Business

The advantages of renting an apartment vs. Owning a home

Compared to owning a home, living in a rental apartment is incredibly easy. Why do the work yourself when you can enjoy the following benefits?

Dedicated property and maintenance staff to call if something goes wrong

No shoveling snow, lawn maintenance, or pool / sauna care

A single monthly rent check usually pays everything (instead of multiple separate bills and fees when you own a home or condo)

You get more for your money

Believe it or not, you can usually rent an apartment or house for much less than the cost of buying it, especially if you live in a larger city. And if you want to be in the center of the city, renting is almost always more affordable than owning a condo (and you also get a lot more space to live in, since apartments in the center are usually much larger than condos in the city. center).

Plus, apartment renters don’t have to pay thousands of dollars in down payments, closing costs, and fees for things like building inspections, legal advice, land transfer taxes, and insurance.

And this doesn’t even take into account the cost of borrowing: In the first five years of ownership, most mortgage payments apply to interest only, not principal. This is money that you will not receive when you sell your home (and you will still have all the hassle and added costs of putting your home on the market).

That tax exemption is not guaranteed

Getting a big tax break is supposed to be one of the biggest perks of owning a home, but you can’t always rely on getting this break. If your annual mortgage interest payment, plus any other deductions to which you are entitled, is not more than your standard tax deductions, you will not receive any tax benefits for owning a home.

However, if you rent an apartment, you will always receive some form of tax relief, as a large part of your rent is tax deductible every year.

Maximum flexibility

The rental offers enormous flexibility. You can pack up and go immediately at the end of your lease (which can be monthly or yearly, whichever works best for your lifestyle); No waiting to sell or worrying about the real estate market before moving in. For many people, the freedom to live where and when you want it is a great benefit that simply cannot be overlooked.

Minimal risk

For homeowners, the stakes are high if their finances collapse. When they can’t pay the mortgage, the lender has great leverage – the home and all of the equity invested in it could be in jeopardy. That is not to say that there are no consequences if a tenant cannot pay the rent, but the financial devastation that comes with losing your home is far greater than being evicted from your apartment.

In addition, there are various social service programs run by all levels of government to help people in need pay their rent so that they are not evicted. Are banks so lenient or supportive when it comes time to pay the mortgage?

Ultimately, making the decision to rent an apartment or buy a home involves much more than simply comparing rental rates, mortgage payments, length of leases, and tax breaks. It is a combination of all the personal circumstances that happen in your life, both now and several years from now.

Relationship

Helping Your Daughter When She’s a Teen Mom

What do you do when your teenage daughter arrives and tells you that she is pregnant? Strangling her is not an option.

Parents’ response:

The “real world” is already too harsh for teens and now your baby is having a baby. How you respond will be the factor in your success or failure. He’s spent time educating her about abstinence and birth control and it all went out the window. You are wondering what you did wrong. You feel like you’ve done everything right, but now your teenage daughter is pregnant. This kind of thing still happens and your daughter is going to need it more than ever.

At this point, your parenting shifts from prevention to preparation. Your feelings should be compassion and empathy. She is trying to deal with all the emotions she’s going through and doesn’t understand how to deal with them, but as her mother, you can help her examine and talk about them. Believe it or not, many teenagers try to get pregnant, they simply lack the maturity to make responsible decisions. She is not mature enough to raise a child, she has not experienced life enough to understand what affects her decisions and the future actions she takes will affect both her and her baby for the rest of their lives. Not only do teenagers lack the experience and maturity, their brains are not actually fully functional, like their father, you have the opportunity to teach him the skills that he is going to need.

Creating a plan:

You may have extensive childcare experience, which is great because you will have the basic skills necessary to raise this child, but have you had the experience of being extremely sleep deprived? What about all the problems that come up with raising a newborn? Only experience can give you the coping skills you will need. Have honest conversations with her. What is your plan? Most likely, she has no idea. Sit her down and help her come up with a plan, the plan should address where everyone is going to live, are you going to allow the father to move? They are going to get married? What about childcare? Is homeschooling an option for her? What is the father’s plan? Are you going to give him monetary support, moral support, what is your position in all this?

Just remember, your teenage daughter has no idea what’s coming, he’s even worse off than she is. As a general rule, children take longer to mature, so all the mistakes you make also have a life-changing effect on you and your family.

