King of the Ocean

Imagine a world filled completely with water. Imagine fish swimming around in schools, young stingrays playing under their mother, and tiny crabs and lobster fighting for food. The ocean in in harmony. Above, gulls hunt for prey and sea turtles swim around in packs. To complete the picture, there's not a single human around for miles. This is the deep sea.

But hiding, deep down in the water, is the king of this beautiful sea. He swims around, searching for the perfect meal. He is the Tiger Shark, one of evolution's few perfect creations. He smoothly glides through the water and finds his prey: a group of unsuspecting sea turtles. He hides in the shadows, quietly stalking his prey. Then, he attacks. He swims towards the turtles and grabs one out of the group.

It's shell is no match for his serrated teeth and powerful jaw, which is even stronger than a power saw. CRACK! It snaps in half. The turtle is defeated. The Tiger attacks again and again, only stopping when all turtles are in his belly. The King is satisfied.

But the turtle blood is attracting more sharks. Soon, a great white, another tiger, and a group of hammer-heads appear. They are hungry. Seeing the blood around the King fuels their lust for food. A battle then ensues. More and more blood fills the water, more and more hungry sharks come. But only one can be the king. Over an hour later, many shark carcasses can be seen floating in the water. But a new king has been elected. The Great White Lord of the Ocean, one of the world's most powerful animals.

But his reign doesn't last. A bull shark comes to challenge the king...

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Sharks are amazing creatures, from the giant Whale Shark to the tiny Dwarf Lanternfish. And they most certainly are not man-eaters. Not even the feared Great White. Your more likely to die by being hit on the head by a falling brick than be killed by a shark, and that's the truth. Sharks are actually playful, and only attack if:

• You splash around and panic. The shark will mistake you for a struggling fish.
• You attack first. Sharks like being hurt just as much as you do.
• You are bleeding. Sharks are attracted to blood.

If you want to see what I've been reading about sharks, take a look at these links:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/sharks/

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/great-white-odyssey-3628/Overview#tab-Videos/06455_00

http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/sharkweek/news/sharknews.html

http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/shark-facts.html#hunters

Script Frenzy

I officially joined Script Frenzy. It's similar to the NaNoWriMo event I joined last June, but instead of writing a fifty-thousand word novel, Script Frenzy challenges participants to write a one-hundred page script. Screenplays, graphic novels, stage plays, and TV shows are allowed. I'm writing a screenplay. Today I read a lot about script-writing, and wrote the first four pages of my project, though I haven't stopped yet.

Today I read my Egyptian mythology library books. At the beginning of the day I was going to spend the first half reading them so as to finish them before going to the library. But we ended up not going. So I read most of them and spent the rest of today reading Watership Down, practicing my guitar, and doing math, I really want to finish my math book. I finished lesson nine and went on to the third part of lesson eleven. Each lesson has six parts each with twenty math problems.

I finished most online research. All I have to do now is read my library books on Ancient Egypt and find a final project. One thing I'm considering is a lapbook style project Mom sent me. You can look at it here. I also wanted to try making a model ancient Egyptian village with a Pyramid in the center.

I also continued reading Through the Looking-Glass, but I'm not finished yet.

Today was full of more research, mostly about King Tut this time. I used resources from the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs section of the Field Museum website. It's the same site I tried the explore Tut's tomb activity on.

I also continued writing the Alice in Wonderland movie review and should be done by tomorrow at the latest. And in addition to that, I started reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I want to read both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. They seem pretty short compared to Watership Down and the Lost World.

A Poem From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I started reading the book today and loved this poem:

'How doth the little crocodile
      Improve his shining tail,
     And pour the waters of the Nile
      On every golden scale!

     'How cheerfully he seems to grin,
      How neatly spread his claws,
     And welcome little fishes in
      With gently smiling jaws!'

I've been doing a lot of research on the Book of the Dead today. It's all really interesting stuff. I learned exactly what the book is, a sort of spell book full of enchantments that supposedly help to ensure a happy afterlife. I learned that it derived from Pyramid texts and that at first the Egyptians believed only the Pharaoh had the honor of an afterlife. Then the Pyramid texts evolved to Coffin text, writing on the inside of coffins that was used by royalty. And eventually the Book of the Dead was born, and now anyone who could afford it could make their own personalized Book of the Dead.

In addition to that, I continued Watership Down and I started writing an Alice in Wonderland review on Why is the Popcorn Always Gone.

Pyramid Theory

A book I'm reading asked me to find the strangest theory of the creation of the Pyramids at Giza I could think of. I came up with this: The Egyptians would first use a sturdy wooden cart to haul around bricks. They would then create small levers and cranes that have wheels. They'd use any stones they are not using yet to form a sort of stairway. Then they would place flat wooden pieces on the stairs to make a sort of ramp. They'd then drag up the stones and cranes/pulleys and place them in the right areas.

Studying Ancient Egypt

I started studying ancient Egypt today. I started studying it when I tried an explore Tut's Tomb activity. It was so interesting I decided to learn more about the King's tombs and the Egyptian belief in the Afterlife. I started reading about The Book of the Dead and about Pyramid Text and Coffin Text. I learned about Egyptian Stela and a little about their Gods. Then, while looking on my bookshelf for some light-reading, I found the Egyptology Handbook, a thirty lesson course on Egyptology. It's all really interesting stuff.

I finished my lapbook! it took a lot less time than I thought it would. Unfortunately, I didn't include the author biography because it would take up too much space. The lapbook already has eight pages of text from the story alone, and an extra three from the character pages. I'm guessing, based on the amount of writing, that the biography already has near the same amount of content as the story, and it's not even halfway done. So I decided to just leave it out and us it as a stand alone project. My next study topic will be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but not as the author of Sherlock Holmes.

Today I also continued reading Watership Down, and I'm on the first chapter of part two, a good hundred and fifty or so pages into the story. Watership Down tells the story of a group of rabbits as they leave their home warren and search for a newer, safer one. Along the way, they cross paths with a strange colony of healthy and odd rabbits, one of which joins them. This encounter is what I think is the best part of the first section of the book, and I can't wait to read the next one.

Vim and the New Blog

Today, Sam and I started a new blog. Check it out: http://popcornsgone.blogspot.com/. On the blog we'll be reviewing books/movies, having book/ movie character contests, and all sorts of stuff.

I also discovered Vim. Dad showed it to me. It's a really neat text editor, used for writing html and other programming languages. I used it to start on a program today. It has all sorts of helpful commands. You can download it here.

Starting the Lapbook and The Year in Meat

I finally started putting together my lapbook! Today I printed my papers on the characters and started putting the whole thing together. I hope to be done at the latest by the end of next week, hopefully before then.

I also added another addition to the Survival of the Human Race posts. I hope to write more under that name.

I was reading an article today called The Year in Meat, and it's absolutely full with info. You should definitely check it out.

The Survival of the Human Race: Preparations for Global Warming

Global warming is growing ever stronger, and it is starting to attack us full-force. The earthquake at Haiti is an example of force we must defend against. It's time to start preparing. Firstly, we need to do whatever we can to stop global warming. Small things help, from unplugging electronics that aren't in use, to simply showering in cold water. Big things really help, like spending entire days without using a single electronic. Use candles instead of light bulbs, replace car rides with bike rides, read a book instead of watching TV. Yes, it will be hard to cut down on electronics, but it must be done. It's work worth doing.

If we can't stop global warming, we need to be ready for floods, earthquakes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis, fires. Otherwise we face extinction. We'll need to prepare. And how do you prepare for these natural disasters? Use your imagination. Build bomb-shelters and boats, stock up on fire extinguishers, learn to swim. To dramatic? Then put a stop to global warming.

Unless you intend to be doing things like building underground homes, or living in a submarine, we need to solve this problem. If we can all help stop global warming, it will be stopped. Look what the human race has done. We created planes, cars, boats with engines, electricity, languages, books. The human race has so much potential. Let's not waste it.

Leonardo da Vinci

Today I continued the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle biography. I read more about him and did some research. In my research I found a fifteen page biography on him. That's a lot. In addition to that, I wrote my Survival of the Human Race Post and went to my music class.

I'd like to share my Leonardo da Vinci essay. I wrote it while I was studying the famous painter. This is supposed to go with my Powerpoint presentation. Here you go:

The hillside is a beautiful place. Being above the other towns, the many many birds flying around. The rocky terrain all around is a great place to sit and enjoy nature. There are a great many olive trees growing everywhere. It must have been very easy for young Leonardo Da Vinci to be inspired by the many sights surrounding his birthplace of Vinci. The artist would often skip school to sit on the rocky hillside surrounding Vinci and paint. He loved nature and anything in it. It was in Vinci the most ingenious and talented man in the history of the world was born. Son of Ser Piero and Catarina, a wealthy lord and a peasant girl, Leonardo (or Lionardo) was practically without business options. He couldn't be a lawyer or a doctor, not a businessman like Ser Piero. He couldn't attend a university. All because his parents never married.

