End of the Decade

It's the end of the decade. The Last day of 09. When you wake up tomorrow It will be 2010. Great Stuff is coming up in 10. Like the Olympics which are being held in CANADA! Which is cool. So anyway HAPPY NEWS YEARS!

2012

2012 or so called DOOMSDAY! It's not going to happen. Why? Well first of all there have been around 100 "doomsday." It was 2000. 1999. 1990. 2002, 2001 but it keeps changing. The reason 2000 was supposed to be doomsday was because of the new Century and the computers that operated water and electrify were not programed to operate in 2000. But what happened. NO DOOMSDAY! If the leaders believed in doomsday so much. Why would all these important events be scheduled? (Wikipedia)

• Ireland will cease analog television broadcasts.
• China will launch the Kuafu spacecraft.
• Pleiades, a proposed super computer built by Intel and SGI for NASA's Ames Research Center, will be completed, reaching a peak performance of 10 Petaflops (10 quadrillion floating point operations per second).^[12]
• Sequoia, a proposed super computer built by IBM for the National Nuclear Security Administration will be completed, reaching a peak performance of 20 Petaflops.^[13]
• Start of the commercial operation of the first unit from the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant II.
• The 108 ft (33 m) Elwha Dam and 210 ft (64 m) Glines Canyon Dam will be removed from the Elwha River in Washington state, marking the largest dam removal project in history.
• The Canberra class light aircraft carriers/large amphibious ships, the largest ships ever to be operated by the Royal Australian Navy, will be in service.
• On the sun, the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 24 in the 11-year sunspot cycle is forecast to occur. Solar Cycle 24 is regarded to have commenced January 2008, and on average will reach its peak of maximal sunspot activity around 2012. The period between successive solar maxima averages 11 years (the Schwabe cycle), and the previous solar maximum of Solar Cycle 23 occurred in 2000–2002.^[14] During the solar maximum the sun's magnetic poles will reverse.^[15]
• The United Kingdom will complete a 5-year process to cease analogue television broadcasts region-by-region, with Meridian Broadcasting, ITV London, Tyne Tees Television and UTV being the last areas to switch off analogue.^[16]
• Portugal will also cease their analogue television broadcasts, after a 4-year simulcast with digital ones. After that, DVB broadcasts will be the only system to be used in television (DVB-C for cable, DVB-T for terrestrial and DVB-S for satellite). The five free-to-air channels on terrestrial network will also start broadcasting in high-definition 24-hours a day.^{[citation needed]}
• The Ryungyong Hotel in Pyongyang is said to be finally finished.^[17]

It is said that doomsday will happen because the Mayan calender ended in 2012. Well, Maybe they had something other to do? Maybe they didn't feel like writing calenders all day. No one knows when Doomsday is going to be. No one except God so 2012 is the year of the Olympics and supercomputers and great accomplishments! For some more interesting things about 2012 visit http://www.theyear2012.blogspot.com/The more logical thing is maybe some things will happen in 2012 there is a prediction that the internet will shut down. Maybe it might be that some TV shows will end? For some people that the world ending!

Pirating: Piracy It's a crime

Ok Pirating. It's not a YO HO HO! Or stealing treasure. Ok the Stealing Part is the only thing Pirating has to do with Pirates.
Pirating is Stealing.

Pirating Music:
Getting music for free. Using Sites to get free music. Why is this wrong? It's Wrong because the people who made the song put hard work into it. Then they don't make any money they should get. One of the most Common used programs for this is Lime wire. The FBI can't shut it down because it's run by millions of people. For example some people upload songs. Some people upload movies. See where I'm getting?

The same can go for movies:
Pirating movies:
getting movies for free. You can see the hint when someone gives you a dvd with a movie that is still in theaters. Limewire is used for this too. It costs millions of dollars. I'm not Kidding. It cost one million dollars a week to make a tv show. It costs even more to make a movie. Movies usually take a couple of months to make.

Pirating Games:
Ok, this form can be in something called R4. They are illegal to even be SOLD in Canada. It costs lots of money to make a game. Using an r4 may seem cool like yo! Free games! But, If everyone used R4s and stopped paying for games. Then the company wouldn't be able to make any games!

Lots of people pirate. It doesn't make it right. I can't stop you from doing it. But it is wrong. At least I warned you. Pirating is not cool Like FREE STUFF! It actually is quite bad. If everyone keeps pirating then the companys won't make any money than that means....No more music, movies or video games.
In my class of 30 kids only about 2 people don't pirate. Piracy it's a crime!

Feelings

Feelings: not exactly a not topic, but one worth talking about. Now, these feelings are not the touch of something, but our emotion. Feelings are emotional or moral sensitivity. Feelings can make you feel anywhere from depressed to ecstatic.
Happy:A joy or feeling of emotional pleasure. You can feel happy about getting an A on a test. Or winning a race. Or having a great time with your family.
Upset: Disturb the balance. You may get very upset over a relatives death.
Sad: Experiencing sorrow or unhappiness. Being sad may be over a sick pet. It is often less violent than sadness (less physical).
Mad: Huffy, roused to anger. Being mad or angry often causes physical conflict, especially in males.
Frustrated: Defeated, disappointingly unsuccessful. Frustration is often caused by a feeling of helplessness.
Jealousy: a feeling of envy. You might feel jealous if your friend gets something and you don't get it.
Depressed: a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity. Depression can be very harmful to your body, people commit suicide over it.
If you are suffering from depression, or sadness, or really angry or upset over something, tell an adult or go to a councillor. You may find it easier to go to a group counselling session with other kids your age at your school or somewhere else.
This is Neko and Teko talking about feelings.

Cell Phones Sales

I found some charts which you may think interesting of Cell Phone sales in 2009! Thanks to http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=985912

Table 1
Worldwide Mobile Terminal Sales to End Users in 1Q09 (Thousands of Units)

Company	1Q09 Sales	1Q09 Market Share (%)	1Q08 Sales	1Q08 Market Share (%)
Nokia	97,398.2	36.2	115,191.8	39.1
Samsung	51,385.4	19.1	42,396.5	14.4
LG	26,546.9	9.9	23,645.8	8.0
Motorola	16,587.3	6.2	29,884.7	10.2
Sony Ericsson	14,470.3	5.4	22,061.0	7.5
Others	62,732.0	23.4	61,103.20	20.8
TOTAL	269,120.1	100.0	294,283.0	100.0

Table 2
Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users in 1Q09 (Thousands of Units)

Company	1Q09 Sales	1Q09 Market Share (%)	1Q08 Sales	1Q08 Market Share (%)
Nokia	14,991.2	41.2	14,588.6	45.1
Research In Motion	7,233.6	19.9	4,311.8	13.3
Apple	3,938.8	10.8	1,725.3	5.3
HTC	1,957.3	5.4	1,276.9	4.0
Fujitsu	1,387.0	3.8	1,317.5	4.1
Others	6,896.4	18.8	9,094.8	28.1
TOTAL	36,404.4	100.0	32,314.9	100.0

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
So what did you get? What do you do on Christmas?
Tomorrow is Boxing day. Do you do boxing day shopping?

We Wish You A Merry .....Holidays

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a happy Hanukkah,
We Wish you a Happy Kwanzaa,
We wish you a Happy Chanukah,
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Most of you probably celebrate Christmas, But Some of you might celebrate some other holidays.

Christmas is a holiday to celebrate the birth of christ, It is believed that Santa comes and gives gifts.

Kwanzaa is a week long holiday held in the United States to honor African heritage and culture marked by participles lighting a candle holder (Kinara)

Hanukkah and Chanukah are the same holiday it is an eight day festival it is the lighting of a candelabrum a nine candle holder, each day of the eight day holiday a candle is lighten.

So now you know a bit about other holidays! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

