Nicotine: "a stress relieving intoxicant containing 12mg Tar and 1.0mg Heaven. May cause slight cough".

They never did. I was their intoxicant. I never wanted to go, either. I liked the way my unhinged brain entangled him, more than my body – which has its own charms, of course – ever could. I liked the way it felt to be held in his arms. I liked saying I love you to him and then the next yelling at him. And he’d always say he loved me. He was my drug.

-- read more of bottle cap at Joyful to Hear.

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

Ketki Lake

It is a serene lake at the border of Jharkhand and West Bengal district, surrounded by dense and lush green forestry. I was fascinated by its solitude, distant from crowd. Walking around the lake is an experience to enjoy calmness of its water surrounded by hills and pristine forests.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

L O V E

If a girl loves a boy from afar, has she committed a sin?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam came to close the doors that lead to evil and sin, and is keen to block all the means that may lead to corruption of hearts and minds. Love and infatuation between the sexes are among the worst of problems.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/129):

Love is a psychological sickness, and if it grows strong it affects the body, and becomes a physical sickness, either as diseases of the brain, which are said to be diseases caused by waswaas, or diseases of the body such as weakness, emaciation and so on. End quote.

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/132):

Loving a non-mahram woman leads to many negative consequences, the full extent of which is known only to the Lord of people. It is a sickness that affects the religious commitment of the sufferer, then it may also affect his mind and body. End quote.

It is sufficient to note that one of the effects of love of a member of the opposite sex is enslavement of the heart which is held captive to the loved one. So love is a door that leads to humiliation and servility. That is sufficient to put one off this sickness.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/185):

If a man is in love with a woman, even if she is permissible for him, his heart remains enslaved to her, and she can control him as she wishes, even though outwardly he appears to be her master, because he is her husband; but in fact he is her prisoner and slave, especially if she is aware of his need and love for her. In that case, she will control him like a harsh and oppressive master controls his abject slave who cannot free himself from him. Rather he is worse off than that, because enslavement of the heart is worse than enslavement of the body. End quote.

Attachment to the opposite sex will not happen to a heart that is filled with love of Allaah; it only affects a heart that is empty and weak, so it is able to gain control of it, then when it becomes strong and powerful it is able to defeat the love of Allaah and lead the person into shirk. Hence it is said: Love is the action of an empty heart.

If the heart is devoid of the love and remembrance of the Most Merciful, and is a stranger to speaking to Him, it will be filled with love of women, images and listening to music.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/135):

If the heart loves Allaah alone and is sincerely devoted to Him, it will not even think of loving anyone else in the first place, let alone falling in love. When a heart falls in love, that is due to the lack of love for Allaah alone. Hence because Yoosuf loved Allaah and was sincerely devoted to Him, he did not fall into the trap of love, rather Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen, (guided) slaves”

[Yoosuf 12:24]

As for the wife of al-‘Azeez, she was a mushrik as were her people, hence she fell into this trap. End quote.

The Muslim must save himself from this fate and not fall short in guarding against it and ridding himself of it. If he falls short in that regard and follows the path of love, by continuing to steal haraam glances or listening to haraam things, and being careless in the way he speaks to the opposite sex, etc, then he is affected by love as a result, then he is sinning and will be subject to punishment for his actions.

How many people have been careless at the beginning of this problem, and thought that they were able to rid themselves of it whenever they wanted, or that they could stop at a certain limit and not go any further, until the sickness took a strong hold and no doctor or remedy could help?

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Rawdat al-Muhibbeen (147):

If the cause happens by his choice, he has no excuse for the consequences that are beyond his control, but if the reason is haraam, the drunkard had no excuse. Undoubtedly following one glance with another and allowing oneself to keep thinking about the person is like drinking intoxicants: he is to be blamed for the cause. End quote.

If a person strives to keep away from the things that lead to this serious sickness, by lowering his gaze and not looking at haraam things, not listening to haraam things, and averting the passing thoughts that the shaytaan casts into his mind, then after that something of the evils of this sickness befalls him because of a passing glance or a transaction that is basically permissible, and his heart becomes attached to a woman, there is no sin on him for that in sha Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (11/10):

If that does not result from carelessness or transgression on his part, then there is no sin on him for what befalls him. End quote.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Rawdat al-Muhibbeen (147):

If love occurs for a reason that is not haraam, the person is not to be blamed, such as one who loved his wife or slave woman, then he separated from her but the love remained and did not leave him. He is not to be blamed for that. Similarly if there was a sudden glance then he averted his gaze, but love took hold of his heart without him meaning it to, he must, however, ward it off and resist it. End quote.

But he must treat his heart by putting a stop to the effects of this love, and by filling his heart with love of Allaah and seeking His help in that. He should not feel too shy to consult intelligent and trustworthy people for advice or consult some doctors and psychologists, because he may find some remedy with them. In doing that he must be patient, seek reward, remain chaste and keep quiet, and Allaah will decree reward for him in sha Allaah.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/133):

If he is tested with love but he remains chaste and is patient, then he will be rewarded for fearing Allaah. It is known from shar’i evidence that if a person remains chaste and avoids haraam things in looking, word and deeds, and he keeps quiet about it and does not speak of it, so that there will be haraam talk about that, whether by complaining to another person or committing evil openly, or pursuing the beloved one in any way, and he is patient in obeying Allaah and avoiding sin, despite the pain of love that he feels in his heart, just as one who is afflicted with a calamity bears the pain of it with patience, then he will be one of those who fear Allaah and are patient, “Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost” [Yoosuf 12:90]. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

The Qalandariyyah (Arabic: قلندرية‎‎, Hindi: क़लन्दरिय्या, Bengali: ক়লন্দরিয়্য়া), Qalandaris or Kalandars are wandering Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized. One was founded by Qalandar Yusuf al-Andalusi of Andalusia, Spain.

