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TIME CLASH: Doctor Who: Starter Set
Game Design: Jeff Tidball
DOCTOR WHO: TIME CLASH
There are many games featuring "the Doctor" and unfortunately many of them are poor representations of the most famous science fiction character to come out of the United Kingdom. Thankfully CUBICLE SEVEN are fighting back to preserve the balance with this fun game designed to be played by all and loved by Doctor Who fans. The artwork, under the direction of Jon Hodgson with help from Paul Bourne, scores brownie points throughout. Whether you like this latest (Peter Capaldi is about to retire) Doctor or whether your favourite Doctor is in the past (or perhaps just about to step into the limelight - I hear that Kris Marshall may get the job; I for one really hope he does) - the game is about the Doctor Who-niverse more than the individual Doctor character.
This game is a Starter-Set for 2-4 players aged 14+ and in all honesty there is a good indication that the gameplay will most likely go right over the heads of most players younger than fourteen years old. This is a strategy game where you really need 2 OR 4 players as three throws it into imbalance. Naturally the designer has added an afterthought rule for three players but in our games we have found it plays much better with even numbers. Each Team has it's own Goal or Goals to reach, trying to play cards to hit their target whilst attempting to prevent each other from reaching their own. Basic play is so simple that it feels at first there is no game as such, but actually the game is in the playing of the cards not in the cards themselves.
Doctor Who: Time Clash has a unique style of play as it sets teams against teams in multi-match games over a predetermined number of challenges, usually the best of either three or five. We have played our most enjoyable and successful games one on one and two on two, each player sitting alternatively round the table, Doctor Who team member, Enemy team member, Doctor Who team member, Enemy team member. Both teams, beginning with the Doctor's choose a Time Arc for the first match, the Doctor's team finally selecting a Companion arc. These "arcs" are third-of-a-circle cards which feature illustrations and text on one side and are blank on the reverse. There is a balancing mechanism to keep the game balanced but you have to look carefully at each of the arc cards to see them because they are small, almost innocuous, icons along one edge; the Doctors icons can just about be recognised as the top half of the TARDIS and the Enemy icon is half a Target - you can see these clearer and get a better description on page 16 of the rules. The suggested arcs for your first game are Enemy-Davros; Skaro-Time and Clara as the Companion giving 5 icons for each side; straight 5 on the Enemy arc, 1 icon on Skaro and 4 on Clara and this is truly the best way to begin, don't just think you know how to play, follow the lead set by the guy who knows the game best - Jeff Tidball. Although referred to throughout as the Enemy we all know who we mean by that - Daleks !!
The Vortex Disc, the blue/red counter is placed Build side up (blue) and the arcs selected for this match are placed around it to complete the circle, markers being placed on the zero of the track on each arc. The rules do need a good read through first as they are a little disjointed - for example on page 6 it says to shuffle each team's deck separately but at this point no mention of decks has been mentioned. Yes there are two decks of cards, one blue backed the other green backed and commonsense should tell you there is one deck for each team but players who have bought this game because they are Doctor Who fans, not truly gamers, should be encouraged to read the rules through (and they aren't).
Players take turns in clockwise, thus team, order to play cards, like spokes on a wheel, face up onto each other so that the top header can be read clearly; these are positioned against the circle creating a discard stack of their own cards as necessary. Instead of playing a card they can discard a card which allows them to move the Doctor. Players must ensure, or at least do their best, that their team doesn't run out of cards. Discards can be reshuffled to form a new deck but if there are no cards in the discard stack and their deck expires their game is over - exterminated !
Instead of Hearts, Clubs etc the suits for these numbered cards are Plan, Quip, Threat and Tech with the numbers being positive for the blue (Doctor's) cards and negative for the green (Enemy) cards; cards without numbers are "Specials". These Special cards have two possible effects but you only get to choose one of them when you play the card. Example; green card "Negate" allows the player to Remove a Quip, or to Counter any blue card as it is played, at least that's how we read it. The actual wording is "Counter any Doctor's card play ..." it could be interpreted that this means you could Counter any Doctor's card but is it a) already in play ? or b) as it is played ? or both ? As I say, we play using option b).
The spoke on which the numbered cards are played depends on the type of card being played - Quips can only be placed on the Companions arc spoke, Threats only on the Enemy arc, Tech not on the Enemy arc and Plans on any stack. Each card has its own effect that can affect the spoke it is placed on. The value markers on each arc's track record the value of the cards in the spoke and are flipped over from the + side to the - side if the value is in the negative. It's all about playing the best cards on the required spoke at the best time. Arcs have abilities that are triggered when the Doctor is on the specific arc but to begin with the Doctor is off the board so it might be highly relevant to get the Doctor into play, though once he has been moved he never moves off again, only round the arcs.
On each player's turn they Draw a card, play (or discard) a card and then check for the Endgame (during the Build Up) or the Doctor's team can attempt a Gambit or the Enemy players can check for a Win. The game goes from Build Up to Endgame but never back. The Enemy automatically triggers the Endgame when the Enemy arc has 1000 negative Threats on it and the Doctor's team triggers it similarly except the total is positive 800 and other conditions are met at the same time; it is up to the players to work together to trigger the Endgame when it best suits their side.
The basic mechanic of drawing a card and playing a card has been around for as many years as I can forget to remember but what makes Doctor Who: Time Clash unique is the three arcs and the possible combinations of their effects and the effects of those possible combinations. Once you have played a few times you will almost certainly have decided which arcs work best for each side. It is best to give the Enemy arcs to the enemy player(s), the Time arcs to one of the Doctor players and the Companion arcs to the other Doctor's player, and then let them secretly select one each. Of course you can allow the Doctor's players to decided on the two arcs, Time and Companion, between them but until the reveal they should not know the choice of the Enemy.
For us this is a game to be played in best of three matches and then set aside for a while because although it is fun it is also repetitious and the cards and effects don't do enough to make it a regular game to often repeat play. I do believe that Cubicle Seven are soon to be releasing expansions for the Doctor Who: Time Clash game which will add to the enjoyment and challenge factors.
The game costs around £18.00-£25.00 online and there's no reason to think that Doctor Who fans who are also games players will not get more than their money's worth from it. I think non-Doctor Who fans will enjoy playing it with Doctor Who fans but are unlikely to then go and purchase their own personal copy. If it is available in larger department store Toy Sections or shops like Toys R Us then it is an ideal Nan/Grandad pick-up for their grandchildren's birthday or Christmas present.


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Raman imaging to quantify the thermal transformation degree of Pompeian yellow ochre caused by the 79 AD Mount Vesuvius eruption
Postprint (771.7Kb)
Marcaida Ormazabal, Iker
Maguregui Hernando, Maite
Morillas Loroño, Héctor
Pérez Díez, Silvia
Madariaga Mota, Juan Manuel
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 411(28) : 7585-7593 (2019)
Most of the wall paintings from Pompeii are decorated with red and yellow colors but the thermal impact of 79 AD MountVesuvius eruption promoted the partial transformation of some yellow-painted areas into red. The aim of this research is todevelop a quantitative Raman imaging methodology to relate the transformation percentage of yellow ochre (goethite,α-FeOOH) into red color (hematite,α-Fe2O3) depending on the temperature, in order to apply it and estimate the temperature atwhich the pyroclastic flow impacted the walls of Pompeii. To model the thermal impact that took place in the year 79 AD, ninewall painting fragments recovered in the archeological site of Pompeii and which include yellow ochre pigment were subjected tothermal ageing experiments (exposition to temperatures from 200 to 400 °C every 25 °C). Before the experiments, elementalinformation of the fragments was obtained by micro-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (μ-ED-XRF). The fragments werecharacterized before and after the exposition using Raman microscopy to monitor the transformation degree from yellow to red.The quantitative Raman imaging methodology was developed and validated using synthetic pellets of goethite and hematitestandards. The results showed almost no transformation (0.5% ± 0.4) at 200 °C. However, at 225 °C, some color transformation(26.9% ± 2.8) was observed. The most remarkable color change was detected at temperatures between 250 °C (transformation of46.7% ± 1.7) and 275 °C (transformation of 101.1% ± 1.2). At this last temperature, the transformation is totally completed sincefrom 275 to 400 °C the transformation percentage remained constant.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Related Expertise: Financial Institutions, Payments and Transaction Banking, Digital, Technology, and Data
Retail Payments: Regional Diversity Is the Key
September 17, 2014 By Stefan Dab, Nick Gardiner, Alenka Grealish, Federico Muxí, Pedro Rapallo, Carl Rutstein, Olivier Sampieri, Pieter Van den Berg, Kuba Zielinski, and Gero Freudenstein
The outlook for retail payments—noncash transactions initiated by consumers—differs widely by region. In Europe, regulation and the need to sharpen pricing and operating models are shaping the landscape. In North America, digital technologies and innovative card strategies are driving growth. And in RDEs, a host of forces—including young populations, favorable macroeconomics, and low banking penetration—are providing both challenges and opportunities for payments players.
Global Payments 2014
Capturing the Next Level of Value
Wholesale Transaction Banking
Europe: Dealing with Disruption
Retail payments in Europe are in a state of flux, with transformational forces disrupting economic models. European payments players need to have a full understanding of these forces in order to plan their future strategies. Above all, they need to take action, especially regarding pricing initiatives and operating models.
Four Transformational Forces
The four principal forces (apart from regulation) that are affecting the European payments landscape are heterogeneous growth patterns, digital innovation, evolving merchant payments needs, and widespread M&A activity.
