Random Questions Time!

That is right folks, the time I have run out of ideas for segments! Mondays are free days up to now and until I can come up with an idea for a segment it shall remain this way. While I try and find a segment idea I thought that today I would look for some random questions online and then answer them. Is it weird that Google spell-check underlined "online" as wrong (there, it did it again). Though, since you guys can not see that this is probably really weird. Okay, onto the questions!

Source: http://allthingsd.com/20120717/ten-questions-for-new-yahoo-ceo-marissa-mayer-this-wont-hurt-a-bit-okay-just-a-little/

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
Text: Macquarie Concise Dictionary 4th Edition: "2. Assuming or pretending to possess"

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
My wallet on the desk beside me

3. Before you started this survey, what were you doing?
I was completing my Methods homework

4. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Well, I am actually watching it right now. It is Revenge.

5. Without looking, guess what time it is.
8:55pm, actual time

6. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
8:54pm

7. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The television

8. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
I last stepped out just over an hour ago when I came back from Tutor and Dad's doctors appointment

9. Did you dream last night?
I think so, I just never remember my dreams

10. Do you remember your dream?
Well, no. Sometimes I do but most of the time I do not.

11. When did you last laugh?
After school today on the way home from tutor listening to the radio. 3AW has a weird sense of humour sometimes.

12. Do you remember why / at what?
I do not remember exactly what they said that made me laugh but I know it was something on 3AW. I think it may have been one of those weird news stories.

13. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
I am in my bedroom and there is a caricature of Sandy and I as well as a notice board and white board.

14. Seen anything weird lately?
Well, not really. I have heard of weird things but have never seen anything myself in a while.

15. What do you think of this quiz?
I think this quiz is very weird and wonder where it could possibly be going.

16. What is the last film you saw? 
The last one I can remember is the telemovie on Channel 9 last Sunday called Shappelle. As you may have guessed, it was about Shappelle Corby.

17. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I know this is going to sound corny but I really would not choose to live anywhere else as Australia is such a great place. I may choose to live somewhere more secluded in the beauty of nature but I would not leave Australia.

18. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A secluded house in the middle of the beauty of nature. Somewhere in the hills that is just really beautiful. That is probably what I would buy.

19. Tell me something about you that most people do not know.
Um, I am actually not sure how to answer this one. I can not really think of anything right now because I am half asleep.

20. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Get rid of the flies without any impact on the environment.

21. Do you like to dance?
Not really.

22. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I actually would if it was for work or study. It would be nice to have a change in scenery.

23. Does your name make any interesting anagrams?
Yeah, totally. There is just so much you can do with the four letters LUKE.

24. Who made the last incoming call on your phone?
I do not actually know because I recently bought a new phone and no one has called me since I got it. Most people talk to me using texts rather than calls. It is the way of the future.

25. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
The photo that I used above. I keep a record of every photo I post on here, even those I was going to put up and ended up choosing another picture.

26. Last time you swam in a pool?
Christmas day at my Aunt and Uncle's house.

27. Type of Music you like most?
Songs from musicals and things are my favourite as they tell a story and often you can relive or even experience for the first time a whole musical with just its music alone.

28. Type of music you dislike most?
I just do not like rap or dubstep. Sorry not sorry.

29. Are you listening to music right now?
No, I am watching Revenge.

30. What colour is your bedroom carpet?
A sort of browny-grey.

31. If you could change something about your home, without worry about expenses or mess, what would you do?
Probably put on an extension or something.

32. What was the last thing you bought?
The Jimmy Neutron Season 1 DVD

33. Have you ever ridden on a motorbike?
No, probably will not for a long time, if ever.

34. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
No. Right now, Kokoda is probably enough for me.

35. Do you have a garden?
Yes, in the front and back.

36. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
No, we only sing the first two verses at school Assemblies.

37. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Where are my glasses.

38. If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be?
Probably Tina Fey because she is hilarious. If I could bring another person probably Amy Poehler because they are the greatest comedy duo in the public limelight right now.

39. Who sent the last text message you received?
Facebook

40. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Probably Big W. Hey big spender.

41. What time is bed time?
10:30pm but I often go to bed a little earlier.

42. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
Oh yeah, totally. Prettiest little boy in the whole cubic metre.

43. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

44. If you don't have any, have you ever thought of getting one?
No, I think they are horrible on me. I do not mind them on others but on me, no.

45. What did you do for your last birthday?
I went to the city with friends and we watched Iron Man 3 and had lunch at Melbourne Central.

46. Do you carry a donor card?
No.

47. Who was the last person you ate dinner with?
My family last night. Tonight I came home late and had to eat all by myself (cue sad music)

48. Is the glass half empty or half full?
I try to be half full but sometimes being half empty gets the better of me.

49. What's the farthest-away place you've been?
America towards the end of 2009 and start of 2010.

50. When's the last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
Just tonight with dinner.

That was just 50 of the many questions there are, maybe some more next week? See you tomorrow!

Weird News Tuesday: Telegraph Edition

Welcome back to yet another Weird News Tuesday. In this segment we look through the news to find some weird stories or news items that really should not be considered news but rather scraping the bottom of the metaphorical barrel. As you may have guessed, this week we are using the United Kingdom's own Telegraph news site. I have not done this site before, the Telegraph I did was the Australian Daily Telegraph (about the 4th Weird News Tuesday back in November 2013). Let us see what weird news that London can throw at us after the burst of weird British news last week. Do you know "Imagine" by John Lennon (it is a song)? Well, some creative people have recycled guns seized by Mexican drug cartels (so specific) and turned them into musical instruments to recreate this iconic John Lennon song. It may not be the best rendition of the song but it sure sends a good message. You can view the video by clicking here. A Japan airline has caused an online furore over a thirty-second commercial that has been labelled as racist. You can view the commercial by clicking here (and scrolling down). In it, two men dressed in the airline's uniform say some things that I did not quite catch the drift of (the commercial is in English) and then one says that they should change the image of Japan. It then cuts to the other man who is suddenly wearing a blonde wig and an elongated nose (which you can see in the picture below). I, personally, do not find the commercial overly-racist but then I did not really catch the drift of the first half.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/10583569/Japanese-airline-sorry-over-racist-commercial.html

Continuing on with the airline theme, Sixty-six flight attendants broke into dance in front of very surprised customers in Shanghai Pudong International Airport to celebrate the first day of the 40-day festival to celebrate the Chinese new year. In Mexico-City there is an annual pet-blessing ceremony that pet-owners attend to protect their pet from "danger and misfortune". It is a great way to bring the community together and I suppose in our new day and age it does not seem as weird but, you have to admit, this is just the tiniest bit strange. I am not even going to click on the article about why the knight is the best chess piece. Judging by the description, the argument is that it can get to any space on the board (but so can a lot of other pieces). I did not plan to spend any more than a sentence about this article but look what you have gone and made me do. Apparently it was a Peruvian artist's dream to paint underwater and very recently his dream was recognised. He was decked out in scuba diving gear and then went for a swim along the ocean floor painting the fish that swam by him. You can watch the video by clicking here. There are so many links in this post, I think it is a big problem guys. I think I should stop with the links for the rest of the post (a promise I am likely to keep for only a few more sentences). A family has four children who all have the same birthday (but born in different years). There is a three year age gap between the first and second-born and then a two year age gap between the second and the third-born. That would be one hell of a year when one turns 21, another 18, and the last 16. In other countries turning 16 is more of a bigger deal than it is in Australia (though some Australians do love to celebrate) so that is going to be one expensive day or, more likely, week. Researchers have found that a healthy dose of narcissism can do wonders for your career and that narcissists are more likely to find themselves in a position of prominence. However, they also found that too much narcissism once in that position can lead to problems. So that sort of evens out the playing field for the rest of us. Most of us know about the 'humble' pick-pocket and now some magicians and a reformed criminal are doing the opposite. In order to raise awareness for pick-pocketing they are slipping cards into people's pockets instead of taking anything (that we know of). That is actually a very smart campaign as generally people believe they will never fall victim to the pick-pockets of our world yet by spreading the awareness through pick-pocketing it is showing that it can affect everyone. I certainly approve of this. A heated political debate was disrupted when one of the politician's iPad ringtone went off playing Queen's hit, "Fat Bottomed Girls". That would have really interrupted the debate which was being aired on BBC. Do I hear a new viral video? Next comes a very touching video (see, I told you I would put a link in here somewhere) of a stage-actor performing as Peter Pan proposing to his real-life girlfriend who is playing Wendy. He interrupts the whole show and makes a big speech about it (all the while Wendy is freaking out) and how much he loves this girl. You can watch this touching proposal by clicking here.

That is all there is time for today, see you back next Tuesday for some more weird-news stories. See you tomorrow!

Cranky

There are a lot of people, places and things in our life that can make us cranky. The thing is, we are all different and so react in a myriad of ways. Some times our reactions are slow and drawn out while other times it is short and sharp. We can never truly know when our inner crankiness will be unleashed but we can generally feel it coming on. We all just get a little annoyed at everything and what we would normally forgive gets blown out to epic proportions. I guess the best we can do is keep moving on and past the experiences that ruin our moods.

I wrote earlier that we all get cranky from different sources. Some people get cranky when they are hungry. This is often referred to as being 'hangry'. Basically whenever you feel hungry you also have feelings of anger and your tolerance is virtually non-existent. This is very similar to the more common tired cranky which is basically the same as being 'hangry' except instead of feelings of hunger there is fatigue. This is the type of cranky I experience. Throughout the day I contain myself and any outbursts are all jokes and not serious. Despite how annoying some people can be I just soldier on and contain myself. However, this also means that when I get home my patience is virtually non-existent (except where Sandy is involved) and you do not want to cross me when I am in one of those moods. Like the Hulk, you would not like me when I am angry. So you see there are different types of cranky and each one is different for each person.

If you feel yourself close to an outburst, try to remove yourself from the situation. See you tomorrow!

The Way Way Back

So tonight I attended the screening of The Way Way Back (see below for trailer) which is such a good movie. Before I go on I would just like to thank Mix 101.1 for allowing me this opportunity and for selecting my entry as one of the winners of the competition. I attended the screening at Hoyts Melbourne Central which are great (large) cinemas. The Way Way Back stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Allison Jenney among others. It's a great story of a shy 14-year-old Duncan who goes on Summer vacation with is mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Duncan has a hard time fitting in but finds an unexpected friend in Owen, the manager of the local Water Park. Along the way he also meets a girl and grows in confidence. It is a touching and relatable story and is not superficial at all. I really recommend you see it and give it a 4/5 which is a very good score. Even my 17 year-old brother enjoyed it.

I believe all the actors played their role very role. If you are not thinking of going as you believe it will be an all-comedy movie with a very superficial story line I tell you to disregard your prior knowledge. It may have actors like Steve Carell but it is still a touching and relatable story that will leave you hooked until the end. Toni Collette plays the role of Duncan's mother very well and portrays the emotions the character is going through very well. It really is one of those movies you have to go see as it has both comedy and drama which complement each other. Liam James also plays the role of Duncan exceptionally well and really does remind me of someone very awkward. Duncan is still trying to find his way around the social world and does have some elements of a socially awkward teenager. However, when he gets a job at the local Water Park his confidence increases tremendously and he you see a definite change in his persona from the beginning. In short, which I am sure I have actually said a lot above, The Way Way Back is a success that I highly recommend you go and see.

Image Source: 

http://www.digitalspy.com.au/movies/news/a493373/the-way-way-back-sam-rockwell-steve-carell-in-new-poster.html

Thanks again to Mix 101.1 for the opportunity, see you tomorrow!

Way Too Much Information!

We all know someone who over shares everything. We may not always know them in person but we may know them via the internet through sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Sometimes this over-sharing can be annoying while sometimes it can just be plain interesting (for those of us who are sticky beaks). Don't try to deny it, you can hang on the words of an over-sharer. Sometimes we can even go through phases where we share so much and we look back at it later and think "Why did I post that?" Over-sharing can be unhealthy but it can also be a good thing as it can help people get to know you as well as see signs of potentially dangerous or antisocial behaviour. An over-sharer can either be their worst enemy or their greatest companion.

Image Source: http://performancing.com/oversharing-vs-undersharing-in-social-media/

Sometimes you just go on Facebook and want to shout at an over-sharer because you see a post you either a) have no idea what it means, or b) was so stupid you wish you had no idea what it means. Sometimes I get so frustrated I have to just quickly scroll or exit the tab so as not to act rashly. However, some people make a living out of over-sharing. Video bloggers (vloggers) on YouTube make a lot of money as their channels grow in popularity. They basically carry a camera around with them all day and record the more interesting parts of the day. Personally, I enjoy watching it but I would never be able to do it myself as I need my privacy people. Please, do not get in the way of me and my privacy time. I just could not do that as I would feel it is invading my privacy as well as the privacy of those who are with me. I do not want my life put up on YouTube for everyone to see and I am pretty sure none of my friends do either. Then you have the people you meet at parties or school who, before you even tell them your name, have given you a 'brief' run-down of their lives from conception (yes conception, not birth) to where they are at the present. Sometimes all I wanted to say was hello or just be polite. Also, it is not as if I am suddenly going to spill the beans on every little secret in my life (and I have a few) just because someone else did, that is not how I roll. How I roll? Did I seriously just type that? Anyway, as always I love to hear from you guys and ALWAYS reply to your messages which you can send via the contact form to the right or by commenting on this post.

Also, tomorrow I won two double passes (through Mix 101.1 [thank you so much to them by the way]) to the screening of The Way Way Back with Toni Collette and Steve Carell. It comes out August 1st and so tomorrow, after the screening, I will be posting my review of it. It looks really good and I thank Mix 101.1 for actually picking my entry to win. All I had to do was (in 50 words or less) say what my favourite holiday experience was and why. I did not expect to win it and only entered because I was bored. I was very surprised to receive the tickets in the mail yesterday but I guess now you guys get the low-down (wow, again with the weird words) on this awesome new movie.

You will never get anything or go anywhere if you do not even try, see you tomorrow!

Random Questions

So hey guys, tonight I got a little bored and I kept thinking of what to write about and then I would forget it ten seconds later. As a result I have settled for something a little more tamer for today's post. I went on the internet (as you do in today's society) and searched for some random questions to answer in today's post. I found this page with 800 random questions on it and, obviously, I am not going to be answering all 800 in today's post but it just means that if another one of these posts comes out later you'll know that the questions are a continuation. I am not putting a number on the amount of questions I will answer because it all depends on how long it takes to answer each one. Let's get it started then!

Image Source: http://tameeksb.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/10-random-questions_26.html

1) What's your name? Luke (don't think I am writing my full name although most of my readers already know it)

2) How old are you? 16

3) When's your Birthday? 9th May

4) What star sign does that make it? Taurus

5) What's you favourite colour? Purple of course!

6) What's your lucky number? I don't really have one actually, if I did probably 9 (see above)

7) Do you have any pets? Have you been reading my blog recently? I have a dog, named Sandy (who has some pretty messed up logic) and two chickens who do not really have names.

8) Where are you from? Australia

9) How tall are you? I was 173 centimetres last time I checked at the start of the year.

10) What shoe size are you? I am a size 11

I'm only up to question 10 but I must say, how much does this girl want to know? Apparently these are questions she would ask people in getting to know them. That would be a very long interrogation.

11) How many pairs of shoes do you own? I don't know, around four.
12) If you were Prime Minister/Ruler of the World what laws would you make? I wouldn't be silly enough to become a Prime Minister anyway.
13) If you were a super hero what powers would you have? Empathy, Deductive Reasoning, and Invisibility
14) And what would you hero name be? I don't know, something really corny like "Super Luke" or something. Probably would be "Legolukey" if I was just becoming lazy.
15) What outfit would you wear? Casual clothes so I would not stand out and look like the lunatic dressed as a superhero. People tend to keep away from those 'psychos'.
16) What was your last dream about? I can not actually remember many of my dreams. I have them and it is as if I wake up and instantly can not remember them so it seems as though time has just slipped by.
17) What would you do if you won Tatslotto? Save most of it, invest some if it and spend the rest. Probably go on a holiday. Okay, it may becoming a bit obvious I am editing some of the questions to make them more grammatically correct and relevant.
18) Would you like to build/design your own house? No, because if something goes wrong I would have no one to blame but myself. I would feel much safer going with a larger firm I could trust (and blame if things went wrong).
19) What form of Public Transport do you prefer? Trams because they are uniquely Melbourne with a few copy-cats in places around the world.
20) What talents do you have? Well, I write this daily blog and I guess I can play the Piano but I do not know if you would call that a talent.

