Barking is natural doggy behaviour — it's how they communicate — but sometimes it can can get out of hand.
Thankfully, the rise of the anti bark device means that there are plenty of helpful products on the market that can help you manage your pup's yapping.
1 What is an Anti Bark Device?
2 Are Anti Bark Devices Safe?
4 Why Won't My Dog Stop Barking?
What is an Anti Bark Device?
An anti barking device is designed to teach your dog that negative things happen every time that they bark, which should result in the dog eventually learning to hold back their barks in order to avoid the negative response.
They used to be used solely to train hunting dogs, but it quickly became clear that they could be a useful tool in training domestic pups too.
These are either remote devices or collars that work to discourage barking using the power of sound. Sensors will detect when your dog starts barking and will transmit an ultrasonic sound, so high pitched that its only audible to dogs.
The triggered sound will surprise your dog and is unpleasant enough to stop them barking.
If your dog continues to yap, the sound will likely increase to a determined point (always within safe limits) until your dog stops.
This is very much like the sound emitter, but replaces the high pitched sound with a small jolt of electric shock via the collar. This will surprise your pup and stop the barking.
Modern shock collars are much more humane than in the past, and are always restricted to safe levels of shock, but care should be taken as misuse of an anti bark collar may cause dogs to become aggressive or fearful.
It turn out that dogs aren't too fond of the powerful odor of citronella.
A certain configuration of anti bark device will spray of jet of citronella infused water into your dog's face each time they bark, again shocking them into submission.
Water spraying collars are also available, which may be slightly less unpleasant for your dog yet still effective.
Are Anti Bark Devices Safe?
There's plenty of discussion in the dog owning community as to whether the use of an anti bark collar is safe and humane.
As long as you buy high quality, tested and well reviewed products, it ultimately comes down to how you use them.
First things first, you should never attempt to stop your dog barking altogether. As we mentioned earlier, barking is a natural canine behavior and is a way for your dog to communicate, showing you when they're excited and fearful.
So, an anti bark device should only be used if you consider your pup to be indulging in excessive barking. That is, when they bark for long periods of time for seemingly no reason — not just because there's someone at the door or if they're excited to see you.
When you use an anti barking device, make sure to use it sparingly — and certainly not all day every day. It should be deployed as a training tool that teaches your dog an important behavior rather than a permanent fixture around their neck.
The device with the most potential for harm is the shock collars so use these only with careful consideration and even with professional advice before you resort to them.
Always follow the instructions, start gently and use sparingly when it comes to successful use of an anti bark device.
If you're not keen on the punishment style of training with an anti bark collar, you could consider a few gentler alternatives first.
Firstly, figure out the cause of your dog's excessive barking. Is it out of boredom? Are they being territorial? Have they not had proper obedience training?
Many dogs indulge in excessive barking because they have an overabundance of energy. If you suspect that might be your dog's problem (often its accompanied by other manic behavior like destructive chewing, digging and jumping), you need to commit extra time to exercising them and expending their energy. We're talking long, daily walks and regular training.
If you suspect that your dog is being territorial, you may need to put in the effort to socialize them better with other people and dogs. Take opportunities to take them to a dog park, meet other people and have other people come to your home. This way, you can train your dog in the proper behavior when people come to visit.
When your dog's excessive barking is down to the fact that they just bark at anything and everything because they don't know any better, it's a good idea to get them started on a regular course of obedience training. You can read our training tips here.
The idea here is to stop reinforcing your dog's bad behavior. When they start barking for no reason, ignore them and pay them no attention. After a certain period of time, they'll learn that their barking gets them no attention from you, their owner, and they'll learn to stop doing it.
When they start being calm and remaining silent in the face of outside stimuli, you can treat them and reward them for their good behavior. This way they know that there are rewards available if they refrain from barking.
Obedience training isn't an immediate relief from excessive barking like a stop barking device is, but with regular short and sweet sessions, it's a great way to change your dog's behavior for the better in the long term.
Before you invest in the best anti bark collar, it's worth taking a moment to actually consider why your dog is engaging in excessive barking and, indeed, if their barking can be considered excessive at all.
Well, except for those huskies that love to howl.
You're never going to completely stop your dog barking and you shouldn't try to either. It's a natural expression for canines and is one of the ways they communicate with you and other dogs.
And just like how human communication can mean something different every time we open our mouths to speak, it's the same for dogs. Different barks can suggest your dog is experiencing different emotions. Here's a great dog bark translation guide.
This barking can quickly turn into something excessive, however.
For instance, when they constantly bark at other people and dogs on their 'territory', when they get too excited and can't stop barking, when they can't stop barking at the door.
And that's when you turn to anti-bark training and a stop barking device.
While some owners may prefer to go without an anti bark collar, they do have some great, immediate benefits.
If they're used responsibly, they can be one of the quickest and most effective ways to get your dog to stop their excessive barking.
The best anti bark device will also be an effective last resort if you've tried all the training and exercises available to you but your dog still won't stop barking.
We're going to review the best anti bark devices on Amazon in a moment, but you may also like to explore the online Bark Collar Store, which specializes in — exactly what it sounds like — bark control devices for dogs.
They sell shock bark collars, spray collars, ultrasonic units and more.
Their store is huge and has products suitable for small dogs all the way up to the biggest hounds.
Plus free shipping for orders over $50!
If you're struggling with excessive barking, it's definitely worth checking out their store and advice.
Before we get down to the nitty gritty detail, let's take a look at how our top picks for the best anti bark collar compare against each other.
We've tried to pull together some low-cost budget options with some of the more premium devices available, so there should be something in here to fit your budget.
The Hoont Electronic Dog Repellent hand held training aid emits a powerful (yet harmless) ultrasonic sound, teaching your dog to associate the unpleasant sound with disobeying commands to stop barking.
Some buyers also choose to use it as a dog repellant, which you may find useful if you have a particularly aggressive neighbor's dog, or if you often find dogs on your lawn.
This is a very popular anti bark device by SportDOG, boasting 'perfect bark technology'. It's considered one of, if not the, best anti bark collar on the market.
There are plenty of options for you to tailor the collar to your dog's needs, with 10 levels of static stimulation and 3 different training modes to choose from: temperament learning, progressive correction and user selected.
There's no separate handheld control with this anti barking device. Instead, the collar has an in-built sensor which detects barking via both sounds and vibration from the vocal cords, meaning it won't get to work if it simply hears any dog barking. It's a smart device with the ability to remember the last static stimulation correction level it used, and an automatic shut-off after 3 minutes.
The user selected mode allows you to choose the correction level of the static stimulation, instead of starting at the lowest level and progressing upwards.
It's suitable for dogs weighing 8 lbs and over.
This handheld anti bark device also uses harmless ultrasonic sound to calm and distract barking dogs. Simply activate the device with a push of the button at a distance of up to 15 feet away to divert correct your dog's behavior.
The device is made by First Alert, a company with a long heritage of manufacturing household products, and they carefully develop all their pet products with professional trainers and experts in order to hit on the best results.
This anti bark device is a little kooky but it's undoubtedly popular with dog owners.
The cute birdhouse design of the DOGTEK Sonic Birdhouse means that it fits unobtrusively into your garden. It uses high-pitched ultrasonic sound technology which is triggered automatically when within range of a barking dog. It has 3 sensors and 4 different sensitivity levels so you can adjust how bark sensitive the contraption is.
Your dog will begin to associate their bark with this unpleasant noise and will eventually learn to stop barking.
For many owners, this is the best anti bark collar on the market: it's easy to use, safe, and super effective at reducing your pup's excessive barking.
When your dog barks, the vibration triggers the collar to administer a static correction, beginning at the lowest level and gradually increasing if your dog continues to bark (although always within safe limits and stopping after 50 seconds).
Once barking stops, the collar will reset itself to the lowest level for any later barking. The static correction is only a gentle tingle that indicate a new sensation to your dog, thus distracting them and stopping the barking.
This anti bark collar is suitable for dogs weighing 8 lbs and over.
If you're fed up with your dog's excessive barking and have tried training and exercise to no avail, it's a great idea to consider the merits of a stop barking device.
Hopefully now you'll be equipped with all the knowledge you need on the best anti bark device for your dog. Just remember to praise and reward your furry friend during their corrective training!
Hi can you recommend a bark collar for a pomeranian? 9 lbs. Will these be too big?
I've got the sport dog 10r collar for my Pom who's about the same weight. Think they're suitable for dogs 8 pounds and up. Hope this helps you. It's great.
Hi Sally. Both the SportDOG and PetSafe collars will be suitable for your Pomeranian. Amazon also have some specifically made for small dogs. Let us know which one you pick!
Just want to say that I really recommend the SportDog 10R bark collar. I have them for my Staffy and Rottie and they've both totally transformed with regular training using it.
Hi Jim. We like the SportDOG too! Worth the extra money, in our humble opinion.
Thank you for this. I've been going backwards and forwards on whether to get an anti-bark collar for my baby as he's such a loud barker but was a bit worried that it might be seen as cruel. Good to see other people ar e buying them!!!
They definitely are, Leanne! Remember that the power lies with you to ensure that you use an anti bark collar in the most humane and kind way possible.
I have neighbors on both sides of my yard with dogs that sound like a pack of wolves their barking and howling is so loud! I am thinking of buying that one that looks like a bird house as it has a range of 50 feet but I don't want my neighbors to know that it's actually to stop their dogs. Do you know if it could actually pass as a bird house? Just so if they look over the fence it just looks like a bird house and not something more sinister lol.
The DOGTEK definitely looks like a proper bird house as long as you don't get too up close to examine it. We think it will be fine if you're just looking over the fence at it. Obviously, birds won't use it as a bird house as there's nowhere to place food but it should be fine if you place it somewhere discrete.
I have 4 Pitbulls, 6,3, 1.5 x 2. I have a petsafe antibark egg and it works great for the older 2 dogs but does nothing for the younger 2. The younger 2 bark at everything and then it sets the older 2 off. I desperately need help. PLEASE HELP!!!!!
That's interesting — perhaps the younger 2 hear a different frequency that doesn't affect them as much as the older two.
Personally, we prefer the DOGTEK bird house for ultrasonic control. It allows you to adjust the sensitivity — you would probably need to put it on high as you have four dogs.
Canine experts classify pitbulls as the most dangerous breed of dog in the world, based on the number of fatal attacks on humans…. most of whom are children. In addition, pitbulls can climb any fence at any time they choose because they are extraordinary climbers. If your pitbulls gets out and attacks someones you risk going to jail, even prison, and you will be subject to a massive lawsuit. Imagine how that will effect your life and the lives of your family members. If you are wise you will have your pitbulls put to sleep (they won't suffer even for a moment and will wake up in heaven) and get a breed of dog that is not dangerous. I am a former pitbull owner and know from first hand experience just how dangerous pitbulls can be and I am so relieved not having to worry about owning one any longer. Take care.
Thuthseeke. You are very uneducated and rude. Take your fear mongering somewhere else. Pitbulls are an amazing breed that many people adore and make great family pets and guard dogs. If the breed is not for you, don't get one. I think an ant farm is more up your alley.
How about for a 6 lb 17 year old cockapoo? I tried the sonic, it has no effect? Her barks are like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Sorry to hear you've had trouble with the sonic — it might be worth sending it back and getting a new one if it's not working at all. Sounds like a defected product, perhaps!
DOGTEK Sonic Bird House Bark Control I have read many of these devises can drive one broke in battery replacement. I need something that we can place outdoor to stop neighbors hounds from driving the neighborhood and us nuts when it's nice and the windows can be open. We have been dealing with this problem for almost a year the guy who owns these dogs could care less and curses neighbors who yell at his dogs.
my dog wears a collar for electric fence so how will a bark collar work with that? Bulky additional collar that freaks the dog out bc it doesn't know what it's for? Is the ultrasound a better choice for dogs who wear the electric fence collars?
Moving into an apartment and have a papillon that BARKS!
I inherited my son's Red Heeler..he is trained to protect son's truck ..so he "owns" my car and will bark viciously at anyone who approaches…would bite if person or parts came into car. If I get him OUT of car another person can get in with no repercussions.
I need a bark deterrent for my 5 Dalmatians that bark uncontrollably when in their crates. It is dangerous to let them all out in this excited mode. They have fought before because of the excitement level. I need something that actually works to stop them from barking so that they can calm down. Any suggestions?


