What Are You Laughing At, Son?

My 4 and half years old son was often laughed by himself without unusual cause. That's made me wonder, what was happen with his strange attitude? I still didn't get it, why was he acted like that? Sometimes, he laughed loudly, and I must told him to stop laughing. Just like when I tickled his older sister, and he laughed loudly when my daughter threw my hand away. Despite of being as a stress release, what is laugh exactly?

Laugh, a complex reflex of the muscles of respiration, face and throat. It usually involves a series of involuntary spasmodic contractions of abdominal muscles, accompanied by contractions of cheek muscles (smile) and semiarticulate sounds. The response may undergo modification in that facial expressions, or vocalizations are altered, or absent, hence the expressions silent laughter, or sardonic laughter.

The essence of laughter may be observed in many other species, and not just peculiar to man, such as crow, gull, hyena, jackass, monkey and ape. It has been learned that involuntary laughter may be produced by mild anesthetics such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas), or may be the result of various forms of accident, or disease in the brain.

One of these neurological disorders (pseudobulbar palsy) is known as laughing sickness. A person with this disorder may laugh but feel sad, or he may cry but feel happy. The most common form of psychosis, schizophrenia, often includes involuntary mirthless laughter.

There is less agreement about what is laughable. Beyond tickling, laughter depends for the most part on learning. In man, normal laughter first occurs in the early months of life, as early as 12 weeks, or smiling at birth. D. H. Monro lists 4 main classes:

1. Feelings of superiority, the attempt to aggrandize one's self.
2. Incongruity, a response to the novel or bizarre.
3. Release from restraint, as with the tendency to laugh after relief of frustration or pain.
4. Ambivalence, the giggle, in situations of embarrassment, where no clear course of action is perceived.

Monro's classification is probably incomplete, and Florence Justin, another student of this field, lists more categories:

• Surprise and defeated expectation.
• Joy, pleasure, and play.
• Social stimulation.

Moreover, she cities laughter as a possible defense mechanism, as a means to subconscious gratification, and as an energetic mechanism. That's why we feel better after laughing. I hope my son acts are just normal laughter, in quest for more attentions and affections.

Consult:

• Sigmund Freud, Wit and Its Relations to the Unconscious (1905).
• Henri Bergson, Laughter (1911).
• Max Eastman, Enjoyment of Laughter (1936).
• D. H. Monro, Argument of Laughter (1951).
• Leonard Carmichael, Manual of Child Psychology (1954).

Source: Encyclopedia International by M. A. Wenger, University of California.

What Makes You Should Eat Papaya?

Papain in Papaya

Oseng daun kates

Translate in English as papaya leaf stir, is considered to be the best dish made by my mother. That's what I heard from everyone who had told her, by repeatedly asking to cook it again and again, though it's not my favorite. The bitter taste is the main reason why I'm not so fond of it. But Javanese people had used papaya leaf to cure malaria disease, by crushing and squeezing it, to make an aqueous solution extract. Add water to the extract and then is drunk to the patient.

Papaya leaf contains the enzyme papain, similiar to pepsin, that is used as meat tenderizer, and also to clarify beer. Papain is most found in the young fruit (green papaya) and leaf, but may vary in the whole tree such as seeds, roots and latex. That's made the young leaf may also used for tenderizing meat. Take a fresh meat in a bowl, then cover it with some papaya leaves for about an hour, if you want to make it tender. In other case, you may also put a chunk of green papaya and cook together with the meat.

Papaya, a tropical tree, originally named as Carica Papaya, from the pawpaw family, Caricaceae. The name Carica was derived from Caria, an ancient division of Asia Minor, as it was thought to be the native of that region. It has since been found to be a native of tropical America, when it first introduced in 1690.

Papain and Infertility

The study of papain in trial with rats, it did not effect on body or reproductive organ weights, liver and kidney function. But, it effected on female rats to have infertility and irregular oestrous cycles. Male rats also had decreased testis mass and sperm count. The fertility of the male and female rats returned to normal within 60 days after the treatments were discontinued.

In some countries, green papaya is used for contraception and abortion, by consuming papaya to prevent pregnancies, due to papain might cause abortions shortly after conception. So, that's why pregnant women who are still having young pregnancy age, are suggested to avoid eating green papaya, or unripe papaya.

It will be OK to eat papaya as long as it ripe. Because ripe papaya rich in Vitamin A, C and folic acid (folate). Folate is needed for fertility in both men and women, where as now it has been found in many pregnancy supplements, such as formula milk for pregnancy mother.

Papain for Treatment

Papain is also applied for the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is commonly made from fermented papaya flesh. For facial treatment, a soap made in Thailand which based on papaya is famous in Indonesia for skin whitening, but there's also the fake papaya soap that sold in the market, though it's really difficult to see the different between both of them.