Heterogeneous Growth Patterns. There is a clear difference between the Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets and the Western European markets. While the former accounted for just 22 percent of total European transaction volume in 2013, they represent nearly half of transaction value growth through 2023. (See Exhibit 1.) Transaction value in the CEE markets is expected to grow at roughly 9 percent per year through 2023, with Western European markets expanding at less than half that rate (about 4 percent per year). Global players that want to enter the CEE markets will face considerable barriers to entry, including significant innovation by local and sometimes nonbank players.
Varied growth patterns, moreover, will occur not only regionally but also by type of transaction. Across Europe, the growth rate of online transactions through 2023 is projected to outpace that of other forms of payments by 10 percentage points, with cards dominating online payment methods. Indeed, in 2013, cards had a 50 percent greater share of total payment values in online spending (compared with offline), with e-wallets representing about 25 percent of online transaction values. Here again, traditional payments players seeking entry will face competition stemming from local payment habits. For example, there is still a relatively high use of cash-on-delivery transactions in some CEE countries, and instruments for online commerce are highly local in some Western European markets.
Digital Innovation. Although it can be argued that European countries initially lagged behind the U.S. in digital payments innovation, there has been a flurry of activity recently. Not all apps have reached widespread adoption, and most innovations remain country-specific, but some initiatives in Europe have succeeded in truly addressing customer needs. For example, in-app payment wallets—such as the Starbucks loyalty app and mobile taxi-booking apps such as mytaxi and Uber, each with embedded payment functionality—have gained traction by offering a clear benefit to clients while not requiring coordination with the broader payments ecosystem, as do general-purpose wallets. In the U.K., new apps have fully leveraged the real-time nature of the Faster Payments scheme with person-to-person (P2P) payments, such as Paym, and mobile or point-of-sale (POS) payments, such as Pingit and Zapp. Sweden, Poland, and Switzerland have also developed a real-time payments infrastructure, while other countries, such as Finland, are planning to build one. Some innovative payment solutions such as MobilePay in Denmark have managed to gain traction locally.
Evolving Merchant-Payments Needs. The traditional acquiring landscape is shifting at multiple levels as the needs of merchants continue to evolve. First, physical merchants are increasingly seeking to provide customers with an omnichannel shopping experience in response to the growth of e- and m-commerce. To this end, they are trying to establish links with multichannel providers in order to offer one-stop shopping. Acquirers, for their part, are also building up multichannel capabilities, through both greenfield initiatives and acquisitions. Moreover, as innovation continues to accelerate, the complexity of merchant needs will increase. This trend will favor payment service providers (PSPs) and require traditional acquirers to develop or acquire PSP-like capabilities.
Further, microacquirers are competing with traditional acquirers on both pricing transparency and onboarding time. They are still largely limited, however, to underserved client segments. Meanwhile, Square's U.S. rollout of its mPOS solution has been copied in several European countries. The integration of payments with core merchant-business processes, including accounting systems and merchant-funded rewards, is rapidly gaining traction by leveraging transaction data analytics.
Widespread M&A Activity. With the EU landscape still relatively fragmented compared with that of the U.S., we have witnessed a fair number of mergers and acquisitions, mostly among acquirers and PSPs. In addition, traditional bank-tied acquirers are increasingly outsourcing their acquiring activities.
Regulation: Weaker Revenues and Stronger Competition
Renewed legislation on payments, promoted by the European Commission, is now entering the final stages of a multiyear implementation process. Some of the specifics are still in flux, but the main pillars are in place. These include the following:
Interchange rates will be significantly lower, with caps most likely at 30 basis points for credit transactions and either 20 basis points or €0.07—whichever is lower—for debit transactions.
Third-party payment providers will have greater access to information about the availability of funds in consumers' bank accounts.
Schemes and processing will be separated in some form that is still to be determined.
Remaining restrictions on cross-border acquiring will be eased.
The cap on interchange rates will have a significant negative impact on issuer economics in Europe, with issuers standing to lose roughly €8 billion per year (beginning in 2015) out of a pool of €60 billion in card revenues. The loss will be roughly evenly split between credit cards (€4.3 billion) and debit cards (€3.7 billion). Issuers in markets where interchange accounts for a larger proportion of overall card revenues will obviously suffer more—and some credit-customer segments will become unprofitable. Regulation will also accelerate existing trends in European retail payments such as tighter competition in the acquiring market and the rise of alternative payments solutions.
Benefits for Acquirers, but Only Temporarily. While issuers are incurring the bulk of revenue losses, we expect new legislation to have a temporary positive effect on the economics of acquirers—after which the impact of increased competition is likely to outweigh the short-term windfall. As interchange decreases, merchant service charges will adapt only gradually, and acquirers thus will benefit. The rate at which this rebalancing occurs will depend on two factors: whether the merchant service charge is pegged to interchange, and whether the merchant is proactive in negotiating the charge downward. Acquirers whose customer portfolios are geared more toward small or unsophisticated merchants will benefit more. The temporary windfall will therefore vary greatly by acquirer and by country.
Overall, the new regulations will increase the level of pricing transparency to merchants, strengthening their negotiating power. As a result, we may increasingly see merchants trying to pit different acquirers against each other, leading to margin erosion for acquirers.
The Rise of Alternative Payments Solutions. Overall, we expect legislation to accelerate innovation in alternative payments solutions in the following ways:
The general economics of e-wallets will be improved in the short term by the reduction of interchange, which will then gradually be passed on to retailers.
The reduction in interchange will shift rewards for card users from issuer-funded programs to merchant-funded programs, which will further accelerate the trend toward more deals and offers, as well as toward in-app payment wallets.
Greater access to the balances in consumers' bank accounts by third-party providers will foster the development of alternative payment solutions by reducing risk.
Given the expansion in alternative payment solutions, banks will need to clearly define their strategies concerning local and global wallets, especially with regard to how they plan to compete (or cooperate) with other local banks and alternative payment providers. Finally, it is important to note that some banks are still short of reaching their Basel III capital requirements. Asset-quality reviews by the European Central Bank (ECB) are still in progress. The ECB could require banks either to raise capital or to further deleverage. In parallel, payments assets have been highly valued. Banks could therefore use the underlying value of their payments infrastructures to strengthen their capital bases without having to deleverage excessively.
Sharper Pricing and Operating Models
The revenue challenges facing issuing banks will require them to sharpen their pricing models on both current accounts and payments transactions as part of a broader effort to reshape their strategic priorities. They will also need to review their operating models.
The Pricing Model. Although revenue streams from what is sometimes referred to as daily banking—current (or checking) accounts, transaction fees, and financing charges on revolving credit-card balances—vary by market, such areas represent roughly 25 percent of all retail-banking revenues. Indeed, the differences in retail-banking profitability among countries and client segments are due largely to pricing models, which are generally more favorable to banks in southern Europe than in northern Europe.
Moreover, although it remains clear that customers' current accounts and payments products are the keys to deepening the relationship and positioning the bank to meet other financial needs as they arise, daily-banking economics are increasingly under duress, especially for mass-market clients. This pressure is coming not only from lower transaction revenues owing to regulation but also from higher transparency, lower margins on deposits, the need to invest in innovation, and the ease with which customers can switch institutions.
Banks will increasingly need to counter these forces through three key pricing levers:
Formulate segmented pricing offers based on each customer segment's value and price sensitivity. Adjust the cost-to-serve for less-profitable clients.
Devise smart incentives for non-daily-banking products to increase cross-selling. Offer appropriate rebates and discounts to high-value segments.
Create targeted pricing campaigns to improve both the volume and quality of customer acquisition. Provide direct financial incentives but exercise caution in order to avoid excessive price reductions.
To capture these opportunities fully, it is critical for banks to develop a well-defined, comprehensive pricing initiative that includes a holistic view of all aspects of the business portfolio. Such programs should start by defining clear goals in terms of customer acquisition, cross-selling, up-selling, and new revenue generation for each client segment. On the basis of our client experience, we estimate that European banks could potentially increase their daily banking revenues by up to 25 percent over two years with a successful pricing program.
The Operating Model. Multiple types of deals among banks have occurred in the European card space in recent years, from collaboration on bank utilities to the forging of strategic partnerships. We expect the trend toward deals and partnerships to accelerate in the coming years. As European banks review their card-payments operating models, they must first consider the current landscape, which can be roughly divided into three types of markets:
Outsourcing markets , in which payments are typically outsourced to a single processing utility, such as in Belgium (Atos Worldline), Switzerland (SIX), Spain (Redsys), and Ireland (TSYS)
Hybrid markets , in which some banks have outsourced their payments processing to third-party providers, such in as the U.K., Germany, and Poland, while other banks have kept processing in-house
Insourcing markets , in which payments processing remains largely insourced, such as in France and Turkey
In noncard payments, banks have made significant investments to comply with SEPA rules on credit transfers and direct debits. Further, in certain countries, banks have reviewed their IT and operations in order to fully leverage the real-time nature of new market infrastructures (such as Faster Payments in the U.K. and Express Elixir in Poland).
Banks should use current market disruptions as an opportunity to upgrade their payments operating model, assessing their current position through multiple lenses: operational efficiency and scale, pure economics (including the overall value of payments to the bank), competitiveness against rivals, and innovation capability. Initiatives for true change should start with a clear statement on overall objectives, as this will drive both the type of potential deals to pursue and the most appropriate type of partners or buyers.
