grrlscientist | November 13, 2006Does this sound like the handiwork of a right-wing nutjob to you?
A California man suspected of mailing threatening letters containing a suspicious white powder to celebrities and U.S. politicians has been arrested and could face federal charges on Monday, the FBI said.
Chad Castagana, 39, of Woodland Hills, California, is suspected of sending more than a dozen threatening letters to media outlets and the homes of public figures in various cities, the FBI said.
According to a federal search warrant, among those who received threatening letters were Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily…
grrlscientist | November 12, 2006
Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta rubria,
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Gainesville, Florida.
Image: Biosparite.
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image 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, red admiral butterfly, insect, Lepidoptera, zoology
grrlscientist | November 12, 2006This is another fine word that I found in Richard Dawkins' new book, The God Delusion. I am still reading this book, but because it inspires so many flights of fancy on my part, I have not yet finished it, as I expected.
Aggrandizing (a-grndz) [French agrandir, agrandiss-, from Old French: a- to (from Latin ad-) + grandir, to grow larger (from Latin grandre, from grandis, large)]
verb.
To increase the scope of; extend.
To make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation.
To make appear greater; exaggerate: aggrandize one argument while belittling another.
Usage: Why…
grrlscientist | November 12, 2006Things aren't looking so good for the repuglicans .. George Bush saw his own approval ratings slip another 4 percent even while his repuglican comrades lost control of the house in the recent elections.
"These election results just confirm my belief that Americans have finally awakened to the terror that lurks among us," said an unnamed source.
Sixty-three percent of the 1,006 adults surveyed Nov. 9-10 said they disapproved of the job Bush is doing as president. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Even with the large Democratic gains, those polled expressed…
grrlscientist | November 12, 2006Two months ago, Kenneth Adelman, the former director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, received a call from the Pentagon: Donald Rumsfeld would like to see him as soon as possible. Adelman said he knew then that this meeting might be their last.
"I suggested that we were losing the war," Adelman, a longtime friend of Rumsfeld, told The New Yorker magazine in an interview posted online Saturday.
Adelman and Rumsfeld had been friends for 36 years. Adelman first worked for Rumsfeld during the Nixon Administration, and then was Rumsfeld's assistant when he was the Secretary of…
grrlscientist | November 11, 2006
>
Female blue dasher dragonfly, Pachydiplax longipennis.
Houston, Texas, 21 May 2004.
Image: Biosparite.
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image 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: dragonfly, blue dasher dragonfly, insect, Odonata, zoology
grrlscientist | November 11, 2006This phrase was found in EO Wilson's new book, The Creation. This is the most important word or phrase that I've taught you so far. If you have not read this book yet, I think you should. I also plan to review it after I get out of the hospital, when my computer access is not divided up between 25 people, and when I am using my computer instead of the hospital's crappy Dell computer that crashes without warning.
Eremozoic Era (ehre mo ZO ik) [Origin: EO Wilson, 2006]
noun.
the age of loneliness.
the upcoming biological age after the sixth great extinction, when earth will be…
grrlscientist | November 10, 2006
Alaska Sunrise.
Taken from a cruise ship traveling along the Alaskan coast, 2000.
Image: CS Davis, a reader's father.
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image 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: Alaska, sunrise, planet earth, nature
grrlscientist | November 9, 2006
Mushroom, unknown species.
East Tennessee.
Image: CS Davis, a reader's father.
Can any of the readers identify the species?
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image 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: mushroom, fungi, mycology
grrlscientist | November 9, 2006I have run across this particular word in every book I've read these past few weeks, so I decided to share it with you here, finally. The book where I found this word today is E. O. Wilson's The Creation. I assume that many of you will find it surprising to find this specialized word in so many non-theological books.
magisterium (maj-uh-STEER-ee-uhm) [Latin, the office of a teacher or other person in authority, from magister, master. Also see magisterial]
-noun Roman Catholic Church
the authority and power of the church to teach religious truth.
The authority to teach religious…
grrlscientist | November 8, 2006Does anyone remember that Senator McCain promised to kill himself if the democrats regained control of the Senate in this election? It's looking like the Senate will go to the democrats , so that leads me to ask .. Senator McCain, what's it going to be; action or an apology? Or are you truly the lying scum that we all knew you are? We're waiting! We'll even let you choose your poison. You could raise much-needed money for the rethuglican party by killing yourself on pay-for-view TV. You can bet that lots of us would watch.
grrlscientist | November 8, 2006
Male peafowl, Pavo cristatus, courtship display.
This is a feral peafowl that lives a backyard in Eastern Tennessee.
His name is Big Bird.
Image: by Molly, a reader's sister.
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image 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: peacock, bird, Aves, zoology
grrlscientist | November 8, 2006This is another word that I found in Richard Dawkins' new book, The God Delusion. I am nearly finished with this book, so I will probably have a new word from a new book for you tomorrow.
fillip (FIL-uhp) [Origin: 1425-75; late ME philippe to make a signal or sound with thumb and right forefinger; expressive word of uncertain origin]
verb (used with object)
to strike with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb.
to tap or strike smartly.
to drive by or as by a fillip: Anticipation filliped his passion.
verb (used without object)
to make a fillip with the…
grrlscientist | November 8, 2006
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all Rethuglicans in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it now, the 'thugs are gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been votin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the 'thugs are gone,
I can see all rethuglicans in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It'…
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006Someone please tell me that that political hemorrhoid, Santorum has finally been raptured!
I just heard on CNN that Santorum will likely be encouraged to run for the presidency if he loses. Can you believe that?? Please, dear readers, tell me that this is a cruel joke, that there is NO WAY IN THIS CENTURY that any of you would vote for Santorum for any elected office, not even as national dog catcher!
.
tags: politics, Santorum, exit polls
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006According to the latest election poll returns, the pedophile Mark Foley is in the lead to retain his house seat. In view of all the recent shenanigans, including child rape, this is one election race that shouldn't even be close!
C'mon, what the hell is wrong with you people!? How can you expect any decent pedophile-fearing American to bring their kids to visit DisneyWorld? Shame on you, Florida voters, if Foley wins!
Cited polls.
.
tags: politics, pedophilia, Mark Foley, exit polls
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006After living with a bloody undeclared war in Iraq, tax money meant for the war effort instead lining the already bulging pockets of Halliburton CEOs, tax policies that permit the rich to become even richer, a dumbass president who is out-of-touch along with his crooked group of advisors who have perpetuated scandal after scandal on a weary American people .. well, it's no wonder that the average American Voter has had enough. What is the main issue motivating people to vote in this midterm election?
Corruption.
The exit polls -- by a consortium of broadcast networks and The Associated Press…
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006How can people not be ashamed to be associated with a political party that stoops to importing homeless people to distribute erroneous flyers about the political candidates?? Do we really want people like this running our government, making decisions that affect our lives and -- especially -- sending our troops into war?
The Maryland GOP has sunk to another new low. They bussed in homeless people from out-of-state to distribute fake, misleading sample ballots in Prince Georges County. The Governor's wife was right in the thick of this latest GOP scam:
Inaccurate sample ballots describing…
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006
Sea star species,
2005, Caladesi Island, Florida.
Image: Craig Carlyle Clarke.
This photo was taken by Craig while walking on the beach a few hours after hurricane Rita passed. The storm surge had tossed a lot of things onto the beach, including that sea star, and some other animals that he took pictures of -- including a shark. Craig writes that the storm surge was still rolling when he was on the beach with his camera, and it was amazing.
If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with…
grrlscientist | November 7, 2006As many of you know, I am in the hospital and have been for more than 90 days so far. Considering that I am unemployable and uninsured (and probably uninsurable after this experience), and that I lack any sort of financial support system, you might be wondering how I will pay all these bills, which currently exceed $100,000.
Basically, I am not and never will be held liable for my medical expenses because the state of New York is paying all my bills, including two ER visits. As many of you probably know or suspect, I am not a fan of state-run hospitals since they are typically associated…