Saturday, March 3, 2012

Which Came First: Santa or the Christmas Tree? | Costa Rica Travel ...

Which Came First: Santa or the Christmas Tree? PhotoYou think Santa Claus and decorated trees when you think Christmas, right? The Jolly One probably comes first as the number one symbol of the holiday, but there?s no mistaking that Christmas trees are nearly just as important when it comes to celebrating the holiday right.

Santa Claus and Christmas trees are so intertwined, so connected, in how we celebrate, it makes one think that Santa maybe even invented the Christmas tree. After all, it?s Santa who places everyone?s presents underneath the tree. Maybe back in the old days, before trees, he used to place presents under children?s beds and in the bathtub. And maybe eventually he got tired of it, and instead invented Christmas trees as a convenient and fun place for him to leave presents. Makes sense, right?

Maybe, but Santa had little to do with the real reason that Christmas trees came about. Sorry to disappoint you folks, but it was actually German Christians who started the Christmas tree celebration, way back in the 1500s. And as for decorating these trees, the story goes that one of the top Christians of them all, Martin Luther, started decorating his family?s tree in the 1500s with lit candles. He got the idea one night walking home under the stars.

Then the idea really caught on in the mid-1800s, when the Queen of England and her children started decorating a tree for Christmas. Sketches of the royal family with their decorations got put in all the major newspapers, and soon every good Englishman was starting a new family tradition: decorating their house and home with colorful decorations and freshly smelling, beautifully green evergreen trees.

In America, however, we were a little bit slow, not just with decorating Christmas trees but with celebrating Santa Claus and anything else ?extra? in their Christmas festivities. That?s because up until the very end of the 1800s, Americans saw Christmas as a very religious holiday. There was no room for chubby men in red suits, or bright decorations and candles, and even a Christmas tree. All Americans did back then was go to church service. Period.

But then the Queen of England enjoyed her Christmas tree. And many immigrants to the United States, especially the German ones, celebrated December 25 with trees, lights, and holiday cheer. Eventually, the fun caught on. In true American fashion, though, Americans not only took on the tradition of Christmas trees and decorations, they improved on it. Every thing had to be bigger, better, and more festive!

For example, at the turn of the 20th century, Europeans tended to like their trees manageable, at only about the height of your typical sixth grader. But when Americans started catching on to the tree tradition, they decided they liked their trees big, so big that they touched the ceiling of their homes.

Then Americans took it one step further with the invention of electricity in homes. Trees were braided with strings of multicolored lights. Homes were covered with decorations of every color, blinking lights, and Santa Claus statues with his sleigh of reindeer. Even towns and cities started setting up Santa Claus displays around Town Hall, as well as Christmas trees that reached to the sky.

Source: http://www.embajada-alemana-costarica.org/2012/03/santa-christmas-tree.html

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Friday, March 2, 2012

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Source: http://esportsapparel.info/519/harmonie-leotard-girls-7-16-harmonie-3-color-striped-legwarmerssweet-peaone-size.html

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Obama calls for Congress to end oil, gas subsidies (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/206967079?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Thursday, March 1, 2012

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Source: http://www.easystepfinance.com/blog/speedy-personal-unsecured-loan-without-having-delays/

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New Era Debt Solutions Offers an Excellent Debt Settlement Affiliate ...

Camarillo, CA (February 23, 2012) ? New Era Debt Solutions, a Camarillo-based debt settlement company, offers finance industry professionals a profitable opportunity to help debt-burdened clients improve their financial situation. Through their Professional Referral Partnership Program, New Era opens up a potential revenue stream for certified public accountants (CPAs), financial planners, bankruptcy attorneys, and more.

The goal of the affiliate program is to offer an excellent referral resource for finance professionals to use in order to help their clients who are looking for a way to settle debts. A win-win for all parties involved, the Professional Referral Partnership Program offers financial incentives to professionals who point their clients in the right direction.

