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Experian QAS: current contacts – Colin Rickard
The mix of channels through which customers choose to interact with their banks has changed over the years, with the overriding trend being the growing preference for digital channels. Achieving consistent service and personalising customer banking experiences depends on having a single customer view. This idea has been discussed in the banking sector for years but, so far, little progress has been made.
"In terms of getting a single view of the customer, not much has happened among banks," says Colin Rickard, enterprise and channel sales director at Experian QAS. "I've worked in this area for 30 years and I thought it would be a five-year career because I expected everything to happen quickly, but senior executives see it as something that is hard to do, costly and does not have enough clear benefits."
Accurate customer risk assessments
Experian QAS focuses on helping clients achieve better data quality, providing an extensive range of software and solutions, supported by a vast array of referencial data sources. It recognises that correct business decisions stem from accurate and reliable data, and that creating a single customer view not only improves customer engagement, but also unlocks
operational efficiency.
The company's primary areas of expertise are in delivering the technology and services necessary to help organisations use their customer contact details effectively. Experian QAS can help to mitigate the risks of inaccurate data and the inherent cost implications. These solutions have been developed and certified for use within leading applications from organisations such as Microsoft, Oracle and SAP.
"Experian QAS helps clients achieve better data quality, providing an extensive range of software and solutions."
"Should data about customers be accurate?" says Rickard. "People will say 'of course', but in practice, who owns that issue? What does 'right' look like? In banking, a single view of the customer is the Holy Grail.
"For example, when a bank is making a lending decision, it needs to know who or what it is lending to and what the customer's risk profile is. The value is in the ability to make an accurate, customer-based risk assessment. If there is no unified view of the customer, then a bank is likely to lend on a very conservative basis."
In an era when banks are, on the one hand, being encouraged to lend to boost the economy but, on the other hand, being told to be more careful about balancing risk and capital, a more informed and complete view of the customer would be invaluable. On top of that, there is regulatory pressure for banks to know their customers better in order to prevent fraud and money laundering.
"To be able to lend more accurately is a potentially huge advantage, not only from a regulatory perspective, but also from the point of view of customer service and perception," says Rickard. "There are so many reasons why banks should do it."
Improving customer data: why and how
There is a host of reasons why banks should generate a more holistic view of their customers. Among the most important is customer loyalty. Surveys by Experian QAS have revealed that over 84% of consumers would take their custom elsewhere if they experienced the negative effects of poor customer understanding.
Customers are likely to walk away if they are dealing with companies they feel do not listen, bombard them with marketing messages for products that are not relevant to them, or contact them through channels they have specifically marked as not being preferable. If an organisation fails to engage appropriately with its customers, then customers will simply refuse to engage with the business.
Customer data is easier to gather, but it is also much simpler for customers to access and engage with competitors who use that information to develop better and more appropriate services. If a company does not extract value from its customer data, then it will lose its customers' attention. The big question, therefore, is how an organisation can achieve a single customer view and extract the greatest value from customer data. The answer begins with looking at the data it already has.
"Over 84% of consumers would take their custom elsewhere if they experienced the negative effects of poor customer understanding."
"Banks are working hard to get their customer files in better shape," explains Rickard. "They have lots of data, but much of it is old, so there are challenges around getting into the right format. First, the link needs to be made in their minds that a unified customer view underpins regulatory requirements, know-your-customer processes, customer service and naturally improving business processes.
"That unified view is very hard to achieve. If it were cheap and easy, it would have been done already. The volume of data, the complexity of its sources and often the age of the data is a challenge, but so is the issue of who has ownership of it - who owns a customer in a bank?"
A key decision for banks is who should be responsible for data governance. The data within a bank is the bedrock from which the knowledge about a customer is derived - this is what influences a business decision, and it makes sense to have someone in charge of managing that data. It is all too easy for data governance issues to fall into the cracks between different departments in any large organisation, so it is of great use to create a single, unambiguous role in the organisation to deal with data.
"We are seeing some data governance programmes established and there is a growing number of data quality initiatives," says Rickard. "There is the possibility of a new role emerging - that of data governance inspector - though we haven't see many yet. When we talk to a company about our software, services and knowledge, we need the right person to talk to.
"Banks understand the value of their data in principle, but they often need to widen their view of how to manage it. For banks with tens of millions of customers whose preferred channel of the future is digital, a data governance programme will make a big difference."
Experian QAS: the experts
Experian QAS is often called on to help companies verify contact data, and addresses are a priority for many of its clients. So far, there is less focus on the verification of digital addresses - mobile phone numbers and email addresses - even though these are essential for the delivery of services through digital channels.
"A bank could easily extend the principles of address verification from one set of reference data to another data source," explains Rickard. "That is the importance of a data governance programme - to get the data right at the point of entry, then extend that principle to other data.
