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STOP PRESS!! Have you tried the YouTube Playlist featuring all of my compositions for the TRANSFORMATES? Here it is:

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This weeks blog features three very different subjects linked by one common theme: insects.

The first two subjects are items I came across recently in the German language Alpine Press and I thought they would be of interest to a more international audience.

Experiments on Concentration Camp Victims with Malaria in Support of Offensive Biological Warfare by the Nazis.

I was particularly concerned upon reading about some research carried out in the German University of Tübingen by Dr. Klaus Reinhardt. He investigated some of the old archives of research work carried out for the SS at Dachau during the second World War. His conclusion from this work was that the Nazis were indeed developing biological warfare to be used against the allied troops. More specifically he uncovered text in the research notes that show that tests were being carried out on the most suitable mosquitoes to deliver malaria when dropped behind allied lines.

To find out about this research and some of the other atrocious supporting experiments carried out on the inmates at the Dachau Concentration Camp please take a look at my more detailed article under the Alpine Press section of this website. You can use the link here.

Killer Ant Populations Capable of Building Seaworthy Craft in their Quest for Global Supremacy 

Moving on to a rather different aspect of biological warfare you may find my next article of interest, particularly if your home or garden suffers from plagues of ants.

Although I came across this article in Germany most of the research was carried out in Texas. I am sure I do not need to point out to our Texan visitors how unpleasant the poisonous bites from Fire Ants can be. In my article on this subject I describe the research carried out into the ‘ship-building’ capability of these rather unpleasant colonists. This ability is what has enabled them to escape from the floods in the rain forests of South America where they originally evolved and discover the new virgin lands of the South USA.

The article goes on to describe how the fire ants appear to have met their match in another South American illegal immigrant, namely the Crazy Ant. Research has been carried out to explain how the crazy ant is able to resist the powerful toxins of the fire ant (this could be of interest if you live in Texas!). As a result crazy ants are starting to displace parts of the fire ant population. There is however one important downside to this latest development in the ant wars – if you have electrical/electronic equipment you might find the article worth a quick read. Again my report on this subject can be found in the Alpine Press section of this website. Just use the link here.

Fireflies Supporting Musical Performances (by London Grammar).

My third and final insect story this week has a musical angle. After a rather stressful days work pushing back the frontiers of risk management in the oil industry I often relax in my private gym (OK, by doing the ironing) and listen to music on BBC 6 Music’s Radcliffe and Maconie show on the I-player.

Last week I was so impressed with a track played by the trio London Grammar that I immediately turned on the keyboards and started jamming along (fortunately I keep my keyboards close to the ironing board). The song is called Hey Now and the insect connection? Well they have fireflies starring in their video. If you would like to take a look here it is with the fireflies dancing to a laser show:

I would be surprised if anyone can continue ironing during that song. London Grammar is a trio that met at Nottingham University (remind me to tell you one day about my own career as one of Nottingham’s up and coming organists on the local rock music scene some 40 years ago!). If you would like to see what London Grammar looks like playing a live session please take a look at the following set taken from KEXP radio in Seattle. Hannah Read the lead singer reminds me very much of the early Judie Tzuke (yes also over 30 years ago!).

They released their début album ‘If you wait’ on 9th September 2013.

So that’s all from ‘Insect News’ for this week. If you have any comments, suggestions or recommendations please use the comments box below. Back now to my private ‘gym’.

Chris Duggleby