The Kid Casino

Do stores that sell video games, always, and I mean ALWAYS, check for ID on questionable titles? I have it on pretty good authority they do not.

“I always check for ID, but my boss does not. He wants a sale,” says one assistant manager for a top gaming franchise. When I asked someone who worked for a competing store, he too agreed that they can be pretty lax in checking for ID. “If it gets busy and we have a long line, I don’t check for ID. I don’t think I checked ID once during the holiday season. If a kid wants a game bad enough he is going to buy it or steal it. I’d rather have him buy it.”

While not everyone agrees that games should have a rating feature, parents certainly have the right to make sure their kids are buying games that are indicitive of their values. A few years ago Mortal Combat was as close to real violence as we could get with video games, but now technology and a driving market force have changed the way we game. There are titles where you can do virtually anything: gamble, kill a person, solicit prostitution, have sex, and more.

So is it the responsibility of the gaming stores to make sure your kids are buying games that are deemed appropriate? Perhaps. That system, however, is not fail-proof. “If a kid knows that one sales-clerk always checks ID they will just wait until another salesclerk is on duty,” says a hard-core gamer I know. “There will always be someone willing to bend the rules.”

Bottom line parents, it’s up to you to keep your kids safe. Go shopping with your kids or ask them to show you the game once they have bought it. The game ratings range from EC (anyone 3+) to Adult Only, and most ratings are labeled in a very easy to see place on the box. If in doubt look it up online to determine what others are saying about it. If the game goes against what you are trying to teach your kids talk to them about it and help them find a more appropriate title. Or play the game with them and talk to them about ‘real life vs fantasy’ (if it’s a game thats only slightly questionable). Don’t rely on the gaming industry to do all of the work for you. It’s a business, and because 40% of gamers are under 18*, this is a demographic that some stores are willing to cater to, even when they shouldn’t.

April Whidden is a freelance writer from Portland, OR
Pieces of April at aprilwhidden.com
April also currently writes a video game blog at http://www.xanga.com/aprilstorme.

A new art form in the future will be CLA. Cloud Laser Art. People can go to a place where there are laser units, sit out side in a small shielded area and draw on the clouds. It would be fun and a great form of self expression, which would make humans very happy. We know that mankind likes to use the natural environment for self expression from cave drawings to rock piles near road ways and graffiti on rock formations. The idea of drawing on clouds is much better, because the cloud eventually dissolves and like an etch-a-sketch is ready to start over. This will be similar to what happens after Ice Carvings, Ice Sculpting is alive and well in North America.
We have all heard of Sand Castle building and contests, which go on around the world.

Often you will watch kids throw rocks into a glass clear pond or lake. They will throw one rock in and then another and say; “Okay, those are the eyes.” Often people star up into the clouds and try to imagine a face, shape or resemblance to something in the 3D physical world. We have often seen pictures where the clouds appear in the shape of Jesus or a face and everyone calls it a miracle. Many people gaze up at the clouds and attempt to allow their minds to find a familiar shape or form. One might call this a frame burst from the brains memory and the mind fills in the rest and a seemingly regular cloud takes on the imagination and a new meaning. An interesting sub topic could be this article on visual stimulation and the brain:

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showtopic=276

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?showforum=28

People are fascinated by these coincidences. Rock formations often look like people from certain angles. The fallen “Old Man on The Mountain” was one such anomaly. Today we look to Mars and see faces in sediment and erosion features.

http://www.ascrocco.it/home/img/sf_desk/ar…o_marseface.jpg

You will have to admit this looks pretty real, so either we are not the only species which re-designs our natural surrounding or our mind automatically is filling in the blank, either way since kids, teens and adults do this and we find this interesting, it is an innate tendency and therefore a relevant idea to promote weather control research and manipulation, what better way to find research dollars than through entertainment?
This is something man has done for thousands of years. Some obvious examples are the Sphinx in the Valley of the Kings, cave paintings. We have heard of some famous stone artists, who claim they can see the inner sculpture within a stone before they start, as were comments by Michael Angelo. Freeing the statue inside. Today we have the famous rock carvings of Crazy Horse, which is nearly completed.

