Trying to keep up with my ants these days. Reading a book on Fireants at the moment, and then on to a Carpenter ants book, and a Harvester ant book after that. Need to know more about ants. For some reason I feel the need to become an ant expert for BC, maybe Canada. An empty niche I think, though I could be wrong.
Also, might try to take on other families important in different habitats. For example, become an expert on a wood boring group, an aquatic group, a stored product pest group, etc. I think I'm okay on the ground dwelling group, but I can always expand into other areas/taxa. If only I had the time.
Cheers,
JJ

I'm blogging for the first time in ages. Not sure what to blog other than this. Need to blog more. Finished a big blog on Whitefish memories not that long ago. Wrote it for the parents. They seemed to enjoy it, and thought I was a good blogger. I need to do that more often. Maybe I can blog well? I'll show them all...one day...hopefully.
Not much news on the carabid front. Found a new, or new to UBC collection (I've seen it somewhere before though), carabid from Vancouver Island this past summer. Still need to run it through the key to find out it's specific name. Must do that soon. That's it.
Cheers

Blogging! Oh yeah, I should be writing something!

Well, not much new on the carabid front these days. Still thinking of writing the Ground Beetles of BC handbook/field guide. I better get at it before somebody steals my glory. I could probably use more field knowledge though. Maybe I could take the kids up to carabid country for a summer of collecting? Boy they would love that. A more detailed natural history is what's needed, and I bet the Sam and Aud would love helping me with that. Soon, it would be soon.

Got to go play with the boy, and maybe get the girl from the crib too.

More carabid news to come.

"If I were president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United states in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize—very publicly and very sincerely—to all the widows and orphans, the impoverished and tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. Then I would announce to every corner of the world that America's global military interventions have come to an end. I would then inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but—oddly enough—a foreign country. Then I would reduce the military budget by at least 90 percent and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings, invasions, and sanctions. There would be more than enough money. One year's military budget in the United States is equal to more than $20,000 per hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born. That's one year. That's what I'd do on my first three days in the White House. On the fourth day, I'd be assassinated."
William Blum

Isn't atheism great? Just thinking today how I felt when the scales fell from my eyes (on the road to damnation) and I no longer believed in the supernatural. I feel fortunate to have had faith, but even more fortunate to have lost it. After learning more about myself, culture, biology, and the how the mind works, I now have no more need for that hypothesis. I thank God every day for my atheism. If atheism is what I'm not, a secular entomologist is what I am.
JRJ

Wow, I really need to blog more. Too much Skinny blogging.

Well, we have a new coleopterist in the family. And she goes by the name Audrey. Or Aud. Or by her common name, Odd Beetle, family Tenebrionidae. She'll like that. She's a good little 10 pound girl too. We love her so.

Not much else to say. Been away somewhat from my precious ground beetles. Need to get into a PhD soon. I can here the beetles call me back. "Who are we" they say. "Give us a name, a date, a locality, a collector, who are my relatives, what are my characteristic features, don't just leave us in the miscellaneous drawer with the dermestids". "Please..."

What's up with these so-called 'animal lovers'? And what are the animals they love? Here's my guess. First of all, let's take them at their word, and assume that when they say animals, they mean the whole lot. For example, when people say they're a 'people person', it would be surprising to hear them then go on to say they really only liked two people, and could give a shit about the rest, or maybe just the other 95%. So, let's start with what constitutes the largest phyla in animalia, Arthropods. Then, what's the largest class below that? Insects. How about the largest order in that class? Coleoptera (beetles). Then what's the largest family in coleoptera (in Canada let's say) that we can attach a name to (can't see people loving things that as yet are not known to science, i.e., "My fave animal is sp. indet.")? Carabidae. If we go further, we should not only love this family the most, but have a special fondness for Bembidion, the largest genus. So, when you hear of somebody calling themselves a 'animal lover', you'll now know what they truly love. And, of course, what I really love too.

Slave your beetle brain.

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I'm a carabid, dibarac am I.