grrlscientist | October 20, 2007tags: Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, JK Rowling
Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
[Albus Dumbledore portrayed by Michael Gambon in HP films 3-5]
Image: Warner Bros (2003).
JK Rowling was in NYC's Carnegie Hall last night, giving a reading from the last book in her literary sensation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. During the question and answer session following this reading, she made a revelation about Albus Dumbledore that will no doubt outrage certain sorts of people, as if the witchcraft theme of the Harry Potter books is not…
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007Some of you may have noticed that there is another award on my left sideboard, the Intellectual Blogger Award. Part of the requirements for receiving this award is that the award recipient (me, in this case) must choose five blogs that make her think. I decided that I would choose blogs that deserve more exposure to the public in my opinion, instead of choosing those blogs that have been noticed and awarded the Intellectual Blogger Award several times already. Interestingly, all of the blogs that fulfilled these criteria are written by women. So I am proud to list these blog writers as my…
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007tags: northern cardinal, birds, Image of the Day
Female Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, feeds her chick in Central Park.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [Wallpaper size]
I came upon Mama Castle foraging with her youngest fledgling in Central Park's Shakespeare Garden. Mama Castle and I are well acquainted so it was not at all unusual for her to rush toward me when I whistled. She stopped on the top of a rock waiting for the peanut she expected me to provide. When she received it she took it to her previous perch and called out. Her fledgling rushed to her side. Then Mama…
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007tags: Friday Ark, blog carnival
The 161st edition of the Friday Ark is now available. This blog carnival focuses on linking to images of animals. Some of those images have stories associated with them, but the main emphasis is the image itself.
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007tags: humor, Nobel Prize in Literature, Doris Lessing, streaming video
This streaming video shows Doris Lessing's reaction upon learning that she won the Nobel Prize in Literature [0:10]
"Oh, Christ!"
British writer Doris Lessing won the Nobel Literature Prize for five decades of epic novels that have covered feminism and politics, as well her youth in Africa. Lessing, who will be 88 on October 22, is only the 11th woman to have won the prize since it was first awarded in 1901.
The Swedish Academy described her as "that epicist of the female experience who with scepticism, fire and…
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007tags: grammar, punctuation, online quiz
You Scored an A
You got 10/10 questions correct.
It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.
If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.
As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.
And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.
The It's Its There Their They're Quiz
How did you score? And how did the authors of this quiz guess that basic punctuation and grammar mistakes on blogs can drive me to distraction?
grrlscientist | October 19, 2007tags: hawk-headed parrot, red-fan parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus, streaming video
As some of you know, I will soon be adding a four-month-old young parrot to my household. For those of you who have not heard of a hawk-headed (red-fan) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus, or who are not familiar with them, here is a video of a five-month-old parrot of that species, named Cassius. This is still a very young bird, as is obvious from the video [1:44]
grrlscientist | October 18, 2007tags: I and the Bird, blog carnival
The 60th edition of the blog carnival, I and the Bird is now available for your reading pleasure. This one, as usual, is huge. I am so astonished at how this particular blog carnival has taken off and become so popular among birders. I am pleased that they included a submission of mine, but somewhat dismayed to know that most people are kinda scared off by the topic. Hey, I think you should read it; it's actually a very well-written piece! I promise!
grrlscientist | October 18, 2007I have been following this furor over Nobel laureate Jim Watson's comments about blacks, women and homosexuals and I am astonished that he would walk around, openly spouting such stupid and irrational prejudices when his beliefs are easily disproven scientifically! Has he read anything in the scientific literature that has been published since he won his Nobel in 1962? I would guess not, since he is woefully and inexcusably ignorant.
In view of his fresh onslaught of unabashed racism, sexism and homophobia (this isn't the first time he has openly blasted anyone who is not a priviledged white…
grrlscientist | October 18, 2007tags: northern cardinal, birds, Image of the Day
Moulting Female Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis,
in Central Park, NYC.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [Wallpaper size]
About a month ago, I found an adult female [Northern cardinal that] I call Mama Castle in a decidedly striking condition. The protrusion of feathers jutting out from her lower extremities and those missing from her face made her look as if she were a survivor from an explosion in a mattress factory. Not only could she be described as having a bad "hair" day but perhaps a facial would have been a good idea…
grrlscientist | October 17, 2007tags: book review, children's questions, Father Knows Less, Wendell Jamieson
Why do ships have round windows?
Can a crow peck your eyes out?
Why do policemen like donuts?
When Wendell Jamieson's four-year-old son, Dean, began asking questions, odd questions, Jamieson was amused by them. So amused that he decided to write down those questions and share them with his son after he'd gotten older. But after thinking about it, Jamieson then decided that he would give his son the gift of .. knowledge, by giving him a truthful answer. So Jamieson set out find the answers to every one of his son's…
grrlscientist | October 17, 2007tags: moth, lined sphinx, Hyles lineata, Image of the Day
Hyles lineata, the lined sphinx.
(Image captured in Bozeman, Montana).
Image: Martin Richard, author of Science for Kids.
grrlscientist | October 17, 2007tags: dancing cockatoo, streaming video
Snowball is a medium sulphur crested Eleanora cockatoo and he loves to dance and sing. He loves the Back Street Boys. No one taught Snowball to dance ... he just heard this song and suddenly felt like dancing. We're all jealous because he can outdance each one of us ... nobody likes a show off! When he's really in the mood, he dances and sings. And at the end of the performance he takes a bow or two or twenty!! Enjoy the show. [1:17]
Thanks EVERYONE for sending this video to me during the past few days!
grrlscientist | October 16, 2007tags: bunny potheads, Image of the Day
Orphaned image. [larger image]
grrlscientist | October 16, 2007tags: carnival of Cities, blog carnival
The new edition of the Carnival of Cities is now available for you to read. This is a really interesting blog carnival where people write stories about the city they live in (where ever in the world that city might be), and it also includes essays about citylife in general. The editor for this issue was kind enough to include one of my essays -- I thought it was stretching the boundaries of what his carnival is about, but he was fine with it -- so be sure to go there and take a look at what he's put together for you to read.
grrlscientist | October 16, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, blue feathers, Tyndall scattering, Rayleigh light scattering, schemochromes, white feathers
A pair of hyacinthine macaws, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus.
Image: The Guardian.
Most avian plumage colors are the result of different types of pigments that are deposited into feathers while they are regrowing after moult. However, pigments alone do not produce all avian feather colors. Blues, such as those seen in hyacinthine macaws, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, and white, such as the snowy color of Bali mynahs, Leucopsar rothschildi, typically result from small changes…
grrlscientist | October 15, 2007tags: Oekologie, blog carnival
The tenth edition of the new blog carnival, Oekologie, is now available for your reading pleasure. There's lots more there to read than my material, so go over there and take a peek.
grrlscientist | October 15, 2007tags: feathers, dinosaurs, humor, cartoon
En el tÃpico rito funerario del Jurásico tardÃo unos dinosaurios terópodos depositan plumas sobre el cuerpo de un compañero justo antes de la momificación. Desfortunadamente no pensaron en los paleontólogos del futuro.
Image: The Scientific Cartoonist [larger view].
I am sure that one of my readers, Jerry Harris, will especially like this cartoon.
Thanks Chris!
grrlscientist | October 15, 2007tags: mystery moth, Image of the Day
Image: Karen Phillips.
I am almost certain that I know what this species is, but because you enjoy naming species, I thought I'd let you have some fun with this lovely image. What species is this?
Location: Moselle, Mississippi (southern Mississippi)
My guess is below the fold.
I think it is a Pink-spotted Hawkmoth, Agrius cingulatus.