Why not put it on a cloud also? It is possible you know? Weather control, cloud art, etc. Mother Nature often does it for us, but if we focus our energies on controlling heat and light within a cubic artificial grid of air, then we will be able to control the clouds completely.

Art is certainly interesting and our obsession with nature and art is interesting in that it seems to be an innate need of mankind to be able to control his environment and to provide some order to the complexity born out of simplicity, which we see everywhere, a concept that Steven Wolfram would most certainly agree. Los Alamos is doing just that and soon will be able to do it on a larger scale with super computers. This will entail lots of number crunching, but well worth the energy and time and money to develop. We maybe able to control not only the weather but stop Hurricanes too.

As we learn to control the weather for purposes of drought mitigation, famine and disease control, feeding peoples of the world thru abundant agriculture yields, flushing and controlling environmental pollutants or even giving us an edge on war planning, defensive barriers or safety during assaults, this technology to a lesser degree will be used as art.

Many things that come to be in the way of innovation are funded thru entertainment, war or the mother of invention (necessity). Certainly as we look at the innovations in TV (high definition), Digital Displays (plasma screens), Transportation (race cars), General Hobby Aviation (composites, ultra-lights, exploits of Dick Rutan), Virtual Reality (theme parks, animation, portable mini-simulators).

we see that entertainment can provide the money flows to increase the speed at which these things come to market and the speed at which they are adopted by the users and thus entertainment has always been a quick way or short cut to the future inventions of mankind. The list is so long in fact in the area of art and entertainment and the innovations brought forth that it might be considered the largest single factor towards the contributions to the forward progress of mankind. Necessity as previously mentioned and War and Defense being close seconds. Art should never be discounted as it is generally coupled with entertainment and imagination and let’s not forget the words of Albert Einstein on imagination.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge…”

Is it possible that art can be the lead in to weather control? For instance drawing designs in the clouds instead of painting “I Love you Charlene” on a Hwy over pass cutting thru rural Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia in John Dear Green, would be something of value as a way of self expression. A portable laser cloud drawing device could also be mounted in a semi truck if not a fixed location site for tourists or expressionists with a few extra bucks. A semi truck mounted unit could be hired to write a computerized message on the clouds for events, parties, etc. At a fixed site people would come for miles just to sit and watch what someone would write today. You can learn a lot from cloud watching.

You can learn about life, weather, flows of nature and you can unleash your imagination. Manipulating the clouds and localized weather can be done with modern and current technologies. This concept is simple really in terms of physics. The truck moves to the center of where the cloud will be and send up ELF waves and creates a small Terminal Gradient Cloud, then drives about 2 miles away and has a design already made on the computer and approved by the buyers of the message: “Congratulations Graduating Class of West Point” or “God Bless America and our Troops” when as they de-plane or get off a ship. Great for weddings, bar mitzvah, country fair or you be the judge. In areas of big events people could pay to write their own message on the computer and the laser cuts the cloud and shades in the design or words and letters.

This is simple and not much different than the cutting of vinyl lettering by computers used by modern day sign makers. Very simple, using a 3-D program which knows the power intensity levels, based on the distance which is measured by laser which senses the moisture content in the clouds based on the distance from the device. On one side of the semi truck is a chemical laser and the other side another, when combined at exactly the right distance at very low power settings they interact in various amounts, which have been designed into the computer program coinciding with the amounts of energy and chemical needed to dissolve the cloud. Since the Lasers are chemical based even though quite low, color could also be added and chemicals normally found in atmospheric make-up, thus no harm no foul with environmentalists. This form of art is not too dissimilar to the smoke signal communication of the Native American Indians, the only difference it is done with modern technology and therefore the versatility is so much greater.

