Bees knees

News blues

South Africa’s President Ramaphosa updates the nation on Covid’s Omicron variant. To summarize, for now we stay at Lockdown Level 1, continue to socially distance and mask, we stay with curfew from midnight to 4am, and, most importantly, we step up for vaccinations. (30:25 mins)

The three most important things that can be done now are to be vaccinated, to be vaccinated, and to be vaccinated, especially if you're older than 50, have a comorbidity or have a compromised immune system.

What we know so far:

The first South African Omicron infections were found in Gauteng [Johannesburg is the most populated city in that province].
South Africa’s national laboratory informed the World Health Organization on 24 November that it had identified the new variant.
Symptoms of the variant have been mild, but experts warn there is not enough information yet to say exactly how Omicron compares with other variants.
Omicron appears to be more transmissible than other variants.

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The Lincoln Project runs into more resistance 
The Project responds, lays out their Roadmap (0:30 mins), and invites you to “get in the fight” 

Healthy planet, anyone?

Earlier posts express my admiration and fascination with bees. Indeed, bees are the bees’ knees.
Meet two bee brokers who agree that one never stops learning about bees and that bees are “just incredible” 
Admiration presents all the more reason to understand the perils facing our planet’s bees through exposure to insecticides.
As for honey, look carefully at just what might be in that cheap jar of honey. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The glorious crisp, clear fall weather continues in the San Francisco Bay Area. No rain predicted for the near future. Hmmm, ominous. Indeed, last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom

…declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California, as conservation efforts continue to fall far short of state targets. He authorized California’s water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks, and directed his Office of Emergency Services to fund drinking water as needed. But he stopped short of issuing any statewide conservation mandates.
“As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” 

The apparent good news? Waterfowl and shore birds appear to enjoy what they have: good weather, tidal ebbs and flows that provide abundant pickings along the shores, the ponds, and the lawns. On the other hand, who knows what goes on in the minds of our avian friends? What might they know that We the People are blissfully unaware of and they keep us simply continuing to do what we do? If what we do adversely affects the birds and the bees… well, as too many of us believe, “man has dominion over animals.”
Therein lies the rub.
Just sayin’