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Food Health News
OUR BURNING PLANET INVESTIGATION: Pyrocene Cape: Inside the furnace of Table Mountain's fire starters
ByNewsdesk
Ill-timed blazes may be damaging the Mother City's most famous natural landmark. And they have a lot to do with homeless campers, the roaming people who seek refuge on the mountain while the city sleeps below.
Covered in sandy, nutrient-starved soils, scorched by fire, and pummelled by the prevailing gale-force southeaster in summer, the Cape Floral Kingdom has persisted as a land of extreme paradoxes for millenniums.
Given the harsh conditions that assail life here, this world seems to have every reason not to be a botanical number cruncher's wet dream: the untrained eye may hardly conceive that it gives refuge to nearly 20% of Africa's flora on less than 0.5% of the continent's surface. It seems implausible that some 9 000 plant species should thrive in these coastal extremities, 70% of which live nowhere else on Earth.
Yet, forged through the ages by a natural baptism of fire — as well as by mountains, soils, a Mediterranean climate and a somewhat stable geological history — the Cape Floral Kingdom is all these things. Its fine-leaved shrublands, or "fynbos" as the locals call it, represent the smallest but most diverse of the planet's six recognised floral kingdoms. The 500-million-year-old Table Mountain chain and its newer national park, today surrounded by the metropolis of Cape Town, are the crowning glory of this floral cornucopia.
There are indeed pockets of renosterveld and fire-sensitive Afromontane forests in the 265km2 park, but, for the large part, it is flame-loving fynbos that bursts into a preposterously pretty palette after the annual winter rains.
Wild Malva (Pelargonium cucullatum), a perennial fynbos shrub, flowering in November at the Cape Point section of Table Mountain National Park. (Photo: Tiara Walters)
Nearly 60% of fires are started by 'vagrants'
Blazes of an entirely different nature, however, have dominated the local fire regime in recent years, park fire manager Philip Prins told Daily Maverick's Our Burning Planet.
Starting campfires, except in a minimal number of designated picnic spots, is illegal. Visitors may only stay overnight in recognised facilities. Yet Prins says that, in past weeks alone, crews have responded to and extinguished illegal "vagrant-caused" fires in various parts of the park, including Tokai and Red Hill towards the centre and south; and Oudekraal and Deer Park in the park's northern sections.
High numbers of park visitors, and potentially illegal fires, may yet prove particularly true of the 2020/21 summer period.
"It's just unbelievable," says Prins. Head of the park's fire operations since the reserve was proclaimed 23 years ago, he offers institutional knowledge spanning nearly 40 years of conservation service to the Cape Peninsula. Despite the hard lockdown this year, he says he has seen "a massive increase in visitor numbers".
Fanned by a raging southeaster, Deer Park's "Halloween fire" on 31 October has so far proven the largest of the spring/summer blazes to be traced to illegal campfires. To contain the inferno, which singed 50 hectares 0n the mountain's frontal slopes, it would take 16 fire trucks heaving with up to 6 000 litres of water per tank, plus crews from across the firefighting spectrum: city, park and volunteer corps.
As for the previous summer season over 2019/20, there were 108 fires in the park, according to official fire-investigation data seen by Our Burning Planet. The majority of these blazes — 58% — were associated with fires kindled for cooking, heating and socialising. In a few cases, arson looked to be the cause. Additionally, the red wedge of the pie chart attributes 32% to "malicious" origins; while 9% were sparked by "negligence". Much of it starting over summer weekends on the front of Table Mountain as well as adjacent Lion's Head and Signal Hill, crews contained close on 90% of fires within 90 minutes.
"A lot of vagrants come in during the night, or late in the afternoon," explains Prins. "They move from the city into the park and, early the following morning, they move from the park back towards the city, and so it continues."
The aftermath of the Halloween fire as seen from the cable car, which burnt 50 hectares on the lower slopes of Table Mountain on 31 October. (Photo: Tiara Walters)
Thick bushes, watercourses and public drinking points on the mountain's lower slopes tend to be a haven for illegal campers, driven into such spaces by poverty, homelessness and hunger. Shallow, overhanging caves, set a considerable distance from the urban edge, tend to attract church groups practising fire ceremonies. (Recently, the Noordhoek Ratepayers' Association also reported that subsistence/muti poachers around the nearby wetlands use fire to flush out wildlife.)
Prins adds that "we now sit with a serious issue, not only with vagrants, but church groups, who tend to arrive on Friday or Saturday nights. One evening we put out a group of 50. Newlands Forest is especially popular. And, they divide into smaller groups, each of which has to make its own fire."
To tease conspiracy theory from fact, and stitch together a bird's-eye view of ignition trends, each incident is scrutinised by Enviro Wildfire Services' Rob Erasmus, the park's independent fire investigator.
In 2018/19, "vagrant activities" caused 32% of fires, marginally down from 2017/18's 36%.
"We accept that the time period of three fire seasons is too short to suggest any significant trends," Erasmus cautions. However, "to start determining patterns and trends, from 2017 we started tracking and keeping a record of all fires that we investigated within the park."
The results — including cause and location — of the official investigations into the 2019/20 fire season in Table Mountain National Park. (Source: South African National Parks)
"I think it does require looking at the data," says Nicky Schmidt of the non-profit organisation Parkscape, which campaigns for user safety within the buffer zones that abut the urban interface. "You could have few people doing this, but repeatedly. For example, in 2018 in Tokai, we had something like 27 starts over a two or three-month period. We soon realised the starts were on weekends, in the early hours of the morning. The pattern, and evidence found, tells you what you're dealing with."
Dr Jasper Slingsby is not as much concerned about "vagrants" as he is about people at large: "About 99% of the fires are started by people — vagrants or not. To my memory, the 2015 Cape Point fire, ignited by lightning, was the only natural fire to have taken place in the park for some time."
Of course, Slingsby, a fynbos/biodiversity scientist with the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), is not referring to the great fire of March 2015. Igniting above Boyes Drive in Muizenberg and sweeping across the peninsula to Chapman's Peak, it left a swath of significant damage, including destroying several properties. Here, again, the evidence tracks to an illegal campfire.
"A small fire was made to keep warm once entering into the low, thick cloud on the mountain that night," Erasmus told Our Burning Planet. The accidental fire starter had "walked over the mountain from Muizenberg to Sun Valley … the fire either got too big or was left unattended once the person proceeded on their way."
Home is where the hearth is
The human element aside, natural fynbos blazes should ideally ignite, on average, every 12 to 15 years as a result of dry, hot, windy conditions interacting with mature, indigenous vegetation. As Dr Alanna Rebelo of Stellenbosch University's Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology explains, well-timed flames are to fynbos what raindrops are to desert. "Most fynbos needs fire not only to flourish but to survive. This is because many fynbos guilds [types of plants] are dependent on fire to complete their life cycles."
Enter the private lives of protea "babies", stockpiled as seeds in closed cones, lying in wait for the rousing kiss of veldfire.
The fire, says Rebelo, "stimulates the cones. After the fire, the cones spring open, popping the protea seeds into the air and all over the ground. These seeds germinate, and more protea babies survive to the next generation, ready to make babies in time for the next fire."
Some fynbos species have evolved ways to stuff their seeds in the ground, rather than in cones. "If they want to get babies from seed to adult plant, these seeds under the ground need to germinate. What germinates these seeds?" she asks. "The heat and smoke from fires."
Burnt protea bushes after the Halloween fire on the frontal slopes of Table Mountain on 31 October. (Photo: Don Pinnock)
It is likely no one knew fire better than the Cape's first people themselves.
Over time, these early agriculturalists had ample opportunity to gather mental data of the land's bursting into abundance after good fire had rippled through it. They may have had such an implicit understanding of fire and its uses, the original theory suggests, that they would have used the practice of "fire-stick farming" to broker access to pantries of underground bulbs. This year, a South African/US study claimed to have unearthed vital clues supporting that hypothesis — the first quantified evidence of significantly amplified returns in post-fire fynbos.
Given this deep human-fire-fynbos symbiosis, it is tempting to dismiss contemporary human-caused fires from the park's laundry list of conservation challenges — critical resources may arguably be better directed at tackling the cascading effects of climate change, poaching, litter and violent crime in a park that generated a pivotal R300-million for tourism coffers in 2018/19.
The area affected by the Halloween fire, for instance, had not received a proper burn in some 15 years, so this was one piece of land crying out for fire, Prins stresses.
Still, the science of fire ecology tells us that a "Goldilocks" confluence of conditions is necessary to maintain these natural cycles, which are delicate and may be easy to disrupt.
"It takes proteas a few years to make their cones. Fires that ignite too soon could end up killing the proteas before they have had time to set seed, leading to local extinctions," Rebelo warns. "A fire that is too hot, due to invasive alien plants, could scorch underground seeds and kill them, as well as the organic matter in the soil, making soils hydrophobic. A fire that is too cool — in the wrong season — may not stimulate seeds at all, and only weeds may grow."
Similarly, unseasonal fire "could also kill babies of animals that have timed their own life cycles with periods when there would be very low risk of fire".
Slingsby, the SAEON biodiversity scientist, also notes that "increased fire frequency is the common story across fynbos because of added human ignitions. Parts of the mountain, such as the Cape Town City Bowl section, have burnt too frequently … if you consistently have hotter or more frequent fires, you're going to see changes in the ecosystem."
Although "very few fires are started by vagrants with malicious intent", park fire investigator Erasmus adds that "any fire started by vagrants in young veld — five years or younger — is detrimental to the environment … In many cases this young veld consists of fine fuels — shrubs and young woody plants — that ignite and spread fire quickly."
Last year, "a number of fires occurred in youngish veld".
Thus, layer the ill-timed effects of bad fire on top of the rejuvenating effects of good fire and you feed too much fire into the system. And the Halloween fire's timing, experts interviewed for this article agreed, was … well … somewhat off.
It was "very early for such a big fire" — the "official start of the Western Cape fire season is only 1 December", says Prins.
Slingsby agrees the fire was "certainly early. Almost all fires happen in December and January. October/November fires are rare on the peninsula."
Malicious or accidental fires, especially those that ignite out of season, may also conflict with issues such as firefighting readiness and fire management.
Cutting firebreaks, wide strips of land designed to stop fire from spreading, is an expensive, big operation: in the region of R2-million annually. This takes place once a year, and then largely within a certain time frame in November and December to avoid vegetation regrowth.
There is also the cost of the firefighter's arsenal: the park helicopter is only on standby from 10 November each year; City helicopters are on standby from 1 December. Keeping a helicopter in the air now costs R36,000 an hour.
"We can spend up to R12-million on integrated fire management, depending on the season," says Prins. "During a busy season, we spend more than that."
The illegal camping site where the Halloween fire originated. (Photo: Rob Erasmus / Enviro Wildfire Services)
Grace under fire: Job on the job
During Our Burning Planet's conversation with Prins in his office at the Newlands Forest firebase, the white-haired, bearded fire veteran wields an unwavering gaze as he sets out the occupational hazards of running a portfolio that unsurprisingly generates a lot of public emotion. His daily to-do list ranges from pacifying the fire Karens on the park's fabulously wealthy urban edge to juggling the politics of prescribed burns.
"If we do a prescribed burn, the people complain," he says. "They complain about the smoke. They complain about the ash. After the fire, they complain about the wind blowing ash into their houses and they complain about the wind blowing ash into their swimming pools."
The point behind these burns is to reduce fire hazards, such as alien vegetation.
"And it's a process we have to go through in terms of applying for permits, especially on the wildland-urban interface," he says. "I think people definitely need some more education when it comes to that. And they also must take some responsibility — they can't expect the park and the City to do everything."
For her part, Rebelo suggests the debate on fire ought to direct its attention at what she considers to be the "root issue" — vegetation fuel loads, rather than only the ignition source and its associated "conspiracy theories", whether the latter may involve supposed natural causes such as lightning; or human causes such as cigarette "stompie" offenders.
"Everyone makes a huge fuss about arson, and there are all kinds of conspiracy theories every time there is a fire," she says, referring to the 2017 Knysna megawildfires as an example. "And while that is understandable, what about the officials/landowners responsible for the vegetation itself? It's not only about ignition, but about fuel management. This always seems to be ignored. It is so much less exciting for people."
She recommends allowing naturally ignited fires to "burn out" at regular intervals in keeping with the natural fire regime, "or you need to actively manage vegetation using ecological burns to make sure the fuel loads don't increase too much".
However, "authorities often do neither", she argues. For this, she fingers an "unfavourable policy environment" as a "dangerous, counterproductive and passive approach to fire management". In terms of prescribed burns, "if they start a fire, they are liable. In terms of non-prescribed burns, if adequate attempts are not made to stop a fire, the landowner on whose land the fire crossed is liable."
She says putting out every fire and doing no ecological burns "results in ageing vegetation. When it does burn, it burns very hot, and can result in megawildfires."
"There are some 50,000 or so landowners bordering the park, and everyone has their own opinion on fire management, but not everyone is well-versed in fire ecology and fire safety. Managing fire is really more of a people problem than an ecological problem," says Slingsby.
Given what he calls "the practical and financial constraints", he says the park's fire department is "doing a world-class job, for the most part. We also need to consider that the human factor has distorted fire on the peninsula to such a degree that mimicking the natural regime through fire management is a huge undertaking and can be at odds with managing fire risk. For an ecological burn, you need the hottest, driest conditions."
But that is not what you want for fire risk, he says, because it is hot, dry conditions that set off wildfires in summer.
He acknowledges alien vegetation as both a fire and an ecological risk but deems the issue "reasonably well managed — just look at the Cape Point section as an example … bearing in mind that alien vegetation is always going to be a problem. People forget that Table Mountain was once under the cover of 75% pine trees. The problem is budgetary constraints and, when funds do become available, there are other priorities to compete with, like security."
Syncarpha vestita, commonly known as Everlastings or Cape Snow, flowering in November at the Cape Point section of Table Mountain National Park. (Photo: Tiara Walters)
'More eyes and ears'
More lateral interventions may have to address a problem that Prins, due to retire next year, says has existed in the park for decades: "We manage a park in a city. We had a problem with vagrants in 1983 and we still have a problem with vagrants."
In interviews with park staff, City officials and non-profit campaigners, two conflicting themes dominated: the obvious, staggering complexity of the deeply systemic social dilemma driving the phenomenon of illegal campfires in particular. And the need to police hotspots with increased patrols.
Parkscape's Schmidt stresses that resolving issues "like this" is, well, Sisyphean in scale. The cycle of visitors ebbing and flowing through the park's porous, flammable borders from a city of about 4.6 million people, and thus policing potential fire starters, may be akin to plugging the Atlantic with a sieve.
She observes that "indigent people have lived on the mountain for many years and continue to do so. It's a difficult and sensitive issue, as is any issue of homelessness across the city, and reflects any number of unresolved social issues and failures."
Within the park itself, the issue "begs questions of human rights versus environmental legislation".
The park is home to sacred sites for church groups, she argues, so there ought to be ways of accommodating such practices, such as building firebreaks around designated zones that meet ceremonial needs.
"Flora and fauna may take priority in a rural park, but it doesn't work like that in an urban national park with a diverse population with multiple needs," she says. "Our Constitution is anthropocentric. It's a people-centred democracy. We need protocols for an African country."
Focusing on hotspots, however, she suggests, "the only way to begin to manage the situation is more eyes and ears, possibly drone usage — currently forbidden, and not without issue, in national park spaces".
Her concerns speak to the regularity of policing as much as they do to the visibility of it: "Park users regularly complain about the visible lack of rangers, but that is what is needed here to prevent crime and fires, especially in the busier buffer zones, where fires, in particular, risk causing millions of rands in damage to property, and may even take lives."
Andy Davies of the park-users forum Friends of Table Mountain (FoTM) is keen to point out that the group is "mindful of the housing crisis in Cape Town and South Africa at large. But the bottom line is Table Mountain is a national park. It is illegal to live on the mountain and unfortunately, vagrants are associated with litter, security and fire. This is where law-enforcement is critical."
And, yet as both interest groups emphasise, being homeless in Cape Town is hardly a crime.
Few people understand this better than Hassan Khan, CEO of Haven Night Shelter welfare organisation, established in 1978. Khan is a well-known champion for the city's homeless and is not convinced these roaming residents need lessons on making fire.
'It is not illegal to be homeless'
Khan describes himself as a nature lover and passionate hiker who grew up in the suburb of Salt River, and made campfires in the mountain caves of his youth. He even watched homeless people in Van Riebeeck Park on the slopes of upper Oranjezicht stoking their own cooking fires during the winter lockdown period of June, July and August.
"Those fires were made of twigs between rocks next to a river. Three or four cooking groups used small pots — five litres max per pot. It's totally impractical to have a big fire while you're sitting with a small pot. You're going to burn your hands and your eyebrows, nè?" he laughs.
"It's just plain common sense, man," says Khan, whose organisation runs 15 shelters in the Western Cape, nine of which are in Cape Town. It is the province's largest shelter organisation. "Stack a pot like that onto some rocks, and you'll quickly see it burns very efficiently and it burns out completely."
Most veldfires ignite "as campfires left to smoulder when people go into their tents, and then the wind whips it up, but the cooking I saw didn't cause fires and it was extremely unlikely to cause fires".
Everyone wants pristine parks but few seem willing to support the most vulnerable people who have little choice but to survive on, or beyond, those park borders, he suggests. "Environmental fundamentalism", as he calls it, is yet to integrate into South Africa's democratic era.
"People love the park more than they love people, and much of that comes from an apartheid idea of South African society," he says. "Environmentalists and academics always know where you can't build houses for black people, but they've never been able to identify which areas are suitable for that purpose.
"The idea that poor people by their nature will go in and destroy the park is a fallacy. We don't support them materially. We just make political statements from time to time. But if people were to find utility in the natural environment, they would protect it. We need to create good spaces for everyone instead of building fences, and just hoping for the best that future generations will still be able to enjoy these parks."
Khan is also not convinced that the Covid-19 pandemic has created "an absolute increase" in the city's homeless population: "It's the movement of the same people" who have been displaced from their normal routines, and "they've certainly become more visible".
When approached for comment on how the City of Cape Town may support park patrols, City officials suggested that they were doing enough; and that, short of reintegration, there was not much more they could do.
"The only solution to the challenges presented by street people … is through reintegration of people living on the streets, and mitigating the risk factors that result in them ending up on the streets," says councillor Zahid Badroodien, mayoral committee member for community services and health. "Despite the best intentions of the City of Cape Town's Street People Unit, it is a reality that many people simply refuse any form of assistance. They cannot be forced to accept help either, since it is not illegal to be homeless."
Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for City law enforcement, insists that the Law Enforcement Tourism Unit "patrols the trails on the front face of the mountain. They have acquired ebikes to assist them with their patrols. The unit has been very active in the area."
In its emailed response to Our Burning Planet, SANParks' head office praises the City for being "very cooperative", while also, somewhat ambiguously, hinting at past tensions: "[We] know how the problem is pushed to-and-fro if we do not act in concert."
The agency adds that the "clearance of vagrants is complicated and sensitive; our forthcoming interventions will be within the law … We endeavour to roll the problem back, despite serious limitations that cannot be mitigated by SANParks alone … "
A senior agency source speaking on condition of anonymity says "tens of millions" has been slated to be poured into a new mega security centre, one overseeing a range of issues, from poaching to crime.
The agency's response confirms a "command, control and communications centre" has been launched without fanfare. This will cooperate with "TMNP SEAPLESS: Sustainable Environmental Asset Protection, Law Enforcement, Safety and Security". The idea is to "rapidly grow from immediate intervention demands to a predictive analysis, not a quick fix; a sustainable and reliable partner in Cape Peninsula growth, safety and security". The new operation is "loaded with the best professionals in our area of responsibility".
Unlike the park's current emergency helpline, currently first routed through the City's "107" emergency-communication centre before finally reaching SANParks officials, the new centre will supposedly handle the helpline directly, hopefully eliminating further stressful delays.
The smouldering landscape and residual fire crews after flames had torn across Table Mountain's lower slopes on 31 October. (Photo: Don Pinnock)
Such a streamlined service would not be without merit if the experience of the person who reported the Halloween fire tells us anything. That person was Professor Wolfgang Preiser, head of Stellenbosch University's medical virology division.
"We saw the smoke and thought how irresponsible it is to make fire in a howling wind," Preiser wrote in a social media post shortly after the inferno. "Fire was quickly getting bigger so we called TMNP [Table Mountain National Park] offices, were cut off about 10 times, and finally told to call Newlands fire station. Then everything was very fast — when back down, fire engines all over."
Preiser confirmed to Our Burning Planet that he had written the post "following our short hike with family and a friend from Deer Park up to Tafelberg Road and back down". Noting the smoke in the region of Platteklip Stream flowing down from the gorge, his description echoes the findings of the park's official investigation, which traced the ignition to Platteklip stream near Deer Park below Tafelberg Road.
"The Platteklip stream site is a favoured location for vagrants," says Erasmus. "While it cannot be regarded as an illegal settlement — there are no informal structures and it is not used on a permanent basis — it is, however, frequently used."
At the time of writing, the fire starter or starters were still at large, although Erasmus says "it's not impossible to catch such a person".
"In cases where accidental or malicious fires are set, considerable effort is required to identify such people as they are both devious and cautious," he notes. "We have been successful on a number of occasions that have resulted in plea bargains, hence the outcomes not being publicised."
Once upon a renosterveld
On the hot, blinding morning after Halloween, 16 fire trucks stationed at Deer Park had become one. Like the ghosts of dead plants and animals, smoke columns ascended the charred slopes. The mountain's sandstone and granite face reared up behind the curtain of twirling wraiths.
An owner of an urban-edge mansion who preferred not to be named was philosophical about life on the fringe of this flammable mountain.
"If you want to live in a spot like this, you've got to take the rough with the smooth. You can't complain because you've built a damn great big house where it's not supposed to be," he said. A thin shield of firefighters was all that had stood between his home and the fire the night before.
Still dusted with soot, he angled his shoulders to move back inside, but not before gazing out across his seared view.
"Sure, we've had too many fires, too often," he said, but hesitated. "Look, I hate to blame somebody. When it's someone throwing out a cigarette butt, that to me is inexcusable… but somebody trying to live? Everybody wants to talk and you can bet your bottom dollar there was someone trying to have a meal."
The vegetation here would "burst back into life after the next rains", Volunteer Wildfire Services wrote in a 2 November social media post and, on the other side of Kloof Nek Road separating Lion's Head from the rest of the mountain, nature was already telling stories of renewal.
The March 2020 fire, still under investigation, had turned 60 hectares into a wild necropolis, the gargoyles of burnt-out cars presiding over it. But this year's winter had proven a good, wet one for these inclines: in spring and early summer, Lion's Head popped out carpets of Watsonias, Chincherinchees, vygies and the rest of the blooming party.
A blooming party of Chincherinchees (Ornithogalum thyrsoides Jacq.) on Lion's Head in November, following a 60-hectare fire a few months before. (Photo: Tiara Walters)
However, two kilometres down the drag, where the Signal Hill parking area dips towards the Atlantic Seaboard's wildland-urban interface, the slopes have burnt too often, suggests Prins. The dominant vegetation is fertile renosterveld — grasses, bulbs and daisies on nutrient-infused shale soils, rather than the typical proteas, restios and ericas of fynbos.
At least, renosterveld is what it is supposed to be. In images he is shown of the veld around the parking area, the University of Cape Town flora expert Tony Verboom also spots "weedy Eurasian annual grasses, such as Avena and Lolium; Paterson's Curse (Echium), also from southern Europe; and Eurasian Plantago species".
When fire and invasive alien plants meet in renosterveld, the net result is a weedy effect crowding out the local residents. (Photo: Tiara Walters)
Verboom, an associate professor, says human-caused fires exaggerate this weedy effect "by upsetting the natural competitive hierarchies and generating gaps that provide invasive weeds with an entry point".
Impacts such as these that play out over time, Slingsby co-writes in an article on disrupted fire regimes. Initially, those shifts are barely discernible, but they tend to create slow, deep change to the very "structure, composition and function of ecosystems".
"Kyk daar in die see — 'n belangrike man met die naam Nelson Mandela het eens op 'n tyd in daai eiland se tronk gebly," a father pointed out to his young son in Afrikaans while Our Burning Planet was photographing the scene. [Look at the sea — once upon a time an important man by the name of Nelson Mandela lived in that island's prison.]
Out in the bay below, Robben Island shimmered like an auburn mirage. At the father's and son's feet, a changing mosaic of renosterveld rippling in the wind.
"Bly mense nogsteeds in daai tronk, Pappa?" [Do people still live in that prison, Daddy?]
"Nee my kind, nou's hy dood." [No my child, he is dead now.]
And so it is in the 2020s that our ancestors and natural heritage are proxies for each other: without being told either existed, it becomes harder for the youngest among us to know that these people and things were once real, let alone how much they mattered to many.
It is here, across a liminal border of urban creep, that a hotter, drier climate age risks slipping into the smouldering heart of the Pyrocene Cape. DM/OBP
In the event of a veld or wildfire, click here for SANParks' emergency guidelines.
Tiara Walters
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text:
require "json"
require 'pocket'

require_relative '../../config/config.rb'
require_relative '../../lib/util.rb'
require_relative '../models/user'

class AppEmail
	def initialize
		@users = User.all
	end

	def appEmailsAll
		@users.each do |a|
			if a.disabled
				puts "Username #{a.username} disabled."
				next
			end

			random = rand(configatron.sprucekit.randomlimit)
			puts "Username #{a.username} : Random: #{random}"

			client = Pocket.client(:access_token => a.token)
			begin
				response = client.retrieve(:detailType => :complete, :count => random, :is_article => 1)
			rescue Pocket::Error
				puts "Username #{a.username} has a Pocket User Error i.e. access_token invalid"
				# TODO: split into deeper exceptions i.e. different errors need to be returned from pocket-ruby gem
				# TODO: possible to send user an email to re-login to get the access_token again?
				next
			end

			items = response["list"]

			next if items.empty?

			item = items[items.keys.last]
			puts "#{a.username}: #{item['given_url']}"
			puts "#{a.username}: #{item['resolved_url']}"

			next if ENV['RACK_ENV'] == 'test'

			# TODO: add options to send email or not, different number of articles per email, timing of the day
			@parser = Readit::Parser.new configatron.sprucekit.readapitoken
			response = @parser.parse item['resolved_url']

			to = a.email

			sendEmail(to,response)

			puts archiveItem(a.token, item['item_id'])
		end
	end

	def appUserEmail(username)
		random = rand(configatron.sprucekit.randomlimit)
		user = User.find_by(username: username)
		puts "Username #{user.username} : Random: #{random}"

		client = Pocket.client(:access_token => user.token)
		response = client.retrieve(:detailType => :complete, :count => random, :is_article => 1)

		items = response["list"]

		return false if items.empty?

		item = items[items.keys.last]
		puts "#{user.username}: #{item['given_url']}"
		puts "#{user.username}: #{item['resolved_url']}"

		return true if ENV['RACK_ENV'] == 'test'

