droogie

A Soldier's Night Before Christmas

2007-11-26T20:09:31Z

A Soldier's Night Before Christmas

This special version of A Night Before Christmas was written by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt in 1986 while he was stationed in Washington, D.C., according to Snopes.com. It was originally printed in "Leatherneck" magazine.

I received the poem in an email. Since it said to pass it on to as many people as possible, I wanted to put it in a place where it would get many views.

An extra special Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of the troops serving the United States of America.
A Soldier's Night Before Christmas
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
! SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
After reading and enjoying the poem, I did a bit of research and found the following at Break the Chain:
The sentiment in this story is timeless and far-reaching. It enjoyed a sizable surge in popularity in 2001 as military action in Afghanistan began just prior to the holidays and continued to be a fast-forwarder in the 2002 and 2003 holiday seasons. In 2004, its appeal was bolstered by a spoken-word recording of it, set to holiday music and played on numerous radio stations nationwide.
Soon after the poem began circulating in 2001, Bruce Lovely, a major in the United States Air Force, stepped forward to take credit. He claimed to have written it in 1993 while stationed in Korea. Unfortunately, Lovely's claims have not held up to scrutiny.
The true origins of this ode go back to December 1991. It was written by Marine Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt and published in Leatherneck magazine. The e-mail version contains some changes from Schmidt's original and Schmidt (or Lovely, for that matter) never requested that it be distributed via e-mail.

Crafts for Christmas

Have a fun Christmas with all kinds of festive activities and craftsy projects!

	Ho-Ho-Holiday Planner (Kitchen) Everything you need to enjoy a smooth holiday season! Our spiral-bound Holiday Planner includes ideas to inspire, 8 handy pockets for organizing shopping lists and receipts and 3 ...more List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $16.95 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM)
	Flowers for the Holidays (DVD) Inclueds a DVD and CD. Holidays are precious times set aside for special observances. And what better way to to commemorate these cherished moments than with flowers and music? ...more List Price: $29.98 Lowest New Price: $23.96 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM)
	Christmas Crafts (Video) Add to your family's holiday spirit by decorating the house with these easy to make craft projects. Carol Duvall, star of ABC-TVs Home Show demonstrates step-by-step how you can c...more List Price: N/A Lowest Used Price: $0.90 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM) Lowest New Price: $5.99 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM)
	Lynette Jennings Crafts for Christmas (Video) List Price: $19.98 Lowest Used Price: $6.47 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM) Lowest New Price: $24.99 (as of 10/7/2008@8:10 AM)

Over There

Let's all take time to think of out troops this holiday season, and do something to make their lives and their family's lives easier.

Christmas in Iraq	Merry christmas from Iraq	Christmas in Iraq
Is It Christmas In Iraq?	Christmas in Iraq.	MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM IRAQ

A Wealth of Christmas Traditions

2007-11-26T02:33:02Z

A Wealth of Christmas Traditions

Many Christmas observances which we now take for granted are, in fact, not really all that old.

Many Christmas observances which we now take for granted are, in fact, not really all that old. It wasn't until 1923, for instance, that Calvin Coolidge first lit the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. - a ceremony no president has failed to perform at least once since.

A slightly older Christmas practice, but still not really all that old, is that of sending Christmas cards. Historians generally fix l843 as the year the modern Christmas card was invented. It was literally a museum card, artist John Horsely created it for the director of the then brand new Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

But, the idea didn't really catch on in Britain until the l860's and in the US some years later. The father of the America Christmas card is considered to be Bostonian Louis Prang, whose plant in Roxbury. A produced exquisitely lithographed cards using as many as 20 colors. Some of the more ornate cards even had fringed borders.

Examples of Pring's greeting card artistry are included among the 45 antique Christmas and New Years' cards displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Drawn from the Smithsonian collection of business Americana, the exhibit - which lasts until Jan. 15 - includes rare cards never before displayed.

One of the nation's most elaborate Christmas celebrations takes place in Disney World's Florida magic kingdom and includes the fairy tale traditions of many places. There is a giant Christmas Tree - at 65-feet, it's twice the size of the national one, and has 3000 lights, 5000 ornaments - along with carolers and daily parades featuring elves, reindeer, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa.

Christmas Items

These items and more will help you enjoy your own traditional Christmas

	New, Hand Crafted Christmas Teddy Bear Cookie Jar (Kitchen) THIS IS A VERY NICE COOKIE JAR, HAND CRAFTED & PAINTED , MADE FROM STURDY DOLOMITE , SIZE 9 1/2'' H X 6 3/4'' DIA. List Price: N/A
	Christmas Earl Grey (Grocery) List Price: N/A
	English Medieval Christmas (Music) Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $8.98 Lowest Used Price: $4.20 (as of 10/5/2008@3:40 PM) Lowest New Price: $6.65 (as of 10/5/2008@3:40 PM)

More Traditions

These are some of what people feel compelled to share ...

Ukraine Village Life Christmas Tradition

Homage to a Catalonian Christmas

Your Traditions

What are some of your favorite traditions??

The Science of Santa

2007-11-09T03:53:12Z

The Science of Santa

If Santa stops to give coal to bad children it could slow things down a bit. But it appears that increasing population has made Santa give up that trick. When was the last time you heard of anybody getting a lump of coal?)

Yes, Virginia, we know you really really want to believe in Santa Claus. But what do you think science has to say on the subject. Well – it depends on who you ask. The following is an argument against the science of Santa that was originally published in Spy magazine in January 1990. And it has been countered by others who want to dispute those scientific conclusions.

1. No known species of reindeer can fly. BUT there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.

2. There are 2 billion children (persons under 18) in the world. BUT since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15% of the total -- 378 million according to Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census)rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million" title="91.8 million" SAHLinkId="387" target="_blank">91.8 million homes. One presumes there's at least one good child in each.

3. Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west(which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million" title="91.8 million" SAHLinkId="387" target="_blank">91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we are now talking about .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75-1/2 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding and etc. This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second -- a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 15 miles per hour.

4. The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-sized lego set (2 pounds), the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that "flying reindeer" (see point #1) could pull TEN TIMES the normal anoint, we cannot do the job with eight, or even nine. We need 214,200 reindeer. This increases the payload - not even counting the weight of the sleigh -- to 353,430 tons. Again, for comparison -- this is four times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth.

5. 353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance -- this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as spacecrafts re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer will absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy. Per second. Each. In short, they will burst into flame almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and create deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250-pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim)would be pinned to the back of his sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force.

In conclusion -- If Santa ever DID deliver presents on Christmas Eve, he's dead now.

Rebuttal 4

Jerome Elisha

Surely the 'esteemed' professional making the analysis means 'forces of acceleration', and not "centrifugal forces" as stated. Furthermore, to accept the ability of reindeer to defy the law of gravity and then bind them to the remaining laws of physics is an error in argument.

The assertion ignores empirical data - Santa does exist: one can see him often during the months leading up to the Big Day. Indeed, it is a frequent occurrence to see him on multiple street corners, or in front of several businesses, at the same time. Either A) Santa has many helpers, or B) Santa is capable of numerous manifestations. In either case, the acceleration arguments above are not valid, since the multiplicity of Santas (manifestations or helpers) could easily handle smaller portions of the task with time left over for cookies and milk.

Arguments A) and B) are both are supported by the different guises he sports in various countries (Santa Claus, Sinter Klaus, Kris Kringle, et al.), and by his acknowledged ability to "see you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake". The decision between A) or B) is left as a proof for the student.

Rebuttal 5

Lorenzo Sadun

I wrote this rebuttal to the "physics of Santa" analysis back in 1993:

If you're going to criticise Santa Claus on physical grounds, you may at least do it right.

The payload calculations are nonsense. Adding, say, 1000 stops back at the North Pole for reloading adds only a few percent to the entire distance covered, while reducing the payload by a factor of 1000. This is clearly the way to go.

The nonuniform distribution of children has a tremendous effect on the routing. With sensible routing, the average distance from a good child to the next good child is only a couple hundred feet in suburban conditions (this is clearly higher in the country, but is much less in, say, New York City). With only .05 miles between average good children, Santa need only travel at Mach 200, just a little faster than Ulysses. This reduces the force of air resistance by a factor of 200, and the power absorbed by the reindeer by 3000.

(Of course, if Santa stops to give coal to bad children it could slow things down a bit. But it appears that increasing population has made Santa give up that trick. When was the last time you heard of anybody getting a lump of coal?)

We all saw the pictures of a smart bomb falling through an Iraqi smokestack during the Gulf War. Clearly Santa uses the same technology for toys and chimneys. By dropping, say, 100 toys at a time from high altitude, Santa can reduce his speed by another factor of 10. While still supersonic, this is now slightly less than orbital velocity, sparing Santa and his team the trauma of extreme centrifugal force.

Santa's trip IS a remarkable feat of aeronautics, but please don't say it's impossible.

Rebuttal 6

E. B. Davis

As a result of an overwhelming lack of requests, and with research help from that renowned scientific journal SPY magazine (January, 1990) -- I am pleased to present the annual scientific inquiry into Santa Claus.

The analysis you sent me about the death of Santa Claus, based on classical physics, is seriously flawed owing to its neglect of quantum phenomena that become significant in his particular case. As it happens, the terminal velocity of a reindeer in dry December air over the Northern Hemisphere (for example) is known with tremendous precision. The mass of Santa and his sleigh (since the number of children and their gifts is also known precisely, ahead of time, and the reindeer must weigh in minutes before the flight) is also known with tremendous precision. His direction of flight is, as you say, essentially east to west.

All of that, when taken together, means that the momentum vector of Mr. Claus and his cargo is known with incredible precision. An elementary application of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle yields the result that Santa's location, at any given moment on Christmas Eve, is highly imprecise. In other words, he is "smeared out" over the surface of the earth, analogous to the manner in which an electron is "smeared out" within a certain distance from the nucleus in an atom. Thus he can, quite literally, be everywhere at any given moment.

In addition, the relativistic velocities which his reindeer can attain for brief moments make it possible for him, in certain cases, to arrive at some locations shortly before he left the North Pole. Santa, in other words, assumes for brief periods the characteristics of tachyons. I will admit that tachyons remain hypothetical, but then so do black holes, and who really doubts their existence anymore?

Do You Believe

So ... Tell the Truth ...

We Love Santa

Santa just Keepin' It real!

The Night Santa Went Crazy

Perfect Holiday Entertainment

2007-11-09T03:47:22Z

Perfect Holiday Entertainment

Nothing brings a family together faster than an apple pie pulled hot from the oven. This inspired collection is stuffed with old-fashioned favorites and tempting new treats that are sure to bring everyone home for the holidays—like pumpkin pie and candy-cane cupcakes!

Pass me a plate of turkey and don’t skimp on the mashed potatoes: It is Thanksgiving time again, time to get ourselves fattened up for another fun and calorie-rich holiday season. And if you want to make entertaining a snap this season, all while creating a ton of delicious treats and dishes to serve at your holiday fetes, take a tip from a few great books that are chock-full of terrific ideas.

Holiday Cocktails, by Jessica Strand, is an excellent resource for all kinds of holiday imbibing. This bartending guide features classics such as the Hot Buttered Rum and the, as well as libations like the elegant Christmas Morning Mimosa and the virgin Gingersnap Punch. Holiday Cocktails is full of advice no matter what's on the holiday social calendar, whether a New Year's shindig, a dinner party, or a simple night for two. In addition to clever ideas and party-planning tips, author and veteran holiday hostess Jessica Strand includes her take on festive garnishes, glassware, and must-have ingredients for the most wonderful time of year. Decorated with great photographs, this is both a fine addition to the home bar and a pretty present for the entertainer on Santa's list.

Christmas Family Gatherings, by Donata Maggipinto, is a part cookbook, part party planner, part crafty idea book, this is the complete guide to making Christmas special for all ages. Beautifully illustrated with color photography, this book helps busy families recapture the simple pleasures of the season. The easy party plans include complete menus, ideas for decorations, and heartfelt tips for making the most of time spent with family and friends. A White Christmas Eve Dinner features a holiday meal with all the fixings on a table set with a miniature village in faux snow. The Old-Fashioned Christmas Breakfast brings the family together over Gingerbread Shakes. And the Gift Wrapping Get-Together is a delicious way to sneak in time with girlfriends while crossing a holiday chore off the list. Packed with satisfying crafts that are fun to make and give, this handbook to the holiday season also includes family-friendly activities perfect for winter afternoons.

