Graffiti

Can we just pause for a moment and reflect on the idiotic act that is graffiti. Graffiti that is actually a nice artwork I can understand, I personally like Graffiti Lane in Melbourne. However, when graffiti is used just for the sake of vandalism and to be "cool" then I have a problem. This blog post was sparked after some horrible graffiti that vandals sprayed onto the iconic Captain Cook's Cottage in Melbourne which is a big thing in Melbourne as it is part of our cultural heritage. However, some idiots decided it would be fun to defile it and cover it in graffiti. You can see the photo below. It says "26th January Australia Shame!" There is a time and a place to protest but to do this to an Australian landmark is totally unacceptable.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneMemes

What to they think gives them the right to do this? It is bad enough that they wrote on the wall but did they have to continue with the other coloured graffiti. The worst part is that the culprits are likely to never be found and be brought to justice. It really is despicable how they can do this and get away with it. To do it on any other brick wall is still bad, but this is an Australian icon and landmark which makes the crime a hundred times worse.. I feel sorry for the council workers who have to clean up someone else's mess. It really is very selfish. There are thousands of ways to protest about Australia Day but this should have never been an option. As I mentioned earlier, graffiti can also be appealing as it can  be very artistic. Sometimes, people even hire graffiti artists to liven up an area with an interesting mural or piece of art. The following is an example of good graffiti which does no harm and is actually appealing.

Source: http://ciuki.wordpress.com/category/centrum/page/3/

What I am trying to say is that graffiti has a time and a place. Captain Cook's Cottage should never be a place or a time yet a disused plain wall could use with some artistic graffiti. Though I emphasise the adjective; 'artistic' because just scribbling swear words is not artistic, no matter how much effort you put into it.

Just think before you act. See you tomorrow.

Things No One Enjoys

This is a public service announcement. If you find yourselves doing any of these things, stop right away and move on with your life. Never look back at that time and never repeat yourself. Sincerely, the rest of human kind. Seriously though, there is so much that goes on around us that no one likes yet people still do it. They even make jokes about it. Who has ever heard on a train or tram "Oh, I'm on a (insert mode of transport) but I can talk"? Just stop, no one wants to hear your conversation and if the most exciting thing on my train ride home is listening to what you are going to do later that night than I would rather not. Feel free to comment down below or use the contact form to the right if there are any that you want to add. There is sure to be a lot more out there.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/are-these-the-worst-train-journeys-in-the-country-158563

While I am on the topic of trains and trams. If you are listening to music, make sure you use headphones. No matter what song is playing, if I am being bombarded by it on a crowded train I am not likely to want to listen to that song again and if you stay like that for more than 20 minutes you are not going to be able to listen to music on your newly-smashed iPod. If you are using headphones, do not have your music so loud such that you may as well not be wearing any. You too may find yourself in the market for a new phone/music player in the coming moments. Also, if you think you are so tough by drinking alcohol, riding between carriages or doing what you think are "Chin-Ups" then just stop. You look like a complete tool and are probably going to be mistaken for the Janoskians. Moving away from transport we come to the wonderful world of entertainment. First, let us go on a trip to the movies. If you are going to see a movie do not spend half of it either talking or using your phone. It annoys everyone else around you and, trust me, you are not the center of the Universe. Also, if you are coming in late, do it quietly and with as little disruption as humanly possible. Narrating your way down the aisle tends to ruin the movie experience. The same goes for live shows where it is even worse as they tend to cost a lot more than movie tickets. Back to transport, do not be an idiot on the roads. No sane person likes a hoon. They cause a disruption and are a public nuisance. Who cares if their cars are crushed or impounded? Every bad choice should have a consequence. Also, if you are on the Highway/Freeway do not travel in the fast lane while going 20km/h under the speed limit. If you do, you are going to get harassed because no one likes that. Also, do not suddenly decide to cross all the lanes in one giant leap as if you are Moses parting the red sea. No one likes that and no one likes you. Next we come to shopping. If you are going to use the self-serve at the peak periods then make sure you know what you are doing. Do not bother going there if you are just going to take ages to scan one item. Also, if you do not know what you want, do not go up and wait in line to order or purchase something. Have you never heard of looking around before or is this just some strange concept? Also, if you find yourself in front of an emergency vehicle, get out of the damn way. I have news for you, you can get charged for doing that!

Finally back to some long posts. See you tomorrow!

Exercising with Sandy

So it is official, the percentage of this blog that is about Sandy is rising. This is becoming an issue but it is hard to avoid because he is such a large source of inspiration and every day he manages to do something that I either catalog in my brain for future posts or I write about straight away. Tonight's post is of the latter. So I recently acquired my exercise and diet plan for my Kokoda trip expedition. Last night I started my exercise regime and then I did the next thing on the calendar today. Today's workout was cardio and so because I came home late from my Methods tutor I had to do it in the backyard at night. This was where the trouble began and, guess what, it all revolved around Sandy (as so much of the world does [at least in his own world]).

Source: http://dogblog.finchester.org/2008/11/divesting.html

So Sandy is one of those spoilt dogs who gets so many toys and so they just accrue. The above picture is not of Sandy's toys. No, he has much more. Just joking, Sandy has a lot less (I think. Well, I hope). Sandy is also one of those dogs that thinks that whenever you go outside it is because of him and not because of everything else. So I go outside to start my exercise and so I begin by running around the backyard. This became a very dangerous experience as Sandy kept running 'with' me at random intervals of speed and constantly got in my way because he dropped a toy or ball. I actually tripped over him three times in the first ten minutes alone. Then he got a little tired and whenever I came back around to the entrance of the patio he kept running in thinking it was over. I kid you not he did this ten times before he got tired. From this point on he just sat in the middle of the backyard swiveling his head around following my laps. Occasionally he would get up and just jump on me and it was obvious that he just wanted to play. Seriously, exercising with Sandy is a very dangerous activity and next time I will think twice and probably put him on a rope so he can not annoy me the entirety of the time.

