A Dozen Things Learned During 2016

After I kept a list of things learned last year (for 2015) I found it fun to log such new facts and ideas.  My list may be very different than your own might be, but hopefully some of my dozen may be candidates for your list too.  Truth be told, it turned out there was a bit more than a dozen on my new learning inventory, perhaps even a great deal more than a dozen.  This record is simply a compilation of selected points to which I am willing to admit.

 

You Never Stop Learning.
I’d like to prove that I can get better as I get older.
             — Tony Bennett, on turning 90 years old

 

1. Papaya seeds. The seeds of this fruit don’t have to be wasted.  After scraping the seeds out, just dry them (even in the oven) and they substitute for peppercorns.  They are spicy and peppery, but definitely a different taste than usual peppercorns.  If you have a second pepper mill, they are a great addition. No surprise, like most foods we know, there are claims of health benefits from these seeds (and the fruit).   There are basically 5 categories of speculated benefits:

• antibacterial properties (claims for effectiveness against Staph infection, Salmonella and E.coli.)
• Intestinal parasite treatment and elimination
• Kidney protection (research shows protection from toxin-induced kidney failure)
• Liver detoxification used in alternative medicine (to naturally treat cirrhosis).
• Lowering blood clot and stroke risk (due to the substance “fibrin” which the seeds contain; said vital for good blood flow within the body). Because of this, airplane travelers often take large amounts prior to a trip to avoid common blood clot problems due to long term sitting.

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There are common warnings not to eat the fruit itself when it is green or if one is pregnant, breast feeding or for men wishing to maximize their fertility. [These seeds are sometimes called ‘natural male birth control.’]

 

 

2. Pour-over coffee papers. You may have started laughing already.  Then again, perhaps you too never realized the small step I had missed.  When using coffee cones (like Melitta) for pour-over preparation, notice there is a perforation along the side and bottom.  Well, the disagreement in my house is whether they are there as a random result of manufacturing or purposefully designed.  Early this year, I learned that to improve their efficiency, you fold both the side and bottom part of cone for a better fit.  Yes, a much better fit.  [And don’t forget to use brown unbleached filters if you aren’t using a gold permanent type cone.]

3. The Wizard of Oz. This book may not be the children’s story you thought. L Frank Baun was a strong progressive populist and the story (written on two levels) was an allegory for the times in the 1890s (economically, socially and politically).
   …
   So what are the metaphors?  Dorothy and Toto embodied the American people. The Strawman – famers; the Tinman – factory and industrial workers; the Cowardly lion – William Jennings Bryan.  While a progressive himself, Bryan was described as having ‘a loud roar but no bite’ in his fight for populist economic reforms.  The yellow brick road – the monetary gold standard (not favored by famers) represented paving the way to development by those in power.  In the book, the slippers were silver (not “ruby”) and symbolized the economic/political power of the people once they realized how to get what they wanted.  The Wicked Witch of the West – Railroad barons, Wicked Witch of the East – Wall St.  Good witches – the Populist.
   ..
   Two elements that remain an argument are the Wizard himself and the Flying Monkeys.  Many scholars say that the Wizard is the president of the US.  In the book, each of the main characters views the Wizard quite differently.  This is often explained as the cynicism in politics with politicians that tend to change their face depending on who they are speaking to – worse than just 2-faced.  The winged monkeys are also a controversy.  Some think it is poking fun at politicians but the more common speculation is that they represent Native Americans.  This seems a PC problem, being quite politically incorrect.  But originally when the main characters met the winged creatures, they explained that once they were a free people, living happily in the forest, where they drew from the trees their substance of fruits, nuts and shelter and lived as their own masters. [This may have related to Native Americans being forced from their lands.]
   So, it looks like WICKED was not the first adult version of the Wizard.

 

4. A hummingbird’s heart beat is 1000 beats/minute when the bird is active. Whew.  [Don’t forget when normal, yours is somewhere between 60 and 100.]   But in its torpid state at night, the hummingbird’s rate is reduced to approximately 40 beats/minute.  You won’t have such pulse fluctuations, but to bring yours down a bit, consider some backyard bird viewing.