Once the design is entered into the computer on a CadCam type program or graphic art program it is sent to the laser system and it starts pulsating the lasers under extreme accuracy using sophisticated algorithms and data sets. After the system is built and configured it is ready to go and during transportation the laser heads and chemicals are stored at proper temperatures in stable tanks. And remember art is not the only use for this, for instance see some ideas below. Now you must note at the WTT we like to have a little fun and the night we discussed this at a local coffee shop in Springfield, MO we definitely were in a comedy mood with a touch of sarcasm. However these ideas will make you think and isn’t that the point of this exercise? Sure you will get a chuckle out of it also we did. The World Think Tank is a lot of fun.

A. ) For advertising things could be written in the clouds too. “Drink Coke,” “Fly Delta, but Hurry! We need the money,” “Vote for Dog Catcher, NJ Former Governor,” “CT former governor runs for Hartford County Auditor,” “Gray Davis for Public Treatment Facility Director.” We all know aerial advertising is big business, look at the Blimps, Skywriters, etc.

B.) ….For safety, things could be written in the clouds during rush hour. “Mixing Bowl” four hour wait, use different route, “HWY 1″ three hour wait go back to work, you are better off there? “Free Parking on 405 to La Cienega use alternate.” Bridge out ahead. New York Toll Way Fees raised today to $24.86 please have exact change ready to prevent delays, no refunds?” Just write it in the clouds, since you will be looking up praying to your god for break in traffic for this cluster muck you have to drive in everyday? Perfect solution, with an artistic flair? But in all seriousness you can see the benefits, “Dense Fog Ahead, slow down, multi-car pile-up, freeway closed all traffic exit at mile 122.” In Montana during deer migration, “Watch out for Deer, Do Not Eat Road Kill” Public Service announcements are often put on Blimps:

C.) For big events; “Use Shuttle at Parkway for NASCAR event, Parking $5.00.” “Olympic Check Point, have ID ready.” “Democratic National Convention Ahead, Lots of parking available.” “Cody WY Nightly Rodeo, 7 PM.” But these of course are merely words on clouds, for the RNC they might want a Giant American Flag? The DNC might want a big tree with a couple of guys hugging it? You see big events can stay in the spirit of things and get out the true message. NASCAR might want a holographic design of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona Speedway before the event. Blue Angels might wish to have a message about “Fly Navy” with a picture of an F-18 or JSF on the cloud for the crowd?

D.) For the People; Perhaps a Smog alert warning to warn people in Los Angeles due to a temperature inversion that day. In NY during Labor Day, perhaps a “High Terror Alert” in red? During the election, “Do Not Forget to Vote Today” in Florida with a reminder of how to press the right button in the computerized voting machines? On the beaches in San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, the Keys, Santa Monica, “Solar Flair Today, Use Sun Screen.” After Hurricane Charley, “USAA and State Farm go to MLK Jr. High School GYM,” “Relief assistance: FEMA and Salvation Army at Civic Center Auditorium.” “New Mobile Homes For Sale; Tornado Magnet IV Custom Deluxe on sale, financing available, OAC.” “Asteroid to Hit Earth Tomorrow, Run.”

E.) For National Security; Border Patrol, “You are being tracked by automated aircraft, turn back or you could be shot or killed” In Spanish of course. For USMC, “Dear Iranian Insurgents, give up or you will be killed in 12 seconds.” For US Navy, “This is a blockade, turn around now or you will be sunk.” For US Army Recruiting; “Keep America Green, Join the Army.” DHS; “Today’s Threat Level is Green.” Psych Wars: “This is Allah, you have been bad, go home and do not return.”

Cloud Laser art could do all these things much cheaper and safer from the ground and also such a new idea would gather much interest and the word of mouth of any message or image would travel quickly. CLA or Cloud Laser Art is possible and fairly easy to do, we currently have the technologies to do this, and it makes sense. This is the ultimate in self-expression and can be used for entertainment, safety, homeland security, big events and even advertising if used in good taste.

Cloud Sculpting is the next logical progression of this idea, where you could make a cloud in the shape of a dog, cat or a dolphin. Perhaps you might want to make a UFO out of the clouds to see how many people call in during the annual UFO conference in Las Vegas? Think of the PR for the city, such a publicity stunt would certainly draw a crowd.

