text:
TXSN Home
Texas Sports Nation // College
Freshman QB A.J. Padgett embraces chance to start in Rice's bowl
Richard Dean, Correspondent
Dec. 15, 2022 Updated: Dec. 15, 2022 9:32 a.m.
True freshman A.J. Padgett will be Rice's starting quarterback in its first bowl in eight years.Ross James/Rice Athletics
Four weeks ago, A.J. Padgett was running Rice's scout team. Now the true freshman quarterback is "the guy" as the Owls get ready to play in their first bowl in eight years.
Injuries at the position might have hastened Padgett's rise to starting quarterback, but the Frisco Reedy product has shown in his two games that he is capable. He made his starting debut at North Texas in the season finale, throwing for 229 yards and one touchdown on 13-of-22 passing.
On Saturday, Rice meets Southern Miss in the LendingTree Bowl at Mobile, Ala.
"I'm pretty confident about this weekend and leading the team out there," Padgett said.
Padgett has the backing of coach Mike Bloomgren as well as offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo.
"You can see his comfort level with the first group at each practice," Tuiasosopo said. "He has more comfort, familiarity with being the guy in the driver's seat."
Padgett showed promise at North Texas. Two additional weeks of practice have been invaluable in his progression.
"The growth has been significant," Bloomgren said. "When you're preparing to be the backup, or in that case the third-team quarterback, it's tough. You don't get reps, so you've got to do everything through the classroom.
"And when you don't have the college football reps to fall back on in the first place, it's even tougher. With him having a good week of practice and what he was able to do in the North Texas game, I was pleased with his development."
Going into Saturday's 4:45 p.m. game against Southern Miss at Hancock Whitney Stadium, Rice looks to get its first win since beating UTEP 37-30 on Nov. 3. The Owls lost their final three regular-season games by a combined 104-34 to finish 5-7. Because there were not enough six-win teams to fill the available bowl spots, Rice got in because it was atop the NCAA Academic Progressive Rate rankings.
"Playing college football, that's a dream achieved by itself," Padgett said. "Playing a bowl game, it's another step up. It's something I'm looking forward to this weekend playing USM with all these guys."
Offensively against the Golden Eagles (6-6), the Owls expect to be aggressive and utilize Padgett's skill set, which includes running the ball.
"In order to win the game, you have to give him plays to win the game," Tuiasosopo said. "He's shown a good handle on this."
Rice last played in a bowl in 2014, prevailing 30-6 over Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl under then-coach David Bailiff.
Over the season, the Owls have averaged 370.2 yards per game, 10th best in Conference USA. The Owls average 143.1 rushing and 227.1 passing, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively, in the league.
Bradley Rozner is the team's top deep-ball threat with 41 catches for 834 yards and nine touchdowns, including a 43-yard scoring pass from Padgett against UTSA. Rozner, who has scored on pass plays of 78 and 75 yards this season, is the only receiver in the nation with at least 40 receptions who is averaging more than 20 yards (20.3) per catch.
The Owls are hoping receiver Luke McCaffrey, who has been battling an injury in the later stages of the season, will be game ready. Of McCaffrey's 51 receptions, 32 have gone for first downs. Leading rusher Cameron Montgomery (498 yards) and Juma Otoviano are expected to get the bulk of the carries against Southern Miss, a first-year member of the Sun Belt.
Padgett is the 13th Rice quarterback to start a game since 2017.
Wiley Green was the Owls' starting quarterback in the season opener at USC before leaving with an injury. Replacement T.J. McMahon started nine games before getting hurt. Green returned against UTSA but again suffered an injury, paving the way for Padgett's first college start.
"I didn't come here with the mindset that I wasn't going to play my freshman year," Padgett said. "I knew I needed to prepare and be ready to play. I feel I was more ready than I could have been for UNT. That whole week of preparation was good for this week too, just that experience."
Texas finally gets the best of Baylor
Texas Tech rallies from 23 down to beat Iowa State in OT
Friendswood golfers Brazzel, Kerr setting records
Texas A&M tries to 'keep that juju going' in visit to Arkansas
J.J. Watt's tweet puts Texans fans on DeMeco Ryans coaching watch
Since relieving Green in the second half of the UTSA game, Padgett has thrown for 339 yards with a pair of touchdowns, both going for more than 40 yards.
In 18 career starts at Frisco Reedy, the 6-3, 225-pound Padgett threw for 4,940 yards and 43 touchdowns. He possesses arm strength that feeds into playmaking ability, which opens up the offense.
Whether in team meetings or on the field, Padgett has impressed and gained the confidence of the staff as well as the players.
"He's getting the reads down. He's getting the checks. He knows where to go with the ball," starting left tackle Clay Servin said. "He's talented, and that's why we recruited him.
"As long as we give him some time, I feel great about his decision-making, I feel great about his arm, and he's getting into the speed of things too."
The extra practices that come with bowl participation mean more reps for Padgett. But they also get the Owls more prepared for the 2023 football season, when they begin play in the American Athletic Conference.
"A lot of people say that these practices are what makes bowl teams bowl teams," Padgett said. "Extra practices make your team better at the end of the day. This is a huge deal being out here with coach Tui and learning from him and all the other quarterbacks like Wiley and T.J.
"This is a huge opportunity to grow as a player myself and get to know (my teammates) better, the way they play, and mesh with the team."
More College Sports News
Houston remains third in Associated Press basketball poll
Shadow Creek edge rusher Zion Taylor commits to Houston
Jerome Solomon Sports Columnist
Solomon: Revisiting the case for Lance Berkman and Hall of Fame
Lance Berkman, who is one of the best switch-hitters of all-time, suffered from bad timing and fell of the ballot after just one year
Brian T. Smith Sports Columnist
Smith: Hiring DeMeco Ryans would solve many issues with Texans
49ers defensive coordinator and former Houston player DeMeco Ryans would give Cal McNair and Nick Caserio the leader they should have hired in the...
Richard Dean
With 33 years in game, Dana Brown has earned Astros' GM job
Jabari Smith Jr. growing up in NBA with an assist from his father
Track the candidates and interviews in Texans coaching search
Poor parent behavior is driving high school sports refs away


Whether you're frying or gently simmering, you can cook with precision using this Belling LPG Hob, which allows you to alter heat intensity with instant effects.
Plus, you can prepare meals for the whole family and use your heaviest cookware on the cast iron pan supports, which will provide you with reliable support while you're cooking.
Operation is easy - simply push and twist the auto-ignition burners for instant flames.
You can also avoid accidents while cooking, as you don't have to place your hands over hot pots and pans thanks to the front facing control dials that provide safer access.
PLEASE NOTE: This hob is to be used with an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) supply only and not natural gas.
Please note this product requires installation by a qualified Gas Safe engineer.
This product requires hardwiring to a 13 Amp fuse and should be installed by a qualified installer.
The Hotpoint HR 619 CH Built-in Ceramic Hob in stylish and contemporary black glass finish measuring just under 60cm with 4 cooking zones and 4 knob controls. This Ceramic Hob is fast, energy efficient, clean, safe and controllable saving you time and money over sealed plate hobs.
The Belling CH60RX 4 ring ceramic hob is easy clean due to its sleek ceramic top. The Belling CH60RX has 1 large 2.1 KW, 1 medium 1.8 KW and 2 small 1.2 KW rings. The CH60RX has the feature to tell you when it is still has enough residual heat to cause a burn thanks to the hot-hob indicator.
With the pureflame gas burner, your pan reaches the right temperature straight away. Turn it on, and the entire base of your pan will instantly heat up.
With the control panel and power-level indicator ideally placed on the very front of this hob, left-handed and right-handed cooks can use them with equal ease.
The triple-crown gas burner on this hob gives you the searing, instantaneous heat you need to easily turn out perfectly cooked stir-fried dishes.
Preparing meals on this gas hob is even easier and safer, thanks to the specially shaped supports that keep pots and pans completely stable while you cook.
Along the side of this hob are the rotary control knobs. They're designed to be easy to twist and turn when you change the power levels of your hob.
The Electrolux EHF6140ISK Electric Ceramic Built In Hob comes in a sleek black colour and is frameless.
The EHF6140ISK has a residual heat indicator feature where the indicator lights stay on until the surface has cooled down to a temperature which is safe enough to touch.
With this hob, you always know exactly which zones are still hot, thanks to the residual heat indicators, which cleverly reveal where the heat is.
The ceramic glass surface of this hob is so easy to clean. A simple wipe, and you are done.
Because this hob is independent, you have way more flexibility to install it wherever you want to. Choose the location that suits your cooking style.
This gas hob features high-quality pan supports that are more heat-resistant and durable. You can count on them to stay strong and sturdy, meal after meal.
Design Black with Stainless Steel frame and flush, easy to clean controls.
Black with Stainless Steel frame and flush, easy to clean controls.
The ZGH66424XX is a versatile gas hob from Zanussi that features four pure-flame burners of varying sizes to cover all your cooking needs. The stylish frame design helps keep spills contained, for easier cleaning.
As a gas hob you can get instant heat to get cooking straight away, and it also offers precise flame control so you can easily simmer or boil at just the turn of a knob.
The cast iron pan supports offer sturdy and stable platforms to support heavy pots and pans, and safety is further enhanced by the flame failure safety feature. This gives you the peace-of-mind of knowing that if the flame accidentally goes out the gas supply is automatically shut off.
In addition, the hob is easy to use with front-mounted controls and easy auto- ignition. You just turn the knob to release and light the gas in one smooth motion.
The pan support is designed to give you more space and stability for large cookware. Meaning that if you're putting a pot down or moving pans around, everything stays steady and secure.
Please note this product requires installation by a qualified Gas Safe engineer, such as one of our Team Knowhow installers.
This product includes a plug and can be connected to a 13 Amp socket.
The Whirlpool AKR311IX Gas Hob in stainless steel delivers flexible cooking options to help you get creative in the kitchen.
The Whirlpool AKR311IX Gas Hob includes four burners of three different sizes so you can mix and match the pans you use when cooking to get the best results.
Use pans of different sizes at the same time and nothing will get in the way thanks to the spacious design, plus with front controls for convenient use, you will always be able to have full control of your cooking.
The AKR311IX has cast iron pan supports which are both high quality and durable. Additionally the hob takes little effort to maintain with the easy-to-clean surfaces.
There is one easily cleanable base plate so you can mop up any spills and splashes. All it takes is a damp clean cloth and the original shine will return.
Buy the Whirlpool AKR311IX Gas Hob if you want a powerful cooking device that won't let you down.
Dishwasher Safe Enamel Pan Supports?
Automatic Gas Cut-out for Safety?
Able to be Plugged into a 13amp socket?


