Happy New Year!

Hi Puzzlers,

We would like to wish you & your families a very Happy New Year!

To help you get it started we have discovered some "Superstitions/Traditions" that must be done in order to assure the New Year is off to a good start, assist in warding off evil spirits, and attract good luck.

Before January 1st you must stock the cupboards and pay all bills -- and this includes mailing them out. Every wallet must have lots of money in it! (Monopoly money doesn't count.) Put in as much as you can as this will set the tone for the coming year.

At the stroke of midnight you must kiss those who mean the most to you. Doing so helps ensure that love and family bonds will continue throughout the year. If you fail to smooch, you could be in for a year that lacks affection and feels lonely. Also at midnight, all doors must be opened to help the old year out. The New Year can't come in until then. Do not forget to make as much noise as possible to celebrate and welcome in the New Year, which also scares away evil spirits because they don't like loud noise and avoid it at all cost. Whew!!! That's a lot to do in 12 strokes.

On New Year's Day wear new clothes because you'll want more new clothes in the coming year. Pick one very small work-related project which can be done quickly and do it. Don't work all day, as to do so is very unlucky. Avoid doing laundry, sweeping floors and taking anything, including the trash, out of the house. If something needs to leave the house on New Year's Day, put it in the car overnight the day before!

The hog symbolizes prosperity so your New Year's Day meals should consist of anything hog-related. Why, you may ask? Hogs root forward, which is considered very lucky, while cows stand still and any poultry scratch backwards in the dirt. We want thing to keep moving forward in a positive way. Other lucky foods include cabbage, because it looks like paper money, and anything round such as peas, lentils, etc. that resemble coins. The Dutch favorite is the donut. Rice is also considered lucky.

So, with all that being said, here is my personal New Year's Day feast: Cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and topped with sweet tomato chutney served on a bed of sauerkraut with sides dishes of long grain brown rice and a mixture of black-eyed peas and lentils. And, you guessed it -- donuts for dessert! I'll let you all know how it turns out, and if you have any lucky New Year's Day traditions please share them with us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Holidays

Hi Puzzlers,

We would like to wish and your families a Happy Holiday.

During this festive time it seems that most families and cultures have their own holiday traditions. Some are based around activities and some around food and drinks. We found some of them to be very unusual and different and thought it would be fun to share a few of them with you. Maybe they will become your new holiday traditions.

Our first and favorite is the holiday puzzle, where family and friends gather around to help assemble it and share conversation. Don’t forget to mark the back of the puzzle with the year it was completed and have everyone who helped sign his or her name. It will be a cherished keepsake for years to come.

Or try the German tradition of hiding a “Pickle” ornament in the tree and whoever finds it gets an extra gift! In Romania, children clean their boots on December 6th and line them at the door in hopes that Santa’s cousin might bring them a gift.

One inventive family, in an attempt to bridge the gap between Hanukkah and Christmas, decorates their tree with spray painted bagels! Others put an “Elf on the Shelf”. The elf is put where the children can see it but not touch it and they are told that each night he goes back to Santa and tells if you were naughty or nice. The elf needs to be moved every night to a new location, so the kids will have to look for him each day thus adding to the fun.

On the adult based traditions try the traditional “Gag Gift”. You know, the soap on the rope and fruitcakes that get re-gifted every year! If that’s not your style, try predicting the future by writing your predictions down on paper and sealing them in an envelope till next year. Then open last year’s predictions and try to figure out who wrote them and see how accurate they were. Or for the more physically inclined try the “Tree Toss”. Once the holidays are over toss the tree out of the highest window in your home, then drag it to the curb. It’s said to relieve the winter blues in a flash.

Puzzlers - we would love to know what your holiday traditions are.

Happy Holidays!

All That Jazz

Hi Puzzlers,

Most everyone loves Jazz music, or as in the case of my daughter and me, you will grow to love the music once you are exposed to it. My father would always have some kind of Jazz music playing in the background and if one of his kids walked by he would grab their hand and whip us around as if dancing the Jitterbug.

Among my Dad’s favorites were Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” (Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.), Count Basie and Nat King Cole, just to mention a few. When ever I hear their music I am reminded of my father and the impact Jazz music has had on music since its inception.

Jazz, sometimes referred to as “America’s classical music”, began in the 1700s and played an important role in African American culture. Songs were used to tell a story, to pass the time, and soulful songs were used to express religious beliefs and hopes for freedom. These songs helped make up the foundation of jazz music.

In the 1800s African American composer Scott Joplin combined the musical traditions of many European immigrants with the rhythmic and melodic music of the black communities to form what is now call Ragtime.

