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trivialpunk
Horror: Gaming, Writing, Watching
Archive for Resident Evil
Resident Evil: Communities, Companies and 6
Posted in All the Things, Game Reviews with tags blogging, Game Review, gamer, Gaming, Gaming Community, horror genre, Painkiller: Hell and damnation, RE6, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 6, Steam, video game reviews, video games, video gaming on March 22, 2013 by trivialpunk
Aaaaaaand… We're back! Holy crap, it's nice to have Sherlock back where it belongs. So, we can get back down to the business of writing about and reviewing games! Being without a computer or a phone has been an interesting experience. It was a weird deconstruction of the article I wrote a while back about the emergence of the Singularity over time in our culture. It was a sort of… "Whoa! Hold on! We're not at full saturation, yet. You're missing the gaps in your narrative!" In a way, though, it kind of reinforced the experience of my dependence on it for this work. I felt my connection (or lack thereof) palpably. For better or worse, Sherlock is a part of me now. I just shivered a bit writing that. Excuse me while I fan-boy for a second…. k. BUT, now I can get down to the business of reviewing Resident Evil 6! And, just in the nick of time! It goes on sale on Steam today. So, let's take a look at whether it's going to be a delicious confection wrapped in a soft, warm shell, or if the franchise has been run through a digestive process already and ended up a bit more… Steam-y.
First, though, we're doing our spotlights! I like to focus on blogs here, because writing is the medium of expression on WordPress, but I want to bring some more attention to this video. I love Beetlejuice, Minecraft and passion, so it's not hard to figure out why I'm so enamoured. The next one is a blog post about the top ten depictions of Satan. To me, Satan has always been a really interesting character. He's so many things to so many people. My favorite literary interpretation comes from William Blake. If you get a chance, then pick up some Blake. Spend some time with him and you won't be disappointed. Counter-Attack! one of the first blogs I subscribed to on WordPress, is giving away a copy of XCOM: Enemy Unknown this week! Go check them out and maybe you'll win a copy of the most innovative, integrated, qualitative…sorry… games of this year. Dooo it! Lastly, I'd like to link you to my video review of Painkiller: Hell and Damnation. I hope there aren't too many ads; the companies that own the rights to the two songs in it filed against me, so I don't have any control over that. The video is part of my on-going critique of the horror genre and it's the last one in the planned series that isn't actually a horror game. Enjoy!
…Speaking of contests! I'm going to be doing a BioShock: Infinite letsplay the minute I get my hands on a fully-downloaded copy of the game. As luck would have it, I pre-ordered a copy, and it came with a few extras. One of them is a copy of the original masterpiece that started it all. I already own this awesome game, naturally, but if you don't, then just follow the link I'll be posting on here to my video, Like/Comment and send me a message on YouTube with your name, e-mail or Steam account. Then, I'll put all the names in my hollow plastic skull and pick one. The winner gets a copy of the game and the knowledge that they umm… watched a couple of my letsplays. Only the first two videos in the BS:I series will be eligible and you can only enter once per video, but, if response is low enough, your odds will be fantastic! I'll be holding the draw a week from the release date (March 26, 2013), so you've got some time to enter.
#Realtalk: Next, because I didn't get to do a full post last week, I want to quickly address another issue that has been niggling at me: defining gamer. If you're part of any gaming Facebook groups or frequent any meme sites, I'm sure you've seen the odd picture depicting a straw-man gamer with a quote-witty-unquote response along the lines of, "You're not a real gamer. WTF casual newb. (Or…) Ger merk serndwich, slurt!" I find this incredibly discouraging. Gaming as a medium is growing up, and we can't keep this to ourselves. People argue that the "casuals" are flooding the market and accepting more sludge as a result. I have a couple problems with this idea… The more people there are in the market, the more capital they will introduce. The more capital they introduce, the larger the market will grow. The more it grows, the more concentrations and niches we'll begin to see. The market will diversify. You will find people to serve your niche if you know where to look. Right now, I'm cozying up to project Greenlight on Steam, but there are a thousand more developers making games that you just have to look to find. Before you argue about the quantity of titles being produced, you need to look for them. Second, I've been gaming for a long time. I remember the stuff that was being produced for the Super Nintendo. Believe me, it's not the flood of "casual" gamers that's causing the games industry to spew out simplified-sludge; it's a time-honored industry practice. Whenever a movie came out, or an artist found a cool picture or a piece of clay fell and resembled a cat, they made a platformer about it. A lot of the passion and innovation we remember came from smaller, cottage projects or as a result of years of work from the industry at large. Silent Hill 2 wasn't programmed in a day. For every good game, there was always a bunch of knock-offs or so-so titles out there to frame it. So, don't think this is a new thing.
Last, I'd like to say that we shouldn't be worried about defining "gamer." It's a subjective thing and it's a term that's going to evolve and, someday, hopefully, become meaningless. Vestigial. "Oh, you're a gamer? Cool, I think most people are to some extent." Games are spreading and we shouldn't be rejecting people. We should be welcoming them into the fold and guiding their exploration. Shepherding and critiquing. Recommending and welcoming. If we've been gaming for a long time, then we've got a wealth of available knowledge and experience to help people discover new experiences. What we shouldn't be doing is telling people they can't be one of us, or that they don't qualify. If you gamed as much as I did in high school, you might have experienced a bit of ostracization. That's the common nerd-narrative, isn't it? The truth is, despite playing Magic cards, Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon in the hallways, I don't remember ever caring. I had my world and the things I thought were cool. Occasionally, I got to share that appreciation with someone new. That was always a rewarding experience. However, if we are, indeed, the care-takers and key-masters of this World of Games, then shouldn't we honor the narrative of the "geek-community" and learn from the sting of the rejection we're supposed to have felt? Or, are we going to make the same mistakes as the guys from "Revenge of the Nerds" and end up with sand on our faces? Gaming is growing up. So, we, its community, need to, as well. I know I'm probably preaching to the choir, but I needed to get that off my chest. And, hey, if other parts of the community want to be xenophobic, then the reasonable parts of it can go and do our own thing and help newer gamers decide what we want "gamer" to mean to us. Besides, if people want to go about bandying relative meanings for "gamer," then what does it mean that I started learning how to play cards and chess around the time I was five? I'm not going to hold that, or any lack of experience with gambling debts, against anyone. Honestly, though, I can write all I want, but I –think – –Extra– –Credits– –said– –it– –better-.
Alright… let's get to it!
Ostensibly, this review is for people who might be thinking of buying the game on Steam, so I'm not going to spoil the plot, but, suffice to say, it has Resident Evil and Capcom written all over it. So, it's not what you'd call… deep. However, it does explore some issues that the other games left hanging. Issues like: actual combat-organizations using bio-terror weapons in conjunction with organized armies, the nature of fighting a weapon that is alive and the difficulty of extinguishing an enemy that isn't an entity, but a process. An idea. An idea of us. THE TRUE MONSTER IS MAAAAN!! Sorry, I love saying that.
The characters are a little more complex, but still deliver their dialogue like they got caught off-guard by the microphone. Some of the dialogue is hilarious in and out of context and the complexities of character-motivation are, as always, both mysteriously obtuse and face-meltingly obvious at the same time. They do, however, take their time and really try to get into their character's heads in a way that they haven't before, especially Chris. Leon hangs out and does Leon-stuff, so that's always a plus. Hunnigan makes a come-back and actually gets some screen time, and, for a RE game, has some decently legitimate chemistry with the characters she interacts with. I'm not going to spoil the rest, because it's convoluted and ridiculous enough to be enjoyable. There's also something to be said for the web-motif and the relation of the plot-points, and I think I saw what they did there. Feel like playing an arachnid simulation? Hmm?
You can pick to start the campaign from any of three points, but I think most people are going to start with Leon, since it's at the top of the list, so we'll focus on that for now. The intro-sequence is pretty well done and shows a commitment to pacing and interactive quality. There's a set-piece in the subway that actually shows a legitimate consideration of horror-elements. Shadows on the wall in the distance, ravenous sounds in the distance… it's almost like something out of 28 Days Later. However, when I started the next (Chris' campaign) section, it took me 13 minutes from the time I pressed start to get to the point when I actually knew I was playing the game.
This is, in part, because of Resident Evil 6's approach to game-play. Sure, there's a mechanic where you aim a red dot at things and you shoot the thing and then the thing might die, but large portions of the game take place in the language of contextual button-presses and rely on a sense of Kinaesthetic Projection to feed into your actions and the actions of the character on the screen. In many ways, it's pretty intuitive. You're in a car, you're looking for the keys, so you press the right control-stick to look around for them. It sounds straight-forward, but it's not you moving the character, it's you deciding in which direction the character is going to move itself. So, the KP is sort of ruined. To be fair, the actions all make sense, and there's nothing that's really going to throw you; the quick-time events are nicely cued and give you more than enough time to figure them out before punishing you. It gives the game a more cinematic feel, but I think that honestly works against it at times. I just don't feel immersed enough to experience the events as a player, but I also don't feel detached enough to project myself like a viewer. It's an awkward middle ground, but I see what they were trying to do in terms of interactive story-telling and I have to respect that. I don't, however, have to respect being locked in a vehicle for five minutes with nothing to do but look around. It's a cool sequence, but it felt forced. Hollow. Sweet. The game-play flows into the cinematics so well that it's hard to tell the two apart at times. That isn't praise, though. This is, after all, a game, not a movie.
The parts of the game-play that are there are pretty good, though. The aiming system they've been using since RE4 makes a return, but brings a beefed-up melee system with it. It's limited by a stamina bar and includes contextual attack-moves depending on your proximity to enemies. When it works, it looks awesome. You'll pull a knife out of a zombie's chest and force it to make friends with its brain. When it doesn't, though, you'll back-hand a wall while a zombie eats your face. The HUD is nicely designed and changes aesthetically based on your campaign. Leon, for instance, uses a touch-screen phone to keep track of his objectives, health, stamina, ammo and herbs. I'd really like to know where he got those apps from. Probably a secret-service thing.
Herbs are kept in your bag when they're waiting to be used, but, once you're ready to "spend" one, it gets broken down into chunks based on its strength (a max of 6 for a red + green combo) and deposited into a pool on your HUD. This pool can then be accessed on the fly like a supply of tic-tacs and used to replenish one minty-fresh breath's worth of health. If you run out of health, then you collapse on the ground and have to either wait out a timer or wait for your partner to revive you. Then, you either take a herb-tac, or you die the next time you go down. (There's an upgrade that makes your partner feed you a herb when they revive you on single-player that has the function of making you almost immortal. Oops. Although, honestly, a pat on the chest would probably serve just as well)
When a zombie gets on you, your health will slowly drain, even if it's not actively damaging you with teeth. This lead to a couple unusual scenes where I had waited out my death-timer and gotten up just in time to be ballroom tackled by another zombie and, while turning in place, my health ran out. This was followed by my partner's hilarious dramatic cry, "LEON!!" that follows every death. Only, this time, there were under-tones of jealousy, as if she was saying, "How dare you dance with him! See if I stitch your face back on again!"
The end of each level, each kill and pick-ups in the midst of it all allow you to collect "skill points" that let you unlock upgrades for your characters (Although, I'd hate to see what Capcom considers skill, given what it rewards them for). Each of these upgrades can dramatically change the game itself. I mentioned the partner-herb-revival one earlier, but there are a bunch. One increases the drop rate of items from downed enemies. take this upgrade with caution, because it virtually ensures that you won't run out of ammo for most of the game. I mean, you can try to spray your name on the wall in bullets, and, yeah, that'll probably bleed you dry, but regular combat won't be impeded by ammo consumption. The weapons are nicely varied. but it's all pretty standard fare. If you've played a shooter in the last six years, then don't hold out for anything new. It's all pretty much the same stuff that was in RE4, but why fix what isn't broken?
The enemies themselves are a little more varied than most Resident Evil games, if only because you're actually fighting deployed biological weapons. They make nice additions to the set-pieces and mesh well enough to really bring the world to life. I think you might really enjoy some of the outdoor sequences of the city tearing itself apart, tooth and nail. Even the graveyard scene uses its monsters to create a vague Poltergeist homage. Of course, while the enemy types are a little more varied, the individual enemies get copy-pasted a lot. A few times, I found myself fighting three of the same guy, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of existential crisis they'd be having if their brains hadn't turned to goo and their stomachs hadn't rotted their appetite out the bottom of them.
The improved enemy variation brings predictable, but welcome, mechanics with it. However, the boss fights really profit from the growth in variation, even if they absolutely refuse to stay down when you kill them (Remember: the most powerful weapons in the Resident Evil universe are angry punches). One of them was almost a puzzle in itself. I won't ruin it, but you'll know it when you get to it. Overall, the puzzles are actually pretty well implemented and, I think you'll clever your way through them before you even realize you're utilizing lateral thinking skills and pattern recognition. Of course, they're not particularly difficult, but their smooth integration into the story and game-play is thoroughly appreciated. This isn't just a pile of books in a book store with a poem, now is it, Heather?
Sorry. Umm… speaking of characters! Capcom seems to have decided that they give up on programming AI that can deal with differential inventory management and have just sealed your partner's goodie-bag off. As a result, you won't get any moments where your partner will whip out a health spray for a boo-boo or waste all your shotgun rounds on a giant crab while it's functionally invincible. The AI just seems smarter in general. It's pretty decent at reviving you and it never once managed to grenade me or a hostage to death. It follows you pretty closely, but that leads to some ridiculous moments when you'll be running down a hallway and (after hours of hand-to-hand combat and unbelievably nimble escapes) unavoidably trip over a body that's sprawled, like an obvious troll, on the ground. Then, your partner, ostensibly a sophisticated, composed, graceful agent of death, will notice your mistake and follow suit.
The continuity in the game is pretty messed up, as well. At one point, you fall into an hour-long flashback about your time in 'Nam, and, when you emerge blinking into the real world, you'll be carrying the items you had in the memory. Whoa. That's some mind-bending epistemological shit, right there. And, because of Leon's magical TARDIS hair-cut, you'll end up revisiting the intro-sequence again, but the entire experience is very, very different. One might say, entirely so. That part is pretty much glossed-over, too. Overall, though, it holds together pretty functionally, and the narrative is decently organized, delivered in nice bite-sized chunks. It's the usual string of ridiculous coincidences, but, what were you expecting?
The differences between the campaign settings are pretty pronounced and I like how it provides a sense of transition without removing you from the game entirely. Each one focuses on a different sort of engagement based on the enemies and settings it utilizes. I said earlier that the monsters bring the set-pieces to life, and it really shows between settings. Leon's campaign is a little more zombie-survival-horror oriented, while Chris follows a tank around and blows enemies away with a machine gun. It's actual bio-weapon combat, which I really like. So often, we see Umbrella-tech being deployed accidentally, and it was refreshing to see it being utilized as weapon's tech. I thought it was a nice touch. I won't describe the other campaigns, so you'll have something to discover, but I think it highlights how a small change in engagement and enemy-focus can alter an entire game-play experience. It feels like a few games in one, despite the fact that the control scheme remains constant.
Overall, it's ridiculous, over-the-top, cinematic (is that good?), campy-gritty-serious and fun on a certain level. The pre-baked action sequences, cinematics, and death and knock-down mechanics can get in the way of things occasionally, but they aren't deal-breakers. The aesthetic changes between campaign settings serve to provide a nice level of demarcation, while also reinforcing an experiential progression narrative. However, they never go so far as to render it entirely different. The HUD is clever and the AI partner is a huge step up from the usual Capcom dross. The combat is nicely visceral, but the QTEs can leave you feeling a little disconnected. They're still a bit jolting. When the cinematic-game fusion quality works well, it's seamless and wonderful, but, when it breaks down, and it often does, it ends up being hilarious. Bosses are appropriately climactic and the story-line is grade-A Resident Evil material. The characters are enjoyable, and the settings and set-pieces are varied enough to keep things interesting. The monsters are occasionally imaginative, but usually derivative, and, oh yes, there are enough zombie skulls to smash to keep you playing for hours.
There's a multi-player option that you can en/disable that allows people to hop into your game as a monster or a partner, but I avoided it. Didn't seem like much fun, honestly. Why would I give up my AI partner now that they've finally made it decent? Besides, it lets me faff around more when I'm not following someone that's just plowing trough the levels. The atmosphere and glitches are some of the best parts of the game, as well as the hilarious situations (HOW MANY SECRET LABS ARE THERE? HUH? WHERE IS THERE NOT A LAB?!?), so you might want to take your time through them. Still, it could be fun to hop in a game and take over a zombie. After all, they have been sped up enough to compensate for the increased speed and abilities of the player, relative to the original Resident Evil games. Why not take advantage of it to work out those repressed feelings of anger towards the hairdresser that cut your hair too short for the first time by chewing someone's scalp clean off?
For what it's worth, I enjoyed the experience more than I hated it, despite, or perhaps because of, the cheesy dialogue. I give it 3 oily saxophone players of radically different heights out of a fifth of vodka chased with custard. If you're in to this series, then I'd recommend it.
Although, Gamer Cat questions your credentials. Are you nerd enough for Leon's new hair? I guess we'll see. Yes, what is with all the cute animals lately? I don't know. Take care until next time. I'll see you on the other side!
Something after the animal this week? OH! I got the results from the letsplay requests back. Now, it's time to vote on the next one!
Resident Evil Retrospective: From Survival Horror to Splatter Thriller
Posted in All the Things, Game Guts, Game Reviews with tags Dead Space, game reviews, Gaming, horror, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil: Dead Aim, Retro, Retro review, retrospective, video game reviews, video games on February 1, 2013 by trivialpunk
It's that time again! Today's reference letter for interesting articles come to us from my love for the Crysis series. I'm pretty in love with its design, and the first article of the day shows a ten minute clip of Crysis 3's beta. Sweet Jesus, listen to those gun sound-effects! I know it's a weird thing to mention with all the pretty bloom kicking around, but I really appreciate guns that sound like… well… guns. Halo 4 sort of kicked it for me there. http://whatsyourtagblog.com/2013/01/31/i-suck-at-crysis-3/
Next on the chopping block (?) is an article about the Top Ten Comic Book Movies (Without Superheroes). It seems pretty self-explanatory, but many of these movies are amazing, so I think the list deserves some (more) attention. http://houseofgeekery.com/2013/02/01/10-comic-book-movies-without-superheroes/ Oh, also, listen to Caravan Palace! It's electro-swing, and it's terribly addictive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RaKSRU60bw&list=PLZh2pDMvoNNMFkxu5cOqJXq3F5M3ug0JL
