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<channel>
	<title>Polite Dissent</title>
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	<link>http://politedissent.com</link>
	<description>a blog of medicine, comics, television, science and other fun stuff</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:31:14 +0000</pubDate>
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			<item>
		<title>Fashion Advice for the Cult Scientist</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2036</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2036#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://politedissent.com/?p=2036</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How do you stay true to the aesthetics of your Egyptian-themed cult while still letting the world know that you&#8217;re an eminent scientist?
Easy &#8212; just wear a lab coat over your Ten Commandments inspired fetish cult outfit.

scene from Revenge of the Living Monolith (Michelinie, Silvestri)
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How do you stay true to the aesthetics of your Egyptian-themed cult while still letting the world know that you&#8217;re an eminent scientist?</p>
<p>Easy &#8212; just wear a lab coat over your <strong>Ten Commandments</strong> inspired <del>fetish</del> cult outfit.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/cult.jpg" alt="scene from Revenge of the Living Monolith" border="1" width="314" height="300"  title="He needs an Anubis pocket protector as well"/><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%"><em>scene from <strong>Revenge of the Living Monolith</strong> (Michelinie, Silvestri)</em></span></center></p>
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		<item>
		<title>The Dangers of Space Fatigue</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2035</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2035#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:51:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://politedissent.com/?p=2035</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Before going on a long space voyage or traveling to the 30th century, make sure that you are familiar with the stages of Space Fatigue:




First, impatience.
    

Second, irritability.
    



Third, confusion.
    

Fourth, delusions of grandeur.
    



And finally, catatonia.
    



The treatment is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Before going on a long space voyage or traveling to the 30th century, make sure that you are familiar with the stages of Space Fatigue:</p>
<div style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 120%;">
<table width="100%" cellpadding="15">
<tr>
<td align="center"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_1.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" width="280" height="250" title="You're going to crash head first, just like that last spaceship you were driving!"/><br />
First, impatience.
    </td>
<td align="center"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_2.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" width="264" height="250" "Dammit, my right hand suddenly became deformed!"/><br />
Second, irritability.
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_3.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" height="250" width="273" title="But there can't be meteors in deep space, only meteoroids"/><br />
Third, confusion.
    </td>
<td align="center"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_4.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" width="264" height="250" title="Are his arms actually tied to anything?"/><br />
Fourth, delusions of grandeur.
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_5.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" width="275" height="250" title="Now we put his hand in warm water and watch what happens"/><br />
And finally, catatonia.
    </td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<p>The treatment is positively medieval: <a href="http://www.rotten.com/library/medicine/quackery/trepanation/">trepanation</a>.  Basically, the doctors are drilling a hole in the skull to let the bad influences out.  Sure, they coach it in terms like &#8220;scalpel rays&#8221; and &#8220;remove the pressure&#8221;, but don&#8217;t let that fool you &#8212; the doctors of this &#8220;great medical foundation&#8221; of the future are proposing a treatment for Sun Boy right out of prehistoric times.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/fatigue_6.jpg" alt="scene from Adventure Comics #318" border="1" width="282" height="250" title="Apparently they've invented scalpel rays, but not Lasik surgery" vspace="10"/></center></p>
<p>Of course it could be worse, Sun Boy could be <a href="http://www.progressiveruin.com/2008_05_04_archive.html#2505200540315221447">space crazy</a>..</p>
<div style="border: solid 1px black; margin: 15px 40px; padding: 5px 10px;  font-size: 85%; background-color: lightgreen;">Admittedly, drilling a burr hole in the skull to relieve the pressure is one of the primary treatments of <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000793.htm">increased intracranial pressure</a> (ICP).  But an elevated ICP is not caused by psychiatric conditions &#8212; like space fatigue &#8212; it is caused by such things as head trauma, bleeding into the brain, and brain tumors. </div>