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Tag Archives: game
Posted by Ross Harrison on 28 Jun, 2013
I got The Last of Us on the day of release and I've been playing it since. I finished it and started again. I'm still not quite sure what to think of it. What I am sure of is that it certainly doesn't deserve the 10/10s it's been getting. I'll try to explain why, without giving away spoilers.
The story is of Joel and Ellie, a forty-something year old man and a fourteen year old girl, basically trying to get from one part of post-apocalyptic America to another. The post-apocalyptic setting is due to a virus that alters people. Some kind of cordyceps-like fungus grows inside them and first makes then extremely violent and aggressive, and then pretty much takes over and deforms them. Basically it's a fancy zombie apocalypse.
So while crossing America, you have to contend with these infected people as well as normal humans. These come in two forms: soldiers and hunters. Soldiers are obviously…soldiers. There to supposedly keep the peace and keep people safe. But they're not very pleasant inside the quarantine zones, and are all-out murderous outside them. The hunters are survivors who are not allowed into quarantine zones due to limited space and supplies. Instead, they prey on other survivors and…well, eat them. So, zombies, cannibals and stereotypically evil soldiers.
Joel is a smuggler. That means he smuggles mostly medication and weapons into his quarantine zone in Boston. Thanks to a pre-apocalypse section of gameplay at the beginning (20 years before the main game), we know he has good reason to hate the soldiers. Of course, that's pretty much the last time he shows it, but it at least helps us see why he might have become a smuggler instead of sitting back and doing nothing like a good citizen. He and his partner, Tess, are tasked with taking fourteen year old Ellie to a group of rebels deep in the city, outside the quarantine zone. And so the story begins.
I say story, but there is actually not much of that. The basic premise is very simple, which is ok, but there's not a lot to beef it up, which isn't so ok. It is acted very well, and there's a few sad moments that make you think it's a deep and meaningful story, but when you stop at the end and think about everything that just happened in the past fifteen hours or so of gameplay, there isn't that much. If there was more to the relationship between Joel and Ellie, then it wouldn't be so bad. That relationship is handled pretty well, with them resenting and distrusting each other at first, right up to Joel seemingly seeing her almost as a daughter by the end. However, it progresses a little too fast. There aren't that many defining moments in their relationship, and those that there are, are brushed over quite quickly. For example, at one point, Ellie has to save Joel's life by shooting a man. This is the first time she has ever killed, and is momentarily upset and sickened by it, before…being perfectly fine and back to normal. Meanwhile Joel is just annoyed that she didn't stay put like he told her. Now the suggestion is that he's angry because he didn't want her to have to go through that, and doesn't want her to get hurt and so on, but never does he address the fact that this fourteen year old girl just had to shoot a man in the head at point blank to save the man who is supposed to be protecting her. I know this is part of the bleakness of the setting, that these things happen and there's not always warm, comforting words to make you feel better, but I didn't feel it, or a few other parts, were handled that well.
That said, the story and the relationships (both between the two protagonists, and them and the occasional other survivors they team up with) are good and believable. You can't help spending a lot of the game with a little knot in your stomach because you're afraid something might happen to Ellie or Joel or even to their new and temporary friends. Ellie is a particularly good character. She's funny and likable. She can handle herself, but she's vulnerable and frightened at the same time. You want to help her and protect her, rather than just doing so because the game says you have to.
So overall, the story and the characters aren't the problem. Even if the whole thing is severely lacking in nuance. There's some. Ellie's animations, for example, change over time. First she's quite guarded, and spends a bit of time with one arm crossed over her, holding the other in that unsure, slightly defensive manner. Then later, when she comes to better know and trust Joel, she's a lot more open both physically and in character. She tells jokes from a joke book she finds, she teaches herself to whistle, she talks to Joel about how the world used to be, before her time. So if these small problems were the only ones, I would have given the game 9/10. But they're not.
The game's biggest problem, and a big let down, is the combat. Trailers and previews of the game made it seem as though Joel would have a problem handling just one or two enemies at once. That every kill would be a choice, and a moral dilemma. Perhaps that you have to make the choice between killing someone in order to get badly-needed supplies, or leave them and risk running out. But that isn't so. Not even close. You find yourself in the midst of anywhere from one or two to a dozen enemies at once. If a single one spots you, then like magic, everyone else knows that you're there, and precisely where you are. I'd hoped that kind of crap was being buried in an unmarked grave as we draw closer to next gen. But apparently not.
If this was only a problem if you were careless and got yourself seen, then I could perhaps forgive it. But that isn't the case either. On many occasions, you are forced into combat against waves of enemies. In one part of the game, you are actually locked in a room and forced to fight about four or five waves of enemies, before what is basically a mini boss fight. I'd love for someone to explain to me how that has any place in a game like this.
The game is billed as both a survival horror and an action adventure. I don't think it can, or should, be both. The most tense and exciting parts of the game are when you are pitted against just one or two enemies. For example, there is a part where you get pinned down by a sniper on a street in the suburbs. You have to sneak around the side, avoiding getting shot, while your allies draw his fire. As you reach the house, you suddenly realise that he isn't firing any more. You get inside, and the house is silent. So where the hell is he? That makes it tense and exciting. The problem is, Naughty Dog (the developer) decided that wasn't enough. So they threw in about six or seven other enemies for you to fight on your way to the house. To me, that ruined the atmosphere. To me, that kind of thing transforms it from a survival game into a shooter. The best moments of combat were when you were fighting only a small number of enemies. The combat system doesn't even lend itself to anything else.
But the developers don't seem to know which they wanted it to be either. Joel is strong and pretty fast in cutscenes, but in-game, he's like an old man. If you hear footsteps running up behind you, then it's already too late. You can't turn in time to hit the attacker before he hits you, which can be fatal. You can't sneak at any kind of speed. There's no urgency to his sneaking as he gets closer to an enemy he's going to take out. He can't roll or slide into cover. Surely, if you're being shot at, you get to that low wall or crate or whatever cover as quickly as possible? But not Joel.
To me, the game plays as though Naughty Dog were afraid to stray too far from the Uncharted formula. The waves of enemies scenario may work ok for that, but it doesn't fit in a game like The Last Of Us. It's a shame they didn't have the guts to properly pull off the kind of game it was trying to be. One that is more story driven than combat driven, one that deals with occasionally upsetting themes, one that doesn't fall back on 'well we can always sit here and shoot everyone'. I think I finished the game with something like 450 kills. 450!
So the combat reduces the game from a very solid 9/10 to an 8/10 at the most.
And then there are the glitches. They aren't numerous, but they are annoying. Especially in a game from a studio known for highly polished games. The first I noticed was enemies getting stuck. You'd perhaps get spotted by someone, and everyone else, no matter where they are, immediately knows that their friend has seen you. Because they're telepathic, naturally. But then they run in circles. Or they run ten feet, turn around and run back, only to turn and do the same again. The biggest and most annoying glitch that I came across was with the 'focused hearing' system. Holding R2 causes Joel to kneel down and listen hard. Doing so allows him x-ray vision, naturally. So you can see through walls and know exactly where enemies are. Except, about 40% of the way through the game, I started to lose people in my focused hearing. I'd look around using it, see no one, then turn a corner and come face to face with an enemy. This was particularly irritating in the final section, which is all-out action, and I couldn't see where anyone was until I got shot in the face. I didn't really mind the focused hearing, but something a little better would have been nice. But most alternatives would have required Naughty Dog to add in decent AI. And then there's the allies who come into cover with you, and then…push you out of it. Into view of an enemy. Thanks, Naughty Dog. The game wasn't hard enough, so I'm glad you added that in, despite the fact that you thought it was ok to make Joel's allies completely invisible to enemies. Ok, perhaps that's not a glitch, but it's still damn annoying.
So in the end, what had the potential to be one of the best games of this generation ended up being a little too shallow and scared. 8/10 I think. I wrote a post a while ago about what I think next gen should be and do, and The Last of Us came close. But just fell short. The plus side is that The Last of Us is THIS gen, not next gen, and if this gen can still produce something like that, then there's reason to hope. However, the downside is that the game wasn't let down by technology, but by people. People being too scared to properly address the difficult subjects and move away from the idea of each quiet, exploration and/or story section being nothing more than a stepping stone to the next shootout.
