On Veteran’s Day  we pause to reflect on our deep appreciation for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have served so admirably, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our shared freedom. Words alone can never appropriately express our gratitude and support for our armed forces and the hardships they and their families often accept in the name of service to Country. When you meet with veterans be sure and thank them for their service and let them know you feel it was important and not forgotten. Too often veterans are viewed by some as those who do a nation’s necessary ‘dirty work’ but they are instead, selfless patriots who risk their lives for the greater good that we as Americans hold so dear. Freedom is precious, and never guaranteed, but our veterans and active duty service members are dedicated to ensuring a lasting freedom to the American way of life.

Alexander Abad-Santos 10:25 AM ET

It’s a convergence of two long-time New York Times crushes: Brooklyn and Bees.  ”Four new species of bee have been identified in the New York region, and one of them, discovered in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, has been given the mellifluous yet gritty name Lasioglossum gotham,” reports The Times‘ City Room blog.  Is it artisanal? Is it a hipster? Does it buy local? Gotham (pictured above) was one of four New York City-area bees sent to Cornell for identification. “All the bees described by Dr. Gibbs are sweat bees, which get some of their nourishment from lapping sweat off the bodies of humans and other animals, though they primarily feed on pollen and nectar from flowers.”  Nourished from the sweat of skinny-jeans, artists, and locavores and everything the New York Times loves about Brooklyn? Yum.

Photo credit: Jason Gibbs/Cornell

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/11/brooklyn-now-has-its-own-bee/44803/

A Happy and Sweet New Year To All!