Reality Check

Over the course of the past couple of years, honey bees in the United States, particularly the western US regions have suffered massive losses to something they are calling “Colony Collapse” and was perhaps formerly known as “Fall Dwindle Disease”.

In the past history of bees, if this has occurred it has been in small regions. Now it is occurring across the US. At present at least twenty-two states have been affected. Honey bees are not native to the United States, and were introduced here in the early days of the Colonies.

“Honey-bees are responsible for approximately one third of the United States crop pollination including such species as: peaches, soybeans, apples, pears, pumpkins, cucumbers, cherries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. [1]

According to the above quoted article, this is believed to be a contagious disease.

During the months of October, November, and December 2006, an alarming number of honeybee colonies began to die along the East Coast of the United States. West Coast beekeepers are also beginning to report unprecedented losses. This phenomenon, without a recognizable underlying cause, has been tentatively been termed “Fall Dwindle Disease,” and threatens the pollination industry and production of commercial honey in the United States. This has become a highly significant yet poorly understood problem for beekeepers. States like Pennsylvania can ill afford these heavy losses; the number of managed colonies is less than one half of what it was 25 years ago. Many beekeepers are openly wondering if the industry can survive. There are serious concerns that losses are so great that there will not be enough bees to rebuild colony numbers in order service pollination needs and to maintain economic viability in these beekeeping operations. [2]

While the exact mechanisms of CCD are unknown, pathogens, pesticides or mite associations are suspected as causative agents. One study group is doing autopsies on bees. [3]

Now, let’s interject a bit of skeptical speculation into the mix. If I were a bad guy, say a foreign state bent on the destruction of the United States and I wanted to bring down the US without firing a shot, how could I do it. Easy, study my enemy and know their weaknesses. Let us say our foreign power figured out a way to destroy bees, without firing a shot. What would be the result?

In the United States, a very large portion of all pollination occurs from honey bees. That number is roughly 80% of the of all insect crop pollination is accomplished by honeybees, instead of other insect species. If you suddenly eliminated bees somehow, the cross pollination of many species, including, but especially apple trees and many other fruit trees would cease. Those crops would not yield as much the following year and perhaps nothing the next year. So, supplies of food drop drastically.

Prices increase. A large strain on the economy may be the result.

The United States is one of the largest producers of food in the world, and we export a great majority of that food. Fortunately, bees aren’t the method of pollinization for wheat and similar grains. But they certainly support orchards of fruit. Especially oranges, apples and similar trees. Most plants that produce fruit, produce flowers where the bees drink nectar for their honey production, and rub off pollen, moving from flower to flower, depositing some of that pollen on other plants. Thus, cross pollination occurs. For fruit to be produced, the flower must be pollinated in this manner. Sometimes the wind can do it, but most plants are successfully touched by bees throughout their cycle, thus ensuring pollination.

If this process stopped, fruit and many other types of food production would be drastically curtailed.

Ok, let’s do our speculation a step further. What if somehow, say the Russians could introduce into the United States, legally, and effectively a bee that contained nothing at all, but over time send sick bees, or bees infected with something that would rapidly spread throughout the US, as bees do?

In 2004 or so, the US Agriculture introduced to the United States a specially bred bee, that was highly resistant to a specific type of mite, called the varrao. These bees under went testing and were quarantined, tested and so forth. I personally don’t know, and haven’t been able to figure out the process on how foreign species are introduced to the US through the USDA, but if there are ANY holes in the process, what happens if some bad bees get through? What if it were planned?

Yes, this is a conspiracy theory. Yes, it is speculation. Is it true? I highly doubt it but its a probable scenario. I’m not a proponent of such things as conspiracy theories, but I will say this much. You must think like a bad guy, to fight a bad guy. We need to investigate this completely and of course rule out foul play, but I certainly would not put it past the Russians at all.

