Annoying Laziness

Hooray! Time for another short pictureless post written on my phone! So as it will only be 'short' I am going to talk about laziness. In particular the annoying aspects of it. First is one I have probably mentioned once before. This is regarding the bus that starts right outside our school. Before I go on I just want to say that all I can hear right now is Mum doting over Sandy. Although I can not see it I know he is loving it. Anyway, so this bus route is actually necessary for some students to take so they can get home. However they often miss out on it because of all the lazy people just there to cut the ten minute walk to the train station. It's pathetic, annoying, rude and lazy. Then there are people who NEVER hand in homework on time yet suffer none of the 'consequences' the school mandates. They are just empty threats and only a few teachers actually follow through. Then there are cheaters; people who copy off others because they are too lazy. It's just so annoying.

Lazy people need to be more proactive, see you tomorrow!

Rainy Days

I love rainy days. There is just something about them. Some people prefer sunny days while I actually prefer rainy ones. I enjoy it for many reasons including the satisfying sound the rain makes on the roof, the secure and warm feeling you get when you are inside and it is raining outside and just the mood of the day seems different. Of course, there are many drawbacks to rainy days that make them less enjoyable but still: one would endure a world of devils for the sake of an angel. Rainy days can come as they please, bring it on!

Image Source: http://community.miir.com/blog/2011/09/26/music-monday-rainy-day-mix/

The sound of rain on the roof as you are safe and dry inside is great, isn't it? It is one of the best moments of rainy days for me and I just can not wait to go home and just lay in bed with the sound of rain around me as I try to sleep. It really makes you feel grateful that you have a roof over your head. I know during the Summer months I do not even think about it but when it starts raining I become very sentimental. Even just the sound of rain on the roof has a soothing sensation and you can generally tell when rain is about to come or has just passed because when you go outside you can just smell the moisture. It really is very exciting and great at keeping me in touch with nature. Of course, rainy days are not all that perfect. Just this morning when I was walking from the train station to school there was a giant puddle near the traffic lights I could not jump over so I had to walk through it and I did not actually realise how deep it was until I was in the middle of it. Then I had to walk all the way down to school with wet shoes but at least I had my umbrella with me to protect me from the actual rain. Puddles can also be great though because I remember as a kid I used to love just throwing rocks in the puddles to cause a ripple effect. Even just watching the puddles fill with water or to see the little ripples the individual drops made was enjoyable. As the old adage goes: every cloud has it's own silver lining. Rainy days are really quite enjoyable in my opinion and I really do look forward to them.

Image Source: http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/rainy-day-friday-five.html

Don't let the rain ruin your mood, see you tomorrow!

Etiquette

Whatever happened to etiquette? We used to live in a world where it was absurd to even talk loudly at someone and today we have shouting matches in the middle of a street and no one bats an eyelid. Even in the past decade a lot has changed in etiquette and the way people act. Some of this is for the better (I mean, who would want to put on a suit for a quick trip to the shops?) while some of it really makes us look like horrible people. The worst part is we do not even realise what we are doing. It is as if we have evolved to a stage of humanity where we spare little thought for etiquette.

Image Source: http://studentworldedu.com/syd/worldetiquette-quiz/

I know some people are probably thinking of the 'good old days' where places like Downton Abbey and A Place to Call Home are set when I talk about etiquette. However, I am talking about the subtle points of etiquette that we have lost just over the last few decades. The most annoying of these that I want to get off my chest right away are related to Public Transport such as trains, buses and trams. First, who would not surrender their seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman? Apparently many would not. I travel on trains maybe once a month and every time I see an elderly person being forced to stand while some teenager or young adult (in their 20s) is sitting down. The worst part is when they think that they have the right to take up one seat for themselves and another for their bag. Plus, since there are student and concession tickets they aren't even paying the full fare which means, by rights, that if a full-fare paying customer rides on the train they get priority seating to someone on a reduced fare. It is just absurd that someone would do this in today's age. A few years ago if you were to do this you would be publicly humiliated by those around you. If looks could kill you would be dead. Another problem with public transport etiquette is when people are on the platform trying to get on the train when there are people already on the train wanting to get off. I can still remember whole advertisement campaigns educating people about this. About how people getting on the train have to wait for the people to get off first before they can go on. For me it's a struggle just to get out of the train because of the amount of people pushing against you. It's most annoying when they give you the evil eye like you've done the wrong thing. It really is infuriating!

Image Source:

 http://workthatmatters.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/train-etiquette-campaign-parodies-are.html

Money really is more of an ethical dilemma now than it ever was before. It is also a point lacking in etiquette. Back in the good old times of Downton Abbey to ask a lady for some money (even your own sister) was the pinnacle of shame and it was even worse to ask a man. Such an act was a sign of weakness and yet today we have people 'borrowing' money everyday. At least the people in the Downton Abbey era had a higher chance of paying back the debt than there is now. It really does make me wonder where humanity is going. This also happens on dates where the man sometimes expects the woman to pay for what she ate or pay for the whole meal. How absurd (and incredibly selfish)! Also related to dining is the way some people eat and their mannerisms. Whatever happened to elbows off the table as a sign of respect? Although I must admit I am a major culprit of this. One thing I am glad about is that the etiquette of burping as a sign of respect has died out in Australia (would someone please tell my dad that, he must really respect me a lot). Can you imagine that? I don't think it ever really became a 'thing' in Australia but it certainly did in some cultures and even today I think it still occurs. Imagine the people in Downton Abbey burping. Although by the way some people act on that show I don't think there would be a lot of burping anyway. Etiquette really is simple stuff and yet is lost on today's society.

Image Source: http://www.justmeblog.com/2010/11/12/things-my-mother-taught-me/

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

Dumb Ways To Die

So today I just wanted to talk about the best Public Safety Message of all time, Dumb Ways to Die, by our very own Metro Melbourne! I know this is old news but I just wanted to share the results of the most shared  public safety announcement ever. If you don't know what it is click on the link on the words Dumb Ways to Die anywhere it is found in this post.

Dumb Ways to Die is a public service announcement for Metro Trains Melbourne to promote rail safety. It has become viral due to social media and video sharing. The campaign was devised by Melbourne Advertising Agency McCann. It appeared in Newspapers, Radio, outdoor advertising, on social media sites (such as Tumblr [that is spelt correctly] and Instagram) and throughout the Metro Trains system. It was estimated by McCann that within two weeks it had generated at least $50 million worth of global media value and had appeared in over 700 media stories around the World for a fraction of the cost of one TV ad. Metro had estimated it had resulted in a decrease of 30% in near-miss incidents on the Metro train network.


An animated music video for Dumb Ways to Die was uploaded to YouTube on the 14th November 2012 and was made Public two days later. It features a cast of interesting characters killing themselves in ways that get funnier over the course of the video. Three characters are killed by trains in the video and within 2 days it had received 2.1 million viewers and within two weeks it had reached over 28 million views. Currently it sits on just over 40 million views. It has spawned numerous covers and parodies and has been received well around the globe.

When Dumb Ways to Die was released on iTunes 50% of the cost of making the song was covered by iTunes downloads in just three weeks! Dumb Ways to Die SoundCloud free downloads (advertised by the campaign website) has reached over 155, 000 downloads! On iTunes the song reached top ten in many countries and the song was played for free on Radio due to its popularity. This song was also played on radio stations around the globe where Dumb Ways to Die was popular.

Dumb Ways to Die has become the most viewed Public Safety Announcement and remember, be safe around trains!

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