During the 1900s New Orleans became a melting pot of musical traditions. Immigrants from all over the world began to combine musical styles such as blues, ragtime and marching band and it is this combination that created a new style of music called JAZZ.

As African Americans began to migrate north in the 1920’s, bringing with them the sounds of blues and jazz music, the popularity of the new music took hold on many young Americans. Listening to and dancing to this new music was seen as a rebellion against their parents. Young woman cut their hair and hem lines and became know as Flappers.

By the 1930s, the new jazz “Big Band Swing” was the most popular and it kept everyone dancing at the local dance halls. But as soon as WWII began in the 1940s it was difficult to find musicians to play in the dance halls as many had gone off to serve the country.

Television in the 1950s had slowly replaced dance halls as a form of entertainment. Television variety shows introduced a new form of music-“Rock N Roll”. Many performers such as Elvis Presley became overnight successes.

During the civil right movement of the 1960s many African American musicians broke free from companies holding the rights to their music and started controlling it themselves. Most successful were those from Motown Records.

From the 1970s to the present, jazz music has had many changes and continues to evolve into many different variations. A few years back I purchased a new CD by a group called Jamiroquai - as it turns out, it is considered to be one of the new jazz variations call Acid Jazz. It looks like my father’s influence is still with me. Thanks Dad!

What's your favorite jazz style or performer!

Happy Puzzling!

Artist Royce McClure

Hi Puzzlers,

We would like you to meet artist Royce McClure. Royce has been licensing his fabulous artwork to White Mountain Puzzles since 2005.

Royce B. McClure was born in Tokoroa, New Zealand in 1956. He has been a diving and tropical fish enthusiast since the age of 12. Royce has been painting full time since 1975. In 1977 he moved to Australia where he took up the airbrush and became a commercial illustrator. In 1981 he moved to Los Angeles and continued illustrating until returning to fine art in 1986.

In a field where it is sometimes hard to tell one artist's work from another, Royce's images stand alone with their bold abstract designs and unique color schemes.

Recently returning to New Zealand with his wife and four children, Royce now paints at his home-studio in the seaside town of Mt. Maunganui.

Notes on the Artists Technique:

Most of the images on the Royce Art site were painted with an airbrush. A few of them such as Family Reunion were brush painted in acrylic. Royce uses mostly Iwata HP-SB airbrushes: Three or four are plugged into a compressor at the same time sharing about 10 color cups!

Lately Royce is using the computer more and more not to completely paint images but to quickly modify or reprocess an image for an alternative use. The advantage of using the computer over an airbrush is its speed and versatility. It is also easier to fix mistakes so requires less concentration. It is, however, harder on the artist's eyes and doesn't result in an actual physical original piece of art. Because of this, Royce's future work will mostly remain airbrush art with computer modifications as needed.

Thanks for the amazing artwork, Royce!

Happy Puzzling!

Internet Shopping Safety Tips

Hi Puzzlers,

“Black Friday” officially started the Christmas and Holiday shopping season and “Cyber Monday” unofficially kicked off the beginning of the online Holiday shopping season. For many this can be a very stressful time and ordering online can be scary. In an effort to assist our puzzlers, we have researched the best safety tips the Internet has to offer. We were pleased to find lots articles of advice on “How to Holiday Shop Online Safely”. Below is a list of the most popular tips.

1. Protect your PC- Make sure your personal computer has recent updates installed for Spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a secure firewall.

2. Trusted Websites – Shoppers should know whom they are dealing with. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number. Anyone can set up an online store under any name. Do not respond to the pop-up asking for personal or financial information. Real companies would not ask for this type of information via emails and pop-ups (phising). Check for security seals, such as a lock icon and the http (URL) has an “s” in it. The https:// stands for secure.

3. Pay by credit or charge card - By using a credit or charge card you are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. This law gives you the right to dispute charges and temporarily withhold payment while the credit card company investigates your claims. Never use your debit card, as you have no rights protecting you from fraud or theft.

4. Refund Policies and Delivery Dates – Make sure you know if you can return the item for a full refund and who pays the shipping for the return. Is the refund for a store credit or cash refund? Know when you should expect delivery of your item.

5. Print & Save – Keep documentation of your order. If confirmation was sent by email, keep the email and save any and all correspondence with the retailer.

6. Wear comfortable slippers, get a comfortable chair and pour a nice cup of tea, you could be at your computer for hours!


Puzzler we would love to hear about your great shopping tips.

Happy Puzzling!