Manila folders (the common paper good, not the
Filipino contortionists) are made from the fiber of the abacá plant. Sometimes called "Manila hemp" due to its
origin in the Philippines, it is not a true hemp because the fibers come from the
leaf petiole, not the
bast fibers (sourced from the phloem or inner bark) of the plant. The petiole layers, called "tuxies", are stripped off using a
tuxying knife and separated either by hand or mechanically. Abacá (
Musa textilis) is a relative of bananas and plaintains (both also
Musa species). Other than its utility for making the aforementioned common cream-colored office product (also available in non-folder form as "oak tag" or "tag board"), abacá is resistant to salt water and therefore
valued for cordage (especially
hawsers) and nets. It is also used to make a fabric called
Sinamay (often used to make hats) and other common products like rugs and twine (with the coarser outer fibers) and tea bags, filter paper, vacuum cleaner bags, and other papers (with the finer inner fibers.)
posted by nekton
on Oct 21, 2011 -
26 comments
Greetings from the Twine Ball, wish you were here: "But you can't see out of the side of the car, because the windows are completely covered with the decals of all the places where we've already been: there's
Elvis-O-Rama, the
Tupperware Museum, the
Boll Weevil Monument, and
Cranberry World, the
Shuffleboard Hall Of Fame,
Poodle Dog Rock, and the
Mecca of Albino Squirrels. We've been to ghost towns, theme parks, wax museums, and
a place where you can drive through the middle of a tree ... "
[more inside]
posted by WCityMike
on Jul 8, 2010 -
41 comments
They're everywhere; languishing on doorsteps, hanging out in the middle of the road, dangling off street signs, peeking out of piles of garbage, reclining in the middle of the sidewalk, riding the bus for free.
London Bananas.
posted by netbros
on Aug 29, 2008 -
28 comments
The Octopus in the Cathedral of Salt is an investigative essay by
Phillip Robertson with pictures by photojournalist
Carlos Villalon on the link between the Chiquita banana company and Colombian paramilitary organization
AUC. Excerpt:
We were drinking Aguilas and the night was winding down and I was half-listening to the conversation. Everyone else had gone downstairs. Carlos turned to me and said, “Is there anything you want to ask him before he goes home?” “I want to know if he heard anything about a shipment of guns that arrived at the Chiquita docks.” Years had passed, but it was worth a shot. “Sure,” Lorenzo said, “I was there. I supervised the unloading of the rifles.” [more inside]
posted by Kattullus
on Sep 25, 2007 -
8 comments
Tlapse is the corporate YouTube account of
GBTimelapse software, who are promoting their product by posting a series of really interesting timelapse films. Favorites so far are:
Pumpkin,
Watermelon &
Bananas, but maybe I just have a decomposing fruit fetish. Although, this one of the
world's laziest cat enjoying another productive day isn't bad either.
posted by jonson
on Dec 16, 2006 -
12 comments
Going bananas. The only fruit to ever appear on a Velvet Underground album cover (not to mention the title of a J. D. Salinger short story) may be on its way to extinction. Facts: I) total disappearance could occur within a decade; II) bananas are the staple diet for half a billion people and III) current genetic tampering mean that, even if the fruit doesn't quite disappear, it will taste and
look different (Guardian article
here). Feeling nostalgic already? Visit the stylish
Banana Museum or give someone you love the
Enchanted Banana of Happiness (not what you're thinking). first link via
Fark
posted by 111
on Jan 15, 2003 -
53 comments