"Data governance programmes could be driven by banks' existing digital programmes."
"That's the way we do it. A bank sees the benefit in one area first. It is a bottom-up approach, starting with specific bits of data and then working up. Banking has a lot of top-down projects that slow down or fail, but they should treat data governance as more urgent than that."
Data governance programmes could be driven by banks' existing digital programmes, through which they are already asking themselves what banking will look like in the future.
"We provide a combination of external data reference, software and decades of data management experience, which enables data governance and addresses data quality," says Rickard. "We have the people, the processes and the solutions. We can deploy data reference in real time so that you can check the accuracy of data at the point of entry.
"We see a steady flow of financial institutions asking for this, especially as digital services become more important. We have a big presence in financial services, where the focus is on expanding from contact information to data governance in a broader sense."
Consultants like Experian QAS are helping banks improve the accuracy and value of their data across a range of communication channels.
Colin Rickard is enterprise and channel sales director at Experian QAS.
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The Grand Ellipse
Paula Volsky
Bantam Spectra, 549 pages
Daniel Merriam
Paula Volsky's previous novels include The Gates of Twilight, Illusion, The Luck of Relian Kru, The Wolf of Winter, The White Tribunal and the Sorcerer's Lady series, comprised of The Sorcerer's Lady, The Sorcerer's Heir and The Sorcerer's Curse.
ISFDB Bibliography
SF Site Review: The White Tribunal
A review by Hank Luttrell
One of the wonders of Jules Verne's work is that modern readers can still delight in his story telling, even after a century has made his vision of the future obsolete.
Volsky must have wanted to use Verne's charming approach to story telling as the starting point for her new book. Volsky's world isn't quite ours; for one thing, magic works, though in many areas emerging technology is replacing sorcery as a way of getting things done. It is a world threatened by aggression and war, rather similar to Europe of the first World War. It appears that the imperialists will conquer every nation in the known world. But in a neutral kingdom, a sorcerer has discovered an ultimate weapon, sure to stop the invading armies -- except that the eccentric king is unwilling to compromise his neutrality.
Onto this exotic stage Volsky casts her intrepid adventurer Luzelle Devaire, a woman writer, explorer and lecturer in a culture inhospitable to an assertive woman, again not unlike historical Europe. Devaire tours her world in a Jules Verne-like race known as The Grand Ellipse, the prize for which is an audience with the eccentric king. Devaire hopes that she can with The Grand Ellipse and convince the king to help her nation defend itself from the invaders.
Jules Verne led his male heroes through delightful travelogues of an emerging "modern" era. Volsky pits her independent female character against a background which is at once exotic and imaginative, and still evocative of familiar adventure and romantic fiction conventions, not to mention the world in which we all live.
I recommend The Grand Ellipse because it is harrowing, bright, inventive, romantic and, above all, entertaining.
Copyright © 2000 by Hank Luttrell
Hank Luttrell has reviewed science fiction for newspapers, magazines and web sites. He was nominated for the Best Fanzine Hugo Award and is currently a bookseller in Madison, Wisconsin.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Blueseum - History of the Carlton Football Club
Every game, every player, every coach, every story.
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All Carlton Senior Hauls 7 goals and over
Best and Fairest Votes all years
Best First Year Player
Big Bags of 7 by Other Players
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Breakdown: K Hunter
Broken Father-Sons
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Carlton Captains Breakdown
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From Claremont, WA
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Pre-Season / Night Series Goals Summary
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Qualifying Final, 1982
Preliminary Final, 1982
Hadley to Hynes
Team of the Century
Player Birthdays
Ken Hunter
Career : 1981 - 1989
Debut : Round 1, 1981 vs Richmond, aged 23 years, 334 days
Carlton Player No. 889
Goals : 160
Last Game : Round 5, 1989 vs Hawthorn, aged 32 years, 1 day
Guernsey No. 9
Height : 183 cm (6 ft. 0 in.)
Weight : 76 kg (12 stone, 0 lbs.)
DOB : 28 April, 1957
Premiership Player 1981, 1982, 1987
All Australian 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983
Best and Fairest 1981
Leading Goalkicker 1983 (43 goals)
Carlton Hall of Fame (Inducted 1998)
Carlton Team of the Century
AFL Hall of Fame (inducted 2019)
Ken Hunter was already 23 years old when he was recruited to Carlton from Claremont, WA in 1981, rasied in Carlisle WA, and was originally recruited from Dalkeith Juniors by Claremont. A seasoned, two-time All Australian defender, he had finished runner-up to champion ruckman Graham Moss three years in succession as Claremont's Best and Fairest. Over the same period, he had suffered a broken jaw on three separate occasions, while earning widespread acclaim for his aerial ability and his outstanding bravery in marking contests. Hunter would play 99 games with Claremont and kick 23 goals in his time playing with the Tigers.