Rockin Christmas Parties!

Make Your Christmas Party really rock!

	Martinis & Mistletoe: Cool Tunes for Your Christmas Cocktail Party (Music) Take a seat under the mistletoe at the Holiday Martini Lounge, where cufflinks chatter and Chanel No. 5 permeates the air amid sounds of jazzy guitar, upright bass, ringing vibrap...more Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $5.98 Lowest Used Price: $0.70 (as of 10/6/2008@7:03 PM) Lowest New Price: $0.69 (as of 10/6/2008@7:03 PM)
	Swingin' Christmas Party (Music) Not everything on this collection of classic big band recordings from the RCA Victor vaults swings in the literal sense of the form. Claude Thornhill's ''Snowfall'' is downright m...more Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $9.98 Lowest Used Price: $4.96 (as of 10/6/2008@7:03 PM) Lowest New Price: $5.32 (as of 10/6/2008@7:03 PM)
	Christmas Party Sing-A-Long (DVD) Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: N/A Lowest Used Price: $10.00 (as of 10/6/2008@7:03 PM)

Name Your Tradition

What's Your Favorite Christmas Tradition??

No Place Like Blog for the Holidays

2007-10-09T22:36:28Z

No Place Like Blog for the Holidays

At this time of year, a great way to try and draw readers to your blog is by using a holiday approach.

Ho Ho Ho ... blog

There are all kinds of debates over the best model – or even business model – for a good blog. Lots of folks in the business world are keen to figure out ways to make blogging a profitable act. With so much content floating around in cyber space, that can be difficult, because there is so much out there vying for the attention of potential readers.

Since trying to capture readers can be so difficult, as a blogger, some of the best advice to follow is: Focus on what you can control. Work hard at having fun with your blog, challenging yourself to put out a quality bit of prose (or poetry, if that’s your thing) every time you post an update. Give those potential readers a reason to want to stop by. Be original; be creative. Remember, your “calling” as a blogger is not just to slap something up there because you know it’s been too long since you last updated. You need to want to offer the very best you have.

At this time of year, a great way to try and draw readers to your blog is by using a holiday approach. This works because you are more likely to put out a quality update if you are writing about something you genuinely love – and who doesn’t love Christmas! Blog about your favorite traditions; blog your list of naughty and nice; blog about one of your favorite Christmases, or least favorite, and bring that experience back in agonizing detail. Your readers will thank you for it.

Then, maybe you and your blog will become one more Holiday tradition.

Blogger Resources

Some great items to help you keep getting your blog a rollin'

	I'm so going to blog this... Large Bumper Sticker (Automotive Parts and Accessories) 'I'm so going to blog this...' Large Bumper Sticker. Width: 13.75 inches, Height: 1.25 inches. Stickers are printed on high quality Starliner Premier Polypro water proof paper an...more List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $4.95 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)
	I'm so going to blog this... Bumper Sticker (Automotive Parts and Accessories) 'I'm so going to blog this...' Bumper Sticker. Width: 10 inches, Height: 1 inches. Stickers are printed on high quality Starliner Premier Polypro water proof paper and adhere wit...more List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $2.95 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)
	I blog, therefore I am. Bumper Sticker (Automotive Parts and Accessories) 'I blog, therefore I am.' Bumper Sticker. Width: 9.5 inches, Height: 2 inches. Stickers are printed on high quality Starliner Premier Polypro water proof paper and adhere with ad...more List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $2.95 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)
	Drupal: Creating Blogs, Forums, Portals, and Community Websites (Book) A complete guide to every aspect of creating a variety of different websites using Drupal. A trove of well-considered and practical information is presented in a logical and intu...more Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $39.99 Lowest Used Price: $24.90 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM) Lowest New Price: $29.87 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)
	Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (Book) ''We need a solid book explaining and illustrating and letting teachers know about these powerful tools. This book meets the need in an awesome way!'' -Mike Muir, Director Maine...more Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $28.95 Lowest Used Price: $19.95 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM) Lowest New Price: $20.00 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)
	Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers (Book) Editorial Reviews Amazon.comAbout the Authors: Robert Scoble helps run Microsofts Channel 9 Web site. He began his blog in 2000 and now has more than 3.5 m...more Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $24.95 Lowest Used Price: $8.87 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM) Lowest New Price: $10.00 (as of 10/5/2008@8:57 AM)

To Blog or not to Blog?