At the rate I am at now I am going to stop when I reach 30 questions today. Hopefully I can write a more interesting post for tomorrow. Also, check out the pictures on the Facebook Page which includes all the pictures from this blog (and some that did not make the cut). MARCH currently out now with APRIL coming out very soon. Just follow the link on the pages tab to the right.

21) Can you juggle? I can juggle two balls which I learnt in Drama in Year 8 at my old school.
22) Can you solve a Rubik's Cube? Hell no, I just give up after a while because whenever I do manage to get something I mess it up by trying to get another.
23) Do you have a cherished childhood teddy bear? Not really, I used to have a green platypus when I was younger so that is somewhere in my wardrobe. I also used to have a Karak (the mascot of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne) but Sandy has that now.
24) Are you psychic in any way? Psychotic maybe
25) Are you a good dancer? I don't know, you would have to ask the mirror (or the dog who constantly stares through the glass-door).
26) Are you a good singer? You would probably have to ask the shower that question.
27) Are you a good cook? Definitely not. Mum is the cook in our family. I am hopeless unless it comes in a box.
28) Are you a good artist? I don't think so.
29) Are you a good listener? Again, you would probably have to ask somebody else. I will listen to you if you are trying to tell me something.
30) Are you a good public speaker? That depends on who you ask. Sometimes I can be while at other times I get nervous. Seriously, I made a better speech in front of a large crowd than I did in front of the smaller crowd at a school assembly.

I hope this helped you learn a little bit more about me.

Never forget a question never asked will never be answered, 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.

Spooky Driving

As some of you may know if you read the frantic and excited posts I wrote around May 9 I am now aged 16. As I live in Victoria this means that I am able to apply for my Learners Permit Test which I aced and achieved a perfect 100% score on. Just saying, not trying to brag or anything, you know me (or maybe you do not). Anyway, this meant that I was able to begin learning to actually drive. Since then I have accrued just over eleven hours of practice. I know, it's not very much but it is better than nothing. Tonight I went on a driving lesson (around 8pm I left so I only just got back) which actually went longer than we expected because we got carried away. As it was dark and we went on a few questionable roads it was a little spooky and here is my experience.

Image Source: http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/perth-premium/drivestyle/716605920

It started off normal enough except I thought I had my foot on the accelerator when it was on the brake. A lot of confusion ensued as to how and why the car was not moving but in the end we realised my mistake and I continued my journey. First, Dad had to fill up and again I forgot to change the gears back to first (yeah, I am learning in a Manual) so as we pulled out I may have stalled the car. At least the other people at the petrol station were being entertained. Finally we continued into our spooky journey and it was not until I was driving through some of the back roads around the You Yangs that I realised how spooky it was. I swear, it looked like I was driving through the forests of one of those Slender Games. I swear if somebody was around in a suit I would have freaked out. Then we turned into a more open gravel road which made me actually believe I was in a horror movie as there began to be less signs around. I actually said to Dad that it feels like a horror movie and any minute now the car is going to mysteriously break down and our phones will be out of range. That's how spooky it was. The rest of the drive was pretty normal but that was actually the scariest part. That is why I said that it was a very spooky drive.

Always act as though you are the only competent driver on the road, 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.

A Productive Day

Don't you just love it when you can say that you had a productive day? Well it is for me anyway. I may have woken up at mid-day but I still managed to get a lot done during the remainder of the day. Do not judge me for waking up so late; you would too if your brother kept you up until 3am because he left for a fire-call and left his television on. That's the beauty of a productive day, you can still have one even if you wake up late. Some people complain they never have productive days but unless you set yourself something to complete you will never have one. If you do not keep setting yourself little milestones to reach a larger one then you are not going to have a productive day as you will keep stopping and telling yourself the task is too big. Productive days really lift your spirits and even though it was a miserable and rainy day I still enjoyed myself.

