grrlscientist | December 8, 2007I have been reading reviews about digital cameras until I am ready to go blind, but I finally made a decision, as you can tell if you read below (and look to the right).
First of all, my constraints were that I could choose any digital camera that was $300 or less, and I could spend up to $50 on a memory card. So I spent weeks looking at cameras and reading about them, and fell in love with two different models; the FujiFilm FinePix S5000 3.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and the Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom. I finally decided on…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2007tags: Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorous rufus, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely be publishing more of his images here in the future, as well. But until then, be sure to peek in here daily for yet another hummingbird to brighten your day and also check out Greg's webpage, where he sells images -- yet another wonderful holiday gift idea!
Male Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorous…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2007You may not remember this, but one year ago today, I was discharged from the nuthouse after being hospitalized for a little longer than four months. What a long journey it's been since that day, one year ago. I was intensely lonely and barely functional for oh so many months, and the doctors were constantly worried and wished to send me back to the hospital (they even made housecalls), but I managed to maintain my freedom and to survive. I still experience many rough days and many setbacks, and I am still working on getting my feet under me and "regaining functionality" even today. But…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2007tags: elf name, online quiz
This is an absolutely silly online quiz, but that doesn't stop me from playing with it anyway, nor should it stop you!
Your Elf Name Is...
Spicy Stocking Stuffer
What's Your Elf Name?
grrlscientist | December 7, 2007tags: meme, 7 Random Things, Seven Random Things blog meme
One of the very first people who ever read or linked to my blog, Tabor, tagged me to participate in a blog meme. Since I am a veteran blog whore who always is looking to increase my traffic, I will play, although grudgingly, because I hate letting you all know how boring I truly am.
The Rules are as follows:
Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that…
grrlscientist | December 7, 2007tags: Costa's Hummingbird, Calypte costae, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely be publishing more of his images here in the future, as well. But until then, be sure to peek in here daily for yet another hummingbird to brighten your day and also check out Greg's webpage, where he sells images -- yet another wonderful holiday gift idea!
Male Costa's Hummingbird, Calypte costae.…
grrlscientist | December 7, 2007tags: Friday Ark, blog carnivals
The 168th edition of the Friday Ark is now available for you to enjoy. This blog carnival specializes in linking to images of animals, although some of these images also have stories that accompany them. They included some of my contributions, too!
grrlscientist | December 7, 2007tags: hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, Psittacus e. erithacus, African grey parrot, streaming video
This is an amusing streaming video of Bibi, an African grey parrot who clearly enjoys talking. [0:53]
Dirty Bird
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007tags: emotional health, mood, happiness, National Lottery
"Money can't buy happiness" as the old addage goes, and every once in awhile, that's actually true, too. Yesterday, for example, I read an article based on scientific research that suggested that it's the simple things in life that make people truly happy. Having lived a very simple, and yet very stressful, life these past three years, I do -- and do not -- agree with this sentiment.
According to the article, which was based on a study commissioned by the National Lottery, Richard Tunney of the University's School of Psychology found…
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007tags: Eclectus roratus solomonensis, parrots, pets, birds, avian, behavior
Sophie, a female Solomon Islands Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus solomonensis,
who looks just like my own Elektra.
Image: Courtesy of Denise and Dave Bell/Eclectus House.
As I had mentioned earlier, I am playing host to a surprise house guest, so my birds are behaving in new and different ways than usual. The usually stoic Elektra, my Solomon Islands Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus solomonensis, has been especially mischievous.
Yesterday morning, all the birds were out and the hawk-headed parrot (still…
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007tags: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting on 5 December and going daily through the 12th of December. I will likely be publishing more of his images here in the future, as well. But until then, be sure to peek in here daily for yet another hummingbird to brighten your day and also check out Greg's webpage, where he sells images -- yet another wonderful holiday gift idea!
Black-chinned Hummingbird,…
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007This little story just goes to show that you should never underestimate a blonde.
A contestant on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" had reached the final plateau. If she answered the next question correctly, she would win $1,000,000. If she answered incorrectly, she would pocket only the $25,000 milestone money. And as she suspected it would be, the million-dollar question was no pushover.
The question was; "Which of the following species of birds does not build its own nest, but instead lays its eggs in the nests of other birds? Is it:
A) the condor
B) the buzzard
C) the cuckoo
D) the…
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, evolutionary behavior, sociobiology, ornithology, birds, avian, evolution, William Dilger, Agapornis roseicollis, Agapornis fischeri, lovebirds
Peach-faced lovebirds, Agapornis roseicollis (left)
and Fischer's lovebirds, Agapornis fischeri (right),
can interbreed to produce sterile offspring.
Images: LoveBirds New Zealand.
Is behavior genetically "programmed" or is it the result of learning? Or is it instead a little bit of both? This is the old "nature versus nurture" argument that has occupied behavioral and evolutionary scientists, psychologists and even…
grrlscientist | December 6, 2007tags: trick goldfish, trained goldfish, performing goldfish, streaming video
Amazing trained goldfish -- or were they really trained to swim in formation like this? My guess is the guys fed metal filings to the fish and they have magnets under the table that drag the helpless fish around .. what do you think? [0:56]
On the other hand, perhaps training goldfish should be my new career since science hasn't worked for me thus far?
grrlscientist | December 5, 2007tags: Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris, birds, Image of the Day
Thanks to Greg Scott, who has offered to share his gorgeous images with me and all of you here, I am running a series of his hummingbird images starting today and going daily through the 12th of December. I would love to publish more of his images here but I didn't want to be selfish and take advantage of his generosity. Be sure to peek in here daily for yet another hummingbird to brighten your day and also check out Greg's webpage, where he sells images -- yet another wonderful holiday gift idea!
Male Broad-…
grrlscientist | December 5, 2007tags: Eclectus roratus solomonensis, parrots, pets, birds, avian, behavior
Sophie, a female Solomon Islands Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus solomonensis,
who looks just like my own Elektra.
Image: Courtesy of Denise and Dave Bell/Eclectus House.
I am playing host to a surprise house guest (human), so my birds have been exhibiting all sorts of unusual behaviors these past couple days. Elektra, who is a four-year-old female Solomon Islands Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus solomonensis, is characteristically reserved and even a bit stoic (dare I say "unflappable"?), so I thought she was…
grrlscientist | December 5, 2007tags: humor, chatty cats, chatty cats translated, streaming video
What do cats talk about when humans aren't around? This amusing video of two chatty cats includes a translation (below the fold) [0:55];
All those sweet meows are translated in this version [0:55];
grrlscientist | December 4, 2007I am sorry that I haven't been posting as many essays as usual recently, but I am hosting a surprise houseguest (a friend needed a place to crash for ten days or so, so I am providing floor space). As a result, I have been cleaning my apartment (just finished laundry today, ugh), and I will be packing up more textbooks (they are currently spread all over the floor) and stowing them away, as I'd planned to do a couple days ago before I was interrupted. Of course, because I am trying to make the place presentable, this means that I don't have regular access to wifi (I need to go to the library…
grrlscientist | December 4, 2007tags: laughing gull, Larus atricilla, birds, Image of the Day
A basic (winter) plumage Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla.
Image: Scott Lewis. [Much larger view].
grrlscientist | December 4, 2007tags: humor, LOLCatz ad, I Can Has Flavor, streaming video
An ad for teh new fragrance from I Can Has Cheezburger? Flavor. [0:43]