Slime-mold Beetles Named For Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld

[napi21]

ScienceDaily (Jun. 4, 2005) — ITHACA, N.Y. -- U.S. President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld may not all get a library, airport or highway named after them. But each has a slime-mold beetle named in his honor. Bush thanks entomologist.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050602011719.htm

Ya gotta love those scientists!!!!!

[SidDithers]

1. Gack...

The decision to name three slime-mold beetles after Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, however, didn't have anything to do with physical features, says Quentin Wheeler, a professor of entomology and of plant biology at Cornell for 24 years until last October, but to pay homage to the U.S. leaders. "We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular," says Wheeler, who named the beetles and wrote the recently published monograph describing the new slime-mold beetle species while a professor at Cornell.

Unfortunately, it looks like unintentional humour, rather than a swipe at the slimy Repubs.

Thanks for posting :)

Sid

[napi21]

5. I know, I read that part too, but I sure wouldn't want a slimy beetle

named after ME! I guess it was unintentional humor, but no less funny!

[LiberalEsto]

2. Every time you step on one

you can say its name and thank those wacky scientists

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Poor Beetles now even their names are slime

LOL......

[aquart]

4. A little revenge for the federal grant cuts?

[gratuitous]

6. This is soooo unfair

Slime mold beetles perform a very necessary function in our ecosystem (just don't ask me what it is). As far as I can tell, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are parasites who leech life out of their hosts and produce nothing useful in return.

Fairness for slime mold beetles!