Starting in the early 12th century, the movement gained popularity in Greater Khorasan and neighbouring regions, including the South Asia.[1] The first references are found in the 11th-century prose text Qalandarname (The Tale of the Kalandar) attributed to Ansarī Harawī. The term Qalandariyyat (the Qalandar condition) appears to be first applied by Sanai Ghaznavi (died 1131) in seminal poetic works where diverse practices are described. Particular to the qalandar genre of poetry are terms that refer to gambling, games, intoxicants and Nazar ila'l-murd, themes commonly referred to as kufriyyat or kharabat. The genre was further developed by poets such as Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi and Farid al-Din Attar.

Qalandariyya in South Asia[edit]

The Qalandariya may have arisen from the earlier Malamatiyya and exhibited some Buddhist and Hindu influences in South Asia.[2] The Malamatiya condemned the use of drugs and dressed only in blankets or in hip-length hairshirts.[3]

The writings of qalandars were not a mere celebration of libertinism, but antinomial practices of affirmation from negative action. The order was often viewed suspiciously by authorities.

The term remains in popular culture. Sufi qawwali singers the Sabri brothers and international Qawwali star Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan favoured the chant dam a dam masta qalandar (with every breath ecstatic Qalandar!), and a similar refrain appeared in a hit song from Runa Laila from movie Ek Se Badhkar Ek that became a dancefloor crossover hit in the 1970s.

In Pakistan and North India, descendents of Qalandariyah faqirs now form a distinct community, known as the Qalandar biradari.

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

Ledum palustre is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in), found Northern Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Germany and Japan, Possibly native to Britain in acid bogs near Bridge of Allan in Sterling and Perth. A rare escape elsewhere in Britain. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

A tea is made from the aromatic leaves. Considered by some to be a better tea than that made from L. groenlandicum. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. It would be better to brew the tea in cold water by leaving it in a sunny place, or to make sure that it is brewed for a short time only in an open container. The leaves are used as a flavouring, they are a bay-leaf substitute. The plant has been used as a hop substitute in making beer, though this has caused an unpleasant kind of drunkenness which is accompanied by a headache and dizziness.

The leaves and young flowering shoots are astringent, diaphoretic, disinfectant, diuretic, laxative, pectoral, stomachic and tonic. The plant is more strongly narcotic than L. groenlandicum and should not be used without expert supervision. A tea is taken internally in the treatment of asthma, coughs, colds, stomach aches, kidney ailments etc. Externally, it is used as a wash for burns, ulcers, stings, infections etc. A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole, dried and powdered, plant. This is used in the treatment of stings, injuries and joint pains. It is also used in the treatment of various chest complaint, asthma, menstrual pain etc.

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita, is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Several subspecies, with differing cap colour, have been recognised to date, including the brown regalis (considered a separate species), the yellow-orange flavivolvata, guessowii, and formosa, and the pinkish persicina. Genetic studies published in 2006 and 2008 show several sharply delineated clades which may represent separate species.

Although generally considered poisonous, deaths are extremely rare, and it has been consumed as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling in water. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia; however, such traditions are far less well-documented. The American banker and amateur ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson proposed the fly agaric was in fact the Soma talked about in the ancient Rig Veda texts of India; since its introduction in 1968, this theory has gained both followers and detractors in anthropological literature.

- Wikipedia

Ledum palustre is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in), found Northern Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Germany and Japan, Possibly native to Britain in acid bogs near Bridge of Allan in Sterling and Perth. A rare escape elsewhere in Britain. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Apr to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

A tea is made from the aromatic leaves. Considered by some to be a better tea than that made from L. groenlandicum. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. It would be better to brew the tea in cold water by leaving it in a sunny place, or to make sure that it is brewed for a short time only in an open container. The leaves are used as a flavouring, they are a bay-leaf substitute. The plant has been used as a hop substitute in making beer, though this has caused an unpleasant kind of drunkenness which is accompanied by a headache and dizziness.

The leaves and young flowering shoots are astringent, diaphoretic, disinfectant, diuretic, laxative, pectoral, stomachic and tonic. The plant is more strongly narcotic than L. groenlandicum and should not be used without expert supervision. A tea is taken internally in the treatment of asthma, coughs, colds, stomach aches, kidney ailments etc. Externally, it is used as a wash for burns, ulcers, stings, infections etc. A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole, dried and powdered, plant. This is used in the treatment of stings, injuries and joint pains. It is also used in the treatment of various chest complaint, asthma, menstrual pain etc.

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan Mountains. Southwest Colorado.

From Wikipedia.

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric (pronounced /ˈæɡərɪk/) or fly Amanita (pronounced /ˌæməˈnaɪtə/), is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Several subspecies, with differing cap colour have been recognised to date, including the brown regalis (considered a separate species), the yellow-orange flavivolata, guessowii, and formosa, and the pinkish persicina.

Although generally considered poisonous, deaths are extremely rare, and it has been consumed as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling in water. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia; however, such traditions are far less well-documented. The American banker and amateur ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson proposed the fly agaric was in fact the Soma talked about in the ancient Rig Veda texts of India; since its introduction in 1968, this theory has gained both detractors and followers in the anthropological literature.[1]

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

Ketki Lake

It is a serene lake at the border of Jharkhand and West Bengal district, surrounded by dense and lush green forestry. I was fascinated by its solitude, distant from crowd. Walking around the lake is an experience to enjoy calmness of its water surrounded by hills and pristine forests.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

Magmo Moonshine is one of the wealthiest men in the world thanks to his revolutionary innovation in the field of intoxicants: Moonshine. He invented this after years of research (which in this case consisted of Magmo pouring gallons of moonshine down the throats of women he picked up on the street). He knew he had perfected the product when the women stopped struggling after the first few gallons.

Obviously this invention made him millions of dollars which he used to get plastic surgery to make himself the most handsome man in the world. Obviously, this came true, and maintaining his beauty became his constant obsession. Unfortunately, after he was diagnosed with cancer and began undergoing chemotherapy, he lost some of his hair. This greatly depressed him because he placed a great value on his appearance, so he went to the best wig maker in the industry – Don King.

King made him the wig you see before you here. This post is the first revelation that this is in fact not his real hair. I have already been threatened by Magmo’s lawyers, but I am prepared to face the consequences in order to bring you this truth. In fact, I am expecting a lawsuit. I am being paid substantially by Magmo’s ex-wife Courtney Cox to bring this lawsuit upon myself to distract his lawyers from their divorce proceedings. The fact that he lost his hair is the reason for the divorce, and the hope is that now that the public knows that this is in fact a wig, everyone will feel betrayed (as Cox did) and public opinion will shift away from Moonshine and towards Cox.

www.devastationstudios.com/blog/

(Methysticodendron amesianum)

Brugmansia is a small to mid-size tree with large, strong-smelling, trumpet-shaped flowers hanging downward. Most parts of the plant contain atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine. It has been used as an admixture plant in ayahuasca brews as well as in poisons and medicines in S. America.

Amanita muscaria is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although it is generally considered poisonous, deaths from its consumption are extremely rare, and it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia; however, such traditions are far less well documented.

L'Amanita muscaria (comunemente chiamata ovolo malefico o Fungo di Biancaneve) è uno dei funghi velenosi più appariscenti del bosco.Da 8–20 cm di diametro, da rosso vermiglio a rosso acceso, raramente giallastro, cosparso di verruche bianche o gialle (resti del velo); orlo liscio, ma striato nel senso delle lamelle; cuticola viscida a tempo umido, facilmente staccabile dal cappello. Allo stadio giovanile è chiuso ed a forma emisferica che, una volta maturo, si apre assumendo la consueta forma a fungo.Fitte, libere, bianche, talvolta volgenti al giallo-limone, con lamellule. Le lamelle sviluppano l'imenio, la parte fertile del fungo dalla quale si formano le spore.Il gambo è cilindrico e slanciato, bulboso alla base, bianco e portante anello e volva. Nettamente bulboso alla base, pieno poi cavo, spesso squamuloso-forforaceo. Fino a 20–25 cm circa di altezza per 1-3 di spessore.L'anello è collocato nella parte alta del gambo, ampio, membranoso, bianco, persistente, un po' striato.La volva è dissociata in fasce anulari concentriche, che avvolgono il tratto bulboso dello stipite, bianche e persistenti.La carne è bianca, colore arancio sotto la cuticola del cappello, soda.Le spore sono bianche in massa, ovali, non amiloidi, 9-11 x 6,5-7,5 µm. ed il loro numero è quasi incalcolabile nell'ordine dei miliardi nel corso di un anno.Si trova comunemente in estate-autunno nei boschi di conifere e di latifoglie, più frequente sotto conifere. Molto diffuso.

Font : Wikipedia

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

I don't drink alcohol but I went into the liquor section at the grocery store and found some "moonshine". According to the label these are "grain neutral spirits with natural flavors"; apple pie, cherry and strawberry. (How is apple pie a natural flavor?!) They are bottled and sold in canning jars.

For the All New Scavenger Hunt challenge; four photos of anything that contains CAN in it's name.

I hear rumours people were selling balloons containing intoxicating gas! Surely not! Intoxicants, at the carnival? If so though it's not surprising the plain-clothes rozzers nabbed this bloke.

Little girl bottom left corner unexpected bonus.

This is the Prickly Pear, Binomial name: Opuntia, please keep in mind there are dozens of different geneses of the Prickly Pear in the Grand Canyon alone, and over 200 types of Prickly Pear in the Americas. The Prickly Pear is also known as a Paddle Cactus (for obvious reasons).

The Prickly Pear is classified in the Cactaceae (cactus) family. The Prickly Pear (generally speaking) is easy to identify, simply look for a plant with paddles or flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hair like prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Prickly Pears often grow into dense, tangled structures that typically lay close to the ground.

Like all true cactus species, Prickly Pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. And like all introduced plants have caused an abundance harm to the native flora they have been introduced to.

The Prickly Pear has been used by humans for a very long time. Today there are not many medical uses for the Prickly Pear, but this cactus has been and still is used as a food source, as an intoxicant, and even in dye production.

Folk remedies and the Prickly Pear, (North and South) American Indians used Prickly Pear juice to treat burns, and the Prickly Pear has a long history in traditional Mexican folk medicine for treating diabetes. Prickly Pears use in treating diabetes, lipid disorders, inflammation, and ulcers, as well as its other pharmacologic effects has been documented. However, there is limited clinical information to support these uses and there are some concerns about toxic effects on the kidney.

The Prickly Pear as a food source, while it is widely known that the pears (also known as Tunas) were the largest part of the diet for several weeks in mid-summer, the plant was used in many other ways. The pads, especially the younger ones, can be eaten year round, when moist grass, herbs and other food sources were not available. The pads were used as green packing material providing steamy moisture and chemical compounds that helped bake lechuguilla and sotol. During the tuna (the fruit or pear) harvest, the Prickly Pear was THE most important food in the region, and ranks with pecans and buffalo as a critical seasonal resource. Both the pads and the fruit must be prepared carefully to ensure the removal of all of the spines particularly the hair like spines called glochids. The easiest way to do this is with fire, rolling the pads or fruit in a hot fire for a moment or two removes the spines quite well. Today you don’t even have to worry about removing spines with domesticated varieties of the Prickly Pear, you can find spineless Prickly Pears in many grocery stores.

