Monday, January 16, 2012

Are You in Debt - This Article Will Change Your Life For Ever

!±8± Are You in Debt - This Article Will Change Your Life For Ever

Within just a few weeks it will transform your life; No more stress or sleepless nights, you will be happy and life will be fun again.

This is NOT a get rich scheme (SORRY THERE IS NO MAGIC FORMULA).

(STOP NOW- do not use credit to finance your lifestyle, no more loans no more credit cards. (You are going to be a cash only person) stop giving away you hard earn money, once you are clear of debt and turned the corner you can then re-focus on becoming wealthy. The facts are you have NO option you MUST clear your debts, if you fail the consequents are Foreclosure on your home, your car reclaimed by the HP Company, court orders, bankruptcy.)(SORRY but that is the hard truth).

Quote from the course:

Nevertheless, that will NOT happen to you because you are going to implement the recovery plan that we will set out for you.

Are you in Debt? we receive many e-mails asking if an internet, e-commerce business can transform debt into wealth. We cannot promise that, to start any business takes commitment, you must be focused and have a business plan, set key objectives. You also need to have time to develop your new business.

If you are in Debt, you are often under pressure from your creditors, stressed. First consider you priorities:-

- Would you like to pay off your mortgage?
- Would you like to pay off your bank overdraft,loans and credit cards?
- Follow our plan, clear your debts, and become financially independent. (THEN you can move to the next level how to become wealthy).
- You cannot wish to pay off your debts; you need the commitment and the WILL to make it happen, which will require changes to the way you control your money and your spending habits.

Create a new future, turn debt into wealth:

Course content:

1. Step one make the commitment.
2. Actions that will move your bank account into the black.
3. Golden rules to success
4. Review your current financial status.
5. Were you ever taught how control your money?
6. Money makes money, your key objective to get debt free.
7. Why do we fall into the credit card trap?
8. Those cards must go. (High interest crazy)
9. You must operate on a cash only basis. ( you will quickly see the benefits, it is amazing the extra money it creates)
10. HP the monthly payments that cause you worry and stress.
11. Now you have the mind set to pay off ALL your debts.
12. Manage your spending. (Impulse buying will blow your plan right out of the water)
13. Being in debt can be due to bad luck; however, it is far more likely to be our own fault, failing to manage our finance.

The Golden rule, NEVER spend above your means, which includes loans credit cards, over spending on luxuries, cars, holidays, entertainment, drinking, smoking.

Evaluate you current spending habits, YOUR OBJECTIVE to clear all debts, have money in the bank, plan to make money and ensure a new future. Eliminate stress, worry, and depression. Freedom happiness and wealth is NOT just a dream. YOU CAN DO and YOU MUST DO IT. (Develop that mind set believe in yourself, do it for your family and for your well being and health).
We have set the scenario, now we take one-step at a time and make it happen.

Above all, you must be honest, with your personal assessments; you must also be realistic, DO not set impossible goals.

Step one make the commitment

You are about to take the most important step to clearing your debts and achieving personal wealth.

1. I am totally committed to following the advice in this manual, I will make changes in attitude and the way I manage my money, necessary to achieve my main objective build a debt free and wealthy future.

2. In order to plan your systematic recovery and transform debt into wealth we need to put our cards on the table, hide nothing, be honest and complete the following questionnaire.
Please complete the following questionnaire.

It will provide the status of your current financial position. (sorry in this format the table forms do not work, it is better if you are working with the correct forms/ tables ( read on once you are committed to giving it your best shot. you can go to our web page and see the FREE course complete with forms)

No Answer the following questions (Truth only) Yes or No YES NO

1 Do you carry you credit card balance over each month
2 Do you have more than three credit cards that on the upper limit
3 Do you ever use one credit card to pay debts or pay off other cards
4 Do you only pay the minimum payment on credit cards each month,
5 Have you reach your maxim limits on all your cards
6 Are you are struggling to even make the minimum payments
7 Do you have more than 10 years to pay on your mortgage
8 Do you have your car on a finance agreement
9 Have you taken out a second mortgage to pay off debts
10 Are you planning to buy a new car
11 Do you have personal loans, bank over drafts
12 Do you have store cards to purchase goods
13 Are you living beyond your means, struggling every month
14 Have you ever had your services turned off for non payment
15 Is the stress and worry causing health problems
16 Is the debt having an impact on your family relationships
17 Have you tried to find ways of earning more money
18 Are you under extreme pressure from your creditors
19 Are you considering bankruptcy
20 Are you in trouble with the bank or mortgage society

Now we face the decisive moment.