Image Source: http://www.theuncommonlife.com/blog/10-ways-uncommonly-productive/

How was my day productive? Well I started it at 11:54 am (so not quite mid-day so technically it was still morning) with an Up & Go (no, they are not sponsoring me) so I had the energy to get up and go (sorry, it just fit the bill). From there I went outside to see Sandy, my brother (who had being camping the past few days) and my father in the Garage putting together some shelving because our Garage was a mess and needed to be organised. After they put one together Dad and I went to Bunnings to buy the rest and then we set that up (with my brother) and finished at around 8:30 pm. During this time I also managed to go on Facebook, help people with their Maths Assignment and also play some games. Sandy also had a very productive day such that he never actually fell asleep until we finished and so when he came inside he was so tired that he was falling asleep before we actually put him to bed. By the way, Sandy is our dog if that is not very clear at the moment. So now the Garage is looking much more organised, Sandy is snoring beside me and we are watching Lethal Weapon on television. When I say watching I just mean that the television is on and that is on except I am on my laptop, Dad is on his iPad and Mum is reading so we just look up every now and again. Productive days are great and I hope I get more of them as Term 3 begins.

A day spent well is time not wasted, see you tomorrow!

100th Post

Can you believe it? 100 posts already! It feels like only recently I started this when actually it was over 100 days ago (I may have missed a few dates at the start. In this time I have accrued two followers (don't forget you can also subscribe to posts via email or some other method through an option to the right) and have received over 3500 views! Thank you all so much guys because without the motivation your views gave me I may have actually deleted this blog a long time ago and I would have done nowhere near 30 posts, let alone 100! To the right you may have noticed a few recent changes in terms of additions (and I think one removal) in links. There is now a contact form so you can get in touch with me just through providing your email. Even if you do not want a reply you can just say something or a recommendation for this blog. I read all your feedback and am happy to receive them.

Image Source: 

http://lemonandlavendersblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/one-year-100-posts-8662-visitors-happy-bday-to-my-blog/

You may have also noticed a button on the top right that allows you to tweet this page or share it on Facebook. This is just to make it easier for people to share something they may find interesting. Below the contact form there is a +1 button which is the Google Plus version of the 'like' button or the 'retweet'. Again, this makes it easier for readers to share something they may find interesting. Below this there is a list of pages with links being to the official Facebook Page (I have something to announce about that below), my friend Xavier's Current Affairs Blog (which is really good by the way) and my qooh.me profile where you can anonymously ask me questions which only appear if I reply to them and I answer nearly all of my questions (even some of the inappropriate ones but I have boundaries) so get asking (if you want)! As I was saying earlier about email subscriptions there is a button below this where you fill in your email and then you get a notification when I post something new. All you need to do is go to your email and verify it was you who inputted the email information and then you will be the first to know when I post something new because I wait a little while before tweeting or sharing the link. Also, below this is a collection of my most popular posts and it is really interesting for me to see the order of the posts and some of them are really surprising and I would not have expected them to be there. Over the past few days one of my posts have gone from the least popular to the most popular and that really surprised me. Also, as always, I have added a translate feature below that so that you can change the language of the whole blog so other people who speak different languages can read it and then there are the archives so you can easily find a post from a while ago. So now you have no excuse as to why you have not checked out these features. I still am finding it hard to believe that I am at 100 posts but I am very happy with all of you, my readers, who motivate me to continue.

Image Source: http://canoedesign.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/milestone.html

Before I go I just want to bring your attention to my Facebook Page which will be an important part of my 100 posts celebration. Starting from today I am going to begin uploading all the photos I use in this blog (yes, I save all the ones I use) so that if you like a picture but are not sure which post it was you can just look through them and download the ones you want. This is also going to be good as I will have yet another back up of these images which add an extra layer to my blog. So be sure to check that out as part of my 100 posts celebration.

Don't be afraid to ask questions or give feedback, see you tomorrow for post number 101!

No Braces

It is official, I no longer wear braces. I have worn braces since around October of 2011 which means I have had them on for around 18 months which is a very long time. The weird thing is that I was so used to wearing them that my teeth now look weird without them. They sort of look naked and as if something is missing. That was actually the first thing I thought when I saw them for the first time after debanding (the process of removing the braces) and I actually thought something was wrong with my teeth. They just looked weird without the braces. Plus my teeth now feel weird that there isn't anything on them anymore besides the wires they put on behind the teeth to hold them in place after the braces are removed. I swear, my tongue has been touching those wires for so long today that I would not be surprised if the shape of the wires could be seen on my actual tongue.

Image Source: http://katesmartfitness.com/i-wish-id-listened-to-good-advice/perfect-teeth/

The actual appointment for the debanding was at 9:40 this morning and so I went to bed with thoroughly brushed teeth and woke up to brush them some more. I was just really excited to get these braces off after such a long time. We arrived early but went in to the dental room right on 9:40 (talk about punctual). After an hour of intense work (and a bit of pain as they cut down some of the teeth) my braces were finally off and an impression for a retainer to be worn at night was made. Everyone had seen my teeth after the debanding besides me and the first I saw it was in the car on the way home. Do you know how annoying it is for everyone to see something on you that you can not see. It actually is going to have to be something to get used to again and I go back next Tuesday to receive my retainer. I just can not wait to be able to have some more freedom with what I can put in my mouth (within reason of course). No longer will I have to worry about bands restricting the movement of my mouth or the pains keeping me up through the night. Finally I can feel comfort in the fact that I no longer need to wear braces. It feels good.

Good dental hygiene is very important, see you tomorrow!

Accomplishment

It makes you feel warm inside and can lighten even the darkest days. It happens every so often and each time can make you feel good inside. Accomplishment is what you feel when you finish something you have been working on for such a long time and have put a lot of effort into. Of course I am writing this post about the accomplishment we felt when we finished our Science. Finally, after endless hours of work we finally felt that accomplishment we all strive for. However, sometimes completing long tasks does not give us the sense we strive for and we are left asking ourselves why. Why don't we feel that one thing we all want at the end of a long task? I really do enjoy that feeling of accomplishment and it really makes my week a whole lot better.

Image Source: http://www.doitrightremodeling.com/?attachment_id=920

Feeling that sense of accomplishment is so much better when done in groups. This way we all share the accomplishment and it becomes even more as we celebrate together. It is also magnified when the task is either hard or takes a very long time. That is why the Science timeline project gave me such a sense of accomplishment as it took such a very long time and left me working late into the night (okay, maybe 11:30 was the latest I stayed up but for me that is very late). This morning when we finally finished it was such a great feeling as it meant that I had no more work for the rest of the holidays except for the little homework tasks we get from individual subjects. That is also part of the reason I felt really good as it was the last major task I had to finish before the holidays. I do not know many things about these holidays but one thing is for sure, there will not be as much homework as there was last time. Of course I am going to finish the homework straight away so I do not have the same situation as I did last holidays even though I started in the middle of them. Also, I am very excited for King Kong on Sunday so I am sorry if my posts become a little erratic. Have a great holiday!

Don't leave Holiday homework to the last minute, 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!

Mothers

Mothers are very important to us and they brought us to life (and at times threaten to take us out of it [joking]). Mothers are there for us and always try to do what they see as being the best for us. Mothers know their children and always see them as their young ones (even when they've grown up and it gets weird). Mothers are very caring and protecting and we would be lost without them.

Mothers are there for us when we need them and always try to do what they see as being the best for us even when we may be reluctant to accept their input. Mothers can sometimes be overbearing but this is only because they want what is best for us. When we're in trouble or when we're feeling down the person we can generally count on is our mothers. Through their maternal instincts we have grown into who we are today. Our mothers also try to push us in the direction they see as right. Sometimes they can push too hard and sometimes we fall off this path they have set out for us and we forget who is really there for us, our parents. Our mothers know what is best for us and always try to help us in fulfilling their dreams for us.

Our mothers know us and can always pick us out of a crowd. They have a maternal instinct for their children and are very protective of us. Sometimes our mothers can be overbearing but this is only because they care (even though this can be hard to understand at times). All through our lives our mothers care for us and when we leave they still feel protective of us. This protection of us can be annoying when we get older (not to mention embarrassing) and can sometimes make us feel younger than we are. Our mothers can also stop us from doing things we really want to do because they see the danger and sometimes this can really ruin our moods but in the end we come back to our mothers who welcome us back with open arms. Mothers are very caring and have a very protective maternal instinct which can be annoying at times but we must always remember that they love us and we love them. Happy Mothers Day!

