Elephants and the bees

The Republicans don't appear to be very serious about budget negotiations. Mitch McConnell insists that he will not negotiate until the democrats accept two preconditions; that the outcome of the negotiations not raise taxes or lift the debt ceiling.The dems certainly won't accede to that so there will be no prospects for accord in the future. Senator Cruz made a similar take or leave it offer to Harry Reid yesterday.

They either think that they are dealing from a position of strength or they simply don't care. They will be intent to just obstruct through the next election cycle and hope that their approval rating somehow crawls out of the tank.

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Looks like the three front runners for the right are the young turks Ryan, Rubio and Cruz. They need to pander to the hispanics that they will need to court with the changing electoral demographics. I would say that it will be Rubio's to lose but it has not been proven that a Cuban will electrify the rest of the hispanics, they typically are much more conservative than the mexican population. He seems slightly less toxic than Ryan and Cruz, who is totally malevolent and punkass in his manner, especially to his colleagues.

I am not a republican but wonder if any of my republican friends are excited about these three and if not them, who? Rand Paul has great pluses among many but turns off an equal number with his isolationism, belief in the right to privately discriminate and other idealogical libertarian ideas that might seem extreme for the populace.

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© Robert Sommers 2013

The accent mark sent over this article about the great honeybee die off, Todd Woody's Honey Bees Are Dying Putting America At Risk Of A Food Disaster.   Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has wiped out some 10 million bee hives worth $2 billion over the past six years.

The USDA thinks that the answer is to breed better bees. Because we humans are so much better at this nature stuff than nature itself, just look at our track record.

Hudgins sends this in response;

I really the brilliant statement:  "One answer: Breed better bees."

It really makes a lot of sense to genetically engineer a bee that can survive and prosper on a mix of industrial grade poisons and isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. 

What could go wrong with a chemical that inhibits the enzyme catalsyt in the synthesis in plants of the amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan.  (Note: tryptophan is an essential amino acid. This means that it cannot be synthesized and therefore must be part of the diet.)

The human race is very poor indeed at seeing connections.  

Other then the ones that link dollars together....