The Types of Chatters

I have a lot of different types of friends, and as I chatted with them, I couldn't help noticing that they all have different styles. I also noticed a bit of a correlation between time spent online and chatting style.

• The Smiler: This person adds an emoticon onto everything. Everything. Even when it doesn't make sense. 
• "how are you? :)"
• "is she bothering you? :)"
• "aww, i'm so sorry :)"
• The Txtr: This person leaves out as many letters as they can. Their words are virtually illegible. 
• "wht r u up 2?"
• "is lf ok rt nw?"
• "thts so wrd!!"
• The Queen of Hearts: Just like the Smiler, the Queen of Hearts tags on a heart to every line. 
• "i'm reading harry potter <3"
• "i like to eat <3"
• "i'm going to the bathroom <3"
• The Novelist: This person writes paragraphs. All the time. I confess, I do this a lot. It's not all that bad because it's usually not boring. But still. Most of these examples are quite dramatic, so I shall refrain from providing an example.
• The Newsperson: This person provides you with updates, accurate to the very second, on what they are doing. Hooray! Free news!
• "i'm drinking water now"
• "doing my homework"
• "i have to pee!"
• The Lol-er: Either this person says "lol" in awkward situations, or they actually think everything is funny. 
• "i saw a pig on the way home lol"
• "i have to eat dinner sorry lol"
• "i failed my math test lol"
• The Ghetto Speaker: This person talks in ghetto language. It's actually kind of funny. They emphasize every accent and syllable.
• "naw, dat ain't no right answer!"
• "das dayum weyurd!"
• "yo dawg, how's the man?"
• The Random Typer: Whenever there's an awkward pause, this person decides to break the tension by smashing their hands onto the keyboard and pressing enter. It's not very effective.
• "asdfghjkl;"
• "asilhvjanerjerlhvjalnvwuoeghuergbe"
• "$*#&(*$)HNWHD"

Comics

Comics are a great medium to express ideas and thoughts without scaring off a reader. Often, people don't like to see long paragraphs, and they tend to form the wrong impression about the text. But comics don't face that problem at all. They're colourful, hilarious, and very enjoyable to read. Here are a couple of my favourites.

Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin, a first-grade nightmare, explores the ups and downs of school and the adventures in his own backyard with his tiger, Hobbes, who is calmer and somehow more sensible. It's amazing how Bill Watterson expresses his own thoughts through a six-year-old boy and his tiger. The comic's great because Watterson makes fun of pretty much everything in a non-offensive but satirical way. One of the reasons I like it so much is because I remember reading it as a child merely to look at the pictures. I "rediscovered" it a year back, and read the books all over again, and I discovered the cleverly hidden meanings behind each comic. I kind of had that "AHA" moment, and it was a good feeling. I read The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book a while ago, and it's a very good read by Bill Watterson himself. Very interesting.

Peanuts. The "Peanuts" gang, comprising Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally, Rerun, and of course, Snoopy are around five to six years as well; the strip focuses mainly on Charlie Brown, and he goes through a rather bleak, humourously depressing life, at least from his point of view. The illustrations are not, perhaps, as lavishly detailed and coloured as other comics, but attention is drawn to the dialogue and the style simply adds to the mood of "my life isn't going so great". Charlie Brown is a normal sort of kid, like the others, going through friends and crushes, but the way he interprets each situation is hilarious. Charles Schulz, the writer of this comic, said that Charlie developed from some of the more painful aspects of his own life.

7 Reasons Chocolate Should Have Its Own God

Lots of religions have gods for multiple things. They all have different names, of course, but they are essentially god of the same things. There are gods of love: Venus, Aphrodite, Kama, Hathor, etc. There are gods of the sun: Apollo, Surya, Ra. But what about gods of chocolate? I'll give you 7 reasons that chocolate should have its own god.

1. It is essential to life. Seriously, who can live without chocolate?
2. It is a topic of research. People are trying to find out more.
3. It is a controversial subject. Just like love!
4. It tastes good. Water tastes good, and it has its own god.
5. It is found in many different forms. Bars, shakes, smoothies, coffees, syrups.
6. It looks awesome. Doesn't it? 
7. It's chocolate. Isn't that technically reason enough?

Me...As a Baby

I sure knew how to talk. :P

An Ode to Technology

I was just sitting here, when all of a sudden this idea came to me. Of course, I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but that's way more boring than writing a poem.

An Ode to Technology

Oh technology, oh technology, how wonderful are thee,

Thy usefulness and convenience are so pleasing to me.

Oh technology, oh technology, so shiny, clean and sleek,

Thy keyboard and thy monitor are perfect for a geek.

Oh technology, oh technology, thou will be in my heart,

Thou can save just anything, thou always are so smart.

Oh technology, oh technology, thy programs are so neat,

Google Chrome and Internet just cannot be beat.

Oh technology, oh technology, something’s going wrong,

Thy apps are slowing down too much, five seconds is too long.

Oh technology, oh technology, thy files are much too deep,

I’m spending long hours on thou, I’m wasting all my sleep.

Oh technology, oh technology, my eyes are now burning,

My brain has turned to mush, the gears have stopped turning.

Oh technology, oh technology, how terrible are thee,

My sleep and good eyesight are gone, what has thou done to me?

How To Annoy People...A Lot

I really need to try some of these.

1. Insist that your drive-through order is TO GO.
2. Go to a restaurant and throw a bunch of ketchup packets on the ground. Stamp on them.
3. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
4. Staple papers in the middle of the page.
5. Wave randomly at strangers. If they ask you about it, say, "I saw you at ___'s house!" Insist that it's true.
6. Walk into a restaurant and refuse to be seated. Just stuff all their mints into your pockets and walk out.
7. Yell, "Do you hear that?!". When they respond, reply with, "Never mind, it's gone."
8. Ask people what gender they are.
9. Attend a poetry recital. Then ask why the poems don't rhyme.
10. Ask people random questions and write down their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "mental health".

Hm, quite a lot of these. If I get enough, maybe I'll make a separate page of things you need to do. Haha. You know what, if I actually do one of these, I'll post a video of it. Sound good?

Doodles

Just a couple doodles I finally got around to uploading.

I like to draw people. I like to saw I draw realistically, but that's not really true. I tend to make things prettier than they really are, which results in slightly non-proportionate features etc.

Ah well.

Poem

I'd like to share a poem I wrote for English class. The original's been marked up by my teacher, or I'd scan it. The words are mostly cut out of magazines, with a few words added in by me. It's not the full effect on here...but ah well.

Comments?

By the beautiful sea
I walk for miles in the sparkling morning sunshine
The sand stretches on, and no end in sight
Surrounded by gravity-defying waves
Crashing mercilessly against the jagged rocks
Feeling impulsive
The water slaps at my sides as I venture in
A colourful blend of blues and greens, the salty sea spray
It is magical, this island getaway.

More Book Art

Gosh, I would definitely do this if I weren't so protective of my books.

Maybe with a really boring book.

Nah, all books should be treated and appreciated equally. I'm rambling, aren't I? Well, books have feelings too. I know that for a fact. Don't ask.

Hair Tips

If you're anything like me, you have really thick, wavy, nearly unmanageable hair. Don't get me wrong, I love my hair (thanks, mom, dad). Everyone wants shiny, soft, smooth hair, so here's what I do to maintain my hair. Oh, and all the credit goes to my mom, who taught me this stuff, because her hair is even thicker and softer and shinier than mine.

Many people wash their hair everyday. I don't. I do it once a week, usually Saturday. It's not necessary  for me to wash it everyday because I wear it in a ponytail all the time. Many of my friends balk at this, but then again, they wear their hair down all the time, so it needs washing more often. Plus, my hair would get super rough if I washed it everyday. Anyways, to each his own.

Washing Hair:

• The night before I shampoo my hair, I cover it (rub it into my scalp, too) in oil and lay a towel over my pillow. Keep this in overnight, it's like a pre-condition. There are several oils that work. I use an Indian oil called "Bhringraj Tel", but you can use any of these oils:
• Coconut oil
• Almond oil
• Olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Any other kind of oil that comes from veggies/fruits
• While shampooing, I take a small mug and put in a small dollop of shampoo. Then I fill up the mug halfway with water and mix it up with my fingers. I'm diluting the shampoo. This way the shampoo spreads and cleans all my hair and isn't too much. I use anti-dandruff shampoo, but any shampoo is ok as long as it's diluted. Then wash it off nicely.
• ALWAYS USE COLD (AS COLD AS YOU CAN TOLERATE) WATER WHILE WASHING YOUR HAIR! Hot water breaks bonds. Cold water keeps the shine in and helps with frizz control.
• I use Kirkland Conditioner, it smells neutral and it's really awesome. Generally I squirt liberal amounts of conditioner onto my palm and spread it all over my hair. Then I use a wide tooth comb to carefully spread the conditioner to all parts. Then I use one of those clips (I call 'em crocodile clips) to keep my conditioned hair on top of my head. That's when I wash the rest of myself/brush my teeth or whatever. Anything to keep you occupied for five minutes. Then I let it down and wash it all off. 

Drying Hair:

• I DON'T use a towel to rub the water off. I let my hair loose and tame it with a wide tooth comb. In all honesty, it's best to let it dry before combing it at all, but you can't really walk around the house with hair that poofs up and curls like mine.
• Once it's dry, you can brush it.

Smoothing Hair:

• For smooth hair, you can either braid it or twist it up into a bun. Or two. I prefer to twist it because braiding makes it all curly. Me want wavy! No curly!
• Leave the bun in for as long as possible (this is why I do this whole thing over the weekend).
• Take down. Ta da! Smooth, beautiful hair!
• If it's still frizzy, you can use a mild oil to tame it. It won't make your hair stringy. I use Keo Karpin. But usually I don't put oil in my hair.

Happy hair!

Coolest Interactive Tools Ever

So I was browsing around when I stumbled upon some really cool interactive things. I made a list.
Note: I use Google Chrome and I haven't tested these on other browsers. They work best on Chrome.

• Ball Droppings. All right, that's a weird name, but it's incredibly cool. There are lots of tiny little balls dropping from this tube off the screen. You can draw lines with your mouse. The balls bounce off these lines and create sounds while doing so. With the right lines, you can make a tune! http://balldroppings.com/js/
• Sound Matrix. This one deals with sounds as well. There's a huge grid of squares and you can click on a bunch of them to start a tune. http://www.sneakytime.com/sound/
• Silk. This one is graphic. It's really pretty. You can drag your mouse around and it'll create this silky, smoky, colourful mist that's easy on the eyes. It does create sound as well; based on what you draw. The sounds are relaxing and soothing. http://new.weavesilk.com/?ika/
• Google Gravity. This one's nice; it's basically Google, except everything falls down and crashes. Results come crashing down from the top. Fun to play around with. This guy has a blog, too. And there's other cool stuff on his website. This one, Google Gravity, just happens to be my favourite. http://mrdoob.com/92/google_gravity
• Touch Effects. This one's by Microsoft, but don't get scared away. It's pure eye candy. Click, and the dots follow your mouse. http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Graphics/TouchEffects/

Have fun! And don't get distracted!

Apps You Need to Get

Hey...I was playing on my iPod touch earlier. It's a really old version, but I was still pleased by how the apps manage to keep me from being bored. So I wanted to put together a list of really awesome apps, for the bored people out there. Some of these you will probably know.

Warning: they are quite addicting.

Warning: I mean, really addicting.

Warning: Like really really really--

• Temple Run. This one is pretty obvious. You swipe left, right, up, and down. Some of the high scores on Game Center are staggering. But just to disillusion you, there is a cheat that a lot of people use in Temple Run. Highlight to read: Play in Tutorial Mode. When it tells you to turn, quickly swipe in that direction not once, but three times. Swipeswipeswipe--then the game should shift to an unending bridge. Sometimes there will be powerups, sometimes not. What you can do now is plug the device in to charge and leave it in that infinite mode. Next morning, check it. Surprise! You have, like, 20 million points and counting! Yay!

• Jetpack Joyride. Not many people have heard of this one. But it's just as addicting as dear old Temple Run. You press down to rise up, and you try to avoid obstacles such as zappers and lasers. Also you get to kill scientists.
• Surviving High School. Play as several different characters as you try to get through a time period in high school. Go through relationships, friendships, grades, and competition. There are mini-games within the game. It's super addicting, and the best part is, they add a free episode every week!
• Pocket Frogs. Now, for me, this one was really fun at first. After a while, it became really old. Basically you start out with a couple of frogs. You can buy new ones, or breed the ones you already have. You can also take one of your frogs at a time to a pond; here you can find gifts, or other frogs to breed with. There are levels of frogs, ranging from common to rare to legendary.
• Animation Desk. For budding animators, this app gives you a lot of freedom to animate. You can make as many frames as you want, set it to a speed, and choose from over 50 colours. After that, you can email it to yourself. It costs money, though.
• SpyMouse. This is the most addicting game ever. You play as a mouse, trying to collect all the pieces of cheese in each level without getting beaten up by the cats. You can hide in the shadows, you can eat peppers to make you go faster, you can buy a bunch of utilities like rollerblades. The only thing that sucks is that if you press the home button in the middle of a level, the game never loads again. That happened to me quite a few times, but I always managed to get it to load. Not this time. It's gone for life, but I haven't tried re-downloading it. I'm scared that my progress will be deleted.
• Logo Quiz. Truly an app for puzzle-lovers. This tests your knowledge of logos from everywhere. There are endless levels. It's fantastic. And if you get stuck, there's an app called Logo Quiz Cheats to help you out.

