I’ve always been a fan of the butterfly and have always been perplexed by those who are not. Somewhere along the railroad journey of my mind, I recall reading that ancient peoples thought of them as fairies.
Or maybe it was the dragonfly. Or, perhaps they had just eaten one too many magical mushrooms from the forest.
In any case, much as I enjoy seeing them fluttter about, I’ve never really known much about them in general outside of that which is learned in school.
Caterpillar = Cocoon = Butterfly.
That’s why I was quite happy to digitally stumble across the “Butterflies and Moths of North America” website this morning. While the entire site seems quite wonderfully comprehensive (their sub-header reads “collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera”), I was particularly pleased with the “Regional Specific Checklist”.
The list/database allows you to select the region of North America in which you live (down to the county of the state even if you live in the United States) in order to discover a list of every butterfly and moth that can be found within that area. The list is complete with photographs of each species and very detailed information.
It seems to be a butterfly lovers fantasy dream. As the type of child who could become lost easily following a butterfly, had I had access to this database then, I’m certain that I would have been a binocular carrying butterfly geek in a very short amount of time.
So, the next time a particularly enchanting butterfly graces by your scope of vision, rather then just wonder what its backstory is, now you can have the answers at your fingertips – or wingtips.
Frankly, it’s quite fascinating. You can access the list here: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/checklists
See, Batman knows that it really is possible to be smart and pretty. Or - for those who crave something a bit more macho – Batman knows that libraries rock and being well-read kicks ass.
Of course Robin agrees – though it’s not as if he had much of a choice. That’s because, frankly, Batman always knows what’s best for the Boy Wonder.
I came across this graphic on line today and I thought it does a wonderful job of getting across an important message about Labor Day.
Not only is the graphic quite well designed and crafted, it succinctly references many important issues as seen on the signs being held by the figures. Those issues, some of which are taken for granted today, would not be in place had it not been for the past actions of the brave men and women of the American Labor Force.
The worker’s historic willingness to stand up for rights should not be forgotten.
Sadly, today, some of the issues written on the signs in the graphic are still not in place or - possibly worse - are currently being undermined by a new wave of corporate leaders inspired by greed and self-serving interests.
As this is an election year, it is vitally important that you not only vote but that you think well about the potential consequences of your vote.
On August 29th, Rolling Stone published a very well written article titled
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