http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-public-actually-kind-of-endearing-in-some,18277/

http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2010/10/caught_in_the_cycle

Smell Journal #3

So apparently there's a disease called anosmia where people have no sense of smell and almost no sense of taste. How terrible would that be? I mean that both philosophically and literally. You would never have to put up with bad smells. But you would miss out on all those emotions that are linked to smell. I wonder how big of a part smell has in your attraction to other people. Would you even be physically attracted if you couldn't smell them? Maybe they smell bad, and you would more attracted to them. But you wouldn't have liked them otherwise. Your destiny could be changed because ou have no sense of smell! What if your house was on fire and you didn't know it because you couldn't smell it. Sounds sketchy to me. Sounds really sad to me. I absolutely love smelling things. Sometimes I sniff things just out of curiosity. When a boy smells good it makes me crazy. I can't imagine not being able to experience that. I live near the cereal plant and whenever they're making certain types of cereal it smells sooo good outside. I hope I never lose my sense of smell. I wonder what would happen. Would my personality change? Maybe I'm subconsciously so fixated on smell, I would be a whole different person without it. Maybe I'd be like, normal. Or something. Maybe I'd pay more attention to things. Maybe I would be braver. Or maybe I'd just be even more of a coward than I am now, without smell to motivate me. I wonder if I'll like the same smells when I'm older. What if I get nose cancer or something weird like that? Does that even exist? What if I break my nose? Will I still enjoy smelling things as much as I do now? What will my kids smell like? What will my husband smell like? What if I never have either of those? What if I never get to smell that smell? I think I'd be sad. I know I'd be sad.

Smell Journal #2

Today I learned that the part of the brain that processes smell is part of the limbic system which is in charge of our moods and memories and this is why smells can trigger just about any emotion or memory that we have stored in our subconscious. This makes me wonder if it would be possible to control the thoughts or actions of a human being simply by use of smell, or to at least influence them. I think everyone has probably at least heard of pheromones at some point in their life, smells that are particularly attractive to members of the opposite sex. Who's to say that this has to be limited to attraction? Lust, while a powerful emotion, is not the only feeling that people are concerned with. People are always searching for happiness, power, comfort, relief, you name it. What if there was some kind of "trigger smell" for every one of these emotions? I'm sure someone has thought of this before, and that same person probably invented aroma therapy. I'm hoping this experiment will help me to be able to create my own personalized aroma therapy based on the smells that affect me the most in the way I want them to affect me. I could learn to control my emotions in a sense, in a new way, other than just containing them.

Smell Journal # 1

I did some research on smell via Internet, but it's late right now and I'm tired and I don't feel like thinking too much. I will post probably tomorrow and talk about that more. I did discover today that I really hate the smell of onions, and since I also hate the way they taste I think maybe I should do some research on taste and how it connects to smell and see what I can find out about the way my brain works that way as well. Other than the onions, I have no particular smells to document today. My laundry did smell kinda good when I took it out of the washer, but I don't think clean laundry is a unique enough smell to be really significant to this experiment. I inhaled a lot of firework smoke also, so my nose is probably kinda crisped right now. Happy Fourth of July :)

My Journey Through the World of Smell

I have decided to embark on a journey through the world of smell. Smell is a powerful thing. As I write this, my cat is attacking a box of catnip and why?? Because it smells good! Smell has the ability to make you barf, give you butterflies, bring back memories, you name it. It can affect your mood in crazy ways. If you don't believe me, try standing outside during a rainstorm and tell me it doesn't feel fantastic. The smell of coffee in the morning when you're sleepy is like getting a whiff of God himself.
Based on this knowledge I've decided to start a sort of smell diary, using this blog. I don't want to go searching for smells so much as I want them to simply find me. I'm mainly interested in smells that are controversial or smells that I seem to like or dislike that no one else does. I'm also primarily focused on smells that I have a strong reaction to, since there are so many smells out there it would be impossible to record them all.
This experiment started as a result of a discussion with Ryan about how some boys smell really good, so this is where I decided to start my experiment. I contacted several boys who have memorable smells to me to see if maybe there was a certain spray or soap that I specifically am attracted to. Being boys, none of them were particularly helpful XP so I decided to take my research elsewhere.

I went to Target and smelled all of the men's soaps and deodorants that I could find to see which one I liked the best. I found out that Axe Chocolate smells the best, while Axe Instinct comes in a close second. Axe Shock made me want to barf, which is actually good news for the purpose of this experiment. Old Spice Swagger also smelled completely vile, but not as bad as Axe Shock. I discovered that I really don't like powdery scents either. I find them stuffy and gross and like baby butts and while I love babies, I'm not particularly fond of the rearmost parts of them.
I will keep updating further as my journey continues :)

Prose

Prose poetry is something that I am still attempting to grasp. These are two attempts I made for my creative writing class. Both very different. Honestly, I like the second one a LOT more. I wrote it once I had finally gotten into the mood to write poetry. The first is basically me rebelling against it :P. Alright well here goes.

It is like…
By Diana Weber

Imagine trying to put a kitten in a bathtub
Its claws like tiny pins
Teeth like a bear trap
Desperate attempts to claim freedom
From the terrifying pool that awaits

Imagine the smell of coffee in the morning
Strong, bold, refreshing
Now try putting that in a box
All the while with the intention of retaining its original persona

This is how it feels to write prose poetry
It is a battle with nature
It is like trying to capture the spirit of the subject
Like catching smoke in your hands

Eternal Sleep
By Diana Weber

If my fingers are cold, I wouldn’t know. They lost their feeling long ago. Their color is pink, this I can see, because it matches the hue of the only remaining light, slashed into pieces by the branches on the trees. The trees themselves look sad, like a peacock robbed of its crowning glory. There is no snow on the ground, not even a promise of moisture from Mother Nature, only the wind, biting and slapping, then rushing away before it can be rebelled against. Yet I am strangely content to stay and experience all the harsh, yet peculiarly striking sensations of this night. While my sense of touch has long since gone to sleep, all other senses seem to be at the height of their interest. They struggle to experience every possible tangible aspect of this night, experiencing it in ways outside of their usual. The way it tastes like silence. The way it sounds like ice. However, as the beauty of this night quickly fades, along with poor touch, they too must go to sleep.