Tuck decides to disrupt "Honey's" Valentine's surprise. (The original version of this video was posted on February 14, 2009 and received 1823 views.) About Cat Clips This episode is part of the humorous "Cat Clips" series, which features the ongoing adventures of a group of cats in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5If-2mS2hMc&hl=en
Cat Clips #45--Valentine's Secret Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Christmas Bells and the History Behind Them Saturday, October 23, 2010
Christmas Bells are an integral part of the traditional holiday celebration. They can be seen and heard, in one way or another, just about anywhere you go during the Christmas season. We hear Carols merrily singing about silver bells, sleigh bells, and jingle bells from the loud speakers at shopping malls, restaurants, and even doctor's offices etc. We see images of all different shapes and sizes of bells plastered on gift paper, greeting cards, and shop windows. There are even bell shaped tree ornaments, candy dishes, and decorations. How did bells become such an important part of the Christmas celebration?
The pagans initially used bells as a way to ward off evil spirits during the autumn and winter months. It was thought that making loud noises would keep evil spirits at bay during the night. Bells were readily available to almost everyone so they were ideal for use as noisemakers.
Eventually bells went from being used to ward off evil to being used as a way to celebrate happy occasions, a tradition that took hold and that we still use today. Churches would ring them every time something good happened, such as a wedding or a birth, especially the birth of Jesus Christ. The children would also ring their bells to honor his birth.
Many people could not afford musical instruments during that time because they were so expensive. Bells were a great alternative to these expensive musical instruments because they were inexpensive, easy to make, and almost everyone had them. People used them when they went Christmas caroling because of their beautiful musical sounds. Many people would take bells to church with them to use during church services.
When the stories of Santa started to emerge, we saw that his eight reindeer wore several small bells, called jingle bells. It was rumored that when the reindeer moved the bells would jingle which made it easier for Santa to find his way through the dark, snow, or fog. That is, of course, until Rudolph the came into the picture.
It is amazing how many different ways we use bells today, especially during the holiday season. For many, Christmas bells are a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. For others, they are a beautiful symbol of a warm, happy time of year. Either way, they have become a integral part of our traditional Christmas time celebrations.
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Treadmill Cats: Curious Kittens Exercise Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Golden tabby kittens discover the treadmill and want to know how it works, constantly trying to figure it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLpsGKHvjx4&hl=en
How To Create a Fun, Creative Christmas Card Which Everyone Will Want to Put on Their Mantle Piece Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Don't you wish you could make your Christmas card so creative and fun that people will be talking about it for years to come? I have literally looked through tens of thousands of cards on my quest for 150 of the best cards I could find for a book I was doing. In the process, I found that the most interesting cards had one thing in common. Whether they were shot by a professional photographer or by Dad, they were invariably well planned out ahead of time. The kiss of death for a family photo is to put everyone in front of the camera and just pray for good results! Here are a few pointers on how you can plan ahead and come up with an interesting and memorable card.
1) Create a story around a pun or a punch line for the inside of the card. A few good puns I've come across are "Fishing you a Merry Christmas", "Have a Fairy Merry Christmas"; "Happy Hollandaise"; "Sleep in Heavenly Peas"; "Hoe, Hoe, Hoe"; or "Hope your Christmas is TuTu good". How easy would it be to get an adorable photo of your little girl in a Tutu with that last line? Images pop into my mind with all of these puns. Grandpa or your kids are probably good at thinking up a few more puns to play with.
2) Try putting the words "Happy Holidays" or whatever greeting you want to say inside the photo instead of inside the card. Have your kids stand on top of a mountain or in a lake holding a sign. Or it would be amazing to write the Christmas Greeting on their T-shirts or tummies. Or you could try to have each child hold a single letter spelling out JOY, NOEL or HO HO HO.
3) Give the kids something fun to do, or an activity. If you're taking your Christmas picture in the summer, for example, have them sledding down a dune, making an angel in the sand or building a sand snowman. It's also good to do something unexpected because when things are unexpected, they're funny. For example, one of my favorite cards is of a man and his dog. The dog is dressed in a suit and glasses, the man has a bone in his mouth. It is hysterical.
4) Dressing up can also make for a funny card, if you are all in "Incredibles" outfits for example, the caption could be "Have an Incredible New Year". Or, another one of my favorite cards is one in which the family is dressed as garden gnomes with the caption "Gnome for the Holidays". I also love the pun of course.
All of the photos ideas I mentioned above should only take 5 minutes to shoot. That's all that your family will give you anyway, right? Christmas cards don't need to be stressful, in fact the process should be fun. If you come up with an idea ahead of time, your Christmas picture will practically shoot itself. There is nothing like the pride you will feel when people put your card in a prominent place on their mantle piece. I would love to see what you come up with. Hope you have a fun and Happy Holiday!
I am the author of "Merry Christmas From...150 Christmas cards you wish you'd received", a compilation of 150 of the best most inspired Christmas cards I could find after searching through tens of thousands. I also have a website http://merrychristmasfrom.com which is devoted to Christmas cards. You can share your creative card and be inspired by the creative cards others have done. Or if you don't have a card to share, you can create it with some simple tools which enable you to upload your photo, add borders, Santa hats, snowflakes, stars etc. You can also add your own faces to animated e-cards, or create other interactive e-cards. It's everything you need to create an amazing card this Christmas! Come check us out.
How to Find Free US Cellular Ringtones Monday, October 18, 2010
When real music ringtones started to become available, one of the nicest benefits was that people could enjoy really great sound quality and could utilize just about any file format of music. For those who are die-hard music lovers, as well as for people who just enjoy a better quality of sound, the improvements in technology have been welcomed, as have the many free US cellular ringtones from which people can now choose.
The cool thing about the huge selection of cellular ringtones these days is that a great many of the websites are offering free cell ringtones. That's right! Completely free mobile ringtones with no strings attached. The companies that offer these free downloadable ringtones are usually covered with all kinds of advertising on their websites and they hope that you will click on their ads so that they can make some money from your visit.
However, clicking on the ads on these sites is not mandatory and the cellular phone ringtone variety to choose from on some of these sites is really amazing. Some people get so excited about the many free US cellular ringtones that they can choose from that they spend hours and hours listening to samples and downloading more free cell ringtones than they can probably even fit on their phone.
On these sites that offer the free cell ringtones, you will be able to choose from an enormous offering of real music ringtones that cover many genres, such as rock, pop, rap, and jazz. There are even Christian ringtones with inspirational music, or you could download a ring tone of a stand up comedian telling jokes. Once you choose the ring tone you want, download it to your computer or to your cellphone and then use it for your personal ringtone.
You can also use these free ringtones to help you identify who is calling you. Many people don't even realize they have this function on their cell phone. Almost all of the newer cell phones allow you to program the phone book that is in your phone so that when a specific person calls, as long as it is from a number that is listed in your phone book, the caller ringtone that you have assigned to that person will be activated.
A lot of people have a great deal of fun assigning funny caller ringtones to the phone book listing of different friends or family members. The best thing about using this feature is that you will know exactly who is calling you even if you don't look at your phone. Downloading lots of free ringtones to your cell will give you plenty of choices and will let you give everyone in your phone book their own distinctive cellular phone ringtone.
There are some websites that advertise that they have free US cellular ringtones for you to download, but in reality they make you pay for credits or points. Sometimes they will give you a few points just for filling out their form with your email address. Usually that will give you one or two free downloadable ringtones, but if you want more than that you will have to buy additional credits.
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Hilarious Baby Laugh. Very Cute. Saturday, October 16, 2010
Baby has Hilarious Laugh, Try not to laugh when you watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmbLhGZYFbk&hl=en
Discount Leather Jackets Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Image : http://www.flickr.com
Leather is a very expensive material. Therefore, one should always think carefully before opting for a leather jacket. In fact, people should never buy a leather jacket unless and until they are completely sure they will wear it.
However, to make their decisions easier, leather jackets are available at a discount rate, so that the prospective leather jacket-wearer can get a feel of them, without feeling a huge cut into his wallet.
Discounts on leather jackets can be huge, sometimes 60% to 70%. These discounts occur generally during off-seasons or if the store has a clearance. Most wholesalers, who buy and deal directly with manufacturers, can offer discounts all year long. Various other wholesalers and shops offer free accessories, like leather belts and wallets, to go with their jackets.
Discounts are available on all kinds of leather jackets, like men's classic jackets, women's classic jackets, motorcycle leather jackets, flying bomber leather jackets, leather flight jackets, zipper closing, long jackets, waist length jackets, trench coats, short sports jackets and reversible leather jackets.
One of the easiest ways to buy discount leather jackets is over the Internet. Various websites offer leather jackets at a discount. Also, there are websites which offer leather jackets at wholesale prices, which are much less than the retail prices. However, one has to be more careful when buying discount jackets than when buying leather jackets at the full retail price. Quality should be checked when buying any goods at a discount.
Some of the websites offering leather jackets on discount are Neil Cooper, Bluefly and Webbikeworld.
Leather Jackets provides detailed information on Custom Leather Jackets, Discount Leather Jackets, Leather Flight Jackets, Leather Jackets and more. Leather Jackets is affiliated with Leather Briefcases.
Shredder's Babies Monday, October 11, 2010
Taken from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The secret of the Ooze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn6jKGVxTbk&hl=en
Creating Personal Change Through Transformational Writing Sunday, October 10, 2010
And so when the life coach went through his preset, formulaic questions routine, I could instantly feel that the client was having a rather uncomfortable experience.
And that was especially true when the coach was intent on drilling down with the same question until it lost all its potency and vibrancy and electricity.
"So how does that make you feel... and how does that make you feel... and how does that make you feel... and how does that... "
It wouldn't have surprised me if the woman had cracked him over the head with her coffee cup and asked him... so tell me, how does that make you feel?
Remarkable as it is, coaching doesn't mean that it's only the speaking that causes the shift in a person. Not at all.
In fact, written coaching consultations and dialog may have an even stronger effect than the spoken word when it comes to transformation and change and breakthroughs and the funny thing is, many coaches really don't realize that the use of written communications is powerful... ABSOLUTELY POWERFUL when crafted well and delivered in a precise and concise way.
But it's not only the precise and concise that will receive attention. There's also something to be said for elaboration and for going slow and for total explanation. And when it's written in an almost joyful and dancingly creative way... well... it's like poetry and we could all do with a piece of delicious, beautiful, instructive poetry to help transform our lives.
And that's what's missing in our communication - warm delicious poetry. I mean, that's what's missing because it looks like everyone is like... everyone else when it comes to giving information and instruction and coaching and help and advice... I mean it's like an army of robots and it's all formulaic and it's all regimented and it's all too step-by-step and there's no emotion involved and there's no heart and there's no feeling and it's all like a never ending factory machine.
But we're not meant to function like that... NOT US, the beautiful human being that we are. We can't respond with our true expression and our true heart when we're fronted by a machine churning specialist.
And so when we write... when we put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, there's a magic that takes over and it's unlike anything we've experienced before and it's so beautiful because the people we're looking to help, well, they're now wondering what's hit them in this written communication we've just dealt them... I mean they're just wondering what on earth has just reached down inside their heart and has shown them a different way to be, to love, to create.
And it's just so exciting when that all happens; it's just so exciting.
So when you decide that the writing that you do can have a real and deeply profound effect on another human being, you'll see how valuable you really really are.
Raja Hireker is writer and coach specializing in helping individuals, coaches and business entrepreneurs create personal change and breakthrough transformations... all through his unique blend of powerful writing. He has ghostwritten over 130 articles and is also a professional advertising and email copywriter.
You can visit his website http://CoachingByWriting.com and receive a remarkable free publication that will show you how transformational writing can change your life. You can also visit his transformational blog on http://Raja-Hireker.Blogspot.com You can reach Raja Hireker by fax/voicemail on 44 208 764 1085, or by email on RHireker@CoachingByWriting.com He lives in London, UK.
Game-Based Learning Applications For Safety and Health Training Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I've been an environmental, health and safety professional for 19 years and have been providing training for nearly that long. As any health and safety trainer will tell you, communicating information about state or federal regulatory standards are not particularly fun. The challenge for trainers in our profession is to find ways to engage our trainees and to maintain their interest. If trainees are interested they participate and remember the material. If the memory and experience is strong enough, behavioral change takes place. That is ultimately what we are after-a worker who uses his/her knowledge to engage their mind and body; keeping themselves and others safe on the job.
