text:
Impact of Covid-19 On Contact Centers
The crisis that is COVID-19 really exposes the way companies support their customers – which is why it's so important to deliver customer experience in an empathetic way.
From a business perspective, the pandemic has been one of the most challenging times many of us have experienced and the contact center industry is on the front-line. Braxtel has customers across the globe, comprising all sizes and market sectors.This has given us a unique inside view on the challenges faced by businesses during and exiting the pandemic.
When a crisis strikes unexpectedly customers must be heard and understood. They're very intuitive and understand what feels like genuine concern and empathy as opposed to what feels like marketing or sales scripting.
This isn't something new, we all know the common thread in great customer service follows a narrative of empathy which creates trust and engenders loyalty.
However, COVID-19 has accelerated this need for empathetic service, as customers are interacting with organisations under often extremely stressful circumstances – such as customers calling to renegotiate or defer mortgage payments due to enforced hardship.
A sense of "we have your back" is key, helping customer service agents build instant empathy and trust. Modern contact center technology can really impact this and where its lacking, identify it and ensure it's improved upon.
1) Contact center as a Service (CCaaS) in order to react & create.
While CCaaS agents are assisting people with massively stressful requests, they also face their own challenges, such as quickly and effectively shifting to working from home.
The flexibility of cloud platforms and subscription-based service models certainly assisted with this transition, but we've also seen the growing importance of automation in helping to scale customer support while maintaining a high level of customer experience.
Braxtel has been advising customers on automated technologies such as Artificial intelligence, voicebots, chatbots and omnichannel for some time now, including integrating with business automation applications – and the strengths of these tools have delivered significant cost management and increased revenue benefits during the pandemic.
Automate simple and repetitive transactions and allow more stressful interactions to be dealt with understanding and substance.
The agility of the cloud meant many organisations were able to react quickly to cope with change. A Braxtel customer switched 110 people to work from home within 24 hours. Rather than reducing headcount due to COVID-19's impact on the market, they began to target new opportunities that the pandemic created.
2) The reality dawns on business continuity.
Events such as COVID-19 doesn't just require flexible cloud-based technology. Business continuity planning is now more than just a tick box in an UC/IT strategy. While many organisations had Business Continuity Plans, the majority never had a contingency where all personnel were forced to work from home.
While many companies were able to achieve this painstakingly a lengthy and costly period, those with cloud-based contact centers were able to do it within 24 hours.
Financial institutions adoption of Braxtel Cloud enabled it to move contact center staff from one site to multiple remote locations, while dealing with a 73% increase in calls and achieving no disruption to service or the quality of that service.
COVID-19 has finally broken down the work-from-home (WFH) resistance in many other organisations and Braxtel believe this will continue to be a working model for contact centers, providing staff with more flexibility and businesses with a broader talent pool, when they no longer have the limit of a physical location.
3) Onboarding and logistics.
Business leaders are rethinking their on-shore / off-shore contact center strategy after a number of organisations found their off-shore capability greatly reduced as the pandemic spread around the globe, particularly as it hit areas where WFH isn't always possible or vaccine roll outs are considerably retarded.
A shortage of agents, combined with an unprecedented surge in customer support requests created the perfect storm for many businesses. This capability meltdown caused unparalleled local onshore challenges for organisations which saw some training other staff to be contact center agents. This requires robust and flexible CCaaS training technology to quickly get them up to speed, and a number of organisations are taking this opportunity to optimise their onboarding and training processes for the future.
4) Enhance workforce customer analytics.
We have seen a clear take up around tools such as busines analytics to deliver a much deeper understanding of the stress encountered by both customers and contact center agents alike. Businesses look to help their people adjust to working from home, especially when they are also juggling every day tasks such as homeschooling or childcare. Braxtel are commonly seeing customers splitting agent working hours into smaller chunks to provide greater flexibility, a practice which may stay in place once the pandemic is over.
Businesses are also working hard to alleviate mental health issues around isolation. Ensuring team social time and common breaks.
Such things can be easily overlooked but they remain best practice for contact centers and more importantly well being during this critical period.
5) Survivability and growth.
It's often assumed that people will be averse to change but COVID-19 has shown that people will rise to any challenge and often its the overly conservative nature of the business that prevented positive change.
Their resilience and determination have increased innovation, creativity, collaboration and connection to new levels.
This crisis has also given people an opportunity to show just how skilled and capable they are while debunking the myths surrounding what roles could or should work remotely. This is a particular insight that businesses can take away whilst they start to plan post-lockdown restrictions. There is no better time than now to implement change as we create new norms in our work and life integration.
To learn how to effectively manage remote agents and teams in your call center and enjoy initial price support to assist in your transition, click and complete.


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Hans Schipulle (* 13. März 1913 in Berlin; † nach 1969) war ein deutscher Dokumentarfilmer (Regie und Produktion).

Leben und Wirken
Der Sohn des gleichnamigen Musikers hatte nach dem Abitur Volkswirtschaft studiert und anschließend, Mitte der 1930er Jahre, bei der Tobis-Mélo eine Ausbildung zum Schnittmeister erhalten. Seit 1936 war Hans Schipulle Mitarbeiter in der Kulturfilmabteilung der Tobis und stellte in den folgenden 33 Jahren in den unterschiedlichsten Funktionen (vor allem Regie, Drehbuch, Schnitt) eine Fülle von Dokumentar-, Kultur- und Industriefilmen her. Gleich seine erste Produktion "Die Kamera fährt mit", eine dokumentarische Arbeit über die Erstellung von Wochenschauberichten, erhielt noch im selben Jahr 1936 die Goldmedaille auf der Kunstbiennale.

In der filmfreien Zeit gleich nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg verdiente sich Hans Schipulle zwischen 1947 und 1949 seinen Lebensunterhalt als Synchrontexter und Dialogregisseur bei der Internationalen Film-Union in Remagen. 1949 nahm er seine Arbeit als Filmhersteller mit der Gründung der eigenen Firma Melophon-Film GmbH wieder auf. Zu dieser Zeit begann Schipulle auch Synchronfassung US-amerikanischer Spielfilme herzustellen. Nach 1969 verliert sich die Spur des Wahl-Münchners.

Filmografie
 1936: Die Kamera fährt mit
 1937: Das Reich des Steinadlers
 1938: Der große Tag von Hamburg
 1939: Der Trichter
 1940: Baumeisterin Chemie
 1943: Im Land der wilden Stiere
 1950: Schwarzwald – Uhrenland
 1953: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
 1955: Robert Koch, ein Wohltäter der Menschheit
 1955: Sterne fallen vom Himmel
 1957: Weben und Wirken
 1957: Kleine Welt – ganz groß
 1959: Vom Daniel zum hohen Licht
 1960: Symbol und Geschichte
 1961: Drei Farben
 1962: Achtung! Strahlen!
 1966: Vom Feldzeichen zum Bundeswappen
 1969: Ein Zoo hat Geburtstag

Literatur
 Glenzdorfs Internationales Film-Lexikon, Dritter Band, Bad Münder 1961, S. 1498

Weblinks

Dokumentarfilmer
Filmregisseur
Deutscher
Geboren 1913
Gestorben im 20. oder 21. Jahrhundert
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: SQL query works in Workbench, but not in Laravel I've got a query:
SELECT DATE_FORMAT(created_at,'%Y-%m') as x, COUNT(created_at) as y FROM table GROUP BY DATE_FORMAT(created_at,'%Y-%m') ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 12;

It works in MySQL Workbench, but when I paste query in Laravel using DB::select(); return error below:
SQLSTATE[42000]: Syntax error or access violation: 1055 Expression #1 of ORDER BY clause is not in GROUP BY clause and contains nonaggregated column 'user.table.id' which is not functionally dependent on columns in GROUP BY clause; this is incompatible with sql_mode=only_full_group_by (SQL: SELECT DATE_FORMAT(created_at,'%Y-%m') as x, COUNT(created_at) as y FROM table GROUP BY DATE_FORMAT(created_at,'%Y-%m') ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 12;)

When I delete ORDER BY id DESC it works perfectly, but I need to reverse table and select only 12 last rows. Any ideas how to fix it?

A: You're using group by , and with group by your ids are different and will not select in this query.
You can use order by x

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
ACCEPTED

#### According to
The Catalogue of Life, 3rd January 2011

#### Published in
null

#### Original name
Epipactis mairei var. humilior

### Remarks
null

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Highest active time is how busy your drive is processing read/write requests. So if you have a platter drive it could be the heads moving to read data etc. A good example is if you are reading highly fragmented files, then you would have a lot of activity but little throughput.
When S.M.A.R.T. data indicates a possible imminent drive failure, software running on the host system can notify an Atera Agent so the stored data can be copied to another storage device, preventing data loss, and the failing drive can be replaced.
This new option is useful for monitoring services, for example a DNS service.
This feature provides the option to monitor multi-part events in one line.
This feature allows monitoring of Windows process details via Threshold Item.
Alerts will be received for processes that are not running as expected when this option is enabled.
Excluded Drives allows you to exclude one or more drives from being monitored in a Threshold Profile e.g. you may wish to exclude a USB drive from being monitored.
Note: Excluding a drive applies the exclusion to all of the Agents associated to the profile.


text:
Иван Викторов Димитров е български лекар, генерал-майор, член-кореспондент на БАН, народен деятел на науката (1982).

