I was looking up references for a future drawing, and I think I might've found Cordelius' name origin!

Meet the Cortinarius Violaceus, the violet webcap. Definitely gonna be using these are reference when working on my Cordy designs + dragon version.

Additionally, a mutual told me about a mushroom called cordyceps (PLEASE be wary of googling, I got spooked because they're a bit funky. They're also called caterpillar fungus for a reason!)

I think this name fits him more, but I found it cool that the purple mushroom in particular had a name like that! Brawl Stars is really neat with their naming heh.

In recent years, an invasive insect called the gypsy moth has spelled doom for countless New England trees. From 2016 through 2018, it’s estimated gypsy moths defoliated more than 2 million acres in southern New England, which means a lot of cleanup for foresters.

But among all that destruction there is some good news: gypsy moth populations are, finally, declining.  

Dan Evans (pictured above) drove a pickup truck down a bumpy road in Connecticut’s biggest state forest. He’s the forester for Pachaug State forest, and he wound his way up a trail that was closed in 2017.

“As we come up Firetower Road you can really start to see the damage in some of the roadside oak trees,” Evans said. “As we drive up the road you’ll certainly notice the fine limb material on the sides of the road falling out of the overhead trees here.”

It’s dead scarlet oak. Killed by gypsy moths. An invasive insect which, in high numbers, can rapidly eat up leaves and kill off trees.

Usually, rain activates a fungus that keeps gypsy moth populations in check. But when it doesn’t rain, gypsy moths can flourish in trees and bring with them their own type of precipitation.

“If we were standing in this forest in 2016 or even 2017, we’d be feeling a ghost rain on our face. That’s what the foresters from the 1980s always referred to the gypsy moth evidence as: a ‘ghost rain,’” Evans said. “The leaf particles, and excrement from the insect coming down from the canopy.”

(Dan Evans, right, says a recent survey found more than 19,000 hazard trees on state land. Of those, about 8,500 were oaks. A high percentage of oak mortality can be attributed to gypsy moths, which flourished in recent years.)

Gypsy moth numbers spiked in southern New England in 2017, after nearly two years of drought  paved the way for one of the worst outbreaks since the early 1980s. As we walked, the damage was all around us.

“Almost all of the oak trees in this stand are dead,” Evans said.

Damage was also severe in neighboring Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Tawny Simisky, an entomologist with UMass Extension, said Massachusetts saw defoliation numbers peak near 1 million acres in 2017.

But since then, she’s seen a big improvement.

“My hope is that in 2020 there will be very few folks, certainly in Massachusetts, with noticeable populations of gypsy moth,” Simisky said. “My hope is that we’re … at the tail end of this outbreak.”

The reason? A lot of rain supercharged a fungus called entomophaga maimaiga. It’s really good at killing off gypsy moth caterpillars.

Back at Pachaug State Forest, Forester Dan Evans said it’s good that insect numbers are dropping, but work still remains.

(Evans points out some of the damage done to a tree in Pachaug State Forest.)

“This gypsy moth outbreak has really changed our work plan over these past three years where we’ve been very much focused on public safety,” Evans said.

Evans said the risk presented by dead trees grows larger as time goes on. Bigger limbs will fall, and, if the trees aren’t cut, roots could rot and potentially topple the whole tree.

In Pachaug, about 4,000 trees are at risk. About 1,200 have been removed to date.

“You see that tree over there with an orange dot on it? That’s one that was identified in our hazard tree assessment process,” Evans said.

But there’s still a lot of life in the forest. Evans shuffles through the brush, showing me a seedling.

(An oak seedling grows in the sunlight in Pachaug State Forest earlier this year.)

“Our future forest getting started here, Evans said. “Some good vigorous young oak seedlings started in full sun conditions. I’m pretty darn confident that some day, some forester is going to be able to manage this as a dominant overstory white oak in this location.”

About 85 years in the future. But for now, Evans’ concerns are more immediate. Making the forest safe for hikers and keeping his fingers crossed that rain continues to keep the gypsy moth in check.

(Image/Text Credit: Patrick Skahill, Connecticut Public Radio)

Is My Tree Sick 5 Signs You Need a Tree Surgeon

When a tree is sick, dying, or diseased there are usually clear signs that there is an issue. However, sometimes it’s not as obvious. A sick tree can cause a host of problems for a property owner - including damage to the home - so it’s important to treat trees before they become a nuisance. Even if you know that you have a diseased or dying tree, how do you know if you need a profession? Here are five signs that your tree is in dire need of a doctor.

A LEANING TREE Trees are known for standing tall and straight. While some varieties like to snake out in all directions, for the majority of trees leaning is a sign of sickness. Although you might not see any obvious reasons causing a tree to lean, there might be underground issues causing the tree to be unstable.

WILTING Wilt in a tree is not a normal occurrence. Wilted leaves can be caused by heat and drought, overwatering (suffocation), and certain diseases like fireblight. Wilting caused by overheating, drought, or overwatering can be fixed by sticking to a slow, early morning watering schedule consistent with the needs of your tree. Diseases such as fireblight need to be treated by a professional, however.

HOLES Holes in tree leaves are often just temporary and cosmetic damage, usually caused by caterpillars or beetles having lunch before they move on. However, some holes in trees and tree leaves are caused by more serious infestations and need to be treated by a professional. Emerald ash borer, mountain pine beetle, and other insects can decimate entire forests in a short period of time, and need to be treated immediately.

MOLDY LEAVES Fuzzy, moldy, or discolored leaves are often the signs of a fungal infection. Leaves that are black, powdery, sooty, or grey are a sign that professional help should be sought. Sooty mildew and powdery mildew are caused by different fungi, but each is treatable. Treatment can include prevention, removal, and even fungicide depending on the type of disease.

DEAD OR DROPPING BRANCHES Some trees - like certain pines - will intentionally shed their lower branches as a fire defense mechanism. A tree's size and structure will change through the years. However if large, normally healthy branches begin to die or drop, this could be the sign of a more serious issue. Sometimes the issue is simply that the tree is old. Other times it is a sign of disease. A once healthy tree dropping branches is a surefire reason to call in an arborist. There are many reasons why a tree might become sick. Fungus, disease, and even old age take a toll on healthy trees and require help from a professional. Being able to tell if a tree requires a doctor can be difficult, but these five signs are good indicators that a tree needs attention. Remember that a sick tree can be a dangerous tree, so don’t attempt to prune, fell, or treat a large tree on your own. Many homeowners become injured while performing tree maintenance they are not prepared for. Call your local tree doctors instead, and get professional help when dealing with a sick or dying tree.

ORIGINALLY FOUND ON- Source: Is My Tree Sick 5 Signs You Need a Tree Surgeon (https://www.treeservicewebstergroves.com/)