Two other VFL clubs in North Melbourne and Richmond had previously shown interest in Hunter, but both clubs ultimately decided that at 183 cm and only 76 kg, he was just too lightly-framed for the rigours of VFL football. Indeed, Richmond's President at that time, Ian Wilson – when he heard that Carlton had signed Hunter - was even quoted as saying that Richmond "doesn't recruit half-back flankers." That comment was to haunt Wilson for a decade, as Ken went on to forge a magnificent career in Navy Blue.
To a whole generation of Carlton supporters, Kenny quickly became a synonym for courage . With his spindly frame, his socks down around his ankles and his trademark mop of unruly hair, Hunter ran into, and flew over packs from all angles to take spectacular marks week after week. Absolutely fearless in his pursuit of the football, he never shirked the fiercest of physical clashes. Fans winced often during games when he launched himself at the ball from impossible angles, only to be sent cart-wheeling to the turf - but like the India rubber man, Kenny always bounced back.
His talent demanded an immediate place in Carlton's star-studded team, and there have been fewer debuts on a bigger stage than the one that faced him at Waverley Park in the opening round of the 1981 season, when the reigning premiers Richmond faced the 1979 champions Carlton. In guernsey number 9, Hunter lined up in a back pocket, alongside Geoff Southby and Des English to complete an illustrious last line. Three other debutantes in Peter Bosustow, Denis Lenaghan and Mario Bortolotto also strode the big stage for the first time that afternoon, as the Blues got off to a dream start in smashing the Tigers by 62 points.
By August of that year, Carlton had claimed the minor premiership ahead of Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon and Fitzroy, and the only drawback to the Blues impressive Semi Final win over Geelong was a thigh injury suffered by champion full-back Geoff Southby – a blow that ruled him out of the Grand Final clash against the Magpies, and left a worrying hole in Carlton's defence.
Scott Howell was chosen to replace Southby for the decider, and covered himself in glory by controlling Collingwood's Brownlow Medallist Len Thompson; but it was Carlton's dynamic half-back line of Bruce Doull, Ken Hunter and Wayne Harmes – aided by the inspirational ruck work of skipper Mike Fitzpatrick, that got the Navy Blues home by 20 points in one of the great Grand Finals. After just 23 games for his new club, Hunter topped off a superb debut season by winning Carlton's Best and Fairest award, and having the honour of seeing his name added to the number 9 locker at Princes Park. Already, he was Carlton's new folk hero.
Kenny won his second Premiership medal in 1982 when the Blues' class, flexibility and superb fitness got them home in another ferocious Grand Final clash against Richmond. Hunter was again a star throughout the finals, although he seemed to be in dire trouble when he was pole-axed by Richmond's Jim Jess in the opening minutes of the flag decider. All but knocked out cold, he was sent forward to recover, kicked an important pressure goal on the run, then returned to the backline to be one of Carlton's second-half heroes. The Blues beat the top-heavy Tigers by 18 points, and Hunter's career reached another level when he was named an All Australian for the third time.
Hunter began 1983 in absolutely spectacular fashion when he took one of the all-time great marks in Carlton's blockbuster rematch against the Tigers at Princes Park in round one. Running back hard with the ball coming in high over his right shoulder, Kenny must have known that the pack was charging straight at him, and that an horrendous collision was inevitable. But somehow, at the precise moment, he leapt into the air, twisted his body in flight, and plucked the Sherrin out of the sky as bodies tumbled all around him and he miraculously emerged unscathed. It was insanely brave, it was spectacular, and it deservedly won him the Mark of the Year.
Sometime shortly after that brilliant solo effort, Hunter began being troubled by a hip complaint that would plague him for the rest of his career. Consequently, Carlton coach David Parkin released Kenny into a ruck-roving or pinch-hitting forward role, and very soon he was being described as the most valuable and effective utility in the game. Setting a new personal best, he kicked seven goals in Carlton's big win over North Melbourne in round 21, and five in the Blues' disappointing loss to Essendon in the Elimination Final. Although a natural defender, he had proved that he was a very reliable set shot for goal, and his 43.17 for the year added Carlton's Leading Goalkicker award – as well as another All Australian guernsey - to his already crowded trophy cabinet.
In 1984 Kenny was appointed club vice-captain, and served under three captains - Wayne Johnston, Mark Maclure and Stephen Kernahan – in successive seasons. In June 1984, with Johnston out injured, Hunter stepped up to lead the Blues, and did superbly - booting eight telling goals against Footscray at Princes Park. Carlton thrashed the Bulldogs by 34 points that afternoon, while another future Premiership star in Peter Dean played the first match of his fine career.