 

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things,
learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world.
You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly,
you’re doing something.
— Neil Gaiman (British author)

 

 

5. Heart Burning issues from Heartburn Remedies. I am not fanatical about avoiding drugs or pharmaceuticals, but as a rule I do.  “Needs must” is an old phrase that sums up my view of when I would consider such action. Probably like most of you, I am taken aback by the myriad of TV commercials for drugs – and their side effects.  The supposed educational commercial concept is that before your doc writes you a script for these, at least you will be aware of the drug as well as its contraindications.  But what about when it is Over-the-Counter (OTC).
   …
   A seemingly innocuous drug for Heartburn is a proton pump inhibitor and decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach.  The most common name is PREVACID (aka Lansoprazole, available as Top Care Lansoprazole or Rite Aid Lansoprazole).  It is prescribed for heartburn, stomach/intestinal ulcers and erosive esophagitis (damage when stomach acid comes back into esophagus).  ‘Normal’ side effects include common ones like diarrhea/constipation, rash and itching, headache, nausea, abdominal pain or cramps.  However, one side effect is rarely considered (AND rare) – complete kidney failure.
   …
   Yet, the sister of a friend of mine suffered this very thing.  She is alive and dialysis will hopefully change and maintain her life.  A life now turned upside-down.  Rare?  Yes.  But when a drug is so freely suggested or purchased OTC for a condition that might be treated in another fashion, the side-effects deserve at least a bit more consideration.
   The tip: read the fine print in your research of ANY pharmaceutical you are evaluating for use, even if it is ‘just OTC.’

 

6. Cats that purr cannot roar. Cats that roar cannot purr.  I never knew that.  So a lion may roar but is unable to purr.  Good clue as what to pet — or not.

 

7. Save every SOU. [For friends and readers in Southern Oregon, this is not Southern Oregon University.]  If you read the charming comments of Shirley B last month (Interview with a Nonagenarian) you may remember this.  The French had a coin, now out of circulation, that is like the US penny.  The sou, originally called the solidus is pronounced sōō.  It’s referred to in many of the similarly disrespectful ways that a penny is, such as ‘not a sou to her name.’

 

8. Hydrosol. From the Latin translation, Hydrosol means “water solution.”  In simple terms, Hydrosols are the aromatic waters that remain after steam or hydro distilling of botanical materials such as rose or lavender. I viewed this process at Monte-Bellaria di California, an organic lavender growing farm in Sonoma County California, a place more commonly known for its hill-side vineyards.  Mostly these ‘waters’ are used as gentle aromatherapy.  Some are used for medical purposes based on their parent product, such as balsam fir for sore muscles, comfrey for itchiness, lemon balm for sunburn or wound cleansing and lavender for stress reduction or relaxation (often suggested as a spray on pillows).

9. Neo-liberalism. As with so many things, If we don’t understand the history, words can be misleading.  For me the term ‘neo-liberal’ was like that.  New liberal?  Not exactly.  Reagan WAS a neo-liberal, as was Margaret Thatcher.  I always did a double take at this title for them.  ‘Liberal’?   They didn’t seem liberal to me.  But it is meant in the very original sense of Adam Smith.  Smith, who laid the very foundations of the free market and what is considered classical economic theory, is the ‘liberal’ in the original reference.  Perhaps more surprisingly in today’s terms is that Smith was considered one of the first “socialists” (again, a different meaning than modern times).  The more appropriate title for understanding “neo-liberal” correctly IN OUR TIMES might be “libertarian” – without the ‘neo’ anything.  Nevertheless, NOW I understand the many headlines and articles that seemed misleading.
   [I tend to think they are still misleading, but at least I understand the accuracy.]

 

“Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment
prohibiting anybody from learning anything?
If it works as well as prohibition did,
in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.”

— Will Rogers

 

10. Tulsi? What is it and why is it in my tea?  Is Tulsi just one of those ingredients that become the ‘in’ thing for a while?  Surprisingly, you are familiar with one of its close relatives – culinary basil.  However, there are different forms of Tulsi and it is an herb that has been used for several thousands of years in Ayurveda practice.
    …
    Krishna Tulsi (a purple leaf version) with a clove-like aroma and peppery flavor is the strongest type;  Rama Tulsi also with a scent of cloves is less effective and contains an element in mellower flavor (sometimes a fruit used in wine).   Vana Tulsi (aka Wild Leaf) has less intensity but is often used with other herbs to improve their taste with the addition of its lemony flavor. There are not well-established study findings on the claimed effectiveness of Tulsi, but it has been used for several of its proprieties.
    …
    Those benefits include calming, reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks, encouraging anti-inflammatory reactions, protecting the liver, and modulating the balance of the body’s immune reactions.  It is also high in antioxidants.  For those concerned with fertility it has an opposite consequence; it is used to decrease fertility in both men and women.  [Remember that you read this about the papaya seeds as well.]
    …
    What it’s doing in my tea, I still don’t know.  Perhaps it was added for that lemony flavor addition or to augment the calming effect of my lavender tea.

11. BC/AD versus BCE/CE. Have you already noticed this change in reference to time frames?  BC is “Before Christ.”  AD, often believed to mean ‘after death’, is actually a Latin phrase “anno-domini” meaning “in the year of our lord.”  The use of those terms was not fully established until centuries after the death of Jesus Christ (perhaps in the Middle Ages).  Regarding newer terminology, the descriptions now used frequently are BCE and CE?  If you watch PBS, you have either noticed this change or learned about the basis of it.
    …
    While the desire to identify historical dates is popular among scientists, historians and some religious leaders, changes have been considered for centuries since the BC/AD system began.  For a time the era following the birth of Christ was referred to as the “Vulgar Era” in some circles, but that did not mean distasteful or obscene but instead only “common.”
    Supporters indicate that the newer BCE/CE method of categorizing historical dates without the reference to Christ is meant not as disrespect but as a bridge between all religions and cultures.
    ..
    While the birth of Christ remains the reference point of the new system, the influence is not as outwardly predisposed to favor Christianity.  With the hints above, I assume you know that CE stands for “common era” and BCE stands for “before common era.”
    Either way, 200 BCE is the same year as 200 BC.  And either way, while you didn’t have a front row seat to the proposed numbering schemes, you must now be familiar with both.

 

12. The White House. During the 2016 DNC convention, first lady Michelle Obama made a comment about waking up ‘every morning in a house that was built by slaves.’  Later, Fox news host Bill O’Reilly sparked controversy when he said “well, the slaves who built the White House were well-fed.”  You probably heard both of those statements.  But maybe not this historical context.
    ..
    One of the reasons that President Washington used slave-labor to build the White House was that non-slave labor was difficult to find.  Whether for the skilled or unskilled laborers, some of the work was so back-breaking that non-slave (free) workers did not want the job.  Washington, who picked the site for the White House, was a bit reluctant (even at that time) to resort to the enslaved laborers to build such an important emblem of a country founded on rights and freedom; but took that approach in the end nevertheless.  This does not shine the greatest light on Washington, and it suggests a general willingness to support slavery by those in power, as long as it is ‘in times of emergency’.  It also demonstrates the disrespect and sometime abuses of all labor in this country, from the beginning. In passing, Washington never actually lived in the White House as it was not completed until the presidency of John Adams, who moved in during 1800.
    ..
    It only seemed appropriate to mention the Obamas on the 2016 list. As the year ended, so is their scandal-free time in the White House wrapping up.  Betcha they learned more than a dozen things!

 

“Education is when you read the fine print;
experience is what you get when you don’t.”

— Pete Seeger

 

Reference:

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2013      1 ISSN 2250-3153  www.ijsrp.org  Acute and Chronic Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity Study of Orally Administered chloroform extract of Carica papaya Seeds in Adult Wistar Rats.   1Umana, Uduak E., 1Timbuak, J A,. 1Musa, S.A, 1Samuel Asala, 2Joseph Hambolu and 3Anuka J. A.

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