Hold that hug! And that coffee mug!

Photo: Jonathan's Blog, by Jonathan Schwartz, Executive VP at Sun Microsystems

It was only weeks ago the threat of swine flu had us avoiding hugs and kisses, even here in Mexico where abrazos and besos are woven deep in the social fabric, so to speak. We've even had second thoughts about shaking hands. But there's a reason hugging is so popular among (most) humans, and I, for one, am not giving it up. Maybe I'll just be selective about huggees, at least until the flu gets the all-clear.

It's important to determine who's open to a hug and who's not (Was that a flinch? should I back off? offer a half-hug instead?) Suppose you want to hug someone and she seems reluctant? You might tell her this: studies have shown that a full frontal hug lasting at least six seconds will raise the serotonin and oxytocin levels. And women who got several hugs a day from their husbands have lower blood pressure. Hopefully it works for the guys, too.

Still hugging: Nick and Bobbi Ercoline, whose famous hug appeared on the cover of the Woodstock album, are still together after 40 years

I told my son about this (alas, he's much too far away to hug, being in California while I'm in Mexico) and he asked if it works with dogs. He and his main squeeze are on the outs, he grumbles, so his boxer Einstein is the substitute huggee. I asked the Capt for his opinion, and he says if the dog will hold still for it, a six-second hug should certainly have the desired effect. Especially if he licks your ear in the process.


And while I'm being scientific about the benefits what I love to do anyway, have you seen the reports that two cups of strong coffee might help stave off the effects of Alzheimer's? At least it worked with mice. We're talking about the good stuff, not a couple of mugs of Folger's. And tea drinkers would have to consume 14 cups of tea to get the same results. If you get your caffeine from soda, you need 20 cups.

So…have you hugged your local barista today?