Natter # 8   04/25/2016

Subject: MI MG Natter #8 2016 A Date: April 25, 2016 at 10:21:26 PM PDT Last Friday's clinic was quite a reasonable one - much better than last week, which wouldn't be hard to do. Our client count was double last week at ten. I think that it must have been due to placing the new sandwich board outside. We didn't have it in time last week. As is said - "It pays to advertise." Looking through one of my books on Bulbs and fertilizers I came across some disturbing information. In the description no mention was made of using bone meal, which lack was addressed specifically. "Notice that I have not mentioned bone meal. Even if it were an excellent fertilizer (which it is not),using bone meal in the garden is probably not a good idea. The way I understand it, in olden times bone meal was manufactured from fresh bones that still had some scraps of meat attached. Today, bones are steamed to extract fat from the marrow, which is used to manufacture who knows what - soap perhaps. As well, the bones are mechanically scraped clean of all meat scraps to be used for other by-products. Then the bone itself is processed for gelatin. So much of what previously would have been incorporated as plant nutrient is removed; what is left is nearly pure calcium phosphate which is just about insoluble. I believe that bone meal is a poor fertilizer, low in nutrients, and attractive to every dog & skunk in the neighborhood.They will come digging for the bones they think are buried and in the process uproot any bulbs using it as a fertilizer. These days though, there is more to concern the gardener than this nuisance value: it might just kill you! Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE for short, is a rare, brain rotting disease thought to be primarily transmitted from the brain tissue of infected cattle. Jim Shields, who enthusiastically grows bulbs as an avocation, explains the risks thusly:” "Putting on my professional hat (bio-chemist, protein chemist), I would say that there has to be a possibility of contracting BSE through bone meal. The agent is a prion, a rearranged version of a normal body protein. The rearranged form, actually refolded, is then pathogenic. Steam does not inactivate it; and neither, obviously, do digestive enzymes in the gut, Breathing in the dust should work even better than eating it, if you want to contract the disease. It's manifestation in humans is known as vCJD, or the variant of  Creutzfeld-Jacobs Disease. People who want to sell you bone meal and other animal products will vigorously dispute this. There are also people who dispute that we are undergoing Global Warming. In cases where future personal profits are involved, the value of the opinions offered should be seriously questioned. I have banished all forms of bone meal from my garden, permanently. It is not worth the risk. Even though that risk is very small, it is not equal to zero. Getting vCJD would be a really unpleasant way to die. Even Organic gardeners should look for an alternative fertilizer." And now that you are smiling and feeling all warm and comfortable inside, I have to lay a few other pleasantries on you. Jean (my assistant researcher!) discovered a few nasties in checking out England's Daily Telegraph. The first was a real surprise to me - I wasn't aware that Lyme Disease had spread that far, but I guess that wherever deer exist, can Lyme disease ticks be far behind? I think it must be quite rare though as there was a story about a man who caught it, but whose GP failed to diagnose it. His wife trawled the internet and identified the telltale red bulls-eye on his lower leg where he had been bitten by a tick when he was out walking. The tick was tiny, the size of a poppy seed and can be brushed off without being aware of being bitten. Apart from the bulls-eye mark, other symptoms are muscle aches, fatigue, lethargy and headaches, very similar to meningitis.  In the long term, Lyme disease causes chronic neurological, neuropsychiatric, rheumatological and locomotor problems and incidences are increasing. This couple, now that they realise the trouble ticks present, will no longer be gardening in long grass with bare legs - it will be all jeans and wellington boots! On a more cheerful note there are many beneficial as well as harmful bacteria and fungi in the soil. Some of these bacteria have been found to activate brain cells to produce seratonin, affecting behaviour in a similar way to anti-depressants. So working with soil or walking through fallen leaves may help you feel happier. However, lurking in some compost heaps is a fungus that causes aspergillosis, a rare disease. Symptoms include cough, fever, difficulty breathing and chest pains. In an extreme case last year a gardener died of aspergillosis in an English hospital. He had previously worked in a foundry, so his unhealthy lungs made him more susceptible. Another compost related disease is lung fibrosis (serious breathing problems) which is caused by spores that live on rotting green compost. Home made compost with it's wonderful earthy smell is sheer nectar to many gardeners, but you should try to refrain from breathing in lungsful of it while turning the heap. As is fairly well known, I have a distinct aversion to English Laurel for many reasons, one of which is the poison (cyanide) it contains. An unfortunate gardener in England had taken down a large amount of it and jammed it into his car to take to the dump. He never made it, being fatally overcome by the cyanide fumes on the way! Working on Laurel in the open air should pose no problem, but it would be better not to stand over a shredder  that was being used to munch it for any length of time. People have been known to suffer laurel poisoning by confusing the leaves with bay and adding them to stews. The lady writing the article now uses gloves when working with her aconitums (Monkshood) having heard the tragic tale of a man  who died after dealing with Wolfsbane (alternative, ancient name for Monkshood) in his garden. He collapsed from multiple organ failure and died five days later. In 2015, a German man died after eating  "terribly bitter" zuccinis. The toxin cucurbitacin was diagnosed as the culprit. This is present in pumpkins, zuccinis, and cucumbers and can break down the membranes in the stomach and intestines. The toxin has largely been bred out of them , but if you come across one with a bitter taste - DISCARD! Garden hot tubs can give you Mycobacterium avium (hot tub lung) from daily dips, which causes one to become really ill, being unable to sleep and needing oxygen at night. A six week banishment from the tub usually affects a cure. Finally to complete this diatribe  there is always the ever present risk of Tetanus from wounds in the garden. Keeping up to date with your tetanus boosters should be maintained and of course any gardening wounds should be thoroughly  cleaned and kept soil-free. In spite of all the above, the garden is still the the healthiest and safest environment for most of us, but as with all things,, it is as well to be up to speed with all potential hazards. On a sweeter note, our three lilacs have taken over from the Viburnum carlesii  and have been saturating the air with their wonderful fragrance. 'Such an evocative fragrance too, transporting me back to when my Mum used to take my sister and me to an old abandoned farm near us. Mostly we went to pick gooseberries, blackcurrants and strawberries later in the summer, but going there about now just to pick flowers and lilacs takes me right back to a place that doesn't exist any more. Coming along to take the place of the lilacs in their turn are the herbaceous Azaleas. Three days ago there were just fairly tight buds and an almost completely full set of leaves. Yesterday, the blooms were starting to open, but when I looked a little closer to enjoy the scent, I noticed that there were leaves which had been reduced to skeletal remains with just the ribs of the main vein remaining and I realised that my annual enemy, the Azalea Saw Fly was back. I spent about 45 minutes there picking and squashing their green, inch-worm caterpillars, reaching a total of more than 300. I returned today and racked up another 46. I might just be starting to get the upper hand, as by this time last year I seem to remember I had reached something over 500. So much satisfaction squashing them and knowing that you are being totally organic. Now I find out that Ortho, the chemical giant, has ceased production of neonicotinoids. It will take a little while for existing stocks to disappear, but what a boost for the bee population and beekeepers everywhere. Now all that needs to happen is for Monsanto and other big chemical companies to do the right thing, instead of spending millions to try and persuade  the Government that bees are okay with it! On a similar topic, there is a company called "Bee Vectoring Technology" which has developed an environmentally friendly alternative to spraying with chemicals, in which bees carry and deliver a fungus that kills off the bad stuff. Normally, a farmer with an acre of apples sprays about 13 pounds of streptomycin to protect the fruit from fire blight, which can destroy entire orchards. But with the new bee delivery system, a tray at the hive entrance coats the bees hairy legs with a natural powderized fungus called BVT-CR7. The fungus acts as an endophyte and grows harmlessly on the plant. It also prevents parasites and bacteria from taking hold. As the bees forage for nectar and pollen, they deposit the powderized fungus  - of which only 0.04 pounds is necessary - on individual apple blossoms. The delivery method is extremely efficient. A hive of 300 can cover 10 million flowers, so a normal sized hive would be capable of covering 200 times that number. Field tests have shown the method to be harmless to the bees and might offer some relief by limiting the amount of pesticides they would normally encounter, putting less pressure on them. The plant sale approacheth and things are getting rather busy. Yesterday Portia and Wendy spent the morning updating the plant labels - in all that rain, just the two of them! I was unable to join in as I had a previous appointment, but I was rather surprised that there was only Wendy who helped out, unless somebody else arrived unannounced. Until next time, your fearless leader, Gordon

kit carl klehm Be The Best You Can Be With Organic Gardening

kit carl klehm Most excellent service provider. A lot of us plant our gardens during the spring and summer months in order to have fresh vegetables for our families. Although you may not call this "organic," that's exactly what it is if you're not using chemical enhancers to assist you. Find out what else you can do to enjoy an organic garden by reading these tips.

When you are organic gardening in a humid environment, water your plants in the early morning hours. This will help you prevent mildew. Watering in the morning also prohibits fungal growth that can occur in humid climates. You do not want mildew or fungal diseases to spread, it can lead to poor growth and unhealthy soil.

One way to help your organic garden thrive is to leave an undeveloped area that is conducive to the wildlife around your area. Certain wildlife can be good for an organic garden; birds and insects can help your plants reproduce and be as healthy as they can be!

A great tip when participating in organic gardening is to always wash your containers. This is needed so that you will protect your plants from getting any diseases. You should wash them in warm, soapy water, and then rinse using a diluted solution of bleach and water. This will ensure that your plants stay healthy.

kit carl klehm Best service provider. Do not waste your time and energy carrying a hose that is hard to put away. Get a couple or hose reels to keep your hose neat. You can get a stationary hose reel to keep your hose on a wall, but you can also find portable hose reels if you want to carry your hose around your garden.

If you are experiencing a problem with slugs or other insects, a wonderful organic contact pesticide is diatomaceous earth. You can buy this at most garden centers, and it comes in a white powder form. It is an abrasive material that will kill the critters by damaging the skin of the slugs and joints of the insects.

When watering your garden, consider a soaker hose instead of using a hose or watering can. If you turn the soaker hoses pressure onto low, you can leave your water on for hours which will allow a part of your garden to be slowly irrigated. This can provide you with time to do other things.

While organic gardening costs more and requires more effort, the produce that will come out of your garden will be healthier for you. While chemical claims are wondrous, growing organically is a great reward to whomever eats your produce.

