germs

On account of Valentine's Day being right around the corner, and inspired by Sheril's almost-through-the-edits book on the science of kissing, I thought I'd ask the Free-Ride offspring (now 8.5 and 10.5 years old) whether they had any questions about kissing that they thought science might be able to answer. Their initial reaction: Both offspring in unison: EEEEEEWWWWWW!!!! Dr. Free-Ride: Wow, I'm pretty sure that's not the reaction Sheril is anticipating for her book. Younger offspring: Wait, does French kissing count as kissing? Elder offspring: Yes. Younger offspring: I wonder if tongue…
Thank goodness Science has finally given us protection against. . . Kooties! Kootie Killer promises to "kill 99.9% of germs & Kooties without water!" This claim is clearly rigorously lab-tested and evidence-based, but although I wouldn't dream of questioning its veracity, it does invite the question. . . what the heck is a Kootie? Personally, I always thought cooties (with a "c") were symbiotic, invisible organisms that spontaneously accrued on children, causing healthy developmental conflict with members of the opposite sex. Shows you what I know. Apparently, the Kootie is a yellow-…
Let etsy seller foliage help you fight swine flu with this bagful of handmade soaps in "skin-ish colors"! I vascillate between finding them cute, and thinking they resemble a crowd of damned souls reaching out for help from my soap dish. Weird. Dedicated to John O., who truly appreciates disembodied hands. Via DailyArtMuse.