text:
How does that get app store approval? It sounds like it would violate the commandment to worship no other gods beside Jobs.
The iBle.
As an atheist, I wholeheartedly support this idea. If all kids were forced to read the entire Bible before they turn 13, and pass the exam on textual knowledge - why, that would probably do more to reduce the influence of Christianity than efforts of all the various skeptic and secular humanist groups in the country. ~
As an atheist, I wholeheartedly support this idea. If all kids were forced to read the entire Bible before they turn 13, and pass the exam on textual knowledge - why, that would probably do more to reduce the influence of Christianity than efforts of all the various skeptic and secular humanist groups in the country. ~
As a christian, I would take that deal everyday. When the bible is just read, and understood in it's context to say what it says, it makes more sense than science falsely called, and much more sense than the philosophers of this world.
I was watching Venture Bros with a friend, who is a lukewarm Christian , the other day. He was talking about Brock Samson. It went like this.
I said "Samson, like from the Bible".
He said "What?".
I said "Magic Hair, Jawbone of an ass, Paid his gambling debts with foreskins?"
He said "WHAT? That's not in the bible, you're making that shit up, right?".
Bible stories FTW.
The bible makes sense? Sure it does. And so does the Koran, so they say. In fact, pretty much any ridiculous belief has a ton of supporters.
Never anyone reputable though. I mean, look at the people who say that - idiots who say things like "
I know you get brownie points for trying to convince people of the existence of the sky fairy, and most-importantly you feel like it validates your belief, but it's crap. The book, the teachings, and the institutionalized ignorance r
Seems to me that Google should startup a 'Google Kids' to handle things like this in compliance with COPPA. Once the child reaches 12, they can convert it over to a regular Gmail account.
Parents can administrate, while at the same time teaching their kids how to behave on the internet, teachers can email assignments, etc. As long as control rests solely with the parent, I see no issue with something like that.
Actually - COPPA needs to die. Parents are supposed to be a child's first line of defense. Then the courts. Simply mandating that kids can't access and/or must be monitored by a provider such as Google is simply asinine. As a parent, and as a grandparent, I'd cheefully counsel my kids how to circumvent COPPA bullshit.
"See the box, where they ask how old you are? What's the minimum age? Alright, Honey, just add 3 or 6 to that minimum age, so your "birth year" is going to be 19xx, alright? Yeah, I know you're not 20 yet, but THEY don't know that!"
I think teaching how to circumvent COPPA is dangerous without teaching when to do so. There are a lot of age verification things out there on the internet and they're not all for the same reason. COPPA is for preventing a child from disclosing too much personal information for use by another party without informed consent of the parent (i.e. marketing and solicitation). I think teaching a child not to give out their real birth date online is a very valuable lesson. (Birth date and state are enough info for an accurate guess at a social security number [msn.com], and the region can probably be obtained with a reasonable chance of success for a child (lower chance to have moved from the area of birth)). Other age verifiers are for content, some websites self regulate, others follow third party guidelines (e.g. ESRB). I expect to be the final word in what content my children permissibly access on the internet, but I do appreciate the age checkers as a sign for younger children to stop and ask permission. Older children are going to do their own thing according to what you've taught them up to that point.
Also, I've always been surprised that the age submission check is considered a valid method for absolving an entity of COPPA's requirements considering the lengths they have to go through if they do know they are dealing with a child. It seems rather trivial in comparison to these requirements: [wikipedia.org]
Website operators must use reasonable procedures to ensure they are dealing with the child's parent. These procedures may include:
obtaining a signed form from the parent via postal mail or facsimile;
accepting and verifying a credit card number;
taking calls from parents on a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel;
email accompanied by digital signature;
email accompanied by a PIN or password obtained through one of the verification methods above.
Operators who follow one of these procedures acting in good faith to a request for parental access are protected from liability under federal and state law for inadvertent disclosures of a child's information to someone who purports to be a parent.
You have it backwards. Having ridiculous laws is much worse than not having laws at all. Ridiculous laws will be broken and this is what undermines the very respect for the law.
Also protecting the precious snowflakes at all costs has dire consequences when they meet the harsh bitch called life completely unprepared.
You have it backwards. Having ridiculous laws is much worse than not having laws at all. Ridiculous laws will be broken and this is what undermines the very respect for the law. Also protecting the precious snowflakes at all costs has dire consequences when they meet the harsh bitch called life completely unprepared.
Backwards? I think I was pointing out how ridiculous the requirements for age verification were in the light that a company is exempt merely by allowing for a user submitted, unverifiable, age. The law allowed a dead easy loophole for plausible deniability while setting up a straightforward behavioral conditioning teaching the user to hit refresh, lie, and open the cage door to the cheese.
However, this law does work the way it was intended to. The children can't break it, it's not targeted at them, but a
I think teaching how to circumvent COPPA is dangerous without teaching when to do so.
Yeah, I'm thinking teaching our legislators how to write intelligent laws is the least dangerous approach. Barring that, teaching my children that the reason I teach them about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and God is the reason I am teaching them to question authority, is the appropriate response.
I don't think you 'get' COPPA [ftc.gov]. It doesn't say an internet service needs to monitor your children. It is saying in essence the exact opposite. It says that they have to disclose what data they collect, who they share it with, limit the data collected to only what is necessary to use the service, can't collect any information about the child unless the parent gives explicit permission. If the parent gives permission to collect the data, it allows the parents to tell the service to stop and to delete the child's data. It also lists other rules on what data can be collected and how it is shared... but read it yourself I'm not going to list it all here. The only thing that pisses me off is that I can't stipulate the same conditions to Google for myself.
COPPA is a tool to aid the parent and COPPA is anathema to everything Google is about: collecting data. Data is the life blood of the company; literally. It is easier for them to just say no to those under 13 than to spend a ton of money to set up the required controls. Especially, as I think, most parents are likely to chose not to allow their child's data to be collected nor shared (and I can't blame them one bit). And it is the data that is important to Google, not the child. It is with the data that they generate their revenue. So in a nutshell, they have two choices: 1) spend a ton of money to create and maintain the controls to meet the COPPA requirements and keep children using GMail and other services (which also eat up bandwidth and disk space, both of which also cost money) without gaining any revenue generating data from them in return, or 2) simply bar children from using Google services. Option 2 is way cheaper. Remember in a business the number one rule is that money coming in MUST be greater than money going out. Google is just following their number one rule. You libertarians and neocons can't possibly argue Google's position in this respect, can you? Hell, even business friendly liberals.. yes they exist... can't argue either.
Financially the choice they made makes much more sense for their business (and they are a business, not your cuddly free email provider). Remember, the only reason Google cares at all about the child or anyone else who puts their personal data on a Google server is because they put their personal data on a Google server.
You can try and say it is up to the parent to monitor the child which is a good starting point, but what are you going to do when the biggest services tell you they are going to store and possibly share (at their discretion not yours) your child's data and there is nothing you can do about it? Tell your child not to use the internet? Good luck with that. Seriously... good luck. The rest of us understand that you can say no, but if they can get access to the internet, anywhere, they are going to start using it. The library, a friends house, wherever. Especially if all their friends are using it, and then it will happen no matter what you say or do (unless you are one of those who chose to live in the backwoods of Idaho because 'the government is out to get you'... but if that's the case, you have more serious problems, and it ain't the government). So you might as well have them use it at home. And it would be nice to know who knows their name and where they live, and better yet, tell them to mind their own business.
As to how to verify the parent:
Access Verification
At a parent's request, operators must disclose the general kinds of personal information they collect online from children (for example, name, address, telephone number, email address, hobbies), as well as the specific information collected from children who visit their sites. Operators must use reasonable procedures to ensure they are dealing with the child's parent before they provide access to the child's specific information.
They can use a variety of methods to
Parents can administrate, while at the same time teaching their kids how to behave on the internet, teachers can email assignments, etc. As long as control rests solely with the parent, I see no issue with something like that.
And how would Google know if they are dealing with a parent or a child during initial setup without providing yet more information than I'm currently putting out there on the web. I'm a parent and grandparent as well and I have no accounts on social sites that I use. When asked to en
I doubt you could verify something like that.
But even if you could, it's a complete waste of time. "The children" don't need to be protected from every little thing.
Ask them to quickly rattle off some stupid age appropriate trivia? if its one thing we older folks have its too damned much stupid trivia, like "name three lame songs from early MTV" (my answer, Safety dance, Video killed the radio star, I always feel like somebody's watching me) or "What was the name of Captain Kangaroo's sidekick? "(Mr Greenjeans). See how easy that is? We have so damned much lame ass trivia to draw on it ain't even funny. Make it multiple choice with different stupid trivia each time and
Like every 9 year old on MySpace ever did... just put in the wrong birthyear and everything stays cool.
Or go over to yahoo, which is all spammers anyway.
Also, the use of the viral video is a little off, since the baby never actually does anything with the account (as the Google spokesman says) - the father signs up for the account and agrees to the terms, the father then composes messages and sends them, the father reads messages received etc etc. Its the father doing things in the babies name, which is a whole different ball game to the kid signing up and using it themselves.
What? That's insane. You can't lie about your age on the internet!
Dog years are a made up thing. How long a planet takes to orbit the Sun, however, is how a year is defined. So just choose an appropriate planet. If the site operator is smart enough to specify Earth years don't sign up there. They are obviously hacker types who will steal all your personal info.
What? That's insane. You can't lie about your age on the internet!
But if I don't lie the bad people will take away my
You can lie about age on the internet for now. That is, until the government creates an online id [tomsguide.com].
In Korea, every citizen is assigned a National Registration number, that online sites are required to collect before opening an account, even a MMORPG account, and that identifies the subscriber's age.
So yeah... your ability to lie about your age on the internet relies upon you living in a free country, or being able to do business with other organizations in a free country, without them being blocked.
Like every 9 year old on MySpace ever did... just put in the wrong birthyear and everything stays cool.
Yeah, when I saw that immediately after COPPA was passed, ICQ's terms of service changed to include (paraphrased) "if you're under 13, fuck off", I knew the US government had not thought about unintended consequences.
Seems a good lesson that often in life one must tell lies of varying degrees. Fibbing about age is one of those.