Биография
Роден е на 28 януари 1916 г. в Пазарджик. През 1942 г. завършва медицина в София. Започва работа като участъков лекар в пазарджишкото село Бяга. Там остава 2 години. Взема участие във войната срещу Германия. От 1945 г. е ординатор в урологичното отделение на Общовойсковата болница в София. Там се учи от пионера на българската урология д-р Таню Танев. Защитава кандидатска дисертация. През 1959 г. застава начело на урологичното отделение, а през 1962 г. то е преобразувано в Клиника по урология към Военномедицинска академия. Димитров остава на поста директор на клиниката до смъртта си. От 1963 г. е доцент, а от 1969 г. и професор и генерал-майор от медицинската служба към армията. През 1972 г. става председател на Българското урологично дружество. От 1973 до 1983 г. е първи заместник-началник по лечебната част на ВММИ. През 1977 г. става член-кореспондент на БАН. Освен това е редовен член на Световното дружество по урология и Европейската асоциация по урология. Написва над 250 монографии, статии и доклади. С указ № 785 от 6 април 1973 г. е обявен за герой на социалистическия труд.

Умира на 25 август 1983 г. в София от урологично заболяване. Носител на орден "Народна република България" I ст. (1981), орден "Народна свобода 1941 – 1944 г.", орден "9 септември 1944 г.", "Георги Димитров" (1973, 1976). Носител на званието "Заслужил деятел на науката" (1972), народен деятел на науката (1982).

Бележки

Генерал-майори от НРБ
Генерали от медицинската служба
Български военни лекари
Член-кореспонденти на БАН
Герои на социалистическия труд на България
Носители на орден "Георги Димитров"
Носители на орден "Народна република България" I степен
Народни деятели на науката
Родени в Пазарджик
Починали в София
Български уролози


1. See William J. Critchlow, Jr., "Manuscript, Lost 116 Pages," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., ed. Daniel H. Ludlow (New York, NY: Macmillan, 1992), 2:854–855.
2. See "Book of Mormon, 1830," p. [iii], online at josephsmithpapers.org.
3. After the loss of the 116 pages, Joseph Smith's divine gift to translate was temporarily suspended. In a revelation, he was told to not attempt to retranslate the missing pages because wicked men with the stolen copy would seek to undermine the credibility of the work (see D&C 10). Instead, when the translation resumed in April of 1829, the translators just picked up where the translation had previously had left off, near the beginning of the Book of Mosiah. Evidence indicates that, contrary to most readers' expectations, Nephi's small plates (1 Nephi through Omni) were most likely translated after the abridgments and personal writings of Mormon and Moroni. When the Book of Mormon was being prepared for publication, it was rearranged in the order that we know it today, with the translation of the small plates at the beginning, followed by Words of Mormon and then Mosiah. See John W. Welch, "The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon," in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, ed. John W. Welch, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2017), 98–103, 121–125.
4. The following summary is largely adapted from Don Bradley, "American Proto-Zionism and the 'Book of Lehi': Recontextualizing the Rise of Mormonism," (M.A. Thesis, Utah State University, 2018), 28–30.
5. Elder Kim B. Clark has explained, "Without Lehi's record [which was lost with the 116 pages], there would be no account of Lehi's family, the journey to the promised land, or the origin of the Nephites and Lamanites. In May of 1829 the Lord revealed to Joseph a plan, centuries in the making, to replace the book of Lehi with what we now know as the small plates of Nephi." Kim B. Clark, "Thou Art Joseph," Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, May 7, 2017, online at lds.org.
6. See 1 Nephi 1:16; 6:3; 9:2.
7. S. Kent Brown, "Recovering the Missing Record of Lehi," in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1998), 30.
8. See Brown, "Recovering the Missing Record of Lehi," 28–54; S. Kent Brown, "Nephi's Use of Lehi's Record," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 3–14.
9. Bradley, "American Proto-Zionism and the 'Book of Lehi'," 28–29.
10. See John A. Tvedtnes, "Contents of the 116 Lost Pages and the Large Plates," in The Most Correct Book: Insights from a Book of Mormon Scholar (Salt Lake City, UT: Cornerstone Publishing, 1999), 38–40.
11. See Book of Mormon Central, "Why Did Lehi Divide His People into Seven Tribes? (Jacob 1:13)," KnoWhy 319 (May 29, 2017).
12. See Bradley, "American Proto-Zionism and the 'Book of Lehi'," 29.
13. See Bradley, "American Proto-Zionism and the 'Book of Lehi'," 124.
14. See Bradley, "American Proto-Zionism and the 'Book of Lehi'," 120–159.
15. David A. Bednar, "'Chosen to Bear Testimony of My Name'," Ensign, November 2015, online at lds.org.
16. See "Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845," p. , bk. 7, online at josephsmithpapers.org.


Undead Labs' State of Decay made a serious splash on Xbox Live Arcade this week. The open-world zombie game has sold over a quarter million copies in its first two days, making it the second-best launch in XBLA history behind Minecraft.
State of Decay puts players right in the middle of zombie apocalypse. They'll have to establish a base for survivors to live. After that, they'll make forays into the towns and countryside to find supplies to maintain and grow the base. All the while, the survivors will have to fight off hordes of zombies. Players will switch between multiple survivors, each with their own distinct skills.
In some ways, State of Decay's launch is more impressive than Minecraft's. By the time Minecraft had come to Xbox 360, it was already a global hit on the PC, Mac and mobile devices. State of Decay, however, is a brand-new game from an untested studio with no advertising budget.
"All we had was what we believed was a great game and a great community," the company said in a blog post. "And make no mistake, a solid game is not enough, not in 2013. Plenty of great games wither away in obscurity. This train got rolling because you got out and pushed."
I think some of the success can be attributed to the popularity of The Walking Dead. State of Decay feels like a Walking Dead game, with the drama between survivors as important as the zombies themselves. The narrative isn't as tight as Telltale game. However, State makes up for the looser story by offering more action, exploration, and scares. I'm wondering how many copies this game would've sold if the Walking Dead name had been slapped on it.
Undead Labs plans to release Title Update 1 for State of Decay next week in order to address some of the major bugs with the game. They're also working on releasing the game in Germany, New Zealand and Australia.


Quebec City: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations are set to clash with a combative US President Donald Trump on Friday when they pressure him to lift sanctions on steel and aluminium they fear could lead to a trade war.
"There will be some serious disagreements on a lot of things," a Canadian official told reporters late on Thursday.
Although Trump says the tariffs are necessary to protect US industry, Canada and the European Union have denounced them as illegal and are preparing retaliatory measures.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday leaders needed to be civil at the summit but he is clearly losing patience with the US President, suggesting the other six members of the G7 could form their own grouping if necessary.
Trump showed no sign of backing down on Thursday, first taking to Twitter to accuse both France and Canada of imposing massive tariffs on US goods and then accusing Trudeau of "being so indignant."
In response, the Canadian official replied that "the prime minister and the president have very frank, direct, candid, honest conversations." Trudeau and Trump are due to meet on Friday "and they will have lots to talk about," the official added.


text:
International movement for a new Museology
Mouvement international pour une nouvelle Muséologie
Movimiento internacional para una nueva Museología
MINOM-Portugal
MINOM Reference documents
MINOM archives
XX MINOM-ICOM International Conference 2019
"Towards a 4D museology: social, environmental, political and economically sustainable" Dates of celebration: October 28-29-30-31 2019 Venue: Pazo de Tor...
Prof. Mario Chagas: "I have consciousness that this museum can produce hapiness".
Prof. Mario Chagas: "I am aware that this Museum can produce happiness" In little more than a year of management, the director of the Museum of the Republic...
Monte Redondo Museum awarded at the 9º Ibermuseus Prize of Education
The project "Renova Museum: Revitalization of a museum through educational actions" of Monte Redondo Museum, carried out in partnership with the Master's and...
2018 - 19th International Conference MINOM-ICOM- Bogota
XIX International Conference of the Movement for the New Museology (MINOM) II Latin American Chair of Museology and Cultural Heritage Management I Latin...
XX International Conference of MINOM 2019 - Lugo
The Lugo museums at the epicenter of International Social Museology The museums of the Lugo County Council will be the venue for the XX International...
Museum of the Republic´s Director go in defense of the Brazilian Institute of Museums
The Brazilian museologist Mário Chagas, 62-year-old, considers himself one of the parents of the collective process that gave bitrh to the Brazilian Institute...
MINOM's notice
We, members of the international movement for a new museology, witnessed perplexed the deconstruction and undoing of the Public Policy of Museums with a...
Condolence note for the destruction of the National Museum (Brazil)
On September 2, the fire consumed the National Museum, destroying scientific research, millennial heritage of humanity, part of Brazilian history, libraries,...
Books and articles published in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese Website Oficial Consultar todos os números...
"Towards a 4D museology: social, environmental, political and economically sustainable" Dates of celebration:...
Prof. Mario Chagas: "I am aware that this Museum can produce happiness" In little more than a year of management,...
The project "Renova Museum: Revitalization of a museum through educational actions" of Monte Redondo Museum, ...
XIX International Conference of the Movement for the New Museology (MINOM) II Latin American Chair of Museology and...
The Lugo museums at the epicenter of International Social Museology The museums of the Lugo County Council will be...
The Brazilian museologist Mário Chagas, 62-year-old, considers himself one of the parents of the collective...
We, members of the international movement for a new museology, witnessed perplexed the deconstruction and undoing of...
On September 2, the fire consumed the National Museum, destroying scientific research, millennial heritage of humanity...
Museu da Maré from Oriane Sebillotte on Vimeo.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Rhein is a river that seperates Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is the ultimte factor in the valley's history. In the last century the river got pushed into a narrow and fast barrier, so this natural beast was defeated and isolated from living creatures including human beings. Currently Austrian and Swiss authorities are negotiating towards a denaturalisation of the river. The missing partner in this huge deal is Liechtenstein. It's government hasn't decided yet to be involved.
My task was to show the vision of Fairezukunft, a group of dedicated people such as Peter Goop, Andy Götz and Mario F. Broggi. The advertising for this topic was meant to inform people about the topic in general and make the local politicians aware that there's a need to put this topic on the table.
It was a dream job coming true for me. Not just because it directly affects my familes environment, but also gave me a chance to get involved with my commitment. After working on the concept with Andy Götz, it was time to bring in my best team. The Pirate Movie Production took care of filming and editing, Christoph Holzknecht was working on the audio and touching Stephan Günther's drama voice. Boris Tücking helped me out with text. The visuals got tweaked by 4K studio.


