A Play The Keys Christmas

Guys, it's December first.  Christmas is coming soon, and I'm TOTALLY ready for Christmas music!  So, with that being said....

Today I created a small album with FREE Christmas music on it!  Enjoy some peaceful tunes played only on piano, for the low, low price, of $0!  :)

Alright, enough talking.  Go listen and/or download at www.playthekeys.bandcamp.com or at any of the "Music" links all around www.playthekeys.com!

Thanks for viewing and #ChristmasIsComing!

My Windows 10 Wallpaper

I know what you're thinking....Another wallpaper?

Yes, yes, I know.  I have a bit of an addiction.  :D

Anyways, I added 3 new wallpapers to Google Drive, my personal favorite being this one:

Which I based off of the default Windows 10 wallpaper.  Check out the link in the Play The Keys Menu to see my shared Google Drive!

Today (11-12-15)

So.

Yesterday was Veterans Day, and I wanted to say thank you any veterans who might be viewing this post!  Because really - thank you so much for all you do.  It makes a big impact on our country and even world - without you veterans, our safety wouldn't really be a thing.

Other stuff going on today: nothing.  Well, we have school at least!  Hooray.....I just have to remember that the weekend is coming - because it is.

What are you guys up to?  Email, comment, text me, I don't care, just contact me and tell me what's up!  :D

Aaaaand - We're Done

Hey.  So, as you can probably tell, the update is complete!

I used Google's web engine called Material Design Lite to code the Welcome/Home page - the only one that actually needed coding.  The rest is just links off of the main page.

As for mobile functionality, (if you're on your phone right now you'll know) it still needs a little bit of work.  Things are too big and kinda squished on the smaller screens.  If you're seeing this post, but not seeing the update, refresh your page and that will fix the problem!

Also - the Bible Gateway Verse of the Day is back!

Thanks for dealing with my insanely geeky self!  :D

Get Ready

Hey, all!

I'm tweaking the template to this blog for the new engine update!  This will format the blog page so that it will work on both mobile and computer and still look good.

Thanks for viewing this quick Play The Keys post!

A Real Web Engine?

Hey, all!  So, yesterday I started re-coding this website (again) but this time using a real engine!  This will allow my site to look and work much nicer.  And the best part?  When used on a mobile device, this site won't look completely terrible anymore!  :D

I also worked a little bit of my magic and made a new nicer logo.  Here's a screenshot of the main screen when you first press the search key!

I'm not finished, but I think that when I am, It'll look really nice all together.

Thanks for dealing with my crazy geek self!  :P


P.S. I quickly made a poll to see if there are any ways that you think I can improve selling and advertising my music albums.  Reading it after I published it, it sounds as if I'm a little bit angry or something - but I'm not the slightest bit!  There are many friends and family who support me with my music, it's just that I'd like to see if I can get more!  :)  You can access the poll here.  Please take a quick moment and fill it out for me!  Thanks!

Today (11-9-15)

Today is Monday.  My least favorite day of the week.  Of the month.  Of the year.  Yup!

So anyway, we're starting a thing where we're gonna post on our blogs everyday - cool!  I'm supposed to tell you guys what's up right now, so I will!

Currently, I'm sitting at my desk doing this.  (Duh) and right after I'm finished I'll get started on my VLACS.  Today I think I have math and language arts.  Then I'll get going on my Spanish, (Duolingo).  I have a few other subjects today, but VLACS will take up most of my time!  :P

I also wanted to mention that I'm bringing back the Bible Gateway Verse of the Day!  In my next site update, it'll be back on the main page where it belongs.  When I first coded this site in HTML, it kinda disappeared.  I'm gonna work to get it back, but it'll be awhile before I completely overhaul the site again.  (This time using a real engine!)

Anyway, hope you all have a great day, and I'll be back tomorrow!

Play The Keys 2015 is HERE!

Hey, all!

As the title says, I am happy to announce that Play The Keys 2015 is officially released, and available to listen to and download for FREE!  Click the music link and then the "Bandcamp" link to head over to my page and check it out!

To continue using Bandcamp for free, I'm able to distribute 200 free downloads a month, so if I somehow run out in the middle of the month, it might be down for a day or two, but I'll be able to grab a few more!  Thanks so much!

-Elijah

I'm Vlogging!!!

Yup.  Title says it all.  Go check the YouTube channel.  Now.  I mean it.  :D

Minor Tweaks

Hey, all!

So, I just added a few tweaks to the site including a new, simple, music page, and a link to Tech Geekin!

Just wanted to post a quick - well, really quick update!   :)

ANDROID MARSHMALLOW!

Hey, all!  Android Marshmallow is out!  Super excited that it's finally here, and brings a few tweaks and improvements to the already awesome Android Lollipop.

I'm thinking that I'll do an "Android Marshmallow on the Nexus 7 2013" type video on Tech Geekin, but not quite yet.  Some of the features aren't working quite right on my tablet yet, so I can't really show it off.

Anyway, expect a review sometime in the future! :D

New Tech Geekin' Video

Hey, all!

So, I just published a new TG video on my GameBoy Advance SP.  Go check it out at: https://youtu.be/oS292qJB68g.

Just so you all know - I soon will be putting a Tech Geekin' link up in the top-left navbar of this site for quick access!

Thanks for viewing this quick post!

WriteAtHome Papers

Hey, all!  Sorry for not really being on lately!  I've been pretty busy with school and church.

So, I quickly wanted to let you guys know that in my public Google Drive, (the triangle-like icon in the top left of this page) I will be putting a folder for my WriteAtHome submittions.  If you don't know what WriteAtHome is, check it out here.

Just wanted to give a quick update!  Thanks for viewing!

P.S. Stay tuned for another Tech Geekin' gaming video being published today!

Lunar Eclipse Pics

Hey, all!  My family and I stayed up last night until 10:20 to watch some of the lunar eclipse!  Did you get to see it?

Anyway, here are some pictures that we managed to get of it.

Lens flare...yesh....

This one came out pretty nice.

Best one if you zoom in a little...

Zoom in on this one, too.

Another good one.

Thanks for viewing these pics on Play The Keys!  :D

Pictures

Hey, all!

Sorry I haven't been blogging a ton lately!  I've been busy making videos for Tech Geekin' for the past week now, and I've been loving it!  Right now, I just took some pictures for fun and wanted to show you them.

Just a nice photo of one of our awesome garden beds that
my mom made!  :)

Another shot of the same thing.

Our side yard.

Cool wallpaper-ish picture.

Okay, this last one is intended to be a wallpaper!  :D

All of these pictures are taken with my mom's Nikon D3200 - an awesome camera that I also use for my Tech Geekin' videos!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Tech Geekin'

Hey, all!

So I've been keeping it a secret for a few days now, but I'm finally going to tell you guys.

I have a new website and YouTube channel called Tech Geekin'!  Tech Geekin' will be for my tech stuff only, where as Play The Keys will be for my personal and music stuff!  Play The Keys will remain as it always has been, so don't worry about that!

My new site as at http://techgeekinblog.wordpress.com and my channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCehRy9ah5Oi64SPXMThqkow, but you can access that through the TG site as well.  ('Cause that's a long link!)

Anyway guys, my first video will be made either today or tomorrow, so make sure to head on over to Tech Geekin' and check it out!

Thanks for viewing!

Swing It

Hey guys!

So, today while I was making some songs for Play The Keys 2015, (coming later this year by the way) I came up with a really awesome riff that I just had to make into a full song.  All of the songs in Play The Keys 2015 will be piano and only piano, but I made this riff into a song with many instruments - which is what I did to make all of Feel The Beat.  Anyway, check out this link and go have a listen!  It's free!  :)

https://soundcloud.com/playthekeysmusic/swing-it

GBA SP

Hey, all!  So, a while ago I purchased a Game Boy Advance SP online.  The reason?  Well, around when I was 6 or 7, I received one of these Game Boys for my birthday.  This single device started my love for technology.  I had the Game Boy for maybe a year or two, but then we gave it away to a friend when I got an iPod Touch.

Now, because I still think Game Boys are awesome, (I already currently own 3 - The Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy Advance SP which I just got) that's why I ordered the SP.  The Game Boy Advance SP (or GBA SP) made many changes from the original Game Boy Advance (or GBA).  And after all, it's one of the only Game Boys with a backlit screen!  So of course I ordered one of these bad boys!  I would be able to use a Game Boy similar to the one I owned years ago, and I would also be able to play all of my Game Boy games with a backlight!

So, yesterday this thing came in the mail.  I was super excited, and tried to power it on to only find that it was dead.  No problem though of course, as I had purchased a GBA SP with a charger.  The one problem was...it was the wrong charger.....

Since yesterday, I've been doing a little research about how I can charge a GBA SP without a charger.  There were no solutions on how to do this easily (well, without hacking open the back of the Game Boy and shoving a DS battery in there anyway).  So I came up with my own solution!

I found out that the removable GBA SP battery was 3.7 volts.  I also found out that a micro USB cable (the ones that charge Android phones) can charge any battery from 3.6 volts to around 4.7 volts.  This meant that the micro USB cable can charge the GBA SP battery, but won't fit.  What did I do to solve this?

Well, I cut open an end of the micro USB charger, found the positive and negative wires, plugged them into the ports on the GBA SP battery, and off it went!  The Game Boy Advance SP battery charged!  I'm actually still charging it more (after I quickly tested it - it worked) with this method so that the battery will be completely full for my camping trip (I'm leaving tomorrow).  Until my new GBA SP charger comes, this is how I'll charge my system!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Disclaimer: If you try this on your GBA SP and either break your battery, break your GBA SP, or get injured, I take NO responsibility for it.  Thanks!

Happy Anniversary Babci and Pepe!

I wanted to quickly say Happy Anniversary to my grandparents!  They have been married for 42 years - and that's really amazing!

For Babci and Pepe:  I love you guys and hope to see you soon!  :)

Thanks for viewing!

First Feel The Beat Purchases

Hey, all!  I wanted to give quick shout-outs to the first few people to have bought Feel The Beat in the past couple of days.  Those people are: (in order of who bought them first)

1. I actually gave the first copy away and that was to my grandparents!  So congrats to them!  They got the very first copy of the CD!

2.  First copy that was bought online was Mrs. Kim O!  Thanks so much Mrs. Kim!

3. Next is Dan T!  My parents have known this family for a long time, and I'm super excited that Dan bought this!  Thank you Mr. Dan!

4. The next person to buy the album was - Mike T!  Yes, the same 'T' as Dan T.  Two out of the four brothers in this family have purchased my album!  (so far)  Thanks so much guys!

5. The last person on this list who has bought my album is Sharon Y.  I'm going to give her a hard copy though, because their one computer died recently, and their iPad doesn't have quite enough space to fit the album on.  (Don't you just hate when that happens?)  So thank you Mrs. Sharon!

Thanks all of you who have purchased my album so far!  You guys have all encouraged me to keep making music with this simple act of paying $2 to support me!  (And most of you have donated much over $2 - even into the $10 range!  Wow!)  I just wanted to post this here to say thank you!  :)

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Feel The Beat Announcement Video

Soundcloud

Hey, all!  So I just upload my first few, "singles" on to Soundcloud!  Every song that I upload to Soundcloud will be completely free to listen to, and that includes these first three!  Click the cloud-like icon in the top left media buttons to get to my Soundcloud page.  From there, you can listen, like, and comment on my music!  I hope to be updating this page every now and then - my goal is once a week.

Anyway, stay tuned to my Soundcloud page!

All Done!

Hey, all!  Just wanted to notify you that - the site update is done!  What do you think?  Let me know by commenting or emailing me with the button in the top left.

If you need any help with anything or find any bugs or glitches, be sure to let me know!  Thanks guys!

New UI

Hey, all!  So if you see any weird or wacky stuff going on around here don't worry!  I'm tweaking this website's UI today, and making it much simpler while also brushing up on my coding skills.  :)

I'll tell you once I've finished (you'll notice anyway) which may not even be today.  Just wanted to let you all know!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

P.S. If you haven't checked out Feel The Beat yet, then head over to www.playthekeys.bandcamp.com and please do!  Thanks!

Feel The Beat

Hey, guys!  My newest album Feel The Beat is out, and it's my best album yet!  It's $2 for anyone to download online!  Head over the the Media section, and click the first icon to head over to my Bandcamp page.  From here you can listen to and buy Feel The Beat!  Enjoy!

Quick Update

Hey all!  I just applied a quick update to the site!  I mainly just made the Media section a little less confusing by giving all of the icons labels.  Now you know what they do!  :P

I also added Soundcloud, which is a really cool service that lets me publish singles that I can show to you guys!  Stay tuned for those!

Also, I wanted to announce that my new album, "Feel The Beat" is going to be published on Bandcamp either today or tomorrow!  It'll be $2 for a digital download of the album!  You can also listen to a preview of each song on the site as well.  Make sure to spread the word about Feel The Beat!  I'll post here when I've published the album.  Stay tuned!

Thanks for viewing!  :)

Even MORE Wallpapers

Okay, I'm obsessed.  I'm going to make a whole folder in my public Google Drive with all of my homemade wallpapers!  Anyway, here are the newest additions to the collection:

My favorite wallpaper that I've ever created.
Why?  Cause it's totally me.  :D

Yup, this is very true.

....need I say more?

Head over to my Google Drive folder (from the Media section) and you can download the full-res versions!  (And you can see all of the older wallpapers, along with a few that I haven't even posted.)

Bye, and God Bless you all!  :)

Get Hype.

Get ready for a summer Play The Keys CD!  This one is full-band and will be called, "Just Me! 2015" as all of the songs on this CD are composed by me!  So as the title implies:  Get Hype!

This CD will be on Bandcamp soon and will be FREE to download for anyone!

*Update 8/18/15 the name of this album is Feel The Beat and it's $2 to own.

Wilderness Camp 2015

So.  Remember when I told you that I would do this post "tomorrow?"  ...Well, it's been almost two weeks.  Oops.

Anyway, I'm here and I'm posting about it now so - hooray!  I'm just going to kind of list a bunch of the fun parts of camp and give some detail about them.

• Wiffle Ball - I thought I would hate it, but it was actually a lot of fun!  We had teams of course, and a miracle happened there....I literally hit the ball!  With a bat, I hit a ball!  (By the way....that's like the first time that's happened in years!  :D)
• Ultimate Frisbee - This one was cool!  I got to play ultimate frisbee....and, well that's pretty much it I think!  :)
• Everybody's It/Revenge - So we also had one of the biggest and most epic games of Everybody's It or Revenge as they called it.  We had a ginormous group, so when a big threat finally was tagged, only a few people would get up!
• Ropes Course - This was really fun.  And I mean really fun.  I got to do all four parts, and I beat them all!
• Capture The Flag - this was really epic.  It was a little unfair because of the fact the the leader counted wrong, and one team was much larger than the other, (and they got the uphill advantage - literally).  It wasn't a big deal though, as we still had a fun time!  
• Kickball - ....I stink at kickball.....found that out that day.....  Ha!
• Photography Class - this class was about - you guessed it, photography!  We went out all over camp and took some really neat photos!  Afterwards, we printed them, backed them, and then glued them into a photo book!  Unfortunately, they didn't give us digital copies of the photos, so I cannot post them on here.
• Sports Class - this is where I got to play Wiffle Ball, Revenge, Capture The Flag, and Ultimate Frisbee!  Easily my favorite part of camp.
• Archery Class - This was fun, but not even close to as fun as Sports or Photography.  I had a hard time finding a bow that was my size, and my strength.  Because most of the campers were below 10 years old, they only had tiny bows and arrows!

Overall, Wilderness Camp was excellent!  Next year when I come back, I'm gonna be a counselor, so beware!  :D

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Play The Keys Wallpaper 2

Hey, guys!  So, if you've been wondering why I haven't been blogging lately...well, I've been at Wilderness Camp this week!  (I'll tell you all about that tomorrow!)  I just made a new wallpaper and I wanted to share it with you!

I really like this wallpaper.  Now, I didn't just type, "Play The Keys" into some program and - presto I got this....no, made this with a program called Gimp, which is extremely popular and also free.  (It's also hard to learn at first.)  I also made my first wallpaper with Gimp as well.

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys, and stay tuned for my Wilderness Camp 2015 post tomorrow!

Official Wallpaper

Hey guys!  So, as the title implies, I have created an "official" Play The Keys wallpaper!

This is my first Play The Keys wallpaper of many to come....(I'm sure of it.)

Anyway, thanks for viewing this quick post!  :)

Happy 5th of July

Hey, all!  I'm a day late to telling you all, soooo....Happy 5th of July!  (No, that wasn't a typo.)

In a nutshell, the 4th of July was really fun this year for us!  We went to the parade in the morning, (as we always do) and then had friends over for lunch.  We were going to go to the lake, but we got rained out.  Instead, we stayed at our house and - "farted around"....

After that, we went to the fireworks and - man!  They were on a budget this year!  :)  That didn't stop them from being beautiful and great, but still - that was our running joke for the night.  Make sure to check my Instagram for pics of yesterday!

Thanks for viewing, guys!

New Wallpaper

Hey, guys!  Today I got inspiration from a friend of mine, and decided to make a wallpaper based off of it!  Here it is!

Nice, clean and simple!  Enjoy!

Small Update

Hey, guys!

So, if you didn't already notice, I tweaked and added a few things to the website today!  I changed a few minor things that are under the hood and that you won't really notice, but I also added one new item.

Now, when you go to the Media section, you'll find an Instagram icon along with the 4 others.  Click that, and you'll be directed to my Instagram profile - which just so you know, I update just about everyday!  Now, to view my profile, you don't need an Instagram account, but if you want to comment or like something, then you'll need to have one.

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

More MEMES!

...the title says it all....

I've got more meme wallpapers for you guys that I made!  Without further ado, here they are!  Click and enjoy!!!  (If you'd like to download one, right click the picture and then click, "Save As."  From there, save the file to where ever you'd like!)

Hope you guys enjoy those!  Also worth mentioning that I did not create these sayings - I just modified them into wallpapers!  Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend

Hey, all!  So, I bet you guys wanna know what happened this weekend, huh?  Well, I'll tell ya.  Start to finish!

So, I'll start with Saturday morning.  As expected, we ran the 5k race.  It wasn't our best race, but I think it was our warmest.  We checked the thermometer and it said 90 degrees!  Plus the sun, of course.  My time came out to be 27:46.  Not too shabby for the weather!  I placed 4th in my age division.

On to Saturday afternoon!  So, after the 5k, we rushed home, took showers, and got ready for the piano recital.  As we were about to leave, we saw somebody on our front porch.  We rushed to the door.  As we peeked out (cautiously) we saw that it was my Babci and Pepe!  What a surprise!  So, we said, "hi" and continued getting prepared for the recital.  Once we were finished, it was time to head out!  Overall, the recital went great!  After all of the performances, there was food - and boy, after this day, I needed it!  :D

So, Sunday morning came, and right as the sun came up - I got ready for my first time playing with the MCC band!  I was super excited, and a little nervous, too!  When we got there, the band leader showed me around and introduced me to a few of the members.  We rehearsed, and everything went well!  After that, we waited until the church service started.  On cue, we came out onto the stage and played!  I had a blast doing it!  Also, if you ever want to see me play, I'm doing this same thing again next Sunday.  Come see me at the MCC Downtown campus for any of the services!

Okay, last section here.  Sunday night was just about the same as Saturday night.  I was nervous, played and the recital, and did pretty well!  (I think!)

Well, thanks guys for viewing!  (And sorry that those Vine and Instagram buttons are taking longer than expected - I haven't forgotten!  :D)

A Lot Has Happened

Hey, all!  Well, a lot has happened in these few days!

We went to the beach, and got saltwater taffy, and it was my dad's birthday, and I got tablet and - *inhale* - I bought a smartwatch, and I'm excited, and I moved my room around, and....annnnd....I have a piano recital, and a 5k on Saturday and my first Sunday playing keys at church........

...did you get all of that? Well...lets start at the beginning. So really, we did go the beach yesterday. It was hot, and it was a ton of fun. Plus, it was my dad's birthday, so we got saltwater taffy! Yum yum!

So, as for the tablet and smartwatch, I bought those both with only $100!!! The tablet I bought from my bro, (as he didn't really want it) and the smartwatch....well, I guess I'm a deal finder, 'cause I found a great one day sale on one! I bought the LG G Watch. It's coming in the mail soon! I'll keep you guys posted on that.

As for the piano side of things, my piano recital is indeed on Saturday, and I am playing on Sunday morning at my church. You can come see me if you'd like! I'm playing at the "downtown" campus of MCC, or Manchester Christian Church. I'm nervous for both, so pray for me! :)

And last but not least, the 5k is also happening on Saturday. Not really a big deal, in my opinion anyway, but I'll tell you guys our times once we've finished!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Aquard

Hey, all!

So really quickly, I wanted to show you a site that I found!  It's a really great soothing webpage called Aquard.  Kind of an awkward name, eh?  (Pun totally intended......I've always wanted to say that!)

Anyway, the site is at www.aquard.io.  Enjoy this awesome site!

Wallpaper

Hey, guys!  So, I just wanted to quickly show you guys a wallpaper that I made!

Before I do, I'll tell you the story.  Long-story-short, I was on Instagram and one of my friends posted an image that said:  "Some people just need a high five.  In the face.  With a chair."  I instantly laughed out loud and thought, man, I gotta make something with this!  So, I did.  Presenting....

As you can see, I added two more things to the list:
"Made of steel" and "Twice."

Pretty funny right?  But, that's a screenshot of my desktop, currently.  If you want the wallpaper for yourself, download the picture below:

You should be able to click this image, then right click,
and then "Save Image As."

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this hilarious picture!  Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Actually.......one more thing......THIS WAS MY 250th BLOG POST!  All thanks to YOU guys!  Thank you viewers for helping me get this far with this site!  I'm really thankful for you guys!  All the time I check and see, that I have quite a few viewers who view this blog almost every day!  That's really something incredible.  Don't believe me?  Well, over the course of these 250 posts, I've had 6194 page views!  That's a big number!  So anyway, thank you so much for viewing Play The Keys, and thank you also for encouraging me to run this thing, just by your page views!!!

Woah.

Wow!  I think this may be the longest time that I haven't posted something.  And well, there hasn't really been a ton going on lately, with the exceptions of a few things...

1. School is almost done!  I'm going to be done school whenever I finish my VLACS courses - which are all close to done.  I'm excited!

2. MCC Audition update!  So, I just attended my first "monthly meeting" where all of the worship team meets together.  It was last night, and I had a ton of fun!  I don't yet have a date when I will be serving, but I'll tell you guys when I do!

3. Canobie Lake Park.....  I went to Canobie yesterday!  Whooo!  It was a bucket load of fun, and pictures are on the way!

Well, that's really all!  Right now, I have to get to my school, though.  So, thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

P.S. Instagram and Vine links will be making their appearance in the Media section soon!

Super Smash Gadget Video

Hey, all!  So, you may recall the post where I told you about a bunch of stuff that we smashed.  I also told you that I'd make a video showing you guys all about it.  Sooo....what exactly am I telling you right now?  Well...

The video is complete!  Making this video actually only took me about a half-hour.  The reason why I couldn't do it sooner was because of my computer.  I switched from Windows 10 Technical Preview to Ubuntu 15.04 because it was getting waaaay to glitchy to do just about anything on it.  After I switched, I was in no man's land!  I couldn't find any software to edit videos with.  After a long time, I found a program called Openshot.  I just finished the video using this program.  It's a little more work to use, but I think that the videos just come out better.  What do you guys think?

Anyway, make sure to check out the video!  Just hop over to the "Media" section on this site, and click the Youtube logo.  Then you can see my Youtube channel!  The video is named:  Super Smash Gadget.

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Palindrome Week

Hey, all!  Are you feeling balanced?  Well, you should!  From today to May 19th, every single date backwards will be the same as it is forwards!  Cool, right?  Try it out!

5 12 15

51 21 5

This is pretty awesome.  The coolest part?  This won't happen again until sometime in June of 2016!

Anyway guys, live this palindrome week to the fullest!  Thanks for viewing!

P.S.  I have Instagram.  I'll soon be adding a link to my account on this site!  Stay tuned!

Animal Safety

Hey, all!  So, today I'm doing a school project on animal safety.  (As the title implies.)  Without further ado, here is what I gotta say!

Wild animals can be very dangerous things if you don't know what to do when you encounter them.  They can effect anybody from babies to teens to adults.  These animals can range anywhere from black bears, to fisher cats, and essentially any harmful animal.  If you live in a town like ours, (a forest town that's literally crawling with wildlife) you'll know this for yourself - the animals who live there can harm you.  Not all of them do, but most of them can.  Now, the question is, how do you deal with these animals?  Do you fail your arms and run, stand in one place, or charge at them?  Here are a few tips from www.safetyrisk.net:

• First, as a precaution, no one should ever hike alone: The buddy system will deter most wild animals from attack, but if attacked, a buddy can run for help.
• Carry a walking stick, and make a lot of noise as you walk. Giving the animals fair warning that you are on your way will keep them from attacking out of surprise, and a walking stick can become a weapon or deterrent.
• Never run from any animal. Wild animals may instinctually attack, and domestic animals may chase and attack in play. Instead, back away slowly.
• Never scream or yell around a wild animal. Loud noises can induce an attack. Remain as quiet as possible if you encounter an agitated wild animal.
• Do not approach wild animals, and if you happen upon them on accident, give them room to escape immediately.
• If you encounter a wild animal and it seems agitated or ready to attack, make yourself appear bigger. Stretch your arms and legs out wide, and if you have a walking stick, extend it in the air. Anything you can do to appear larger will make the animal retreat.

As you can see, there are many ways that you can protect yourself from these creatures.  The main idea of this is - don't panic.

As part of my school project, I need people to share this.  Please either share this post with the buttons below, or post this link: http://www.safetyrisk.net/wild-animal-safety/ onto some kind of social media or blog.  It'll only take a second!  Thank you so much!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Super Smash Gadget

Hey, all!  So, I wanted to just give you all a "heads up" about the Youtube video that I'm going to post...

Anyway, it all started earlier today.  We were going to a good friend's house to work on a project that we had for our Co-Op science class.  We finished the project quickly, and then ran outside.  What were we going to do?  Well, another good friend that we drove there brought his old iPhone 3Gs.  He was hoping to trade it for the iPhone 4 that the host owned.  Why would that even be good?  Trading an old iPhone 3Gs for a nice shiny iPhone 4?!?

Well, our plan was to smash the iPhone 3Gs to pieces because it was so old - and it didn't work.  Luckily, our dream came true!  After demolishing the iPhone, we wanted more.  Here is a list of the things we broke and what we did to them.

iPhone 3Gs - shot it with a beebee gun, threw it a few times, and ran it over with a car

Nintendo DSi - threw it super far into a puddle, and sliced it with an ax

Super Old Motorola Smartphone - shot it with a beebee gun, threw it a few times, and hit it with a shovel

Soooo, yea.  We destroyed all of those.  What's awesome about it?  Well, we caught it all on tape!!!  I'm going to compile all of the picture and videos and make them into one big Youtube video for you guys to watch!  It'll be finished at least be the end of this week, but probably will be done today or tomorrow.  I'll let you guys know once I'm finished!  BEWARE!

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!  See ya later.

All Done

Alright, guys!  That's it!  The whole site is completely coded in HTML, and it's finished!  Enjoy!!!

Makeover

So!  Have you noticed anything different yet?  The Play The Keys makeover is just about finished!  The "Welcome" and "Media" pages are both complete, but the "Blog" page that you are currently viewing right now needs a little work.

Well, thanks guys for putting up with all of this "construction," and thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

Weird

You may start seeing some weird stuff happening on this site!  As I'm coding the new makeover, this current one may start looking a little bit weird.  Sorry about that, and thanks for viewing!

Play The Keys In HTML

Hey, all!  As some of you may know, for a long time now, (ever since this place has been a website) I've used iWeb for this site.  If you don't know what iWeb is, it's a graphical way to make websites.  You know, a drag and drop kind of thing?  It's really simple, and that's what has let me change my website so much.  However....iWeb has officially gone out of date, and any day now, (when the next Mac update comes) our Macbook will stop supporting iWeb altogether!  Now, iWeb only on Macs.  This means that I can't just get iWeb on my computer, and keep it working.  Soooo.  The fix?  Well, I can use full HTML coding!  Here is a snippet of what a future version of my website might look like in HTML (get ready):

</style>
<body>

<a href="Welcome"><img class="title" src="images/Play%20The%20Keys-logo.png"></a>

<ul>
<li><a href="Welcome">Welcome</a></li>
<li><a href="Media">Media</a></li>
<li><a href="Blog">Blog</a></li>
</ul>

<a href="mailto:elijah@playthekeys.com?Subject=Hullo" style="float: right;"><img class="mail" style="margin: 70px 0px 0px -110px;" alt="Email Me!" src="images/mail icon.png"></a>

<div style="padding-bottom: 150px">
<img class="bar" align="middle" src="images/Bar.png">
</div>

<div>
<img class="card" src="images/card.jpg">
</div>

<div>
<img class="image3" src="images/piano.jpg">
</div>

<img class="graybox" src="images/lightgreybox.png">

<p class="welcome">Hello, all!  Welcome to the new and improved Fazbea - *cough* sorry - Play The Keys!  I coded all of this in full HTML, without the help of iWeb!  If you find any bugs or anything, make sure to let me know!  Thanks!</p>



Aaaaand we're back.  Okay, that was a little much, huh?  I made all of that.  Myself.  Pretty insane! (If I do say so myself...)  Anyway, here's actually what the website will look like when you see it:

Nice, huh?  All new with Google's Material Design!

Hope you guys like the new design!  If you have any recommendations, let me know!

P.S. I DO NOT OWN GOOGLE OR MATERIAL DESIGN....Just wanted to get that out there.  ALL CREDIT FOR MATERIAL DESIGN FULLY GOES TO GOOGLE....Also wanted to get that out there.  :P

Hullo

Hey, everyone!  So, I think I'm a bit overdue on a blog post.  You guys might be wondering, "What's going on in Elijah's life right now?"  Okay, probably not, (Haha.) but anyway, life has been pretty normal lately.

Easter was great!  I got to to go church in the morning (and hear the most AMAZING worship ever) and then hang out at my Babci and Pepe's house!  Of course, my aunt, uncle, and cousin got to come too, and we had a blast!  Babci's food was great, and I even got to eat PIEROGIES!!!!!

Other than that, like I said above, life's been pretty normal!  Which, of course, is good.  :D

Some things that are coming up that we're going to be doing are: Muckfest and the MCC Auditions!  Now, what are these all about?  Well, I'll tell ya.

Muckfest is a 5k race where we have to complete many difficult obstacles.  Oh, did I mention that it's mucky?  As the name implies, Muckfest is sure to be the muckiest race I've ever done!  I'll tell you more about it after the race.  (This is on the 26th of April.)

The MCC Auditions are also on the 26th, but just a little bit later in the day.  As many of you probably know, I've been in the Elevate (our youth group) band.  This band ("Squat" as some people like to call it!) tends to have 4 - 6 band members each night, and we have a blast worshipping God together!  Anyway, these auditions are for Sunday mornings, which are just normal services.  I'm really excited for the auditions, I think I just might have a chance!  Be praying for me!  (My stage-fright isn't bad at Elevate with kids around and a bit older than my age - but with a crowd of both adults and kids?  I'll probably have a bit of stage-fright, at least at the beginning!)

Thanks for viewing Play The Keys!

So, About My Ankle....

Hey guys!  So, I wanted to give you guys the full update on my ankle.  I'm sure that most of you reading this already know, but I hurt my ankle last week while skiing.  Now, we don't know if it's broken, fractured, or just sprained, but Lord willing, it's just a sprain!  How did I hurt it?  Well, (you're gonna laugh) I was going down a green circle (yes, a green) and then I wiped and fell on my leg.  My ankle twisted really far and it hurt baaaaad.  Oh wait....I think I'm forgetting a major part in the story.  Oh - yes.  Now I remember.  I was skiing on one ski when I did this!  That's why I fell.  I literally (purposely) left one ski at the lodge and went up the chairlift.  Now...which ankle did I hurt?  Ironically, the ankle I hurt was the one without a ski.  How funny can this get?

Here are some pictures of the event:

There I am, getting carried to First Aid.

In First Aid, getting a splint put on.

And - oh gosh, trying to get into the van.

"Hey you!  Yah you!"

Maaaaan.  These crutches stink.

Well, if you're wondering, the "real" story goes something like this:

I was flying down Hurricane, (a double-black diamond) and I went over a mogul really fast, and flew right into the chairlift pole.  I was dizzy for a bit, but then I was right back to flying down the hill.  I smacked right into the lodge window, and flew right through it.  I was in the lodge for one brief second, and then I flew right out the other side, leaving a me-sized hole in the wall.  I then fell 5 stories out of the lodge and into the parking lot.  There, I got run over by 2 cars, and then finally First Aid got to me.

Now that of course, was complete garbage.  Just making sure you know.

Anyway, thanks for viewing, and I'll see ya latah.

(Also, check out the new video I made!  Under media, click the Youtube logo to head to my channel!)

Any Ideas?

Hey, all!  As you know by now, I recently updated this site completely, narrowing and simpling it down a bit.  Now, I want feedback!  Tell me how you like or don't like the changes!  If you have any ideas for the design or anything else about the site, leave a comment or email me at elijah@playthekeys.com!  Thanks guys!

Thanks for viewing!

Papers Update

Hey guys!  So, today, I updated the Papers section with a few of the recent papers/projects that I have done!  Make sure to check 'em out!

Website Overhaul

Hey guys!  If you haven't noticed, I've been working on the site!  I'll have the entire thing finished (probably today) but at the latest, at the end of this week.  Thanks for viewing!  And...(scroll down if you need to)












HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
How has your day been?  Let me know in the comments below!  (Oh yea, and I sprained or fractured my ankle.)

Best Card!

Hey, guys!  I just got what may actually be, the best card ever.  Take a look!

"In certain parts of the world,
I'd be expected to give you a
dozen goats in honor of the
day of you birth."

Lots of goats!  Many of which
pop-up when you open the
card!  This is AWESOME!

"Sadly, I'm a little short on
goats this week, so please
accept this card instead!
Happy birthday!"

Thank you, Family-Who-Gave-Me-This-Card!  I think it's hilarious!

Book Fair

Hey, guys!  A few days ago I was in a book fair!  In this post, I'll show you my board, and also what I said/presented to the audience!

Ah.  There's my board!

Alright!  So here's what I said:

"Hi, all!  I’m Elijah, and the book I read was about the explorer Marco Polo.  Marco was an explorer of the 12-1300’s who traveled all around Asia, and introduced those “unknown lands” to the west.  Now, Marco’s father, Nicolo, wasn’t really the best of guys.  When his wife was pregnant with Marco, he left with his brother, and moved away to east Asia.  Meanwhile, Marco’s mother died when Marco was around 4, and he lived with his aunt and uncle.  After a long while, Nicolo and his brother came back and met the now 14 year old Marco.  Then, when Marco had grown to be around 17, he, his father, and uncle went on a great expedition.  If you come over to my board, there is a map of where this travel led.  During this journey, Marco wrote a book, journaling his explorations.  This book, called ‘The Travels Of Marco Polo’, is what Marco is most known for.  After a full 24 years of traveling, Marco, his father, and uncle returned home to Venice.  When they got there, nobody could believe that they were even still alive!  Now, you might be wondering, “Where did the water game ‘Marco, Polo’ come from?”  Well, the origin is not certain, but supposedly it turns out that when Marco was traveling with his father and uncle, he sometimes fell asleep on his horse!  After all, he was only 17.  Legend has it that the horse seemed to sense that Marco had fallen asleep, and would slow down, falling behind the caravan.  One time, when Marco woke up, he couldn’t see his family, because they were too far ahead.  He started hearing voices, thinking that they were calling his name.  It turns out though, that he was only hallucinating, and he didn’t really hear voices.  Another odd version of this story, is that Marco thought he heard his family calling, “Marco!”, and he replied with, “Polo,” hoping that his family would hear him.  Anyway, next time you play Marco Polo, remember that!  Well, make sure to come over to my board to see more information on the book I read, Marco Polo!  Thank you!"

Thanks for viewing!

People

People - By Charlotte Zolotow

Some people talk and talk
and never say a thing.
Some people look at you
and birds begin to sing.

Some people laugh and laugh
and yet you want to cry.
Some people touch your hand
and music fills the sky.



I've been trying to memorize this, and I think I've got it down.  Make sure whenever you see me, you tell me to recite it!

Twitch!

Hey guys!  So, I just got a Twitch channel!  Twitch is a free service that lets anybody stream their games to the public!  If you head to the, "Live" page of this site, you will see a new box that lists my Twitch channel!

I will be streaming on most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school.  Now the actual time depends, but it should be around 3, 4, or 5.  It depends on the day!  If you subscribe to my channel, you'll get notified every time I start streaming.

Thanks for viewing, and make sure to check it out!

Computer Building Pics

Hey, all!  So, you may be wondering what I got for my birthday... Well, I got a bunch of computer parts!  (These of course, make up a computer.  Now that I think about it...what else could they make up?) Well, I'll add captions to the pics along the way!  Enjoy!

Just starting to ops things.  The red
mat is a special static-free area. 

A good look at the inside
of my computer case.

Let's get started!

Opening some boxes...

This is the motherboard box.

The motherboard in it's package.

And there it is!

The motherboard itself.

Now we have to add some
things to it.

I just laid the processor into place.
Now I'm going to put the heat-sink in.

Okay, that looks right.

Now, we're done the motherboard.  Let's put it into the case.

Tada!  Motherboard installed!

Okay.  Here's what it looks like
so far.

We have the motherboard, power supply,
processor, graphics card, and hard
drive installed.

Now we just gotta wire it.

Pluging in a few of the first wires.

Another close-up of the computer.
Now with some wires installed.

Aaaand...tada!  There we go.

A close-up of some of the components.

Here we go!  Putting on the
cover again!

Tightening those last screws...

Pesky screws!

Okay, I have to bring it upstairs
now...

My mom decided to stalk me
while I was doing so!  :)

Gosh...why is she still taking
pictures of me?

After all, I am just walking
upstairs.

:P

Ahh.  We just put it there
so we could test things out.

First plug-in....

Moment of truth!

Yes!  It turns on!

We don't have an operating system on it yet, so it's just
going to show that black screen for now.

And, yes!  That's it!
Thanks, Dad, for helping me!

So, remember I said how I didn't have an operating system on the computer yet?  Well, I'm happy to say that I've installed the Windows 10 beta on it, and am using it to blog right now!


That's all, folks!  I hope you enjoyed watching my build my very first computer!  Thanks for viewing!