In the world of ongoing feuds, the debate over intelligent design versus evolution has to be one of the most hotly contested battles out there. Those who believe in intelligent design or creationism fiercely believe that God mapped out his plan for the world and everything in it. Those who believe in evolution firmly believe that the process of natural selection propels species to change and adapt over time. If you sit down one person who believes in evolution and one person who believes in intelligent design, their debate could rage on for hours. Incredibly, however, one tiny little thing can put a serious damper on the argument of the intelligent design proponent: extinction.

What is the Market Like for a Graduated Law Student?

Although annual ranking data and statistics published by “U.S. News and World Report” give a good impression of and positive outlook on today’s professional legal job market, the current generation of young J.D.s are faced with one of the bleakest job markets in decades. Since 2008, approximately 15,000 positions for attorneys and legal staff at large corporate law firms have been cut, as shown by the results of a study from Northwestern Law. In many instances, both associates and partners have been subject to layoffs, and numerous legal staffing recruitment programs have been greatly reduced or even eliminated. The year 2009 proved to be the lowest point in terms of job reductions, layoffs and an overall hiring downswing. Yet, although the job market for young attorneys is attempting a tentative upswing in 2011, just how much progress it can make toward genuine improvement is yet to be seen.

Lawyer Employment Rates

Many law firms are currently still in the process of slashing expense budgets, and much entry level legal and support staff work is being outsourced to contract employees in various states of the U.S. and abroad. Other countries now receiving outsourced legal work from the United States include India, Malaysia and the Philippines. Yet, some statistics do show improvement in employment rates among newly graduated U.S. law students. In 1997, “U.S. News” published their first statistics revealing the percentages of law school grads securing jobs in law firms during the nine months following receipt of their J.D. degrees. That percentage has risen from 84% in 1997 to 93% in 2011.

Highest ranking U.S. law schools (Yale, Harvard, Stanford and Columbia) report typical salaries for entry level attorney’s positions at around $160,000 (with the potential of eventually escalating to well over $1 million, in a healthy economy). A common complaint among today’s law professors is that the optimistic figures and reports of success for recently graduated law students seeking employment opportunities reflect unscrupulous accounting and financial reporting standards by certain law schools and firms. Many surveys allegedly list young law grads as employed, even if they now hold part-time jobs at Burger King or Wal-Mart.

Law school deans and faculty members often align such cover-ups with the fact that the fate of modern law schools depends on rankings. Large amounts of money are also involved in assuring the long-term survival and credibility of these law schools. Even at law schools with average ratings, annual tuition can be $43,000, and classes require no expensive labs or equipment. As a result, law professors are very highly paid and law schools within university systems usually subsidize other areas of higher education. Although it may be disrespectful to refer to such law schools as cash cows, they most assuredly do bring in large sums of money.

Angry Young Attorneys

Many angry young attorneys are now voicing their opinions and complaints on Internet law school scam blogs. The anonymous author of the blog entitled “Third Tier Reality” commented (in reference to law schools in the lowest tiers of the “U.S. News” rankings), '"Avoid this overpriced sewer pit as if your life depended on it . . . unless, of course, you think that you will be better off with $110k – $190k in non-dischargeable debt for a degree that qualifies you to wait tables at the Battery Park Bar and Lounge.”’ Although the amount of job openings for attorneys has dropped dramatically, the number of law students as well as law schools in the U.S. is on the rise. Many students are attracted by the prestige of a law degree, even in a tough economic climate. Some law schools (e.g., Georgetown), are now hiring unemployed alumni to work in clerical or lower administrative jobs paying $20 per hour.

Some recent law school graduates are working as legal temps. However, available temporary work is often limited, paying less than $35 per hour. Some legal employment agencies are listing job openings for lawyers on Craigslist, Internet job posting sites, and social media networking websites. Many young attorneys are accepting less than challenging, low-paying legal work in metropolitan areas, while numerous regions of the country are greatly in need of good lawyers.

Public-interest Attorneys

Young lawyers who find public-interest legal work and careers are often faced with low financial returns. Even in this area, new jobs do not always come easily, and loans are increasingly difficult for recent law school grads to repay. According to the American Bar Association, over 80% of law students now depend on student loans. Consequently, graduating law students can easily have outstanding loans totaling $150,000 to $250,000. By necessity, they have actually invested amounts others may have put into real estate, to obtain their law degrees. Young law graduates working for the Legal Aid Society may find their work worthwhile and meaningful, and their clients may be very appreciative. However, these young attorneys must be prepared to reconcile the vastly diminished monetary returns on their investment in law degrees.

According to “The American Lawyer” magazine, during 2009, the 100 most successful U.S. law firms suffered an average decrease in revenues of 3.4%. This was their first such loss in 20 years. The same year, Morrison & Foerster LLP of San Francisco hired around 30% less law school grads than in 2008. In Philadelphia, Saul Ewing, a much smaller firm, reduced hiring of young law graduates by approximately two-thirds. Throughout 2009, attorneys and their clients dramatically reduced work in such areas as real estate mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and numerous other areas of legal practice. Aside from attorney layoffs and cutbacks in hiring, starting dates were deferred for many young law graduates who had already been hired. In addition, summer internships were reduced or eliminated. Some currently unemployed young lawyers who secured positions in law firms upon graduation from law school have expressed interest in results of a proposed new survey to show the numbers of law graduates still employed five years after graduation. At the same time, because of increasing complaints, the American Bar Association is considering revising its survey questions to obtain more realistic and helpful statistics for future “U.S. News” annual law school rankings.

