@Mictorrani

@Mictorrani 17 June 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 17 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 16**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-16-7ecc3d17 Answer to Quiz 16:1 *Agatha Christie wrote a book, "A Pocket Full of Rye", which is based on a nursery rhyme. There are three murders in the book. For the first one, a poison derived from a tree was used. What is this poison called?* *The same tree provides an ideal material for a once powerful military weapon. It has been claimed to have been decisive for the outcome of the "hundred years war" between France and England. What sort of weapon was that?* The poison was taxine, which is found in the yew (or yew tree), Taxus baccata. The red part of the berry is the only part of the yew which is completely free from poison. The red colour is a carotenoid. But note that the seeds within the berries are vary poisonous! If they are swallowed whole, however, they pass right through the body without releasing any taxine. But beware of chewing them! If you do, you can die. Children sometimes do, tempted by the red and tasty-looking berries. Taxine is a narcotic, and in the past it was sometimes used for suicide; or to generate abortion, often killing the mother on the way. In yew bark one has found a substance that stunts the growth of tumours. It also seems to suppress protozoic activity, something that could be useful for medical purposes. In Europe, the yew is probably the most long-lived tree. Two thousand years old ones are found in England. The yew provides a very hard, strong, and elastic wood, which is ideal for bows; and it was the material from which long-bows were made. The English archers, armed with these bows were a decisive force in some wars during the Middle Ages, most notably some stages of the hundred years war between England and France - a number of wars fought between the two countries during the period 1337-1453. Answer to Quiz 16:2 *In Germany, a style of art and design, in many ways a reaction against the industrialism, got its name after a publication, a name used in some other countries too.* *In France, the "new" style was called something else, a term used by the English as well.* *I ask for both these names, the German, and the French/English.* The style is called "Jugend" or "Art Nouveau". The German name is taken from "Die Jugend", a cultural periodical published in Munich from 1896. It is hard to give an exact definition of Art Nouveau, but it has its roots in England, in the Morris movement in the 1860s. There one tried to save art and design from the devastating effects of industrialism. Another point is that it was the first post-Renaissance European style not building on Graeco-Roman Antiquity. Instead influences were taken from the old Celts and Scandinavians; from China and Japan; and from Egypt. If you want to see examples, look at Casa Mila in Barcelona, by architect Antoni Gaudi; or at the art of Aubrey Beardsley, which combines drawing and ornament in a way being characteristic of Art Nouveau illustration. Answer to Quiz 16:3 *Which island in the West Indies was initially, by it's European discoverer, named after John the Baptist?* It was Puerto Rico, by Christopher Columbus named San Juan Bautista, John the Baptist. The town that grew where they landed was called Puerto Rico, the rich port. Later they switched the names. The town is now called San Juan, St. John, and the island Puerto Rico. @Adobe101 had the right answer. https://read.cash/@Adobe101 Answer to Quiz 16:4 *In the year 1900 Europe had two double monarchies. In 1920 none of them remained, each had been divided into two separate states. In one case into two monarchies, in the other into two republics; four countries still existing, although for some years in between one of them did not.* *Which are these four European countries?* The double monarchies were Austria-Hungary, and the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. The two latter are today two separate kingdoms; Austria and Hungary are two separate republics. The one which didn't exist all the time was Austria, which was part of Hitler's Third Reich after The Anschluss in 1938 and till the end of WWII. Answer to Quiz 16:5 *Which hormone regulates sleep, and in which gland is it produced?* The hormone is “melatonin”, and it is produced in the pineal gland. You can read more about melatonin and sleep in Blue Light, Blindness, Sleep Disorder & Cancer and about the pineal gland in The Pineal Gland - The Third Eye. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/blue-light-blindness-sleep-disorder-cancer-c2c94afb https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-pineal-gland-the-third-eye-fb223c5c Answer to Puzzle 16:6 *This sequence is based on a specific principle. Can you figure it out? The question this time is: which are the next two numbers?* *0 0 1 3 6 10 3 9 4 0 9 7 6 …* *Clue: A very common everyday object can offer some help.* The sequence continues with ...6 7. The everyday object that could provide help is a clock-face (old clock with hands). The sequence begins with zero, then add zero, then add 1 to the previous result, add 2 to that result, add 3, and so on. Add one more for each step. You get (0) (0+0=0) (0+1=1) (1+2=3) (3+3=6) (6+4=10). The next steps if you count on the clock is (10+5=15=3) (3+6=9). Continue in that way and you get the sequence in the question: 0 0 1 3 6 10 3 9 4 0 9 7 6... Then it becomes ...6 7 (the answer to the question) and further ... 9 0 4 9 3 10 6 3 1 0 0 1 3 6 10 3 9 4 0 9 7 6... As you can see, it is the same sequence repeated, alternately in the reversed and the original order, in all eternity. If you are a numerate person, you easily realise why. *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* *This time we have a theme: trains & railways. All the quizzes are in some sense related to that topic.* Quiz 17:1 In which country was the steam locomotive first introduced? Quiz 17:2 Future trains may very well use magnetic levitation instead of wheels on rails. Currently, there is only one such train-link in the world carrying passengers, it also happens to be the world's fastest train. In which country can you find that train? **Quiz 17:3** A famous Russian author died in a railway station. The main character of one of his most famous novels also had a death associated with trains. Who was the author, it's one of the greatest novelists of all times, and who was the main character of this novel? Quiz 17:4 Trains play a central role in several of Agatha Christie's books. I ask for the title of one of them, in which the bad main character goes under an alias, which is also a noble title. What is the name of this murder story? Quiz 17:5 In pop/rock music, synthesizers were gradually introduced during the 1970s. A German band, pioneers with their synthesizer-based music and machine-like style, made a song (in 1977) about a railway service, whose name is also the title of the song. Which band was it, and what is the name of the song? Quiz 17:6 In 1976, a famous English musician, one of the greatest rock artists of his era, released an album with a title indicating a train journey. The tile of this album (and title track) is mentioned in the lyrics to the song I asked for in the previous question. Who was the musician and what's the album called? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.*

@Mictorrani 14 June 2022

Suggested Reading 26 *In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading *This “Suggested Reading” comes late; it's roughly one and a half month since the last issue. I have been busy with my offline life; the last weeks I have neither published nor read as much here as I used to do before. That, however, doesn't mean that I would not be active here at all, just that my publishing frequency has been lower. I explained this in a recent post:* *A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing**.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-personal-message-my-presence-here-readcash-writing-75a7c8cd The whole cryptoverse is affected by falling prices of Bitcoin as well as of Altcoins. This is reflected in many writings. @Jnavedan has increasingly taken the role as the Devil's Advocate, becoming our own critical crypto philosopher. He is doing that in several thought-worthy articles, of which the most recent is Ramblings: Between stress and catharsis in dangerous times. Other good posts by @Jnavedan are, for instance: What is the main enemy of Bitcoin Cash?, Bitcoin evolution or money revolution? The cryptoverse, Bitcoin or CDBC? The ultimate dilemma and Hard Fork in Bitcoin: a means of self debugging or freedom strategy. This is no exhaustive list; for more posts by this author, see his profile. https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/ramblings-between-stress-and-catharsis-in-dangerous-times-d939df85 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/what-is-the-main-enemy-of-bitcoin-cash-b2bf2d50 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/bitcoin-evolution-or-money-revolution-the-cryptoverse-06e91283 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/bitcoin-or-cdbc-the-ultimate-dilemma-c3df3617 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/hard-fork-in-bitcoin-a-means-of-self-debugging-or-freedom-strategy-b64cdddb @annayks wrote Crypto Market Mayhem: Excruciating Pain and @PVMihalache published The Apocalypse's Cocktail - Covid-19 and Crypto. https://read.cash/@annayks https://read.cash/@annayks/crypto-market-mayhem-excruciating-pain-2e4c9670 https://read.cash/@PVMihalache https://read.cash/@PVMihalache/the-apocalypses-cocktail-covid-19-and-crypto-a4f6cb22 Before we leave the pessimistic and apocalyptic mood, read also this about health conspiracies: Why Does Big Tech Hide Natural Treatment of Monkeypox? by @Unity, and G.A.O. Report Says CDC & FDA Lied by @Bre. https://read.cash/@Unity/why-does-big-tech-hide-natural-treatment-of-monkeypox-038b8524 https://read.cash/@Bre/gao-report-says-cdc-fda-lied-bba63372 @R23 claims that Markets Can Flip In An Instant, and @JCnakama writes about The power of the media. In my opinion, the latter (@Jcnakama) has become one of the best authors here. Practically all his articles are well worth reading. For further reading, see his profile. https://read.cash/@R23 https://read.cash/@R23/markets-can-flip-in-an-instant-64898c56 https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/the-power-of-the-media-8b6ca4fa @Telesfor explains in a short post Why cryptocurrencies today are not cryptocurrencies at all. https://read.cash/@Telesfor https://read.cash/@Telesfor/why-cryptocurrencies-today-are-not-cryptocurrencies-at-all-f225919a @sanctuary.the-one-law recently published BCH Actualizing BitcoinCash Valuation, and @LiberLion wrote about The Blockchain as Sovereignty of the Individual. I also suggest you read Cryptoanarchy: Libertarianism and Voluntarism in the Blockchain by the same author. It might remove some misunderstandings of the involved concepts. https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law/bch-actualizing-bitcoincash-valuation-51e459d7 https://read.cash/@LiberLion https://read.cash/@LiberLion/the-blockchain-as-sovereignty-of-the-individual-57bcef15 https://read.cash/@LiberLion/cryptoanarchy-libertarianism-and-voluntarism-in-the-blockchain-bb50757c Let's include some practical crypto stuff: A Simple Trick To Protect Yourself In The DeFi Space and PayPal's Non-Custodial Enhancement Will Assist Adoption – both by @SapphireCrypto. I never use PayPal, I cannot judge about to what extent the recent enhancement is really useful, but I suppose it is important news for many of you. I want to include one other “practical” post as well: Floyx & SWFT Blockchain: the way to the NFT world by @ChrissCrypto. https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/a-simple-trick-to-protect-yourself-in-the-defi-space-cc54e932 https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/paypals-non-custodial-enhancement-will-assist-adoption-6c52dace https://read.cash/@ChrissCrypto/floyx-swft-blockchain-the-way-to-the-nft-world-0f44c7ea @valo writes about Artificial Intelligence in The Elusive Magic of Artificial Intelligence: Science Fiction or Reality? https://read.cash/@valo https://read.cash/@valo/the-elusive-magic-of-artificial-intelligence-science-fiction-or-reality-0418e3fd How badly did Putin's invasion affect the Ukrainian economy? asks @Cronos, in a not quite recent article. @Cronos is a good author who has written a large number of high quality articles, not at least about the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war. For more reading, visit his profile. https://read.cash/@Cronos/how-badly-did-putins-invasion-affect-the-ukrainian-economy-7cbbcf8d @Mystery946 writes about moral decadence, which seems to be a worldwide trend. She writes about Africa, but her observations are in no way limited to that continent. https://read.cash/@Mystery946 @raojunaid explains how to Surviving Extreme Times by Building Versatility! I definitely agree with point of this article. Versatility is strongly connected with survival ability in a crisis. https://read.cash/@raojunaid https://read.cash/@raojunaid/surviving-extreme-times-by-building-versatility-2f1cca07 Starting small is always helpful when trying to make your dreams come true claims @julioborgues – and he is absolutely right. My loyal readers know how I favour The Power Of Graduality. It means: build everything in small gradual steps. https://read.cash/@julioborgues/starting-small-is-always-helpful-when-trying-to-make-your-dreams-come-true-6a2a2fd6 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-power-of-graduality-7432c3a0 @fantagira writes about how Tough decisions have to be made. This is a personal story, but it has a message as well. https://read.cash/@fantagira https://read.cash/@fantagira/tough-decisions-have-to-be-made-146beb42 Observe The World And Notice Things, says @frdchckn – while @Jher0122 claims (rightly so) that Everyone have eyes but some can't really see. https://read.cash/@frdchckn/observe-the-world-and-notice-things-d0216abe https://read.cash/@Jher0122 https://read.cash/@Jher0122/everyone-have-eyes-but-some-cant-really-see-e51ae04b @Lucifer01 wrote about time management in Managing Time: Ready, Steady, Po!. He also wrote about healing, in To heal a wound, you need to stop touching it. https://read.cash/@Lucifer01 https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/managing-time-ready-steady-po-2984f980 https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/to-heal-a-wound-you-need-to-stop-touching-it-59c560ab @Luna1999 also writes about healing, in Self-healing, to be strong in facing life's problems that occur. I would recommend her Enjoyment and satisfaction of one's life as well. https://read.cash/@Luna1999 https://read.cash/@Luna1999/self-healing-to-be-strong-in-facing-lifes-problems-that-occur-c7d910a0 https://read.cash/@Luna1999/enjoyment-and-satisfaction-of-ones-life-7277cee7 @daffaputra claims that Our attention is the most precious treasure. Another article by the same author: Contextual spirituality for self-awareness. https://read.cash/@daffaputra https://read.cash/@daffaputra/our-attention-is-the-most-precious-treasure-f38f462c https://read.cash/@daffaputra/contextual-spirituality-for-self-awareness-0647035d One of those authors I often have the reason to bring up here, is @Gemstone : This time, read Freewrite: When To Quit?, Change The Course Of Your Life and, not least, the excellent Philosophy: The Power Of Happiness. https://read.cash/@Gemstone https://read.cash/@Gemstone/freewrite-when-to-quit-eee89fae https://read.cash/@Gemstone/change-the-course-of-your-life-5d908080 https://read.cash/@Gemstone/philosophy-the-power-of-happiness-e2f270f6 Don't just jump into a decision - Sit down and think, says @Captainkay. https://read.cash/@Captainkay/dont-just-jump-into-a-decision-sit-down-and-think-79d6a467 @Eirolfeam2 tells us about Habits We Should Get Rid Of If We Want to Be Rich, while @Zahid001 claims that A Lie needs more lies to survive. This reminds me of the old saying that “a liar needs a good memory.” https://read.cash/@Eirolfeam2 https://read.cash/@Eirolfeam2/habits-we-should-get-rid-of-if-we-want-to-be-rich-3f5b4275 https://read.cash/@Zahid001 https://read.cash/@Zahid001/a-lie-needs-more-lies-to-survive-e0c523e7 @Tahaintazar wrote about Mobile phone addiction, while @Black_Angel discusses How can social media affect you? https://read.cash/@Tahaintazar https://read.cash/@Tahaintazar/mobile-phone-addiction-427591ed https://read.cash/@Black_Angel https://read.cash/@Black_Angel/how-can-social-media-affect-you-d8498dd2 *It has been such a long time since I published a “Suggested Reading” so I cannot include all articles I have in my own list. Indeed, I have to skip whole topics here, lest this survey becomes too long. But don't despair, I will keep them until the next issue, which will come relatively soon.* Let's just end this issue with Gallery Raid: Most Beautiful Pics in My Phone!!! by @Theblackdoll . I'm especially fascinated by her photo of a dragonfly. With its minimum of colour, the atmosphere of the photo is slightly dramatic, while the dragonfly is exposed in great detail. One can even discern the structural pattern of the wings. https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/gallery-raid-most-beautiful-pics-in-my-phone-d6d0a4e4 Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 My 5 most recent articles: Quizzes & Puzzles 16 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-16-7ecc3d17 A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-personal-message-my-presence-here-readcash-writing-75a7c8cd Quizzes & Puzzles 15 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-15-ee4bf48d Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-vulture-pharaohs-two-ladies-ornithology-ancient-mythology-3670fc77 Quizzes & Puzzles 14 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-14-1756deb2

@Mictorrani 12 June 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 16 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 15**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-15-ee4bf48d Answer to Quiz 15:1 “*Once upon a time, somewhere, a horse was formally made a senator. What was the name of the horse, and where did this take place?”* The horse that became a senator was Incitatus (originally Porcellus), and it happened in Rome. He was elevated to this for a horse remarkable position by the emperor Caligula (reigning 37-41 AD), even by Roman standards an uncommonly disgusting ruler. Incitatus, who was close to reach the consulship when Caligula was murdered, was removed from office by the next emperor, Caligula's uncle Claudius, officially for lacking the (for a senator) required financial resources. By that and other similar measures, Claudius, who was a clever and diplomatic man, smoothly cleansed Rome from the visible consequences of his predecessor's madness. Incitatus was allowed to retire to a, for a horse, more natural and appealing life. As Caligula's senator, he had had to suffer a marble-covered sleeping room, a golden bowl to drink from, and human luxury foods; the latter inedible for a normally grazing animal. Answer to Quiz 15:2 *Which vitamin are you missing if you suffer from:* *Pellagra?* *Scurvy?* *Rickets?* **Niacin** (vitamin B3), **vitamin C**, and **vitamin D**. Answer to Quiz 15:3 *How is “satisfaction” connected with old Egypt?* The word "satisfy", stems from the female Egyptian deity "Satis", who was a goddess of the flood, meaning "enough". Does modern English have more words derived from one of the world's oldest languages, Old Egyptian? Yes it does. It is not always acknowledged in dictionaries; modern etymologists sometimes get stuck when they reach back to Latin or Greek, unable to go any further - but there are several words. "Ebony" and "ivory" are two, which are generally acknowledged to have old Egyptian origin. Two words probably stemming from old Egypt are "nebula" and "whippet", although they remain matters of debate. Nebula is an astronomical phenomenon and the concept is comparatively new. Its first documented use was in the 1730s. "Nebulous", from which it is derived, is older and came from Old Greek, "nephele" or "nephos" [cloud]. Etymological dictionaries often let its origin disappear in what they call Proto-Indo-European, which is a hypothetical language that would be the origin of the whole Indo-European family of languages. In this imagined language, "neph" would mean "cloud", "fog" or "sky". A more likely origin is Old Egyptian "neb", the spiralling force of the universe. "Whippet", a small breed of greyhounds, can possibly be derived from Old Egyptian "Upaut", which was a canine deity, "The Opener of Ways". https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/other-dog-like-deities-of-egypt-wepwawet-khentymentiu-sothis-a9d85827#wepwawet Other examples of modern English words with roots in Old Egyptian are: *arm, endive, gum, bark, natron, ammoniac,* and *aura*. Answer to Quiz 15:4 *Who was Akira Kurosawa? What was his profession?* Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) was one of the most important film-makers in history, and definitely one of the greatest Japanese film directors ever. @Adobe101 had the right answer. https://read.cash/@Adobe101 Answer to Quiz 15:5 *What is Popul Vuh, and with which people/culture is it associated?* It is associated with the Mesoamerican Maya culture. Popul Vuh is a Latin script text of older oral traditions, or possibly lost Maya writings. It covers certain aspects of the Maya mythology. Answer to Quiz 15:6 *This is an anonymous painting showing John of Austria, Marcantonio Colonna, and Sebastiano Venier. (Image is in the Public Domain. The original in Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.)* *These three were considered the victors of a famous and decisive battle in history – what battle?* They are seen as the victors of the sea battle of ***Lepanto*** in 1571. This battle was a turning point in history, as the Ottoman (Turkish) fleet was defeated, and Ottoman expansion into Europe came to a halt. *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* Quiz 16:1 Agatha Christie wrote a book, "A Pocket Full of Rye", which is based on a nursery rhyme. There are three murders in the book. For the first one, a poison derived from a tree was used. What is this poison called? The same tree provides an ideal material for a once powerful military weapon. It has been claimed to have been decisive for the outcome of the "hundred years war" between France and England. What sort of weapon was that? Quiz 16:2 In Germany, a style of art and design, in many ways a reaction against the industrialism, got its name after a publication, a name used in some other countries too. In France, the "new" style was called something else, a term used by the English as well. I ask for both these names, the German, and the French/English. Quiz 16:3 Which island in the West Indies was initially, by it's European discoverer, named after John the Baptist? Quiz 16:4 In the year 1900 Europe had two double monarchies. In 1920 none of them remained, each had been divided into two separate states. In one case into two monarchies, in the other into two republics; four countries still existing, although for some years in between one of them did not. Which are these four European countries? Quiz 16:5 Which hormone regulates sleep, and in which gland is it produced? Puzzle 16:6 This sequence is based on a specific principle. Can you figure it out? The question this time is: which are the next two numbers? 0 0 1 3 6 10 3 9 4 0 9 7 6 ... Clue: A very common everyday object can offer some help. **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain* Some recent articles: A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-personal-message-my-presence-here-readcash-writing-75a7c8cd Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-vulture-pharaohs-two-ladies-ornithology-ancient-mythology-3670fc77 The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-advantages-of-e-publishing-and-why-it-is-a-suitable-crypto-business-e1d08d7b My Communities - Rules & Updates (May 2022) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/my-communities-rules-updates-may-2022-18cfc099 Retrospection 15 – Summing up Nutrients & Dietary Supplements https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/retrospection-15-summing-up-nutrients-dietary-supplements-49028a4a

