Month: January 2020

Super Mario-Themed Birthday Parties Ideas for Kids

My son just turned 5! His ideas for his birthday celebration included Pump-it-Up (an indoor play-space), Bowling, or Kidville. My wallet thought otherwise. I knew I wanted to have a party at-home to avoid the unneccesary costs and keep things in my own control. I knew my son was bonkers for Super Mario (he is an avid Wii player to my dismay!) Nonetheless, I bribed him with a Luigi Pinata I found on Ebay! I knew that none of the Colorado casino events will excite him as much. I showed him the Pinata and told him he could only get it if he agreed to have an at-home party! Well…he fell for it. But, it was at that moment that I realized I had o step up and complete the party.

Super Mario themed birthday games:

  1. Themed Pinata.

Ebay and Etsy are great places to search for Marion themed Pinatas…including, Luigi, Toad or Princess Peach.

  1. Pin the tail on the Yoshi (or Donkey Kong).

For my son’s party, we did Yoshi, because, well…he was much easier to draw. I got a large poster board and constructed a Yoshi who was missing his tail. I then used another poster board to cut out triangular tails. I attached tape on each tail and viola!!! The kids had an absolute blast! As a prize, each child got a punching balloon either Mario or Luigi color (Red or Green). Rather than having one kid win, I thought that it was more appropriate to let each child play until they won-the outcome is much more 5-year-old-proof!!

  1. Coin Collectors!

One of the fun activities in Mario Kart Wii is coin collecting. I took this idea, and played it out in our party. I bought dozens of chocolate gold coins from iParty and hid them all around the house. The kids all had a plastic bag and collected as many coins as they could. You could also do this hunt outside if the weather permits.

  1. Yoshi Egg toss!

For this you just need to put some green spots on white eggs and do an egg toss. Very simple, very fun!

  1. Dress up/ Fashion show!!

Get some Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad costumes and allow the children to dress up in each and put on a Mario themed fashion show or sorts!! This will also allow for many Halloween costumes for the future, or younger children!!

  1. Pass the Bomb!

For this game, it would be fun o buy a little bomb (as seen on Super Mario Wii). I actually found a replica of this bomb filled with candies at iParty. You have the children sit in a circle, and turn on Mario video game music, while the kids pass the bomb!! Whoever is holding the bomb when the music stops is out, until there is one child left!!

These birthday games will ensure your child has a fun-filled birthday party at-home! It’s-a-go-time!!

Don’t Listen to Sports “Experts”

It’s funny how so many so-called experts stood-by Tuesday after Marty Schottenheimer was fired by the San Diego Chargers and “revealed” short lists of candidates to replace him.

Check out some of these names: recently retired Bill Cowher, even more recently retired Bill Parcells, long retired Jimmy Johnson, USC head coach Pete Carroll and two-time failed NFL re-treads Norv Turner and Steve Mariucci.

Then there are the candidates who didn’t get Parcells old gig in Big D: Ron Rivera, Jim Caldwell and Mike Singletary.

Then there are those still waiting for any job such as former NY Giants head coach Jim Fassel and former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who was out-of football in 2006.

The fact is, nobody in the media really knew anything off-hand except those who mentioned Turner, Rivera, Singletary, Baltimore Ravens defensive guru Rex Ryan, or former Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim Mora, Jr has also been named as a possibility.

In other words, experts from local and national radio and TV shows shared about as much inside information as your average out-of-work sports talk show host in Rochester, N.Y.

Cowher has said he wants to stay away from the game for at least a year. If anybody could revamp his old Steeler team and make them a Super Bowl contender for next season, it would be Cowher. Yet he turned that opportunity down to take a year off. Why then would he come to San Diego who has to reassemble its coaching staff and possibly gut several veterans this off-season?

Because nobody really knows why. That’s why.

Then there’s Bill Parcells. The Tuna just left T.O, Romo and J.J. and said he was “retired” not “resigned.” While a ready-made Super Bowl roster sounds tempting, Parcells doesn’t want another job-if he wants another job at all-taking orders from another boss who thinks he knows more than the Hall of Fame coach. Parcells had enough of that in New England and Dallas. If AJ Smith and the likeable Marty Schottenheimer really didn’t talk for several years, what makes anyone think Parcells will listen to a cantankerous GM who’s noted for not getting along with others?

Because nobody really knows why. That’s why.

Then there’s Jimmy Johnson. San Diego is on the beach where Jimmy likes it and he has a relationship with Dean Spanos. A ready-made team of superstars is on hand waiting for a head coach to jump-in and win a Super Bowl.

Yeah, but as anyone from Buffalo remembers, AJ Smith was part of a Bills front office that chastised Johnson for destroying a box of Flutie Flakes cereal after Miami’s 1998 wild-card win over the Bills. The breakfast treat was created to help less-fortunate families get care for their autistic children. Flutie’s son, Doug, Jr., is autistic and his father said that Johnson’s antics were “like stomping on my son.”

