Bazinga!

Named Euglossa bazinga by biologist Andre Nemesio, it is a species of Brazilian orchid bee that has fooled scientists by it's similarity to other species. The recently discovered bee was named for everybody's favourite supernerd, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, and is in headlines everywhere. 

The Big Bang Theory has kept us laughing this past year - many, many afternoons spent at my mother's condo watching the dvds, getting our nerd on. (I wonder if this bee news will help my mother appreciate the Bazinga snuggie we gave her for Christmas? The only response I've had is an eye roll - even after I pointed out it could be worn like a cape..) 

A quick Google image search for the Bazinga bee brings up a page of Sheldon and bee appropriate photos (all but the horses in the snowy mountains?)..It's beautiful blue and green bee... I'm wishing I could be there to photograph it too.

published in
Zootaxa
December 2012

Climate History, Geologically

Of course I'm in favour of green initiatives, environmental conservation, and cleaning up our act. I'm so glad to have watched the recent surge of community gardening from inside a greenhouse, and knee deep in local soil. It's been great. I've been outraged by deforestation, greed at the expense of resources, filth, apathy.

I also believe in science and logic; I can thank my Dad for that, and hours of Quirks & Quarks radio shows together. Politically motivation often ignores science, add that o media hype, and we get hysteria..., and here we are. Geologically, biologically we living in just a blip of this planet's existence (do you remember high school physics?). We've certainly done some damage in that time - there's nothing wrong in trying to turn that around; but the Earth has been both much warmer and much cooler at various times throughout its evolution, this is not new people.

Climate Confusion: How Global Warming Hysteria Leads to Bad Science, Pandering Politicians and Misguided Policies That Hurt the Poor

Roy W. Spencer 

Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misinformed

Christopher C. Horner

R pulled up some stats from Environment Canada last night of temperatures in November during the 1940s. It's too bad older stats aren't more easily available online (I know I can find them at some libraries..), but I don't really need to. I mean, if you're curious go right ahead and look 'em up. It's true - the Earth has experienced some wild weather over the last hmmm, 4+Ga years. (Gosh, that's a long time!)

So, can we just not bother with the nonsense from now on, please. I'd rather talk about greening up our streets with more trees, creating natural parkland in urban centres, community gardens that fuel food banks and teach children, clean food, water, and spaces.

All my life I've been sensitive to toxins, hormones in food, additives, preservatives, dyes, and all other shit pumped into our systems. I was one of those kids who got rashes from the rain, who couldn't eat red candy or orange cheese - which in the 70s was "weird" to most of my friends. Ultimately it's toxic crap that's making me sick today, something from this infectious world. "All natural", "organic" is not a current trend to me, it means something a little more basic than that - and doesn't involve politics or a cool logo.