Many websites and services (email, web hosting / blog sites, facebook, etc) have age stipulations ranging from 13 to 21, which effectively makes much of the web useless to young people unless they lie.
That's not usually the site's fault, that's usually legislation like COPPA which makes it untenable.
Absolutely agree. Not faulting the websites, services, etc for the age restrictions. Google is in a no-win situation due to the law.
Effectively creating a "don't ask, don't tell" situation, which seems to be very commonplace in life. Many activities are technically restricted, forbidden, etc
An example is Facebook one user / one account policy - long as the user keeps their duplicate accounts / usernames on the down-low, and don't cause problems, Facebo
Just wait until they sue the kids for violating the law meant to protect them, under the exact same law.
And then have 'em tried as adults, just for good measure.
Don't forget to tell your 13-year old kids it's illegal to make n00d self-shots in the mirror with their iPhones. They will be in possession of extremely illegal content one minute after their 14th birthday, be tried as adults and registered as sex offenders for life.
Remember: all the things we used to do when we were young are now illegal. All.
One day my pre-teen-aged daughter wanted to set up an avatar for her Google mail account, like her best friend had. A nice pony or whatever. So we have opened the settings and one of things that Google wanted to know was the date of birth. After naively filling in the date (*not* the real number, but still way low age)
In one second the account is there, the next
Google wanted scan of my ID or something.
YOU ARE NOT GONNA GET IT GOOGLE!!! You Do. Not. Need. A. Copy. Of. My. Passport.
So we have created another account with a slightly different name, but my daughter has been upset for quite a long time. Still is, in fact. And I had to explain why Google are such
The same day I have made backup of my entire Google mail account. I do not trust them anymore that they won't pull the same stunt with MY personal account.
You Do. Not. Need. A. Copy. Of. My. Passport.
Actually.. legally.. they do. If you want access to that account again, you can either verify that her parent has authorized the kid to be scaped and indexed and acknowledge that your kid can receive the accompanying advertising, or you can create another anonymous account to have similar advertising, scraping, analyzing done to her anyway. In one case, she gets her account back; in the other case, Google gets their data anyway.
As much as I'm for privacy, it's not like providing a copy of your passport is providing anything that Google doesn't have on you anyway. They don't even need _your_ google account to link it to, do they (not sure)? They just, legally, need to be sure that a parent/guardian has allowed Google to analyze their kid. US laws, if not your country's laws.
So perhaps you should explain to your daughter one of two things:
1. Your resentment of someone verifying that you are you, and you have control over your kid
2. US laws designed to protect the privacy of kids, and how they're hurting her. Perhaps you can go into how your own country's privacy laws work.
So perhaps you should explain to your daughter one of two things:
1. Your resentment of someone verifying that you are you, and you have control over your kid
2. US laws designed to protect the privacy of kids, and how they're hurting her. Perhaps you can go into how your own country's privacy laws work.
Simple, in countries like Canada. The privacy act says that the individual is protected because the individual has the final say on their information, not the government, or a company. He has the right to be upset, he also has the right to be upset that a company 'wants' a copy of his passport.
US laws are broken, plenty of other countries like your northern neighbors have found simple elegant solutions to these problems which don't require handing away personally identifiable information.
US laws, as usual, especially regarding children, are fucking inane.
Having had this happen to my 12yo daughter as well (and also refusing to provide Google with any form of ID, for what I would have thought were obvious reasons) I'd say the real issue was that Google provided no means to back up data -- it was really a case of my daughter unwittingly entering her birth date, and then bam! all data gone for good.
I understand that Google has an obligation under US law to prevent kids under 13 from using email accounts. But since this is clearly new legislation that wasn't in
Free does not mean 'immune from criticism'.
Why do you imply that it does?
Google wanted scan of my ID or something.
YOU ARE NOT GONNA GET IT GOOGLE!!! You Do. Not. Need. A. Copy. Of. My. Passport.
The people they have actually checking those scans have basically no way of verifying their authenticity. Scan your passport and then photoshop it to be full of lies and send that to them. They will be happy and you will be happy.
The people they have actually checking those scans have basically no way of verifying their authenticity. Scan your passport and then photoshop it to be full of lies and send that to them. They will be happy and you will be happy.
Do not do that. Do not lie. Do not give them an official reason to shut down your own gmail account in addition to your kid's (or send the black planes after you, and put you into Gitmo, as a Non-American, you know it would be the first place we'd send you. Right?). Stay on the higher moral ground. Send them a copy of your passport, but black out all the information, all the serial numbers, except for your birth year and the specific gmail account you want them to reactivate.
For all we know, passports and i
The same day I have made backup of my entire Google mail account. I do not trust them anymore that they won't pull the same stunt with MY personal account.
On the other hand, this is a convenient and completely automated way to delete an account
I still have a GMail account, but it is devoid of messages, and if anything new shows up it will be instantly transferred via POP3 and deleted from the server. I did that when Google started randomly deleting accounts for "wrong" name or something. They said
YOU ARE NOT GONNA GET IT GOOGLE!!! You Do. Not. Need. A. Copy. Of. My. Passport.
How about sending them something like this [paulnoll.com]? Or something like that [hostingprod.com], but instead of blanking out the birth year, you'd leave that year intact, but blank out the month, the day, and pretty much everything else that could possibly be used to identify you?
This could work well too for privacy-related petition drives. Petition your National government for more privacy, and just leave enough information to infer your nationality. And for those of us in the US who'd like to petition our State Senators, just leave y
So the government passes a law, which prohibits children from using email service. So the children have to write letters the old fashioned way, and send them via the US Postal Service . . . which is owned by the government! No conflict of interest here!
On the good side, being that so many couples tend to have children, a lot of folks might be pissed off at this law. And then they might start putting more political pressure for scrutiny on laws that are being passed by the government to regulate the Inte
In reply to some comments / sentiments in this thread regarding how quick Google is to delete accounts, be wary of creating a Google+ account / user profile.
There have been many reports of Google+ accounts being flagged for various reasons (username choosen, duplicate acct, complaints from others, etc) resulting in the linked services, such as, GMail being suspended / terminated too.
Imho, avoid creating a Google+ account - not so easy now that Google is rolling that out across services, so the next best option is not create a profile; leave it as empty as possible. And keep services separate
That's why I deleted all my youtube accounts a few weeks back because Google insisted I link everything to anything about me and couldn't opt out anymore, hmm no thanks which really sucked as one of the channels was pretty big but so be it. So ATM im n a replace google search mission. I guess Dogpile and Duck Duck Go as suggested a few days ago will do for now.
I deleted my Facebook about 4 years ago since they wanted more now I see Google is the new minister of information which doesn't take much to be corr
Why you still have slashdot account?
He explained that. Slashdot doesn't want to know anything about the user except a login name and password, which are both random.
You could, of course, compile a user's profile from his posts and comments. However few people are that much concerned; it's in the domain of governments and secret services, and they don't care about poor peons. Businesses, on the other hand, wring those same peons dry.
don't use the same Google+ account for GMail as one does for other services (ie. YouTube).
This is good advice, but it's going to end badly if you do that.
I can't convey the annoyance of having to switch account every time I click on a like button, or go watch a youtube video, or add something to my calendar, or do something else on one of the Google sites.
It's better than it used be, a little bit, but Google is becoming so much more pervasive in everything I do already, it has become a huge annoyance that I would gladly pay ten times over what I'm already paying to have it all go away (And yes,
Hi All,
I too was put off by Google's disabling of my son's account, but I decided to give Google a chance and see if they would be reasonable. I sent a note to them in the only way I could come up with, by writing it (by hand on a paper), scanning together, my ID, and my note which was an explanation that my son was really under age, and that as his parent, I was the "holder" of his account, but he was using it under my supervision. I sent the note to their photo ID link, and his account was reinstated. I assume that they actually read the note, and allowed this, but it is possible they have an automated process that accepts any photo you send as ID, and automatically reinstates the account. If they do, shame on them. If they don't, I applaud them for being reasonable.
"Free" doesn't mean "exempt from criticism." That said, they're also free to not listen to you.
And I think this is really the fault of idiotic "think of the children" laws.
And I think this is really the fault of idiotic "think of the children" laws.
It is, COPPA's requirements are beyond onerous, COPPA is entirely responsible for the whole 13+ or go away divide on the Internet. If someone's 13+ then you don't have to do anything special. Under 13 you need special parental permission with proof of the parent's age (that's the whole reason they have to have a scan of an ID to reinstate the account, along with the parent's statement that they're the actual account holder allowing their child to use it under their supervision) to collect any data on the
Most "child protection" laws these days are bad solutions to untenable problems that involve parents shirking responsibility to the government and corporations for the supervision of their kids, and the overt dismissal of children's and teen's responsibility for themselves, which should not be legislated by arbitrary rules and numbers.
I can name dozens of examples, but this isn't the time or the place.
When I was ten (1997), I had an account on virtually all website/email services that were big (relatively) at the time. There was never question of deleting my account because I was a kid.
Stripping kids of the right to use that kind of service is the same as stripping kids from having the right to use the Internet. This is preposterous and stupid.
American people, get rid of that law.
When I was ten (1997), I had an account on virtually all website/email services that were big (relatively) at the time. There was never question of deleting my account because I was a kid.
Probably because they didn't know you were a kid? The only time this comes up is when there are problems, and much of this is automated now. Yay for progress.
Stripping kids of the right to use that kind of service is the same as stripping kids from having the right to use the Internet.
Do children have rights? I thought most of those came when you were of age to vote and serve one's country, able to sign a contract etc. To be clear I'm not a fan of these laws or requirements but what right is it to use a service offered by a private party, especially when they're a minor? What right is it to violate that private party's terms of serv
Yes, children have rights, independently of being adults and having the right to vote.
A service provider is not allowed to do arbitrary age discrimination. This has nothing to do with your lousy home analogy.
This law is part of your broken legal system, not anyone else's. Why should it be foisted upon the rest of the planet?*
Several years ago, my son got his first android phone, the G1. He asked my permission to lie about his age to set up an account. I was already aware that Google tries to do this and said OK. He is now old enough to be "legal" and has come to no harm. This was in spite of various crazies advising me to put Net Nanny or some other corporate nonsense on my PC and then not allowing him to
Google doesn't allow users who are under the age of 13 to have Google Accounts, unless they are using Google Apps for Education accounts through their school.
And hoes does Google handle this for home schooled children?
Q: How many IBM CPU's does it take to execute a job? A: Four; three to hold it down, and one to rip its head off.


