For airports, background music no longer is an afterthoughtI'm A Celebrity's Maura Higgins reveals the heartbreaking reason she was like an 'angry bull in a china shop' during her Love Island stint Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By HANNAH MCDONALD Published: 16:32 EST, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 16:40 EST, 24 November 2024 e-mail View comments Maura Higgins has revealed the heartbreaking reason she went into Love Island so angry back in 2019. The I'm A Celebrity star, 33, opened up about how she found incriminating things on her then-boyfriend's phone - which convinced her to join the show. Speaking to Jane and Danny during Sunday's episode, Maura admitted she had a boyfriend at the time she was offered to go on the dating show. Maura revealed she really liked him but one day decided to go through his phone - and was not happy with what she found, so set about making him pay. She also said that that's why she came across so angry on Love Island, because she was still furious about her ex boyfriend's betrayal. Maura Higgins has revealed the heartbreaking reason she went into Love Island so angry back in 2019 during Sunday's episode of the ITV show The I'm A Celebrity star, 33, opened up about how she found incriminating things on her then-boyfriend's phone - which convinced her to join the show (Pictured on Love Island in 2019) Maura told Jane and Danny about her early career as both a hairstylist and a ring girl. When Jane asked how she came to be on Love Island, Maura explained: 'So I had a boyfriend at the time' , detailing how she really liked him but had the offer of Love Island she one day decided to go through his phone. Unimpressed with what she found, she revealed: 'I had a plan and no word of a lie, when he went to the gym the next day I got his toothbrush and I filmed myself scrubbing in the verges, he had a dentist appointment that day!' An amused Danny reflected on Maura's tale: 'You don't wanna mess with Maura!' Speaking of entering Love Island as a bombshell, she said: 'I went in like a bull in a china shop because I was so angry about that whole thing' Jane high-fived Maura and said: 'You are fierce! I love it!' It comes after it was revealed Maura's stint in the I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! jungle has already had a knock-on effect, with her arrival in Thursday's episode sparking a huge ratings boost with younger viewers. The former Love Island beauty left fans in hysterics with a string of 'brilliant' one-liners after moving into the Jungle Junkyard with fellow new arrival, Reverend Richard Coles . Speaking to Jane and Danny during Sunday's episode, Maura admitted she had a boyfriend at the time she was offered to go on the dating show Maura revealed she really liked him but one day decided to go through his phone - and was not happy with what she found, so set about making him pay She also said that that's why she came across so angry on Love Island, because she was still furious about her ex boyfriend's betrayal Sources told MailOnline that along with social media favourite GK Barry , Maura has seen young viewing for this year's I'm A Celebrity skyrocket, with streaming on ITVX already up 21% on the last series. Thursday's episode also attracted an over 70% share of 16-34 year-olds, a demographic consistently targeted by ITV bosses. A show source said: '16-34s audiences are such a coveted demographic for broadcasters and streamers, both in terms of attracting new audiences to the show and generating engagement and conversation online. 'Having popular names such as one of Love Island's best known alumni, Maura and GK Barry, one of the most popular content creators in the UK, has been hugely successful in terms of attracting a younger audience alongside the show's mainstream following.' Maura already boasted a huge fanbase thanks to her 2019 stint on Love Island, which itself sparked a string of memes and hilarious viral moments. Maura's stint in the I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! jungle has already had a knock-on effect, with her arrival in Thursday's episode sparking a huge ratings boost The former Love Island beauty left fans in hysterics with a string of 'brilliant' one-liners after moving into the Jungle Junkyard with fellow new arrival, Reverend Richard Coles She has already proven she isn't afraid to speak her mind, joking that the main camp 'can starve for all she cares' after she and Reverend Richard were tasked with a secret mission. Upon their arrival, Maura and Richard were thrown into Jungle Junkyard, a basic camp that contains overgrown greenery and zero luxury, rather than the main camp. However, after arriving and speaking with Ant and Dec, all was not as it seemed as a luxurious double bed, a container revealing a hidden large sofa, a cargo box opens with a large bathtub with bubbles, bath salts and hot water appeared. It was then revealed that Maura and Richard had been tasked with a number of missions in order to win food at the Jungle Junkyard buffet and the first mission was to convince main camp that their living conditions are horrific with no bed to sleep on and basic rations. Love Island Maura Higgins Share or comment on this article: I'm A Celebrity's Maura Higgins reveals the heartbreaking reason she was like an 'angry bull in a china shop' during her Love Island stint e-mail Add comment
Lowry: We live in an age of whispered conversations
Inside the wild YOLO nights at the drug-fuelled bars of the exotic 'new Bali' - where every traveller's worst nightmare is now unfolding as six people die after drinking 'contaminated' alcohol.. and the death toll is expected to soar
Ed Sheeran crashes Ruben Amorim interview in awkward exchange11 weirdest rules scenarios we saw in 2024 (and what you can learn from them)
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on Friday presented a detailed action plan to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif aimed at boosting the country’s IT exports to $25 billion in five years. The prime minister, who had tasked the IT ministry with the said target, chaired a review meeting here and appreciated the action plan, and instructed to ensure its implementation, according to a PM Office press release. The action plan featured measures to bring reforms in different IT-related sectors and address the issues. In his remarks, the prime minister said that there was no dearth of capable manpower and resources. The effective use of resources and skill training of the manpower could take the IT exports even beyond the targeted $25 billion. He asked all the relevant departments for collaborative efforts to address the challenges in the IT sector reforms and informed the participants that he would personally oversee the implementation process. The prime minister instructed the Higher Education Commission to devise an action plan for youth’s education and skill training of international standards. Calling for implementing the proposals to meet the Gulf countries’ demand for IT experts, he asked the IT ministry to define the targets and their timelines to enhance exports. In this regard, he also directed to constitute a committee to ensure the implementation of the reforms and carry out necessary collaboration with different departments. In the briefing, the prime minister was told that his decision to prioritise the IT sector led to a 34% increase in IT exports during the last four months. It was informed that Pakistan’s IT ranking improved from 79 to 40, e-governance ranking by 14 points, and 2500 new IT companies were registered. The participants were informed that for the next five years, a $15 billion target has been set for IT sector exports, $10 billion for digitization, and $1 billion for telecom exports. The meeting was briefed on the Labor Management System aimed at capacity building of the workforce in collaboration with the educational institutions, using the demand data of the industries. As the IT ministry briefed about the proposed project for the facilitation of youth particularly the freelancers in remittances, the prime minister appreciated the measures regarding the international patent gateways and instructed for an immediate implementation. The prime minister expressed satisfaction with the action plan on IT exports and lauded the IT minister and her team. Federal Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.Senators Hold Hearing on AI Fraud and Scams, Vow to Pass AI Bills in Coming Weeks — AI: The Washington Report
Intel stock fell again Wednesday prompting an industry analyst to accuse the chipmaker's board of badly mishandling the sudden exit of CEO Pat Gelsinger. The shares had rallied early Monday when news of signaling possible positive change at the struggling technology giant. But then the shares started falling, and were down for the third straight day on Wednesday. Industry analyst Patrick Moorhead, CEO of Moor Insights & Strategy, blasted the Intel board for the way they handled Gelsinger's departure. Intel Stock: CEO's Sudden Exit "I'm not an equities analyst, but I told you so," he said in . "This one was so easy to predict. Board ghosts the Intel Corporation CEO without an explanation or replacement and the stock plummets." Gelsinger was reportedly forced out by the board which had lost confidence in his ability to turn things around at the struggling chip company, . Intel named two interim CEOs, David Zinsner, Intel's chief financial officer, and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, CEO of Intel Products. The company could not immediately be reached for comment for this story. Intel stock slumped amid growing questions about what happens next, especially at a time when Intel is grappling with stiffer competition from rivals led by ( ) and ( ). Intel investors have been left in the dark, Moorhead argued. "Investor's only thoughts are what bad happened?" he wrote. "Who can fill Pat's shoes? I talk to all of Intel's largest customer's executives. No one is cheering. The company needs to find a solid replacement, and fast." Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes said "the fact that CEO Pat Gelsinger was leaving Intel wasn't a surprise, but maybe the timing was." "The announcement at first prompted some short covering likely on thoughts that this move could lead to a new plan that creates more shareholder value (cuts, asset sales, etc.), but we took the news as a modest negative," he said in a Monday note. Intel stock shed 2.3% to close at 21.96 on Wednesday. The shares have shed nearly 9% this week, plunging well below the stock's 50-day moving average. Intel's Relative Strength rating dipped further to 13, down sharply from 96 a year ago, according to
