The casual flash game has become a favorite on the web as it is a form of entertainment that does not require committing a lot of time or spending money; you just sit back, relax and play games. There are many of these games available already and it seems like more a being added every day. Here are a few sites the have some really great games and some even have them available as downloads as well.

RuneScape is works like a multiplayer RPG (role playing game) but it works in a Java enabled web browser as well and it is free. This flash game graphics are a little primitive but that has not kept it from becoming extremely popular.

Gumshoe Online allows you to play games where you are the detective and you find the guilty party and then put together an airtight case to put them away. The key to success is to solve puzzles, uncover clues and interview suspects; there are enough different items and locations to keep you busy for quite some time.

Whizzball is similar to the game Mousetrap and is a good example of just how non-violent, yet still innovative a flash game can be. You have to use several different gutters, gizmos and gadgets in order to guide the ball to a target. Not only can you solve the existing puzzles you can create new ones for other players to solve.

Samorost is an interesting point and click type flash game where the idea is to find all of the items that are clickable and then be able to click them in the right order to get to your next level. It sounds easy but if you like to play games with a little thought involved you will really enjoy this one.

Sunday League can be a rather addictive flash game that gives you your own soccer team who will then play against teams that have been created by other different players. There is quite a bit of detail with this game and it actually has a sense of humor.

Bejeweled 2 deluxe is another great one if you like to play games that are similar to the classic type of matching games, it is easy to learn and can be quite addictive. This particular version of the flash game has different modes and even a puzzle mode that requires more thought as you make it to the higher levels.

It is obvious that the rhythm/music games genre is getting bigger all the time and selecting the best ones from the increasing number is getting more difficult. The same holds true for the different movie games that are available to those that have seen the movie a thousand times and are ready to be “in it”. To follow is lists of both that people really seem to enjoy.

When it comes to music games Rock Band 2, played on Xbox 360, is considered one of the best games of this genre because of its longevity, game play and value. It has a great playlist of it’s own but you can also import the list from game 1 and from LEGO Rock band. It offers great features and lots of different modes at various levels so that everyone, no matter what their skill level may be, can play and enjoy it.

In the movie games genre one of the all time favorites is Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay; it received numerous game of the year awards and many feel that it should be what all other movie video games should be modeled after. As Riddick you manage a dramatic escape out of Butcher Bay which just happens to be the deadliest prison in the galaxy.

Guitar Hero: Metallica is one of the best music games as it has something that many people think the others lack and that is a challenge and what they consider real heavy metal. If you like the old-school type of metal then this is the game for you as it has an amazing song list that has lots of notes. It can be a little hard to play, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

Lord of the Rings Return of the King is one of those movie games that everyone can enjoy playing. You will track the fellowship of the ring into the final quest in order to take care of Mordor’s evil forces. The game actually follows the movie line very closely and the graphics are considered excellent.

For music games that the whole family can enjoy then you should check out The Beatles Rock Band. It seems that no matter what type of music genre people say they prefer the Beatles game gives you fun, clean sounding and catch music that everyone recognizes and seems to enjoy.

And, for the last of the movie games it seems that Enter the Matrix is a game that many enjoy as a fairly decent type of action game based on the second movie, Matrix Reloaded. It also offers some great footage that was not used in the movie.

Great site with all the latest gaming news.

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The story goes that sometime during 1981 a global phenomenon began where children started daring one another to run out into traffic and try to avoid being hit. While this may or may not be true it may be no coincidence that a company in Japan produced a video game called Frogger; while based similarly to road kill it was a little frog trying to dodge traffic rather than kids.

This game caught on quickly and you can now play Frogger online where you have to safely get 5 little frogs across roads and rivers so that they each make it to their own little lily pad homes. Lots of obstacles will appear; you could be hit by a car, eaten by one of the crocodiles or drown in the river. So, if you are looking for a play to play a Frogger online game listed below are some sites that you may want to check out.

You can find Frogger online at Neave games, they will make you state that you understand it is actually an unofficial clone of the original game but it is a fun game just the same as you are still given 5 frogs to get across the road and river.

DFG (Download Free Games) is another site where you can play the Frogger online game; the graphics are a little outdated, but the road appears easier to cross than most. You are still given 5 frogs to get across and if you review the game they will enter you in a chance to win full version games.

You can also play Frogger online at Online Games Zone (they have tons of other games also); where you do not have to download anything you just play it in your Internet browser. It works basically the same as the others, use left and right arrow keys to make him turn and the down and up keys to make him jump.

Now for a different twist try playing Frogger online in 3D; check out freeonlinegames.com and try to avoid hitting any cars and don’t fall into the water. Stay away from the snakes and crocodiles as you try to get your five frogs safely to their caves before your time runs out. This is a really great way to play the classic game.

So, you love to play games on the Internet, or just gaming in general, well you are not alone; here are a few little known facts about playing online games that may help you win a bar bet or something along the lines of the best useless information.

1.  The average age of the game player is 33 and they have been playing for about 12 years.

2.  In 2008 the sales of US video and computer software increased by 10% to $9.5 billion which is almost triple the amount of industry sales since 1996.

3.  Over 70% of the heads of the household in the United States play video and computer online games.

4.   86% of the game players that are under 18 years old state that they do have their parent’s permission when buying or renting games and almost 90% state that their parents are there when they purchase the game.

5.  40% of all players are women; as a matter of fact women over 18 represent a bigger portion of game players, about 35%, than boys that are 17 and younger, about 26%.

6.  Forty percent of parents admit to playing online games and video games and eight five percent of these gaming parents say that they play the games with their kids and sixty eight percent of those feel that it has brought the family closer together.

7. The most frequent game buyer and online games player is about 40 years old; in 2008 94% of computer game buyers and 85% of online games players were over 18 years old.

8.  In 2008 thirty five percent of Americans, over the age of fifty, played video games, an increase from twenty five percent in 2005 and nine percent in 1999.

9.  In 2002 approximately 20% of the heads of households would play games on wireless devices such as PDA’s or cell phones; in 2008 that increased to 40%.

10.  At least 45% of the game players claim that they play online games for 5 hours a week; however, many experts feel that the number of playing hours is likely closer to about 8 hours or more per week.

Curious about what kind of online games are played the most? Here are the results:
53% Board games, puzzles, cards
21% Action, Sports games, strategy
8% Shockwave/Flash games
6% Multiplayer games
12% Other

Throwing balls toward a target is as old as dirt. Egyptians in 5000 B.C. played with polished rocks in a game that quickly evolved to bocce or lawn bowling. As long as there have been back yards, there have been libation-friendly convivial contests. Monks in 12th century France played a game swatting a ball back and forth across a rope strung in their gardens. Tenez! The French word meaning something like “take this” is the root of the word, “tennis”. A 13th-century game called pall – mall is perhaps an ancestor of modern golf. Popular with aristocrats, the game involved knocking balls through wickets. Another alleged off-shoot of pall – mall is croquet, which arrived in England from Ireland in 1851 and consumed the nation as its most popular sport.
Croquet may have been the first mixed-sex sport, as advice books addressed the fact that girls and women often cheated, aided by long skirts that camouflaged their kicking opponent’s balls under cover. The main sport was often above the grass, as knocking an opponent’s ball into the shrubs meant a chance to help one’s opponent retrieve it. Victorian teenagers loved croquet!

As it gained popularity and spread to the U.S., the advances in production of rubber balls by Charles Goodyear set Americans to bouncing balls over nets on their croquet lawns. Shrubbery shielded the surge in popularity of women playing with men. A lighter form of “lawn tennis,” followed, called badminton, because it required less space and ball-catching shrubbery or fences.
Today, with all the online and techno temptations for families to dive into, taking it outside means connecting more than competing.

Take a look at these links for the latest in the evolution of backyard games:

HORSESHOES
Halex Premier  www.amazon.com

BADMINTON www.restorationhardware.com

COPTER DARTS www.ogosport.com

BOCCE www.bocceballsets.com

SKITTLES www.jaqueslondon.com

CROQUET www.dwr.com

GIANT CHESS/CHECKERS www.frontgate.com

What’s the best indoor game to play when entertaining?

What’s a game equally enjoyed by men women and children?

What game doesn’t take to long to understand, play, or enjoy?

Although billiards, bumper pool, fooseball and air hockey all have their proponents, The best game is Indoor Shuffleboard.

WARNING

This is not a $3000.00 game made with the finest maples, levelers, and fine oak trim.

This is an affordable alternative that will give you ,your family, and your guests hours of enjoyment and relaxation, and give you the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself.  This game can be built for under $300.00

Bored with another Illinois winter, I set out to make time fly with something other than the clicker and the Andy Griffith show. I went to the local Home Depot, bought some 2X4’s, laminated flooring, wood grained shelving, carpeting, numerical decals, etc. More on the material later. Within two weekends (approx 8 hrs. ) I had made a 12’ shuffleboard table. You don’t have to be a craftsman to build this project, just have a little extra time, a few power tools, and the normal household assortment of hand tools.

The beauty of this project is that you can customize the size of the table to conform with the size of your game room. (Tables can range in size from 9 to 24 feet)  In my case it was the basement. The table will be a selling point when I sell the house as I won’t be able to get it up the stairs, without a chainsaw, but who cares? The cost was minimal considering the entertainment value we get from the table. Where else can you get your brother in laws to hang out and be out of the way when they visit for the Holidays. The table itself has a total length of 13’ with the actual playing surface measuring 12’X 20”x3“.. The height of the playing surface is 30”.

I buy most of my material at Home Depot because they will cut the larger pieces down to size for me on their big rip saws. This helps a lot in the transportation and lugging depts., and makes for a cleaner fit when assembling the final product. Some of the material is also purchased at Menards and Sams Clubs. There are seven components that go into the table. They are the frame, legs, playing surface, cradle, sides, scoring apparatus, and  trim. The table below is an example of what can be accomplished with a little time, energy, and a small investment. For detailed plans bla bla bla

I start with a piece of  ¾  plywood, mdf, or particle board (your choice) and have it cut to the desired measurements I will need for both the playing surface and the bed of the table itself. ¾  measurements

The Frame of The Playing Surface

I find 2X3’s  work the best, they are a bit lighter than 2×4’s  and plenty strong enough for the use the table will receive. (I’ve even used metal studs, they work fine) Cut your frame pieces to conform with the desired length of the playing surface. The upright pieces of your frame will be cut in 11/2” pieces. Cut the desired amount to support the playing surface. Your not building a house so use your own judgment.. Cover the frame with the ¾” material previously purchased.

The Actual Playing Surface

This is the most expensive part of the project. Laminate flooring can be purchased at all home centers. I’ve had good luck at Sams club, and Home Depot. Occasionally they have a closeout, just keep your eyes open and you’ll be able to pick it up, usually in an assortment of colors, at a great price I like the Maple tones, it looks the real thing. Attach the laminate to the frame of the playing surface. Dry fit the laminate, cut to size and attach to the frame.

The Cradle of The Table

The cradle should measure 32” wide by the length you choose your table to be. I’m building a twelve footer, so my cradle should be at least thirteen foot long . Start with your support pieces. I use 2×4’s, cut to 13 feet, space them 32” apart (outside measurements) and attach the precut 32” material to the studs. I do the same on the ends, usually 301/2 “ to fit inside the 13’pieces.  Drywall screws work fine or if you have a nail gun, use it.. Attach the precut side pieces to the cradle in the same manner.  I’ll usually attach a 1×4  at he seam of the ¾  material for extra support. Remember the ¾ material comes in eight foot sections so you’ll need two pieces to achieve your length.

The Legs

Two sets of legs or three depending on you preference.The legs for the table are made from 4×4’s, 2×10’s, and 2×4’s. Cut the 4×4 to size, remember to account for the total height of the table. Center the legs on the 2×10 and space them equidistant. Cut the 2×4’s to encase the 4×4 leg . There will be four  Use construction adhesive and drywall screws to secure the legs to the 2×10.

The Sides

I’ve found that standard laminated shelves work fine. I use the wood grain finish. The shelves come in standard sizes of 113/4” x8’ . In my area Menards has the best selection and usually runs sales periodically on these. Once you cut the sides to fit your length attach to the cradle with wood screws (use brass finishing washers for a cleaner look) to the 2×4’s on the cradle frame. Do the same with your end pieces. You should be able to get away with four pieces of shelving for the sides on a 13‘cradle.

The Trim

The most important piece of trim is the carpeting inside the cradle this not only makes the table look sharp, but also muffles the noise of the puck falling into the gutter. Any carpeting can be used, I usually go for discontinued or closeout styles. After a lot of trial and error (cutting a 4” wide by 13’ long  piece of carpeting with a dull razor knife on your knees is a pain) I got my local Home depot associate to cut pieces to size for me on their carpet cutting machine. This saved a lot of time, aggravation, and penance. As far as the top and side trim, it’s your preference play with it a little bit. You’ll be surprised how good it can look.

What poker player worth his chips hasn’t seen the poker playing dogs and wondered where they came from? Wonder no more the mans name was Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.

Coolidge, born in 1844 in upstate New York was an avid outdoorsman with a gift with the paint brush and an entraupenors ambition. Before becoming famous with the poker dog series, he dabbled in a number of other interests including banking and news papering.

Around 1875 Coolidge began painting canine caricatures.  Local merchants loved the pictures and had prints made as  premiums to be given away to customers. Brown and Bigelow an advertising agency then commissioned Coolidge to create a series of dog  portraits in various game room activities (There are nine paintings in the series). Calendars and prints of the dogs soon festooned the walls of shops, garages, and basement workshops.

In 2005 a pair of Coolidge paintings, Waterloo and a Bold Bluff sold at auction in New York for $540,000, in 2008 Another painting Only A Pair of Deuces sold  for $193,000.  With the recent surge in  popularity of poker and Texas holdem the prints have increased in value and are considered a nice edition to anyone’s game room.

Bold Bluff

Waterloo

You don’t have to kill to be a good shot!!!

In today’s world of conservation and political correctness many avid hunters are keeping their skill high by turning to sporting clay, trap and sheeting target shooting. The “Clay” target as it is referred to is a saucer shaped disk that is catapulted form a mechanical arm and propelled at various angel and distances to simulate the fight of natural bird like movements. These disks or clays are approximately 4 inches in diameter and made to a pottery like consistency. Clay targets when hit by the pellets of the Shoot gun shell shatters into debrief thus simulating the effects of a successful ‘hit’. In shooting sporting clays, sheet or trap shooting the number of ‘hits’ or “busted” clays in completion with other shooter is what determines the overall winner. All three pastimes, trap, sheet or sparing clays differ in their setup to create various competitive venues for the avoid shooter to enjoy.

The name Trap shooting came from the original use of pigeons that were released from TRAPS as thus shot. The cost and controversy of such a method of shooting for sport lead the use of an alternative material, thus the CLAY trap.

A round of Trap consists of 25 shots, the shooter shoot 5 times from 5 different stations that are spread out in a half moon or arch pattern The shooter will move from one station to the other after completing his 5 shots. Each station is scored for the total amount of “busted” or “broken” clays. If the shooter is successful in breaking all 25 clays than that would be a considered a complete score. In shooting competitions shooter are required to repeat this process for a total amount of 300 clay targets or 12 rounds.. Many of your accomplished shooters will attain scores of 290+ a remarkable skill level. Shooting “Skeet” is much the same as “trap” shooting except the angle of the shot is predominately a straight away shot. While varying in straight away angles “skeet “ shooting is a more suited for the begging shooter as opposed to the more complex “TRAP” angels.

Sporting Clays has probable caught the interest of the avid sportsman the most due to its real like field experience in comparison to Trap and Sheet. Sporting Clays usually starts with numerous “stations” scattered amongst wooded, hilly, rolling terrain that resembles probably what most hunters would face if hunting wild game. Each hunter methodically walks from station to station an shoot clay targets the are mechanically thrown from confusing and semi hidden locations. It is this variety of angles,turain, and complexity that makes sporting clays one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. Choosing the proper type of equipment for Sporting Clay, Trap or Sheet will depend on the type of gun you most feel comfortable shooting if it 28, 20,12 or even 410guage and the requirements of the course that you are shooting. All for the various guns will offer advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of shooting you choose.