Take the season and weather conditions into account when determining how much water to give your plants. The amount of water you use each time should be dependent on the water quality, the soil type and what time of day you are doing it. As an example, leaves should not be watered in humid, warm climates else leaf fungus could occur. You have to make sure to water the root system.

kit carl klehm Proficient tips provider. To keep dirt from getting stuck in the leaves of lettuce and other leafy vegetables, use mulch. When the plants appear, spread an inch or two of mulch around the base of the plants. This will prevent dirt from getting into the plant and also help prevent pesky weeds. Just be sure that the mulch is organic and untreated by pesticides.

To make your organic gardening venture as environmentally friendly as it is healthy, consider making your own mulch. To make your own mulch, all you need is a soil sample combined with your leftover food products. You can buy a mulcher or manually mulch your waste simply by turning it over every few days.

In your organic garden, try using floating row covers to prevent moths from laying eggs on your plants. Floating row covers, which are made from lightweight material that has been specially designed to allow light and water to penetrate it, can be used as an effective cover for your plants to stop moths from laying eggs. This helps to protect your plants from caterpillar damage later in the growing season.

To get your garden off to a great start check below the surface! If you're buying some tomato seedlings to use in your garden, keep a look out for starts that are lush and green, but have poor root systems. If starts don't have a good root system, they'll remain attached to the seedlings for a long time. The seedlings won't be able to thrive until the starts have been removed.

When planting your tomato seedlings in your organic garden, you should plant them up to the first true leaves, which will bury the stem. The reason is because new roots will sprout on these buried stems. The more roots there are in a seedling, the more fruit it will produce.

When you plan your organic garden, remember that some plants, especially leafy greens like lettuce and spinach will mature well before the end of the growing season. Beds for fast growing plants can often produce two harvests in one season. Have more quick-growing plants ready to replace the early harvest so that you can maximize your garden's productivity.

kit carl klehm Professional tips provider. Compost is a key component in many organic gardening plans. The wise gardener can minimize his or her effort by composting in small batches directly adjacent to the planting beds that will require compost. This saves the time that would otherwise be required to cart compost out of a single, centralized pile.

To control weeds in your garden without using chemical herbicides around your organic plants, mulch between rows with bark, clean straw, mulch-covered newspapers, or sawdust from untreated wood. Beware of using anything to mulch or fertilize that might contain seeds that can add more weeds, such as grass clippings or fresh manure.

People often do not realize that organic gardening can be quite easy. Many people gardening with the aid of chemicals fail to realize the benefits of going organic. Make sure you're ready to use the tips you've learned here to get the most out of your garden. You might even inspire a few others to do the same!

Unique DIY Tips and Tricks of Gardening - A Step Ahead for Save Money

Grow your garden love doing planting and maintaining your garden yourself. No doubt that a professional gardener knows all the nuts and bolts, but there are a lot of things that you can do yourself in your cozy fresh gardens or lawns. Refresh this summer in your gardens, blooming breathtaking flowers and yummy veggies. Take help from these simple gardening tips and tricks given below. Sure, it will help!

Get Ready Your Shovel

A shovel is an essential tool without which you can do nothing productive in your gardens. It will be easier for you to keep it no-stick. Just try spraying silicone or Teflon lubricant on the Shovel so that moving soil will be a breeze. The soil will easily slip without any trouble.

What if You Do Not Have Space

Not to worry! Space issues can not stop pursuing your passion for greenery. You can get started with container gardening wherever you want. This would also be helpful in the prevention of weeds and raising soil fertility. Initially, you may begin with backyard container gardening than to bigger gardens.

Choose a Perfect Location

Some plants grow under the shade while some like to shine in the Sun and some are also which are both. Pay attention to which type of plants you have to take care of. The best idea is to keep the container on the wheels and put together the same kind of plants in a single box. This will be easier for you to shift the plants according to need.

Get Started With Easy to Grow Plants

There are a variety of plants out there. Research well before you get started with just a random selection of plants. You should start with growing easy to grow plants that neither requires much technical knowledge nor too much effort to put in. Gardening experts usually advise beginning with planting tomatoes, onions, Basil, bush beans, etc. If you are a flower lover, Sunflowers, Dahlia’s, and Roses are great.

Water! Water! Water!

Water is not only a lifeline for us but for plants too. Pour enough water into the plants and spray on the leaves also. This will keep the leaves wet and soft. However, watering too much may also cause problems. Keep up the right balance.

Organic is Always the Best

While you are choosing soil, fertilizers, pest control, tilt yourself towards organic options. The taste and quality are the best in organic gardening. Chemically developed plants are weak and prone to so many diseases.

Keep Your Nails Clean

Soil deposition in the nails is the most common problem that we all face while dealing with plants. We have a solution! Draw your nails in the soap bar and then play with the soil in your garden. This will prevent the dirt from entering the nails because of the already presence of soap. Eventually, you can wash your hands to get back your sparkling nails.

Install Storage Sheds for Storing Garden Tools:

If you have a garden, then you have garden tools and equipment. Having garden tools or endless supplies in your house is quite upsetting. You need to install the steel sheds or storage sheds in your garden because they increase your property value; this is the modern face of the backyard garden. These metal buildings are affordable yet high-performing and visually appealing by accommodating outdoor garden goods, tools, and other purposes.

Use Baking Soda in the Garden:

I am sure most of us have a container of baking soda in the kitchen. Here I am telling you the benefits of baking soda in your garden like testing your soil PH by using baking soda, the baking soda pesticide. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate primarily used for cooking purposes, and It should not be confused with either baking powder or washing soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate, and baking powder contains only about 30% baking soda plus other ingredients. Well, now let’s list out the baking soda benefits of the garden. First is Encourage flower blooming; it will not only encourage blooming but also take care of any fungal spores on the plant. Then next is to use baking soda as a pesticide and fungicide. These treated almost all types of pests in your gardens like the aphids, mealybugs, thrips, mites, whiteflies, worms, caterpillars, soil fungus and other plant fungi like powdery mildew and black spot rose disease. They can kill cabbage worms, drive away from the foul smell from your compost pile. All above are some of the benefits, my next blog. I will tell you all the hacks of baking soda for the garden.

DIY Felt Pots:

Using Felt pots or call it smart pots, these DIY posts are a lifesaver especially, as an urban gardener. These pots are very lightweight and foldable containers to grow your plant in, and this is specially designed for an urban gardener that has a small space. Another good reason why you like the felt pots is this because they prevent any water logging issues. The felt pots would effectively help to air purification, the roots by making sure that water doesn’t just stay soaked up soggy. You have found them to be remarkably useful, even compared to a 5-gallon bucket. The best thing about felt pots, you can fold them down, so the edges of these pots are slightly folded down, and that’s because the sun comes in one direction. You can see the sun rays hit the canopy of the plant.

Gardening Without Gloves:

Can you do gardening without gloves? Yes, you can. Do you know? Most people do not like to wear gloves while gardening. People love feeling the dirt on their hands, working with the plants as delicately as possible, and in fact, you do not even think. I don't want to wear gloves, and I got my first pair of gloves that maybe a few years into my gardening life. You can use the skin cream on the one hand and not the other hand, what’s cool about these skin creams. It not only protects from poisons, ivy, etc. It moisturizes your hand, and you can wipe it clean, it works like a virtual glove.

Cut Up Sponge for Self Watering:

There are plants in your house that you always have to take care of. The problem is when you are going out for a few days. In this condition, you should do something that your plants are not short of water. Do one thing, and you can use an old sponge instead of putting gravel at the bottom of your container or pots. Get standard DIY recommendation: try putting an old cut-up sponge. Now the reason why gravel does not work as well. People think it raises the bottom of your pot higher, it does drain out a little bit, but honestly, it doesn’t work as you feel for increasing drainage. There are plenty of better ways to do that, now a sponge, on the other hand, does help you a lot because it's going to soak up water. After that, it will release the water via capillary action, when the soil dries out enough to need the water. What are you doing is? You are turning a standard container into a DIY self-watering pot for your plants.   Read the full article

