Vixon

The Smurfs - the Cartoon Characters The Smurfs are many things. At just the height of three apples each, they are an almost 99% male race, have short stubby tails, are very blue, each of them wears a similar set of clothes and yet they are remarkably smurfy...er, happy. A little over one hundred in number, they live together in mushroom houses in Smurf Village, organised under the wisdom of a 543 year-old smurf named Papa Smurf. Each smurf contributes towards keeping the village running in his or her own way. Each smurf is truly unique - despite the limitations of almost all of them having the same colour, size and clothes as each other. They each have a defining characteristic (and usually an accessory), which is generally related to his or her name. For instance, Handy Smurf has white overalls and a pencil behind his ear, and he invents and fixes things. Poet Smurf is recognisable by a quill and parchment in his hand, and he tries to be eloquent and poetic. Guess what Baker Smurf does... Most smurfs are about 100 years old and live in harmony (in more ways than one), with conflict only arising when the baddies seek to capture or corrupt their civilisation (boo, hiss). A Smurfy Language It sure is a smurfy day. What does this phrase mean? To most people, the actual meaning may well be rather ambiguous. But those familiar with the world of the Smurfs will realise that it can mean many things - depending on how it is said and who says it. It could be 'It sure is a great day' or 'It sure is a lousy day.' It's only unfortunate that the reader can't see the context of the comment to further understand it1. The word 'smurf' and words derived from it are usually pronouns (though not really pronouns, as they can take the place of any word from any part of speech) in the world of a race of tiny blue creatures of the same name. They have the remarkable ability to decipher what the word 'smurf' means in conversation, in a way that would make a Babel Fish2 gasp. Smurfs understand each other through subtle tones and inflections in their speech. However, we can only use context to understand them. Smurfy is an adjective, and that's all you need to know. If Grouchy Smurf (see below) says it, it is probably a bad thing, and if one of the happier smurfs says it, it's probably a good thing. Who are the Smurfs? Each Smurf is unique, with his name reflecting his character. Most Smurfs also have a unique trait to make them recognisable. Here is a short guide to some of the Smurfs: Papa Smurf is the oldest, wisest and most magical of the Smurfs. He is the leader of the village, and his responsibilities include settling disputes, making plans to rescue any of the members of the village in trouble and making magical potions and spells to protect their isolated home (with spells that make people who happen upon the village forget it). He has a laboratory, and wears a beard and red clothes. Smurfette was the first female Smurf in the village. She has blonde hair, a dress and more feminine shoes. Gargamel, the main enemy of the Smurfs, brought the girl Smurf to the village in order to corrupt them, but Papa Smurf used his magic to make her a genuine Smurf, and she has remained one from then on. Brainy wears black glasses and claims to be the smartest Smurf around - though he's most often wrong about what he talks about. He is often the cause of the Smurf's problems, usually because he is rather glory-hungry. Most Smurfs in the village dislike Brainy. Dreamy daydreams a lot, of all sorts of places. The first time we see the Smurfs, Dreamy becomes Astrosmurf and wishes to go to outer space. He is always wishing and dreaming of strange things. Hefty has a red heart tattoo and is the strongest Smurf. He is often seen lifting weights, in gym shorts and a green jersey. Lazy is always napping, and tired. He can usually be seen in the background, yawning or snoring. Handy is the most useful of the Smurfs, as he can repair or invent anything. His inventions make life easier for the Smurfs and sometimes solve problems. However, when his inventions malfunction, there can be serious problems. He has a pencil behind his ear and wears overalls. Clumsy is a benign person who often trips over himself and his loose clothes. He is probably the only person in the village who is friends with Brainy. Baker makes gourmet dishes for the Smurf village, including several special creations that he created. However, his great dishes are sometimes stolen by Greedy Smurf, and he can often be seen chasing Greedy around with a rolling pin. Greedy manages to personify one of the Seven Deadly Sins - the one after which he is named. He steals baked items from Baker Smurf, but at one point he learns that his lifestyle isn't healthy. Tailor designs and makes all of the clothes in the village. He wears a tape measure as a scarf and has needles around him. It's somewhat strange that he has a tape measure with him always, as all of the Smurfs are basically of the same proportion and wear basically the same clothes at all times. Vanity, like Greedy, personifies one of the Seven Deadly Sins - Pride. He worries about his appearance more than anything else and wears a flower in his hat. Usually, he has a mirror in front of him. Grouchy generally says nothing but 'I hate this' or 'I hate that.' He is grouchy, mean and doesn't like anything. The distinguishing thing about him is the scowl that's always on his face. Jokey has a lot of things that explode loudly. He carries around giftboxes with fuses on them and when they explode, he lets out a big laugh. Painter is a temperamental artist, with a French accent. He carries around brushes and a palette and is dressed in a brown jacket and tie. Farmer plants and harvests all of the crops