Yesterday morning I spent three hours at the Utah Medical Examiners' Office observing four autopsies. Not four simultaneously, mind you, but one at a time.
Believe you me, that was an experience I will NEVER forget. When you think of an autopsy, you think of the sights. Well, I discovered that there are also the sounds (shearing, sawing, and suctioning) and the smell to deal with.
Apparently I didn't do a good enough job of suppressing my reactions or my comments, because I made the personnel laugh out loud several times. The forensic pathologist said they liked having me around because I was so entertaining. Referring to all the "observers" she's had, one autopsy tech said--more than once--that I was her favorite.
But back to the subject, I was saddened and sobered by how easy it is (with the proper tools, of course) to reduce a human being to its constituent parts. Now I'm experiencing existential angst over the fragility of human life.
Lastly, if you take only one thing away from this message, let it be this: Absolutely STAY OFF THE DRUGS!!!
Oh, the fragility of human life!
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_Dr. Shades
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Oh, the fragility of human life!
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
--Louis Midgley
--Louis Midgley
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_Some Schmo
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Dr. Shades wrote:Apparently I didn't do a good enough job of suppressing my reactions or my comments, because I made the personnel laugh out loud several times. The forensic pathologist said they liked having me around because I was so entertaining. Referring to all the "observers" she's had, one autopsy tech said--more than once--that I was her favorite.
Leave it to Shades to be a cut up at an autopsy.
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
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_Dr. Shades
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Some Schmo wrote:Leave it to Shades to be a cut up at an autopsy.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
--Louis Midgley
--Louis Midgley
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_Doctor CamNC4Me
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Why in the world were you observing autopsies? That's something I'm not sure I'd want to do after having to watch goats (sedated, by the way) get hacked into pieces and then try to triage their wounds. There's something really, really, really disturbing seeing something that was alive a second ago get reduced to pieces.
Anyway. I'm commiserating with you. I totally get your existential angst. This will probably stay with you for a while. :)
- Doc
Anyway. I'm commiserating with you. I totally get your existential angst. This will probably stay with you for a while. :)
- Doc
In the face of madness, rationality has no power - Xiao Wang, US historiographer, 2287 AD.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
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_Dr. Shades
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:Why in the world were you observing autopsies?
The same reason I volunteered to be pepper sprayed in 1997, then volunteered to be tased in 2014: I knew I had to face my fears.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
--Louis Midgley
--Louis Midgley
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_Some Schmo
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Dr. Shades wrote: The same reason I volunteered to be pepper sprayed in 1997, then volunteered to be tased in 2014: I knew I had to face my fears.
I admire this attitude. In that spirit, I have to tell you something that may frighten you: not everyone likes Japanese adolescent pop. Scary... I know. I imagine, after this news, you're looking back on being pepper sprayed with fondness.
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
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_Doctor CamNC4Me
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Dr. Shades wrote:Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:Why in the world were you observing autopsies?
The same reason I volunteered to be pepper sprayed in 1997, then volunteered to be tased in 2014: I knew I had to face my fears.
Have you been sky diving? You should sky dive.
- Doc
In the face of madness, rationality has no power - Xiao Wang, US historiographer, 2287 AD.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
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_Doctor Steuss
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Were you hungry afterwards?
A few friends who have had to observe autopsies for Criminal Justice coursework said that they had some pretty intense food cravings afterwards.
A few friends who have had to observe autopsies for Criminal Justice coursework said that they had some pretty intense food cravings afterwards.
"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead." ~Charles Bukowski
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_Some Schmo
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Doctor Steuss wrote:Were you hungry afterwards?
A few friends who have had to observe autopsies for Criminal Justice coursework said that they had some pretty intense food cravings afterwards.
Liver pate? Haggis? Prairie oysters? Head cheese?
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
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_Doctor Steuss
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Re: Oh, the fragility of human life!
Some Schmo wrote:Liver pate? Haggis? Prairie oysters? Head cheese?
Lol.
If I recall correctly, it was carb cravings. One of them wanted pasta, and the other had a hankering for toast.
"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead." ~Charles Bukowski