Designed by Kenneth Cole, the women's ABEO B.I.O.system® Brandy with neutral support delivers signature customized comfort of B.I.O.system combined with on-trend design. The sandal features a soft leather upper embellished with gems for a fashionable finish. Digitally fit to your foot, ABEO B.I.O.system® premium sandals incorporate state-of-the-art digital foot scanning technology, which calculates the optimum footbed construction for your individual foot.


text:
Events › Little Miss Ann Music Concert
Little Miss Ann Music Concert
Join us for an energetic, interactive kids' music concert where you'll sing, dance and jump along to the music. Little Miss Ann is a nationally touring kids' musician who has made 7 award-winning albums. She is also a former Chicago Public School teacher, a mom and an instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
For kids 2 to 8.
This event takes place in person. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations. Register by the start of the event. Chicago Public Library cannot collect personal information online from kids 0 to 13. A parent or guardian's email address must be used to register. As a reminder, school email addresses may block external emails such as those from CPL.
Due to space limitations, please include the total number of children and adults as attendees when you register. Questions about visiting the library? Check out our Using the Library FAQs.
Toddlers: 18 to 36 months
Preschoolers: 3 to 5 years
Kids: 6 to 13 years
Art, Movies and Performances

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
(function() {

    angular.module('gnucash-reports-view')
        .directive('gnucashReport', ReportDirectiveGenerator);

    ReportDirectiveGenerator.$inject = ['$mdDialog', 'ReportsManagement'];

    /**
     * Directive that is responsible displaying the report data for each report.
     */
    function ReportDirectiveGenerator($mdDialog, ReportsManagement) {
        return {
            restrict: 'E',
            scope: {
                report: '&'
            },
            templateUrl: 'core/reportDirective.html',
            link: link
        };

        //////////////////////////////////////////////////////

        function link($scope) {

            var report = $scope.report();

            // Find the template associated with the report type and load it into the directive.
            var template = ReportsManagement.getTemplate(report.type);

            if (angular.isDefined(template)) {
                $scope.template = template;
            } else {
                console.error("Couldn't find template:", report.type);
            }

            // Backwards compatibility for the legacy report generation.  This was due to refactoring of the gnucash
            // report directive.
            $scope.reportData = function() {
                return report.data;
            };

            // Set up the dialog service for displaying the information button handlers.
            $scope.displayDescription = function() {
                $mdDialog.show({
                    templateUrl: 'src/core/descriptionDialog.html',
                    clickOutsideToClose: true,
                    controller: function($scope, $mdDialog) {
                        $scope.name = report.name;
                        $scope.description = report.description;

                        $scope.cancel = function() {
                            $mdDialog.cancel();
                        };
                    }
                });
            };
        }
    }

})();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Drake Drops his New Album "Certified Lover Boy" and it's Already Topping Charts
The God's Plan Star has finally released a new album and we're loving it!
The Hotline bling star had announced his upcoming album over a year ago and it's finally here! The latest album is titled, Certified Lover Boy. It has features from many of the industry's well-known rappers.
Drake has collaborated with artists like Jay-Z , 21 savage, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Ty Dolla sign , Lil baby and many more rappers for his album. This was promised by a billboard campaign.
credit : drake | instagram
Drake as usual has outdone himself once again and released multiple billboard worthy songs on the album. Apart from the previously mentioned features , Rapper Nicki Minaj has also worked her magic. She offers a spoken Cameo on the song Papi's Home.
The first song on Certified lover boy is " Champagne Poetry." It samples the Beatles artist Michelle. John Lennon and Paul McCartney have been listed as the co – writers for the song.
The third song is titled " Love all" and it starts with a sample from Notorious B.I.Gs Life after death introduction. Another Sultry song titled Way 2 sexy incorporates and samples Right said free hit called "I'm too sexy."
Singer R. Kelly who is currently on trial in New York is also a part of the album He is credited as a composer and as a lyricist on the song TSU.
Songs and Features
Beyonce's husband and famous rapper Jay Z also shares the spotlight on the song " N 2 Deep." Artist Charlotte Day Wilson is given credit for the song " Fair Trade."
The latest album is produced by Oliver El – Khatib , Noah "40" Shebib , Party next door he also sings on Fucking fans , Metro Boomin, TM88 , OG Ron C , Nineteen85 and Vinylz.
In the days leading up to the release Drake had revealed several features and Lyrics. They could be seen on Billboards in New York, Toronto , LA and Chicago.
DC Comics Reveal New Superman, JON KENT, to be Bisexual!
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All the action from Valtteri Bottas's win, Red Bull's double podium, amazing defenses to Title lead change!
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text:
Q: WCF - How to pass service class constructor parameter when initializing Service Host(TypeOf(Service-Class)) I have WCF service class 'MusicServiceManager' with the constructor that takes the parameter of IAppAmbientState. I need to pass parameter value to MusicServiceManager constructor at time initializing Service Host. I don't want singleton implementation for IAppAmbientState.
Service Contract
[ServiceContract]
public interface IAlbumService
{
    [OperationContract]
    string TestMessage();

    [OperationContract]
    IEnumerable<AlbumData> GetAlbums();

    [OperationContract(Name = "GetAlbumByID")]
    AlbumData GetAlbum(Guid ID);

    [OperationContract(Name = "GetAlbumByName")]
    AlbumData GetAlbum(string name);
}

AppAmbientState
public class AppAmbientState : IAppAmbientState
{
    public IContainer ServiceContainer { get; }

    public AppAmbientState(
        IContainer container  // autofac DIC container
        )
    {
        ServiceContainer = container;
    }
}

MusicServiceManager
public class MusicServicesManager : IAlbumService
{
    private readonly IAppAmbientState _appAmbientState;

    public MusicServicesManager(IAppAmbientState appAmbientState)
    {
        this._appAmbientState= appAmbientState;
    }

    public AlbumData GetAlbum(Guid ID)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

Service Host Configuration Class
public class ServiceHostConfiguration : IServiceHostConfiguration
{
    private readonly ServiceHost hostMusicServiceManager;

    public ServiceHostConfiguration()
    {
        var container = ContainerConfiguration.Configure();

        AppAmbientState AppAmbientStateInstance = new AppAmbientState(container);
        // need help here... MusicServiceManager(AppAmbientStateInstance)????
        // ideally I don't want to define my base address in class

        this.hostMusicServiceManager = new ServiceHost(typeof(MusicServicesManager));
    }

    public void InitializeService()
    {
        try
        {
            this.hostMusicServiceManager.Open();
            Console.WriteLine("App Web Services Started. Press [Enter] To Exit  ");
        }
        catch(Exception exp)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("App Web Services Could Not Start::  ", exp);
        }

    }

    public void CloseService()
    {
        this.hostMusicServiceManager.Close();
    }
}

Autofac DI Container
public static class ContainerConfiguration
{
    public static IContainer Configure()
    {
        var builder = new ContainerBuilder();

        //Application Configuration
        builder.RegisterType<Application>().As<IApplication>();
        builder.RegisterType<ServiceHostConfiguration>().As<IServiceHostConfiguration>();
        builder.RegisterType<AppAmbientState>().As<IAppAmbientState>();
        builder.RegisterType<MusicServicesManager>().As<IAlbumService>();

A: Here is my Demo:
This is the project directory:

Program.cs:
using Autofac;
using Autofac.Integration.Wcf;
using System;
using System.ServiceModel;
using System.ServiceModel.Description;

namespace AutofacTest
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            ContainerBuilder builder = new ContainerBuilder();
            builder.RegisterType<Logger>().As<ILogger>();
            builder.RegisterType<Service>();

            using (IContainer container = builder.Build())
            {

                ServiceHost host = new ServiceHost(typeof(Service));
                host.AddDependencyInjectionBehavior<Service>(container);
                host.Open();
                Console.WriteLine("The host has been opened.");
                Console.ReadLine();
                host.Close();

            }
        }
    }
    [ServiceContract]
    public interface IService
    {
        [OperationContract]
        string Test();
    }

    public interface ILogger
    {
    }

    public class Service : IService
    {
        private readonly ILogger logger;

        public Service(ILogger logger)
        {
            this.logger = logger;
        }

        public string Test()
        {
            return "TEst1";
        }
    }

    public class Logger : ILogger
    {

    }
}

App.config:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
    <startup>
        <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.7.2" />
    </startup>
    <system.serviceModel>
        <services>
            <service name="AutofacTest.Service">
                <endpoint address="" binding="basicHttpBinding" contract="AutofacTest.IService" name="TestServiceEndPoint" />
                <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" name="TestServiceMexEndPoint" />
                <host>
                    <baseAddresses>
                        <add baseAddress="http://localhost/TestService" />
                    </baseAddresses>
                </host>
            </service>
        </services>
        <behaviors>
            <serviceBehaviors>
                <behavior>
                    <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="true" />
                    <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" />
                </behavior>
            </serviceBehaviors>
        </behaviors>
    </system.serviceModel>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Autofac" publicKeyToken="17863af14b0044da" culture="neutral" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-5.2.0.0" newVersion="5.2.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
</configuration>

Feel free to let me know if the problem persists.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"I just try to stay consistent and smooth. I have been doing a lot of training lately, but mostly I just ride around at home.
"My dad (Craig) used to race at the top level and he's been giving me good tips.
"I'm riding the senior national 125cc class this coming weekend, the first time I've been old enough to compete in this competition.


Realizing you have a flat tire is incredibly frustrating, but changing the flat and driving on a spare tire is only the beginning. Originally posted in 2014 and updated in 2019 to reflect changes in the auto industry and maintenance recommendation, our auto experts explain how long you can drive on a spare tire before needing to buy a new one.
Once the old tire is off your car and safely stowed in the trunk, you're left with a spare tire to get your vehicle safely to the nearest auto repair shop. If you're lucky, the mechanics can easily fix your flat tire for $10-$15. If the tire was damaged beyond repair, you'll need to buy a new one.
In older cars, every model came with a spare tire that matched the tires already on the vehicle. Over the years, car manufacturers have realized the spare tire is used so infrequently, it doesn't make much sense to equip every vehicle with a full-sized spare. For this reason, manufacturers began leaving a space-saver spare (otherwise known as a "donut") in place of a full-size spare.
The type of spare tire in your vehicle makes a difference in how long and how far you should drive before buying a new tire.
For years, cars were built with spare tire wells capable of carrying a full-size spare. On many older cars (and a few newer models), this is still the case. If you bought a truck, SUV or another larger vehicle, your car may have been equipped with a full-size spare. While a full-size spare is heavier and requires space for storage, these tires are more durable and can handle a drive similar to a normal tire.
Once you've taken your vehicle to an auto repair shop and learned your original tire cannot be repaired, you can request the spare tire be put on the original tire's rim – just make sure to check the spare tire's air pressure. This process is quick and cheap, and will allow you to drive on the spare tire for a longer period of time.
However, the spare has not been used to the same extent as the other 3 tires (and may be a different type of tire altogether). For this reason, the wheel will handle differently than the other tires and can create an unsafe drive. We suggest buying a new tire as soon as you can afford to.
These narrow, compact spares were designed to save space and weight in the vehicle. This allows the manufacturers to build a smaller car, but the tire itself is not built to last. Your owner's manual will give the recommendations for driving time and speed. A general rule of thumb is to drive no more than 70 miles and no faster than 50 miles per hour before replacing your donut with a new tire.
The biggest reason to use these space savers for a short period of time is because they have little to no tread. This makes the spare vulnerable to road hazards and projectiles. It is also much smaller than the other 3 tires, making it spin faster to keep up with the moving car.
Over those 70 miles, the lubricating grease will break down, causing unnecessary wear on the gears and clutch plates.
Run-flat tires are becoming more common as manufacturers are realizing they cost less to maintain than traditional tires. If you drive a recent model BMW or a MINI, your car likely came with run-flat tires. These tires are tougher than most tires, but are not designed to last forever.
Rather than including a spare tire, these run-flat tires are built to withstand most road hazards, including punctures. Rather than going flat or blowing out (as traditional tires do), a run-flat tire can continue to drive after a puncture for about 50 miles before needing to be replaced. However, these tires cost more to replace than a traditional tire.
If driving on a full-sized spare, a rim replacement will allow for more time before you absolutely need a new tire. However, a space-saver tire should be driven on for no more than 70 miles.
Even the most well-built set of tires will have a finite lifespan, so it's important to key into the signs of when you might need new tires, and to adequately take care of a flat tire if it does occur.
Born out of the idea of not just being an auto repair shop, but also a neighbor, our mission is simple: to take root in the local communities we serve, and to create an uncommonly great experience for customers in need of auto service and repair. To get your tires looked at, or to replace a spare tire, please do not hesitate to call or visit a shop near you. We have 195 plus locations nation-wide that are locally owned and operated, providing a full range of auto maintenance and repair solutions.


"POP" ON IN FOR GROUP FITNESS SATURDAY!
Join us on Saturday, January 19th, as we celebrate National Popcorn Day with Group Fitness Classes. From 8am-11am we will have all of our regular scheduled classes, except the 9am cycle with Bethany will be a special 75-minute class. We will have a variety of popcorn and snacks out all morning long. Pop on by after class and enjoy!


text:
Кушићи су насеље у Србији у општини Ивањица у Моравичком округу. Налазе се у подножју планине Јавор, на надморској висино од 1.000. метара, на 25 километара од Ивањице. Окружени су листопадним шумама и ливадама, на којима влада планинска клима, са кратким и свежим летима и дугим и хладним зимама. У Кушићима се сваке године традиционално одржава Јаворски сабор двојничара и свирача на старим народним музичким инструментима.

Овде се налази основна школа са веома дугом традицијом. Прва школска зграда изграђена је 1927. године и од самог почетка имала је велики број ђака. Државна основна школа у Кушићима је октобра 1932. године отворила и треће одељење. Од 1962. године, школа носи име мајора Илића, који је 1876. године у Првом српско-турском рату, погинуо на Јавору, 15 километара југозападно од села.

У селу се налази Хотел "Јавор", са две звездице, у приватном власништву, реновиран 2011. У непосредној близини налази се скијашка стаза са лифтом, у дужини од 400 метара, на располагању посетиоцима, али и спортистима, који овде долазе на припреме.

Село је познато по гајењу кромпира. Овде се налазе Крајпуташи у Кушићима.

Прошлост
Кнез у Кушићима је био 1785. године Радивој Јовановић. Он се у друштву са другим кнезовима и оберкнезовима потписао на писму које је послато руском кнезу Потемкину. Тражили су народни прваци Старог Влаха да им руска царска војска помогне да Турке отерају.

Кушићи су се нашли у средишту ратних збивања, током окршаја између Срба и Турака на планини Јавору лета 1876. године. Било је то током Првог српско-турског рата. Водиле су се ноћне борбе спрам Кушића. Српске трупе током повлачења са Јавора, дошле су у место. Војска су скупила у Кишићима ради консолидације и направила логор. Усред места око суднице, подигли су шаторе и упалили велике ватре, као поруку Турцима. Становништво, нејач са стоком се током ноћи повукло у позадину, даље од Кушића. Ту је положај држао капетан П. Борисављевић, командант Ужичке бригаде. Утврђен положај у Кушићима, као припрема за дефанзиву.

Научник Јосиф Панчић српски ботаничар је 1891. године био у Кушићима, током истраживања по Јавору. Водили су га поједини мештани по тој планини.

По новој административној подели Краљевине Србије, 1901. године општину Јаворску су чинила села Деретин, Кушићи, Маскова, Опаљеник и Сивчина. Под селом Кушићи били су засеоци: Барице, Јавор, Овчја Стијена и Тисовина.

Демографија
Према попису из 2002. било је 555 становника (према попису из 1991. било је 617 становника). У насељу Кушићи живи 420 пунолетних становника, а просечна старост становништва износи 37,7 година (35,7 код мушкараца и 39,9 код жена). У насељу има 167 домаћинстава, а просечан број чланова по домаћинству је 3,32.

Ово насеље је великим делом насељено Србима (према попису из 2002. године).

Референце

Спољашње везе

 Мапе, аеродроми и временска ситуација локација (-{Fallingrain}-)
 Сателитска мапа (-{Wikimapia}-)
 Гугл сателитска мапа (-{Maplandia}-)
 План насеља на мапи (-{Mapquest}-)

Насељена места у Ивањици
Насељена места у Моравичком управном округу
Википројект географија/Насеља у Србији

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Watch	Mami Sasazaki: Guitar Princess
Mami Sasazaki: Guitar Princess
Nathalie Estoque June 20, 2018
Pop Princess at Heart: Mami Sasazaki
Photo source: Robin Cai on Pinterest
Like her other band mates, Sasazaki Mami was also born in Aichi, Prefecture Japan. Also attended the prestigious Caless school. She has the best guitar skills among the girls, and serves as the lead guitarist in Scandal. Whenever they perform onstage, she amazes fans that come to see them with her dexterity and skill with the electric guitar. Sometimes, she may seem serious and kind of dark on stage because of her serious expression. But behind the curtains, she becomes a direct opposite, displaying a very cheerful and upbeat personality. In the vocals department, she has a very 'soft-punkish' voice, which is hard to miss. Whenever she performs a solo, you will definitely recognize the amazing voice.
Mami has mastered her guitar skills, making her one of the best female Japanese lead guitarist!. The way Mami plays her guitar, alongside her cool expressions make such a bizarre but interesting taste to enjoy. Other than that, she's totally gorgeous as well. Definitely a complete package. Also, like the other members of the band, she developed so much in such a short duration of time. She's very supportive of her band mates, and does everything in her power to do so. Aside from being band mates, she regards them more as her non biological sisters.
While she's often the person that gets the least love in SCANDAL during their concerts, she is totally fine with it. According to her, they play as one team and not individually, and the success of one is the success of all of them. If there is one person full of humility, it's definitely our little miss guitar prodigy, Mami Sasazaki.
Rise To The Top
Photo source: Mami Sasazaki Facebook Fan Page
Japan is now popular for creating talented music artists. More recently, the Land of the Rising Sun countered with all-girl Japanese J-pop band Scandal. Together the girls have churned out droves of singles and anime theme songs that are all in Japanese. Members Tomomi Ogawa (bass and vocals), Haruna Ono (lead vocals and guitar), Rina Suzuki (drums and vocals) and Mami Sasazaki (vocals and guitar) are all self-taught musicians who are now music sensations worldwide.
The journey to the top isn't always that easy. To make a mark as a band demands exceptional ingenuity. After collaborating with one another; The girls soon struck upon the idea of performing in parks near venues and covering songs of the headlining bands. Gathering a crowd is the most difficult thing. In the beginning, there was a scarcity of audience. So they started making fliers. They played the songs that are in demand and popular at that time. Sure enough, they were noticed easily and loved by the public.
Their patience in strategizing led to a deal with Epic Records Japan. "Several of the labels there were interested, but as a band we decided that Epic was the best choice," Ono explains. "We were on the rise as indie artists at the time and a few teachers from our dance school invited some of the label people. We already had [Kitty Records] management then and they also brought in people". This was their biggest break as a band.
Music Connection caught up with Scandal at its House of Blues show in May on the Sunset Strip while on tour in support of Hello World, the band's latest offering. Now, they are not only popular in Asia, but also across continents. Audience loves every bit of emotion they incorporate with singing.
Trivia on Mami Sasazaki
1. A big anime fan particularly BLEACH and One Piece
Aside from singing the official sound track of these anime, Mami already like them. She is fond of them. When a new episode is released, she makes sure she is updated.
2. Draws the best among the group
Her love for anime inspired her to love drawing. She loves and collects manga as well. Our princess surely is multi talented.
3. Has a habit of calling herself "Oira"
The mystery of this nickname is not answered by Mami yet. We think though that's it has been derived from a charming character or anime. She has been saying that since elementary.
4. Loves to play her Nintendo DS
There are a lot of more advanced technological consoles avaiable but Mami still plays her Nintendo DS. According to her, it's lightweight, small, portable and she can bring anywhere. That is why she still prefers this among a variety to choose from.
5. She played drums for band Anpontanzu (あんぽんたんズ)
This was before she played for Scandal. It was really her dream of having her own bandmates. Surely, it was rock at first sight when she met her band mates at the same school. The rest is history.
Best E-Guitars for Rookies
1. Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s
Photo source: thehub.musiciansfriend.com
Featuring classic Fender design, smooth playability, and simple controls, the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s is a great first electric guitar. The fixed bridge and quality tuning machines ensure simple and reliable tuning stability. A potential frustration for new players trying to learn on poor quality guitars. Single volume and tone controls along with two bright-sounding single-coil pickups give the beginning player a wide range of tones that are easy to control. The Telecaster has been a mainstay in music for decades and is especially associated with great country, pop, surf and rock sounds.
2. Epiphone Les Paul SL
The Les Paul SL from Epiphone is a great choice for a beginner guitarist looking for classic LP vibes. With two single-coil ceramic pickups and a lightweight body, this model should be able to cover a variety of musical styles and genres while coming in at a very attractive price point. The Les Paul SL is available in 6 distinct styles including Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Pacific Blue, Natural Yellow Sun, Turquoise, Vintage Sunburst and Ebony.
3. Gretsch Guitars G5425 Electromatic Jet Club
Constructed with an arched maple top, chambered basswood bodies and bolt-on maple neck the Electromatic Jet Club (G5425) offers plenty of classic vibes at a great price. With an arched maple top and chambered basswood body, it's got tone for days. Appointments include an anchored Adjustomatic bridge, stop tailpiece, and dual-coil pickups.
SCANDAL Live In Manila
Don't miss SCANDAL live in Manila! Witness Mami Sasazaki bring it on. You might even score some awesome guitar moves and grooves. All inspired by our dear Mami. Hurry up! Grab your tickets now. This is surely one event not to miss.
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text:
Q: How to format a DynamoDB scan in Python Boto3 to be human readable to html? I have a python boto3 app that is running in flask. The main goal is to format the list retrieval to be human readable. As in: I want to have the list return as:
Employee Name        Employee ID
 Finn                  1001
 Jake                  1002
 Bubblegum             1003
 Marceline             1004
 BMO                   1005

and so on.
Currently, when I get the response for the full table retrieval, it looks like this:
[{'EmployeeID': Decimal('1007'), 'Employee Name': 'Lumpy Space Princess'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1021'), 'Employee Name': 'Glob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1029'), 'Employee Name': 'Snail'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1038'), 'Employee Name': 'Banana Guard #216'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1010'), 'Employee Name': 'Martin Mertens'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1015'), 'Employee Name': 'Patience St. Pim'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1035'), 'Employee Name': 'Cinnamon Bun'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1002'), 'Employee Name': 'Jake'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1018'), 'Employee Name': 'GOLB'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1008'), 'Employee Name': 'Flame Princess'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1032'), 'Employee Name': 'Jermaine'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1014'), 'Employee Name': 'Earl of Lemongrab'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1022'), 'Employee Name': 'Grod'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1009'), 'Employee Name': 'Lady Rainicorn'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1034'), 'Employee Name': 'Margaret'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1023'), 'Employee Name': 'King of Mars'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1001'), 'Employee Name': 'Finn'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1025'), 'Employee Name': 'Tiny Manticore'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1005'), 'Employee Name': 'Marceline The Vampire Queen'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1005'), 'Employee Name': 'Marceline the Vampire Queen'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1017'), 'Employee Name': 'Uncle Gumbald'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1036'), 'Employee Name': 'Starchy'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1026'), 'Employee Name': 'Magic Man'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1037'), 'Employee Name': 'Banana Guard #1'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1011'), 'Employee Name': 'Betty Grof'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1012'), 'Employee Name': 'King of Ooo'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1030'), 'Employee Name': 'Huntress Wizard'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1006'), 'Employee Name': 'BMO'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1031'), 'Employee Name': 'Forest Spirit'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1016'), 'Employee Name': 'Fern'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1033'), 'Employee Name': 'Joshua '}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1003'), 'Employee Name': 'Bonnibel Bubblegum'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1024'), 'Employee Name': 'Death'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1020'), 'Employee Name': 'Gob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1027'), 'Employee Name': 'Prismo'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1019'), 'Employee Name': 'Grob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1028'), 'Employee Name': 'Gunter'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1013'), 'Employee Name': 'Hunson Abadeer'}]

It is only one element. It is both un-ordered, and has all the meta data. All my googling, and I can't find out how to extract the actual data fields to be formatted into a list for HTML human-readable compatibility.
My retrieval looks like this:
resource = boto3.resource('dynamodb',
aws_access_key_id="AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA",
aws_secret_access_key="BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB",
region_name='us-east-1')
    table = resource.Table('external-data')

    response = table.scan()
    data = response['Items']

while 'LastEvaluatedKey' in response:
response = table.scan(ExclusiveStartKey=response['LastEvaluatedKey'])
        data.append(response['Items'])

    ansExit = ''
    return str(data)

I have tried creating a list and appending each response as an element, but this response is only one element. I think I need to break this up in an array such that I can print it to HTML as arr[i,j] where arr[1,1] = "1001", arr[1,2] = "Finn", arr[2,1] = "1002", arr[2,2] = "Jake", and so on. Is this the right direction to go? I'm not even sure is this possible, or if this just simply isn't how DynamoDB data is meant to be read.
I just want the name and employee number to be isolated so I can print them without the metadata.
Thank you.

A: You could use the pandas package:
import pandas as pd
from decimal import Decimal

data = [{'EmployeeID': Decimal('1007'), 'Employee Name': 'Lumpy Space Princess'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1021'), 'Employee Name': 'Glob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1029'), 'Employee Name': 'Snail'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1038'), 'Employee Name': 'Banana Guard #216'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1010'), 'Employee Name': 'Martin Mertens'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1015'), 'Employee Name': 'Patience St. Pim'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1035'), 'Employee Name': 'Cinnamon Bun'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1002'), 'Employee Name': 'Jake'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1018'), 'Employee Name': 'GOLB'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1008'), 'Employee Name': 'Flame Princess'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1032'), 'Employee Name': 'Jermaine'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1014'), 'Employee Name': 'Earl of Lemongrab'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1022'), 'Employee Name': 'Grod'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1009'), 'Employee Name': 'Lady Rainicorn'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1034'), 'Employee Name': 'Margaret'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1023'), 'Employee Name': 'King of Mars'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1001'), 'Employee Name': 'Finn'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1025'), 'Employee Name': 'Tiny Manticore'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1005'), 'Employee Name': 'Marceline The Vampire Queen'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1005'), 'Employee Name': 'Marceline the Vampire Queen'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1017'), 'Employee Name': 'Uncle Gumbald'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1036'), 'Employee Name': 'Starchy'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1026'), 'Employee Name': 'Magic Man'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1037'), 'Employee Name': 'Banana Guard #1'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1011'), 'Employee Name': 'Betty Grof'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1012'), 'Employee Name': 'King of Ooo'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1030'), 'Employee Name': 'Huntress Wizard'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1006'), 'Employee Name': 'BMO'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1031'), 'Employee Name': 'Forest Spirit'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1016'), 'Employee Name': 'Fern'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1033'), 'Employee Name': 'Joshua '}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1003'), 'Employee Name': 'Bonnibel Bubblegum'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1024'), 'Employee Name': 'Death'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1020'), 'Employee Name': 'Gob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1027'), 'Employee Name': 'Prismo'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1019'), 'Employee Name': 'Grob'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1028'), 'Employee Name': 'Gunter'}, {'EmployeeID': Decimal('1013'), 'Employee Name': 'Hunson Abadeer'}]

df = pd.DataFrame(data)
df.head(5)

Your output would look like:
    EmployeeID  Employee Name
0   1007        Lumpy Space Princess
1   1021        Glob
2   1029        Snail
3   1038        Banana Guard #216
4   1010        Martin Mertens

You could even create HTML if you need that:
df.head().to_html()

Output:
'
\n
\n
\n      	\n      EmployeeID	\n      Employee Name	\n
\n
\n
\n
\n      0	\n      1007	\n      Lumpy Space Princess	\n
\n
\n      1	\n      1021	\n      Glob	\n
\n
\n      2	\n      1029	\n      Snail	\n
\n
\n      3	\n      1038	\n      Banana Guard #216	\n
\n
\n      4	\n      1010	\n      Martin Mertens	\n
\n
\n
'