Total all the "YES" numbers

If you scored, 4-0

Not too much to worry about we can soon have you on the way the wealth and happiness.

If you scored, 8-5

You need to review your spending and focus on your options to make money.

If you scored, 13-9

You are managing to pay your way; you earn the money then have to pay it to your creditors (high interest). You need to concentrate on reducing your debts by controlling you excessive spending. Implement our debt payment scheme so you have spare money to invest, use you income and spare money to generate wealth.

If you scored, 17-14

You are on the ragged edge, struggling to pay your way, urgent action is required to stem to flow of outgoing money, consider every penny you spend do you really need to buy new clothes or have that expensive evening out. Focus on channeling the money saved to pay off debits, review the debts that are costing you high interest and pay them off. Once you see the benefits, your recovery will gain momentum.

IF you are 20-18

You are clearly deep in debt, you must be unhappy worried and stressed which will effect your well being and health.

We will help you get back on track, however it will take commitment by you and all the members of your family and you need to cut your spending. Put a plan into place to pay off the most pressing debts. NOW you need the WILL to implement the advice we will give you. (Think new future better life no worries or stress, security) Make this commitment get out of debt, to change your spending habits. This is the hard task. Do that and then you can look forward to a new future?

Learn from my mistakes:

Speaking from experience, I went to university attained a MBA you would think that I have developed the self-control to monitor my spending and invest my money wisely. NO! I did not I was spending more money than I was earning clothes, cars, holidays, living on my credit cards for a few years I had a high old life.

For nearly three years, I continue to impulse buy. Then I started robbing Peter to Pay Paul using one credit card to pay of another, transferring balances, taking out loans. WOW, I had spiraled deep into debt. Under pressure from all the creditors, could not sleep, each month all my salary already committed to creditors, outgoing much higher than my income.

OK it was my fault silly middle class girl who over spent. Why was I such a fool? Well we all want material things. We associate fast cars, designer clothes, with happiness. And fall into the trap of the media and the advertisers, to the offers of credit cards and loans.

I cannot recall any of my family or tutors teaching me the importance of being in control of financial affairs.

Now there are hundreds of ways in which we can fall into debt, I was a miss - guided fool. With many, it is bad luck, ill health, out of work, family problems. They wanted the best for their children.

The objective is to review the status, then formulate a plan transform debt into wealth.

1. Control Spending and credit management.
2. What to do with our salary (Money in / Money out)
3. Make changes, plan a new financial life.
4. Learn how to invest money, or develop a business.
5. Consider the future, pensions and retirement.

First, we will talk about the positive aspects of life and future. We all dream of winning the lottery, becoming millionaires over night. (It will not happen) The fact is if you do spend £10 per week on the lottery or the football pools. That is £520 pounds a year, invested weekly with compounding interest at 8% would provide you a substantial amount of money by the time you are 65 years old - depending on the number of years. On average for most people it would be well over £500,000.
Most of us will earn well over a million pounds in our life time, for example if you earn £30,000 for 40 years that is £1,200,000.

However, the sad fact is most people have no idea how to save or invest money, they give all they earn to banks, credit cards, loans, and high interest is hard-earned money lost forever. (Crazy but true).

If you are living on credit than you are giving away a high percentage of your money, money that, you could be investing and being paid interest.

STOP NOW- do not use credit to finance your lifestyle, no more loans no more credit cards. (You are going to be a cash only person) stop giving away you hard earn money, once you are clear of debt and turned the corner you can then re-focus on becoming wealth.

The facts are you have NO option you MUST clear your debts, if you fail the consequents are Foreclosure on your home, your car reclaimed by the HP Company, court orders, bankruptcy. (SORRY but that is the hard truth).

Nevertheless, that will NOT happen to you because you are going to implement the recovery plan that we will set out for you.

We now need to first motivate you, set key objectives and realistic goals.

We all have different life styles, often based on the salary we earn.

The rule the higher you fly the harder you fall. Applies:

If you live in a large expensive house, you will have much higher mortgage repayments. Top of the range BMW, you impress no one every one knows you are living on credit.
Therefore, before you try to impress with a new swimming pool or ponies and motor bikes for the children, stop and think can we afford to do this, would we be better to wait and pay cash. (Of course you would you know it makes sense).

If you are the average person, living in a three-bed semi, with a second hand car, and are a hourly paid worker, maybe in a factory or in the construction industry, the same philosophy applies. Yes it would be nice to impress your family and friends with a tan from a expensive holiday or a top of the range car, believe me they will only be impressed the first time they see it. You will be the one faced with 3 years of HP repayments, higher insurance, and the cost of fuel.

OK I know what you are thinking every one has a mortgage has credit cards and debits, Stop because you are having negative thoughts, NO it is not OK to be in debt, it complete madness and will never make you happy it will only bring you worry and stress..

Therefore, no matter what your station in life is the same principles will apply.

We are taking time to outline the reasons most of us find ourselves in debt, because if you can not accept there is a problem you cannot take the actions required to eliminate the problem (In this case debt).

We could show many examples of credit cards. They make it so easy, you always spend three times more than, if you were buying cash. Then the situation gets even worst, let us assume you have four credit cards, average interest 16.9% they have a combined outstanding balance of £5,200. If you only pay the minimum monthly payment = to 3% of the outstanding balance it will take you 20 years to pay those cards off and your payment would total £9,720 - work it out you have paid them £4,520 interest.

You know in your heart that you get a much better deal paying cash, often a lower price and you pay NO interest.

OK we never promised a magic over night formula, we did promise the plan that WILL take you from debt to being wealthy.

Key Objectives:

o STOP ---using credit NO loans or credit cards, now you are 100% cash. Think before you spend, do not buy until you have spare cash.
o This is NOT an option, if you are at present deep in debt, you will realized, the high life is over. You will be receiving legal letters. If you do not stop using credit, then you will reach a point where that decision will not be yours. Because once you are exceeding the limit on your cards and fail to make the payments, the credit card companies will put you on stop, and immediately inform the credit agencies. Then you are really in trouble, all the other loan companies credit cards will follow suit quickly. Your bank will also withdraw your over draft facility and monitor you account as high risk.
o Cut up those credit cards. Use only cash, and only when you have spare cash, you need every penny to pay off your debts. You must learn to live a cash based life style.
o Pay off ALL your debts including mortgage, ( we will tell you how to do that in the shortest possible time)
o Learn to invest ALL spare money wisely, your main objective will be to generate wealth,
o Phase 1 set aside money in your emergency saving fund.
o Phase 2 Focus on building long-term retirement wealth, we will guide you to save investment that will generate income without the need for you to work. (You will have financial freedom) Enjoy life travel, play golf, go fishing. Have fun been happy.
o Now in the first few years you are going to throttle back, drop out of the fast lane, no more living on credit and accumulating debts that will eventually bring you crashing down, maybe cost you every thing house, car, family. (That would be devastating)
o Work hard for real freedom and independence; soon you will be the one being in charge in complete control of your own destiny.
o Simple rules, cash only, no loans, no more monthly HP agreements.
o Your family and children will need to understand that from now on all spare money will go to pay off debts. ( Hard to say no to a tearful little girl who wants a new play station game) Still a lot better than telling a teenage daughter, we are going to lose the house because we have not paid the mortgage.
o OK this is not rocket science; it is just plain common sense. You can dream and it is important to have the vision that in 5 years you can be completely debt Free.

The plan:

Prioritize your debts, (we will provide the formula).

List All your creditors ( Debt is money you owe and are legally committed to repay) (Expenses = Money you pay out each month for Gas, Electricity, food, petrol, take items that you pay every year for example car insurance, and divide by 12).

First, clearly understand how much you actually owe, what rate of interest you are paying.
Complete the following work sheets designed to help you and your family to understand where the money going. Invite innovated think and ideas as to how you could save money.

(A) Monthly Living Expenses

Living Expenses Actually cost Saving

Rent
Council Charges
Electricity -
Gas
Telephone / internet
Water Rates
TV company ( Sky)
Food (total for every thing)
Entertainment.
Children Pocket money
Car expenses
Car 1 petrol (only)
Car 2 petrol (only)
Maintenance
Road fund Tax
Insurances
Home insurances
Medical Care
Children's Education Expenses Books Tuition etc
Clothing and Miscellaneous
Other expense

Total

(B) Major Purchases - over 12 months divided by 12

Holidays
Car purchase
Major House improvements
New Furniture
New Kitchen equipment
Garden plants tools
Gym or Golf club fees
Season tickets
Recreation expenses
Miscellaneous expenses
Cash spent ATM etc
Total C/f to summary

(C) Debt payments

Name of Debt Total

Balance Monthly Payment % interest Full amount or min

Mortgage
Second Mortgage
Car Loan 1
Car loan 2
Bank Loan
Over draft
Credit Card 1
Credit Card 2
Credit Card 3
Credit Card 4
Other debts

Total C/f to Summary
(D) Monthly Income
Monthly take home salary
Second income
Benefits DHSS
Pensions
Part time job
Internet income

Total C/F to Summary

Totals carry forward

Personal Financial Statement - SUMMARY the points of reckoning, you now need to insert you figures.