<div style="border: solid 1px black; margin: 10px 40px; padding: 5px 10px;  font-size: 85%; background-color: lightskyblue; text-align: center;"><em>All images are from <strong><a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=18252">Adventure Comics #318</a></strong>, by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte</em></div>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=4" rel="tag">medicine</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?s=legion+of+super-heroes&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">legion of super-heroes</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?s=space+fatigue&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">space fatigue</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?s=sun+boy&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">sun boy</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?s=trepanation&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">trepanation</a></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Monday PSA:  Yellowball!</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2034</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2034#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:05:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://politedissent.com/?p=2034</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s that time again &#8212; time to look at another of the public service ads from the bizarre &#8220;Verb&#8221; ad campaign that ran in various comics over the past few years.  The aim of the campaign was laudable:  get kids outside and active &#8212; but the ads themselves are where it all falls [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/yellowball.html" onclick="window.open('http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/yellowball.html', 'popup', 'width=825, height=535,  scrollbars=yes,  resizable=yes, toolbar=no, directories=no, location=no, menubar=no, status=no, left=0, top=0'); return false"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/yball.jpg" alt="Yellowball! Click for the full page." title="Yellowball! Click for the full page."  align="right" hspace="10" width="238" height="200"/></a>It&#8217;s that time again &#8212; time to look at another of the public service ads from the <a href="http://politedissent.com/archives/1888">bizarre</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/archives/1876">&#8220;Verb&#8221;</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/archives/1611">ad</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/archives/1430">campaign</a> that ran in various comics over the past few years.  The aim of the campaign was laudable:  get kids outside and active &#8212; but the ads themselves are where it all falls apart &#8212; they&#8217;re either bad, surreal, or both.  This one falls more in the <em>surreal </em>category.</p>
<p><center><big><em>Click on the image to the right for the full ad</em></big></center></p>
<p>Fore some reason, this ad always makes me think of the awesome <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7358768984043835546">Happy Fun Ball</a>.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/cad.jpg" alt="More PSAs" hspace="5"/><a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=psa&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">More PSAs</a></center></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=psa&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">psa</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=public+service+ad&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">public service ad</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=verb&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">verb</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=yellowball&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">yellowball</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=happy+fun+ball&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">happy fun ball</a></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Your Weekend Moment of Psychic Nosebleed Zen:  Aquaman</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2033</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2033#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:43:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Script by Ben Raab, pencils by Sunny Lee
Today&#8217;s example of the psychic nosebleed features Aquaman &#8212; or really Aquaboy, as it comes from the Sins of Youth: Aquaboy/Lagoon Man one shot.  In this scene, Aquaboy is using his mental-telepathy-with-sea-creatures on the ensorcelled princess Nuada, trying to convince her that she is not an octopus.
All [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/aquaboy.jpg" alt="Scene from Sins of Youth: Aquaboy/Lagoon Man" title="Ooh -- neat underwater bleeding" border="1" width="314" height="250"/><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 85%">Script by Ben Raab, pencils by Sunny Lee</span></center><br />
Today&#8217;s example of the psychic nosebleed features Aquaman &#8212; or really Aquaboy, as it comes from the <strong><a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=250203">Sins of Youth: Aquaboy/Lagoon Man</a></strong> one shot.  In this scene, Aquaboy is using his mental-telepathy-with-sea-creatures on the ensorcelled princess Nuada, trying to convince her that she is not an octopus.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/cad.jpg" alt="nosebleed zen"/><a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=nosebleed&#038;submit=search">All previous Psychic Nosebleed Zen posts</a></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=4" rel="tag">medicine</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=nosebleed&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">nosebleed</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=aquaman&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">aquaman</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=aquaboy&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">aquaboy</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=isns+of+youth&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">sins of youth</a></div>
<p></center></p>
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		<item>
		<title>&#8220;Who&#8217;s On First&#8221; Friday</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2032</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2032#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:39:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://politedissent.com/?p=2032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was such a busy and hectic Friday at the clinic that I needed to take a sanity check, so I thought it would be the perfect time to stop and enjoy one of the best comedy routines of all time:  Abbott and Costello&#8217;s Who&#8217;s On First.


Here are couple of more modern takes on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was such a busy and hectic Friday at the clinic that I needed to take a sanity check, so I thought it would be the perfect time to stop and enjoy one of the best comedy routines of all time:  Abbott and Costello&#8217;s <strong>Who&#8217;s On First</strong>.<br />
<center><br />
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sShMA85pv8M&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sShMA85pv8M&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center></p>
<p>Here are couple of more modern takes on the same skit.  First, Johnny Carson as Ronald Reagan:<br />
<center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AdmULsIEyEI&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AdmULsIEyEI&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center></p>
<p>Second, Slappy and Skippy Squirrel at Woodstock, from <strong>Animaniacs </strong>(frankly, this is only Slappy sketch I could stand.  I never really liked that character, nor the pigeon <em>Goodfeathers</em>)<br />
<center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BlXjIg4fH74&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BlXjIg4fH74&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Spitfire&#8217;s Second Transfusion</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2031</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2031#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:14:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[After World War II ended and the Invaders disbanded, Spitfire retired and resumed her normal life as Jacqueline Falsworth.  Her super-speed powers slowly faded, and over time she became a wife, mother, and then a widow.  She appeared in the occasional comic book, generally as an elderly woman recalling her lost hero days. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/namor_12_1.jpg" alt="scene from Namor the Sub-Mariner #12" align="right" hspace="10" border="1" width="125" height="350" title="I miss the days when Byrne drew fun comics like this."/>After World War II ended and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invaders_(comics)">Invaders</a> disbanded, Spitfire retired and resumed her normal life as Jacqueline Falsworth.  Her super-speed powers slowly faded, and over time she became a wife, mother, and then a widow.  She appeared in the occasional comic book, generally as an elderly woman recalling her lost hero days.  Her most notable cameo was probably in<strong> Captain American #<a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=35033">253</a>-<a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=35106">254</a></strong> which introduced the third, and current, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Jack_(Joseph_Chapman)">Union Jack</a>.  Then John Byrne&#8217;s <strong>Namor the Sub-Mariner</strong> series came along, and in it, he revisited some of the foes the Invaders fought.  </p>
<p>In issues #11 and 12, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Man_(Marvel_Comics)">Master Man</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_Woman">Warrior Woman</a> (the Nazi versions of Captain America) were reborn using some of the Human Torch&#8217;s blood (good stuff, that android blood).  Namor, who was visiting Germany at the time, tried to stop them but was captured.  His cousin <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namorita">Namorita</a> flew off to get help and, ending up in England, encountered Jacqueline Crichton (nee Falsworth).  She recruited Union Jack and the three of them headed off to Germany to rescue Namor and the Human Torch.</p>
<p>In the end, Master Man, Warrior Woman, their neo-Nazi gang, and the German scientist who had resurrected them were all defeated, but Jacqueline was gravely wounded in the battle.  To save her life, the Human Torch hooked her and himself up to the German transfusion machine, and once more, transfused his blood into Jacqueline.  Just like before, the Torch&#8217;s blood saved her life and (re-)awakened her speed powers.  But it did more this time:  it de-aged her back to age 16.  (I don&#8217;t know if Spitfire has continued to age from 16, as she certainly appears older than that in recent comics, or if the powers-that-be decided that a 16 year-old Spitfire was a little too Lolita, so decided she was just better off as a twenty-something).  Some technobabble (courtesy of John Byrne and Hank Pym) was used to explain this all away, but it wasn&#8217;t even very good technobabble as the writer seems to give up halfway through.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/namor_12_2.jpg" alt="scene from Namor the Sub-Mariner #12" border="1" title="Byrne certainly has a way of drawing women"/></center></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=4" rel="tag">medicine</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=transfusion&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">transfusion</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=spitfire&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">spitfire</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=namor&#038;superman=search" rel="tag">namor</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=human+torch&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">human torch</a></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Spitfire&#8217;s Transfusion:  The Annotated Version</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2029</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2029#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:09:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Spitfire was a super-speedster who first appeared in the pages of The Invaders, a 1970s comic that chronicled the adventures of a team of super-heroes during World War II.  In the past few years, she has been seen in Captain America and the Union Jack mini-series.  More recently, she has been appearing in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/spitfire2.jpg" alt="Spitfire" title="Spitfire, as drawn by John Byrne" align="right" hspace="10" border="1" width="230" height="156"/>Spitfire was a super-speedster who first appeared in the pages of <strong>The Invaders</strong>, a 1970s comic that chronicled the adventures of a team of super-heroes during World War II.  In the past few years, she has been seen in <strong>Captain America</strong> and the <strong>Union Jack</strong> mini-series.  More recently, she has been appearing in <strong>Captain Britain and M.I. 13</strong>.  Her origin story takes place in 1942.</p>
<p>During the events of <strong>The Invaders #9</strong>, Jacqueline Falsworth was attacked by the vampire Baron Blood &#8212; who also just happened to be her uncle, long thought deceased.  He drained her blood in order to turn her into a vampire, in part to get revenge on the Falsworth family, but also because he wanted an undead consort<sup>1</sup>.  The Invaders arrived in time to stop Baron Blood, but Jacqueline had lost a tremendous amount of blood and was in grave danger.  She was rushed to the nearest hospital in <strong>Invaders #11 </strong><sup>2</sup>.</p>
<p>The doctors hurried Jacqueline to surgery and were amazed that she sustained that much blood loss from such tiny wounds<sup>3</sup>.  Testing reveals that she has a strange substance in her blood that constantly changed her blood type.  This makes transfusion a challenge, and the head doctor laments that Jacqueline cannot receive blood transfusions of any type, even type O<sup>4</sup>.  </p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/invaders_11_1.jpg" alt="scene from Invaders #11" border="1" hspace="10" width="268" height="250" title="Why are you holding a spoon?"/><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/invaders_9_2.jpg" alt="scene from Invaders #11" border="1" hspace="10" width="279" height="250" title="Watch where you're pointing that finger."/></center></p>
<p>The Human Torch<sup>5</sup> enters the operating room and volunteers his own blood; he tells the doctors that <em>he </em>is a true universal donor<sup>6</sup>.  The doctors immediately agree<sup>7</sup> and hook the Torch up to the transfusion equipment. </p>
<p>Jacqueline survives despite her tremendous blood loss, thanks to the incredible amount of blood donated by the Human Torch<sup>8</sup>.   Other than merely saving her life, the Human Torch&#8217;s android blood somehow combined with the vampire proteins of Baron Blood that were already in her system to grant her super speed<sup>9</sup>, powers she used to become the super-heroine Spitfire.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/invaders_9_3.jpg" alt="scene from Invaders #11" border="1" hspace="10" width="263" height="250" title="I wash my hands of this scene!"/><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/invaders_9_4.jpg" alt="scene from Invaders #11" border="1" hspace="10" width="281" height="250"  title="Shampoo to the OR, Stat!"/></center></p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/hline.gif" alt="invaders" vspace="7"/></center><br />
<strong>NOTES:</strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong>  I know vampire stories are supposed to represent some &#8220;forbidden&#8221; component of sexuality, but your own niece as a consort?  That&#8217;s just creepy.<br />
<strong>2.</strong>  It didn&#8217;t really take 2 issues for the Invaders to find a hospital &#8212; there was an intervening fill-in reprint issue.<br />
<strong>3.</strong>  If I were a vampire, I would bite the neck vertically, along the blood vessels, not horizontally where you&#8217;re guaranteed to miss with at least one of your fangs.<br />
<strong>4. </strong> Blood type is based on which proteins are present on the membrane of person&#8217;s red blood cells.  Type A has A proteins, Type B has B proteins, Type AB has A and B proteins, and Type O has neither A nor B proteins.  For Jacqueline&#8217;s blood to keep switching blood types would mean that these proteins must be constantly changing, and the body simply does not work that fast.  Even if her blood type were constantly switching, she should still be able to receive a transfusion of Type O blood .  It could be that there is some vampire antibody in her system that reacts against any human blood type &#8212; that makes the most sense, though it doesn&#8217;t really &#8220;change&#8221; her blood type.</p>
<div style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px 10px; margin: 5px; background-color:springgreen; font-size: 85%" ">SIDE NOTE: In the year this story takes place, the <a href="http://anthro.palomar.edu/blood/Rh_system.htm">Rh factor</a> (the positive/negative aspect of the blood type) was a recent discovery, and its importance was just being realized, so it&#8217;s reasonable that the doctors haven&#8217;t mentioned it.</div>
<div style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px 10px; margin: 5px; background-color: powderblue;font-size: 85%;"><em>Image One:</em>  Blood plasma was the blood product of choice for emergency resuscitation during World War II.  Large quantities of it were shipped from the U.S. to England for just such emergencies.  Blood plasma is yellow though, not red. </div>
<p><strong>5.</strong>  This is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Torch_(android)">original Human Torch</a>, an android.  Not the Human Torch who is a member of the Fantastic Four.<br />
<strong>6.</strong>  The <a href="http://politedissent.com/archives/919">last time the Human Torch gave blood</a>, it was described as &#8220;live fire&#8221; and required asbestos tubing.  I guess he&#8217;s mellowed out since then.<br />
<strong>7. </strong> Apparently, the doctors just take his word for it since they don&#8217;t run any tests on him.<br />
<strong>8.</strong>  If the Human Torch&#8217;s blood is that good, and he can produce so much of it, surely he could save more lives by donating it to blood blanks than by acting as a super-hero.  There are other super-heroes to fill in on the Invaders, but only one blood producing android.<br />
<strong>9.</strong>  For those keeping track at home, like all previous super power giving transfusions, this was a whole blood transfusion (as much as androids have &#8220;whole blood&#8221;).  </p>
<div style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px 10px; margin: 5px; background-color: powderblue; font-size: 85%""><em>Image Three:</em> Sorry doc, but you&#8217;re wrong.  There had been multiple &#8220;total transfusions&#8221; by this time, particularly among wounded and heavily bleeding soldiers.  If they were given more than 11 units of blood, it was a &#8220;total&#8221; transfusion.</div>
<p><center><em>All images are from <strong><a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=30517">Invaders #11</a></strong> by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins</em></p>
<p><strong><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/cad.jpg" alt="Other transfusions" hspace="5"/><a href="http://politedissent.com/fav_trans.php">Other Comic Book Transfusions</a></strong></center></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=4" rel="tag">medicine</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=transfusion&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">transfusion</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=spitfire&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">spitfire</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=vampire&#038;superman=search" rel="tag">vampire</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=human+torch&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">human torch</a></div>
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		<title>Reason #99214 Why Nazis Were Evil</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2030</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2030#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:22:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Scene from Invaders #14 by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins
They shot innocent doctors who were just trying to help.
