Cootie Catching: Yet Another Puerile and Filthy Use of Public Money in Washington

A wonderful rant, let down by inconvenient facts. I have seen a public experiment (perhaps not all that rigorous, as it was conducted by the Mythbusters team) that seems to show the elbow technique is actually the most effective - including the use of a handkerchief - at containing the high-speed droplets of a sneeze.

This video is a public information film, costing maybe half a million dollars to produce and distribute, intended to improve the health of Washingtonians. Compare and contrast with other forms of government spending - for example, the three trillion dollars ($3,000,000,000,000) spent blowing holes in Iraq to punish Saudi Arabia, or the $500 billion spent protecting bankers from the consequences of their own criminal negligence.

Posted by Fletcher Christian at December 14, 2010 12:39 AM

Hey Fletcher,

How about spending some more good money on a PSA about Washington's credit rating worries. I would draw your attention to the fourth bullet point of what might drive the rating down:

Failure to adopt plan to cover expenditures once federal fiscal stimulus monies are no longer available.

What was Gerard saying about otherwise-unemployable drool cups? It would seem the facts pose not quite so much of a problem for his rant as one might think.

Also, I have yet to meet a Mom who deserved the capital-M, and somehow failed to pass along the time-honored wisdom & etiquette about covering your mouth when you cough.

Posted by Morgan K Freeberg at December 14, 2010 1:08 AM

Hey Fletcher,

How about spending some more good money on a PSA about Washington's credit rating worries. I would draw your attention to the fourth bullet point of what might drive the rating down:

Failure to adopt plan to cover expenditures once federal fiscal stimulus monies are no longer available.

What was Gerard saying about otherwise-unemployable drool cups? It would seem the facts pose not quite so much of a problem for his rant as one might think.

Also, I have yet to meet a Mom who deserved the capital-M, and somehow failed to pass along the time-honored wisdom & etiquette about covering your mouth when you cough.

Posted by Morgan K Freeberg at December 14, 2010 1:08 AM

In the meantime, Sarah Palin is getting raked over the coals for...wait for it...washing her hands while she's down in Haiti. Seems it's racist or something. I guess that no matter what Sarah does, it's wrong, according to the left and the MSM (but I repeat myself).

Posted by waltj at December 14, 2010 4:17 AM

I think I just lost about 10 IQ points watching that train wreck of a video.

The state could have saved about 95% of the production cost with a YouTube competition at state high schools and universities, and had DOZENS of videos. Instead, somebody's a$$hole buddy got a contract. Apparently Washington just can't Californicate itself fast enough.

Posted by Mike Anderson at December 14, 2010 5:38 AM

Did they teach them to wash before or after they wipe their ass? I didn't see that part covered in the bit on being antiseptically neurotic.

Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at December 14, 2010 5:59 AM

In case you had any doubts about what our betters think of us.

Posted by Cris at December 14, 2010 6:13 AM

That was truly one of the most suckworthy endeavors I have ever seen. And I thought Pretzelvania Lotto commercials were awful. They are, but not as awesomely awful as that.

Posted by Jewel at December 14, 2010 6:39 AM

So....... When are they going to make "Wipeyourassington"?

I mean, after all, they have to cover all the bases.

Posted by Hangtown Bob at December 14, 2010 8:02 AM

All that excessive hand washing in a cold climate will lead to chapped hands with chilbains (those horrid little painful fissures near fingernails).

Next video: After Washyourhandsington, be sure to Eusealotoflotionreka.

Posted by mary at December 14, 2010 8:19 AM

Mike Anderson above has a great idea. Let the public make videos and give $1,000-$5,000 prizes for the best and most effective ones.

Let high school kids do an anti-drug warning PSA for other kids rather than a team of insular 40-somethings.

Now that has possibilities.

Posted by Mumblix Grumph at December 14, 2010 8:20 AM

Is WashYourHandingsTon the same state that banned dishwasher soap? Just curious.

Posted by RedCarolina at December 14, 2010 8:39 AM

The U.S. has also funded a study to teach men in Africa to wash their penises after sex. I am guessing African women would prefer they wash their penis before sex, but then, what do I know? Could a PSA on this theme be in production for the U.S. market? I'm on tenterhooks with anticipation.

Posted by Anonymous at December 14, 2010 8:58 AM

What a crap! Do they consider the citizens to be so stupi? But African men are definitely more important.

Posted by Madlene@Israel at December 14, 2010 9:10 AM

The common experience of citizens forced to inter-react with any form of government is often frustration at incompetence and impersonal malevolence. The real point of all such "public service" commercials is to counter such horrid notions and remind us that the state is wise and beneficent. And you, not so much. Like Santa, they know when you've been good and know when you've been bad.

Posted by james wilson at December 14, 2010 10:23 AM

The Washington State anthem is as bad, too.

Taste the soap.

Posted by Jewel at December 14, 2010 11:14 AM

The Vermont State Anthem is worse; it's composed and played by Helen Keller.

Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at December 14, 2010 4:43 PM

VW, that has to be not seen and not heard to be not believed.

Posted by Jewel at December 14, 2010 7:06 PM

They changed it when Dean was Governor. Gack to the nth power. Aren't you glad I'm sooooo PC.

Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at December 15, 2010 4:32 AM


This vid is a tribute to the confused, no make that insane, politics of The People's Republic of Puget Sound. One of Seattle's TV weathermen is always saying, "Clean hands are happy hands!" Why didn't they use him in the vid? It's his religion, he would have worked cheap.

Great letter in the Skagit Valley Herald this morning asking why the voters rejected all the tax increase propositions in the last election, but re-elected all the spenders and taxers. (Murray, Inlsee, Larsen, Dicks, McDermott, etal).
Just another reminder of the the way wet, gloomy weather rots liberal brains.

Posted by Jimmy J. at December 15, 2010 12:08 PM

Gerald,

I saw the video and immediately thought of this from the first Shrek movie:

Welcome to Duloc
such a perfect town
Here we have some rules let us lay them down
Don't make waves
Stay in line
and we'll get on just fine
Duloc is a perfect place
Please keep off of the grass
shine your shoes
wipe your...face
Duloc is
Duloc is
Duloc is a perfect place!

Posted by mmack at December 18, 2010 10:44 AM