Hi guys! I woke up this morning with questions in my little pea-brain and thought maybe you could help answer or direct me to the answers.

1. There are food handling businesses here in New Mexico which seemingly have bypassed their water heaters, (probably to cut expenses). Is water temperature a factor in hygiene or is the act of washing one's hands in any temperature water, with soap, enough for safety? I've always been curious about the effects of different temperature water on skin and hair also. I've looked in the website, "Ask a Scientist" and even under the NM building codes but have found no answer. I certainly don't want to get these businesses in trouble or anything. I just want to know to cover my own curiosity. Some have food trays, etc. It just doesn't seem sanitary to me, with only cold water.

2. I just re watched the movie, "Charlie Wilson's War". I'm sure we all agree he did wonderful things for the people of Afghanistan. Agreed, most congresspeople are not as "on the ball" as Charlie Wilson was, but with 535 people in Congress, each with access and power to utilize almost unlimited funds, as he did; does anyone find this scary?

3. Something about three major banks all delaying foreclosures at the same time, with the same lame excuse, seems odd to me. Would the government have any reason to dictate to them to hold foreclosures until after mid-term elections? What would be the purpose? I mean, I'm all in favor of not foreclosing on people, but something seems strange and I can't put my finger on it. Any ideas?

As to no. 1, the USDA requires a minimum washing temperature be met. If your boilers cannot elevate the water temperature to the minimum requirement, you cannot proceed. Obviously, then, the USDA sees merit in higher water temperatures.

Here's some background on #3:

http://thefastertimes.com...ing-homes/

My "favorite" story so far has been the man who was foreclosed upon, even though he'd paid for the house in cash: http://www.businessweek.c...olner.html

Basically, we've managed to transform yet another hallmark of civilized America - the concept of clear property rights via title - into something straight out of a banana republic.

As far as No.1 goes, my understanding at least as hand washing goes is that warm water does a better job of washing off the oils on the skin that hold bacteria. Water hot enough to kill the bacteria would burn us. What hand washing with soap does is make the microbes slippery so that water washed them off, it's not meant to kill them unless you use antibacterial soap. I think I'd report those restaurants. Who wants to eat at a place that purposely lowers impedes their employees' hygiene?

As far a no. 2:

I'm sure we all agree he did wonderful things for the people of Afghanistan.

Right, like arming militant islamists who later became the Taliban. Afghan women put up a statute to him.

[This message has been edited by Wendy Wilson (10/11/2010)]

More on #3:

http://rortybomb.wordpres...he-stakes/

http://rortybomb.wordpres...important/

Hot water around 170-180 degrees will sterilize and the soap actually disrupts the bacteria cell walls so they die.

Great! Thanks for the websites. That pretty much explained it.
Denise, you seem as though you possess an analytical mind, and you, of course are correct. However, we armed the entire country AT THAT TIME to fight off the Russians. They were weary and needy after ten years of fighting. The Taliban as we know it, did not exist, except as a seed in the minds of some men. A person can only make judgements based on the facts known and cannot deduce all the future repercussions of a decision or action. One can only do the right thing AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, not knowing if time will bear him out as making the right decisions. I feel, for and at that time, it was the right thing to do. Now, of course, we know those very weapons were used against us.
The people we elect are only a reflection of our own level of consciousness. This is frightening when you think of some of the decisions of the past which had to be made; Hiroshima, the Civil war, etc.
The point I was getting at with Charlie Wilson was that he took $5 million and parlayed it into $1 billion for his cause. Multiply that times 535 congressmen. That's all. My brain is tired.

I think you are addressing Wendy, not me, unless the Taliban is somehow responsible for the lack of hot water for proper food preparation in the United States.

Oh, how funny! Sorry, I told you I was asleep!

Oh my God, Denise! You've just discovered the Taliban's evil plan to destroy us all through e. coli and salmonella infections. It's brilliant. They've teamed up with all the illegal Mexicans! It makes perfect sense.

Wendy, I've been sitting on the knowledge for a while that "terror babies" are actually coming back to the U.S. as teens to work our fast food restaurants. Considering that by that time, Americans will eat 99% of their meals as fast food, it's a sure bet for our destruction. I'm waiting, though, to disseminate this information, trying to decide if that Muslim president is really part of the plot. I may just hold onto the information until a righteous God-fearing, white, heterosexual man is president so that I know something will be done about it.

I know this a stupid question, I have been trying to think of the
person that wrote Little Annie Rooney. I can't so I was wondering
if anyone knows. I googled the name and all I got was the comic strip.

You mean the song? Apparently the song was written in 1890 by Michael Nolan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ney_(1931)

Thank you for your answer to my question. The poem was Little Orphan
Annie written by James Whitcomb Riely. I was thrown off by confusing
Orphan Annie and Annie Rooney. You jogged my memory.

1. Sanitizing plates, utensils, equipment, trays, etc. is very different than sanitizing human skin and hair. You can't sanitize skin and hair. That's why medical workers and others use gloves.

If equipment and such is clean, then yes, they can be sanitized in cold water with commercially available sanitizers (phosphate, iodine, and quaternary ammonium based products).

2. No. Please watch this video:



3. Bridgier answered this one.