The meeting between Joey Buttafouco and Amy Fisher is set to be in New York’s Central Park. On a FOX News interview, Buttafouco said his primary reason in meeting Ms. Fisher is to find out what was going on at that point in his life. He has repeatedly claimed that he was on medications, and couldn’t reflect and reason well, at the time of the incident. When pressed as to whether he expected an intimate reunion with Amy Fisher, he and his publicist nodded. Buttafouco commented that it is strong possibility.

1992, the Buttafouco name grabbed national headlines when Joey Buttafouco’s 16 year-old lover, Amy Fisher, attempted to kill his wife. Fisher left Mary Jo Buttafouco with permanent pain following a shot to the head. Amy Fisher went to jail for attempted homicide, and Joey Buttafouco went to jail for statutory rape of the sixteen year-old.

Buttafouco has had several run-ins with the law since 1992. He moved to California in hopes of becoming an actor. It never panned out for more than a few small parts. In 1995 he was arrested for picking up a hooker, who happened to be an undercover agent. Once he got out of prison, he opened an auto shop. He ended up in jail again, this time for insurance fraud. He also lost his license as an auto mechanic.

Unbelievably, Mary Jo Buttafouco remained married to Joey until they moved to California. He remarried, but has once again divorced.

Where does Amy Fisher fit into the equation? In her co-written book, Amy Fisher: My Story, explains her sexual promiscuity as a teen. She claims to have been sexually abused repeatedly, even raped, and to have had an abortion before she ever met Buttafouco at the age of fifteen. Amy and Joey met at his auto repair shop, when she took her car in for repairs. As their relationship developed, one day Joey, then 35, drove the 15 year-old home where their first sexual encounter occurred.

Amy became hyper-focused on Joey. She lost interest in family, friends, and school. Upon Joey’s suggestion, Amy Fisher got a job with an escort service, and started making good money. Amy’s obsession with Joey only grew. Ultimately, she gave him a choice: his wife or her. She was astounded when Joey chose to finish with his wife. She feigned an attempted suicide attempt with superficial cuts on her wrists.

There was a short hiatus in the relationship, when Amy began dating the owner of a local gym. However, before long she and Joey were back together. Amy Fisher then began to obsess on how to get rid of the biggest obstacle in her relationship with Joey, Mary Joe Buttafouco. Amy claims Joey knew about her plans to kill his wife. She said they discussed them, and he even called her to see if she had a gun. Joey denies any knowledge of Amy’s intent to harm his wife.

May 17, 1992, at 11:30 A.M. Amy Fisher, armed with a Titan .25 semi-automatic gun, went to the Buttafouco home to kill Mary Joe. She was driven by the accomplice who helped her obtain the gun. Mary Jo Buttafouco and Amy had a short confrontation on the front porch of the Buttafouco home. Amy then knocked Mary Joe to the ground and shot her in the head, leaving her for dead.

Joey Buttafouco fingered Amy’s ex-boyfriend in the shooting. He denied the affair and Amy’s allegations that he had given her the gun. When Mary Joe pulled through the severe head injury, Joey gave up Amy, telling people that she might be the shooter. Mary Joe identified her in a portray as the assailant.

Amy, in exchange for testifying against Joey, the district attorney got her sentence reduced to fifteen years for attempted murder, assault, armed felony, and criminal use of a firearm. Mary Fisher served seven years. In 2003, she married a man 24 years her senior. They have one son and live in Long Island, where Amy has become a columnist.

Amy’s husband suspects that she may want to accumulate back together with Buttafouco. He cites her modern breast enhancement, and interest in the meeting with Buttafouco. He is reported as having expressed trouble for his marriage.

The final chapter of this epic tragedy remains to be written. Viewers of Geraldo at Large, on FOX News, May 13, were encouraged to visit website to vote for whether Joey and Amy should get back together. I cannot fathom the public encouraging or even participating in this farce. Has Amy Fisher grown up, as she claims? Has Joey Buttafouco changed? It didn’t appear that he had. A heinous crime and great tragedy is being revived for cheap publicity. I am interested in seeing how society reacts to the revival of the “Long Island Lolita” story.

Meanwhile, I feel sure we can rely on David Letterman to fall back on the butt of his favorite jokes, Joey Buttafouco.

