The Straight Dope 07/02/2004

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 07/02/2004

Dear Cecil:

Recently I read a news item (in a real newspaper, not the
Weekly World News) about a man arrested for cannibalism.
Allegedly, this guy had placed an ad in some publication
expressing his desire to meet somebody whose fantasy was
to be devoured--for the purpose of fulfilling the
fantasy. Somebody actually answered the ad. Apparently,
the two worked out their terms to mutual satisfaction,
for in due course the respondent was indelicately
dispatched to the hereafter, and his earthly remains were
then converted into the ultimate low-carb entree. My
question is not "What kind of twist would answer such a
classified?" What I'd like to know is, is the fantasy of
being eaten a common enough aberration to constitute a
psychologically recognized pathology? --David English,
Somerville, Massachusetts

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Cecil replies:

This is a subject on which you'll thank me not to tarry,
David. However, while the cannibalism case you cite has
been abundantly, not to say sensationally, reported in
the European media, it's received scant attention in the
U.S., and one feels the citizenry ought to know. No doubt
the cannibal you have in mind--there can't be two like
this--is Armin Meiwes of Rotenburg, Germany. A seemingly
mild-mannered computer technician by day, Meiwes prowled
Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards in his off hours
looking for people to eat. Sick, sure, but lots of people
are sick. What elevates Meiwes's story out of the
ordinary is that he found a volunteer. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040702.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

I just finished watching the movie Master and Commander.
What, pray tell, is the alcoholic substance called "grog"
that ships reputedly rationed out to sailors? How did
they brew or prepare it? If it's remotely palatable, got
any recipes? (Sounds like a fun theme party drink,
although my university days are on the "far side of the
world"...;) --Tim Oborn

SDSTAFF Una replies:

That thing at the end, Tim--is that a smiley or have you
just got a twitch? These days one can never be sure. 

Grog commonly refers to a mixture of plain water and rum,
but has also been generically applied to a mixture of
water and any strong alcoholic spirit. Stories of it
being made from rum and seawater are likely apocryphal,
the result of hyperbole about the harsh treatment of
sailors in some navies, but given human nature I imagine
someone's tried it at some juncture. 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgrog.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 05/01/1987

Dear Cecil: 

Are or are not cats and dogs really color-blind? How do
they know? --Jim L., Chicago  

Dear Jim:  
You ever see a cat who could pick out a tie? Believe me, cats'll
wear things you wouldn't put on a dog. Scientists, however,
are not content with anecdotal evidence. They often test
animal color sensitivity by trying to link color with
food. One such experiment was conducted in 1915 by two
scientists at the University of Colorado, J.C. DeVoss and
Rose Ganson. They put fish in two jelly jars and then
lined both with paper, one gray and one colored. If a cat
picked the colored jar, it got to eat the fish. Nine
cats, 18 months, and 100,000 tries later, the researchers
established that cats picked the right jar only half the
time--the level of pure chance. On the other hand, cats
could readily distinguish between different shades of
gray. Ergo, cats are color-blind.  

Doubts about this conclusion arose some years later, 
however. . . .

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_004.html

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