The Future

One good sign is that a number of law firms, including large corporate firms, are now experiencing a small, gradual upswing in hiring trends and figures. Also, many recent law graduates are optimistic about finding legal positions. In fact, some of these young attorneys have located and secured good positions in leading law firms.

Another encouraging sign in the legal staffing industry is that even amidst these difficult economic times, law school grads are still paying for assistance in completing résumés and legal employment applications, as well as for pre-interview coaching sessions. So maybe the Boy/Girl Scout motto of “Always Be Prepared” still carries clout—even in an uncertain economy. At least, with good preparation, recent law school graduates and others looking for work won’t be left speechless when that once-in-a-lifetime job offer comes along. Let’s just hope that ideal job keeps multiplying, exponentially, so that present and future graduated law students can find immediate, fulfilling and profitable legal employment.

On September 23, President Barack Obama announced the most significant updates to the national No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements since it was implemented by the Bush Administration in 2001. In his speech, Obama noted that the NCLB changes are “the most important thing we can do to make sure our kids are prepared for this new economy. We must start making the tough decisions now to ensure our schools are working the way they need to work.”

Obama also noted that despite national efforts during the past decade to improve student progress, nearly one-fourth of American high schoolers are not graduating and the United States has fallen to 16th place in the proportion of young people with college degrees.

The Politics

Despite widespread dissension between Republicans and Democrats, a special Senate committee has finally agreed upon more than 20 proposed amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Most significantly, these changes will impact which schools are held accountable to the Annual Yearly Progress standards. Instead of every school across America having to prove proficiency in math and reading, only the bottom five percent of schools in each state will be required to participate in statewide achievement tests. Schools with the largest achievement disparity between ethnic and white students will also be obligated to follow the reformed federal guidelines. 

One proposal offers students who are attending these low-performing schools the option to transfer to higher-performing public schools, while another recommends firing teachers and principals and even closing schools that do not improve their dropout rates and test scores. Other suggestions include targeted interventions for low-performing schools and improved evaluations for principals and teachers. 

The Proposal

Frustrated with the bipartisan quarreling, until federal regulations are approved, President Obama has granted each state a reprieve from the looming national aspiration to achieve 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014. Upon approval, states will now be allowed to determine which standards help them achieve the new national goal of having students ready for college or a career by 2020. 

“The change we are making is not lowering standards. Higher standards are the right goal. Accountability is the right goal. Closing the achievement gap is the right goal. We are giving more flexibility to meet higher standards,” Obama said in his speech. “Let states, schools and teachers come up with innovative ways to give our children the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future.”

The Critics

Critics believe one of the major flaws of NCLB is that in trying to hold all schools accountable to the same standards, the performance and creativity of good schools have suffered because educators are required to teach to the test. A previously top-ranked school in Massachusetts, for instance, which had successfully sent every graduating student to college for three years, failed to meet all the technical standards of NCLB. State Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester was one of the first to submit an application for approval by the ESEA Flexibility committee of Massachusetts’ five-tier system to evaluate student progress. 

The majority of the new policies under consideration resulted from Obama’s Race to the Top competition that invited governors and school districts from all 50 states to present innovative plans to improve teacher skills and student achievements. “Since Race to the Top has been launched, we have seen what is possible when reform is not just a top-down mandate but the result of local teachers, principals, school boards and communities working together to develop better standards,” Obama noted in his speech. 

The Proponents

Proponents declare that by changing the pass-fail standards and making school districts, principals and teachers accountable for students’ performance, teacher quality will increase and cookie-cutter learning will go away. 

To date, 42 states have formally stated their intent to request a waiver from the federal requirements by either November 14 or mid-February. In December, a peer review panel will review the first set of alternative educational accountability plans from 17 states. While nearly everyone connected to NCLB agrees that changes must be made, the new program does not have the full support of several influential groups, including the teachers unions, many Congress members as well as student disability and minority groups. 

The Opponents

Opponents of the flexible guidelines worry the changes will serve as the catalyst for another Houston Miracle. During the 2000 Presidential campaign, George W. Bush hailed his home state of Texas as a symbol for what the NCLB Act could achieve. Within one year of implementing the regulations at Sharpstown High School in Houston, dropout rates plummeted, from 463 to zero, and test scores soared. 

When the national publicity prompted suspicious administrators to look into the records, they discovered each of the 3,000 students in Houston who had left school, more than 30 percent of the student population, had been coded as either transferring out of the state or returning to their native country. The inflation of the dropout numbers was motivated by a $5,000 bonus, plus other perks, given to principals who met the goals. Reprimands, demotions, transfers and forced resignations were doled out to under-performing principals. 

Although a state audit was never conducted, dozens of low-performing students later accused administrators of holding them back in ninth grade so they could avoid taking the 10th grade statewide achievement test. By restricting the test-taking pool, average scores increased significantly. An independent study concluded that one high school was guilty of holding back more than 60 percent of its ninth grade class.

