Thanks to my friend Rose Tocke for sending me this link. This film promises to be a remarkable piece of Cultural Entomology, giving the viewer an unprecedented insight in to the elegance and intricacy of how pollen makes it from plant to plant. The whole process hinges on the basic principles of Emergent Theory: tiny actions, incidental movements of seemingly insignificant individual pollinators, which result in all of the flowers, fruits and plants that make life beautiful. Let me know your thoughts – and share this link!
Oct
26
OF COURSE THEY ARE SENTIENT BEINGS: This is my new favorite insect photo that I have taken this year. This California mantid (Stagmomantis californica) took a brief exception when I lifted him off the shrub, but then studied me closely. He wound up jumping on my camera. The San Bushmen of South Africa – one of the most ancient cultures on the planet – believe the mantid’s fortitude helped birth the human species.
Taken in the marvelous Central Park Community Garden in Davis, CA, I came upon this curious fellow while he was waiting in line to mate (no, really, he was). The indelible Heather Caswell introduced me to Nik and Emily, who is the steward of that fine civic ecosystem and gave me a tour of the garden (Emily is also a lead botanist at the Davis Oak Arboretum). Emily led me to this fella. Zoom in on the face. What do we have to learn from such ancient wisdom? What do the Bushmen know that we don’t? Anyone care to chime in???
Here are some of the replies from social media sites (from ladies only):
Wall Photos
Like · · Share · 12 hours ago
Liz Mac, Shondolyn Gibson, Daniella Martin and 4 others like this.
Gail Koffman he’s actually an intelligent alien being disguised as an insect.
12 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Akasha SilverHawk hey! i had one of these guys just last week for several days at my front door, except the one i saw was tan in color!! hmmm…. … actually emmet i was going to ask you what there medicine was 
11 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Renee Gatt yum yum yum yum yum!!!!!!!!!!!! xxxxx
9 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Shondolyn Gibson i love these guys!
8 hours ago · Like
Tara Shorey I enJOYed your cd the talk and music were great, Thank you for sharing your work. SomeONE has to be extra loving these creatures up, and putting them in the limelight. Bringing awareness that bugs are actually cool. <<>>>>
7 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Liz Mac With a photo Like that what’s not to love… It’s Emmet’s brotha from anotha mutha!
4 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Erika Ismerio Soooooo cute!! May I marry the Mr. CA mantis
4 hours ago · Like
Emmet Brady Thanks Ladies. I am delighted to receive your responses, and that you share the same intrigue with the microcosmic community. BTW – my theory is that insects were the first nature show, and that women were the first insect scientists. Please note that EVERY 1 who replied to this post et le femme.
a few seconds ago · Like
Oct
20
THE I.N.N. @ SF WEEKLY: I was interviewed by the SF Weekly about entomophagy – insects as a food source. I know most of the people featured in the final article – a great group of folks tapping dancing slightly outside the mainstream. You might recall I hosted the INN @ NASA in Mountain View with Danielle Martin (cover photo), and taught kids about eating “land shrimp.” I was delighted to find that the writer included the most provocative metaphyscial/anthropological topic I discussed: the methodical demonization of insects in the Western world. His conclusion is a bit non-sequitur but I was quite happy to be included either way. Bzzzzzzz . . . Here is the link for the full article.
Oct
05
It’s been a little while since I blogged. I have been a bit of a traveling wilbury, creating an immense amount of media to document my travels.
Of course, the Pollination Tour ’11 is all about documenting the extensive presence of insects in the ordinary – and not so ordinary world. Here is the first of 4 video snippet that capture some of my wanderings and that document the ubiquity of bugs on people’s bodies. I have dozens more tattoo pictures, but I included in this snippet the ones that I thought were most compelling, AND which showed the most diversity of subjects.
Jul
30
A friend of mine recently suggested that instead of trying to attract people to a range of professional events to showcase my interests and expertise in my life, I should take my offerings and cast them out upon the vast Internetscape (that’s my word for it).
For those of you who have been following my path, you already know that I wear many hats. So, I am going to start a blitzkrieg of bold self-promotion and then you can really see the full wardrobe of sombreros.
Here is Episode 1 of the forthcoming series “Things You Can Do with DAYMA.” Instead of just telling people all about my health & wellness-fitness-performance system called DAYMA (Dance Athletics Yoga and Martial Arts), and rather than just writing about it (the book just needs an editor) or teaching it (which I did at UC Berkeley a little while back), or throw it down (which I do every time I smell a dance party), I figured it would be nice to show the results of my efforts and how DAYMA can be done “by anybody, anytime, anywhere.”
DAYMA is a complete system of self-exploration and performance mechanics. It is comprised of 3 parts: FLEX, FREESTYLE and EVENTS.
More to come soon . . .
Jul
22
Well, not exactly. One of the reasons the emerging field of Cultural Entomology is so fun and fascinating is that stories pop up in the most unexpected places.
It only makes sense: insects are everywhere, they have been here forever, and they in inordinately multitudinous.
I just learned today that James Adams – the steam engine forefather of the Declaration of Independence – declared to his wife his prediction that generations of Americans would celebrate the founding of the country with parades and fanfare and triumphant music. The day he prognosticated? July 2nd.
That’s when the founding fathers were supposed to have sanctioned the D.O.I.
What delayed them from signing on the dotted line?
HORSEFLIES!!!
That’s right – horseflies from a nearby farm apparently swarmed the Congressional Congress buildings and drove them – literally – buggy. This report I read also suggested the hilarity of seeing these very serious men wearing WIGS trying to counter attack the incessant flies.
BTW – the horse fly is in the family of Tabanid flies, with about 4500 species around the world. Only the females are bloodsuckers.
Perhaps we could celebrate the second of the month as the Second of Ju-Fly.
Or maybe not.
May
08
Just came upon this article in Nat Geo that tells of the discovery of the most practical artist in the animal kingdom. No it’s not the bower bird or the peacock. Those are just show-off males.
The petal-prize for motherly affection goes to the Osmia avosetta, a solitary orchid bee that lives in Turkey and Iran. For the the first time the scientists discovered the art and science about how they build a nursery chamber for their offspring using flower petals.
May
07
Twas a delightful re-union with the team from the Insect Discovery Lab from SaveNature.org in San Francisco. I have seen them at many locations over the past few years, and it was nice to be able to connect with them surrounded by whizzigs, and burblers, and all sorts of nuffastuffs.
May
06
Just saw the trailer for the new X-Men. Impossible to miss the introduction of the character Pixie. She’s the one with butterfly wings.
How hot is this explanation?
Straight from Wikipedia: Not only is she a winged-one, “Her mutation grants her pixie-like eyes, colorful wings that allow her to fly, and “pixie dust” which causes hallucinations. After a confrontation with the revived former member of the New Mutants, Magik, she gains the ability to use magic and a magical weapon called the “Souldagger.” Her main use of magic is a massive teleportation spell,”
Anyone care to guess where the inspiration for this one came from?
Apr
27
As some of you might know I am working as a Partnership Pollinator for the first-ever social media portal for gardeners, YourGardenShow.com. I am happy that my friend Hannah Apricot called me one day and asked if I could help spread the word about this fantastic film called “Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?“
Well, I did what do and helped connect the dots and – ka-boom! – now we are all working together.
Here is the ad we are running for this week’s release in Chicago.
