Mmmmmm………..Matsutake!!!!
Tricholoma Matsutake or Japanese Pine Mushroom	California "Matsutake"; Tricholoma magnivelare ...or not?
The picture at left shows a typical sample of the “true ” Tricholoma Matsutake as distinct from our local pacific northwest variety, referred to below as Tricholoma magnivelare even though the western “Matsutake” have been shown through genetic studies to be a distinct population and so are misnamed as either Matsutake or Magnivelare. Visually, as opposed to the “true” strain native to Asia, North Africa, Europe and northeastern North America, the pacific northwest variety (shown at right) is initially quite pale versus the brown of the Asian variety. But, academic debates aside, when it comes to mushroom hunting, its all about field identification, and odor is one of the strongest indicators, specifically a strong, distinctive spicy funk, like Ethiopian food and dirty laundry, its been said. Despite the off-putting description, this is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in Japan and elsewhere, with a culinary stature approaching that of the more familiar European truffle tuber melanosporum, and for much the same reason as musk is the base note of many fine perfumes, the strong distinctive scent, and in this case, flavor blend almost magically with the sharper notes of ginger, onion and miso traditionally used in Japanese preparations, and I can highly recommended it as a superior compliment to wild game.
The American Matsutake: Tricholoma magnivelare by Michael Kuo The American matsutake grows primarily under conifers in northern and montane North America. When young it is white, but it soon begins to develop brownish discolorations. It features a prominent partial veil which covers the young gills and later forms a sheathlike covering on the lower stem, with the upper edge flaring outward to form a ring. The gills are crowded and attached to the stem, sometimes by a notch, but do not run down it. The spore print is white. The odor of the matsutake is its most distinctive–and hard to characterize–feature. “Spicy but a little bit foul” is what comes to my mind, though I like “a provocative compromise between ‘red hots’ and dirty socks” (Arora, 1986, p. 191). The matsutake taste is as distinctive as the odor: “an incredible and complex flavor you won’t ever forget–even though you won’t be able to adequately describe it to anyone” (Volk, 2000). Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal, primarily with conifers (jack pine in northeastern North America; lodgepole pine in the Rocky Mountains; Pinus teocote and other pines in Mexico’s high-elevation pine-oak forests; and pines and other conifers Pacific Northwest and California) but also found in tanoak and madrone forests on the West Coast; growing scattered or gregariously; northern and montane North America; summer, fall, and (in warmer climates) winter. Cap: 5-20 cm; convex becoming broadly convex or nearly flat; dry or a little sticky; white at first; soon with brownish discolorations and pressed-down fibers; the margin rolled under when young. Gills: Attached to the stem, sometimes by means of a notch; crowded; white, developing brown or reddish brown stains and spots with age. Stem: 4-15 cm long; up to 5 cm thick; more or less equal, or with a slightly tapered base (but not with a long, rooting base); white above the ring, colored like the cap below; partial veil white and thick, collapsing to form a sheath around the lower stem and a prominent flaring ring at the top edge of the sheath. Flesh: White; firm; not changing on exposure. Odor and Taste: Taste spicy; odor fragrant and distinctive (see comments above). Spore Print: White. I’ve collected these in northwest Oregon and the literature indicates the only important difference between here in northwest California and there is in terms of habitat with tanoak and madrone in addition to the conifer zones it is found in further north. We have reliable reports of abundant Matsutake in our mapped sites up at Leonard Lake Reserve, where time will tell the truth of this spot’s reputation as a plentiful producer. And, technicalities aside Matsutake is considered ” edible and choice”, music to a mushroom hunters ears. While there are several species that closely resemble it ,specifically” Tricholoma caligatum (with a browner cap, hardwood habitat, and mild or mealy odor), Catathelasma imperiale (with gills that run down the stem, a double ring, and a tapering stem that roots deeply in the soil), and  Russula brevipes (too many differences to list) “none are toxic, and the identifying characteristics are sufficiently unambiguous that a careful picker, with an experienced guide for quality assurance there is virtually no danger of poisoning. Allergic reactions are a different matter, and in some people are made worse by drinking alcohol and eating new species of wild mushrooms. Anyone with food sensitivities needs to be their own best friend when it comes to sampling, or not sampling new foods. Book your own California wild mushroom foray

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Popularity: 100% [?]

Scanning PhysOrg.com today I came across several interesting stories on one of my favorite topics; Clean Energy. Of particular interest to cyclists and bike packers is the following;

Toshiba launches portable fuel-cell for mobiles

October 22nd, 2009

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For people fed up with their mobile telephone or iPod batteries running out, Japan’s Toshiba Corp. announced Thursday the launch of a portable fuel-cell that can power up digital gadgets on the move.

