Have You Ever Tasted a Super Hot of Habanero Pepper?

Habanero and other peppers

I found many kind of peppers when I visit Mexican and Asian groceries couple days ago, few are:

- Habanero

- Jalapeno

- Poplano

- Pasilla

- Puya

- Serrano

Habanero is interesting hot pepper for me. First, its origin. Many people thought it is a Chinese pepper. Malaysian even called it as “Coronong” chilli.

In fact, Habanero is origin from Peru, then disseminated by Spanish to many parts of the world.

Second, it is said that Habenero is one of the hottest pepper in the world. Several other hot peppers include:

- Caroline reaper

- Trinidad moruga scorpion

- Naga viper

- Ghost pepper

- Komodo dragon

Habanero in a grocery

The hot or heat or spiciness of peppers is scaled in what we call as Scorville Heat Units (SHU). This unit is based on concentration of capsaicinoids in the peppers.

The higher the concentration of capsaicinoids, then the higher the scale units, thus, the higher spiciness or hit or hot. We can feel it in our tongue when we taste or eat those peppers.

Jus for illustration that Habanero has 100 thousand to 350 thousand SHU scale, and Jalapeno has around 5 thousand SHU scale.

We could conclude that Habanero is much more spicy or hot or heat compared to Jalapeno.

We buy Habanero for making sauces or ingredient in our food recipes. Sometimes, we use it to make salsa or salads.

It is said that Habanero has health benefits:

- Capcaisin in habanero could prevent weight gain

- Improve metabolism

- Lower blood cholesterol

- Lower blood pressure

Have You Ever Tasted a Super Hot Habanero Pepper? 

Why Neon Tetra Fish is Good For Aquarium?

A neon tetra in aquarium

I occasionally visit pet shops which sell ornamental fish, in case I visit, I always see that the stores provide tetra neon (Paracheirodon innesi).

Super market such as Wall mart, in its garden section or section of pet foods for cat and dogs, we can find fish for aquarium, include neon tetra.

There are many species of ornamental fish, price could be from US$ 1 to US$ 25. Some species of fish are:

- Neon tetra

- Platy

- Kissing gouramy

- Fancy guppy

- Zebra danio

- Swordtail

- Guppies

- Oscar

- Discus

- Bettas

Schooling of Neon tetra in aquarium

What make me wonder is that I could find Neon tetra in every pet shops for ornamental fish or any shops which sell ornamental fish.

The question then, Why Neon Tetra Fish? is Good For Aquarium?

Based on reading, neon tetra is the most popular ornamental fish not only in the USA, but also world wide. The reasons are:

- Reasonable price

- Easy to take care, thus good for beginner

- Colorful or pretty

- Peaceful

- Lively

Tetra neon in natural habitat

Peru or Latin America is natural habitat of Neon tetra. The fish is easy to keep in an aquarium. Around 20 fish may live in a small aquarium.

In nature, neon tetra has life span of 10 years, but 5 years in aquarium. Size around 1 inch (2.54 cm). Fish eat any flake foods.

Do you have an aquarium? What fish you keep in your aquarium?

Do You Like Paper Map Instead of Digital One?

Paper map sold in bookstores

I just wonder, why many book stores sell “paper map,” since we may get digital map from Google free of charge.

Printed paper map out of date some times, while digital map is up to date and validated regularly.

We experienced lost when we went to several cities few years ago, it was because street name changed but not validated by paper map.

We could use many programs or applications to find addresses easily now days, few of them are:

- Google map

- GPS

- Cell phone

Google map

Google digital map is interactive:

- We can zoom in or zoom out

- We could search additional information during our traveling such as from nearby gas station to hotel, from rest area to public park

- We also could find alternative routes.

Through Google map, we may send our addresses or destination or directions (from starting point to end point) to our cell phone.

Google will follow our travel. She knows where are we or our position in the map. If we get lost or confuse, we may ask her.

Road Atlas printed in 2019

Since paper map or road atlas still be printed in 2019, I assumed that demand for paper map is exist now days.

I saw the cheapest price is US$ 2.75 and highest price is US$ 9.92. The map covers either a city or a country. The map is for traveling purposes.

Even though the prices are quite reasonable, but we need to spend the money to have it.

By the way, which one you prefer: printed map or digital (google) map?

Who are the stars of Renaissance Artists? - Part 1

Mary with her child, sculptured by Michelangelo

As we know that Renaissance is revival period for many fields: science, literature, philosophy, music and off course art.

In the field of art, at least there were 50 more recognized artists in this period. The question then: Who are the stars of Renaissance Artists?

The answer may be 4 or 3. My favorites are three, they are:

- Michelangelo

- Leonardo da Vinci

- Raphael.

Michelangelo was well known as architect, sculptor and painter. One of his monumental work was "Madonna of Bruges."

This sculpture of Mary and her child is “the very core of Christianity,” since it refers to “virgin Mary and son Jesus together.”

Sculpture was created in Italy, then exported to Belgium around 1504. Some other iconic works accomplished by Michelangelo are:

- David

- Pieta

- Moses

- Bacchus

- Angel

- The creation of Adam

Bacchus

Bacchus sculpture is made of marble in 1496 – 1497. The nude statue represents god of wine from Roman mythology.

At early time, this statue drew controversy, because god was posed in drunken (rolling eyes and walking in lack of balance) by Michelangelo.

In fact, Bacchus is associated with love of grape (wine), ecstasy and madness. 

Creation of Adam

Michelangelo depicted “creation of Adam” based on Biblical narrative in 1508 – 1512. It has been “iconic of humanity.”

Painting of the “creation of Adam” has been replicated and reproduced in many forms worldwide.

Have you seen art works of Michelangelo in Italy?

Why Japan’s Elderly are Increasingly Committed Crimes?

A Japan’s elderly in a prison (credit to Google)

When I was in Japan about 25 years ago, seniority means a “respect and role model.” Japanese word for senior is “senpai.” Younger can’t argue with them.

I never heard privately that seniors are going to jail on purposes. There were almost no news about wrong things did by seniors in mainstream medias.

Crime rate even lower in Japan compared to other industry countries such as USA, UK and Italy 25 years ago.

Surprisingly, medias around the globe reported that crime rate increased steadily not only to younger, but also to elderly in Japan recently.

We may have a question: Why Japan’s Elderly are Increasingly Committed to Crimes? Two main reasons are:

- Economic

- Social changes: elderly feel isolated from society

Japan elderly women sit on the park bench (credit to Google)

Economic reasons include cost of food, cloth, apartment rent (include heating) and health care. Japanese may bankrupt due to health care cost.

Japan society has changed a lot in the last two decades. Many people, especially older find themselves difficult to connect with society.

Loneliness not only due to society changes, the children also leave away from their parents to find economic opportunities in other cities.

What Japan’s elderly did in order to go to jail? Some simple things are:

- Come to police station with their stolen bikes.

- Bring a knife to a public garden or a park, then “pretend” to threat women.

- Shoplifting

Bizarre fact that the cost to custody in jail is extremely expensive compared to crime cost, as an example:

- Steal of US$ 1.84 could be sentenced for two years in jail. This two years punishment lead to budget spending of US$ 77 thousands.

Why not this US$ 77 thousand is given to elderly in forms such as low cost housing and free health care?

What do you think?

What was Prediction After 9/11 of Terrorist Attacks?

Terrorists attacked on WTC (credit to Google)

I compared two articles published in 2001 during terrorists attacked on several important sites in the USA. First was a report and second was a short story.

The article with title “Many Sporting Events Called Off or Postponed” is about respond of sport communities to terrorist attack by postponed sport events around the nation. 

In addition to deep mourning, the sport community also concern with their own security, even security in the training area. 

Litsky and Williams (2001) started their article with national tragedy that had occurred in September 11, 2001. 

The series of four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks caused tremendous damages to USA, then followed by cancellation of many sport events, from baseball to hockey, soccer, golf and so on. 

Memorial of WTC attacked (credit to Google)

Moreover, the short story entitles “Fear & Loathing in America” is the same about terrorist attack on American soil, but author looks at different angles.

American had a lot of war with a lot of victims, but still fear in life. When writer wrote story, actually American has engaged war within the countries where attackers might come from. There are fear and loath on both sides.

According to Thompson (2001), “Make no mistake about it: We are At War now -- with somebody -- and we will stay At War with that mysterious Enemy for the rest of our lives” (paragraph.6). 

It is suggesting that the author is true about the current condition of USA, where there is ongoing war since September 11, 2001 until recently. The enemy is so mysterious from Al-Qaeda to ISIS to unknown.

I myself favor non-fiction story of Thompson, it is because the narrative so brilliant with exactly prediction of future event. 

American still screening shoes and underwear at airports, but no assurance will be avoiding the terrorist attacks in the near future. Fear and loathing still live in the American’s mind.

References

Litsky, F and Williams, L. (2001). Many Sporting Events Called Off or Postponed. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/12/sports/many-sporting-events-called-off-or-postponed.html

Thompson, H.S. (2001). Fear & Loathing in America. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/espn/page2/story?id=1250751

What Kinds of Foods Have no Effect on Weight Gain?

A Melon, fruit

Many of us so worry with weight gain, especially if the weight gain relate to certain health condition or diseases such as high blood pressure, high fat content in blood and high blood sugar.

Questions then, What Kinds of Foods Have no Effect on Weight Gain? Or what kind of foods that we can eat as much as we want?

The general guidelines that we could eat the foods as much as we want without worry of weight gain are following:

- High satiety index

- High water content

- Low caloric content

- Low fat

- Higher fiber

- Good source of protein

For simplicity, the foods includes in the general guidelines are categorized as:

- Vegetables

- Fruits

- Legumes

Varied of Tomatoes. They are considered as vegetables and fruits

Some fruits we may eat as much as we want are following:

- Melon

- Cantaloupe (my article about Cantaloupe: Cantaloupe Grows Well in America)

- Apples

- Citrus fruits

- Strawberries

Vegetables are food which we can eat almost unlimited, some of them are:

- Potatoes are included as root vegetable because it contain starch. Potatoes are also include as a high satiate index food.

- Tomatoes considered both as fruit and vegetable.

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Kale

Legumes contain high fiber, source of protein and low fat, few are:

- Beans

- Peas

- Lentils

- Black beans

- Soybeans

Which are you prefer most: fruits, vegetables or legumes?