So, on a special day back in August, I found a caterpillar about to form its cocoon. I was hoping that’s what it was doing, anyway. It was evening and so the first pictures on this list are definitely the coolest for both the light and what happens in them. For, as you can see, this was the beginning for this caterpillar’s cocoon making. The next day it had become completely encompassed in the weird, hairlike nest. So I have lots of boring pictures of it, looking the same day by day, until one day there was a weird fungus-looking growth and a hole on the end! This is exactly how it’s looked for over a month now. So what happened? It seemed too fast for the caterpillar to have already turned into a moth, but I couldn’t be certain. But I have been digging around for information on what type of bug this really is. The closest match I found was called a tussock moth caterpillar. Many pictures of it feature the four tufts of clustered spines on its back, although colors may vary slightly (lighter/darker). Most of them have a red head and black horns, if you will. It’s a good thing I had no desire to mess with this caterpillar, considering they may have a nasty sting that leaves skin itching and burning. Anyway, that aside, I’m almost certain after learning more about the moth that this is what I have sitting under the shed roof’s edge. I say so for a couple reasons besides the look of the caterpillar. For one thing, the cocoon I found and the ones in the pictures online have the same weird hairy look. The second is that the foam on the cocoon, which arrived after, or at the same time, of the hole appearing, is most likely the eggs of a female moth. The female moth lays eggs pretty much as soon as it emerges from the cocoon, and they will be there over the winter. The larvae will use the cocoon as food when they hatch. Also, the females can’t really fly because their wings are too short, so that’s why I think the cocoon I found belonged to a female rather than a male. If it were male, there wouldn’t have been a mass of eggs. So, these are the most scientific findings that I’ve done so far and I’m really glad that now I know more about the natural world than I did before! Even though, of all things, caterpillars kind of creep me out. I’d hold a preying mantis no problem, but when I see caterpillars it makes me shudder. Even if they aren’t the toxic type.

Why You Should Be Eating More Porcini Mushrooms Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Aside from being rich in valuable nutrients such as fiber, vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium and zinc, mushrooms are also excellent sources of antioxidants, including some that are entirely unique to mushrooms. Ergothioneine and glutathione, both of which are found in mushrooms, are recognized as "master antioxidants" that inhibit oxidative stress. Both are considered important antiaging compounds. As noted in The Guardian,1 "… [S]cientists think [ergothioneine and glutathione] may help to protect the body against the maladies of old age, such as cancer, coronary heart disease and Alzheimer's disease." Ergothioneine appears to have a very specific role in protecting your DNA from oxidative damage,2 while glutathione is important for successful detoxification of heavy metals and other contaminants. According to Robert Beelman, Professor Emeritus of food science and director of Penn State Center for Plant and Mushroom Products for health:3 "[C]ountries that have more ergothioneine in their diets, countries like France and Italy, also have lower incidences of neurodegenerative diseases, while people in countries like the United States, which has low amounts of ergothioneine in the diet, have a higher probability of diseases like Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's. Now, whether that's just a correlation or causative, we don't know. But, it's something to look into, especially because the difference between the countries with low rates of neurodegenerative diseases is about 3 milligrams per day, which is about five button mushrooms each day." Porcini Mushrooms — An Antioxidant Powerhouse While all edible mushrooms have beneficial properties, some are more potent than others. As noted by Beelman, " … [W]ithout a doubt, mushrooms are the highest dietary source of these two antioxidants taken together, and some types are really packed with both of them." When it comes to the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, wild ceps (Boletus edulis4), commonly referred to as porcini mushrooms, contain the highest amounts. Beelman and colleagues at Penn State measured levels of these two antioxidants in 13 different species of mushrooms, and wild porcini mushrooms were the clear winner.5,6,7,8 That said, even the white button mushroom contains more of these antioxidants than most other foods. They also found that mushrooms high in glutathione are also high in ergothioneine, so the two appear to be correlated. More good news: Ergothioneine and glutathione are heat stable, so cooking your mushrooms does not significantly affect their health benefits. Porcini Are Popular With Gourmet Chefs With a strong, nutty flavor, porcini mushrooms are commonly found in Italian dishes and are a favorite among gourmet chefs. Mushroom-appreciation.com9 offers a number of recipes and serving suggestions for porcini mushrooms. The dense and meaty porcini mushroom cap can grow to a diameter of 12 inches, and a mature specimen can weigh as much as 2 pounds. Wild porcini is found in hardwood forests, as they form a symbiotic relationship with trees. The mycorrhizal fungi with their hyphae (long, branching filamentous structures) help shuttle nutrients to the trees' roots, while the mushrooms are nourished by plant sugars. Porcini mushrooms are not mass cultivated since they're mycorrhizal and need the symbiotic relationship with other plants to thrive. The best places to forage for wild porcini is near pine, chestnut, hemlock and spruce trees, during summer through fall. While Italy is famous for its porcini mushrooms, they can also be found in Europe, the U.S., New Zealand and even South Africa. Other types of mushrooms, such as the white button, can be more easily cultivated and are therefore less expensive than the wild porcini. In the U.S., half of the nation's mushroom crop come from Chester County, Pennsylvania, where indoor farms produce more than a million pounds of mushrooms per day.10 It's important to eat only organically grown mushrooms, though, as they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in, for better or worse. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as other air and water pollutants that can defeat their medicinal value. Mushrooms Offer Potent Immune Support Mushrooms also contain a number of compounds that modulate and strengthen immune function.11,12,13 This is one reason why they're so beneficial for preventing and treating cancer. Immune-regulating compounds include not only vitamin D but also long-chain polysaccharides, which have a variety of beneficial properties, including: Anti-inflammatory Hypoglycemic Anti-ulcer Antitumorigenic Immunostimulating Alpha and beta glucan molecules are among the most important polysaccharides. Beta glucan14 in particular enhances immunity through a variety of mechanisms, many of which are similar to those of echinacea or astragalus root. For example, it binds to macrophages and other scavenger white blood cells, activating their anti-infection activities. The beta-glucan in mushrooms also plays a role in fat metabolism and may help support healthy cholesterol levels. Mushrooms also contain a number of other unique nutrients that many do not get enough of in their diet, including B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, as well as copper, the latter of which is one of the few metallic elements accompanied by amino and fatty acids that are essential to human health. Since your body can't synthesize copper, your diet must supply it regularly. Copper deficiency can be a factor in the development of coronary heart disease. Other bioactive and medicinal compounds include terpenoids, steroids, phenols, and all of the essential amino acids (they're especially good sources of lysine and leucine). Mushrooms Have Valuable Anticancer Properties Cordyceps, also called Caterpillar fungus or Tochukasu, has been studied for its antitumor properties. This parasitic mushroom is unique because, in the wild, it grows out of an insect host instead of a plant host. It has long been used within both traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine. Scientists at the University of Nottingham have been studying cordycepin, one of the active medicinal compounds found in these fungi, as a potential cancer drug.15 A protein extract from turkey tail mushrooms is also being used to boost cancer patients' immune function in countries including Japan.16 Mushrooms may also have direct anticancer effects. For instance: In a Japanese animal study, mice suffering from sarcoma were given shiitake mushroom extract. Six of 10 mice had complete tumor regression, and with slightly higher concentrations all 10 mice showed complete tumor regression.17 In another study, 18 the lentinan in shiitake mushrooms was found to increase the survival rate of cancer patients. Lentinan also has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and immune-boosting effects Extracts from maitake mushrooms, when combined with vitamin C, were shown to reduce the growth of bladder cancer cells by 90 percent, as well as kill them19 In Japan, the top two forms of alternative medicine used by cancer patients are a mushroom called Agaricus subrufescens and shiitake mushroom extract20 Ganoderic acid in reishi mushrooms may be useful in treating lung cancer21 Mushrooms Are a Superfood Worth Indulging In Considering the scientific evidence, it's easy to understand why mushrooms have been valued for their medicinal properties for centuries. In ancient Egypt, mushrooms were thought to bring long life, and today we know that this may be due to the many beneficial phytochemicals and other compounds they contain. For example, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects has the following to say about reishi mushrooms:22 " … there are data that support its positive health benefits, including anticancer effects; blood glucose regulation; antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral effects; and protection against liver and gastric injury." One dietary analysis23 found that mushroom consumption was associated with better diet quality and improved nutrition. Other health benefits associated with mushroom consumption include:24 • Weight management: One study25,26 found that substituting red meat with white button mushrooms can help enhance weight loss. Obese participants with a mean age of just over 48 years ate approximately 1 cup of mushrooms per day in place of meat. The control group ate a standard diet without mushrooms. At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group had lost an average of 3.6 percent of their starting weight, or about 7 pounds. They also showed improvements in body composition, such as reduced waist circumference, and ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the control group. • Improved immune response to pathogens: A study27 done on mice found that white button mushrooms enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella, a common foodborne pathogen that can cause food poisoning. • Enhanced athletic performance and more: Cordyceps is a favorite of athletes because it increases ATP production, strength and endurance, and has anti-aging effects.28 Cordyceps also has hypoglycemic and possible antidepressant effects, protects your liver and kidneys, increases blood flow, and has been used to treat Hepatitis B. • Anti-inflammatory effects. Cordyceps are also recognized for their potent anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may be useful for conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure and stroke damage. One of the active medicinal compounds in cordyceps responsible for many of these effects is cordycepin. Research suggests the mechanism responsible for cordycepin's many varied effects may stem from its ability to alter the synthesis of many classes of rapidly induced genes that help counteract inflammatory genes, thereby slowing down otherwise rapid cellular responses to tissue damage. It may also help prevent overactivation of inflammatory responses. According to researcher Cornelia de Moor:29 "We have shown that cordycepin reduces the expression of inflammatory genes in airway smooth muscle cells by acting on the final step in the synthesis of their messenger RNAs (mRNAs) which carry the chemical blueprint for the synthesis of proteins. This process is called polyadenylation. Commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs either work much earlier in the activation of inflammatory genes, such as prednisone, or work on one of the final products of the inflammatory reaction (e.g., ibuprofen). These findings indicate that cordycepin acts by a completely different mechanism than currently used anti-inflammatory drugs, making it a potential drug for patients in which these drugs don't work well." >>>>> Click Here

Tips For Expanding Perennials And also Herbs In Pots As well as Boxes By Gerald Mason In Gardening.