North America: Deepening Relationships
After several years of being battered by regulatory measures, retail payments revenues in North America (the United States and Canada) rebounded to $222 billion in 2013, up 4 percent from 2012, representing 30 percent of global retail-payments revenues. Transaction revenues accounted for $104 billion, credit-card net interest income and penalty fees accounted for $93 billion, and demand-deposit products represented $25 billion. Retail payments revenues in North America are expected to reach $323 billion in 2023, with account revenues showing the strongest growth (6 percent), followed by transaction revenues (5 percent). Retail payments businesses accounted for 76 percent of total payments revenues in North America in 2013.
In a region characterized by an active investment and acquisition landscape, with numerous new entrants—such as technology companies—disrupting the status quo, banks need to develop a holistic strategy. If they do not, they will likely fall short in seizing growth opportunities, increasing market share, preserving margins, fending off disintermediation threats, and capturing new revenue streams.
The principal opportunities lie in two areas:
Leveraging new digital technologies to deepen customer relationships by way of the checking or demand deposit account (DDA)
Forging new and innovative strategies in credit cards
Taking the Demand Deposit Account Digital
Leveraging the DDA to build and deepen customer relationships has become more powerful with the development of digital technologies. Digital banking, which spans remote channels and includes remote deposit capture and mobile payments, provides an excellent platform to increase customer contact, deliver value-added services, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. New capabilities such as preorders from retailers, highly targeted offers, and alerts sent to mobile devices will be every bit as game-changing as the advent of online banking and electronic bill payment (e-bill pay) more than a decade ago. Indeed, while the 24/7 functionality of online banking increased the role of banks in consumers' daily lives, and e-bill pay allowed banks to capture a greater share of wallet, today's digital technology enables banks to be more proactive in helping customers in multiple ways throughout the day.
Yet there are tall challenges to overcome. Although banks are well positioned—they possess key assets such as security and risk-management skills, as well as reliable, scalable infrastructure—technology companies and retailers are matching some of these assets and excelling at others (such as one-click purchases). Moreover, mobile-banking penetration is only about 30 percent for leading banks. Clearly, at this relatively early stage, institutions still have everything to win or lose. The initiatives that they launch today will go a long way toward determining their market positions and performance levels over the next ten years.
The road to building a powerful payments-driven customer relationship begins the moment the customer opens a DDA. (See Exhibit 2.) This is when the promotion of digital banking should start. Next, a bank must observe usage patterns and solicit customer input to continually enhance its applications. As the bank increases customer engagement and satisfaction, it should systematically seek out ways to improve the relationship.
Of course, deepening customer relationships goes far beyond simple cross-selling. It means creating product bundles targeted at specific segments (such as students, newlyweds, or retirees), offering relevant products based on "trigger" events (such as the birth of a child or the first purchase of a home), and ultimately linking products, rewards, and offers together in an all-encompassing value proposition that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
A bank must be visionary. It must not stop with customer input but figure out new sources of value that the customer may not think of. With technology companies driving innovation every day, digital banking and payment services will become table stakes—absolutely necessary but certainly not sufficient for differentiation. Payments providers need to distinguish themselves from the pack by offering digital services that go beyond payments and banking. Prime examples are delivering targeted deals, location-specific promotions, point-of-sale redemptions, and convenience-oriented services (such as being able to preorder and pay prior to pick-up at a quick-service restaurant or coffee shop).
Innovating in Credit Cards
There are significant opportunities for payments players to broaden their credit-card businesses and gain market share by targeting "transvolvers"—cardholders who execute a high number of transactions and revolve their credit balances every month—as well as by exploring cobranding arrangements that can bring substantial benefits.
In addition, there are growth opportunities for banks that successfully provide a bundled DDA and credit-card product. The bundle could include a single statement (preferably paperless), a spending analysis tool that includes payments made through both the credit card and the DDA, and the option to have minimum card payments automatically deducted from the DDA in order to avoid late-payment fees.
Finally, it is important to note that the U.S. and Canadian card markets differ in four key dimensions:
The average number of credit cards per consumer is more than three in the U.S., compared with just two in Canada, where cardholders typically have one Visa card and one MasterCard.
Cross-selling between DDAs and card accounts is higher in Canada, where there is a strong branch-distribution model.
Canada has just one dominant cobrand, Aeroplan.
Canadians' credit-card debt is half that in the U.S., resulting in lower transvolver revenues.
Excelling in the Transvolver Value Proposition. The transvolver segment, which typically represents 25 to 30 percent of a bank's card customers, can generate up to 90 percent of a credit card portfolio's profit and three times the risk-adjusted margin of other segments. Although this segment already consists of heavy card users, there is ample room for improvement in both customer satisfaction and retention. Hence, the opportunity to gain market share exists not only for national issuers but for regional issuers as well.
The value propositions that resonate with transvolvers vary during the customer life cycle. Winning in the customer acquisition stage requires offering the right interest rate (particularly the promotional rate), providing a sign-on reward, and effectively leveraging multiple channels. Issuers that are excelling with transvolvers are successfully originating credit-card customers both in branches and online.
The next hurdle with transvolvers is to achieve "first in wallet" status, which typically depends on the robustness of the reward offering. Indeed, although these customers tend to apply for a card primarily on the basis of the interest rate, the decision on how often to use the card depends on the rewards. So-called headline rewards (such as 5 percent cash rebates on fuel purchases) have proved to be more powerful than complex, staggered rewards, and tend to influence card use across merchant categories.
Yet despite the importance of customer retention to portfolio profitability, many issuers underperform, creating significant opportunity for differentiation. Retention, moreover, generally requires simply treating the customer fairly. This translates into, for example, forgiving the first late payment or offering cardholders a free FICO credit score. Best-practice issuers have implemented so-called win-back programs to reduce attrition.
Pursuing Cobranding Deals. For issuers seeking to diversify their portfolios and boost growth, cobranding and partnership deals can be a profitable strategy. At least five significant deals among major players in North America will be up for renegotiation in the next two years. In addition, there are an increasing number of examples of dual- and triple-issuance portfolios. But competition is stiff, and issuers must be increasingly innovative in their partnership structures by focusing on select segments, investing in key capabilities, and excelling in execution. Overall, they must thoroughly understand their partners' economics and objectives and undertake rigorous due diligence during the request-for-proposal process.
At the same time, it is worth noting that partnership structures and capability requirements are changing, owing to several factors. First, economic terms are starting to hit the limits of the interchange ceiling. As a result, issuers and partners are beginning to explore more innovative accords (such as the issuer being compensated on a profit-sharing model). Second, partners are expecting more from issuers in terms of driving market-share shifts and generating value. Some issuers are integrating other service offerings into the partnership and leveraging their own data to identify revenue generation ideas and opportunities. Lastly, some issuers are pitching advanced operating capabilities such as new forms of customer servicing and innovative methods of fulfillment.
In our experience, issuers that excel in cobranding arrangements outperform in six dimensions: organization, people and culture, process management, technology, regulatory compliance, and the ability to focus on a specific industry vertical. Leaders in cobranding firmly believe that a vertical focus builds a track record, expertise, and, ultimately, scale. They recognize that the partnership skill set is different from that of their own branded business, requiring a particularly strong retailing and operational mindset. Moreover, they understand that the partnership business deserves as important a seat at the table as their own branded business, and they dedicate sufficient functional resources, especially IT. The person responsible for partnerships is empowered to negotiate with partners in real time and to marshal the necessary enterprise resources to get things done.
Partnership deals also need to include frequent peer-to-peer interactions, cross-functional teams, and quarterly (or more frequent) sessions among senior leaders at both entities to review strategy and performance, ensure alignment on objectives, assess regulatory compliance, and agree on the best path forward.
Ultimately, with $100 billion in retail-payments revenue growth to capture over the next ten years in North America, banks need to act strategically and decisively. Yet competition will be increasingly intense. Differentiation is paramount, with regard not only to other banks but also to technology companies.
RDEs: Thriving in a High-Speed World
The payments industry in RDEs continues to be characterized by strong growth. The primary drivers are relatively young populations, generally favorable macroeconomic conditions, and low banking penetration—in stark contrast to the developed payments markets with their low macroeconomic growth and near-universal banking penetration. Indeed, a two-speed payments world is emerging, as evidenced by divergent growth in volume and revenues. (See Exhibit 3.)
Yet despite the high-growth environment and the fact that the payments business is still very profitable in most RDEs—featuring substantial margins for acquirers, issuers, and card schemes—the outlook is not all blue skies. Prospects for incumbent players are clouded by falling interest rates, declining merchant discount rates and interchange (in response to regulatory pressure), and the emergence of new competitors. Banks must also find ways to motivate customers to use their noncash payments products and digital banking services. (See "Taking Action on Customer Engagement.")
Taking Action on Customer Engagement
Despite the overall positive outlook in RDEs, banks are facing profitability pressures. Tighter regulation, rising customer expectations, and intensifying competition levels are narrowing margins significantly. At the same time, large portions of private assets are still held in cash, with a high volume of transactions executed outside formal banking systems.
One way that banks and other payment institutions can fight back is by redoubling their efforts to increase customer engagement, achieved by motivating customers to direct-deposit their paychecks and to routinely use the bank's noncash payments products, especially cards. In so doing, a bank can become firmly established as the customer's primary bank. Statistics from many RDEs show that engaged customers generate two to three times the revenue of "nonengaged" ones, and are also more loyal.
In our experience, a thorough approach to increasing customer engagement involves four elements: segmentation, value proposition, channels, and stimulation.