@Mictorrani 11 June 2022

A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing Those of you who have followed me here for a long time, have probably noticed that my publishing frequency here is lower than before. It is easy to believe that the reason would be the lower tips from Rusty these days, but that is really secondary; I started to lower the publishing tempo quite long before the present fall in tips. The main reason is simply lack of time. Other projects claim my time and certain events in my offline life require more of my attention; I have less time available for as well writing as reading on Read.cash. It doesn't mean that I am on my way to disappear, at least not right now, just that I will be here a little less. As for the future of Read.cash, none of us know anything for sure about that. If the tips are fading away, it is likely that many members will leave the platform and then Read.cash will lose its specific dynamics. It would be a pity, because it has evolved to a place with a very special atmosphere. For the moment, and until further notice, I will continue my two series, *“Quizzes & Puzzles”* and *“Suggested Reading”.* They are both rather popular, and I think they fill a function. Other articles have a lower priority and will turn up when I have time available. Unlike many others, I feel no pressure that I would have to publish something every day. In the long run, it is better not to do so – otherwise readers become oversaturated. That is especially the case with very clearly niched writers, but to some extent it holds for everyone. Incidentally, someone being very clearly niched will always become boring quickly. There is no topic in the world anyone can write about every day without repeating themselves or becoming so predictive that one knows what they will say before they say it. That's one reason why I personally like versatile authors, or versatile people in general. Just as I have seen others discuss, my sponsorship payments are also stuck on “pending”. I cannot do anything about that... just wait and see if it will be fixed. However, without mentioning specific names (you know who you are) I want to take this opportunity to thank sponsors, present or previous, as well as subscribers, upvoters, commentators, and other readers. As for my communities, until further notice I will continue to moderate them regularly . https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/my-communities-rules-updates-may-2022-18cfc099 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Thumbnail is mine. Copyright © Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.)* **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 11 selected older articles: Causality, Reversed Causality & Coincidence: Thinking, Politics & Ageing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/causality-reversed-causality-coincidence-thinking-politics-ageing-d2223b4d From the Sacred Cobras of Egypt to Quezalcoatl: Serpents & Snakes in Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/from-the-sacred-cobras-of-egypt-to-quezalcoatl-serpents-snakes-in-mythology-fc2039be The Green Man I: From the Celts to Old Egypt & Sumer https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-green-man-i-from-the-celts-to-old-egypt-sumer-89ced343 History – Understand the Present by Understanding the Past https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-understand-the-present-by-understanding-the-past-54e66be9 Continents - Real & Mythical https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/continents-real-and-mythical-dfbbd954 Why are Number 13 & Friday the 13th Associated with Bad Luck? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-are-number-13-friday-the-13th-associated-with-bad-luck-ad4e06a7 Crows, Ravens & Tengu https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/crows-ravens-tengu-d4fffba1 Self-Knowledge & The Power Within https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/self-knowledge-the-power-within-e05bf3dc Old-Fashioned or Modern? Don't Care about Zeitgeist, Care about Quality https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/old-fashioned-or-modern-dont-care-about-zeitgeist-care-about-quality-a3d429bc The Human Predisposition to Schism - and What it Means to Bitcoin https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-human-predisposition-to-schism-and-what-it-means-to-bitcoin-897235b2 What You Need to Know about Copyright https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/what-you-need-to-know-about-copyright-a3462799

@Mictorrani 3 June 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 15 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 14**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-14-1756deb2 Answer to Quiz 14:1 *Which author wrote:* **“*****I have great faith in fools — self-confidence my friends will call it.”*** This was written by ***Edgar Allan Poe*** in his “*Marginalia”.* You can read more about Poe in my Poe: A Personal View. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/poe-a-personal-view-d1e75708 **Answer to Quiz 14:2** *There are many Roman Catholics here; let's see how much you know about papal heraldry... Pope Benedict XVI broke with tradition in a detail concerning papal symbols. He changed something. What?* Pope Benedict XVI broke with tradition in that he substituted a mitre for the tiara in the crest of the papal coat-of-arms. It sounds like a trifle, but was actually a strong marking of a change in the pope's self-image. The present pope chose to follow the same line. You can see the mitre (the headgear at the top) at the coat of arms of Pope Francis. And on this page you can see the coats of arms of the three most recent popes, with the possibility to compare the mitre used by the last two with the tiara used by John Paul II. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/elezione/stemma-papa-francesco.html https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/insigne/sp_ss_scv_stemma-bandiera-sigillo_en.html#Stemma%20di%20Sua%20Santit%C3%A0%20Giovanni%20Paolo%20II **Answer to Quiz 14:3** *You have all seen or heard of rasta braids, dreadlocks. But why is it called “rasta”? From “Rastafarians”, okay, but what is the origin of that word?* The origin is the original name of Ethiopia's emperor Haile Selassie, who, before he ascended the throne in 1930, was named Tafari Makonnen. He also got the title Ras, a mark of high nobility, and was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen. There you have it: Ras Tafari. Haile Selassie was seen by the Rastafarians as a sort of Messiah, or the second coming of Jesus, and they believed that he would never die. Haile Selassie himself denied all such claims. **Answer to Quiz 14:4** … *look at the following and tell me which of these fruits are berries botanically. And note that I do not say how many they are.* *Blueberry* *Strawberry* *Apple* *Banana* *Raspberry* *Kiwi* *Rowanberry* *Cherry* *Papaya* Botanically, the following are berries: blueberry, banana, kiwi, rowan berry and papaya. Strawberry and raspberry are aggregate fruits. Cherry is a stonefruit (related to plums and peaches). Apple is a completely different fruit that doesn't belong here at all. Answer to Quiz 14:5 *When is a ring a square?* A boxing ring is a square (as @MD_Tibro correctly answered). https://read.cash/@MD_Tibro Answer to Quiz 14:6 *All of you have read murder stories or seen crime series and movies; what is “rigor mortis” and how can it help in a criminal investigation?* Due to chemical changes in a dead body, the muscles become stiff. Stiffness appears gradually, starting in the face about two hours after death. It develops further through the body until the whole body is stiff about six to eight hours after death. The stiffness disappears about a day after death. This stiffness is called “rigor mortis”. Since the progressing rigor mortis is relatively predictive, the level of stiffness in the body can often be used to determine how long time has passed since death. In practice, it is not always that straightforward and clear, but it's the principle. @Sydney2 was on the right track here, even if her answer was incomplete. https://read.cash/@Sydney2 Quiz 15:1 Once upon a time, somewhere, a horse was formally made a senator. What was the name of the horse, and where did this take place? Quiz 15:2 Acute deficiency of certain vitamins (avitaminosis) manifests itself as specified and named illnesses. Which vitamin are you missing if you suffer from: Pellagra? Scurvy? Rickets? Quiz 15:3 How is “satisfaction” connected with old Egypt? Quiz 15:4 Who was Akira Kurosawa? What was his profession? Quiz 15:5 What is Popul Vuh, and with which people/culture is it associated? Quiz 15:6 This is an anonymous painting showing John of Austria, Marcantonio Colonna, and Sebastiano Venier. (Image is in the Public Domain. The original in Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.) These three were considered the victors of a famous and decisive battle in history – what battle? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain* Some recent articles: Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-vulture-pharaohs-two-ladies-ornithology-ancient-mythology-3670fc77 The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-advantages-of-e-publishing-and-why-it-is-a-suitable-crypto-business-e1d08d7b My Communities - Rules & Updates (May 2022) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/my-communities-rules-updates-may-2022-18cfc099 Retrospection 15 – Summing up Nutrients & Dietary Supplements https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/retrospection-15-summing-up-nutrients-dietary-supplements-49028a4a Audiobooks & Radio Dramas: Only Substitutes for Real Books & Theatre? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/audiobooks-radio-dramas-only-substitutes-for-real-books-theatre-bae1c613

@Mictorrani 31 May 2022

Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology *We will return to an old topic of mine, Ancient Egypt - but we will start that journey into the past with a threatened species from contemporary wildlife. After that we'll go back to Pharaonic time, to Nekhbet and Wadjet, Pharaoh's Two Ladies, and the Pharaonic crowns of old Egypt.* Egyptian Vulture The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) has great cultural-historical significance. The species is found in the Mediterranean area and eastwards all the way to India. Unfortunately, the number of individuals of this species has decreased drastically in a few decades; today, the Egyptian vulture is an acutely endangered species. In English, this bird of prey is called "Egyptian vulture" and sometimes Pharaoh's chicken. It is considered to belong to the oldest branch of vulture evolution. The name Neophron, comes from Greek mythology and there is a macabre story about this. Aegypios, Neophron's friend, had a love story with Timandra, Neophron's mother. Neophron was upset about this relationship and wanted revenge. He, in turn, managed to seduce Aegypio's mother, Bulis, and get her to enter the dark room where Timandra and Aegypios would soon meet. He then delayed his mother's entry into the room while forcing Aegypios to enter and, by mistake, have sex with his own mother. When Bulis, Aegypio's mother, discovered this, she stuck out her son's eyes and then committed suicide. Aegypius asked Zeus for revenge, whereupon Zeus turned Aegypios and Nephron into vultures. The second part of the name Neophron percnopterus, means "black-winged". The name comes from Linnaeus, who in 1758 (in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae), gave the bird the systematic name Vultur percnopterus. Calling this vulture "black-winged" sounds excessive - but even though an adult bird is mainly white, it has black feathers on its wings. In ancient Egypt, the vulture was a royal symbol, consecrated to Isis, and Pharaonic law protected it. At that time, it is said to have been a common sight on the streets of cities. The vulture was also associated with the goddesses Mut and Nekhbet, and it also exists as a hieroglyphic sign; it stands for the glottal sound / ɑː /. In the Bible, the Egyptian vulture is mentioned by its Hebrew name, ***racham,*** or *rachamah.* In Arabic it is called *al-rakhmat al-misriyya.* Pharaoh's Two Ladies: Nekhbet & Wadjet Nekhbet is a very old Egyptian goddess, who eventually came to become the protector of Upper Egypt (South Egypt) - and when Egypt was unified, she remained one of *nebty*, Pharaoh's two ladies, symbolising Upper Egypt. She was also associated with the crown of Upper Egypt: *hedjet*, the white crown. The other of Pharaoh's two ladies was Wadjet, the protector of Lower Egypt (North). She was associated with the royal cobra and with the crown of Lower Egypt: *deshret*, the red crown. Pharaoh had a double-crown to represent his position as ruler over both the realms, upper and lower Egypt. It was called *pschent*, and was a combination of *hedjet* and *deshret*, the white crown and the red crown. Mut Mut was the goddess of Thebes. She was associated with motherhood, and also with the vulture. So their word for vulture and mother were one and the same: *mwt*. Over time, the importance and characteristics of Mut changed and she came to be associated with other symbols as well. *Copyright © 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.* All my articles about Egypt can be found here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#egyptology **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 **Images, in order of appearance** *Egyptian Vulture.* Photo: Wildfaces/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. *Egyptian Vulture.* Photo: fda54/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. (Also lead image.) *From a temple in Kom Ombo.* Photo: LorettaLynn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.

@Mictorrani 29 May 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 14 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 13**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-13-8d1db59e Answer to Quiz 13:1 *What was the name of the crocodile god of old Egypt?* It was ***Sobek***. You can read about ***Sobek*** and the sacred city ***Crocodilopolis*** in my article, The Sacred Crocodiles of Egypt. More about crocodiles and Ancient Egypt is found in The Crocodile, a Symbol of Egypt?, in which I discuss the meaning of the crocodile for Cleopatra and the Ptolemaic Dynasty in general. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-sacred-crocodiles-of-egypt-635185a8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-crocodile-a-symbol-of-egypt-6330b5af Answer to Quiz 13:2 *Which of the following is a genuine nut?* *Coconut?* *Pistachio?* *Walnut?* *Peanut?* *Almond?* The correct answer is that none of these is a true nut. Peanut is more a pea than a nut; it is a legume, related with beans and peas. The others are drupes. Examples of true nuts are for instance hazelnut and chestnut. Answer to Quiz 13:3 *There are different legends about the foundation of Rome. One of the best known stories attributes the foundation of this city to a pair of twins. What were their names?* The twins were ***Romulus*** and ***Remus***. Romulus murdered Remus (or had him murdered) – an example of a recurring theme in mythologies: fratricide (compare Cain & Abel). The story is long and beyond the scope of this post. Answer to Quiz 13:4 *Who was the first ruler who used the title “Sultan”?* It was ***Mahmud Ghaznavi*** (979-1030), the Ghaznavidian Sultan in Ghazni, in Afghanistan. He also founded the Indian Delhi Sultanate. The image below shows Mahmud Ghaznavi (the man in red). It's a painting by Kamal-ud-din Bihzad (Persian artist from about 1450-1535). You can read more about Mahmud Ghaznavi and the Sultan title in Muslim Titles: Caliph, Sultan, Vizier. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/muslim-titles-caliph-sultan-vizier-7277fbd0 Answer to Quiz 13:5 *What is the most common metal on Earth (in the crust)?* It is ***Aluminium***. **Answer to Quiz 13:6** *Many animals have something called* ***Jacobson's organ,*** *what function is it involved in?* Smelling. It detects odour particles being moist-borne, contrary to airborne particles, which are detected by olfactory sensory cells in the nose – what we commonly call smelling. *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* Quiz 14:1 Which author wrote: **“*****I have great faith in fools — self-confidence my friends will call it.”*** As a clue I can say that the quote is taken from “Marginalia”, which was published in 1844. Quiz 14:2 There are many Roman Catholics here; let's see how much you know about papal heraldry. Pope Benedict XVI broke with tradition in a detail concerning papal symbols. He changed something. What? Quiz 14:3 You have all seen or heard of rasta braids, dreadlocks. But why is it called “rasta”? From “Rastafarians”, okay, but what is the origin of that word? Quiz 14:4 Last time I asked for genuine nuts, given that language and botany is sometimes in conflict. This time I will ask about berries. What's botanically a berry is not always what people call a berry. So look at the following and tell me which of these fruits are berries botanically. And note that I do not say how many they are. Blueberry Strawberry Apple Banana Raspberry Kiwi Rowan berry Cherry Papaya Quiz 14:5 When is a ring a square? Quiz 14:6 All of you have read murder stories or seen crime series and movies; what is “rigor mortis” and how can it help in a criminal investigation? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* *Other images:* *Chestnut, by pixel2013/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.* *Mahmud Ghaznavi, painting by Kamal-ud-din Bihzad, Public Domain.* My 5 most recent articles: The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-advantages-of-e-publishing-and-why-it-is-a-suitable-crypto-business-e1d08d7b My Communities - Rules & Updates (May 2022) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/my-communities-rules-updates-may-2022-18cfc099 Quizzes & Puzzles 13 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-13-8d1db59e Retrospection 15 – Summing up Nutrients & Dietary Supplements https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/retrospection-15-summing-up-nutrients-dietary-supplements-49028a4a Audiobooks & Radio Dramas: Only Substitutes for Real Books & Theatre? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/audiobooks-radio-dramas-only-substitutes-for-real-books-theatre-bae1c613

@Mictorrani 28 May 2022

The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business *In this article publishing refers to writing and publishing for money.* I. Traditional Publishing vs. E-Publishing What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-publishing compared to traditional publishing? As an author, I have extensive experience of traditional publishing since many decades and are well aware of its pros and cons, but since many years I'm also into e-publishing. The only disadvantage it offers, is that the readership is limited to those with internet (and the significance of that limit is gradually diminishing), otherwise, as I see it, there are only advantages. Let's look at them by comparing to traditional publishing point by point. They can be grouped into three categories: ***control,*** ***economy*** and ***environment***. Control In traditional publishing, you submit your material to a publisher, and then you often lose control of it. It is edited by someone, perhaps someone else chooses pictures and fonts and makes the visual design of the book. Of course it possible to regulate this in a contract, but few authors think of that before it is too late. It is also difficult to require limitation to the publisher's freedom before you are an established writer, really attractive to the publisher. And if you are too difficult and have too many requirements on everything, the publisher might choose not to do business with you. After all, he knows his business and he has invested money in you. He pays for printing, distribution, advertising, and all those costs that precede any income. If your book fails, his money is lost. From that perspective he has the right to make decision about how the material is packed and presented. Self-publishing is a possibility, but that requires considerable resources. Then you must be able to finance all those things yourself. For e-publishing, you can easily do all this yourself, if you so prefer and if you have the knowledge to do it. The costs are negligible. (See why it is so on *Economy* below.) That means that you can retain control of all aspects of your creation. Economy The financial advantages of e-publishing compared to traditional publishing are obvious: When a traditional book or magazine is printed, printing itself costs money. But that is not all. You must have a fixed edition. It means that you print, for instance, 10000 copies of a book. These copies must be stored, which isn't free. They also must be distributed to points of sale. Transports costs money. Perhaps all are not sold, then you lose income from a part of the edition. In the end it may have to be destroyed or sold without profit, just to stop additional storage costs. If the edition is fully sold, there might be a new edition. The same procedure applies again. And you cannot make corrections, except before a new edition. In e-publishing, there is no printing, essentially no storage costs or transport costs, and an edition can never be sold out, it exists until you choose to withdraw it. Indeed, you need to keep only one copy of the file, then you make a copy each time you sell one; that is negligible storage. (Of course you should also keep backup copies of everything.) Transportation/delivery is by email, or by downloading from a website. Corrections of errors can be made at any time and if you feel you want to make an updated version, you can do that any time you want. Assuming that you have internet anyway, advertising is the only factual cost that remains, although there are alternative marketing forms available as well. That is, expense, counted as money. Your other cost is time. But it takes time to write a manuscript to a traditionally published book or magazine as well. It might require a little more time, though, if you are handling all the details yourself, even apart from the writing. Anyone still doubting that e-publishing is better than traditional publishing? Let's look at another aspect then. Environment Creating physical books and other printed matters require physical material - mainly paper, but also ink, glue and several other substances. How much forest could be saved if most of the printed paper in the world was replaced with digital files? How many trees must die because humans want books? E-books require no trees. Transportation and distribution of physical books (etc.) contributes to environmental pollution; it takes fuel, much of which is based on petroleum. E-mailing does not, it is good for the environment. Admittedly, internet, computers and emailing also take some energy, completely in the form of electricity, and electricity is not always produced in a way that is friendly to the environment. However, the amount of energy required for the production of an e-book, from writing the first word and all the way until it is delivered to a reader, is very small compared to the production of a physical book. This calculus does not pay attention to the environmental strain caused by the production and distribution of computers, simply because we do not think that computers are made or distributed especially for creating e-books. They are already there anyway. **II. E-Publishing, Suitable for a Crypto-Economy?** One of the difficulties with cryptocurrency so far, has been its volatility. Bitcoin can drastically fluctuate in value over a day. This has stimulated speculation, but we may not forget that bitcoin is created to be a currency, to pay and be paid with, a currency for business of any description. The fast change of value up and down poses a risk for many forms of merchants. It needs to reach a stage of greater stability before it can be mass adopted for day-to-day business. Why does the volatility cause problems? To be profitable, a business must get in more than they spend. Temporarily, it can manage if inflow and outflow is the same. But if the inflow is lower than the outflow, then it soon goes bankrupt. But if you buy parts to – say – a car, and sells it for more than you paid for the parts, you make a profit. No problem... or is there? If you buy the parts for – say – US$, and sells the car for bitcoin corresponding to more US$ than you paid for the parts, bitcoin can fall before you have exchanged some of them to US$ so you can buy parts to your next car. Indeed, you can end up with a loss, where you cannot afford to buy parts again. That's one reason why bitcoin has not become a greater success than it is. This problem, of course, would disappear if bitcoin was more generally used, so you could also buy the parts with bitcoin, never having to change or relate to US$. I think we approach such a situation, when more businesses can have its whole financial inflow and outflow in bitcoin, eliminating the exchanges. But that is coming rather slowly and gradually. I would say that e-publishing is relatively suitable for cryptocurrency, because its costs, in money, are small. The payment is not mainly to cover purchase of raw material, but as compensation for immaterial work – your time. Thinking, research and writing are not bought, you don't pay for them; you spend your time for them. Of course there must a reasonable compensation for your time, but if received bitcoins swing in value, it doesn't pose any immediate problem for your business. If they fall, so what? You don't need to buy new parts or raw material, or pay for transportation to keep your business alive, just hang on to your bitcoins and continue the work, and they will sooner or later rise again. Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved. *(Thumbnail by MorningbirdPhoto/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Here you find my crypto-related writings. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#cryptocurrency-amp-digital-money