The Institute of Human Resource Management and Organization at the Hamburg University of Technology cooperates intensively with companies. With various projects in seminars and final theses, students get to work with well-known companies at an early stage of their studies. Our cooperation covers guest lectures, workshops as well as research studies and the solution of practical problems in all management areas.
On the following pages you will find detailed information about the services for students including internships offers and study tips as well as information on partnerships and cooperation possibilities for companies.


text:
<?php

namespace yii\db;

use Yii;
use yii\base\Object;
use yii\base\NotSupportedException;
use yii\base\InvalidCallException;
use yii\caching\Cache;
use yii\caching\GroupDependency;

/**
 * Schema is the base class for concrete DBMS-specific schema classes.
 *
 * Schema represents the database schema information that is DBMS specific.
 *
 * @property string $lastInsertID The row ID of the last row inserted, or the last value retrieved from the
 * sequence object. This property is read-only.
 * @property QueryBuilder $queryBuilder The query builder for this connection. This property is read-only.
 * @property string[] $tableNames All table names in the database. This property is read-only.
 * @property TableSchema[] $tableSchemas The metadata for all tables in the database. Each array element is an
 * instance of [[TableSchema]] or its child class. This property is read-only.
 *
 * @author Qiang Xue <qiang.xue@gmail.com>
 * @since 2.0
 */
abstract class Schema extends Object
{
    /**
     * The followings are the supported abstract column data types.
     */
    const TYPE_PK = 'pk';
    const TYPE_BIGPK = 'bigpk';
    const TYPE_STRING = 'string';
    const TYPE_TEXT = 'text';
    const TYPE_SMALLINT = 'smallint';
    const TYPE_INTEGER = 'integer';
    const TYPE_BIGINT = 'bigint';
    const TYPE_FLOAT = 'float';
    const TYPE_DECIMAL = 'decimal';
    const TYPE_DATETIME = 'datetime';
    const TYPE_TIMESTAMP = 'timestamp';
    const TYPE_TIME = 'time';
    const TYPE_DATE = 'date';
    const TYPE_BINARY = 'binary';
    const TYPE_BOOLEAN = 'boolean';
    const TYPE_MONEY = 'money';

    /**
     * @var Connection the database connection
     */
    public $db;
    /**
     * @var string the default schema name used for the current session.
     */
    public $defaultSchema;
    /**
     * @var array list of ALL table names in the database
     */
    private $_tableNames = [];
    /**
     * @var array list of loaded table metadata (table name => TableSchema)
     */
    private $_tables = [];
    /**
     * @var QueryBuilder the query builder for this database
     */
    private $_builder;

    /**
     * @var array map of DB errors and corresponding exceptions
     * If left part is found in DB error message exception class from the right part is used.
     */
    public $exceptionMap = [
        'SQLSTATE[23' => 'yii\db\IntegrityException',
    ];

    /**
     * Loads the metadata for the specified table.
     * @param string $name table name
     * @return TableSchema DBMS-dependent table metadata, null if the table does not exist.
     */
    abstract protected function loadTableSchema($name);

    /**
     * Obtains the metadata for the named table.
     * @param string $name table name. The table name may contain schema name if any. Do not quote the table name.
     * @param boolean $refresh whether to reload the table schema even if it is found in the cache.
     * @return TableSchema table metadata. Null if the named table does not exist.
     */
    public function getTableSchema($name, $refresh = false)
    {
        if (array_key_exists($name, $this->_tables) && !$refresh) {
            return $this->_tables[$name];
        }

        $db = $this->db;
        $realName = $this->getRawTableName($name);

        if ($db->enableSchemaCache && !in_array($name, $db->schemaCacheExclude, true)) {
            /** @var Cache $cache */
            $cache = is_string($db->schemaCache) ? Yii::$app->get($db->schemaCache, false) : $db->schemaCache;
            if ($cache instanceof Cache) {
                $key = $this->getCacheKey($name);
                if ($refresh || ($table = $cache->get($key)) === false) {
                    $this->_tables[$name] = $table = $this->loadTableSchema($realName);
                    if ($table !== null) {
                        $cache->set($key, $table, $db->schemaCacheDuration, new GroupDependency([
                            'group' => $this->getCacheGroup(),
                        ]));
                    }
                } else {
                    $this->_tables[$name] = $table;
                }

                return $this->_tables[$name];
            }
        }

        return $this->_tables[$name] = $this->loadTableSchema($realName);
    }

    /**
     * Returns the cache key for the specified table name.
     * @param string $name the table name
     * @return mixed the cache key
     */
    protected function getCacheKey($name)
    {
        return [
            __CLASS__,
            $this->db->dsn,
            $this->db->username,
            $name,
        ];
    }

    /**
     * Returns the cache group name.
     * This allows [[refresh()]] to invalidate all cached table schemas.
     * @return string the cache group name
     */
    protected function getCacheGroup()
    {
        return md5(serialize([
            __CLASS__,
            $this->db->dsn,
            $this->db->username,
        ]));
    }

    /**
     * Returns the metadata for all tables in the database.
     * @param string $schema the schema of the tables. Defaults to empty string, meaning the current or default schema name.
     * @param boolean $refresh whether to fetch the latest available table schemas. If this is false,
     * cached data may be returned if available.
     * @return TableSchema[] the metadata for all tables in the database.
     * Each array element is an instance of [[TableSchema]] or its child class.
     */
    public function getTableSchemas($schema = '', $refresh = false)
    {
        $tables = [];
        foreach ($this->getTableNames($schema, $refresh) as $name) {
            if ($schema !== '') {
                $name = $schema . '.' . $name;
            }
            if (($table = $this->getTableSchema($name, $refresh)) !== null) {
                $tables[] = $table;
            }
        }

        return $tables;
    }

    /**
     * Returns all table names in the database.
     * @param string $schema the schema of the tables. Defaults to empty string, meaning the current or default schema name.
     * If not empty, the returned table names will be prefixed with the schema name.
     * @param boolean $refresh whether to fetch the latest available table names. If this is false,
     * table names fetched previously (if available) will be returned.
     * @return string[] all table names in the database.
     */
    public function getTableNames($schema = '', $refresh = false)
    {
        if (!isset($this->_tableNames[$schema]) || $refresh) {
            $this->_tableNames[$schema] = $this->findTableNames($schema);
        }

        return $this->_tableNames[$schema];
    }

    /**
     * @return QueryBuilder the query builder for this connection.
     */
    public function getQueryBuilder()
    {
        if ($this->_builder === null) {
            $this->_builder = $this->createQueryBuilder();
        }

        return $this->_builder;
    }

    /**
     * Determines the PDO type for the given PHP data value.
     * @param mixed $data the data whose PDO type is to be determined
     * @return integer the PDO type
     * @see http://www.php.net/manual/en/pdo.constants.php
     */
    public function getPdoType($data)
    {
        static $typeMap = [
            // php type => PDO type
            'boolean' => \PDO::PARAM_BOOL,
            'integer' => \PDO::PARAM_INT,
            'string' => \PDO::PARAM_STR,
            'resource' => \PDO::PARAM_LOB,
            'NULL' => \PDO::PARAM_NULL,
        ];
        $type = gettype($data);

        return isset($typeMap[$type]) ? $typeMap[$type] : \PDO::PARAM_STR;
    }

    /**
     * Refreshes the schema.
     * This method cleans up all cached table schemas so that they can be re-created later
     * to reflect the database schema change.
     */
    public function refresh()
    {
        /** @var Cache $cache */
        $cache = is_string($this->db->schemaCache) ? Yii::$app->get($this->db->schemaCache, false) : $this->db->schemaCache;
        if ($this->db->enableSchemaCache && $cache instanceof Cache) {
            GroupDependency::invalidate($cache, $this->getCacheGroup());
        }
        $this->_tableNames = [];
        $this->_tables = [];
    }

    /**
     * Creates a query builder for the database.
     * This method may be overridden by child classes to create a DBMS-specific query builder.
     * @return QueryBuilder query builder instance
     */
    public function createQueryBuilder()
    {
        return new QueryBuilder($this->db);
    }

    /**
     * Returns all table names in the database.
     * This method should be overridden by child classes in order to support this feature
     * because the default implementation simply throws an exception.
     * @param string $schema the schema of the tables. Defaults to empty string, meaning the current or default schema.
     * @return array all table names in the database. The names have NO schema name prefix.
     * @throws NotSupportedException if this method is called
     */
    protected function findTableNames($schema = '')
    {
        throw new NotSupportedException(get_class($this) . ' does not support fetching all table names.');
    }

    /**
     * Returns all unique indexes for the given table.
     * Each array element is of the following structure:
     *
     * ~~~
     * [
     *  'IndexName1' => ['col1' [, ...]],
     *  'IndexName2' => ['col2' [, ...]],
     * ]
     * ~~~
     *
     * This method should be overridden by child classes in order to support this feature
     * because the default implementation simply throws an exception
     * @param TableSchema $table the table metadata
     * @return array all unique indexes for the given table.
     * @throws NotSupportedException if this method is called
     */
    public function findUniqueIndexes($table)
    {
        throw new NotSupportedException(get_class($this) . ' does not support getting unique indexes information.');
    }

    /**
     * Returns the ID of the last inserted row or sequence value.
     * @param string $sequenceName name of the sequence object (required by some DBMS)
     * @return string the row ID of the last row inserted, or the last value retrieved from the sequence object
     * @throws InvalidCallException if the DB connection is not active
     * @see http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.PDO-lastInsertId.php
     */
    public function getLastInsertID($sequenceName = '')
    {
        if ($this->db->isActive) {
            return $this->db->pdo->lastInsertId($sequenceName);
        } else {
            throw new InvalidCallException('DB Connection is not active.');
        }
    }

