The Omegas

As sometimes happens, one thing reminds me of another.
The coronas (yes, plural, as there are several corona viruses: common cold virus, Sars, Mers, Covid-19..),
remind me, by way of contrast, of the omegas - omega essential fatty acids : omega 3 (linolenic acid) and omega 6 (linoleic acid). 
The first group, the coronas, seeks to destroy immunity, the second, the omegas, helps strenghtening it.

Omega 3  (found in oily fish, nuts and seeds) has brain, vision, and heart benefits. Omega 6 (found in meat, dairy, vegetable oils) along with its 'cousin' omega 3, also plays a crucial role in brain and body functions.

The thing is, that Omega 6 has 'invaded' Western diet violating the balance between the two omegas, and practically pushing  Omega 3 out- thus causing some harmful effect on health  ( blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, water retention etc..).

bottle of omega 3 capsules

I know of a successful chess player who's also a doctor. Someone has told me that he's heavily on omega 3 as this helps him plan and perform his brilliant chess moves and win the game. Good for him! There's a lot of money and honour involved in these games.

And after all, omega 3 is not 'ritalin'  (used in ADHD), or some other drug, known as enhancing  performance.
It's just...fish oil which happens to improve brain activity and stabilize mood - recommended to all or most of us.

Here We Go Again

After lifting of restrictions (probably too soon) we're, sadly, back to a rise in the number of covid-19 virus infected people.

I don't know where all this will lead to. In the meantime, I'm looking at some situations, in light of the corona crisis.

1.  Schools are in a rather chaotic phase; after reopening,many got shut again because of individual pupils or teachers who tested positive to the virus. 

2.  People have been told for years  that humans are  "social creatures".   True, people seek interaction with other people. 
Self-isolation is tough on them,  but many have  come to realize now that it has some benefits too.

'The time to have time' - is  a major benefit:  time to do things in the house and around it, to read books, to practice a hobby,  to have a dialogue with one's own self, to enjoy...silence.

3. Lately, I happen to come upon the slogan  'a trade is better than a degree'.  It seems to imply that people with a trade (mainly requiring manual skills) have done better than those with a profession (requiring more education, and an academic degree).  

I think that nowadays, the difference between trade and profession is both  subtle and  dynamic. One can acquire more education and move between the two worlds according to circumstances. ;there are lots of nurses, for instance, with an academic degree.

I've recently read about two israeli sociology professors, man and wife, who are about to publish a book  about  what they call  'the futility of academic degrees'. It sounds provocative and it should be  an  interesting read.

Anyway, degree or not, many have lost their jobs because of the corona crisis, and are getting financial assistance from the government.

Evil Plants

We are more or less aware of toxic plants, that are poisonous to cats and dogs (see picture below: lilies, crocuses, daffodils, oleanders, cyclamen..).

toxic plants (web picture)

We know little about carnivorous plants, also named insectivorous
(I prefer the term 'carnivorous' as these plants might also harm organisms bigger than insects and beetles, like mice , frogs, even us, humans).

The carnivorous plants have  three means of attracting the prey: 1. trap-shaped leaves/ flowers / fruit; 2.  a stiky secretion; and  3. a sweet aroma. The trap is usually closed, and opens up when the intended victim is near. Here are the names of some of these plants: Venus flytrap, Drosera, Sarracenia, Neptenthes, Pinguicula .

venus flytrap opening up its 'jaws' (web picture)

I was once attacked by a  carnivorous plant at the cemetery; the flower or fruit was full with needles and they landed on my lower part of the body. I was completely shocked  and felt helpless. There was no living soul around at that hour.

I 've described the sudden, nightmarish experience in a post entitled: 'Live Danger In a Dead Place' (pse. use the search box to get at it).
That's my opening paragraph of that post:

"Several months ago I got attacked by ...a plant. It happened while I was on my way out of the cemetery. My skirt touched a shrub near one of the graves and all of a sudden its fruit opened up sending tens of needles into the lower part of my body. I won't go into details; I'll just say that it was pure Hell".

I must admit I don't recall seeing anywhere a sign or poster warning against toxic or carnivorous plants. There should be strict published regulations regarding these types of plants. That's definitely a matter of life and death.