Do you want to play a game?

I'm taking a break from my blog-a-day pattern...rather, giving you a bonus blog (I know you're all a-flutter). I want to introduce you to an online educational video game site called Poptropica. It was invented by the brilliant minds at the company I work for, Pearson. Folks in my part of the company first heard about it last week when CEO Marjorie Scardino came for a visit and made a presentation about the state of the company (we're doing well, despite the pathetic economy!).

I plunked around on it this afternoon and have decided it must be more mind stimulating than PlayhouseDisney.com, so I think I'll let Henry have a whirl.

Players get to create an avatar to represent themselves, based on their age and gender. I was an odd, froggy-looking redhead. Can't remember her name. She looked like some creature from A Bug's Life. Also, the players' ages can only go up to 15, so she has a bored teenage girl expression on her face and occasionally looks as though she might be rolling her eyes. I might be imagining that, though.

As the FAQ explains: Poptropica is a free, subscriptionless, virtual online world in which kids can travel, play games, customize their character, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other.
I'd invite you (and or your young'uns) to take a look, try it, take it out for a spin. You can make your character jump and roll and move from place to place, world to world, reading and planning, gathering clues, solving mysteries.

Let me know what you think. Especially if you dig it enough to buy the shameless promotional materials the site is hawking. It's not legitimate unless you can buy a T-shirt featuring it, I guess.

Comments

Holy Separated-At-Birth, Batman!

Gary Oldman...meet Uncle Knit-Knots from Imagination Movers.

Hair

This has become the age-old question...Why do men hate short hair on women? I've been thinking about this a lot because my current style, an angled bob, requires a bunch of fussing every morning to get it to do anything. My favorite haircut of all time, as far as ease of care, was my pixie cut. I loved that I could wash it, gel it, and be done. No blow drying or flattening or curling. Just gel and go. Very sporty. I thought it looked cute. My husband has another opinion. The longer the better is his motto. Thing is, my hair becomes an unruly, tangled, nappy mop when it gets long. If I had all the time in the world and Jennifer Aniston's budget, I'd be more than happy to grow it long and have others style it every day. In real life, I guess I'd rather go for comfort and convenience. And if you ask me, I think the pixie is dang cute. I suspect heterosexual men aren't hot on short hair, in general, because it's too much like their own hair. No matter how much jewel

Ho, Ho, Ho, How Many Times Can I Use "I'm too busy" as an Excuse?

I haven't had time to write. Work, swim meet volunteering, holiday decorating and shopping. But truthfully, I've not been in much of a mood to write anything anyway. Last night we put up the tree and Santa chachkies, and I drank my first egg nog of the season, so perhaps I'll be in a cheerier mood. Also, I have spent some time writing the annual Schoon holiday newsletter. If you happen to get a copy, treat it like a drinking game. Every time I make you roll your eyes, take a drink. Nog, wassail, Everclear. Whatever gets you through. One sure way to assist with merriment motivation is listening to Christmas carols. I'm not going to get into a debate over what truly constitutes a carol. You can "Jesus is the reason for the season" yourself until you turn blue; I generally lean toward the secular end of the holiday tune spectrum. And if you just gasped at my use of holiday instead of Christmas, go suck on a candy cane. It's my blog and my opinions. Deal.

WanderingAmylessly 2.0

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