Are there Non Royal Statues Surrounding the Pyramid? - Art 1

Fig 01- Non royal family of ancient Egypt

(Credit to The Met).

I thought that statues represented to rulers, their families and important people close to them in ancient era.

My thought is wrong when I read several literatures.

The non royal statues, namely “Memi and Sabu” were found in the non royal cemeteries surrounding the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at Giza. 

The statues came from dynasty IV or dynasty 4 lasted from around 2613 to 2494 BC. A dynasty characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. 

It was a time of peace and prosperity, as reported by The Met (2000-2016_b) that in respect to culture, this era was flowering with non royal statuary. 

In term of statue medium; Memi and Sabu is made of limestone and paint, Alkhalifa (2014) suggested that limestone is a common resource. 

In addition to small size of statue, hence, makes it safe to assume that the sculpture was not intended for an extremely wealthy individual.

Social status of Statues was distinguished by medium of stones and clothes they wear.

Fig 02- Deer statues, just for illustration

Fig 03- A house, just for illustration

However, they depicted as a simple human being. Memi is a husband that gives warm embrace to his wife, Sabu.

In contrast, statues of rulers, heroes or very important people were made of diorite, a rock composed principally of the silicate minerals, and depicted with their hands folded in a traditional gesture of greeting and prayer.

Do you know about statues and their social status?

References

Alkhalifa, M. 2014. Visual Analysis of a work of art or design in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from Metropolitan Museum.

The Met. 2000-2016_b. The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu. Retrieved from Metropolitan Museum.

100% of Gibraltar Adult Population had been Vaccinated – Virus 38

Fig 01- Mountain and sky view. Illustration only

Yes, Gibraltar is a small territory in respect to size and population. But, there are about 10 million tourist visit this British Overseas Territory per year.

In addition to tourism industry, Gibraltar economics depends very much on resources of:

- bank and finance
- ship repairing
- online gaming
- tobacco

Hence, even single cases of Covid 19 in tourist destinations, they will hesitate to visit to those areas.

Indeed, tourism and service industries almost collapse in Gibraltar during pandemic:

- declining visitors
- empty duty free shops, restaurants and hotels

What a Gibraltar government did?   

Fig 02- Crowd without face masks recently 

(credit to SLATE/ Getty Images)

Fig 03- White magnolia flower

Gibraltar government vaccinated the cititizens, since small population just about 35,000 and no “anti-vaccine (anti vaxxer)” movement:
- all adult population had been vaccinated quickly.

The results?

Zero new cases and death of Covid 19.

People start to socialize without masks anymore, like before pandemic:

- crowd in the streets
- shop and market are visited by many people.
- economics seem move on, even not in full speed yet.

The most important thing that it is proven fact:
- higher rate of vaccinated population, then will lead to lower cases of infection and death.

May an Organism has both Female and Male Sexes?

Fig 01- A bee collects flower’s nectar

At previous posts, we have talk about possible sex traits in organisms such as birds and turtles:
- Health and Dynamic Life: Why Turtles Produce almost All Female Hatchlings Recently? - Nature and Wildlife 10.

- Have You Seen a Half-Male Half-Female Bird? | Tanza Erlambang Update

As reported by Jason Bittel in National Geographic (August 5, 2020) that a beekeeper spotted “a bee” which has both female and male sex organs.

What?

Gynandromorph is a scientific term refers to this kind of organisms (own both male and female traits).

As you might know that there are 3 types of bees in nature:

- queen
- workers
- drones

Fig 02- One of favorite flowers to bees

Fig 03- Source of foods for bees

Queen bee is the same with worker bees in respect to sex traits that all are females.

Drones are male bees, another different with a worker bee that drones have:

- larger compound eyes
- no stings.

All bees: queen, workers and drones have similar eyes:

- normal size of eyes.
- black eyes

A bee which has both male and female sexes has:

- abnormal size of eyes
- creamy yellow peepers eyes

Why could this happen?

The answer is: a genetic mutation!

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Our City in the Late Spring of 2021 - Gardening and Hobby 19

Fig 01- Colorful flowers at corner.

Our city, as other southern states is in the late spring now, some flowers are drying and dropping. But, many are blooming until summer.

Quite great number of flowers are well grow in our place, just few examples of them:
- Phlox.
- Scarlet Sage.
- Guara.
- Iris.
- Luna Hibiscus
- Virginia Willow
- Spicebush
- Azalea
- Southern Magnolia
- Silver Bell
- Daylily.

Fig 02- Look like the “real sun.”

Fig 03- Pink Azaleas in the garden

Fig 04- White Magnolia

Fig 05- The purple Iris flower

Our state, Louisiana has own local flowers. In addition, we have import and intrusive flowers from other states or countries around the globe.

Five species of Iris are uniquely as our own local flowers. These 5 species have following scientific name:
- Iris brevicaulis
- Iris fulva
- Iris giganticaerulea
- Iris hexagona
- Iris nelsonii

Some invasive plant in our city are:
- European roseau cane
- Elephant ear
- Chinese privet
- Alligator weed
- Giant salvinia
- Chinese tallow
- Water hyacinth

How about with your cities? What flowers are blooming now?

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Honey as a Local Product - Food Variety 12

Fig 01- Local honey in the grocery.

I believe all of us have ever consumed honey, but, some may not love it. However, demand for honey is increasing year by year.

Based on report from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2020, honey production increase by 2%, make total production to be 157 million pounds.

The states with higher honey productions are following:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- California
- Montana
- Florida
- Texas
- Minnesota
- Michigan
- Louisiana 

Fig 02- Colorful flowers as a source of food for honey bees

Interestingly, not only honey, but live bees also be traded, locally and internationally.

Fig 03- Bees visit roses to collect pollen.

Several countries have exported live bees include:
- Egypt
- Slovakia
- Belgium
- United States of America (USA)
- Canada

In term of pollination, bees have vital roles in many economic plants for human consumption.

Quite amazing that a bee could pollinate 5,000 flowers a day. They pollinated many our daily foods such as:
- apples
- cranberries
- melons
- broccoli
- cherry
- almond

Hope, bees will continue their job!!

Older post:

Will Confederate Jasmine Crawl Back After Winter? | Tanza Erlambang Update

What are Purposes of Duck Hunting?

Fig 01- Three Duck playing at road side

Number of waterfowl hunters about 900,000 in the USA, but they killed 31 millions duck each years. Quite surprising number for me.

Some states with higher duck killed, sometimes not correlated to number of active duck hunters with licenses.

From The Duck Blog (2017), here the list of states with higher average duck killed by a hunter per year:

- Mississippi

- Tennessee

- Oregon

- Louisiana

- Idaho

- Washington

- Arkansas

- California.

Fig 02- Canadian geese are swimming

Then, What are Purposes of Duck Hunting?

The answers are depended on to whom we talk to: government or duck hunters?

Fig 03- Two ducks on the grass

Federal duck stamps or licenses are source of income for federal and states government.

Cost for federal stamps was US$ 28.5 (include transaction fees), and license fees are varies between state to state.

These income was designed for conservation efforts, especially in relate to:

- wildlife management

- new lands purchase for hunters

- research and education

Hunters or whoever interests with duck hunting may purchase federal stamps in many places:

- U.S. Post Offices

- Walmart

- some sporting and outdoor stores

- some national wildlife refuges

- online

Moreover, duck hunting is for sport purpose, and duck’s flesh is the main target for some duck hunters.

Have you ever hunting? Hunting for what animals? Deer, duck or what? 

Have you Tried to Drink Chai Tea? - Food Variety 11

 

Fig 01- Chai tea also for lip balm, just for illustration

Sure, there are plenty of tea’s brand, but Lipton is a tea brand which always in my mind.

I drink tea every day, hot tea in the colder seasons (fall, winter and spring), and iced tea during hot summer.

Depend on the sources of readings, it is said that there are at least 6 types of teas (Science Learning Hub, 2013). They are:

- black

- green

- white

- yellow

- oolong

- post-fermented

As far as I remember, I mainly drink black and green tea of Lipton. In addition to colors, the processing steps could produce tea variations in terms of form and taste.

Fig 02- Chai tea ingredients for lip balm, illustration

In respect to countries, there are four well known countries of tea productions and traditions:

- Japan (Macha tea)

- China

- India (Darjeeling tea)

- UK (English breakfast tea)

Fig 03- Icy leaves, just for illustration.

In addition, China has many different types of teas:

- black tea

- green tea

- Oolong

- White tea

- Pu Erh

- Biluochun

- Longjing tea.

Chai tea is a beverage tea comes from India. A kind of milk tea, black tea boiled in the milk with spices flavor. The spices and sweetened may include:

- star anise

- cardamom

- cinnamon

- sugar

- honey

The tea is believed has many health benefits such as:

- reduce stress

- regulate cholesterol

- improve digestion

- and even to prevent cancer.

Do you have specific favorite of tea? What kind of tea?

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