text:
Great results from Chi Week and Metronome
Frank and I attended the week long Chi Running program in June. We have been diligently practicing our Chi Running form and are loving it. Frank just ran a tough half at 1:40:44 almost effortlessly. My time wasn't as good but I did finish over 20 minutes ahead of the 2nd place finisher in my age division. We both recovered quickly and have avoided injuries.
The most beneficial addition to our program is the metronome. We set it on 180 and a 2 beat count that makes it sound like a tic-toc or ping-pong. I like to focus on my hip bones and think of a ping pong ball bouncing between each hip bone as I slightly rotate and open my hips to increase my stride while visualizing and repeating, "ping pong, ping pong, ping pong..."
We will continue our adventure in Chi Running and report back regularly!! I might note that in the 10k and half we just ran we used our metronomes and everyone was interested, not annoyed at all. I did get tired of explaining the concept though!!
Cynthia A.M.
- effortless running,
- chirunning,
- metronomes,
- stride length,
- metronome

subset: commoncrawl


text:
maghor Lawrence Memorial Hospital
In the few instances I have been taken to the ER, no complaints.
The gynocological portion of the OB-GYN department made a bumbling mess of my care. Inattentive, unorganized, horrible communication internally and with me as a patient. Obviously they specialize in happy pregnant bellies, and their expertise in which I have no experience. They really screwed the pooch on my care. I'm currently looking for a way to file a formal complaint.


text:
Hi all
After extracting my protein in Tris-sucrose buffer, I do a dialysis to take out the sucrose. Then I centrifuge it to get rid of any precipitation. I then filter it using 45 um filters. Then add the Ni-NTA agarose to it and leave it overnight at 4 degree celcius. When I run it through the colum it goes very very slowly like 1ml in 1 hour.
So it basically takes me like ages to purify my protein.
Can anyone please suggest to me what I can do speed up the process? Other than using pumps as my lab don't have one!
Submit your paper to J Biol Methods today!
Protein puriification using IMAC: flowthrough very slow
Started by Bioscientist, Mar 15 2013 01:48 PM
2 replies to this topic
Posted 15 March 2013 - 01:48 PM
Posted 18 March 2013 - 05:39 AM
Based on how you prepared your sample, I would say you have a problem with your column. Maybe your frit is clogged or is too small of a pore size or your drain port is clogged. Your flow rate is way too slow even for gravity flow and your sample shouldn't be causing that issue given the way you've prepared it.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Posted 18 March 2013 - 07:55 AM
since you appear to be using gravity flow, you can make the exit tubing longer and set the receiving vessel lower to increase the flow rate.
this principle is described in the gel filtration handbook available from ge healthcare.
this principle is described in the gel filtration handbook available from ge healthcare.
talent does what it can
genius does what it must
i do what i get paid to do
genius does what it must
i do what i get paid to do


text:
Each year the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau administers a number of federally funded highway safety initiatives to help raise awareness and enforce traffic laws in the state. Our local law enforcement agencies have partnered with the GTSB to obtain grants and help keep Marion County motorists safe.
The Knoxville Police Department will participate in an upcoming special Traffic Enforcement Program next week around the St. Patrick's Day holiday. During this time there will be extra officers on duty working solely to enforce traffic law such as speeding, seat belt enforcement and drunk driving. sTEP waves fall around popular holidays where large numbers of Iowans are likely to be on the roadways or drinking
The Marion County Sheriff's Office participates in a section 410 alcohol incentive grant which helps pay for overtime work of deputies who strive to decrease drunk driving on area roadways. These hours can be used at any time during the calendar year.
Knoxville Police Lieutenant Darrell Brown says the GTSB studies accidents and has noticed that seatbelts not only protect each person but it can protect one passenger from injuring another occupant in the vehicle. He says in addition to front seat passengers going through the windshield there have also been accidents where passengers in the backseat jolt forward and injure front seat passengers.
Marion County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Bigaouette says the GTSB has also asked agencies to spend a little extra time watching larger vehicles once the sun goes down. He says their studies show a large number of drivers and passengers in SUVs and large trucks tend to not wear their seat belts and those numbers increase during night time hours.
Motorists are reminded that traffic fines have increased in the past year so not only will disobeying the laws cost you more financially it could cost you your life.
For more with Lt. Brown and Deputy Bigaouette tune in to today's Let's Talk Knoxville at 12:40pm or online by clicking Radio Plus on the right side of this page.


text:
Tags saves New Orleans...for at least one year.
Tags and Benson have come to an agreement to move the team back to New Orleans/Baton Rouge for 2006.
My opion is the conversation went something like this:
Tags: Your moving back to New Orleans
Benson: No I'm not
Tags: Yes you are!
Benson: I'll sue the league
Tags: You will lose and force me to remove you from ownership
Benson: I can't make my usual huge profits in that poop pit of a city
Tags: Maybe not. Your going back for at least one year. The positive spin the league will get for this will overcome any loss you may face.
Benson: This sucks. I was in bed with Phil Harbenger last night and before we performed tummy sticks on each other he said I would win a lawsuit against you. I want to make some more millions in San Antonio
Tags: Harbenger is a redneck ass clown and just because you choose to bed down with him doesn't mean his city will ever get an NFL team. This team is going to L.A. in a few years and I'm not letting some hillbilly South Texas town ruin my plans
Benson: Fine, I will go back to that stinkbowl for one year, but don't expect me to show up for games, market tickets, sign free agents, or draft anyone in the top ten. I'm promoting Venturi to head coach and I'm hiring Meatloaf to be my new GM, he hasn't had a gig since Fightclub
Tags: Good luck with your senility.
Funny, funny stuff. :lol:
Here's how it really went though:
Benson: I am moving to San Antonio
Tags: It's a small market
Benson: it's larger than New Orleans, which is now the smallest market in the US
Tags: The league is not gonna let you tarnish it's image by moving this team now
Benson: Well, then i'll sue
Tags: Okay, here's the deal. You know and I know ticket sales will be atrocious in Louisiana. But we have to put up a good front. Back down now, and if ticket sales for next season are as bad as they were this year in BR, we'll let you move with no problem and say we gave it a shot.
Benson: But i'll still lose money.
Tags: We'll have the other owners subsidize next season. All of them will be on board with the team moving once they see it will come out of their pockets to keep this team afloat. You'll be fine.
Benson: Okay.
The moral of the story is, get your and everyone you know's asses in the seats next season. No ifs ands ot buts. Force the league to committ to New Orleans long term, by showing we can still support this team. Give Benson no rights to move. He already had one foot out the door, does anyone reallybelieve he backed down this easily without some kinda backdoor deal? Tom Benson? Hell no. We need to sell that sucker out next season, BR or NO.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:59 PM.
Copyright 1997 - 2018 - BlackandGold.com


text:
Meade tends to comment — often as the only commenter — on
Why doesn't anyone over there — e.g. Dave or Dave's presumably at least slightly numerous readers — pick up the thread? Why does the conversation go nowhere? Even jjoyce won't go there. He's got to start a separate thread in the forum to discuss the Problem of Meade. It's like Dave's is the lunch table no one will sit at.


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The lights are on
It's hard to believe, but Game Informer has just printed its 200th issue.
Back in August 2001, when we hit the 100th issue milestone, we wrangled up a list
of the top 100 games of all time. We're doing a similar list for number 200
(with twice as many slots), but we thought it would be fun for our readers to check
out the last big list. You'll notice some familiar favorites, a few games
that have been forgotten over the years and plenty of argument fuel. Be sure to
look out for issue 200, too. It'll be hitting mailboxes and newsstands in
the next few days.
100. Ape Escape
99. The House of the Dead 2
This sequel took the already insane action of undead hordes relentlessly coming
at you to a more intense, more gory level. Shooters don't come any more hectic than
House of the Dead 2. With head shots a requirement and innocents to save, the only
way to describe the action is frantic. The arcade version came to Dreamcast in perfect
form. Unfortunately, without an equally perfect gun accessory, it lost something
in translation, but not enough to keep it off this list.
98. Starcraft
97. Mortal Kombat II
Characters in Mortal Kombat II risked having their arms ripped off, their bodies
bitten in half, and their heads eaten – all in spectacular fountains of blood.
Hmm…wonder what all the controversy was about? Whether its entertainment
comes more from the gameplay or the gore galore is debatable. The only thing for
sure is MK II delivered a fatality to people's wallets in the arcade and in the
96. Tetris Attack
Why this SNES game has Tetris in its name we have no idea. What we do know is that
Tetris Attack is one of the most addictive puzzle games ever created. The premise
is to match like-colored blocks by moving them on the grid with your cursor. When
they match up they disappear, and drop on your opponent. Bigger combos drop bigger
blocks, and thus the madness begins. This game can also be found on Game Boy and
on N64 as Pokémon Puzzle Challenge and Pokémon Puzzle League, respectively.
Not content to just leave well enough alone, Visual Concepts took the best next-gen
b-ball title and made it better. Sure, online play is always gonna turn some heads,
but how about wowing the masses with a great Franchise mode, new post-up moves,
and some gritty street courts? All this happened without backing down an inch from
its tight, realistic gameplay. 2K1 cemented Visual Concepts' status as a rising
sports star to be reckoned with.
94. Phantasy Star
Everyone has heard of Phantasy Star, yet it seems as though hardly anyone knows
how the series got its start. A full year before Enix changed the face of RPGs with
the NES title Dragon Warrior, Sega had already released the graphically superior
Phantasy Star. With animated battle sequences, still-frame cutscenes, and zoom-ins
for character interaction, Phantasy Star was ahead of its time, and many of its
elements are still used within today's RPGs.
93. Ninja Gaiden
It would be a long, arduous journey for Ryu Hayabusa, but gamers were there every
step of the way. Being an early user of cinematic cutscenes, this 8-bit side-scroller
found fans glued to their seats to see where the plot would take them, not to mention
the action. Although the third installment of the title was weaker than the first
two, Ryu would later be enshrined in Tecmo's Dead or Alive fighting hall of fame.
92. Cool Boarders 2
91. Mario's Picross
The premise of cross referencing numbers to locate pixels that you must uncover
to create a picture sounds about as entertaining as pulling your eyebrows out with
tweezers, but in the case of Mario's Picross, it's pure genius. Many
of the staff members here at Game Informer have defeated this game many times over,
but its brain-busting puzzles keep us coming back again and again. Plus, Mario's
Picross will make the backhoe live forever in gaming history.
90. Super Bomberman
89. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Building on the vaunted Baldur's legacy, this sequel was constructed with
exquisite detail and careful attention to every conceivable facet of gameplay. Quickly
becoming a critical darling, BGII found its way into hundreds of thousands of homes
across the world. Blending multiplayer abilities with engrossing plot lines and
eye-popping graphics, this title had many fans screaming for more as they finished
their 200-plus hour foray into the Forgotten Realms.
88. Road Rash
87. Hot Shots Golf
Sports titles usually err on the side of being too simple or too complicated, but
PS-X's Hot Shots Golf straddled the line with charm to spare. Even though the cartoony
look prompted GI to cry, "Not a Golf Sim," Hot Shots proved to give even veteran
golfers fits on its courses. Replay depth was added with hidden characters and courses,
and its lack of intimidation would pave the way for titles like Cyber Tiger and
Mario Golf.
86. Tomb Raider
Sometimes it takes a woman's touch. Where Indiana Jones or Prince of Persia failed
to make huge video game inroads, Lara Croft's English accent and twin guns made
gamers and nonplayers alike a captive audience. Peel off the pretty layers, however,
and you had a title with brain-busting puzzles, platforming, quick gunplay, plus
plot twists and turns. Even though many thought even a sequel was a game too many,
the movie starring Angelina Jolie means Lara is bigger than ever.
Sega returned with the Dreamcast, and provided stiff competition to EA's Madden
series in only its first year out (NFL 2K). One installment later and Visual Concepts'
franchise got even more game by becoming the first football title to go online.
Growing in other ways, 2K1 made its running game more accessible, and the series
itself was the first to introduce populated sidelines. NFL 2K1 has stamped "Sega"
on the sport and paved the way for a solid franchise.
84. RC Pro Am
83. Kid Icarus
Pit's journey through Angel Land to save Palutena from Medusa became a backwards/forwards,
up/down platforming adventure that captivated and frustrated. Particularly since
you only had one life per stage, and the Eggplant Wizard could cause fits. The side
rooms where you could shop, heal, power-up, and pick up treasure provided plenty
of action away from the fray. Some even were inspired enough to play through multiple
times to get the different Medusa images at the end of this NES classic.
82. Suikoden
81. Age of Empires
Microsoft certainly wasn't the first to release a resource-based real-time strategy
title, but it struck a chord with gamers with the release of its loosely historically-based
Age of Empires. Part WarCraft and part SimCity, players select a civilization, then
advance them from cavemen to castle builders. Of course, neighboring cultures eventually
clash with one another, and thanks to Age's flawless eight-player interface, war
is a welcome treat.
80. The Sims
After years of trying to shepherd your constituents into high-class apartment buildings
and sky-scraping office complexes, Maxis unleashed a world where you control the
life of a Sim citizen. From what kind of job they had to who their friends were,
you played God. Raising a family, throwing a party, or getting into fights were
only a few of the things you could arrange for your virtual family. The Sims opened
up a torrent of mods downloadable through the web, and with its quirky originality,
became a best-selling title almost overnight.
79. Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling was the first wrestling game for the NES, and it captured the imaginations
of the burgeoning home console crowd. Featuring six playable characters, each with
his own special move, this title sold like gangbusters and ultimately led the way
for the wrestling game explosion still in full force today. True fans of this classic
title can hum the music that played during the matches; if you're one of them,
you're doing it right now. This console veteran has passed the test of time
with flying colors.
78. Panzer Dragoon Saga
77. Secret of Mana
A beautiful game in its own right, Secret of Mana is actually an important release
in Square Soft's history. Other than a few Game Boy titles, this really is
the first time Square ventured outside the Final Fantasy realm and explored what
else the RPG genre has to offer. Secret of Mana's stimulating, real-time gameplay
and breathtaking settings came together to create a near Zelda killer – a
feat no developer has even come close to achieving.
76. Dr. Mario
75. Double Dragon
It has a gang that steals your girlfriend, and you and a buddy get to beat the tar
out of everyone together. Is it any wonder why it's so appealing? This side-scrolling
beat-em-up is still being imitated today, but it's hard to top the original fun
of jump kicking a whip-wielding woman in the face. Plus, the ending where the two
characters fight each other to see who gets the girl has to be one of the most pleasant
surprises in gaming.
74. Soul Calibur
73. Twisted Metal 2
Not that the first game doesn't deserve adulation as well, we chose Twisted
Metal 2 because this is the title where it all came together and blew everybody's
socks clear off. The choice of vehicles, control schematic, environmental interaction,
and sheer magnitude of destruction combine to forge an irresistible package. If
not for Gran Turismo, this would be Sony's number one franchise. Surprisingly,
even today, Twisted Metal 2 looks great, and proves to be just as addictive.
72. Robotron: 2084
With wave after wave of screens filled with enemies, mines, and flying missiles,
Robotron: 2084 had more action than one joystick could handle. Using the left stick
to move, and the right to fire, players are put in charge of rescuing the remaining
members of humanity from the Robotrons. With only a millisecond break given between
waves, Robotron is the pinnacle of relentless arcade action, where dying actually
provides a pleasant respite.
71. Banjo-Kazooie
These wisecracking goofballs are the innovators of cool. After all, they did teach
kids a number of valuable lessons. For instance, use teamwork whenever possible.
Make fun of your elders at any given chance. And always, no matter what, save the
damsel in distress. In all seriousness, you really won't find a platformer
with better level layouts, secrets, and character maneuvers. Really, who better
to stand at Mario's side than these two highly animated and well-voiced morons?
70. Zork
69. Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Few franchise sequels keep garnering the praise that Resident Evil does. First appearing
on the Dreamcast, Code: Veronica showed that the equation of Umbrella zombies +
puzzles still amounted to making the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight
up. This next-gen debut of the series still clung to its prerendered background
origins, but kept improving itself nevertheless.
68. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
67. Ghouls 'N Ghosts
An improvement of the Ghosts 'N Goblins formula, Ghouls 'N Ghosts added on to the
tale of Arthur's exploits against demonic forces with more power-ups, curses, and
the ability to throw lances up and down. Furthering this great game's legend was
a fantastic port of the arcade version to Sega Genesis, which was one of the console's
first must-have titles. Ghouls 'N Ghosts didn't do anything extraordinary, but it
did everything right, and that is what makes it great.
66. Bionic Commando
65. Donkey Kong Country 2
Rare has made some amazing games over the years, and Donkey Kong Country 2 on SNES
still stands as one of its best. This follow-up to the smash hit Donkey Kong Country
features better graphics, more perilous action/platforming, and introduces Dixie
Kong along with a great cast of other creatures you can play. Even the most hardened
action/platform players will find themselves going bananas over DKC2.
64. Gauntlet
63. Baseball Stars
Even without the MLB and MLBPA licenses, Baseball Stars simply crushed every other
NES baseball release. The smooth fielding controls allowed players to complete amazing
plays like diving for grounders and climbing the fence to rob a homer. The batter/pitcher
interface really couldn't have been delivered much better. For sim junkies,
this was one of the first games to offer seasonal stat tracking, roster management,
and player alterations.
62. Civilization
61. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Everyone knows that this is the most challenging and finely polished Sonic The Hedgehog
title. Not one to fall victim to the sophomore jinx, Sega did everything in its
power to ensure gamers the time of their lives. Along with a more diverse selection
of levels, Sega inserted a nifty two-player mode, additional super-charged moves,
and even went so far as to give Sonic a sidekick – Tails.
60. Donkey Kong
59. Tekken 2
Is it just us, or are second titles in fighting franchises always the best? Tekken
2 supports this theory by taking the much-loved control of the first, then diversifying
it with a higher number of characters, better animation, and unbelievably varied
moves. Tekken 2 was well worth the asking price of a couple quarters in the arcade,
and the extremely faithful PlayStation translation is still one of the best fighting
games on the system.
58. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
57. Arkanoid
Classic games never die, they only get better…or at least they did in the
case of Arkanoid. The basic Breakout premise was given a decade of video game advancement,
and the result was something that made its inspiration seem archaic in comparison.
Bouncing a ball against bricks became all the more exciting with power-ups to collect,
enemies to blast, and multiple levels to explore. Will there ever be a game that
does to Arkanoid what it did to Breakout? Maybe, but it seems impossible.
56. Tempest 2000
55. Chrono Cross
If ever there were a threat to the Final Fantasy Empire, it would be the Chrono
series. The latest chapter, Chrono Cross, far surpasses anything ever attempted
in an FF game. Playing the numbers game much like Konami's Suikoden, this
dynamic adventure includes over 40 playable characters and two gigantic quests,
yet never loses a step in delivering a deeply moving story. The complex combat system
and dynamic look are considered to be the most spectacular Square has ever envisioned.
54. Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins showed the gaming world that it takes more than just dark
clothes and pointy throwing objects to make it as a ninja. Forcing players to learn
and utilize stealth techniques to not only excel, but merely survive, Tenchu is
a challenging, nerve-wracking game that leaves you screaming in frustration, then
crawling back for more. Here's hoping that the silent throat-slitting will continue
on PlayStation 2.
53. Metal Gear
The depth of Hideo Kojima's first-ever game ensured that hero Solid Snake's mission
into Outer Heaven would not be the last of Metal Gear. Both its revolutionary stealth
aspects and dramatic plot turns via another cool aspect, Snake's Codec, made this
NES title a huge step above other gun-toters of the time (although it debuted on
the Japan-only MSX system). Kojima's vision has thankfully tempered unnecessary
sequels and only heightened our anticipation for more.
52 Lode Runner
51. Ridge Racer
Before Gran Turismo forever changed the racing genre, Ridge Racer was the definitive
speedster. As one of the first PlayStation games released, its texturing hasn't
withstood the test of time, but its gameplay has. Famous for its unique powerslide
steering, Ridge Racer was essentially the first racing game to push players to perfect
the controls, master the courses, and complete perfect runs. While it only offered
one course, it proved to be more than enough to keep gamers hooked.
50. Virtua Tennis
49. Half-Life: Counter-Strike
As the explosion of online multiplayer annihilation continues and mutates, one has
stood head and shoulders above the rest of the pack – Half-Life: Counter-Strike.
With incredible realism, plus an enviable blend of gameplay and graphics, this title
quickly became a world-wide phenomenon. While companies are still playing catch
up to this gargantuan hit, an equal has yet to be made. There's just nothing
better than picking off some lame camper from 100 yards with a sniper rifle.
48. Castlevania
This early NES title set up the classic confrontation between Dracula and the Belmont
family. As well as many action/platform elements that became standards in the industry,
this first in the series introduced us to the whip-wielding gameplay that's carried
the title through countless sequels. Perhaps the formula was too amazing for its
own good, however, since no Castlevania game has ever succeeded in the 3D realm.
47. Adventure
Dots, ducks, and bats were all it took to fire imaginations in the early days of
home consoles and start the first video game RPG. Atari's 2600 was host to this
simple quest to return the Enchanted Chalice to the golden castle. Along the way,
however, you'd have to locate and protect items (from being taken by that *** bat),
slay duck-billed dragons, and even find the Magic Dot. This was the first Easter
Egg, or hidden surprise, which simply read, "Created by William Robinett."
46. Super Mario World
Mario already had the patent on 8-bit gaming, so it was only natural that this Super
Nintendo pack-in title ruled the 16-bit platform roost from the word go. The plumbers
received help in the form of Yoshi, a dino companion whose taste for Koopas resulted
in special powers. Mario World had 96 stages, many with multiple endings. It may
not have deviated much from the precedent set by Mario Bros. 3, but it definitely
perfected the formula.
45. Final Fantasy Tactics
So many things can be said about this PlayStation game. On its own, it's an
amazing strategy title, but when you add in the Final Fantasy universe it goes off
the scale. With enemies that adjust to your experience levels, and different skills
that each member of your party can learn, there is so much game here you can literally
play for over 200 hours and not even be close to maxing out all your characters'
abilities. Simply amazing.
44. Excitebike
If there ever was a time when motocross didn't suffer from a social stigma, it was
in 1985, when Excitebike came out for the NES. Instead, kids everywhere reveled
in the game's mix of cool track obstacles and slight strategy (turbo too much and
you'll be wasting valuable seconds on the side of the track as your bike cools down).
In fact, Excitebike virtually introduced the sports standard of creating your own
track. The game was so highly thought of that it was included in Excitebike 64 some
15 years later.
43. Final Fantasy IX
Rather than continue its foray into sci-fi, Square Soft decided to take a step back
with the last PlayStation installment of its venerable Final Fantasy series. The
results couldn't have been grander. The main meat of the game is arguably the best
of the PlayStation lot, and the sidequests and minigames give players more than
they bargained for. A wonderful cap to an amazing series, Final Fantasy IX is a
game that will be fondly remembered by all who play it.
42. Star Wars: X-Wing
X-Wing allowed Star Wars fans to finally jump in the cockpit of a Rebel Alliance
fighter and have a dogfight with the Empire. The game (and its numerous expansions
and sequels) features a borderline flight sim interface atop well-defined graphics
that move at an appropriately blazing speed. The later addition of multiplayer finalized
this masterpiece of space warfare that still holds up incredibly well in today's
PC scene.
41. Pitfall!
Looking at it today, Pitfall! seems like
a repetitive platformer. Back in 1982, however, there was nothing like it. As Pitfall
Harry, players tried to traverse across 255 hazardous screens with only a jump button
to aid them in their quest to collect all the gold in under 20 minutes. A revolution
in gameplay, graphics, and sound (can you hear the Tarzan yell while reading this?),
Pitfall! closed down the Atari 2600, but opened the doors for hordes of platformers
to come.
40. Final Fantasy II
Super Nintendo was a great system for fans of RPGs. This Square classic started
the genre's explosion on the 16-bit console, and did so in style. It also begot
many of the series' staples, such as Chocobos, vehicles, and party configuration.
The story was original, and deviated from the simple "villain snags princess" fare
we'd been spoon-fed in so many role-playing games before. Cecil's inner struggle
made him more than just a chivalrous knight, and gave the game personality.
39. Pokémon Red/Blue
The game that made Nintendo billions of dollars, caused kids to froth at the mouth,
and drove parents nuts. Say what you will of Pokémon, there's no denying
that it is the best role-playing game on Game Boy. Once you start, you can't stop,
and it's clear why it's so popular. It's easy to hate the hype; it's
hard to hate the game. Hopefully, Pokémon will be remembered for both its
good and bad sides.
38. Tecmo Bowl
Tecmo Bowl featured less plays than the 'ball played in your backyard, but it was
the first to spawn trash-talking sessions between friends. Sure, the game wasn't
ruled by football strategy, but it gave you rowdy, infectious fun that the sport
deserved. Beyond that, it started to make football look action-packed, beyond Xs
and Os or blocky figures. Those were the days when Lawrence Taylor and Phil McKonkey
were kings, and you wouldn't want it any other way.
37. Dragon Warrior
Even though The Legend of Zelda did more to introduce gamers to the idea of role-playing
games, and even though other Japanese RPGs found their way to the States before
it, Dragon Warrior still holds a place in the hearts of many as the first RPG they
ever played. Probably more influential on the console RPG scene than any other game,
Dragon Warrior isn't perfect, but it is fun. Have you killed a slime lately?
36. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
A game so great it could only be defeated by its own sequel. Although part 2 is
definitely superior to the original, there's still plenty to love about the first
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It introduced a control scheme that implants itself into
your subconscious. The Warehouse level is still one of our favorites. Plus, the
soundtrack has yet to be topped. Pro Skater has inspired many clones, but they all
have yet to defeat this ambassador of kickyourassator.
35. Super Mario Kart
This racer with a focus on fun spawned more crummy imitators than Elvis, but you
can't blame Mario Kart. It's only natural for companies to try to capitalize on
one of the best multiplayer games ever. All your favorites from the Mario universe
are here, racing for place and battling for bragging rights. SNES' Mode 7 scaling
revolutionized the way racing games looked, and Kart's weapons added a new dimension
to play. Not even the 64-bit update can compete with this originator.
34. Resident Evil 2
The first introduced us to the concept of survival horror, but Resident Evil 2 honed
the formula to a fine edge. The graphics got a serious upgrade, plus players were
given more gore and weapons and the opportunity to play two different characters.
Fear is a difficult emotion to evoke in a game, and Resident Evil 2 is guaranteed
to put a shudder in your spine. Best of all, after the game is done, it can be played
again with a different story. The horror…The horror…
33. EverQuest
The online multiplayer RPG phenomenon started with a little-known game called Meridian
59 from 3DO in 1996, which was then improved upon by Ultima Online, and eventually
perfected by EverQuest from Verant Interactive. In this persistent online fantasy
world, thousands of players must work together to defeat dragons, slay giants, and
explore the lands of Norrath. Through expansion packs and patches, new areas are
opened, and even various things change over time to keep the game new and fresh
to its legions of players.
32. Mega Man 2
No, we didn't roll a die to determine which Mega Man we would insert into
the Top 100. Even if you played the first adventure, you can't help but feel
completely overwhelmed by part two. Along with a tremendous musical score, Capcom
ironed out the difficulty, added vehicles, and most importantly, made the boss encounters
as exciting and nerve-wracking as they could possibly be. This standard was refined
in dozens of sequels and offshoots, but Mega Man 2 still reigns supreme.
31. SimCity
Although there were plenty of other sim games
for PC before its debut, SimCity's micromanagement features offerred something for
fans to drool over, and over, and over. Not only that, but this game served as a
template for sims of other topics (whether it be building railroads, theme parks,
etc.) and was at the forefront of an explosion in the genre in the late '80s.
Who'd a thunk that your average Joe/Jane would give two turds about zoning or city
planning before SimCity?
30. Super Mario Bros. 2
With the absence of Shigeru Miyamoto, what was originally titled Yumekojo Doki Doki
Panic in Japan became Super Mario Bros. 2. This awkward-looking platformer instantly
turned into a beloved staple of the Super Mario franchise. Taking on the persona
of your favorite characters from the original Nintendo offering, Mario 2 allowed
you to capitalize on their strengths to help you overcome the diverse level types.
Toad has never looked better.
29. Super Metroid
The first Metroid on NES certainly deserves props for pioneering the series, but
Super Metroid on SNES is its pinnacle. To many of the Game Informer staff, Super
Metroid and Metroid easily make the top ten, but since we let the readers in on
this list, Super Metroid slid down a bit. Best described as an RPG with no talk
and all action, Metroid is an adventure like no other. Fans all across the world
wait patiently for the next installment in the series on GameCube, but until that
shows what it's got, Super Metroid is still king (errr…queen).
28. Command & Conquer
1995 witnessed the birth of a revolution in the real-time strategy genre. With the
release of C&C, gamers were able to play through an entire campaign as one contingent,
then turn around and play an entirely different storyline through the eyes of those
who were once your enemy. Multiplayer capabilities made for even more replay value.
Westwood was able to produce extremely successful sequels to this game, but the
original stands as a testament to a tried and true gameplay formula.
27. Madden NFL 2001
Nothing more than new rosters? Not quite. Madden 2001 was not only the prerequisite,
but the defining game for the PS2. Collecting cards, slick graphics, and fast player
movements were enough to excite fans something fierce, even if there were features
from previous editions missing. Real-time, TV-style presentation between plays brought
a drama found only on the field itself, and could even make playing the Falcons
26. Crash Bandicoot: Warped
The first Crash is too hard, the second Crash is too easy, but Crash 3 is just right.
Packed with lots of wacky vehicles, amazingly fun time trials, and all the fantastic
action/platforming that you have come to expect from the series, this game really
is the ultimate Crash title. Definitely one any player would want in their library.
25. Warlords
It isn't pretty, even by Atari 2600 standards, but Warlords was the original trash-talking
four-player combat game, and it's still the best. The goal of the game is simple:
maneuver your shield so the ball destroys other players' walls while protecting
your own. With a paddle in everyone's hand, however, Warlords quickly transforms
from a simple Pong/Breakout hybrid into a nerve-wracking fight to the finish. Fast
and visceral, Warlords is as addicting now as it was 20 years ago.
24. Sonic The Hedgehog
We don't know how the Sega Genesis would have fared without a mascot. All we do
know is that after Sonic The Hedgehog became the pack-in cartridge for Genesis,
Sega soon controlled the majority of the early '90s console market. Sonic perfectly
showcased the Genesis' vivid graphics and processing speed. It was also a fun and
inventive platformer. Sonic's adventures have since taken him into the 3D realm,
but his 2D incarnations are still the most fondly remembered.
23. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Bringing the series back to its isometric roots and expanding on the world of Hyrule,
the first SNES Zelda is a graphical breakthrough and one of the most clever games
to date. After the mediocre NES release, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, no one
really knew where Nintendo would take this series next. Rather than continuing its
experiments, Nintendo stayed true to the original, and formed the gameplay foundation
for all forthcoming Zelda titles to follow.
22. Street Fighter II
One-on-one fighting games didn't hit big-time until this masterpiece showed up in
arcades. Capcom's flagship fighter let you pick from a group of World Warriors (instead
of one default character), each with his or her own special techniques. Turbo upped
the speed ante, and the Super Nintendo received near-perfect ports. It's impossible
to measure the massive influence that Street Fighter II had on the fighting game
genre as a whole. Ryu be praised.
21. Gran Turismo
Video game racing is as old as the hills, but it wasn't until '98 that Gran
Turismo offered the complete package. GT delivered in graphics, gameplay, and depth
like none before. The latter aspect was seen in the Reference Manual, which detailed
cars' specs and told you how it all works on the track. The game offered more than
just real courses and cars. Players were bowled over by the all-encompassing sim
experience, from buying Racing Stabilizers to correct entry angles for turns.
Blood flowed red on the ice when you were injured, and that was just one of the
perks of playing the first NHL title developed by EA itself. From here on out the
publisher would be known for keeping on top of yearly rosters, and it started with
NHLPA 93 (even if it meant that official team logos had to be axed from the year
before). Stats also played a bigger role in 93, with even the tracking of the crowd's
decibel level possible. Saveable line changes brought more strategy than before,
although NHLPA 93 was still an intense experience out on the ice. The game's speed
flows, and helped mark hockey as one of the best multiplayer sports on consoles
for years to come.
19. Galaga
Namco took one of its good games, Galaxian, and added the strategic option of allowing
ships to be captured, then rescued for a double dose of firepower, danger, and fun.
Twenty years later, Galaga is still the best there is in the shooter arena. Galaga
was also one of the first games to introduce the idea of a safe, yet frustrating,
bonus round in the form of the Challenge Stage. The fear of getting trapped in a
corner by shots, the agony of accidentally shooting your own ship and receiving
a measly 1,000 points as compensation, and the thrill of scoring perfectly on a
Challenge Stage have not been tempered by time, and the pull of a Galaga upright
is still an undeniable force for any quarters in your pocket.
When this game hit the PlayStation in 1997, Konami's Castlevania series was already
a well-respected and long-standing franchise. Still, nobody expected the mastery
that Symphony of the Night embodied. Expertly sticking to its 2D roots, this game
showed unparalleled artistry in both appearance and sound. The gothic mood was shown
in every echoing organ note and stained-glass backdrop. Everything about Symphony
was massive. Bosses were colossal, the map was huge, and the list of weapons and
items was staggering. The gameplay borrowed a bit from Metroid, with the acquisition
of powers to reach new areas. Beat the "end boss," and you find out
you've only fought half the battle. Using PlayStation's technology with old-school
gameplay resulted in a masterpiece that may be one of the last two-dimensional gaming
17. Metal Gear Solid
Snake's gaming return was one of the most hyped-up events in video game history.
For months, tidbits of info leaked out on this Hideo Kojima opus, and the collective
gaming world was foaming at the mouth to play this marvel. When it released in 1998,
it didn't disappoint. The immersive storytelling of Kojima unfolded the deep, involved
plot of special agent Solid Snake and his quest to destroy the Metal Gear weapon.
Beautiful, real-time cutscenes were used to convey the emotion of the mission, and
multiple gameplay styles had Snake doing everything from rappelling down a building
to leisurely taking photos. Deviating from your objectives was encouraged, and showed
off the game's amazing detail. Just remember kids: tobacco is wacko, if you're a
16. GoldenEye 007
15. Chrono Trigger
Square is best known for Final Fantasy, and for good reason. After all, four FF
titles made this very list. Square isn't a one-trick pony, though, and the company
made many other great RPGs, such as Secret of Mana, Xenogears, and Vagrant Story.
Of all those, however, Chrono Trigger on SNES is king of the hill. The time traveling
enabled lots of room for exploration, and brought forth some truly interesting characters,
all created by Dragon Ball's Toriyama. What other game would have a party consisting
of a medieval frog, a futuristic robot, and an Amazon? These partners in quest could
team up for dazzling combo attacks. The actions you picked affected the way the
story unfolded, leading up to 15 different endings. You could even recruit the main
bad guy. Chrono Trigger is the stuff legends are made of.
14. Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
At the peak of his profession and popularity, Mike Tyson appeared in Nintendo's
Punch Out!! Based on the arcade game, players took the part of the underdog, Little
Mac, in his quest to become heavyweight champ. Some matches were total jokes (Glass
Joe), some required paced pugilism (Bald Bull), and others were like deducing a
puzzle (King Hippo). The hard road to higher ranking would eventually lead you to
a face-off with Mike Tyson that was as impossible as defeating him in real life.
The one thing Mike Tyson couldn't defeat, however, was controversy, and charges
of violence soon put his career in a downward spiral. Nintendo removed Tyson's name
from Punch Out!! and replaced his character with Mr. Dream. Ever since, boxing hasn't
had a champion as well-received as Tyson, and consoles haven't had a boxing game
as beloved as Punch Out!!
13. Contra
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start – the classic Konami
code that launched a thousand lives and made one of its first appearances with this
mainly side-scrolling shoot-fest (two levels were in a third-person 3D). Two dudes,
temporary power-ups, plenty of weapons, and awesome bosses whipped NES owners into
a frenzy and became trademarks of the series. It's not that any one aspect of Contra
was revolutionary, other than that it all added up to unshakable fun, despite being
a difficult game to conquer. This success would see the series on to several incarnations,
including ones for the PlayStation, but the simple magic of the 8- and 16-bit editions
wasn't to be duplicated.
12. Super Mario 64
As a well-established icon in the two-dimensional world, Mario faced his toughest
hurdle – transferring his platforming fundamentals into the unexplored third
dimension. With Shigeru Miyamoto holding his hand the entire way, Mario made the
leap – a leap that would go on to alter the face of gaming as we know it.
As Miyamoto so boldly embarked into uncharted territory, he remained loyal to the
series and implemented as many classic elements as he could. The soundtrack, gameplay
direction, and wacky cast of characters delivered the classic sensation gamers so
highly demanded. The transformation to 3D allowed Miyamoto to expand upon his award-winning
formula. With the sheer size of the environments came the need to explore and study
the surroundings. This was one small step for Mario, yet one giant leap for mankind.
11. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Untouchable was a good way to describe this game when it released. Nothing had been
done like it before, and we sat in quiet awe as we traveled the land of Hyrule in
ways we never thought possible. Utilizing a 3D engine to power Link's new
adventure, Miyamoto showed us all why he is still considered the reigning super-heavyweight
champion of video game creators. The epic story of Link's battle against Ganondorf
through time to save the Princess enthralled us for weeks on end. The graphics amazed,
the controls were gorgeous, and the unveiling of Z-targeting had fans in a lather.
Incorporating elements from previous Zelda offerings, Ocarina struck the perfect
balance between old-school institutions and radical new ideas. From minigames to
intricate puzzles and enormous environments, Ocarina of Time represents a benchmark
in gaming history.
10. Final Fantasy VII
In 1997, the RPG faithful took a collective gasp in wonderment as Square Soft unleashed
its newest opus, Final Fantasy VII, on the PlayStation. Few would argue that the
series' pent-up graphical potential was finally allowed to come to fruition
in this gorgeously rendered universe. Taking the role of Cloud, you joined Avalanche
– a group fighting against the evil Shinra Corporation. Shinra has devised
a way to suck life energy out of the planet and use it to control the universe.
Summon attacks were unleashed on opponents, which were as beautiful to look at as
they were devastating to their targets. Final Fantasy VII's effortless gameplay,
luxuriously vast plot lines, numerous sidequests, minigames, and a virtual mountain
of items to discover kept many of us up far past more sensible bedtimes.
9. Ms. Pac-Man
Around a year after Pac-Man had taken the world by storm, Namco and Midway released
the female counterpart that would eventually outlast and outsell the original. Ms.
Pac-Man had it all over her hubby. The game had multiple mazes, food that marched
about the screen rather than remaining stationary, and ghosts that couldn't be fooled
by any pattern. Ms. Pac-Man went on to become the best-selling arcade game of all
time, and versions of the game have appeared on virtually every home console since
the Atari 2600. Due to continuing popularity, Ms. Pac-Man cabinets can still be
found in abundance across the American landscape. If anyone questions this masterful
maze chase's place in the top ten of all time, it still costs but 25 cents to find
out the truth.
8. Super Mario Bros. 3
In this legendary release, Mr. Miyamoto took the reigns of the Mario series once
again and made the world stand up and take notice. Wildly successful doesn't
begin to describe the impact this game had on the video game landscape. With sales
well in excess of 7 million copies worldwide, gamers reveled in the title's
enormous levels and multitudinous secrets. Drawing inspiration from Super Mario
Bros., this third installment captured the light-hearted exploration which permeated
the first, while at the same time inserting gameplay elements that delighted young
and old alike. With the addition of different power-ups and suits for players to
find and use, Mario took on forms never before seen. Not only has this release stood
the test of time with iron-clad gameplay and eye-popping graphics, it has continued
to capture the imaginations of fans around the planet. Super Mario Bros. 3 is truly
one of the finest pieces of entertainment software ever released.
7. Final Fantasy III
Of all the Final Fantasy games ever made, FFIII was the best. That's quite a statement,
considering how good each and every installment has been. Released in Japan as Final
Fantasy VI, this Super Nintendo RPG rewrote the book on what a role-playing game
should be. Where developers once took a lackadaisical approach to graphics, FFIII
had some of the sharpest visuals ever seen on a 16-bit system. The music was second
to none, as well. But the play, that's where it shined brightest. Everything
gameplay-wise in this title just clicked. Espers taught your characters magic. Each
party member had his or her own distinct personality. Relics would enhance attributes.
Hours could be spent gaining new items in the arena. No other game in the series
can topple Final Fantasy III, and likewise neither can any other RPG.
6. Metroid
5. Doom
Lately it seems Doom will be best remembered in infamy, which is a shame since this
groundbreaking title deserves to be recollected in a much better light. The contributions
Doom has made to the video game world are legion. It busted the first-person shooter
genre wide open. It proved shareware and game demos could be a viable marketing
tool. It showed how visceral the online head-to-head experience could be. It opened
the doors for player-created game expansions. Perhaps more important than all these
landmarks, however, is the fact that Doom is just plain fun. No matter what system
it's running on, exploring, finding secrets, and killing everything in sight
within the smooth first-person engine is as fresh now as when Doom was first introduced.
Why not download a shareware copy in your spare time to see just how well the game
has aged, and just how much other games have borrowed from this classic?
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
From nowhere, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater made skateboarding arguably more popular
than standards like football. None thought that a more addictive drug could be distilled
for the sequel, but that's exactly what we got. Wringing the PS-X for all it's
worth, more detailed skaters, attributes, and create-a-park/skater features were
just a few of the additions. Taking already perfect controls, Tony 2 allowed you
to configure your tricks to your liking by either changing the button mapping or
purchasing from a huge list of moves and specials. Replay wasn't a luxury, it was
mandatory – not just to unlock new characters, but to find every gap and rack
up points every which way. The Hawk series has created a rush of replicas and made
a mold for extreme sports in general. The sheer evolution from number one to two
has rivals still wallowing in the dust – even though it's almost two years
and a few consoles after the fact. Not just the greatest sports game ever, but a
modern classic for the ages.
3. Tetris
Created in 1985 by Russian mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris is the world's
best-selling and best-known puzzler. While working as a programmer in the field
of speech recognition and artificial intelligence at the Computer Center of the
Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Pajitov often programmed games to test various equipment.
In the case of Tetris, he decided to create a program that simulated the traditional
puzzle game Pentomino (a game that requires you to fit 12 differently shaped pieces
formed out of five squares into a box). "When I wrote the program for rotation
of pieces and I saw how it worked, poomph! I knew it would be great in real time,"
Pajitnov remembers. Soon Pajitnov realized that the 12-5 combination was too much,
so he reduced the number to 7 pieces formed out of 4 squares, and Tetris was born.
Soon the game was spreading all over Moscow just by word of mouth, and in time,
across the globe. Today, Tetris can be played on handhelds, PCs, and console machines,
and you can bet it will be a part of gaming until the end of time.
2. Super Mario Bros.
Video games were resurrected with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System,
and Mario was the voodoo high priest. This game was included with the NES, so the
millions of people who bought the console were immediately down with the plumber.
Children would gather at their friend's house after school and play it religiously.
Parents would wait for their kids to go to sleep so they could take on the role
of the pot-bellied Italian, who is still the most recognizable face in video games.
Unlike previous platformers, which featured a handful of levels each on a single
screen, the entire Mushroom Kingdom spanned 32 massive stages. Mario kicked turtles
on land, dodged squid underwater, and squashed Goomba underground, all with flawless
control. Coin collecting and secret searching added an element of replay that was
foreign to games at that point. Everyone knows about the hidden 1-up in the first
stage, or the warp zone to World 4. Everyone also knows that Super Mario Bros. is
the crown jewel of platform games, and Mario is king.
Email the author Jeff Cork, or follow on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Game Informer.


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Avoid contractions, colloquial forms, repetition of forms (Idid this, then I did that. Next I did the other). Don't start every single sentence with a connector. Avoid one-sentence paragraphs- either an idea should be developed, or it should added elsewhere. I hate direct questions- you're supposed to be answering them, and I find it annoying when people start on the 'have you ever thought...' stuff. Exclamations marks are the kiss of death in a composition for me- someone once said that they were like laughing at your own jokes- your reader shouldn't need a guide to emphasis if it's well-written.
Student or Learner


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Shady 2.0 SXSW Showcase Lineup
It's about to go down. Tonight, it was announced that 50 Cent will headline the Shady 2.0 SXSW Showcase and perform his classic debut, Get Rich Or Die Trying in its entirety. Slaughterhouse will also be in tow.
The Next Phase showcase, presented by RapRadar, will also feature Big K.R.I.T., Schoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Don Trip, S.T.S. and The Foodchain. It all goes down Friday, March 16th at the Austin Music Hall. More info here.


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Man arrested for Hickory murder
On Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 3:40 a.m., officers responded to the area of the 300 block of 19th Ave NE in reference to a call of a shooting. Upon arrival officers located one victim who had been shot. Billy Chad Dellinger, 35 of Hickory was transported to Frye Regional Medical Center where he later died as a result of his injuries.
To read more of this story, pick up the Friday edition of Catawba County's community newspaper, The Observer News Enterprise, at newsstands throughout the county.


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"American Grace" by Campbell and Putnam and "Who Really Cares" by Brooks are just two of the books which detail the extent to which conservatives and religious are more generous than liberals and secularists. In 2008, nine of the 10 least generous states were carried by Obama. No surprise there.
This is about the gun control they're trying to act. It's never going to happen. The NRA is so powerful, they're more powerful than our government. They give so much money to these politicians not to vote for it so it will never happen. So these people better just wake up because gun control will never happen.
What nerve does Spring-Ford School District have? They have added another six-figure salary to the budget by creating a new administrative position. The current administration needs to have their salaries cut to make up for this added burden placed upon the taxpayer.
This is in reference to the Affordable Heath Care Act (Obamacare) that will be taking place in 2014. Everyone needs to be aware of the taxes that they do this year is going to affect their eligibility for the "refund" that they'll receive next year. I paid in for over 13 years over $1,000 a month that I never used and just recently I do need to use but I can't use it because I'm unemployed now. So, can I get that money back?
Let me see if I have this right. The government cannot exist with 2 percent less spending so they're going to furlough people, take them from a five-day week down to a four-day week. Now how are those people going to exist with a 20 percent cut in income?
This is to Betty Lou. It is unfortunate that our town is in bad shape but in this economy people are struggling to pay their bills and buy food. Buying paint does not seem a top priority when you and your children are hungry. Maybe by judging these homeowners, you could hand out gift cards to Home Depot since you seem to be in better financial shape than the rest of us.
Can you really believe the headlines that the U.S. is sending $60 million in aid to the Syrian rebels? We're talking about going through this sequestration and cutting back and we're sending money to the Syrian rebels when we could use the money here. What is going on in Washington with this president and with our new secretary of state? Unbelievable.
When you make a telephone call and they have you push one to remain talking in English, I don't know why you even bother because you're only going to get somebody else that you can't understand anyway and then they get mad because you can't understand them.
I read that eating a medium fruit and yogurt smoothie at a national chain contains four times as much sugar as a chocolate frosted doughnut. I always knew that eating three doughnuts was healthier than eating yogurt.
We get it. Hollywood and the Obamas have an ongoing mutual love affair. I fully understand they all live in a pretend world where perception and acting is their reality. Now I simply change the channel when they appear. Their act is becoming worn and weary. Why doesn't NBC, CBS or ABC just give the Obamas their own talk show, government funded of course? Barack can make guest appearances and discuss the latest book he wrote about himself.
Betty Lou, you said you were riding around Pottstown and people should be fined. How about the people on fixed income? The taxes are so out of hand in Pottstown that homeowners can't afford to fix their home anymore. Too busy saving so they don't get forced out of their house. So Betty Lou, think before you speak.
Unbelievable. One person retires, we play musical chairs with a bunch of administrators, everybody gets a raise and we still have to hire a new principal for what kind of outrageous amount. You need one principal for fifth and sixth graders?
Just got the 2013 Montgomery County West Pottsgrove/Stowe Township annual real estate tax bill. What a surprise. It went up $100 from last year. But I guess that's not hard to figure out. The Democrats are in control in Montgomery County and that's why it went up that much and it's going to keep going up. You people put them in, that's what you get.