With the introduction-introduction out of the way, let's get down to why we're all here: video games and video game accessories, Specifically, horror. I'm still playing Resident Evil 6, because it's been a busy month, but, honestly, I could do the review now. The reason I'm not is because I want to address another topic first. I've been bashing Dead Space a bit for… well… go read the article "No Time for Horror, Doctor Jones" It's the one immediately before this one. If you want to save some time, then I'll sum it up thusly: the timing of a game affects how it engages the audience. Without time to appreciate danger, or any reason to fear it, then the game loses some weight. Putting your character in a scary situation will not chill the player down to their core. You need to think about how they're reacting and being engaged. A big part of this is how fast they must react and what kind of commands they can issue. As well as the player's level of kinaesthetic projection (I'd like to do a study on improving the rate at which this occurs someday, but…). It also helps to make them dread dying without being annoyed by the death. Silent Hill and Resident Evil were both games that could involve a lot of combat (you would also run away… a lot), but were able to use clever, albeit clunky, designs to engage the player in a way that demanded attention, but didn't give them enough power to feel like they were cutting swaths through the enemy ranks. It was an uneasy balance that was bound to topple. I'm going to blow your mind here, because I really think Dead Space is going in the right direction. Despite my constant ragging on them, I think I see the problems they are trying to address. At the same time, I don't think they've quite gotten the hang of it. It all feels a bit… obvious. Subtlety, though, comes from refinement and sophistication, and we're just stepping up to this problem.
I do a lot of speculation on this blog. However, today, we're jumping on the speculation-train, destination: Nannerville. So, hold onto your shoes, or they'll fly right off. Originally, I was going to do a side-by-side of Silent Hill with Resident Evil. I'm sure I'll make mention of it, but I think, for the sake of brevity and not beating an undead horse, we'll just address Resident Evil. Let's go for a retrospective ride on the Resident Evil death-train! Chew-chew!!
Let's start with Resident 1, because it kicked the series off. If you were playing survival horror games around this time, then you'll probably have a couple points of reference. There was the Clock Tower series, Dino Crisis, Resident Evil, Silent Hill and a list of other one-off titles that didn't get picked up with quite the same verve. You'll probably notice similar movement systems. Not exactly the same, mind you, but they're related through the time-frames they create. Of course, Dino Crisis introduced a proto-quick-time event, and had jump-scares closer to Dead Space than Silent Hill. Clock Tower was more like a point-and-click, at the time of RE1, than a third-person shooter, but the time-frames they created were similar in their most basic elements. Between an encounter and making a decision, the ratios are remarkably similar. Remember that, because we're coming back to it later. This is why the remarkably agile dogs, Hunters and Lickers always faffed around for a while before attacking you. They were coded so you'd have enough time to panic slightly, take aim and fire. Then, you'd either have to take clunky evasive action, or keep pumping out bullets. Of course, they could still jump at you from off-screen, but that's more of a camera-angle/jump-scare issue. (Oh man, I just opened the RE Wiki… I'm in trouble… forty minutes of thoughtful clicking later…)
Alright, let's get off just movement for a bit and get down to game-play. RE1 used zombies as their primary enemy, because they were slow, menacing, and easy to defeat. It also opened up many other possible designs through their use of the game's Phlebotinum, the T-Virus. Like the Pyramid Head fight I mentioned last week, many of the enemies in this game attack along certain vectors, so you've got a fighting chance to avoid them. Upon release, RE1 was particularly memorable for its voice-acting and elaborate mansion: The Spencer Estate. Many of the puzzles were so unusual that they gave the game a surreal quality in the midst of a seemingly normal mansion with a standard under-ground laboratory. Zombies created by viruses are one thing, but what kind of twisted forces created the mansion and the abominations within it? Yeah, it's Umbrella, but ssshhhh -Spoilers!- it was just off enough to unnerve, while retaining enough atmosphere and originality to spook players. Zombie foot-steps echoed through the halls. People kept disappearing. There was a giant fucking shark in the water-filled area. Despite its many flaws, it was still memorable enough to fuel the creation of an entire series.
Eventually, the game would be re-mastered. They actually made significant changes to the game-play through the introduction of super-zombies. Thanks to the regenerative power of the T-virus, a zombie that wasn't burned after it was killed would come back to life stronger and deadlier than before. I should also mention the save-ribbon. Saving was done at typewriters and was limited, on Normal difficulty and up, by the number of ink ribbons you had on you. Both of these elements, the burning and the saving, respectively, were limited by the amount of gas and the number of ribbons you could find. This created a kind of Sophie's choice tension for gamers that didn't want to fill up their limited item slots or waste those precious resources. You had a storage chest, but those items weren't very helpful in the heat of battle. Saying no more about that, let's move on to RE2!
RE2 didn't change much in the way of game-play. It had a graphical up-grade, but most of the controls and game-play elements from the original game were moved over. It had some different enemies, like a crocodile that was one of the few creatures alive that could relate to the shark from Jaws. The big thing it did was introduce the city. RE1 took place in a mansion and its underground laboratory, so it was a pretty tight experience. RE2 was still just as tight, but it took place in Raccoon City. Now, the entire fabric of society was breaking down. Zombie howls echoed through burning streets instead of wooden doors. It also introduced Claire and Leon to the series. These two, along with Jill and Chris from RE1, would go on to be forever hunted by horrible monstrosities from beyond the budget of most pharmaceutical companies. Now, the surreal horror of the mansion comes into its own as we see exactly what Umbrella can, and will, do. The true monster… IS MAN!
You can't say you didn't see that one coming. There's something to be said about the break-down of society. You're very purposefully led to locations one would normally associate with safety, like the police station or city hall. This is intended to bring the full reality of the break-down of the city to the player and get all confrontational about the future of the rest of the world. Moving right along…
RE3 introduced another element of horror that I adore: a recurring, unkillable bad-guy that's out for your, and mostly your, blood. Okay, not unkillable, but that machine gun isn't going to do much. Other games had recurring monsters, but Nemesis made a habit of popping out of everywhere, and disappearing just as fast. It gave you the feeling of being pursued by a mechanical, intelligent monstrosity of science and English dentistry. I think my favorite set-piece for this game was the hospital, because… hospital… patient 0's. That sort of thing. Then, there was the giant worm in the park. The game also included a few puzzles in the general city area that were just as insane as the ones in the mansion. Which makes the player wonder if Umbrella controlled more than we thought, or if the RE designers were just crazy. Either thought was unsettling 2 hours into the game. The game itself ends with a bang, but, in my mind, the most effective explosion is the one near the middle. Having managed to signal an Umbrella helicopter for a ride (think of an umbrella helicopter and capitalization seems far more important), you're waiting on the rooftop for pick up. In the distance, you see the helicopter approaching, and everything seems hunky-dory. "I guess we're switching to another charac…" BAM! That's when Nemesis, with his magical disappearing rocket-launcher, shoots down the rescue bird. After all that effort, you're sitting on the roof of an infested building, surrounded by death, with imminent destruction at hand, and the seemingly unstoppable killing machine just gave you a huge middle finger. Not only that, but HE HAS A ROCKET LAUNCHER NOW?! HE CAN USE WEAPONS?!?!?!? With that thought in hand, let's move right along…
Resident Evil: Code Veronica was most memorable for its look into the curious, insect-obsessed lives of the owners of the Umbrella Corporation. It also gives you some background on the virus, left you trapped on an infested island, and brings back Albert Wesker… but with powerful up-grades. I can't remember why there aren't more over-powered monsters like Wesker, but whatever. It's Resident Evil. If we worried too much about plot holes and retcons, then we'd have exploded by now. The game didn't add much besides those things, and felt a bit… like a formula game. Instead of a mansion, it's an island. Claire and Chris make another appearance, though, so it's alright. Moving along to RE0!
Resident Evil 0 took a chance, and added dual-character game-play, along with a serious graphical up-grade. Now, you could switch between different characters to solve puzzles. It was an interesting mechanic. However, it somewhat limited the sense of isolation that the series was, at least partially, shooting for. Most of the time, you only met people tangentially and then passed like ships in the night. Also, there were leeches. Again, there wasn't much of a change in the game-play's combat department. Although, now you had to manage two inventories and constantly juggle an AI ally. Thankfully, they didn't do too much besides follow you.
It was around this time that most people were grumbling about the combat. "Why can't you aim for the head?! It would be easy to survive the zombie apocalypse, or at least stop Umbrella, if we could just shoot slightly up!" Until that point, you could only aim at three different angles that, roughly, corresponded to Up, Forward, and Down. From there, your character had to be relied upon to auto-aim. So, most bullets just went into your enemy's chest. As we all know, that's just silly. Along came Resident Evil: Dead Aim (Biohazard: Gun Survivor 4 in Japan)
As we can all tell, there's a 4 on the end of that! So, this wasn't the first FPS, light-gun, Resident Evil game. Clearly, Capcom had been working with their silly systems for a while. Before we get on to how the two systems were pronounced lawfully wedded, let's look at Dead Aim.
You could switch between third-person running and first-person shooting with the light-gun. I should also mention that the light-gun worked extremely well for this game. So, if you're going to play it, then I recommend finding one. It was most memorable for its androgynous, electric-powered villain. Oh, there was a cute Chinese lady, too. The male lead was basically Jeff Foxworthy. I'm not going to bring up every game, but the damage ratios in this game were well balanced enough to show us that being able to aim for the head wouldn't destroy the balance of play, if it was handled correctly. Again, this is speculation.
The story wasn't particularly memorable, but it introduced the t+G virus, and it took place… wait for it… here it comes… on a boat. The slight rocking motions, interesting monster designs, and use of sound effects makes this one of the most atmospheric light-gun games I've ever played, and I drained my bank account in the arcade more often than I'd like to admit. It did have the small problem of being beatable with the starting pistol, but it still required fast reflexes and too much caffeine, so I'm going to call it a success. Now, the moment we all knew was coming…
This was Capcom's magnum opus. It's still one of my favorite games, and for good reason. It married the FPS design with the third-person camera, allowing for situational awareness with full-bodied actions and accurate aiming. It include an intuitive inventory system and one of the most memorable merchants in gaming history. It also had one of the most endurable escort components since ICO. Every piece of this game dripped with atmosphere and was so very camp that is was hard to be scared by it. Although…
