Some people plant trees for Earth Day, some grow them... inside...
Last week a 28-year-old Russian man complained of chest pain and a horrible cough and x-rays showed that he had a mass in his lungs. His doctors thought the mass was indicative of cancer and operated, but what they found was something quite unexpected.
Just before the surgeon removed half of this young man's lung, he decided to stop and do a biopsy of the mass first. Well praise Allah, thank the Lord, etc. he did that because the man didn't have cancer after all. Nope... he had a tree branch GROWING in his lungs. The branch was about five centimeters long! The spiky needles of the evergreen were piercing capillaries in his lungs, causing severe pain and blood when he coughed.
Scientists think the man must have inhaled a spore that germinated in his lungs and began to sprout a tree. And you thought you had allergies!
A strange phenomenon to be sure, but not as strange as the infamous "Tree Man", Dede Kasawa, an Indonesian fisherman who's hands and feet have literally sprouted branches. His body was slowly overtaken by the wart- and branch-like growths causing him much pain and suffering over the past seven years. Baffled by his condition, a dermatologist finally pinpointed that the Human Papoloma Virus (HPV) was at the "root" of his troubles and after nine months of operations and the removal of 13 pounds of warts from his body, Dede regained the use of his hands. Unfortunately, his warts started to reappear within the year and doctors reported that he would have to undergo surgery twice a year for the rest of his life to keep the warts at bay. Apparently he has what's called epidermodysplasia verruciformis, an abnormal susceptibility to HPVs of the skin. Don't believe me? Check this out.
So on this Earth Day 2009, plant a tree, inhale one, or heck, become one, but do your part.
More useful earthy, green tips to come later this month. :-)
April 22, 2009
April 1, 2009
April Foolin
This is for Kim...
Though not a true holiday, April Fool's Day is celebrated the world over. Kids pull pranks on their parents, co-workers play jokes on each other, wives dupe their husbands, all in the name of April 1. But why? Where does this strange holiday come from?
Truth is - no one really knows. But there are plenty of theories. The most accepted theory has something to do with calendars - much like my explanation of the Ides of March last month. Not too exciting, but apparently, way back in the 17th century, folks used to celebrate the New Year between March 25th and April 1st until the Christians came along and decided to change the calendar so that holidays coincided with important biblical dates. The new year then became January 1st as we know it, which is said to be the date of Jesus' circumcision. This might explain the heavy drinking...
As you may expect, there were some who didn't agree to follow the new calendar right away. Can you imagine if, in his next address to the nation, Barack said, "I've decided that Valentine's Day is too close to Christmas, so for now on, please celebrate your love on April 14th." Ok, maybe that isn't the BEST example since many argue that February 14th is nothing but a holiday spawned by the greeting card industry, but you catch my drift.
So yes, some people didn't stop celebrating the new year around the first of April and they were thus ridiculed and called April Fools. And some think that was how it all began..
Other theories of the origin of April Fools Day (and here I have to pause for a moment - is it April Fool's Day, April Fools' Day or April Fools day, because I have seen it all three ways) include, again going centuries back, that May 1st was celebrated as the first day of summer and when spring planting began so that anyone who planted early was an April Fool and that Noah sent the raven out too early (before the waters had receded) on the first day of the month of the Hebrew calendar that corresponds with April, thus making him an April fool.
Whatever the origin, April Fools/Fool's/Fools' Day is the perfect occasion to magnify the gullibility of those you love. Go forth and prank.
Though not a true holiday, April Fool's Day is celebrated the world over. Kids pull pranks on their parents, co-workers play jokes on each other, wives dupe their husbands, all in the name of April 1. But why? Where does this strange holiday come from?
Truth is - no one really knows. But there are plenty of theories. The most accepted theory has something to do with calendars - much like my explanation of the Ides of March last month. Not too exciting, but apparently, way back in the 17th century, folks used to celebrate the New Year between March 25th and April 1st until the Christians came along and decided to change the calendar so that holidays coincided with important biblical dates. The new year then became January 1st as we know it, which is said to be the date of Jesus' circumcision. This might explain the heavy drinking...
As you may expect, there were some who didn't agree to follow the new calendar right away. Can you imagine if, in his next address to the nation, Barack said, "I've decided that Valentine's Day is too close to Christmas, so for now on, please celebrate your love on April 14th." Ok, maybe that isn't the BEST example since many argue that February 14th is nothing but a holiday spawned by the greeting card industry, but you catch my drift.
So yes, some people didn't stop celebrating the new year around the first of April and they were thus ridiculed and called April Fools. And some think that was how it all began..
Other theories of the origin of April Fools Day (and here I have to pause for a moment - is it April Fool's Day, April Fools' Day or April Fools day, because I have seen it all three ways) include, again going centuries back, that May 1st was celebrated as the first day of summer and when spring planting began so that anyone who planted early was an April Fool and that Noah sent the raven out too early (before the waters had receded) on the first day of the month of the Hebrew calendar that corresponds with April, thus making him an April fool.
Whatever the origin, April Fools/Fool's/Fools' Day is the perfect occasion to magnify the gullibility of those you love. Go forth and prank.
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