Thermodynamics

Did you know there's a difference between heat and temperature? Heat is just thermal energy and temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy in something. It's true!

Career Choices

Oh boy, my high school's doing this new career choice thing where you take a test on your skills and interests. Because I know you're dying to know what I got, here it is:

And here are the top 100 careers I've been chosen to be most like:

• Book Editor
• Multimedia Designer
• Economist
• Website Designer
• Biochemist
• Novelist
• Knowledge Engineer
• Perfumer
• Nanotechnology Researcher
• Dramaturg
• Film Director
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Editorial Cartoonist
• Geneticist
• Aerospace Engineer
• Medical Informatician
• Operations Research Analyst
• Clinical Research Physician
• Computer Game Designer
• Nuclear and Particle Physicist
• Job and Occupational Analyst
• Market Researcher
• Automation Consultant
• Hematological Pathologist
• GIS Expert
• Sportswriter
• Criminologist
• Mathematician
• Playwright
• Grant Writer
• Risk Manager
• Chief Knowledge Officer
• Virologist
• Museum Curator
• Logistics Manager
• Art Appraiser
• Astronomer
• Naval Architect
• Media Analyst
• Freelance Writer
• Forensic and Litigation Accountant
• Computer Hardware Designer
• Marketing and Sales Development Coordinator
• Intellectual Property Lawyer
• Immunologist
• Newspaper Editor
• Documentary Producer
• Psychometrist
• Meteorologist
• Biotechnologist
• Epidemiologist
• 3D Renderer-Designer
• Artificial Intelligence Specialist
• Choreographer
• Industrial Chemist
• Facility Designer
• Music Producer
• Environmental Scientist
• Technical Writer
• Comparative Psychologist
• School Librarian
• Multimedia Writer
• Lexicographer
• Aviation Accident Investigator
• Sociologist
• Information Broker
• Architect
• Photostylist
• Set Designer
• Research Coordinator
• Professor
• Management Information Systems Specialist
• Chemical Engineer
• Cryptographer
• Radio Producer
• Musicologist
• Computer Animator
• Telecommunications Manager
• Internet Researcher
• Historian
• Parapsychologist
• Dolphin Researcher
• Computer Programmer
• Market Analyst
• Plant Industrial Engineer
• Statistician
• Anthropologist
• Cultural Anthropologist
• Oceanographer
• Geological Engineer
• Actuary
• Industrial Engineering Technician
• Civil Engineer
• Creative Director
• Urban Planner
• School Technology Coordinator
• Demographer
• University Registrar
• Scriptwriter
• Costume Designer

What fun this sounds like! I don't think I would want to be a book editor though.

Writers Block

Don't you hate it when you can no longer thing of anything? I am required by my Honors English teacher to type the first to paragraphs of an essay on The Odyssey. My prompt is to discuss the virtue of hospitality, or in essence those who honor or abuse the virtue. So far, I've come up with my basic outline.

• Intro ¶
• Body ¶ on Cyclops Inhospitality
• Body ¶ on King Aeolus Hospitality, then Inhospitality
• Body ¶ on Circe Inhospitality, then Hospitality
• Possible Body ¶ on Penelope?
• Concluding ¶

It seems so simple. But coming up with just the right lead-in for the intro is hard... What in the world should I do?

The problem is is that I am incredibly hindered here. Not able to include "I," "you," fragment sentences. He is a teacher that goes by the rules. *pull hair*

So, hopefully posting this blog will get the edge off of my acute writers block. I need some way to come up with new ideas. And fast.

Oh, did I mention that this is all due tomorrow???

I'm Addicted to the Impossible Quizzes

Well, yesterday I was. I don't know what came over me! I won the second Impossible Quiz, and I started to go nuts! I wanted to make my own, but how can you without Flash? I wanted to come up with questions, but I couldn't! I felt like I had no more purpose for my life. Wow, Splapp-Me-Do, that was some day yesterday.

Guess what time it is...

You're right! It's time to study Spanish likes and dislikes! Ta-ta

Oh, I know you want to.

Lol, High School

Well hello there! It appears that there has been quite a change since I've last posted. I've survived my first day of High School Physical Education. Ouch.

So, hi. I'm posting this in a different way this time, and I'm wondering how it will work. If you know about Windows Live Writer, then you know what I'm using to do this. Yay.

The planner I use for high school is smaller than my one from last year, which is nice. It's more portable.