Oregon started signing day behind Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten recruiting rankings and was poised to finish Wednesday on top. The Ducks flipped five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord from the Buckeyes and four-star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from California — additions that pushed them to No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten in the 247Sports Composite rankings. A Big Ten-high four five-stars signed with the Ducks. Ohio State's class, ranked fifth in the country, is highlighted by a pair of national top-five prospects in quarterback Tavien St. Clair and cornerback Devin Sanchez. Michigan's class was rated third best in the Big Ten and seventh best in the nation. Quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 national recruit, was scheduled to sign his letter of intent with the Wolverines on Wednesday evening. Two other Big Ten teams were ranked in the top 20, No. 13 Southern California and No. 17 Penn State. Oregon closed with a flourish with Offord and Sagapolutele flipping on signing day and four-star linebacker Gavin Nix switching from Miami on Tuesday. The Ducks signed some of the nation's top prospects at wide receiver and cornerback. Dakorien Moore is the No. 1 receiver and Dallas Wilson is No. 4. Offord is the No. 2 corner, Brandon Finney is No. 5 and Dorian Brew is No. 8. They also signed a second quarterback, the four-star Akili Smith Jr., whose father was the Ducks' quarterback in 1997-98 and an NFL first-round draft pick. Five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet was USC's top signee, and the Trojans beat out Ohio State and Oregon for five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. Penn State landed the No. 4 offensive lineman in the country in Malachi Goodman. Among eight four-star defensive players to sign was linebacker LaVar Arrington Jr., whose father was a 1998 All-American for the Nittany Lions and No. 2 overall draft pick in 2000. Nebraska signed four-star linebackers in Dawson Merritt and Christian Jones and got a pleasant signing-day surprise when four-star wide receiver Cortez Mills flipped from Oklahoma. Iose Epenesa, the No. 14 national prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman, continues his family's tradition at Iowa. The edge rusher from Edwardsville, Illinois, is the brother of former Iowa star AJ Epenesa. Another brother, Eric, is a walk-on linebacker for the Hawkeyes. Their father, Eppy, played at Iowa in the 1990s. ... Indiana's breakthrough season produced a minimal bump in the recruiting rankings. The Hoosiers, who signed 21 players, went from No. 16 last year to No. 13 in the Big Ten. . ... Maryland signed four four stars, including the nation's No. 5 quarterback prospect in 6-foot-4, 215-pound Malik Washington. ... Michigan State didn't sign a four-star recruit for the first time since at least 2009. ... Purdue, three days after the firing of Ryan Walters and coming off one of the worst seasons in program history, signed just six players. Michigan's NIL collective reportedly offered Underwood an eight-figure financial package and Tom Brady provided a strong nudge to get him to flip from LSU two weeks ago. Underwood is from Belleville, Michigan, less than a half-hour drive from Ann Arbor, and he has said playing close to home also was a factor. Underwood is the first No. 1 national prospect to land at Michigan since defensive end Rashan Gary in 2016. An Ohio State stocking cap sat alongside Auburn and Oregon ballcaps on a table at Offord's signing ceremony at Parker High in Birmingham, Alabama. He picked up the Auburn cap and put it on for a split-second, then flipped it into the crowd and put on the Oregon cap. With three of the top eight cornerback prospects and four-star safety Trey McNutt expected to sign, the Ducks would have the highest-rated group of defensive backs. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
SMX Shares Soar On NFC/RFID Chip Protection Tech Integration: DetailsIran said on Sunday (November 24, 2024) that it would hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that initiated a censure resolution against it adopted by the UN's atomic watchdog. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the meeting of the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom would take place on Friday, without specifying a venue. Also read | Taking stock of global nuclear disarmament "A range of regional and international issues and topics, including the issues of Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue, will be discussed," the spokesman said in a foreign ministry statement. Mr. Baghaei described the upcoming meeting as a continuation of talks held with the countries in September on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York. On Thursday, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution denouncing Iran for what it called a lack of cooperation. The move came as tensions ran high over Iran's atomic program, which critics fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon — something Tehran has repeatedly denied. It also came after IAEA head Rafael Grossi returned from a trip to Tehran, where he appeared to have made headway. During the visit, Iran agreed to an IAEA demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60% purity. In response to the resolution, Iran announced it was launching a "series of new and advanced centrifuges". Centrifuges enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235). "We will substantially increase the enrichment capacity with the utilisation of different types of advanced machines," Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman, told state TV. The country, however, also said it planned to continue its "technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA". Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in power since July and a supporter of dialogue with Western countries, has said he wants to remove "doubts and ambiguities" about his country's nuclear programme. In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, which prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments. Tehran has since 2021 decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices monitoring the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors. At the same time, it has increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium and the level of enrichment to 60 percent. That level is close, according to the IAEA, to the 90%-plus threshold required for a nuclear warhead, and substantially higher than the 3.67% limit it agreed to in 2015. Published - November 24, 2024 09:21 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Iran / France / Germany / United Kingdom / nuclear policy
Tayshawn Comer scores 18 to lead Evansville past Campbell 66-53LISTED Sta. Lucia Land, Inc. saw a 10.1% drop in its third-quarter net income to P906.78 million from P1.01 billion a year ago on lower revenue. Third-quarter revenue fell by 5.6% to P2.75 billion from P2.91 billion in 2023, Sta. Lucia Land said in a stock exchange disclosure last week. Real estate sales dipped by 24.5% to P1.79 billion while rental income increased by 4.8% to P193.19 million. For the first nine months, Sta. Lucia Land grew its net income by 4.4% to P3.3 billion from P3.16 billion last year. Revenue rose by 7.4% to P9.37 billion as real estate sales during the period climbed by 0.92% to P7.09 billion. “This growth stemmed from the successful launch of new projects for sale, which were well-received in the market and reinforced the group’s position in the real estate sector,” Sta. Lucia Land said. Rental income fell by 3% to P555.45 million amid the 9% increase in cost of rental income due to higher maintenance and operational expenses to ensure the quality and appeal of the company’s rental properties. “Overall, the group’s financial performance highlights a strong growth trajectory, driven by its diversified revenue streams and strategic introduction of new real estate projects,” Sta. Lucia Land said. Sta. Lucia Land’s portfolio consists of developments with residential, commercial, leisure, and retail assets. Some of its projects include the Alta Vista Tagaytay residential estate in Cavite, Centro Verde Calamba residential estate in Laguna, Sta. Lucia Mall in Cainta, Lakewood City Cabanatuan Golf and Country Club, South Pacific Golf and Country Club in Davao City, and the SotoGrande Palawan residential tower in Puerto Princesa City. Sta. Lucia Land shares were last traded on Nov. 22 at P2.87 per share. — Revin Mikhael D. OchaveTrump’s Pentagon pick faces Senate scrutiny over personal conduct
Investing in Eightfold Stock | How to Buy Pre-IPO SharesWing Assistant Launches Wing Workspace: The Ultimate Productivity App for Managing Virtual Assistants
New Platform from Former Workday Leaders Helps Large Organizations Reimagine Manager Training Tenor Co-Founders James Cross (l) and Charlie Stigler (r) SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenor , providers of AI-driven leadership development solutions that help every manager be more effective, today emerged from stealth and announced its seed funding round. Base10 Partners led the $5.4M round, with participation from Reach Capital and notable angel investors across the AI, HR technology, and learning spaces. Research shows that when managers are more effective, it has an outsized impact on the productivity and effectiveness of the overall organization. Every year, $60 billion is spent on leadership development globally - and this is set to grow, with a Gartner survey recently finding that leadership development is a top spending priority in 2025. Gartner also reported that traditional management training activities have a negative impact on managers' effectiveness. With companies eager to try new approaches, this creates a huge opportunity for AI innovation. Tenor brings a brand-new approach to this problem, enabled by AI. Tenor's platform helps managers hone their communication skills through realistic voice AI simulations that are hyper-tailored to their company's leadership philosophies. By receiving immediate coaching-style feedback, managers can track their growth and progress. With voice, text, Slack, and Teams integrations, Tenor's AI leadership coach can help managers to grow their skills in the flow of work. Enterprise-ready from day one, Tenor is SOC 2 Type 1 Certified, integrates with learning management systems, and has built-in AI trust and safety features. And Tenor will soon integrate across the HR stack, making the coaching experience personalized and contextual to each manager. "Tenor allows our managers to practice critical conversations right when they need it most - whether it's minutes before a feedback session or in preparation for a performance review,” said Eli Bildner, senior director of Talent at Guild. "We're already seeing this 'in-the-flow-of-work' learning boosting our managers' communication skills and confidence. With Tenor, we're not just investing in AI; we're investing in our managers' ability to lead effectively in real-world