Silence Is Golden But Talking Is Fun

   It's hard to keep your mouth shut when someone asks, "Does this look good?", or "What do you think?". Sometimes it's better to not talk, but other times you have to say what's on your mind. Maybe it's just me, but I think that they can be hard to differentiate. It seems that most people I know suffer from one of two problems. One they just can't stop sharing their opinion, or two you have no idea whether their happy, because they never speak their mind. Personally I enjoy alternating between the two extremes.
   For those who can't stop sharing their opinion, I have noticed that they also have another problem. They insist on defending their opinion even when it's not being attacked. The person I am mainly talking about doesn't even realise he's doing it, but as soon ass an opposing opinion peeks over the horizon he whips out his sniper (I'm talking figuratively) and shoots it down while it's still an undeveloped little thought. He doesn't realise he's being an angry person it's just the way he is, and I know for a fact he's not the only one. For people that are like this you're not going to realise this is like you by reading this, but for others who know a person like this you know what I'm talking about. People like this need to learn to occasionally keep their opinion to themselves.
   On the other end of the talkative scale there are the silent people who don't speak their mind. Sometimes these people can be extremely talkative, they just don't say anything that would indicate how they are feeling. People may choose to do this for several reasons like, sparing someones feelings, pretending to be a martyr (Tangent: since when has being a martyr been a bad thing stop using it as an insult people), they're shy, they're nervous about what others will think, or they are trying to make up for when they shot down the other person's opinion. Whatever the reason may be it's usually better to just say what you think. It may suck at the moment you are saying it, no it will suck, but it will be worth it in the end. One exception is if someone has bought an nonreturnable clothing item don't say it looks bad on them even if it does. If they have to keep it anyway there's no point in ruining the outfit for them.
   If you're on the other side of the conversation it can be hard to deal with these people. If they can't seem to stop talking first try to interject and explain in a calm voice that they are hurting your feelings, if that doesn't work back away slowly. If you're with someone who never speaks their mind insist on them making the decisions. They'll be annoyed at you at first, but eventually they will get used to sharing their opinion. Happy conversing.

Business

I owe you all eight posts. 

Doctor Who Quote

Sometimes I wonder if the Doctor is bipolar. In this scenario he should probably stop talking, but sometimes he need to say more.

The Doctor: (about to be killed)  I hope that knife's been properly sterilized.

Leonard DeVries: Blasphemer!

The Doctor: No, no, you can catch all sorts of things from a dirty knife- lockjaw, tetanus, not to mention staphylococcal infections...

Fashionably Late

   No one wants to be too early so that no ones ready for your arrival, but at the same time you don't want to arrive too late so as to insult the host. The best way to avoid this is to find a happy middle ground based on whether you want to be early or 'fashionable late'. There are perks and faults with with both options what you pick is based on your personal style.
   Personally I am not fond of being early. Every time I try to arrive early I end up being too early and I show up before the event started. If you show up too early to an event it can be a tad bit awkward. Your friends probably won't be there yet, and for shy people like me that means standing in a corner for half an hour pretending to be on the phone while waiting for your friends to get there. On the plus side if your friends arrive early as well then you have first dibs on everything. You can play with those balloons before they get crushed, drink the punch before it's watered down from the ice, manage to find a good spot on the dance floor before it's too crowded, and get pumped up with your friends so that by the time guests arrive you feel confident and ready to socialize. If your friends come with you being early can be the best thing ever.
   In order to guarantee your friends already being there or to look cool (it's really not though) some people decide to be fashionably late. For some reason this never works for me either. Either I get lost and end up being extremely late, or I end up rushing, because I think I'm going to be late and then I end up being an hour early. Last semester almost everyday I ended up being the first person to my morning drama class. I tried sleeping in and distracting myself, but it didn't matter what time I left I was always there early. One day I actually showed up late, and I am not kidding you, the bus was late that day and everyone arrived after me. I was late, but everyone else was later. I think time just doesn't like me. Back on track now being fashionably late can be okay and kind of fun as long as you do not exceed 10 minutes. If you are more than ten minutes late it can begin to seem rude.
   Find your own style for parties, whether it's a bit late or early. If you're like me and neither work for you maybe lay off the time travel. I know my timelord nature completely messes up my sense of time I wouldn't doubt that it does the same to you. If you still have your time machine I guess it doesn't matter what time you show up just travel to a different time if you didn't get it right the first time. Good luck and happy partying.

Business

I'm eight posts behind still. Remember to cast your vote in the right sidebar on what topics you prefer for posts. I will be able to cater to my audience more easily if I know what the majority of you like. 

Fun Stuff

If you find yourself bored and have a lot of free time try making a card or board game. Use what you're interested in or a favourite T.V show or author to inspire you. Personally I'm going to make a Doctor Who card game.

