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Tuesday 18 January 2022 / 21:14
Bolt and Rydoo Provide Smart Integration That Delivers Automated Ride Reimbursements
Fast Growing RegTech Steeleye Reports 88% Growth in 2021
ENTRIS BANKING Enhances Payment Connectivity With Bottomline
Juro Raises $23 Million in Series B Funding - What's Next?
Worldline and Broderick's Sign Strategic Three-year Deal to Boost Cash to Card Vending Business
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SMEs More Afraid of Cybercrime than Brexit
Britain's SMEs are shifting the billions spent each year on hiring traditional experts, such as legal and procurement consultants, to leverage the skills required to survive in an increasingly digital world, including those for cybersecurity and new payments technology.
According to research from Barclaycard, which has helped make businesses successful for over 50 years, UK SMEs now invest £2.9bn annually on cybersecurity experts to help them stay ahead of the latest threats. This equates to an average figure of £1,600 per business, with many larger SMEs spending ten times more. The same amount (£2.9bn, or an average of nearly £5,000) is channelled into support for implementing new payment innovations such as contactless technology, which Barclaycard introduced to the UK in 2007.
Small businesses have increased their spending over the last five years on cybersecurity professionals by 43 per cent, and by nearly 31 per cent on payment innovation. SMEs plan to continue investing next year, with spend on cybersecurity expertise set to increase by 32 per cent and payment innovation by 23 per cent.
In contrast, demand for more 'traditional' experts is falling. One in three (33 per cent) SMEs have decreased investment in procurement, for example, as they believe it is becoming less relevant for their business. And the 15 per cent of SMEs who cut spending on legal and compliance experts did so to make way for spending on new skills to futureproof their business.
Managing competing demands
With small businesses facing challenges from all directions - including an uncertain economic landscape and changing consumer preferences - more than a third (34 per cent) are worried about their ability to manage these multiple demands and priorities as their business grows.
Such is the concern among SMEs about cybersecurity, for instance, that it is a greater worry for many than the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Four in ten (44 per cent) small businesses fear being victim of a cybercrime or data breach, compared to three in ten (34 per cent) who are anxious about the impact of Brexit on their business.
The research suggests SMEs can make their budget work harder by hiring experts who provide support across multiple areas, especially when it comes to technology. Of the small businesses that increased spending on fraud prevention, for example, a fifth (23 per cent) subsequently noticed a rise in sales and customer satisfaction, likely due to improved customer confidence.
The experts of the future
Looking ahead, SMEs will need to engage experts of the future to keep up with nascent trends. This includes 'next generation' payment specialists who would advise on emerging technology such as 'conversational commerce' - which uses digital assistants to make a purchase - and 'invisible payments', where card details are saved in advance of a transaction, such as for one-click ordering. A third (33 per cent) of businesses have never heard of these technologies, despite 44 per cent of consumers being keen to pay in these ways.**
Beyond the evolution of payments, futurologist David Price OBE predicts that British businesses will face even more challenges and will subsequently need a wide range of experts over the next decade. These include:
Social purpose consultants who will work alongside SMEs to ensure they respond to growing demands from millennial customers for a service driven by ethical practices
'Tech overload' therapists to support employees who have become overwhelmed by being part of an 'always on' society
Online experience designers, responsible for improving user experience by incorporating virtual and augmented reality technology into online interactions
Sharon Manikon, Managing Director of Customer Solutions at Barclaycard, said:
"UK SMEs face immense pressure to keep up with competitors of all sizes. This is all the more challenging in an uncertain political and economic landscape with shifting consumer preferences and new technology that continues to develop at pace.
"As a result, there are more demands on their budget than ever, and these are forcing SMEs to spend smarter. One way to make budgets work harder is to engage suppliers who don't just provide competitively priced products and services - but also offer access to the specialists who provide consultancy to help businesses continue to thrive. This will help SMEs derive the most value from their experts, helping to drive their business forward."
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Interview November 24, 2020
BC author Vanessa Winn chats with the Koala Mom
I've had the privilege, since reading Vanessa Winn's latest novel Trappings, of chatting with her via email about our shared love of history and writing. Both Vanessa's novels are set in Victoria, BC, which we called home for four years, and are about women in the 1800s, whom I know are notoriously hard to interview because so often they remain hidden behind their male counterparts. I'm delighted that Vanessa has put in the work to bring these women alive to us in her novels.
I was also delighted to ask her some questions about her books to share with you. Here's more from Vanessa about why she wrote Trappings and The Chief Factor's Daughter, the ups and downs of writing, and what she's working on next!
TKM: Tell us a bit about Vanessa Winn!
Vanessa Winn: I've written for most of my life, since childhood when I penned my first short stories. The 19th century has long intrigued me, particularly when I began reading literature. I felt an affinity for the era, which deepened while studying English at university. I took some courses in Canadian lit, but felt the West Coast was underrepresented in earlier times.
TKM: Tell us a bit about your novels.
Vanessa: My novels are strongly based in history. I'm interested in people who don't typically get a lot of focus from historians, such as those who are mostly seen in supporting roles. I want to coax them out onto centre stage, and put the well-known players in the wings instead. Changing this perspective, changes my perspective, too. I start to see history differently – how it might look from the margins.
TKM: What inspired you to write your books?
Vanessa: I wanted to read novels about women set here in Victoria during past times, but there weren't many. I had always wanted to write a novel, so decided to do a neo-Victorian one myself. Then the research began. The people who I learned about in the fur trade fascinated me and their stories came to life – more so than any fictional characters I could imagine. That they were real, gave them an added dimension.
TKM: How did you decide whose point of view to tell this story from?
Vanessa Winn: I felt compelled to write from the perspective of women, and in particular the daughters of the fur trade, whose voices are often silent in history. For Trappings, I found there wasn't a lot of information about the early years of Point Ellice House (a National Heritage Site), where Kate lived. She and her husband received the property as a wedding gift from her father, a Hudson's Bay Company chief factor, shortly before he died. The focus of the museum has been the later family to live there, and Kate's story was untold. The more I read about Kate's eventful years in the 1860s, a time of turmoil in BC, the more I sensed there was enough for a novel.
TKM: Is your main character at all like you?
Vanessa: My empathy for Kate grew with writing her story. I understood some of her losses. My father died while I was writing Trappings, and I have experienced chronic ill health and other losses. I kept thinking how difficult this would have been in the Victorian era, with more restrictions on women. I sensed she had a strong spirit, and knew what it means to be diminished, while the essence of that spirit survives. I love Kate's arched brow in her photograph and felt a kinship with that expression – perhaps an ironic way of viewing the world. Though I share a sense of her spiritual journey, Kate had something I don't – a strong faith in the afterlife. I expect it was a comfort for her.
TKM: Who is your favourite author and why?
Vanessa: I don't have one favourite author, but there are a couple of standouts. Charles Dickens was a strong influence in Trappings, in particular Bleak House, which I read while writing, twice. Once I learned that Governor Seymour called his Victoria vice-regal residence Bleak House (because he didn't want to live there!), the parallels and allusions kept coming. Dickens' split-narration between a young woman and an omniscient narrator is brilliant. I also appreciate that many of Dickens' memorable characters are based on real people, as were events.
George Eliot's Middlemarch is another contender – an insightful portrayal of several couples in a small town, ranging from the tragic to the comic. She conveys a remarkable psychological depth among a diverse cast of characters.
TKM: What was the most challenging part of writing your novels, and how did you overcome that challenge?
Vanessa Winn: Gathering history from so many different sources, and then weaving it together into a cohesive whole was a challenge in writing my novels. I enjoy reading between the lines to find women's history, yet it can be hard to wrestle different parts into the known timeline in a way that makes narrative sense. I started with a framework of events, looking for dramatic scenes, and gradually added layers to flesh it out. I looked for sources of potential tension amongst the characters and events, paying close attention to significant dates for women, such as birthdays or anniversaries of deaths. For example, I noticed a strange coincidence of ship wrecks and the deaths of children. Perhaps this points to the frequency of both in the 19th century, but it was eerie when connected to the same family.
TKM: What was the most fun or most exciting part of writing your novels?
Vanessa: Making historical discoveries about my characters was exciting, and finding out (sometimes much later) that my intuitions about characters or events were right was even more so. After Trappings was released, a descendant of the Work family told me that an 1860s house surviving on the Hillside estate had the same wallpaper, hidden in the attic, as the wallpaper at Point Ellice House. While I'd known that wallpaper had dated the Hillside cottage, I had only guessed at a connection with Point Ellice and Kate. She also shared that the tenant, at the time of the wallpaper discovery, felt a strong benevolent presence in the house.
Years after writing The Chief Factor's Daughter, I found a NY Times interview with a US Congresswoman who credited her grandmother – the heroine of my novel – with inspiring her political career. I had known there was US politician in the family, but I had not known, when writing the book, that she was Margaret's granddaughter and had lived with her in childhood. I learned, too, that Margaret became a suffragist and told her granddaughter she would have the vote. It fit so well with my image of her character, that I had tingles reading the interview. It was the first time I had heard Margaret's voice from someone else – her granddaughter.
TKM: What advice would you give to a writer just starting out?
Vanessa: It might be overstated, but I do feel it's important to write about what inspires you and what you care about. I don't, however, think this is the same as the old adage "write what you know." Learning about your characters is half the fun. We now have scientific studies showing that reading novels builds empathy. I feel it does the same for the writer – taking on another's perspective and staying with them through their story. Through them, we can share another experience.
TKM: Where is your favourite place to write?
Vanessa Winn: I write at home – I can't write with a lot of distractions, though I prefer to be near a window, for an outlook other than the screen. Sometimes I write longhand, because the pen flows better than the keyboard. (Home also gives lots of opportunity for tea and snacks, which are essential.) Writing history entails many trips to the libraries and archives, which helps to alleviate the isolation and inspires me surrounded by books.
TKM: Do you have another novel in the works?
Vanessa: At the moment I'm in the early stages of two projects. The first is a novel about Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria's daughters, who came here as the wife of Canada's Governor General. She intrigues me as an artist and independent woman who struggled against the constraints of her era and circumstance. I'd like to explore her complicated love of Victoria – both the place and her mother.
I would also like to try my hand at a Young Adult story, written from the viewpoint of the exotic pets of a Royal Navy officer who was stationed to the Pacific northwest. The younger son of an earl, he so loved British Columbia that he chose to settle here. I'm intrigued by the theme of displacement, for both him and his pets. It would be a change of pace and perspective, and it would certainly be refreshing to write something shorter than a novel.
To find out more about Vanessa Winn and her novels, check out my reviews of Trappings and The Chief Factor's Daughter. You can also drop by Vanessa's website.
British Columbia interview

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Citation: MICHAEL JOHN PERRY (2007-03-22). Modified genetic algorithm approach to system identification with structural and offshore application. ScholarBank@NUS Repository.
Abstract: A novel identification strategy based on genetic algorithms is developed and applied in this thesis. The identification strategy combines a modified genetic algorithm with a search space reduction method, to accurately and efficiently identify unknown parameters of dynamic systems. The strategy is first developed and demonstrated using structural identification problems. Remarkable accuracy is achieved for both numerical and experimental tests on shear-building structures, using only partial, noise contaminaed acceleration measurements. Unlike many existing methods of structural identification, the proposed strategy is applicable to problems where all mass, stiffness and damping parameters are unknown. The strategy is also extended to the output-only case where input force information is not available. Finally, the identification of highly non-linear models for a hydrodynamic oscillator is used to demonstrate the robustness of the strategy. Amplitude dependant added mass, non-linear damping and unknown initial conditions are identified from free decay model tests of a perforated foundation pile.