With an injection of methanol, the fuel-cell generates electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen to recharge mobile digital electronic devices via a USB cable.

The high-tech giant, which sees a bright future for fuel cells, said battery exhaustion had become a “major concern” due to the rising power consumption of mobile electronic devices. Read the whole article here.

With the object of having uninterrupted access to communications, internet included, from remote locations over extended periods of time, some sort of rugged, portable, lightweight energy generation technology is a requirement for powering cellular/satellite modems, portable computers, telephones and GPS devices. Essentially we’re talking about liveblogging from the wilderness, virtual tourism, real time scientific field documentation and range management. Previous to the Toshiba device described here the only realistic technology  portable solar panels which suffer from low power densities and high costs per watt. The present cost of $326 plus proprietary fuel cartridges leaves something to be desired, but as competition and  economies of scale come into play prices should fall, and the relatively high power densities, low volume, mechanical simplicity and zero carbom operation make this a nearly ideal bike packing power source.

A few hopeful developments in transportation and generation are good news for those of us who believe that clean power is the most important issue of our time;

Largest solar panel plant in US rises in Fla.

(AP) — Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future of Florida’s renewable energy plans begin: Acres of open land filled with solar panels that will soon power thousands …

Ultracapacitors Make City Buses Cheaper, Greener

Japanese car makers out to electrify Tokyo show

Move over hybrids — the biggest buzz at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show looks set to come from electric cars as the dream of affordable zero-emission vehicles moves closer to reality.

Lighter, cheaper, LED light bulbs are starting to enter the marketplace

And finally, what I’ve been saying for years (so they MUST be right);

Shifting the world to 100 percent clean, renewable energy as early as 2030 — here are the numbers

Most of the technology needed to shift the world from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy already exists. Implementing that technology requires overcoming obstacles in planning and politics, but doing so …

But, on the not so good news front;

Hong Kong air pollution equals record high

Poll: US belief in global warming is cooling

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  Killer algae a key player in mass extinctions

  Algae, not asteroids, were the key to the end of the dinosaurs, say two Clemson University researchers. Geologist James W. Castle and ecotoxicologist John H. Rodgers have published findings that toxin producing …

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  Study: Evolutionary past may determine how we choose leaders

  So, algae could kill us, pollution is increasing, fewer people believe we have a problem, we’re choosing our leaders based on ancient unconcious perceptions, and to top it off;

  Why antidepressants don’t work for so many

  There is no pharmaceutical cure for what ails us. Oy vey! Which does not stop folks from trying;

  

  Four percent of adults worldwide using cannabis: Lancet

  Nearly four percent of adults around the world use cannabis, even though the drug raises many major health concerns, according to a paper published in The Lancet on Friday.

  That probably explains this; (PhysOrg.com) — Over the past few decades, the idea that our universe could be one of many alternate universes within a giant multiverse has grown from a sci-fi fantasy into a legitimate theoretical possibility. …

  

  Modern men are wimps, according to new book

  But all is not lost, YOU could be one of the lucky few to seal themselves up in a government funded bubble for 520 days;

  

  Volunteers wanted for simulated 520-day Mars mission

  And that’s a wrap on Science and Energy for Saturday, October 22, 2009. Abandon hope all ye who enter here, or not.

Popularity: 12% [?]

So, Thursday the 8th of October I dragged out an old tire to replace the second one I’d ridden through on the rear wheel, I patched the tube for the fourth time, packed a full overnight load into my Arkel panniers (the BEST panniers ever) and took a long 48 mile ride through the slightly chilly breezes and blustery sunshine on one of the last dry days of fall. First a few errands 10 miles south in Ukiah, to recover my  Camelback from where I’d left it on my last trip there, picked up a new tube and a patch kit, since the goathead thorns had taken a toll on my glue supply in the last couple weeks, and then put my teeth into the wind and rode west up the long low climb of Masonite Road.

This is a private road owned by the Mendocino Redwood Logging Company but its easily accessible by bicycle via one of the three open gates in the cyclone fence along the south side of Orr Springs Road just west of Hwy. 101. Masonite Road originates at the old Masonite mill site, the development of which is the focus of much current sturm und drang currently roiling local politics and the upcoming ballot measure “A”, meant to circumvent local planning authority and create a zoning change there, written by the developer, is being hotly debated in bars, on the air and on street corners all around Mendocino County. The road itself however, is wide, mostly smooth asphalt, and virtually un-trafficked. It climbs, much less steeply than but basically parallel to the first sharp ascent of Orr Springs Road, winding for six or seven miles at the base of the Mann Ranch property just to the north of the road, 1800 steeply rolling oak forested acres that is more fully described in the post linked to here. More »

Popularity: 24% [?]

Fuel cells are one of the crucial links in the hoped for hydrogen economy, Hydrogen is an energy storage medium, a fuel, like gasoline it’s chemical energy must be converted to work by some means. In the case of a combustion engine, as we all know, fuel is combined with atmospheric oxygen and burned at high temperature, producing heat and exhaust gasses, the exhaust gasses we’re suffocating the world with. By contrast, a fuel cell oxidizes fuel, the cleanest being pure hydrogen and converts it directly to electricity and water at relatively low temperatures. In it’s simplest terms, to quote Wikipedia

Fuel cell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.

Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished^[1] – a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system.

Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.^[2]

Another distinct advantage of fuel cells over conventional internal combustion engines is mechanical simplicity; virtually no moving parts. Add the near carbon neutral operation to this and the advantages over current motor tech is compelling, to say the least. Funny how the choices societies and individuals make may have profound unanticipated consequences. The first fuel cell was demonstrated a842. Again, from Wikipedia;

The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and published in one of the scientific magazines of the time.^[16] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was demonstrated by Welsh scientist and barrister Sir William Robert Grove in the February 1839 edition of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science^[17] and later sketched, in 1842, in the same journal.^[18] The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today’s phosphoric-acid fuel cell.

The ready sources of petroleum extracted for transportation fuel first in the US probably doomed both the fuel cell and electric transportation, too bad for us and our grandchildren, but now as always necessity is the proverbial mother of invention (no, Frank Zappa stole the term). And so below We present a short summary of current developments from fuel cell world. More »

Popularity: 14% [?]

In our continuing effort to provide our readers with access to ongoing scientific advances in green energy related technologies, the following is a compilation of reports regarding recent developments specifically in battery-related technologies. Cheaper, more reliable, higher power density, novel materials and new markets are the forces driving research now and there’s a LOT going on.

Batteries are particularly relevant to green energy as a replacement for more carbon-intensive power storage technologies like hydrocarbon fuels. Whether you believe the sky is blue or green, it is what it is, whether you believe global warming is real or not, it is what it is, and it is having and will continue to have increasingly profound impacts on every person on the planet until we finally kick our collective smoking habit; fossil fuels. This small summary of research and development clearly shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it may not be all that far away.

Where your gas tank is now, in five or ten years there will be something like this.

Panasonic Develops High Energy Lithium-ion Battery Module with High Reliability

Panasonic Corp. has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module from 18650-type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells, which are widely used in laptop computers, to provide energy storage …

Follow the money.

Panasonic, Sanyo win EU takeover approval

(AP) — Panasonic Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. must sell off a European plant that makes batteries to win EU antitrust approval for the $9 billion deal creating one of the world’s biggest electronics makers, the EU said …

Watch out for explosions, as above, tech can come back to bite you in the ass.

EU warns it will recall iPhones if labs show faulty

The European Union’s consumer czar warned on Monday that iPhones would be taken off the market if national authorities find manufacturing faults lie behind mystery screen explosions.

Here’s an “emergent application”, one that is the consequence of unanticipated synergies between seemingly unrelated parts. More »

Popularity: 16% [?]

The information herein has been gleaned from a number of sources around the Net with links provided at the end f the article. The author is NOT a physician and is not attempting to prescribe or recommend medical treatment, but merely to inform fellow endurance athletes of a significant risk to their health resulting from the otherwise beneficial consequences of regular vigorous physical activity, and to summarize the literature on treatment and prevention.

DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis, also referred to as “Economy class syndrome” results from the pooling and coagulation (thrombosis) of blood in the deep veins of the calf, thigh and occasionally the abdomen due to lack of motion and/or constriction of the blood flow to these areas. The immediate symptoms include some or all of the following; pain, swelling, discoloration of the painful area and, when in the leg, distended veins in the foot or leg. The longer term pathologies include possible permanent damage to the smaller veins from lack of circulation resulting in phlebitis and/or cellulitis. Worst of all is the possibility that the thrombosis or clot can become mobile and lodge in the lungs causing pulmonary embolism (PE), chest pain, coughing up blood and potentially, death. If a clot gets lodged in the brain, this can cause stroke or cerebral embolism and a clot in the heart can cause heart failure.

Various studies show that endurance athletes, with their low resting heart rates, large leg muscles and tenancy to dehydration are especially vulnerable to DVT, up to 85% more likely to suffer DVT than non-athletes under certain circumstances. Since endurance athletes tend to become dehydrated more often and more severely than the sedentary population, and dehydration causes the blood to thicken and coagulate more readily, attention to hydration is even more important than just for the obvious and better known reasons of managing electrolyte imbalance and exhaustion. More »

Popularity: 61% [?]