Review of new CPAP mask

I have spoken before about my sleep apnoea, diagnosed this year. Well, it takes a bit of getting used to and I had trouble with the face mask that I bought initially. It would leave marks on my face, I had problems with it slipping if my face was pushed into the pillow, which meant it leaked; and I had to wear and eye mask, because the outlet valves blew straight in my eyes. I think this is because I had to have a smaller mask, but that meant that the outlets were closer to my eyes. Wearing an eye mask continually was making my eyelashes go all funny, too. Something that is not a bother until you want to put mascara on and all your eyelashes are flattened and curving in.
I researched a little and found the new SleepWeaver cloth mask. I wasn't paid for this review, I just want to put it out there, so if anyone is researching like me, then they have another opinion to add to their list. I purchased my SleepWeaver for $AU 150 from CPAP Australia. It had a money back guarantee so I thought it was worth taking the risk.

My conclusion is that it is wonderful. There is much less leakage, it moves more freely when I turn my head on the pillow. I wake up without marks on my face. The outlet valves face downwards and forwards, so it doesn't blow in my eyes, thus I don't need the eye mask. Overall, I am very happy with my mask, if it slips at all, its very easy to adjust once you are used to it, because the fabric blows up like a balloon to make it shape to your face rather than being rigid plastic. I still have a little problem, that the mask is slightly big because the space between my top lip and my eyes is smallish, so the mask has to be just so. Otherwise, I'm very happy and I am waking up a lot less often, due to air leaking that makes that hissing sound.
Please note, the SleepWeaver is not suitable for those who wear full face masks. Please, see your doctor for all health advice concerning your condition.

Cheers,

Customizable Calendars are NOW available! - MyMemories Suite

Sorry, I messed up this post before.

Get your 2013 Customized Calendars for the new year.

Did you know that you can create and professionally print calendars directly from MyMemories Suite software?

For details and a tutorial on creating a calendar go to:

http://www.mymemories.com/craftables/calendar

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Beatrice Munson by Lorena Bathey

I was first introduced to Lorena Bathey's work through Jo-anne from World's of Wonderment. She is a great supporter of Indie authors, and she was kind enough to match up an Indie author with each book blogger, according to our interests. 

When Beatrice Munson moves into this neighborhood she ignites an excitement within the women of suburbia that they forgot they had.  Beatrice awakens them to see the passions and dreams they have given up in this life, which were mostly the things they loved most.  They see they have become settled and suburbanified. 

from Lorena B Books

When I read the synopsis for Beatrice Munson, it piqued my interest. Thanks to Facebook many of us are now catching up with old school friends and maybe some old school frenemies. I wouldn't ever want to go back to high school, and I often wonder if meeting up with people from school will raise the old insecurities from school days, well I'm happy to report that it hasn't so far, but what about Marissa from the book? Will the fact that Beatrice Munson moves in right across the street, mean mayhem to her old feelings of inadequacy.  Let's face it, Beatrice was beautiful and confident and practically stole Jeffrey right out from under Marissa's nose. 

When I was first reading this book, I kept thinking, what if the lessons from Elizabeth Gilbert or Frances Mayes came right to you? Imagine if someone like that moved in right across the street? This is the story about what happens to people who've learned some of these amazing life lessons and how they can bring them to others.

This was the first book I read on my Kindle, so it's a bit special. My life has been thrust into topsy turvy land this last year, but I was able to read this fab book while waiting for heaps of appointments. It kept me reading, and kept me interested. I also mentioned to Lorena, that the underlying theme of tolerance really appealed to me on both an intellectual and emotional level. 

I would have liked to see some more plot developments on how Marissa's kids coped with her divorce and her subsequent dating. But of course, there is only so much you can fit in one book. 

If I was going to be picky, Marissa suffers a shocking event (without giving too much away) and I felt this could have been explored further as well. I think that even if she didn't suffer PTSD, with her already delicate nature I think she might not have been so resilient. But once again, there are only so many plot elements in a story and not all can be fully developed. It shows what a good storyteller Lorena is, because she had me eager to know her characters more deeply.

Sometimes books just come to you at the right time. Lorena's book has made me eager to embrace my life again. What was it I was going to be when I grew up? Hmm a ballerina, a librarian, a writer, or an accountant. Gosh maybe I'd better get to work. Those ballet lessons aren't cheap. 

Lorena Bathey:

Growing up in Northern California, Lorena Bathey attended St. Mary’s College in Moraga graduating with a degree in English.

Lorena started writing her first book, Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother when her world fell apart and she needed to process the massive changes in her life. Lorena found characters were visiting her mind and wouldn't leave. She was introduced to Marissa, Andrea, Lily, Deidre and Beatrice and her first novel, Beatrice Munson, came to life.

After finishing that book she was inspired to write more novels and she knew that pursuing her passion was the best way to live her life. So a writer she became.

Today Lorena has nine novels in her writing queue.

Find her at www.LorenaBBooks.com 

www.facebook.com/LmBathey

www.twitter.com/LorenaBBooks

Mozart's Sister

Mozart's Sister takes many liberties with the known story, however, the underlying theme rings true. No matter how gifted or talented Mozart's sister may have been, she would never have been given the encouragement and opportunities that Wolfgang had, because she was a girl. 

The movie is visually very beautiful and Marie Féret is lovely as Nannerl. However her real life sister who plays Louise de France is a little wooden for my liking, but she is young and her acting  may improve with age. Otherwise it's a nice little movie and a must see for all those who have the ridiculous notion that the reason there were no famous female composers from that time was because they had no natural talent. 

Cat Thursday - Felix the Cat

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.

 

Who remembers Felix the Cat? We used to watch this show all the time when we were kids. My sister's nickname was Felix and she had a bag of tricks, in fact if you ask her son I think he would say she still does.
Enjoy!

 

Stop! I want to get off! - My advice for carers.

When we were teenagers, we went to the show with my parents and Mum decided that she would go on the Ferris Wheel with my brother and I. In those days, the Ferris Wheel didn't have any safety cages, it was just some steel framed seating with wooden benches and a canopy on top. Anyway, we hadn't been on for two minutes, when my Mother had a panic attack. For people watching, it's almost a little comical, but for the person having the panic attack it is horrendous and terrifying. Mum stated yelling to the Ferris Wheel attendant "Stop! I want to get off!", but of course with all the screaming from the other rides, he just kept on going and my brother had to try and calm Mum down. I was a little shaken, because I'm so nervy already and Mum having a full on attack was a bit scary.
Any time, I have felt my life getting like the Ferris Wheel, going round faster and faster and seeming like I am stuck on it forever, those words haunt me. "Stop! I want to get off!" I know when it is going to happen, when my life begins to spin out of control, and I feel more like running away than facing another minute of it.
I've been trying to read information about dealing with stress and staying in control of your life, but they all say the same thing. "Reduce Stress". What do you do when you can't reduce stress? This is true for thousands of carers who care for people with special needs, or who are frail and aged.
I keep reading about how if your life is stressful or hard, then make better choices - but what if you have these things thrust upon you, like the person who is ill, has a chronic disease or a permanent disability?
This is becoming a common occurrence and I think we need to consider the harmful effect that the extra stress has on you and your family and try to at least reduce it for a short period of recovery time, so that your health as a carer doesn't suffer.

This is certainly not a good idea!

Here's a few suggestions I have that have helped me:

1.Reduce the guilt - most carers are givers. That's why they are the ones caring for their relative or friend. So when you need time for yourself  you feel guilty. You feel others needs are more important than your own and you put them first. So you need to get rid of that feeling. People have told me countless times over the years that if I drive myself to illness because of stress, that I'm no good to anyone. I finally get it! It's okay to have time for myself.

2. Learn to say no to people - I used to think that if I said to people that I was busy, stressed or under the pump, that they would understand. But they don't! I had to learn to say no to people, even if it meant that I upset them. People not involved with caring either as the person with challenges or as the person who cares for them, have absolutely no idea what it is like for you. These are the people who whine on Facebook if they get the slightest cold. So forget it, the only sympathy you will get is from those in the same position as you. I never find other carers asking me if I can do them a favour. Not everyone understands and you don't need them to understand in order to say no.

3. Value yourself - as I said many carers are kind and selfless people, but if you don't learn to value yourself then others won't either. Some people don't understand why you don't just put your elderly parent in a home, send your child to a special school or hire a nurse for your ill spouse. Sometimes we do those things when we need help, but that doesn't stop the caring role or the stress associated with it. I have tried to have a full time job - it was a disaster. I am not lazy I am otherwise occupied and I don't need other people to get it!

4. Take time out - sometimes my friends joke that I always seem to be out doing things. This is true but there are also many days spent in appointments with specialists and hand holding, sorting medical information, researching, catering to special needs and so on. I don't tell people about that. It's not fun like going to a movie. I now take time out and I don't feel guilty about it. If your special person can't be left alone then there is respite available, put your name on the list for respite, enrol in a respite day program where your family member will meet with others, they also get to have a break from you!

5. Get a massage - truly. I never realised how much a massage can keep you going. It's relaxing, and it's healing. It might feel weird at first, but shop around, find someone you like, it's really worth it.

6. Find help - join the Carers group near you. In Australia we have Carers Australia with groups in every state. They have social events, information sessions, pamper days, counselling, anything you can think of that you might need to know about and they have a wealth of information to share.

7. Sleep -it's so important. Some people have to be awake during the night for the person they care for, and that's always difficult. But I have become a huge advocate of sleep because I didn't get any for so long. Now my sleep apnoea is treated I have seen vast improvements in my ability to cope. It might seem obvious, but sleep matters.

Above all else, believe in yourself and the choices you make for your loved one. I have had people tell me that I am wrong, smothering, overly protective, imagining things, not tough enough, lack discipline in my family, the list goes on. Unsolicited advice is the worst. I ignore them. They don't even know me or my family or what our life is like. Same goes for you. Only you know, and only you can do what you do.

Love and hugs,

My Year in Photos & My Year in Status Apps.

Here's a couple of fun Apps that allow you to look over your Facebook and have some memories of the year that was.

My Year in Photos

My Year in Status

Cat Thursday - Kit the Cat

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun. 

According to Charmed Wiki , Kit is a Witch's Familiar, an animal guide who protects neophyte witches. She was the Familiar of the Halliwell sisters in Charmed from 1998 to 2001, after which she was rewarded by being made human, taking the name Katrina. 

In real life, the kitty who played Kit passed away. But she was a lovely little kitty and will be remembered for her part in immortalising Kitties in film. 

Andy & Kit

Phoebe, Aviva & Kit

Phoebe & Paige with Kit

10 reasons not to join the Grammar Police.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law bought me this adorable notebook and we had a little giggle, as we both know I like to use full sentences and find it really difficult to use lolspeak and txt speak. But I don't make a habit out of correcting other people's grammar, spelling or pronunciation. The couple of  times you may find me doing so is when other people are being pedantic about language because I always find it ironic that so many of them make mistakes themselves while doing so. Secondly, I sometimes correct my kids. It's an annoying habit left over from when I used to homeschool them.
I mostly use formal language, I had it ingrained in me. But, I don't purport to be any kind of expert, I make mistakes all the time. I also don't expect people to have "essay quality" expression on their blog or social networking. I think it's quite distasteful when I see other people correcting someone's spelling and grammar.  Here's why:


1. It's pedantic. Pedants insist people follow their rules, but the worst part is they are condescending about it. Now, I am well aware some people have conditions such as Asperger Syndrome where they cannot help being pedantic. But more likely, pedantic people only wish they were as clever as they pretend to be.

 "A Man who has been brought up among Books, and is able to talk of nothing else, is what we call a Pedant. But, methinks, we should enlarge the Title, and give it to every one that does not know how to think out of his Profession and particular way of Life."—Joseph Addison, Spectator 1711

2. It's elitist. I spent many year working in education. I have taught in high school, adult literacy classes and worked with people from disadvantaged backgrounds. If someone doesn't spell a word correctly, or pronounce it the same as you, and you correct them, you are really telling them that you think you are better than them.

3. It's impolite. My sister is a seamstress. She could probably tell you why your clothes fit incorrectly and why that cut doesn't suit you at all. My daughter is a make-up artist, she can tell you exactly where you went wrong with that eye-liner  I could write more examples. But you get the point. They don't do that because it's bad manners.

4. It's a form of bullying. There are lots of reasons people talk and spell differently such as dialects, incorrect instruction, dyslexia, disadvantage, disabilities. By pointing out their perceived inadequacies you are publicly humiliating a person who may have less advantages than you had. Sorry, but that's bullying.

