To Pee or Not to Pee! (for many that is the question)

I’ll admit that after reading about the women of India’s plight, I couldn't get the modified version of the Beastie Boys’ song out of my head…We gotta fight, for the right, to POTTY! The problem facing women in India, included in the 2.6 billion others in the same situation, is a lack of toilets. That’s it, 2.6 billion people on our planet don’t have a pot to…well you can finish that thought. Public urination for men isn't a big deal in India, apparently the men just face a wall, tree, or shrub and let go with the flow. For women needing to find a place to go is more complicated. So women have to hold it and may only find relief twice a day. As a former educator, I considered myself an expert at holding it but in some places (in India especially) the schools have no facilities at all and to add insult to injury, the public toilets for women are pay toilets. According to the men running these facilities, the women use more water since the men’s urinals don’t flush and the women’s potties do. So therefore women have to pay and more often than not the toilets are not sanitary and the women are forced to face rats, filth, and sometimes rapists. The last pay toilet I came across was at Harrod’s in London (cost in 1999-one pound) and it was nothing like the toilets in Mumbai, where there are 3,536 public restrooms that women share with men, and not one women’s-only facility. In a typical Mumbai slum, there might be six bathrooms for 8,000 women. Sometimes those bathrooms have collapsed, have dogs or rats living in them, or simply have no water. Next time I find myself digging through my purse for a tissue because I've inadvertently entered a stall with no TP, I am going to reconsider even considering a complaint. 

Google Spoon

I thought Google Glasses were pretty cool and innovative though I've never seen anyone actually wearing or using them. Now Google, via Liftware by Lift Labs, a start-up bought out by and funded by Google, actually, has come up with a spoon that senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. The technology uses hundreds of algorithms to allow people with essential tremors and Parkinson's disease to eat without spilling. These spoons are helping these folks improve the quality of their lives by allowing them to self-feed. This may seem like a simple thing to some but in the big picture of movement disorders it is a pretty big thing. It isn't a cure, but rather an adaptive strategy for making something as simple as feeding one’s self, a skill many of us without essential tremors and Parkinson's disease take for granted, possible. The special spoons can be purchased for $295 but for the person regains their eating independence they are priceless.  

Balloons-Do they burst when filled with helium and released?

This is the question I pondered today as I and about a dozen friends watched balloons we’d released (biodegradable ones, I didn’t want to choke any sea turtles or dolphins) with notes attached for a dear friend that recently passed away. I overheard someone saying that when the balloons reach a certain altitude they burst and I was skeptical, skeptical enough to look it up. This is what I found. As the balloon rises, the air in the atmosphere gets thinner. At some point in altitude probably around 28,000 feet, the air pressure inside the balloon becomes greater than the air pressure outside the balloon. When that happens the balloon does go POP! Wind currents can play a part as well and may have since it was a rather blustery, nor’easter-y kind of day today. Cold air can cause the balloon to become stiff sooner than its maximum stretching point and hence burst earlier too. We watched our notes fly high and away against the steely gray of the cloudy skies today until they were specks too small to distinguish from the floaters in my old eyes and definitely too small to tell whether or not they burst. Regardless, I have faith that the thoughts we carefully penned and attached to our balloons found their destination, a place with Green Grass and High Tides forever.

Sushi Surrogates!

Save the Sushi was my original title for this blog post but I didn’t want to mislead anyone into thinking it was about how to store left overs. Sushi’s source is actually the rosy, fatty "chu-toro" from the upper part of the bluefin tuna’s belly. The bluefin tuna is a fish that in the Pacific appears on the red list, meaning threatened with extinction. In the Atlantic the number of bluefin has been recovering rather than declining but still has quotas attached to prevent overfishing. Researchers in Japan, where 60 to 80% of all bluefin tuna are consumed largely in sushi, are attempting to use mackerel as surrogates for bluefin that could be farmed or even released since these bluefin would not be genetically modified. They are stressing that this is not genetic modification and have already succeeded in using surrogate technology to produce tiger puffer fish, the poisonous "fugu" used in sashimi and hotpot, using smaller grass puffer fish. They've also produced trout spawned by salmon, and companies that import rare and tropical fish also are interested in their technology. They do this by extracting reproductive stem cells from the discarded guts of tuna shipped by cold delivery from fish farms and inserting them into mackerel fry so tiny they are barely visible. Under the right conditions, the tuna stem cells migrate into the ovaries and testes of the mackerel, and the mackerel, the researchers hope, when mature, will spawn tuna. So sushi lovers, commercial fishermen, and conservationists take heart. Maybe we can all find common ground with this new technology.

Ways to Add Years to Your Life

Did you know the average lifespan for us is 78.7 years? This blogger will reach that number in about fifteen years. Recently our family lost a good friend who was even further away from that number than me, twenty years short of the average lifespan. I wonder why we sometimes wait until we lose someone to consider our own mortality. These are a couple of reasons why I decided to click on an article about ways to add years to my life. Some of these ways were a surprise to me, like the fact that running 5 to 10 minutes each day even slowly (rather than the mileage goals I set for myself) makes a big difference by reducing the risk of death from heart disease. Others were things I already knew about (adopting a furry four legged companion or getting good sleep) and even better already do, like starting my day off with coffee. Happiness matters too so maybe watching funny You Tube videos isn't a total mismanagement of my time, along with snacking on nuts or enjoying a sip of wine (light alcohol consumption). These are not just okay but good for me. I also found a few areas that I can definitely improve on, including sitting (in front of this computer) less and flossing more. I guess my point this time might be to commit to not taking life (and health) for granted. This life can be fleeting, so take time to appreciate it and take purposeful steps to develop habits that can add years to yours. I am. 

Selling Hats on a Cold Day in GA

So I don’t think today was cold because of any polar vortex. We just had you run of the mill November nor'easter with wind, no rain. It was just plainly cold outside and you might figure that would make it a banner day for selling crocheted hats. It wasn't. Maybe it was because of the few that braved the cold to come out to the Community Market, most were already dressed for it including hats. There were a couple of guys in shorts and more than a few folks still out and about in flip flops, but no one seemed anxious to stay for any length of time up on the pavilion. In the summer the vendors up there (me included) welcome the breeze off the river and invite shoppers and browsers up into nature’s ‘air conditioning’ but the shoppers weren't having any of that today. Instead everyone was on speed browse and out of there quick, heading back toward the sunny side of the street. It would have been a good day to turn the A/C off but Mother Nature wasn't having any of that either! The A/C has been off in my house for a few weeks and even though I haven’t turned the heater on in the house, I have pulled out all the quilts and a couple of blankets. And today I didn’t sell a single hat…but there’s always next weekend.

Back on the Road

Instead of packing up this computer, as I should be since I have everything else packed and ready to go, I am sitting here typing out a few parting thoughts before I get on my way back to the states. I've been here in the Bahamas, specifically on AUTEC, for a whirlwind of a week. The timing of this trip was planned essentially for the annual craft fair and I made hats, sold hats, took orders, and made and delivered more hats. Yes, even in the Caribbean a hat can be a welcome accessory. I lost a good friend in the states while I was away and somehow I have a long history of being out of the country when someone dear to me passes away, but that seemingly strange phenomenon might be for another blog. I took a header onto concrete while out running and the resulting major black eye has definitely been getting some looks. I've probably not been such major topic of island scuttlebutt since I wore my Dick’s Wings T-shirt to bingo a while back. But back to topic, the day I am mulling over is already in the past but has been sticking in my mind nevertheless, Veteran’s Day. I read so many tributes and messages of thanks to our veterans and serving military on social media and TV, some reminding me that we could thank our heroes every day, but we choose especially honor them on Veteran’s Day. Here on the island there was no ceremony this Veteran’s Day, like there has been in the past. I did hear many greetings that included Happy Veteran’s Day and my veteran had the day off from work which we happily spent together. But the lack of even a short moment of recognition by the people that run the show here, the Navy and the PAE contractor, cast a cloud over my day. I remain grateful (to the folks here also that may have felt left out) that I am still afforded freedoms won and maintained by so many men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to serve our country and preserve our freedom. 

Cat + Café = Catfe

Yep, you are reading this equation correctly and for cat lovers this may be the happiest math equation yet. Catfes originated in Taiwan where cats from the streets are allowed to wander in and out, were elevated to chic in Japan like at the Calico Cat Café in Tokyo, spread to Europe to include the Katzencafe in Berlin and La Gatoteca in Madrid, and have finally crossed the Pacific. The first permanent catfe in the USA, Cat Town Cafe is located in Oakland, California.

The rationales for catfes are numerous. In Tokyo it's hard to keep pets because the apartments are so small. So new arrivals to the city, that used to keep cats, and now can't, can find their way to the cat cafe for cat therapy. This works for cat lovers with family members that have cat allergies, pet prohibitive lease agreements, or just plainly hate cleaning out the litter box, yet love a nice cup of coffee or tea time with the relaxing purr of a friendly feline.

I’m writing this blog with my sister in mind because she is truly a “cat lady” who has rescued and neutered many a cat. Combining the catfe concept with cat rescue and adoption would be right up her alley, speaking figuratively, of course, especially if the coffee sales would cover the cost of cat food. Would you frequent a catfe? 

Salt Poisoning

As much of a health kick as I've been on you might guess I’d be blogging about how bad salt is for our bodies and blood pressure, but I’m not! The salt poisoning I’m referring to here is happening to farmland all over the world every day. It happens where farmland is irrigated (which is lots of farmland) and to recognize it I think about any houseplant I've killed in the past. Over time salt from the watering builds up and leaves a white crust on top of the soil in the pot. Yep, by that time the plant is usually dead or well on its way because this salt crust is toxic to plants. Think of this same salt crust extending over the planet’s agricultural fields and you have a better idea of the extent of this problem. A report, Economics of Salt-Induced Land Degradation and Restoration, puts the annual economic cost of lost crop production due to salt at $27.3 billion and the problem is compounded when you consider world demand for food is set to increase by 2/3s by mid-century. Land can be rehabilitated, flushed, and even more importantly protected. That’s what needs to happen.

Chocolate Does Make the Memories Sweeter

Flavanols found in cocoa beans (Yes! Chocolate!) and other foods do provide a boost for older people’s memories. The test, at Columbia University, was first done with rodents and deemed successful. Next came the human trials. Nineteen volunteers, aged 50 to 69 drank 900 milligrams of cocoa flavanols in water or milk every day for three months. The control group drank ten milligrams for the same time period. Before and after memory tests were conducted using abstract shapes for shape recognition because recognition times are known to lengthen by 220 milliseconds per decade. The high flavanol group reacted on average as though they were three decades younger. For me that would put me in my thirties. Maybe then I could remember where I put my car keys, or cell phone, or ear buds, you get the picture. But the really big bonus would be the chocolate (picture me smiling at the thought). Of course there is a catch, the number of chocolate bars it would take to add up to 900 milligrams of flavanols each day is (I am sad to say) health prohibitive. Oh well, a girl can dream…and hopefully find her ear buds eventually too. 

Tobacco Free Town

Westminster, Mass., population 7,700, might become the first (as far as anyone knows) tobacco free town. On Wednesday the local Board of Health will hear public comment on a proposed regulation that could make them the first municipality in the United States to ban sales of all tobacco products within town lines. The U.S. Surgeon General has already said that if tobacco use continues unabated, 5.6 million American children who are younger than 18 today will die prematurely because of smoking and this town is poised to start the change that ends that statistic right now. A local convenience store owner for whom 5% of his sales are tobacco products is against the tobacco ban and is being backed by the New England Convenience Store Association. He has a petition with 800 signatures against the proposed ban. David Sutton, a spokesman for Richmond, Virginia-based Altria Group Inc., owner of the nation's biggest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, called the proposal a "bad policy" that will harm local employers, no surprise there. But what if what might harm local businesses in the short term helps children in the longer run. It will be interesting to see how this proposal ends up.

Craft Fair Fun in the Sunny Bahamas

Lots of baskets, pottery, carved wood statues, and a few crocheted hats too, changed hands today at the annual fall craft fair at AUTEC on Andros. I had a table in a sunny spot on the lawn so it was a good thing my chair had its own attached umbrella. When in doubt, bring your own shade. It was nice seeing folks that had bought hats from me at last year’s fair and even nicer when they wanted another hat this year. I also had fun teaching some future crocheters the basics. My pupils were a pair of eight year old girls and another that was thirteen. As quickly as the older girl caught on, I figure I’ll have some good crocheted hat competition at next year’s fair. I also made friends with their grandmother, the basket seller at the table beside mine. My favorite bus driver’s wife was at the fair too and we perused some You Tube videos on making wire wrapped rings and such. All in all it was a profitable day for me at the craft fair and it was especially nice to see friends and make new friends too. 

Medical Device Forensics or How to Foil the Perfect Murder

If your pacemaker or defibrillator, two wirelessly operated medical implants should be tampered with to cause your demise, might you be considered hacked to death? Although there has never been a proven instance of what would obviously be the perfect murder, it is possible because these devices have no safeguards against hacking and are vulnerable to just such a scenario. I’m not talking about something out of a Stephen King novel, here either, it could happen and cyber-hacking of medical devices with intent to harm is enough of a credible threat to have come under the scrutiny of the government. The good thing is that the medical device manufacturers are now working hard behind the scenes to stop this possibility from happening. This includes creating changes in the software on new devices that in a post mortem, will automatically look at the logs to see if the device carried out a series of actions that suggest a lethal attack. The existing devices will need some kind of software patch to accomplish the same thing. The thing to note here (to me anyway) seems to be that making the devices unhackable doesn't appear to be an option but at least one can feel better assured knowing that forensic medicine specialists, working with their colleagues in digital security, are working on software that would prove a lethal implant hack has been carried out and foil the perfect murder.

A Site for Sore Eyes
My husband returned for a week and although I like to believe it’s because he wants to be with me (which he assures me he does), there is also business to take care of as well. In this case, he had developed a cataract and in his job on the island, vision is a principle asset. Fortunately for us, Seaside Ophthalmology is relatively close by in Brunswick, Georgia with a satellite office in Kingsland. We've had the opportunity to use them before and know from the experience they are the “go to” ophthalmologists. In case you didn’t know, a cataract is formed by proteins bonding on the lens of your eye. In my husband’s case, it caused him to feel like he was looking through frosted glass and if left alone will continue to get progressively worse. An ophthalmologist, unlike an optometrist which most people refer to as an “eye doctor”, deals with the health and diseases of the eye. Dr. Angela Scott, our ophthalmologist, performs cataract surgery and replaces the frosted lens with a new clear lens; restoring vision to the affected eye. The whole operation took less than an hour; not because it was easy but because Dr. Scott and her staff are very proficient, efficient, and organized. No pun intended but they have the whole operation down to a science. Her clinic has two facilities, one for examination and one for surgical procedures including a pre-op/post-op area and an operation theater that has state of the art equipment. I had taken a bag full of  “to do” crochet projects but only got one done and they were calling me to drive my husband home. Although I’ll be keeping an eye on him, I’m confident that thanks to Dr. Scott and Seaside Ophthalmology, my husband will be confidently saying, “Here’s looking at you, Sweetheart!”

Old Navy and a Sailor’s Submarine

In this post Old Navy refers to my husband (retired, not the retail store) and the Sailor is his potcake pup. Both are visiting the states this week and for Sailor this has been a week of firsts, her first time flying, her first time eating a burger from McDonald's, her first time seeing a submarine (the sail of the George Bancroft at least), her first time seeing a squirrel (she stood on the back of the loveseat and then tried scratching the window to get at the squirrel). It’s also been the first time Sailor’s been up close and personal with chickens and to her credit she didn’t chase them. She walked after them, not stalked, and never got close enough to sniff them. She was indifferent to our rabbit and he was indifferent to her. It’s been Sailor’s first time in a house with more than two rooms and she’s tried to push open or scratch open every door. She has eaten one red fuzzy slipper and plain old dry dog food. She has chased and terrorized my two cats, climbed on all of the furniture, and even stood on the recliner so she could see herself in the living room mirror. I wonder if she’ll tell her buddy Eddie about all the fun she’s had or just that she had a ‘ruff’ time on the flight to and from the states when she gets back home on the island.

Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia nervosa is not an official eating disorder, and by that I mean it isn’t yet included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V, the standard reference manual for psychiatry, but many health experts believe it should be categorized as one. Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an unhealthy fixation on healthy eating. Folks with it abstain to the point of obsession from artificial colors flavors or preservatives; pesticides or genetic modifications, fat, salt, sugar, animal or dairy products, gluten, or any other ingredient considered unhealthy. This kind of obsession can lead to nutritional shortfalls, social isolation and sometimes depression. Of course not everyone who tries to eat a healthy, clean diet will develop orthorexia nervosa but because of societal messages about perfectionism there are more incidences of this kind of problem. Eating disorders may start off as benign healthy eating patterns that progressively become more restrictive, rigid, and problematic but positive things (like eating healthy) can flip into negative disorders.

So after reading all this, and reflecting on my most recent doctor visit I get why the concern with how easy it might be to go over the edge on clean eating. I have really been working toward clean eating for almost a year now but I won’t turn my nose up at an occasional piece of birthday cake. Basically I am probably not a likely candidate for orthorexia nervosa. I’m also not addicted to exercise and I don’t know what the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V, the standard reference manual for psychiatry term for that is either.

Georgia Potcake Dawg!

Nope, this is not a recipe this time, the so called Georgia potcake I am referring to here is none other than my husband’s very own Royal Bahamian Potcake named Sailor who along with her master is visiting GA. Potcakes get their name from the left over peas and rice caked in the bottom of the pot and thrown away only to be scavenged by the island’s feral dogs. Sailor was born on Andros Island, Bahamas, but she is feral no more. This week she’s having fun being a Georgia Dawg. Along with getting along with her new pack mate Fred and a meet and greet with Sarah, Sailor got her first visit to a dog park, the Tommy Casey Memorial Dog Park in St. Marys. She spent a lot of time reading the pee-mail and running free. She also got a chance to check out Crooked River State Park, specifically the Semper Virens trail that she might’ve enjoyed more if she wasn't always in such a hurry to keep up with her pal, Fred. The weather was perfect for dog walking but this morning’s crisp fall air is an even bigger change. The sound of the wind in the pine trees, yes, it is blustery here too, woke her early and like all pups the chill in the air calls for a little extra friskiness. The last hurdle for her here will be coming to terms with my two cats. So far she is interested and they are not. We’re also looking forward to watching the annual Georgia-Florida game later with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Go Dawgs!