No one else will ever touch a banana like her voice does.

[kleenexwoman]

CAT PARASITES CONTROL OUR BRAINS AND CULTURE.
The distribution of T. gondii could explain differences in cultural aspects that relate to ego, money, material possessions, work and rules, Lafferty added. In some countries, infections by the cat parasite are very rare, while in others nearly all adults are infected.
From another article: Toxoplasma is associated with different, often opposite, behavioral changes in men and women, but both genders exhibit guilt proneness (a form of neuroticism). Lafferty’s analysis found that countries with high Toxoplasma prevalence had a higher aggregate neuroticism score, and western nations with high prevalence also scored higher in the ‘neurotic’ cultural dimensions of ‘masculine’ sex roles and uncertainty avoidance.
And another: People with Toxoplasma tend to be more self-doubting and insecure, among other things. Among the differences in men, Toxoplasma is associated with less interest in seeking novelty. Toxoplasma-infected women are more open-hearted.

I tried to look up the article on Central Michigan's database and on JStor, but could not find it. If anyone else has access and can find it, please let me know. I would like to read it. ETA: Oh, here it is.

I need to finish either my lesbian angel story or my robot story by about Friday, and I also need to write a love poem by tomorrow for a Poet's Collective fundraiser. I haven't written a decent love poem in ages. I think it's going to involve animal imagery again. I'm tempted to include the toxoplasmosis. What's more romantic than reading a poem to your sweetie over a candelight dinner about how the parasite in your brain has altered your neurons to make you totally in love? Wasn't that the plot of a Futurama episode?

Comments

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

DUDE DUDE THIS WAS TOTALLY A THEME IN PEEPS BY SCOTT WESTERFIELD.

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

Is that the guy who wrote the "Uglies" series? I love those books.

*Googles*

This man may become my new hero.

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that guy. (I really liked the first two books in the Uglies series, but I have yet to get around to reading Specials.)

Peeps isn't very deep or anything but it is a very fun read.

[drworm.livejournal.com]

What's more romantic than reading a poem to your sweetie over a candelight dinner about how the parasite in your brain has altered your neurons to make you totally in love?

My heart, it is stolen.

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

Mine has worms that make it beat only for you. <3<3<3<3<3

[drworm.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. &hearts

[drworm.livejournal.com]

Oh and I see from your subject line that you saw the f!s post.

lol

[josephwaldman.livejournal.com]

Maybe this explains something about why I'm moderately fucked up. I grew up with three cats, and I can't imagine a childhood without shredded furniture, scattered kibble, and occasional leavings of kitty krap all over the house.

My parents both like to snack on raw cookie dough from time to time, usually chocolate cookie dough with peanut-butter chips, and I distinctly remember the first time I learned of this. I came downstairs from my room after I'd gone to bed (I was maybe two and a half) and saw them sitting on the couch (several feet apart, of course; they were still at the point where they could stand one another's presence, but I never saw them so much as hug or hold hands), watching TV (Young Frankenstein was on -- egads, I have a photographic memory), and snacking on the dough from a big bowl. I asked them what it was, and one of them, I don't remember who, told me it was cat crap. Obviously this was a joke, but I was young and naive, and went back upstairs convinced that my parents were crazy (which they were), and that I would never, ever eat that stuff. (Later on they explained the truth to me and I had a taste -- it's excellent stuff, and I can send you the recipe sometime.)