Have You Seen Banana Trees Growing in Your Place?

Banana trees in Louisiana, USA

I am fairly sure that all of us have eaten banana. Banana is one of the most consumed fruits in the world. The top five of rank are following:

1. Tomatoes, consumed about 171 million ton yearly

2. Banana, consumed about 114 million ton yearly

3. Watermelon, consumed about 111 million ton yearly

4. Apples, consumed about 85 million ton yearly

5. Grapefruit, consumed about 84 million ton yearly

Surprisingly, banana is the most favorite fruit in America. An American eat more than 27 pound (12.3 kg) per year, and each household buys a banana once a month, at least. 

Bananas come from Latin America countries such as Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras. They export to other countries, including European countries as well.

Top 5 banana importers are following:

1. United States, imported value is US$ 2.8 billion.

2. Belgium, imported value is US$ 1.4 billion.

3. Russia, imported value is US$1.1 billion.

4. Germany: imported value is US$1 billion.

5. Japan, imported value is US$850.8 million

As we understand that banana grows in hot temperatures, especially in tropic regions. The question is: Have you seen banana trees growing in your place or in America or in Europe?

What are Coconut Shell and Husk used for?

Cactus in the coconut shell and husk

People in South East Asia countries processed coconut shell to make a kind of charcoal. Coconut charcoals not only to be used as fuels (cook traditional foods, goldsmith and industrial uses), but also as ingredient of beauty products.

Coconut husk could be extracted to make coconut fibre (coir). Coir then proceed to make brushes, mattresses and mats (doormats and floor mats). The business usually run by home industries or small scale industries.

Another flower vase

Coconut coir also attract attention from growers of hydroponic systems. Coir is good to maintain water to oxygen ratio, and support the roots of hydroponic plants.

We use coconut shell and husk for handcrafts, one of them is a flower vase. You can see photos of flower vases at above. Actually, we can grow any kind of flowers. In this case, we plant a cactus only.

Do you know about coconut shell and husk?

What is the fastest Racing Motorcycle a 100 Year Ago?

1911 Triumph motorcycle, credit to YouTube.

I used to ride motorcycle a long time ago, around 20 years ago. I remember that my motorbike was a quite small, made in Japan, Honda manufactured. As far as I remember, I never reach limit 100 mile per hour (mph).

Surprisingly, current motorcycles, especially racing motorbikes could reach 350 mph. I think almost close to small airplane with 500 mph. Here is the list of current fastest motorbikes:

1) Dodge Tomahawk, speed limit is 350 mph or 560 km/hour.

2) Suzuki Hayabusa, speed limit is 248 mph or 397 km/hour

3) MTT Turbine Superbike Y2K, speed limit is 227 mph or 365 km/hour

4) Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird, speed limit is 190 mph or 310 km/hour

5) Yamaha YZF R1, speed limit is 186 mph or 297 km/hour

6) MV Agusta F4 1000 R, speed limit is 176 mph or 299 km/hour

7) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11/ZZ-R1100, speed limit is 176 mph or 283 km/hour

8) Aprilia RSV 1000R Mille, speed limit 175 mph or 278 km/hour

Fastest motorcycle currently, credit to Fastest Motorcycle.

How about with motorcycles a hundred year ago or more? The fastest racing motorbike was “Triumph 3½HP free engine 1911 500cc 1 cyl sv” with speed of 63.53 mph (102 km/hour). It was in 1911, very much slower compared to modern motorcycle.

Have you ridden motorcycle? What fastest speed you ever reach?

Do We have Age Ceiling?

Jeanne Clement, 122 years old from France, credit to Katie Serena

Average life expectancy of the world is 72 years with women little bit higher (72.7 years) and 68.3 years for men. Top 5 countries with higher life expectancy are following:

1. Japan, 83.7 years

2. Switzerland, 83.4 years

3. Singapore, 83.1 years

4. Australia, 82.8 years

5. Spain, 82.8 years

Do you know life expectancy of your country?

The life expectancy depend on many factors, include quality nutrition intake, proper time of sleep (8 hours) and doing exercises.

The question is how long could we live? The scientists estimated that human being could reach live around 115 years. Sure, female will live longer than male. Length of live has a ceiling or limitation.

In fact, two of the oldest persons ever recorded in the world are Emma Morano, 117 years old from Italy and Jeanne Clement, 122 years old from France. No record for human with 125 years old and more.

How about you? How old you wish to live?

What are Factors Make People Move Out of the State?

A house in South state of USA, just for illustration 

It is said that average Americans move around 11.7 times in their life time. Moving could be within the state, move out of the state and even temporary move out of the country. 

As reported by US Census Bureau, the reasons mainly due to housing, family and other reasons.

In term of number, it is estimated that more than 50 million Americans or 14% of population have been moved yearly. 

Quite great number compared to other nations.

Based on the reported from Carter (2019), the deciding factors to move out from one state to another state are quite similar to  US Census Bureau: 

- job (professional) opportunity

- retirement

- want to close to family members

- life style 

- and health.

Azalea flowers, illustration only

Most population move out is from state of New Jersey, followed by other Northeast states such as New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

The states where people moved in are:

- Oregon

- Vermont

- Nevada 

- and Arizona.

My opinion that life is dynamic in the USA. In 2018, many people move out of New Jersey, but another day (year) or next following years could be from another state. The reasons could be changes as well.

I myself are moving 19 times so far. How many time do you move in your life or until recently?

Reference

Carter. SM. (2019). Why people are fleeing this state more than any other. Retrieved from: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/people-are-fleeing-from-new-jersey-more-than-any-other-state.

Is Araby a Story of Failure Love?

Bazaar in Ireland in 1914, credit to V.I. Pozdneev.

          Araby is a James Joyce’s short story that was originally published in 1914 (Wikipedia, 2016). The story is about the boy who preoccupied with a neighboring girl. The chance to attract the girl happen when the boy talk to girl in front of the girl house. The boy offers to go to bazaar, and promise to buy a gift to the girl.

Bazaar that talked by the boy and the girl is called Araby, a Saturday bazaar in Dublin, Ireland. Unfortunately, the boy come to bazaar so late as written by Joyce (2000-2017), “I heard a voice call from one end of the gallery that the light was out. The upper part of the hall was now completely dark. Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” (paragraph. 36-37).

Finally, I feel pity after reading the story. It is because the uncle who will give money to the boy come home too late. Thus, the boy arrives at bazaar when stalls almost close. He has no opportunity to select good gifts with reasonable price. The story end with light of bazaar turns off.

References
Joyce, J. (2000-2017). Araby. 

Wikipedia. (2016). Araby (short story). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araby_(short_story)

Why is Health Care Cost Increasing in the USA?

Health care cost based on % of GDP, credit to Learn Liberty

USA has the most expensive health care service among industry countries. In term of GDP that the country spent more than 15% for health care (please see above graph). This number is 30% higher than Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Sweden. Three times higher than Mexico, Latvia and Turkey.

Health care cost per-person, USA compared to other countries,

credit to Peterson Foundation

In respect to cost per capita, one person is expected to spend US$ 9,024 for healthcare in the USA in 2016 (please see the second graph at above). Cost increasing is more than 10 thousand dollar recently. Much more higher than average of OECD countries.

The question is: why health cost is expensive and tend to increase year by year in the USA? The important factors cause the higher health cost are following:

1. Fewer Physicians

- number of physicians per 1000 (thousand) is 3.9. It is considered low compared to average of 7.6 in OECD countries.

2. Lower hospital bed numbers

- Bed number is 2.83 per 1000 (one thousand) people in the USA compared to other developed nations such as Germany (8.48), Belgium (6.18) and France (6.13). Lower supply means higher cost.

3.Higher drug costs

-Prescription drug spending is much more higher in the USA than European countries. It is because drug price is expensive in the America than other countries.

What do you think?