Right now I've finished my science homework and need to do the following:

• Read a few pages on Greek Mythology: Gods and Goddesses. Take notes.
• Oh yeah. That's it.

That makes me happy! :)

But next Wednesday I have PE again.

That makes me sad. :(

Well, good luck to me! Bye!

First Day...

Guess what? It's the very, very, very first day of school. This year, I'm going to high school. So, a whole new selection of classes for me to enjoy, or not. A lot of new stuff to worry about. Ahh, school.

No one reads this blog anymore, I'm like in a world of non-existence. So, this blog is more of a journal for me to look back on in the future, to laugh at my stories and see what I was like back then. I'm thinking about quiting blogging at the end of this year; things are getting too hectic. I can better handle something like Twitter of Tumblr. A full-force blog, not so much. So, I might restart some time later, but I know at the end of this year, I'm stopping.

I'm going to have to leave soon, so I better go and get to school. Bye bye!

Math Headache

Tomorrow I'm going to my friend Alex's house to tutor him in all that we learned last year. He was upset with his grade, and he asked me to tutor him, so I said yes and now I've been slaving away at a hot keyboard creating his diagnostic test. I finished about an hour ago, and I think it focuses on the majority of topics we've learned. I just hope that tomorrow when I come he won't be all like "Hey wanna go make a video? Let's play some Flight Simulator X! Let's play laser tag! OH WAIT LET'S TIE UP MY BROTHER!" I have to feel sorry for Christian, but Alex is usually kidding about stuff like that though. So wish me luck there.

So, right now I'm listening to some Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and typing my blog post. Mom's gone to the store to get something, my brother's upstairs playing the Wii, and I really want to get back to reading this amazing book. 500-some-pages I think. And it's the 6th one in the series I think. Anyways, I think I'll do that now.

Art Club Fun! Painting Fun! Blogging Fun! Forum Fun!

I strongly regret not posting for the last few days. I've been busy with the Art Walk, homework, and reading. But I'm back!!! I think.

The Art Walk was pretty fun last Friday. I saw all kinds of artwork and got good comments about mine. Art's really something I enjoy. I'll share some of my stuff in a little while. In the mean time, I'm gonna talk about poems.

Poetry's cool.

There. I said it.

Anyways, I'm getting info about the Civil War shoved down my throat. I have to admit it's slightly intriguing, but not "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" intriguing.

Guess what? I'm really going to talk about poetry now! Woohoo!

So we're doing a poetry unit in school right now. "Okay, cool," you say. But inside you're thinking "I hate poetry." If you're not, I congradulate you. Here are some of my most recent poems. I hope they're good enough for your eyes.

Space

What is space like?
A vast emptiness?
As empty as the unlit moon?
As empty as a thief’s soul?
The stars in the sky surround me in the night
Little spotlights all focused on me…
As if I were some sort of center of the universe


Troublesome Trouble

Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you
Many times I have heard this
The only thing is that trouble hasn’t troubled me yet
So I haven’t troubled trouble and
I don’t plan on troubling trouble for a long time
I may never trouble trouble
Because what has trouble done to me?


Paper

A blank sheet of paper can hold many mysteries
With pencil in hand, I form curves and delicate patterns
For many to behold
Cross-hatching and shading
Astonishing details
And while specific angles continue the realism,
Depth’s illusion runs rampant
Across this thin sheet of bleached wood.
In reality, a sheet of paper is a window into the imagination
For people to observe and admire and think,
“Now that’s a pretty picture.”


Language

One day language spoke out to me
I used to just know it was free
I learned it persuades
And gives me good grades
I consider it now as a key

Tada!

Also this is a really cool forum, created by the animator and voices of Charlie the Unicorn. It's snazztastic! http://www.filmcow.net/forums/

P.S. The title bar at the top of the window in the forum changes every week or so. 640!!!

My Bad...

Sorry about forgetting to post the last few days. School's started back up and I've gotten more stuff to do. We're doing some state-wide testing called the WASL, which is tedious and probably the most intimidating test I've ever taken. We did the Science WASL today, and it was hard. Some stuff we had never ever gone over so I had to just guess. I hate short and long answer questions. If only everything was multiple choice. What if all your decisions in the world were multiple choice, like some sort of box popped up every time you needed to make a decision. A list of options for your life. Hmm... Ponder that.

