grrlscientist | March 8, 2009tags: fortress, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Suomenlinna.
Photographed at Suomenlinna on Kalevalapaäivä (Kalevala Day).
This is one of my favorite places to visit in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 28 February 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | March 8, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"One cannot have too many good bird books"
--Ralph Hoffmann, Birds of the Pacific States (1927).
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which…
grrlscientist | March 8, 2009tags: leucistic House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] leucistic House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, photographed on Farm Island near Pierre, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 16 February 2009 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 50D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
"It's not in the book."
A birding acquaintance of mine, long since passed away, I fear, once told me about the "…
grrlscientist | March 8, 2009tags: books, memoir, godlessness, losing faith, William Lobdell
I am most pleased to tell you that William Lobdell, an award-winning journalist from the LATimes, who is also a new book author, as well as a blog writer, college lecturer and public speaker and media consultant, will be in NYC this coming Saturday to talk about and read from his hot-off-the-presses book, Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America -- and Found Unexpected Peace.
When: Saturday, March 14, 300pm - 430pm
Where: The third floor of the Muhlenberg Branch of the Public Library, 209 W.…
grrlscientist | March 8, 2009tags: atheism, godlessness, religion, Religion in America, streaming video
This streaming video highlights what would happen if all atheists were to leave America. It tells you who would leave, what would change, and gives a look at other countries that have virtually no Atheists. [2:18]
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009tags: Chambers Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Oculus, Andrew Ginzel, Kristin Jones, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Oculus, #1 (1998).
Stone and glass floor mosaic at Park Place entrance, which connects to this station via a tunnel; also there are hundreds of stone mosaic eyes on the walls throughout Chambers Street station complex (C & E trains).
Artists: Andrew Ginzel & Kristin Jones.
Image: GrrlScientist, 3 January 2009 [larger view].
Oculus is located in passageways under the World Trade Center and was largely untouched by the events of 9/1l. Oculus…
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009Here's the latest carnivalia to keep you entertained;
Just Write blog carnival, 6 March 2009 edition, is now available for you to enjoy. This edition has several stories that I am interested to read, especially Results from the January 2009 Survey of Writer and Editors: 5 Ways to Boost Professional Credibility.
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009tags: Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Päivä pääsi kalliosta.
Photographed at Suomenlinna on Kalevalapaäivä (Kalevala Day).
This is one of my favorite places to visit in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 28 February 2009 [larger view].
Se on seppo Ilmarinen sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi:
"Mitä, lintu, tänne lennit, tulit, kyyhky, kynnykselle?"
Vastasi otus ovelta, virkkoi kyyhky kynnykseltä:
"Tuota lienen kynnyksellä sanomata saattamassa:
jopa kuu kivestä nousi, päivä pääsi kalliosta."
-- Kalevala, Yhdeksäsviidettä runo.
English translation:
"Wherefore…
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009tags: Streak-backed Oriole, Icterus pustulatus microstictus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Streak-backed Oriole, Icterus pustulatus microstictus, photographed at the Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 15 December 2006 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Any doubt that this is an oriole? Good. Confused about just what an oriole is? Better.
The English word was first applied, naturally…
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009tags: ScienceOnline09, blogosphere
I sometimes wonder what sort of impact I have on the world, beyond re-arranging a few bazillion electrons, so I was surprised and charmed to learn that Glendon Mellow wrote a very sweet essay at his blog, The Flying Trilobite, that was inspired by my friend and colleague, Kevin Zelnio and me that you might find interesting to read (and also thanks to ScienceOnline09).
grrlscientist | March 7, 2009tags: The Science Behind the Movie, Watchmen, physics, superheroes' superpowers, education, streaming video
In this streaming video, University of Minnesota physics professor James Kakalios discusses how he consulted with Warner Bothers to add a physics perspective to their upcoming movie, Watchmen. Kakalios discusses how quantum mechanics can explain Dr. Manhattan's super human powers in the film, and how he, the good professor, came to become an expert on the topic of the physics of superheroes [6:49]
grrlscientist | March 6, 2009tags: medical emergency, Finnish Emergency Medicine, Malmin sairaala, Malmi Hospital, Töölön sairaalan, Töölö Hospital, Klinikka 22, Helsinki Finland
Ambulanssi Töölön sairaalan tapaturma-aseman edessä, Helsingissä
[Ambulance in front of Töölö hospital, Helsinki, Finland]
Image: Hehkuviini, 29 January 2009 (Wikipedia commons) [larger view].
As you all might recall, I was going to visit Tallinn, Estonia yesterday. I spent a few hours looking at maps, photographs and reading about other people's visits, and generally getting very excited about this unexpected adventure.
Alas…
grrlscientist | March 6, 2009tags: Eurasian Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris exalbidusi, cute overload, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Eurasian Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris exalbidus.
Photographed on Bob O'Hara's balcony outside his apartment.
Image: Bob O'Hara, 5 March 2009 (visit the link to see the rest of the story!) [larger view].
grrlscientist | March 6, 2009tags: Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus, photographed at Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 9 December 2005 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 50D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | March 6, 2009tags: The Science of Cuteness, cute overload, baby animals, behavior, streaming video
The "science of YouTube" guys are back, with a look at the true meaning of cute web videos [2:33]
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: Rautatientori Metroasema, Central Railway Station Subway Art, Helsinki Finland, Metro -- Friday evening, Sanna Karlsson-Sutisnas, subway art, photography
Metro -- Friday evening, right side (Installed: 23 November 2007).
Rautatientorin Metroasema (Central Railway Station) Subway Art, Helsinki, Finland.
Artist: Sanna Karlsson-Sutisnas.
Image: GrrlScientist, 19 February 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: Snow and sun, Aurinko Ja Lumi, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Aurinko Ja Lumi.
Photographed at Suomenlinna on Kalevalapaäivä (Kalevala Day).
This is one of my favorite places to visit in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 28 February 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: Tallinn Estonia, travel, photography, Europe
Tallinna sadam, Eesti Vabariik (The Port of Tallinn, Estonia).
Image: Ralf Roletschek (Wikipedia) [larger view].
I am SO EXCITED! As if spending three glorious weeks in Helsinki, Finland isn't enough, I will be visiting Eesti Vabariik, or Estonia, tomorrow. I will arise at the buttcrack of dawn and travel by ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, a two hour ride. According to my sources, the ferry has a free wireless connection, although I don't know if there are any outlets available (but it seems reasonable that there would be), so I might be…
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: OpenLab2008, Open Laboratory 2008, science writing, blog writing, books
Great news: as of today, Open Lab 2008 is now available for you to read and enjoy! My regular readers are aware that once again, one of my pieces was accepted in this year's OpenLab -- quite an honor since there are only three other people whose essays have managed to be included in all three volumes of OpenLab! Even more astonishing, only 50 essays, one poem and one cartoon were chosen from the more than 830 submissions to OpenLab2008.
OpenLabs are anthologies of the finest science, nature and medical writing…
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: Attwater's Prairie Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido attwateri, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Attwater's Prairie Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido attwateri, photographed in Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 6 December 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.