A federal lawsuit was filed by Wayne Hicks, who was shot by Vestal police in October 2011 after a theft of shoes at Famous Footwear.
A federal jury decided Friday there was no excessive force used by Vestal police who shot a Binghamton man in October 2011, as he was driving at officers in following a shoe heist.
Wayne Hicks filed a lawsuit in 2014 that argued Vestal police officers used "unreasonable and excessive force" by shooting him on Oct. 31, 2011, while he was unarmed and behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz. The officers had responded to a complaint of suspects trying to steal shoes from Famous Footwear on the Vestal Parkway.
When the officers, Jared Fiacco and Joseph Kennedy, pulled into the Famous Footwear lot, they saw three men matching the suspects' descriptions outside the store, and asked them to stop, according to police.
Two suspects ran to a 1994 Mercedes Benz that was parked in the lot and a third suspect fled on foot, police said. The two in the Mercedes refused to obey commands from the officers to turn off the car and get out, according to police.
Hicks then drove the Mercedes toward the officers, who fired several shots at him, police said.
Hicks was given medical treatment for gunshots — he had been shot five times. According to police, the stolen sneakers were found in Hicks' vehicle.
A week-long trial tied to the lawsuit was held at the Syracuse federal courthouse. On Friday, a jury's verdict unanimously decided "no cause of action" against the Vestal police officers.
In addition to no excessive force, the jury decided there was no "inadequate training policy" for the Town of Vestal police, no municipal liability, and no punitive or compensatory damages to be awarded.
Vestal Police Chief John Butler said the department's officers did the job they were trained to do, and the department thanks the jury for its verdict.
"Although it is never the intent or desire to cause harm or injury to another, members of the Vestal police department will utilize all legal and necessary measures to defend themselves and the citizens who they serve," Butler said after the trial's outcome.
Hicks, 54, of Binghamton, was released from prison in November 2017, after serving six years for a felony second-degree assault conviction tied to the incident. The assault charge was for hitting one of the officers with his car during the encounter with police.
Hicks had been accused of acting recklessly by hitting Fiacco in the right shin and knee with the front bumper of the Mercedes, court papers said. The officer was treated for his injury at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton.
In his federal lawsuit, Hicks argued police were unjustified to shoot him. The lawsuit claimed there was no evidence of a violent crime being committed, and no one was in danger of death or serious injury.
After the officers' gunshots, the car Hicks was driving came to a stop and Hicks was taken into custody.


How am I going to make this work?" Sammy Mandell thought to himself. He had poured everything into starting Greenville Avenue Pizza Company on Lowest Greenville. He worked 90-hour weeks, often running the place by himself just to break even.
Mandell would take orders, ring up the customers, head back to the kitchen to make the salad then serve it before baking the pizza. Deliveries ran until 3 or 4 a.m.
He didn't have money to pay for his car, which was repossessed. He struggled so much to make his mortgage payments that the bank came to take pictures of his home. His friends and future wife moved into the home to help him keep the house.
Mandell kept at it. "Failure was not an option," he says.
Today, he is an award-winning entrepreneur and community advocate who has one of the longest standing restaurants on Lowest Greenville. He recently opened a second location at Garland and Peavy.
Mandell sees himself as an entrepreneur first, restaurateur second. After graduating from Bryan Adams in 2001 and enduring a short-lived serving career at Chili's, Mandell began to buy ATMs and install them in bars around Dallas.
When he saw a place open for rent and realized there wasn't a pizza place open late to accompany the bustling nightlife on Greenville, he saw an opportunity. "How is there not pizza by the slice?" he asked himself. Greenville Avenue Pizza Company (GAPCo) was born.
Between 2007 and 2013, business was replete with hazards. Construction on Greenville made GAPCo inaccessible. As soon as that ended, a change in zoning caused several of the bars to leave the area, reducing GAPCo's target customer.
Just in time, things began to improve. The zoning change brought new businesses and restaurants, and an interior remodel and rebranding began to pay dividends.
Mandell shares his success. He offers health benefits to his employees, and each location works to support local Dallas ISD schools and community events. His work won him Pizza Today's Entrepreneur of the Year award this year.
Did you know: When Greenville construction blocked access to the restaurant, GAPCo built a sidewalk out of pizza boxes for guests.


text:
Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients
Mikio Sakakibara, Mitsuhiko Kido, Jun Kuribayashi, Hiroshi Okada, Ataru Igarashi, Hiroyuki Kamei, Toshitaka Nabeshima
Graduate School of Health Sciences
Objective: The pharmacological effects of generic (GE) donepezil are the same as Aricept, its brand-name counterpart. However, little is known as to whether these two drugs provide the same quality of life (QOL). The study subjects were patients with Alzheimer's disease who were taking donepezil hydrochloride tablets, and were selected by visiting either the local pharmacies or the patients' homes. We chose the brand-name drug Aricept and its GE form donepezil to investigate, from a long-term caregiver's perspective, the influence of both drugs on the patients' QOL. Methods: An EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was used to assess the QOL of patients with Alzheimer's disease, before and after various Aricept and/or donepezil regimens. Patients were divided into four groups: first time users of Aricept (n=43), first time users of GE donepezil (n=45), users refilling previous prescriptions of Aricept (n=51), and users switching from Aricept to GE donepezil (n=51). Results: The average change in the EQ-5D utility indices rose significantly in the patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug. The patients continuing an existing regimen of Aricept showed no significant differences, even after Aricept was switched to a GE drug. Conclusion: The QOL of patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug improved. The QOL was maintained upon switching to the GE drug form.
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
Sakakibara, M., Kido, M., Kuribayashi, J., Okada, H., Igarashi, A., Kamei, H., & Nabeshima, T. (2015). Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, 13(2), 174-179. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
Sakakibara, Mikio ; Kido, Mitsuhiko ; Kuribayashi, Jun ; Okada, Hiroshi ; Igarashi, Ataru ; Kamei, Hiroyuki ; Nabeshima, Toshitaka. / Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients. In: Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. 2015 ; Vol. 13, No. 2. pp. 174-179.
@article{4ca66635322f417c9cfdea73c6025612,
title = "Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients",
abstract = "Objective: The pharmacological effects of generic (GE) donepezil are the same as Aricept, its brand-name counterpart. However, little is known as to whether these two drugs provide the same quality of life (QOL). The study subjects were patients with Alzheimer's disease who were taking donepezil hydrochloride tablets, and were selected by visiting either the local pharmacies or the patients' homes. We chose the brand-name drug Aricept and its GE form donepezil to investigate, from a long-term caregiver's perspective, the influence of both drugs on the patients' QOL. Methods: An EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was used to assess the QOL of patients with Alzheimer's disease, before and after various Aricept and/or donepezil regimens. Patients were divided into four groups: first time users of Aricept (n=43), first time users of GE donepezil (n=45), users refilling previous prescriptions of Aricept (n=51), and users switching from Aricept to GE donepezil (n=51). Results: The average change in the EQ-5D utility indices rose significantly in the patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug. The patients continuing an existing regimen of Aricept showed no significant differences, even after Aricept was switched to a GE drug. Conclusion: The QOL of patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug improved. The QOL was maintained upon switching to the GE drug form.",
author = "Mikio Sakakibara and Mitsuhiko Kido and Jun Kuribayashi and Hiroshi Okada and Ataru Igarashi and Hiroyuki Kamei and Toshitaka Nabeshima",
doi = "10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174",
journal = "Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience",
publisher = "Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology",
Sakakibara, M, Kido, M, Kuribayashi, J, Okada, H, Igarashi, A, Kamei, H & Nabeshima, T 2015, 'Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients', Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 174-179. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients. / Sakakibara, Mikio; Kido, Mitsuhiko; Kuribayashi, Jun; Okada, Hiroshi; Igarashi, Ataru; Kamei, Hiroyuki; Nabeshima, Toshitaka.
In: Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, Vol. 13, No. 2, 01.08.2015, p. 174-179.
T1 - Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients
AU - Sakakibara, Mikio
AU - Kido, Mitsuhiko
AU - Kuribayashi, Jun
AU - Okada, Hiroshi
AU - Igarashi, Ataru
AU - Kamei, Hiroyuki
AU - Nabeshima, Toshitaka
N2 - Objective: The pharmacological effects of generic (GE) donepezil are the same as Aricept, its brand-name counterpart. However, little is known as to whether these two drugs provide the same quality of life (QOL). The study subjects were patients with Alzheimer's disease who were taking donepezil hydrochloride tablets, and were selected by visiting either the local pharmacies or the patients' homes. We chose the brand-name drug Aricept and its GE form donepezil to investigate, from a long-term caregiver's perspective, the influence of both drugs on the patients' QOL. Methods: An EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was used to assess the QOL of patients with Alzheimer's disease, before and after various Aricept and/or donepezil regimens. Patients were divided into four groups: first time users of Aricept (n=43), first time users of GE donepezil (n=45), users refilling previous prescriptions of Aricept (n=51), and users switching from Aricept to GE donepezil (n=51). Results: The average change in the EQ-5D utility indices rose significantly in the patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug. The patients continuing an existing regimen of Aricept showed no significant differences, even after Aricept was switched to a GE drug. Conclusion: The QOL of patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug improved. The QOL was maintained upon switching to the GE drug form.
AB - Objective: The pharmacological effects of generic (GE) donepezil are the same as Aricept, its brand-name counterpart. However, little is known as to whether these two drugs provide the same quality of life (QOL). The study subjects were patients with Alzheimer's disease who were taking donepezil hydrochloride tablets, and were selected by visiting either the local pharmacies or the patients' homes. We chose the brand-name drug Aricept and its GE form donepezil to investigate, from a long-term caregiver's perspective, the influence of both drugs on the patients' QOL. Methods: An EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was used to assess the QOL of patients with Alzheimer's disease, before and after various Aricept and/or donepezil regimens. Patients were divided into four groups: first time users of Aricept (n=43), first time users of GE donepezil (n=45), users refilling previous prescriptions of Aricept (n=51), and users switching from Aricept to GE donepezil (n=51). Results: The average change in the EQ-5D utility indices rose significantly in the patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug. The patients continuing an existing regimen of Aricept showed no significant differences, even after Aricept was switched to a GE drug. Conclusion: The QOL of patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug improved. The QOL was maintained upon switching to the GE drug form.
U2 - 10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
DO - 10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
JO - Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
JF - Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
Sakakibara M, Kido M, Kuribayashi J, Okada H, Igarashi A, Kamei H et al. Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. 2015 Aug 1;13(2):174-179. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174
10.9758/cpn.2015.13.2.174


Aisha and I shot this lookpost last week when we met for a meeting at The Alphen. We spotted this Beetle and had to use it as a prop. It complimented her outfit and really gave the shoot some character. I have been shooting sneaky videos to compliment her lookposts lately, what do you think?
Aisha and I attended the Sissyboy Alchemy event and snapped a quick lookpost before we left: I haven't had time to post in a very long time but promise to post more often as I have tons of shoots and events to tell you all about!


We received a lot of great feedback from my post last week on creating student dropboxes in Google Drive to help organize your student's work. On Twitter, Natalie O'Neil gave Mike a shout out pointing us towards gClassFolders.
@mikegusto wouldn't #gClassFolders be a time saver? I use it and can't imagine living without it!
Thanks, Natalie, for the suggestion. After some research, I ran into my original notes on gClassFolders (thank you Evernote!), and, you are correct…. it is an amazingly powerful tool! You can find more information at their website, www.gclassfolders.com.
gClassFolders is a script that automates the process I talked about last week: creating a series of folders that provide a digital dropbox for students to share their work. Unlike my manual solution, this creates a very functional set of folders for each class including a class edit folder (documents editable by everyone in the class), a read-only folder (documents that students can view only) and individual assignment folders that are shared with students to drop in their work.
I must say that there are some caveats. First, I wasn't able to get the latest beta version to work (which utilizes the new version of Sheets), however, they still post an old version that worked for me without issue.
Second, the tool itself wasn't as intuitive as I would expect for new Google Apps users. It took some time for me figure out how to install and use this, despite detailed instructions. I originally explored this tool with a group of students in my educational technology methods class at the University of Montana. Then, my students found it difficult to use, and my original notes stated that it was more or less a "varsity level" integration tool.
That all said, this is an amazing tool and worth your experimentation. I am particularly encouraged by the notice on their page that "Currently working on the approval process to be listed in the add-on store." Putting this script in the new Sheets Add-On system would make installation and use effortless. I look forward to returning back to this tool upon approval!
Jason is a NCCE Tech-Savvy Teacher in Residence at blogs regularly at the NCCE blog. Jason is the first curriculum director of the Montana Digital Academy, Montana's state virtual school. Since MTDA's start in 2010, he has lead a team of over 100 teachers delivering over 100 course titles to tens of thousands students across the State of Montana. Before working with MTDA, Jason was a veteran classroom teacher with experience in two large high schools building diverse, successful programs in social studies, debate, speech, newspaper production and computer science. Jason is a leader in educational technology integration and popular speaker and trainer with experience working with thousands of teachers from all levels to improve their tech-savvy teaching. A doctoral candidate at the University of Montana, Jason is studying open education resources, online learning and the impact of internet filtering on classroom technology integration. Jason has been honored as a Distinguished Educator, Most Inspirational Teacher, Outstanding Teacher and winner of the ISTE "Making IT Happen" award.


text:
Rolleston
Darfield
Arthur's Pass
Otira
Moana (Lake Brunner)
Christchurch Station Travel Centre is currently closed. For booking enquiries, please call us on 0800 872 467 or contact us online.
Christchurch Railway Station
A modern piece of Railway history
Christchurch Railway Station is home to our legendary TranzAlpine train and is located within the modern Tower Junction retail park in Addington on the southwestern edge of Christchurch city.
Also called Addington Station, today's bright and modern station opened in 1993. It is the third Christchurch Railway Station, but the first on this location. Both previous incarnations were located on Moorhouse Avenue, with the 1960s station dismantled after sustaining irreparable damage during the 2011 earthquake.
Today's Christchurch Railway Station is located on the historic site of Addington Railway Workshops. Here, New Zealand's first locomotive was manufactured, while the historic water tower that rises above the station is the first reinforced concrete structure ever built. It is this great railway legacy that gives the modern retail park its name.
Christchurch Railway Station, Troup Drive, Addington, Christchurch 8011
TranzAlpine train from Christchurch
Our TranzAlpine Christchurch to Greymouth train departs Christchurch Railway Station in the early morning, reaching Greymouth by early afternoon and arriving back into Christchurch in the early evening.
Christchurch Station opens at 6:00am for TranzAlpine ticketing. You can buy tickets for the TranzAlpine at Christchurch Station on the day of travel, but we strongly encourage you to Book online in advance. Standing is not permitted and if all seats are sold out you will not be allowed to travel.
TranzAlpine Check-In
Check-in opens 7:00am
Collect Boarding Pass and Luggage Labels at Check-in
Check in all wheeled cabin bags, large bags, backpacks and suitcases
Label luggage and deposit at our secure Luggage Carriage
Locate your seat using the Carriage and Seat number on your Boarding Pass
Check-in closes 7:55am
Pack a small bag with your camera, wallet, phone, medication, coat/jumper, etc, to bring aboard. All large bags and wheeled bags must be checked-in.
TranzAlpine Timetable
Christchurch Greymouth
Our TranzAlpine Christchurch to Greymouth train runs long weekends throughout the summer season.
Please Sign-up to our newsletter to receive future timetable announcements.
Our TranzAlpine Greymouth to Christchurch train runs long weekends throughout the summer season.
Christchurch Station Facilities
Travel Centre and Ticket Office
Christchurch railway station acts as a travel centre for The Great Journeys of New Zealand, selling tickets for all our services over the counter. The travel centre is open daily from 8am to 3pm daily (excluding Christmas Day).
Although you can buy tickets on the day, we strongly recommend booking in advance to guarantee travel.
The Travel Centre can be called on 0800 872 467 or contacted via email on bookings@greatjourneysofnz.co.nz.
Covered seating area
Be.accessible rated: Bronze
Taxi Rank
Long distance coach connections