Games have the power to engage trainees in this way, leading to those results. The fact that a properly constructed and implemented game can be an effective learning tool is not a secret. The concept of game-based learning has been around for about 10 years now and is gaining more and more attention. Many white papers describe increased retention rates with the use of a well thought-out game. In fact, the recently-formed organization called the Games for Learning Institute (G4LI) is a collaboration of collegiate institutions that looks at how video games can be integrated into formal learning for grade school children. The G4LI work should yield research results that are also applicable to adults. After all, what are adults but kids in big bodies? Video games aside-there is a wider implication for the effectiveness of games in general. For instance, I still remember several of the questions I missed in the Trivial Pursuit games that I played some 25 years ago. That is the power of a game-the information sticks with you as a result of a fun, and sometimes intense, activity.
Game Construction
There are several key elements to consider when selecting, constructing and using a game for training purposes. They include:
o Using Teams or Individual Participants:- team participation offers the opportunity for a collaboration of knowledge and "skill sets" to solve a problem. This fosters teamwork and does not alienate or single-out someone for a lack of knowledge. Teams also limit someone from "hiding-out in the back of the room"-they are accountable to their team. Be mindful to divide the group into fairly matched teams-you don't want lop-sided victories. However, the advantage of one-on-one "game quiz" review-administered through the use of a classroom handheld "clicker" or on-line via a learning management system (LMS)--is that they allow for individual performance to be tracked and recorded.
o Are Your Questions Easy, Hard or Impossible:- the quality and level of difficulty of the content being covered must be selected carefully. If the questions are too easy or too difficult, participants check-out. It is a good practice to make sure you know a bit about those attending a training session and prepare the game accordingly. Are the participants novices in their knowledge or veterans in their vocation? A game that allows a progression of content from simple to difficult usually works well and offers a "little something for everyone".
o Customizing Your Content:-- game content should be reflective of and support the learning objectives and the training material covered. Having the flexibility to customize game content and other aspects of game-play is beneficial. Computer game programs offer that flexibility and add a bit of the real "look and feel" of game-show style games (i.e. "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", "Wheel of Fortune" or "Jeopardy").
o Game-play Dynamics and You, the Host:- the host is responsible for preparing and managing game-play activities. This aspect is often overlooked and can make or break the game-play experience. A host lacking in energy and not willing to foster participation will result in a less than entertaining time. The host is responsible for the pace of game-play, being the "judge" in the event of a dispute and for ensuring that learning principles are reinforced (i.e. extended discussion on topics and reflection back on training completed).
o Game-Appeal:-- chose a game that will meet the needs of (and appeal to) a variety of learning styles and requires the use of as many senses as possible. A "one-size-fits-all" approach is not a good idea. A game that demands physical activity (writing, raising a hand, ringing a bell, etc.) is a must. Offer "fabulous prizes" to the winners (and losers). The prizes don't have to be fancy-it could be vendor supplied safety trinkets, candy bars labeled "think safe" or something funny from a dollar store.
o Purpose/Intent of Gaming:-- have a clear objective and purpose for using a game. The use of a game prior to a training session allows the instructor to gauge the knowledge base of his/her trainees. The use of a game in the middle of a multiday event helps to break up the boredom and fosters participation. The use of the game at the end allows for an evaluation-how well did the students grasp the material (and how effective was the trainer at communicating the information)? In most cases games are used to review or refresh on covered content rather than introduce a subject. Although, the sky's the limit, use your imagination!
Game Applications for Health and Safety Training
Whether you prefer the bells and whistles of a computer-aided games or something a little more low-tech, games should be created to suit your needs. Below are two examples of low-tech options used in the safety industry for training purposes. A higher-tech option is described in the case study.
Communication:
The need for information to be properly communicated is critical to all aspects of field health and safety. This can include a spotter talking to a crane operator--describing where to raise and lower a 10-ton object--or a supervisor describing daily tasks and which safety precautions must be taken by the workers. The following exercise is an excellent low-tech option for teams of two and focuses on interpersonal communication skills. The exercise requires the use of Lego's(TM).
