Secret Sauce

         Col. Sanders was that chief cook and bottle washer to "the secret sauce" that was to change the world of my chicken legs forever! Nothing like it, was my personal experience on the early visits to that "Kentucky Fried Chicken" restaurant in Bardstown, KY! Man ... oh man ... that chicken leg just got up and could walk itself to my waiting gullet. Anyhow, you might say, that "secret sauce" to life is "protoplasm".

        Now that learning cure to all that "secret sauce" had its begging with one of my most readable, educational, enjoyable, books on my shelf of learning about things. Here is my scan of the cover by Wilson and Loomis.

        Its first Copyright was 1952 (one years after my birth), then republished 1957 (my starting first grade), then 1962 (my starting junior high) and, my "Forth Edition" just at the end of my high-school years. You might say we grew-up together along our ways but, my edition was found still some years yet to come. Anyhow, on page 40 it reads: "The term protoplasm is very old; it means the first form, and was used in early Christian literature in describing Adam, the first-formed man." Can you believe it? All the way back to Adam.

       Then, the writers state: "Protoplasm is a fluid, semitransparent, viscous, elastic material." (same page) Water makes up 75 - 90 percent! What a deal to this "secret sauce". Solid materials make-up the rest. 

       You would have to guess the word derives itself from the "Greek" PLASMA, which denotes anything molded or shaped into a form. Thus, PROTO = first and, PLASMA = shaped (formed)! What a deal!       

Building Blocks

         The biological structure that transmits all those "Greek language waves" must have some sort of structure that houses all such activities. Can you imagine it? BI - O - LOG - IC means of (or) relating to life and living processes! STRUCTURE means something arranged in a definite patter. Certainly, a definite pattern of organization must exist in this phenomenon! Let's see now ... my most helpful text by Guyton states in his "Contents" section, "Unit 1", "Chapter 1", page 2, "Cells as the Living Units of the Body". Well, there you have it! The "Living Units" of the body. (The biological building blocks!) CELLS!

It's All Greek To Me

         Alpha waves, Beta waves, Theta waves, Delta waves, ... come on now, you have got to be kidding. Brain waves electrically generated and discharged, when these eyes are closed while synchronously timed to one of those rhythms of life. Who came up with these names anyway? For those who might need a little help with finding a copy of the Greek Alphabet to help understand all the words, here is the best copy found among my collections. 

        It comes out of my text titled The Language of the New Testament by Eugene Van Ness Goetchius. Charles Scribner's Sons, NY published it 1965. My early days into Greek but who's counting? The pronunciation of these letters are given in the right-hand column. The name of each letter comes just before, with the forms of each letter to start things off. (capitals then small case) Here you go ... a helpful chart for all the terms yet to come. Old "Big A" will be doing his happy dance along the way!

Unconsciousness

        Not much at all going on during this biological function called sleep. There must be something working that keeps the motor still running? Vegetative activities of some sort must operate constantly to provide the gasoline? Let's see now, long words and, ... even longer words ... seem to come into the vocabulary of the topic. Ready ... here is one ... "electroencephalogram" or simply put an EEG! A gadget used to identify two different types of sleep! Old Guyton on page 659 states ... "During each night a person goes through stages of two different types of sleep that alternate with each other."  Say what! Not one, but two types!  "Brain Waves" you describe are involved? What in the world!   

Counting Sheep

         Childhood days in the 1950s to early 1960s you were often given helps to a good night sleep. Sheep jumping over a fence was not a usual activity seen around my Bluegrass area of Winchester, KY. You were more likely to see horses jumping over a fence but, not sheep. Somehow, no one caught on to this visual aid and, "counting sheep" seemed to be the more common advice. Anyhow, my earliest childhood sleep aid was my nightly prayer said with Mom kneeling against the side of my lower bunk bed. Our hands were place in that correct "prayer position" ... eyes closed ...side to side ... we said slowly:

                                            "Now I lay me down to sleep"

                                            "I pray the Lord my soul to keep"

                                             "If I die before I wake"

                                             "I pray the Lord my soul to take."     Amen!

        

Sleep

         Lots more of this innate, biological function (cycle) (rhythm) known to all, is happening among my "now a days". Say what? Can you believe it? My Guyton medical school "Physiology" text (front cover shown) states on page 659,

 "Sleep is defined as unconsciousness from which the person can be aroused by sensory or other stimuli."

        Hum ... sensory or other brain activity it is? States of brain activity ... wakefulness , extreme excitement, different levels of mood, and so on it would go ... activating forces it would seem. Well, have to dig a little more into the activating!

New Tricks

         Adjusting the habits of daily living can be challenging. Change this habit... change that habit ... which way might be the best to proceed? Let's see now, something about "Old Dogs" and "New Tricks" or, some sort of thing? No more sitting in my chair with heavy books on the leg. Lots more up and at-um. Eat more! Drink more fluids! Take new pills twice a day! Change ways of lifting and, sitting and standing. Anyone with an old "Top Hat" to pull out a "Rabbit"? Anyhow, my quote of this day in July from a very wise man-

                    "For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:"

                                                                                   Ecclesiastes 3:1