut district; Benteng (urban) and Panyutran (rural) villages in Ciamis district; and Batu Nunggal (urban) and Limus Nunggal (rural) villages in Sukabumi district.
All the selected villages had road access. However, rural villages are located in mountainous areas and had generally poor road conditions. During the rainy season, some parts of the villages were not accessible by car and, therefore, villagers had to either walk or ride motorcycles to reach health care facilities. The majority of people in our study areas worked as manual labourers in agricultural or industrial production.
In this study, different groups of participants were selected to provide an overall picture about delivery care services in our study areas from the users' perspectives (i.e. mothers and their husbands, who were assumed to be involved in the decision making process about services), care providers (i.e. health professionals, including midwives and health centre staff and cadres as local community health workers), community leaders, and health authorities (i.e. health office staff). The perspectives of traditional birth attendants were considered important since they reportedly played a prominent role in providing maternal and child services in Indonesia, including in West Java Province [34, 35]. A detailed sampling frame is presented in Figure 1.
A total of 295 participants were recruited in this study. These consisted of 119 mothers of children aged more than 40 days to four months, along with 40 fathers, 26 health professionals including 20 health centre staff (doctors, nurses and health centre midwives) and six village midwives, 20 village cadres (local community health workers), 37 traditional birth attendants or paraji (in Sundanese language), 42 community and religious leaders, and 11 health office staff.
The recruitment of the mothers, fathers and community leaders was assisted by cadres from each village. Health workers participating in this study were the maternal and child health services providers in health centres at sub-district level, i.e. doctors, nurses and health centre midwives, as well as the care providers at village level, i.e. the village midwife. Information about traditional birth attendants in each village was obtained through the local knowledge of community members and they were individually invited to participate. Several health office staff working in maternal and child health program in each district health office were also recruited.
In this study, two data collection methods were used, focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews. Focus group discussions were used to explore information about the social context and issues which might be necessary to further investigate through in-depth interviews. The interaction between participants and hearing from others in a focus group discussion provides a valuable opportunity to show and discuss the differences among participants . In-depth interviews were individually focused to investigate personal perspectives.
Six trained interviewers/facilitators and five field assistants were recruited and trained to collect information in the study areas. A total of 20 FGDs and 165 in-depth interviews were conducted across the six villages. Informed consent, including the consent to use recording devices, was obtained from all respondents. No one refused to give consent in this study. FGDs and in-depth interviews were conducted according to the guidelines as shown in Table 1. Interviews and FGDs were carried out either in Sundanese or Indonesian language.
In each village at least two FGDs were carried out for (1) women assisted by trained attendants during delivery, and (2) women assisted by traditional birth attendants. In some villages, additional FGDs were conducted for traditional birth attendants if there were more than five participants. If fewer participants were available, they were invited only to in-depth interviews. In a village in Ciamis district, an additional FGD was conducted for community leaders who were responsible for the Desa Siaga program since this was the only village in which the program had been successfully conducted. On average, each FGD consisted of around seven participants, in addition to one FGD leader and one observer/assistant. All discussions and interviews were audio recorded. FGDs were conducted either at the community hall or the respondents' house.
In-depth interviews were conducted within a confidential setting, usually at the interviewee's house. At least two respondents from each category (see Figure 1) were interviewed by trained interviewers, and all the interviews were audio-recorded. No activity was held in health care-related institutions to avoid any hesitation from respondents who might never have had contact with health care services or personnel.
At the end of each activity, the interviewer or FGD facilitator was requested to fill in an evaluation form to help them evaluate the process and the content of their interviews and discussions. This activity would help them to improve or make adjustments in their next activity. One assistant, a Sundanese speaker, was assigned to each interviewer or FGD facilitator. They acted as an interpreter if respondents could not speak Indonesian language as well as an observer during FGDs and in-depth interviews. A cash payment of 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah (~USD 5) was paid to participants to cover their out-of-pocket expenditure. Information leaflets on maternal and child health care were provided to the mothers, fathers, and traditional birth attendants at the end of each activity.
A guideline in the analysis was based on a method previously described in a study of maternal mortality . Factors affecting the decision to select delivery care attendant and place of delivery were divided into five main groups: economic and pragmatic, trust and tradition, perceived need, access to services and community members' perceptions of providers' expertise (Figure 2).
The following standard definitions of delivery attendants based on the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) were used. The focus of delivery attendants discussed in this paper is village midwives and traditional birth attendants. Village midwife is defined as "a midwife placed in a village to increase the quality and the coverage of health services of a health centre, with service areas of one or two villages. The village midwife has a role to conduct health services based on the competency and resources in particular delivery services, maternal and child health, and oversee the community in conducting five programs of integrated health posts, which are maternal and children health, family planning, nutrition, immunization, and management of diarrhoea and ARI that includes health promotion" . The village midwife referred to in this study is different from the village midwife referred to in an earlier study in West Java, which identified village midwives as traditional birth attendants who had been trained for some basic biomedical procedures .
Traditional birth attendants are defined by the WHO as "a person who assists the mother during childbirth and who initially acquired her skills by delivering babies herself or through apprenticeship to other traditional birth attendants" . A trained traditional birth attendant is someone who "has received a short course of training through the modern health care sector to upgrade her skills. The period of actual training is normally not more than one month, although this may be spread over a long time" .
Each participant was de-identified in the data analysis phase and all data was entered into a password-protected computer owned by the researcher. All the audio-recorded interviews and FGD were transcribed in Indonesian language by the research assistants. The transcriptions were cross-checked with the recordings by the research team and then exported to NVivo 8 (qualitative data analysis software). A content and thematic analysis [36, 40, 41] was conducted in the Indonesian language by the lead researcher (CRT). For each transcription, issues relating to the study aims were identified and coded without predefined categories. After the completion of the coding process, themes were developed and classified, guided by the framework previously described. A triangulation of data sources and methods [36, 40, 41] was employed, comparing information from different sources (different categories of respondents), different methods (in-depth interviews and FGDs) using multiple interviewers.
Ethical clearance was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) at the University of Sydney, Australia and from the Ethical Research Commission National Institute of Health Research & Development (NIHRD), Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia.
Our data exposed a range of issues regarding the use of delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province. Five major topics emerged: (1) Reasons for using the services of traditional birth attendants at childbirth; (2) Reasons for having a home delivery; (3) Reasons for using trained delivery attendants and institutional delivery; (4) The partnership practice between the midwife and traditional birth attendants; and (5) Community perceptions about the village midwife and traditional birth attendant. Topics (1) and (2) are discussed separately since they will provide more information about why some community members still preferred traditional birth attendants and/or home delivery services. A woman might be assisted by trained delivery attendants but preferred to deliver at home.
From 119 mothers participating in this study, more than 40% used traditional birth attendants at childbirth. The participants' reasons for using the services of traditional birth attendants can be classified into five main categories, economic and pragmatic, trust and tradition, perceived need, access to services and community members' perceptions of care providers' knowledge and skills.
Cost was one of the main reasons stated by participants in all villages for using the services of traditional birth attendants. The average delivery cost for a midwife of IDR 350,000 (~USD 35) was perceived as unaffordable by some community members. In addition, the flexibility of the payment method for traditional birth attendants was more convenient.
Even though some community members had Jamkesmas cards to enable them to access free health care services, the services of traditional birth attendants were still preferred.
Furthermore, misunderstanding about the eligibility of Jamkesmas was also found in the community.
Our study found that being part of the community, speaking the local language, living in the community and sharing the same culture meant that traditional birth attendants have developed the feeling of trust in the community.
Another factor that influenced the use of traditional birth attendants was being told by other family members such as the older sister, parents, or husbands to use their services. A long-time tradition in the community of using the service of traditional birth attendants, who had been the only delivery service providers for many years before the National Health System started, was also mentioned as a reason for community members to use their services during childbirth.
Some participants argued that the services of a health professional (a village midwife) are required only for those experiencing obstetric complications. Some community members stated that the midwife's services would be sought only if the condition could not be handled by the traditional birth attendant.
Three reasons related to the issues of accessibility to health care services were physical distance, time constraints, and the availability of a health care provider. In rural areas there was better access to the traditional birth attendants compared to the village midwife. Some rural villages had more than ten traditional birth attendants compared with only one village midwife.
The social distance between the village midwife and the community was also an issue. Some community members were hesitant to seek a midwife's services even if they had received a Jamkesmas card that makes them eligible to use services for free.
For some community members, village midwives were also perceived as too young and inexperienced; whereas traditional birth attendants were more mature, patient and caring compared with the midwife.
Almost 80% of mothers participating in this study delivered at home. Similar reasons were given by the participants when asked about home delivery to the ones given for use of a traditional birth attendant at childbirth.
Particularly among those who did not have the Jamkesmas, cost was one of the major reasons for not having an institutional delivery.
There is a perception that delivery is a natural rite of passage for women, and thereby home delivery is preferred unless complications occur or someone tells them to deliver at health facilities.
In addition to the costs, physical distance was an issue for community members living far away from the health facilities and, therefore, home delivery was preferred.
The convenience of home delivery related to the responsibilities pregnant women felt towards other family members.
Our study found that delivery complications at childbirth were a main reason for using the service of health workers at childbirth (55% of the mother respondents) and for having institutional delivery (20% of the mother respondents).
Some respondents stated that the competency of midwives and better equipment were amongst the reasons for community members to use their childbirth services. Furthermore, advice from midwives was another reason for mothers to have an institutional delivery.
Health professionals in all six villages were aware of the partnership programs between midwives, traditional birth attendants and cadres. However, the implementation varied across villages. In one village in Ciamis district, the partnership was successfully endorsed by the Desa Siaga program engaging the village midwife, traditional birth attendants and cadres. In fact, in this village a penalty was given by the Desa Siaga officers (mainly the village community leaders from the village) to the delivery attendant if both the village midwife and traditional birth attendants were not present at childbirth (see quotation below).
In other villages, the partnership program was not conducted according to the guidelines.
The implementation of the partnership program was also hindered by the fact that traditional birth attendants in some villages preferred to work independently without the assistance of health professionals, unless perceived necessary.
The data provided positive feedback about the role of village midwives in the community. They were perceived as diligent, kind, friendly, responsive, alert and willing to provide health services. Nevertheless, the role of traditional birth attendants was considered essential especially in remote areas. Having both a midwife and a traditional birth attendant present at a delivery was perceived important so that the tasks and responsibilities could be shared together.
The use of traditional birth attendants and home delivery were preferable for some community members in spite of the availability of a village midwife in the village. Some major factors for the use of both traditional birth attendants and home delivery were the economic and pragmatic reasons, since delivery costs with a midwife or at health care facility were perceived unaffordable. This was aggravated by the low economic status of the community members in addition to the embarrassment and misunderstanding of the Jamkesmas scheme. Other reasons found were the trust and tradition that traditional birth attendants engendered; they shared the same culture and were long-serving members of the community. The services of trained birth attendants during childbirth or an institutional delivery were perceived important by some community members only during obstetric complications. Furthermore, difficult access to health care personnel and facilities was amongst the major reasons for preferring traditional birth attendants and home delivery. The social distance between the community and village midwife also emerged as an issue. Our study found that home delivery was considered more convenient for some women because of their responsibilities to children or other household members. The implementation of the partnership program between village midwives and traditional birth attendants varied across villages. The roles of village midwives and traditional birth attendants were perceived vital, particularly in rural areas where health care services were sub-optimal.
Our study demonstrated that for some community members, assistance by the traditional birth attendants and home delivery were preferable, although data from the 2007 IDHS showed that the use of traditional birth attendants and home delivery in Indonesia has been decreasing over the last decade .
Our findings follow other studies [37, 42, 43], which demonstrated that poverty is a major factor influencing people's decision-making about health services. An analysis of different IDHS data also found a significant association between wealth index and the use of health care services [44, 45]. Since most of the population in our study areas worked as manual labourers, such as farmers or industrial workers, and had a low income per capita [30–32], the midwife's services or an institutional delivery were more likely to be unaffordable. A deprived financial situation is often linked to low education levels, which affects one's ability to seek the most appropriate health care services [4, 46].
The provision of Jamkesmas to the poor and near-poor households was expected to help disadvantaged communities to access health care services without burden to their pocket. At present the poor community's embarrassment at using Jamkesmas, which enables them to use health service for free, in addition to misinterpretation and misunderstanding about community members' eligibility for Jamkesmas, demonstrate an apparent failure of the Ministry of Health and the local authorities to communicate and explain its use and benefits. As a result, the provision of Jamkesmas does not change the health care seeking behaviour of some women from disadvantaged households. This finding shows that health care professionals should be encouraged to use every opportunity to promote the use and the understanding of Jamkesmas and its benefits to the community. Monitoring and evaluation strategies at the national and local levels for the distribution mechanisms and the effectiveness of Jamkesmas are essential. Strengthening Desa Siaga programs is important to help families who have experienced financial difficulties to access health services through the community-based financing mechanism.
Proximity to health care facilities is an underlying issue for selecting delivery health care services, as also shown in previous literature [34, 37, 43]. Poor road conditions and lack of transportation are associated with increased costs of visits to health care providers. An earlier study from West Java Province mentioned the problem of distance as a reason for a community's use of traditional birth attendants compared to midwives . This may be aggravated by the unwillingness of a midwife to make a long trip at night . Reducing the distance by bringing either the community closer to the services or bringing the services closer to the community will be beneficial. Maternal waiting homes where women at the end of their pregnancies can stay and wait for labour have long been advocated to close the physical distance. However, a recent review reported a wide range of views regarding their effectiveness . Therefore, careful planning that takes into account socio-cultural factors is essential. Women preferred to stay at home for a delivery so that they could take care of family members and manage their daily household chores. This indicates that taking women away from the family, even during labour, might not be the most acceptable and appropriate solution.
The social and psychological distance between community and health professionals is an obstacle in some areas. This can be due to the shortage of health professionals in large and remote areas, a frequently absent midwife, or one who does not live in the village [17, 48]. A high rate of absenteeism occurs as village midwives often prefer to live in urban areas. With the current expansion of the private health sector in Indonesia, urban areas are much more appealing for health professionals, including village midwives, to establish a private practice while at the same time also receiving the government subsidy . Different strategies have been implemented aimed at retaining village midwives in the villages . However, working in remote areas carries some concerns for midwives and their families, including professional isolation or the pressure of exclusion from a long-established or traditional community [13, 17]. Furthermore, if the midwife who is perceived as young, inexperienced, with no children and lacking maturity, is placed in a rural area then the gap may widen further . This is a real challenge. Partnerships between village midwives, cadres, and the community should be strengthened to overcome these issues.
Our study found a lack of awareness about the importance of trained delivery attendants. For some community members, the assistance of trained delivery attendants during childbirth was perceived as only necessary when obstetric complications occurred. Recognition of the need for health services is important to ensure appropriate health care seeking behaviour. For women, childbirth is often perceived as a normal event and normal work, rather than an event requiring medical attention [7, 37]. However, the lack of community members' knowledge about symptoms which require medical care can lead to delays in recognition and treatment of severe complications contributing to maternal deaths . Therefore, health promotion strategies are important to increase community awareness about the importance of trained delivery attendants. This can be through antenatal care services which are effective in increasing the use of trained delivery attendants during childbirth and institutional delivery [49, 50].
Traditional birth attendants have been part of the Indonesian community for a long time, before the Safe Motherhood Initiative was endorsed in Indonesia. This profession has been handed over from one generation to another. Our study showed that their role was still prominent. In all villages, traditional birth attendants outnumbered the village midwives. Considering village midwives' limited ability to reach the community to provide health services due to availability, accessibility and social distance, it was seen as quite acceptable that traditional birth attendants' services would be widely used. Their expertise was valued due to their social and emotional closeness to the community, their long experience in providing services to mothers and infants, and their intimacy with the villagers, which created loyalty and understanding, particularly when other health care services were not accessible. This built the authoritative knowledge conferred on them by the community .
In the past, training programs for traditional birth attendants were conducted and free delivery kits were provided. Unfortunately, this program has been phased out following the Ministry of Health recommendation that training for traditional birth attendants should be stopped in areas where a village midwife is available . As a result, several traditional birth attendants, particularly the new ones, whose services are being widely used, have not attended any training programs and their ability to conduct a safe delivery remains uncertain.
Previous trials of delivery and postnatal care services involving traditional birth attendants in India and Pakistan demonstrated that engaging traditional birth attendants in the maternal and child health services had a favourable impact on neonatal and perinatal mortality [52, 53]. Discontinuing training for the potential traditional birth attendants who are actually capable to provide appropriate care has been claimed to bring more harm than good . A review of the effectiveness of the training of traditional birth attendants also showed favourable results concerning perinatal and neonatal mortality, although the number of the studies included was considered insufficient . A well designed and coordinated training of traditional birth attendants might provide a favourable result . A review of 15 traditional birth attendants and midwife-based interventions aimed at improving delivery assistance skills and recognition as well as referral of complications, demonstrated that both traditional birth attendants and community-based midwives had a role in reducing the maternal mortality ratio . It is a strategy worth reconsidering in Indonesia, particularly in areas where health care facilities and personnel are still lacking and the utilization of traditional birth attendants is high. Some adjustments to the maternal and child health programs should be conducted, taking into account the traditional values in the community.
Although the partnership program between trained and traditional birth attendants has been endorsed, the implementation of this program varied across villages. In some areas, traditional birth attendants preferred providing services independently and sought midwifery care only if considered necessary. Consequently, adverse delivery outcomes might occur due to the delay of midwives for obstetric emergency conditions. In one village where the partnership program was successfully endorsed, community participation was the key factor in its success. Initiated by local community leaders through the Desa Siaga program, different strategies have been carried out to improve community awareness and utilization of the village midwife in addition to the traditional birth attendant. Efforts to strengthen the partnership program would appear to be a beneficial intervention. Advocacy, dissemination, and monitoring activities should be carried out regularly. Local stakeholders, such as community leaders and traditional birth attendants should be encouraged to develop this program, adjusting and adapting it to local conditions to ensure its sustainability.
Compared to a previous study in West Java , a more positive attitude towards health care professionals was found amongst the traditional birth attendants in all of our study areas. Some traditional birth attendants perceived health professionals as partners in providing maternal and child health services, and their willingness to collaborate provides a valuable opportunity for village midwives to reach the local community. The involvement of local stakeholders, including the traditional birth attendants is essential when planning and implementing public health interventions.
With the emergence of the decentralization program, in which the responsibility of health services has been transferred to the district level, stakeholders at the district, sub-district and village level play a vital role in the improvement of maternal and child health services in their areas . The identification of resources and constraints to conduct local-based public health strategies is essential. Efforts to implement different approaches adjusting for local conditions should be encouraged and strengthened to increase service uptake.
The results of this qualitative study demonstrate perspectives on delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province. These findings provide local evidence that will assist the government in achieving the target of 90% deliveries assisted by the trained birth attendants and to develop public health strategies for the improvement of maternal and child health services. In general, our findings showed that no magic bullet solution is available to increase the utilization of delivery care services in Indonesia. Since the adoption of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in 1989, various maternal and child health programs have been implemented, however, continuous and rigorous evaluation and monitoring programs are required to assess the effectiveness of each intervention. Community-based education that targets the disadvantaged community is required. Peer-education programs that have been shown to effectively increase the use of health care providers and institutional delivery should be implemented . This strategy will increase community awareness about the importance of maternal and children health.
Using a purposive sampling method the results of this study may not be representative of West Java or the Indonesian population; however, using qualitative methods enabled us to explore and understand the perspectives of community members on delivery care services. Triangulation by using different data collection techniques, i.e. in-depth interview and FGD, along with the use of multiple interviewers and different categories of participants increases the validity of the results [36, 41].
This study has a number of limitations. We did not differentiate traditional birth attendants who had received biomedical training from those who had not been trained. Although all of the research assistants speak Sundanese and had a role as an interpreter either for the interviewer or respondents, the language issue might have influenced the interaction process during data collection. However, these limitations are unlikely to influence the validity of the results of our study. Further research to examine the extent to which low utilization of these delivery care services might affect maternal and neonatal death could be conducted.
Our findings show the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to increase the availability and accessibility of maternal and child health care services in the community. The under-served community are the poorest population who are in the greatest need. Poverty alleviation strategies will contribute to improving access and utilization of maternal and child health care services. The provision and the maintenance of infrastructure by the local government will improve access to health care services, especially for communities living in remote areas. The evaluation and monitoring programs for the current insurance scheme, Jamkesmas, are also important to maximise its benefit among poor communities. Health promotion programs to increase community awareness about safe delivery services will benefit the community.
Strengthening the partnership program between village midwives and traditional birth attendants is recommended because of the frequent use of traditional birth attendants in this area. Training of traditional birth attendants would enable them to up-skill their delivery practice under the supervision of health professionals, especially in rural and remote areas. Additionally, local stakeholders' participation plays a major role in the successful implementation of maternal and child health programs.
This project received funding from the Ford Foundation Indonesia and the Australian Health Policy Institute, University of Sydney, Australia. This analysis is a part of the CRT thesis to fulfil the requirement for a PhD in International Public Health at the University of Sydney. We extend our thanks to AusAID for funding CRT PhD Scholarship in International Public Health at the University of Sydney, Australia. We are indebted to the community members and health workers in the six villages, particularly our respondents, and those involved in our study. We are grateful to our local collaborators, Dr Nida P Harahap, and the staff of the District Health Office in Garut, Ciamis and Sukabumi. We are thankful for the researchers from the National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health, Indonesia, in alphabetical order, Ms Ida, SKM, Mr Meda Permana, SSos., Dra Soenanti Zalbawi, MM, Ms Tin Afifah, SKM, and Ms Oster Suriani, SKM. We would like to thank the assistants who helped us during the study, in alphabetical order, Ms Anny Hanifah, Ms Asri SR, Mr Dani Ramdhani, Ms Litsa ZA, Ms Nurlela, Ms Santi Hendriyanti, Ms Sintiya AK., and Ms Sri Nanjung. We also would like to thank the staff from the Sydney School of Public Health who supported this study. The funding source had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of this paper.
All authors designed the study. CRT conducted data collection. Under the supervision of CLH, CRT conducted data analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. MJD and PH provided data analysis advice and revision of the final manuscript. All authors read, commented on and approved the final manuscript.