With a common barrier between two participants, one describes a "structure" that is built, the other one cannot see it. The objective-to create the mirror image identical in shape, color and space. It's no easy task unless one is listening and communicating properly. Words and terminology-but not hand-signals-can only be used.
Hazard Recognition:
The ability to recognize a hazardous condition and take appropriate action to correct that condition is at the core of a solid safety mindset. This recognition is a result of knowing safety standards and applying that knowledge to "train the eye".
A series of photos are prepared (real or doctored) in which multiple hazards exist. The objective-identify all hazards. Photos are reviewed and participants write their answers down on a piece of paper. Participants then exchange papers and grade each other's work. Twists on this activity include a team competition, timed for speed-offering extra points for those who can cite the regulatory standard being violated.
Game-based Learning-A Health and Safety Training Case Study
One of the more versatile features of games is that they can be used just about anywhere-from a formal classroom to a construction job-site trailer. Shell Oil is a large international company that performs oil and gas exploration and production in remote locations throughout the world. These activities are inherently dangerous with physical, mechanical and chemical hazards around every corner. The need to keep Shell's employees safe, and the contractors they hire, is paramount to their success. Safety training is therefore a staple in many phases of their operations and is required for new employee orientation, periodically as a refresher and as corporate policies and procedures change. To improve upon the effectiveness of training, and achieve desired safety outcomes, Shell decided to introduce gaming activities into their safety training curriculum.
"We were looking for a way to better engage everyone involved in our safety training sessions" says Shelly Kuck, Safety Specialist for Shell Exploration & Production Co., Meeker, CO operations. "After some research we chose to use the HSLS computer gaming platform that allows us to blend OSHA regulatory content with our own policies and procedures". The ability of a game to be customized to address specific learning objectives is important for achieving desired outcomes. For Shell that included the development of content related to their Management of Change policy-the control of transition to ensure error free (safe) continuity and compatibility. "We desired to blend Management of Change, Shell's site specific safety policies and chemical safety into one gaming activity...a very unique challenge" says Kuck.
In most instances it is difficult to tie game-play activities, where information is reviewed to reinforce, to measurable safety outcomes (i.e. fewer injuries). Safety performance is a product of all aspects of a corporate safety program-where the whole is greater than sum of its parts. Nevertheless it is well established that a properly constructed and administered game results in a greater retention of content. The ability to review information in an entertaining way while incorporating team-building activities is almost always a crowd pleaser. "We got exactly what we wanted, engagement from people that typically sit back and don't participate in our training sessions" said Kuck. "With this success, we will continue to develop and refine our gaming activities to meet our training objectives for our employees and contractors" added Kuck.
The Future of Game-based Learning
Moving into the future, I predict that game-based learning will grow even more and take on different applications. For instance, "serious games" are video-type gaming applications used for training purposes. These virtual world computer simulation games allow employees to interact with their work environments-preparing them for what they can expect to encounter in the real world. Such tools are now used in retail sales and allow employees to experience and manage confrontational customers, shop lifters, emergencies and other critical managerial activities. There is much optimism regarding the use of video games to train. These tools can no doubt have powerful physiological effects on the body-increased heart rate and respiration, sweating, etc. These types of experiences make lasting memories.
Conclusion
A well-constructed and implemented game offers an effective means of communicating information while having fun at the same time. No matter how complex the content-games are a seriously engaging way to get your trainees up to speed with any type of content. After all, the more critical the information-and all safety training is critical-the more important that trainees remember the content. Whether you are introducing material to just-on-the-job rookies, or refreshing veterans on regulatory information-games are an entertaining, effective and memorable addition to your training. Having trained for nearly 20 years, I've found that game-based learning activities do wonders to break up the monotony of classroom instruction and even give the trainees something to look forward to.
Dan Hannan, CSP, CHMM-is an environmental, health and safety professional and Vice President of Hilmerson Safety Learning Systems (HSLS). HSLS specializes in the development of game-based safety learning activities. For more information go to: http://www.hilmersonsls.com.
Having Twins ultrasound
This is a funny video where we found out we were expecting 2 babies not one. My sister though she could see 3 babies AAARRGGG! LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlI1v_F5h80&hl=en
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