We Need to Talk...

About Hygiene.

Since having been in college, I've observed (quite anthropologically, I think) the hygiene habits of those in my surroundings, and to be honest, I've found a few things lacking. Now, yes I can be a bit of a germaphobe, but I don't think that asking you to wash your hands is exactly equivalent to demanding that you do so 497 times a day using only the purple hand soap (but not the antibacterial kind) because using the clear kind is like washing your hands with hand sanitizer. You know, for example.

So, I've taken it upon myself to provide you with what I think are essential health facts - hygiene lifehacks if you will.

1. When buying hand soap, most people generally reach for anything with "Antibacterial" printed on the label. HOWEVER, antibacterial soaps are no more effective than regular hand soaps but can sometimes even be more expensive. Also, triclosan (a chemical and active ingredient in these antibacterial products) can screw with your sex hormones.
   
2. While we're on the topic of handwashing, doing so can prevent the spread of foodborne disease (because it is most often spread by way of contaminated hands).
   
3. Before you jump into the pool next summer, remember this: each swimmer in the pool contributes about .14 grams of fecal matter (fancy phrase for poopy particles) into the pool within the first 15 minutes. The CDC recommends showering with soap before getting into the pool in order to prevent this nastiness. And don't forget about all the kiddies who literally use the pool as a toilet.
   
4. The kitchen sink has 100,000 times more germs and bacteria than a bathroom or a toilet. You might think about using a fresh sponge every now and then. Maybe washing your hands before you cook and stuff. Especially since food poisoning originates more often from the home than a restaurant.
   
5. When using public restrooms, you might be accustomed to using a particular stall, but studies show that the stall closest to the door of the restroom is overall the cleanest.
6. Let's talk about dust mites. There are millions (sometimes even tens of millions of them) of them. In your bed. Yep, it's sick. And it gets worse! They feed on your dead skin cells that you shed when you sleep. Dust mites can also cause allergies and asthma or make these conditions worse. If you've used the same pillow for more than two years, consider this: 10% of the weight of that pillow is composed of dust mites and their droppings (yes, their poopy particles). Also, it's important to note that during the fall and winter, this problem tends to worsen due to being indoors so much and in a closed space. To remedy this, wash your sheets regularly (it's suggested that you do so once a week) in hot water and then either hang to dry or dry in the dryer. Since dust mites can also be in your carpets and other upholstery, vacuum regularly.
7. Money: it's nice, green, and you know, useful. But the germs on money... Considering how many people don't wash their hands after using the restroom, it makes sense that there are so many fecal germs on money. So next time you go to a coffee shop and get that yummy looking muffin, maybe wash your hands before you devour it.
   

Especially during cold and flu season, i.e. NOW, in order to prevent getting these viruses or to avoid giving them to others, wash your hands properly and keep your hands away from your face. By properly, I mean with soap and lathering for at least 10 seconds before washing off the soap. Otherwise, all you're doing is getting your hands wet. And if you touch the handle of the bathroom door on the way out, you might as well have just licked the floor of a public bathroom.

I'm aware that I probably sound pretty neurotic with all of this hygiene talk, but I have to be if I ever want to not be sick. Maybe you have a good immune system and that's great. But that doesn't mean you should skip regular hygiene. That would be like having a great alarm system in your house with guard dogs, a gate, and a security tower, and then just leaving the front door open with a billboard in your yard that says "If you can carry it, it's yours."

And hey if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. I'm gonna go wash my hands.

Sometimes I Hate Technology

Here's the story: I need to make a halo for Halloween (because I'm too cheap to buy something that I can make myself). Hence, I mapquested my craft store destination and set out with a plan. And after my last class today, I ventured into the unknown (i.e. traffic) to Hobby Lobby. After 40 minutes traveling to another town entirely, I realized Monsieur Mapquest had led me to some strange string of delivery warehouses next to the interstate. Frustrated, I quickly i-Phoned (according to my friends this is a verb) another close craft store and found that a Michael's was nearby. Thus, with renewed hope, I put my blinker on and pressed my foot on the gas. Two miles later I found myself not in the shopping complex you would assume, but another series of businesses and warehouses. Feeling defeated and impatient, I abandoned my quest for craft supplies for another day and journeyed home.

The moral of the story: I'm buying an atlas and a Zagat.

More Humorousity

Here's another installment of Awkward: Party of One. This one is more about my experience at my college so far, so if you don't get it, don't feel... well, awkward.

Awkward: Party of One

A few weeks ago I did a comic for my college's newspaper, and the editor told me that I could do one every other week, which excites me because it means that there are probably at least 4 people on campus that think I'm funny. Well, relatively speaking. Ok, maybe not, but still, it's exciting! IRRegardless, I figured I'd post my submissions on el bloggo for your possible enjoyment. Hopefully you'll like them. :)

I appreciate you, Grooveshark

****Update: I have a twin. We're also married, but that's a separate story. So, the author of this awesome blog and I were both enamored with Grooveshark's site maintenance message and blogged about it. At the exact same time. And then told the other about it. It's freaky sometimes how alike we think.

A few minutes ago, I'm trying to load Grooveshark to listen to some gnarly grooves, when I get this message. If more companies gave messages like this when their sites are down for maintenance, I'd get less annoyed.

Bear With Us

Going down for a bit.

To those of you who were redirected here, we apologize.

In an attempt to befriend Asian investors and increase office morale, we here at Grooveshark established some connections with the Chinese black market and imported our very own black-and-white Giant Panda (hereby known as "Pickles"). Unfortunately, due to circumstances no one could have foreseen, Pickles became agitated at the fluorescent lights and near-constant belly rubs and began clawing at our computers.

Pickles is currently thrashing about in the server room, causing the technical difficulties and temporary outage you just experienced. As soon as our interns return from Pier 1 with synthetic bamboo, a picnic basket and an oversized net, we will be able to return the servers back to normal and, if we can, rescue the coder that Pickles has taken as a prize.

Thank you for your patience.