If you're into sports - of almost any kind, this may be for you.
There is a sports robot that has been able to accurately predict the winner about 80% of the time.
If you like to bet on sports, or just follow sports, this could be something that would be helpful.
There are free tools including point spreads and win percentages.
To find out more Click Here
Activities at Christmas that children can enjoy include all of the sights, sounds and scents that put the magic and a festive spirit into Christmas. At major shopping centers like malls, children can enjoy various window displays and arrangements inside stores that show Christmas sceneries. The displays, which can be moving, stationary or interactive, can be so numerous and mesmerizing that parents often arrange a trip to such malls just for children to view the many displays.
Shopping malls are also a popular place where Santa Claus is sure to be found. For a small fee, children can get to sit or stand with Santa Claus, talk with him and most importantly, get a picture taken with Santa. Those children, like pre-teens and teenagers, who may be too old for Santa Claus can also be entertained by the various grand Christmas displays as well as one of their favorite activities - shopping.
Various colorful and twinkling lights is certain to be a part of the displays at malls and shopping centers, but other arrangements of Christmas lighting can also be a delightful activity for children to enjoy. Because Christmas displays have become so common, everyone has some form of lighting arrangement at their houses.
This has led to neighborhoods where it is common to see an increase in traffic during the Christmas season because of the fanciful, landscaped displays of outdoor Christmas light decorations. These usually include figures of reindeers, Santa, sleighs, angels, shepherds and animals that are a part of the story of Jesus' birth. It can therefore become an activity to take a tour of these neighborhoods with children for them to feast their eyes.
In a similar manner to the grand Christmas lighting that can be found in some neighborhoods and the occasional home, there are also themed-lighting at quaint villages and special large, Christmas light displays at venues like some public parks. The displays can be similar to those seen in neighborhoods except that they are usually on a larger and grander scale. As an example, a typical home lawn display will have a Christmas display that includes Santa, a sleigh and a reindeer or two all as separate pieces.
A Christmas display at a themed-village or park would have a large and possibly moving display of Santa Claus with elf- like figures in a sleigh that is being pulled by reindeers as one big structure. These Christmas sights are what often bring out the wide-eyed wonder in children as their faces express awe and amazement. While children will have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree at home to enjoy, it will also be fun for them to go to other lightings of Christmas tree because again, those trees are usually bigger and decorated on a grander scale than the ones in their living rooms at home.
Just about every town, city or municipality will have a Christmas tree lighting in a central location. Sometimes local firehouses will also have a special Christmas tree lighting. At these events, children can see a local official or personality flip a switch to symbolically turn on the Christmas tree, in a similar like they would have seen the President do on television. Those local events are likely to include Christmas treats and goodies, a Santa Claus to present Christmas gifts to children and the singing of Christmas carols. Taking time out to engage in activities just for the enjoyment of children will make them feel special, experience the magic of Christmas and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Oh, one last thing, Merry Christmas!
P.S. Get your best deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
It certainly doesn't seem as easy to come up with a similar catchy description for the others - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen - as named in the song. The story of Rudolph whose glowing red nose made him a standout, first appeared in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department stores distributed about 2.4 million booklets with the poem in the form of a story about "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It was written by Robert L. May, who worked in the store's advertisement or marketing department, to be used to attract more people into the store. When the booklet was reissued in 1939, sales soared to more than 3.5 million copies. But it wasn't until a decade later, in 1949, that the story really gained immense popularity when Gene Autry sang a musical version of the fable.
As a Christmas song, it is second only in popularity to 'White Christmas.' Rudolph, the ninth reindeer whose lighted nose guides Santa's sleigh through the night, is now known worldwide as the song has been translated into more than 20 different languages and an animated television movie has also been based on the story. Rudolph and his noticeable nose have also become the subject of jokes and sparked more interest in reindeers which has led to much research into Santa and the flying reindeers who pull his sleigh through the sky. Along with the catchy rhythm of the lyrics, Rudolph's story is also appealing because of the moral lessons it contains.
As the story goes, Rudolph was ostracized by the other reindeers, which laughed and teased him about his shiny red nose. But on a foggy night, when Santa must have been concerned that he may not be able to deliver his Christmas gifts around the world, Santa spotted him and kindly asked if he would step to the front as the leader to 'guide my sleigh tonight.' His shiny red nose would after all be very useful in lighting the way, Santa thought. From then on 'all of the other reindeers loved him,' and rightly predicted that he 'would go down in history.' Among the moral lessons the story can impart is that an attribute that is perceived as negative or as a liability can be used for a positive purpose, or, become an asset.
It also makes the point that an individual should not let the negative behavior of others define him or her and limit expectations of what can be achieved. And it also illustrates how quickly opinions and attitudes about a person can change.
The question still lingers however of where Rudolph came from. He is commonly regarded as the son of Donner (or Donder), one of the original eight reindeers. But the Snopes.com site rejects this however, saying that he dwelled in a reindeer village elsewhere and it was there that he was seen by Santa who had already started on his Christmas Eve journey to deliver gifts. And in a more modern evolution of the story according to Wikipedia.com, an animation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) introduced a son, named Robbie, of Rudolph. That son has now become the tenth reindeer.
It's also interesting to note that the idea of Santa's sleigh being pulled by reindeers was originated in the poem, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.' That poem tells the story of St. Nicholas, who is Santa, calling his eight tiny reindeers by their names, as previously mentioned, just before he came down the chimney of a house to start filling the stockings from a sack full of toys he carried on his back.
P.S. Get your best deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
Christmas holiday traditions usually include a Christmas Eve dinner party, with plenty of egg nog, caroling, and good spirits. Holiday dinners on Christmas Day are typically turkey and stuffing, ham, or lamb with lots of yummy sides like mashed potatoes, yams, and other holiday foods. Perhaps the biggest and most popular holiday tradition is holiday greeting cards sent to everyone on your Christmas card list. In recent years, new traditions have been formed to include a Christmas letter with the holiday card, that is a summary of what your family has been up to the previous year.
Hanukah is an important holiday for those of Jewish faith, but basically consists of the same family, big dinner, and gift giving elements as Christmas. When family cannot be together for this holiday, send your loved ones a dradel and holiday card to let them know that they are still involved in the family holiday celebration.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
Thanksgiving holiday traditions in America include holiday turkey, and football games. It's a time for family, and letting everyone you care about how much you are thankful for their very existence. That is the essence of this holiday-thanksgiving, of course! Because we all lead such busy lives in today's society, and family cannot always be present on these special holidays, a new tradition has arisen. Thanksgiving holiday cards are now available to send to all of your loved ones who can't come to Thanksgiving dinner and watch the games with you. Unfortunately, the turkey and big screen tv don't fit into the envelope!
Easter holiday traditions usually include an Easter egg hunt, baskets full of candy left by the Easter bunny, and church services dressed in, well, Sunday best. Easter holiday traditions are probably the favorite for most children, and the bane for most parents due to the sugar high. However, Easter is really first and foremost a time to celebrate Christ and family. When you cannot have family present for this important holiday, send them an online holiday greeting from the Easter bunny to lift their spirits.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
Independence Day is a very important holiday to Americans, especially in light of recent world events. With the war on terrorism in full swing, those who should most celebrate this holiday are not in America, but the Middle East. For those who miss out on fireworks and good spirits, it can be a depressing time. Cheer up our soldiers with a holiday greeting card, letting them know that we recognize their efforts for our country and the flag for which they fight.
The most important element to any holiday is family. When family cannot be with you for one reason or another, it is important that they aren't left out. Sending a holiday greeting card can change that around. A simply holiday greeting card and a special phone call spreading holiday cheer can make it feel like you are together, no matter how many miles may separate you.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
If this is a group that's not afraid of looking silly, here's just the game. Provide a pair of pantyhose for each team and a total of 8 balloons. When the game begins, the team should begin blowing up the balloons and the inflated balloons have to be put into the legs of the pantyhose. To make this game fair, the teams should be of equal number and the pantyhose not a petite size.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
The game ends when someone gets all their balloons into the legs of the pantyhose, "wears" the antlers and sings the first verse of "Jingle Bells". Be sure to make everyone finish the game, however, so you can get a great picture of everyone in his or her pantyhose antlers.
For a fun relay-type game, how about making a Santa beard? Make a big bowl of cotton balls and get a container of Vaseline. Put some Vaseline on the chins of each member of each team (ideally, 2 teams of about 5 people each). The first players in line run to the bowl of cotton balls and sticks their chin in trying to get as many to stick to the Vaseline as possible. They run to the back of their line, so the next player can have a turn.
When everyone on a team has a beard, that team wins. As with the other game, be sure to take lots of pictures of everyone wearing their Santa beards. Also have plenty of towels and water to get the Vaseline off.
This next game is great for a smaller group of people who are open to a more quiet game. This is about packing Santa's bag. You start by saying, "I packed Santa's bag and in it I put pajamas." The next person continues with, "I packed Santa's bag and in it I put pajamas, and toilet paper." Each person continues, each time adding a new item, but also listing the items that were added before. You are out of the game when you miss an item. Someone could be sitting outside the game keeping a list of all the items so if the game goes on for a bit, you will know if someone misses an item.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
If you're having a Christmas party for adults, why not offer up a fun game that's sure to remind them of a childhood favorite? Create a Christmas scavenger hunt. You will tell people to create teams (about 4 people per team is adequate, but you might want to have larger or smaller teams depending on the size of your party). Make a list of items they need to return with.
If you choose to keep the searching local, either at your home or in the neighborhood, include items like a miniature light string, a piece of holly, a leave off a poinsettia plant, and the like. If you choose to have guests traipse all over town for items, you can have even more fun. You might require them to purchase a holly-decorated box of tissue, or have them provide photo proof that they went down your city's Christmas Tree Lane. Whatever it is, be creative and enjoy the process. People love this game, not only because it reminds them of childhood, but it helps people get to know other party guests they might know that well and it's a game that gets people working together, which can always be fun.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
Everyone enjoys Hershey's kisses at Christmas. Divide your group into two teams and have two bowls of Hershey's kisses at the other end of the room. Give each team one set of oversized mittens or gloves. The first person in line runs to the bowl of kisses, and has to unwrap the kiss while wearing the oversized mittens/gloves and pop the kiss into their mouth. They run back, tag the next person in line, and exchange the mittens/gloves and the next person runs forward to get a chocolate kiss. The winning team is the one in which all members have enjoyed a kiss first.
Get your best holiday shopping deals at Holiday Shopping 2012 - powered by Amazon(TM)