5. It interrupts the natural flow of conversation. When you are having a conversation about a topic you feel passionate about, you type or say a heartfelt response and someone says, "That's not how you spell that". Firstly, it's an inappropriate response. You should be answering what they said and showing that you understood or clarifying what they said. Secondly, it's just annoying. The momentum of the conversation is lost and that is just sad.

6. People have different values. Some people don't value education or expression as much as they do kindness or being able to work with your hands. Trying to convert people to value what you value is annoying. I'm not talking about petitions to stop violence or really important issues. I'm talking about personal views. If you value it, then live it.

7. People in glass houses... The most ironic part is that the people who are the worst grammar police, constantly make typos, spelling mistakes and grammar faux pas. No person is perfect.

8. Only on the Internet? It seems to be an Internet phenomenon. We all do it. We do things behind a keyboard that we would never do in real life, because we don't have to witness the other person's reaction.

9. It's incorrect to assume language and grammar has fixity. This is pretty much self-explanatory. Why are they adding new words to the dictionary every year? Why is it now acceptable to use US spelling, even if you don't come from the US? Why don't we still talk in Old English?

10. Stephen Fry holds you in contempt. See the video below. Enough said.




Funny Link:
Know Your Meme - Grammar Nazi

Getting serious - a look at serious games for archives and records..

This is an essay I did for University. All the links to original screen captures are below the images.  Hope you enjoy gaming as much as I do.
 Kate xx



What are serious games?

By definition a game is about “playing”, and therefore usually associated with leisure and non-serious pursuits. A child would consider a game to be something they do separately from learning or school, perhaps at play time or after school. So, as Breuer & Bente (2010) note, the title of “serious games” appears to be an oxymoron. Although we all know at least one gamer who takes games very seriously, most people consider them to be a pastime or hobby to be pursued during leisure.

The popularity of digital games, is seen by some as an opportunity to produce games where the main objective is education and educational pursuits. These education based digital games have been given the title of “serious games”, although I'm not certain that is meant to imply that other games are seen as it's polar opposite and therefore “non-serious”. It's just that the primary purpose of other games is not necessarily one of education. It may fulfil other human needs such as the need to de-stress, the need for community, the need for order (thus the popularity of games like Tetris) and the need for relaxation.

Educators and those involved in community arts and heritage programs have used games (although of the non digital variety) for many years, with the hope of peaking the learner's interest and engaging them in some education whilst having fun. That is to say, it is not a new concept, but rather one that has been transferred to a new arena.

Having been involved in education for over twenty years, I have memories of the early education software, such as Math Invaders and Spellbound. These games, in my experience, had learner's eager for a turn on the computer, which was a precious and rare opportunity. So in principal, at least, it makes sense to seize the opportunity of digital consumers waiting like hungry birds for a bite at the new worm.

However, young people, and indeed the general public, have much higher expectations as consumers, than my students of many years ago. There is a delicate balance between creating enjoyment to keep the learner engaged and maintaining the integrity of the learning outcomes and educational purpose of the game. This is one of the reasons why the jury is still out on the amount of time and money that should be spent on the pursuit of these games in the wider educational and cultural arenas.

During the research for this paper, I came across several periodicals and a conference asking for submissions on the topic of serious games. This is a hot topic in both education circles and archives/records realms, and it's only going to get hotter.

Pulse is a serious game for medical students.

Case studies

Serious games may fall into two categories as far as development goes. So I will discuss one from each category as an example. As with any computer software the games can range from very bad to very good. These two categories are by no means definitive and there are times when games may appear to cross over the categories or fit neither. I merely point out that with different budgets and different agenda, it's unwise to compare them against each other. There may also be varying opinions about the quality of play versus the educational value, depending upon who is using the game and in what context. It is also important to note, the games development sector is dynamic and sometimes a game for pleasure, such as Minecraft can cross over into the educational realm such as when they developed an urban planner based on the same platform.

The first type of game is a commercial venture. These games are developed by companies involved in computers or gaming already, or those companies willing to invest in this technology. They are usually developed by teams of experts and have bigger budgets, and appear more like the games consumers are used to purchasing either off the shelf or through downloads. They may be either PC games, apps or platform games. They are intended to be used for recreational as well as educational or training purposes and may also be marketed to educational institutions and such agencies. They may be anything from simple to complex, quick play to long play, or individual or team player. Sometimes these games may be criticised for distracting the player from learning in favour of entertainment. There are probably (but not always) more liberties taken with content. That is, the facts matter less, if the player is engaged.

The second type of game is purely an educational venture. These games may be funded by grants, or by individual enthusiasts. They may be funded by public monies set aside for the arts and heritage. They usually have a limited budget. They may rely upon crowd sourcing, or they may be a project for an organisation. The games are generally not expected to make a profit, but are an investment in public education and an experiment into information sharing through serious games. Some of these projects are long term ventures or may remain unfinished or continue to collect data. Some may be used for a particular event or exhibition. These games may be linked to a particular curriculum or framework. They are often rich in educational content and tend to be strict in the adherence to facts or commonly held beliefs of the government and country of origin. Sometimes these games are criticised for being less “fun” to play, especially if they contain a lot of serious content. They may also be criticised for allowing less player control, as the player must follow the morals, philosophy and rules in order to win the game. That is, if there is anarchy, one will not complete the mission. There is much debate about the balance between the level of fun and the level of pedagogy. (see Anderson et. al. 2010)

Rome: Total War is an example of the first type of game. It is commercially available game developed by Creative Assembly. It has often been referred to as the most accurate of the commercially available historical games. Players need to use a mixture of diplomacy using the politics of the time, and battle strategy. They can also build and repair the buildings and infrastructure and make economic decisions. Unlike Age of Empires, some historical knowledge is needed in order to proceed in the game successfully. However, gameplay consists of three factions which is not historically correct and the use of uniform colours is also historically inaccurate, but makes it much easier to tell whose side the soldiers are on when battles begin.

Rome :Total War – one of the Total War series of games.

An example of the educational type game is Time Explorer, a serious game from the British Museum aimed at 9-14 year olds. It has real objects from the museum's collection throughout the game. Gameplay consists of choosing an avatar which then travels back in time to perform certain tasks and rescue artefacts from disasters. It's a good example of where there is a balance between enjoyment and reality. The player gets to time travel like Dr Who and have an Indiana Jones style adventure, but the information and objects are all historically accurate. In some ways I thought it was a bit silly, but in the forums, kids seemed to enjoy it and their biggest complaint was that it was too short.

Time Explorer – from the British Museum.

So what are the options in archives and records?

Some of the options that might be used in designing games with archives and manuscripts, are as follows:

● Simulations – commonly called Sims, such as AE2 Commander, that show the conditions in an historically correct way.
● Virtual Worlds – such as Second Life, but one where players are immersed in an historical world.
● Speculative Histories - such as 1066 which considers if the outcome would be different if you (the player) had been in control of the armies and had made different decisions.

1066 – a serious game to accompany the documentary.

● Applications – The rapid adoption and wide use of applications (apps) on computers, tablets, and smart phones opens a whole new world of opportunities for museums, libraries and archives. Apps could be used to provide access to previously unseen artefacts and manuscripts, as well as enhancing exhibitions and educating the public in all manner of historical and culturally significant material. An example of this is the Eye Shakespeare App. I was able to find apps containing everything from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, to Shakespearean style insults. But the EyeShakespeare App is not only a guide to thirteen key Shakespearean sites, but it gives access to artefacts and documents normally kept in a secure vault. An example is these locks of hair believed to belong to William Shakespeare.

Screen shot from Eye Shakespeare.

Some considerations that are needed during development of serious games for use in archives and records:

● a high degree of player control over decision making.
● a balance for the player between challenge and success.
● a balance between pedagogy and enjoyment. Consider Csikszentmihalyi's (2008) notion of flow, as integral to learner engagement.
● the player as an active participant rather than a passive receiver of information.
● that the learner may develop their own view of the material presented and not necessarily the view of the authority.
● to accommodate the idea that some learning will take place that cannot be tested.
● some form of feedback as to how the player is progressing.
● Accommodates different modes of learning. Consider Gardner's (1993) Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Csikszentmihalyi's (2008) notion of flow.

Gardner's (1993) Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Drivers and Barriers.
Barriers and drivers to realizing the potential of gaming for archives and manuscripts online.

Drivers include:
● The improvement in CGI has meant that realistic simulations and virtual worlds are possible.
● The instant gratification and feedback that the learner experiences when gaming.
● Digital content now allows access to old and fragile material once only available to a select few for fear of damage to the artefacts and documents.
● Tools for development such as libraries and software development kits, means less time between conceptualization and realization.
● Learning through games is more dynamic than the traditional teaching methods and gives the students more opportunity for independent learning.
● The opportunity exists to use serious games as an introduction to a topic, that inspires the learner to seek more information, ask questions and engage in learning beyond the game.
● If a commercial market can make theses games economically sustainable then it becomes self perpetuating.
● Wider acceptance of social networking provides the push for team playing. For example multiple players could work together to facilitate a simulation of the moon landing.
● Haptic computing and the development of the Wii, provide more opportunities for multi-sensory learning.

Barriers include:
● People already immersed in a digital world, having yet another digital way to receive information.
Parents complaints of children playing too many digital games, without balancing book work, outdoor pursuits and so on.
● Technological problems are always a barrier when there is limited time, such as a certain amount of time for a lesson, or a show or exhibition. If too much time has to be spent troubleshooting, then this means time is taken away from the educational goal.
● Time taken to learn the game, can be detrimental to overall lesson planning in a classroom or crowd control in a public access area.
● Realism and authenticity are important, but can take a long time to develop if they are to be accurate.
● Egenfeldt-Nielsen. (2004) found that serious games may rely heavily on the player following the rules and reading the accompanying material, some experienced gamers prefer to to jump straight in and learn to play as they go along.
● Some serious games are aiming to teach important life lessons such as diplomacy and strategy. Gamers are used to playing games that allow a player to win if they use might or force over diplomacy. This means a new learning curve and can cause some players to be dissatisfied with the serious game and completely miss the lesson.
● Educators and historians, archivists and curators will need to embrace a a new type of history where the notion of fixity is challenged and meaning is constructed by the learner.

The future of serious games?

The AE2 Commander game

The AE2 Commander game is a university based project exploring the use of a simulation game (that of a WW2 submarine) which references the archives of the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives of Australia.  Gameplay consists of scanning documents for information and clues on how to proceed in the game. The document above give clues as to the time of day (the game begins before dawn) that particular events happened. It also tells of some of the hazards to be expected such as searchlights and mines.

Screen shot of the AE2 Commander archival material

The player receives feedback, which can then be used to proceed further in the game. For example if the sun is up, then you probably are not on schedule. This enabled me to learn and to proceed much further once the controls were learned. There is also a map, to show your location. It helps avoid the beach and gives a good indication of where you are in the game.

Screen shot of AE2 Commander game, example of feedback.

As the player learns to control the submarine, then dangers can be avoided. For example as I learned to manoeuvre the submarine better, I was able to avoid the searchlights, to give the crew time to prepare to dive.

Screen shot AE2 Commander

Although it is certainly very helpful to read the documents, a player with weaker reading skills or different learning styles, could still learn the game and achieve success. This was particularly appealing to me, having worked with students with learning difficulties and literacy issues. It is important that these issues do not hold them back from participating in other learning.

In conclusion, the AE2 Commander game, although made with a low budget, has shown the potential for archives and records institutions to gain new ground in allowing access to their materials both to students and the general public. In the past it was only researchers and archivists who would painstakingly search through archival material and then hope to gain enough interest to ensure it's preservation. Now the digital age has created a forum for showcasing even the most delicate and precious of objects. With a renewed interest in Vintage and Retro in everything from fashion to homewares to original manuscripts and recordings, there is an opportunity to seize the imagination of this new audience. If archives, libraries, museums and galleries are to survive the technological age, and not be seen as musty old records no-one wants to read, then they must embrace the opportunities that serious games has afforded them. As Kee et.al. (2009) point out:

Game players are not barbarians; that they choose
historical over sci-fi or contemporary themes – one quarter of PC-based
games that have sold at least one million units have been historically
themed, or employed historical tropes – suggests an interest in the past
that we need to speak to.

Furthermore, the “geek” gamer has a wide influence in social media, and the blogoshpere. They are our “word of mouth” advertising, and their standards are high. Rather than diminish the pursuit of gaming as somehow less than academic history, we have the opportunity to ensure games have the correct content and accurate information that informs the user whole affording enjoyment in the game itself.

