Welcome Catruth!

Posted on September 25, 2011 by arizela

What do veterinary surgery, Celtic mythology, and paragliding have in common?

Why, our newest contributor, Catruth, of course!

Catruth is a veterinary surgeon who qualified in 2006. She currently works in a small mixed practice in the West of Scotland, seeing a bit of everything. Fantasy and mystery are her favourite genre to write, and she is currently a bit surprised by a couple of stories that have turned into horror. She can answer questions about animal husbandry, animal diseases and general physiology. Outside of her professional expertise, she has a good working knowledge of Celtic mythos and life as it was and is in rural Scotland, and has dabbled in sports as diverse as paragliding, trampolining and triathlon.

Catruth is available to answer questions, so send ‘em if you got ‘em.

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Oh, the Humanity

Posted on September 23, 2011 by arizela

Ever wonder what makes us human?

Some people point to self-awareness and intelligence. 

Dolphins might get a chuckle out of that one.
 Some people think that it’s our DNA.Yet scientists estimate that 5-8% of the human genome is composed of endogenous (or in-born) retroviruses. That means the slippery little viruses jammed themselves on the end of a strand of our ancestors’ DNA at some point in our murky past and literally became part of us.

Heck, even our mitochondria – the indispensable organelles that replicate identically along the female line of the species – were once invading bacteria that formed a symbiosis with early single-celled organisms and moved into the cell because, hey, the ‘fridge is full in there.

Maybe it’s our emotions, nay, even our souls! 

Except when you consider that bacteria have been found to create neurotransmitters that alter human emotional response, influence their environment (even when that environment is us), and are hypothesized to be the intelligence behind the design of complex life as we know it.

Perhaps…

… what defines us is our melting-pot nature. Just like the English language, human beings have absorbed, modified at need, and utilized all sorts of extraneous parts. You say croissant, I say welcome bacterial overlords!

Just a little food for thought. Happy Weekend!

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Introducing…

Posted on September 13, 2011 by arizela

Our new collaborators:

Kasey Mackenzie

Kasey Mackenzie is a published author and certified paralegal with over 10 years of experience in the legal field, most recently working for a large, multi-practice law firm in St. Louis, Missouri. She possesses a Master’s Degree in Legal Analysis and does freelance writing for various clients and websites, primarily relating to the legal, marketing, and human resources fields.  Her urban fantasy series, Shades of Fury, is published by Penguin/Ace Books.  Passionate about both writing and the law, she enjoys computer games, knitting, reading, and spending time with her family.  Her website can be found at http://www.kaseymackenzie.com.

Kasey’s latest book, Green Eyed Envy, is available wherever books are sold.

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Alba T.

Alba T. is a web developer, native New Yorker, and Mets fan who has worked in theater and fundraising, among other fields.  Oh, and she writes!  She can answer questions about computers, the internet, and everything involved in designing, constructing, and maintaining a website; stage production and all the things that go on behind the scenes in a theater; baseball; New York City; photography and digital cameras/post-production; political philosophy; and a lot of random miscellany.

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If you have questions in any of the fields our contributors have graciously agreed to answer, please follow the “Ask your Questions” page instructions.
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