Hunter's third Grand Final appearance came in 1986, and was a disaster. Having earlier strained a hamstring during Carlton's gutsy victory over Sydney in the Qualifying Final, Kenny was rushed back into the line up at full-forward for the Grand Final showdown against Hawthorn. But he wasn't right from the outset, and the Hawks hammered a depleted Carlton by six goals on a bad day for the Blues.
Thankfully, revenge wasn't long in coming for Hunter, or his wounded club. Precisely twelve months later, when Carlton and Hawthorn faced off in yet another Grand Final, Kenny was fit and the Blues were primed for payback. Hunter began at half-forward, before switching to a sweeping defensive role, and the Blues demolished the Hawks by 33 points on the hottest Grand Final day on record. Kenny's third flag (and Carlton's fifteenth) was a victory built on the Blues tight, cohesive defence, led by David Rhys-Jones, Hunter and the magnificent Stephen Silvagni.
Kenny's eighth VFL season in 1988 began with a bang, when he hosted a forward's clinic at Princes Park in round 2, and kicked six goals against the hapless Brisbane Bears. By late in that year, Carlton were comfortably on course for another finals campaign until round 19, when injuries to key players – including Hunter - gave the Blues the staggers. Kenny's hip problem had flared again, and his ankles and calf muscles were increasingly battle-fatigued. He couldn't play at all throughout September, and although Carlton wound up in a solid third place on the ladder and knocked Collingwood out of the Qualifying Final, successive defeats by Hawthorn and Melbourne destroyed any hopes of back to back flags.
Season 1989 also began poorly for the Navy Blues, while Hunter continued to be frustrated by nagging injury concerns, and the team suffered a string of early defeats. Eventually, after copping a 54-point hiding from Hawthorn at Waverley Park on the day after his 32nd birthday, Ken bowed to the inevitable. He underwent hip surgery with the intention of playing on, but it was soon evident that prolonging his career was out of the question, and he announced his retirement before the year was out.
At the finish, Ken Hunter had played 147 games for Carlton, and kicked 160 goals in nine seasons. Like his former team-mate and co-defender Bruce Doull, he was universally respected by friend and foe alike, and farewelled with genuine affection from all corners of the national game.
In 1991, Ken briefly returned to WA as coach of the Reserves at Perth Football Club, but a family illness cut short his tenure and he was back in Victoria within two years. In 1993 he was appointed to the Board at Carlton, and served the Navy Blues in that capacity for a decade. Meanwhile, his post-career honours kept rolling in. In 1998, Ken was inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame, and two years later, he was somewhat controversially named on the interchange bench in Carlton's Team of the Century. Undoubtedly, he would have been in the starting line-up at any other club.
A huge honour was bestowed upon the great Ken Hunter when he was inducted into the AFL's Hall of Fame during the 2019 season.
50 Games : Round 6, 1983 vs Geelong
100 Games : Round 21, 1985 vs Hawthorn
100 Goals: Round 7, 1985 vs Sydney Swans
1981 - Robert Reynolds Memorial Trophy: Best & Fairest Award
1981 - Best First Year Player Award
1981 - Premiership Player
1982 - 3rd Best & Fairest
1983 - 4th Best & Fairest
Blueseum: Stat Shot for Ken Hunter | Career Breakdown for Ken Hunter | Hunter's Blueseum Image Gallery
Ken Hunter's AFL Hall of Fame speech
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2019-06-05/courageous-kens-story
Contributors to this page: Jarusa , Bombasheldon , Grisdesa , PatsFitztrick , molsey , WillowBlue , pblue , true_blue24 , BlueWorld and admin .
Page last modified on Sunday 20 of October, 2019 16:03:27 AEDT by Jarusa.
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Formation of the Club
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Pre VFL Players
The National Draft
Chris Judd
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1979 GF - Bruce Doull spoils Alan Edwards.
1993 Silvagni & Hanna about to sign contracts.
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AFLW Round 1, 2018
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1964 Fixture
From 'Lanty' to 'Simmo' - Blues Brothers 156-year unbroken run
Carlton loses member of Gill clan The Club is mourning the loss of Richard Gill.
Former Carlton rover Leo Brereton passes away
Family link lost with former Blues big man's passing: A tribute to former Blues ruckman, Kevin O'Brien.
REMEMBERING FRANK HYETT, 1883-1919
Gary was the Best!
Alby's book sheds further light on song's origins The oldest known version of the club's famous theme song has surfaced after eight decades.
Archive of Rod McGregor Articles
The Carlton Aboriginal All-Stars
1877 Advert mentioning VFA
1950 recruits with Carlton coach
1952 Kevin O'Brien
1954 Rnd 14 v Rich. Ron Robertson and John Chick
1910 William Henry Hatch (Carlton 1879)
Bill Arch
1940 Reserves Team
Leo Brereton pictured with Carlton's 16 premiership cups at the 150th year celebrations.
1979 GF - Jezza being chaired by the Runner, Geoff Southby (obscured) and Peter Brown.
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This edition copyright © 1999 held by Whoosh!
Meleager went off to get 'those new' javelins.
 Xena: Warrior Princess showcases a great variety of weapons from the past. Early military weapons were probably adaptations of hunting weapons, but as warfare became more sophisticated, weapons were adapted to support the doctrine and tactics of the armies that used them. As form follows function, the nature of warfare is reflected in its technology.
 Historically, classical Greece saw the development of hoplite warfare, built around heavily armored foot soldiers equipped with spears and shields. Such a form of warfare was possible only in a culture that waged war by certain rules and the hoplite went into decline when this ceased to be the case. Later, the Roman Empire was built by legionaries, armored swordsmen who combined mobility and discipline. Warfare in Xena: Warrior Princess is no less a function of its technology, which is adapted to, and therefore also promotes, the forms of combat that we see.
Most combat in Xena: Warrior Princess occurs between individuals and small groups but we occasionally see armies engaged. Those in BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (12/112), GIANT KILLER (27/203), and THE PRICE (44/220) are fairly small, deploying only a few hundred men at the most. Similarly, in ONE AGAINST AN ARMY (59/313), the number of campfires only indicates a force of about 300 men, less than half of a Roman cavalry regiment, and therefore only represents the vanguard of a much larger force. The forces engaged in IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (24/124) are probably considerably larger, judging by the presence of artillery, but we do not actually see them.
The first time that we actually see a full-sized army deploying is in THE DELIVERER (50/304), when Caesar deploys several legions to fight Boadacea. If Caesar is deploying all his available legions, as he says, this force could be 30,000 or more. It appears that Xena does have experience leading armies of this size, for in the Hercules episode, JUDGEMENT DAY (H52/315), Ares notes that in the Battle of Corinth, Xena's army slew some 10,000 men, which would indicate that Xena commanded an army at least two or three times as large. Most recently, in A GOOD DAY (73/405), a figure of 15 legions is reported. This would be about 90,000 men, and therefore seems to represent the combined strength of both Caesar's and Pompey's armies, which historians put at 35,000 and 55,000 respectively.
 Xena herself carries a number of weapons. Her primary weapon is a sword. This double-edged weapon resembles a Roman cavalry sword ("spatha"). It was similar to, but longer than, their infantry sword. The long sword permits both mounted and dismounted action.
 Xena normally carries her sword on her back. This is done because carrying it to one side, either on her belt or in a scabbard directly attached to Argo's saddlery, would unbalance Argo's load. To balance the load would require a counterweight on the other side, such as a shield or a carry bag as in THE DEBT (52,53/306,307). In this, Xena resembles the horsemen of the Australian Light Horse who carried their rifles on their backs.
 Her secondary weapon is the chakram, a missile weapon of Indian origin. In a pinch, she sometimes uses it as a blade, as in ONE AGAINST AN ARMY (59/313) where she slashes a Persian's throat with it. Xena frequently carries a throwing knife in her boot. She also carries the small breast dagger that Gabrielle purchased in DREAMWORKER (03/103) (as if, Gabrielle notes, Xena's breasts aren't already dangerous enough). Xena uses it in DREAMWORKER and on Kraftstar in THE DELIVERER (50/304). Finally, she has a stockwhip that can be used as a weapon, albeit fairly ineffective one.
 Xena's leather armor affords good protection with a minimum of weight and a maximum of mobility. The arms and legs are completely free. The bronze at the front is decorative, but the perforated design also gives protection with low weight. Xena's equipment demonstrates her philosophy of the offensive.
 By contrast, the more heavily armored Joxer's assemblage seems to broadcast a desire not to get hurt. His armor looks somewhat oriental, as does the practical helmet in which he sometimes, quite correctly, wears some greenery as camouflage. But it must get pretty hot in that gear in the Greek summer sun. Joxer carries a short sword. Like his armor, this would be ideal in a compact group, but it is unsuited to the more freewheeling and open formations that occur in Xena: Warrior Princess .
 Then of course, there is Argo! Argo does not wear an ancient Greek or Roman style saddle but one of more recent North American design. The prominent horn at the front is intended for a lariat. Because Australian stockmen do not use lariats, this feature is normally missing from Australian saddles. As a matter of fact, Xena does use her whip on occasion as a lariat, most notoriously on Gabrielle in THE BITTER SUITE (58/312). Actual Roman saddles had four horns, one in each corner.
