Testing and Piano

I have loved testing this year. I don't stress about tests, so I don't really think about the actual tests. We don't get HW while we test, so it's basically a responsibility-free week. I can just go home and not think about HW. I think, if I did care a little bit more about the tests, then I might not like testing.

The English tests are a breeze for me, but they are rather boring and drawn-out. I like writing, so I didn't mind the ELA response. I wasn't a fan of the math test though, it made me feel very unsure of my decisions.

I don't feel like making two blogs, so I'm going to talk about my piano progression.

I started learning piano, and it really demoralizes me. I have been going for about a month, and I feel like I get worse and worse every week. This past week I have been stuck on "Jingle Bells" of all songs. I don't think I'd mind it as much  if it wasn't Jingle Bells for god's sake. I could have been on stuck "Aunt Rhody's Song", and I would have been okay. But Jingle Bells? Jingle Bells? I'm stuck on Jingle Bells? Every time I'd think about it I would get more frustrated. So yeah, that's my experience with piano. Getting stuck on children songs and Christmas songs.

Should you play League of Legends?

First off, I have thousands of hours and hundreds of dollars invested into the game, and I think I can speak from a respectable view point.

Pros: I play the game a lot with my friends, and we are still playing it, so it clearly isn't a terrible game. 

The world's biggest Esports organization is Riot (developer of League), and continues to support the game on a consistent and frequent basis. Every season (every year), they also completely change the game to freshen up the gameplay. I have gone to League tournaments twice now, and have had a good time both times.

There is a competitive and fair ranked ladder that goes in this order: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, master, and challenger. There are divisions between the leagues, they are numbers from 1-5(i.e. Gold II or Diamond V).  My rank is platinum III, and that puts me in the top 10% or 20%  of players. Now, for a poem. No matter who you are, you matter what you do, there will always be some kid, better than you. This is especially true for league because there is little to no chance you will ever be the best in your state, country or region, or at any particular character.

There are

Cons: The game requires hundreds of hours just to get the basics down, and a few more hundred hours to get any good at the game.

The only way to unlock new champions is through playing a lot, or paying. While this isn't inherently bad, after my couple thousand games, I am still missing 7 champions. There are also runes in the game, that give moderate bonuses at the beginning of the game, and are a necessity if you want an even playing field.

The games are at least 20 minutes, and average 30. This quite a bit of time for 1 game, and if you lose, it can be really crushing emotionally. When you win though, it makes it that much more satisfying.

The community is one of the most and if not most negative gaming communites there is. If you make a mistake early in the game, prepare yourself for 20 minutes of trash talk, by your own teamates. I have been told to kill myself  and my whole family should get cancer. Although, I think this has made me a bit more resilient as a person.

So, should you play League of Legends? Probably not.

Music

I think music is a very interesting topic, and is a good conversation starter. There are many genres of music, and sub-genres. I listen to pop the most, but I like a lot of genres.The genres I find myself listening to the most are rock, electronic music, pop, and acoustic. Some of my favorite songs are 7 years by Lukas Graham and Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer. Ranging from acoustic to rock, there is almost a song for every mood. Although, I generally prefer slower songs because I feel that ( in general) there is more talent and meaning behind the songs.

What do you guys think about music? Does it help you study? Does it bore you? What genres do you listen to?Do you prefer fast paced or slower songs?  Can you just sit down and listen to music? I normally listen to music while doing something else, but normally not something productive. Normally video games or talking to someone.

How to Make a Blog

Here are the steps to making a blog for Ms Ballabio's class.

Step 1. Think of how you want to do a blog, but have no idea what you want to write about. This is key so you can give yourself an excuse in your mind.

Step 2. Actually think of a thing to do for your blog.

Step 3. Put off the idea for a few days, just because.

Step 4. Once you actually sit down to do your blog, you write a decent amount, but it is still short.

Step 5. You check the word count, and its comes out with 100-145 words.

Step 6. After that, you rephrase a few of your simple sentences to complex sentences.

Step 7. After that, you restate your idea in various parts of the writing till you get 150 words.

