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and the good news is if you implement high quality content and focus on high quality links and social signals, you should eventually be able to overtake them. I've done it a number of times.  As frustrating as it is to deal with, it can be dealt with.

And now Google has shut down the Google Directory, so it's just DMOZ. http://searchengineland.com/final-nail-in-the-google-directory-coffin-86505

I haven't considered this option, thanks for the tip.