New and used merchandise, hand made crafts, fine jewelry, jewelry repair, silver, gold, diamonds, stainless steel rings, charms, necklaces, sterling silver beads, food, watch repairs, cellphone accessory, beauty supplies, antiques, toys and Amish food. Please come and see us. Find us on Facebook.
Market Hours: Open Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 8am-4pm, Sunday 8am-4pm.


Two years ago, I saw the Frank Oz directed British comedice masterpiece Death at a Funeral. It was such an amazing film (as are all directed by the voice of Yoda – yes THAT Frank Oz).
Here is the original British Trailer. I LOVE this movie. I honestly don't understand the need for an immediate remake, but that's Hollywood, I guess. Do you really think a remake was necessary?


Page 303 - Gallery Design of Wonderful Home Interior | Eileendcrowley Wrought Iron Bar Stool. Solar Porch Lights. Small Whirlpool Tubs.
collection of galleries from Wonderful Home Interior like Wrought Iron Bar Stool. Solar Porch Lights. Small Whirlpool Tubs. and other designs you might like Outdoor Round Daybed. Tile For Bathroom Walls. Interior Glass Doors. Decorations For Kitchen Counters. Cheap Vintage Furniture. Small Plastic Trash Can. Can I Paint My Bathtub.


1. L- Arginine can be used as nutritional supplement; flavoring agent. For adult non-essential amino acids, but the body produce slower, as the essential amino acids for infants and young children, certain detoxification. Heated reaction with sugar available special flavor. Infusion of amino acids and amino acids essential component of preparation. GB2760-2001 provides for the use of food with spices.
2. L- Arginine ornithine cycle is an integral component, has an extremely important physiological functions. Eat arginine, can increase the activity of liver arginase, helps the blood ammonia into urea and excreted out. Therefore, arginine for hyperammonemia, liver dysfunction and other diseases quite effective.
3. L- Arginine is an amino acid base pairs, for adults, although not essential amino acids, but in some cases, such as immature or organism under conditions of severe stress, the absence of arginine, the body can not maintain positive nitrogen balance and normal physiological function. Lack of arginine may lead to the patient if the ammonia is too high, and even coma. If infants with congenital lack of certain enzymes of the urea cycle, arginine it is necessary, or can not maintain its normal growth and development.
4. L- Arginine important metabolic function is to promote wound healing, it can promote the synthesis of collagen, it can repair the wound. Secretion of fluid in the wound can be observed the increase of arginase activity, which also shows that the wound in the vicinity of the arginine requirement substantially. Arginine can promote micro-circulation around the wound and promote wound healing as soon as possible.


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Fourcade ist der Familienname folgender Personen:

 Bertrand Fourcade (* 1942), französischer Rugby-Union-Trainer
 Florence Fourcade (* 1961), französische Jazzmusikerin
 Georges Henri Fourcade (1866–1948), südafrikanischer Forstbotaniker
 Jean-Pierre Fourcade (* 1929), französischer Politiker
 Marceau Fourcade (1905–??), französischer Ruderer
 Marie-Madeleine Fourcade (1909–1989), französische Widerstandskämpferin und Politikerin
 Marion Fourcade (* 1968), französische Soziologin
 Martin Fourcade (* 1988), französischer Biathlet
 Simon Fourcade (* 1984), französischer Biathlet

Sonstiges:
 Fourcade-Gletscher, Gletscher auf King George Island im Archipel der Südlichen Shetlandinseln, Antarktis
 Mount Fourcade, Berg im Grahamland, Antarktika

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Thurloe Square, SW7
Road in/near South Kensington, existing between the 1820s and now
Road · South Kensington · SW7 ·
Thurloe Square is a traditional garden square in South Kensington.
The square is named after John Thurloe, an advisor of Oliver Cromwell, who owned the land in the seventeenth century.
A godson - John Alexander - of his descendant, Harris Brace developed the area in the 1820s.
There are private communal gardens in the centre of the square for use by the local residents.
VIEW THE SOUTH KENSINGTON AREA IN THE 1750s
South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines.
It is hard to define boundaries for South Kensington, but it is generally talking about the commercial area around the tube station. The smaller centre around Gloucester Road station can also be considered part of South Kensington, as well as the institution area around Exhibition Road, which includes such famous names as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Royal College of Music.
Large numbers of French, Spanish and Italian citizens live in the area. A significant French presence is evidenced by the location of the consulate, the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle - a large French secondary school opposite the Natural History Museum - and the French Institute, home to a French cinema. There are also several French bookshops in the area.
Central London, south west (1901) FREE DOWNLOAD
Central London, south west.
Cary's New And Accurate Plan of London and Westminster (1818) FREE DOWNLOAD
Cary's map provides a detailed view of London. With print date of 1 January 1818, Cary's map has 27 panels arranged in 3 rows of 9 panels, each measuring approximately 6 1/2 by 10 5/8 inches. The complete map measures 32 1/8 by 59 1/2 inches. Digitising this map has involved aligning the panels into one contiguous map.
John Rocque Map of London (1762) FREE DOWNLOAD
John Rocque (c. 1709–1762) was a surveyor, cartographer, engraver, map-seller and the son of Huguenot émigrés. Roque is now mainly remembered for his maps of London. This map dates from the second edition produced in 1762. London and his other maps brought him an appointment as cartographer to the Prince of Wales in 1751. His widow continued the business after his death. The map covers central London at a reduced level of detail compared with his 1745-6 map.
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (1843) FREE DOWNLOAD
Engraved map. Hand coloured.
Engraved map. Hand coloured. Insets: A view of the Tower from London Bridge -- A view of London from Copenhagen Fields. Includes views of facades of 25 structures "A comparison of the principal buildings of London."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Cable Extension for the Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor will allow you to extend your connection by 10 feet, allowing you to place your Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor virtually anywhere in your living space. The Cable Extension is great for all but will best appeal to consumers with large living spaces and entertainment centers. This design has been inspected and approved by Microsoft.


