Monthly Archives: March 2006

Nintendo DS ElectroPlankton?

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I’d never heard of this game until I stumbled upon it on Amazon.com. It sounds awesome! Anyone have it?

A Singing Zen Garden, January 11, 2006

Reviewer:Bruce Aguilar (Hollywood, CA)

ElectroPlankton for the Nintendo DS is much more about play, experimentation and discovery than achieving anything. There’s nothing to unlock, no goals, no saving of your musical creation. Instead you’re supposed to get caught up in the moment – discovering new ways to manipulate the ElectroPlankton. The depth the game has depends entirely on the player and how much time they are willing to give it. The more you play, the more discover, especially if you never read the instruction booklet.

I’ve shown the game to at least five non-gamers and they all have been immediately transfixed. Smiles spread across their faces and there was much laughing. They basically commandeered my DS and didn’t want to let go. Since playing ElectroPlankton two of these guys have decided to buy a DS – their first gaming system ever. It may be interesting for you to know that these guys were aged 35 and 47.

I’ve played ElectroPlankton just about every day since I imported it in April 2005. One of the things I love about ElectroPlankton is that it’s so unlike anything else. Never before has there been anything like it. It’s calming and relaxing while at the same time being very exciting and joyful. In fact, I’ve heard ElectroPlankton called a singing Zen garden and I believe that’s right on target. I find it intoxicating and a much welcomed breath of fresh air.

Guppy Teahouse in Cerritos

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I just went to Guppy Teahouse in Cerritos with Tony, Austin, Emily, Andy, Christie, Marie, and Chandler. I don’t think I’ve ever been there before. It’s awesome. 12:30 AM at night, and it’s really, really crowded with students. Most of them look like they’re in high school. The food is simply awesome. Reasonably priced, too. An amazing place that is just too small. But they’re open late, a great night hangout. It’s really asian. White people like it too, though :)

I had Sweet & Sour Popcorn Chicken. As a group, we had one of those gigantic shaved ice things which has tons of delicious fruit, including strawberries, mango, bannanas, and maybe more. Also, sweetened condensed milk. Plus, we got two Brick Toasts, butter coconut or something like that. The place is decorated like crazy, too. It’s just a 20 minute drive (or less) from USC, and we saw the VKC tower way off in the distance off the freeway.

Interested in Guppy Tea House hours? According to this, “hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.”

USC on Nintendo’s Site

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I was reading about a new Nintendo DS game, Brain Age, when I stumbled into this paragraph:

Why is brain training good for you?

We all know as we grow older our bodies change and it becomes important to regularly exercise to maintain health and fitness. Our brain is no different. “Use it or lose it,” as the adage goes. New research indicates mental acuity may be strengthened, like muscles, with brain exercises.

Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, dean and executive director of University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, says games like Brain Age can help keep older generations of Americans’ minds active. “Americans can do a great deal to maintain and even improve their mental abilities,” Zelinski explains. “Aging is about taking on new challenges for our minds. Nintendo’s Brain Age is a great way to do that.”

That’s where Brain Age comes in.

Nintendo.com

Yep, they quoted someone from USC.

Google Web Accelerator

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At the bottom of one of my Google searches, I saw their little ad for Google Web Accelerator. How does this profit them? Anyway, I decided to give it a try: I installed Google Web Accelerator today (3/23/06) and so far have 0.0 seconds saved. If it doesn’t save me a minute within a week, I’m getting rid of it. It does blend in with Firefox very nicely, though.