Saturday Open Thread

by Jerome a Paris
Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 10:59:25 AM EST

It's, yes, Saturday


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Just discovered that the ginger I have growing wild in my back yard is Zingiber zerumbet, or shampoo ginger.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne
by maracatu on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 11:13:26 AM EST
I wasn't aware that ginger is such a big plant.

I love ginger in all kinds of food and it is my number one remedie with colds and stomach upsets.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 11:36:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
This particular species is quite bushy as well.  While not invasive, it spreads and therefore needs a lot of room.  I have cooked with it, but it isn't as strong as the culinary variety.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne
by maracatu on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 11:55:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
totally agree, fran, if i had to choose one plant in terms of general usefulness, it'd be ginger.

did you know that externally it is good for muscle pain too?

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:44:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, I know about the muscle pain, but I have been more successful for, that making sort of a poultice with castor oil and a heating pad on top.
by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:49:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
the biggest blessing i learned with ginger is the kidney compress, to boost the immune system, relax the lower back, and increase circulation in the kidneys. i bet teh google has details!

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:54:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Do you warm up the ginger for the compresse?
by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:57:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
you take a piece as big as your thumb, dice, then simmer in water till colour turns a bit golden.

then spread a dry towel over kidneys, wring out as best as you can another towel dipped into the ginger water, then lay it over the dry towel, covered by a third -dry- towel. the heat should be as warm as is comfortable, no more. adjust through layers of dry towel against skin. recipient should lay face down and relax.

after 5 mins, redip the towel, and repeat twice more. if you want the most power out of it, leave the pan simmering, otherwise let each dip be a bit less warm, that's ok.

after 20 mins the area should be bright red from circulation.

a similar compress can be used topically on a sore shoulder or hip. ginger contains painkilling properties, as well as tonic-stimulant to lazy systems, be they bronchial, digestive or muscular.

some freshly expressed juice can be mixed with unguent or oil and rubbed in the afflicted area.

fresh juice added to a bath, or a few drops of ginger essential oil, are great, for breathing in the steam, or for sore joints.

magic stuff, the candied version is dynamite too.

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 02:02:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Thanks melo for the extensiv information. and yes candied ginger is magic stuff - love it. :-)
by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Nov 15th, 2009 at 04:49:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
my pleasure, fran. it works really well for childrens' ear infections, oddly enough. a little freshly squeezed ginger juice can even be dropped into the ear canal itself.

of course most folks here probably know how good ginger tea is for knocking out colds and sore throats in the early stages, especially with honey and lemon or lime, if you're in the caribbean area!

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 at 08:06:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yup, i recognise it from hawaii. we'd squeeze the flowers and rub the juice n our hair. yummy. very slight saponification.

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:46:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
one of my favorite "non-traditional" baseball stories:

The original interview (the audio used here) was done by NPR last year.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 04:05:17 PM EST
This is a very funny video about one of the rarest achievements a pitcher can make, pitching an entire game without giving up a hit. It happens once or twice a year, and many years not at all. There are 2,430 games in a complete season, as each team plays 162, so the odds are less than one in a thousand.

The difference here is that Doc Ellis pitched on LSD.

Appropriate that Ellis pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He was not the only player to admit to playing tripping, as Mark "The Bird" Fydrich claimed he did as well, although not pitching a no-hitter.

It's also telling, in the times when athletes are ostracized for performance enhancing drugs, that Ellis claims 90% of players in those days were on speed.

Skennah Kowa

by Crazy Horse on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 04:47:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well it is an absolutely stunning achievement, Hallucinogens and physical performance definitely do not mix in any way (And extra chemicals thrown into the mix aren't going to help either)

Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell. Frank Borman
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 05:13:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Someday i will admit to my own experience mixing hallucinogens and baseball. Not while my former teammates remain alive. Suffice to say that the first ball was hit directly to me at 3rd. I picked it cleanly and pegged it toward the first baseman... five meters over his head.

I then knew it might be a long day.

Skennah Kowa

by Crazy Horse on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 06:22:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Thanks for painting the context when I was feeling too lazy :)

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 07:22:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
your sig, millman, makes a perfect coup de grace to this vid...

Eventually physical reality trumps narrative. It can just take a long time. Derrick Jensen
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sun Nov 15th, 2009 at 03:16:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I've been remembering stormy, does anybody know how she's doing?

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. -Charu Saxena.
by metavision on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 06:18:42 PM EST
She's OK in the sun, but only she knows.

Skennah Kowa
by Crazy Horse on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 06:25:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
was it noted when I was away that we've passed 45,000 signatures?

Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell. Frank Borman
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Nov 14th, 2009 at 07:32:36 PM EST


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