Regardless, he still became though he became the most talented artist in the history of the world. Just look at his painting, the Last Supper, the Annunciation, the Mona Lisa. These are only a small portion of his works. At the age of twelve he began studying under the famous painter Verrocchio. And soon was even a better painter than the master himself. He created expert level paintings while growing up in Vinci, and while in Florence with Verrocchio, was the best painter in his guild. He made the angel in Verrocchio's the Baptism of Christ. Just by looking at the painting you can tell which one he did. The angel looking up at Christ, the one that understands the weight of what's going on. He made the Annunciation. His painting the Mona Lisa is currently the world's most famous work of art. In his twenties, Leonardo Da Vinci was already becoming a famous painter. Better than his old master and pretty much the most talented painter in Florence. His passion for painting was so strong, that he even turned to science to improve his work. He'd dissect human bodies to get a better idea of muscle placement among other things. He used scientific methods over a hundred years beyond his time to increase his understanding of our world so as to capture it on paper. "All in all, Leonardo believed that the artist must know not just the rules of perspective, but all the laws of nature. The eye, he believed, was the perfect instrument for learning these laws, and the artist the perfect person to illustrate them." -MOS.org

He didn't only use science for painting, however. In 1505, Leonardo moved to Milan. He began his scientific studies. Unlike the others of his time, he didn't base all of his theories around the Bible. Rather, his life as a scientist was in part his search for the truth. He'd observe nature, asking simple questions such as, "How do birds fly?" Then he'd record the answers as sketches. Much of his work had a preternatural, even spooky determination. Paulo Giovo (Leonardo's first biographer) wrote: "In medical faculty he learned to dissect the cadavers of criminals under inhuman, disgusting conditions . . . because he wanted to draw [and examine] the different deflections and reflections of limbs and their dependence upon the nerves and the joints. This is why he paid attention to the forms of even very small organs, capillaries and hidden parts of the skeleton." Even with science, Leonardo was passionate. Leonardo's interest in science is obvious, as he wrote a large amount of books and notes on many different sciences, some of the most notable being those on flight.

Since his adolescence, Leonardo was interested in flight. He'd often study birds and bats, occasionally dissecting them. And because of his interest in flight, he created many plans for flying machines. From gliders to helicopters, from feathered wings to webbed wings, from propellers to wings. These were some of his inventions. He created many others, some of the most notable include an eight barreled (machine) gun, the first armored tank, a bicycle (hundreds of years before bikes were made), a steam powered cannon and many many others. One of his main interests when it came to inventing was water. He made plans for shoes that allow you to walk on water, devices that sink ships from underwater, an unsinkable ship, and a life preserver among others. Yes Leonardo planned for inventions as wild as these, and they probably would have worked. He was truly the most brilliant man in history. A few of his many inventions were bridges. One idea was to bridge the Gulf of Istanbul, connecting the Golden Horn and the Bosporus. But sadly, the project was never carried out. Other engineers of the time believed the bridge would be too big, although modern engineers have looked over and dubbed them feasible, the bridge would be safe and sound. Another idea was a bridge that could be carried, lightweight but sturdy, so as for a quick escape from, or capture of, an enemy. He also had plans for a bridge that was fireproof and could not be destroyed by an enemy assault. His other ideas to help in war were a movable dike to defend Venice, and a way to altar the course of the Arno river so as to flood Persia.

Yes, Leonardo was a genius. The most brilliant person in a time of brilliant people. He stood out among painters like Michelangelo and Raphael, he was the best inventor of his time, and probably tha brightest inventor ever, he was an advanced scientist, creating and discovering formulas that were proven true hundreds of years later. He designed buildings and bridges people laughed at, but those ideas and designs are used by modern architects. Leonardo da Vinci was truly an amazing man.

The Survival of the Human Race

If you think about it, it's possible for the human race, using modern technologies, to survive most damages caused by the environment, but only if warned in advance. If people worked together we could survive. One example would be flooding. If the world should completely flood for some reason, and the human race were warned in advance, we could survive. We'd build underground safe houses, artificial islands high up in the sky, we'd stock up on oxygen tanks, build emergency submarines. There are all kinds of solutions.

There is another example. And this one is very much real. Global warming. We could probably survive or put a stop to global warming and it's inevitable affect on the environment. But the human race is to lazy to do so. We view the stopping of this oncoming crisis as work. That view may be a correct one, but it is work that must be done. It's work worth doing. We're currently in the calm before the storm, and during this time shouldn't we be getting ready for such a storm? If you hear that a tornado is coming to your town or city, wouldn't you be making absolutely sure you're safe from it? If that did happen, you'd be going to another place, a safer place, to wait for it to end. Or you would be preparing your house for such a storm.