Taking photos of gorgeous yard styles could be quite motivational, to say the least. Milky spore is actually a micro-organism that is actually dangerous to white lawn grubs from Eastern beetles, as well as typically services various other caterpillars at the same time, such as June beetle larvae. So the peppers and also tomatoes created that to Oct but the backyard has actually been put to bed for the winter. Furthermore, Peter had no qualms in knocking a hole via the backyard wall structure to obtain straight access to the Royal Dockyards. Restrict garden to utilize extremely dangerous, high residue chemicals; market using organic pesticides as well as reduced toxicity, low-residue pesticides, make pollution-free safety and security fruit products. Opting for poorly the percentage from home appliances creates graphic concerns, such as a large light in a very small backyard. Surrounding the backyard along with slug-proof perennials which are recognized to disinvite these undesired website visitors. On top of that, last year, our company transported some supply ph purchases for both household pet and also Yard in the 3rd sector. Confining a garden with rabbit-proof perennials enhances a backyard's aesthetic charm with a spectrum from blossomy colours. In September, when the school year is beginning, Mr.Wilson, with the aid of the pupils, will definitely ready as well as cook to supply his classes with the veggies off this backyard. Similar to among our ordinary southern snowfalls there are actually no real drifts, yet a sweet, light cleaning of white blossoms. Jesus, Apostles and other fans in the Backyard of Gethesename v the Occupy Activity, outright links there certainly! Foxglove - This is actually an excellent vegetation for the return row from the yard as this could expand to 5 feet tall. There are actually various other additions at the Tradition Backyard this year, Ferraro stated, featuring even more stories and brand new table top, raised gardens for individuals with range of motion problems. I could possess mentioned this a handful of dozen opportunities before, but just what wouldn't I provide see your backyard - especially now that spring has arrived, and with your treasure light bulbs in flower. We do not want this to only be a memorial backyard, our team want this to become a pleased and uplifting yard. Certainly not probably to be mold if the white grain is actually building up on your cement surface areas merely. Blooming pear plants, Pyrus calleryana, are popular to a lot of landscapers, and the trees being actually very early flowering in March, generously covered with white colored sets of blossoms. An attractive perimeter is actually a terrific way to incorporate and enliven a webpage passion, regardless of whether that's a simple monochrome layout. The drapes boundary concept frameworks the web page well, while leaving a good level from white colored area to feature all your essential information. Evaluate your dirt along with a pH meter that you can buy at most landscape facilities, costing roughly $TWENTY. That dry out white colored fungus-- generally referred to as grainy mildew and mold-- on your fruit plants is actually brought on by a microorganism called Podosphaera http://youandexcercises.info/dat-is-toch-psorilax-eigenlijk-een-vluchtig-gevoel-die-is-zeer-snel-gegaan/ xanthii. You may possess nearer streets, upon the edge reasons, but none in the main garden. In a phenomenal turn from activities, Obama phoned General Stanley McChrystal on the rug at the White Home, eased him of command and also changed him with his supervisor, General David Petraeus, designer from the Iraq battle turnaround. When including make-up water off the garden pipe, allow the water to compete 2 to 3 minutes prior to putting the pipe into the swimming pool. Landscaping is actually the fabulous tip to keep your yard with proper manner at the same time. She starts her manual with an illustration of the technique of pasta gardening as well as exactly what to use coming from A to Z. After that, she refers to ways to increase one yard vegetable at a time along with awesome recommendations incorporated.

10 Best Cordyceps Supplements – Reviewed & Ranked for 2017

Last Updated: Tuesday, May 2, 2017

If you’re looking for the best cordyceps supplements to buy this year, then you’ve come to the right place. 

You can also get more info by jumping to our Cordyceps Supplements Guide.

Top 10 Cordyceps Supplements

#1 Host Defense Cordyceps More Info #2 Aloha Medicinals Pure Cordyceps More Info #3 Real Herbs Cordyceps More Info #4 Solaray Cordyceps More Info #5 Oregon’s Wild Harvest Cordyceps More Info #6 MRM Cordyceps CS-4 More Info #7 Mushroom Science Cordyceps Cs-4 More Info #8 Paradise Herbs Tibetan Cordyceps More Info #9 Pure Essence Labs HealthGuard Cordyceps More Info #10 Perfect Company Cordyceps More Info

Cordyceps Supplements Guide

Cordyceps supplements achieved popularity recently, although in parts of Asia this dietary product derived from a fungus has played a celebrated role in folk medicine for centuries. Some people believe consuming Cordyceps offers a range of wellness benefits, especially for immune system, libido and lung and kidney functions. However, at this point, sweeping anecdotal health claims for this product remain largely unverified.

One indication of the potential importance of Cordyceps supplements: the price of Cordyceps sinensis, a strain cultivated in parts of Tibet and China skyrocketed by 900% during the decade between 1998 and 2008 alone. This supplement enjoys high demand, especially in certain Asian markets.

What is Cordyceps?

Although technically a fungus, most materials refer to Cordyceps as a mushroom. Well over 400 Cordyceps species exist. Most of them occur in Asia, particularly in forests and plateaus in Bhutan, Tibet, and parts of China.

In nature, these mushrooms occur in a variety of distinctive elongated shapes. For instance, some Cordyceps resemble French Fries in appearance, with long tapered forms. Botanists reportedly nicknamed Cordyceps the “caterpillar fungus” when they compared it to climbing caterpillars. A few species of Cordyceps fungus even grow on insects. Growers harvest most Cordyceps on a seasonal basis, between the months of April and August.

Cordyceps generates considerable interest among scientists because of its longstanding use in traditional herbal remedies. Researchers isolated a chemical compound called “cordycepin” from the C. militaris strain, and some initial studies indicate it may hold value as a cancer-fighting agent against skin and lung tumors. The investigation of Cordyceps remains ongoing.

Cordyceps contains Vitamin E and Vitamin K, plus essential amino acids and many sugars. It also includes many trace elements and Vitamins B1, B2 and B12.

Traditional herbalists in China collected wild Cordyceps. They also sometimes grew it using caterpillars as a substrate, a form still available today in many Asian marketplaces. Most manufacturers in Western nations cultivate the vast majority of Cordyceps sold in nutritional supplements by growing the fungus on soybeans for extraction under controlled laboratory conditions.

Benefits of Cordyceps Supplements

Although the potential uses of Cordyceps have generated interest among researchers, controlled studies remain limited in number. Consequently, the alleged benefits remain a matter of disagreement. Many anecdotal reports indicate Cordyceps may hold value.

Potential (but as yet unconfirmed) benefits of Cordyceps fall into five main areas: (1) strengthening the immune system, (2) reducing symptoms of aging, (3) supporting the libido, (4) enhancing athletic performance, (5) promoting better health (especially for lung and kidney related functions).

Some evidence suggests Cordyceps might offer immune-stimulating properties. One study found it assisted adults in reducing asthma symptoms, although another indicated this result did not occur reliably in children over the long term.

In China, herbalists often used Cordyceps in an effort to enhance longevity and promote a sense of wellness in the elderly. Dr. Weil on his website recommends the responsible use of Cordyceps supplements for two months in order to regain vitality.

In Asia, Cordyceps remains a popular treatment for male impotence. Anecdotal evidence suggest it renews sexual vigor in people with a low libido, for instance. (Perhaps for this reason, it apparently constituted a popular ingredient of aphrodisiac formulations in Tibet centuries ago.)

