Bees join hunt for serial killers*

Yes indeed. The BBC News website today (30 July 2008) reports on some research on the way in which bees seek food which could help detectives hunt down serial killers, scientists believe. Heres some more from the report: Just as bees forage some distance away from their hives, so murderers avoid killing near their homes, says the University of London team. This geographic profiling works so well in bees, the scientists say future experiments on the animals could now be fed back to improve crime-solving. The teams work is reported in the Royal Society journal Interface. Were really hopeful that we can improve the model for criminology, Dr Nigel Raine, from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), told BBC News. Later the report reveals that the research team includes Kim Rossmo, detective-turned-geo-profiler. Instead of using information about the distribution of flowers visited by bees to explain the insects behaviour, criminologists models will use details about crime scenes, robbery locations, abandoned cars, even dead bodies, to hone the search for a suspect. Bees have much simpler brains and so understanding how bees are recruited to flowers is much easier than understanding the complex thoughts of a serial murderer, Dr Raine said. Well the cynics would say thats one reason why a bee-model might have some limitations when it comes to hunting serial killers. Heres the reference: Raine NE, DK Rossmo & SC Le Comber. Geographic profiling applied to testing models of bumblebee foraging. Journal of the Royal Society Interface *In the entertaining headline contest, the BBC lags far behind the Royal Society with Bees can help detectives to ’sting’ criminals and the Welcome Trust with Criminal Bee-haviour. Is no one going to use scientists set a honey-trap for murderers? (Ill get my coat.) UPDATE: Thank you to Aaron Jacklin for a link to the pre-publication paper [pdf] on Nigel Raines QMUL web pages. Photo credit: Automania, Creative Commons Licence

Shop Worth Knowing: Three Potato Four

Looking for storage options with character? Take a look at Three Potato Four! I found this site through The Haystack Needle, and I'm so grateful to Jen for the pointer. Note that vintage items will sell out - and others may, too - so the specific pieces listed here may not be available later. But there will probably be new wonderful things to admire. I'm just trying to give you an idea of the range of things available. I've been having a wonderful doing some virtual window shopping.The item above is a vintage Hovis bread tin, size small - there's a larger one available, too.Another option are the burlap buckets from Mayamade - each one is "re-purposed from a recycled (fair trade) coffee sack." (Maya also has an Etsy shop, but every time I look, there are no buckets in stock.)I'm very fond of this vintage hardware store yardstick tray organizer, which seems to be a one-of-a-kind item.There are also a few different old wooden salt codfish boxes.For a change of pace, here's a wooden elephant stapler from the 1960s.And moving beyond containers, the apple coathangers, in three different colors, are another organizing option.

Toronto Blue Jays Team Report

INSIDE PITCH Even though they sport the best record in the American League at 22-12, the Blue Jays still have a long way to go as far as proving they are a legitimate contender for postseason play. Critics point to the fact that the Jays have yet to play the big boys in their division Boston, New York and Tampa Bay because of a quirk in their early season scheduling. So far, the only East Division opponent they've faced has been the Orioles, a team they swept (3-0) at home to open May. But that all changes beginning Tuesday night when the Jays play host to the Yankees in the opener of a three-game set. It starts with Roy Halladay, who at 6-1 is off to the best start of his career, going against friend and former teammate A.J. Burnett, who bolted from the Jays to join the Yankees in the offseason. No doubt the boobirds will be out in force at the Rogers Centre to blast Burnett. Halladay should be looking forward to facing the Yankees. Last year in six starts against the Yankees, Halladay went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA. His career mark against them is 15-5 with a 2.86 ERA. The Jays get to face their division foes often this month. Of their remaining 19 games in May, 12 will be against East Division rivals, including two three-game series against the Red Sox. The Jays are attempting to keep these big series in perspective and not make too much of them. "For us, every series is a big series," second baseman Aaron Hill said. "We have to do a good job, do the little things it takes to win games. I guess the buzz is bigger because it's the Yankees and the AL East." How the Jays fare in these games will go a long way in determining if the club is for real or a pretender.NOTES, QUOTESWith the five runs scored in Sunday's victory, the Jays became the first team in baseball to reach 200 runs scored this year. The Jays have scored 204 runs, an average of six per game.LHP B.J. Ryan made a rehab appearance with Class A Dunedin (Fla.) on Saturday night, working one inning and allowing one hit, one walk and an earned run. Ryan, who went on the DL April 23 with back tightness, had pitched a perfect inning on Thursday for Dunedin. Toronto hasn't indicated a specific timetable for the closer's return to the big leagues.SS Marco Scutaro leads the majors in walks with 29 and he's third in the majors in runs scored with 31. Batting leadoff, Scutaro's patience is helping fuel the majors' top-scoring offense he has 16 walks to lead off innings. In 2004, Scutaro's first year with Oakland, he had 16 walks in 137 games.BY THE NUMBERS: 204 Blue Jays' run total through 34 games, making them the first team in the majors to the 200-run mark.QUOTE TO NOTE: "We do have to make some decisions. If he continues to pitch like that, there's no reason to take him out of the rotation. He was able to get through the seventh inning and looked like he was still strong. He comes to pitch." Toronto manager Cito Gaston, after Brian Tallet made his second consecutive strong start, beating the A's in Oakland.ROSTER REPORTCF Vernon Wells hit safely in all five games on the Jays' 3-2 West Coast road trip, where they played the Angels and Oakland.DH Adam Lind hit safely in all five games on the Jays' 3-2 West Coast road trip where they played the Angels and Oakland. Lind is on a seven-game hit streak, going 12-for-29 (.414.)SS Marco Scutaro is the lone everyday shortstop in the American League to have not made an error in the field. In 34 games, Scutaro has had 162 chances 51 putouts and 111 assists. Offensively, Scutaro tops all shortstops and leadoff hitters in the American League with 32 runs scored and 29 walks. He also has struck out just 19 times. In his previous seven seasons in the majors, Scutaro has never finished a season with more walks than strikeouts.2B Aaron Hill has not gone hitless in back-to-back games all season and has hit safely in 30-of-34 games. In the 30 games in which he has hit safely, 17 were multi-hit games. MEDICAL WATCH: RHP Casey Janssen (right labrum surgery in March 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He missed all of last season. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin on April 27, and he could be back with the Blue Jays in mid-May. LHP Ricky Romero (strained right oblique muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 20. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin on May 8. LHP B.J. Ryan (left trapezius tightness) went on the 15-day disabled list April 23. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin on May 7. C Michael Barrett (torn right shoulder muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list April 18. RHP Jesse Litsch (strained right forearm) went on the 15-day disabled list April 14. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Litsch experienced discomfort while throwing on April 25. RHP Dustin McGowan (right shoulder surgery in July 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. Initially, he was expected to be able to contribute by mid-June 2009 at the latest, but it appears that a late-July date is a best-case scenario. RHP Shawn Marcum (Tommy John elbow surgery in September 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. Initially, the Blue Jays didn't expect him back until 2010, but more recently he was expected to return by August. ROTATION: RHP Roy Halladay RHP Robert Ray RHP Scott Richmond LHP Brian Tallet LHP Brett Cecil BULLPEN: LHP Scott Downs (closer) RHP Brandon League LHP Jesse Carlson LHP Bill Murphy RHP Jason Frasor RHP Shawn Camp RHP Brian Wolfe CATCHERS: Rod Barajas Raul Chavez INFIELDERS: 1B Lyle Overbay 2B Aaron Hill SS Marco Scutaro 3B Scott Rolen INF John McDonald INF/OF Kevin Millar INF/OF Jose Bautista OUTFIELDERS: LF Travis Snider CF Vernon Wells RF Alex Rios DH Adam Lind

Mongolian Oak at Buffalo Trace

I visited Buffalo Trace last year in June, working on a piece that's finally going to see light in the next issue of Malt Advocate (don't worry, it's timeless). While I was there, I talked to Warehouse Supervisor Ronnie Eddins, a true master in bourbon warehousing, the man behind many of the interesting experimental whiskeys that distillery has been working on. In the early stages of the interview, mention was made of barrels, and how they have to be made of oak. Not white oak, as many people think, but...oak. And either Ronnie or Angela Travers -- memory fails me -- mentioned something about barrels made of Mongolian Oak -- and I was immediately asked to keep that under my hat. It was painful -- that stuff's heavy! -- but I did.And here it is.The mad scientists at Buffalo Trace Distillery are at it again! This round of unique experimentation involves the type of oak barrel used in the aging process. Any guesses? If you said Mongolian Oak, you are correct!Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley, has reached deep into his bag of tricks and is ready to see what interesting things will happen by aging his precious spirit in Mongolian Oak barrels.Why Mongolian Oak you ask? “It’s a really unique proposition and something that hasn’t been tried before,” commented Wheatley. “We love to try new and innovative things and this one was on our list. We can’t wait to see how it turns out eight or ten years down the road.”Not only are these barrels new and innovative, they are also expensive. Ten barrels have been put away for aging at a cost of $530 each—about four times the cost of an American White Oak barrel. It also took more than a year to coordinate production of these barrels.The Mongolian Oak barrels are an industry standard 53 gallons. A cooperage in Spain supplied the Mongolian Oak to the Independent Stave Company and they crafted the barrels. The barrels received a #4 char—about 55 seconds—and will be filled with Buffalo Trace mash bill #1. This is the same recipe which is used for Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.Look for more of these types of experiments to be conducted. Also on the list for trial are Japanese and Canadian Oak.You'll notice that the outcoming spirit has not been called "bourbon." But as I read it, the regs only say that the barrels must be new, charred, oak barrels. Nothing about what kind of oak, or where it was grown. We'll see. $10 a gallon just for wood!

US soldiers leave Iraq's cities

US troops have withdrawn from towns and cities in Iraq, six years after the invasion, having formally handed over security duties to new Iraqi forces.

Escape From Sleeve Island

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but slow knitting progress on two sweater sleeves doesn't make for compelling blog posts. That said, I'm back because Oscar finally has sleeves! I think I may have jacked up the stitch count somewhere along the way, but ask me if I care. Sleeves, people! They are done!You'd think I've just finished knitting some grand project, but no, just two sleeves. That's how pathetic I am. However, they are now done and that's all that matters! What this means is I can now allow myself to (temporarily) put this aside to work on a few small holiday gift knits. I wouldn't let myself start anything else until I finished these sleeves, but now- I'm free!!In totally unrelated - but equally as exciting - news, a longstanding dream of mine has recently come true as we are now the proud and, in my case- very happy, owners of a Prius! In case you don't know, I've been wanting one of these for years, but I couldn't really justify a car payment when Darby (my old car) is still running (for the most part). But thanks to an awesome incentive program at B's work, we were provided with the perfect opportunity to take the leap. This is how I feel about it:Our first day togetherSo, the plan is to sell B's car (if you know of anyone who wants to buy a 2 year old Acura TL, please let me know!) and keep Darby for B to use during the week, if he needs to drive anywhere. Since he walks to work, this won't be very often, but it will still be good to have a second car just in case. And since I drive a hellacious amount every week, this car (named Linus) will now be my primary car. Yay, yay, yay! IloveitIloveitIloveit!One final note: Please join us in congratulating Nasus on passing the California Bar Exam! Nasus, we are so proud of you! Bravo!! :)

How will you remember Michael Jackson?

CNN is reporting he had a heart attack. Some news stations and websites are already reporting he's dead. So sad...

How will you remember him? As the 80's icon who sang "Beat It" and "Billy Jean"? Or as "Jacko" the ghostly figure we've seen in the news recently, in court for alleged child molestation charges?

I was a young child in the 80's and don't remember much of his younger years. I know his songs, and know what he used to look like, but sadly I think I'll remember the 2000 version of Michael best.