Re: Can Buffy or the Slayer Purr?

["jin_hayte" <jinhayte@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

uh...am I the ONLY one who doesn't take characters in stories purring
as a literal thing? I mean, it's a metaphor. sort of like:

"Get out!" she roared.

or

He growled.

Humans don't roar. Neither do they really growl (unless you call that
sorta guttural grumbling sound a growl).

that said: humans actually purring is laughable. 

also, Slayers being physically different ('sides super strength, speed
etc) from other humans, ie "wilder", is also laughable and something
that instantly makes me hit the back button.

That is all.

--- In buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Exiled <exiled@r...> wrote:
> Hey Howard!
>
> Sorry, but that is how scientist used to think cats purred. 
According to my
> vet they recently discovered that was not case, or it was only part
of the
> case.  Cat's do not have special equipment in their voice boxes for
purring,
> yes their larynx isn't exactly like a humans or as you pointed out, even
> other kinds of cats.  But the sound doesn't come from their larynx
so it's a
> non-issue. <g>
>
> My vet said this was a new discovery and what you wrote was
considered fact
> before this new study was published.  She had the paper and I got to
read it
> while I waited, it was really interesting how they figured it out. 
However
> I don't understand the importance of spending money for the research
of how
> cats purr. And the study was NOT friendly to the kitties involved in
it. <g>
> Anyway, the only reason I asked my vet was because I got so much
grief from
> people when I had the Slayer purring.
>
> So the Slayer could purr, it's extremely unlikely, but, hey, it is
possible,
> besides I like the idea of the Slayer being a little bit wild.
>
> Have a great one Howard and everyone else!
>
>
>
> On 11/23/05 6:20 PM, "Howard Russell" <howardrussell2000@y...> wrote:
>
> > Hello Everybody!
> > 
> > No.
> > 
> > "Humans seem to be fascinated by animals who can do things that we
> > cannot.  We cannot purr, so we are interested in how cats can do
it.  It
> > turns out that domestic cats, some wild cats like pumas and
mountain lions
> > (in general, any big cat that cannot roar) and even raccoons are
all able
> > to purr.  Humans happen to smile and laugh when they are happy,
and dogs
> > wag their tails.  So it is not unusual for an animal to have a
physical
> > reaction to happiness.  Cats show happiness by purring."
> > 
> > "Not all kinds of cats can purr.  Cats that can roar -- such as
tigers,
> > jaguars and African lions -- can not purr.  And cats that can purr
--such
> > as cougars, bobcats and household tabbies -- can not roar.  Until
> > recently, exactly how purring cats managed to purr was a mystery.
If you
> > try to purr continuously like a mountain lion or bobcat, you'll
quickly
> > discover its impossible for you to do.
> > 
> > "When you caress your pet cat, the animal seems to vibrate all over.
> > Scientists first thought that cats might possess a special "purring
> > organ."  But none has been found.  Then by pressing a microphone
against
> > different places on a happy cat's body, researchers discovered
that the
> > greatest vibrations originated at the cat's throat, right over its
larynx,
> > commonly called the voice box.  They correctly guessed that the
purring
> > must be coming from the cat's voice box.  But then, why can't we purr?
> > After all, human beings have voice boxes too.
> > 
> > "More research finally uncovered the answer.  The puma, bobcat and
your
> > pet puss possess something you don't.  Inside each of these cats'
brains
> > is a special timer.
> > 
> > "This timer can send rhythmic nerve messages -- at 25 electrical
pulses
> > per second -- to a particular muscle in the cat's voice box.  With the
> > first pulse from the brain's timer, the muscle swings the vocal
folds in
> > the larynx together.  It almost closes off the air passage through the
> > voice box.  With the next pulse, the muscle relaxes.  The airway again
> > opens.  These opening and closing folds change the airflow through the
> > cat's voice box.  The airflow is usually steady as the mountain
lion or
> > bobcat inhales and exhales.  When the timer's working this steady
stream
> > turns into a putt-putt-putt of air through the larynx.  What does this
> > putt putt putt sound like?  Purrrrrr."
> > 
> > 
> > So, no, a human cannot purr.
> > 
> > Could a slayer purr?  Debatable but doubtful.  I don't object when
I see
> > it in fiction, though.
> > 
> > Your fellow 'shipper,
> > Howard
> > 
> > Excerpts from:
> > "How does a cat's purring work?" ::
> > http://science.howstuffworks.com/question394.htm
> > "How a Puma Purrs" :
> >
http://www.sccgov.org:80/inquiraapp/ui.jsp?ui_mode=answer&prior_transaction_id
> >
=4482&action_code=5&highlight_info=989856563,186,206&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scc
> >
gov.org%2Fportal%2Fsite%2Fscc%2Fmenuitem.cf081aed392e35dfae3cdd102830a429%3Fco
> > 
ntentId%3D83b698ba77784010VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____&answer_id=342128#__highligh>
> t
> > ------
> > It's fundamentally good, like Mother Theresa or fellatio.
> > -- Kerry Douglas Dye
> > 
> > http://www.geocities.com/howardrussell2000/
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
> > Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
> >                       --'Choices'
> > 
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> > 
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> > 
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> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > 
> >







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                     'Choices'

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