The Future

To prevent the same mistakes from happening again, the new flexibility program will require states, districts and schools to make a determined commitment to reforming education. “The purpose is not to give a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,” President Obama recently told the media. “We want to provide more resources, but there has also got to be a commitment [at the local level] to make the changes that are necessary so that we see actual results.”

So much of our time is spent using a device to keep us connected to the world, so why not use these gadgets to manage our money as well? The iPad's portability and user-friendly features make it the perfect tool for managing your cash flow and accomplishing your financial goals in one convenient place. All you have to do next is load up on a handful of reliable financial apps, and you've got yourself a portable and personal financial adviser. Get your money in check with these 10 iPad apps.

1. Mint.com

   Mint.com helps you track and budget your bank accounts and credit cards on the go. This free and easy-to-use app automatically categorizes your daily transactions and has the tools to create a personalized budget based on your spending habits. Become a savvy investor with Mint.com's helpful investment trackers and advice section. And don't be alarmed by sharing this personal financial information because Mint.com is super safe and secure.

2. Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Reader

   Ditch your shoebox accounting system and go paperless with the Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Reader app. This handy tool lets you scan your receipts, extract the important data and file it into an accessible archive that can be used to track and manage spending, as well as generate expense reports. Shoeboxed also features IRS accepted online receipts, which make filing tax returns a breeze.

3. Pageonce

   End late-payment fees and stay on top of your money with the help of Pageonce. This life-saving app automatically organizes and monitors your cash flow and bills and displays the info in one accessible place. Pageonce sends notifications and real-time alerts about your accounts, so that you can keep a close eye on your money and never miss a payment.

4. powerOne Financial Calculator

   The powerOne calculator isn't your average calculator. This souped-up version can compute everything from finances, mortgages, investments, conversions, medical or math figures and much, much more. The powerOne calculator has many robust features that make it the perfect calculator for those who want to seriously manage their money and get organized. For extra tricky calculations, use the algebraic and RPN calculator. Then, utilize the hundreds of spreadsheet-like calculator templates for analyzing different financial scenarios.

5. Ace Budget

   The Ace Budget app helps you put your finances into perspective. Users will be able to manage their money more efficiently and save wisely with the help of Ace Budget's budget chart, spending report and recurring transactions display. Using the data, you can create a new budget and customize it to display easy-to-understand graphs and charts, as well as schedule reminders for various transactions and due dates.

6. ATM Hunter

   If carrying cash helps you manage your finances, then you'll definitely want to get the ATM Hunter app for your iPad. Just like the name indicates, ATM Hunter helps users find the nearest ATM by your current location, address or airport. This handy app can also be tailored to your banking needs. Whether you need to make an ATM deposit, get cash or find a PayPass merchant, you can do that and more with ATM Hunter.

7. Loan Shark

   Don't let the name of this app scare you. Loan Shark is a safe and easy-to-use app that will help you fend off bad financial lenders and allow you take charge of your loans. The handy loan calculator feature lets you calculate the payment, interest rate and loan amount, which comes in handy when shopping around for the best loan offers.

8. MoneyWell

   MoneyWell is a comprehensive personal finance app that will help you take control of your money and know exactly where it's going at all times. MoneyWell is based on the envelope budgeting system that helps you visualize and maintain a budget by putting the allocated money in its envelope, or this time, a bucket. MoneyWell's tried and tested system and interactive features can help users make better financial decisions and budget wisely.

9. iCompta

   iCompta is a user-friendly app that makes money management a breeze. Users have several budgeting tools at their fingertips to track income and expenses, monitor their budget, schedule bill payments and see spending statistics in a clear graph or chart. iCompta can also take care of your banking needs, such as managing multiple accounts, tracking expenses and downloading transactions from your bank. Best of all – iCompta can be universally synched with Mac, iPad and iPhone.

10. PayPal

    Making fast and safe transactions has never been easier than with the PayPal app. But, PayPal is not just a way to pay for your eBay purchases or collect money. This handy and useful app can also help users keep track of purchases and stay on top of IOUs. Not to mention, sending money, collecting money, sending digital checks and managing fundraising campaigns is completely free. And free is always good for the wallet.

For most people, the closest you get to the outdoors on a day-to-day basis is your backyard patio or the grass where you let your dog do his business. You might wander to the city park every once in a while, but for the most part, we lead indoor lives. For nature lovers, however, these small glimpses of the wilderness just aren't enough when the whole earth is waiting to be discovered. If you want to get away and escape city living, these are the nine best parks in the world for exploring, roughing it, and pretending you were raised by wolves.

1. Denali National Park, Alaska

   The fact that there's an Old Spice deodorant scent named after Denali speaks volumes. Denali National Park in the middle of Alaska sees 400,000 visitors each year, most drawn by the gorgeous views and the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley. The park includes forest at the lower levels and glaciers and snow as you get higher, and you'll find glassy reflections of the peaks in the lakes and streams that have formed as ice melts and runs down the mountains. If you plan a trip in the summer, you'll have 20 hours of sunlight to explore the land; during the winter, your chances of seeing the Northern Lights are greater. Take flight seeing tours, backpack, or go dog sledding for big adventures.