The Guardian Part 2

Trying to Remember the words of the story, I picked up one important point. The Soldiers come to make more evil. So, I guess I just had to wait til Beth came. But, Powers? You would have thought I would have known I had powers? I looked down at my hand. A weird Symbol was on it. I had never seen it before. Was it a Guardian sign?
It was a swirl with some weird marks in the middle of it. It was kinda like a spiderweb but the pattern was all different. I didn't get it. Me=Guardian Beth=Bad guy. Okay, Simple Enough. So what do I do? Blast "Power" at Beth and watch her turn good again? I don't think it was that simple.....Or was it? My Thoughts stopped as I saw a black figure creep along a wall. A shadow of someone. I turned around quickly. My Jaw dropped open as I saw Beth. Okay, Not Beth, Evil Goth Looking Beth.
She has black wings and a black dress. She looked evil. (well Duh? She is evil) Like one of those bad guys from the anime shows you see. "Well, Well, Look what we have here?" Beth Towered over me. For sure the "eviling Process" had made my younger sister much taller. Probably to make her look bigger than me. "So, You turned goth I'm so scared. What else can you do?" I toyed. It was something I saw into a movie before. Get the enemy to revel their powers and weaknesses! Beth usually liked to brag. Hopefully this trait came into her evil side. "Well, I can fly of course." She spread her black wings casting a shadow over the room. "What else vampire powers?" I joked (which was a wrong this to do) "Actually I am apart of the dark vampiric angel group. You see we have different groups for different doings. Vampires, Dark angels, Dark angel vampires. Which is me. Now I'm going to kill you." She showed her fangs. Walking towards me. "Your going to kill me? I thought you were going to you know." I stuttered. "Oh, the good side of us is killed. So I am never coming back." Beth eyed my neck. Randomly I heard a voice. "Beth, It's not halloween!" My Brother called out. Never before in my life had I been so happy to see Ben my annoying brother. "Uh, Ben, Beth was kinda taken by the Plogs." I tried to sound calm. "Ok." He said. "So, Now a guardian is going to come save us." He then jumped up and down. "I am guardian!" He pretended to shot rays at Beth, Beth laughed. She pinned Ben to the wall with a force. (Kinda like in Starwars) "Leave him alone!" I yelled! I was angry. Even though sometimes I hated my brother. He was still my brother. My angry somehow must have triggered my powers. All of a sudden a beam of light came from my hand. Beth screamed. One thing I remember. Vampires hate light. Beth um, Dissolved. It was a weird sight. Grandma randomly appeared. "Good Job Lisa!" She commented. "Grandma YOUR OKAY!" I exclaimed. "Of course. You destroyed The Vampire Angel." She said. "You mean Beth." I said sadly. "What are my parents going to say when I say I killed her." I asked. "Oh, she's not dead," Beth appeared behind my grandma. "You see she was evil but when dosed with light her evil side died." Grandma Exclaimed. The Clock Stroke Midnight.
Merry Christmas.
"SO, I'm a guardian?" I asked. Grandma laughed. "You should know that by now."

Remix This

Check out these AWESOME! Remixs of a famous song!











Which is your Favourite?

The Guardian Part 1

"Gather Around, The Tree." Grandma encouraged. We all knew what this meant. A Story. Grandma wasn't actually our real Grandma though. She was an old lady who lived across the street. But she was like a Grandma to us. She told Wonderful Stories. Not the type like once a pon a time. They were amazing. Just the way she told them you couldn't tell if they were true or not! As we gathered around the lighted tree. I pondered the thought of why she always turned the tree on and the room dark, Did it have something to do with the Story? Or maybe it affected it in some way. It was a silly thought. I pushed it to the back of my mind and opened my ears.
Grandma sat in a chair in front of the tree. We Listened carefully as she started.

"You know why the tree is lite?"She started, "The Lights are to stop the Plogs from coming into our world." We couldn't help it to let out a chuckle! "PLOGS? What are they pigs?" My Rude Sister Beth let out.

"Oh, Plogs are not pigs, they are way worse, Winter is darker, around Christmas when the longest night comes the light is thin so they try to get into our world. The Lighten Tree, Helps to protect us." Grandma read our faces. "What do PLOGS do? They capture those full of energy and bring them back to their world, They them turn them into their soldiers." My Brother interrupted. "Soldiers?" He asked. Grandma continued. "Well, these people have secret powers in them that they don't know about, The Plogs realise those powers and change them into darkness, Basically, they turn them evil and they get powers. These people are usually children. Special Children. Some Adults too, But Mostly Children. What do they do with these Children. They use them to make others. So, the Soldiers go around making others evil. But, there are also guardians. They have powers too. The Children are Guardians before they become evil, Rarely do they know it though. There are also Chais, They are a bit higher than guardians."
Beth spoke again. "What kind of powers?" Grandma looked at us. "Any really. Physic, Fire, Water you name it! Chais power's are pure light." Grandma got up, "That's all tonight."
My other Brother Ben asked,
"When is the Darkness most Powerful?" Grandma looked at him.
"Christmas Eve." I gasped! That was tonight! "Time for Bed!" My Mom called out.
We all crept up the stairs!
My Mom bent over turning the tree light off.
**************
I was awoken by a noise. Coming from my Sister's room. I ran out of bed to get to her room.
I gasped as a I saw her being taken away by a Dark Shadow. A PLOG! I thought. As soon as I though it It turned to look at me. It's Red eyes drilling through my skull. GO AWAY! I thought. It hissed. "NO!" I cried as it flew right through the wall carrying Beth with it!
"The Story was true." I said to myself. Beth was now going to become one of them. My Mom wasn't going to believe me! "Ya, Mom Beth was taken by a Plog?" I could imagine it! " knew someone who would believe me. Grandma. She lived right across the street. I put my boots on and walked over. I knocked on the door. I tried opening it. The Door was unlocked. "Grandma?" I called out. I walked into the house. There was some overturned chairs, and a note on the ground.
"Mal, You are the guardian." Mal was my nickname, that Grandma called me. My real name was Lisa.
The words repeated in my head. Grandma must have been taken to! I couldn't help but recall all the other stories Grandma told us. Were they all true? Where were Beth and Grandma? How am I supposed to be a Guardian?