Resources:
Buttafouco, Joey, Interview with Geraldo Rivera on FOX News, Sunday, May 13, 2007
Montaldo, Charles. “Amy Fisher, The ‘Long Island Lolita.’” About: Crime/Punishment.
http://crime.about.com/od/female_offenders/p/amyfisher.htm
Montaldo, Charles. “Joey Buttafouco Released from Jail.” About: Crime/Punishment

1. Safe Drivers

Being a safe driver has its advantages: You don’t have to pay for costly repairs to a damaged vehicle, no one ever gets damage on your watch and you might qualify for unique auto insurance discounts. Specifically, some states require that insurers provide premium discounts to consumers who complete driver safety courses, according to the AARP.

Thirty-six states require the discount if you win the Driver Safety Program in a classroom with an approved instructor, and 10 states even require it if you take the course online. This can mean a serious auto insurance reduction even if you’ve had tickets or accidents in the past.

2. Retirees

Did you know that there are unique auto insurance discounts for retirees? Some car insurance companies give reduced rates to seniors who are at least 55-years-old and are no longer employed full-time.

This is not a requirement, of course, and all insurance providers are different. However, if you can find a provider in your area who offers this discount, you’ll set aside a bundle on car insurance.

3. Students

Younger drivers aren’t left in the dust. Other unique auto insurance discounts include reduced rates for full-time students. If you’re getting your education, you probably don’t have extra money to throw around, and with the discount you might be able to afford a few non-Ramen meals outside the dorm.

In most cases, unusual auto insurance discounts for students require that the consumer be under 24 or 25 years of age and maintain a certain grade point average. You might not qualify if you are married or included on your parents’ insurance coverage.

4. Students’ Parents

One of the most unique auto insurance discounts available is the reduced rate for students’ parents. If you support a child (he or she lives with you, in other words) you might qualify for a discount. However, there are always lots of stipulations, so you’ll want to check with your insurance agent for details.

5. Farmers & Ranchers

Many farmers and ranchers own dedicated vehicles that never leave their property. In this case, you might qualify for a unique auto insurance discount that insures your truck for less.

Remember that in order to qualify for this discount, you will need to own an applicable vehicle that follows the rules on the policy. Otherwise, you might wind up paying much more.

There are plenty of other current auto insurance discounts that you might not have heard about. If you want to take advantage of them, you’ll need to sit down with your insurance agent and discuss the options available to you.

It is also a good plan to research other insurance providers from time to time. You never know when a unique auto insurance discount is going to slit up that would do you money on car insurance.

Source:

AARP

Drawing from personal experience and some tricky work on the internet, a list of companies that offer competitively priced if not affordable car insurance. When shopping for insurance of any type, make sure that you shop. Try as noteworthy as possible to compare apples to apples.

Insurance agents like to build in things to drive the price up to earn bigger commissions. Online agents do the reverse and may leave some key items out to design certain that they offer you the most affordable car insurance, but it may not always be the best for you. Here is a list of five companies that for the most part are well known and respected. For comparison purposes, I have traditional an aging mini-van and not-quite-new Dodge Intrepid for test purposes.

The only discounts considered are for safe driver and multiple vehicle coverage. Several of these companies give discounts for membership in some professional, governmental, and civic organizations. Because there are hundreds of these, I recommend that you check with your company or agent for such discounts.

Safeco Insurance Company is one that I have new personal experience as an insurance carrier. For the two vehicles mentioned, the six month premium paid for monthly by bank draft costs $84 per month. For this amount, both vehicles carry both liability that is required by law in most states and collision. The collision deductible is $250 per incident and comprehensive is at zero deductible. The liability limits are above the minimum at $100,000/$300,000. The policy does not include towing or rental car at this price. It does include underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage. Medical coverage is limited to $5,000.

The Hartford Insurance Company is another excellent insurer that was considered. For the same two vehicles, the cost was quoted at $68 per month via bank draft. While the price was lower than Safeco, there were some differences in the policy. The two major changes were that the collision deductible was raised to $500 per incident. The comprehensive was not available at a zero cost deductible. The quoted price included a $250 deductible on comprehensive. At this level, a no-deductible on windshield glass that can be repaired is offered. Liability and medical coverage was the same level as Safeco. Uninsured and underinsured motorist, no towing, and no rental car are also the same.

American Family was the next company viewed for affordable car insurance. The quote on the two vehicles came in at about $65 per month on bank draft. No changes were noted in the liability coverage. Medical, underinsured, and uninsured motorist were included in the premium amount. Both vehicles were covered for collision at a $500 deductible. The comprehensive was set at a $250 deductible with repairable windshield damage excluded from the deductible. The quote was obtained without towing or rental vehicle coverage.

