Chinese gaming sites hacked: Millions of users affected
By Hana Stewart-Smith | December 23, 2011, 7:52am PST
Summary: The accounts of millions of Chinese web users have been compromised in a series of hacking attacks on several gaming websites, with account information leaking online.
Amusement parks in and around St. Louis celebrate the regions history and culture. Six Flags St. Louis honors the St. Louis World Exposition of 1904 as well as the citys role as a Gateway to the West. Silver City in Branson recognizes the regions country music roots. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on family-fun parks, here is our guide to all the key information visitors need to know about St. Louis area amusement parks.
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City, which opened in 1960, celebrates the Ozark regions ties to country music as well as its frontier history. The 55-acre park is divided into 10 themed areas, and visitors can enjoy 22 thrill and water rides, craft demonstrations, live entertainment and concerts.
Best Coaster The signature ride at Silver Dollar City is WildFire, a spiraling, steel cobra coaster that reaches speeds of up to 66 mph.
Other Coasters In addition to WildFire, Silver Dollar City offers 21 roller coaster and water rides as well as a variety of craft and pioneer skill demonstrations, a special kiddie area, lots of live music and dozens of shops where visitors can buy pioneer-era crafts that were made at the park.
Buffets And Grills Silver Dollar City features a variety of buffets, concessions and grills scattered throughout the park. Among these is Mollys Mill Restaurant, where guests can enjoy a piping hot breakfast before exploring the park.
Safety Record In 2005, according to Ride Accidents, a train carrying 16 passengers on the Powder Keg roller coaster failed to stop and collided with an empty train. No injuries were reported. In 2002, 21 people were injured when a 25-foot section of a walkway collapsed. The accident happened as visitors waited in line for the Lost River of the Ozarks ride.
Address: 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway, Branson, MO 65616
Phone: 800-475-9370
Hours: Silver Dollar City is open from mid-March through December. Hours vary frequently. Check the website for current information.
Price: Adults, $59.11; seniors 62 and older, $56.96; children ages 4 to 11, $48.36; children 3 and younger, free.
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis, formerly called Six Flags over Mid America, is 132 acres of thrill rides, roller coasters, water rides, live entertainment and concerts. The park is divided into six themed areas, many of which represent stages in Missouri history.
Sure To Make You Scream The signature ride at Six Flags St. Louis is the Screamin Eagle. This three-mile-long wooden coaster reaches speeds of 62 mph. It may be a classic, but its definitely not your grandmothers roller coaster.
Other Attractions In addition to Screamin Eagle, Six Flags St. Louis features 39 other rides, including seven additional coasters and three water rides. There are also live shows, concerts, kiddie rides and a free water park (open from Memorial Day through Labor Day).
Snacks And Dining Six Flags St. Louis offers more than a dozen dining options. Among these are Johnny Rockets, a full-service, 1950s-style diner; 1904 Classics, which specializes in chili dogs and fries; and Villians Cafe, which serves nachos, burritos, chicken sandwiches and house-made tortilla chips.
Safety Record Our research revealed no notable news reports of accidents or safety issues at Six Flags St. Louis.
Address: 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka, MO 63069
Phone: 636-938-4800
Hours: Six Flags St. Louis is open from April through October. Hours vary frequently. Check the website for current information.
Price: General Admission, $46.99; children under 48 inches, $36.99; children 2 and younger, free; online tickets, $36.99.
Other Noteworthy Parks Near St. Louis Route 66 Carousel Park
Worlds of Fun
Swing Around Fun Town
Cool Crest
NASCAR Speed Park
Whats your favorite amusement park in St. Louis?
Check out more AMUSEMENT PARKS.
No one likes an unpleasant surprise at Christmas.
But if Aunt Louise drops her Christmas cake in the mail every year and Uncle Mort delivers another ugly tie to be unwrapped each December, it ceases to be a surprise.
So it was with the countrys provincial finance ministers Monday. If they were surprised that federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty dropped his health-care funding stink bomb at the lunch table in Victoria, then they werent paying attention. Or else this gnashing of teeth and national beating of the breast is largely feigned for the home audience.
We were expecting to discuss how we were going to discuss federal transfers, Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand said after the meeting.
Really?
Raymond Bachand, meet Stephen Harper.