		@parser = Readit::Parser.new configatron.sprucekit.readapitoken
		response = @parser.parse item['resolved_url']

		to = user.email

		sendEmail(to,response)

		puts archiveItem(user.token, item['item_id'])

		return true
	end

	def sendTestEmail(username)
		user = User.find_by(username: username)
		to = user.email
		response = { "title" => "TEST TITLE", "url" => "www.sprucekit.com/test", "content" => "TEST CONTENT" }

		return true if sendEmail(to,response)
	end

	def archiveTestItem(username)
		user = User.find_by(username: username)

		client = Pocket.client(:access_token => user.token)
		response = client.retrieve(:detailType => :complete, :count => 1)

		items = response["list"]

		return false if items.empty?

		item = items[items.keys.last]

		return true if archiveItem(user.token, item['item_id']) == "Archive Successful"
	end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Keith City is placing a rustic twist on a well-liked country-influenced hip-hop track.
Lil Nas X's nation rap track "Previous City Highway" went viral as a part of the "Yeehaw Problem". The video gained recognition on the video-sharing app TikTok and later generated greater than 41 million views on YouTube.
City, 51, picked up a banjo and put his spin on the 20-year-old rapper's standard track. The four-time Grammy-winner let the music converse for itself, merely captioning the tweet with a rock-on emoji.
Lil Nas X's "Previous City Highway" has already obtained an official nation remix. The younger artist collaborated with Billy Ray Cyrus who contributed a brand new verse for the track.
The track was additionally the centre of a moderately distinctive controversy. "Previous City Highway" debuted at quantity 19 on the Sizzling Nation Songs chart earlier than being eliminated by Billboard. The charting firm argued the track didn't incorporate sufficient nation music parts to be eligible for the chart.


text:
Pioneering Astronaut John Young Dies At 87
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida—U.S. astronaut John Young, whose flight career spanned the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs, died from pneumonia-related complications in Houston Jan. 5, NASA said in a statement. He was 87. In September 1962, NASA unveiled its second group of astronauts, naming...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Speak Up for Endangered Species
The ocelot, native to Texas, is one of the species that could be affected by a weakened Endangered Species Act. Photo: Ray Watt for the ABQ BioPark.
Speak Up for Endangered Species Join the ABQ BioPark and zoos across the nation in letting the USFWS know we have a duty to save endangered animals by September 24. http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/news/speak-up-for-endangered-species http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/news/speak-up-for-endangered-species/@@download/image/ocelot rw.jpeg
Join the ABQ BioPark and zoos across the nation in letting the USFWS know we have a duty to save endangered animals by September 24.
Recently proposed rule changes would significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act, risking extinction for species throughout our country and the world. Here at the BioPark, we house a number of species that would be affected by a weakened Endangered Species Act, including Mexican gray wolves, bald eagles, North American river otters, jaguars and American alligators. As habitats shrink, biodiversity declines, and animals face threats from human development and a changing climate, we must increase protections for endangered species, not undermine them.
The ABQ BioPark and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have a duty to save endangered animals and the places they live and do not agree with the three proposed rule changes. You can make a difference, though. Please join us by submitting a comment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the three links below during their public comment period, which lasts through September 24. You can copy and paste our suggested letter to get yourself started, or create your own letter.
Click on the three pages below to get started and click Comment.
Copy and paste our suggested letter text below or write your own original comment.
Enter your name, or leave it blank if you would like to remain anonymous and press Continue.
Check the box "I read and understand the statement above" and then click Submit.
You can use the same comment for each rule, but you must go through the process for each individual rule separately.
Comment Pages
FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0006: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0006
I am concerned about recently proposed rule changes that would significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, if not for the Endangered Species Act, at least 227 species would have gone into extinction since the law's passage—this includes the bald eagle, an important symbol of our national heritage.
The Endangered Species Act is considered one of the most successful conservation policies in the world because of an effective governmental process that continues to bring species back from the brink of extinction. Decisions regarding the protection of animal species and their habitats should be made by the best available science, not special interests.
As such, I join the ABQ BioPark and other zoos across the country in urging the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind the proposed rule changes.


The verdict: For $4.99 you are getting a tarte where the serving size is pretty much on point. You can realistically expect to get four nice sized portions from this pie. This shares many of the same elements are Trader Joe's Apple Blossoms which are found pretty much year round at the moment with some key differences.
Obviously, the apple blossoms are meant to be more of an individual serving where this is probably meant to be shared (or you can enjoy it all on your own). There is cream cheese in this, but it did not stand out in anyway. The addition of the almond slivers is key here. They add a really nice texture and a bit of crunch. They also added crunch in the way of a sugary glaze.
Otherwise, what you are getting here is the familiar slightly sweet crust that will remind you less of a pie crust and more of a big but only slightly sweet cookie. It's folded over in a way to show off the filling (more of a galette than a tart, but those are just my thoughts). The apples still have some good texture. It's a good ratio of apples to tart too. But because you have so much more room for filling the almonds add just the right amount of crunch.
This got a thumbs up from my husband and I. It's completely worth a try and is quite delicious. And if you are wondering, it is 370 calories per serving level of good. Ours lasted about a day in our household. Keep in mind this is seasonal, so if you discover that you like it, you might want to pick up a few. You never know when, or if, this will disappear from shelves for the season or for good.
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would absolutely buy Trader Joe's Rustic Apple Tarte again. While not something I would make on a regular basis, it is a great thing to have in case of company or in case you feel like a small apple pie. Just as good as Trader Joe's Apple Blossoms, just on a larger scale with some added crunch.
I think I'd buy that in a flash! Looks very good.
This looks fabulous and is now on my TJ's shopping list (along with caramel sauce)!


Adding the vFlyer Listings Plugin to your WordPress blog or website allows you to integrate and display all of your vFlyer listings seamlessly into your WordPress site.
Note: On 2/16/19, vFlyer updated this wordpress plugin to greatly a) improve performance b) improve thumbnail behavior and c) enhanced user interface.
First, the vflyerlisting-v18.zip to your computer.
Log into your WordPress account in your browser and navigate to the WordPress Admin Panel.
From the Admin Panel, choose Plugins from the menu options and select Add New. Click the Upload link, then the Browse button, and select the file (zip file only) and upload it.
Once you've uploaded the file, on the following page, click Activate Plugin to install the plugin.
In this case, 73006000 is the vFlyer account ID.
Copy the Account ID and paste it into the vFlyer Account ID section.
You will notice that the Short Codes are also available on the API Details Page. Find the Short Code based on the type of listings that you want to display on your WordPress site.
Copy that Short Code to one or more pages on your site and click the Publish button to add your vFlyer listings to a page of your blog or site.
For example: Copy [vflyer-listing] to display all active listings or [vflyer-listing condo-for-sale] to display all condo for sale listings.
The settings for the plugin can be customized from the Admin Panel by selecting the vFlyer Listing & Settings options. Choose vFlyer Listing to view your different layout options, Gallery View and List View.
Depending on which layout you select, you can modify the settings to best fit your WordPress theme. To configure, click Settings. The most important setting is the Layout Width (pixels) on the Detail Page Settings, which determines how large the listings will display.


September has come and the sun is still coming in hot and shining — well, partially anyway.
Autumn weather might be two weeks away, but with mercury levels hovering around 27 C with high UV levels, summer is making it clear that this season is not going to go away quietly.
According to Environment Canada's latest forecast, Wednesday will see some fog patches early on but don't be fooled. They will dissipate in the morning, leaving a partially sunny day with a high of 24 C in its midst.
It might be 24 C outside, but Ryan Rozinskis, an operational meterologist at Environment Canada, says that it will feel like 30 C with the humidity.
Those daring to venture outside on Thursday can expect sunny 25 C weather with a 30 per cent chance of showers and afternoon risk of a thunderstorm. Torontonians will also experience higher humidex levels, meaning it will feel like 32 C outside.
Thursday night will offer some relief, dropping to 18 C with cloudy periods.
While Environment Canada's forecast calls for a combination of sun and cloud, it will do little to cool the incoming 25 C weather Torontonians will face on Friday. The forecast calls for 17 C weather later that night, which will serve as a welcome reprieve for all those who don't find sweltering in the heat a leisurely excursion.
As always, if you're going to spend a prolonged period of time outside, don't forget to wear sunscreen, says Rozinskis.
There are no special weather alerts in effect.