@Mictorrani 27 May 2022

My Communities - Rules & Updates (May 2022) Read.cash is not static; it evolves. That, and experience of moderation at this platform for more than two years, justify updated and clarified community rules. Below you find rules applicable for all my presently active communities. This post suspends and replaces all previous presentations of rules. A list of the communities follows after the rules. You are welcome to submit articles, but please keep to the respective topics and follow the rules. Rules: ***1. No off-topic material.*** It is not uncommon that people submit their posts to any community whatsoever. For instance, it has happened that I have received articles about physics or personal life journeys to the community dedicated to Japanese culture and cultural history Such submissions are a waste of time, both yours and mine. Please make sure your topic matches the community definitions before submitting material. ***2. Material must be in English.*** If your English is not perfect, I will be tolerant about that to an extent, so you can practise and learn. Occasionally, however, I would give suggestions to corrections and improvements. If you don't pay attention to that, I might remove your article from the community again after some time. My goal is to have communities with high quality material. *But please note that articles in other languages than English will be rejected. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad, just that they don't suit into these communities.* ***3. Plagiarism is not tolerated.*** Controls are thorough and moderation is strict. If you are unsure about how copyright works, please read “What You Need to Know about Copyright “. Please also pay attention to the copyright status of any image you use. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/what-you-need-to-know-about-copyright-a3462799 ***4. Translated texts are not allowed unless you are the author of the original text yourself.*** ***5. Quotes must be clearly marked as quotes by the use of citation marks (“) or quoting blocks.*** Quotes may be translated. ***6. Minimum length of an article is 3 minutes estimated reading time.*** Articles being shorter than that will be rejected on the basis of being too short. **Occasional exceptions can be made at the discretion of the moderator.** (The limit here was 4 minutes before, but I decided to change that because much submitted good material was between 3 and 4 minutes, and it would be a pity to reject all of it.) ***7. Only full articles. Short posts are not accepted.*** ***8. Edit your text before submission. Hundreds of articles have been rejected for careless editing. Learn to use punctuation, capitalise correctly, and divide your text in sentences and paragraphs. Think of the reader; the text must be easy to read and understand.*** The Communities: (This list will be used for reference and it will be updated when applicable.) ***Japanese Art & Cultural History (7c1f)*** https://read.cash/c/japanese-art-cultural-history-7c1f Articles about Japanese Culture, Art, History and Folklore. Not contemporary travelling. ***Numbers (7b6a)*** https://read.cash/c/numbers-7b6a Articles about Numerology, Number Magic, Number Games, Mathematics - generally, anything about Numbers, directly or indirectly. ***The Mechanisms of Health (d52e)*** https://read.cash/c/the-mechanisms-of-health-d52e Health and Medicine, but articles must explain something essential, not just list symptoms or properties of an organ. It should go a bit deeper into the subject. And no Covid-19. There is a special community for that (see below). ***Covid-19 (8ee8)*** https://read.cash/c/covid-19-8ee8 Articles about Covid-19 and its consequences. Not local reports of spread etc. It is about Covid-19, not about specific countries and places. ***The Power of Words (4be2)*** https://read.cash/c/the-power-of-words-4be2 Function of words, meaning of words, power of words, deception with words, history of words (Etymology)... anything about words, phrases and language. ***Natural Science (1c4e)*** https://read.cash/c/natural-science-1c4e This covers natural sciences except health and medicine. For example: Palaeontology, Biology, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Geology, Physics, Astronomy, and so on... ***History, Myths, Legends & Mysteries (be45)*** https://read.cash/c/history-myths-legends-mysteries-be45 The name says it. ***Mind, Perception & Thought (c7a5)*** https://read.cash/c/mind-perception-thought-c7a5 Articles about philosophy, psychology, perception and all their borderlands. But it should be well thought and well written. ***About Communities, Moderation and Combatting Plagiarism & Spam (ba97)*** https://read.cash/c/about-communities-moderation-and-combatting-plagiarism-spam-ba97 This is a community especially dedicated to moderators and communities as such. You can also post announcements about your community. Previous, but Removed Communities: ***Coffee (History, Culture, Science, Health) (3e1d)*** **Community closed and Abandoned.** The material can now be found in The Mechanisms of Health (d52e) and History, Myths, Legends & Mysteries (be45). Links above. https://read.cash/c/coffee-history-culture-science-health-3e1d ***Evolution & Paleontology (a9f5)*** **Community Closed and Abandoned.** Paleontology, including Dinosaurs and evolution in general, are now included in Natural Science (1c4e). Link above. https://read.cash/c/evolution-paleontology-a9f5 For the Benefit of my Readers: As an author I cover a large number of topics, so it is hard to find what I write about a specific subject here at Read.cash. For that reason, I have created a tool which might be useful: a continuously updated “**Index over my Articles at Read-cash**”, where I have listed a large number of subjects and in which articles you can find respective topics. Everything with links. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 I suggest other authors to do the same, especially if their production here is diverse. Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. You find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic, here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34

@Mictorrani 23 May 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 13 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 12**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-12-ef131b0e Answer to Quiz 12:1 *Which is the oldest national flag still in use?* That is said to be the ***Danish flag***, *Dannebrog.* According to legend, the design was seen for the first time in 1219, at the battle of Lyndanisse, but there is no documentary proof of that. The oldest document showing it is *Gelre Armorial,* from the middle of the 1300s. However, the present Danish flag (image above) is not identical to the old one, which had a symmetric cross with the centre in the middle. The Nordic cross (with the centre slightly to the left) is documented from 1748. You can read more about the Nordic Cross in Nisshōki, Taegeukgi & the Nordic Cross. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nisshoki-taegeukgi-the-nordic-cross-d2122aac Answer to Quiz 12:2 *What causes the illness schistosomiasis?* The answer is ***parasitic worms***. This illness is also known as ***Bilharzia***. Answer to Quiz 12:3 “*Guernica” is famous, but what is it?* It is a ***painting by Picasso***, arguably one of his most famous works. It is also the name of a Basque town. It was bombed in 1937, during the Spanish civil war, an event that inspired Picasso to create this painting as a protest against the war. (For copyright reasons, I cannot display the painting here.) **Answer to Quiz 12:4** *What is “the Pythagorean comma”?* As an answer, I quote section VI, of my article The Octave & The Music of the Spheres. This is a little technical, but should be understood by everyone who knows something about music theory and the difference between tempered an untempered scales. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-octave-the-music-of-the-spheres-0034a105 “*Pythagoras discovered that, if a string was shortened by 2/3 he got a perfect fifth, a very consonant interval, easy for the human ear to perceive. If he then continued like that, using the new tone to create a new fifth and repeated this in twelve steps, he returned to almost the same tone as the first one. That is, he went through all the tones in the chromatic scale (of twelve tones) but spread over seven octaves. (Note here the occurrence of the numbers seven and twelve.) So when he returned to the tonic, it was seven octaves higher. He then projected these twelve tones into one and the same octave and got the chromatic scale.* *This is a simplification, because his result was not exactly the same tone seven octaves higher, although it was close. There is a small difference between the 12th fifth and the 7th octave, this difference is called the Pythagorean comma. It is approximately 1/8 of a tone step (or 1/4 of the distance between two keys of a piano), and it is not without consequences. It always was a problem for tuning instruments, and it is the reason why we got the "tempered" scale. One began to divide each octave in twelve equal steps. It is a false tuning, both mathematically and perceptually, which is "only almost" right. This "almost", however, is sufficient for most people whose ability to perceive consonances is not above average, but for someone with perfect pitch this can be torture. Actually, absolute pitch is a defect for musicianship in an environment where tempered and untempered instruments are mixed. It is a situation that can become torturous, even cause health problems. One example is the combination of piano and symphony orchestra. A piano is the ultimate tempered instrument, while many of those in a symphony orchestra are not. This is unbearable for some people.”* Answer to Quiz 12:5 *A great author, one of the foremost novelists of world literature, is said to have spent 12 hours per day writing, 6 hours eating, and 6 hours sleeping. While he wrote, he drank coffee all the time. Sometimes it is claimed that he died by overconsumption of coffee. That conclusion should be taken with a grain of salt, but he did indeed drink a lot of it, probably 50 cups per day or more.* *He expressed his devotion to this beverage in "The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee", where he concluded:* “*Coffee is a great power in my life [...]”* *Who was this author?* This, of course, was Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). You can read more about him and other fanatic coffee drinkers in Do You Drink Much Coffee - I Bet You Can't Beat These Enthusiasts. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/do-you-drink-much-coffee-i-bet-you-cant-beat-these-enthusiasts-a08ed1ef Answer to Quiz 12:6 *Which sport are we talking about if we say it is...* *“... a team sport, played on ice, where two teams take it in turns to slide stones made of granite towards a target – known as a House.“* We are talking about ***curling****.* The definition is quoted from https://worldcurling.org/about/curling/ *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* Quiz 13:1 What was the name of the crocodile god of old Egypt? Quiz 13:2 Strictly,many things are called nuts, without botanically being nuts at all. Which of the following is a genuine nut? Coconut? Pistachio? Walnut? Peanut? Almond? Quiz 13:3 There are different legends about the foundation of Rome. One of the best known stories attributes the foundation of this city to a pair of twins. What were their names? Quiz 13:4 Who was the first ruler who used the title “Sultan”? Quiz 13:5 What is the most common metal on Earth (in the crust)? Quiz 13:6 Many animals have something called ***Jacobson's organ,*** what function is it involved in? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.*

@Mictorrani 22 May 2022

Retrospection 15 – Summing up Nutrients & Dietary Supplements *In this “Retrospection” we will sum up my series on nutrients and dietary supplements, which has been published little by little over a long time. Although it is open-ended, and more related articles can turn up in due time, I don't presently plan more articles on this theme.* Before discussing supplements, one has to ask, *“do we really need supplements if we eat a healthy diet”?* My answer is a clear yes. The world is so polluted and the quality of (even so-called healthy) foodstuffs is so low, so we do need supplementary nutrition in order to maintain optimal health. Not everyone agrees to that, but before you disagree, read my article Why Dietary Supplements are Needed. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-dietary-supplements-are-needed-d70e789c If you believe the view conveyed by mainstream media, that supplements would be worthless or even harmful, read here about the background to that disinformation. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/either-health-freedom-or-slavery-a-little-of-each-is-not-possible-ed726fc2#ii Then if you decide to take supplements, it's not just to buy something you think you need and take that. If you do, you risk to waste your money, in some cases even harm your health - there are things to consider. I have collected some major points in Supplements, Getting Them Right: Some Points to Consider. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/supplements-getting-them-right-some-points-to-consider-b4d57960 In addition to this, it is good to familiarize oneself with dietary solvents, since they significantly affects absorption of nutrients as vitamins and minerals. You can read about that in The Importance of Dietary Solvents. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-importance-of-dietary-solvents-42f2e000 After this introduction, you are ready for articles about single nutrients or groups of nutrients, one by one. One of the most well-known vitamins is ***vitamin C***. It is also a controversial vitamin, since its effects are a matter of dispute. It is an essential vitamin, nobody denies that, what's debated is the medicinal effects of very high doses. I am trying to make this clearer in Vitamin C (part 1): Can Science be Trusted? and Vitamin C (part 2): How to Use & What it Does. Part one is not only about vitamin C, it is also a general criticism of science, or how science is used for unscientific purposes. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-c-part-1-can-science-be-trusted-5ab38bbb https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-c-part-2-how-to-use-what-it-does-5ecf6e7f The exact number of known B-vitamins can be disputed. If we are broad-minded about what constitutes a vitamin, about 30 substances can be counted as **B-vitamins.** However, by a strict definition, not all of them are genuine vitamins. More than eleven or eight are rarely discussed or included in supplementary **B-complex**. Since this group is large, I discussed B-vitamins in a series of four articles: B-Vitamins I: Introduction https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-i-introduction-5124ead0 B-Vitamins II: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-ii-thiamine-riboflavin-niacin-pyridoxine-cyanocobalamin-9019bb69 B-Vitamins III: Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iii-folic-acid-biotin-pantothenic-acid-choline-inositol-803bab85 B-Vitamins IV: Amygdalin (B17), Pangamic Acid (B15), Orotic Acid (B13), PABA (B10), plus Guidelines https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iv-amygdalin-b17-pangamic-acid-b15-orotic-acid-b13-paba-b10-plus-guidelines-961d0327 In addition to that, I wrote separately about one particularly interesting B-vitamin, ***Nicotinic Acid***, a form of vitamin B3: Nicotinic Acid, the Real Super Vitamin! Just as for vitamin C, the medicinal effects of nicotinic acid are debated – obviously for the same reasons. It is too cheap and cannot be patented, there is no money in it, so Big Pharma tries to defame it and suppress the results of independent studies. High dose supplementation with nicotinic acid, however, comes with certain risks, so make sure that you know what you are doing before you try it – or use it only under the supervision of a medical professional. It is worth it though, and the risks can be handled. I have myself taken it regularly since 1990. The results are spectacular and I have not experienced any bad side-effects. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nicotinic-acid-the-real-super-vitamin-9e90bc33 Traditionally, one counts 4 fat-soluble groups vitamins: A, D, E, and K. The collective name ***Vitamin E*** stands for tocopherols and tocotrienols. Unfortunately most supplements contain only d-alfa-tocopherol, one of the four tocopherols. Studies suggest that it is not the most powerful one. Read more about vitamin E in Vitamin E - A Powerful Vitamin. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-e-a-powerful-vitamin-32979116 ***Vitamin D*** might very well be one of the most underrated vitamins. Optimal dosage has also been recently re-evaluated. More on vitamin D in Vitamin D – Underrated Vitamin? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053 ***Vitamin K*** is most known for its importance for blood coagulation, but it is also essential for how calcium is distributed in the body. Since vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption, and vitamin K controls where the calcium comes, there is an important connection between intakes of vitamins D and K. Read details on Vitamin K, read also about the relation between vitamins D and K: The Synergy of Vitamin D & Vitamin K2. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-alphabet-of-vitamins-4582e0bf#vitamin-k https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053#the-synergy-of-vitamin-d-amp-vitamin-k2 Four retinoids (***retinol***, ***retinal***, ***retinoic acid***, and ***retinyl esters***) are collectively known as ***Vitamin A***. You can read more about this vitamin in Vitamin A - Function & Need. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-a-function-need-c8e8169e Under certain circumstances, some carotenoids, (beta-carotene is the best known) can be converged to vitamin A. But ***carotenes*** and their siblings, ***xanthophylls***, have other independent functions as well. You can read more about them in Not Only Beta-Carotene: Carotenoids (Carotenes & Xanthophylls). https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/not-only-beta-carotene-carotenoids-carotenes-xanthophylls-d3ae6750 I wrote a separate article about two xanthophylls being extremely important for eye health: Lutein & Zeaxanthin: Nutrients that Protect Your Eyes from Ageing. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/lutein-zeaxanthin-nutrients-that-protect-your-eyes-from-ageing-9a87f2a3 Under the name ***Bioflavonoids*****,** one finds substances (pigments) such as Anthocyanins, Betalains, Citrus bioflavonoids, Quercetin, Catechin and Green tea polyphenols. Some of these are sometimes called *Vitamin P*. They have significant health benefits. Read more in Vitamin P, Bioflavonoids and Pigments – Bioflavonoids. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-alphabet-of-vitamins-4582e0bf#vitamin-p-bioflavonoids https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/colours-v-colours-of-plants-4d631074#pigments-bioflavonoids ***Vitamin U*** is a substance only found in cabbage. It's extremely healing, especially of ulcers and various inflammations. See Vitamin U, S-Methylmethionine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-alphabet-of-vitamins-4582e0bf#vitamin-u-s-methylmethionine Salicylic Acid - a plant hormone, and the active ingredient of Aspirin - is sometimes called ***Vitamin S***. There is no real consensus about that, but there might be good reasons to consider it as something we need for optimal health. More details in Salicylic Acid: Is Aspirin a Vitamin? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/salicylic-acid-is-aspirin-a-vitamin-61990a03 ***Co-enzyme Q10*** is sometimes called **vitamin Q**. It is necessary for our production of energy. In the cell, it works together with ***Carnitine***, an amino acid. Read more about these two nutrients in Co-Enzyme Q10 & Carnitine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/co-enzyme-q10-carnitine-42291565 ***Cyanide*** is a deadly poison, but is it also an essential nutrient? Well, I think it can be – in the right form and within limits, of course. Read more in Cyanophobia. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/cyanophobia-d2cfe961 I have not published all that many articles here about **minerals**, but there are some. In Calcium & Magnesium, I discuss these two minerals and the delicate balance between them. Further we have Selenium & Chromium: Important for Your Health and Iodine, Molybdenum, Zinc, Copper, & Manganese. Finally Iron & Cancer. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/calcium-magnesium-ff22a45c https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/selenium-chromium-important-for-your-health-de84988e https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/iodine-molybdenum-zinc-copper-manganese-9f4e9305 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/iron-cancer-3ab080b8 **Essential Fatty Acids** are sometimes called ***Vitamin F***. On the whole, fats are a complex and difficult subject, which I have discussed in two articles: Understanding Dietary Fats Part 1 (of 2), and Understanding Dietary Fats Part 2 (of 2). https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-1-of-2-e8b4f70d https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-2-of-2-873ba37f Then we have ***Amino Acids***, which are not only the building blocks of protein, but also important biochemicals in their own right. I discussed them in Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I, and Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Finally, ***Oxygen*** is an essential nutrient, although we do not take it with the food. Our relation to this element is complicated. We need it to live, it is the only thing we need all the time, with death following after just minutes of deprivation. On the other hand it is at the core of oxidation, which breaks us down and eventually kills us. Read more in Oxygen: Life & Death – A Balanced View on Antioxidants. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/oxygen-life-death-a-balanced-view-on-antioxidants-b688ba60 Oxygenation is dependent on good breathing, about which you can read in Don't Turn Your Nose Up At Your Nose – The Art of Breathing Right. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/dont-turn-your-nose-up-at-your-nose-the-art-of-breathing-right-a91611b9 *My series “Retrospection”* *is primarily created for new readers of mine, as a manual into my production at this platform so far - but it can be read by anyone who wants to explore my articles topic by topic, rather than doing so in chronological order. In addition to that, my retrospections contain new comments and from time to time short personal stories connected to the relevant topic or topics.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Here you find my articles about vitamins, minerals & other nutrients. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients My 5 most recent articles: Audiobooks & Radio Dramas: Only Substitutes for Real Books & Theatre? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/audiobooks-radio-dramas-only-substitutes-for-real-books-theatre-bae1c613 Classical British & American TV-Series https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/classical-british-american-tv-series-9a33957b Quizzes & Puzzles 12 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-12-ef131b0e A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones: Books, TV series & Quotes https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-game-of-thrones-books-tv-series-quotes-64a81925 Quizzes & Puzzles 11 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-11-2b51c21c

@Mictorrani 19 May 2022

Audiobooks & Radio Dramas: Only Substitutes for Real Books & Theatre? *Are audiobooks & radio dramas only substitutes for real books & theatre, or are they separate forms of art in themselves? I would say that they can be both at the same time.* I am not overly fond of audiobooks, because I'm a very fast reader and find them too time-consuming. However, they have their uses, not only for people with reduced vision, but otherwise as well. You have your hands and eyes free and can do something else at the same time. It is also easier to listen with a hands-free than to read a book, for instance, on a bus or while driving a car (although not with a hands-free while driving) or during physical exercise. Moreover, sometimes audiobooks are easier available and cheaper to get than ordinary books. As a matter of fact, you can find thousands of audiobooks for free on YouTube. They can be downloaded as audio files and it won't cost you anything. Just search for “audiobooks”. The quality of the reading varies, but most of them are at least adequate. After all, they are free. If you don't mind paying, there are many sites with audiobooks, easy to find with Google or some other search engine. The quality of an audiobook is not simply the quality of the book someone reads, it is also dependent on the one reading it loud. This is a form of art in itself, a form of acting. It requires a good voice by nature, and the ability to handle it – basically the same qualities making a great narrator in television. It's not surprising that the best narrators often are professional actors. However, that is not always the case. We have previously discussed a couple of authors of horror fiction, so, for those with a taste for that genre, I want to recommend something called HorrorBabble. That's a YouTube channel with a large number of excellently read horror stories and with new stories coming all the time. There you can find works by H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, but also many other authors. Ian Gordon reads most of them, and he is doing that very well; indeed, his readings are of good professional quality. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/lovecraft-was-more-than-horror-dcfc3d13 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIvp_SM7UrKuFgR3W77fWcg/playlists A related, but still altogether different genre is the Radio Drama. That is theatre made for radio. It is not to be seen as a crippled form of ordinary theatre, but as a genre of art in itself, separate from ordinary theatre. The preconditions are entirely different. And a radio drama is not an audiobook, but something else - even if the two genres are sometimes confused, and even overlapping at times. It is hardly a surprise that the best Radio Dramas in the English language were and are made by BBC, which, in terms of quality, is arguably the best radio and television company in the history of broadcasting. There are lots of them on YouTube. I will not give a lot of links, because this sort of material turns up and disappears all the time. Just use the search function. One link, however, where you right now can find some BBC Radio Dramas, is https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkingOutLoudBBC/playlists If you like old time radio shows (in reality being audiobooks, radio dramas or something in between), especially in the genres of horror, crime, science fiction or, to some extent, western, then I suggest you take a look at these links: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/oldtimeradio https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC25J6ueIa1L2NTqbbAeGN7A/playlists Related articles: Poe: A Personal View https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/poe-a-personal-view-d1e75708 Lovecraft was More than Horror https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/lovecraft-was-more-than-horror-dcfc3d13 Palais Garnier, the Phantom & a Detective with a Bullet-shaped Head https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/palais-garnier-the-phantom-a-detective-with-a-bullet-shaped-head-9f459691 Why I Don't Like Batman Movies: About the Correlation Between Characters & Their Environment https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-i-dont-like-batman-movies-about-the-correlation-between-characters-their-environment-936b4883 A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones: Books, TV series & Quotes https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-game-of-thrones-books-tv-series-quotes-64a81925 Classical British & American TV-Series https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/classical-british-american-tv-series-9a33957b Here you can find my articles about TV & Movies, and about Literature & History of Literature. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#tv-amp-movies https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#literature-amp-history-of-literature **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by xarkamx/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*

@Mictorrani 17 May 2022

Classical British & American TV-Series I must admit that I am no great fan of television and spend very little time watching TV. However, it is an important part of popular culture and it has its merits if it is not abused. During the first 20-30 years of its life, it also had an enormous impact on people, how people perceived the world around them, and on culture in general. That's the classical period of television, which, together with pop/rock music, then was a melting pot of creativity. Neither of them are so any longer. Both have gone stale. Creativity has moved elsewhere. The selection of TV series mentioned in this article is subjective. There were and are many other series around – even entirely omitted genres. This is my selection and may or may not coincide with what you would choose. I have especially excluded comedy series, because humour doesn't age well. What was fun 20 or more years ago, is not often fun today. I have also focused on old series, from the classical era of television (even if there are a few exceptions to that), series that shaped the public taste and defined genres. Nothing created today would have the same impact; indeed, television today doesn't have the impact it had during the 1950s-1970s. There are too many channels and too many programs competing about the audience – not to mention the competition from internet and other media that didn't exist during the classical period of television. Many of the old series are available on DVD. I also made some searches on YouTube, and could establish that episodes of these old series are sometimes available there. When they are, however, it is almost always a violation of copyright. That means that they come and go quickly. So, if you find something you want to see, watch it immediately. Don't expect it to remain until later. Or download it to watch at your convenience. Western series have a strange appeal, and they age well. Unlike many other TV series, they do not feel too old-fashioned. Maybe because they have never been contemporary. Instead the genre developed its own standards; it's own archetypes, symbols, and style - indeed, its own little world; an imaginary world, in some aspects quite different from the real historical epoch it is based on. The times, mainly from the North American civil war to the 1890s, were probably considerably less violent and dramatic than later artistic interpretations suggest. The classical period for TV Westerns were from the 1950s to 1974. All good Western series were produced then. I think one can say that the four big ones were ***Bonanza***, ***Gunsmoke***, ***The Virginian***, and ***High Chaparral***. In my opinion, the best of them was High Chaparral. The people there were less stereotype, more real, and the interaction between the characters were one step beyond what other Westerns used to offer. *Gunsmoke* is the longest running TV series in American television ever. Too long. A series - and that goes for all series, not only Westerns - tends to repeat itself too much if it continues beyond 3-4 seasons. Sometimes much earlier than that. Longer is not better. During this period, there were a number of other high quality Western series as well. One that deserves mentioning is ***Rawhide***, with a young Clint Eastwood in one of the major roles. So does ***Alias Smith and Jones***, the last of the classical Western productions. Nothing noteworthy has been produced in the genre after that. When it comes to murder mysteries and detective stories, the best of them are British. For this genre, they have a massive literary tradition, starting with *Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (****Sherlock Holmes****),* and then the generation of *Agatha Christie (****Miss Marple*** and ***Hercule Poirot****)* and *Dorothy Sayers (****Lord Peter Wimsey****)*. The tradition continued far into the television era, with TV series based also on more recent authors, such as Colin Dexter (***Inspector Morse***, and to some extent ***Lewis***), P.D. James (***Inspector Dalgliesh***), and Ruth Rendell (***Inspector Wexford***). ***Public Eye*** is a detective series unlike every other. It is about a private detective named Frank Marker, and when I first saw a couple of episodes of this series, I thought it was close to the worst rubbish I had ever seen. Much later, I heard people who saw it as genial, the best that had ever been made. That made me look again when I found some episodes on YouTube. I can see what they mean, but I still think it is boring. I wouldn't even mention it here, unless there were so many people who love this series. The Americans never reached the same standard in the genre of murder mysteries, although they have made a number of adequate ones, often more rough and hard-boiled than the British ones. Examples of that are the works of authors like Mickey Spillane *(****Mike Hammer****)* and, above all, Raymond Chandler *(****Philip Marlowe****)*. The latter is the father of the hard-boiled American style. Of the not too rough, I think the series ***Columbo,*** ***Perry Mason*** and ***Nero Wolfe*** deserve to be mentioned. Undoubtedly, the American style is better suited to Westerns, of which nothing significant has been produced anywhere else. Spy series is a separate genre. I'm not personally very fond of that, but there is one I want to mention, the British series ***Danger Man****,* about the agent ***John Drake****.* In my opinion better and more realistic than *James Bond.* Then, when discussing old TV series, we have to mention ***The Saint****,* Simon Templar, which doesn't really suit the definitions of the different genres we have discussed, but is related to them. It's a classic, with Roger Moore as Simon Templar. After The Saint, he and Tony Curtis played the main roles in another series, ***The Persuaders****.* Let's also mention a British science fiction series, ***Space 1999*** or ***Moonbase Alpha***. It was produced (1974-1977) and at the time it was the most expensive British TV production ever made. Two seasons were made, but this is an excellent example of that “longer is not better”. While season one is amongst the best ever produced in the genre, season two is not worth the time watching. Science Fiction is tricky, it belongs to the genres that don't generally age well. It must be admitted that even season one of ***Moonbase Alpha*** feels a trifle outdated. But it is still worth to watch. Speaking about science fiction television series, it is impossible to avoid Gene Roddenberry's ***Star Trek***. The TV series started a phenomenon, apart from TV series, Star Trek became movies, novels, comics, games, merchandise, everything. It has cult status, with fanatical followers, called Trekkies. Related article: A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones: Books, TV series & Quotes https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-game-of-thrones-books-tv-series-quotes-64a81925 Here you can find my articles about TV & Movies. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#tv-amp-movies **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*

@Mictorrani 16 May 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 12 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 11**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-11-2b51c21c Answer to Quiz 11:1 *Countries sometimes change name. Although it doesn't have to be so, this is often done to mark some fundamental change in the country's status or a major change of its policy.* *Below you find seven old names; what are the names of these countries today?* *a. Upper Volta* *b. New Hebrides* *c. Siam* *d. Persia* *e. Burma* *f. Ellice Islands* *g. Rhodesia* Upper Volta is **Burkina Faso**, New Hebrides is **Vanuatu**,Siam is **Thailand**, Persia is **Iran**, Burma is **Myanmar**, Ellice Islands is **Tuvalu**, and Rhodesia is **Zimbabwe**. Answer to Quiz 11:2 “*Which ruler ruled the largest connected empire in human history? "Connected" here means one single connected territory - not pieces of land spread out with sea or other countries in between.”* The answer is **Ögedei** Khan (1186 – 1241), successor and son of the great Genghis Khan. His empire reached from the Pacific Ocean in the East (including China), all the way into eastern Europe. Answer to Quiz 11:3 “*Which Japanese artist is often, rightly or wrongly, said to be the one who originally created manga?”* **Katsushika Hokusai** (1760-1849), probably the internationally most famous Japanese artist ever, created something called *Hokusai Manga.* This was a collection of sketches, and the first time the word “manga” was used. Based on this, it is often claimed that Hokusai invented manga, a claim that can be questioned. In Hokusai, Manga & the Most Famous Japanese Artwork Ever, I wrote: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hokusai-manga-the-most-famous-japanese-artwork-ever-21e50210 “*In contrast to common claims, Hokusai did not invent the artistic style and form that is known as Manga today. He called his sketches “manga” and several later artists also came to create their own collections of manga. It is possible that this art had some influence on the development of modern manga, but to say that Hokusai would have invented modern manga is to take it too far.”* Answer to Quiz 11:4 “*Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, but which was the first altcoin?”* It was **Namecoin**, about which you can read more on their own website: https://www.namecoin.org/ Answer to Quiz 11:5 “*What are we talking about when we call colours "tinctures"?* Then we are discussing heraldry. You can read more about heraldry and tinctures in my article Vexillology & Heraldry. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vexillology-heraldry-e8be6267 Answer to Quiz 11:6 “*Let's also take a question about sports. It is soon time for the yearly ice hockey world championship. But which national team won this tournament last year (2021)?”* It was **Canada**. For those of you liking ice hockey or if you want to acquaint yourself with this sport, why not watch the present world championships! All games are available for free, streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmgna7qB0oQF2oOcVgndbw *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* Quiz 12:1 Which is the oldest national flag still in use? Quiz 12:2 What causes the illness schistosomiasis? Quiz 12:3 “Guernica” is famous, but what is it? Quiz 12:4 What is “the Pythagorean comma”? Quiz 12:5 A great author, one of the foremost novelists of world literature, is said to have spent 12 hours per day writing, 6 hours eating, and 6 hours sleeping. While he wrote, he drank coffee all the time. Sometimes it is claimed that he died by overconsumption of coffee. That conclusion should be taken with a grain of salt, but he did indeed drink a lot of it, probably 50 cups per day or more. He expressed his devotion to this beverage in "The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee", where he concluded: “Coffee is a great power in my life [...]” Who was this author? Quiz 12:6 Last time we had a question about ice hockey, let's take one about another sport on ice. Which sport are we talking about if we say it is... “... a team sport, played on ice, where two teams take it in turns to slide stones made of granite towards a target – known as a House.“ The source of this definition will be given in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”. I cannot state it now, because it would immediately reveal the answer. **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.* *Portrait of Ögedei* *Khan. From an album in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Public Domain.)* Selected old articles: Hokusai, Manga & the Most Famous Japanese Artwork Ever https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hokusai-manga-the-most-famous-japanese-artwork-ever-21e50210 Hiroshige, the Great Master of Landscapes https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hiroshige-the-great-master-of-landscapes-abba4af3 Satoshi & Sharaku https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/satoshi-sharaku-103177b2 The Master of the Macabre https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-master-of-the-macabre-c753c740 Oops, she was ugly - How art can influence language https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/oops-she-was-ugly-how-art-can-influence-language-06db9b20

@Mictorrani 10 May 2022

A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones: Books, TV series & Quotes Nothing created for TV today would have such an impact as the classics from the 1950s to the 1970s. But one should never say never. Of course there might turn up occasional exceptions. A more contemporary series that has got more attention and has more enthusiastic fans than anything else in our time is ***Game of Thrones***. I did read George R. R. Martin's books (collectively known as “*A Song of Ice and Fire”)* as they were released, and I liked them. I would even call his series a masterpiece in its genre (even if it is not yet concluded). I never really bothered with the TV series, however, because a movie or a TV series based on a book is almost invariably disappointing for those who liked the book. Film is a completely different medium; despite the added visual dimension, it's considerably poorer. Moreover, I don't like getting a story in small servings over weeks and years. That goes for books as well as a TV-series. I often wait until the whole series is available, if I know when I start that it is to become a series, and then I read the books or watch the series at one time. The TV-series is now concluded. Recently I watched it, all the eight seasons, and I was surprised. It is not as good as the books, but still a very well done interpretation. Perhaps it is the only really good mature fantasy film that has been made, technically as well as artistically. It was an excellent idea to make it a long TV series rather than one or a few movies. I don't know how these very long novels and the many intertwined plots could otherwise be caught on film at all. Game of Thrones is good fantasy because it uses the attributes of fantasy sparingly. Not too many magic and supernatural phenomena, at least not in the beginning. It increases as the series goes on. But even when it occurs, it is very well done. It feels realistic in that world. Yet the story is mainly a sort of alternative medieval history, in many instances extremely realistic. It has been criticised for its explicit exposure of sex and violence, yet that adds to the realism. It is quite in line with the cultural environment. Another thing that adds to the greatness of this series, and that goes for both TV series and books, is that people feel very real. Nobody is only good or bad, there is no undefeatable hero who always wins in the end, nobody is always right or wrong – they are real humans, full of contradictions, and they are displayed in that way. With a little imagination, it is easy to understand why they are as they are. Everyone acts from his or her own perspective and as a result of his or her individual past. It is not only thirst for power and madness driving people; it is also simple things as inferiority complex and revenge – very fundamental human experiences and driving forces. Game of Thrones does not describe an ideal world, but a very realistic world – despite the integrated elements of fantasy. It is a realistic display of various manifestations of human nature – and human nature is not better than that. There are very clear similarities with real history. George R. R. Martin has himself spoken about being inspired by the War of the Roses in Medieval England, as well as by Ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy. Westeros reminds of England and the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros echoes the Heptarchy, the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that preceded the kingdom of England. To add something negative about the TV-series: the last seasons the story becomes weaker. The series had not only caught up with the books, but passed them by. That means that the story had not (yet) been written as a novel or novels, but has been pushed ahead for the sake of the series. Even if this has been made in co-operation with George R. R. Martin, story and characters feel considerably thinner and more superficial. If the novels had been written first, I'm sure the end seasons had been up to the standard of the first five or so seasons. But it is not so; unfortunately that reduces my overall appreciation of this series considerably. The novels are richer than the TV series, and George R. R. Martin is an excellent author. Reading these novels is pure delight, despite their massive volume. Since I know that many readers here like quotes (just as I do), let's look at a few quotes from this literary masterpiece. Note that they are all taken from “*A Song of Ice and Fire”* by George R. R. Martin. “*Can a man still be brave, if he's afraid?* *That is the only time a man can be brave.”* “*... and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”* “*The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true. Look with your eyes. Hear with your ears. Taste with your mouth. Smell with your nose. Feel with your skin. Then comes the thinking, afterward, and in that way knowing the truth.”* “*Have you ever considered that too many answers are the same as no answers at all?”* *"It all goes back and back, Tyrion thought, to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. We are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us, and one day our own children will take up our strings and dance in our steads."* “*Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.”* *"When a pirate grows rich enough, they make him a prince.”* Copyright © 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by simisi1/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you can find my articles about History of Literature. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#literature-amp-history-of-literature **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Selected older articles about literature: Poe: A Personal View https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/poe-a-personal-view-d1e75708 Frankenstein, Religion & Creativity https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/frankenstein-religion-creativity-9286e9e3 The Kreutzer Sonata: How Art Inspires to Art, which Inspires to Art... https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-kreutzer-sonata-how-art-inspires-to-art-which-inspires-to-art-3dced6f6 How I Discovered Science Fiction: A Green Brain & Dune https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/how-i-discovered-science-fiction-a-green-brain-dune-29a4c492

@Mictorrani 9 May 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 11 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 10**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-10-82143868 Answer to Quiz 10:1 “*Which vitamin can, if the conditions are right, be produced by sunlight on the skin and absorbed that way?”* The answer is vitamin D. If you want to learn more details about vitamin D, I suggest you read my article Vitamin D – Underrated Vitamin? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053 Answer to Quiz 10:2 “*One mammal uses echo-location in order to navigate in its environment and to find food. Which mammal?”* Of course, this is the bat. In the preface of “Selection No. 2 from Transformations of a Bat”, en e-book I published in 2012, I wrote: “*[...] In terms of ability to manoeuvre it [the bat] is the best flier of the fauna. Considering that it is almost blind and can hunt, follow, and catch flying insects by echo location, it is impossible not to be impressed by its perfect adaption to being an insect eater as well as a night-living creature.* *Some bats eat fruit. While navigating through the branches of fruit trees by echo sound is not as hard as following a flying insect, it is still an amazing feat. One species drinks blood, and that, naturally, is why people have come to associate bats with vampires.* *It would be interesting to know how the brain of a bat represents the result of this echo location, whose nervous impulses must be reflex-bound to be able to direct the muscular system and thus its manoeuvres in fractions of a second. Is there any conscious registration of this at all? Do bats even have a consciousness in any sense of the term? We will never find answers to such questions, confined as we are within our own consciousness. [...]”* Answer to Quiz 10:3 “*Which country share its borderline with all other countries on its continent – except two?”* The right answer is Brazil, which borders to all countries on the South American continent, except for Chile and Ecuador. Answer to Problem 10:4 “*When Carl was one year younger than John was when Henry was half as old as John will be 3 years from now, Henry was twice as old as John was when Henry was 1/3 as old as Carl was 3 years ago. But when John was twice as old as Carl, Henry was 1/4 as old as John was one year ago. Carl is over 50.* *How old are Carl, John and Henry?”* Carl is 72, John is 85, Henry is 80. *Aimure* *and* *Esp130* *gave right answers to quiz 1-3. But before that,* TheGuy correctly answered quiz 1-2. https://read.cash/@Aimure https://read.cash/@Esp130 https://read.cash/@TheGuy *And now some new exercises for brain & memory... This time we take only quizzes, but a few more than usually.* Quiz 11:1 Countries sometimes change name. Although it doesn't have to be so, this is often done to mark some fundamental change in the country's status or a major change of its policy. Below you find seven old names; what are the names of these countries today? a. Upper Volta b. New Hebrides c. Siam d. Persia e. Burma f. Ellice Islands g. Rhodesia Quiz 11:2 Which ruler ruled the largest connected empire in human history? "Connected" here means one single connected territory - not pieces of land spread out with sea or other countries in between. Quiz 11:3 Which Japanese artist is often, rightly or wrongly, said to be the one who originally created manga? Quiz 11:4 Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, but which was the first altcoin? Quiz 11:5 What are we talking about when we call colours "tinctures"? Quiz 11:6 Let's also take a question about sports. It is soon time for the yearly ice hockey world championship. But which national team won this tournament last year (2021)? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.* *Bat image: “Bats have big ears and an extremely well developed sense of hearing.” Photo: vishu vishuma/Unsplash. CC0/Public Domain. The image has been cropped and digitally enhanced.* *Image Manga, perhaps. Creator not disclosed yet; it's the question. Public Domain.)* Selected old articles: Brain & Horror Vacui (Fear of the void) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/brain-horror-vacui-fear-of-the-void-ae876896 History – Understand the Present by Understanding the Past https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-understand-the-present-by-understanding-the-past-54e66be9 Memory as Soft or Hard History https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/memory-as-soft-or-hard-history-29978e19 Bandwidth Of Brain and Consciousness https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/bandwidth-of-brain-and-consciousness-2207fe01

@Mictorrani 2 May 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 10 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 9**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-9-3e4325cd Answer to Quiz 9:1 *One of the most well known knights of world literature, probably THE most well known, a figure being a bit ridiculous, stems from a place also being known for the cultivation of a certain spice.* *3 questions: What spice? What knight? What place?* The spice is saffron. The knight is Don Quixote, and the place is La Mancha in Spain. The quote below is from Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's famous novel, *“Don Quixote”* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-three-most-expensive-spices-24717e1d *"En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no hace mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor."* *[In a village in La Mancha, whose name I do not care to recall, there lived, not very long ago, one of those gentlemen who keep a lance in the lance-rack, an ancient shield, a skinny old horse, and a fast greyhound.]* Answer to Quiz 9:2 *What material, according to old Chinese lore, is the petrification of the soul of a dead Tiger?* *In some other traditions, the material has been associated with tears or sunshine.* The material is amber, which is really a remarkable substance. You can read more about amber in my two articles: Amber, Organic Gem with a Long History & Many Properties, Part I and Amber, Organic Gem with a Long History & Many Properties, Part II. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amber-organic-gem-with-a-long-history-many-properties-part-i-9ea705bb https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amber-organic-gem-with-a-long-history-many-properties-part-ii-fa6314f8 Answer to Quiz 9:3 *Which colour pigment was originally made from a substance secreted by cuttlefish? Now made synthetically, the colour is still called the same.* The colour is sepia. You can read more details about this colour in the first part of this article: Sepia, Grisaille & Verdaille: Monochrome Art... and how about Japan? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/sepia-grisaille-verdaille-monochrome-art-and-how-about-japan-da2aed40 Answer to Symmetry Problem 9:4 *Try to classify this figure regarding reflection symmetry, rotation symmetry and chirality.* Classifying this figure (above) regarding reflection symmetry, rotation symmetry and chirality is (for most people) not easy. The plain truth is that the figure has no symmetry at all. An “almost symmetry” cheats the eye to believe there is rotation symmetry, but if you look closely at the orange-coloured figures, they are not the same at all. That becomes obvious when we cut the picture in two and rotate the right one by 180 degrees. Why do few people see this difference in the original picture, unless someone is pointing it out to them? One reason is that one figure is upside-down (compared to the other one), which confuses the mind. The brain has a sense of up and down and does not observe what it perceives as upside-down as clearly as what it perceives as being in the “correct” position. This makes a comparison of figures more difficult, when one is, or might be, the other seen upside-down. Another reason might be that many who expect to see symmetry will do so, if there is the slightest semblance of there being one. You see what you believe you'll see. You can read more about symmetry in Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de And now some new exercises for brain & memory... Quiz 10:1 Which vitamin can, if the conditions are right, be produced by sunlight on the skin and absorbed that way? Quiz 10:2 One mammal uses echo-location in order to navigate in its environment and to find food. Which mammal? Quiz 10:3 Which country share its borderline with all other countries on its continent – except two? Problem 10:4 This problem was given me by a friend-puzzlist. I don't know who is the original creator, but it represents a type of problem, of which many examples exist. Here we go... When Carl was one year younger than John was when Henry was half as old as John will be 3 years from now, Henry was twice as old as John was when Henry was 1/3 as old as Carl was 3 years ago. But when John was twice as old as Carl, Henry was 1/4 as old as John was one year ago. Carl is over 50. How old are Carl, John and Henry? **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved *Images of the symmetry problem are mine: Copyright © Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved.* *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* My 5 most recent articles: Suggested Reading 25 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-25-d81ea401 Hunger for Publicity & The Selfish Charity https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hunger-for-publicity-the-selfish-charity-d99558a6 Quizzes & Puzzles 9 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-9-3e4325cd Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Suggested Reading 24 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-24-17aadc9c

@Mictorrani 30 April 2022

Suggested Reading 25 *In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading Crypto will not and cannot solve all problems, not even all money-related problems. Crypto is not magic; a lot of problems are on another level. @Porwest expresses this very well in Crypto Does Not Change That... https://read.cash/@Porwest https://read.cash/@Porwest/crypto-does-not-change-that-5fb4c63a Then we have two articles by @SapphireCrypto : The Future - Crypto Networks & Private Infrastructure and Consistency - The Currency Of Success. From the latter one I quote: https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/the-future-crypto-networks-private-infrastructure-941e059b https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/consistency-the-currency-of-success-c3292867 “*Whether it’s creating content, trading, or even investing, consistency is at the heart of any meaningful success.”* New member @Ice69 wrote about Ripple. I am not personally a fan of Ripple, but I know that many are. Read Ripple, The Global Payments Solution. https://read.cash/@Ice69 https://read.cash/@Ice69/ripple-the-global-payments-solution-6f9a4b6a @Fexonice1 wrote Introducing Jungle, a multi-chain NFT marketplace built on the Bitcoin Cash blockchain. A very good and easy-to-understand introduction. https://read.cash/@Fexonice1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/introducing-jungle-a-multi-chain-nft-marketplace-built-on-the-bitcoin-cash-blockchain-f8400078 *“Perpetual earnings based on sales is the most beautiful aspect about the NFT art market. In fact, it is the most important reason why NFTs are changing artists’ lives for the better.“* This (above) is quoted from This is How NFTs are Changing Artists’ Lives by @NFTically, another good post about NFTs. https://read.cash/@NFTically/this-is-how-nfts-are-changing-artists-lives-49daa9aa We have several good articles about history: @Humanpsychology continues to publish high quality posts about art (and one music) history, such as Vasiliy Kandinskiy(1866–1944)- Abstract Art, Titian(Tiziano Vecellio)(1525–1530), Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), and Balthus (1908-2001). https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/vasiliy-kandinskiy1866-1944-abstract-art-270a8db2 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/titiantiziano-vecellio1525-1530-f2476b70 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/paul-cezanne-1839-1906-e05b491c https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/ludwig-van-beethoven-1770-1827-1888ab48 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/balthus-1908-2001-61ce5d42 Another author, @beyourself , as consistently continues to produce high quality material about history with articles such as: Ancient Carthage, The Golden Age of Piracy, Magic in the Ancient World, The Art of the Ninja(Shinobi), and The legend of King Arthur. https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/ancient-carthage-efbbe3d0 https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-golden-age-of-piracy-53f5586a https://read.cash/@beyourself/magic-in-the-ancient-world-443f17bb https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-art-of-the-ninjashinobi-4a78da3a https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-legend-of-king-arthur-e86c6d4e Four other recent (and good) posts about history are Holy Grail, a route and a jubilee history by @Duvinca - Harem Culture! by @foryoubtc09 – and finally Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, both by @Melissa_1998 . https://read.cash/@Duvinca/holy-grail-a-route-and-a-jubilee-history-9e6a37b8 https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09/harem-culture-cc152b78 https://read.cash/@Melissa_1998/angkor-wat-5d546357 https://read.cash/@Melissa_1998/machu-picchu-c9d9c780 We change subject. Here are two articles about philosophy, a topic that is always relevant, both written by relatively new members: What is Moral Philosophy by @mom_ka – and Social Philosophy And Sociality by @ruli_poi . https://read.cash/@mom_ka/what-is-moral-philosophy-468c3a3c https://read.cash/@ruli_poi/social-philosophy-and-sociality-a49a4d6b These (below) are the initial lines in True competition by @Jnavedan - as usual with this author, a thought-worthy, perhaps thought-provoking piece. https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/true-competition-1c2984db “*It is unbelievable that from childhood, the attitude of being the best is imposed on us.* *Competition among supposedly equals alienates our minds by throwing us out into the world in quest of trophies that no one else cares about and whose sense of satisfaction disappears almost instantly.* *Looking back, in retrospect, one wonders, where did the successes go, and who else cares?”* In What goes around comes around, @DrPsycho describes how unhampered use of one's rights leads to violation of the rights of someone else. For that reason, every right must have a limitation. https://read.cash/@DrPsycho/what-goes-around-comes-around-47662465 @pavanjr claims that Little is more than enough..., a thought-provoking article. https://read.cash/@pavanjr https://read.cash/@pavanjr/little-is-more-than-enough-d225a63c Keep silent or speak freely? asks @Infinity in an article about words, speech and faked news. https://read.cash/@Infinity/keep-silent-or-speak-freely-9f0c8d11 @Lucifer01 published a very good article with the beautiful title A Diamond is a Coal that did well Under Pressure. I love this title, it's a line that would serve well as a proverb. https://read.cash/@Lucifer01 https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/a-diamond-is-a-coal-that-did-well-under-pressure-a4b2721f The most recent articles from the always interesting @Jcnakama , are Anti-work and Intellectual laziness. https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/anti-work-4256ddd9 https://read.cash/@JCnakama/intellectual-laziness-2c742c7a Phobia : What are your Fears? asks @Ling01 – and we continue on the same theme with Atychiphobia by @HappyBoy and Shadows of Enosimania, Guilt That Leads to Fear by new member @Jejen31 . https://read.cash/@Ling01/phobia-what-are-your-fears-17e25a3c https://read.cash/@HappyBoy/atychiphobia-a449e54a https://read.cash/@Jejen31/shadows-of-enosimania-guilt-that-leads-to-fear-c3e4921a In Aloneness or Loneliness?, @DocLayla writes about two distinctly different words, which are often confused. https://read.cash/@DocLayla/aloneness-or-loneliness-741e4686 New member @justdave clears out the difference between a puzzle and a problem and how fatal it can be if one, for solving them, uses methods required for the wrong type of problems. He also explains about the “Engineer syndrome” https://read.cash/@justdave Another new member, @Elfiraxo , writes interesting stuff. One of his so far 8 published articles is The Path Towards Quantum Mechanics Part 1 . https://read.cash/@Elfiraxo https://read.cash/@Elfiraxo/the-path-towards-quantum-mechanics-part-1-922f98e3 Do you want lessons in biology? The you should read @Black_Angel , who has written several articles on that subject. The two most recent are To adapt and reproduce, sexually and asexually and Parthenogenesis: I do not need a Male! The latter includes a fairly comprehensive description of the reproduction of honey bees. https://read.cash/@Black_Angel https://read.cash/@Black_Angel/to-adapt-and-reproduce-sexually-and-asexually-4d55e474 https://read.cash/@Black_Angel/parthenogenesis-i-do-not-need-a-male-2b3e4eac @Oikawa writes about 3 Types of Reading That Will Make You a Better Writer: How to Improve Your Writing Skills - and relatively new member @frdchckn published an excellent article, The "Write What You Know" Trap. I have long experience of writership, and I fully agree with what the author says in this post. https://read.cash/@Oikawa https://read.cash/@Oikawa/3-types-of-reading-that-will-make-you-a-better-writer-how-to-improve-your-writing-skills-fb974ebd https://read.cash/@frdchckn https://read.cash/@frdchckn/the-write-what-you-know-trap-6962f120 Their Homes is Nature and Forest, explains @MoonTrader,while @Ling01 asks Do Plants Have Souls?, and @reanbooks describes his garden, which is a place of great and impressive beauty, according to the images of the article: Relics From Generation To Generation. Another botanical article is Astonishing Actualities About Approximately Cacti ! by @raojunaid. https://read.cash/@MoonTrader/their-homes-is-nature-and-forest-0e6c573d https://read.cash/@Ling01 https://read.cash/@Ling01/do-plants-have-souls-9ed10427 https://read.cash/@reanbooks https://read.cash/@reanbooks/relics-from-generation-to-generation-895c1772 https://read.cash/@raojunaid/astonishing-actualities-about-approximately-cacti-382038ec @Ice69 wrote about The African Elephant – and @FarahNaaz_04 presented Some amazing facts and experiment about the animal "Elephant shrew". https://read.cash/@Ice69 https://read.cash/@Ice69/the-african-elephant-57cded2e https://read.cash/@FarahNaaz_04 https://read.cash/@FarahNaaz_04/some-amazing-facts-and-experiment-about-the-animal-elephant-shrew-80b096e0 Looking for fiction, I found two writers I have not read before. One is @Haydarmohamad , a member for several months and the other is @wayne6734 , a Readcasher since less than a month. I don't want to pick something specific from their production; look at their profiles. https://read.cash/@Haydarmohamad https://read.cash/@wayne6734 Let me finish this issue of “Suggested Reading” with another piece of fiction: To learn about acting, my specialty by @gertu13 . https://read.cash/@gertu13/to-learn-about-acting-my-specialty-4d731aca Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 My 5 most recent articles: Hunger for Publicity & The Selfish Charity https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hunger-for-publicity-the-selfish-charity-d99558a6 Quizzes & Puzzles 9 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-9-3e4325cd Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Suggested Reading 24 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-24-17aadc9c Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981

@Mictorrani 27 April 2022

Hunger for Publicity & The Selfish Charity *Do you desire publicity or do you favour privacy? Today there is a widespread hunger for publicity, where people expose everything about themselves in social media. Is that wise? And why are they doing it? That's our first theme today. The other is the question whether charity is always an expression of unselfishness, or can it be a mere tool to satisfy a hunger for publicity?* Hunger for Publicity Hunger for publicity, only for the sake of publicity itself, is always based on an inferiority complex. For people feeling insignificant, it is an ego trip to appear on TV, in the press, or on internet, no matter the reason. If nothing else, they behave as swine to get there! (No affront to the actual animal intended.) When others see them, they feel more real. Internet offers new and far-reaching possibilities for these individuals. There they can expose themselves to their heart's content. And why not, if that is what they need to feel real? Even if I do not share that attitude, there must be a place for such people too. It is certainly more harmless than if they take up politics. As long as it does not negatively affect their families or others in their environment, it is their own choice. Many, many people, however, expose themselves in Facebook, etc., just to end up with deep regrets. Remember that the net never forgets, and that everything you do there can have consequences. It is better to think first and act after, than ending up wishing it all undone. Intelligence services, the police, tax authorities, and many others are eager readers of Facebook, blogs, and similar things. They have full-time employed teams whose only task is to collect information people are giving about themselves; with pictures, personal data, and everything. Journalists and potential employers increasingly use the same sources. There is good reason to think of what you upload, it can (and will) find its way to a Gestapo or Stasi of tomorrow. And, as I wrote in my very first article at this platform, “Why Should You Always Write under a Pseudonym?“: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-should-you-always-write-under-a-pseudonym-07e4fe80 “*Something that is innocuous today, can next month, year, or decade be deadly; or even pose a danger for one's descendants a century from now.* *Of course that will not happen in most cases, but trying to predict what will be sensitive in the future, is as impossible as foreseeing the weather on a specific day twenty years from now. The irrationality of the human mind is boundless.”* The Selfish Charity Almost without exception, people claiming to be unselfish are the most ruthlessly selfish of all; unscrupulous users of others. It can be unconscious, I am sure many of them believe in their own claims. But they use them to pursue their own interests in every step of life, often at the cost of others. How about charity? When someone boasts about it, or is coquetting with it, is it unselfish? Donators contesting with one another about giving the most are just using it as a means to enhance their own prestige. This is the ultimate egoism and nothing morally praiseworthy at all. “*Charity should be charity, not a publicity stunt.”* (Venkat Desireddy) True charity craves no recognition. It is not exhibited for the environment to admire, to get thanks or prestige, but is gladly done anonymously if that is viable. If anything, material or immaterial, is expected in return, it is no charity, but a transaction. There is nothing wrong with a transaction, but call it by its right name and do not assign to it a moral or altruistic value. Related articles: Why Should You Always Write under a Pseudonym? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-should-you-always-write-under-a-pseudonym-07e4fe80 Private & Public – Is it Justified With a Free Press When Privacy is Outlawed? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/private-public-is-it-justified-with-a-free-press-when-privacy-is-outlawed-89a06337 Privacy: What is it? Do we need it? Why are People Afraid of it? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/privacy-what-is-it-do-we-need-it-why-are-people-afraid-of-it-d69afb46 Envy & Fear: Why do People Desire Power? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/envy-fear-why-do-people-desire-power-fc8dc68c Copyright © 2010, 2022 Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by Piotr Cichosz/Unsplash, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you find all my writings about Privacy & Antibigbrotherism. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#privacy-amp-antibigbrotherism **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 My 5 most recent articles: Quizzes & Puzzles 9 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-9-3e4325cd Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Suggested Reading 24 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-24-17aadc9c Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 Quizzes & Puzzles 8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-8-8ea1aab0

@Mictorrani 23 April 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 9 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 8**. New problems below the image.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-8-8ea1aab0 Answer to Quiz 8:1 “*Which now existing terrestrial animal has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom?”* The answer is the **ostrich**. You can read more about animals with large eyes in The Most Powerful Eyes. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-most-powerful-eyes-9dc49a42 The first right answer came from @MD_Tibro. @Adobe101 also suggested it. https://read.cash/@MD_Tibro https://read.cash/@Adobe101 Answer to Quiz 8:2 “*One Roman emperor is most known under his nickname, which means "little boot"; who was his father?”* This is a question in two steps. "Little boot" was **Caligula**, from *caliga*, soldier's boot. He was Roman Emperor 37-41 AD, and is known as one of the most cruel and perverted Roman emperors. Caligula was a nickname, his real name was Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. His father was Roman general **Germanicus Julius Caesar**, the adopted son of Emperor Tiberius. Answer to Quiz 8:3 “*Which powerful Germanic tribe during the great migration in Europe got its name from a certain growth of hair? A form of their name is sometimes still associated with banking.* *They founded a mighty kingdom in present day Italy, and their name still survives in the name of an Italian region.“* It was the **Langobards**, also known as **Lombards**. Langobard means "long beard". Originally from Southern Sweden in Scandinavia (probably), they migrated through Europe and ended up founding a powerful kingdom in present day Italy. The association with banking is "Lombard banking", pawn shops, which as far as is known were originating in **Lombardy** in Northern Italy. Some cities still today has a Lombard Street, originally a banking street or a pawn shop street. Answer to Problem 8:4 *“Referring to my recent article “Symmetry”, can you classify the figure above regarding reflection symmetry, rotation symmetry and chirality?“* Reflection symmetry – no. Rotation symmetry – yes. Chirality – yes. *And now some new exercises for brain & memory...* Quiz 9:1 One of the most well known knights of world literature, probably THE most well known, a figure being a bit ridiculous, stems from a place also being known for the cultivation of a certain spice. 3 questions: What spice? What knight? What place? Quiz 9:2 What material, according to old Chinese lore, is the petrification of the soul of a dead Tiger? In some other traditions, the material has been associated with tears or sunshine. Quiz 9:3 Which colour pigment was originally made from a substance secreted by cuttlefish? Now made synthetically, the colour is still called the same. Symmetry problem 9:4 Let's take one more symmetry puzzle. Try to classify this figure regarding reflection symmetry, rotation symmetry and chirality. (For an explanation of these terms, see Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality.) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de One of these quotes is a clue. “[...] *out of love of symmetry, just as people put two vases above a fireplace.*” (Guy de Maupassant, *Bel-Ami*) “*Don't confuse symmetry with balance.*” (Tom Robbins, *Even Cowgirls Get the Blues*) “*If you look at music, you see theme, variation, you see symmetry, asymmetry, you see structure, and these are related to skills in the real world.”* (Dave Van Ronk) *“Our notion of symmetry is derived form the human face. Hence, we demand symmetry horizontally and in breadth only, not vertically nor in depth.*” (Blaise Pascal) **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Images of the two symmetry problems are mine: Copyright © Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved.* *Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*

@Mictorrani 22 April 2022

Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II *This is the second article of two, about some individual amino acids and their medical effects. Part one can be found here:* Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 *In this second part, I will first bring up some conditionally essential amino acids, as the last* *proteinogenic amino acids* *in this survey, and after that we will look at some* *non-proteinogenic ones**.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981#introduction CONDITIONALLY ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS *These amino acids (and Proline, which is not disussed below) are not generally essential but can be so under certain circumstances, such as for preterm infants.* **ARGININE** Nitric oxide is a vasodilator and increases blood flow, and arginine helps with nitric oxide synthesis. It means that arginine actually helps increasing exercise capacity by increasing the amount of nitric oxide. This is especially useful for people with cardiovascular disease. The same mechanism is at work during erection, which means that arginine has a potential to provide some help in cases of erectile dysfunction. Results from research are ambiguous, but I suspect that it depends on the individual cause of the erectile dysfunction. It is not one set ailment, but a symptom with a number of possible causes. So arginine may or may not help, depending on the cause. Perhaps arginine also stimulates the release of growth hormone, which is essential for healing and rejuvenation. Results of research have been unclear though. **CYSTEINE** Cysteine is a precursor to the antioxidant glutathione. It is also possible that it protects against alcohol damage, but that has not been conclusively proved. **GLUTAMINE** Glutamine plays many central roles in the biochemistry of the body, and it is the most abundant free non-essential amino acid in the human body. **GLYCINE** Glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is also industrially used in the production of artificial sweeteners and taste enhancers and much more. Potentially, it also plays a role in anti-ageing therapy by preventing or reversing age-associated damage of fibroblasts. **TYROSINE** This amino acid helps keeping optimal function of adrenal, thyroid and pituitary glands. Non- Proteinogenic Amino Acids **CARNITINE** For a fatty acid to be used for energy, it first must be transported into the mitochondria by carnitine. A deficiency of carnitine leads to an increasing level of fats in the blood, fats that could be used by co-enzyme Q10 to produce cellular energy, but which is not reaching the cells and the mitochondria because there is no carrier. In cases of high blood fats, supplementary carnitine should always be considered. Athletes sometimes use it to facilitate the use of fat as energy. Further, carnitine can beneficially affect anti-oxidation, heart disease, bone structure, diabetes, dementia, and (especially male) fertility. **CITRULLINE** Citrulline in the form of citrulline malate is sometimes taken as a supplement by athletes to enhance perfomance. A study showed that it reduces muscle fatigue. It is also suspected for being a precursor to nitric oxide, which would cause vascular effects similar to those of arginine. However, this has not been proved. **CYSTINE** Supports the immune system. GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) Gamma-Aminobutyric acid is the major inhibitory neutrotransmitter and it regulates muscle tone. It has a relaxing effect and reduces anxiety. It has been suggested that it is involved in the synthesis of melatonin, and by that have a regulatory effect on sleep and sex drive, but that has never been proved. **GLUTATHIONE** Provides resistance to oxidative stress. Also important for optimal function of the immune system. It is the major antioxidant that is synthesised in the body itself. In addition to that, it is vital for many metabolic and biochemical reactions in every system of the human body. **ORNITHINE** Promotes the removal of urea waste. Suitable to combine with Arginine. **HOMOCYSTEINE** Homocysteine is an amino acid that is interesting from the anti-ageing perspective. A high level of homocysteine in the blood is called ***hyperhomocysteinaemia.*** That is a condition associated with an increased risk for a large number of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric illness, renal dysfunction, and fractures. Homocystein is synthesised from methionine. Levels are rising by alcohol, deficiency of certain vitamins, and in a small number of cases, by a genetic defect. Typically, the level also increases with age. Levels can be brought down by supplementation of vitamins B6, Folic Acid and B12, preferably combined with taurine, an amino-acid-like compound that is normally a component of bile. The homocysteine will then be recycled to methionine or converted into cysteine. An alternative method is to give betaine (trimethylglycine, TMG). The whole series about amino acids: 1. Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 2. Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Copyright © 2016, 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you find my articles about vitamins, minerals & other nutrients, and those related to health & medicine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#health-amp-medicine-for-covid-19-see-covid-19 **In my** INDEX**, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Interested in health & medicine, join my community "The Mechanisms of Health (d52e)" https://read.cash/c/the-mechanisms-of-health-d52e My 5 most recent articles: Suggested Reading 24 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-24-17aadc9c Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 Quizzes & Puzzles 8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-8-8ea1aab0 The Peculiar Diversity of Europe https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-peculiar-diversity-of-europe-d670cb43 Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de

@Mictorrani 21 April 2022

Suggested Reading 24 *In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading What is the problem Bitcoin Cash is trying to solve? asks @Jnavedan in a view on BCH and about living in a big lie. He writes: https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/what-is-the-problem-bitcoin-cash-is-trying-to-solve-352f0d92 “*Someone enlightened might rightly say to me: "Don't worry, my friend, man has always lived in a big lie, believing that he exercised free will. So, take it easy and go on living as you have been.* *No, that's enough! I refuse to go on living like this.”* “*The biggest challenge for cryptocurrencies is not governmental regulation and taxation. The most crucial challenge lies within the cryptocurrencies themselves.“* So says @Unity in The Toughest Challenge for Cryptocurrencies, putting his finger on a problem, which, although sometimes discussed, remains largely neglected. https://read.cash/@Unity https://read.cash/@Unity/the-toughest-challenge-for-cryptocurrencies-19b77973 In The Crackdown on NFTs/Cryptocurrency Continues, @MintDice writes: https://read.cash/@MintDice/the-crackdown-on-nftscryptocurrency-continues-1b3870f7 “*It may come as a shock to many of you, but the truth is, you aren’t free. You can’t say what you want, nor can you spend your money the way you want. Because if you do, the government will shut you down. Don’t believe us? Let’s take a closer look.”* @annayks reports that The EU Is Getting Ready A CBDC And Plans To Ban Crypto Mining And Trading. https://read.cash/@annayks https://read.cash/@annayks/the-eu-is-getting-ready-a-cbdc-and-plans-to-ban-crypto-mining-and-trading-aa09209f @LiberLion is a member since over 2 months, but he has not attracted the attention he deserves, although he has published several very good articles. At the time I write this, he still has only one subscriber, and that's me. Read for instance: KYC, a Mass Surveillance Instrument, Regulations Will Attack Bitcoin Decentralization, SocialFi is the First Step Towards the Metaverse, and his most recent post, DAO, the Social Structure of Cryptoanarchism. https://read.cash/@LiberLion https://read.cash/@LiberLion/kyc-a-mass-surveillance-instrument-321068f1 https://read.cash/@LiberLion/regulations-will-attack-bitcoin-decentralization-30334c19 https://read.cash/@LiberLion/socialfi-is-the-first-step-towards-the-metaverse-6a231d02 https://read.cash/@LiberLion/dao-the-social-structure-of-cryptoanarchism-83c99ef8 Ageing Against Civilization by @Talon offers thought-provoking reflections over an increasingly infantile civilisation. https://read.cash/@Talon/ageing-against-civilization-368a46ef We find related thoughts in Global Politics is like Kindergarten by @daffaputra . Of course the author is right; mentally, politicians are as overgrown babies in total absence of maturity. Another article by the same author brings an important message: Digital fasting needs to be done. https://read.cash/@daffaputra/global-politics-is-like-kindergarten-d07629fb https://read.cash/@daffaputra/digital-fasting-needs-to-be-done-47dd4fd6 @FashTioluwa writes All of us are not equal; Know this!! - and @reanbooks tells us: Simple Life Teaches Me About The Meaning Of Hard Work. https://read.cash/@FashTioluwa https://read.cash/@FashTioluwa/all-of-us-are-not-equal-know-this-ea7a8076 https://read.cash/@reanbooks https://read.cash/@reanbooks/simple-life-teaches-me-about-the-meaning-of-hard-work-beb57736 @Oikawa analyses Why We Lie: The Psychology Behind Why People Choose to Lie. https://read.cash/@Oikawa https://read.cash/@Oikawa/why-we-lie-the-psychology-behind-why-people-choose-to-lie-85c6d9b3 @Raheela reminds us of an important environmental problem in Plastic Pollution: A Threat to Marine Life. Indeed, some plastics offer a more profound problem than that, since they contain substances imitating female sex hormones – threatening life on land as well as in the seas. I have written about that in The Feminisation of Nature. https://read.cash/@Raheela https://read.cash/@Raheela/plastic-pollution-a-threat-to-marine-life-7c6032ed https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-feminisation-of-nature-d9ba1e17 Nature is not a place to visit, it is Home says @Lucifer01 – and I can just agree. Don't see nature as an enemy, we are a part it, totally dependent on it. https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/nature-is-not-a-place-to-visit-it-is-home-e55f5a88 Mushrooms Could Have Language explains @Shounenbat in an interesting article. https://read.cash/@Shounenbat/mushrooms-could-have-language-60fc267e Old readers know I have an interest in spices, documented in several articles here. But I'm not the only one: some days ago, I found a very well written article by @Laila1 about saffron: Great benefits of expensive saffron and interesting facts. I especially like this article, because the author approaches the subject in a multidisciplinary way, discussing different aspects of it, for instance health effects as well as history. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#spices-amp-herbs https://read.cash/@Laila1 https://read.cash/@Laila1/great-benefits-of-expensive-saffron-and-interesting-facts-58a13596 Why do animals tend to recover faster than humans? asks @BettyRB – and she also write about The history of the General Sherman tree, the largest in the world. https://read.cash/@BettyRB/why-do-animals-tend-to-recover-faster-than-humans-02e3137b https://read.cash/@BettyRB/the-history-of-the-general-sherman-tree-the-largest-in-the-world-422f0234 @beyourself has also written about old trees: The Oldest Trees on Earth. He has also written many good articles about history and mythology; for instance: Queen Of Ancient Sparta-Gorgo, Roman Law - Ancient Rome, and, since I know the interest in dragons is considerable here, why not Ancient China-Dragons. https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-oldest-trees-on-earth-2e3a76a8 https://read.cash/@beyourself/queen-of-ancient-sparta-gorgo-64e90c17 https://read.cash/@beyourself/roman-law-ancient-rome-e8fc03ce https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#dragons https://read.cash/@beyourself/ancient-china-dragons-106516f3 @Humanpsychology continues to publish excellent articles about various artists, such as (but not limited to): Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), Edgar Degas (1834-1917) and Pierre Aguste Renoir (1841-1919). https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/ferdinand-victor-eugene-delacroix-1798-1863-105aecb2 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/edgar-degas-1834-1917-3ff2d6fa https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/pierre-aguste-renoir-1841-1919-4b38c0ad @foryoubtc09 presents a piece of Turkish history in Reflection of Love in Art. Those of you who have seen the TV-series about Hürrem Sultan will recognise the main character here, Mihrimah Sultan. https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09 https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09/reflection-of-love-in-art-1001888d @DocLayla writes about The futility of words. It made me think of my own (partly somewhat related) view on words. It's too long to describe here, but I have published two articles about it: Words are Power - But only if you Have Something to Say and Words, Consciousness & Beyond. https://read.cash/@DocLayla https://read.cash/@DocLayla/the-futility-of-words-727edc8c https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/words-are-power-but-only-if-you-have-something-to-say-dd4dca45 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/words-consciousness-beyond-f32317bc Something more playful: words can also be used to create riddles. @Daria presents her selection in an article simply named Riddles! https://read.cash/@Daria https://read.cash/@Daria/riddles-be386f42 Let's continue with a mystery: The secret from Bucegi - The gateway to another world? by @cyrus21. https://read.cash/@cyrus21/the-secret-from-bucegi-the-gateway-to-another-world-35b0af22 New on the recurrent theme of colour: Graphic Design - Colors by @Lixten – and Colors Representing Horror, Featuring Mythological Approach by @Ling01. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#colour https://read.cash/@Lixten/graphic-design-colors-e4b41c9a https://read.cash/@Ling01/colors-representing-horror-featuring-mythological-approach-7501e75e Another recurrent theme is coffee: @BSzandra has published two articles on this theme: Did you know these facts about coffee? and What can coffee used for addition to drinking it? https://read.cash/@BSzandra https://read.cash/@BSzandra/did-you-know-these-facts-about-coffee-fbdc2849 https://read.cash/@BSzandra/what-can-coffee-used-for-addition-to-drinking-it-432ff38f Finally some fiction: this week I choose I think, she makes me Vulnerable! by @Lucifer01 - the second time I mention him in this issue of “Suggested Reading”. According to himself, this story is his entry to Writing Club Contest on Hive. https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/i-think-she-makes-me-vulnerable-810db207 Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 My 5 most recent articles: Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 Quizzes & Puzzles 8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-8-8ea1aab0 The Peculiar Diversity of Europe https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-peculiar-diversity-of-europe-d670cb43 Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de Suggested Reading 23 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-23-b3bd36d5

@Mictorrani 20 April 2022

Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I *This is the first article of two, about some individual amino acids and their medical effects. Some of them can be taken as a dietary supplement.* Introduction Amino acids are the parts from which proteins are built. But that is not their only function. They also serve the body's biochemistry in other ways. Some work as catalysts, others take part in biochemical reactions; some have vitamin-like or outright medical properties. In short, they have a number of functions apart from being building blocks for various proteins. That's why some of them are sold as supplements. That, however, is primarily aimed at athletes, who are trying to influence their strength and the result of their exercise with amino acids. Yet every health-conscious individual should have at least a basic understanding of them. Unreflectedly ingesting a single amino acid is hardly worthwhile and might even be harmful. Except in very special cases, they should be taken in combinations or a complex to give full effect. The amino acids that are precursors to proteins are called ***proteinogenic amino acids***. These are the ones which, among other functions, serve as building blocks. Other amino acids, and there are many of them in nature, are called ***non-proteinogenic***. There are only 21 proteinogenic amino acids in the genetic code of eukaryotes (which includes all animals, plants, algae and fungi). That is the 20 from the standard genetic code and *selenocysteine*. For humans, 9 amino acids are ***essential***, which means that they have to be ingested, while the other 11 of the standard genetic code can be synthesised from other molecules. The essential amino acids (EAA) are *Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan,* and V*aline.* The other 11 of the standard genetic code are *Arginine, Alanine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine*, and *Tyrosine.* Of the essential amino acids, three are ***Branch-Chained Amino Acids*** *(BCAA): Leucine, Isoleucine* and *Valine.* Contrary to other EAAs which are metabolised in the liver, BCAAs are metabolised in the muscles. Of the 12 non-essential amino acids, 6 (*Arginine, Cysteine, Glycine, Glutamine, Proline*, and *Tyrosine)* are conditionally essential. That means they are not generally essential but can be so under special circumstances. Below, we will look at effects and functions of some individual amino acids. I divide this in two main sections. ***Proteinogenic*** and ***Non-proteinogenic*** amino acids. I will not discuss all amino acids individually, this is just a selection of facts about the most interesting ones. Proteinogenic Amino Acids ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA) HISTIDINE (EAA) Histidine is a precursor to histamine, which protects against oxidation. It is also involved in the synthesis of carosene, which helps reduce the build-up of harmful lactic acid during muscle strain. **ISOLEUCINE (EAA & BCAA)** See BCAA below. **LEUCINE (EAA & BCAA)** Leucine stimulates protein synthesis (no other amino acid can do that). Used for lean muscle growth and recovery after heavy exercise or other strain. See also BCAA below. LYSINE (EAA) Lysine stimulates the release of growth hormone, which facilitates all forms of healing. As an isolated supplement, it is especially useful for healing the gums. It also has an history of curing certain virus infections, most notably herpes. However, there is some dispute about whether or not this works. Further, it promotes calcium absorption, and also plays a role in recovery after muscular strain. Lysine has a reputation of curing oral herpes and certain other virus infections. The results of studies are non-conclusive, however, and anecdotal evidence gives the impression that it works in some cases but by far not in all. **METHIONINE (EAA)** Methionine is required for the synthesis of carnitine, cysteine, lecithin, phosphatidylcholine and other phospholipids, and for taurine. Methionine chelates heavy metals and removes them from the body. It is sometimes given to dogs as a supplement to prevent “stones”. **PHENYLALANINE (EAA)** Marketed as a pain-killer and anti-depressant. It is a precursor in the synthesis of the pigment melanin, dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline (Americans call them epinephrine and *norepinephrine).* It is sometimes used for its antidepressant effect. For athletes, it reduces exhaustion during strain. THEONINE (EAA) Important for mental balance and the immune system. Otherwise insufficiently studied. **TRYPTOPHAN (EAA)** Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin. It is a neurotransmitter that has the ability too suppress pain and stimulate sound sleep. It is also a precursor to melatonin, a substance that regulates sleep. Athletes sometimes take tryptophan to better stand the tolerance to pain in connection with hard strain, but its effect is unproved. **VALINE (EAA & BCAA)** Valine helps to protect the muscle cells from damage during strain. See also BCAA below. BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS– BCAA Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are Branched-Chain Amino Acids. They increase red blood cell count and haemoglobin, which increase the blood's ability to transport oxygen. They also increase serum albumin and lower glucose. Moreover, they are anti-inflammatory and stimulate the formation of blood cells. Further, BCAAs can be used against liver disease, kidney failure, stress, and much more. In order to be efficient and not harmful, they should only be taken together with all the other essential amino acids, never separately. The whole series about amino acids: 1. Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part I https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-i-e39c1981 2. Amino Acids: Nutrients & Supplements part II https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amino-acids-nutrients-supplements-part-ii-7c64c579 Copyright © 2016, 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Lead Image by geralt/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you find my articles about vitamins, minerals & other nutrients, and those related to health & medicine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#health-amp-medicine-for-covid-19-see-covid-19 **In my** INDEX**, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Interested in health & medicine, join my community "The Mechanisms of Health (d52e)" https://read.cash/c/the-mechanisms-of-health-d52e My 5 most recent articles: Quizzes & Puzzles 8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-8-8ea1aab0 The Peculiar Diversity of Europe https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-peculiar-diversity-of-europe-d670cb43 Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de Suggested Reading 23 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-23-b3bd36d5 Vitamin V, Viagra & Erectile Dysfunction https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-v-viagra-erectile-dysfunction-7559e312

@Mictorrani 16 April 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 8 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 7**. New problems below the image.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-7-f7a1c033 Answer to Quiz 7:1 “*In legend, dragons were creatures of heat. What, according to Medieval lore, would they need in order to cool down?”* The answer is elephant's blood, which was thought to be cold. Several old sources describe the enmity between dragons and elephants in India and Ethiopia, and how they often came to fight, sometimes a fight leading to mutual death. In the 1st century, Pliny the Elder wrote in his "Natural History": "The dragons, it is said, are of such vast size that they can swallow the whole of the elephant's blood; consequently the latter, being thus drained, falls to the [...] [ground] exhausted, while the dragon, intoxicated with the draught, is crushed beneath it and so shares its fate." As late as in the 13th century, Bartholomaeus Anglicus wrote in "De proprietatibus rerum": "The cause why the dragon desireth his [the elephant's] blood, is coldness of the elephant's blood, by which the dragon desireth to cool himself." Many sources also discuss the pigment that is a result of soil soaked with dragon's blood, or sometimes a mix of elephant's and dragon's blood. It has, they claim, various valuable properties, some of them medical. Pliny calls it "Indian cinnabar" or just "dragon's blood". A peculiar item associated with dragons is Dracontites, a stone it is said to have in its brain. It has magical properties and is considered a gem if it is removed from the head of a living dragon. (The English translation of Pliny is quoted from "The Elephant in Medieval Legend and Art", London 1919; and of Bartholomaeus Anglicus from "Medieval Lore of Bartholomaeus Anglicus", London 1905.) You can find my articles about dragons here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#dragons Answer to Quiz 7:2 “*Who was the Albanian general of the Turkish Ottoman army who was sent to Egypt in 1801, later to become Turkish “wali” (governor) there? Egypt's last royal dynasty descended from him.”* This was Muhammad Ali. You can read more about him and his descendants in Ottoman Egypt, Muhammad Ali & his Dynasty. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/ottoman-egypt-muhammad-ali-his-dynasty-47d91b16 Answer to Quiz 7:3 “*Which is the only snake building nests and incubating its eggs?”* The King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah. Do not, however, think that all cobras are the same. The word is an abbreviation of "cobra de capelo", a "snake with hood", and has been applied to different snakes. The King Cobra, which strictly is no genuine cobra, lives in India and South East Asia, and is the biggest venomous snake known. Traditional Chinese medicine uses venom, bile, meat, and skin, and they - especially venom and bile - are used to treat a number of diseases and ailments, not without interesting results. @TheGuy provided a correct answer. https://read.cash/@TheGuy Answer to Puzzle 7:4 “*Can you form a perfectly correct sentence where the word "and" occurs 5 times without any other word in between, and a realistic scenario justifying it?* *The sentence should be ....and and and and and.... with one or more other words both before the sequence and after it.”* Consider that you are creating a poster for a shop selling fruit and vegetables. On it, you have plainly written “Fruit and vegetables”. When you show the proprietor of the shop, he is not pleased; he thinks the words are too tight with too little space in between. He says: “please **increase the space between fruit and “and”, and “and” and vegetables.**” Of course there are other possible solutions. This is just one example. And now some new exercises for brain & memory... Quiz 8:1 Which now existing terrestrial animal has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom? Quiz 8:2 One Roman emperor is most known under his nickname, which means "little boot"; who was his father? Quiz 8:3 Which powerful Germanic tribe during the great migration in Europe got its name from a certain growth of hair? A form of their name is sometimes still associated with banking. They founded a mighty kingdom in present day Italy, and their name still survives in the name of an Italian region. Problem 8:4 Referring to my recent article “Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality”, **can you classify the figure above regarding reflection symmetry, rotation symmetry and chirality?** (The image is mine**:** Copyright © Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved.) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symmetry-asymmetry-chirality-ab0479de **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Selected old articles: The Relationship Between Cats & Humans – Where did it Begin, and Why? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-relationship-between-cats-humans-where-did-it-begin-and-why-1101d0c1 Black Cats, Heralds of Evil? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/black-cats-heralds-of-evil-87816f43 Felines of Egypt https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/felines-of-egypt-9dd09265

@Mictorrani 14 April 2022

The Peculiar Diversity of Europe *I have previously published* *The Borders of Europe**; let's take a look at another aspect of this peculiar part of the world: its diversity. In my opinion, this diversity is, or was, what made Europe evolve so enormously during a few centuries that it came to dominate the world, culturally, economically and militarily. The diversity is politically suppressed and it is no longer what it has been, but it is not entirely gone.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-borders-of-europe-81f0a31a I. Characterisation of Europe What is the most important characteristic of Europe? To me it is strong social variety and diversity in a relatively small area. This is what makes Europe particularly interesting and what once made it explode in creativity and wealth somewhere around the Renaissance until about 200 years ago. The present strivings toward equality and harmonisation (read: conformity) are killing it. The supporters of the European Union claim to aim at making Europe great again; but they will fail, because they don't understand what once made it great. The remedy they try is just more of a medicine that is killing the patient. They might create a monster of violent strength, a techno-barbarity, but no civilisation. European civilisation and culture, which rose and developed during and after the Renaissance till quite recently (historically seen), was a result of the local differences and the dynamic creativity these differences generated. It was a result of the friction along various borderlines between geographical, ethnic, religious, economic, political, philosophical and other differences. All empires die, because they deny and suppress diversity, and thus they stagnate. Pax Romana, the long Roman peace, was a slow cultural suicide. The European Union is on its way to commit suicide too, although not necessarily that slow. Despite this contemporary trend, there are still a number of small and in some ways different places in Europe. Very small sovereign states, autonomous areas, enclaves, and special zones of various sorts. We will briefly look at some of them below. The space is limited, so I'm sorry to say that I cannot treat them in detail now, and I do not claim to be exhaustive. There are areas I am not mentioning. Many of these areas have special judicial and economical features, and some of them are - or have been until quite recently - veritable tax havens. This and the creative use of contrasting legal systems are what literature on these areas used to concentrate on. But don't always trust a marketer who tries to make you utilize one of these features, because what he says is not always true! Or, he can conceal some important factor. After all he tries to sell you something. (Take warning from the section on Campione below.) However, I am not focusing on the aspect of financial strategy. Of course there are always cultural aspects of small communities too. On islands or in remote mountain valleys, people tend to hang on to old customs longer, and to be less inclined to join all the temporary whims of the times. But before we discuss specific places, we have to define Europe. I did so (geographically) in The Borders of Europe, so I will not repeat that here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-borders-of-europe-81f0a31a II. Small Communities Of Europe **THE PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA** is the world's only co-principate. According to tradition, Charlemagne (724-814) gave Andorra its independence, in gratitude for their help in the war against the Moors. Although Andorra's independence is very old, there is no evidence supporting this tradition. What we know is that in 1287, Andorra was under the rule of the Spanish Bishop of Urgel and the Count of Foix - as co-princes. This continues yet, although the count's prerogatives first went to the French kings and later to the French presidents. **THE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN**, consists of two countries which previously belonged to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire: the barony, Schellenberg, and the county, Vaduz. These were bought by Johan Adam von Liechtenstein in 1699, respective 1712. The emperor merged the countries in 1719, and made them a feudal principality within the empire. In 1866, Liechtenstein became a sovereign state under Prince Johan II (1858-1929). **THE PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO**'s first inhabitants probably were Phoenicians. The Genoese did build a castle there in 1215, and in 1297 the power went to the house of Grimaldi. This got extinct in 1731, and the country went to the French dynasty, Goyon de Matignon, who took the name "Grimaldi". This house too got extinct and in 1949 Monaco went to the house of Polignac. The present prince is the second of this house. Monaco was long a fief under various states and monarchs, but became sovereign in 1861. **THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO**, located in the Apennines and totally surrounded by Italy. It is the oldest remaining republic of Europe, and maybe in the world. According to legend, the first inhabitants were led there by a Christian stoneworker, Marino, who had fled from Dalmatia due to his Christian belief. San Marino's "de facto" sovereignty is documented as early as 885, but it was not "de jure" recognised by the Pope until 1631. **THE VATICAN (CITY) STATE**, the world's smallest sovereign country (unless one counts SMOM, more on that below) was created in 1929, as a result of a long conflict which had lasted since the last remnants of the old Church State were forced into a unified Italy in 1870. It is the centre of Roman Catholicism and the official residence of the Pope as well as the central management of the Church. It contains priceless collections of art and books. Of course it has no taxes, and a Vatican passport can be very useful, although not very easily available. Trading in the Vatican is surprisingly active, and it is possible to buy things one would not expect to find in such a place. Contraceptives, for instance!! But you need a special ID-card to benefit from the tax-free trading there. **ATHOS** (Hagion Oros - the holy mountain), or the **AUTONOMOUS MONASTIC STATE OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN.** This is an autonomous (self-governing) monastic state within the borders of Greece. Its spiritual sovereign is the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. It has an area of ca 390 square kilometers and consists of 20 monasteries. 17 of them are Greek Orthodox; while Russian, Serbian, and Bulgarian orthodoxy has one each, and there are two Romanian cloisters. The first monks probably were hermits in the 7th century, possibly arriving as refugees from Egypt, which was won by Islam at that time; but the first real monastery, Laura (or Lavra), was founded by Athanasius (the Athonite) of Trapezunt in 963. Under the protection of Byzantine emperors and local princes, the importance of Athos grew, and during otherwise turbulent times it became a centre for the spiritual and artistic life of the Byzantine epoch. By skilled diplomacy, they were able to keep that status during the Ottoman time as well. During the 19th century, the Russian influence became substantial, later on followed by the gradually less oppressed Balkan states - and Athos became more internationalised. In accordance with a Decree 1913 and a long list of international treaties (London 1913, Bucharest 1913, Neuilly 1919, Sèvres 1920, and Lausanne 1923, Athos is a part of the Greek state, although it is self-governing and has its own constitution. Its special status is explicitly accepted by the European Union. Athos is like an art museum, full of Medieval art, especially of the late Byzantine style. This autonomous state is entirely without taxes, but entry is forbidden for females, beardless youngsters, eunuchs, and children. Trading with art, antiquities and religious objects is common. If you want to sell something, you have to enter a monastery as a novice and make an arrangement with the superiors there. A few men have used Athos as a backdoor to citizenship in Greece (an EU country). To do this, you must lack religious objections to enter a monastery as a novice. As a monk in Athos, Greek authorities cannot force you to leave when your visa expires. Presenting the problem of an expiring visa to your superiors, they can arrange a Greek passport for you, so you can "continue your religious studies". It should be noted that as a novice you can always leave both Athos and the monastic life. There is no guarantee though, that a passport thus issued cannot be withdrawn if the whole procedure looks too much as an abuse. And don't imagine that it is just an automatic routine to become a novice and then ask for a passport. You will have to participate actively in the religious life of the monastery and it is likely that you would be asked to leave if you do not appear to be serious in your religious interest. Even if you don't want to become a monk, a visit to Athos can be worthwhile, especially if you are interested in art and history. You will have to conform to local life while you stay, but you get free food and accommodation. You may stay overnight, however, only if you are there for study and research. And, again, you have to be male! **GENEVA** used to belong to France, but joined Switzerland in 1789 for religious reasons, and they became a Swiss enclave in France. (At that time, the area around it belonged to France.) The Vienna Convention of 1815 stipulated that Geneva be connected with Switzerland by a corridor. The canton (Geneva) got a hinterland in the Savoy heights, and the customs border for that purpose was set 4 kilometers inside France. This zone was further promulgated by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 1934, and it is called the Geneva Free Zone. It still has some legal implications for business and immigration matters that can be favourably used. **CAMPIONE** is an Italian enclave in Switzerland. Technically, Italian tax applies, but in most instances a resident can ignore that and stay tax-free. The Italian taxman cannot reach you since, for practical purposes, you are on Swiss soil. This was the reason why Campione was (until quite recently) marketed as a place for foreigners to set up a residence. It was mostly aimed at Americans. There they could get Italian residence (just to register in the registrar's office in Campione, if you have an address), then for practical purposes live in Switzerland, stay tax-free, and after five years of residence (in Italy), they could apply for an Italian passport - and thus get a EU citizenship/passport! The residences these marketers sold in Campione were not cheap. Anyone contemplating this sort of step should stop for a moment and think. Italy is not likely to recognise the five years of residence as a legitimate ground for a passport/citizenship unless you paid Italian taxes while officially residing there!! **VALLE DE ARRAN** is a Spanish territory in the Pyrenees. The Valley voluntarily joined the Kingdom of Spain in 1313, with extensive autonomy and on the explicit condition that they may leave again at any time they choose. This treaty is still valid. Yet they were forced into the Constitution of Cadiz 1912, but never accepted it or agreed to it. They still require the fulfilment of the treaty of 1313. **LLIVIA** in the Pyrenees, a Spanish enclave in France, is a result of the "Peace of the Pyrenees" in 1659, between Felipe IV and Louis XVI. They simply forgot this town, and it happened to remain Spanish! **OS DE CIVIS** is a Spanish territory, accessible only through Andorra. It has many advantages, but a detailed description is beyond the scope of this article. **BüSINGEN**, is a German enclave in Switzerland. JUNGHOLZ and KLEINWALSERTAL are two Austrian enclaves in Germany. The two latter belong to the German economic zone but Austrian bank law applies. This was more useful before the time of the Euro and the European Union than it is now. **SAMNAUM** is a Swiss territory, which was previously reachable from the rest of Switzerland only during summer - otherwise only through Austria. Since 1913 they have direct roads to the rest of Switzerland, but certain enclave conditions remain. **LIVIGNO** is an Italian enclave and winter sports eldorado, with some enclave characteristics. **ÅLAND** is an autonomous province of Finland and consists of an archipelago in the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Finland. They have their own parliament, judicial system, their own flag and stamps. **THE FAEROE ISLANDS** are a part of Denmark, but have full autonomy, their own parliament and judicial system. They are not a part of the European Union. **SVALBARD** is an external possession of Norway. It is not autonomous, but has a special tax status, with very low taxes in otherwise high taxing Norway. Despite this, it is not attractive. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, it is dark between the end of October till the beginning of March, and it is cold. The **CANARY ISLANDS** belong to Spain, but have reduced tax, so called canary status. The **AZORES**, and **MADEIRA**, are both autonomous areas of Portugal. Apart from a lovely island climate in the Atlantic, both offer some business advantages. Britain has several autonomous dependencies. **GIBRALTAR, ISLE OF MAN, JERSEY,** and **GUERNSEY & DEPENDENCIES**, all with their special features. The two latter constitute the **CHANNEL ISLANDS**, where all the isles except Jersey belong to Guernsey & Dependencies. The Dependencies are other islands, all with a high degree of separate autonomy. The Channel Islands are interesting because they are what remains of the Archduchy of Normandy, which belonged to William the Conqueror before he conquered England in 1066. Thus they are not a part of the United Kingdom or the Great Britain, but are described as autonomous states within the British Commonwealth. If you want to know more about the unique political structure of the British Isles, see The Structure of the British Isles. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-structure-of-the-british-isles-2547a55a III. Some Extra Peculiarities **MICHELBUCH**, near Heidelberg in Germany was granted an official status in the time of the emperor William. It can never be annexed by any municipality. Only a couple of individuals live there and they are practically free from municipality tax. The estate belongs to the Hessian Church. **SMOM, THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF MALTA**, the smallest state in the world. They don't own any territory except their estate in Rome. Legally it is an extraterritorial territory, with its own jurisdiction. For more details about the Knights of Malta, see The Knights of Malta: Legitimate or Not? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-knights-of-malta-legitimate-or-not-ef338e51 **BEMPOSTA** is an autonomous republic in northern Spain. It was founded in 1956 by Father Jesus Maria Silva. There is a local currency and no taxes. The state is fully respected by Spain. There is just one problem, Bemposta is a state for children. You must be under 18 years of age to benefit from it. (This Bemposta has nothing to do with the Portuguese place with the same name.) In a river close to the Basque city, Irun, there is a strange isle, **ISLA DE LOS FAISANES**. It is strange because every half year it changes nationality. Half a year it is French, half a year Spanish. Residing there could give some interesting legal consequences. But that is just in theory, the isle is uninhabited and hardly suited for residence. **FRANCO-SUISSE** is a hotel in the city, La Cure, by the border between France and Switzerland. The interesting thing about this hotel is that the border between France and Switzerland goes right through it. Sometimes even across a double bed! Related articles: The Borders of Europe https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-borders-of-europe-81f0a31a The Structure of the British Isles https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-structure-of-the-british-isles-2547a55a The Knights of Malta: Legitimate or Not? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-knights-of-malta-legitimate-or-not-ef338e51 Copyright © 2007. 2012, 2022 Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved. All my articles about history can be found here, and those about geography here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#history https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#geography **You find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic,** **here****.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 If you are interested in history, join my community *History, Myths, Legends & Mysteries (be45)**.* https://read.cash/c/history-myths-legends-mysteries-be45 Images: Map over Europe: by Venita Oberholster/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. Castle of San Marino: by Lucio Alfonsi/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. Athos: by Ion Oroles Manolache/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. Geneva: by ChiemSeherin/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. Ferry from Sweden, approaching Mariehamn, the capital of Åland: by falco/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain. Flag of Sark, one of the autonomous Channel Islands: by OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.

+3 more

@Mictorrani 13 April 2022

Symmetry, Asymmetry, Chirality *Symmetry is an essential concept in as well mathematics and music as in pictorial art. In mathematics it plays such a fundamental role that certain steps in a proof can sometimes be reduced to a simple reference to symmetry. In music and art, however, the use of asymmetry serves to create tension and movement, and in the western tradition, pure symmetry is considered to be static, something to avoid. However, we will take a closer look at two forms of elementary symmetry and how to classify them.* Symmetry & Asymmetry The mind loves symmetry, perhaps because it is a form of order, of structure, and it has an unquestionable aesthetic appeal. It doesn't exists in nature, however, where an “almost symmetry” is behind everything. This “almost” ***is*** everything. With perfect symmetry nothing would exist, matter and antimatter would outbalance and eliminate each other. It is the very small deviation from symmetry that makes existence. In that sense, ***symmetry is death*** – or rather, ***non-existence***. Mathematically it is zero. When we talk about a picture or a pattern, perfect symmetry is not what we mean. It would make the picture disappear. Instead what we refer to is ***relative symmetry,*** that is, symmetry in one factor, normally shape or position. The most simple symmetries are based on ***reflection*** (in one, two or more axes) respective ***rotation***. The Difference Between Reflection and Rotation Symmetry One mirroring (reflection) can switch up and down or left and right, but not both in one step. That means that mirroring is to reflect a picture along one axis, but not two at the same time. However, it is technically possible with a picture to mirror it first in one axis and after that mirror the result in another. If the axes are placed outside of the original picture, with the whole picture entirely included in the reflection, mirroring two times returns us to the original picture, although in a different position - and possibly in a different size. Let's look at a very simple example. An axis is a straight line. The red lines below are the axes along which mirroring is done. The original picture is this: FR can be reflected right-wise like this: Or downwards like this: Although it is a form of symmetry, this step is not mirroring, and the bottom picture is the same as the top picture, although rotated. This is ***rotation symmetry***. You can achieve this by double reflection, two steps of mirroring, creating one of the reflections above and then applying the next on the result. You can start with FR and reach the picture at bottom right, by first mirroring it horizontally and then vertically, or the other way around. Or you can just turn the original picture upside down instead. The axes don't have to be perpendicular to lead back to the original picture in two reflections. As long as size, position, or rotation is not a matter of importance, the only requirement is that they are placed outside of the motive that is reflected. In creating art, however, we do not concern ourselves with axes outside of the pictures, but we apply a method of shaping images by reflection and combination, which moves the axis inside the picture. That means, we combine a picture with its reflection along a straight line, which becomes an axis of symmetry, and get a new picture, after which further modifications may or may not take place. Below is an example of such a picture, where the axis (here marked yellow) is vertical. Of course we can make two successive reflections in a way that gives us two perpendicular axes of reflection symmetry (here marked in red) through one picture. Here we have both vertical and horizontal reflection symmetry. This is another image based on the same genesis picture, slightly more worked with: If we look at the next picture (below), we can conclude that the pattern is not created by mirroring. This is rotation symmetry of the second order, and with no reflection. Although that is not how it has been done, it would – at least in theory - be possible to draw an arbitrary axis as a diameter of the circle, through the symmetric centre and create this pattern by copying what's one side of the axis, turn it upside down and combine the two parts along the same axis. This, however, is what we find when we analyse an already existing picture; manually to create one from scratch with that method would be possible, but very difficult when the picture is complex. With mathematics, however, it is possible to define the criteria for such a structure and then we can vary parameters and complexity infinitely until we reach artistically interesting results. This requires too many calculations to be feasible manually, but digitally it is possible. This is rotation symmetry of the second order, it is ***bilateral***. But the picture below shows ***trilateral*** rotation symmetry, it is based on an odd number, and there is no risk for confusion with reflection symmetry. Chirality In geometry, ***chirality*** is a figure's quality of not being identical to it's mirror image. Such a figure is an ***enantiomorph***. A figure that is not chiral is ***amphichiral*** or ***achiral***. For a figure to be identical to its mirror image, it is required that it can be changed into its mirror image by rotation or simply moving without changing orientation. Every two-dimensional figure that has an axis of reflection symmetry is achiral. Figures or bodies that have rotation symmetry but no reflection symmetry, however, are always chiral. Being chiral means that they have “handedness”, they are oriented in a certain direction, just as a hand, foot, glove or shoe. You cannot just change the position of a left-foot shoe and make it suit your right foot. That is, the shoe is chiral, it is not identical to its mirror image, because its mirror image is the shoe for the other foot. The two last pictures above have rotation symmetry but no reflection symmetry. They are chiral, because they possess a “handedness”, they have an orientation, and are not identical to their respective reflections. The two first pictures, however, are achiral. They have no “handedness” and is identical to their reflections. The concept of chirality is important in science, especially chemistry and crystallography. Molecules and crystals can be with or without chirality, and the distinction is important. (The article is based on material previously published in Meriondho Leo (2013-2014), and in my e-book “From Vision to Visual Music”, 2017.) Related articles: Brain & Horror Vacui (Fear of the void) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/brain-horror-vacui-fear-of-the-void-ae876896 Symbols & Their Opposite: Mathematics & Music https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/symbols-their-opposite-mathematics-music-94a7a931 Art as Visual Music & The Importance of Form https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/art-as-visual-music-the-importance-of-form-a040976f Practising Art: The Art of Seeing & Beyond Mere Seeing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/practising-art-the-art-of-seeing-beyond-mere-seeing-a062694a Copyright © 2013-2014, 2017, 2021 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. All the images (including the lead image) are mine. Copyright © 2013-2014, 2017, 2022 Meleonymica. All Rights Reserved. Here you can find my articles about Art, Symbols, Eyes & Vision. and about Philosophy. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#art https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#symbols https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#eyes-light-vision-blindness https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#philosophy Please join my community “*Mind, Perception & Thought (c7a5)**”*. https://read.cash/c/mind-perception-thought-c7a5 *You find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic,* *here**.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34