Overall, the story is good enough, the characters and relationships are good, the acting is very good, the setting is good and the combat is good when it's both optional and minimal. But it doesn't deserve all those 10/10s.
Leave a comment Posted in Article, Gaming, Review Tagged game, gaming, horror, naughty dog, review, science fiction, survival, the last of us, uncharted
Posted by Ross Harrison on 17 Mar, 2013
I am going to talk (moan) about something completely unrelated to books – because I've never done that before…
I want to talk briefly about next gen console gaming.
The jump from Xbox to Xbox 360 was very exciting for me. The jump from Playstation 2 to PS3 not so much, in my case, because it was just too expensive. The leap in graphics was amazing and the kinds of games that were being shown were very impressive.
This time, I'm not too excited about it. There's the usual feeling of getting something brand new, but I don't think there's a lot to be excited about, unfortunately. Graphically, there won't be as big a leap as there was to the current gen. But it's more than that.
My concern is that developers won't make the kind of effort required to truly move into a new generation of gaming. Next gen, to me at least, should be about more than just pretty scenery, more happening on screen at once, and all with a smoother frame rate (and considering that Knack, one of the games shown at the unveiling suffered from slow down in a pretty simple-looking section, even that is a bit iffy).
To me, next gen is about the opportunity to make much more in-depth games. Games with proper stories, proper acting, real choices. I suppose games that are entirely 'run from point A to point B and shoot anything in between' have their place, but games will never evolve much by sticking to those.
I don't just mean RPGs. Take the latest Tomb Raider. It details how Lara Croft went from innocent, starry-eyed teenager to hardened killer and survivor of any situation. For me, it failed to deliver the emotional impact it tried to simply because the characters she cared about (and that were meant to too) were never properly developed, but I won't go into that. It was for the most part a fairly emotional storyline (whether it fully delivered it or not) that was not there simply as an excuse for shooting everything that moved.
Tomb Raider is also a good example of subtle detail that I think should be in all next gen games. Lara's facial expression changed the longer the game went on. From wide eyed deer in the headlights, to glary eyes and 'don't test me' frown. It may have been my imagination, I'm not sure, but I think the longer the game went on, the less girly a manner she held the handgun. Those are good touches. Little things like that will help make next gen. Or should.
So to me, developers need to start making sure writing and acting is top notch, and not rely on the 'well it looks pretty, so it'll sell' angle. The new technology should, in my mind, be used to give the player a much deeper experience, even more so than a good looking one.
When I talk about choice, I don't just mean in a (pre-ME3) Mass Effect or KOTOR kind of way. Being able to choose your path through a level, or choose the way you take on (or not) the enemy, too. Having plenty of things going on in the background, that isn't necessarily a part of the story that can be interacted with and investigated. Basically, making the game more than just the facade of a world.
And my concern is that most developers don't share that view of the next generation. Judging by the small amount we've seen so far, it's going to be more of the same. Just nicer looking. Killzone 4 we've already seen. Battlefield 4 is being unveiled soon. It's more of the same. More 'Let's make our way through this deserted area of town…I wonder where everyone is…oh, what a very big surprise, we've been ambushed…let's shoot anything that moves then do it again in the next area'. There's a degree of mindless entertainment in such games, but they get extremely boring very quickly.
Think of the best films you've ever seen. Clever, emotional, exciting. The kind that end and you realise you've been sat an inch above the seat, leaning towards the screen for the past hour with your mouth wide open. How many games are like that? Yet they're interactive. Surely they should have more of an impact. Where are the Inceptions? The Dark Knights, the [insert brilliant movie comparison]…
Where is the real writing? The real acting? The real depth?
The games industry is bigger than Hollywood, and yet it isn't taken seriously. The media still blames it for just about everything. If there were less mindless kill everything games, and more intelligent, story-driven games, wouldn't the industry start being recognised for what it really is? Or can be.
Even Heavy Rain, which is basically an interactive movie, had terrible acting. Developers need to realise that they can't just drag in anyone off the street to do their voice acting. They need real voice actors. People who can actually act.
But, I think so-called 'next gen' will be more of the same. And as a gamer, I find that depressing.
Leave a comment Posted in Article, Gaming, Review Tagged game, gaming, next gen, ps4, technology, videogames
Star Wars 1313: Drake's Lawsuit
Posted by Ross Harrison on 5 Jun, 2012
I stayed up until 4am this morning, watching E3. I suffered through the 'comedy', the dancing, the acting; I picked my jaw up off the ground after watching Watch_Dogs gameplay; I sat up, ultimately, to see what Star Wars 1313 was all about. I knew it was about a bounty hunter on Coruscant, and that it was meant to be ambitious and doing stuff never before seen, but that's all. I looked forward to it.
Finally, after blabbering on about some rubbish, they got to the game.
They showed an in-game cutscene first. It was absolutely incredible looking. Nearly as good as Watch_Dogs had looked. I thought if the whole game was going to look like that, it would be hard to disappoint. I shouldn't have thought that. I must have jinxed it.
After about 30 seconds, the cutscene was over, and it was back to the studio for talking. I was a tad irritated that they'd cut it off so quickly, after making such a huge fuss about it all week, but I assumed there'd be lots more to show.
Let's ignore the fact that the whole thing lasted only a little over four minutes, talking and all (so about two minutes of actual game). That's not what annoyed me. Granted, I'd stayed up till a ridiculous time mostly to see this game they'd been raving about. So when I saw only two minutes or so of actual gameplay, I was a tad annoyed. However, what really pissed me off was what they did show.
They showed Uncharted in space.
The first bit of proper gameplay they showed consisted of the player character (I don't know or care what his name is) having to climb up the outside of a ship as it fell to pieces around him. My first thought was, 'Drake?'
Nathan Drake must have cryogenically frozen himself aboard a time-machine-ship en route to a galaxy far far away, because that is who I saw last night. The sequence was nothing short of identical to the kind of climb-up-this-before-it-falls-apart sequences found in the three Uncharted games. And not just obvious similarities. Even the way the character moved, climbed and jumped was the same as Drake.
Another 30 seconds or so, and it cut off again. As impressive as the graphics were, all I could think about was the settling in of doubt and mild outrage. I replayed it in my head to ensure I'd seen what I thought I saw. I did. By the time I'd done so, the third and final piece of gameplay began.
This time, they were aboard another ship (or inside somewhere, anyway, I wasn't really listening at this point).
This scene was very reminiscent of the plane in Uncharted 3, with crates and people sliding from side to side. But again, this wasn't the only similarity. Nath…I mean, our brand new, unique bounty hunter character took cover behind one of these crates and began shooting enemies. It was somewhere around here when the proper outrage set in.
He was getting hit every time he popped out of cover to fire, so he blind fired. Now of course most 3rd person shooters let you do that, but there was just something about it that again made me think Nathan Drake was in disguise as a bounty hunter. Then, he moved from cover to cover, on the other side of a crate from an enemy. Then, there was no mistaking this bounty hunter's true identity.
He reached over the crate, grabbed the enemy, pulled him over, and killed him on the ground. It was very nearly identical to two such attacks in Uncharted 2. The animation, you would swear, had been taken straight from Naughty Dog's files and mixed together into something 'new'.
They claim this is ambitious, and that it's never been done before. Bullshit! It's been done three times before for the PS3 and then again for the handheld. The only ambitious thing about it is the way they think they can blatantly rip off one of the biggest game franchises in recent history and get away with it.
Granted, they probably will get away with it. But still…
Star Wars 1313 had better introduce some massively original gameplay elements and a brilliant story on top of this stolen gameplay, or else I think they could be in trouble.
I understand the host's excitement, because visually it looks amazing. But looks aren't everything. And they can be fairly deceiving. Here's the video, and a video of similar gameplay from Uncharted (go to 1m 15s). Spot the difference. Which is Uncharted, and which is Uncharted wearing sci fi makeup?
Leave a comment Posted in Gaming, Ramblings Tagged 1313, e3, game, gaming, star wars, uncharted
RT @AuthoRoss: "Church of the Assassin is jam-packed with action, fast-paced, and never has a dull moment."⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When you take a shot… 52 minutes ago
RT @AuthoRoss: Acts of Violence is a fast noir thriller that's hard to put down. amazon.com/dp/B00HXVWKPW books2read.com/ActsOfViolence #Noir #T… 58 minutes ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Швейцарские демократы — крайне-правая политическая партия Швейцарии. До 1977 года носила название Национальное действие против отчуждения народа и дома, затем Национальное движение за народ и дом.