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MERLYN! – The Fan Guide to Brockhampton's Merlyn Wood
CentralSauce » MERLYN! – The Fan Guide to Brockhampton's Merlyn Wood
January 23, 2018 - Created by Carter Fowler
Contrary to popular belief, Merlyn Wood isn't just a meme – he's a real person. Here's everything you need to know about Brockhampton's littlest vocalist and biggest personality.
Who is William Andoh "Merlyn" Wood?
Full Name: William Anku Kraka Mawuli Andoh Wood Jr
Birthday: 5/1/96
Sign: Taurus
William Andoh William Wood, Jr. is a vocalist for "the best boyband since One Direction of all time", BROCKHAMPTON. His stage-name is Merlyn, and he's one of the most fascinating up-and-coming rappers in the industry today.
Brockhampton has plenty of quirky personalities throughout the group, but Merlyn Wood stands out from the rest.
Merlyn brings a distinctive energy to Brockhampton's music, videos, and shows. He simultaneously oozes charisma and self-deprecating humor. Whether he's pirouetting in a dress or guzzling gas station slurpie straight from the nozzle, you WILL notice him. Hate him or love him – if you know Brockhampton, you know Merlyn.
"I could have been selling coke, I could have been… I dunno. Like, I could have been carrying a briefcase. But instead, I'm here rapping. I'm fulfilling my dream, and that's a personal choice I made. You can do all of the above, you can sell coke or become a businessman, that's your choice. I'm putting it on the table kind of like College Dropout, you can stay in school or be a dropout." – Merlyn Wood (Interview with Pigeons and Planes)
Merlyn: More Than Meets the Eye
Where is Merlyn From?
William Andoh "Merlyn" Wood was born in Ghana but spent the majority of his childhood in the state of Texas. After 7th grade, Merlyn's parents sent their son to a boarding school in Ghana for two years, where Merlyn developed his love of music and ended up playing saxophone for a jazz band. After his two years in Ghana, Merlyn came back to the States and went to high school at The Woodlands High School, in a suburb on the northern side of the greater Houston area. Also in attendance at Merlyn's high school was the Texas core of Brockhampton, including Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann, Matt Champion, and Russell "JOBA" Boring – although JOBA was a year older and class above at the time.
Merlyn's roots in both Ghana and Texas are an important part of his past, serving as a common source of inspiration in his music.
Merlyn on "MILK":
"Walking through the pit falls of a college student
Crazy how you get them letters and that make you feel accepted
Til you walking 'round the campus and you the only African"
Merlyn on "QUEER":
"Put that on me auntie and me mama
Grab the Ghost then I go right back to Ghana"
Young Merlyn spitting some bars
Merlyn Wood and Brockhampton
Although Merlyn met the nucleus of Brockhampton back in high school, the group would not form for several years after graduation. Merlyn left the Houston area to study architecture at the University of Texas in Austin under pressure from his family. Merlyn never felt like he truly "fit in" socially at college and his studies suffered.
Merlyn and Ameer were friends long before you ever heard of Brockhampton
One day, his professor called Merlyn into his office to tell him that the only way he could pass the class was to get a perfect 100% on every single test, quiz, and homework assignment from there on out. That night, Merlyn packed up all his belongings and was in California with the rest of Brockhampton by the following week.
Merlyn joined in 2015 right after the group rebranded from their original name, Alive Since Forever. That year marked the second and last wave of additions to the group, with Matt Champion, Bearface., JOBA, Romil Hemnani, and Q3 also coming together to form what would later be known as BROCKHAMPTON.
In his lyrics, Merlyn regularly references his academic and social difficulties during his time at UT, as well as the massive gamble he undertook by moving to California without any savings.
Merlyn on "SWAMP":
"Always planned to be a rapper when I failed at life
Luckily professor failed me at the proper time"
Nobody with passion, just cats that take direction well
Take acid trips to find themselves, well…"
"The music kind of speaks for itself most of the time. I think I've said I've dropped out so many different times in so many different ways, cause this is actually my second time dropping out. I already had that line on 'Flip Mo.' I been dropping out. But for some reason, this is the verse that college students and people in school relate to." – Merlyn Wood
Merlyn's Role in the Group
There's a little Merlyn in all of us
Merlyn Wood brings humor, energy, and dynamic range to Brockhampton. One of his greatest attributes is his willingness to try just about anything in the pursuit of success. From cross-dressing in wigs and dresses to taking literal baths in froot loops, Merlyn is the conduit for Brockhampton's wackiest creative ideas. He captures the essence of the 'in-your-face', 'can't-avoid-us' vibe that Brockhampton strives for in their art.
Merlyn's role in Brockhampton goes beyond simple labels like "hype man". He has a certain persona about him due to two of his traits that are intricately interwoven: a complete willingness to fail, and a complete fearlessness toward rejection. His confidence in himself and brash style lends swagger to the rest of Brockhampton's vocalists and humor to their approach.
"The group ethic makes it so much easier to be true to myself. My friends give me the feeling that whatever I do is gonna be okay. Just lay down as many ideas as possible and we'll find something that works." – Merlyn Wood
Merlyn in Brockhampton's Music
A disruptive presence. A frenzied approach. A manic delivery.
Merlyn's vocals create another dimension for Brockhampton's music. He may not bring the lyrical complexity of Dom McLennon or the melodies of JOBA, but the energy and character in Merlyn's short verses is intoxicating and attention grabbing in a way similar to Young Thug, Danny Brown, or Ol Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang. His verses may not always have the most clever wordplay or insightful lyrics but they bring crucial sonic range to each track he's on.
The most impressive aspect of Merlyn's contributions is the variety he shows with his delivery and cadences. Merlyn has no base structure for his vocals that he falls back on time and time again, unlike many of Brockhampton's other vocalists. This lends itself to the ability to create top-notch hooks, like those on "GUMMY", "JOHNNY", and "CANNON". Plus, his ad-libs and pre-hooks are the best in the group.
Merlyn's status as a fan favorite is tangible at Brockhampton's live shows, where you can barely hear Merlyn's voice over the crowd during his verses:
BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET (Merlyn Wood verse + Chorus) Live in Chicago at Bottom Lounge 9/6/2017
"When we announced [Saturation I], we didn't even have any songs done. I wasn't surprised we got the album done as quickly as we did, I'm just surprised it's as good as it is." – Merlyn Wood
Brockhampton's collective chemistry has grown astronomically since their debut mixtape, All-American Trash. The same is true to an even greater extent for Merlyn. Merlyn's early solo tracks are an interesting standard by which to gauge his growth as a vocalist and musician. In them, flow and delivery are still fascinating, but he doesn't quite manage to capture the vocal magic he brings in Brockhampton's collective music. Lyrics tend to meander around without a noticeable central theme, particularly on "Fye". Check out his three solo tracks from early on – and be sure to listen to "Lazy Wood", which somehow manages to sound more Brockhampton than Brockhampton does.
Merlyn Wood - "Fye" OFFICIAL VERSION
Merlyn Wood - Culdesac
Merlyn Wood and Dom McLennon in the "Flip Mo" music video
Related Sauce: Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Drake or Kanye West: Who Was the Most Self-Obsessed Lyricist in 2018?
Merlyn's Best Lyrics and Verses
"First off, fuck Dolce & Gabbana
Racist mothersuckers tryna be my pana
I came back again, with the platinum
To the continent, I came back again
"Damn, time-travelin'
Honda-swervin', that's so Merlyn
That's so Merlyn
That's so Merlyn, that's so Merlyn
Honda-swervin', book learnin'
Whose society is this? Who delayed my first kiss?
Who command my scholarship and kick us out our neighborhood?
Play our music, make 'em rich, play our music, make amends
Box us in like plantains, free all of my Africans"
"Dashin' to the money like a hyphen
Fuck a pipe dream man, had this shit when I was in my diapers
Burnin' through my diapers, hot shit
It was hot shit, back when niggas looking for the Loch Ness"
(This verse references Brockhampton history. "Fuck a pipe dream man, had this shit when i was in my diapers" is a reference to Ameer's verse on HEAT.)
"Hi, my name is Merlyn, I just applied for food stamps
I just moved to California, with my boy band
Dropped out of a good school, hippies in my commune
I left 'fore the rent was due, used to want a briefcase
And a short commute, used to wanna sell coke
And whip an Audi coupe, crazy if I did that
Wouldn't be talking to you
"DON'T CALL ME, STUPID
THAT AIN'T THE WAY MY NAME PRONOUNCED
DON'T CALL ME, CUPID
I got too many hoes right now
Poolside in Houston
Tryna see if Beyoncé will take me for adoption
Broke-ass rich suburbs
A civilian shot in Third Ward, we just by the fountain
This is Merlyn Wood, man
Everywhere I go is the woodlands
I need a honeybutter
Vodka in a Sprite can
When I'm in the Whataburger
All the kids know who I am
Puttin' lean in my Sprite can"
"Start praying to me like my handle Cortana
We like Wu-Tang but I feel like Santana
Sweet-talkin' just like she Hannah Montana
Head was clean, Tony Fantano…"
(This verse includes a direct shoutout to music reviewer Anthony Fantano)
Related Sauce: Best Songs of 2018: Uzi's Defiantly Long "New Patek" (that's it that's the list)
Merlyn always seems to be the first guy to take his shirt off
Potential for a Solo Career
Merlyn has undergone significant growth as a vocalist and rapper since he first joined Brockhampton in 2015. With each new project, he showcases another cadence, another flow, another type of delivery. Merlyn's flexibility is promising, especially considering how little time he has had to experiment and grow.
Merlyn's bright personality and unique vocal style are a powerful combination
You don't have to look any further than Brockhampton's very first album, Saturation, to see what I'm talking about. Compare his contributions on MILK and HEAT, for example. Each verse is completely different from the other in just about every way you can think of: energy, cadence, flow, inflection, lyrical purpose, you name it.
Merlyn knows his "bread and (honey) butter" so to speak, but also isn't afraid to experiment with his voice or delivery. He's no one trick pony, and that will only serve him well when the time inevitably comes for Brockhampton to split up.
Despite his promise, there is one major hurdle for Merlyn's prospects as a solo artist: Merlyn will have to "de-memeify" himself (to an extent). Ever since his "That's so, Merlyn" verse on "GOLD", Merlyn been seen as a character of sorts. Sure, memes and characters can have success in today's music industry (see: Big Shaq), but they don't have much staying power. If Merlyn wants to have an individual career that amounts to more than a single album, he'll have to buck the character a bit to be taken seriously – just like we saw when Rich Brian changed his name from Rich Chigga. Memes don't live for too long when they stand alone.
Related Sauce: Romil Hemnani: The Ultimate BROCKHAMPTON Fan Guide
Merlyn's Best Twitter Moments
Ok but for real pic.twitter.com/qNhunyDQXq
— MERLYN (@merlynwood) December 23, 2017
Stop asking me to convince you to follow your dreams my life is a compelling argument
— MERLYN (@merlynwood) October 12, 2017
The only living philosopher i know is Lil B
My Tinder dry as hell
Ima start catfishing with Matt Champion pictures
— MERLYN (@merlynwood) August 24, 2017
I forgot the weed in Texas look like dip tobacco
I took my first yoga class ever and i feel high as fuck
— MERLYN (@merlynwood) September 14, 2017
Ima call my mom fore i get high as fuck
— MERLYN (@merlynwood) September 3, 2017
Fun fact: my @ was ThatSoMerlyn before we ever did GOLD
Bonus Merlyn Meme-shit:
every brockhampton music video but it's only merlyn verses
"Star" by Brockhampton But Every Name Drop Is Replaced With "MERLYN"
Merlyn Wood saying "This is Merlyn Wood, man // Everywhere I go is the woodlands" for 5 minutes
merlyn wood vomits blue liquid into a slurpee dispenser then collapses and dies
Image Credit: u/dietdenis
Filed Under: Deep Cuts, Featured Sauce Tagged With: brockhampton, merlyn wood, saturation iii, william andoh "merlyn" wood
Related Sauce
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About Carter Fowler
Hey I'm Carter, web designer & Atlanta-based founder of CentralSauce. Some of my favorite artists are Frank Ocean, Anderson .Paak, Future, Vulfpeck, Kanye West, and Ratatat. I love working with artists and creatives that I believe in to develop their brand and work toward their goals. Check out my website, CarterFowlerCreative.com.
Follow Carter: Twitter


The University Quality Enhancement Plan Advisory Council (QEPAC) provides cross-campus feedback on the progress of student learning in a team environment. The QEPAC has representation from all UAB academic, student government, faculty senate and some administrative units.
The QEPAC will meet twice in each of the fall and spring semesters, and possibly once in the summer. A QEPAC Chair will be selected from the members and will serve for a one-year term. The QEPAC appointments are for three years, which will be until the QEP impact report and visit in 2020.
Preceding the QEPAC, the QEP Steering Committee guided development of Learning in a Team Environment from November 2013 to January 2016.


