Are Rattan End Products Expensive than Plastic?

We talked about Rattan End Products in the USA Market at previous posting:

- Rattan End Products Sold in the USA Market | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Another end product of rattan

Compared to plastic, sure, price of rattan end product is expensive. Just for an example:

- small plastic baskets cost less than US$1

- whereas rattan material (with almost the same size and shape) could reach more than US$ 15.

Fig 02- Pride of Barbados or Mexican lantana

Fig 03- Rattan dining patio set sold by Walmart

People said that some of the reasons why rattan end products quite expensive than other materials:

- strong and durable

- workmanship standard

- quality

If we look after and avoid from outdoor elements (such as rain or wet), rattan furniture may last from 5 years to 10 years.

However, in many cases, rattan furniture just survive around 5 years.

Do you have rattan end products at your home?

# Previous postings:

- Local Jelly at the Farmer Market – Part 2 - Food Variety 15 | Tanza Erlambang

- Millions are Bitten by Snakes Every Year – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Understanding Diseases in Human Body through Knockout Genes – Part 1 |

- America is Top Importer of Ornamental Fish – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang

Slow Cat Crossing in Neighborhood – Sign 13

We have pretty a lot of signs across the city. Few signs concern with serious matters, others just for simple things.

Uniquely, some signs are made by common citizens for whatever reasons

Fig 01- Sign for slow cat crossing

I guess that the sign “Slow Cat Crossing” (please see Fig 01 above) is created by a cat lover.

In my opinion, the sign is quite “confuse” and little bit funny, because it has at least three meaning:

- is cat moving slow?

- or just slow cat crossing?

- or ask car drivers to “please slow down?”

Fig 02- Just for illustration

Fig 03- A cat, sitting in the room

I think many animals (especially pets) are considered “slow,” because they are randomly run across the street without looking.

Based on reported from Repairer Driven News (RDN, 2022) that it is estimated about 2 million animals hit by cars annually in the USA.

This figure increased by 7.2% during pandemic years.

The collision is not only dangerous to human being but also to animal safety. Speeding is believed to be main factor in animal collisions.

Moreover, in fact, drivers speed through our neighborhood. Cats and other pets deserve a long life. What do you think?

# Previous postings:

- Banana Spiders in our Neighborhood - Gardening and Hobby 21

- Is Autumn Favorite Season in the USA?

- Local Jelly at the Farmer Market – Part 1 - Food Variety 15

- Millions are Bitten by Snakes Every Year – Part 1

Ornamental Fish for Pond in the Garden – Critter 9

Having a small pond with ornamental fish at the corner of garden is trending now days, not only in the USA, but also in many part of the world.

Since a lot of people stay home, more attractive during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Fig 01- Colorful of fish in the pond at the garden corner

People love to have Koi as a pet in the pond with multiple reasons. In some society, a Koi is believed to have:

- myth

- and art value.

Fish brings good luck, many spiritual advantages, tolerant to water quality and very friendly.

If we have good interaction in quite longer time, Koi may feed on our hands.

Fig 02- Red Gladiolus blooming

Fig 03- Just illustration, at the corner

There are many kinds of ornamental fish, and could survive in outdoor during cold temperature in winter.

The species of fish may include:

- Goldfish

- Archerfish

- Pumpkinseeds

- Crappie

- Pumpkinseeds fish

Do you like ornamental fish for pond in the garden?

# Previous postings:

- What is a Fiber Painting or Fiber Art? - Art 2

- Hurricane Ida Debris Piles in the Neighborhood

- A Low Carbohydrate Food – Diabetes 26

- We Saw Dozens of Hummingbirds after Hurricane - Gardening and Hobby 20

Finnish Nightmare in the Eyes of Far Eastern Countries - Part 2

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Finnish Nightmare in the Eyes of Far Eastern Countries - Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Image 1- Matti decided to buy than take a free sample

(credit to Karoliina Korhonen).

The comic got hit in China, especially to millennial generations, because they “dream” of privacy as one of reasons.

Finland has huge space compare to crowd cities in China. However, Matti, male Finnish in the cartoon respects:

- peace

- quiet

- personal space

Young Chinese who was born as a kid under China’s single child policy identified themselves as Finnish nightmare.

Image 2- Flowers in the garden

Image 3- A street in the morning

Image 4- A corner of the park

They believe that their characters similar to Matti in many terms, some of them are:

- avoids talking to others

- live alone happily

- hide from neighbors

- inconvenient to work in pairs

- do not like to be single out

- a kind of social phobia.

Do you know about Finnish Nightmare? What do you think?

# Previous postings:

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

- Wild Berries Grow Well in Our Backyard - Food Variety 13

- Could Consume Mushroom Reduce Cancer Risk?

- Have You Tried Jalapeno Cheese Poppers? - Food Variety 14

Land Snail in the Garden – Critter 8

We often saw snails crawling in our garden. They are found on the surface of leaves or flowers to search for foods.

Fig 01- A snail crawling

This snail could damage plant’s leaves in our yards. Since herbivores, they also feed on:

- algae and fungi

- lichens

- and decaying vegetation

As reported by Russell L Minton and Kathryn E Perez (2015: systematic checklist of the land snail of Louisiana) that there are 141 species of land snails in our state, Louisiana.

Fig 02- Hibiscus flower in the garden

However, there are two important snails which believe responsible to “destruction” of our garden.

Fig 03- A snail is moving on

The two species are:

- Helix aspersa aspersa

- Helix aspersa maxima

They are common snails in the garden. Luckily, they are not poinous, and even not dangerous to touch or hold them. Some people in certain countries eat them as “escargot de bourgogne.”

Other species of brown garden snail such as Cornu aspersum also edible. This species spreads all over the world.

Do you know that garden snails are edible?

# Previous postings:

- Honey as a Local Product - Food Variety 12

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

- May an Organism has both Female and Male Sexes?

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

Database in Everyday Aspects of Life - Part 1

We live in an information-rich society; thus our society relies on the availability of a huge amount of information:

- everywhere

- and at any time.

Fig 01- Database world illustration 

(credit to slideplayer/slide/10964329/)

Information means data.

These data then manipulated by computer science to produce what we call as database.

These systems are virtually everywhere, from such as:

- cell phone to TV

- vending machine in train station

- barcode scanners in super-market.

Fig 02- Flowers in the garden

As suggested by AJ Graham (2016: How Are Databases Used in the Real World?) that using of database is date back in 1960s.

Fig 03- A dog in neighborhood, illustration

It is because many companies believed that use of computers became a more cost-effective option.

However, database models not that many on that time, few of them are a network model called CODASYL and a hierarchical model called IMS.

In CODASYL, data are organized into record and set at different types. Both record and set have names.

IMS model makes people organize data (business data) using program and device independently.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Icy in my Neighborhood during Recently Snow Storm

- Can We Find Flesh Eating Bacteria in Swimming Pool? - Microorganisms 2

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

- What are Purposes of Duck Hunting?

Firearms Free Zone – Sign 12

I never interest to own guns or any dangerous weapons for whatever reasons, hence, I don’t know about licenses or rules to have one.

Fig 01- Firearms free zone sign.

Just few weeks ago, I saw the sign at University lake of our city:

- Firearm free campus zone

I search through internet: what is it mean?

Louisiana State legislature imposed restriction to carry a firearm or a dangerous weapon.

The restrictions apply to three main areas:

1) Schools

2) Specific design areas

3) a firearm-free zone

Fig 02- Yellow daylily in the garden

In respect to schools or campus, the restrictions include in areas school property, school transportation, at school-sponsored functions (athletic competitions, dances, parties, or any extracurricular activities) and within one thousand feet of any school campus.

Fig 03- Afternoon sky in our city

A firearm-free zone usually apply to areas near by schools or a campus. It is  reasonable that I found “a sign at University lake of our city.”

Fig 04- One of old buildings in our city

Who violated this rule, both students and non-students will face quite harsh sentences:

- shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars

- or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both.

This rule makes me more and more discourage to have firearms or dangerous weapons.

I don’t understand why “so easy” to access guns or dangerous weapons in the America!

# Previous postings:

- Chocolate Covered Strawberry from Neighborhood – Food Variety 9

- May Covid 19 Reduce Men’s Fertility? - Virus 36

- Do you Consume Raw Radish? - Food Variety 10

- Can Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Contain New Covid 19 Virus Variants? - Virus 37