E.g., total income - total Living expenses- total debt payments.

Which we hope will give you a positive result, e.g. more income than outgoings? Referred to as disposable income a true measure of your current capacity to decrease you debts and increase your wealth. Taking these initial steps should have provided you with the base information to empower you and your family to focus your efforts and give you the means to measure your progress.

It is important that you share this information with your family.

Depending on the result of Income (- outgoings) your objective will be to ensure that you have a minimum of 10% of your total income as disposable income, that is the money you are going to use to clear your debts in order of priority.

It will depend on your original check on status if you were in the 18-20 range then the figures may indicate that you have debts and expenses that exceed you present income.

If this is the case, you have NO option: You must cut your spending. All luxuries, none essential expenditure, holidays, two cars, smoking, drinking, golf club, gym, entertaining, clothes, furniture, children games, garden plants flowers. In place of golf the gym going to the pub, find spare time work earn more money.

If you DO NOT TAKE THESE ACTIONS NOW, you WILL lose your home, you will face bankruptcy. This is the hard line truth.

Total income
Total Living Expenses=
Debt Payments
D - Total of AB&C =
Disposable Income

Right now your head will be spinning, you were expecting an easy way out, there is no easy way out it takes total commitment.

We did warn you TOTAL commitment.
NO MORE CREDIT CARD spending
NO MORE LOANS
NO MORE impulse spending
NO MORE Holidays (Until you are clear of debt)

You are now on the road to recovery, you are going to transform you debt into wealth.
You first step was to create disposable income = Income minus outgoings.

Your starting point should be 10% your monthly gross income.

Write down each debt in the first column 1, total balance in column 2 the minimum payment in column 3, then you divide the total balance by the monthly payment, insert the answer in column 4.

Next, you need to prioritize your debts in column 5 Start with the lowest division answer in column 4 until they are numbered.

Column 6 that is where you start to see the benefit, to show the debts as they are cleared (Paid off).

To know how many payments to pay off: You divide column 2 by column 6 = the number of months in column 7.

First you use your disposable income to increase the payments on debt 1, what will quickly clear that debt, at which point you now have even more disposable money all off which you use to accelerate the payment of debt 2, as each debt is paid you roll it over to really accelerate the payment on the next debt. Once you pay all debts off, then you have ALL of the disposable income to invest. Now you have gone from debt to building wealth.

Invest wisely NEVER go back to credit cards or loans only live on a cash basis. Moreover, plan for retirement.

Name of Debt Total
Balance Monthly
payments Division
Answer Pay off

Priority Additional monthly payments Months to pay off

Column 2 = total debt £------------------------

Column 3 = Total Monthly payments £------------------------
We trust that you can see the philosophy, and the benefits of using ALL your disposable money E.G. Income minus outgoings to accelerate repayment of your debts, then the amazing acceleration that takes place as each debt is written off you have extra money to pay of the next debt ( In order of priority).

This is a WIN -WIN situation, once you see it actually working and no more creditors chasing for money, do not relax maintain total commitment this is not just about clearing your debts this is about a new life, (CASH ONLY).

In just a few years, you will be in a position to create wealth for you and your family. You will have taught your children how to manage money, never to worry about you future again.

Now you will really have the respect of your piers, friends and family. You will own every thing the house, cars. Take that five star holiday all paid up front CASH.

I wish you good fortune;

If you need further help or would like the Excel forms to monitor and record transactions FREE please do not hesitate to contact us.

Your Faithfully

Kenneth Yearsley


Are You in Debt - This Article Will Change Your Life For Ever

Corbeau Seat Brackets Grand Sale Best Prices Quiet Rowing Machine

Monday, January 9, 2012

Top Ten Classic Video Games

!±8± Top Ten Classic Video Games

10. Pong

Origins: Pong was based on a game called 'Tennis for Two' which was a simulation of a game of tennis on an oscilloscope. Physicist William Higinbotham, the designer, goes down in history as creating one of the first electronic games to use a graphical display.

The Concept: The game is intended to represent a game of Tennis or Table Tennis (Ping Pong). Each player has a bat; the bat can be moved vertically. The screen has two horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the screen. A ball is 'served' and moves towards one player - that player must move the bat so that the ball hits it. The ball rebounds and moves back the other way. Depending on where the ball hits the bat, the ball will move in different directions - should it hit one of the top or bottom lines, then it will bounce off. The idea is simply to make the other player miss the ball - thus scoring a point.

Game play: while it sounds utterly boring, the game play is actually very addictive. It is easy to play but very difficult to master, especially with faster ball speeds, and more acute angles of 'bounce'.

Nostalgia: for me this is the father of video games. Without Pong you probably wouldn't have video games - it started the craze that would continue grow and become a multi-billion dollar industry. I will always remember this game!

9. Frogger

Origins: this game was developed by Konami in 1981, and was the first game to introduce me to Sega. At the time it was very novel and introduced a new style of game.

The Concept: Easy - you want to walk from one side of the road to the other. Wait a minute - there's a lot of traffic; I better dodge the traffic. Phew Made it - hang on, who put that river there. Better jump on those turtles and logs and get to the other side - hang on that's a crocodile! AHHH! It sounds easy - the cars and logs are in horizontal rows, and the direction they move, the number of logs and cars, and the speed can vary. You have to move you frog up, down left and right, avoiding the cars, jumping on logs and avoiding nasty creatures and get home - do this several times and you move to the next level.

Game Play: Yet another simple concept that is amazingly addictive. This game relies on timing; you find yourself dinking in and out of traffic, and sometimes going nowhere. The graphics are poor, the sound is terrible, but the adrenalin really pumps as you try to avoid that very fast car, or the snake that is hunting you down!

Nostalgia: I love this game for many reasons. I played it for a long time, but never really became an expert - however, it was the first ever game I managed to reproduce using Basic on my ZX81 - I even sold about 50 copies in Germany!

8. Space Invaders

Origins: Tomohiro Nishikada, the designer of Space Invaders was inspired by Star Wars and War of the Worlds. He produced on of the first shooting video games and drew heavily from the playability of Breakout.

The Concept: aliens are invading the Earth in 'blocks' by moving down the screen gradually. As the intrepid savior of the Earth it's your task to use your solitary laser cannon, by moving horizontally, and zapping those dastardly aliens out of the sky. Luckily, you have four bases to hide behind - these eventually disintegrate, but they provide some protection from the alien's missiles.

Game Play: this is a very repetitive game, but highly addictive. Each wave starts a little closer to you, and moves a little fast - so every new wave is a harder challenge. The game involved a fair amount of strategy as well as good hand eye co-ordination.

Nostalgia: I wasted a lot of time playing this game. While originally simply green aliens attacked, some clever geek added color strips to the screen and the aliens magically changed color the lower they got - that was about as high tech as it got back in the days of monochrome video games!

7. Galaxians

Origins: Galaxians expanded on the Space Invaders theme by having aliens swoop down on the defender. It was one of the first games to have colored sprites.

Concept: Take Space Invaders, add some color, remove the bases and make some of the aliens swoop down at you and you have Galaxians. Essentially the concept is the same as Space Invaders, you're defending the world against alien invaders, but rather than the whole screen full of aliens moving down at you in a nice orderly fashion, you get groups of aliens swooping down in haphazard ways.

Game play: if you liked Space Invaders then you'll love this. The strategies are different, as you often have to avoid two or three different groups of alien 'swoopers' but if you can shoot them as they swoop, then you get some great bonus points. The game is difficult until you get used to some of the patterns

Nostalgia: this was one of the first games that I played on a desktop computer that was almost exactly like the arcade fame. I had an old Acorn Electron, and this game was almost perfect on this little machine. I miss my old Acorn Electron!

6. Defender

Origins: This game was created by Williams Electronics in 1980. The Game was designed by Eugen Jarvis, Sam Dicker, Paul Dussault and SLarry DeMar. It was one of the first games to feature complex controls, with five buttons and a joystick. While slow to catch on due to its difficulty, it still was a popular game.

Concept: Most of the shoot-em-up games of the era were horizontal shote-em-ups. This game changed the playing field by being a vertical shooter. Yet again aliens are intent of doing nasty things to earth - this time they are trying kidnap 10 humans. You are in charge of the sole defender and must kill the aliens before they kidnap the humans. You fly over a 'landscape' and can see your humans mulling around on the surface. The aliens appear and drop towards the humans - you can kill them at this point, but should they grab an alien, you must shoot the alien, and catch the human before the alien reaches the top of the screen.

Game play: This was a great game that was easy to play but tough to master. Shooting the aliens and catching the humans gave the best bonuses, and this formed a major part of the strategy. There were some different type of aliens that chased you making the game a lot more hectic than others; often it was just a relief to finish a level. While not as addictive as some, it did give a feeling of achievement when you reached a high score.

Nostalgia: I went on vacation with a friend for a week and we spent the entire week in the arcade playing this game and the number one game on my list (I won't reveal the name now!). It was one of the best memories of my teen years!

5. Missile Command

Origins: In July 1980, Atari published a revolutionary game. It didn't have a joystick, but had a ball that controlled an on screen cursor. It was programmed by Dave Theurer and licensed to Sega.

Concept: Those pesky aliens are getting smarter. Rather than sending space ships down to fight, they're hiding in deep space and sending a bunch of missiles to blow up the Earth's cities. This game was unique as it use a 'round' joystick. You used this to move to a point on the screen and then fire a missile into this spot - the culminating explosion would destroy any missiles that hit the 'cloud'. The missiles were essentially lines that moved down from the top of the screen at varying angles and speeds - some of them would split into multiple 'missiles' half way down.

Game play: this is a very strategic game. Placing your bombs in the right place and timing them right could essentially clear the alien missiles quickly and easily. As the game move on you found yourself spinning the wheel frantically trying to get the bombs in the right place. This game was adrenalin pumping fun - sometimes you seemed to be up against impossible odds and yet you'd breath a sigh of relief when one city survived.

Nostalgia: this was one of the first games I played on a table top machine. While these didn't really catch on, it was still fun to be able to put a can of soda down while you played!

4. Breakout

Origin: This game was heavily inspired by Pong. It was created in 1976 by Atari, with Nolan Busnell and Stew Bristow being the key designers. It's probably one of the most cloned games ever, even today there are new games based on the same theme coming out. Apparently the Apple II computer was inspired by this game - wow where would Steve Jobs be now without Breakout.

Concept: The idea is simple - you have a bat at the bottom of the screen that can move back and forth. Above you is a wall of bricks. A ball will move from your bat - every time it collides with a brick, the brick disappears and the ball bounce back at you. Your task is simple - stop the ball going off the bottom of the screen by placing your bat in the way and bouncing the ball back at the wall - you also have to remove all the bricks in the wall to progress to the next level!

Game play: this is a fairly difficult game to master. As the bricks get lower each level and the ball speed increases, it becomes more and more difficult to 'break out'. Also, sometimes the angle that the ball comes off the bat is so acute that it is very difficult to judge where the ball will bounce! It's one of those games where you just keep on saying 'just one more game' and before you know it five hours have passed.

Nostalgia: when I lived in Wales we had a little utility room that housed books and my little ZX Spectrum - I used to spend hours playing this game as my Father sat and studied. It was like a male bonding session!

3. Hang On

Origin: This game was released in 1985 and was developed by Sega. It was one of the first '3D' racing games and one of the first to introduce a 'realistic' aid to playing the game - that it a larger replica motorcycle style cabinet, with speedo, brakes and a throttle. This game became the benchmark for future racing games and lead to the highly praised Out Run series. The game cleverly used 'billboards' and trees to give you the feel that you were moving at high speed.

Concept: You are a motorcycle racer - you sit on top of a bike and have to race around a 3d race track, overtaking other riders and reaching certain checkpoints within a time limit. The game featuring different places and conditions (such as night).

Game play: Yet another easy game to play but very difficult to master. Timing the turns was essential, especially if other bikers got in the way. Each slight touch of another bike, or crash into a barrier slowed you down and made it harder to reach the checkpoint in time. The awesome graphics (for the time) made this game pleasurable to play as you really felt you were in a race. It is another game that kept you coming back for more.

Nostalgia: As a kid I always wanted a real motorbike, so this gave me a feeling that I actually had one. I was very good at this game (an d Pole Position) and constantly had my name on the high score table - it's perhaps the only game I could truly say I was a master.

2. Pacman

Origin: Developed by Toru Iwatani, and programmed by Hideyuki Moakajima San, this game came out in mid 1980. The name is derived from a phrase that relates to the sound when your mouth opens and closes (allegedly). Namco produced the game, but it really took off in America when Midway released it.

Concept: You are Pacman and you are very hungry. You find a maze full of 'dots' and zip around eating them. Unfortunately there's some ghosts who aren't too happy about this and they will chase you and eat you - but hey, there's some really big dots that give you the power to banish the ghosts back to their central cage. The maze is complex, filling up the whole screen, but there are no dead ends - there's also a passage way between each side of the screen. In the center, is the cage that holds the ghosts - occasionally bonus fruit appear next to the cage. You essentially have to eat all the dots in order to progress.

Game play: This is a simple concept, but with pretty decent graphics and an addictive tune it became a huge success. There is a lot of strategy to the game - each ghost follows a set pattern (although eventually they'll forget this and follow you) - in fact there are books dedicated on the best route to avoiding the ghosts. The game gets harder as you go, with the ghosts speeding up and getting smarter.

