Una! Boiling Frogs!

[YogSosoth]

Dear Una,

In this column about boiling frogs, Cecil recounts a conversation where you said:

Una glared. “You don’t get your hands dirty,” she said. “I get my hands dirty. Look, I’ve painted my groin with alcohol to determine whether whiskey makes a good antiseptic. I’ve blasted bacon with a laser. I’ve drunk skunky beer to see if brown bottles prevent spoilage better than clear ones. But no way am I boiling any effing frogs.”

“You don’t actually have to boil them, Una. You just have to warm them up a little. I have total confidence that, crackpot legend notwithstanding, the frogs will jump out before any permanent damage is done.”

“So,” she retorted, “I only have to inflict a modest amount of torture on helpless research subjects, after which I’ve got a kitchen full of hot, pissed-off frogs.”

Did you really say that? If so, awesome!

Also, how much of these little conversational tidbits are real and how much are made up for the column?

Lastly, the column ends with the myth that's indeterminate, pending Una's change of heart. Has The Master ever thought about, you know, doing the experiment himself?

[Una Persson]

Originally Posted by YogSosoth

Did you really say that? If so, awesome!

I said a lot of things on that subject I can't remember - I'm pretty sure I said words to that effect. I was adamant that I did not want to risk boiling frogs.

Also, how much of these little conversational tidbits are real and how much are made up for the column?

Cecil and I have a lot of conversational back-and-forth, by mail and by phone (and very rarely, in person). Because we don't transcribe everything we discuss it isn't always a direct quote, but in some cases it is. I honestly don't remember these things and our mail correspondence numbers in the thousands, if not more than ten thousand mails over the years, so it's hard to keep track. It's hard to even find important conversations sometimes, even with Google search.

Lastly, the column ends with the myth that's indeterminate, pending Una's change of heart. Has The Master ever thought about, you know, doing the experiment himself?

Cecil will have to answer that, but he tends to leave the experiments to myself and others.

[YogSosoth]

Originally Posted by Una Persson

Cecil will have to answer that, but he tends to leave the experiments to myself and others.

Maybe this is confirmation bias, but it seems that of the 3-4 old columns and 1 new column on the main page, I noticed that he tends to do the experiments or at least the research himself way back in the day, but many of the recent columns are by the staff. Is that a true assessment?

[Chronos]

The columns themselves aren't by the staff; the work behind them sometimes is. Cecil still does the write-up, though, with only (to my knowledge) two exceptions, both attributed in the column to Colibri.

[Una Persson]

Originally Posted by YogSosoth

Maybe this is confirmation bias, but it seems that of the 3-4 old columns and 1 new column on the main page, I noticed that he tends to do the experiments or at least the research himself way back in the day, but many of the recent columns are by the staff. Is that a true assessment?

The columns are by Cecil, but he has helpers to do some of the grunt work. I look up research papers and books, send mails and make phone calls, and do experiments.

[C K Dexter Haven]

_{I sort the mail.}

[gnoitall]

Originally Posted by C K Dexter Haven

_{I sort the mail.}

And we're all terrifically grateful for the awesome way to do that critical task. Keep up the good work!

At least Cecil hasn't asked you to boil amphibians.

[TubaDiva]

We've been asked to do worse things.

I think this was about the worst ever --

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...up-and-explode

I couldn't bear the experiment -- every time a mosquito landed on my arm I'd slap out of reflex and annoyance. Cecil's lucky none of the SDSAB developed malaria or bird flu or something. (I just got welts.)

[YogSosoth]

I want to try that mosquito thing! But there are none around here, I think it would be cool to watch. I wonder if there's a Youtube video....

[gamerunknown]

After some moments the Colorado division inquired whether it would be possible to substitute different bodily fluids.

I can't help but think that'd be far worse.

(Transposed from other thread).

[C K Dexter Haven]

Originally Posted by gnoitall

At least Cecil hasn't asked you to boil amphibians.

It was actually discussed. I wasn't as squeamish as Una, but I couldn't see how to do it without running the risk of frogs hopping around the kitchen, and Mrs Haven would... um... react poorly.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Frog soup.

[John W. Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.

That’s “The Fool doth think he is wise, but the wiseman knows himself to be a Fool.”—AYLI V.i.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Originally Posted by John W. Kennedy

That’s “The Fool doth think he is wise, but the wiseman knows himself to be a Fool.”—AYLI V.i.

Colloquial English translation.

[C K Dexter Haven]

That's the problem with Shakespeare, he writes in cliches.

[Washoe]

Constable Clitoris and I are from the Hygiene Squad, and we’d like to have a word with you about…

[John W. Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor

Colloquial English translation.

Fo! A great Victorian wordclot like “...thinks himself to be...” is no more colloquial than it is Shakespearean.

[Try2B Comprehensive]

I don't know but I been told
boilin' frog ain't got no soul...


But seriously, do frogs migrate north/south as a result of global warming? If they don't but other species do, it would at least hint that they are oblivious to changes in temperature.

[Irishman]

I'm fairly certain frogs hibernate, and are not oblivious to temperature.

[gnoitall]

Originally Posted by Try2B Comprehensive

I don't know but I been told
boilin' frog ain't got no soul...

Ah, excellent. An apropos quote of lyrics from the very famous 1971 Led Zeppelin song "Black Frog".

[Una Persson]

The Led Zeppelin references are hilarious.

[Methyl Ethyl Death]

You wanna know what happens when you put a frog (actually it was a toad) in hot water? I'll tell you what happens. Its body swells, its tounge protrudes from the mouth, the eyes roll back in their sockets scaring the shit out of the 5 year old boy who thought he had turned on the cold tap! I screamed so loud the neighbors heard me. Thanks to a fast acting Mom the toad recoverd and was last seen hopping back into the shadows.

[JBDivmstr]

Originally Posted by Methyl Ethyl Death

You wanna know what happens when you put a frog (actually it was a toad) in hot water? I'll tell you what happens. Its body swells, its tounge protrudes from the mouth, the eyes roll back in their sockets scaring the shit out of the 5 year old boy who thought he had turned on the cold tap! I screamed so loud the neighbors heard me. Thanks to a fast acting Mom the toad recoverd and was last seen hopping back into the shadows.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! <snort, sputter, cough, wheeze>

Hilarious 'mental image' of that scene. I just hope you weren't permanently 'scarred'. (mentally, that is)

[Methyl Ethyl Death]

Thanks for the laugh JBDivmstr.

I would've had a different view of that childhood memory if I had killed the poor thing but since Mom saved the day, looking back, the family laughs about it now.

[Try2B Comprehensive]

Glad you liked the Zeppelin, Una.

Btw, don't you think this question 'boils down' to a re-write of Zeno's Paradox?