История
Национальное действие первоначально возникло как крайне-правое ксенофобское движение с антииммигрантскими целями в 1961 году. Это была реакция на иммиграцию иностранных рабочих, прежде всего итальянцев, распространённое в то время. Движение выдвинуло несколько гражданских инициатив, направленных на уменьшение иммиграции, такие как инициатива 1970 года «о борьбе против иностранной инфильтрации», которая была отклонена на референдуме лишь с небольшим перевесом (54% голосов избирателей). Первым партийным депутатом, избранным в Национальный совет в 1967 году, стал Джеймс Шварценбах.

После выхода Шварценбаха из партии в 1971 году, основавшего Республиканское движение, партия потеряла инициативу в 1970-х годах. В начале 1980-х годов Национальное действие вновь набрало силу и получило 5 мест парламента на выборах 1991 года.

В 1990 году после конфликта с бывшим президентом партии Валентином Оэхеном партия сменила название на Швейцарские демократы. После 1998 года партия потеряла практически всё влияние в национальной политике, так как избиратели с крайне-правыми взглядами переключились на Швейцарскую народную партию.

На выборах 2003 года партия получила лишь 1,0% голосов и одно место парламента, которое было потеряно на следующих выборах 2007 года.

Участие в выборах

Примечания

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт партии

Политические партии Швейцарии
Консервативные партии
Ультраправые партии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
WATCH: Brad Ausmus 'We Get It...I Might Get Fired.'
DETROIT (WJBK) - Tigers' Manager Brad Ausmus spoke to the media before they take on the Twins to start a nine-game homestand.
Despite Sunday's win, Ausmus is on the hot seat amid demands from fans that he be fired.
On Monday, he met with members of the media and FOX 2's Jennifer Hammond asked him a range from questions from the Tigers using Sunday's victory as a spark to the outfield. Hammer asked how the game has changed since he was a player with social media.
He said it doesn't impact him and he keeps doing his job. Then she asked if it gets more stressful by the day. This was his response:
"You know what, Jen? We get it. I'm on the hot seat, I might get fired. We're done talking about it."
Ausmus then said they were "beating a dead horse" and the conversation moved back to the game on the field.
Watch it happen in the video above.
Ausmus is 181 and 180 as the manager of the Tigers. The team has made the playoffs once -- winning the American League Central in 2014 -- but losing in three straight games to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Tigers have lost 11 of their last 13 and are 16-21 overall.
Follow @FOX2Sports on Twitter for all Tigers news.


text:
// Copyright 2015 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.

#ifndef CORGI_COMPONENT_LIBRARY_RENDERMESH_H_
#define CORGI_COMPONENT_LIBRARY_RENDERMESH_H_

#include "corgi/component.h"
#include "corgi_component_library/camera_interface.h"
#include "corgi_component_library/transform.h"
#include "fplbase/asset_manager.h"
#include "fplbase/mesh.h"
#include "fplbase/renderer.h"
#include "fplbase/shader.h"
#include "library_components_generated.h"
#include "mathfu/constants.h"
#include "mathfu/glsl_mappings.h"
#include "mathfu/matrix_4x4.h"

namespace corgi {
namespace component_library {

/// @file
/// @addtogroup corgi_component_library
/// @{
///
/// @struct RenderMeshData
///
/// @brief The per-Entity mesh and shader data.
struct RenderMeshData {
 public:
  /// @brief Default constructor for RenderMeshData.
  RenderMeshData()
      : mesh(nullptr),
        tint(mathfu::kOnes4f),
        mesh_filename(""),
        z_depth(0),
        culling_mask(0),
        pass_mask(0),
        visible(true),
        initialized(false),
        default_pose(false),
        num_shader_transforms(0),
        shader_transforms(nullptr),
        debug_name("") {}

  /// @brief Destructor for RenderMeshData.
  ~RenderMeshData() {
    delete[] shader_transforms;
    shader_transforms = nullptr;
  }

  /// @brief The move constructor for RenderMeshData to avoid reallocating
  /// shader transforms.
  ///
  /// @param[in] other The other RenderMeshData whose data should be moved
  /// into this RenderMeshData.
  RenderMeshData(RenderMeshData&& other) { *this = std::move(other); }

  /// @brief The move assignment operator for RenderMeshData to avoid
  /// reallocating shader transforms.
  ///
  /// @param[in] other The other RenderMeshData whose data should be moved
  /// into this RenderMeshData.
  ///
  /// @return Returns a reference to the RenderMeshData that received the
  /// data from `other`.
  RenderMeshData& operator=(RenderMeshData&& other) {
    mesh = std::move(other.mesh);
    shaders = std::move(other.shaders);
    tint = std::move(other.tint);
    mesh_filename = std::move(other.mesh_filename);
    shader_filenames = std::move(other.shader_filenames);
    z_depth = std::move(other.z_depth);
    culling_mask = std::move(other.culling_mask);
    pass_mask = std::move(other.pass_mask);
    visible = std::move(other.visible);
    initialized = std::move(other.initialized);
    default_pose = std::move(other.default_pose);
    num_shader_transforms = other.num_shader_transforms;
    shader_transforms = other.shader_transforms;
    other.shader_transforms = nullptr;
    other.num_shader_transforms = 0;
    debug_name = std::move(other.debug_name);
    return *this;
  }

  /// @brief The fplbase::Mesh for this Entity.
  fplbase::Mesh* mesh;

  /// @brief A vector of fplbase::Shader for this Entity.
  std::vector<fplbase::Shader*> shaders;

  /// @brief A mathfu::vec4 specifying the tinting for the Entity in RGBA.
  mathfu::vec4 tint;

  /// @brief A std::string of the filename for the mesh, used for exporting.
  std::string mesh_filename;

  /// @brief A std::string of the filenames for the shaders, used for exporting.
  std::vector<std::string> shader_filenames;

  /// @brief The z distance corresponding to the depth of where the
  /// Entity should be rendered.
  float z_depth;

  /// @brief A bit field determining which types of culling are applied to the
  /// Entity.
  unsigned char culling_mask;

  /// @brief A bit field determining during which render passes to render this
  /// Entity.
  unsigned char pass_mask;

  /// @brief A bool determining if this Entity should be rendered.
  bool visible;

  /// @brief A bool indicating if this RenderMesh is initialized.
  bool initialized;

  /// @brief A bool determining if the Entity should be rendered in the
  /// default pose.
  bool default_pose;

  /// @brief The number of shader transforms in the `shader_transforms`
  /// array.
  uint8_t num_shader_transforms;

  /// @brief A mathfu::AffineTransform array that contains the shader
  /// transforms.
  mathfu::AffineTransform* shader_transforms;

  /// @brief The debug name of this mesh
  std::string debug_name;

 private:
  // Disallow copies. They're inefficient with the shader_transforms array.
  RenderMeshData(const RenderMeshData&);
  RenderMeshData& operator=(const RenderMeshData&);
};

/// @brief Struct used for keeping track of and sorting our render lists.
struct RenderlistEntry {
  /// @brief Constructor for RenderlistEntry.
  RenderlistEntry(EntityRef entity_, RenderMeshData* data_)
      : entity(entity_), data(data_) {}

  /// @brief The Entity associated with this RenderlistEntry.
  EntityRef entity;

  /// @brief The RenderMeshData associated with the `entity` in this
  /// RenderlistEntry.
  RenderMeshData* data;

  /// @brief The greater than operator for RenderlistEntry.
  ///
  /// @param[in] other The other RenderlistEntry to compare if its
  /// `RenderMeshData->z_depth` is greater than this RenderlistEntry's.
  ///
  /// @return Returns `true` if `other`'s `RenderMeshData->z_depth` is greater
  /// than this RenderlistEntry's. Otherwise, it returns `false`.
  bool operator<(const RenderlistEntry& other) const {
    return (data->z_depth < other.data->z_depth);
  }

  /// @brief The less than operator for RenderlistEntry.
  ///
  /// @param[in] other The other RenderlistEntry to compare if its
  /// `RenderMeshData->z_depth` is less than this RenderlistEntry's.
  ///
  /// @return Returns `true` if `other`'s `RenderMeshData->z_depth` is less
  /// than this RenderlistEntry's. Otherwise, it returns `false`.
  bool operator>(const RenderlistEntry& other) const {
    return (data->z_depth > other.data->z_depth);
  }
};

/// @brief A Component that handles the rendering of each Entities
/// mesh that is registered with this Component.
class RenderMeshComponent : public Component<RenderMeshData> {
 public:
  /// @brief The default distance to start culling.
  static const int kDefaultCullDist = 80;

  /// @brief Default constructor for RenderMeshComponent.
  RenderMeshComponent()
      : asset_manager_(nullptr),
        culling_distance_squared_(kDefaultCullDist * kDefaultCullDist) {}

  /// @brief Destructor for RenderMeshComponent.
  virtual ~RenderMeshComponent() {}

  /// @brief Initialize the RenderMeshComponent with the AssetManager from
  /// the EntityManager.
  virtual void Init();

  /// @brief Deserialize a flat binary buffer to create and populate an Entity
  /// from raw data.
  ///
  /// @param[in,out] entity An EntityRef reference that points to the Entity
  /// that is being added from the raw data.
  /// @param[in] raw_data A void pointer to the raw FlatBuffer data.
  virtual void AddFromRawData(EntityRef& entity, const void* raw_data);

  /// @brief Serializes a RenderMeshComponent's data for a given Entity.
  ///
  /// @param[in] entity An EntityRef reference that points to the Entity whose
  /// corresponding RenderMeshData will be serialized.
  ///
  /// @return Returns a RawDataUniquePtr to the start of the raw data in a
  /// flat binary buffer.
  virtual RawDataUniquePtr ExportRawData(const EntityRef& entity) const;

  /// @brief Initialize an Entity by also adding it to the TransformComponent.
  virtual void InitEntity(EntityRef& /*entity*/);

  /// @brief Nothing happens per frame for these Entities.
  virtual void UpdateAllEntities(WorldTime /*delta_time*/) {}

  /// @brief Prepares to do rendering.
  ///
  /// @note Must be called before any `RenderPass()` calls.
  ///
  /// Pre-generates the draw lists, sorted by z-depth, and applies frustrum
  /// culling.  (So that `RenderPass` can just iterate through the list and draw
  /// everything easily.)
  ///
  /// @param[in] camera A CameraInterface reference to the camera used to render
  /// within the field of view.
  void RenderPrep(const CameraInterface& camera);

  /// @brief Renders all Entities that are marked as being part of a given
  /// render pass to the current output buffer.
  ///
  /// @param[in] pass_id An int used to identify and index the desired render
  /// pass.
  /// @param[in] camera A CameraInterface reference to the camera used to render
  /// within the field of view.
  /// @param[out] renderer A reference to the fplbase::Renderer to capture the
  /// output of the render pass.
  void RenderPass(int pass_id, const CameraInterface& camera,
                  fplbase::Renderer& renderer);

  /// @brief Renders all Entities that are marked as being part of a given
  /// render pass to the current output buffer.
  ///
  /// @param[in] pass_id An int used to identify and index the desired render
  /// pass.
  /// @param[in] camera A CameraInterface reference to the camera used to render
  /// within the field of view.
  /// @param[out] renderer A reference to the fplbase::Renderer to capture the
  /// output of the render pass.
  /// @param[in] shader_index The shader index for the fplbase::Shader to use as
  /// the mesh shader for this render pass.
  void RenderPass(int pass_id, const CameraInterface& camera,
                  fplbase::Renderer& renderer,
                  size_t shader_index);

  /// @brief Goes through and renders every Entity that is visible from the
  /// camera, in pass order.
  ///
  /// It Is equivalent to iterating through all of the passes and calling
  /// `RenderPass()` on each one.
  ///
  /// @warning You must have called `RenderPrep()` first, in order to
  /// pre-populate the lists of things visible from the camera!
  ///
  /// @param[out] renderer A reference to the fplbase::Renderer to capture the
  /// output of the render pass.
  /// @param[in] camera A CameraInterface reference to the camera used to
  /// render within the field of view.
  void RenderAllEntities(fplbase::Renderer& renderer,
                         const CameraInterface& camera);

  /// @brief Recursively sets the visibility of the Entity and all of its
  /// children.
  ///
  /// @param[in] entity An EntityRef reference to the Entity that should have
  /// itself and its children's visibility set.
  /// @param[in] visible A bool determining if the Entities should be rendered.
  void SetVisibilityRecursively(const EntityRef& entity, bool visible);

  /// @brief Get the light position uniform.
  ///
  /// @note This is a special uniform that is sent to all shaders without having
  /// to declare it explicitly in the shader.
  ///
  /// @return Returns the light position uniform as a mathfu::vec3.
  mathfu::vec3 light_position() { return light_position_; }

  /// @brief Set the light position uniform.
  ///
  /// @note This is a special uniform that is sent to all shaders without having
  /// to declare it explicitly in the shader.
  ///
  /// @param[in] light_position A const mathfu::vec3 reference to the uniform to
  /// set for the light position.
  void set_light_position(const mathfu::vec3& light_position) {
    light_position_ = light_position;
  }

  /// @brief Set the culling distance.
  ///
  /// @param[in] distance A float representing the new culling distance to set.
  void SetCullDistance(float distance) {
    culling_distance_squared_ = distance * distance;
  }

  /// @brief Get the culling distance squared.
  ///
  /// @return Returns the square of the culling distance.
  float culling_distance_squared() const { return culling_distance_squared_; }

  /// @brief Set the square of the culling distance.
  ///
  /// @param[in] culling_distance_squared A float representing the square of the
  /// culling distance that should be set.
  void set_culling_distance_squared(float culling_distance_squared) {
    culling_distance_squared_ = culling_distance_squared;
  }

 private:
  // Finalize the initialization of RenderMeshData if it's not completed yet.
  // This function should be called right after the corresponding mesh is
  // loaded.
  void FinalizeRenderMeshDataIfRequired(RenderMeshData* rendermesh_data);

  // todo(ccornell) expand this if needed - make an array for multiple lights.
  // Also maybe make this into a full fledged struct to store things like
  // intensity, color, etc.  (Low priority - none of our shaders support
  // these.)
  mathfu::vec3 light_position_;
  fplbase::AssetManager* asset_manager_;
  float culling_distance_squared_;
  // An array of vectors we use for keeping track of things we're going
  // to render.
  std::vector<RenderlistEntry> pass_render_list_[RenderPass_Count];
};

/// @}

}  // component_library
}  // corgi

CORGI_REGISTER_COMPONENT(corgi::component_library::RenderMeshComponent,
                         corgi::component_library::RenderMeshData)

#endif  // CORGI_COMPONENT_LIBRARY_RENDERMESH_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The playing future of former Socceroos winger Stan Lazaridis is in doubt after being cut from Perth Glory's playing roster for the next A-League season.
The club confirmed they had not offered Lazaridis a contract for next season after the 35-year-old met with Glory coach David Mitchell on Monday morning.
"Stan has been a wonderful ambassador for Australian football over a significant period of time," Mitchell said.
"It was great to have him wear the Perth Glory colours over the past two seasons however injury and some unfortunate circumstances meant that Stan wasn't able to play as many matches as he and the club would have liked.
"Moving forward and putting together a squad for the season ahead I've had to make some tough decisions and not offering Stan a new contract has been one of the toughest of all."
Lazaridis, a left-side specialist, played 71 matches for Australia and 260 in the English Premier League for West Ham and Birmingham.
But he failed to have much of an impact in two seasons in the A-League due to injury and a positive drug test for prescription alopecia medicine.
He was found guilty and banned from playing for 12 months by ASADA and managed only two appearances for Perth late last season.
Mitchell said it was a tempting to offer Lazaridis one more year but said it was not worth risking a valuable squad spot.
"There was a possibility that we could have nursed Stan through another season in the A-League but I don't think that would have done him or the club any favours," Mitchell said.
"This is a vital campaign for the Glory and every single person in our squad will be called upon and they must be ready for action."
Lazaridis has reportedly attracted interest from other A-League clubs but he is also believed to be interested in coaching.
Perth Glory chief executive Scott Gooch left the door open for Lazaridis to continue his involvement with the club in an off-field capacity.
"Stan is a terrific person and will always be welcome at Perth Glory," Gooch said.
"I look forward to sitting down with him once he has had time to think about the next stage of his life and hopefully that could include an off-field role with Perth Glory."
Lazaridis is arguably Western Australia's most successful football export.
After starting out at local club Floreat Athena he went on to play for more than a decade in England and become the eighth-most capped Socceroo of all-time.


320 pages, lots of black & white photos and illustrations, soft cover.
It's generally agreed that cold-molded construction is the best method for the amateur or low-profile professional interested in building a full-size cruising boat. A truly appropriate technology, cold molding combines the beauty of wood with the low-maintenance characteristics of fiberglass. "The New Cold-Molded Boatbuilding" is the complete, soup-to-nuts presentation of this process, with chapters detailing every facet of construction--from choosing a design and setting up through engine installation and wiring to launching and sea trials. In addition, the author has streamlined the cold-molding process considerably, producing boats that are more economical, efficient, and sturdy--boats built from native materials that will last the life of the builder and turn heads in harbors around the world.
Note: The Cold Molded process described in this book is similar but not the same as used in our designs. However, there is a lot of other helpful information such as joinery work, keel lamination, turning the hull, electrical, plumbing, finishing and more.


text:
Alió – gmina w Hiszpanii,  w Katalonii, w prowincji Tarragona, w comarce Alt Camp.

Powierzchnia gminy wynosi 7,25 km². Zgodnie z danymi INE, w 2005 roku liczba ludności wynosiła 384, a gęstość zaludnienia 52,97 osoby/km². Wysokość bezwzględna gminy równa jest 263 metrów. Współrzędne geograficzne gminy to 41°17'46"N, 1°18'28"E.

Demografia
 1991 – 336
 1996 – 339
 2001 – 375
 2004 – 391
 2005 – 384

Linki zewnętrzne
 Oficjalna strona Urzędu Gminy Alió

Alt Camp
Gminy w Katalonii


text:
Q: Gathering all the unique values from one column and outputting them in another column..? I have this form of a spreadsheet:
 A   B   C  D
abc abc abc 1
def ghi jkl 1
mno pqr stu 3
vwx yza bcd 4
mno pqr stu 5
mno pqr stu 5
vwx yza bcd 5
mno pqr stu 1

Where the first 3 columns are just data of type string. The column D has integers which has numbers repeating. My question is how to output a fifth column like so:
 A   B   C  D E
abc abc abc 1 1
def ghi jkl 1 3
mno pqr stu 3 4
vwx yza bcd 4 5
mno pqr stu 5
mno pqr stu 5
vwx yza bcd 5
mno pqr stu 1

It only outputs the unique numbers from column D.
I imagined running an if/else statement in a for or while loop that checks each cell in "D" and stores any value not previously "seen" in an array. Then outputting the array in column E.
I was wondering if there is a more efficient way to do this. Also the above is just a small example. Most likely the data range is in the 400 range. (Row wise. Columns are only 4 or 5 including the new output column.)
Thanks in advance.
P.S.
I searched for this here but I'm only getting questions that relate to deleting duplicate rows. If there is a question that asks this already, please link me to it.

A: here is a way to do that... probably not the only one but probably not bad...
I added a few logs to see intermediate results in the logger.
function keepUnique(){
  var col = 3 ; // choose the column you want to use as data source (0 indexed, it works at array level)
  var sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var data=ss.getDataRange().getValues();// get all data
  Logger.log(data);
  var newdata = new Array();
  for(nn in data){
    var duplicate = false;
    for(j in newdata){
      if(data[nn][col] == newdata[j][0]){
        duplicate = true;
      }
    }
    if(!duplicate){
      newdata.push([data[nn][col]]);
    }
  }
  Logger.log(newdata);
  newdata.sort(function(x,y){
  var xp = Number(x[0]);// ensure you get numbers
  var yp = Number(y[0]);
  return xp == yp ? 0 : xp < yp ? -1 : 1;// sort on numeric ascending
});
  Logger.log(newdata);
 sh.getRange(1,5,newdata.length,newdata[0].length).setValues(newdata);// paste new values sorted in column of your choice (here column 5, indexed from 1, we are on a sheet))
  }

EDIT :
Following Theodros answer, the spreadsheet formula is indeed an elegant solution, I never think about it but I should !!! ;-)
=SORT(UNIQUE(D1:D))

gives exactly the same result...

A: Currently, in V8 engine, the easiest way to do this is to use Set:
/**
 * @returns {Object[]} Gets unique values in a 2D array
 * @param {Object[][]} array2d
 * @private
 */
const getUnique_ = array2d => [...new Set(array2d.flat())];

/**
 * Gets Values from a column, makes it unique and sets the modified values
 *   to the next column
 * @param {string} sheetName
 * @param {number} column Number of the column to uniquify
 * @param {number} headers Number of headers
 * @returns void
 */
const uniquifyAColumn = (sheetName = 'Sheet1', column = 3, headers = 1) => {
  const sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActive().getSheetByName(sheetName),
    rg = sh.getRange(1 + headers, column, sh.getLastRow() - headers, 1),
    values = rg.getValues(),
    uniqueValues = getUnique_(values).map(e => [e]);
  rg.offset(0, 1, uniqueValues.length).setValues(uniqueValues);
};

A: You can do that inside google-spreadsheets with the UNIQUE function.
Here is the doc to all available functions.
(You find UNIQUE in the Filter category)
Most likely you want to insert into cell E1:
=UNIQUE(D1:D)

This will populate column E with the unique values from all of column D while preserving the order. Furthermore this will dynamically update and reflect all changes made to column D.
To do that from within google-apps-script:
SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet()
 .getRange("E1").setFormula("=UNIQUE(D1:D)");

A: Here's a script for getting a unique list of nonempty values in a column given the Sheet it's on and the header location of the column using an array to store the values and indexOf to find duplicates. You can then write the array wherever you'd like.
headerLocation is a Location object:
var Location = function(sheet, row, col) {
  this.sheet = sheet;
  this.row = row;
  this.col = col;
  this.addRow = function() { this.row = this.row + 1; }
  this.addCol = function() { this.col = this.col + 1; }
  this.getValue = function() { return sheet.getRange(this.row, this.col).getValue(); }
  this.toString = function() { return "(" + this.row + "," + this.col + ")"; }
}

This is the function to read the column and return unique values:
/**
* Get unique values in column, assuming data starts after header
* @param {Sheet} sheet - Sheet with column to search
* @param {object} headerLocation - row and column numbers of the column header cell
* @returns {array} list of unique values in column
*/
function getUniqueColumnValues(sheet, headerLocation) {
  let startRow = headerLocation.row + 1;
  let lastRow = sheet.getLastRow();
  let values = [];
  for (i = startRow ; i <= lastRow ; i++) {
    let value = sheet.getRange(i, headerLocation.col).getValue();
    if ((value != "") && (values.indexOf(value) == -1)) {
      values.push(value);
    }
  }
  return values;
}

Or, using a Location to find the values:
function getUniqueColumnValues(sheet, headerLocation) {
  let values = [];
  let searchLocation = new Location(sheet, headerLocation.row + 1, headerLocation.col);
  let lastRow = sheet.getLastRow();
  while (searchLocation.row <= lastRow) {
    let value = searchLocation.getValue();
    if (values.indexOf(value) == -1) {
      values.push(value);
    }
    searchLocation.addRow();
  }
  return values;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
La provincia di Figuig è una delle province del Marocco, parte della Regione Orientale.