    /**
     * @return boolean whether this DBMS supports [savepoint](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savepoint).
     */
    public function supportsSavepoint()
    {
        return $this->db->enableSavepoint;
    }

    /**
     * Creates a new savepoint.
     * @param string $name the savepoint name
     */
    public function createSavepoint($name)
    {
        $this->db->createCommand("SAVEPOINT $name")->execute();
    }

    /**
     * Releases an existing savepoint.
     * @param string $name the savepoint name
     */
    public function releaseSavepoint($name)
    {
        $this->db->createCommand("RELEASE SAVEPOINT $name")->execute();
    }

    /**
     * Rolls back to a previously created savepoint.
     * @param string $name the savepoint name
     */
    public function rollBackSavepoint($name)
    {
        $this->db->createCommand("ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT $name")->execute();
    }

    /**
     * Quotes a string value for use in a query.
     * Note that if the parameter is not a string, it will be returned without change.
     * @param string $str string to be quoted
     * @return string the properly quoted string
     * @see http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.PDO-quote.php
     */
    public function quoteValue($str)
    {
        if (!is_string($str)) {
            return $str;
        }

        $this->db->open();
        if (($value = $this->db->pdo->quote($str)) !== false) {
            return $value;
        } else { // the driver doesn't support quote (e.g. oci)

            return "'" . addcslashes(str_replace("'", "''", $str), "\000\n\r\\\032") . "'";
        }
    }

    /**
     * Quotes a table name for use in a query.
     * If the table name contains schema prefix, the prefix will also be properly quoted.
     * If the table name is already quoted or contains '(' or '{{',
     * then this method will do nothing.
     * @param string $name table name
     * @return string the properly quoted table name
     * @see quoteSimpleTableName()
     */
    public function quoteTableName($name)
    {
        if (strpos($name, '(') !== false || strpos($name, '{{') !== false) {
            return $name;
        }
        if (strpos($name, '.') === false) {
            return $this->quoteSimpleTableName($name);
        }
        $parts = explode('.', $name);
        foreach ($parts as $i => $part) {
            $parts[$i] = $this->quoteSimpleTableName($part);
        }

        return implode('.', $parts);

    }

    /**
     * Quotes a column name for use in a query.
     * If the column name contains prefix, the prefix will also be properly quoted.
     * If the column name is already quoted or contains '(', '[[' or '{{',
     * then this method will do nothing.
     * @param string $name column name
     * @return string the properly quoted column name
     * @see quoteSimpleColumnName()
     */
    public function quoteColumnName($name)
    {
        if (strpos($name, '(') !== false || strpos($name, '[[') !== false || strpos($name, '{{') !== false) {
            return $name;
        }
        if (($pos = strrpos($name, '.')) !== false) {
            $prefix = $this->quoteTableName(substr($name, 0, $pos)) . '.';
            $name = substr($name, $pos + 1);
        } else {
            $prefix = '';
        }

        return $prefix . $this->quoteSimpleColumnName($name);
    }

    /**
     * Quotes a simple table name for use in a query.
     * A simple table name should contain the table name only without any schema prefix.
     * If the table name is already quoted, this method will do nothing.
     * @param string $name table name
     * @return string the properly quoted table name
     */
    public function quoteSimpleTableName($name)
    {
        return strpos($name, "'") !== false ? $name : "'" . $name . "'";
    }

    /**
     * Quotes a simple column name for use in a query.
     * A simple column name should contain the column name only without any prefix.
     * If the column name is already quoted or is the asterisk character '*', this method will do nothing.
     * @param string $name column name
     * @return string the properly quoted column name
     */
    public function quoteSimpleColumnName($name)
    {
        return strpos($name, '"') !== false || $name === '*' ? $name : '"' . $name . '"';
    }

    /**
     * Returns the actual name of a given table name.
     * This method will strip off curly brackets from the given table name
     * and replace the percentage character '%' with [[Connection::tablePrefix]].
     * @param string $name the table name to be converted
     * @return string the real name of the given table name
     */
    public function getRawTableName($name)
    {
        if (strpos($name, '{{') !== false) {
            $name = preg_replace('/\\{\\{(.*?)\\}\\}/', '\1', $name);

            return str_replace('%', $this->db->tablePrefix, $name);
        } else {
            return $name;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Extracts the PHP type from abstract DB type.
     * @param ColumnSchema $column the column schema information
     * @return string PHP type name
     */
    protected function getColumnPhpType($column)
    {
        static $typeMap = [
            // abstract type => php type
            'smallint' => 'integer',
            'integer' => 'integer',
            'boolean' => 'boolean',
            'float' => 'double',
            'binary' => 'resource',
        ];
        if (isset($typeMap[$column->type])) {
            if ($column->type === 'integer') {
                return $column->unsigned ? 'string' : 'integer';
            } else {
                return $typeMap[$column->type];
            }
        } else {
            return 'string';
        }
    }

    /**
     * Handles database error
     *
     * @param \Exception $e
     * @param string $rawSql SQL that produced exception
     * @throws Exception
     */
    public function handleException(\Exception $e, $rawSql)
    {
        if ($e instanceof Exception) {
            throw $e;
        } else {
            $exceptionClass = '\yii\db\Exception';
            foreach ($this->exceptionMap as $error => $class) {
                if (strpos($e->getMessage(), $error) !== false) {
                    $exceptionClass = $class;
                }
            }

            $message = $e->getMessage()  . "\nThe SQL being executed was: $rawSql";
            $errorInfo = $e instanceof \PDOException ? $e->errorInfo : null;
            throw new $exceptionClass($message, $errorInfo, (int) $e->getCode(), $e);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The duty of the head of the household is to teach the family the catechism of the church. The catechism is not important in and of itself but is only insofar as it reflects the teaching of Scripture. Fortunately, both Dr. Martin Luther and the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer are firmly rooted in Scripture.
Both catechisms focus on the ancient requirement that catechumens learn the Ten Commandments, the Apostle's Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. The Ten Commandments are learned first to announce the law by which we have all fallen short. The Apostle's Creed and Lord's Prayer are taught next to proclaim the good news that Christ has accomplished what the law requires. In other words, law and Gospel.
The requirement that children learn from the local minister is not a universal command, but is contingent on those who have failed to memorize and understand the contents of the prayer book catechism. When the father or head of household neglect their duty to catechize their children only then are they are required to send their children to the church to be taught the catechism by the resident clergyman. This implies that the preferred and expected scenario is one in which the father has taught his children the catechism.
Unfortunately, many Christian parents neglect their duty to God, the church, and their own children by failing to teach them the faith. The Book of Common Prayer's catechism can and should be used by families to train their children to become disciples of Christ. Additionally, the 1928 U.S. Book of Common Prayer contains several flexible and easy-to-use condensed daily offices to teach doctrine, encourage Bible reading, and teach the faith. This section is known as the "Forms of Prayer to be used in Families" at pages 587-600 of the 1928 BCP. (I have submitted my slightly modernized version with expanded content from Bishop Edmund Gibson to the ACNA Liturgy Task Force for their consideration in including in the 2019 ACNA BCP project. If this proposed text is beneficial, please let the Liturgy Task Force know by contacting them.).
Reviewing the catechism provides a solid Biblical and theological foundation for children. Additionally, teaching the catechism ensures that the children can be confirmed as members of the church and begin receiving Holy Communion. The catechesis of children provides them with a library of information they can rely upon as they grow in faith. Likewise, when asked about their faith, such as "what is a sacrament," they will have a ready answer: "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us; ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof." In theory, they will be able to draw upon the wisdom of the church and have an answer regarding the basic facts of Christianity.
Teaching the catechism can be tailored to suit a child's age and learning level. Beginning with regular family prayer and including the memorization of one of the Ten Commandments, reciting the Apostle's Creed, and praying the Lord's Prayer is a great start. Over time, the Ten Commandments will be memorized and the Creed and Lord's Prayer will become second nature. After learning the Ten Commandments, the Creed and Lord's Prayer provide more than enough material to review in detail. The bite-size theology within the Creed and Lord's Prayer can easily be expanded upon when explaining to children, much less adults. Eventually, the theological meat of the rest of the catechism can be broached as children advance to school-age.
It is our duty to discipline, or disciple, our children in our faith. If we truly believe that God has revealed His love for us sinners through His Son then we not only need to share this good news but raise our children to know and understand these facts. The catechism is not merely a tool to disciple our children but also a requirement for those of us within Anglicanism. As parents, we would not fail to educate our children as to hygiene, nutrition, or the sciences. Why then should we neglect to teach them the riches, depth, and joy of God's mercy in providing for our salvation and the redemption of the world?
Advent. The season of the year in which singing resurges in religious and secular homes alike. Songs such as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", "Joy to the World" (yes, it is an Advent hymn), and "O Holy Night" (okay, a Christmas hymn) are staples this season of the year. They are easily memorable tunes and verses. Additionally, these songs are chock-full of incarnational and Trinitarian theology that can be reflected upon while singing.
Singing hymns with the family is immensely more fun for young children than teaching the catechism (at least in my experience!) and results in quicker memorization. Granted, the deep riches of the verses of these songs and the meaning of the words may not be fully grasped by young children, but learning these songs will provide foundational doctrine that can be drawn upon at a moment's notice. My own understanding the incarnation has been enriched through the verses of traditional Christian hymnody. Singing hymns can capture one's heart in a manner that reading and listening to another simply cannot.
Teaching children classic hymns provides them songs directing them towards Christ and His work. It is a natural educational tool for younger kids to draw upon. My three year old daughter regularly belts out the classic African-American spiritual, "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and is excited to sing from our family hymnal. It brings her such joy to sing hymns that she now asks to see the family hymnal and flip through its pages while singing what she thinks is on the page. Another added benefit is she now wants to participate more in Sunday worship as the pew hymnal is familiar to her.
Although she has not learned a whole hymn to sing by heart, she can join in at various portions of several songs. Additionally, during our evening devotion we discuss a verse and its meaning to explain the hymn. Discussing a hymn's content quickly becomes a lesson on why the wise men traveled to see Jesus and present Him gifts or and why Christ is called Emmanuel.
On a similar note, I commend the Reformed Episcopal Church in their new hymnal, Common Praise, for including several annotated sections of the Book of Common Prayer. It would be wise for Anglican churches globally to sing portions of the prayerbook as families could teach the words of the BCP to their children through singing. Indeed, it is a long-term goal of mine to learn Anglican chant and to incorporate it in our devotions. REC's Common Praise includes a short section on Anglican chant – a noteworthy addition that I greatly value and hope to utilize.
Practically speaking, I encourage families to begin with simple, short songs for their very young children. We began with "Jesus Loves Me" and eventually progressed to more familiar traditional hymns, typically Advent and Christmas themed due to my own familiarity. There is no right or wrong way to begin such a practice – just dive in!
Our custom is to sing one or two songs, share a Biblical story or parable of Christ, and conclude with the Lord's Prayer and/or Apostle's Creed. As an Anglican, I use this pattern in order for my children to learn the requirements for confirmation: the Creed, Ten Commandments, Lord's Prayer, and eventually the catechism. See 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Rubric at end of Office of Instruction. This pattern is easily amendable to Trinitarian Christians across the theological spectrum of Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, or Roman Catholic. Start early with your children and no matter their age, starting today is better than beginning tomorrow. Family devotionals are messy, but necessary to build up catechized and well-discipled members of the Church.


