What I Would do if I Stayed Awake for Twenty-Four Hours

Hello everybody!
If you are reading this post and it only has a few paragraphs, then happy new years eve! If this is completed, then happy new years!
Wait, I hear you say, why would this post only be half completed? That's a good question, actually. Here's the scoop.
As you can perhaps judge from the title, today I'm going to try to stay awake for twenty-four hours, and blog about it. At the moment, I've only been awake for... oh, about four hours. I overslept a bit and only woke up at 10:45, so... it's going to be tough.
You may be thinking, "thats great, but why is it only half completed?" The thing is, I don't want to miss my posting day. If I waited the entire twenty-four hours, then I'd miss it. And so instead, I'm going to post this today and then just update it every two hours or so. Right now, it's 2:55pm. Obviously I don't feel exhausted yet (although admittedly I'm still tired for whatever reason), and so I'm not going to start giving you updates until 10pm. Just a disclaimer though; I probably won't make it through the entire night. The one time I did manage twenty four hours was when I was less tired starting out, woke up an hour earlier, and was more motivated. Anyways, we'll see how it goes...

10PM
Hey y'all, how's it going? Personally, it's going great - me and my sis are just chilling while watching Divergent. As for tiredness levels, all is good. See you in two hours.

Well, I failed. I failed on so many levels. First of all, I forgot to do my midnight update- at which point it was still going alright, and me and Julia were watching master chef kids. Laura also joined in about now. It was going pretty well, actually, until at about one AM Laura called it quits. Julia, on the other hand, hung on for another hour or so watching an extremely boring movie, but then she to went to bed.
Honestly, I felt pretty good throughout the whole thing, and probably could have made it the entire twenty-four hours if I'd really put my mind to it. Both of my supporting sisters were gone, however, so I headed off to bed and probably hit the sack at around three.
So I'm sorry that this was such an epic fail. Perhaps we can do a part two?

Happy new year, and I'll see you... tomorrow, actually.

-Mark

What I Would do if I Owned a Bookstore

If you haven't already gathered this from the fact that I keep a blog, I love both writing and reading. As any literature lover, I also love bookstores. There's something so exciting about walking through the door and seeing all of these untouched books. There are a million stories hidden in this one room, containing far off places and characters that could become as real to you as your own friends. Best of all, once you buy a book, it becomes yours and you get to leave your own personal mark on it. You'll remember places you visited while reading that book, what happened on the day that your cover became slightly tattered, or the reason your book smells like chocolate. Fiction has a beautiful way of merging into our every day lives and becoming memories.

In other words, I should never be allowed into a bookstore (unless I somehow become a millionaire). I'm a particular sucker for buying journals... I always have to avoid that section unless I want to leave  with yet another. 

That's why, if I owned any store, I'd probably want to own a bookstore. This is what I would do:

1. Ensure that I featured books by new or lesser known authors, particularly local ones (providing their work was decent). I think that it's so important to give these authors a chance to have their work read, and to let your customers experience a wide variety of texts from various sources. 

2. I would try to have a larger section of books in different languages. As a Canadian, I feel quite strongly about this. In the maritimes (where I go to school), the French book section is huge. I can actually buy a novel in French! However, in Edmonton, they pretty much just have French dictionaries. Come on!!! If we're a bilingual country, I think we need to represent that on our bookshelves. 

3. I would have cozy armchairs scattered about so that people could look through books in comfort (and maybe sneakily read through an entire book). 

4. I would spend a substantial time reading myself (and buying my own books) so that I could get an idea of what sort of new material should be put on our shelves. In particular, I'd love to find more English translations of foreign novels. There is some amazing literature out there that really needs to be experienced by a wider audience. 

5. I would carry a huge variety of books. No, there would not just be dystopian or vampire novels in the young adult section. I haven't used that section since I was about fourteen, because I was so sick of the lack of variety (and, I'm sorry to say, lack of quality). I'm not saying that all of those books were bad, but just that a larger variety is needed to appeal to all tastes. 

Those are just a few ideas I have. It's hard to improve bookstores, but I think these few ideas would be a good starting point! 

Since I won't be writing again until the 2015 (AH!), I just wanted to wish you all a happy new year and thank you for reading. Take care!

-Laura

What I Would do to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse (Part Two)

Zombies, as I learned in The Zombie Survival Guide, are a terrifyingly real threat in our world. As much as the government attempts to cover it up, we know that every day the zombie threat grows globally. To protect myself, I have made some survival plans with aid from my survival guide. I would like to share them with you so as to increase your own survival chances.

1. The first thing that you must do when you realize that zombies are invading your home town is to gather supplies. If you're smart, then you would have already gathered these supplies for a quick getaway. Otherwise, pack up as much food, as many weapons, and as many able-bodied people that you can. Make sure that your group doesn't exceed ten or so members, however. You don't want conflict within your group.

2. Now, you need to leave the area as quickly as you can, heading north. If you have an off-road vehicle, great; strap as many bikes as you can fit onto it, as well as spare parts. Now put your supplies and the extra fuel containers into the car and hit the road. You did pack extra fuel containers... right?
Because of the zombie threat, the roads will be clogged. Instead of getting onto them, go off-road. Not only will this be faster, but zombies will be drawn to the honking and shouting from the crowded streets.

3. Eventually, whether due to the bad off-road conditions or lack of fuel because of the sudden rush, your car will break down. This is where the bikes come in handy; silent, easily maintained and with an unlimited source of fuel. Continue heading northwards, making camp where you can. If you haven't managed to acquire good weapons yet, now is the time to do so. Be careful heading towards your local gunshop, however; the guns will undoubtably already have been stolen, and zombies will have been attracted to the throng of people surrounding the shop. Instead, make your own weapon if possible, or trade with a passer-bye. Keep alert, and whatever you do, don't hunt the zombies.

4. Continue to head north. Why? Because the farther northwards you go, the colder and the less densely populated it becomes. Zombies will freeze. As an added bonus, the smarter zombie survivalists will have traveled there to.

5. Once you are safer in the north, you may stop travelling. Now is a good time to meet up with other groups to create one, large, well-protected settlement. You can rebuild the human race.

6. One final, but important, note. If you are bitten by a zombie, don't waste your time saying goodbye to your family and friends. Instead, you must help them by increasing their chances of survival. How? By, before you turn, grabbing a weapon and taking some zombies out with you. If you can take out a few zombies, then you're helping the human race survive. Then, once you feel like that you are close to "death," don't allow yourself to become one of the zombies. You know what you must do.

Hopefully, my friends, we can all work together to move past this zombie threat. The human race must survive, no matter what the cost.
To increase humanity's chances of survival, I urge you to share this post with your family and friends, as well as to read The Zombie Survival Guide. Your very life may depend on it.
Wishing you the best of luck,

-Mark

What I Would do if I were Trapped in a Room with a Tarantula

Fun fact: apparently, spiders are the number one thing that people are afraid of worldwide. I got this statistic from my family over dinner (we have some strange conversations), so I can't guarantee its authenticity, but it sounds about right to me.

Why is it that we're scared of something so small? The answer to that is simple. They're the creepiest little monsters ever. They have those terrifying spindly legs. Some of them move freakishly fast. I don't know if your heart fills with dread when you see one of those fast ones, but I know mine does (often followed by a shriek). Then there are those awful webs that get caught on you, and the worst part is that the feeling remains long after you're sure you've brushed away the last sticky piece.

Movies like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or Lord of the Rings: Return of the King frankly do not help this fear. Spider scenes are the scariest things in the world. Just thinking of the eyes and the hairy legs and their pouncing and the way they poison and spin up people in freaky web cocoon things makes my heart pound.

I will give you an idea of how fully I hate spiders. I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro when I was fourteen, and they had these horrible "outhouses" that were basically stalls with holes in the ground. The weird part was, in spite of the 90% concentration of men on the mountain, there still seemed to be a mysterious lack of aim when it came to using the outhouse. Often there were puddles of pee with little icebergs floating in them, or giant pieces of - well - s*** sitting beside the hole. One morning, I had the choice between two outhouses. One had a bunch of poo around the hole. The other had a spider in the corner sitting on a web. Yes, I chose the poo. I figure there are two types of people in the world, and I feel like this simple test would easily distinguish those intelligent enough to recognize the lack of threat of human waste and those brave or rash enough to do their business with the threat of spiders dropping on their heads.

One last point. Spiders are scary enough when they're small, but there are some pictures of spiders that make me never want to leave Canada. Here, the biggest spider you see in the wild is a daddy-longlegs, and they're too stupid to be horrifically scary. But then there are giant bird eating spiders and tarantulas and jumping spiders and spiders large enough that their feet make pattering noises on the ground...

The point is, spiders are TERRIFYING. The only thing perhaps equal to them is the ocean (and all things in it - particularly sea urchins). That may be a topic for another day.

If I were stuck in my bedroom with a tarantula, this is what I would do:

1. Scream for help. This probably wouldn't even be a conscious choice. I'm sure I would be a quaking, screaming, maniacal flood of tears. On that note, I may even seriously consider calling 911. TARANTULAS DO NOT BELONG IN MY HOUSE.

2. Jump onto my bed or any other close high ground to keep the spider in sight while being out of its reach.

3. Attempt to grab any large, heavy object. Preferably one I never want to see again.

4. Drop said object hard on spider and hope it hits it. If it was too far away, I would not move to confront it. I would wait for help or wait for the bastard to crawl its disgusting way over to me.

5. Regrettably, squish said spider into goo while still screaming to hide any unpleasant noises. This may include poking the heavy object dropped on the spider with something long so I'm out of reach. If I'm feeling very brave, I may jump on the heavy object to ensure death. *Note: I really regret this. I always feel guilty for killing things and it seems mean to kill something just for being in my room, but the other option is releasing this beast into the wild. That would just be cruel. No, if I'm catching this thing alive, it is going to the zoo or the exterminator or whoever takes care of freaky giant illegal bug things in houses.

6. Go for counselling.

I hope that this situation never happens to anyone (myself included). I think I may have nightmares.

-Laura

What I Would do if I Could Live for 200 Years

Human technology is always advancing. We've discovered exactly how much of what improves bodily function, new machines that can extend human life, and ways to make your body fitter and stronger then ever before. The max human lifespan, my friends, may be extending- in fact, some people are saying that the first human to live to 200 years old may already have been born. Well, actually, they may have been born over fifteen years ago, because I first heard this news from an old National Geographic Kids magazine published in 1990-something. Anyway, I've been wondering lately. What would I do if I lived to 200 years? I feel like I need to make a plan. And so, self, if you're 60 years old and have just learned that you're going to live to be 200, come over here. Your 14-year-old self has made a plan for the rest of your life...

Age 0-mid 20's; Go to school and get good grades. Write. Edit. Take some courses in college. Easy enough.
Age 20-something to 40; Write stuff for a living. Write a couple bestsellers, self. I'm counting on you to make me rich and famous.
Age 40-50; Retire. You've worked hard! Without any pressure to make money, go and live you're dream to be a professional ping-pong player.
Age 50-75; Okay, now your money has run out, and now the pressure is on to make money as a ping-pong player. Put your ten years of no-pressure ping-pong playing to good use.
Age 75-80; Retire again and spend some time with your grandkids. You'll be a cool grandfather, though- you'll still be fairly spry at this point, and can do all sorts of things with your grandkids. Remember, you feel physically like a 40 year old, even if you are 80.
80-81; Become a youtube star.
81-90; By now you've failed at becoming a youtube star. Instead, try to make a career in trampolining.
90-100; While you're body is still in great condition, pursue a career in Skiing.
100-140; By now, every last bit of your cash has been drained due to only moderate success in sports. Go to work as a journalist or an editor. Write novels on the side.
140-150; Build a hut in the mountains and live in complete isolation from the rest of the world. This will make for a great reality TV show where dozens of Cameramen can live with you and keep you from getting lonely.
150-155; Join the military and see how they do things.
155-165; Write a couple bestsellers and become rich once more.
165-180; Use that money to build yourself your own personal rocket ship. Travel to the ISS on weekends.
180-190; Crunch time. Work like crazy to tick off every item on your bucket list. Also, travel the world.
190-200; Say good bye to your kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, great-great-grandkids, and everyone else. Then climb into your rocket ship and set sail for Pluto.
200; After a final intergalactic FaceTime with your friends and family, get on your space suit and be the first human to set foot on Pluto. It had to be pluto- all the other planets around have already been colonized. Step out into the freezing cold environment, and look back on your life just before Pluto freezes you to death.

And there you go, future self! Your life plan.
I'm especially exited for my space travel. Weightlessness would be pretty cool, huh?
Oh! I forgot to mention! I'll keep blogging on this blog my entire life. It might get slightly repetitive after 150 years or so, but oh well. You with me, sis?

Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do if I had Sherlock's Intelligence

Before university, I pretty much never watched television. I read, I spent time with friends, I worked on school stuff, and I worked hard at my hobbies. However, once I got to university, a lot changed. Suddenly, I was in a new city that I knew little about, where I knew next to no one, and where I had to deal with the inevitable added variable of severe depression. In short, I started watching television. On this little television spree, I discovered a beautiful show from the BBC called Sherlock. 

Of course I knew about Sherlock Holmes. I'd seen very old (black and white) television episodes about Sherlock and read a couple of the stories. I also saw the movie with Robert Downey Junior (and hated it, sorry). However, the mystery genre has never really been my thing, and so it took the BBC show to really turn me into a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I always admired Sherlock's intelligence, of course, but what I really love about the BBC show are the characters. They are all so real; they develop over time and they portray very realistic emotions. If anything, I often find that portrayals of Sherlock are a little bit idealistic. They make him out to be so clever and gentlemanly that he doesn't even seem human, and I think that the BBC show does a great job of creating characters that are inherently flawed but nonetheless loveable. If you haven't seen the show before, I would definitely recommend it! It's hard to describe how wonderful it is in a paragraph.

The point of that tangent is that you have to wonder what it would be like to live with a mind like Sherlock's. Can you imagine how distracting it would be to be able to look at anyone and automatically know their life story? I'd feel a little bit like a kid in a candy store; I wouldn't know what to look at first! If I had Sherlock's intelligence, I think this is what I would do:

1. I would try to help people. I'd deduce who was having an awful day and try to make them feel better. I'd buy someone a coffee, for example. Even little things can make someone's day better. 

2. I would avoid people who I deduced were mean or idiotic. I try to avoid judging people before I meet them, but if I could just automatically tell, it may save a bit of time. I don't mean to be shallow about it, but it would be nice. I would never have to risk an abusive relationship, because I'd probably already know enough about a man by looking at him to know whether I'd want a relationship or not. I could also avoid trying to convince people of things when they don't want to listen, and avoid making my day worse by bumping into someone determined to make the world miserable. 

3. I'd go on a show like Jeopardy. Hopefully, I'd know enough about various topics to breeze through and make enough money to live securely for a long time (with enough to spare to give to people who needed it). 

4. I would probably help the police like Sherlock does, since that seems like a very good use for his skills. I imagine seeing murders and murderers and grisly crimes wouldn't help with the depression, but I think I would owe it to the world to use my brains for good. Perhaps I could be a part-time doctor as well. If I were that observant, maybe I'd be able to diagnose people quite accurately as a GP. 

5. No matter how unintelligent I may find others, I would never demean them for it. Sherlock does that in the show and it's hilarious, but in real life it would just be too cruel. Instead, I'd try to share my knowledge. I can understand why he would be frustrated, though, when people can't keep up with him!

6. I would avoid boredom by always working on something constructive. In a brain like that, Sherlock must have some interesting philosophical ideas that would work marvellously in a piece of fiction. I would write a lot, or else work on expanding my knowledge in various areas. I bet I would have a lot of fun with crosswords as well (except for anything related to pop culture). I would also learn to play a bunch of instruments; I feel like that would be an excellent outlet for a genius like Sherlock. Sure, he has his violin (I'm so jealous of that skill), but think of how quickly he could learn others! The oboe, the piano, the flute... 

7. I would travel. I feel like traveling would be ten times as interesting for Sherlock because he would take in so much more. Deducing things in a radically different country would be fascinating. 

Let's face it; being a genius would be awesome! I'd feel morally responsible to work hard all of the time, but at least I'd have a very clear purpose. Anyway, I can dream...

-Laura

What I Would do if I was an Elf in The Lord of the Rings

Merry Christmas everyone!
I hope that y'all are sitting on the couch right now, stomach full from a huge (but guilt-free) supper and piles of presents surrounding you. Today is a good day.
Speaking of movies; me, my sisters and my dad all went out to see the last Hobbit movie a few days ago. It was terrible. Imagine people dying and being resurrected, people running up rocks that, even as they run on them, are in a free-fall into an abyss, some of the only people that we actually give a shit about dying off, plus never-ending, overly dramatic action sequences, and random, not-funny attempts at humour thrown into what we thought was supposed to be a serious movie. That's just a taste of the horrors that we found within that theatre. I'm not even going to mention giant worms popping out of the ground, writhing around on a hill, and then disappearing into the ground, never to be heard from again. I won't tell you the story of when four dwarves were attacked by 100 freaking goblins. I wouldn't put you throughout the pain of learning that two of those dwarves turned around, said "we'll take care of them," and then singlehandedly slaughtered fifty of them each in time for the next scene. I won't even make it worse by saying that when a single boss-level orc comes along suddenly the dwarves can't fight anymore. I won't even... (sigh). I truly won't put you through that.
Anyways, that's just my long-winded way of saying that the movie got me thinking about the middle-earthian creatures. Particularly elves. Now, there are many good things about elves. They seem practically invincible, for one. And so I was wondering, what would I do if I was an immortal Elf in "The Lord of the Rings?"

1. I'd surround myself by 100 bodyguards who would follow me around wherever I went. I could potentially live thousands upon thousands of years, right? I wouldn't want to die due to somebody killing me.

2. On the same wavelength as before, I would train myself and all those around me in fighting and healing. Fighting so that I can protect myself, healing so that someone can save me if I fail at doing so.

3. One potential problem I can see with living so long is that I might get bored. Also, in stories you hear tell of people who go insane after living too long. To counteract this, I'll take up intellectual pursuits such as chess, or crossword puzzles, or, those funky metal puzzly things. You know what I'm talking about, right?
These items will not only stave of boredom, but they'll also keep my mind sharp. Hopefully.

4. I'd pick one skill, and devote myself to mastering it. I'd be pretty damn good at magic tricks after ten thousand years, let me tell you.

5. I'd also do a little charity work on the side. I could last until the end of time; might as well help out my poor human and dwarf friends so that their petty lifespans were happy. Maybe I could also help rehabilitate remorseful orcs. Besides, as Saruman said in the movies, "They were elves, once."

6. I'd go to that funky land over the sea when I needed a vacation. Excuse me if my Tolkien knowledge is mostly limited to the movies (I swear, Lord of the Rings is my thing even if I don't know all the lore), but isn't the land across the sea sort of like the land of the gods? A paradise? I think so. I'd sail to para, para, paradise, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh, ohohoh.
when he was a small elfling,
he wanted to be kiiiiing
so he went across the seeeea
hoping for happiness for freeeee
(went) to the un-die, un-die, dying lands
(went) to the un-die, un-die, dying lands
whooooaaaaaa.
I'll stop singing now.

Anyways, it would be cool to be an elf. Sure, they can seem sort of snobby and superior, but they are the coolest people this side of Gondor. I'd trade my ears for pointy ones any day.

Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do to Prepare for Christmas if I were Santa

I'm sorry if anyone reading this doesn't celebrate Christmas. Just bear with me for this last Christmas related post and then I promise I'll go back to something everyone can enjoy!

Christmas Eve must be one shitty night for Santa Claus. Let's take a moment to consider this. Santa is a very old man, correct? He's been around for hundreds of years. What happens when you get older? Well, you tend to get health problems, often related to mobility and energy. In addition, we also know that Santa is obese, which really can't help his health and must hinder a journey around the world in a single day. He has to risk breaking bones as he climbs on roofs and squeezes into chimneys, and he also has to figure out how to effectively break into every home and deliver presents promptly enough that he can make it to everyone. I don't want to do that math, but I'm pretty sure Santa would have less than a second per house. I really, really hope that he has a time-turner or else a cloning machine. 

So far we know that Santa risks his health every year climbing houses and doing things that he frankly is far too old to be mobile for. We also know that this must be a giant workout, based on his rate of work and the sheer load he has to carry (as well as the reindeer... can I hear a chorus of "animal abuse"?). Personally, I can't imagine that stressing his heart for that amount of time can be good for Santa. In addition, he has to travel around the world, which means dealing with freezing cold temperatures AND boiling hot temperatures. Did Santa schedule in hydration and clothes changing breaks? I really hope so. 

In short, Santa can't have an easy night. However, we can congratulate him on his breaking and entering skills based on his rate of travel (side note: has anyone ever thought about what would happen if Santa turned into a not so "jolly" old man? He would make one hell of a serial killer or thief. Pretty terrifying). I think there is very little he can realistically do to prepare, but here are some things he could do:

1. Cross-training. Santa may have an image as a round and loveable old man, but he had better get into shape for Christmas Eve. That means jogging, rock climbing (come on, how else would he get up a chimney), balancing (parkour?)...

2. Sleep for several days before Christmas. He's going to need it. 

3. Make enough tea or coffee (preferably spiked) to last the entire journey. 

4. Bring spare reindeer and a TON of food for them. Perhaps he could have different sleighs with new teams of reindeer stationed periodically around the world. No reindeer could hope to carry the weight of an entire world's supply of presents (unless Santa has a bag like Mary Poppin's).

5. Be really, really nice to my elves. Their assistance will likely be very necessary (see above and below). Perhaps they could even help deliver toys and give the old man a break. 

6. Bring along painkillers, blankets, sunscreen, sunglasses, a variety of clothes, snacks, a first-aid kit, and an AED (*note, an elf will be needed here to give Santa CPR or shock his heart).

In short, my prayers are with you this evening, Santa. Luckily for you, I know first-aid (as do three other people in this house), so if you have to get injured, my house is a good place to do it. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

-Laura

What I Would do if I was Stranded on a Desert Island (and Could Only Take Five Things with me).

Everyone reading this had heard this prompt before. What would you do if you were isolated from the rest of the world, on a dessert island in this case, and could only take five items with you? 

This one was tough for me to decide. My first thought was that I'd take my family with me. Five items I can bring, five extra family members (including my cat); it's perfect! But then I realized that we'd die of thirst within the first few days, and nobody would thank me much for that. So the family was out. 

And so instead I've chosen the following few items. According to the rules of this prompt- my rules, true- you can have unlimited amounts of whatever you bring. With that in mind, lets get to the list.

Clothes 

A few objections may instantly come to your mind here; "Hey, that's several items in one!" and "Really? What about water?"

To answer the first question, I have to cut corners here. I'm sorry, but I do. Maybe I sewed everything together to make a onesie? If it would really make you feel better, I suppose it could just be a bunch of shirts that I could make into other clothes. It wouldn't be very comfortable though.

To answer the second question; yes, really. I don't want to run around nude on the island! What about sunburn? Yes, it would also be rather awkward. And as for the water...

Water Filters

I need to drink to stay alive. Pretty self explanatory, people.

A Cornucopia

Again, I'm cutting corners here. But I need to eat as well!

An Iphone

I can't bring my family along... but I can still talk to them, right? And I could phone for help, to. This is all, of course, assuming good service. I also wouldn't mind some WiFi, and maybe a charger that I could plug into an electricity-conducting tree somewhere...

A Handy Multi-Tool

In other words, an axe with flint siding and a steel rod hanging off of it. Fu\ire and shelter in one, baby.

As usual, I've managed to sidestep the true meaning of the question. I think I'm supposed to say things that would tell you what kind of a person I am, but instead I've gone and planned for survival. Hey, I want to live! Is that such a crime? 

Until Christmas day, when I will still be posting, I want to wish you a merry Christmas. Get lots of presents, and I'll see you then.

-Mark

What I Would do if I'd Never Heard of Christmas Before

Holiday traditions are something that we don't really question. When you grow up with them, they just seem normal. However, you have to wonder what an adult from a totally different culture might think of our traditions. For them, they might be less than normal.

For example, since I'm Canadian, I had to learn about French culture to a degree in French class. One holiday I heard about was their version of April Fool's Day, which is called "Poisson d'Avril" (or, in English, "April Fish"). From what I recall, their April Fool's Day involves sticking paper fishes on peoples' backs and hoping they don't notice (or maybe yelling "April Fish" at them?). I don't really understand why a fish, but, then again, I'm not French.

The point is, to someone who is not French, that is pretty weird. I remember giggling about it as a child in French class. I just couldn't understand why a fish related to the concept of practical jokes... they always seemed a bit boring (or freaky) to me.

Christmas is one of those holidays that I imagine would be very difficult for someone to understand. Let's start at the beginning:

1. I would really question what a freaky fat man in a suit has to do with the birth of Jesus.

2. I would question the soundness of supporting slave labour. Santa clearly abuses his elves.

3. I would question the safety of the reindeer. Making them drive all the way around the world in one night seems like it is definitely on the abusive side.

4. I would question the secret to immortality that Santa has discovered, particularly considering that his cookie consumption rate would point towards a certain degree of cardiovascular issues.

5. I would question the logistics of the whole operation. How on earth does he visit EVERY house? Why don't all children get visited by Santa? How does the sleigh fly? How does he fit down the chimneys? How is he not shot down by the military? How does he avoid setting off burglar alarms?

6. WHY IS EVERYONE FINE WITH A CREEPY MAN SNEAKING INTO THEIR HOUSE EVERY YEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? It's terrifying when you really think about it. A stranger stalks you for the entirety of the year to judge whether or not you fit into his cookie-cutter definition of goodness, and then breaks into your house. He sneaks around, maybe eats your food, and leaves you goodness knows what in your house (produced by slave labour). For all we know, he could have terrifying motivations.

7. Why do we bring trees inside the house? Isn't it tree murder? I mean, this is the second turkey genocide, and now its also a tree genocide?

8. Why do we go to so much trouble for one day?

9. How on earth did some random traditions stick? Candy canes, the Nutcracker, the Grinch, Christmas lights, certain songs of varying quality...

In short, Christmas can be a confusing holiday when you really think about it. I, for one, am glad that I grew up with Christmas, though. It's my favourite holiday. How can you resist the one day of the year when you get to celebrate your family, celebrate Winter, celebrate new beginnings, celebrate miracles, and celebrate the gift of forgiveness? Christmas is amazing, even if not from a religious standpoint. Personally, I feel like the religious aspect makes it even more special for me, but, regardless, it's still a great celebration of various values and gifts. I hope everyone who is celebrating Christmas can truly get into the spirit this year! Who knows, maybe you can add your own new tradition... "December Duck", anyone?

-Laura

100 What I Would do if Prompts (Part One)

I have no idea what I want to write about today. This, of course, is a problem. But instead of throwing in some half-assed idea and writing about it, I've decided to remedy my problem for the next two hundred days. And so today, I present to you a list of no less then 100 prompts for things that I could, and possibly quite possibly will, write about on this blog. Unfortunately I don't think I can write all 100 in one night, so this will just be the first fifty. Feel free to support any one of these suggestions in the comments, folks. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to put on this list, but oh well...

100: If I was a fly
99: If I invented a new chocolate bar
98: If I was a senior citizen
97: If I had to stop playing my current sports and try a new one
96: If I had no arms
95: If I had no legs
94: If I was stranded in the wilderness
93: to survive the zombie apocalypse (Click HERE for my version and HERE for Laura's original)
92: If I could influence how movies were made
91: If I stopped using electronics (experiment?)
90: If I broke the "what I would do" frame (Click HERE for me recounting my overnight school trip to BirchBay Ranch and HERE for me gushing about how awesome Alberta is)
89: If I fasted for 24 hours (experiment?)
88: If I stayed up for 24 hours and wrote about it while attempting the feat (experiment)
87: If I was choosing a high school (this would be more of a brainstorm for me then anything. Sorry.)
86: If I met my grade two girlfriend once more
85: If I was an inventor (part two)
84: If I would say to            if I met them in person
83: If I had a million dollars (cliché, I know. I'm running low on ideas already). (Click HERE for Laura's version)
82: If I could live in any time period (My version, and Laura's)
81: If I was 8 years old again
80: If I had 1 year to live
79: If I had 1 month to live
78: If I had 1 week to live
77: If I had 1 day to live
76: 100 What I Would Do prompts... part two!
75: If this blog suddenly became mega-popular
74: If the genie in the lamp gave me three wishes
73: If I could stop any one injustice in the world
72: If I was an elf in The Lord of the Rings
71: If I could live for two hundred years
70: If everyone on earth lived underwater (I'm digging at the bottom of the barrel already...)
69: If I could play any 10 songs for everyone in the world
68: If I could make everyone in the world read any ten books
67: If I had the mind of Sherlock Holmes
66: If I became nocturnal
65: If the grinch stole all of my family's christmas presents
64: If I could show everyone in the world ten movies
63: If I didn't use any electricity for 24 hours (experiment?)
62: If I could write Peter jackson a letter concerning the latest Hobbit movie (Click HERE for a letter on the first two movies)
61: If I could hike in Nepal with my dad and two sisters (they're leaving me behind 'cause apparently I'm missing enough school as it is... I'm insanely jealous about this)
60: If I was a soldier
59: If I was a policeman
58: If I ran a business
57: If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life
56: If I was stranded on a dessert island and could only take 5 things with me
55: If I could travel to anywhere in the world
54: If I could go to space
53: If I was a deep-sea explorer
52: If I was a professional sports player
51: If I had unlimited money with which to build myself a house

There! Fifty prompts, down and out. Soon, I shall present to you fifty more. In the meantime, I am very impressed if you read every last prompt on that list, and I'll see you on the 23'rd.

-Mark

What I Would do if I Were a Hermit

As someone who has serious issues with depression and is also unashamedly introverted, I can tell you that I have dreamed of being a hermit multiple times in my life (side note: if you feel that way too, you should totally check out Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs). There are just days when I really  can't stand being around people anymore, and I want to retreat from the world forever. It's a strange thing to explain to someone who doesn't feel that way, but here's the closest analogy I can give: imagine if you were locked in a glass box full of tarantulas and blood-thirsty homicidal clowns. Do you feel so panicky that you can't breathe? Do you want to simultaneously cry and run for the hills? Then you are ready to be a hermit! Here's what I would do:

1. Find a mountain and build myself a tiny little cottage. I would bring a piano, my cat, and my most treasured belongings. I would live near a cliff where I could lower down a basket for supplies, but otherwise I would be totally isolated.

2. I would cry from relief. I really want to be a hermit.

3. I would spend days outside just thinking and enjoying the world around me.

4. I would write nonstop.

5. I would never think about any responsibilities I have again. Freedom!!!

6. I would get lonely.

7. I would invite my family to live with me.

8. I would invite my closest friends over.

9. I would no longer be a hermit.

10. That would be okay.

11. I would be a selective hermit. Maybe I could just have my own room that was soundproof where I could retreat whenever I need alone time.

12. My life dream would be fulfilled.

I guess when I think this through, I'd really be a terrible hermit. I don't think I deal with boredom particularly well, and there are some people that I love too dearly to leave behind. Still, there's something to be said for solitude.

-Laura

What I Would do if I was in Sims Land

Okay guys, I'm going to apologize in advance for this one. I forgot about my post until ten on a school night, which means that momentarily my mom is going to holler at me to start getting ready for bed. And so if this post seems rushed, then that's why.
I've just recently been re-trying the Sims 3 game on for size. I'm always envious of those little characters who can write a book in 10 hours, and get published even if it's no good. I wish I were them...

The first thing I would do if I was in Sims land would be to check my skill levels in everything. How's my athletic skill? Writing skill? Chess skill? Cooking skill? There are so many things that I'd like to find out.
It would also be awesome to know that your skill level never goes down, even if you don't practice it for years. No matter what you do, you're always improving. And I personally think that that would be a blessing.
Another great thing about being a Sim is that you can get any job you want. You want to be a scientist? Okay. Just sign on up, no education required. And when you do get your job, you can be promoted in about two days. And even better, you know exactly what the next step in your career is. There is always a clear promotion ahead of you, always a clear way to get there. Your life is laid out before you, and you can do anything you want. You can choose a path, and then you can cruise through life along it. Being in Sim land would be wonderful.
Alas, I'm stuck in the real world for now. I've always wanted to know what my skill level for certain things is, though. In the past, I've even created quick rating systems for myself. In the real world, however, I can't become a master writer with three weeks of determined effort...

Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do if I Could Change Three Things about Air Canada

Traveling and flying are lovely. Isn't it wonderful to have an excuse to spend however many hours just thinking or doing whatever it is you would do if you had the time? Sometimes it's sleeping, sometimes it's journalling, sometimes it's watching movies... regardless, flying hands you some wonderful free time. 

However, even with the advantages of flying, there are some distinct disadvantages. I picked Air Canada to talk about today not to exclude the other airlines, but simply because that's what I fly most often. I'm sure a lot of the issues I'm addressing are transferrable, anyway! If I could change three things about Air Canada, I would:

1. Change the order of boarding. This is something I'm passionate about to the point that thinking about it fills me with a bubbling rage, and I should tell you that truly making me angry can be difficult. So, what do I find so irritating? The thing that pisses me off beyond belief is the fact that "Gold Star" or "Elite" customers get to board before the pre-boarding customers. I just find it so sad that our society values the people with money more than the people who are actually in need. Boarding the plane sooner is not going to get you to your destination sooner. Sitting in the airport or the plane while you wait is not going to change your life drastically. However, it may really affect someone dealing with strollers and screaming babies, or someone with crutches, or someone in a wheelchair. These are people who actually need to get on first, before the plane is crowded and difficult to navigate, and so that they actually have time to get settled. Air Canada is putting people with more money before people who need help, and that is so sick. When I flew home this Winter, I came very close to marching up to the front and giving an impassioned speech about doing what was right. To be fair, I was running on 45 minutes of sleep, but this just makes me furious. The only things that stopped me were that 1. It isn't the fault of the poor employees who I would be yelling at and 2. I really wanted to go home and not be arrested or eternally banned from flying. Nevertheless, it was close. Just thinking about this makes my blood boil. 

2. Give reduced ticket prices to certain groups, like STUDENTS or large families or people who may be struggling financially. On this note, I would also get rid of this new rule where you have to pay for every checked bag... I personally feel like we're paying enough and that one bag should be covered in our ticket price. Yes, this one is partially selfish, but it would be nice. I definitely care more about the first change, though!!!

3. Reduce the amount of shit that flight attendants have to put up with. There are some people who are so ridiculously rude to these poor people who are just trying to do their jobs. What on earth makes them think that they are so important that they can ruin a poor flight attendant's day just for their own petty complaints? The flight attendant can't help it if the entertainment system isn't working. I've also been on planes with people who blatantly ignore the rules of flying or are so drunk that I personally feel sorry for everyone sitting around them. Flight attendants should not have to put up with that sort of thing. There needs to be a clause written into their job description in which they have the right to firmly talk back to people who are disrespecting them. Yes, they're your customers, but being treated with a certain amount of respect is a human right in my eyes. 

This turned into a bit of a long rant, but some things are just so unfair. In any case, I really hope that I can either become numb to all of these issues or that they'll change. Otherwise, I may just come one step closer to losing my mind.

-Laura

What I Would do if I Could Talk to my Junior High Self

I think everyone struggles a little bit while they're growing up. Throughout Junior High or Middle School or whatever people call it in their particular part of the world, I think it's the hardest. People are going through puberty, trying to deal with new responsibilities and expectations, and having to deal with people who are far more interested in their own self-image than other people. People are just downright mean at that age, actually.

Personally, I had a very tough time from about age 12-14 in junior high because on top of the other stuff, I was having major troubles with depression. What made it worse was that I was afraid to admit to myself that I was depressed, because I was so afraid of being different or weird or damaged. If I could talk to myself at that time, this is what I would say:

1. It's okay to ask for help. It's difficult, and you may have to be patient and struggle a bit more before things get better, but they can't better if you don't give yourself a chance. Asking for help is the first step.

2. Other people and their opinions don't matter. It's good to care about other people and their feelings, but not to the point where it dictates your life. Don't waste your time with people who make you feel bad about yourself.

3. Put yourself first. Making choices that will take care of you doesn't make you selfish. Care about other people, yes, but at least extend a similar courtesy to yourself.

4. Do things that will make you happy. It's nice to achieve things, but if that doesn't make you happy, it isn't really worth it. Sure, good grades are nice, but life satisfaction is more important in the long run.

5. It's okay to not know things. Growing up is all about figuring out some answers and even more questions. If there weren't questions, your life would be purposeless.

6. Treat everyone with kindness, regardless of how you're feeling. Everyone else could be struggling just as much as you. Don't blame them for being unkind. Instead, feel a little bit sorry for them, and treat them kindly just the same.

7. This is just a short period in your life. Three years won't matter all that much in the long run. Who dated who won't matter, and who was 'popular' won't matter. All that matters is maintaining you and your self worth.