Guilty feeling:

Don’t put her on a guilt trip. There is nothing you can do at this time except help her make good decisions. She is now pregnant and, other than putting him up for adoption, she has no options. There is such an important event in her life that you don’t push her away, she needs all the support she can get, even if she acts like she doesn’t care or even if she’s happy for the little grandson coming into the world. There are so many things your teen is feeling. Teenagers already have the mindset that this word is about them, they simply lack the ability to see into the future, proving once again that their brain is immature and unable to make real adult decisions. Think back to when you were a teenager and made decisions that were about you, right?

Unless you were a teenager, you can’t really put yourself in their shoes, but just thinking about the stupid decisions you made.

Shame:

Chances are that both you and your daughter are feeling embarrassed now. Most of the time, the adolescent feels embarrassed, especially if she hasn’t told anyone. It’s a scary time for her. Make sure to keep communication open. She really is going to need it. What about your guilt and shame? Of course you are embarrassed that this is happening right under your supervision. You don’t know what you did wrong, this didn’t happen to the “good girls”. In reality, your daughter is the same person she has always been, but she has made some poor decisions. Deal with your embarrassment by talking to your supportive spouse or friend. Don’t blame your teenage daughter.

Education:

Studies reported in 2010 found the following.

1. Teen moms are at a higher risk of not finishing their high school education.

2. Less than 2 percent of teen mothers go to college. 3. Babies of teenage mothers are 50 percent more likely to be behind than their peers of the same age.

4. Information on teenage pregnancy can be found on the Internet. Try www.TeenPregnancy.org

5. The CDC suggests that one of the most effective and efficient ways to prevent teenage pregnancy is to educate adolescent girls at school with the school curriculum.

The role of grandparents:

Let your daughter be the mother. Grandparents often intervene because they want to help their daughter but because she doesn’t know what to do. Offer support, which is your job. Teach her how to take care of the baby and let her learn. You have to make your own mistakes as a mother. You will see what mistakes he is making or things he is doing differently than you would. This is your baby and he has to learn to make mistakes or he will ask for help. As a grandparent, this should be one of the greatest joys of your life. Let it be. Have faith in her and, most importantly, keep communication open so she doesn’t mind coming to you for advice.

Gaming

The Sleep Number bed: advantages and disadvantages of the best-selling air mattress

You’ve probably seen the TV commercials.

And it seems to be the buzz among mattress buyers. I’m talking, of course, about the Sleep Number bed.

If you don’t already know, the Sleep Number bed is an airbed. It uses air as the main support feature, unlike internal springs, water or memory foam.

I am going to tell you its main advantages and disadvantages.

However, first I want to tell you that I am uniquely qualified to provide this information. That’s because I recently spent at least 250 hours browsing nearly 50 online forums, message boards, consumer websites, etc. collect information from at least 1,600 people on what they think of their mattresses.

Advantage

Comfort – Most people are satisfied with the comfort of their Sleep Number bed. In fact, those who like the bed usually do it with passion.

Adjustable Firmness: The Sleep Number bed provides adjustable firmness at the push of a button, just like most airbeds. More air in the mattress means firmer and vice versa. The Sleep Number bed offers duel air chambers that allow two sleepers in the bed to have their own firmness setting. And the bed is called “Sleep Number” because the firmness level is indicated by a number. The tighter the setting, the higher the number.

Disadvantages

Air Loss: All air mattresses, by their nature, will lose air over time (permeation) and it will be necessary to add air to compensate. However, based on my research, about 11% of Sleep Number bed owners reported frequent and significant air leaks. Apparently this was mainly due to faulty air pumps and connections and not simply permeation.

Middle of bed trench / intrusion – Based on my research, about 14% of Sleep Number bed owners said there was a trench or middle bed intrusion between the two air chambers. This was especially noticeable when the two cameras had very different levels of firmness. This trench / intrusion could undermine the comfort of the bed and discourage intimate encounters between couples.

Health Fitness

7 scoop tricks that will help you lose weight

Losing weight can be difficult. Some people lose weight quickly, while others take weeks to lose a couple of pounds. Whatever you do, do not resort to diet pills, or medications, or start an intensive diet because they can cause significant damage to your health. What is the best way to lose weight, you ask? Luckily for you, we have some weight loss tips to share with you.

Let’s face it for a second: you have to work to lose weight. The combination of exercise and a healthy diet is the most effective way to shed unwanted pounds. Thinking that the weight will magically drop gets you nowhere. By using our herbal tricks, combined with exercise and a healthy diet, you can help your body lose weight naturally.

Disclaimer: The following should be consumed in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. You should not consume more than one tablespoon a day. Eating them with an unhealthy diet and no exercise will not produce the positive weight loss results you seek.

Turmeric:

This herb is commonly found in Indian cuisine. It has a characteristic flavor and a bright orange color. If you are inflamed or tend to retain water, turmeric is beneficial for you because it has incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Take a tablespoon of turmeric once a day to help speed up your metabolism and aid your body in the weight loss process.

Lemon juice:

There are many reasons why you should drink lemon juice every day. It alkalizes the body, supports the immune system, and its high vitamin C content is great for helping the body burn fat. You can add lemon juice to the water throughout the day or you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice to warm water in the morning for a fresh vitamin C boost.

Apple cider vinegar:

We all know that apple cider vinegar is amazing. It can help alkalize the body, improve skin conditions, and stabilize blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar levels are constantly rising, you are most likely overeating or eating unhealthy things. Maintaining consistent blood sugar levels can help you avoid cravings, helping you lose weight. Add a tablespoon of this to your water and drink it once a day.

Coconut oil:

Coconut oil is one of those ingredients that has a variety of benefits. It is a healthy fat that helps boost your metabolism, keeps your skin smooth and healthy, and makes you feel full when you eat. If you feel full, you won’t eat as much!

Cinnamon:

Let’s take a second to appreciate how delicious cinnamon is. Okay, now that we’ve done that, we can tell you that it has essential minerals that you need every day. If you want to make an all-natural weight loss drink, mix one tablespoon of cinnamon with one tablespoon of raw honey in a cup of hot water. This drink can be consumed whenever you want to get a healthy dose of fiber, which will help improve your digestion.

Raw honey:

Let’s get one thing very clear: raw organic honey is not the same as sugar-filled processed honey. While that sugar content can provide you with more sugar than you need in a day with just one squeeze, raw honey helps promote healthy digestion. If your digestive system is not working well, it can be difficult to lose weight, so add a tablespoon of raw honey to your daily diet.

Thyme:

It’s thyme to use more of this. Puns aside, fresh thyme is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that help protect your body’s cells. Additionally, thyme is a natural diuretic that can help release excess water and toxins stored in the body. It can be difficult to digest a tablespoon of this herb because it is powerful. Instead, you can spice up your meals with it (it goes great with sauteed veggies).

Legal Law

Career groups, a bridge between education and career planning

Since the 1960s, the career pool resources have been used as career planning and exploration tools in schools, learning communities, and organizations across the country. Career Clusters is a system that combines educational and career planning.

Step 1: Identification of the areas of interest of the career group

Career groups are groups of similar occupations and industries. When teachers, counselors, and parents work with teens, college students, and adults, the first step is to complete the career cluster assessment. The assessment identifies the highest career areas. Career assessments show teen, college student, and adult rankings from one of the following 16 areas or interest groups:

1. Agriculture, food and natural resources

2. Architecture and construction

3. Arts, A / V technology and communication

4. Business, management and administration

5. Education and training

6. Finance

7. Government and public administration

8. Health sciences

9. Hospitality and tourism

10. Human services

11. Information technology

12. Law, public safety and protection

13. Manufacturing

14. Marketing, sales and service

15. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics

16. Transportation, distribution and logistics

Step 2: Exploring Career Groups and Related Careers

After identifying the highest career groups, teens, college students, and adults explore different careers and create educational plans. Career group tools used in education and career planning include:

  • LISA: a comprehensive database of career groups
  • Models
  • Brochures
  • Roads
  • High School Curriculum
  • Areas of interest and skills
  • Crosswalks

After completing a group career assessment, teens, college students, and adults search for high school websites, career models, brochures, pathways, and plans. One of the career group’s most unique resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA allows you to explore career clusters, careers, skills, training requirements, and more. There are 3 steps in the LISA program:

STEP 1: Click here to select a career group

STEP 2: Click here to select a race group

STEP 3: Explore the occupations within this career group

In Step 1, when you choose a career group, you will see a description of the group. When you select a race group in Step 2, you see different races. Finally, in Step 3, you will see a lot of information:

  • Job descriptions
  • Educational and training requirements
  • Crosswalks, for example, ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes
  • Skills
  • Knowledge
  • Skills
  • Chores
  • Labor values
  • Labor market information

Even though LISA is an amazing program, in the classroom or in the workshop, it needs printed materials. When using printed materials, the career model is the best place to start. The models provide excellent overviews that list group definitions, career examples, trajectories, knowledge, and skills. Visual models show race groups, group subgroups, and related races. Models are a great way to present racing groups.

