Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
December 12, 2007
tags: Deroptyus accipitrinus, hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, pets, birds, avian, parrots
Adult red fan (hawk-headed) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus.
(Adults of both sexes are distinguished from juveniles
by the creamy white spot on the forehead
and the orange ring around the pupil of the…
December 12, 2007
tags: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will…
December 12, 2007
tags: two-fork toothpick trick, physics, streaming video
This streaming video shows a fun trick that you can use to impress your friends! But seriously, how does this trick work? [2:01]
Awesome Toothpick Fork Trick
December 11, 2007
tags: holidays, social relationships, gift-giving, psychology, behavioral evolution, evolution
Since the holidays are upon us once more, I thought you would be interested to read about the psychology of gift-giving. In short, even though giving someone a gift is simple enough, the psychology…
December 11, 2007
Everyone knows that the universal language of science is English, which is not to say that scientific papers are not published in other languages, but if the author wants his or her papers to be widely read, they must publish in English. However, the citizens of the world speak many different…
December 11, 2007
tags: Magnificent Hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely…
December 11, 2007
tags: Hollywood writers' strike, cute internet animals, humor, politics, streaming video
This is hilarious. All the cute animals on the internet are going on strike (by not being cute or adorable anymore) in support of the Hollywood writers' strike. From Colbert Report writers Frank Lesser and Rob…
December 10, 2007
tags: carnival of family life, blog carnivals
What do you think of when you hear the word "family"? Relatives, right? Well, the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Family Life covers that aspect of family, as well as including my own peculiar definition of family life! So of course, you have to go there…
December 10, 2007
tags: cats, blog carnivals
Zed Monster and his human are presenting the 194th edition of the Carnival of Cats for you to enjoy. Also available for all you cat lovers is the 22nd edition of the Bad Kitty Cat Festival. Both are are packed full of furry purry goodness! Oh, the bad kitty cat festival…
December 10, 2007
tags: she blog carnival, blog carnivals
The 7th edition of the She Blog Carnival is now available for you to read. This carnival has some really interesting and important essays, especially the one about the rate of poverty in elderly women.
December 10, 2007
tags: James Watson, racism, African ancestry, genetics, genome, deCODE Genetics
James Watson, 1962 Nobel Prize winner
for co-discovering the structure of DNA along with
Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins.
This is one of the funnier things I've read recently. It turns out that 1962 Nobel laureate…
December 10, 2007
tags: happiness carnival, blog carnivals
This is going to shock some people who know how cranky I have been recently due to my professional situation, but a contribution from me was included in the December issue of the Happiness Carnival. Yes, I know, I am the last one who you would suspect is…
December 10, 2007
tags: Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will…
December 10, 2007
tags: science, public policy, politics, federal funding, research, reality-based government, 2008 American presidential elections, ScienceDebate2008
There are plenty of debates for presidential candidates on all sorts of topics, but have you noticed that none of these debates include any…
December 10, 2007
tags: Observations of Daily Life, blog carnivals
The 9 December edition of the Observations of Daily Life blog carnival is now available. There are lots of interesting stories there to be read, some with a holiday theme, so sit down with a cup of coffee or egg nog and treat yourself!
December 10, 2007
tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Winter in NYC means the return of migratory White-throated Sparrows, Zonotrichia albicollis (this bird is in its first winter plumage). There are thousands of these birds in Central Park and in the other parks here,…
December 10, 2007
tags: Jim Henson, Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, outtakes, streaming video
This is a series of outtakes from Jim Henson's Muppets christmas special, a focus on the talent contest -- this should help you on your way to the holidays in fine shape [7:53]
December 9, 2007
tags: Walmart, Walmart Cake
Would you like to work for a place that does something like this?
I wonder if the conversation that led to this cake went something like this?
Walmart Employee: Hello dis Walmarts, how can I help you?
Customer: I would like to order a cake for a going away party this…
December 9, 2007
tags: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will…
December 9, 2007
tags: christmas stocking, online quiz
Here is an amusing online quiz for you to play with -- I don't know about you, but I sure hope that my stocking is filled with the goodies that the quiz predicted for me!
You Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled with Money
You've either been really really…
December 8, 2007
I have been reading reviews about digital cameras until I am ready to go blind, but I finally made a decision, as you can tell if you read below (and look to the right).
First of all, my constraints were that I could choose any digital camera that was $300 or less, and I could spend up to $50 on a…
December 8, 2007
tags: Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorous rufus, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely be…
December 8, 2007
You may not remember this, but one year ago today, I was discharged from the nuthouse after being hospitalized for a little longer than four months. What a long journey it's been since that day, one year ago. I was intensely lonely and barely functional for oh so many months, and the doctors were…
December 8, 2007
tags: elf name, online quiz
This is an absolutely silly online quiz, but that doesn't stop me from playing with it anyway, nor should it stop you!
Your Elf Name Is...
Spicy Stocking Stuffer
What's Your Elf Name?
December 7, 2007
tags: meme, 7 Random Things, Seven Random Things blog meme
One of the very first people who ever read or linked to my blog, Tabor, tagged me to participate in a blog meme. Since I am a veteran blog whore who always is looking to increase my traffic, I will play, although grudgingly, because I hate…
December 7, 2007
tags: Costa's Hummingbird, Calypte costae, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely be…
December 7, 2007
tags: Friday Ark, blog carnivals
The 168th edition of the Friday Ark is now available for you to enjoy. This blog carnival specializes in linking to images of animals, although some of these images also have stories that accompany them. They included some of my contributions, too!
December 7, 2007
tags: hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, Psittacus e. erithacus, African grey parrot, streaming video
This is an amusing streaming video of Bibi, an African grey parrot who clearly enjoys talking. [0:53]
Dirty Bird
December 6, 2007
tags: emotional health, mood, happiness, National Lottery
"Money can't buy happiness" as the old addage goes, and every once in awhile, that's actually true, too. Yesterday, for example, I read an article based on scientific research that suggested that it's the simple things in life that make…
December 6, 2007
tags: Eclectus roratus solomonensis, parrots, pets, birds, avian, behavior
Sophie, a female Solomon Islands Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus solomonensis,
who looks just like my own Elektra.
Image: Courtesy of Denise and Dave Bell/Eclectus House.
As I had mentioned earlier, I am playing host…