foxgrrl: (Default)
foxgrrl ([personal profile] foxgrrl) wrote2009-02-11 09:19 am

That stuff I was telling you about..

I'm at home and alive again; I even dropped into work yesterday on the way back from the airport. I broke my fast with some Kombucha (the kind with floaty blobs of mushroom) and some Phở Gà.

Feb 14 at 18:00 PST: Pillow Fight Club

Rules:

  1. Tell everyone you know about PILLOW FIGHT!!!
  2. Tell everyone you know about PILLOW FIGHT!!!
  3. Wait for the Ferry Building clock to strike 6:00pm
  4. Don't hit anyone without a pillow (unless they want it)
  5. Don't hit anyone with a camera
  6. HAVE FUN!!!

Hybrid Images:
Hybrid images change interpretation as a function of viewing distance. Hybrids combine the low-spatial frequencies of one picture with the high spatial frequencies of another picture producing an image with an interpretation that changes with viewing distance.

(When I talk about high and low frequency image components, I'm talking about stuff like this. (Or more precisely, how sharp (high frequency) the edges of something are. In a 2-D Fourier transform, the sharp discontinuities result in very high frequency sine waves.)
The amino acid Coprine (a derivative of glutamic acid) will prevent your body from metabolizing alcohol [ethanol]. So while it's not poisonous itself, it will make alcohol poisonous. Someone deleted the Wiki page on it, so here's some other stuff about it:

From: http://americanmushrooms.com/toxicms.htm
From Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America:
Coprine poisoning occurs when mushrooms containing coprine… are consumed before, with, or after alcohol. … Following ingestion, there is a delay of thirty minutes to two hours before the onset of symptoms, including an increased pulse rate, flushing over the upper half of the body, headache, and rapid breathing. After fifteen to thirty minutes of these symptoms, the victim feels weak and dizzy and typically experiences nausea and vomiting.

It is important to note that coprine leaves the body primed for poisoning for several days (even a week by some reports) after eating the mushroom. Therefore, it is not only the consumption of a coprine-containing mushroom and an alcoholic drink at the same time that can cause coprine poisoning. Symptoms can also occur if someone drinks wine, for instance, two or more days after the meal or eats a coprine-containing mushroom after consuming alcohol.

Mushrooms reported to cause coprine poisoning include Coprinus atramentarius (see photo, above right), C. variegatus, and Clitocybe clavipes.
From: http://www.drugsandpoisons.com/2007/02/coprine.html
  • is thought that it or one of it's metabolites (cyclopropanone hydrate) inhibits the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
    • alcohol (ethanol) is primarily metabolized in the body by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) into acetaldehyde, a fairly toxic substance that is responsible for many of the symptoms of a hangover
    • acetaldehyde is then further metabolized by ALDH into not nearly as toxic acetic acid, the stuff in vinegar that makes it taste and smell the delightful way that it does
    • inhibition of ALDH results in the accumulation of acetaldehyde when alcohol is consumed, essentially giving you an insta-hangover
  • gettin' smashed or even just having a single drink up to 72 hours after eating mushrooms containing coprine will cause acetaldehyde poisoning, symptoms of which include flushing, nausea and vomiting, headache, and palpitations
  • […]
  • has no known toxic effects on its own - is only poisonous when ingested prior to alcohol consumption, and even then it is the metabolized alcohol that is causing the problems

Berger KJ, Guss DA. Mycotoxins revisited: Part II. J Emerg Med. 2005 Feb;28(2):175-83.

By the way, the mushrooms pictured on the bottom of my default LJ style are Coprinopsis atramentaria or some other kind of Coprinoid Mushroom, I think.
The New Pepsi Logo[PDF]
And I was wondering why this photo was getting so many views: http://laughingsquid.com/burning-foot-man-amputee-turns-prosthesis-into-fire-art/
(Actually more people came from [livejournal.com profile] sfslim's Twitter feed that from Laughing Squid.)

ext_5300: tree in the stars (Default)

[identity profile] helen99.livejournal.com 2009-02-11 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yes, inky cap mushrooms (and shaggy manes, etc.) I've heard several joking references made about feeding these mushrooms to someone with an annoying drinking problem. The person making the references wouldn't really do this, of course.

[identity profile] dv-girl.livejournal.com 2009-02-11 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. Coprinopsis (inky caps) are pretty common. They're fairly easy to identify and some of them are edible when young. I've eaten one or two but they aren't very exciting.

With the exception of clitocybe nuda (the blewit) it's generally recommended that you avoid most clitocybe species. As it happens, I'll be baking a blewit quiche tonight. I know you don't do milk/wheat, but if you want to stop by, I'll make something you can eat with them so you can give them a try. :)

[identity profile] dv-girl.livejournal.com 2009-02-11 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds fine.

[identity profile] nisaa.livejournal.com 2009-02-11 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for the reminder about the Pillow fight. I just missed it last year.

[identity profile] tracerj.livejournal.com 2009-02-11 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Poking through that Pepsi PDF unleashes a torrent of thoughts. It's about one-tenth reality and ninety-nine percent bullshit, and I find myself thinking that I get yelled at by friends for being only about sixty to seventy-three percent bullshit at any given moment. (They often start by questioning my number sources.) Perhaps the problem is that I'm not bullshitting enough... and I'm sure "Bob" would agree.

Still, that PDF's like a bloody train wreck. I cannot look away....

[identity profile] kitten-goddess.livejournal.com 2009-02-12 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
Squeee!!! I'm glad you're feeling at least somewhat better.

I love the Pillow Fight meme! So much happier than Fight Club!

I'm so excited! Tantric_Chef and I are arriving at PanTheaCon tomrrorow! Squee!

[identity profile] bastekk.livejournal.com 2009-02-12 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
I totally laughed my ass off at the pepsi thing. I spent an entire hour looking at it, and the longer I looked the more confused I got. GO ADVERTISING!