grrlscientist | September 23, 2008tags: Royal Tern, Sterna maxima, birds, nature, Image of the Day
[Mystery bird] Royal Tern, Sterna maxima, photographed flying over Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 22 August 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/2000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Below the fold is a detailed analysis for how to ID this species ..
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
The taxonomically savvy will have noticed that these quizzes are proceeding in roughly…
grrlscientist | September 23, 2008tags: William Shatner, Rocket Man, humor, funny, streaming video
This is a hilarious video William Shatner doing what he does best: overacting to the point of silliness [5:00]
grrlscientist | September 23, 2008tags: Politics, Ralph Nader, Cardozo, humor, funny, streaming video
This is a silly video by Ralph Nader, who feels left out of the political process since the electorate finally sees him for what he is. So Ralph talks about dressing up as a panda with Cardozo the Amazon parrot, who lives with former Salt Lake City Mayor, Rocky Anderson, in a lame attempt to recapture his old glory days of spoiling elections and making life worse for the electorate [2:45]
Cardozo, here you are from the free flying Amazon jungle to a cage in Utah -- albeit an open door cage with a fine master. Do not feel sad…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street, L>osing My Marbles, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Losing my Marbles (2003).
Artist: Lisa Dinhofer.
Losing my Marbles, image 1, Detail 4. Glass mosaics on mezzanine walls of the 42nd Street (Times Square) for the A, C and E trains. This mosaic was just installed since I photographed it as the adhesive was still drying and the workmen were sweeping up their mess!
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
Lisa Dinhofer uses representations of toy marbles to challenge our imaginations by playing with illusions that alter…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008
As you know, I wrote an essay on this blog about the lack of health insurance for 47 million Americans, most of whom work full-time. You might also remember that I have been writing about WNYC's wonderful series, "30 Issues in 30 Days" -- a series of informational programs where they invite either special guests or the presidential candidates' policy advisors onto the show, and have them respond to our questions and challenges. WNYC has developed a Wiki site where you can help the host, Brain Lehrer, frame and present some of these issues to his guests on our behalf. One of those wikis…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, Larus melanocephalus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
[Mystery bird] Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus [Larus] melanocephalus, stretching her wings. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright [larger view].
Two hints: (1) this is not a North American species, and (2) it's not a sandpiper.
Read Rick's analysis for identifying this species below ..
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
There's little doubt that we're on the coast again, but this bird of the shore is not -- to our…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008Here's a few new blog carnivals for you to enjoy;
Brain Blogging, 39th edition. This blog carnival is all about the brain and neuroscience.
Carnival of Cinema. I know these are serious times, but this is even more of a reason to go to the movies, right?
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: ornithology, birds, avian, National Geographic
A dragonfly has no stinger, but a European bee-eater, Merops apiaster, will beat it senseless anyway, the same way it handles its namesake prey. If the fly's wings break off, they are discarded, not eaten. The insect is then devoured as a single morsel, not as a mini-buffet of bite-size bits.
Image: Jözsef L. Szentpéteri/National Geographic online. [larger view].
I mentioned this last week, but I think it deserves a second mention: My contact, an editor at National Geographic, just sent me a link to a story and photoessay that…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
The cassowary, Casuarius casuarius,
is a large, flightless bird that is native to Australia and New Guinea.
Image: Orphaned [larger view].
Canaries in Our Coal Mine
Common birds are in decline across the world, providing evidence of a rapid deterioration in the global environment that is affecting all life on earth -- including human life. All the world's governments have committed themselves to slowing or halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. But reluctance to commit what are often trivial sums in terms of…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: socialized medicine, uninsured Americans, health care policy, election2008, politics
I have a confession to make: I am an American who has no health insurance, and I have been so ever since my postdoctoral funding ended four years ago. But I am not alone: according to the most recently available statistics, somewhere between 45-47 million Americans are living without any sort health care coverage, and every year, more and more working adults and families join the ranks of the uninsured. Shockingly, according to the Urban Institute's estimate, 22,000 Americans actually died in 2006…
grrlscientist | September 22, 2008tags: cats, pets, humor, funny, streaming video
This is a hilarious video of common ordinary cats being .. well, cats! It's humorous way to start your work week! [4:23]
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street, L>osing My Marbles, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Losing my Marbles (2003).
Artist: Lisa Dinhofer.
Losing my Marbles, image 1, Detail 3. Glass mosaics on mezzanine walls of the 42nd Street (Times Square) for the A, C and E trains. This mosaic was just installed since I photographed it as the adhesive was still drying and the workmen were sweeping up their mess!
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
Lisa Dinhofer uses representations of toy marbles to challenge our imaginations by playing with illusions that alter…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008My colleague, Tara, is feeling lonely. She asked all of us SciBlings if we would ask our readers whether any of you will be attending her Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area Millionth Comment Science Blogs Party? It's going to happen tomorrow and she will be watching the film, A Flock of Dodos at 7pm in Kollros auditorium (Biology Building East, room 101). After the movie, she plans to retreat somewhere (location TBA) for drinks and discussion. Remember that the food and drinks are FREE -- how can you pass that up?? Especially all you college peeps!
If you are going to attend, please leave a comment…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: socialized medicine, uninsured Americans, health care policy, election2008, politics
I have a confession to make: I am an American who has no health insurance, and I have been so ever since my postdoctoral funding ended four years ago. But I am not alone: according to the most recently available statistics, somewhere between 45-47 million Americans are living without any sort health care coverage, and every year, more and more working adults and families join the ranks of the uninsured. Shockingly, according to the Urban Institute's estimate, 22,000 Americans actually died in 2006…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
[Mystery bird] Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus, photographed at Smith Point, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 7 September 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Read a beautifully written and detailed analysis supporting the ID of this species below ..
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
We birders love the technical terms of our trade, delighting…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: Sarah Palin, religion, The Rapture, Keith Olberman, streaming video
Keith Olberman reports on the peculiar situation where Sarah Palin's pastor, whom Palin gives partial credit for making her the governer of Alaska (does this qualify as cheating?), was involved in chasing an innocent woman out of her home after accusing her of being a witch. We all know that Alaskans love to hunt mostly anything that moves, but .. witches?? What's next; will we be throwing misbehavin' women into ponds to see if they float? Or maybe all muslims will be perceived as witches .. what then? Because Palin has…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: 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 wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that are or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle bird pals, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is published here for your enjoyment. Here's this week's issue of the Birdbooker Report by which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will…
grrlscientist | September 21, 2008tags: politics, federal budget, funding freeze, science funding, technology funding, McCain, Ike Brannon
United States Federal Budget Discretionary Spending.
I just learned that, according to Ike Brannon, an economist and senior policy adviser to presidential candidate, John McCain, all funding -- including funding for scientific research -- will be frozen for one year if McCain is voted into the White House.
"The purpose of the freeze is to evaluate each and every program, looking at which ones are worthwhile and which are a waste of taxpayer dollars," Brannon told the Task Force on the…
grrlscientist | September 20, 2008tags: Times Square, 42nd street, L>osing My Marbles, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Losing my Marbles (2003).
Artist: Lisa Dinhofer.
Losing my Marbles, image 1, Detail 2. Glass mosaics on mezzanine walls of the 42nd Street (Times Square) for the A, C and E trains. This mosaic was just installed since I photographed it as the adhesive was still drying and the workmen were sweeping up their mess!
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
Lisa Dinhofer uses representations of toy marbles to challenge our imaginations by playing with illusions that alter…
grrlscientist | September 20, 2008tags: politics, federal budget, funding freeze, science funding, technology funding, McCain, Ike Brannon
United States Federal Budget Discretionary Spending.
I just learned that, according to Ike Brannon, an economist and senior policy adviser to presidential candidate, John McCain, all funding -- including funding for scientific research -- will be frozen for one year if McCain is voted into the White House.
"The purpose of the freeze is to evaluate each and every program, looking at which ones are worthwhile and which are a waste of taxpayer dollars," Brannon told the Task Force on the…