travel

tags: nature, Keväällä Suomenlinnassa, travel, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day, photography Keväällä Suomenlinnassa. Photographed on the island of Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland. Image: GrrlScientist, 20 May 2010 [larger view] Canon SX100 IS. This is one of the last photographs I snapped in Helsinki -- I chose to spend my last day in Finland on the historical island fortress of Suomenlinna (which is one of my favorite places to go and to photograph). One of my goals is to return to Helsinki and to stay in a hotel on the island of Suomenlinna (preferably in winter)…
tags: Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, photographed in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view]. Nikon D300, ISO 400, 1/2000 sec, f/8. Exp Comp -1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. This African mystery bird is quite remarkable: if you can identify this recognizable species, then you'll also be able to tell me why this bird is so remarkable. I'm also wondering if it's possible…
The problem is "What should Chad do/ see in the evenings while he's at DAMOP next week?" This is the major physics conference in my field, so my days will be pretty well booked up with talks and posters, but there's not much after 6pm other than food and socializing. If there's some not-to-be-missed Houston thing to do (a bar, restaurant, live music venue, etc.) in the evening, I'm open to suggestions. The boundary values constraining this particular problem are: 1) I'll be staying in the Hyatt Regency downtown, and 2) I will not have a car. I don't promise I'll be able to follow any and all…
tags: Razorbill, Ruokki, Alca torda, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Razorbill, known in Finland as the Ruokki, Alca torda, photographed at Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo (University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History), Helsinki, Finland. [Fully feathered specimens] Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view] Canon SX100 IS. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. This mystery bird lacks all plumage hints that might give you clues as to its identity, but it is showing you plenty more hints that will guide you to your ID. 22 May…
tags: art, Veistos, sculpture, travel, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day, photography, Veistos. I put my camera inside this outdoor sculpture and pointed it at the sky to get this image. Photographed in the Kamppi neighborhood of Helsinki, Finland. Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view] This is a stunning outdoor sculpture that I ran across as I was investigating museums throughout Helsinki, Finland, on International Museum Day (18 May).
tags: Barnacle Goose, Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Barnacle Goose, known in Finnish as Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, photographed on Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: GrrlScientist, 16 May 2010 [larger view] Canon SX100 IS. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. I photographed this lovely mystery bird a couple days ago in stunning Helsinki, Finland, can you ID the species and tell me how it got its peculiar English common name? This goose was…
tags: botany, Majavankaalit, skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, Helsinki, Finland, travel, photography, image of the day Symplocarpus foetidus (Family: Araceae) (Majavankaalit or Skunk Cabbage)Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Image: GrrlScientist, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
tags: Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view]. Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Review all mystery birds to date.
tags: Merellinen näkymä, Helsinki, Finland, travel, photography, image of the day Merellinen näkymä (nautical scene) Helsinki, Finland. Image: GrrlScientist, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
tags: Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, photographed Wisconsin. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Bardiac, 15 May 2010 [larger view]. Canon Eos, 70x300 zoom + 2x. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. This bird is remarkable among all its family members for one of its special features, can you tell me what that feature is? The Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, is the smallest North American species of icterid blackbird. Due to their small size and…
tags: The Free Hugs Campaign in Finland, Helsinki, free hugs, silly, humor, funny, offbeat, weird, life, Finland, Helsinki, streaming video The Finnish winter is long, dark and difficult for many people. So a group of Helsinki residents started a free hugs campaign to cheer people up. A group calling themselves, "FreeHugs Finland" had been promoting for this day on the internet and over 30 huggers showed up! During a couple of hours over 1000 people in Helsinki got a hug and one woman told me it saved her day! [Music: "Lonely" by Unity] This video was taken in Helsinki, Finland on 2 December…
tags: Augur Buzzard, African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Augur Buzzard, also known as the African Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo rufofuscus, photographed at the Ndutu Safari Lodge, at the south end of the Serengeti ecosystem, just outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view]. Nikon D300, ISO 400, 1/250, f/6.3, +2 Exp comp. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Review all mystery birds to date.
tags: Helsinki Complaints Choir, complaints, silly, humor, funny, offbeat, weird, life, life isn't fair, choir, streaming video This amusing video is a bit of a departure from my usual Sunday morning god-mocking, but since I am in Helsinki right now, I thought you'd appreciate this. Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of people in Helsinki and then composed this choral work around the list of complaints. Music composed by Esko Grundström.
tags: Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis niger, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis niger, photographed at the Ndutu Safari Lodge, at the south end of the Serengeti ecosystem, just outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Dan Logen, 15 January 2010 [larger view]. Nikon D300, ISO 640, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, Exp Compenstation at -.3. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Review all mystery birds to date.
tags: education, PhD defense, cultural observation, travelFinland, Helsinki Image: GrrlScientist, 3 July 2009 [larger view]. By the time you read this, I will be 5000-6000 meters (30,000 feet) above the ground, somewhere between Frankfurt and Riga. After a one-and-a-half hour layover, I will board another plane that is flying to gorgeous Helsinki, Finland! Even though I am still sick (and still barely have a voice), I am excited beyond words! I have my laptop and two beautiful cameras with me (one with three different lenses) and I am ready to snap hundreds of photographs of my favorite…
tags: Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia, photographed at Sabine Woods and Sabine Pass area, Port Arthur, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Joseph Kennedy, 28 April 2008 [larger view]. Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/160s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Review all mystery birds to date.
tags: Deutsch für Doofe, German for Boneheads, German language, education, SpeedyConKiwi, streaming video This video is all about how to pronounce the German alphabet -- something I cannot do correctly at this time. Not that knowing how to say this is going to help me when talking to the bankers about depositing my paycheck into my account or anything. If I don't know how to say the alphabet by the time this video pops up, you have my permission to tie me up and force me to drink German beer until I learn how to say it.
Facebook has turned up security a notch and effectively locked me out when I'm on the road. I have hundreds of Fb contacts that I don't actually know and wouldn't recognise if I met them in the street. Mention their names to me and they ring no bell. This is partly because of this blog, partly because skeptics around the world like to have exotic Scandy contacts. Now, Facebook notes that somebody's trying to log onto my account from an unfamiliar location. Imagine what happens when it starts to show me pictures of random people from my contact list, with a selection of seven names each to…
tags: Orangefarben Dahlie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, travel, cities, flowers, image of the day, photography Lachsfarbene Rosen. Nordwestzentrum open air market, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Image: GrrlScientist, 5 May 2010 [larger view]
tags: Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours] Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view]. Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification. Review all mystery birds to date.