For presentations, workshops, and group discussions, the career group brochures provide additional information. Adults and teens read about the different careers available in each career group. The brochures are used by teachers, counselors, and parents to solidify potential career or educational decisions for adults and teens. The brochures cover topics such as:

  • Definition of race groups
  • Careers
  • Career paths
  • Job prospects
  • Skills
  • Credentials

Teachers, counselors, and parents use career paths to obtain more detailed information. Career paths are subgroups or areas of concentration within career groups. Each lane contains groups of races. Career groups have similar academic skills, technical skills, educational requirements, and training requirements. Career paths are curricula that describe required high school courses, postsecondary courses, and related careers. Career paths are essential tools that teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults use to give advice on educational planning.

Several websites feature high school curricula. These curricula show required, elective, and suggested courses for each grade level. School plans also match career clusters with related majors, career paths, and post-secondary options. Teachers, counselors, and parents find that these school plans are guides in selecting the right high school courses for potential careers. Beyond high school, the Utah System of Higher Education has created a College Pathway Guide. Parents, teachers, and counselors can use the guide to match college majors with certificate and degree programs.

Additional Resources for Counselors and Teachers

To plan the curriculum and educational programs, there are detailed charts of knowledge and skills and crosswalks. The knowledge and skills add to the information listed in the career group templates. For each area of ​​knowledge and skill, there are performance elements and measurement criteria. Crosswalks show the relationships between race groups and other race patterns:

Career groups create a bridge between education and career planning. Different types of career group resources are available: videos, websites, brochures, brochures, activity sheets, and workbooks. Teachers, counselors, and parents utilize career group resources to successfully complete educational and career planning.

Resources:

American Careers Career Paths, Career Communications, 6701 W. 64th St., Overland, KS 66202, 800-669-7795

Career Click, Illinois Department of Workforce Safety, 33 South State Street, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 793-5700

CIP Code Index by Career Group, CTE Division for Adults and Higher Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, (717) 772-0814

Group and Career Videos, Career One Stop, US Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210, 866-4-USA-DOL

College Major Guide Utah System for Higher Education, Board of Regents Building, The Gateway, 60 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284, (801) 321-7100

Find Careers (Videos), iSeek Solutions, Minnesota State Colleges & Universities, Wells Fargo Place, 30 7th St. E., Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

High School Curricula, New Hampshire Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3860, (603) 271-3494

Introduction to Professional Groups, Professional Education, Glencoe / McGraw-Hill, PO Box 543

Blacklick, OH 43004-0544,

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), customized Internet version of OSCAR, a product of the Texas Workforce Commission / Career Development Resources, TWC / CDR, Austin, TX 78753

Maryland Career Clusters, Maryland State Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201,

Rhodes Island Racing Groups, Rhode Island Racing Resource Network, 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-8790

School to Career Groups, State of Connecticut, Department of Labor, Job Board, 645 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457, (860)754-5000

States Professional Groups Initiative (SCCI), 1500 W. Seventh Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074

Career plans, career clusters, knowledge and skills charts

Cluster Structures VTECS, VTECS, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033,404-679-4501 ext 543

What are professional groups? Career Prospects System, New Mexico Career Resource Network, CAREER TECHNICAL AND LABOR EDUCATION OFFICE (CTWEB), Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 827-6512

Lifestyle Fashion

Are you dating a narcissist? Seven infallible clues to know if your boyfriend is a narcissist

Sometimes your intuition tells you that something is not right, but you are not quite sure what it could be. Are you in a relationship that worries you? Are you afraid that this person has some “problems” that could cause you a lot of problems? Does your instinct tell you that something is not right? Check some facts and answer these questions:

1. Do you get angry and then apologize and promise that it will never happen again? How many times do you need to see this before you recognize this as an abuser tactic? Once is enough. Twice is too much. To go.

2. Is it “too good to be true”? Is it your soul mate? Knight in shining armor? And do you know this on the second or third date? Better take a step back and give it some time. No one is perfect, and abusers are often charming and manipulative.

3. Does he ask you for money? Doesn’t he ever take you to dinner somewhere nice? Being thrifty is fine, but being pathological with money is not. Be on the lookout for clues as someone with a good job who never spends money. Narcissists do not have a normal relationship with money.

4. Are you spending money recklessly? The other pathology surrounding money is that of bragging. The man with a huge roll of bills who is always buying drinks for the bar, but does not know how to save for the house.

5. Is he insensitive to your needs and often teases you? Don’t stay with someone who makes you feel bad!

6. Do you have a need to control situations? To control you? While this may be comforting, it is childish and you are now a grown person who needs to make your own decisions.