The Prickly Pear was/is also used to make alcoholic beverages, most notably colonche, in times past. Today you can find two commercially available distilled spirits made from the Prickly Pear, the pink herbal bajtra liqueur and the clear, more potent Tungi Spirit.

There are also many other uses of the Prickly Pear. The pads were also be used as containers and even canteens. There is even evidence that the spines on the pads were sometimes used as needles. The gel like sap of the Prickly Pear has also been mixed with mud and used as a plastering agent. While I don’t know if the Prickly Pear was used in the past to purify water, there are ongoing studies to determine if the Prickly Pear can be used a cheap, large scale water purification system.

With all of different these uses it’s hard to imagine that this plant does even more, in fact it does. The Prickly Pear is home to a scale insect, or sessile parasite known as the cochineal. The cochineal has been used as a natural dying agent since at least the 15th century. The cochineal produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. The carminic acid, typically 17–24% of dried insects' weight, can be extracted from the body and eggs then mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye, also known as cochineal dye. This dye was heavily used in south America for dying cloth and became very popular in Europe (after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire) for some time it was the second largest export from the Spanish held Mexico, until the invention of artificial pigments in the middle of the 19th century. Today you can commonly find cochineal dye in food and cosmetic products. Any ingredients listed as cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid, are pigments made from the cochineal.

I Buy my Art I

DigiDreamGrafix.com I FINE ART I Smugmug I Zoonar I ADOBE STOCK I AGwallArt.com I Scripturebits.com I Flickr I Photokore I agdigitalphotography.com I AGpostcards I ShutterStock I iStock I 123rf I Signelements I Bigstock I Dreamstime I Freedigitalphotos I PhotoDune I Canstockphotos I Featurepics I Pond5 I

NW corner of 51st and Justine

Best viewed as Original (1024 x 768)

*2010 update -- This signage has since been painted over with a sign announcing the presence of the Life Changing Ministries Intl. Church.

www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Books/Revisting_the_shamble.shtml

“It was an elemental odor, raw and crude; it was rich, almost rancid, sensual, and strong. There were some who drank it in as if it were an intoxicant; there were others who put their handkerchiefs to their faces. The new emigrants were still tasting it, lost in wonder, when suddenly the car came to a halt, and the door was flung open, and a voice shouted – ‘Stockyards!’”

killingseasonchicago2010.blogspot.com/2011/01/david-johns...

"On August 29th, 2010, David Johnson (31) was found dead sitting in a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his head. The slaying happened shortly after 7 p.m. at 1542 West 51st Street in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood. David was parked in a vehicle when someone approached, pulled out a gun and shot him. He was pronounced dead at 7:37 p.m. at Stroger Hospital." via Killing Season Chicago

This tree, a variety of the very traditional Prunus Mume, is in addition to bearing very beautiful flowers os also a source of an excellent intoxicant. The Japanese and Chinese call this tree a plum, so the next time you go shopping for a spirited drink, try Chinese plum wine. You won’t be disappointed.

This is an optimized anaglyph. Use red/cyan glasses to see the 3D.

Amanita muscaria is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although it is generally considered poisonous, deaths from its consumption are extremely rare, and it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia; however, such traditions are far less well documented.

L'Amanita muscaria (comunemente chiamata ovolo malefico o Fungo di Biancaneve) è uno dei funghi velenosi più appariscenti del bosco.Da 8–20 cm di diametro, da rosso vermiglio a rosso acceso, raramente giallastro, cosparso di verruche bianche o gialle (resti del velo); orlo liscio, ma striato nel senso delle lamelle; cuticola viscida a tempo umido, facilmente staccabile dal cappello. Allo stadio giovanile è chiuso ed a forma emisferica che, una volta maturo, si apre assumendo la consueta forma a fungo.Fitte, libere, bianche, talvolta volgenti al giallo-limone, con lamellule. Le lamelle sviluppano l'imenio, la parte fertile del fungo dalla quale si formano le spore.Il gambo è cilindrico e slanciato, bulboso alla base, bianco e portante anello e volva. Nettamente bulboso alla base, pieno poi cavo, spesso squamuloso-forforaceo. Fino a 20–25 cm circa di altezza per 1-3 di spessore.L'anello è collocato nella parte alta del gambo, ampio, membranoso, bianco, persistente, un po' striato.La volva è dissociata in fasce anulari concentriche, che avvolgono il tratto bulboso dello stipite, bianche e persistenti.La carne è bianca, colore arancio sotto la cuticola del cappello, soda.Le spore sono bianche in massa, ovali, non amiloidi, 9-11 x 6,5-7,5 µm. ed il loro numero è quasi incalcolabile nell'ordine dei miliardi nel corso di un anno.Si trova comunemente in estate-autunno nei boschi di conifere e di latifoglie, più frequente sotto conifere. Molto diffuso.

Font : Wikipedia

According to Google, it's famed for "its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia."

I then looked up "entheogen", which means "psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context." So, the type of thing Bruce Parry would take then.

Still life of martini mixed drink with raspberry fruit agaisnt white background.

From Wikipedia:

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture.

Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituents being the compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.

Red Wine and Glass

Bhang (Hindi: भाँग) is a preparation from the leaves and flowers (buds) of the female cannabis plant, consumed as a beverage in the Indian subcontinent.

INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT

Bhang has been used as an intoxicant for centuries in the Indian sub-continent. Bhang in India and Nepal is distributed during some Hindu festivals like Holi, and consuming bhang at such occasions is a standard practice.

It is also available as Bhang goli (pill) which is just freshly ground cannabis with water. Apart from this, sweetened bhang golis are also widely available. These are not considered a drug, but a traditional sleeping aid and appetizer. Bhang is also part of many ayurvedic medicinal preparations. Bhang powder is available at ayurvedic dispensaries.

Bhang Ki Thandai also known as Sardai is a drink popular in many parts of sub-continent which is made by mixing bhang with thandai, a cold beverage prepared with almonds, spices (mainly black pepper), milk and sugar.

HISTORY

Bhang has been used in India since Vedic times, and is an integral part of Hindu culture. Sadhus and Sufis use Bhang to boost meditation and to achieve transcendental states. Bhang or cannabis is also used amongst Sufis as an aid to spiritual ecstasy.

In 1596, Dutchman Jan Huyghen van Linschoten spent three pages on "Bangue" in his historic work documenting his journeys in the East, also mentioning the Egyptian Hashish, Turkish Boza, Turkish Bernavi, and Arabic Bursj forms of consumption.

The historian Richard Davenport-Hines lists Thomas Bowrey as the first Westener to document the use of bhang.

PREPARATION

Anywhere on the ghats, one can find large number of men engaged in the process of preparing bhang. Using mortar and pestle, the buds and leaves of cannabis are ground into a paste. To this mixture, milk, ghee and spices are added. The bhang base is now ready to be made into a heavy drink, thandai, an alternative to alcohol; this is often referred to casually, if inaccurately, as a "bhang thandai" and "bhang lassi". Bhang is also mixed with ghee and sugar to make a green halva, and into peppery, chewy little balls called 'golee' (which in this context means candy or pill in Hindi).

In Kashmir, a common preparation for bhang consists of first boiling the leaves and flowers of the female cannabis plant for a short time. Once the plant matter has become soft, it is mixed with khas khas or white opium poppy seed. The two ingredients are pulverized with a mortar and pestle for 30–60 minutes (adding a few drops of water now and again to keep the paste moist). The paste is then mixed with water by hand and the mixture is poured through a straining cloth to remove all excess plant matter. The remaining green water is known locally as "bhang" and consumed as is. The usage of oil-rich seeds allows THC, the fat-soluble psychoactive chemical from the cannabis, to be extracted into the poppy oil so that potency can be retained in a water-based mixture.

CULTURE

Bhang has become an integral part of tradition and custom in the Indian subcontinent.

In some sections of rural India, people attribute various medicinal properties to the cannabis plant. If taken in proper quantity, bhang is believed to cure fever, dysentery, sunstroke, to clear phlegm, aid in digestion, appetite, cure speech imperfections and lisping, and give alertness to the body.

Bhang lassi is a preparation of powdered green inflorescence with curd and whey put in a village blender (a hand blending operation is carried out till the butter rises). It is regarded as tasty and greatly refreshing, with one or two large glasses having little effect. Bhang goli, on the other hand, hits after approximately two hours, sending one into a dreamlike state.

The tradition of consuming bhang during Holi is particularly common in North India where Holi itself is celebrated with a fervor unseen elsewhere. Bhang is heavily consumed in Mathura, an ancient town of religious importance to the Hindus. Here the practice is believed to have been introduced by the followers of Lord Krishna and has stayed ever since. They begin the preparation by Sanskrit chants and recitation of prayers. In Mathura, some people take Bhang to work up their appetite while others do it to de-stress. But the hub of bhang use is Varanasi (or Banaras) where the bhang is prepared on its famous ghats.

LEGALITY

As Bhang has served such an important role in India's culture and spiritual practices it would be impossible to criminalize cannabis completely in the country. Cultivation of cannabis is government regulated, and illegal without a government permit. Sale of bhang is also government regulated and illegal without a permit.

Bhang is illegal in any country where cannabis is prohibited as marijuana is an integral ingredient of the recipe.

WIKIPEDIA

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

Ketki Lake

It is a serene lake at the border of Jharkhand and West Bengal district, surrounded by dense and lush green forestry. I was fascinated by its solitude, distant from crowd. Walking around the lake is an experience to enjoy calmness of its water surrounded by hills and pristine forests.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?

A product shot of the Magnum Temptini cocktail as developed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London.

© 2014 Michael Preston

Michael Preston asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work and the right to a credit in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Irrespective of the recently passed Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act, none of the images in this set or on this site are 'orphans'. They're my images and it's my work. If you want to use something, please ask.

For high resolution files suitable for editorial use please contact me by email or telephone:

E: photo (at) creative19.com

M: 0793 952 5927

10 Davidson House, Warrender Road, London, N19 5EJ

CAMP VERDE, TEXAS.

Small community in beautiful Hill country area at approximate site of Camp Verde, U.S. Army frontier post which was established on July 8, 1855, as the headquarters for the famous Army camel experiment.

Secretary of war Jefferson Davis promoted this experiment to use camels for overland communications and transportation across rugged, often arid country to the west, terminating at Fort Yuma, California. The post was taken over by confederate forces in 1861; regarrisoned by federals in 1865; abandoned in 1869. The only remaining structure is now the main ranch house of Nowlin Ranch, not open to the public.

A roadside park on the bank of Verde Creek and an old fashioned general store post office are enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. On Texas 173 at F.M. 480 intersection, about 12 miles south of Kerrville. (From "Lone Star Internet")

Camp Verde is on the north bank of Verde Creek six miles southwest of Center Point in southeastern Kerr County. It grew around the Williams community store, established adjacent to Camp Verde in 1857 in order to serve the needs of soldiers stationed there. It is reported that the primary purpose of the store was to provide liquor to the soldiers because regulations prohibited the sale of intoxicants within the camp. When Williams's health failed in 1858, the store was acquired by Charles Schreiner, then a young rancher in the nearby Turtle Creek area, who had recently immigrated from Germany. Since the store was open only on army paydays, Schreiner and his brother-in-law, Caspar Real, supplemented the business by contracting with the federal government to supply wood and beef to the military post. A post office and store continued to provide irregular service to area inhabitants after the military camp was abandoned. Camp Verde's first post office was established in 1858, probably operated from Schreiner's store. It discontinued operation in 1866. Charles C. Kelley served as postmaster when the post office was reopened at a different location in 1887. In 1892, however, it too was closed. Walter S. Nowlin reestablished the store and post office in 1899. Both remained in operation in the mid-1980s. In 1974 Camp Verde's population was estimated to be forty-one. That figure was still recorded through 2000. (From

The Handbook of Texas Online")

Gluttony - Derived from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste.

You see a pattern developing here yes?

xD

Yaaa I'm quite proud of this ... idk why xD

Comments ?

:)

Check out the greed picture herreee :

www.flickr.com/photos/killaroxsox32/2473469563/

:)

This is the Prickly Pear, Binomial name: Opuntia, please keep in mind there are dozens of different geneses of the Prickly Pear in the Grand Canyon alone, and over 200 types of Prickly Pear in the Americas. The Prickly Pear is also known as a Paddle Cactus (for obvious reasons).

The Prickly Pear is classified in the Cactaceae (cactus) family. The Prickly Pear (generally speaking) is easy to identify, simply look for a plant with paddles or flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hair like prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Prickly Pears often grow into dense, tangled structures that typically lay close to the ground.

Like all true cactus species, Prickly Pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. And like all introduced plants have caused an abundance harm to the native flora they have been introduced to.

The Prickly Pear has been used by humans for a very long time. Today there are not many medical uses for the Prickly Pear, but this cactus has been and still is used as a food source, as an intoxicant, and even in dye production.

Folk remedies and the Prickly Pear, (North and South) American Indians used Prickly Pear juice to treat burns, and the Prickly Pear has a long history in traditional Mexican folk medicine for treating diabetes. Prickly Pears use in treating diabetes, lipid disorders, inflammation, and ulcers, as well as its other pharmacologic effects has been documented. However, there is limited clinical information to support these uses and there are some concerns about toxic effects on the kidney.

The Prickly Pear as a food source, while it is widely known that the pears (also known as Tunas) were the largest part of the diet for several weeks in mid-summer, the plant was used in many other ways. The pads, especially the younger ones, can be eaten year round, when moist grass, herbs and other food sources were not available. The pads were used as green packing material providing steamy moisture and chemical compounds that helped bake lechuguilla and sotol. During the tuna (the fruit or pear) harvest, the Prickly Pear was THE most important food in the region, and ranks with pecans and buffalo as a critical seasonal resource. Both the pads and the fruit must be prepared carefully to ensure the removal of all of the spines particularly the hair like spines called glochids. The easiest way to do this is with fire, rolling the pads or fruit in a hot fire for a moment or two removes the spines quite well. Today you don’t even have to worry about removing spines with domesticated varieties of the Prickly Pear, you can find spineless Prickly Pears in many grocery stores.

The Prickly Pear was/is also used to make alcoholic beverages, most notably colonche, in times past. Today you can find two commercially available distilled spirits made from the Prickly Pear, the pink herbal bajtra liqueur and the clear, more potent Tungi Spirit.

There are also many other uses of the Prickly Pear. The pads were also be used as containers and even canteens. There is even evidence that the spines on the pads were sometimes used as needles. The gel like sap of the Prickly Pear has also been mixed with mud and used as a plastering agent. While I don’t know if the Prickly Pear was used in the past to purify water, there are ongoing studies to determine if the Prickly Pear can be used a cheap, large scale water purification system.

With all of different these uses it’s hard to imagine that this plant does even more, in fact it does. The Prickly Pear is home to a scale insect, or sessile parasite known as the cochineal. The cochineal has been used as a natural dying agent since at least the 15th century. The cochineal produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. The carminic acid, typically 17–24% of dried insects' weight, can be extracted from the body and eggs then mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye, also known as cochineal dye. This dye was heavily used in south America for dying cloth and became very popular in Europe (after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire) for some time it was the second largest export from the Spanish held Mexico, until the invention of artificial pigments in the middle of the 19th century. Today you can commonly find cochineal dye in food and cosmetic products. Any ingredients listed as cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid, are pigments made from the cochineal.

Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Sign at Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) notifying visitors they "cannot bring whisky inside". Abstaining from using intoxicants is one of the five virtues (pañca-śīlāni) that constitute Buddhism's code of ethics.

Wat Rong Khun is an unconventional Buddhist temple outside Chiang Rai that is being constructed under the direction of Chalermchai Kositpipat, a controversial, award-winning Thai visual artist intent on this being his master work, to which he is completely devoted. Construction began in 1997 and, similar to Gaudi's Sagrada Família, is not expected to be completed until after the artist's death (in 60-70 years). Work on the White Temple is largely financed by Kositpipat to maintain artistic integrity, although individual donations up to ฿10,000 are accepted. There will be a total of nine buildings on the nearly 3-acre site – viharn, chedi, ubosot, ho trai, mondop, phra rabieng, crematorium, art gallery, restrooms.