Geografia antropica

Suddivisioni amministrative
La provincia di Figuig conta 2 municipalità e 10 comuni:

Municipalità
Bouarfa
Figuig

Comuni
Abbou Lakhal
Ain Chouater
Bni Guil
Bni Tadjite
Bouanane
Bouchaouene
Boumerieme
Maatarka
Talsint
Tendrara

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni


text:
Valentine Bier Family Overview, or "Hey, you, pay attention!"
Posted byvoicesfromthebackseat June 7, 2017 June 12, 2017 Posted inBier, Family HIstory, UncategorizedTags:Bier, genealogy, Jiru
Before I continue on with the narrative of the Valentine Bier family, I want to give a brief summary of his progeny and descendants. I always appreciate a "cast of characters" summary at the beginning of a particularly confusing novel, and this is certainly confusing. Remember: you can always refer back to the Valentine Bier Descendants summary page if you ever get confused. As I'm working on my genealogy, I always like to keep a very brief family tree handy.
Johanna Jiru, taken abt. 1904
Not to spoil the surprise, but the whole family eventually made it to the United States. Also coming along with them was Catherine's mother, Johanna JIRU. She appears in a number of family photographs and is mentioned in family diaries. No matter if everyone else is frowning in a picture, she always has a spunky grin on her face. She appears to have weighed no more than 80 pounds at any given time. Two of her sons emigrated around the same time as her daughter, Catherine, did. Their names were Frank and Florian and they both settled in Janesville, Wisconsin, as well. I hope to learn more about the Jiru family during our upcoming trip back to Bohemia this summer.
OK, now onto the rest of the family. Valentine's parents, as previously mentioned, died in his childhood, and I don't know about Catherine (Jiru) Bier's father, and her mother, Johanna is accounted for. They had ten kids, and a lot of familiar Rock County names spring up amongst their descendants. Here's a summary, so share with your friends:
Valentine Bier Family, taken abt. 1890. Back row L-R: Charles, Frank, Louis, Anna, Frances, Amalia. Seated L-R: John, Valentine, Catherine, Johanna Jiru. Kids on laps: Emily, Edward, Carrie
This portrait is a copy of a copy. It was taken about 1890, and in diaries is noted as being the first formal portrait ever created of the family. Note how Johanna Jiru's bird-like face bears a smile! (Aside: If anyone has the original of this, I'd love a scanned copy. And, I'm always happy to share my information as well.)
Each of the kid's story is interesting in its own right and will be summarized eventually. For now: shorthand. My goal is to give you a thumbnail sketch of each individual and highlight some descendants' names in the hope that these families, too, might be directed to the blog. Here we go:
CAST OF CHARACTERS: THE KIDS
John A. Bier. Taken abt 1905.
1. John Bier was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Janesville. He left home at 15 to begin working as a hired hand in order to support the family. He married Bertha SCHMIDLEY. They had three daughters whose married surnames were ROETHLE, LANNON & MCCUE.
Four generations: Johanna (?) Jiru, Catherine (Jiru) Bier, Frances (Bier) Hanauska, Mary Agnes Bier. Taken abt. 1905 in Janesville, Wisconsin
2. Frances (Bier) Hanauska was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Wisconsin. She married Wenzel HANAUSKA. Theirs is a good example of families from the same village moving en masse and resuming life in a new location. Wenzel Hanauska's family was from Ketzelsdorf as well. His sister, Anna Hanauska, married Catherina Jiru's brother, Frank Jiru, and they both died in Janesville. Frances started working out of the home as a hired girl at the age of 13. Three years' wages bought the family's first team of horses. Frances always appears serious and somber in photos, and I imagine that a life of hard work has something to do with it. She and Wenzel had five children. Two boys carried on the Hanauska name in the area, and I went to high school with one of their descendants–Leigh Hanauska Kelz. One daughter became a nun, one remained single, and one became a GANSER.
Louis A. Bier, abt. 1905
3. Louis Bier was also born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Iowa, after farming most of his life outside of Janesville. My dad remembers him as always speaking with a thick, thick German accent, wearing a bushy mustache, and smoking a pipe. He married Frances PARR, who was also born in Austria although I need to determine which town. There are a lot of Parrs around Janesville, and people are always asking me to figure out "how we're related to the Parrs." Well, this is about the sum of it. Some of the names of their first generation of descendents in addition to Bier include: MUELLER, PETERS, and KORTH.
Anna (Sister Veronica) Bier
4. Anna Bier was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Oakland, California. She joined the Little Sisters of the Poor and became Sister Veronica. She took a vow of extreme poverty, begging on the streets to support the mission, and never returned home after joining the convent.
Frank Bier, abt. 1905
5. Frank Bier was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Iowa. He eventually gave up farming and became a railroad man. He married Mary KLEIN, who was a great friend to the girls in the family. Her family lived "in town" in Janesville. Frank and Mary had 8 children. Three of the boys became priests, and surnames found in their first generation of descendants include Bier, and RADDENBACH. Finally, I think that we can all agree that Frank's cheekbones are ridiculous and that he is a bit of a dreamboat.
Father Charles Bier, abt. 1905
6. Charles Bier was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Janesville. He became a priest, starting off a run of Catholic religious in the family that ended in my dad's generation because, for some reason, neither he nor any of his cousins really seemed to enjoy the seminary all that much. Charles's diaries, when stacked up, are over a foot thick. His commentary provides much of the color and detail that make this story so interesting.
Amalia (Bier) Bott
7. Amalia Bier was born in Ketzelsdorf and died in Wisconsin. She married James BOTT, who promptly died after the birth of their fifth child. Amalia is the one who caught smallpox as an infant prior to emigrating. Before getting married, Amalia also worked out of the home as a hired girl and traveled between the homes of her elder brothers helping to care for their wives after childbirth. In pictures of her as an old lady she always looks just done with it all, and I imagine that all told, she had a pretty rough life. In addition to one nun, the other children passed on the Bott and SHERIDAN names through marriage.
Caroline Bier, abt. 1890
8. Caroline Bier was the first of the children born in Wisconsin. She lived at home her entire life and suffered from some form of epilepsy.
Emily (Bier) Gassert
9. Emily Bier was born in Wisconsin. She married Joseph GASSERT and raised a family in Milwaukee. One of her sons was a priest and the rest of the next generation can be found under the names Gassert, MEULER, REITER. Of all of the Valentine Bier clan, Emily had the most grandchildren: 26! Despite this she always smiles benignly in her photos.
Edward A. Bier, abt. 1905
Finally, Edward Bier was the last, and was born and died in Janesville. He was born when Valentine and Catherine were both 47 and started becoming an uncle to his older siblings' children shortly thereafter. In fact his wife, Rosalia ROETHLE was sister to one of John Bier's daughter's husbands. Think about that for awhile! Ed and Rosalia had 4 boys, one of whom became a priest and the rest of whom scattered Biers including my own family all over the Rock Prairie. I never met him, but he just always looks so austere in his photos!
Sooooo, that's it. Remember, names who might be interested in this topic and should be directed accordingly include:
BIER, BOTT, GANSER, GASSERT, HANAUSKA, KLEIN, KORTH, JIRU, LANNON, MCCUEOETHLE, MEULER, MUELLER, PARR, PETERS, RADDENBACH, REITER, SCHMIDLEY, & SHERIDAN
Do any of you remember anything about any of these original ten? Please comment below!
"I Don't Know How It Happened So Fast"
Ooo, Baby (Dutch) Baby
15 thoughts on "Valentine Bier Family Overview, or "Hey, you, pay attention!""
Richard R. Bier says:
Angie: Thank you so much for your latest effort on behalf of the family. One correction to make: the photos of Louis and John should be reversed. Two of Louis and Frances Parr Bier's grandchildren, myself and Janet Peters VanHorn , probably know as much about the Louis branch as anyone if you need information.Also, in your note regarding John Bier, you mention two priest sons; I believe there were three; my recollection is that they were Robert, Francis, and Joseph. I can recall driving, in one car, Father Charles, Amalia, Edward, and Louis to Milwaukee to visit their sister, Emily Bier Gassert. Finally, as to the Bier-Parr alliance, it's confusing since Louis Bier (my grandfather) married Frances Parr and her brother (I can't recall his first name) married a Mary Bier. She was a part of the other Biers around Janesville. That Parr-Bier marriage produced eighteen children among them a priest, a Racine Dominican nun, and an English professor at Marquette. It was lots of fun to visit them at their farm outside Janesville.
Richard R. (Dick) Bier
Bloomington , Indiana
George Parr says:
Charlie and Mary Parr are my grandparents. Raymond was the priest, Rosemary the nun and Roger the professor at Marquette. My dad was Jerry Parr (16th of the 18 children.) From oldest to youngest – Charles, Eddie, Allen, Raymond, Harold, Leo, Roger, Maurice, Rita, Frances,Carroll, Rosemary, Kenneth, Ralph, Eugene, Jerry, Jean and Ronnie. My mom was Joan Cronin, her dad George owned the Cronin Dairy/Janesville Pure Milk. Company.
George Parr
Ken Doran says:
My connection here is my immigrant great-grandparents, who were also born in and near the Biers' hometown of Ketzelsdorf. I also have a Parr link that isn't strictly family, but close. My grandmother, Elizabeth Snyder Fanning, and Mary Bier Parr were close life-long friends. My mother and her two siblings were also close friends of their Parr contemporaries, and we have extensive photos of the two families, which I would be happy to share if you are interested. In recent years I have started to wonder how the family backgrounds of Liz and Mary were connected. Do you know just where your Parr ancestors came from in the old country? Were the Parrs also part of the Janesville area immigrant clan from Ketzelsdorf and thereabouts that included families named Bier, Huschka, Hanauska, Schneider/Snyder, and several more? An old-country ancestral chart prepared by a cousin of mine 30 years ago includes the variant Paar.
From a family document I have, Charles Parr's parents were Frank Paar and Appolonia Striegel (of Ketzeldorf) and Mary Bier Parr's parents were Frank Bier and Louise Fiedeler.. Not sure were they were from, but I was told that Mary Bier was German, not Austrian. Years ago my dad mentioned that the name was probably originally PAAR and maybe became PARR when they came to the United States.
I have a photo of Charles and Mary and Louis and Frances (wedding day of Charlie and Mary).
My original reply is labeled anonymous – I forgot to log in before posting…
kendoran@execpc.com says:
The pedigree chart prepared by a Schneider/Snyder cousin 30 years ago of our branch's Austria/Bohemia/Moravia ancestors includes the names Paar and Strigl, as well as Bier and Huschka. There are very likely complex relationships there. I am very much interested in getting a handle on the full extent of the immigration occurred from that cluster of villages to Rock County. The people who could have told the full story are unfortunately long gone, and reconstructing it is not easy. Along those lines, I would join in asking Angie to give us the state of the art on what she knows about how Mary Bier's father, apparently Frank Bier (1843-1931), connects to the other Biers.
voicesfromthebackseat says:
Thanks for sharing this, Dick! As for the number of priests that Frank Bier begat, I must admit that I miscounted, so that's an easy fix to make. As for swapping the pictures–I'll have to change a lot more, as I have attributed their likenesses accordingly based on one photo of the five Bier boys with penciled in names on the back. I'll have to fix that tonight when I get back home. When it comes to focusing on Louis's story, maybe you or Janet would like to be a guest blogger???
Sarah Andrew-Vaughan says:
Angie, You are just so awesome! Loving your storytelling. Can't wait to share with my kiddos.
Pingback: A Brief Separation in Time and Space | Voices From the Backseat
I am related to this same group of families, and very much interested in sharing information about them. My maternal grandmother was a Schneider/Snyder from a Ketzelsdorf family. Our ancestral charts include Biers and Huschkas. My grandmother was a close lifelong friend of Mary Bier Parr (married to Charlie Parr), mentioned by Richard Bier in his comment. I have also wondered whether and exactly how the Parrs were related. There were indeed several families that immigrated to the Harmony and Johnstown areas from a cluster of villages north of Vienna, now in the Czech Republic. This includes the surnames you mention, and maybe one or two more. It is my assumption that the families were thoroughly interrelated, but I am not aware that anyone ever documented that systematically. I would welcome an opportunity to exchange information.
Amazing! Just what I was hoping that this post would inspire. I'd love to exchange information and see where our trees intersect. Please email me at angelabier@gmail.com and we can see about setting up a meeting or doing an exchange electronicallly.
Mary Catherine "Kay" Bier says:
I am Mary Catherine Bier, born in Janesville, WI. Please email me at mkbier7@aol.com. I have memories and pictures and more. Some missing pieces. I was named after my great grandmother from Austria. Died at 98 or 99 in WI. I would like to fill in some of the "blanks".
Pingback: Valentine Bier Family: What came next? | Voices From the Backseat
Robin Bott says:
Wow, what a find! I am a Bott, Amalia was my Great Grandmother. Thank you for all of this and the work, dedication and time. Simply incredible.
Richard Bier says:
I enjoyed the recent comments from two members of the Charles and Mary Bier Parr family. Thank you. The Louis Bier branch, of which i am part, is tied in closely to the Parrs. George Parr's grandfather was my great-uncle and my grandmother, Frances Parr Bier, was his great-aunt. Charles' wife, Mary Bier, was not part of the Valentine and Catherine Ten. So, who are those Biers? In fact, Angie Bier, our magnificent leader, solved the mystery of the connection. Perhaps, she could post the results of her research. When Charles Parr married Mary Bier and Louis Bier married Frances Parr, things got a bit confusing for us descendants.


text:
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In Photos: World Mourns Victims of Christchurch Mosque Massacres
International leaders and organizations mourned the deaths of the 50 people, killed by the two New Zealand mosques on Friday.
Gregory Glaros, from Arlington Virginia, holds a sign in solidarity with victims of the mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand Outside of the Islamic Center of Washington in Washington, U.S., March 15, 2019. Photo:Reuters
A choir girl wears a sticker as a show of solidarity with the victims of the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 17, 2019. Photo:Reuters
Ostankino TV tower is seen with lights turned off in memory of the victims of New Zealand's Christchurch mosque attack in Moscow, Russia March 16, 2019. Photo:Reuters
People attend a vigil for victims of the mosque shooting in New Zealand, outside city hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 15, 2019. Photo:Reuters
Outside a mosque in Istanbul Turkey, demonstrators make a stand to protest the deadly attacks which left 50 dead and another 50 injured Friday. Their banners read, "Say No to Global Terror!" Photo:Reuters
Children hold signs during an event near the New Zealand Consulate, denouncing the shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, in Amman, Jordan, March 15, 2019. The signs say, "We demand the execution of the murderer," "God is greater than the unjust." Photo:Reuters
People gather at a vigil to mourn for the victims of the Christchurch mosque attack in New Zealand, at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, in New York City, New York, U.S. March 15, 2019. Photo:Reuters
People lay flowers outside New Zealand House, following Christchurch mosque attack in New Zealand, in London, Britain March 15, 2019. Photo:Reuters
Published 16 March 2019 (8 hours 56 minutes ago)
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In Pictures: Millions Join LGBTQ Pride Parades Worldwide
Palestinians Protest Pro-Israel, US-led Bahrain Conference
US President Trump Not Welcome in UK


text:
5 Major Myths about Transexuals
By Lola Page
1. Trans Women Are Just Extremely Gay Men
While there is long tradition of gay men dressing in drag, this is done more as performance art in their community, done for playfulness or camp potential. While some trans women identify as gay men before coming around to the realization that they are in fact women, muddies the water a bit, but most gay men love being men as much as heterosexual men love being men. They might be tops, bottoms or versatile, but regardless of their preferred position or where they might fall on the masculine/feminine behavioural traits and mannerisms scale, gay men are men who enjoy having sex with men and are not a transitional form or in-between designation of the heterosexual man and the transexual woman. There are trans women who while born male were attracted to females and make the transition to female, their attraction to other females remaining unabated. Sexual orientation is independent of gender.
2. Trans Women Are Gay Men Hoping to Attract Straight Men
As previously stated, trans woman are not gay men. Gay men have no shortage of straight men on dating sites or personals listings, where they find all sorts of straight men to satisfy their needs. The underlying premise is particularly repugnant however, as many trans women have lost their lives to sexual partners who felt they were tricked into having consensual sex with a woman, and then flew into a rage at the notion that they might have had sex with someone possessing a Y-chromosome. These men often think the she-males and "chicks with dicks" they see in porn as a man trying to be something of a woman rather than as a woman trapped in a man's body.
3. Sexual Reassignment Involves Cutting Off One's Penis
Sexual reassignment surgery, or genital reconstructive surgery does not entail cutting off of the trans woman's penis, rather the penis is refashioned into the new female genitals, basically sectioned into three pieces. The tip is refashioned into the clitoris, the shaft is deskinned and inverted and turned into the vaginal canal, and the the scrotal tissue is made into the vulva and the folds of skin one would find on a cisgender female. Surgical techniques of today construct vaginas that look almost indistinguishable from the vagina of a cisgendered female's. The only items discarded as part of the surgery are the testicles.
4. Trans Women Cannot Experience Sexual Gratification Post-Op
Every individual is just that, an individual, and like many cisgender woman have difficulty achieving orgasm. The genital surgery described above places the penis, inverted, into the constructed vaginal canal allowing for the recipient to have sensation of what's going on down there through the very same nerves that provided for male orgasms earlier in the patient's life. Many transexuals who have sex after the procedure report no difficulties in achieving orgasm. Transitional genital surgery is not the removal of one's sexual apparatus, just reshaping it to a new form.
5. Gender Reassignment Is about Being Uncomfortable with Gender Roles
This is a conflation of gender identity with gender expression, and just as there are trans woman lesbians, there are trans women who don't aspire to the traditional gender roles, either becoming butch or tomboy trans women. Trans women make their transitions because they are uncomfortable with their male bodies, not because they are uncomfortable with male gender roles.
Meet beautiful trans women at TSmeet.com!


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