Non-breather!  I also dip my thumb in the warm waterbath, rub the face of
the block and then place on ice and cut.  I am a breather in the cryostat
for MOHS specimens though.  So I am a Bi-Breather!! :-)
Genie K. Ryan,
Histology Supervisor
USAMH-Heidelberg
DSN: 371-2653
Civilian:  +49-622-117-2653
Genoula.Ryan@hbg.amedd.army.mil


-----Original Message-----
From: J. A. Kiernan [mailto:jkiernan@uwo.ca]
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 6:12 AM
To: Bryan Hewlett
Cc: Jeff Silverman; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: Breathers (was Microchatter chit chat)


Bryan Hewlett wrote:
> It would be intriguing to pole the 'netters', in order to find the ratio
of
> 'Breathers' vs 'Non-Breathers', how about it folks?
> It would also be intriguing to find out why the 'Breathers' think it
works?
> ... 'Huffing', that arcane, gentle, open mouthed art that Jeff describes.

Dear Bryan,   I'm a breather. 

Gentle low-velocity oral exhalation helps a lot when static 
electricity renders ribbons unduly unruly. As to why? How 
about the same reason that static generally is reduced by 
humidity?  

The dry/damp stuff is probably explained in physics books 
for schoolchildren, but I stopped reading them more than 40 
years ago, and can't remember why water vapour discharges
static.
             John.
-------------------------
John A. Kiernan
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
The University of Western Ontario
London,   Canada   N6A 5C1
   kiernan@uwo.ca
   http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/