An example of my Nerdiness

OK, so I was just going through some papers I wrote in undergrad, when I discovered this one and it nearly made me spit coffee all over my laptop.

I'm a huge nerd for this.

I have bolded phrases of particular nerdyness, for your laughing pleasure.

Seven Basidomycete species from Southern Ontario
Report Summary

In this report, I describe the macro- and micro-morphology of seven Basidiomycetes (Hygrophorus, Hygrocybe, Entoloma, Tricholoma, Fomes, Dacrymyces, and Macrolepiota) collected in Algonquin Park and Mississauga, Ontario. Collections were dug out of the ground to recover the base of the stalk, and then were wrapped in wax paper and labelled in separate paper bags. Specimens were stored in the fridge until ready to be analyzed in the lab, and then were dried for a few days. Each sample here is described microscopically as well as macroscopically.

The collections described here are interesting. My Hygrophorous sample has decurrent gills, and is characterized by globular spores with a germ pore. Similar to Hygrophorous is Hygrocybe. My specimen was bright orange in colour, which is why it caught my attention. It is a very small mushroom, and was collected in a group with other tiny mushrooms. I found that Entoloma species are quite diverse macromorphologically, but quite similar microscopically. I had difficulty narrowing down my sample because of this. Tricholoma species are fibrous to the touch and are characterized by globular spores with a prominent germ pore. I collected a bracket fungus, Fomes, that was a difficult specimen to make thin enough sections to see basidia and basidiospores, although the characteristic tubes were observed. I was attracted to Dacrymyces because of its gelatinous nature and bright colour. I had never before seen a jelly fungus, and so I was intrigued to find out more. Mactolepiota is a mushroom that bruises brownish-red when it is touched. When I collected this sample, I thought it was a regular mushroom—I collected it because it had an annulus, and I didn’t yet have a sample with an annulus on it. I later discovered that it bruises when touched and also exudes sap when cut. This, of course, made me interested in more than just its annulus.

This report was interesting to investigate and write-up. I have a newfound appreciation for the great diversity of mushrooms. The trip to Algonquin Park provided an excellent opportunity for me to collect many specimens, and it was also a good opportunity to see the many different types of Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes in hardwood and boggy forest areas.

The Chinese Night Market: A steal at half the price

The Richmond Night Market follows the age-old tradition of night markets in China. Three pairs of socks for $10, a pint of sugar cane juice for $3, six pork dumplings for $4, and a ton of deals on Hello Kitty merchandise and copied animes. The market runs all summer every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Richmond.
http://www.richmondnightmarket.com/home.html

Haiku about a Giraffe

The Mighty Giraffe,
in all his necky greatness,
dwarfs the lame lion.