Ambulance nurses must know how to work within the confines of a vehicle.
3 How Much Does a Paramedic Make?
Ambulance services employed over 155,000 people, as of May 2011, with average wages of $16.44 per hour or $34,190 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Positions included the managers, secretaries and accountants you would find in any industry, plus those specific to ambulances themselves such as emergency medical technicians and nurses. Salaries for the latter varied according to nursing designation.
Ambulance nurses provide critical care to patients until they reach a hospital. They are often assisted by paramedics. The work can be physically strenuous and can involve kneeling, bending, crouching and lifting while caring for patients. It can also be highly stressful because it involves life-or-death situations. Ambulance nurses may work more than the standard 40-hour week, including overnight and weekends, because emergencies can happen at any time. They may also work for other employers at the same time, such as in hospital emergency rooms.
Registered nurses in ambulance services provide medical services, and record symptoms and treatments. They observe patients, operate medical equipment, perform diagnostic tests, and consult with paramedics and doctors. Their education can come from a bachelor's of science in nursing, an associate degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. All states mandate that RNs be licensed, and licensure requires graduation from an approved program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination. Registered nurses in ambulance services earned a mean $33.36 per hour or $69,400 as of May 2011 according to the BLS.
In ambulance services, licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses provide basic medical care, typically under the supervision of doctors, registered nurses and paramedics. They monitor patient health such as checking blood pressure, ensure that patients are comfortable, report medical status to paramedics and doctors, and perform basic medical tasks such as changing bandages. They must complete an approved program, which normally takes a year. They must also have a license, which requires passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in ambulance services averaged $19.39 per hour or $40,320 per year in 2011.
The BLS predicts that jobs for all RNs will increase at 26 percent and that positions for all LPNs/LVNs will grow at 22 percent. These include positions in ambulance services. Compare this to the 26 percent growth for health treating practioners and health technologists, and the 14 percent expected for all occupations in all industries. An aging population that requires more medical attention, and emergency transport will drive much of the demand. Technological advancements are also allowing treatments for a wider array of conditions, both during and after emergencies.
Locsin, Aurelio. "Salary of an Ambulance Nurse." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/salary-ambulance-nurse-3501.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.
What Is the Average Compensation for a Health Care CEO?


text:
var
	_            = require('lodash'),
	assert       = require('assert'),
	events       = require('events'),
	http         = require('http'),
	P            = require('bluebird'),
	util         = require('util'),
	Feature      = require('./lib/feature'),
	FileAdapter  = require('./lib/file'),
	RedisAdapter = require('./lib/redis')
	;

var Reflip = module.exports = function(opts)
{
	events.EventEmitter.call(this);

	assert(opts, 'You must pass options to the Reflip constructor');
	assert(opts.storage || opts.features, 'You must pass either storage options or a pre-set feature object');

	if (opts.features) this.features = opts.features;
	if (_.has(opts, 'default')) this.default = opts.default;
	if (opts.httpcode) this.httpcode = opts.httpcode;
	this.exportName = opts.exportName || 'check';

	this.features = {};

	if (opts.storage)
	{
		var self = this;
		this.storage = opts.storage;
		this.storage.on('update', function(f) { self.update(f); });
		this.refresh();
	}
};
util.inherits(Reflip, events.EventEmitter);

Reflip.FileAdapter  = FileAdapter;
Reflip.RedisAdapter = RedisAdapter;
Reflip.Feature      = Feature;

Reflip.prototype.storage  = null;
Reflip.prototype.features = null;
Reflip.prototype.default  = false;
Reflip.prototype.httpcode = 404;

Reflip.prototype.flip = function()
{
	var self = this;

	function middleware(request, response, next)
	{
		var features = _.transform(self.features, function(features, v, k)
		{
			features[k] = v.check(request);
		}, {});

		request[self.exportName] = function(name)
		{
			if (name == null)
				return features;

			if (!_.has(features, name))
				return self.default;

			return features[name];
		};
		next();
	}

	return middleware;
};

Reflip.prototype.gate = function gate(name, failureHandler)
{
	var self = this;
	assert(name && name.length, 'You must provide a feature name');

	var isCustomResponse = typeof failureHandler == 'function';
	function gateFunc(request, response, next)
	{
		if (request[self.exportName](name))
			return next();

		if (!isCustomResponse)
			return response.send(self.httpcode, http.STATUS_CODES[self.httpcode]);

		failureHandler(request, response);
	}

	return gateFunc;
};

Reflip.prototype.register = function register(name, func)
{
	var feat;
	if (name instanceof Feature)
		feat = name;
	else
	{
		feat = new Feature(
		{
			name: name,
			type: 'custom',
			enabled: true,
			checker: func
		});
	}

	this.features[feat.name] = feat;
};

Reflip.prototype.refresh = function refresh()
{
	if (!this.storage)
		return P.cast(true);

	var self = this;
	this.emit('refreshing');
	self.storage.refresh();
};

Reflip.prototype.update = function update(features)
{
	var self = this;

	_.each(features, function(def)
	{
		var feature = new Feature(def);
		self.features[feature.name] = feature;
	});
	self.emit('ready');
};

Reflip.prototype.shutdown = function shutdown()
{
	if (this.storage)
		this.storage.close();
};


In all my years at Water Basketball I don't think I've ever seen a round where there were (only) 2 points difference in every game. Full moon?
The ladder and top scoring rankings have also been updated under Statistics.
The Umpiring roster will be published later this weekend. Thanks to the umpires and captains who attended last night's Umpiring meeting. As a result a few changes will be made to the regulations, which will be drafted, reviewed and published in the next few weeks. You'll be notified when they have been published and from which round they will take effect.
With the conclusion of Round 3, the relaxed rules around fill-ins return to normal again (see section 3 and 6 of the Regulations). So, to remind you; note that all fill-in names should be written into the specific section on the sheet and not directly below the registered players. A fill-in is someone who is not printed on the score sheet. Note to Captains; fill-ins written in the team section of the sheet are not considered as newly registered players until an updated Team Registration Sheet has been submitted.
During Round 4 and subsequent rounds each team must have a minimum of 4 of its own registered players (or forfeit the game – don't forget you could still play a scratch match with whomever is there).
Scores from registered (with another team) players do not count at all Round 4 onward, so also not towards the total team score (and obviously not be eligible for B & F points for that game).
A non-registered fill-in can score and that score does count towards the team total score, but they will still not be attributed to the players top scoring rankings & not be eligible for B & F points until officially registered with a team (captain updates team sheet and submits with Kyle and Dave).
Duty teams please note that if a registered player scores as a fill-in during round 4 or a later round, and an umpire has not picked this up and signals the score, these scores should not be counted on the score sheet. If you are not sure whether a player is registered with a team or not, then ask the relevant captain and/or umpires ASAP (preferably before game start).
If confusing, please ask a board member or umpire before your game.
NO opposing player may be closer than 1 metre of the player taking the Free Throw.
The umpires may allow opposing players to be slightly within the 1-metre radius where practical, as long as the main aim of not interfering with the free throw is achieved.
Section 15.3 basically deals with holding onto or leaning on the edges of the pool or baskets, which is not allowed, unless in the event of injury (including cramp) or illness.
15.3 To gain positional advantage by holding on to, resting or pushing off from the goal or their fixtures or by holding on to, resting or pushing off from the sides or ends of the pool during actual play except with the permission of the umpire.
15.3.1 The umpire may give permission for a player to hold onto the goal or sides of the pool in the event of injury or illness.
If you are injured or ill and can't participate in play, it is recommended that you exit the pool in the quickest and easiest way. Note, that if you then return to play, you must do so in a considered manner without risk to others.
Officially, returning to the pool should only be done via the substitution area, but umpires do make an exception when someone has briefly left the pool to stretch out some cramp etc, and then returns to the water before play has returned to that area. It is risky, and therefore not acceptable, to re-enter the pool where there are other players and the game is in full progress.
Ducks (44) Def by Ducks (25) ( The Nuts Forfeit) The Nuts Crack under Pressure!
Thank you everyone for getting in your Payments for the Season!
Kyle Spooner has put his old Navy and Boy Scout rope skills to work by repairing the 50M rope line. Great Job!


This topic contains 3 replies, has 1 voice, and was last updated by UK Sentinel 4 days, 21 hours ago.
After a few weeks of going nuts, and tweaking the GeoFilter + QoS, I could not work out why I was not doing well on BO3 (Xbox 1) .
Then having a look at the Netgear Community, I noticed a thread between a user and NutDuma and they have confirmed back in September, that indeed a bug exist with Firmware release 2.3.2.32 that is causing slow speeds and Xbox would be taken offline if GeoFilter was enabled and poor matchmaking etc.
Good news they (NetDuma and Netgear) are working on issue, bad news, still an issue a month later with no new firmware ?
Added the Hybrid VPN feature, which replaces the VPN client feature.
Added the VPN provider PureVPN to the Hybrid VPN feature.
Added the ping assist feature to the Geo Filter.
Added advanced ping stats to the auto ping dashboard.
Fixes the issue where the speed test feature in the Nighthawk app does not work.
Fixes the issue where the speed test feature in the installation process might fail.
For more information about security vulnerabilities, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/security.
As an update "and maybe just my experience" when I set the Geo-Filter to say cover the UK, then this works well and pings are around 20 – 30 ms, as is when I run the Xbox 1 network speed test, but it seems after a couple of days, the pings increase to around 152ms and gaming is laggy, if I then remove my Xbox from the Geo – filter list, the ping reduces down and gaming (BO3) is great again, if Xbox is re added to Geo-filter, again gaming is good for a couple of days, then goes laggy.
Flashed Geo-Filter Cloud and still no joy, When I set geo_filter radious to cover UK and Ireland, then If before I add my Xbox to geo-Filter, I run an Xbox 1 Network test, I get a ping of around 19 ms If I then add the Xbox 1 to the Geo_Filter list, ping increases to 152 ms and I do notice the difference between Geo-filter being On or Off when gaming . On is worse.
Either BT Openreach have changed nation IP address or internal UK routing patterns or Geo-Filter still does not work well ???
Currently on Firmware 2.3.2.40 ;-( role on the next firmware release.