So why not do that in this case? Why won't the human race prepare for the disaster, rather than do nothing? It all starts with you. You, dear reader, have the power to stop global warming. One raindrop may be thought of as insignificant, but what about a downpour? The human race started this mess, now we need to clean it up. We can stop the disaster, or we can wait for our deaths. It's your choice.

Next: Survival of the Human Race: Preparations for Global Warming

Conan Doyle and The Lost World

Today I continued my Conan Doyle biography. I also read some of the book, Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street. It's a pretty good read. It starts at Conan Doyle's early childhood, and ends with late in his life when he became a spiritualist.

Another great book is The Lost World, by Conan Doyle. I haven't gotten far, but it seems pretty interesting. It's supposed to be about an expedition to an area in South America where creatures from the Mesozoic time period never became extinct. There are Iguanadons, Pteradons, Toxodons, and all sorts of other creatures. Here's a link to an online version: The Lost World on Project Gutenberg.

Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very interesting character. He was a writer, doctor, athlete, and the creator of the world's most famous detective. That's right, he's the author of the Sherlock Holmes books. But other than those, he wrote The Lost World, a book about an expedition to an area in South America cut off from the rest of the world where dinosaurs never became extinct, as well as The Poison Belt and many others. Today for school, I started writing a biography on him, take a look here. Note: Biography is not complete.

He also wrote poems. Here's one:

The soundest sleeper, far or near

I think would scarcely slumber on,

If close to his unconscious ear

You played upon the Bombardon.

The Bombardon is a huge tuba-like instrument.

He had a great life, doing amazing things, including working on a whaling-ship. Who doesn't want to do something like that?

Sherlock Holmes Project Update

The project is almost done. I just need to write Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's biography paper. Then I can start putting it together. I'm still trying to find a way to put the sections on Dr. Watson and Holmes online though. Anybody know a way to post Microsoft Word documents?

Look at this map I found of Holmes' flat:

The Adventure of the Magic Club

I continued my Sherlock Holmes project today. I believe that the first part of my story is ready to be shared. Without further ado, I present the beginning of The Adventure of the Magic Club.

One day, March 3rd to be exact, my friend and partner Sherlock Holmes and I were walking home from a dinner-party. We were moving along slowly and discussing a recent event that had happened just that morning on Baker Street. At the time, Holmes and I were in our flat. He was sitting by the window and reading the morning paper, I was at the table having a late breakfast.

"Watson," Holmes said. "Read this." He got up and handed me the paper then returned to his seat. The article read:

Last night at eleven thirty, a man by the name of Allan Conner was found dead in his bed. The death was reported by John Simon, a friend of Conner's, at eleven forty-five the same night, and police rushed to the scene of the crime. The cause of the death is currently unknown. Police are currently investigating, and questioning Simon. The doors all appeared to be locked, other than the front door which Simon unlocked with a key given to him by Conner. Simon claims Conner was a heavy drinker, and often visited to check on him and be sure he was okay. All windows were barred. Conner has no marks or cuts indicating murder, and his facial expression is that of a sound sleeper. We are currently awaiting more information.

I had just put down the paper when Holmes called to me. "Watson look!" I ran to the window. A body was lying on the street, and someone in a cart next to the body was pushing out another. "Let's get down there," Holmes said. I grabbed my revolver, a Webley Mk. IV, and we ran to the street. Upon our arrival, the men in the cart took off as fast as their horse could go. We moved to the bodies. One we recognized instantly as James Lion, a friend and one-time client of Holmes' and a particularly wealthy man. The other we didn't know.

"Watson, call for the police," Holmes said. I went up to our rooms and sent for them, and upon returning found Holmes over the bodies inspecting their pockets. Lion's were empty, but the other man had several one-hundred pound notes in them and an 1883 Colt Lightning revolver. The gun was recently used and had three shots missing.

"The bodies were both shot," Holmes stated. "Both by a small caliber bullet, most likely not from the gun this man is holding."

"Any idea who he is?" I asked.

"His identity? No. His personality, little. He was a gun enthusiast, and a rich man. He was part of the Olde Magyk club. He also served in the Royal Army. He was married, but no longer. Anything else I know not."

"And how did you figure that out?" It was a constable.

Holmes turned to him and said, "He carries around a custom Colt Lightning, a weapon costing several hundred pounds. He was obviously wealthy, just look at all the money in his pockets. He wears a pin on his cap with the letters O and M with a serpent surrounding them, and only Olde Magyk club members wear them. His coat is from the twenty-year reunion for retired soldiers, they gave them to officers who attended the reunion, so he obviously served in the army. There is a light line surrounding the base of his ring-finger on his right hand, so I assume he was married."

"Bravo sir!" the constable exclaimed. "But I can take it from here."

"Yes sir," Holmes said. And we went back to our flat. We were there not five minutes before Holmes left to send a telegram regarding the incident.

That night, we attended a dinner party at one of Holmes' client's mansion. That was when James Simon approached us.

"Mr. Holmes, I've heard much of your work, and I'm in need of your help," said he.

"What might it be?" my friend asked.

"It's regarding the death, or rather murder, of my dear friend Allan."

"What makes you believe it to be murder, when he doesn't appear to have been killed?" Holmes asked.

"When I was checking up on him last night, I found this." He handed Holmes a medallion. It was pure gold. Imprinted on it was a bull's head, with a ring in the nostrils and words carved into the horns. The words were: magicae artes and sterben. "It lay on his body. What do you make of it?" asked Simon.

"It's extremely old, I know that," Holmes said. "From hundreds of years ago. And if I'm not mistaken, magicae artes is latin. It translates to magic."

"I know what that is," I said.

"Well now Watson, why didn't you say so?" Holmes asked.

"You didn't ask for the information," I replied.

"Well there's no use in keeping it from me any longer, so tell me what it is."

"That is the same mark as the one found branded on Matthew Baker's arm. Don't you remember Baker?"

"Ah yes," Holmes said. "The American chap we sent to prison last month. Do you recall the article in the evening paper a week ago? Baker is dead. He hung himself in his cell using rope."

"How would he have obtained the rope?" I asked.

"No one knows," Holmes replied.

"Regarding the problem," Simon cut in. "Will you help me find the murderer? Your reward will be paid by the members of my club."

"And what club might that be?" Holmes asked. "The Olde Magyk club?"

"Yes," Simon said. "Conner and I were both members."

"Why not speak of happier things for a time?" Holmes asked. "We will help you sir, but is this not a party?"

And so after the party we discussed the events of that morning, wondering if they were in any way related to the death of Conner. I then changed the subject.

"Why call themselves the Olde Magyk club if they don't practice magic?" I asked Holmes.

"Because they study it," Holmes said. "They enjoy researching the esteemed witches and wizards of medieval times. They're more of a study group than a group of magicians."

We were now on Baker Street, and in a minute were in our flat. Upon entering, Mrs. Hudson approached us.

"This telegram arrived for you," said she. Holmes took it and read it.

"Watson, my suspicion has been confirmed," he said.

"And what might this suspicion be?" I asked.

"That the killer is hunting Simon's club's members. This morning I sent a telegram to James Lion's family stating that I would help them, but I needed to know if he was in a club known as the Olde Magyk club. This telegram is a reply from his wife saying he was. The other body found this morning was also a club member at one time. And tonight Simon stated that Conner was a member."

"Interesting, but I'm tired. I'm off to bed," said I.

"Capitol idea," Holmes said. "Let us continue this case in the morning."

We retired to our rooms. The night was not uneventful. I was awaken by a a noise coming from the living-quarters. The moon was still up, a bright full-moon. I closed my eyes, thinking the sound to be imaginary. Then I heard it again. I got up and went out. It was Holmes. He was sitting at the dining-room table, bent over a piece of paper. The noise I heard was that of the item he was holding. An American revolver. He was cocking it then pulling the trigger repeatedly, though the gun wasn't loaded.

"Watson," He said, noticing me. "Look at this." He tossed me the pistol. It was somewhat larger than the Webley Mk. IV I was used to, longer barrel larger cylinder. The standard bullet was obviously bigger as well.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is an American .44 Magnum."

"And it's importance?"

"I found it just a few minutes ago. It was at our doorstep. I heard someone knocking so I woke and went to see who it was, and lying there was this gun and this." He handed me the paper he was looking at. It was a letter.

Dear sirs,

    It is my unfortunate duty to inform you of the death of a Mr. John Simon. The Scotland Yard has already been informed. I

    wanted you to have this gun. Perhaps it will help.

In place of a signature was the mark that was on the medallion Simon had given us. The letter was typed rather than written.

"Simon's dead," I said to myself.

"It's time we do some investigating. Bring your revolver." Holmes took his hunting-crop and we left. He called a cab and we set off. "Take us to 362 Kensington Palace Gardens," Holmes said.

"A visit to Lion's family?" I asked. "What for?"

"To inspect his room. I'm sure the family will cooperate," Holmes said. The ride was short, and we were soon at the Lion family manor.They lived in a rather large house in a wealthier part of London. Holmes knocked on their door and Mrs. Lion answered.

"Mr. Holmes," she said. "What brings you to our home so late at night?"

"A case," Holmes replied. "In fact, the very case that I said I'd help you with. If you don't mind madam, may we have a look around your husband's study."

"You may. After all you've done for us, retrieving our stolen money and rescuing our children, how could I refuse?"

"You couldn't," Holmes said.

"Come in," said Mrs. Lion. "I'll show you to the study."

The house was nicely furnished, with antique vases and furnitures, expensive paintings, and brilliant sculptures. "This way," Mrs. Lion said. The study was on the second floor of the house. It was small compared to the other rooms of the household, but still the size of the living-quarters at 221b Baker Street. The walls were covered with row after row of books. Otherwise, the only furniture in the room were a desk and chair.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," Mrs. Lion said.

"Thank you," Holmes said. "We shan't be long."

Holmes walked to the shelves. "Not one of these books are on magic, Watson."

It was completely by chance that I noticed it, but the books on a shelf I was looking at were as follows: Manchester: A History, A Tale of Chivalry, Going Away, Inside The Pyramids, and Cats and Dogs: The Ancient Battle. Taking the first letter of each title would be M-A-G-I-C.

"Watson, look!" exclaimed my friend. He was at the desk. He was looking at a paper with letters printed in a single line. They were: A-C-I-M-G. Under the letters was a picture. It showed the very room we were in, but the bookshelf on the left wall was sinking.

"Holmes," I said. "Look here." I showed him my discovery with the books. They were on the shelf on the left-hand side. Holmes stayed silent for several minutes. He then moved to the bookshelf. He reached for the book entitled A Tale of Chivalry and attempted to pull it out. The book slid halfway, then made a clicking noise, but seemed to be stuck from there. It wouldn't come out.

"Watson, these books are levers!" Holmes exclaimed. Then he pulled out some other books on the shelf, but they came out fully. "Your discovery will be very helpful." He then pulled out Cats and Dogs: The Ancient Battle, but that didn't come out fully either. He then pulled out Inside the Pyramids, Manchester: A History, and lastly Going Away, in that order. Then, the most remarkable thing happened. The shelf began to sink. In a few seconds the shelf was gone entirely. We were now facing the wall. And in the middle of the wall was a door. Holmes opened it. Behind the door was a room. In the room were several tables on each was a different set of tools and vials, some containing liquids, some gases, and one a colony of rather large ants.

"What do you make of it, Watson?" Holmes asked.

"I think that Mr. Lion has been doing quite a bit of secret work," I replied. "Not to mention dangerous. Look here, he's experimenting with flammable and explosive liquids."

"Yes," Holmes said. "Some of these gases and liquids must have been created in this very room, I've never seen or heard of anything like them." It was true. There were many odd items in the room. One container held a substance that would change it's color every few minutes, another contained a toxin that would give off a small explosion every now and again. One vial seemed to contain nothing, but upon closer examination it contained an extremely clear liquid.

"Watson, this man must have been a genius!" Holmes said. "Look, he managed a way of containing Nitroglycerin in these small containers, he must have used the formula for dynamite, but he also somehow mixed it with something, most likely of his own invention, that allows it to be mixed again with black powder."

"A completely unstable and highly-explosive concoction," I said.

"Yes, completely unstable. Look at this table. He received a seven-thousand pound check. He was obviously doing all this for someone. I'll take this. And look, a receipt. It seems someone purchased exactly five-thousand pounds worth of what Lion named the Undetectable Poison. I think we found out how Mr. Connor was killed. He also purchased two-thousand pounds of Lion's Nitro-Powder. We know what that's called now. Come Watson, it's time we left." Holmes took the check and we stepped out of the room. Once the door was closed behind us, the bookshelf slid back to it's original position. We went downstairs.

"Are you finished with your investigation Mr. Holmes?" Mrs. Lion asked.

"Yes Ma'am, thank you for allowing us to have a look up there. I believe we are one step closer to finding your husband's killer."

"Thank you sir," she said. "Would like to eat? I've prepared breakfast for my family, we would be happy to have you join."

"Sorry, but really must be going," said Holmes. "We have some important business to attend to." We left the building. The sun was already up, it was around seven-thirty or eight.

"Where to now?" I asked.

"Well, the check is to Lion from a Mr. Alistair Colt. Does that name mean anything to you Watson?"

"Yes," I said. "You really don't know that name?"

"I haven't the foggiest," Holmes said.

"Colt is the world-famous creator of the revolver."

"Is that so?"

"Well It was Richard Colt who created it, but this man must be related to him."