I'll add more later on. Hope this is helpful, and hope you enjoy the apps! :)

Things You Should Definitely Do

Here's a list of things you should DEFINITELY do, to make life a little more interesting. Note: I don't take responsibility for any trouble you may get in. :P

1. Hire two private investigators. Get them to follow each other.
2. Wear a shirt that says "Life". Hand out lemons on the street.
3. Get into a crowded elevator and say "I bet you're all wondering why I gathered you here today."
4. Get a Ph.D. Change your last name to "acula".
5. Get a parrot, and teach it to say, "Help! _____ turned me into a parrot!"
6. Run up to someone and say, "You're one of THEM!". Run away as fast as you can. Pretend to trip and fall down. Get back up and keep running.
7. Look into the glass wall of a store, and if someone else is on the other side looking back, yell, "Oh my god! I'm hideous!"
8. Go to McDonald's and ask for directions to Burger King.
9. When you're tardy to class, tell the teacher your pet rock had a seizure.
10. Go up to people at the mall, show them a picture of yourself and say, "Have you seen this person?"
11. Throw a ball at someone and say, "Stupid Pokemon! Get back into your Pokeball!"
12. Follow a stranger around in a store and spray everything they touch with disinfectant.
13. Hide in a broom closet and when someone walks in, say, "Ah, young one, welcome to Narnia."
14. Buy a packet of birdseed and ask how long it will take for the birds to grow. VARIATION: cheerios and donuts.
15. Go into a dressing room, wait 5 minutes, then say, "Hey, there's no toilet paper in here!"
16. Go hug a tree and then say to a stranger, "Sorry, I was having a moment."
17. Get into a taxi, point to a car and yell, "FOLLOW THAT CAR!"
18. Hide in the clothes rack at a store and when people look through the clothes, say, "Pick me! Pick me!"
19. Buy a HUGE diaper, then go up to a stranger and say, "You dropped this."
20. Go up to a lady with a daughter and say, "Your son is adorable."

Hehehehehehe. Hope you like it...and please, please don't try the majority of these.

Harry Potter

I dunno if I've mentioned that I love the Harry Potter series before. Well, I do. I've loved it every since I read the first book in 6th grade. Since then, I've read each book about 20-something times, discovering hidden meanings in each book.

 Harry ponders over his scar in the mirror.

But a few days ago, I questioned myself. It takes some really good writing for me to appreciate any book.Why, I asked myself, why, why, why do I love the Harry Potter books so much? 

So I decided to make a list.

1. It's fantasy. And that helps me throw the real world out the window and take a bite of the fresh writing.
2. It's realistic. I know I just contradicted my previous sentence, but in all honesty, Harry and his friends go through experiences similar to...well...Muggles. Other than all the spell-casting and wand-waving, they have emotions and feelings, and that helps people relate to them.
3. It's well-written. That seems obvious, right? Who would love a book that wasn't well-written? You'd be surprised. A lot of books are trash, but because of their exciting/romantic plotlines, people read them anyway. Not Harry Potter. 
4. It's thrilling. No one--well, not me, at least--wants to read a book without ups and downs, twists and turns.
5. It's full of substance. Like I said before, a lot of books pretty much rely on romance. They have angsty love triangles and fairytale romances. Ew. Ew ew ew. Thankfully, the Harry Potter series doesn't have romance until the ending books, and even that is lighthearted; if a reader skipped over those bits, the book would still make sense; it would still be interesting.
6. It's dark, but it's still happy. Not many books can pull that off. Harry Potter's tale is sad. It makes me cry. But it has a happy ending, and it leaves us with the nice feeling that despite tragedy and murder and all that, life can still be happy.
7. It's like a puzzle; everything fits. Everything. The spells are named after the Latin/French word for their effects, the names are based off of old English words, etc. And not just that, but all confusions are cleared up logically at the ends of the books, and you feel like, "Oh, why didn't I see that before?"

So yeah, seven for luck. By the way, the sketch up there? It's from nocturnalsoldier.org/Tealin/harry.html. He's got some fantastic artwork.

5 Creative Anti-Smoking Ads

These anti-smoking ads are both creative and effective. Ugh. Imagine brushing your teeth with cigarettes.