Hired to move freestanding fireplace during floor instalation. They recommended servicing of both fireplaces in home. Both were working fine beforehand however following R&B service and several other visits (both warranty and paid) neither fireplace worked. They suggested a number of alternative costly repairs. Finally hired qualified gas technician who spent 15 minutes adjusting settings and both now work fine.
Multiple toilets and one sink/faucet installed. Not a complex plumbing job but R&B was quick to book and the plumber Nick was great to deal with and really helped out solving some compatibility issues with fixtures. Parts costs were not overly inflated. Ten stars as there's nothing I could take issue with.
Thank you for your kind words, we think Nick is pretty great too! We're happy to hear you were pleased with him as well as our service. We hope you don't run into any plumbing or heating issues in future, but if you do, you know where to find us!
I have mixed feeling about this review, because we previously had good experience with R&B. We do like to share this so people have more information to help with their decision. We asked R&B to service our boiler (clean it) and fix a flame sensor issue. When we called the service, we specifically asked for a technician that knows the type of boiler we have and said in advance that the fault we had was a flame sensor, so we expected the they will have a flame sensor replacement with them (most common issue with boilers).
When their "experienced" tech came, he tried to start the boiler, and when couldn't he said we needed to replace the whole control panel ($$$$$). I had to explain him how to reset the boiler and show him which is the flame sensor vs ignition system, as it was his first time seeing this type of boiler and controller. At this point I asked that he simply clean the boiler and change the sensor and connect with me if there are any issues, as I had to leave for work.
After 3 hours working on the boiler (learning about it control features), the tech calls me to let me know that he couldn't fix the boiler because he didn't have a replacement sensor. And of course charged my credit card about $400. Not only that it was not fixed, the control settings were completely changed, causing a real control fault and completely decommissioning the boiler control system.
I am not sure if the boiler was even cleaned, because the tech told me that he did not have the appropriate cleaning tool. It took me 10 minutes to replace the sensor and fixed the issue.
I cannot imagine how R&B treat customers that are not technical enough to know when they are being deceived.
Mr. Green, Thank-you for your feedback about your great previous experiences with R&B. We take great pride in providing quality workmanship to our customers.
I have read your account of your most recent experience. Although our record of the actual events are very different from how they have been described here, point of view from the customer perspective is very important. I regret that you feel that you did not receive value for the services you received.
If you would like further clarification of what was done and why it was required by the manufacturer, please connect with R&B directly.
Adam came right on time, finished the work amazingly quickly, left no mess. It was a pleasure having such an affable pleasant person. Whether plumbing or heating I've found this company and their staff to be excellent.
From an estimate (given to our contractor) of $400 for a gas range connection we asked, we ended up paying them $716. We got into a bad situation when our contractor didn't pay them for the work they did at our townhouse and we ended up paying them the money owing.
Since this was one part of the project - gas line to range, second was to the exterior for a BBQ connection that required a change of pressure valves by Fortis, they would have to come back complete the work.
When my wife went across to pay them, the estimate they gave for the second stage was $850 (400 parts and rest labour).
Matt was the first tech' and had said that the next install won't take that long as he'd done most of the prep. Well, Tyler was the tech for the next phase and he felt a lot more should have been completed by the first tech. He had to have someone from the shop run him parts and had to come by the next day to complete the job.
I had asked them to install the gas conversion kit on my BBQ and was totally prepared to pay for the labour involved.
You can imagine my surprise when we got the invoice - it was $1606!!
When we pointed out the difference, the office staff first waffled and said that was the cost. We pointed out charges that were unreasonable, they came back with approx. $1400. We asked for the owner/manager to talk to us. Instead, they mailed out a demand notice!!!
We paid them off - NEVER AGAIN!! I should have read the reviews here before engaging them!!!
Thanks a lot R&B - I'm willing to pay for services I ask for but I also expect ethical business practices!
had issues but the company got them resolved. I am guessing sometimes things got broken and unfortunately they have to be replaced just to get the heating system back in the shape it was. I am considering this bill as a 'consultation' that I received for my money.
Your feedback is appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me personally on the phone.
In general when a system is obsolete, and has not been maintained in several years, parts do wear out or break when it is attempted to use them as they were intended.
Thank-you for your acknowledgement that although the parts that would have been used to complete your service were not operational, you were left with working heat while the parts are being sourced and ordered.
We endeavor to address all customer service issues personally as we did in this case, and appreciate your kind willingness to speak with us to resolve your concerns.
Our sump pump stopped ejecting and we called R&B plumbing for an emergency service. After taking the pump out and confirming that the switch and impeller still work the R&B technician decided to test it by putting in a bucket of water, in the middle of the laundry room. Sure enough we had water all over the ceiling, walls, electrical panel, laundry machines. At this point the R&B technician informed me that ejector pump was not working and that we would need a new one. I received a quote for the pump a few days later – and after confirming the price for the pump online – I agreed to the work. 2 weeks later the R&B technician returned and as he was preparing to install the pump my father in law looked at the box and told him it was the wrong pump. The R&B technician then drove down the hill and picked up the right pump (in stock the entire time) and installed it. The new pump did not work either and then it occurred to the R&B technician that the outlet might be clogged. After clearing the outlet I received a bill of $1,645.04 – to install a pump that we never needed in the first place. On reviewing the bill I noticed that pump was listed $927.44 – but checking the supplier I saw that the actual price that R&B paid was $475.12. When I pointed this error out to R&B plumbing on the phone – she at first told me that the doubling in cost for the pump was for a 'special' R&B warranty – although the only warranty on the pump is the one provided manufacturer. After pointing out the facts to Sally again she provided me with a $135.68 'good will' credit towards the pump - that I did not need and that they doubled the price on. I took the time today to go down to the R&B office to provide an opportunity for R&B plumbing to do the right thing and simply charge me the cost of the pump with a customary industry standard 20% markup - which curiously, was the mark-up that was on the original pump I had approved. But they refused saying that the 200% mark-up is entirely justified. What made it worse for me is when I pressed on the fact that their technician had ordered the wrong pump – S informed me that it was the supplier who got it wrong. But of course the pump model is listed on the quote they provided me – so again, just untrue. Disappointing all around.
Hello Mr. Hirst, Again, thank-you for your feedback on this and all the sites you've posted it to. I understand you are concerned both from the point of view of the perceived lack of need for the part, and as well, the perceived mark-up before discounts that were given. Please know that R&B will do a full review of the service and confirm that the price you paid was not in excess of the retail price for the part. R&B will use your experience for training purposes in effort to not only resolve this issue, but to create and maintain good policies going forward.
Installation of replacement parts for a Riobel shower/tub diverter. Resolve problems with the shower head dripping water while trying to fill the tub. Repair of a dripping faucet. Provide an estimate for repair of a leaking pipe in the basement ceiling.
Here is a synopsis of the service we received today from R & B Plumbing.
We needed a professional plumber to install warranty replacement parts in our tub and shower system, as well as repair an old sink faucet, and provide a recommendation on what to do about a leaking shut off tap in our basement ceiling.
I'm really pleased we had Geoff from R & B Plumbing do this work. He was on time, very personable, asked great questions, and made practical suggestions on what to do about both the sink faucet and shut off tap. In addition, he installed the warranty replacement parts in the shower, tested the work, and showed me on the old parts what may have caused the problem. Before he left, he explained that he would make notes (on the spot) on the proposed solution for the basement ceiling, and provided other recommendations on what to do before the plumber came to complete the work. We also discussed future work and other services the company could provide, including furnace maintenance, which he outlined in some detail for me.
We've been looking for a local company, with a good track record, where we could establish (hopefully) an on-going working relationship. We've had other companies do work for us, but unfortunately, have had mixed experiences with them. If Geoff's approach to customer service and the work he does is any indication of R & B's reputation in the community, we have every intention of calling again to have our plumbing work completed, as well as call for future work.
Thank-you for your kind comments. You were smart to realize your faucet was still under warranty - most quality faucets have lifetime warranties - and order the parts before our arrival. It allowed us to make the most efficient use of our time with you.
At R&B Plumbing and Heating we pride ourselves on quality service, so it's wonderful to be recognized in such a public way. We are glad you chose us to be your local plumbing company. Most hope not to need the services of a plumbing and heating company, but when you do, we will be there.
I called this company out of the phone book because we had a major gas leak when we moved into our new home. We didn't know exactly where it was so it was a difficult job and we needed a fast response because we had small kids and we had just moved in, with boxes everywhere. The first guy who came thought he had found it, but it wasn't quite right. They had to send someone back, and he was able to get to the root of the problem and solve it that day. They were both very professional, worked hard and the staff were very upfront about the cost. In the end, there was a little invoicing problem with some extra charges, but I called them and they rectified it without any trouble. I would definitely recommend them to others.
Thank-you so much for the kind comments. We were pleased to resolve your gas leak. It was a challenging one due to the location inside the wall on an elbow. We acknowledge that your billing had an error and thank you for bringing it to our attention so we could rectify it. We look forward to serving you again in the future. Thank -you again, Michelle Blaksic .
I called several plumbers, and even though R&B wasn't the least expensive I had a good feeling about them. The person I spoke with over the phone was very upfront and explained everything very clearly. Besides good customer service I thought Brent and his work was great. He came in and changed out my toilet and fit in a new sink. He had to wrestle with a very contrary garbage disposal too. He was focused, friendly and obviously knew what he was doing. Having them come out made my move into the house easier. I would highly recommend them.
Thank- you so much for the positive review. It's true, we aren't always the least expensive, but our goal is to provide customer service that is equal to the price. To attract top quality technicians like Brent, we need to pay competitive wages. Our technicians are handpicked for positive attitude, and a willingness to perform the R&B way. Quality of product, and pride in workmanship, Thank- you again, Rob Blaksic.
R&B Plumbing & Heating Ltd has not added any photos.
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Easy sauerkraut recipes can be made with different types of cabbage, many other vegetables, and salt. And it's also possible to make a salt free sauerkraut recipe.
One of the main health benefits of sauerkraut is its ability to maintain our intestinal flora which aids in the digestion of cooked foods. Sauerkraut is a type of probiotic vegetable that has been consumed for thousands of years.
Unfortunately, most of the sauerkraut that you buy at "regular" grocery stores has been pasteurized and will not contain any beneficial bacteria or probiotics. Luckily, it's much cheaper and healthier to learn how to make your own homemade sauerkraut.
You can also incorporate many different herbs and spices into an easy sauerkraut recipes to liven up the taste of this lactic acid ferment. You should also use organic produce and control the amount of salt in your sauerkraut recipes.
Massage the cabbage with salt to release its liquid.
Then press salted cabbage into an appropriately sized glass jar until liquid rises above the chopped cabbage.
Place cabbage core on top making sure chopped cabbage is completely submerged - then close lid.
Leave jar out of sunlight at the appropriate temperature for 3 to 5 days or until properly fermented.
Be sure to release built up "gas" pressure as needed and put a plate underneath your ferments to catch any overflow. This sauerkraut recipe will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks.
Massage shredded cabbage until softened and juices are released.
Press the massaged cabbage firmly into 1 or 2 glass jars until almost full (leave at least 1 inch space on top).
Then cover cabbage with enough spring water or coconut water to completely cover the shredded cabbage.
Place a tea sieve on top of the jar (to keep the cabbage submerged during the fermentation process).
Screw on a mason ring to secure the tea sieve and ferment for 3 to 5 days - or until desired ferment is reached.
Be sure to leave sauerkraut out of the sunlight and away from dust - and regularly check the water level.
A dark kitchen cabinet may be the perfect place to ferment your salt free sauerkraut.
Store this easy sauerkraut recipe in your refrigerator and it should keep for at least a month.
Add shredded and other prepped vegetables into a big mixing bowl.
Next add in the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Then add in your chosen seasoning.
Massage the vegetables with your hands until softened.
Add softened vegetables and their juices into a glass jar - pressing firmly to release as much liquid as possible.
Fill the glass jar until almost full leaving at least 1 inch of space from the top.
Be sure the vegetables are submerged in enough of their own liquid or juices to completely cover them. Then put clean outer cabbage leaves on top of the submerged vegetables to seal off any air.
Next add a heavy crystal or clean rock to weigh down the cabbage leaves.
Finally, cap the jar and ferment in a dark cabinet or closet for 5 to 7 days (at room temperature). Be sure to unscrew the cap every day or so to release built-up "gas" pressure.
As you can see there are many ways to make easy sauerkraut recipes. You can add in your favorite spices, vegetables, and herbs to create your own sauerkraut recipes.
I especially love the salt free options, as I do not really care for salty ferments. Too much salt aka "sodium chloride" creates hypertension in my body. And I like to taste the vegetables and other ingredients that go into my sauerkraut recipes - too much salt can be overpowering.
I also prefer to use celery juice to make a "salt free" sauerkraut recipe along with a little whey (from yogurt) to culture my "salt free" ferments. As an added bonus, celery juice that contains beneficial sodium and whey that contains probiotics will extend the shelf life of your sauerkraut recipes when stored in the refrigerator.


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Emma Josephine Brazier Collection: The Significance of a Scrapbook
kelinkbaldridge
In making a scrapbook it seems that one rarely considers the historical significance of what he or she is creating. All evidence says that Emma Josephine Brazier was nothing more than a normal girl and, because of that, it is interesting to consider the historical significance that her scrapbooks harbor. By collecting images of contemporary actors, playbills and newspaper clippings, it is safe to assume that Emma had no intention of documenting an event in American history from the unusual perspective that she did.
Among these many clippings that showed Emma's own interests are some interesting connections between the theater world of the 19th century and John Wilkes Booth's assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In the first book of the Emma Josephine Brazier theater and opera scrapbooks are several theaters and actors that closely relate to John Wilkes Booth and the assassination itself.
While flipping through the first scrapbook, it is evident that Emma had an affinity for particular actors, such as Laura Keene, Emma Taylor, John Drew, John Sleeper Clark, William Wheatley and Edwin Booth. While each of these actors has a connection to Booth, Laura Keene and John "Sleeper" Clarke have truly interesting tales tying them to the actual Lincoln assassination.
Laura Keene, an actress who also owned and managed Laura Keene's Theater, was the lead actress in the showing of Our American Cousin in Ford Theater on April 14, 1865, the night of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. After hearing the fatal gunshot, Keene rushed to the presidential box to attempt to help Lincoln. Her costume was stained with his blood as she was cradling his head and today the stained cuff of her dress can be found in the National Museum of American History.
While Keene's connection to the assassination is remembered as a heroic one, John "Sleeper" Clarke did not have such a fortunate legacy. An actor by profession, Clarke was also a schoolmate of both Edwin and John Wilkes Booth. He went on to marry their sister, Asia Booth. Following the assassination, Clarke came into possession of several letters from John Wilkes Booth and sent them to the Philadelphia Inquirer to be printed. As a result, he was forced to spend time in the Capitol Prison in Washington D.C. After his release, he asked his wife for a divorce in attempts to separate himself from the "Booth" name and family. After she refused, he moved himself and his family to London in order to continue his acting career in peace.
These connections are striking as it becomes clear that documentation of any type has the potential to mean much more than its original intention. A young woman making a memory book of the plays and operas that interested her now has the ability to show scholars a very unique and unexpected side of one of the most notable events in American history, the Lincoln assassination.
Manuscripts, Penn Rare

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Kościół św. Kazimierza Królewicza – rzymskokatolicki kościół konwentualny wraz z klasztorem reformatów znajdujący  się w Krakowie na Starym Mieście przy ul. Reformackiej 2–4.

Historia
Reformaci przybyli do Polski w 1622, w Krakowie na przedmieściu Garbary osiedlili się w 1625. Kościół ukończono w 1640 dzięki ofiarności Zuzanny Amendówny, która przekazała w testamencie z 1644 także zachowany do dziś w ołtarzu bocznym słynący cudami obraz Madonny. Ten pierwszy kościół Reformatów spłonął w czasie potopu szwedzkiego.

W 1658 zakonnicy osiedlili się przy dzisiejszej ulicy Reformackiej w dworku podarowanym im przez Stanisława Warszyckiego kasztelana krakowskiego. W 1666 biskup sufragan Mikołaj Oborski poświęcił kamień węgielny pod obecną świątynię. Głównym dobroczyńcą kościoła i klasztoru był Franciszek Szembek starosta biecki i kasztelan kamieniecki. Konsekracji nowej barokowej świątyni dokonał w 1672 także bp Mikołaj Oborski.

Architektura, wyposażenie
W szczycie fasady trzy płytkie półkoliście zamknięte wnęki z barokowymi płaskorzeźbami świętych: Kazimierza królewicza, Antoniego i Piotra Alkantary. We wnętrzu kościoła późnobarokowe ołtarze pochodzące z lat 1745–1748. W ołtarzu głównym zgodnie z regułą zakonu reformatów umieszczany jest zawsze krucyfiks. Patron kościoła św. Kazimierz ma swój wizerunek w bocznym ołtarzu (pierwszym po lewej stronie) obraz ten powstał najprawdopodobniej w latach 1660–1670 i uważany jest za dzieło gdańskiego malarza Daniela Schultza. W latach późniejszych nad obrazami do ołtarzy bocznych pracowali: Michał Stachowicz malując wizerunek św. Katarzyny Aleksandryjskiej w 1800 oraz Wojciech Eljasz-Radzikowski w 1842 malując Wizję św.Antoniego oraz wizerunek św. Piotra z Alkantary. Malowidła na sklepieniu kościoła pochodzą z 1904 i są dziełem Aleksandra Mroczkowskiego.

W 1901 roku po prawej stronie nawy dobudowano kaplicę. W ołtarzu umieszczono najstarszy, zachowany jeszcze z pierwszego kościoła, obraz Pana Jezusa Miłosiernego.

Dzwonek
Na ścianie klasztoru zachował się dzwonek za konających (takimi dzwonkami dzwoniono, kiedy umierał ktoś bliski), zawieszony na drewnianej konstrukcji nakrytej daszkiem. Poniżej tablica z czarnego marmuru odnosząca się do fundacji dzwonka w 1750.

Krypty
W podziemiach kościoła znajdują się krypty w których pochowani są zmarli od 1672 r. W kryptach pochowano tysiąc osób – zakonników oraz osoby świeckie. W podziemiach znajduje się około 60 trumien. Kilka trumien przykrytych jest szklanymi wiekami zamontowanymi w latach 70. XX wieku.

Stacje drogi krzyżowej
Parcela po przeciwnej stronie ulicy Reformackiej przekazana zakonowi w 1735 używana była jako cmentarz. Mur oddzielający ten teren od ulicy został wzniesiony w 1863. Dzisiaj pozostały tutaj stacje drogi krzyżowej w formie kapliczek z głębokimi wnękami na obrazy. Obrazy Męki Pańskiej malował Michał Stachowicz w latach 1814–1816. Między stacjami wmurowane są tablice epitafijne z czarnego marmuru. Wśród nich jest tablica Małgorzaty z Kobylickich Stachowiczowej (zm. 1822), żony wspomnianego malarza Michała Stachowicza.

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, miasto Kraków, Kościoły i klasztory śródmieścia 2, pod redakcją Adama Bochnaka i Jana Samka, wyd. PAN, Warszawa 1978.

Linki zewnętrzne

 Organy

Architektura I Rzeczypospolitej (województwo krakowskie)
Kościoły i klasztory reformatów
Zabytkowe klasztory katolickie w województwie małopolskim
Kazimierza
Krakowie, Kazimierza Królewicza
Kazimierza Królewicza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Monkeypox facts for people who are sexually active
May 21, 2022 • health • monkeypox • sexual wellness
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the spread of monkeypox in countries where the virus is typically not endemic. Some 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases have been reported as of May 21.
The WHO noted that most cases, though not exclusively, have been identified among men who have sex with men (MSM). This has led to concern that these communities could face stigma or discrimination similar to their experience with regard to the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the 1980s hampering testing and vaccination efforts. Monkeypox will require vaccine strategy and outreach.
Many healthcare officials worry that the outbreak's association with the MSM community, the unfamiliarity many (even in a healthcare setting) may have with the disease, and the general shame around STIs could lead to a stigmatic perception of a "gay disease." Officials noted the need to be careful not to paint monkeypox as an issue only for the gay community.
At a press conference, the WHO made this statement: "This is not a gay disease as some people on social media have attempted to label it. That's just not the case. Anybody can contract monkeypox through close contact."
The available evidence suggests those who are most at risk are people who have had close physical contact with someone with monkeypox, and that risk is not limited to MSM.
While COVID-19 has defined many people's understanding of outbreaks, monkeypox is vastly different and less dangerous. Monkeypox traditionally spreads by direct contact with infectious lesions or infected material (such as blankets used by someone with monkeypox). It can also spread via respiratory droplets, but only through prolonged or intimate exposure.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is caused by a virus of the same name that can infect people by entering the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or mucous membranes like the eyes, nose, or mouth. People can also catch it through direct contact with bodily fluids or lesion material.
The repercussions of labeling HIV/AIDS a homosexual disease include untold suffering in gay communities in the 1980s. Gays were blamed for their own suffering and ostracized as purveyors of disease. As a result, cases were under-reported in the early days of the epidemic as those who contracted the virus went underground instead of seeking care. This led to missed opportunities to learn about the infection, understand its transmission and provide public health interventions to curb its spread.
Today, the danger of misinformation about monkeypox is amplified by social media and sensational news outlets. It is critical that reports on health should always lead with facts. As we learned with HIV/AIDS and with COVID, misinformation spreads infection among groups that incorrectly believed that they were not at risk, leads to dangerous silencing and shaming, and harms public health.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease: a viral infection that is transmitted from animals to humans. Its name isn't due to monkeys being the primary vector for human infections, but rather because it was first identified in lab monkeys in Denmark enlisted for polio vaccine research. The first human cases weren't identified until 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The disease has a typical incubation period of six to 13 days, after which it can cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, chills, exhaustion, lymph node swelling, back pain and muscle aches. Within three days of the onset of these symptoms, patients could witness the spread of pox-like lesions lasting 2-3 weeks. Among the two major strains, or clades, of the virus, the Congo Basin variant has the most severe symptoms and a mortality rate of between 5% and 10%. Outbreaks of the West African clade, the one responsible for all of the current cases outside Africa, have a 3.6% mortality rate with most deaths occurring in immunocompromised individuals.
Please read the following CDC articles to help you make informed decisions regarding monkeypox and sexual activity:
CDC: Social Gatherings, Safer Sex, and Monkeypox
CDC: Guidance - Monkeypox Outbreak
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Sept. 11, 2017, 12:14 p.m.
Jabin Troth is one humble guy. One might think that after skyrocketing to almost half a million followers, getting the attention of many notable names in the spirits industry, spearheading Whistle Pig's social media presence, and becoming a sought-after consultant to other liquor brands — all in less than two years — would give him a bit of an ego. But Troth is just a regular dude, married with two children, living in Southern California, and eternally grateful for every opportunity that comes his way. He also just happens to be a huge fan of incredible-looking cocktails, the people and techniques behind them, and telling their story via his Instagram account, Licensed to Distill.
So how'd you get into this whole cocktail Instagram thing?
A friend of mine had made reservations at Noble Experiment for us several years ago. That was my first experience to the craft cocktail scene. My wife and I went and it was like walking into the gates of Disneyland for the first time. The bartenders were amazing. We left blown away, and that kickstarted this obsession with the cocktail scene.
Fast-forward a couple of years, Troth was laid off from his job after working in sales for more than a decade. While on a road trip, he thought about what he wanted to do next. He disliked social media; he didn't have a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account. At this point, he'd spent hours reading and researching cocktails and seeking out well-respected bars in his travels, and wanted a way to showcase his passion and discoveries.
I decided to make an Instagram account, but I didn't want it to be about me. I'm a huge Beastie Boys fan. The name works out — younger people get the Beastie Boys reference, while older people think I'm referencing James Bond.
How do you find your content?
There were lots of cocktail photos out there on Instagram, but not a lot of videos. I honed in on things that interested me: smoked cocktails, ice carving, Japanese cocktail culture ... A huge part of my time is spent researching and looking for quality content.
In the beginning, I'd look for good videos that could perform better ... that may have been a missed opportunity the first time around. Then the more I grew, people started sending me content.
How did you get so many followers in such a short time?
It is 100 percent organic growth. I've never paid for advertising. I told my wife when I started this account, 'We're never going to pay for drinks again!' But then I realized, as I met more and more mixologists, that's not what this is going to be about. That's not what I wanted. I wanted it to be a platform about them.
And I figured out what content would be valuable to a brand and a consumer. We've been able to genuinely help some people and play a part in growing their audience. But Instagram is a moving target. One algorithm change and that's it. You constantly have to evolve.
It seems like you've harnessed user-generated content to a whole new level.
As a consumer, if I see another bottle shot, I'm going to go crazy. It's really important to me to credit accounts. You won't see me post on my page without credit. One of the biggest frustrations I see is when big pages don't credit people. If you're not going to help these bartenders, you're doing the industry a disservice.
How do you balance "real life" with a job that requires constant monitoring of social media?
I will admit to waking up in the middle of the night to check on a post and see how it's performing. But I'm working on it! I do post everything manually, but my brother is a big help as well.
What tips do you have for those wanting to start an engaging Instagram?
Video, for me, is better than pictures' unless the picture is out-of-this-world dynamite. Video-wise, wide screen doesn't do well on Instagram. And a good screen grab is massive.
What do you hope to accomplish with LTD?
it's on us as the larger pages to give people promotion and a platform. I wouldn't have LTD if it wasn't for the bartenders and mixologists doing drinks behind the bar.
Do you have a favorite post on LTD?
Recently, I saw a video from a bar in Japan about ice carving. I took the four videos, stitched them together, and posted it. That video is my highest viewed video of all time. I got a DM from the bar saying they had been following me forever. And that video now has 8.3 million views.


This information can be presented in a variety of formats, including news, video, white papers, e-books, infographics, case studies, how-to guides, question and answer articles, photos, etc.
Content marketing is absolutely essential to the future of your marketing, because this is how your prospects are finding new suppliers.
Good quality content, optimised in the right way, can ensure that when one of your customers or prospects go searching for a new supplier, they can read your content, learn about your experience and establish your reputation.
What type of social media?


The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on January 17 that Korea's information and communications technology (ICT) Industry posted record-breaking exports of USD 220.4 billion in 2018.
Outbound shipments of ICT goods last year increased 11.5 percent compared to 2017, achieving double-digit growth rates for two years in a row. Monthly ICT exports have also been increasing for 24 consecutive months.
Imports by the ICT sector in 2018 reached $107.1 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $113.3 billion, an all-time record.
By product category, exports of semiconductors jumped 28.6 percent to $128.2 billion from a year earlier, topping the $120 billion mark for the first time for any single export item. This achievement is attributable to increasing demand for memory and system semiconductors, both of which registered their respective all-time highs in exports.
Computers and peripheral devices also improved 17.4 percent to $11.3 billion, led by strong sales of solid-state drives (SSDs).
Meanwhile, outbound shipments of displays slowed down 8.4 percent to $27.8 billion. While exports of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) expanded because of higher demand for televisions and mobile phones, those of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) contracted mostly due to falling prices caused by fiercer competition.
Mobile phones also decreased 23.2 percent to $14.6 billion. More intense competition between finished products like smartphones as well as increasing overseas production of parts contributed to this contraction.
By region, ICT exports to China, including Hong Kong, rose 14.4 percent to $119.4 billion. Despite decreases seen in displays (down 21.0 percent to $14.1 billion) and mobile phones (down 37.0 percent to $4.3 billion), a 29.1 percent increase in semiconductor exports to $85.8 billion led to this growth.
ICT shipments to Vietnam climbed up 8.1 percent to $27.9 billion on the back of growing exports of semiconductors (up 18.7 percent to $11.0 billion) and displays (up 22.3 percent to $9.5 billion).
The value of ICT goods shipped to the U.S. grew 13.2 percent to $20.5 billion. While mobile phones declined 10.0 percent to $5.1 billion, semiconductors soared 54.8 percent to $6.9 billion. The exports of computers and peripheral devices also inched up 1.0 percent to $2.5 billion.
For December 2018, the ICT industry recorded $15.9 billion in exports, $9.3 billion in imports, and $6.6 billion in trade surplus.
ICT exports last month saw a year-on-year decrease of 10.0 percent due to falling exports of semiconductors, displays, computers and peripheral devices, and mobile phones.
Outbound shipments of semiconductors fell 9.2 percent to $9.0 billion, the first drop in 27 months since September 2016. Falling demand for memory chips and their prices contributed to this decline.
Display exports went down 6.4 percent to $2.1 billion. Even though OLED panels remained strong, LCD panels slowed down because of intensifying competition.
Computers and peripheral devices slid 15.1 percent to $769 million, decreasing for two straight months. While exports of computers improved, those of peripheral device slowed down.
Mobile phones also dropped 34.7 percent to $903 million as a result of intensified global competition, increased local procurement of parts in export destinations, and longer mobile phone replacement cycles.
In contrast, ICT imports gained 3.6 percent to $9.3 billion. While semiconductors shipped to Korea rose 18.5 percent to $4.1 billion, computers and peripheral devices fell 8.3 percent to $1.1 billion. Imports of mobile phones also went down 25.5 percent to $794 million.
By region, ICT imports from Vietnam increased 5.1 percent to $635 million and those from the EU and went up 1.1 percent to $587 million. Meanwhile, the value of ICT goods shipped from China and the U.S. decreased 9.1 percent to $3.5 billion and 6.3 percent to $708 million, respectively.


Many people think that owning and running a classic Jag is something reserved for the super-wealthy. While it's true Harrison Ford owns a 1955 XK 140 and Simon Cowell splashed out £650,000 for a stunning 1965 convertible E-Type, you might be surprised to hear that most of our clients are ordinary folks that just love their classics. Sam Barber is in his early thirties and works for a charity in London. He is currently the proud owner of a Jaguar XJS 3.6 litre and he is one of our most loyal and frequent customers. "I chose a classic because I came into some inheritance money in my twenties and my father was badgering me to get a car so I thought I know, I'll get an old jag just like he used to have," Sam explained. "The joys of classic car motoring awaited. I chose the Jaguar XJS 3.6 because it is a beautiful car that I remember from the 80s and because I could get a model with a manual gearbox." "It seemed obvious from the first visit that KWE would have the knowledge and equipment to ensure that my XJS would run smoothly and reliably." AFFORDABLE RESTORATION Since 2009, KWE have been on an exciting journey with Sam and his car. Sam spread the restoration cost out over a period of 4 years. It was fully stripped, rust proofed and resprayed. We carried out significant work on the engine, installed a new sports exhaust and we provided Sam with the full KWE suspension, brakes and steering package.


Not accurate at all. Went back and forth with answers. Told me yes, then no , then "things will be better in coming days". So confusing.
In all good faith I can't recommend this reader. Answers were confusing & too brief to be of any real help.


text:
"I was having fun, but also breaking down…" Inside the studio for Waterparks' bold new era
Pandemics, progression and making peace: Awsten Knight invites Kerrang! into the studio to get the lowdown on Waterparks' "most experimental" album yet…
Jawn Rocha
Awsten Knight recently told Kerrang! something of a little white lie. "I don't want to jump into album territory yet," he shrugged casually back in September as Texan trio Waterparks unveiled their sweet, poppy gem of a then-standalone single, Lowkey As Hell. "I definitely don't want to give anything too big right now…"
Skip forward to January 13, 2021. It is 11am in Los Angeles, and the 29-year-old cheerfully pulls off a light pink face mask as he greets K! on Zoom, taking a break from work to recline on a grey sofa. It is here, in a sleek, wood-panelled studio surrounded by instruments and recording equipment, that Awsten reveals album number four is all but finished. Hang on a second…
"Let me explain!" he laughs, digging himself out of a misdirection-shaped hole. "I need to go into things without expectations like that. If I'm writing and I'm like, 'It's for the album…' then I get tripped up. But if I'm like, 'I'm just writing songs,' or, 'I'm writing a song for somebody else,' then that takes that pressure off – and it'll all come out better that way. When I say, 'No, I'm not really writing for an album,' it's also me convincing myself."
Such is the conviction of Awsten's cunning self-brainwashing technique, it has been a spectacularly prolific time for Waterparks – completed, as ever, by guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood – of late. As photoshoots and music video treatments beckon, the follow-up to 2019's superbly ambitious 4K-rated third full-length FANDOM also gradually and painstakingly inches across the finish line.
"I think it will be done today," the frontman grins of the record, crossing his legs and leaning into the camera, "I'm just in the studio at the moment doing the sequencing. When you're making a tracklist there are certain songs where it's like, 'Okay, I know how this transition needs to go; I want it to warp into this one,' or, 'I want this noise to kinda speckle out and be at the start of the one after…' That's what's going on today."
Though he rubs his eyes while admitting more coffee is currently required, Awsten's boundless enthusiasm for creativity is palpable – even via an internet connection that is occasionally interrupted as people try to get in touch with Waterparks' whiz. New material has been in progress for just over a year now and, ever the perfectionist, the frontman is still listening out for tiny tweaks to make. To most, these between-song moments would seem totally insignificant. But to Awsten? Every millisecond counts.
"It would be naive to act like albums are the centre of music and how it's consumed, but I still feel like it's such an important thing," he says. "I mean, honestly, as long as it still matters to me, I'm gonna do it – even if everyone that listened to us was just skipping the songs after the last chorus! But for everybody that doesn't do that, they will be so rewarded, because it's so seamless, and that's such a big part of a cohesive piece."
"I realised I can control my place, my internal stuff, my intake, the things I wear…"
Listen to Awsten reveal how he took control of his surroundings to keep creative in lockdown
In any given year, Waterparks would typically have 30 to 40 songs and ideas to sift through before approaching this kind of "piece" – taking into account the usual tours and other band duties. This time, though, Awsten amassed "a hundred-something songs" in the living room of his LA apartment while hunkering down and abiding by pandemic rules. That's not to mention his meticulous involvement with the excellent 2020 concert movie FANDOM: Live In The UK, and a recently-released limited-edition 'Anti-Tour' merch collection, too.
"My brain is fucking killing me, but it's also like a secret weapon," he chuckles, having just trailed off after trying to explain how he juggles this self-prescribed workload. "I've been so scattered in general, but I think this is how I'm able to work on so many different things at once because I honestly get lost. I'll be working on a song and then I'm like, 'Oh, but for the DVD! And then, also, what if we had this shirt?!'"
This ability to perpetually multi-task birthed several new album songs early last year before Waterparks left for a sold-out UK tour in January/February, while everything else came to life in quarantine. An otherwise creatively uninspiring time for most artists motivated Awsten to find new ways to spark something: be it simply swapping his typical iced coffee for a hot one, wearing a different shade of T-shirt to inspire a new mood, or quite literally changing his surroundings by buying fake plants and multicoloured lights (and yes, sometimes said bulbs matched his new red, yellow and blue hair). Anything to keep it all fresh.
"If you can't change what's going on outside of your fucking place, then change your place," he explains of this inventive strategy to stay productive through such unsettling times. "I would make a cool instrumental, I would throw on purple and blue lights, and turn off everything else, and it'd be night-time so it was all dark except for that, and just loop an instrumental and fucking sing a bunch of stuff over it. It would just create new things."
As we're about to find out, "new" in more ways than one…
Waterparks' latest album is one of firsts. It's how Awsten Knight approaches every record, after all. From 2016's pop-punk infused debut Double Dare through to the sprawling, genre-defying ideas that marked them as leaders rather than followers on 2018's Entertainment and 2019's FANDOM, few phrases sum up the band more aptly than 'expect the unexpected'.
"I always want to make something different than before," Awsten begins. "If I tried to make FANDOM again, it wouldn't work, and people wouldn't like it as much. You're not gonna beat what you've already done for somebody – you're not going to be able to recreate the same thing and have it have the same effect. It's like when you see bands who do a lot of the 10-year tours: it feels like they're trying to recapture that first album all the time, and you're never gonna get that. One, it's a cultural moment, so that's totally out of your hands. And two, everybody that loves it found it at a certain time – when they're more susceptible to new things. The strongest thing that you will almost never beat is their nostalgia for it. It's such a powerful and poisonous thing for art."
His willingness to not only better previous work but to explore and experiment like never before has culminated in an album that provokes a wide range of reactions. This is no bad thing.
"It's different," Awsten teases of the music contained within Waterparks' fourth LP. "A couple of people have been like, 'Man, I'm nervous… some of this stuff's really weird…' But other people are like, 'Holy fuck, this is by far the best!'
"It's for sure the most experimental so far," he continues, carefully holding back from divulging too much. "Actually, my friend Travis was like, 'You know what I like about these songs? You're constantly like, 'Wooo, arghhh!' It seems like you're having a lot of fun!' And I was like, 'I was having fun, but also, like, breaking down…' (laughs). It's a lot of craziness."
"It's for sure the most experimental so far. And it's also, like, the most personality-driven…"
Hear Awsten discuss reactions to Waterparks' new material
A genuinely smart cookie when it comes to Big Band Business, Awsten knows that a polarising and provocative album is much more desirable than one that might simply leave a listener feeling 'fine'. It doesn't, however, mean he can wrap his head around that notion just yet…
"My lizard brain can't handle anything at all lately," he jokes. "With quarantine, I feel like I've got these songs in a box right here with me and I'm like, 'They're mine!' If someone says it's weird, I'm like, 'Is that good?! What are you saying?!' The thing is, no-one's just like, 'Okay.' They're like, 'What the fuck?!' or, 'This is my favourite!' It's definitely gonna divide people, for sure. But if you're making art that's not poking a little bit, or at least making people think, 'Oh my god, what do I think about this?!' then you're kind of fucking boring."
As well as recruiting a select number of pals to provide feedback, Awsten also sought out his peers to bolster Waterparks' new studio effort in a way the band have never attempted before: he dextrously weaved new layers and textures into songs using pieces of these artists' vocals or instruments. Don't hold your breath if you think he's going to instantly reveal who's involved, though.
"I don't like when I go to somebody's Spotify and all of their top songs are other people's songs that are features," he says, "but I did get a handful of friends on the album that are very, very good. It'll be a really cool thing for people to listen and be like, 'Wait – is that them?!' Also, because I don't get to see anyone, it's like another collaborative thing you get to do. Where instead of going and getting dinner, you're like, 'Hey, do you wanna do this, and I can send it to you?' It's a way to feel a human connection in this time."
As well as furthering his "natural progression" on a songwriting front this past year, Awsten has also stepped up in a technical way: he proudly reveals that he has his first co-producing credit – alongside FANDOM producer Zakk Cervini ("Fucking bow down!" he gushes of his studio partner). Moreover, the frontman also reconnected with his musical roots when it came time to construct the material that makes up FANDOM's eclectic follow-up. The son of a Van Halen-worshipping father who would print off guitar tabs and have a young Awsten learn the rock'n'roll heroes' material "constantly", the Waterparks frontman let his six-string side shine through more on album number four, shredding through scuzzy riffs and infectious solos. In fact, this year Awsten learned a whole bunch of songs from Avenged Sevenfold's 2005 breakthrough album City Of Evil just to sharpen up. He had reservations, however, when it came to using these skills within his own music.
"I'll see people shit on [A7X guitarist] Synyster Gates, and I'm like, 'Shut up!'" Awsten sighs. "He's impossibly good – it's superhuman. And I'm like, 'If people are shitting on him, I don't wanna be seen as a 'guitarist', because I will never be able to live up to their bullshit.' I feel like guitarist culture is so fucking whack online – nobody can just appreciate that people can play guitar. So that's one reason why I've kind of avoided it [in the past]. Another one is: I wanna have more fun live and not think that much. But this album I've broken it out a little more. Because why not?"
Much, then, has changed on Waterparks' next album. What remains the same, though, are Awsten Knight's always on-point lyrical musings. Across the six genuinely brilliant sneak previews Kerrang! have been afforded in advance (not including Lowkey As Hell, which, after a three-to-four month deliberation period, has also made the final tracklist), the frontman is on sharp, smart, and often darkly entertaining form. Unsurprisingly, the Texan chatterbox has plenty to say about it.
"There's definitely a lot of paranoid and angry songs," he admits. "It's hard to not feel those things. I mean, I just already feel a lot of that anyway. But at the same time, with everything else externally going on in the world, it's hard to not feel angry and fucking paranoid. You feel constricted, almost, when you can't fucking do anything, or leave. It strains your relationships with everyone you know."
As ever, though, this is a body of work that captures "a variety of moods". And if Awsten did feel the need to address the same theme more than once, you might not even notice at first.
"Even if a song is coming from kind of a negative place, it needs to be packaged differently, sonically," he elaborates. "There are certain songs where, it's just the fucking weirdest blend of almost like The Hives, but also some fucking bad-ass festival EDM dude, but that's also kind of Childish Gambino, but also kinda Maroon 5 a little bit… It's still indie but then fucking big. I could make a song like that, and then make an R&B-sounding song. There's, like, the ugliest fucking punk songs on it, but even that will be mixed with something else."
"For the longest time I didn't plan on putting it on the album – but it was needed…"
Awsten explains why Lowkey As Hell nearly didn't make it into the album
One subject that album four doesn't touch on as closely is the key concept that dominated FANDOM: living up to unrealistic fan expectations and grappling with those enormous pressures. Awsten has, he says, moved on from that particular topic for now.
"I don't wanna just keep hitting them," he laughs affectionately of the loyal devotees he wrote about last time. "The thing is, I do appreciate our fans very, very much. I just felt overwhelmed at that time by it. It's something that I'm glad I wrote songs about, and I just wanted to plant that idea with some of them – whoever would listen – because it might just help a little, and alleviate that fucking craziness."
Awsten's online life still involves navigating the stresses of a fervent following. "Insane amounts of meditating and reflecting" has helped him cope, as has simply not logging on to social media as frequently.
"I try not to look at my phone very much; I'll go on, make a post and then go back to my normal life – I'll eat some food, work on some guitar…" he explains. "And then I open my phone an hour later and I see people being like, 'Wow! Not the fucking time, haven't you looked at the 'explore' tab?!' And I'm like, 'Okay, there's shit going on, my bad!' Or if I don't 'say something' about every fucking thing ever, they're like, 'We fucking see you!' It's just wild because you don't see that with all types of musicians – or even people in our world. And I'm not trying to be like, 'I'm a victim!' But I don't see it with a lot of musicians where they're being fucking yelled at, or getting real angry DMs about all kinds of shit. I kinda envy that, sometimes."
Has getting those feelings out in album form helped you make peace with it?
"I feel like all I can do is just remind myself that I'm a good person," Awsten shrugs. "As long as you make peace with yourself and you know that you're not as bad as people come at you for then it's all you can do. You can only take in so much, and you have to recognise what you're able to absorb. But as far as writing about them, I feel like I already did everything I could. And if it plants the seed, great. It ultimately doesn't change it, but there's no point in me constantly going in and being like, '(Starts yelling) Remember that you suck!' (laughs)."
Far from struggling for new stories to tell, in fact, album four is – brace yourselves – Waterparks' longest release so far.
"I was going through other albums the other day, just other people's stuff, and writing down the lengths next to it," the frontman smiles. "It's got the longest tracklist and longest run time that we've ever done, although it's still pretty average in the grand scheme of things. Some of the songs are two minutes!"
Very soon, Awsten will be able to finally hear this laboriously pieced-together recording – transitions and all – in full. Until then, though, he acknowledges that he's "too close" to the project for any kind of reflecting on it just yet. "I'm still too in it," he says, "and I'm too tunnel-vision that I can't really mentally see the bigger picture or look around too much."
Hopping off the sofa and starting to pace around the studio, he ponders what fans will make of Waterparks' upcoming full-length.
"I'm glad we've set the bar and the expectation of, 'Hey, we're going to make all kinds of weird shit, and shit that you're not going to expect,'" he grins. "We've opened the door to be able to do anything, and my only hope is that people don't go into it expecting too much of one thing, because they will never, ever, ever be right. Here's the thing: I know it's great, and I hope they're willing to just take it in as music and not, 'This is what I want from Waterparks.'
"As long as the approach is to appreciate it and hear it for what it is," Awsten concludes, "then I think they're gonna fucking love it."
Waterparks' fourth album is due for release… soon. Catch the band on tour in the UK and Europe this summer.
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Waterparks' Awsten Knight: The 10 songs that changed my life
Fear, fame and FANDOM: Meet the real Awsten Knight
Awsten Knight: "Having your authenticity questioned gets tiring. I'm not a fake piece of shit"
From Brian Wilson to Childish Gambino: The icons who inspired Waterparks' Awsten Knight
Everyone from pop-rock legends to rap superstars have influenced Awsten Knight when it comes to creating the wonderfully wild world of Waterparks. Even if, as the frontman says, one particular artist's vocals make him "insecure"…
The Kerrang! Chart
The Kerrang! Chart: The best new music this week
The ultimate new music countdown – every Friday!
Waterparks drop new single REAL SUPER DARK and reveal album release date
Listen to Waterparks' new single REAL SUPER DARK as you wait patiently for their new album…
Waterparks tease heavy new song REAL SUPER DARK
Hear 30 seconds of Waterparks' wild and heavy new song REAL SUPER DARK, taken from upcoming album INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
Waterparks announce 30-date U.S. tour
Waterparks will hit the road with HUNNY next year for their extensive PROPERTY Tour…
Nova Twins are officially the band of the year – only in the new issue of Kerrang!
Nova Twins have been the breakout band of 2022, winning new fans across the world and breaking down barriers for alternative music wherever they go. Find out how they did it in the new issue of Kerrang!…
Watch the new video for Waterparks' huge collab with blackbear
Waterparks get arty in the video for their most recent single with blackbear, taken from upcoming fifth album INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
Waterparks: "This is the best version of us – with new and exciting steps forward"
On Waterparks' fifth album INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Awsten Knight – as he always does – threw himself headfirst into the creative process. Now, previewing it for the first time in this exclusive interview, the frontman reveals how the hard work is paying off…


select *, DATE_FORMAT(birthday, "%b %e, %Y") as _birthday, DATE_FORMAT(died, "%b %e, %Y") as _died, MONTH(birthday) as month_birth, DAY(birthday) as day_birth, DATE_FORMAT(birthday, "%b %e") as _birth_day_month from agatti_people where agatti_people.u_name = "vincente-minnelli"
Shares birthday with Zero Mostel, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Geraldine Farrar see more..
Legendary director, Vincente Minnelli, was born Lester Anthony Minnelli on Feb 28, 1903 in Chicago, IL. Minnelli died at the age of 83 on Jul 25, 1986 in Beverly Hills, CA and was laid to rest in Forest Lawn (Glendale) Cemetery in Glendale, CA.
Vincente Minnelli was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for Best Director for Gigi in 1958.
One of the few Hollywood studio directors who can truly be said to have an unmistakable mise-en-scene. Minnelli was at first a set and costume designer before being allowed to direct by Arthur Freed, head of the MGM musical unit. His visual touch in Technicolor is sometimes garish, some might say close to vulgar, but in his best work (Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)) every visual element is a reflection of his singularly original visual talent.
Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Triumphant Faith Terraces area.
Was voted the 20th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.


When most people hear the term "call center," they think of a massive maze of cubicles, filled with hundreds (or even thousands) of people answering call after call in a sales or support department for a major corporation. Though these large call centers do exist, (American Express has a single call center in Phoenix, AZ with over 5200 people in it), they are not the norm for most businesses. There are far more companies with just a few employees answering the phone that have a need for some more sophisticated call routing. Let's face it, if you have a business in which more than one person answers the phone, or you have more than one department, you can benefit from advanced call routing and other Unified Communications (UC) features. This is the beauty of Switchvox – it gives you advance features that enterprise companies use in their large call centers, but at a price that small or medium-size businesses (SMBs) can afford.
In part 1 of the Power of UC blog series, we introduced you to ABC Widgets and looked at their marketing efforts to get leads in the door through two campaigns: a roadside sign and a radio ad. We saw how Switchvox can handle and quantify those marketing campaigns, and help management staff understand the ROI of those efforts. While ABC Widgets is a fictional company, it serves as a good example of how similar companies can benefit from a business phone system with UC features. Today, we will show you how Switchvox helps ABC Widgets become an effective call center, and produce satisfied customers and growing revenues.
ABC Widgets is a small company with 20 employees. They have a new product sales team of two people, a customer service team of two, a support team of three (who regularly answer the phone), and a receptionist. The receptionist currently handles all incoming calls and then transfers the calls to whomever she thinks might be available. This has been very ineffective. The company has received many complaints as the receptionist is far too busy and customers have to wait too long to talk to someone – although ABC Widgets has no idea how long customers actually wait. Management has determined they need a better customer experience for people calling in to ABC Widgets.
The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application can automate many of the incoming calls and relieve some stress from the receptionist. ABC Widgets has control over the messages that are played and the options that the caller can choose. ABC Widgets creates a 'Sales, Customer Service, and Support' option, as well as a 'Press 0 for the Receptionist.' Now, callers get to the place they need on their own and calls to the receptionist are reduced by 80 percent overnight!
The Switchboard is a web-based user productivity tool that gives ABC users a "birds-eye" view of what is going on in the company, as well as desktop call control. The Switchboard allows their receptionist to see who is on the phone and that person's availability through the 'Status' indicator. He or she can also chat or video chat with other employees and easily transfer calls with a click.
Ringing Strategies allow ABC Widgets to either ring all the employees in the queue, ring individuals randomly or in a pre-determined order. Sales has a superstar employee that management would like to have the first crack at all sales calls, before routing to others. To achieve this, they will use 'In Order,' which allows the company to put the superstar at the top of the list. If he's not available, the next person in the list will be rung.
Queue Member Settings allow ABC Widgets to determine how many times each person's phone rings, allows time for wrap-up to log information into their CRM, and to auto-log off, if the member forgets to log out of the queue.
Caller Experience Settings let management control what callers hear while waiting to speak to someone. ABC Widgets picks their favorite hold music, as well as takes advantage of that on-hold time by adding a message about their new product.
In-Queue Call Routing is set up to ensure that callers don't get stuck in an endless queue. Simple settings are in place so that ABC Widgets can determine what their excessive wait time limit is and ensure that anyone waiting longer than that time is routed to another person, group, or manager.
Real-Time Queue Monitoring both on the Switchboard and on Digium IP phones allow their managers to view call flow and call statistics in real time. They can see current calls that are waiting and how long they've been there, individual call stats for each queue member, and overview statistics for the entire queue! Never again will you be in the dark on the performance of your teams!
As you can see, even though ABC Widgets isn't a massive call center like American Express, it can still take advantage of modern call center technology to improve it's customer experience. Your company can do the same! The best part is that Switchvox brings these features at a price SMBs can afford-and delivered in the Cloud, on-premises, or a hybrid of the two. Sign up for a demo of Switchvox and see the difference in your company.


Hasn't this been posted already?
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Debian 2.1 has been superseded.
Since newer releases have been made, the 2.1 release has been superseded. These pages are being retained for historical purposes. You should be aware that Debian 2.1 is no longer maintained.
To find out what's new for Debian 2.1, see the Release Notes for your architecture. The Release Notes also contain instructions for users who are upgrading from prior releases.
If you have set your browser's localization properly, you can use the above link to get the right HTML version automatically -- see content negotiation. Otherwise, pick the exact architecture, language, and format you want from the table below.
For the i386 architecture, a detailed report is available which describes packages which have changed since the last two releases.
Note that German documentation is also available, but only for the i386 architecture; you can view that as ASCII, PDF, or HTML.
A lot of effort has been put into the Debian Installation Manual in order to support non-i386 distributions. However, some architectures (notably Alpha) still need work -- see the document itself for information on how you can contribute.
These web pages will be updated with new versions of the Installation Manual for slink as they become available. If you wish to contribute changes, see the section and the manual; you can also retrieve the SGML source -- patches are the best form of comments. Contributors or readers wonder exactly what is new should see the ChangeLog.
Sometimes, in the case of critical problems or security updates, the released distribution (in this case, Slink) is updated. Generally, these are indicated as point releases. The current point release is Debian 2.1r5. You can find the ChangeLog on any Debian archive mirror.
Next, run apt-get update; apt-get upgrade.
Slink is certified for use with the 2.0.x series of Linux kernels. If you wish to run the Linux 2.2.x kernel with slink, see the list of known problems.
Released Debian versions are only updated in cases of critical errors or security issues. However, for user convenience, there is certain updated software which is made available unofficially by other users and developers. Material in this section is not officially supported by Debian.
Unofficial Portuguese boot-floppies are available at ftp://ftp2.escelsanet.com.br/debian/.
Users of Adaptec 2940 SCSI cards, and other SCSI controllers with the aic7xxx chipset, will probably experience problems with the standard boot-floppies. A kind user has made some experiments which many users find to solve their problems. There are two alternative Rescue Floppies for the i386 architecture at ftp://kalle.csb.ki.se/pub/. There are also replacement kernels in that location, which you can use to simply replace the existing kernels on the boot-floppies. You'll need the Drivers Floppy from the standard location.
A competing and newer set of Rescue and Driver Floppies for Adaptec users can be found at https://www.debian.org/~adric/aic7xxx/.
If you want to run the latest Gnome on from stable, see GNOME update for Debian 2.1 (http://www.gnome.org/start/debian-readme.html).
An updated version of apt is available in Debian, as of 2.1r3. The benefits of this updated version is primarily that it is able to handle installation from multiple CD-ROMs itself. This makes the dpkg-multicd acquisition option in dselect unnecessary. However, your 2.1 CD-ROM may contain an older apt, so you might want to upgrade based on the one now in Slink.
Debian is available electronically or from CD vendors.
We maintain a list of CD vendors that sell CDs of Debian 2.1.
We maintain a list of sites which mirror the distribution.


If you volunteer with a non-profit engaged in social service, social justice, social action or social change, you may apply for an Inspiration Grant from Plymouth Community Service and Social Action (CSSA) fund to benefit "your" organization as their sponsor. Each year the CSSA Board awards one-time grants of up to $2,000 each to organizations Plymouth members are involved in and that meet eligibility criteria.
Grantees (Plymouth sponsors) are asked to provide a Herald article, bulletin announcement and one other form of advertising for the organization during the grant year. This gives the congregation opportunities to learn more about the organization and get involved. The intent of these one-time grants is to fulfill the CSSA board's mission to open the congregation to the transforming power of God's spirit in ways that lead to social change.
Application Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2019. Download application HERE.


Small businesses owned by international migrants and refugees are often the target of xenophobic hostility and attack in South Africa. This has led various governance actors including the police, government ministers and provincial premiers to call for the stricter regulation of these enterprises. This report examines the problematization of migrant-owned businesses in South Africa, and the regulatory efforts aimed at curtailing their economic activities. In so doing, it sheds light on the complex ways in which xenophobic fears are generated and manifested in the country's social, legal and political orders. Spaza shops are informal grocery shops that operate in most of the country's low income neighbourhoods, and provide food and other common household items including bread, milk, canned goods and soap. This report focuses on spazas that are owned and/or operated by refugees and migrants to the country, which have been at the centre of contention in South Africa over the past decade. The report is based on qualitative field research in three field sites (Kraaifontein, Khayelitsha and Philippi) in Cape Town, and in several small towns in the Western Cape province, between 2010 and 2013. The research focused on the ability of migrant shopkeepers to access justice in the Western Cape and comprised approximately 200 interviews with migrant traders, South African residents, police, prosecutors, legal aid attorneys and local authorities. As the large majority of migrant spaza shopkeepers in the research area were from Somalia, most migrant interviewees were Somali.