$99 for aging (to make hat look as it does in the movie.
As I stated before their prices seem very high to me considering Tom Hirt (maker of a number of the hats used in Tombstone) created a Ringo Hat (which in my opinion is a more complex hat) for $430. Still, if you want it from the original makers these are the guys to get it from.


text:
Tesla buys Michigan auto supplier
Nathan Bomey
DETROIT — Tesla Motors is acquiring a Grand Rapids-based auto supplier, giving the Silicon Valley technology company a physical presence in Michigan, the Free Press has learned.
Tesla reached a deal to acquire Riviera Tool, marking the first acquisition for the burgeoning electric-vehicle and battery manufacturer, said a person familiar with the matter.
Riviera, which makes stamping parts that are shipped to Tesla's assembly plant in Fremont, Calif., has about 100 employees. Tesla is expected to retain those workers and eventually rename the operation Tesla Tool & Die, said the source who is not authorized to speak publicly about the transaction.
The automaker is also expected to continue doing business with other stamping parts suppliers.
The investment in Michigan gives Tesla a manufacturing footprint in the home state of the Detroit Three automakers: General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The company expects to continue adding jobs at Riviera, which is located near the Gerald Ford International Airport.
Tesla views the deal as crucial to improving the efficiency of its manufacturing processes. The company is facing immense pressure to expand production of its Model S luxury electric sedan and is expected to begin production of the all-new Model X luxury electric crossover in the third quarter.
Straining under demand for more parts, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged that the logistics of ramping up production for a global product have involved more hurdles than he expected.
Terms of the acquisition were not immediately available.
The deal comes several months after Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law a bill that ensured Tesla cannot sell its vehicles directly to consumers through stores in the state. The nearest Tesla store is located in Chicago.
At a news Grand conference in January at the Automotive News World Congress event in Detroit, Musk told reporters that he wouldn't rule out building a plant in Michigan in the future.
"It's not out of the question. Maybe Michigan shouldn't stop us from selling cars here. That would be a nice gesture," he said to laughter.