Part Two Coming Soon!

Christmas Is Creepy

Christmas Is Creepy lyrics @ elyricsworld.com

Time for Some Christmas Sing a longs!
Above you will see lyrics to Christmas is Creepy By Fred!


Is Christmas Creepy?

Do Clones Exist?

Do Clones EXIST? Or is it possible?
The Sheep above is a clone. Yes, Her name was Dolly. Wikipedia has some Information about Dolly
From Wikipedia

Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was a female domestic sheep remarkable in being the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer.^[1][2]Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in Scotland. She was born on 5 July 1996 and she lived until the age of six.^[3] She has been called "the world's most famous sheep" by sources including BBC News and Scientific American.^[4][5] She was cloned by

The cell used as the donor for the cloning of Dolly was taken from a mammary gland, and the production of a healthy clone therefore proved that a cell taken from a specific part of the body could recreate a whole individual. As Dolly was cloned from part of a mammary gland, she was named after the famously busty country western singer Dolly Parton.^[6]

^{Ok What is Nuclear Transfer? I know it's a way of cloning!}

Yes, Wikipedia has the answers too!
Nuclear Transfer is a form of cloning. The steps involve removing the DNA from an oocytenucleus (unfertilized egg), and injecting the nucleus which contains the DNA to be cloned. In rare instances, the newly constructed cell will divide normally, replicating the new DNA while remaining in a pluripotent state. If the cloned cells are placed in the uterus of a female mammal, a cloned organism develops to term in rare instances. This is how Dolly the Sheep and many other species were cloned.


Do we really need clones?
What do you think?
This is Neko>Signing out!

Kesha's New Song!

Kesha has some new songs out! Here is one!
It's from her New Album Animal coming out January 5! Will you be getting it?

Enjoy!
Ps. EDIT!
Just for Fun Let's take a peak at one of her other songs! Blah Blah Something Featuring 3 OH!

Do You Love Kesha? Hate Her?

So You Think YOU Can Dance

Are you Ready? We Us Neko and Teko think kids should have their own SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!
Anyway, We are having a dance off!
Heres what you do:

How to do it:

1. Film a video of yourself dancing to one of these songs
Tik Tok Kesha
I got it
Don't Talk to Strangers
Dark After Morning
(They were all featured on this site)

2. Post the Video on Youtube and Send the link to Nekoandteko@groups.live.com

3. The Winners will be posted here and will be able to make a post on our site!

Sounds FUN! Anyway! There are some rules!

1. No Nudity or inappropriate moves
2. No Swearing

Basically we need to keep it fun and safe!
Plus if you want you can wear wigs and funny glasses etc.
There will be First Second and Third Place!

GOOD LUCK!
(Also you can leave the link in a comment)
Here are the songs again!
Tik Tok

I Got it

Don't Talk to Strangers

Morning After Dark

Have FUN!

Contest Clues #2

Here it is! The second Contest Clues! Contest Clues #2! The First Clues Were Three Songs
I got it
Morning After Dark
and Don't Talk to Strangers! So, What do those Three Songs have to do with it? Here's the Second Clue!

Hmm SO You think you Can Dance: Is you next Clue! Answers and THE CONTEST will be relived later today or Tomorrow! So DO you have it Figured out yet?

Contest Clues

Hello, Guys, For A Special in Celebration of Christmas we are having another contest, BUT! We are giving you clues to what this contest is! So, you will have to try to figure it out. Don't worry though, we will give you the answers :)
First Clue


Enjoy!

Christmas WishList

All I want for Christmas is: (Just for Fun)

1. Is a Giant Guinea pig
2. A CAN of toothpaste
3. A Twitter Account
4. A Phone
5. A bat mobile
   
6. The Way of the Ninja
7. The Kung Fu Version of number 6
8. What ever's on Number 10
9. A Yahoo Search bar
10. What ever's on Number 8

There you have it! My Christmas WIsh List! What's yours? Leave it in a Comment!

Candy, Candy, and More Candy!

Candy, candy, candy! The sweet taste of CANDY! If you want to learn about this DELICIOUS treat and more, go to www.candyisawesome.blogspot.com

Learn how to make ice cream, how Gummy bears were made, the ten top candy's for Christmas, and lots more! Believe me, you might learn a thing or twoon this website. And comment on which sweet you like the best and the next week post might be on that candy. So come on in and I will be looking for your comments!

On this site, the word candy earns a whole new meaning. Not only do you learn about candy, you can vote on things like your favourite sweet! There is also great music! And slideshows! And pppy pictures!

CANDY RULES! YES, IT REALLY DOES!
DOGS EAT IT TO REMOVE FLEAS!
WELL, NOT REALLY
BUT YOU GET THE IDEA!
THE COOKIE MONSTER FROM SESEAME STREET LOVES COOKIES! SO, YOU SHOULD TOO!

So, don't hesitate! Go on the world's best candy site today! And while you are there, enter a contest!

This is Neko and Teko, reporting from Candy.

P.S. This article is by our 2nd place poem contest winner.

Dangerous Zhu Zhu Pet

Feds probing chemical levels in Zhu Zhu Pets

Consumer group claims toys contain unsafe levels of heavy metal antimony

Hottest holiday toy unsafe for kids? Dec. 7: A consumer group is questioning the safety of Zhu Zhu Pets, the hottest toy of the holiday season, saying it may contain levels of metals that could be harmful to children. TODAY’s Natalie Morales reports.

NBC News and news services

updated 9:21 a.m. ET, Mon., Dec . 7, 2009

ST. LOUIS - The Consumer Product Safety Commission has opened an investigation into the popular Zhu Zhu Pets toy because it may contain higher-than-allowed levels of antimony, a heavy metal which if ingested can make children sick, NBC News reported.

"We will complete our review swiftly," the agency said in a statement. "With new safety measures in place for children and toy recalls down from previous years, consumers can have greater confidence when shopping this year and in the CPSC."

The CPSC probe came after San Francisco-based GoodGuide named Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters one of the top-selling toys with low ratings after finding the chemical on the hair and nose of one of the toy hamsters, called Mr. Squiggles.

---

The group assigned the toy, aimed at 3- to 10-year-olds, a rating of 5.2 on a 10-point scale.

On prolonged exposure, antimony — which is used in textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire — can cause lung and heart problems, ulcers and diarrhea.

But the toy's maker, St. Louis-based Cepia LLC, insisted in a statement that its Mr. Squiggles toy is "absolutely safe" and has passed rigorous testing. The company said it was contacting GoodGuide to share its testing data and determine how the report was founded.

"I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves," Russ Hornsby, Cepia's CEO, said in the statement.

Zhu Zhu Pets, which retail for about $10, have become this season's toy craze, following in the footsteps of Tickle Me Elmo and Cabbage Patch Kids. The small hamster toys are available at Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us, Target and other retailers, but can fetch $40 or more on resale Web sites like eBay and Craigslist.

That's what brought it to GoodGuide's attention. GoodGuide CEO Dara O'Rourke told The Associated Press on Saturday that his group bought three of each of the year's 30 hottest toys and tested them multiple times.

Antimony was measured at 93 parts per million in the hamster's fur and at 106 parts per million in its nose. Both readings exceed the allowable level of 60 parts per million, said O'Rourke, an associate professor of environmental science at the University of California, Berkeley.

O'Rourke said GoodGuide's test results, released Friday, also indicated the possibility that some toys contained phthalates, chemicals that were subject to tougher standards in the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act passed last year.

The CPSIA created some of the toughest lead limits in the world and banned certain phthalates in toys, and included mandatory limits on other heavy metals, such as antimony.

A article from msn news!

Winter Activities

Depending on where you live, the snow has arrived! Many people dislike the snow because of shoveling, driving hazards, and car cleaning hassels. However, why not make the most of this winter season by making use of the snow? Here are some outdoor winter activities that you may enjoy:

Skiing; Places like Blue Mountain in Ontario have great programs for begining and advanced child and adult skiiers.Where to go: If you choose to try Cross Country, many public golf courses and parks around the city have trails you can ski for free. See a listing of local Cross-Country Ski areas.For both the social and competitive aspects of skiing and snowboarding, check out the ski clubs. The major local ski areas have many spectator events and competitions over the winter. Contact the hills for information.
Scarborough Cross Country Ski Club 416-438-1536
Kawartha Nordic Ski Club, Peterborough 705-749-5605 Cross Country Ski Trails:
Kawartha Nordic 705-749-5605 (45 km over several trails) about 40 km north of Peterborough on Highway 28, just north of Woodview
Sibbald Point Prov. Park 905-722-8061 (8 km) on the south shore of Lake Simcoe 2 km north of Highway 48 on County Road 18.
Pleasure Valley 4.2 km - X-C trails closed... poor maintenance due to lack of snow base
Dagmar Resort 905-649-2002 (22 km) 24 km north of Ajax at 1220 Lakeridge Road
Heber Down Cons. Area 905-579-0411 (10 km) From Highway 401 take Highway 12 (Oshawa) 5 km north to Taunton Road West, then north on the access road.
Long Sault Cons. Area 905-579-0411 (17 km) Highway 401 to Bowmanville, then Regional Road 57 north to Regional Road 20 West and go 3 km east on Woodley
Trillium Trails (24 km) Highway 401 in Oshawa take Simcoe St 16 km north to Raglan
Ken Reid Cons. Area, Lindsay 705-328-2271 (8 km) 5 km north of Lindsay on Highway 35 to Kenerei Park Rd then follow signs.
Ganaraska Forest Centre 905-797-2721 (28 km) north from Bowmanville to Kirby, East on Regional Road 9 for 10 km, left (north) on Cold Springs Camp Road for 4 km.
Warsaw Caves Cons. Area 705-652-3161 (13 km) a few km north of Warsaw on County Rd 4 (Warsaw Rd), then right on Caves Rd.

Snow Boarding: See websites on the internet about snow boarding. It's great!

Skating: You can build an ice rink at your house or go to a local arena. Make sure your skates are the right size, otherwise you may injure your ankles.

Hockey: Skating around with a stick playing with a puck. You can play this at your local arena or on a frozen pond with friends and family.

Tubing: Snow tubing is loads of fun! You are pulled up in your tube on something sort of like a ski lift and then you slide down a huge slope. Sometimes, you are going so fast, that you can't see a thing around you. You can slide to speeds of up to 75miles an hour! Tubing in Ontario can be done at Snow Valley, Horseshoe Valley, and many other places.

So, what do you do in the winter to bide your time? Leave it as a comment!

This is Neko and Teko, reporting a white Christmas.

The Fairy's New Year Gift

Enjoy this Christmas story!

THE FAIRY'S NEW YEAR GIFT
BY EMILIE POULSSON [ADAPTED]

Two little boys were at play one day when a Fairy suddenly appeared before them and said: "I have been sent to give you New Year presents."

She handed to each child a package, and in an instant was gone.

Carl and Philip opened the packages and found in them two beautiful books, with pages as pure and white as the snow when it first falls.

Many months passed and the Fairy came again to the boys. "I have brought you each another book?" said she, "and will take the first ones back to Father Time who sent them to you."

"May I not keep mine a little longer?" asked Philip. "I have hardly thought about it lately. I 'd like to paint something on the last leaf that lies open."

"No," said the Fairy; "I must take it just as it is."

"I wish that I could look through mine just once," said Carl; "I have only seen one page at a

---

time, for when the leaf turns over it sticks fast, and I can never open the book at more than one place each day."

"You shall look at your book," said the Fairy, "and Philip, at his." And she lit for them two little silver lamps, by the light of which they saw the pages as she turned them.

The boys looked in wonder. Could it be that these were the same fair books she had given them a year ago? Where were the clean, white pages, as pure and beautiful as the snow when it first falls? Here was a page with ugly, black spots and scratches upon it; while the very next page showed a lovely little picture. Some pages were decorated with gold and silver and gorgeous colors, others with beautiful flowers, and still others with a rainbow of softest, most delicate brightness. Yet even on the most beautiful of the pages there were ugly blots and scratches.

Carl and Philip looked up at the Fairy at last.

"Who did this?" they asked. "Every page was white and fair as we opened to it; yet now there is not a single blank place in the whole book!"

"Shall I explain some of the pictures to you?" said the Fairy, smiling at the two little boys.

"See, Philip, the spray of roses blossomed on this page when you let the baby have your playthings; and this pretty bird, that looks as if it were singing with all its might, would never have been on

---

this page if you had not tried to be kind and pleasant the other day, instead of quarreling."

"But what makes this blot?" asked Philip.

"That," said the Fairy sadly; "that came when you told an untruth one day, and this when you did not mind mamma. All these blots and scratches that look so ugly, both in your book and in Carl's, were made when you were naughty. Each pretty thing in your books came on its page when you were good."

"Oh, if we could only have the books again!" said Carl and Philip.

"That cannot be," said the Fairy. "See! they are dated for this year, and they must now go back into Father Time's bookcase, but I have brought you each a new one. Perhaps you can make these more beautiful than the others."

So saying, she vanished, and the boys were left alone, but each held in his hand a new book open at the first page.

And on the back of this book was written in letters of gold, "For the New Year."

Top Christmas Gifts

Close

Top 10 Best Christmas Gift Ideas 2009

The Must Have Trendy Hard to Get Toy of Christmas 2009

The Zhu Zhu Pet Hampster is the Trendy Christmas gift that kids must have this year.

• The Complete Zhu Zhu Gift Guide

What makes a toy the hottest gift of the holiday season? The combination of broad appeal, high demand and short supply. What's the trendy Christmas gift this year? Prepare yourself for the hottest toy since Cabbage Patch KIds! If the hamster hype holds the Zhu Zhu Pet Hampster is likely to become the hottest hard to find Christmas gift of 2009. Hamsters and accessories are selling like hotcakes and they can't keep up with the demand. This is just the beginning for this trendy gift too, Plans are to release 50 new hamster characters in 2010, so it will probably be the hottest gift next year too. These things are cute, fun, they're the newest toy craze, they are going quick, and prices are climbing. Some stores have now imposed a limit of 1 per customer!

(http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-gifts)
First Place: The Demand for these is soo HIGH! To Let you know the Toy Information is from
(http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-gifts)

Top Video Game Christmas Gift Ideas for The 2009 Holiday Season

Video consoles & games are once again some of The Top Christmas Gifts

You have the power to make the video game player on your list very merry this holiday season with a cool new video game or console. Here are some of the most wished for video game gifts and video game consoles this Christmas.

The Top Christmas Gift 2009 - The Nintendo Wii has turned the video game market on end, by introducing a new physically interactive experience that everyone can enjoy. This may be a gift for your kid, but you'll quickly find that it's something the whole family will enjoy including mom and dad. Folks that were never into video gaming are now big Wii fans. They're bowling, playing tennis and more without the need to figure out all those different buttons. From kids, to folks in care facilities, everybody's getting into Wii. For the more serious gamer there's the NEW Xbox360 512mb and a new slimmer PlayStaton 3.

See, The Most Popular Gifts are Electronic! I bet in the Future everything will be Electronic! It's Sad, Most Kids don't have any imagination, all they are asking for is VIDEO GAMES! COMPUTERS! TVS! ZHU ZHU PETS!

Here's a Challenge: Next time you pick up a Video Game Controller read a book instead.

The Problem is Clear: Kids aren't Reading enough anymore. There's a simple answer. THEY CAN"T FIND ANY GOOD BOOKS! Plus schools make you read books for studies that are well.....Boring. So that creates a Stereotype of books.

Some Good Books You might enjoy are the Warriors Series: It's really good! Well, Of Course it is, Look at the Millions of fans around the world!

HO HO HO

Irukandji Jellyfish Sting

The 29-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was on a yacht Thursday off northeast Queensland state. As a precaution, he was wearing a full-length "stinger suit," a lightweight version of a wetsuit that covers everything but the face, feet and hands and helps protect against venomous jellyfish that are common in northern Australia's waters during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
But when he dove into the water near South Molle Island, he was immediately stung in the face by a potentially lethal Irukandji jellyfish, Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service spokeswoman Leonie Hansen said. He was taken back to the island, where a rescue team rushed to his aid.
"The crew said he was shivering and in shock and in a great deal of pain," Hansen said.
The man, from the Queensland capital Brisbane, was in serious condition Friday at Mackay Base Hospital in Mackay, 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) north of Brisbane, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Unusual Animals

Glenn Olsen Photography / AP20 photos




The better to hear you with, my dear. Yoda was born with an extra set of ears, but that didn't stop Valerie Rock from falling in love and taking him home in 2008 after seeing him being passed around in a bar.
(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=590274&pid=590273&uts=1259956056
http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
Unusual Animals
The better to hear you with, my dear. Yoda was born with an extra set of ears, but that didn't stop Valerie Rock from falling in love and taking him home in 2008 after seeing him being passed around in a bar.
Glenn Olsen Photography / AP
Glenn Olsen Photography / AP
Unusual Animals
These conjoined Western diamondback rattlesnakes were found outside Tucson, Ariz., in August. Veterinarians at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum separated them. Unfortunately, only one survived.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
"The one who died was the weaker of the two," said Craig Ivanyi, the museum's associate executive director for living collections. "He was being dragged around by his twin, and it was harder for him to recuperate." The prognosis is good, however, for his brother.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Lilly, a five-legged Chihuahua-terrier mix, was saved from life in a Coney Island freak show after Allyson Siegel bought her for $4,000. Lilly had successful surgery to remove her extra leg on July 23.
Jeff Siner, The Charlotte Observer / AP
Staff at an animal hospital in Steamboat Springs, Colo., were stunned when this Black Angus calf was born with seven legs on May 21. The calf was delivered by cesarean section but only lived for about 10 minutes. Hospital staff said the animal also had two spines.
Matt Stensland, Steamboat Pilot & Today / AP
Are two noses better than one for sniffing out carrots? This double-nosed bunny was part of a delivery of 6-week-old dwarf rabbits that arrived in March at Purr-Fect Pets in Milford, Conn. The store owner said March 31 that the little rabbit eats, drinks and hops around just like the rest of the litter. Each nose has two nostrils.
Brian A. Pounds, The Connecticut Post / AP
Wheezie, left, and Zak wear their party hats for their first birthday party in this 2008 photo. Barbara and Frank Witte of Fowler, Calif., own the rare two-headed bearded dragon, which was featured in a Ripley's Believe it or Not cartoon.
Craig Kohlruss, Fresno Bee / MCT
A six-legged fawn is shown at an animal clinic in Rome, Ga., on July 21, 2008. The animal was cared for at the clinic after it was attacked by two dogs, sustaining injuries that resulted in one of its two tails being amputated. The fawn has two distinct pelvises and uses one leg from each pelvis to walk.
Brittany Hannah, The Rome News-Tribune / AP
The better to hear you with, my dear. Yoda was born with an extra set of ears, but that didn't stop Valerie Rock from falling in love and taking him home in 2008 after seeing him being passed around in a bar.
Glenn Olsen Photography / AP
Who's the fairest goat of them all? A young woman takes a picture of a goat with a curiously abbreviated snout during a competition and auction for the best-looking and rarest goats in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 12, 2008.
Hassan Ammar, AFP / Getty Images
A genetic aberration split Angel's front left leg in two, making her look like she has five legs. An Ohio veterinarian said in March 2008 that the condition doesn't cause the dog pain, but gives her problems moving around. The problem also can't be corrected through surgery.
Bruce Bishop, Elyria Chronicle Telegram / AP
oKExp.start("canadanews-ca_news_unusual_animals");
Australia is well-known for its myriad deadly creatures, but the Irukandji remains rather mysterious. It is a distant relative of the more notorious and widely feared box jellyfish, the sting of which can kill an adult within 2 minutes. But the Irukandji is virtually impossible to see and is tiny enough to pass through nets meant to keep jellyfish away from popular swimming spots.
The jellyfish's sting can lead to "Irukandji syndrome," a set of symptoms that includes shooting pains in the muscles and chest, vomiting, restlessness and anxiety. Some symptoms can last for more than a week, and the syndrome can occasionally lead to a rapid rise in blood pressure and heart failure.
In 2002, two tourists were killed in separate incidents after being stung by the tiny creatures off northeast Australia — the first recorded Irukandji fatalities. But because the jellyfish leave almost no mark on their victims, scientists believe they are responsible for many deaths that were attributed as drownings or heart attacks, said marine biologist Lisa Gershwin, who has spent 11 years studying the animals.
"It's extremely serious," Gershwin said. "One of the very worst stings I've ever seen — sting as in permanent heart damage — was just three dots on the finger."
The most common Irukandji measures just 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) in length and has tentacles as thin as a strand of hair that can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter), Gershwin said. Scientists still don't know whether it's the Irukandji's body or tentacles that cause Irukandji syndrome, she said.
Even more discomforting for swimmers: there is no antivenom, and people generally don't realize they've been stung at first. The initial sting causes little pain, and it may be up to half an hour before a victim starts to feel the effects.
And those effects, Gershwin says, can be disastrous, with some stings causing blood pressures to soar as high as 280 over 180.
The creatures are found worldwide, from North Wales to Cape Town in South Africa, Gershwin said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

This poor creature! Now people are probably going to try and make it extinct! Please, do not hurt this creature. It was just defending itself!

This is Neko and Teko, protecting animals everywhere.

Poem Contest: 1st Place

There was a tie for first place! Here is one of them:

Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy,
Hot coco for every girl and boy.
Rocking horses, big stuffed bears,
Inside there's no time for flares.
Singing carols by the lot,
Talking about what they bought.
Minister preaches on Christmas eve,
Asking people as they leave.
Singing a song on Christmas eve.

~ By Hotchocolate

Hotchocolate will get the privelige of writing 1 article on this site... Good Job, Hotchoc.!

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

Whether you have your tree up or not, We have some Rockin Tunes for you to listen to! COMING SOON! An article about Christmas Trees! Do you like our Christmas Facts?
Anyway, Rocking Around the Christmas tree: Plus you can have a Dance party with this! (If you want)




Did you know that the Song "Right Round" Features Kesha? (She sings Tik Tok)

HO HO HO!