The above information about Openair.Com Inc, located at the address 211 Congress St, Boston, MA, is accurate and has been gathered from open sources. To contact the company via phone and get all the necessary information, call (617) 351-0232. You may visit the website http://www.openair.com/ to obtain additional information about the company.
If you wish to personally visit the office, enter the following GPS-coordinates into your car navigation system: 42.35464400, -71.05476300.
Information about the company is also available by visiting on the following categories on this website: Logging Services.
Near this company, there are 5 similar companies that may be of interest to you. The closest company is called Hancock Natural Resource Group and is located at a distance of 0.0186 miles; 0.0299 kilometers. The company farthest away is called Hancock John Insurance and is located at a distance of 0.1590 miles; 0.2559 kilometers away.
Information about the company is up to date as of September 20, 2018. Information is collected via open source.


text:
Ragged Edge Opens New Season With 'Little Shop Of Horrors'
By Harrodsburg Herald | September 28, 2018 | 0
35th Season Opens Friday, Sept. 28
Matthew Curtis plays Seymour and Alyssa Wray plays Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors," which will kick off Ragged Edge Community Theatre's new season on Friday, Sept. 28.
Robert Moore
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
Ragged Edge Community Theatre is kicking off their new season with an old favorite.
"Little Shop of Horrors" is the timeless story of a girl, a boy and a man-eating houseplant from outer space. The musical, which features Alyssa Wray as Audrey, Matthew Curtis as Seymour and Audrey II as itself, opens Friday, Sept. 28, with performances running through Oct. 7.
Starting with a 1960 black-and-white movie directed by Roger Corman and featuring Jack Nicholson in one of his first roles, "Little Shop of Horrors" has grown like a kudzu vine over the decades. It was adapted for an Off Broadway musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in 1983 and turned into a yet another movie in 1986 starring Rick Moranis as Seymour and Ellen Greene as Audrey. According to Ragged Edge Executive Director Allan Barlow, the theater produced a version of it over a decade ago.
It's not the only returning favorite this season, which is Ragged Edge's 35th. Barlow will return to the stage in his one-man production of "A Christmas Carol," which will run Dec. 7-9. Barlow has been acting out Charles Dickens' holiday classic for 15 years. This will be the eighth year he's done it at Ragged Edge.
There will also be a lot of new productions this year. Ragged Edge is one of the first non-professional companies in the country to do "Mamma Mia!" the jukebox musical featuring the songs of ABBA, which will premier June 21, 2019.
The theater will also stage readings of three new plays in August during their first ever New Works Festival.
Here's the full lineup for Ragged Edge's 35th season.
• "Little Shop of Horrors" runs Friday–Sunday, Sept. 28–30 and Oct. 5–7. Directed by Allan Barlow with music direction by Wendy Hood
• "A Charlie Brown Christmas" runs Nov. 9–11 and Nov. 16–18. A youth stage production featuring actors ages 6-13 portraying the classic comic strip characters created by Charles Schultz. Co-directed by Barlow, Margaret Meredith and Katie Followell.
• Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" runs Dec. 7–9. Allan Barlow acts out all the roles in the holiday classic.
• "A Year with Frog and Toad" runs Feb. 15–17 and Feb. 22–24 in 2019. A youth stage production featuring actors ages 14–19 based on Arnold Lobel's books about the adventures a hoppy-go-lucky frog and his worrywart best friend, a toad. Directed by Barlow. Auditions will be held on Dec. 15 and 17.
• "The Marvelous Wonderettes" runs April 26–28 and May 3–5. A jukebox musical featuring songs by the girl groups of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Directed by Chuck Taylor with Natalie Berry Marshall as musical director. Auditions will be held Feb. 23 and 25.
• "Mamma Mia!" runs June 21–23 and June 28–30. This musical built around the music of ABBA is one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. Directed by Elizabeth Meredith with music direction by Margaret Meredith. Auditions will be held April 6–7.
• Ragged Edge Community Theatre New Works Festival runs Aug. 3–5. The festival will feature staged readings of three new plays. The price of one ticket pays for all three shows.
For more information, including show times and ticket prices, visit raggededgetheatre.org, Ragged Edge Community Theatre's Facebook page or call 734-2389.


In this Market Snapshot, the research firm explores partnership strategies between pay-TV operators and OTT providers, which can enhance the user experience while minimising the risks and marketing costs for each player.
According to Parks Associates, 11 per cent of US broadband households watch over-the-air broadcast TV channels via an antenna, and pay-TV service subscriptions fell from 87 per cent to 77 per cent between 2012 and 2017. The rise of OTT correlates to a decline in viewership for live, linear TV channels. In particular, the audience for over-the-air broadcasters has diminished over time, especially among younger heads of household.
52 per cent of US broadband households have a subscription to both pay-TV and one or more OTT video services.
Approximately 33 per cent of Cord Cutters would have stayed with their service provider if offered a Netflix-style service bundled with broadcast TV channels.
5 per cent of US broadband households have never subscribed to a pay-TV service.
8 per cent of US broadband households have recently downgraded their pay-TV service and supplement viewing with video on an Internet-connected device.


My wife is always on my case about keeping the garage clean and tidy.
My parents were never on my case about anything—I guess I was a pretty good kid.
I have to get off the phone now. My mom's on my case to finish my homework.
Your boyfriend's always on your case to wear dresses—doesn't that annoy you?
I've got to pay my Visa bill tonight or they'll be on my case again calling night and day.
Will get on your case again if your grades drop the semester.
My daughter is a personal trainer so she's always on my case to exercise.
My boss is on my case again to reach my sales target. It's so stressful.
I'm tired of getting on your case about our taxes. Please give me the information tonight so I can forward it to our accountant.
Your turn to use the idiom "on someone's case"


ON Running Shoes from More Than Sport. ON was the overall winner of the ISPO Brand New Award in 2010. A young Swiss sports company based in Zurich founded by three friends and athletes: David Allemann, Olivier Bernhard (3-times world champion and 6-times Ironman winner) and Caspar Coppetti.
- CloudTec™ technology: a Swiss engineer and running pioneer, who was struggling to continue to run because his knees had taken severe damage from years of using conventional running shoes, set out to change the physics of running. He had realised that he felt much less pain when running on gravel or sand covered trails, which would allow his foot to softly glide into every step. The engineer observed that there are two forces at work when running: the vertical and the horizontal impact. He discovered that it is the horizontal impact, which causes the most damage to muscle cells, ligaments and joint.
- A recent study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research has shown that CloudTec™ reduces the impact on muscles and joints by 25-30%. Despite the superior cushioning, On makes no compromises when it comes to performance.


text:
Marion Military Institute
About MMI
MMI Home
Prospective Athlete Form
MMI's Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Named 2018 ITA All-Academic Teams
Tempe, AZ—The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recently released its ITA All-Academic Team awards and its list of ITA Scholar-Athletes. Marion Military Institute placed both its men's and women's teams on the All-Academic Team, and four players earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status.
In order to be recognized as an ITA All-Academic Team, a team must achieve a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale) for the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. The men's team recorded a 3.24 GPA, and the women's team posted a 3.39 GPA.
The following criteria must be met in order to be listed as an ITA Scholar-Athlete: 1) be a varsity letter winner, 2) have a GPA of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale), and 3) have been enrolled at his or her present school for at least two semesters. Justin Matthews and Isaiah Polk achieved ITA Scholar-Athlete status for the men's team, while Makenzie Ralston and Karen Yan received the same distinction for the women's team.
Marion, Alabama 36756
athletics@marionmilitary.edu


text:
Early Careers - FAQs
We understand that this may be one of the first jobs you'll be applying for, and that can be a very nerve-wracking experience!
We've collated a list of mostly frequently asked questions below.
If you still have questions or would like to contact us please use the form at the bottom of the page.
I am currently on a Tier 4 Student Visa and will be entitled to a two or three-year Post Study Working Visa (PSWV). Am I eligible to apply? Expand
At present, we are unable to consider applicants with this visa, as we are unable to provide sponsorship following the PSWV.
I finished university four years ago and am looking for a change in career. Can I apply to a graduate programme? Expand
Yes absolutely. We do not have a set time frame post-graduation, so you can apply to us in your final year of university, or 20 years after you have graduated.
Do I need to have studied accounting & finance or maths to be eligible? Expand
No, we encourage students from all walks of life. Some of our trainees have studied music, optometry, geography, and languages. All you need is a passion for a career in your chosen field.
I didn't achieve the educational requirements, but I believe this was due to extenuating circumstances. Can I still apply? Expand
Of course, we are happy to consider any extenuating circumstances when considering your application. Just ensure you complete the relevant section on your application form. This will then be reviewed by a recruiter, who may call you for further information. A decision will be made on a case-by-case basis as to whether to allow you to continue with your application.
I require adjustments during the recruitment process. How do I communicate this? Expand
We have a section dedicated to this on our application form. Please be reassured that disclosing any personal information will not impact your likelihood of success in any way. This information will only be used to make reasonable adjustments, such as extra time for assessments. Please fill in the form honestly and provide us with details of adjustments that have been helpful to you previously.
What is the difference between a 'School or College leaver' and a 'graduate' job? Expand
The difference is the type of person we are looking for. A school or college leaver is someone who does not hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. There is no age limit on who constitutes a school leaver, you just cannot have a degree. We often hire school leavers who are seeking a career change, 10+ years after leaving school.
A graduate job requires you to have at least an undergraduate degree, either BSc or BA. Please note, we do not accept 'equivalents' to degrees. Most of our positions require you to have achieved a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree, but this will be indicated on the job description.
What is the recruitment/assessment process? What tasks will I be asked to do? Expand
Check out our Recruitment process page, for a full break down of what to expect and some top tips for success.
Whilst our school leavers will complete the AAT upon joining, you could go on to later complete the ACCA and achieve fully chartered accountant status.
I was unsuccessful in my application. When can I reapply? Expand
You can apply to Blick Rothenberg once per Campus Calendar year. This runs from 1 September to the 31 August. For example, if you apply on the 27 September 2021, you can reapply on the 1 September 2022.
Can I apply for more than one position at once? Expand
No, you need to pick your preferred position and apply to only this one. If you apply to multiple vacancies, your application may be rejected.
What happens if the role I initially applied to becomes full? Expand
Our roles that are operated on a rolling recruitment basis will fill as a candidate successfully completes all stages of the assessments. If this happens, we are happy to move your application to another suitable role. You will be informed if this happens and directed to our website to confirm the role you'd like to transfer to.
For our Deadline Driven roles, you will receive dates to complete assessments by, so you do not run the risk of the role becoming full while you are completing your application.