Studies at the University of Nigeria have found that extracts of papaya fruits and seeds, whether ripe or unripe, are active against bacteria or antimicrobial. Powdered air-dried seeds which are given orally to dogs for 30 days decreased heartworm, a disease in which one of the major health problems of dogs.

An aqueous solution extracts which is given to rats, become purgative by increasing the number of wet feces and the movement of intestinal contents. That's why, by eating papaya may prevent us from having a bowel obstruction.

In St. Vincent, papaya is used to treat epithelioma, an abnormal growth of the epithelium, which is the layer of tissue that covers the surfaces of organs and other structures of the body. The usual treatment involves surgically removing the tumor and affected tissue.

In 1977, at public hospital in London, a post-operative infection in a kidney-transplant patient was cured by strips of papaya which were laid on the wound and left for 48 hours, after all modern medications had failed. In Turkey, papaya is used as cardiotonic (cardiac stimulant), a substance which acts as a stimulant of the heart. Examples of cardiac stimulant drugs are cocaine and methamphetamine.

In different parts of the world, papaya had been used also for below treatments:

• Arthritis in Haiti and Java, Indonesia.
• Asthma in Mauritius, Mexico, and Philippines.
• Cancer in Australia and Mexico.
• Colic (form of pain which starts and stops abruptly) in Malaya.
• Diarrhea and dysentery in Honduras, Japan, Panama, and West Africa.
• Dysuria (painful or difficult urination) in Java, Indonesia.
• Fever in Mexico and Java, Indonesia.
• Flu in Trinidad.
• Hypertension in Honduras and Trinidad.
• Infection in Panama.
• Liver disease in Honduras and Turkey.
• Madness or insanity in Ivory Coast.
• Rheumatism in Haiti and Java, Indonesia.
• Scorpion bites in Trinidad.
• Tuberculosis in Mexico.

References:

• Cornell University
• Encyclopedia International
• Purdue University
• Wikipedia

Formaldehyde Chicken Satay

Portrait of a satay seller with its customers in 1870, courtesy of Tropenmuseum

Satay, or sate is consider one of many famous Indonesian cuisine originally from Java. And then became widely in almost all regions of Indonesia. Sate is considered to be the national dish and one of Indonesia's best dishes, added with its regions specific ingredients recipes, different from my favorite original East Java satay that is only used peanut pasta with sweet soy sauce.

Last week, my mom was visiting my aunty house, and having a chat with her. After talking about family and etc., my aunt told my mom about her neighbour who live next door. My aunt's neighbour is a chicken satay seller. Couple of nights earlier, my aunt spotted her neighbour, was putting lots sticks of fresh chicken satay on a wood table, outside their house.

When my aunt saw the husband, she then asked him, Why do you put those satay, on your porch, without covered with anything?. Don't you worry about it. My satay won't smell stinky, he answered. My aunt then felt more curious. It's impossible for those fresh chicken meat, which are laid outside without even smell stink, and there're no flies come approach.

Still in my aunt's memory, recent local TV news about bread that was using borax as preservative. He might have done the same thing with those satays, said my aunt to my mom. Her point of view about satay then suddenly changed. She told my mom that she will never buy, or even eat satay no more.

My aunt's neighbour satay seller act was definitely scarred one of Indonesian most famous cuisine, in which I do really love most. As long borax and formaldehyde are easily to be bought in the nearest drugstore, this kind of practice will still continue. Though not all of satay sellers also doing those cheat thing, but we must be awared of it!

For the sake of our family, especially for our children. It would be better for us to cook our foods by ourselves, using fresh vegetables, meat or fish, which are chosen by ourselves, without any preservatives are added.

Related articles:

Bread Cancer Trigger

Danger Threatened in Seafood Dishes

Formaldehyde on Food Products

Healthy Labelled Foods

How to Get Rid of Being Sleepy

Drowsiness, or being sleepy is the enemy for those who have tight schedules. And when it suddenly attacks, not only you will feel lazy, but also will lead to difficulty on concentrating. Especially in this month, when Europhoria comes to attack on those who like to stay up late at night, watching live football match (just like me). Also for those of you who like to hang out until late at night, whereas in the morning, you have to go to work.

Well, below tips will help you to overcome the drowsiness that often attacking your activity.

Quick Nap

Some people suggested that sleeping less than 30 minutes during the day, can make the body will feel more tired than not taking a nap at all. But according to Barry Krakow, M.D, author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night, he suggested that you should not take a nap more than once. Take a nap for 5 to 25 minutes, said Barry.

Try to take your rest hour of work for a nap! At least wait for 15 minutes after having your lunch, just like I used to do. Eventhough I'm only slept for about 5 to 15 minutes, I feel more fresh after wake up from a quick nap. How? First, I had to give a suggestion on myself, by casting this Javanese spell Saking kersaning Gusti Allah, niat ingsun turu limang menit, rasane kaya limang jam, which translate as Wishing to the almighty God, willing to sleep for five minutes, feels like five hours. It was surely worked on me. One thing you should remember when you are using this spell, is that not to raise, or change the number 5 with 8 or 10. I've done it, and it makes me feel more lazy, because it is like you just wake up from 8 or 10 hour of sleeping.

Drink

When drowsiness suddenly attacks you, it means that your body is dehydrated. You must have a drink. It will be better if you drink water than coffee. Though drinking coffee might be the best sollution to stay awake, due to the active compounds in coffee can increase the body's energy metabolism.

But If you're drinking too much coffee to make you stay awake. You will get tremors, have sleeping problems and often getting insomnia, feeling stressed and uncomfortable. On the other hand, drinking water may also help your body stay awake, due to your blood will fill with lots of oxygen that you get from water. Too much drinking water like I did, help me stay awake, by going to the toilet for every half an hour.

Keep Your Mouth Busy

When you chewing on something, whether it's a bubble gum, candy, or a snack, indirectly will strengthen your muscles and stimulate your body, so that you don't feel sleepy. Talking with your friend while still focussing on your job, might distract the drowsiness that is attacking you.

Energy Saving

Make your body comfortable while you are working. Whether you are working by sitting or standing, your body posture is determined. Poor posture will tire your muscles, ligaments, and joints. You have to work harder than when the body is straight as appropriate. Your body will feel more tired, due to the blood and oxygen, that flows to your brain, are reducing to 30%.

Time Management

Working on a shift work, makes your body unable to distinguish whether it's a day or night. So, you must manage your daily schedule. What time do you have to sleep, eat or doing any routine activity. Try to stay on your schedule! For example:

Shift 1 (8 am to 4 pm)
Work hour from 8 to 4 is the basic hour of daily work. You may wake up at 5 am, breakfast at 6.30 am, lunch at 12 am, dinner at 7 pm, and night sleep starts at 9 pm. Your sleeping time must at least 8 hour a day.

Shift 2 (4 pm to 12 pm)
You should try to stay breakfast at 6.30 am and having lunch at 12 am. You may have your dinner while on the rest hour of work at 7 pm. You can manage your sleeping time between 2 am to 5 am, 8 am to 12 am, and 1 pm to 2 pm. It's really difficult to manage sleeping time on the 2nd shift, because mostly it is your hours of being awake, and gathering with your family.

Shift 3 (12 pm to 8 am)
This shift work is the hardest one, because many work accidents happened on the night shift. Where people are generally using the hour of working to get a night sleep. Try to not to eat at your rest hour of work at 3 am. Use it to get a nap for an hour.

Your breakfast time may disrupted by the night shift work, because you might get home at 9 to 10 am. If you are having late breakfast, then you might also miss your lunch, but you must keep on dinner at 7 pm. The hours of having at home are plenty, especially when you have a day off after the night shift. So, use your time wisely!

Just like a battery, your sleeping time is like a battery's charging time. When a battery is overcharged, it will damage the battery's cells and lower its lifetime. But in human body is different, a baby spent its day by sleeping to grow. After getting older, the sleeping time may have decreased.

When you are sleeping, your body also activated the process of absorbing food nutrients. That's why your eating time schedule will also determine, how valuable is your sleeping time. So, avoid of eating on a different time everyday!

And when you are spending on a straight 10 to 12 hours of sleeping, you may wake up with more tired body, feel lazy to do anything. It's just like an overcharged battery. One thing you should keep in mind is that, your body is not a machine, in which you can turn it on constantly.

Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night by Barry Krakow, M.D.

Eureka Euphoria

The whole world eyes are focused on the Europe, due to its Euro 2012 for about a month from now. Euro Cup 1st match between the host Poland vs. Greece, was playing by the time I publish this post. Big expectations comes from 16 countries which participates for Euro 2012 Cup. Indonesian famous magician, Romy Rafael, had already done his self hypnosis, in order to predict the teams which will be the next Euro 2012 Champions.

In the Publicity Stunt Euro 2012, in Jakarta, titled Self Hypnosis, Romy was drowned in an aquarium size of 2m x 2m x 2,15m. He's doing a self hypnosis using water as the media. After 15 minutes under water, he came out from the aquarium and quickly started to write down the vision that he had got, in some square white boards using airbrush paint. The boards then sealed, witnessed by the authority, and later drowned into the aquarium. The result will be opened after the final game of Euro 2012.

Another Indonesian crazy prediction was already published on the youtube, uploaded on March 22. Dwi Santoso told that the Green Army from Ireland will raise the Euro 2012 trophy, due to on his premonition, he pictured so many green color when the words Euro 2012, came to his mind. Though, he probably has forgotten that the football field is also coloured in green. The video with the titled Ireland for Euro 2012 – A Crazy Prediction was based on the success of Greece which won the Euro 2004, that so many people had doubt it before.

But I disagree with him, I just continued the premonition. The green color is the blue and yellow color combination. The blue and yellow flags will flood on the final match, in Ukraine. Ukraine flag is blue and yellow, so that Ukraine is the team which also the co-host, will have their 1st trophy at their 1st participation, to break the curse of becoming the host spectator, in Euro Cup history.

Please don't take it seriously, or even personal! It's just also another crazy prediction..!!

Online Games Parenting, Business and Culture

Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games by Edward Castronova

Online Games Parenting

Benefits of online games are still debating by most parents, where internet nowadays, is also becoming the source of home based educations. My cousin who grew with Playstation since he was ten years old, is now become an introvert person. I remembered how he got me impressed by his english study, when he was still at the first grade of elementary school.

I can not blame him entirely for what he has becoming right now, an introvert person who less concerned about his relatives. The blame was on his parent who always spoiled him. He was always playing Playstation, soon after he woke up, he had to take a bath by his mommy, by forcing, until the age of 15 years. Can you imagine that! At that age, he had become addicted of playing both on Playstation or online games.

Last month, I visited my grandparent in Magelang, Central Java. It has been two years since my last visit. My cousin lives with his parent next to my grandparent's house, two houses with a fence. It was two days since I arrived, and he did not even say hello or greet me. I found him in his room, still busied with what he did as usual. But this time, he got also two internet gadgets which both online together at the same time, a Samsung tablet for social networking, and a laptop for playing online games. While the PC was still loading to download games.

He said to me that he's going to continue his study on an University in Yogyakarta. I asked him whether he stayed at a dormitory or not, I can't sleep, if it's not in my home. I will ride with my motorbike to go to college, he answered. The distance between Magelang - Yogyakarta is about 45 km. I guess, he cannot live without internet and online games, because he is no longer enthusiast on playing games with his Playstation2.

Study and Research on Online Games

Several studies about gaming and its impact on children, researchers found that online gaming can have many benefits to children, if it being fully monitored by parents. Thing that was not done by my cousin's parent. The development of social skills, academics and emotional intellect will increase, if the online games which are playing, are the right ones.

Online games will give children chance to play with other children from all parts of the world. They will learn how to socialize, and learn about teamwork, with many people around the world. Though parents must pay attention on the time based, by accompanying them while they are playing the games. So that children will not forget, what is the time, whether they are going to have a dinner, or taking a bath.

Parents should take full responsibility, and not leaving the parenting to the games. Parents should always keep an eye on the games that their children are playing, due to many dangers on the internet that children might become exposed to while gaming.

Online Games Business and Culture

Based on Castronova's book of Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games, Castronova believes that online games are affecting the real-world culture and economy, also creating real value. Survey conducted by Edward Castronova, Ph.D., an economist, has found that MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) enthusiasts are not typical high school geeks. Over half the players of EverQuest are adults with full-time jobs, and a typical player who spends 29 hours per week in Norrath, an artificial world, created online by participants in a computer game called EverQuest.

Castronova also believes that MMORPGs will offer social scientists, a valuable research tool. A synthetic world enables researchers to control variables as needed. Just as MMORPGs are useful in classrooms and social science labs, in which can serve a role in monetary policy research, suggests Castronova.

Editorial Reviews of Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games by Edward Castronova

Synthetic Worlds is a surprisingly profound book about the social, political, and economic issues arising from the emergence of vast multiplayer games on the Internet. What Castronova has realized is that these games, where players contribute considerable labor in exchange for things they value, are not merely like real economies, they are real economies, displaying inflation, fraud, Chinese sweatshops, and some surprising in-game innovations.

Tim Harford, Chronicle of Higher Education

There is a surprisingly large and growing number of people spending an astonishingly large amount of time - and financial resources - playing online games. These games build upon the platform of the Internet and enable users to interact in an increasingly realistic world. Synthetic Worlds introduces a wide range of perspectives to this important phenomenon. It is a valuable and informative book that makes a significant contribution to a growing and important area of social life.

Lawrence Lessig, author of Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity

Click here to read the book Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games by Edward Castronova from Amazon.