Yeah. Here not that much people trick or treat on halloween but some do. I've only ever been trick or treating once. But another reason that I dont much is because its one of my brothers and one of sisters birthday on halloween.
from Tom G, age ?, ?, ?, ?; October 31, 2002

I'm finally back, after a long time. My computer went screwy and turned itself off, and then it wouldn't turn on again! After a long time of trying to fix it, my mom succeeded. It took a while to go to the different sites I like to get the bookmarks back, but now I'm here again. As for Halloween, I'm going out pretty soon to trick or treat.
from Joe Bob B., age 11, Menlo Park, ?, ?; October 31, 2002

Well, since nobody has posted anything lately, I thought I'd talk about what day it is today: It's Halloween. Do you guys (Da masta and Tom G.) celebrate Halloween in your countries? It originated from a mexican tradtion called "dio de los muertos" or something like that, where the mexiccan people celebrated people who have died and dressed up in costumes to scare away bad spirits.
Somehow, this now involves walking around and asking complete strangers for candy. I probably missed the origin of that tradition. Anyway, I wish people would post more, because it has been over a week since the last post.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 31, 2002

"I do biology, chemistry, physics, geography, French, German, maths, english and electronics"

That's a pretty impressive schedule. In the private school I went to all the way through Junior High school, the classes were bilingual. More than half of the classes were taught in french, by french teachers, so I learned how to speak that language fluently. I've also been taking Spanish and Latin for quite a while. Besides that, I take Technology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Biology,Geology (which they group into one class: Sciences of life and the Earth)US history, European history and Geogrphy. This sounds like alot but it's so spread out that I get less time for each subject. For example, I only get 55 minutes of Latin per week.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?, ?; October 23, 2002

Public schools aren't bad at all. In fact, you can get a good education in them. Private schools are self owned and therefore can allow you to get a specialized education.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?, ?; October 23, 2002

Actually I was wrong.
There is a school in Auckland called Auckland Grammer School but its not a grammer school.
Its a normal public school but it is one of the best in the country.
from Tom G, age 13, Thames, Coromandel, ?; October 23, 2002

I don't know why they're called grammar schools because they don't focus on grammar. I do biology, chemistry, physics, geography, French, German, maths, english and electronics. Because I dropped the other subjects for GCSE.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 22, 2002

In New Zealand it should be OK to go to a government school - I'm sure people are more decent. And government schools vary greatly. There are plenty of decent ones in England. But some are really bad. The comprehensive school near my school is full of yobs. People who never want to learn and don't care and just want to have fights and something else I won't care to mention. That's OK sometimes but thats all they ever want. They just sit on the streets under the excuse that they are "hanging out" and actually they trash things and deform property and try to pick fights and snog on the street. This may sound harsh from me, but I have to see them every school day for over three years now. And that's the school I'd go to probably if I didn't go to the grammar school to which I'd passed some exams. I'd either be very beaten up or I'd become like them.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 22, 2002

We get grammer schools here.
from Tom G, age 13, ?, ?, ?; October 21, 2002

I just go to a normal public (govrnment funded) school. I think its about average for schools in the country.
from Tom G, age 13, Thames, Waikato; October 21, 2002

"You don't get grammar schools in the US, do you?"

Well, it depends on what you mean by grammar school. As far as I know, there are no schools around here that focus only on grammar. There are places were kids can go to learn about specific things, but this isn't school.
On the other hand,in private and Catholic schools, Grades 1-8 are known as "Grammar school". (You probably don't have Grades in England, or they're different, so let's just say your in "grammar school" from age 6 to age 13.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 18, 2002

"Aw, it's not that personal. I've been going to private schools all my life. Throughout Kindergarden, elementry school, middle school, and still today. My parents made the decision a long time ago, and I guess it has paid off."

You don't get grammar schools in the US, do you?

I go to a free, grant maintained grammar school, but I had to pass an exam and be in the top several hundred or so (I think) people to actually get an invitation. As with all grammar schools. Mine is the best in the whole area except for another 2 or so; K.E.S. and K.E.S. Camp Hill, and you have to pay money to go to them as well as pass the exams.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 18, 2002

"do you go to a private school Tim?"

Aw, it's not that personal. I've been going to private schools all my life. Throughout Kindergarden, elementry school, middle school, and still today. My parents made the decision a long time ago, and I guess it has paid off.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 17, 2002

"I also hope to complete in the next few years (not joking) my first ever and hopefully not too pathetic attempt at making a simple computer game."

Making computer games is pretty fun. During the summers I used to learn how to program, but it wasn't until recently that I was able to make a fully functional computer game. You could even play it in French as well as english. But I'm really far from being an expert programmer (REALLY FAR) so the game is not very impressive.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 17, 2002

Good to know you'll be here more often Joe Bob.

And I know this is kind of a personal question, but if its OK with you - do you go to a private school Tim? (By private I mean a non government school that offers higher education but at quite an expensive price.)

I also hope to complete in the next few years (not joking) my first ever and hopefully not too pathetic attempt at making a simple computer game.
With Dinosaurs. You basically run around, find guns and shoot 'em. But It'll have a storyline and mission objectives, etc. Most of the projects I start I get bored with in about a few weeks at most, but I've been working on this for a while and hopefully I will finish it instead of just going "ah wot the hell" and forgetting the whole thing.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 15, 2002

I'm in California. It's the weekend, so maybe I'll get to writing another DWF chapter. Most of the forums I go to are not working, so I'll be here more often.
from Joe Bob B., age 11, Menlo Park, California, U.S.A., ?; October 12, 2002

I think Joe Bob lives in the Menlo Park that's in California.

Speaking of great inventors, I recently read somewher that Nikola Tesla built his largest ever "Tesla Coil" somewhere in Colorado. I thought he mostly worked on the east coast. Afterall, he did work in Edison's lab for a few years.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 10, 2002

I'm glad there are finally some new posts. I don't have any reply for any of the new posts, though.

I was just reading about insects (in a book which really doesn't have a lot to do with insects) and I read that the Therophosidae (Tartulas, Monkey Spiders, Bird Eating Spiders, etc.) was one of the spider families with the most members. About 870, I think. I knew there were different kinds of Neotropical Tarantulas, and such, but I didn't know there were so many of that kind of spider.

Also, my grandparents just sent back my "Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals" I had bought this summer, and then lost when I went to visit their house. I know this is completely random, but I'm in a good mood, that's all.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 10, 2002

"I don't think it's been named yet (I can't find any record of publications by Ferigolo with it's name). JC"

OK, thanks anyway.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 8, 2002

I was going to do some trivia but I'm not thinking right and I'm tired.

I want to ask something JC -

"Oldest-known Dinosaur Found in Brazil
May 27, 2001

A team of paleontologists led by Jorge Ferigolo found the oldest-known dinosaur (or possibly a thecodont, a reptilian ancestor of the dinosaurs) in a remote location in southern Brazil."

I should think that it would have a name by now. Do you know what it is?
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 7, 2002
I don't think it's been named yet (I can't find any record of publications by Ferigolo with it's name). JC

It's about a year now since I've been here, and my birthday is on the 29th. This is totally irrelevant but at least it's something.

And Joe Bob is from California, isn't he? Because there's a Menlo Park in New Jersey, where Thomas Edison had his Laboratory. This is also totally random but I've been looking at the archives and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 7, 2002

"because if I lived in some really cool place I'd get bored of it after a while. And it wouldn't really change my lifestyle much."

This is true for everyone. Los Altos Hills is a place where you see at least one deer every day, except on rare occasions. And the truth is, Seeing deer isn't as thrilling for me as it is for other people.
Today's deer count: 3
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?; October 2, 2002

Your long post is very true. I don't see anything I can seriously contradict. Before now I didn't have alot of time to read it all.
from Tim M., age ?, ?, ?, ?; October 1, 2002

"after a couple of years"

After a few years, maybe. For the first three years I'd be late every morning registration. I'm late often as it is!
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 1, 2002

I mean the big long post.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 1, 2002

"Anyone here?"

Yeah, sorry I've been away for a while. What do you think of my post though? Want to discuss anything I said?
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 1, 2002

"I know that this has nothing to do with dinosaurs, but I'm bored and I thought I post something a little different.
Even though IBM's the worlds largest computer company (wait... now that Hewlett-Packard and Compaq have merged, Hewlett Packard's probably the largest... oh well) I've never seen an IBM in my life. And I live in the Silicon valley, which is arguably the birthplace of the PC. I've seen Xerox-PARC, Hewlett Packard headquarters, and Apple headquarters though."
OK. I quite arguably live in the middle of nowhere, but if I think about it, it kinda suits me because if I lived in some really cool place I'd get bored of it after a while. And it wouldn't really change my lifestyle much.
from da masta, age ?, ?, ?; October 1, 2002