Winged Humans?? Tails???

[Elemento]

The world is just getting weirder every day. I found this item and it seems it's been around for 3 yrs. Obviously someone is trying to recreate our bodies into what we read in comics.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,665328,00.html

[coldcut]

That would be a disaster for the person that had the surgery done, even to a greater degree than you'd think. The person wouldn't be able through doors, rotating doors especially. He/She would be extremely prone to injury, and having that much mass on that kind of a lever would eventually cause some pretty serious damage over time. Oh, and by the way, what happens in a heavy wind? You ever been in a mini-van on a windy day?

No medical ethics board in the world will approve this, and anyone who's willing to fly to Guatemala or somewhere to have it done is getting what they deserve.

[AfterglowNoMore]

Well that explains where they got that episode of South Park from.

[TroubleWolf]

I shall call him... Dr. Furry.

BTW, that Enigma guy with the horns looks terrible.

[Got]

Oh, and by the way, what happens in a heavy wind? You ever been in a mini-van on a windy day?
Heh, a broken umbrella is certainly the least of your worries.

[Druid]

Link doesn't work for me. Can someone post the pics?

[Got]

Link doesn't work for me. Can someone post the pics?
Just as well I can't see them either or it'd probably put me off these deliciously spiced membranous wings.

[Elemento]

Okay found a pic of this Enigma and his horns.
http://www.prickmag.net/enigmakatzenfeature.html

[Poison]

Enigma is a well-known circus freak, even had a role in an X-Files episode.

I also saw a TV report on this surgeon a while back, where they had drawings of what those modifications could look like. Let's just say, RL never looks like manga.

[Gold Rush]

I remember being first introduced to this concept a few years back when the Shadowrun and Cyberpunk PnP RPGs came out. You could have your character receive surgery for a fee and look like a cute bunny, have horns, whatever. I've sorta think about it every now and again.

But yeah, real-life ain't like Manga and living with something ain't exactly comfortable. So, Enigma is making his horns bigger/longer? How will he comfortably toos and turn at night if they get too long? Even passionate sex may be a challenge if his horns are too sharp/long.

I like how the article goes on explaining how most of these people have a deep psychological need for attention and then mentions the case about a woman who asked her plastic surgeon to do something similiar (I forget what). She then came back and sued the doctor for not informing her she had a psychological problem and didn't stop her. Sadly typical American who does not take responsibility for her own actions and seeks to blame others. Heck, what if the doctor refused? She either could have sued that doctor for refusing or she'd go to another doctor and sue that one. Sheesh!

I can't imagine the technology of movable wings (especially large ones) are particularly viable/doable today. Maybe in ten years. I can only think these wings would be relatively small, like angel wings from a cheap Halloween costume, not big ones. You have to contend with blood flow (ie: Strong heart to pump blood) and relatively sturdy wings, otherwise they'd break/tear easily.

And you want to talk about tails? Some people in the world are born with them. Not long tails, but small remnants from evolution that grow/continue from the spine. These tails are invaribly removed after birth; only a few cases involving poor folks living in extremely rural areas are allowed out of hospitals. With these cases, eventually the person has them removed. The reason being sitting on them gets rather painful (spine). I'd imagine sleeping, too. Most chairs were designed for tailess humans (Anyone remember the old question of how would you design a chair for an ostrich?). Sure, you can flip the chair backwards, but are you gonna eat at a table like that? Or how about drive a car?

I can see the young grooving into this until they live with it for a few years and then wanting it removed. You can warn them, but many may not listen. It's basically what PT Barnum said (and what many corporations capitalize on now), "There's a sucker born every minute." The new generation crops up and the less they learn from history and what mistakes their forebearers made, the more apt they repeat it.

Gold Rush

(Just think things through and use common sense is all I say. Learn from your mistakes, but don't get yourself skewered by them if you can help it.)