The Happiest Caffeine Drink

See the above picture? The other day, my mom was making coffee, and the bubbles made the smiley face you see here. I mean, doesn't that just look like it's going to start talking to you? Coffee is officially the happiest caffeine drink.

Vomer

Hum dum fo fee fum, what to type. I have a pretty awesome bone for you to learn if you're interested. It's called the vomer. Want to know where it is? Touch the tip of your nose. Move your finger directly down your face, until you reach that little spot where the bridge separating your nostrils touches the skin on the region of your face that is directly above your mouth. The tiny bone there, sprouting out under your nose, is the vomer. Hurray for human anatomy.

Comments

Sigh. Sitting at the computer, looking at a bright, pixellated screen. How does this apply to life? Reading makes your brain grow.

Just throwing something out there, but I wanted to thank all the people who left comments on this blog. I love comments! They can be good or bad; it doesn't matter. A comment means that people are reading, so every one is a good one.

Star Wars: Clone Wars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSE7zqQUWKE&feature=related Anybody remember the "Star Wars: Clone Wars" mini series? This was such a cool show.

Has anyone noticed that Demi Lovato is really pretty? That's a girl I wouldn't mind asking out. I mean, I probably won't date girls until I'm at least in college anyway, but I can't help noticing.

A Random Thought

You, reading this blog, might know me in real life without knowing it. Think about it. How many 17-year olds guys do you know? Any one of them could be writing a secret blog under the alias of "James." Scary, huh? I'm probably that tall guy who lives next door to you that all the girls are crushing on. O.K., maybe not.

Actually, there's really about a one in one billion chance that you know me in real life. Not that you didn't figure that out for yourself. I'm just stating facts in a way that is (hopefully) enjoyable to read. Sometimes I draw inspiration from random thoughts.

Giant Tanks of Wakefulness

Good morning, everyone! I'm sitting at the computer typing on this blog at 9:00 A.M., even though there's no school. Why? I think it's a mix of a small case of insomnia and just not needing as much sleep as most people. I've always gotten up kind of early, even when I was a kid. I hate it, but what must be done must be done. Actually, as a first grader, I wanted to get up, because my favorite show came on at seven.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command was awesome.

I think some day soon, I'll reach psychological enlightenment and sleep like a baby for the rest of my days. It'll take giant tanks firing rockets outside my window to wake me up in the morning.

Wondering

James, writing dramatically on his powerful and influential blog, subtly twists his eyeballs into position and views his followers.

Five.

Wish I could be sure that more people are out there reading this.

Coffee Mug

Guess what I'm going to buy? A laboratory beaker coffee mug from "ThinkGeek." It's so awesome. I mean, it looks like a laboratory beaker, but you drink hot beverages with it.

Hot chocolate will never be the same.

I love to find ways to integrate science into society. I think that, deep down, everybody wants a laboratory beaker coffee mug, but they either think that they are too cool, or they think that they can never understand chemistry. I assure you, neither of these things are true. Too many people fall short of a life as a chemist or physicist because they are under confident and did not have a quality teacher to give them back their confidence. It's a sad world when we don't reach our full potential.

"The Village Blacksmith"

"UNDER a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,---rejoicing,---sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Truly an amazing poem. I have a lot of respect for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman

I watched "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman" last night on TV. I'm glad I saw it; it was a really good movie. Dorian Gray was dumb to turn evil though. He should have teamed up with the good guys on the condition that once they had beaten Moriarty, he could have his portrait. Then he could hide it away, live forever, yada yada yada, and not be evil. But alas, he didn't, and so the vampire woman was forced to destroy him. I thought the lead guy was the coolest. It was too bad he died in the end, but at least he taught the American guy to shoot well so that he could carry on his legacy. The one thing I didn't get was the last ten seconds, with the lightning striking the gun. What was that all about? Ah well, it seemeth too strange to ponder.

Blind Leaps

Picture this scene. A third-grade boy sits in the cafeteria with all of his friends. A kid stands up. "Hey, anybody want a 'Fruit-By-The-Foot'?" he asks. Everyone jumps up, eagerly responding. He then yells, "Get your own!" obnoxiously and eats it, and everyone laughs, including the main character in the story. The next day at lunch, the main character decides to try it for himself, because everyone wants to get some laughs, right?

So, a little timidly, he stands up and says, "Hey, anybody want a 'Fruit-By-The-Foot'!" One child, shy and innocent, responds with the face of an angel, "Oh, yes, please!" His face is the picture of innocent joy. Fraught with guilt over his attempted comic maneuver, our main character sheepishly announces his punchline: "Uh, get your own..." The little boy sits down quietly, disappointed, and our main character feels guilty for the rest of lunch.


Can anyone relate to this story? I know I can. I guess sometimes we people have a tendency to leap before we look, and it usually ends in disappointment. Never go along with someone without looking at the facts first.

And I was the third-grader, in case you were wondering.

