Enjoy family gaming with these 10 Best Xbox 360 Family Games! These game picks are very enjoyable and you won't feel guilty for ignoring the kids! The majority of these great games can be purchased at budget prices, and each will provide hours of family fun.

Just don't get mad when your ego is bruised because you got powned by your 6 year old in Sega Superstars Tennis or Viva Pinata. . . You have been warned!

Lego Rock Band: Now the entire family can enjoy the road to rock stardom! Contains some old favorites as well as some current hits, this game has tunes the whole family will love. Feature's Rock n' Roll challenges such as: Defeating a giant robot, demolishing a skyscraper, or storm summoning; all using the power of rock! Also features customization for your whole band. Climb the ladder to success by earning better equipment, vehicles, and furniture for the rock bands hangout. Has an easier skill level for the youngsters. *Note-This game requires a guitar peripheral

Viva Pinata: Create a living garden! Influence and control the environment in order to create your own unique pet paradise! The contents you choose to create your world's environment will determine which pinata species will be attracted to live there; as each has there own special requirements. Plant tree's and plants, use ornaments, and build structures in order to create the prefect pinata paradise. You will need to bond with and understand each unique personality type in order for them to live in and thrive in your community. Excellent choice for a night of family gaming!

Rated: Everyone

Lego Indiana Jones + Kung Fu Panda (2 Game Set): Kung Fu Panda-Master the unique kung fu fighting styles and abilities of Po, Shifu, and the "Furious Five". Level up in order to collect achievements and upgrades with special moves. Earn upgrades to build Po's agility, speed, and strength. Lot's of fun for sure! Lego Indiana Jones-The adventure of the Indiana Jones films with the fun of Lego's. You can relive moments from the movies such as escaping from the snake pit! Unlock familiar favorite characters and create new one's with all unique features. Use Indy's whip to activate levers, attack, swing across chasms, and more. Play with friends or family members to battle enemies and escape from sticky situations.

Microsoft Children's Miracle Network Games Bundle (includes 3 games! ): Viva Pinata Party Animals, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Shrek The Third.

An incredible value, TON'S of fun for the kid's and family alike, great for parties too. Very popular games, especially for ages 3-10. Each game is individually packaged, so they make great stocking stuffers! And 100% of Microsoft's net proceeds from this Family Games pack go to support local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Sega Superstars Tennis: Features 16 of Sega's most popular characters such as Nights, Sonic, Ai Ai, and more! Hours of family gaming fun with (up to) 4 player multiplayer games, tournaments, and even unlockable special events. My kids and I love playing this game together on family gaming night, and so will yours! Notable kids favorites are such things as each playable character has a special "superstar ability" which unlocks temporarily to give a winning edge and guaranteed laughs. Also there are a choice of 10 different courts to play on, such as: Sonic's lush Green Hill Zone, Ulala's Space Channel 5 world, carnival, House of the Dead: Mansion, and others. There are even 4 tournament modes for unlocking extra bonus content. Also of note: The soundtrack consists of classic Sega songs reproduced in full Dolby Digital 5. 1, and my daughters LOVE the music! This game is sure to bring your family hours of racket smashing fun!

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4: Experience your favorite Harry Potter movie moments through the video game! Explore classic movie settings including Hogwartscastle, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade. LEGO Hogwarts castle is an incredible, 3-D environment and the most detailed LEGO game location ever created. Be a wizard and play as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger or any one of over 100 possible character options. Learn magic by attending magic classes, learning to cast spells, mixing potions, flying around on broomsticks, and completing special tasks to earn points. Even features multiplayer co-op, so your team can play through Harry's first 4 years at Hogwart's together both online and off.

Cars-Pretty simple, and simply FUN! All the same voice actors from the movie are featured in the game. Rip roaring racing fun playing as your favorite Cars character while helping Lightning McQueen capture the cherished Piston Cup Championship! Have fun racing through and tearing up the town of Radiator Springs for hours on end. Probably more for the 4-10 year old crowd, I had fun helping the kids play this so we could see the cut scenes.