8. This probably all sounds like useless advice, and words don't necessarily help if you can't act on them or believe that they're true. However, at least you can always remember them, and maybe when you're older, you can at least tell yourself "I told you so".

-Laura

(Oh, and as a side note, happy 50th blogpost birthday to our blog!)

What I Would do if I Could Control All Music

Sometimes I hate the music that's out there. It seems that today, 95% of music is trashy pop music which all sounds he same. If I could control what was played and what was popular, there would definitely be some changes that I would make.
First of all, I'd need to ban, or at least limit, certain kinds of music. First of all, opera. I'm sorry, Laura! It's just that most of the population can only take it in small doses. Thankfully for us, it is already rarely played on the radio. I'd make sure that it stayed that way.
As well, I'd ban all of that super-old music. Let's say... 1850's and before. Because that was all churchie hymns and the like, none of which was very exiting. Sorry again, Laura. But it seems unfair to disregard all music before 1850, and so I'll make an exception. If the music was written before 500 AD, then I'd be okay with it. Because music that old is cool.
And of course, we also have to replace some of the terrible pop music. No more then 20% of our radio's songs, let's say, can be pop songs written in the last ten years. Imagine how much room we'd free up for other, better music! Classic rock! Billy Joel! Local artists! It would be wonderful!
And that, my friends, is what I would change. My new system might get some protests, but oh well. This is a fictional land, and I can do what I want.
Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do if I Lived in the Louvre

I once read a book when I was in elementary school about a couple of kids who ran away and lived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art for several days. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the book or really entirely what it was about, but I do remember how much I loved the idea. It would never be possible now because of all of the security cameras and security guards and whatever the heck else, and, to be frank, it would probably be a little creepy (basically living with a bunch of old stuff and mummies and dead things). I'm trying not to think of that, though, for this. This is what I would do (overnight) if I lived in the Louvre:

1. Enjoy all of the amazing artwork and how I could actually see it! I don't know if any of you have been to the Louvre before but it is so crowded that it's hard to get a good look at a piece of artwork.

2. I'd take as long as I wanted with each piece of art. Everyone who knows me well knows that I am the worst person to go to a museum with because I really like to take my time. I want to really look at everything and let my imagination run wild!

3. I'd try out all of the furniture in the areas where kings and queens used to live. I would feel pretty badass sleeping in Marie Antoinette's bed.

4. I would sing. Have you seen some of those rooms? They're just huge, empty halls with high ceilings. The acoustics in there must be amazing!!!! And how cool would it be to sing songs from the time of the art to the art?? Okay, I'm kinda kidding about that one, but it would be a little bit interesting. It would feel like popping back in time.

5. I'd try on some of the jewelry. (I'm sorry... I'm interested!!!)

6. I'd touch EVERYTHING. Okay, not the paintings. I would hate to ruin them. But the statues! And everything else that has giant "do not touch" signs! Doesn't a sign like that automatically make you curious?

I really love history, and I love letting my imagination run everywhere it possibly can. I find museums so inspiring, and, personally, I feel like inspiration is so much more satisfying when you're alone and can act on it.

-Laura

What I Would do in Harry Potter Land

it would be amazing to be in Harry Potter land. First of all I'd go on the Hogwarts castle ride. I've been to Harry Potter land once before, and the ride inside the castle was amazing. After that, I'd... Wait, what was that? We're talking about the harry Potter universe, not the theme park? Oh. OK then.
Today, we're going to be talking about Harry Potter. Specifically, the Harry Potter houses. Which do I think I'd be in? What do I think of the houses in general? Well, self, you've come to the right place to answer that question.

Gryffindor
I hate Gryffindor. I know, I know, there the house of the good guys. But still... I hate Gryffindor! Partly because everyone else likes them and I feel sorry for the other houses, true, but I've got some good reasons as well. let's start with them.
Gryffindor is the house for the brave people. And... thats it. They're not smart, or resourceful, or hardworking. They're just brave. So in other words, they see something that is probably risky, and they do it anyway. Is that so wonderful?
Gryffindors run around stupidly, doing their "brave" deeds, but doesn't mean that it was wise to do those things. That doesn't mean that Gryffindors aren't full of themselves. That doesn't even mean that they have any ambition in life.
Sure, in some cases it's good to be brave, but in everyday life a brave person is not necessarily very helpful. If given a choice between wisdom, kindness, bravery or ambition, I would never pick bravery. Besides, anyone can be brave. It's rarer for someone to be extremely (insert any of the other above traits).

Ravenclaw
I don't mind Ravenclaws. It's good to be smart. But I was thinking...
There are two kinds of smart. There's the "we know the date that the Byzantine's 8'th king was assassinated" kind of smart, then there's the "I think I should do this 'cause it's beneficial to me and the rest of the world" kind of smart. And it seems to me that Ravenclaw is mostly focused on the factual kind of smart.
In short, I respect Ravenclaws, but I'm still not sure that I'd take pride in being one. And besides, Hermione Granger was plenty smart, and she didn't have to be in Ravenclaw.

Hufflepuff
Almost every online test I've ever taken has put me in Hufflepuff. Now, a lot of people seem to dislike Hufflepuff, but I don't see why. They are, in my opinion, a contender for the best house there is.
Hufflepuffs have 4 qualities that make them awesome. First of all, they're nice. And everyone likes nice people! If I could be in a house where everyone around me had been officially labeled by the sorting hat as "nice," that'd be fine by me.
Hufflepuffs also are loyal and patient, according to the Harry Potter Wiki. I suppose that this sort of fits under the category of "nice," but these are still good qualities to emphasize. Again, I'd be happy surrounded by these people.
And finally, Hufflepuffs are hardworking. What's worse then doing a project with someone, and the other person not pulling their weight? Nothing! Hufflepuffs work hard to accomplish things. And, from the other traits of a Hufflepuff, we know that they'll probably be working hard to achieve good. I was talking earlier about the two kinds of smart. Ravenclaws have the factual smart; Hufflepuffs have the 'Let's improve the world together' smart. I know which one I prefer.

Slytherin
Even more then Hufflepuff, Slytherin gets unfair judgement set against them. Sure, they produced a couple bad wizards and witches. Sure, their founder was a thoroughly unlikable guy. But there are a few bad eggs in every basket. Slytherin has some pretty awesome traits.
The trait I most admire about Slytherins is their ambition. They don't wait around to die- they do something with their lives. Just because some of them have dreams to rule the world doesn't mean that ambition is a bad thing.
Slytherins are also cunning. And what's another word for cunning? Smart. Ok, so maybe another word for cunning is "tricksy," but to be cunning and tricksy, you have to be smart. It's like Slitherin are Ravenclaws with resourcefulness and ambition thrown into the mix. And I don't see anything wrong with that. Also, on the official PotterMore test, the only test I ever took that didn't sort me into Hufflepuff, I was sorted me into Slytherin. So I suppose I do feel some Slytherin pride while writing this. Slytherins rule!

Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do if I Lived in Divergent Land

I'm guessing that a lot of you have read or heard of Divergent by Veronica Roth. My sister coerced me into reading it after she read it last winter and loved it. I have to say that I didn't like it as much as she did, but it certainly did get me thinking; if I lived in the world of Divergent, what faction would I choose?

1. Dauntless: the answer to this one is easy. I would be the worst Dauntless member ever. I wouldn't be able to hurt people, I don't think. I may be able to do things like jump off buildings and onto trains, but would I enjoy it? God, no. However, the deal breaker is really things like having to fire guns (not a fan of those and I hate loud noises!) and having to potentially use said guns or my fists to hurt someone else. I would rather be someone's punching bag then do that! Dauntless would probably be my last choice.

2. Candor: this may surprise some people, but I don't know if I would mind Candor. I'm a pretty open person to begin with and I don't really have many deep dark secrets, so having to spill them wouldn't really bother me. That being said, I am a believer in the importance of the white lie. Just because you think something not so kind doesn't mean that you should say it. I think it would be so easy to use honesty to be cruel to other people. For that reason, I don't think I would choose Candor. I couldn't hurt people like that and I wouldn't want to be hurt like that either.

3. Abnegation: I have to say that I really admire this faction. Putting aside everything to care for other people is incredibly admirable. However, there are some things I'm not a big fan of. I don't know if I'd want to deal with being in the government if it meant conflict. Of course, it's nice to dream of making big changes, but chances are that being in the government would be unpleasant and lead to conflict. I wouldn't like it if I wasn't allowed to speak my mind or have an opinion. So, abnegation would be one of my top choices, and I'd feel selfish if I didn't choose it, but I'm a little bit on the fence about this one.

4. Erudite: I know that they're supposed to be the "evil" faction of the book, but Erudite definitely appeals to me. I love learning new things. However, I have to say that I'm selective about what I like to learn. I'm not particularly interested in math or science (unless it was studying animal behaviour), but studying something else could be interesting. It would be nice to live a life where I always had a goal in mind and something to accomplish. In addition, I'd be surrounded by people who were generally passionate about learning, and that sounds like a wonderful and encouraging environment to be in. I wouldn't like it if people took it too far, though, and were snobs about their "intelligence". I would worry that everyone would be trying to outdo each other in terms of accomplishments rather than celebrating the accomplishments of a whole, and that isn't wholly appealing to me either.

5. Amity: I think if I had to choose just one faction, this would be the faction for me. It sounds a little bit like a utopia; no arguments, singing, peacefulness, dedication to helping each other but not to the degree where you have to give yourself up in the process. My sister tells me they're drugged to be happy, but that actually isn't an issue for me since I have depression anyway. So, essentially, I'm already taking their crazy drugs, and I just feel normal! I think there's more to life than being happy, but happiness is important, and I do believe that happiness comes from cooperation and the service of others. Amity is the winner!

I'm pretty glad I don't live in the world of Divergent, because I would feel a bit sad to go to one faction and have to give up other passions of mine (like going to Amity and having to give up learning). I'd also hate to leave my family!! Regardless of what faction I wanted to be in, I would have to factor my family into my decision. If I had to sacrifice something to stay with them, I definitely think I would. However, if I had to choose just one (without considering my loved ones), I would definitely go to Amity. It sounds pretty great there! I have a feeling I may be divergent, but Amity appeals to me the most!

What would you choose?

-Laura

What I Would Make Everyone in the World do

Hi everyone!
I actually wrote 90% of this post a couple weeks ago, after reading Laura's post of a similar name. But now it's back, y'all.
Now, there are some things that I feel everybody should learn, and some things I think people should do to learn these things. So lets get to it.

1. Read The Little Prince, or originally Le Petit Prince. This book is... amazing. Easily the best book I've ever read. I can't really explain why it's so good... the story, taken by itself, is simple enough. But there is almost a level of deeper truth that's rather hard to explain. And because I can't explain it to you, just read the book, people. Read it now.

2. Learn the holy trinity of sports-that-you-have-to-practice-to-be-good-at-but-are-totally-worth-it-once-you-do. In other words, learn how to bike, how to ski, and how to swim. Skating is a possible fourth, although personally I don't enjoy skating all that much. Am I betraying my Canadian identity by saying that? I don't know. I don't really care about hockey, either, so there you go.
Anyways, skiing, biking, and swimming. I'm always so sad when I meet people who say that they don't know how to do even one of those things. I mean, why? Why don't they put in a little time and effort to open up a new, wondrous world for themselves? And don't say, "I tried five whole times and didn't like it." When I was really young and just learning how to bike and ski, I hated both of them my first few times out. In fact, I remember distinctly telling my dad that I didn't want to learn how to bike anymore, and that I would be happy just walking for the rest of my life. The same more or less went for skiing; lots of slips, lots of face plants into snow. But you know what? Biking is incredibly useful as well as fun, and skiing is now my favourite sport.
Swimming is also great. This would have to be my least favourite of the trinity, but I still would hate to lose my ability to do so. Suddenly water becomes more then just water, it becomes your best friend. Learn to swim!
Think of it this way. Your entire life, you've travelled by putting one foot in front of the other (or by car, plane or train. Big deal).But now, you don't have to do that. You can just glide around on skis. You can rotate your legs and zip around on bikes. You can wave your arms and legs around and swim. Learn these three things, and I promise you, your life will get much better.

3. Learn to read and write. Perhaps this one is a silly thing to put up here, because I'm sure that everyone in their right mind on this earth would love to be able to read and write, and the only reason they don't learn is because of poverty or being oppressed. If I somehow could, I would gladly teach everyone in the world to read and write.

And honestly, thats all I can think of right now. Sure, there are others, but I don't want to get super cheesy and say things like: "I'd teach everyone to love everyone else like their brothers (or sisters)." And so I'll call it a day here. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon.

-Mark

What I Would do if Tomorrow was a Snow Day

One of the best parts of university is a marvellous random holiday that occurs most likely due to a lack of proper snow removal equipment. Last year, we had a "weekly Wednesday snowstorm" which basically meant that classes were cancelled each week for a good chunk of the Winter term. Now, in Edmonton, where I grew up, there are no snow days. If it's forty-five below and snowing hard, you'd better be at school anyway. However, I have to say that I appreciate this small Haligonian difference (yes, that is actually what people from Halifax are called despite the fact that the word sounds vaguely like a species of caveman). Snow days are wonderful, and I have to say that I'm disappointed in Halifax for having a monsoon in December when there's been snow in Edmonton on and off since September.

Anyway, point being, it's exam season and I just have to survive one and a half more days, but in that time I have a big exam and a big essay due, so I can certainly dream of a little bit of snow-induced hermitage.

If tomorrow was a snow day (and my work/exams magically disappeared), I would:

1. Probably cry of happiness.

2. Lay in bed for hours with my blinds up so that I could watch the snow falling outside in my neighbour's beautiful garden.

3. Make myself hot chocolate and stay in pajamas all day (in addition to fuzzy socks and a fuzzy blanket).

4. Make cookies. (Christmas shortbreads, anyone?)

5. Blast Christmas music in my room and just feel warm and content as I forced myself into the Christmas spirit.

Alright, this is a bit of a short one, but duty calls! I wish everyone a winter plentiful in snow days!

-Laura

What I Would do if I Could Meet Anyone in the World Part Three

Okay, everyone. We've broken into the top three. The big ones. The best ones. If anyone in the world doesn't like these people, then let me tell you, you're going down. 1 Vs 1 me bro, I'll wreck you. I swear on me mum I'll hook you in the gabber. I'll steal your first-born child. Like this people... or get off this blog.

3. Mr. Koziej.
"What?" I hear you say. "Who's Mr. Koziej?" Well, plain and simple, he is the most awesome guy ever. He was, in grade seven and eight, my social teacher, before switching schools. Am I upset that he left? Yes, yes I am. Because Mr. Koziej is hands down the best teacher ever to lay foot on the earth.
Perhaps he shouldn't be on this list- after all, I've met him before. But now that he's gone and I don't know where he's gone to, I don't think I'll ever actually see him again. Which is a shame, 'cause he was awesome.
But why was he awesome? There are a few reasons. First of all; he was just a great teacher. Think joking around with the class and telling stories, but still keeping it on topic and making a point with his jokes. Think the entire class respecting this guy and working hard for him because of that great teaching. Think someone who seemed like a genuinely good person, and did his best to spread that goodness to others. Think someone who shaped your whole perspective on life. That, my friends, was Mr. Koziej.
Mr. Koziej, if you ever stumble upon this blog, know that if you told me to jump off a bridge, I would do it unquestioningly. Know that you're awesome. And accept my thanks for being an incredible teacher.

2. The Dalia Lama.
If you've read some of my previous posts, you would have heard the Dalia Lama be mentioned before. Let me give you a quick recap of his awesomeness:

• He stands up for rights for just about everyone.
• He promotes tolerance in between religions
• He's just a jolly guy, from what I've seen of him- quite unlike your stereotypical down-to-earth, very serious religious man
• He fights for Tibetan independence, and managed to get out of there when it was taken over by China
• AND he's one of only... I think four people ever awarded an honorary Canadian citizenship!

Personally, I think that those stats speak for themselves. Seriously, I would go to India and hike up some mountain just to see this dude. And thats the thing; I could. He goes and personally meets with people that hike up to his home, whether they be from Asia or North America, Buddhist or not. I mean, what other famous person lets people walk up to his front door and then goes out to bless them? I challenge you to name one. Same goes for you as Mr. Koziej, Mr. Lama. You order me to hop on one leg for the rest of my life, I'll do it.

And now, for number one... Drumroll, please...

(DADADADADADADADADadadadada...)

Thanks for the drumroll...

1. John Green.
Oh, man. I really shouldn't even start talking about any of these top three. I worship them like junior high kids worship Justin Bieber. Oh wait? He's not a thing anymore?
Anyways, John Green is just about the awesomest dude ever to walk the face of this earth. Okay, so I've said that for half the people on this list, but this is the real deal. Let me give you a recap of how I discovered this guy...
1. Be shown Mental Floss, an educational video series that John happened to be hosting that day. Enjoy it.
2. Stumble upon VlogBrothers, an uber-popular video series that John and his brother Hank do. Love it.
3. Begin watching his videos fairly often. Be impressed at how awesome this dude is with his seemingly sincere niceness and smartness.
4. Look to see what all this hype about The Fault in Our Stars is about. Look on the cover and OH MY GOSH IT'S WRITTEN BY THAT YOUTUBE GUY!
5. Read his books. Love his books.

It's like, I find some videos that the guy does and like him. Then I find out that he does other, even better videos, and I like him that much more. Then I find out that he's written a book, which is always a good sign, and then I find out that the book's great, and then I find out that he's written other books, and I find out that those are awesome to! It just goes up and up!
And then I figure out that he and his brother created vidcon, which is basically a gathering for you tubers in the real world. And then I find out that he's an activist for just about every good cause ever, and gets to talk with Obama and Bill Gates and all those people. Can this guy go wrong?!!?
Seriously, I'd give an arm to talk to any of these people. They work to make the world a better place, and I would strive to be like any of them. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you Thursday.

-Mark

What I Would do if I were Nocturnal

Once upon a time, there was a university student. Although she worked very hard all semester and spent about a month living in the library, even that was not enough to conquer the mountain of assignments and exams in the dreaded final season of university. Last night, she stayed up until past 4 am and still finds herself very behind. However, this university student was fortunate in that she loved the nighttime, because she loved the dark and the quiet and the isolation that came with it. As a result, she often found that she was more productive working once night had fallen (or else just cared less as her brain grew more and more foggy). As her brain is still foggy, all she could think of for a blog post was the possibility of being nocturnal.

Here is what I would do:

1. I would spend hours just sitting under the moon and the stars. If there were clouds, I'd watch them pass by, obscuring the moon with their shadowy translucence. The nighttime is so much more beautiful than the day. Of course, I'd always spend time with my friend Orion each night (which is my favourite constellation), even if I couldn't stay for long.

2. I would write. I would take advantage of the fact that I was the only one awake and just let my imagination run wild. Personally, I think one of the best parts of the night is that people leave you alone, so you can just spend time knowing that you won't be disturbed and you can just think and create.

3. I would sing outside. Daylight makes you feel so exposed, but imagine this: you walk out into the middle of a field in the country and you sit down in the grass (with a blanket if you're allergic to grass like me). Then you just look up at the sky and realize how small you are, shiver a little bit, and enjoy the quiet of night. You feel as though you're the only person in the world and, because you're so alone, you feel safe. Then you open your mouth and sing to the sky or to whatever God you believe in, and just let your voice fill the night.

4. I'd hike to the top of mountains to watch the sunrise. Hiking in the dark can be a little bit cold, but it's totally worth it when you watch pink and gold wash over the horizon.

5. I'd lay in bed and think. Again, I love how the dark sets my imagination off.

6. I'd read so much. I'd let stories carry me away like I wouldn't have time to do in the day.

7. I'd spend some time with some nocturnal animals. We fostered kittens this Fall, and let me tell you,  the second the sun went down, those cats were energetic enough that you'd think they drank about 10 cups of coffee. They'd run from one end of the apartment to the other, using me as a springboard. I'd want to join in the fun!

8. I'd play the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. Yes, yes, I know it's a bit of a cliché. However, that piece is famous for a reason. Those harmonies hurt my heart (in a good way) and I'd love to send them out to the moon.

9. I'd clean the entire apartment and cook a million things to surprise my sister when she woke up.

10. I'd go on a road trip by myself (or maybe with a friend). Can you imagine how lovely it would be to travel all through the night?

Have I mentioned that I love nighttime? It's the perfect time of day. The only thing that can spoil it is homework and studying.

Winter is truly a great season. I don't know what it's like where the rest of you live, but up here, it gets dark very, very early. According to a website, at the moment, here in Halifax we have sun from about 7:40 to 4:30 (just under 9 hours) and at home in Edmonton, they have sun from 8:40 to 4:15 (about 7.5 hours). Yes, Edmonton is pretty far North (in fact, we're the furthest north city in North America with over 1 million people living there - fun fact!). I'm always presently surprised when I go home for Christmas. We spend a lot of time in the dark during the Winter, and it's such a blessing. It really makes it worth the freezing cold weather!

-Laura

What I Would do if I had 100 Words With Which To Write a Blog Post

Hello.
Sometimes, in writing, we must choose our words carefully. Sometimes we have word count goals.  Other times, we simply have limited time with which to write. It's difficult to choose your words precisely, especially when you have no idea what you're actually trying to write about and have limited time to write them. This is my 58'th word already. Whoa.
Next time, I promise I will have a more sufficient post. Until then, peace out brother. I must start my goodbyes now, as I just hit my 89'th word.
Goodbye, thanks for reading, I'm sorry, see you later.

-Mark

What I Would do if I Were in Charge of the Radio

This one is inspired by the hours and hours of music I've had to listen to for exams and assignments this week. My mind is just about exploding with the million songs running on repeat in my head, so I figured I'd do a sound-centric post today!

I have to make a confession. I never listen to the radio. I listened to it one day over the summer while painting and got so sick of the same five horrible songs being played on repeat that I never listened to it again. I next listened to it a few days ago while in a taxi, and, let me tell you, that alone is enough to make me want to walk for hours through rain and snow instead. The music all sounded the same and, frankly, awful. I don't want to hear someone rapping about sex/singing about sex while auto tuned over a horrible thumping beat and maybe two chords alternating. If you like that, then I really mean no offence. It's not to my taste, personally, though! So, if I were in charge of the radio, here is what I would do:

1. No station is allowed to play a song twice within a month. Yes, that means no playing the same song five times a day. You get ONE play a month, so you'd better start finding some more stuff.

2. At least some of the bands would have to be local. It makes me sad that we don't do more to support our country's own artists! I'd love to hear a mix of music by Canadian composers or sung/played by Canadian musicians. In fact, I think it would be interesting. There are some great Francophone artists in Québec who no one gets to hear in the rest of Canada.

3. At least half of the stations must play classical music/opera/art song. Sorry, guys, but there are some great classical pieces from the past and also still being composed. There are great classical artists around too, who spend years and years perfecting their craft. It would just be nice if we had more respect as a society for people who did that instead of just auto tuning everything. Before every song, they could also give a little bit of information on it. I'd love to hear what it's about and some of the context. That also means new jobs for music researchers! (Just saying)

4. Minimal commercials. There have to be some, sure, but can they please be less frequent? No, hearing you tell me to buy a mattress 20 times is not going to make me buy one if I don't need it.

5. Happy news! The news is so depressing. As someone who has issues with depression, I never listen/look at the news. Want to know why? BECAUSE IT'S DEPRESSING. Yes, not all news can be happy, but can they please put an effort in to make it at least 50/50?

6. Maybe there could be something a bit more intellectual on the radio occasionally. There are some great comedy shows (have you ever heard of "Grown-ups Read Things They Wrote as Kids"? Hilarious!) but it would be nice to have something more serious, too. Maybe there could be a radio station of audiobooks or poetry!

Anyway, I can dream. It's not going to happen anytime soon, but I certainly wish it would. The next time I have to listen to a song about some pimp or someone objectifying women, I may just go crazy. Which is impressive, because I'm already pretty crazy.

-Laura

What I Would do if I Could Meet Any Ten People in the World Part Two

Hi everyone, and welcome to part two of this little series. Again, we've got a lot of people to talk about, and stories behind each one. And so, to prevent this post getting ridiculously long, let's get to it!

6. J K Rowling.
I had to include a writer somewhere on this list. I didn't quite know which to choose, though. I thought maybe the French dude who wrote The Little Prince, or some other author I've been reading like Rick Riordan or James Dashner?
Unfortunately, none of those writers really jumped out at me as someone I wanted to meet very badly. The French dude is out because I can't speak French. As for the other two, I loved there books, but know hardly a thing about the authors themselves.
In fact, that's a trend for me. I never know anything about any of the authors I read, except perhaps John Green. But I'll be doing him later, so I can't talk about him now. Forget I ever said that.
So anyways, seeing as I didn't really care all that much about any author, I decided to go with perhaps the best in the business. Of course, that's Rowling. Sure, we haven't heard to much from her in recent years, but that doesn't really matter. She's already immortalized herself with Harry.
Another reason for choosing her? My sister Julia was, and I would argue still is, obsessed with Harry Potter. Not talking to Rowling would be a betraying her, and there's no other word for it. Rowling it is.
So what would I do if I ever did get to meet her? (Oh, fun story. For years, I thought that J K Rowling was a dude. I never heard what her first name was, in my own defense...)
Simply, I'd start grilling her on every single aspect of how she writes. How she plans and outlines, how she writes, and perhaps most importantly, how she edits. I'll take all the help I can get.
And then I'd take a selfie with her, ask her for an autograph, and buy a computer just so she could sign it and bless it with her awesome powers of writingness.

5. Leonardo Da Vinci.
I think that the main reason I want to visit Leo is because he is the ultimate jack of all trades. As well as doing his paintings, he also was a: sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer, according to Wikipedia. Whoa. Did this guy even sleep?
Now, this bit is for you, Laura. Did you know that Leo was a vegetarian, and also reportedly bought caged birds and then released them? I don't know about you, sis, but that sounds rather familiar...
Anyways, Leonardo is another one of those guys where they would be cool to see just for their pure genius, but may be a bit of a gamble in sacrificing one of your ten people-you-want-to-see wishes on. I mean, I know absolutely nothing about the personality of this guy. Nobody really does. I mean, the bird thing makes you think that he was a good guy, but you never know...
Still, he gets a high spot for general awesomeness. He dabbled in everything and was successful in all of the things he did, and what more could you really want?

4. Winston Churchill.
You can tell the you're nearing the top of the list when Churchill's name comes around. We owe so much to this guy. And in his own way, I think he's a genius. I mean, he;

• Invested in airplanes before they were cool
• Figured out that Hitler was a mega-threat before almost anyone else did
• Totally turned the tide of WWII by rallying the British people and not surrendering when people were literally making plans for on how they were going to surrender, and on what terms
• Worked like hell
• Made about fifty different speeches and a hundred different famous quotations that we can all recite nowadays
• Went and predicted the "Iron Curtain" across Europe after WWII

He figured out what was going to happen two steps ahead of everybody else, and he made the most of it.

I've always admired Churchill for what he did. This dude saved Britain and, I'd even go as far as to say, the world. Anyone who can do half of that has earned my everlasting respect. The guy was awesome.

That's it for part two of this little series, folks. Part three coming soon!

Thanks for reading,

-Mark

What I Would do if There were a Zombie Apocalypse

*For the purpose of this post, we're going to assume that I'm in Edmonton when the apocalypse begins.

Imagine this.

You're at home, folding laundry or doing whatever it is you do and listening to the radio because, let's face it, chores are boring. Suddenly, to your amazement, you hear that there is a real zombie apocalypse happening, and you need to escape! You're skeptical at first, but google reveals your worst fears... there is, in fact, an apocalypse, and you need to act now. Here's what I would do:

1. Gather my family together (they're all at home) and assign them jobs. Mark, you find any weapons or potential weapons in the house, including corrosive cleaners. Mom, load the first aid kit, medicine, and blankets/pillows in the car. Julia, you catch the cat and gather up his stuff (no, I am not leaving Ollie to the zombies) and pack all food and cooking supplies (Mom and Mark will help once you're done). Me, I'm going to knock out Dad and carry him to the car, because there's no way that he's going to believe that there's really an apocalypse happening (sorry, Dad). I'll also contact my friends and tell them to get out! We'll also have about 5 minutes to do our personal packing, including clothes, shoes, any small sentimental items, etc. But we are getting out of that house in about 15 minutes.

2. We get into the van and get out of the city ASAP. We'll have one driver, and the rest of us are in charge of killing any zombies that dare approach the car. Hopefully, the traffic won't be too horrible yet since we packed so quickly, but it's hard to say.

3. We drive to the Rockies. On our way, if we possibly can, we'll stop at a store to get more supplies including weapons, food, water, purifiers, soap, basic necessities, gas, etc. Hopefully, the zombies won't have reached less large cities yes. 

4. We find a mountain that is high enough to have good sight lines. Hopefully, we can drive far into a remote national park (maybe drive to the start of Mount Robson?). We climb said mountain with our supplies. We'll have to make a couple of trips, yes, but hopefully it will pay off. On the mountain, we'll hopefully be able to find a cave or some sort of shelter in a remote spot, clearly off of the trail and near a water source. 

5. We create a camp way up high here so that we have a good view of any zombies that may be coming. I'll have texted my friends, and those that escaped will meet us here with their supplies as well. The area will be so remote that we should be safe for at least a significant amount of time, hopefully even forever. There will be few people around here, and they likely won't be infected yet. It's a difficult climb, so you'd have to be a coordinated and determined zombie to reach us. We could plant some vegetables, but hopefully we have enough food to last for a while. Hopefully, we'll be near the top of a scree slope, so climbing it would be difficult if you were undead. Plus, our sight lines are ideal.

And this, my friends, is how to survive a zombie apocalypse. You're welcome.

-Laura

What I Would do if I Could Meet Any Ten People in the World Part One

We all have someone that we look up to. Whether that be your uncle, your parent, your teacher, or some long-dead world leader, we would all like to meet somebody face to face. And so today, I've made a list of the top ten people in the world that I would like to someday meet, whether they're dead or alive. Here, they are listed in rough order from the person out of the ten who I'd least like to meet (but would still love to), to the person I would most like to meet. Today, I'll only be doing the top four. Still, there are a lot of people to write about today, and stories behind every one of them, and so lets get started.

10. Albert Einstein.
Everybody knows Albert E! You can tell this is going to be a good list when Albert Einstein is at the bottom.
So why Einstein, and why is he just barely scraping onto this list?
Well, I'll start with why he's on this list in the first place. This is pretty obvious; he is/was Mr. Science. He dabbled in everything, from good ol' E=mc2 (beats me what that's talking about, but who cares) to his theory of relativity to fancy quotes to helping to create the first nuclear bomb. Although, I must admit that part of the reason I like him is that he apparently felt super guilty after having made that bomb. It doesn't really seem like something to celebrate, does it?
But truly, it cannot be denied that Albert was a genius. Maybe, when I met him, I could absorb some of that knowledge into myself. But if he's such an awesome guy, then why did he only make number ten on this list?
Well, plain and simple, I don't really like science all that much. I don't dislike it, but I still don't love it or even know much about it. So I don't think I could really get as much out of my meeting with Einstein as other people. He'd start talking about his theories in crazy science talk, and I couldn't understand what he was saying. Still, he was an undisputed genius, and so that's why he's on this list.

9. Billy Joel.
"Wait!" I here my family and friends cry, "Billy Joel is your favorite singer of all time! Why's he so low on the list?"
Well, it's true that he's my favorite singer ever. And it's true, I thought originally that I'd put him much higher up on the list. But then I thought about it. I thought of his concerts I'd seen on YouTube. And the truth of the matter is, from what I've seen of him he seems like a pretty boring, un-excitable, and overall un-warm and cuddly kind of guy. And I mean, I love his music, but if he's just going to drone on in a monotone when I meet him, then I'm not in a great rush to do so. It's a shame, considering all of the great songs he's written... but no. He is staying way down at spot number 9.

8. Coldplay.
Perhaps this is cheating, as Coldplay is an entire band, and not just one person. But to heck with it, it's my blog! Oh, wait. No it isn't, this time, as it was Laura who had the idea, created the blog, set out the guidelines for the blog, and basically got the blog running. Darn it. Okay, let me start that again.

Perhaps this is cheating, as Coldplay is an entire band, and not just one person. But to heck with it, it's my blog post and I can do what I want!
Now, Coldplay is my second-favorite music-producing... thing, right after Billy Joel. (I can't but band, 'cause Billy doesn't have a band). But today, they're clinching the number 8 spot just above Billy, simply because, as previously mentioned, Billy Joel seems boring as hell and Coldplay, from what little I've seen of them, seems like a group of actually cool people. They, much more then Billy Joel, seem like a group that I could really talk to about there music, and tell them that they're awesome without having them roll there eyes, yawn, and possibly grab a bottle of beer.
Coldplay also has the honor of having written my favorite song of all time, Viva La Vida, which further boosts their standing in my mind. It would be truly awesome to meet them face to face, but unfortunately there is no lack at all of awesome people in the world, and they have already filled the spaces above Coldplay. And so, moving on.

7. My Great-Grandfather.
Okay everyone, this is the last one for the day, as I do believe that this post has already just about set a record for the longest post on this blog to date.
You might be wondering, "Who is this great-grandfather of yours? He must have done some truly incredible things!" Well, yes. And no.
First off, a little background information on him. I know very little about him, besides the fact that he was my father's father's father. In fact, I don't even know his name.
But he did do some cool stuff. First of all, he was in the navy, and from what I can remember from what my grandfather told me, he was always sailing, and would leave the house for months at a time, sailing so one place or another. In fact, I have some coins from Hong Kong, where my great grandfather spent a lot of time. He brought back to my grandfather, who recently gave them to me. I plan to keep those coins, and give them to one of my kids, and say "your great-great-grandfather had these!" And then there mouths will drop open, and they'll say "really daddy?" And I'll say, "why yes, my child, and you'd better give them to your kids, or I'll disown you." And so they would.
Another interesting fact about my great-grandfather is that he was in the Navy during world war two, and his ship was torpedoed. He apparently had to jump from the sinking ship to save himself.
And finally if it interests you, according to my sisters he's quite good looking. I can half confirm this, although I may not have quite as good judgement considering that I'm a straight male. Still, there you go.
My great grandfather has some pretty cool stories around him, but obviously he isn't quite on the same scale as many of the people on this list. Still, how cool would it be to say: "Hey you. Yeah, you. I'm your great-grandson, in the future."
And so due to the family tie-in, I'd have to chose my great grandfather. That would be a meeting like no other.

Okay everyone, I'm sorry that this post is so long, but considering I'd originally planned to do all ten of the people I'd like to meet in this post, it's not nearly as bad as it could have been! Part two coming soon. Until then, thanks for reading.

-Mark

What I Would do if I Could Change my Appearance

Alright, before you assume that this is a blog post about my body and facial insecurities, it's not! As I have already mentioned, I am a music major. Specifically, I'm studying opera, and that's a slight problem when it comes to getting creative with your appearance. If you're in a show, don't you dare change anything or all hell will break loose (or so I'm told). Also, people you audition for totally judge you based on your appearance and blah blah blah, you get the idea.

So, basically, these are some things I would do if I were allowed to actually have a unique style.

1. Cut my hair. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in class and suddenly just had this horrible urge to just cut all my hair off. Hair is annoying. It gets in your way and you have to actually put some effort in a lot of the time if you don't want to look like a slob, which means doing things like fussing around with hair dryers and elastics and bobby pins that always manage to disappear. Anyway, long story short, my friend cut a lot of it off for me, but it's still pretty long. What I would LOVE to do is get a bob. I've donated my hair for cancer twice and let me tell you, going from super long to chin length is liberating. You wash it and brush it and dry it so easily. No putting it up, because it's too short. I tell you, if you have short hair, you're living the dream.

2. Get a second piercing. I currently have my earlobes pierced but I've always wanted to pierce the top of my ear. I hear it hurts, but wouldn't it be worth it for eternal badassery? You see that earring and you think, "man, that girl is tough. She can take care of herself". I currently have a fake one that I wear when I want to feel rebellious or like a badass, but it's just not the same, you know?

3. I would not wear high heels. I love heels sometimes, I promise, but wearing them all day gets so tiresome. My feet get squished in ways they shouldn't be squished and then they hurt. When you have days that can go from 9-6:30 with, say, 3.5 hours of standing and singing, your feet will not be happy campers. I would not recommend it unless you're a masochist.

4. I would deck myself out in all kinds of jewelry. Rings and feathers and who knows what else, because I wouldn't have to look professional.

5. I would wear casual clothing to perform. In particular, I would enjoy the luxury of pants. Fortunately, I'm not a soprano, and I'm therefore not required to always wear dresses because I get to play young teenaged boys sometimes. However, dresses and dress pants are still a pretty regular part of my attire. Wearing fancy dresses seems to remind me "oh, damn, this is a performance", so I'd love to just be really, really comfortable sometimes, you know?

Anyway, I understand that this is probably a bit of a unique position, but I would love to have the freedom to just get really creative with my appearance and try out different styles. Those of you who currently have that freedom, take advantage of it!

-Laura