Step 8. I can't emphasize restating your idea enough, if you don't reach 150 words you won't get credit.

Step 9. Ah, perfect, 164 words.

Life Pro Tips

1. If you happen to find yourself drunk driving, go as fast as you can. This will reduce the time you have the potential to hurt others.

2. Shoot yourself with smaller bullets and in non-vital places to grow an immunity to bigger bullets.

3. If you are in a heated argument with a woman, try addressing them as royalty. Classic phrases such as "calm down your highness", or "relax, princess" will flatter them and the argument will settle down.

4. Do your plugs keep bending? Try adjusting the plugs with a fork!

5. The term LGBTQ is a real mouthful. Since LGBTQ identifies with a rainbow flag, just call the people who identify as LGBTQ "colored".

6. When starting a company, only hire women. They are 23% cheaper and are just as efficient.

7. If you are caught speeding, stab yourself with any sharp object in the car. Tell the officer you are going to the hospital and he will let you off freely.

8. Is there a hoarder in your life that you want to help? Get them addicted to gambling or drugs! They will sell all their items to feed their addiction.

9. Marry your spouse or groom on a leap day, that way you save money by only getting them a gift every 4 years.

10. If you are in the car while someone else is driving the car (for best results use new or not confident driver), shout "WATCH OUT"! It will keep them on their toes for the rest of the drive.

Presidential Candidates

For the month of March (maybe longer), I will be straying away from fun facts. I have been meaning to talk about the presidential candidates for a while now, and I think it is a good way to start off No List Liam.

Hillary Clinton: This is my 2nd choice for president if Bernie doesn't win the primaries(not like I have a choice in the matter). While it would be interesting to have a female president, I don't think she is the best choice out of the 3 popular candidates. She has mimicked Bernie's opinions if something he says appears to be more favorable than what she has said previously. Her campaign is also funded mostly by companies and/or very rich people, which puts me off for some reason. She also has said she wants to limit or ban certain industry (ie: fracking), and then continue to get money from the industry. All in all, she doesn't seem like a very trustworthy person, or someone who would stick to her opinion. She also has the whole email scandal thing going around.

Bernie Sanders: This is my first choice for president, but I still don't think he is great. While he does promise helpful and great things, a lot of them are very hard to pay for: free healthcare, free education, etc. While not impossible to fund these things, it would require a substantial increase in taxes and taking away money from another department. He also doesn't support NASA and voted against funding them multiple times, which is a pretty big fault in my opinion. Despite these faults, I think he is the most honest and trustworthy candidate because the other have lied or mislead others many more times than him. His beliefs are also closer to mine than Hillary.

Donald Trump: I think a lot of Democrats have extreme views on Donald, and maybe for good reasons. The media is portraying him as the next Hitler, but I don't think he is that bad. While unprofessional, most of his views are pretty reasonable. His views on most issue are quite liberal for being a Republican, and aren't taken to the extreme. I think if he becomes more professional and well-spoken, he could make a pretty good president. We also might be able to get something done in Congress if we have a Republican president. I don't believe his experience in business will help fix America's economy, though.
My original post come off a bit too strong, it seems like it came off with a "Trump would make a good president" vibe instead of the "it wouldn't be that bad if he was elected."

Short and Sweet Fun Facts.

1. Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour.

2. In the UK, it is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day!

3. Pteronophobia is the fear of being tickled by feathers!

4. When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red.

5. A flock of crows is known as a murder.

6. “Facebook Addiction Disorder” is a mental disorder identified by Psychologists.

7. The average woman uses her height in lipstick every 5 years.

8. 29th May is officially “Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day“.

9. Cherophobia is the fear of fun.

10. Human saliva has a boiling point three times that of regular water.

11. If you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the ground it can’t hop.

12. Hyphephilia are people who get aroused by touching fabrics.

13.Billy goats urinate on their own heads to smell more attractive to females.

14.The person who invented the Frisbee was cremated and made into frisbees after he died! (Might have been repeated, too lazy to check)

15. During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools.