Search where?

This Portfolio (cathartes02)

All of Writing.Com

◄ August ►
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31
Archive				RSS

Member Blogs

· Complex Numbers (my previous blog, archived)

Create New Item

Read & Review

Community

Browse By Type

Browse By Genre

Writing Resources

Wed, Aug 20, 2025

8:43pm EDT

Members: 789

Guests: 3,133

Total Online: 3,922

Carrion Luggage

by Robert Waltz

Rated: 18+ · Book · Opinion · #2336646

Items to fit into your overhead compartment

Carrion Luggage

Native to the Americas, the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) travels widely in search of sustenance. While usually foraging alone, it relies on other individuals of its species for companionship and mutual protection. Sometimes misunderstood, sometimes feared, sometimes shunned, it nevertheless performs an important role in the ecosystem.

This scavenger bird is a marvel of efficiency. Rather than expend energy flapping its wings, it instead locates uplifting columns of air, and spirals within them in order to glide to greater heights. This behavior has been mistaken for opportunism, interpreted as if it is circling doomed terrestrial animals destined to be its next meal. In truth, the vulture takes advantage of these thermals to gain the altitude needed glide longer distances, flying not out of necessity, but for the joy of it.

It also avoids the exertion necessary to capture live prey, preferring instead to feast upon that which is already dead. In this behavior, it resembles many humans.

It is not what most of us would consider to be a pretty bird. While its habits are often off-putting, or even disgusting, to members of more fastidious species, the turkey vulture helps to keep the environment from being clogged with detritus. Hence its Latin binomial, which translates to English as "golden purifier."

I rarely know where the winds will take me next, or what I might find there. The journey is the destination.

Previous ... -1- 2 ... Next

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Charles 🐾

about 6 hours ago
In response to "Elephants of Style"

Such a crazy world we live in (yes, I feel old saying that), that teachers have to question whether a student wrote their essay or if a bot did. I am a huge fan of em dashes, and I don't care what anyone says, they are my best friend.

Also, I have found that most AI-detection tools are useless. Sometimes I plug my own work into detectors, just to see what it says, and usually it comes back as human writing. However, some detection tools show it as AI writing. My theory as to why this is happening is because a lot of these AI detection tools also offer a "Humanizer" tool, whereby you can have your words changed so as to appear less bot-like. So, if the detector tool also has a handy-dandy humanizer tool, you can expect it to claim your writing is AI. Because, after all, they really just want you to spend money and let them humanize your text—which, in reality, is just another AI changing your words. Silly.

BIG BAD WOLF is Surprised

about 7 hours ago
In response to "That Joke Is Older Than Dinosaur Meat"

The best jokes are the common ones. Very universal.

Stik to My Own Beat

about 10 hours ago
In response to "Elephants of Style"

I wonder how much the frequency illusion is coming into play here. (Also, even as someone who naturally writes and even speaks in a semi-formal manner that gets mistaken for AI, I have yet to do this.)

🌖 HuntersMoon

about 11 hours ago
In response to "That Joke Is Older Than Dinosaur Meat"

Who knew I was a plagiarist?

That's how I remember jokes. I hold onto the punchline and then just make up everything else to lead toward the ending.

BIG BAD WOLF is Surprised

a day ago
In response to "That Joke Is Older Than Dinosaur Meat"

What? Someone translate.

Might want to look up the Cerne Abbas Giant. Part of me wonders if there's markings that say, "He's very Happy."

Not for folks that are easily shocked, especially those without a sense of humor.

1 Like

Sum1

a day ago
In response to "That Joke Is Older Than Dinosaur Meat"

I Love a good joke, but you can't tell it by my ability to tell jokes. My delivery is horrible. I always say I have a good sense of humor, I just can't tell a joke. I'm the guy who can tell a joke, no one will laugh. A half hour later, same crowd. Someone tells the exact same joke and people roll on the floor. I know that with restaurants, it's all about location. With jokes, it's all about delivery. I prefer shorter jokes, not really long ones. I'm sure you've probably read what's supposed to be the world's longer joke. The punchline at the end is horrible. In case you haven't read it, it can be found here.

https://www.wattpad.com/2012108-the-longest-joke-in-the-world-a-man-in-th e-desert/page/5

1 Like

🌖 HuntersMoon

Aug 18, 2025 at 10:14am
In response to "Grumpy Old Man"

IMHO, being irked at others' behaviour or random acts of stupidness is all predicated on some inborn sense that you should care. If you don't give a shit you won't be bothered... unless it actually impinges on your safety. That crosses the line of irksome.

1 Like

Stik to My Own Beat

Aug 17, 2025 at 11:36am
In response to "Still Running"

Hey, at least they disclose the book ad part almost immediately out of the gate.

