grrlscientist | December 20, 2007tags: Friday Ark, blog carnivals
This week's edition of the Friday Ark is now available for you to enjoy, and just in time, too, WHEW!
grrlscientist | December 20, 2007
This worthless jackass claims to be my president.
George Bush; a hypocrite? Well, I am shocked, simply shocked, I tell you.
Well, okay, all sarcasm aside, I am very surprised to hear that the politically conservative George Bush, who demands mindless and unquestioning loyalty from his minions, has shown his true colors by betraying all those people who supported him throughout his entire political career: political conservatives. Today, Bush denied California state's bid to regulate greenhouse gas emissions produced by all new automobiles that are sold there -- a move that flies in the…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2007tags: The Snoring Bird, Bernd Heinrich, book review, birds, ornithology, biography, science
I remember that I felt very cold when I read Bernd Heinrich's book, Ravens in Winter, even though it was a hot summer day. That was the first of Heinrich's books that I read, but it definitely wasn't the last. I just finished reading his most recent book, The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology (NYC: HarperCollins; 2007) and just as I wore a sweater while I finished his Ravens in Winter, I found that my normally routine daily subway rides to and from the library were…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2007tags: zebras, Equus quagga burchelli, photography, Image of the Day
Burchell's (plains) zebras, Equus quagga burchelli, create a mirror image in their enclosure at the Zoological Park in Delhi, India.
Image: BBCNews.
Burchell's zebra has distinctive stripes that run diagonally and lengthways on the rump and continue on to the belly. They often have chestnut or yellowish "shadow" stripes in the middle of the white stripes on their rumps. If you look closely at the two animals in the image, you'll notice that they are not marked identically -- in fact, each individual zebra has a unique…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2007tags: Deroptyus accipitrinus, hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, pets, birds, avian, parrots
I hope to post an update about my parrots every Friday, complete with pictures.
Orpheus, a very young male red fan (hawk-headed) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus,
who lives with me (December 2007).
GrrlScientist, 2007 [larger view].
Orpheus has been busy this past week, destroying or trying to destroy nearly every material object that I own and behaving in an aggressive manner towards me, so -- sadly -- I clipped his primaries to prevent him from flying freely around my apartment. It made me…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2007tags: parody, humor, satire, La Marche de l'Empereur, The March of the Penguins movie trailer, streaming video
This is an ad for a French TV channel using a spoof of the trailer for The March of the Penguins movie. This hilarious satire includes subtitles, but seriously, I don't think you need them very much [1:07]
grrlscientist | December 19, 2007tags: christmas tree, holidays, photography
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Christmas Tree, 2007.
This tree stands in the plaza between the New York State Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House, and Avery Fischer Hall -- I walk past this tree twice every day on my way to the library where I get free wifi. It's a lot prettier at night than it is during the day (I think it is very ugly in the daytime). In the background, you can see the lights from a few buildings that look out over the western side of Central Park in Manhattan.
Image: GrrlScientist 2007 [really large view]
grrlscientist | December 19, 2007tags: Tangled Bank, blog carnivals
The newest edition of Tangled Bank is now available, and they included some stories that I wrote, too, so go there and read, read read!
grrlscientist | December 19, 2007tags: California Gull, Larus californicus, birds, ornithology, Image of the Day
Gull with Reflection.
California Gull, Larus californicus, with reflection -- Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island Causeway, April 2005.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [really large view]
grrlscientist | December 19, 2007tags: white christmas song, holidays, holidaze, music, streaming video
One of my readers sent me this very cute rendition of the classic christmas song, White Christmas, so of course, I had to share it with all of you! It includes the soundtrack along with a goofy cartoon.
grrlscientist | December 19, 2007tags: slow motion, streaming video
I've linked to streaming videos of moonwalking male manakin (birds) before, but it is so amazing that I had to share two more links with you (the first one of these videos of the moonwalking manakins is the extended version, and both are new links to this site). Includes music by Michael Jackson [3:28 & 1:50]
Yet another video of these birds that you will enjoy [1:50];
grrlscientist | December 18, 2007tags: eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, birds, ornithology, Image of the Day
Sun and Sparkles.
Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis. Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island Causeway, April 2005.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [really large view]
grrlscientist | December 18, 2007tags: vocabulary, United Nations, free rice, online quiz
This linked online vocabulary game has an interesting premise; for every correct answer you provide, twenty grains of rice will be donated to the United Nations to end world hunger (they increased their reward from ten grains of rice). This game was invented by a man who was trying to help his son improve his vocabulary in preparation for the SATs. How many grains of rice did you donate?
grrlscientist | December 18, 2007Did you hear about the christmas card that was delivered -- 93 years late?
A christmas card that was mailed on 23 December 1914 in Alma, Nebraska, was just delivered to its destination in Oberlin, Kansas. It was mailed by cousins to Ethel Martin. However, the intended recipient had already died, so the card was given to Bernice Martin, Ethel's sister-in-law. Bernice Martin was impressed with the pristine condition of the card, despite its age and mystery.
"We don't know much about it," she said. "But wherever they kept it, it was in perfect shape."
The postcard features a colored drawing of…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2007tags: When Housecats Attack, humor, streaming video
This is a scary streaming video of a sweet little housecat who suddenly attacks its owner [0:39]
grrlscientist | December 17, 2007tags: Open Lab 2007, blog books
You might remember that one of my essays from 2006 was included in the book, Open Lab 2006. I was lucky because the editor of the book submitted my essay for me, and the judges seemed to like it enough to include it in the final book. Yea, me. Well, this year, I am on my own, except for your suggestions and support, so I would appreciate it if you would submit an essay I've written to this year's edition of Open Lab. They have 450 submissions so far, and out of those, they will select only 50 -- one per blog -- to be in the final book. GAH! That means that my…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2007tags: Encephalon, blog carnivals
The 38th edition of Encephalon is now ready for you to read, so stampede on over there for some brainy goodness!
grrlscientist | December 17, 2007tags: Gene Genie, blog carnivals
The 22nd edition of the Gene Genie blog carnival is now available for you to enjoy. Of course, it is packed with all sorts of interesting stories for you to read, including one from moi!
grrlscientist | December 17, 2007
This is a picture of my friend, Jared, Christmas in NYC, 2007.
He wasn't too keen to have his picture taken, so I told him not
to worry, I am just learning how to use my new digital camera,
so the picture would not look good anyway. Well, I was wrong!
I think it looks great.
Image: GrrlScientist [larger view]
Thanks for the camera, Karen! I can already see that I will be spending some serious time learning how to use this thing, because it is really different from a regular camera -- the kind that uses, you know, film and stuff.
grrlscientist | December 17, 2007tags: Oekologie, blog carnivals
The 12th edition of Oekologie is now available for you to enjoy. They included two contributions from me this time!