text:
Q: Combobox in datagridview, key press rotation I have run into a problem. I have a datagridview and one column that contains DataGridViewComboBoxColumn.
The combobox's datasource is a list that looks something like the following:
Apa
Arne
Mia
When the user enters one combobox and presses the A-key "Apa" will come up as a suggestion. Exactly what i want. The problem is that if the user marks for example the combobox on the row bellow and presses the A-key "Arne" will be suggested. It cycles or shall i say loops through the list.
I want that "Apa" should be suggested as the first choice if i press A every time i enter the combox.
Is this problem possible to resolve?
Best Regards
Martin

A: With out any code it's hard to tell what the error is, however, my theory is that the DataSources for the ComboBoxes are pointing to same instance of one object. If you select a value in one combo box, all are now at this position. So when you go to the second combo box and hit "A" again, it will move to the next A-word in the list.
You may need to instantiate the object, that is providing the data source to the combos, for each combo box so each one has its own list - instead of pointing to the same place in memory.
If this is not the answer for you, then please provide some code.


text:
Q: What accounts for the differing instructions on setting password for postgres? I'm following this blog post http://hendrelouw73.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/how-to-install-postgresql-9-1-on-ubuntu-12-10-linux/ to install postgres on ubuntu. These are steps two and three.
STEP 2: INSTALL POSTGRESQL ON YOUR SYSTEM

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.1

STEP 3: CONFIGURE YOUR POSTGRESQL PASSWORD

sudo -u postgres psql template1
ALTER USER postgres with encrypted password 'your_password';

However, I'm also looking at a RailsCast which installs postgres on ubuntu. First, Ryan Bates does this
root@li349-144:~# apt-get install postgresql libpq-dev

and then he sets a password like this
    root@li349-144:~# sudo -u postgres psql
terminal
postgres=# \password
Enter new password:
Enter it again:

So one big difference is in how the password is configured, in that the Railscast does not touch something called template described in Step 3 of the blogpost
Looking at the instructions for installing postgres on ubuntu https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PostgreSQL, it is similar to Railscasts in that it doesn't have this reference to template to create the user
Can you explain the difference and whether or not I should take this step?
    STEP 3: CONFIGURE YOUR POSTGRESQL PASSWORD
sudo -u postgres psql template1
ALTER USER postgres with encrypted password 'your_password';