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News / BIRDMAN RELEASES NEW SINGLE "PLAQUES" FEATURING YOUNG GREATNESS IN HONOR OF THE LATE RAP ARTIST!!
BIRDMAN RELEASES NEW SINGLE "PLAQUES" FEATURING YOUNG GREATNESS IN HONOR OF THE LATE RAP ARTIST!!
Today, GRAMMY® Award-nominated hip-hop icon and Cash Money Records Co-Founder and C.E.O. Bryan "Birdman" Williams aka Baby releases a new single "Plaques" featuring Young Greatness. The song arrives on the two-year anniversary of Young Greatness's untimely 2018 passing, commemorating the gold-selling New Orleans rapper's memory and adding another chapter to his legacy. Get it HEREvia Cash Money Records.
"Young Greatness was up next," states Birdman. "He had all of the signatures of a superstar from the talent and the presence to the songs. The rap game suffered a major loss when he left us way too soon. We want to do everything we can to celebrate his memory. His legacy lives on in the music he recorded."
Produced by multi-platinum sensation DRok [YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Juvenile], "Plaques" sees Birdman weave together smooth and slick verses before carrying the hypnotic hook, "Plaques on my wall, Cash Money sunshine."Meanwhile, a posthumous melodic guest spot from Young Greatness gives another glimpse at his overwhelming talent.
"I think 'Plaques' is the perfect representation of what Young Greatness could do," adds Birdman. "Like all great artists, the moment you hear his voice, you know it's him."
By the time he landed his dream deal with Cash Money Records in 2017, Young Greatness had already earned an RIAA gold plaque for the smash single "Moolah" as well as the recognition of Forbes, Noisey, The Fader, Complex, and more between releasing standout mixtapes such as 2015's I Tried To Tell Em and 2016's I Tried To Tell Em 2. However, his road twisted and turned down an unbelievable path—from NFL prospect to Katrina survivor to convict to underground star—before he reached that point. He passed away on October 29, 2018, but the music still preserves his memory.


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Alex Albon Is Getting His Chance
After a year out of F1, former Red Bull second driver has a chance to lead his own Williams team. Can he prove he belongs in the sport?
By Fred Smith
Mario Renzi - Formula 1Getty Images
When Alex Albon moved to Formula 1 in 2019, first with the team then known as Scuderia Toro Rosso and just a few months later for Red Bull Racing, he was part of a generation of future stars that included Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell. By the end of 2020, he was out of the sport.
This is the first installment of our driver-by-driver preview of the 2022 Formula 1 season. This weekend, we will be covering Williams. You can find the rest of our previews here.
The decision was a purely pragmatic one for Red Bull. Their sole focus was on winning Max Verstappen a driver's championship, something they felt could not be accomplished while also developing another young driver next to him after two brief attempts with Albon and Gasly. They pulled Albon from the ride after having already committed their development seats to Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, leaving their would-be coveted prospect to serve as a reserve driver for both Red Bull teams and race in the GT3 series racing under the DTM banner last season.
It was an odd, almost humiliating year for the once-elite prospect. While George Russell was on year three of acclimating to the series with Williams before racing in a role with real stakes, Albon was spending his weekends doing television and his weekdays filming failed arguments for Christian Horner's dreams of a Lewis Hamilton suspension. Reserve driver priorities came before the DTM season, so he missed the final round of that series where he racked up one win. But his resume was enough to draw new interest this season, so, when Russell made his long-awaited move to Mercedes AMG F1 and Valtteri Bottas chose Alfa Romeo over Williams, Albon stepped into the lead role at the struggling team. Next year, he returns to F1.
Formula 1Getty Images
HOW HE GOT HERE
As recently as 2018, Alex Albon was in conversations with his peers as a future star. He moved into cars in 2012, but his first major success came in 2016. That was the year he finished runner-up to Charles Leclerc in the series then known as GP3. In 2017, he spent a winless season acclimating to Formula 2. In 2018, he finished third in the series behind Russell and Lando Norris.
That resume got him to AlphaTauri for the 2019 season, where he quickly showed that he belonged in the sport with a string of five finishes in the points through twelve races. When Pierre Gasly was demoted during the Summer break, he was the obvious internal candidate to replace him at Red Bull mid-season. Suddenly in a car capable of winning races, he finished between sixth and fourth in all but one remaining race and kept the ride in 2020.
His full season with the team was much more disappointing. Albon scored his first two career podiums, but he finished just seventh in the driver's championship and did not record a win as Verstappen's teammate. He was dropped for Sergio Perez days after the season ended and sent to the DTM for a year while he waited for new opportunity, opportunity that finally came this season.
When he was dropped for Perez, I wrote that he deserved better. At Williams, he has that opportunity.
Bryn Lennon - Formula 1Getty Images
Last time Alex Albon was in a mid-pack F1 car, he outperformed expectations. Unfortunately, the Williams might not be a mid-pack F1 car.
Williams finished a distant eighth in the 2021 F1 season, in no small part off the back of a podium finish that George Russell recorded for half points in the rained-out Belgian Grand Prix. The car scored in the points just six times, two of which came in that race that was effectively not run, and his new teammate Nicholas Latifi was responsible for just two of those finishes.
That puts the burden on Albon to bring the Williams back up the grid. Fortunately for him, a new style of car developed to new downforce rules will give the team a chance to take advantage of a scramble that could potentially re-shuffle the order of series powers. Unfortunately for him, every single team on the grid is thinking the same thing. A budget cap will help the struggling Williams team, too, but Albon will still be the one responsible for bringing the car as far as it can go. Race wins are unlikely, and podiums might still be unlikely without catastrophic rain, but a fair split of points-paying finishes will be enough to prove he belongs.
TF-ImagesGetty Images
A SUCCESSFUL SEASON LOOKS LIKE...
With expectations so low for Williams as a team, Alex Albon will be aiming for tenth more often than for first. However, he goes into the season with a relatively soft teammate match-up, making the simple goal of regularly out-qualifying and out-scoring his teammate less significant than it would be for most drivers at a struggling team. Rather than benchmarking himself against Latifi, Albon would be smart to benchmark himself against the lead drivers at Alfa Romeo and Haas F1. Those three teams have been at the back of the field for quite some time, so, unless one has made a dramatic leap into contention, he should be within striking distance of their lead drivers Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher during race weekends.
Last year, George Russell effectively beat that group (with Kimi Raikkonen in place of Bottas) and nobody else en route to a 15th-place season. It was considered a grand success, because the limits of the Williams car were well known and he seemed to outperform them. Whether or not he has as high a ceiling as Russell, Albon should be capable of a similar season in the Williams.
Make as many Q3s as the car will allow, avoid serious mistakes when racing for meaningful positions, and score points in the back half of the top ten whenever possible. That should be enough for Albon to prove that he belongs in the sport and, if both parties are interested, a strong enough baseline for he and Williams to build toward better things over the next few years.
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Fernando Alonso Has Plenty Left in the Tank
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Have you ever thought about how you lace your shoes? Many of us haven't thought much about it since we were 4 and first learned to tie our own shoes. But Ian Fieggen, from Australia, has devoted a large amount of his time creating the largest and most comprehensive web site about shoe lacing that we've ever seen. Visit Ian's Shoelace Site to see many different lacing patterns. If you have kids, they will love this site. Try some different patterns and see how fancy you can get. If you are having pain on the top of your foot, and you have a pressure point there, try Ian's Gap Lacing Technique. Or if your shoe doesn't fit quite right, you can try the Sawtooth Method to help align the shoe better. He will also teach you 5 different ways to tie your shoes using two different colors, and has links to online stores to buy colored shoelaces. So have fun with your shoes, and see how creative you can get!


Nice find. However another guy on PK already found it some time ago. The Name will be changed in the next version.
Patch is up on github Eastern Sun 5.1c. Please follow those instructions to install the mod. People already installed the mod obviously can skip Step 1.
Step 1: Install the ES Com version which can be found on the Snejportal.
Step 2: Remove all Tokens, Weapons with Quantity, Keys, Tome of Townportal and Tome of Identify (if you wanna keep all items with Quantity, go to D2Mod.ini and change SaveBits=14 to SaveBits=9. However, you wont be able to play with people who have a different value.
Step 3: Copy all files from this folder directly into the ES Com folder. You should overwrite some files.
Edit: Released a small hotfix. Please redownload the data folder and the d2mod.ini and D2Bufficons.dll. It should work now for everyone, Mnw1995 fixed a bug that caused a crash relateded to statfix.dll and D2SmallUtility.dll In case its not working. Update/Install Visual Studio 15.
Sky, thaison aka vietnam and maks aka aught agreed to help out with the mod. Thaison will help out with code edits. maks will rework all skills plus new ones and also add new itemstats. dont know about what to expect yet either:P. sky and me gonna work on the base item system and rework the cubemain alongside misc items. once a we have a playable version, we will release a beta. I might release another smaller patch in the meantime. The finial version might appear quite different to what ES is now. We will keep iconic things but will also see great change.
Edit: Uploaded a small bugfix regarding throwing weapons. Please replace your data folder. Also for anyone who didnt notice. Bufficons.dll finally work.
Edit2: Released another small patch. Check discord or github.
Thanks for the github link.
I tried downloading the 5b link at the top of this topic, and it would let me create a character, but then crash with a pocket size error when entering a game.
The 5d github works fine though.
For everbody having trouble setting up the mod. I made a complete D2SE Plugin.
Edit: Removed. Please read the readme and visit the discord if you have trouble with setting up the mod.
My current progress with this mod. Almost lvl 95. Found this amazing jewel and with it's proc i can farm p8 most of areas safely. But large charms are now dropping only magic quality. Not sure maybe it's just my luck with rng.
3 x coupons = unique with some sockets. I would like to see this a bit different. Each difficulty drops it's own tokens, but they all are blank. And to make an unique item one uses a recipe > base item + X blank tokens = unique item + sockets. Base item - random non unique/set item. Each difficulty gets own blank tokens. Sockets depend on difficulty, normal 1-6, nightmare 1-4, hell 1-2.
Recipe to turn unique/set item into token depending on item lvl.
Being able to clean everything on p8 without forging or dstoning equipment show a few things about the current modversion:P. The jewel is supposed to speed things up to give melee chars a similar speed as casters. Thanks for your suggestion. I personally dislike the option to create any kind of uniques via recipe. Even further reduce their uniqueness. Adding more sockets would make things even more OP as they are now.
Got an example for that? Beside, thanks for sharing your progress with us and bringing some life to this thread:).
On a unrelated note, Perfect Cell came back to Eastern Sun:P.
Well, being able to do stuff on p8 with end game char is ok in my opinion. And my current paladin is probably considered to be and game char. Level over 90, all nice unique/set equipment + unique and rare charms. Some mobs in Naraku levels can few shot me down, probably because they do magic atacks and my magic resists is low/non existant ? Any suggestions for xp farming ? Currently doing cows + act 2 cows and Andariels, Duriels and Harpies. Seems like harpies give best xp but their debuff is annoying for melee char.
Depends how fast you are. Best and most boring is probably to run those treants in Naraku lvl 1. Only stop to kill Konusume or Koyakunin for heart drops. Otherwise I think lost farm or all the way to nila should be best.
Well those too cant be merged, would be like merging +damage and +%enhanced damage. Beside based on charlvl cant be merged with the normal version. So nothing we can do about.
You could try Medicine RW. Tons of absorb. Paired with a few SC with flat absorb you should be pretty much immune. Pair the RW with Delfective Armor and you could get up to 50% fire/cold/lightning absorb, 40% magic absorb and 30%dmg reduced., to just name the best stats.
All right, will try those treants since wp is really close.
Also leveling my assassin at the moment. Was using as many on atack/striking procs as possible but progress started to slow down in nighmare act2. But then i used that 100% splash jewel and it went over the roof. Lvl 57 did Duriel no problem and went to cow farm + Duriel area in act 3. Did them all on p3 difficulty easily, suddenly lvl 72 Now will try out this Borik set - looks very good on paper. Maybe a video if results are nice.
Glad you having a blast with your other chars:).
I will see what others player report on discord or PK and will change it in the next version, which would make current versions legacy:P. What do you think about mixing up synergies similar to the much unliked HU version. Currently synergies mostly stay within the element and often dont make much sense, or block more creative builds. I thought about some more crossover synergies to allow more build diversity (without relating too much on gear).
Finished nightmare, p8 now is cake with that full set and 100% splash jewel. Even nithlakh was easy, no need to use bow and snipe him from distance. Hp is a bit low and there is possible danger of being 1shoted but overall really powerfull fast and efficient char.
defense=1. If its on 0, you can change it.
Well, i tried cows on players 8 with same gears only without that jewel. Results - really dissapointing. The damage vs 1 target is kinda ok-ish, still can solo mobs. Can survive when surounded too since that char has leach. But kill speed goes down a lot, have to strike same mob more and more times. I just did that cow king area inside the fences and already gave up. Takes waaay too long to kill crowd of enemies. Will make video if i get more spare time.
And it still might be too powerfull, since zeal and other rapid atacks exist in game. Maybe add a penalty for both potions, like 0=defense for 1h weapons and -50% damage reduction for 2hand weapons ? Just random numbers here.
The container for regular clod runes is not working for me. I tried to store some runes last night - they don't go into container.
Just tried. Works fine for me and no other complains. Sure there was nothing else in the cube?
Edit: Uploaded Patch E to github.
I removed the Ancient Tomes from the game, as they block about 50 lines in the itemstatcost.txt which I wanna use for new itemstats;). So stay tuned to see some more cool stuff coming.
You can also find more informations about ESR on our Subforum on the Phorzenkeep.
I hope many people will play this on a realm. I dont like empty servers. Btw the pics looks awesome.
Hey. I hope I will see you on our Discord next time;).
Well, not for people who can't read the readme;). All chars an be converted to ESR 5.1E, as long as you remove all items according to the readme.
Edit: Post removed. My point still stands though. If anyone needs help pls contact me on the Discord Server.