situations.” "Nothing is more important to the success of a company than the effectiveness of its managers. Great leadership is about how you show up and engage with the people around you,” said Tenor co-founder James Cross. "AI will help leaders be more effective across every dimension: how they communicate, how they set goals for their teams, how they give feedback, and how they're supported day-to-day as they face situations and challenges. This is one of the highest-leverage uses of AI for learning, and with this funding, we're building the defining platform in the category.” Rexhi Dollaku, General Partner at Base10, commented, "As companies reimagine their businesses with the digital transformation AI is promising, having great managers becomes more important than ever. Tenor is already having clear and immediate impact for its early customers, and we are thrilled to see this company drive change in the HR market.” About Tenor Tenor's co-founders, Charlie Stigler and James Cross, have dedicated their careers to unlocking human potential with technology. Their earlier start-ups were both acquired by Workday and serve as the foundation of Workday Learning, now one of the world's leading learning management systems. Their latest venture is Tenor, the AI platform for leadership development. For more information and to find out how Tenor can be easily incorporated into your learning and development programs, visit www.tenorhq.com About Base10 Partners Founded by Adeyemi Ajao and TJ Nahigian, Base10 is a San Francisco-based venture capital fund investing in founders who believe purpose is key to profits and in companies that are automating sectors of the Real Economy. Through its program the Advancement Initiative, Base10 donates a percentage of profits to underfunded colleges and universities to support financial aid and other key initiatives. Portfolio companies include Notion, Figma, Nubank, Stripe, Popmenu, and Aurora Solar. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31ab07e2-f241-41fa-b00e-0c529709ab77 CONTACT: Media Contact: Jeanne Achille The Devon Group for Tenor [email protected]NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The holidays are underway, and while parents are planning to be more discerning with their budgets this year, toys remain a top priority. According to new research from The Toy AssociationTM, 69% of parents plan to cut costs elsewhere to ensure their kids have the top toys for the holidays. Recently, Toy Trends Specialist at The Toy Association, Jennifer Lynch, teamed with D S Simon Media on a nationwide satellite media tour to share some of the top toys for the holiday season. While toys based on kids’ favorite characters will certainly be driving kids’ ask, parents will also be seeking out toys that spark kids’ imaginations and provide learning benefits as they play. Here are some of the top toy picks for the 2024 holiday season: Spidey & His Amazing Friends Mega Jump HQ Trackset (Jazwares) Kids can launch their favorite Spidey characters down this 39-inch race track, which features Spidey’s Web-Quarters, an elevator, web tunnels, and ramps. With two exclusive vehicles and a mega jump, this action-packed set recreates scenes from the Spidey & His Amazing Friends TV show, offering hours of imaginative play. Transformers One Power Flip Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) (Hasbro) Inspired by the new Transformers One movie, this action figure transforms between four modes: Orion Pax, Cybertronian Truck, Optimus Prime, and Ultimate Optimus Prime. Lights, sounds, and action features bring the toy to life as kids flip between modes, celebrating 40 years of the Transformers franchise. LEGO Gravity Drop (Klutz) This STEM kit lets kids build and customize marble mazes with LEGO elements and papercraft components. With 168 LEGO pieces, kids can create various maze configurations and learn about physics and engineering through play. The set also includes an instruction book packed with engaging STEM content. Booksy Dome Figures (PMI Kids) Each collectible figure comes with a tiny book hidden inside featuring life lessons and colorful illustrations. Characters from PAW Patrol, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PMI’s Monster Tales make reading fun while encouraging interactive play. Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooter Playset (Hasbro) This scooter is a ride-on toy and a Play-Doh pizza-making playset all in one. Kids can create pretend pizzas using the included Play-Doh, then "deliver" them using the scooter’s built-in pizza box slot. The set comes with 10 Play-Doh colors and 16 accessories, encouraging active, creative play. For more information, visit TheGeniusofPlay.org About Jennifer Lynch As an official spokesperson and toy trends specialist for The Toy Association, Jennifer Lynch chats with toymakers throughout the year to track trends and developments impacting the toy aisles and kids’ entertainment. She is interviewed frequently by national and local consumer and business media on toy trends and related topics. She has appeared on ABC News, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, KTLA-TV, WGN Chicago, WNBC New York, Bloomberg Radio, and CNET, among others, as well as in print publications including Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Inc. Magazine, The Spruce, and others. She also served as the narrator for The Genius of Play’s "Once Upon a Playtime" podcast, which invited listeners to rediscover the value of play through real-life, personal stories of actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and more. Jennifer has over a decade of experience covering the toy and kids’ entertainment industries. Prior, she served as the editorial & creative manager for aNb Media and its b2c review site TTPM.com, where she oversaw all digital and print communications, reviewed product, and co-hosted a web series conducting in-depth interviews with toy industry executives. She began her career in her home state of Pennsylvania, handling marketing communications for Penn State’s art galleries (her alma mater). She resides in New Jersey with her husband and energetic three-year-old. * YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of The Toy Association About D S Simon Media The firm is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards. Dante Muccigrosso Director of Media Integration & Client Reporting E: dantem@dssimon.com C: 973.524.0104 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2da041fb-9a20-40be-b98a-cf143ed4e399Dear Eric: We live on a lake and love hosting our great-nieces and nephews on school breaks and the entire family on vacations. My husband and I have no children. Our niece’s families are dear to us. Our 11-year-old great-nephew has been gaming now for about a year. When he comes to visit, instead of reading, playing cards or board games with us, like in the past, he wants to disappear with his video games. We feel vacated. How do we navigate this with his parents who think his being on a video gaming team at school is awesome and I think it is a bad omen? What is a fair place of compromise and balance? – Game Off Dear Game Off: Let his parents parent their child. The other night I re-watched the movie “Network” from 1977 (stay with me here; it relates). In it, a character in his 60s dismisses a character played by a young Faye Dunaway by saying “she’s the television generation. She learned life from Bugs Bunny. The only reality she knows is what comes to her over her TV set.” Every generation has anxieties about the ways that technology is changing social interactions or altering the minds of the generations below. While some of those concerns are valid, those of Faye Dunaway’s generation (now in their 70s and 80s) would argue that they’ve managed to stay quite well-rounded, despite (and often with the aid of) TV. In moderation, video games have been shown to improve a child’s cognitive function and working memory. While your great-nephew’s gaming might not be your choice, it’s important that you not seek to undermine the research and thinking that his parents have done about it. What you’re really yearning for is a sense of togetherness as a family, so try talking to your niece and her spouse about group activities you can plan to meet your great-nephew where he is. And don’t be afraid to pick up a controller and ask him to show you the ropes. Dear Eric: I eat at a local restaurant a couple times a week and tend to get one of three meals. This one waitress asks me what I want to eat, but then interrupts me to make guesses or tell me my choice. I just put my head down and nod yes or no to the guesses. It’s frustrating, but not life-threatening. She enjoys it. I hate it. However, if I were to say something, it would force her to make the choice of being herself, doing something she likes doing, or appeasing me so I can order the way I want to order. I don’t know if this is a big enough problem to have a “high road.” The answer will not change my life. She can easily change, and I can easily suffer. The question is who gets to be themselves? – Speaking Up Dear Speaking Up: I worked in the service industry for more than a decade. I loved it. I loved seeing regulars, meeting new people and carrying a lot of beverages in my hands at one time. The whole bit. I also loved knowing what people wanted, but I would always ask and confirm . That’s part of the job. She may think you’re a regular who likes to be known in this way. So, informing her that that’s not the case won’t be keeping her from being herself. It will be helping her to do her job better. You may not have the kind of temperament that easily or comfortably course-corrects in social situations. That’s just fine. But know you won’t be causing her suffering by saying something like “I’ve already decided on my meal. Let’s skip the guessing today and I’ll just tell you.” This also clears the path for the two of you to talk about something else, if you want. Ideally, it’s a conversation that you’ll both enjoy. Dear Eric: I’m not sure if the letter from “Invisible Dad” about his wife buying trinkets for their adult kids and having more close conversations with them is related to my better half and myself. I think it could be but I can’t be sure so don’t want to ask him. I never really thought about it all the time, but assumed kids knew that gifts were from both of us. If this question does relate to us, and even if it doesn’t, I will be mindful of what I haven’t been mindful of. My heart is melting if he does really care that much about the kids. Thank you for listening. – Daily Reader Dear Reader: Thanks for your thoughtful note and your openness. Please also reconsider talking to your husband about the ways you interact with your kids. It could be really healing and productive. (Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com .) ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.