It seems like it has been a long time coming, but the Inaugural Issue of An Inordinate Fondness, the monthly blog carnival for the world’s most diverse group of animals (um… beetles), has finally made its debut! I can’t tell you how much pondering, pleading, fretting, and tweaking went into bringing this newest of blog carnivals to fruition, but it was all worth it. My sincerest thanks to everyone who helped me along the way (especially Seabrooke, Amber, Jason, and Mike) and to all who contributed for this first issue. I hope you’ll take a moment to stop by and check out the many fine contributions. If you love beetles, you’ll love this issue. If beetles haven’t exactly turned you on before, maybe you’ll find a new appreciation for them after experiencing the collective passion of the contributors. If you’ve written a post about beetles, perhaps you’ll consider participating in AIF #2 to be hosted by Amber at Birder’s Lounge. I recommend this handy submission form, or contact Amber directly if you prefer. The submission deadline for issue #2 is March 15, 2010.
Also, Jason over at xenogere has just released House of Herps #3- The Time Machine. Jason has shown himself to be a natural talent at blog carnival hosting, and this edition is no exception. In his unique, singular style, Jason guides you on a trip through time to visit reptiles and amphibians of the past, present, and future.
In celebration of the debut of An Inordinate Fondness, I close with this preview of a feature that CBS did on Christopher Marley for the program “Sunday Morning.” Here is a man who not only shows the same passion for these fascinating animals that many of us feel (though I’m not sure I would characterize Titanus giganteus as “dangerous”), but also has the talent to channel his passion into exquisite works of art (sorry about the commercials!).
Okay, after hosting three blog carnivals in the past 4 weeks, I think I’ll go hibernate for awhile!
Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2010
Beetles In The Bush 
I’m tripping over myself with excitement at the first edition of AIF. Once again you’ve left me in awe. And the outpouring of support from the blogosphere is humbling.
Kudos to you, Ted, for pursuing the effort!
I can’t tell you how nervous I was leading up to it – what if it flopped? What if nobody submitted? What if I heard a collective “yawn” from the nature/science blogging community? My fears seem to have been unfounded – contributions came, page hits ensued (almost 400 the first day alone), and I am humbled by the many wonderful comments that folks have left. A good start – now to keep it going!
And thanks for your support!
Congrats, Ted! Sounds like you’re off to a great start with AIF – no more fretting! Now you can relax and enjoy!
Thank you, Amber. Your help has been much appreciated.
Are you serious, three carnivals in four weeks? Ted, you deserve a medal for that accomplishment! It’s about all I can do to manage one in a month.
Just discovered Christopher Marley a couple of months ago, when I found his calendar on the clearance racks at the bookstore. Normally I try to buy calendars like Greenpeace where profits go back to conservation, but I couldn’t resist this one.
Suffice it to say, I’ll be a lot smarter next time before getting myself into that kind of commitment. Some extraordinary personal events coming down right on top of everything at the same time made the last month as challenging as any I’ve had in awhile.
Still, it was an enjoyable experience, and I feel I’ve grown considerably from it.