Although they might rather have you inside the casinos spending your money than out on the street corner looking up in the sky just in time to get hit by a middle-eastern taxi cab, shuttle bus or limo driver? In this age of International Terrorism perhaps we ought to all pay attention to what’s happening in front of us and leave the cloud watching for recreational times?

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

It is widely considered that Germans originated the tradition of an inside Christmas tree in the 16th century, and Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was the first make it radiate. Households remember their ancestors as they place heirloom ornaments on the Christmas tree. Every December, 33 million evergreen trees are hauled from crisp fields and forests into homes across the country, where they will be changed into one of the most lasting symbols of the holiday time of year - the Christmas tree.

Searching for eco-friendly Christmas party ideas? We have tons of tips to make this occasion time of year a good one for you, and the planet. Did you know that billions of season’s greeting cards are mailed to acquaintances and kin every year? Although they are sent with good purposes, imagine the trash we produce! So be green by recycling your Christmas cards. When you are finished admiring all of the holiday hallmarks on your mantle place, get your scissors and glue out for some Christmas crafts. Turn this year’s Christmas cards into next year’s gift labels. Go green and preserve paper by recycling your Christmas cards and making them into labels for your presents next year. Store your gift tags in vessels or bags to keep them exquisite for next year.
Whether you choose to keep the tree trimming within the immediate kin or share the party with extended kin and acquaintances, traditionalistic touches are a special means to add to your Christmas tree experience. Light a log in the fireplace or find a video Yule log to play on your television to make a social flavor within the room. Whip up a couple of batches of eggnog to relish as you adorn the branches of your evergreen, possibly singing some Christmas carols together.

It can be really good fun for your children to learn about modern technology through taking photgraphs and movie making with the Vtech Digital Camera. It is a very robust product which means the children can play with their own camera without concern of breaking it and it puts your mind at rest as they will not be using or breaking your own expensive digital camera either!

The children’s digital camera comes complete with the ability to take photographs, record videos and it also features full editing functions. So, the kids can really learn about the technological side of photography and film, but also have loads of fun whilst making their own short movies and editing their photos.

The Kidizoom camera boasts a 1.8 inch LCD colour screen. Photos with a resolution of 640 x 480 can be taken and the short film clips have a resolution of 160 x 120 and a maximum running time of 5 minutes. Storage comes in the format of an on board 16 MB and the ability to use an additional 2 GB SD card which is not included.

It is very simple for the kids to view their images and movies. This can be done on the camera itself or on a telly or PC. The computer link is via USB and the TV link is via an A/V cable. All the necessary wiring is supplied with the unit.

This fun kids camera is available in various different colours and one of the most sought after is the blue Vtech Kidizoom. The camera also comes in a camouflage design and in pink. An extra fun feature of the camera is that it has replaceable face plates to change the way it looks.

The camera is also able to be used an absorbing games console. You can play the games on the unit or also when linked to the tv set. This makes this gift a real winner with the children as it can engage them in various unique ways and keep them busy for days on end.

It you are searching for a really interesting present for your youngster then the Vtech Kidizoom camera may well be just what you are looking for. The family will be amused non stop with the movies and images the kids take on this fully featured digital camera produced particularly for youngsters.

Considering the ancient Egyptians developed bowling, it is difficult to believe that the sport is still around and more trendy than ever. Today, the gear you choose improves your overall performance and may even boost your place in the league, in addition it looks fantastic. Irrespective of your taste, it is simple to get a style of equipment that you’ll feel good with. A bowling ball is no doubt the most significant item a bowler can own. When you go to select a bowling bowl the most important quality to go for is its weight, this should be equal to just about 10 percent of what you weigh. Of course you want to opt for a ball according to your dominant hand. Once the fundamentals are out of the way you can decide on your color and pattern. A multi colored ball perhaps? Swirls or sparkles? Or Else, what about a ball featuring lightning bolts?