Kanye West has caused upset at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards by invading the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech.
The massive-headed rapper, who has a thing for MTV Awards stage invasions, shocked the star-studded audience by interrupting Taylor Swift as she thanked fans for her Best Female Video award.
After snatching the microphone from her hands, Kanye let rip: "I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," he shouted, as Beyoncé watched from the crowd, looking shocked and embarrassed.
Realising his protest had gone down about as well as a fart in a lift, Kanye decided to shut up. He left the stage to a barrage of boos, while a confused Taylor Swift walked off to a warm reception.
Kanye, who was snapped glugging Hennessy with girlfriend Amber Rose earlier in the evening, was asked to leave as a result of his invasion.
Meanwhile, Beyonce later invited Taylor on stage for another chance at her acceptance speech.
Watch the MTV Video Music Awards tonight (September 14) at 9pm on MTV.


text:
Equity launches high-tech contact centre
The contact center has a capacity to accommodate 70 customer relationship officers and shall handle all customer queries, and complaints in the 5 languages widely spoken across Uganda.
Kampala, 6 October 2022. As one of the strategies to further improve customer experience and deliver services to its customers conveniently, Equity bank has launched a high-tech contact centre. The new Contact Centre will allow the Bank to deliver improved support conveniently to the nearly 1.6 million customers 24/7.
Customers will be able to interact with highly trained customer relationship officers using state-of-the-art technology to document, categorise and resolve their issues. The contact center has a capacity to accommodate 70 customer relationship officers and shall handle all customer queries, and complaints in the 5 languages widely spoken across Uganda. The languages are English, Luganda, Runyakitara, Luo, and Swahili which were carefully selected to match the Bank's branch footprint.
The implementation of the new Contact Centre follows Equity's strategic objective to become a massive retail bank that is highly digitized. In recent years, the bank has grown its customer base from 800,000 in 2019 to nearly 1.6 million customers currently making it the fastest growing financial institution in the country. The new contact centre fits well into the bank's digital agenda by providing the capabilities to serve customers conveniently online through voice and social media channels.
"We have grown in leaps and bounds and are now working to revolutionise our customer's experience by creating a culture of obsession with customer service starting with onboarding through to when our customers interact with us. We are building a culture of superior service to address all customer experience pain points, ensure system accessibility, availability, and stability, through digitized operations,' said the Managing Director Samuel Kirubi
'We have built standardized processes and procedures to create synergies that have similar experience for customers and staff, as well as deliver a true Equity brand experience driven by the ONE EQUITY principle,' Kirubi added
Managing Director Samuel Kirubi speaks at the event
Customers who have previously been affected by the long queues in branches can now reach the bank through the contact centre virtually or via phone call instead of visiting branches.
"At Equity, it is important that exceptional service accompanies our product offering. We have therefore intentionally made significant investments in technology specially designed with the customer in mind. However, technology alone is not enough to meet the needs of our customers. We have combined it with a team of highly trained professionals who have extensive knowledge and are committed to exceptional service aligned to best practices within the banking industry," Mr. Kirubi added.
The contact centre shall complement other business transformation initiatives the bank is focusing on, to enhance its digital banking capabilities and product offering.
In addition to handling customer complaints and queries, the new Contact Centre shall also support Equiduuka agents and merchants.
GAYO Uganda setting the pace for young people to participate in policy discussions
Stanbic PMI Shows Fifth Successive Rise In Output At End Of 2022
First East Africa Business Expo: Investing in Uganda is attractive says UIA ED Mukiza


text:
Interview: David Pressman, Author of Patent It Yourself on Got Invention Radio
David Pressman is a practicing intellectual property attorney in San Francisco. He is also the author of the best-selling do-it-yourself guidebook, Patent It Yourself, which has sold over 300,000 copies. He is also the co-author of The Inventor's Notebook, The Patent Drawing Book, Patents For Beginners, and Patent Pending In 24 Hours.
Pressman, formerly an electronic engineer, has over 40 years' experience in the patent profession, as a patent examiner, a corporate and independent intellectual property attorney, a columnist for EDN Magazine, and a patent law instructor at San Francisco State University. A former member of Mensa, he has a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from The George Washington University where he was on the Law Review.
PrevPreviousInterview: Lori Greiner, TV Show Host/Inventor on Got Invention Radio
Next3D Prototypes with Shapeways.com DeliversNext
Interview: Xprize & Disney's Big Hero 6 Challenge for Kids on Got Invention Radio
Host Brian Fried of Got Invention Radio interviews Alan Zach, Sr. Director of Marketing and Education at Xprize. Learn about the current challenge teamed
Interview: Martin Cooper Inventor of the Cell Phone Entrepreneur Futuriston Got Invention Radio
Cooper is an internationally renowned expert on technology and innovation and its impact on business and society. He is widely regarded as one of the


text:
One Night, One Stage, Seven World Premieres
by Rachel Gallaher January 13, 2011
Actor Charles Leggett performs at last weekend's 14/48.
"14/48 begins when the keg is tapped," laughs Andy Jensen, a member of The 14/48 Steering Committee (the people who make things happen) and veteran participant in the festival. "It's a real honor to get the first draft off the keg!"
The honorary keg tap will happen tonight at 8 pm when over 70 artists gather at the ACT Theatre to kick off the second weekend of this year's 14/48 festival. The annual event, as the name suggests, involves the writing, casting and production of 14 original 10-minute-or-less, plays in just 48 hours.
"On Thursday night all the artists gather, including the band members, the designers and the volunteers," Jensen explains, "and everyone fills out a theme slip that reads 'Theater would be a lot more interesting if there were seven 10-minute plays about ______.' And then everyone suggests a theme." The themes are then randomly chosen, and based on the actor pool for that weekend, playwrights are assigned a theme.
"We say, 'Go write a 10-minute play based on your theme,' and they have to email it by eight' o'clock the next morning." After all submissions are in, The Steering Committee prints them out, puts them in blank manila envelopes and the directors choose one at random. Actor designation is done with directors drawing names from cans labeled either 'Tom Selleck' or 'Farrah Fawcett'. From 10:00 a.m. onward, the day is a tight schedule of rehearsing, directing, working with the band, talking to lighting crews, and a very brief 20-minute tech rehearsal.
"We always tell directors the goal is a complete run-through," muses Jensen, who participated in last weekend's run as a director, "but it's kind of like scoring an 18 in golf…probably not going to happen. But that's the goal." By 8:00 p.m. the show is done, and the audience gets a batch of theme submission slips that will be used for the next night's performances.
"That's the thing that a lot of people don't get about this. The plays are never done again. You get a world premier and a closing night, and then seven totally brand new plays with new folks the next night."
Jensen is considered a "veteran" of the 14/48 festival, as he has been participating since 1999. According to him, they try to get at least 25% new talent for each round of 14/48, and the newcomers are dubbed the "virgins."
"The main focus of the festival is the community that we build, and not just with the artists working together for the first time, but also with the audience," Jensen contends. "My favorite part is meeting all the virgins on Thursday night because often they are people who have worked in town for years, but it's their first time doing 14/48, and it is so amazing to see what they can do."
Don't miss this weekend's performances, happening both Friday and Saturday nights.
For ticket information, visit the 14/48 website.