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Today's DailyWorth is for entrepreneurs.
Put on your thick skin. It's time to get down to business.
A model approach
As a successful entrepreneur, friends regularly approach me to share new business ideas.
Can I be honest? I'm not that interested in your idea, or even how fabulous your product is. What I care about is how your business will make profit.
Don't start throwing your hard-earned dollars into product development until you clarify your financial model.
- Get real on costs.
All products cost money: e.g. materials, labor, shipping, and some portion of your overhead (rent, utilities, taxes). As production costs rise, your sales margins drop. So let's consider the price.
- Pick your price carefully.
Price is a core issue, notes Megan Auman, CEO and founder of CraftMBA.com, and the author of a new ebook, released last month.
"Too often, entrepreneurs fail to grasp the difference between wholesale and retail price," she says. Auman's rule of thumb:
Wholesale price = Cost of materials + labor + expenses + a markup for profit
- Calculate customer acquisition cost
Calculate what it costs you to acquire each new customer, advises David Ronick, founder of UpStartAdvisors.com. Whether you're selling a product or service, "Pick a time frame, like three months," he says, "then figure out how many new customers the company attracted during that time, and what were all the expenses involved in acquiring that customer?"
Your expenses divided by the number of customers yields the cost of acquiring one customer. Ronick adds that the margin (i.e. what you pocket) should be about three times the acquisition cost.
Bottom line
Love your idea, love your model more. Share your small business success stories here.


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Lifestyle companies are, as partially defined by Wikipedia, businesses that are established and run by their founders with the primary aim of sustaining the founder and, secondarily, those who work for the founder. Wikipedia says that the lifestyle owner wants to sustain a specific level of income that will give the owner a basis on which to live a particular lifestyle. I think the definition is broader than that though. A New York Times article offers other definitions: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/is-the-term-lifestyle-business-an-insult/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0. And here's another question: at what point is a lifestyle company called a privately held company (one that does not have shareholders, or does an IPO)? Mary Sullivan, a blogger, offers still another point of view on the subject: http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/starting-a-business/3878259-1.html
I also believe that lifestyle companies make up a large percentage of the tax base…after all, lifestyle companies don't have lobbyists or have the kind of money it takes to wield enough power to get tax breaks for themselves.
As I've written about Natori, lifestyle, or privately held, companies have the advantage of being able to dictate exactly what the owners want to do with it. This includes sustaining a high level of quality, ethics, etc. For fashion designers and others, this is important – it's directly related to the owner's vision. I've seen lifestyle owners customize their products for clients – still another advantage. Lifestyle companies also offer the owner the potential for a lot of individual freedom and flexibility in their lives. Most companies who I come in contact with at the entrepreneur and other courses I'm involved with (Fast Trac at Levin Institute, Licensing and Design Entrepreneurs NYC Mini-MBA program at FIT) and mentoring (Lang School of Entrepreneurship at Columbia University and Philadelphia Fashion Incubator), are lifestyle companies.
So while lifestyle companies are portrayed as "unglamourous" in the press and in certain communities, like Silicon Valley, Silicon Alley and the Route 128 corridor, they can often be a wise business decision and a road to success for the entrepreneur. Here are some other opinions along the same lines.
What's your opinion?
#lifestylecompany #startups #entrepreneurs #lifestylebusiness
Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.
She is the author of Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing.


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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Uncertainty about the "fiscal cliff" in Washington could have a significant impact on consumer behavior over the holidays in a state like Maryland that relies on the federal government for so many jobs, the head of the Maryland Retailers Association told a panel of state officials on Thursday.
The state's Board of Revenue Estimates held a meeting to hear from business leaders from a cross section of industries about how they view economic conditions in the state. They often referred to the Jan. 1 deadline in Washington, when tax breaks are set to expire and big automatic spending cuts are triggered.
"The fiscal cliff impact as I look at it is not whether we go over it but how close we come to it, because the impact on jobs and money in Maryland is so dramatic it will have a dramatic effect on peoples' behavior, if they think they're going to lose their job or they think they're going to lose contracts," said Pat Donoho, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.
Donoho said that's the part that worries his organization the most, because it will directly impact consumer spending.
Chuck Ferrar, who owns Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits in Annapolis and is president of American Beverage Licensees, said he was concerned about how the fiscal cliff could affect his business. Ferrar estimated that 60 percent of his customers are federal, state or county employees. Another significant portion of his customers live off of contracts with government agencies. He said he sensed his customers lost confidence during the recession and its aftermath, noting that many who once bought a $15 bottle of wine dropped down to a $10 bottle instead.
"It's the unknown," Ferrar said. "It's the fear of what's going to happen."
The board heard from representatives from the banking and financial services, real estate, consumer services, utilities, and manufacturing industries.
While Maryland's budget outlook is better now than in recent years, the cliff is only about six weeks away.
"Maryland's disproportionately high income levels and our symbiotic relationship with the District (of Columbia) puts us at a greater risk than almost all other states," said Andrew Schaufele, assistant director of the Bureau of Revenue Estimates. "Nobody really knows what is going to happen at this stage. The only certainty with regard to the fiscal cliff is the tremendous amount of uncertainty."
Schaufele noted one forecast that estimated there could be more than 100,000 job losses in Maryland if Congress does not avoid the cliff. Revenue estimates made by the board in September assumed Congress would take action to avoid falling off the cliff. The board will be revising revenue estimates in December.
"We do presume the Congress will act to lessen the impact of sequestration and that some of the tax cuts that are set to sunset will be extended," Schaufele said.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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7 U.S. Code §§ 521 - Omitted or Transferred
Sections, act June 15, 1929, ch. 24, §§ 1–15, 46 Stat. 11, as amended, were omitted or transferred as set forth below.
Section 521, which related to declaration of policy, effective merchandising of agricultural commodities, speculation, cooperative marketing, surpluses and administration of the chapter, was transferred to section 1141 of Title 12, Banks and Banking.
Section 522, which related to appointment, compensation, qualifications, term of office, and expenses of Governor of Farm Credit Administration, was transferred to section 1141a of Title 12, and was repealed by act Aug. 6, 1953, ch. 335, § 19, 67 Stat. 400. See section 2244 et seq. of Title 12.
Section 523, which related to designation of agricultural commodities and establishment of advisory commodity committees, was omitted.
Section 524, which related to general powers of Farm Credit Administration, was transferred to section 1141b of Title 12.
Section 525, which related to special powers of Administration, was transferred to section 1141c of Title 12.
Section 526, which related to authorization of a revolving fund, was transferred to section 1141d of Title 12.
Section 527, which related to loans to cooperative associations, was transferred to section 1141e of Title 12.
Section 528, which related to miscellaneous loan provisions, was transferred to section 1141f of Title 12.
Section 529, which provided for recognition, upon application of advisory commodity committee, of stabilization corporations for commodities, and prescribed functions and operations in connection therewith, was transferred to section 1141g of Title 12, and was subsequently omitted from the Code as obsolete.
Section 530, which related to clearing house associations, was omitted.
Section 531, which related to insurance against loss through price decline, was omitted.
Section 532, which related to appropriation for administrative expenses, was omitted.
Section 533, which related to avoidance of duplication, cooperation with other governmental establishments, obtaining information and data, cooperation with States, Territories, and agencies or subdivisions thereof, indication of research problems, and transfer of offices and functions, etc. was transferred to section 1141h of Title 12.
Section 534, which related to examination of books and accounts, was transferred to section 1141i of Title 12.
Section 535, which related to miscellaneous provisions, was transferred to section 1141j of Title 12.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Hundreds of XC skiers fill the Lakes Basin
The Mammoth Classic school races and the Alan Bard Classic Race took at the Tamarack XC Center last weekend and drew hundreds of athletes.
Mammoth Classic races for High School and Middle School athletes took place first and local skiers performed well against the field of 240 visiting athletes.
HS Girls Open:
1st – Amanda Kirkeby
3rd – Jody Meads
6th – Kylie LaFramboise
7th – Katherine Janisse
HS Boys Open:
4th – Carson Bold
5th – Jack Roten
6th – Philip Oxford
7th – Nick Damico
MS Girls:
14th – Fleur Connolly
18th – Lindsey Peitsch-Roberts
21st – Meaghan Thompson
MS Boys:
6th – Cameron Small
10th – Trace Calvin
14th – Connor Kusumoto
19th – Harrison Manzano
24th – Calvin Forsythe
29th – Martin Thompson
31st – Jacob Mahler
33rd – Eddie Mattiessen
35th – Rand Bourne
38th – Quinn Contaldi
39th – Malachi Schrager
51st – Finely Bourne
54th – Nevin Tanzer
70th – Tanner Bissonette
77th – Jack Peckenpaugh
80th – Tristan Perpall
The Alan Bard Classic on Sunday drew athletes of all ages to the race. Local racers took many top age division awards.
Racers from Bishop to Mammoth took many top three-age division awards. In Nordic racing, age classes for adults are generally in five- or 10-year increments, while junior classes are in two-year increments.
The Allan Bard Classic was also a Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) race for athletes 13 years of age and older. Amanda Kirkeby posted a time in her 5K race that took her one step closer to qualifying for the Junior Nationals in March. The last JNQ race will be Feb. 20 in Tahoe and the results there will determine who will represents the Far West Team at Junior Nationals.
20K Women's Divisions:
1st – Marie French (M1)
1st – Carolyn Tiernan (M4)
2nd – Mary Bassler (M2)
20K Men's Divisions:
2nd – Steve Feir (M3)
1st – Doug Will (M4)
2nd – Jason Will (Sr)
3rd – Chris Leonard (M1)
10K Women's Divisions:
1st – Britt Cogan (Sr)
1st – Janine Karlen (M1)
1st – Sherilynne Will (M3)
2nd – Kelly Hawtre (M3)
5K Girls Divisions:
3rd – Laurel Fiddler (J1)
3rd – Amanda Kirkeby (J2)
5K Boys Divisions:
3rd – Cameron Small (J3)
4K Boys Division:
1st – Jared Mahler (J4)
2nd – Liam Bassler (J4)
3rd – Tanner Bissonnette (J4)
1.5K Girls:
1st – Stella Anderson (J5)
2nd – Cecillia Bassler (J5)
3rd – Rhona McChesney (J5)
1.5K Boys:
1st – Bjorn Karlen (J5)
2nd – Mitchell Parsons (J5)
For complete results please visit: