…during school breaks, that is. I don’t see how that’s a bad thing though. Haha.

Is it just me or does Christmas seem to be much more complicated now? Before it was just me waiting for midnight so we could finally open gifts and eat Noche Buena. And yes, I did write the customary letter to Santa Clause as soon as the tree went up. Oh but one time I think I cheated by writing a letter around October just to be sure he’d receive it.

Not my photo, but this is the same one I had!

Kids today have a more complicated Christmas. I used to be content at asking for a new set of Legos or Polly Pocket or Betty Spaghetti (remember those?) but now they have PSPs, PS3s and even iPods to choose from. What ever happened to toys that encouraged imagination?

So that’s one thing I’m very thankful for (6) Christmas when I was a kid. When you know, you didn’t have Theo orals and the EB Race to think about. Haha.

I guess thinking of a strategy to win a PSP game stimulates the imagination a bit. Oh and I found a rather interesting link from Chuvaness’s blog. Gift application form for kids. Amusing and distressing at the same time. Even Santa can be application-form-ized!

(oh, and I lol coz the form asks you to specify the proof of any alcoholic beverages you might leave out for Santa)

***

Bigfish and PopCap games are taking over my life.

This and FeedingFrenzy, TextTwist, Case Mysteries, etc.

Well that and all the other things I have to do for school and the org. Lala. Merry Christmas!

***

RIP, Brittany Murphy and Yaya Luring (Sharon Cuneta’s yaya). Death is saddening as it is but when it happens during the Christmas season it just makes your heart break more.

Copenhagen Hot Air Wealth Transfer

Originally uploaded by marvelous_blue.

‘It is better for us to act than talk’ said US president Obama addressing delegates at the 2009 Copenhagen UN ‘Hot Air Wealth Transfer’ Conference on the Environment today.

“It is not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change but it is an important first step.” was said after Obama, Jiabao, Singh, and Zuma reached their ‘meaningful agreement’ now called the Copenhagen Agreement. This group-of- 5 backroom deal proposes a “finance mechanism” meaning a $100 billion a year tax on the so-called ‘developed countries’ citizens which will go into the bank accounts of all the corrupt rulers of the poor ‘ under-developed counties.’ These include China and India two of the deal brokers. As a reward for this they promised that they would provide information of their actions regarding their emission cuts. Wow that is some deal!!!

An all-night 11th hour rally allowed ‘Nobel Prize for War’ (as Hugo Chavez proclaimed) recipient America’s new messiah Obama to accomplish this heroic achievement. It happened following many ‘hard’ days in Copenhagen’s Bella Centre where world delegates were involved in heated discussions, speeches, backstabbing, character assassinations, drinking free top quality booze, eating deluxe meals including best caviar, resting in 5-star hotels, being ferried around in 1200 limos, and traveling around first class air. Now that the conference has ‘successfully’ ended they all are anxiously waiting for the next taxpayer subsidized orgy to start in 2010 in Germany.

In retrospect, all this, including the sound and fury provided free by the ‘environment activists’ such as GreenPeace, Friends of the Earth et al as a backdrop, during the Copenhagen Conference amounted to a waste of capital and resources. It ends meaning nothing but a massive wealth transfer attempt by the wealthy world power brokers and their minions. They, these crooks, put this show on to usurp our hard-earned tax money freely because they promise to help the poor and save our planet.

Nothing meaningful has been or will ever be done to save our planet from ‘global warming’, pollution, deforestation, and the ravages of climate change. More, the poor will still be dying from hunger, war, diseases, 5-year plans, and a destabilizing climate they however, are assured of constant meaningless speeches from various fat cat well-fed organizations, wealthy dictators, messiahs, glorious leaders, and their cronies. Their empty messages will reliably be broadcast live by their own controlled mass media providing ‘responsible’ and ‘honest’ information to the befuddled citizens. George Orwell’s 1984 redux is doing well.

I know there are a lot of girls out there who wish their boyfriend would just put down the friggin controller already and step away from the Playstation. I get it – no one likes sitting around watching their boyfriend play videogames for 4 hours. I can’t imagine anything more boring. But (and yes, this is the nerd in me talking), maybe instead of standing in front of the TV or tearing the controller out of his hand, you should join him!

My boyfriend and I are both gamers and, trust me, it’s a lot of fun to play together. (Seriously, there’s a reason he plays so often. These games are addicting.)

Video games are a great way to unwind after a long day of class. Especially when the only shows on TV are repeats of The O.C. (from the 3rd season when it sucked) and Judge Judy. They also happen to be a great way to take out some boyfriend frustration in a healthy way. Instead of yelling at your man because he forgot your birthday (because he was so busy playing Halo…), you can just beat the crap out of him in a game of Super Smash Brothers.

Also, much like any activity you do together, playing video games is a good way to get closer with your BF. You’re showing your guy that you’re interested in his interests and that’s something he’ll definitely appreciate. Probably not enough to let you play all the games he’s obsessed with (he doesn’t want to affect his standings), but there are tons of games out there that he won’t mind playing with his girl.

For those girls who are new to video games, look into download-able games on your system. Most are cheap, crazily addictive, and, best of all, they’re simple. There’s everything from puzzle games to updated versions of old arcade games. Matt and I have played everything from Zuma to the old Xmen arcade game on our XBox.

For those who are more experienced, pretty much anything with a multi-player mode will do. If you’ve got the hand/eye coordination for a shooter, then go for it, girl! My favorite is Left 4 Dead, because it’s really straightforward: just kill zombies. Plus with co-op modes you have to rely on and strategize together, which is great bonding time for couples.

The best games to play together? Obviously anything on the Wii. My favorite is Wii Sports resort. It’s a lot of fun and all about the competition. And let me tell you, there is no better way to take out your frustration on your man than with a sword fighting duel. You can work up a sweat and show that boy who’s boss and no one actually gets hurt. (Well, besides that one Wiimote mishap….)

Whatever system your boyfriend has, there’s definitely something out there to play, so stop begging him to drop the controller and pick up your own. You’ll be happy you did.

Ons kort medisyne vir die moderne demokrasie. Universitiete, gooi asseblief tonne geld in die wetenskapkoffers in om hierdie eksperimente te befonds! Ek dink die moderne demokrasie (as jy dit nog demokrasie kan noem) het ‘n siekte wat knaag, wat verrotting veroorsaak. Ek lees vanoggend daar by Retha weer van die probleem wat een of ander grootkop met die ou landsvlag gehad het laasweek….

Ek wonder of die wêreldleiers in die geheim een keer per jaar bymekaarkom en dan die volgende klas bywoon ”Smokescreen 101: How to effectively brainwash the whole country to believe you are actually doing something”. Dit word natuurlik deur Suid-Afrikaanse politici aangebied.

Ek wonder hoe gereeld ons met iets onbenulligs gebombardeer word, om die illusie te skep dat daar werklik iets gedoen word in daardie departement, terwyl die belangriker sake wat aandag moet geniet, byvoorbeeld misdaad in hierdie landsvlag geval, iewers agter ‘n rookskermpie uit die “publieke oog” uit verdwyn.

Daar word baie oor die belangrike kwessies gepraat, en beloftes gemaak. Daar gebeur nie werklik veel nie, MAAR iets wat gou-gou op gefokus kan word – soos ‘n tannie uittrap oor haar ou landsvlaggie op haar lessenaar maak die hoofopskrifte regoor die land (Kyk selfs ek skryf nou hieroor).

Die gepratery skep dan verder die illusie dat daar werklik iets GEDOEN word. Ek praat laas week met een van my werkskollegas, en hy vertel my dat Zuma so populêr is want hy doen soveel meer vir die mense op grondvlak. Toe ek vir hom uitwys dat ek moet toegee, sy gesiggie word meer in die plakkerskampe gesien, maar dit bewys nie dat hy iets vir daardie mense doen nie, is ek op een of ander gebreinspoelde manier probeer wysmaak dat dit wel dit beteken. Die gebreinspoeldes verstaan nie van “Praat is goedkoop nie”.

Ek gaan solank my spaarvarkie oopkap, sodat ek ‘n paar sente aan UJ kan aanstuur, miskien is al wat ons nodig het brille wat deur die rook-illusies kan sien? Miskien lewe ek maar net in my eie droomwêreld……

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

It doesn’t matter where I look, it is obvious: it is World AIDS Day and it seems everybody is on this day aware of the pandemic and it’s consequences. Even our president Jacob Zuma – he will go for a test, he vows to treat all children tested positive from April next year, statistics are run up and down in all newspapers – every bit of good news are squized again and again – the challenges mentioned – and somehow I think it is every year the same for one day.. and then it ceases again – and the lives of the millions of people infected and affected is shelved again until next year same time. One could be cynical about it, if there wouldn’t be hope – or HOPE..

Here in Cape Town, the FIFA draw on Friday overshadows anyhow the World AIDS Day – streets are closed, traffic jams, police helicopters all day long, a city preparing for another special day where the world will be watching what is happening at the convention centre of the mother city. All over the city workers trying to finish off for the big draw – and then, for the next half a year, soccer will rule South Africa and everything else has to wait until August 2010.

