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[sifaka_the_gort]

Okay, it's official, I just bought my plane ticket and will be in New York City and surrounding areas from September 6-13. I hope I know enough people there so I can spread out my visit time and not become a burden to anyone's couch. So excitement - I'm finally seeing New York city. I hear it's big and busy. I figure it will be like all those

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[sifaka_the_gort]

The theme of this week’s camp (at my work) is birds, and I read this in a book about birds:

The high metabolism of birds, including their respiratory and cardiovascular systems, is necessary for them to sustain their high level of activity. In comparison to reptiles of the same size, birds consume up to 30 times the amount of metabolic energy. Birds are also endothermic, meaning they maintain high body temperatures. In fact, it’s usually about 104-105 F, much hotter than mammals. Because proteins within living cells will be destroyed at higher temperatures, animals that maintain higher body temperatures must consume a greater percentage of protein in their diets. The relatively high body temperature of birds means that the survival margin for birds is narrower than for mammals. In other words, they are more readily susceptible to the effects of starvations. The benefit, on the other hand, is quite dramatic. With increased body temperature, nerves transmit signals at higher rates of speed, and muscle fibers are strong. Thus, their high aerobic metabolism provides birds with excellent reflexes, strength, and endurance.

The routine, extreme activities of birds are possible because of the highly developed nature of their metabolism. Birds can tolerate cardiopulmonary stresses during their normal activities that would kill a mammal, as exhibited in their ability to survive at altitudes severely deficient in oxygen. Birds can survive effortlessly at extremely high altitudes. In fact, the altitude limits of avian flights are unknown.

Of course that relates in my mind to our comic book. Steve makes them part bird - not that they have wings or beaks or any other physical characteristic, but part of the superhero virus has bird genetics, and that’s where they get some of their speed and agility, but they also have way heightened body temperatures and increased need for food as a result. It’s kind of an Achilles’ heel, but not really, because they can always tesser to where there’s food. But on the moon base Steve kind of grumbles because he tries to fix these nice family dinners, and his gorts just demolish them, but they say hey, your fault, you made us part bird. And the whole increased need for protein - Steve's a vegetarian, and Abby used to be, pre-change, but gorts have to eat lots of meat.

I don't know, just an idea to play around with.

I cannot wait to see what you have done. I'm not sure about texting them yet - I'm still not sure about all the words. Still editing and stuff.

I'm not sure I've mentioned this, but it's so exciting to me to have someone in one of my fantasy worlds. My whole life I've created these eleborate stories in my head to entertain myself, and very rarely do I share them, because why would I? And this is the fist time I've gone beyond sharing to letting someone else in, and now it's our fantasy world. I mean, steve wouldn't be steve without you, he was so vague in my daydreams and not the lovable 70's rock loving Gina-mourning man we adore. So thanks for visiting my world and making it your own and improving it, because that's awesome.

Gort love!