Caffeine is a naturally-occurring chemical that plants use as both an herb- and a pesticide. Caffeine in the soil around a tea plant (from leaf-litter) will inhibit the growth of other plants that may compete for resources. Additionally, some non-beneficial insects are affected by the caffeine in such a way as to keep them from nibbling in the future. In humans, caffeine is a mood-elevator and a stimulant (both mentally and metabolically). Caffeine’s effectiveness is increased by steeping its naturally-occurring element (leaf, bean) in water.

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Yesterday was Talk Like a Pirate Day and so I did And got much of my coworkers in on it. If you have an iPhone, you, too can take a picture like this:

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Puritan Gothic., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

The lives of the early Puritan colonists were full of fear. Starvation and damnation, natives and witches, disorder and disease weighed heavy on their minds. Nights, even in bustling Boston, were black with darkness, and that was when the devil reigned, thieves crept about and fire was a great fear. For these followers of John Calvin, death was always just around the corner and

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