 Like all the horses in the series, Argo wears shoes rather than Roman sandals. However shoes were known to have been in use amongst the Celts, and we know from THE DELIVERER (50/304) that Xena has had contact with the Celtic people. Similarly, Argo has stirrups, a device of eastern origin not used by the Greeks and Romans. Again, we know from THE DEBT (52,53/306,307) that Xena has had contact with the people of the Asian steppe and could have acquired the technology. Unfortunately, as attractive as this theory may be, it has a serious flaw in that everyone else seems to know about it as well! Everyone seems to have modern bitting and stirrups, and Xena never has any problems obtaining horseshoes, as demonstrated in BEEN THERE, DONE THAT (48/302).
 Xena leads mounted troops in THE DEBT (52,53/306,307) and TIES THAT BIND (20/120). That cavalry does not appear more often is no doubt related to the greater cost of maintaining horses, a cost that bears on both armies and production companies.
 Originally, horses were too small to be ridden, so the chariot was invented. They were normally drawn by pairs of horses, but additional horses could be added if extra speed was required. As horses were bred larger, the chariot became obsolete as a weapon of war but remained in use for ceremonial and sporting purposes. Chariots first appear in CHARIOTS OF WAR (02/102), where Xena and Gabrielle engage in a chariot race. In RETURN OF CALLISTO (29/205), Xena pursues Callisto in a chariot, and in THE DELIVERER (50/304), the Warrior Queen Boadicea makes her appearance in a chariot.
 Perhaps no technology differs so much from historical reality as swords. In classical Greece, the Greek soldier (hoplite) was armed with the spear as a primary weapon, and the sword was purely secondary. Indeed there was no classical Greek word for a swordsman, and they used the expression "by the spear" where we might say "by the sword". The classical Greek sword is not in evidence anywhere. The closest we come to the hoplite are the Israelites in GIANT KILLER (27/203).
 Although not occupying their historical pride of place, spears are frequently employed. The army of the warlords in THE GREATER GOOD (21/121) and TIES THAT BIND (20/120); the Israelites and Philistines in GIANT KILLER (27/203); the palace guards in WARRIOR...PRINCESS (15/115) and WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP (30/206); and the Romans in DESTINY (36/212), DELIVERER (50/304), WHEN IN ROME... (62/316), and A GOOD DAY (73/405) all carry spears.
Xena takes the Arthurian challenge.
 By contrast, swords appear in almost every episode, including what must undoubtedly be the most famous sword of all time, Excalibur, which appears in GABRIELLE'S HOPE (51/305). Swords are usually of the longer double-edged broadsword variety like Xena's, suitable for use by or against cavalry. The disadvantage of this weapon is that it requires more room to swing. One notable exception is Joxer, who carries a short thrusting sword.
 Homer reports that the Trojans used battle-axes, but none are to be seen in BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (12/112). Battle-axes of a type with a blade on one side and two spikes on the other are employed by the warlord in CHARIOTS OF WAR (02/102) and, quite successfully, by two of the warlords in TEN LITTLE WARLORDS (32/208).
 In THE PRICE (44/220), the Horde made good use of small axes with a curved grip that made them easy to use as missile weapons. Monlik, the thief, later uses one of their axes in THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN (49/303) and one can be seen on the wall of Ares' temple, along with edged weapons from several other episodes, in SACRIFICE II (68/322). A different kind of small throwing axe is also used in TIES THAT BIND (20/120).
 A heavy double-headed axe with two curved blades seems to be the weapon of choice of hooded executioners in the Xenaverse. We see it used again and again, in episodes such as THE BLACK WOLF (11/111), GIANT KILLER (27/203), THE EXECUTION (41/217), and THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN (49/303). I am unsure as to why an executioner's axe requires two blades, but they are normally weighted towards the head for extra momentum. In GIANT KILLER , Gabrielle grabs the executioner's axe, to help free her latest boyfriend and is lucky not to lose more than her blood innocence in the ensuing fight.
 As by the Roman soldiers in real life, the dagger is employed as a secondary weapon, most notably by Xena and Callisto, who also use their daggers as missile weapons. The other use of the dagger is in religious rituals, as in ALTARED STATES (19/119) and THE DELIVERER (50/304).
 Concussion weapons are less often employed, reflecting the emphasis in Xena: Warrior Princess on a quick kill. Gabrielle, of course, carries a staff, employing techniques taught to her by the Amazons in HOOVES AND HARLOTS (10/110) and presumably, subsequently by Xena, who demonstrates her own proficiency with the weapon in SINS OF THE PAST (01/101).
 In TEN LITTLE WARLORDS (32/208), Ares for some reason chooses to employ a mace consisting of a spiked metal sphere connected to a chain and a handle. A small mace is used as a missile weapon in ORPHAN OF WAR (25/201).
 The principal missile weapon of the ancient world was the bow, and bows are prominent on Xena: Warrior Princess , in episodes such as THE GREATER GOOD (21/121), THE BLACK WOLF (11/111), ORPHAN OF WAR (25/201), and A GOOD DAY (73/405). Ulysses employs his famous bow in his eponymous episode, sending a shaft straight through three men.
 In THE PRICE (44/220), the Greek garrison sternly reports that it is running short of arrows and may have to make some unpleasant decisions. In BEEN THERE, DONE THAT (48/302), Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer are apparently killed by arrows. Xena, of course, can catch arrows in the air. In DEATH MASK (23/123), Gabrielle stops an arrow with her staff. She "catches an arrow" in a different sense (in her shoulder) in ONE AGAINST AN ARMY (59/313) and narrowly avoids this fate in HOOVES AND HARLOTS (10/110), while Xena caught one (in the abdomen) in CHARIOTS OF WAR (02/102).
 Crossbows appeared by Roman times. They were more difficult to construct than bows and did not yield significantly superior performance. Nonetheless, the weapon had its uses, especially in small sizes for hunting birds and large sizes used as field artillery. In THE GREATER GOOD (21/121), Callisto uses an excellent example of such a small crossbow to attack Xena with a poisoned dart. In CALLISTO (22/122), Joxer carries a similar small crossbow which, alas, is swiftly destroyed by the faster Gabrielle's trusty wooden staff. One is also used in HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMPHIPOLIS (35/211) as part of a trap.
 Full sized crossbows also appear sometimes. In BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (12/112), Perdicus uses one to good effect against the Greek army besieging Troy, and the archers in TIES THAT BIND (20/120) use them.
 As the average Roman soldier did not carry a bow until the late Imperial period, the principal missile weapon of the Roman soldier in Julius Caesar's time was the javelin. In THE DELIVERER (50/304), Caesar himself hurls a javelin at Xena, but she intercepts it with her trusty chakram. In A GOOD DAY (73/405), Gabrielle hurls a javelin at a Roman soldier, but she misses.
 Darnelle, as he points out for both our benefit and Glaphyra's, carries a javelin in THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN (49/303). This gives him a weapon that can be used like a spear, doubling as a missile weapon. In the same episode, Glaphyra uses throwing knives, while the warlord Agathon creates his own boomerang-like weapon, with unfortunate results.
 In GIANT KILLER (27/203), David dispatches Goliath with the aid of a sling. I am surprised that this weapon is not seen more often, for it takes up little room, stones are plentiful, and, in the open formation warfare practiced in Xena , there is plenty of room to deploy it.
 Another weapon was the blowgun, a long tube used for firing darts. One of the bad guys tries to use one on Xena in TIES THAT BIND (20/120) but, hilariously, she appears suddenly and unexpectedly, and blows the dart down his throat.
This ship goes to the bottom in TSUNAMI.
 Ships appear in many episodes, including THE ROYAL COUPLE OF THIEVES (17/117), DESTINY (36/212), TEN LITTLE WARLORDS (32/208), ULYSSES (43/219), LOST MARINER (45/221), THE DELIVERER (50/304), and WHEN IN ROME... (62/316). These are usually large sailing vessels, of surprisingly uniform design. Such vessels would be well suited to ocean travel and it seems that there are trade routes operating as far as China ( THE DEBT [52-53/306-307]) and South America ( THE BLACK WOLF [11/111]). Gabrielle and Joxer sail a small South Pacific style outrigger in TEN LITTLE WARLORDS , and Xena and Gabrielle have a canoe in THE PRICE (44/220) and GABRIELLE'S HOPE (51/305).
 None of the ships are military vessels, although a Roman one is glimpsed in THE DELIVERER (50/304). However, in HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMPHIPOLIS (35/211), Xena and Gabrielle note the wreck of a warship, and Xena recounts the story of a naval battle "so bloody that the sand was soaked red", not an improbable occurrence in a battle employing edged weapons.
 On occasion chemical weapons are used. There is, of course, Xena's fire breathing trick. In THE PRICE (44/220), Xena has the besieged Athenian garrison construct a number of smoke bombs. The recipe for this is, alas, not given out, but the ancients knew of bitumen, naphtha, petroleum, and sulfur and used them to construct such devices. Greek fire makes a town strategically valuable in IN SICKNESS AND IN HELL (72/404).
 Xena also uses a smoke screen to aid her escape in BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (12/112). Flaming arrows are used in the siege of Troy in the same episode. Flaming arrows were used to set siege machines and works on fire, although here Perdicus employs one like an normal arrow, in the anti-personnel role. Incendaries are extensively used by the catapults in A GOOD DAY (73/405).