7. Do you have a good personality in front of others? Do you think it’s “just cool”? while you know better?

You have the right to be treated with respect. The narcissist is unable to do so. Narcissistic personality disorder is just that: a personality disorder. Women in these relationships find that over time things get worse, not better. Don’t marry a narcissist. Don’t think you can change it. You can not.

You can change yourself. More self confidence will lead to less need. It is better to be alone than with an abuser.

Charm is a facade, manipulation will wear you down and one day you will discover that dreams have turned into a nightmare if you are left with a toxic guy.

Pets

Labrador puppies for the family

When you are looking to buy Labrador puppies, you need to know certain things about the breed. This will help you choose the right lab puppy and also help you decide if this is the dog for you. The first thing that matters is researching the dog’s appearance, how it should look, and how it should behave. These are important to keep in mind when selecting your puppy.

The typical breed characteristics of loving kindness and devotion are true for many Labradors, but not for all. Some Labradors can be aggressive and dominant, it all comes down to how they were raised and socialized. Choosing the right breeder is just as important as choosing the right Labrador puppies. Otherwise, you may have a puppy that will grow up with a temperament you didn’t expect and health issues that will put a big hole in your pocket.

When shopping at a pet store, you will not be able to see the parents of Labrador puppies on sale. This is already an obstacle to choosing the right Labrador puppy. Puppies in pet stores are often not properly socialized because they are taken from their mothers too young. Pet stores can’t answer everything about a puppy’s ancestry – for example, were there hip problems three or four generations ago?

You also cannot observe the puppy in its natural environment, with its mother and brothers and sisters. A good breeder will be able to provide you with all the certificates you request without hesitation. This may seem like a big deal, but you want a puppy that grows into a healthy dog. Otherwise, you could have a growing puppy with hip problems, eye problems, and other health problems.

X-rays are not proof of the Labrador puppy’s hip health or the health of its parents. OFA certificates are. You should know that sometimes breeders who do not have such certification would use X-rays to test the health of their dogs. Be careful with these breeders, they are likely to have too many litters in a year or at any time. Ideally, a breeder should only have one litter at a time to better focus on the puppies.

If the breeder tells you that he makes a lot of money selling puppies, keep in mind that he may have a puppy mill on his hands. Lab puppies need to grow into healthy, active Labradors who love being outdoors and participating in many activities. If your puppy is calm or inactive then you know something is wrong, Labradors are more playful and energetic as puppies. The extra money and time you invest in choosing the right Labrador puppies could save you a lot of money down the road.

Real Estate

Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad Principles

Rich Dad Poor Dad is a book on author Robert Kiyosaki’s path to accumulating wealth. The book is based on the advice he received from his well-educated biological father, whom he refers to as “poor father,” and from the father of his friend, who had a much lower level of education, but whom he calls “rich father.” “. Both dads had very different perspectives on how one should achieve success and the book contrasts the two approaches and ultimately makes clear to the reader the superiority of the rich dad’s money-making principles.

His biological father’s approach viewed education as the key to success. Interestingly, his father is portrayed more concerned with education than money in the belief that more education will eventually lead to more money. He compares his natural father’s approach to what many parents hold as the social standard for financial security: sending children to school and college to get a good education and then a decent job in a stable company. His biological father’s idea of ​​financial success was based on what a job offered: stability, promotions, and social security. Robert Kiyosaki calls this being confined to a rat trap: His natural father seemed to work continuously and relentlessly, but he never advanced financially.

His friend’s father (rich dad) had much less education. However, he is the one who provided the practical answers on what it takes to make the transition from rat trap to riches. ‘Rich Dad’ held onto the principle that education only produced people for employment and not people who could wisely manage their own finances. Robert Kiyosaki learns from Rich Dad that the question on the mind of anyone who wants to be in control of their financial goals should always be how to make more money.

Robert quickly realized that ‘Rich Dad’ was very interested in investing. In the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki states that an investor’s emphasis is on accumulating assets such as rental properties, bonds, and stocks, while staying free of liabilities such as cars, residences, or boats. This is because assets generate income, while liabilities eat up this income. Only once your assets and liabilities are clearly distinguished will they be able to form a stable financial foundation.

Another key principle found throughout the book is the need for financial literacy to get rich. Rich Dad Poor Dad claims that financial education will help you accelerate your financial growth by equipping you with the knowledge you need to make sound financial decisions before you even get the money. If you are not smart about money, it will be difficult for you to make sound financial decisions, even when you are presented with a large amount of money, causing you to lose it as fast as you earned it.

Shopping Product Reviews

The next generation is here and we are waiting

Xbox One and PlayStation 4, collectively known as ‘Next Gen’ consoles, have the ability to enable much more sophisticated games with better graphics, a larger game world, and more creative game development. Gaming audiences are excited about the possibilities of Next Gen and eager to find out how the increased capabilities of Next Gen consoles will translate into better and more stylish games. But with some amazing graphics we already have, where will the big leap in game quality come from?

During the last ten years, the most important advances in games have come from the improvement of the graphics of the games. I remember playing the first FIFA Soccer game for Mega Drive and I thought it looked fantastic. Try playing the game now and it’s archaic! Compare that to the NBA 2K 14 game for PS4, where the player on their computer even seems to realistically sweat during gameplay and it’s safe to say that we’ve reached a point where players look almost realistic.

Not content with looking realistic, player movement and AI decision-making mimic the personality and playstyle of real-life sports stars. Messi and Bale play like Messi and Bale in FIFA 14. This increases the realism and is more immersive. Next Gen players expect attention to detail to be paid to every nuance of a game and the standard set by the first games released on Next Gen consoles has set the bar very high for other developers to adhere to and, with the time, get over it.

It’s so early for next-gen games that there’s a lot of room for improvement. Compare the quality of the games on PlayStation 3 when it was first released to what is now released today. We sat here in 2014 and speculated that we are not yet seeing a fraction of the potential capability of next-gen games.

The 2013 main release for PS3 and Xbox was Grand Theft Auto 5. This game featured the best possible gameplay in the current generation, squeezing every last ounce of power out of the console. It can be considered a passing of the torch and an admission that this is as good as it is on current generation consoles. Rockstar Gaming even said the same thing. GTA V underscored that this was a starting point for PS4 and Xbox One, posing the tantalizing rhetorical question to the gamer, ‘If we can deliver this to you in the current generation, imagine what we can achieve with Next Gen?’

Early releases on Next Gen consoles have taken advantage of the freedoms offered by improved hardware capabilities, choosing to increase the level of immersion in gaming. They have chosen to empower the player to make decisions that set the direction of their experience in the game. I think this is the way forward for future game development. PS3 limitations mean that the ‘rats in a maze’ feel of some games can be relaxed and while each game should have its perimeters, the net can be widened, reducing the impact of getting caught like a bouncing pinball but finally caught. towards the specific conclusion of the games. With larger game environments, Next Gen open world games offer more opportunities for the player to explore subplots, where instead of just completing set missions, they can trade to earn money, run businesses, or simply explore the vast game environment in your free time.

Recent trailers for the upcoming open-world game ‘Watchdog’, which is scheduled for release on Next Gen consoles from May 27 in the UK, demonstrate that the user will be able to interact with any member of the public’s AI at the vast virtual landscape of Chicago. in his role as vigilante rejecting the city’s tight security system. The game is so extensive on Next Gen that developers Ubisoft have posted online videos of hour-long game sessions without the need to worry about revealing all the secrets of the game.

With the possibilities for open world gaming so vast in Next Gen, it is very interesting to note that the most successful open world game developer Rockstar Gaming has yet to release details of future Next Gen titles, choosing instead update GTA V later in this year. We know from experience that it can take up to two years for Rockstar to deliver a title on PS3 and a next-gen game will likely take at least that long. I firmly believe that Rockstar will set a new standard and deliver a brilliant Next Gen open world game, far more vast than anything we’ve seen so far. Considering the Watchdog look, this will be a significant achievement for Rockstar, if they get it right.

For those sports fans and sports simulation lovers like myself, one title has already set a high standard for others to follow. NBA 2K 14 offers an exceptional standard of graphic quality and the gameplay seems as real as I have imagined seeing for a few years. Even at this early stage in the development of the Next Gen sports simulator, NBA 2K 14 has set a very high standard. Their choices offer insight into how developers will look to harness the power of Next Gen technology in future games. Vignettes in which your player makes off-court decisions, such as interacting with rival players, coaches, backroom staff, and sponsors, will be further developed to enhance the gaming experience, providing the player with a more immersive experience of life as professional basketball player instead of just focusing. in the game. I was surprised that such a polished game came up so quickly. If this is as bad as sports simulators, PS4 will be a happy place for sports game enthusiasts.

Sure, game developers are under pressure to deliver. The PS3 games were good, but PS4 gamers have been conditioned to expect excellence by the solid promotion of Next Gen and anything short of a sharp increase in quality will be met with derision from the harsh audience that turns out to be. is quick to regret any poor pitch. Ask any Madden 25 fan who bought the PS4 version. With the exception of slightly smoother graphics, this game could have been released for the PS3 and differs only marginally from the current generation console. That’s not good enough and fans of that franchise are expecting better from EA developers next year.

The challenge is set and gamers are eager to see how game developers use Next Gen’s enhanced capabilities and the freedoms on offer to produce great games. Developers must balance the current void in the game with the need to produce quality titles. With better graphics, more immersion, an overall better gaming experience, and the power of the internet to facilitate gaming battles around the world, Next Gen has launched us into a new era of console gaming. With it comes the hunger for excellence, a more critical eye, and we watch in anticipation as game developers work on new releases to harness the next-generation ability to produce better, more immersive games.

The king of the current generation is dead, long live the next generation.

Sports

Why is Roger Maris not in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Roger Maris played Major League Ball (MLB) for 12 seasons, from 1957 to 1968. He played for four different teams (Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals). He appeared in seven World Series, winning three of them. He was a two-time (consecutive) American League MVP, seven-time All Star (1959-1962 2 all-star games a year), and a Gold Glove outfielder.

Maris won the Hickok Belt for Best Professional Athlete of the Year and was voted Man of the Year by Sport magazine, Sporting News Player of the Year, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year. Roger’s No. 9 uniform was retired by the New York Yankees. During the 1961 season, Maris hit 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth’s one-season record of 60 home runs (set in 1927), a record that stood for 37 years. His achievement, which was much debated in its own time, returned to the forefront in 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa broke his record. In 1999, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Roger Maris.

During the 1961 baseball season, I was 17 years old and was enjoying my summer vacation before entering my senior year of high school. Mickey Mantle was my hero. It was a great time to be a baseball fan. By 1956, Mickey had hit 52 home runs for the Yankees and there were many, including me, who saw him as the man who broke Babe Ruth’s season record of 60. Mantle was the favorite; Maris, who had come to the Yankees in a trade with Kansas City, was the outsider.

Maris’ first year in pinstripes, in 1960, earned her the first of two consecutive MVP awards. The 6-foot, 197-pound outfielder hit 39 home runs (one behind Mantle’s league-leading 40), led the American League with 112 RBIs and a 581 slugging percentage, hit a career-high 283 and won his sole Golden Glove. While the Yankees lost the World Series in seven games to the Pirates, Maris hit two home runs. However, his 1960 performance was quickly overshadowed by the circus atmosphere that surrounded his 1961 campaign. In 1961, Maris did not hit home runs in his first ten games, but by the end of May he had hit 12. By the end of June he had hit 27 By the end of July, Maris had hit 40 home runs. The excitement was building because Roger was six ahead of Ruth’s overall record. He became the first player in history to reach 50 at the end of August.

The media continually published stories comparing Mantle and Maris, Maris and Ruth, Ruth and Mantle. I remember the newspapers and sports magazines trying to create an adversarial relationship between Roger and Mickey. However, the stories were not true. Mantle refuted these attempts to divide the two. Mickey was quoted as saying “Roger was one of my best friends. They shared an apartment with Bob Cerv. Mickey and Roger became friends and continued that friendship even after they both retired after the ’68 season. Mickey was instrumental in convincing him. Roger to return to Yankee Stadium to be honored by the club in the early 1980s. And Mickey went to North Dakota for Roger’s funeral in 1985.

On August 26, in her 128th game, Maris reached number 51. She was now eight games ahead of Ruth’s pace and the anticipation of what could happen grew by the day.

Around the same time, Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that an asterisk would be placed next to Maris’s name in the record books if she broke Babe’s record after game 154 of the season.

After 134 games, Maris stayed at 51 home runs and Mantle at 48. Meanwhile, in 1927, Babe Ruth hit his 48 and 49 home runs in his 134 game. Ruth was on fire, hitting five HRs in his last three games and nine. in his last 11. However, Roger was still five games ahead of the record pace of Ruth, whose 51st HR didn’t come until her 139th game.

Unfortunately for Maris, he wasn’t the people’s choice to break the 34-year-old record. Most Yankees fans supported his teammate, Mickey Mantle. But an infection forced Mick out of the race in September and he finished with 54 home runs. I admit I wanted Mickey to break the record, but after he was out of the race, I turned to Roger. At least he was a Yankee.

Maris hit 58 home runs on Sept. 18 when the Yankees arrived in Baltimore for a four-game series. Maris had three games in which to “officially” beat Ruth’s record. It was games 152, 153 and 154. Achievements after that date, Frick’s ruling said, would be designated with an asterisk.

