| |
Main
Date: 21 Jan 2008 11:57:49
From: J.D. Walker
Subject: Deadly Handshake
|
Dear Chess Friends,
Suppose you come to the tournament room one day, check your pairings,
and go to your board only to discover that your opponent, with obvious
symptoms of the bubonic plague, is extending his hand in your direction.
What will you do. An extreme example, you say? Sure, but it is
extreme to make a point.
Disease agents are continually changing, mutating and spreading. There
are predictions of an eventual pandemic. Reporting on historical
pandemics, the World Health Organization was quoted as stating: "The
worst death rate was seen in the 1918 pandemic, known as the Spanish flu
pandemic. That killed 2.6 percent of those who got sick, killing a total
of about 40 million people." Some of my ancestors died in this pandemic.
http://health.dailynewscentral.com/content/view/0001717/67/
It is well known among medical professionals that unwashed hands are a
major pathway for the transmission of disease. Another one is via
airborne pathways: coughing, sneezing, or even just breathing. Add to
this the fact that sanitary practices vary by individual.
Another factor: in todays environment of global jet setting, once a
disease makes an appearance it is much easier for it to spread around
the world. One likely environment to meet a newly spreading infectious
disease would be a sporting event where many participants come from
around the world.
If hand shakes are to be required by FIDE for reasons of sportsmanship,
then we have increased need to look at means of protecting players.
Fortunately, today cheap latex gloves are easily available for all that
have the wit to use them. Another advisable addition would inexpensive
breathing filters to protect the airborne pathway.
I do not think that a full protective body suit is necessary -- at this
point. However, it would be wise to consider that the food borne
pathway must also be dealt with appropriately. Preparing your own food
would be wise. Professionals may wish to bring a cook along with their
second.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this subject, just an informed layman.
Perhaps a professional epidemiologist will offer their own counsel.
--
Cordially,
Rev. J.D. Walker, MsD, U.C.
|
|
| |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 07:44:30
From: SAT W-7
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
are there any rules that say you can not wear gloves ? .....i would wear
them...
|
| | |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 08:38:08
From: J.D. Walker
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
SAT W-7 wrote:
> are there any rules that say you can not wear gloves ? .....i would wear
> them...
>
I do not know about rules, but gloves sound like a st choice to me.
In fact why not change the rules to encourage TV coverage by requiring
players to wear protective clown suits. Even more entertainment value
could be added by allowing silent mime during a game. Mime sounds much
more interesting than say chess-boxing...
I can imagine the coverage: "Topalov sacs a piece and goes into a fierce
series of mime contortions implying that Kramnik is a rotting dead tree.
Kramnik grimaces and redoubles his concentration on the game..." Then
the commentator could bring in a Hollywood celebrity to critique the
mime efforts. This whole thing could even work in an "American Idol"
format.
Voila! We then have general interest in TV chess. :)
--
Cordially,
Rev. J.D. Walker, MsD, U.C.
|
| | | |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 12:12:56
From: SAT W-7
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
God that was funny..ha ha
|
| | | | |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 13:44:17
From: J.D. Walker
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
SAT W-7 wrote:
> God that was funny..ha ha
>
Mr. SAT,
Well thanks for the applause :) But, I do not want to leave this
thread with the impression that it was all a joke. To bring the point
home consider this excerpt from an recent article published at
USAHealthCoach.com:
"Flesh-eating bacteria� operate swiftly and without mercy, and with a
casual misdiagnosis could result in amputation of the affected limb or
death! At the time I was probably thinking what you may be wondering
now, �If this treatment was not successful, how do you cut off your head
and still survive?� Morbid fears arise quickly as you face the reality
of a quick demise.
It is imperative that we understand the seriousness of these bacteria,
which is not only real but can be passed on in something as simple as a
casual handshake. Who could believe that a friendly handshake could risk
your health? The old biblical statement, �what is your life but a vapor
- here today and gone tomorrow,� is a stark reality."
(http://usahealthcoach.com/usa-health-coach/infections-that-kill-you-in-hours)
And that is just one of the threats. The world is becoming more
virulent and toxic. Some may think it is not stylish or just plain
silly to think of wearing latex gloves, or breathing filters. Clear
thinking folks may opt for reason and life instead of style and amputation.
Another consideration: chess has a dark side that we see on occasion
where people want to win so much they are willing to do unscrupulous
things. It is conceivable, though unlikely, that your next opponent may
deliberately wear unwashed clothes that have been worn during an
infectious disease to which he has acquired an immunity. Perhaps he
will also avoid washing his hands in order to spawn more infection.
Will Typhoid y hit the chess scene? People can be very strange, but
I do not have to tell you that. We have all seen it.
--
Cordially,
Rev. J.D. Walker, MsD, U.C.
|
| | | | | |
Date: 24 Jan 2008 10:54:09
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
J.D. Walker <[email protected] > wrote:
> Well thanks for the applause :) But, I do not want to leave this
> thread with the impression that it was all a joke.
Oh. Crap. You mean you really are paranoid?
> (http://usahealthcoach.com/usa-health-coach/infections-that-kill-you-in-hours)
Do you really think you'll be unlucky enough to shake the hand of
somebody in the window between his catching one of these infections
and dying a few hours later?
> And that is just one of the threats. The world is becoming more
> virulent and toxic.
Citation, please.
> Some may think it is not stylish or just plain silly to think of
> wearing latex gloves, or breathing filters. Clear thinking folks
> may opt for reason and life instead of style and amputation.
If the world gets to the point where latex gloves and breathing
filters are required to go outside, everybody has already died.
> Another consideration: chess has a dark side that we see on occasion
> where people want to win so much they are willing to do unscrupulous
> things.
Ohmigod!!!! They could poison my coffee! Or my scoresheet! They
could write threatening notes on their scoresheet! They could turn up
with a bomb! They could plant a mobile 'phone in my bag! They could
stab me with their biro! We're all going to die! Maybe it's me who's
the psycho! I could poison my own coffee by mistake! WE'RE ALL GOING
TO DIE!!!!
Dave.
--
David Richerby Disposable Solar-Powered Flower (TM):
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ it's like a flower but it doesn't
work in the dark and you never have
to clean it!
|
| | | | | | |
Date: 24 Jan 2008 05:49:07
From: J.D. Walker
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
David Richerby wrote:
> J.D. Walker <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Well thanks for the applause :) But, I do not want to leave this
>> thread with the impression that it was all a joke.
>
> Oh. Crap. You mean you really are paranoid?
Tis in the eye of the beholder sir...
>
>> (http://usahealthcoach.com/usa-health-coach/infections-that-kill-you-in-hours)
>
> Do you really think you'll be unlucky enough to shake the hand of
> somebody in the window between his catching one of these infections
> and dying a few hours later?
>
>> And that is just one of the threats. The world is becoming more
>> virulent and toxic.
>
> Citation, please.
>
I am not going to prepare a research report for you, but here is one
example: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0621-03.htm
Here we see concerns that global warming is thought to have the harmful
effect of increasing world virulence.
You may be one of those that denies the threat of global warming. I am
not going to debate that with you.
As for increasing world toxins, you can do that one as a home exercise.
--
Cordially,
Rev. J.D. Walker, MsD, U.C.
|
| | | | | |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 15:43:20
From: Mike Murray
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:44:17 -0800, "J.D. Walker"
<[email protected] > wrote:
>Another consideration: chess has a dark side that we see on occasion
>where people want to win so much they are willing to do unscrupulous
>things. It is conceivable, though unlikely, that your next opponent may
>deliberately wear unwashed clothes that have been worn during an
>infectious disease to which he has acquired an immunity. Perhaps he
>will also avoid washing his hands in order to spawn more infection.
I think players are more sensitive and ethical. Maybe soak some
band-aids in green, yellow and red food coloring, put them on one's
fingers, then compulsively adjust the pieces (while one's own clock in
running, of course). Maybe a little coughing, snuffling and wheezing.
A chili feed with extra beans the night before the game. Stuff like
that. Nothing vicious.
|
| | | | | |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 15:16:04
From: SAT W-7
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
I have heard about that too , flesh eating bacteria ..
I think id want to wear gloves or if not gloves id have hand sanitizer
..
I do not shake many hands so am pretty safe that way..
|
| |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 13:22:15
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
J.D. Walker <[email protected] > wrote:
> I do not think that a full protective body suit is necessary -- at
> this point.
You're kidding yourself! The only safe way to play chess is over the
internet, in a full biohazard suit. Even typing `*handshake*' before
the first move can spread disease and you should probably replace the
computer every five or six games, being sure to incinerate the used
ones.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Mentholated Devil Tool (TM): it's
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ like a screwdriver that's possessed
by Satan but it's invigorating!
|
| |
Date: 22 Jan 2008 03:38:43
From:
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:57:49 -0800, "J.D. Walker"
<[email protected] > wrote:
>Dear Chess Friends,
>
>Suppose you come to the tournament room one day, check your pairings,
>and go to your board only to discover that your opponent, with obvious
>symptoms of the bubonic plague, is extending his hand in your direction.
> What will you do. An extreme example, you say? Sure, but it is
>extreme to make a point.
what I would NOT do is ignore my opponent. I would tell him/her that
it is my policy not to shake hands due to my fear of disease and then
I would bow to him/her and say 'I bow to you like the Japanese do in
respect'.
see ... no need to be rude, a polite bow could never be taken as an
insult.
J.Lohner
|
| | |
Date: 21 Jan 2008 19:52:09
From: J.D. Walker
Subject: Re: Deadly Handshake
|
[email protected] wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:57:49 -0800, "J.D. Walker"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Dear Chess Friends,
>>
>> Suppose you come to the tournament room one day, check your pairings,
>> and go to your board only to discover that your opponent, with obvious
>> symptoms of the bubonic plague, is extending his hand in your direction.
>> What will you do. An extreme example, you say? Sure, but it is
>> extreme to make a point.
>
> what I would NOT do is ignore my opponent. I would tell him/her that
> it is my policy not to shake hands due to my fear of disease and then
> I would bow to him/her and say 'I bow to you like the Japanese do in
> respect'.
>
> see ... no need to be rude, a polite bow could never be taken as an
> insult.
>
> J.Lohner
I think that is a reasonable answer to the issue of sportsmanship, but
you might have to convince a FIDE arbiter that that is the socially
accepted way in your home country. Otherwise you may lose the point
anyways.
--
Cordially,
Rev. J.D. Walker, MsD, U.C.
|
|