Considerable scientific debate surrounds the utility of Cordyceps in enhancing the performance of athletes. While the WebMD website indicates it evidently proves ineffective for this purpose, many athletes in the past have claimed to obtain benefits from taking this nutritional supplement. The coach of an acclaimed Chinese female track team reportedly attributed some of his team’s successes to taking Cordyceps supplements. Yet a study published in 2004 in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism disputed the effectiveness of Cordyceps.

Extensive unconfirmed anecdotal claims for benefits from the use of Cordyceps surround its use by people with a variety of disease conditions. Preliminary research suggests it may hold value for improving liver function in people diagnosed with Hepatitis B, and in reducing damage to the kidneys in elderly patients taking prescription amikracin. It has also reportedly assisted patients taking cyclosporine after kidney transplants. Although consuming Cordyceps for two years did not improve the survival rate of kidney transplant patients, according to one study this supplement did help reduce complications and infections. Anecdotal claims maintain it offers benefits for lung conditions such as bronchitis, coughing and certain respiratory problems.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Since some controlled studies suggest Cordyceps holds benefits for certain health conditions, it makes sense this dietary supplement might also offer significant potential side effects, too. Medical experts caution if it does upregulate the immune system, then it could cause potential problems for some people with auto-immune diseases, e.g. conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus.

Cordyceps produces some blood thinning effects. The WebMD websites recommends discontinuing the use of this supplement at least two weeks prior to surgery since it may increase the risk of bleeding and slow blood clotting. For this reason, people with bleeding disorders should consult with a physician before taking Cordyceps. Dr. Weil cautions patients with blood cancers should not consume this supplement because it will ramp up the body’s production of certain types of progenitor red blood cells.

Since research remains ongoing into Cordyceps, experts recommend pregnant and nursing mothers should not consume this supplement due to the lack of information about its possible impacts. Diabetics should seek medical advice first also because this supplement will increase the levels of some important enzymes involved in glucose transport.

People taking prescription medications should also check with their physicians before consuming Cordyceps supplements. Studies indicate it interacts with certain prescription medications, including Cyclophosphamide and immunosuppressant medications. It potentially impacts prednisolone levels also.

How to Take Cordyceps Supplements

People around the world consume Cordyceps supplements in a variety of forms. As a mushroom, it remains available as a food, especially in marketplaces in parts of Asia. This fungi has not enjoyed widespread culinary use outside of medicinal soups, however, because of its small size, its expense and its texture.

Most Western supplements manufacturers offer this product in powdered form, capsules or liquid extracts for oral consumption. Consumers reportedly can also locate cordyceps tinctures, apparently for topical applications.

What to Look For in a Good Cordyceps Supplement

Customers enjoy a multitude of options for obtaining excellent Cordyceps supplement formulations. Choosing products from a company which emphasizes care in selecting this fungi and cultivating it under safe, hygienic conditions probably constitutes one of the most important aspects of a good Cordyceps formulation.

In that respect, some news reports have occurred about potentially serious problems with some Asian Cordyceps supplements utilizing wild mushrooms contaminated by heavy metals. The problem of environmental pollution in parts of China has posed a problem for some producers.

With elevated market prices for this supplement, problems have also arisen when some vendors insert small twigs or wires into the mushrooms to transport them; this practice increases the weight of the Cordyceps sold on a per gram basis. Yet it also sometimes inadvertently contaminates the supplement with lead or other metallic toxins.

Although not discussed widely in the literature, the use of caterpillars as a substrate for Cordyceps in some Asian markets may also hold perils from a safety standpoint. If the caterpillars themselves harbor insect parasites (or parasitic eggs), then potentially these pathogens might pass to unwary consumers via medicinal broths unless manufacturers exercise great care during Cordyceps production.

Most Western Cordyceps supplement manufacturers produce this product under controlled conditions from fungi grown on soybeans (not caterpillars). Plant-based manufacturing processes would seem preferable from the standpoint of avoiding any parasitic contaminants in the Cordyceps supplement formulation.

The post 10 Best Cordyceps Supplements – Reviewed & Ranked for 2017 appeared first on Supplement Hound - Supplement Reviews for 2016.

from Supplement Hound – Supplement Reviews for 2016 http://supplementhound.com/best-cordyceps-supplements/

Unnamed Novel | Chapter 1

Yeah, I started another one. Oops. This one might seem a little weird at first, but trust me, it’ll make sense eventually.

New places, same faces, Gio thought as he slid the heavy textbooks into his locker. He'd had to move again, and while he hoped that maybe this place wouldn't be so bad since it was a private school, he knew better than to hope. As it was, he had to brace himself against the tide of uncaring students who shoved past him like he wasn't there. Suddenly, the wave stopped. Gio looked to his left, where students still stampeded by, and then to his right, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

His wave breaker was a bit of a mountain. ...Okay that was exaggerating a bit much, but the guy wasn't small by any means. He looked to be about Gio's age, a little taller, dreadlocked (or maybe not) hair pulled back, and his features seemed to be a strange mix of God only knew what. His complexion was fairly dark, but not black, maybe Indian, his eyes seemed to be a little small, so one could say he looked Asian. But that was a very -ish looking Asian. Gio hated that kind of talk, but he had no other way to describe the guy. His clothes made him stand out most of all, though. While everyone else in the private school was wearing name-brand tees and jeans, this one had on a tattered black hoodie and faded, worn jeans with a few holes here and there. Probably put there intentionally, not that Gio cared, but they looked a little grungy, too.

“Quit starin', weirdo.” Of course. Just because he liked to people-watch didn't mean it was good to do it at point-blank range. “Sorry. New kid. Getting used to the new faces. I'm Giovanni, but just call me Gio, if you don't mind.” The boy glanced over and rolled his eyes – it was hard to tell whather it was out of annoyance or empathy.

“Right. I'm Nik. Full name's Nikolai, but who the hell remembers that much in this place?” Gio risked laughing a bit.

“Isn't that the truth? Everyone else's mommy and daddy want the best for their little angels,” Gio made a little fluttering motion with his free hand, “so they can grow up happy and rich. While people like me work for it.” He noticed Nik slouching a bit and immediately felt guilty. “I'm not saying you didn't, I'm just saying – most of these kids are gonna grow up to be whores and basement-babies. You don't look half as bad.” That at least seemed to brighten him up. “What's your first?” Gio finally took notice of Nik's thick Brooklyn accent and made a mental note to ask later. “I've got Biology. You?”

“Same. I'll head over with ya if you want.”

“Sure. Can't leave without my water-breaker, can I?” That finally got a little chuckle out of him. Gio smiled as he tugged his violet flannel back over his shoulders. He knew he was nothing to look at, but the first day was the most important. He'd put on a good white shirt with a raven on the front, thrown on his purple flannel on top, grabbed some jeans, and gone with that. His face, though, couldn't be helped.

He'd been told before he wasn't bad looking, and when he felt narcissistic, Gio admitted to himself that he could definitely look worse. His whole body was lean, maybe a bit gangly, but his face was oddly adult, and not in a good way. The perfect little Caucasian face he had made all kinds of girls fall over for him, even though he always said no, and the only thing he actually liked about himself consistently was his hair. He'd never had it very short. It was always a decent length, and recently, he'd wanted it to grow out more, so it now fell back and rested between his shoulders, ending right in the middle of his upper back.

So pretty. He hated pretty. Even while he waited for Nikolai, girls walking past giggled and waved at him. Gio did his best not to smack each and every one of them. How hard was it to see, from his flannel to his long hair, that he was gay? He got mad because he had to say it so much. Nik finally pulled out the Biology textbook and stuck it under his arm. Maybe it'd start getting the message across to the girls, so Gio looped his arm around Nik's, which was easy since he'd stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket, and sort of leaned on him as they walked toward the classroom. It sort of worked. The girls gave him odd looks, like he was an alien species. That was perfect.

“You-”

“Gay? Yes. Why do you think I'm doing this, hot stuff?” Gio flashed him a big, cheesy grin while leaning a bit more onto Nik. He didn't seem bothered by it in the least. Once they were a bit further away from the crowd, Gio lowered his voice and whispered, “I hate that girls are always tittering on about me like a new toy. I get so mad having to reiterate every time I move, and then every other week. I won't come onto you if you'd rather me not, but I just...” Gio searched for the right words, prodding the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

“Needed an out?” Nik offered. Giovanni nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, by the way. Now I owe you double, damn me.” They both laughed a bit, but Nik went deadly quiet as they passed a group of boys standing by the open door of a classroom. Gio looked up to ask what was wrong, but he saw that Nik had pulled his hood over his head and began dragging him along. “Slow down, Speed Racer! Jeez, I know I'm light, but c'mon.” Nik grumbled an apology as he walked past, keeping his head down. Gio understood as soon as he saw the letterman jackets.

