As For Me, I Go and Wash My Hands

"After You Shake Someone’s Hand, See If They Do This Afterward."

A handshake can be used to interpret a lot about a person, but there might be even more of an exchange of information going on than you realize, according to a recent study.

The next time you shake someone’s hand, see if they reach up and touch their face at some point shortly afterward. Scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that some people are unconsciously sniffing subtle chemicals from the other person’s hand.

I occasionally get a guest at the hotel that wants to shake my hand, and it always seems to be the grungiest, nastiest individuals that do it. I'll usually finish the check-in/checkout process, then go to the restroom to wash my hands.

Even worse, though, is one of those individuals that pulls an ancient, smelly wallet out of his back pocket, licks his fingers, and then counts off the cash to pay for the room, rather than present a credit card. One of these days I'm going to snap and either hold out a tray for him to place the money on, or don housekeeper's gloves to receive it. Disgusting!

Microbes Ripped My Flesh*

Well, not my flesh, but that of a man from Robeson County, NC, who died after being exposed to "flesh-eating" bacteria in the water during a fishing trip.

I'd guess he was wading in the shallows when he got cut; slipped and fell onto oyster shells, maybe? Then he washed the wound with water from the inlet (probably application of an antibacterial hand cream would have been better?)

Here's a video:



*Where'd I get the blog title reference?

update: Video seems to not show on my blog anymore, so I killed it. You can see it at the link.

Copper Sinks and Faucets?

Germs die on copper surfaces.

The MUSC study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and published in October, found copper surfaces in intensive-care hospital rooms had 97 percent less bacteria than noncopper surfaces, resulting in fewer hospital-acquired infections. The copper was found to kill several types of bacteria, including a strain of E. coli and MRSA, a staph bacteria that can lead to fatal infections.

Pic:



That's at the Ronald MacDonald House in Charleston.

2:00 A.M. Observation

The upside of having a cat is to have it snuggling with you and your inamorata at night.

The downside of having a cat is to have said cat sneeze into your face as part of the snuggling, blowing cat ickus glickus all over your face, requiring a bathroom stop to clean up.

That is all.

I Think I'll Give That Lake A Pass, Thanks All The Same

That would be Hope Mills Lake in North Carolina, where face-eating bacteria lurk, ready to snack on your complexion.

*shivers*

Damn, you aren't safe anywhere, are you?