Weird News Tuesday: It Keeps Getting Weirder

Welcome to the second segment of this themed post series. This time around I am going to be using a different news site. This time I am using The Huffington Post. Last week it was too easy as I was still on the homepage by the time I finished this post. Let us see if it is a little harder this time, I really hope so. We start pretty quickly with a story that is not that far down the page. It is from a comedian (some hope there) and is an interview he did to explain why he cried the first time he did Heroin. It seems like a weird story to find so easily but according to The Huffington Post, it is news. The next story is of a white supremacist whose DNA results show that he is 14% black. Apparently they can still say that in America. Under each story on the Huffington Post website there is a link that says "More..." followed by the category of the preceding post. For this one it reads, "More Black Voices". That just does not seem right. Now for the story accompanied by a weird picture. The story is an alright one and is about how investigators now use a "Nasal Ranger" smelloscope to find people smoking pot. It seems like a weird enough headline but the picture just makes the story a little ridiculous. Just look at that picture below. It looks like a radar gun for your nose. I can see the caption now "See how fast your boogers move! How runny is your nose?" Oh Huffington Post, you have done it again.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/company-develops-nasal-ra_n_4256193.html

Scroll down a little further and you have an aptly named story on the "Penis Church" which is basically a church with quite the interesting aerial view. An architect claims that it does not look much like a penis but judging from the picture that architect must be a lonely female or a stupid male. It totally looks like a penis, just saying. Here is the picture (click anywhere on this sentence) and you tell us if it looks like a penis to you. Guys, brace yourselves. There is a new issue that has hit America and no, it is not the Government this time. After a fire at a factory there is a nationwide shortage of Knish. Apparently this is some kind of Jewish food that they eat during Hanukkah but guys, this is serious. The red cross should seriously go over there and the Government need to order a state of national emergency. Christians have also reached an all-time low as they air-drop Bibles into North Korea. They are literally tying parachutes to individual bibles and dropping them down over North Korea. I thought their main argument against communities like the LGBQTI community was that they "rub it in everyone's faces". Excuse me but does air-dropping bibles not seem like rubbing it in people's faces? Just saying, it is even less subtle than Mum saying she is thirsty and waving her tea cup in my face. Next in the news is a story about a new bill in California that would mean that Porn Stars would have to wear goggles while 'working'. For safety of course but still, who would watch that. Of all the things the Government could be doing they focus on the sexual health of porn actors who probably have more experience than most politicians (again, just saying). I do suppose though that they do have some similarities, most of the time both of their work blows up in their faces. Apparently someone has found out what the Sasquatch's (otherwise known as "Big Foot") favourite food is. This is important news guys, get ready to take some notes after reading this important news feature. Finally, in an epic display of brains a man blew up his house after watching a TV show on the Hindenburg disaster.

There are some really weird stories out there, see you tomorrow!

Americanisation

It has come to that time of year again where people get dressed up in 'scary' costumes and go "Trick or Treating" for Halloween. It is at times like this that you realise how much Americanisation has affected countries that we live in (that is not, obviously, America). Halloween is a typically American holiday which is celebrated more over there than it really is down under. However, in previous years Halloween has gone up in popularity around Australia and everyone is getting involved. It is a sure sign of Americanisation in our modern world. Such an occurrence would normally be termed Globalisation but due to the sheer amount of American influences we see every day I think it is a safe thing for me to further categorise it. Americanisation is definitely a growing problem.

Source: http://blog.antonemdin.com/2012/02/americanisation-of-australian-politics/

We can see Americanisation in Australia in more places than just Halloween. For instance, you have the American companies who have come into Australia and already seem to be part of the fixture. These are companies like McDonalds  and KFC. Even Hungry Jacks, known in America as Burger King, is an American company along with Subway and many other things. In recent years we have also seen the introduction of giant bulk-buying stores like Costco which is yet another American company settling in Australia. However, for some companies the settlement is not so easy. Starbucks for instance. Though they are insanely popular in America they have struggled in Australia with the competition from Gloria Jeans. You do not see many Starbucks stores outside of the Melbourne CBD. Another such instance is with the American doughnut company, Krispy Kreme. Though originally very popular they since went out of style. Now there are only a few stores where there used to be many and it is only in recent years that they have started crawling back into the Australian market through chains such as 7-Eleven. Americanisation, however, is not always such a bad thing. There are many great things we have in Australia that have been influenced or is directly from America. For instance we have all the great (and not so great) movies that come out of Hollywood. We have our very own little Broadway in Collins Street as well as numerous American fashion chains and companies with stores all across the country. Americanisation, like most things, comes with its benefits and its deficits. Sometimes, we just have to weigh the good up against the bad.