What do you think about blogs and the people who write them.

This Halloween Join the Corn Maze Craze

2007-10-04T22:41:13Z

This Halloween Join the Corn Maze Craze

Corn mazes are all the rage this time of year as kids of all ages head out to the farm to get lost!

Corn Mazes Galore

This Halloween you and your friends/family might want to try an activity that seems to be sweeping the country – get yourself lost in a maze made of corn. They seem to be everywhere, and they’re all kinds of good Halloween-style fun, so if you haven’t tried wandering around a maize maze before, try it now. It’s a great time for everybody, and all ages.

Corn mazes are not only a place to get lost in a field of dreams, but most corn maze companies feature other fun Fall activities. Some of these include hay rides, haunted walks, and apple-bobbing.

In Lehi, Utah, one of the most popular corn mazes is called Cornbelly’s. Challenging the wits of old and young alike, curious maze-goers will spend an average of one hour encountering pirate ships and hidden treasures while trying to find the 12-acre labyrinth’s exit. Along with the corn maze, visitors can also enjoy more than 20 other attractions, including: the haunted Creature, Cornophobia haunted maze trail, Spooktacular Jack-o-Lantern hayride, jumping pillow, trick-or-treating trail, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, pig races, cow train rides, and much more. New this year are cow tippin’ pumpkin blasters, a gemstone mining operation, a huge spider web climbing tower, a smaller jumping pillow for toddlers and an interactive Disney-style maze show.

You can grow it, shuck it, pop it, cook it and for the last 12 years…even play in it. With more than 3,500 reported uses, corn may just be the world’s most widely-used crop. Its current popularity, however, seems to be less about eating it and more about getting lost in it. Look online for a corn maze near you!

You and the Corn Maze ... What do you think?

Go ahead ... tell us how YOU feel about this popular new maze craze.

Find a Corn Maze Today

This site claims to be the one-stop locater for Corn Mazes ...

Corn Maze Directory

Corn Maze Crazed!

Here, these are some folks who wanted to share their corn maze addictions.

Corn Maze	Johnny Cash Corn Maze	Corn maize
Corn Maze

Fall is Football Party Time!

2007-10-04T22:13:22Z

Fall is Football Party Time!

Plan a football party now -- Autumn is a great time to start enjoying football with a great themed event.

Plan Your Party for Fun

Don’t wait for the Super Bowl to throw a killer football-bash! As soon as the leaves get crisp, I like to start watching football on an industrial level, and what could be more fun than throwing a party in order to watch the game with a bunch of friends?

Decorating for a football party can be fairly simple. It shouldn’t take too much to decorate your den or family room. Start your decorating with the colors of your favorite team. Put together balloons, streamers, curling ribbon, and pay tribute to your favorite pro team by adding logo pennants, caps, bats, or imprinted footballs.

If your party is indoors, or if you are eating in a separate room, streamers offer an economical way to splash lots of team color around the site of the party. Create a fun and colorful effect by draping printed streamers from the center of the ceiling to the walls on each side of the room. The streamers can be twisted after they are anchored to a ceiling wall or table for a more dimensional look. They also look terrific hanging from doorframes or cascading vertically down walls.

Setting a table with a football theme could include suing fake grass to create a serving area that resembles a football stadium. Use white athletic tape to make the yard lines and foul lines. Place a football shaped piece of the "field" (same material as the table cover grass) under each plate as a placemat on the table where the guests will eat. Set a personalized Football at each place setting as a place card.

Turn well-washed helmets upside down, and use them as serving bowls for dry snacks such as chips, pretzels or popcorn. And add other personalized items to celebrate your favorite team.

Rank Your Favorite Football Party Snack

Vote Now! What is your favorite football party snack?

Football Party Products

All kinds of great products exist to help make your football party even more fantastic every year!

	Select Brands FB-77 Pro Pots Football-Shaped 1-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker (Kitchen) First and Ten! Football enthusiasts are always preparing for the next big game. Show your love for the sport with the Pro Pot Football Slow Cooker—your smokies and wings wil...more Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $22.95
	Football Helmet Cookie Cutter (Kitchen) 4 1/2 INCH List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $0.95 (as of 10/7/2008@8:40 AM)
	NFL Rocks (Video) Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $16.95 Lowest Used Price: $5.00 (as of 10/7/2008@8:40 AM) Lowest New Price: $29.98 (as of 10/7/2008@8:40 AM)
	Rubbermaid 5E1601SNCKL FastTrack 42-Inch Vertical Ball Rack (Home Improvement) Quickly store basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, soccer balls, and more with this vertical ball rack from Rubbermaid. This ball rack gets balls off the floor and onto the wall. ...more Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $24.99 Lowest New Price: $24.99 (as of 10/7/2008@8:40 AM)
	Logitech Optical Football Mouse (CE) The Logitech Football Mouse is a fun addition to the family computer. At 2/3 the size of a standard Logitech mouse, it's a perfect fit for little hands. The optical sensor provide...more Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $19.95

Make Your Party Great

All kinds of ideas and supplies for throwing the very best party ever can be found at places like these.

	GameFly GameFly is a leading destination for all video game rental purchases. GameFly carries a complete inventory of xbox360, playstation, gamecube, and nintendo DS games to choose from. With GameFly, you get the games you really want, and unlike the other guys, GameFly actually has the hottest titles in stock, every day. For one flat monthly fee, you can rent as many games as you want. GameFly offers free delivery, pre-paid mail both ways, no due dates, no late fees, and no commitments. At GameFly,...
	Sears - Toys and Games Sears has a fun and exciting collection of Toys & Games for children of all ages. Sears – Toys and Games carry popular brand names Fisher Price, Mattel, Milton Bradley, Lego, and K’Nex and offer a variety of products, from Action Figures, Games, Dolls and Blocks, to Musical Instruments, Riding Toys, Arts & Crafts and more. Visit Sears.com, for a wonderful selection of Toys and Games that will entertain the entire family. To receive your automatic cash rebate from Sears – Toys and Games,...
	ShindigZ.com ShindigZ can help make your party stand out from all the rest with their exclusive party decorations, exciting banners, theme party supplies, party games, and more. At ShindigZ, you will find exciting and unique birthday party themes and birthday party ideas, as well as thousands of birthday party supplies. Whether you’re throwing a party for a child or an adult, you will find everything you need like invitations, decorations, and favors to make your celebration a fun and memorable experience.

Halloween: A Wealth of Tradition

2007-10-04T21:51:15Z

Halloween: A Wealth of Tradition

Halloween seems to increase in popularity every year! And there's a good reason that Halloween is so popular -- It is full of great traditions!

We Love Halloween

They say that Halloween is second only to Christmas in popularity in the United States and in money spent on decorations and celebrations! Both of these holidays are wrapped up with all kinds of traditions that are fun for kids and grown-ups alike.

Some of the most popular activities associated with Halloween include trick-or-treating, fall festivals with a Halloween theme, and, of course, costume parties. While trick-or-treating is intended as primarily an activity for children, eating candy is a tradition for everybody. All of the great Halloween traditions and customs come out of the folklore of our common past.

Trick-or-treating

Trick-or-treating may be the most common Halloween tradition,in which children go from house to house asking for treats, asking, "Trick or treat?" The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called “souling.” Religious pilgrims would walk from village to village on the night of All Saints’ Eve, begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.

Jack-o-Lanterns

The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. According to the folktale, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a practical joker with a penchant for booze, tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Jack pulled out his knife and carved the sign of the cross in the tree's trunk. The Devil was unable to come back down and Jack made him agree to never take his soul.

Years later, Jack died but was denied entrance to the afterlife because the Devil remembered his promise. Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least grant him light in which to find his way back to the mortal realm. The Devil gave Jack some fire, which Jack shielded in a turnip. Ever since, Jack has been doomed to wander in the darkness alone, with nothing but his spooky lantern.

Favorite Halloween Tradition?

So what do you think? What is your favorite Halloween Tradition?

Halloween Costumes Here!

Costumes, costumes, costumes! What is Halloween without a great costume? Like Christmas without Santa Claus!

