What if...

What if you landed on a secret door and were catapulted into the air through a series of layers consisting of rotting fish, honey, and feathers. Well, for one you would appear as an incredibly over-sized chicken reeking of fish corpses, but you would also be standing in an alternate universe along with hundreds of other human shaped turkeys. Before you got a chance to adjust to your freaky new ambiance, you are rushed up an escalating ramp into a dim-lighted shack. You look rapidly around to find the source of this stampede. Low to the ground are two stumpy turkeys dressed in dusty overalls and red trucker hats. The strange thing about these feathery birds was not their attire. It was the 12 gage shot guns dangling around their shoulders. Do chickens have shoulders? You are starting to freak out, meanwhile you are relocated by the other addlepated wanderers into a towering iron cage. But then, as if nothing could be more bizarre, an aroma floats it's way through your nasal passage. Sweet smells of mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, and stuffing are circling your head while you lick your lips. The scent takes you back to a jubilant time, Thanks Giving. Then it hits you, you hear the cock of the shot gun. All around you people who are becoming aware of the events about to occur are scratching at the ground and yelling to their full capacity. What if the world of giving thanks were to be turned around on us? What if the turkeys finally got their revenge?

P.S. The rotting fish was just for effect. It doesn't have anything to do with this story.

Journal #1: Angels and Demons

"Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though we are all proclaiming the same thing. That life has meaning. That we are grateful for that created us."

Growing up my whole life I've been taught the ways of a devote Catholic. Learning the lessons of the Bible and being expected to follow them at first seemed like the only way, the right way. But as I grow and expand my mind in the areas of science and other religions, I have started to question the true motives of religion. In "Angels and Demons", written by Dan Brown, the debate deciphering between science and religion is inevitable. At the end of it all, it comes down to looking for the great questions in life. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Why does a buttered piece of bread consistently fall and land buttered face down? I understand that if I were to be raised in a different country, the middle east for example, it is likely that my religion would be completely opposite from what it is now. I believe that it doesn't matter what religion you follow, just as long as you have something to subside the cravings of knowing the mysteries of life.

The Hazards of Neglection

If I had to re-write the title, "The Perils of Indifference", I would change it to "The Hazards of Heartlessness". It is evident in the short story "The Lottery" that standing and doing nothing while injustice is going on is extremely destructive. The stoning in the "Lottery" is relevant to the events that occurred during World War 2. Many knew what was going on with the Holocaust and chose to ignore it. People who stood by while their own friends were being taken away by the Nazis. Either people became brainwashed and actually didn't see anything wrong with what was occurring, or they were just too wrapped up and didn't feel a need to get involved. In "The Lottery" the stoning didn't even phase anyone. They just stood there watching. I agree with the author of the speech; to be neglected is so much worse than to be the victim of anger. At least with anger people are giving you the time of day.

Ignorance is Bliss

Every day as we sit in our sheltered worlds we hear about new things going on all around us. We hear about horrible things such as the current state of our troops in Afghanistan, our health care and the way doctors are treating mentally ill, and the dangerous work conditions employees are having to endure. Now that we are aware of these situations, what do we do now? Is it our duty to take action and fix these problems. I think that it is our responsibility, once we are aware of these unfortunate events, reach out to the less fortunate and do our best to prevent them from continuing. I will admit, I myself have been to a fast food restaurant since reading a passage from Fast Food Nation, even after the devastating realization of what those flat, grease-filled patties go through to get here today. I'm not proud of it, but I think I speak for most when I say that it is extremely difficult to remember the treacheries happening around us. Maybe that just means that we need to be reminded more often, instead of drifting back into our ignorant dream world. I am confidant that most people believe that it is right to do something about the wrongs in the world. I also think that people diliberately avoid learning new information in order to their own preachings. Isn't playing dumb what we do best? How can we take the blame if, "We didn't know?" It's about time that we stop talking and start doing. If we don't, then who will?

Pretty. Odd. (Review)

I have recently purchased the new album by Panic! At the Disco, "Pretty. Odd." While purchasing this album I didn't really know what to expect. Their previous CD, "A Fever you Can't Sweat Out" I found to be a new and interesting sound. Their song titles were original and a little strange. I was suprised when listening to their most recent CD; their sound was much more mellow and included more acoustic guitar. Strangely enough, the sound reminded me of "Sgt. Peppers" by the Beatles. Some may find it hard to believe but I feel that PATD really understands the sound the Beatles were able to create. What I love is that even though the sound is similar to the Beatles, you never forget you're listening to PATD. They've managed to put their own spin on a sound that is cherished internationally. I highly advise you to check out this CD, even if you have already labled the band as "Emo" or "Pop/Punk", they may suprise you.

Flawless?

What is the definition of beauty? Some say that beauty is something present in a person that gives intense pleasure. Other definitions describe beauty as what individual cultures find appealing. I have not yet seen the word perfect in any definition or flawlessness for that matter. The truth is that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has specific things that appease their likings. People today are striving for perfection thinking that it's the only way to feel attractive. Tanning beds, plastic surgery, make-up, and even eating disorders are the dangerous actions they're putting their bodies through to achieve a look that most people aren't even that fond of. When I think of beauty I think of ease and naturalness. In order to be considered beautiful you have to accept your flaws and accentuate what you do like. Happiness is so much more beautiful than sadness.

Blog Critiria

I think that our blogs should be marked as complete or incomplete. Blogs are a great way to practice and expand our writing experiences. That's why they should only be effort marks. As for Blog topics, I enjoy writing about anything controversal and debatable. For example, issues such as abortion, stem cell research, enviornmental problems, etc. Topics on celebraties, movies, books, and fashion also intrigue me. Other than that, I am quite versatile and I don't usually have a hard time expressing my opinions on various subjects.

Super Powers!

If you were to ask me what kind of super powers I would want the most, I would have to say I would find the most fulling sensation from the power of either; traveling at the speed of light or the power to teleport.
Imagine the possibilities, you're running late for an extremely important event, waffle wednesday for instance. With teleportation, you're all ready there. This will save you the annoyance of missing out on the fluffy goodness hidden within the golden crust of the Belgian wonder. These powers would also help me with my disability of procrastination. They wouldn't make me prioritize or anything, but when I'm presssed for time I would just kick it in high gear and get a whole days work done in 0.034 seconds. Another perk to these abilities is avoiding the hassle of traveling. You know what I'm talking about, passports, luggage, air-sickness, and all the other wonderful things that come with air travel. By utilizing these powers I would also be doing a huge favor for the enviornment. No gas emissions, no problem, right?
It is quite evident that for many reasons, the super powers that I have chosen are the most tempting and convienent powers across the board.