The State of Fishdom

This one's for all fans of Bejeweled:  you know, that game where you swap one gem with an adjacent gem to form a horizontal or vertical chain of 3 or more gems.  Presenting Fishdom, a game that doubles as an aquarium!

You'll be attempting to make chains of starfish, jellyfish, manta rays, and shells instead of gems.  But, unlike most free games out there, you can play for a heckuva long time.  I'm still going after level 8.  Of course, you always have the option to purchase and download the deluxe version.

In addition to allowing you access to the game, Fishdom also provides you with an empty aquarium.  The more virtual currency you earn by playing, the more fish and fish stuff you can add to your aquarium (filters, feeders, heaters, air pumps).  I, for one, am now the proud owner of a mermaid statue, which my finned friends are enjoying flirting with.  Next on my list, a sunken ship!

Summertime Fun

www.playpickle.com just added a particularly summery game to its collection:  Mini Golf.  Let's face it:  who doesn't love to play 18 holes of mini-golf?  Even the most uncoordinated among us can have fun batting around a golf ball between the waterfalls and windmills.  Well, the Playpickle course doesn't have feature any windmills, but it has plenty of obstacles to bewitch you--sand traps, water traps, even moving walkways like they have at the airport!  The trickiest part, though, is maneuvering the mouse around your character (there are four to choose from) to aim while moving it away from the character to gain power.  It took me a few holes to get the hang of it.

Can't see the hole?  Use the arrow keys to shift over to it.

Alice's Adventures in Cyberspace

Have you ever played a video game and can't figure out how to get to the next level?  Sure, you can find cheat codes online for most any game...but not all of them.  I'm stuck on the second level of Alice in Wonderland, which I found on Playpickle.  Anybody got a suggestion?

Clever little touches, like the framed White Rabbit portrait, make this Alice in Wonderland game intriguing.

Here Comes The Indian Bride

Today, I had a "teachable moment" with my nieces Abby and Piper (whom I affectionately refer to as A&P), who are both just beginning to learn about nations and cultures other than their own.  They hopped on the computer to find something new and interesting to play when they saw that www.playpickle.com (a site they visit regularly, ever since their father let them download the necessary toolbar) was featuring Indian Bride Makeover, a dress-up game.  At first, they were intrigued by the beautiful, brown-skinned woman depicted in the logo design, but then they began to look quizzical.  Abby wondered aloud why the woman was not wearing feathers in her hair, like they had seen in Disney's Pocahontas movie.  I explained that not all Indians wear feathers, because the term Indian can mean either a Native American or a person from East Asia.  A&P's brows simultaneously furrowed.  So, out came the globe.  I showed them the nation of India and told them that the people of that country wear different kinds of garments than Native Americans do.  Piper (who was named very appropriately, as she can pipe up better than most) seemed intrigued.  "Like what?"

That's when the "teachable moment" really began...for me.  I was familiar with some aspects of Indian culture, but bridal wear was not one of them.  So, as A&P started clicking on the various clothing, makeup, and jewelry options that Indian Bride Makeover was offering, I got on my laptop and started looking up their names:  sari (a long strip of unstitched cloth that is draped over the body in various ways); choli (a tight-fitting blouse that ends below the bust); dupatta (a loose scarf usually made of georgette, a crepe-like material); lehenga (a pleated skirt, also known as ghagra); salwar kameez (salwar = a pajama-like pant, kameez = a tunic-length shirt that usually ends near the top of the knee); baju bandh (armlets); tikka (headpiece); and mehndi (the application of henna).  By the time A&P were done playing, we all wanted to emigrate to India and find ourselves a suitable husband!  

'Tisn't The Season, But What The Hell

Mama Doni

As made famous by The Soup on E!, Mama Doni performs the funky "Chanukah Fever" on Good Day NY, December 1, 2010.  I defy anyone to get through this clip without feeling delighted.  

I Got My Rock Moves

I love playing Rock Band with my nieces.  It's great fun to see them pretend that they've got rock chick hair and whip it back and forth like James Hetfield (or Willow Smith, in their case).  Of course, they haven't figured out how to work the guitar and whip their hair at the same time, but all in good time.

Last night, the girls showed me a free game site called Playpickle (weird name, right?) that had "Rock Hero 2."  I was curious to see just how similar it was to Rock Band 2.  It was tougher!  You have to use the letters D, F, G, H, and J, which are right in the middle of the keyboard.  It's really easy to hit the wrong keys, as I soon found out.  :P  They were in hysterics when they saw that my score was in the negative thousands!  (I was not so amused.)  They, however, played like pros.

That's alright, I told myself.  I'm still a rock star.  And, unlike my nieces, I got my rock moves.