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A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
New SARS-like virus shows person-to-person transmission
URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_134008.html (*this news item will not be available after 05/14/2013)
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - A third patient in Britain has contracted a new SARS-like virus, becoming the second confirmed British case in a week and showing the deadly infection is being spread from person to person, health officials said on Wednesday.
The latest case, in a man from the same family as another patient, brings the worldwide number of confirmed infections with the new virus - known as novel coronavirus, or NCoV - to 11.
Of those, five have died. Most of the infected lived or had recently been in the Middle East. Three have been diagnosed in Britain.
NCoV was identified when the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an international alert in September 2012 saying a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a Qatari man who had recently been in Saudi Arabia.
The virus belongs to the same family as SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - a coronavirus that emerged in China in 2002 and killed about a tenth of the 8,000 people it infected worldwide. Symptoms common to both viruses include severe respiratory illness, fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.
Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the latest patient, who is a UK resident and does not have any recent travel history, is in intensive care at a hospital in central England.
"Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK," said John Watson, the HPA's head of respiratory diseases.
He said the new case was a family member in close contact with another British case confirmed on Monday and who may have been at greater risk because of underlying health conditions.
The WHO said although this latest case shows evidence of person-to-person transmission, it still believes "the risk of sustained person-to-person transmission appears to be very low".
Coronaviruses are typically spread like other respiratory infections such as flu, travelling in airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Yet since NCoV was identified in September, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been limited.
Watson said the fact it probably had taken place in the latest two cases in Britain gave no reason for increased alarm.
"If novel coronavirus were more infectious, we would have expected to have seen a larger number of cases than we have seen since the first case was reported three months ago.
Tom Wilkinson, a senior lecturer in respiratory medicine at Britain's University of Southampton, said that if NCoV turned out to be like the previous SARS outbreak, it may prove quite slow to spread from one human to another.
"But it's early days to make any definite statements because viruses can change and mutate very rapidly, so what is right today may be wrong tomorrow," he told Reuters.
Based on the current situation, the WHO said all member states should continue surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections and investigate any unusual patterns.
"Testing for the new coronavirus should be considered in patients with unexplained pneumonias, or in patients with unexplained severe, progressive or complicated respiratory illness not responding to treatment," it said in a statement.
The WHO said on Monday that the confirmation of a new British case did not alter its risk assessment but "does indicate that the virus is persistent".
The British patient confirmed on Monday had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and is in intensive care in a separate British hospital, the HPA said.
Among the 11 laboratory confirmed cases to date, five are in Saudi Arabia, with three deaths; two are in Jordan, where both patients died; three are in Britain, where all three are receiving treatment; and one was in Germany in a patient from Qatar who had since been discharged from medical care.
The WHO said at this stage there is no need for travel or trade restrictions, or for special screening at border points.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Reuters Health
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- More Health News on:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome


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Phil pulled his socks up and tried not to scream (too much) watching the new take on Stephen King's horror classic It with Bill Skarsgård, while Laurie watched Jeremy Renner try to out craggy-face Daniel Craig in Taylor Sheridan's chilly crime drama Wind River. We also dip into the news that J. J. Abrams will return to direct and co-write Star Wars Episode IX, replacing Colin Trevorrow, and cover Jet Li's Fearless (2006) and Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises (2007) for WWBW this week. Stay tuned to the end for your emails and tweets, and keep them coming to email@example.com and @superbaileybros on Twitter. Thanks for listening!

subset: commoncrawl


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Out of the five Diablo III classes, witch doctors are receiving the most attention in patch 1.0.4. The goal for this patch, like for many of the other classes, was simple: identify the unpopular or hard-to-use skills, figure out what's not working, and then make them better. In some cases, skills only needed slight tuning -- a little more damage here, or some increased durations there. In other cases, more significant changes were required. For the purpose of this preview, we'll focus on the bigger changes, which can be broken down into the following categories:
- Pet survivability
- Vision Quest design flaws
- Splinters and Zombie Bears are way more appealing than most other skills
One of the core play styles for the witch doctor (and indeed the reason many people chose to play a witch doctor to begin with) is to have pets. Unfortunately, while witch doctor pets do pretty well in Normal difficulty, their survivability has been virtually non-existent in Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno. From our perspective, this isn't acceptable, so we're making some significant buffs to pets in 1.0.4. The goal of these buffs is to make pets not only more viable in those later difficulties, but also more enjoyable for players who prefer to base their builds around them.
From a design perspective, we want your pets to be durable enough so they can tank for you, but we don't want them to just be automatically immortal. The cooldown on summoning pets is there for a reason. Speaking more specifically, we'd like for there to be times when your pets have died, your cooldowns haven't refreshed yet, and you have that period of increased tension as you wait for the situation to stabilize again. On the other hand, we'd also like for there to be noticeable improvements for players who put thought and effort into their skill and gear selections to make their pets as strong as possible.
Trial and Error:
One of the first things we tried internally was to have Zombie Dogs scale their Life directly with their owner's Life (Zombie Dogs already inherit Armor and Resistance from their owner). This had mixed results. For example, if the player stacked a large amount of Life, Armor, and Resist, it was possible to have Zombie Dogs tank most of Act I and parts of Act 2 in Inferno. As much as it made sense to have Zombie Dogs scale directly with your gear, it actually inhibited a completely different playstyle: players who wanted their witch doctor to be more of a glass cannon, but still have their Zombie Dogs able to tank. And with that we went back to the drawing board.
The next time around we gave the Zombie Dogs a base amount of Life, and in addition to this base value, they would also receive 35% of their owner's Life. So, you had a Zombie Dog that could scale with your gear, but if you were built as a glass cannon you'd still have that base amount of Life to fall back on. To help with general survivability, we also gave Zombie Dogs some innate passive Life regeneration. This test was much more successful. The Zombie Dogs could survive through most parts of Act I and Act II of Inferno just fine and died only occasionally to really difficult encounters. In Act III and Act IV, however, they could take maybe one or two hits, but the outcome was always the same: dead Zombie dogs. We tried increasing the bonus to 100% of their owner's Life -- and even to 150% at one point, just to see what would happen -- but it was to no avail. The incoming damage just scaled up too high in those later Acts.
So, we made some more adjustments to their scaling, we gave them more passive regeneration, and we made pets resistant to even more AoE effects (such as Plagued, Frozen, and Mortar). The result was positive, but not perfect: Zombie Dogs could now tough out Acts I and II of Inferno, but they were still melting in Acts III and IV.
The Final Product:
Our final iteration was to give Zombie Dogs their own version of the wizard skill Force Armor, which limits the amount of damage a wizard can take in a single hit up to 35% of their maximum Life. Much like the rationale for reducing damage for AoE effects, pets take more damage from melee than players. Pets also don't back off when they're low, make use of doorways, or avoid big attacks.
When translating "Force Armor" over to Zombie Dogs, we wanted to make sure they could still scale with the player's Life, Armor, and Resistances. So, rather than a flat 35%, the damage cap per hit is based on inherited Armor and Resistance values, and rather than scaling with the total Life, the mitigation amount is calculated on the base health of the Zombie Dogs, allowing additional Life to actually scale exceptionally well.
This might be a bit confusing, so let's set up an example using a level 60 witch doctor. Let's say this witch doctor has 32,000 Life, 45% mitigation from Armor, and 30% mitigation from Resistances. (For clarity, this means that 55% of incoming damage gets past the player's Armor, and 70% of the incoming damage gets past Resistances.)
- The base Life of a level 60 Zombie Dog is 10,000 Life
- With scaling, each Zombie Dog will have 21,200 Life (10,000 [base] + 32,000 * 35% [scaling])
- The maximum damage the Zombie Dog can take in a single hit will be 3850 Life (10,000 [base] * 55% [damage not mitigated by armor] * 70% [damage not mitigated by Resistances])
- Ignoring passive Life regeneration, this means each Zombie Dog will always be able to take at least 5.5 hits (21,200 [Life] / 3850 [damage])
Once you factor in some passive Life regeneration and healing from health globes, Zombie Dogs can do reasonably well in Inferno. Players who decide to go with a glass cannon build while using Zombie Dogs will have pets that can tank for short periods of time. Meanwhile, players who build with some survivability and choose pet-oriented passives like Fierce Loyalty, Zombie Handler, and Jungle Fortitude will find their pets to be extremely durable and very capable of handling all Acts of Inferno.
Vision Quest
As it stands now, without Vision Quest, many builds feel like you never have quite enough Mana.
Don't get me wrong: feeling like you always want more Mana can be a good thing, otherwise the resource system isn't really doing its job. Even so, there are two major issues with Vision Quest that we want to address. The first is that it can feel very "feast or famine" when you're using it; sometimes you have near limitless Mana and at other times you're starved for resources. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it forces you to keep four skills on cooldown in order to be useful. This can be frustrating for a witch doctor who wants to use a cooldown skill strategically, but ends up casting the spell early for the Mana regeneration benefits.
Let's use Big Bad Voodoo as an example. Big Bad Voodoo might be ready to go, but you need it on cooldown for Vision Quest to stay active. So, you cast the skill with only a handful of enemies on the screen. Then, no more than 20 seconds later, you come across a nasty Elite pack. While this would be a great moment to drop a Big Bad Voodoo to help you kill everything in sight (and ultimately avoid being killed yourself)….the skill is, of course, on cooldown. This can be a very aggravating experience! This isn't a dilemma we want players to face on a regular basis, so Vision Quest is getting redesigned for 1.0.4.
What's Changing:
We're keeping the focus of the skill on Mana regeneration, but we're going to shift the way you get that regeneration away from needlessly spamming cooldowns to attacking and doing damage. The first thing we're doing is increasing the baseline Mana regeneration of all witch doctors from 20 Mana per second to 45 Mana per second. Not only does this help to alleviate the "feast or famine" effect, it also acts as a big buff to witch doctors who choose to skip Vision Quest. As for Vision Quest itself, it will increase Mana regeneration by 30% for 5 seconds after dealing damage with Firebomb, Corpse Spiders, Poison Dart, or Plague of Toads. One of the fun things about this set up is that you can combine it with a Spider Queen (Corpse Spider rune) or a Pyrogeist (Firebomb rune) and they'll keep Vision Quest active for you the entire time they're out.
Of course, Vision Quest going down to 30% can seem scary. Base Mana regeneration is increased, and the new mechanics actually allow for Vision Quest to have a very high uptime, but is it enough?
As we continue internal testing, one of our checks to determine how well Vision Quest is performing is to see if a level 60 player can still summon hordes of stampeding Zombie Bears. While we can't accommodate every skill and build combination out there, the goal for Vision Quest is that a player who has chosen the right passives and gear will still be able to summon waves of stampeding bears for at least a few seconds. The new Vision Quest is a lot less "feast or famine" than before, which means some players won't be able to spam Zombie Bears for quite as long, but the tradeoff is you'll have a more consistent stream of Mana coming in, and (more importantly) you'll have your cooldown-controlled skills available to use strategically for maximum effect. A more reliable Mana stream, being able to use your cooldowns, and having the option to use other active and passive skills seems like a better design for the class as a whole for the long term.
Skill Options
In case you're wondering, we're not touching Splinters or Zombie Bears this patch. While these are the two most popular witch doctor skills right now, it's probably not just because people love the sound of Splinters or the look of Zombie Bears (though both of those are pretty cool). Instead, their popularity is likely due to how attractive these skills are, both in terms of damage output and overall feel. To help compensate and open up more build options, we're buffing a lot of other skills to make them as appealing as Splinters and Zombie Bears.
Speaking of how a skill feels, the reason players avoid many of the lesser used witch doctor skills have more to do with the skill feeling "slow." For example, Firebomb, Plague of Toads, and Corpse Spiders all have animation timing issues which are being improved for 1.0.4. In general, all of these skills will cast faster, which will make the class feel snappier and more responsive. We're also doing a straight damage increase on many skills including (but not limited to) Acid Cloud, Firebats, Firebomb, and Spirit Barrage.
That wraps up the witch doctor, and all of our class previews! We hope you're excited about these changes and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Be sure to check out our other class previews for patch1.0.4:
Wyatt Cheng is a Senior Technical Game Designer for Diablo III. He doesn't always fold on a K-10 offsuit.