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

Birthdays

Hey guys, only a short post today as it is my Birthday and I don't want to spend the whole day writing this post!

Birthdays are great things when we're young but when we got old we just want to forget they exist. I have some friends who really look forward to their birthdays but then I have family members who wish the day never came so that they wouldn't have to get any less young (see what I did there). Personally, I really enjoy birthdays and think they are a really great thing (aside from all the presents) because they bring people together and can really lighten your mood. It's hard to be sad on your birthday (unless you're a Goth or something) when you're younger because you just look forward to the presents, the atmosphere and the celebration. It's hard to have a celebration if you're sad. So I really do like Birthdays but I know when I get older I'll probably be one of the advocates for banning of birthdays.

It must also not be forgotten that Birthdays are not always occasions of joy. Some people don't look forward to their Birthday because they don't want to get older. This is especially prevalent on the big birthdays like 40th and 50th (don't even get me started on 60th and 70th) which tend to make people very melancholy. Some people are not like this and remain happy about their birthday but there are still just as many who don't look forward to these occasions one bit. Then there are the people who lost loved ones on these days or who have reached the birthday of someone who died recently. I know this happened last year when my grandfather died. His birthday was the day before mine (so yesterday [May 8]) and last year he died in the middle of April (he died on the morning of my Brother's 21st Birthday) and so come May 8 we were not so happy because we weren't celebrating a birthday we had being celebrating for as long as I can remember. This was especially hard on my grandmother who had being married to him for 54 years. So Birthdays may be happy occasions but they can also be very sombre ones too.

I love Birthdays but then there are those that don't enjoy them for a variety of reasons. I really enjoyed this Birthday because I got some really cool presents and (aside from other things) I got tickets to go see King Kong which is going to be AWESOME and I can't wait. June 30 (when I'm going) couldn't come fast enough!

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

Sacrifice

Sacrifice, it happens all the time and is a vital part of life. No, I do not mean a religious sacrifice (put the goat back), I mean a sacrifice that people make either for those around them or for themselves. A sacrifice is not something that can be done easily, it takes a toll, but is well worth it in the long run. We all make sacrifices at some point in our lives, they may be done willingly or we may have no say in the matter. However, they are necessary and we can do very little to avoid them.

We sacrifice a lot for those we love. Many sacrifices are made in family situations. Sometimes, an individuals ideals need to be put aside for the better of others. Everyday we make sacrifices for our family. There may be a show you really wanted to watch but since the majority want to watch something else you have to sacrifice that and maybe watch it online another time. So you would make this sacrifice of missing out on your favourite show because you are the only one who wants to watch it and you don't want to make everyone else in the family miss out because you believe what you want is more important (somebody please tell my brother this). Other sacrifices you might make is the movie you go see (you wouldn't take your younger siblings (under 12) to see The Exorcist or Saw [I haven't seen them, don't worry]) or maybe its your sibling's birthday and you decide to let them choose what to do instead of doing what you want to do and ruin their special day (again, somebody tell my Brother this). We make a lot of sacrifices for our families and for those we care about.

Our friends are also very important to us and we want to keep them. We make certain sacrifices along the way to ensure we still have friends and that our 'friends' don't secretly hate us behind our backs. We might sacrifice some of our time to spend with them and catch up. We might even sacrifice our break times to help them with their homework or something they are stuck on. We may even find that these sacrifices lead up to us enjoying ourselves more than if we had of done what we were planning to do. We may sacrifice our weekends to celebrate someone's birthday (a lot more fun than staying at home) and in the end we have such a great time that we don't realise what we are missing back home (in most cases, this is nothing). In fact, most of the time we don't actually realise the sacrifices we make because we have much more fun than if we had of done what we were planning.

There are many other sacrifices we make, many of which lead to better things. Some of these sacrifices are moral, some of them are unconscious. Most of them have a positive endings and you only get out what you put in.

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