A — Olive leaves have been used by ancient civilizations, but beware all the weasel words used for its therapeutic effects (“may,” “suggests,” and the usual suspects). The leaves’ effects are way overblown by treacherous supplement sellers. Why support ICLEI globalism by buying a product sourced from Spain, Greece, or Turkey, when plain old olives are so much easier to get closer to home? A former girlfriend, Roberta Roman, picked olives off olive trees and made her own olives to eat for free.

Q — I pick directly from the trees away from cities.

A — You make your own? Excellent! When I ate olives for breakfast, they had me drooling with anticipation when jumping out of bed. Is drinking cups of olive leaf tea one of your joys of living? Coffee with lots of sugar is one of mine.

Vibrant Gal and I live 40 or so miles away from Los Olivos.

And: “The Romans integrated olive oil into nearly every aspect of life, from cooking and lighting to religious rituals and cosmetics. The empire’s infrastructure enabled widespread cultivation and transport of olive products, with regions like Spain and North Africa becoming major production centers. The Greeks were also massive consumers, valuing olives so highly that they considered the olive tree a divine gift. Olive oil was a cornerstone of their diet, trade, and culture, and the winners of the Olympic Games received olive wreaths. Olives were also vital in the diets and economies of civilizations like the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians, who were early cultivators and traders. The ancient Israelites also had a deep connection to the olive, which was one of the ‘Seven Species’ mentioned in the Bible.”

A — Vegetarian animals definitely live longer. Humans have lost their innate animal instincts and have no common sense, so it’s debatable. Have you ever eaten vegetarian airplane food? Holy jumping shit-balls! After my first distressing experience, I caught wise and ordered the regular meal, gave the meat to a fellow passenger, and ate the vegetables.