grrlscientist | July 26, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Flame.
Lunch in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 26, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | July 26, 2009tags: Cape Sparrow, Passer melanurus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Cape Sparrow, Passer melanurus, photographed in Swakopmund, Namibia, Africa [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dennis Paulson, April 2007 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | July 26, 2009tags: religion, erections, sex, sin, humor, satire, Edward Current, streaming video
In this video, Edward Current shares his thoughts on what the scripture says about erections. In short, it's wicked when this happens to an unmarried teen's body. Here are some deaf tips for my peeps! [4:20]
grrlscientist | July 26, 2009tags: philosophy, thinking the improbable, middle world, atoms, atheism, physics, Richard Dawkins, streaming video
In this video, Biologist Richard Dawkins makes a case for "thinking the improbable" by looking at how the human frame of reference limits our understanding of the universe [22:42]
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.
grrlscientist | July 26, 2009The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 2121 - 1201 - 1158 - 1086 - 1028 out of 383 candidates registered. I am in second place, trying to recapture first place.
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay; hopefully, you will agree that I am a very well-qualified candidate for this job opportunity. Voting ends at noon EDT 30…
grrlscientist | July 25, 2009My fifth blogoversary is coming on 4 August 2009 (FIVE years of blog writing!), and I'd like to celebrate with all of you. I have no idea if the ScienceBlogs site is so completely borked that I cannot post anything new (STILL!!!), nor if you can comment, but I'd like to meet my readers and those who write for ScienceBlogs and for Nature Networks who are in NYC for a party next weekend, preferably on either Friday or Saturday evening for a drink- and food-fest. If you cannot comment here, please email me at GrrlScientist@scienceblogs.com so we can arrange something fun in the Big Apple. If you…
grrlscientist | July 25, 2009tags: Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, cities, image of the day
Looking out from the fortress.
Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 19 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 25, 2009tags: Black-Bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Black-Bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola, photographed at Quintana, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 8 April 2009 [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.
grrlscientist | July 25, 2009The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 2089 - 1193 - 1155 - 1055 - 897 out of 381 candidates registered. I am in second place, trying to recapture first place.
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay; hopefully, you will agree that I am a very well-qualified candidate for this job opportunity. Voting ends at noon EDT 30…
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Outdoor Theatre (originally a courtyard).
Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Colors.
Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009
Talitiainen (Great Tit), Parus major.
Photographed in Hietaniemen hautausmaa (Hietaniemi cemetery), Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 24 November 2008 [larger view].
Now that I am on the plane, returning to the USA, I will share my revised list of birds seen in the Helsinki area of Finland during my three visits (8 days in November 2008, 3 weeks in February/March 2009, and 3 weeks in July 2009);
Helsinki Finland Bird List (new Life List bird species that I first saw in Finland are denoted with red asterix):
*Pikku-uikku (Little Grebe), Tachybaptus ruficollis -- November 2008…
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) is a blog carnival that celebrates the best science, nature and medical writing targeted specifically to the public that has been published in the blogosphere within the past 60 days. To send your submissions to Scientia Pro Publica, either use this automated submission form or use the cute little widget on the right (sometimes that widget doesn't upload when the mother site is sick). Be sure to include the URL or "…
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009tags: Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus, photographed at Anahuac Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 19 May 2009 [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.
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009tags: Dan Gilbert, happiness, TEDTalks, cultural observation, streaming video
Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don't go as planned. I am not convinced -- are you? [22:02]
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.
grrlscientist | July 24, 2009tags: Sylvia Earle, oceans, TEDTalks, conservation, streaming video
Legendary ocean researcher Sylvia Earle shares astonishing images of the ocean -- and shocking stats about its rapid decline -- as she makes her TED Prize wish: that we will join her in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet. [18:16]
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.
grrlscientist | July 23, 2009
There are still problems with this site. All my scheduled entries do not show up "below the jump" after they publish until I rebuild each one individually. So the scheduled mystery bird and the videos will taunt you but you will be unable to comment or read/view anything below the jump until I've found wireless at the airport and have been able to rebuild each and every scheduled blog entry .. unless the SB overlordz have gotten this issue fixed, but alas, I will be out of internet/email/blog contact for roughly 18 hours today, which means I cannot complain to hurry the process along. I…
grrlscientist | July 23, 2009The current Antarctic Trip Vote count is as follows; 2037 - 1189 - 1141 - 983 - 884 out of 372 candidates registered. I am in second place, trying to recapture first place.
If you've already voted, then please encourage your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to vote for the person whom you think would be best for this unique job: traveling to Antarctica for the month of February 2010 and writing about it for the public on a blog. Here is my 300-word essay; hopefully, you will agree that I am a very well-qualified candidate for this job opportunity. Voting ends at noon EDT 30…
grrlscientist | July 23, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities, image of the day
Doorway.
Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)