Whitechapel - cats:Blogs;Rootfireember: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:10:57 -0700 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 & Feed Publisher Five More Minutes http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=666 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=666 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:27:29 -0800 Rootfireember Resurrection Daily" This is what I think of when I start my day. I don't wake up with some chipper Pollyanna ease, a bucket of smiles. I usually don't wake up with a smile on my face. Usually I check the clock, to see if I can sleep for another half hour, and hide back under the massive pile of blankets.

I've been told my IQ is pretty high (Gifted). I've been told I have a lot of talent. I know a lot of random things about random topics, have a BFA, and nearly a B.S. in Bio, and really? it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that I do get up in the morning. I leave my bed, turn off my alarm clock and get on with life.
.
I'm not rich. I'm not famous. And, contrary to the belief of co-workers, I am not a Just and Vengeful God of washing dishes.

I'm just another girl, a grab bag of merits and flaws. And the first thing that goes through my mind when I wake up in the morning is not some witty, pithy remark. It's "Oh god. Time to wake up again? Can't I have Five More Minutes?!"

What can I say? My bed is comfy. But I can't stay there forever. Life calls. ]]> Starting the day with a world news of Violence http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=679 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=679 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:51:04 -0800 Rootfireember It is 10:12 am when I start writing this. I've had approximately 6 hours of sleep. The first story Reuters scrolls to my feed-reader is about 19 people who were burned to death locked inside a house in Naivasha on Sunday. The article states the death toll is now over 800, and its not the only place in the world that seems to be getting more violent. Most of the news in my feeder, with the exception of those dealing with the arts & tech (A category I've put Grinding.be in) seems to paint a tragic picture of a world falling towards increased violence and chaos. Do journalists dream of dystopian sheep?

19 people are burned to death. Pakistani kids are held hostage by crazed gunmen (they are later freed) and 5 more US Soldiers are killed in Iraq by insurgents. I shouldn't blame Reuters. It's not the journalists' fault that people do crazy things, and aren't treating other people like, well, people.

According to scientist Robin Dunbar 150 is the maximum number of folks we can really, truly give a shit about, so when faced with news of people dying in areas far from us, people we don't know and who have no overtly obvious impact upon our lives, its easy to just not care. Sure, we'll gape, and say the socially appropriate "Oh, how Sad! How Tragic, how Horrifying!" But I don't think we really care. Its not our friends being killed. It's some stranger. And inside, I think more than a few of us are glad its not us, its not one of our friends. We can turn off the news feed and radio, walk away from the TV, and pretend it didn't happen. Because it didn't happen to anyone we know, no one in our little monkeysphere.

Good morning, everyone. ]]> The Image behind the Icon http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=694 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=694 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:31:08 -0800 Rootfireember
Click here for a more detailed versionThe image at Left is a drawing I did a while back based on a wax model at the La Specola in Florence, with some Norse influence. Quickly dubbed "Dissection Loki" it is a piece that I'm still pretty happy with.

The 'loki was done in microns (Mostly the 005) on 9" x 12" Strathmore Bristol, shows off the anatomy of the cheek, jaw and throat. Yes, you probably could name off the pieces of anatomy present in this piece, though I would not say it's proper scientific accuracy.

My UserIcon is based on a colored version of a selection of this piece. So, in case you were wondering what that was an icon of? Just a head dissection.

General reaction from friends who have seen the original? Lots of "Oh my god what is that?!" and general hand waving in a dismissive style. ]]> Caffeine Consumption http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=717 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=717 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:42:01 -0800 Rootfireember
The latest findings on coffee suggest that it even staves off disease. Caffeine reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease, for example, by blocking receptors for adenosine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in motor function. It is now being tested as a Parkinson's treatment. Caffeine also heads off migraines by contracting blood vessels in the brain.

And probably because coffee, like blueberries and broccoli, contains potent antioxidants, it appears to reduce the risk of colon cancer, gallstones, and liver cancer, among other illnesses. In 2005, Harvard researchers found that drinking six cups of coffee or more daily cut the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by half in men and 30 percent in women. One study of 80,000 women showed that those who drank more than two or three cups of coffee daily reduced their risk of suicide over 10 years by a third.

Alas, that glorious rush of energy isn't entirely benign. Numerous studies have found no link between caffeine and cardiovascular disease. But it can cause anxiety, jitters, and heart palpitations, particularly in people who are sensitive to it. It also can cause stomach pain and gastrointestinal reflux, may make it harder for a woman to get pregnant, and may increase the risk of miscarriage or a low-birth-weight baby. Doctors advise pregnant women to give up caffeine, or keep consumption down to a cup or two of coffee daily.


