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.

Hot and Tired

I am very sorry for the no-post-yesterday. As you may know, the past few days in Melbourne have all been very hot. This can sometimes lead to power-outages as well as physical exhaustion. Sandy has also been inside due to the extreme heat so finding some time to write these posts have been hard. I am looking forward to tomorrow though. I have training for Kokoda and tomorrow we are going to do sand dune training in Torquay. If we have time we will also cool down in the water. It should be fun.

Sorry for the recent spate of no posts. See you tomorrow!

Weird News Tuesday

So the new weekly segment is here! You know when you read the paper, watch the nightly news or browse the online sites and you see a bit of news that makes you do a double-take? These are the stories that surprise you not because of their content, but because it was considered news worthy. Most of the time, this can be taken as a good sign in that there obviously is nothing too serious going on if there is still room for these stories. This new series brings in some of the weird news stories I have seen either throughout the week or have found on my search every Tuesday night. Let us get started straight away! We begin with a photo found on news.com.au. It is of the affluent horse-trainer, Gai Waterhouse, and her reaction to her horse, Fiorente winning the Melbourne Cup this year. It is one great shot.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/fiorente-wins-the-2013-melbourne-cup/story-fnjsiw2w-1226753549090

I did not even scroll far to see the next story I am going to talk about. The headline reads, and I quote, "Giant firework penis lights up the night sky in Glasgow; residents love it". You have got to be kidding me, the story even makes a not-so-subtle reference to a "happy ending". You read it correctly, one of the first stories on a news site was that a giant penis lit up the sky and led to a few happy endings. The next story comes straight out of France and is titled "Stole a Llama, now there's drama". It is basically the story of a drunk group of men who stole a llama from a circus and then, just for the hell of it, took it on a tram. Now can you see some of the weird stuff that people consider news? Oh, and the Llama's name was Serge. I have no idea why that is important but make of it what you will. Scroll down to the lifestyle section and you will soon think you are on a porn website. The title of this story is "Teen sells her virginity for $27,950" and I do not need to go into any more detail about what the story is about do I? Can I just say that they are oddly specific. They go write down to the $50 when generally they just go for the nearest large number and say it is either more or less. Just saying, I bet a guy wrote this article. The author's name is not listed so I guess we will never know. Also, if you scroll further, you will soon find out that cat cafes are so last year and that the new trend is owls. I know I am generally behind the trends but seriously, did I actually miss the cat cafe trend? Damn it, now I have to move onto the Owls or else be left behind. Also, apparently there is a robot rock paper scissors champion somewhere out there. I am really not regretting scrolling through the news.com.au homepage. Seriously, this is all on their homepage. I thought this segment was going to be hard to write but apparently not.

The weirder side of the news brought to you every Tuesday. See you tomorrow!

Daily Lukey: The Journey to 200 (Part 6)

So we have finally reached the end of this series which has been stretched out for longer than previously intended. We began September with a continuation of the Political Parties series followed by another late night post that was, and I quote, "Super Short and Super Sweet". The next day was the final post on the political parties of Australia which was followed by a post on getting distracted which, ironically, was distracting me from my homework. I then wrote another late night post with my reflection on our schools House Chorales competition. I then reminisced about what things used to be like before writing a list of characters who deserved their own show. Oh, the posts you can get away with when it is your own blog. I then wrote a post on Nature for some unknown reason before writing about how much of a sticky beak my family really is. I then wrote another post on fundraising before lamenting on how hard it is to effectively exercise with Sandy. I then complained about a disease I coined the "Song in Head" Disease. I then wrote a post on being gullible before reflecting on my Year 10 Formal. I then reflected on the Donations in Kind activity the Wyndham "Leaders of The Future" did with the Werribee Rotary. I then rejoiced as a fabled curse had been lifted which regarded Game Design and a runny noise.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks

I then went through some of my favourite songs in my playlist before discussing some awkward moments I often experience with others. I then went through my most popular tags (in terms of posts) before celebrating the start of the Holidays. The next day was a little more negative as I lamented that I was sick which was followed by another short post on weird advertisements. I then offered an explanation as to my recent spate of short posts before writing a post on judging things before you experience them. I then made the mistake of writing a post telling people to stop making so many Puns. I say mistake as for the rest of the holidays I was treated to a daily pun texted to me each day by one of my 'friends'. I then analysed the different types of tourists in Melbourne before realising my reliance on technology. I then went through the posts that appeared in my Facebook News Feed before marveling at some great discoveries. I finished the month of September with another short post written on my phone late at night. October began with a post on problems and the sheer amount of problems that we have. I then complained about disappointing sequels after watching Grown Ups 2 before displaying some random facts about me. I then started my new weekly segment titled "Random Thought Friday". Although that is so far the only post in this series because of my 200 posts celebration that I had. Be ready for another Random Thought Friday this Friday though. I then explained how I would always lose good ideas immediately after having them before giving my review of the movie Gravity. I then wrote a post on my first day back at school and how I wished every day were as relaxing as that one before writing a post on first impressions. From here I wrote a post on new addictions and their sources. I then complained about some annoying junk emails before reaching (and celebrating) my 200th Post. That was my journey to 200 posts!

Thank you all so much for your support. See you tomorrow!

Daily Lukey: The Journey to 200 (Part 5)

Finally, the journey continues! After a 'brief' hiatus this series has returned for its epic conclusion. Of course, it is all part of celebrating 200 posts but the past two days were full of so much excitement (namely going out and not getting back to late) that.... no. I can not even finish that. Anyway, we began August with a post about things that frustrate us (I forgot to mention the Blogger Phone App) before complaining about the physical and mental pain that people's actions can cause us (in a sense of stupidity or silliness not actual abuse). I then wrote a post about some of the disgusting things that happen in our world before writing a post titled simple "wet" where I again reiterated my love of rainy days. The next day was spent by looking at Peter Capaldi, who will soon be known as the twelfth doctor in Doctor Who. The next day I wrote about inspiration and how hard it was to find good inspiration before I spent the next day writing a post late at night about how tired I was (I do not talk about myself much but when I do, I complain). The next day I wrote a post about how I get cranky when I am tired (I still have no idea how I made such a long post on that since, back then, the posts were even longer than today). I then wrote about performances and the benefits of performing before discussing the scars the our Parents leave on us by embarrassing us every day. The next day I went to the RMIT Open Day and boy, did I get annoyed. So what was my first reaction? Write a post about it of course!

Source: http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2011/07/03/weekend-diversion-the-physics/

I then wrote a post about some emotional television and movie moments and how they made us feel (of course Doctor Who was on that list somewhere). I then wrote a post about characters we love to hate because I was just so in love with the character that I hated (in a fan sort of way, not romantic). I actually managed to work The Hunger Games into this so I was pleased. The next day I rejoiced after finally getting Instagram and listening to Lady Gaga's new song, Applause. By the way, I still live for the applause. I then wrote a post on assignments and the importance of due dates and how there are always some people who find some excuse to leave it all to the last minute and yet still manage to get great grades. I then rejoiced for it was Friday before rejoicing again by looking at some new technologies. I began the next week with the Melbourne University version of Annoying Things People do at University Open Days (yeah, People can be very annoying). The next day I wrote about repetitiveness after starting to write a post about something I had already written about. I needed to make it seem like I knew what I was doing so I made up some random stuff about repetitiveness (did you get that?). The next two days I complained about how cold it was before complaining about headphones and how they always seem to get tangled. I then got annoyed at my brother's laziness before starting a series about the various political parties in Australia. The next day was about the Melbourne Writers Festival and my experiences before another installment of the political series was posted. I then wrote about the signs that Spring is coming before surprising you all with a post all about why I was taking a day off from politics. I then discussed Lost and the emotions that can come with this action. For the last post of August I complained about how Stubborn Sandy could be at times.

Thank you for reading all the way down to this, you can stop now. See you tomorrow!

Technology: My Reliance

I never realised until I came back from the toilet how much I have relied on technology over the past few days and where I would be without it. Do not ask me why it was after the toilet I realised this, I have been asking myself the same question since I started writing this post. This happens a lot more often than you would think, do not judge me. Just before I had to look up the television guide. Since it is the holidays I was feeling a little lazy so instead of getting up and finding the paper television guide I sort-of, kinda searched it up on the internet. Lucky I did though otherwise I would have missed the Season 5 premiere of Glee. It's actually pretty good except for the fact that it is making this quick post take a long time to write. I am a professional procrastinator after-all.

Source: http://blog.laimoon.com/2013/09/technology-careers-update-for-the-middle-east/

Yesterday I was in the city with Mum while we were waiting for something. Getting in there from where we were was no big problem with Mum just hopping on the first tram she saw. Later Mum revealed she was under the delusion that any tram will just continue in that direction and so any place you want to go in that direction you will get there. Luckily, we made it to the Queen Victoria Market and Melbourne Central without any trouble. I finally caught on to what Mum was doing when she kept pushing a certain road and a tram stop we could take. Luckily I had my phone with access to the internet so I could look it up on the Public Transport Victoria Website. Then, since we had to wait some more I also looked up movie sessions on my phone while we were getting a drink. Without that we would not have seen White House Down (Grown Ups 2 was not playing at the time we needed) and probably would have walked around the city aimlessly with Mum continuing to stress me out by pushing certain routes. I would also get incredibly bored without Facebook, Twitter and Blogger by my side. So, as you can see, I have a heavy reliance on technology and without it I would be lost. I would miss the majority of my television shows (not such a bad thing), get lost a lot (especially in the city) and be incredibly bored (well, more than normal).

Try not to become as reliant on technology as I am, see you tomorrow!

Melbourne Tourists

So there is something special about the type of tourists that come to Melbourne. Although they come from all over the world they all seem to share the same kind of traits and do the same sort of stuff. I call these traits the "Melbourne Tourist" traits. As you can see, I have a great imagination. You guys do not actually realise but I have wrote the last two posts (meaning today's post and yesterday's post) while watching Doctor Who so I guess they might be a little distracted.

Source: http://www.starball.com.au/events/star-ball-melbourne/

Melbourne being as (for want of a more appropriate word) awesome as it is there is no surprise that it is such a popular tourist destination. However, having so many tourists there are a lot of things you pick up about the different types. First you have the wanna-be photographers. These are the tourists that just seem to take picture after picture after picture of things we find meaningless. Seriously, I saw people take a photo in front of a streetlight in Melbourne once with nothing in the background. Some people just can not stop with the photos. Then you have the always so happy tourists that just seem to walk around with permanent smiles and permanent loud (and ecstatic) voices. Once I heard one tourist remark (in a heavy Swedish accent) "A tree! Oh, a bench! Oh, a tram!" That last one I understand as not many places in the world actually have trams and even less use them in the same way as we do. My laptop is about to die so I am going to make the next one my last one. The final type I will discuss is the permanently talking ones. These are the tourists who continuously talk to each other in their native languages so you have no idea what they are saying. Not only is this a little unnerving when they could be talking about you it is also annoying when they become so obsessed with their conversations they do not care for others around them.

Next time you are out and about, check how many types of tourists you can spot (make it a game). See you tomorrow!

The Holidays have Arrived

Hooray! Finally, after ten long weeks of school the holidays have arrived. As much as I enjoy school it is always nice to just get away from it all and relax instead of rushing around trying to organise everything and completing homework. It is a nice feeling although this Term has being a great one. I would like to start off with a bit of an update on the fundraising we held this week on behalf of the 'Wyndham Leaders of the Future' program. I am proud to announce that, thanks to the generosity of students we raised over $600 which will all be pooled together before next April to purchase medical supplies to send to the Menari Medical Centre in Papua New Guinea. Over $100 of this came from the lolly-jar raffle and it is great to see so many people rally behind such a great cause. Aside from this however, this term has been full of a lot of highlights (and yes, I am looking at the term calendar to remind myself).

Source: http://www.millerapartments.com.au/_blog/News_and_Events/post/winter-school-holidays---6th---21st-july-2013/

The term started off with the Australian Maths Games Day which I participated in and had a lot of fun. It may have been a long tram ride from Flinders Street Station but it was worth it and going with a friend made the time seem to pass a lot quicker. Especially, when that friend had not realised how long the tram ride actually was. Then came LOTE week shortly after which supplied a lot of daily entertainment and international songs between bells. It was a nice and relaxing week and next year should be a whole lot better with even more students. Science Week followed not too long after and the daily recess trivia competitions with the horrible animations (that were funny because of how bad they were) really made my day (well, several of them actually). Finally, Book Week decided to show up and there were movie screenings in the iCentre (what we call our school library), a Macbeth incursion on the Wednesday (with actors from the Bell Shakespeare Company), a dress up day on the Friday and lots of competitions in between. Melbourne Writer's Festival then followed suit the following Monday which was a lot of fun to participate in and, since I was just an iCentre volunteer, I could just relax and enjoy the day rather than have to worry about doing any related work. The Arts and Technology week then came around with our performance-night on the Tuesday and the House Choral competition which was a blast. Seriously, this school is anything but boring. Finally, to cap it all of, there was this week full of fundraising for a good cause. Not a week goes by at this school without something happening, our Term calendar has barely a blank day anywhere with absolutely no empty week in sight.

It has been a busy term so a holiday is needed, see you tomorrow!

Spring is Coming

Can you believe it? Already we are in the seventh week of Term 3 and almost into September! It's crazy. Sometimes time does fly and then at other times you just wish it would hurry up. With the change in month comes a change in season as well. The best part is we can already see it coming as the weather is definitely changing. However, since it is Melbourne where we have four seasons in the one day this could just be the weather playing tricks on us. However, I like to think otherwise.

Source: 

http://www.lifespringclinics.ca/2013/04/05/health-on-earth-spring-2013-specials-something-for-everyone/

The days are getting longer and the temperature is rising. Just a few days ago I was trying to protect myself from the bitter cold. However, today and yesterday were days where I could go outside and say to myself how warm it was. Of course, it was not Australian Summer warm but it was nice enough that it was quite comfortable to walk around in shorts, a shirt and a jumper. Even the jumper was unnecessary. I know have previously stated in two other posts that I like rain. However true this may be I also like beautiful spring days and even hot summer ones are alright with me. I just like the freedom you have to do things outside. Plus, it is a whole lot more enjoyable to walk the dog on good days like this. It is also pretty easy to motivate yourself to do this because you just want to be outside. As this blog continues you are probably going to eventually hear me say that I like just about everything. So far I have covered rain, heat and warmth. Next will probably the cold whenever that comes around again and so on. So do not think I am an up-and-down person with my interests. Rather think of it as someone who likes a variety of things for that is who I am. For now though it is time for me to go and enjoy the rest of this wonderful night. Wow, that is such a cliche. I am probably just going to end up watching YouTube videos or going on Facebook. Who am I kidding, of course I am going to do those things.

Gotta love the change in weather, see you tomorrow!

The Melbourne Writers Festival

So today I had a glorious excursion into the city and particularly federation square. Why was it glorious you ask? Aside from the fact I had no classes that day and the weather was near-prefect it was really interesting to get a writer's perspective on how they approach their reading and their writing. Today I attended three sessions. The first was with Morris Gleitzman and two other authors but I cannot remember what the actual topic was other than them reminiscing about their reading techniques. The second session was with two bookdesigners who design the cover for books. It was basically a look at how they approach it and would be interesting for someone looking to work in this area. I therefore did not enjoy it as much. The final session was three people, two of which were authors, recommending books for us to read. It was interesting and I already have a few books that I will be looking out for. It finished with the announcement of the short-listed books for the 'Inkies' which is a literary award chosen by teenagers for teenagers and this was also interesting. The sessions I went to last year were focused more on the authors and their writing processes. For this reason I enjoyed myself more last year but still had a blast this year.
You should really check it out, see you tomorrow.

Annoying Things People do at Melbourne University Open Days

So last week you may recall I wrote a very similar post about some of the annoying things people do at University Open Days. That was all from my experiences at the RMIT University Open Days and I thought that there was no way that people could top some of the annoying things people did that day. However, today I went to the Melbourne University Open Day and my view of how annoying people can be changed. I am sad to say that I lost some of my faith in the future generations as well as their parents. For those of you who do not know, Melbourne University is the leading University in Victoria and has just being named Australia's number one University for 2013 so congratulations to them. Basically, it is like Melbourne's version of Oxford and due to its ranking and reputation it had a very busy Open Day with thousands of students (and their parents) trying to find the right course for them. This large volume of people also lead to a few annoying (and sometimes selfish) things that people did.

Source: http://www.unimelb.edu.au/

Before I go on I am just going to reiterate one of the points I made last Sunday about people stopping in the middle of busy pathways. This happened so many times today and it was even more annoying as it was a lot busier than the RMIT Open Day so it caused more blockages. Most of the time it was just teenage girls fan-girling (if you could call it that) over meeting new people. It was just so annoying. Other times it was just people arguing over where they were and where they should go next. Guys, just think about others around you when you do this. The second annoying thing I found today occurred during the Bachelor of Science information session. This session was so packed that they had to stop letting people in and the first time we tried to get in it was too full (and this was us arriving fifteen minutes before it started). So basically you either came very early (like we did the second time) or tried your luck at coming a little bit later. So imagine my annoyance when I saw people not even paying attention to what was going on and instead texting or playing on their phones. It was just so disrespectful and rude to both the lecturer and the voluminous amount of people who could not make it in. Some people would miss out while others got the opportunity but did not do anything or even pay attention. It really set me off the deep end (in my mind, I am not that kind of person [ or am I? {Seriously though, I am not}]). Then there were the parents who did not care about anyone but themselves and so when Dad and I arrived around forty minutes early for the next session (we had to otherwise we would never get in) there were already people waiting so we waited behind them in the corner so we did not block the exits for people coming out when this eventually did occur. However, around 20 minutes before it is about to start a few parents come storming down and push their way towards the front of the crowd. Then they give everyone who is shooting them daggers death stares. Seriously, if looks could kill there would have been a massacre at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre. It was just incredibly rude, selfish and disrespectful of them to expect to get ahead of people who had been waiting upwards of half-an-hour. One lady was actually told to leave because of doing this and believe me, I wish I could have cheered (but that would have woken up Dad who kept falling asleep on me [not literally on me but you get the point]). So that was my annoying University Open Day experience I had to get out of my way. Seriously though guys, the rest of the day was exceptionally wonderful (despite the bad weather) and Melbourne University is a great place to learn.

Do not let the annoying things ruin your day, see you tomorrow!

Wet

Today was yet another one of those rainy days and I have no idea where I thought I was going with this sentence. Basically, if you are new or did not notice the hyperlink on the text above or (like me) could not be bothered reading another post then you will not know (but now will) that I like rainy days. The reasons for which I will not go into as I already did in the post I linked above (I think). However, today was one of those exceptions where I wished that it had not rained. I suppose that is why I titled today's post "wet" instead of something more descriptive or just something 'more' like "wetter" or "wet days". Anyway, back to the topic, there was a fair bit of stuff that was done today but I am sure more could have been done if it had not rained.

Image Source: http://www.hereiamloulou.com/2011/07/rainy-day/

Is it just me or are we using more and more excuses everyday? For example, if it is raining that is just another excuse not to do something you knew you were most likely not going to do anyway. So, when I say rain can be annoying I mean it. Lucky for me I had one of those rare weekends where I had no homework. Before I go on, I have something to admit. Between the last sentence and the one before it I may have gotten a little distracted. Somehow, while typing this I started thinking about the RMIT open day next Sunday and from there I began wondering when the Melbourne University one was. Long-story-short I was halfway through signing up for something online when I realised I was still writing this. Sorry guys, I will not blame the rain for this one though. I will blame my epic procrastination skills though. Wow, I have gone off topic so much during this post. It is starting to become a problem. So, because I had no homework (casually proceeding as if nothing ever happened) I learnt how it felt to be my middle brother for a change. If you read my post the other day on frustration you will know what I mean. It was relaxing but I also did manage to help Dad stack up the wood he cut as well as go on a driving lesson and visit my grandmother. So you see it was not entirely a waste of a weekend but rather one of those relaxing ones you need every so often to just refresh yourself. I am sorry about this post as it has been all over the place and only the introduction really had anything to do with wet days.

If I ever go off on a tangent just continue reading as if nothing is happening, see you tomorrow!

The Senior Rebellion

The Following Post is meant to be taken in a comedic, non-serious manner and any offence is not intended. I am sorry for any offence caused by the following post. If you do feel like you wish to raise this issue with me feel free to contact me at legolukeytutorials@gmail.com.