Costumes by ShindigZ

Teddy the Teddy Bear

2007-10-03T03:14:12Z

Teddy the Teddy Bear

" With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation's history. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy." From the White House

TR was a Great Prez! and more

Theodore Roosevelt, swashbuckling and larger than life, is the perfect symbol of the Progressive Era. That era burst with confidence even as it confronted the new challenges that came with the sudden realization that Earth resources are finite. TR personified self-assuredness in the face of serious problems, a trait he shared with his cousin Franklin, by the way. Teddy was not just one of our greatest presidents, but he was the very first to give a hoot for the environment. When he chose to spare a bear while hunting, that suddenly spawned a new national craze, the teddy bear!

During the Progressive Era, the nascent environmental movement was one of many reform-minded groups, and it shared an optimistic outlook that today has largely been replaced with a sense of cynicism. Back then, people believed in the power of government to take control of the big problems, whether it was alcoholism or preserving Nature. It helped to have leaders like a Teddy Roosevelt, who exuded optimism and yet was not afraid to present the facts to Americans, or Gifford Pinchot, whose sincerity was almost palpable. The motivating powers of such leaders, along with the application of governmental powers, as in the Antiquities Act of 1906, energized people. A hundred years later, it seems hard to rekindle that kind of spirit of positive change. A century can breed a lot of cynicism, and that can lead to paralysis.

Teddies ...

OK, so our first Roosevelt president made the Teddy Bear famous; we still seem to love them today!

	Teddy Bear Cookie Cutter - Baby Bear (Kitchen) Make holiday or everyday cookies extra special when cut into shapes. Decorate with royal icing, coloured sugars, and sprinkles. Or, use to cut out shapes from brownies, bar cookie...more List Price: N/A Lowest New Price: $1.10 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)
	SiliconeZone Teddy Bear Pancake/Egg Mold, White (Kitchen) Brighten up breakfast by treating the family to bear-shaped pancakes or eggs. Place this silicone pancake mould in your frying pan, pour in pancake batter or eggs, and allow to co...more Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $6.00 Lowest New Price: $5.50 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)
	Cello Treat Bags - Teddy Bear Shaped Bags - 36 Cnt (Kitchen) This is for 36 Puppet Treat Bags bags. These bags are great for the holiday & Valentine's season. We are selling 36 of these Teddy Bear shaped bags. These great goody bags are per...more List Price: $24.99 Lowest New Price: $6.99 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)
	SVAT Wireless Camera Hidden in a Teddy Bear with Receiver (Color) (Photography) SVAT's Spy Eye Hidden Color Teddy Cam allows you to discreetly keep an eye on your children. This system is ideal for parents who are nervous about leaving their children at home ...more Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $99.99
	Hannspree's Teddy 10-Inch LCD Television (CE) This fun teddy bear 10 inch LCD television is made from the high quality acrylic and metals to look like a teddy bear. The stand is a pearl ring that is able to rotate a full 180 ...more List Price: $749.99
	SVAT UC1300 Wireless Nightvision Hidden Camera in a Teddy Bear (Color) (Photography) 2.4GHz wireless signal with up to 300' operational range Hidden color camera with fixed focus lens in teddy bear Built-in IR LEDs for low-light viewing Wireless receiver with RCA ...more Average Customer Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $199.99
	Teddy Factory (Video Games) Take control of the Teddy Factory! Match parts and colors to build bears and other stuffed animals for the Orphanage. Its a wild mix of matching and precision aiming, the pressure...more Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5 (See the reviews) List Price: $19.99 Lowest Used Price: $5.00 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM) Lowest New Price: $4.91 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)
	Teddy Boy (Video Games) List Price: N/A Lowest Used Price: $22.09 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)
	Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Chocolate, 10-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) (Grocery) Case of two boxes, each containing six 10-ounce boxes of chocolate graham crackers (total of 120 ounces) Made with whole grain wheat graham flour and real chocolate Cholesterol-...more List Price: $32.28 Lowest New Price: $33.31 (as of 10/6/2008@11:47 PM)

Teddy on Film

Some great clips are all over the place, but these old pieces of history are pretty darn amazing

Theodore ~ A Tribute to Teddy Roosevelt	Teddy Roosevelt Oath of Office 1905	Teddy zips in
President Theodore Roosevelt	Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders