Commonly accepted belief: 
You need carbohydrates for energy (Carbo-Load, Food Pyramid)

Though the belief that you need carbohydrates for energy has been widely accepted, it is completely false. We can live off of proteins, fat, fruits and vegetables alone - without filling our bodies with processed foods and bread. It is possible to live like "cavemen"; cutting out all modernized foods and weening yourself off sugar and wheat. The so-called "Carbo-Load" that athletes have before a meet or game in order to provide themselves with enough energy is actually unneeded. Once we eat proteins or fat, our blood converts it to energy naturally. Pasta and copious amounts of bread is only tricking us - by providing a temporary sense of pleasure and being full. In actuality, wheat-based products only make us more hungry and help us really pack on the pounds. Cut out carbohydrates from your diet and you will see some major changes to not only your waist line, but to your happiness as well.

What's Wrong With Animal Rights? By Vicki Hearne

Animals cannot govern for themselves and thereby their owners have the power to do what they want with them. Animals (domesticated or not) need someone to protect and help them. This picture depicts that overpowering relationship. 

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer

Animals (of any kind or situation) deserve the freedom we as humans take for granted. Just because an animal can't express their pain verbally doesn't mean they don't suffer. We forget that humans are animals too and that we must do everything in our power to promote equality among humans and animals (treat other species the way you would want your specie to be treated).

Well, I just listened to a segment on NPR about "Why Mental Pictures Can Sway Your Moral Judgement". Overall, I am sad that my brain switches between emotional decisions and "cost-benefit mode". I'd like to think that I make level-headed decisions that have no influence from what I picture in my mind. I'd also like to have moral consistency, but according the NPR, scientifically I don't. Listening to something like this causes my brain to really start thinking. There is a mythical "lounge" of sorts in my brain where all of my values chill out and wait until I have to make a moral decision - then they proceed to bring out the moral scales and weigh out all of the considerations until they decide which one looks the best. What? That sounds crazy. How could they come to that sort of decision? And even if it was true, what am I supposed to with that sort of information? Accept it? I think I would have rather heard THAT in less graphic terms.

Maddie Swenson

The Writing Process

Writing with a deadline is tough. Whenever I get an assignment of great caliber, I strap on my goggles, hunker down in front of my computer and prepare to put 1000 words on it. Experienced authors probably spend some time thinking over what they want to say and how they want to say it, but I, personally, have already made up my mind by the time I get to actually typing it out - whether I know it or not. 
Every writer is different and there is no perfect way to write an essay. If you want an essay to really embody you, it requires some serious inward criticism. What point do I want to get across? What stories or aspects of my life do I want to let the world see? It can be an emotional roller coaster even when writing a history paper. It all depends on perspective.
And writing is different for everyone. Some authors find it easier to talk about the hard things. Baring your soul to thousands of complete strangers is no easy task.
So you have to think about your audience. Who will be reading your paper? Not everyone is going to agree with you and everyone, even the writer that creates children's books about puppies and talking fish has to deal with critics.
But most of the time, writing an actual credible piece of work is never going to just "come". Maybe you have to take a walk to clear your head. Maybe eat a sandwich. Maybe talk with your friend on the phone. I know that before I can actually write I have to clean my entire room and get comfortable. My mom always says that a clean room is a clean and open mind. I think I agree. Sometimes, even, I have to free write for a while about pointless stuff (whether its related to my paper or not).
Then I put on the Batman theme and start cracking away. One of the hardest things about writing is not letting the "editing as you go" part of your mind take over. Then the Thesaurus comes out and you are in a bad way. Get every little point out of your head and then utilize the delete button.
Forgo any grammar or spelling checks as well. No need to have your draft be grammatically correct, it just knocks you out of the zone the sandwich put you in.
Then, when your beautiful piece of literature has been fully written, find a couple friends to peruse your writing. If you have no friends, find a loving relative that hates you a little bit. The worst thing is getting praise from your mom and never actually knowing how bad your writing is.
Edit and edit and edit. Change up everything again and again and again. If something feels weird, find a way to make it less weird. Look at examples. Find things in writing that you admire and go crazy trying to do them in your own way. The possibilities are endless. So go and make me proud. The world is yours!

Sincerely,
Maddie

You can only see as far as your headlights. But you can make the whole trip that way.
-E.L. Doctorow

This is one of my favorite songs. Just as this song is about her story, Thought Spot is my story.

Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Maddie Swenson.