Segmentation. Banks must first make an effort to fully understand customers' concerns about noncash transactions. They must then segment and prioritize the customer base in order to approach those with the highest engagement potential. A leading bank in Turkey, for example, realized that many customers did not apply for loans for fear of an in-person rejection. The bank introduced a way to request a loan through a text message, and responded only if the loan was approved (with rejections not actively communicated). The bank received 300,000 loan requests in the days following the launch.
Value Proposition. Banks need to establish more robust value propositions. Features should include increased conveniences—such as 24/7 transaction capability and remote functionality—as well as lower fees, loyalty programs, and cash-back offers.
Channels. Banks must also ensure that the required channel infrastructure (such as ATMs, transaction and acceptance terminals, Internet access, and mobile networks) is widely available and sufficiently functional to execute the most common transactions. For example, a South American bank developed a network focused on low-income regions in order to enable financial inclusion of these customer segments. Terminals for essential services such as withdrawals, deposits, and transfers were installed at partner institutions such as grocery stores and other merchants. The growth of the network was so rapid that within a few years the number of terminals surpassed the total number of ATMs in the bank's home country. The bank ultimately acquired 30 percent of the country's population as customers.
Stimulation. Banks need to foster customer awareness of the advantages of their services and create a sense of trust and comfort in using them. A Malaysian bank introduced an all-in-one product bundle aimed at mass-market clients. The bundle is easy to sell and consists of basic transaction functionality (an account, a card, and remote banking), along with easy-to-activate optional product components (including several types of preapproved loans and goal-based savings and insurance products). Since all products are available immediately after the account is opened, the bank has doubled customer engagement and has been able to serve its mass-market customers more profitably.
Ultimately, there are ample growth opportunities for payments players of all varieties in RDEs. In order to thrive, however, these players must successfully navigate a landscape characterized by significant change. Two major themes are shaping the future of retail payments in RDEs: the battle against cash, and growing digitization.
The Battle Against Cash
Unlike developed markets, cash payments still dominate in RDEs. And although there is a clear correlation between a country's level of economic development and its level of card penetration, some RDEs stand out for their high penetration rates. In general, penetration rates can be explained mainly by the roles of governments, issuers, and acquirers, but also by the roles of nonbank payments providers and local card schemes.
Governments. By promoting the development of a sturdy payments infrastructure and generating proper incentives, some governments have been supporting the advancement of electronic payment methods. Examples include the following:
Turkey has introduced regulatory changes to promote credit-card payments, including establishing a credit bureau, restructuring credit-card debt to make terms easier for cardholders, and enabling remote sales of credit cards outside bank branches through alternative channels. Oversight legislation introduced in 2005 has provided a solid regulatory base, and the switch to cards equipped with microchips has fostered trust in the system.
The United Arab Emirates has implemented a program aimed at achieving a cashless economy. Its features include the mandatory use of payroll cards for wages, the establishment of an electronic payment gateway for government payments, a national automated clearinghouse, and higher levels of card acceptance by taxis and fuel merchants.
Mexico has passed legislation that promotes the development of correspondent banks, eases requirements for opening new bank accounts, and increases tax benefits both for banks that support point-of-sale installations and for consumers that make electronic payments.
India, in a document published by its central bank, has stated its vision of proactively encouraging electronic-payment systems. In its regulatory policies, India intends to drive financial inclusion among the unbanked, cut debit-card merchant discount rates, and narrow the window of check validity from six months to three months. ACH (Automated Clearing House) and GIRO (General Interbank Recurring Order) initiatives have already been put in place, as well as 24/7 IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) capability, which has been extended to multiple channels. India is also urging nonbank players to participate in the payments network.
Issuers and Acquirers. Issuers and acquirers naturally play a key role in promoting the penetration of noncash payments. Some incumbent players are taking forceful action in the battle against cash by leveraging new technologies to increase card acceptance, introducing low-cost debit cards or alternative local schemes, developing correspondent-banking models, or simply educating their customers. In Russia, for example, a leading bank has made a significant investment in hiring branch-based greeters whose principal function is to educate customers on how to make noncash payments.
As for prepaid cards, their usage is still small. But these cards have the potential to play a larger role in the growth of electronic payments in the future. Prepaid cards are appealing both for unbanked consumers and for banked consumers who prefer not to have to worry about paying a credit card bill or possibly incurring card debt. Moreover, cobranded prepaid cards enjoy virtually universal acceptance, are safer and more convenient than cash, and are easily obtainable. Prepaid cards currently account for less than 1 percent of total payments in RDEs, but they are expected to grow by 16 percent per year through 2023. They are increasingly being used to make benefits payments to unbanked individuals, such as in Turkey where citizens now receive their welfare funds on a prepaid MasterCard.
Of course, increasing card penetration requires attractive economics for issuers, acquirers, and merchants. We have witnessed penetration growth in some countries (such as Argentina and Brazil) in which the economics provide incentives both for acquirers to underwrite merchants and for issuers to promote card usage through rewards and other benefits.
Nonbank Payments Providers. Nonbank institutions such as retailers and telecommunications concerns are playing a leading role in promoting financial inclusion. A well-known example is M-Pesa, a mobile-phone-based service launched in Kenya in 2007 that enables money remittances to be sent with a couple of taps on a handset. People can also make digital payments in shops that have M-Pesa representatives—a growing force that rose by 40 percent in 2013 to more than 65,000 agents. More than two-thirds of Kenya's adult population currently subscribe, and a quarter of the country's payments flow through this mobile-money service.
The Evolution of Local Card Schemes. National card schemes have continued to grow and evolve. Their lighter cost structures have also helped promote card penetration among lower-income consumers. For example, China UnionPay, the first large-scale national scheme, is dominant in China and accounts for 11 percent of domestic payments. Other countries have followed suit, including India with RuPay and Brazil with Elo. Elo, launched by a consortium of financial institutions, is aimed largely at increasing card penetration in underbanked segments of the population and thereby driving card usage. With roughly 50 million cards in circulation, Elo is growing rapidly and targeting a 15 percent market share by 2016.
The key challenges to success for local schemes are securing broad acceptance both locally and internationally, particularly among merchants and in ATMs, and generating incentives among banks to issue their cards.
Growing Digitization
RDEs are characterized by rapidly increasing mobile and 3G phone penetration, as well as by ever-expanding Internet access. These trends are fueling strong online growth. Indeed, China has already replaced the United States as the world's largest e-commerce market, with increasing digitization supporting the expansion of new platforms and technologies.
These dynamics and the higher volume of transactions that they promise are creating attractive new opportunities for the payments industry. But there are also challenges for incumbent institutions, particularly in terms of intensified competition from emerging players that are pursuing a share of new revenue pools. In China, Alipay, which processes payments on the huge Alibaba e-commerce platform, provides value-added offers to online merchants, a service it can use as a strategic perch to expand beyond e-commerce into other areas of financial services.
Some incumbent banks and acquirers in RDEs are still in a relatively early stage of building their digital capabilities, although others are already among the most innovative. Those that have advanced have been able to afford investing in digital capabilities or have developed partnership models. Finally, bank utilities that enable a group of institutions to share platforms and resources can play a role in capturing the digital opportunity by lowering entry costs for all participants and generating network effects.
The authors would particularly like to thank Mohammed Badi, Alexander Drummond, Jennifer Glaspie, Simon Lindenmann, Max Hauser, Maarten Peeters, Achim Seyr, and Michael Urban, whose contributions were invaluable to the conception and development of this report. In addition, the authors are extremely grateful to Alex Behaeghe, Jürgen Eckel, Christoph Militzer, and Jan Speelman, who were vital members of the team that developed the BCG Global Payments Model. Grateful thanks also go to the following BCG colleagues: Ashwin Adarkar, Andrés Anavi, Lionel Aré, Brent Beardsley, Jorge Becerra, Jeanne Bickford, David Bronstein, Tijsbert Creemers, Laurent Desmangles, John Garabedian, Deepak Goyal, Brad Henderson, Monish Kumar, Flavio Magalhaes, Hans Montgomery, Cagri Ogan, Rebecca Ott-Wadhawan, Neil Pardasani, Pedro Pereira, Bharat Poddar, Max Pulido, Sukand Ramachandran, Aymen Saleh, Niclas Storz, Burak Tansan, Steve Thogmartin, Andrew Toma, Jody Visser, Rahul Wadhawan, Ian Walsh, and André Xavier.
The authors are also deeply thankful to Javier Pérez-Tasso, Luc Meurant, Wim Raymaekers, and Laurent Mertens from SWIFT.
Finally, we thank Philip Crawford for his editorial direction, as well as other members of the editorial and production teams, including Katherine Andrews, Gary Callahan, Angela DiBattista, Kim Friedman, Abby Garland, Sara Strassenreiter, and Janice Willett.
Stefan Dab
Federico Muxí
Pedro Rapallo
Carl Rutstein
Olivier Sampieri
Pieter Van den Berg
Gero Freudenstein


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When I was a kid, Diwali was all about the sweets. My sister and I would fill up on just about anything we could get our hands on. I would always go light on dinner because I about the delicious treats that awaited me.
Growing up, Diwali became more and more about the Indian dishes. There's food as far as the eye can see. Diwali dinner lasts for hours – you just keep eating. The colorful food brightened up the table and made you feel warm inside.
Coming to Harvard, I've realized that Diwali is mostly about being with your family. It's like any other holiday; the food brings people together, sitting and talking in one place. The rest of the world is paused.
HUDS created that feeling for students missing home on Diwali this year. While nothing quite beats a home-cooked Indian meal, standing in the dining hall and smiling at familiar names of dishes created a place for me where time stood still. I told my friends what to get. I showed them which dishes tasted best together, but ended up mixing everything together because that's what I always do. I was so excited to be able to share things from home with them. It felt like Diwali.
