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The creepiest tour of my house

Hey.  This isn’t a real post but I thought you might enjoy. Recently the Yorkshire Museum had a curator battle where they challenged museums to post the #creepiestobject in their collection on twitter.  And it was fantastic and a million … Continue reading




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Wimpie Nortje: Database migration libraries for PostgreSQL.

It may be tempting at the start of a new project to create the first database tables manually, or write SQL scripts that you run manually, especially when you first have to spend a significant amount of time on sifting through all the migration libraries and then some more to get it working properly.

Going through this process did slow me down at the start of the project but I was determined to use a migration tool because hunting inexplicable bugs that only happen in production just to find out there is a definition mismatch between the production and development databases is not fun. Using such a tool also motivates you to write both the setup and teardown steps for each table while the current design is still fresh in your mind.

At first I considered a standalone migration tool because I expect them to be very good at that single task. However, learning the idiosyncrasies of a new tool and trying to make it fit seamlessly into my development workflow seemed like more trouble than it is worth.

I decided to stick with a Common Lisp library and found the following seven that work with PostgreSQL and/or Postmodern:

I quickly discounted Crane and Mito because they are ORM (Object Relational Mapper) libraries which are way more complex than a dedicated migration library. Development on Crane have stalled some time ago and I don't feel it is mature enough for frictionless use yet. Mito declares itself as being in Alpha state; also not mature enough yet.

I only stumbled onto cl-mgr and Orizuru-orm long after making my decision so I did not investigate them seriously. Orizuru-orm is in any case an ORM which I would have discounted because it is too complex for my needs. CL-mgr looks simple, which is a good thing. It is based on cl-dbi which makes it a good candidate if you foresee switching databases but even if I discovered it sooner I would have discounted it for the same reason as CL-migrations.

CL-migrations looks very promising. It is a simple library focusing only on migrations. It uses clsql to interface with the database which bothered me because I already committed to using Postmodern and I try to avoid adding a lot of unused code to my projects. The positive side is that it interfaces to many different databases so it is a good candidate if you are not committed to using Postmodern. It is also a stable code base with no outstanding bug reports.

The two projects I focused on was Postmodern-passenger-pigeon and Database-migrations because they both use Postmodern for a database interface.

Postmodern-passenger-pigeon was in active development at the time and it seemed safer to use than Database-migrations because it can do dry runs, which is a very nice feature when you are upgrading your production database and face the possibility of losing data when things go awry. Unfortunately I could not get it working within a reasonable amount of time.

I finally settled on Database-migrations. It is a small code base, focused on one task, it is mature and it uses Postmodern so it does not pull in a whole new database interface into my project. There are however some less positive issues.

The first issue is a hindrance during development. Every time the migrations ASDF system (or the file containing it, as ASDF prefers that all systems be defined in a single file) is recompiled it adds all the defined migrations to the migrations list. Though each one will only be applied once to the DB it is still bothersome. One can then clear the list with (setf database-migrations::*migrations* nil) but then only newly modified migration files will be added. The solution then is to touch the .asd file after clearing the migrations list.

The second negative point is quite dangerous. The downgrade function takes a target version as parameter, with a default target of 0. This means that if you execute downgrade without specifying a target version you delete your whole database.

I am currently using Database-migrations and it works well for me. If for some reason I need to switch I will use cl-migrations.

Using Database-migrations

To address the danger of unintentionally deleting my database I created a wrapper function that does both upgrade and downgrade, and it requires a target version number.

Another practical issue I discovered is that upgrades and downgrades happen in the same order as they are defined in the migration file. If you create two tables in a single file where table 2 depends on table 1 then you can not revert / downgrade because Database-migrations will attempt to delete table 1 before table 2. The solution here is to use the def-queries-migration macro (instead of def-query-migration) which defines multiple queries simultaneously . If you get overwhelmed by a single definition that defines multiple tables the other option is to stick with one migration definition per file.





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Creative Commons Welcomes Our 2020 CC Certificate Scholarship Recipients!

The CC Certificate aims to increase our global community’s expertise in open licensing and awareness of our shared, digital commons.  Our first goal is to train at least one person interested in open licensing in every country and territory, around the world. So far, we have CC Certificate graduates from 44 countries and counting! One … Read More "Creative Commons Welcomes Our 2020 CC Certificate Scholarship Recipients!"

The post Creative Commons Welcomes Our 2020 CC Certificate Scholarship Recipients! appeared first on Creative Commons.






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Pâte Brisée : Jêrôme's 4-ingredient wine-based shortcrust pastry is easy, versatile, delicious for savory quiche or sweet, delectable pie!

I can tell you--after seeing them in the bathroom mirror this morning--this shortcrust pastry recipe will give you les poignées d'amour. That's French for "love handles." Même pas peur? Not even scared? Good! Read on and discover a truly delicious and versatile pâte brisée. I should know...I've tested 10 of them in the past week--ever since you asked for the recipe! Today's Word: la pâte brisée : shortcrust pastry, a rich dough for making pie crust Audio: Listen to the words pâte brisée in this soundfile En cuisine, la pâte brisée est une pâte servant de base aux tartes salées ou sucrées. La pâte brisée désigne généralement une pâte composée principalement de farine et de matière grasse sans sucre. In cooking, shortcrust pastry is a dough used as a base for savory or sweet pies. Shortcrust pastry generally refers to a dough composed mainly of flour and fat, without sugar. Jérôme's Pâte Brisée: 4-ingredient Shortcrust Pastry (makes one large or two small tarts!) Ingredients... 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup sunflower oil Note: ordinary white wine is all you need. Leftover wine will work as long as it hasn't turned to vinegar. For...




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Meal Prep Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

There is no better comfort food than a Chicken Pot Pie. It may seem daunting to make this savory dish, but trust us, it’s not when you use Queenhobo’s easy recipe. Most people stress about the crust, but you don’t have to when you use canned biscuits instead of a traditional topping. The thick biscuit […]




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Medien in der Corona-Krise, Hass und Angriffe, Attila Hildmanns Medienspiel

1. ZAPP spezial: Medien in der Corona-Krise (ndr.de, Annette Leiterer & Gudrun Kirfel & Daniel Bouhs & Tim Kukral & Caroline Schmidt & Sebastian Asmus & Andrea Brack Peña) Das NDR-Medienmagazin „Zapp“ widmet sich in einer halbstündigen Sendung den verschiedenen Auswirkungen der Corona-Krise auf die Medienbranche. Es geht unter anderem um Rekordreichweiten durch Corona, um Rettungspakete […]



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DER SPIEGEL Football Leaks Exclusive: Cristiano Ronaldo Rape Allegation

An American woman goes to the police in Las Vegas. She claims she has been raped by an athlete: global football star Cristiano Ronaldo. What really happened has never been resolved because lawyers settled the case with a payment of $375,000 by the Real Madrid star. By SPIEGEL Staff




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DER SPIEGEL Statement on Relotius Fraud Case

Claas Relotius wrote many seemingly excellent feature stories for DER SPIEGEL, but unfortunately most of them apparently contain fabricated passages. We are sorry about what has happened and we are investigating with the requisite humility.




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Scott D. Pierce: It’s irresponsible for Salt Lake City TV stations to celebrate the 5-year-old who stole his family’s SUV




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Op-Ed: Getting through the quarantine one puzzle piece at a time

The days run together during the coronavirus quarantine, but a jigsaw puzzle and a brief family moment help define them.




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D.J. "Shangela" Pierce: Quaran-Queen

Drag queen D.J. "Shangela" Pierce talks about RuPaul's Drag Race and the new HBO series, We're Here.




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LAUSD packs 400,000 meals, prepares for months of 'grab-and-go.' Recipients express relief

One man wore plastic gloves and a face mask as he pulled up in a pickup to receive school-packed meals for his children.




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Historic Art Deco garage in Koreatown to be centerpiece of new apartment-retail complex

The structure is a rare example of Art Deco style used for a garage. It will still be used to park cars but also will have amenities for apartment tenants.




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Review: 'A White, White Day' delivers a superb psychological puzzle worth piecing together

Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason's award-winning second feature, "A White, White Day," is a gripping, ruminative drama of grief and revenge.




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Review: 'The Wretched' is a nifty horror film with shades of both Spielberg and Hitchcock

The Pierce Brothers honor their influences with "The Wretched," and mask familiarity with atmosphere and suspense.




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Intimate portraits piece together the puzzle of Natalie Wood, the person and mother

Natalie Wood's daughter, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner, has written a memoir of life with the legend and produced an HBO documentary about her career.




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Piers Morgan sends bleak warning to Liverpool and Leeds fans about ending the season



Piers Morgan believes the Premier League and EFL campaigns should be voided because of the COVID-19 outbreak.




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Princess Anne mysterious gold jewellery in new video - rare sighting of little-known piece



PRINCESS ANNE, 69, appeared in a video on the Royal Family Instagram to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife. A video of the Princess Royal, the Queen's only daughter, was posted to the IGTV of the account.




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Mizkan Euro recalls Branston Pickle products because they may contain pieces of plastic

Mizkan Euro Ltd is recalling Branston Pickle products because they may contain pieces of plastic.




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Coop recalls Frozen Hash Browns because they may contain pieces of white plastic

Coop is recalling Frozen Hash Browns because they may contain pieces of white plastic. The possible presence of plastic makes this product unsafe to eat.




