I rarely read Der Speigel, really never unless I happen on one at a coffee shop or airport or something, but I was reading about a beekeeping article in it in some leftwing Canadian rag, and went to Der Speigel to find the original.

Which I think I did, in German, from many months back. Boy, those Canadians lefties are cutting edge, repackaging German sensationalism from eons ago.

Anyway, the idea that it is genetically modified crops doing in the bees and bringing on Colony Collapse Disorder is interesting...

...unless you know that back in September scientist released news that it may very well be something called Israeli Acute Paralysis virus.

(And here I thought that that was the cause of stalled peace negotiations in the middle east.... Thank you, thank you very much)

I share a deep suspicion of genetically modified food, and have heard all sorts of rumors about "Round-up Ready" soybeans not having good forage for bees. It all makes sense.

The only hesitation I have is that a longhaired, left-winged, dope smoking microbiologist I know well, who would most logically be alarmed by these developments, says he has zero concerns about genetic modified corn. He says, "how do you think we are going to feed all of these people?"

I have no idea. But I do know that any seed that is designed to be sterile so you have to buy new ones each year is not a good idea.

In any case, I was thinking all of these thoughts as I scrolled through Der Speigel, which had many great stories and an interview with John Bolton which I think is intentionally funny.

The best though, in the spirit of the holidays,were the ones about the Swastika commemoration rings for sale in supermarkets in Finland, and, more impressively, the German dog owner who was jailed because he taught his Alasatian-shepard Mix 'Adolf" to give the Nazi salute on command.

He was just following orders: Adolf the dog was trained to give the Hitler salute by his pensioner owner. The obedient German shepherd crossbreed is looking for a new home now that his owner is going to jail.
Dog lovers in Berlin take note: the city's animal shelter has a new ward looking for a good home. The nine-year-old German shepherd crossbreed is very affectionate, likes people and is in good health. There's just one problem: Adi -- or Adolf, as he was formerly known -- has been trained to raise his right paw in a Hitler salute whenever he heard the command "Salute!"