2. Iguazu National Park, Argentina and Brazil

   The spectacular waterfalls at Iguazu National Park (or Iguaçu National Park on the Brazil side of the river) are the kind of drops that haunt the nightmares of kayakers and rafters. Almost 2 miles wide and 262 feet high (about 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls), Iguazu Falls make up part of the border between Brazil and Argentina, and both countries claim the falls as part of their national parks, allowing guests access from either nation. The surrounding rainforests provide excellent hiking, with a train on the Argentina side that takes visitors to different trails and a bus system and a trail along the canyon in Brazil.

3. Galapagos National Park, Galapagos Islands

   The giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands aren't the only beautiful and unique sight to see. Over 90% of the islands were dedicated in 1959 to become a national park and have since been preserved for research and some tourism. Though you won't be allowed to explore the islands on your own for fear that too much human interference will deplete the natural resources, you can walk trails and take boat tours with a park guide. You won't find Galapagos wildlife anywhere else in the world, including many kinds of reptiles and birds, and the marine life is a favorite of divers. Don't expect the animals to be scared of you, though; one of the draws of the island is the way the creatures interact freely with humans.

4. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

   This famous landscape was the first national park in the world, paving the way (not literally, since paving over a national park kind of defeats the point) for about 100,000 nationally preserved parks to pop up around the world. It's located mostly in Wyoming, but also reaches into Idaho and Montana. Everyone has undoubtedly heard of Old Faithful, the geyser that erupts about every 90 minutes, but there are many other gushers to be seen since Yellowstone is home to 60% of the world's geysers. The forests provide great opportunities for hiking, camping, and fishing, and the perfect habitat to spot large animals. Herds of bison and elk, packs of wolves, and grizzly bears roam the terrain, so keep an eye on your picnics.

5. Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

   Khao Sok National Park has it all: vertical limestone cliffs, glistening lakes, and the oldest evergreen rainforest on the planet. Whether you choose to trek through the jungle by foot or drift down the rivers in a canoe, you'll see animals unlike those you'd see on any other continent. You could even find wildlife as exotic as leopards, tapirs, and tigers. The park also offers the chance to feed and groom some of Thailand's domestic elephants and stay in floating huts for the night — just don't be surprised if your alarm clock in the morning is the sound of one of the endangered gibbon monkeys.

6. Banff National Park, Canada

   Canada is known for its abundance of pristine, stretching land, so it's no surprise that the country's first national park is a beautiful expanse of forests and mountains. Banff National Park is situated in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and offers staggering views of icy peaks and dense forests. Drive along the Icefields Parkway and you have the chance to hike around and touch a prehistoric icefield. With a guide, you can walk on the glacier; without a guide, you can fall through thin ice and die from the fall or freezing temperatures. Depending on the time of year, you can hike, bike, ski, or canoe in the park, all with the stunning Rockies in the background.

7. Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

   The steep fjords of Fiordland National Park, carved by glaciers 100,000 years ago, have made this area of New Zealand difficult to settle, leaving it unspoiled by development. To grasp the enormity of the cliffs, you can take a helicopter tour of the park, or you can hike one of the three popular trails. Milford Track, the most famous, allows visitors to travel 33 miles among lakes, mountains, and waterfalls, not to mention native plants and animals. For the serious hiker and camper (or trampers, as they call them in New Zealand), this park offers challenging landscape because there are few trails and many who like to really rough it choose to follow deer trails. The park is also a favorite among alpine climbers.

8. Kruger National Park, South Africa

   This park isn't ideal if you're an outdoor lover who wants to face the wilderness on your own or move about as you please because the wilderness here will probably try to eat you. Kruger National Park is one of the biggest game reserves on the African continent and allows visitors to see local beasts ranging from lions to elephants to crocodiles all in their natural habitat. In fact, the viral YouTube video where a herd of African buffalo squares off against a group of lions and a couple of crocodiles was shot by guests at Kruger. There are walking and self-drive safaris for those who prefer a little independence in the bush, but visitors staying overnight in the park stay at a rest camp or private lodging that's protected from the animals.

9. Yosemite National Park, California

   This California park has a little bit of everything. You can meander across meadows, marvel at giant Sequoias, and hike to various rock formations, waterfalls, and lakes. There are activities for every kind of outdoor lover, whether you want to enjoy the scenery from a bus or get out there to rock climb, bike, or backpack. Even the most energetic sportsmen will find plenty to do and see since the climate and geography changes as you get farther into the park. Make sure to give yourself enough time to see everything. And if you feel like being productive with your visit, you can volunteer a couple hours of your time to help restore habitats for endangered plant and wildlife so you can leave a positive mark on the park.

Killing an average of more than 1,500 people a day, cancer has been the bane of epidemiology for more than a century. Radiation and chemotherapy, while well received, have been effective in stopping the spread of early-to-mid stage cancer but can be lethal themselves. On the other hand, alternative treatments and therapy have not yet produced the results necessary to gain any major recognition, although cancer immunotherapy is quickly gaining ground. So what is this new vein of treatment, how does it differ from past failures, and is it worthy of contending with today’s go-to cancer treatments?