Procrastinators Unite Tomorrow

   What makes this post awesome was that I actually procrastinated in writing it. I was just sitting around trying to find something to distract me from doing my math homework. Then my dad and I went downstairs and watched some cool T.V shows until I was sleepy. When I woke up this morning I still didn't feel like writing, and it took me about an hour to even get at my math homework. After about an hour I decided I should just write this post already.
   As I mentioned me and my guess is about half the planet have  problem called procrastination. We just don't want to do what has to be done, instead we would rather do just about anything else, including watching grass grow, or paint dry. It doesn't matter what it is it could even be something you find fun like blogging you have probably wanted to do something later even though you have nothing to do now. When you get right down to it procrastination is caused by indecisiveness, laziness, and the need/ want of fun.
   If you don't know what you want to do then it's pretty hard to do something. Being indecisive and being a procrastinator goes hand in hand. Being a procrastinator can make you use being indecisive as an excuse for your annoyed friends, and being indecisive means that you are not going to end up doing any of the options you are trying to decide between. If you are procrastinating or being indecisive because you want to have fun, it's not going to help. Standing around making a decision and dealing with the stress of an unfinished task is by no means fun.
   The main reason for my procrastination is that I'm lazy. Sometimes I just want to do the activity that requires the least amount of brain power possible. Lately my go to brain numbing activity has been Bio Shock. When I play video games I lose track of the time and next thing I know it's been a couple hours when I still think I've just started. As much as I put things off I still get things done but usually in short active spurts. Sometimes you manage to bore yourself so much that you actually want to do something productive. I usually get this want to be productive right after I get home from school or if I'm at my dad's house at around 5 or 6 a.m.
   Not everyone has bursts where they decide they don't want to be a procrastinator, so here's how to deal with it. First off you should summarize what you need to get done that day in a short list. If you see what needs to get done on paper sometimes it doesn't look like as much to do. Second, it may sound a bit silly, but think about all the fun stuff that you could be doing and don't do it. If you get your errands done fast and early you will have more time to do those fun things, just keep reminding yourself that it won't be too long before you can do all those fun things. Lastly mix a fun thing with an errand. Just because it has to be done doesn't mean it can't be fun. Try putting on some music in the background or if your main distraction is T.V find a channel with tons of commercials and do your stuff during commercials, but you actually have to do stuff don't get distracted by colourful, shiny commercials.
   It may be hard, but if you try hard enough or make yourself bored enough you'll be finished those tasks before you know it. Fellow procrastinators let's not unite tomorrow, let's unite today.

Business

I'm eight posts behind still, because this was supposed to be Saturday's blog. Just a heads up when my exams get closer I may cut back on my posting days. I'll inform you all when it gets a bit closer. Also I added a couple thing to my blog yesterday including a new poll to the right, and at the bottom you can e-mail subscribe to me. I'm pretty sure it sends you an e-mail when there's a new post. I also changed the comments so anyone can comment, even people without google accounts. I may have done the comment thing wrong so it could be the same as it was before. I guess only time will tell. P.S count downs can be kind of fun, should I add one for something?

Statistics

My mom pointed out that statistics are not always accurate. To prove her point here are some statistics I made with the group of people I used in brackets.

1) 80% of people love the BBC T.V series Doctor Who. (I counted 5 of my relatives all but one watch Doctor Who with me)

2)1 in 6 people have more than two food allergies. (This is counting the people I eat lunch with, one seems to be allergic to everything under the sun)

3) 100% of people have gone to chess club. (I counted the chess club)

All in all whatever statistic you find on the Internet for all you know they could have gotten there numbers like I did mine. Don't quote something if you don't know where it came from.

The Best Parts of A Conversation

   Seeing as everyone has so many conversations in a day, many just fade into the back of our minds to be forgotten, but some conversations stand out, because something spectacular happened. There are many things that can set a conversation apart from others. Here is a list of things that make a conversation memorable with Dr. Who Quotes in pink with a purplish tinge for examples.
   1) When you talk to something that obviously can't understand you: Sometimes it can be boring just talking to yourself all the time, so what do you do, you talk to something that can't talk back. It's almost like talking to yourself, only your conscience doesn't but in with an argument, and you have something to look at when you're talking. These conversations are the best, because rocks don't run away or get angry when you vent on them. The Seventh Doctor: (to a beetle) All civilisation starts with hunting and foraging, but don't worry, you'll soon work your way up.
   2)When an insult is lost:  It can be fun to let off some steam and joke around with someone, but it's even better when they don't get what's going on. Whatever you said in annoyance could have been taken as an insult, but if the other person doesn't even get what you're talking about it doesn't really matter much. In this situation everyone is happy. You walk away from the conversation slightly less annoyed and they walk away none the wiser. The Fourth Doctor: You're a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain.  
   3) When they say something that doesn't sound quite right: People can twist common everyday phrases to suit themselves, but when they do it can throw us off. We are used to phrases being said a certain way so when we hear them being said differently we put them to memory. Ikona: Well then why the hologram? Why didn't she just release Mel?
The Doctor (not sure which doctor): A bird in the hand keeps the Doctor away?
   4) When you are shushed: This isn't exactly a good kind of memorable, but when someone just tells you to be quiet you remember it. The Fourth Doctor: I wonder...   Leela: What?  
The Fourth Doctor: Hush! I'm wondering.
   5) They say something unimaginably weird: Most of the time these weird outbursts are caused by the phenomenon that things sound more sane in your head than when you blurt them out loud. In the case of Doctor Who it's just because he's crazy. When we hear something that sounds strange we store it in our memory banks, occasionally for analysis (Sometimes it's more fun not to care post). The Fourth Doctor: Now drop your weapons, or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby (a type of candy)!
   6) They insult you back: When people get angry they can blurt out extremely hateful things, but when the other person actually retaliates we are often left stunned. While comebacks are common today they always seem to come as a surprise, especially when the person is passive or in a bad situation. [The Doctor is being tortured.] The Fourth Doctor: All right! I confess, I confess. I confess to your being a bigger idiot than I thought.
   7) They say something unimaginably stupid: Everyone has their moments, but it's hilarious to witness when it's not you. People just blurt stuff out and don't listen as much as they should, so every now and again you get the opportunity to have a little chuckle at someone else's mistake. Try to be nice when it happens, because I guarantee it will be your turn to mess up next.
The Fourth Doctor: Scorby, if I die, you die.  
Scorby: I'll take a chance on that!  
The Fourth Doctor: THERE IS NO CHANCE!
   8) You say something ridiculous and they joke back: It's always fun to tell a good joke, but it's even better when it turns into a joke off. Jokes start bouncing off the walls and soon both you and your friend are close to tears and out of breath from laughing so hard. All of a sudden your an improv team in front of an audience of each other, and I must say the audience thinks you're doing great. The Ninth Doctor: [opening Rose's phone] Tell you what. With a bit of jiggery pokery—  
Rose: Is that a technical term, "jiggery pokery"?  
The Ninth Doctor: Yeah, I got a first in jiggery pokery, what about you?  
Rose: [playing along] Nah, I failed hullabaloo.
   9) They have something that's distracting: You may not remember the conversation, but you're certain to remember the thing in their hair, clothes, teeth, etc. Well I guess you don't really remember the conversation so much as the moment, but somethings still memorable so it's staying on the list.
Peri: Doctor, why do you wear a stick of celery in your lapel?  
The Fifth Doctor: Does it offend you?  
Peri: No, just curious.  
The Fifth Doctor: Safety precaution. I'm allergic to certain gases in the praxis range of the spectrum.  
Peri: Well, how does the celery help?
The Fifth Doctor: If the gas is present, the celery turns purple.
Peri: And then what do you do?
The Fifth Doctor: I eat the celery. If nothing else, I'm sure it's good for my teeth.
   10) They say something cheesy: Sometimes you here a phrase so cliche, cheesy, or corny, that you just can't believe you heard it coming out of someones mouth. Your brain has problems processing this oddity so it stores it for later contemplation. [Before having a seance] Charles Dickens: I can't be part of this.
The Ninth Doctor: Humbug? Come on, open mind.
Charles Dickens: This is the sort of mummery I strive to unmask. Seances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing!
The Ninth Doctor: Now don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium!
Rose: I can't believe you just said that.
   11) Someone snaps: With pent up aggression and compounding stress it's no wonder people aren't snapping all of the time, but because it is a rare occasion when it happens it can be scary, hurtful, and when not directed at you a little funny. People say strange things when they're angry, so if it's not about you sit back relax and try not to laugh too loud or else the anger just may be directed at you.[Gwyneth pours the Doctor, Rose, and Charles Dickens tea. Rose, meanwhile, is lashing out at Sneed for the events of the cadavers' attack] Rose Tyler: First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man! [the Ninth Doctor snickers]
Gabriel Sneed: I won't be spoken to like this!
Rose Tyler: Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off! And leave me to die! So come on, talk!
   You probably have at least one conversation everyday with at least one of these cool things listed, but even though it may happen often does not mean you shouldn't treasure it. Enjoy every little part of life, I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find there are more awesome things out there than you originally thought.

