There is no doubt about it, using computer games is a great way to encourage children to expand their realm of thinking. Parents options for entertaining your child, actually to spend quite a bit of time in front of the television. This is not good to do. But, if you give activity on the computer, download a great game, you may actually be able to encourage them to learn more and encourage their good thinking skills. Thinking is not something that everyone can do well. Now, we are referring here to the thought process that goes along with solving problems. What happens when child in a situation where they have to solve the problem at hand? Do they know how to analyze their thoughts, ideas, and to find the right solution? If you would like your child to know how to flip the switch on and solve the problem, consider allowing them to play the computer as opposed to the television. There are many fun kid games out there that can be used to stimulate thinking in children. For many people, encouraging children is the perfect way to learn how to solve problems because games are fun. Chidren will not fight you on playing them. Fun games for kids, like computer games, encourage children to come back to the game time, therefore getting the experiences they need to learn something. How to Find Children Computer Games There are many games for kids, that can play in front of computer. Some consideration bellow to find ones that will work well with your child: a. You must know what are his or her likes and dislikes? Sports? Television characters? Perhaps they enjoy space or under water adventures. Search out those games that will intrigue them as well as encourage them to think. b. Games for kid must appropriate with age of children. c. Games must make children fun to play it. d. Avoid some issue, like racial, pornography, and hostility. When you give your child the gift of being a problem solver, they will work through the situations that happen to them, big and small, without fear of not knowing how to handle them. They will be more likely to do well in the real world then.

Xbots got two major things out of this year’s CES…

1. Skynet will be invading homes Holiday 2010.

2. Home will be coming to the 360.

Well, not exactly.  But this whole Game Room thing seems pretty similar.

With the recently announced Game Room, you will be able to buy classic arcade games in their original cabinets (micro-tran$action) from developers like Atari and Konami. You can also decorate your arcade room with themes and mascots (micro-tran$action).  I’m not hating on it, the concept is cool, but it’s still going to be infested with Microsoft point purchases. At least the game room itself is free.

These aren’t the only included features though.  Expect to be able to challenge and taunt friends, earn achievements, unlock levels, and the ability to try to get the high score among the world just like those days back in the pizza place downtown.  There will also be various multiplayer modes such as a “round robin” back and forth type competition as well as a mode where you can both play at the same time.  Both these modes will be available locally and through Xbox Live.

But lets take a look away from the page on xbox.com about the game and get down to the prices, the deciding factor to most if this will be a thing they’ll actually drop some points on  According to the official fact sheet, games that can be played on both your Windows computer and the Xbox will cost 400 points ($5), while games for only one of the two mentioned playing platforms will be 240 points ($3).  The final price point (and arguably the most controversial) goes to the 40 point option ($0.50) which gives the player 2 quarters worth of playing time.

The price leads us to our last question, is it actually worth it?  My view of the issue is it all comes down to your history with the game.  If you played Asteroids for hours in the arcade, maybe $3-$5 to play it on the 360 with online multiplayer wouldn’t be a bad buy, for the simple reason that you have the nostalgia to back it all up.  But say you’ve got a gamer who’s never played an old-school game in his life.  Of course these games are revolutionary classics that some newcomers will love, but is he really gonna drop $3 bucks to play a game that came out 20 years ago when he could be playing Modern Warfare 2?  Probably not.

So, is the Game Room worth your cash?  Only if you really love the games your gonna buy, not to have the biggest arcade in all of Xbox land.

I have just returned from a trip to Kempsey NSW. A town of roughly 48,000 people. If you have ever been there you would know that it is a small town that is not known as a holiday destination, it is 25 mins to the nearest beach,  So why did I go?

To proclaim the gospel!

Through a great couple from my Church I learned about a mission to Kempsey, called Kempsey Bible Club. This Club is a week long (5 days) of morning sessions singing, teaching from the Bible, playing sports and games, and hanging out doing various things. Also it involves afternoon trips to the local hangout spots to meet up with the families that attend the club through the week. The sad reality of this mission is that the kids hear the Gospel for the week but there is nothing for them through the year.

Why Kempsey?

Kempsey was the starting point where God started helping me understand the need for more people to get into full time ministry. The Churches are struggling, and getting older (in age of the congregation but also in terms of its seperation from today’s society and culture), they are in desperate need of contextualization and a time of mission focus.

There is also another hardship of mixed cultures. Kempsey is one of the biggest aboriginal populated towns in NSW, if not Australia. There is a struggle of misunderstanding between the anglo and Aboriginal population in the town which creates tension. There is also a struggle within the Aboriginal culture, most boys when they reach later teenage years will have gone to jail or will end up in jail when they are in their 20’s. Stealing, vandalism and alcohol related crimes are among the prime offenses that will lead to imprisonment.This culture is creating problems for families, there is no good model of family relationships and dynamics, it also puts a strain on the financial strain on these families (most have more than 3 children and no working father to provide).

But the Gospel can change Kempsey for the better. This is my hope, prayer, and dream. I can see this verse holds great value and implications for Kempsey.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Eph 2:14–18 ESV)

The future of Kempsey is unknown but I can see hope of God doing great things there. After meeting with 2 ministers on the Mid North Coast I can see that Kempsey is a place that WILL see and hear and experience the Gospel in a great way, whether it is tomorrow, next year or in 10 years. God has a great message that is going to change lives for the better.

I dont know if God has it as part of his plan for Aimee and I to work in Kempsey but it is my prayer that he sends someone and soon.

Please pray for Kempsey and the Gospel going to all places over the world. Also please pray that as i keep talking to the ministers in the Mid North Coast that God will open doors for us to preach the Gospel full time in Kempsey.

Online Test 9 – Daytona USA 6 Players Slowest player in ring: lucisac @ 256k (210k actual throughput) Usage: Port 9001 is already configured in the application and needs to be open if you have a router. – Extract files from archive below into the emulator’’s directory. – Edit the dev.cmd file and only change the first line where you place the net ip address of the next player in the ring. – Launch the dev.cmd file when done and it will automatically load the emulator and Daytona USA for you …

Casino gambling is the fastest growth industry in the US As more and more states enact legalized gambling regulations in the pursuit of tax revenue, so there are more and more gamblers that are lured to casinos for entertainment and the chance to win big bucks. About 99 percent of gamblers lose money in the long run, unfortunately, and some become so addicted to gambling that they lose their homes, cars, friends and sometimes families. Dr. Crowder takes a look at the casino milieu, dangers …

This video shows some of the upcoming games for the xbox 360. These not 360 exclusive games as some of the games are also being released for the PS3 too. Extra Tags] IGNORE [Extra Tags] E3 2008 New Xbox 360 Dashboard Experience Walkthrough Gametrailers posted a Xbox 360 Dashboard Walkthrough Hacking GamerTag Suspened PayPal Free Xbox Live Generator HALO 3 General Instantly Easy 50 boosting Service free money Recon Armor PS3 Microsoft ELITE Master Chief machinima THE NEW XBOX DASHBOARD COMING …

a news story by Tara

“Fear Over Online Sex Assaults – Gamer players traumatized” was the headline of this past Monday’s Daily Telegraph, a newspaper from Australia. The title draws a sharp reaction. Your eyes are drawn to the article. You’re almost afraid to read it. As a girl gamer, am I in danger of being sexually assaulted because I play games online? The title almost suggest so. In reality, I’m not.

My first thought was “What sort of horrible act must have happened to warrant such a strong title?” I found my answer on a Playstation Home thread entitled “Sexual Assault.” On December 22. 2009, a posted by forum member who goes by “Whoef” stated that his roommate was sexually assaulted while playing in the Playstation Home “Winter Wonderland Event.” He went on to describe the “assault” describing  how a male avatar began repeatedly doing the crouch emote behind his roommate’s avatar, causing it to look like that two avatars were engaged in a sexual act. When the women would move, the harasser would follow. It apparently went on for “some time” until her harasser was reported.
Whoef’s exact post stated:

“This morning I learned that my roommate was sexually assaulted near the Festive Tree while she was helping others with the puzzle. She would move and the harasser would follow. Each time trying to get behind her and use the crouch gesture. This apparently went on for some time. The harasser was warned multiple times and laughed at the thought that someone might report him for his actions, which was eventually done, and also, I’m proud to say, by other bystanders…..

Seriously, if complaints aren’t going to be immediately dealt with by the staff, regardless of the reason, then give some recourse to the victim that doesn’t include punishing the victim further and rewarding the harasser. That sitting gesture should be immediately removed. If sexual assault and other crimes against users, it seems predominantly against women, is allowed to continue, at the very least Home is going to turn into an all male application. Worse, Home is going to lose a lot of money. Starting right now with my roommate’s.

She hasn’t decided whether she will go back into Home. At this point she is rather disappointed with the whole thing and I don’t blame her at all. Me, I’d rather not completely say what I’d like to do. Lets just say it involves food and hungry dogs.”

I wasn’t sure what to think when I first read the post. A newspaper wrote an article about men being immature on the internet and claimed it was a sexual assault? You’ve got to be kidding me. If there was a news article every time that happened, newspapers would be the size of novels.

I was really wondering what other people in the forum thought about this subject, as there have been a lots of posts in response. I read about 12 pages worth of posts and the decided I knew what the community was thinking. The first thing that most people said was this was not assault and it’s not correct to label it as such. Secondly, most people thought that although it was unfortunate that this happened to Whoef’s roommate, and that actions like this should be stopped, but that it was being blown out of proportion. And further more, they all felt like there were more things the woman could have done to protect herself. Over all, I really agreed with most of what the people on the forums were saying in response to the initial posts. Let me break down these arguments and share my thoughts.

Firstly, this is not sexual assault. Sexual assault as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent.”  There was no sexual contact here, no force, so by definition, this was not assault. Sexual harassment as defined by the EEOc states that sexual harassment includes discussing sexual activities, telling off-color jokes, unnecessary touching, using crude and offensive language, and using indecent gestures. By definition this is not assault, but maybe harassment. There is a big difference between the two, as any women who has actually been sexually assaulted can tell you. It should be made clear exactly what happened, and using the term assult to grab attention should not be done. I’m not saying that it was right for this women to be harassed, because it wasn’t. I’m saying that her roommate shouldn’t have labeled it an assault.

Secondly, most of the drama could have been avoided. There are several things the roommate could have done. Some of the suggestions made by forum users inclduded ignoring the avatar trying to bother her. Normally, people like that will stop bother you if you stop giving them attention. Or maybe if that wouldn’t work… she could have left the tree puzzle and went to another area of home. Or, if that didn’t work, she could have simply logged off.

Further more, Woelf says that she didn’t report this on her own. Other people reported it for her. Although I can’t say why she didn’t report it, I feel like if this was really as big of an issue as it has blown up to be, she could have reported it herself. Some may say maybe she didn’t know how, but I don’t think that is a good excuse. I’m not a Playstation Home user. I’ve been on it like once at a friend’s house. I can tell you it was really easy to find out how file a report. I literally googled “playstation home filing complaint” and the first thing to pop up was the Playsation Network complaint form. She was totally in the right to file a report if she wanted to. The Playstation Network terms of use under Section 3. Community Code and Conduct that “You may not abuse or harass others, including but not limited to stalking behavior.” Since he was clearing harassing her, she could have reported it, but didn’t.

Most people on the forums think that Woelf is over reacting, especially in his claim that the sitting gesture should be immediately removed. Woelf implies that these sort of complaints aren’t going to be immediately dealt with by the staff and that they should be. Yes, these things should be dealt with by Home moderators immediately, I’m not arguing with that. I’m just wondering how Woelf supposedly knew how quickly all of this was being handled since neither he or his roommate were the ones to report an incident.Further more, you aren’t insta-banded when you do something stupid on PSN. You get suspended twice and then the third time you are banned. You don’t know what’s going on on the other end. Maybe this guy’s 12 year old brother picked up the controller and started doing the harassing. Should the account be instantly banned for that? No. Is it always a kid being stupid? Of course not. Some times it is a creeper on the other end. That’s why if there is three complaints they are kicked.Further more, the idea of removing the sitting emote is ridiculous. People also come up and dance on avatars. Should the dancing animation be removed as well? What do you think will happen then? I have a feeling that people wanting to cause trouble will just have their avatar stand super close to other avatars while sending inappropriate messages. It sounds horrible, but people will wanting to cause trouble will keep finding ways to cause trouble.

Now, I have an idea on why this all made it into the newspaper…. because it was an Australian newspaper… in Australia… where for some reason people think that video games are the devil. We’re talking about the country that banned the American version of 50 Cent: Bulletproof and the American version of L4D2. No other journalist in any other country would have seen this post in a forum and deemed it news. The negative effects of gaming is a big controversy in Australia and it’s as simple as that.

This whole thing may make you wonder, what can Sony do to combat these creepers dancing and humping avatars in their virtual world? Well, they can use what moderators it has and follow up on complaints and that’s about it. Home is free. You don’t pay Sony to use it, so it doesn’t make sense for them to invest more money in it. Maybe it’s a sort of you get what you pay for thing. And when your account is free, you aren’t going to be concerned about possibly having your user name banned because you aren’t losing any capital. And, if you account is banned, you can just make another for free… (Well, that’s until you do it enough times to let Sony know that you’re all the same person and ban your system from the Playstation network.) Playstation Home is a free service, and just like any other service, if you don’t like it- don’t use it.

This all boils down to the fact that none of this is real. There wasn’t a real man humping a real woman, and there was no real sexual contact. Does it suck for her? Yeah. She should be upset? Well, I guess if she wants to. In the end though, it’s not real. It’s like the people who crashed the WOW funeral. Did they hurt people’s feelings? Yeah. Were they probably laughing about it? Yeah. Did they actually crash a funeral? No. Was she actually sexually assaulted? No.

So I guess I can just wrap this up with my final thought. The online world is full of creepers. It’s their first home, and anyone, not just women, can be subject to inapprproate avatar humpings. It’s really part of life, but it’s not a news worthy deal. This should have been handled like any other incident- ignore, log off, or report- not compare to a real crime that devastates real people’s lives.

I know leave you with this Penny Arcade comic- made before this whole “news” story happened: