Homeless and Drug Addictions – Sign 35

We found a sign on the grass when we have daily jogging. The sign highly probably from a homeless man.

Fig 01- Sign found on the lawn

We can read the sign said :”Homeless Going Through A Hard Time Anything Helps.”

Then, close to the sign, we found a box and several of used syringe needles (please see Fig 02 and 03). You may conclude who have the needles.

Do you believe the homelessness is a matter of choice in life?

As reported by Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities (August 6, 2020: Homelessness Survey 2020 Results) that there are 3 (three) main causes of homelessness in the USA.

Fig 02- Drug needles at roadside

Top three causes of homelessness, especially in the big cities across America:

- drug addictions

- job loss

- mental health

1 of 5 (20%) of homeless are drug addictions and alcohol abuses. Actually, they got drug and alcohol after they are homelessness.

Fig 03- Syringe needles in the box.

However, small proportion only, less than 1% of population is homeless. City administrations have good programs to reduce this number.

# Previous postings:

- Women Equality as Conflict Paradigm Example – Part 3 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Do you Favor to Certain Chicken Egg Colors? - Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Could Microchips Detect Covid 19 Virus in the Blood? - Part 2 - Virus 39 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Zinnia Flower and Vincent Van Gogh – Part 1 - Art 3 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- The Ways in “Caching” for Speeding Up Web Server – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Is Tempeh Better than Tofu? - Part 1 – Food Variety 30

We have talked about tofu at previous postings:

- Demanding of Tofu was Increasing During Covid 19 Pandemic – Part 1

- Demanding of Tofu was Increasing During Covid 19 Pandemic – Part 2

Fig 01- Tempeh (left) and Tofu (right), credit to Chatalaine

Tempeh is Indonesian traditional foods, and you may find this food everywhere, sold by the big restaurants to street vendors.

Some people eat Tempeh as a snack. Good snacks while drink a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon.

In fact, Tempeh is cooked soybeans which are bonded by fermented process. Tempeh looks like a cake form as the end result of fermentation.

Fermentation process took several days, hence make Tempeh texture (grainy) and flavor (nutty and earthy) are different than Tofu.

Fig 02- The raw tofu, and its slices

Tempeh Vs Tofu Health Benefits:

- Tempeh is a tremendous source of protein, with around 15 grams in just half a cup.

- It also offers an excellent amount of fibre with 3.5 grams in half a cup, compared to tofu’s 0.5 gram.

Fig 03- Tempeh, sold in the Walmart grocery

What else the health benefits of Tempeh Vs Tofu?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Bee Swarm Removing Cost – Part 2- Gardening and Hobby 23 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Women Equality as Conflict Paradigm Example – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Using Woods for Fireplace in the Winter – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Could Microchips Detect Covid 19 Virus in the Blood? - Part 1 - Virus 39 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Women Equality as Conflict Paradigm Example – Part 3 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Rare to See Spicebush Swallowtails in the Yard – Critter 32

We always see monarch butterfly during Spring to Summer seasons in our yards or our city gardens and parks:

- From Caterpillar to Monarch Butterfly – Critter 18 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Colorful of a swallowtail.

Contrary, we rarely see the swallowtails butterfly. We don’t know whether this is just for our cases.

Two contradict facts:

1) Monarch butterfly includes in endangered species list by “International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).”

2) The Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly with scientific name, Papilio troilus Linnaeus, is excluded from IUCN list. It means that the swallowtails butterfly should be seen more than Monarch butterfly in nature.

Fig 02- Flowers, just illustration

As reported by UF IFAS (2015: Featured Creatures) that butterfly of the Spicebush swallowtail is “relatively common” in the nature and in the botanical gardens or city parks.

The species distributes in the states throughout the eastern and the mid-western parts of the USA.

Fig 03- A swallowtail is flying under flowers

How often do you see Swallowtail butterfly in the nature?

# Previous postings:

- Bee Swarm Removing Cost – Part 1 - Gardening and Hobby 23 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Women Equality as Conflict Paradigm Example – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Using Woods for Fireplace in the Winter – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Could Available Drugs Regenerate beta Cells? – Part 2 - Diabetes 28 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Bee Swarm Removing Cost – Part 2- Gardening and Hobby 23 | Tanza Erlambang Update

What is Negative Interest Rate Mean? - Part 1

At previous postings, we have talked about negative price such as negative oil price, it was happened around April 2020 few years ago. That was the first time in American history.

Fig 01- Negative interest rate (credit to Money for the rest of Us).

You may read about oil price goes negative:

- Why does Oil Price Go Negative in the Market?- Part 1

- Why does Oil Price Go Negative in the Market?- Part 2

How about with negative interest rate?

It means that if we save (deposit) our money, then the bank will charge it. Some banks have specific limit, the charge is applied only to excess cash.

Another meaning that you will get some “amount of money or credit” if you get loan from banks.

Fig 02- A corner at neighborhood, just for illustration.

What countries experienced with negative interest rates?

Here are some:

- Switzerland, interest rate sits at -0.75% (minus 0.75%).

- Denmark has interest rate at -0.60% (minus 0.60%).

- Sweden with interest rate at -0.10% (minus 0.10%).

- Japan has interest rate of -0.10% (minus 0.10%).

Fig 03- Empty Street, just illustration

Have your countries experienced negative interest rate?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Could Available Drugs Regenerate beta Cells? – Part 1 - Diabetes 28 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Bee Swarm Removing Cost – Part 1 - Gardening and Hobby 23 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Women Equality as Conflict Paradigm Example – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Using Woods for Fireplace in the Winter – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Could Available Drugs Regenerate beta Cells? – Part 2 - Diabetes 28 | Tanza Erlambang Update

The Typical French Garden Style in Louisiana – Sign 34

After a while, we are aware that the specific part of our city, Baton Rouge, LA botanical garden has a geometric pattern. The pattern origin was from one of French kings.

Fig 01- A geometric pattern of garden

The king was King Louis XIV, rained the country from 1643 to 1715, more than 400 years ago.

The miniature of this geometric garden was established in 2017 in our city. Then, maintained by:

- Baton Rouge Botanical Garden Foundation

- and Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission (BREC).

Uniquely, we may see hedges to “fence” flowers and grasses. The hedge was kept short enough, so we can observe surrounding easily.

Fig 02- Entrance of geometric garden

When Spring or Summer, we may see plenty flowers and plants, just few of them are Yellow jasmine, Ferns, False Indigo, Loropetalum, Holly, Azalea, Irish, Rose, Lily and Confederate jasmine.

Image 3- At the middle of garden

Have you seen geometric garden style of King Louis XIV in your areas or other places?

# Previous postings:

- What are Tempe Health Benefits? - Part 1 – Food Variety 16 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- The Reasons Raccoon Visit Our Neighborhood – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Do People Keep a Pig as a Pet? - Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- What are Tempe Health Benefits? - Part 2 – Food Variety 16 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Could Available Drugs Regenerate beta Cells? – Part 1 - Diabetes 28 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Blooming of Starfish Cactus - Gardening and Hobby 29

The cactus with scientific name Stapelia hirsuta, strarts blooming after July, during summer months in Northern America every year. Since we live in the southern state, some of flowers blooming in February.

Fig 01- The Starfish flower

Flower looks like “a starfish,” and quite bigger compared to the plant size. In our case, the flower may reach 36 cm (14 inches).

I think, our flower is mixed of flesh and yellow colors. Other blooming colors may different from species to species.

Some of other flower’s colors are:

- gray

- yellowish

- reddish and purple

Fig 02- No single flower yet

In term of odors, we smell quite offensive aromas such as foul odors, stink smell, rotten meat or dead animals.

Fig 03- Close up of starfish flower

The smell to invite pollinators like flies and other insects to come and pollinate the cactus flowers.

Have you seen Starfish cactus?

# Previous postings:

- Push-Ups are Good for Our Health – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- How Nature could Make Human being Happy? | Tanza Erlambang Update

- The Reasons Raccoon Visit Our Neighborhood – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Do People Keep a Pig as a Pet? - Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- What are Tempe Health Benefits? - Part 1 – Food Variety 16 | Tanza Erlambang Update

How Could Scientists Cure AIDS Patients? - Part 2 – Virus 40

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- How Could Scientists Cure AIDS Patients? - Part 1 – Virus 40 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- Handcrafted, just for illustration

The mutated protein is crucial, because it could block HIV to enter and infect immune cells.

Bone marrow ultimately produces immune cells which able to resist HIV, and slowly replace infected or vulnerable cells.

Then, HIV patients will be cured in certain periods. WHO (2022) reported that the first man who remission from HIV got 12 years treatment by “bone marrow stem cell transplant.”

Fig 02- Hibiscus flowers, illustration

Fairly interesting that there are plenty of donors, about 22 thousand and even more have mutant CCR5 proteins, and donors mainly from the countries of Northern Europe so far.

Scientists could identify more donors from any part of the world if they wish in the near future. 

Fig 03- Yellow Jessamine flowers, illustration

This is the good news for all of us to combat AIDS epidemic!

# Previous postings:

- 40 million Guests Sleep on Camping Sites in the USA – Part 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Push-Ups are Good for Our Health– Part 1

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- Push-Ups are Good for Our Health– Part 2