The company has recently completed the design and installation of a modular coffee shop and additional kitchen equipment at a company's new European headquarters in Glasgow.
An important part of the company's plans for the new premises was the design and installation of a kitchen, coffee shop and snack bar to cater for management, staff and visitors to the building.
'We wanted a modular system that was as good as a custom-built solution at a reasonable price, and were fortunate to receive the ideal proposal from QED. An important consideration from us was the use of a rustic, natural wood finish for the fascia of the counters, which would be in harmony with our organic principles.
The equipment that QED supplied is from their exclusive Continental Coffee Shop System. It includes a drop-in patisserie counter with front and rear sliding doors for serve-over and self-service operation, together with matching bar modules. The units are clad in distressed, reclaimed wood with granite and wooden worktops.
Behind the counters, QED has installed a compact kitchen facility that includes stainless steel sinks, worktops, a dishwasher and coffee machine. A special feature of the kitchen area is an Eau de Vie Multitap drinking water system, which dispenses filtered, chilled still or sparkling water, together with hot water for hot drinks, all from one easy-to-operate tap.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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BUY SCOTCOIN
Blockchain, Bitcoin and what the difference means to you
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You are here: Home / News / How Cryptocurrencies Already Help Sovereign Nations
How Cryptocurrencies Already Help Sovereign Nations
August 29, 2019 /in News /by C Wylie
Article by Scotcoin's own Temple Melville published in City AM on 28/8/19
Cryptocurrencies are almost as old as money itself. Indeed, crypto simply means concealed or secret. So the first man (or woman) who tried to exchange some rocks for a sheep could be said to have been using a crypto currency. Up to that point a sheep had been worth 15 chickens. It's simple, really. You attribute a symbolic sense to something you do not see.
Finance Houses and liquidity
Move on to the 1600s when after the Thirty Years War belief in what then passed for "money" was at a low. Something else had to be found, and it was, in the shape of strong finance houses with robust links to other similar houses. They issued their own currencies when the State currencies could no longer be trusted. Move on again to the American experience of the mid 1800s. There were over 8000 "currencies" – usually paper – being traded around the country with a big business in accepting and exchanging them. There had to be some form of currency to enable trade to take place as America expanded. These of course were seriously open to abuse and eventually the individuals and banks that had issued them had to bow to the Federal Government creating its own, reliable currency.
Liquidity created – WIR
In the 1930s there was to all intents and purposes no liquidity in any markets. Things were so bad that some of the good citizens of Zurich created their own currency to enable them to trade. This was called WIR and was, indeed, like those currencies before it, a crypto currency. Over the years it has prospered (perhaps one would expect a Swiss monetary instrument to do this) until today it is used by more than half a million people, over 70,000 businesses and transacts some CHF2.5billion annually – that's around half a percent of Swiss GDP. By doing so, it illustrates exactly what "Money" is – a trusted medium of exchange that others will accept, and a stable store of value.
Crypto today
The present crop of crypto currencies rely on digital technology to give them credibility. You can't have a run on the "Bank" for example – there isn't one. Despite being relatively small in terms of value (only some 0.1% of total world assets) they already show what digital and crypto currencies can do to enhance people's lives. As an example, if you want to send £1million to anywhere in the world, that will cost you between £20-30,000. Using a digital currency, it can be done for 50p. In fact, the Philippines is looking to create a Bitcoin transfer system for its overseas citizens. Using this system would save their economy over USD1.5 Billion a year – a significant sum in a poor country.
The three cryptos no one talks about
There are three interbank tools that are in effect digital currencies and have been for years. These are:
1. Target2 – the ECB system, the old Bundesbank system which is currently so politically in focus in respect of Italy
2. IMF SDRs – Special Drawing rights
3. The highly secret interbank settlement system at the BIS in Basle.
These three were absolutely crucial in getting the world through the 2007 crisis.
Hyun Song Shin of the BIS argued last year that cryptos (and he was specifically talking about Bitcoin) had issues with scalability and finality. At that time he was right as you would expect, but he was talking about first generation blockchain. We have since had second generation in Hyperledger, and now third generation called Permissioned Decentralised Blockchain. Facebook's Libra will largely use this system and there can be no doubt this will revolutionise the use of digital and crypto currencies world-wide. We've gone from around 35 million wallets to a potential 2.7 BILLION. But Shin's central thesis holds good – you need people to USE these new currencies to make them both trusted and useful, and having exchanged goods for the currency, the person TAKING the currency needs to find someone else to take it as well.
Cash declining
The use of cash has been declining for years in most western countries, and the Central Banks have realised that it will have to be replaced with something. To this end both Sweden and Uruguay have run full scale crypto trials which have largely been successful, though not set for full implementation anytime soon.
The use of crypto currencies can and should mean social inclusion. Whilst Central Banks' attitude remains "Bitcoin is not a good idea," the idea behind it continues to fire imaginations all around the world.
The Brixton Pound
This remains a very positive initiative which is making a real difference within Brixton. Arguably it's as old as Bitcoin. People are prepared to use it and pass it on – and the money stays in Brixton. That is different from the likes of Bitcoin which is world-wide, but it doesn't detract from the social inclusiveness of it. We look to history for lessons on the nature of money and the role of central banks in building trust in the use of money in society. The issue of trust has again come to the fore in debates on the durability of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and how far private money can supplant central bank money as a medium of exchange.
Future payment needs
In the future, physical cash or even bank transfers as we currently know them are unlikely to be the main answer. Central banks are already working on systems and digital currencies that will be trusted and used. Existing crypto-assets have exhibited a high degree of volatility and are considered an immature asset class given the lack of standardisation and constant evolution. They present a number of risks for banks, including liquidity risk; credit risk; market risk; operational risk (including fraud and cyber risks); money laundering and terrorist financing risk; and legal and reputation risks. But new know your customer and anti-money laundering rules will mitigate much of this.
In many ways, the African sub-Saharan region has become a leader in mobile money resulting in a radical change in the delivery of financial services and significant gains in financial inclusion. Where there is a lack of payment infrastructure, the use of crypto currencies immediately enhances trade and social inclusion. You only have to think of Eastern Europe which hardly had a fixed line telephone system before 1989, and suddenly every man and his dog had a mobile phone, leapfrogging to a new world.
Christine Lagarde in an excellent speech to the November 2018 Singapore Fintech Conference, has posed the question – should central banks issue a new digital form of money?
Arguably they already have. As such, it can only be seen as a force for good.
Tags: bitcoin, Brixton Pound, Cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency growth, Sovereign Nations
https://scotcoinproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/bank-bitcoin-blockchain-315785.jpg 439 640 C Wylie https://scotcoinproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Scotcoin_340x156.png C Wylie2019-08-29 16:03:272019-08-29 16:03:28How Cryptocurrencies Already Help Sovereign Nations
Keeping Scotcoin Scottish
The EU Referendum and Your Money
What Is A Ponzi Scheme & Why Bitcoin Is Not One
Scotcoin In The News
Whither Scotcoin
Scotcoin needs Bitcoin!
Pennies to Pounds
Cryptocurrency FAQs
Ethereum users
Scotcoin as history
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The Premier Tseng-chang Su Promised to Cover Expenses on the Upgrade of Traditional Markets
The Premier Tseng-chang Su Promised to Cover Expenses on the Upgrade of Traditional Markets and Entrusted the Secretary-General of Exercise Yuan to Assist Chiayi City on the Infrastructure with the Budget of NT $57.45 Billion
City Meat Market / Economic Affairs Department / Tourism and Information Department
Premier Tseng-chang Su went to Chiayi City Meat Market today along with Mayor Ming-hui Huang, Legislator Mei-hui Wang, Legislator Yu-shia Wen and a few city councilors to listen to the presentation given by the Council of Agriculture and to understand the whole processing line of the market. Huang strived for the subsidy from the Central Government to cover the whole expense on the update of the meat market's cold chain and of other traditional markets. Huang even explained the essential role Chiayi City plays in the Southwest of Taiwan to Su in favor of the budget of NT $57.45 billion for culture development, transportation and infrastructure of Chiayi City to be supported by Executive Yuan.
The Public Stadium in the West District which Su came to Chiayi City for the other day is currently in the phase of tender. Chiayi City is in need of the upgrade on meat processing facilities under the impacts of African swine fever and the importation of pork that contains ractopamine. Meanwhile, the update on traditional markets also demands the subsidy from the Central Government.
In addition to the traditional markets in Chiayi City, Huang also told Su that Chiayi City needed help from the Central with different areas including culture and education. Chiayi City still requires NT $57.45 billion for the future construction. The cultural development requires NT $3.35 billion, covering NT $1.85 billion for the Chiayi City Library and NT $1.3 billion for the renovation of Chiayi Old Tobacco Factory. The city also requires NT $48.9 billion for transportation, covering NT $23.9 billion for the elevated railway project and NT $25 billion for the light rail transit from Chiayi HSR Station to Chiayi Railway Station. The infrastructure requires NT $5.2 billion, covering the sewage system, public parks, road construction and construction for green areas. Huang also indicated to Su that Chiayi HSR Station is the HSR station that doesn't connect to a railway station through railway.
Su decided to cover the whole expense on the upgrade in Chiayi City Meat Market after listening to the presentation to resolve the issues on cold chain and wastewater. The upgrade of other traditional markets requires the assistance of the Council of Agriculture.
In terms of the infrastructure of Chiayi City, Su has entrusted Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan to organize and assist the city. The Central would help as much as possible as long as the local governments strive for the benefits of their own administrative divisions, Su said.
During the interview by the media, Huang showed gratitude towards Su the Premier and other guests for the promise to cover the expense on the upgrade of the facilities and the cold chain in the meat market. The facilities of other traditional markets in Chiayi City will also be upgraded. Market goers can make sure to get safe products of quality.
Chiayi City Meat Market was founded in on October 4 in the year 1986, verified by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The market started selling pigs from on June 11 in 1990 and added the pig butchery in November of the year 1994. The pig trading number of the year is up to 215,749 and the number of pigs butchered is 125,762.
The meat market will be thoroughly modernized and get the HACCP verification in the future by the year, including the cold chain, the processing line, and the wastewater treatment. Chiayi City will be the first city in the Yun-Chia-Nan area which has a mest market that has HACCP and cold chain verification. The pig trading number is estimated to reach 300 thousand and the number of pigs butchered 150 thousand. The number of cows butchered will have a ten times growth that goes up to 600 a day, which equals 210 thousand a year.


"To have" is one of the most used verbs in English. That's why having this conjugation worksheet is so important. It's a great drill for Common Core Standards for 2nd through 5th grade Language, although it may be helpful for others as well.


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Wine specialist wins a double!
The Maxwells team receiving their awards
John A. MacInnes
Southside wine and beer specialist, Maxwell's, scooped two prestigious awards at the Scottish Grocer Awards last weekend.
The family business, owned by husband and wife team Onker and Jaswant, has two shops in Pollokshields and Clarkston.
They had been nominated in the categories of Licensed Retailer of the Year and Beer and Cider Retailer of the Year and walked away with both titles.
The original Maxwell's in Pollokshields opened in 2010, and the Clarkston branch opened in August last year.
Maxwell's offers around 500 wines and 300 craft beers and ales from all over the world.
They also sell a wide range of spirits and whiskies, as well as draft beers from pub-style beer taps to take home in re-fillable bottles called 'growlers'. The beers are supplied from Glasgow's own West Brewery and Williams Brothers from Alloa.
The judges said that Maxwell's in Pollokshields was a "valuable asset for local customers" and when it came to Clarkston they were impressed "not only by Onker Singh's depth of knowledge but also by the quality and confidence of his staff."
Onker said: "It was a fantastic night. We were absolutely thrilled to win Licensed Retailer of the Year, and we'd just sat down after collecting the award when we were announced as winners of the Beer and Cider Retailer of the Year too.
"We are a small team who pride ourselves in offering a fantastic range of wines, beers, ciders and spirits, all wrapped up with great customer service.
"We're so pleased to have our hard work recognised in the Scottish Grocer awards, and we hope that these wins will help us to further grow our business."
John McNee, Editor of Scottish Grocer, said: "This is the 21st year for the Scottish Grocer Awards and I have no hesitation saying it was our best yet.
"Across the board, the standard of entries was exceptional and all of our finalists deserve tremendous credit for the work they do for the industry and their communities.
"Congratulations to all our winners including Maxwells from Glasgow, who all work very hard to make convenience retail one of Scotland's most dynamic and engaging industries."
Pollok Park joins 'Green Network'


Delicious cornbread is a must!Sandwiches, soups and pies all delicious.
The restaurant is located atop the Catalina Mountains and gives a warm home style feeling. With the fireplace crackling in the back round one might think they were in a lodge in a major skiing area. Casual dining, family friendly..
Get quick answers from Iron Door At Mt Lemmon Ski Valley staff and past visitors.
Wondering about the hours of the restaurant. We are planning a dive up tomorrow.
We are closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday, Friday, and Monday we are open 10:30-4:30 and Saturday and Sunday we are open 9-4:30.
Why haven't corrected the hours of operation? I called them once about this as it says they are open until 4:30 A.M. on the days they are open.
Are you open July 4?
I am not sure if they are open, but Iron Door has a website so you can call or email them. They are normally open for breakfast and lunch, not dinner. Enjoy your 4th!


Superb quality and value! This unique style waistcoat can be worn for that special occasion - party, dinner, cruise or wedding event.
Made to the highest standards and fully lined. 6 buttons, two fob pockets and pointed tip to front panel. Rear panel is in a complimentary blue colour with adjustable band for comfort fit.


This Iyer is a little funny ...: FREE ... FREE ... FREE !!! - Is that really Free ?
FREE ... FREE ... FREE !!! - Is that really Free ?
1. Toung Cleaner for a Tooth Brush - Then why the hell i need that brush ?
3. Agarbathi's with every Vermi"Silly" Semiya - Since semiya and Agarbathi are thin, they should have got this idea.
4. Batteries with every "Washing Powder" - I think they would have thought that my washing machine runs with 2 AA batteries.
5. Ever silver bowl for anything and everything, probably thats one thing in this country which is by default given for FREE, if you dont find anything else.
Actually whatever that has been tagged FREE is not exactly FREE, take it from me, nothing in this world comes for FREE. I actually did a detailed research on this concept and when i happen to meet one of the senior person from a marketing agency, he happened to break this JINX and explained me in detail of what exactly is happening at the background when they attach the tag FREE on to it.
Let's say a product is priced at a minimum rate of Rs 5/- and for that they may give you any damn thing as FREE, in such a case you can be rest assured that the production cost of that FREE product will not be more than 0.35 paise (yeah, its true), if i say production cost, its inclusive of everything, manufacturing, packing, sealing, distributing etc etc. The next knot is, the parent company which offer this FREE stuff will be having a tie-up with the company which is actually manufacturing that "FREE" product, both ofg them sit together and then work out a business mathematics and you know what is the business deal they have ?. The FREE product manufacturer will be paying a royalty to the the parent product manufacturer which inturn is being adjusted in the overall profit of his product, that's it, and this is the bottomline. This situation is a WIN-WIN situation for both the companies.
Ok you can now ask what i am losing in that ? good question, so let me explain you that we are the ultimate losers. Ok you buy a X product for Rs 5/- and you are getting a FREE (so called) product along with that say Y, lets not get into the technical detalis like what could be the production cost for that FREE product. You have been purchasing this product of years which is priced at Rs 5/- and now even after giving some Y as FREE, then also you are paying Rs 5/- so we as consumers will look only from that angle, but actually the X product company is already making profit with this Rs 5/- and adding on to that he is getting royalty from the Y product company and adding on to that he gets a TAX rebate for the royalty he gets from the Y product company. Finally you will be the one who has to pay the TAXES for that product, but most marketing ppl include those taxes within the price and show it as "Inclusive of all Taxes", but eventually we are paying their taxes.
Ultimately you and I are the only people who meticulously pay TAXEs to our govenrment for every Re 1/- we earn, so its nothing other than our hard earned money which is being spent just by blinding our eyes with the keyword FREE.


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Continued lower sales due to pandemic but some stabilization
16 Jul, 2021, 08:30
Net sales reached SEK 6.1 (13.9) million.
Result after tax came in at SEK -19.7 (-11.7) million.
Earnings per share, basic and diluted, were SEK -0.14 (-0.08).
Cash and cash equivalents were SEK 64.8 (30.9) million.
Significant events in Q1
Enzymatica's sales in the quarter decreased compared with Q2 2020 because of the pandemic resulting in fewer common colds. However, the cold remedy market in Sweden and in other markets began to recover during the quarter.
Enzymatica's rights issue was completed on June 2nd and the company raised SEK 59.1 million before issue expenses. The issue was fully subscribed and underwritten by the company's three largest shareholders.
The Japanese Patent Office granted Enzymatica's patent for the cod enzyme, which is one of the key components in the mouth spray ColdZyme®, for the Japanese market. The patent is valid until 2036.
Enzymatica announced that the company is launching ColdZyme on Amazon in Sweden and the UK, which will improve consumer access to the product and generate increased exposure of the brand.
Charlotte Andersson was appointed new Director Quality Assurance and Stefan Olsson Head of Corporate Communications.
Net sales totaled SEK 23.1 (40.7) million.
Significants events after the quarter
On July 12 Enzymatica announced that the company has licensed exclusive rights to its German partner STADA to market and sell ViruProtect® (ColdZyme) in Vietnam. The Vietnamese self-care market is estimated to about EUR 2 billion and the Ear-Nose-Throat category to about EUR 20 million.
On July 13 Enzymatica announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Claus Egstrand, the company's current Chief Operating Officer, to new CEO for Enzymatica. He assumes the new position at the latest on January 1, 2022. Claus Egstrand replaces Therese Filmersson, who has been acting CEO since June 2020, and who will return to the role as CFO.
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with social distancing, improved hand hygiene and fewer social contacts, the cold remedy market in Sweden and internationally was down by 50 percent during the first quarter, but the markets began to stabilize during the second quarter. Enzymatica believes that the cold remedy markets will continue to recover in H2 2021 when the vaccination campaigns in the various countries are expected to be completed, primarily at the start of the cold season in the fourth quarter. The company does not see any direct other effects of COVID-19 on the business with respect to production, logistics, sickness absence, etc.
(SEK THOUSAND) Q2
2020 Full year
Net sales 6.1 13.9 23.1 40.7 111.2
Gross margin, % 29 58 47 71 68
Operating profit/loss -20.0 -11.9 -28.7 -11.7 -12.1
Cash flow from operating activities -14.4 -1.3 -13.1 -5.8 -10.7
Average number of employees 24 18 24 18 18
From the chairman: The new rights issue secures capital for further expansion
The effects of the pandemic continued to negatively impact Enzymatica's sales in the second quarter. At the same time, we see signs that the markets are beginning to recover, albeit at low levels. During the quarter, we completed a rights issue, securing the company's capital needs to continue our international expansion. Enzymatica was also awarded patent approval in the Japanese market for one of the key components in ColdZyme, and also commissioned a new business support system.
Enzymatica's sales during the second quarter totaled SEK 6.1 million, compared with SEK 13.9 million during the corresponding period in 2020. The lower sales are attributable to the effects of the pandemic with social distancing, better hand hygiene and fewer social contacts resulting in substantially fewer common colds. During the quarter we received orders for ColdZyme on markets, such as Romania, Poland and the Balkans.
During the second quarter the cold remedy market in Sweden and internationally began to recover; for example, in the month of June (until and including week 25) we see that the Swedish market grew by 21 % compared to previous year. In Australia, which is at the beginning of its cold season, data shows that the market continues to recover and is currently comparable to pre-pandemic levels.
During the quarter we completed a rights issue that raised SEK 59.1 million before issue expenses for the company. The issue was fully subscribed, including 55.6% with subscription rights and 4.6% without subscription rights, and Enzymatica's three largest shareholders subscribed for the remaining 39.8% under guarantee commitments. This demonstrates that our largest shareholders continue to have strong confidence in the company and its potential moving forward. The issue secures capital to continue our international expansion initiatives, conduct clinical trials, strengthen the organization and supply chain, and meet working capital needs.
Enzymatica has an extensive and growing patent protection for ColdZyme. In May the Japanese Patent Office granted a patent for the cod enzyme that is one of the main components in ColdZyme. This gives us fifteen years of protection for our product in one of the world's largest healthcare markets. An equivalent patent was granted in both the EU and Russia in 2020.
During the quarter we also deployed a new business system that provides even better support for production, demand planning and business management.
This significant investment provides important operational support to successfully manage the international expansion.
After the quarter, the Board of Directors appointed Claus Egstrand to new CEO for the company, and he will assume his new position at the latest on January 1, 2022. Claus has worked for Enzymatica since 2017, first as Chief Commercial Officer, and then as Chief Operating Officer. It is a strength that we have succeeded with an internal recruitment and Claus has a perfect background with long experience from the international pharmaceutical and medtech industries. He has proven, on several occasions, his ability to lead the development of operations generating double-digit growth, both with regard to revenues and earnings. We are most grateful for Claus' continuous, strong commitment for Enzymatica.
As in the last quarter, we will continue to work tirelessly in Q3 to support our distributors both in existing markets and in the launch of ColdZyme in new markets and secure additional distributor agreements for new geographic markets. We also continue working on clinical trials and regulatory work to prepare for the MDR, the new regulatory framework for medical devices. The sales development is estimated to be inconsistent because of the effects of the pandemic as well as due to the current expansion phase of the company. As vaccination programs are completed in Sweden and internationally, we are convinced that the cold remedy markets will recover. We have begun to see an initial recovery in Q2, and expect a more solid recovery in the upcoming cold season (Q4 2021 och Q1 2022).
Bengt Baron, Executive Chairman of the Board
For questions about this report, please contact:
Bengt Baron, Executive Chairman of the Board, Enzymatica AB
Tel: +46 (0)708- 59 30 09 | Email: bengt.baron@outlook.com
Therese Filmersson, CFO, acting CEO, Enzymatica AB
Tel: +46 (0)708- 40 72 24 | Email: therese.filmersson@enzymatica.com
This information is information that Enzymatica is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 8:30 a.m. CET on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Enzymatica AB (publ) Corporate identity no.: 556719-9244
Mailing address: Ideon Science Park, 223 70 LUND Street address: Scheelevägen 19, Ideon, Lund
Tel: +46 (0)46- 286 31 00 | info@enzymatica.se | www.enzymatica.se
Enzymatica is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market. The Company is traded under the ticker symbol ENZY and ISIN code SE0003943620.
Enzymatica's certified advisor is Erik Penser Bank. Tel: +46 (0)8-463 83 00
Email: certifiedadviser@penser.se
The full report (PDF)


It's the beginning of fall semester at college. During my first class in World History, the professor hands out the course syllabus. I sigh with relief that the reading assignments don't seem too overwhelming and there are only two exams, a midterm and a final.
Then my mouth drops. There on the syllabus, appears that most dreaded of assignments, a RESEARCH PAPER . . . a 15-page typed RESEARCH PAPER. . . formatted in MLA style . . . with a minimum of five academic references (no blog posts or Wikipedia entries) . . . due on the last day of the semester at noon.
A sense of impending doom pervades my entire body as the idea of such a demanding assignment permeates my brain. The longest paper I ever had to write before was ten pages, and I copied most of that from an old essay my sister wrote for an English class. Now as I read the school's policy on plagiarism found on the syllabus, I realize that I best not try that strategy again.
The professor mercifully dismisses class early. He must have known that we were all suffering from a little syllabus PTSD. Outside in the fresh air, I lament to one of my classmates about the term paper. She sniffs coldly as she casually comments, "No big deal. I had to write 20-page research papers in my honors courses last year".
After feeling a bit deflated, I assertively challenge myself to the task. I WILL write this term paper, and it will be a great term paper. In fact, it will be the best term paper in the history of this school!
Fortified with a new sense of bravado, I read the rubric for the term paper found in the course syllabus. No sweat! Then I reason I still have 16 weeks before the paper is due. The best strategy is to learn a bit about world history before I choose a paper topic. Of course, I dismiss my professor's suggestions that we could be surveying our textbook for term-paper ideas now.
Kept busy with multiple extracurricular activities, a part-time job and an active social life, I take little notice of the weeks that pass by . . . until my history professor announces that our paper is due in a mere four weeks. "That can't be!" I exclaimed to myself, "I was certain I had more time." However, a quick perusal of my planner revealed that not only was my term paper due in four weeks, my other unfeeling professors saddled me with their assignment deadlines that very same week, right before final exams!
On the day before Thanksgiving, I follow through on my promise to pick up my sister from the airport. Naturally, her flight is delayed for three hours, and I forgot to bring my text books, so I was not productive during that down time. No worries, I inform my family that I am too busy with school work to help with Thanksgiving preparations. Of course, my sister reminds me that she is also in school as she prepares turkey stuffing and bakes pumpkin pies.
Paying no mind, I head into the basement where I will not be disturbed. I outline a study schedule that includes a one-hour break to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Mmmm . . . but the smell of that turkey keeps distracting me, as do the sounds of my relatives arriving. They all seem to be having so much fun, laughing, and indulging in my Mom's delicious appetizers. After I read the same textbook page for the third time, I recognize the futility in my efforts, and I join my family in the festivities. As I plop down on the couch stuffed from all that turkey and pie, I rationalize that I am entitled to enjoy holidays. There are still three more days.
Early on Friday morning, I ignore my family's discussion about bargain holiday shopping, and head to the local library. After a few hours of productive reading, I pat myself on the back convinced that I will get most of this term paper done this weekend. Just then, I run into an old friend whom I haven't seen for a couple of years. We start chatting which leads to a movie followed by dinner. Late that evening, I assure myself that tomorrow's plans to attend a football game shouldn't derail my mission too much. I resolve that I will wake up at 5 a.m. to work on my paper – which I don't do. Who would have guessed I would have been stuck in post-game traffic for over four hours? Exhuasted, I plop into bed late that night.
On Sunday morning, the last day of my Thanksgiving break, I run to the local library again. Closed! I hadn't counted on that. As I head to the basement at home, my sister informs me that her friend can't drive her to the airport and asks if I would. I reluctantly agree because I don't want to hear again how she cooked, baked and washed dishes on Thanksgiving Day while I did nothing to help. When I get home, my favorite holiday movie is on TV, so I sit down and watch. This next week will be the most productive week in the history of my school.
Major drama with my friends distracts me for several days early in the week, and then I have to cram for a couple of quizzes at the end of the week. After my disappointing quiz performance on Friday, I realize with horror that my term paper is due on Monday at noon. I only have 72 hours to complete it, and I haven't even selected a topic yet! Of course, that doesn't stop me from going to a party with my friends that night.
On Saturday morning, I ceremoniously open my textbook and decide whatever prominent topic is addressed on those pages will be the subject of my term paper. Okay, it will be The Fall of the Roman Empire. Armed with a topic, I recall that my history professor never said we couldn't use our textbook as a reference. Now, I head to the school library to find two encyclopedias and two more textbooks containing information on the Fall of the Roman Empire.
Typing my textbook chapter verbatim (in quotes of course), I complete the first ten pages of the term paper. Whew! I hit the pillow on Saturday night very relieved. The next day, I utilize my other four references in a similar manner as my textbook. However, a lot of it can't be used because it's a repeat of the information I already have. By Sunday night, I have completed 15 pages.
I do manage to get up at 5 a.m. on Monday to finish my term paper. After exhausting all my references, I restate all the reference information in my own words and ditch the MLA formatting, but that only yields another three pages. So, I widen my page margins, and enlarge my font size, and restate my own words again. Finally, I'm on the middle of the 15th page. "Close enough!" I proclaim. As I email my paper to my professor at 11:59 a.m., I resolve that my NEXT term paper will be the best term paper in the history of this school.


A little less open on the nose, more slate driven, a touch of mint. On the palate a really vibrant acidity is covered with lots of very silky cool register tropical fruit, a touch of pineapple and just ripe mango. Beautifully balanced and showing greater focus and precision than the Kabinett. Charm here over opulence.


The July skies will have something in stall for everyone! Early birds can catch Venus and Jupiter lighting up the sky pre-dawn, while those who enjoy doing some nighttime viewing will find Mars and Saturn adorning the night skies. For more detailed information, please visit this link here!


AuthordanweedinPosted on December 5, 2016 December 5, 2016 CategoriesExtra Points, UncategorizedTagsBusiness, college football, college football playoffs, Dan Weedin, entrepreneurship, ESPN, life balance, small business, Unleashed!
There I was yesterday morning in my favorite chair. Sitting on the edge, leaning forward, elbows digging into just above the kneecaps. It was about 9:30 in the morning and I was glued to ESPN waiting to hear what college football teams made the final four and the national playoffs. My team (and alma mater), the University of Washington, appeared to be perched precariously in that final spot. Although logic told me they would be in, humans don't always make logical decisions. When the final spot was revealed and the Huskies were announced as the final team, both my daughter Kelli and I erupted with a cheer.
During the broadcast, ESPN sent crews to the three campuses of the schools that were still in contention for that final spot. The thing that occurred to me after the announcement (becasue I was very focused on the outcome before) was that all these teams "paths" were in someone else's hands. They all had strong resumes to fight their cases. They all knew no matter what, they'd be playing in a major bowl game. But only one would have a puncher's shot at the national championship that year. So it is in college football.
Unlike college football, you control your own path. You don't control your own "fate," becasue by definition fate is per-determined. I prefer the term path. While others might have influence, throw up roadblocks, or offer guidance; you ultimately determine your path based on your decisions, your boldness, and your self-confidence. Bad things happen outside of your control (e.g. the financial apocalypse of 2007-09). People offer both encouragement and discouragement. Your best efforts will fall short. However, those that are the most successful in their businesses, careers, and lives have a remarkable resolve to keep seeking opportunities. Instead of hanging their heads, they find solutions. Ironically, that's what all the best college football programs do to.
So as you sit back to enjoy the upcoming holiday season, start thinking about what you can do today to forge your own path. How can you be just a little better today? There's no committee determining your path. The only one…is you.


If you read my blogs, you know that I am always searching for ways to improve and maintain a healthy business while ensuring that, as a woman business leader, I maintain balance in my life. It is through my blogs that I share what I know with my readers and hopefully learn from your experiences as well.
As you imagine "what can be" open your mind a little wider and imagine the path to get there.
Stay open and tuned-in to opportunities by focusing on the outcomes rather than fear of the unknown.
Don't put energy into working on your weaknesses, rather use and cultivate your strengths, which will override your perceived weaknesses.
This notion extends to everyone who you come in contact with — from your customers to your co-workers and everyone in between.
Once you have set your goals, stay committed and focused on where you are going and articulate this to your team.
Continually look for new ways to solve problems and come up with solutions that meet your needs and your principles. Look beyond the norm and what is expected with creative ideas that can be put into action.
I know that the notion of "win-win" sounds like a cliché, but it's all about balance. Make sure that your partners, co-workers and associates feel comfortable with outcomes.
Be a leader in your field and stay true to your value proposition.
Believe that people on the front lines are literally your most important people. Ensure that every team member feels valued and is essential to the overall health of the company.
Markets change. Competitors appear. Do not compromise the essence of what your business is and the principles for which it stands. Stay passionate and true to your beliefs.
A friend of mine just returned from a trip to China and noted that the society is goal driven — to the point of setting detailed timelines and creating plans to reach specific aspirations. As women business leaders, we share this goal-setting culture and recognize that developing strategies to reach those goals is essential for sustainable success.
By starting with bite-sized pieces, our view of how much progress we've made shifts dramatically.
The only way to get any sort of result is to take action toward a goal. By taking action every single day, you create momentum.
We're so caught up in getting to where we want to go that we forget to enjoy the journey and celebrate the small victories along the way.
Setbacks are usually opportunities in disguise. We have to remember that it's sometimes necessary to take two steps back in order take 20 steps forward.
Many people tend to give up on a goal when they feel stuck or as though there is no light at the end of tunnel. Often, accomplishment occurs in the final hours of a goal.
It's important to make a point daily to take a break from everything and do something without any purpose other than for the enjoyment of whatever you're doing.
Consider the actions you take and the seeds that you plant in order for your goal to come to fruition. Let nature take its course and stay detached from the outcome.


Luxury silver foil wedding invitations for weddings, civil ceremony or vow renewals... Order silver foil invitations online. Prices start at £3 per A5 size invitation with envelope. We can do smaller sizes which would cost slightly less. We use real silver metallic foils (the kind of foil that shimmers and gleams when moved around in the light) not only silver, we can do holographic foiles which are pure magic! Foil is applied to the wording on your invites on every single letter by heat and metal foils for a super glam finish. You can have full silver wording of black wording with an accent of silver here and there. What we foil is up to you. We can do a cheaper alternative of just ink printed with a silver/grey ink which of course wouldn't have the super shimmer that foil has but is an option if you're on a very tight budget. If you want the metallic look you do need the foil. You can choose any colour card to have your silver invitations designed on. Our most beautiful combinations are navy and silver foil invitations, white and silver foil invitations, black and silver invitations. Not just silver foil we can print your wedding invitations in gold foil, copper or rose gold foils with dramatic striking effect. We can also source different shades of silver. Would you believe there are more than just one kind. Your silver wedding invitations will be fully personalised printed with all of your personalised wedding details in our wonderful metallic silver hot foils. You can order refundable samples of each invitation to see up close before ordering also. If we don't show your card colour with the silver foiling, please get in touch with us as we can design you a sample in your colours and email you the picture free of charge so you can be sure before you order. Absolutely any colour looks awesome with silver text. We ship UK and worldwide.
Silver Invitations are all fabulously designed with flair in our UK design studio. We typically need 6 weeks for wedding invitation orders but if you need your invitations quickly, please get in touch and we can advise on availability and how quickly we can get your order out to you. Place your order today to book your dates. We offer consultations in our Saddleworth studio to discuss your requirements and show you samples in silver shades on your specific card colours etc. Please get in touch to book your consultation today. Not quite ready to send Invitations? See our Silver Foil Save the Date Cards for weddings here Love the foil look? We also do gold foil wedding invitations and copper foil wedding invitations.
View examples of our ' Silver Wedding Invitations ' below.
The above design was for a modern city wedding brief. The couple were getting married in New York and wanted ultra chic for their invitations and they loved these samples that we designed in clear and silver for something a little bit different. They initially inquired about perspex plastic invitations. We can hot stamp foil onto perspex but the couple went for a flexible design in the end with A5 acetate instead hot foiled with gorgeous metallic silver foils in modern block lettering. As a guide, Silver foil acetate invitations A5 size start at £3 each. The foil on the clear invites gives a sophisticated sleek look. They layered their silver invitations in a bundle as a complete suite on a sheet of black colorplan card backs (which we supplied) and included silver foil rsvp cards with envelopes, and matching information cards foiled in silver but on grey card to give a black, grey and clear city chic wedding invitation vibe. In the end the whole stationery was classy and sophisticated.
From silver foiled calligraphy invitations to silver foiled modern font wedding invitations.
You can see just how versatile and effective foiling looks in silver to achieve two very different styles. This silver foiling design is available on any colour card, with lots of different font options and lettering. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements or book your in studio consultation today!
We get lot's of custom requests for the church to be printed on invitations and foiled. Above left was an example of bespoke silver foiling we did on order of service jackets where the couples church was silver foiled. We can foil most logos and silhouette pictures. Just get in touch to start your quote today.
Save the date cards: in many sizes and shapes, portrait, landscape, with envelopes, with magnets on the back. You name it we can do it. All fabulously foiled of course in beautiful metallic foils. The above shows a black save the date A6 landscape card with silver foil for a black and silver save the date card. To the left shows exactly the same design as a grey and silver foil wedding save the date card. We can foil many fonts from modern block to traditional sweeping calligraphy. Just ask. We supply envelopes as standard with all of our wedding invitations and save the date cards, which can have individual guest names and addresses foiled on them in silver if you wish. Similarly, to seal envelopes, if you hate licking envelopes (like we do) how about custom monogrammed silver foil stickers to stylishly seal invitation envelopes. How lovely. As a guide silver foil save the date cards start at £2.20 and silver foil stickers start at £15 for 25 stickers. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements or book your in studio consultation today!
To the left of the picture shows purple and silver foil wedding stationery. We foiled city names in silver onto purple table names for purple table names. To match the purple and silver table plan framed in a silver frame. Then guests could further find their actual places at the tables with individually foiled place names. Little tent style cards foiled in metallic hot foils. This all worked beautifully at the couples venue for their purple and silver theme. We can foil table plans and all wedding stationery on any colour card. Just let us know your colour theme and we'll have an image emailed straight over to you. To the far right of the above image: Photo Booth Wedding signs foiled in silver. We produce signage of all sizes: A6, A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 signs on request with your custom wording. From welcome signs to photo booth signs. You name it we foil it. This design is available on any colour card, with lots of different font options and lettering. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements or book your in studio consultation today!
We are experts at foiled wedding stationery. We've been foiling designer invitations since 2005. Our work has been received by HRH Queen Elizabeth, HRH Prince Charles and many many VIP celebrities. We are the go to designers for those who can literally choose to shop anywhere they like. That's because the quality, speed and professionalism that we offer is second to none. You will work with one of the owners of business at most points in your design process. So they care!
We foil in house and so can create any design. We love custom work. We can add foiled lettering to any colour card. Whatever your wedding theme. We have smooth boards, pearlescent boards, recycled boards which we can silver foil on to to create your dream stationery. We can add finishing touches to your silver invitations including, silver ribbon ties, gunmetal ribbon, grey ribbons, foil wraps, different colour cards inside an invitation suite. Anything goes. Get in touch with us to discuss your silver themed requirements or book your in studio consultation today! At your consultation we can show you lot's of previous examples in silver as well as your design ideas mocked up in our stunning metallic foils for you to touch and feel to create the perfect invitation.
And that's just the start. We can create matching wedding stationery to carry on your theme including: silver order of service, silver table plans, silver place cards, silver table numbers. Custom maps, monograms, wedding signs. You name it we do it. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements or book your in studio consultation today!
Luxury bespoke silver foil invitations / silver foil wedding stationery for weddings and events hand made in the UK. We are a design studio based in the UK and we print in house giving us flexibility in what we can foil. We ship our silver foiled wedding stationery to all locations in the UK, and internationally to America, Australia, Russia, Europe and more.
When ordering your silver foil invites, you will only need 1 wedding invitation per family or couple so not one invitation per person. Typically you will want to order 5-10 extra invitations for forgotten guests or for last minute invites where guests have dropped out for example.
Silver invitations can be supplied with envelopes or provided with boxes for you to impress guests. And finishing touches such as silver foiled stickers to seal envelopes are also available.
Finishing touches for your invitations can include info cards, rsvp cards, wishing well cards / gift cards on matching papers/cards all foiled in the metallic silver foil. You can place your order directly on the website 24 hours a day. Or get in touch to discuss your requirements and a member of our team will be able to help.
Order your foil wedding invitations online above today!
DETAILS: Make an impact by sending your foil invitations in their own presentation box. Adds to the wow factor of your invitation. 300mic white presentation box with lid. Fits all of our invitations and invitation bundles: RSVP card, info cards etc.
DETAILS: Matt white round stickers foiled with your choice of silver, copper or gold foil. 35mm. The perfect finishing touch for invitation envelopes, boxes, favours, belly bands, cutlery wraps etc.
DETAILS: If you're having boxed invitations these little bows make your invitations utterly adorable to open. Like a gift! Come pre-tied in matching ribbon ready for you to slip over boxes just before giving invitations out to guests. We do silver satin ribbon which looks divine.


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Women's Overseas Service League
Our History in Pictures
WOSL, in existence since 1921, has accomplished much during the years since its inception. It still has tremendous potential for continuing community and veteran service, and for educating our young Americans.
From1914 to 1919, women all over America rallied to the aid of their country and volunteered for overseas service with the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces of World War I. Over 11,000 Red Cross nurses served with the Army and Navy Nurse Corps. Others were assigned duties in the Ordnance, Quartermaster and Signal Corps, and the Treasury Department. The women served in France, Belgium, Italy, and the Balkans. When Armistice was declared, 90,000 American women had served. 348 had given their lives.
The women returned home and scattered across the country, most without the assistance and benefits afforded the male soldiers. The League was formed in May of 1921 to maintain friendships, to keep alive the patriotic spirit that had prompted their overseas service, and to provide aid—financial and otherwise—to these returning women. It was, in fact, a women's self-help group. One of its major achievements was to help ex-servicewomen gain admittance to veterans' hospitals. Working with Congress, they succeeded in getting hospitals to open their doors to women for needed treatment and domicilary care.
In 1946, membership was extended to World War II women. Over 350,000 women aided the military services overseas, and 200 women lost their lives in this service. WOSL members were responsible for lobbying Congress to grant veteran status to the civilians who served as Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). Membership in WOSL is open to all women, military and civilian, who have served overseas with our Armed Forces.
A strong sense of obligation to one another, to community, state and nation prevails throughout WOSL. WOSL is a registered NGO (non-governmental organization) with the United Nations, and WOSL representatives regularly attend briefings and meetings held at the UN for non-governmental organizations. It supports the Cathedral of the Pines, an all wars memorial with its Bell Tower honoring women's service to our country. Other projects include the Hospitalized Veterans Writers Program, the Freedom Foundation Youth Leadership Seminars, scholarships for women pursuing studies emphasizing public service, and grants to members with special needs.
Organizationally, WOSL is divided into 2 geographical service areas throughout the continental United States. There are 11 individual units. The majority of the membership is World War II era, although in recent years more women from the Vietnam and Gulf Wars have become members. Still recruitment remains an issue as the World War II members are dying at a rate faster than younger members are being added.
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text:
Q: SQL table structure to store long list of data for test results I am trying to design a SQL table(s) to store the results of a series of tests. I am not certain of how to handle multiple instances of the actual test data as it is a large table in itself. A single test consists of 3 data points sampled up to 2500 times. So as an example the test result looks like this:
#       Value 1     Value 2        Value 3
1       21.91108    21.80776867    17.930795
2       21.91247    21.8091134     17.92889429
3       21.91389    21.81048815    17.92581857
4       21.91515    21.81170294    17.92225429
...
1999    21.98995    21.87558687    17.94293
2000    21.99900    21.87678687    17.95294

The test will be run multiple times. I have created a table which stores details about each time the test is run, Timestamp, TestID, UserName. My application will eventually allow the user to select a particular TestID and recall that table of data to trend.
My thought was to create a TestData table with the results of all tests and a column with the TestID to query and recall the data from an individual test. Would appreciate any thoughts on this approach or if there is a more efficient way to do this.

A: I think your suggestion is fine. I would build a five-column table, with:
ID, test #, value 1, value 2, value 3

[Test]/[Test Details] would be the same schema you see used for stuff like [orders]/[order details] data storage.
[ID] + [test #] as a key would ensure your data integrity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I once flew from Sydney to Brisbane just to see the frozen giant squid in the "Monsters of the Deep" traveling exhibition. It was utterly fascinating; you can read about a squid eyeball being as big as a dinner plate but you don't realize that this is actually *bigger than your head* until you're standing next to one. I'm debating a trip to D.C. just to see this exhibit (and perhaps a Capitol Steps show).
I wonder what they did with the old giant squids from that were on display ~1990-2000? These were removed when they started building the mammal hall which replaced the old ocean exhibit. If I recall, they were preserved in alcohol (one wag dubbed it the worlds largest martini).
Friday Squid Blogging? Do you read PZ Myers?
I am starting to think that you have a slight affinity for squid. :) Does this extend to Cephalopods in general?
Clearly your blog entries involving squid raise more questions than answers.
Desire, thy name is Architeuthis.
John Waters, No relation to the director.
If I recall my "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" correctly, squid aren't really a security issue until they're large enough to grab a nuclear submarine.


Craig is a pioneer in influencer strategy, marrying together brands and talent to deliver best-in-class engagement. His work in the talent industry has spanned across a multitude of mediums including TV, film, music, fashion and digital content. Utilising this experience, he oversees the management of Kameleon's talent roster, and leads influencer procurement for brand content across the agency.


Druid denotes the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies, which existed through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in Britain until they were supplanted by Roman government and, later, Christianity. Druidic practices were part of the culture of the tribal peoples called "Celtae" and "Galli" by Romans, which evolved into modern English "Celtic" and "Gaulish."
The Druids were polytheists who also revered elements of nature, such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, looking to them for "signs and seasons." They also venerated other natural elements, such as the oak, certain groves of trees, tops of hills, streams, lakes, and even plants, especially mistletoe and holly. Fire was regarded as a symbol of several divinities and was associated with the sun and cleansing. Their calendar year was governed by the lunar, solar, vegetative and herding cycles. The four main holidays include Imbolc (Imbolg) to denote the first signs of spring, Beltane (Beltain) to recognize the fullness of life after spring, Lughnasadh to celebrate the ripening of first fruits and the many-skilled deity Lugh, and Samhain to recognize the end of harvest and the lowering of the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead.
The Druids' influence was as much social as religious. They not only performed roles similar to modern priests, but were often the philosophers, scientists, lore-masters, teachers, judges, and counselors to the kings. They were suppressed in Gaul and Britain after the Roman conquests, but retained their influence in Ireland until the coming of Christianity.
Some traditional druidic religious practice may still survive in practices like decorated Christmas trees, Halloween observances, corn dollies, harvest rituals, and "lucky" or "unlucky" plants or animals. In modern times, Imbolc has been transformed into Groundhog Day, elements of Beltane have been absorbed into Easter, and Samhain has become Halloween.
Modern attempts at reconstructing or reinventing Druidism are called Neo-druidism.
The earliest records of the name Druidae (Δρυΐδαι) are found on the works of Greek writers such as Sotion of Alexandria, who was cited by Diogenes Laertius in the second century B.C.E.
The word "Druid" is derived from the Latin druides and is associated traditionally with drus, meaning "oak tree," together with the suffix -ides meaning "the son of."
Greek and Latin "druides" bear comparison with Old Irish druídecht, which yields the Modern Irish draoiocht (pron. /'driː.oxt/), "magic." The Welsh dryw (/drɨu/ meaning seer) may also be related to these words.
Some research done on the ancient Indian scripture Rig Veda, suggests a parallel between the Druids and the Druhyus referred therein. This may represent a common Proto-Indo-European religious heritage for the tradition.
Historical knowledge of Druids is very limited, for they left no written records. Druidic lore reportedly consisted of a large number of verses learned by heart and it has been claimed that 20 years were required to complete the course of study. There was an advanced Druidic teaching center at Anglesey (Ynys Môn) centered on supposedly magical lakes. Druids came there from all over Europe to learn their secrets, but what was taught there, or at other centers, is conjecture. Of the Druids' oral literature (sacred songs, formulas for prayers and incantations, and rules of divination and magic), not one verse has survived, even in translation. Nor is there even a legend that can be called purely Druidic, without a Roman and/or Christian overlay or interpretation.
Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico gives the fullest account of the Druids. Caesar notes that all men of any rank and dignity in Gaul were included either among the Druids or among the nobles, indicating that they formed two classes. The Druids constituted the learned priestly class. As guardians of the unwritten ancient customary law they had the power of executing judgments, among which exclusion from society was the most dreaded. Druids were not a hereditary caste, but they enjoyed exemption from military service as well as from payment of taxes. The course of training to which a novice had to submit was protracted.
All Druidic instruction was communicated orally, but Caesar reports that for ordinary purposes, the Gauls had a written language in which they used Greek characters. However by the time of Caesar, Gaulish had moved from the Greek to the Latin script.
Caesar noted that Druids punished members of the society by a form of excommunication, preventing them from attending religious festivals. As these religious festivals were common and well-attended, this was an effective means of excluding punished persons from society.
Cicero (106-43 B.C.E.) remarks on the existence among the Gauls of augurs or soothsayers, known by the name of Druids, saying that he had made the acquaintance of one Diviciacus, an Aeduan also known to Caesar.
Writers such as Diodorus and Strabo, though with less firsthand experience than Caesar, reported that the Celtic priestly order or class included Druids, Bardism and Vates (soothsayers). It was also claimed by Roman writers that a general assembly of the order was held once every year within the territories of the Carnutes in Gaul.
Pomponius Mela (c. 43 C.E.) is the first author who says that the Druids' instruction was secret, carried on in caves and forests. Human sacrifice has also sometimes been attributed to Druidism. While some see this as Roman propaganda, human sacrifice was an old European inheritance. Executions may also have been conducted as sacrifices, whether of criminals or, to judge from Roman reports, of war captives.
Diodorus Siculus asserts that a sacrifice acceptable to the Celtic gods had to be attended by a Druid, for they were the intermediaries. He also claims that before a battle the Druids often threw themselves between two armies to bring about peace. Diodorus remarks upon the importance of prophets in Druidic ritual: "These men predict the future by observing the flight and calls of birds and by the sacrifice of holy animals: all orders of society are in their power… In very important matters they prepare a human victim, plunging a dagger into his chest; by observing the way his limbs convulse as he falls and the gushing of his blood, they are able to read the future."
These comments are supported to some extent by archaeological excavations. At Ribemont in Picardy, France, there were revealed pits filled with human bones and thigh bones deliberately fixed into rectangular patterns. At a bog in Lindow, Cheshire, England was discovered a body which may also have been the victim of a druidic ritual, but it is just as likely that he was an executed criminal. The body is now on display at the British Museum, London.
Druids were seen as essentially non-Roman. A prescript of Augustus forbade Roman citizens to practice druidical rites. Under Tiberius the Druids were suppressed by a decree of the Senate, but this had to be renewed by Claudius in 54 C.E.
After the first century C.E. the continental Druids disappeared entirely from the historical record and were referred to only on very rare occasions. Druids continued to be a presence in the British Isles, however, for several centuries.
The story of Vortigern as reported by Nennius provides one of the very few glimpses of Druidic survival in Britain after the Roman conquest: unfortunately, Nennius is noted for mixing fact and legend in such a way that it is now impossible to know the truth behind his text. He asserts that, after being excommunicated by Germanus, the British leader Vortigern invited 12 Druids to assist him.
In Irish literature, the Druids are frequently mentioned, and their functions in the island seem to correspond fairly well to those they performed in Gaul. The most important Irish documents are contained in manuscripts of the twelfth century, but many of the texts themselves go back as far as the eighth. In these stories Druids usually act as advisers to kings. They were said to have the ability to foretell the future (Bec mac Dé, for example, predicted the death of Diarmait mac Cerbaill more accurately than three Christian saints, but there is little reference to their religious function. They do not appear to form any corporate body, nor do they seem to be exempt from military service.
In the Ulster Cycle, Cathbad, chief Druid at the court of Conchobar, king of Ulster, is accompanied by a number of youths who are desirous of learning his art. Cathbad is present at the birth of the famous tragic heroine Deirdre. He prophesies what sort of a woman she will be and predicts the strife that will accompany her, although Conchobar ignores him.
Before setting out on the great expedition against Ulster in Táin Bó Cuailnge, Medb, queen of Connacht, consults her Druids regarding the outcome of the war. They hold up the march by two weeks, waiting for an auspicious omen. Druids were also said to have magical skills: when the hero Cúchulainn returned from the land of the fairies after having been enticed there by a fairy woman or goddess, named Fand, whom he is now unable to forget, he is given a potion by some Druids, which banishes all memory of his recent adventures and which also rids his wife Emer of the pangs of jealousy.
More remarkable still is the story of Étaín. This lady, later the wife of Eochaid Airem, High King of Ireland, was in a former existence the beloved of the god Midir, who again seeks her love and carries her off. The king has recourse to his Druid, Dalgn, who requires a whole year to discover the haunt of the couple. This he accomplished by means of four wands of yew inscribed with ogham characters.
In other texts the Druids are able to produce insanity. Mug Ruith, a legendary druid of Munster, wore a hornless bull's hide and an elaborate feathered headdress and had the ability to fly and conjure storms it was said.
In the lives of saints and martyrs, the Druids are represented as magicians and diviners. In Adamnan's vita of Columba, two of them act as tutors to the daughters of Lóegaire mac Néill, the High King, at the coming of Saint Patrick. They are represented as endeavoring to prevent the progress of Patrick and Saint Columba by raising clouds and mist. Before the battle of Culdremne (561 C.E.) a Druid made an airbe drtiad (fence of protection) round one of the armies, but what is precisely meant by the phrase is unclear. The Irish Druids seem to have had a peculiar tonsure.
There is some evidence that the Druids of Ireland survived into the mid- to late-seventh century. In the De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae of Augustinus Hibernicus, there is mention of local magi who taught a doctrine of reincarnation in the form of birds.
The people of the Low Countries were Christianized in the seventh century, through the efforts of Saint Eligius. One of the best glimpses of late Druidic practices comes from the vita of Eligius written by Saint Ouen, his contemporary and companion. Ouen reports that Eligius denounced "sacrilegious pagan customs" in Flanders. In particular, he denounces the consultation of "magicians, diviners, sorcerers or incantators," auguries, and superstitions related to the moon. He refers to "devotion to the gods of the trivium, where three roads meet, or the rocks or springs or groves or corners" as idolatrous customs, and he frowns on Yule Midsummer celebrations. Other pagan customs enumerated by Eligius include "lustrations or incantations with herbs" and "passing cattle through a hollow tree or ditch" and "shouting when the moon is obscured" and adoration of or swearing by the sun or moon, and "diabolical games and dancing or chants."
Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, legendary seat of the High Kings.
The association of Druids with Stonehenge was hypothesized in the sixteenth century in attempts to explain the mysteries of Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument that was abandoned long before any Druids came to Britain. There is no evidence that it was ever used by authentic Druids in ancient times. Nevertheless, it has become an important site for modern movements calling themselves druidic.
A Victorian imagining of a Druidess, with sickle and misteltoe.
In the eighteenth century, England and Wales experienced a revival of interest in the Druids, inspired by the antiquaries John Aubrey, John Toland and William Stukeley. The poet William Blake was involved in the revival and may have been an Archdruid; the Ancient Druid Order, which existed from 1717 until it split into two groups in 1964, never used the title "Archdruid" for any member, but credited Blake as having been its Chosen Chief from 1799 to 1827.
John Aubrey was the first modern writer to connect Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments with Druidry, a belief that shaped ideas of Druidry during much of the nineteenth century. John Toland, founder of "neo-Pantheism, was fascinated by Aubrey's Stonehenge theories and founded the Ancient Druid Order in London in 1717.
Druids began to figure widely in popular culture with the first advent of Romanticism. Chateaubriand's novel Les Martyrs (1809) narrated the doomed love of a Druid priestess and a Roman soldier; though Chateaubriand's theme was the triumph of Christianity over pagan Druids, the setting was to continue to bear fruit. Opera provides a barometer of well-informed popular European culture in the early ninteeenth century: in 1817, Giovanni Pacini brought Druids to the stage in Trieste with an opera to a libretto by Felice Romani about a Druid priestess, La Sacerdotessa d'Irminsul ("The Priestess of Irminsul").
The most famous Druidic opera, Bellini's Norma was a fiasco at La Scala, when it premiered the day after Christmas, 1831, but in 1833 it was a hit in London. For its libretto Felice Romani reused some of the pseudo-Druidical background of La Sacerdotessa to provide color to a standard theatrical conflict of love and duty that was related to Medea, as it had recently been recast for a popular Parisian play by Alexandre Soumet: the diva of Norma's hit aria, "Casta Diva," is the moon goddess, being worshipped in the "grove of the Irmin statue."
In the nineteenth century, Edward Williams, also known as Iolo Morganwg, supposedly collected The Iolo Manuscripts (1849) and Barddas (1862). Many scholars deem much of Williams' work to be fabrication.
Some strands of modern "Druidism" (also known among some groups as Modern Druidry), such as the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD), are a continuation of the eighteenth-century revival and thus are built largely around writings produced in the eighteenth century and later. Some are monotheistic. Members of other Neo-druid groups may be Neopagan, occultist, Reconstructionist, or non-specifically spiritual.
↑ Diogenes Laertius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers Introduction, Chapters  & 5. classicpersuasion.org. (Book A 1 & 6 (greek text). www.mikrosapoplous.gr. All retrieved October 18, 2007.
↑ Augustinus Hibernicus. "De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae." King of Mysteries: Early Irish Religious Writings edited by John Carey. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000.
↑ Druids www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
This page was last modified on 9 October 2017, at 21:20.


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Indian-origin doctor in UK guilty of sexual assault
Headlines December 12, 2019
Manish Shah, a doctor of Indian origin based in the United Kingdom, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting many women. Shah exploited women's cancer fears to carry out invasive intimate examinations.
A general practitioner (GP), Shah has been convicted of 25 counts of sexual assault and assault by penetration on six women. In one case, he used a news story about Hollywood star Angelina Jolie having a preventative mastectomy, to ask a patient if he could examine her breasts.
He took advantage of his position to persuade women to have invasive vaginal examinations, breast examinations and rectal examinations when there was absolutely no medical need for them to be conducted. – Kate Bex, Prosecutor
Between May 2009 and June 2013, 50-year-old Shah assaulted six patients, some as young as 11. He had already been convicted of similar allegations relating to 17 other women, bringing the total number to 23.
Shah has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer claims he was a cautious, insecure, perhaps at times incompetent GP.
But Shah was also found guilty of not following guidelines set on examinations. He would reportedly give patients hugs and kisses.
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Stephen Charles: The case for a national integrity commission
AuthorCentre for Public IntegrityPosted on February 7, 2022 December 5, 2022 CategoriesNational Integrity Commission
Last Saturday, in these pages, the independent candidate for Curtin, Kate Chaney, said that the government's whole purpose now was to "get in power and stay in power". This is accurate, although the reality is much worse because of the means the government is prepared to use to do so.
We know that before the last election nearly a billion dollars of taxpayers' money was used for pork-barrelling, to improve the government's electoral prospects rather than in the community's interests. That is political corruption as Transparency International defines it, and the remaining question is: How much more money was actually spent in the same dishonest way in other grant schemes? Without a national integrity commission, we simply cannot tell.
Transparency International can't be in much doubt about the government's actions. Last week, it released its latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which is recognised as a key indicator of Australia's integrity performance, including by the federal government itself. In 2012, Australia ranked seventh on the list, level with Norway. In the following decade, Australia has fallen 11 places, and is now at 18th. For context, Hungary experienced a similar decline, but only after the country's takeover by an authoritarian regime.The Coalition was guilty of blatant political corruption before the last election. Scott Morrison and his cabinet ministers repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Far from showing contrition, they asserted that their expenditure was very much in the community's interest. Of course, it worked.
This dramatic fall in Australia's international reputation has occurred while the Coalition held power for nine of the relevant 10 years. The suggested reasons for this fall include the lack of a federal integrity commission, which is seen as a "gaping hole in the system"; the government's proposed integrity commission bill, widely condemned by experts; and the federal parliament being mired in scandals including sports rorts and car park rorts, as well as workplace accountability and sexual harassment issues. Other matters include the ethical implications of the former New South Wales premier's decision-making with regard to her secret personal relationship, and high-profile prosecutions of whistleblowers such as Witness K, while new protections for whistleblowers remain stalled.
There is nothing new about corruption: it has been with us always. It pursues money, power and influence and, unless steps are taken to prevent it, corruption flourishes.
Australia's first anti-corruption commission was established in NSW in 1988, because of the government's own horror at the level of corruption in the state. In his second reading speech, then premier Nick Greiner said: "In recent years, in NSW we have seen: a minister of the Crown jailed for bribery; an inquiry into a second … the former chief stipendiary magistrate jailed for perverting the course of justice; a former commissioner of police in the courts on a criminal charge; the former deputy commissioner of police charged with bribery; a series of investigations and court cases involving judicial figures including a High Court judge; and a disturbing number of dismissals, retirements and convictions of senior police officers for offences involving corrupt conduct."`
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has been very successful at rooting out corruption in NSW. It has been repeatedly praised by the state's premiers for doing so, most recently in November last year by Dominic Perrottet.
Following NSW's example, Victoria set up its Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission in 2012. By now, each state and most territories have an integrity body and the question is whether there should be a similar federal body. Since Canberra is where power and money is largely centred in Australia, why ever not?
In 2003 Australia signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and ratified it two years later. Article 36 of the convention requires Australia as a state party to: "Ensure the existence of a body or bodies specialised in combatting corruption through law enforcement." The staff of such bodies must have the appropriate training and resources to carry out their tasks. Transparency International reported in 2020 that there were then 171 anti-corruption agencies spread across 114 countries.
Australia has not complied with the obligation under article 36 to establish any such federal body. The government's approach has, until 2018, been that there should be a range of bodies and government initiatives to promote accountability and transparency. Apart from failing to comply with article 36, that shared responsibility was never a satisfactory approach and has been shown to be completely ineffective. The government's response also relied on the establishment of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity in 2006. This also failed to comply with article 36. The commission does not have direct jurisdiction over most public servants or members of parliament and their staff, or most federal bodies or persons making decisions or providing services involving the expenditure of federal funds.
Until recently the commission had fewer than two dozen investigators and a yearly budget of less than $14 million. But above all, it had no jurisdiction over procurement – the extraordinarily large sums of money spent by, say, Defence or the Health Department. Repeated press reports support the view that the commission is simply unable to do the job of exposing major corruption in the Commonwealth.
There are many areas of serious risk of corruption in the federal sphere. The government purchases tens of billions of dollars of goods and services each year. There is no adequate control of political donations, no caps on donations or campaign expenditure and no requirement for immediate publication of donations. There is no adequate control of lobbyists. Freedom of information is totally inadequate in the federal area.
The Morrison government has allowed a culture of cover-up to develop in the bureaucracy. Reports are hidden and claims of cabinet-in-confidence are extended beyond the ultimate. Ministers and senior public servants have a revolving door to leave a post and take up well-paid positions in private industry, offering access, influence and insider knowledge. There are seriously flawed rules for the protection of whistleblowers. Prosecutions continue in secret for the likes of Witness K and Bernard Collaery.
The question of whether there should be a federal integrity body is no longer in issue, because in December 2018 Morrison and his attorney-general promised they would introduce a Commonwealth integrity commission. It became an election commitment and it has been broken.
The Commonwealth integrity commission proposed did not reach legislative form until November 2020, when Christian Porter released the Coalition's exposure draft bill. The substance of the model proposed in December 2018 remained largely unchanged, and the draft is so seriously flawed that it could not operate to discover or expose corruption among parliamentarians in any meaningful way.
One half of the proposed Commonwealth integrity commission deals with law-enforcement bodies, with a broad jurisdiction, public hearings and reports, including findings of corrupt conduct. But the second half of the proposal, which covers most of the public service, and ministers, parliamentarians and their staff, has a number of critical flaws.
For one, there is a strictly limited jurisdiction, requiring a reasonable suspicion of a serious criminal offence before any investigation could begin. Whistleblowers have no direct right to complain to the commission, only to a law-enforcement entity. There would be no public hearings. After an investigation, a report could only lead to an incident being referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider whether a charge should be laid, rather than allowing for a finding of corruption. In the case of parliamentarians or their staff, there would be no adverse findings, not even implied criticisms in any reports.
The obvious conclusion that can be drawn from the structure of the Commonwealth integrity commission is that it is a sham intended to protect ministers, parliamentarians and their staff, and public servants, from investigations and the exposure of any corrupt conduct. No wonder the Coalition did not want their bill discussed in parliament.
The Coalition was guilty of blatant political corruption before the last election. Scott Morrison and his cabinet ministers repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Far from showing contrition, they asserted that their expenditure was very much in the community's interest. Of course, it worked. In a tense election, they squeaked home to a narrow win, having expected to lose.
So we can be sure that the Coalition will repeat their egregious misconduct before the coming election, and that they will spend much more, whatever they think it takes to stay in power.
Our community is sick and tired of politicians engaging in favour for favour, giving contracts to friends and allies, and using taxpayers' money as if it were their own. It has had enough of evasions and secretive responses. The community is looking for integrity in government and most want a strong national integrity commission.
The proposal for an effective national integrity commission basically includes the elements of the Coalition's commission in the strong first half, dealing with law-enforcement bodies. It was publicly proposed by the judges' group in January 2018 and endorsed by Labor in February 2018. Labor and the Greens and most backbenchers have consistently maintained their support for a strong commission. Anthony Albanese has stated Labor's support for such a body numerous times.
This must be an important election issue because the Coalition is now facing very poor polling. Coalition leaders are saying this happened in 2019 but they caught up then and will do it again. They did indeed, by dint of the political corruption involved in the rorts since exposed by the auditor-general.
The Coalition now has the weapon of many billions to use in the next election and they are going to use it. Every doubtful seat will be promised unrequested swimming baths and every gold-plated knick-knack they can dream up. There will be pork-barrelling on steroids.
An effective national integrity commission is needed to raise the level of integrity in government, just as much federally as in each state, whether the ruling party be Coalition, Labor or otherwise. The community must be alert to ensure that whichever party is elected honours the electoral promise to establish an effective and strong commission. The Coalition has broken its promise to establish a commission. If elected, Labor must be held to its firm commitment.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on Feb 5, 2022 as "The case for a national integrity commission".
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Home >> Sports >> Other Sports >> MICDS' Ray runs to first-place finish in state cross-country championship
MICDS' Ray runs to first-place finish in state cross-country championship
December 9, 2019	83 Views
MICDS freshman Julia Ray took first place at the Class 3 state championship on Nov. 9 at Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia, Missouri.
MICDS freshman Julia Ray was born to run. In fact, she's been running long-distance races since she was 5 years old.
"I enjoy distance running because it helps me de-stress from the day and it allows me to have a time and a space where I can focus on something different for a change, rather than just schoolwork constantly," Ray said. "I also just love competing."
Ray has shown the state how much she loves to run and compete. At the recent Class 3 state championship on Nov. 9 at Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia, Ray captured the first individual state crown in the history of the MICDS girls' program. Her triumph also helped the Rams win the team title for the first time.
Ray's winning time of 18 minutes, 13.8 seconds bested runner-up Lily Jackson, of St. Charles West, by 26 seconds.
MICDS coach Jim Lohr was not surprised by Ray claiming the state title.
" … I've known [Ray] since kindergarten and I've seen her talent and saw her run and I knew she was going to be really good," Lohr said.
The state win capped a spectacular first season for Ray. She won the District 4 championship held in Linn, Missouri. She also won the Frank Lemons Invitational in Hannibal and Lutheran South Invitational at Jefferson Barracks. Among other accomplishments, she also placed third at the Lutheran North invitational at Spanish Lake and in Parkway West's Dale Shepherd Invitational. Her time of 18:58.24 set a course record.
"The course was tougher than I expected, but even then, I tried to push the pace during the race," Ray said.
Going into the state championship, Ray had modest expectations.
"I was hoping to place top five," Ray said. "I knew that if I had a chance, I knew that I had to go for it."
Upon arriving at state, Ray said she felt "extremely nervous."
"When it was getting closer to the start of the race, I felt like I wanted to burst into tears because I knew how badly I wanted to do good in the race and I was scared that there was a chance of a different outcome than what I wanted," Ray said.
Lohr helped Ray battle her anxieties before the race.
"My coach [Lohr] knew that I was extremely nervous for the race, and he told me that he would be proud of me no matter what place I got in the race," Ray said. "He told me that the only thing he cared about was for me to do my best."
After the gun went off, Ray said she tried to position herself with the top pack. At the one-kilometer mark, she made her move.
"She took off and no one really challenged her," Lohr said.
Upon crossing the finish, a feeling of satisfaction overwhelmed Ray.
"When I was crossing the finish line it was the best feeling," Ray said. "I knew that I was done but also that I had won and that the win couldn't have been taken away from me … Then we realized that our team won as well [and] everyone burst into tears and it was such a happy moment."
Lohr said Ray doesn't run and compete like an underclassman.
"She's real mature when it comes to racing," Lohr said. "She's still a freshman and very, very smart when it comes to racing and race strategy. She says a lot of wise things. Her races have sharpened her to be the savvy racer she is. She had commitment and drive that it takes. She knows things on the course that I promise we don't coach. We can't take credit for that."
Ray is happy to be the first champion at MICDS.
"I've been at this school since junior kindergarten and ever since I was a little kid, I was waiting and wanting to be able to run for the school in high school," Ray said.
Up next for Ray will be track in the spring. She is hoping to be able to run in the 1600- and 3200-meter events. She also hopes to return to the state cross-country meet in 2020.
Warren Mayes
Warren graduated from the University of Missouri and has worked for several newspapers as well as United Press International [UPI] in the past. In addition to writing sports articles for West Newsmagazine, Warren designs sports pages at the Belleville News-Democrat and is a freelance writer covering St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues games and news conferences for the Associated Press.