Props to HUDS, because I was pretty impressed with the Indian selection tonight. The daal was on point and the basmati rice with peas was a nice touch. The vegetables in the coconut curry and idlis also deserve an honorable mention. It's probably also important to note that my friends who have never had Indian food before ate it and liked it – I'm not saying that this was authentic or anything, but HUDS did good work as an introduction, a transition piece if you will. While I'll end the night at brain break eating a classic PB&J, it was nice to be reminded of home. So thank you HUDS, you did good.


et, A., Sharifinia, M. (2012). Benthic Macroinvertabrate distribution in Tajan River Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 10(2), 181-194.
al. et; M. Sharifinia. "Benthic Macroinvertabrate distribution in Tajan River Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis". Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 10, 2, 2012, 181-194.
et, A., Sharifinia, M. (2012). 'Benthic Macroinvertabrate distribution in Tajan River Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis', Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 10(2), pp. 181-194.
et, A., Sharifinia, M. Benthic Macroinvertabrate distribution in Tajan River Using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2012; 10(2): 181-194.
The distribution of macroinvertebrate communities from 5 sampling sites of the Tajan River were used to examine the relationship among physiochemical parameters with macroinvertebrate communities and also to assess ecological classification system as a tool for the management and conservation purposes. The amount of variation explained in macroinvertebrate taxa composition is within values reported in similar studies. Results of CCA ordination showed that the dissolved oxygen, water temperature, turbidity, pH and TSS were the most important physico- chemical factors to influence distribution of macroinvertebrate communities. The study revealed that macroinvertebrate communities of the Tajan River may be explained by physiochemical parameters. Mean values of Shannon?Wiener diversity index calculated for macroinvertebrates ranged from 1.35? 0.07 (S5) to 1.86? 0.10 (S1). According to the Shannon?Wiener diversity index the S1 sampling site was categorized in ??good?? and the sampling sites S2 and S3 in ??moderate?? and S5 in ??moderate to substantially polluted? classes. The anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. trout farms and effluents from factories) impacted abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrate.


text:
Zacheusz – imię męskie pochodzenia hebrajskiego, od hebr. כָּי (Zakkai), co oznacza "czysty". Wśród patronów tego imienia – św. Zacheusz, biskup Jerozolimy. Znany jest także Zacheusz z Ewangelii św. Łukasza, który chcąc zobaczyć Jezusa Chrystusa wspiął się w Jerychu na sykomorę.

Zacheusz imieniny obchodzi 10 lipca, 23 sierpnia i 17 listopada.

Zobacz też:
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Męskie imiona semickie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Julia "Judy" Jean Blue papers
News clippings.
Louann Dorothy Lynch Roe papers
Luther C. Abbott papers
Photograph.
Martha L. Dehner Copher papers
Martha Mary Vincent Begley papers
Mary Beth Johnson Edelson papers
Magazine article, published letter, profile, exhibitions.
Mary Beth Johnson Strauss papers
Norman E. Strasma papers
Patricia Orr White Burnham papers
Raymond E. Wachter, Jr. papers
Abbott, Luther C. (class of 1955) 1
Begley, Martha Mary Vincent (class of 1955) 1
Blue, Julia "Judy" Jean (class of 1955) 1
Broadstreet, Donald E. (class of 1955) 1
Burnham, Patricia Orr White (class of 1955) 1
Carr, Carol Josephine Warren (class of 1955) 1
Copher, Martha L. Dehner (Class of 1955) 1
Dickinson, Richard A. (class of 1955) 1
Dirks, Barbara Nutt (class of 1955) 1
Dirks, Raymond L., Jr. (class of 1955) 1
Dirks, Raymond Louis, Jr. (class of 1955) 1
Duggan, Carol P. Williams (class of 1955) 1
Edelson, Mary Beth Johnson (class of 1955) 1
Fuller, Richard M. 1
Gardner, John Champlin, Jr. (Class of 1955) 1
Giles, Robert H. 1
Hay, Janet Kathleen Sage (class of 1955) 1
Hiner, Joan Elizabeth Venable (class of 1955) 1
Hirt, Susan Brownell, 1933-2019 1
Holland, Elizabeth "Bette" Rose (Class of 1955) 1
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Klus, Carolyn Nan Ulmer (class of 1955) 1
McCammack, Roland Lee (class of 1955) 1
Merryman, David Earl (Class of 1955) 1
Mettlen, Gyendolyn Dykhuizen (class of 1955) 1
Miles, James Dana (class of 1955) 1
Parente, Sara W. Seger Smith 1
Passano, Berry Conway 1
Perfect, Jack F. (Class of 1955) 1
Phillips, Allan H. (class of 1955) 1
Poor, Robert Lawrence (class of 1955) 1
Rice, Reed Porter (class of 1955) 1
Roe, Louann Dorothy Lynch (class of 1955) 1
Rolland, Ian McKenzie (class of 1955) 1
Schaberg, Gail Louise Van Epps (class of 1955) 1
Smith, Sara Jane Rife (class of 1955) 1
Stafford, Jean Lois Whitten (class of 1955) 1
Stark, John Chaley (class of 1955) 1
Strasma, Norman E. (class of 1955) 1
Strauss, Mary Beth Johnson (class of 1955) 1
Thomas, Dorothy Joan (class of 1955) 1
Thor, David Lloyd (class of 1955) 1
Tolle, Edward H. (class of 1955) 1
Trudgen, Spencer Folliott (class of 1955) 1
Underhill, Thomas Warren (class of 1955) 1
Vickers, Charles A. (class of 1955) 1
Voras, Edwin Victor, Jr. (class of 1955) 1
Wachter, Raymond E., Jr. (class of 1955) 1
Ward, Robert G. (class of 1959) 1
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Wildman, Jane Elynor Uhl (class of 1955) 1
Williams, Ronald Wyatt (class of 1955) 1
Williams, Thomas Greene (class of 1955) 1
Williams, Virginia Louise (class of 1955) 1
Wolff, Arthur Sheldon (class of 1955) 1
Wooden, William Paul (class of 1955) 1
Wysong, James Henry (Class of 1955) 1
Yarian, Dean Robert (class of 1955) 1


text:
FEATURE ARTICLES 2018
Contributions are welcome. Email them to basscoastpost@gmail.com.
Feature articles 2017
Feature articles 2016
The numbers talk
The Post's own Anthony Green – Phil Wright – crunches the numbers from the state election and concludes that Bass Coast's future is looking rosy.
The day the mine closed
December 14, 2018 - Fifty years ago the last shift of Wonthaggi miners emerged from Kirrak shaft to be greeted by a fairly important person from the Railways Department and a contingent of reporters and photographers.
My life as a candidate
December 14, 2018 - First-time candidate David Arnault admits he was naive to imagine politics as a contest of ideas.
Out of the closet
November 29, 2018 - Almost 50 years ago, Francesca Curtis and Phyllis Papps appeared in a TV program about lesbians. Mikhaela Barlow reports on an act of courage that helped to change Australian society.
Vale Malcolm Dunn
November 29, 2018 - Rob Parsons pays tribute to a backbone of the Kernot community who helped build the hall, church, tennis courts and playground.
Nov 16, 2018 - Farewelling our much loved mobile library is a wrench, writes Geoff Ellis, but there has to be a better way to deliver library services to our small communities.
Reading the riot act
November 2, 2018 - Everyone reaches a stage when they say "Enough!"
For Joy Button it was when she heard her community will lose its mobile library.
A place to call our own
November 2, 2018 - Germans have platze, French places, Italian piazzas. Frank Coldebella imagines a Wonthaggi version of such a meeting space.
Island of dreams
November 2, 2018 -  Descendants of some of Phillip Island's first selectors will be among a cast re-enacting the first land ballot in Cowes next weekend.
Glampers on a mission
November 2, 2018 - Young conservationists can meet like-minded people in a beach clean-up and glamp on Phillip Island.
My highlands home, my Bass Coast home
October 19, 2018 - After eight years in PNG, Jennifer Boer counts her blessings in Cape Paterson – and recalls a taste of paradise in PNG.
A put-up job
October 19, 2018 - The reality for older job seekers is a humiliating round of interviews with their job service agency and a complete lack of interest from employers, writes Geoff Ellis. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
Queen of the cast-off
October 19, 2018 - Regina Dudek collects the stuff discarded by less imaginative people and creates something wonderful. Report by Liane Arno
October 5, 2018 - Twelve years ago, Joy Button knew nothing about depression or suicide. Hers was just a normal family with two daughters and a mortgage.
October 5, 2018 - Artist, teacher, conservationist, a man who spoke his mind … James Glover made quite an impression on Wonthaggi from the time he arrived in the 1940s.
Cheers to the local vintage
October 5, 2018 - Bass Coast's award-winning wines augur well for local tourism, writes Dick Wettenhall.
Coming to a cinema near you
October 5, 2018 - Films from Australia, France, Lebanon, Iceland, Japan, Israel screen in this weekend's Wonthaggi International Film Festival.
September 21, 2018 - Driving on the back roads was always a source of joy for Geoff Ellis. These days he wonders what's around the next bend.
The shape of things to come
September 21, 2018 - John Mutsaers looks to another former mining area to see how art might transform Wonthaggi's future. Liane Arno reports
Step this way
September 31, 2018 - The great traditions of the bush dance will be revived in Cowes next month, writes Mary Whelan.
Where are the women?
September 14, 2018 - We need more women in positions of power everywhere, writes Cr Michael Whelan, starting with our own council.
The shoreline
September 14, 2018 - Tim Shannon explores the magical place where land meets sea. Painting by Jill Shannon
Island artists on national stage
September 14, 2018 - Phillip Island artists Warren Nichols, Jill Rogers and Marian Quigley have been selected as finalists in national art awards.
August 31, 2018 - If you're lucky enough to encounter a goanna in The Gurdies, don't stand staring at it for too long, advises Dick Wettenhall
August 31, 2018 - John Mutsaers looks to another former mining area to see how art might transform Wonthaggi's future. Liane Arno reports
August 17, 2018 - The murder of a young woman at Cowes has prompted communal grief and a determination to tackle family violence in our community, writes Bass Coast Mayor Pamela Rothfield.
Inverloch, but not as we know it
August 17, 2018 - A century of developer ads spruiking the charms of "Victoria's Most Beautiful Seaside Resort" are on display in a fascinating new exhibition by the Inverloch Historical Society.
The waste lands
August 3, 2018 - A visit to the abandoned St Paul's Boys' Home at Newhaven prompts Pete Granger to wonder whether Australia should adopt China's restrictions on foreign buyers.
Tammy steals the show
August 3, 2018 - When the Post asked readers to name their favourite moments of the Literary Festival, one name kept coming up.
Full steam ahead
August 3, 2018 - While the politicians are still arguing about renewable energy, Phillip Islanders are getting on with it. Linda Cuttriss reports
View from the Chamber
July 20, 2018 – Cr Geoff Ellis throws down the gauntlet in defence of the humble battle-axe block.
July 20, 2018 - A moving NAIDOC Week opening in Inverloch left Liane Arno feeling a welcome guest in this place.
Singing with the whales
July 20, 2018 - Two whales seen swimming towards the Cowes jetty augured well for the Island Whale Festival. Words by Laura Brearley, photos by Terry Melvin
Coal-fired hydrogen plan 'takes prize for stupidity'
July 20, 2018 - The award for the stupidest idea of 2018 goes to Daniel Andrew and Malcolm Turnbull for their plan to turn brown coal into hydrogen and export it out of Hastings, writes Caroline Giles
July 6, 2018 – Want to know what Bass Coast could be like in 20 years? Look at the Mornington Peninsula, writes Cr Julian Brown.
The bright lights of Tenby Point
July 6, 2018 - A tiny community turned on a mighty show for their winter solstice festival, writes Jeannie Haughton
July 6, 2018 - After 42 years as an Australian, Anne Heath Mennell has never had to prove her status or justify her loyalty. But then she's white …
'Keep your dirty hands off our land'
June 22, 2018 - Fines of $100,000 mooted for landowners who encroach on foreshore reserves.
They named it Monash
June 22, 2018 - With Monash trumping Bunjileene-Purrine as the new name for our federal electorate, we must find other ways to honour indigenous culture and people, writes Marg Lynn.
June 22, 2018 - "When we are told it's not all men, it's said as though this is new information to us." Janice Orchard reflects on the response to Eurydice Dixon's murder.
Digital serfs
June 22, 2018 - One-hour jobs, cheap cab rides, cheap food deliveries … Geoff Ellis wonders whether the digital economy has freed us or enslaved us.
Clothes encounters with cream and black
June 15, 2018 - Liane Arno takes a glimpse behind the scenes of a fashion exhibition opening in Wonthaggi next week.
Happy Bloomsday, Cowes
June 15, 2018 - James Joyce's novel Ulysses takes place on June 16, 1904 in the city of Dublin. Tomorrow night Cowes joins the international Bloomsday party when Maggie Millar reprises her acclaimed reading of Molly Bloom.
June 1, 2018 - With a new high school and hospital upgrade ticked off, Cr Clare Le Serve thinks our next objective should be a rail link to Lang Lang.
Smells like home
June 1, 2018 - A Bunurong smoking ceremony gives Catherine Watson a deeper sense of belonging.
Brett's legacy
June 1, 2018 - In every Graeme Myrteza painting are the initials of his son Brett because he is such a big part of the story.
Classic cream and black
June 1, 2018 - The success of a vintage couture fashion exhibition in the Wonthaggi Town Hall has inspired curator Marny Javornik to stage a second show this month.
May 19, 2018 - Ten years ago, Wonthaggi was down on its luck, writes Brett Tessari. But suddenly a lot of people are proud to call the place home.
Remembering John
May 19, 2018 - Professor Tim Flannery will celebrate John Clarke, the bird lover, at this year's Literary Festival of Phillip Island.
It's almost $100 million and it's our money … but try talking about the Bass Coast budget and watch the eyes glaze, writes Mayor Pamela Rothfield.
Life after Warley
May 4, 2018 - The legacy of Warley Hospital lives on in Phillip Island's new health hub, writes Mary Whelan.
Try again, AEC urged
May 4, 2018 - Plans to rename our federal electorate as Monash have upset locals who say it's time for an Aboriginal name.
Hard-earned knowledge
May 4, 2018 - Bron Dahlstrom has no doubt climate change was a factor in the 2009 bushfire that nearly killed her. ClimArt is part of her mission to spread that understanding.
April 20, 2018 - Bert had places to go but she didn't know how to ask for help along the way. In the tragic death of one of our own, Geoff Ellis sees the national tragedy of homelessness.
Ahead of the opening of the new Phillip Island health hub this weekend, Mary Whelan looks back on a century of health care on the island.
The art of biography
April 20, 2018 - For Sheridan Palmer, the South Gippsland coast provided the ideal setting to write about art and the getting of wisdom.
Welcome to Bass
April 6, 2018 - Ross and Tracey Denby are growing a community of diners who value companionship and conversation as much as good food. Geoff Ellis reports
April 6, 2018 - Mark Robertson is uncovering the stories of the everyday objects in the Wonthaggi museum. He shares some of them with Carolyn Landon.
Out of the darkness
April 6, 2018 - The world of commercial photography has long been digital but Trevor Foon still loves the alchemy of film. By Liane Arno
Kilcunda newcomer takes centre stage
April 6, 2018 - Virtuoso pianist and organist Jon Wade will be special guest when the Jackson Four perform at the Phillip Island Jazz Club next weekend.
What's the point of tourists?
Tim Shannon questions the government plan to boost tourism on Phillip Island..
March 9, 2018 - Geoff Ellis had every reason to be suspicious when a stranger rang with an offer that sounded too good to be true.
Beasts of burden
March 9, 2018 - Bob Middleton mourns the loss of Murray Goulburn, Australia's last great dairy farmers' co-operative.
February 23, 2018 - You probably wouldn't be staying at the Miners Rest if you had somewhere else to go. With a major redevelopment planned for the landmark Wonthaggi site, Tom McNish finds residents face an uncertain future.
February 23, 2018 – Anxious eyes will be scanning the horizon when a flotilla of wooden boats sails into Rhyll next weekend to kick off the first and only Rhyll Wooden Boat Festival, writes Carmen Bush.
The well of creativity
February 23, 2018 - An isolated childhood forged Filippa Buttita's pre-occupation with art, she tells Liane Arno
Island farewells Cherry McFee
February 16, 2018 - This much-loved identity enriched life on Phillip Island, writes John Eddy
Softening the edges
February 16, 2018 - A young neighbour's request for help with a school art project introduced Bill Binks to the work of Picasso and cemented his love affair with art. Marian Quigley reports
February 16, 2018 - Legumes are a great source of protein, filling but low in calories, yet many of us fear them. Miriam Strickland addresses the fart factor.
The magic of trees
December 14, 2018 - Tree clearing on Phillip Island has reached epidemic proportions, writes Bernie McComb, as new research shows the profound effect of trees on keeping our planet habitable.
Along for the ride
December 14, 2018 -  After some great experiences of carpooling in Europe, Vanessa McGrath wants to create a carpooling community in Bass Coast.
New horizons
December 14, 2018 - After 25 years in the construction industry, Frank Schooneveldt revels in the freedom to create landscapes, on canvas and in real life. Liane Arno reports
A clean break
December 14, 2018 - An accident forced Etsuko Yasunaga to change her mindset, with unexpected benefits.
November 29, 2018 - Former mayor Pamela Rothfield pays tribute to retiring CEO Paul Buckley and winces at the memory of her first combative exchanges with him.
November 29, 2018 - Bob Middleton was the Post's second subscriber, one of the Post's first writers and the only Post writer ever to be mobbed by a fan. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
A sense of belonging
November 2, 2018 - Etsuko Yasunaga came to Australia with a suitcase, a little savings and a little English. These days she is happy to call Inverloch home.
November 2, 2018 - The Bass Coast Chorale will perform local composer Larry Hills' acclaimed cantata They Went With Songs next weekend to mark the centenary of Armistice Day.
Coastal follies
November 2, 2018 - Forget saving the whales, it's the whitebait we need to worry about if a marina is built at Maher's Landing, writes Mark Roberston.
Lifetime award to 'revered' Island historian
November 2, 2018 - Christine Grayden's combination of meticulous research and an engaging approach to sharing history has been recognised by Museums Australia.
October 19, 2018 - It's up to councillors to set the direction of the council and the CEO to follow, writes Cr Les Larke
The wreck of the Amazon
October 19, 2018 - Few visitors to Inverloch are aware of a shipwreck buried in the surf beach for a century and a half.
October 19, 2018 - A series of crucified women hover over the wild landscapes of Phillip Island in Josephine Allen's arresting new exhibition.
Enough to drive you wild
October 5, 2018 - The council whipped up a storm when it confiscated signs warning motorists to slow down and watch for wildlife. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
The band played on
October 5, 2018 - A musical and acrobatic show pays tribute to some of the least likely heroes of the First World War.
October 5, 2018 - A garden is more than its plants, writes Anne Heath Mennell. It's also a refuge for birds, mammals, amphibians, insects, bats, plants, fungi and even bacteria.
Out of the depths
October 5, 2018 - One of Australia's most esteemed printmakers, Jennifer Marshall pays homage to the mysterious sea sponges she collected on walks along South Gippsland's wild beaches.
Bass Valley's Anzacs
September 21, 2018 - Private Ernest Berryman of Glen Forbes killed in action in April 1918, two days after making a lone attack on enemy lines, is one of 103 Anzacs honoured on a new plaque in Bass.
September 21, 2018 - Miriam Strickland muses on the mysterious and enduring bond between siblings.
The art of mystery
September 14, 2018 - Liane Arno gets up close with Ken Griffiths' enigmatic Mardi Gras 1, the winner of Bass Coast's top arts prize for 2018.
Men at war
September 14, 2018 - Gill Heal sat in on a rehearsal of the Wonthaggi Theatre Group's production of The Boys and was struck by the way it asks questions of all of us, men and women.
The stories of Arthur Baker
September 14, 2018 - "The hiss of the air-hose, the creaks and groans of the 'big deeps' and I'm sitting looking at something no man has ever seen ..." So begins a hand-written slice of memoir by a Wonthaggi miner.
You can lean on them
Cr Bruce Kent salutes our volunteers, from the men and women who turn out to an accident on a winter night to those who run our hall committees and manage our foreshores.
A newspaper is reborn
August 31, 2018 - More than a century after the first Western Port Times went out of business, a new online version is uncovering the rich history of the Waterline communities, writes publisher Roger Clark.
August 17, 2018 - As the Coles plastic bag debate raged, Susan Hall watched another plastic-fuelled disaster unfold on Inverloch beach.
Mature-age delinquents
August 17, 2018 - Research shows that after 55 our emotional intelligence begins to decline. Liane Arno can believe it after a recent stint in hospital. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
A cut too far
August 3, 2018 - Councillors have to make some tough choices, but shaving 30 local jobs would diminish our community, argues Neil Rankine.
Mud between the toes
August 3, 2018 - Mahers Landing is no place for millionaires' yachts, writes Mark Robertson, but it has plenty of riches for those who are willing to see.
Range anxiety
August 3, 2018 - With the range meter dropping precipitously in their hired electric car, Neil Rankine and Geoff Ellis find themselves somewhere between the shire's two recharge stations.
The allure of the back lane
August 3, 2018 - Terri Allen walks Wonthaggi's maze of back lanes and finds a wealth of stories.
The inside story of home-grown lit fest
July 20, 2018 – Expect the unexpected at Phillip Island's literary festival, including a former Australian of the year sharing the stage with an indigenous rapper.
All together now!
One of Australia's most exciting community choirs. THECHO!R will perform in Wonthaggi next Sunday with the Bass Coast Chorale.
Commies' Corner
July 20, 2018 - The shacks built in the dunes of Harmers Haven and the fibro shacks that followed were holiday homes to a tight-knit socialist community, writes Marguerita Stephens.
A world of wonder
July 6, 2018 - After turning her back on her scientific studies, author Robyn Arianrhod was lured back by some great men and women of science. Liane Arno reports
Would you like a credit card extension with that?
July 6, 2018 - Catherine Watson finds she's too feckless to get a loan from her bank but still qualifies for the special offers. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak.
The big fix
July 6, 2018 - Jim Bell never forgot the day the gaming squad used sledgehammers and axes to raid the Wonthaggi Workmen's Club.
High hopes for cannabis operation
June 22, 2018 - A medicinal cannabis factory in Wonthaggi is expected to create around 20 local jobs and provide new opportunities for local farmers.
Songs of the Betayil
June 22, 2018 - The humans will be singing back to the whales at next month's Island Whale Festival, writes Laura Brearley.
In the footsteps of the ancestors
June 22, 2018 - Revegetation of a coastal woodland near Rhyll has special meaning for John Eddy, writes Gabrielle Mahony
June 15, 2018 - As our own mountains of waste grow higher, Cr Geoff Ellis finds plenty to admire in the South Korean approach to recycling almost everything.
Their chance to shine
June 15, 2018 - One of the joys of The Edge Of Us project has been the discovery of the interesting and talented people in the Waterline communities, writes Jeannie Haughton.
A purler of a day
June 15, 2018 - Terri Allen gives thanks for a perfect winter's day at the mouth of the Powlett
Leader of the pack
June 1, 2018 - Chris Davies was a horse woman through and through … until the day Charlie the pet kelpie started herding sheep. Gill Heal reports
Winners and losers
June 1, 2018 - The first Australian win in the famous Indianapolis 500 gives Geoff Ellis a chance to reminisce on another Australian who lost the race but won many hearts.
Life and death in old San Remo
June 1, 2018 - Samuel Pickersgill's memoirs of life at Griffiths Point (San Remo) in the 1870s and 1880s make fascinating but often harrowing reading.
Mutton bird special
May 19, 2018 - On one side, a sign warning motorists to slow for young shearwaters; on the other a sign advertising the special of the day: grilled mutton bird.
Clean bill of health
May 4, 2018 - Last Friday's announcement of a $115 million upgrade for Wonthaggi Hospital caught even Bass Coast Health CEO Jan Child by surprise. Catherine Watson reports
Powering ahead
May 4, 2018 - While the old guard is still arguing about coal, our own community has clearly seen the future. Susan Davies welcomes a surge in local new energy projects.
Coal to green
A short video by Tom McNish looking at Wonthaggi's transformation from a coal town to a centre for renewable energy projects.
May 4, 2018 - From patchwork farms to new suburban estates, Phillip Island is living testament to a democratic ideal played out on a finite treasure island, writes Tim Shannon. Illustration by Natasha Williams-Novak
My beautiful lagoon
April 20, 2018 - To some it's a stinking cesspit, but to local artist and printmaker Susan Hall, the ephemeral Inverloch lagoon is a place of environmental richness and artistic inspiration.
April 6, 2018 - Activist-scholar Anitra Nelson discusses options for small and shared living at the eighth South Gippsland Sustainability Festival on Sunday.
A force of nature
April 7, 2018 - Many a Phillip Island farmer about to cut down a tree looked both ways to make sure 'Zing' Oswin-Roberts wasn't watching. Zing's story is told in a new book about 23 women who have fought to protect the island's natural beauty.
Word gets around
April 6, 2018 - Those who attended the final session of the summer readings in the Wonthaggi library last month were Treated to two hilarious readings of personal works by Gill Heal and Hamish Trumble.
Ferry facts and fantasies
In the past 50 years, Phillip Islanders have defended "their bay" against a container port, a ferry terminal, a marina, a canal development, an oil refinery and a nuclear plant, writes Anne Davie.
March 9, 2018 - On International Women's Day, Pamela Rothfield looks forward to the day when no one will be surprised to see a woman driving a petrol tanker.
Looks like trouble
March 9, 2018 -
A temporary disfigurement gives Liane Arno an inkling of what some people have to endure their whole lives.
February 23, 2018 - The environmental, social and planning impacts of a car ferry must be assessed, writes Cr Michael Whelan.
And the bands played on
February 23, 2018 – The first Inverloch Jazz Festival in 1994 featured 13 bands and 61 musicians. Some of them will be back for this year's festival, the 25th, writes Carol Young.
The Creature stirs
February 23, 2018 - The Wonthaggi Monster still stalks Bass Coast in Sydney artist Filippa Buttitta's new exhibition.
Out to the Wreck
February 23, 2018 – Any time after Guy Fawkes Day, the cry would be raised, "Let's go out to the Wreck!" Carolyn Landon revisits Joe and Lyn Chambers' beautiful essay.
A journey with Parkinson's
February 16, 2018 -David Kemp has been ticking off milestones on a path few others will travel. Next is brain surgery under a local anaesthetic. Geoff Ellis reports
February 16, 2018 - In a world filled with hate and violence, Bob Middleton hankers for a bit more fantasy. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
Villain or victim?
Thanks to Steve Irwin, stingrays have an image problem. Mark Robertson delves deeper.
Don't miss this boat
February 2, 2018 - A car ferry would see Phillip Island evolve from a "dead-end destination" into the new gateway to Bass Coast and beyond, writes Rob Easton.
Under the boardwalk
February 2, 2018 - It's not for the faint-hearted but diver David Haintz discovers a gorgeous new world beneath the San Remo Pier.
Backyard critters
February 2, 2018 - Terri Allen finds the hood can be a dangerous place.
Mr Toull's big day
February 2, 2018 - In Coronet Bay, a morning walk can bring all sorts of revelations. Gill Heal reports


The monthly newsletter at First United Methodist Church of Gilbert is called "The Evangel". The Evangel is published the first of every month and contains upcoming activities, important dates, messages from the Pastor and the different Ministry Teams. This is an excellent source of information that will help you get plugged in.
If you are not getting the message from the Church Office when the latest Evangel is ready to view, please email the Church office with your email information.


Novak Djokovic defeated 2014 runner-up and sixth seed Kei Nishikori 6-3, 7-6(4) in semi-final action on Saturday in Madrid.
Novak broke Nishikori's serve two times and saved 4 of 5 break points he faced during the 119-minute clash.
"On the other hand, I was happy the way I handled the games after that. In tie-break I think I played very solid under the circumstances, and knowing that I missed four match points I was very solid after that. I think mentally it's good to go through these particular situations for the confidence." said Novak.
Statistics: aces (5-1), double faults (2-2), winners (22-30), unforced errors (18-27).
Nole will face no.2 seed Andy Murray for the trophy on Sunday (18.30 CET). Murray beat Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-4.


C Sharp Windows Programming Tutorial Pdf Free Download C Sharp Windows Application Tutorial Pdf Windows!Programming!! Tutorial:!Introduction!to. ?false?!In!other!languages,!such!as!C!and!C++. 8 Programming: Application Development with C# and XAML In this book, you learn all about the new development features of Windows 8 and how best. Programming C# is a book written in step-by-step tutorial... Other applications include code that runs in the cloud via Windows Azure, and iOS, Android, and Windows Phone support with the Xamarin platform. With C# Succinctly by Joe Mayo, you will quickly learn the syntax you need to build your own C# applications.


Lenovo's $1.75 billion purchase of IBM's personal computer business moved the Chinese company into the global arena. In an effort to further globalize the company, Lenovo will move its headquarters to IBM's base in Armonk, New York. Top executives at Lenovo want to utilize the international experience of IBM's world-class management team. In preparation for this move, senior management personnel at Lenovo are required to study English and the company's chief executive, Liu Chuanzhi, has given up the day-to-day management of the company and assumed the role of chairman.


text:
Dying Light 2 guide and walkthrough
Dying Light 2 guide: Weapons
You can't craft or repair them, so here's how to get the most out of your blades and bludgeons
By Owen S. Good Feb 4, 2022, 10:00am EST
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Image: Techland
In Dying Light 2 Stay Human, the collapse of civilization has reverted the city of Villedor to a modern Middle Ages landscape. Weapons are blunt or bladed instruments, explosives are improvised firebombs, and crossbows and bows strike from long distance. There are no guns or gunpowder.
The bulk of melee combat in Dying Light 2 Stay Human is straightforward, but weapons do have some subtle applications that can be hard to pick up at first. This weapons guide will help Dying Light 2 players get the most out of their maces, broken shovels, billhooks and throwing knives.
Dying Light 2 weapons: The Basics
Dying Light 2's Ranged Weapons
Dying Light 2's Pipe Bow and Crossbow
Explosives and other Consumables
Modding weapons in Dying Light 2
The UV Flashlight
Durability points: All melee weapons have a durability rating, from 40 for the most Common weapons, up to 250 for Artifact quality weapons that are awarded for completing major missions. For all weapons, one of these durability points equals one swing that connects – whether that's with an enemy or a solid surface.
Blocking with a weapon does not lower its durability. Power Attacks and Critical Hits only cost one durability point, too.
Your weapon will inevitably break. If it doesn't, you've probably kept it well past its useful life, anyway. Weapons have a gear level that corresponds to Aiden's current level — level 1 weapons are available first, level 2 when he reaches level 2, etc. Eventually, the weapon you're carrying is going to be outclassed by better stuff, even if you've stuck three mods on it. Don't concern yourself with preserving it. Use it while it is effective.
You can repair weapons — with big limitations. Because gear rank increases with Aiden's level, there's no real need to keep repairing blades and clubs you've been carrying since your first mission. However, if you have a weapon with mod slots, putting a tip, shaft, or grip mod on it will restore a limited amount of durability to it. A Charm Mod is cosmetic only, and does not confer any repair or offensive benefit.
Once you put a mod on a weapon, that's it. You can't remove it or swap another mod into that slot. So if you have a rare or unique weapon that you really want to hang onto, you may not want to put two or three mods onto it all at once. Put one mod on it after it wears down about 50 points, then another 50 points later.
You can't craft weapons in Dying Light 2. Although you'll be scavenging items like blades, weights, scraps, and other materials that would seem to be useful for making weapons, you can't. You find weapons in the world, buy them from vendors, or you're awarded them for completing certain chapters. As for finding them in the world, only rarely will you loot weapons off a corpse, and practically never from a zombie.
For roughly the first half of your playthrough — at least, until you meet Luwan and reach Villedor's Central Loop — your only ranged weapons will be throwing knives, or the spears, bottles, bricks, and other one-use "opportunity weapons" you see in the world.
You can craft Throwing Knives easily, with 10 Scraps and 1 Rags (producing two knives); these are most common lootable materials in the game world. Throwing Knives are also found in the open world, usually in Renegade areas, or on their corpses. Throwing Knives are enabled by going into the Inventory tab of the menu, selecting one of your Accessories, and then having Throwing Knives in one of the four slots at the left. In combat or in the open world, cycling through your accessories with a press Left on your D-pad will bring up the Throwing Knives.
Spears are the most useful of the opportunity weapons found in the world. They can be hard to notice, however. If you are engaged in a boss or sub-boss fight, chances are there are spears in the area. Conversely, if you're funneled into a confined space, and you see NPC corpses with spears sticking out of them, rest assured the shit is about to go down.
If you have Aim Assist toggled on in the game's Options menu, when you ready a shot (holding L2 or R2/left trigger or right trigger) you will see a circle hovering over the enemy nearest the single-dot reticle on your screen. This circle will follow that enemy, so be patient and know who you're aiming at before you release it. You can cancel throws with the circle/B button.
Bottles and Bricks are less useful but can stagger enemies, allowing you to execute parkour attacks or close in for a flurry of melee strikes. You can also use bottles and bricks as distractions to move zombies from an area or lure Renegades over to you for a takedown.
You won't get the Pipe Bow (or Crossbow) until you reach the central loop, so don't worry that you've somehow missed their availability, or the mission where one is awarded. Progression takes a long time in Dying Light 2, and the Pipe Bow is a big example of that.
The Pipe Bow does not have a durability rating, nor can you mod it. It does have limited ammunition, whether that's standard arrows or special arrows that apply Shock, Toxic, or other special damage. You can craft standard arrows with 10 Scraps and 1 Feathers, again, very common crafting materials, easy to find or buy. You can also buy the special arrow blueprints from Craftmasters, for amounts ranging from 700 to 1500 gold depending on their rarity.
To change arrows or bolts: This is not an intuitive process, so pay attention. Open the weapon wheel by holding Right on your D-pad. Then cycle through your arrow types with the L1/R1 (or left/right bumpers).
Aiden can buy and upgrade recipes for Molotovs and DIY Grenades from Craftmasters; these items can also be found at most any Vendor. Molotovs are the easiest to make and spread a lot of fire but cause the least damage in general. DIY Grenades do more damage but also call attention to your location for any Infected in the area.
Out in the world, you may encounter Propane Tanks, which are a helpful opportunity weapon. You need to pick up the tank, then light it (square or X button) and throw it (R2 or right trigger). The tank will travel and roll further than you might expect, so it's a good idea to hold the flaming tank and cook the grenade, so to speak, before flinging it. Propane Tanks work as decoys for Infected, but in a much more limited way than actual Decoys that you buy or craft. Don't expect it to draw large crowds, or even a Howler, from far away.
Weapon modding comes early in Dying Light 2 and should be taken advantage of once it's available. Modding a weapon will add a special effect to a strike, either on a critical hit (determined at random by the game) or after charging up the weapon.
Blast Mods will charge up passively over a certain cooldown time (150 seconds to 90 seconds, depending on rarity). A Blast Mod is triggered by pressing R2/Right Trigger and X/A together.
Power Mods are charged up by landing a certain number of strikes with the weapon, anywhere from 24 to 12 hits, again depending on rarity. When charged, hold R2 to execute. Power Mods deliver area-of-effect damage that can spread to other enemies.
The Critical Hit Mods will be the first ones available. Two of them on the same weapon can deal a lot of damage, even if the critical chance seems quite low. Blast Mods and Power Mods are unlocked later in the game, and also require rarer parts to build. Voltage, a Power Mod, needs 1 Battery (to go with 10 Scraps and 1 Wiring) to install, and Batteries are rarely found outside of GRE Anomalies, Loot Sources, Quarantine Buildings, or Forsaken Stores, where Aiden goes scavenging at night. But Inferno, a Blast Mod, uses 1 Oxidizers (plus 10 Scraps and 5 Resin), which can be easily found at Craftmasters and Vendors.
Use Mods wisely. If you don't have any modded weapons, install whatever's available, but as your arsenal grows, mix a Blast or a Power Mod with a Critical Hit Mod, so you always have a rotation of special attacks available. Attaching a Critical Hit Mod to a two-handed weapon is a good idea, as a Power Attack with a large axe deals considerable damage, and with a shock or fireball added to it, can wipe out tough enemies in a single blow.
About two-thirds of the way through the main story, Aiden will acquire a UV Flashlight. Enable this by putting it in one of the four Accessory slots, cycling to it with your D-Pad, and then holding down L2/left trigger. This will shine a faint but effective purple light on Infected, staggering them and allowing you to execute big attacks to finish them off.
The UV Flashlight has a variable charge that drains the longer it is held, but it is passively recharging when not in use. Upgrade recipes will increase the Flashlight's effect and decrease its cooldown. A quick burst with the Flashlight can be all you need to get the upper hand on a quick Infected, or one that uses unblockable Power Attacks. Get used to working with it in combat, especially to set up Parkour Attack moves like Grapples and Flying Kicks.
The best movies leaving Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and HBO Max at the end of January 2023 Catch up with these movies before they leave streaming at the end of the month