In her new humor book, Melinda Muse counts the perils of everyday existence. Be afraid, be very afraid. Hatched during her stint as a medical writer, the eye-opening guide posits that danger lurks everywhere. Men with negative-sounding initials like RAT or BUM died an average of three years earlier than the neutrals or 7.5 years earlier than those with ''good'' initials. If you pick your nose you could gouge the mucous membrane and cause an infection that might lead to a brain blood clot.
Several urologists suggest that long bike rides on narrow, pointed seats lead to male impotence.
A study of 45 people who were over 75 years old found mortality rates twice as high for those who regularly nap. Every year 22,000 children visit the emergency room owing to shopping-cart accidents. Thousands of people are injured by dishwashers. Homeowners are less likely to suffer from depression than apartment renters. It is also written as a resource for toastmasters, speakers, writers, and conversationalists everywhere, who want to season their offerings with pointed wit and humor.