Admit it, a lot of you probably dashed to the Internet to search for a blue ocarina to buy as soon as that game came out in the mid-1990s.  You probably figured you would practice the magical songs Link plays on his ocarina during the game, and play them for your own entertainment.  If so, you were likely frustrated to learn that a standard ocarina is actually not capable of reproducing the melodies Link’s ocarina was able to make.  Thankfully, now you can buy an ocarina with the proper scale to play those songs.  Here is the place:  http://stlocarina.com/

Now, watch as this fellow perfectly plays “The Song of Time.”

Something as simple as color graphics took a lot more work to achieve initially than the most recent developments, like 3D gaming for example.  That’s because there was nothing on which to base it.  Once color was brought forth, it was pretty easy to get more 3 dimensional after that.  The super realistic games we have today are largely due to the hard work of people who made that first pixel turn red instead of gray.  Here’s the history for you, in color:

Studies show that there is a 50 percent improvement in correct answers on standardized tests among students who play educational video games.  And in addition to being fun and highly engaging, video games also encourage students to compete with other students, with themselves, or against the computer.  Have a look at the following infographic to see how certain video games have impacted education (you will be happy to notice the glaring absence of any zombie genre games.) Also of note is the fact that if you live in the Los Angeles area and will be moving, movers Los Angeles are especially helpful in getting delicate electronics to new homes in pristine condition.  It comes in hand when you want to keep your educational games in one piece after a move.

Math Dice is possibly the most flexible, competitive math game ever created and is guaranteed to keep kids and adults alike thinking math and fun during those long road trips. To play, you simply the dice to generate one Target Number and three Scoring Numbers. The Scoring Numbers are arranged into a combination of operations such as addition, subtraction, or powers.  The object is to use those numbers to create an equation whose result is closest or equal to Target Number without going over.  Your kids won’t even realize they’re doing math, they’ll be having so much fun.

The U.S. License Plate Game (by Melissa and Doug) adds excitement to travel.  It is truly a classic travel game that helps you learn the name and location of all fifty states and also identify states by their license plate design. The board is sturdy and you flip states on it to indicate a move.  You could even flip the states as you travel through them to create a kind of map of your journey.  Kids will have hours of fun playing this game.

Travel Tangoes is very much like traditional Tangoes, but in a more compact form that is perfect for short trips, long journeys, or even “camping out” at home. You begin by choosing the puzzle you want to solve. Then, using all seven puzzle pieces, solve the puzzle on the attached play area. Magnetic pieces are so convenient since they stay in place.  There are 24 puzzles in a set, and solutions are there to help you if you get stumped.  For extra fun, try creating your own puzzles.

Now, you can enjoy that road trip!

Gambling becomes a problem for many people because they don’t know when to stop. The majority of people find gambling an addiction, causing them to keep pouring money into a game with the hopes of winning; although it rarely happens. On the other hand people find themselves not knowing when to walk away. When winning money greed gets the best of many people. For example if someone is steadily winning money playing blackjack, they wont quit when they are ahead. Being in a casino changes a persons mood, making them more susceptible to being caught in a game.

Online gambling presents a different problem. Being in the comfort of your own home gives gamblers a false sense of security. Although there are many distractions at home, it’s easier to spend money when you aren’t seeing it in front of you. Online gambling appears to be the same as playing any other mindless video game, but in reality that’s not the case. The stakes are much higher and the games are more difficult than they seem.

If you ever find yourself getting the urge to gamble set a few rules for yourself and stick to them. One rule is set a budget and stick to it. If you say you are only going to play with $1,000 don’t go over that budget even if you think you can win it back. Accepting defeat is one of the hardest things to do when playing games especially one that involves loosing large quantities of money.

The second rule is know when to walk away. If you set a maximum amount that you are going to spend gambling you should also set both a high and low quitting number. If you are on a large winning streak and hit your quitting number, don’t push your luck and try to win more money. Be happy with the amount you have. Also if you don’t think that you can walk away without any money, set a minimum quitting point.

There are many different online gambling websites that have a number of games that you can play, but be sure to play with caution.Direct TV Schedule Guide is a great resource to find TV shows about those struggling with all types of addictions.

What is a cheat code? Cheat codes are codes that are used to give you an advantage when playing games. Some codes are designed to give you additional weapons or armor while others can allow you to pass levels. Cheating on video games can in a way be compared to cheating in school. When you cheat on things at school you don’t learn the material and don’t know what to do when you face it in the future. In a way the same thing can happen when using video game cheats. If you are given the way to beat it, you wont be able to do it on your own in the future.

In addition when using cheat codes do you still feel accomplished when you have won? That’s like finding the phone number for direct TV on Google, when you thought you had it memorized. Making a good grade on a test when you know you have cheated isn’t the same as knowing that you worked hard and studied to earn your grade. So in relation to video game cheating, do you still get the satisfaction of passing on to the next level.

For most gamers the games are far from realistic and they use them to become a solider or a race car driver. Saying this most gamers don’t seem to have a problem with cheating especially when it is so easy to get cheat codes in books, magazines, and the largest selection is typically found online.

Why do gamers cheat? Gamers cheat for the same reason that people cheat in other aspects with real world events. When they are faced with a seemingly impossible problem they turn to cheating for the answer. It’s becoming more convenient for gamers to find cheat codes because every game has them for a variety of things. Cheat code sites are even put into easy to follow categories that allow players to choose the specific cheat they need to pass a certain level or obstacle.

For many people cheating at video games is nothing new and they use it when it’s necessary for them to feel the accomplishment of being promoted past a difficult level.

1. Nickelodeon- Nickelodeon provides games that are based around children’s favorite Satellite TV Providers characters. They include things such a helping Spongebob makes kraby patties or racing cars driven by their favorite power ranger.
2. Fun Brain- Fun Brain has hundreds of games that are both educational and entertaining. Many of the games here include both. There are places like the “arcade”, “math arcade”, “reading” and “playground” that help kids choose what kind of games they want to play. Some of the more popular games on Fun Brain are Penguin Drop, Mighty Guy, and many other fun games.
3. Kids KnowIt- Kids KnowIt is an educational gaming website for younger children. Here children can learn where and what the capitals of all 50 states are. They can also learn by watching educational movies that are centered around the topic of their choice. There are even games that help correct spelling mistakes by keeping balloons with correctly spelled words afloat and letting misspelled words pop.
4. Sprout- Sprout is a site that has games, pictures, recipes, and more. The games on sprout are geared towards smaller children. They have games that include Barney, Sesame Street, Thomas and Friends,  the Wiggles, Caillou, and many more of their favorite TV characters. The games on sprout help children work on their problem solving skills when solving jigsaw puzzles, or show their creativity when coloring familiar scenes. There are also memory enhancing games that are focused on the things in the shows.
5. Dance Mat Typing- Dance mat typing is a website that teaches kids how to type properly at a young age.  They make typing fun by adding colorful dancing characters to teach them the proper way to type. When learning the placement of new keys an goat will tell them how they should proceed.
6. Primary Games- Primary Games is a website that has a variety of games for all kinds of interests. Primary Games is an educational site, as well as having fun games that kids will enjoy. Some of the top games on Primary Games include “Dune Buggy”, “Crazy Taxi”, and “Mountain Bike”. There are hundreds of games that fall in a variety of categories, all kids will find something they enjoy playing.

There are many other websites that are designed specifically for children. Although some have been proven to be more successful than others. What games children like to play is just a matter of their personal preference. On all 6 of these sites there is a large variety of games that will have something for everyone. Happy Gaming!

Everyone agreed that Mitt Romney won the night.  He came out ahead in polls conducted after the impressive debate.  A surprise in polling was that second place went to Michele Bachmann (who has only about 336,000+ “Likes” on Facebook, compared to Romney’s 967,000+ likes, which makes you wonder about all the other potential candidates from the Republican Party.)  The popularity of candidates on social networking sites is not a direct correlation to true popularity, but it can nevertheless provide valuable insights.

Romney spoke frankly about his record on pro life issues, and why he changed his stance a few years ago.  He explained that people are most likely already familiar with his stance from the 2008 debates, and that nothing has changed since then.  He made some outstanding comments about the issues of joblessness in the US, home security and dealing with illegal immigration, states’ rights, and foreign policy.  He also addressed the crisis of national debt America has fallen into over the past three years under the Obama administration’s watch.  Further, he explained his own vision of health care reform, which was warmly received by an applauding crowd.

It looks like Obama is going to have a run for our money this fall when the real competition heats up.  Make sure you have a TV package that will allow you to view all the channels during the debates.