grrlscientist | December 17, 2006Well, I surprised myself by volunteering to host this upcoming issue of the Carnival of the Liberals. Since this will be the first issue of this carnival's second year, let's start with some important issues. According to the rules, I am allowed to choose the ten best recent blog essays that discuss liberal issues. Even though I am interested in what you have to say about any liberal issue, what can be more important than your opinion for what Democrats should do to win this upcoming national election, besides hold their collective breaths and hope that no one screws up? How can dems get back…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2006If you haven't read the front page (above the fold) of today's NY Times, well, take a peek: it's a rather long story about Eli Lilly's antipsychotic "wonder drug", Zyprexa (one of the drugs I am supposed to take but often don't because of its excruciating expense). Apparently, it causes nearly 1/3 of its users to gain at least 22 pounds -- with some people gaining over 100 pounds -- after one year of use. Not only that, but it also causes diabetes.
According to the story, doctors have been talking about these side effects since 1999 -- where the hell were my doctors when prescribing this drug…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2006
NGC 7635: The Bubble
What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, ghostly apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as The Bubble Nebula. Astronomer Eric Mouquet's striking view utilizes a long exposure with hydrogen alpha light to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Seen here above and right of the Bubble's center is a bright hot star embedded in reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2006It's been a rough week. I stopped taking Zyprexa a few days ago due to its expense, and went through some sort of withdrawal yesterday which nearly caused me to faint on several occasions. I also was unable to carry things in my hands. Additionally, I was wide awake all last night, wired, no doubt at the beginning of a manic or hypomanic episode, or perhaps another one of my mixed states.
Since I couldn't sleep anyway, I watched all the Harry Potter films in sequence. I've always wanted to do this, although not under these circumstances.
Not that this is particularly interesting to anyone…
grrlscientist | December 17, 2006Another silly quiz, but taking this quiz might be a great distraction from holiday shopping, parties and other expensive pursuits that people generally find stressful.
You Are Dasher
You're an independent minded reindeer who never plays by the rules.
Why You're Naughty: That little coup you tried to stage against Santa last year
Why You're Nice: You secretly give naughty children presents.
Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?
grrlscientist | December 16, 2006
Ashy clubtail dragonfly, Gomphus lividus,
Lance Rosier Unit in the Big Thicket around 50 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico in Eastern Texas,
20 March 2004.
Image: Biosparite.
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd like it to be credited.
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tags: dragonfly, ashy clubtail…
grrlscientist | December 16, 2006Copy Cat, the world's first cloned cat had three kittens (pictured) in September -- and she even did it the natural way. Copy Cat was cloned by Texas A&M University researchers in 2001. Mother and kittens are doing well, said Duane Kraemer, an A&M veterinary medicine professor who helped clone her and has been taking care of her since.
"They're cute and we thought people ought to know about the birth," Kraemer said. "But we're hoping it doesn't cause the same frenzy CC did."
Cited story and photo source.
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006
Not exactly a nature image,
but someone out there (you know who you are)
is trying to cause me to laugh,
a rare feat in today's world.
Yes, you succeeded.
Orphaned image. Please contact me for proper credit and linkage.
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006
Ben Morris stands next to the espresso stand he owns near Seaside, Ore., on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006. The stand avoided the fall of a 60-foot tree during the storm. As an aside, I have purchased a latte from this espresso stand when I was out birding. They had decent coffee, especially in the opinion of a freezing birder from Seattle (me), so I hope they survive this setback.
Image: Lori Assa, AP/The Daily Astorian.
Wow, I thought I was having some mighty rough times, but the Pacific Northwest has also had more than its fair share of rough times recently. First, a snowstorm and then,…
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006
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Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.
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tags: chocolate, dog. weird facts
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006
Western Pygmy Blue, Brephidium exile
The smallest butterfly in the western United states, measing no more than 3/8".
Laguna Atascosa NWR, Texas, 24 October 2004.
Image: Biosparite.
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd like it to be credited.
.
tags: butterfly, western…
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006This interesting report details how Americans live, although it also gives us information about more fearsome things that BushCo can add to their list of Things for Americans to Fear (forgive me my slight digression);
For example, more Americans are injured by wheelchairs than by lawnmowers. Bicycles are involved in more accidents than any other consumer product, but beds rank a close second. Hrm .. if assembling those dangerous beds are like trying to assemble my futon frame, then I can understand why there are so many bed-related injuries.
Most of the statistical tables, which come from…
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006The newest edition of I and the Bird has me feeling fairly sentimental. Blame it on Duncan, the estimable host of this superb installment. Duncan was a part of the very first I and the Bird and has been an integral part of that community ever since, one whose continuing participation confirms that this carnival is representative of the best bird blogging from around the world.
Anyway, as I was saying, Mike has been subtly prodding Duncan to host IATB for a long, long time, though his entreaties probably lost any semblance of subtlety months ago. Why was so important? I and the Bird emerged…
grrlscientist | December 15, 2006
They say our solar system is not alone in space.
The Universe has endless mystery.
Some future astronaut
May find out that what he'd thought
Was a shooting star instead turned out to be...
Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl,
A solar system Ms. from a future world,
She travels like a rocket with her comet team
And there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen,
No, there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen.
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tags: schoolhouse rock, education, teaching, streaming video
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006 Apparently, facts are getting in the way of BushCo. But does everything need to be cleared by the faith-based intitiatives office?
The Bush administration is clamping down on scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest agency subjected to controls on research that might go against official policy.
New rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency scientists who study everything from caribou mating to global warming. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents obtained by The…
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006I thought I'd make a (humble) contribution to this administration's never ending quest to find new things for God-fearing Americans to fear, now we must be afraid to sleep on the beach.
A man was found dead at the south end of Ocean Beach this morning, after he apparently was smothered by sand while he slept on the shore, officials said.
[ .. ]
Feinstein said it is not unusual to find homeless people, sometimes in pairs, sleeping on that portion of Ocean Beach, which is lined by sand dunes. Surfers frequent the water there as well.
Hrm, I wonder what those pairs of people were doing…
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006
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On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily
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tags: newborn, misidentification. weird facts
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006
Horace's Duskywing, Erynnis horatius.
There is a possibility this could be a Juvenal's Duskywing, Erynnis juvenalis, This is probably a Horace's Duskywing from the appearance of the inner wings. The best field mark, being on the outer hindwing, is invisible in this photo. I like the spread-winged skippers.
Aransas NWR.
Image: Biosparite.
This is another "Get Well Soon" nature picture from one of my readers that I am sharing with all of you!
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in…
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006"...Michael Crichton, not content with making up science to debunk global warming, is now taking literary swipes at journalists who write stuff about him that he doesn't like. In his new book, Next, he introduces a character called "Mick Crowley" -- a Washington political columnist who rapes a two-year old boy. Funnily enough, Crichton was the target of a highly critical New Republic cover story earlier this year....by Washington political writer Michael Crowley, who often goes by "Mike." Which sounds an awful lot like "Mick."
A quote from the book;
Alex Burnet was in the middle of the most…
grrlscientist | December 14, 2006
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The world's tallest man (pictured) -- who also has the longest arms -- saved the lives of two captive dolphins by reaching into their stomachs and extracting pieces of plastic they had eaten.
Mongolian herdsman Bao Xishun was called in after the dolphins swallowed plastic used around their pool at an aquarium in Fushun, north-east China.
Attempts to use instruments failed as the dolphins contracted their stomachs.
Cited story.