text:
Home > What We Do > Charter Schools
Charter schools are one strategy to increase access to high-quality public education in Mississippi. Mississippi First was instrumental in getting the Mississippi Charter School Act of 2013 passed.
In 2013, the Mississippi State Legislature adopted a new charter school law.
In 2019, there are 6 charter schools operating in Mississippi. An additional school has been approved to open in the 2020-2021 school year in Greenwood, MS.
There are 7 seats on the Mississippi Charter Schools Authorizing Board. They are responsible for approving charter schools.
There are 1,750-plus students receiving their public education from a Mississippi charter school.
Charter schools are public schools. Charter schools get their name from the contract–or charter–that the school signs with the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, the state agency that is allowed to create charter schools. The charter describes the rights and responsibilities of the school and binds the school to goals for its academic, financial, and organizational performance. Charter schools must meet these goals to continue to operate and must have their charters renewed at least every five years. In exchange for that accountability, the schools receive flexibility to innovate in areas like curriculum or schedules.
Learn More About Charter Schools in Mississippi
Today, there are six charter schools in Mississippi: five are located in Jackson, Mississippi, and one is located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. A seventh school was recently approved to open in Greenwood, Mississippi, in 2020-2021.
Mississippi First continues to support the charter school community through making recommendations that will strengthen the authorizing process and continue to make sure we have high accountability for public charter schools operating in Mississippi.
Charter Schools Blog Posts
Public Charter School Survey Findings Released
October 11, 2019 by MacKenzie Stroh
Jackson, MS—On October 7, 2019, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board and Mississippi First released a new report titled Public Perception of Charter Schools in Mississippi. Through the Charter School Program (CSP) federal grant, Mississippi First was contracted by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board...
Mississippi First Statement on the Charter School Lawsuit Victory
September 6, 2019 by MacKenzie Stroh
Yesterday, the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of charter schools receiving state and local dollars. Mississippi First is thrilled for the 1,750-plus children receiving their public education from one of the six public charter schools in Mississippi. The ruling unequivocally affirms what we have said all along: public...
MCSAB Authorizes New Charter Schools
This year, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board (MCSAB) has approved the application of three more charter schools, bringing the total count to eight public charter schools in Mississippi. Charter schools are free public schools. They get their name from the contract—or charter—that the school...
Accountability and Charter Schools
This week, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) made the 2017-2018 accountability scores public, after delaying the public release on September 20. Each year, Mississippi schools and districts are rated using an A-F scale, just like children receive a grade A, B, C, D, or...


The relaxed hiking culture of L.A. inspired Pharrell William's Hu Hiking collection, which blends retro outdoor style with modern touches. Made of lightweight plain weave, this men's jacket mixes two clashing camouflage prints. Signature Pharrell graphics stand out across the back.


The 3 series machines are being discontinued. We have two 350PE machine on sale.
These are great for beginning quilters, experienced quilters or for those interested in garment or craft sewing. They machines have auto bobbin winding, needle up/down function and multiple decorative stitches. Sew through thicknesses with ease. Comes with sewing table.
We repair all sewing machine brands.
Do you touch almost every piece of fabric you see?