Because of their lizard and heavy TV advertising, Geico is the next company considered for affordable car insurance. They quoted these vehicles at about $105 per month with several differences in coverage. The liabilities, underinsured, uninsured motorist coverage was the same level. The mini-van was quoted in this offer without collision or comprehensive coverage. Also, the comprehensive and collision on the Intrepid were both set at $500 per incident. Both vehicles were again quoted without towing or rental vehicle.

The final company in this list is Allstate. Having ragged this company a few times in the past, I have found them to be competitive when looking for affordable car insurance. However, for the quote on these vehicles, the monthly premium on a bank draft was $91. The coverage was the same as most of the other companies. Both vehicles were quoted with liability, comprehensive, and collision. The comprehensive and collision both carry a $500 deductible with the exception for windshield repair. Uninsured and underinsured motorist and medical coverage was included. Again, a rental replacement vehicle was not offered nor road hazard with towing.

Four out of the five of these quotes were obtained directly from agents. The fifth, Geico, was handled online only. There was no real difference in the clarity of the quotes with the exception that it is handy to have a live person to answer questions immediately. Geico’s website is fast and easy to use. I was able to get a quote within three minutes from the time that I started the obtain until the quote was offered. The agents that I dealt with in searching for possible new coverage for vehicles, were efficient, pleasant, and responded within a reasonable time frame.

It is possible to find the most affordable car insurance with a moderate amount of effort. You just need to be diligent to ask for the right or desired coverage so that the quotes are able to be compared. If you change your mind about deductible amounts or liability limits during the process, be definite to go back and be fair to earlier agents by allowing them to quote their premium amounts with the same terms.

Will Your Car Insurance Rates Increase After A DUI?

Yes. When you are convicted of a DUI, you become a risk to all car insurance companies. If you previously had a “preferred driver” policy (a preferred driver car insurance policy will have much lower insurance premiums than high-risk drivers) your insurance rates could triple. Your rates will increase because your car insurance carrier will reflect you a financial risk. If they underwrite a car insurance policy for you, they may lose money if you have a car accident that causes large damage.

What Is An SR-22 Certificate?

An SR-22 is called a Proof of Insurance certificate and identifies you as a person who has been convicted of a DUI. Many times, you can file an SR-22 through your car insurance company. However, in some cases, your insurance carrier may not have an SR-22 policy. That is, they don’t offer car insurance policies to those who have a DUI on their driving record.

When you file an SR-22 through your car insurance company, your insurance carrier must file it with the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). Once your SR-22 is filed at the DMV, any car insurance company will have access to it. When you have an SR-22 on file, car insurance companies will consider you a high-risk driver.

Can Your Car Insurance Policy Be Canceled?

Absolutely. If your car insurance company finds out about your DUI conviction, they can settle to cancel your policy. You will be forced to find another car insurance carrier to insure you, given your high-risk driver status. Your car insurance provider can also decide to simply not renew your policy at the end of its term.

Finding a new car insurance policy after your DUI presents problems, as well. Some insurance companies will insure your car. Others will not as your DUI may imply a greater financial risk to them.

Your car insurance premiums can suffer a significant increase after a DUI conviction. If you get a DUI, you have some time to plan your next steps. Assume that all car insurance carriers will know about your DUI conviction through the SR-22 filing. Though your car insurance rates will increase, you will have time to anticipate the extra insurance expense.

Two Types

There are two ways to obtain insurance, either through an actual agent or online. More traditional companies such as State Farm, American Family, and Allstate generally have individual agents who service your business and handle your policy exclusively. Companies like Geico and Progressive are more technology based companies that earn and service your business online or over the phone only, with no sigh agent. While both are perfectly acceptable ways of obtaining insurance there are some great differences between the two.

Traditional – Single Agent

Traditionally, if you wanted to purchase an auto insurance policy you would call your family agent and set up an appointment to come into the office. The benefit to sticking with this type of insurance agency is that you do receive more personalized service. You get to know your agent, meet with him or her face to face to discuss your needs, and have one specific person to call with any questions or concerns you may have regarding changes to your policy.

While this is definitely helpful in some instances, there are also downfalls. Because agents charge commissions from the actual insurance companies, this is reflected in your payment amount through higher premiums. Also, many people feel that having a mumble agent would be an advantage if you are involved in an accident as your agent will impartial handle the entire process. This is not true. Agents are in the business of selling and servicing policies, not claims. Most companies defer their handling of auto accident claims to adjusters who often work in the corporate office.

Online at By Phone

The newest way of handling your insurance is through the internet or by calling a toll-free phone number. With this type of insurance company, you do not have one specific contact but can contact the corporation directly which usually means not talking to the same person twice. Because a lot of these companies hurry on a call-center environment, they do not have the same operating costs as those with individual agents do. This difference is often reflected by lower insurance premium rates.

Best of Both Worlds

The little known fact about choosing between an online company or an individual agent is that sometimes you can have the best of both worlds. Some companies, (like Geico) have personal offices in many major metropolitan offices where you can actually go and talk to an agent versus handling everything online. Because they have fewer offices, the effect on your rates is tranquil very low. But, by having only a few small offices, these companies can peaceful offer the personalized service most policyholders want.

My Notion As A Seasoned Insurance Sales Agent/Claims Adjuster

My personal take, as a former claims professional and insurance agent? Go for the savings. Insurance rates go in cycles, but by sticking to a website or 800-number company the amount you will save far outweights speaking to a different person every time. After all, how often do you really talk to your agent? Most companies provide claims service at a corporate level, which means your agent most likely will not handle any accidents you have anyhow.

As always, I advice everyone to check their insurance rates three months before each six month renewal to try to get the best deal. Some years certain companies are the best, other years they are not. But it never hurts to check, and with the invention of internet quoting it is even easier and less time consuming.

First, look for a driving refresher course for yourself or your senior parent, because these courses can lower your auto insurance rate. They may be listed as Senior Safe Driving Courses or Driver Safety Course, but these classes can also help you on the road.

Since seniors, in most cases, have had continuous coverage for several years, they can qualify for the continuous coverage discount. Even if you plan to stay with the same auto insurance company, you can also ask your current auto insurance company for a list of available discounts you can qualify for, like putting all of your insurance needs into one company and one bill. Putting your auto, home, and life insurance policies into one, can also set aside you time, and money.

If you have not filed any claims against your auto insurance companies, or have had very few claims in the several years you have been insured, you can receive a discount for being a safe driver. Even if you have the suitable age, the right car, having a great amount of insurance claims can distress your monthly auto insurance payments.

Some auto insurance companies also offer discounts for purchasing their auto insurance online. In some cases, seniors are not computer savvy and may need assistance, so I suggest asking a relative to relieve, visit your local library or visit your local senior care center.

Below you will find a review of my top three choices for auto insurance for seniors. By purchasing your premium and paying the full payment at once, you will also save money, instead of paying monthly.

Esurance

For standard coverage for a 55 year old-fashioned senior couple driving a 2008 Chevy Cobalt, with no accidents in the past 3 to 5 years, minimum Ohio area coverage for liability, $100 deductibles for comprehension and collision, towing up to &75, and rental reimbursement of $30 per day up to $900, is about $65 per month or $400 for 6 months of auto insurance coverage. This estimate gives you a small peer at what you would be paying through Esurance. They offer quick and easy payment options online at www.esurance.com, where you can download and print a copy of your auto insurance cards immediately after your payment is processed.

The General

The General auto insurance company offers low rates on almost every insurance policy they sell, which makes them one of my current auto insurance companies. For about $56 per month or $280 for 6 months, or $550 per year, a senior couple ages 55 will receive the Ohio state minimums for liability, $250 deductibles for comprehension and collision, rental reimbursement of $25 per day up to $750, and towing up to $75 for a 2008 Chevy Cobalt. The only downfall of The General auto insurance is that the lowest deductible for comprehension and collision is $250 each, and they pay lower amounts toward rental reimbursements. You can go to www.thegeneral.com to receive a free quote. If you choose their rates, you can purchase your policy online with a credit or debit card and download and print your insurance cards at home after your payment is processed in minutes.

Progressive

Out of these three auto insurance companies, Progressive offers the lowest rate of auto insurance with the better package deals for a 55 year old senior driving a 2008 Chevy Cobalt. For about $47 per month or $255 for a 6 month premium, you will receive the highest liability coverage, $100 deductibles for comprehension and collision, rental car reimbursement of $50 per day up to $1500, roadside assistance that pays for the cost of service and or reimbursement, loan or lease payoff, and enrolls you into the Myrate plan that saves you 25% off your renewal. Progressive auto insurance is an safe choice for seniors, simply because they offer ease and convenience. For auto insurance claims, you can call their 1-800 number, and an agent will come to you. You can come by your free quote at www.progressive.com. Progressive also offers fast and convenience policy payments online, and you can download and print your auto insurance cards at home immediately after your payment has processed in minutes.

In this article, I am going to point out five different ways that you can lower teenage auto insurance rates, for your teenager. Teenagers have been the victims of higher insurance premiums for years, because the insurance company feels that as new drivers they are hazardous.

It is hard to acquire grievous cost auto insurance as a teenager because you have not had the experience of driving for a few incidental free years. Your premium will eventually go down usually by the time you are 25 years obsolete and it will be so more affordable. There are ways now that you can there effectively lower the costs of your auto insurance.

One of the ways is to lower teen auto insurance is by good grades. Many auto insurance companies will offer discounts on premiums for students who carry an A or B grade point average and many providers of auto insurance give a discount for high school students who have taken a driver’s education course. Spot Farm auto insurance offers its gain pleasurable driving program discount and that gives participants a 15% discount as long as the teen does not have a ticket or have an automobile accident. That is tremendous news for teens as well as the parents who provided the auto insurance.

One of the easiest ways to keep your auto insurance premium down as a teenager is but a practice in wonderful driving all the time. Avoid speeding tickets and auto accidents will preserve your auto insurance premiums lower. You need to realize that most auto insurance companies will look attend three to four years on you are driving record to set your auto insurance premiums, so safe driving now will pay off later.

Another way to keep on your auto insurance premiums is to get a safe and reliable car. Skip the flashy cars that can be a driving hazard and raise your insurance premiums. Make sure the car you get has antilock brakes, the safety airbags, and other safety features and this will lower your premiums to an extent.

By selecting less coverage for a car that is not worth very much you will be saving money. If the car is paid off, you may want to consider only taking out liability coverage or the minimum amount required by your site. This will help save on your auto insurance premium.

Some auto insurance companies offer discounts to customers who have more than one vehicle on a policy. To use this discount for your auto insurance premium see if your parent’s auto insurance would cover you, and then just pay your parents the difference. If their premium would go up significantly, you can also go to an auto insurance company that specializes in providing teenage insurance as they often provide discounts to teenagers.

Being a teenage automobile driver can be quite costly but there are discounts out there if you would only just take the time and look for them.

Unfortunately, the bee business isn’t going so well. A fresh phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been taking a great toll on our honey bees. During fall 2006, beekeepers in many countries around the world noticed a sudden disappearance of managed honey bee colonies, and for no apparent reason. These hives were formerly healthy, but for some reason bees simply abandoned their hives, often leaving objective the queen and a few caretakers. In February 2007, the syndrome had been named (Kaplan). Congress recognized Colony Collapse Disorder as a threat in 2007 and granted emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine honey bee disappearances. The 2008 Farm Bill granted the Department of Agriculture $20 million each year to support bee research and related work (NRDC). Research is underway to try to determine the causes of CCD, and how to prevent it from occurring. Possibilities involve combinations of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, inadequate food supply, transportation, and many different viruses. As the cause is believed to be from multiple sources, pinpointing them will be difficult. Many viruses are believed to be passed on by the mites, which in of themselves are devastating enough.

At an apiculture conference, a commercial beekeeper cries in front of the audience. In 6 months, he was broke, loosing his house, and his entire beekeeping operation had been wiped out. The cause of his disaster was two little parasites. One, the varroa mite, is described by James Tew, a specialist in beekeeping at Ohio State University, as the “biggest catastrophe to befall apiculture since its establishment in this country in the 1600s… In only a few years, the varroa mite redesigned nearly 300 years of North American apiculture in ways akin to the dramatic way the boll weevil restructured the cotton-producing industry … in the early 1920s.” Varroa mites are mountainous enough to be seen by the eye. Female varroa mites attach to bees between abdominal segments, feeding on a substance similar to our blood, called hemolmph. When females enter a nursery cell, called a brood cell, the mites lay eggs. The mite nymphs then feed on the developing bees. The mites and bees leave the brood cell together, as adults. The mites cause many birth defects, such as shortened abdomens, deformed wings and legs, or sometimes cause death. Colonies infested with varroa mites that are not treated can survive for about 8-18 months. Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, believes that the mites aren’t the main problem. He says that the mites are simply making viral transmission faster (Doebler).

The other mite feeding on honeybees are tracheal mites. These mites are much smaller than varroa mites and believed to be less perilous. These parasites live and feed in the bee’s trachea, clogging the airway and limiting respiration. The major effect of this is that bees cannot raise their metabolic rate to keep warm while they fly. Beekeepers frequently place grease patties or menthol chips inside the hives when honey is not being produced to humdrum the spread of tracheal mites.

Many studies trying to determine the cause of CCD are built on a project started for the California almond crops. The study started as a way to artificially supplement the honeybee’s diets in order to create larger colonies (Flores). As California is a major consumer of honeybee use for pollination, it is not surprising that the first inconvenience to fight CCD have started there.

Entomologist Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is working on several collaborations to try to determine the cause of CCD. One behold is looking at the combination of pesticide use and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), found in a previous study with university researcher Jay D. Evans, to be strongly associated with CCD. The second experiment will look at the effects of varroa mites and pesticides combined. If these two studies fail, other combinations will be explored. One of the issues with these and other CCD studies is that samples have only been taken after CCD has been reported. Therefore, Pettis has begun his study with three different beekeepers one both healthy and affected hives. Hopefully, the samples will give information to previous signs and causes of CCD (Kaplan). John Adamczyk, the acting research leader for ARS’s Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, explains the hope for the study: “At the end of the 5-year cycle we’ll have specific recommendations that the beekeeper could use on how to manage bees more efficiently during long-range transport for pollination. We want to be able to transfer that technology to be useful by the end user” (Flores).

A major issue is the huge outburst of IAPV. Some thought that importation of bees from Australia and China had brought the disease with them, but entomologists Yanping (Judy) Chen and Evans, both also with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory, found otherwise. Chen said that “Our study shows that, without question, IAPV has been in this country since at least 2002. This work makes it clear that IAPV is not a recent introduction from Australia” (Kaplan). This however, does not rule out IAPV as a cause of CCD.

American foulbrood a bacterial disease of the honey bee, which is very devastating to bee colonies. The most obvious symptom is a creamy or shadowy brown glue-like larval remain that can be pulled out in a rope. This test is known as the ‘matchstick test.’ It affects the brood cells, killing bees before they are productive, usually while pupae, and occasionally with larvae. Brood cells may be spotted, showing early signs (de Graaf). Introduction of American foulbrood, or any other foulbrood, can kill off all future generations of honey bees is not spotted and treated immediately. A new drug, tylosin tartrate (TYLAN Soluble), has been approved for use to treat foulbrood (Honey Bees). If treated, colonies can continue to thrive.

A very large study involving pesticides has been conducted. 158 pesticides were tested among the honey bee, the leaf cutting bee, and the alkali bee. The leaf cutting bee is a solitary nesting bee that mainly foraging on alfalfa plants. Nests are built in narrow tube-like cavities, and separate cells are made for each egg and lined with alfalfa. The cell is then plugged with alfalfa leaves, and a modern nest is made in the area. The alkali bee is also a solitary, bee that builds nests in soil. This western bee likes alkaline soils near water. The nest is between five and twenty centimeters deep, with many oval cells branching off the main shaft. This bee pollinates mainly alfalfa, onion, clover, celery, and mints. A smaller pesticide study has also been conducted on the bumble bee. Bumble bees are social insects, like honey bees. They make smaller nests, consisting of only 100-500 individuals. They prefer to nest underground, like the alkali bee, and need undisturbed meadows, conventional barns or woodlots. Bumble bees work harder than honeybees at cooler temperatures. They pollinate a larger variety of plants, but do particularly well on tomatoes and berries. The results were very similar for all species, although certain bees do better than others with different pesticides (Devillers).

Many researchers have found a completely different solution to the problem of CCD, that is, to simply not have honey bee hives. Wild bees, also known as non-honey bees, have been shown to be better pollinators than the honeybee, although it is still unclear as to whether non-native honey bees are negatively effecting wild native bee populations. Studies are conflicting, and great pollination results have occurred when used together, yet the large numbers of honeybees could have a large impact on native species if food supplies are limited (Paini). Entomologist James Cane has found that a new native bee, called the Osmia bee, or the Mason bee, is a wonderful pollinator of berries. Cane learned of the bee from bee enthusiast Ron yon der Hellen, who told Cane of the quarter-inch long metallic green bee that had housed itself in his wooden nesting boards that he keeps as housing for leaf cutting bees. Cane borrowed several hundred of these bees and found that they visited as many red raspberry flowers as did honey bees in the same amount of time,, and nearly as many blackberry flowers. While red raspberries and blackberries are self-pollinating, bee visits made berries better. Cane found that red raspberry flowers visited by honey bees or the Osmia bees bore berries that were 30% heavier. The Osmia bee however, always gathered pollen, while honeybees did not. Even better, these bees are resistant to the devastating mites. After 5 years of inspect, Cane plans to give these emerald-green bees to growers and beekeepers (Wood).

Another eye shows that native bees are up to five times more efficient at pollinating sunflowers than honeybees alone. Researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California found that wild bees play a crucial role in the pollinating process. Sarah Greenleaf, the study’s leader, says that, “Up until now, we have thought that honey bees alone were doing most of the pollination, but now we know that a lot of honey bee pollination happens because of their interaction with wild native bees. This means that wild bees are mighty, much more vital that we previously concept.” She and Claire Kremen observed the behavior of honey bees and wild native bees in sunflower fields during two different growing seasons. They found that in fields where wild bees were rare, one honeybee visit produced, on average, three seeds. As the number of wild bees increased, so did the number of seeds produced, up to 15 seeds per visit. To keep their data clean, each flower was bagged before it bloomed, allowed one visit, and then re-bagged until the seeds were produced (Two Bees). The drastic dissimilarity shows that native bees are a vital portion of the pollination process.

Native bees are shown to be the most necessary slice pollinators in a recent study of watermelon crops. This study showed that native bees alone are sufficient to pollinate the watermelon. The peer involved 46 species of wild bees, and showed that native bees, given proper habitat, could replace the honey bee if needed. Natural habitat must be provided, open soil for soil-dwelling species, and year round food supply must be available within 0.3 kilometers, although further distances may suffice (Winfree).

Native bees are a possible, and currently the best, solution to the spot of CCD. To encourage native bees to live around your home, farm, or orchard, plant native plants. Native plants will thrive without worthy care and native bees are already well great to them. Exercise diversity in color, shape, and flowering times to attract many species to make permanent homes. Not all bees like the same colors or the same shape flowers, so be determined to get a variety. Avoid pesticides, or read the Devillers study to resolve what would be safest to exercise, and when. Determined pesticides can only be mature safely on different parts of plants; however there are a few pesticides which have been shown to be completely safe for the studied bees. Nesting sites are a must, so leave so open ground undisturbed, and consider making nesting boxes (NRDC). All these things combined can help a farm or orchard attach money by not renting out honeybees, and as CCD becomes more of an issue, these prices may rise.

Although native bees seem to be a solution to the CCD problem, other issues arise. Most wild bees are solitary, making transportation to large crops like the California almonds nearly impossible. If you of honeybees stopped in the United States, the millions of dollars received from honey and beeswax would no longer exist. These products would need to be imported, and prices would rise drastically. As CCD affects the world, these products may someday be completely eliminated if we do not get a handle on CCD. Also, the different native bees have other diseases they are susceptible to, and share many of the same diseases with honeybees.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious problem effecting beekeepers, farmers, and consumers. If we cannot get a handle on what is causing this, the world may fall into a greater depression, and food prices will soar. To combat this, we need to stop abusing our honey bees and encourage native bees to take spot near farms and orchards. Pesticide use needs to be cut down, used in safer ways, or altogether eliminated. Mass transportation of hives over hundreds of miles needs to be stopped, as this likely causes big stress to the honeybees, making them more susceptible to disease.

de Graaf, D. C., “Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in Honey Bees: a Synthesis and Proposed Analytical Protocols.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 43.6 (Dec. 2006): 583-590. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 .

Devillers, J., “Comparative toxicity and hazards of pesticides to Apis and non- Apis bees. A chemometrical study.” SAR & QSAR in Environmental Research 14.5/6 (Oct. 2003): 389-403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 1 Nov. 2008 .

Doebler, Stefanie A. "The Rise and Topple of the Honeybee." Bioscience 50.9 (Sep. 2000): 738. Environment Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 3 Nov. 2008 .

Flores, Alfredo. "Improving Honey Bee Health." Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 7-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28748594&site=ehost-live.

Honey Bees Get a New Antibiotic." Agricultural Research 54.7 (July 2006): 23-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

Kaplan, J. Kim. "A Complex Buzz." Agricultural Research 56.5 (May 2008): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

NRDC: Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Sept. 2008. National Resources Defense Council. 2 Nov. 2008

Paini, D. R. "Impact of the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on native bees: A review." Austral Ecology 29.4 (Aug. 2004): 399-407. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

"Two Bees Better Than One." Science & Children 44.3 (Nov. 2006): 8-9. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM.]. 14 Nov. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22885757&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Wood, Marcia. “Wonderful Wild Bees. (Cover story).” Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

Winfree, Rachael, et al. “Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honey bee losses.” Ecology Letters
10.11 (Nov. 2007): 1105-1113. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

• 1 should have a pretty great driving record with no accidents or violations within the past 3 years There need to have been no tickets or other citations issued within 3 years also.
• 1 need to have been carrying insurance with an additional firm for at least 1 year with no lapse in coverage These providers need a proof of that also.
• It is harder to or impossible to insure a family with a new teenage driver in the household with these corporations That is not to say the organization will not insure the young driver if they already have the parent’s auto insurance.
• In no way will these businesses exclude a spouse from a policy They will not even write a new policy for anybody who requirements this completed.
• These organizations will not write an SR-22 for a individual unless they are an existing customer And even then they have the proper to deny writing an SR-22.
• Farm Bureau does have a sub-standard firm of its own, but they still will not write a individual if their driving record is too poor And various regulations apply.
• These firms will not write anybody under the age of 25 unless they have the parent’s auto insurance or the individual is married In this case both spouses have to have an superb driving record Even then the organizations have the correct to deny a policy to those under 25 unless they also have the parents insured.

These are just a few of the rules and regulations of most standard insurance organizations These could possibly sound a small unfair, but this is how these organizations maintain their premiums so low.Then you have a lot of sub-standard providers out there Secure Auto and Direct are two examples of these organizations Their rules and regulations are quiet distinctive than those of the standard corporations.

• These organizations will write a new client an SR-22 and an individual who has not been carrying insurance with an additional business.
• Most of these firms will exclude a spouse if needed.
• Most of the sub-standard firms will write a young driver with out having the parents insurance.
• They will typically write a new family with a new teenage driver in the household.
• And most of the time they will write a individual even if they have had several accidents and violations.

Once more, these are only a few rules and regulations of sub-standard firms Now with these organizations you can expect to pay a small much more than with the standard insurance providers.Thus, hopefully this will assist you out when or if you are looking for the correct auto insurance organization for you.Source:Personally working for a standard insurance business for seven years .

It’s true! Those insulted cavemen from the Geico Insurance commercials have a sitcom in development with ABC.

The cavemen ad campaign came about in 2005, with characters created by the Martin Agency, the same people behind the proposed Caveman sitcom. The premise of the Geico commercials is simple… and kind of strange. 2 cavemen, played by Ben Weber and Jeff Daniel Phillips are for, whatever reason, alive and well today, and are offended by Geico’s claim that geico.com is “so easy, a caveman could do it.”

The initial commercial, which was simple and to the “point” spawned at least 3 additional commercials, including my personal accepted (in a love to hate kind of way) that shows the Geico spokesperson who originally made the claim that geico.com was so easy a caveman could use it apologizing to the cavemen while browsing a menu at a fancy restaurant. Like in every commercial, the caveman is disgusted and that’s the gargantuan laugh. At least, I think that’s what they’re going for.

Like all things that annoy me to death, I figured the supposed-to-be-long-dead-yet-here-they-are-bugging-the-crap-out-of-me-cavemen’s days were limited. Apparently, I was wrong, and evidently, I’m in the minority wanting them to go away.

This year Geico launched a website, a highly interactive one at that, taking place in the cavemen’s apartment. This website, located at http://www.cavemanscrib.com invites you in and lets you play around with things in the apartment, including changing the music on the iPod, knocking the power out trying to microwave some dip, and even walking into the bathroom while a caveman is taking a shower. It’s like I’ve died and gone to Heaven, let me tell you. I’m distinct there’s even more to do at the caveman’s crib; I couldn’t stomach sticking around any longer to find out.

The Internet and commercials, though, do not true annoyance make. Surely, a sitcom based on the caveman characters couldn’t be a reality. Couldn’t be… but is.

ABC isn’t just talking about it, they already ordered the pilot. The tentatively named “Cavemen” is one of 14 pilots being produced by Touchstone Television for the 2007 spring season. I mediate it bears repeating… the pilot will indeed be written by Martin Agency, the creators of the cavemen for the Geico commercials.

The plot of the new Cavemen sitcom is not exactly a long shot from the commercials – they are Neanderthals who live in original times (Atlanta, 2007 to be exact) who don’t wish to be treated any differently than the rest of us. And isn’t that unbiased completely understandable… after all, they’re only supposed to be DEAD.

And there it is: The evolution from commercial, to website, to sitcom. I wonder if it’s those Nielsen families that are responsible for all this…

At any rate, how long do you think this present can pull off the same caveman reaction to the same original day prejudice? Will Geico advertising be sprinkled throughout the show, making it less a sitcom and more a really long, painful commercial?

On the upside, if they’re ever at a loss for guest stars, perhaps they could regain the gecko to make a nice cameo!

As much as I’d stay away from this show if it were on, I’m morbidly curious to gawk if it does get picked up. It’s the masochist in me, I’m tellin’ ya!