A good present for someone who’s receiving a musical instrument this Christmas is the sheet music for the song. What’s better is, it can be downloaded on Christmas Day for only £0.99 and counts as a thoughtful gift! Click here to get it (there are piano, guitar and vocal arrangements available, as well as full Jeff Buckley songbooks).

If you can’t wait, here are the lyrics and guitar chords for “Hallelujah”:

Jeff Buckley

Hallelujah – Capo 5
by Leonard Cohen, as performed by Jeff Buckley

Intro: / G – - – - – / Em7 – - – - – / x2

G Em7 G Em7

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord,

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

But you don’t really care for music, do you? It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

The minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing Hallelujah!

Chorus:

C (2) Em (2) C (2) G D G Em7 G Em7

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-jah!

G Em7 G Em7

Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof;

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you. But she tied you to a kitchen chair

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

She broke your throne, she cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah! (Chorus)

G Em7 G Em7

You say I took the name in vain; But I don’t even know the name.

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

But if I did, well, really, what’s it to you? There’s a blaze of light in every word;

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

It doesn’t matter which you heard; The holy, or the broken Hallelujah! (Chorus)

G Em7 G Em7

Baby, I’ve been here before. I know this room, I’ve walked this floor.

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

I used to live alone before I knew you. I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch,

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

Love is not a victory march. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah! (Chorus)

G Em7 G Em7

There was a time you let me know What’s really going on below

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

But now you never show it to me, do you? I remember when I moved in you,

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

And the holy dove was moving, too. And every breath we drew was Hallelujah! (Chorus)

G Em7 G Em7

Now maybe there’s a God above But all I ever learn from love

C (1½) D (½) G D G C (½) D (½)

Is how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you. And it’s not a cry that you hear at night,

Em C D B7 Em7 (2)

It’s not somebody who’s seen the light, it’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah! (Chorus)

Chorus:

C (2) Em (2) C (2) G D

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-

C (2) Em (2) C (2) G D

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-

C (2) Em (2) C (2) G D G (hold)

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-jah!

Fallout 3 on XBOX 360

This Christmas, a lot of teenagers and adults will be receiving a computer game from their families- but how many of us know really which ones to get?

Here, I review one of the biggest games of 2008 – Fallout 3 – which, providing your loved one hasn’t already bought, any fan of first person shooter games will love.

If you’ve seen your inteded gift recipient playing on games where they roam around with a gun in front of them happily blasting things with a variety of weapons, then there’s every chance that they will absolutely love Fallout 3.

Which Formats is Fallout 3 Available in?

There’s little point in buying a game unless the person you buy it for has the right technology to play it! Fallout 3, luckily, comes in most formats, you can choose from the following:

• PC
• XBOX 360
• Playstation 3

Where to Buy Fallout 3 Online

UK buyers will find some of the cheapest copies of Fallout 3 with the following online retailers:

• Play.com – £24.99 PC Game & Many Other Offers – Free Delivery on everything
• GAME – Variety of options.

Please be aware that the Fallout 3 game is a Certificate 18 in the UK and is not suitable for young children, due to high levels of violence.

In the US you can purchase Fallout 3 from Best Buy, just click here to view their current range

You can only get a nodding buster from ITV through the Paul O’ Grady show as they are specially commissioned toys. However, people who get hold of them are putting them on ebay for around £20 – see the Ebay Nodding Busters below:

<a href="http://www.24hourtrading.co.uk/buster.html" mce_href="http://www.24hourtrading.co.uk/buster.html">Click here for nodding busters</a>

Gavin & Stacey Book

Ruth Jones came on the show to talk about working on the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, whether there will be another series (they’re not sure yet) and what it was like working on the latest costume drama “Tess of the D’Urbevilles”. The Gavin & Stacey book is out for Christmas featuring:

• 

  Gavin and Stacey’s family trees

• Character profiles
• Maps of Barry and Billericay with key sights and landmarks
• Pam’s favourite vegetarian recipes (incl. cheese omelette)
• Nessa’s secret diary (Includes how she really met John Prescott) and a Welsh Dragon knitting pattern.
• Gavin and Stacey’s emails – before they met
• Smithy’s top night outs in Billericay
• Script extracts and jokes
• Quizzes and crosswords and much more…

It was written by Ruth Jones and James Cordon – the shows creators. £17.99 from Blackwell, £15.29 from Foyles.

