New white paper on pesticides, re bee colony collapse and other harmful effects

A new report by the Xerces Society discusses the impact of a certain type of pesticide on bees and other important helpful insects. These chemicals are called neo nicotinoids. “New chemicals that are like nicotine.” They aren’t really new any more:

Neonicotinoids are now the most widely used group of insecticides in the world, and their use in the U.S. has been steadily increasing since their initial registration in the mid-1990s. Neonicotinoids have been promoted as low-risk chemicals: low impact on human health, low toxicity to nontarget organisms, lower application rates and compatibility with Integrated Pest Management. Unfortunately, the many studies completed since these compounds began being used have not born out the validity of these assumptions.

Europe has banned them to see what happens to bee populations/hive collapse, while the U.S. EPA has just approved them.

We really can’t get along without bees. But beekeepers are a pretty small lobbying force; probably nonexistent. And the poison makers are huge.

Will this finally rid the world of the insane Republican Party?

Apparently the Republicans in the United States House of Representatives (that’s a very important part of our, you know, government) are willing to cause the government to cease functioning;  will this be enough to finally rid the world of these insane and corrupt GOP plutocrats? Will the American public finally get the idea that the great American experiment in democracy has been more or less purchased and repurposed to simply maximizing the fortunes of a few hundred individuals?  And that the Republican Party is the enactor of this agenda? Will our citizens decide that children, the old, the poor people and those of color are actually not the enemy but are actually US?

probably not.

Just thought I’d raise the question.  It might be worth a try.

Digby: Road rage for dummies

Every once in a while OTL,S! yoinks a complete post from somebody who can actually write, and hopes they take it as a compliment rather than a complete copyright violation. So far, we’re batting 1.000:

Road rage for dummies

by digby
This is exactly the kind of thing we can expect to see more of when the whole country is armed to the teeth.

“Police said two men died Wednesday after a shootout allegedly motivated by road rage, the Grand Rapids Press reported.
The initial police investigation showed Ionia, Mich. residents James Pullum, 43, and Robert Taylor, 56, pulled into a car wash parking lot after a confrontation on the road. They then exited their vehicles, drew handguns and exchanged fire, authorities said.
Police found both men at the scene with gunshot wounds, and the two were pronounced dead at an area hospital soon after, according to the newspaper.

Both men held concealed carry permits, according to police.”

With bullets flying all over the place it’s lucky they only killed each other. Usually we can expect a bunch of innocent bystanders to give their lives in these altercations. Even when trained cops start firing, it often ends up this way.

But there is a lesson in this for all of us. Behave as though any nut you come across in public is armed and willing to use his gun whenever he’s crossed. Because freedom.

The Way Way Back: when is the sequel coming out?

This is a great movie. Find it, see it, and you’ll be glad. You’ll wish it was longer; that is something we never see…almost.
My god…evolution of characters…actual heroes…real life family shit…smart comedy…cultural references: spot the lyrics to “Holding Out for a Hero.”

I didn’t want the summer (in the film) to end. I didn’t want this film to end.

The facts:
Written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Kudos! There should be some Oscar nominations there.
Cast: Faxon and Rash also have roles in the film(Roddy and Louis); good actors. Allison Janney (from West Wing and other stuff) is a treat. Steve Carrell (are we over-exposed yet?) is good as the asshole. Liam James (a young Robbie Benson) is excellent as the protag, though I think the shoulder slump is about two clicks past believable. Kudos to Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine, etc)…she should get an Oscar nom for putting some real guts in this film. We even get some Rob Cowdry.

Over the Line, Smokey! rates this film 10 pins:

a STRIKE.

…that’s just like, uh… our opinion, man.