Livi ensured their stay at the bottom of the Championship was a brief one as they secured a point away to Falkirk on Tuesday night to move up to eighth, though it was a fifth league match without a goal for the Lions.
Livi knew they needed to respond after Saturday's mauling by Hibs sent them tumbling to the foot of the table after four straight losses but they knew a tough test lay ahead against a Falkirk side looking for what would have been their seventh-straight win over the Lions. Livi boss John McGlynn made two changes to his side after Saturday, Shaun Rutherford and Rob Ogleby coming in for Keaghan Jacobs and Mark Burchill. There was also a welcome return to first team action for club captain Simon Mensing, who took his place among the substitutes.
It was the Bairns who made the far brighter start and they should have done more with a corner from David Smith which bounced in the six yard box before Darren Jamieson gathered. Jamieson then came to the rescue soon after with a fine double save to deny Alex Cooper and Rory Loy. The Livi no.1 had a scare a few minutes later when he came off worse in a challenge with Loy, fortunately he was able to continue. The Lions created their first chance soon after as Gary Glen, Rob Ogleby and Jordan White linked up well for the latter to fire in a decent low effort which forced Jamie McDonald into a diving save. A couple of corners followed soon after for Livi but no one could get on the end of them.
After soaking up the Livi pressure, Falkirk began to regain control though White tried his luck for Livi with a long-range effort which flew wide. Loy then had a golden chance for the Bairns as he burst through on goal but Jamieson came out to block well. A couple of quickfire bookings followed for Livi as their centre-back pairing of Callum Fordyce and Craig Sives picked up yellows in what proved the final moments of note in the first half as the teams went in at the break all-square.
There weren't many chances in the early part of the second half but the yellow cards continued to flow as ref Andrew Dallas became somewhat card-happy, Burton O'Brien and Michael McKenna both finding their way into the book inside the first ten minutes. Livi then made their first change as Sives made way for David Robertson. The first chance of the half arrived some fifteen minutes in as McKenna cut in from the right hand side and fired in a decent effort which flew just wide of MacDonald's left-hand post. Gary Glen came every bit as close a couple of minutes later when he latched on to Kyle Jacobs' long ball and sent a shot whistling just over the bar. Blair Alston then had Falkirk's first chance of the half but his neat flick was straight at Jamieson before McKenna tried his luck from fully 30 yards, McDonald saving with ease.
Livi made their final change with around 20 minutes to go, Myles Hippolyte replacing Ogleby, to try and find a winner but it was Peter Houston's side who came very close to finding it as Loy broke clear again and fired in a low drive which Jamieson did brilliantly to stop. Jamieson was the hero again soon after with another terrific save, this time from David Smith's effort. Livi's golden chance came with just under 15 minutes left as Glen sent a fine ball across goal and White was mere inches away from giving Livi the lead but could only watch in agony as the ball just evaded him.
It proved the final action of the match as Livi at least managed to stop the rot after four straight defeats but, worryingly for John McGlynn, it's now five league games without a goal stretching back to the 4-0 win over Alloa on 13 September. Queen of the South are next up at the Energy Assets Arena on Saturday and the Lions will be hoping they can maintain their impressive record against the Doonhamers so far this season.


Hilversum: (laren) 't Hoogt, 1974. Softcover square 8vo in printed wrappers, with pages printed in black and white on recto side only. Unpaginated (36 pp.) Text in Dutch.
A collaborative gathering of concrete and visual poetry by Clavin, Damen, van Dijk, Joseph, de Rook, and Stikker, with each artist getting their own chapter. A great example of Dutch contributors in the field.


Dilfer will be one of five main stage speakers at this year's Recreation & Sports Ministry Conference that will take place August 26-28 at the Upward Star Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Spartanburg, SC - March 13, 2015 - RecSpo15, also known as the Recreation and Sports Ministry Conference, announced that former NFL quarterback, Trent Dilfer, has signed on as one the guest speakers at this year's event.
The now ESPN NFL analyst joins the conference's speaker list that includes Todd Gongwer (author of LEAD…for God's Sake), Pastor Dave Stone (Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY - the 7th largest church in the U.S.), Caz McCaslin (Upward Sports founder and president), and a sports panel consisting of current and former NCAA Division 1 men's and women's basketball coaches.
Leading worship for all three days will be former American Idol season six finalist, Phil Stacey.
Attendees will also be able to view the world premiere of the upcoming film, Woodlawn, which follows the true story of Tony Nathan, the first African American to play at the University of Alabama. Prior to the showing, Nathan will be joined on stage by his portraying actor, Caleb Castille, for an exclusive Q&A session.
Now entering its second year under title sponsors Upward Sports and the National Sports and Recreation Ministry Center (NSRMC), RecSpo will look to build upon its product offering and participation from the 54 vendors and 500 attendees in 2014.
For college students looking at pursuing a career in sports ministry, RecSpo presents a unique opportunity to network with numerous industry-leading vendors and established ministry leaders.
Registration is NOW OPEN! Event costs will range from $249 (early sign-up) to $299. Additional costs may occur if attendee participates in the available extracurricular activities such as whitewater rafting or golf.
View more RecSpo15 details and registration info, and if you have questions, please contact RecSpo Customer Support at info@recspo.com or call 844-473-2776 (844-4RECSPO).


text:
200 Highland Avenue, Ste 302 Needham, MA 02494
100 Conifer Hill Drive, Ste 503 Danvers, MA 01923
Massachusetts Family
& Divorce Mediation
Avoid Costly Legal Fees and Emotional Stress.
Tracy Fischer
Massachusetts divorce mediator, Attorney Tracy Fischer, helps couples and families arrive at amicable solutions regarding:
Children & Mediation
Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Your divorce doesn't have to be financially and emotionally devastating. Divorce mediation in Massachusetts allows divorcing and separating couples to collaboratively come to mutually beneficial and equitable decisions about their children, finances and property.
Learn how mediation can help you quickly and confidently
move on to the next chapter of your life.
Massachusetts Family & Divorce Mediation
Family and divorce mediation is by far the least damaging alternative to other methods of resolving conflict especially to litigation, where the emotions are inflamed and relationships can be damaged beyond repair. When the parties feel safe and in more control they are more motivated to work together and craft an outcome in which everyone has ownership. In contrast, couples involved with arbitration or litigation rely on an arbitrator or judge for a decision as to who wins or loses.
MCFM Certified Family Mediator since 1996
Mediation is cost effective, faster, and less stressful than litigation.
Tracy comes highly recommended
After about three and one-half minutes that included a few questions from the judge, I walked out of the court divorced. I remember getting into my car, paying the parking attendant the $8.00 fee and thinking that I feel just like that woman on the IKEA television commercial who runs out of the store, to…
It was a very easy process
My spouse and I met with Tracy for a complimentary informational session.As soon as she described the mediation process, I asked her several questions and hired her, (my spouse hired her as well). At this same meeting, we made arrangement to receive the information based on the specific mutual decisions relating to our divorce. At…
I couldn't be happier
Many of us know when we have gone long past the time that we are aware that there is no reconciliation of our marriage and do nothing about it. I finally decided to do something about my situation. I did some homework.I asked questions.I read information about divorce on the web.I found someone who provided…
From the bottom of my heart, thank you
I am so grateful to you for everything. I cannot imagine having gone through this painful process without you. You've actually done more for me than you know. It is certainly true that I have grown in this process. I do know that, for sure. But, I also know that none of it began until…
The most amicable divorce ever!
I was a former client of Tracy Fischer's about 10 years ago when my ex-wife and I were divorcing. We found her mediation services invaluable. As a matter of fact, our divorce judge commented that my ex-wife and I were one of the most amicably divorced couples with which he had ever dealt! I have…
Best divorce mediator around Boston
The judge asked all the things you had told us she would ask, and agreeably noted that child support would extend longer than usual (we told her the children had disabilities), asked about my health insurance, and that was it. She signed the QDRO and we got certified copies. The judge asked if we had…
Get the answers you need.
Contact us now to schedule your consultation and get advice on the next steps in your legal process.
The adversarial divorce process can be intense as it involves discovery (interrogatories, requests for admission, depositions, subpoenas for documentary evidence, etc.) often followed by trial, all of which can be costly in time, money, and emotions. Even divorces negotiated by attorneys can cause additional stress on all members of the family. During and after the adversarial process the children often feel or witness the increased tensions and animosity that happens between parents. They often feel forced to choose between the parents or blame themselves for the break-up and resulting litigation. As a result, the children can become emotionally damaged, which affects relationships with parents, siblings, and even romantic partners in the future.
By leveraging a well-structured collaborative family and divorce mediation process, Attorney Tracy Fischer assists couples in reaching a mutually acceptable resolution, in a safe environment that promotes collaboration and provides guidance through every stage of the divorce process.
I Want To Use Mediation, But My Spouse Doesn't Want To Do Anything
How Is The Mediation Agreement Modified In The Future
Will My Legal Rights & Interest Be Protected In Mediation
Will The Mediation Agreement Be Fair?
Mediation Articles
What Color Is This Dress And Questions Of Perception In Divorce Mediation
By Tracy Fischer This dress is creating an internet frenzy. It has even had an appearance on the network news – is it blue and black or white and gold? It turns out people interpret…
New Mortgage Rules: The Effects on Separation and Divorce
By Tracy Fischer Recent Fannie Mae mortgage guidelines changes are causing delays and difficulties among couples who are going through separation and divorce. It is crucial to be prepared and to know what to expect.…
Alternatives to Massachusetts Family Court
By Tracy Fischer Family law disputes such as divorce, child custody, visitation, and spousal support discussions are often emotional and can be stressful. When two parties cannot agree, they may believe taking their case to…
Mediation Videos
Danvers Location
100 Conifer Hill Drive,
Ste 503 Danvers, MA 01923
Needham Location
200 Highland Avenue,
Ste 302 Needham, MA 02494
Copyright © 2019 Attorney Tracy Fischer · Massachusetts Family & Divorce Mediation · Attorney Marketing by Bardorf Legal Marketing Advertising Disclaimer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Is Czech Republic richer than Philippines?
Where does Czech Republic rank in the world?
How rich is the Czech Republic?
Are there Filipinos in Czech Republic?
What flag is Czech Republic?
Is Czech Republic a communist country?
Czech Republic is 29th in the overall Prosperity Index rankings.
$279 billion (nominal, 2021 est.) $463 billion (PPP, 2021 est.)
Filipinos in the Czech Republic are a part of our community, calling cities such as Pilsen, Ostrava, Prague, and many others home. … The InterNations Places database for the Czech Republic has information on the nearest Filipino embassy and many other institutions.
IT IS IMPORTANT: Your question: Is Czech Republic affordable?
Use National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion 2:3
Adopted January 1, 1993 (Czech Republic) March 30, 1920 (Czechoslovakia)
Design Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side.
Designed by Jaroslav Kursa
It emerged from over 40 years of Communist rule in 1990, and was the first former Eastern Bloc state to acquire the status of a developed economy. It joined the European Union in 2004. Communist rule had lasted since 1948, when the restored pre-war democratic system was overthrown in a Soviet-backed coup.


Yolo Move-On is a natural partner for Cool Davis. Their mission statement describes them as an active, local subset of the larger community of more than 8 million Americans from all walks of life who use the connective power of the internet and personal political activism to lead, participate in, and win campaigns for progressive change. Where Cool Davis is committed to encouraging people, businesses and organizations to examine and reduce their carbon footprints, Yolo Move-On is committed to keeping a sharp eye on the political landscape and responding by showing up in person or in writing to advocate for the leadership and legislation that will turn our course away from climate change and toward a sustainable future. We need both approaches even as we move forward to implement the recent Paris Accord.
The lively members of Yolo Move-On know how to show up when a physical presence counts. ..Yolo Move-on members show up in writing, too.
Most members have written multiple letters on the DEIR and RDEIR documents for the proposed oil train rail spurs in Benicia and San Luis Obispo that could potentially bring two 100-car trains of crude oil through Davis each day. Watch the letters to the editor and op eds for frequent commentary as Move-On activists work to alert readers to critical issues. Both Carol and Elizabeth consider education to be a part of their mission.
"We're looking to have some fun this spring by participating in the Picnic Day Parade with some progressive topics highlighted as we march by," smiled Carol when asked about coming events.
Yolo Move-On members paraded through Picnic Day 2015 with long lists of fracking chemicals.
Yolo County is lucky these spunky Move-On folks keeping us all on our toes. Elizabeth Lasensky is an activist from the Bay Area, and Carol Warren came from West Virginia where she worked on tough topics like mountain top removal. Elizabeth and Carol are the 2015/16 co-chairs of the group. Other members include Jean Jackman, a long-time Davis activist, Frances Burke, a Capay farmer turned activist/artist, Nancy Schrott, Reeda Palmer, and others.
With their leadership and constant vigilance regarding key issues, the rest of us can jump in and join them on any number of critical matters that call for our letters, our signatures, our presence, our donations, our votes. Cool Davis welcomes Yolo Move-On and the important way they work to move us all toward a more livable future.


text:
Albrecht van Voorne (vóór 1247 - 30 december 1287) was heer van Voorne en burggraaf van Zeeland.

Albrecht van Voorne was de zoon en opvolger van Hendrik van Voorne, burggraaf van Zeeland, ridder, overleden ca. 1260-1261 en Catharina van Cysoing. Hij was een hoveling van Floris V van Holland en vergezelde hem in 1268 naar Brugge. Albrecht werd begraven in de abdij van Loosduinen.

Albrecht was gehuwd met Aleyd van Loon (ca. 1240 - ca. 1275), weduwe van Dirk II van Valkenburg en dochter van Arnold IV van Loon en Johanna van Chiny. Zij kregen een dochter Mabelia ( 1273 - 26 februari 1313) die trouwde met Jan III van Arkel (14e eeuw). Albrecht hertrouwde in 1275 met Catharina van Durbuy, zij kregen een zoon: Gerard van Voorne, opvolger van zijn vader.

Albrecht van Voorne als maecenas
Albrecht van Voorne is vooral bekend geworden door het inhuren van een jonge, veelbelovende Vlaamse auteur, die zich in zijn oudst bewaard gebleven werk Alexanders geesten (De daden van Alexander [de Grote]) Jacob noemt, maar dat na zijn aanstelling op het eiland Oostvoorne - geheel in overeenstemming met de toen geldende conventies - veranderde in "Jacob de coster van Merlant". Dat wil zeggen dat Jacob de bewaarder werd van de boekenkist in de kerk van Merlant, de haven van Oostvoorne, die later opging in het huidige Brielle.
Jacob De coster Van Merlant vertaalde voor Albrecht - gezien zijn schamperend commentaar over de waarheidsgetrouwheid van zijn Franstalige bron vermoedelijk erg tegen zijn zin - een proza-bewerking van de versroman van Robert de Boron: Estoire dou Graal ou Joseph d'Arimathie als Die Historie vanden Grale, zoals Jacob in de proloog verantwoordde in het enig bewaard gebleven handschrift:

 Alle de gene de desse tale
 Horen willen vanden grale
 Wannen dat he eirsten quam
 Als ick inden walsche vernam
 So zal ickt dichten in duesche woert
 Jck en zalt nicht laten dorch er voert
 De benyden mijn gedichte
 Wante doch alle quade wichte
 To der doghet tragen altoes nijt
 Hijr omme so wil ich in aller tijt
 Dat doen dat se mij benyden
 Dus solen se vele de myn verbliden
 Alze se van mij dan horen tale
 Desse historie van den grale
 Dichte ick to eren hern alabrechte
 Den heer van vorne wal myt rechte
 Want hoege lude myt hoger historie
 Manichfolden zulen er glorie
 Vnde korten dar mede er tijt
 Jck wille dat gij des zeker zijt
 Dat ick de historie vele valsch
 Gevonden hebbe in dat walsch
 Dar ze van gode onsen heren sprak
 Dat ene dat volck van rome wrack
 Dar vmbe merket desse zake
 Eyn dichte van onses heren wrake
 Lestmen dat is wijde bekannt
 Vnde makede eyn pape in vlanderlant
 Dat saget dat boeck in zijn beginne
 Mer ick wene in mynen sinne
 Dat pape dat nicht en dichte
 Want men mochte nicht gescriiien lichte
 We vullich dat gelogen zij
 Vnde dat zal ick iv prorien waer bij
 Jn der historie de komet hijr naer
 Vnde nv biddick iv dat is waer
 Jacob de coster van merlant
 Den gij to voren hebbet bekant
 Jn des koninges Allexanders Jeesten
 Dat gij bidden dat he volleesten
 Moete dat he heuet begonnen
 Vnde he den ghenen moete onnen
 Jn des ere he dit began
 Dat he moete werden alzulck ein man
 Dat des al dat volck vnde onse heer
 Moete hebben loff vnde eer
 Vnde wij myt em moeten komen
 Jn de ere de men genomen
 Noch gescrillen nicht en mach
 Daert sonder nacht is altoes dach
 [Editie Sodmann 1980, p. 115-116.]

De Estoire dou Graal is het eerste deel van een trilogie, en wordt gevolgd door Merlin en afgesloten met Perceval. Jacob vertaalde de Merlin als Boek van Merline, maar liet het daarbij. Pas in 1326 zou Lodewijc van Velthem, mogelijk voor Albrechts zoon Gheraert van Voorne, voor wie hij eerder een Vijfde Partie aan de Spiegel historiael gedicht had, nadat hij eerst de door Jacob van Ma(e)rlant onvoltooide Vierde Partie van een slot had voorzien. Maar in plaats van Robert de Borons Perceval te vertalen, vervolgde Lodewijc met de vertaling van de Suite-Vulgate du Merlin. Door deze redactionele 'gijp' boog hij de inmiddels in vergetelheid geraakte trilogie van Robert de Boron om richting de Lancelot en prose, een roman die Lodewijc vertaalde, bewerkte, inkortte en aanvulde tot twee boekdelen, waarvan het eerste deel verloren ging en het tweede deel bewaard bleef als de Lanceloet-compilatie (KB Den haag, 129 A 10).

In deze Lanceloet-compilatie nam Lodewijc een roman van Jacob op die hij hoogstwaarschijnlijk tijdens zijn verblijf op Oost-Voorne voor Albrecht geschreven heeft: Torec (hoogstwaarschijnlijk een anagram van (H)ector). In deze opmerkelijke niet-historische Arturroman - waarin iedereen vals speelt - staan concrete aanwijzingen naar de natuurlijke gesteldheid van het eiland, en knipogen naar bestaande individuen: "Cleas vanden Briele" zal wel Claes geheten hebben (al weten wij niet wie deze bonte hond was), maar nóg sprekender is de doopnaam van de joncvrouwe van Montesclare: Mabilie. De "Joncvrouwe van Montesclare" is een goede bekende in de Arturliteratuur, maar nergens wordt haar voornaam genoemd. En laat nou Albrechts dochter (ook) Mabilie geheten hebben. Of zij het net zo hoog in haar bol had als de Joncvrouwe van Montesclare in de Torec is onbekend, wel weten wij dat zij non werd in een Zuid-Hollands klooster voor adellijke vrouwen.

