Re: [microsound] Roads considder a weapon (OT but amusing)

[nathand@xxxxxxxxx]

St. Petersburg Times
If books could kill . . .
MARGO HAMOND
Published July 5, 2004

We are worrying about the wrong things, says Laura Lee in 
100 Most Dangerous Things in Everyday Life and What You Can 
Do About Them. The most dangerous threats are right under 
our noses.

Candles. Screwdrivers. Teddy bears. Books.

Books?

Here's Lee's warning.

-- MARGO HAMMOND, Times Book Editor

Books are an often overlooked hazard, sending more people to 
the emergency rooms than many common sports. In case you 
were looking for an excuse to put down that copy of 
Tolstoy's War and Peace, here it is: in the United Kingdom 
more people are hurt by books (2,707 a year) than by 
training weights (1,884), trampolines (1,902) or cricket 
balls and bats (1,174). Lest you think only British books 
are hazardous, you should know that 10,683 U.S. citizens 
lose their battles with what the National Electronic Injury 
Surveillance System categorizes as "books, magazines, albums 
or scrapbooks" in an average year, and another 1,490 are 
clobbered by magazine racks or bookends. What are so many 
people doing wrong?

"From working with books for many years," said Karen Miller 
of the American Library Association, "I could offer up 
things like broken toes when books fall, losing one's 
balance when reaching for books and repetitive stress from 
shelving them. Magazines could also be dangerous if the 
staples are loose and scrape the skin."

The heft of books is a special problem. Back injuries from 
moving overloaded boxes of books are common. Heavy 
schoolbags also are a concern.

In 2003, a Hong Kong schoolboy was killed when his heavy 
book bag pulled him over the railing of his high-rise 
apartment. . . .

Second-hand book use can also be hazardous to your health. 
Researchers in Bogota, Colombia, tested the book dust in 
twelve libraries and ran skin tests on fifty-seven 
librarians. About 12 percent of the librarians had allergic 
reactions to the book dust, but the doctors found no 
evidence of common allergens. This led researchers to 
conclude that new respiratory allergens may be lurking and 
evolving in the stacks.

Book exposure may even get you high. Mycologist (fungus 
doctor) Dr. R.J. Hay, of Guy's Hospital in London, reported 
to a British medical journal, the Lancet, that various fungi 
that feed on the pages of old books could be a source of 
hallucinogenic spores.

"The source of inspiration for many great literary figures 
may have been nothing more than a quick sniff of the bouquet 
of moldy books," wrote Hay.

Quoting John Nowak <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> That is absolutely insane. You have my sympathies.
> 
> - John Nowak
> 
> On Sep 29, 2004, at 2:33 AM, Kassen wrote:
> 
> > Went to a party last night. Due to unfounded rumours of the main act 
> > being
> > involved with some dubious politics there was a pritty heavy door 
> > policy. We
> > were searched, checked for political symbols, etc.
> >
> > I had Road´s "computer music tutorial" in my bag in case I´d be bored 
> > on the
> > train back. After searching my bag the security guard determined this 
> > could
> > be used as a weapon and that I had to check it in at the wardrobe.
> >
> > I thought this to be tremendously amusing.
> >
> > Yours,
> > Kas.
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> 
> 
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