RIO InTouch Skagit Max GameChanger Multi-Density Control Spey Shooting Head.
RIO's New InTouch Skagit Max GameChanger brings Multi-Density Control to the Spey Angler.
IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO (August 1, 2018) – RIO, manufacturer of lines, leaders, tippet, flies, and accessories for the demanding fly fisher, introduces the latest technology in fly line design to its Spey shooting head range with the InTouch Skagit Max GameChanger.
The RIO InTouch Skagit Max GameChanger Multi-Density Control Spey Shooting Heads are a series of Skagit style shooting heads each built with multiple density changes that gives the Spey angler incredible depth control and amazingly smooth, effortless casts. The seamless transition of graduated densities eliminates the kick and hinge usually common when casting sink tips, ensuring the angler has complete control while casting and fishing.
Built with powerful front tapers and plenty of grains per foot, this new series of heads casts large flies and sink tips as easily as floating lines, yet allows anglers to swing a fly slowly and at deeper depths than ever before – perfect for fishing in strong currents or in cooler conditions.
Available from 425 grains to 725 grains, this series consists of three different density combinations: The F/H/I (float/hover/intermediate) is dark aqua/light aqua/orange in color and ideal for swinging 2-4ft in depth. The F/H/I/S3 (float/hover/intermediate/sink 3) is brown/dark aqua/light aqua/orange and swings effectively from 3-6ft in depth, while the fast-sinking F/I/S3/S5 (float/intermediate/sink 3/sink 5 ) is gray/brown/dark aqua/orange and is the perfect dredger for Kings and winter steelhead – typically fishing 6ft to 10ft in depth.
RIO is a pioneer in developing fly lines, leaders and tippet material to enhance fly fishing experiences across the globe. Offering premium fly lines for both freshwater and saltwater fishing applications, RIO consistently utilizes field experience and scientific testing to create the best products on the market for anglers. Founded 20 years ago in the mountains of Idaho, RIO continues to develop innovative products, design revolutionary tapers and refine performance-driven fly line technologies.
Scientific Anglers Specialty Coloured Dacron Backing - "Rasta"
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Home > Health > 3 Reasons To Avoid Knee-Replacement Surgery
3 Reasons To Avoid Knee-Replacement Surgery
November 2, 2018 editor
Hitting your 50s or 60s can bring several life changes, and increasingly those include artificial joints. For much of the aging U.S. population, knees in particular are wearing out.
Approximately 700,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the U.S., according to The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. That number is expected to swell to 3.48 million by the year 2030, the publication's study reported, partly because obesity is on the rise.
But while knee replacements are becoming a popular elective surgery, some studies estimate 20 percent or more of recipients aren't pleased with the result. Medical experts question whether replacement surgery is being done too soon – or whether some people need a new knee at all.
"Surgery should only be done as a last resort," says Dr. Victor Romano, an orthopedist and author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without Orthopaedic Surgery. "A knee replacement can be life-changing, but they can also be painful, wear down prematurely and become infected.
"If you have debilitating pain and difficulty walking because of degenerative arthritis, surgery may be your best option no matter your age. Otherwise, there are sound reasons to avoid a knee replacement, or at least to postpone it until a more appropriate time."
Romano says there are three main reasons to avoid or put off knee replacement surgery:
Plastic debris. A total knee replacement consists of metal moving on plastic. The plastic wears down over time, and that can be a pain – physically and financially – to patients who may have to get the prosthesis replaced once, twice or more. "The plastic debris accumulates in the knee joint," Romano says. "The more active you are, the heavier you are, the more debris. The white cells, which attack foreign invaders, start attacking the surrounding bone. When it's time to replace the plastic joint, we also have to replace the bone – and that's a significant and unpleasant surgery."
A prosthesis doesn't last 30 years. This is a key reason why Romano thinks younger replacement candidates should wait as long as possible. "A total joint replacement in a 70-year-old patient will typically last 15 years," Romano says. "With the average life expectancy being 85, chances are this would be the only knee replacement that patient would need. But for a 40-year-old who's more active, it may only last 10 years. And remember, recovery is challenging. So it's better to wait for technology to catch up. As it does, the better the knee replacements will be."
Other remedies may work. Many people experiencing chronic knee pain are overweight or obese. "A healthy, anti-inflammatory diet and exercise program can bring the weight down and take pressure off the knees," Romano says. "Also, a hinged knee brace, supplements that aid in repairing worn cartilage, and injections such as cortisone or hyaluronic acid could reduce pain and restore quality of life."
"There are ways to at least buy time," Romano says. "And there are patients who were told they needed a knee replacement, but with conservative therapy options, happily discovered otherwise and returned to their favorite activities without pain."
Health Inflammation, Knees
Healthful Diet Helps Prevent Depression
Should We All Strive for a More Alkaline Diet?


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Oxford United is an English professional association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. They play in League One, the third level of the English football league system, as of the 2019–20 season. The club was formed in 1893 as Headington United, before changing its name (to Oxford United) in 1960, and has played home matches at two stadiums throughout its history, the Manor Ground until 2001, and the Kassam Stadium since. In 1986 they won their only major trophy, the League Cup. The club joined the Oxfordshire Senior League in 1921, before joining the Spartan League in 1947. Two years later the club moved to the Southern League, before being elected to the Football League in 1962. Oxford spent three years in the First Division between August 1985 and May 1988. At the end of the 2005–06 season, after 44 years in the League, United were relegated to the Football Conference. They returned to the League after winning the Conference National Play-off Final in 2010.

The record for most games played for the club is held by Ron Atkinson, who made 560 appearances between 1959 and 1971. John Shuker holds the record for the most appearances since they joined the Football League. Graham Atkinson is the club's record goalscorer, scoring 107 goals including 97 in the league.  Jim Magilton holds the record for the most international caps gained as an Oxford player, having made 18 appearances for Northern Ireland.  The highest transfer fee ever paid by the club is the £470,000 paid to Aberdeen for Dean Windass in 1998, though it has been reported that the undisclosed fee paid for Marvin Johnson in 2016 exceeded this amount, and the highest fee received is the estimated £3,000,000 paid by Leeds United for Kemar Roofe in 2016. The highest attendance recorded at the Manor Ground was 22,750 for the visit of Preston North End in the FA Cup, while the highest attendance at the Kassam is 12,243 against Leyton Orient.

Honours and achievements

Oxford United's only major honour in English football is the League Cup, which the club won in the 1985–86 season, defeating Queen's Park Rangers in the final 3–0. The club has also won the Third Division championship twice and the Second Division championship once. The latter Third Division, Second Division and League Cup victories all occurred within the space of two years. United also achieved promotion from the Fourth Division after the 1964–65 season. Oxford's highest top-flight finish is eighteenth, which was achieved twice in two years, starting in 1986. The most recent promotion occurred after the 2009–10 season, when they beat York City 3–1 in the Conference National play-off final.

Oxford's best performance in the FA Cup involved reaching the quarter-finals against Preston North End in the 1963–64 season. In doing so, they became the first team to reach that stage from the Fourth Division. Before the club were admitted to the Football League in 1962, they won the Southern Football League championship on three occasions, the final win occurring the season before election into the Fourth Division, and finished runner-up twice. They also won the Southern League Cup twice.

The Football League
Before the Premier League
Second Division (level 2): Champions 1984–85
Third Division (level 3): Champions 1967–68, 1983–84
Fourth Division (level 4): Promoted (3rd) 1964–65
After the formation of the Premier League
Division Two (level 3): Runners-up 1995–96
League Two (level 4): Runners-up 2015–16

Other honours
 Southern League
Premier Division: Champions 1952–53, 1960–61, 1961–62
 Premier Division: Runners-up 1953–54, 1959–60
 Southern League Cup
Winners: 1952–53, 1953–54
 Football Conference
Conference National Play-off winners: 2009–10

National cup competitions
FA Cup
Quarter finalists: 1963–64
 League Cup
Winners: 1986
 Football League Trophy
Runners-up: 2016, 2017

Player records

Age
Youngest first-team player: Tyler Goodrham, 16 years, 98 days (against Crawley Town, 12 November 2019).
Oldest first-team player: Alan Judge,  (against Southend United, 6 November 2004).

Appearances
Appearances are for matches in the Football League, Conference National, Southern League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy and Southern League Cup. Substitute appearances are included in brackets. Statistics correct as of 8 March 2021.

a. Includes Football League, Conference National and Southern Football League.
b. Includes Football League Cup and Southern League Cup.
c. Includes Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup and FA Trophy.

Goalscorers
Most goals in a season: Bud Houghton, 43 goals (including 39 Southern League goals) in the 1961–62 season.
Most goals in a season during Football League membership: John Aldridge, 34 goals (including 30 League goals) in the 1984–85 season.
Most Football League goals in a season: John Aldridge, 30 goals in Division Two in the 1984–85 season.
Most goals in a Southern League match:
5, Bud Houghton (against Boston United, 12 April 1961).
5, Tony Jones (against Wisbech Town, 10 December 1960).
Most goals in a Football League match: 4 goals, achieved by 6 players.

Top goalscorers
Goals are for matches in the Football League, Conference National, Southern League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy, Conference League Cup and Southern League Cup. Appearances are included in brackets. Players in bold are current players. Statistics correct as of 8 March 2021.

a. Includes Football League, Conference National and Southern Football League.
b. Includes Football League Cup and Southern League Cup.
c. Includes Conference play-off, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy and Conference League Cup.
d. Where two players scored the same number of goals, the player with the fewer appearances is listed first.

International caps

First capped player: David Sloan, for Northern Ireland on 10 September 1968 against Israel.
Most international caps while an Oxford player: Jim Magilton, 18 for Northern Ireland

Transfer fees

Record transfer fees paid

Progressive transfer fee paid
Progressive transfer fee shows the chronological order in which the record transfer fee was set, and the transfer that set it.

Record transfer fees received

Progressive transfer fee received
Progressive transfer fee shows the chronological order in which the record transfer fee was set, and the transfer that set it.

Managerial records

First professional manager: Harry Thompson (appointed in 1949)
Longest serving manager: Arthur Turner, managed the club from 1959 until 1969
Most spells as manager: 3, Darren Patterson and Jim Smith (each including one spell as caretaker manager)

Club records

Goals
Most Football League goals scored in a season: 91 in 46 matches, Division Three (level 3), 1983–84.
Fewest Football League goals scored in a season: 34 in 42 matches, Division Two (level 2), 1968–69.
Most Football League goals conceded in a season: 100 in 46 matches, Division Two (level 3), 2000–01.
Fewest Football League goals conceded in a season: 36 in 42 matches, Division Two (level 2), 1984–85.
Most league goals scored in a season at any level: 118 in 42 matches, Southern Football League. 1961–62.

Points
Most points in a Football League season:
Two points for a win: 61 in 46 games, Division Four (level 4), 1964–65.
Three points for a win: 95 in 46 games,a Division Three (level 3), 1983–84.
Fewest points in a Football League season:
Two points for a win: 33 in 42 games, Division Two (level 2), 1975–76.
Three points for a win: 27 in 46 games,b Division Two (level 3), 2000–01.
a. Also the most points won in a season at any level.
b. Also the fewest points won in a season at any level.