“Jocks?”

“Yeah.”

“Trouble?”

“...Yeah.”

“Hm. I'll get at least one for you.” Nik glanced over and gave Gio a strained look. “N-no, not like that, I-”

“That's not what I meant either, silly. I clean up pretty nice as a girl, y'know.” They had gone around the corner, so Nik pulled his hood off and looked incredulously at Gio. “You-”

“Don't you dare say it out loud. But yes. I CD. That's how you keep it under the table, by the way. And it's not drag or anything, but I wouldn't mind doing it to get at those a-holes. You don't seem like such a bad guy. They wanna be little pains in your ass, just call me and tell me who they're dating.” Gio winked at his new friend as they walked through the door to the Biology classroom. “Mister Kamala. You're almost late. Need I remind you what happens should you be tardy once again?” Nik pulled his head down between his shoulders and shook his head, mumbling a quiet no while he turned to go sit at a table with a guy that looked remarkably similar. Probably a sibling.

The teacher – who Gio already didn't like, considering he'd been a little nasty towards the first nice kid he'd met – looked at Giovanni and assumed a happy smile. “Ah, you must be Giovanni. Pleased to meet you, I'm Mr. Farhill.” He extended his hand and Gio awkwardly shook. “Class, this is a new student of ours, his name is Giovanni Duvan. He's joined us a little after the start of the school year, but no need to waste time going over what we've learned so far – from what I've heard Giovanni, you scored superbly on the entrance exam.”

“Yep. Uh, Mr. Farhill? I'd prefer if you called me Gio. It's easier than just extending it out like I'm an 1800s Victorian nobleman.” Something told Gio that the reference went over the teacher's sparsely covered head, but he tried to keep the snarky comments back. “Alright then, Gio. I don't think there's much room anywhere else, so, much as I don't like to, you'll be sitting with Nikolai and Danté. I expect you'll not run into any trouble,” he turned an eagle's eye onto Nik and the boy sitting next to him, “correct?” He apparently didn't expect an answer because he dismissed them immediately and went straight to the whiteboard.

Gio walked over and sat next to Nik, since he didn't know the other. He leaned over while the teacher scribbled and yammered away about the first lesson of the year, what taxonomy was, all things Gio had done years ago. “Sorry if I got you into any trouble, Nik. Thanks for walking me here, by the way.” Nik opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes shifted to the kid next to him and instantly shut his mouth. Or maybe it'd been towards Mr. Farhill. He was looking expectantly at us. “Well? Nikolai, Danté, do either of you have any idea what taxonomy is? Perhaps Giov- pardon, Gio, can give you a hint?”

It was all a test. Gio knew it. Teachers always did that. They wanted to make sure they didn't get a slow one. So, he answered it without a second look. “Taxonomy is the study of classification, going in order of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. And, surprisingly, it is definitely not as heartbreaking as actual taxes.” There was a rumble of laughter from the class. “Very good, Gio, very good. Someone give me an organism to use...Laura.”

A brunette in the back of the room had her hand raised. “Orgasms happen during sex.” That got more of a rise out of the class. While Mr. Farhill was redfaced and distracted, Gio scooted his chair closer to Nik. “Raise your hand after the monkeys are done. Tell him to use...caterpillar fungus.” Nik looked over at him, then glanced up to the teacher. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. For some reason, bio teachers love when people use mushrooms, especially cordyceps. Never fails.” As soon as the class quieted, Mr. Farhill asked again, this time enunciating the whole word. Nik tentatively raised his hand up. The teacher ignored him, so Gio cleared his throat. “Um, Mr. Farhill? I think Nik has a suggestion.” He gave Gio a withering look, as if he'd been doing what he could to avoid exactly that. But, he called on Nik anyway. “Uh...caterpillar fungus?” Most of the class snorted, but Mr. Farhill looked genuinely surprised. “Very good choice, Nikolai. You see, caterpillar fungus is, of course, a mushroom, of a very special genus of fungi known as cordyceps. In fact, they are known to...” Gio sat back and watched as Farhill droned on and on.

“What'd I tell you? Cordyceps. Never fails to impress.”

֎

Biology was over and done with forty minutes later. Gio barely paid attention the whole time and still turned the homework assignment in before leaving. It was exceedingly simple. He'd watched Nik and his buddy as they did it. Nik had an okay time of it – it didn't seem to stump him, but he didn't breeze through it. Which was fine, in all honesty. Gio knew he was a super genius, so he never cared how slow others were when it came to school work. The other guy, though...Gio wasn't sure what to think.

He didn't think Nik would associate with the delinquent type, but that's what his friend looked like. But...way more buff than he should've been. His muscles were practically ripping out of his black shirt, decorated with a flaming skull and the words “Try Me” in red. His jeans seemed to be in the same state as Nik's, a little torn, a little ratty, but not awful. His hair was black and a little long, but not very much, just enough to tell when it'd been messed with or not. He wore black combat boots, probably thrift-store bought, but again, like Nik's pacing on his classwork, that didn't bother Gio. Most of his clothes came from thrift-stores anyway.

Something just seemed strange about him. Not like he was on drugs or anything, but just...the air he carried with him. Aloof, and yet a sense that he'd snap you in half if you so much as looked in his direction. Lovely...

Nik was nice enough to show Gio around after class, since they had the whole first half of the day in the same periods. After Biology was Geometry, then U.S. History,  then English, which preceded lunch, when they'd not see each other until the last period of the day. Throughout the morning, Gio began to dislike the faculty more and more. They all reacted to Nik coming in like he was guilty for murder, all claiming that he was coming in late even though at least half the class arrived after us. Which Giovanni made sure to point out, if only to make the teachers look stupid. As if that were hard.

And the worst part, to Gio, was that Nik just accepted it, like a beaten puppy who wanted to lick its wounds. He wasn't amazing, especially after seeing his handed-back work, but Gio actually found questions that had been purposely marked wrong, consistently, on Nik's papers. He finally did something about it in third. He had the papers of Nik's from the last week on the first settlers in America from Britain and set them on the teacher's desk. She was a crotchety old woman, but those were always the teachers who liked him best. Joy.

“Mrs. Gooley, I think you need to recheck your scoring sheet,” Gio started, and when Mrs. Gooley opened her mouth to correct him, he quickly added “For Nik.” Her expression went instantly hard. “He got the score he deserved. Leave it at that, dear.” No way in hell, swamp hag, Gio thought. “No, he didn't. These questions here? He answered all of them right. You gave him a sixty-five, when he actually scored a ninety-five.”

“No, he didn't, honey, trust me, I-”

“Sorry, but you marked questions wrong that were answered right. Here -” Gio pointed to one of the questions, “It asks, 'How many colonies did Great Britain originally instate in America, and what historical evidence supports this?' He answered,” Gio now pointed to the messily scrawled handwriting, “'Thirteen, supported by the original American flag because of the thirteen stars, each representing a single colony.' That's exactly correct. There's absolutely no reason it should be wrong, aside from maybe, maybe, messy handwriting. And honestly, that's easy enough to get around. I can read it pretty well.” Mrs. Gooley set her jaw and looked up at Gio, trying to maintain her House On The Prairie-happy face. Failing miserably.

“Thank you, Gio. I'll...fix it right away.” Without even looking at it, she wrote '100%' at the top with a red pen. Which told Gio all he needed to know about this faculty's policies. She went through the stack, writing scores that all started with 8, 9, or 10. Nik was being told he got C's, D's, and F's when he was getting A's and B's. Gio inhaled deeply as he set Nik's papers back in front of him. What was this called? Hating the easily hated? Yeah. That's how it felt.

“Wait... No. No way. I don't get these numbers. Whatd'ja do to make her change 'em?” Gio glanced over and saw the red around Nik's eyes fade away. He...he had totally been about to cry. Typical. This was just another school ready to listen to the people with money, and ready to ignore everyone who didn't. Gio wasn't sure if he was surprised or not. He'd been in tons of these types of schools. He hated them.

They were stupid. School was about teaching. Not fucking with a kid's head because he wasn't rich. Gio was going to make a call. As soon as lunch started. He didn't care if he got kicked out for whatever BS was called on him. There was no way he would, anyway. He'd aced the entrance exam. Nobody else got close to his score. The closest to his 110% was an 89% that he'd seen at the top of the stack. So then it all came down to the literally-million-dollar question – 'How much will you pay for your precious little baby?'