Literatuur
 Jacob van Maerlant Historie van den Grale und Boek van Merline, nach der Steinfurter Handschrift herausgegeben von Timothy Sodmann. Köln usw. 1980.
 Robert de Boron, Le roman du Graal. [...]. Texte établi et presenté par Bernard Cerquiglini. Paris 1981.
 Frits van Oostrom, Maerlants wereld. Amsterdam 1996.
 Ingrid Biesheuvel (vert. en inl.), Maerlants werk. Juweeltjes van zijn hand. Amsterdam 1998.

Externe link
Repertorium van Eigennamen in Middelnederlandse Literaire Teksten (REMLT)]

Heer van Voorne
Huis Voorne
Voorne, Albrecht

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Montala
Eco Active Suburban Living in Alviera, Pampanga
Homepage > Live > Alveo Montala | Alviera Lot for Sale Pampanga
WHERE NATURE IS HOME
Montala is Alviera's mountainside residential development nestled in a unique landscape and built for the active lifestyle.
ECO-ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
A 40-hectare residential development nestled in the highlands of Alviera, Montala is a picturesque mountainside community set to be an exciting haven featuring a house and lot for sale Pampanga that offers an eco-active lifestyle complemented by an array of modern-day conveniences.
Montala's unique landscape backdrop allows its residences to enjoy breathtaking mountain views while in the comfort of their homes. The concept of "urban living naturally" is captured by the community's close integration with the natural environment. Its acreage style park along the rows of low-density houses and lots makes it one of a kind residential community in Pampanga.
Montala Alviera provides an intimate yet highly interactive neighborhood experience where everyone can enjoy the outdoors through nature-inspired amenities. Here, everything an active lifestyle requires is available, with recreational facilities including a clubhouse equipped with a function room with pantry, a game room, and vast pool areas.
For outdoor activities, residents have access to a lap pool. There is also a children's pool for kids who enjoy splashing in the water. Adults can get refreshments while longing in the pool deck. Montala also encapsulates the fun and excitement of wholesome family life in Pampanga. The kids' play area is available for small girls and boys in the community to bond and connect. The basketball court is also open for those who want to practice shooting hoops and wish to improve their performance. For relaxation and slow-paced activities, the fitness trails, view deck, meditation areas, and picnic grounds are open for use. Get inspired by the beautiful outdoor grounds. Meet neighbors and build new friendships by spending the afternoon on the picnic grounds.
Montala Alviera also includes a variety of indoor amenities a few steps from your house and lot. Besides hosting functions in the clubhouse, the community can lead their guests to enjoy the comfort of the lounge area. There is also a function room that comes with a pantry to limit running around the place to serve the family's favorite meals. Restrooms, as well as indoor shower facilities, are also in the area to provide the utmost comfort and convenience.
Most of all, the residents of Montala can relax knowing the community is secured and guarded. Montala has a security and maintenance staff to ensure the safety of everyone including the properties in the area. The Admin Office and Staff Area are also highly accessible to assist the community and prioritize any concerns.
With Montala by Alveo, the master plan reflects the priorities of its future residents. A low-density, horizontal sprawl with maximum breathing space, where views and the constant flow of the breeze will be unobstructed. Nearly half of the total land area will be for gardens, pocket parks, open fields and road networks with ample easements.
Montala is designed to be intimate, to foster a happy vibe of neighborly coexistence. With fully-equipped clubhouse and nature-inspired amenities, where one can cultivate a healthy sense of community and social interaction without straying far from their Pampanga house and lot.
Montala is located in the north-west area of Alviera in Porac, a first-class municipality in Pampanga. Among Alviera's hallmarks as a new urban hub is its proximity to established cities – the bustling Angeles City a mere 20 minutes (or 16.2 kilometers) to the northwest, and it is just under half an hour's drive (or 23 kilometers) to the capital city of San Fernando to the southeast — as well as its accessibility via major highways such as the TPLEX, SCTEX and NLEX, and local roads.
The residential community is also near schools, churches, hospitals, and commercial establishments. It is also a drive away from Clark Airfield and Subic Freeport giving the residents an opportunity to explore the flair of contemporary Asian living. It is the gateway to numerous tourist destinations in the North—from the mountains in Baguio to the salty waters of La Union. For business opportunities, Montala is close to Nueva Ecija and the bustling Quezon City.
The best part about living in Montala Alviera is the breathtaking view of Mt. Arayat and Mt. Pinatubo. The community sits on top of flat and rolling terrains providing the perfect climate for various outdoor pursuits and lifestyle choices. Moreover, the geographical setting brings residents closer to the freshness coming from nature. Whether it is the cool breeze of the fresh air or the wonders of natural formation, Montala is the place to be for a living environment that integrates nature and urban convenience.
Montala is a 40-hectare development that has a total of 784 prime residential lots. The mixed-use development in Pampanga features contemporary Asian house and lot allowing residents to enjoy their private living spaces. Montala brings to life the vibrant lifestyle of urban living by bringing retail shops and business districts closer to people in the North. It combines the endless opportunities of an eco-active community while setting the standard for iconic and timeless residential development.
Lot Size Range: 250 to 542 sqm
Average Lot Size: 283 sqm
Lot Density: 19 Lots / hectare
A HAVEN IN PORAC, PAMPANGA
Indeed, Montala is the ideal haven in the province of Pampanga. Besides accessibility, it offers a place to recharge the mind and the body. It also energizes the spirit through its natural backdrop and well-thought architecture emphasizing the Asian aesthetic. Montala also comes with indoor and outdoor amenities for quality time with loved ones.
As Montala is part of Alviera, it prides itself of its sustainability features. The community has a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and various energy conservation features. Its dedicated property management team maintains tree-shaded parks and pedestrian walkways. The residential development also takes advantage of natural ventilation and lighting. The open areas and other patches of green are all available for residents to visit and use.
Rest assured, Montala by Alveo guarantees peace of mind. The dedicated team behind the community's daily services, upkeep, and security ensure the safety of properties and residents for years to come.
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES ALVIERA
Alviera provides a broad range of residential offerings that are carefully integrated within the community. So stop wondering where to live in Pampanga.
Choose a home that fits your lifestyle whether it's Ayala Land Premier's luxurious properties, Alveo's innovative living concepts or lifestyle essentials from Avida. The brands will cater to mid to high-end market.
Where to live in Pampanga
Avida Land was the first to establish its presence in Alviera through Avida Settings Alviera, located across the future city center, followed by Alveo Land's Montala. The Avida project was launched in June 2015. The trademark residential project is set to provide housing options for people who would like to invest in an urban lifestyle surrounded by a green environment.
Residential take-up for both projects had been brisk. Given the strong demands, Avida launched its second residential project Avida Northdale Settings that will be twice the size of the first one. The development targets the mid affordable market segment.
Further along, Avida Northdale provides full perimeter fence, 24-hour security service, efficient village management and flood prevention measures. The amenity area will be centralized to further encourage the residents to join community building activities.
Houses would have modern designs, reportedly a first in the area. The target complete is by August 2022 and the project will offer about 116 house and lots and 1,043 lots for prospective buyers and investors. The community will be equipped with world-class facilities and facilities.
Alveo introduced its second project in 2018 along with Ayala Land Premier which will have its first residential community within the estate.
For other inquiries you may reach us via email at info@alviera.ph via mobile 0917-803-3099 or via landline (045) 432-0014 Mondays thru Fridays, 8am-12nn and 1pm-5pm.
Local Road Trips
Located at the northern region of the country, Luzon is a vast expanse consisting of a series of various cities that offer travelers and locals alike a wide range of activities that would be...
Vertis North Corporate Center
TAKING BUSINESS TO NEW HEIGHTS At the center of Quezon City's vibrant and dynamic community is one of Ayala Land's prestigious and ideal working environment, Vertis North Corporate Center. The Grade A office building towers...
Avida Settings Altaraza
MODERN CONTEMPORARY HOMES FOR FORWARD-THINKING PROFESSIONAL Avida Settings Altaraza is a 12.5-hectare parcel of land in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan meant for professionals who envision a better life. Accessible via Quirino Highway, Avida Settings...
Future Launch
Contact Number: 0917-8727847
Email: corporatesales@ayalaland.com.ph


Art of Fighting, known as Ryuuko no Ken (龍虎の拳) in Japan (and South Korea), is a fighting game by SNK, originally released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade and AES home console in 1992. It was ported to, among other consoles, the Sega Mega Drive in 1994.
Art of Fighting is the second fighting game to be developed by SNK, following Fatal Fury (which co-exists in the same fictional universe).
Art of Fighting is a story-driven fighting game where players control fighters Ryo Sakazaki or Robert Garcia, travelling around the fictional city of South Town in search of Ryo's captured sister, Yuri. The player has to defeat eight other fighters with their own unique fighting styles to finish the game. Unlike later entries, only Ryo and Robert are selectable, though if playing in the two player versus mode, all characters can be controlled.
Similar to many games of the genre, there are special attacks in Art of Fighting, called "Death Blows" and "Super Death Blows" — the latter being unlocked through bonus stages. Their execution consume a so called spirit gauge, which when low make the special attacks weaker and slower. The spirit gauge can be refilled by holding either , or .
By default, using any sort of controllers, jumps, crouches, holding / can block, / can be used to advance or retreat faster, punches, kicks and + low kick.
Playing with a three-button controller provokes the opponent, which depletes their spirit gauge. Pressing and holding briefly causes a stronger kick; pressing and holding briefly will normally cause a stronger punch, though if done close to the opponent, while also holding , performs a body throw. If close to one of the edges, midair performs a triangle jump.
Using a six-button controller both , and provoke, stronger punches are done with + , and stronger kicks with , then . To throw the opponent, hold close to the enemy and press . The triangle jump is done with one of the provoke buttons.
The use of a six-button controller allows the player to assign and for normal and strong kicks, and for normal and strong punches, plus and to provoke, by changing the controller setup to "Type-D" in the options settings, which makes it easier for playing.
Bottle Cut: press at the right time (when the gauge is close to MAX), to cut the necks of five bottles with a karate strike, gaining a spirit gauge boost.
Ice Pillar Smash: push quickly to fill a strength gauge and destroy four thick ice sheets, getting a boost to life gauge.
Initiate Super Death Blow: perform a "Super Death Blow" for the informed number of times, within a time limit, to unlock it for single player mode.
Known as "The Dragon" (Ryuu 龍).
Known as "The Tiger" (Tora 虎).
Known as "The Old Master".
Known as "The Legendary Acrobat".
Known as "Kick Boxing Magician".
Known as "Call of Death".
Known as "Head of South Town".
Known as "The Invincible One".
Art of Fighting was a significant release for SNK, receiving two sequels in Art of Fighting 2 and Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior in 1994 and 1996, respectively. Neither of these games were released for Sega consoles, however Art of Fighting's influence can still be seen across numerous 2D fighting games to this day.
Characters from Art of Fighting appear in the The King of Fighters series, as well as Capcom vs. SNK and its sequels. Ryo Sakazaki also features as a secret character in Fatal Fury Special.
Art of Fighting was designed in part to take advantage of the relatively high technical specifications of the Neo Geo hardware, demonstrating very large sprites and a unique camera system which appears to zoom in and out of play (in a similar manner to what most 3D fighting games achieved some years later). The game also features (some) narration from the chosen fighter in between stages.
On the Mega Drive, all of these features are paired back, with the zooming effect removed entirely. Character and background sprites are noticeably smaller and much of the sampled speech is removed, however unlike the original arcade game, the actions can be spread to six buttons.
Enemy AI differs between the Japanese and Western versions, with the latter seeing generally stronger opponents. The difficulty in both is paired back from the Neo Geo versions, however. Mr. Big and Mr. Karate are also available in the two player versus mode from the outset in the Mega Drive version.
A raster scrolling effect was added for the layer of dust and smoke found in Mickey's stage in the Western version. This was not present in the Japanese release or the Neo Geo original.
While lacking the graphical and audio fidelity of its Neo Geo AES counterpart, the Mega Drive version of Art of Fighting, like most Neo Geo conversions of the era, retailed at a much lower price point.
Special Thanks: Y.O, Ya Shu!, Ken Kimra, Tabei Chan, Kamata San, Sanjyou, Yamatan GT X, Speaker.R, Wan Wan Pochi Kawai, 68 Freak BBS Z'N, EP82Boy, Atsushi, Sekotch, Stg.Oyaji, Yuritan, Sasa, Nakata21, Kei Fukunaga and... All SNK Staff!
Special Thanks: Y.O, Ya Shu!, Ken Kimra, Tabei Chan, Kamata San, Sanjyou, Yamatan GT X, Vow Wow John Kawai, 68 Freak BBS Z'N, EP82Boy, Atsushi, Sekotch, Stg.Oyaji, Yuritan, Sasa, Nakata 21, Kei Fukunaga, Kura San, Oh!Buchi, Jaro, Hirotan, 'Art of Fighting' Team All Staff, and... All SNK Staff!
Main article: Art of Fighting/Magazine articles.
NEC Retro has more information related to Ryuuko no Ken.


text:
TUI Travel grows online revenue using attribution management
By David Moth	 April 2nd 2012 11:27
TUI Travel has revealed that one of its brands increased online revenue by 30% month-on-month after tracking customers across both online and offline channels.
Over 100 global businesses sit within its Specialist and Activity Sector, which creates bespoke adventure holidays and educational tours.
Due to the nature of these trips, they often involve complex travel itineraries and prolonged purchasing decisions.
As such, customers frequently call the TUI's travel consultants as well as researching details online.
The TUI Specialist and Activity Sector also has a number of non-transactional websites that require customers to provide a phone number in order to book their holiday.
As a result, it faced difficulties in tracking the customer journey and acquisition across multiple touchpoints.
The company worked with AdInsight Clarity to place a small piece of code on each website that displayed a unique telephone number to each concurrent visitor on the site at any time.
This number provided each customer with a unique identifier so TUI could track them as they navigated the website and when they called to ask for details or book.
The brand additionally captured caller-specific data that helped turn insight into acquisiton:
Caller Location: TUI was able to identify where incoming calls to the business were originating from using STD code data; which allows it to create regional, targeted offers based on demand, both online and offline.
Visitor History: TUI tracked how visitors found the website, the pages they viewed and how often they returned. It was also able to see the exact page that a caller was looking at when they made a call. TUI could then improve the customer journey by identifying 'problem pages' that were causing customers to abandon their online purchase and make a phone call instead.
Call Over Time: TUI reviewed staffing needs based on call volumes and patterns. It also identified the need to change misleading 'out of hours' answer machine messages and follow up any missed calls via email alerts sent directly to their sales teams.
Call Log: TUI analysed records of every call in real time, including campaign and traffic source information, search phrases used and whether the call resulted in a lead or sale.
Keyword Report: Finally, TUI tracked which keywords were generating phone calls. Generic keywords such as 'Adventure Holidays', previously thought to be low-converting and ineffective, actually generated telephone calls and offline sales.
TUI said that the combination of these processes allowed one of its brands to increase online revenue by 30% month-on-month by "refining campaigns, keywords and other online media".
Another TUI brand additionally reduced its paid search cost per lead by nearly 50% month-on-month, which allowed it to increase spend and visibility in other areas.
TUI Travel paid search manager Jo Bradbury said previously customers that booked holidays over the phone disappeared off the online radar, and the company was not able to track them.
We had little idea where they came from, the path they took to get to us, or indeed whether they were responding to a particular ad."
Attribution proved to be a hot topic at Econsultancy's Digital Cream 2012, which you can read a summary of here.
Blog Attribution Conversion Rate Optimisation Multichannel Marketing offline and online Strategy TUI PLC
Blog Strategy
Amazon launches AWS cloud search service
Amazon's AWS cloud already has one of the broadest sets of offerings and the ecommerce giant continues to expand the services it offers with today's launch of a new AWS service, CloudSearch.
Based on the search technology that powers search on Amazon.com, CloudSearch, as the name implies, is a cloud-based, fully managed search facility.
April 12th 2012 14:17
Jetsetter's Kate Spade promo created 77,000 new members
Jetsetter has revealed that its Kate Spade competition last December was its biggest acquisition partnership to date, with over 23,000 entries filed online and over 54,000 coming from instore promotions.
Since opting in to the sweepstake meant registering, this resulted in a total of 77,000 new members for Jetsetter.
The members-only travel sales site also launched its first Pinterest competition yesterday and is due to make an announcement later today about a 'big name CMO' joining the company.
A-Z of Pinterest-ing brands
So, Pinterest is still the buzzword of the industry and something that looks like it might stick around a little while longer.
It's also something that Econsultancy's explored from various different angles, but we've not actually gone into too much detail about the companies using it.
There's a handful of extremely comprehensive lists floating around the web, but I thought it might be interesting to see if a full A-Z list of brands and organisations could be compiled.
Surprisingly, it turns out you (almost) can, which is quite something, considering for how little time the platform has been around…


How does one do Gospel ministry in a culture that is undergoing a serious moral crisis? In the opening session of the 2014 Basics Conference, Alistair Begg answers this question with a surprising reply: preach through Ecclesiastes! With a message as equally relevant and timely today as it was then, Ecclesiastes demands a fresh look.


MaxSealCoat™ 2600 is a tacky, putty-like material that can be used to repair hot face module linings for temperatures that exceed 2400°F. This product can be applied into refractory joints and cracks as a seal or for hot spot repair.
MaxSealCoat™ 2600 can also be used in applications with high velocity or mechanical abuse. The product can be pumped onto the surface or applied with a trowel. After drying, the product will harden on the surface of the fiber with low shrinkage.