A: There is no real difference between the two methods. User/login roles and passwords are stored server-wide and not database-wide. In other words, the password is for connecting to the server, so it doesn't matter which database you connect to. The command
sudo -u postgres psql template1 (Thanks to Daniel Vérité for the comment)
in effect tells the system to switch to user postgres and run the CLI client (psql) to connect to the server and use the "template1" database. If no user and/or database name is specified, then psql tries to connect as the current user and "to use" a database with the same name as the current user (postgres in this case - which makes the "template" parameter superfluous)
This is what the above command is doing step by step:
sudo -u postgres This switches to the postgres user. Notice the absence of the -p parameter from sudo. This is essential, because the "os user postgres" (who has no password and his sole purpose is to own the running server processes) is different from "database user postgres" (who is the database root user or rather the database administrator and absolutely needs a password.)
psql --username=postgres --database=template1 This connects to localhost using database username postgres and database template1.
For your purpose, this line can be abbreviated to
sudo -u postgres psql
ALTER USER postgres with encrypted password 'your_password';
This will change to user postgres and connect to localhost as user postgres to the database named postgres and then set the password.
If you need further clarification please ask. I'll be happy to help.
A brief note on template databases. When creating a new database, postgres uses a template named template1. This is something like the skeleton file used to set user default when creating user accounts in linux. It is usually modified by the dba to make sure certain tools and behaviors are enforced server-wide. But why the 1 you may ask. Well, there is another template database named template0 and it is a protected "clean slate" copy of template1 just in case something goes south with it. Here is a wiki page describing such a scenario.

A: Do not do this..
terminal
postgres=# \password
Enter new password:
Enter it again:

You're turning on a user you should not turn on. Instead, (a copy of my answer)
Configuring PostgreSQL
This is a copy of my original post here
There are two methods you can to configure. Both require creating a user and a database.

*

*Using createuser and createdb,
$ sudo -u postgres createuser -s $USER
$ createdb mydatabase
$ psql -d mydatabase

*Using the SQL administration commands, and connecting with a password over TCP
$ sudo -u postgres psql postgres

And, then in the psql shell
CREATE ROLE myuser LOGIN PASSWORD 'mypass';
CREATE DATABASE mydatabase WITH OWNER = myuser;

Then you can login,
$ psql -h localhost -d mydatabase -U myuser -p <port>

If you don't know the port, you can always get it by running the following, as the postgres user,
SHOW port;

Or,

    $ grep "port =" /etc/postgresql/*/main/postgresql.conf

Sidenote: the postgres user
I suggest NOT modifying the postgres user.

*

*It's normally locked from the OS. No one is supposed to "log in" to the operating system as postgres. You're supposed to have root to get to authenticate as postgres.

*It's normally not password protected and delegates to the host operating system. This is a good thing. This normally means in order to log in as postgres which is the PostgreSQL equivalent of SQL Server's SA, you have to have write-access to the underlying data files. And, that means that you could normally wreck havoc anyway.

*By keeping this disabled, you remove the risk of a brute force attack through a named super-user. Concealing and obscuring the name of the superuser has advantages.


text:
September 8, 2016 · BY Morgan Pearce ·
Masterpiece Paintings at The Met: Forging Connections through Centuries of Painting
This impressive volume includes 500 works from the Museum's collection representing 5,000 years of art history, making it a formidable history of painting and an ideal overview of the iconic masterworks from this world-renowned institution.
"The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Masterpiece Paintings" features 1,100 color illustrations and is available for purchase at The Met Store.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Masterpiece Paintings is The Met's first complete survey of its painting collection. This impressive volume includes 500 works from the Museum's collection representing 5,000 years of art history, making it a formidable history of painting and an ideal overview of the iconic masterworks from this world-renowned institution.
Lavish color illustrations present the works chronologically, from ancient Egypt to the present day, and each artwork has an informative and engaging text written by Kathryn Calley Galitz, whose experience as both a curator and an educator at The Met makes her uniquely qualified. I had the opportunity to speak with Kathy about the process of writing this book and the unexpected resonances she discovered across the collection as she worked on this project.
Rachel High: The word "masterpiece" means different things to different people. What is your definition, and what criteria did you use when selecting works from The Met collection?
Kathryn Calley Galitz: "Masterpiece" is definitely a loaded term, and I took into account several factors in defining it for the purposes of this book. Above all, there are works that are truly the best of the best in terms of their artistic quality. I also included transformative works that had a lasting impact on generations of artists, as well as the most important paintings that the Museum owns by major artists and those that best represent significant art-historical moments. And then, of course, there are works that are simply iconic. How could we publish a book of masterpieces without including such immensely popular works as Emanuel Leutze'sWashington Crossing the Delaware and Jules Bastien-Lepage's Joan of Arc?
Emanuel Leutze (American, 1816–1868). "Washington Crossing the Delaware," 1851. Oil on canvas; 149 x 255 in. (378.5 x 647.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, Gift of John Stewart Kennedy, 1897 (97.34)
The definition of painting is also important to this publication. I wanted to define the term as broadly as possible in order to challenge the narrow definition of a painting as a two-dimensional work of art. In this book, painting takes on many forms depending on the culture and time period—from an ancient potted vessel with painted scenes to a silk scroll, or a fan, or paint on tree bark, or on a palm leaf, or even an illuminated manuscript that could fit into the palm of your hand.
Painting covers everything from the intimate to the epic. I wanted to expand the notion of what painting is and offer some surprises. Readers will find unexpected works along with the more expected ones.
Rachel High: You're a specialist in European painting, but you wrote about 5,000 years of painting across the collection. What did you learn from that process?
Kathryn Calley Galitz: Before I began writing this book, I tended to see things through the lens of my own narrow field of specialization. Branching out and having a more global perspective, both of our collection and of art history, was extraordinarily enriching. Seeing the connections across cultures and across time, and seeing that many artists were preoccupied with remarkably similar themes, really resonated with me. When you look through the pages of this book, you can see and appreciate the works in some ways that you can't in our galleries. Writing this book allowed me to break down all the walls and see the collection in new ways, and I hope readers will experience that for themselves. It certainly broadened my own perspective beyond my specialty, which is, in fact, a very brief moment in the overall history of painting.
Rachel High: You've already touched upon this a bit, but unlike similar surveys of painting, this book is organized chronologically and covers not just Western painting but works from all over the world. This organization allows the reader to see connections between cultures across the entire history of painting. What were a couple of surprising cross-cultural themes that you uncovered?
Kathryn Calley Galitz: The works in this book, regardless of culture or time period, deal with universal themes such as our relation to the natural world. Painters treated nature in various ways, from the realistic to the abstract, and imbued it with different meanings.
The role of religion figures powerfully—and sometime quite personally—across the collection, too. It's evident in Duccio's Madonna and Child, which has burn marks on the frame from the candles of devout worshippers; in the Ethiopian icon pendant meant to be worn around the neck, keeping it close to the heart; and in illuminations from a medieval prayer book that fits into the palm of the hand—all so intimately painted, portable, and personal that you get a feel for the original owners.
Top left: Duccio di Buoninsegna (Italian, active by 1278–died 1318). "Madonna and Child," ca. 1290–1300. Tempera and gold on wood; Overall, with engaged frame, 11 x 8 1/4 in. (27.9 x 21 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, Purchase, Rogers Fund, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Annette de la Renta Gift, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, Louis V. Bell, and Dodge Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, several members of The Chairman's Council Gifts, Elaine L. Rosenberg and Stephenson Family Foundation Gifts, 2003 Benefit Fund, and other gifts and funds from various donors, 2004 (2004.442). Top right: Double diptych icon pendant, early 18th century. Ethiopia, Central and Northern Highlands. Amhara or Tigrinya peoples. Wood, tempera pigment, string; H. 3 3/4 x W. 2 3/4 in. (9.5 x 7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, Rogers Fund, 1997 (1997.81.1). Bottom: Attributed to Jean Le Noir (French, active 1331–75) and Workshop. "The Three Living and The Three Dead," from The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy, before 1349. French. Tempera, grisaille, ink, and gold on vellum; each folio: 4 15/16 x 3 9/16 in. (12.6 x 9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, The Cloisters Collection, 1969 (69.86)
There are also some startling visual juxtapositions in the book. For example, El Greco's Saint Jerome as Scholar and the Ethiopian icon triptych with Ewostatewos and eight of his disciples are pictured next to each other, since both works were created at almost the same moment in time. Stylistically, the elongated, bearded figures in both paintings complement one another.
A spread from the book featuring a cross-cultural pairing of El Greco's "Saint Jerome as Scholar" and an Ethiopian icon triptych
Another example of an unexpected cross-cultural juxtaposition is Vermeer's Allegory of the Catholic Faith and the Japanese painting Beauty of the Kanbun Era. These paintings represent two very different ideals: one religious, and the other decidedly secular with an erotic charge. These moments are fascinating to me and speak to the breadth of The Met's holdings. In an encyclopedic collection like ours, we can get these global perspectives and make links across cultures, offering a much fuller picture of the history of art.
In this pairing from the book, Vermeer's Allegory of the Catholic Faith is presented alongside Beauty of the Kanbun Era, a Japanese painting from the Edo period (1615–1868)
Rachel High: What was your biggest takeaway from writing this book?
Kathryn Calley Galitz: I came into this project steeped in Western art, so I went in with favorite works that really spoke to me. But by the time I completed this book, I had a broader perspective and much more of an appreciation for art outside of my specialty. I've learned so much from my research and from conversations with my colleagues across the Museum who have been so generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise as part of this process. I gained a new appreciation of Asian art as well as contemporary art, which now speaks to me in a way that I hadn't thought it would.
It was special to me that I was able to incorporate some very recent acquisitions that I think have enriched this book—works like Lisa Yuskavage's Bonfire, which the artist painted only one year ago, or Kerry James Marshall's Untitled (Studio). The latter is the last painting in the book and especially appeals to me because Marshall's work is in a constant dialogue with the history of art. To see it independently as an important painting in his own body of work, but at the same time to see it in the context of this book as a masterpiece by an artist who is so engaged with art history—I couldn't have asked for a better work both to end this book and to look ahead to the future of painting.
Kerry James Marshall (American, born 1955). Untitled (Studio), 2014. Acrylic on two PVC panels; 83 5/16 x 119 1/4 in. (211.6 x 302.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation Gift, Acquisitions Fund and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Multicultural Audience Development Initiative Gift, 2015 (2015. 366) © Kerry James Marshall
This post originally appeared on "Now at the Met." Written by Rachel High, Publishing and Marketing Assistant, Editorial Department.
The Met Store: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Masterpiece Paintings
Connections: "Smile," by Kathy Galitz
Masterpiece Dialogues: Great Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Tuesday, September 27, 11 am
The Met Fifth Avenue – The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Five hundred works of art spanning 5,000 years are featured in the new book Masterpiece Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Celebrate the unparalleled breadth and depth of The Met collection with author Kathryn Calley Galitz. A book signing will follow.
collection catalogue,
masterpiece paintings,
metropolitan museum of art,
painting catalogue,
paintings of the met,


Okay, eventually I have to write new stories otherwise this is akin to rearranging deck chairs on a Carnival cruise. But, I have to admit, I'm stoked about streamlining my current short stories into recognizable collections (the term is 'branding' for those into pop book jargon ;). And thanks to Jason Gurley (my new friend and fellow "silo story" storyteller), I have some great new covers to to boast about. Look for these new ebooks in the next few weeks. As always, thanks for reading!