for Smurf Village. He wears blue overalls and a brown straw hat. Harmony is a Smurf who is accompanied by bad trumpet music. He tries very hard to be a great musician, but people in the village find his music annoying. He carries around a yellow trumpet. Wild wears a loincloth and also dons a green leaf for a hat. He grew up outside of the village, separately from the others. He can speak to animals. Tracker is an outdoor Smurf with a big hiking stick. There are also several children and various other characters- Baby was delivered to the village by a stork. He has magical powers and speaks in a baby-speak kind of way, which is slightly less discernible than the Smurf-speak that the others use. Snappy, Slouchy and Nat are Smurflings who were old but had the ageing process reversed. Snappy can be a bit mean and rough, Slouchy is relaxed and casual and Nat loves animals. Sassette is a sister to the three original Smurflings, who they created. She has red hair, freckles and wears a set of pink overalls. She's something of a tomboy. Clockwork is a wooden-looking robot created by Handy. He is a powerful and intelligent robot, who doesn't exactly live in the Smurf village, but visits often. Grandpa is the oldest Smurf and lived outside the village for half a century. He is an active old man, with yellow clothes, a beard, a cane and glasses. Mother Nature makes several cameo appearances with the Smurfs. Nanny babysits the smaller Smurfs, and has a pink bunny named Smoogle. She has grey hair, reading glasses and a pink dress. King Gerard is a very young man, on a throne. He is friends with the Smurfs, and does what he can to help them. Puppy was a gift to the Smurfs, and belongs to Baby Smurf. He protects all of the Smurfs from their enemies, especially the younger ones. Johan works for the King and helps the Smurfs sometimes. His companion is Peewit, who plays a lute (poorly). Feathers is a bird who helps carry the Smurfs to where they need to go and also carries messages. The Baddies Though it can hardly be believed, there are some in the vicinity of the Smurfs who would seek to corrupt and destroy their quaint way of life. Luckily, the Smurfs manage to thwart - in one way or another - their would-be killers and captors each time. Gargamel is a sorceror and the most prominent of the Smurf-hunters, having attempted to destroy their civilisation hundreds of times. He's done everything from creating Smurfette purely in order to corrupt them to disguising himself as a Smurf. Just about every Smurf has at some point been captured by Gargamel, only to escape time and time again. This brings in to question his motives, of course. It is hinted that not only are the Smurfs a delicacy, but they are also useful in magic and making gold. It has also been said that he wants to prove that they exist, because he is thought to be crazy by other sorcerors for his belief in Smurfs. You have to draw your own conclusions about the motives of an angry man who lives in the woods with his cat, wearing clothing of the same quality as a potato sack with nothing better to do than to hunt half-naked blue creatures all day long. Azrael is Gargamel's loyal brown cat, who chases the Smurfs for his master. Although he is a cat without any dialogue, you get the feeling that he is truly evil and really hates the Smurfs. Scruple is Gargamel's nephew/apprentice who joins his uncle in the forest after an incomplete term in Wizard School (he got kicked out). While not as mean as Gargamel, Scruple sometimes causes trouble to the Smurfs, but more often causes trouble to his master. The Wartmongers are ugly, disgusting toad-like creatures who live in mud and other unsanitary conditions. Sometimes, the Smurfs find themselves captured by the Wartmongers, who, for whatever reasons, don't have the decency to release them. Balthazar is the godfather of Gargamel, and is a meaner, colder wizard - who hates the Smurfs as much, if not more, than his godson. TV History The Smurfs debuted on NBC in the United States in September, 1981. It was originally created by a Belgian cartoonist named Peyo Culliford. Their original name was the Schtroumpfs. The rights were bought by NBC after the President of the network Fred Silverman saw that his daughter liked a Schtroumpf doll. The show was very popular on Saturday mornings. In order to keep the programme fresh, the character list was constantly reinvented. In 1982, the characters Johan and Peewit - also originally by Peyo Culliford - were given their own sections of the show, but were unpopular and were discontinued. All was well and constant in Smurf Village, for the most part, but outside of it things were happening. Due of the fear of communism at that time, and the Smurf system of government being essentially that, there was some controversy. Also, some considered the show to be sexist, because the only female smurf was Smurfette, and she was created as a tool to corrupt the village. The show won two Emmys for Outstanding Children's Programme. There were also six specials, The Smurfs Springtime Special, The Smurfs Christmas Special, My Smurfy Valentine, The Smurfic Games, Smurfily Ever After and finally the festive 'Tis the Season to be Smurfy. Every sort of imaginable product was made of the Smurfs. Dolls of the characters were especially popular. Since there were so many characters, and since they were easy to make up, potentially hundreds of Smurf dolls could be made. Family Smurf meals were sold, records were produced... the list is almost endless. In 1989, the show tried one last reinvention technique with the Smurfs leaving the Smurf village. However, it wasn't quite the same, and the show was cancelled in December, 1989. Still, it lives on in syndication after 421 episodes.

