I was not personally involved in this, but it’s a big effort around here and thought I’d share it.
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Archive for February 28th, 2007
Christmas Day 2008 Release for “Star Trek XI”.
Apparently they are not using my idea for the new movie. They’re making a Kirk & Spock “prequel”.
Kind of like “Dumb & Dumberer”.
Well, no one, really. But here’s an explanation of the error.
The bag-of-toads-for-a-beer-bounty is being offered in Queensland, where the 140ml beer known as a “pony” in other regions of Australia is instead called a “small beer.”
Hence, the question “How Much is That Pony on the Counter,” would not be used where the bounty is in force.
Thanks for your participation
in my display of erudition.
In an age where news stories routinely describe such and such a virus as “only a plane ride away,” how can it be that honey bee colony losses of up to 70% in some areas of the US are treated as a complete mystery?
In 24 states throughout the country, beekeepers have gone through similar shocks as their bees have been disappearing inexplicably at an alarming rate, threatening not only their livelihoods but also the production of numerous crops, including California almonds, one of the nation’s most profitable.
“I have never seen anything like it,” Mr. Bradshaw, 50, said from an almond orchard here beginning to bloom. “Box after box after box are just empty. There’s nobody home.”
The sudden mysterious losses are highlighting the critical link that honeybees play in the long chain that gets fruit and vegetables to supermarkets and dinner tables across the country.
Beekeepers have fought regional bee crises before, but this is the first national affliction.
The disease itself might be a mystery, but the spread of it shouldn’t be, as the article itself illustrates.
Beekeepers are the nomads of the agriculture world, working in obscurity in their white protective suits and frequently trekking around the country with their insects packed into 18-wheelers, looking for pollination work.
Diseases spread by moving from one host to another. The more efficiently the transfer from host to host can be carried out, the swifter and more widespread the outbreak, and the more pressing the need to interrupt that mechanism. Honeybee colonies are disappearing faster than doughnuts at a cop convention, and researchers are scratching their heads and wondering “Gee, I wonder if trucking uninspected hives all over the country has anything to do with it?”
If this was a human disease with a similar mortality rate–Marburg or Ebola–that practice would have ceased almost immediately. The good news, if any can be gleaned, is that no disease kills 100% of the population it targets, so Apis populations should recover, as the immune hives reproduce.
Apiculture in general should assist in that recovery, but as long as hives are trucked back and forth across the country the potential for an outbreak similar to this one–or the Varroa mite infestations of the 80s and 90s–will be repeated. In the long run, ending that practice would be better for both honeybees and apiculture in general, as agricultural areas now relying on trucked-in bees would be forced to develop local populations to support pollination.
I’ve always wanted a hive of bees. Perhaps if the Department of Agriculture chose to subsidize local bee hives instead of millionaire farmers, I would start one.
Where to start. I don’t have a lot to say this week. At least, I don’t think I have a lot to say this week. (HaHa. Very funny. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “he doesn’t have a lot to say any week.”) Just for that I’m going to ramble aimlessly until the Carnival starts.
We’ve got a few minutes before the Carny gets started so I’ll tell you about my week. I’m actually going to begin on Friday.
Okay, I’m bored with that already. Let’s just skip all the nonsense and get to the Carny, shall we?
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Wayne Hurlbert nearly earned himself top billing in last week’s carny. This week he springboards into the top spot with a post on How to become a carnival pariah. I don’t know about you guys, but it sounds like Wayne knows what he’s talking about.
Seriously though, thanks for outlining that for folks, Wayne. I think those who need the post the most already know what they’re doing.
Madeleine Begun Kane, last week’s top bill, slides into the number two spot with a short eulogy for her crashed PC. She’s got the Backup Blues
DWSUWF says that gridlock is just fine by him while Unity08 and fellow travellers Tony Snow and David Gregory promote Un-American activities.
Leon Gettler gives some interesting statistics highlighting The link between fraud and lobbying.
Lisa took Lil Duck to a place where all the fish were Nemo.
Jack Yoest points out the origins of the phrase A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. He also has a nice painting illustrating how a fish might need a bicycle.
Lastly, Adam presents Science as the Division of Labor. It’s likely to be a topic near and dear to our own Bigwig’s heart seeing as he’s so big on science lately.
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And that’s it for the Carnival of the Vanities for another week. Check back next week for yet another edition of CoTV. If you’d like your writing to be featured in the Carnival, please submit to Carnival of the Vanities via Blog Carnival.