| Virtual world becoming kids' play
Webkinz is the latest "must-have" plaything for children across the United States and Canada - a cuddly soft toy which has a virtual website twin. Buying the toy, sold for $10 (about R65) and up, gains the proud owner access onto the website ( www.webkinz.com) where they have to care for, dress, entertain and generally pamper their virtual pet. .
Monday Sports In Brief
COLLEGE FOOTBALL - The same day Texas A&M entrusted its program to one former NFL head coach, Georgia Tech decided to end the tenure of another.Coaches were coming and going around college football as each school searched for a winning formula. Georgia Tech fired Chan Gailey, the ex-Dallas Cowboys coach, while Texas A&M hired Mike Sherman, the ex-Green Bay Packers coach.Indiana gave interim coach Bill Lynch a four-year contract after he led the Hoosiers to their most successful season in 14 years. Duke fired Ted Roof, who went 2-3 as an interim coach in 2003 to earn the full-time job then won just four more games the next four seasons.At Southern Mississippi and Colorado State, two longtime, successful coaches were on their way out after disappointing years. Southern Miss’ Jeff Bower resigned after 14 straight winning seasons and 10 bowl invitations in 11 years.
Christmas Cheer
There are people in the local area who need help to have a happy holiday season. They may be ill, alone or elderly. As Alamance County residents have done in the past, you can make a difference by sponsoring one of the needy through Christmas Cheer. The agency has opened its doors in downtown Burlington to begin the sponsoring process 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may sponsor one or more children by providing new toys, groceries or gift certificates if needed for Christmas dinner and winter clothing if necessary. You may sponsor an elderly person by providing Christmas dinner and providing any appropriate special request. Donations of new toys, non-perishable food or money may be made directly to Christmas Cheer. The office is located at 331 S. Main St., telephone 229-9969.
Holiday calendar—neighborhood holiday celebrations
Christmas Trees: The South Baltimore Little League sells Christmas trees at its fields, 454 E. Fort Avenue. Trees will be available until sold out. Delivery is available. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday from noon-9 p.m., and on Sunday noon-6 p.m. All proceeds benefit SBLL. Info: Darlene 410-294-3486. The Optimist Club of Dundalk will hold its annual Christmas tree sale Nov. 30-Dec. 22 at its clubhouse, 4528 North Point Boulevard. Hours are Mondays through Fridays, noon-9 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fresh wreaths and other seasonal items will also be sold. Proceeds support the Optimists' community youth programs. Info: 410-388-0320. Mitten Tree: The Department of Public Works hosts its annual mitten tree in the lobby of the Abel Wolman Building, 200 Holliday Street, beginning Thursday, Nov.
Games Asylum » The Simpsons Game
EA recently said that they were going to pull their socks up when it comes to DS development, and you can't argue with the effort they've put into this. It comes on the largest DS cart available, contains over twenty minutes of FMV, some 3,000 speech samples, a virtual Homer to play with and a handful of retro game parodies including Frogger, Space Invaders and Gauntlet. The thing is that EA themselves aren't responsible for the effort - Amaze did all the work. Oddly their company logo has been emitted from the start up sequence and isn't shown until the end credits. Bad show, EA. Although now in 2D, it follows the same story as the bigger console versions, right down to each Simpson having their own special skills. That story being that the yellow fellows know that they're in a videogame and eventually discover that they have to face their creator if they want to escape.
SPECIALS: The Pokemon Trading Figure Game
Now we've gotta spin' em all! Discuss it in Talkback! If you're a Penny Arcade reader, you've probably learned of the Pokemon Trading Figure Game. Gabe has been hawking it for a few weeks now. In fact, that's how I first learned of the game, and I swore on my dead lizard's grave that when I saw the game on the shelves of the local comic shop, I'd give it a shot. So barely more than a week ago, that day came, and I bought everything I'd need for a two-player game. And then—and this is the magical part—I got my wife to play with me. The Pokemon Trading Figure Game (TFG) is tough to understand without actually playing it. Each player has three (or six) Pokemon, and a Trainer figure. The players lay out a map, on which the action takes place.
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