›               o=o=o=o=o=››          PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE›           by Jack Gedalius›› January--February, 1998›› Wow!  Another year has gone  by.   We› hope  that  the  new  one  will bring› health and happiness to all!›› Membership dues are coming  in  at  a› rapid  pace.   If  you  are  one  who› forgot  to  renew  your   membership,› please  do  so  now.   You  know  how› important  you  are  to  us.   If you› would like to join our  unique  group› so  that you may learn more about the› Atari  8-bit  and  meet  our  present› members, kindly send in  your  dues. › We  have  a  library  consisting   of› computer  programs  for  our computer› containing more than 700 disks!›› At our October meeting, Alan  Sharkis› demoed a game similar to Tetris.  The› main difference is that, in  the  new› game,  one  must  throw the items up,› instead   of  down.   It  has  twenty› different   play   levels.   He  also› illustrated a disk from the  computer› club Time & Ware issue twenty-eight. › On   the  disk  was  a  game  called,› "Megablast."   It  contains  blasting› with     reflectors     that    cause› ricocheting.›› Ron Fetzer demoed an ABBUC disk #50. › One  program shows a color palette of› 256 colors.  It also uses some  games› like  Monopoly  games  of  the United› States.    The   disk  has  beautiful› pictures, kaleidoscopes, and  a  maze› game.›› At  the November meeting Alan Sharkis› demoed a TWAUG disk issue #  29.   On› it  is   a   game   called,   "Bridge› Builder,"    which    is    extremely› frustrating.     Another     program,› "Convoy,"  makes  you determine where› each ship will be, by the  nature  of› its  cargo.  "Failsafe"  is a nuclear› power-plant operation.  "Starwar"  is› a very detailed game.  This disk also› contains  a  label  printing  program› which  permits  you  to  adjust  your› label to any size.  Alan also  demoed› a program called, "Rosetta Stone."›› At  the  December  meeting,  the club› discussed  keeping  the  Atari  8-bit› Computer to work with the  PCs.   Ron› Fetzer  demoed an ABBUC disk having a› program called, "Dynakillers,"  which› has  excellent  graphics  and  is   a› terrific  game.  He also demoed ABBUC› disk  #22, which had a unique way  of› showing  pictures,  using a method of› interlace which had fantastic detail.› He  demoed  another disk from the San› Andrea Club (12/97),  with  a  double› decker pinball machine program.›› Our group will be having its exciting› Valentine's  Day  Dinner  on  Friday,› February     13th     at    Lambrou's› Restaurant,   in  Island  Park.   All› wives and  other guests are  invited.››             Bye for now,››››             JACK GEDALIUS››               o=o=o=o=o=››››