B.J. Novak (The Office's "Ryan the Temp") on the promise of 72 virgins.

And, for good measure, Denis Leary's take on the subject in this past episode of Rescue Me.

Tay, I just remembered something I wanted to let you know earlier in the week. I'd like to get it on record that the Israeli pavilion at Heritage Days was serving, among other things on their surprisingly all-vegetarian menu, Jerusalem Punch. (It was described in the menu as having an "explosive fruit flavour", but I think that may have been written more than a month ago...)

Oliver would be proud...

wow, thanks for all the various forms of advice, folks.

in the end, I decided that the best way for me to do anything about it was to just grin and bear through it all... that and make myself a hot toddy before going to bed. those things work wonders! all that hot liquid and the rum has this further heating effect, plus of course alcohol-honey combination makes one very sleepy...

i think i just get so tired of feeling so helpless, and unaidable... woo! tea and rest usually do it for me, i just don't have the time for that right now, unfortunately. and, as successful as they may be for all of you, i don't have any handy remedy/placebo pills and/or mcdonalds' food... (Beck! blech, how is that even possible???)

well, fingers crossed, folk fest won't turn into an illness-riddled gong show...

there's a new sheriff in town...
JUGGS....
JUGGS MASTER!!!!!!

VULVAX 2004

VULVAX 2004

VULVAX 2004

Funny, I've had the exact opposite experience with McD's...

One thing that I've found to be a great help during illness is tea. Often a cup of peppermint or Lady Grey will work wonders, and will also help you get some much-needed sleep. If it's a stomach thing, try something less acidic like chamomile or any sort of white tea.

There's been many a time when I've settled my upset stomach with a couple of well-done plain McDonalds cheeseburgers. Something about it works wonders. Has to be well done and plain though...

Chinese remedies no longer have to be bitter as hell. You can go pop a Chinese garlic pill with a sugar coating that will probably give you a kick for 10 minutes...at least mine do.

Well, I find that getting out of god-awful six seater planes with the pilots on crack flying it usually makes me feel much better.....

Other than that, the trip so far is going well. We have seen coastal desert and associated fauna, and not-so-coastal desert which looks more like the deserts in the far side cartoons, and the oasis. You can tell where the underground rivers and wet-season rivers are because there are strips of short trees and shrubs. We stood outside for an hour looking at really old desert mummies and I learned that deserts, while beautiful from the bus window are bloody hell in the wind, and really cold at night.

Hope you all are good.

No, No Par, Future Doctor Paras will do the diagnosis, not present day Paras. They'll send a message to us from the future and help Alison out.

And placebo work suprisingly very well even though I know I'm taking a placebo.