Business

Still eight posts behind, also I may be posting this on Thursday, but this is Friday's post. Now I don't like to be a salesman, but if you enjoy the T.V series Doctor Who and don't mind a couple spoilers I would suggest subscribing to this Doctor Who blog at http://www.combom.co.uk

Fun Stuff
Try typing your name into a search engine and add is after. When I typed Rahne in, I got Rahne is a werewolf in the suggestion bar. It can be kind of fun to see what pops up.

Sometimes It's More Fun To Not Care

   Living on planet Earth it is inevitable that you will run into people who make assumptions. The mistake that we make is caring. Some people decide to tip-toe around the assumers and try to avoid their death glare of unapproval. Guess what it's impossible. Eventually you will do or say something in your life that will be taken the wrong way and will start up all kinds of nasty rumours. While usually just ignoring a danger, like a hungry lion results in you getting eaten in this case it is the best defence.
   Teenagers can be the most judgmental people of all in my opinion. It doesn't matter what you are doing teens are comparing themselves to you and are either jealous of you or look down on you for doing something, at least until your friends with them. They will judge you for eating too much, or too little, dressing too eccentric, or too plain, and most of all just being different. Almost no one can find a perfect middle ground in every aspect of their life. Even when you aren't doing anything you can still be judged.
   Teenage girls seem to try and interpret everything. Every little bit of information must be analysed and stored away for later use. Especially when it comes to crush every change in tone, twitch, and word is carefully observed and occasionally discussed with friends. When analysing something that meant nothing so deeply a lot of misinterpretations can occur. Your voice could have cracked while saying a friend's name and later that could be taken to mean you have a crush on them.
    Now that you know escaping judgement is impossible the question is how can you have fun with it? Personally I believe that if people are going to judge you anyway why not give them a reason to do it. By this I mean do incredibly eccentric things. I would rather have a rumour started about me that was started by me living my life to the fullest than someone just making something up, because my voice cracked. For an example of an eccentric thing, today I will be wearing a scarf that is approximately 14 feet long for part of the school day. I'm sure half the school won't even notice seeing as they are so occupied with the analysis of hand gestures.
   A brief warning, living your life eccentrically can have it's side-effects. There is a possibility you may not have as many friends, but the friends you have will last a lifetime and be true and genuine. It doesn't matter how crazy you are there is always someone just as crazy, and a couple sane people who somehow manage to put up with you. I would like to end of this post by saying a quick thank you to my friend Keira. Keira if I didn't meet you I think I would be a lot more passive, thanks for bringing out my crazy side again, and Rebecca thanks for driving me crazy that helped too.

Business

I'm eight posts behind, but with the end of my exam note making in sight I should have more time soon.

Book Review

The other day I was talking about how much I hated Twilight, but somehow I mustered up the strength to read through the entire book so here is my review. First off I am not fond of the main character Bella which makes the book hard to read. She is whiny and insipid she has people that want to be her friends at school, but all she does is mope around saying she's lonely. While the plot was an interesting idea at the time, now there are too many vampire novels to tell the difference. Most of the characters were unrelatable, and when they were they were support characters that barely showed up.The best part of the whole novel was when scenery was being described, but as soon as a character entered it started going downhill. For a sci-fi comedy girl it was far to dramatic and unrealistic. Overall not my cup of tea, but not the worst I've read. 2 out of 5 stars.