text:
Title XXIX
PUBLIC HEALTH Chapter 406
MEDICAL EXAMINERS; DISPOSITION OF HUMAN REMAINS View Entire Chapter
F.S. 406.52
406.52 Retention of human remains before use; claim after delivery to anatomical board; procedures for unclaimed remains of indigent persons.—
(1) The anatomical board shall keep in storage all human remains that it receives for at least 48 hours before allowing their use for medical education or research. Human remains may be embalmed when received. The anatomical board may, for any reason, refuse to accept unclaimed remains or the remains of an indigent person.
(2) At any time before their use for medical education or research, human remains delivered to the anatomical board may be claimed by a legally authorized person. The anatomical board shall release the remains to the legally authorized person after payment of the anatomical board's expenses incurred for transporting, embalming, and storing the remains.
(3)(a) A board of county commissioners may by resolution or ordinance, in accordance with applicable laws and rules, prescribe policies and procedures for the burial or cremation of the entire unclaimed remains of an indigent person whose death occurred, or whose remains were found, in the county.
(b) A person licensed under chapter 497 is not liable for any damages resulting from cremating or burying such human remains at the written direction of the board of county commissioners or its designee.
History.—s. 8, ch. 28163, 1953; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 72-40; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 2, ch. 91-168; s. 2, ch. 96-251; s. 12, ch. 98-268; s. 142, ch. 2004-301; s. 8, ch. 2013-138.
Note.—Former s. 245.07.


With the increasing cost of hiring employees and downsizing, companies rely more and more on independent consultants. Consultants have many specialties - business, computers, engineering, human resources - the list is endless. The reason consultants often make from $700 to $1200 a day and you don't has nothing to do with expertise. You are probably already an expert at what you do., but need to market yourself properly. Successful consultants know how to market their skills as a business. The opportunities are flourishing, and this seminar will prepare you to take advantage of them. The field you are in now has the potential for a profitable consulting business. Learn how to find your market, make the right contacts and establish yourself as the expert to call - so you can command those high fees!


Arthur visits the doctor only to be told to cut down on the booze and cigars. Doing as the doctor suggests, Arthur experiences serious side effects, only made worse by a local builder called Benny McLeish threatening Arthur as a result of a dodgy blue paint deal. Ray steps in to help Arthur out and sets up a plan to deal with McLeish involving Morley and Park.
Facts: Arthur seems to be behaving very strangely in this episode, suffering from cold turkey as a result of cutting down on booze and cigars.
Double Take: Arthur Whybrow, who plays the landlord at the end of this episode also appeared as Paddy Hurley in #5.9 Around The Corner and 'Bozz' Boswell in #6.7 Minder On The Orient Express. Michael Watkins who is the man in the café that Arthur throws coffee over had previously appeared as casino bouncer Tony in #2.3 You Lose Some, You Win Some. Uncredited extra Terry Pummer also appeared in a credited role as Alan in #3.4 Looking For Micky and as an uncredited Heavy in #6.2 Life In The Fast Food Lane.
Title: A reference to the 1988 film 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.


Changing What's Normal - Ian Berry's Blog: Are you addicted to technology?
What's your feelings and thoughts about what Thomas is saying in his video?
Where are we going? And do we really want to go there?
Please register for my complimentary webinars on the 7 seven essential willabilities of real leadership here. Starts January 20th.


text:
HTC Vive Emulator VRidge 2.1 Update Expands NOLO and Language Support
The new update is free.
Mobile virtual reality (VR) users who want to experience high-end VR have been able to do so since 2016 via RiftCat's HTC Vive emulation software VRidge. Having released the 2.0 update for VRidge back in January, RiftCat has now rolled out the 2.1 version, adding greater language support on top of several other additions.
The software works in tandem with the PC-based RiftCat client, but users were having issues with the connection screen on the 2.0 version, with poor information being relayed to users. The update addresses this, improving the handshake between VRidge and RiftCat client as well as keeping users better informed. Additionally, it will also tell them when the mobile app has a different version to that of the desktop client – both apps need to be updated to see each other.
The new version will now support 13 different languages in total: Czech, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian and Turkish.
And for NOLO VR users the improved version now includes wireless support. They'll now be provided with an option to connect it to VRidge wirelessly, so a combination of both systems allows for a full wireless room-scale VR experience.
In addition to the above improvements RiftCat has created a "Discover" tab in the RiftCat client so everyone will be able to find videos detailing what they can do with VRidge, the LIVE settings concept has now been expanded upon, and USB tethering has now been made easier alongside numerous bug fixes.
Available through the RiftCat website, both pieces of software are free to download. The free version of VRidge still supports SteamVR, Oculus Rift (with Revive), Gear VR and Google Cardboard but sessions only last ten minutes. The full version of VRidge retails for €14.99 EUR. For further updates on VRidge from RiftCat, keep reading VRFocus.
NOLO VR
RiftCat
VRidge
BeBop Sensors to Showcase Oculus Quest Compatible Forte Data Glove at CES 2020
The new glove also features built-in haptics.
Loading Human Getting Virtuix Omni Support
Indie developer Untold Games has announced that its upcoming virtual reality (VR) compatible title Loading Human will feature…
New Screenshots From The Forest Posted Online
Endnight Games has released a fresh batch of screenshots for its upcoming survival title, The Forest. The 5…
Dlodlo Showcases VR Glasses at Tokyo Game Show 2016
A VR headset that looks more like sunglasses.