I am just coming back from a reception marking 100 years of South African – Japanese relationship – and one can see the typical Cape Town syndrome beginning of December: Everybody somehow tired from the rush of November – the hectic of all-has-to-be-done until the summer holidays arrive in a couple of days.  My little success today was just to get the internet up and running again – the second time in two weeks that the line collapses and the reason is clear now: Telkom sells an ADSL speed which are too fast for the old lines… also a way to make business..  Now the speed is down again and the line stable and up again….

Also with HOPE Cape Town we are short before the holiday season starts for most of our employees. We still got some visitors on our list until mid December, so enough to prepare and time is flying. I must admit that I am also happy if it all slows down a bit for the festive season. This year was an amazing one and I have seen the best and the worst from church colleagues, I have been trapped in empty promises and saw myself almost at the end of my church career, my life has been turned up side down so many times at will of other people, and now, at the end it looks like the uneven lines of life are leading to a years end with the promise of meaningful work for the years to come. It almost sounds like a years end blog, but all the traffic and times of stop and go are ideal times for reflection of past and present times. The rest of my thoughts then at the year’s end blog.. but it might well be only in the new year… Then New Years Eve this year, I will celebrate in Thailand – and I am sure I  will be out of the streets to celebrate with the crowd on the streets of Bangkok.  It is one of the last festive times, I never had the time to celebrate in the East, so I am looking forward to it. But before still some hard work – and some sleep.

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/Puzzle-board/Zuma.html

Game description :

Shoot the colored balls next to others of the same colors.

Click on the glowing doorway at the bottom of the menu screen, then click on the Japanese characters in the GREEN square to start the game.

Game controls :

Use Mouse to interact.

First off, a Thanksgiving news alert:  I don’t plan to post on Thursday, November 26 or Friday, November 27.  I’m headed off to visit my in-laws in Detroit, and they have these crazy ideas about people sitting in the same room and enjoying each others’ company.  :)

It’s been a quiet week as the US readies for the holiday.  

Well, not entirely quiet.  The second Twilight flick,  New Moon, premiered.  Names spotted among those turning out for the festivities included designer Rachel Roy brought her 10 year old daughter Ava.  Rachel and husband Damon Dash also have a toddler called Tallulah Ruth.  (via Celebrity Baby Blog)  It’s interesting to see parents who embraced Ava ten years ago, when she was still on the rise, using Tallulah more recently.  Anyone else think that the once-outlandish name that had everyone abuzz when the Moore-Willis clan used it will go mainstream?  And if a search for “baby names Twilight” brought you here, check out this post: Not Just for Vampires Anymore.

In other celeb news, Tiffani Thiessen tells Extra that she and her husband aren’t considering “any freaky names.”  She doesn’t mention whether going through life as Tiffani-Amber colored her view.  We’ll have to wait and see.

On to some real life name-spotting:

• I just returned from Target.  I was buying toddler tights while another mom was trying to persuade her daughter to try on a coat, but the daughter?  Was fleeing to the just-steps-away toy department.  The name the mother was calling?  ”Miracle!  Miracle, come back here!”  Insert your own joke about it-taking-an-act-of-God to distract a 3 y.o. from the toy department here;
• Bewildertrix has spotted Leonidas George.  My baby brother swears Leonidas will be the name of his firstborn son, should that happy event ever come to pass.  She also uncovered an Elisabetta Ivy.  And a Zuma.  (No Gwen Stefani isn’t in New Zealand – he’s Zuma Louis, a non-celeb baby brother for Ava and Remi.)
• For Real Baby Names spotted Dafne.  It may be a valid foreign variant, but to me it is like Jorja/Georgia - this one just looks better as the more familiar Daphne. 

Now for two Language Lessons from that sage font of wisdom, Nancy:

• Hard G vs. Soft G – Sometimes they’re interchangeable – as in Jorja/Georgia – but other times, swapping a J for a G leads to confusion;
• Doubling consonants – Ditto doubling a consonant.  It’s another popular way to make a name “unique,” but it can also cause confusion.

Truly unusual names are always found at Nameberry, and this week’s posts were no exception.  Check out the Lost Boys’ Names of 1880.  Why aren’t more boys named Zeb?  Or Hardy?  Others – including titles like Squire and Commodore – are best left to history.  (I work with a man in his 50s named General.  I don’t get the impression that he thinks much about his name one way or the other.)  For a change, the girls’ list is almost less interesting – maybe because I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if I met a 2 y.o. called Mahala or Texas. 

Let’s end on a controversial note: the shortcomings of the Baby Name Wizard.  I recently noticed a post on Swistle (a big BNW adherent) that troubled me.  Just a few days earlier, Nancy recounted a similar story on her blog.  

