Spotted on the drive home yesterday, a be-ponytailed man driving a Subaru Brat with the license plate "YIFF". Now that's some hardcore furry pride.

I've got to say I must be old because I frickin' love that Brain Age game. It's like WarioWare for your mind, man.

Actually, the interesting thing about it for me is that it's almost perfectly tailored to all of my mental quirks. There's a brain training game about counting syllables in phrases, which is something I do all the time anyhow. Seriously, I constantly count the syllables while reading signs, listening to lyrics, or when people are talking, so it comes very easily ot me.

And the brain training tips often encompass things I do naturally anyhow, such as reading every single goddamn thing you see, or looking at objects and coming up with as many verbs to go with that object that you can.

You know, I did just pick it up as a fun lark, not for any serious attempt to improve my brain's functioning, but after two consecutive weeks of "training", I have to wonder. I can now do 20 arithmetic problems in 16 seconds, and memorize 26 of 30 four letter words in two minutes. I have to wonder if it really is having a positive effect on my mental agility and memory.

Perhaps if we could include basic tutoring programs for math and science in those $100 laptops that are being planned for third-world nations (or even English!) we'd be one step closer to the "Young Lady's Primer" of Neal Stephenson's "The Diamond Age". Though Doctor what's-his-name from the Brain Age program isn't exactly the most compelling tutor, it does the trick for me. I have to wonder if some sort of real virtual tutoring program could be possible somewhere down the line.