Texas
grrlscientist | September 2, 2008tags: Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, at Brazos Bend State Park, Creekfield Lake, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 February 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | September 1, 2008tags: Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, at Brazos Bend State Park, Creekfield Lake, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 February 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 31, 2008tags: Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, at Brazos Bend State Park, Creekfield Lake, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 February 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 30, 2008tags: Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, at Brazos Bend State Park, Creekfield Lake, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 February 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 29, 2008tags: Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, at Brazos Bend State Park, Creekfield Lake, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 16 February 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 17, 2008tags: Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 25 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1600s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 16, 2008tags: Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 25 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/2000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | August 15, 2008tags: Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 25 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/2000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | July 29, 2008tags: Western Willet, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Western Willet, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus, at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
The bird on the left is in alternate (breeding) plumage while the bird resting on the
right is in basic (winter) plumage.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 2 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | July 23, 2008tags: Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus, birds, nature, Image of the Day
Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus, at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 15 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
scientificactivist | July 7, 2008I guess this just goes to show how out of touch I am with things going on in Texas after being gone for almost three years. I didn't know until I saw it on a ScienceBlogs homepage buzz that Chris Comer--who was forced out of her job as the Texas Education Agency's director of science curriculum last November for forwarding an innocuous evolution-related email--is suing to get her job back. You can see the full lawsuit here. I think it's always a bit risky when we put science on trial (as could easily happen here if this isn't settled out of court), since it takes scientific judgments out…
scientificactivist | June 26, 2008When my girlfriend told me that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had suggested that Barack Obama choose Chet Edwards--my former (and George W. Bush's current) congressman--as his running mate, I thought she was pulling my leg. But, she was serious, and--as usual--she was right.
Here's the video from Newsweek (although you can watch commercial-free and get the code to embed it in your blog at Brightcove):
Specifically, Pelosi says "I think anyone that Barack Obama wants is my choice for vice president. But, I do think in the list of considerations there should be somebody from the House of…
scientificactivist | May 31, 2008From today's New York Times:
WASHINGTON -- A special three-judge court ruled Friday that Congress acted constitutionally when it extended the law requiring sections of the country with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval for any changes in voting procedures.
The unanimous decision upheld a central provision of the Voting Rights Act, which Congress initially passed in 1965 and has extended several times since, most recently for 25 years in 2006. Section 5 of the law prohibits several states, mostly in the South, and some local government agencies from changing their…
scientificactivist | May 28, 2008When I was a student at Texas A&M University and active in politics there, I spent a lot of time on voter registration. Much of this effort was devoted to the community outside of the university, but my primary focus was on students at the university. And, although some people would contend that college students should register to vote from their hometowns, I strongly disagree. At the very least, students should be allowed to choose which location they prefer, but beyond that I believe there's a strong case for students to register at their university location, unless they have a…
scientificactivist | February 21, 2008Two weeks before what could be a decisive Texas primary, Barack Obama picked up the endorsement Monday of Congressman Chet Edwards, whose district includes Texas A&M University, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, and George W. Bush's Crawford ranch. I'm not going to go so far as to say that I called this one, but I certainly pointed out last week that Edwards was saying some pretty favorable things about Obama (although his office said he hadn't taken an official position yet). I usually don't track endorsements too closely, but I think this one is significant because not only…
scientificactivist | February 13, 2008Yesterday, Barack Obama won all three contests (Maryland, Virginia, and DC) in the "Potomac Primary", all by sizable margins. This means that he has won all eight contests that have occurred since Super Tuesday. He now leads the delegate race--even when superdelegates are included--and he maintains an incredible amount of momentum going into the February 19th contests of Hawaii and Wisconsin, where he is expected to do quite well again. However, his delegate lead is still slim, and if he wants to become the true frontrunner, he'll have to have a strong showing on March 4th, particularly in…
scientificactivist | December 9, 2007Almost a year after Robert Gates left his post as President of Texas A&M University to become Secretary of Defense, the A&M Board of Regents has announced a successor: Elsa Murano, who since 2005 has served as Vice Chancellor of Agriculture for the Texas A&M System and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Board of Regents announced on Friday that Murano was the sole finalist for the position, and although Texas state law stipulates that 21 days must pass before the offer becomes official, she is effectively the new President of Texas A&M University.…
scientificactivist | November 29, 2007Dear Texas,
Let me first of all say that despite our differences, I still consider you my home, even if I only get to visit a couple of times a year these days. Friends, family, football: you have it all for me. And, as I watched it get dark here in Oxford around 4 pm this afternoon, I have to admit that I really miss that warm Texas sun.
But, Texas, I have to tell you--pal to pal--that your recent actions have been so stereotypical. I mean, yeah, we get it. You're conservative. Really conservative. And, you like Jesus. A lot. Tell me something new. But now I hear that you forced…
grrlscientist | November 2, 2007
A slightly worn Julia Heliconian butterfly, Dryas julia Fabricius.
This image was taken summer 2004 at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park's Pollinarium exhibit. It was donated to Wikipedia under the GFDL by Steven G. Johnson, the photographer. [wallpaper size].
As promised, here are my Houston, Texas, bird and butterfly lists for last weekend, including life list additions denoted with an asterix (below the fold);
Bird List
* = New species on Life List
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Great Egret
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture*
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk…
scientificactivist | October 27, 2007On November 6th (and now during early voting) Texans have the chance to vote on a variety of amendments to the Texas Constitution. One of these is Proposition 15:
The constitutional amendment requiring the creation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and authorizing the issuance of up to $3 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for research in Texas to find the causes of and cures for cancer.
The full text of the resolution as passed in May by the Texas House and Senate can be read here and additional information is available here. Upon…