Now, we're getting back to the timing problem. With the introduction of the free-aiming system, it was obvious that you couldn't have zombies shamble slowly up to you. Even the massive hordes of Dead Aim wouldn't prove much of a challenge for a character that could easily strafe in circles and run freely… as well as kick down ladders, jump out of windows, close doors, move furniture… In terms of a video game that can be beat, it wouldn't do to plunk you in the middle of a city and make you fight the 200 zombie hordes it would take to challenge/horrify you at this point. I'm sure it could, because an unstoppable, encroaching mass of mindless flesh is still frightening (see: the mall on Christmas), but it wouldn't make for a very varied or fun game. So, they introduced the Las Plagas. It was a parasite that was the game's replacement for the T-virus. Now, the zombies were smart. Well, they were more like villagers, really.
You may have noticed a bag-headed fellow featured prominently in the two pictures I posted. He's the first true threat you face in RE4. They introduce him with a few other villagers in a brief cut-scene. They then proceed to chase you around their homes with scythes and blood-thirst. Oh, there's a chain-saw, too. You may be thinking… "Wait, isn't that what Dead Space did? Didn't you complain about that?" Yes, but there are two key points to recognize here.
First off, RE4 represented a real shift in tone for the series. It started tackling the problem that Dead Space would later run into. In a game with an action-heavy protagonist and freedom of movement, as well as mounds of heavy, upgradeable ordinance, how do you design creatures that are challenging, fair, and frightening? I didn't mention this earlier, but while the timing is different, the time ratios between Dead Space, RE3, and RE4 are similar. The difference is that you don't have the extra seconds that the clunky combat of RE3 provides to worry about being attacked or scared. It's either do or die. Much the same way that ripping off a band-aid, or taking a test, is more painful to think about than actually do, preparing for action is more frightening than actually shooting a gun. In a game. I bashed Dead Space for how it handled the situation because it introduced soldiers and monsters by having them murder people in front of you. This, effectively, eliminated most of the mystery or suspense. This brings us to some of the creature designs in RE4, and how they handled the problem.
I wasn't in the planning room, but much of the horror of monster designs in RE4 came from everything but the combat. This particular baddy would have to be kited around, in relative silence, because it hunted by sound. Then, it would dash towards you like a demon out of hell and strike. His weak point was on his back, of course. El Gigante was a huge giant that had to be brought down with lots of bullets before it could be directly injured. The Regenerators were really creepy sounding monsters that could only be killed by shooting the parasites in their bodies with a sniper-rifle equipped with a heat-sensing scope. Notice anything odd? All of these creatures have to be moved around, kited, or dealt with in a specific way before you can begin chipping away at their invisible health bars. The horror came from the anticipation of the fight, and from the relative permanence of your obstacle. It created the same kind of time to consider the situation that the original clunky combat did. Only now, the creatures are faster, so you have to be, too. This sort of unites the constant tension and dread of the Dead Space and Silent Hill systems.
Lastly, let's look at the guy with the bag on his head, because he's pretty much the quintessential version of what I've just outlined. He's shown with a chain-saw, so we know he's menacing. He has the added bonus of an obscured face and an almost direct resemblance to Leather-face. He's introduced in the first area, so you've only got a pistol, and very little combat experience. There's a shot-gun in the village, but if you don't know where it is, then he seems incredibly powerful. Even shooting at his head and moving gracefully around, two advantages that, until that point, have been your aces in the hole, are meaningless with only a pistol at your command. It's a real rat-in-a-maze feel. With a cat. Also, the cat has gas-powered teeth. You don't see him cutting anyone up, so you're left to imagine the result of his weapon meeting your soft, squishy bits. This makes it extra effective the first time he tears into your flesh with it. I was sort of stunned the first time. I wasn't ready to believe that the game would just kill me like that. I actually looked away, because I didn't want to witness the brutal, graphic death I had experienced at his hands. It was a truly stirring moment. RE4 wasn't fucking around. Let's recap. He's effective because, while obviously menacing, he's left to wreak havoc on you first, leaving everything before that up to your imagination. Plus, he delivers on the threat by destroying you absolutely. For all your new-found movement and fire-power, you're nothing before a whirring chain-saw. That is, until you get a shot-gun, or learn how to kite him. Then, it's pretty much over.
I could go on about the one-hit-kill head-parasites that caught me off guard. The occasional trapped wires that make you extra aware of your surroundings, and reinforce the hostility of the entire environment. The unbelievably corny dialogue, and standard Resident Evil plot, but I won't. I want you to try the game. It's worth your time, even now. Next stooop!
Resident Evil 5! Like Dead Space, this game was sort of pre-empted by RE4. Space-zombies are a cool concept, and really well animated, but, eventually, the idea-bucket runs a little dry. RE4 had so much packed into it that RE5 didn't have much left to work with without blatantly ripping the whole thing off. Then again, they sort of did that anyways. The game got a graphical up-grade, thanks to the next generation of consoles, and a more refined environment. However, it also added an AI partner that was denser than lead shielding. I don't know anyone that didn't hate Sheva because of how her AI played. If you're going to play this game, then grab a partner. It's not worth the agony otherwise. The inventory system was cut down from the intuitive briefcase system to a standard slot-system to accommodate the introduction of a partner that you could trade back and forth with, a'la RE0. Only, you couldn't take control of Sheva directly, and you couldn't trust her, either. If you gave her health items, then she squandered them. If you gave her bullets, then she'd waste them. Don't get me started on rocket launchers and grenades. She tended to walk in front of your line of fire and just generally derped around. It was like she didn't know she was in a survival horror game or something. The rest of the game played almost exactly like RE4, but the tone was absolutely destroyed.
As this picture might illustrate, there were some allegations of racism in RE5. RE4 got some flack for having a village full of Spanish-speaking peasant-zombies, but they didn't feel blatantly exploitative. As I mentioned earlier, the whole thing had this ironic sense of camp about it. RE5 did that adorable thing that Resident Evil games do and took itself seriously. The opening was an infected village that looked like it might have, believably, been from a poverty-stricken portion of Africa. I'm not sure. Mud huts belonging to grass-dress wearing, spear-wielding Africans are a little more questionable, though. Capcom aren't bad people. I would like to think that they're just a little mis-guided. Although, let's be honest; my limited exposure to the African continent basically ensures that I can't empirically prove that there isn't one village like that somewhere, albeit less fetishized and infected. Maybe that's what they were hoping for. Either way, I did feel kind of uncomfortable walking through it snapping off head-shots, so maybe it did its job properly. Again, the true monster IS MAN!!
As you can probably tell, I wasn't that big a fan of RE5. Besides this guy, who moves suspiciously like Pyramid Head, and some questionable ethnic representations, the franchise has finished its shift to Splatter Thriller. You've got a wise-cracking side-kick, free movement, enough ordinance to blow up the entire mansion from the first game, a portion where you're in a volcano punching boulders into lava, and a hilarious end-scene where you do an anime-style back-to-back double-rocket launcher finishing move on, you guessed it, Wesker, who has transformed into a mutant monster swimming around inside said volcano. You also fight a giant crab. Some scenes are disturbing, and may legitimately frighten you, but there's no fear, and hardly any tension.
I'm doing a full review of Resident Evil 6 pretty soon, so I'm not going to jump into it here. Suffice it to say, I've got some good and some bad to say about it. As usual. RE5 mis-stepped pretty hard, but it wasn't that far removed from RE4. So, you can see how fine an edge horror stands on. Dead Space 1 was like the RE4 of the series. There were still things to be surprised by and a certain amount of pacing. As you can see, it's not just the combat that can destroy a game's tone. In my earlier overview of horror combat pacing, I criticised the game for its approach to horror, going so far as to re-categorize it. I stand by that, but I wanted you to realize exactly how difficult it is to create fear in today's industry. We've seen a lot, but not everything. The margin for error is smaller than ever. High definition makes it harder, and less desirable, to obscure our antagonists. There's a definite feeling of inertia that encourages games to stay within acceptable boundaries and play the same old tricks, especially with the sheer cost of creating current-gen games. That won't do with horror, though, because there's nothing less scary than something you're expecting. Unless, of course, you don't want it. Then, it's terrifying. Maybe Dead Space made its combat too viscerally fun. Maybe it was the way it introduces its creatures and has them engage the player. Maybe it's their vulnerable nature, spindly scab-monsters that they are. Silent Hill made many of the same mistakes in its new releases. With an upgrade in graphical and processing power, there's a push to make characters more animated. As a result, they're expected to speed up and move more fluidly. Silent Hill Homecoming's combat rolling is not the answer, though. Silent Hill Downpour made similar mistakes with its big-bads by making the glowing red ball of light visible and… not at all scary. Oh, there's the hammer-guy, too, but he's just Pyramid Head with a hammer.
So, it's a challenge, but that doesn't mean our industry will go quietly into the good night. There are plenty of new approaches being tried. Maybe they'll even revive the Clock Tower IP, but they better be damn careful with it. There's A Machine For Pigs coming out, with Amnesia: The Dark Descent as its grande herald. We got where we are today in a very logical manner, and I want to give props to the Dead Space team for their progress on an incredibly difficult task: making my dried-up husk of a child's heart beat with terror once more. Then, all I have to do is implant it once more and the device will be complete.
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Writer, blogger, freelancer, author. I love horror and chicken wings. Follow along and you can see me whinge, write and play games through multiple mediums! Isn't the internet grand?
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Q: What is the difference b/w Bash and Shell script I've been writing scripts for both UNIX and Windows for almost 3 years now. I've always been confused about these two terms, for a while I thought that bash scripts were windows cmd scripts and shell scripts were UNIX scripts, but I've learned that this is not correct. So what is the difference between these two terms: BASH and Shell scripts?

A: "Shell script" is generic term for a script that's executed by a shell.
"Bash script" is a more specific term; it refers to a script that's executed by one specific shell, the Bash shell.
A shell is a command interpreter program. It can be used interactively (where the user types commands at a prompt, and the shell executes them), or as an interpreter for a script (where a series of commands are written in a file).
The Bourne shell is one of the older shells on UNIX (not the oldest, but we needn't worry about ancient history). Several other shells have been implemented as replacements for, or extensions of, the Bourne shell.
In particular, GNU Bash is perhaps the most commonly used shell these days. It implements the same features as the Bourne shell, plus a number of extensions.
A Bourne shell script typically starts with "Shebang" line:
#!/bin/sh

A Bash script typically starts with a Shebang that specifies the Bash shell:
#!/bin/bash

and may depend on features implemented by Bash but not by the Bourne shell.
(On some operating systems, /bin/sh might be the same command as /bin/bash.)
Not all Unix shells are based on the Bourne shell. In particular, csh and its derivative tcsh are largely incompatible with the Bourne-derived shells.
Bash has very little to do with Windows cmd scripts, except that both Bash and cmd.exe are both command interpreters.

A: The same way Windows, Linux and MacOSX are operating systems, or Audi, Ford or Chevrolet are cars: windows' cmd.exe, BASH, ZSH, CSH, TCSH, Korn Shell, Bourne Shell… are just different kinds of shells.
Generally speaking, the "shell" is an analogy to design the user interface that enables access to the "core" of a system. So in this case, the shell is the textual interface (also called command line interface aka CLI) used to operate the system.
Now, when you're talking about "shell scripting", it's just using the language developed for the user interface to automatize tasks on that system. There are a few graphical oriented scripting existing (like Office's macros) but most of the time it's about creating a "batch" file (.bat on Dos/Windows) or what in the unix world is being called a "shell script".
here are a few of wikipedia articles to read more about it:

*

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_(computing)

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command-line_interface

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_script

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash_(Unix_shell)

A: Shell scripts is a general name for any script that can be run by a system shell.
Now shell a program that takes commands and executes them - kind of a REPL / command interpreter. sh is a shell. So is bash, fish, zsh, etc.
cmd is sometimes called a Windows shell, but windows shell is the official name of the Windows UI. Microsoft calls it command interpreter (more name confusion).
Scripts for cmd and msdos are typically called "batch scripts".
So in *nix land it's usually: "bash" executing "shell scripts". And in the windows land: "cmd" (dos prompt) executing "batch scripts".

A: According to wikipedia :

A shell script is a computer program designed to be run by the Unix
  shell, a command line interpreter.[1] The various dialects of shell
  scripts are considered to be scripting languages.

source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_script

Bash is a command processor that typically runs in a text window,
  where the user types commands that cause actions. Bash can also read
  commands from a file, called a script.

In other word, bash is just a shell (a popular one) and a shell script is a script that can be interpreted by a shell. Here is a list of shell for your curiosity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_shell#Shell_categories

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Our success begins with customer satisfaction. There are lots of stores that sell carpet, wood flooring,vinyl flooring, tile, natural stone, and granite countertops, but we offer exceptional service at prices that are typically 10-15% less.
Marks Floor Covering takes pride in providing Denton County with quality products and service,at affordable prices.Our goal is not only to meet the needs of our customers its to make the experience as stress - free as possible.
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Our team of professionals have been providing top-quality fabrication and installation services for more than fifteen years. Our customer-oriented process ensures that you receive only the best in products and services, on-time and within your budget.
We are a leading specialty flooring and home improvement retailer offering professional installation services on a broad selection of ceramic, stone, tile, wood, laminate, & vinyl plank flooring options.
We have been exceeding expectations since 1972 with quality service, intergrity and a dedication to our customers. Over the years weve been in business weve only gotten better. Our passion is in customer satisfaction.
Flooring America offers the largest selection of carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, and vinyl flooring in Denton. Our Five Star Selection System offers a fast and easy way to find the right floor for the way you live.


We get to help students have a great experience. Sharing it with their entire class. Travel, new culture, meeting new friends, celebrating etc! I get to experience the before planning and promoting, I then get to see it follow through on destination which is amazing and continue to hear memories years later.
There can be long hours at times.
Thanks for the positive review, it is awesome to hear that you see the incredible value in our trips. Thanks for being part of something great!
AMAZING office culture. Your coworkers truly do become your friends. If you're looking for a place to call home, this is it. These people are quite literally like my family.
Tons of opportunities to own your territories and truly give students the #TRIPOFALIFETIME experience.
If you're ready to hustle, you'll do well here!
If you're not ready to hustle, you don't do very well. Straight up! Our job is challenging from time to time BUT we get to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that's pretty rad.
Thanks for the positive feed back! We love to hear people enjoying their #JobofaLifetime! We do all that we can to ensure happiness and productivity of our staff!
Ich arbeite in Vollzeit bei S-Trip!
S-Trip offers great flexibility and is a good company to discover and develop skills such as diplomacy, event planning and management, international relations, conflict mediation and community development. Great senior Staff, a lot of opportunity for development.
Wish there were more seasons to staff destination trips!
Strip is a company where you for sure will met friends for life. When they say job of a lifetime they for sure mean it. If you ge the chance to work at this company you won't regret it.
Working for S-Trip! has been my dream job. There are so many doors that have opened for me here, for example, the opportunity to travel, meet people internationally, and grow my career. It does not feel like work, it feels like a passion to delivering an amazing experience to students across North America.
Working at S-trip is a very busy and highly demanding job. This is why you need staff who are passionate. Some times it takes long hours and commitment to get the job done but it is all worth it in the end to see so many Happy Travelers!
Always take the time to communicate to your employees and get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Once you know your team well, you can take advantage of each staff and you will see you have a well balanced and efficient team.
Glassdoor bietet 54 S-Trip!-Bewertungen, anonym von S-Trip!-Mitarbeitern gepostet. Lesen Sie die Mitarbeiterbewertungen auf Glassdoor, um zu entscheiden, ob S-Trip! für Sie das richtige Unternmehmen ist.


John's most of the day passes in the investigation. It takes a lot of time to get out of the house because he is always worried that he has switched off the switch of windows, lights and wings. He always sees five- six times whether he has shut down the gas or not, but his mind still remains.
That's why he has to do all the work again. Sometimes your partner asks you to check everything again. If he does not do that, then he becomes unbearable panic.
He knows that it is stupid, but he feels that if there is a big mistake then he will be responsible for it.
Similarly, angelina has preferred some cleaning for some 6-7 years. Often he does some dhoti, wiping or cleaning up and washing his hands several times in the day until he becomes red.
Both of these people know that their fear is irrelevant, even though they do not stop themselves. In psychology this condition is known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a anxiety and hypothyroidism in which some unnecessary thoughts or habits create something in a person's mind that they can not control them even when people want it.
Your mind will constantly think of something or you will continue to do some work again and again until your mind gets rested.
If a person has OCD, he will wash his hands repeatedly throughout the day. He will be worried or nervous that somewhere his hands are not dirty or he does not have germs in them.
The desire to count the electric pillars or the trees on the road while walking or having them come out.
Count the money again and again.
Bathe frequently or else cleaning the house several times a day.
Such people are afraid of harming another person without talking, so they keep distance from things like knife and fire.
More trouble than others, if things are not exactly or in the right place. For example, if books are not kept properly in the closet.
Continue to argue with yourself that do this work or do other things. In this way, humans can not even make a small decision.
Keep asking others repeatedly that everything is fine or not.
Repeating one thing for example – Read or write one thing repeatedly.
Putting waste things in the house, like empty boxes of food, torn clothes.
Pay attention to the extent of dementia on moral or religious ideas.
If such symptoms have been in a person for more than 6 months and if they have any effect on their daily routine, then they may have an abrasive compulsive disorder.
But if the repeating behavior of a person is going to give happiness, it does not have OCD, like gambling habit, taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
The main reason being OCD is that there is a disturbance in certain levels of chemicals in Brain, such as serotonin etc.
Research has found that OCD comes from generation to generation. If someone's parents have OCD then their children are also likely to have OCD.
If a person pays too much attention in cleanliness or does every work with perfection and is a person with high moral principles then he is more likely to have OCD.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can happen to any person at any age. Symptoms (symptoms) can come and go over time. The first stage of this disease is 10 to 12 years old and another starts at 20-25 years.
Considering the statistics, one in every 50 people can have an OCD in their life. That is, it is not such a uncommon problem, and if you are unfortunately aware of yourself or anyone you know, then there is no need to be ashamed of it, just like any other disease, it needs treatment.
Those who are not afflicted with this disease should not see people with OCD at a different notice, this is just a result of chemical disbalance, and this can happen tomorrow with anyone!
Many people with moderate OCD become cured without treatment themselves. OCD patients with moderate to severe intensity need treatment, although their symptoms appear at some point in time, but they can again appear again after some time.
Stress or sadness can be seen in people suffering from acute OCD. Treatment will be helpful for them.
The importance of medicines in the treatment of this is the same as psychotherapy, which is called psychotherapy.
Many people hide the psychological problems due to shame due to shame (what people will say) or by stopping them to be the target of insanity, and they continue to tolerate difficulties, due to which the problem increases further. This attitude raises the problem instead of reducing the problem.
Some great people of the world who, despite this problem, have earned a lot of names in the world, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, musician Ludwig Van Beethoven, Michael Jackson, versatile artist Michael Angelo.
If you or anybody around you has any kind of psychological problem then a psychologist or psychiatrist must definitely have it. It can be treated easily with psychological therapies.


text:
On Your Mark Research
Jeanne Corrigan
Crystal Markowski
Stephanie Milam
"The Talk" Goes Au Naturel For Season 3 Premiere
By Samantha White
The ladies of the CBS daytime television show "The Talk" hosted Monday's show with absolutely no makeup and no professional hairstyling. Host Sara Gilbert said they wanted to do the show sans makeup to prove that they are "willing to show more of [themselves] to the public."
As mentioned in our previous Photoshop blog, Jamie Lee Curtis is an advocate for showing the world her true self and joined the hosts for the season 3 premiere. The women proved their makeup-less faces by using cleansing wipes and wore bath robes for the show's entirety. The audience members also wore robes and were encouraged to remove their makeup before the taping began.
Posted in Beauty, Role models, Television, Women
2012 Conventions: Year of the Woman
As you already know, the Presidential election is just around the corner and the campaigns are in full swing. The Republican National Convention nominated Mitt Romney last week and the Democratic National Convention nominated President Obama this week.
Despite the fact that the 2008 elections had two women in the running (Sarah Palin as the Republican VP nominee and Hilary Clinton as the Democratic candidate second to Obama), there were considerably fewer female speakers at either convention compared to this year's political pep rallies. The RNC's 25 women and the DNC's 35 women speakers included representatives, congressional candidates, senators, governors, former presidential cabinet members, and women's rights activists, among others. The two most widely known female speakers, of course, were the candidates' wives.
Ann Romney, wife to GOP candidate Mitt, and Michelle Obama, current First Lady, were both key speakers at their respective conventions. Both spoke of love for their husbands, talked about the struggles their marriages faced and the joy their children brought, and gave nothing but positive anecdotes about the men they think should be the next President. Hearing what these two women in particular have to say definitely adds an interesting element to the election.
It's an exciting time for women as so many female political leaders are becoming more and more visible. Looking ahead, there are already some names of women being tossed around as potential candidates for the 2016 presidential election.
Regardless of which party you side with or who you hope our next President is, it's obvious that both sides want your vote and are making women a priority in campaigning. If you aren't yet registered to vote, do it now so that you're ready to fill out your ballot come November!
Posted in Politics, Women
Tagged dnc, presidential election, rnc
The Wisdom of Women Bikers
By Stephanie Milam
The LA Times recently published an article about the sales of smaller lightweight motorcycles increasing as manufacturers are seeing more and more female buyers. These types of bikes are usually easier to control and are lower to the ground, making the smaller more lightweight sex comfortable both steering and stopping.
But why? Why are women purchasing motorcycles now more than in the past? I would argue it's a combination of economy and confidence.
Many of the lightweight models, such as Tha Heist, can get over 65 miles to the gallon. And with 2012 being an expensive year for gas , fuel economy doesn't get much better than that. Plus let's not forget the fact that women are more environmentally conscious.
These minimalist bikes are cheap. We're still in a recession, and if you can sell your old gas guzzler for a certain price and buy a new motorcycle for even less, you're actually making a profit.
Because women are more independent than ever. The cookie-cutter nuclear family model doesn't apply to many women, especially young professionals. Women are happy living alone, staying single, and taking their motorcycles to their downtown dinner reservations.
Also parking.
As women account for a larger share of motorcycle consumers, I imagine there is huge potential for marketers to increase product awareness and give women more of what they want and need for a safe and fun ride.
Posted in Consumer Behavior, Economy, Marketing to women
Tagged bikers, fuel economy, gas prices, Los Angeles Times, motorcycles, nuclear family, Tha Heist
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People have abandoned the Earth only a little cute robot stayed on the planet. An old rocket is broken, so he is meant to be alone forever Stop! You can help him. Collect minerals for the rocket repair and save the robot.
More that 20 technologies for the rocket and robots upgrade.
This entry was posted by OceanOfGames on February 8, 2019 at 12:37 pm, and is filed under Indie, Strategy. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.


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text:
Home Industry News Brands Best Western Breaks Ground on Texas' First GLō Hotel
Best Western Breaks Ground on Texas' First GLō Hotel
PHOENIX—Best Western Hotels & Resorts has marked the arrival of its newest GLō with a groundbreaking event in DeSoto, Texas—just 15 miles outside of downtown Dallas. GLō, Best Western's new-construction boutique hotel brand, is designed for savvy travelers expecting the best in value, design, and comfort. Projected to open in May 2018, GLō DeSoto will have 75 rooms, a 1,000-sq. ft. meeting space, communal work areas, a fitness center, and spa.
GLō aims to break down the suburban cookie-cutter hotel mold by putting a boutique product in secondary, suburban, and highway locations. The brand focuses on a modern arrival experience; streamlined, contemporary guestrooms; center-loaded bathrooms; stylish, cost-effective materials; its architecture and design; space-saving furnishings; and the strategic use of LED lighting. The brand incorporates digital keys, a digital concierge, and communal workspace positions.
"GLō is a major part of our brand refresh initiative and we believe that its tech-savvy, modern appeal coupled with convenient access to local experiences in nearby downtown Dallas, positions our newest location for success," said Ron Pohl, senior vice president and chief operations officer of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. "GLō is the epitome of Best Western's reimagined brand identity–providing a stylish, convenient space designed for the way people travel today. We look forward to welcoming travelers looking to experience the best in sophisticated design, contemporary style, and futuristic convenience, all at a reasonable price."
GLō DeSoto's groundbreaking included DeSoto Mayor Curtistene McCowan, City Manager Tarron J. Richardson, multiple members of the DeSoto City Council, Best Western's Managing Director of North American Development Bob Clasby, Brand Development Project Manager Joe Lang, the hotel's Managing Director and Co-founder of Shreem Capital Jiger Patel, and the property's lender, Dallas Regional President of Spirit Bank Eric Anderson.
"I am honored and thrilled to bring the great state of Texas its first GLō hotel," said Patel. "I have been affiliated with Best Western for quite some time and I've always been impressed with the company's support system and innovative mindset. It's been a longtime goal for my team to partner with a brand that invests in state-of-the-art technology and authenticity and we feel GLō checks all of those boxes. We're really excited to get started."
Glō
Midscale
Previous articleRock On! Luxury Hotels With Music Studios
Next articleQuick Response
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Manchise Agreements: What To Know and Consider


Learning how to grieve seems silly, but I am. As we drew closer to Zekey's entering of Heaven, I started wondering, and often, "How would I grieve?" Would I surprise myself and go off the deep end, turning into a pile of rubble? I feared becoming an angry woman, causing earthquake-like effects with those who I loved most.
I felt God reveal to me directly to my heart and through people, that grief has a mind of its own and that is okay. I am learning not to have expectations on grief, even if others do for me. I concluded that if I want to cry and I cannot get it out, I need to focus on me and get to the source of what is keeping grief at bay. Since Zekey's passing, this usually means crawling in his bed and letting myself miss holding his flailing legs and stroking his thick, beautiful hair. This is currently my favorite go to, but I know, it may not always work.
If I am feeling content just knowing where he is, that's okay and I do not need to feel guilty about being 'okay' and even happy and relieved that he is home (Heaven, the truest home), even though that means he is not here with me.
I am learning to be honest with people right away and not let words that have offended stew too long. I even need to let other momma's who have felt grief know that we will grieve differently and that's okay.
For those around me, letting them in on what my needs are to grieve has been key to grieving well, so that they can at least understand my needs as a grieving momma and even help in tangible ways.
Grace. Grace for me, for others who offend me with their words or expectations. Grace for my husband as he will grieve differently. Grace for my children as they also grieve extremely differently from each other and myself and will their whole lives. Grace for when I hurt others in my grief…Lots of grace.
People who are grieving are at a highly emotional state – they can be easily offended. Give them grace because, heck, they're giving you grace. It may seem like you are just one more person telling them you're praying, or thinking of them but, really, they are hearing every word and phrases you pair that with, at least I am.
There will be triggers that could set them off. For example: "God will never give you more than you can handle" Uh, yes, yes he does. I cannot handle this on my own. Needed Jesus all the days, all the hours, all the minutes. Can't handle loosing my son to Batten disease.
"God's will is perfect." Yes. Yes it is. And this wasn't God's will. God's will is in heaven. Zekey is wrapped up in God's will now that he's left this, Jesus- needing world.
Your expectations on how I am to grieve. The depth of my grief, the sharing or not sharing of my grief. That's up to me, not you, no matter if you have grieved before and especially not up to those who do not have significant grief under their belt.
Hope. When I've written about the hope of seeing Zekey again, I'm not thinking in the same way one would "hope to be a famous athlete" but THE HOPE that I KNOW I will see him again and for ever and ever thank you to Jesus. Sweet, precious Savior, Jesus.
Listen. Listen to the hearts of the one grieving. Do not make this a time to make a point, especially theologically. If you listen, and you feel the need to say something that happens to have a theology-driven response, only say things that you believe to be true as well as the one in grief. It's completely selfish to do anything else but that.
Don't assume the worst. I've said things about my boy and I have felt that even though I've given God the glory a million, trillion times over (because He deserves that and MORE!) if I forget to give it one time, and I'm just bragging on my sweet, sweet boy, just let me. I still know that he is a gift from God.
Give them grace because they are giving you grace. Those who grieve are, believe it or not, having to bite their tongues a lot in order to show love over revenge or setting you right. When our hearts are right, we know you mean well but sometimes, we are just too overwhelmed with emotion.
We don't want you to be silent, we just want you to think before you speak. I am learning, too.
Above all else, love. If you listen, believe the best and pour out grace, you are choosing to love them well. And we thank you.
You write so beautifully, Breena. I don't know how you do it, in the midst of all that is happening in your family and within you. But I'm grateful for your giving us a glimpse into what grief looks like – at least for you – and how we might better respond to those who grieve. I've been so blessed by all your writings, watching you glorify God through the agonizing ache of all this, watching you love your boy so fully even as he faded from this earth. I hope those closest to you there are a great comfort to you. Thanks again for sharing your heart with the rest of us.
Well, that was perfect. I find myself getting offended too… at things I know I shouldn't. But the emotion is right there & it's hard not to. Especially when people ask how I am. I usually say "ok" & I can tell by the look on their face that they are thinking "just ok?" Everyone grieves differently. And for different amounts of time. Somedays I'm ok, somedays I'm not. My life will never be the same. Yours won't either. You are right about the significant loss- people are quick to relate to those grieving but every situation is different & we all have different emotions. It's frustrating. But you are right- we need grace.
Also, I agree- I hear everything. I may not react to it but I'm paying attention. I don't know if there was a point to all of this other than letting you know YES, I agree with all of your words. Perfectly said, as usual.
I agree with you, Breena…and you too, Shannon. Thank you for sharing. Yes, Grace. Grief is certainly a journey of its own…much to navigate…continue taking it to Him as you always do. Love you sister-friend. On my heart and in my prayers.
Breena, you have wisdom beyond your years. You are right where God would have you be. To be present, to be really present is the most courageous way to honor Zekey. Thank you for letting us be a part of this journey.
Bree…i knew your husband when he was a little boy, I came to "Grace Community Church" (as it was known back then) per my new husband. We had a 16 mo. baby boy and I had just found out I was pregnant on a Thursday and had cancer that Friday, I came to know The Lord during that time. I lnow your pain.
In your grief you are teaching so many of us life lessons. Grief, as you said is different for everyone. No one knows how you feel or what all you are dealing with. I appreciate each gently spoken word of wisdom. Thank you!
beautiful, beautiful words because they come from your heart. you bless us with these words. and yes, God gives us more than we can handle. for some reason, believers think it's biblical that He won't… but it is not biblical. or comforting. thank you for letting it out and sharing with us what you are going through.
But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me.
This is beautiful and remarkably clear and kind. In whatever small cyber way I can, I grieve with you. God's love has multiplied, spread, been glorified through Zekey, and your words. You are on my heart, mama.
Thank you very much sweet and powerful Breena. I am blessed to walk a little closer with our Lord each and every time I read something you and Andy have written. Even though I don't see you guys, I am thinking of you constantly and lifting you up. May blessings fall down on you like a perfect spring rain.
It is so hard when people don't "get it". Grieving is ultra personal. There is no instruction manual. You can't make yourself feel a certain way. (I would have married the first man who adored me if that was true. lol) You just can't! You can't rush it. It's ugly. It's painful. It's beautiful. Bree, you "get it!" You are rare. I have suffered a substantial amount of heartache in my life to recognize it. (I'm not bragging…there's no contest here, just honest.) The best that others can say is "I'm praying for you" then shut up. Our society can be so self absorbed and act like they "know". No, you don't know what it is like to have all your skin peeled off. (figuratively) No, it doesn't hurt just a little bit. From one stranger to another, "Bree, I think you're awesome!" Sending you hugs, prayers and compassion.
Thank you, Breena, for the lesson in ministering to the grieving heart. I cannot tell you how many times I've said the wrong thing…nor can I tell you how many times I've heard the wrong thing and wanted to snap back. I pray that you will grieve as long as you need to, and however you need to. I wonder if maybe instead of telling people "God never gives us more than we can handle," we should say, "God never gives us more than He can handle." I don't know you, but thank you again for the invaluable lesson.


text:
- [Website](http://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/)
- Book: [PDF](https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tm18226n8v4l32/win-without-pitching-manifesto.pdf?dl=0) · [EPUB](https://www.dropbox.com/s/albvi7leuzo823v/win-without-pitching-manifesto.epub?dl=0)

## Interviewing

- [Ladder Interview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_interview)
- [interview.io](http://interviewing.io/)
- [10 interviewing rules](http://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/ten-interviewing-rules)

### JavaScript Technical Questions

- [25 Essential JavaScript Interview Questions](https://www.toptal.com/javascript/interview-questions)
- [JavaScript Interview Questions](http://www.tutorialspoint.com/javascript/javascript_interview_questions.htm)
- [21 Essential JavaScript Interview Questions](https://www.codementor.io/javascript/tutorial/21-essential-javascript-tech-interview-practice-questions-answers)
- [10 Interview Questions Every JavaScript Developer Should Know](https://medium.com/javascript-scene/10-interview-questions-every-javascript-developer-should-know-6fa6bdf5ad95#.8ia1ttpor)
- [Top 85 JavaScript Interview Questions](http://career.guru99.com/top-85-javascript-interview-questions/)
- [JavaScript Interview Questions](https://www.interviewcake.com/javascript-interview-questions)

## Online Presence

- [Building an online presence for job seekers](http://www.job-hunt.org/IT-job-search/quickly-build-online-presence.shtml)
- [Optomizing your online presence](http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/optimizing-online-presence-for-jobs/)
- [More online presence tidying](http://people2people.com.au/blog/9-ways-job-seekers-make-online-presence-employer-friendly/)
- [Basic Social Media No No's Infographic](http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/online-presence-job-search/)
- [LinkedIn profiles for IT Professionals](http://www.job-hunt.org/IT-job-search/LinkedIn-for-IT-professional.shtml)
- [How to use LinkedIn Job Search](http://www.job-hunt.org/social-networking/LinkedIn-job-search/LinkedIn-job-search.shtml)
- [7 Elements of a successful LinkedIn profile](http://www.job-hunt.org/social-networking/effective-linkedin-profile.shtml)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Christopher Santarelli
Did Mitt Romney Really Say He Likes Firing People?
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has faced increased criticisms over the last 24 hours in regards to his tenure at the firm Bain Capital, with many accusing him of being a corporate raider who destroyed jobs rather than created them.
At a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Nashua Monday morning, the former Massachusetts governor provided his critics a now-viral soundbite that falls in line with that criticism. He said, in part, "I like being able to fire people." But were Romney's words taken out of context? Some seem to think so.
Here are the remarks:
While recognizing that the "I like being able to fire people" quote will be taken out of context, Washington Post blogger and MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart notes that the unforced error and look on Romney's face when he says it "is right out of evil-boss-man central casting."
Still, fellow WaPo blogger Greg Sargent thinks the criticism is unfair:
Dems are jumping up and down this morning because, as Taegan Goddard puts it, they've "caught him on video saying he likes firing people."
Let me go on record saying it would be misleading and unfair to clip the video in question in order to quote Romney this way: "I like being able to fire people."
But what has been lost in Romney's remarks is the point he was trying to make about preserving choice in health insurance, which is clear when you read the entire "fire people" quote:
"I want individuals to have their own insurance. That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy. It also means that if you don't like what they do, you could fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. You know, if someone isn't giving the good service, I want to say, I'm going to go get someone else to provide this service to."
It's worth pointing out that this wouldn't be the first time that Romney has been involved in a context debate. Back in November he released an ad with a potentially damning Barack Obama quote. It was eventually found that Obama was quoting Republican John McCain at the time.
Romney's comments, even if out of context, are ill-timed considering a new DNC attack ad along with a the trailer recently released by Newt Gingrich's super PAC alleging that "When Mitt Romney Came to Town(with Bain)" jobs were lost.
Do you think the growing Wall Street Fat Cat and Heartless Corporate Raider-like accusations against Romney are working in slowing down the former Massachusetts governor's presidential campaign? Do you think they paint an accurate picture?


An annual rite of winter for fishermen of the Smith is the waiting game we play, anticipating the arrival of the steelhead trout. The questions are unending: Have they arrived? Arrived in sufficient numbers to warrant a float? Where are they being caught and with what sort of gear? What's my next move?
Between the fishing reports online and what information you might be able to gather from running into the guides getting their morning coffee at the Hamlet in Hiouchi or adding to their arsenal of gear at Englund Marine toward the end of the day, it can be anyone's guess. Will the cable hole be hot? Above the forks or below? Live bait or just a fish pill and some yarn.
Then there's luck — this shot of me with a steelhead caught just below Mill Creek. A perfect example of the L-word.
And there's skill — word hit the online sites today of a giant steelie landed on a float with local guide Mike Coopman. A nearly 25-pound fish. Something the devoted angler only dreams of.
I can't answer the tough questions but like they say, you don't catch them from the sofa.


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This gold faux leather pouf is even more beautiful than on the pictures. It is stitched and embroidered by hand by experienced Morrocan artisans. It is a must-have for any room of the house, from the baby's bedroom to the living room.
THIS POUF IS SHIPPED UNSTUFFED.
The panels are supported by a special inner layer that gives it more support and helps maintain its round shape once filled. Bottom zipper.
We recommend that you use old cloths or towels to make it as firm or as soft as you want.
All our poufs are handmade by Moroccan artisans.


This paper describes an operational speech-to-speech translation system from Swedish to Tok Pisin within the framework of the Spoken Language Translator project, SLT. The domain of translation is ATIS . The grammar formalism used in the SLT project is the Core Language Engine, CLE . A general presentation of Tok Pisin is provided, as well as a description of some grammatical characteristics of Tok Pisin of potential interest for the testing of grammar machines. The first step of a CLE implementation of Tok Pisin is described. A corpus of Tok Pisin ATIS data hasbeen created from data collected on location in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, and observations are made as to the relative importance of some of the grammatical phenomena discussed in the paper. A Tok Pisin synthesizer based on an already existing Swedish concatenative synthesis is described. Despite a marked Swedish accent, preliminary evaluation indicates that intelligible speech output is produced.


Jerry Nappi, spokesman for Indian Point parent Entergy, addresses why Indian Point 2 automatically shut down.
"Unit 2 shut down automatically and safely as workers were doing some testing on a system that's designed actually to shut the reactor down," Nappi says.
He says plant officials are looking into why this occurred. Nappi says the reactor should be back online within a day or two. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Spokesman Neil Sheehan further explains the automatic shutdown that occurred as plant technicians were preparing to test the reactor protection system — an electrical system that detects any anomalies in the plant.
He says it was human error.
He says the workers involved would undergo retraining. It's Unit 2's third shutdown since March, when there was a planned shutdown for a scheduled $120 million refueling outage and inspection and upgrade of plant equipment and systems. It was during this shutdown that a baffle bolt issue was uncovered. Unit 2 was returned to service June 16. Unit 2 was then shut down June 24 to complete weld repairs to a pipe and to allow workers from Con Edison to test a breaker in a switchyard located near Indian Point. Unit 2 was returned online June 27. Cliff Weathers is spokesman for Riverkeeper, which has long called for the closure of Indian Point.
This latest shutdown comes as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed the state Department of Public Service to closely monitor statewide energy usage this week due to high temperatures and humidity. As part of these monitoring efforts, Cuomo also directed the Department to investigate the cause of the shutdown of Indian Point 2, which was not heat-related. It's a call Cuomo has made following previous shutdowns.
Meanwhile, the NRC's Sheehan says this latest shutdown is an operational issue and would not play into the relicensing process for Buchanan-based Indian Point. He says the focus for relicensing is on aging management impacts on plant safety systems, structures and components. The relicensing process for both reactors began in 2007, notes Sheehan, when Entergy submitted its application.
"We said this before but, because of the numerous issues that have been raised, this is, by far, the longest license renewal review for any plant in the U.S.," Sheehan says.
Nappi says Indian Point 3 has been operating for 200 consecutive days. Both reactors supply about 25 percent of power for New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. That's 2,000 megawatts for 2 million homes.
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney stood outside the Indian Point nuclear power plant Monday morning, calling for the suspension of operations at Unit 2 and an immediate safety review at Unit 3. As WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports, this comes on the heels of a problem with baffle bolts at the Westchester County-based reactor.
Supporters and opponents of Indian Point were out in force Wednesday evening at a hotel in Tarrytown. They were there for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual public meeting about the performance of the Westchester County-based nuclear power plant.
An environmental group filed an emergency petition concerning the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County Tuesday. It wants a federal regulator to step in to keep one of the reactors shut down.
Federal regulators will have to redo an analysis of the economic impacts of a potential severe accident at New York's Indian Point nuclear power plant. That's according to a ruling issued Wednesday being hailed by New York's governor and attorney general.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Entergy, the owner/operator of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan permission to extend the frequency of the containment integrated leak rate test from once every 10 years to once every 15 years on a permanent basis.


text:
https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/In-the-spotlight-Film-fest-may-draw-5-000-to-227902.php
In the spotlight: Film fest may draw 5,000 to Danbury
News-Times, The (Danbury, CT), Eugene Driscoll Staff Writer
Published 1:00 am EDT, Friday, May 16, 2008
DANBURY -- Organizers say next week's Connecticut Film Festival could bring 5,000 people and an estimated $530,000 in direct spending to downtown Danbury.
Video: Click here to see video of film festival press conference.
Blog: For our latest Connecticut Film Festival coverage, read our new blog, Hollywood Chainsaw Blogger!
"You're talking about going out to dinner, you're talking about a couple of the movies, you're talking about gas, maybe some retail -- $106 per person is reasonable," said Jim Whitney , director of the Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Whitney's organization prepared an economic impact study for the film festival, which starts Tuesday night in Danbury.
Even if people spend only $20 each, that is still more than $100,000 for downtown businesses, Whitney said.
Whitney was one of several speakers Thursday at a press conference inside The Palace Theater on Main Street meant to build buzz for the film festival.
The festival, which started in 2005 as the Bethel Film Festival, has grown into a statewide event that takes place at various movie theaters across Connecticut.
This year the festival is culminating with a six-day event at locations throughout downtown Danbury and Western Connecticut State University on White Street.
About 130 films will be screened, ranging from short animated films to full-length features.
It all kicks off Tuesday night with "The Flyboys," an adventure story about two boys who manage to steal and fly a Mafia-owned airplane.
The film festival is a movie lover's dream, with dozens of documentaries, foreign films and other flicks that have not seen wide distribution.
In addition, organizers are hosting dozens of workshops, some of which concentrate on the business of filmmaking.
A tax break for film production companies has suddenly made Connecticut a hot spot for movie shoots.
Film festival organizer Thomas Carruthers said some of the workshops will show accountants and lawyers how to tailor their services for movie companies.
Organizers stressed Thursday they do not expect Danbury to become the Sundance of the East overnight.
"This is not a one-year-and-out event," said Mayor Mark Boughton.
The city donated $75,000 to the event.
"It will develop into a signature event. Not now, but two years down the road, three years down the road," Boughton said.
Contact Eugene Driscoll at edriscoll@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3332.
The Connecticut Film Festival
WHEN -- May 20 to 25
MORE INFO -- Visit "Hollywood Chainsaw Blogger" at blogs.newstimes.com or www.ctfilmfest.com .
VIDEO -- Watch a video from Thursday's CT Film Festival press conference at www.NewsTimes.com .
Saluting founders of Kent Film Festival
Kent Film Festival starts Thursday
Slideshow: Photos from the Connecticut Film Festival
From modest beginnings, state film festival develops