Ancient heritage, modern society Lake Mungo, south-west New South Wales: Australian scientists have discovered skeletal remains possibly as old as 60 000 years Before the arrival of European settlers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples inhabited most areas of the Australian continent. Each people spoke one or more of hundreds of separate languages, with lifestyles and cultural traditions that differed according to the region in which they lived. Their complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflect a deep connection with the land and environment. Asian and Oceanic mariners and traders were in contact with Indigenous Australians for many centuries before the European expansion into the Eastern Hemisphere. Some formed substantial relationships with communities in northern Australia. European settlement The Penitentiary, Port Arthur, Tasmania: some 12 500 convicts served sentences at Port Arthur between 1830 and 1877. Today the site of the penal settlement, with its well-preserved historic buildings, is one of Tasmania’s prime tourist attractions. Peter Luxton/Tourism Tasmania The first recorded European contact with Australia was in March 1606, when Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon (c.1570 - 1630) charted the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Later that year, the Spanish explorer Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the strait separating Australia and Papua New Guinea. Over the next two centuries, European explorers and traders continued to chart the coastline of Australia, then known as New Holland. In 1688, William Dampier became the first British explorer to land on the Australian coast. It was not until 1770 that another Englishman, Captain James Cook, aboard the Endeavour, extended a scientific voyage to the South Pacific in order to further chart the east coast of Australia and claim it for the British Crown. Britain decided to use its new outpost as a penal colony; the First Fleet of 11 ships carried about 1500 people—half of them convicts. The fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788, and it is on this day every year that Australia Day is celebrated. In all, about 160 000 men and women were brought to Australia as convicts from 1788 until penal transportation ended in 1868. The convicts were joined by free immigrants from the early 1790s. The wool industry and the gold rushes of the 1850s provided an impetus for free settlers to come to Australia. Scarcity of labour, the vastness of the land and new wealth based on farming, mining and trade made Australia a land of opportunity. Yet during this period, Indigenous Australians suffered enormously. Death, illness, displacement and dispossession disrupted traditional lifestyles and practices. A nation is born The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 through the federation of six states under a single constitution. The non-Indigenous population at the time of Federation was 3.8 million. Half of these lived in cities, three-quarters were born in Australia, and the majority were of English, Scottish or Irish descent. The founders of the new nation believed they were creating something new and were concerned to avoid the pitfalls of the old world. They wanted Australia to be harmonious, united and egalitarian, and had progressive ideas about human rights, the observance of democratic procedures and the value of a secret ballot. While one of the first acts of the new Commonwealth Parliament was to pass the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, which restricted migration to people of primarily European origin, this was dismantled after the Second World War. Today Australia has a global, non-discriminatory policy and is home to people from more than 200 countries. From 1900 to 1914 great progress was made in developing Australia’s agricultural and manufacturing capacities, and in setting up institutions for government and social services. The impact of war The First World War had a devastating impact on Australia. In 1914 the male population of Australia was less than 3 million, yet almost 400 000 of them volunteered to fight in the war. As many as 60 000 died and tens of thousands more were wounded. Out of this experience was born one of Australia’s most enduring values: the ‘Anzac’ ethos of courage and spirit. Every year on 25 April, Australia commemorates the brave but devastating battle fought by the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps—Anzacs—at Gallipoli, Turkey, in 1915. The day also commemorates all Australian soldiers who have fought in wars since then. ‘In the end ANZAC stood and still stands for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never admit defeat.’ —Charles Bean, historian of the First World War The period between the two world wars was marked by instability. Social and economic divisions widened during the Depression years when many Australian financial institutions failed. During the Second World War Australian forces made a significant contribution to the Allied victory in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific. The generation that fought in the war and survived came out of the war with a sense of pride in Australia’s capabilities. Post-war prosperity After the war Australia entered a boom period. Millions of refugees and migrants arrived in Australia, many of them young people happy to embrace their new lives with energy and vigour. The number of Australians employed in the manufacturing industry had grown steadily since the beginning of the century. Many women who had taken over factory work while men were away at war were able to continue working in peacetime. The economy developed strongly in the 1950s with major nation-building projects such as the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a hydro-electric power scheme located in Australia’s southern alps. Suburban Australia also prospered. The rate of home ownership rose dramatically from barely 40 per cent in 1947 to more than 70 per cent by 1960. Other developments included the expansion of the social security net and the arrival of television. Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games of 1956, shining the international spotlight on Australia.

