Disclaimer: I don't own Jules. Do I have to go into further detail than that?


FROM THE ILLUSTRIOUS MIND OF JULES ERATOSTHENES BROWN

BY JULES E. BROWN

Martin's father purchased a new computer. So, he had no more need for this typewriter. Martin brought it over to our house today and asks if we wanted it. Well let me tell you that this thing isn't in the best of conditions.

It's at least thirty years old and the quotations key doesn't work anymore. It's color has faded to an unpleasant gray hue and there are many scratches on it. Plus there is this pink handprint on the side (the artwork of Marty's sister when she was three). As you can surmise, none of us were impressed.

I ended up claiming it for myself. Why on earth did I do this? Mainly because I wanted to take it apart and see if I could use some of its mechanical parts in an invention. However then I started to experiment with the keys. After typing some interesting cryptic messages of nonsense, I decided to use it as my own personal logbook. Real scientists write log books. It's good to get your thoughts on paper.

So this will be the very first entry of my Log Book. I will now document my personal thoughts on various subjects of life. This seems like a good way to start.

NOTE: I suppose it is sort of pig-headed of myself to call my mind ILLUSTRIOUS. But since this Log Book is for my visual receptors only I think it will be all right. Which reminds me.

NOTE 2: Verne if you're reading this, you better put it down or I'll take apart all your Nintendo devices piece by piece!


SCHOOL

I like school. Well, I like the WORK part of school. The other part, the SOCIAL part, is far beyond my liking. Complicated is one way to describe it. Frightening is another. There are kids in school that, well, just don't favor me. Father once said it had something to do with my IQ level. It's not like I try to be academically supieror to my classmates. It just happens like that.

I would like, no LOVE school more if they installed cubicles that separated me from the frightening children.


SPORTS

I am a baseball man myself. Besides the Discovery Channel, it is the only thing I avidly watch. I'm not going to put in whether I support the Red Sox or Yankees. Because I've seen people cause nearly a war over which team is greater. I witnessed a fist fight last year during recreational period. My preference will be kept confidential.

But on sports as a whole, I don't particularly see their importance. Not that I look down on sportsman or sportswoman. They have just as much a right to practice sports as I have a right to practice science.

Also, I always sit out during gym class. That's only because I abhore P.E. Bother if I get an F. I prefer sitting out rather than getting brain damage from a poorly aimed basketball.


SCIENCE

Just typing that word makes endorphins shoot up in my body. The love to create. To discover. To learn. To share. There's nothing quite like it. My father knows. Science is most likely in his blood. In mine too. There's something just so… incredible about attempting to better the world. Of course, I cannot exactly better the world yet. I am only twelve. Maybe my mother will let me when I'm thirteen.

Father is a living example of a true scientist. I've known him my entire life and he has NEVER given up on an invention or experiment. I try to follow his example but I swear, if there is ONE more problem with my catopault I'm ready to toss it out the window.


POPULAR CULTURE

Just because I am a scientist-in-training does not mean I don't pay attention to what's what. I listen in when other children discuss trends. Don't believe me? I can prove it:

It's COOL to dress as Wayne and Garth for Halloween

It's COOL to write on your sneakers

It's COOL (for girls) to wear your lip protection cream around your neck

It's COOL (for boys) to wear over-sized plaid shirts

It's UNCOOL to slick back your hair with gel

It's UNCOOL to wear your pants up to your naval

It's UNCOOL to wear imitation or fake Chuck Taylors

It's UNCOOL to not watch MTV

It's UNCOOL to wear dress shoes or loafers

Not that I actually care about any of this. Information, any at all, sticks in my head like glue. I also resent the fact that loafers aren't cool anymore.


LITERATURE

My teachers often describe me as a voracious reader. They're right about that. I go through more books a month than most boys go through bubble gum. As of yet, I have not met anyone nearly as well-read as myself. I wish one day I will. It would be nice to have a conversation about Harper Lee's characters or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's terrific plot lines with someone who is not in college. One of my favorite works is Anthem by Ayn Rand. My english teacher sometimes jokes that I am Equality 7-2521.

Although my reading level is far beyond the seventh grade level, I do enjoy occasionally reading R.L. Stine or Jerry Spinelli. For pure entertainment of course.

RELIGION


Is this still taboo? Oh whatever, nobody is going to ever read this so I might as well type this. I do not practice any sort of worship. At least not anymore. When Verne and I were younger, our mother brought us to Church every Sunday. That was mostly because it was considered very rude to miss Church then. But after we moved to this time period, our Church goings decreased. Neither of my parents are religious people and Verne is too lazy to get up for eight o' clock mass on Sundays.


WAR

I've traveled through history enough to know that war is just plain HORRIBLE. I've seen the damage done to people. I've seen the weapons. I've seen the hurt and the fear. Two years ago my brother ran away to the civil war and nearly got himself killed. I wish that we didn't feel the need to use violence to solve our problems. Why not just sit down and discuss it? That's what mother always has Verne and myself do when we argue.


WOMAN

???????????


Here ends the first entry of my Log Book: THE ILLUSTRIOUS MIND OF JULES ERATOSTHENES BROWN. I have to cease writing because the ink in this device is running ou