Once you have your bowling balls you’ll want something trendy to carry them in and keep them protected while travelling to and from the lanes. A classic leather bowling bag is great, or you can go for a bowling bag with additional pockets to carry your cloth, wallet, pencils, scorecards, and whatever else you may want. Bowling ball bags come in every kind of color, pattern and design. In fact, they have become so stylish that you’ll frequently see them employed as an everyday carry all. Just be sure you opt for a good quality bag to avoid a painful disaster.

Not simply for improving your bowling, bowling shoes can be classy and fashionable also. The fit of your bowling shoes is without a doubt the single most significant factor in shopping for bowling shoes. It’s best to choose comfort or you won’t be able to compete at your best when your feet hurt. A breathable material is also a good idea as you may be spending a great deal of your free time wearing them. Finally, pick out a color or pattern which you like.

The same is true of your choice of clothing. Apparel that is too small or uncomfortable will impact on your performance, therefore make a point of checking they are the right size so they do not stop your movements, but also small enough that they do not get in your way way. In terms of colors and patterns, do go wild unless you need something to match a uniform.

Shoes, apparel, bowling ball bags, and bowling balls all have an effect on your form. With the right choices, however, you’ll play with confidence and look fantastic doing it.

Cyberspace may have altered the game of poker forever, however you’ll find that the best poker rakeback sites have greatly improved the game. Today, in addition to playing your favorite card game and focusing your gameplay, ultimate bet poker rakeback provides you with the chance to reduce losses and boost your winning potential. However, poker rake back can offer a good deal more besides. The greatest part about this is the fact that getting to learn all important tricks from the the leading poker rakeback sites is actually easy these days. If you want to get the most out of every dollar you wager, you would be smart to consider all the information available on these websites.

Assuming that you want to find out more about playing poker, rakeback web sites will usually present you with a vast quantity of info and quality poker players to perfect your game. These web sites will allow you to find out about popular techniques, find out how to read a player better, spot specific styles of play, and polish your own. Many of these internet sites also host online forums or communities to respond to your queries and get expert opinions.

Due to the fact that Ultimate Bet Poker rakeback will be played only in dedicated rooms, you have the perfect chance to play the very best and ask questions too. You’ll discover that these web sites are social, outside of the poker games and they’re highly informative without forcing you to fork out extra cash for lessons or a tutor.

A good Full Tilt internet site may save you a great deal of money on your fees, plus you’ll also get better value from every dollar spent. This is possible due to the internet sites’ featuring supplementary incentives, special offers, and, more often than not, exclusive competitions. Effectively this means that you will have many more chances to win your initial stake back as well as more friendly competition, various promotions for poker products and poker paraphernalia.

Everyone agrees that these kinds of bonuses make an enormous difference - especially when you play poker a lot in a given month. When you want to get the maximum benefit from Ultimate Bet poker rake back web sites, ensure you look for games offering reduced pricing and take advantage of any special deals.

When it is time to choose which type of Ultimate Bet poker rake back is most suitable for you, gamblers are able to match their playing styles. Someone who would prefer would prefer to be careful with money may prefer the best poker sites featuring ‘dealt’ styles. For players who are not afraid to take more risks, the ‘contributed style’ is definitely a better option. Whatever style you choose for there is no other form of internet poker that lets you hold on to a good part of your wagers and more money at the end of the day to boot.

G4 is home to some great television. In the past week or two I’ve recorded Flash Gordon, Toxic Avenger III, and now their newest reality TV show, 2 Months 2 Million.

The premise is 4 young professional poker online players move to Las Vegas for a summer. Their ages range from 22-26. By pooling their casino online money (said to be about a million between them all), their intention is to make $2 million profit in their 2 month long stay playing poker.

The four stars, their ages, and their online names are:

Dani Stern - 22 “ansky” Jay Rosenkrantz- 25 - “Krantz” Brian Roberts - 26 - “Flawless_Victory” Emil Patel - 25 - “whitelime”

Stern actually made it to the 40k final table that ESPN aired to start of the WSOP 2009 coverage.

