Nameless Cynic: Sometimes you aren't paying attention

Talk to Action: Elena Kagan and The End Times...

Daily Censored: They shoot students, don't they?

Alabama Ass-Whuppin': Tea Party Jesus

Workbench: I for one am not shocked that the stupidest thing ever written about gay sex would appear in the comment thread of TownHall.

Guest round up by Blue Gal; send tips to bluegalsblog AT gmail.

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There's some doubt as to whether Einstein ever actually said that if honey bees died out, mankind only had four years left to live. But no matter the authorship, the truth is that we are very dependent upon bees for our food product and agricultural industry. And bees are dying, at a dangerously fast pace. By some estimates, a full 1/3 of the bee population has died off, in a phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder":

(A) mystery malady, dubbed "Colony Collapse Disorder," is sweeping through the apiaries, leaving many hives almost completely devoid of adult bees, which appear to abandon their hives and disappear. Apiculturists are looking at a number of potential culprits, from bad weather to bad corn syrup to genetically modified corn to pesticides to miticides, and many suspect the problem is compounded by the presence of the varroa mite, which weakens colonies so that invading pathogens pack a particularly destructive punch. (Scientists suspect the 2005 die-off was exacerbated by a viral event.) While Miller's bees have not, so far, been affected by the colony collapse, beekeepers in 24 states have reported losses as high as 80 and even 90 percent, and many of the afflicted bees have been in the almonds, rubbing shoulders with Miller's relatively healthy ones.

60 Minutes' Steve Kroft looks at the phenomenon with the apiarist credited for sounding the alarm, David Hackenberg. Full transcripts and video available at their website.

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We got our wish... Larry Craig has decided to stick around a little longer. More from Driftglass (who made the GOP men's room sign above...love the machine gun, Drifty honey), Winds of Change, and Idahofallz.

How positively ... Rovian:

Matt Ortega:

Republicans battling for the party's nomination in a South Carolina State House primary stooped to unbelievable lows, even for the GOP.

Sources are telling FITSNews that a black woman calling herself "Shaniqua" has placed telephone calls to several Republican voters in Beaufort County urging them to vote for Shannon Erickson in today's GOP State House runoff election. According to individuals who have received them, the calls say, "My name is Shaniqua, and I be voting' for Shannon Erickson 'cause she gonna give me all the money I need sos I don't hafta work." Another phone caller, alleging to be Erickson herself, tells voters that she will "spend money like a drunken sailor" if elected. [...]

The phoney phone calls have some Beaufort insiders pointing fingers at [primary opponent, Randy] Bates' political consultant, Rod Shealy, particularly given their overtly racial overtones. Shealy pled guilty to election fraud years ago after hiring an unemployed black fisherman to run against his sister in an effort to frighten white voters.

Rod Shealy, Jr., who is managing Bates' campaign, told FITSNews, "our campaign knows nothing about this, period."

"Any campaign worth its salt would be much smarter than to send out something that transparent," Shealy said.

Luckily, the utterly transparent push polling didn't have the intended effect. Shannon Erickson won the runoff yesterday.

(Photo of coffee and a cinnamon vanilla sugar honey brioche donut via Chodta.)

The Sunday Talking Head line-up is ready for perusal. 

Sen. Leahy ought to be an excellent interview. Just based on his appearance at the habeas and rule of law restoration -- and his level of snarky retorts about the state of the rule of law at the moment -- that is one discussion that could get fun. Then again, it's Meet Tim Russert, so I'm not exactly getting my hopes up. It's early yet.

Also, the Zbig versus Kissinger discussion on CNN could get amusing. Last time those two were matched up on a foreign policy discussion, I got the distinct impression that Dr. Brzezenski wanted to laugh out loud at some of the things coming our of Dr. Kissinger's mouth. And, frankly, I can't say I blame him.

Michael Chertoff, the Bush Administration's head of Homeland Security is book on a number of shows to talk about, I'm certain, the at least two bombs that the British diffused. If an interviewer wanted to ask a question worth asking, how about this one: what ever happened to the nothing to fear but fear itself attitude? Because, frankly, the all fear alla time attitude of te Bush Administration wore thin a helluva long time ago with me.

I'll take this Kung Fu Monkey take on the world any day instead.  So, what's catching your eye on the blogs or in the news this morning?

JURIST: A recently fired US Attorney--one of seven who have been dismissed without explanation--says his dismissal was political retaliation for not speeding up indictments of local Democrats in time for the November elections. Is this obstruction or simple corruption?

The Moderate Voice: McCain declares but his campaign appears to be collapsing.  Joe also has a sane and, yes...moderate analysis of the right blogistan's latest fit of faux fury over anonymous comments

First Draft: Douglas Feith's new web site is a desperate cry for validation

Gristmill: Buzz about the alarming collapse of domesticated honeybee populations hit the front page of the NYT this week. If theywas meant to ride around in trucks, God would have given 'em John Deere caps and naked lady mudflaps

Economist's View: Robert Reich says watch out, the bubble bursting may not be over

HOLY CRAP: No church-going doctors for me, please...That loony Haredi sect in Israel is at it again, out to prove that they can out-crazy the radical Muslims...Apparently, Satan is trying to trick humanity into protecting the earth...Crazy Church Lady doesn't want madatory cervical cancer vaccinations..."Choosing a religious phone is one way a person who gives high salience to his or her religious identity can assert that importance in a public way"..."People of Faith," despite its general acceptance as an inclusive term, is actually an exclusionary one...Why should religion be held immune from criticism?...Fashion designed to please The Designer...Check out Mick LaSalle's, "The Event", a serialized tale of the End Times, with a twist...

JURIST: A recently fired US Attorney--one of seven who have been dismissed without explanation--says his dismissal was political retaliation for not speeding up indictments of local Democrats in time for the November elections. Is this obstruction or simple corruption?

The Moderate Voice: McCain declares but his campaign appears to be collapsing.  Joe also has a sane and, yes...moderate analysis of the right blogistan's latest fit of faux fury over anonymous comments

First Draft: Douglas Feith's new web site is a desperate cry for validation

Gristmill: Buzz about the alarming collapse of domesticated honeybee populations hit the front page of the NYT this week. If they was meant to ride around in trucks, God would have given 'em John Deere caps and naked lady mudflaps

Economist's View: Robert Reich says watch out, the bubble bursting may not be over

HOLY CRAP: No church-going doctors for me, please...That loony Haredi sect in Israel is at it again, out to prove that they can out-crazy the radical Muslims...Apparently, Satan is trying to trick humanity into protecting the earth…Crazy Church Lady doesn't want mandatory cervical cancer vaccinations..."Choosing a religious phone is one way a person who gives high salience to his or her religious identity can assert that importance in a public way"..."People of Faith," despite its general acceptance as an inclusive term, is actually an exclusionary one...Why should religion be held immune from criticism?...Fashion designed to please The Designer...Check out Mick LaSalle's, "The Event", a serialized tale of the End Times, with a twist...

War of Words

Tom is just another garden variety Circus Clown. His calling is that of the Scientology---cough---cough--- phoney religious fools.