text:
"Third time is a charm for ICTC" – Cherie Messore, buffalotheatreguide.com
Posted November 26, 2019 by Mary Loliger & filed under Reviews.
Long before there were hours of football on TV and the ubiquitous electronic devices in the hands of teens at the dinner table, families made Christmas memories by spending time together. They would sing songs, tell stories, indulge in the art of conversation, and help rescue various kitchen catastrophes. You know, like when your new-fangled gas stove blows up and makes a foul (fowl?) mess of Christmas dinner.
These moments are at the heart of "A Child's Christmas in Wales," presented by the Irish Classical Theatre Company now to December 15. Based on the prose of Dylan Thomas, his 1952 reflections were adapted for the stage 30 years later by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell.
It's a simple work, really. Thomas' stories about his boyhood Christmas celebrations could be anyone's stories. The happy sounds from a houseful of relatives, those memory snapshots of racing around outside with cousins and pals, poignant thoughts of the older generation now passed…all part of the Christmas canon. ICTC does this show really well.
Director Chris Kelly has the dream team of local actors on stage for this, starting with Joseph Donohue III and Brandon Barry (from The Albrights) providing the music. They give a contemporary nod to some Christmas classics, starting with the plaintive sweetness of "In the Bleak Midwinter."
Vincent O'Neill is grown up Dylan; his reminiscing is wistful, almost ethereal. Young Dylan is Tyler Eisenmann, totally in the moment enjoying his youth and family foibles. Michele Roberts as Mother; Ben Michael Moran as Father; Nicole Cimato as Hannah with her ever-present flask; Christian Brandjes as Gwyn; Karen Harty as Nellie; Brittany Bassett as Brenda; Renee Landrigan as Glenda; Gregory Gjurich as Tudyr; Charmagne Chi as Bessie; and Megan Callahan as Elieri wear their roles like perfectly knit woolen mittens.
Highlights are Chi's rendition of "The Holly and the Ivy" in its pure loveliness and Roberts' comic chops when she's coping with that new-fangled gas stove in her kitchen.
I always appreciate ICTC's artful and minimal staging; it's elegant to suggest a living room, the streetscape and countryside with almost very few set elements. Set Designer Primo Thomas feeds our imagination with this beautifully. Director Kelly then has to lead his cast through imaginary spaces and places under a canopy of flickering lanterns suspended overhead. These small touches, with sparse pine bough and buffalo check bows suggest countryside and homemade décor. Perfection. With a cast this talented, it looks effortless.
"A Child's Christmas in Wales" is all about sentiment and nostalgia in the season where heart-felt memories ground us and remind us that hearth and home are best. Thank you, ICTC, for this early gift.
https://buffalotheatreguide.com/2019/11/24/a-childs-christmas-in-wales-third-time-is-a-charm-for-ictc/
Tags: a child's christmas in wales, ben michael moran, brandon barry, brittany bassett, buffalo theatre, buffalo theatre guide, charmagne chi, chris kelly, christian brandjes, christmas musical, christmas play, dylan thomas, gregory gjurich, holiday entertainment, ictc, irish classical theatre, joseph donohue III, karen harty, megan callahan, michele marie roberts, nicole cimato, renee landrigan, theatre in buffalo, tyler eisenmann, vincent o'neill
"a magical Christmas to behold." – Melinda Miller, The Buffalo News
There are few things more powerful than memories of childhood Christmases, partly because of the magic and anticipation, and partly because of the traditions and familiarity …
Into that "wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays," (Dylan) Thomas wrote, "I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find."
And thus "A Child's Christmas in Wales" was born, chock-full of memories of snow and packages, feasting and foolery, populated with friends and family and the postman and neighborhood toughs, all spending this day of all days in all their varied ways …
The tale was first intended to be read alone or aloud … but in recent times it also has been turned into a charming theatrical … With an abundance of music underlining the mischief and merrymaking, it is a magical Christmas to behold.
… Vincent O'Neill gives a lyrical performance as the adult Dylan Thomas … Tyler Eisenmann as young Dylan (is) so comfortable with his stage family he seems to have grown up with them …
Of course, he is surrounded by excellent castmates and mentors here, starting with director Chris Kelly and music director Joseph Donohue III …
The whole group is so in sync you can imagine all of them celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and all future holidays together.
Favorite moments are watching Brandjes as the postman on his rounds, collecting a drink at every house … Later, when young Dylan and the other children go for a prowl outside, they resemble a pack of Dead End Kids looking for action, making it up when they have to, and teasing policemen behind their backs …
In the end … the takeaway is one of happy satisfaction, providing one more day for the snowball of memory.
3 stars (out of four)
Click here for full review. https://buffalonews.com/2019/11/23/music-memories-star-in-irish-classicals-childs-christmas-in-wales/
Tags: a child's christmas in wales, ben michael moran, brandon barry, brittany bassett, buffalo news, charmagne chi, chris kelly, christian brandjes, christmas musical, christmas play, dylan thomas, gregory gjurich, holiday entertainment, ictc, irish classical theatre, joseph donohue III, karen harty, megan callahan, michele marie roberts, nicole cimato, renee landrigan, theatre in buffalo, tyler eisenmann, vincent o'neill
"A Child's Christmas in Wales" opens Friday, November 22
Posted November 15, 2019 by Mary Loliger & filed under Uncategorized.
"I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six."
– Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales
The Irish Classical Theatre Company is proud to present a special Holiday offering, A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, adapted for the stage by Jeremy Brooks & Adrian Mitchell. A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES will be presented Friday, November 22 through Sunday, December 15, 2019 at ICTC's Andrews Theatre, 625 Main Street, Buffalo, New York.
A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES is a spirited Holiday musical entertainment for the whole family. It is recommended for children ages 8 and up. Director Chris Kelly describes this Christmas Musical as "a heart-based patchwork of different Christmas memories lovingly stitched together."
A wonderfully nostalgic look at that most magical of seasons, A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES gives us all the opportunity to experience a magical snow-filled Christmas through the innocent eyes of youth, celebrated in the glorious words of Dylan Thomas. Vincent O'Neill stars as the grown Dylan, revisiting a dreamlike Christmas of days gone by.
A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES is directed by ICTC Associate Director Chris Kelly, who last Season warmed our hearts with his fresh and fanciful production of Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility." Previous ICTC directing credits include A Little Night Music and Minding Frankie. Chris, an Artistic Associate at MusicalFare, has also directed for Second Generation Theatre, New Phoenix Theatre, Theatre of Youth and All For One Productions. Chris is the recipient of four ARTIE Awards as well as two Best of Buffalo awards from Buffalo Spree for both acting and directing.
A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES stars Vincent O'Neill as Dylan Thomas; Tyler Eisenmann as young Dylan; Michele Roberts as Mother; Ben Michael Moran as Father; Nicole Cimato as Hannah; Christian Brandjes as Gwyn; Karen Harty as Nellie; Brittany Bassett as Brenda; Renee Landrigan as Glenda; Gregory Gjurich as Tudyr; Charmagne Chi as Bessie and Megan Callahan as Elieri. Music Director Joseph Donohue III who plays Jim and Brandon Barry who plays Tom, members of the pop/rock band The Albrights, provide the show's lively music.
Performances will take place at The Andrews Theatre,625 Main Street, Buffalo, Friday, November 22, continuing through Sunday, December 15, 2019. Curtain times will be Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30PM, with Matinees on Saturdays at 3PM and Sundays at 2PM.
Tags: a child's christmas in wales, ben michael moran, brandon barry, brattany bassett, charmagne chi, chris kelly, christian brandjes, christmas musical, christmas play, dylan thomas, greg gjurich, holiday entertainment, ictc, irish classical theatre company, joe donohue, karen harty, megan callahan, michele marie roberts, nicole cimato, renee landrigan, tyler eisenmann, vincent o'neill
Young Professionals – Save the Date – Thursday, November 21, 4:30-6:30PM
Young Professionals wanted! Join the actors, staff, and friends of the Irish Classical Theatre Company for a free-admission Cocktail Hour at Marble + Rye, 112 Genesee Street, Buffalo, on Thursday, November 21 from 4:30-6:30PM.
Mixology is the aim, as Young Business Professionals mix and mingle with Young Theatre Professionals while enjoying a good mixed drink!
Enjoy seasonal cocktails and mixology demonstrations, learn about ICTC, a gem of regional theatre, and enter a free raffle to win eight tickets, eight drinks at the ICTC Chris O'Neill Lounge, ICTC theatre cups, and more.
This event is an open to all (21+ please).
Presented by the Irish Classical Theatre Company Young Professionals Committee and the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce (Buffalo Jaycees).
Tags: buffalo theatre, happy hour, ictc, irish classical theatre, marble + rye, mixology, young professionals
Learn more about ICTC's Ireland Tour Thursday, December 12, 11AM!
Posted November 5, 2019 by Mary Loliger & filed under Uncategorized.
FREE INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 AT 11AM AT ICTC'S ANDREWS THEATRE.
Plan now to experience Ireland's Wild Atlantic Coast & Literary Dublin with your host, ICTC Artistic Director Vincent O'Neill, June 12-20, 2020.
Your memorable 8-day 7-night tour includes breathtaking natural wonders, majestic historic sites, celebrated cultural icons, and all the captivating beauty and charm that only the Ireland possesses.
Your once-in-a lifetime Irish adventure will include Galway, Westport, Yeats Country, a guided tour of Dublin, a literary Pub Crawl, a scenic cruise on Lough Corrib, and much, much more.
After the presentation, enjoy some light refreshments, mix and mingle with Vincent and your fellow hibernophiles and celebrate the adventures that await you..
Contact Cassie Cameron at 853-1380 x106 or development@irishclassical.com to find out more!
This informational event is free and open to the public.
There is no obligation.
Tags: ireland, ireland trip, travel, vincent o'neill
"'Tis Pity She's a Whore" engrosses and shocks – Michael Rabice, BWW review
Posted September 30, 2019 by Mary Loliger & filed under Uncategorized.
by Michael Rabice, broadwayworld.com, Sep. 30, 2019
Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre Company has chosen to open their 2019-20 season with a rarity, 'TIS PITY, SHE'S A WHORE by John Ford. First seen in 1633, the question arises as to whether this Jacobean drama still deserves to be produced. Happily, this often shocking play has enough intrigue to keep the audience engaged. By its final moments, the elements of incest, murder, poisoning, and deception lead to a drama of epic proportions that grips the viewer.
With a nod to Romeo and Juliet, Ford's story of forbidden love is pressed to the max as young Annabella must choose a proper suitor, but her brother Giovanni confesses that no one can love her more than he, and she agrees that she equally desires him. Lord Soranzo is the most likely man to wed her due to his military position, but he has a spurned lover (Hippolita) who seeks revenge on him. The young soldier Grimaldi offers his hand, while the wealthy but foolish Bergetto is also in line. Bergetto (Adam Yellen) and his servant Poggio (Aleks Malejs) are stock characters from the commedia dell'arte genre of Italian theatre. The Catholic church serves as the moral backdrop, as Friar Bonaventura (Christian Brandjes) counsels Giovanni and a Cardinal, played by Adam Yellen, proclaims his condemnation of the situation and claims the property of the household for his own use in the Catholic church.
Director Fortunato Pezzimenti has updated the time period to Pre-War Italy in Parma, without much effect positive or negative. His deft hand paces the action well, despite an overly long expository first act. The sheer nature of an incestuous marriage is shocking enough, and Ford does not stop there in his desire to jar the audience's sensibilities. But in using incest as a central theme, he prepares the viewer for other unthinkable acts that truly heighten the drama.
Jeremy Kreuzer is Giovanni, and brings a youthful and earnest portrayal of the lovesick brother. Kreuzer's multi-layered performance is full of soul searching as he grapples with his desirous feelings, but morphs to crazed lover. He is asked to perform a mad scene that would rival that of grand opera's "Lucia di Lammermoor," and he handles this with great conviction. Anna Krempholtz is the object of everyone's desires, the fair Annabella. She brings a self assured nature that almost convinces the audience she is able to love her brother as well as take a husband. Ms. Krempholtz is lovely to watch, but her future comes to a crashing end as her new husband learns of her forbidden love.
Adriano Gatto gives a winning performance as Lord Soranzo, dashing and fully in control. He dominates his scenes, as he should, and brings some great physicality to the drama in the second act, causing audible gasps at his handling of his new bride. Roland Martin Gomez is Soranzo's man servant, who becomes an integral character as he is manipulated by Hippolita to take Soranzo down. Mr. Gomez dives into the meaty role, clearly enjoying the twists and turns that Ford has written for him.
Aleks Malejs is delightfully conniving as the evil Hippolita, oozing a seductiveness to conceal her inner demons. She effectively leads the trio of dancers who entertain at Annabella's wedding in a sinuous dance of love.
Charmagne Chi brings levity to the play, as the tutor and confidante to Annabella, whose own comical name is Putana (meaning whore in Italian). Despite some very unflattering costuming, Chi's bubbling personality is endearing as she attempts to protect the young lovers, but her chatty nature leads to her ultimate demise.
The simplistic set by David Dwyer provided a multi level playing area, but could have benefited from a few more regal trappings.
Irish Classical Theatre has essentially unearthed a riveting drama that at first glance may seem like a dated piece of melodrama, but has instead been presented in a thoughtful production that engrosses the audience. Such programming is to be lauded.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/buffalo/article/BWW-Review-TIS-PITY-SHES-A-WHORE-Engrosses-and-Shocks-at-IRISH-CLASSICAL-THEATRE-2019093
Tags: 'tis pity she's a whore, adam yelle, adam yellen, adriano gatto, aleks malejs, anna krempholts, ben michael moran, buffalo theatre, charmagne chi, christian brandjes, David Oliver, drama, fortunato pezzimenti, ictc, irish classical theatre, jacob albarella, jeremy kreuzer, john ford, melinda capeles, revenge, rolando gomez
"… absorbing, a fine production … no holds barred" – Ann Marie Cusella, buffalo vibe
Review: 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore
By: Ann Marie Cusella | Posted September 21st, 2019
"… Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord'." Romans 12, v. 19.
'Tis a pity that biblical exhortation is not taken to heart by the players in Irish Classical Theatre Company's season opener, 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, John Ford's early 17th century tragic tale of incest, betrayal and revenge that ends in torture, death and murder. There is no thought of forgiveness by those wronged in this very absorbing play, only a desire for vengeance that results in complex plotting, often going awry, and retribution for real or imagined betrayers.
Central to the play, as Director Fortunato Pezzimenti says in his notes, is the concept of self-governance vs. bowing to authority. Who has the right to determine one's fate? Are people to be led in matters of the heart by authority, in this instance the Church, a powerful institution that considers sexual desire to be "that leprosy of lust that rots the soul," and demands obedience to its tenets of sacrifice and female purity? Or can one break free of societal constraints and live according to one's own principles and desires?
Set in Parma, Italy, where the Church is the ultimate authority, Giovanni (Jeremy Kreuzer, who begins rather stiffly, but warms to his role and loosens up alarmingly well as events unfold) is a university student in love with his sister, Annabella (Anna Krempholtz, who plays her complex role with charm, wit, passion, and great sadness). He confesses his love to the Friar (Christian Brandjes) and argues his case for personal freedom. The Friar, horrified, instructs him to cloister himself and pray to be freed from his sin, which proves to be an exercise in futility, as he returns more passionate than before. He and Annabella consummate their love, resulting in pregnancy and the full force of the patriarchy falling on her slender shoulders. In the mix are suitors for Annabella's hand, a woman who betrayed her husband, who then is betrayed by her lover and so plots her own revenge, the husband seeking revenge for her betrayal, a soldier enemy of the lover, a servant with his own agenda, another servant who meets a terrible fate, and so on. Many of these people are killed during the play, and each actor is very believable in those scenes, which could easily have devolved into unfettered melodrama. That they do not is a testament to their skills and that of the Director.
In the midst of this tragic narrative Charmagne Chi as Putana, Anna's free-spirited companion, Christian Brandjes as the bumbling Signor Donado, and Adam Yellen as the dim-witted and hilarious suitor, Bergetto, skillfully add comic light to the darkness.
Aleks Malejs is excellent as the angry and rather scarily vengeful Hippolita and is quite amusing as the servant Poggio. Adrian Gatto is also excellent as the passionate suitor and ultimate husband of Anna, Lord Soranzo. David Oliver, Ben Michael Moran, Jacob Albarella, Rolando Martin Gomez, and Melinda Capeles round out the fine cast.
A large, bare, three-tiered platform acts as the set, designed by David Dwyer. Its simplicity allows the often-frightening action to unfold unencumbered. Lighting designer Jayson Clarke hung candles suspended by red ribbons from the ceiling, placed them in the corners of the platform and on the floor surrounding it. Red lights dim the stage, giving the impression of blood. The crucifix that hangs overhead throughout the play, and the statue of the Virgin Mary that is paraded through the theater by the entire cast at the outset, are reminders of just who has authority and what that authority demands. Contemporary costumes by Vivian Del Bello add to the personalities of each character, e.g., Hippolita in a clingy black satin gown, Bergetto in silly gold shoes and red jacket, Donado in a rumpled suit he struggles to unbutton.
There are no holds barred in violent scenes, of which there are many. People are thrown across the stage and die excruciating deaths. Choreographer Lauren Nicole Alaimo and Fight Director Adriano Gatto have done a fine job of creating realistic scenes. The knife is the weapon of choice, so there is no shortage of blood, although poison comes into play as well.
"'Tis as common to err in frailty as it is to be a woman," says Lord Seranzo to the desolate Annabelle, which inspired a loud groan from the opening night audience. While it may seem like an anachronism, one has only to read about current and often successful efforts to control women's bodies to realize that there are still many changes to be made in that arena.
'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, in a fine production, gets down and dirty as it raises questions about morality, obedience to authority, love, lust, and the dark side of the human heart that humans have struggled with since – well, likely since there have been humans.
You can see 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore at Irish Classical Theatre Company through October 13th.
Tags: 'tis pity she's a whore, adam yellen, adriano gatto, aleks malejs, ann marie cusella, anna krempholtz, ben michael moran, buffalo theatre, buffalo vibe, charmagne chi, christian brandjes, David Oliver, drama, fortunato pezzimenti, ictc, irish classical theatre, jacob albarella, jeremy kreuzer, john ford, melinda capeles, revenge, rolando martin gomez, theatre
Join us Saturday, October 12 at 2PM for a FREE Pre-Show Talk.
ICTC's production of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore is sparking plenty of discussion.
WHEN & WHERE:
Saturday, October 12 at 2PM just steps from ICTC at the Market Arcade, 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY (just prior to the 3PM performance of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford).
Renowned Shakespearean scholar, Dr. Barbara Bono, will present a talk entitled:
Hypocrisy and Passion in John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
and will lead a pre-show discussion.
By the time John Ford wrote 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Romeo and Juliet's blaze of passion had twisted to calculated negotiation and perverse desires. These talk-back comments will reflect on the rise of love lyric in the late Elizabethan court as an expression of both desire and politics and its increasingly decadent and nihilistic expression under the Stuarts.
Dr. Barbara Bono, Associate Professor in the UB Departments of English and Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, has studied and taught the works of William Shakespeare for over 40 years. For over 20 years, she has been UB's representative to the Folger Institute of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. In 2016, she organized the year-long region-wide commemorative celebration, Buffalo Bard 2016: 400 Years Since Shakespeare.
Dr. Bono is a subscriber to the Irish Classical Theatre Company.
ICTC's FREE Speakers Series in sponsored by the John R. Oishei Foundation.
Tags: 'tis pity she's a whore, barbara bono, dr. barbara bono, drama, shakespeare
Join us Sunday, September 29 at 1PM for a FREE Pre-Show Talk.
Sunday, September 29 at 1PM at the Irish Classical Theatre Company's Andrews Theatre, 625 Main Street, Buffalo, NY (just prior to the 2PM performance of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford).
By the time John Ford wrote 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Romeo and Juliet's blaze of passion had twisted to calculated negotiation and perverse desires. These talk-back comments will reflect on the rise of love lyric in the late Elizabethan court as an expression of both desire and politics and its increasingly decadent and nihilistic expression under the Stuarts.
Tags: 'tis pity she's a whore, barbara bono, dr. barbara bono, drama
"The laughs come often and solidly … ICTC has a hit on its hands." – Brad Auerbach, Enertainment Today
Posted June 24, 2019 by Mary Loliger & filed under Reviews.
There are jewels of regional theatre spread across the country, and the Irish Classical Theatre is counted among them. Prominent in the burgeoning Buffalo Theatre District, Irish Classical Theatre is helping to draw people to the formerly dark sidewalks of a once-tired city.
Joe Orton's "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" slyly balances edgy sexual innuendos and proclivities with more traditional British humo(u)r. Written in the mid-1960s as fresh voices were being given a broader platform, the play pricked up many ears and bushy eyebrows with its brashness.
Indeed, when it came time for The Beatles to move to the big screen, they hired Orton to write a screenplay. The results were too edgy for the then squeaky clean Liverpudlians to pursue. (That did not stop George Harrison from later underwriting various Monty Python film projects).
At the Irish Classical Theatre, Anthony J. Grande plays the titular character. As a rather louche chap, perhaps hiding from the law, Mr. Sloane is seeking new digs. Grande does a good job evoking what is needed to appeal to the landlord Kath (Kelli Bocock-Natale) and alternately to her brother Ed (Stan Klimecko). The siblings' father (Gerry Maher) has little affection for his son or Mr. Sloane; the father's homophobia undoubtedly standing in for society at large.
The roles of the siblings are well-assayed. Indeed, the brother and sister characters are crucial to the play's success. As a four hander, the script calls for deft interaction among the actors. Kath is a rather lonely and somewhat clueless zaftig, whom Mr. Sloane quickly seduces. The more worldly brother equally sees Mr. Sloane as a younger boy he wants nearer. Klimecko is excellent in his shifting forgiveness and ruthlessness.
The laughs come often and solidly, and with little dialogue reference to the era in which it was written, the play works decades after I first saw it.
The set (by David Dwyer) is laid out cleverly, allowing for three exits through the audience surrounding the apartment flat.
With crisp direction by Greg Natale and a solid command of script by the quartet of actors, Irish Classical Theatre has a hit on its hands.
Tags: anthony grande, dark comedy, entertaining mr. sloane, gerry maher, greg natale, ictc, irihs clasical theatre, joe orton, kelli bocock natale, stan klimecko, theatre in buffalo