 Shields are surprisingly uncommon and most soldiers in Xena do not carry them. The simple round type is seen from time to time but only plays a significant part in GIANT KILLER (27/203), where highly polished bronze shields are used to dazzle the giant Goliath. Roman soldiers in DESTINY (36/212), THE DELIVERER (50/304), and WHEN IN ROME... (62/316) carry the Roman shield (or "scutum") with historically accurate designs on them. I am less certain about their leather armor. All of my sources depict Roman soldiers of this period in chain mail.
 Metal armor is apparently uncommon in the world of Xena: Warrior Princess . Plate armor is employed in THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN (49/303). In particular, chain mail is rare, although it is worn by one of the warlords in TEN LITTLE WARLORDS (32/208).
 THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN (49/303) is unique in that it is an episode built around a military technology, namely the metal of Hephaestus. This metal could be a magical one, but it could also be carbon steel, which the ancients did not have the high temperature furnaces to smelt. (Some scholars believe that Excalibur was made from meteoritic steel.) It appears that Xena's chakram is also made from the metal of Hephaestus, as it was not dented by Agathon's weapon. In any case, it seems likely that no one will be repeating Ares' experiment in the use of armor for a while.
Gabrielle and Xena stand in front of captured catapults in A GOOD DAY .
 Given the abundance of fortifications in Xena: Warrior Princess , albeit somewhat poorly and cheaply constructed compared with their historical counterparts, we should not be surprised to find siege equipment. Catapults or ballistas are never seen, but their effect is felt in IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (24/124). Siege ladders are used in CALLISTO (22/122), although not in the intended manner. Although most historians believe that the Trojan wooden horse was a siege engine, it is not the case in BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (12/112). The episode does show a small battering ram the size of a telephone pole in use, however. Catapults play a significant part in A GOOD DAY (73/405), where two are actually seen in action and they not only play a significant part in the battle, but are themselves fought over.
 In Xena: Warrior Princess , a wide variety of military technology is available. Combat tends to be in the open, and between individuals or small groups in loose formation or no formation at all. Such circumstances favor lightly armored troops equipped with swords and occasionally with missile weapons, which is precisely the situation that we observe. Thus, the series remains true to the principle of the congruence of military technology and tactics.
Ross Mallett hails from Melbourne, Australia. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from Monash University. He has recently completed a Master of Arts thesis at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra on Military Technology and the Australian Army in World War One. He is a long time fan of Blake's 7 as well as Xena and has written a number of fan fiction stories for both fandoms.


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Hospital eliminates jobs
Posted: Mar 14, 2016 / 05:32 PM EDT / Updated: Mar 14, 2016 / 05:32 PM EDT
J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital in Huntingdon has eliminated 11 positions, 6 non-union and 5 union jobs.
Spokeswoman Chris Gildea says the hospital will consolidate some inpatient services and increase its focus on outpatient care.
She says the affiliation with Pinnacle Health will allow J.C. Blair to assure that patients receive specialty care, even if it is given elsewhere.
Gildea says the hospital will continue to expand its emergency department and has added physicians to its affiliated practices.
According to Gildea, the lack of state money, the reduction in reimbursements due to the Affordable Care Act, and Medicare have pushed the hospital to restructure based on the need to do more outpatient business.
She says there was a need to right-size the organization to fit the change in reimbursements and funding. But she adds, "it's just very hard when an organization like our in a small community like ours has to see positions leave and see those individuals leave the organization."
by Alex Corradetti / Jan 19, 2020
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Dolly Parton has held a successful career as a singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. The native east Tennessean was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in Sevier County as one of 12 children. Parton will be turning 74 Sunday, and throughout her life, she has contributed a long list of work towards the betterment of her home state.
The eight-time Grammy winner sang her way into the hearts of many Americans with songs such as "Coat of Many Colors," "9 to 5," "I Will Always Love You," and more. Her film career includes notable movies 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias, and Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, a made-for-TV film based on her childhood. In 1986, Silver Dollar City became Dollywood, as Parton added the popular theme park operation to her list of projects.
GALLITZIN, CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) -- According to Cambria County Dispatch and the PennDOT 511 Twitter account, there is a lane restriction on Route 22 eastbound at Gallitzin due to a roll over crash.
The crash happened between the Gallitzin and and Summit exits. There is no confirmation on injuries at this time.
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) -- The weather conditions did not keep the crowd away from the Third Annual Mountain City Beer and Wine Festival.
It featured one hundred craft beers and wines from Pennsylvania.
Sunoco fined $1.95M over Raystown Lake violations