Act i. Sc. 1.)"Christmas begins about the first of December with an office party and ends when you finally realize what you spent, around April fifteenth of the next year." (P.J. O'Rourke, Modern Manners, 1984)"For a halo up in heavenI have never been too keen.Who needs another gadgetThat a fellow has to clean."(E.Y. Yarburg, The Man who has Everything, 1965)"What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?Answer: Claustrophobic" (Anonymous)HOW TO COOK A CHRISTMAS TURKEYStep 1: Go buy a turkeyStep 2: Take a drink of whiskey (scotch) OR JDStep 3: Put turkey in the ovenStep 4: Take another 2 drinks of whiskeyStep 5: Set the degree at 375 ovensStep 6: Take 3 more whiskeys of drinkStep 7: Turn oven the onStep 8: Take 4 whisks of drinkyStep 9: Turk the basteyStep 10: Whiskey another bottle of getStep 11: Stick a turkey in the thermometerStep 12: Glass yourself a pour of whiskeyStep 13: Bake the whiskey for 4 hoursStep 14: Take the oven out of the turkeyStep 15: Take the oven out of the turkeyStep 16: Floor the turkey up off of the pickStep 17: Turk the carveyStep 18: Get yourself another scottle of botchStep 19: Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey(Anonymous).

"Locations must have lots of snow, its critical to the story line" Chairman, John Cummings, commented. "Our Production Team hope to close on a network placement of "Leroy's Christmas" in January, prior to the annual National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) conference in Las Vegas" Cummings said. This will be MPC's first High Definition production using the latest cameras developed by Panasonic. "We've been attending seminars with industry colleagues, learning everything we can to make the "look" a success, the story is already a winner, if the look is there our audiences will be very pleased", Cummings added. Also on next years slate will be finding a "home" for the "2005 Hollywood Gospel Insider Awards".

The telecast is the number one priority for the new year. Negations began, introducing this high powered music awards presentation and spiritually entertaining one hour television special to the TV networks. The "live-to-tape" program will be shot in May at Universal Studios Hollywood Hilton Hotel Ballroom. The star studded line up of top Gospel artist will be American Idol, Ruben Studdard, Bishop Edwin & Walter Hawkins, (Oh Happy Day) Kurt Carr, Beverly "Bam" Crawford, Afeni Shukar (Tupac's Mom) Co-Host Comedian/Movie Stars Don "DC" Curry & Sheryl Lee Ralph, and a host of others. Program logistics will be cleared by February to concentrate on the creative presentation, security concerns and production elements.

Details will soon be released on the development and progress of the feature film "Take My Hand", based on the life of Dr. Thomas A. Dorsey "The Father of Gospel Music". For additional information on these projects, please contact MPC Chairman, John Cummings, at 818-566-8995, or e-mail protected from spam bots.

Yes, a place for a holiday loan to take you to the place you have in mind for so long. Holiday loans are basically categorized under personal loans. Personal loans, as you must know, are loans taken to secure your personal requirements. The loan taken in order to go for a holiday is a holiday loan. A holiday loan can be both secure and unsecured.

If you are a homeowner in UK then you can apply for a secured holiday loan in order to fund your vacation.A secured loan will be provided to you against a guarantee of your home. The interest rates are normally quite low for the simple fact that you have committed some property for the loan you have taken. The advantages of a secured holiday loans is, in addition to lower rate of interest, that the repayment terms are very flexible and the amount you are allowed to borrow is relatively high. You are even allowed to pay your holiday loan early, if you are comfortable with it.Well if you think that being a resident in UK and not a homeowner jeopardizes your chances of taking a holiday loan. Then, I must ask you where have you been living? You definitely haven't gone out much.

You must apply for a holiday loan. Oh! I haven't told you how that is possible. An unsecured holiday loan can give you the benefit of a holiday loan. For an unsecured holiday loan, you don't have to place any collateral. Thus, you can travel anywhere in the world even though you don't have enough money to own a home.A Holiday loan is usually a short term loan.

The amount you require and the time schedule for repayment should be decided keeping in mind your cash inflow. This is necessary so that your repayment is on time. Major holidays like Christmas and Easter usually bring with them expenses. You are pressurized by family and your own aspirations might tempt you to indulge in extravagance like traveling and shopping. A holiday loan is the ideal solution for this circumstance.

The loan lending companies available online not only will provide you finance but provide you information about where to stay, what places to visit, where to shop, what to see. Not only this, they arrange for you the tickets, hotels, cab services etc. All you have to do is to click online and all the information will be made available to you in a matter of seconds. Numerous varieties of holiday loan are available to suit your needs and requirements. You can repay the loan between three to ten years.

The far-sightedness of the loan lending companies will benefit you in taking the loan ideal to satisfy your motives. You can make use of their experience for your own benefits.With so many options accessible, there is a room for people who have bad credit history. People with unimpressive personal credit history have also applied for holiday loans. CCJs, IVAs, defaults, arrears discharged bankers have also been considered and been successful in acquiring a holiday loan. It is interesting to see how there is a holiday loan created for any circumstance and condition.

So, if you are a salaried person, employed, self-employed, unemployed or a housewife, retired, or a homemaker you are still eligible for a holiday loan.Enough of damp and cold weather of Britain! You would certainly want to see the sky in some other country, bask in the sun and sip cocktail under the lush palm trees, ski in Switzerland, unravel the enigma of Pyramids, go on a cruise. Enough of watching the world through the net. Don't have the money? Don't dampen your spirits! Get a holiday loan.On behalf of The Personal Loan Company UK www.chanceforloans.co.uk.

We had every crafty country decoration imaginable. Although I thought at one time that you could just toss all these things into a room and have style, I've learned since that there are very definite ways to create crafty country rooms that men are still willing to enter.Crafty country is great, but if you are not careful, your husband may be ready to kick you out of the house. Country design tends to be frilly and a bit girly, and your husband may not approve. One way to create a home that is comfortable for everyone is to use wooden flea market items and ruffled curtains sparingly. Not every room in your home needs to have a cow or duck in it.

You can create a beautiful country sitting room with a comfortable plaid couch, slightly ruffled curtains, and a couple of stencils on the wall; the room is still definitely country, but at the same time your wooden coffee tables may have somewhat modern lines so that the males in your home enjoy the room too.Another way to bring country design to the whole family is to let your husband add his own touches to the decoration. I'm not saying you should let him put antlers on every part of the walls, but if he hunts, you should allow him to have at least one or two rooms (maybe in the back of the house) where he can display his animals. If he doesn't hunt, you could simulate the more manly country style by integrating rustic decor items such as an antler chandelier or floor lamp. Another option is to bring in old farming tools or hunting traps to display on the walls. Old items like these bring a manly air to the house, and they are interesting pieces that will give your guests something to talk about.

They can also give the room a settled, sturdy feeling; something about the tools makes a room seem safe and secure. Using a few of these tools or items throughout your home can really make your crafty country them come to life.Crafty country is a great way to design as long as you remember one word: moderation. The frills and flowery stencils of this design are not the only parts of it. Another part of country is simply that you are crafty and you create your own unique items. Make a desk out of an old door; make screens out of window shutters; use an old window with berries and holly glued on to make a beautiful Christmas decoration.

Being creative is really the most wonderful part of the crafty country style. Your friends will marvel at your ingenuity as you create a style that is yours and yours alone.? 2005, . This article is provided courtesy of The Do It Yourself Home Decorating Network - http://www.diyhomedecorating.com - a large and growing decorating and decor website featuring articles, tips, advice, and popular decor shopping..

"We are thrilled to partner with Santa and his team to have created the only kids browser that was designed to protect children from pornography, hate, drugs, violence and online predators and is branded and endorsed by Santa himself."For more information on Santa Surfer please visit www.SantaSurfer.com.To interview Mr. Writer call 760-233-2863 or contact us at http://www.childrenseducationalnetwork.com/aboutus/contactus.asp..

A design with Disney characters would be nice just like a design with Finding Nemo characters and a design with our all time favorite superheroes like batman, superman, incredibles!They are not just for kids they are for adults too. Sweethearts, for example has a lot of moments to share by just seeing the gifted pillow. The expression of "This was the pillow you gave me on my birthday, I liked it so much so sweet" just goes out in the mouth.So when choosing the gifts for seasons like Christmas try to include pillows in your list.Try this site for example http://dakki.isnare.com you will surely see the pillow your child, sweetheart, and love ones wanted..

Butler has been an active duty chaplain in the Air Force for over 10 years and a priest ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston for 15 years. He is currently performing a 4-month tour of duty at Manas base in Kyrgyzstan.About Neil Ralley:Ralley created and launched the website Stained Glass Photography (http://www.stainedglassphotography.com ) in 2002 to provide free access to his photographs of vintage stained glass. The site became a Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) Pick of the Day barely a month after it was launched and has attracted a significant following. Ralley strongly believes that stained glass represents an important part of the American artistic heritage which is at risk and that it should be properly documented as well as being preserved for future generations..

They also had an ending. The crop that had been planted was now being harvested. Then it would all begin again. We do not all have work like this. My musings started the first of October this year, as I volunteered a lot of time working at the church's pumpkin patch, which raises $50,000 each year for local charities.

Most of the time I just sold pumpkins, but two Saturdays we unloaded huge trucks of pumpkins hauled in from a Navajo pumpkin farm in another state. We formed a chain of humans and passed the pumpkins down the line to eventually be arranged on the church lawn. On one side of me were 2 parolees doing community service time. They talked about how much better this job was than the one they'd done earlier, and how nice it was to be out in the sunshine. Both of them expected to be "out" by Christmas.

I didn't ask them what they were "in" for. On the other side of me were teenagers from the youth choir who complained a lot about how hard it was and had to be reminded to pay attention. I'm sure they couldn't imagine working at anything for 8 hours in a row, especially something so, like, boring, dude. The pumpkins came down the line in various sizes and shapes, shiny and wet, some with dirt on them. It was very primal.

I wondered if the Navajos on the other end of the process had formed a line to pitch them into the truck. And if they took pride in their work. If they even saw the marvel of the pumpkins any more.One time there was a middle-aged woman standing next to me. "You're a good worker," she said. "You don't complain." If only she knew how much I was enjoying myself.

"I was raised with the work ethic," I said. It's stood me in good stead. Having been taught that work was work and play was play somehow frees me from the "complaining" side and allows me to enjoy work. Most of the time anyway. As the pumpkins passed by us we noted you couldn't tell how much one would weigh by looking.

There were some surprises. It's the density.Such different shapes, too. "Squash" someone would yell and down would come a pumpkin that didn't know it was a pumpkin. Sometimes nature errs. What is the line between "pumpkin" and "squash" anyway? One or the other must have been a mutant at some time.

How exciting to discover one. There's no such thing as a mistake, I'm reminded. Twice a "perfect" pumpkin came down the line and work slowed as each person paused to admire it. No one reprimanded, "Move it along." We understood our mutual need to appreciate perfection when it comes our way. Once in a lifetime ? twice on the pumpkin line ? life is sweet indeed.

We have the archetype of the perfect pumpkin, and the perfect woman, and the perfect love affair, and the perfect job. (Hope you've had yours!) I enjoy that kind of work a lot. Touching things with my hands, physical labor. It's a nice change of pace for me. I work with my head, with people, with ideas, and with computers.

We were a human assembly-line and I thought of the people who do that kind of work for a living. Maybe you do. We were able to talk, and were outside on two beautiful, sunny, breezy days. And it was only for 3 hours. I wondered what it would be like 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Abruptly it was over. "No more," they yelled, and we passed it on down the line. As we workers scattered, I gazed over the sunny scene. The pumpkins, which had grown on the ground were back there, only clean, and arranged orderly by size this time. Ashes to ashes, I thought, to the same place returneth, but then the scene became dynamic.

The pumpkins had a lot in store for them. Already some were being used as backdrops for family photographs, while others were being carted off to become a jack-o-lantern, lawn pumpkin, or pumpkin pie. My job, now completed, was part of a much larger scenario, yet from it I had harvested much. At Thanksgiving time, a time of harvest and bounty, I invite you to reflect on your work and your life -- the mission and meaning side of it. The planting of the seed part of it.

The reaping what you have sown part of it. Have you? Will you?.

It will also lower your stress level. The last thing you want now is the flu or a virus. Exercise and diet will keep you healthy, keep your energy up and your stress level down.2. Shop early! Last minute shopping is stressful. And drivers are stressed out.

Fender benders during the weeks before Christmas happen more often than other times. Everyone has his mind on more than usual and less on the road.3. Buy six extra gifts that you can give to anyone -- just in case you forget, or someone you didn't expect to gift you does. Not having gifts you need is a real stress bucket, and it's easy to take out your frustration on those around you. Don't.

Avert the whole fight by being prepared.4. Make sure you have three or four great Christmas party outfits that are fool proof -- not just one -- in case someone spills red wine on your favorite white cashmere "party" sweater, someone shrinks something you need, or the dry cleaner can't find the silk skirt you were planning to wear for New Year's Eve. My books Think & Date Like A Man (for woman) and Date out Of Your League (for men) have wardrobe tips and advice that will put you at the top of everyone's Best Dressed List, at every occasion ? even if you're on a budget.5. Make sure you plan enough private couple time for you and your girlfriend or boyfriend (or husband or wife). It's easy to lose intimacy with the daily hubbub, and frankly, nothing is more romantic than having a night before Christmas dinner for two out.

Keep the Christmas spirit sizzlin'!6. Do something for someone else and do it with your boyfriend or girlfriend or the whole family. Nothing reminds us what the Christmas spirit is about more than giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. Volunteer at a hospital, a shelter or a soup kitchen with your family. Suddenly you may realize you've been sweating the small stuff at home.7.

Go easy on the drinking. New Year's Eve is one of the biggest drinking nights, and aside from traffic accidents attributed to drunk driving, all it takes to spark a fight is one too many rum toddies. Pace your drinking. Make sure you eat. Take a few aspirin and drink a lot of water before going to bed after a big party night.8.

Make a vow not to fight with your family, and ask your boyfriend or girlfriend to help you keep it. Remember your vows before you go into a family dinner or party.9. Turn off the phone for an hour each day. You can return calls when you turn it back on. They can all wait while you relax and enjoy the holiday.10.

Have a quickie to break all the tension.Dubbed "The new millennium's Dear Abby," April Masini is America's foremost internet dating and relationship expert, author of the critically acclaimed ' Ask April' advice column and AskApril.com, as well as the best-selling book, Date Out Of Your League. With over 1,500 national and international appearances, interviews, reviews, and opinion pieces with such notable media organizations as MSN, CNN, ABC, FOX, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Fitness, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan , Maxim, Yahoo! (and that is just the tip of the iceberg? For more dating tips and relationship advice, with dating advice expert, April Masini, visit AskApril.com.