The show is kind of lame, but a little fun to watch. They are super nerdy guys, but the advent of a camera seems to get them some action from the ladies. The make some silly bets on golf and juvenile behavior stunts. The highlight is the little bit of poker they play. All of it is online, shown abridged. They have a “war room” which is an awesome little room where they can all set up and multitable together. There is a TV screen broadcasting their play so when some players are not playing, they can watch. While they don’t show much poker being played, they do show some insane pots shipping back and forth.

At the end of each week they gather their records to see how much they’ve collectively won or lost. The player that loses the most, or profits the least, at the end of the week is punished with some prank. In this episode Dani had to go to a lunch buffet in a pink tutu and ballerina outfit. It’s a bit pathetic, but somewhat enjoyable. .

Who tells romance is merely for 2? Host an smooth dinner with a menu (French-inspired, of course) that is perfect for an intimate celebration of four or more. If you want your dinner party to be truly unforgettable, recreate an fine (but fabulous) epicurean menu that’s right out of a famous person chef’s kitchen.
Utilize natural, green decor by getting a trip to your local park or forest. Collect pinecones, acorns, fallen birch branches, flexible willow branches, smooth river rocks, moss and leaves. Instantly you are prepared to make a lovely nature-inspired centerpiece to match the party ideas. Put birch branches in a tall vase in the middle of a table for a stylish, substantial centrepiece. Or, hollow out a segment in the middle of a thick piece of birch and stuff the hole with floral foam. Produce a floral bouquet by placing short, trimmed flower stalks into the floral foam until you have a round-shaped bouquet.

For a formalized dinner with many invitees, consider taking RSVP cards as part of the invitation. It helps set the conventional ambiance for the dinner party, and gives you more fanciful possibilities for the invitation plan.

RSVP cards likewise work well when you want to give guests a selection of entrees, for instance, allow them to select between a steak entree and a fish entree.

The PSP also allows access to the TiVoToGo service. The TivoToGo service needs a Tivo box and a once per month subscription. The TivoToGo PC software is used to convert the shows into a format OK for the PSP. You can immediately sync and transfer your PSP with your TiVo content so that it is prepared when you are. The memory stick may also be used to move the shows from your PC to the white PSP.

PSP owners can also hear Internet radio stations. This is done thru the wi-fi link and will require a wireless hub to create a connection. There are over 20,000 stations to choose from across fifty genres including rock, metal, pop, country, blues, jazz. When the web radio function was introduced the only practical way of locating channels was to select a category and then the system would begin to play one of the hottest stations in the genre

There are hundreds of movies available on the PSP. PSP films and TV shows are stored on Sony’s exclusive Universal Media Device. You can decide to view the pictures on the PSP’s own screen or alternatively connect it to a TV and use the PSP as a movie player. Movies that are available for the PSP include Don’t Mess With the Zohan. The Playstation Network also gives you access to movies and television shows. television shows can be hired and bought.

You can also subscribe to the LocationFree TV service. The LocationFree television service requires a base station to be bought and installed alongside your home entertainment equipment like a DVD or television or multimedia centre. When you’re travelling you can get access to LocationFree television when you are in range of a wireless modem which links you to the LocationFree service over the internet.

Only a few years ago, when you desired to rent video games, you used to have to run to the mall, search through shelf after shelf of games until you found the one you were hunting for, and then have to run to the store the next day in order to avoid being given late fees. With this state-of-the-art service for net video game rentals these issues are finally over with.

This innovative facility gives you the luxury to have fun playing your favorites choices avoiding all such limitations and vexations. So to realize the most from your subscription, here’s a few helpful hints and tips If you start to rent computer games online, you will be required to decide on the range of subscription you’ll want. You don’t want to select a small package and run out of playing time prior to the conclusion of your rental period; but of course you shouldn’t spend more than you need to, either. First off determine the amount of games and the exact volume of playing time necessary every week. Make A List Of Your Favorite Net game rentals When subscribing for computer games on the net, the service runs around your specific best interests rather than pressuring you into adapting to the provider’s program. It is very straightforward and cheap to use, and with these simple hints you’ll be able to obtain the best value from your net video game rental service.