diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index fa6a584..817e988 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: create test db for sqlx
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install sqlite3
-          cd database_interactions/sqlx_todo
-          cp .env.example .env
-          cat schema.sql | sqlite3 test.db
-          chmod a+rwx test.db
+          cargo install sqlx-cli --no-default-features --features=rustls,sqlite
+          cd basics/todo
+          sqlx database create
+          chmod a+rwx todo.db
+          sqlx migrate run
 
       - name: cargo check
         uses: actions-rs/cargo@v1
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d7ffba8..79252ec 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1258,9 +1258,8 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "actix-web 4.0.0-rc.2",
  "env_logger 0.9.0",
- "failure",
- "futures",
- "num_cpus",
+ "futures-util",
+ "log",
  "r2d2",
  "r2d2_sqlite",
  "rusqlite",
@@ -2256,7 +2255,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "byteorder",
  "chrono",
  "diesel_derives",
- "libsqlite3-sys",
+ "libsqlite3-sys 0.9.1",
  "pq-sys",
  "r2d2",
  "uuid 0.8.2",
@@ -2371,6 +2370,9 @@ name = "either"
 version = "1.6.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "e78d4f1cc4ae33bbfc157ed5d5a5ef3bc29227303d595861deb238fcec4e9457"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde 1.0.136",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "encoding_rs"
@@ -2503,6 +2505,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "miniz_oxide",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "flume"
+version = "0.10.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5d04dafd11240188e146b6f6476a898004cace3be31d4ec5e08e216bf4947ac0"
+dependencies = [
+ "futures-core",
+ "futures-sink",
+ "pin-project 1.0.10",
+ "spin 0.9.2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "fnv"
 version = "1.0.7"
@@ -3462,9 +3476,19 @@ checksum = "565dbd88872dbe4cc8a46e527f26483c1d1f7afa6b884a3bd6cd893d4f98da74"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "libsqlite3-sys"
-version = "0.22.2"
+version = "0.9.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "290b64917f8b0cb885d9de0f9959fe1f775d7fa12f1da2db9001c1c8ab60f89d"
+checksum = "0e9eb7b8e152b6a01be6a4a2917248381875758250dc3df5d46caf9250341dda"
+dependencies = [
+ "pkg-config",
+ "vcpkg",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "libsqlite3-sys"
+version = "0.23.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d2cafc7c74096c336d9d27145f7ebd4f4b6f95ba16aa5a282387267e6925cb58"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "pkg-config",
@@ -4622,9 +4646,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "r2d2_sqlite"
-version = "0.18.0"
+version = "0.19.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9d24607049214c5e42d3df53ac1d8a23c34cc6a5eefe3122acb2c72174719959"
+checksum = "54ca3c9468a76fc2ad724c486a59682fc362efeac7b18d1c012958bc19f34800"
 dependencies = [
  "r2d2",
  "rusqlite",
@@ -5033,15 +5057,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rusqlite"
-version = "0.25.4"
+version = "0.26.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "5c4b1eaf239b47034fb450ee9cdedd7d0226571689d8823030c4b6c2cb407152"
+checksum = "4ba4d3462c8b2e4d7f4fcfcf2b296dc6b65404fbbc7b63daa37fd485c149daf7"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
  "fallible-iterator",
  "fallible-streaming-iterator",
  "hashlink",
- "libsqlite3-sys",
+ "libsqlite3-sys 0.23.2",
  "memchr",
  "smallvec",
 ]
@@ -5595,6 +5619,9 @@ name = "spin"
 version = "0.9.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "511254be0c5bcf062b019a6c89c01a664aa359ded62f78aa72c6fc137c0590e5"
+dependencies = [
+ "lock_api",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlformat"
@@ -5609,9 +5636,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlx"
-version = "0.5.9"
+version = "0.5.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7911b0031a0247af40095838002999c7a52fba29d9739e93326e71a5a1bc9d43"
+checksum = "692749de69603d81e016212199d73a2e14ee20e2def7d7914919e8db5d4d48b9"
 dependencies = [
  "sqlx-core",
  "sqlx-macros",
@@ -5619,9 +5646,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlx-core"
-version = "0.5.9"
+version = "0.5.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "aec89bfaca8f7737439bad16d52b07f1ccd0730520d3bf6ae9d069fe4b641fb1"
+checksum = "518be6f6fff5ca76f985d434f9c37f3662af279642acf730388f271dff7b9016"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "atoi",
@@ -5633,22 +5660,25 @@ dependencies = [
  "crossbeam-queue",
  "crossbeam-utils 0.8.6",
  "either",
+ "flume",
  "futures-channel",
  "futures-core",
+ "futures-executor",
  "futures-intrusive",
  "futures-util",
  "hashlink",
  "hex",
  "indexmap",
- "itoa 0.4.8",
+ "itoa 1.0.1",
  "libc",
- "libsqlite3-sys",
+ "libsqlite3-sys 0.23.2",
  "log",
  "memchr",
  "once_cell",
  "parking_lot",
  "percent-encoding",
  "rustls 0.19.1",
+ "serde 1.0.136",
  "sha2 0.9.9",
  "smallvec",
  "sqlformat",
@@ -5659,21 +5689,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "url",
  "webpki 0.21.4",
  "webpki-roots 0.21.1",
- "whoami",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlx-macros"
-version = "0.5.9"
+version = "0.5.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "584866c833511b1a152e87a7ee20dee2739746f60c858b3c5209150bc4b466f5"
+checksum = "38e45140529cf1f90a5e1c2e561500ca345821a1c513652c8f486bbf07407cc8"
 dependencies = [
  "dotenv",
  "either",
  "heck 0.3.3",
+ "hex",
  "once_cell",
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
+ "serde 1.0.136",
+ "serde_json",
  "sha2 0.9.9",
  "sqlx-core",
  "sqlx-rt",
@@ -5687,27 +5719,11 @@ version = "0.5.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "8061cbaa91ee75041514f67a09398c65a64efed72c90151ecd47593bad53da99"
 dependencies = [
- "actix-rt 2.6.0",
  "once_cell",
  "tokio 1.16.1",
  "tokio-rustls 0.22.0",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "sqlx_todo"
-version = "1.0.0"
-dependencies = [
- "actix-web 4.0.0-rc.2",
- "anyhow",
- "dotenv",
- "env_logger 0.9.0",
- "futures",
- "log",
- "serde 1.0.136",
- "serde_json",
- "sqlx",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "standback"
 version = "0.2.17"
@@ -6124,13 +6140,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "actix-files 0.6.0-beta.16",
  "actix-session 0.5.0-beta.7",
  "actix-web 4.0.0-rc.2",
- "diesel",
  "dotenv",
  "env_logger 0.9.0",
- "futures",
+ "futures-util",
  "log",
  "serde 1.0.136",
  "serde_json",
+ "sqlx",
  "tera",
 ]
 
@@ -7070,16 +7086,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio-util 0.3.1",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "whoami"
-version = "1.2.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "524b58fa5a20a2fb3014dd6358b70e6579692a56ef6fce928834e488f42f65e8"
-dependencies = [
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "web-sys",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "widestring"
 version = "0.4.3"
diff --git a/basics/json-validation/src/main.rs b/basics/json-validation/src/main.rs
index fe75c48..b7253b9 100644
--- a/basics/json-validation/src/main.rs
+++ b/basics/json-validation/src/main.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ async fn create_something(
 async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
     env_logger::init_from_env(env_logger::Env::new().default_filter_or("info"));
 
-    log::info!("starting HTTP serer at http://localhost:8080");
+    log::info!("starting HTTP server at http://localhost:8080");
 
     HttpServer::new(|| {
         App::new()
diff --git a/basics/todo/src/main.rs b/basics/todo/src/main.rs
index b216e3d..fd8857b 100644
--- a/basics/todo/src/main.rs
+++ b/basics/todo/src/main.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
         .await
         .expect("Failed to create pool");
 
-    log::info!("starting HTTP serer at http://localhost:8080");
+    log::info!("starting HTTP server at http://localhost:8080");
 
     HttpServer::new(move || {
         log::debug!("Constructing the App");
diff --git a/database_interactions/basic/.gitignore b/database_interactions/basic/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83cb498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database_interactions/basic/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+weather.db
+weather.db-*
diff --git a/database_interactions/basic/Cargo.toml b/database_interactions/basic/Cargo.toml
index 2a664c5..10eadc3 100644
--- a/database_interactions/basic/Cargo.toml
+++ b/database_interactions/basic/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
-actix-web = "4.0.0-rc.1"
-env_logger = "0.9.0"
-failure = "0.1.7"
-futures = "0.3.1"
-num_cpus = "1.13"
-r2d2 = "0.8.2"
-r2d2_sqlite = "0.18.0"
-rusqlite = "0.25.4"
-serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
-serde_json = "1.0"
+actix-web = "4.0.0-rc.2"
+
+env_logger = "0.9"
+futures-util = { version = "0.3", default-features = false, features = ["std"] }
+log = "0.4"
+r2d2 = "0.8"
+r2d2_sqlite = "0.19"
+rusqlite = "0.26"
+serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = "1"
diff --git a/database_interactions/basic/src/db.rs b/database_interactions/basic/src/db.rs
index d8515bc..d21213d 100644
--- a/database_interactions/basic/src/db.rs
+++ b/database_interactions/basic/src/db.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-use actix_web::{error::InternalError, http::StatusCode, web};
-use failure::Error;
+use actix_web::{error, web, Error};
 use rusqlite::Statement;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::{thread::sleep, time::Duration};
@@ -22,26 +21,26 @@ pub enum Queries {
     GetTopTenColdestMonths,
 }
 
-pub async fn execute(
-    pool: &Pool,
-    query: Queries,
-) -> Result<Vec<WeatherAgg>, InternalError<Error>> {
+pub async fn execute(pool: &Pool, query: Queries) -> Result<Vec<WeatherAgg>, Error> {
     let pool = pool.clone();
+
+    let conn = web::block(move || pool.get())
+        .await?
+        .map_err(error::ErrorInternalServerError)?;
+
     web::block(move || {
         // simulate an expensive query, see comments at top of main.rs
         sleep(Duration::from_secs(2));
 
-        let result = match query {
-            Queries::GetTopTenHottestYears => get_hottest_years(pool.get()?),
-            Queries::GetTopTenColdestYears => get_coldest_years(pool.get()?),
-            Queries::GetTopTenHottestMonths => get_hottest_months(pool.get()?),
-            Queries::GetTopTenColdestMonths => get_coldest_months(pool.get()?),
-        };
-        result.map_err(Error::from)
+        match query {
+            Queries::GetTopTenHottestYears => get_hottest_years(conn),
+            Queries::GetTopTenColdestYears => get_coldest_years(conn),
+            Queries::GetTopTenHottestMonths => get_hottest_months(conn),
+            Queries::GetTopTenColdestMonths => get_coldest_months(conn),
+        }
     })
-    .await
-    .unwrap()
-    .map_err(|e| InternalError::new(e, StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR))
+    .await?
+    .map_err(error::ErrorInternalServerError)
 }
 
 fn get_hottest_years(conn: Connection) -> WeatherAggResult {
diff --git a/database_interactions/basic/src/main.rs b/database_interactions/basic/src/main.rs
index 5c29502..906692f 100644
--- a/database_interactions/basic/src/main.rs
+++ b/database_interactions/basic/src/main.rs
@@ -1,28 +1,27 @@
-/* Actix-Web Asynchronous Database Example
+//! Actix Web Asynchronous Database Example
+//!
+//! This project illustrates expensive and blocking database requests that runs
+//! in a thread-pool using `web::block` with two examples:
+//!
+//!     1. An asynchronous handler that executes 4 queries in *sequential order*,
+//!        collecting the results and returning them as a single serialized json object
+//!
+//!     2. An asynchronous handler that executes 4 queries in *parallel*,
+//!        collecting the results and returning them as a single serialized json object
+//!
+//!     Note: The use of sleep(Duration::from_secs(2)); in db.rs is to make performance
+//!           improvement with parallelism more obvious.
 
-This project illustrates expensive and blocking database requests that runs
-in a thread-pool using `web::block` with two examples:
-
-    1. An asynchronous handler that executes 4 queries in *sequential order*,
-       collecting the results and returning them as a single serialized json object
-
-    2. An asynchronous handler that executes 4 queries in *parallel*,
-       collecting the results and returning them as a single serialized json object
-
-    Note: The use of sleep(Duration::from_secs(2)); in db.rs is to make performance
-          improvement with parallelism more obvious.
- */
 use std::io;
 
 use actix_web::{middleware, web, App, Error as AWError, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
-use futures::future::join_all;
+use futures_util::future::join_all;
 use r2d2_sqlite::{self, SqliteConnectionManager};
 
 mod db;
 use db::{Pool, Queries};
 
 /// Version 1: Calls 4 queries in sequential order, as an asynchronous handler
-#[allow(clippy::eval_order_dependence)] // it's FP?
 async fn asyncio_weather(db: web::Data<Pool>) -> Result<HttpResponse, AWError> {
     let result = vec![
         db::execute(&db, Queries::GetTopTenHottestYears).await?,
@@ -50,14 +49,15 @@ async fn parallel_weather(db: web::Data<Pool>) -> Result<HttpResponse, AWError>
 
 #[actix_web::main]
 async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
-    std::env::set_var("RUST_LOG", "actix_web=info");
-    env_logger::init();
+    env_logger::init_from_env(env_logger::Env::new().default_filter_or("info"));
 
-    // Start N db executor actors (N = number of cores avail)
+    // connect to SQLite DB
     let manager = SqliteConnectionManager::file("weather.db");
     let pool = Pool::new(manager).unwrap();
 
-    // Start http server
+    log::info!("starting HTTP server at http://localhost:8080");
+
+    // start HTTP server
     HttpServer::new(move || {
         App::new()
             // store db pool as Data object
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
                     .route(web::get().to(parallel_weather)),
             )
     })
-    .bind("127.0.0.1:8080")?
+    .bind(("127.0.0.1", 8080))?
+    .workers(2)
     .run()
     .await
 }
diff --git a/other/http-proxy/src/main.rs b/other/http-proxy/src/main.rs
index 8d2a134..63d2a63 100644
--- a/other/http-proxy/src/main.rs
+++ b/other/http-proxy/src/main.rs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
     let forward_url = Url::parse(&forward_url).unwrap();
 
     log::info!(
-        "starting HTTP serer at http://{}:{}",
+        "starting HTTP server at http://{}:{}",
         &args.listen_addr,
         args.listen_port
     );
diff --git a/other/run-in-thread/src/main.rs b/other/run-in-thread/src/main.rs
index a00a7db..088b7f8 100644
--- a/other/run-in-thread/src/main.rs
+++ b/other/run-in-thread/src/main.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ async fn index(req: HttpRequest) -> &'static str {
 }
 
 async fn run_app(tx: mpsc::Sender<ServerHandle>) -> std::io::Result<()> {
-    log::info!("starting HTTP serer at http://localhost:8080");
+    log::info!("starting HTTP server at http://localhost:8080");
 
     // srv is server controller type, `dev::Server`
     let server = HttpServer::new(|| {
diff --git a/security/awc_https/src/main.rs b/security/awc_https/src/main.rs
index 986783d..4d2f851 100644
--- a/security/awc_https/src/main.rs
+++ b/security/awc_https/src/main.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
 
     let client_tls_config = Arc::new(rustls_config());
 
-    log::info!("starting HTTP serer at http://localhost:8080");
+    log::info!("starting HTTP server at http://localhost:8080");
 
     HttpServer::new(move || {
         // create client _inside_ `HttpServer::new` closure to have one per worker thread
diff --git a/weather.db b/weather.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29