A Traditional Product of Louisiana – King Cake – Part 1

King cake of Louisiana

One of specific products of New Orleans, Louisiana is King Cake. The colorful and very sweet style pastries.

The cake is made, eaten and associates with Mardi Gras celebration. It was tradition from French since 300 years ago.

The cake is commonly sugar (colorful sugar) on the top, but there are many variations of filling of inside the cake.

What inside the King Cake is depend on the countries tradition outside French.

In Louisiana, it is commonly bean inside. Moreover, many cakes are filling with combines of several these items:

- chocolate
- pear
- apple
- cheese
- banana
- and almond.

A kind of food, illustration only.

There are a lot of migrants from many countries settled in New Orleans. One of them is Vietnamese.

The Vietnamese communities in New Orleans, Louisiana have their own varieties of King Cake.

What different between local and Vietnamese varieties?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings, in case you are interesting:

- Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
- Wreaths for Mardi Gras in Louisiana
- A Tropical Plant Called Pineapple – Food 1
- A chocolate as a Gift for Valentine’s Day

The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 3 - Cardiovascular 2

Fruit in the commercial market, illustration only.

Previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2):

- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2
- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 2- Cardiovascular 2

As from Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021), USA that there are five major symptoms of heart attack.

They include following symptoms:

- chest pain
- pains in the neck, back and jaw.
- feeling very weak
- arms and shoulders are pain
- breaths are shortness.

These five (5) major symptoms of heart attack should be recognized.

if somebody notice these symptoms or might be she/he saw someone else has these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Ice cream for illustration only.

There are many other symptoms such as:

- dizziness or headaches
- nausea or vomiting
- cold sweats
- heart burn
- fatigue
- exhaustion

# Previous postings:

- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 2
- Important of Microorganisms in Food Industry – Healthy Life 1

Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 2 – Food 9

A kind of cacti plant, sold in the traditional market.

Previous post (Part 1):

- Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 1 – Food 9

We could distinguish the different between organic and natural foods in terms of:

- food labels
- production
- food demand and availability
- and certification agencies.

Moreover, we might hear many people said the phrase of "Go Organic," it is because they believe organic food have advantages than other foods produced or proceed by other methods (in this case is natural foods).

The facts that market share and revenue for organic foods tend to increase year by year.

The question then?

Salt fish, one of favorite foods in certain countries.

Is organic foods more advantages in terms of more nutritious content and safer?

To answer this question, we need to search through google search engine to collect data about advantages and dis-advantages from organic foods and natural foods, including their nutritional values.

# To be continues to Part 3

# Previous postings:

- Local Event Called as “Mardi Gras” In Louisiana, USA
- Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1
- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 1

The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 2- Cardiovascular 2

Ornamental plant, for illustration only.

You may read Part 1:

- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2

This disease kills over than 17 million people every year, number one cause death in this planet (World Health Organization).

Every other second, this disease takes human life; every time we take breath. When someone stops breathing at all, it is may be caused by cardiovascular disease.

It is a kind of an alarm that everybody needs to care about. Knowing their risk factors will be helpful for prevention.

While some people have no symptoms about heart disease that lead to the “silent killer” but some signs can be recognized so that the fatality could be reduced.

If somebody notice these symptoms or might be she/he saw someone else has these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Old chair, just for illustration.

CDC works with public health to improve cardiovascular health through their strategies and policies such as healthy lifestyles and healthy environments and communities.

Million Hearts^® 2022 that aims in preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes that will save one million lives in 5 years.

# To be continued to Part 3

## Previous postings:

- Wild Animals and Birds in my Backyard – Nature 8a
- Do You Know about Golden Kiwis Fruit? - Food 3

Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 1 – Food 9

Different between organic and natural foods

(Source: Organic Food, 2016)

We sometimes confused with the words of “Natural foods” and “Organic Foods.”

Generally speaking, natural foods are foods without processing and no additives.

Some says that natural foods have minimally processed and not contain specific additives, including:

- sweeteners
- food colors
- flavorings
- and antibiotics.

The foods that are grown and processed based on standard certified by USDA (United States Department of Agricultures) is called “Organic Foods.”

Then?

Flowers, sold at farmer market, illustration

Practically, organic foods were produced by using limited or avoiding the use of man-made fertilizers and pesticides.

In addition, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is not include in organic foods farming system.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
- A Tropical Plant Called Pineapple – Food 1
- Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
- Important of Microorganisms in Food Industry – Healthy Life 1
- Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2

The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2

Signs of heart attacks, Credit to CDC

I stared at my paper work in my hand, I opened it, there is in the first page: Cardiovascular disease is any disease that involves:

- the heart
- the blood vessels
- disability effects
- and the most causing of death in the US.

This disease kills about 630,000 people every year in only the United State, and there are 28.4 million of adults are identified having heart disease (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

Many action plans and strategies based on etiology and risk factors to prevent these diseases.

The researchers are also going on to reveal the ways that could protect and prevent the heart from any injuries and damages that lead to cardiovascular diseases.

The tree falls due to hurricane Ida, illustration.

Cardiovascular disease is not only attack and cause death in the US, but also the world's number one killer.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 1
- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 2
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Is Strawberry Greek Yogurt Good For Health? - Healthy Life 9
- Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
- Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3
- What is Coronasomnia? - Healthy Life 2
- Do You Know about Golden Kiwis Fruit? - Food 3

What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 2- Science 8

A cat sitting on the chair, just for illustration

Previous posting (Part 1):

- The Rainbow Before Evening : What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 1- Science 8

Sure, a knocked out gene has two sides:

- advantages
- disadvantages

One of important advantages is that a researcher knows which factor precisely in determining animal behavior, in this case a certain behavior of mice.

Another advantage, researchers could decide the exact time to disrupt a specific gene. The timing is important to conduct behavior experiments in the laboratory.

However, there are several disadvantages, some of them:

1) Expensive economically

- a lot of labors (labor consuming) include culturing of stem cell

2) Gene knockout may lethal to embryo development.

- hence, animal can’t reach adulthood.

3) May incomplete knockout process

4) Disruption of genes may overlap.

5) A knockout gene may develop cancer in certain tissues of mice.

# Previous postings:

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- Can Scientists Create Glowing Plants? - Science 4
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- Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6

Outlawed - An Epic Western Novel – Part 2 - Reading 4

Red rose in the garden

Previous posting (Part 1):

- Outlawed - An Epic Western Novel – Part 1 - Reading 4

Her mother begins to worry about Ada.

She finds a man to “help” Ada to get pregnant and said not to think about unfaithful to her husband, but to keep herself safe.

Almost one year is over, and Ada is not pregnant yet.

Then she has been kicked out from her husband and husband’s family where she lives with.

Ada comes back to her mother and younger sisters.

German measles outbreaks and the disease attacks pregnant women and babies.

The folks believe that the deaths and miscarriages caused by witchcrafts, barren women, and one of them is Ada.

Ada must leave the town, then she lives in covenant.

Anna North, the author of Outlawed.

When she was in covenant she learns about the causes of infertility, then learned how to solve it..

She has great knowledge about herbal, frontier medicine and midwifery.

Then she joins a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid, the Hole in the Wall Gang.

Ada learns how to:

- rob highway
- steal cattle
- appear and behave like a binary man.

However, she finds that the gang is the safe place for barren women and gender nonconforming people.

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Like Crazy, “a wild child cares for the wild woman who raised him” - Reading 2

What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 1- Science 8

Knockout mice, credit to National Human Genome Research Institute

We might confuse with these two terms:

- knockout
- Transgenic.

Transgenic is insertion of exogenous DNA into random non homologous site in the animal genome.

While Knockout is insertion of modified DNA at a specific homologous site in the animal genome.

It is interesting to discuss about knockout term furthermore in this posting.

In addition, knockout is the word commonly used to inactive an exist of specific gene in particular organism.

The way to knocked out is by replacing or disrupting the target gene with an artificial piece of DNA.

This is a genetic technique by using homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene.

Garden corner, just illustration

Then, targeted gene could be permanent or conditional inactive or knockout.

Knockout could cause alter phenotype of organisms.

The changes might include behavior, appearance (observable physical) and biochemical characteristics of organisms.

Then, knockout organisms are used in learning about a gene that has been sequenced, which incompletely known function.

# To be continued to Part 2

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2

Outlawed - An Epic Western Novel – Part 1 - Reading 4

Cover of Outlawed, a Western fiction

Outlawed is a Western fiction by Anna North.

The writer grown up in Los Angeles and lives in Brooklyn. She was a graduate of Iowa Writer’s Workshop.

Ada is the protagonist in this book. The story is set in the late of nineteenth century.

From the front jacket of this book, “In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw. Like a lot of things, it didn’t happen all at once.”

The story begins when Ada feels lucky to get married with a handsome boy from the good family.

Ada’s mother is a midwife and Ada always happy to help her mother doing her job.

Like other her peers, she married at seventeen, and she loves her husband.

Their duty is to have children for baby Jesus since God sent the Great Flu (flu pandemic) to cleanse the world of evil.

Several months after they wed, Ada’s womb is still empty. Meanwhile in her town, the barren women are routinely hanged as witches.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous posting:

- Family Saga and Meaning to be a Good Person – Part 1 - Reading 1
- Family Saga and Meaning to be a Good Person – Part 2 - Reading 1

When should I get the Botox Cosmetic? - Part 2 – Healthy Life 16

The smile of camels (Credit: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images).

Previous posting:

- When should I get the Botox Cosmetic? - Part 1 – Healthy Life 16

Do you think someone has bad reputation or cheat on you whenever she get Botox injection in her forehead or her face?

Finally I found it out.

It was said, “If Botox purpose to get $55 million dollar contest the most beauty camel in King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, forget it!!!”

The Botox injection into camels like a cheat in this contest.

I'm not going to cheat anyone, even with my face.

I'm thinking about a prevention, before the frown lines or “eleven” lines between my eyebrows are exist in my forehead, so that I will not look:

- angry
- tired
- or unhappy.

Trees nearby jogging track.

One of medical practitioners said that if you think that you have inherit the early frown lines or wrinkles, do not wait the wrinkle create the lines.

So in this case, Botox treatment is the best under 30 year old, because Botox is not a filler. Botox works to paralyze muscles and need to be repeated.

What do you think, do you think in age before 30 year-old is too early to get Botox Cosmetic?

Or just wait until the lines between the eyebrows and forehead are appearing?

# Previous postings:

- Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 1 – Healthy Life 11
- Measles Outbreak in a Recent year – Part 2 – Healthy Life 11
- Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 1 - Healthy Life 12
- Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 2 - Healthy Life 12

The Surprising Fact - Cooked Shrimps are Cheaper than Raw Ones – Part 2 - Food 8

Plastic bags of seafood market and deli

Previous post (part 1):

- The Surprising Fact - Cooked Shrimps are Cheaper than Raw Ones – Part 1 - Food 8

When I was in the market, I saw both the raw and cooked shrimps.

The shrimps either plain cooked or cooked with recipes, Louisiana special cuisine.

Off course!

What surprising me was the price, you may compare them:

- cooked shrimps are US$ 9.99 per pound
- whereas raw ones are US$ 11.99 per pound.

Cooked shrimps are two dollar cheaper than raw ones.

Why?

I really don’t know the exact or true answer, what happen behind the prices, honestly.

However, I guess there are several factors caused cooked shrimp cheaper than raw or fresh ones.

Cooked shrimps

Here they are the answers:

1) about to expire or go bad

- the sellers want to get rid of it as soon as possible.

2) smaller size

- bigger size is expensive

I decided to buy cooked shrimps together with boiled corn. Ready to go and to eat.

Make me wonder, did you find in your place where cooked things are cheaper than raw ones?

# Previous posting:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Green Bean and Papaya Delight – Food 4
- The Rainbow Before Evening : The Best Steakhouse in my City, Louisiana – Food 5
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Have You Tasted Matcha Latte with Soy Milk or Almond Milk? - Food 6

When should I get the Botox Cosmetic? - Part 1 – Healthy Life 16

Botox Cosmetic Injections (Credit: Noravector/123rf.com)

Every time I get out from my house, I always pass the nice building with big signs of the professional names in the medical fields, the services, and the treatments.

The building is located at the intersect of a quite drive and a busy traffics with 5 traffic lines.

The nice building looks not so busy among the:

- restaurants
- bakery
- and sandwich fast food.

Because the parking lot is in rear of the building, the clients get in and out with the good manners through the quite drive.

There is a Cosmetic Center that serves vary of treatments, including cosmetic surgeries, hair loss replacement, and medical spa.

Then?

Cup cakes, just illustration.

The services are all what we need to treat and fix in our hair, eyes, face, body, breast, and skin.

The building is okay, nothing wrong. The led signs are still blinking with the facilities and services. I knew that this Cosmetic Center is the first Botox Cosmetic in my state.

Lately, I just have an imagination about one of their services, Botox, and the smile of camels.

Sounds good to me, Botox Cosmetic for the human beauty. I just wondered about the beauty of camel last year. How come camels got Botox Cosmetic and had a negative reputations.

# To be continued to Part 2