Lego Indiana Jones 2-The Adventure Continues: Features the wit and non-stop action of Indiana Jones mixed with the fun and creativeness of Lego's! This second installment follows the escapades of Dr. Jones' from the jungles of South America to the Peruvian Ruins and beyond. This game provides a truly amazing and unique gaming experience as it not only allows the player to create their own custom levels, but it allows players to combine these levels with those already part of the game, a TRULY CUSTOMIZED gaming experience like no other! Provides new Kingdom of the Crystal Skull playable characters such as Mutt Williams, and use special abilities such as Oxley's Crystal Skull Power. All new levels with all new vehicles, such as planes, boats and mine carts! Even Indie's whip has new powers, such as grabbing the bad guys and throwing them over his shoulder. It is even helpful for solving puzzles as well! 2 player co-op encourages parents to experience the fun as well.

SpongeBob's Truth or Square: A funny game about (what else? ) the laughable hijinks that occur when Spongebob loses Mr Krabs top secret Krabby Patty recipe!

In a fit of desperation from losing the formula, Spongebob joins force with Plankton to fight to retrieve the formula, although Plankton wants the formula for himself. Together they utilize Plankton's memory machine to jog Spongebob's memory and hopefully find the secret Krabby Patty formula in time for the Krusty Krab's Eleventy Seventh anniversary. Levels are based upon different episodes from the cartoon.

Great looking all new levels, excellent multiplayer game play, and wonderfully accurate skill level settings make this game a winner for the whole family!

LEGO Batman: Fight on the side of good as Batman or Robin; or evil as Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze or one of 8 other super villians. Will you fight to save Gotham City or to destroy it? The choice is yours! The villains have escaped Arkham Asylum. Fight your way across rooftops and through sewers with new moves, special superhero power-suits (the magnetic suit was my kids favorite), and unique weapons for each playable character. Build your own Lego versions of the Batmobile, Batboat, and even the Batwing. Designed for standard two-player drop-in/out cooperative play, the game feature's 18 different levels throughout 3 different story arcs. You and your kids are sure to want to play this game together again and again, as you will have a blast like we did! I really hope you and your family have as much fun with your family gaming as we have playing these great games. we have played 7 of these titles together and the other 3 picks (#1, 4, and 6) have been added because of recommendations by personal friends and/or family members who have actually played them.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Soren, a young owl, is enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. When Soren and his older brother Kludd fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones, Soren makes a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians -- Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

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Religion

The Greek population is composed of 97% Christian Orthodox (with the remaining 3% comprising of Roman Catholic, Muslims and Jews). According to the history of Orthodoxy it was St Paul who first came to the Greek world to preach Christianity in 49AD. But the real founder of Orthodoxy was Emperor Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity in the 4th century. Officially and as in all European countries the Greek State and the Orthodox Church are separate, however the Greek Orthodox Church has great power in Greek society.Baptism

Children of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Orthodoxy sees baptism as more than a mere washing but a rebirth. Baptism is by full immersion because the word "baptizo" means - to immerse. During the service the water is blessed and the infant fully immersed in the water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. According to the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church ONE name of Orthodox Christian origin should be given to the child at the time of baptism. The child is anointed with olive oil and then dressed in the new clothes especially purchased for this occasion alone. Four locks of hair are cut from the child's head in the sign of the cross. The role of the God parents is an important one, since the infant is unable to make the necessary confession of Faith, the Godparents stand and accept the responsibility.Marriage

Within the Orthodox Church marriage is seen as an act of God in which he sanctifies the joining of two people into one. Marriage in the Orthodox Church has two distinct parts: The Betrothal and The Crowning.The Betrothal includes: The exchange of the rings, the procession, the declaration of intent, and the lighting of candles. The priest blesses the rings, holds them in his right hand, and makes the sign of the cross over the Bride and Grooms heads. The exchange of rings symbolizes the unbreakable bond of Christian Marriage and the rings are placed on their right hands, for it is the right hand of God that blesses and it was the right hand of God to which Christ ascended.The Crowning includes: The readings from the epistle and gospel, the Blessing of the Common Cup, the Dance of Isaiah, and then the Removal of the Crowns. The focal point of the crowning ceremony is the exchanging of the wedding crowns (stefana) which are joined by a ribbon symbolizing the unity of the couple and the presence of Christ who blesses and joins the couple and establishes them as the King and Queen of their home. The priest takes the two crowns and blesses The Bride and The Groom, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and then places the crowns on their heads. The Koumbaro (best man) then steps behind the Bride and Groom and interchanges the crowns three times as a witness to the sealing of the union. Wine is then drunk by the couple from the Common Cup which serves to impress upon the couple that from that moment on they will share everything in life. Whilst three hymns are chanted the priest leads the Bride and the Groom in a circle around the table (the Dance of Isaiah) on which the Gospel and the Cross are placed. The circle symbolizes eternity and the triple circling honours the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of the Ceremonial Walk, the priest removes the crowns thus ending the marriage ceremony.There is no exchange of vows. There is a set expectation of the obligations incumbent on a married couple, and whatever promises they may have privately to each other are their responsibility to keep. Finally there is the greeting of the couple. Divorce is rare in the Orthodox Church.National Holidays

