I’ve had the sniffles now for a few days, and as always, I feel self-conscious about where my germs are landing. This little tutorial combats wayward nasally-propelled microbes with the Sneeze-In-Your-Sleeve strategy. Very amusing – and it suggests another possible use for the tentacle arm.Â
And seriously – don’t sneeze on people. Or your hands. Euw.
 (Thanks to my friend Jacob, intrepid microbiologist, for the heads-up on this one.)
This cannot be shown to my husband! He already makes a lunge for my sleeve every time he sneezes. If he saw this, he’d use it to say I have no grounds for objecting. Ewww, gross!
I still fail to understand why we do not all do like the Japanese : if you have a cold in Japan, basic etiquette requires that you wear a mask. It prevents the spreading of germs and protects you from cold air as well. Strange that it should seem not socially acceptable in most western countries.
Along the lines of germ transferrence, you might enjoy this recent article in the Times (Jan 30, 2008). It explores the validity of the 5 second rule, and seeks to deterimine the food safety risks associated with double-dipping. Scary indeed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/dining/30curious.html?_r=1&oref=slogin