Entertainment Vs. Knowledge

   After a quick review of which posts are being viewed the most and after some general observations I have concluded that the average person would rather be entertained than taught. Yes this rant has been spurred on by a certain ginger falling asleep in my comments, although I know that ginger does not fit this rant, but she made me think. Most of us prefer mind-numbing television to a thought provoking book. Why do we do this? Are we simply to lazy to make the effort to learn, or are our attentions spans too short, or do we just not care enough to make the effort? I like to think that this blog attracts an intellectual group of nerds, but face it most of you or at least your friends would rather relax in front of a television instead of stimulating their minds in a lecture.
   In my opinion this interest in television is mostly due to laziness, which I am just as guilty of as the next person. Today life is made supposedly easier by technology. We get to many things handed to us today, which makes us lose what it feels like to actually work for something. When I get home I usually fall into the trap of the television before I get any work done. Honestly I am more productive at my dad's house because he does not have a television. It's not that books are not entertaining it's just that T.V is like a cookie jar only slightly out of a child's reach, eventually someone is going to get a chair and grab a cookie.
   I think another problem with today's lack of interest in reading and learning is peer pressure. When you talk to teenagers about school chances are that if they bother to reply it's not going to be a cheery guess what I learned, it will be about how bored they were. They may not have even been bored at first, but constantly hearing others say how bored they were all day they may start to say it after a while as well and maybe even start believing it. Also the books that are popular to teens today are silly vampire drivel with no educational value what so ever. I absolutely hated Twilight. Most teens just assume the classics are boring so they don't bother with those, and the books their friends are reading are absolute torture. Without reading any good books it's no wonder they aren't interested in reading.
   I have been told by some people that the reason that they don't read a book is because they can't sit down in silence for that long. It seems that a lot of people fear being alone, and when it's silent that is when a person most feels alone. Guess what if you sit in front of the T.V with someone else and neither of you talk you might as well be alone. If silence bugs you that much put on some background music, read out loud, or read outside. Besides in a city how quiet is your house really? I'm fairly certain there is some sort of noise.
   Even when people watch television I bet there are more people watching drama and comedy shows than educational. Now I can't completely bash drama shows, because Law & Order actually helped me on a test question in Social Studies class. I completely forgot what the book said, but I remembered what the show said on the topic. There are certain tid bits you can learn from drama and comedy, but just like the Internet you have to filter it from the piles of false information.
   When it comes down to it a book may be more mentally draining as plopping in front of a television, but it is far more worth while. There are so many types of books out there, so don't just read one and say you don't like books. Keep trying there's a book out there for everyone. My personal favourite is the Secret Garden.

Business

I have noticed that I have been getting readers from other parts of the world. I would just like to say that most of my posts are culturally relevant to Canada, and while what I'm writing about may be acceptable in my culture it may not be in yours, if this is the case I am sorry if I have offended anyone. Also while reading my blog please keep in mind that in Canada we spell a couple things differently, so not all of my spelling mistakes are actually mistakes.

Doctor Who Quote

A quote from the second doctor that goes well with my post.

Sergeant Benton: What are we going to do now?

The Second Doctor: Keep it confused, feed it with useless information--I wonder if I have a television set handy?

Chemistry 101

   In order to more effectively study for my exams and write my blog I will be writing about the things I have learned in school. Now before I start jumping into the chemistry I learned this year I thought I should give a brief synopsis of grade 10 chemistry. Keeping these basics in mind it will be a lot easier to teach grade 11 chemistry. Every now and then there will be memory tricks in blue. I am by no means an actual teacher, but I look to give accurate information to readers wanting to learn something. So, let's start with atoms.

   Atoms make up everything from you to a rock. When there is only one atom it's called an element, but when more join the atom party it's a compound. An atom contains protons (positively charged), neutrons (no charge, or neutrally charged), and electrons (negatively charged). In an atom the protons and electrons should be the same amount so as to acquire a neutral charge, if there is a charge due to more or less electrons than the atom will be called an ion. Cation (Cats have paws there fore positive, memory trick given by Miss. York) which are positive, and anions which are negative. Now that you know what an atom is let's see how they are arranged on the periodic table.





   You can't see very well on this periodic table, but above each letter in the little boxes there is a number. This number states the amount of protons, and therefore also electrons, in an atom. Protons do not change, because that would make it a different element. The number below the letters, also hard to see, is the atomic weight of the element. The atomic weight includes protons and neutrons (electrons don't weigh enough to register) which both equal 1 (not 100% sure what it's measured in, maybe moles). The reason decimals are used is because the amount of neutrons can differ from atom to atom. The number listed on the periodic table is an average of atoms. Now let's break out of the box and look at the big picture of the periodic table.

   The periodic table is ordered in rows (periods) and columns (families). The basic family names are as follows Alkali metals (1orange), Alkaline earth metals (2yellow), Transitional metals (middle section), Other metals (kind of grayish-green), Metalloids (a different green in a staircase pattern), Non-metals (lime green), Halogens (7light blue), and noble gases (8blue with a bit of lavender). While there are more names within the transitional metals and other areas these are the basics. Elements within the same family have similar properties and reactivity. What family an element is in shows the amount of valence electrons (do not count transitional metals when counting the family number) or electron on the outer electron shell. The rows show the number of shells. The first shell can hold 2 and the second and third can hold 8 each. Once it gets to the transitional metals I am not certain enough to try teaching others I would suggest trying a more accurate site.

   As I mentioned earlier the electrons in an atom are arranged in shells. The outer shell determines how that element will react with others to make a compound. As my teacher said to be truly happy an atom must have a full valence shell (outer shell). To make a full outer shell there are two basic types of bonds. When two non-metals (elements on the left of the staircase pattern on the periodic table) bond it's called a covalent bond. In these bonds the non-metals decide to share electrons. My memory trick for this is covalent bonds cooperate. When a metal and a non-metal bond it's called an Ionic bond. In an ionic bond an electron is transferred from one atom to another. For example Sodium (Na) needs to lose one electron to have a full outer shell and Chlorine (Cl) needs to gain one electron to have a full outer shell, so Sodium gives one of it's electrons to chlorine. Ionic compounds form stronger bonds than covalent.

   When making a simple compound remember that the product (what you are making) is usually neutral. For example Magnesium (Mg) and Bromine (Br) make MgBr2(subscript), because magnesium has a charge of 2 (second family on the periodic table) and Bromine has a charge of negative one (one away from group 8). The metals are positive and non-metals are usually negative. Now that you know how to make basic compounds, how do you name this new concoction.

   To name a compound first you must determine whether it is Ionic or Covalent. If it's Ionic all you have to do is put ide after the non-metal. For example Magnesium oxide, or Mercury (II) Fluoride. If the metal can have two or more different charges like Mercury (II) Fluoride than the charge of the metal should be put in brackets as shown. In covalent bonds the number of each element used should be indicated with a prefix.

Prefixes

Mono-1

Di-2

Tri-3

Tetra-4

Penta-5

Hexa-6

Hepta-7

Octa-8

Nona-9

Deca-10

You will probably not be using anything after deca. If there is only one of the first non-metal than mono does not need to be put, but it should for the second non-metal. If there is only one oxygen than it is monoxide. You do not put two O's. Now that you know the basics of making and naming compound let's get into the complexities of covalent compounds and diatomic molecules.

   For making basic covalent compounds the easiest way is to use the stock method. For example Carbon needs 4 electrons for a full shell and Sulphur needs 2, so together they make Di Carbon Tetra Sulphide. All you do is switch the number of electrons that both electrons need to form a full shell. In some elements two of the same element can form a compound, these are called diatomic molecules. The following elements can form diatomic molecules Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Fluorine (F), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I), Nitrogen (N), and Chlorine (Cl). One way to remember this is HOFBrINCl the clown.

   Next week (or maybe later this week) we will be getting into the different reaction types, and how to write them, and a brief acids and bases lesson. There may also be a quick tutorial on how to count the amount of atoms in an equation. If there is a subject that you would like to learn about please leave a comment below.

Business

Due to the sheer length of today's post I am saying I am eight behind, and counting this as yesterday's post as well.

Doctor Who Quote

Two quotes from the second doctor.

The Doctor: Officially I'm here quite unofficially.

 

The Doctor: Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority.

Nerdy Responses

   Nerd are just the coolest people out there hands down. I think this is mainly due to their cool responses to everyday questions. Seeing as nerds are monopolizing the cool pie I decided today I will share a slice with those unnerds out there. Here are some nerdy responses to everyday questions. N will stand for nerd and P will stand for the other person.
   P: What's up?
   N: Volume when the temperature increases.

   P: Do you speak another language?
   N: Does Klingon count?

   P: Are you okay?
   N: How can I be, when somewhere out there there's a spaceship and I'm not on it.

   P: What are you doing?
   N: Making a time machine. That's why it says time machine in big fancy letters.

   P: Working hard?  
   N: I'm sorry, but I am uncertain where work would be on Moh's scale of hardness.

   P: What's your favourite colour?
   N: Red.. no.. ahhh. (Monty Python reference)

   P: What are you thinking about?
   N: Life, the universe, and the size of dryers in comparison to a person.

   P: What clubs are you joining this year?
   N: Chess club, envirothon, reach for the top, and maybe I might become a nerdfighter.

   P: It's kind of cold out may I borrow a scarf?
   N: Sure, but be careful it's a 14 foot replica of Tom Baker's scarf.

   P: What time is it?
   N: Do you want central, mountain,eastern, pacific, or mars?

   P: Excuse me, did you fart?
   N: Seeing as the average person farts around 14 times a day it's plausible.

   P: What are you doing this weekend?
   N: Going to comic-con.

Business

I'm eight blogs. To my ginger friend, you're wrong romance is not dead, and I say Grr to you.

Origins
According to nerdfighters and a couple other Internet sources the word nerd was first used as a word by Dr. Seuss around 1950. Also before nerd meant what it meant today the Canadian Northern Electric Research and Development team wore pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D scrawled across their pocket protectors. To think that before nerd was a real word we were still wearing pocket protectors. Power to the nerds.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find Out What it Means to Teens

   Many adults claim that teenagers have a problem respecting authority, while this is true it can be easily avoided. Adults are supposed to be teaching us good habits not blaming our teen years for the bad habits we have. Respect can be instilled in any child all the parents have to do is put some effort in.
   I understand that in today's society it can be a necessity for both parents to have a job, but that doesn't mean you can't spend time with your children. When you get home from work it is understandable to be tired, but you should make an effort to ask your child about their day. Set aside family fun time occasionally, and just show you care. You may assume your children are aware that you love them, but there is a possibility they don't, so don't take a chance. If you respect your children, and show that you care for them they will find it that much easier to respect you.
   Be a stickler for the rules, and do not waver in your decisions. Your children may not enjoy this one, but it's still important. If you constantly back down from punishment you're just making your children want to test your limits and push boundaries. When you are clear in your rules, your children will be more clear as well. Making a rules list with your family and sticking to the rules listed can be extremely helpful.
   Little things like getting your children to call adults by their last name instead of their first can make a big difference. Teens are even calling their own parents by their first names today. I get strange looks occasionally but I'm glad I was taught to call adults by their last name. When I'm adult I would appreciate it if children called me by my last name so it only make sense that I do the same for them. Treat others the way you want to be treated, it's a simple concept.
    Parents you have absolutely no right to blame our attitude on our teens years especially if you do not take the time to raise us. Put some effort in and actually parent us, and then we might learn some respect. Respect us and eventually we will in turn respect you.

Business

I'm eight blogs behind.

Doctor Who Quote

Boys and their toys, it's kind of funny how his toy comes to life.

The Doctor: Sorry, do you have a name?

TARDIS Girl: Seven hundred years and finally he asks.
The Doctor: But what do I call you?
TARDIS Girl: I think you call me... Sexy?
The Doctor: [embarrassed] Only when we're alone.
TARDIS Girl: We are alone.
The Doctor: Oh. Come on, then, Sexy.