Breakdown of Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is the stimulation, support, or other assistance of the immune system to help fight diseases. The old conception of the immune system dictated that it uses its antibodies only to prevent diseases at their onset. Now, as the American Cancer Society has illustrated, the immune system has been revealed to fight diseases well into their development.

After stripping down all of the medical jargon, cancer is basically an uncontrollable propagation of cells. The “problem cells,” which carry DNA errors, don’t follow the usual process of either repairing the error or dying; they multiply, encroaching on other tissues and creating major problems as they spread. In its support of the immune system to stop this spreading, cancer immunotherapy uses immunization, drug therapy, and cellular immunotherapy.

Especially at first, your immune system needs to be “calibrated” to fight cancer cells because it can’t differentiate them from normal cells. This leads to immunological tolerance, which is when the immune system doesn’t react to attacks as it should for a number of reasons. Most of the causes stem from the fact that the immune system’s ability to identify tumor cells is dependent on how distinct they are from normal cells. Since all cancer cells are derived from the body’s own, this can prove difficult. Cancer immunotherapy uses vaccine injections to fix the problem, honing the body’s ability to detect the abnormal activities of cancer cells, subtle as they may seem at first.

Next, cancer immunotherapy uses a form of drug therapy that arms the immune system with antibodies. After the antibodies are added, the immune system uses them to better locate and destroy cancerous tumors.

The final form of cancer immunotherapy involves the activation and refinement of existing cells that the immune system already uses to fight diseases. Using a class of molecules called cytokines, this branch of cancer immunotherapy basically “briefs” the immune system as to who the enemy is, and how to effectively kill it.

After ridding the body of cancerous cells, hopefully permanently, the added benefit of cancer immunotherapy is immunity. Immunity, naturally acquired immunity in this context, is the immune system’s ability to fight disease after being exposed to it. Unlike one-time treatments, surgeries, and drugs, a successful immunotherapy regiment strengthens the immune system, empowering the patient to fight the disease in the future.

Directly Addresses Cancer by Training the Body to Fight Back

From modified diets to musical therapy, new and alternative cancer treatments often fizzle to a quiet end as quickly as they started. Generally, these methods can be classified in one of two categories: pain management or cure attempts. The former may stand for a time, but fail to directly address the cancer, while the latter have just barely started to make some glancing blows. Idealized, cancer immunotherapy is a cure, and is gaining ground. The Cancer Research Institute, a major proponent of immonotherapy since the early 50s, just announced the winners of the 2011 William Coley award for their work in adoptive T cell therapy.

Another leader in cancer immunotherapy, Dendreon Corporation announced in late August that the FDA had approved its newest cancer immunotherapy manufacturing plant in Atlanta. Dendreon’s prime product is PROVENGE, designed to help prostate cancer patients develop immune responses.

A team of research experts led by Dr. Rainer Storb has even incorporated a kind of smaller-scale stem-cell transplant procedure into immunotherapy treatments, opening new avenues for cancer patients who react adversely to harsher treatments. With his “miniature transplants,” Dr. Storb and his team pioneered a procedure that gives patients powerful immune-boosting cells.

With dozens more grants, studies, trials, and new products on the market, cancer immunology has already surpassed most of its counterparts. Having found favor in the likes of the FDA, cancer research centers, and a slew of government initiatives, cancer immunotherapy is only projected to grow as a viable cancer treatment.

Since they formed the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative in 2001, the Cancer Research Institute and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have conducted over 40 clinical trials involving cancer immunotherapy, several of which are currently running. These studies investigate cell cloning, vaccine formulation, and more.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center also announced this year that they will be launching the Immunotherapy Clinical Trials Network or CITN. With almost 30 locations in the states as well as Canada, CITN is conducting early-phase trials to investigate, modify, and even synthesize vaccines to streamline treatment for cancer patients. They are also conducting research and workshops to establish a list of the best agents to use for cancer drugs.

While cancer immunotherapy shares the same lofty goal as every other effort for a cure, this particular subset of cancer research has the most promise because it is the least harmful and most realistic method. Cancer immunotherapy directly addresses the problem, not by subjecting the body to harmful treatments in order to kill tumors but by training the body to fight for itself. Also, with so much attention focused on immunotherapy now, researchers are developing serious weaponry for the immune system and will hopefully continue to do so until cancer is more of a brief annoyance than a crafty killer.

Nothing is more family friendly than a night of playing board games together. Everyone's laughing and bonding over the friendly competition. There are millions of games that you could play, ranging from educational to humorous to challenging, but if you choose one of these 10 board games to play with friends or family, it's more likely you'll be bored, offended, or avoiding eye contact with each other. Make a mental note of these rotten games to save your sanity and your relationships.

1. Beverly Hills 90210 Entangle

   The game of Twister was said to be selling "sex in a box" when it first came out, but those critics had no idea what was in store for society in 1991. Beverly Hills 90210 Entangle combines the popularity of Twister with the TV show that had teens glued to their televisions. Rather than players placing their hands and feet on colored dots, they are ordered to make contact with the body parts (none of them dirty in the official rules) of various 90210 characters. You might be directed to land your foot on Donna Martin's knee (take that, Tori Spelling) or your elbow on Dylan McKay's shoulder. And once you are done playing the game, you basically have a life-size plastic poster of the cast. This isn't just a weird concept to everyone who dislikes 90210 but it was probably disturbing to parents who were begged to purchase the game.

2. Mouse Trap

   The Rube Goldberg machine of Mouse Trap made it incredibly appealing to children and adults alike. Most of us aren't creative or patient enough to figure out how to build this kind of device on our own, so if you convinced your parents to buy this game, both you and your mom or dad were probably eager to take it home and get it out of the box. But that's where the problem starts. In theory, you're supposed to build the trap as you go around the board and then wait for the fates to align so you can release the trap on your opponent, but what most people want to do is just build the thing and set it off. The pieces are complicated and the instructions would be nearly impossible to figure out for the six-year-olds who are playing. By the time the trap is set up, no one even wants to play; you just let the trap go off once and then begin the arduous task of disassembling it.

3. War on Terror: The Board Game

   Nothing says family fun like pretending to be terrorists. This board game is comparable to Risk in that there are empires and players try to conquer each other. But the terrible magic really happens with this game when some people start discovering oil or obtaining terrorist cards that they can choose to use or not use at any time. The game can end in world peace (unlikely), the triumph of an empire, or the terrorists can destroy all forms of government. For people who like to play board games in order to escape reality, War on Terror: The Board Game will probably just leave you crumpled on the floor weeping openly for the state of our world. But if you like to play out what you read in the newspaper every day, this game could be a blast.

4. Darkies in the Melon Patch

   This unbelievably offensive game was marketed as being a classic game from the 1930s. The goal is to escape from a melon patch as quickly as possible so as not to be caught by the farmer and is played like a basic roll-and-move board game. It has been discovered, however, that the game was probably only created within the last few years and made to look old to make a heftier profit. There is apparently a big market for black Americana that came from anywhere between the 1880s and World War II, and forgeries are common within every collectible genre. It's unknown whether this game ever existed in the early 20th century, but selling a new version of the racist race is just appalling.

5. Power Lunch

   If you've ever tried to create a seating chart for a wedding reception or other important meal, you'll understand why Power Lunch isn't a fun, leisurely activity. In this game, players have to try to match up celebrities for power lunches. You can put them together in obvious ways, similar to the way you would play canasta or rummy (which no one under 50 understands), or you can try to convince your opponents that they would be eating together for some other reason. It's seems likely that "secret love affair" would come up a lot in this game, the only exciting part of a task that's no better than trying to find a way to keep your creepy uncle Dwayne from hitting on your attractive sorority sisters at your wedding.

6. Who's Your Daddy?

   This game is really only suited for people who enjoy daytime talk shows where paternity is a highly debated subject. Each participant plays both a man and a woman (two separate people, not the topic for another episode of the same talk show). On your turn, you're playing a woman who can decide whether to get pregnant or try to convince other players that they are your child's father so that you can receive child support. The rest of the time, you play a man who has to deny paternity and try to avoid court-ordered payments. In the end, the last one to run out of money and flee the country wins. Besides developing your character, your best hope of entertainment is to offer to read the results of paternity tests in your best Jerry Springer voice or just randomly shout, "You don't know me!" to complete the trashy-show atmosphere.

7. Antiques Roadshow: The Game

   The one thing that could possibly be worse than watching Antiques Roadshow on TV is sitting through a game based on the program. The PBS show allows regular people to bring in items they own, either through family estates or garage sales, and have them appraised by a professional. The show can be mildly entertaining when a particularly annoying person finds out their piece isn't worth anything or when someone brings in something worth tens of thousands of dollars. But the game doesn't offer any of that. All you get to do is guess the values of an item based on a photo of it and hope that you get it right just so the game ends faster. Now if the game came with actual priceless treasures, that'd be a different story altogether.

8. Who's Having This Baby Anyway?

   When you think of a fun game night with friends, you probably imagine learning the disgusting details of pregnancy and childbirth together. Well, maybe if you're a hormonal pregnant woman who wants to spread her misery. This game claims to keep you from having to read a bunch of boring books about pregnancy since all the information an expecting mother needs to know (and her friends never wanted to know) is on the cards. It takes you from conception all the way through 40 long weeks of pregnancy, and the first person to dilate to 10 centimeters wins the game. This is probably not a game anyone would want to play on a full stomach or with small children since information on pregnancy can be pretty traumatizing.

9. Capital Punishment

   Sometimes the best way to push a political agenda is through a fun board game, especially if the goal is to kill people or at least put them in prison for a very long time. Capital Punishment gives each player four criminals — a murderer, a rapist, an arsonist, and a kidnapper. Each person also has 15 innocent citizens. Your goal is to get your criminals into life imprisonment, death row, or the electric chair before they can victimize all of your citizens and before your opponents can properly punish their own characters. To stall justice for your competitors, you can use your "liberal" cards to free their prisoners. If their criminals are on the street, they can commit violent crimes against their citizens (who then obviously go to heaven).

10. Dr. Ruth's Game of Good Sex

    If your sex life is so bad that you're turning to a board game (or Dr. Ruth, for that matter) for help, you've probably got bigger problems than figuring out the worst games out there. Dr. Ruth's Game of Good Sex can be played by up to four couples at a time for an awkward evening or by one couple who wants to test each other's sexual knowledge. As you move around the board, you gain "arousal points," but it's kind of doubtful that you'll actually be too aroused by the time the game is over, especially after discussing issues such as menstruation and warts. It's hard to tell which is worse: the board game or the video game of the same name. Either one seems like a sad waste of time. At least the name is obvious enough that you won't accidentally pick it up for a kid's birthday party.

Music therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses music to help clients address their various mental, physical or emotional health issues. Trained music therapists have clients listen to music in order to relax their mind and body, reduce stress and manage their pain or anxiety. This positive response to music can help clients achieve their goals, whether it's beating cancer or overcoming a learning disability. See why so many people have tuned into music therapy with these 11 interesting facts:

1. Music therapy works by stimulating different parts of the brain that are responsible for physical and mental functions

   Music therapy works by stimulating parts of the brain that are needed for various mental and physical functions. Different musical styles, beats and rhythms can elicit different feelings or emotions. Music also has the power to distract the mind and help it focus at the same time. Through music therapy treatment, clients can achieve relaxation, stress reduction and pain management, which makes them more receptive to their therapeutic goals.

2. People of all ages can benefit from music therapy

   Music therapy is beneficial for people of all ages and mental health, developmental, behavioral or learning needs. Music therapy can be done on children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. There is no age restriction or musical talent required to reap the benefits of music therapy.

3. Music therapy originated in Veterans hospitals after World War I and II

   The concept of using music as a form of healing dates back to the days of Aristotle and Plato, but the kind of music therapy that we know today started after World War I and II, when local musicians played for physically and emotionally traumatized veterans at the Veterans hospitals. When doctors and nurses saw the positive responses patients had, they requested that musicians be hired to play in hospitals. The growing need for properly trained musicians led to the creation of the music therapy college curriculum.

4. Clients don't need musical talent to benefit from music therapy

   Clients receiving music therapy treatments don't have to be pianists, singers or play in a band to benefit from music therapy. Music therapy can have healing effects on all people, regardless of their music taste, skill or understanding of music. Regardless of a person's musical ability (or lack thereof), they can still achieve the therapeutic benefits of music therapy.

5. Music therapy uses a variety of music styles

   Music therapists use several different types of music during treatment. There is no one style of music that is more beneficial or effective than the rest. The type of music used in a music therapy session depends on the individual's needs, preferences and circumstances. Although, research shows that patients will respond best to the music they prefer.

6. Healthy individuals can also benefit from music therapy

   The healing power of music therapy is not limited to people with mental health problems or learning disabilities. Everyone needs to achieve specific goals in life, and music therapy has been shown to help people focus on these needs. The average healthy individual can benefit from using music therapy as a form of stress reduction and relaxation, as well as a motivation for exercise or creativity.

7. Music therapy can be used to assist with labor and delivery

   Music therapy has its place in just about any environment – even in labor and delivery! Music therapy can be used to help expecting mothers relax, practice breathe properly and work through their contractions before giving birth. Everything from ocean wave sounds to jazz music have been shown to help mothers relieve stress and get comfortable in their delivery environment.

8. Autistic individuals respond positively to music therapy

   Music therapy has been shown to have a positive effect on individuals with autism. Studies have indicated that autistic individuals display a heightened interest and response to the sound of music, and this form of therapy can help address the social and communication characteristics of autism.

9. Music therapy can help comfort cancer patients

   Although music therapy is not a cure for cancer, it can have a positive effect on cancer patients as they undergo treatment. When combined with conventional treatment, music therapy can help patients reduce and mange pain and relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Music therapy can also aid in reducing stress, relaxing patients and improving their overall attitude and sense of well-being.

10. Music therapy can assist in the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol addicts

    Music therapy can be very beneficial in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Not only does music therapy promote relaxation, stress reduction and anxiety management, but it also helps drug addicts and alcoholics take their mind off of withdrawal symptoms and focus their attention on recovery.

11. Musicians can benefit from music therapy

    Believe it or not, music therapy can also help musicians hone their craft and improve their musical ability. Music therapy can help singers work through vocal problems, improve respiratory function and volume, as well as release endorphins and improve mood. It also has the power to help musicians and instrumentalists with muscle tension and pain management, while relaxing their mind and body.

It's been the worst offseason in NHL history. Tom Cavanagh and Rick Rypien both committed suicide, Derek Boogaard died from a drug overdose, and now six current and former NHL players have perished after a plane carrying Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a Russian professional hockey team, crashed near the Russian city of Yaroslavl. Sports, though an escape, encapsulate the human condition, and those who follow them closely know that players aren't immune to the same randomness, unpredictability and personal issues we face in our lives. The following sports tragedies shook the nation and the world to their cores, and will remain forever etched in our memories.

1. U.S. figure skating team plane crash, 1961

   Last February marked the 50th anniversary of the crash of Sabena Flight 548, which killed all 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team — including numerous World Champions — and its coaching staff. En route to Prague from New York City for the 1961 World Championship, it rapidly descended on approach to Brussels, bursting into flames in a field near the airport. As a result, the World Championship event was canceled, and the U.S. had to completely rebuild its figure skating team, a process that took nearly a decade.

2. Marshall football team plane crash, 1970

   We Are Marshall depicts the extensive rebuilding and heeling processes that followed the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932. The Marshall Thundering Herd football team had just suffered a loss to the East Carolina Pirates and was returning home on a flight they hadn't originally chartered. Amid rain, fog and a rugged terrain, it struck the treetops on a hillside, caught fire and nosedived, killing 37 members of the team, eight members of the coaching staff and 25 boosters — sadly, 70 children lost a parent in the disaster. The nation immediately went into mourning, and the university almost discontinued the program. Fortunately, the fans convinced President Donald Dedmon to support rebuilding, and the rest is history.

3. Munich Olympics massacre, 1972

   The aptly named Palestinian terrorist organization Black September conducted a terrorist operation that forever cast a dark cloud on the 1972 Olympics. A hostage standoff ensued after eight men rounded up nine Israelis in an effort to secure the release of 234 prisoners held in Israel and Germany. After a resolution was delayed, the terrorists demanded to be flown to Cairo, prompting the Germans to organize Operation Sunshine. Knowing of the plan, the terrorists engaged in a shootout with the Germans, leading to the execution of all nine hostages by their captors. In the end, 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were dead, and just three of the terrorists were captured — the other five were killed.

4. Roberto Clemente dies in plane crash, 1972

   One of the most talented, accomplished and beloved players of his generation, Clemente's death was a devastating blow for the baseball community. The sting was made even greater by the fact that he died while on a relief flight to Managua, Nicaragua, which had just suffered a massive earthquake. Clemente wanted to ensure that the flight would reach its destination — the previous three relief flights were intercepted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government. The flight he charted had a history of mechanical problems and was overloaded, causing it to plunge into the ocean near Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. He received numerous posthumous honors, perhaps the most notable of which was his early induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. Len Bias dies after cocaine overdose, 1986

   A standout at Maryland, Bias had a promising future as the newest member of the Boston Celtics. But, just two days after the league's most successful franchise made him the No. 2 overall pick, he succumbed to cardiac arrhythmia caused by cocaine. The traumatic event occurred at his Maryland dorm room with teammates and friends, reaching a crisis point when an emergency medical team failed to restart his heart. Repeated attempts to revive him at the hospital also failed as friends and fans were gathering outside. The shock that overtook that crowd eventually overtook the nation. An entire generation remembers where they were when Bias died, another 1980's tragedy induced by drugs.

6. Zambia national soccer team plane crash, 1993

   The entire Zambian soccer team — 18 players and the coaching and support staff — was aboard Zambian Air Force Buffalo DHC-5D when its left engine caught fire, causing the pilot to mistakenly switch off the right engine and the aircraft to fall into the water near Libreville, Gabon. Today, they're buried and remembered at Heroes' Acre outside of Independence Stadium in Lusaka. In a comeback story similarly experienced by the Marshall football program, the newly rebuilt team immediately rebounded, making an improbable run to the African Nations Cup final, where it narrowly lost to Nigeria.

7. Dale Earnhardt dies in crash at Daytona, 2001

   Losing Dale Earnhardt was akin to losing someone such as Michael Jordan or Joe Montana. When NASCAR president Mike Helton announced his death following the 2001 Daytona 500, a large piece of NASCAR died as well. As the race was nearing completion, the left rear of Earnhardt's car was bumped by the right front of Sterling Marlin's car, forcing Earnhardt to correct, which caused him to crash into the wall at a speed of 155 to 160 mph. The incident resulted in the implantation of rules requiring head and neck restraints, which might have saved his life.

8. Oklahoma State basketball team plane crash, 2001

   Following a game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Colorado Buffaloes, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 carrying members of the media and two players — Nate Fleming and Daniel Lawson — crashed near Strasberg, Colorado. It was later determined that mechanical failure was the cause. Last January, the Oklahoma State community remembered the 10 men who lost their lives during halftime of the Texas game. Former coach Eddie Sutton and former player Desmond Mason discussed the impact the men had on the program and many lives with whom they came into contact.

9. Three football players lost at sea, 2009

   Marquise Cooper and Corey Smith, both NFL players, and Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, both former football players at South Florida, merely wanted to spend a day fishing in the Gulf. But an unfortunate error caused the boat to capsize, leaving the four men in a fight for their lives. Two days later, Schuyler was found by the Coast Guard floating and clinging to the boat, with Cooper, Smith and Bleakley nowhere in sight. Private searchers continued to look for the three men, but called it off four days later. It was a remarkable story of survival for Schuyler, but, of course, it was also an extremely traumatic experience, as he witnessed his friends' final moments.

10. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team plane crash, 2011

    An outpouring of sympathy and condolences have come from the 10 countries from which the players and coaches hailed. Overall, 44 of the 45 people on board died, including Alexander Galimov, who died five days later. The Yak-Service Yakovlev Yak-42 was en route to Minsk, Belarus from Yaroslavl, Russia for the start of the 2011-12 Russian Major League season. The accident occurred when it struck a beacon tower mast after it failed to gain altitude, causing it to fall into the river bank of the Tunoshna River. Memorial services were subsequently held around Russia, where Rene Fasel, International Ice Hockey Federation president, described it as "the darkest day in the history of our sport."