Permasteady

Mental Illness: But I Digress - a poem regarding - you guessed it! - the ubiquity of mental illness and a bit inspired by criticism of formal antiracisms

It travels with us all, to death from birth

in ponderously slow progress.

Unless light skin protects your worth,

a worth universal – but I digress –

  so, we carry the truth silently

Spines charged 1-million volt

For value is in the visual –

to be Fine is to appropriate the Folk.*

  Based on “Relative Importance”

The rules we live by morph

rationalizing violence and

Dissonance in due course

  And…

Attention CA students who want to avoid medical fees and Medi-Cal recipients who are relocating: Did you know it takes a month to switch case counties (aka “Intercounty Transfers”)?

I didn’t. If you rely on medication, this may be something you want to prepare for. It’s also good to know if you need a waiver for healthcare at your university.

You’ll want to have coverage at a facility under 30…

How Batgirl Saved Me

Babs did me a 24K solid during my TBI recovery

Okay, she didn’t really save my life.

But, she did something else that’s valuable: her character boosted my confidence at a time when I had ambitious goals to achieve but little strength and guidance with which to do so.

She ended up being a strong female role model whom I’d tap for strength and whose example I learned from when I felt lost and…

First issue of Shroom Raider!

Hey there! It’s been awhile since my last post, but I’ve recently completed some new work – I’m trying my hand at comics!

I think comics are where it’s at in terms of storytelling.  What better way to tell a meaningful story than through semiotic mediums – or comics! Comics are unique because they are like languages –  they are systems of signs the reader must interpret to understand what the…

Adventures in Writing: Comics lettering (and editing)

[361 words, 2-4 minute read]

Hi folks! SCLeccentric just released another page of Shroom Raider, and I thought I should maybe share my lettering experience? Have you lettered a comic book before? I just lettered my fourth comic book page. Getting off to a slow start, but it’s goin’!

Issue 1: Mushroom and Zombie Flambé!

I like lettering because it requires great focus and is meditative.

The joy of…

New blog post on the forageable (not choice) Hevella lacunosa, or the black elfin saddle.

[250 words, 1-3 minute read]

  This club-shaped fungus is called the elfin black saddle in North America, though the images I have make the Hevella lacunosa look more like the elfin black cloud :) A conspicuous morel lookalike, the fluted hevella can be found under deciduous and coniferous trees.

Fun Fact: The root of its species name, lacunosa, is the latin noun ‘lacuna’ (lake, pool).…

Behold, #amethysts of the #forest floor. These #fungi are brilliant and #edible!

[280 words, 1-3 min read]

On certain rainy days, when the conditions are right and spores happened to touch down along your trails, the brilliant Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis can be seen popping through pine scrub and brush. These particular Laccaria are spectacular to behold after heavy rains. Bright, saturated blooms of purple shining through the mud and rain. I love being able to expect…

Fungi Fridays: Hypholoma fasciculare*

[200 words, 1-2 min read]

Hypholoma fasciculare, or the Common Sulfur Tuft

I don’t know of any edible lookalikes for this ‘shroom, what looks like the Hypholoma fasciculare (a.k.a. the Common Sulfur Tuft). The Hypholoma capnoides, or Conifer Tuft, is questionably edible, but sources say to steer clear of it. Besides,  people report this mushroom is extremelybitter—so you probably wouldn’t like it…

Fungi Fridays: Amanita phalloides*

The Amanita genus is famed for its deadly mushrooms. This genus can be trouble, but there are a few edible species in it. Amanita caesarea (Caesar’s Mushroom) is a highly regarded edible, and the species Amanita hemibapha, commonly known as the Half-dyed Slender Caesar, is edible as well.

I’m thinking the depicted pale mushrooms are Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the Death Caps or…

(Forageworthy) Fungi Flashback Fridays: Cantharellus californicus*

[680 words, 3-5 min read]

Some call them the mud puppy or oak chanterelle, while others call this choice edible the California Golden chanterelle. Whatever they’re called colloquially, I found them for the first time a few months ago! Chanterelles are known for their earthy taste and apricot-tinged scent, and they can be spied in the oaky woodlands of coastal California. Foragers have found soil…

🍄 Fun(gi) at the MSSF Fungus Fair!🍄

On the way to MSSF!

Sam and I went to the Mycological Society of San Francisco Fungus Fair a few weekends ago, and it was nothing short of AWESOME! There’s nothing like learning about the largest branch in the Tree of Life with kindred souls!

There were two main rooms: upon arrival, you’re guided through the entryway by scents of tasty mushroom soup 🍲 and this savory serving foyer opened up to a…

Unsure about the ID of these, and all my research on fungi foraging warns against picking any little brown mushrooms (called LBMs). Nice to look at, regularly not so nice to eat 🍴 the little brown ones are commonly difficult to ID and land many a brave soul in the hospital. They’re a huge reason why many adults tell children all mushrooms are poisonous (when it’s not nearly that simple, but I…

(Forageworthy) Fungi Flashback Friday: Pleurotus ostreatus*

Pleurotus ostreatus

It’s (F)FFF Time!

You may remember this image from a post I made earlier :)

I fondly recall the dinner made from these oysters. I’ve had store-bought oysters and their flavor pales in comparison. How did I verify their edibility? Scent and physical characteristics like gill structure and surrounding environment (is it growing on a dead piece of wood? What kind of tree is the…

The bread that you can draw on :D

Here’s an Artist’s Conk (less commonly known as Bear Bread) fungus Sam crossed a river to cut down – he’s a big fan of Samwise Gamgee from LOTR, and I happen to be as well – sorry Frodo – so Teamwise was born!

The Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) is a bracket fungus that grows within the wood of living and dead trees. It is a saprobic wood-decay fungus (meaning it colonizes rotting wood and…

Totally tuning into this webinar!!🌱🍄😻