"Pippo the Fool"

Wow. I don't read many books for little kids, but "Pippo the Fool" by Tracy E. Fern, illustrated by Pau Estrada, is awesome. I love this book. It's the story of Filippo Brunelleschi, known as "Pippo the Fool" because he was mostly unsuccessful as a "goldsmith, clockmaker, sculptor, and inventor," and how his revolutionary ideas allowed him to design a dome that was, at that period, practically impossible. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore still stands in Florence today - with Pippo's dome towering over it. It was a miracle of its time.

Jamesland

In case you blog readers were wondering, the reason that I call this blog "King James" is because I really am a king. I'm king of Jamesland, a fictional country where root beer is the only soft drink available, and there is at least one periodic table in every household. Also, there are no cars, only bicycles. And the crossword puzzles are all about chemistry; biology; physics; and human anatomy and physiology. And besides the Toure de France, there is also a Toure de America, a Toure de Britain, and a Toure de Pretty Much Any Country You Can Think Of. Fencing is an extremely popular sport, and is considered the only way to compete for a woman's honor. There are plenty of sugary desert foods, but NO food is processed in a factory. And cutting down trees is illegal.

What a wonderful world.

Imagine the differences we would see if everyone on Earth imagined their perfect country. Maybe we would gain some impeccable insight into human relations if we listened to enough different descriptions. Probably not.

Foiled Again

Oh yeah. See that tank? Mine. My blog is now loaded with 10,000 pounds of pure CIS firepower. Republic beware.



But wait, what's this? The tank is being piloted by Yoda!

Darn it. Foiled again by the Jedi.

Blunt Weapons and Crossword Clues

I bet you, as the reader, never guessed that taking an advanced biology class pays off in anything other than school and your career choices. Not that those aren't good things already, but yes, it does! I was reading a Sherlock Holmes story the other night (The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), and it was talking about how a character was murdered. Watson looked up a medical report in the newspaper, which said "that the posterior third of the left parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone were shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon." Even before Watson explained that those bones were on the back of the head, I already knew. It was my *sniff* proudest educational moment.

And that's not all. I also helped my mother with a cossword puzzle clue that asked for a muscle near the humerus. It was the bicep.

Psychological Questions

Ah, sitting down at the computer, typing at my blog. Staring at the artificial image created by the computer screen. Falling asleep as I ty

Waking up again. Wishing I had some candy to eat. Wondering what it would be like to live in Iceland. Thinking about what I am going to type next.

Like my recorded chain of thoughts? An art teacher would be proud of me. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe sometimes the first word that comes into your head, when asked an emotional question, shows what you really care about. However, I am starting to believe that that is a false theory. Your emotions show what you really care about, not random, meaningless thoughts. I think the same thing about those little ink splotches that psychiatrists show their patients. If the patient says the first thing that comes to his mind, but is just rattling off what he sees, and feeling no emotion, then it probably doesn't mean anything. It might show what topics have been in the patient's recent discussions and study, however; although even this doesn't seem foolproof.

Martin Luther King Day

Happy Mr. Luther King, Jr. Day, everyone! It's nice to sit back and reflect on how far our country has come in the fight against racism.

Toccata and Fugue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXoyr_FyFw See the guy playing in this video? It's me. No, really, I'm serious.

O.K., fine, you got me. It isn't me.

another untitled

I spend a lot of time writing, and talking. For once, I think I need to just shut up. Sorry to be gruff.

I often act like I know everything, and everyone else is clueless. But life is an even circle, and everyone is a point on that circle of exactly the same size. I am included. My opinion is often right, but it is also often wrong. Do what you think is best for yourself. I will do the same for myself. If that can be achieved, then perhaps, if we meet, we can work together to influence the world for good.

I'm sorry to all of the people who I have ever irked, frustrated, or hurt.

A Thought

Has anyone ever thought about that famous philosophical question, "If a tree falls, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" I've been thinking about that question, because I can be kind of philosophical sometimes, and I realized something.

I hate that question.

The regular person answers such a question with, "of course it does." Why do they answer this way? Because they have faith. They have faith in the laws of nature. They have faith in things that they cannot see or hear. Questions like that come from people who run from faith, who pompously believe that human logic is the only rational base for truth. But I swear, if the human race loses its ability to have faith, then it will lose everything. Faith is the drive for hope. Faith is the drive for friendship and love. Faith is the drive for Christianity. If we forsake our faith, then we forsake our ability to live a life of humility.

So I don't play the fool. The tree most definitely makes a sound.

The Distance

"Reluctantly crouched, at the starting line,
Engines, pumping, and thumping in time,
The green light flashes, the flags go up,
Churning, and burning, they yearn for the cup,
They daftly maneuver, and muscle for rank,
Fuel burning fast on an empty tank,
Reckless, and wild, they pour through the turns,
Their prowesses potent, and secretly stern,
As they speed through the finish, the flags go down,
The fans get up, and they get out of town,
The arena is empty, except for one man,
Still driving, and striving, as fast as he can.

The sun has gone down and the moon has gone up,
And long ago somebody left with the cup,
But he's driving, and striving, and hugging the turns,
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns...

He's going the distance,
He's going for speed,
She's all alone *all alone* all alone in her time of need,
Because he's..."

O.K., I'm tired of typing now. That was "The Distance," by Cake.

Buuuuuu budu budu buuuuuu...

It's official. "Strawberry Avalanche" by Owl City is the coolest song ever. Ever since my sister started playing it I've been going buuuu bu du budu budu buuuuuu budu budu buuuuuu.... you get the idea. The best part has no words, which is why I obnoxiously wrote "bu" and "du" a milion times. If this blog could have background music, it would be that song.

No Sentence Variation

I've been doing homework for way too long. I don't feel like adding any variation to my sentences. I'm going to go watch "Everybody Hates Chris." I think "Everybody Hates Chris" is really funny. I am going to miss it if I keep typing. I bet you are getting annoyed with this post. I'm going to stop now.

On Simplicity

People who read my blog might have noticed, but I keep it really simple. I don't add gadgets, I don't have a fancy opening page, etc. Why? Because it's the words that make the blog, not the finery. I thrive on writing, and nothing else. Well, maybe a little photography once in a while, but besides that, nothing else, I say, nothing else!

60 Posts

I officialy have made 60 posts. When I turn 60, I'll look back on this day and laugh. Nah; I'll probably have forgotten this day by the time I'm 60. If only I had photographic, never-forgetting memory. Wait, that might not always be a good thing.

By the way, with this one, the number becomes 61, not 60.

Fact

I have an unfortunate truth to tell. World famous rock stars, the Beetles, were liars. I have official evidence that they did not live in a yellow submarine. I'm sorry if I have caused any supreme or unbearable disappointment.

Biology

I've been studying the skeletal and integumentary (skin) systems in my advanced biology textbook. Right now, I can name pretty much all of the major bones of the body, only the major ones, mind you, but it's still a lot - including most of the bones making up the skull. All in all it's probably about thirty or forty bones.

I'm also learning about all the different types of skin and how it works. Did you know that the reason we have fingerprints is that the dermal papillae form ridges under the skin to allow more contact between blood vessels and the epidermis? Without fingerprints, our skin would be malnourished. Also, did you know that our hair follicles provide protection against scars from second degree burns? They hold extra epithelial cells deep within the dermis, so that if all of the epidermis is burned away, it can still grow back. The human body never ceases to amaze me.

Another Puzzle

1,000-piece U.S. presidents jigsaw puzzle. Extra large pieces. I had to stand on a chair to get the camera high enough to capture the whole puzzle in one picture. Did I mention I'm over six feet tall? It's a big puzzle.

There I go again, bragging about a puzzle. Try spending all that time sitting in a chair working on something and then not talking about it, and you'll see why I do talk about it. Sorry about the glare in the picture, by the way.

Multiple Blogs

Sigh. I wonder why anyone would want to have more than one blog. A blog is like a big soup pot. No matter what kind of vegetables you want in the soup, you can throw 'em all in there. Having more than one blog is like cooking multiple soups at a time - and that means that they won't be as well done in the long run. Nope, not me. I stick with uno blog.

A Tall Order

"I don't want to be percieved the way I am, I just want to be percieved the way I am." Me too, Matt Theissen, me too.

Do you know what I mean? I'm starting to think that everyone who struggles with social interactions wishes that they could just open up and be normal, politely and effectively dealing with other people. When we do that, we allow our true selves, our true personalities to show, and we are percieved the way we are, deep down in our heart of hearts. But most of us lack the ability to do this, because we want something at home that we are not getting, and so we subtly request it from other people in our actions and reactions, causing conflict. Everyone needs to be put in a place where they are surrounded by people who will not only set limits with them, but also provide unconditional love and encouragement.

That's a tall order.

So most of us, unknowing of our missing piece, our empty space, become someone else, someone partially closed up to the world around them. Someone different from who they really are.

Solitaire

Has anybody noticed that you can play solitaire for ever and ever and ever. It's just addicting. Especially on the computer, am I right. Also, have you noticed that I'm not using question marks. Hurray for monotony.

My Blog

Looking through the other blogs on blogspot.com, I've come to a conclusion. All of them are either a) a woman blogging about cooking, b) a couple blogging about their family, because they just had their first baby, or c) a very strange and unenjoyable exception to the first two categories. My blog is unique. "King James" fights the medium, defies the average! It is enjoyable to read for men and women of all ages! It's written by an ultra-cool 17 year old!

My point? Everyone out there should get on their computer and go to jamesblog02.blogspot.com, and enjoy some good, quality, non-brainpower-consuming reading.

Picture

Loyal readers, yearning to see the appearance of the author of this blog, fear not; for I have provided a picture. Or, rather, a silhouette. I have a pretty good-lookin' shadow, don't I?