No, I'm not dead. I've just been busy with other things, and I've developed quite a backlog of stuff to post about. In the meantime, though, ScienceDaily has a fascinating article on using beautyberry for repelling mosquitoes:
ScienceDaily: Scientists Confirm Folk Remedy Repels Mosquitoes. The article notes that this folk remedy was recently studied: "Three repellent chemicals were extracted during the 12-month study: callicarpenal, intermedeol and spathulenol. The research concluded that all three chemicals repulse mosquitoes known to transmit yellow fever and malaria. "
