Exploding Toads

Sometimes the headlines are so bizarre, you can't help but go there and read the articles. I guess that's what headlines are supposed to do.

Exploding Toads Puzzle German Scientists

My first thought was, who wouldn't be puzzled. The second one was, this can't be truly what they're talking about, there must be some play on words. So I clicked.

I was wrong.

Then it's hard to decide whether to laugh or cry. These poor frogs! It seems there's a pond in Hamburg where over 1,000 frogs have blown up like balloons and then popped. They can't figure out why. They've tested the water, they've tested frog body parts and so far have found no bacteria or virus that might cause the problem. All of this is happening in an upscale neighborhood, and no one thinks it's ever happened before.

Then they say they've warned people to stay away from the pond. Duh.

My writer mind wonders about the first person who saw a frog pop. Yuck. What did s/he do? Stick around for the next one just to be sure s/he saw what s/he saw? Or was it a group that happened upon the popcorn frogs? The mess--yuck. Over 1,000 squished frogs on a road would be terrible enough, but flying frog legs--

Okay. I think my mind has played there long enough today. Creepy.

And then look at the example Word-a-Day sent me along with "perpend":

"Gentle Reader, perpend (but finish your breakfast first)." Rehman Rashid; Bless the Beasts And Children, For They Speak Not; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Dec 12, 2002.

Okay. Life is strange.

I'm off to the OWFI conference tomorrow. Two days of writers and writing. I enjoy each and every year. I always come away energized and educated. I'm one of those "as needed" types. The workshops cover such a range--from structuring a book to understanding contracts and promotion. And each year I seem to be in a differnt place with the craft and in need of different information. So it's always fresh and exciting. Not to mention sitting around and listening to people talk like I think. Now that's something else. Scary. LOL!

This year they have one more conference room, and are offering one more workshop each hour. At one point on Friday afternoon there are four different places I'd like to be at once. Explode! (Just kidding) I wish I had four friends going with me so we could divide--explode? NO--and conquer. I need to get my schedule out and try to decide so I'm not jumping all over the place trying to decide there. Okay, my mind won't let go of the frogs.

Perpend, perpend, perpend.....There has to be something else to perpend!