Rose

Things that have caught my interest recently

It’s time for another edition of links that nobody cares about but me!

Number One: The Manchineel Tree

I’m pretty obsessed with this thing. I’m currently re-reading The Swiss Family Robinson, one of my favourite childhood books which, in retrospect, was a really weird book for me to like as a kid.

One thing the narrator does in abundance, other than talk about how indolent his son Earnest is and how demure his lovely wife is, is talk about a really wide range of flora and fauna and their attributes. One tree that he mentioned in passing was The Manchineel tree, which prompted me to google it.

It turns out this tree is not just a myth from a novel written in 1812. (!)

The tree and its parts contain strong toxins, some unidentified. Its milky white sap contains phorbol and other skin irritants, producing strong allergic dermatitis.

Standing beneath the tree during rain will cause blistering of the skin from mere contact with this liquid (even a small drop of rain with the milky substance in it will cause the skin to blister).

Burning the tree may cause blindness if the smoke reaches the eyes.

The fruit can also be fatal if eaten.

Many trees carry a warning sign, while others are marked with a red “X” on the trunk to indicate danger. In the French Antilles the trees are often marked with a painted red band a few feet above the ground.

View Source (Wikipedia)
…Now tell me that isn’t one crazy freaking tree. Can you really blame me for posting it on my google plus, emailing my mom about it, forcing Ben to read about it, and now blogging about it? (I did mention that I was obsessed, right?)

Number Two: Car accident in Japan destroys $4million in fancy cars.

I don’t really care about cars at all but the headline caught my eye. Plus, this article just reminds me of how poor I am, which is something I always enjoy thinking about.

Supercar fans, you might want to avert your eyes: a multi-car pile-up in southwest Japan yesterday claimed 14 cars, including eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, and a handful of Mercedes-Benz models.

Source Article

Number Three: MUSIC!

I have learned from experience that the Internet hates it when I blog about my music interests, so I’ve decided to sneak it in halfway through a list and hope you don’t notice.

Some really awesome songs have come out recently that I want to promote. In fact, this may call for me to update my stylesheet so that I can make musical looking links. One second, please.

Ok, ready.
Band of Skulls: The Devil Takes Care of his Own
Don’t be scared off by the band’s name. I promise it’s not too evil sounding. I don’t like crazy angry music any more than you do. These guys released an album a few years ago called Baby Darling Dollface Honey, which was absolutely BRILLIANT. I saw them perform it live and was blown away.

This is their latest single, and I think it’s pretty amazing.

The Black Keys: Run Right Back
The Black Keys have released their latest album, and as usual, they do not disappoint. Every album they’ve released so far is awesome, which is a nice change from those bands that seem to lose their momentum after an album or two. Songs to keep an eye on: Lonely Boy, Gold on the Ceiling, Run Right Back, Hell of a Season.

Maurice: River Phoenix
This is an older song by local band Maurice. His voice is haunting and I love it. Couldn’t find a youtube link for this one so you’ll just have to settle for the itunes preview version. Sorry! (Another song by Maurice that I adore: Robin)

Number Four: Nature, You Scary

Just imagine this thing scuttling across the floor towards you. Not that it could, since it lives at the bottom of the ocean, but just pretend.

You’d be scared, right? It’s like three times the size of my head!

Read about the Giant Isopod on Wikipedia
In case you were wondering: Yes, it’s carnivorous.