Finance professionals can potentially earn as much as $400 each time they refer a client to New Era. The company offers $50 for each referral, an additional $100 for every referral that earns New Era a client, and a further $250 once a settlement is reached for those specific clients. Referrers can rest easy knowing that New Era has a 10-year track record of success in debt settlement which has earned New Era an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

In addition, New Era utilizes a performance-based fee model. This compensation model ? one that has been required by the Federal Trade Commission since 2010 ? defers the billing of fees until after a settlement has been reached. This means that the client does not pay upfront or monthly administrative fees. The client is not required to pay for services not rendered.

New Era has been implementing this compensation model for well over a decade. New Era?s programs average a completion period of around 27 months. Within this period, the average client realizes a savings of more than 50% even after the interest growth and miscellaneous creditors? fees have been taken into account.

Financial professionals interested in becoming a referral partner can find out more about New Era?s debt settlement Affiliate Program by visiting www.NewEraDebtSolutions.com.

About New Era Debt Solutions.

New Era has been in the business of offering people-friendly debt relief since 1999. The company helps clients become debt-free through their financial and debt elimination services. Their team of financial experts, debt relief specialists, legal professionals, and support personnel work with clients throughout the United States, settling an average of a million dollars of debt per month.

For inquiries on New Era?s programs and services, call (805) 532-9000 today.

Source: http://pressreleasefiles.com/?p=14303&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-era-debt-solutions-offers-an-excellent-debt-settlement-affiliate-program-for-finance-professionals

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Fresh Android Apps for Feb. 28: Squats Pro, Meltdown on Mars THD, Parking Frenzy 2.0 (Appolicious)

Welcome to the end of the month. Oh, that?s right, it?s a leap year which means you have one extra day this month to download some fresh Android apps. Get in shape with Squats Pro, fight to live with Meltdown on Mars THD, and practice the Y-Turn with Parking Frenzy 2.0.

Take your Android to the gym with you. With apps like this, it will help you stay on track and may even pump you up.

This app aims to increase your abilities to do squats and provides a personalized plan with sets and repetitions to get you there. Hold your Android in your hands as you drop and the app will use your device?s sensors to count for you. It?s the latest in a series of exercise apps from NorthPark that includes Push Ups, Pull Ups, and Sit Ups. The apps share information that shows your progress across the group.

One is the loneliest number! You play the last survivor of a bustling Mars colony that has been overrun by huge alien bugs. You have only one mission: stay alive long enough to get off planet or until a rescue team arrives.

Fortunately, you have some serious weapons at the ready and, as you slaughter the bugs, you earn more points with which to buy automatic gun turrets, mines, barricades and other over-powered defenses. Use the landscape to your advantage by leading the aliens down tight alleys and into corners so that you can blow them away. Don?t forget your Tegra-based tablet because that?s what the app was designed to run on.

And you thought the test for your driver?s license was tough. Unlike your standard racing game, this game focuses on stopping and, specifically, parking your car. Sounds easy except that you?ll find many challenges like yellow construction cones, traffic, one-way streets and other cars that want your spot.

On screen controls for steering, forward and reverse, and gas pedal work like a real car. Make a mistake ? like hitting a barrier ? and you?ll damage your vehicle and lose points. Park perfectly and you can level up through 16 stages. But, the reviews say you?ll be left wanting more.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_androidapps_com_articles11179_fresh_android_apps_for_feb_28_squats_pro_meltdown_on_mars_thd_parking_frenzy_2_0/44667126/SIG=141eggeh7/*http%3A//www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/11179-fresh-android-apps-for-feb-28-squats-pro-meltdown-on-mars-thd-parking-frenzy-2-0

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Nokia Lumia 900 in white hands-on

What can we say, white sets are somehow more pleasant to behold than the typical black slabs we see. Nokia's glossy N900 is no exception; in fact we're all in a heated debate about exactly which color we'd choose and which theme makes it look best. Device color aside, there's nothing new here, but we know we'd be breaking hearts if we didn't get all close and personal with the only color we've not had a chance to play with. Gallery is just past the break -- but for the record, dark theme with blue tiles looks so sharp.

Nokia Lumia 900 in white hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Qo8Uzpc5aqs/

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