As a kid growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s, and prior to the onset of Rubiks cube and skateboards; conventional board games by makers such as Waddington and Parker were common place in homes up and down the country. Frustration, Booby-trap, Mastermind, Ker-plunk, Mouse-trap, Totopoly and Soccerama were just a few of the names to be found at our house, along with action men and thunderbird models; but as a complete footy nut there was only one game that was a must have and that was…subbuteo football.

No doubt for the Xbox and PlayStation aficionado’s of today – with the marvellous graphics of their fifa and pro-evolution soccer games – the idea of flicking little figures on a weighted base around a fold out pitch, is about as appealing as a trip to the dentist; but for my brother and me subbuteo was a childhood addiction. We also developed our own unique interpretation of a match day experience which became renowned within the neighbourhood.

I am the youngest of three lads; I got on with my eldest brother ok, but being six years younger didn’t see that much of him as he was usually out with his mates; my relationship with my other bro’ however was more strained, possibly because we had to share a bedroom; but we put our differences aside for our nightly fix of subbuteo.

The rules of Subbuteo football corresponded closely with the actual game itself; with eleven players on each side, plus offside, throw-ins and corners won and conceded, just as in the real thing. One team maintained possession as long as the tiny inch high figures which were flicked made contact with the ball, although this would be surrendered if the ball subsequently hit an opposing figure; and crucially, the same figure couldn’t be used for more than three consecutive flicks. Shots at goal could be taken once the ball was over the ’shooting line’ – a line parallel to and halfway between the goal line and half-way line. Most games would usually have a duration of 20 minutes each way.

All the family were mad keen Derby County fans attending every home game in what was then a climate of extreme hooliganism. Violence was the norm as far as we were concerned, just as much part of the game then as sky sports coverage is nowadays. With this in mind we added our own bit of realism to our subbuteo exploits by introducing mobs of supporters represented by hundreds of…marbles!

My dad worked as a painter and decorator and had at some time acquired huge numbers of the little balls from a customers house; the vast majority were the multi-coloured variety, but there was also a collection of some we referred to as ’steelies’ – a kind of ball bearing and these would become our policemen!

Our home had a long corridor leading from front door to back, passing down a hall way into the kitchen; with two rooms off to one side and to the other a pantry and an under-stairs area – which for some reason we called our lobby, maybe because things were lobbed in there!? Dad had stapled the pitch to a large board – rescued from another customer’s home I believe – and that would be set up in the front room; with all the players, plus additional accessories such as: special larger pieces for free kicks and throw-ins, as well as floodlights, and TV cameras. However, our subbuteo match day would actually start in the kitchen.

This was the ‘railway station’ and a large group of ‘away’ marbles would be positioned there – having just arrived by ’special train’ – to be escorted by the ‘police’ to the ground. This would often be a source of frustration to our Mam if she was attempting to prepare a meal, but incredibly she would accept it and work around us. Large numbers of ‘home’ marbles would congregate in the pantry – which doubled as a pub and little skirmishes would break out, but would be dealt with by the ‘police’ immediately, forcing them back into the ‘pub’.

Once the main group arrived at the ‘ground’ they would be herded behind one goal with a heavy ‘police’ presence. The game would start and as players of subbuteo my brother and I were fairly evenly matched dexterity wise, so the contest would normally be relatively close. If a goal was scored then there would very often be an outbreak of marble fighting in one end, where opposition fans had infiltrated.

One thing we had to be conscious of was avoiding to kneel on the subbuteo figures – most sides had at least two players glued back on to their bases! Also, we had to ensure the front room door was properly closed otherwise matches could be interrupted by a ten stone Golden Labrador wandering across the pitch, dismantling the goal posts and crushing several players; nothing sinister just our pet dog being nosy!

At the end of the game, ‘away’ marbles would be escorted back to the ’station’, pursued by a heaving throng of ‘home’ marbles keen to engage them, and at regular intervals along the way they would do precisely that; with the entire process culminating in a mass brawl in the kitchen. This whole routine would probably take a similar length of time to an actual football match and this would happen practically every day – no wonder my school work deteriorated!

Those subbuteo games became infamous with friends and neighbours; occasionally attracting an audience, astonished at our vivid imagination and bemused with our attention to detail. I’ve absolutely no idea what happened to all those marbles – I think they must have been given away – but for me those ‘fans’ will always hold a treasured childhood memory.