Wat Rong Khun

Pa O Don Chai Sub-District

Mueang District, Chiang Rai 57000

Tel: +66 (053) 673 579

www.watrongkhun.org

In 1908, the receipts of the Post Office attained the figures necessary to authorize “Free Delivery,” and at this time arrangements are being made for the early consummation of the system.

Municipalities as well as men have and maintain their individual characteristics. One of the most prominent characteristics of Barnesville’s history has been the continual warfare between the saloon and its opponents. In 1836 a Temperance organization was formed, based upon a pledge offered by the Hon. John Davenport, adopted by the meeting and subsequently signed by nearly every adult citizen. In 1842 the Washingtonian Reform swept the country, and so completely did it master this community that not a drop of intoxicating liquors could be bought in the town until 1852, when the railroad brought a deluge of intoxicants. In 1847 the Sons of Temperance organization was instituted, and so large was its membership that two divisions had to be formed, which together held undisputed control of the town and adjacent territory, until the influence of the railroad construction over-mastered them. From 1852 to 1874 many efforts were made and organizations formed in behalf of temperance. In 1874 came the marvelous Woman’s Crusade with something of the weirdness and with all the fervor of the Crusades of the Middle Ages, yet sanctified with the glory and sweetness of American Womanhood. Since then, twice the Council adopted Prohibition Ordinances and twice repealed them. Finally under the Beal Law, twice the town voted dry, and after one of the most dramatic and noted struggles in the municipal history of Ohio, it became and remains dry.

This is not a history, but is a short sketch, written to fit a limited space in this book. To one writing like this, the desire springs in his breast above everything else to name and pay tribute to the active minds that have built Barnesville and made her history, but the opportunity cannot be here given. Read, however, between the lines, and you have a hundred years of the struggles, and aspirations, the triumphs, the failures, the joy and the heart ache of men and women, who have lived and done a noble part in the great drama of human life. In her mercantile history are written many names of nobility and integrity. In her professional life are names men have delighted to honor. In her factories employers and employees have been men of high character and intelligence. Her social life has been dignified and honorable. Her schools have given golden opportunities of education to the American boy and girl. The history of her churches is a story of noble architecture, eloquent orators, and devoted followers of the Master. And now, out of the great hour of the celebration of the Century of her existence will come a closer friendship of her citizens, a loftier patriotism, and an unalterable resolve, come what reverses may, to keep step with the music of progress, and to march on to a still greater and more beautiful Barnesville.

JAMES BARNES.

JAMES BARNES, the founder of Barnesville, was a native of Montgomery County, Maryland, where he was born in the year 1772. The historian says that at man’s estate he owned a farm in Montgomery County, upon which he later laid out a town which still exists, and is known as Barnesville, Md., where he operated a country store for a time.

He removed to Ohio, settling at St. Clairsville, in 1803, where he conducted a tavern and general store for a few years. In 1806 he entered the lands then almost an unbroken wilderness, in Warren Township, Belmont County, upon which the splendid and thriving town of Barnesville now stands, as a credit to his pioneer forethought and perseverance.

He cleared away the forests, built a house here and there, established a tannery, a general store, planted orchards, etc.

In November, 1808, the town of Barnesville was laid out, and four years later Mr. Barnes and his family became permanent residents of the then embryo village.

Once settled here, he went to work promoting and developing various enterprises that tended to make the village grow and flourish. He engaged largely in the ginseng business, built a flouring mill and woolen factory, and various other industries. About 1823, the leaf tobacco business having assumed much importance, Mr. Barnes became a large handler of the product, buying large quantities of it, which he packed and sent to the Baltimore market. From the time of his settling in Barnesville, the name of Mr. Barnes was at the head of every movement tending to the development and progress of Barnesville, and that he should have met with many reverses and losses, which left him in straightened circumstances in his later life, was a natural result to a man who ventured so much, that was impelled by his indomitable energy and perseverance.

With the hope of retrieving his lost wealth and property, he went to Baltimore in 1844 to arrange for starting a tobacco commission house in that city. With his mission an apparent success, on his return home by stage, he fell dead, just as he stepped from the stage at Three Crossings, not far from Uniontown, Penna., and in that locality today rests the ashes of the founder of Barnesville, his grave being unknown and unmarked.

No portrait or picture of James Barnes is known to exist. The historian, however, pictures him as a man of commanding presence, being over six feet tall and of portly build. In religious views he was a Quaker, wore the broadbrimmed hat and drab clothes of the regulation kind. By nature he is said to have been a man of remarkable kindness and generous to a fault. He was one to whom all looked for advice, or came when in need, and none worthy

Bearded darnel is said to induce profound perceptual changes, drunkenness, staggering, headaches, clouding of the thought process, disturbances of vision, violent vomiting, colic, sleepiness or sleeping sickness, death resulting from respiratory paralysis. Lethal outcomes are rare, but the central effects can persist for days.

The constituent temuline induces disturbances in the coordination of movement, motor paralysis, and can provoke a spontaneous respiratory paralysis. Its atropaine-like effects are manifested as a dilation of the pupils.

When darnel seeds are mixed into cereal grains, the bread or beer that is made from them can make one 'crazy'.

The narcotic or inebriating alkaloid tenuline, also known as loliin (= loline), is a metabolic product of the parasitic rust fungus Endoconidium temulentum, which almost always grows on grows grains.

[Taken from Christian Ratsch's 'Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants']

Seeds.

Gomortega keule (syn. G. nitida; Spanish names Keule, Queule and Hualhual). A small tree restricted to about 100 square miles in central Chile. It is the only species in a rare family, Gomortegaceae, related to the nutmeg family. The Mapuche Indions of Chile are said to eat the fruit of keule, or hualhual, for intoxication, but whether the effects are truly hallucinogenic is not yet known. So far, there have been no chemical studies made of this tree.

The species is endangered of extinction due to over-harvesting, clearing the forests where it is found for agriculture and silviculture. Gomortega keule produces a yellow edible sweet fruit about 34–45 millimeters (1.3–1.8 in) in diameter, harvested for making a kind of marmalade.

Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" ( It is the Summer of 1928) "Twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding knows Green Town, Illinois, is as vast and deep as the whole wide world that lies beyond the city limits. It is a pair of brand-new tennis shoes, the first harvest of dandelions for Grandfather's renowned intoxicant, the distant clang of the trolley's bell on a hazy afternoon. It is yesteryear and tomorrow blended into an unforgettable always."

In the Wicker Park area.

herbal intoxicants = legz

This is the Prickly Pear, Binomial name: Opuntia, please keep in mind there are dozens of different geneses of the Prickly Pear in the Grand Canyon alone, and over 200 types of Prickly Pear in the Americas. The Prickly Pear is also known as a Paddle Cactus (for obvious reasons).

The Prickly Pear is classified in the Cactaceae (cactus) family. The Prickly Pear (generally speaking) is easy to identify, simply look for a plant with paddles or flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hair like prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Prickly Pears often grow into dense, tangled structures that typically lay close to the ground.

Like all true cactus species, Prickly Pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. And like all introduced plants have caused an abundance harm to the native flora they have been introduced to.

The Prickly Pear has been used by humans for a very long time. Today there are not many medical uses for the Prickly Pear, but this cactus has been and still is used as a food source, as an intoxicant, and even in dye production.

Folk remedies and the Prickly Pear, (North and South) American Indians used Prickly Pear juice to treat burns, and the Prickly Pear has a long history in traditional Mexican folk medicine for treating diabetes. Prickly Pears use in treating diabetes, lipid disorders, inflammation, and ulcers, as well as its other pharmacologic effects has been documented. However, there is limited clinical information to support these uses and there are some concerns about toxic effects on the kidney.

The Prickly Pear as a food source, while it is widely known that the pears (also known as Tunas) were the largest part of the diet for several weeks in mid-summer, the plant was used in many other ways. The pads, especially the younger ones, can be eaten year round, when moist grass, herbs and other food sources were not available. The pads were used as green packing material providing steamy moisture and chemical compounds that helped bake lechuguilla and sotol. During the tuna (the fruit or pear) harvest, the Prickly Pear was THE most important food in the region, and ranks with pecans and buffalo as a critical seasonal resource. Both the pads and the fruit must be prepared carefully to ensure the removal of all of the spines particularly the hair like spines called glochids. The easiest way to do this is with fire, rolling the pads or fruit in a hot fire for a moment or two removes the spines quite well. Today you don’t even have to worry about removing spines with domesticated varieties of the Prickly Pear, you can find spineless Prickly Pears in many grocery stores.

The Prickly Pear was/is also used to make alcoholic beverages, most notably colonche, in times past. Today you can find two commercially available distilled spirits made from the Prickly Pear, the pink herbal bajtra liqueur and the clear, more potent Tungi Spirit.

There are also many other uses of the Prickly Pear. The pads were also be used as containers and even canteens. There is even evidence that the spines on the pads were sometimes used as needles. The gel like sap of the Prickly Pear has also been mixed with mud and used as a plastering agent. While I don’t know if the Prickly Pear was used in the past to purify water, there are ongoing studies to determine if the Prickly Pear can be used a cheap, large scale water purification system.

With all of different these uses it’s hard to imagine that this plant does even more, in fact it does. The Prickly Pear is home to a scale insect, or sessile parasite known as the cochineal. The cochineal has been used as a natural dying agent since at least the 15th century. The cochineal produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. The carminic acid, typically 17–24% of dried insects' weight, can be extracted from the body and eggs then mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye, also known as cochineal dye. This dye was heavily used in south America for dying cloth and became very popular in Europe (after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire) for some time it was the second largest export from the Spanish held Mexico, until the invention of artificial pigments in the middle of the 19th century. Today you can commonly find cochineal dye in food and cosmetic products. Any ingredients listed as cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid, are pigments made from the cochineal.

“Sooner or later, everyone stops smoking”

I used this because glutton means to over indulge not just on food or drinks but also intoxicants

aka Psychoactive drug

aka mind altering item

aka chemical substance

aka cigarettes

to the point of waste

i dont smoke

i never will

grossest habit i know of

would you put this in your mouth...

A low creeping or prostrate, evergreen shrub from South America. Bears elliptical to oblong, pointed green leaves and white flowers appearing in spring. These are followed by black-blue berries.

The fruits of macha-macha, an Andean species (Pernettya prostrata var. pentlandii from Cochabamba (Bolivia), are said to cause dizziness when eaten in excess. “The fruit has a soporific property. A tame monkey who ate the berries of plants I had set aside to preserve became totally drunken”.

Some species and varieties are considered toxic, Pernettya prostrata. may be known as macha or macha-macha, “drunk;’ in Quechua. This information, however, is questionable.

In Chile, Pernettya furens is known as huedhued or hierba loca, “crazy herb;’ and is said to cause mental confusion and possession .

Pernettya Pentlandii [1875 Curtis Botanical Print]

Kankrajhor

Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.

Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants.

It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.

Ketki Lake

It is a serene lake at the border of Jharkhand and West Bengal district, surrounded by dense and lush green forestry. I was fascinated by its solitude, distant from crowd. Walking around the lake is an experience to enjoy calmness of its water surrounded by hills and pristine forests.

How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:

By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.

By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.

Personal experience

We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?