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Tag: International Space Station
International Space Station Live
Author David OesperPosted on April 17, 2019 April 17, 2019 Categories SpaceTags International Space Station, ISSLeave a comment on International Space Station Live
ISS & SS Memories
The last Space Shuttle flight took place in July 2011 (Atlantis, STS-135), and in going through the archives from ten years ago, I found this write-up about the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle seen together in the sky.
International Space Station & Space Shuttle – Docked
This past Sunday evening brought my family to Governor Dodge State Park north of Dodgeville for a stroll in the dark—and what we thought would be a "routine" flyover of the International Space Station. Boy, were we surprised! Even though conditions were quite hazy, the ISS made its appearance as predicted, but as it reached its culmination of 62° at 10:27 p.m. (6/17/07 CDT) we witnessed something none of us had ever seen before: a gradual brightening of the ISS to between -6 and -9 magnitude, followed by a gradual dimming back to the normal slightly negative magnitude of a favorable flyover. We had observed a "sun glint" off of the large station's many reflective surfaces. What a treat!
Footnote #1: The ISS had a definite orangish tint to us, which may have been real in spite of the hazy conditions.
Footnote #2: No-line bifocals (progressive lenses) work well during the day, but try looking at a bright moving object at night (or stars in general) to see just how bad the optics are! For night viewing, I recommend a pair of glasses (if you need them) for distance viewing only, with glass lenses (not plastic!) and 0.5 diopter greater correction than you normally use. I have such a pair, but forgot to bring them with me that night.
International Space Station & Space Shuttle – Undocked
This past Tuesday, the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-117) undocked from the International Space Station, and, as luck would have it, there were two opportunities that evening to view the pair—separated by only 46 miles—cross the sky in a beautiful pas de deux. The first and best event, which culminated at 9:33 p.m. (6/19/07 CDT), was still impressive in spite of bright twilight because the spacecraft were so bright. The brighter and oranger ISS was leading Space Shuttle Atlantis by about 3° when first sighted low in the NW, which expanded to about 6° at culmination since both spacecraft were closer to Wisconsin and the axis between the two least foreshortened, shrinking again to 3° when both spacecraft disappeared into the shadow of the Earth low in the ESE. The changing orientation of the axis connecting the two spacecraft as they crossed the sky was interesting to observe.
A curious phenomenon that my wife, daughter, and I all noticed was that the positions of the two spacecraft with respect to each other seemed to "wiggle" a bit at times as they crossed the sky. What a strange optical illusion, because obviously both spacecraft were moving smoothly relative to Earth and relative to each other!
I also observed the second pass that evening, which reached a maximum altitude of only 14° in the WSW sky before the pair entered the shadow of the Earth at 11:07 p.m. CDT. Both spacecraft were about two magnitudes fainter than before, and this time Atlantis seemed brighter and oranger than the ISS!
As any double star observer knows, though, the perceived color of an object is strongly dependent upon its brightness!
Author David OesperPosted on October 19, 2017 May 12, 2018 Categories Astronomy, SpaceTags Atlantis, color and brightness, eyeglasses, International Space Station, ISS, Space Shuttle, STS-117, STS-135Leave a comment on ISS & SS Memories
A Space Shuttle Remembrance
On Tuesday, December 19, 2006, I witnessed a delightful event: the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station traveling together through the western sky, only about 1° apart.
Around 6:34 p.m., I spotted a -1 magnitude International Space Station (ISS) traveling NE above the western horizon. It quickly became apparent that there was a +1 magnitude point of light moving right along with the ISS, leading it by about one degree. It was the Space Shuttle Discovery, which had undocked from the ISS just 2h25m earlier (4:09 p.m.)!
I quickly surmised that Discovery must have fired retrorockets to put some distance between it and the ISS by lowering Discovery's altitude. Since Discovery was at a lower altitude, it had been orbiting faster, which is why it was leading the ISS by about a degree. As the pair approached the constellation Lyra, further evidence of Discovery's lower altitude occurred when it disappeared into the shadow of the Earth several degrees further west of where the ISS disappeared a few seconds later.
Author David OesperPosted on January 4, 2017 Categories AstronomyTags International Space Station, ISS, Space ShuttleLeave a comment on A Space Shuttle Remembrance


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BJP Heading Towards A Shocking Defeat
Mon Dec 17 2018 13:18:50 GMT+0530 (IST)
Results of the Five States Assembly Polls made Narendra Modi and Amit Shah realize that the future is going to be tough. Huge damage could happen to BJP if the party leadership doesn't treat it like a wake up call ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Polls.
In 2014 Polls, Modi Wave fetched over 300 Lok Sabha Seats for BJP. But now, There is no such positive environment for the Saffron Party in most of the States. Few BJP Leaders are aware of the growing anti-incumbency against the NDA Government.
Analysts have been predicting that there is a possibility of repeat of 2009 results in 2019. BJP may have to settle for anywhere around 116 MP Seats. While there is anti-incumbency in BJP-ruled States, BJP lost power in crucial states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh). In addition, Alliance Partners have been distancing BJP one after the other.
In 2014 Polls, BJP won 62 seats in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. It might end up losing at least half of those seats in 2019. BJP will lose huge number of seats in Uttar Pradesh. If SP, BSP and Congress have an alliance, The Saffron Party could face defeat in 90 percent of the 71 MP seats it won in UP.
BJP won all the 26 MP Seats in Gujarat in the 2014 Polls. This time, Opposition might win not less than 10 seats. In South India, BJP is unlikely to win MP Seats in any of the States except Karnataka.
The mood of the people isn't in favour of BJP in Punjab, Jharkand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Assam. In such a situation, Winning half of the seats BJP won in 2014 is going to be very difficult.
TAGS: BJP Narendra Modi Elections 2019
Why TDP Is Welcoming KCR's Return Gift?
Jagan Responds On KCR's Return Gift
Why Was Advani Marginalised?


People are cautious about the well-being of the homes. It is vital in guarding the household against environmental challenges. Allocate some money annually for keeping your home in the right condition. Durability is assured when the house is looked after properly. Houses that are kept in good condition last for many years.
You should regularly check the gutter to make sure it does it work efficiently. In case water accumulates at the foundation of the house, it can weaken it or even it may get into the house. Ensure there is no clogging in the gutter. Gutter cleaning ensures that organic materials do not decompose in this area which may further lead to corrosion. You will need eaves trough cleaning equipment to ensure there is thorough cleaning. You must take the initiative to clean the gutters personally.
Have a timetable for gutter cleaning. Do not take too long before cleaning the gutters. You should keep on checking the gutters to confirm if there is any debris. Solve the problem immediately you discover it in your gutter.
Look at the equipment that they use in their work. Cleaning companies that have invested in new technology produce quality results. Ensure that the gutter cleaning company is operating legally. Have a look at the license. Ensure that they have an insurance policy which protects the owner against claims that may arise if the cleaners are injured in your premises.
Deal with a gutter cleaning firm that has maintained a good name. Ask them for contacts of recently served clients. You can get your close network giving you reliable leads. Examine the clients feedback in their sites.
Know about the full gutter cleaning cost. You should get the breakdown of the cost. Compare different gutter cleaning services prices. Hire those who are affordable, but they offer quality services.


