I am in outside clothes and actually sitting at my desk for the first time in a week. Let's see how long this lasts. I do have to go outside-- must venture to the Vortex of Spendiness known as Target.

"And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords"

This part is awesome:

They then matched up the ants in a series of one-on-one tests to see how aggressive individuals from different colonies would be to one another.

I hope they built a little forum and did the thumbs up/thumbs down thing. I'm going to trust that a bunch of Ant PhDs are going to be nerd enough to do this.

Close-up of an ant.

I hope they built a little forum and did the thumbs up/thumbs down thing. I'm going to trust that a bunch of Ant PhDs are going to be nerd enough to do this.

I hope they played that music from Star Trek where Kirk and Spock fought....

Close-up of an ant.

Also, see: [link]

:: squirm ::

Yeah. Ants: not so bad at a distance; icky that close-up.

I'm always fascination by the level of fine detail in such tiny creatures. Kudos, Mr Scola.

Incidentally, there was a case once brought by workers in a chicken abattoir seeking compensation for a work-based condition. The abattoir employed workers, I believe mostly immigrant women, to wring the necks of the chickens before they were processed. The problem is that the chickens, as is the case with many birds, used ants to supply a natural pesticide to their feathers - by irritating the ants, they would spray formic acid on the chickens' plumage, which kept down their numbers of parasites.

Unfortunately, the acid would also wind up irritating the workers' hands and arms (you wring the necks of enough chickens, and you start to build up a significant exposure). I believe the case was decided in favour of the plaintiff, and the judgment included the observation that "it is well known that necking often leads to formication."

Not clicking any of the insect links.

I can haz internets! Yay, for unsecured networks!

My sister and I had this conversation a couple days ago. My step-dad was using my wireless from next door and mentioned that the neighbor across the road had appreciated it when his service was down. We both have always left our wireless open. We both live on lakes where people come to recreate from time to time and if they happen to have their laptops and discover the access that's ok. We figure it is paying it forward for all the times we have been out and about and appreciated being able to get on line. Our actual computers are secure and it isn't like it is a constant drain on resources, just the occasional visitor.

Another rainy day. Boys are still in bed. They would sleep until mid-afternoon every day if I didn't hassle them. When it is rainy and cold like this I let them be and enjoy the quiet.

eta groan for billytea's humor

re: Messrs. Browder and Shanks.

(faint)