      

References:
1. 1066 from http://www.1066games.co.uk/
2. AE2 Commander from http://ae2.ivec.org/
3. Age of Empires from http://www.ageofempiresonline.com/en/
4. Eye Shakespeare App from http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/eye-shakespeareapp.html
5. Ludos Mundi - The Latest Online News in Gaming from http://www.ludos-mundi.com
6. Time Explorer from http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/play/time_explorer.aspx
7. Total War. from http://www.totalwar.com
8. Anderson, Eike, McLoughlin, Leigh, Liarokapis, Fotis, Peters, Christopher, Petridis, Panagiotis, & de Freitas, Sara. (2010). Developing serious games for cultural heritage: a state-of-the-art review. Virtual Reality, 14(4), 255-275. doi: 10.1007/s10055-010-0177-3
9. Breuer, Johannes S., & Bente, Gary. (2010). Why so serious? On the relation of serious games and learning.
10.Brogan, Mark and Masek, Martin. (2011). 'AE2 Commander': Simulation and Serious Games in the Online Cultural Heritage Space. Archives and Manuscripts, 39(1), 85-106.
11.Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: HarperCollins.
12. Derryberry, Anne. (2007). Serious games:online games for learning. White Paper. Retrieved from http://www.adobe.com/hk_en/products/director/pdfs/serious_games_wp_1107.pdf
13.Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S. (2006). {Overview of research on the educational use of video games}. Digital Kompetanse, 1(3), 184--213.
14. Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S. (2011). What Makes a Good Learning Game? Going beyond edutainment. from http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1943210
15. Gardner, Howard. (1993) "Multiple Intelligences: The Theory In Practice." New York: Basic Books.
16. Gunhouse, Glenn. Virtual Worlds for Art History Teaching, from http://www2.gsu.edu/~artwgg/atmos.htm
17.Kee, Kevin. Graham, Shawn. Dunae, Pat. Lutz, John. Large, Andrew. Blondeau, Michel. Clare, Mike. (2009). Towards a Theory of Good History Through Gaming. The Canadian Historical Review, 90(2), 303-326.
18.Simon, Egenfeldt-Nielsen. (2004). Practical barriers in using educational computer games. [DOI: 10.1108/10748120410540454]. On the Horizon, 12(1), 18-21.
19. Stapleton, A J. (2004). Serious games: serious opportunities. Paper presented at the Australian Game Developers’ Conference, Academic Summit., Melbourne, Australia.
http://andrewstapleton.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/serious_games_agdc2004.pdf
20.Uricchio, W. (2005). Cyber history: historical computer games and post-structuralist historiography.
In J and Raessens Goldstein, J (Ed.), Handbook of computer games studies (pp. 327–328). Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

Cat Thursday - Some Pinteresting Cats

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun. 

Here's a few cats I found on Pinterest this week. Hope fate is being kind to you.

Source: soup.io via Kate Campbell on Pinterest

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Kate Campbell on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Kate Campbell on Pinterest

Skyfall - something for everyone.

We saw Skyfall last weekend. I'm not a big James Bond fan, though I did read the first book Man with the Golden Gun when I was about 12 and I have a vintage copy of it. 

I am however, a bit of a Daniel Craig fan with his big baby blue eyes. I am also an enormous Judi Dench (M) fan and I was not disappointed in her role in this film at all. Besides, I think we should all move to the UK just so we can wear fabulous coats all the time. 

There was the typical Bond action and a few scenes where he gets his kit off. It's pretty good as far as getting the adrenaline pumping and there is some gorgeous scenery when they get to Scotland. 

This is by no means the usual film I watch but it was nicely shot and the fans won't be disappointed with a couple of classic references. 

The villain played by Javier Bardem is quite brilliant and you just want to slap him. I best remember him from Eat, Pray, Love and Love in the Time of Cholera. But he's been in lots of films.

Voldermort shows up as usual (oops I always get my UK movies mixed up), of course Ralph Fiennes shows up and he's as smooth as ever. 

Ben Whishaw (Q) is some eye candy for the younger ladies and he's like a genius to boot. There's a couple of lovely ladies as usual and some gratuitous violence and fighting, but it wouldn't be Bond without them. 

http://www.skyfall-movie.com

http://www.skyfall-movie.com