Mostly whimsy and drivel of no consequence. And CHEESE.
Yes, every day (precisely at 7:00 p.m. MST) I STILL receive the “Fact of the Day” text message on my cell phone. I used to pay two or three cents EACH for this privilege, but I believe that the cost of these messages is now rolled into my cell phone texting package. It’s a good thing, because they repeat A LOT. If I receive that “mushroom collecting” message ONE MORE TIME I do believe I might just have to send the Fact of the Day people some “special” mushrooms – ALL OF THE LETHAL – and each one TOUCHING THE OTHER.
However, everyone once in a while I receive something choice; a bon mot that tickles my fancy, or something EXTREMELY informative. I have been saving three thematically-related FOTD’s for quite a while, now, and I feel ready to share them with you:
- Human skin has about 100,000 bacteria per square centimeter. 10% of human dry weight is due to bacteria.
- According to a recent study after 6 years of use, 30% of the weight of average bed pillow is made up of dead skin.
- Wearing headphones for just one hour increases the bacteria in your ears by 700 percent.
Bacteria and dead skin – HOW COOL IS THAT? Some people think that Kate the Safety Dog is germ-phobic. There are times I have been NECESSARILY germ-conscious, what with Sarah being immunocompressed and all, but I would not go so far as “phobic.” In fact, I find these particular bits of information most amusing – like eyelash bugs. Oh – and those little insects (I cannot affirm if they are or are not technically insects, but close enough) that eat the dead skin off your bed and keep you company during the long, lonely nights – I LOVE them!
Spiders, however, are WRETCHED and FILTHY and are promptly sentenced to death if they compromise the sacred perimeters of my bed. SHUDDER and a half. If I had a perilous swarm of flies or some other insect danger, I might appreciate the concept of arachnid intervention. BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE; I have no jobs for them. And, ironically, as we have a surfeit of “hobo” spiders here, they can just pack up their wee web bags and skitter off TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS.
terry
March 20th, 2007 at 5:51 am
Not to mention that some of those infinitesimal body bugs increase their activity in reaction to heat — so when you take a shower, for example, they start really getting heat up.
I have seen close-ups of our bugs. They are not pretty. Quite crablike. Those, most likely cousins of the arachnids, which you and I both favour so highly.
Other thoughts: is there a diet on which we could shed 10% of our body weight in bacteria alone? How cool would that be? Or, conversely, if you’re feeling bloated, can you blithely say to someone, “Not only am I carrying 5 lbs of extra water right now, I also have 14 lbs of bacteria on me, so my jeans feel tight this morning.”?
Lastly, why would you dangle the mushroom factoid at us, and then NOT TELL US WHAT IT IS ABOUT MUSHROOMS?!
Yours in relatively acute germ consciousness,
T
Kate
March 20th, 2007 at 6:29 am
Follow the LINK, my Dear, and you can read about the ‘shrooms to your lil’ heart’s content.
I’m liking your germy ideas…
Zina
March 20th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Aren’t our bodies supposedly something like 90% water? So isn’t 10% of our dry weight just 1% of our total weight?
BTW congrats on your Washingtonian Delegateness. I think you should lobby to have congress outlaw cancer. (Too bad that cancers aren’t known for being law-abiding entities.)
Zina
March 20th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Now I’m realizing that bacteria are probably about 90% water, too. So now I’m just confused.