Little Santas

[Douglas Hansen]

So we went out for our Sunday morning hike, hoping to find chanterelles. All we saw were these little Santa Clauses.

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[Jim Katen]

So we went out for our Sunday morning hike, hoping to find chanterelles. All we saw were these little Santa Clauses.

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Amanitas of some kind. I'm sure you know that they can be deadly.

[Chad Fabry]

Amanita muscaria is my bet. They'll either give you a wicked buzz or make you very, very sick.

[John Dirks Jr]

If they are the wicked buzz type, it's one of the better quality buzzes out there. (from my misspent youth)

[John Kogel]

If they are the wicked buzz type, it's one of the better quality buzzes out there. (from my misspent youth)

Then you didn't eat enough of it to kill you.

Seriously, that Amanita muscaria and her cousin Amanita pantherina (tan with spots) can be deadly because there is no telling how toxic they can be.

I found a guy lying face down in the mud beside a lake one day. Turned out he'd found a Muscaria and eaten about half of it.

[Jim Katen]

If they are the wicked buzz type, it's one of the better quality buzzes out there. (from my misspent youth)

You might be mistaking Amanitas with Psilocybin.

[John Dirks Jr]

If they are the wicked buzz type, it's one of the better quality buzzes out there. (from my misspent youth)

You might be mistaking Amanitas with Psilocybin.

Yep

[Douglas Hansen]

Apparently there is a psychoactive chemical in Amanitas, but humans can't process it without also injesting enough of the poisonous substance to not make it worthwhile. However, reindeer can eat them, and the psychoactive substance passes through their urine without the poison. Humans can drink the reindeer urine and get the effects of the drug.

Siberian shamans discovered this long ago, and it is the origin of our image of Santa Claus - mostly red with some white - along with the idea that he is flying through the sky delivering wonders while being led by reindeer. Since the story originates in Siberia, by the time it gets through the Russian Orthodox culture, he becomes Saint Nick.

Since these are not something folks can eat, I've wondered why the Allman Brothers Band uses Amanita Muscaria images in so many of their albums, web site, etc. Is it just that they are bad boys that like to flirt with danger?

[John Dirks Jr]

Douglas,

Taking you seriously comes without challenge. I find the information you've given about the origin of Santa Claus very interesting and amazing.

[John Kogel]

Humans can drink the reindeer urine and get the effects of the drug.

Since these are not something folks can eat, I've wondered why the Allman Brothers Band uses Amanita Muscaria images in so many of their albums, web site, etc. Is it just that they are bad boys that like to flirt with danger?

Well, Greg Allman did try cohabiting with Cher for a while, so maybe that's it.

Or maybe they just forgot to mention the urine-drinking part. []

Thanks, Douglas. Little Santas indeed.

[gtblum]

However, reindeer can eat them, and the psychoactive substance passes through their urine without the poison. Humans can drink the reindeer urine and get the effects of the drug.

This discovery was of course, made by someone's younger brother.

[hausdok]

However, reindeer can eat them, and the psychoactive substance passes through their urine without the poison. Humans can drink the reindeer urine and get the effects of the drug.

This discovery was of course, made by someone's younger brother.

Definitely. I still remember the first time I hoodwinked my younger brother Hugh into doing something. Before Kindergarten my father bought my mother an indoors washer and dryer - a big deal in those days. I thought the way the dryer spun was cool, and that it would be fun to spin around in there, but I wasn't willing to test that theory myself. The solution - I talked Hugh into getting into the dryer. He climbed right in; no questions asked. Then I closed the door. That's when I discovered where I hadn't thought it out well enough - I couldn't reach the controls up there on top.

I was on a chair trying to pull myself up onto the slippery top of the dryer in order to reach the controls, and by then my brother was crying pretty loudly 'cuz he wanted out, when my aunt who'd been babysitting us came into the room and realized what was happening.

What happened next was not very pleasant......for me at least. As I recall, Hugh got a glass of milk and some cookies.

Hugh was always willing to do whatever big brother said. I was sort of like Dr. Frankenstein and he was like Igor. Sometimes it didn't end well for either of us and more than once I got my bottom tanned for using him for experiments.

Have you ever noticed that nature has this way of marking dangerous and poisonous things with bright colors - even in near dayglo brightness - sort of the way we mark danger areas and containers containing toxins with red or orange or bright green. Can't think of any animal that uses a skull and crossbones symbol though. []

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike