Could you use a new laptop? I sure could. I am in the market for a new computer, and wouldn’t it be just wonderful to win one? Just in time for back-to-school preps here is a totally awesome opportunity to enter the Charter Laptop-a-Day Giveaway. For thirty days Charter Communications is having a great promotional giveaway of 30 laptops, one a day to 30 lucky winners. Of course, one has to purchase one of their great online services, yet we all need high-speed anyway, so just maybe it is worth it to check out their great deals for a chance to win. As an added bonus, after purchase, the buyer will be sent a Free Shell gas gift card and will be automatically entered to win 1 of 30 HP Compaq Presario C770US Laptops.

My oh my, my daughter would love to get her hands of one of these sweet little notebooks. She has been begging me for a laptop, and I am on the verge of breaking down. Shhhh… don’t let her know how much she has weakened my resolve… LOL

Want to get the details? Well then, here you go…

Computer Details:

~ New HP Compaq Presario C770US Notebook
~ Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor
~ 15.4″ WXGA Screen
~ 2GB RAM -160GB hard drive
~ DVD Burner
~ Built in Wi-Fi and Ethernet
~ Plus a NEOtec Laptop Backpack!

Charter Communications Features:

High speed internet

~ Speeds up to 16Mbps
~ 10 e-mail accounts
~ Powerful security software
~ Wireless home networking
~ Exclusive charter.net info

Telephone

~ Local + long-distance calling
~ VM + 10 calling features
~ Keep your home number
~ 200+ Countries w/ WW250
~ International calling plans

Cable

~ Digital Cable
~ High-Definition TV (HDTV)
~ Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
~ On Demand
~ Basic Cable

Okay, all you need to do is visit Charter Communications if you are a US resident, and see the great back to school specials they have going on. I am definately considering checking it out to see if they carry service in my area, and what a great time to do just that! The sweepstakes began at 12:00 p.m. CT on August 22, 2008 and ends at 12:00 p.m. CT on September 22, 2008.

Good luck!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of playing around on the internet is the nearly unlimited amount of ways to expand upon our creativity. I just love creating new sites and tweaking around with them until I get just the right combination to satisfy my given theme. As I live and grow I have so much to offer from the creative side of my nature. I have focused so much on others in my life that I have neglected a very important part of my own being. Now I am excited and ready to venture forth into new realms of the imagination as I find different ways of looking at Life and my own unfolding path.

I have created a new blog, which is called Lavender ‘N Chocolate. I will have fun relating what I like and what I dream about achieving in my life. I may touch upon the past, yet only slightly. To me, the most important moment in life is now, and it is so very important to embrace each moment with joy as it unfolds. I hope to bring entertainment and Light into those brief moments when others lives touch upon mine. I am who I am, and I know what I like.. so I will just express this as clearly as I can. Feel free to take a few moments to visit from time to time and possibly find something to smile about in my imaginative lifestyle. Because I do have a huge imagination, and truly enjoy sharing laughter and love with everyone I come into contact with. There are just so many possibilities in this virtual world we live in.

Enjoy!

Here is an incredible event not to be missed. If you haven’t registered to attend, it may not be too late if there happens to be some no-shows, yet who would miss this?? This mind blowing event lasts for days, and will bring forth the greatest talents in game creation this planet has to offer. Rub elbows with gaming enthusiasts as imaginations are unleashed to bring about new developments in visual computing. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes are up for grabs at its various competitions, fun contests and raffles – the largest for a BYOC event in North America this year!

Imagine my excitement at just the thought of attending the GEFORCE LAN where you can join thousands of gamers from all over the world at this legendary LAN party, presented by EVGA, for three days of non-stop adrenaline-pumping gaming and fun activities. Your GeForce LAN ticket gets you the following:

~ A seat in the “Bring Your Own Computer” area to play the hottest PC games with your friends 24 hours a day
~ Free entry into tournaments, contests, raffles and fun activities for your chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes
~ Commemorative “GeForce LAN @ NVISION 08″ T-shirt
~ Option to participate in the Guinness World Records attempt, one of the most exciting activities inside GeForce LAN
~ Option to sit in the Girl Gamer Zone, an area dedicated to the ladies
~ Plus more to be revealed onsite! Those who have attended previous GeForce LAN can attest to the amazing giveaways from our generous sponsors!

As if there isn’t enough for you to do already at GeForce LAN, your ticket also grants you access to some of the major events happening at NVISION:

~ NVISION 2008 keynotes – Luminaries and special guests will speak about the state and future of visual computing, including NASA Astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins, “Battlestar Galactica” star Tricia Helfer, and more!
~ Video Games Live* – Experience this groundbreaking event, featuring music from the most popular ~ video games of all time, performed by top orchestras and choirs, combined with synchronized lighting, video, live action and audience interactivity. (*Additional ticket required, available for a significant discount with your NVISION ticket)
~ 2008 Electronic Sports World Cup – Check out the nail-biting world finals of the world’s most exciting electronic sports competition where teams from 53 countries compete for glory and a massive cash pot
~ NVScene- Watch the best digital artists and coders in the world compete and share their demo and machinima masterpieces
~ Free workshops – Learn practical tips and tricks on everything from photo and video editing to building and optimizing your PC
~ HD Digital Theater – Experience visual computing on the bleeding edge, served up by the world’s most advanced digital projection system. It will be an experience like no other.
~ Expo – Discover how leading companies are advancing the future of visual computing. Get ready to be wowed!

Unfortunately I will not make this event which is occuring August 25th – 27th(my birthday!!), but I would love to hear from those of you who make this totally awesome and legendary event. I love games, expecially RPG’s, and anything related to virtual creativity. If you wish to learn more about this particular event, and take a peek into the mindset of some really talented visual computing wizards you may wish to visit NVISION 08 for Enthusiasts

We were really looking forward to seeing the newest ‘Mummy’ movie, my daughter and I. As we really liked the first two, we were prepared to be totally entertained. Well, we were just a bit disappointed. While it wasn’t the worst movie we have ever seen, it sure did not live up to our expectations. The first thing that struck us was Brendan Fraser’s lack of charisma, although it was pretty funny watching him try to fish. He is one of our favourite actors, and he just did not seem enthused at all with his part in this movie.

The second thing, which really threw us off, was the replacement of Evelyn O’Connell. We were not at all happy with seeing our favourite character wearing a different face. It just kills a movie when the characters aren’t even the same people. And Maria Bello did not even come close to capturing the essence of the original Evie, as performed by Rachel Weisz. Although we were happy to see Evie’s brother, Jonathan was still the same goofy man… LOL

Hmmm… not one of Jet Li’s greatest achievements. Although he was so totally hot, he just did not appear evil enough; perhaps his heart was not in it. The whole film seemed more humorous in a sad attempt to make it thrilling. Although there were a couple of funny moments, it failed to have the desired effect, whatever that was. I truly expected more… more drama, more thrills, and a longer movie with more action and adventure. The story line just did not cover enough of the intended theme.

Even so, we still enjoyed it enough to be entertained, and my little S was thrilled with the Yeti’s. And Michelle Yeoh is so stunning… she played her part to perfection, and was absolutely beautiful to watch in action.

If you ask me, there is nothing more exciting than exploring new realms, as well as learning about times gone by and places from days of old. So, it never fails to arouse my sense of curiosity when I discover what the amazingly talented people of our time are creating for our enjoyment and education. If you wish to learn what makes Earth such an amazing planet, I would like to share a really awesome Virtual World called Crosswinds Planet.

Crosswinds Planet is a place to explore the places, history, legends, and culture from all over our planet. It is a place to meet new friends, to chat, to shop for the unusual. There are vendors and shopkeepers in the world that link to online shops that feature real-world regional products from around the world. This is a social and chat world that will have limited gameplay and interactive Flash games.

Some of the featured locations coming soon include:

~ The Crosswinds town center where commuter station teleports you to places like Chicago, New York, London, Beijuing, Tokyo, etc.

~ The Crosswinds travel agency that teleports travelers to spas, resorts, and exoitic places like Egypt, Nepal, Paraquay and the cloud and rain forest of Costa Rica.

~ Our library where the books teleport you to places like Shambayla, Brigadoon, Praslock, and more.

~ There will be a museum with exhibits you step into that take you to historical places like Old Zimbabwe, Chichenitza, the ruins of Cambodia, Guatemala, central Africa, and Thailand.

While Crosswinds is still in Beta, I will be happy to download and install the client to discover for myself the wonders of this World as they unfold. Being a homeschooling parent, this just may turn out to be a satisfactory place to take my little S on some adventures around the globe, learning as we go. As always, I am most happy to hear from those people who have experienced Crosswinds for themselves… let me know what you think! It is so much fun to explore and adventure with people of a curious nature just like me. I just love connecting with others from all around this planet, finding new friendships and sharing common interests.

Enjoy!