They want action but they want it after their nap. The Senior rebellion has begun and we all best watch out because they are coming for us faster than a speeding wheel chair. What do they want? They have not decided yet but they are getting very riled up. This new craze has spread like wildfire in recent weeks and one incident has spiraled into yet another and the seniors want response from the community. They are sick and tired of something but action is not happening fast enough. Put simply, the Seniors are revolting (as in rebelling) and we all best be on the watch.

Image Source: http://www.hbo.com/curb-your-enthusiasm/episodes/5/44-kamikaze-bingo/slideshow.html

Recently, Seniors all around Melbourne are 'confusing' the accelerator for the brakes. This causes them to 'accidentally' drive through shop-fronts and into unsuspecting customers. They claim these are all accidents but I see through these lies. I see the frequency of these events as what they are; a secret rebellion involving the elderly generation of our society. All over the state there are secret meetings held in retirement and nursing homes as well as Senior Centers. As of now there is no proof of this but trust me, one day you will all look back at this and think "Wow, Luke really notices these things" though you will all probably think "Wow, Luke really is paranoid." Even I am thinking of that as I am typing. Seriously though, there are shops being run down in Collingwood and Bakeries terrorised in Prahran by confused Seniors. When the time comes let it be known that "Luke warned us" but no one listened. Although this moment, if it ever comes, would surprise me just as much as the next person.

Let it be known that I did warn you, see you tomorrow!

King Kong Live on Stage Review

King Kong, the infamous god of Skull Island, whose heart was tamed by the brave Ann Darrow has managed to tame the hearts of those who watch him. This show truly is something that has to be seen to be believed. It is no wonder that it has become known as the most technologically advanced musical in the World. The smart costumes, developed characters and hard-hitting musical numbers make up only part of the wonder that is King Kong. The incredible special effects really creates the atmosphere and the set itself is so technologically advanced you have things coming up from below and down from above. I give this show four and a half stars. It really was fantastic.

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/KingKongStage

I attended the Matinee performance today and was very excited. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed by what I saw and recommend that people see it before it leaves Australia (Melbourne being the only place in Australia to host it). The moment when Kong reveals his face and the crowd goes silent is a theatrical moment that will stay with me forever. Just that sensation of everyone being in awe of this one puppet really shows how wonderful it actually is. I was curious as to how they would portray the story of King Kong on stage and again I was not disappointed by what I witnessed. It was such an immersive show and is something I will never forget. The seats literally shake towards the lead up of King Kong's appearance and his footsteps resonate around the whole of the Regent Theatre. Then there are the actual vocals which are incredibly powerful. From the soulful tunes of Full Moon Lullaby to the haunting beats of Rise King Kong does not disappoint. It will truly hook you from beginning to end and leave you in awe of the skill and creativity of the production team. My favourite scene from the show would have to be King Kong's rampage through New York City and how they show his destructive path and the people he kills in the search for his love. It really is wonderful how they show him climbing the buildings and tearing them down. The only thing I would be worried about as an actor on stage is being crushed by the 60 tonne beast that is King Kong. Even the background, a massive LED screen with millions of individual pixels, really creates another layer of depth to the show. It is so advanced that it even reacts to the characters on stage and each show is therefore different because of this. Of course it comes to a sad ending that is portrayed exceptionally well by the cast and creative team. It really brings out the main theme of a beauty and her beast because, at it's heart, King Kong is a love story. In short, King Kong is a show not to be missed and is set to be a world-wide hit. King Kong is a masterpiece. It literally redefines the genre.

Overall Rating: 4 and a half stars

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/KingKongStage

King Kong is not to be missed, see you tomorrow!

King Kong

He is a six metre tall, one tonne beast and he's ready to take the world by storm. King Kong himself will feature in a never-before-seen musical premiering right here in Melbourne. It is an ambitious project by Global Creatures, the company behind such successful stage spectaculars as 'Walking with Dinosaurs' and 'How to Train Your Dragon'. After more than five years of development, six months of rehearsal and amazing new technology, King Kong is set to live up to its massive reputation.

Image Source: http://www.theloop.com.au/sschulze/project/88858

The puppet himself requires thirteen men, known as the "King's Men", to control his movements while 'voodoo' puppeteers at the back of the theatre control his facial features. Due to King Kong's lasting impression on the world anything half-done is simply not good enough and so Global Creatures has pulled out all stops for this multi-million dollar production. An all-Australian cast is set to lead this spectacle with Esther Hannaford as Ann Darrow and Adam Lyons, in his first ever musical, as Carl Denham. The show is set to be so large that in the first fifteen minutes alone over 100 different costumes are used. Audiences are sure to be amazed when the show premieres tomorrow night at the Regent Theatre Melbourne.

Image Source: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/monkey-business-20121018-27s6i.html

The music itself is a haunting and eclectic mix of genres that are sure to amaze. The music ranges from the grandiose sounds of "The Greatest Show on Earth" to the more subtle and longing tones of "What's it gonna take?" Musical masterminds have come together under the leadership of Marius de Vries (whose credits include Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann)) to create a score that will shock you and make you cry. If the Melbourne Production is received well (which I'm sure it will) then King Kong will set its sights on places around the world. Last time Kong went to Broadway he certainly left an impression but let's hope he leaves a better impression this time around. I already have my tickets for June 30 and cannot wait to see this spectacular come to life on stage.

Image Source: 

http://www.factmag.com/2013/05/09/hear-new-material-from-the-avalanches-taken-from-the-king-kong-soundtrack/

May the odds be ever in your favour, 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!

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!

Reality Television

Reality Television, what is there to say? There is so much variety out there and, as always, there are many hits and many misses. Sometimes you see a reality television show and it's just like "Wow! This show is going somewhere" and everyone raves about it and it has a long run and retains its popularity. Then there are those shows that are good but viewers quickly lose interest because it gets repetitive. You also have those shows that just make you wish you could wipe your memory. These are the shows that are often quickly shifted off from a major channel to a minor one. Then there are the shows that are just 'there' and you don't really have an opinion of them but you wouldn't sit there and watch it every night.

The hits, the shows we just love to watch. They hook us in and we just find ourselves connecting with the people on the show. Or we just discover a love of heckling we never knew existed. Shows like this tend to stick around for a long time because viewers just love to come back for more. Survivor is a great example of this and millions of people tune in each year to watch all the challenges and the people and all the alliances and backstabbing and starvation. It is just one of those shows you can watch season after season without feeling it is getting repetitive. The Amazing Race is another example of this. All the challenges the pairs have to complete are always different and there are all the amazing landscapes and places that they visit and it really must do a lot for tourism.

There are also many shows that are good but get repetitive and the audience soon loses interest after a few seasons. These are the shows where at the start everyone loves it but a few seasons in the producers do everything they can to make the show seem new and more appealing because some shows you've seen once and that's all you need. A good example of this would probably be Masterchef Australia (the most successful Masterchef Franchise worldwide) which started off strongly and the producers were happy and then the viewers started tuning out and they brought out Junior Masterchef and Celebrity Masterchef. It just shows that good shows are those that don't become repetitive.

You then have those shows that people love to hate. Those shows that are built up to more than they could ever be. They start off on the main networks before being shunted off to a minor one when the ratings don't get to the level hoped. Excess Baggage from the Nine Network was an example of a show that was built up to be something it wasn't. It only took a few weeks before they moved it over to Go! where it spent its dying days with low ratings. Despite the 'famous' celebrities (I used quotation marks for a reason) taking part there wasn't anything really appealing about the show and if people wanted to see other people sweat-it-out to lose weight they would just watch The Biggest Loser.

Finally you have some shows that you just have to ask "Why?" They are the shows that you don't really have an opinion on but are just there. It's sort of like Federation Square. You don't really have an opinion on it but you can see why people don't like it. Celebrity Splash is a great example of this. I can't actually believe I am watching it right now. The worst part is I neither dislike it nor do I like it. It's just sort of there and something to watch. I'm just annoyed because it pushed Revenge back to 9:30 meaning I have to tape it because I have to go to bed at 10pm on school nights (so what, at least I get enough sleep). So Celebrity Splash, I can't see it coming back for a second season (if it ever finishes its first).

With Reality Television there are hits and misses and those somewhere in between. If they made The Hunger Games into a reality TV show I'd watch it (as long as I wasn't in it) and that would be a hit (with The Hunger Games fandom at least).

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!