Let's help the animals!

I don't do this sort of thing very often. But I would really like to help more than I actually can on this case. The Berks County Animal Rescue League (which is where we got Yumi) helped rescue 15 horses, 2 dogs, and 2 goats from a local farm. All of animals are extremely emaciated. When the officers raided the farm, there was no grain nor hay on the property and the barn was filled with manure. I can't put into words how much this angers me.

So my mother, my daughter, and I are going to the local feed supply store to pick up as much feed/hay/whatever as we can to help these poor animals. I would like to give more than I can. Please feel free to re-post or link this entry!

This is where you come in ^_^

Any money you toss into my PayPal account between now and the morning of Saturday, October 10 (say, like, 10AM Eastern), will go directly to buy stuff for these starving animals. If you have a specific type of animal you'd like your money to go to, make a note and I'll get something for that species.

Click away!

Parenting: Fun For The Kids

pleasetouch Over the weekend, I took my daughter and one of her friends to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. While it is mostly geared toward the younger crowd (around 4 to 6), the older kids (7 to 10) will have some fun as well.

There are a number of areas to explore. The first floor has a carousel (which I didn't count as 'exploring'), a water-themed play area, a transportation area, and a sky-themed area. The water area has smocks for little ones so they don't get soaked. A river, which is arm-height for children, moseys around the area. The kids use various buttons and levers to move rubber ducks and boats through the waterways. The sky area has things like a two-seated bicycle that moves flat 'umbrellas' when you pedal. There is also an area where you can build an airplane out of foam pieces, send it up to the ceiling, and see how it floats back to the ground. In between the water and the sky is the transportation themed area. There are cars to build, a SEPTA bus to 'ride,' an SUV to fix up at the service station, and some construction vehicles to pick up balls.

Heading downstairs, the second floor (yes, I think it's weird that the bottom floor is the second) has an Alice in Wonderland themed area, a centennial area, and a...I'm not sure how to explain it other than a play area. The Alice exhibit is wonderful. There is a huge maze that the kids run around in to see various pieces from the story, as well as various characters. This was the biggest hit with our crew. Next to that is the centennial area. To be honest, this was the most boring of all the exhibits. There was little for the children to do and all of the historical stuff bored them. However, next up was an area filled with "dress up" areas. There was a construction set, a McDonalds set, a hospital set, a grocery store set, a shoe store set...and probably more that I forgot! In each set, there were costumes for the kids and various items for them to use to play pretend. However, it was quite crowded.

Amid each section, there were separate areas for children under 3 to play. However, we didn't have any children that young with us so we weren't allowed in those areas. There was also a very good puppet show that engaged the kids and their imaginations. I have to admit that I thought the kids would be bored there. I was under the impression that the museum was geared toward the 5-year old are group. While that is true, there are still plenty of things to keep the older kids occupied. It was a really nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Game review: Princess Isabella - A Witch's Curse

It's been awhile since my daughter and I played a video game together. We decided to give Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse a try. You play Princess Isabella. She has been away and, when she returns, she finds the castle under an evil spell with all of the people locked inside mirrors. The princess needs to find who is behind the evil, while rescuing her family.

Big Fish Games has classified this as a hidden object game. However, it is so much more. Each room has a number of puzzles contained within. Some of them are hidden object but others are jigsaw puzzles or areas where you need to use an object you are holding in order to open the next area of the room or 'trivia' questions. We found this to be a great game because, while there are some areas that my daughter could do by herself, there were also areas that I needed to do by myself or that we needed to work on together. It was a great way to spend a few hours with my kid. I highly recommend it to any parents wanting a little extra time with the little one. (And by 'little one,' I mean in the 6 - 10 age range...)

Music Assignment for YOU!

I am taking a jazz dance class this year, which I absolutely adore. We're currently in the process of looking for our recital song. Here is where I need your help. Since most of my music collection is in Japanese, I am turning to you for suggestions. We are looking for:

* an 80s song (though we will ponder other decades too) * a relatively fast song (so don't be sending me no ballads!) * no Paula Abdul and no Michael Jackson

One of the examples we used in class was Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.

* Funky is good...think kind of hip pop or something along those lines

Thank you for your help ^_^

JDorama review: Mr. Brain

mrbrain
Title: Mr. Brain Broadcast dates: 5/23/09 - 7/11/09 Number of episodes: 8 Genre: Detective, Comedy Cast: Kimura Takuya, Ayase Haruka, Mizushima Hiro, Kagawa Teruyuki Plot: Tsukumo Ryusuke (Takuya) has recently moved into the Institute of Police Science (IPS) as their resident "brain scientist." Even though his methods of assisting the police are quite unorthodox, he somehow manages to become one of the most beloved scientists in the IPS. What is good: Absolutely every bit of it is good What is bad: It was a little annoying that the last few cases ended up being 2-parters, therefore leaving us with cliffhangers instead of solving the case during the episode...but that can be a good things sometimes. Letter rating: A+ Overall: I originally downloaded this series because Gackt, my very favorite Japanese rock star, guest starred in the second episode. To show how amazingly awesome Mr. Brain is, I watched that second episode before ever watching the first episode AND I watched it raw, despite barely knowing the Japanese language, and I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Despite barely knowing what anyone was saying, the acting and the characters themselves were so likeable and eccentric that I knew I had to watch it subtitled. Adding to that, once I watched the first episode subtitled, I had to get my husband to watch it with me because I knew he would love the show as well. Out of all the series I've watched and loved, this one is now my absolute favorite and new series will have to try really hard to do better.

Game review: Mr Jones' Graveyard Shift

When I saw the title of this game, I knew I had to play it. Something called Mr Jones' Graveyard Shift would either be awesome or awful. It turns out that it is a time management game. You play as Mr. Jones, owner of the local graveyard. Your job is to fill your customers' requests for their loved ones' funerals. Some want specific flowers, some don't want trees...there's a lot that they ask for, but, the gameplay for each is pretty much the same.

I actually had to play the game twice. The first time, I screwed up royally and had to start over. The second time, I figured out where I messed up and made sure to not make the same mistake again. That is when the fun kicked in. I didn't think I would actually enjoy arranging funerals. After all, it's a rather morbid thought. But it was lots of fun. At the very least, it's a good Halloween game!