Thursday Twisted Links

As we head towards the end of the world and the zombie apocalypse  I thought it might be fun and interesting to talk about how we actually could be overrun by zombies...scientifically that is. Wish me luck, people, cause this one is a doozy!

Zombies.          Toxoplasmosa Gondii.           Alzheimers.    

Yeah, say that three times real fast. #:0)

Zombies. Saying the word is fun, isn't it? Zombies, zombies, zombies. And the idea of zombies definitely fires the imagination. But, while zombies are fun to read about in a novel...Hexually Obsessed... What? I didn't say anything. As I was saying...while it's fun to experience a good, gooey, fictional zombie...Hexually Obsessed...erm...the idea of facing them in real life is less fun. (How's that for understatement?) So what would you do if I told you that real zombies could theoretically exist?

It's true, or at least possible, thanks to a little thing called toxoplasmosa gondii. This little parasite is a mouthful...literally...but its potential for harm is even bigger. Transferred from rats and mice to cats, the parasite can be passed to humans through the ingestion of under-cooked meat, improperly cleaned vegetables, or contact with feline feces. The means of ingestion is so prevalent, in fact, that from a third to half of all humans are currently harboring this parasite. Ish! What does it do, you ask? Well, mostly nothing. Though for people whose systems are compromised by disease or who are schizophrenic, it affects dopamine levels and, as one fun story I read on the Internet said, can make them "bat-shit crazy". What this means in technical terms is that they may become depressed, suicidal, and reckless. In fact, rats that are infected by the parasite exhibit zombie-like behaviors. Now, we all know humans and rats are biologically similar enough that scientists use them as research stand-ins when developing human drugs. So it stands to reason that an evolved form of toxoplasmosa gondii might conceivably turn people into zombies.

Okay, technically, these wouldn't be dead people who've been re-energized by witchcraft, but hey, when a blank-eyed, pasty-faced guy stomps toward you with blood dripping from his teeth, you're not gonna worry too much about the distinction...are you? #:0)

So how does Alzheimer's fit into this link you ask? Well, it's an interesting thing. This nasty little parasite has been shown to actually stop brain deterioration in Alzheimer's patients. It's also been found to improve patients with ADD and ADHD. Go figure.

That loud clicking sound you just heard was the link closing. Phew! And I'll leave you with this final thought. When the world ends and the zombie apocalypse starts, don't stop to wonder if the zombie stomping toward you is really a re-energized corpse, or if he's just been infected by an evolved toxoplasmosa gondii parasite. My advice?

RUN!


Okay, okay, since you asked #:0) here's the blurb on Hexually Obsessed. (Thanks for indulging me!)

Ardith is a time traveling witch, a member of the Epoch Mages. Draigh is a Sorceri Bounty Hunter. They H-A-T-E each other. When they’re thrown together by the elders to chase an evil rogue witch through time and save the world from flesh eating zombies, they quickly discover that, while their minds may tell them they don’t like being together, their bodies don’t quite agree. In fact, if lust were flames, there'd be scorch marks across the ages!

~ 5 Stars from SnifferWalk "I don't hand out a ton of 5 Star ratings for books. Like my Ratings Guide says, they have to be practically life changing. But if I read a book and I just cannot seem to forget it, it has to be a 5."

~ 5 Stars from My Cozie Corner Book Reviews "A hard to put down novel that will capitvate you from the beginning."

~ 4 Stars from Evolved World "Ms. Cheever makes a mean post-Apocalyptic earth which is easily credible, and unlike so many such tales, does not have the awkward "here's what's this world is all about" phase which can plague a paranormal romance. Action. Hate. Lust. Time Shift. Zombie Goo. We all win."

~4 Stars from Books and Other Spells "I really liked like book! The characters, setting and plot was just so fascinating! I could not stop reading it! I love books that have the two characters hate each other then end up together. You get to see all the side of the characters before they fall in love, so you know that they can handle each other. It also makes the book so much more interesting and lovable and of course hilarious!"