Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
December 13, 2006
A recent government report tells how antidepressants can actually increase the risk of suicidal behavior for people up to age 24. It plans new warning labels and says users of all ages should be closely monitored.
Still, mental health experts worry that additional warnings could curtail use of…
December 13, 2006
From what I've seen on TV, I like Obama, but I am a cautious sort and worry that there is something wrong with the senator from Illinois -- something that will become obvious after election time has passed. It wouldn't be the first time.
He mentions Martin Luther King without reminding you of…
December 13, 2006
As if the English and Americans can't think of enough verbal insults on our own, the Germans have gotten together to offer us a few more. The Goethe Institute in Munich held a competition to nominate real insulting German words that would most benefit English cussing. The winner? Fachidiot.
It…
December 13, 2006
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Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
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tags: orca, shark. weird facts
December 13, 2006
Chrysalis of Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae,
Nelson Farms Preserve, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Texas.
NABA Butterfly Count, 10 September 2006.
This is a case of mimicry where the chrysalis resembles bird poop.
Image: Biosparite.
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers…
December 13, 2006
The Elements.
Orphaned Image. This lovely image was sent to me in email but I unfortunately cannot find any information about it so I can give proper attribution.
December 12, 2006
Where the hell DID we all come from? The true source of the big bang, according to the scriptures.
December 12, 2006
Now they've bastardized my favorite christmas movie! But I'd pay the price of admission to see GW in the bunny pajamas!
December 12, 2006
I went for my intake interview at one of the "aftercare" clinics today. Originally, this appointment had been scheduled for yesterday but because I put that piece of paper into a very very safe place, I (of course) could not find it when I needed it, so I missed my appointment.
The interview…
December 12, 2006
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Despite his overly-loud supporters, if there was ever one thing that George W. Bush excells at, it is failure. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, a 54% majority recognized that Bush is a below-average or poor president, more than double the negative rating given any of his…
December 12, 2006
US Congressman, Silvestre Reyes, a Texas Democrat, claimed that al-Qaeda was a predominantly Shia organisation. But the opposite is true -- al-Qaeda are Sunni extremists.
Because Mr Reyes is a long-time member of the House Intelligence Committee and will become its new chairman in January, you'd…
December 12, 2006
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315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
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tags: dictionary, misspelled words. weird facts
December 12, 2006
Light from the Heart Nebula
What powers the Heart Nebula? The large emission nebula dubbed IC 1805 looks, in whole, like a human heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light emitted by its most prominent element: hydrogen. The red glow and the larger shape are all created by a small group of…
December 12, 2006
Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus.
Orphaned image. Please contact me for proper attribution and linkage.
As I get my blog-feet under me, one of the things I plan to do is to resume publishing Birds in the News on Mondays, at noon, EST. Until that happy moment, perhaps you will enjoy seeing a…
December 11, 2006
The best medical blog writing awards for 2006 are now accepting nominations for a variety of categories, including several new categories, such as "Best Patient's Blog." Now, I am not saying that my nuthouse journaling was written for the purpose of winning such a nomination (it certainly was not…
December 11, 2006
The newest edition of the Carnival of the Liberals is now available for your reading pleasure. I should mention that this is the first year anniversary of this blog carnival, and the editor chose the best ten essays from the past year, so this edition is full of high quality material for you to…
December 11, 2006
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Wouldn't you just love to blow up your laptop in the hands of its thief after it's been stolen? Well, that might be possible soon since scientists have discovered a new way to make silicon explode.
[ .. ] Michael Sailor and his colleagues at the University of California in San Diego have…
December 11, 2006
I know that some of you are reading specifically to see how I am doing now that I am out of the nuthut, so I will provide you with updates every so often. I will signify these personal updates with the bird icon that you see to the left, so if this sort of thing bores you, you are forwarned and can…
December 11, 2006
Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens
Notice the beautifully delicate body coloration and nearly invisible black veination in the otherwise transparent wings.
W. 11th St. Park Butterfly Garden, Houston, Texas.
October 2006
Biosparite writes; While I visited the West 11th st. Park, I was fortunate…
December 11, 2006
Below the fold is a link to an article that you should read about our nation's food supply written by Eric Schlosser, the journalist who wrote the brilliant expose, Fast Food Nation.
This fall has brought plenty of bad news about food poisoning. More than 200 people in 26 states were sickened and…
December 10, 2006
Here is a quiz that will tell you if you are a nerd, a geek or a dork -- by the way, it also tells you the definitions of those words, too.
Pure Nerd
91 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 21% Dork
For The Record:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/…
December 10, 2006
White pairie aster, Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides
W. 11th St. Park Butterfly Garden, Houston, Texas.
28 October 2006
Biosparite writes; This tiny aster, about 8 mm or so, was driving a lot of the bee and butterfly nectaring activity this past summer at the W. 11th st. Park. People with…
December 10, 2006
This article is so good that I just had to quote a few choice bits here for you to read, but there's more of this if you follow the link below.
If the blue states are sinkholes of moral decay, as right-wing pundits insist, how come red states lead the nation in violent crime, divorce, illegitimacy…
December 10, 2006
Image source.
Environmentalists want to use corn to produce ethanol as an alternative fuel, especially as we run out of fossil fuels. However, there is a growing conflict between the 800 million automobile owners who want to continue driving their vehicles and the poorest 2 billion people in the…
December 9, 2006
Texan crescents, Phyciodes texana, mating.
W. 11th St. Park Butterfly Garden, Houston, Texas.
28 October 2006
Biosparite writes; The Texan Crescents pictured here are also multivoltine. This species is the mascot of BEST-NABA (North American Butterfy Association).
Image: Biosparite.
I am…
December 9, 2006
Like, DUH!
Paul Taylor at the Pew Research Center writes that in the six years since President Bush was first elected, two unprecedented things have happened to America's optimists. They've become much more Republican. And there are fewer of them.
These trends are revealed by Election Day exit…
December 8, 2006
I am piggybacking from home on my beloved mac laptop (I wish I could afford my own wifi connection). I am just going to free-associate here for a few minutes for those of you who are interested to read such random things. One random thing I wanted to mention is that it has been 115 days ago when I…
December 8, 2006
Green Tree Frogs, Hyla cinerea.
Nelson Farms Preserve, KPC, NABA Butterfly Count, 4 September 2006.
Biosparite writes; For the sake of completeness, here is the entire frog photo from an earlier image. The male is supposed to be smaller than the females. Color is variable, but the paler specimen…
December 8, 2006
Ebola Virus, one of the most deadly of all viral diseases, has killed more than 5,000 gorillas in the Republic of Congo and Gabon, located in central Africa. In addition to commercial hunting of gorillas, this outbreak of ebola could be sufficient to push gorillas into extinction.
The study,…
December 8, 2006
How do you say goodbye to a group of people whom you've lived with during the past 115 days? How do you say goodbye to a group of people who have suffered from their personal demons alongside you for such a long period of time? How do you say goodbye to people -- the patients, staff and doctors --…