Is Soccer Getting Popular in America?

Soccer club for kids (5 years to 9 years old children)

People around the globe have known that “American football” is the most popular sport in the USA.

Harold Pinter who won Nobel prize for Literature in 2005 wrote a poem to depict how American football so important in American society.

How about with soccer? Yes, it seems that this sport is getting popular because more than 24 million Americans play soccer now days.

If we rank, the top 4 popular sports in the USA are:

- American football

- Baseball

- Basketball

- Soccer 

Soccer goal nets in the soccer field

In term of women soccer world cup, USA won 4 times of 8 championships. The team got titles in the following years:

- 1991

- 1999

- 2015

- 2019

The 4 times world champion title might drive many American, especially kids who are getting interest to play soccer in many cities across America.

I always saw brochures or billboards to open registration for kids to play soccer either by schools or clubs. It is one of signs that soccer is getting attention in the USA in recent years. 

How to Know Someone Infected by Wuhan Virus? - Virus 1

A strain of Coronavirus (credit to Cornell University)

If we are following the mainstream medias all over the world that new strain virus of Coronavirus outbreaks, and spreading from Wuhan, China to many countries.

As of January 26, 2020, there are 1,995 confirmed infections cases in the 13 countries from China to South East Asia to Europe to Australia to Africa and America. 56 are recorded death mainly in China.

The countries are following:

- China

- South Korea

- Japan

- Taiwan

- Vietnam

- Thailand

- Singapore

- Malaysia

- Nepal

- Ivory Coast

- Australia

- France

- USA

Robot to treat who infected by Coronavirus in the USA

(credit to Everett Herald)

Four cases found in the USA:

- Chicago, Illinois

- Washington State

- Orange county, California

- Los Angeles, California

The question then how to know people may be infected by Coronavirus? I summary from AFP source:

1) Common signs of infection:

- fever

- cough

- difficult to breath

- diarrhea

2) Severe infections

- pneumonia

- acute respiratory problems

- kidney failure

- death

Hope, spreading of virus could be halted as soon as possible.

Have You Ever Seen a three-toed Sloth in the Nature?

A female three-toed sloth (credit to Inverse)

I was stunning to see this animal from a media. First, I feel scary, then adapt to be interest. I never saw this animal in the nature.

This is a mammal, originally from Amazon areas which cover many countries in the South America or some isolated places in the Latin America.

We know there are 4 species of a three-toed sloth:

- the maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus)

- the brown throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus)

- the pygmy three toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus)

- the pale throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus).

Two of these four species, namely the maned sloth and the pygmy three toed sloth are red list of endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Cute babies three-toed Sloth (credit to Pinterest).

Other two species, the brown throated sloth and the pale throated sloth mainly living in the protected forest with healthy environments.

The four species have different length of pregnancy periods, from 5 month (150 days) to almost one year. They always produce one baby only per pregnancy.

Have You Ever Seen the three-toed Sloths in their own habitats?

What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA?

A farmland in the USA, illustration only

I knew America exports wheat and corns long time ago. Actually, USA have exported many agricultural products, include:

- coarse grains

- tobacco

- oil seeds

- cotton

- meat and poultry

- horticultural products

- food processing products

Interestingly, some well known tropical products such as rice, soybeans and even date fruits are exported by USA.

USA have exported dates to several developed nations such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

A country side view

The value of date fruits exported was US US$ 67.1 million or Euro 60 million in 2018 (please see my previous post: Do You Know that America Exports Date Fruits? | Tanza Erlambang Update).

The question then What is the State with Most Farmland in the USA? Here are the top 6:

1) Texas

- Farmland is about 29 million acres (12 million ha).

- The land produces most cotton

2) Kansas

- Farmland is about 28.6 million acres (11.6 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

3) North Dakota

- Farmland is about 27.1 million acres (11 million ha)

- The land produces most soybeans

4) Iowa

- Farmland is about 26.7 million acres (10.8 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

5) Illinois

- Farmland is about 23.9 million acres (9.7 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

6) Minnesota

- Farmland is about 22.5 acres (9.1 million ha)

- The land produces most corn

Finally, 3 products most produced by 6 states are corn, soybeans and cotton. How about with your country or state? What agricultural products are produced?

How to Find Prescription Drugs for Cost Free? - part 1

Drugs, just for illustration

We know that prescription drugs are expensive in many countries, especially in the USA. Great number of people can not afford to have them.

Governments and charities (religious, community or private) provide help to certain groups, especially for lower income families to access to prescription medications for free of cost.

The problems are to who neither rich nor poor. Unfortunately, these groups may have no or less chance to have even lower cost of prescription drugs.

All of us might know that switch from brand name drugs to generic ones could cost less from 50% to 85%. But, we still pay and very expensive sometimes.

Then, How to Find Free Prescription Drugs or at least some help?

Through internet, we may find many institutions (private, government or non profit) to provide free medications or discount for drugs or even free health care cost.

One of drug companies provide assistance for diabetes patients

(credit to NPR Illinois)

Many programs limit to certain criteria such as for low and medium incomes of families, but other criteria such as age and chronic diseases might good for you.

Few examples of institutions are following:

1) Non profit organizations. Just few are:

- Help for cancer patients for free drugs

- “Partnership for Prescription drugs” to help people with insurance, but not cover for prescription drugs

- NeedyMeds, provide databases to who can’t afford prescription drugs and health care costs

# Continue to part 2

Using Library Card to Watch Films through Online Streams

Kanopy application to watch film with library card

I knew that libraries provided videos to loan for members since long time ago, but I just aware that libraries across America have services to their members to watch films from online streams.

By using library card, we could access to application called “Kanopy,” from here we could select more than 30,000 movies and documentaries.

Kanopy is available not only to 4,000 libraries in the USA, but also in the following countries:

- Canada

- Australia

- New Zealand

- United Kingdom

Number of films can be watched varied for each city (state) library. As an example, our library limited to 15 films per month. 

Parking lot of our library, illustration only

Other cities such as New York limits to 10 films per month, and Brooklyn library limits to 6 films per month.

The films so variety, from top rates to not popular ones, from amateur to commercial, and from new to old released.

The type of films may be included :

- Horror

- Drama

- Action

- Romance

- Shorts

- Documentary

- Foreign

Have your city library provided free access to watch films through online streams?

How Stress could Affect on Insulin Resistance? - Diabetes 17

Illustration of stress (credit to Harvard health)

We talked about: What is the Meaning of Insulin Resistance? - Diabetes 15 | Tanza Erlambang Update at previous post.

Some factors could lead to insulin resistance are body weight, belly fat, smoking, less sleep and less exercises.

At this post, we are talking about relationship between stress and insulin resistance. Stress could be mental, physical and emotional.

The fact that body produces two hormone, glucagon and cortisol during stress. Hormones break down stored sugar (glycogen) in the body into glucose, then increase the blood sugar level.

Unfortunately, lingering stress make continuous production of glucagon and cortisol hormones, then also cause to:

- reduce insulin resistance

- reduce body ability to manage blood sugar level

- reduce body ability to store glucose

Chocolate, not good for diabetes. Just illustration

Condition becomes worse if pancreas organ can’t produce suitable amount of insulin to control higher blood sugar (hyperglycemia).

If this is the case, diabetes patients should reduce their stress first in order to improve their insulin resistant.

Many ways to reduce stress, some experts suggest:

- sleep enough (in the range of healthy hours)

- meditation

- exercises

Interesting fact that about 70% or more Americans experienced physical and physiological stresses. 28% only are able to manage their stress very well.

Hope, we could avoid or manage our stress successfully.