Irie 18

Yours truly, author of Jicama, has started a performance-art troupe livicated to raw creativity and expression. We call it, Irie 18. We do shows at various venues around the Texas Coastal Bend. I'm very excited to get this project up and running, and it could use all the help it can get.

At the very least, like the page of facebook.

If you're an artist, musician, dancer, actor, or any type of artist in the area, please contact us through the facebook page and we'll see if we can't incorporate your contributions to the experiment.

Stay fresh.

Butter Knife

A Hernia, according to the great Wikipedia, is

"the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it."

The most common treatment for a hernia is to push it closer to the muscle, so it can naturally re-attach and heal. This accomplished by stapling a synthetic mesh to the affected area, essentially compressing it within a net. It is quite a common ailment, caused by a wide variety of catalysts (heavy lifting, bad posture, or even lack of exercise to the point of muscular atrophy).

According to msnbc.com, a 63-year old man in California was rather dissatisfied with the medical profession, deciding to take the treatment of his hernia into his own hands. Naturally, he made the most logical decision: he grabbed a six-inch butter knife and stuck it up his butt.

Of course, in this proud, distinguished position is where authorities discovered the man. They approached him, sprawled out on his lawn chair, and politely asked him to remove the butter knife from his body. Apparently, he gladly cooperated. He was admitted into Los Angeles County USC Medical Center's psychiatric ward.

I love the human race. I really, truly do.

Pitaya

The Pitaya is an interesting fruit that grows on cacti, and is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America (although now cultivated around the world).  It is more commonly known by the names Dragon Fruit, Fire Dragon Fruit, Dragon Pearl Fruit, Green Dragon, Strawberry Pear, or Nanettikafruit.

More Vitamin C is found in red-skinned Pitayas than in other varieties.  Red Pitayas are more rich in Phosphorus, while yellow ones in Calcium.  They contain very little fat, and significant quantities of antioxidants.  All around, they're remarkable healthy.  So the next time you see Dragon Fruit at the grocery store, make sure to pick some up.

In the meantime however, here's a young girl from Japan shoving one into her mouth in less than thirty seconds:

Mammograms

So ladies, you're sitting in a bar or restaurant, and a middle-aged woman walks up to you.  She explains she's a physician, and would like to inspect your breasts.  She feels 'em up, leaves you a business card, and walks out the door.

Odd?  Truth.

Kristina Ross, age 37, pulled this off successfully.  She is not a real doctor, or a real woman for that matter.  In Boise, Idaho, this male-to-female transgender went bar-hopping pretending to be a Dr. Berlyn Aussieahshowna (awesome no?), and tricked girls with her "vocabulary and apparent medical knowledge".  Seriously, you can read the police report yourself here.

The number on the business card was that of a REAL plastic surgeon, who was confused why so many people were calling for a Dr. Berlyn Aussieahshowna.  The police were contacted, and Ross was arrested for practising medicine without a licence.