Mick Burrows writes for http://www.athletes-foot-facts.info

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When the Hilton sisters emerged about a decade ago, they represented a new breed of celebrity. Noted not for their talents or even their beauty, Paris and Nikki became famous for, well, nothing. We knew where they were going and what they were doing, but we could never quite figure out why.

Soon, however, the Hilton sisters and similar celebrities seemed to be all over the place. Unlike in the past where actors, models, artists, musicians and the like were admired and followed, it seemed as though now we were following around Average Joes with no other talent than outrageous antics. Reality television because extremely popular, and we soon spent more time watching “real” satellite TV instead of comedies, dramas and other fictional programs.

Nowadays, reality television and outrageous antics have resulted in a new media atmosphere – one that entails the dogging of celebrities today more than ever before. Whereas ten years ago we followed only the Hilton sisters in their real-life events, today, we follow all celebrities in such a way. Tabloid magazines and gossip news programs play big bucks to photographers and paparazzi to search out the rich and famous day in and day out. Capturing them in interesting and often awkward positions (to subsequently talk about and often judge them) has become one of America’s favorite sports.

But what is it that interests us so much about the lives of the rich and famous? There is no one single factor.

Of course, it is only human nature to be curious about the lives of others. And in today’s society, unfortunately, being famous often means being the subject of such curiosity. Famous people have things that we don’t have, or at least things that we don’t think we have, and many of us imagine them living outrageous lives. We believe that they have access to things that we do not – money, travel, etc. – and we wonder what such access must be like.

But our interest in the personal lives of celebrities goes beyond mere curiosity. Today, reports about the lives of the rich and famous are especially ruthless. And as much as we’d like to blame the media, we are the ones who most buy into it. We enjoy seeing others suffer (to a certain extent). It makes us feel better about our own lives, sometimes, to take pleasure in the problems of others.

This is especially true in the case of the famous, whom we often feel have unmerited advantages. Seeing a seemingly ungrateful actress unable to get work makes us more comfortable with our own employment struggles. Noting the lines and wrinkles on the skin of the supposedly flawless stars on our high definition televisions helps us to feel better about our own appearances.

There are, of course, many factors involved in our obsession with celebrities. What is sure, however, is that it does not seem to be going away any time soon.

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Costume Masks have progressed far beyond simple Comedy & Tragedy masks they are now part of popular culture.

Whether it be Halloween, Mardi Gras, or a Masquerade Ball if you don’t have your mask on your not completely dressed.

They are anything but a recent invention, Ancient theater was greatly dependent on them. The now famous image of two masks, one joyful and the other sorrowful, is linked with the classical Greek theater, back in the times of playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides.

In those times, masks were used to differentiate the good from the evil, the hero from the villain. However, as time progressed, masks became decreasingly popular on stage. Later, playwrights such as Brecht and Cocteau did their bit to re-introduce them. Yet, masks had by now moved away from the world of performances and had begun its journey into popular culture.

Today they are taking on an entirely different characters other than “Phantom of the Opera Masks” they are used almost entirely for entertainment. Mask wearing previously confined to Halloween, Mardi Gras & Masquerade is now common at any large gathering. Satirical masks are by far the most common, poking fun at politicians & the famous alike.

Halloween masks have become very sophisticated, molded with liquid latex the styles are so numerous you can find masks ranging from your favorite film to your favorite animal.

Masquerade Ball Masks by contrast add elegance to the wearer the Venetian designs can vary drastically from a simple masks on sticks to highly elaborate masks incorporating Gold, Silver & Feathers.

Costume Mask.org Features a selection of both Halloween, & Masquerade Ball Masks.

The most famous women (based on online chatter) with the first name Catherine, Katherine, Cathy, or Kathy are:

10. Catherine Cookson – Author (The Hamilton series, The Tilly Trotter trilogy, The Mallen trilogy)

9. Kathy Hilton – Socialite and mother Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton

8. Catherine Hardwicke – Film Director (Twilight, Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen)

7. Catherine Deneuve – Actress (The Last Metro, Indochine, Belle de Jour)

6. Kathy Najimy – Actress (Veronica’s Closet, King of the Hill, Sister Act)

5. Katherine Harris – Politician, former controversial Florida Secretary of State

4. Catherine Tate – Actress (Doctor Who, The Catherine Tate Show, Wild West)

3. Katherine Jenkins – Musician (Time to Say Goodbye, Green Green Grass of Home, Bring Me To Life)

2. Kathy Griffin – Actress, Comedian and Media Personality (Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Hollywood Squares, Suddenly Susan)