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/invaders_14.jpg" alt="scene from Invaders #14" border="1" width="550" height="265" title="It's not like was wearing a medical emblem like a cross or anything.  Oh wait, neve rmind."/><br /><span style="font-size: 90%">Scene from <strong>Invaders #14</strong> by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins</span></center></p>
<p>They shot innocent doctors who were just trying to help.</p>
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		<title>Monday PSA:  The Policeman is Your Friend!</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2028</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2028#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:38:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[As they hand you a citation for illegal fireworks possession, just remember &#8220;The Policeman is Your Friend.&#8221;
(I&#8217;ve got nothing against policeman; I respect the job they&#8217;re doing.  However, I am annoyed at some of my idiot sown-the-street neighbors who continue to shoot off bottle rockets all night long.  First, Independence Day was three [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/policeman.html" onclick="window.open('http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/policeman.html', 'popup', 'width=580, height=880,  scrollbars=yes,  resizable=yes, toolbar=no, directories=no, location=no, menubar=no, status=no, left=0, top=0'); return false"><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/police.jpg" alt="The Policeman is Your Friend! Click for the full page." title="The Policeman is Your Friend! Click for the full page."  align="right" hspace="10" width="187" height="247"/></a>As they hand you a citation for illegal fireworks possession, just remember &#8220;The Policeman is Your Friend.&#8221;</p>
<p>(I&#8217;ve got nothing against policeman; I respect the job they&#8217;re doing.  However, I <em>am </em>annoyed at some of my idiot sown-the-street neighbors who continue to shoot off bottle rockets all night long.  First, Independence Day was three days ago. Second, they&#8217;re illegal in this state.  Third, you&#8217;re waking up the baby. And fourth, I&#8217;m sick and tired of finding dozens of spent bottle rockets littering the neighborhood&#8217;s yards every morning).</p>
<p>Back to the PSA &#8212; I am wondering how Timmy managed to get himself locked in the grocery store.  A town with residents like that certainly needs a nice &#8212; and patient &#8212; policeman.</p>
<p><center><big><em>Click on the image to the right for the full ad</em></big></center></p>
<p>This public service ad was provided to me by <a href="http://www.comictreadmill.com/">H</a>, who found it in <strong></strong><strong>Adventure Comics #347</strong>.  It can be found in other DC comics from August 1966 as well.  The script is by Jack Schiff (like always) with art by Sheldon Moldoff.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/cad.jpg" alt="More PSAs" hspace="5"/><a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=psa&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">More PSAs</a></center></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=psa&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">psa</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=public+service+ad&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">public service ad</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=policeman&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">policeman</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=schiff&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">jack schiff</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=moldoff&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">sheldon moldoff</a></div>
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		<title>Picture Quiz:  Jesse Quick</title>
		<link>http://politedissent.com/archives/2026</link>
		<comments>http://politedissent.com/archives/2026#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:26:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[
In this scene from Flash #100 (the conclusion of the excellent Terminal Velocity storyline), Jesse Quick is telling Jay Garrick about her sidelining injury.  As a bonus, I&#8217;ve thrown in a view of the actual injury from the previous issue.
What&#8217;s wrong with this scene?
(This one&#8217;s easy, so no hints&#8230;well, except for the one I&#8217;ve [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/jul08/jesse.jpg" alt="Scene from Flash #100" width="229" height="416" title="This, at least, was a good looking costume for Jesse.  Not that horrible one she wore with the Titans, with the Q around her breast."/></center></p>
<p>In this scene from <strong><a href="http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=56852">Flash #100</a></strong> (the conclusion of the excellent <em>Terminal Velocity</em> storyline), Jesse Quick is telling Jay Garrick about her sidelining injury.  As a bonus, I&#8217;ve thrown in a view of the actual injury from the previous issue.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s wrong with this scene?</p>
<p><em>(This one&#8217;s easy, so no hints&#8230;well, except for the one I&#8217;ve already given&#8230;)</em></p>
<p><center><img src="http://politedissent.com/images/cad.jpg" alt="More picture quizzes" hspace="5" width="13" height="16"/><a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=picture+quiz&#038;submit=search"><strong>Previous picture quizzes</strong></a></center></p>
<div class="stag"><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=2" rel="tag">comics</a> <a href="http://politedissent.com/index.php?cat=4" rel="tag">medicine</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=jesse+quick&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">jesse quick</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=flash&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">flash</a> <a href="http://www.politedissent.com/index.php?s=picture+quiz&#038;submit=search" rel="tag">picture quiz</a></div>
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