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Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack commended the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) for the new CIFOR Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for Owners, Operators, and Managers of Food Establishments.
These guidelines were developed by an ongoing public/private partnership consisting of experts from all levels of government and the food industry. The purpose of the guidelines is to help outline, clarify, and explain the recommended role for retail food establishment owners, operators, and managers in a foodborne illness outbreak investigation and what they can expect after being notified of an outbreak. The guidelines also provide a step-by-step approach that companies can take during the different phases of an outbreak investigation, including preparing an establishment to respond should an outbreak occur, identifying signs of a potential outbreak, helping government officials to investigate an outbreak, and following up after an outbreak investigation.
"When there is an outbreak of foodborne illness, the government and the food industry are of one mind. We have to find the cause and stop the outbreak," says Sebelius. "These guidelines and the continued work of CIFOR demonstrate key partnerships and our daily shared commitment to food safety and the health of consumers in the United States."
"These CIFOR guidelines offer a clear pathway to success in industry's and government's efforts to ensure that the foods we produce and regulate are safe to eat," says Vilsack. "Both industry and government have a shared responsibility for the safety of our nation's food supply. By outlining and clarifying specific roles and responsibilities during each outbreak, we develop greater trust and accountability among stakeholders and consumers."
CIFOR is a multidisciplinary collaboration that includes representatives of local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in the fields of epidemiology, environmental health, and laboratory science as well as representatives from the food industry who are active members of the standing CIFOR Industry Workgroup. This collaboration, chaired by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the National Association of County and City Health Officials, was organized to improve methods at the local, state and federal levels to detect, investigate, control and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks. The federal agencies represented on CIFOR include USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and HHS's Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The National Restaurant Association is proud to have played an active role in developing this resource in partnership with state, local and federal public health officials and other industry stakeholders," says Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association president and CEO. "The CIFOR Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines are an important tool for restaurant owners and operators, and reflect our industry's commitment to protecting the public health."
"Food safety is core to our principles in the food retail industry, and critical to ensuring the efficacy of our businesses," says Leslie G. Sarasin, Food Marketing Institute president and CEO. "The CIFOR Industry Guidelines demonstrate collaboration between industry and public health professionals to respond more efficiently to the health needs of consumers. FMI is pleased to be part of the partnership."
News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by WTWH Media LLC.


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major macro economic indicators
|2022 (e)
|2023 (f)
|GDP growth (%)
|Inflation (yearly average, %)
|Budget balance (% GDP)
|Current account balance (% GDP)
|Public debt (% GDP)
(e): Estimate (f): Forecast *includes inv income, latest budget figure is for 2023/2024 **General government gross debt
- Large financial buffers
- One of the world's largest oil producers and exporters
- Strategic geographic location allowing the entry to key markets such as Eastern Asia, Europe and Turkey
- Solid public and external accounts
- Low level of economic diversification, oil accounts for about 45% of GDP leaving the country vulnerable to fluctuations in hydrocarbon prices
- Slow bureaucracy that weighs on operational environment for companies
- Continuous standoff between the legislative opposition and the emir-appointed cabinet, which sometimes blocks legislative work
- Shortage of expatriate workers and mismatch between job offers and jobs sought by the Kuwaiti workforce
Risk assessment
Recovery is expected to be gradual
In line with the opening up of the economy, private consumption (about 40% of GDP) reached almost a decade-high level in 2021. It should continue expanding in 2022 as well, but at a slower pace because of the maturing recovery and fading base effect. Exports will become the key contributor to growth. Indeed, oil production will rise by nearly 13% in 2022 after falling in 2020 and 2021 consecutively due to the OPEC+ agreement. Due to the lack of economic diversification, trends in the oil sector will continue to be determinant for the Kuwaiti economy. Thanks to the rise in oil prices and increased global hydrocarbon demand, net exports will support growth in 2022. Investments (20% of GDP) will inch up in 2022 on the back of the completion of several refineries, such as the Al-Zour refinery project, and LNG import facilities Other construction projects, such as the development of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway, within Kuwait's 2035 Vision program will also sustain investments. Government spending will also edge up in 2022, in line with higher oil prices and national savings (30% of GDP), which will alleviate pressure on the government to restrain expenditure, like cutting the public sector wage bill or introduce revenue measures such as a 5% VAT. These factors will be also supportive for domestic demand. Despite the low level of inflation, the central bank of Kuwait is expected to tighten its policy by raising its discount rate from its 1.5% level to follow the U.S. Fed's example, as the Kuwaiti dinar is pegged to a basket of currencies dominated by the US dollar.
Net creditor to the world with solid public accounts
Hydrocarbon exports (90% of total merchandise exports) will continue to remain an important source of revenue in line with high oil prices. This will feed into the sovereign wealth funds. The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is responsible for the management and administration of Kuwait's General Reserve Fund (GRF) and its Future Generations Fund (FGF). The GRF is the main repository of all of the state's oil revenues and income, and acts like the state treasury account, while the second is an intergenerational savings platform. The FGF's assets cannot be withdrawn unless sanctioned by law. Some media reports suggest that assets in the sovereign wealth fund exceed USD 700 billion, over five times Kuwait's GDP. Despite rising exports, the fact that imports will also increase on the back of better economic conditions and higher level of income will weigh on current account surplus expansion in 2022.
After plunging into deficit in fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, the fiscal balance improved and returned to positive territory in FY 2021-2022, reflecting the rebound in hydrocarbon revenues (two-thirds of total fiscal revenues) and removal of some COVID-19 related measures. The parliament will also work on passing a drafted debt law that envisages a debt ceiling of 60% of GDP, leaving flexibility for debt management and tap into global debt markets. In the absence of the debt law, financing of the deficit has relied mainly on the usage of the GRF's liquid assets, which explains the low level of debt.
Tensions between the cabinet and the parliament will persist
The continuous struggle arising from tensions between Kuwait's executive and legislative branches is a source of instability that weighs on the investment environment and the reform process. The National Assembly is made up of 50 elected members, officially independent, as political parties do not exist, and 16 government-appointed ministers. After the resignation of its government in early November 2021, Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah was re-appointed as the prime minister. That resignation came as several opposition lawmakers wanted to question the prime minister over various issues, including his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Al Sabah had already resigned twice in 2020 before being re-appointed each time by royal decree. However, the appointment of the same prime minister to form a third government may not be enough to calm opposition leaders. Having said that, these continuous cabinet reshuffles do not threaten the political stability in the country. Indeed, Kuwait benefits from the existence of a more independent legislative compared with its neighbours in the region. However, it will continue to delay important legislation, such as the passage of the debt law, and slow the development of the private sector and the kuwaitization of its workforce, which would facilitate the reduction of the governmental sector staff that employs 80% of Kuwaiti nationals.
Last updated: February 2022


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|Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Gods, Non-Olympian| ▸ |Saturn||View Options: | | |
Saturn was a major Roman god identified with the Greek deity Cronus, and the mythologies of the two gods are commonly mixed. Saturn had a temple on the Forum Romanum, which contained the Royal Treasury. Saturn is the namesake of both Saturn, the planet, and Saturday. In Roman mythology, when Jupiter ascended the throne of the Gods, Saturn fled to Rome and established the Golden Age, a time of perfect peace and harmony, which lasted as long as he reigned. In memory of the Golden Age, the Feast of Saturnalia was held every year at the Winter Solstice. Saturnalia was an occasion for celebration and visits to friends. Slaves and masters ate at the same table. No war could be declared. Executions were postponed. Homes were decorated with greenery. And it was a season for giving gifts, particularly wax candles, perhaps to signify the returning light after the solstice. Aspects of Saturnalia survive today in Christmas celebrations and carnival festivals around the world.


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Wambat is holding a weekly raffle giveaway of Steam games to promote the Fourth Age Total War mod and his Let's Play campaign!
Check out the announcement thread here.
Total War: Fall of the Samurai now re-released as Total War Saga: Fall of the Samurai
A forum for Fall of the Samurai singleplayer guides, FAQs, and faction strategies.
Satsuma guides, hints and tips
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By: Dennis W. Quaintance – November 17, 2016
A Summary of the Summary (SOS) of the QW ESOP Trust
It isn't surprising that there are a lot of words and complexity related to something like this ESOP Trust. We need to be sure that it is fair, that it considers all sorts of things that could happen and that we comply with all of the rules — all of that takes a lot of words. However, a boatload of words can cause confusion, so I thought it might be helpful to offer up a somewhat simpler summary of the QW ESOP Trust than the Summary Plan Description (SPD).
This is just a brief summary intended to be helpful. If anything isn't clear, please first refer to the Summary Plan Description (SPD) which you already have; then, if you still have a question, please call one of the QW Administrative team members or me and we'll attempt to help. We can even get you the 74-page QW ESOP Trust Plan if you'd like.
What is an ESOP?
- ESOP stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan
- Yes, Quaintance Weaver Management, LLC (QW), is now effectively owned by us, the QW staff members!
- Technically, QW is now owned by what's called the QW ESOP Trust. This trust entity exists to provide retirement benefits for QW staff members.
- This change will not cause changes with our priorities here at QW or the leadership team; more about this topic later.
- Eligible staff members participate in the ESOP and gain what we are calling Retirement Units (RUs) as a function of working here, not by making a financial payment.
- Other companies call RUs "stock." We call them RUs because QW is a Limited Liability Company (LLC), not a corporation, so QW has membership units rather than stock. We added the "R" for "retirement" because we want to emphasize that this is a retirement program.
- FYI: Eligibility and vesting are discussed just below this section.
- You'll get the value of your accumulated "vested" RUs when you retire, or if you leave prior to retiring, starting five years (or in some instances longer) after you leave QW.
- The value of the RUs is determined primarily by the profitability of QW.
- When we all cooperate and collaborate in helpful and constructive ways and the result is a lot of happy guests; that will usually translate into profitability. It is profit that enhances the potential value of the RUs. Now we are all in the same boat: If a dollar is wasted, part of that dollar comes from all of our accounts. If we gain a dollar because of your good effort, or one of your colleague's good efforts, part of that dollar will end up in all of our accounts.
- Technically, QW is now owned by what's called the QW ESOP Trust. This trust entity exists to provide retirement benefits for QW staff members.
- Yes, Quaintance Weaver Management, LLC (QW), is now effectively owned by us, the QW staff members!
So, what does this mean to me as a staff member?
- It means that after you've worked with QW for one year (if you are over 18 and you have worked more than an average of 19¼ hours per week), then, in most instances, you will be eligible to participate in the ESOP retirement plan.
- To be clear: You will not be asked to put money into this plan.
- You get to participate based only on working here and meeting the simple participation qualifications.
- The number of RUs that will be allocated to your account will be determined by your earnings.
- Bonuses and gratuities are valued at 100% of the amount earned for your participation calculation.
- Wages are valued at 120% of the amount earned.
- We did this because not everyone has the opportunity to receive bonuses or gratuities.
- Note: People who fall into what the rules define as "highly compensated" have all of their earning valued at 100% of what was earned and there is a cap on how many RUs per year these people can gain.
- If you are eligible, after your first year with QW, you'll get a statement of how many RUs you gained. That statement will also show the value of each RU.
- You will not have the rights to the value of those units until you've been with the company for a total of three years. That is called the "vesting" time.
- This delay is to reward folks who stay with QW.
- If you leave prior to being here for three years, the value in your account will go to zero.
- If you leave prior to turning 65, you'll get the value of your RUs after you've been gone for five years (or, in some instances, longer). In most cases, the value of your account will be paid to you over the five years following the five-year wait.
- This is a retirement program. It isn't intended to be a savings plan that a person can just dip into. If you have not reached retirement age when you are getting the money, then you'll face a tax penalty if you don't roll the money from your RUs into another qualified retirement program, such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
- When you turn 55, if you choose, you can move part of the value of your RUs into other investments, such as mutual or index funds.
- You will not have the rights to the value of those units until you've been with the company for a total of three years. That is called the "vesting" time.
Why did Dennis and Mike transfer their ownership to the QW ESOP Trust?
- Mike Weaver and I like to think long term, not just months or years out, but decades ahead. We've sold our interest in QW to the QW ESOP Trust because we believe that the optimal way for QW to be owned and managed in the future is with this sort of arrangement. We think this because:
- We LOVE the idea of having a retirement benefit program for our colleagues. We so appreciate the people who help QW keep the promises made in our mission statements. With this program, all of us who work here will have even more reasons to take great care of our guests and colleagues. That ought to make QW even healthier and keep it vibrant for decades to come.
- This ESOP arrangement also allows for Mike and me to sell our interest in QW without worrying about how our colleagues would be treated or how (and if) our founding values would be honored. We didn't even consider selling to another company, because it would be unlikely that other owners would share our values. If QW didn't stay focused on the values that got QW where it is today, it would break our hearts.
- BTW: Even though Mike and I sold our interest in QW, we are not going anywhere. As a staff member of QW, I'll be an ESOP participant and I look forward to continuing to play the same role at QW that I played prior to this change. I talk about this more below. Mike will also be with us, as he has been for these past 28 years, as our cheerleader, biggest fan and as our partner based on his continued ownership interest in the hotels we manage.
What will the ESOP own?
- 100% of Quaintance-Weaver Management (QW) is owned by the QW ESOP Trust.
- QW owns:
- The two Lucky 32 Southern Kitchens (Lucky 32 Group).
- The companies that operate the QW restaurants and hotels:
- Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants, LLC (QWR), which in turn owns the Green Valley Grill and Print Works Bistro.
- QW Hotels, LLC (QWH), which manages the two hotels for a fee.
- QW Admin (QWA) provides the administrative services for QWR, QWH, the Lucky 32 Group and the hotels.
- QW Craft Guild (QWCG), formerly called QW Services, is part of QW. QWCG provides the services of their craftspeople to the restaurants and hotels so that we can present extraordinary facilities and furnishings for our guests and colleagues.
- QW ESOP Trust does not own any real estate.
- The actual hotel buildings and their adjacent restaurants are owned by a group of people that includes Mike and me. The hotel owners lease the restaurants to QWR and hire QWH to manage the hotels.
- The Lucky 32 restaurant buildings are owned by Mike and/or me and they are leased to QW.
- In summary, the QW ESOP Trust owns QW, and QW owns the companies that operate the QW restaurants and hotels.
As a potential participant, it would be natural to ask: So, how much might this add up to?
- That's a fair question. The answer is: I don't know.
- It depends on how much money QW makes. It is profits that will allow the QW ESOP Trust to build up value. How much profit is made is largely a function of how well each of us performs in keeping the promises we make to our guests and colleagues. That is the neat thing about it.
- Let's all work together to make great profits.
- Let's ensure that all of us here at QW take great care of our guests. Happy guests come back. That is the name of the game.
- If our guests are delighted, and if we don't waste money, we ought to make a good profit. If we all work together, we can make those two things happen.
- Each year the QW ESOP Trust's independent trustee will have a company that specializes in valuing companies figure out what QW is worth. It is from this calculation that the RUs are valued.
- There are two important points about this:
- The value of the RUs will likely change from year to year. Generally speaking, if QW makes a good profit, the value of each RU will probably increase.
- If QW doesn't make good money, then the value of each RU will probably decrease.
- Again, if we all work well together, it is more likely that the value of the RUs will increase! Let's do that!
Does this mean that QW wants all of its staff members to stay on till they are 65?
- No, we want everyone to stay as long as they wish…provided they are enthusiastic, happy and positively contributing toward our efforts to take great care of our guests and colleagues. If any of us are not getting to experience ourselves as enthusiastic and happy here, I think that we (and that includes me!) ought to find something to do elsewhere that we can enjoy and be enthusiastic about. I can't think of anything good that comes from a lack of enthusiasm and happiness. Enthusiasm is what got QW to where it is and it will get us to the good places that we want to go!
- I believe that enthusiasm is a choice. And, if making that choice is consistently exhausting, then that could be nature's way of saying it might be time to find something else to do.
- This next point is important: RUs will continue to be valued each year, so helping (and, obviously, not hurting) QW even after you leave, is in your best interests.
Some other information that might be helpful:
- QW will have a board of directors, just like it has from the beginning. But rather than the board being just Mike and me, it will consist of five people — and two of them will be "outside directors," meaning that they don't work for QW or have other significant business dealings with QW.
- I'll keep playing the role that I've been playing for 28 years, and I'll still do that using the compass of our founding values for direction. (See the "How to be a Lucky Star" cultural guide book if you have any questions about our founding values.) In other words, having a sincere intention "to be of genuine service to our guests" will stay as our company's highest priority, and our close second priority will still be "to be of genuine service to our QW colleagues." Our third highest priority has been and will say "to be of genuine service to our owners" (and now our owners are, in effect, our staff members…so our second and third priorities are sort of combined. Pretty neat, eh? What is best for our owners is best for our colleagues). We'll also continue having a sincere interest in treating our vendors fairly and to "the Earth and her People" through our Sustainable Practices Initiative and our QW Fairness Doctrine. Those ideas will continue to guide me and QW.
- I plan to keep playing my role until I get objective feedback that I'm not the optimal person to play this role or until I'm not enjoying it. (That's not a bad mindset for all of us.) If, on average, I'm not skipping to work at least seven out of ten days, I'll move on. My ratio for the past 28 years is 9.7 days out of 10! (That's a guess – but I'll bet it is pretty close.)
Again, this is just a quick and incomplete summary of the QW ESOP Trust Plan. This isn't a comprehensive or complete overview of the Plan. If I've said anything that conflicts with the Summary Plan Description (SPD) or the Plan itself, or if I've explained something poorly, I'm sorry and I refer you to those documents or to one of the QW Administrative team members for clarification. Please note, though, that whatever the official Plan says will be the rule. Plus, the Plan will probably be modified at one or more points in the future. You will be notified if and when it is modified. Any future changes will obviously make some of what is said in this Summary of the Summary inaccurate.


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The Atlantic Coast Conference had more teams in the NCAA Tournament selection committee's top 16 with four. The Big 12 had more teams near the top and could be right behind the ACC when the actual selections are made.
Through Thursday's games, the Big 12 had three teams that should be locks: No. 3 Kansas , No. 4 Baylor and No. 9 West Virginia .
The Jayhawks were picked as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, the Bears were No. 1 in the South and the Mountaineers fourth the West. Even with losses by Baylor and West Virginia this week, those teams should be in.
How many more teams make the field of 68 will depend on what happens over the next three weeks.
Oklahoma State (17-9, 6-7 Big 12) should be in good shape despite a losing conference record. The Cowboys knocked off fellow bubble team TCU, though lost to another Big 12 bubbler, Kansas State.
Oklahoma State's only nonconference losses were to North Carolina and Maryland, with victories over Connecticut and Georgetown on its resume.
Iowa State (16-9, 8-5) picked up a huge win by knocking off Kansas in Lawrence on Feb. 4 and put a dent in Kansas State's NCAA hopes with an 87-79 victory in Manhattan on Wednesday. The Cyclones have plenty of chances to boost their resume, starting with Saturday's game against fellow bubble team TCU.
Needing a win Wednesday night, the Frogs (17-9, 6-7) stumbled with a 71-68 loss to Oklahoma State. TCU still has chances to boost its resume with games against Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia coming up, but can't afford any slip-ups against the lower-end Big 12 teams.
Kansas State (16-10, 5-8) missed a big chance with its loss to Iowa State, though it does have a road win over Baylor on its resume. The Wildcats don't have any more games against the Big 12's top three, so they have a chance to make a late-season run.
Texas Tech (17-9, 5-8) appeared to be headed toward the NIT at best just a week ago, but Monday night's win over Baylor provides bubble life. Road games against West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Kansas State could make the difference in the Red Raiders' season.
Michigan. The Wolverines (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten) had a good week last week by beating rival Michigan State at home and Indiana on the road. Michigan took a bigger step toward the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night by beating No. 11 Wisconsin . Minnesota, another Big Ten team on the bubble, is up next on Sunday.
Arkansas. In need of a resume-boosting win, the Razorbacks (19-7, 8-5 SEC) came through Wednesday night by knocking off No. 21 South Carolina in Columbia. A road win over a Top-25 team helps offset some of the slip-ups earlier in the season.
Seton Hall. The Pirates (16-9, 6-7 Big East) were on the wrong side of the ledger last week after losing to St. John's. A win over No. 23 Creighton puts them right back in the mix, with opportunities against No. 2 Villanova and No. 24 Butler coming up.
Illinois State. The Redbirds (22-5, 14-1 MVC) took a big hit with a 41-point loss to Wichita State. They've responded with four straight wins, including a one-point victory over Missouri State on Wednesday.
Rhode Island. Scoring 43 points in a loss to Fordham is not going to look good for Rhody (16-9, 8-5 A10), even with a win over current No. 18 Cincinnati on the resume.
Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets (15-11, 6-7 ACC) failed on a chance to boost their resume with Wednesday's loss to Miami , which played without JaQuan Newton. The ACC offers plenty of opportunities to pick up marquee wins, so there's still time.
Indiana. If the injury-ravaged Hoosiers (15-12, 5-9 Big Ten) had not already popped their NCAA bubble, three straight losses — including Wednesday to Minnesota — will likely finish them off.
Memphis. A surprising loss to Temple does not bode well for the Tigers (18-7, 9-4 AAC), who have two losses to teams outside the RPI top 100.


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It will be a tight division race, coming down to St. Louis or Arizona. The value play is on St. Louis, at 6.50 to 1 odds, to win the division (the pre-season number on Arizona is 3.25 to 1 odds to win the division). The better play here is St. Louis to win OVER 6.5 games. Our scorecasting models have the 2008 Rams winning 9 games; a deviation of 2.5 games from the Vegas total - which correlates to a strong betting line play.


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The Civil War publications released by the History Press continue to be rather hit or miss. One of the most recent additions to the line, Shenandoah County in the Civil War by Hal Sharpe, falls more into the latter category. In his defense the author states that his purpose is not to recount the major battles (New Market, Fishers Hill, Cedar Creek) which took place in the eponymous county in the central Shenandoah Valley but rather to look more at the effects of the war on the population.
As with nearly all books of this series, there is no index, nor are there any citations – only a bibliography at the end, and of the works listed at least ¾ of them are secondary sources. Many of the battle descriptions are muddled and error-filled, which is surprising considering the overall lack of detail the author uses for the battle descriptions.
The cover art is Keith Rocco's painting showing the Virginia Military Institute cadets in the Bushong yard at New Market. With New Market being one of the largest engagements in the county as well as one of the best-known, one would hope for more attention devoted to this engagement, not to mention more accuracy. (And as a personal aside, this reviewer's book on New Market is not among the works in the bibliography.)
Sharpe's book is an ample introduction to the war in the central Shenandoah Valley but unfortunately is little more. The military detail and accuracy simply is not there while many of the civilian accounts he gives are readily available elsewhere. Its strength is in the photographs included of the residences and locales which he mentions.


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Wisconsin to participate in another drug take-back
MADISON (AP) — Wisconsin residents will get a chance to get rid of unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs later this month as part of the next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration hosts the biannual take-back day. The next one is set to for April 26.
Police departments across Wisconsin will serve as collection points. The DEA's website offers a list of participating agencies.
Police say prescription painkiller abuse can lead to opiate addiction, which in turn can lead to heroin use. They say getting unused painkillers out of the home reduces the chances of abuse and theft.
The state Department of Justice says Wisconsin residents dropped off more than 19 tons of drugs during the last take-back day in October.


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Lisa Bowerman (Bernice Summerfield),
Miles Richardson (Irving Braxiatel),
Harry Myers (Adrian Wall),
Louise Faulkner (Bev Tarrant),
Steven Wickham (Joseph),
Paul Wolfe (Hass),
Sam Stevens (Doggles),
Thomas Grant (Peter),
Rachel Laurence (Lianna).
Bev is running the Braxiatel Collection as a refugee camp, living in daily fear of attack. Adrian and Doggles hide in a bunker on the Moon, trying to launch covert attacks on the enemy with limited resources. And Hass is stranded on the occupied planet Maximediras.
Bernice and Peter are free for the moment, travelling around in time in an attempt to learn more about the Deindum. Where did they come from? What do they want? And can Bernice find a way to strike back at them?


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Welcome to the Rafiki home page,
About Rafiki
Home of Code World,
and exploring the genetic code.
Dr. Rafiki is writing again.
I had completely given up on this whole thing. It was taking up too much time and too many resources, and returning very little.
If you peruse this site, keep in mind that every web page, device, picture, description and virtually every idea was generated by one person. And this reflects just a tiny fraction of those efforts. Then realize that this person has a life, a job, a serious golf addiction, four kids, a wife, and four cats.
What changed?
I decided to sell Mutation, the kid sister of Code World that is not mentioned anywhere here because of intellectual property concerns.
The great state of Indiana somehow decided that Rafiki Inc. wasn't worthy of being called a business. So, I guess, now it is not.
Dr. Rafiki then started another business which is cleverly called White Golf LLC. The website for that is HERE
When I set out to sell Mutation, I made the decision to not mention the genetic code. It's too much trouble, and the idea seems to repel people. I was going to just sell it as a toy, since it's such a cool toy.
Then I was in a waiting period to begin selling, and I'll be damned if it didn't happen again. How do you sell somebody a toy and not tell them it is the first life form on earth and the single best clue to the origin of life?
So once again, I set out to find a way to explain this.
This whole collection of activity and ideas started with a single, simple idea: Code World is the genetic code, and life is playing Code World.
In a single instant, I knew this was true, I understood it, I knew what it meant. Because of that, I thought everybody else could do the same. All I would need do was show it to people and it would have the exact same effect.
Boy was I ever wrong about that.
There are lots of problems with this notion. Perhaps the biggest problem was that I failed to understand just exactly how it was that I knew all this in the first place, and why I understood it, and why it had such great meaning.
Also, people seem to think this is a small idea with few consequences. That's a laugh. I can't imagine a bigger idea with more consequences than this one. We need not go into that here.
So I started writing again. I actually began by starting a novel. I always wanted to write a novel. Then I needed help with the novel. I needed somebody to invent a new branch of mathematics for me, and so I did what I could to describe that branch of mathematics and how I would use it in the novel. Then I wrote a piece to describe why that branch of mathematics was needed and where it would fit into the larger picture. Then people, once again, said they couldn't understand a word of it, and I needed to dum it down. So I basically wrote the second piece again, and hopefully made it dum enough.
These three pieces represent about 80,000 words, to go along with the million or so words I'd already written. Now I realize that these new pieces merely describe what Code World is; they don't explain what it means. To me, that is perhaps the most important part, so I finally wrote that one too..
Ironically, the one thing I haven't finished is the novel, and I probably won't. Who'd ever read that?
These pieces are presented here in reverse order. They are merely first drafts, and that's probably all they will ever be. Quite a bit of redundancy can be expected. Quite a bit of insanity can be expected. I happily acknowledge that I am totally insane. That's exactly what it takes to do anything like this. But I'm also totally sure that all of this stuff is totally right.
Thus completes the circle of insanity.
1. The Meaning of Code World
2. Code World Model of the Origin and Operation of Life
3. Crystal Concept of Genetic Information
4. Description of a new branch of mathematics based on Code World
So that's where it stands for now.
I am going to start selling some toys and see how it goes. I am putting this out there in this form because I can't think of any other way to do it. I've tried everything I can think of and nothing seems to work.
I guess I'm not really giving up, even though I said I was. It's just too important, and it is fun… in a sad sort of way.
This is the best way to explain it: Code World is the genetic code, and life is playing Code World.
If that's not important to you, I can surely understand that. Half the adult population thinks Natural Selection is a scientific hoax, and the earth is only 6,000 years old. I can understand why they would be naturally repelled by the idea that a toy has something to do with the logical formation of life on earth.
I'm going to leave the rest of this website pretty much the way it is because I don't have time to mess with it, and it's not hurting anybody. It is a living museum of the various ways I have tried to explain this whole thing. The ideas are still good, useful, and entertaining. It's a gold mine if you are looking for ideas in this area. You just need to take a lot of it with a grain of salt.
July 19, 2014
Old stuff:
The Perfect Code Theory is a name I have given to a collection of ideas about molecular information to contrast them with the ideas that make up the conventional theory about the genetic code and its role in protein formation. The central premise of my theory is that a perfect code of spatial logic exists in the universe. The co-dependent processes of DNA and protein formation are consequences of that logic. Conversely, the narrow relationship between codons and amino acids - at first called the genetic code - reflects but a tiny portion of that logic. A proper understanding of protein formation will now require a complete rejection of the conventional theory. Furthermore, an enlightened view of the fundamental logic driving life on earth will require a proper understanding of the relationship between nucleotides and protein as it manifests a real molecular system of information based on a perfect code of spatial logic.
To be honest, articulation of my theory to date has mostly consisted of simply complaining that the old theory is completely wrong. I have a number of good reasons to believe this, but it has proven insufficient to merely call for the outright rejection of a universally accepted theory. So, I am now offering The Perfect Code Theory as a positive alternative rather than merely a negation of the universally accepted theory. I will put forth a number of hypotheses, arguments, explanations and proofs to support my general theory, and I will compare and contrast the implications of these with those of the conventional theory. Ultimately one must decide whether to keep or reject the conventional theory since it is mutually exclusive with the Perfect Code Theory.
A quick understanding of my theory can be gained by way of analogy with ordinary table salt, which is a sodium chloride crystal. There exists a perfect code of spatial logic in the universe that guides the formation of table salt. This logic can be completely described by a cube. Formation of the crystal is achieved by individual atoms of sodium and chloride organizing themselves according to the logic demonstrated by the vertices of dual tetrahedrons that form a cube. The "plan" for table salt is to make cubes from sodium tetrahedrons dual to chloride tetrahedrons. The only molecular machinery required is the molecular cube itself. The molecular information it generates and stores is trivial. In comparison, the Perfect Code Theory holds that a similar "plan" exists for protein and DNA. It is based not on a single form but on logical relationships between forms. The spatial logic is only slightly more complex, but the molecular manifestation of that logic is indeed profoundly complex, and the machinery required to translate the molecular information it generates encompasses a good part of known biochemistry. Life represents the function of time-dependent creation and accumulation of molecular information in this system of spatial logic. The general concept is deceptively simple, but the task of describing its actual operation will surely challenge the limits of human cognition.
The reason that I have chosen the name 'the Perfect Code Theory' is because it puts my theory in stark opposition to the conventional theory. It is currently an accepted idea that no spatial information is stored in DNA and translated into protein. This idea exists in numerous word forms, but it can be communicated by saying that the genetic code is one-dimensional. This means that the relationship between codons and amino acids exists only to translate sequences of nucleotides into sequences of amino acids. The one dimension of molecular information stored in DNA and translated into protein is manifest by a sequence of amino acids found in every protein. If this were true then no code of spatial logic – perfect or otherwise – is ever required to generate this system in nature or to describe this molecular system amongst man. However, this central idea has never actually been tested or empirically demonstrated to be true. In fact it is logically unappealing, conceptually devastating, and it has proven time and again to be empirically false. Therefore, only when we systematically explore the ramifications of the Perfect Code Theory will we finally realize the epistemic devastation that is wrought by the false central premise of the conventional theory. The contrast cannot be more stark: either protein formation is based on spatial logic or it is completely devoid of it. The choice is clear; the choice has been made, and the choice that was made is clearly wrong. It is time to consider alternative theories, and that is precisely what I am doing here.
Older stuff::
This website is a collection of fanciful ramblings about symmetry and the genetic code. We hope you enjoy it. There is a lot of material here, and perhaps it strays a bit more than it should, so to cut to the chase here are some stunning conclusions about the genetic code.
Although seemingly heretical, these statements are all logically true or have been experimentally proven true. Anyone who would like to dispute any of these claims should contact me at the above link, and I will post your argument and your evidence here.
It appears that life is doing math with molecules. There is a striking similarity to life on earth and the history of mathematics, where the development of our complex and various branches of mathematics parallel that of a living system of molecules interacting to exchange molecular information. Unfortunately, our accepted model of this system is flawed and entirely inadequate. We have no formal system for defining key components of the system and therefore have no hope of understanding the relationships between these components. The language and icons that we currently use are wholly inadequate. Therefore, all of biology will benefit by adopting the basic tools and techniques used for centuries by mathematicians to build a logical and coherent system of thought and communication. I believe that set theory will provide a foundation of logic and the essential tools for defining key components of biological systems and the informative relationships between them. I believe that symmetry and groups will be a key component of quantifying molecular information and achieving a better understanding of its translation.
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Material on this Website is copyright Rafiki, Inc. 2003-2007 ©
Last updated July 19, 2014 6:54 AM


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Best iPhone 5 PAYG nano-SIM options for traveling to Canada
If you're visiting Canada with a GSM unlocked iPhone 5, you have several Pay As You Go, or prepaid, options to consider. Nano-SIM availability is still hit and miss. There's not reason you shouldn't be able to get one, since every major carrier and subsidiary is currently carrying the iPhone 5. However, getting them to give you one for short-term PAYG might be a battle, or could incur an additional charge.
Canadian carriers like Rogers, Bell, and TELUS all have discount subsidiaries, namely Fide/Chatr, Virgin, and Koodo, so we're going to focus on those. Other carriers, like Moblicity, Wind, and Videotron use AWS frequencies (like T-Mobile in the U.S.) and don't currently support the iPhone.
You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.
Chatr is a Rogers subsidiary, like Fido, with cheap plans. However, it's hard to find a dedicated Chatr location to get a nano-SIM, and while we've heard Rogers and Fido can activate nano-SIM cards on Chatr, not every customer service rep (CSR) may know that, and not every CSR may be willing to do so.
Chatr has a wide range of no-contract plans, though data is limited to the $45 plan that includes:
- Unlimited incoming talk
- Unlimited outgoing talk within Canada
- Unlimited US and Canada texts
- 100MB of data ($0.10 per MB for each additional MB)
If you're willing to go without data and stick to Wi-Fi, you can also get a different $45 plan that includes
- Unlimited incoming talk
- Unlimited outgoing talk within Canada
- 20 minutes of international long distance
- Unlimited International texts
Additional charges apply for overages.
Fido is also a Rogers affiliate and while they may be more expensive than Chatr, they can also be easier to find and get a non-SIM card activated. There are also several voice and data options to consider.
The most robust voice plan is $39.97 a month and includes:
- Unlimited local calls
- Unlimited international incoming and outgoing texts
Data add-ons include:
- $10 for 100MB (+ $0.15 a MB)
- $25 for 500MB (+ $0.5 a MB)
Virgin Mobile
Virgin is a Bell subsidiary that offers several prepaid options. The $35 smartphone plan includes the following:
- Unlimited incoming calls (US & Canada long distance is a $30 add-on)
- Unlimited weekends and evenings
- Unlimited US & Canada incoming and outgoing texts
- 250MB of data (+ $0.05 a MB, 1GB of data is a $35 add-on))
Koodo is a TELUS subsidiary with prepaid plans and "boosters" that seem geared towards in-Canada use (if you want to call or text outside Canada, try someone else). The $35 base plan includes:
- Unlimited Canadian texts
- Unlimited incoming calls
- Unlimited local evenings and weekend calls
Data boosters include
- $10 for 100 MB
- $25 for 500 MB
- $35 for 1 GB
Other options
If you have trouble getting a nano-SIM, you can try an Apple Retail Store. As pointed out by Çingleton on ADN They have them for most major local carriers and should be willing to give you one. (Flash your iPhone 5 or a receipt if you have to.) Most carriers have told us there's no difference between a prepaid and postpaid SIM, so it's worth a try.
It's also worth mentioning that nano-SIM "cutters" are available online to enable brave users to trim down micro-SIMs to nano-SIM size. If the gold contacts are the right size, you should be able to use one of these hole punch-like devices to cut down the plastic around your micro-SIM so that it's the correct size for iPhone 5. You can also attempt this manually using a good old-fashioned pair of scissors, if you're feeling adventurous.
Cutting down SIM cards can be hit and miss, though, so proceed at your own risk if you decide to go ahead with this. However, if successful, you'd be able to slice down any micro-SIM and use a PAYG SIM from any provider in your iPhone 5.
We've reached out to the other major mobile networks to see if they plan on offering PAYG nano-SIMs anytime soon. We'll update this article with any new information they provide.
- See all international pre-paid/PAYG options
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.