…and the most famous woman named Catherine, Katherine, Cathy, or Kathy is…

1. Katherine Heigl – Actress (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth)

Not making the top 10 list were Cathy Dennis – Musician and Songwriter (Toxic, About You Now, I Kissed a Girl), Cathy Guisewite – Cartoonist (Cathy daily Comic Strip), Cathy Rigby – US Olympic Gymnast and Actress, Catherine Bell – Actress (JAG, Army Wives), Catherine Bennet – Character in the Jane Austin novel Pride and Prejudice, Catherine Crier – TV Host (Catherine Crier Live, Crier Today, The Crier Report), Catherine Earnshaw – Character in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, Catherine Howard – Fifth wife of King Henry the Eighth of England, Catherine Keener – Actress (Being John Malkovich, Capote, Lovely and Amazing), Catherine Ohara – Actress (Home Alone, Best in Show, The Nightmare Before Christmas), Catherine Parr – Sixth and last wife of King Henry the Eighth of England, Catherine Tramell – Character in the movie Basic Instinct, Kathy Bates – Actress (Misery, Titanic, Primary Colors), Kathy Ireland – Model and Designer (Sports Illustrated, Kathy Ireland Worldwide), Kathy Lette – Author and Journalist (Puberty Blues, Foetal Attraction, Mad Cows), Kathy Reichs – Author (The Bones Series including Bare Bones, Break No Bones, 206 Bones), Kathy Whitworth – Professional Golfer (Three LPGA Championships, Two Titleholders Championships, One Western Open), Katherine Moennig – Actress (The L Word, Young Americans, Three Rivers).

An excellent mix of occupations for the Catherine, Katherine, Cathy, and Kathy – with one musician (Jenkins), one politician (Harris), one film director (Hardwicke), one socialite (Hilton), one author (Cookson), and five actresses (Heigl, Griffin, Tate, Najimy and Deneuve).

I compiled this list by searching for each of the Catherines, Katherines, Cathys, and Kathys on a number of search engines and ranking them by the number of web pages, discussion forums, photos, videos, etc that are available online.

Larry Truett is a freelance computer programmer living in San Diego, California with his wife and their three cats. He enjoys hiking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activities.

Get complete Numerology for the names Catherine, Cathy, Katherine, and Kathy at http://www.NameNum.com.

Face painting is an easy and pleasurable way to spend some quality time with your kid. Not only that, but it is a lot of fun too.

There are many do-it-yourself face painting kits available in the market. While they may be a little above your budget, you do not need to worry. Face paint is not as difficult as it sounds like. However, that does not mean that you do not need to take any precautions, when using face paint. It is a fun activity for kids and adults alike, but it demands some caution from the adults. Whenever you indulge in a face paint spree with your kid, make sure that you do not take any risks.

Face paint is easily available in the market. Usually, you only require some basic primary colours to get started. Again, it depends on the occasion. If you want face paint for a school activity of your kids, you may have to take into account what the teacher has demanded. If the paint is just for a day, filled with fun activity for your kid, you can purchase the primary colours, along with black and white.

If, however, you require paints for a simple or a themed birthday party, you may want to go for the brighter shades. Themed birthday parties would require stencils or creative designs to be face painted on the faces of kids. For girls, it can be a fairy themed birthday, and if that is the case, you can paint flower petals, fairies and hearts on the faces of the girls. For boys, it can be an action figure themed party. For boys, you would then need to create stencils revolving around Batman, Superman or perhaps the Power Rangers.

Some basic designing ideas that you can use for face painting include primary shapes. To make designs on your own, you can start with connecting shapes to make a new design. If you are new to face painting, it is advised that you make use of stencils, made and cut out beforehand.

There are a variety of stencils available in the market. You can make one yourself at home as well. All you require is a thick paper, such as card sheet or chart paper. Draw the design you wish to paint on the face of the child. Once you are satisfied with your design, cut it out using a sharp pair of scissors and put it aside for use later.

Face paint designs depend on the preference of your kid. Some kids want large designs on their faces, whereas others like smaller designs. Some possible areas, where you can paint, are the forehead, cheeks and chin. Take care that you do not use paint too close to the ears and eyes.

You can use your creativity and imagination to create whatever designs you want. Maybe your child is into polka dots, and you can experiment with that. Or, you might want to try various coloured stripes. The next time you are watching a football match with your kid, try painting a football on his face and see the delight in his eyes.

You can buy a wide range of face painting kits and other Face Paint supplies online.