Sum1

Aug 17, 2025 at 11:29am
In response to "Still Running"

It wasn't until I heard Dancing In The Dark that I became somewhat of a Springsteen fan. I say somewhat as in, I like his music, but I don't feel the need to see him in concert or buy every album/CD he makes.

BIG BAD WOLF is Surprised

Aug 16, 2025 at 3:40pm
In response to "Sleep On It"

So that explains why I've been nodding off at work lately.

#161. Elephants of Style
ID #1095626 entered on August 20, 2025 at 9:34am

#160. That Joke Is Older Than Dinosaur Meat
ID #1095573 entered on August 19, 2025 at 11:54am

#159. Grumpy Old Man
ID #1095491 entered on August 18, 2025 at 9:35am

#158. Still Running
ID #1095445 entered on August 17, 2025 at 11:22am

#157. Sleep On It
ID #1095387 entered on August 16, 2025 at 8:47am

#156. Unhappy Campers
ID #1095338 entered on August 15, 2025 at 9:43am

#155. Burger? I Barely Know 'Er
ID #1095275 entered on August 14, 2025 at 7:48am

#154. Why So Selfies?
ID #1095219 entered on August 13, 2025 at 9:53am

#153. Allergic to Selfish
ID #1095155 entered on August 12, 2025 at 10:54am

#152. That's Corny
ID #1095081 entered on August 11, 2025 at 9:34am

#151. Three Times
ID #1095025 entered on August 10, 2025 at 10:13am

#150. Past Tents
ID #1094971 entered on August 9, 2025 at 10:24am

#149. Hold Me
ID #1094921 entered on August 8, 2025 at 9:43am

#148. Bold Strategy, Cotton
ID #1094858 entered on August 7, 2025 at 9:41am

#147. Lager? I Barely Know 'er
ID #1094802 entered on August 6, 2025 at 9:38am

#146. Live Long and Suffer
ID #1094742 entered on August 5, 2025 at 8:37am

#145. Put On a Happy Face
ID #1094669 entered on August 4, 2025 at 9:38am

#144. Search and Research
ID #1094614 entered on August 3, 2025 at 9:16am

#143. Go Go Godzilla
ID #1094554 entered on August 2, 2025 at 11:30am

#142. Lightning's a Beach
ID #1094513 entered on August 1, 2025 at 1:35pm

#141. Sun of a Beach
ID #1094430 entered on July 31, 2025 at 8:23am

#140. What I Think
ID #1094373 entered on July 30, 2025 at 9:37am

#139. Strings Attached
ID #1094315 entered on July 29, 2025 at 9:52am

#138. Reality Check
ID #1094252 entered on July 28, 2025 at 9:22am

#137. Pill Bugs
ID #1094199 entered on July 27, 2025 at 11:12am

#136. Light the Fuse
ID #1094118 entered on July 26, 2025 at 7:55am

#135. Going Wit Out
ID #1094073 entered on July 25, 2025 at 10:31am

#134. Y'all-Inclusive
ID #1094016 entered on July 24, 2025 at 9:43am

#133. Inside the Box
ID #1093951 entered on July 23, 2025 at 8:36am

#132. Enduring Durian
ID #1093895 entered on July 22, 2025 at 9:48am

#131. First Light
ID #1093827 entered on July 21, 2025 at 11:37am

#130. Accidents
ID #1093752 entered on July 20, 2025 at 11:18am

#129. Judgment Day
ID #1093690 entered on July 19, 2025 at 8:48am

#128. Untrained
ID #1093643 entered on July 18, 2025 at 10:50am

#127. The Hole Schmear
ID #1093594 entered on July 17, 2025 at 12:21pm

#126. Long in the Tooth
ID #1093541 entered on July 16, 2025 at 10:31am

#125. Material Reads
ID #1093479 entered on July 15, 2025 at 11:38am

#124. Bug Out
ID #1093397 entered on July 14, 2025 at 8:52am

#123. Bard to the Bone
ID #1093342 entered on July 13, 2025 at 9:42am

#122. Tip Top
ID #1093288 entered on July 12, 2025 at 10:02am

#121. Blood Relation
ID #1093226 entered on July 11, 2025 at 9:22am

#120. Mind Control
ID #1093166 entered on July 10, 2025 at 9:57am

#119. Hey Rubin
ID #1093097 entered on July 9, 2025 at 11:06am

#118. Into Arkness
ID #1093027 entered on July 8, 2025 at 10:21am

#117. Curiosity Killed the Categories
ID #1092972 entered on July 7, 2025 at 7:13am

#116. He Said, Archly
ID #1092921 entered on July 6, 2025 at 7:28am

#115. Twongue-tisters
ID #1092858 entered on July 5, 2025 at 10:17am

#114. Book It, Not Done
ID #1092773 entered on July 4, 2025 at 8:30am

#113. Gatekeeping
ID #1092724 entered on July 3, 2025 at 9:55am

#112. Lawn Forcement
ID #1092666 entered on July 2, 2025 at 10:07am

#111. Rococo's
ID #1092599 entered on July 1, 2025 at 10:13am

#110. Wall-Crawler
ID #1092548 entered on June 30, 2025 at 10:02am

#109. It's On the House
ID #1092475 entered on June 29, 2025 at 9:37am

#108. Not Apparent
ID #1092402 entered on June 28, 2025 at 9:32am

#107. The Holy Roll
ID #1092346 entered on June 27, 2025 at 11:05am

#106. Duo or Duo Not (There is no Tri)
ID #1092270 entered on June 26, 2025 at 11:01am

#105. Forewarned is Eight-Armed
ID #1092209 entered on June 25, 2025 at 10:06am

#104. Concrete Notions
ID #1092146 entered on June 24, 2025 at 9:42am

#103. The Sniff Test
ID #1092086 entered on June 23, 2025 at 10:10am

#102. Pei Attention
ID #1092018 entered on June 22, 2025 at 10:15am

#101. The State of Spelling
ID #1091958 entered on June 21, 2025 at 9:14am

#100. Stillsun
ID #1091878 entered on June 20, 2025 at 10:32am

#99. Terra Incognita
ID #1091803 entered on June 19, 2025 at 9:13am

#98. No Good Deed
ID #1091737 entered on June 18, 2025 at 6:29am

#97. Purrsuit of Knowledge
ID #1091681 entered on June 17, 2025 at 9:16am

#96. We Come In Peace
ID #1091599 entered on June 16, 2025 at 8:18am

#95. Central Intelligence
ID #1091536 entered on June 15, 2025 at 8:49am

#94. Kids These Days
ID #1091461 entered on June 14, 2025 at 9:20am

#93. The Hole Truth
ID #1091402 entered on June 13, 2025 at 10:47am

#92. Predictionary
ID #1091321 entered on June 12, 2025 at 10:06am

#91. Re-Versed
ID #1091234 entered on June 11, 2025 at 8:19am

#90. Homework
ID #1091174 entered on June 10, 2025 at 10:25am

#89. Let Us Not Park Take
ID #1091101 entered on June 9, 2025 at 10:16am

#88. What You Eight Last Night
ID #1091039 entered on June 8, 2025 at 8:47am

#87. Sam I Am
ID #1090966 entered on June 7, 2025 at 9:13am

#86. Taco Here We Go
ID #1090875 entered on June 6, 2025 at 11:18am

#85. Skeletons in the Closet
ID #1090780 entered on June 5, 2025 at 10:34am

#84. You Sic Bastard
ID #1090683 entered on June 4, 2025 at 10:13am

#83. Isothermal Vacation
ID #1090572 entered on June 3, 2025 at 9:04am

#82. Rebel Without a Curse
ID #1090505 entered on June 2, 2025 at 11:07am

#81. Why Is It Never Thick Air?
ID #1090417 entered on June 1, 2025 at 9:55am

#80. Born in a Barnard's
ID #1090354 entered on May 31, 2025 at 11:45am

#79. Scavenger Hunt
ID #1090279 entered on May 30, 2025 at 10:39am

#78. Written in the Stars
ID #1090204 entered on May 29, 2025 at 7:51am

#77. The Extra Smile
ID #1090167 entered on May 28, 2025 at 5:15pm

#76. It Just So Happens
ID #1090098 entered on May 27, 2025 at 10:24am

#75. Lie Down
ID #1090045 entered on May 26, 2025 at 11:39am

#74. Hair
ID #1089983 entered on May 25, 2025 at 9:55am

#73. Trust the Process?
ID #1089928 entered on May 24, 2025 at 10:07am

#72. It's About Time
ID #1089865 entered on May 23, 2025 at 10:42am

#71. Making the Cut
ID #1089801 entered on May 22, 2025 at 8:35am

#70. On a Lark
ID #1089736 entered on May 21, 2025 at 10:17am

#69. Twisted Tongue
ID #1089675 entered on May 20, 2025 at 10:40am

#68. Earning Learning
ID #1089623 entered on May 19, 2025 at 10:38am

#67. Infinite Loop
ID #1089566 entered on May 18, 2025 at 9:40am

#66. Cunning Stunts
ID #1089513 entered on May 17, 2025 at 10:51am

#65. Not In Our Stars, But In Ourselves
ID #1089436 entered on May 16, 2025 at 10:57am

#64. What a Tangled Web
ID #1089361 entered on May 15, 2025 at 8:35am

#63. Please Pasta Salt
ID #1089305 entered on May 14, 2025 at 8:41am

#62. The Drive to Innovate
ID #1089227 entered on May 13, 2025 at 9:33am

Previous ... -1- 2 ... Next

© Copyright 2025 Robert Waltz (UN: cathartes02 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Robert Waltz has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/cathartes02/action/archive