text:
Q: Matching data type in Swift I'm using BeaconKit to detect near beacons around.
I want to check if the beacon detected is of type AltBeacon. My code is showing an error because of the matching expression I'm using.
if beacon.beaconType == AltBeacon {
     print("Detected an AltBeacon")
}

Here is the error message I'm getting

Binary operator == cannot be applied to operands of type Int' and AltBeacon.Type

What can I use instead so I can correct my matching expression please ! Thank you

A: Have you tried
if beacon.beaconType is AltBeacon {
   print("Detected an AltBeacon")
}

or instead, you can check
if let beacon.beaconType as? AltBeacon {
   print("Detected an AltBeacon")
} else {
// handle
}

A: The error is clear. beaconType is an Int. It cannot be compared with anything else but an Int
Two possible solutions:

*

*Figure out the integer value of AltBeacon (2 is just an example) and compare
if beacon.beaconType == 2 { ...

*As AltBeacon is a subclass of Beacon check the type of the instance
if beacon is AltBeacon { ...


text:
Las variedades españolas de maíz, posiblemente introducidos en la península de manera independiente, se han hibridado e seleccionado a partir del siglo XVI, originado nuevas variedades, cultivada hasta hace poco decenios para comida humana.
El cronista Pedro Mártir de Anglería, fray Bartolomé de las Casas y Francisco López de Gómara atestiguan que Cristóbal Colón trajo a España unas muestras de semillas de maíz, al regresar de su primera navegación a las Indias occidentales, en 1493.
''Enrique Sánchez-Monge y Parellada'' ha estudiado las características agronómicas y morfológicas, a partir de 459 accesiones recolectadas en la península e islas Baleares, logrando definir y clasificar en 17 razas para grano (pertenecientes en mayoría a la sección ''indurata'' del botánico E. Lewis Sturtevant) y 32 formas intermedias.
Desde los años [1950]' las variedades tradicionales de maíz han sido desplazadas por los híbridos utilizados en la alimentación del ganado, quedando confinados en pequeñas parcelas destinadas al consumo de las familias de los mismos agricultores.

Las razas españolas se regrupan en base al tipo de grano, según el sistema establecido por E. Lewis Sturtevant, que comprende nueve secciones(incluyendo Ceratina, agregada por Kuleshov): Everta (pericarpio translúcido y endosperma casi todo vítreo, reventón: popcorn), Tunicata (granos cubiertos de glumas: podcorn), Indurada (pericarpio translúcido y endosperma harinoso al centro y vítreo externamente, cristalíno: flintcorn), Amylacea (pericarpio opaco y endosperma harinoso: softcorn), Indentata (pericarpio translúcido y ápice coronado, dentado: dentcorn), Saccharata (granos rugosos y azucarados, dulce: sweetcorn), Amylosaccharata (granos lisos y azucarados, dulce: sweetcorn), Ceratina (pericarpio opaco y endosperma parcialmente ceroso: waxycorn).

Clasificación de los maíces españoles
 Sección 'indurata''
 Cuña. Planta precoz y de pequeña talla, con mazorca cónica, corta y gruesa en la base. Se encuentra en el norte de la península.
 Enano levantino. Planta precoz, de pequeña talla y mazorca de ocho hileras. Crece en Levante.
 Enano norteño. Planta precoz, de muy pequeña talla, mazorca larga y estrecha y grano córneo. Crece en la zona cantábrica y pirenaica.
 Fino. Planta de gran talla, mazorca larga y estrecha y grano córneo. Crece en el centro.
 Gallego. Planta precoz. Crece en Galicia.
 Hembrilla norteño. Plana precoz de talla media con mazorca de 8 a 10 hileras. Crece en la costa de la zona cantábrica y Galicia.
 Norteño. Planta precoz de poca talla con mazorcas de 10 a 12 hileras. Crece en la zona cantábrica.
 Norteño largo. Planta con mazorcas de 8 hileras y muy largas y estrechas. Crece en el norte.
 Queixalet. Planta con mazorca cota, con 16 hileras y grano muy pequeño. Crece en el Levante.
 Tremesino. Planta precoz con mazorca de 8 a 10 hileras y grano más duro que el Hembrilla y el Rastrojero.
 Vasco. Planta con mazorca grande y zuro grueso. Crece en el País Vasco.

 Sección ''indentata''
 Daxa. Planta tardía, con mazorca grande de 14 a 16 hileras y grano blanco dentado. Crece en Levante.
 Hembrilla. Planta de talla elevada, con mazorca de ocho hileras y grano aplastado, dentado, muy ancho y muy largo. Crece en la Ribera de Navarra, Aragón y Levante.
 Rastrojero. Planta precoz, temprana y de talla más reducida del Hembrilla, al cual se parece, con grano dentado. Crece en Aragón y el Levante.

 Sección ''amylacea''
 Andaluz. Mazorca gruesa y con muchas filas. Se extiende en las zonas bética y extremeña.
 Basto. De mayor tamaño de planta y mayor tamaño de mazorca que la Andaluz. Se extiende en las zonas bética y extremeña.
 Blanco. Planta de ciclo muy tardío de gran talla, de mazorca de ocho hileras, con grano blanco aplastado y grande.

 Sección ''everta'' (saltadores o popcorn)
 Grano de trigo. Planta precoz y de pequeña talla. Mazorca de granos reventones. Crece en el centro.
 Perla. Planta tardía y de media talla. Mazorca de granos reventones. Crece en el Levante.
 Rosero. Planta tardía y de talla menor que el Perla. Mazorca de granos reventones. Crece en el Levante.

Referencias

Véase también
Maíz

España


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Q: How to alter a bubble sort from numeric to alphabetical? I am using an ArrayList with book titles and book ratings. How can I change this code to make the bubble sort for alphabetical instead of numeric?
System.out.println("\r" + "In order by rating");
for (int out = 0; out < bookList.size(); out++) {
    for (int in = 0; in < bookList.size() - 1; in++)
        if (bookList.get(in).getRating() < bookList.get(in + 1).getRating()) {
            Book temp = bookList.get(in);
            bookList.set(in, bookList.get(in+1));
            bookList.set(in+1, temp);
        }

        System.out.println(videoList.get(out).getTitle() + "   " + videoList.get(out).getRating());
    }
}

My other classes are below.
Book
public class Book {
    String title;
    int rating;

    public Book(String pTitle, int pRating) {
        title = pTitle;
        rating = pRating;
    }

    public String getTitle() {
        return title;
    }

    public int getRating() {
        return rating;
    }

    public void setTitle(String newTitle) {
        title = newTitle;
    }

    public void setRating(int newRating) {
        rating = newRating;
    }
}

Library
import java.util.ArrayList;

public class Library {

    public static void main (String [] args) {

        ArrayList<Book> bookList = new ArrayList<Book>();

        Book b1 = new Book ("Huckleberry Finn", 5);
        Book b2 = new Book ("The Great Gadsby", 2);
        Book b3 = new Book ("Harry Potter", 3);
        Book b4 = new Book ("Animal Farm", 4);
        Book b5 = new Book ("The Mist", 1);
        bookList.add(b1);
        bookList.add(b2);
        bookList.add(b3);
        bookList.add(b4);
        bookList.add(b5);
        System.out.println("Original sequence");

        for (int cnt = 0; cnt < videoList.size(); cnt++) {
            System.out.println(bookList.get(cnt).getTitle() + "   " + bookList.get(cnt).getRating());
        }
    }
}

Is there a way to alter the code in the algorithm class to display the bookList sorted by Title?

A: You can't use < directly on two Strings, but you can use compareTo.
if (bookList.get(in).getTitle().compareTo(bookList.get(in + 1).getTitle()) < 0) { ...

If s1 and s2 are strings, s1.compareTo(s2) returns a negative value if s1 is lexicographically less than s2, a positive value if s1 is greater, and 0 if the two strings are equal.

A: For your class Book make it implement Comparable.  You'll have to create some methods in your Book class in order to compile.  Implement them according to the Java API then you can just throw them into a TreeSet<Book> and it will be sorted.
Edit:
I realize this doesn't directly answer your question, but it would be a more Java solution.

A: I think change your code :
if (bookList.get(in).getRating() < bookList.get(in + 1).getRating())

to
if (bookList.get(in).getTitle().compareTo(bookList.get(in + 1).getTitle()<0)

would be OK.
But,why dont you implement different Comparators and use it like this: Collections.sort(bookList,yourComparator)
something like this:
public static void main(String[] args) {
    List<Book> bookList = new ArrayList<Book>();
    Collections.sort(bookList, new TitleComparator());
    Collections.sort(bookList, new RatingComparator());
}

static class TitleComparator implements Comparator<Book> {
    @Override
    public int compare(Book o1, Book o2) {
        return o1.getTitle().compareTo(o2.getTitle());
    }
}

static  class RatingComparator implements Comparator<Book> {
    @Override
    public int compare(Book o1, Book o2) {
        return o1.getRating() - o2.getRating();
    }
}

A: To implement bubble-sort for any type of Object, in that case Book, implements in your object class the interface Comparable and override the methode compareTo to define your desired handling.
The method should return a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this object is less than, equal to, or greater than the specified object.
As stated in the javadoc :
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/Comparable.html
In your case, the compareto method is already implemented in the String class so you can directly use it on the book's title.
Your validation would then look like this :
if (bookList.get(in).getTitle().compareTo(bookList.get(in + 1).getTitle()) < 0)


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text:
← Part 5 – Nanowrimo Freedom Squad
Part 7 – Nanowrimo Freedom Squad →
Protector sat back and watched the monitors in Freedom Squad Headquarters, his shield leaning against the console. He tried to stay focused and keep a constant check on the graphs and displays that would alert him to the city's emergencies. Currently, the city was quiet other than a few fender benders suffered by commuters. It disturbed him. Over a dozen super-villains had escaped Megalopolis Penitentiary, and yet, none of them had made an appearance.
The phone rang. It was the mayor's office.
"Freedom Squad Headquarters," said Protector.
"Protector," said the mayor, "where is Rigel?"
"Uh… sir, she went to New York."
"What is she doing in New York? I need her here in Megalopolis. Did she miss the fact that we had a prison break? I'll have words with her later. Put Nightstar on."
Protector cleared his throat. "Um… she took Nightstar with her, sir, to visit Psionicist in the hospital I believe. Ion's here with me though. And we have Rockslide of course. Oh, and then there's Starlight."
"She took Nightstar to see Psionicist in the hospital," restated the mayor, "Fantastic. There's four of you. Well, if she's not there, and Nightstar's not there, who do you think I should speak with?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I guess that would be me, sir."
The mayor sighed. "Good job of guessing. Listen, Protector, I'm going to have a press conference with the police commissioner in half an hour at Freedom Park, in front of the statues of the original Freedom Squad, the World War II team."
"Yes,sir," said Protector, knowing full well where the statues were and that the original Freedom Squad had fought in World War II.
"I need you there to stand behind me and look impressive. Make sure the shield is shining. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. Do you want me to bring Ion or Rockslide?"
"No, someone's got to watch the base, and I doubt Ion would cause any harm checking the monitors. In the future, you let Rigel know that I want to know if she's leaving the city."
The monitors suddenly flashed red. Protector felt the ground shake.
"What was that?" yelled the mayor. "An earthquake?"
The ground shook again.
"Sir, I need to go. We have a situation." Without waiting for a response, Protector hung up the phone and grabbed his shield.
Ion was already beside him. "Hey, Alex, did you feel that? I think it was seismic."
"Possibly," Protector grabbed his communicator. "Rockslide, head to the Freedom Van."
"The van?" asked Ion. "How about the Freedom Cycles?"
"Rockslide won't fit on a cycle."
Starlight walked in. "I have been monitoring the television as per Rigel's request. There are super-villains smashing the statues in Freedom Park." Starlight glanced up at the monitors. "It seems that the alerts in this room are validating those reports."
The large monitor screen showed a man a white and red costume with a mask and a cape lifting the thirty foot high statue of American Eagle over his head and then throwing it hundreds of yards through the air into the park. A moment later, they thought they felt a faint tremor.
"We need to go now," said Protector.
"I'll have it running when you arrive," said Ion, disappearing with a blur.
Protector activated his communicator. "Protector to Rigel…"
A modulated voice spoke back to him. "Communications software test started. All communicators will be offline for the next hour or until server reboot is completed."
"What?" he said, staring incredulously at the communicator. Still, there was not time to worry about it. He ran as fast as he could to the underground garage, nearly vaulting the stairs. The van doors were open and he could see Rockslide in the back and Ion at the wheel.
Protector leapt into the passenger seat and heard the back door close.
"I am ready to assist," said Starlight from the back. He had entered the back door as Protector had gotten in the front.
"Is he supposed to come?" asked Ion, looking to Protector for an answer.
Alex steeled himself. He was the Protector. He was in charge. "Yes. Starlight's coming. Let's go."
Ion drove the van through the underground garage out to the rear exit outside of Freedom Squad Headquarters. "I'm activating the siren."
The siren blared out as they pulled onto the road. Cars and buses moved to clear the way for the van.
"I could get used to this," said Ion, as a taxi pulled out of his way.
The tires squealed as Ion made a hard right toward the park and then slammed on the brakes. "Oh…"
Protector held up his hand.
"Right," said Ion, "We're superheroes. No saying bad words. Still, troubling traffic, Protector, no one's getting out of the way. Golly gee, now what?"
The traffic had completely stopped in front of them. Horns blared, but no one was moving. The man in the car in front of them got out and shrugged apologetically.
"I understand what Ion is saying," said Starlight. "May I attempt to respond in the proper Terran vernacular?"
"Sure," said Protector. Alex wasn't sure what they should do. Get out and walk? He wished Rigel were here.
"Now, now, Ion, old chum, there's no need to get vexed about the good citizens of Megalopolis having trouble with their commute, after all, they need to be able to get back and forth from their jobs so they can put food on the table," said Starlight in his flat voice. "No, I have a plan for exactly this situation, and it doesn't even require a utility belt."
With that, Starlight opened the door of the van and stepped out, closing it behind him.
Protector looked over at Ion, who was laughing. "Where did that come from?"
"Oh," said Ion, "Starlight told me he wanted to watch television. I put on some old Adam West and Burt Ward superhero shows. However, you know, a utility belt is a good idea."
Suddenly, the van rose in the air and went soaring over the stopped cars in the direction of the park.
"I think he's carrying us," said Protector.
"I think you're right," said Ion, nervously. "I'm turning off the siren and the light. We don't need to be but so obvious. Any idea on how many villains we're facing?"
Rockslide rumbled in the back.
"Defiance for certain," said Protector.
"Right. He's invulnerable, you know. I had a poster of him up in my room as a kid. He stopped a meteor once," said Ion, "when he was a hero."
"No, he didn't," said Protector. "Let's not make this any worse than it has to be."
"So," said Ion as the green grassy park filled the windshield, marked with several discarded bronze statues. "I count 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… plus Defiance, and look at all those cops. Okay, what's the plan?"
"I'm going to talk to Defiance," said Protector.
"What?" said Ion. "Alex, I mean Protector, are you crazy?"
"He used to be a hero."
"Okay, and he was defeated by the guy who used to be the Protector. I mean, what about the other villains? They weren't heroes." Ion gestured. "Oh and…" He rolled down his window. "Um, Starlight, old chum, I think you should put us down before the bad guys shoot us out of the sky."
The van suddenly dropped before coming to a gentle rest on the grass. They were close enough that Protector could make out Death Queen in her barely-there black costume, displaying her pale white skin to the world, floating over the massive broken head of the Light of Liberty statue. Barrage was hovering over the scene in her bronze power armor, massive guns visible on the arms of her suit. He wondered how they all managed to get costumes so quickly after they escaped. Defiance seemed to be yelling at the police. He also recognized the massive magical creation called Golem, towering at 12 feet tall over the others, as if he were one of the fallen statues come to life. A few figures shambled near Death Queen, and Protector assumed that they had to be some of her zombies.
This was going to be tough.
"Hang on," said Ion. "I'm calling backup." He pulled his personal cell phone out of his belt.
"Who?" asked Protector, "Wildside, Inc.? I don't think we can afford them. Rigel doesn't have her cell on her when she's in costume, just her communicator."
Protector looked down. The communicator screen said "Software test in progress."
"Hi," said Ion with a big smile, "it's Ion. Remember when I asked for your number in case of an emergency. Well, Solaria, Freedom Squad needs backup at the park. It's going to be rough. Get here fast… oh, Snowfall? Sure, bring him too. See you soon."
Protector was going to say something about the protocol of getting the personal number of someone who was trying out for the team, but this wasn't the time. Defiance had seen them.
"Out of the van, now!" ordered Protector.
Ion and Rockslide didn't question him, and Protector dove to the side, just as Defiance crashed into the van, knocking it across the park into a large tree. Defiance floated over them, his red cape billowing back behind him. "Freedom Squad," he spat.
"Ion, Rockslide, go deal with the others. I'll handle Defiance." Protector raised his shield.
Electricity crackled around Ion's fists. "Yeah, Protector, that's a great idea. How about we stay here and take advantage of our local numbers instead?"
Rockslide slammed a granite fist into his hand in agreement with Ion.
"Fine," said Protector.
Suddenly, Starlight floated down beside Defiance, his own black cape billowing in the breeze. "Excuse me, but do you have car insurance? If you do not, I will inform you that in fifteen minutes, your insurance could be compared…"
Defiance punched Starlight in the chest hard enough that Protector felt the shockwave. The alien flew backward dozens of yards until he finally crashed into the ground, spraying dirt into the air.
"Where is the mayor?" he demanded.
"Defiance," said Protector, stepping forward. "I'm the Protector, and I'm asking you to surrender."
Defiance landed in front of Protector. "I knew the Protector, and you are not worthy to hold that shield."
With that, Defiance pulled back his fist and struck the Shield of Justice. A ringing noise filled the park, but Protector held his ground.
Ion unleashed a blast of electricity. Sparks flew over Defiance's body, but they seemed to have no effect.
Rockslide made a scraping, grinding noise and threw himself into Defiance. The former hero fell backward, buried by the earth elemental. Rockslide reformed and smashed Defiance over and over. For a moment, Protector thought that Defiance might be defeated.
Then, Rockslide went flying straight up into the air.
Protector held his shield more tightly. "Ion, try to distract the other villains. Run around them. Make something up, but I'm going to try to convince Defiance to help us."
"That's a terrible plan," Ion said, looking at Barrage, Death Queen, the zombies and the massive Golem, "although, only Barrage looks fast. I'll do my best."
Defiance pulled off his mask and wiped dirt from his face. He looked angry. "Do you know who you serve? Do you know who is pulling your strings? Did it ever occur to you that there is a reason that your team was assembled?"
"I know why my team was assembled. We are going to protect the citizens of Megalopolis."
"No!" said Defiance, smashing the shield again. A feeling of déjà vu came over Protector. He wondered if Defiance might get tired like Uberdude had.
As the former hero continued to swing, Protector somehow found a way to block each blow with his shield. He wasn't sure that Defiance would tire. The power behind each of the blows was staggering. The Shield of Justice dispersed such impacts, but Protector still felt the shock of each of these punches pass through him. Though the shield was obviously protecting him, it seemed to have reached its limit.
"You aren't worthy to hold that shield," shouted Defiance. "You were put up to this, weren't you? It's all part of his plans. You are a fraud."
Alex tried not to listen and think about what he could do in between impacts. Defiance was a brawler with exceptional speed and power, but he wasn't a martial artist.
Protector turned his shield as he was hammered with yet another blow, and he managed to throw his powerful foe off-balance. Protector risked a quick leg sweep, and Defiance fell even if only for a moment.
"We don't have to do this," said Protector. "Listen, I don't know what you are talking about, but if we could discuss it perhaps I could help."
Defiance responded by rising in the air and hurling himself at Protector, who somehow managed to dodge the attack. Defiance stopped in the air and turned back to his opponent.
"You can't keep this up. You can't win," said Defiance.
Alex checked his grip on the shield. Defiance was right. Alex couldn't keep this up, but he was going to try.
"I'm going to keep this up," Alex said. "I have to. I'm the Protector."
Defiance roared at him.
Posted on November 12, 2013, in Freedom Squad, NaNoWriMo and tagged Defiance, Freedom Squad, HeroNet, HeroNet Files, Ion, Megalopolis, Nanowrimo, Nanowrimo Novel, Nightstar, Protector, Rigel, Superhero Nanowrimo, Superhero team. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.