Nostalgia: there's something about the music in this game that is just so catching -even as I write it I can hear it in my mind. It's one of the first games that I can remember using music as a major selling point. I wasted many hours playing this game, and although I was never great I always had fun trying to devise new routes. It is also probably my most successful programming achievement - I designed a version of this for the Acorn Atom and I actually sold a couple of hundred copies (again in Germany) - I am proud that as a twelve year old, I was able to use logic and programming skills and make some money doing it.

1. Asteroids

Origin: It's truly amazing to think that this game was first released in 1979 - I've been playing it for 30 years now! Developed by Atari and designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, the game cleverly used vector graphics and real inertia physics to convert a simple concept into a classic game.

Concept: Your little space ship has strayed into an asteroid belt. With the use of thrusters, a trusty laser cannon and a hyperspace unit, you must move your spaceship in all directions over the screen and avoid the asteroids. You can go anywhere on the screen and even going off the edge is OK - it just happens to be a wrap around universe. The asteroids come at you from all angles. Initially they are large, and are fairly slow. Once hit they split into smaller asteroids, and these smaller asteroids split again - the smaller the asteroid the faster it goes. Occasionally a nasty alien ship will appear and start firing at you - he'll occasionally hit the asteroids and split them. The idea of the game is simple - destroy all the asteroids without colliding into them or getting shot by an alien.

Game play: Wow what can I say. To really succeed at this game you have to use strategy - firing at all asteroids will fill the screen with a lot of small fast moving asteroids, making it difficult to avoid collisions. Therefore the game required that you pick off one asteroid at a time, and then deal with the smaller asteroids. While doing this, you also had to maneuver gingerly; with real inertia, you often found yourself drifting without realizing it and suddenly you'd be in the middle of four or five asteroids.

Nostalgia: this is one of the only games that I still play today. Whether it's the 'Buck Rogers' in me, or I just like the challenge I don't know! You'd think that after 30 years of playing I'd either master the game or get bored; somehow neither has happened - I can sometimes get a mega score, but usually I'm just average. I guess I like the fact that it makes me think and keeps my hand-eye co-ordination in tip top condition! Now if only I could get all that money that I pushed into the asteroids machine back - I'd be very rich!


Top Ten Classic Video Games

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Things to Do With the Kids

!±8± Things to Do With the Kids

Sometimes during school holidays or on the weekends the kids will be looking for fun and interesting things to do.

Together with other Australian Mums we have compiled a list great activities and things to do with the kids. Have a look today!

1. Meet with friends at a park and play with the kids on the playground. Push them on the swings or catch them on the slides.

2. Go to a local cycle way/bike track and go rollerblading. A great way to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine and exercise.

3. Go ice-skating - rug up in your warm clothes and head to the closest ice-rink.

4. Have a movie afternoon - great for a rainy day. Rent a couple of good kids movies, make some popcorn and snuggle up with blankets and enjoy the movies.

5. Cook some special treats or family favourites like Gingerbread men.

6. Go to an indoor play centre (if the weather's not great outside). Let the kids try out the playground and you can have a coffee with a friend.

7. Try Tenpin Bowling - make sure the bumper bars are up for the littlies.

8. Explore your local wildlife park or the zoo to see all the animals, birds and reptiles.

9. Grab your bike helmets and go for a bike ride.

10. Organise a KidSwap with friends who work. Your kids get to have their friends over for the day to play, and their are lots more participants for games.

11. Browse through your local museum, great to show the kids how things use to be.

12. Try Horse-riding lots of riding centers provide lessons or short rides for younger children.

13. Visit a farm and see all the farm animals, you maybe be able to feed and pat some of the tamer ones.

14. Take a Day trips to a historic towns or a local attractions. Sometimes we never visit the attractions in our local area.

15. Spend the Day at the beach go for a walk and play some games, take the frisbee.

16. Camp Out in the back yard - kids of all ages will love this experience.

17. Have a Picnic or BBQ lunch at the local park - let the kids help pack their favourite lunch and snacks.

18. Do some Gardening with the kids - make a herb garden pot, they are fantastic and useful too!

19. Smile! Get the camera out and let the kids take some photos - download them on the computer and create a slide show.

20. Play dough - buy some or make your own - this will provide hours of fun for you and the kids.

21. Have a Story writing competitions, of help younger children write and illustrate a story.

22. Create a Treasure hunt in the backyard - write out a list of things to find, and let them start hunting.

23. Bury a heap of old dinosaur toys and 'artifacts' in a sectioned off part of the garden and give all the kids little shovels.

24. Blow bubbles, try different shape bubble blowers for lots of fun..

25. Buy some cheap timber photo frames and get the kids to paint and decorate them for their rooms.

26. Paper mache...messy but always fun - create a bowl or a piggy bank.

27. Make masks from paper plates, with stick on ears and eyeholes.

28. Create a masterpiece - let the children express their creativity with Painting.

29. Play lets pretend - play shopkeeper or mum/baby or anything you like.

30. Teach the kids to sew or thread with lacing cards.

31. Have a theme days - make it blue day so everyone wears blue, you eat blue food, use blue paints/materials for craft work, sing blue songs, etc.

32. Have a lazy day where everyone gets to stay in their PJ's and relax.

33. Write and create a play see who is great at drama and acting.

34. Conduct some simple Science experiments.

35. Try your hand at scrap booking, with some coloured paper, kids photos and embellishments.

36. Grocery shopping - take the kids to the Supermarket and let them help you shop, cross of the items on your shopping list. Buy something easy to make for lunch.

37. Board games - Monopoly, Scrabble, Hungry Hippos, and more if there are a few kids have a tournament.

38. Card games - from the simple Snap to Go Fish to Canasta for the older ones. Have lollies or chocolates for prizes.

39. Do a Jigsaw, set up a special area and let everyone help - the harder the better.

40. Make a Kite then take it outside on a windy day to fly it.

41. Go fishing or crabbing and try to catch dinner.

42. Catch local transport - take a ferry, train or bus ride around the City.

43. National Parks and Wildlife run some great holiday programs - have a look here - Australia National Parks Links for your closest park.

44. Lots of Local Libraries hold story-telling workshops during school holidays, and then the kids can borrow some new stories to read.

45. Go Swimming head to the local indoor pool or to the beach or river.

46. See the latest Movie at the Cinema, lots of Cinema's offer Special Adult prices during School Holidays.

47. See what's on at the Theatre or a live show - the kids will love you for this.

48. Make some music, play some music instruments or sing along to their favourite tunes.

49. Dress Ups - a family favourite find some outfits and play dress ups.

50. Make Plaster Models and then paint them in your favourite colours.

51. Make a collage - go to the park or beach and collect bark, seaweed etc and make a collage.

52. Bush Walk - head of the beaten path and go for a bush or nature walk.

53. Make a Movie - grab the video camera, write a plot, dress up and film your family as the stars of your very own movie.

54. Feed the Birds or the Ducks - get some stale bread and feed these feathered friends.

55. Make Paper Dolls - make a chain of paperdolls and color them all in different colours.

56. Create a puppet show, use soft toys or make small puppets from socks or wooden spoons and put on your own show.

57. Beading - make some jewellery by threading beads, macaroni or small pieces of cut up straws on to string.

58. Build a giant sandcastle or sand sculpture - lots of fun for the beach or a challenge in the Sandpit.

59. Throw hoops - for small children try and throw a ball into a bucket and move it further away, or for older kids use a netball or basket ball ring.

60. Make juice - choose your favourite fruits and squeeze to make lovely fresh juice.

61. Have a skip-a-thon get the skipping rope out and practise your skipping - who can skip the fastest, the longest, try running in together.

62. Go bird watching at the local park or wetlands make a list of birds you see.

63. Do some leaf rubbings, collect an assortment of leaves and place them under paper then use a crayon/pencil to rub over the top.

64. Color experiments - add flowers or celery to jars of different coloured food dyes. Wait and see what colours they go. Works best with white flowers.

65. Play detectives - get some magnifying glasses and a notebook and go exploring write down what you see.

66. Face Painting is lots of fun and you can practice your skills on their trusting little faces.

67. Have a special morning/afternoon tea in the garden. With milkshakes or hot chocolate for the kids and lots of yummy treats. You could even invite Grandma.

68. Play rock, paper, scissors - have a prize for the best out of 10 games.

69. Do some colouring in - there are some great print outs in our Fun & Games Section.

70. Visit the children's grandparents or another special friend, take a picture or something the children have made.

71. Play computer games with the Kids, find out which ones are their favourites, and which ones you can beat them.

72. Have a game of hide and seek - lots of fun for the little ones.

73. Inside Treasure Hunt - make maps and have the kids follow the maps around the house to locate the prize.

74. Kick the soccer ball, set up some goals and try your luck.

75. Jump in Puddles, great wet weather fun, forget about getting wet and remember the fun of being a kid again.

76. Practise hitting the tennis ball to each other or hit it up in the air and see who can catch it.

77. Play Twister with the Kids - get the game out and start spinning.

78. Put the music on grab the kids and dance around the lounge room.

79. Have a game of t-ball in the backyard or the park.

80. - Laugh, Live, Learn and most of all have Fun!


Things to Do With the Kids

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