U2 - Sweetest Thing

doh! thought I was on to something then! :embarrased: :lol: :lol: God I'm a dumbass!

If you quote someone else's massive post, does that give you lots of bling? :huh: :sneaky:

portrait

Eskimo Jo - From the Sea

January 30 2006 Coldplay’s undying popularity certainly has paid off for the band, and we’re not talking the contentment that comes with success, we’re talking the truck loads of cash kind of success. Chris Martin and his gang have taken out the number one spot on OK! Magazine’s 2005 rich list, and have beat out some of the world’s biggest acts in the cash-earning stakes. The band have reportedly earned a whopping £37 million throughout their career’s entirety making them richer than U2 and their lousy £35 million. Surprisingly enough, the other artists to fall behind the mellow rock outfit include Elton John (£30 million), The Rolling Stones (£28 million) and Paul McCartney (£25 million) as well as Rod Stewart, Simon Cowell and The Osbourne Family. Martin and his wife Gwenyth Paltrow have recently become targets of UK tabloid criticism regarding their supposedly boring existence. Paltrow, according to a Contactmusic.com report fought back saying "I think it's sort of funny how you have to be doing coke off the a** of some stripper to be perceived as not boring these days.” Well, any family with as much money as they have is allowed to be as boring as they want to be. After a marathon 18 months in the studio perfecting their album, Coldplay are back in fine form. 'X&Y' is a big album in every sense of the word. The songs are huge. The music is sometimes quiet and intimate but at other times builds to a massive, layered sound that breaks new ground for Coldplay. The lyrics are about big subjects like life and death, love and loss, about being fascinated by the world around us but also about accepting that some things can never be fully understood. The first single off the album is 'Speed Of Sound', this song is going to be big and the film clip doesn't disappoint. Speed Of Sound X&Y sees Coldplay building on their previous achievements while resisting the temptation to repeat themselves. "We wanted to try new things out, to move our sound along," says Jonny Buckland, Coldplay guitarist, "but the focus remains on the songs, and Chris (Martin)'s voice is sounding amazing. Everyone is playing at the top of their game." Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah blah :lol: :lol:

I kinda do that too.... but I type it as 'hehe'. I do it in my emails too :lol:

Madonna - I Love New York

Great music, kind people, great coffee and great food all make me happy.

Stupid - Sarah McLachlan

Hi Hila! Nice to meet you! Welcome. :)

I love Stargate SG1 (Dr Daniel Jackson is cute :lol: ). But I don't really like Stargate Atlantis all that much.

She is an extremely good singer but I don't really like her style of music so much.

:) :) Happy Coldplaying forum finding anniversary!

:stunned: :lol:

The opening ceremony was on at 4.30am here so I didnt stay up for it. But they're replaying it tonight at 8.30. I'm definately going to watch it.

Hi there :) Welcome.

Hi coldplay_rocker! :)

I have a really wacky sense of humour. I sometimes take a few minutes to get a punchline of a joke though :embarrased: :lol:

I do some shopping on the internet but I love buying new clothes etc so I prefer going shopping in malls and small stores.

I LOVE coffee! I got an espresso machine for Christmas and I've been drinking Latte after Latte. Yummm :)

I check the web lots of times through out the day for breaking news. I love news. Don't know why..

Coldplay - Everything's Not Lost