Yes, it's almost here...Christmas is around the corner. It's the time of joviality, a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement, immense baking, packing gifts and most of all the fun I have is wandering around in the Mall with my family and going on a shopping spree. Snow covered street and trees, illumination work in the front yard of houses are a spectacular view during the Christmas season. It was few years ago we flew back home during Christmas season for a vacation and the aerial view of snow covered houses decorated with lights still remains as a magnificent view in my memory. Weather channel is forecasting a snow storm that is catching up strength and is supposed to make its way to North East on Christmas. So it could be a white Christmas to celebrate!!!!
For the last one month, I had been in the process of soaking fruits to bake the 'Kerala Fruit Cake/Kerala Plum Cake' and was impatiently waiting to bake it and see the outcome. It is the traditional fruit cake everyone bakes during Christmas time in Southern part of India. My effort to make the Fruit cake did not yield a satisfactory result. So I was frantically searching for a perfect cake recipe that could fit the holiday season. My desperate quest to find a perfect recipe for Christmas cake ended when we went for Christmas Caroling last week. I had this wonderful cake from one of the members of our church. I was so determined to get the recipe and asked the host of the house to email me the recipe. She was very nice to share the recipe with me. This is one of the cakes you would never feel bored of. I could gobble pieces in minutes. The dark richer color combined with the super moist texture and the aroma from spices makes it an acceptable substitute for the Kerala Plum cake, in case if you are too late to soak the fruits for the Plum cake. Give this recipe a try and I can assure you that you will not regret a bit and would put the Plum cake in the back burner.
I divided the batter between a bundt cake pan and a 6'' round pan. My daughter wanted to give the small cake to her teacher. So I wrapped it up like a candy using parchment paper and tied the ends with sateen ribbon and hanged a homemade tag on it. It truly looked like a perfect Christmas gift. Since I had to send it out with my daughter in the morning to school, I didn't get time to take the picture of the edible gift I wrapped up.
Take a heavy bottom pan and melt 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat. When the sugar starts to melt and become dark brown, lower the flame and carefully add 3/4 cup of water and boil till the sugar crystals melts completely and forms slightly thick syrup. Keep it aside to cool.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt 3 times to aerate the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar with an electric mixture till fluffy.
Add the caramelized sugar syrup and oil and beat for another minute.
Slowly add the flour mix into the egg mixture and beat for 1 minute till everything is well incorporated.
Fold in the chopped dates and grated carrots into the cake batter. The batter should be slightly loose. If needed add 2 - 4 tbsp of milk to loosen up the batter.
Pour into 2 greased 8'' pan lined with parchment paper or a large non-stick bundt cake pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested at the center of the cake.
Make sure that you use greased parchment paper to line the pan for any easy release, as the cake is slightly sticky due to the added dates.
Cover with cling ware and wrap with aluminum foil and store in air tight container.
I really like the carrots in this - such a nice cake! And wonderful for Christmas. Speaking of which, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
First time here. Happy to follow you. Do visit mine too.
This is soo rich n delicious with lovely Flavours!
This cake is divine..I got to taste it :)...Ultra moist and soft...I highly recommend this! I have bookmarked this recipe. I will try this out soon!
Thanks a ton Shema for endorsing the cake!!!


Words pass through time like great works of art or literature. People once winced at Nietzche's works, considered relics of a lunatic, and now, we revere him as an intellectual icon. As with words, which rarely mean precisely what they did at their inception. The process driving their evolution is semantic drift, the way words change meaning in their lifespan. There are many ways they do this, but the least common of them is called amelioration.
Perhaps speaking to time's usual habit to making things worse, words will often go from meaning something positive to negative, a process called degeneration. The chances for a word to escape its gloomy, miserable, or evil connotations are slim to none. But when they come to mean something cheery or positive, they undergo amelioration–and it's amazing.
Amazing, derived from the noun maze, meant "confusing; perplexing" around the 14th century. It's not entirely clear how it became something so unquestionably positive in the contemporary sense ("Did you see her sing? She was amazing!"). The likely culprit is the multitude of emotional contexts in which we may be "confused" or "perplexed". For instance, we may be confused by a cruel act, but we may be equally perplexed when we see someone so talented we don't understand it. Amazing must have been used to express awe more often over time.
Emotional words tend to be more black and white, except for truly confusing words such as these. Words like happy or sad have not strayed that far from their original meanings (happy used to mean lucky, sad meant sorrowful). But aren't emotions like confusion and bewilderment inherently amazing… in the original sense? Does this give them the gray area for a rare semantic process like amelioration to do its unlikely and miraculous work?
Beginning the maze of semantic drift may seem daunting. But a word's lunacy may reveal much about our own.


The Girl Scouts of Japan (ガールスカウト日本連盟, Gārusukauto Nippon Renmei?) is the girls-only Scouting organization serving Japan. Founded in 1919, the Girl Scouts of Japan became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1952 and counts 61,305 girls as members as of 2003.
Girl Scouting was first introduced in Japan in 1919 by Miss Muriel Greenstreet, a British missionary teacher. The movement gradually spread, and in 1920 took the name Nihon Joshi Hododan (Girl Guides of Japan). In 1928 Japan became a founder member of WAGGGS. Girl Scouting was banned by the government during World War II, restarted in 1947, and was officially recognized as Girl Scouts of Japan in 1949.
In 2000, Her Highness Princess Sayako attended a variety of events in the Tokyo metropolitan area and in regional Japan, including the ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Girl Scouts of Tokyo, and the opening ceremony for the Togakushi Girl Scouts Center to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Girl Scouting movement in Japan.
The Girl Scout program in Japan focuses on three major points – self-development, human relations, and nature. Some of the Girl Scout activities include working with the disabled, planting trees, and protecting the environment from floods and air pollution.
The Girl Scout emblem incorporates a sakura, a cherry blossom. May 22 is Girl Scout Day.
Live by the Girl Scout Law.
gārusukauto no oki te wo mamorimasu.
I am cheerful and courageous at all times.
I respect all living things.
I am a friend to all, and a sister to every Girl Scout.
I use time and resources wisely.
I think and act on my own.
I am responsible for what I say and do.
I try to be sincere.
This page was last edited on 5 May 2012, at 20:47.


text:
CCSO: Person of interest in custody after homicide in Golden Gate Estates
Collier County deputies said they began the death investigation Thursday morning. The death later was ruled a homicide.
CCSO: Person of interest in custody after homicide in Golden Gate Estates Collier County deputies said they began the death investigation Thursday morning. The death later was ruled a homicide. Check out this story on naplesnews.com: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/07/05/ccso-person-interest-custody-after-homicide-golden-gate-estates/762019002/
Alexi C. Cardona, Naples Daily News Published 9:53 p.m. ET July 5, 2018 | Updated 3:40 p.m. ET July 6, 2018
Red and blue signal light siren.(Photo: Alina Bader, Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story listed the address at 2240. The address is at 4420.
Click here to read the latest update on the story
Deputies on Thursday arrested a person of interest in a homicide in Golden Gate Estates.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office began a death investigation about 6:20 a.m. Thursday at 4420 Fourth Avenue Southeast. The death later was ruled a homicide.
The Sheriff's Office has someone in custody but could not yet identify the person, according to spokeswoman Jamie Mosbach. The person who was killed was male but has not been identified.
Officials are waiting for the Collier Medical Examiner's Office report on the cause of death.
Officials executed a search warrant in the case, Mosbach said.
There is no danger to the public, Mosbach said. The investigation is active, and more information will be released as it becomes available, Mosbach said.
MORE CRIME NEWS:
More: North Naples man's death investigated as homicide; detectives seek public's help
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More: Cape Coral man arrested, suspected of killing East Naples woman in 2015
Read or Share this story: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/07/05/ccso-person-interest-custody-after-homicide-golden-gate-estates/762019002/
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Lights for Liberty vigils protest detention facilities


A group of firefighters in upstate New York held a special drill to give one of their own the surprise of a lifetime — and, no, it wasn't an April Fools' joke.
The Barneveld Fire Department held its weekly training Monday, which just so happened to be April Fools Day, but this drill turned out to be out of the norm — a proposal was on the line!
While participating in mask confidence training, Lt. Kelby Ueltschi proposed to firefighter and EMT Becca Pelletier.
Video posted on social media shows Pelletier on the ground going through her training. Once her drill is over she is told, "Alright, come here!" by someone off camera.
Among cheers and applause, the couple kiss and hug, celebrating their newly engaged status.
"Our fire department is like a big family and we were excited that we could assist with the proposal. Congratulations and Best wishes to Becca and Lieutenant Kelby Ueltschi," the Barneveld Fire Department said.


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