Blotchulism

I had an e-mail today, asking me to verify a couple of records on Naturespot and incidentally highlighting a leaf fungi on ivy - Boeremia hedericola. The photos were immediately recognisable - I'd seen this years ago, wondered if it was a leaf mine, realised it was fungal and then completely ignored it and forgot about it. So today I nipped around the corner to the nearest big clump of ivy, literally across the road from the Ash tree I nabbed some keys from on Tuesday. It didn't take long to find numerous leaves with big roundish brown blotches on them. Like this one ....

I grabbed a couple for a closer look and to get these quick shots. Here's the blotch closer up ....

Stunning. I don't know why I bother looking at insects when there are these fascinating things around. He typed sarcastically.

Blotchulism - sounds like it could be the name of some chilled out ambient track. It isn't.

This week, I have mostly been listening to -

After the synth pop revival, I reloaded the i-Pod with a small but powerful selection of, well, stuff. Electronic based from across the last couple of decades, a bit off the wall and difficult to pigeon-hole into any particular genre. Contributors to this mix included Controlled Bleeding, Hula, Suicide, Alien Sex Fiend, Bjork, a bit of FSOL and also: Portishead - really like the current single Machine Gun, because of rather than in spite of the lack of music! Aphex Twin - the brasher slightly less ambient stuff. This video is fucking brilliant! This track in particular is probably what prompted a mid-week re-load with 100% D&B, courtesy of the Drum & Bass Arena podcasts. Why not download a couple of tasters - play them loud. Futurebound DJ Basher