RPG Games

Staying Safe While Gaming

There was a time when computer gaming was time spent ‘just for me’, but with the advent of the Internet, gaming shifted from a solitary pursuit to one with almost endless social possibilities. The increasingly availability of free online Basketball Games democratized the gaming experience, removing any financial obstacle from the path of those searching the Internet for cheap ways to have some fun. The Internet has opened up an entire virtual world to anyone with a connection, and while online gaming can offer a wonderful opportunity to meet people all across the globe, the accessibility of free online Football Games also makes them vulnerable to danger. Free online games are easy to locate and play, usually only requiring the input of a gaming identity and other basic details. While most people participating in these games are undoubtedly doing so to while away those lazy free time hours, a quick glance at any news report tells us that there will always be people willing to exploit an innocent forum for their own gains. This is why online games must always be played with the same caution you would display elsewhere. While most Internet users are vigilant in monitoring closely the information with which they are willing to part online, the experience of gaming can undermine inhibitions and result in the making of poor choices. Free online Baseball Games are designed to create excitement or relaxation, and this is the very reason that we play them. But this relaxed state of mind can compromise our vigilance, and result in our revealing information that we would, at other times, keep to ourselves. Despite the camaraderie discovered playing free online games, it is important to remember that you do not really know the people with whom you are playing. While sharing some information is fine, it is always wise to avoid revealing any identifying information, such as your real name, your age, or your address. This is particularly true for small children, whose natural inhibitions are few. Monitor young children’s Internet usage at all times, and be sure they understand that online friends are not the same as real life ones. Free online gaming is a great way to spend some free time, so keep it fun by staying safe at all times. Enjoy spending time with your new virtual friends, but remember that things are not always what they seem and keep your personal information to yourself.

Southern India

Points South is a travel company specializing in Southern India.

Each client is individual and listening to their brief is the single most important aspect of planning the holiday.

Tailor made holidays give you the flexibility to get exactly what you want from your budget and time. My aim is to make your holiday as memorable, interesting and enjoyable as possible.

  “This was my first trip to India. I confess I was rather scared of the place and had avoided it in the past. But starting in Kerala was a gentle introduction to India because it is the lushest, best educated, least harsh part of the county” Monty Don, Around the world in 80 Gardens”.

 Points South prefers to promote accommodation that will give our customers a true flavour of India, therefore we do not included international hotels in our itineraries.

We make a point of trying to visit and inspect every hotel and home stay that we

feature, in order to give our customers an honest opinion.

Kerala offers a variety of places to stay from luxurious resorts on the beach or backwaters to home stays, these are located all over and offer a true Keralan experience, staying in a family home, eating home cooked food and participating in whatever the family does for a living, for example they may run a farm, live on a tea estate or run a coffee plantation. Staying at home stays is generally much better value and meals are usually included in the price. For a more spoiling experience staying at a resort set in lovely grounds, with heritage style cottages and an Ayurvedic spa is truly memorable. Fort Cochin offers a perfect location to experience the busy him of Indian city life in a Heritage enclave with many interesting hotels to stay in.

Southern India offers a variety of geographical contrasts, miles of sandy beaches along the coast give way to the back waters with over six hundred kilometers of lakes, lagoons and canals, the lush countryside beyond is where the rice is grown irrigated by the backwaters, the gentle lower slopes of the Western Ghat mountains are covered in cardamom and rubber plantations whilst higher up tea and coffee grow, dense forests provide a perfect habitat for many species of wildlife, with several National parks are located in the hill country.

What makes Kerala so green and fertile is the amount of rainfall it receives, twice a year it is drenched by monsoons firstly from the southwest in June/ July, then again from the north east in October / November. Positioned between the cooling effect of the Western Ghat Mountains and the Arabian sea. Kerala avoids the scorching dry heat affecting most of India in the summer months. The driest months are December/January / February with an average temperature of 31C. The higher the altitude the more rain and mist is to be expected, the cooler temperature in the Western Ghats provides a refreshing contrast to the humid coastal area.

The best time to visit Kerala is November to March; Karnataka November to March and Tamil Nadu December to March

 For a family holiday Southern India can be a very rewarding destination.

India is a family orientated society, children are very popular and most Indians will be very helpful towards those travelling with children.

Long journeys can be difficult when travelling with children so a simple itinerary involving two or three destinations is advisable. A trip on the backwaters , a visit to a national park, staying at a home stay  learning about a different way of life or a day spent with elephants will all be memorable experiences.

There is so much to experience in Southern India, a holiday there will be a very rewarding experience and you will return home with many interesting stories to tell. Visit Points South Holidays for a great deal on Southern Indian Holidays

Firewire Surfboards

The South West is well known for its beaches and coastal resorts, one of which is Woolacombe, popular with surfers. The beach can be found in North Devon, with other hotspots Croyde and Saunton nearby. Based in Woolacombe is the surf store Shore 2 Surf, who are major stockists of the superb surfboard range Firewire. They even have demo boards available so you can try before you buy. Their range is extensive, to suit all riders’ needs, and prices range from £449 to £599.

The cheapest surfboard, the Firewire Fishtail Surfboard, comes with a free bag and leash, and is great for those who are on a budget. It fuses together both a winning surfboard formula and the newest in technology to give you a hybrid surfboard made of only the best materials.  At the other end of the price range, is the Flexfire Direct Drive Surfboard, built from an internal carbon frame, and using the very latest in technology to give an optimum surfing performance.

 FireWire Surfboards is a fairly new surfboard brand on the scene but they have already made a big name for them self around the world. The made the original epoxy surfboard that was ridden in the WCT event. Taj Burrows rode a Firewire in the Billabong WCT Jefferies Bay event and won, which bought them to most people's attention. The basic idea behind the FireWire surfboards is to put the stringer from the centre of the surfboard where it just sits and feels boring and kind of helps to make the board stronger to the rails of the surfboard. Once you have your stringer on the rails you are able to put it to full use. Firewire Surfboard - makes your balsa rails work harder with Parabolic Balsa Wood Rails.  Firewire is dedicated to advancing surfboard performance through refining shape combined with new materials and construction techniques. They have developed three technologies in their quest to re-define the 'Future of Shape'.

 So how do you use the stringer once it rides in the rail? Balsa wood rails flex at the start of every turn and store the energy into the rail. Through the turn this stored energy is released in the form of speed. That gives you an additional boost, a kick out of the turn and greater speed. Apart from the "Put the stringer where it can help you surf" idea FireWire surfboards also play with other new technologies like sandwich structure, APS foam, epoxy resins and more. The end result is that they afford - top performance and durability. FireWire are sure to be innovators in the Surfboard field so watch this space as they are sure to come up with many innovative products in the future. Firewire Surfboards come in a large variety of sizes, the largest at the moment being 6'6 so you're sure to find exactly what you need.

 All surfboards are pioneered to give the best performance in turning and speed, and are perfect for even professional surfers. The Firewire Quadfish surfboard is designed for speed, with four fins built in, keeping the same hold power and high flat out speed of the previous Firewire keel fins, but still giving a smooth turn. Firewire Surfboards seek to give you the best of both worlds; flexibility and speed. Some very good compromises of this are the Firewire Alternator and Futura Surfboards, that give a slick performance despite their budget price.

 For the real pros and those who want to go all out on a real top quality surfboard, the Firewire Lost Formula 1 and Firewire Lost Stealth Surfboards are what you are looking for. The Formula 1 surfboard takes after its namesake, taking inspiration from the performance of F1 racing cars, harnessing the speed from its shape, perfected over twenty years to give you one of Firewire’s finest boards yet.

 The Lost Stealth surfboard is perfect for both beginners and professionals; the pulled in nose, full rails and wide tail make this board easy to use for everyone; at £589 it is a worthy investment as an excellent first surfboard.

 Other surfboards in the range include the Flexifire Series of surfboards, at an affordable price, a wide selection of surfboards to cater for any rider, and a selection of demo boards available at Shore 2 Surf in Woolacombe, why not try a Firewire surfboard out for yourself today? You may just find your perfect surfboard.

For a great deal on Firewire Surfboards visit North Devon Surf Shop - Shore2Surf today

Somerset Hotels

Nestled next to Devon on the South West coast of England, lies the beautifully picturesque coastal county of Somerset.  Somerset is the perfectly favourable contrast to the hustle and bustle of city life, boasting an inland abundance of wild and wonderful nature bursting from the untouched landscape, which is fringed with a stunning rugged coastline.

 One of Somerset’s main attractions is its long line of distinctive beaches.  Spread along the south-western coastline, lies a stunning mix of sandy and rocky beaches. The sandy beaches, such as Brean Beach or Weston Super Mare, make the perfect setting for the traditional family holiday- days lazing blissfully in the sun, building sand castles, and of course the famous donkey rides! The more rugged and rocky beaches, such as Blue Anchor or Porlock Weir, make for more adventurous days finding fossils from the days of the Jurassic dinosaurs!

 Above all, it is Somerset’s moors and nature reserves which give the area its reputation of natural beauty.  Across the county is spread a diverse mix of natural havens, alive with Mother Nature’s most fantastic flora and fauna. The Somerset Levels and Moors are a raw and unspoilt area of coastal plains and wetland which border the Severn Estuary; it is a very popular attraction for countryside walks and cycle rides with the whole family. Exmoor national Park is another scenic delight which straddles the Devon and Somerset border, covering a total of 267.5 square miles of hilly moors and edged with 34 miles of breathtaking coast.

 With all this splendour on offer, it is needless to say that when holidaying in Somerset, a central location with easy access to all that the countryside has to offer is high on the list of priorities. The Exmoor White Horse Inn fits this requirement perfectly. Situated next to the River Exe which flows through the great and dramatic depths of Exmoor, it is in the model position for exploring all that the area has to offer. The family run business boasts an impressive 28 unique and stylish bedrooms housed in a 16^th century building, all offering colour televisions, phones, radio alarms and tea/coffee making facilities. To make the break that little bit extra special, some rooms even have 4 poster beds for that touch of luxury!

The hotel’s bar and restaurant holds a true traditional ‘country pub’ thanks to its cosy and relaxed atmosphere, log fire and top selection of famous real ales and malt whiskeys (which always taste better in the country!). There is also a selection of outside seating, which lends itself the enjoyment of a proper Devon cream tea in the sun, overlooking the River Exe and surrounding rolling countryside. The hotel is proud to offer a menu of genuine, honest home cooked food, boasting a professional team of chefs who all value local produce, making the most of the countryside setting. The charm of the hotel makes for a truly memorable visit, with great links to the surrounding natural wonders, for more information and exclusive offers, visit Somerset Hotel The Exmoor White Horse Inn.

Hidden Object Games

The history of backgammon, the oldest known board game, is an interesting one that began almost 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Numerous variations of the game were adopted by other cultures throughout the history of backgammon. Archaeologists continue to discover many similar Hidden Object Games in the ruins of ancient civilizations as they explore the intriguing history of backgammon. The actual name for backgammon comes from a Welsh term meaning “wee battle.” However, the history of backgammon reflects many different names and versions. The aristocracy and slave population of Egypt and Greece played a similar game called, “senat.” The Romans changed the number of dice from two to three and called it “bac gamen” or “back game.” From the Roman civilization, backgammon moved to Persia, where it was again played with two dice in a game called “Takhteh Nard" or "Battle on Wood." During the time of the Crusades, the Anglo Saxon soldiers and traders played yet another version called “Tables” or “Tabula.” Throughout the history of backgammon, the Church attempted several times to ban the game, but always failed. Cardinal Woolsey, in the 16th century, ordered all the boards burned, calling the game “the devil’s folly.” Burning the boards was useless, however, since any type of board could be drawn in dirt or sand and played with small pebbles. Dice were often handmade and were small enough to be easily concealed on a person or hidden in someone’s home. Furthermore, the English were very clever and decided to disguise the backgammon board as a folding book. Their innovative craftsmanship is still evident in the board we use today. Edmund Hoyle, the famous writer and gamesman, documented the rules and the history of backgammon in the mid 1700’s. Colonists from England brought backgammon to their homes in America, along with chess and other Mahjong Games of the times. Although the game of backgammon lost some popularity in the Victorian era, it quickly reappeared and gained strength in the 20th century. At this time, an unknown inventor devised the doubling cube, which offers players the opportunity to multiply their initial wager by the amount on the doubling cube. Of course, some strategy and experience is needed before using the doubling cube. Tournaments, books, magazines, and clubs are now a part of the history of backgammon. The introduction of the game on the Internet has increased its popularity to an even greater extent. Backgammon is a fast-paced, challenging, and entertaining Puzzle Games of skill and luck.