The Horn of Africa and American War on Terror, How You Eat Is As Important As What You Eat, & Bring the Oysters Back
One Humor: Three Opinions: Two Thoughts
One Humor
Three Opinions
In a remote corner of eastern Africa, behind tiers of razor wire and concrete blast walls, itâs possible to get a glimpse of Americaâs unending war on terrorism. Camp Lemonnier, a 550-acre military base, houses U.S. special-operations teams tasked with fighting the worldâs most powerful al-Qaeda affiliates. Unfolding over miles of sun-scorched desert and volcanic rock inside the tiny country of Djibouti, the base looksâthe troops stationed here will tell youâlike a sand-colored prison fortress.
Inside, two subcamps sit behind opaque 20-ft. fences ringed with yet more razor wire. The commando teams emerge anonymously from behind the gates and board lumbering cargo planes to fly across Djiboutiâs southern border with Somalia for what they call âepisodic engagementsâ with local forces fighting al-Shabab, al-Qaedaâs largest offshoot. General Stephen Townsend, commander of military operations in Africa, describes it as âcommuting to work.â
The Pentagon has dubbed the mission Operation Octave Quartz.
Source: Americaâs War in Afghanistan Is Over. But in the Horn of Africa, Its War on Terror Rages On
A disproportionate chunk of health discourse is concentrated on the subject of âwhatâ kind of food one should eat to maintain good health â and rarely on the âhowâ one should eat to get optimum health benefits.
However, being an avid food experimenter myself, Iâve found that the âhowâ component of the eating experience is crucial in deriving the maximum benefits from âwhatâ we eat. The majority of people are not unhealthy because theyâre eating the wrong food â theyâre unfit because theyâre not eating correctly.
Today, I share the four integral components of good eating: mindfulness, quantity, time, and gratitude. These are nothing but the application of common sense while eating.
Source: How You Eat Is As Important As What You Eat
In the last century, 85% of the worldâs oyster reefs have vanished. And weâre only recently beginning to understand what thatâs cost us: While they donât look incredibly appealing from the shore, oysters are vital to bays and waterways around the world. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water every day. And over time, oysters form incredible reef structures that double as habitats for various species of fish, crabs, and other animals.
In their absence, our coastlines have suffered. Now, several projects from New York to the Gulf of Mexico and Bangladesh are aiming to bring the oysters back. Because not only are oysters vital ecosystems; they can also protect us from the rising oceans by acting as breakwaters, deflecting waves before they hit the shore. It wonât stop the seas from rising - but embracing living shorelines could help protect us from whatâs to come.
Two Thoughts
See you soon
Piyush Kamal
Ex-IRS, Economist, and a Published Author who loves to play at the intersection of Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, and Philosophy.
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