Romance Wanted, While I'm Alive

   In a society where many people are overworked, lazy, and narcissitic, can romance exsist?  Several comments made by jaded people and hearing what my classmates (mostly guys) have to say about romance I sincerly doubt it's exsistence. Being a dtermined girl I will not accept the death of romance. Today I hope to correct the false ideas people have about romance. If only one person does something truely romantic because of this post I will count it as a mission accomplished.
    Before I start correcting I guess I should show you what the false ideas are. Mostly due to media most people think that romance is expensive or at least costs money. These people think that to be romantic they need to buy lavish gifts, or go through walks in the sunset. While these cliche gifts and events can be romantic they are not what romance really is.
    For real romance it doesn't matter what you do or give, it's about how you both feel. In my opinion romance is all about sincerity. A romantic outing doesn't necessarily have to be somewhere or something considered romantic, it can be a round of video games at home, or just grocery shopping. Romance is about sincerity and love. Romance is when you do or say something not for yourself, but because you care about another person. It looks different for everyone, but all that matters is that even for just a minute you put the person you love's needs before your own, because you love them and for no other reason.
    I think today's misconceptions about romance is mainly due to when people are romantic. Romance should not be used just to get out of trouble. It's not an apology be sincere don't just do something romantic everytime you get into trouble. Too many people have alterior motives when they do something nice. If you love someone do something for them not for yourself.

Business

Still eight blogs behind, but at least I have the coolest nick-name ever now. Bwa Ha Ha!

Doctor Who Quote

I bet one of the executioners did something incredible romantic to get out of this one.

Jack: Oo. A little too much vermouth. See if I come here again! laughs. Funny thing. Last time I was sentenced to death I ordered four hyper-vodkas for my breakfast. All a bit of a blur after that. Woke up in bed with both my executioners. Lovely couple. They stayed in touch. Can't say that about most executioners. Anyway. Thanks for everything, computer. It's been great.

Google it!

   Whenever a person asks a question of their peers that they can not seem to answer the general consensus is to, 'Google it'. When there is so much smut on the Internet is this really where we should be referring people. Almost anything you google on images you will find scantily clad women and for some reason a t least one cat picture. Even when you manage to find a site that is appropriate there is no guarantee the information that you find there is accurate. You never know what to believe when you go on the Internet, so shouldn't we send people to a library.
   There is one perk to the Internet and that is it is amazingly fast. It is far easier to type in some keywords than go to a library and locate a book on the same subject. Regardless of how fast the Internet is it's a good idea to get used to finding books in a library using the Dewey decimal system, after a while you get used to it. Another option is to learn how to determine if the website you're on is accurate.
    Before you even click on a website read the URL, website name and the sentences that are shown below the website. Sometimes you can be clued in on whether the website is appropriate or not from the name. For those of you looking for inappropriate websites on the Internet I think I should warn you that viruses are mostly found on those sites, it's much better to just go to an adult store, because then you don't have to worry about spamming up your computer. There is also a virus on google images, just the other day my science teacher was clicking on a picture of a crystal and the computer said it was starting a virus scan. If this happens to you, do not use the virus scan, instead restart your computer. This virus can happen on any picture from BBC characters to rocks.
    Once you find a website that seems okay it's time to find out if the information is correct. Usually university websites are fairly accurate and organisation websites like NASA. If it is on a website not linked to a well known organization or place of learning you should probably look up the person who wrote the piece. Honestly I am not completely certain how to go about doing this, so I go with option two. If you can't find out more a bout the person's credentials compare their piece with at least two other similar pieces on the Internet. If all three sites, not written by the same author, agree then there is a good chance the information is accurate, although I would suggest not directly quoting it, because you never know. When using the Internet even for a quick answer always check various sources. Sometimes it's not better to Google it it's better to book it.

Fun Facts
Just to put the Internet in perspective here are some fun facts.

-Around 1942 the first binary computer was created.

-The Internet was created around 1982

-One of the oldest books found is from 3000 BC

What if...

   Have you ever wondered what would happen if something different happened? It can be fun to contemplate what the world would be like if certain things happen. When I think about these things I tend to over exaggerate. Just for fun here's what I think would happen if...
   1) Pigs could fly: Tons of cool stuff would happen if pigs could fly, because that means people would actually have to do the things they said they said they would do when pigs fly. People would make stupid investments some would become rich, but most who used the phrase when pigs fly would soon be broke. If pigs could fly they would make the coolest gifts for little kids. Little children would love riding around on the back of pigs. Also the zodiac would change a little, because pigs would be used more often as pets. Pigs would no longer be considered an ideal zodiac sign and there would not be a spike of pregnancies during the year of the boar.
   2) Aliens landed on Earth: If aliens landed it would be nothing like movies similar to War of the Worlds. Think about it if they managed to travel all the way to our planet, they are most likely advanced. They would bring new technology and completely revolutionize our world. Sadly the aliens would not be able to do much before they die. Maybe the gravity is too different or maybe their suits can not handle our atmosphere. Whatever the cause may be the aliens will die, but not before one angry alien sends a message back to the mother ship. The strange message garbled, because it was given by a half dead being, would be taken as a call to war. Having some of their technology we as humans would have a chance, but they would be more advanced and we would lose. Eventually a truce would be made and the event would only be a dark stain on the history books. An alliance would be made and both societies would prosper.
   3) Everyone ordered soup instead of salad: People would order soup with no vegetables, then people who eat out a lot would get scurvy. After the scurvy outbreak all glasses of water would have lime juice squeezed in, but then people would stop liking water, because it tastes funny. People would stop drinking as much water, messing up their immune system, and then the picky eaters would die off. Good thing salad is still an option.
   4) Everyone was a superhero: Firstly you wouldn't have to worry about travel costs, because everyone could just fly wherever they wanted. Mostly this would be horrible for society. Superheroes enjoy helping others, but with no one left to help they would go insane. Everyone would have extreme pent up energy. Super strength would be used to knock over buildings and boyfriends who were thinking dirty thoughts (obviously the girls can read minds). Soon the people would have break downs and cities would be destroyed. The only way anyone could survive would be by living lonely, and dejected lives by themselves to stop from attacking everything in sight.
   5) I had a time machine: If most people had a time machine it would be bad, but if I had one it would be a catastrophe. I would probably want to meet all of my favourite writers, and may inadvertently teach them new words that they could put in their work. For example I may let the F word slip in front of Shakespeare. Next I would start a savings account far in the past and deposit twenty dollars. Then I would travel to the future and use the fortune now in my bank account due to interest and buy cool technology from the future. Thirdly I would make my way back to my own time and use my time machine to go back in time a couple times so I could take more courses. If anyone ends up catching on that I can not possibly be taking so many courses I would go back in time to when my mom was in university and see if we would be friends. At this point I may inadvertently make it so my mother doesn't give birth to me, and that is where my time traveling ends.

Doctor Who Quote

Two quotes from the fourth doctor.

The Doctor: I suppose the best way to find out where you come from is to find out where you're going, and then work backwards.

The Doctor: Stupid expression, 'stands to reason.' Why isn't it 'lie down to reason?' Much easier to reason lying down.

Lesson Learned

   Throughout our lives people try to make us learn from their mistakes, but there are just some lessons that we refuse to learn any other way than by making mistakes. Every stage of life has a mistake that almost all people have made. No one listens when they hear they shouldn't do something, it's just to tempting.Let's take a walk through the life of an average person and revisit the mistakes that make us who we are.
    When you were first born the world seems new and exciting, so once you were able to move around in it you wanted to explore and learn. Sadly your inexperienced mind thought that the best way to get to know this world was to touch, smell, and ingest everything you saw. You walk away from this stage with a couple pennies lining your stomach, maybe a toy stuck up your nose, but worst of all a burn from touching the stove. For some reason it didn't matter how many times your mom said no you just had to try it didn't you?
     Later you understand hot means don't touch, but you don't quite understand that jumping off a play structure means broken bones. While at elementary school there are many opportunities for injuries and you take a vast majority of them. You get your first broken bone, and even manage to bite through your lip on an icy winter day.
     You mature a little and soon enough you start crushing on the wrong people. You fall for a bad boy or and eventually get your heart broken for the first time, but not before you do some stupid things with them. You ditch school and even forget to study, because you're spending too much time with your boyfriend. What's the most annoying part is mom and dad knew from the start it was a bad idea, but who wants to listen to that nag party? You go away a little more cautious, and maybe a bit insecure.
      By now with all the lessons you've learned you think you know it all as you turn 18. On the 18 birthday it's party time and you learn a new word, hangover. Just because you turn 18 doesn't necessarily mean you have to go out and get drunk, but you decided it was the best option. You instantly regret your party plans the next morning as you wake up at home and forgot how you go there. At least you know what all the flavors of vodka taste like.
       Your all grown up now, but the mistakes aren't over yet. Due to lack of planning you and uncertainty, you change your university major, having to take out more student loans. Now your broke, and have far too many courses to handle. Soon you find you are having your first break down. It's not too pretty, but you know your limits now. With a bit of counseling and some help from friends you're soon back on track.
       After university you start job hunting, but before you can get one you realize you're pregnant. You hastily tell your boyfriend, who is luckily very nice, and you decide to get married. You're fresh out of college and a bit young, but you think your child deserves a father so you go through the marriage. Later a divorce occurs, but this is a hard mistake to regret, because you still stand by your decision. It was the best for your child.
        Now you're old and decrepit. You flip through the photos of your past with a smile on your face. You sigh and take your last breath. It was a long life full of twists and turns, but you wouldn't change a minute. Through making mistakes you lived a live worth living.

Business

 I'm eight posts behind.

Origins

The phrase it's raining cats and dogs comes from tropical regions in monsoon season. The cats and dogs would climb up on the roofs and as it began to pour the cats and dogs would occasionally slip off with the rain.

Stress Monsters

    Stress is a part of our daily lives, maybe not a good part, but still a part. Other than the obvious emotional strain it's amazing just how much stress can effect us. For something so common in today's society it's hard to believe how damaging it is to our bodies. The worst part is, is that thinking of all of the negative affects of stress can just stress us out even more, but that's not going to stop me from telling you all the bad things stress can do for your health.
    Before we get started what exactly is stress, and why do so many people have it now? While not many agree on one definition, we know that the original definition made in 1936 by Hans Selye who called stress, "a non-specific response of the body to any demand for change". Seeing as stress is triggered by change it's not surprising that today's society is full of stress. Where once people stayed put with the same jobs, and homes throughout our lives we cycle through various places and careers. Our attention span seems to be shortening, so we flit through different options that just end up making us feel stressed. When we think of the health issues and look at the stress curve below (from American Institute of Stress http://www.stress.org/topic-definition-stress.htm) maybe we should just stay put and stop moving around.

    If you are under extreme stress and you want a child you should calm yourself down before trying to conceive. Stress reduces fertility, mostly in the females. Basically when you're stressed out it implies that times are hard, and that is not an ideal situation to birth a child in. Therefore your body will not be focused on becoming pregnant, because it does not think the environment the baby will be born into a safe one. Although stress strongly reduces your chances of getting pregnant that does not mean that if you are under stress that you should stop using birth control. It's good a reducing pregnancy, but not as good as birth control.
      Now I can't write a paragraph on the many conditions stress can cause so here is a list. Hair loss, cancer (but everything seems to cause cancer nowadays), heart complications (including literally broken heart syndrome, look up Takotsubo Cardiomypathy if interested), Hypertension, inflammatory diseases, and in some cases depression, which can lead to suicide. Overall it negatively effects your immune system which leaves you susceptible to various diseases.
     Great so I'm stressed out and going to die what do I do now? First off start eating. Not only can diets increase stress, but eating vegetables can reduce stress, so sit down with a vege tray and start munching. You could take a vacation, by yourself. People are usually stressed when thinking about money, work, family, and relationships, so a vacation by yourself would be a good way to clear your head. Also a change in habits is proven to reduce stress as well. Lastly violent video games seem to help. For some reason shooting someone in the head on your television can release built up tension from a days hard work.
     Sure stress is horrible for you, but everyone has it, and as the curve shows in small quantities it can even make you more productive. When your too stressed out take a break, just try to avoid a meltdown. When it sets to be too much take a vacation near a vegetable farm, and maybe play some video games I suggest Bioshock.

Business

Yesterday blogspot was down while I was trying to write my post, so I am still eight posts behind, because I'm not counting yesterdays lack of a post. Also I am re-opening the vote for what should come after this post as it ended in a tie, but because I voted I guess until the poll closed I just won't count my vote. Some information in the above post was acquired from Discover magazine June 2011 edition.

Video Game Review
Seeing as I mentioned Bioshock in my post I might as well review it. In this first person shooter you find yourself in the mutated world of rapture, where everyone went a little far with the plastic surgery. You can mutate yourself with plasmids for superpowers, use good old-fashioned guns, and even a wrench. In this game you have a choice to save the mutated little children, or harvest them for upgrades on your powers but potentially kill them. As my mom and I refuse to kill children even in a video game we have no idea what the ending to that path is, but if you are actually okay with that and finish it feel free to tell us what the ending is, just put spoiler first. Overall it's a little eerie, but past the corpses strewn everywhere the scenery is detailed and beautiful. I love this game, because they pay attention to science. For example if you shoot an electric bolt in water it goes through the entire puddle, now that's attention to detail. I give it 4.5 stars. I docked point five because you can't see your feet which can make it hard to navigate, and the ending doesn't match the mood of the rest of the game, also it gets a little predictable. Almost forgot the music is awesome.

Road Trips

     Road trips can be either the most boring thing or a super fun and relaxing family bonding experience. Mostly it depends on your relationship with your family, bu there are ways to make almost any road trip fun. The only thing that you have to do to have a great road trip is be prepared and have fun.
     Firstly you should plan on bringing your own entertainment. Books are always a good choice because if they aren't that interesting they could make you go to sleep which sucks up a good chunk of the road trip time. For those that don't find books entertaining try bringing a portable gaming system, or if those are not available bring some paper. Once you have paper you can either perfect your in car writing and try to do something productive like study notes, homework, or writing a book, or you can try to draw interesting scenery as it passes by.
     Planning group activities that everyone in the car can have fun with is a cool way to make your trip more interesting. For the musical family turn on a favourite song, but put the volume low so your family can belt it out. Try rounds or songs with a lot of harmonies so everyone has a part, and even the driver can participate in this one. Magnetic board games are also a good idea. The pieces don't get lost to often and board games can be super fun. Also try making a list of things you may find on your trip and get everyone to find the items on the list like a scavenger hunt. While driving through cities find every letter of the alphabet on signs in order. If you want to involve everyone in the car but you can't think of any activities just talk. Get to know each other better maybe even play would you rather which is where you give someone two scenarios and ask them which they would rather be in.
       Fun is not the only thing that should be planned. There are many opportunities for a road trip to go wrong, but most of them can be ignored with ear plugs. Okay, ear plugs can seem rude, and maybe a bit harsh, but sometimes blocking out sound can be the only way to escape a road trip gone wrong. Road trips can be long and if your music taste differs from the driver some excruciatingly long songs can be downright painful. A poem I wrote about this can be found under the business section. The best way to avoid this scenario is to bring music of your own. Remember to bring headphones for your music, because I'm sure your family doesn't want to compete with you for music volume.
        Be prepared to have fun, but remember to be respectful as well. All bad road trips are started by someone try not to be the problem.

Business

I'm eight posts behind and I will not be writing a post on Thursday.

Road Trip Poem

Fifteen minute song

Without any vocals

Still my dad insists

It's okay they're local

I ask my father

His bad music's blaring

How long's this C.D

Now my dad is glaring

An hour's finally past

I think we might be through

But underneath the seat

Is disc number two

Just seven hours left

There still may be hope

But he pulls out a C.D case

Now I begin to mope

I feel like screaming

We're at the final hour

Still he's the driver

So, he has the power

We reached our destination

I let out a groan

Next trip we're going in on

The music will be my own.

Death Penalty

   I believe everyone can change, it may take time and in some cases medication, but everyone can change. This is one of the main reasons why I oppose of the death penalty. In my opinion there is no crime that a person can commit that makes the death penalty necessary. A lifetime jail sentence seems to be a much better option.
   One reason why I find the death penalty harsh is that there is room for error. In the last 35 years 130 inmates were proven innocent just before their execution and did not receive the death penalty. If there were 130 innocent people so close to being killed for no reason who's to say how many innocent people were really killed. It's much better to let them serve jail time. Some inmates commit suicide, and if they are innocent they will still have a good portion of their life wasted if their innocence isn't proven quickly, but at least you won't have to pardon a corpse.
    Some people find that the death penalty is the proper 'price' for certain crimes. In these peoples' eyes execution brings justice to the family of the deceased. Think of the family of the criminal. Even though the criminal probably committed atrocious crimes there is probably at least one family member that still loves him. Think of the sadness that would overtake that family as they hear their son or daughter is going to be killed for justice. In their mind this action would not be just, instead they will be thinking about the cruel criminal system taking their loved one away from them. Also once the criminal is dead the family of the victim won't feel any better, because their loved one will still be dead and nothing can change that. Overall, it doesn't make anyone happy.
     To take a more religious view on the issue the bible says to take the plank out of your own eye before you attempt to take the sliver from another's eye. We all have sinned and therefore none of us have the right to condemn others. We are not always certain on all the details of the crime. For all we know they were enacting their own justice by killing someone who murdered one of their loved ones. In this case aren't they doing exactly what the justice system is trying to do.
     Lastly as I mentioned in my introduction everyone can change. A person can see the error of their ways and become a new person in prison. Why would anyone want to take the opportunity to change away from them. They could become a perfectly normal and productive citizen. Even if this was a one in a million chance I think it would still be worth it.
     Murder is as harsh a crime as it is a punishment. How do we seek proper justice? Right now the blood is on our hands, and we need to cauterize the wound.

Business

Still eight posts behind, but I hope to be catching up next weekend.

Doctor Who Quote

The fourth doctor seems to ignore the threat of the death penalty.

The Doctor: What no tea?

Kaled Guard Tane: Let me point out to you that you have no rights whatsoever. I have full authority to torture and kill any prisoner who does not comply absolutely with my orders. That is your first and last warning.

The Doctor: No tea, Harry.