This week in Strange Fire Related Incidents

by funklord

Let’s look at three stories of similar theme, but with very different outcomes.

First, since you all know my love of all things old, I give you Clara Cowell.  She just turned 102, and to celebrate the occasion, she gave up smoking.  Wild guess on how long she had been knocking them back?  82 years!  The reason:  her family thought the falling ash would catch the house on fire.  Her family actually supported her habit of 3 cigarettes a day.  They have been working for her so far, along with daily cup of tea spiked with whiskey.  They don’t make them like this anymore.

In Oklahoma, a very different scene transpired.  In an unsuspecting neighborhood, some people saw smoke coming from the window of a house.  Police and Firefighters were called, and they discovered the burning body of Danny Vanzandt.  This wasn’t routine, as there was no fire damage to the house.  All that was left were the smoldering remains on Mr. Vanzandt.  The Sheriff thinks it may be Spontaneous Combustion.  How crazy would that be?

Finally, in other strange fire news, an 11 year old cancer survivor was almost burned to death in her hospital bed.  Apparently the hand sanitizer did not mix well with a burst of static electricity.  She survived the incident, but not without 3rd degree burns.

Come on, why does the CDC ruin EVERYTHING!

by funklord

I know this is the night most people make Scorpios (do the math, it’s fun), but the CDC has to come along and ruin the fun.  Apparently they want you to refrain from sexual activity due to the overwhelmingly rampant STD epidemic going on!  Half are between 15 and 24, which makes sense, but you know what the other half is mostly?  You guessed it, the elderly!  Thanks to Viagra and Retirement homes, well you get the picture.  If you don’t, Taco Bell has a new marketing campaign to help with the visuals.

Either way, it’s going on the countdown.

The 2013 Disease Countdown

1.  The 2013 FLU season
2.  The Norovirus (Stomach Flu)
3.  Typhoid
4.  Saudi Arabian SARS (Technically started in 2012)
5.  Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
6.  Rampant STD’s (Various)

Dissecting the flirt (how romanitcal)

by funklord

Today is Valentine’s Day, the day of flying babies whose job it is to get men and women together to make more (flying) babies.  I guess they also get men and men together, and sometimes women and women, but not necessarily with the intention of making babies.  These cherubs have no interest in getting dogs, cats, rabbits, or any other animal together, which seems very short sighted and speciesist, since they are capable of love as well.  I have gotten way off topic.

Flirting.  We all do it, no matter how awkwardly.  Even if we are married, or seeing someone, we are all guilty of an innocent flirt.  Why do we do it?  “To get laid” was my answer, but apparently that is not always true.  NIU Professor and sexual specialist David Henningsen, has been studying this topic for years.  It turns out we have several reasons for flirting:  to get laid (I was right), to test the waters with a current friend and possible potential mate, or even simply to build self-esteem or get something you want.

Check out the article.   You may be doing it (flirting, not sexual intercourse), and not even know it.

Reemergence of Tuberculosis, now DRUG RESISTANT!

by funklord

In South Africa, Tuberculosis has been evolving constantly.  It is a bacterial lung affliction that that is second only to HIV in the amount of people killed annually.  And that was when the HAD effective antibiotics.  It isn’t that the current antibiotics don’t work well.  They have been “not working well” for years now.  The phrase that is being used is “virtually untreatable”.  In extreme cases, years of hospitalization are required, with a harsh drug regimen.

I wondered why this only happens in Third World countries, and not here, then I realized that our advanced medical breakthroughs eliminate he disease here.  Unfortunately through that elimination process, the the diseases evolve and become stronger.  When they spread to other parts of the world, they are bigger, stronger, faster, and sometimes a new disease strain entirely.

The 2013 Disease Countdown

1.  The 2013 FLU season
2.  The Norovirus (Stomach Flu)
3.  Typhoid
4.  Saudi Arabian SARS (Technically started in 2012)
5.  Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Saudi Arabian Sars *UPDATE* 2/12/13

by funklord

As I reported last year, a strange outbreak of SARS linked to Saudi Arabia has claimed a 10th victim.  This article is either alarmist, or something else is going on.  10 people is not a lot, especially compared to this terrible flu season.  On top of that, this disease is not contagious human to human.

What makes this particular strain so deadly is the acute attack on the kidneys and the lungs.