grrlscientist | October 17, 2006
Gallup Poll Results of
Congressional Job Approval by
American voters,
9-12 October 2006.
If I was a republican, I'd be upset with the party leadership because they are clearly not listening to the average American voter. Instead of circling the wagons, key republicans should be asking difficult questions of their colleagues -- questions that are necessary to begin purging the party of those individuals whose blind ambition and personal corruption are trashing all republicans.
As the midterm elections approach, members of Congress understandably can be nervous about being able to keep…
grrlscientist | October 17, 2006There are so many misbehaviors, such as the Foley sex scandal and "PlameGate" (need I say more?), that deserve attention and action by the Rethuglicans, yet these issues fester while BushCo signs the terror bill into law.
Bush's plan becomes law just six weeks [italics mine] after he acknowledged that the CIA had been secretly interrogating suspected terrorists overseas and pressed Congress to quickly give authority to try them in military commissions.
If I was a rethuglican, I'd be very angry with the discrepancy between the attention that the administration focuses onto the terror bill,…
grrlscientist | October 17, 2006
You Passed 8th Grade US History
Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!
Could You Pass 8th Grade History?
I got the first question wrong; John Quincy Adams is not the same person as John Adams.
grrlscientist | October 16, 2006A couple days ago, one of my doctors told me that "if you could bottle your sarcasm and sell it, you'd be a rich woman." So of course, I had to take this online quiz to see how it measures up against medical opinion. I'll let you peek below the fold for my results, and I hope that you share your results with me, too.
You're Totally Sarcastic
You sarcastic? Never! You're as sweet as a baby bunny.
Seriously, though, you have a sharp tongue - and you aren't afraid to use it.
And if people are too wimpy to deal with your attitutde, then too bad. So sad.
How Sarcastic Are You?
grrlscientist | October 15, 2006
The newly described YariguÃes Brush-Finch,
Atlapetes latinuchus yariguierum.
Photo: Blanca Huertas, Natural History Museum.
A previously unknown subspecies of bird was discovered on an isolated South American mountain range. This coloful bird is approximately the size of a stick of butter. It has a fiery rust-red cap, lemon-yellow throat and a sooty-yellow belly streaked with bright yellow that contrast with a black beak, eye patch, wings, legs and tail (pictured). The bird's coloration distinguishes it from its closest relative, the Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch, because its back is black…
grrlscientist | October 15, 2006Wealth accumulated by First World countries is largely based on riches taken from Third World countries. For example, the destruction of India's textile industry, the takeover of the spice trade, the genocide of native American tribes, and African slavery all served to fuel the Industrial Revolution. Below the fold is an interesting article that discusses the links between the accumulation of wealth concomitant with the over-exploitation of nature and how they cause poverty.
I am interested to read your reactions to this article, dear readers.
Two of the great economic myths of our time…
grrlscientist | October 14, 2006If you were 62, unemployed and broke, what would you do to avoid living on the streets? Well, if you are Timothy Bowers, you rob a bank. ...
... and make sure that you get caught.
Apparently, Bowers is like most people out there, because he cannot pay all his living expenses by working at a minimum wage job.
Judge Angela White asked if he truly wanted to spend the next three years in prison.
"That would suit me fine," Bowers said. "At age 66, I would receive full Social Security benefits," which he can collect as soon as he gets out of prison.
My only comment is that the bank teller could…
grrlscientist | October 14, 2006Does anyone else out there in America think this is long overdue?
More than 650 economists, including five winners of the Nobel Prize for economics, called Wednesday for an increase in the minimum wage, saying the value of the last increase, in 1997, has been "fully eroded."
Critics claim that most people who earn minimum wage are teenagers with after-school jobs, but this is just not true. However, even if this were true, I don't think this is a valid argument against paying fair wages.
The economists wrote, "While controversy about the precise employment effects of the minimum wage…
grrlscientist | October 14, 2006I ran across an online quiz today that claims it can identify if you tend to be more of a socialist or capitalist. I think I am more of a capitalist than a socialist, despite my score (below the fold) so I think this quiz just used the wrong statements or made the statements too black-and-white for a realist, such as myself, to answer in any way other than "gee, that depends upon the circumstances, so therefore, I will disagree with this statement as written."
What were your scores and what did you think of the way the statements were written?
You Are 24% Capitalist, 76% Socialist
You…
grrlscientist | October 14, 2006I want to thank several people who have recently sent gifts to me during my hospital stay (yes, I am still in the hospital by the way, and probably will remain so for another month).
I know that some of my benefactors would like to remain anonymous, so I'll just leave notice of my appreciation on my blog where I know you will find it (you know who you are, and you can reveal yourselves, or not, as you wish).