+6 more

@Mictorrani 10 April 2022

Suggested Reading 23 *In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading This time we start with a veteran here. The first is well-writing @Fexonice1 and his article A simple and effective way I save money at home. Here he expresses something being very close to what I think about economy. He writes: https://read.cash/@Fexonice1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/a-simple-and-effective-way-i-save-money-at-home-dbce927f “*Saving money for me simply means the ability to reduce costs so that you have more money to meet other needs without pressure.“* The keyword here is “reduce costs”, and I would say *reduce or eliminate unnecessary costs, avoid wasting.* No doubt, a lot of people would benefit greatly from heeding the advice from this article. Let's continue with another well-known read.cash profile, @Jnavedan – and his most recent post, Apparent truths of the crypto world? This author doesn't deliver raw knowledge, he asks questions, sometimes questions to which no exact answers exist; he discusses and speculates. A thinking man who share his thoughts with his readers, and, hopefully, make them think as well. https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/apparent-truths-of-the-crypto-world-5f00e449 @LeticiaFelize discusses financial freedom in Financial Freedom: What is It, Really? https://read.cash/@LeticiaFelize https://read.cash/@LeticiaFelize/financial-freedom-what-is-it-really-b6dfb91c @Humanpsychology writes Managing Time means Managing Life. I will return to this author below. https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/managing-time-means-managing-life-a3a03d5d Then an article I intended to include in the previous issue of “Suggested Reading”, but for some reason I forgot to really put it there. It is Improvisational thoughts about the quantum universe... by @turuncu . https://read.cash/@turuncu/improvisational-thoughts-about-the-quantum-universe-22cf7a54 @JCnakama is a good writer, with whom I have several interests in common. It is also a nice and kind man; I certainly recommend him for reading. Practically every article he posts is worth the while to read. For instance, read his series on light and colour, of which the last two articles are The color of objects and Light scattering. https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/the-color-of-objects-2a1fea8f https://read.cash/@JCnakama/light-scattering-21e2d27e Or read @Jcnakama's The benefits of playing an instrument, which in much is complementary to some of my own thoughts in THE WAY BACK: Life after a stroke. https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/the-benefits-of-playing-an-instrument-8bed1240 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-way-back-life-after-a-stroke-c06ca7bf Do Our Dreams The Portal Into Another Reality? speculates @Sydney2 and @hirorito_yomi asks Hedonism: Way Of Life Or Just A Waste Of Life? https://read.cash/@Sydney2/do-our-dreams-the-portal-into-another-reality-c1b225a7 https://read.cash/@hirorito_yomi https://read.cash/@hirorito_yomi/hedonism-way-of-life-or-just-a-waste-of-life-d98f3695 “A wise person once told me that being a librarian is not a job. It’s a calling. “ writes @MoonTrader in his article Librarians. https://read.cash/@MoonTrader https://read.cash/@MoonTrader/librarians-75cc038f @dansontela warns for the The Dangers of Making Assumptions. This article immediatey caught my attention, since it expresses the same fundamental idea as I present in Brain & Horror Vacui (Fear of the void), although in a different way. On the whole, @dansontela is an interesting and relatively new member. https://read.cash/@dansontela https://read.cash/@dansontela/the-dangers-of-making-assumptions-28b2bf82 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/brain-horror-vacui-fear-of-the-void-ae876896 Times have changed, Priorities have changed, claims @DrPsycho – and the most recent article by this author is Words themselves are nothing. This title looks strange from a writer's perspective; if words are nothing, what are we doing here? Yet that is not exactly what @DrPsycho means. If you read the article, you'll understand, it makes sense. https://read.cash/@DrPsycho/times-have-changed-priorities-have-changed-0ae4fba1 https://read.cash/@DrPsycho/words-themselves-are-nothing-0ddf590f @Talecharm has established herself firmly here in about 4 months. She is a good writer with clear thinking, as well as a generous supporter of others (tipping & sponsorships). I suggest you read The Insane World Of Perfection Does Not Even Exist. However, most of her articles are well worth reading. https://read.cash/@Talecharm https://read.cash/@Talecharm/the-insane-world-of-perfection-does-not-even-exist-a5df4b89 Another popular profile here is @Lucifer01 and I would like to recommend two of his relatively recent articles: People don't have power over us. We give it to them and One message, One call, One person can change your mood in One second. https://read.cash/@Lucifer01 https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/people-dont-have-power-over-us-we-give-it-to-them-d33a1695 https://read.cash/@Lucifer01/one-message-one-call-one-person-can-change-your-mood-in-one-second-26664078 Don't limit your imagination! says @Oikawa. The same author also explains Why I love Reading! https://read.cash/@Oikawa/dont-limit-your-imagination-71455694 https://read.cash/@Oikawa/why-i-love-reading-eb85465f @Faybomb brings up an important problem in Rediscover Boredom. https://read.cash/@Faybomb https://read.cash/@Faybomb/rediscover-boredom-bf00e521 In Meteopathic, @Duvinca discusses how people are emotionally affected by weather. https://read.cash/@Duvinca/meteopathic-84229f9b In Is it Possible to Lose Weight While Sleeping, @stayfit explains the connection between sleeping and obesity. https://read.cash/@stayfit/is-it-possible-to-lose-weight-while-sleeping-af0b7357 @JustMaryel presents The Land of Bir Tawil, a small no-man's-land between Egypt and Sudan. https://read.cash/@JustMaryel https://read.cash/@JustMaryel/the-land-of-bir-tawil-7a1be691 @Koyang tells us about The Mysterious Kiyotaki Tunnel in Japan – and @Melissa_1998 gives a brief and very personal introduction into the History of China. https://read.cash/@Koyang https://read.cash/@Koyang/the-mysterious-kiyotaki-tunnel-91d5c9d8 https://read.cash/@Melissa_1998 https://read.cash/@Melissa_1998/history-of-china-068f6b29 For those of you being interested in history, we have got 2 well-writing, new members, who are so as well: one is @Humanpsychology - the other is @beyourself https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@beyourself For @Humanpsychology, I recommend his/her series on art history, with several articles about famous artists: Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), The Genius: Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519), and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/michelangelo-buonarroti-1475-1564-edd7091c https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/the-genius-leonardo-da-vinci-1452-1519-398372ac https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/pablo-picasso-1881-1973-560b3942 As for @beyourself, there are – for instance - several articles about mythology and some about Egypt. Look at the author's profile. https://read.cash/@beyourself @cmoneyspinner explains Why I Love the Hyacinth Flower https://read.cash/@cmoneyspinner https://read.cash/@cmoneyspinner/why-i-love-the-hyacinth-flower-fa39dd96 Let's also visit A little art fair with @Hanzell . https://read.cash/@Hanzell/a-little-art-fair-ad277d7c Finally, some fiction. This time I have chosen: Do Not Close Your Eyes (A murder case) by @FashTioluwa https://read.cash/@FashTioluwa/do-not-close-your-eyes-a-murder-case-f11e4833 The Girl From The Library by @Theblackdoll in 3 parts: Part 1!!, Part 2 !!, and The Finale !! https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/the-girl-from-the-library-part-1-dc79cd11 https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/the-girl-from-the-library-part-2-c7de8441 https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/the-girl-from-the-library-finale-5428756d Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 My 5 most recent articles: Vitamin V, Viagra & Erectile Dysfunction https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-v-viagra-erectile-dysfunction-7559e312 The Alphabet of Vitamins https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-alphabet-of-vitamins-4582e0bf Quizzes & Puzzles 7 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-7-f7a1c033 Quizzes & Puzzles 6 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-6-866f8b19 The Borders of Europe https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-borders-of-europe-81f0a31a

@Mictorrani 9 April 2022

Vitamin V, Viagra & Erectile Dysfunction Since more than 20 years, I have my own magazine, in which I write about many different topics. Health and medicine is one of the major subjects, and I often receive emails with questions from my readers. Once many years ago, I had written about letters of the alphabet of vitamins, and I received the question: “How much should one take daily of *Vitamin V?* I did read this again. Vitamin V!? What the hell is that? I thought I knew most facts about vitamins, and I had followed ongoing research about vitamins for years; that there would be one I had never heard of was unlikely. But Vitamin V??? With considerable effort (internet was not as all-encompassing as today), I found out that in limited circles, “Vitamin V” was a nickname for Viagra. But how is it, is Viagra a vitamin? No, certainly not. Viagra is a medical drug, definitely no vitamin. The active ingredient is sildenafil citrate, and its effects were discovered by scientists at Pfizer. It's mainly used to treat ED (erectile dysfunction), but is also useful for a number of other conditions. Especially pulmonary arterial hypertension and altitude sickness. Scientifically, sildenafil citrate acts as an inhibitor of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5. I repeat, this is a medical drug; it is not a vitamin and not a general aphrodisiac, and it should be used only when absolutely needed. Very serious adverse effects have been reported If you suffer from ED, try high dose Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic Acid) first. Only if that doesn't help, there is reason to consider pharmaceuticals (and there are alternatives to Viagra). But don't bother with niacinamide or non-flushing forms of B3, genuine nicotinic acid is the only form that provides full benefits. The flushing indicates that you have the right thing (Read more about that in Nicotinic Acid, the Real Super Vitamin!) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nicotinic-acid-the-real-super-vitamin-9e90bc33 Generally, if you have ED, you should be examined by a competent physician, because it can be a secondary symptom, a sign of serious illness, such as prostate ailment, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. If you suffer from something like that, it must be treated. Viagra can be a useful help to keep a sex life in cases like these, but if you successfully try it without any examination, it can mask these other diseases until they are worse and harder to treat. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-prostate-health-illness-7271a808 It can also be a matter of hormones, for instance a too low testosterone level, which, in turn, can be due to various factors. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/testosterone-how-to-keep-up-the-level-27f3e52e Don't hesitate to talk with a doctor about this, it is not shameful. ED can also be a result of nutritional deficiencies or simply an unsuitable diet. The biochemical processes involved in sex urge as well as erection are as dependent on nutrients as all other processes in the body. Diet and supplementation should be evaluated. Vitamins D and E have a role in this mechanism, and so have certain amino acids, as well as nitrogen. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-e-a-powerful-vitamin-32979116 Then there are psychological factors. It is normal that sexual interest and ability fluctuate. There are ups and downs. Stress affects it strongly. A stressed man loses his sex urge. Why? Well, in nature stress is a reaction to danger. You become alert to it and ready to fight or flee. In such a moment you have no time for sex. You don't even think of it. It would just distract you, and in a condition of stress, you have only this in your mind: fight or flee. Your life might depend on it. In modern life, stress has developed beyond the flight-and-flee level, to a pathological condition that can be caused by a large number of things, most of them by no means serious enough to motivate as strong a reaction. But worst of all, there is chronic stress, a permanent stress. That means that the whole inner biochemical environment is changing and the organism is gradually breaking down. This is one of the major factors contributing to degenerative disease. A man living with such stress has problems with sex. He will get ED, impotency or totally lose interest in it. That can become a vicious circle, when the man starts to worry so much about his sexual inability that it becomes a major source of stress, which just affects him more negatively, and everything just gets worse and worse. Breaking such a circle is not easy, but it can be done. However, whether you can do it yourself or need professional help, the most essential is an understanding partner. Related articles: Testosterone: How to Keep Up the Level https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/testosterone-how-to-keep-up-the-level-27f3e52e The Prostate: Health & Illness https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-prostate-health-illness-7271a808 Vitamin D – Underrated Vitamin? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053 Vitamin E - A Powerful Vitamin https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-e-a-powerful-vitamin-32979116 Nicotinic Acid, the Real Super Vitamin! https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nicotinic-acid-the-real-super-vitamin-9e90bc33 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Image by BedexpStock, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you find my articles about vitamins, minerals & other nutrients, and those related to health & medicine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#health-amp-medicine-for-covid-19-see-covid-19 **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 *Interested in health & medicine, join my community "**The Mechanisms of Health (d52e)**"* https://read.cash/c/the-mechanisms-of-health-d52e

@Mictorrani 8 April 2022

The Alphabet of Vitamins The letters assigned to vitamins are sometimes confusing. Some of them were used only for a short time; substances were re-defined, no longer considered as vitamins, or re-classified as belonging to the B-family; while others were never officially recognised at all. Whether genuine vitamins or not, it can be useful to be familiar with the alphabet of vitamins. A, B-Complex, C, D, E, and Q10 are discussed in separate articles and therefore not included here. They are only mentioned in cases where they have had another appellation in the past. So-called pro-vitamins are not included either. I have not included medical products (drugs) nicknamed as vitamins; however, I will give an example of this in my next article. A list of all my articles about vitamins and other nutrients are found here. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients Vitamin B4, Adenine Adenine is a purine, no longer classified as a vitamin. It is essential for cellular function and protein synthesis. B4 has also been associated with other substances. Vitamin B8, Adenylic Acid Adenylic Acid, no longer classified as a vitamin, is a nucleotide. It plays a role in protein synthesis and energy metabolism. Vitamin B16, DMG, Dimethylglycine This is not a vitamin. DMC is a substance synthesised in the Citric acid cycle. Vitamin Bf, Carnitine See Vitamin Bt below. Vitamin Bh, Inositol A part of the family of B-vitamins. See B-Vitamins III: Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iii-folic-acid-biotin-pantothenic-acid-choline-inositol-803bab85 Vitamin Bm, Myo-inositol One of the nine stereoisomers of inositol. Vitamin Bp This is a compound young birds need in order to prevent ***perosis***, a deficiency symptom leading to deformed leg bones. It is no a vitamin though; it can be replaced by Manganese and choline. This has no known application to humans. **Vitamin Bt, Carnitine** L-Carnitine, no longer classified as a vitamin, is an amino acid (derivative), which is important for fat metabolism and energy. See further in Co-Enzyme Q10 & Carnitine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/co-enzyme-q10-carnitine-42291565 Vitamin F, Essential Fatty Acids Essential fatty acids, sometimes called EFA, come in two groups: Omega-3 and Omega-6. Read more in Understanding Dietary Fats Part 1 (of 2) and Understanding Dietary Fats Part 2 (of 2). https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-1-of-2-e8b4f70d https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-2-of-2-873ba37f **Vitamin G, Riboflavin** Now vitamin B2. See B-Vitamins II: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-ii-thiamine-riboflavin-niacin-pyridoxine-cyanocobalamin-9019bb69 **Vitamin H, Biotin** Now vitamin B7. See B-Vitamins III: Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iii-folic-acid-biotin-pantothenic-acid-choline-inositol-803bab85 **Vitamin J, Choline** Now classified as a B-vitamin. See B-Vitamins III: Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol. “Vitamin J” has also been associated with other substances. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iii-folic-acid-biotin-pantothenic-acid-choline-inositol-803bab85 **Vitamin K** Vitamin K comes in three forms: K1, which occurs naturally in e.g. green leaves and plants; K2, which can be produced by intestinal bacteria (if your microflora is in good order); and K3, which is synthetic. Vitamin K is essential for normal blood coagulation and bone health (reducing the risk for osteoporosis), and it probably plays a role in liver health, although more studies are needed about that. Some natural sources are: green leaves, and all green parts of plants; cabbage; various sprouts; soy, etc. RDA is 80mg (males) and 65mg (females). Deficiency is rare and for a healthy individual supplementation is hardly needed. Read also about The Synergy of Vitamin D & Vitamin K2 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-d-underrated-vitamin-5ca83053#the-synergy-of-vitamin-d-amp-vitamin-k2 Vitamin L Two forms are known: L1, Anthranilic Acid; and L2, Adenylthiomethylpentose. No longer classified as a vitamin, Anthranilic acid plays a role in the protein synthesis. Required for lactation. Vitamin M, Folic Acid Now vitamin B9. See B-Vitamins III: Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/b-vitamins-iii-folic-acid-biotin-pantothenic-acid-choline-inositol-803bab85 Vitamin O This is not a vitamin, but a supplement containing salt water and a little germanium. The manufacturers have claimed that it supplements the bloodstream with oxygen, thereby being an effective treatment for cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. Whether it works or not is a matter of controversy. The manufacturers had to pay $375000 for making a "false health claim." Vitamin P, Bioflavonoids Bioflavonoids is a collective name for a number of water-soluble pigments. The "P" is derived from "permeability" because they strengthen the capillaries. See Pigments – Bioflavonoids. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/colours-v-colours-of-plants-4d631074#pigments-bioflavonoids Vitamin PP, Niacin Now vitamin B3. See Nicotinic Acid, the Real Super Vitamin! https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nicotinic-acid-the-real-super-vitamin-9e90bc33 Vitamin Q, Coenzyme Q10 See Co-Enzyme Q10 & Carnitine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/co-enzyme-q10-carnitine-42291565 Vitamin S, Salicylic Acid Including this as an essential nutrient is a matter of scientific dispute, although it is not entirely unfounded to do so. Read more in Salicylic Acid: Is Aspirin a Vitamin? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/salicylic-acid-is-aspirin-a-vitamin-61990a03 Vitamin U, S-Methylmethionine The healing power of raw cabbage has been known for a long time. It heals ulcers and various inflammations, internally and externally. This is manifested most dramatically in the gastrointestinal area. In the 1950s, Dr. Garnett Cheney published results of his studies on the use of cabbage juice in the treatment of peptic ulcer. Raw juice was effective, but heated juice was not. Responsible for this was, he claimed, an unidentified substance he called vitamin U. Interestingly, crushed or chopped cabbage (it must get wet), put externally over an inflamed joint can reduce or eliminate pain and reduce or cure inflammation. It must be tied tight over the joint using a gauze bandage. Apply this over night. Then repeat with fresh cabbage every night for some days or weeks. You will soon notice its effects. Vitamin X, Tocopherol Now called Vitamin E. See Vitamin E - A Powerful Vitamin. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/vitamin-e-a-powerful-vitamin-32979116 Copyright © 2008, 2014, 2019, 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Lead Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Here you find my articles about vitamins, minerals & other nutrients, and those related to health & medicine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#vitaminsmineralsnutrients https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#health-amp-medicine-for-covid-19-see-covid-19 **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Interested in health & medicine, join my community "The Mechanisms of Health (d52e)" https://read.cash/c/the-mechanisms-of-health-d52e *Why not exercise your brain by trying to answer & solve* *Quizzes & Puzzles 7**?* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-7-f7a1c033

@Mictorrani 6 April 2022

Quizzes & Puzzles 7 *Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* Quizzes & Puzzles 6*. New problems below the image.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-6-866f8b19 Answer to Quiz 6:1 *In mythology, a being, whose name is related to a weather phenomenon, was by a major deity cast down and imprisoned beneath a mountain, a volcano. What is the being called, and what is the name of the mountain?* Urged by his mother, Gaia, to take revenge on Zeus for his imprisonment of the Titans (the older gods), Typhon attacked and initially defeated Zeus. The latter, however, was restored into strength and could finally win over Typhon and trap him underneath the volcano Etna. So, the answer is **Typhon** and **Mt. Etna**. Black_Angel said Vulcan and Etna, so it's half a point, but it is right that Vulcan also had to do with Etna. It is said that he built a smithy beneath the mountain. https://read.cash/@Black_Angel There are many stories about Typhon, some of them irreconcilable with one another. But we don't concern ourselves with them now. Answer to Quiz 6:2 *In forensics, there is often the problem of determining the time that has elapsed since the death of a corpse. An animal can be of good help. Which animal?* The answer is the common blow-fly (Calliphoridae). It smells death, or a dead body at a distance of many kilometers. When it arrives, and it is the first insect to arrive, it deposits its eggs into the corpse. Their further development is quite predictable and can be used to determine approximately how long time that has elapsed since the hosting flesh died. Black_Angel answered maggots, and that is very close, but it is the whole presence of Calliphoridae; in which stage of its life-cycle (eggs larvae, even developed flies of a second generation) it is found. https://read.cash/@Black_Angel Answer to Quiz 6:3 *As we all know, Russia is involved in a war, and its history is full of wars. If we look at it historically, invading Russia is very difficult. Indeed, from the west, it has not happened many times that Moscow has been taken. So the question this time is how many European military commanders have ever taken Moscow? Who and when?* It has only happened twice. French Emperor Napoleon I conquered Moscow in 1812 – and before that, Swedish Military Commander Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie, in 1622. You can read more details in my old article When Moscow was Invaded - Two Empires: The French & The Swedish. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/when-moscow-was-invaded-two-empires-the-french-the-swedish-15770755 Answer to Puzzle 6:4 This was really two puzzles. *Brothers and sisters I have none.* *But this man's father is my father's son.* *How many men are there and how are they related?* There were three individuals. Father son and grandson. "my father's son" is the speaker, and "this man" is his son. *The French dramatist Ernest Legouvé described in his autobiography how he once in a company asked if it was possible for two unrelated individuals to have the same sister. Everyone in the company, including a lawyer, concluded that it is impossible. "But it is really possible", said Legouvé, "and I can name two such persons. One of them is Eugène Sue, I am the other one."* *Then he explained how this was possible. Eugène Sue and Ernest Legouvé were unrelated, yet they same woman was the sister of both. Can you explain how this can be possible?* *As a special note, I think it is necessary to add that in this reasoning a half-sister = a sister, and a half-brother = a brother.* Ernest Legouvé explained the situation like this: *“Madame Sue and Monsieur Sue have the son Eugène Sue.* *Madame Sauvais and and Monsieur Legouvé have the son Ernest Legouvé.* *Then Madame Sauvais and Monsieur Sue have the daughter Flore Sue, who would then be the sister of both Eugène Sue and Ernest Legouvé.”* And now some new quizzes and a puzzle. Quiz 7:1 In legend, dragons were creatures of heat. What, according to Medieval lore, would they need in order to cool down? Quiz 7:2 Who was the Albanian general of the Turkish Ottoman army who was sent to Egypt in 1801, later to become Turkish “wali” (governor) there? Egypt's last royal dynasty descended from him. Quiz 7:3 Which is the only snake building nests and incubating its eggs? Puzzle 7:4 Can you form a perfectly correct sentence where the word "and" occurs 5 times without any other word in between, and a realistic scenario justifying it? The sentence should be ....and and and and and.... with one or more other words both before the sequence and after it. **You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.** Quizzes & Puzzles has now its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles **In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34 Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved. *(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)* Selected old articles: What is an Eye? For What Purpose Do We Have Eyes? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/what-is-an-eye-for-what-purpose-do-we-have-eyes-25f8ec80 What You Need to Know about Copyright https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/what-you-need-to-know-about-copyright-a3462799 The Mysteries of the Knights Templar https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-mysteries-of-the-knights-templar-f5c8bf07 Rhyme & Reason: Verse, Structure, & Memory https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/rhyme-reason-verse-structure-memory-f6ba9e9c Genuine Ultramarine, Once One of the Most Costly Pigments in the World https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/genuine-ultramarine-once-one-of-the-most-costly-pigments-in-the-world-8ac3c605