Matches

Firsts
First match: Headington 1–2 Cowley Barracks, friendly, 25 November 1893.
First FA Cup match: Headington United 2–8 Hounslow, extra preliminary qualifying round, 5 September 1931.
First Spartan League match: Marlow 1–2 Headington United, 30 August 1947.
First Southern League match: Hastings United 2–5 Headington United, 20 August 1949.
First Football League match: Barrow 3–2 Oxford United, Division Four (level 4), 18 August 1962.
First Football League Cup match: Torquay United 2–0 Oxford United, first round, 1 September 1962.

Record wins
Record Football League home win: 7–0 against Barrow in Division Four (level 4), 19 December 1964.
Record Football League away win: 6–0, against Lincoln City in League One (level 3), 21 September 2019, and against Crewe Alexandra, also in League One, 10 April 2021.
Record FA Cup win: 9–1 against Dorchester Town, first round, 11 November 1995.
Record League Cup win: 6–0 against Gillingham, second round first leg, 24 September 1986.
Record win in any match: 9–0 against Wisbech Town in the Southern League, 10 December 1960.

Record defeat
Record Football League defeat: 0–7 against Sunderland in Division One (level 2), 19 September 1998, and against Wigan Athletic in League One (level 3), 23 December 2017.
Record League Cup defeat: 0–5 against Nottingham Forest, third round, 4 October 1978.

Sequences
Successive wins in all competitions: 9, 2020-21 Season
Successive wins in the Football League: 7, League One (level 3), 2020-21 Season
Successive games unbeaten in all competitions: 19, 2006-07 Season
Successive games unbeaten in the Football League: 15, 1990-91 Season

Attendances
Largest home attendance
Manor Ground: 22,750 against Preston North End, FA Cup quarter-final, 29 February 1964.
Kassam Stadium: 12,243 against Leyton Orient, Football League Two (level 4), 6 May 2006.
Highest home Football League attendance: 18,740 against Birmingham City, Division Two (level 2), 31 March 1972.
Highest attendance played in front of anywhere: 90,396 against Queen's Park Rangers at Wembley Stadium, League Cup final, 20 April 1986.

Footnotes
A.  In this instance a major trophy refers to either the First Division/Premier League, the FA Cup or the League Cup.

B.  Unless otherwise stated, Statistics taken from Brodetsky. Oxford United: The Complete Record, p. 365

C.  Figures were undisclosed, but are believed to have been in the region of the amount stated.

D.  Maurice Kyle was previously on loan from Wolves.

E.  Unless otherwise stated, Statistics taken from Brodetsky. Oxford United: The Complete Record, p. 366

References
General

Specific

Records and Statistics
Oxford United
Oxford-related lists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Using online multiplication games are very useful in helping kids reinforce multiplication skills learned by rote memorization. You'll find a list of online games below that targeting multiplication from beginning level thru advanced.
If you need online activities for math skills other than multiplication go to the online math games page. Otherwise scroll down the page for the games!
BALLOON POP Level 1 New!: Pop the Balloons in order form the smallest product to the largest product!
BALLOON POP Level 2 New!: Same game as above with larger multiplication facts.
METEOR MULTIPLICATION: Video-Like game for practicing multiplication facts. Get the correct answers and destroy the meteors!
QUICK FLASH: Another game to practice multiplication facts. Cycles through each math fact 5 times before going to next level to improve mastery Click on the math fact you want to start with.
MATH INVADERS: This is an exciting online game similar to the video game space invaders that helps with multiplication. Pick the table you want to practice and let the games begin!
STUN ATTACK: Use the mouse to hit the Frog with the correct answer t the problem shown. Got to be fast or they'll hide again!


Our Santa sessions are a storytelling experience with Santa. The pictures with Santa will not only be sitting on the lap photos, but photos of interaction with Santa. We want to share with you some of the photos from the past, so you see the possibilities. To book your session, simply call the studio for the dates, Nov. 8-11, 2018, or, call us at 952-890-7640. We have a natural beard Santa on Nov. 9, 10 and 11, and our costumed beard Santa on Thursday, Nov. 8th. Please consider Thursday if your child requires Santa crawling on the ground at all... as this Santa is able to be very active and mobile, while the other Santas are a bit older and prefer to stand or sit. Also on Thursday, for pets, the costumed beard Santa is ok with pets sitting on their lap. See photos of each of the Santas below in the slide "Meet the Santas".


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How To Teach Students to Love Science
Feb 08, 2016 • Science
How do you teach students to love science? At Oxford Learning we know the importance of teaching students to love learning for life. In this great video from TED, inventor, environmentalist, and educator Cesar Harada explains the way his classroom brings students and science together. Watch as Cesar argues that children should stop being sheltered from the problems of the world, and instead be empowered to make a difference.
Inspiring Learning By Solving Real Problems
How does Cesar inspire a love of science? Cesar's class starts by tackling a real problem. Over the past few decades, efforts to clean up plastic litter in the ocean have been ongoing, but as of now, there is no efficient solution that is cost or time effective. Cesar asked his young students to come up with a real life solution to solve this issue.
"I let the imaginations of my students run wild. My job is to try to collect the best of each kid's ideas and try to combine it into something that hopefully works."
By building on the ideas of each student, Cesar's class was able to come up with a machine that could combat water pollution. The class has put the machine online for others to work on and improve. Check out the creative designs here.
"…what was cool about this project was that beyond addressing a local problem, or looking at a local problem, my students used their empathy and their sense of being creative to help…"
Learn more about Cesar's projects and students on his website http://www.cesarharada.com/
Early Reading: A Video Guide
What Not To Do When Your Child Is Struggling At School (And What To Do Instead)
Related Science Resources


Mesa Mountain View right-hander John Neeley was cruising through the first six innings Friday before it suddenly became pressure packed at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
After giving up a home run, allowing his first walk, then unable to come up with a throw covering first base, Neeley had to get one last out to keep the No. 1 seed's season alive.
With runners on first and second, Neeley struck out Luke Hydzu to end the game and eliminate Mesa Red Mountain from the 6A state baseball tournament with a 3-2 victory.
It was Red Mountain coach Ross Pagel's final game.
"There was a little pressure," Neeley said. "The last inning is always a little hard in an elimination game. I hung a pitch to (Andrew) Hayes (on the home run). He's a good hitter. I battled through it. It's a grind."
After Hayes' homer to start the seventh, Red Mountain (19-12) scored again on the error by Neeley covering first base on Kai Murphy's high chopper to first with two outs.
"This is the most pressured game I ever played in, for sure," Neeley said.
Coach Mike Thiel had confidence in Neeley to finish. Neeley has been consistent all season with a 1.44 ERA entering the game.
"He's a senior who has really had a great year for us," Thiel said. "Even though we could have used Joe Georgini, who has been a good closer, I just felt like it was time to stick with John."
Neeley was locked in a duel with Murphy through a scoreless first two innings before Mountain View struck for three runs on three hits in the third. Murphy retired the first two batters before giving up a double to McKay Barney. Sean Rimmer and Georgini both had RBI singles. Another run scored on an error on a relay play.
"We'd been in a little bit of a rough patch (two straight losing seasons before this year) in Mountain View baseball. But we're on the map now. We're changing the culture. Hopefully, it changes the program for the future." -- Neeley.
Mountain View (24-7) advances to Tuesday's elimination game at 6:30 p.m. at Diablo to play the loser of Friday's winner's bracket game between two-time defending state champion Chandler Hamilton and Glendale Mountain Ridge.


This relatively neat and well-spaced hand was written with a moderately thick pen and noticeable shading. Ascenders are slightly longer than minims, are relatively thick, and have either approach-strokes or slightly split wedges. Descenders are a good deal shorter, about equal to minims in length, and taper slightly. Minims are straight, with small wedges or approach-strokes and rising feet. Teardrop-shaped a appears throughout, the back of which is angled at about 70° and can curve in slightly, swinging smoothly up and to the right. The same form was used in the single example of æ, the e-component of which rises slightly above cue-height and the tongue of which is straight and rising. Round c was used, with a slightly angular south-west quadrant, and d has a long but rounded back which rises slightly above cue-height. Horned e was used, with a small eye and rising tongue, and the back can be vertical or more angled. The tongue of f is short and thin. The tail of g is closed in a wide oblong angled at about 30°; the top is flat, and the rounded mid-section hangs from slightly left of centre. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are all quite similar: they tend to rise in a thin straight stroke, then either turn sharply downward or curve out slightly before then becoming vertical. The letter k appears three times, twice in kinges and once in the name Kartoca; it was written with a thick straight stroke angled down at about 30° and a short stroke curving upwards and remaining within cue-height. Only tall s was used, with a long prominent hook and a tapering down-stroke which descends slightly below the line. Only one example of þ is found (þe, line 2), but there is only one other case where it might have been used if the conventional distinction was used (ðæs, line 3). The back of ð is long, thick, and concave up, and the through-stroke is approximately bisected by the back and has a thick upward curve on the left and downward one on the right. The south-west branch of x is long and thin with a small rightward hook at the tip, and the north-west branch is hooked left. Only one example of y is found: it is straight-limbed and dotted, with the tail curving left and with a small hook left on the right fork. The top of 7 is flat but is hooked up very slightly at both ends, and the descender angles slightly to the left. The opening Latin formula, In nomine dni nri ihu xpi, is not distinguished by script.