O Causa Petus!

(that's Oh for Pete's Sake, for all y'all non-classicists. dvs, everyone who isn't Mom, since I don't think grandma and grandpa read this. hi, Mom.)

But seriously folks. Why is it that you can find all manner of freaked out people ranting and raving and quoting and fearmongering about pinko commie plots against us, the Good People of America The Brave, involving that sweet bane of our existence, Fluoride, and the aforementioned Terror of The Deep, Dark Doctor's Office, Vaccinations.

oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die.

Except that we ARE, because nowhere can I find the masses mobilized against the overproliferation of antibiotics. note that I mention 'masses,' because there's plenty of info out there, but I'm talking about your stereotypical, internet-forum poster with lots of pretty links and well-written (and horribly written) vitriol.

(please note that each of the links above will lead you to a shiny website of www. insert-topic-here debate.com. someone's paying for that domain.)

and yes, this website's fairly shiny. but they're about all manner of things, like bovine growth hormone, global climate change, etc, and this is just one small subset of the massive website.

google 'antibiotic debate' and pretty much all the top articles are of the 'feeding antibiotics to livestock' variety. "antibiotic overproliferation" gets you...a sudden jump in really big words that are by no means friendly to the general public. (do it with 'antibiotic overperfusion' and you need a medical degree. sheesh.) "antibiotic terror" gives you everything you want to know about Anthrax. But take note of the third link down. yes, still about Terror (Fear! Fear! Fear!). but what specifically?

MRSA.

your four letter word for "oh my god we're all gonna die and this time I'm serious, man."

Multi-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Think it's hyperbole? they're still crunching numbers, (and yes, I know, stats are stats are stats and you only trust them as much as you can throw them), but it's very likely that in 2007 more people died from MRSA than did from AIDS around the world. it can lead to sepsis (mmm, bacteria in your blood! yummy!), TSS, and necrotizing pneumonia. (...ew.)

You don't need antibacterial hand soap. OCD? get an alcohol wipe. kills the bacteria AND the viruses, not to mention your beneficial skin bacteria. oh, well. Antibacterial Body Wash! Antibacterial window cleaner! Antibacterial spray and wipes for your door handles and kid's toys! Antibacterial laundry detergent! Antibacterial Kleenex and Toilet Paper. (you laugh. I've seen it.)

soap. and. water. go ahead, add a capful of bleach to your mop bucket or some vinegar to your spraybottle if your skin is getting that skitchy feeling after Billy's friend Joe has been wiping his snot all over the walls of your house and toys and the cat and you. raw chicken goo on the counter? soap. water. lemon juice will make it smell nice. and Billy can drink it without side effects other than an unhappy digestive system.

let's save the antibacterial soaps and sprays for industrial use, hm? like BART bathrooms, because....ew. and hospitals, although even there, the little squeegy things near almost every entrance and exit? alcohol based.

on the other hand, this cracks me up and gives me hope. (I have quite possibly been reading too much Mark Morford.) you thought you'd seen every peripheral possible for an iPod? you thought wrong. Hi Larry Ass. (thanks, scott, for a wonderful turn of phrase.)

on the other other hand, what is it that makes me unable to post a reply when it's obvious that I am never going to influence the debate?lkjh;lukjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkj988b and why does Jayne insist on adding his unintelligible 2 cents to everything?