The word of the day for January 14, 2008 is "hygienic" — adjective — 1 a: of or relating to hygiene. b: having or showing good hygiene [hygienic conditions]. 2 a: antiseptic 3c :free from what is held to be contaminating. [sweetly hygienic production…comic in an entirely innocuous way — J. W. Aldridge]. b: antiseptic 4a coldly impersonal b: of, relating to, or being warfare conducted with cold precision from a safe distance with few or no casualties on one's side [a hygienic view of national realities and moral imperatives — I. L. Horowitz].
The dispenser in my favorite restroom stall at work was out of the translucent papers that my friend Christie inelegantly refers to as "ass gaskets." It is well known that a piece of tissue paper between the comode seat and one's derriere is proof against all forms of disease. I used the adjacent stall, although I have been known to "borrow" paper when not in a hurry. In the movie, Sibling Rivalry, Kirstie Alley—finding any other paper products available—uses a wad of toilet seat covers to blow her nose and wipe away tears. The writer(s) must have had occasion to come up with this solution on a personal basis.
In the days before running water and central heat, people died of so many diseases that we don't even see. I'm not certain I would be comfortable going back in time for this very reason. Of course, the opposite side of the coin is that people who are too fastidious end up with the antibiotic resistant "flesh eating" staph infections. Y'can't win.
The quote for today is from Logan Pearsall Smith (1865 - 1946):
The denunciation of the young is a necessary part of the hygiene of older
people, and greatly assists the circulation of the blood.
;^) Jan
SURRENDER
10 years ago
1 comment:
"Ass gaskets"...what a great phrase!
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