Benidorm Series 2 DVD (Steve Pemberton, Johnny Vegas & Hannah Hobley)

Johnny Vegas went on Paul O’ Grady to promote the new DVD of “Benidorm”, talking about how he had met some characters just like Geoff Maltby. When asked by Paul whether he had calmed down at all, Johnny responded that he was about to say “yes” until he thought about his last time in Benidorm, running down the street with a homeless lady’s trolley at 3am in the morning. They also talked about the character “Geoff” who gets to go on a date with a teenage mother while his Mum/PA babysits “Coolio” – his date’s son.

Released 17/11/2008: Pre-order from Play.com £17.99 with free delivery.

Known as ‘The Oracle’ because of his computer-like knowledge of trivial facts and figures, Geoff Maltby is on holiday with his mother, or PA as he calls her, but keen to hide the fact.

Paul O’Grady often features the latest and greatest products, but we’d love to get hold of a Nodding Buster for ourselves! It would make a great Christmas present for someone you know is a big fan of the show – a really unique gift too.

It was difficult for the original Indiana Jones makers to agree on a new film ever since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg and Ford initially disagreed over Lucas’s choice of the skulls as the plot device.

Screenwriters Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, M. Night Shyamalan, Frank Darabont and Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts, before a script by David Koepp hit the mark in 2006. Shooting finally commenced on June 18, 2007, and took place in New Mexico, New Haven, Connecticut, Hawaii, Fresno, California, and soundstages in Los Angeles.

For continuity purposes, there is minimal use of computer-generated imagery – the makers sticking to traditional stuntwork. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski has taken notes from Douglas Slocombe who worked on the previous three Jones movies.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The newest Indiana Jones adventure begins in the desert Southwest in 1957 – the height of the Cold War. Indy and his sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) have barely escaped a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents on a remote airfield.

Now, Professor Jones has returned home to Marshall College – only to find things have gone from bad to worse. His close friend and dean of the college (Jim Broadbent) explains that Indy’s recent activities have made him an object of suspicion, and that the government. has put pressure on the university to firm him. On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt (Shia LeBeouf), who carries both a grudge and a proposition for the adventurous archaeologist: If he’ll help Mutt on a mission with deeply personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history – the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear.

Harrison Ford has promised not to do another Indiana film after this one and Sean Connery was a bit too old to take part. Harrison Ford said at the Cannes film festival:

The process that developed this script was largely between George (Lucas) and Steven (Spielberg) and at the appropriate moment I had my own say and we were all very satisfied with the script that we shot… I don’t do stunts…

Steven Speilberg:

We’ve had so many people over the years come up to us, George Harrison and myself, and basically say “when is another one coming out?”. I mean the only two movies that anyone asks me about “is there going to be another one” is E.T. and Indiana Jones. No one ever asks if I’m making another A.I.!

"For the Love of God" Damien Hirst, diamond encrusted skull

N.B.

Is it just me, or has Damien Hirst just copied this idea for his latest piece of art “For the Love of God” a £50 million diamond encrusted skull?

Some of you may have seen a Top Gear episode where Richard Hammond races a team of dogs to the North Pole against Jeremy Clarkson and James May in their Toyota Hilux convoy. He did lose out to the cars eventually, but the dogs did exceptionally well and there wasn’t as much concern about getting completely stuck or falling under the ice. The cars were quicker, but the dogs were far better suited to the terrain.

British sledding is not exclusively based on snow. On his travels, Santas Little Helper has even met an Australian Musher who competes in the desert! The dogs are usually Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes who love to run and run. They are hitched up to a cart in much the way as horses to a carriage or trap. There is a British Mushers Association and several mushing centres around the country.

