grrlscientist | December 30, 2007tags: chinese new year, online quiz
I am a DOG? And I am most compatible with a tiger or horse?
You Should Have Been Born Under:
You are totally loyal, faithful, and honest.
However, you don't trust others to be as ethical as you are!
Straight forward and direct, you really aren't one for small talk.
You are a great listener - and an agreeable companion when you're in a good mood!
You are most compatible with a Tiger or Horse.
What Year Should You Have Been Born Under?
grrlscientist | December 29, 2007tags: outback mosaic, Australia, NewScientist, Image of the Day
Outback mosaic.
Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent and has the most variable rainfall.
Image: Carole Tilney 2007 (NewScientist calendar 2008). [Much larger view]
grrlscientist | December 29, 2007tags: online fortune generator, fortune cookie, online game
I found a fortune cookie fortune generator online for you all to play with. I got a weird fortune and I am curious as to what fortune you got.
Your Fortune Is
Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!
The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator
grrlscientist | December 28, 2007tags: blue poison dart frogs, Dendrobates azureus, Dendrobatidae, NewScientist, Image of the Day
Blue Poison Dart Frogs, Dendrobates azureus.
Dendrobates azureus is a species of poison dart frog found in the Sipaliwini District in Suriname of South America.
Image: Gail Shumway/Getty Images 2007 (NewScientist calendar 2008). [Much larger view]
The poison dart frog is the common name for the Dendrobatidae family of small, diurnal frogs that are endemic to Central and South America. These frogs are widely referred to as poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs, which reflectes the widespread…
grrlscientist | December 28, 2007tags: marine fish, benthic fish, new species, streaming video
This is a wonderful streaming video that shows footage of a variety of new species of benthic sea life discovered by a new submersible with a camera -- prepare to be amazed. Includes a nice soundtrack, too [4:52]
grrlscientist | December 27, 2007tags: I and the Bird, blog carnivals
The latest edition of the SheBlog carnival is now available. It is interesting to note that this blog carnival will be the featured blog carnival next week on the blog carnival site (does this make sense?).
grrlscientist | December 27, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, champion racehorses, thoroughbred, genetic correlation, heritability, Equus caballus, nature versus nurture
Seattle Slew (1974-2002), the only undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown (1977).
I have been thinking about a paper that was published last week, that analyzed the effects of "nature versus nurture" on the development of a champion racehorse. In short, this paper found that the effects of a horse's pedigree is minor when compared to its environment .. the combined effects of training, diet, choice of races entered, jockey skill and of course, injuries…
grrlscientist | December 27, 2007tags: I and the Bird, blog carnivals
The 65th edition of the birding blog carnival, I and the Bird, is now available for you to enjoy. There's lots of birding tips there, as well as some Christmas Bird Count news, too.
grrlscientist | December 27, 2007tags: Siberian tiger, Amur tiger, Panthera tigris altaica, NewScientist, Image of the Day
Amur (Siberian) tiger, Panthera tigris altaica.
Tigers are most commonly poached for their fur and body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is estimated that in 1991 alone, one-third of the Siberian tiger population was killed to meet the demand for their bones and other parts used in this practice.
Image: Barry Slade, 2007 (NewScientist calendar 2008). [Much larger view]
grrlscientist | December 27, 2007tags: slow motion, streaming video
Have you ever seen the details how a lighter lights up? How a face is deformed after a punch or slap? How a water balloon explodes? How a rocket is fired and how a gun is fired? How an apple, banana, golf ball, concrete slab and other things are shot through with a bullet? How an arbalest is fired? How a bomb explodes? All these things and more can be seen on this streaming video. My favorite is watching the pigeon take off from its perch. [6:33]
grrlscientist | December 26, 2007I am sorry that my writing has slowed, but I am sick right now with a nasty cough. I get this same cough every year at this time (is it bronchitis? or "walking" pneumonia? I have had pneumonia several times so far). This cough hangs on for many weeks, or even months, and makes me exhausted and utterly miserable.