1st January - New Years Day6th January - Epiphany

Orthodox belief acknowledges this as the day of the baptism of Jesus and this is where the day's association with water stems from, so it is on this day that the traditional blessing of the waters takes place. Part of the ritual is when the Priest throws the cross into the cold January waters and young men brave the icy temperatures to dive in and retrieve it. The one who brings the cross to the surface will enjoy good luck for the entire year.30th January - Three Heirarchs Day

This school holiday commemorates St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian and St John Chrysostom, although each Saint has their own special day to honour them individually the 30th January honours them collectively as the Patron Saints of Education as they are considered the Fathers of Orthodox Education and Literacy.25th March - This day has dual status as both a National and Religious holiday:- The Feast of the Annunciation

Marks the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God.

- Greek Independence Day

The celebration of the start of the Greek Revolution when the Greeks rose up against the oppressive Ottoman Empire which had occupied Greece for 400 years. After a long and bloody struggle, independence was finally granted by the Treaty of Constantinople in 1832.Easter

The Greek Orthodox Easter is calculated on the Julian calendar whilst the Western Church uses the Gregorian calendar and this is why the festivities do not usually occur on the same day. Greek Orthodox Easter should fall on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox and this is why Easter and the holidays related to it are moveable feasts.Clean Monday

This is the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Lent which occurs at the beginning of the 7th week before Easter Sunday Referred to as 'clean' because Christians are called upon to begin the Holy season with 'clean hearts and good intentions'. Marks the beginning of the Lenten Fast the period during which the Greeks abstain from eating meat, fish, poultry and diary. Families take to the beaches and countryside to celebrate with outdoor picnics and the widespread custom of flying kites.Megali Evthomatha (Holy Week)

The Holy week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday and Church services commemorating the last week in the life of Jesus Christ are held everyday.Holy Thursday

Thursday mornings service commemorates the Last Supper and the Betrayal of Christ and is the day the Greeks prepare the Red Eggs. Hard boiled eggs are dyed red to signify the blood of Christ.Good Friday - The Procession of the Epitaphios of Christ.

The Epitaphios is a large piece of cloth embroidered with the image of Christ. On this day Greek women and children go the Church to decorate the symbolic coffin (that will carry the Epitaphios) with flowers. Christ's burial is re-enacted in Church and in the evening the Epitaphios is taken from the Church and carried through the streets in a solemn procession.Easter Saturday

The Saturday midnight mass is the one dedicated to the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Each person takes an unlit candle to the Church. Just before midnight the Church lights are extinguished. At exactly midnight the Priest comes from behind the altar carrying a candle lit with the Holy light of the Resurrection. He will announce 'Christos Anesti' (Christ has arisen) to which the reply is 'Alithos Anesti' (Truly he has risen) and he will light the candle of someone inside the Church and then the flame is passed from candle to candle filling the Church with light. The Church bells ring joyfully and fireworks are set off. People carefully return home with their lighted candles and before entering their houses make a cross with the candle smoke on the front door in order to bless its inhabitants. They will feast on Magiritsa a thick soup made from Lambs sweetmeats and herbs and crack the red eggs. Each person takes an egg and challengers attempt to crack each others eggs. The owner of the last uncracked egg is assured good luck for the rest of the year.Easter Sunday

Visits are made to family and friends and the Easter meal which is truly a feast is shared with everyone. Spit roast lamb is the centrepiece of the table accompanies by salads, rice dishes, vegetable dishes and breads. Retsina, wine and ouzo flow ensuring that celebrations last throughout the day and into the night.Easter Monday

A more low key day with everyone preparing to return to work and school.1st May - Labour Day

The day when flower festivals take place in many parts of Greece and many Greeks collect flowers to make wreaths to hang from their doors.15th August - Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Also known as the Feast of the Dormition it is the biggest Holy day of the summer as it Commemorates the ascent into Heaven of the Virgin Mary after her death.28th October - Ohi Day

The famous 'No' day in 1940 that commemorates the Greek Dictator Ioannia Metaxas rejection of the Italian Dictators demand to allow Axis bases on Greek territory, thus entering Greece into World War II on the side of the Allies.25th December - Christmas Day

Although gaining in significance, Christmas is not considered as important as Easter to the Greeks as the Faith itself centres around the Resurrection rather than the birth or death of Jesus Christ.26th December - Boxing DayName Days

In Greece a person's Name Day is considered more important than their birthday and is always celebrated. Great significance is attached to the naming of a child and the process of choosing a name follows fairly rigid conventions. Children are never named after their parents but more usually after their grandparents, with the eldest son in the family being named after his paternal grandfather and the eldest daughter being named after her paternal grandmother.Names are usually of religious origin. According to the Greek Orthodox tradition nearly every day of the year is dedicated to a Christian Saint or Martyr. When someone is named after one of these Saints, this day becomes their name day and is celebrated.Some popular name days:

7th January - Yiannis/Yianna

10th January - Grigoris

17th January - Antonis/Antonia

3rd February - Stamatis/Stamatia

10th February - Charalambous

25th March - Evangelos/Vangelis

15th April - Leonidas

23rd April - Yiorgos/Yiorgia

5th May - Irini

21st May - Constantinos/Constantina/Eleni

29th June - Petros/Pavlos

7th July - Kyriaki

20th July - Elias/Eliana

24thJuly - Christina

6th August - Sortiris/Sortira

15th August - Maria/Despina (married)

30th August - Alexandros

14th September - Stavros/Stavroula

17th September - Sophia

29th September - Kyriakos

20th October - Artemis

23rd October - Iakovos

26th October - Dimitris/Dimitra

8th November - Michalis/Angelos/Gavriel/Stamatis

14th November - Philippos/Philippa

21st November - Maria/Despina (unmarried)

30th November - Andreas

5th December - Savvas

6th December - Nikos/Nikolas/Nikoleta/Nikolina

27th December - Stephanos/StephaniaEach island or area in Greece has a patron saint, and people living in that area often name a child after its Patron Saint, for example:

St Dimitrios - Thessaloniki

St Andrew - Patras

St Dionysos - Zakynthos

St Gerassimos - Kefalonia

St Spyridon - Corfu

St Nectarios - Aegin

The Green Hornet

As the son of LA's most prominent media magnate, who dies mysteriously, Britt Reid inherits his father's vast empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father's more inventive employees, Kato, Britt sees a chance to do something meaningful in his life: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, Britt and Kato plan to pose as criminals themselves. Britt becomes the vigilante Green Hornet, and Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, an indestructible car, equal parts firepower and horsepower. The Green Hornet and Kato quickly make a name for themselves. And, with the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case, they begin hunting down the man who controls LA's gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky.

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The Problem with Most Christmas Gift Lists

In your search for the perfect Christmas gift idea for friends and family, you might be finding it to be an overwhelming task. After all, you need to be a mind reader to figure out what everybody really wants. Christmas shouldn't be a stressful time of year, so why not choose a simple and popular solution?Gift Cards - The Solution

In a recent survey, gift cards (otherwise known as certificates) were the number one choice for a Christmas present in 67% of the people surveyed. The main reason cited was that they had received presents that were not suitable and that they would like to choose their own. Also, in the year that the survey was conducted, 9 out of 10 American families either purchased or received a gift certificate and that over $100 billion had been spent on these certificates that year. Teens have embraced this idea more than any other demographic segment, with over 98% having received or purchased one. The average amount spent was approximately $50.Whether it is a Christmas gift for him or her, you never have to worry if they will like it. They are sure to find a unique Christmas gift for themselves. You can even personalize them by including them in a Christmas greeting card. If you purchase one online, you will often be given the choice of sending it by mail, email or printing it on your computer. It's the perfect idea for men, women, girls, boys and even babies. These are also great for Christmas stocking stuffers and if you are looking for a cheap Christmas gift you can decide how much you want to spend.Be Careful Which One You Buy

Not all cards are created equal. Some have an exorbitant fee to just purchase one. These include those issued by most bank and credit card companies. These fees can be as high $15! It gets worse. There are also monthly maintenance fees which are nothing more than the companies jargon for monthly profit fees. These monthly fees eat away at the card's value until sometimes, there's nothing left. If that doesn't erode the entire purchase value then the expiry date will. In some cases the expiry is as short as 6 months.Be sure you find a certificate with no fees and no expiry date!Choose a Card that Offers Great Selection Online

The other problem you might encounter, is that some certificates only give the recipient access to one type of product at one store. In the same survey, it was found that one of the major reasons why people didn't use their gift cards was that they didn't have the time to go to the store or they couldn't find anything to buy that they liked. For example, what if you bought someone a certificate from an electronics store but what they really needed was some new clothes? Online stores are the best choice since they can shop from their computer and have it shipped to their home.The Amazon Gift Card - The Best Choice

This card has everything you are looking for. As far as my family Christmas list goes, I give my daughter the Amazon gift card as a Christmas present every year and she loves it because it has no fees, no expiry date, millions of products, and hundreds of categories to choose from. Kid's love the excitement of online shopping! Amazon is the largest and most trusted online retailer in the world and I always feel safe knowing that if there are any problems, they will always take care of it.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adele Blanc-Sec)

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Almost anyone who has been to Ireland on vacation will tell

you that vacationing in the "Emerald Isle" is an unforgettable

experience. There is something about the friendliness of the

people, the haunting beauty of the land, and the incredible

history that makes you want to return again and again.

I found myself in that situation in the summer of 2000, as

finally, after several years of failed attempts to return to

Ireland (I had gone there in 1994), five of us decided to go

for a 10-day trip. We decided to go in May, 2001, which gave

us more than enough time to plan a route.One day, while looking at a map, I noticed a small town

called Dunmore East on a strip of land jutting into the ocean

south of Waterford. I was intrigued by this place and

envisioned a weathered old hamlet that was

quintessentially Irish. This, I hoped, would be one town in

which we would definitely stay.We almost never made it to Dunmore East, thanks to a

bizarre series of events. On the way out of Dublin (where we

had stayed the first night), one of our cars suffered a

blowout, and soon our two cars were hopelessly separated.

We returned to the B&B in Dublin, hoping our two friends

would get in touch. The next morning we heard from them,

and were once again on our way, but we had lost a day. We

quickly passed through the Wicklow Mountains and, after

what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into Waterford and

continued along the winding road toward Dunmore East.

After ten miles of driving through rolling farmland and

windswept ridges, we finally saw houses and lights in the

distance. We pulled into Dunmore East just as the sun was

setting behind us. Coming down the hill into town, we saw

the ocean in front of us. This was indeed a spectacular

location.Our B&B was on the main street overlooking the harbor. It

was foggy, and we could just make out the green cliffs that

formed the harbor. Down the hill from the B&B was an inn

and a pub on the water. Winding lanes, a church and old

cemetery, a park, and thatched-roof houses all added a

unique charm to the village.Seaside villages can often have an eerie, surreal

atmosphere to them at dusk, and Dunmore East was no

exception. The combination of waning light and

ever-increasing fog caused the town to take on a haunting

look. Across the street from the B&B, there was a small park

with a memorial overlooking the cliffs and the harbor. A

single streetlight just added to the incredible scene. I must

have taken a half roll of film at that spot, trying to get the

perfect picture of a truly unique place.While in the pub at the mouth of the harbor, we met friendly

locals and European tourists. Like the owners of the B&B,

they were surprised that Americans would know about

Dunmore East. They said that the town tends to cater to

Europeans, and that people from the U.S. are rarely found

here. Ironically, one of the owners of the B&B was a New

Jersey native who fell in love with the village.Dunmore East is the type of place where you park your car

upon arriving, and do not use it until you leave. It is a very

walkable town, with everything being within a 1-square-mile

radius. I spent the afternoon of our second day there doing

just that, and discovered places in town that people in cars

would clearly miss. For instance, there was a sprawling

park with benches, paths down to the rocky coast, and

grassy areas for lying in the sun. There was also a winding

road that ended up at a small beach called (I believe),

"Ladies View." It was a pristine place with views of the

harbor, driftwood along the beach, and salt spray in the air.

I continued my walk along a coastal road, and soon found

myself walking into a business district. I had accidentally

discovered "downtown" Dunmore East! Apparently, we were

staying in the harbor part of town, which we had mistaken

for the village itself. The center of town was very charming,

with several old shops, a few pubs, and some more

winding lanes.On our second and final night in Dunmore East, we ended

up eating at one of the pubs in the center of town. After

dinner, we walked back to the B&B through the mist and fog,

wishing that we could stay a few more nights. But alas, we

had to move on, and though we found some terrific places

in the next several days, nothing beat this little seaside

village south of Waterford.