This is how the Conservatives negotiate, whether it is with the federal opposition parties or the provinces.
They dont.
They dictate.
But to be fair, they telegraphed this stance, through the media and through public statements by Flaherty and Harper in recent weeks.
One highly placed source said health-care reform will never be seriously addressed until the funding question is put to rest.
So Flaherty put it to rest, telling not asking the finance ministers that he would extend the six per cent increases in health transfers through 2016-17 (by which time, Conservatives may not even be in power) before tying increases through 2024 to economic growth, with a floor of three per cent.
The good news for provinces is that they can now budget through 2017, but the bad news is the uncertainty following that date.
If health-care spending must be pared during another future economic downturn, it is bound to create hardship because the health-care system is under much more stress during economic downturns.
With no strings apparently attached to the funding proposal, Ottawa is essentially plunking the money on the table and letting the provinces go their own way.
Some provinces will be able to spend more on health care, others will bear a bigger burden of the aging population, others now have an opportunity to experiment with more private delivery.
One can feel Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncans pain to an extent.
He is facing a $16-billion deficit, stubborn unemployment, a possible credit downgrade, an aging population and an aging economic base. He is also looking at the same uncertain economic future as Flaherty.
His next budget is sure to be a bad-news budget in which hard decisions deferred in a bid for re-election must finally be taken.
One of those will involve health-care spending, now 42 per cent of all Ontario expenditures.
But the province is already projecting slowing health-care spending, predicting a 3.6 per cent growth in costs next year, or almost exactly what Flaherty could be projecting in his transfers following 2016.
So Duncan is actually on board with Flaherty when it comes to reining in spending, even as Ontario asks for more. There are more shoes to drop in this debate, so it is too early to be apocalyptic about the future of the public, single-payer universal system.
The dangers may be real Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter mused Tuesday about signing on to this deal for only five years.
More likely, there will now be an opportunity, as Canadian Medical Association president John Haggie puts it, to identify how resources will be used to improve patient care across the country.
Premiers meet to discuss health care next month and federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has suggested a meeting with her provincial counterparts aiming at the same goal.
Last week, Flaherty mockingly described himself in the House of Commons as an elf.
If the provinces can grudgingly accept the funding parameters and work together within those constraints, the finance minister need not be known as the Grinch.
Tim Harper is a national affairs columnist for the Toronto Star.
Looking for a place to book some family fun? Check out TripAdvisor.coms Travelers 2011 top picks for amusement parks and boardwalks in the US
Amusement parks in New Jersey draw visitors from all over the Mid-Atlantic, especially New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Whether its a major theme park or an old-fashioned amusement park at the Shore, theres no shortage of thrills and family fun. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on family-fun parks, here is our guide to all the key information visitors need to know about New Jersey amusement parks.
Steel Pier
Not everything in iconic Atlantic City is family-friendly, but the Steel Pier certainly is. This historic park is over 100 years old and was once known as The Nations Showplace. With over 20 rides from the ultra-thrilling to the mild, its still one of the best places for families on the boardwalk.
Most Extreme The Rocket at the Steel Pier was voted New Jerseys Most Extreme ride six years in a row. Riders shoot 225 feet up in a second and a half, at over 100 miles per hour.
Pier Attractions The Steel Pier also features a Ferris wheel, a double-decker carousel, coasters, bumper cars, a Tilt-A-Whirl and go-karts, as well as a variety of amusement games. For a real adventure, your family can take a real helicopter tour over Atlantic City, day or night — its the only helicopter tour on the Jersey Shore.
Boardwalk Food The Steel Pier offers classic boardwalk food, including pizza, sausages and funnel cake.
Safety Record The Steel Pier reported a couple of serious accidents in the 1990s, according to Philly.com. No recent reports of accidents or injuries were found.
Address: 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: 866-386-6659
Hours: The park is open weekends starting in April. The full season begins mid-June and lasts through August, when the park is open weekdays from 3 pm to midnight and weekends from noon to 1 am
Price: There is no entry fee. Tickets are $1 a piece, but are discounted if you purchase a book of tickets. Guests can also purchase a $40 pass for unlimited rides. The Rocket costs $25 per person. Helicopter rides cost $49 per person, plus a gas surcharge.
Six Flags Great Adventure
Great Adventure is Six Flags big time theme park serving the Tri-State area of New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. The location is ideal if you plan to visit both Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, since its located in between the two.
Just Like The Movie The signature ride at Six Flags Great Adventure varies from season to season, depending on the new major ride. For 2011, its the Green Lantern ride — a 15-story stand-up coaster with upside-down loops based on the Green Lantern movie. Expect very long lines for new coasters all season long, especially on weekends.
Other Attractions Great Adventure offers nearly 50 rides for all ages, including two Amusement Today Top 10 Golden Ticket roller coasters: the El Toro (#2 wooden coaster in the US) and the Nitro (#3 steel coaster), as well as two Batman coasters and a Superman coaster. In addition to thrill rides, Great Adventure features lots of mild to moderate rides for all ages, including Looney Tunes themed rides for younger kids.
Food Options There are over 30 places to eat and drink in Six Flags Great Adventure, including Nathans Hot Dogs, Johnny Rockets, Panda Express, La Cocina, Primos Pizza and Ben and Jerrys. The Oasis Cafe in the Safari Kids area is Kosher-friendly. Beer and wine are served at the Liberty Pub on Main Street.
Safety Record Theme Park Insider has records of five unconfirmed injuries and minor accidents, all prior to 2009, and one verified accident involving a stunt performer injured while performing a Jet Ski trick in 2005.
Address: 1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: 732-928-1821
Hours: The park is open weekends and some weekdays in April, May, September and October. June through August the park is open daily from 10:30 am to 10 pm Please visit the website for a complete list of dates and hours.
Price: General Admission, $59.99; Junior (under 54), $34.99; Younger than 2, free. Add $11.99 per ticket to include the drive-through Wild Safari. Online discounts, group rates and season passes are available. One-day parking is $20.
Other Noteworthy Parks Near New Jersey Clementon Park
Land of Make Believe
Wild West City
Moreys Piers
The FunPlex
Whats your favorite amusement park in New Jersey?
Check out more AMUSEMENT PARKS.
A fascinating legal fight is shaping up in Texas, where 63 school districts have filed suit against the state, charging that its method of funding schools in unconstitutional.
The lawsuit includes the largest districts Austin, Houston and Dallas. More than 3 million students are enrolled in the districts.
The issue, according to the lawsuit, is that the state has run afoul of the Texas Constitution by failing to provide adequate resources to meet the higher academic standards established by the Legislature, writes the Austin American-Statesman. At the same time, districts lack meaningful discretion to set their own tax rates, as the courts have said is required. Finally, the system for divvying up the limited state dollars among the districts is inequitable and arbitrary.
In a statement issued by the plaintiffs attorneys, they argue that a temporary finance system approved by the Texas legislature in 2006 has become a permanent funding system that assigns different levels of money to students in different school districts without regard for the actual costs of educating a growing and increasingly diverse and poor student population.
The lawsuit should be closely watched here in Indiana. My colleague, Dan Stockman, reported in August on Indiana property tax rate inequities that allow wealthier school districts to raise much greater amounts of money with a lower tax rate than poorer districts can raise with a higher rate. Statewide tax revenues cover general fund costs in Indiana, but school districts can ask voters to contribute more locally through a general fund referendum. Indiana is inevitably headed to a system of rich schools and poor schools.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Nevadas 8.1 percent gaming revenue jump in October wasnt a surprise to analysts.
During third-quarter earnings conference calls last month, Strip casino operators expressed optimism despite market turmoil and economic uncertainty.
MGM Resorts (International) noted on its conference call that October was one of the best (profit-to-cash flow) months of the year, JP Morgan gaming analyst Joe Greff told investors Friday.
The Gaming Control Board confirmed those early reports as Nevada casinos broke a two-month gaming revenue slide during October.
Statewide, gaming revenues were $960.7 million, an 8.1 percent increase compared with $888.6 million in October 2010.
On the Strip, casinos collected $560.5 million from customers, a 13.3 percent increase compared with $494.8 million collected in the same month last year.
Wells Fargo Securities gaming analyst Dennis Farrell Jr. told investors Octobers results provide further evidence the Las Vegas market is in a gradual recovery.
We continue to expect modest revenue improvement from large gaming operators as Las Vegas demand rebounds over the next 12 months, Farrell wrote in a research report. The Strip can generate modest growth, as corporate convention spending recovers and moderating room supply in 2012 facilitates higher average daily room rates.