text:
Wows!
Beaches Tourist Sites Things To Do Local Tours Shopping Nightlife
Budget Hotels Luxury Hotels Beach Resorts Boutique Hotels Families & Kids Vacation Rentals All Inclusive
Top Restaurants Eating Cheap Best by Cuisine Families & Kids Outdoor Dining Beach Bars Local Food
Hamilton City St. George Kings Wharf Bermuda Parishes The Bahamas
Bermuda Maps Bermuda Weather Tourism Guide Cruise Travel Air Travel Geting Around Island Events Wine & Dine
Island Info Bermuda Triangle Families & Kids Getting a Job Island Wedding
Send Message Write Review Check Forum About Author
Covid-19 status in Bermuda
Bermuda Perfume and Cosmetics
Designer perfumes and cosmetics are available at several Bermuda's department stores. In many of these stores you will find brands that are available in New York City and London as well. There are a no. of such department stores on Front Street and at the Clocktower Mall at the Dockyard selling perfume and cosmetics. Bermuda's locally made favorite fragrances such as Lilies, Oleanders, Jasmine, Sweet Peas and Passionflowers can be perfect gifts for friends and family back home.
Lili Bermuda Perfumery
Bermuda has its own perfume makers. Located in St. Georges, the Bermuda Perfumery has been creating fine ladies' and men's perfumes under the brand Lili Bermuda. If you come to Bermuda Perfumery, you will have the unique experience to discover how they create the fragrances.
Bermuda Perfumery was established by William Blackburn Smith and his daughter Madeline Scott in 1928. They brought in well known French perfume makers to start the venture. The first perfume production was done in a small wooden building in Bailey's Bay. Subsequently the family also acquired 6 acres of land area around the property which now has become an excellent tropical garden.
With growing tourism industry, Bermuda Perfumery and Garden has become a popular tourist attraction in the island. The garden has been developed to culture plants and flowers for the perfumery. There are nice walkways and it's a pleasing experience to go around the garden.
Presently the main fragrances include Bermuda Easter Lily, Passion Flower, Frangipani, Oleander and Jasmine. In 2009, the perfumery introduced the brand Petals for women, Somers for men and South Water in its unisex Water Collection. Other popular men's fragrances include 32° North and 64° West.
Bermuda Perfumery
Update 2011: Bermuda Perfumery introduces a new modern and elegant fragrance for women known as "Algeria" under its brand the Lili Bermuda. It's a white perfume with a combination scent of frangipani, Bermuda Cedar, tuberose and magnolia. This perfume has been created to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the island.
Update June 2013: A tea Room Sweet P has come up in the same grounds (Stewart Hall) where Bermuda Perfumery is located. It serves high tea which includes freshly baked finger sandwiches, pastries, scones, mini cakes etc. So after some shopping at the Perfumery, you can now have tea and snacks in wonderful lush settings of the garden.
Update June 2019: Lily Bermuda Perfumery has launched a summer fragrance for men known as 'Nautilus' which has been inspired by men's bond with nature and blends the colors, sounds and energy of summer storms in the perfume.
Stewart Hall, 5 Queen Street, St. George's. The shop is open Monday through Saturday 9am to 5pm Phone: 441/ 293-0627. Check out Map of St. George's Town to view the location.
You can reach St. George by bus #1, 3, 10 or 11 from Hamilton City (takes one hour), or by ferry from Royal Naval Dockyard (ferry operates during summers and takes 35 minutes one-way).
Bermuda Perfumery has opened a boutique store in Hamilton in June 2016: Butterfield Place, 67 Front Street, Hamilton. Phone: 441-296-2885. Summer Hours (April to October): Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Winter Hours (November to March): Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays.
Bermuda Blue Perfume
This is a modern perfume that really captures the essence of the island. This is a hugely popular fragrance with both tourists and locals. Check out Bermuda Blue Perfume to know more about the perfume, its variations and where can you get it in Bermuda.
(Clocktower Mall - Dockyard)
The shop is owned by Gibbons Company. Gibbons is island's largest and one of most diversified department stores. Gibbons Company is well known for its wide range of exciting merchandise. Fragrances and cosmetics of its perfume department is legendary in the industry. The Perfume Shop of Gibbons is one of the oldest stores in Bermuda.
They offer more than 30 brands including Chanel, Dior and Guerlain to Chloe, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, Aqua di Palma, Bond #9, Guerlain, Vera Wang, L'Occitane, Versace and Marc Jacobs. Other favorites include Hermès, Betsey Johnson, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Lancôme, Elizabeth Arden, L'Occitane etc. In order to get the essence of Bermuda, try out the local brands like Bermuda Blue, Breeze or Heat. All fragrances are offered at duty free prices.
59 Front
(59 Front Street, Hamilton City)
They offer a wide range of branded fragrances apart from other cosmetic and beauty products and even jewelry and crystal items.
1) Bermuda Shopping
Visitors' Reviews and Comments
William Cella (June 2014)
I have used Royall Lyme for decades; however the last two bottles did not have the same distinctive fragrance. I have since learned it is being made in the States and that the formula was altered. Is the Royall Company still in business and, if so, how do I go about Purchasing directly from them. Thank you.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) June 2014
Here are the list of stores that retail Royall Lyme and other Royall products in Bermuda. You can also purchase the items online directly from their website.
Gibbons Company and stores in Dockyard and St. George
Carole Holding stores
AS Coopers
English Sports Shops
Brown & Co.
Bermuda Duty Free Shops at airport
Marci Walker (June 2014)
My husband and I are so excited to be on our way to Bermuda in celebration of our 41st wedding anniversary. I've always wanted to visit a perfumery and do so look forward to this wonderful experience. I own a hair salon and have three sisters so... I look forward to purchasing some fragrant treasures for my special folks. Thank you for this blog. Bermuda...Here we come.
Judith Laundry (June 2013)
I will be visiting Bermuda again in April and would like to know if you still have this perfume (Lily and Coral)? Thank You
Hi, Lily and Coral perfumes are very much on sale in Bermuda Perfumery (Stewart Hall, St George's). So you will get them when you return.
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text:
Gameloft Ibérica, S.A.U.
Digital Extremes Ltd.
uTest
App Tester
Learning From Mistakes: The Moon Hunters Launch
by Tanya X. Short on 06/29/18 03:05:00 pm
The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra's community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.
Tanya X. Short is the Captain of Kitfox Games, the independent Canadian studio behind Moon Hunters, Shrouded Isle, and the upcoming Boyfriend Dungeon.Tanya gave a live version of this article at the Game Developer's Conference 2018, as part of the Independent Summit.
It seems like most indies that you hear of err on the side of waiting too long to release their games. They extend their estimated launch by years and years, making sure everything is perfect. And if that's right for you, that's fine. If it works, it works! But some of us (including me) have the opposite problem -- we release our games too early, when they're still molten and unready and unfinished.
Luckily, now that I've not only been through it and learned from it, but also had time to heal and recover, I can share the warning signs with you. The Moon Hunters launch was 100% my call, and I blew it, so read on to find out if you might be in danger of making a similar mistake. Don't do it the way I did. Mess it up your own way.
In early 2016, we were getting ready to ship our biggest game yet: Moon Hunters. We'd worked on it for over 2 years, which was already twice as long as our first game (Shattered Planet).
We'd done a lot of promotion through the years, in Montreal and abroad. We demo'd so many different versions of the game it's amusing to see the different iterations of the interface show up in old photos -- oh look, there's spring 2015, etc.
We published to the front page of various sites, including the PlayStation blog, multiple times. We showed at several PAXes in the Indie Megabooth, to packed crowds. We had articles from most major publications, and we had a Kickstarter that exceeded our expectations, blowing past our $45,000 goal up towards almost 400%. I'm still proud and grateful that we managed to have 6,000 backers.
Even more exciting, the game seemed to gain word of mouth pretty organically. The Kickstarter didn't have a mid-campaign slump, and we won awards at various events almost continuously. Everyone told me we had a hit on our hands -- for sure, we would be financially comfortable after the game came out. We had literally every reason to feel extremely good about what we'd built. That's what they said.
This was actually a bit later in the timeline, at the Canadian Video Game Awards, but just imagine this feeling of pre-launch cockiness and certainty.
In fact, we had built up so much visibility, that PBS Vermont sent a film crew around the time of our launch, to capture that fateful moment, and also to film our launch party. Lucky us.
The Launch Moment
Now, I'm a fiscally conservative studio head. We had stored up survival money, and I had lined up a profitable work-for-hire contract with a publisher we could start on afterwards, just in case things went completely awry. Financially, we could have waited a month or two to launch, but we didn't. We pressed the button just a bit too early.
And so the launch was... bad. Our fans were disappointed. There were crashes. The online multiplayer mode was in a 'beta' form, which was infuriating to most players. And there were core systems that were just unsatisfying and weird, which needed revisions.
Some mainstream audiences (like IGN commenters below) had already braced themselves to hate the game, which is theoretically easy to dismiss -- if someone doesn't like pixel art, they're not going to like Moon Hunters, sure. But I hate the idea that I added fuel to someone's anti-indie fire.
Consequences of Launching "Early"
So this is what a launch week looks like in a healthy game launch, like The Shrouded Isle -- those day 1 customers create word-of-mouth and positive reviews that spread to day 2 and day 3 etc.
The Shrouded Isle's launch week was thick-tailed.
Meanwhile, this is what Moon Hunters' game launch looked like (not healthy). All of our fans piled in on day 1, and then generated almost no word-of-mouth in days following. Our hype hit the brick wall of reality.
Moon Hunters launch week was... slender.
Now, theoretically, if that day 1 peak was very high, we could say that it was a perfectly healthy launch because we saturated our niche. But I can assure you that the peak was not that high.
Anyway, it's true that launch days don't determine everything about your sales, but it did influence our coverage and apparent success for the next 6-12 months. If we'd waited to launch until the game was ready, surely the Metacritic and user reviews would have been higher, and all of that would have led to higher spikes down the road, which all adds up to hundreds of thousands of lost dollars.
Thanks, PBS. You can watch the full episode of "Qulture" here. They were actually very kind.
And PBS was there to capture it. Lucky us. But they were just telling the truth -- we released an unready game and got what we deserved. Despite our launch day being better than many indies, we could tell the coming year wasn't going to be quite enough to sustain our 4-person studio.
I also immediately found myself massively demotivated. I didn't really care about the money. I had prepared for bad sales, and even lined up a gig for just after launch to sustain us, for this exact possibility. But I hadn't quite prepared my heart for disappointing people, or making what could be called a "bad game". I was heartbroken. I felt like I'd wasted years of my life, making something that wasn't worth the time or energy from me or my teammates. It made me feel like I had peaked, and that I was old, and tired.
In hindsight (which has no bias at all, ahem), we should have known better. In fact, one prominent YouTuber went so far as to write me a heartfelt letter during the beta, pleading with me to delay the launch. But I ignored that, as his demands and wishes seemed unreasonable. I also ignored other signals, like this sincere Kickstarter backer:
But, as obvious as it seems now, it wasn't obvious then. I thought I was being smart. So why did I do it? If I really think back to that moment, there's a few factors that led to me making this mistake. So if any of this sounds familiar to you, take note. Your future self might not want you to do what you're about to do.
(Again, be warned that a moment of self-awareness can go a long way. I am a person that is particularly impatient and efficiency-/deadline-oriented. But if you're the opposite kind of indie developer/project lead, who tends to be particularly whimsical and quality-/perfection-oriented, you probably shouldn't read this stuff, as it might be reversed from the advice that applies to you. Take what you need; pass on the rest.)
Reasons why we launched too early:
I wanted to prove naysayers wrong. Indies go around saying to double or triple or quadruple task estimates, and it annoys me because project management is an art. So when everyone told me we'd keep delaying, I got a bit defiant. I wanted to prove it was TOTALLY POSSIBLE to launch on schedule. And uh, so, it is totally probably possible, but don't get obsessed with your schedule in order to do it.. sacrificing your project on the altar of "I told you so" isn't worth it.
I was proud of my production skills. Pride goeth before a fall. I started to feel like even minor delays (a day, a week) was a personal wound on my honor. I felt like I was a failure and a fraud. I felt like I "couldn't" delay again. I was wrong. I totally could have and should have.
Team morale was low. Finishing projects is really hard work, and I felt like a bad leader to take away their finish line (even for a few weeks). Morale wasn't dangerously low, nobody was threatening to quit, but I still felt guilty. But this was a mistake because I failed to account for how devastatingly awful your morale is after you release a buggy, dissapointing game that needs months of bugfixing afterwards.
I was paranoid about competition. I was worried about launching next to other indie games and game events like PAX and E3 etc. And yeah sure, in a perfect world, I wouldn't launch in the same month as a top competitor or in Q4, but really, making it the best game you can at launch matters more than nitpicky timing. (Relatedly here's some advice on picking a launch day. Maybe wait to pick it after you've gone gold...)
I thought online mode was secondary. This might be hyper-specific to Moon Hunters, but I undervalued online multiplayer. I thought it was fine to launch with it in beta mode... maybe because YouTubers and streamers who cover games are likely to do couch co-op, I thought it'd be OK to give this feature extra weeks after we'd launched. Nope, players shrieked bloody murder.
I'd lined up a plan B work-for-hire gig. As I mentioned earlier, in case we sold 0 copies, I'd set up a contract with a major publisher, to make a game with them... and I'd already delayed starting on it for a few weeks. Another delay would have meant a new contract negotiation, and undermining my apparent competency. In the worst case, it could have meant selling 0 Moon Hunters copies and losing the contract, which would have closed Kitfox. In retrospect, I really should have put more buffer time between closing the game and starting that contract.
The Recovery
Luckily, we did recover. My mistake wasn't fatal. This isn't a post-mortem of Kitfox. Don't cry.
In fact, launch day wasn't nearly as strong for sales as almost a year later, when we were in a Valentine's Day couch co-op Steam bundle sale (thanks Jamie Tucker! You're the best!). As a result, Moon Hunters made more money in 2017 than it did in its launch year, 2016. And the review score rose similarly (correlation and not causation, folks).
I do have excellent luck, and I have had my whole life, so I try to stay grateful for that. But we also worked hard to try and recover, so... for what that's worth, here's what we did:
Urgent: Dev Team First-Aid. We had scheduled a launch party for 2 days later, by which time we realized our sales were way lower than expected. I considered canceling it, but in the end, we went ahead with it, and it was EXTREMELY HELPFUL in reminding the team that we had accomplished something; that the world hadn't ended; that we still were proud of each other; that we would move forward as a team.
Special note: If you end up in a sad launch situation, absolutely still hold a launch party. Don't make the party hinge on success! Your dev team still deserves congrats for shipping a thing! That's your mistake, not theirs! Make it BYOB if you have to, but don't cancel it.
Urgent: Community Outreach. We spent most of our time in the months after launch apologizing, admitting mistakes, fixing bugs, and answering customer support emails. This helped get our user review score up, as we helped heal the bitterness.
New Content: Our fans also forgave us more readily when we revealed plans for a free DLC, Eternal Echoes, which revised core systems that desperately needed it and added new content. It was a risk to spend 6 months on a free DLC, but we decided it was worth it, to put our mind at ease by leaving the game in a state we could be proud of. It would have been way heckin' easier and faster to make those revisions before launch, but better late than never.
Community Resilience: even though reviews from our Kickstarter fans didn't directly influence our Steam review score due to the way the algorithm works, we did see that reviews trended upwards and our forums became warmer and happier over time, as a result of our efforts to earn forgiveness. It's also totally possible Moon Hunters fans are just nicer than the average Steam player.
Personal Healing: I took some time to reconnect with other devs, attending GDC immediately after launch. It was a bit humiliating if I'm being honest -- everyone wanted to know how the launch went, and I'm a terrible liar and would sometimes start crying. And yep, a few shallow people acted differently towards me, after they found out I wasn't set to have "a hit game". But I did learn who my friends in the indie community were, and in some ways, felt like cutting my teeth on failure (and soldiering on) earned respect in their eyes.
Aside: Failure is Process
This last point was important to changing my worldview. I'm sure someone on the internet didn't read this article very well and just glossed over the title, thinking, "Ah yes another entry in the indiepocalypse oh well" -- WRONG. That is not what I'm saying. Let me elaborate.
Games have been failing forever. Devs have been pouring their hearts and souls into a game and then finding out, way too late, that they made a crucial mistake -- sometimes it's in the gameplay itself, sometimes it's in the technology or art style, sometimes it's the launch or personnel. Either way, their game goes way off the tracks and disappoints them in a way that only art can.
Every time I told a more experienced indie about my disappointment, they would nod sagely and tell me a horror story of epic proportions, which I'd never heard of.
Because we don't tend to talk about failure and mistakes.
We only talk about success. There are very real, practical reasons for this. To any investors listening in, ahem, of course Moon Hunters was a total success. Absolutely. Everything we do is always totally successful. We have so much money and happiness over here, we don't really need you, but feel free to add your contributions to the pile. Uh huh.
The consequence of treating failure like a secret shame isn't just survivorship bias. We all feel uniquely humiliated when we make a mistake and disappoint ourselves, and it shouldn't be that way. If you're failing, you're not alone. Everyone successful has also failed somehow, along the way. It's part of the journey. The way you'll learn from it and grow from it will depend on you.
Launch day was only the beginning.
Sidenote on Porting: Maybe it's easier for me to say all this because we did also recover sales-wise. We put in work trying to pull new lottery tickets from the box -- we (well, mostly shining star Kitfox employee #1, Marcelo Perez -- send him your high-fives) ported the game to Playstation 4 and Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. We cross-promoted the hell out of the game. We released in Japan. For us, the "halo effect" was real. Every time we launched on a new console, Steam saw a boost, too. So if you need a second or a third or fourth chance, maybe that's the way to do it. It's not guaranteed to help, but it did, in our case.
Maybe the most important recovery step of all was taking measures to make sure this wouldn't happen again. I've had to completely re-orient my brain. Instead of being strict and harsh about delivery deadlines, I'm trying extremely hard to be more strict and harsh about delivery quality and clear goal-setting.
When we started, Kitfox had one clear goal: Survive.
Which is fine, whether you're an indie dev or battle royale star, but you need priorities beyond that... and since we hadn't really said any, it defaulted to my personal nature (Efficiency). When in doubt, if survival wasn't being threatened, I erred on the side of being more Efficient.
So in our current and future projects, including Boyfriend Dungeon, we're instead prioritizing Quality. Survival is still important, but really, Efficiency is a nice-to-have. At the end of the day, making the best game you can is the point of it all, right?
If you're like me and prone to just rushing ahead, take a breath. Bring in fresh eyes. Double-check your assumptions.
Keep learning from your mistakes. I know I will. I hope we both keep making better and better games.
Gameloft Ibérica, S.A.U. — Barcelona, Spain
Square Enix Co., Ltd. — Tokyo, Japan
DMG Entertainment — Beverly Hills, California, United States
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Auctions, Hagerty Insider, Market Trends
Meet the king of Bring a Trailer
Conner Golden
Magazine-quality photography has been one of the key's to Matt Crandall's success on Bring a Trailer. Josh Bryan
Bring a Trailer's having a moment. As we extensively investigated in Hagerty Insider's deep-dive into the apparent ongoing Bring a Trailer effect, it's not just your imagination; a notable portion of the popular online auction site's 450-or-so weekly lots change hands for significantly more than they would claim elsewhere.
Naturally, such returns attract would-be sellers to the comment-rich automotive sales portal like cheap eBay coilovers to a rusty Miata. And to be sure, there are still a fair number of Johnny Enthusiasts listing their mid-mileage E92 BMW M3s in hope of picking up a different toy with the proceeds. Yet an outsized chunk of the hefty profits go to a relatively small share of power sellers. In 2021, the top 1 percent of sellers on Bring a Trailer have accounted for nearly 25 percent of sales.
The most successful seller of all so far in 2021 is Matt Crandall, known on the BaT site as user 911r. His Portland-based Avant-Garde Collection shifts some thing like 25 cars each month on Bring a Trailer. His success is a lens into how the game of selling cars has changed in recent years thanks to the internet—and how it really hasn't.
"Our success is the result of all the time we spend on the prep, the detail, and the presentation of the car," Crandall told me over the phone. "
Perhaps the first piece of advice you'll hear when buying a classic car (even from us) is to get the best example you can afford. Crandall, like many successful dealers, seems to apply that simple advice at scale. The overwhelming majority of the incredible cars he offers on the site are impressively clean, well-running examples of their breed. Seldom will a winning bidder actually need to, ahem, bring a trailer to Oregon for pickup.
Where Crandall has evolved from typical online sellers is in the way he's able to convey the quality of his product. Contrary to most BaT sale shots—usually taken on a phone or point-and-shoot camera in a parking lot, driveway, marina, or forested backroad—Crandall's cars pose in a variety of different backdrops, ranging from a hushed studio warehouse, the graveled pathways of a trainyard, or in front of a wall drenched in technicolor graffiti.
"Josh [Bryan, the photographer] started with us, and then spun off his own. He's got a great eye, and knows how I want things shot."
This focus on quality presentation isn't just for the hottest stuff, either. Between his listings of automotive weaponry like a Porsche 991.2 911 GT2 RS and McLaren 675LT, there are minty fresh GM Squarebodies, rally-prepped Volvos, Land Cruisers, low-mileage WRXs, hot rods, muscle cars, and time-capsule JDM rarities, each sitting pretty in its own jewel-like mega-gallery. The expected financial outcome doesn't matter—every one of Crandall's cars gets the full presale cocktail of mechanical assessment, detail, photography, and video.
Crandall also has the advantage of being an auto sales veteran and an early adopter of BaT. After a successful spate of automotive wholesaling in the 1990s, he joined Ron Tonkin's Gran Turismo Ferrari dealership as general manager, then launched Tonkin's MotoCorsa Ducati franchise a few years later. "I was also a dealer principal at a Lamborghini dealership for a few years [around 2007, 2008] at just about the worst time in the world, so that didn't last too long," he laughs.
As Crandall's username (911r) suggests, he sells lots of Porsches. Yet he has offered everything from Mercedes to Acuras and says he gives each vehicle the same level of presale attention. Josh Bryan
His time on Bring a Trailer started right around the time he split from the shuttered Lamborghini venture in 2009. "How it happened was a Renault R5 Turbo I had—I bet I've sold a dozen of those things—was listed, and I came to work one day to the phone ringing off the hook," he recalls. "I found out it was on Bring a Trailer back when it was just a blog. I look it up and see these guys like all the cars I like, so they must be my friends!"
So, he started following the nascent BaT. This was before readers could submit their own cars, but two or three of his listings would land on the site a month. Even in the early days, Crandall put a focus on presentation. "We always put a lot of effort into our photography, and made sure our cars were cool. I was one of the first guys to have a photo turntable." Crandall jumped in head-first when BaT launched its now-familiar online auction, and hasn't looked back. Although he opened Avant-Garde in 2014, he admits his showroom really is the Bring a Trailer feed.
"I'm exclusively on Bring a Trailer. I don't try to retail anything regularly," he said. As to why he has no interest in trying any other growing auction platforms, his reasoning is simple. "Eyeballs. We'll regularly get between 15,000 and 30,000 views per car."
Josh Bryan
Fair enough. Hey, the numbers don't lie—Avant-Garde's presale methodology contributes to a greater than 90 percent sell-through rate on the 25-or-so cars listed each month on BaT. Crandall says most of the cars are either purchased off the street and from posted listings, or they will come to him directly from estates. A workshop shares part of Avant-Garde's 10,000-sq-ft main office, where four full-time master-level techs perform deferred and preventative maintenance on all newcomers.
He says it all starts with a mechanical assessment. "If the car has no records, I'll start at ground zero. I'll do a major service on it, we'll make sure the tires are within five years old, flush and change all the fluids, go through everything." It's more than just quality control, too; with all work done in-house, there's no waiting on anything outsourced to a busy local specialist. "I'd like to think anything that leaves here has my name on it—or been blessed—so I want to make sure it's all correct."
Detail and photo prep comes next. It's not a simple wash-n'-wax, either; "Our detail process is fairly intense," says Crandall. "We spend a lot of time on the underside of the car, probably as much as we do on the top-side." Detail can take his team between a day and a week depending on the car, with the resultant photo and video effort eating up another two or three days.
When a car from the Avant-Garde Collection sells—and it usually does—shipping is the next hurdle. Between the 10,000 sq-ft office/shop and the adjacent 25,000 sq-ft storage and detail facility, Avant-Garde has 15 cars ready to ship at any time—all managed by one dedicated logistics guy.
Crandall has clearly figured out how to maximize the Bring a Trailer effect. He matches the site's clean, bidder-friendly interface with an efficient, consistent method of preparation, presentation, and delivery. Yet he dismisses our suggestion that there really aren't any deals to be had on BaT anymore.
"Sure there are! There are some times when a car just won't make it. Maybe there's nobody in the room, it's bad timing, or it's bad this, bad that," Crandall explained. "It's really about timing—there's definitely deals to be had on Saturdays and Sundays."
Of course, it all circles back to his winning dogma regarding presentation. "If a car's poorly presented, it's not going to be well-received, no matter how cool it is. It's kind of like buying the ugly shack in a neighborhood of million-dollar mansions."
That just left us with the nagging feeling that if Matt Crandall sold houses, what ugly shacks he did stock would be the cleanest, best-photographed shanties in the next three zip codes.
Auctions 111-year-old motorcar is king of 2023's biggest car auction
Market Trends How many winged wonders is too many?
Bring a Trailer
Read next Up next: The legendary Hirohata Merc is looking for a new home


Ever had a bad day? I mean a really bad day? Well War, the first Horseman of the Apocalypse, doesn't wanna hear you whine about the day you spilled coffee on your brand new, white silk suit. One hundred years ago, he had the mother of them all. All he wants now is to right the wrongs he committed that day and find out who set him up, and then make them have one final, excruciatingly bad day. Darksiders puts you in control of War and lets you unleash rage the likes of which have never been seen before. Even certain Spartans would tell this guy to calm down, Unfortunately, anger management is not in this guy's vocabulary.
This folks, is your tutorial.
In the beginning there was only Heaven and hell. Mankind came to be amidst this eternal struggle for power and it is believed that man is the key to it all. A truce was called between the blessed and accursed forces; a pact sealed with seven signs which were not to be broken until the time of the endwar. Quick check…yep, the seals are all still intact, so…why is the first Horseman on Earth laying waste to well, everything? Leave it to Vigil Games to give you a tutorial in the middle of the actual apocalypse. You fight your way through human, demon and angel, killing indiscriminately until you come upon Abbadon, leader of the Angelic forces and Uriel, his lieutenant. Abbadon meets a swift end at the hands of Straga, leader of the chosen demons and one nasty individual. You face off with Straga and teach him that depth perception is not for big nasty demons but before you can kill him you suddenly lose all of your powers and realize that you have broken sacred law. Straga laughs as he takes advantage of this and crushes you to death. Here's the funny part: one hundred years later your bosses, known as the Charred Council, revive you in order to carry out your punishment – death. According to them the seals were not broken and War was not summoned. He swears that he received the call and begs the opportunity to prove his loyalty or die trying. They bind this scraggly little turd of a wraith to you called the Watcher to make sure you stay in line and send you back to (now) post-apocalyptic Earth. You have been stripped on roughly ninety-nine percent of your true power. Still, you are War and you are determined to show whoever is behind your betrayal why you are the one true herald of the end of all things.
The second and third pictures above are in-game, action shots, not cut scenes. This game is visually stunning and moments like the above battle with the bat queen Tiamat really make you want to just go "wow," but if you stop to stare, you will get torn to pieces. The art of Joe Madureira has wowed countless comic book fans for over ten years and now his work comes to the video game realm in Darksiders. If ever a game needed a replay feature it is this one because there are times you just wish you could see that last move or even that last demon again up close. The camera is a bit lazy in this game unless you control it and that is not really a bad thing. What I mean is that the camera tends to sit back and sort of stay away from the action giving you a wide field of view. This becomes invaluable during the frequent swarms of enemies you encounter. Your primary weapon is not great for sweeping around your body so being able to see when to dodge and reposition is wonderful. I only had a problem with the camera at one point where I was so used to leaving the camera alone that it affected my jump direction and I died. I also have one minor gripe about the transition from game to cut scene and vice-versa. There is a noticeable lag when the transition happens and I have become so used to games being seamless that it really kind of bugged me. It does not take away from the enjoyment of the game in any way and another person might not care but I just felt it was a lack of polish on the final product. This is an IP that will definitely continue based on both the end of the story and the successful sales; I look forward to seeing the next installment fix these little hiccups.
The music in the game is unfortunately quite absent during much of the game. There are themes for the opening and the ending and each boss has a decent piece to complement its battle. Sadly, when you are not in one of these gargantuan battles, the music pretty much goes silent. Instead, it is replaced with the ambient sounds one might expect if one were stuck in post-apocalyptic nowhere: creaking metal and crumbling rock, along with eerie howling winds that have you checking behind you every five seconds. Every monster in the game either talks to you or makes some kind of distinct sound to let you know it is near. If that wasn't enough, some of the nastier ones come out of demonic portals and you can hear those opening as well. The gripe about no music again is just a personal preference, as the battle noises (especially while you ride Ruin) are pretty much all the atmosphere that is needed for this title. The voice acting in this game is nothing less than top notch. I chose the above movie because Ulthane was second only to War himself in my list of favorites in this game. I loved his voice because he made me think of him as a mix of the Juggernaut and Thor, with the voice of Shrek. However, JB Blanc (the voice of Ulthane) has to step aside for some heavy hitters in this recording booth: Moon Bloodgood (Uriel), Mark Hamill (The Watcher), Phil Lamarr (Vulgrim) and Liam O'Brien (War) bring their characters to life with spectacular voices, to name but a few. When you turn this game on, I hope you have a home theater or at least a really good sound bar because Dolby Digital is going to be your friend.
If one were to simply look at this game, "god of war clone" would probably be one of the first thoughts and that person would not be totally wrong. The whole truth, however, is that while there are similarities to Sony's sunshine boy Kratos, this game does play differently enough that you do not feel like you are in some random corner of Greek mythology. It is difficult to explain in words so I do encourage anyone that enjoyed those games to give this one a go. War offers up the ultra-violence, complete with special kill moves and he is faced with puzzles that will temporarily infuriate you. The controls are very responsive and it is wonderful that War can instantly cancel a combo if, for example, an enemy became stunned and he wanted to go for the instant kill. This was a smart move by developers because War is very frequently surrounded by enemies (some much more powerful) and going into an instant kill makes him temporarily invincible. Even with little tricks like that, you will die quite often on Apocalyptic difficulty, so you had best collect your wrath core shards, life stone pieces and abyssal armor pieces in order. Without them, even the regular bad guys are going to smack you around. The combat can be considered button mashing, but it becomes somewhat important and very helpful to be a little bit diverse in your technique. One could beat the entire game using only the Chaoseater sword, but there are enemies that will be so much easier if you use the Harvester (scythe) and Tremor Gauntlet and keep all three main weapons upgraded. Upgrades come from killing monsters and earning experience points for the weapon you are using. There are tokens you can collect to augment your weapons to either give you more souls, regenerate health, power up your weapon faster, etc. Customization is key to balancing out your abilities and fortunately it can be done at almost any time in the game. Mid-combo you can pause a game and switch from the sword to the gauntlet (or scythe), add a new or different token to any or all of the weapons and go right on back to causing grievous bodily harm. The only downside I can even think of in terms of controls comes from War's trusty steed, Pain. For the most part, Pain is fun to ride and very easy to control, but the only way to prevent damage (and possibly being knocked off) is to literally dodge a hit. There is no blocking ability while riding Pain and many of your weapons become needlessly unusable. This would not be a pain for someone who does not care about 100% completion and is not going to bother riding Pain for 100 game miles or killing 150 enemies on horseback. There is still the issue of certain areas of the Ashlands, where riding Pain is necessary since War is completely defenseless on foot there. There are many corridors that you ride through that are too narrow for combat. The majority of the hits I took while on horseback were because I was circling an enemy and hit a wall, which kills your momentum and it takes a few extra seconds to get off the wall. Even with the horse controls feeling like they needed more, the gameplay of Darksiders is fun and very easy to learn. Once you get good with switching weapons on the fly, you start feeling like an overpowered version of Dexter and creatively mutilating bad guys becomes an art.
The classic and unfortunate drawback of great single player games is that usually once you are done with them, you are very much done with them. Darksiders really has little to recommend even a second playthrough unless you just want to experience the cool story again. If you are like me and try to get everything on the first playthrough then you would have pieced together the Abyssal Armor and it becomes available to you from the beginning of the new game. It is worth mentioning that even towards the end of this game, the armor made anything attacking you that was not at least five times your size feel like a naughty tickle. If you played the game on a lower difficulty and got the armor then I would say go ahead and crank it to Apocalyptic difficulty and have some fun. Truth of the matter is that I started on apocalyptic and the game is not that difficult. There is an item towards the end that even shows you where all the collectible stuff is located so the only place you have to worry about missing anything is in Eden and the first area of the Iron Canopy. You can backtrack anywhere else in the game. As for the achievements/trophies, only four of the forty-three can be missed and one of those you can get within the first five minutes of a new game. Anyone that wants a platinum trophy in this one is going to get it.
Darksiders was a wonderful game to experience and a great way to kick off 2010 gaming. If this is the worst title to come out this year then we have a lot to look forward to. A "Zelda-esque" beat-'em-up; a Kratos adventure with 007 gadgets; these are a few of the ways I can think of to describe the game. War also took weaponry and abilities from his "brothers," (yes, I see a girl in the picture also) which along with the ending and words from developers is ensuring that we will see more of the Horsemen in the future. In my book that makes this title the opening chapter in what I hope to be a deep and satisfying series of games. I hope to see much improvement from the next game and either a new main character or some online co-operative options. This game is a solid rental at bare minimum however I would not discourage a purchase – some early adopters got a code that got them a free copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla. I would not put it past Vigil and THQ to make your saved game worth something in the next title. Maybe the next Horseman will have use of War's sword? Who knows? I know I will be one of those to find out.