Sandy is a dangerous workout buddy, see you tomorrow!

Sandy Logic

I may have mentioned Sandy all too often on this blog. However, if you are new or have no idea what I am talking about, Sandy is my dog. Sandy is also the name my parents mess mine up with all too often. It happens way too often for it to be normal but moving on. Throughout Sandy's three and a half years of life I have noticed quite a number of strange things he does that can sometimes shock me as I am not expecting it. Sometimes it also makes me laugh while at other times it can just make me wonder. So in today's post I am going to fill you in on some of the quirky and strange things Sandy does all too often to be just a 'phase'.

Photo Credit: Luke M.

Like many dogs, Sandy loves attention. Unlike some dogs Sandy also has some form of Separation Anxiety as Mum took time off work when we first got him and he became very used to having people around. It was a really hard (and loud) task of getting Sandy to stay outside but in the end he got used to it and only comes inside at night. So Sandy thinks himself quite adept at staring through glass doors. It really is freaky to wake up in the morning to see a dog just standing there staring at you. It is even scarier when it is dark and the only light is that reflecting off of his dark eyes. It is quite a sight to behold. When Sandy does come inside, however, most of the time he is in Mum and Dad's room and the door is shut. If either Mum or Dad are outside (mostly Mum) Sandy will stand and just stare at the wooden door as if he can see through it. I do not mean staring from a distance. I mean him being right up close with his nose mere millimetres from the actual wood. I swear he thinks he can actually see through it. Then there are the times whenever you go outside. Sandy has a mentality that if you are outside you are out there for him. Some may call this a narcissistic personality disorder but I just call it "Sandy". So as you can see, Sandy is a very quirky and interesting dog and I am sure we all have stories of our pets. If you wish to share why not comment down below or via the contact form to the right. If you wish you could send it to legolukeytutorials@gmail.com and I will get back to you.

Sharing is caring, see you tomorrow.

The World Revolves Around You

We are told many times to think of others in our world. To know that we are not the only things in the Universe and that there is so much more around us than what first appears. To understand the difference and the fine line between selfishness and selflessness. Constantly are we reminded that we are not the centre of the Universe and that there is always more to experience. We are always told we are not the Sun and things do not just fall into orbit around us. But what if it did? What if the world really did revolve around you? What then?

Would you be talking literally and calling yourself the size of the Sun? What if that one thing everyone says can not be true can? Suddenly things fall into place. Every tiny little incident around the world is an opportunity for you to experience something life-changing. All those conversions you 'inadvertently' hear are there for a reason and not just to break up the hour tram ride from Flinders Street Station to Burwood. Perhaps you can not control what everyone does but why should that mean it does not happen because of you? Every creation, every technological advancement was all for you. Every war and every rebellion was fought in your name. So the next time someone tells you the world does not revolve around you, you ask them why.

The universe is here and it is here for you, see you tomorrow.

Vandalism

What do we really stand to gain through vandalism? What could possible justify the thoughtless destruction that vandals cause every day? When was the last time you went on a train and looked through a window with no marks on it whatsoever? When was the last time you went into the city and did not see any graffiti? Vandalism costs millions to the government every year and whose money does the Government use to pay for this? The taxpayers' of course! Imagine how much more money could be spent on education and health if vandalism was not a factor. Imagine the better resources our great country could have. It is the selfish minority that ruin it for the innocent majority, as it usually is.

Image Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/metro%20trains?before=21

Vandalism comes in many different forms all of which destroy the natural beauty of the resources around us. Imagine a red-brick wall, just a plain one. Imagine all the possibilities. It could become a mural, a public noticeboard or even something displaying community spirit. Now imagine this plain brick wall tarnished with the filth that is graffiti. Imagine all the possibilities now lost due to one selfish act of vandalism. Now imagine a simple playground for children. A playground always full of families out for a fun time of swings, slides and climbing. Imagine the social skills the children would develop when playing with other children their age. Now imagine during the night such a community hub was violated with the impurity of foul language an infant should never know, or the lick of flames burning away the innocence of the children who once enjoyed this place. Vandalism is diverse but has the same affect, it is violating and repugnant. It steals the innocence of youth and destroys the spirit of a community. Vandalism is really one selfish, disgusting act.

Image Source: http://www.niagarathisweek.com/print/187411

Vandalism tears communities apart and can have devastating affects on everyone in it. Imagine all the trains put out of service due to vandalism. Imagine all the playgrounds ruined by the selfish acts of the few. Imagine the innocence of millions of children been ripped away from them as they are forced to face the harsh realities of life too soon. Imagine members of the community turning against each other and priceless community gems lost in fires or covered in graffiti. Imagine a world where one could walk down one city block without seeing any graffiti. It's hard to imagine such a world isn't it? It shouldn't be so hard but it is because of the vandalism in the community. So next time you think of vandalism also think of who really feels the full affect of such an act. Vandalism is perverse and should never occur.

Image Source: 

http://local.stv.tv/coatbridge/news/204013-signalling-problem-due-to-vandalism-disrupts-train-services/

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