Americanisation, is it such a bad thing? See you tomorrow.

Facts about Me!

So as you should all know, it is currently the school holidays (between Terms 3 and 4) and I decided that, after much deliberation, I had nothing to write about except some other things I was saving. As a result I have decided to continue with the 800 questions I found in July. Click here to read the first part of this series of posts. As always, this is a sign of writers block. I was thinking of actually writing about this topic but, ironically, I had writers block. Let's begin!

Source: http://www.itpro.co.uk/strategy/20451/qa-jon-maddog-hall

31) Are you a good babysitter? I have not really had much experience other than my cousins so I do not really know.
32) Are you a good mechanic? Oh yeah, totally. You guys know me, always going on about the tools I have in the garage. Seriously though, I am not really and my expertise does not surpass changing and checking the oil and water.
33) Are you a good diplomat? Nope, never had the chance to try.
34) Are you a good employee? I really should start skipping the questions without relevance.
35) Are you a good dresser? The people in Milan model their clothes from what I wear. I am a fashion god so yes, I am a horrible dresser.
36) Are you a good swimmer? I guess so, I can swim. Not very fast but I can confidently swim.
37) Are you a good skier? No, I would probably fall over with each step.
38) Are you a good lover? Okay, these questions are getting really out of my experiences.
39) Are you a good musician? I can play the piano but beyond that my musical skills do not stretch so far. Even with Piano I am not that good but I am okay.
40) Are you a good comedian? Do you read my blog? Of course I am a horrible comedian.

Have my answers whet your appetite yet? Let's continue shall we?

41) Are you a good cleaner? Once I do clean I am good but the whole problem is starting.
42) Are you a good actor? Nope, I did a drama thing earlier in Term 3 but that was just pretty easy.
43) Are you a good writer? Well I write a daily blog. I may not be a good writer but I am dedicated.
44) Have you ever been bungee jumping? No, not my scene.
45) Have you ever been canoeing/kayaking? Yes, I actually own two canoes so we used to go along the Werribee River which was very nice on the right day.
46) What types of holidays do you prefer? Theme Parks or relaxation
47) Whats the furthest you've ever been on Holiday? America, specifically California and Florida
48) What was your favourite holiday? I would have to say America.
49) Where would your dream holiday be? It would be to New York City in America
50) Can you tap dance? No

Satisfied yet? I would not think so, shall we continue? Well it is my blog so I guess I decide.

51) What is your favourite zoo animal? Pandas because they are just so cute.
52) What is your favourite sport? I would have to say Tennis, sorry guys but that is my scene (not really, I just really wanted to say that)
53) What's your favourite food? Probably pasta or something similar.
54) What's your favourite pizza topping? Cheese, I like
55) What's your favourite film? The Hunger Games (#nojudge)
56) What's your favourite song? Rise Above 2 from Spider Man Turn off the Dark
57) What's your favourite alcoholic drink? I am a little too young for this question.
58) What's your favourite non-alcoholic drink? Probably some kind of flavoured milk (or even plain milk)
59) What's your favourite TV program? Doctor Who of course, I'm a Whovian until the end.
60) What's your favourite Boyband? Well, I do get all hot and bother by One Direction I mean they are so totally hot and all. I do not really know. But they are pretty hot.

Check back during my next writing block session for more questions and answers, see you tomorrow!

Worst Start to Holidays

So yeah, today's post is going to be short. I know you are probably thinking that it is a Saturday so you can just stay up later and write it on your laptop. The thing is, if you are thinking this you are alone. I'm just actually sick. I know, first day of school holidays and I'm already sick, are you kidding me? It's just annoying and a little known fact about me is that I cannot take pills/tablets unless they are soluble. It is not as though I have an allergy or anything I just cannot swallow pills, as hard as I try. On my way home from America I had a cold and Mum wanted me to take some pills before the flight. Let's just say that LAX was the entertainment capital of the world that night and it was all thanks to me.

Anyway, I better sleep before I pass out, see you tomorrow!

25 Random Questions Tag

So today I found these 25 random questions which is a tag or something. I found these questions here and so in today's post I am going to answer them. If you want to ask me a question then click on the link to the right that says Ask me Questions and it will link you to my Qooh.me account where you can anonymously ask me questions (you do not need an account). These questions will only show up if I reply to them and I promise to reply to all the appropriate questions. Enjoy and do not be afraid to ask!

Image Source: http://www.kingletas.com/2013/04/top-10-magento-questions-i-get.html

1) Do you have any pets?
Yes I have a dog, called Sandy, and two chickens which we keep in a chicken enclosure in the backyard. I don't actually think they have names except one which I think is called Daisy which we got off some friends of my mother.

2) Name three things that are physically close to you.
Let's have a look. There's my laptop, my Samsung Galaxy Ace Phone [just wanted to be exact] and a pillow. I am comfy so don't judge about the pillow!

3) What's the weather like right now?
Well, as it's Winter in Australia at the moment it is actually pretty cold for once. Although, knowing Melbourne's weather it will probably be something entirely different by the time I go to bed. Thank the lord we have a fire place to warm us up.

4) Do you drive? If so, have you crashed?
Well I only got my Learners Permit on May 10 (I aced the test by the way [100%]) and so have only just begun to learn how to drive. I have not had any accidents whatsoever so fingers crossed I do not have one any time soon.

5) What time did you wake up this morning?
I woke up at 7 am and practiced my Piano for thirty minutes before getting ready for school. When I say 7 am I actually mean 7:10 am by the time I actually get out of bed.

6) When was the last time you showered?
Weird question but just over an hour ago actually. Moving on...

7) What was the last movie that I saw?
Great, now I have to use my horrible memory. Let's think... the last one I can remember seeing was Iron Man 3 with my friends for my Birthday but I have probably watched a movie since then. Nope, can't think of anything. See how bad my memory is.

8) What does your last message say?
My last text message reads "I told u last night!!!!!" which was me getting angry at my Dad because he forgot what time I finished after String Ensemble tonight after school. Yeah, that really shows my social life. My last message is to my father, great.

9) What is your ringtone?
I am actually not sure, wait a second and I'll call myself. Yeah, this is going to sound bad. It is actually Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory. It is not as bad as some people. A friend in my class has My Heart Will Go On as his ring tone and someone rang him during class and it really was a funny time. Wow, we have some good times in our class.

10) Have you ever been to a different country?
I have only ever left the country once and that was to go to America at the end of 2009 and the start of 2010. It was really cool and we went to Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida. It was a really great experience (except for the plane rides, 17 hours one way is too much [thank the lord I was not going to Europe (24 damn hours on a plane)]).

11) Do you like Sushi?
Short question calls for a short answer. No.

12) Where do you buy your groceries?
Depends on where the specials are. Sometimes we get things at Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA or even NQR. It all depends on what we need and if there are any specials. These questions are starting to sound very stalker-y (yeah, I made up a word).

13) Have you ever taken medication to help you sleep faster?
Yeah, I am always popping them pills to help me sleep. No, I do not actually. Although I wish I did because then I would not have to try to fall asleep through all the noise my brothers make.

14) How many siblings do you have?
I have two older brothers, Matthew and Joshua. Matthew is 22 and Joshua is turning 18 in November.

15) Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
We have two desktop computers and I have a school laptop which I use. I am probably going to ask for a laptop this Christmas as I can only use the school laptop throughout the school year and have to give it back at the end of each year. This means no laptop over the Summer holidays (cue rain and On my Own music).

16) How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
Next May I will be turning 17, wow, that sounds weird.

17) Do you wear contacts or glasses?
I wear glasses because we cannot all have perfect vision. I wish I did have perfect vision though. I do not think I will ever use contacts because I just can not bear to put any fingers near my eyes. It just really freaks me out because I think I am going to poke it. Glasses for the win!

18) Do you colour your hair?
No, I do not colour my hair. That was a very interesting answer.

19) Tell me something you are planning to do today?
Okay, now this just sounds like a stalker. But I guess since it's a question. Well, it is already 7:30 pm and so there is not a lot of time left before I go to bed but my plans for the rest of the night are: finish this post, study for Maths Methods and watch tonight's episode of Revenge.

20) When was the last time you cried?
Just two seconds ago when I read some of these answers. I should re-title this post the tragic life of a Lukey. Seriously though, I do not remember the last time I cried, probably when I watched the Catching Fire teaser trailer when it came out. I mean, President Snow just wanted to be like, why can't anyone see that? Why?

21) What is your perfect pizza topping?
This is going to sound bland but I prefer just pineapple, ham and cheese on my pizza. Hawaiian all the way!

22) Which do you prefer, hamburger or cheeseburger?
I am not actually sure but I think it would probably be the cheeseburger because I like cheese. Just saying, I like cheese and would probably therefore prefer a cheeseburger over a hamburger.

23) Have you ever had an all-nighter?
I have had one all-nighter in my 16 years of life and that was when I stayed over at a friend's house when I was 12. So you see I live the life, going to bed at a reasonable hour, totally rebel.

24) What is your eye colour?
I think my eye colour is hazel, emphasis on I think.

25) Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?
I do not actually drink any of those full-sugar soft drinks but I have heard that Pepsi is supposed to be sweeter. I do know that Pepsi Max is a whole lot stronger than Diet Coke and Coke Zero. But Pepsi Max is actually a pretty strong drink.

Image Source: https://www.fluentstream.com/5-questions-to-ask/

Well, that is all for today and if you read through all the way to here then good for you. If you want to answer some of these questions in the comments or on your own blog or Facebook or whatever then feel free to do so. Just to reiterate you can ask me anonymous questions via the link on the right that says Ask me Questions. I will read them and reply to all the appropriate ones. Do not be afraid to ask!

May the odds be ever in your favour,see you tomorrow!

Sport

Sport is a very important part of any community and can do many good things. Although sport is often associated with Fitness it is not the only thing Sport is good for. Sport can bring people together and can be the rallying point of any community. Sport can really lift a person's morale and is a great place to make friends. So Sport is not only good for improving fitness but also for many other things.

Sport is a great way to bring people together, it can even become something a community rallies around. A great example of a sport bringing millions people together would be AFL and sports like it. AFL is Australia's sport and boy are we proud of it. Americans may find it confusing but how can they talk, how is NFL any less confusing than AFL (so many acronyms). AFL brings families together and the whole country is on a break during the Grand Final. It is one of those sports you can't go a week without hearing about (when it's playing). People make an effort to come together to watch a game on the television or live at the MCG or Etihad Stadium or wherever they are playing. Australia's passion for AFL has captured the attention of some other countries around the world and has provided Australians a network to connect with others around the world. AFL, and sports like it, really do create a vibrant global culture and really does bring people together.

Sport is also a great method of making people feel happier. Even the saddest day can be fixed with some fun sport games. Of course, some people are just set out to not have a good time and so they won't. Just remember, if you think you're not going to have fun, you won't. I know yesterday it was pouring and we had sport at the end of the day. We would normally break up into the groups for sport but because it was raining we broke up into two groups of 50. One group went bowling while the other did minor games. I chose minor games because I had done bowling the year before for sport and I got a little tired of it. Minor games was actually very fun and nearly everyone really enjoyed it. The only person who didn't enjoy it was one who was complaining the whole time and did not expect themselves to have a good time. Consequentially they didn't enjoy themselves and really started to annoy me because all they did was complain. Anyway, my point is that sport can really make the darkest (or wettest) days into ones full of happiness and sunshine (metaphorical sunshine, it won't actually change the weather. Unless you live in Melbourne where we have 4 seasons in 1 day, then the weather could actually change). Sport is really a wonderful thing and causes so much happiness and community.

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow!