Close call!

That was close. I was discussing with Alexis this morning where to blog in the future, now that the KGB had shut down livejournal forever. Our politics in the US is pretty disgusting, especially right now, but at least we don't send the CIA to shut down social media sites. Now Wikileaks on the other hand...

Anyway, now I have a huge backlog of stuff to catch up on, lots of stories to tell and pictures to share. If we are friends on facebook, we might be close to caught up, if you follow me on twitter you get it more or less in real time, and if I'm in one of your Google+ circles you'll wonder why I never post anything. I did add a bunch of pictures to my flickr account, too, and I'm trying to understand how that site works a little better, rather than waiting 4 years between uploads.

Despite the communist gangsters' interference, I still prefer LJ over the others, and Jon here has articulated it well:

( long but smart post: )

He's dosboof on LJ if you'd like to ask to friend him.

Pre-Nocturnal Insect BioBlitz Insect

Last Friday, we hosted a Nocturnal Insect BioBlitz! What that entails is setting up a mercury vapor light (they throw out a lot of UV, so insects are especially attracted to it) and hanging up a sheet next to it, and identifying and counting the insects that come. This was part of the Dedham Bioblitz, an event where a group of scientists and naturalists tried in a few short hours to find 375 different living things. 375 because this is Dedham's 375th birthday.

As the anticipation built up to having a bunch of strangers (except for contact on twitter) come to my house to see bugs, I started to see bugs everywhere! The grasshopper up above is a youngster, and may certainly be in the genus Melanoplus, along with the red-legged grasshopper (which was 365 urban species #257).

I was going to show another picture of a different insect, but Alexis just identified it (probably) to species-complex! That'll be my next 100 species entry.