Gifts that I recently received are books (ooo, lots of beautiful books) and a DVD;
Books of poetry and prose by one of my two favorite living poets, the amazing and gifted Mary Oliver…
grrlscientist | October 13, 2006This is a big surprise (not): human homosexuality cannot be viewed as "unnatural", according to the Oslo Natural History Museum.
"We may have opinions on a lot of things, but one thing is clear -- homosexuality is found throughout the animal kingdom, it is not against nature," an exhibit statement said.
Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 animal species, and is well documented for 500 species. However, that said, the reason that homosexuality exists remains elusive is because it appears to be a genetic dead-end.
But nonetheless, there are some hypotheses; males can…
grrlscientist | October 13, 2006In this world, there are tortoises and there are hares. Birding is hardly a hare's game unless you're racking up a Big Day. Birds are generally as put off by the combination of reckless speed and arrogant sloth as old Aesop was. No, if you want to enjoy bird watching to the fullest, take the Tortoise Trail. This path has never been more rewarding than today, as one of my favorite bird photographers, Pam Shack, delivers a magnificent and melodious I and the Bird #34.
Regardless of the velocity at which your birding takes place, I and the Bird should be just your speed. Be sure to share your…
grrlscientist | October 13, 2006
What's a noun without a verb to make it zoom!
Verb you're so intense
Every sentence has a subject
Noun, person, place or thing
Find that subject, where's the action?
Verb can make the subject zing
Take the subject, what is it?
What's done to it?
What does it say?
Verb! You're what's happening!
I can question like,
What is it?
Verb! You're so demanding!
I can order like,
Go get it.
Verb! You're so commanding!
When I hit I need an object!
When I see I see the object!
I get my thing in action!
Verb! That's what's happening!
To work, to play, to live, to love.
.
tags: schoolhouse rock,…
grrlscientist | October 11, 2006
A small airplane (some observers in the area) or helicopter (FDNY report, some people in the area) or small fixed-wing airplane (FAA report) crashed into the Belaire Building in NYC's fashionable Upper East Side on 72nd and York streets. It crashed between the 30th and 31st floors of the 50-story building. The crash occurred at 242pm today and 3-6 buildings are reportedly affected. Two people were reported killed. They were on the airplane.
The plane belonged to Yankees Pitcher, Cory Lidle, 34 (pictured. Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP). Lidle had been a licensed pilot for 8 months and purchased…
grrlscientist | October 11, 2006
The title says it all.
tags: surveillance, politics, gays, humor, sarcasm
grrlscientist | October 11, 2006
A friend sent this sticker to me, which is meant to be placed on your telephone, as a little reminder for all of you to use big words when using the phone, and to include "terrorist" or "terrorism" at least once in each conversation.
tags: surveillance, politics, AT&T, verizon, bellsouth
grrlscientist | October 9, 2006
Even within the +/- 3.2% margin of error of this poll, I have to ask;
What is wrong with 22.8-29.2% of Americans??
GrrlScientist Poll Question; (below the fold)
What's wrong with twenty-six percent of Americans?
they think that our congresscritters are above all laws
they think that rethuglicans can do no wrong
they don't think
they have double-digit IQs
they blame Al Gore for losing the election
another answer of your choice (please leave in comments)
According to a recent CNN poll data, a clear majority (52%) of Americans think Hastert should resign (Also, a Bloomberg story).…
grrlscientist | October 8, 2006Okay, dear readers, I finally figured out one way to circumvent computer security on the hospital computer. Since I am currently in the hospital, this crappy computer of theirs is my only link with the blogosphere, so this is truly good news. YeeHAW! As a result, and starting with this image, I now can share a few things with you that I know you will truly enjoy!
Image moved below the fold due to slow download times ..
.
This picture lacks something ...
(Orphaned image)
tags: republicans, TIMEmagazine, Bush, politics, satire, humor
grrlscientist | October 6, 2006I wish I could live on the Upper West Side of NYC but circumstances (finance$) prevent me from doing so. Where should your inner New Yorker live? This test will give you a rough idea, although I doubt it includes my favorite neighborhood in the list (but you all can help me figure out the various answers to the test by reporting your results). You can see my results below the fold.
You Belong in the East Village
A little bit arty, a little bit punk - you seem to set trends that many people follow.
It's likely that you're an academic of sorts, even if it's just on the weekends.
Where…
grrlscientist | October 6, 2006
We had a truly impressive lightning storm the other night here in NYC. So impressive that the nurses here at the hospital were all commenting about it. As a result, I was inspired to link to this Schoolhouse Rock primer about the weather.
Welcome everyone,
It's the weather show!
Bring your bathing suits,
Don't forget your boots and coats.
Folks, we guarantee the show that we perform
Is never dull, if there's a lull,
It's just the calm before the storm.
Watch it change from icy cold to toasty warm,
And rearrange from sunny days to crazy storms.
The curtain's rising, we're so glad to have…