[1] Alarm sounded over US honey bee die-off; Wikinews, http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Alarm_sounded_over_US_honey_bee_die-off
[2] Wednesday Edition: Colony Collapse — The Death of Bees, http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=118658
[3] Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pressReleases/FallDwindleUpdate0107.pdf

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=180423
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=150884

Side note: Here’s a letter from a Bee Keeper. It was written to a site called UrbanSurvival.Com and mentions the Russian Bees. I can’t say that I put a lot of stock in the site necessarily, but I certainly think that someone who has seen this first hand and knows the introduction of these bees was perhaps related could be at least considered a source.

http://www.urbansurvival.com/lastweek.htm
Bee Story

The collapse of bee colonies has something to do with Russia? Well, here’s an email to ponder from a bee-keeping reader:

“Hello George, Just a comment on the honey bee problems in the US.

I agree that genetically modified plant-life may be causing many problems for the bee population.

There is also another possible cause that non-beekeepers probably wouldn’t know about.

Over the years the honey bee population in the US has been greatly reduced due to attacks of Tracheal mites, Varroa mites, and Hive beetles.

Two years ago, in an effort to replenish the bee supply, the government introduced a program to give away “Russian” honeybees.

In the US, most beekeepers keep “Italian” honeybees. The “Russian” bees were supposed to be more resistant to the Varroa mites.

The original deal was that selected beekeepers would receive (free-of-charge) 2 packages of “Russian” bees and 2 hives. In exchange the beekeepers agreed to not sell the hives for 3 years and to allow regular inspections by government officials.

Due to an overwhelming response by beekeepers the deal was later changed to 1 hive of “Russian” and 1 hive of “Italian” bees.

I did not take part in the program but I did keep watch on the results in my state.

Within the first year (2005) all 250 hives of “Russian” bees that were introduced into this state were dead.

I personally know two beekeepers who took part in the program. By the end to 2006, one had lost 43 hives to “Colony Collapse”, the other had lost 200 hives (his entire operation) to “Colony Collapse”

I don’t know if there is a connection or just a horrible coincidence but perhaps the plants aren’t the only things being “modified”.

Safe Journey,”

Bee safe, Ure self.

LGF Watch

Well, here it is. A real, honest-to-God internet stalker.

He even is posting links on how to BURY stories from Little Green Footballs, Ms. Malkin and Hotair.

I don’t use Digg, but lately I’ve been seeing a lot of fighting going on over the use of Digg, and how to bring news stories to the top, or to bury them.

If it isn’t blatantly obvious by now, the LEFT is dead set on preventing you from exercising your freedom of speech.

By the way, censorship, to disagree with both sides is a “government sponsored” situation. When a private site, such as mine, or LGF stops posters from posting, that’s not censorship. That’s exercising their rights to their own intellectual property — and protecting their site. We did the same thing on Anomalies.Net and on the TAA site I help run.

But, when you go out and use the old, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” to detract from FACTS and tell lies in the background, attack the person instead of the idea, then you’re not even in the right league any more. You’re at the bottom of the pile, lower than whale… well, you get the point.

Ad hominem attacks are against a person, not against an IDEA. LGF Watch is nothing more than a loser site that has a loser running it (There, THAT is an ad hominem attack). I am not like LGF, and I certainly fight back. And you know what? I use my REAL name. Stalk me, I double-dog dare you.

You see, ladies and gentlemen, it ’s people like this guy who live here in these United States who HATE you, hate ME, hate anything that is American. They are hateful, name-calling people who would love nothing better than to see someone like Hillary Clinton get into office so that Socialism, and perhaps even Communism can thrive in America.

This is a fight for America, folks. A fight for freedom of speech. It isn’t a joke when someone tries to stop you completely from speaking your mind.

It’s one thing, like my site for instance which doesn’t get much traffic to begin with to be ignored. That’s not censorship. But, I don’t go around rabidly hating the left, but I certainly believe they have issues. The left for instance, accuses me of being “Hateful”. I’m not, I don’t hate anyone.

The left has accused me of “Nazism”. That too is wrong. In fact, I’m pro-capitalism, and a conservative. Fascists are by definition left-wing, like Democrats, Socialists and Nazis (National Socialists). This also doesn’t mean I “hate Gays” or I’m against freedom of speech, nor that I hate people who aren’t just like me.

On the other hand you have someone like this person at lgfwatch who wants to bury stories from LGF, and now folks are even accusing LFG of being “Anti-semitic”. Let’s LIE loudly enough to make people believe the story.

That’s really the tact here. Leftists, Socialists, Communists and even “Conspiracy Theorists” are all, unfortunately linked together by a common bond.

They all LIE through their teeth, and they do it well. They do it OFTEN and they try to convince anyone who lays out the FACTS in a story then of being “brainwashed”, or some other inane thing.

Let me see, what else is buggin’ me today…. Oh, this little line here:

[quote]While Charles Johnson harps on and on about “truthers” (a term he never really defines), there are two recent news items (dare we call them inconvenient truths?) he has chosen to ignore:[/quote]

What is a “Truther”?

Noun- One who rejects the accepted explanation of the events of 9/11. Truthers generally believe the U.S. government committed the acts of terrorism against itself.

BYU professor Steven Jones is perhaps the most famous truther.

There, you have it. Conspiracy theorists, who also are leftists (generally) and who tend to LIE to themselves to convince themselves and others that the US government is the real criminal here.

How’s that?

So… watch Little Green Footballs all you like, but you know, dude.. quit stalking because it’s uncool, and what the hell there are people out there that really don’t like stalkers. If you wind up eventually in jail for it, no one is going to rescue your lying ass, no matter how whiny your “people” are. There won’t be any “Save What’s his Face” protests either. LOL.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Stop using French on your site. It doesn’t make you smarter, it doesn’t make you look cultured, and all you do is get French in your mouth — in fact, it just goes to prove that you are a fake person.

Thought for the day: American Indians found out what happens when you do not control Immigration.

Pat Dollard | Young Americans

A MOST awesome site….

Just one clip. 02 “Welcome To The Triangle Of Death”

Highly recommend the site. Watch the clips, look for the movie.

Hot Air has the clip as well.

Making martial law easier - International Herald Tribune

Ok, this one has me wondering. I can not find any other references to this at the moment, and the news article didn’t give the source for this Bill.

I’m trying to figure out if this is another attempt to smear the President and the White House, or just most silly assed conspiracy theory to try to rile up the public.

This news article is extremely typical of the type of junk you find scattered throughout various conspiracy theories. No names, not tracking data on the original bill (or Executive order) other than it was “buried deeply” in the defense budget bill.

There is not one quotation from the bill. This is where I start to suspect the article, the writer, and perhaps even the NEWSPAPER for printing such an article without sources.

lgf: Deseret News Attacks LGF For Publishing Facts

 Little Green Footballs, on the cutting edge of the blogosphere accused of being an "ultraconservative" web site? LOL!

You know, when it comes right down to the whole kit and kaboodle here, I think that LGF is right on the money about most things they report.  And if they happen to point out an "Islamic Connection" to some incident in a mall, where people are killed and a home video happens to have captured the voice of the murderer before he was killed by police yelling "Allah Akbar"… then who is ANYONE to judge LGF for pointing out such a connection?

If the main stream media would stop pussy footing around and point OUT these connections they might gain the respect of respectable people, but the more they hide  behind their so-called "tolerance" the more they lie to us and themselves.

The main stream media is nothing these days but Yellow Journalism-turned-Poison. 

It is not the place of these alleged journalists in the MSM to attack bloggers nor to attack their freedom of speech, or, in this case "freedom of the press".  There is nothing anywhere in our Constitution that makes the Main Stream Media "The Media". In fact, all the little newspapers that started up in this country over the 200 plus years of our existence were, you guessed it, bloggers… just without computers.

Now, blogging is in the hands of the PEOPLE, where it ought to be.  What’s WRONG with our Liberal friends who want to see the blogs closed and attacked?  Well, they are losing their market, and they are losing their grip on reality.

In fact, it is this very reality from which they hide, truth, justice, the American Way — which leads them to take those words out of a Hollywood movie.  It is this very need to control what people watch and see, that forces them to stop yelling "for the people" and instead say, "Shut down the people".

Now, because of things and incidents like this, and attacks on LGF, we, the PEOPLE are starting to see the truth behind "Liberals", liberal media bias and the facts that stare us in the face.

Yes, according to everything we’re seeing, the clown that did the shootings in the mall was a Muslim.

Did he yell "Allah Akbar"?  You be the judge.

Update: Original Article

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: President Rush Limbaugh, Vice President Ann Coulter

I’d vote for Ann and Rush. lol.

Don’t miss the show premiering Sunday Night at 10pm Eastern on Fox.

Peanut butter taken off shelves | The Bryan-College Station Eagle

Ok, here’s the deal… First spinach, now peanut butter? 

Awhile back I was talking on the Trans Asian Axis web site with some folks and said "If I were them, I’m do something to the food sources".

I think they have been.  Two weeks ago, I got home from work, opened a bottle of homebrew, and made myself two peanut butter sandwiches for my dinner.  My wife was working and I didn’t feel like cooking, and I’ll eat peanut butter any time of the day or night.

About five or six hours later, I was sick as a dog.  I chalked it up to something other than the peanut butter at first. Later, I realized the PB was what made me ill, but I had severe heart burn and all that later turned worse.

That particular jar had been opened just before Thanksgiving.  My wife had made our grand daughter a sandwich from it as well.  She’d gotten ill the next day.  We never made the connection.

So, when I heard all this I went into the kitchen when I got home yesterday evening and checked the product code on the lid. 

Yes, as you guessed, it was indeed a "tainted" jar.  As you all know, hopefully by now, I keep a bit of food in the house.  That means, folks I have somewhere close to 10 jars of peanut butter.  That one was opened in November and there are roughly ten jars.  We go shopping once a month and usually buy one jar. 

Some of that stuff has been sitting there a year or so.  This means this "tainted jar" (which has only had three sandwiches made from it, and went into the garbarge last night) has been "tainted" for awhile now.  Perhaps as long ago as a year.  Most certainly at least six months.

So, my question is, how did the salmonella find its way into the food in the first place? Into apparently very LARGE batches of peanut butter?

Let me quote from the article cited here on this blog entry:

How the dangerous germ got into the peanut butter was a mystery. But because peanuts are usually heated to high, germ-killing temperatures during the manufacturing process, government and industry officials said the contamination may have been caused by dirty jars or equipment.

Dirty equipment?  There’s not a "government health inspector" checking the plant sometimes? 

Dirty Jars?  They run them through a cleaning process right after they are made usually.  Many times the jars are made right there in another plant, or near by and simply made then cleaned and moved through the assembly line on conveyors, where they jars are filled, sealed and capped, then labels added by a finishing machine, then a certain quantity packed into boxes for shipping.

Where does salmoella find it’s way into a whole hell of a lotta peanut butter without someone deliberately adding a dose of something, somewhere along the path?

We’ve had an awful lot of "little incidents" over the course since 9-11, and each and every one has been ruled out as a terrorist act.  But, really, are they completely innocent incidents where no human being has had any evil intention, or are we being duped by Home Land Security — oh, you know to "keep the public from panicing" or causing "unnecessary violence" in retaliation?

I honestly think it is the latter and though I have no proof whatsoever at this point, I’m going to start pointing out these incidents.  And I’m calling on everyone to start calling on our supposed "protectors" to start telling the facts in these cases.  Don’t keep this stuff from us, we’re big people, adults and can handle the truth.

I’m really getting sick of people who "hide facts" so as not to get the "public in an uproar".  That isn’t the America I grew up in, and I’ll be damned if I sit around and media and the government "desensitize" us to the facts.

If this is attempted terrorism, I think it is time that comes out in the wash, and we start looking at places where potential terrorism can be perpetrated on the public, without the knowledge of the public, and no one is doing a damned thing to stop it.

Update: 8:23 — Link for more on the bacteria, salmonella, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/salmonellosis_g.htm

Survival

The Third Millennium Survival Web

A few things about this site.   This site, and the web master are "no-nonsense".  That is, when I write, I do not pull punches, I do not sugar coat anything. I tell it like it is, I tell the truth as I understand it.  I talk about death, dying, killing, living, breathing, medicine, guns, ammo, food, water, and a lot of things completely unrelated to survival (physics, time travel, gaming, ham radio, storm chasing and more).  Whatever you read here, consider this: I am not the expert on everything, but I DO research my material well.  If I say something is so, count on it, but double check my facts for yourself.

If we’re discussing what is commonly called "conspiracy theory" then you can take it with a grain of salt, but remember my beliefs are MINE, they aren’t yours, and they certainly do not belong to the current liberal biased media of this country.

Things I believe:

Survival of the Human Race is the second highest law of the land.  Let me explain. Regardless of the country in which you live, your race, background, or religion, we all belong to the "Human Race". We owe it to ourselves and our planetary companions throughout the world to survive whatever might happen.  History has shown, above all, that the human race is able to adapt very well to whatever environment that exists on this planet.  Some are extreme in heat or cold, though, humans are found there.  With that said, understand that to me, my country comes first for me.  If my country, and my Constitution can not co-exist with other countries - then the other country is null and void.  However, as mankind moves on, we hope that understanding and co-existence continue.

We will experience many disasters in this century.  We will survive them.  Some will be localized, and some will be global. Regardless of the situation, the human race will - no, MUST survive.  We are the intelligent species of this planet, the dominate species.  We will survive no matter what might befall us.

With this in mind, remember this web site is here to help you in that aim - to survive.   Here you will find data on Solar activities, earthquakes, storms and stormchasing, communications, water storage, nuclear weapons, nuclear war, SETI, surviving in various types of situations.  You will find information about weapons, hunting, shooting in general and many, many other things.

Also on this site, you will find some conspiracy theory information, from the UN to the latest Urban Legends (ok, some old urban legends then!), things on astronomy, physics, time travel, gaming and heaven knows what else I will put here.  But - it is all related in some aspect.  So as you review the site, and read the articles, remember that everything you read will, in some aspect be related somehow to survival.  You put it together - it’s a puzzle and we need to all work it out together.

So - while some of my thought processes here might appear to be mutually exclusive (survival using weapons if necessary and the Constitution versus "getting along with the rest of the world") they really are not. I believe the human race should wake up and get itself together, visit the Moon again, go to Mars, head for the stars. Work together, get together.  At the same time, I am very realistic about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  These things in America are fine, but other countries do not believe as we do.  Religions throughout the world are at each others throats contantly.  We have political and governmental entities that are contrary to one another and wars are inevitable.

This leads us to things like conspiracy theory, where the UN is the bad guy and there are shadow governments and so on and so forth. I do not necessarily believe such things, but I’ll be damned if I can find evidence they DO NOT EXIST!  Point being, it is all related. It always will be related.   Survival, by default becomes connected to it all.

Keep your eyes open, and most of all, your mind.  But - not so open your brain falls out.  Survivalists - true ones, will understand that statement.

Good luck, God Speed to you all in the Third Millennium of Modern Civilization…

Rick Donaldson - The Third Millennium Survival Web - Web Master

There was just something TOO funny about this.

 http://www.drudgereport.com/

HOUSE HEARING ON ‘WARMING OF THE PLANET’ CANCELED AFTER SNOW/ICE STORM
HEARING NOTICE
Tue Feb 13 2007 19:31:25 ET

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 18. Northwest winds around 20 mph.

FrontPage magazine.com :: Insulting Allah Now a Crime at SFSU by Littlegreenfootballs.com

I posted another message today about that idiot that was on Hannity and Colms the other day.  Now, I come across this little piece of tripe.

An American University, where OUR tax dollars go is allowing this sort of nonesense?  I simply can not believe the crap I am reading lately.

Are Americans so damned STUPID that they are allowing a University to get away with making these sorts of rules?

Hey, ladies and gentlemen… a few well placed letters to the Federal Government, Congress, the Department of Education and of course the University leadership to let them know PRECISELY how you feel about this is in order.

Americans are paying enough taxes on crap that we shouldn’t be paying on now. I don’t have a problem with paying my taxes.  I DO have a problem that this is money that *I EARNED* and someone, the Federal Government is mandating I have to do it - and then TAKING that money and giving it to places that are Anti-American.

San Francisco State University, you have NO RIGHT to set rules that give evil-doers an out.  For instance:

"By punishing students on the basis of how harshly, violently or unreasonably others might react to their words," the letter argued, "SFSU would create an incentive for those who disagree to react violently, conferring a ‘heckler’s veto’ on speech to the least tolerant members of the community."

The final word from Ms. Saunders’ article says, "As for the students who want to punish the College Repubs, they might want to consider how their actions reflect on SFSU. A university is supposed to be a place of learning and a forum made more vibrant by the free exchange of ideas, but this exercise makes SFSU look like a playground where bullies rule."

I think that says a lot. 

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: DNC imam Husham Al-Husainy on Hannity & Colmes This little man, Al-Husainy is nothing more than hateful, word-spitting fellow.

I’m from Detroit originally.  I’ve been to Dearborn, and though I haven’t really been back there for any length of time other than to visit family members, I do remember that there is a kind of "occupation" of several areas around Detroit even back then.

These "nice gentlemen" like Al-Husainy are simply nothing more than a mouthpeice for Muslims to throw off their real purposes. 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Muslims, while they believe they are following the religion of Islam, are really nothing more than a bunch of hateful people who want to kill others.

Yeah, ALL MUSLIMS.  I’m not going to mince words any more like other Americans are doing.  I no longer have "tolerance" for these morons who won’t let seeing-eye dogs into their cabs, nor allow passengers who happen to be carrying alcohol.

I no longer have tolerance for anyone who stands for any Islamic-Shahira laws.

This IS America.

America was founded on Christianity.  It was NOT founded on Islamic law.  It will not FALL to Islamic laws. 

I personally will fight if I have to in my own country against this, and I will do so any way I have to.  It these asses want to bring their violent ways to my country, then we, as Americans had BETTER stand up to them and fight back.

I URGE all Americans to take a stand.

Let’s stop beating around the bush, let’s stop tolerating their hate speech.  Let us stand up, and show a united FRONT to these people.

I’ve been accused many times of not being very diplomatic, and that’s true.  I have a tendency to "say it like it is" and tell what I see with my own eyes.

Well, I’m telling it like it is now.  Any American that stands and tolerates the hate speech coming from the Muslim community is a traitor to America. 

Oh, you don’t LIKE that I said that? Tough! I have as much right to say what I like as anyone else, so if they are going to stand here and call Americans oppressors, then let’s start pointing out what Muslims are doing.

They IGNORE terrorists.  They will not publically renounce such terrorism as 9-11, the Cole Bombing, or the many, many, MANY murderers who’ve killed THOUSANDS of innocents across this planet.

Muslims, as a community have refused, utterly to denouce Hamas and their claims.

Iran has stated that Israel will be "wiped from the face of the map"… and yet, we all sit back and watch.  Where is the "tolerance" on the side of  the Muslims?  Where is tolerance for Israel? Where is tolerance for America?

Where are the ‘tolerant voices’ of Islam? 

I’ll tell you where. They DO NOT EXIST.

Until they DO exist, I would counsel our own country to forget tolerance.  I’m not saying to hate anyone, I’m simply saying that we should NOT take these people at their word any longer.  Stand up and say "Prove what you say".  Show us FACTS.

Show us that you honestly want "peace and harmony".  Shut down your terrorist organizations NOW.  Do it yourselves.

And then America should say…

"For every American killled from this day forward by a terrorist, we will kill 100 of your people".  Until the violence is stopped by the terrorists, or, there are no Muslims left.

Barbaric? Yes.  Effective? You betcha.  Will it stop the violence? It better.

Do I think we should kill 100 Muslims? No, not really, but then I don’t think they should be killing innocent people either.

The choice is theirs to make though.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in a Holy War. Just ask ANY Muslim.  They will tell you that their ultimate goal is Jihad.

We didn’t chose this war. They did.

I say it is time for America to stop them.