New Blooooog!

Dear reader,

So here's the thing about having a blog; you tend to forget its there. Not that anyone really cares if you write or not, there's too much shit going on in the world for any of us to give a damn about some sixteen year-old keeping up a website for her thoughts (do they?).

But I've forgotten how much I love writing, so I'm back. Not only that, but as of today I've formed a new blog as well! I know, strenuous activity from someone who hasn't been on Blogger for the last year or so.

But yeah, the blog is called A Day in the Life and the basic idea is that I create a character and give them a back-story. For example, the first post is The Widow where I thought about a young woman who recently lost her husband, and what it must be like to go through something like that. So, me being me, I have discovered yet another way to avoid revising for these god-awful prelims next month. Go motivation.

I'd love for you guys to give it a wee look, to see if it's something you're interested in following. Link is here or you should be able to find it under a list of my blogs. And hey, if you have an idea for a character whose story you'd like to see me write, leave a comment! I'd love to hear what you come up with, and I'd be more than happy to brainstorm a few ideas for them.

See ya soon lads,

Keep reading!

Liv.

Face Hats and Gladiators.

Dear reader,

It's Saturday. People everywhere are out partying and generally having a jolly good time. Good for them. The time will come for me to join those people, but for now I am perfectly happy to lounge about on the sofa  watching reruns of Friends before occasionally stuffing my face with garbage.

Which leads me on to today's topic. No, not the garbage stuffing part, the reruns. Today, I shoved some pizzas in the oven, took the ice cream out the freezer and settled on the couch. Sounds like a plan, right? Well yeah, that's kind of our Saturday night family routine. Only problem is, when we finally sit down, we spend 10 minutes flicking through channels in the vain hope that something, anything will show up.

Aston defying gravity by wearing a hat on
the side of his face. 

Saturday night TV used to be great. There was The X Factor, but that's all gone downhill since Simon left and the auditions became in front of an audience. When that wasn't on, there was BGT. That's ok I suppose, but Amanda Holden claps like a seal and, again, Simon left. Got To Dance is about the only talent show I can bear to watch now, but dear oh dear oh dear... there's a new judge. Aston flipping Merrygold. Who doesn't actually know anything about dancing, and can't wear a hat properly. Look, just look at him. It's a disgrace. Can you imagine what his grandmother would say? I-I just... I just can't...

Does anyone remember the show Gladiators? You know, the one where contestants would battle against the gladiators and the white haired guy with the whistle would shout "CONTENDERS... RRRRRRRRRRRRREAAAAADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GLADIATORS... RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAAAAAADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

No? Ah. Look it up, it was a favourite of mine.

So with nothing decent on, what are we left with? Cheesey films starring unheard-of actors who never made another appearance? Thanks, Sky. Remind me never to invite you over.

Well, enjoy your Saturday evening folks. I'm off.

Keep reading!

Liv.

Maths? Pah.

Dear reader,

I would like to begin by apologizing in advance to all maths teachers. This essay is simply a matter of opinion. I do not wish to hurt anyone’s feelings, I just want people to realize that mathematics is a hidden form of torture. 

I mean, come on. I don’t care how many apples John has if he and Steven both had fourteen to begin with and Britney Spears got a boob job. I don’t care. Aside from the essentials, we are never going to have to use this crap in the future. So why must we sit in in a stuffy, humid classroom on a disturbingly warm seat in order to work out the value of x? 

As far as I know, the people who may require algebra in their jobs include electricians, mechanics, plumbers, construction workers and accountants. Fair enough, but not all of us want to become some kind of engineer; some of us are perfectly happy to work as a zoologist or interior decorator, in a world far away from complicated nonsense. Like I said, the basics are all we need.

Addition and subtraction and multiplication and division and percentages and fractions are basics. These are essential. Quadratic equations are not essential. I strongly believe that the only other time in our lives when we will have to open the mind cabinet labelled “surds” is when our own children come home with homework they don’t understand. That, dear reader, is where the cycle repeats.  

Now, I’m a reasonable person. I’m not saying that maths is a complete waste of time. It is a handy skill to be able to add up price tags to work out whether or not you can afford to buy the shoes and the scarf, or if a distressing decision must be made. I don’t hate maths. I find some aspects of it tedious and frustrating, but others are manageable. Despite an earlier paragraph where I rambled on about the uselessness of algebra, I actually find it the most enjoyable sub-topic in the textbook. Typical, eh?   

It’s a shame, some parts of maths are actually quite important. Standard deviation, for example, is a dreary, complex area which could prove to be vital in later life. Unfortunately, I see it as more of an excuse to draw lines all over my jotter page.

The same applies to trigonometry. It is an almost understandable feature of this cruelty, however (unless you become an architect or something) it’s hardly a necessity.

But do you know what I’ve discovered makes any part of maths a thousand times worse? Drawing a graph. Solve this equation, and then graph it. Calculate the value of x, and then draw a trigonometric graph to show this. Amuse me, puny 3^rd year, because I have nothing to do with my spare time other than write textbooks ordering you to draw squiggly lines to prove something I already know. They must really get a kick out of the idea of 100 and something children simultaneously groaning as they turn to the allocated page. Sadistic, don’t you think?

So there you have it. One and forty-seven ninety-fourths of a page explaining why maths is stupid and a waste of time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to use sine and Pythagoras to solve the area of my toast.

Liv.