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Unilever recalls Wall’s Mini Calippo multi-packs because they may contain small pieces of metal

Unilever is recalling Wall’s Mini Calippo (Orange and Lemon-Lime) multi-packs because they may contain small pieces of metal. The presence of metal makes this product unsafe to eat.




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Piers Morgan says Kate Garraway's husband is 'fighting for his life' in emotional post



PIERS MORGAN - a host on Good Morning Britain - issued a warning on Twitter for the public to not be "complacent' as he issued a reminder about his co-star Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper who he said is "fighting for his life" following his hospital admission with coronavirus.




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These are dark days but shafts of light are piercing the gloom, says LEO McKINSTRY



Our immediate economic prospects for this country could hardly look grimmer. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Britain is on track for the worst slump in decades. In alarming terms, the extent of the recession was set out by a report this week from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.




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Iranian spies ‘smuggle millions to terrorists’ in Lebanon and Syria



IRANIAN agents are delivering suitcases stuffed with £800,000 in cash to Hezbollah terrorists despite the Islamic state begging for financial help to deal with coronavirus, it is claimed.




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Do not tell Piers to mind his language, says ANN WIDDECOMBE



OH, FOR pity's sake! Death is stalking the country, the NHS is over-run, the economy is crashing on a seismic scale but Ofcom is pontificating about broadcaster Piers Morgan's mimicry of a Chinese accent calling it "offensive and racist". Get a life, dears!




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'An unexpected paternity leave': How Charlie Kimball has kept occupied during IndyCar's pause

He expected to be incredibly busy immediately after the birth of his son Gordon, but Charlie Kimball has thoroughly enjoyed more family time.

       




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Meet Luke, the 2019 Mayberry Cafe Opie look-alike winner

Luke Land, 3, of Danville, Ind., is Mayberry Cafe's 2019 Opie look-alike winner.

      




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It'll be Plainfield vs. Brownsburg in Hendricks County finals, though Bulldogs missing a key piece

Brownsburg upended Plainfield on Dec. 7 but the Bulldogs will be missing a key player when the two teams meet in the Hendricks County finals.

      




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IndyStar staffers try McDonald's new apple pie, and the results are mixed

An iconic fast-food item is going through its midlife crisis. But is McDonald's new apple pie really living its best life in its new body?

      




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Check out the Centerpiece Home at the Indianapolis Home Show

Built around an Arts & Crafts theme, this year's Centerpiece Home shows off natural tones and details from Japan and the American late 1800s.

      




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Regions and territories: St Pierre and Miquelon

An overview of the sole French territory in North America




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The more ominous part of the Trump Sharpie incident

Trump’s attempted manipulations of official metrics degrade our democracy, economy and public safety.




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Rhubarb Custard Pie

Tart rhubarb and creamy custard—sweetened with just a hint of orange zest and nestled inside a flaky crust—are a match made in rustic pie heaven. This no-fuss single crust pie takes only a few minutes to prepare.

Continue reading "Rhubarb Custard Pie" »




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AT#662 - Travel to the Piedmont Region of Italy

Hear about travel to Barolo and the Piedmont region of Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Betsy and Greg Ball from eurotravelcoach.com about this wine region that they love.





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Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces

23 June 2015

20150623SyriaEconomy.jpg

Photo: Getty Images/Stringer.

On Tuesday 23 June, Chatham House will publish Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces, a comprehensive account of the state of the Syrian economy and its prospects. The paper, by David Butter, associate fellow on the Middle East and North Africa Programme, finds that:

  • Syria's economy has contracted by more than 50 per cent in real terms since 2011, with the biggest losses in output coming in the energy and manufacturing sectors. Agriculture has assumed a bigger role in national output in relative terms, but food production has fallen sharply as a result of the conflict.
  • Inflation has averaged 51 per cent between January 2012 and March 2015, according to the monthly data issued by the government, and the Syrian pound has depreciated by about 80 per cent since the start of the conflict.
  • In the first half of 2015, the regime has shown increasing signs of strain on both the military and the economic fronts. The regime has lost ground to rebel forces, and the Syrian pound has depreciated at the fastest rate since the conflict began.
  • Continued support from Iran, in the form of oil supplies and import credits, will come with political and economic conditions.
  • The question arises as to whether a dramatic worsening in the economic situation might be the catalyst for the regime’s military collapse or for an externally imposed political settlement against Assad’s wishes; or whether further military setbacks might be the trigger for the government’s economic collapse.

Editor's notes

Read Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces

This paper is the first research output of the Middle East and North Africa Programme’s flagship project, Syria and its Neighbours, a multiyear research initiative examining the long-term impact of the conflict on neighbouring countries.

Contacts

Press Office

+44 (0)20 7957 5739




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Virtual Roundtable: Re-integration or Dis-integration: What Does the Future Hold for Occupied Donbas?

Invitation Only Research Event

28 April 2020 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Event participants

Paul D’anieri, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, University of California, Riverside
Vlad Mykhnenko, Associate Professor of Sustainable Urban Development, St Peter’s College, University of Oxford
Chair: Orysia Lutsevych, Research Fellow and Manager, Ukraine Forum, Chatham House

The armed conflict in Donbas has now entered its seventh year. President Zelenskyy, who came to power in May 2019, promised to end the war with Russia and bring peace to Ukraine.

Since assuming office, Zelenskyy has managed to revive the Normandy Format talks, complete military disengagement at three points along the line of contact and negotiate the release of over a hundred Ukrainians held as prisoners of war in Russia. However, ceasefire violations continue to occur frequently.

Looking at the origins of the armed conflict in Donbas and the region’s economic role in Ukraine’s economy, this event discusses the prospects for conflict resolution. Do the recent events signify an opportunity for peace? Does Zelenskyy have a viable plan for re-integrating Donbas or will the region be cut off from mainland Ukraine for the foreseeable future?

The speakers assess the strategy and track record of the Ukrainian government and its Western allies in bringing parts of the occupied Donbas under Kyiv’s control. They also review possible policy implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the conflict.

Anna Morgan

Administrator, Ukraine Forum
+44 (0)20 7389 3274




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The Golan Heights: ripples of civil war in Israel's little piece of Syria

5 June 2014 , Volume 70, Number 3

The Golan Heights is home to thousands of Druze who cling on tenaciously while looking over their shoulder at the chaos in their homeland

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Israeli soldiers deployed on the border look towards Syria. Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty




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Secrecy, spies and the global South: intelligence studies beyond the 'Five Eyes' alliance

6 November 2019 , Volume 95, Number 6

Zakia Shiraz and Richard J. Aldrich

The study of secrecy and spies remain subjects dominated by Anglo-American experiences. In recent years there has been some effort to refocus the lens of research upon ‘intelligence elsewhere’, including the global South. This is partly because of intense interest in the Arab Spring and ‘managed democracy’, placing a wider range of secret services under the spotlight. However, the approach to research is still dominated by concepts and methods derived from studying the English-speaking states of the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance and their European outriders. This article calls for a re-examination of research strategies for Intelligence Studies and for those theorizing surveillance, suggesting that both fields have much to learn from area studies and development studies, especially in the realm of research practice and ethics. If the growing number of academics specializing in intelligence genuinely wish to move forward and examine the global South they will need to rethink their tool-kit and learn from other disciplines. We suggest there is a rich tradition to draw upon.




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CBD News: The CBD Secretariat is launching an e-Newsletter on "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)" today, to inform CBD National Focal Points and other interested recipients about the biodiversity aspects of this




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CBD News: The June 2014 edition of the CBD's business.2020 magazine puts the focus on Canada, looking at some of the issues affecting business and biodiversity in the host country of the Secretariat, and includes a feature interview with Pierre Gratto




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CBD News: Two major pieces of research reveal the clear and present danger biodiversity loss and climate change pose to the health, security and well-being of humanity.




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Uniqueness for the inverse boundary value problem of piecewise homogeneous anisotropic elasticity in the time domain

Cătălin I. Cârstea, Gen Nakamura and Lauri Oksanen
Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 373 (2020), 3423-3443.
Abstract, references and article information




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Puppies, Kittens, and the Golden Ratio




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Interleukin-12 electroporation may sensitize 'cold' melanomas to immunotherapies

(American Association for Cancer Research) Combining intratumoral electroporation of interleukin-12 (IL-12) DNA (tavokinogene telseplasmid, or TAVO) with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) led to clinical responses in patients with immunologically quiescent advanced melanoma, according to results from a phase II trial.




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Recipients of 2020 Gruber Cosmology Prize announced

(International Astronomical Union) The Gruber Cosmology Prize, which is co-sponsored by the IAU, recognises scientists whose discoveries have driven fundamental advances in our understanding of the Universe. The 2020 prize has been awarded to Lars Hernquist and Volker Springel for their pioneering work on cosmological simulations, which have not only led to their own discoveries, but also become an invaluable resource used widely by other researchers.




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Russian hackers accessed emails from Merkel's constituency office: Der Spiegel

Russia's GRU military intelligence service appears to have got hold of many emails from Chancellor Angela Merkel's constituency office in a 2015 hack attack on Germany's parliament, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday, without citing its sources. A spokesman for the German government had no immediate comment. Der Spiegel said federal criminal police and the federal cyber agency had been able to partially reconstruct the attack and found that two email inboxes from Merkel's office had been targeted.