That is awesome.

Ok, this guy is just creepy.

Pastor Jack Schapp from Indiana's largest church demonstrates at a youth conference "how to polish your shaft".



Um, did I mention he got fired last week for having sex with a 17-year-old congregant (the FBI is looking into it).

HT to BoingBoing

In case somebody who tried to register the username "happydancer" reads this ...



... you have to give a real email address, or you'll never get your verification email to become a member of the site.

(h/t Andy Towle )

Oh that is just hilarious!!!

I loved the reactions.

The Newby-pioneered Washington House of Prayer is planning David's Tent DC: more than 40 days of 24/7 prayer on the Ellipse beginning on September 25 until November 6.

Got clearance yesterday in my followup appt. and went swimming today, first time in 15 days. I think I overdid. I might make it to 7:30 p.m. before I pass out.

Roosters swim? Wouldn't that make them madder than a wet hen?

Foggy, I thought about you yesterday when I got the new image for my messenger bag.

Washington Post Aug. 10, 2012 New swine flu strain sickens 158

They say it is much milder than the one that swept in from Mexico in 2009. More like a seasonal flu but there is no vaccine against it yet.

They weren't allowing any of this at our county fair this summer.

I learned today from a novel that Oliver Wendell Holmes -- physician, poet, author, and professor -- was an early (1843) proponent of what became the germ theory of disease. He observed that women became infected from contact with physicians who had examined women with puerperal fever. He also observed that physicians had sickened and died after autopsies of women with puerperal fever. His practice and teaching was to carefully scrub the hands before and after an examination of any pregnant woman and after any autopsy. In his initial article he recommended more drastic measures, such as that a physician who had dealt with a fatal case of puerperal fever abstain from obstetrics for six months. In 1884 he met Louis Pasteur.

He did have a son who also became noteworthy.

I'm going to the county fair tomorrow. But since it's the last day of the fair, I'm not expecting to see any livestock. I'm betting they are all in hoggie heaven.

[/hidden]

What luck! I'll be flying from Anchorage to an undisclosed location in the Midwest tonight. Should have a great view of the Persied meteor shower.

Cf.: Ignác Semmelweis. One of the great heroes of medicine.

As an Immuno-compromised person/patient, I appreciate your caution. I would hope that someone would call me, and let me make the decision whether I wanted to be exposed or not.

Looking down on them

That is fascinating. In the same decade, physicians on two continents observed the same transmission of infections by physicians treating women for the same disease. And both physicians were ignored or scorned by most of their contemporaries, who had a different theory of disease.

Received this email from the VA Dept of Health a few days ago:

Dear Colleague,
In recent weeks, many of you and your patients have likely seen news stories about the significant increase in the number of cases of swine-origin variant H3N2 influenza virus (H3N2v) in several states. From July 12, 2012 to August 9, 2012, a total of 153 cases of H3N2v infections were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Hawaii. There have been no reported cases of H3N2v infections in Virginia to date.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and it is expected that more cases will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The 152 patients reported from Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois resided in 27 counties; all reported direct or indirect exposure to swine, the majority at agricultural fairs. At this time, there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission related to any of these cases; however, there was evidence of limited human-to-human transmission in cases in prior years. The H3N2v virus does contain the M, or matrix, gene from the 2009 H1N1 virus, which, according to the CDC, may make it easier for the strain to spread from pigs to humans and from human to human.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is prepared with enhanced surveillance to help identify H3N2v infections in Virginia as soon as possible and with response measures to respond to any reported cases. VDH tracks influenza-like-illness (ILI) in emergency rooms and urgent care centers around the state to help detect emerging trends of illness like H3N2v infections. Virginia is not experiencing any increase in ILI activity.


The H3N2v illness has been described as a relatively mild illness similar to seasonal flu. If you see a patient that presents with symptoms that may be consistent with H3N2v virus infection, I encourage you to ask about recent exposure to swine. Testing may be indicated if the patient meets the following criteria:
1. Symptoms of fever plus a cough OR fever plus a sore throat AND
2. Either direct contact with swine within the seven days preceding illness onset, OR an epidemiologic link to a confirmed case of influenza A H3N2v infection.

Contact your local health department (http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/LHD/index.htm) for further guidance and, if testing is indicated, for directions on submitting a sample to the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. The clinical management and treatment guidelines for influenza H3N2v infections are the same as seasonal influenza: H3N2v is susceptible to antivirals, which should be used if indicated.

Most of the recent cases have been in children, who are believed to have little immunity to the novel virus. This time of year, many Virginians enjoy agricultural fairs around the state that may include a potential exposure to swine. It is wise to always assume a low level of influenza risk associated with exposure to swine. Please take the time to remind parents of children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, and other patients at increased risk for complications from influenza to take appropriate precautions while enjoying fairs around the state:
· Wash hands frequently with soap and running water before and after exposure to animals,
· Never eat, drink or put things in your mouth while in animal areas, and
· Avoid close contact with animals that look or act ill, when possible.

For questions about animal health, please contact the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (804) 692-0601.

While this year’s seasonal influenza vaccine does not provide protection against the H3N2v strain of the virus, annual influenza vaccination is still the most effective method of preventing infection from more common strains of the flu, and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated for the upcoming influenza season.
Finally, VDH will continue to monitor this situation and do our best to keep you abreast of information pertinent to your practice. The CDC has information on swine influenza on their webpage http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/.

Your attention to the 2009 H1N1 influenza was an integral part of our ability to educate and protect Virginians. I trust that you will continue to be our valuable partner as this public health issue continues to evolve.

Thank you

According to the CDC,

The flu that seems to have resulted from direct or indirect contact with swine is H3N2v. The seasonal vaccine does not protect against that strain. However, the high proportion of children among those infected suggests that a previous flu season produced antibodies in adults that are at least somewhat effective against H3N2v.