"Well," Holmes said. "We're about to find out." We got a cab and rode to the bank. We walked in and Holmes went to the counter. Behind it was a balding, middle-aged man, looking very happy indeed.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the man asked in a cheery voice.

"My name is James Lion," Holmes began. "I received this check last night at a boxing match. I would very much like to know where this man lives, as he gave me the check but I'd like to return it, it's far more than I bet."

"Why of course I'll help. Let me pull up his file. Here you are, he lives at 232 Baker Street."

"Ah, Watson," Holmes said. "We're going back to Baker Street." It wasn't far, so we decided to walk.

"Holmes," I said. "The American revolver, I think I know how it fits in."

"How might that be?"

"Who ever left the message wanted to lead us to Colt."

"How so?"

"He left us a Colt .44 revolver."

"Are you saying," Holmes said. "That whoever left us the message isn't the killer?"

"It's possible."

"You're probably right," Holmes said. We were now on Baker Street. The address given to us was right around the corner. It was a nice little house. I guessed whoever stayed there lived alone. Holmes knocked. A minute passed without an answer. He knocked again. The same result. He looked at me. I drew my revolver and kicked open the door. A hallway. Almost instantly, a bullet whizzed pass. I shot in the direction the bullet came from then Holmes and I ducked into a side room. We were in a bedroom. I glanced out the door and fired off two more shots. We ran down the hall into the room the shot had come from. It was a small one. No furniture, only a staircase. We climbed it. We were in another bedroom. Sitting on the bed, was a man. Upon seeing us he raised his gun to his head and shot himself.

"A waste," I said, stuffing my revolver in my pocket.

"Well, we found Mr. Colt," said Holmes, who was already examining the body.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because his gun has property of Alistair Colt engraved into the handle," he replied.

"Why shoot himself," I asked.

"I think he knew someone was looking for him, and he'd rather die than be caught."

"Whatever he knew must have been important then."

"Exactly." Holmes walked around the room for a minute, examining the closet and bed as they were the only furniture in the room.

"Watson, the case isn't dead," he said. He had emerged from the closet with a box. He opened it. In it were two vials of the clear liquid found in Lion's lab, seven small transparent boxes of Nitro-Powder, and a paper saying "To be delivered to 3 Cannon Row."

"Well, looks like we're headed to Cannon Row," I said. We got another cab and rode on to No.3 Cannon row, a giant house even by mansion standards. Upon arrival, Holmes lit his pipe.

"Alright Watson," he said. "Our story: I'm Colt and you're my assistant. We're here to visit the master of the house." He rang the doorbell and a maid answered.

"Hello, sirs," said she.

"Hullo," said Holmes. "My name is Alistair Colt, I'm here to see your master."

"One moment," she said. She closed the door. In a few minutes, she returned. "This way." She led us up and up four flights of stairs, past numerous halls and dozens of room. Finally, we were at a study. Sitting behind a desk was an aristocratic character. He looked up and we noticed his glasses were, surprisingly, metal. The nameplate on the desk read "Mr. Sloman."

"Which of you is Colt?" he asked.

Holmes answered, "That would be me."

"I'm grateful that you helped me eliminate those annoying club members, but did I not ask you to stay away from here until your job was complete?"

"Well I would," Holmes said. "But I thought it would interest you to know that the Scotland Yard, and a Mr. Sherlock Holmes is on our tail."

"I told you what to do about Scotland Yard. Did Lion not give you the proper explosives for the job?"

"Well yes, the proper kind, but two-thousand pounds worth is still little."

"Little?!? When I get a hold of Lion-"

"Now," Holmes cut in. "I can still do the job, but I need to know, why the Olde Magyk club?"

"Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you. Remember the day you killed those two members with your hidden gun?" Sloman asked.

"Ah, yes. That one chap shot at me with a Colt Lightning. Is that the day?"

"Yes. Well earlier that day the Olde Magyk club members were transporting something. It was a staff they believe to have belonged to Merlin himself. Well the day before that I had sold that very staff. Made it myself. It's full of Nitro-Powder. I sold it to another aristocrat by the name of Samuel Fletcher. It is supposed to be in the hands of Lord Samuel Fletcher now. That staff was meant for him. But the man whom I sent to deliver it was so untrustworthy. He sold it to someone from that club. Now I must search until I find the staff. Even if it means killing them. Then I can get my reward."

"Well sir," Holmes said. "I know why Olde Magyk, now I need to know why you want Fletcher dead."

"I can't tell you that," Sloman replied. "Well, is there anything else you need?"

"No," said Holmes. "Watson, if you will." I drew my revolver. "Dear sir, assassination is illegal. My name is Sherlock Holmes. If you'll please follow us." Sloman stood.