-Shute, N., Ewers, J., & Go, A. (2007, April 27). Over the Limit?. Us News and World Report 142, 14, 65-8.

Other studies show that in low doses it may reduce perception of muscular pain;

-Motl, R. W., P. J. O'Connor, L. Tubandt, T. Puetz, and M. R. Ely. Effect of Caffeine on Leg Muscle Pain during Cycling Exercise among Females. Med. Sci. Sports Exert., Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 598-604, 2006.

-Turley, K. R., and J. W. Gerst. Effects of Caffeine on Physiological Responses to Exercise in Young Boys and Girls. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 520-526, 2006

-Stuart, G. R., W. G. Hopkins, C. Cook, and S. P. Cairns. Multiple Effects of Caffeine on Simulated High-Intensity Team-Sport Performance. Med, Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 37, No. 11, pp. 1998-2005, 2005.

Although a study by others casts doubt on the affect of caffeine on speed in athletes (sprinters in this case).

-Paton, C. D., W. G. Hopkins, and L. Vollebregt. Little effect of caffeine ingestion on repeated sprints in team-sport athletes. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 5, 2001, pp. 822-825.

So what's this all mean? I believe it means take it in moderation. Don't panic, don't over-do it. Drink your caffeine wisely, and if you start to feel some of the negative side effects, STOP.

There's a LOT of peer-reviewed studies on the substance out there; don't be afraid to do your own looking, and come up with your own opinions.

And you know what? Even if the publications had been negative, I would still drink my coffees, and have my mountain dew. ]]> Wired: Lifecycle of a Blog Post http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=743 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=743 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:42:32 -0800 Rootfireember http://www.wired.com/special_multimedia/2008/ff_secretlife_1602
Just snagged this, thought it was interesting, and some of you might enjoy it.
What happens after you click [post entry]? ]]> Moreau's Child http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=754 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=754 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:27:14 -0800 Rootfireember The Island of Dr.Moreau for a long time. James Morrow's The Philosopher's Apprentice brings it back to the fore again. The book is solid, fun and a touch whimsical at times with a subtle undercurrent of horror. It reminds me on a great many levels of it, and I consider it to be, very much, a modern take on the topic- the repercussions of dabbling in what we don't fully understand, in playing god. The book itself is an easy read, though referencing a great many philosophical works and ideas.I fully expect this book to do decently once it comes out in March 08. ]]> Listen http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=757 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=757 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:34:38 -0800 Rootfireember
People listen.

Enthralled, they stare at me, eager for more, drinking every word I say like it was life.

It terrifies me.

Sometimes I'm awful at speaking. But on occasion this happens, and my words come clear and clean, not the scattered chaos that comes with fear. And I think:

I could tell them anything, and they would believe. ]]> Writing http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=784 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=784 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:50:20 -0800 Rootfireember
I have over 100 word files of stories that were only just conceived, on my computer. Aborted fetuses of tales that I've never finished.

I don't know what I fear more:
The possibility of success, or failure. ]]> Books to Review http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=794 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=794 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:26:13 -0800 Rootfireember How to Self-Destruct by Jason Seiden; scheduled to be out in April of 08 and Ariana Franklin's The Serpent's Tale, which came out sometime this month. It shows when I haven't been to the store for a while; the load of old Galleys which haven't found homes on the shelf gets bigger, and bigger. There's still a lot of stuff from last year on the shelf marked 'review books' that my peers and I take from; indeed, most of the books I got in this ramble are already out; Ray Bradburry's Farewell Summer, Aryn Kyle's The God of Animals, and William Gibson's Spook Country.

Looks like I have some reading to do. ]]> Why I Blog http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=796 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=796 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:00:18 -0800 Rootfireember
So, with a lack of RL socialization, I turn to the blog, seeking connection, friendship, something to cure that "Oh God I'm alone and surrounded by idiot zombies" feeling that curls deep within my black little heart.

I just can't identify with my 20-something peers with their 2-3 young children, wellfare and mcdonalds lifestyles supported (HAPPILY!- how do they manage to be happy in such poverty?) by bad jobs and the nightly napenthe of booze. I look at them- my peers who never did much after graduation, and try to strike up conversations, when words falter.

I don't have anything in common with these people, these wage-slaves who spend so much time with their kids and their crap jobs that they've forgotten there is a life beyond that box, that other things exist. I don't drink, I don't do illegal drugs. I read. I write. I use "Big" words like Genre, sycophant and plebian.

I look at the people I knew in high school, and I have nothing to say to them. They look at me; the feeling's mutual. We both speak english, live in the same city. But our values, our lives, our loves are so different that we might as well be speaking different languages.

So... I blog. I chat. I e-mail. I digitally communicate, because, goddamnit, I need wit. I need vitriolic sarcasm. I need Intelligence. I need sharp, curious minds, people aware of what's around them. ]]> Learning Korean http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=825 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=825 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:38:43 -0800 Rootfireember
So far my favorite letters are the ch'-sound letter, because it looks like a little man, and the h-sound because it looks like a man in a hat (sorry, I haven't gotten this computer up to par on languages, like my laptop- the laptop in question being setup for English, Romanian and Hungarian).

I like learning new languages, or at least trying to; my mind likes having something to 'chew' on. Latin is my first and foremost linguistic love, and I am not too proud to say I'm less than mediocre at it, because I've been neglecting it in favor of working on Korean, and I don't want to get my languages crossed too much. ]]> Grinder Turtle http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=827 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=827 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:27:48 -0800 Rootfireember main blog with an entry on the Grinder Turtle and it's habits. I should finish up a colored version of this critter.
grinderTurtle ]]> And now for the Elephant Man http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=830 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=830 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:38:28 -0800 Rootfireember Just a drawing of Merrick, in response to a friend's drawing; x-posted to my normal blog; there's also a post a few posts back to the drawing my friend did of Merrick.

Joseph Carey Merrick, aka the Elephant man was afflicted with Proteus Syndrome, along with several other diseases, having won the Russian roulette for Bad Genetics.

The thing that strikes me about him, from the accounts I've read, was that despite being rather horrific in appearance, and having been treated horribly by others, he maintained his dignity as a human, calm composure and peaceable attitude, instead of falling towards rage or despondency, when the odds were, for the most part, against him.

The drawing was done pretty quickly in pen and ink, over graphite, scanned and then colored using Painter Classic's watercolor 'brush'.

The time taken to complete this? under half an hour. ]]> I hate my developmental Psych book http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=846 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=846 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:08:47 -0800 Rootfireember
It's not as easy as Abnormal, because I've had little experience with sprogs*. In any case my problem isn't the class. It's the book. First off it came pre-highlighted. Not as in someone had the book before me, but in that the book has words and sections already highlighted in it straight from the printer; I suspect the book was created and mainly formated in some version of WORD. The thing is, highlighting stuff in warm colors is part of how I learn, and are we really that stupid that we need other people to highlight our crap for us, now?

Continued->
*Sprog: a Small Child. ]]> Twitter http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=851 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=851 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:04:43 -0800 Rootfireember a Twitter account.
Nothing entertaining yet. I had chicken goop for dinner, than devoured part of a roast chicken for a snack, and added a background to twitter from an image of a CT scan I had a while back. Mmm. BRAINS. ]]> Talking to Small Children over Coffee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=862 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=862 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:45:27 -0800 Rootfireember don't, but this hasn't stopped the parents of 5-6 year olds from having me babysit their kids, nor the kids from throwing tantrums when I have to leave.

Part of this may be because I draw. Kids love drawings. Kids love it when you can draw puppies and kitties on request. Parents seem to think that because I can draw puppies, kitties and winged moose (shush, they are cute), that all my drawings are kid-okay; so I've dealt with adults looking at my sketchbook quickly then passing it to their kids while I go "Er- You don't want to do that".

Which lead to me trying to explain the story of Merrick, the elephant man, over coffee, to a four year old this morning. The kid seemed to understand what I was getting at: The guy was deformed and sickly, but just because he looked weird, it didn't mean he was a bad person, and somehow that turned into a segue for what color push-pops were good, and how green was a good flavor, even if it was an 'icky color' and how the kid's dad's favorite color was chartreuse. The dad seemed pleased with the discussion, and the fact that I was paying attention to the kid. ]]> Sketchbooks http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=879 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=879 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:20:41 -0800 Rootfireember I spent most of this morning drinking a sub-par mocha, and sketching in one of my numerous sketchbooks. The sketchbook pictured is one sent me by my friend Kat, and it's becoming home for sketches and doodles based on one of our projects, holding the previously mentioned sketch of Merrick, the Elephant Man. The small child previously mentioned, and her dad weren't there, but some friends were.

Back to the sketchbook. I prefer tough, heavier-weight paper, with a smooth finish. I like something that doesn't feel like it'll fall apart by looking at it- and I cannot stand drawing on newsprint, finding the thin paper's texture and weight distasteful to my sense of touch. I like Bristol with the smoother finish, because it soaks up the ink well, and I don't have to worry about ink bleeding through, or the paper wrinkling that much. ]]> Butthurt - I am not a Saint http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=886 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=886 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:15:35 -0800 Rootfireember I am not a saint. I had that beaten out of me on the second lab report we did in complete scientific paper style, down to citations. I was decent at writing papers, and early on got into the habit of supporting my words with references, citing other articles bigger, more badass scientists had done.

Now to Psychology, which I'm treating as Biology Lite. I'm in an upper level course, though it feels more like a 101 course in tone, and in my classmate's primary responses to things. We're told to chew on each other's thoughts and ideas and to respond.

This is where it gets tricky, you see: One of my classmates is butthurt, because she made a rash, blatantly untrue statement, and got corrected for it. (cont.) ]]> Happy Birthday SpiralTwist http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=898 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=898 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:04:25 -0800 Rootfireember -Picture in comments- ]]> Reading http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=902 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=902 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:13:40 -0800 Rootfireember
I'm in a reading-thrall. One more sentence, one more paragraph, one more chapter, to the end, caught up in the adventure of it all, escapism mingled with a lust for new experiences, and a lust for ink.

Ink is the blood of the soul.

As a child, my mom said I read too much. I remember it. Go outside and play with your friends, or something. Anything. It's not natural for a child to closet herself away like that, not healthy...

If I could live off of books, thoughts, ideas, I would.

I can't keep it up forever, and probably within the hour I'll groggily head to bed to collapse until morning in a dreamless sleep, then wake up to finish the last few chapters of the book, then on to the next. ]]> Still Reading, and Eating http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=910 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=910 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:43:47 -0800 Rootfireember The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle, one of the prepubs I snagged the other week. I'm word-dazed, my mind there and not wholly here, shoveling rice goop into my mouth because I know I need to eat something, so something turned out to be brown rice + cheese sauce. Whatever works. I'm not an expert cook, or a chef (like my step dad, who I am convinced is the best chef to graduate from the CIA, ever), but normally my meals are edible. Today is no exception, though rice always reminded me of meal worms and maggots, the squashed up stuff that made up the food for the orphaned robins I took care of as a child.

Back to the story- it's about a girl, her family, and horses, a nice, quasi-sorrowful tale, without dropping too far into the sugary realm of those horse stories I loved as a kid, and realistic enough to remind me of my riding lessons as a child (english and western). It's about a working stable, and -more importantly- about the complex relationships we share with others. Feel the human connection, folks. Nice light reading.

Paperback comes out in March of O8 ]]> Coyotes http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=911 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=911 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:50:33 -0800 Rootfireember
You can hear them working in the garden, the lining of their doggish footsteps, smell the soft, slightly sour tang of their musk as they observe you.

One of the pups used to come and play with our dogs, before it realized that our dogs were not, in fact, the ugliest coyotes ever, and it returned to its pack, never looking back after that social faux pas.

I used to walk out in the woods, hear the soft sound of their footprints, follow their tracks, hear the sharper, more edgy sound of the hooves of deer as they moved around me, invisible to my eyes unless I curled up among the leaf-litter, and stayed still.

Some of my peers are afraid of them. Coyotes. God's Dogs, some called them, the Old Trickster Incarnate. They say they rip the bellies of dear, lead dogs to their packs to eat them, and would kill people if they could. But I'm at ease with the beasts, as at ease with the shy creatures as I am with 'my' ravens. I am not their prey. They will not hurt me. I don't go into the woods smelling of anger, fear and blood. I don't go into the woods smelling of gunpowder and death. (cont.) ]]> Its Snowing http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=953 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=953 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:57:30 -0800 Rootfireember
There have been the usual bouts of accidents- people in white SUVs who think they can do anything, driving in white out conditions, with their lights off, speeding about and wondering just why their SUV can't infact do everything, how they ended up in a ditch or in a car accident, careless drivers, bad brakes and other traditional forms of 'entertainment'. By entertainment I mean this: People will watch, but they will not help, if someone is hurt or in danger.

There was a 20 year old guy who froze to death in some lady's front yard in the middle of day about a week ago, because no one apparently saw him, and a guy with no shoes and no shirt in the middle of winter is not a sight to make people wonder what's up or get help. Heck, I've been spun around by a 'nudge' from a speeding car while walking across a street downtown, without having any of the people who saw it happen do anything other than turn and walk in the opposite direction.

The area is beautiful; its known for it. The snow is also beautiful. But its dangerous stuff, and you have to be careful when you're out in about, because the good sameratin doesn't exist here- I suspect he's moved someplace warmer for the season. ]]> Snow Days and Art Supplies http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=959 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=959 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:21:33 -0800 Rootfireember
Taking stock of my supplies; I've got a decent stash of Windpower bristol to write nice pictures on, beads, glue and leather for the headset mod, duct tape in black and white, guiness, sketchbooks, some acrylic paints (though my stash is waning down to some bright reds, a few blues, linen, and gesso). As far as writing supplies go, I have my ink pen, microns, Copic brush-tipped pens and I really want to re-stock up on TRIAS soon...though there are some other markers that make me giddy. I like markers with a high alcohol content that blend like butter with a high pigment concentration.

Dick Blick is the favored supplier to my art addiction.

There should be drawings to come :)
It's a snow day for the area, crappy as heck, the warnings are still to the tune of DONT GO OUTSIDE. ]]> Books http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=967 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=967 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:38:19 -0800 Rootfireember
I'm quite amused. ]]> Where you Come From http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=971 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=971 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:53:06 -0800 Rootfireember Kaschau, Hungaria-
or what's known as, nowdays, as Kosice, Slovakia. or if you want to be more specific: HERE.

It's a strange thing to finally put a name and image to the place my grandfather spoke of, tales handed down about orchards and apple trees and disgruntled farmers.
Edit:
Has anyone heard of or been to these places at all? ]]> Research - Victorian Potties http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=988 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=988 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:02:30 -0800 Rootfireember Gabbly/The Market with Ben (Sorry Ben, I got distracted by crappy...er... crappers, no you didn't offend me).I'm having quite a bit of fun working on stuff for it, and for a few other projects I'm working on.

The Victorian Bathroom
Look at the Pretty Potty!

Of course, the fact that I'm looking at pretty potties and Victorian toilets means this will, someday, end up in a drawing. Is this cause to rejoice, cackle, or cringe? You decide.

...wonder what a steampunk potty would look like. ]]> OMG TURTLE http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=991 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=991 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:27:13 -0800 Rootfireember Photobucket

Closer to done on the turtle; had some fun with it. OMG it is a turtle! What else is there to say? ]]> Biking Across Africa http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=998 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=998 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:43:47 -0800 Rootfireember
Right now she's biking across Africa on a trip from Jan 12- May 10.

Check out her blog:

http://www.tda2008.blogspot.com/

Lots of pictures, including pictures of camels (living and dead). Huzzah, Camels!

x-posted to my main blog.
Yes, I'm pimping out my old teacher's blog. :> Some of you might enjoy it. ]]> The Frog that Would Not Die, and other Bio Tales http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=1004 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=1004 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:25:59 -0800 Rootfireember
Today I share with you the tale of the Frog that Would Not Die; inspired by Templesmith's twitter post linking to The Brain that Would Not Die.

I do not know where our frogs came from. They were leopard frogs, apparently wild-type, standard prey of biologists across the generations. We were to dissect them, monitor with fancy computers, electrodes and techno-gadgets, muscle responses, and Learn Things.

Durring the lab, several frogs kicked the bucket, as is expected when you have had your brain scrambled, and vital organs removed. By the end of the lab, everyone's frog was dead, but ours.

A skin, a head, heart and lungs was pretty much all that remained of this poor creature. Distressed that our animal continued to breathe and its heart beat, my lab partners and I beseeched our teacher to do something. We were told to wait a bit. A half hour passed, than an hour...

It continued to breathe, it's little heart continued to beat. We became increasingly upset. We demand the teacher do something. We asked about cruelty, and pain, and were informed that the animal could not feel pain, it's brain was scrambled, it was not suffering.

We poked the frog. We prodded it. We zapped it. Its heart continued to beat.

For a moment its heart stopped, and we held our breath, thinking: Now, now this poor animal has gone on to a better life... and as we exhaled in relief, the animal's heart began to beat again.

Finally our teacher sighed, told us to give him the frog. We expect him to kill it somehow, but instead, he just put the frog in a plastic bag, inside a garbage bag with the other dead frogs.

Its heart was still beating. It was still breathing; and while logic says the animal must be dead by now, several years later, some part of me thinks: Somewhere, in a plastic bio bag, is a frog. A frog that will not die.

It is Schroedinger's frog. ]]>