gag.judyanddan.com

Ever go into work on a Monday, thinking you left everything in place, all was well and SURPRISE! Fires everywhere.

I think this visually sums up that sort of day MONDAY.

I recently watched a movie called What the bleep? that merged quantum physics and new discoveries such as the teleportation of molecules (Nature vol.443, 557″ Quantum teleportation between light and matter. ) with new age beliefs of consciousness. Eventually I bought a book which I am reading by Dean Radin called Entangled Minds.

I can’t make up my mind if quantum physics has unlocked door to new levels of existance and consciousness and explains the rare events of pre-cognition and other things we see or if it is all borderline cult hookum. But none-the-less through the book I found a site called got psi

I’ve been having lots of fun on it. Give it a try. Perhaps you’ll discover a hidden talent.

I am now going to engage in egobation. It is the opposite of what you do to yourself alone which is of course, the opposite of sex. You may have noticed a period of time where I seemed to stop writing.

Actually, I didn’t stop writing, I just stopped writing here. I was working on a chapter for a book. My chapter is on sterilization, disinfection and antisepsis. It now resides with my editor. I keep reading it over and over. At times saying, hmmm this is good and engaging in egobation and at other times berating myself that it could be more scholarly. But my aim was that the information was simply put and was easily read and hopefully applied.

I don’t think I can post the chapter here, as I think my publisher will hold the copyright, but here are a couple of gems I came across in my research. One of the things we know about the prevention of disease is proper handwashing. Widmer compiled statistics from various sources and looked at compliance rates in handwashing. Below are the rates of compliance for various venues.

• ICU (intensive care unit): 9-41%;
• Ward/ICU: 32-48%;
• Pediatric 37%;
• Surgical ICU 38%
• All ICUs 32%.

Scary, less than half the people in serious places like intensive care units properly wash their hands.

Widmer, A. F. Replace Hand washing with the use of a Waterless Alcohol Rub? Clin. Infect. Dis. 31:136-43. 2000.

The other thing to get back on my rant with nosiocomial infections in hospitals, some computer models were run. The found two simple things could decrease the rate nosiocomial infection. Not surprisingly they were (drum roll please): 1) Increase in handwashing (particularly among visitors) and 2) decrease in the number of patients each nurse had to care for. One also advocated for pre-screening all patients for MRSA.

Raboud, J. Saskin, R. Sior, A. Loeb, M. Green, K., Low, D. E. and McGeer, A. Modeling transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients admitted to a hospital. 2005. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 26(7):607-615

Cooper, B.S., Medlye, G. F. and Scott, G. M. Preliminary analysis of the transmission dynamics of nosocomial infections: stochastic and management effects. 1999. J. Hosp. Infect. 43(2):131-147. 1999.

Food for thought, none-the-less. Some of our biggest problems may have some very simple answers.

There are many different ways to analyze the coming presidential race. We have currently used the fish method.

We added to our fish tank three goldfish, one velvety black energetic one which we named Obama, a shiny hopeful gold one, which we named McCain and a lovely white one with a red dot, perhaps stain, on her forehead, who we christened Hillary. Also a bottom feeder that blends in well and is hard to see, but with politics there is always a lot of dirt to collect. Since he cleans messes up well, we named him Rudy Giuliani.

At first they made merry with all the other fish. Rubbed against them and shared political dinners. Hillary quickly convinced a small school of tiger barbs that she was one of them. Grrrrrrrrrr she roared and shook her tail. I’ll admit the school is quite integrated with two of a blue varietal, two of a pink varietal and two of a slightly aggressive black and white striped with flaming tips on their fins. But integration is good. She has them convinced that she is merely a different varietal, and not a different species all together. After all, perhaps not all presidents need to be tiger barbs. They only need to seem to be tiger barbs.

McCain went to skulk about the base of the castle and Obama, quickly went to spy on the Bushes…of algae.

Shortly thereafter, I came down to find McCain had quit the race. Belly up on the top of the bowl. Politics- a tough life. Not everyone can make it.

Obama, shortly thereafter got an eyeful with the Bushes and ended up with a parasite in his eye. Hillary also bloomed a red flower on her side and looked ill. Could the Bushes be up to no good? The tank was fine before I allowed these politicians in. Obviously they brought the parasites with them..but don’t they always.

Alas, Obama succumbed to the evil parasite.

