Nothing to blog....?

The Queen at the Royal Wedding...she rocks :D

Ok, so here is a shocker...I don't have much to blog about, but I have something...

Day off

Um, we (most of the UK, accept for stingy employers) had a 12 day holiday over Easter for Easter and the Royal Wedding, which was made a bank holiday...but I had to work :(...gradually though, I did see all of the wedding...we set up a little (yes, it was tiny) TV in the staff room to watch, even though I rushed home on my break just so I could see Kate Middleton and "The Dress" (designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, design...oh yea!)...and it was so beautiful, she was gorgeous :). The whole ceremony was beautiful, and now Prince William has 3 extra titles and Kate is now the Duchess of Cambridge...I wish I was in London today...good day had!
And, I have to say...The Queen is great... She looks like a cuddly wee 'granny' who I would just love to hug.... D'awww :)

Kate and Wills

Fear and film....

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" 
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

www.scream-4.com

Ok, so Scream 4 is out this week, yes, I saw it and yes, I enjoyed it much...gory, bloody, murderous, funny, freaky, jumpy and just like Scream is meant to be, along with all the original actors and actresses. Therefore, I thought I would dedicate this blog to fear, after hearing that some people where too afraid to go see the film...that is how they feel, I respect that and I'm not trying to make fun, so no offence intended. 


There are different types of fear, but I'm talking about fear that some people 'enjoy,' like during a film which gives a you 'a rush'... Maybe a bit like me...


So, what is fear? Fear is hormonal and is seen as an emotion - depending on what causes it, some people like the rush and the edge of it (film, thrill ride), and some people don't (film, thrill ride). It is strange to think that something that seems simple is one persons pleasure and another persons pain. My preferred kind of film would be one that makes me jump, tense up, and make my heart race! Thrillers, suspense horrors and blood and gore are good films for me. While my top films would be the likes of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Saw," "Scream," Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Halloween" other people would be afraid to watch films like this and would prefer "My Best Friends Wedding," "The Notebook" or "Mean Girls", which I would find pretty boring. (I do like other films like "X-Men" and most Marvel films, along with "Burlesque" and Disney :P). However, apparently, humans seem to be generally drawn to the "Fight or flight response" which come from the "rush" we feel when faced with fear. Those who do not like horror films may be drawn to extreme thrill rides in theme parks or extreme sports and past times where they are face to face with an epic chance of physical damage or death...we are all drawn to the adrenaline rush!


For me though, it is the films, even though I know it is just a film, but those that are based on real events (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Strangers) and with the idea that others could just happen (vivid imagination), makes my heart beat that bit faster. I have had my mum come looking for 'A good film to watch,' with the response being "Kylie, you couldn't watch and enjoy any of these films!" I don't however, think you would get me on an extreme thrill ride...or many thrill rides. Theme parks are just not my place, and my idea of extreme sports was my ski holiday last year to Andorra!


So "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!" In a film (use Scream.. just because :P) 'fear' would be the killer...so, fear, fear...therefore when he is in your house, don't run up the bloody stairs...wtf are you gonna do when you get up there...? Hide under the bed? Obviously die, but, if you run out the door, you might just get help. And, if Mr. Killer is in the car park and he just scared you into your car and 'disappeared,' don't get out to see where he is....are you that stupid? Anyway, just a film I know, but it was good, as, in my opinion, are the others :D

Birthdays...and Lolcats...

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a while, and to be truthful, it's because I couldn't have been arsed...I had a week off work, and I spent it relaxing and doing other stuff...


The week off was taken because I was turning another year older...yes, I am now 23 and I needed a week to get over that fact :P. Really though, there was other stuff happening, so it made sense to make a week of the holidays. Thursday was my birthday, and on the Wednesday night before, I gots me some pressies and shopping vouchers. I had big plans for Next on the Friday, but we will come to that later. I also got a 'birthday cake' :) (I don't care that it wasn't really a birthday cake, but I picked it and it was nummy - It's my party and I'll cry if I want too!)

Thursday, I done very little and on the Friday, mum and I went on a girly shopping spree. First was Peacocks then it was up to Next... I had gotten Peacocks and Next vouchers, so I wanted to use them. Into Next, picked some nice clothes, done some trying on, some switching sizes, switching colours, switching styles and finally, a nice outfit...time to pay. Up to the checkout, beeped through the clothes, girl tells me price and I hand over my vouchers...girl replies "Oh, sorry, we can't take vouchers today. We had a power cut and our tills are not accepting them at the minute..." So...............
Kylie had to pay one item by cash, one by my card and another with mums card!!! Good job we where able to do so, or I would have been going out the next night naked! We decided then to go to Primark and go home. Saturday night was a charity gig at O'Brien's steakhouse for Alzheimers, where we partied, sucked helium and sang songs, and had a great night, and Sunday was hangover day, and an anniversary dinner for my uncle... :)

In between all of these goings on, I had myself a laugh some nights on my computer at Lolcats...I do not care what anyone says, some of those pictures are friggin' hilarious and can give you a good laugh when you are in need of it! Then I had an idea (not really on genius level)...make some Lolcat pics of Chewi! I am proud :D

I am NOT sad :D

Goldfishies...

Being a Marine Scientist, I thought it would be appropriate to have at least one blog relevant to this...just because, and you never know, more may follow. Also, having two little (they're actually quite big) goldfishies, I will blog about them (what is a marine scientist without fish, and I love 'em).

Kelvin (with black caudial and pelvic fins) and Rossby (top) when they where little

So, one night we where at the fair and I saw little fishies. It's cruel, but I won't go into why they shouldn't have been there and why it is unethical, but courtesy of my boyfriend, I got 2. If I could have, I would have taken all the wee critters, but due to lack of space and how messy I knew they where, the others had to stay :(. But, anyway, I named them Kelvin and Rossby (see pic) after the names of two types of wave, and, after a night in a basin set in the bottom of the shower so the cat wouldn't eat them, I went and got them a little tank. Then, I didn't know a huge amount about goldfish keeping, but I did know that fish bowls are unethical and are not allowed in many countries as putting fish in them is classed as animal abuse... I now however, do know why the ones we had when we where young didn't seem very... happy...


Turns out, each goldie needs up to 10 gallons of water each, and a large surface area for sufficient oxygen diffusion into the water, with which a filter will help by agitating the surface. It will also keep the water clean for longer, reducing the amount of cleaning needed. So, as my two fishies grew (very fast), I had to go out and buy a bigger tank...

Kelvin and Rossby in their new tank. Filter eventually had to be...improved.

So, bigger tank = happy fishies and happy Kylie, until the water went all cloudy and I couldn't see the fish, so I assumed the tank needed cleaned, as this is what we done when we where younger. Mistake, and the reason we had 'unhappy' goldies before! The cloudiness was the tank cycle...yes, a fish tank cycles (ammonia/nitrate/nitrite cycle) to establish 'good bacteria' (biological, nitrate) in the gravel and filter sponge to turn the 'bad bacteria' (nitrite) and fish waste (ammonia, food - they are also messy buggers) into more 'good bacteria....' making it fishie safe...kind of like your Yakult drinks and the good bacteria in your tummy :D.


After changing the filter to a stronger, better one, I changed 10% of the water daily/every other day until eventually, the tank cycled and now it stays crystal clear most of the time. Some water is changed weekly and the filter sponge is replaced monthly, and my fish are still happy. Rossby however has swim bladder disease, where the air in his swim bladder (if you don't know what it is, look it up) gets stuck and he floats at the surface, wiggles, splashes and panics (its quite scary). He isn't too bad now he's bigger but both fish still get peas (frozen and defrosed) frequently (it helps), and they love it. Kelvin also lost all his black bits as he grew...

Kelvin (right) and Rossby (left). Camera glare makes it look crappy, and the tank looks smaller than it is.

 So, now I have a cycled tank and healthy fish, I could sit and watch them all day. Its so calming and there is so much stuff that can be added to the tanks to make it look pretty, and give the fish places to hide and stuff to investigate, which is what goldfish like...
This took forever, and they nearly died a few times, but for now, its 'Go Me!'

From above, a while back

PS. Fish are smarter than they look, and NO, they don't have a 3 sec memory span! Its more like 3 months, and my two know every night when it is feeding time!




Sources:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php
'Educated' marine scientist