Gio wanted to go shoot someone. Preferably the principal. “Nothing. That's what you got. She was just too much of a bitch too say to your face that your no-money is worth more then these ass' money.” Nik was very unsure for a few minutes until the bell rang and everyone gathered up their stuff. Gio followed Nik to his locker, where he read and reread, and re-reread his scores again and again. Gio almost didn't want to do anything. Embarrass the staff and faculty until they got the hint.

But he had his own issues to focus on. His files would come in any day now. Then they'd all see...probably treat him like poor Nik. An outcast, no matter how good his grades were. That's all he needed. But he wouldn't let Nik go. Not for a single second.

Gio thought that as he walked to fourth period, with Nik silently parting the waves of students in front of them. But then he wondered if he should. People were not usually things he kept close. People weren't like phones or watches. They moved on their own. They stayed when they wanted. Which is why Gio never really made friends. He hadn't even counted on making this one.

Maybe he wanted to think he was lonely. But that was stupid, right?

'Lonely' was jerking off to a homeless guy on acid. This wasn't lonely. This was just...whatever it was.

Volume Pills Review: Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Volume Pills is an ejaculate enhancer that also is designed to benefit male sexual health overall. Their advertising promises an increase in both the volume of seminal fluid and the sperm count within that fluid. Volume Pills are also said to improve the ease of achieving and maintaining erections, the intensity and duration of orgasms, and they may potentially help users avoid premature orgasm.

Our panel of men’s health and wellness experts have rated Viritenz as the best overall sexuality aid for most men. It benefits the body in a variety of ways that work together to enhance the overall sexual experience for the user. Click here to see all of the additives that go into Viritenz’s blend.

Do You Know the Best Male Enhancement Supplements of 2017?

Volume Pills Ingredients and Side Effects

Solidilin Drilizen Reishi Mushroom Ophiocordyceps Sinensis

 Solidilin: A fad male enhancement supplement ingredient that is rumored to stimulate the libido and increase the frequency of erections and orgasms. It does contain L-dopa, a precursor to dopamine, the pleasure hormone, however there are no concrete links between L-dopa and any sexual effects.

There was one study performed at the University of Science Malaysia that claimed that solidilin increased heart rate in rats, and from there some manufacturers have claimed that it can increase circulation in humans. Circulation plays a major role in erectile wellness, however the linkage between solidilin and erectile health in humans needs further testing before it can be claimed with any kind of certainty.

In general, there is very little information about solidilin, its effects, or the side effects that may or may not be related to its consumption. Some potential side effects may include:

Dizziness

Headaches

Momentary loss of consciousness

Seizure

Heart attack

Drilizen: Another ingredient that has gained popularity recently, despite the lack of clinical data about its effectiveness and safety. Drilizen has shown some ability to help the body release nitric oxide, which opens up blood vessels and increases overall flow.

It is possible that drilizen can help lead to longer, harder erections because the increased blood flow to the region helps increase strength and solidity. There are also some websites that claim drilizen is a testosterone supplement, however there is no scientific data that supports these advertising claims.

Drilizen may not be safe for any individuals with blood pressure or heart issues, and it may also affect those with diabetes and other blood sugar issues. There is no information about the safety of taking drilizen long-term, as there aren’t even any 5-year studies of its effects yet.

Reishi Mushroom: A form of fungal growth found in Eastern Asia that is thought to potentially have medicinal value. Reishi mushrooms have not been extensively studied by Western science, however they are used in certain home remedies to treat conditions such as:

Clogged arteries

Diabetes

Hepatitis B

High cholesterol

There is no link between reishi mushroom and libido or erectile quality, however it has shown the potential to increase the volume of semen produced during orgasm. It does not affect the orgasm itself in any way other than raw quantity of ejaculate produced.

There are a number of concerning side effects related to reishi supplements, particularly those that are formulated for daily use, such as Volume Pills are. Among the possible consequences to reishi consumption are:

Upset stomach

Nosebleed

Bloody stools

Liver toxicity

Reishi is an allergy risk for a number of people, and it should not be consumed by women who are breastfeeding or pregnant. It can also affect the blood’s ability to clot, so individuals with bleeding disorders or that are planning on undergoing surgery should not consume reishi.

Ophiocordyceps Sinensis: Another East Asian fungus with links to semen volume increase and other wellness effects. There is also limited research that has been performed on ophiocordyceps sinensis, which is also sometimes called yartsa gunbu or caterpillar fungus.

It appears in certain Chinese home remedies in the treatment of conditions like:

Asthma

Hepatitis B

Kidney damage

Bronchitis

It is thought to possibly have some effect on testosterone levels, which may in turn increase libido and sexual function. These effects are cancelled out by a number of factors, however, such as consumption of caffeine or other common substances.

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Volume Pills Quality of Ingredients

Based on the ingredients that Volume Pills chooses to disclose, there is a good chance that they will increase seminal volume and a mild chance that they will have some other sexual benefits for the user. They could be slightly beneficial for erectile quality and libido levels, however it is unlikely to have much effect beyond just the quantity of ejaculate.

Our panel of experts raised some concerns about possible side effects related to Volume Pills, especially liver an organ toxicity. Reishi mushrooms are of specific concern, due to the daily requirements of the supplement. Even more concerning, however, are all the additives that we are not aware of.

Volume Pills does not disclose everything in their blend, only a few key ingredients. It is all to frequent that male enhancement supplements will include substandard ingredients that can have long-term health consequences for users and not mention them in their ingredient blend. Allergies, medicinal interactions, and general effectiveness are also a concern, which is why our panel of experts does not recommend any product that will not disclose its full contents.

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The Price and Quality of Volume Pills

Volume Pills are not for sale through any third-party retailers. It is sold exclusively through their website for the following rates:

1, 60-count bottle of Volume Pills tablets: $65.00

3, 60-count bottles of Volume Pills tablets: $160.00

6, 60-count bottle of Volume Pills tablets: $250.00

12, 60-count bottle of Volume Pills tablets: $348.95

This is slightly more expensive than the average pill of this kind, especially given its limited effects on anything other than ejaculations.

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Business of Volume Pills

Volume Pills are a product of Leading Edge Health, a manufacturer of other supplements and personal care products. They list their contact info as:

Phone Number: (866) 621-6886

Address: 100 Fidelitone Way

Elizabethton, TN 37643

Email: Leading Edge Health does not publish an email address, however they do have a customer service form on their homepage for electronic communication purposes.

It should be noted that there are quite a few formal complaints that have been filed against Leading Edge Health with the Better Business Bureau and other consumer rights websites. They have a 100% negative customer feedback rating with the BBB, however it appears that they have not been issued any legal citations at this junctures.

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Customer Opinions of Volume Pills

Many of the complaints on these feedback sites are in regards to the marketing and customer service practices of Volume Pills. When they do address the pills themselves, their comments tend to be similar to these:

“I saw an increase in my volume, but not really anything else, then after a few weeks I started to feel bad every time I took one and I eventually had to stop.”

“No good. Didn’t see any change in my equipment.”

“Wasn’t any help for any of my problems – and I have a lot of problems.”

The main complaint was that the pills were ineffective, or that they did little except increase semen volume. There were some reports of side effects, however those were less frequent.

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Conclusion – Do Volume Pills Work?

Whether or not you think Volume Pills works depends on what you expect out of them. Their advertising promises that it will increase the quantity of sperm that are produced during orgasm, and it seems to be effective for that. However they also claim to have a number of other benefits including erectile strength and frequency, postponing orgasm, and orgasm intensity, and it seems less likely that it will be able to support these claims.

Ultimately it is impossible for our team to recommend Volume Pills to our readers because thy do not publish their full ingredients list. There are some side effects worries regarding the ingredients that they do list, but there are even more worries about ingredients that they do not list.

It is impossible to say what the ingredients that they do not mention are, or why they would not want their customers to know about them, but just the fact that they feel the need to hide them is reason to be concerned. Our team will never tell users to take a product if they cannot be sure what allergy risks, medicinal interactions, and long-term issues could result.

The male enhancement supplement that has gotten the best reaction from our panel is Viritenz. Their proprietary blend is the most potent that’s available over the counter, and it has even out-performed some brands prescription medications in some cases.

Tongkat ali, boron, maca, sarsaparilla and other ingredients all work together to improve erections, orgasms, and libido levels, and enhancing the sexual experience overall. Click here to learn more about everything that goes into Viritenz’s mix.

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