"I've been set up!" he yelled.

"No," I said. "You've been caught." Holmes went to inspect the study while I kept my gun aimed at Sloman in the hall. After a few minutes. Holmes came out of the study.

"I called the police using your telephone," Holmes said. "I found the Undetectable Poison you put in Conner's drink. I also found out how you know Fletcher. You were out recently weren't you? There's fresh dirt all over your boots. I found a shovel as well. Also with fresh dirt. Been doing some digging Sloman? Most likely near Kensington Palace Gardens according to the map on your desk. There's blood on your clothes. And a bullet hole in the glove near your shovel. As well as a coin. A coin with a bull's head. Let me see your arm. Here it is. A tattoo. The same mark that was on Baker. It seems you, Fletcher, and Baker were in a club. You receive so many letters from the two, each signed with a signature and a bull's head. A treasure hunting club most likely. Or do you read so much about the subject merely for fun? You found some treasure. You and Fletcher found something, and you want all of it so you intend to kill Fletcher. The blood and bullet hole indicate you already attempted to, but he got away."

Sloman's face fell. "You figured all this out by looking in my study?" We heard someone coming. It was the police.

"You can take it from here," Holmes said to them. Then, to Sloman, "Don't worry, I'll tell them all I found out."

Holmes and I visited Fletcher in Cambridge, and it seems the letter we received had come from him. He thanked us and, due to the death of every single member of the Olde Magyk club, payed us with one fourth of the gold he dug up in Kensington Palace Gardens.

Slideshow

I managed to put my slideshow up online. Unfortunately, it's a download. You can take a look at it here.

I'm starting a new project. It's a Sherlock Holmes project. I'm writing a story, which will be up here when finished, and doing some other things, including a short biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of the Sherlock Holmes books. I'll try to find a way to share this project as well.

School System

Today I tried something new for school. What I mean is a new system of learning that Dad came up with. Every morning before school, I think of a project. It has to be something fun that will excite me. That way I won't get bored during the day. I'll spend the day doing that project, as well as other everyday things like math, reading, or writing. Then at the end of the day, I'll blog about my school day. Okay, here goes nothing.

Today, I learned how to use Microsoft Powerpoint. I'm doing a da Vinci presentation. I can do the basics, but there are still a lot of buttons and functions I haven't even touched yet. I'll get it finished by tomorrow (hopefully) and then I'll start trying to put it up here on the site. I also continued programming work with Dad. We're using the Dive Into Python tutorial now. We tried some stuff on it on Dad's Mac using TextMate, an awesome text editor that edit's and highlights text depending on the programming language you use. It also has a bunch of great shortcuts, and a lot of programming languages including Perl, Python, C, C++, HTML, and many many more. Take a look at it here.

And so concludes day one.

The NB205

This is my first ever post from my new laptop! It's a Toshiba NB205 Netbook. I got it just yesterday morning, thanks to Grandma Shannon. She picked it up for me at the NEX, and I paid her for the laptop and external optical drive. And she even got me a case as a gift. The laptop was $416, the optical drive was $99.

The laptop has a pretty roomy keyboard compared to the other netbooks I used (a Dell Inspiron Mini and an HP Mini among others). It has a nice bright screen, and an okay webcam, picture comes up dark when used in my room unless it's near 100% brightness. Speakers are okay, though the fact that they're at the bottom of the system does make them a bit quieter than they could be. It uses Windows 7, which I know how to use now. Intel Atom processor. And on top of it all, the battery life is great. Had it on until around 9:30 last night and I haven't plugged it in since I first got it. From what I can see, this is a pretty good computer.

The computer doesn't have too many cons. The microphone isn't great, so no recording my music. The hard-drive is 250GIG so it's pretty good for a netbook. I'm so glad I won't be using the 2004 Dell Desktop anymore. Even this little netbook is faster and better quality than that thing.

Live by the Creed: Assassin's Book Idea

Assassin's Creed II is amazing. So much that it inspired me to write, and I've only played a demo. The game's plot is great and the gameplay is smooth. the story is about Ezio Auditore Di Firenze, the son of an italian banker during the Italian Renaissance. The Auditore Di Firenze are descendants of a long line of assassin's. One day, Giovani Auditore, Ezio's father, is hanged for treason. Framed. the Auditores tried to defend Medici, not attempt his murder. So, Ezio dons his fathers assassin's robes and vows revenge.

I love the story, so I want to write one with the main character based on Ezio. An assassin novel. But at what time? The Renaissance? I was thinking sometime during Feudal Japan, or during WWII. I also need a title.