The Move to Cloud Repatriation: Why Organizations Are Making the Move – Part 2
Kidney stone grant to create research resource for adults and children
The project will create the Urinary Stone Disease Hub, known as USDHub, with de-identified patient data from over 230,000 individuals with kidney stone disease across nine health systems in the U.S.
The post Kidney stone grant to create research resource for adults and children appeared first on VUMC News.
Eid-el Maulud: Nigerians Are Grappling With Pain Of Economic Challenges – Peter Obi
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has decried hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of economic policies of the federal government. In his Eid-el Maulud message on Monday, Peter Obi called on Nigerians to show empathy to one another. He enjoined Nigerians to embrace the message of Prophet Mohammed …
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UNIPORT reacts to report of cult clash, killing on campus
The management of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), says there was no inter gang clash that resulted in the death of any student recently. The university Spokesman, Dr Sam Kpenu, said this in a statement in Port Harcourt on Monday. Kpenu was reacting to an online video which claimed that some students of the …
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Why Jennifer Aniston’s Trainer Believes in Working Smarter, Not Harder
The one where exercise doesn't have to be a pain.
After seeing Jennifer Aniston dazzle in an Oscar de la Renta gown at the 2024 Emmys—where she was nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress...Pac-12 expansion: Idea of raiding the Mountain West wasn’t new, but this time, it wasn’t ignored
Before the Pac-12 collapsed, the former commissioner was presented with the idea of adding the top Mountain West schools.
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Tito Jackson visited Michael memorial in Munich days before his unexpected death at 70
"Thank you for keeping his spirit alive," Tito captioned a photo of himself and his brothers Jackie and Marlon paying their respects to Michael last week.
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I spent £30 on an Amazon mystery box from eBay… I got £300 in products but there’s a serious catch
I spent £39.99 on a mystery box of Amazon returns – and unwrapped an amazing £302 of electrical gadgets.
On the one hand, I thought I’d discovered an amazing at-home money-spinner – but I soon realised there are lots of caveats and hacks that I want to share before you dive in.
It all started when I saw a post from an influencer who bought a mystery box of Amazon returns for £25.
I decided to do the same and began pouring over listings on eBay, using search terms like “Amazon returns box” and “Amazon ex-warehouse box”.
At first I thought finding a huge box of mystery items would be easy – but in fact most of the listings are open boxes where you can see the kinds of things you will receive.
One advantage of this was that I could avoid a box load of dog leads or a stock pile of cat food on sale for just £25 with the simple fact that I am not a pet owner.
Yet there were drawbacks and red flags which I couldn’t escape.
The most common fear which came to mind was wondering when the sellers were opening the boxes to show what’s inside, surely they’d cherry pick the best stuff to sell it themselves?
That seemed to be true when I clicked on the eBay sellers’ stores: many sell boxes of returns, with a few high-value items separately listed.
But back to my box.
The options ranged from £10 listings with just a couple of items, to enormous pallets of Amazon returns costing £300.
I went for one called “box of Amazon customer returns – (30+) electronics accessories & consumables” for £39.99.
The images showed a few headphones and a camera that looked unopen and easy to sell.
Then I had to pay another £10 for delivery, which I knew would eat into any profit I hoped to make.
It took four days for the parcel to be delivered, and I excitedly unboxed the contents.
First impression? There was LOADS. And much to my relief they were what they said they would be: I could see the Amazon packaging and barcodes on individual items.
The first Amazon returns I pulled out were a smart home camera, worth over £120 and sports sunglasses for £20.
Then there were about 10 phone cases, some boxed which I put aside to list on eBay or for a car boot sale, some clearly cracked, broken or for such old phone models I couldn’t imagine much demand.
A wired computer headset was new and unused, listed on Amazon for £29.
Other new and unbroken items included a Go Pro-style action camera, dome speaker, TV aerial, aluminium tripod, HDMI splitter and other cables, printer cartridges, ethernet cables, DVD player, and ring light.
These would definitely bring in more than the initial £50 investment if someone listed them individually on a site like Vinted or eBay.
What is an Amazon mystery box?
AMAZON mystery boxes offer a long list of items for those willing to part with their cash with the hope of discovering a hidden gem.
Savvy shoppers should be cautious if hoping to hop on the trend of mystery boxes with many buyers having already been scammed.
Whilst those buying from credible sources such as Amazon, mystery boxes offer bargain buyers the chance to nab any number of defected stock.
Mystery boxes could hold an array of items from returns which have been opened before posting back to the sender to damaged packaging.
The collective retail sale price of the items contained in the box usually ranks far higher than what mystery box buyers will actually pay.
This is why so many customers are willing to run the risk in the hope of finding a hidden treasure.
However, it wasn’t all so successful.
My kids joined in the unboxing and we were all excited to see a blue headphone set and another multicoloured cat design.
But when we pulled them out of their boxes, one was cracked and another had loose wires hanging out.
With little idea of how to restore these myself, I was forced to bin them, as well as several of the phone cases.
This meant that I was now left with less items and the guilt of adding to landfill when Amazon should be taking responsibility for its broken returned goods.
Some of the items were also impossible to identify: phone cases with strange holes that left them unidentifiable as to what model they were made for and mystery cables bundled at the bottom.
The most high-value item, the £120 home security camera, just had one solitary wire in the box, no manual and no other packaging.
It had definitely been used, and without owning the security system myself I had no way to check if it worked, so couldn’t risk selling a dodgy or broken item and ruining my seller rating on a site like eBay.
Overall, I really enjoyed the fun of unboxing the Amazon returns and definitely can make money out of it: the £302 value doesn’t include broken or unknown goods, like the security camera.
But it does relate to the sale price of the items new on Amazon, where in reality for a listing on any kind of selling or auction site, I’d have to slash the cost to make the sale.
Still, even if it went for half price that’s £150, meaning a £100 profit once the cost of buying the mystery box is accounted for.
For anyone who likes the thrill of buying and selling or is looking for an easy at-home money-spinner that fits in with school runs and other jobs, this could be a money-maker for you.
Everything in my Amazon return box
- KWMobile onePlus 10T 5G black matte £5 new
- KDD Tablet Desktop Stand – £26
- Status 3 x USB Cube Socket – £13
- Cat kids wireless headset – broken
- Amazon basics lightweight tripod £8
- Earbay USB Headset With Microphone For Laptop, PC Headphones With Mic Noise Cancelling, Computer Headsets With In-Line Volume Control & Mute, Compatible with Ms teams, Zoom, Webex, Office, Home – £29
- Kitvision escape 4KW 4K action camera – 1080p at 60fp – Waterproof Case 30m, £25
- Amazon Basics 127 cm (50 inch) lightweight Tripod with Bag, Black / Brown, £18
- Ink cartridges x 4 (unbranded) 202XL
- Labgear LDA101K 1-Way Aerial Amplifier, £20
- TV Aerial, 4K Digital TV Aerial for Freeview TV, £18
- YisrLery 3 in 1 clear silicon phone case – dirty and cracked
- Three more defunct / broken phone cases
- Dayton Audio Midrange speaker, used, £10
- Philips Headphones TAE4105 £5
- Venker Headset 2 M Length Headphones with In-Line Control, £20
- Ezviz C8C smart home camera £120, but appears to be missing wires / unsure if working
- Lloytron radio alarm clock £13
- Sports sunglass camera £20
- Type C to 10/100 mbps ethernet network adapter £5
- HDMI splitter £3
- Black ink cartridge £20
- Yellow ink cartridge £3
- Roxel DVD player, used, s700 £27
- AixpI ring light 10”, £13
The Sun has approached Amazon for comment.
Where to find mystery boxes
MYSTERY boxes are becoming more and more popular, with people keen to take a gamble in buying one. But where can you get one from?
Charity shops
Lots of charity shops have started putting together mystery boxes as a way to get rid of stock that they’ve been otherwise unable to sell. While you can never guarantee what you’re going to get, these boxes are usually cheaper than ones bought elsewhere.
eBay
Many retailers use eBay to sell their stock, with options on the auction site including unclaimed luggage or parcel returns, all put together in a mystery box. It’s not like a normal ‘auction’ though – there will usually be a buy it now price so it’s just like any other internet transaction.
Online retailers
As the popularity of mystery boxes increases, other retailers have started selling them in the hope that they will be a hit among customers. Have a look on sites such as Amazon, Etsy and Wowcher, and you’ll often find the mystery boxes are listed by genre too.
If there’s a particular niche mystery box you’re looking for, it’s always worth searching for it. There are so many websites out there selling mystery boxes, you’ll undoubtedly find what you’re after.
As with buying anything online, make sure you are purchasing from a trusted retailer and a secure website.
I refused to pay £227 Wagamama bill & walked out – I don’t work and had the right to dine and dash for specific reason
A MUM-OF-TWO who refused to pay a £227 Wagamama bill argued it was her right – for one specific reason.
Greedy Rosemary McDonagh stuffed herself at the restaurant branch in Ashford, Kent with mates before fleeing when it came to pay.
The dine-and-dasher, 23, appeared at Maidstone Magistrates court today where she defended her actions.
She argued a strand of hair in her meal meant she should not have to pay for it.
As reported by KentOnline, she said: “Back then, between December and April, I was in a bad relationship and my head was all over the place.
“I did complain [in Wagamama] as I wasn’t happy to pay the bill for them.”
The young mum-of-two, who is part of a travelling community and lives with her parents, added : “I don’t work, I am on benefits and I get £600 Universal Credit a month.
“I also get child benefits, but that’s for the kids, and I get PIP for my mental health – that’s about £400 to £500 a month.”
The court heard how Rosemary was previously handed a community order for stealing.
At her sentencing, she also admitted to thieving £190 worth of bedding from Dunelm last year.
Prosecutor Ranji Prashar said: “There were five or six others who ordered food, which came to £226.90, and the others left and it was her and one other still there.
“She then complained there was a hair in her dish and [the meal] was removed and she was offered another, but she refused to pay and then left the restaurant.
“During interview, she made no comment.”
Last Tuesday, McDonagh, of Barnhurst Road, Maidstone, admitted shoplifting and a charge of making off without payment in relation to the Wagamama offence.
She was fined £138 for the Wagamama dine-and-dash and ordered to pay the restaurant £50 compensation for her meal.
Rosemary was also ordered to pay Dunelm £150 compensation for the bedding she stole.
The chairman of the bench warned her: “This must stop or you will be in serious trouble. You have two young children to think about.”
It comes after a greedy family-of-eight were caught stuffing their faces with £329 worth of grub – only to leave without paying.
The shameless clan dined on T-bone steaks, over a dozen soft drinks, and delved into second helpings of dessert, when they visited the Bella Ciao Italian in Port Talbot near Swansea.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his wife Ann McDonagh, 39, were later pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.
Elsewhere, one woman boasted of being the ‘most wanted’ dine-and-dasher, after allegedly cheating pubs and restaurants out of hundreds.
The serial offender has been caught on CCTV multiple times executing her plan as she hits venues in Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole.
Meanwhile, two men stuffed their faces with over £110 worth of food before fleeing a Vietnamese restaurant in a “perfect plan”.
They guzzled beer and gorged on spicy beef pho, rice and noodles for two hours at Viet80s in Nottingham.
Plus, one pub was ravaged by a ‘dine and dash’ family of 12, who dodged a bill of £260 – including a steak and ten pints.
And, watch the shocking moment a gang of pensioners appeared to distract staff to allegedly skip out on a £100 bill was caught on camera.
DINE-AND-DASH LAW EXPLAINED
If a customer or group ‘dine-and-dash’, they could be charged under section 3 of the 1978 Theft Act.
This deals with people who eat out and leave without paying.
It is considered theft if there is a failure to pay when it is known that payment is required for goods or services.
The offence can carry a prison sentence of up to two years
Hollyoaks fans furious as character is axed in time jump – and it’s not even shown on screen
HOLLYOAKS fans are furious as teen Charlie Dean has vanished from the Channel 4 soap with no explanation.
It was confirmed that Charlie Behan, who plays the teen, would be leaving Hollyoaks. However, details of his exit remain unclear.
Hollyoaks unprecedented time jump went into effect on September 9 with a huge stunt week to kick off the action.
The Channel 4 soap has axed 20 beloved characters in the process.
Hollyoaks bosses confirmed that some characters would be killed off or simply vanish from screens after the one year time jump under the guise of having moved away from Chester village during that time.
However, in the chaos of the time jump, not every departing character’s storyline has been revealed.
Charlie has vanished in the time jump, leaving fans completely confused about what’s happened to the character.
He has been a regular fixture on the soap for over a decade.
Actor Charlie joined the soap in 2011, taking over the role from Joshua McConville.
Fuming about his exit not being shown on screen, fans tools to X, formerly Twitter, to complain.
“NOOOO CHARLIE IS GONE. He didn’t even get an on screen exit,” one fan moaned.
Confused, another asked: “So has Charlie left or…??”
While a third complained: “Like I legit cannot believe they’ve gotten rid of characters like Charlie, Leah, James, yet keeping characters who have the same old storyline every year. Like they should be cutting a lot of the McQueens instead of them.”
Other viewers pondered if Charlie’s exit is going to happen completely off-screen or if the actor will return briefly to screens to show his character’s departure.
Many fans are hopeful this is the case, though there is no chance of him returning to Chester for good, as Charlie’s exit was confirmed in August.
A source said: “Charlie’s leaving is a big decision, but it’s time for him to spread his wings.
Hollyoaks - cast member cull
HOLLYOAKS beauty Chelsee Healey has dropped the biggest hint yet she's been axed from the soap - yet what's happening at the Channel 4 show?
Earlier this year, the Channel 4 soap was forced to address the cull of cast members.
It came after The Sun was first to report Hollyoaks bosses plan to kill off a whopping 20 cast members.
Now Chelsee, who recently took time away from her role as Goldie McQueen to give birth to her second daughter, has now made a cryptic move on X.
The Manchester lass, 36, re-posted a picture of her character crying to her page.
It came after Stephanie Waring, famed for her 28-year-long role as Cindy Cunningham, confirmed that soap bosses had axed her as part of the 20-person strong cast cull.
Another big name set to quit for good is popstar turned soap star Jamelia.
The soap’s resident hunk and TV favourite Owen Warner has also left the show amid the cuts with fans left devastated to say goodbye to his character Romeo Nightingale.
Jamie Lomas has also quit the show and will depart his Warren Fox role soon.
Haiesha Mistry famed for her role as Yasmine Maalik has also left after seven years.
“There are big changes at Hollyoaks and he’s going to miss everyone there, but he’s excited for the future.”
The time jump has been a long time coming, with Hollyoaks ending the contracts of many beloved actors over recent months.
The soap notably killed off Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood) in a dramatic car crash at the beginning of the year.
In addition, long-serving cast member Stephanie Waring was axed unceremoniously by bosses after 28 years of service.
Mercedes McQueen was one of the few characters Channel 4 bosses confirmed would remain on the soap. However, it seems fans would have preferred to see Charlie stick around instead.
