Horse Slaughter Ban Wins

The final vote on the Ensign/Byrd amendment was 68-29 in favor of ending horse slaughter by withholding funds for federal inspectors in horse slaughterhouses and at the borders! The House and Senate bills now go to committee to create a final law. Since we won by 2/3rds in both the House and Senate, and since the amendment to each bill was identical, the committee would have no grounds not to include it in the final budget. Since it is a budget bill it is only going to be in effect for one fiscal year beginning November 1, but we still have HR503 in the house which can be passed by next year to end the business for permanently!This victory is the direct result of hundreds of horse owners and lovers working tirelessly to get this issue in front of the public and to convince their representatives and senators to do the right thing.

GameZnFlix now live on 1UP Network

Rent now botton is now live. It's really kind of simple and hopefully effective. While gamers are browsing through reviews and previews on 1UP they are given an option to rent the game they are reading about by clicking on a "Rent Now" button which connects the reader to the GNFGames website where they are given the opportunity to become a member and rent the game. This should drive a lot of traffic to GNFGames.com and help to drive membership.

Nintendo Wii Shortages May Be Blessing In Disguise For Game Rental Firms, Says GameZnFlix CEO

12/15/2007 Franklin, KY – 12/15/07 -GameZnFlix, Inc. (OTCBB: GMFX), John Fleming, CEO of GameZnFlix, an online provider of video games and movies for rent or purchase, said today that unfilled demand for the Wii Video Game Console may result in increased business for the game rental industry.“The Wii is the hot ticket this Christmas and they’re just not out there to be had,” saidFleming. “It looks like a replay of Christmas 2006 when the Wii was commanding big premiums on Ebay while last minute shoppers were lining up at Gamestop or Best Buy and too often leaving empty-handed.” “My guess is that those who have their heart set on a Wii aren’t going to look instead to the XBox 360 or Playstation 3 which can cost double the price of a Wii or more,” Fleming continued. “They’re just different markets, and nobody’s going to want to invest in more games for their 1st gen Xbox or Playstation 2. What does make sense for them is to turn to a video game rental program while Wii supply catches up with Wii demand. It’s the perfect solution.”Industry sources say that Nintendo is leaving as much as a billion dollars on the table this season by not having enough consoles to meet demand. That equates to some five million machines. “We love the Wii,” says Fleming, “and when customers are lucky enough to get one we have the games to keep them happy, but if they don’t we’re ready and able to keep their old game platform well-supplied with great game titles until they get the Wii of their dreams.”

There's More to Video Gaming Than Bullets and Blood, Says GameZnFlix CEO

There's More to Video Gaming Than Bullets and Blood, Says GameZnFlix CEOJohn Fleming, CEO of GameZnFlix, Inc. (OTCBB: GMFX), an online provider of video games and movies for rent or purchase, said today that video gamers can't be stereotyped.
"Ask someone to picture a typical video game player," says Mr. Fleming, "And they'll imagine an 18-to-24-year-old male living on pizza and swilling Mountain Dew while shooting all manner of imaginary enemies in games such as 'Doom,' 'Halo,' 'Grand Theft Auto,' 'Street Fighter' and the like. The reality is, there's a lot more to video games than bullets and blood."
"Take the 'Final Fantasy' series as an example," says Mr. Fleming. "These games seem to be as popular with females as with the guys, yet two of that series have made GameFAQ's 'The 10 Best Games Ever.' And a majority of the popular Nintendo Wii titles seem to be enjoying success with all ages, yet have nothing in common with the shoot-em-ups."
Non-violent games such as "Guitar Hero," "Dance Revolution," and "Super Mario" remain top sellers according to industry sources. According to its publisher, the best selling game of all time, the life simulation game "The Sims" by Electronic Arts, is played by a predominately female audience.
"The other day," continued Mr. Fleming, "I was looking at one of the games we carry called 'Cooking Mama Cook Off.' It's kind of a cross between 'Super Mario' and TV's 'Iron Chef' with a bit of 'Speed Racer' graphics thrown in. You actually improve your culinary skills by creating meals from 10 different cuisines in order to score points. It's the furthest thing from violent video gaming, unless of course, you count the chopping of the vegetables."
About GameZnFlix, Inc.
GameZnFlix is primarily an online video game and movie rental service that also allows its subscribers to have access to VOD movies for purchase. With memberships starting as low as $8.99, subscribers can rent both video games and movies with no late fees or due dates. Membership for rental services is located on the Internet at www.gnfgames.com ; and VOD is located at www.gnfdigital.com. A subscriber can purchase titles at a discounted rate at www.gnfgames.com.

Support Wild Horses

Tell Congress to Keep Wild Horses

The American west has its own mythology and its own rich history in literature, film, and television—one that no other U.S. geographic region can ever hope to match. Can you imagine an entire section at a mall bookstore devoted to novels of, say, the Eastern shore?
And if any one animal symbolizes our own—or even the world’s—fascination with the American west, it is, without doubt, the horse. Many of these wild animals were tamed, and they, in turn, helped Americans tame the dusty frontier that lay west of the Mississippi. The horse, both wild and domestic, has earned its rightful place in American hearts and minds through the writings of Louis L’Amour and Larry McMurtry, the films of John Ford and Sergio Leone, and even through television dramas such as Bonanza and The Lone Ranger.
Take Action Today:» Tell your U.S. Representative to vote YES on the Rahall-Whitfield Amendment.
Is it any wonder then that thousands of Americans and more than a dozen celebrities—people who were likely influenced by the same Western arts and culture that shaped us all—have been willing to step up and support The HSUS’s and other groups' efforts to restore protections for America’s wild horses and burros? According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), only about 35,000 of these wild animals forage on U.S. lands today. But thanks to an amendment quietly slipped last year into an appropriations bill that gutted a 34-year-old ban on selling wild horses and burros for slaughter, that number was recently decreased by 41 mustangs. (Another 52 horses were in line for slaughter, but were pulled before the captive bolt pistol was fired.)
America's Contradictory Relationship with Wild Horses
Wild horses have a long history with North America. Fossil records show they were living in North America millions of years ago, gradually spreading to Asia likely via the Bering land bridge before losing a battle to the elements and becoming extinct on this continent. In the early 16th century, European explorers reintroduced the horse to Mexico, and the animal eventually found its way north into territories controlled by Native Americans and Europeans. Many of these horses formed wild herds; by some estimates, there were more than a million wild horses roaming North America by the turn of the 20th century, likely because humans had killed many of the horse's natural predators.
The horse's main predator in the 20th century was man. By 1971, when Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Protection Act and President Nixon signed it into law, there were approximately only 60,000 wild horses left on U.S. lands, their numbers drastically reduced by wholesale roundups and massacres. The act, championed by a Nevada resident nicknamed Wild Horse Annie, was designed to halt the killings. Americans roundly supported the act, reportedly flooding Congress with letters, a volume of mail second only to the number of letters Congress received about the Vietnam War.
But the act created to protect wild horses has slowly been eroded by the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that manages U.S. lands, under the theory that there are too many free-roaming horses and that they need to be managed. The BLM first created 303 herd management areas, but over the years, that number has been whittled down to 201. The BLM has also established "appropriate management levels," which allows the agency to round up horses by buzzing them with helicopters and corralling them into pens for eventual sale through the BLM's adoption program.
The underfunded adoption program, however, has been largely a bust, leading to crowded holding pens that don't give the BLM any wiggle room to round up more wild horses, which ranchers desperately want so that their beef cattle can graze without interference. The stealth amendment in last year's appropriations bill was the latest attempt to appease ranchers; the amendment requires the government to sell horses older than ten years or those who have not been adopted after three attempts. Guess who typically buys these older mustangs? Middlemen, or "killer buyers," who then sell the animals to one of the three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States that process meat for overseas markets.
The losers in this game of backroom legislation are, of course, the horses. It has already cost the lives of 41 mustangs. It could cost thousands more.
The sad fact is that all of this is completely unnecessary—the covert legislation, the animal deaths, the hard feelings from horse lovers across the nation. The BLM could easily deal with America's wild horses without a drop of blood being spilled. The agency could reopen the 102 herd management areas that it has zeroed out; it could adopt immunocontraception programs to keep herds from becoming too large; it could funnel the money from its helicopter round-ups into a mass-marketing budget for its adoption programs; it could simply leave the horses alone, with an acknowledgment that Americans value their equine history as much, if not more, than their beef.

Halo 3 Tips

Tips for easy kills in Halo 3 . . .
For anyone just starting out or for the experienced player what I’ve found are useful are the assault riffle and melee combo. Spray your opponent for 1 to 1.5 seconds and then press the B button to kill your opponent.
Another thing that I’ve found is running with a long to medium range weapon like the assault riffle, battle riffle, or the sniper riffle and a short range weapon like the shot gun or the plasma sword.
The new and improved niddler is another effective way to dispose of your opponent’s. If your lucky enough to pick up the Spartan laser . . . this is the best way to take out any opposing vehicles, as long as you can stay alive long enough to use it . . . because it take about 2 seconds for the thing to charge up.
Picking up some of the new equipment now assigned to the X button is an easy way to stay alive or to take a life. The new bubble shield is great for fending off opponents, but it also can’t be shot though . . . so don’t throw a grenade while inside. If you do this you’ll find yourself dead from your on hand, because the grenade will bounce back in your face.
The power drain is great for throwing in a crowd of people for multiple kills. Then just stick with the basics, head shots and grenade’s and you should fare pretty well at finishing the fight.
This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 1:38 pm and is filed under

Gamebytes: Halo3

By Jeremy Hohman with Brandon Poole, Friday, October 19, 2007 2:09 PM CDT

The old adage “good things come to those who wait” is most definitely true. After months of patiently waiting Halo 3 continues to exceed expectations.

Our prized protagonist Master Chief is back in a wonderful game that combines all the great aspects of the first two installments into Halo 3, the most anticipated game of the year.When the game begins, we find Master Chief crash-landing on Earth. In this installment, the Arbiter is working with Master Chief and the humans to stop the Covenant (bad guys) from activating the arc., in effect, setting off all the Halos which would result in the destruction of all life in the universe. Whew, that’s quite a load for Master Chief to handle alone with old weapons and vehicles. With all this new drama it is very fortunate that we are given a vast array of new features: new allies, new weapons, and a sub-plot involving Master Chief’s quest to retrieve his resident A.I., Cortana.

As far as the gameplay, in campaign mode, Arbiter assists you in battle, but you must get used to little or no help and the sight of him re-spawning. In the same light, I cannot say much more for your Marines, who possess the strategic driving skills of a four-year-old. They end up getting killed before you even get a chance to do your business. I guess that’s why the fate of the Universe is up to you, because without you those guys are hopeless.Weapons--are they awesome? Answer: Yes. You have the flame thrower which basically sets others on fire—who doesn’t like that? There is a laser gun which will rip a warthog in half, and spikers which can be deadly at close range when using two of them simultaneously. Also, Master Chief and company are given a war hammer that will send a vehicle half-way across the screen. That means when equipped with this hefty hammer, becoming your opponent’s road-kill is not an option.Other notable additions include an advanced campaign mode, allowing four separate consoles to work together on one mission on-line. In the multiplayer mode, the weapon's power settings are tweakable and the game has the option to save videos of gameplay, along with the ability to share videos through the internet (for bragging rights, of course). Something that every avid Halo fan will appreciate is the ability to alter maps and save them (while in multi-player mode).

Custom settings and difficulty level, you say? Well, the user may choose from additional icons that were not present in the second game. There are a few options to customize your very own Master Chief. Customizable maps and weapon energy levels have already been covered. How about those settings? FOR HALO PLAYERS ONLY: the normal setting feel like easy street and the legendary mode feels closer to normal. The controls are slightly different, but easy to get used to.

Last but not least, the graphics - the maps look amazing and the game is HD compatible which allows the 360 in unison with the game to reach their full potential.

Bar-setting A+Jeremy Hohman is the writer, producer and host of GameBytes, a weekly game news and review show. To see Jeremy’s latest pod cast or to rent & play the game reviewed simply go to http://www.gnfgames.com/

Wild Horses in the Wild

MINDEN, Nevada, July 7, 2006 (ENS) - I am disturbed by the distortions of truth put out by enemies of wild horses in the American West. Extreme prejudice distorts their view of the life of horses in the wild. Instead, with closed minds, they disregard the many positive aspects of the natural, free life of horses.

Wild horses naturally disperse their own grazing pressure over large areas within their individual band home ranges, if U.S. government authorities would allow them to do so in their legal herd areas.

Officials in the Bureau of Land Management�s (BLM) Elko District plan to remove 1,700 horses this year from the Buck-and-Bald Complex of legal herd areas, in addition to the 795 horses removed from this complex last year.

We must root out the corruption of favoritism and restore integrity and true caring among our public servants. People who really love the West also love and make sacrifices to preserve its beautiful, free-living horses.

Free Gas From GNFGames.com

Gameznflix is still offering free gas for new members. This promotion must be working or they would have pulled it and tried something else by now.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions prior to using this promotion.

Skate For Xbox360

Gamebytes: Skate for the Xbox 360
By Jeremy Hohman;Friday, October 5, 2007 4:47 PM CDT

I’ve heard a lot of people comparing Skate to the Tony Hawk series, but just because it’s a skate board game, does not mean that it will be the same. I am sure that is why they took a different approach. Skate is a more challenging and realistic game then what we have come to know.In the beginning of the game, you have to choose a number of no-named skaters to climb your way to the top. The hardest part of the game is the control scheme. Learning kick flips and shuvits can be difficult considering the right and left analog stick pretty much do it all. To get going you must hold down the A or X button, once you get moving you can perform ollies by holding down the right analog stick and move it straight up. To perform a kick flip you must push up diagonally. To perform a shuvit it requires a half circle. Performing grab tricks can be tricky as well. The right and left trigger act as your right and left hand and by moving the right analog stick you can utilize different tricks by moving the analog stick in different directions, or by pushing the B button. Because of the nature of the control scheme, you will find yourself sometimes meaning to do one trick but accidentally doing another. The graphics for the game are pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. The camera angle is not your traditional view, but it’s a new way to view your skater. The soundtrack is made up of pop music and rap music to add to the experience. You will travel around skate parks and city like environments completing goals and objectives to earn cash and fame. The city streets can be brutal, if you don’t get enough speed or time your ollie just right it could lead to an ugly spill. That is why this game takes a lot of getting used to. Skate is for all ages’ game and if you are looking for a realistic and challenging game then you will want to check out Skate.Skate for the Xbox 360 gets a rolling C.

Jeremy Hohman is the writer, producer and host of GameBytes a 30 minute weekly game news and review show. Jeremy is currently traveling across the U.S. hosting gaming competitions for GameZnFlix at the Midnight Gaming Championship 2007.

To see where Jeremy will be next, and to play the games that were reviewed, simply go to http://www.gameznflix.com/

Wild Horse Update

Horse Slaughter ban upheld in State of IllinoisOn Friday, September 21st, the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled in favor of the constitutionality of the recent Illinois State law that was passed, banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the State of Illinois. While a similar state law in Texas shut down 2 of the 3 horse slaughter plants at the beginning of this year, Cavel International in DeKalb, IL continued to slaughter horses under the protection of temporary injunctions while they waged their legal battle. The plant has a couple of legal options remaining that they can explore. For now, however the last remaining slaughter plant in the U.S. has to close its doors. With U.S. plants closed, American horses will simply be shipped overseas to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. America’s wild horses also remain at risk of slaughter. Though they were once protected under the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, they have lost many of these protections throughout the last three decades. The final blow came in 2004 when an amendment opened up full sale authority for wild horses, essentially making them available to the highest bidder. In April of this year, Congressmen Nick Rahall and Ed Whitfield succeeded in passing legislation in the US House of Representatives that would revoke that sale authority and restore some of the protections that the 1971 Act had provided. This legislation still needs to be heard and voted on in the Senate. Until then, wild horses remain at risk. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 503 and S 311) has been introduced in both the House and the Senate, but has yet to be heard by either in this Congressional session. Despite overwhelming public support, and the fact that HR 503 passed the House by a landslide last year, the legislation is languishing in Committee as we near the end of the session. This legislation would protect both wild and domestic horses from slaughter. You can be a voice for America’s wild horses by contacting your members of Congress today. Ask them to support:· HR 503 in the House· S 311 and a Senate version of HR 249 in the SenateFor information on who your representatives are, or how to contact them, please visit www.congress.org. For more information on Return to Freedom and what we’re doing to protect America’s wild horses please visit www.returntofreedom.org. On behalf of the horses, thank you. Jill AndersonOutreach & Communications DirectorReturn to Freedom, American Wild Horse SanctuaryPh: (805) 737-9246 Fax: (805) 800-0868

Wild Horses Need Our Help

If you can help please do, these beautiful horses are part of our history. We as Americans live in a throw-away society, but throwing away a living and breathing creation is not just. Please pass this on.

Dear Friends of Wild Horses,Sitting on the hillside last week watching the beauty of this very historicherd galloping across the prairie, tears came to my eyes to know that soonthese horses may face the last days of their lives unless WE CAN HELP.This herd, known as Wild Horse Annie's horses, will be removed next week.If ISPMB cannot take these horses, they will be sold at auction and willhead to the thriving Canadian Slaughter Market. Can you help us save theseextraordinary horses? THE STORY:These wild horses, originating near Virginia City, Nevada, are one of themost historic herds in the U.S. gaining notoriety in 1952 when Wild HorseAnnie pushed through the first law in Storey County to protect these wildhorses. By 1971 when Annie and ISPMB were successful in getting federallegislation to protect wild horses and burros, these horses were not coveredbecause they resided on state land. Human encroachment from residentialdevelopment now threatens the Virginia Range herd. In 2001, ISPMB took steps to save Annie's horses and placed 82 of them onthe Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in SD. Today the herd has grown to 300animals and the Tribe may soon lose their 22,000 acre ranch where the horsesroamed.We have only a week to seek funding so we can keep these horses from goingto slaughter. ISPMB has no financial reserves since we paid two times thenormal price for hay this past year trucking it in hundreds of milesenduring the worst drought in our history.Our goal is to find upwards to 200 qualified homes for the younger horsesand then keep the base herd of 100 animals. We will need to raise enough money to purchase $50,000 of hay for them forseveral months until homes are found for the majority of animals.HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP:* Can you help us find qualified homes for the younger horses* Can you contribute http://ispmb. org/ or ISPMB- BOX 55- LANTRYSD-57636 If everyone on our E-mail list would contribute a minimum of $25 -we could raise enough funds to save these horses!* Can you do a fundraiser in your area to save "Annie's Virginia RangeHorses".* Can you pass our information on to all of your friends* Can you Sponsor the Virginia Range Herd ($5,000) and spend awonderful three day weekend with us and our herdsONLY WITH YOUR HELP CAN WE DO THIS! LET'S KEEP THEM RUNNING WILD AND FREE.Karen A. SussmanPresident, ISPMBPO Box 55Lantry, SD 57636-0055Tel: 605.964.6866Cell: 605.430.2088Saving America's Wild Horses and Burros since 1960www.ispmb.orgBecome a member of ISPMB today! http://www.ispmb.org .

What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say ~ Ralph WaldoEmerson

Gameznflix....WOW

Wow is all I can say about the new Gameznflix Web site,,,,I love the new logo, color and by line. The site itself was a little slow to start and still some problems to work out but the concept is cool. The Advertising support I have seen and heard about is also impressive. I hope it helps to build business and take the company to new levels. I have not seen it but a friend in Portland, Maine said he saw a full page Gameznflix Ad in Playboy. I saw one in Pro Gamer and have heard of Television Commercials in the Boston Area. I received my latest mailer and the envelope was the bomb. Good Luck to all.

The Stock is another issue and don't want to vent too much over my recent losses. GZFX did a 1000 to 1 reverse split and changed to GMFX, which turned my 2 mil shares into 2,000 shares and then took a nose dive. I'm not happy about the loss but can only hope this new advertising campaign will cause a rebound by years end.

This is my report for this week, great new web site, great new advertising, the stock sucks. Some good some bad, but maybe the good will turn the bad,,,,,,to good.

Cowboy Up, and move em out,

El

Open Field Join-Up,,Almost

I was contacted by a local Doctor about his Two Year Old Filly. Doc had traded this two year old to a local trainer for a horse trailer. The problem was that this filly had no human contact since she was six months old and the trainer could not catch her.

Doc asked me to come look at the horse and see if I could help. She was a beautiful Tennessee Walking Horse and would come up with curiosity but when I would reach out for her she would back up just out of reach or hide behind another horse. I started to walk her down just to see how she would react. No interest in any contact what so ever.

Finally after about a half an hour I decided to separate her from the other horses. I was able to put the other horses up and keep her at bay. When she realized she was in the field alone she went nuts. Screaming and try to climb the gate.

I grabbed a rope and started to push her off the gate and into the field. Now that I had her in the open field I would push her by throwing the rope at her hind quarters. I would have to follow her and keep pushing for over an hour. Finally her inner ear was focused on me like a radar and she started a chewing motion with her mouth, I knew I had her and lightened up a little. It was hot, she and I were both tired and in need of water.

After a five minute break we started again. Same thing, ear focused and chewing of the mouth but I could never get her to bow or come to me no matter what.

Change of method. I roped her from the ground. As soon as the rope hit and went tight she took off burning my gloves. I would follow, Pick up the rope and try light pressure. Off she went. After about a half an hour she started to give in. I finally walked the length of the rope and got my hands on her for the first time. She was still very shy but did not run. After about five minutes I could rub her all over and was able to put the first halter on her of her life.

Once the halter was on I attached a lead rope, she still didn't run, but would not lead. I walked her in small circles bending her and forcing her to turn and follow my lead. She got comfortable but still would not move forward. Next move was to take a lounge whip and hold it behind me in my outside hand and as I would step forward I would flick her hind with the whip. She began to understand what I wanted and complied. By the time we were done I tossed the lead rope over her back and walk next to her. No matter where I went she stayed in step and at my side.

This was truely an exhilarating experience for me. I have accomplised similar in a round pen but never in an open field. I was blessed by this horse and am grateful for the experience.

El.

Professional Gamers

Professional gamers

By RACHEL ADAMS, The Daily NewsWednesday, August 22, 2007 1:04 PM CDT

Growing up, Elliot Holland and Chris Jefferies always envisioned their dream jobs simply: playing video games all day long.Honing their skills on games like Atari's “Pong” and Nintendo's “The Legend of Zelda,” the Bowling Green friends heard people say over and over again that their pipe dreams wouldn't come true - that, in the real world, no one gets paid to move fictional characters around a screen.That was before Holland, 23, and Jefferies, 21, were guaranteed a $30,000 contract, plus bonuses based on performance, to be “World of Warcraft” professionals for the Championship Gaming Series, a professional gaming league that aims to be the first of its kind to have salaried players. The duo, who call themselves “Ensane,” won the honor by placing third in a “World of Warcraft” arena match at BlizzCon, an early August event in Anaheim, Calif., by Blizzard Entertainment, makers of the game.“It is really exciting,” Holland said. “I do feel like we're pioneers in this field. ... We are really kind of paving the way for the whole industry.”Holland first started playing “World of Warcraft” - a massive multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG - three years ago, convincing Jefferies to join him a year later. When Blizzard introduced an “arena match” feature, allowing teams of players to fight other teams to the pixellated death, the roommates formed a paladin/warlock combination team and started practicing.The two play “all the time - too much, if you ask my mom,” Holland said. “We play every day, at least several hours a day. ... It's good to stay on top of our game.”Eventually, Blizzard began offering arena tournaments - where teams compete for cash prizes - for teams of five and three, Holland said, but not for pairs. A few months ago, however, a friend mentioned that the Championship Gaming Series planned to offer a tournament for “twos,” qualifying rounds for which were held online in America and Europe. Team Ensane placed in the top 70 teams in the United States, then moved up to the top eight, qualifying them for a trip to BlizzCon on Aug. 3 and 4.At BlizzCon, the winning teams competed against each other on computers hooked up to large screens that aired all the action, Holland said. He and Jefferies faced DnT, a team favored to win, in a round that drew gasps and cheers from the crowd with each move.“We gave them a pretty good run,” Holland said. “We got down to the wire at the end. It was pretty close, then one of their players pulled out a pretty clutch move. ... We definitely had the most exciting game there.”The two enjoyed the star treatment lavished upon them at the event - fans asked for their tips on gaming, they were issued “Pro Gamer” ID badges and received paid airfare and entry into BlizzCon.“On eBay, tickets for BlizzCon were selling for about $600, last-minute,” Jefferies said. “We had our own lounge as well.”The pair will fly to Los Angeles in November to play in the Championship Gaming Series World Championships, then in 2008 will be matched with one of eight teams across the nation. Previously, the teams were comprised of 10 members, each an expert on one of several different console video games, but next year the teams will expand to include two “World of Warcraft” experts - in one team's case, Holland and Jefferies. They're not sure yet which team they'll be assigned, but they do know one thing: Life with the Championship Gaming Series, while it may be fleeting, is going to be awesome.“Do what you enjoy - don't let someone tell you, you have to do something else,” Holland said. “There's always going to be a way. You can make things happen.”Both Holland and Jefferies say their families are proud of their accomplishments - but, as exciting as the prospect of getting paid to play video games is, they acknowledge the need for a backup plan. The duo plan to stay with the Championship Gaming Series as long as they can, but they know the deal may not last forever.“The best part is, you get to go for what you really want, and if you have a plan B, you're never going to be hurting for anything,” Jefferies said.

Gamebytes: Mario Strikers Charged for the Nintendo Wii

Gamebytes: Mario Strikers Charged for the Nintendo Wii
by Jeremy HohmanFriday, August 17, 2007 1:32 PM CDT
Mario’s back in action and taking full charge on the Nintendo Wii. Have you ever wonder what soccer would be like if you were a Nintendo character? Well now you get your chance with Mario Strikers Charged.This new addition takes soccer to a whole new level with crazy playing fields and some off the wall power moves. Each game has two five player teams that play on fields half the size of a traditional soccer field. With all the different variables that make up the game you will see soccer from a very different perspective. For instance each character has there own special abilities that allows you to confuse or completely dominate the competition. One example is Mario can grow a hundred times his size and rampage the pitch while Wario sprays off a mist and disorients players on the other team. You will have a choice to pick your captians which include Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, etc. Each character that you select has different fake out moves and abilities, so get used to your character and see which one suites you best. You can also perform Mega Strikes which allow your character to jump in the air, perform a massive kick, and send the ball at the goalie at warp speeds. The opposing player must stop the strike or risk multiple goals. The controls of the game are not that difficult to learn, but they do take some practice. Once you get the hang of it you’ll be hitting Mega Strikes no problem and terrorizing the apposing team. And don’t forget to check out Strikers 101 mode which includes 10 lessons that teach you the basics such as using power ups and completing Mega Strikes.I give Mario Strikers Charged a certified A+

Jeremy Hohman is the writer, producer and host of GameBytes a 30 minute weekly game news and review show. Jeremy is currently traveling across the U.S. hosting gaming competitions for GameZnFlix at the Midnight Gaming Championship 2007.To see where Jeremy will be next, and to play the games that were reviewed, simply go to http://www.gameznflix.com

Wild Hogs

Wild Hogs was absolutely hysterical. I LMAO the entire movie. This is one for the library. Rent it, watch it and I know you will want to buy it.

300 was the Bomb

The movie 300 was by far one of the best inspirational movies of the year. An aginst all odds type of action , suspense, thriller. From start to finish this movie holds the viewers attention and causes you to revel in the commitment and dedication of a people that truly believe in their cause and are willing to die for what they believe in.

This movie does remind the thoughtful viewer that their are things in all of our lives, beliefs and convictions, that we ourselves are not standing up for. Stand up for yourself, your beliefs and don't let the masses dictate your convictins. Be a Spartan!!!!

El