HI Histonet,

I am proud to admit I am a 'breather' to!!! I think it makes all the
difference in the world and agree with the thought on static electricity. I
am to the point that I breath on every block. Why wait till you are
struguling - breath on it to start! 

I also agree most blocks should be soaked on ice water before cutting. I
know of some who dont and their slides show it. 

To the person who comented on is  "breather' age related, I hope not I am
not that old yet!!!

Jennifer Harvey H.T. (ASCP), QIHC
University of Rochester
Dept of Ortho


> ----------
> From: 	J. A. Kiernan
> Sent: 	Monday, April 29, 2002 12:11 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/
> 
>