Anyway, I've been in bed all day, except when I venture out to take care of my birds and to care for the animals I am petsitting over the holidays. The worst thing is that I am not so ill as to sleep all the time -- quite the opposite, because I cannot sleep at all, which makes me…
grrlscientist | December 26, 2007tags: Kunjarra Ceremonial Grounds, environment, NewScientist, Image of the Day
Kunjarra Ceremonial Grounds.
This picture shows laminar flow amongst the clouds, as air currents of different density -- generated from distant thunderstorm cells -- collide over the granite boulders.
Image: Barry Slade, 2007 (NewScientist calendar 2008). [Much larger view]
grrlscientist | December 26, 2007tags: peacock, Pavo cristatus, pug, streaming video
This amusing streaming video shows what happens when a peacock and a pug meet -- in the pug's own backyard! [2:23]
grrlscientist | December 25, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, psychology, gift wrapping, wrapping paper, behavior, holidays, holidaze
Besides bright lights, my favorite thing about the holidays is wrapping gifts. I love covering a boxed gift with colored papers (or even with plain brown paper bags), I get tremendous satisfaction from folding the paper so it makes precise corners and then I especially enjoy decorating the wrapped gift with bows, ribbons and toy flowers and birds, christmas ornaments or other decorations. I also enjoy figuring out how to wrap unusually shaped objects. However, my most favorite thing to do…
grrlscientist | December 25, 2007
Orpheus, a male Hawk-headed (red fan) parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus,
Christmas day 2007.
This is the best picture I've taken of him so far, but unfortunately,
I didn't notice that he had a bit of dried food stuck to the side of
his beak until after I took the picture. Of course, after removing it,
(wouldn't you know it) I was unable to get another suitable image!
Image: GrrlScientist, December 2007.
grrlscientist | December 25, 2007tags: raccoon, Procyon lotor, mammals, NYC, Central Park, Image of the Day
Female raccoon, Procyon lotor, named "Brownie", who lives in Central Park, NYC.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [wallpaper size].
This sweet image is a Christmas/New Year's gift from one of my readers and long-time friends, Bob Levy, to me and to all of you!
The photogrpaher writes; I have been saving this image made last March as my Christmas and News Years present to you. I consider it to be the cutest of the cute from my "Almost-too-cute-for-words" file. I call this Raccoon Brownie because her fur is…
grrlscientist | December 25, 2007tags: kissing under the mistletoe, holidaze, humor, streaming video
I love christmas, so Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy your holidays as much as is portrayed in this video! [0:29]
grrlscientist | December 24, 2007tags: Carnival of Christmas, blog carnivals
The 2007 edition of the Carnival of Christmas is now available for you to enjoy. I admit that, even though I am religiously-challenged, I still participated cuz, hey, I love christmas (well, I love any excuse to celebrate, so I love all the holidays)!
(And besides, christmas was co-opted from a MUCH earlier heathen holiday, so I am not celebrating christmas in the true sense of the word, I am celebrating the "festival of lights" on one of the shortest days of the year, cuz the lights are what I truly enjoy about christmas).
grrlscientist | December 24, 2007tags: christmas tree, holidays, photography
This is the Christmas tree located in my "watering hole", where I will be located this very evening, in fact, hanging out with friends. Unfortunately, I am not sure if I will have free wifi access on Christmas or New Year's days since the public libraries are closed on both holidays, but if I do find free wifi anywhere, it will be here!
Image: GrrlScientist 2007 [really large view]
I am having a great time, listening to christmas music in the pub and now, at this very moment, the bartender is playing some really fabulous music, Rumpelstiltskin,…
grrlscientist | December 24, 2007tags: seedhead on ice, plants, photography, nature, Image of the Day
This is the last image in a series of photos that my friend and long-time reader, Dave Rintoul, took in the aftermath of the recent ice storm that gripped the midwest of the United States. This series began on 20 December.
Seedhead on Ice (Ice Storm, 2007)
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger view]
Go here to see more of Dave's ice storm photography.