possibly they were Poi-soned?

Good on ya, Misha!

My sister and her family inadvertently went to a swin flu party. Her Bishop (read: mormon pastor) held a big luau for their church at his house, and the next day 40 families started exhibiting the symptoms. This was the week before Halloween and all the church-related holiday activities had to be canceled. Pretty sad. But, no one died and I think only one kid went to the hospital, so the odds were in their favor.

Edit: I wanted to say something nasty about the Poi, but couldn't come up with the right verbiage.

Swine flu parties are the height of stupidity, since there is no such thing as a "mild strain." It's unpredictable how it will affect different people. Just because one person has mild symptoms doesn't mean the exact same virus won't put the next person in the hospital.

My chicken soup hypothesis has failed in clinical trials, sSo I wrote my cold an eviction notice. That'll show it.

heath bar ice cream has not been proven to prevent swine flu yet either. yet. i am still vigorously testing this though

my daughter eats tissues. clean ones, though. She won't eat broccoli but give her a box of tissues and she's in heaven.

double ew.

ew.

"They might as well just munch on a used tissue."

::kid voice::

Sally!!

I found a prize in mine!!!

I think it is important that we don't encourage kids to eat others' Rice Krispie face masks to speed transmission of the virus. They might as well just munch on a used tissue.

We used to do that with Chicken Pox when I was a kid.

People are having Swine Flu parties for their CHILDREN which is the stupidest part, because it's killing children and young adults rather than just babies, the elderly, and the immuno-compromised like the regular flu. Ridiculous!

I still say we have a Rice Krispie treat face mask day, though. I'm down with that.

I think it would be quite effective. I'm certain the marshmallow would trap the little virus particle thingies.

By the by. Did everyone already know about Swine Flu parties where people gather around an infected friend to try and get a mild strain hoping to build up antibodies for subsequent, more severe strains? The CDC does not recommend this, if you can imagine. If we go to one, I'm sure the used Rice Crispy Treat masks would be a huge hit! All full of sticky goodness and swine flu particle thingies.

The stickiness factor would be pretty dire. I might have to resort to some hand sanitizer after awhile.

I'd kind of like to see it though. I'm imagining you eating your way through it w/o hands.

That mask wouldn't last long on me, Sally. I'd have to have a fairly large supply to get me through the day.

I'm considering a new type of swine flu face mask that consists of a rice crispy treat held to my face by a candy necklace.

...but then don't feed them to others.

Or perhaps cover your coughs and sneezes with them?

Yes, especially if you build a fort with them, and stay safely inside. ;)

Ok but what about Rice Crispie Treats? I'm quite certain they prevent swine flu.

I'll leave a light on for you, Jackie.

If I'm ever in the area, I will do that, Larry. It looks like quite the museum!

The one in Omaha is classic art-deco, and very nicely restored as a museum, Jackie. Come to see it! It's wonderful.

http://www.durhammuseum.org/experience/v...

I love old train stations, Larry. Wish I got to see more of them.

Wow! so beautiful..

The train station there is beautifully restored. It's really cool (if you like old train stations).



I went there for a job interview once. A guy took me on a tour of the building. He showed me the third floor which had never been finished or used. The New York Central originally planned for it to be a headquarters for their lines east of Buffalo -- but the plans changed. Union Station in Albany was used for that instead.

Jim wrote: "Seriously Larry that is one of the worse places I have ever been."

Huh. I had a really good time there. There was a church that did folk shows on a basement stage, and the people who ran it always took us to Denny's afterward cause there was noplace else to go.

Oh! Angie reminded me -- there's this lemon ginger echinecea juice that they have at most supermarkets -- I think it's made by Knudsen, but Trader Joe's has a generic.

That stuff packs a kick when it's heated up, and was very helpful when I had a respiratory infection on tour a few years ago. It tasted like burning liquid lemon drop candy.

Seriously Larry that is one of the worse places I have ever been.

Now I'm glad I didn't say anything out loud at the time.

Ha! Yeah, Jim. I used to go through there on trains quite a bit -- on the way to somewhere else like Syracuse or Buffalo. It used to be said that the mob ran the town. One of our managers was found stuffed in the trunk of his car with I-won't-say-what in his mouth. Supposedly he had some bad debts with the wrong guys.

I may have been the one to deride Rolling Rock. I never cared for it at all.

Wasn't me about the Rolling Rock RA, even though I don't drink it. Too many local brews to devour.

Larry said: What? You've never been to Utica?

I spent a week there one afternoon.

Hmm. Maybe! It's been a long time since I've had tequila, although tequila sunrises used to be my drink of choice.

I've been trying a lot of herbal stuff to cure some of my health problems later, and none of them seem to be working. It's bumming me out.

I bet that would be really good with some tequila in it, Angie.

I'll stick with my hot ginger lemon honey for sore throats.

It's been __ years since I had any. There are plenty of others to take its place.

I've been to Utica. I think Genesee is around. I've been to a few parties and shows in that area where Genny Light was the beer of choice, but that was a few years ago. Yech. I'd keep my mind open for the Cream Ale.

To each his/her own, I always say. Well ... I don't always say it.

I really don't care. I dig Rolling Rock, but I wouldn't strangle 12 North Korean soldiers with my bare hands for one.

For me, with Rolling Rock, there's just nothing there, taste-wise. It'd might as well be Miller Lite. BLAND. But that's just me, maybe.

Years ago I used to drink a lot of Genesee Cream Ale. Is Genesee still around? Not sure. The main brewery was in Utica, NY, I believe.

What? You've never been to Utica?

I hate Rolling Rock. Sorry, Gus. It's not an elitist thing. I'll happily down a Natty Bo to prove it.

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "I don't care if it's just a placebo effect, Larry, it actually works. "

Well ... good. :)

Seriously, I don't know what's in Rolling Rock, but there's got to be some kind of penicillin in their brew that helps to kill a sore throat.

Rolling Rock is awesome. The haters can go suck down on their precious Belgian Ales for all I care.

Whiskey has always done well by me for a cough... but if I'm remotely on the edge of getting a cold any alcohol other than whiskey will tip me straight into the cold.

I've barely had a drink all fall because I want to stay healthy through my trip.

Copious consumption of banana waffles won't prevent a cold, just in case you needed another data point on food and immunity. I'll publish the results of my chicken soup clinical trial later this evening.

I like Rolling Rock! Who was giving me shit about Rolling Rock a couple weeks ago...Larry or Jim, I think....

I don't care if it's just a placebo effect, Larry, it actually works.

You just zinc it makes you better.

Guess I'll stick with Cold-Eeze, then. Behold the power of zinc...

But if you ever want to clear up a sore throat, try some Rolling Rock.

I am not kidding.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/11/...

No word on Cocoa Puffs and athlete's foot yet, though...