Johnson also hasn’t coached an NFL game since 1999. Why would he make a comeback eight years later?

Because nobody really knows why. That’s why.

Then there’s the gregarious Pete Carroll who boasts two national championships at Southern Cal after two futile tours of duty with the New York Jets and a Super Bowl team he inherited from Bill Parcells in New England. After Nick Saban left the Miami Dolphins in January for the University of Alabama, Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga found the Carroll on vacation in Costa Rica and didn’t leave before offering the college coach a reported $6 million a year and “total control” of the franchise’s football operations.

After turning that down to stay at USC, why would Carroll escape LA and take a job coaching with less, for less?

Because nobody really knows why. That’s why.

Norv Turner has a shot because he ran Marty Schottenheimer’s offense in San Diego and has head coaching experience, though his career record is 24 games under .500. (That’s an entire season and-a-half of losses.) Why would AJ Smith and Dean Spanos hand their supposed Super Bowl-ready team to a head coach with…

You get the point already.

Steve Mariucci looks like a viable head coach, in general, but has few connections to San Diego and has lost battles with Terrell Owens and Matt Millen, thus costing him stints in San Fran and Detroit. AJ Smith wants to hire a puppet and Mariucci is probably not interested in dancing from strings again.

The rest of the candidates are all coordinators, some of whom have been interviewed for jobs already this year, which make them supposed candidates to anyone who watches SportsCenter at least once a week. And some of these coordinators names have only come-up because they’ve been offered interviews.

So much for “insight” and “expertise” in recent days. Nobody’s via satellite correspondents told football fans anything they couldn’t already guess themselves. Maybe next time, TV and talk show producers should call Mark Fainaru-Wada or Lance Williams. They’d probably be the only ones to get it right, anyway.

At least the next time an NFL head coach loses his job, we’ll already know who’s ready to replace him.

But you already knew that.

In closing, all these so called experts think too much of themselves and delight in proving to the world that there is nobody better than them in this field as they turn the 토토사이트 into a playground and start showing of their prowess in a haughty way, much to the consternation of the other players.

5 Ways Bungie Could Make Armor Lock Less Overpowered in Halo: Reach

Armor lock is one of the most complained about features in Halo: Reach and is said to be way too powerful - and overused. Whether you’re a fan of armor lock or not, you’d have to agree that it’s a bit overpowered. What other armor ability, power up, or feature in any Halo game allowed destroying vehicles, invincibility, a harmful EMP burst radius, shed sticky grenades, and gave enemies an opportunity to recharge their shields all at the same time? Armor lock is most certainly overpowered and following are several ways to keep armor lock in Halo: Reach, all while making it less overpowered.

Delay Consecutive Armor Lock Times

One of the most annoying things about armor lock is the fact that characters can spam the armor lock more than once and gain an unfair advantage when they would have otherwise been dead. I’m not totally opposed to allowing Halo: Reach players the ability to armor lock more than once, but I definitely feel that adding a delay between armor lock would make players think about how and when they use armor lock - instead of cheaply spamming in and out of armor lock to throw sticky grenades, melee, or run away before spamming armor lock for the second time. The verification of the gaming websites is important for the developers. The tactics and tricks of the playing should be registered under the 토토사이트 verification websites.

Sticky Shedding Deactivated

I understand why Bungie decided not to let players get stuck with sticky grenades while they’re in armor lock [players would just stick and kill armor lockers, duh], but why Bungie allows sticky grenades that are stuck to armor lockers before they go into armor lock to be shed off while in armor lock; I have no idea. Sticky grenades used to be sacred and throwing a sticky grenade across the map or even sticking a player with a sticky grenade up front brought a thrill like no other in other Halo games - and now that thrill is turned to crap when that stuck opponent goes into armor lock.

EMP Should Affect Vehicles Only

When a player goes into armor lock an EMP burst is shot out that damages nearby opponents and vehicles - and it ‘ s a huge load of crap. In effect allowing armor lockers to hurt players while entering in armor lock gives armor lockers a “I can hurt you, but you can’t hurt me” complex and provides an unfair advantage for the overpowered armor lock ability.

Kill the Frosting

After coming out of armor lock a player is given yet a second dose of invincibility momentarily as they “frost” away their armor lock. While an armor lock is frosting they can’t be sniped, grenaded, rocketed or hurt in any way and it gives armor lockers an opportunity to flee or retaliate after armor locking. Frosting needs to be axed from the countless other armor lock perks in order to make it a more balanced armor ability.

Armor Lock - Not Locks

In order to make armor lock totally fair - in the scheme of armor abilities - armor lock should only be allowed one time before the armor lock armor ability reloads. Every other armor ability has a weakness and giving armor lock a one-time use before recharging rule wouldn’t completely fix the armor lock armor abilities overpowered problem, but it would definitely help.

For more, read The Five Most Laughably Overrated Features in Halo: Reach, Four Halo: Reach Features You’ll Quickly Grow Tired of After Your First Day of Playing Reach, and 5 Halo 3 Features Bungie Got Rid of in Halo: Reach

A Mother’s Day Sports Tribute- Understanding Through Book Given By Mother

This Mother’s Day I would like to take the time to tell people how my mother gave me one of the greatest gifts of all through sports. The ability to read: From the book “Sports Talk Radio Is A Waste of Time (And so is this Book)”:

“Growing up I used to always get asked the same question. “Aren’t you interested in anything other than sports? What are you going to learn about the real world if all you look at and read about is sports?” Well let me say this. Sports got me through school. Not because I kept my grades up to stay eligible in high school, which I did. No, sport got me through school, because I applied it to my studies and used it to open levels of curiosity that I may have never thought of without it. So let me answer to those who asked what I learned with the help of sports.

The first, and most important, thing that I learned with the help of sports was how to read.

When I began school, I was very shy and not a good reader. In kindergarten and first grade we never read much in the way of books. We usually got a few sentences to study and that was it. Then in the second grade we were given our first reading books and placed in groups. Our teacher was as tough as they come and I remember early in the school year she had each of us pick a story out of the book and read it aloud to the class. I picked the only story which had to do with sports. I stuttered and stammered through it and couldn’t wait to finish. When I did, my teacher didn’t mince any words. She told me that I had done a terrible job. For what seemed like forever she told me in front of everyone in the group how basically I couldn’t read. Even though she told me that I could do much better I was crushed. But I was also determined that I was going to do better the next time I read in front of that class. The problem was that I wasn’t interested in reading about anything other than sports.

Fortunately, I had a mother who was part time librarian at the school I attended. I don’t know if the teacher, who lived down the street from us and went to school with my father, told my mother about my reading. I do know that my mother knew how crazy I was about sports. So all of a sudden these books began showing up at our house. Books that my mother told me were specifically for me to read. Every one of them was about sports. A brief knowledge was gathered from the book of Sports. For further knowledge, a visit can be made on the 먹튀 sites.

Every week there was a children’s biography in my mother’s arms when she walked in the door. Books about Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, John Unitas, Henry Aaron, Jim Brown and Gale Sayers. I would grab them from her and look at the pictures first. Than I wanted to know what the words under the pictures were. Then I wanted to know what the words were being written about these athletes. Whenever I had questions about a word, I would ask my mother and she would help me to pronounce it. Then I would take the books to school and my friends and I would read them together helping each other with the words and names we couldn’t pronounce.

As the year went on, my reading improved. Recently on Mother’s Day, my sister pulled out some old report cards that Mom had kept from elementary school. One of mine was from the second grade. In the end of the year notes my teacher had written that I had improved greatly in reading. She wrote that if I continued to apply myself that I would get even better. I knew that she meant it, because as I said earlier this woman didn’t mince words.

My third grade report card said that I was reading above grade level. By now, I was reading about a lot more than sports. And just as my second grade teacher had said I got better and better. By high school, I had to prove to some of my teachers that I was actually reading my assignments, because I’d finish so far ahead of my classmates.

To this day, I enjoy reading. I have two shelves of books and magazines with plenty in boxes until I can buy a third. And I read about a lot more than sports. All because a mother was smart enough to see that her son had the ability to do something and just needed the right stimulus, sports, to accomplish it. I am forever grateful to her for that.”

I am grateful to my Mom for many things. Every one of them done out of unconditonal love for her children.

And we let her know it every Mother’s Day.

Notre Dame Football Mythbuster

Notre Dame has lost their last 9 bowl games dating back to a 1994 victory over Texas A M; in the Cotton Bowl. They are 0-3 in BCS games, losing their last two games by a combined total of 75-34. Last season they only lost three games but gave up a combined total of 132 points in those losses.

Despite these facts, they have their own television deal with NBC and are granted special provisions to participate (Note: not compete) in BCS games. In the years they don’t qualify for a BCS game, Notre Dame receives an automatic $1.3 million and in years they qualify they are given $4.5 million. Normally, BCS conference champions receive $17 million. The difference is that everyone except Notre Dame has to split the earnings between the rest of the teams in their respective conference. Divide $17 million by 11 teams and each team receives 1.42 million.

What’s my point?

In the years they don’t get to a BCS game they still almost receive as much as a team that does. In the years they do make it (even last year when it was completely undeserved) they receive rough 70% more money than any other team.

Still, this is not good enough for Notre Dame and Athletic Director Kevin White hopes to renegotiate its BCS deal when the BCS and Fox open contract talks.

Wha-wha-what!!!

It is the equivalent to your 19 year old daughter spending all of her college money in the first semester, failing all of her classes and still having the audacity to ask for even more money than before. I can hear it now, “But daddy, I was your favorite. How can you do this to me?”

The Notre Dame MythBuster

The argument is that Notre Dame is important to college football. They have the largest national audience and college football is better off when Notre Dame gains visibility. This point may have some traction, but it’s been losing credibility, as well as even a hint of factual evidence for some time. Lou Holtz, Bob Davie and Ty Willingham will be the first to tell you that the golden dome is now a slippery slope to climb.

If the Irish are so “important” than why is college football more popular now than ever? According to this Harris Poll for 2007, college football’s popularity has never been better. 13% of Americans prefer college football over any other sport. Compare that to when Notre Dame was actually good and it is obvious the Irish are completely full of themselves. In 1993, the last time they had the talent to compete with the best, college football was only the favorite sport for 8% of Americans. This data was not collected in 1988, when Notre Dame won their last championship, but in 1989 CFB’s popularity was at an all-time low of 6%.

This is shocking, considering the media has been shoving Notre Dame mystique down our collective throats. Notre Dame fans speak of the past like the same holds true today. The four-horsemen are long gone, folks. Right now you’re stuck with a arrogant Charlie Weis and an offense that just lost the greatest QB of all-time; the most hyped #22 NFL Draft pick, ever.

Still, I’m the first to admit that nobody likes to see Notre Dame lose more than me. This begs the question: Is college football better off when Notre Dame is mediocre? Like watching Suddam Hussein hang or Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol) sing, I know it will be ugly but have to watch anyways.

Please Domers, don’t ask for more money. Until you shed your freshman 13 (pounds gained by girls just entering college) and earn good grades, you can’t ask Daddy to give you more money. This shows a lack of respect. This shows arrogance. This shows desperation.

They will not join a conference for 1 reason and 1 reason only: money. Sure they are scared. Sure they know that they will lose more games. But the reality is, as long as the old man keeps forking over cash, they will never learn that the Notre Dame Mystique has fast become the greatest myth of all.

Notre dame is one team that many fans may have lost interest in by now, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that they were quite good in their heydays and old fans still lookup for their matches online and enjoy it just as much as they did before. The football index new customer offer is a website which provides a platform for people around the world to pursue their passion for football.

Review Of Zeit 2 (Zeit Squared) For Pc, Xbox 360 Live Arcade, And Playstation 3 Network

Available on Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade, the PlayStation 3 Network, and Windows PC from Steam, Zeit2 (Zeit Squared) is a side scrolling shooter with a twist.

Unlike other previous entries in the genre, Zeit2 adds several new gaming elements that make it stand out from the crowd. The most noticeable in Zeit2’s game play is the use of time (however we’ll get back to that in just a moment).

Enemies that pass by you can eat away a small chunk of your life. Naturally, the impulse is to not take your hand off the trigger button - however that would be a mistake. To complicate things, every shot that you take in Zeit2 which misses an enemy also nips a small bit from your life as well. This contention can’t help but to create a little anxiety while playing, as it is almost impossible to destroy every enemy on the screen. Enter Zeit2’s clever use of time travel.

If you’ve played Microsoft’s Game Room, then you’re no stranger to rewinding your game play in order to fix mistakes. In Zeit2, rather than just fixing a mistake you replay the game alongside your ship from the past. This lets you either finish off stray enemies on the opposite side of the screen as your ship’s ghost, or team up with yourself to deal double the damage to a boss.

While playing the Steam verison of Zeit2, and the first thing I noticed was just how colorful it is. In addition to a traditional arcade mode, there are several additional modes to play on - each of which is tracked on a separate leaderboard.

There are a total of eight large bosses to defeat in Zeit2’s twenty chapters, and although the main arcade mode can be beaten within just a few short hours it is the plethora of extra game modes that make Zeit2 so much more in depth and add extra replay value to the game when compared to other side scrollers.

I’ve played Zeit2 on and off for just over a month, and unlike other similar games Zeit2keeps drawing me back to it even after completely beating the game on Judi Slot Online which doubled my bet amount in more significant manner compared to any other service in the category. That’s because there’s just so many little nuances in Zeit2 that you’ll find yourself spending twenty minutes here or thirty minutes there to perfect your technique. How many Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network games have you played that accomplish this same feat?

The graphics and sound track in Zeit2 aren’t as jaw droppingly insane as the game play, however they accurately fit the game. Combined with its creative new use of life (and time), innovative extra game modes, and fun factor, Zeit2 deserves a solid eight out of ten.

If you are a fan of older games in the genre like 1942, Super R Type, or U.N. Squadron, then Zeit2 is a must own title. For those who’ve never played a side scroller shoot-em-up, then Zeit2 will immediately become one of your favorite games.