text:
The Observer's Log
A miscellany of know-it-all-isms by Geoff Sowrey
Resume: IT Leadership professional
Surprise weekend in Edmonton
It's been a while since our last surprise weekend (see [[Surprise Visit to Drumheller]]), but not for a lack of wanting. We've been that busy. Either Alex has had to work (the joys of working in the medical community) or we've both been traveling. This weekend was the first one we'd had to get away.
It was a bit of a special one, but for no other reason than we'd barely seen each other in almost three weeks. I was away in San Jose for a conference (see [[Search Engine Strategies Conference 2004 San Jose, Calgary to San Jose]]), followed immediately by the Calgary Dragon Boat Festival (see [[2004 Calgary Dragon Boat Festival]]), and then Alex was off in Ontario for a week and a half. So I had to plan this weekend's getaway so we'd have some time to ourselves.
That's the tricky part, actually. I had a devil of a time finding something quasi-romantic, yet equitable, and that wouldn't put a major dent in my wallet. Easier said than done when you consider that it's high season out here for tourism. So I decided to go some place somewhere unconventional for tourism. The sort of place that doesn't immediately come to your mind as a destination. (It is, at least at this end of Alberta, even considered a punishment by some.)
Edmonton.
It's a large city, with interesting things, comfortable hotels, and a wee bit of shopping. (Yes, that's a joke.) I'd only ever been there three times before (once on my Trans-Canada tour in 1997, again with the Rocky Mountain Rail Society in October 2001, and then with the CBC almost a year later). In those three times, I'd barely seen anything of Edmonton, so this was a chance to see … well, more than I had. Now all I had to do was keep Alex in the dark as to where she was going.
That's a lot harder than it sounds. Alex wanted to know — who doesn't want to know what a surprise is? Be damned if she didn't really dig for it, too. In fact, Thursday night, she kept at me for nearly two straight hours of questioning. She was persistent, and sometimes really sneaky when composing her questions. I was quite proud of myself for not supplying the answer, while not lying about the destination.
But everyone has their Achilles heel. Mine is Miao-Yin.
Alex took a turn of what was supposed to be silly questioning, where she asked if the cat would like where we were going. Would the cat enjoy the view? Would she like to drive? What about if she wanted to stop and get out for a while? Hey, maybe she could take us out for dinner one night! It was supposed to be in fun, but I got stuck on the more serious side: namely, the cat wouldn't survive the trip down the block without me going insane from her yowling, let alone the three hour drive to Edmonton…
Insert a long string of emphatic expletives here. Because that's what spewed out of my mouth immediately after — letting the cat out of the bag — I said where we were going.
So that piece of the surprise was divulged the night before. Doh. But Alex didn't know where we were staying, or why she had to bring a nice outfit. And those I kept quite tightly under wraps.
Despite leaving Calgary a little later than I'd planned Friday evening, we arrived in Red Deer before 19:30. Hunting for a restaurant downtown (and turning up empty), we ended up at the White Spot. (Not my first choice of places for dinner, but it holds a particular place in Alex's heart from when she was younger.) It took everything I had not to mock our waiter, obviously a student from Red Deer College, either trying to be an actor or a radio personality, and failing miserably. His schmaltzy shtick dripped of goofiness, despite an obvious desire to be taken seriously. I know more than a few people who would have talked back to him in the same manner.
I'd never arrived in Edmonton from the south before. Fortunately, signs weren't too hard to follow to downtown, and the road was actually familiar from the time the CBC crew had taken a shuttle bus to the train station — surprisingly, I still remembered it. The hard part was then finding the hotel. Despite having the address, the grid system actually confused me rather than helped. Alex was rhyming off building names or companies, starting at the names of hotels before slipping into ones like banks, insurance companies, restaurants, and the YMCA. Finally, I found the Westin, and we pulled in.
Why the Westin? One reason: The Heavenly Bed. I spent a weekend in one during a prison term in Cincinnati (see [[Live from Cincinnati, Surviving Memorial Day]]) and haven't forgotten it. Given how much Alex and I hadn't seen each other, and Alex's less-than-stellar trip to Ontario, I felt that perhaps a really comfortable stay would help. It certainly couldn't hurt…
We checked in on a very auspicious weekend. In addition to the Fringe Festival (an annual event in Edmonton), there was also the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival (Topmade sent the Dragoneers, and Sang and Colette were also paddling for Crew Yahoo of the Calgary Dragon Boat Club), the Jazz Festival (I think), the 100th Anniversary of Edmonton, and the coup de grace, being held at the Westin, the National Bodybuilding Championship.
Be still my beating heart.
After waking up quite late the following morning (we were both quite content to stay in the Heavenly Bed), we went in search of breakfast. A flip through the phonebook was a bit frustrating due to the lack of options. Eventually, we decided on the Denny's, about 12 blocks from the Westin. It would have been a nice walk, had it not been cold, windy, with a spattering of rain mixed in for flavour. We cut through the mall downtown to save ourselves from the chill.
The Denny's was packed. But it was also one of the only eateries that we could find in the area that serves breakfast, at least from judging by the line-up inside. It took nearly a half hour to get a seat for two. It would take about the same amount of time to actually get our breakfast once ordered.
While we waited, we babbled nearly incoherently about whatever kept coming to mind. (Hey, we had almost three weeks of events and trivial crap to catch up on.) While we chatted, a semi-familiar silhouette passed through my peripheral vision, heading into the washroom.
Me: "I think that's Mo!"
Alex: "Mo? Topmade Mo?"
Me: "Yeah… it *is* Mo! And there's Byron, and Arnold!"
The Topmade Dragoneers were in town (the aforementioned Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival), and some of the team had apparently decided to grab a meal at Denny's in between the races. (The Edmonton Festival, unlike it's Cowtown counterpart, is planned very well. It also had the sense to judge teams by the times they logged racing, not by some idiotic point system — Calgary Festival organizers, take note!)
Arnold was surprised by our appearance:
"You're the last two I expected to see here!"
Yeah, I know, what the heck does that mean? I was wondering that, slightly miffed. It wasn't like we didn't enjoy ourselves paddling. I'm rather looking forward to it next year. Actually, if anything, I'm miffed that I'm not getting the club updates (they were looking for volunteers this weekend; not that I'd have been able to go even if I had got the notice). We promised to drop by later on.
We trudged out into the rain following our meal, and decided to take a shortcut through Grant McEwan Community College, just across the street. (Partly because it's an interesting-looking building, but also because it was warm and dry.) The college campus is situated on the old Canadian National rail yard that used to run through downtown Edmonton (well, what is now downtown Edmonton — it wasn't downtown when the yard was built). With the yard relocated to the north end of the city, the lands were freed up for other uses. The $16 million parcel of land was donated to the College, which then built its main campus.
The College's namesake, Grant McEwan, is a man of considerable distinction. Alex and I didn't really know who the man was. Thanks to an exhibit in the main lobby, we found out that the Honourable Mr. McEwan was a Professor and the Director of the School of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, a magazine editor (and prolific author), a Calgary alderman and a three-year Mayor of our fair city, became an MLA for Calgary and was elected the Liberal Party leader, became the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta for eight and a half years before going into semi-retirement. He never slowed down, however, and continued humanitarian work until his death in 2000 (at the age of almost 98).
There are times when you simply can't avoid feeling humbled.
We ended up having to dive back into the rain, thoroughly unable to avoid it. We trudged through the Farmer's Market before finally finding our way back to the mall we'd cut through earlier in the morning. We did some window shopping (I ended buying a new fleece jacket, mostly because I hadn't come properly prepared for the weather) before returning to the hotel. We napped. It was great.
Dinner was a surprise I managed to keep on tap, though Alex guessed the destination by some of the clues I had let out (but by then, I didn't mind) — Fairmont's Hotel MacDonald, about a block from the Westin. Specifically, the Harvest Room. I was told this was one of the best restaurants in town, and I wanted to take Alex there. I even wore a suit and tie for the affair.
Oh, one thing I need to point out. While we were preparing for dinner (mainly me ironing my clothes), we listened to the radio. Much to our surprise (and near shock), we came across 92.5, known as Joe FM. Now this might sound a little weird — why would I identify a radio station, you might ask? It's a sister station of 96.9 Jack FM. Same commercials, same commercial voice dude, but it just didn't sound right. Even the slogan was different: Playing … Anything! (In Calgary, it's "Playing … what we want!") Yet another reason why Edmonton and Calgary don't get along.
I have to say that I was mildly disappointed with the experience. The hotel itself is nice, but the Harvest Room lacked the old-world quality you often find in the older Fairmont hotels (most notably the Banff Springs). The food was well done, but I felt I'd had better meals here in Calgary, and much "lower-end" restaurants. I also felt the service wasn't quite to the level I'd expect for Fairmont. (Or more importantly, a Canadian Pacific Hotel.) Such as it is, the meal was wonderful, as was the company. Next time, though, I think we'll go somewhere else.
By the time the meal was done, it was nearly 20:00, so we opted for a dip in our hotel's hot tub (it was a little chilly outside). After a cold beverage in the bar, we headed for bed. Despite really doing nothing, we were both quite tired.
Awaking late again the next morning, we rose, showered and packed, while watching the Olympics. I haven't watched much of it this year (partly due to the time change), but what little I have seen kind of annoys me. And it's not he performances, it's all the media.
C'mon folks, it ain't about the medals. So what if Canada isn't getting that many this year? Big deal! Our athletes are out there, competing, and doing a pretty good job, all things considered. Are they gonna bring home the bacon? Maybe, but will the world end if they don't? Probably not. Just let them compete without all the additional pressure — they went there to represent Canada, not be bad-mouthed by us.
Checking out, we drove (as it was raining even harder Sunday morning) for Denny's. No-one from Topmade was there that time, so we ate in relative anonymity. We headed back to our hotel's parking lot, though, to go down to the festival area to see our friends and team-mates.
We arrived just in time for the Sistership tribute. This is something they do almost every festival (they didn't do it in Calgary, for some reason). It's in tribute to those lost to breast cancer. Sistership is a club whose members are all cancer patients, past and present.
Passing by the boards, we found the scores of the previous day. Topmade Dragoneers had done quite well, and were ranked up with EDBC and Jetstart (from Toronto). One of the others under the tent commented that the first race was going to be a good one. Alex and I would not wait to see it, as we were cold and wet, and really not wanting to stick around in the weather.
Finding Topmade's tent, we found Sang and Collette inside. We chatted for a while before following them down as they went to get something to eat. We left them at the food vendors and returned to the car. We were off…
…to West Edmonton Mall. The largest mall in the world. The megalopolis of merchandising.
It's a weird place, if you've never been. Parts of it make sense. But then you run into Galaxyland (formerly known as Fantasyland), which is the midway there. Rides that you would normally see at the Calgary Stampede, PNE, or CNE are permanent showcases there. Even the infamous rollercoaster on which people died a number of years ago. It's loud. It's hard to believe you're in a shopping mall.
And then there's the ice rink, the water park, the indoor golf course, the submarines, and the model of the Santa Maria.
Oh, and lest we forget the over two decade-old design? That place is in *serious* need of a facelift. (It also didn't help that the glass roof leaks, probably due to that nasty hailstorm and flooding of a couple months ago.)
Considering its size, the mall wasn't that bad for crowds — we had little or no trouble getting around. Well, except for size — the mall is huge, after all. I was disappointed to see that Sega Playdium had closed down. Considering the other attractions in the mall, however, I could understand.
After about four hours, we'd had enough, and it was time to head home. Alex tried to cross-stitch as we headed out of town, but eventually switched over to reading for a while (reading to *me*, I might add) to take a break.
We stopped again in Red Deer for dinner, this time going to Boston Pizza for, well, pizza. Nothing outlandish, we split a small (10″) between us, which was just perfect. Then it was back on the highway in the rain, drizzle, and fog, before arriving back at Alex's shortly after 21:00.
The weekend was good, despite the weather. Edmonton isn't exactly the vacation destination I had thought it might be, but then we didn't see much of it either. Next time, we'll have to go somewhere else, though. Someplace less urban.
And if you're looking for hints here, Alex, you'll have to try harder than that!
[flickr]tag:[email protected] S.[/flickr]
Author GeoffPosted on 22 August 2004 Categories General, TravelTags alberta, edmonton, hotels, shopping, surprise
Previous Previous post: Luke leaves Critical Mass
Next Next post: BC Vacation: Calgary to Fairmont Hot Springs
Need a break? Why not let me tell you a story!
Purchase photos at my Zenfolio
Society is Dead, Long Live Liberty
Healthy 10th Birthday, Choo Choo!
The Story Is Key
10 Years in Canada
Dare To Be Stupid by Weird Al Yankovic | | Let Me Tell You A Story on Why calling people "cowboys" is wrong
Lindsay on How to bring a pet into Costa Rica: Simplified
Nikki on Laminate flooring sucks
Johnny V. on 12 things I miss about Costa Rica
The Observer's Log Proudly powered by WordPress