GOTHENBURG (Reuters) - Volvo Cars expects its margins on electric cars to match those of vehicles with combustion engines by 2025, the head of the Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker told Reuters.
Global automakers are planning a $300 billion surge in spending on electric vehicle technology over the next five to 10 years but have admitted that higher component costs and limited take-up in initial years will hit margins.
Volvo is investing about 5 percent of its annual revenue, equating to a little more than $1 billion a year, in building driverless and electric cars and has promised to deliver five fully electric cars to market in the next few years.
It showcased the first less than a month ago, made by its luxury performance brand Polestar to rival to Tesla's Model 3. It also plans to launch a Volvo-branded electric compact SUV this year in the company's push to derive 50 percent of its sales from fully electric cars by 2025.
"It's very difficult to say if we're going to have the same margins in 2025 as we had in 2015 ... because electric cars are very expensive," Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson told Reuters on the sidelines of a safety showcase by the company in Gothenburg.
Samuelsson said the convergence would be helped by reducing costs for components such as batteries and declining margins on conventional cars.


It's summer time and that means it's time to go out, get some sunshine, and it's pool time! I've compiled a list of really fun but affordable pool toys for the summer to help make your summer as fun as you want it!
A pool for the little ones! It has great reviews and has it's own slide!
Having a summer pool party? This kit is great for all ages.
Who wouldn't love to float around in a giant donut? This float is fun everyone will want to use it.
This 12 pack of beach balls are super cute and will be tons of fun tossing around in the pool.
This pool float for babies is awesome. We have one and our son loves it.
Pool volleyball game anyone? Get everyone involved using this toy!
The options are endless at Amazon.com. Head on over there and find some fun!


text:
Home > Economy > Greece plotting return to bond markets with or without ECB
Greece plotting return to bond markets with or without ECB
By The Associated Press on June 29, 2017
ShareTweetShareShareShareShare
Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism Klaus Regling, right, shakes hands with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during their meeting in Athens, on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
By Derek Gatopoulos
LAGONISSI, Greece – Greece will return to financing itself on international bond markets with or without the support of the European Central Bank's bond-buying program, the country's finance minister said Thursday.
Greece has been excluded from the program, which has helped keep a lid on the borrowing rates of the other 18 countries that use the euro currency, partly because the ECB wants more information about potential debt relief measures for the country.
While qualifying for the bond-buying program would be "very useful" for Greece, the effect would be largely "symbolic," Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said.
"It is important, but mostly in symbolic terms," Tsakalotos said at a financial conference near Athens. "What we need to do is ensure that the investment community knows there will be a program of access to the markets."
Tsakalotos said the government is mindful of not tapping bond markets for financing "too early" and that investors know it's not going to be a one-off.
"But when we do go, we want to ensure that the markets know that it's part of a strategy of going two, three, four times so they understand not the details but the process," he said.
Greece has been eyeing a return to international bond markets for the second time since the country lost access in 2010 and had to seek successive bailouts from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
Speaking at the conference later Thursday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras voiced optimism that Greece would be able to tap bond markets "long before" the bailout ends in August 2018.
Tsipras also ruled out recourse to new rescue loans after that, which the country would be forced to do if it fails to attract private sector creditors.
Interest rates on Greek bonds have fallen sharply since rescue lenders promised this month to restart paying loan installments, following a major new round of reforms and austerity measures in the recession-weary country.
Klaus Regling, head of the eurozone financial rescue fund, also said Greece was poised to return to the bond market, but blamed delays on an "unfortunate reversal of the reform process" in the early stages of the left-wing government.
"The Greek people … have suffered many years of salary and pension cuts. This was a painful experience and initially negative for growth. But the adaptation was unavoidable, and a consequence of past policy mistakes," Regling said.
Tsipras insisted that his government was determined to speedily push through its remaining bailout commitments "without delays or pointless tergiversation."
Meanwhile, Greek municipal garbage collectors decided Thursday to return to work after nearly two weeks of protests that left mounds of uncollected refuse in the streets amid a heatwave.
The workers' union, which wants employees on fixed-time contracts to be granted full-time jobs, said trash collection trucks would hit the streets after midnight.
Greek authorities had warned that the strike was endangering public health and causing problems during the country's main tourist season.
Earlier Thursday, about 1,000 garbage collectors marched peacefully through central Athens.
Euclid TsakalotosEuropean Central BankGreeceGreece Bailout
Post-bailout credit line for Greece probably not needed: rescue fund head
Greeks call strike over austerity and bailout reforms
Greece backs extradition of Russian to US over bitcoin fraud
Greek state budget sees steady pick-up in economy


Our first wedding of the season was lovely! The weather report was harsh, but it remained beautiful. There's nothing like the sound of a flute out in the country to stir the heart. I was ever mindful of the children that day. I will always include pictures of the children when I show you the weddings. I love to see their faces during the ceremony. Dan and Stacey are now off to the mountains to enjoy the start of their lives as husband and wife. Blessings to all!
You have such a beautiful setting for weddings!
How pretty it was. They were so lucky to have you as a part of their special day. I wish I could come visit your place! Maybe someday.
How rewarding is must be to share in the happiness that weddings bring. Love the idea of a flute for wedding music.