I think I'm gonna switch to Firefox. I'm actually typing this post in Firefox. I've had it, but I've never used it much. There are lots of useful things. Themes, styles for web pages to remix a few things, simple tabbed browsing, versatile toolbars, it's all great.

Finally done with that algebra. It's not due till Friday, so I'm happy. See my happy dance. Oh. That's right. You can't. Oh well. TTYL!!!

So This is What Work is LIke...

My school had to do this thing called a "job shadow." It's basically about finding someone with an occupation you might like and following them around for a day. Of course, I'm the one who has the worst luck finding someone to shadow. So I reluctantly chose my dad, who works with electronics ands sells them to customers. His job seems simple if I put it that way in a nutshell, but really it's pretty complex.

• He's always busy. He always has an order to fill and a call to answer.
• There is a huge variety of things he sells. He's always checking inventory for cables, connectors, electric hardware, machinery, lighting, wiring, software...the list is too long to put here.
• The program he uses to organize all the orders is not like something simple like Microsoft Word. Think of it as an interface like Command Prompt with a manual three inches thick. Really. I measured.
• His inbox is stuffed.
• There's a huge, busy warehouse next door with a HUGE variety of parts.
• In the program he uses, all the stores in the different cities around the state have a three digit code that I believe he has memorized. Like 324 is the code for a store 300 miles away.

So that's how interesting my dad's job it. Plain and simple. I admire my dad for what he does. The complexity of his job is outrageous! And he's been doing this for a few decades. It's crazy.

I Felt So Happy!

Something really interesting happened today. I was toying with that Rubik's Cube in the lunch room when my friend Thomas comes by the lunch table I'm sitting at. He soon bets that if I solve the cube, he'll lick the table. The funny thing was, I knew how to solve it, so after a few minutes, there was a huge group (talk about pressure!) and I turned it the last time and smacked it on the table for him to see. Everyone was going crazy by then and Thomas gave the table long, good slobbery licks. My pride really showed there. Thank you, Tyson Mao. It's so simple to solve the cube now! But now for other things...

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Just a lot of things going on. It's crazy-go-nuts as one of my friends would call it. But that's a whole other story.

I'm starting Tom Sawyer now in class. It's getting pretty interesting. I just finished with Chapter 4, and I heard a lot goes on later, like some sort of cave, pretending to be pirates, just your average mischief-making tweens going on about their life will all sorts of hijinks. So more on that later possibly.

Whoops. Now time for some sleep. I should hit the pillow and snooze like heck tonight. You have a good night too. I mean it. ;-)

The Insignificant Post

I'm going to a new school this September. I'm not moving, just going to high school. It's going to be certainly interesting to see a new environment to learn and live. And there's a huge variety of classes. But there's something that's been a problem that I'll have to face before July. I have to choose whether to take Honors English and Honors World Studies, just one of them, or regular classes. I'm in Humanities Plus right now, and I have to admit the loads of homework aren't totally unbearable...just a hassle. Plus there's this option to take a Guided Study class, where I have a whole period to do nothing but homework, read in the library, or just have fun. Whether to take that is also a question I'll have to answer. Ugh...so sick of these transitions. I gotta get this stuff off my mind.

So how are you doing? Well, you might not be able to answer that. Either this post is so old, you shouldn't answer it, or you're attached to a nuclear weapon with duct tape sinking to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean with a dislocated right shoulder and the memories of your life passing in front of you as you sink down to the unbearable depths of water so pressurized, it causes you to lose your hearing and your ability to inhale. But that second situation is highly unlikely, isn't it?

Later
Mater
Nader
Tater
Tot

I Did It

The completed American Revolution poster!
Here's hoping for an A!

For All Who Care About the Revolutionary War

Ok, yesterday I finished the 19 whopping paragraphs for my American Revolution Timeline...due tomorrow. I still don't have the 4 paragraphs for four different people...I'm thinking Paul Revere, Sam Adams, maybe George Washington, and what the heck, I'll go with Patrick Henry. I also need to draw 10 pictures for 10 of the 19 events. Yep, that behind. So, here and enjoy my work:

Proclamation of 1763:
The French and Indian War was finally over, but a new danger had now risen. Tensions were rising between the Indians and the colonists. England had to respond to this problem. How did they do this? They established the Proclamation of 1763. The proclamation ordered colonists to stay away from the land occupied by the Indians. This land was to be reserved for the Natives and the Natives only. But some colonists refused to obey the proclamation and settled west of the colonies. Because of this, British forces were brought over from England to enforce the law.

Quartering Act (1765):
British troops came to enforce the Proclamation of 1763. They forced colonists who moved west to settle back in the colonies. All these soldiers had to have a place to stay, so the Quartering Act was established in 1765. Colonists had to give soldiers living quarters as well as food, fuel, beer, and transportation. This all had to be supplied by the colonists. Of course, the colonists refused to do this because they would have to waste money on the soldiers, and soon enough, the Quartering Act died down.

Stamp Act (1765):
Because the English were in debt from the French and Indian war, they had to find a way to get the money back. They thought it was fair for colonists to help pay back the debt. They passed the Stamp Act in 1765 the same year as the Quartering Act. The Stamp Act made colonists pay a tax on all printed goods. This included newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and even dice. In order to show that they paid the tax, colonists had to have a stamp printed on their goods to show that it was legal. Many of the colonists boycotted these paper items. Also, representatives from nine of the colonies demanded that Parliament repeal the Stamp Act. In 1766, a year after the act was established, it was repealed by Parliament.

Sons of Liberty (organized in 1765):
While the Stamp Act was still in effect, secret societies were formed in protest. They were formed mostly in New York and Massachusetts in 1765. The Sons of Liberty in Boston were organized by Sam Adams. These societies sometimes used violence to frighten tax collectors and persuade them into quitting their job. They also persuaded many to refuse buying stamps. The Stamp Act was later repealed, and because of them, many colonists became patriots and did not follow the laws set by Parliament.

Townshend Acts (1767):
The British were still in debt form the French and Indian War. Charles Townshend, the new British Prime Minister, organized and established in June of 1767 an indirect tax on items like glass, paper, tea, paint, and lead. This tax not only paid for the French and Indian War, but also paid for military costs and salaries of colonial governors. The tax was small and indirect because it was added to the price of these items at the sea ports, so colonists would never know that the items cost more than they should—or so they thought. Somehow, the colonists found out about this tax, and like the Stamp Act, they boycotted the overpriced goods. Francis Bernard, governor of Massachusetts at the time, broke up the Massachusetts legislature and asked troops to restore order. In 1768 the British troops came to keep the peace. The Townshend Acts were repealed two years later in March of 1770.

Boston Massacre (1770):
Conflict between England and the colonies was rising rapidly. On the night of March 5th, 1770, an English soldier guarding the Boston Customs House hit a boy on the head with his gun. Church bells rang and soon many colonists came to see what was happening. Some began to ridicule and hurt the soldiers with rocks, snowballs, and sticks. Captain Thomas Preston came with eight more British soldiers. What happened next is still unclear, and you'll hear different stories from different sources. Most likely through all the confusing shouting, a soldier thought he heard the word "fire" and fired his weapon. Then the soldiers might have heard this and started firing too. Five colonists died. Seven were wounded. The British sentry was taken to court. They were found not guilty, but many colonists were still angry at the soldiers after the trial.

Boston Tea Party (1773):
Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773, which allowed the British East Indies Company complete control over the American Tea business. Colonists could only buy tea from this company. The colonists didn't like how Parliament established this act without hearing what they had to say about it, even though the tea was cheaper this way. The Sons of Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party which took place on December 16th, 1773. About 60 local Bostonians dressed as Indians headed towards three ships in the harbor that carried crates of tea. They were the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver. 342 chests of tea were opened and dumped into the harbor. This caused even more unrest between the colonies and England. The colonists weren't going to get away with this incredibly large amount of tea wasted.

Intolerable Acts (1774):
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the Coercive Acts were established throughout March, May, and June in 1774. The acts did many things. They closed the Port of Boston and imposed military rule over the entire colony of Massachusetts, which meant that its legislature and town meetings were suspended. They also reintroduced the Quartering Act. Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty stirred up colonial response to these laws. They called the acts the Intolerable Acts because they didn't think they could tolerate them. On the days when the acts went into effect, flags were flown at half mast. Minutemen in towns around Boston were preparing for possible battle. Other colonies worked to protest, even though they wouldn't really be affected. It was time for something to be done. The colonies would have to unite.

First Continental Congress (1774):
Because of the Coercive Acts, the colonies set aside their differences and worked together. The First Continental Congress was formed September 5th of 1774 in Philadelphia and would continue until October 26th. Some of the people who attended were Sam Adams, John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry. They drew up the Declaration of Rights which listed freedoms the colonists should have, as well as appeals to the King. They also called a boycott on all trade with England. They decided to hold a Second Continental Congress if things didn't work out between them and England. The response: King George III did not agree with this at all.

Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775):
Parliament rejected all petitions sent to them by the First Continental Congress. At the time, British troops were ordered by General Thomas Gage to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock as well as siege stores of colonial gunpowder in Concord. On the evening and night of April 18th, 1775 Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott rode by horseback to Lexington and Concord to warn the Minutemen and other colonists that the British were coming. Revere and Dawes were captured, but Prescott made it to Concord to warn colonists to move the stores. The morning of April 19th, less than 70 Minutemen were out on the Lexington green. Soon enough, they were face to face with British troops. Someone fired. No one knew who or which side fired first, but when that shot was fired, the war took off. Eight colonists died and ten were wounded. The British soldiers marched to Concord, where they found few guns and stores. In anger, they set fire to some of the buildings. The Minutemen started to attack as the British soldiers retreated to Boston. They acted like snipers, shooting from behind trees and buildings. The British had suffered over 250 casualties by the time they reached Boston. Fewer than 100 colonists were killed or wounded. The American Revolution had officially begun.

Second Continental Congress (1775):
The Second Continental Congress was held May 10th of 1775. The leaders of the Congress had to decide how to react to the battles that were going on. They came up with the following: they decided not to break from Great Britain and created a Continental Army that would be commanded by George Washington. Later on July 5th, they signed the Olive Branch Petition as a peace treaty to the King. They did not want to loose any more lives. Even later in November, they learned that King George III rejected the petition angrily. Now ready with the Continental Army, the colonists were more prepared for war.

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775):
Fighting in the colonies had spread since Lexington/Concord. Minutemen held Boston under siege. The British were planning on taking Charleston, so colonial forces rushed to build defenses on Breeds Hill and Bunker Hill, which were less than half a mile away from England's target. The British were surprised to see the colonists already there on the hills. The colonists were protected from attack fairly well, but unfortunately they were low on gunpowder. To conserve gunpowder, the colonial commander ordered troops not to fire until they could "see the whites of their eyes." The majority of the fighting occurred on Breeds Hill. After turning back several assaults, colonists were forced to retreat due to the shortage of ammunition. Even though the British won the battle, they suffered over 2,000 casualties. Colonists only suffered about 400. The Battle of Bunker Hill showed the British that colonists were a force to be reckoned with.

Declaration of Independence (1776):
Colonial leaders were starting to realize it would be better to break off from England altogether. So, in June of 1776, the Second Continental Congress developed a committee that would focus on writing a document stating why America should be free from Great Britain. The members of the committee were John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson was the main author and wrote the document down. There are three main ideas in the Declaration of Independence. First, all men possess unalienable rights, which include "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This was inspired by the writings of Enlightenment philosophers. Second, King George III violated the colonists' rights, which includes passing unfair laws, taxation without representation, and the presence of a large British army. Finally, the colonists had a right to break away from England. This refers to the Enlightenment idea of the social contract, which states that rulers should protect the rights of their citizens. The Declaration was signed and approved on July 4th, 1776. America now had broken all ties with Great Britain. They now became the United States of America.

Battle of Trenton: (1776):
General Howe wanted to settle in New York City over the winter because he thought the war would be ending soon. He left New Jersey in the hands of the Hessians, who are German mercenaries hired to help fight for the British. Washington decided to attack the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey. Howe's "break" allowed Washington to gather reinforcements. Some 2,400 soldiers and Washington crossed the Delaware River on the night of Christmas, 1776. The next morning when they landed, they marched to Trenton and caught 900 Hessians. The battle lasted less than an hour. There were only five American casualties. This victory boosted the Patriots' spirits.

Battle of Saratoga (1777):
British troops were to take back Fort Ticonderoga, as part of a plan to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies. General John Burgoyne would take back the fort, and then march south to Albany, New York. Another force would march to Albany from Lake Ontario, and General Howe's troops were in New York City, and would march north to get to Albany. In early of July of 1777 Fort Ticonderoga was recaptured. Everything seemed to be going well. But that was not true. For one thing, colonists chopped down trees to slow the progress of Burgoyne's troops. And for another, Howe decided to take Philadelphia as he came over to Albany (this would be the Battle of Brandywine Creek, and Howe's forces would win). In addition, the army coming from Lake Ontario was behind as well. Burgoyne did not know of these delays, and was the first to reach Albany. Burgoyne's troops were badly outnumbered by Patriots. General Horatio Gates and Officer Benedict Arnold drove back the British attack and led bold charges. Burgoyne surrendered on October 17th, 1777 to Gates. This American victory greatly boosted foreign support from countries like France and Spain. It was a turning point in the American Revolution.

Valley Forge (1777):
The Continental Army was running terribly low on supplies. This made France and Spain's entry into the war perfect timing. It was December of 1777. Washington's troops were settled in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. These were terrible times for the Continental Army. They were running short on food and clothing, catching diseases, suffering from malnutrition, and troops were becoming restless. This was all about to change. In February of 1778 a veteran Prussian army officer called Baron Friedrich von Steuben came to help the troops. He spoke no English, but with the way he led and trained the troops with respect and fear, he taught the Continental Army basic military skills and turned them into well-trained soldiers.

Articles of Confederation (1777):
The members of the Second Continental Congress thought it was best for all thirteen colonies to be run under one central government, and not thirteen separate ones. Some thought that government would be way too powerful. A Committee of Thirteen was appointed by the Congress on June 12th, 1776. Over the course of a month, these thirteen people came up with a national constitution: the Articles of Confederation. It stated that a new Confederation Congress would become the central government and each state would have one vote in the Congress. This government didn't have a president or a court system. This Confederation Congress had only limited powers. It could borrow money, negotiate with other countries and American Indians, make coins, and ask states for soldiers or money, but that was the state's choice. They couldn't be forced. The Articles of Confederation were passed on November 15th, 1777. It was ratified by all the states (two weren't sure but gave in later) and the first national government of the United States went into effect.

Battle of Yorktown (1781):
British general Charles Cornwallis wanted to control the South more, so he planned to attack a small Patriot force led by Marquis de Lafayette near Yorktown, Virginia. Washington saw this as a chance to trap Cornwallis. While Comte de Grasse's French fleet of ships kept any British ships from coming into Chesapeake Bay, Comte de Rochambeau, a French general, and George Washington headed south with their troops and surrounded Cornwallis and his army. Washington and Rochambeau had 16,000 troops. Cornwallis had less than half that. The Patriots held Yorktown under siege for weeks. The British navy made futile attempts to rescue Cornwallis' army. Comte de Grasse and his fleet drove them away. It was early October and Washington was planning a major attack on Cornwallis' weakened troops. Cornwallis surrendered before that happened. When they came to an agreement some days later, the British marched out of Yorktown in defeat on October 20th, 1781. The war was over.

Treaty of Paris (1783):
Because the war had pretty much ended, America and England now had to negotiate. A committee from the Continental Congress began to do this. The American delegates were John Adams, Ben Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. Franklin played a key role and was influential in the peace talks. After two years, the two countries had come to an agreement, and the Treaty of Paris of 1783 showed that England recognized that the United States were now independent and self-run. The treaty also set the borders. The northern border was the Great Lakes, the western was the Mississippi River, and the south was the 30° north latitude line. Americans could settle west of the original colonies and soldiers returned to their families now that the battles were fought. America was now a free and independent country.

Ta da!

The Elements, A Song by Tom Lehrer

I found this really interesting song on the Internet that contains all (or at least most) of the elements on the Periodic Table. The link is right here, and below are the lyrics, so feel free to open the site in a new window and sing along.

There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium,
And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,
And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium,
And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium,
Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium,
And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium,
And gold and protactinium and indium and gallium, (gasp)
And iodine and thorium and thulium and thallium.

There's yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, rubidium,
And boron, gadolinium, niobium, iridium,
And strontium and silicon and silver and samarium,
And bismuth, bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium.

There's holmium and helium and hafnium and erbium,
And phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium,
And manganese and mercury, molybdenum, magnesium,
Dysprosium and scandium and cerium and cesium,
And lead, praseodymium and platinum, plutonium,
Palladium, promethium, potassium, polonium,
And tantalum, technetium, titanium, tellurium, (gasp)
And cadmium and calcium and chromium and curium.

There's sulfur, californium and fermium, berkelium,
And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium,
And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc and rhodium,
And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin and sodium.

These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard,
And there may be many others but they haven't been discovered.

I'm trying to memorize it. Wish me luck!