An expectant mother, mom to Sophia, wrote to Swistle about the name Allegra.  She and her husband loved the name Allegra.  Loved the way nicknames Allie and Sophie sounded together.  But she worried about the allergy medication association.

Swistle wrote: “I love the name Allegra—and every time I want to suggest it, I back away because of the allergy medicine. I’m ANGRY at the company that stole it.”

Swistle’s poll was evenly split: 52% no to Allegra; 48% yes.  But here’s the thing: Swistle’s framing of the question – “Is the name Allegra too associated with allergy medication to be used for a baby?” made it pretty clear that she thought Allegra was beyond consideration.  (Swistle is usually so judgment-free that I was really surprised by that.)

The mom herself recently wrote in:

“We ended up naming our daughter Lucy. I love her name, but I regret not being gutsy enough to go with Allegra. Personally, I’d encourage anyone considering the name to go for it. No matter what name you choose some people will like it and others will hate it.”

Lucy is a fine name.  I like it lots.  But how sad that much naming advice often tends to push parents to the middle, rather than embracing the names that we really love. 

I suspect the allergy medication reference is fleeting.  When the blogger at For Real Baby Names spotted a Dexy Adelaide, I mentioned the 80s pop hit “Come On, Eileen” – and sent ForReal running to Google.  Dexy, it appears, no longer means “one-hit wonder responsible for lodging the phrase too-rye-aye in my brain.”  And it hasn’t been that long.  It makes me think Allegra will be free of medication association by the time Allie hits the teenage years, if not sooner.

Thanks for reading!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

After months of mysterious rebound colic episodes for Rebecca, this past Sunday (November 15th) Rebecca, a veteran therapy partner at Zuma’s heads to Littleton Large Animal Hospital for Emergency Colic Surgery.

Fortunately for all the rebound colic mystery is solved, Poor Rebecca had a soft ball sized fecal- lith in her small bowel along with a fecal impaction in her large intestine! Dr. Vaughan Rebecca’s wonderful surgeon states that this type of impaction occurs very infrequently, six time per year on average at Littleton Large Animal Hospital.

In order to resolve both blockages this special therapy mare had to endure a two hour surgery along with two enderotomies, both of which increased her chance of sepsis.Thus far it appears that Rebecca has bypassed any sign of infection(sepsis), however she will continue to be monitored in the ICU for another 4-5 days.

During the recovering from her painful ordeal Rebecca will recieve loving care from a wonderful team of veterinary technicians at Littleton Large Animal Hospital.

Zuma’s entire family of volunteers, children and her owners Jodi and Paul Messenich are very relieved and are anxiously awaiting her return.

Thanks to all of you out there that have sent your kind words and continue to send your positive energy to this wonderful horse. Rebecca is accepting visitors, she is in stall number seven in the ICU ward at Littleton Large Animal Hospital.Please no treats just yet.

Rebecca’s surgery will cost the non-profit therapy center nearly $10,000.00. If you have the ability to help support Rebecca please visit our website on the donate page www.zumasrescuranch.com/donate or mail tax deductible donations to directly to:

Zuma’s Rescue Ranch 7745 N. Moore Rd. Littleton, CO 80125. phone: 303-346-7493

Zuma is buzzy with the kind of European crowd you really only find in Knightsbridge, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that they would also benefit from a European attitude to babies and children.

We went at a weekend lunch time, when the place was filled with a great deal of animal print, gold and expensive blond highlights.  We were seated on the outskirts of the room, possibly because the staff were being considerate of other diners as opposed to our particular convenience: an observation rather than a complaint since we were quite comfortable.

Jack was still breast and bottle feeding at the time, so the delights of the Japanese food were ours alone.  Our seating meant that it was easy to feed Jack discretely too.

But, oh my, the changing facilities were dire.   The ladies loo was way too small for a changing mat.  On my request for the disabled loo, I was shown to a toilet jam packed with piled up spare chairs.  There was just about room for me to get in and put a changing mat on top of one of the chairs.

To be fair, the waiter was almost embarrassingly apologetic.  Me, I was glad I just had a baby, who, if push came to shove, I would have braved changing on the tiny floor of the ladies loo.  Heaven knows what I would have done if I’d been disabled.

I do hope they’ve since remedied the situation because for the sheer fun of people watching, tasty food and proximity to Harvey Nichols it is a great place for lunch.

Rating:

Stylishness: 3/5

Friendliness: 4/5

Feeding Facilities: 4/5

Changing Facilities: 0/5

Food: 3/5

Overall rating: 14/25   ££