Maris was eliminated during a two-night doubleheader (games 152 and 153). On September 20, a night game, the 154th game of the season, the Yankees claim the American League pennant with a 4-2 win over the Orioles in Baltimore. Roger Maris goes deep in the third inning off Milt Pappas, a nearly 400-foot blast into the stands in right field that gives him 59 roundtrip crew for the season, passing Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg, but two of breaking Babe Ruth’s one-season home run record. Maris had three more chances that night to tie Babe Ruth’s record. But he struck out, flipped, and missed.

Reporters from around the country had gathered at Yankee Stadium. There were almost as many reporters as there were fans. Only 21,032 attended the game. As an insult to Roger and what he was about to accomplish, the Yankees never promoted the game the way they should.

Number 60 arrived at Yankee Stadium against Baltimore’s Bill Fisher on September 26. Only 19,401 attended the game to see the second man in baseball history to hit 60 home runs in one season.

It came down to the last three games of the 1961 season. It was the Yankees against the Red Sox. It was Maris against Ruth. Boston pitchers shut out Maris in the first two games. It is now October 1, 1961, the last game of the season. Roger Maris, who had to be drained both physically and emotionally, faced 24-year-old Red Sox right-hander Tracy Stallard. Stallard got Maris out in his first at-bat. The 23,154 roaring fans at Yankee Stadium fell silent. In the fourth inning, Maris hit again.

“They’re on their feet, waiting to see if Maris makes it to number sixty-one.” Phil Rizzuto’s voice carried the moment. “We only have a handful of people sitting in left field,” Rizzuto continued, “but in right field, man, it’s stuck out there. And they’re standing. Here’s the rope, the pitch for Roger. I walk.” Out, ball one … And the fans are starting to boo. Low, ball two. That was on the ground. And the boos get louder … Two balls, no strikes on Roger Maris. Here is the rope. Fastball, hit deep to the right! This could be! Back there! Holy cow, he did it! Sixty-one for Maris!

The ball traveled only 360 feet and crashed into section 33’s l63D box on the sixth row of the bottom deck in right field. And a riot broke out as fans fought and battled for the ball and the $ 5,000 bounty. When trucker Sal Durante sought to give Maris the ball he had caught in the stands, the star declined, insisting that During should receive the reward. He would later say that Durante’s generosity meant more to him than media pressure and boos from pro-Ruth and pro-Mantle fans.

Roger Maris trotted the historic home run. A boy grabbed his hand when he passed first: Maris shook his hand and then did the same with third base coach Frank Crosetti as he passed third base and headed home. His fellow Yankees formed a human wall in front of the dugout, refusing to let him in. Four times he tried to no avail. Finally, Maris waved his cap to the crowd of 23,154 fans who cheered and applauded him standing up. His teammates finally let him into the dugout.

“He threw a pitch at me outside and I followed him,” Maris would later say. “If I never hit another home run, this is the one they can never take from me.”

“I hated seeing the record broken,” Phil Rizzuto said. “But it was another Yankee who did it. When he hit the 61st homer, I screamed so loud I had a headache for a week.” Yankees fans and baseball fans should be screaming loud now; Maybe the guys from the Veterans Committee will listen.

Roger Maris remains one of the most famous names in baseball; held the record for most revered games for 37 years and won back-to-back MVPs. Maris was a family man who played directly on and off the field and treated the game with respect. He held the home run crown for so many years and his contribution to baseball should probably have given him what he needed; the call to Cooperstown.

During his career, Roger Maris never received the credit he deserved. Apparently no one wanted him to break Babe Ruth’s record. The commissioner, Ford Frick, refused to attend any of the games during his historic chase, and even decided to put the ridiculous asterisk in the record book. Even Yankees fans didn’t hug him; instead, they saw him as a threat to their hero, Mickey Mantle, as well as Ruth’s legacy. Rather than being his greatest achievement, the race to ’61 was a miserable, stressful, and ridiculous experience.

Now, almost 26 years after his death, it’s time to make amends and put Roger Maris where he belongs: in the Hall of Fame.

The Veterans Committee elected former Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski in the Hall. Mazeroski, like Maris, was a 260 career hitter, but he hit just 138 home runs in 17 seasons and never finished higher than eighth in the MVP voting. “Maz” was admitted primarily because of his eight Golden Gloves and the World Series hitting a home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.

There have been others selected from the Veterans Committee who compare favorably to Maris. Players like Hack Wilson, Cardinal Red Schoendienst, Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto and Philly Richie Ashburn. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, but in my opinion Roger Maris’s contribution to baseball far exceeds all of his combined. If Kirby Puckett is a Hall of Famer for the first time, Maris deserves the nod from the Veterans Committee.