Ear Wax can be Useful
It protects the skin of the human ear canal, assists in cleaning and lubrication, and also provides some protection from bacteria, fungi, insects and water. So, in fact, ear wax is a good thing.
Ear wax is useful in other ways too!
1. In the past, ear wax was used as a lip balm. This means people stuck their fingers or tools into their ears and then smeared it on their lips.
2. Ear wax was also used as a salve or soothing ointment for puncture wounds. The 1832 edition of the American Frugal Housewife said that "nothing was better than ear wax to prevent the painful effects resulting from a wound by a nail or skewer”.
3. In the early days of publishing, ear wax was often a component of printer's ink together with other substances like urine, used to prepare pigments used by scribes to prepare illuminated manuscripts.
4. Before waxed threads became available, seamstresses often used their own ear wax to prevent the end of thread from fraying. This means that people's clothes had other people's ear wax on them, so often clothes were similar to wearable cotton swabs.
5. Modern anthropologists examine ear wax when tracking human migratory patterns. According to the University of Delaware, ear wax can reveal a range of information. Ear wax can indicate where a person's ancestry is from to the smelliness of their sweat.
Wow - those of us that produce excess ear wax are useful folks to have around! Mind you, not sure about using another’s ear wax as lip balm!
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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79% Yes
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19.9% No
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Think You’ve Got the Answer? Today’s Riddle Says ‘Prove It’!
If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?
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