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Category Archives for "Armenia"
Yerevan Has Plenty To Captivate Culture Seekers
Victory Park – Armenia
Head to Victory Park in the Kanaker-Zeytun district for fairground rides, boating on the lake and lots of running around in open green spaces.
More child-friendly attractions: Souvenir shopping at the open-air Vernissage flea market (held behind Republic Square metro on Nalbandyan street); tuck into sweets with fresh fruit fillings at homegrown confectionery store Grand Candy Ponchikanoc; and take a dip at Lake Sevan – a popular holiday spot that's less than an hour's drive away.
STEP INTO HISTORY
Medieval architecture at Geghard
The medieval monastery of Geghard, in the Kotayk province, contains a number of buildings and tombs that are partially cut into the rock and surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to Azat Valley. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Museums to visit: History Museum of Armenia, founded in 1919, and Matenadaran Manuscript Museum, which houses a rich collection of ancient manuscripts and books.
CULTURAL DELIGHTS
The Cascade – Yerevan
Since its first performance – Swan Lake in 1935 – the Opera House has been the pride of Armenia's musical culture. Prepare to marvel at the work of architect Alexander Tamanyan, whose building is steeped in classical beauty.
Other cultural picks:
Cafesjian Center for the Arts is the place to go to view contemporary works. Ascend the giant stairs at the Cascade for beautiful views of the city and toward Mount Ararat.
ARMENIAN EATS
Armenian Traditional Fare
Dolmama Restaurant
This popular eatery in the heart of Yerevan has been serving up tasty Armenian fare since 1998. There, you can try a unique take on classic dolma – ground meat mixed with rice, herbs, spices and wrapped in grape leaves.
Malkhas Jazz Club
The best place in Yerevan to enjoy jazz music over dinner, this laid-back spot often requires advance booking. The venue is named after its owner Levon Malkhasyan – the best jazz pianist in the country who often performs there at the weekend. The service, food and atmosphere is as excellent as the music.
CITY STAYS
Grand Hotel Yerevan
A central abode
In the heart of the famed Republic Square, Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan is housed in a Soviet-era institution where rooms are truly sprawling. Indulge in Italian cuisine at Cucina and treat the children to homemade delights at the cute ice-cream parlour.
Grand dame
Only 200 metres from the National Art Gallery, Grand Hotel Yerevan is the place to stay for a glimpse of old- world glamour. The handsome ochre building is framed by towering white columns and boasts modern rooms with balconies, fantastic city views and a rooftop pool.


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SportChevron Right IconSoccer
Kompany's stunning City goal stuns mates
Published: 07/05/2019 Updated: 8 October 2020 12:07 AM
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany scored the only goal against Leicester City at Etihad Stadium. Credit: EPA
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany said he ignored calls "not to shoot" from his teammates as he sensationally fired in from long range to earn the English champions a 1-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League.
With Liverpool having reclaimed the top spot in the standings after their win at Newcastle United on Saturday, City looked nervy as they reached the 70-minute mark at the Etihad without scoring a goal.
Kompany then came to the rescue by arrowing in a stunning strike into the top corner to score his first goal of the season - his first in the EPL from outside the box - to win the match for City.
"Everyone was saying don't shoot but I've not come this far in my career to be told when I can and can't shoot," Kompany told Sky Sports.
"I've had 15 years of top-level midfielders telling me not to shoot but I always told them one day I am going to have a shot from outside the box and I'm going to score a goal."
Few will have expected Kompany to shoot when the ball was laid off to him 30 metres from goal but three touches later the ball was in the net.
"Vinny, I tell you, 'No shoot!"' City striker Sergio Aguero was captured on television telling Kompany after the final whistle.
City manager Pep Guardiola said he was one of those urging his captain not to shoot but praised the impact the Belgian defender has had on the club.
"When he (Kompany) is fit, he is an incredible centre-back. Not just for the goal. He is a leader," the Spanish boss said.
Guardiola also said a new contract for Kompany will be discussed at the end of the season.
"We spoke with him one month ago. We are going to take a beer together (at the end of the season) and decide what is best, especially for the club," he said.
A 14th consecutive league win for City at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday will secure back-to-back titles for the first time in their history - Liverpool host Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day.
"Liverpool play without pressure because they know it is not in their hands," Guardiola said.
"It is easy. We have the pressure... It is in our hands, one more game."
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We are going through the book study on James called Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore. This is an eight week study that will meet in the sanctuary of CTF at 7-9pm every Monday from September 17 to November 5th. All class materials are provided for $22.


Come on down to the corner of Murray & Macquarie Streets in Hobart this Tuesday afternoon at 4:45 – 5:30 PM. Help us with a short, sharp and fun bout of honking to Save Our Weekend and Protect Penalty Rates.
We'll bring the signs. Just bring yourself (+ a friend).
Please invite anyone you think might be interested.
These events are quite fun and we get a lot of support from passing traffic.


BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen, when used at low doses is a safe drug, but at higher doses it induces apoptosis in hepatoma cells. Arcangelisia flava that grows widely in Kalimantan Island, Indonesia, contains berberine which is effective in protecting the liver. This work was aimed to study the effect of A. flava extract on the modulation of caspase-3 in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity.
METHODS: Thirty-five Wistar male rats were divided into groups: I the normal control (water); II the negative control (Arabic gum powder or PGA, 2% in suspension); III the positive control (silymarin); IV-VII (A. flava extract 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/Kg of body weight (BW), respectively) for 14 days. At day 15th, group II-VII were induced with acetaminophen 1000 mg/Kg of BW per oral for 7 days along with the extracts. At day 22nd, the animals were measured for their serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), histological examination, and Western blotting.
RESULTS: Acetaminophen elevated the SGOT and SGPT (3x compared to normal group), and GGT (5x compared to normal group) of the animals in group II. Pre-treatment with higher doses of A. flava extract (group VI and VII) significantly prevented the biochemical changes induced by acetaminophen. Normal histology of the liver was showed by group I, III, VII, whereas dilated sinusoids, central vein (CV) lesion, and local haemorrage were observed in group II, IV, V and VI. Western blotting showed an inhibition of caspase-3 expression by A. flava extract in dose-dependent manner.
CONCLUSION: A. Higher dose A. flava extract shows hepatoprotective activity by preventing the elevation of serum transaminases and transferase levels. Eventually, no damage in the acetaminophen-induced rat's liver was observed. This plant modulates the expression of caspase 3 protein in dose-dependent manner.
Jaeschke H, McGill MR, Ramachandran A. Oxidant stress, mitochondria, and cell death mechanisms in drug-induced liver injury: Lessons learned from acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. Drug Metab Rev. 2012; 44: 88-106, CrossRef.
Dong H, Haining RL, Thummel KE, Rettie AE, Nelson SD. Involvement of human cytochrome P450 2D6 in the bioactivation of acetaminophen. Drug Metab Dispos. 2000; 28: 1397-400, PMID.
Laine JE, Auriola S, Pasanen M, Juvonen RO. Acetaminophen bioactivation by human cytochrome P450 enzymes and animal microsomes. Xenobiotica. 2009; 39: 11-21, CrossRef.
LoGuidice A, Boelsterli UA. Acetaminophen overdose-induced liver injury in mice is mediated by peroxynitrite independently of the cyclophilin D-regulated permeability transition. Hepatology. 2011; 54: 969-78, CrossRef.
Boulares AH, Ren T. Mechanism of acetaminophen-induced apoptosis in cultured cells: roles of caspase-3, DNA fragmentation factor, and the Ca2+ and Mg2+ endonuclease DNAS1L3. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2004; 94: 19-29, PMID.
Antoine DJ, Williams DP, Kipar A, Jenkins RE, Regan SL, Sathish JG, et al. High-mobility group box-1 protein and keratin-18, circulating serum proteins informative of acetaminopheninduced necrosis and apoptosis in vivo. Toxicol Sci. 2009; 112: 521-31, CrossRef.
Antoine DJ, Williams DP, Kipar A, Laverty H, Park BK. Diet restriction inhibits apoptosis and HMGB1 oxidation and promotes inflammatory cell recruitment during acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. Mol Med. 2010; 16: 479-90, CrossRef.
Achmadi SS, Batubara I, Sulistiyani. Saponins of albutra (Arcangelisia flava (L.) Merr) as a hepatoprotector. Technical Report. 2006; 2: 20-30, article.
Verpoorte R, Beek TA, Siwon H, Svendsen AB. Studies on Indonesian medicinal plants. Pharmaceutisch Weekblad. 1982; 4: 87-8, CrossRef.
Keawpradub N, Dej-adisai S, Yuenyongsawad S. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Thai medicinal plants named Khaminkhruea: Arcangelisia flava, Coscinium blumeanum and Fibraurea tinctoria. Songklanakarin J Sci Technol. 2005; 27: 456-67, article.
Subeki, Matsuura H, Takahashi K, Yamasaki M, Yamato O, Maede Y, et al. Antibabesial activity of protoberberine alkaloids and 20-hydroxyecdysone from Arcangelisia flava against Babesia gibsoni in culture. J Vet Med Sci. 2005; 67: 223-7, PMID.
Zhao X, Jie Z, Nannan T, Youran C, Yonghuang L. Protective effects of berberine on doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Biol Pharm Bull. 2012; 35: 796–800, CrossRef.
Feng Y, Siu KY, Ye X, Wang N, Yuen MF, Leung CH, et al. Hepatoprotective effects of berberine on carbon tetrachlorideinduced acute hepatotoxicity in rats. Chin Med. 2010; 5: 33, CrossRef.
Domitrović R, Jakovac H, Blagojević G. Hepatoprotective activity of berberine is mediated by inhibition of TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS expression in CCl(4)-intoxicated mice. Toxicology. 2011; 280: 33-43, CrossRef.
Yu LL, Li RT, Ai YB, Liu W, Deng ZS, Zou ZM. Protoberberine isoquinoline alkaloids from Arcangelisia gusanlung. Molecules. 2014; 19: 13332-41, CrossRef.
Puspitasari E, Pangaribowo DA, Isparnaning IY, Utami Y. Ethanolic extract of Arcangelisia flava leaves is cytotoxic and selective against breast and colon cancer cell lines. Purwokerto: Proceeding of the 1st University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto-Pharmacy International Conference; 2005. p. 82-6, article.
Maryani, Marsoedi, Nursyam H, Maftuch. The phytochemistry and the anti-bacterial activity of yellow root (Arcangelisia flava Merr.) against aeromonas hydrophila. J Biol Life Sci. 2013; 4 :180-90, article.
Tiwari P, Kumar B, Kaur M, Kaur G, Kaur H. Phytochemical screening and extraction: A review. Internationale Pharmaceutica Sciencia. 2011; 1: 98-106, article.
Hasan MN, Khan RA, Nasiruddin M, Khan AA. Ameliorative effect of Nigella sativa oil against paracetamol-induced hepatic and renal damages in rats. J Pharm Res Int. 2016; 13: 1-10, CrossRef.
Giknis MLA, Clifford CB. Clinical laboratory parameters for Crl: WI (Han). Wilmington: Charles River; 2008.
Hinson JA, Roberts DW, James LP. Mechanisms of acetaminopheninduced liver necrosis. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2010; 196: 369-405, CrossRef.
Gujral JS, Knight TR, Farhood A, Bajt ML, Jaeschke H. Mode of cell death after acetaminophen overdose in mice: apoptosis or oncotic necrosis? Toxicol Sci. 2002; 67: 322-8, CrossRef.
Joza N, Kroemer G, Pennigger JM. Genetic analysis of the mammalian cell death machinery. Trends Genet. 2002; 18: 142-9, CrossRef.
Wongbutdee J, Sujarit K, Tuchinda P, Thinapong P, Piyachaturawat P. Hepatoprotective effect of Arcangelisia flava Merr extracts in mice. Thai Journal of Physiological Sciences. 2003; 16: 56.
Fang B, Boross PI, Tozser J, Weber IT. Structural and kinetic analysis of caspase-3 reveals role for s5 binding site in substrate recognition. J Mol Biol. 2006; 360: 654-66, CrossRef.
Yuan HD, Jin GZ, Piao GC. Hepatoprotective effects of an active part from Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. against acetaminophen-induced toxicity in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010; 127: 528-33, CrossRef.
Pattanayak S, Nayak SS, Panda DR, Dinda SC, Shende V, Javad A. Hepatoprotective activity of crude flavonoids extract of Cajanus scarabaeoides (L) in paracetamol intoxicated albino rats. Asian J Pharm Biol Res. 2011; 1: 22-7.


Wrigley Field's remodel includes an anti-autograph shield keeping players segregated from signature-seeking fans outside the ballpark.
Re-read the Ron Santo biography A Perfect 10. His sons discussed how he'd sign everywhere, stopping the car along the route home.
The Atlanta Braves spring training address confounds collectors. Mail gets rejected, RTS, without rhyme nor reason.
Teams are redefining us. Not in a good way. Speak up for yourself, and your hobby, every chance you get.


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Food Handed out in Contempt
During a great dearth in Qí, Qián-áo had food prepared on the roads, to wait the approach of hungry people and give to them. (One day), there came a famished man, looking as if he could hardly see, his face covered with his sleeve, and dragging his feet together. Khián-áo, carrying with his left hand some rice, and holding some drink with the other, said to him, 'Hey, Poor man! come and eat.' The man, opening his eyes with a stare, and looking at him, said, 'It was because I would not eat "Hey come and eat's" food, that I am come to this state.' Qhián-áo immediately apologised for his words, but the man after all would not take the food and died. When Zēng-zǐ heard the circumstances, he said, 'Was it not a small matter? When the other expressed his pity as he did, the man might have gone away. When he apologised, the man might have taken the food.'
Oppressive government is more terrible than tigers.
In passing by the side of mount Tài, Confucius came on a woman who was wailing bitterly by a grave. The Master bowed forward to the cross-bar, and hastened to her; and then sent Zǐ-lù to question her. 'Your wailing,' said he, 'is altogether like that of one who has suffered sorrow upon sorrow.' She replied, ' It is so. Formerly, my husband's father was killed here by a tiger. My husband was also killed (by another), and now my son has died in the same way.' The Master said, 'Why do you not leave the place?' The answer was, 'There is no oppressive government here.' The Master then said (to the disciples), 'Remember this, my little children. Oppressive government is more terrible than tigers.'
To drink a penalty
In B.C. 533, when Kih Tâo-dze, a great officer of the state of Zin, died, before he was buried, duke Phing of Zin was (one day) drinking along with the music-master Kwang and Lî Thiâo. The bells struck up; and when Tû Khwâi, who was coming in from outside, heard them, he said, 'Where is the music?' Being told that it was in the (principal) apartment, he entered it; and having ascended the steps one by one, he poured out a cup of spirits, and said, 'Kwang, drink this.' He then poured out another, and said, Thiâo, drink this.' He poured out a third cup; and kneeling in the hall, with his face to the north, he drank it himself, went down the steps, and hurried out. Duke Phing called him in again, and said, 'Khwâi, just now I thought you had something in mind to enlighten me about, and therefore I did not speak to you. Why did you give the cup to Kwang?' 'On the days (Kiâ-)dze and (Kî-)mâo,' was the reply, 'there should be no music; and now Kih Tâo
How Confucius died
Confucius rose early (one day), and with his hands behind him, and trailing his staff, moved slowly about near the door, singing-- The great mountain must crumble; The strong beam must break; The wise man must wither away like a plant.' Having thus sung, he entered and sat down opposite the door. Zǐ gòng (子贡) had heard him, and said, --- 'If the great mountain crumble, to what shall I look up? If the strong beam break, (on what shall I lean)? If the wise man wither like a plant, whom, shall I imitate? The Master, I am afraid, is going to be ill.' He then hastened into the house. The Master said, Sì (Zǐ gòng's designation, 赐), what makes you so late? Under the sovereigns of Xià (夏), the body was dressed and coffined at the top of the steps on the east, so that it was where the deceased used to go up (as master of the house). The people of Yīn (殷) performed the same ceremony between the two pillars, so that the steps for the host were on one side of the corps
the Reverential Heir-son
During the Spring and Autumn period, the marquis of Jìn, who is known to us as the Duke Xiàn of Jìn, ruled from B.C. 676 to 651. He was infatuated by his love for a barbarian captive from among the L\^{i}, he behaved recklessly and unnaturally to his children already grown up. At the time, Shēn shēng was the heir-son of the Duke Xiàn of Jìn. Encouraged by the love of the Duke Lì jī plotted to replace her own son as heir. Once, Lì jī coated her hair with honey to attract bees, and asked Shēn shēng to help her get rid of bees, then deliberately make the Duke see them. Then the Duke saw the scene and thought his son was molesting Lì jī, felt very angry, nearly stabbed shēn shēng to death. Although Shēn shēng had a thousand mouths, he could proved himself innocent. In another occasion, Shēn shēng went to pay tribute to his mother's tomb, Lì jī put poison in meat and alcohol for sacrifice, and let the Duke found out that wine and meat were poisonous. The Duke thought it was Shēn sh


Born at Saint-Saire (Seine-Inférieure) France, 11 October, 1658; died at Paris, 23 January, 1722. He was one of the first French historians to write the history of the institutions or fundamental laws of the nation and, although systematic and decidedly partial, was none the less a pioneer in this particular line of work. Until the death of his father in 1697, he followed a military career, but some complications concerning an estate obliged him to make a close investigation of his family, title and this it was that led to his becoming an historian. Like Saint-Simon, Boulainvilliers was saturated with ultra-aristocratic notions and was also an ardent adherent of the old feudal system, his books being a long, violent tirade against the French monarchy which, according to him, was responsible for the gradual ruin of the privileges of the nobility and the annihilation of feudalism.
The Franks, according to his doctrine, established themselves in Gaul by right of conquest; they divided its land among themselves and they exercise public authority. They constitute the French nation; they are Frenchmen. Every Frenchman is free and independent, is supreme in his domain, in his fee, where he administers justice to his subject. The kind is merely a civil magistrate chosen to settle the disputes of private individuals ; he has no special power over the life, property, or liberty of other Frenchmen who are in no wise his subordinates. Frenchmen who belong to the nobility are all on an equality; they are the peers of the kind and of his relatives. Relationship with kings confers no rank even upon descendants in the male line. Such is the feudal system as claimed by Boulainvilliers to be the only one that is just, legitimate, and conformable to the reality of history.
Now, what caused Frenchmen or nobles to be dispossessed of their rights ? First, the Crusades. To defray the expenses of these expeditions many noblemen either mortgaged or sold their fees and wealthy plebeians, who were not noble, but, according to Boulainvilliers, "ignoble", thus became the owners of fees and, by introducing themselves into the nobility, corrupted it. Next came the ignorance of the lords or owners. The ignorance and negligence of the lords rendering them generally incompetent to discharge the functions that rightfully belonged to them, the principal of which was to dispense justice in their fees, they soon transferred all their judicial authority to clerks or jurists. Thanks to the dignity of their role, these clerks or jurists soon became as important as the lords and thus originated the noblesse de la robe (nobility of the long robe) which Boulainvilliers considers a monstrosity.
Finally came the policy of the Capetian Kings which Boulainvilliers regards as chiefly instrumental in ruining feudalism and therefore the French nation. This policy consisted in adding the great fees to the royal domain by reason of conquest, purchase, or marriage, with the result that the Kings of France assumed an importance theretofore unknown to them, and which soon became entirely disproportionate; while the lords, fascinated by the brilliancy of the royal courts, instead of remaining the peers of these kings, became their servants. The kings diminished the power of the French nobles still more by favouring the emancipation of the communes and raising to the ranks of the nobility plebeians whom they entrusted with high offices to which they had no right. Moreover, they admitted to seats in the States General, which should have been composed exclusively of representatives of the French, delegates from among the lower clergy and liberated serfs, and of course this arbitrary measure completed the overthrow of the nobility. Such then, is the teaching set forth in Boulainvilliers's three most important works: 'Histoire de l'ancien gouvernement de France", "Lettres sur les parlements ou Etats-Généraux", and "Essais sur la noblesse" which, taken as a whole, constitute an earnest plea for feudalism against monarchism. These works written by Boulainvillers for his grandchildren, did not appear until after his death. The "Histoire de l'ancien gouvernement de la France " with fourteen historical "Lettres sur les Parlements ou Etats-Généraux" were published in Amsterdam and the Hague in 1727, the "Essais sur la noblesse" (containing a dissertation by the late Count of Boulainvilliers on the origin and decline of the nobility) coming out in Amsterdam, 1732. It is only within the last twenty-five years that Boulainvilliers' works have been duly appreciated and their conclusions taken up by the historic school of which Fustel de Coulanges was the chief representative.