Soon, other tank mates, living happy and quiet congress began to join them. A large spotted scat, named spot, known for his banishment to “the angry tank” after his attempted assassination of two brother scats. They didn’t recover from his attentions so he returned to rule the docks and other unsavory areas of the tank. But now that evil element has perished. Another, a Boseman’s rainbow fish, a member of the green party, usually flaunting a quiet blue color, soon became covered with a small pox of ick. Was this bioterrorism? Hillary proposed new funding to prevent further attacks. I poured in a parasitic general cure.

Now left in the tank (aside from the fawning school of tiger barbs) are Rudy G. and Hillary.

Does this predict the final race?

Who knows…only time and primaries will tell

We have X-10 sensors in the house that turn on lights for us when we walk into a room and use a computerized lighting controlling to control our holiday lighting shows. So I’m always on the lookout for the next thing that I can use to continue to turn our house into a responsive entity rather than just boring four walls that keep out the wind.

In my searches I found a product that deserves to be on You-Tube. The video is a must see. I won’t be getting one, but I could only imagine the social dynamics, the thought, the obsession that drove the inventor. Not only to think of this as one dark night once again he stubbed his toe, but to design, patent and market the device.

It is a light that lights up your toliet when the seat is up. Not when the seat is down, as women have the eyes of a cat and the ears of a bat and can see and hear in pitch darkness. Make sure you watch the video …Johnny Light.

Today we finished larvciding and return to our regular posts. Here is a picture of one of my team-mates, taking a load off his feet, having a well deserved rest.

Public health services do not discriminate. They provide services to all members of the public regardless of socioeconomic status or position. This open air car-parts emporium in a slightly less well-heeled section of town was blissfully treated for the prevention of the West Nile Virus by our team today.

Some people think working in the civil service is a pretty cushy job. Perhaps it is … sometimes. A few of our English cousins may have taken things a bit too far, forgetting their office was being watched by official web cam. The one that catches my fancy is the naked civil servants playing superman by leaping off cabinets. < –hint click here.

The BBC adds breakdancing to the list of offenses.

Some of us in the culture of work today thought having our E-Mail read through by IT and websites visited catalogued was bad. Granted the English civil servants took things a bit too far, but I still find the idea of cameras watching your every move a bummer.

Just what did this agency do?

“The RPA was set up in 2001 and is responsible for paying subsidies to farmers under the European Union’s common agricultural policy. ”

What was the final disciplinary action taken with theses civil servants? One was fired. I am trying to figure out which one was the worst offender, the one that fought, the one that did break dancing, the ones that had sex , the naked ones or the ones that vomited in cups?

I happen to have information from an inside source that they have an excellent union. Hmmmmmmmm perhaps I ought to live it up a bit more, I am a union member.

My hubby the computer wiz can get this program to do all sorts of fun things. One of the things he has been showing me is the fact I have been spreading American popular culture throughout the world. Here are my top 14 readers by country for the month of June (a low volume and diversity month so its easy to fit the chart in a short post)! Greetings to you all!

As I was driving about town today, between my exhilarating inspections of food service establishments and asking “Have you had your hood cleaned today or is it a haven for a city-state of cockroaches?” in a slightly more tactful manner, I felt a need to amuse myself. No matter what you have seen on TV, being a health inspector can be a mundane job at times. So I started to take note of bumper stickers as I waited for lights to change from red to green.

There seemed to be more God related bumper stickers floating about. A van in front of me, proudly displaying union membership stickers, also sported “Keep using my name in vain and I’ll double the length of your rush hour-God.”

Others I saw stating that Jesus is coming or Will the road you are on get you to me?-God And the writers of these think they are getting into heaven…

These stickers are used to show that the car is being driven by a God-fearing individual who is so righteous they may actually speak for God. I decided to check the net for availablity of bumper stickers, so I too, can speak for God. And lo and behold, like the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, they are fruitful and hath mutiplied exponentially. However, the ones I like are not the ones I’ve been seeing a little too scarily often.

The listing of my favorites are:

If God speaks to you, consider medication!

Annoy a Christian, Think for
Yourself

Jesus Loves you, everyone else thinks you are an asshole

Jesus is coming, look busy

And my number one favorite is:

God protect me from your followers!

A rather scary website is America Bless God. They will provide you with bumper stickers, brochures, and more to inflict on your co-workers, people who were once your friends and teach you how to be totally intolerant of any other religion. And its FREE, all for FREE!

But you have to admit it has good intentions! First Afganistan, then Iraq and right after Syria and Korea…….the world police will provide a democratic afterlife. Who is God anyhow, setting himself up as sole totalitarian ruler like Saddam Hussein! Let America show the way. America will bless God. In a truely democratic afterlife, could people in hell vote? I mean if you let all the rif-raft vote you end up with them electing groups like Hamas. We need to have a real democratic afterlife here! Maybe only those appropriately blessed by America can then vote. One thing for sure, first thing is we’d turn off those hot and cold running virgins…yessirree bubba that would solve us some problems!

But there is one bumper sticker that doesn’t seem to be designed to annoy, exclude, condem or incite to riot. God bless the whole world, No Exceptions.

Where did we (Christian America) or other countries get the idea that their way was the only way and the right way? Well from their holy books. Well that is another enlightening post that is on its way.

Until then, God bless the whole world, no exceptions!

I’ve been thinking quite a bit recently about evolution. Especially about de-evolution, what happens when you don’t use something like eyes and you lose them. The starfish is an example of that. But lately I have been observing a rise in the number of people who fail to use their brains and thus they have been losing them. This is giving rise to an entire new species. The Homo iman assholeous. Not only have I noticed the rise of the species Homo iman assholeous, but it has apparently been around enough to diversify into various subspecies. My… the assholes among us. Just from casual day to day observation, one of the most common subspecies of Homo iman assholeous is subsp. imgonnarunthisplacesomedaysoyoubetternotpissmeoff variant godcomplex. Now if your face is turning red, your blood pressure is rising, and you think I’m calling YOU an asshole then you probably are and example of Homo iman assholeous subsp. imgonnarunthisplacesomedaysoyoubetternotpissmeoff variant godcomplex you need to click here XXX.

Ah, dear readers, back with you again. That last link usually makes subspeciesimgonnarunthisplacesomedaysoyoubetternotpissmeoff variant godcomplex head explode as they can’t bear anyone who might not worship them. Usually swimming a few feet behind imgonnarunthisplacesomedaysoyoubetternotpissmeoff variant godcomplex is subspecies imgonnaeatyourshitsowhenyourunthisplaceyoullpromoteme. They are a very sad and hopeless species so we will not spend anytime on them here at all.

The loudest subspecies of Homo iman assholeous is subspecies ifartwithmymouth. They can be found bouncing loudly farting foul odors from their mouths. As they haven’t really used their brains in years, they think they are making cutting-edge observations, but sadly, its only farts.

The next two groups travel together in schools and have a mutualistic relationship feeding off each other. The two are Homo iman assholeous subspecies stalkeritis and subspecies gossipitis. Subspecies stalkeritis can be seen oogling (and occasionally going through papers on a co-workers desk) peering over shoulders to try and figure out e-mail passwords and trolling any sites that might mention their co-workers. They quickly carry this information to Homo iman assholeous subspecies gossipitis. There have been some hybrids created between subspecies gossipitis and subspecies ifartwithmymouth. This has resulted in subspecies imreallyabigshitus. This subspecies is really a mystery as no one has ever seen Homo iman assholeous subspecies imreallyabigshitus do or say anything at all. Someone coined the term “parade species” as they go heither and yon and yon and hither but again, never do anything at all. I have observed this species at several different organizations.

I could go on and on about this new species Homo iman assholeous and all of its subspecies and variants, such as subspecies princessyougottalikeme, welcomesmackolous who has to give out a smack for every nice comment they make, unfunnyjokarious variant offensivitis and more. But I am not alone in noticing the assholes among us.

For instance there is the ever popular http://www.peopleareassholes.com/ On this site assholes are listed by name. I’m thinking of listing them by picture.

The next site is even more angry at the assholes among us and actually wish them death http://www.gettingit.com/static/internetforassholes_death.html

Wikipedia has and extensive listing describing what an asshole is. Some of you should read this carefully and if you fit- seek redemption http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asshole

There may even have been a dangerous shift out of the Species Homo iman assholeous to squirrels. It may be the squirrels attraction to nuts. http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/71409270.html

And the number of assholes just seems to keep multiplying http://www.thehumorarchives.com/humor/0001233.html

There are those who think most of our current politicians in America and abroard are assholes. For a slideshow with music click here http://filmstripinternational.com/ Warning this site will be better appreciated by socialists, liberals, communists and democrats than republicans.

And sometimes it takes quite a bit of skill to be an asshole. Try this on if you are feeling like a playful asshole http://www.pagat.com/climbing/asshole.html

So are you an asshole? Are you going to continue to be an asshole or are you going to evolve and join the human race? There is hope for all, after all I do believe in evolution.

Kid Break Your Brain was not recieved neutrally. It was loved. It was hated. People laughed belly laughs and people rolled their eyes.

So as a public service www.kidsbreakyourbrain.com was launched.

Visit us soon for an important public service announcement and items to help spread the word that KIDS BREAK YOUR BRAIN!!!!

A week or so I remember reading and hearing about mice infected with plague getting loose from a research laboratory. A few days later I read of some army trained dolphins that were accidentally released into the Gulf during the recent hurricane. The one catch is that the dolphins were surgically implanted with darts they could fire and were trained to fire these darts at enemy scuba divers. And they were lost while loaded. Well, they don’t have a handler now. I haven’t heard anything more about these animals after the initial hype. I really believe we are overlooking the next terrorist problem. If you think there are a lot of Muslims on the planet start counting the fish and rodents…..

Our new Supreme Court Nominee, Harriet Miers, apparently has her own blog. Read all about her in her own words. http://harrietmiers.blogspot.com/

Signing off

Tongue in Cheek

OK. I’m back. If you want to read some comments about her appointment, one blog is http://www.proteinwisdom.com/index.php/weblog/entry/19125/ Protein wisdom. This blogger does bring up a few rather relevant issues, such as the fact the Miers has no experience as a judge and is a close friend (and hero worshipper) of Bush.

I swear I’m a republican, I really am. But anymore….

Our new Supreme Court Nominee, Harriet Miers, apparently has her own blog. Read all about her in her own words. http://harrietmiers.blogspot.com/

Signing off

Tongue in Cheek

OK. I’m back. If you want to read some comments about her appointment, one blog is http://www.proteinwisdom.com/index.php/weblog/entry/19125/ Protein wisdom. This blogger does bring up a few rather relevant issues, such as the fact the Miers has no experience as a judge and is a close friend (and hero worshipper) of Bush.

I swear I’m a republican, I really am. But anymore….

According to a recent ruling posted by a Montana Judge, its perfectly OK for them to go through your garbage and seek to find things to use against you in court. What would you fear the police finding in your garbage? How about going to hotmail and setting up a one time use anonoymous E-mail and letting me know your greatest fears? If you don’t do this I will go into blog depression!

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/05/cops_can_dig_through.html

Weblogs, which everyone knows are blogs now are the hottest phenomena since bubble gum. Everyone has a blog. Many aspire to become blog stars, few succeed. What happens when you never get a comment no matter how many hits you receive, you never get ranked on boing boing or ping ping or blogstars local. Even your mother doesn’t read your blog. Then Blog Depression can hit. Here is a link to a public service pamphlet on how to handle your blog depression crisis.
http://thenonist.com/index.php/weblog/permalink/a_nonist_public_service_pamphlet/
I hope it tickles your sense of irony.

I have always been the black sheep of the family, some members of which are..ahem cough staunch Christians. My husband and I are Episcopalian, and further qualify ourselves as non-evangelical Christians. We don’t believe in distributing leaflets, having services on TV or the handling of snakes.

Furthermore, I also firmly believe in evolution. There is just so much evidence for it. That evolution actually occurs can be shown in rapidly reproducing populations.
For some additional reading http://www.evolutionhappens.net/

But I have finally found an argument for intelligent design that makes some sense.
It is even an approach that is culturally sensitive to my Italian heritage.
http://www.venganza.org/

Go ahead…clickit..read it. I have gone to pray to the great noodle.

Special thanks to Bobby Henderson for allowing permission to use the art at the top of this entry from his webpage. Praise all to the Pasta.

Since I sprained my ankle, I’m surfing the net more than usual. I was browsing through released CIA documents at:

http://www.foia.cia.gov/search.asp

When I discovered the truth about our government in one of the titles…

ADCI MEETING WITH SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER. ALSO PRESENT WERE ASS

*************************************************************************************

Truth, Liberty, Freedom!

A friend of mine’s nephew has a site that ranks and lists blogs. So I submitted this one and surfed the other blogs. I found one that is amusing, sick, depressing, wonderful and horrible all at once. The concept is that people send in a homemade postcard with a secret written on it. Here is the link. http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
I have been finding the community of blogs to be a wonderful source of information. I have found free patterns for knitting, information on pilates, recipes, and unbiased reviews of books and products (i.e., not marketing).

Well I tried my noodle aerobics tapes over the weekend and found exercising in the water a perfect fit for someone with a sprained ankle. I’ll list those tapes and what I think of them in another post.