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...The Night before a Post-Modern Christmas, By Renee Norman (Dec. '94) (a writer, teacher and parent). Twas the night before Christmas and on the screen waited E-mail messages from Santa all logged in and dated. The cellular phone was hung in the car And dial-a-service Santa had been a big star. The video monitor showed the children asleep While visions of virtual reality let them dream deep. And Mom in her earrings and Dad in his too, Had finally settled the court counter-sue. The security system then went kind of haywire Alarms started flashing in a sound like a choir. Near the bars on the window I tripped on the fax machine, Threw open the mini-blind and surveyed the outdoor scene. The acid rain on the mountains without any trees Gave a strobe-light of lustre which... Read review

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Advantages: Flower prolifically
Disadvantages: Flower whenever it suits them

...Christmas Cacti are notorious for not flowering at Christmas! I've had them flower at Easter (when the Easter Cactus should be flowering), through the summer, in the autumn . . . and just now and again they take me by surprise and flower around Christmas. One thing you can try to get them flowering at the right time, is put them outside in the garden in the summer, after all risk of frost is past. But remember to water them (not too often), and you must take them in again before there's any chance of frost. They seem to respond to being outdoors, and begin to set flower buds soon after they're inside again. Once the flower buds have set, don't move them. Don't even turn them around to the light. At the first sign of disturbance, they will start to drop the flower buds. You can grow them easily from cuttings, if you want more. Break off... Read review

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Advantages: enormous site selling a huge variety of goods
Disadvantages: impulse buying !!

...feeling is that , as long as they have the sense to keep post and packing prices reasonably low , this will be a shopping channel worth watching The site itself has a separate and huge garden centre which sells not only plants and sheds in the large outdoor and semi-covered area , but also harder-to-find items such as large bronze outdoor ornaments and unusual garden lighting indoors. Ride on mowers to wellies , outdoor thermometers to desktop weather centres , and homemade jams and pickles adorn the lower level , whilst upstairs you will find patio furniture , outdoor clothing and a cafe with play area for the little ones This area is also the " seasonal " section , and at Christmas is transformed into a Winter wonderland with animated creatures , lighting effects and lots of snow ( but unfortunately no Santa's Grotto ) The main store has... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic design - great for beginners
Disadvantages: Can be difficult when using thick or stiff ropes

...relatively quickly. WHen belaying with twin ropes feeding the rope can also be a little tiresome. This problem can be rectified by using the plate back-to-front as the opposite side is smooth. The ATC-XP is also perfectly suitable for abseiling after you have topped out on a climb. It doesn't take much effort to hold your own weight due to the toothed design. I have known other climbers aren't so keen on using toothed belay devices as they can be detrimental to the rope. But as long as you look after all your equipment properly I don't see this being a problem. The plate is made from cast aluminum to minimise weight. It has an extended webbing that provides better rope orientation and helps prevent kinking. The device, as with most climbing gear, is incredibly light and over-designed. It weighs 89 grams and will never, ever break. It costs... Read review

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Advantages: Suitable for all ages / Indoor
Disadvantages: Bit small for whole day visit

...to the toilets through the cafe only to find there were only two small cubicles. Not accessible with buggy or wheelchairs. The decor was dark green with painted murals. Cafe Sorry, did not eat here but from what I saw people seemed to be enjoying a range of hot and cold food and drink. There were highchairs here too. Shop The shop had a good selection of mainly Living Rainforest merchandise at reasonable prices. From pens to cuddly monkeys. Activity Room In this room to the right of the shop, are tables where the children are free to draw and complete printed activity sheets to take home. There is a large wooden floor puzzle, three interactive screens, some touchy feely feathers and artifacts too. Outdoor Area This is accessible via the activity room and has picnic tables, play sit on toadstools and a variety of rope climbing frames... Read review

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Advantages: Healthy Fun For Kids
Disadvantages: Rope Falls Out Too Easily

...sturdy). I thought that this was rather poor as the advertising gives the impression that everything is included. There are various time modes, so you can choose to skip or jump for 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes!!! My daughter has had hers for just over a month, and we find it hard to get her away from it. It’s nice in this day and age to find something for children to play with, that not only gets them outdoors, but will also keep them fit and healthy. The jump dancer can be played inside, assuming you have a room big enough. It is relatively portable so can be dismantled and taken to Granny’s for the weekend. The base can be filled with water for added sturdiness and empties easily. The one major fault that I find with the Jump Dancer is that the rope attachment has a tendency to fall out too easily. This results in skipping... Read review

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Advantages: helps illuminate the dark nights
Disadvantages: none

...¾ inch, diameter 18mm. This torch is water and shock resistant. This torch is anodised to protect it from the elements and corrosion. The surface of the torch is rugged giving a good grip. It has a high intensity beam can be spotlight or floods an area with light. This torch will stand on its own as a candle. There is a spare bulb in the cap of the torch, takes 2 AA batteries. I find this size useful to have with me when I do not want a large torch but need something small and light, it will fit into a pocket or handbag. To turn on this light just twist the end.The beam is quite strong it has prevented me falling over many a tent guy rope at Glastonbury fest. And is a good enough lite to read with in the sleeping bag. This is a very rugged torch still working after many knocks and bangs. It is a useful torch to have in a handy place... Read review

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Advantages: it has muiltple uses
Disadvantages: you think of some

...This is a tough but very soft dog chew toy, the story is that my dog always ends up chewing all of the dog toys he gets to pieces in a matter of 2 days or less so during the Christmas period I was looking for presents for my mum and dad and I came along this, it did cost about a £5 but now that I think about it I think I was well worth every penny as it still with us now. Design Basically it is a soft toy in the middle of a rope circle which give the toy a lot of protection from within as the dog can’t seem to bite over the rope, it also show a colourful picture of a cartoon duck which help attract the dog to this, and with the design of the rope circle the toy can be used for a good tug of war as well. Outside use. The colouring is colour fast so it doesn’t wear out very fast and can also be used outside for a good game of fetch... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing visuals | Good challenge
Disadvantages: Combat can get samey | Not that long

...the palace is vast and sprawling and saves the game from becoming another generic lava/ice level. The soft shades of yellow in the game offset the beautiful lighting effects (which give Ico a run for its money) perfectly and the rooms are often large with plenty of detail. Outdoor locations fair just as well, the draw distance is surprisingly good with little sudden pop ups of scenery, and once again there is detail as far as the eye can see. There are countless little touches such as the dripping of water or the loose gravel that slides down walls when you grip onto them. The manipulation of time also sports nice distorted effects. Of paramount importance, especially in a platform game, is the fact that objects should be solid and no invisible or misleading scenery should hinder your progress or make you fall unfairly to your doom... Read review

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Advantages: See below
Disadvantages: See below

...of Bethlehem", and a Swedish song "Star of Bethlehem (Betlehems stjärna). The majesty of the traditional readings never fails to lift my spirits. Isaiah 9:2 "The people who walk in the darkness have will see a great .light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness a light will shine"; Luke 2:10-11 "Don't be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David". 5) Preparation. One of the highlights of our year as a family is when we decorate the Christmas tree. Our three children are so excited as they hang up the ornaments, and set up the small Playmobil crib to one side. At church, we light a candle each Sunday in Advent, and when all four are lit in the advent crown, we know Christmas is near. 6) The Queen's Speech... Read review

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