Investors soaked up the positive news and sent the stock prices of several casino operators up in value Friday. On the New York Stock Exchange, MGM Resorts closed at $10.03, up 16 cents, 1.62 percent, while shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. rose 74 cents to close at $43.97, up 1.71 percent. Boyd Gaming Corp. rose 19 cents, 3.08 percent, to close at $6.36.
On the Nasdaq National Market, Wynn Resorts Ltd. rose 68 cents, 0.62 percent, to close at $110.86, while shares of M Resort owner Penn National Gaming increased 93 cents, 2.65 percent, to close at $36.08.
Expectations for October were high, Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon told investors. We think the headline number was within expectations.
Control board Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton said the Strips results were even more impressive when stacked up against the results from October 2010, which was a nearly 16.1 percent increase compared with October 2009.
Lawton said the results were the first monthly double-digit increase following a previous-year double-digit increase since July 2007.
High end baccarat play on the Strip was big, but that was just part of the overall October equation.
Lawton said revenues from slot machine play increased 5.4 percent, the sixth consecutive monthly increase. The amount wagered on slot machines grew 3.1 percent, the seventh monthly increase in the last eight months.
It shows that the Strip is seeing a much broader growth, Lawton said.
Baccarat broke all monthly records for October. Baccarat revenues of $159.3 million was an increase of 74.3 percent from a year ago. The amount wagered was $838.7 million, a 67.5 percent increase. Casinos held roughly 19 percent of the money wagered on the game, well above normalized hold of 11 percent or 12 percent and better than last years October hold percentage of 18.2 percent.
The baccarat figures were helped along by several special events, including the Chinese Golden Week holiday.
Given the growth was primarily driven by baccarat, we think MGM Resorts will benefit the most from this revenue breakdown as we estimate that they control over 40 percent of the baccarat market with Bellagio, CityCenter Aria Resort Casino and MGM Grand Las Vegas, Beynon said.
October ended consecutive months of gaming revenue declines in August and September both statewide and on the Strip, which followed three straight months of positive results.
For the first 10 months of the year, gaming revenues are up 4.8 percent on the Strip and 2.5 percent statewide compared with the first 10 months of 2010.
Elsewhere in Nevada, the October results were mixed. Reno gaming revenues fell 12.3 percent while all of Washoe County was down 9.3 percent.
Casinos along the Boulder Strip and in North Las Vegas experienced double-digit gaming revenue increases during the month. On a whole, Clark County gaming revenues grew 10.4 percent.
Nevada collected $65.4 million in gaming taxes during November, based on Octobers gaming revenues. The figure was an 8.6 percent increase compared with the same month last year. For the first five months of the fiscal year, gaming tax collections are down 2.4 percent compared with the same five months last year.
Copyright 2010 GamingWire. All rights reserved.
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MUNCIE — The would-be developer of senior apartments at the former Roberts Hotel should know early next year if much of the $16 million in funding needed for the project will be available.
We hope to know whether were funded or not in March, said Pete Schwiegeraht of Cincinnati-based Miller Valentine Group.
Miller Valentine is seeking funding from a variety of sources but primarily the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, a state agency that distributes federal funding for housing projects. The IHCDA is a primary funding avenue for agencies providing affordable housing for Hoosiers.
Schwiegeraht said Miller Valentine had submitted an application to the IHCDA in November.
Theyre the primary funding source, Schwiegeraht said, noting that the developers would also seek historic tax credits.
Mayor Sharon McShurley — who announced Miller Valentines involvement with the Roberts in September — said this week it was also her understanding that the developer would determine early next year if funding would be in place for the project.
I will look forward to hearing what happens, said McShurley, who noted that she wont see the project through to completion. She leaves office at the end of the year after losing her re-election campaign to Dennis Tyler.
Schwiegeraht said Miller Valentine also hoped to secure some funding from the city. McShurley had made a verbal commitment of up to $2.5 million for a previous set of developers whose efforts to turn the Roberts into a boutique hotel ended in spring 2011 when financing couldnt be secured.
Any offer from McShurley might not be carried over to Tylers administration, however.
Schwiegeraht said Miller Valentines plans for the building — built in 1921, shuttered and renovated in the 1980s and then closed again in October 2006 — had changed little since the September announcement.
The developer plans to remodel the building for 83 senior apartment units. The first floor would offer up to 20,000 square feet of commercial space that could be home to a restaurant, bar and small shops.
We would be interested in speaking to parties with an interest in the commercial space, but as of now, no tenants have been identified, Schwiegeraht said.
While the first floor of the building is largely untouched from its condition in 2006, the top two floors were gutted under a failed attempt by former owner Peter Dvorak to turn the building into luxury apartments. The middle floors are still laid out as hotel rooms although they are heavily damaged. Schwiegeraht said in September all the buildings floors would likely be gutted.
Its certainty structurally sound and functional, he said this week. It will take a lot of money to retrofit it, but we havent found anything from a structural standpoint.
Schwiegeraht said Miller Valentine representatives have met with local senior citizen groups and agencies as well as government officials. In general, weve gotten a very favorable response.
Contact business editor Keith Roysdon at 213-5828. Find him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keithroysdon.
Dec. 22, 2011 |(0) Comments
(ARA) – No matter how strong the familial bonds, traveling with multiple generations of family members can be a challenge. Perhaps Grandpa loves visiting historic sites, while his toddler granddaughter prefers amusement parks. Grandma relishes museum hopping while Mom wants to shop the day away. And the only thing they all agree on is the need for an afternoon nap.
Adults traveling with children or grandchildren make up 30 percent of all adult leisure travelers, according to the US Travel Association. And family travelers take an average of 4.5 trips per year, the association reports. Traveling with grandparents is on the rise, too; nearly four out of every 10 leisure travelers are grandparents, according to a report in TravelAge West.
Interestingly, the economy seems to have had less of an impact on family travel than on other travel segments, says Kimberly Miles of the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. People see traveling with family as an important way to reconnect and enjoy each others company. With todays hectic schedules, many families appreciate the opportunity traveling together gives them to spend quality time together and create lasting memories.
Traveling with multiple generations can be a rewarding experience. Keep these tips in mind to help ensure your multi-generational family travel is fun, safe and rewarding for everyone in the group:
Choose wisely
When you have to please tastes and preferences that vary as widely as those between grandparents and grandkids, the destination you choose for your family vacation becomes even more important. Choosing a destination thats focused on a single theme (such as an amusement park or beach resort) or that has limited access to a variety of attractions may leave at least some members of the group disappointed.
Look for destinations that specialize in accommodating family travelers with a wide variety of activities, attractions and types of lodging and dining. For example, Myrtle Beach has earned a reputation as a family-friendly destination for its broad range of things to see and do, including miles of pristine beaches, zoos, amusement parks, museums, natural preserves, and outstanding shopping and dining.
Another advantage of Myrtle Beach is its drivability from practically anywhere on the eastern seaboard. Family travelers often prefer destinations that are within driving distance of home. Road trips can help reduce transportation costs, and smart families can make the journey to their vacation spot part of the overall experience.
Consider special needs
In many ways, children and seniors have a lot in common when it comes to travel and special needs. In addition to an entertaining time, both kids and grandparents will need regular meal times and plenty of rest in order to maximize their vacation enjoyment. The adults coordinating the trip will need to keep in mind any special dietary needs of all members in the group.
Before setting out, adults should coordinate medication management to ensure everyone has an adequate supply of any necessary prescriptions. They may also need to provide additional transportation options for any family members with mobility issues. For example, grandparents who normally use a walker may prefer the convenience of a wheelchair or scooter if the family will be visiting an attraction where they will be doing a lot of walking. The family may also need to forego visits to attractions where the terrain would be challenging for very young children or others with mobility issues.
Get everyone involved in planning
Certainly all adults in the party should have a say in where the family will go, and older kids can also get into the act. The choice of destination and what sights youll see can be a group activity, and grandparents and children can enjoy researching together everything there is to see and do.
Involving everyone in the planning can also make trip preparations go more smoothly. For example, retired grandparents can ease pre-trip stress by helping parents confirm hotel, airline and rental car reservations. Teens and grandparents can team up to research dining options and plan family meals on the road.
Traveling as a family can be an enriching experience for everyone, Kimberly Miles says. By choosing the right destination and putting some extra thought into planning and preparations, you can help ensure everyone enjoys the trip.