"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work...."
-Abraham Lincoln

"The art of war is simple; everything is a matter of execution."
-Napoleon Bonaparte

I'm on a roll tonight. Here's a good one:

"Ridicule is the only weapon that can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them."
-Thomas Jefferson

I don't have a reliable reference for this one, so I hope I'm not spreading lies. But next time I poke fun, you'll know what I'm really saying.

Smoking Lettuce

This is one of my favorite Auto Tune rhapsodies.

Animal of the Week: Eciton burchellii

New World army ants I found to be highly aggressive and would chase after me when I began to pluck individuals from their column and deposit them in my ethanol vial. The major workers have large, sickle-shaped mandibles that easily pierce flesh. They sting too. Don't mess with these girls unless you know what you are doing. I believe I got five different species of Eciton on my last trip to Tambopata, but E. burchelli was most abundant.



I also discovered that E. spp. workers exude a highly volatile, pungent substances that causes irritation. I first noticed this in the lab while examining preserved specimens under a microscope. My eyes began to sting and tear up. The next time I collected them I paid close attention and the live ants also emit this unpleasant odor. So, not only do they bite, sting and pierce your flesh, but then they rub nasty chemicals in your open wounds. I love ants.

Auto Tune

Interview with Wikipedia Founder

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
-Patrick Henry

"Knowing why is more important than learning what."

-James Watson