hot and smoky, almost irreverent

This is a totally halfassed post, since it’s a wikipedia link and was on boingboing like a month ago, but nevertheless, it’s awesome and made me happy. The Schmidt Sting Pain Index is without a doubt my new favorite classification system.

Specialized vocabularies are interesting, especially when they accompany actual increased sensory sensitivity to certain dimensions of an experience. (Can I tie this in with neural plasticity? Or, how about with a fantasy subculture of bee sting connoisseurs who go to stinging parties reminiscent of wine tastings and wile away the hours passing around jars filled with angry exotic insects and waxing snootily rhapsodic about the sensations they inspire?)