not working on a lot of sleep here

[gfish]

An odd chain of thoughts occurred to me last night. So, urine can acquire the aromas of things we have recently ingested. But there is no link between your digestive system and bladder -- the kidneys filter the blood directly. Does this mean your blood can smell like coffee or asparagus? I find that a surprisingly creepy idea.

In other scatological news, this morning I narrowly avoided an ambush by a seagull with what I can only describe as torrential diarrhea. It was perched on the edge of the building 7 stories up, feathery little butt hanging over the edge. Far too well aimed to be accidental, at the side entrance which very few people other than myself use. I've been wracking my brain all day, trying to think what I might have done to anger it.

La la la. Go BC-STV!

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

It can and does! Apparently tobacco smoke also makes blood smell, although I can't vouch for that one first-hand.

[darlingfreak.livejournal.com]

I've read that multiple times. Yeah, blood changes smell according to what you ingest.

I've also been told that diet effects the taste of semen, so watch what you eat if you get a lot of blow jobs. I've heard that fatty diets make it bitter.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

It was hired by the Quackuza. They know you're friends with cow.

Keep looking over your shoulder head.

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

There would have to be something seriously wrong for there to be enough of the stinky compounds in it to produce a noticeable odor. Blood's viscosity would mask odor, blood contains components that aren't removed by the kidneys which themselves have a characteristic odor, and part of the effect of the kidney is to concentrate the compounds it is removing in urine. You go from a tiny concentration in a thick liquid with lots of uh.. hematological febreze, to a high concentration in an aqueous solution that is then almost aerosolized. You'd need to be a dog to pick up the smell in blood I suspect. Or have blood that is very unusually composed due to some physiological badness.

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

Although man, I sort of wonder what lab technicians who deal with a LOT of blood can pick up scentwise. Probably more subtle things that I would be able to notice.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

I'll ask apotropaic, who was a professional phlebotomist for a decade, and see if she comes up with something good.

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

"hematological febreze" LOL!

yeah, I had originally considered concentration, but not the fluid's properties.

I guess Febreze works by dissolving smelly particles into a thick liquid?

[corivax.livejournal.com]

A seagull tried to brain caladri with a dropped clam last weekend, too. Hm...

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Paging Mr. Hitchcock...

[tfabris.livejournal.com]

The default mode of all seagulls is torrential diarrhea. If I ate nothing but seafood, I imagine I'd have torrential diarrhea, too.

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's not so monotonous being a seagull! You're forgetting the rich variety that garbage and rotting seaweed add.

[najalaise.livejournal.com]

I agree that blood is probably usually too strong-smelling to clearly notice non-blood smell additives... but that just makes me curious to sniff plasma. Betcha scents would show up more readily there!

Re: semen, the worst additive evar is aspartame. Ugh.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

*I* think cigarettes and garlic make aspartame seem pleasant.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

Since urine is just what your kidneys remove from blood, that means your blood is always partly urine. I stay up late nights worrying what percentage of one's blood is just plain piss.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

Well, if you ever notice your eyes turning yellow, you can safely assume "an alarming percentage!"

[catamorphism.livejournal.com]

I recently encountered this image (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DefecatingSeagull2.jpg) for the first tiem.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

...why did I click on that link?

[catamorphism.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

[ilmarinen.livejournal.com]

I do find the smell of fresh blood and etc has...butchering/slaughtering spaces have such a distinct smell. It's not unpleasant to me, but I've only ever encountered it in a positive settings (hunting, etc.) I noticed it *slightly* at the bodies exhibition I went to, which was disconcerting. I wonder if you get a similar smell in operating rooms?

-B.