Too much time sitting at the Computer.....

LOL!

We might want to add that this is a picture from the "Body Worlds" exhibit, that just about finished at the Science & Industry museum. Fantastic exhibit!

 

Someone help Frank..He has wasted away in front of his computer...


Yikes..

Thanks!
Vince

 

No, he has figured out how to scan in pictures! Way to go Frank!

BTW: This figure is actually called "The chess player" as the corpse sits behind a chess board. However they digitally created the PC shot for the post card.

 

Oops, my bad. Sorry, I forgot.

 

If I was really into how the body works, a hopeful medical student, or someone who just wanted to know what one internal organ looked like, that display seems ok. To me personally, I think it is complete crap and the sooner it is gone the better...

Was told they had a "sculpture" of a woman and baby 6 months pregnant. Is that art? I think its plain disgusting. Sorry for the off topic post but anything that highlights the death of something not given a proper chance is just plain wrong. I hope that traveling freak show's truck gets parked to where Hoffa is. Despite the departed intentions, its just disrespectful and the true motive behind the collection Im sure never comes to play in the minds of those who attend. Does a 7 year old girl associtate the inside of her body as a wonder with many interesting working parts or how much pain was inflicted when she fell off the swings at the playground breaking her arm? From experience with children I know its the latter and here is an exhibit throwing death right in front of their face. The 24 hour viewing Im sure drew a lot of teenagers who were there to see the beauty in the human body and not cause the local horror movie was not scary enough or that they were not trying to freak out their friends. Im not very religious, not pro-choice or anti abortion but that ( mother display, ) still is an exhibition of something not given anything.

RocketBoy

PS: Not directed towards Frank. Just showing my disdain towards something of complete lack of class. If the display's future met the same fire that its Nazi like creators thought of, so much the better.

 

Rocketboy, I understand where you're coming from. And being European where the exhibit faces much more criticism than in the US I was well aware of many of the arguments you raised (there are some additional ones even).

So I went with an open mind and have to say for the most part (two statues being the exception in a display of about 20) it was done very tasteful and more like an instructional piece than anything.

Same goes for the audience: Pretty much everybody was listening to the portable devices explaining the exhibits. There was rarely ever an off joke, most people there were seriously studying the exhibit. I guess the $ 25 entry fee separates the goofs from those who are really interested.

The display of the pregnant woman along with the collection of foeti in various stages taught me more respect for life and made me rethink abortion (and I'm not a religious person to begin with).

The man who put this together is a doctor by profession and people are signing up voluntarely to have their bodies "prepared" after their demise.

As I said, I went there with an open mind, expecting a freak show, but was very positively surprised about what I saw and was glad I went. A very unique experience that has given me new found respect for life and our bodies. Each to his own I supose.

 

Frank, you raise a few excellent points on which I'd like to comment (none of which has anything to do with Ferraris, but we're allowed to stray in the regional forum):

- The two displays I took issue with were the "artsy" ones. Those I didn't like ("The runner" and "The man with a hat"). The rest was scientific and therefore deserves its place.
- If I had kids, I would certainly bring them to this exhibit.
- The doctor running this endeavour had to face many criticism and skepticism for the origin of his bodies and was dragged to court many times and was always cleared of any wrong doing. He even cremated some bodies critics thought they had dubious origin, yet afterwards it turned out they too would have been ok.
- Education about various forms of abuse is IMHO a crucial point to get across and several teens commented on the blackened lungs and that maybe they should quit.
- I'm sure this will spurr some kids into thinking about becoming a doctor. It fascinated me and I'm not much into medicine.
- Not sure what Rocketboy meant by the Nazi comment. However critics did throw a similar argument against the doctor mainly because his father was a Nazi. But as you say, accusing the son for that is far fetched. If anything it hightened his sensitivities for this issue.

 

I have to agree with Frank on this. My daughter wants to be a Dr (Yea buy a Ferrari with those bills coming) and starts college next year. We went when it first opened and was totally amazed on the process. We've been going to musuems since she was a baby but nothing showed off the human body as this exhibit. I've been recommending this and similar exhibits to friends all over the country. It was very well presented and the place was fully packed. We spent 2.5 hrs examining the human body and not once did I hear or see anyone not take the exhibit for the fasinating exhibit that it was meant to be.
It's too late to see this one, but there are now apporx. six similar exhibits around the country and I would highly recommend seeing at least one. I'm like Frank (57 varieties) including Polish and German and had no ill feelings on going or taking my daughter to see it.

 

One thing I think is remarkable is the fact that so many of us at any given moment can have such a wide variety on what we think and feel. Months back, when I was at work, I saw an article about this exibit, and got sorta creeped out and just wondered and thought to myself. My boss who is the Assoc. Dir. & Head Lady of Nursing, saw me looking freaked out, she asked what was wrong, and I showed her the article and pictures...

She has been in Nursing for decades mind you...she made a terrible grimace and semi snarled and said "That is disgusting and pathetic!"

Not at all what I ever thought a nurse to do or say....but it really made me realize that everyone is so unique and different/special with each thought...movement...everything about us....all amazing to me. I think how great it is that everyone can think alike on one thing and also think totally different with something else...

Mental and Physical....we are so incredibly different.

I think about....well, the car accident that Mr. Frank was in that wrecked him and his Vette...thank goodness Frank was tougher than the Vette But results could have been different...same for me, I was run over by a car on Route 20 in Bloomindale when I was on a bike. They had to lift the car up to get me from under it, but yet it only broke my leg...that could have been completely different as well...and sadly, the opposite side lurks about like the sad story of Dale Earnhart.

Life and death is a remarkable thing....I am starting to learn a lot about it from many angles as I get older....scared beyond words about death, would never go to that exibit for anything at all as I know I would get sick to my stomach...but glad it is there if it teaches people something good.

 

Haley-

Don't be afraid of death, in most cases it will be a sublime experience that all of us will experience.

I think I've told you and Chelle of my 'near-death experience' some 20 or so years ago. It was very placid and soothing!

Don't fear death; embrace it, for it most surely will come.........

 

My parents (doctors) had the same reaction, yet I see it totally different. Agree to disagree and move on.

 

I am from the exact same background, and try not to get into a political fight with a history and politics major...

Two things are just plain wrong and you can not tip toe around.

First: their 24 hour viewing. What kind of draw of people would they get at 3 am? Is it going to be that medical student or the kids I overheard at Barnes and Noble talking about a good way to freak one another out? I didn't even know it was in town till I overheard comments like that. Check with the musuem, their biggest box office draw was after hours. Once the after hours viewing hit the box office each time slot was sold out. They did not even come close to this during the day. Is this medical students and the educationally curious public roaming around in the middle of the night? Remove the freak show schedule and I'll even endorse Hagens attempts to show the internal effects on the body, suggesting to my smoker friends to go.

Second: I guess I am being over sensitive as a new husband but the baby display is too much. As mentioned earlier Im not too religious and do not offer a solid opinion on aborition. I understand, more so respect, each of the departed individuals wishes to educate the masses on what we all are inside. I guess the mother had a right to decide her child's fate. But this really confuses me as I can not state with a clear mind that a innocent life should have its fate and premature death pubically shown in such a way ( traveling show with questionable times.) There are perfect medical centers for research and the honest curious. One such place ( http://www.health-ed.org/ )that has normal operating hours close to you in Hinsdale! I have yet to hear of the Robert Crown center having a 2 am showing of preserved fetus' on a Saturday night.

I have been a member of each of the Chicago museums. Woo hoo! Displays like this are nothing new...

http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/body_slices/index.html

http://www.cosi.org/visit/exhibits/life.htm
( note the disclaimer )

Both of which are tastefully done and there are clear cut displays that it is in the name of science and education. The Body Worlds ad could benefit with outward statements instead of a plastic head that looks like it seen a ghost. Are the ads that read "body's anonymously donated in the aim of education" going to motivate those morbid viewers? Hardly, if they aren't hooked by the picture that one nerdy line will kill their curiousity and lead them back to watching Simon yell at someone on American Idol instead of taking the trek down to the city and forking over money. There is not a single mention of such a "senstive material" statement on the front page of the Body World's website!

How much more holy and pure can you get then being named as the Pope? John Paul's successor to this moment is being questioned because of his tie to Nazis. I really doubt there is a pair of Herman Goering underpants floating around the Vatican but his appointment is still under attack by other groups, not just his own. The first news bit I heard about Body Worlds years ago immidiately took aim at his father's past and Nazi concentration camp torture of bodies as much as it did with the true aim of exhibit. You can't shake associations cleanly, ever. No matter the true intention of this display, by name it has a past. It has nothing to do with age, growing up, anything. That's life. Just like you and I are always going to be D.P.'s ( dumb Pollacks. ) That's not fair. The only solar powered flash light Pollack Coperinicus made up was the one he looked at in the sky. But he's stupid.

RocketBoy

 

My hat's off to you Frank. I agree everyone wants to make things black vs white, etc. Everyone just needs to cool off and remember what a joke was meant to be: "FUNNY". Come on guys mellow out and enjoy life. And I should know I'm part Polish and PROUD OF IT, but enough is enough. Now go to your corners and spray some seltzer water at each other and I'll buy you both a beer (soda) at the Geneve concours next Sunday.

PS: Frank I will check out the Daytona Spyder at Continental this week, thanks for the heads up!

 

I umm, care about you too. Lay off the fatty sausage and belly swelling beer. Or at least pace yourself, two beers per hour... Forgive my attack on Body Worlds and your attempt to be funny. You being older can identify with what shoes Im in as a recent entry into the world of marriage. Im so trhilled to have a ring on my finger that is a symbol of a connection to the girl of my dreams. Anything that depicts the end or death I definitely would take a stance against based on that but also where it written... Just as if someone of the local Chicagoland Fchat crew became ill or sick, I would probably be over-emmotional about it.

One of my favorite car shows is the girl's vet show. But as someone who was all signed up for West Point, it is more painful at times because I start to associate the pain the vets to what if that was me or a friend. My favorite Fchatter always seems to be battling serious health scares and I don't think Im the only one who has trouble taking in some of his, "can't make it," reponses to meets knowing the reason. If a Doc misdiagnosed one of your ailments, I wouldn't hesitate blasting his name locally as a retarded quack. So I hope someone who wants to hear nothing but the best from his Fchatter buddies and complains till it is not present is not all too bad. I will be more careful where I swing my big bad intellectual hammer from now on, but please understand the motives if I were to do so again in the future.

RocketBoy

 

Oh, the certainties of youth.

I don't consider myself a retarded quack, nor do my patients or the other members of the professional societies that I take pride in belonging to, but in the twenty plus years since I've graduated from medical school, I'm quite certain that I've made more than one erroneous diagnosis. As has every other doctor that's ever lived...