Engagement Party Games

The engagement party is a time when the families of the couple will get to know one another. In some cases, this might be the first meeting between the two families or groups of friends and any icebreaker activity will be a welcome event.

In that light, whoever plans the engagement party (likely the bride's family, but it can be the engaged couple or anyone else who wants to plan the party) should plan a few games and activities designed to help everyone get to know everyone else.

First up is a trivia game. Create a "Trivial Pursuit" type game with questions about the bride and groom's lives. You might contain the questions to just facts and events relating to both the bride and groom (such as how long did it take her to say "yes" when he asked, where did he propose, where did they meet, etc), or you can include questions pertaining to their lives outside of each other and before they met each other. Not only can this be fun, but also it's an entertaining way for people to get to know each other and the engaged couple better.

One popular icebreaker that's used at corporate functions and company parties can also work really well at engagement parties. Tape a card to each person's back and encourage him or her to work the room, mingle with everyone and particularly try to get to know someone they have never met before. Before moving on to someone else, be sure to make a comment about the person on the card on his or her back. Partiers write an impression of that person, such as "she seems sweet" or "he knows a lot about the weather".

This icebreaker ends when the mingling session is over. The cards are then read one by one and people not only get to know each other better, but enjoy hearing all the comments people made about them. Try to ensure that comments are complimentary or somehow presented in a positive light. Hurtful comments, obviously, are not appropriate.

If this is truly the first time many of the guests have met, then another fun game involving the wearing of cards might be in order. In this game, each guest wears a card on their front that has their name on the front and a number on the back. They don't share with anyone what their number is. Guests mingle and chat and get to know each other over the course of the evening.

Toward the end of the evening, the cards are flipped over and the number side is shown. Everyone gets a piece of paper and writes the numbers on the paper, then tries to correspond the name of someone with their number. This fun game can be hard for people who are bad with names, but it's fun nonetheless.

For an activity that doesn't put people on the spot quite so much, consider letting the already marrieds help out the to-be marrieds. Place two pieces of posterboard on the wall and mark them "advice from women" and "advice from men". Now is the time to offer advice about wedding planning, not about being married. That advice can come later. Encourage guests to offer their own wedding planning advice. The advice from older people at the party could be decidedly different from the younger couples in the group, making for an enlightening group of comments.

Effects Of Video Games On Children

Video games came into our living room and into our life about 50 years ago. As the technology for the games improved, people recognized it as a business opportunity. With money making as the sole aim, game developers thought it fit to feed the basic cravings of humans - violence, vulgarity and perverseness. And they have been unleashing their despicable fare on the unsuspecting but highly impressionable young minds of children all these years. Researches conducted by organizations like, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have concluded that there is evidence of the cause-effect relationship between television violence and aggression among the children who watch it.

The perpetrators of this crime of poisoning young minds may argue that they do not force their ware and they rate their product as per the guidelines of Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). But  the Federal Trade Commission investigation following the Columbine High School shooting, has concluded that, "Of the 118 electronic games with a Mature rating for violence the Commission selected for its study, 83 or 70%, targeted children under 17 in their target audience."   And the irony is that most parents, who have the ultimate responsibility for their wards, are unaware of the ESRB ratings.

Research* has shown that boys play video games for an average of about 13 hours a week. It has been found that the children who play violent videogames are characterized by 1. More aggressiveness 2. Confrontation with teachers 3. Fighting with their peers     4. Decline in school achievements. All this affects the overall personality of the child in the long run. The child becomes an adult who is not team spirited, doesn't care for fellow human beings and has scant respect to traditions and practices.

The solution for all this may lie in totally banning the video games from the household. But that would be highly impractical, given the popularity of the video games and peer pressure. So, stricter legislations against marketing of mature content video games to the children should be enacted.  The industry may protest that it’s infringing their rights, but as of now, the future of the young generation is more important than the right to do business using the loops in the law. However, it would not be prudent to blame the industry as a whole for the rising aggressive and defiant attitude of the young people. There are many games which are really fun to play and playing them can actually be beneficial for the youngsters. Kids can learn about problem solving and strategy planning.

 So, the only solution left is in the hands of the parents. Parents should get to know what their kids are playing in the computers or consoles. They must find out the rating system and see that their child is playing only what has been recommended for his / her age. While it’s impossible to ban the video games altogether, it would be prudent to limit the time the kids get to play the games. Perhaps in the future, responsibility on the part of the gaming industry and increasing awareness among the parents can stem the damage.

Dressing to Win Your Golf Game

Golf is about patience, vision, and what you wear. That’s right, what you wear can have a major effect on your game.  Golf is a unique game that doesn’t always spell out a specific dress uniform for golfers, but if you aren’t thinking about what to wear your be a legend soccer hack game can suffer. Included below are some tips for golfers of any age, and a ability to improve their game by selectively choosing what they wear.

Starting at the top of the body, wearing a hat has become acceptable in golf. In the 1980’s it was visors, in the 1990’s it was hats, and in the 2000’s it’s all about hats. Tiger Woods made a statement by always wearing his signature Nike hat, and it’s not just for style. Hats can help block out the sun, which can help you improve your shot. Hats are also good was to keep your eyes confined from other players. Got a secret putting trick that you do with your eyes? Now you don’t need to let others see it, because your hat obstructs their view. Hats also can help on colder days by keeping the head warm. When the temperature drops many golfers lose their focus, by wearing your hat and keeping your head warm, your focus can always be on the game.

Golf requires a collard shirt that is as far as many clubs will instruct you what to wear. While it is important to wear a collard shirt for requirement reasons, it is also important to be selective in the shirt you select. The number one thing for golfers to consider when purchasing a golf shirt is the room it offers in the shoulders. As most experience golfers will tell you most of the swing is in the shoulders. If you are wearing a golf shirt that obstructs this part of your swing, you can be in for a long day. Conversely golfers do not want to wear baggy shirts that may also interfere with their game. Choose a comfortable shirt that will fit normal.

Pants are also required on the course for gentlemen. Your pants should have pockets. This may sound elementary, but many a golfer has left the store mad because they don’t have pockets. You’ll need pockets for your score card, tees, wallet, and what ever else you choose to bring. Be sure to purchase pants that are light weight and made of a material that won’t irate you in the sun. For example pick light weight cotton versus a wool pant. Pants also should be a comfortable fit.

Shoes in golf maybe the most important article you wear to the course. For maximum tread you need to purchase soft spiked golf shoes. These are the shoes that have soft rubber spikes naturally built into the shoe, not the metal kind. Shoes should be comfortable, and fit very well. Fit is especially important in golf because if you walk the course in shoes that don’t fit, your feet will develop blisters. Blisters can distract you from your game, and put you in the rough quick.

Overall your golf clothing choices should reflect thought, and have a theme of comfort. You want to be able to perform your best, but if you’re just picking things out of the closet you may end up playing worse than you could with some golf specific gear.