Here are some basic commands for mushing:

• Gee - Go Right
• Haw - Go Left
• Hike / Pull – Go Forward
• Whooa - Gentle Stop
• Trail - Stay on the trail
• On By – Go past (e.g. past a distraction
• Easy - Go Slower

So why do we associate this sport with Christmas? Most of our Christmas legend comes from Germany and Scandinavia where dog and reindeer sledding used to be an essential means of transport. Along with the Saint Nicholas stories came the tales of sledding with animals much smaller than horses and we eventually came to see sledding as the most festive of sports.

Without any previous experience of dog sledding, you can go along Eynsford in Kent to learn the ropes of handling a team of dogs from an expert. You can even take the rest of the family round the bird of prey centre whilst the gift recipient tries their hand.

• Husky sledding for one and a family pass to the bird of prey centre.
• The adult and child pass is £149 for two hours and includes a family pass into the bird of prey centre.
• The double adult ticket includes; a family pass into the bird of prey centre and two hours husky instruction for two adults, for £199.

Prezzie Plus

Delivery to European countries available (not international). Next working day delivery available for extra charges on items ordered before 3pm. To get £5 Off All Orders Over £30, just enter the code “Xmas08” – offer valid until 31st December 2008.

Up to £3 – our picks:

Whoopee Cushion £0.99

The old classic never tires – expect to be caught out all day long!

Glow in the Dark Laces £1.99

Give your little emo something to remember this Christmas with these glow in the dark laces. Perfect for pumps, goth boots and anyone who plays out after dark. Keep them safe and stylish at the same time.

£3-£5 – our picks:

Floral Hammer and Screwdriver Set £3.99

For the lady who can look after herself. There’s no need to throw fashion out the window when you tackle DIY tasks, just get these feminine tools in your kitbag and fix your house in style.

Catapult £4.99

Catapult with softballs. Keep the boys entertained all day with this timeless toy.

Mood Toast £4.95

Send a message every morning with these special toast stencils. Press them into fresh bread and you’re left with a toasted token of love. Messages include:

• Good Morning and I Love You
• Have a Nice Day and a Big Smiley Face
• Hangover Cure and Eat Me

£5 and over – our picks:

Disc Shooter £5.50

I bought disc shooters for my brothers (both grown up) one year, and they proceeded to spend the whole of Christmas locked in a very quiet and skillful floating foam disc war. The discs spin as they leave the gun and fly like a soft frisbee across the room. If you aim well enough, you can get an unsuspecting victim at distances of around twenty feet. Well worth the investment.

Retro desk vacuum £7.99

Plug this USB mini-vacuum into your computer and hoover up the remains of your elevenses before the boss sees! Get the crumbs out of your keyboard and do it in 1950’s housewife style.

Gobaz

International delivery for between £6 and £25. All prices in sterling. Delivery 2-3 days, next working day delivery also available on orders placed before 3pm.

Wind-up LED Torch Keyring £3.99

The wind-up LED torch keyring is especially handy on those dark winter nights; find the car door, see where you’re going on the way back to the house and find your way whilst taking the dog out. Endlessly versatile and always available.

Pull back and go car pens £1.99

Is it a pen, or is it a car? The perfect stocking filler for boys. Immediately working, no battery charging. Useful at school or at work, these pen toys can be raced across the room and come in a variety of different colours and designs.

Findmeagift Stocking Fillers

Delivery worldwide except Russia and Indonesia. UK delivery withing 2-4 working days. Next working day delivery for £5.95

Spud Gun £2.99

The spud gun ranks alongside the whoopie cushion for classic old-fashioned fun. Expect to spend the whole day hiding from a rain of potato bullets.

Joke Toilet Roll Paper £3.99

“What do a wedding anniversary and a toilet have in common? Men always miss them”. A great gift for students, dads and those who like to read whilst on the loo, this roll of toilet paper is like no other – it has jokes on every single piece.

Gizoo Stocking Fillers

Flashlight Tweezers £9.95

Great travel accessories, these eyebrow tweezers come in a little case and have a special flashlight attached, so that you can get just the right amount of light to get your brows looking fabulous. A good stocking filler or secret santa gift for any woman (-especially good for beauty conscious women at work).

Hot Teddy Bear £9.95

Pop him in the microwave for two minutes and you have a lovely warm teddy bear who smells faintly of relaxing lavendar oil. Easier to heat up than a hot water bottle, this fluffy friend is a comfort for anyone.

If you’re still stuck, we’ve found a really helpful website – Stocking Fillers – who divide everything up by price and have loads of handy hints.

Call of Duty 5, World at War

Those of you with teenage children will probably know one thing: kids these days spend a lot of time on the computer, playing games! Call of Duty is one of the most popular computer games of the past few years – in this article, I’m going to explain how to buy this year’s release, Call of Duty, World At War; when its released; and everything you need to know to make sure you get the right one, for the right person!

Call of Duty 4 was one of the biggest games to come out last year. Call of Duty 5 (which is just entitled Call of Duty, World at War) is anticipated to be even bigger, encompassing, as it does, even more powerful multiplayer options.

The online function and playability of Call of Duty 4 made that a game with terrific longevity – so not just a 1 hit wonder, a real lasting gift that will be enjoyed well into the new year (providing you have online playing capabilities!).

I have a brother – well in  his thirties – who plays Call of Duty 4 online every week – over a year after buying his copy of the game. Now that is worth the price tag, surely!

This new version is built on the same technology and includes more levels, new weapons and more action. There’s also much enhancement in terms of the multiplayer side of things. Players can collaborate more online, and immerse themselves more in this game.

We predict this will be the number one game on most platforms this Christmas.

Have They Got Call of Duty 4 Already?

The first question you need to ask yourself is this: has your intended giftee (not sure if this is a word!) already got Call of Duty 4? If not, then that would make a great gift in itself (maybe even a double present).

The best way to find out if they’ll really enjoy this game is if they had the one before, and played it to death! If your son, husband, boyfirend or whoever you’re buying for has, in the past year, played practically non-stop on a very realistic military style game, chances are it was this one – but even if it wasn’t, they’ll probably enjoy this game, and the multiplayer options available.

Call of Duty, World at War Platforms

Call of Duty, World at War will come in the following formats:

• PC
• XBox 360
• Playstation 3
• Wii
• NDS

Call of Duty Age Restrictions

Due to the life-like scenes of violence and shooting, albeit in the context of warfare, this is not a game for young children. I’d personally recommend about a 15 year old guideline, and the game itself has its own advised age restriction of 15 (in the UK) which may vary from country to country – in case of doubt, use your own discretion to decide if its suitable for your child.

Buying – Pre-Order Call of Duty, World at War

Call of Duty, World at War US Preorder

Call of Duty, World at War comes out a couple of days earlier in the US than in the UK – the US release date for Call of Duty, World at War is November 11th 2008.

You can preorder your copy from the following online retailers:

• Call of Duty World at War from Amazon ($79.99)
• 
  Call of Duty: World at War: PlayStation 3 – $59.99 from Best Buy
  
• 
  Call of Duty: World at War: Xbox 360 – $59.99 from Best Buy
  
• 
  Call of Duty: World at War: Nintendo DS – $29.99 Best Buy
  
• 
  Call of Duty: World at War: Windows – $49.99 Best Buy
  
• 
  Call of Duty: World at War: Nintendo Wii – $49.99 Best Buy
  

UK Pre-Order Call of Duty, World at War

Buyers in the United Kingdom can preorder Call of Duty World at War from the following retailers – Call of Duty, World at War comes out in the UK on November 14th:

• HMV – Full Call of Duty 5, World at War Range (discounts range fro £5 to £10 off)
• Call of Duty, World at War – Preorder from TESCO for delivery on the Release Date
• GAME – Call of Duty, World at War Preorder
• Play.com – Call of Duty, World at War Preorder
• Amazon Call of Duty World at War Preorder

Order your copy now. This will sell in huge numbers! Anyone who you know enjoys playing first person shooter games on a supported platform will be hugely grateful for this as a gift – just make sure they didn’t already buy it for themselves!