Saturday, December 20, 2008

So what have You done?

I've been reading a few other blogs lately including Living the Scientific Life and Pharyngula. On Living the Scientific Life I found this meme and thought it would be an interesting post. Take a look at the list. What have you done? I have done the things in bold print.

started my own blog
Slept under the stars Joshua Tree, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, San Juan River,
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than I can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis -not yet, but I have held a stick insect
Sung a solo- nope, and NEVER will
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched lightning at sea
Taught myself an art from scratch well, if knitting counts....
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown my own vegetablesnothing like a home grown tomato
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you're not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Run a Marathon
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset- lots of times!
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught myself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo's David
Sung karaoke- right. See "sung a solo" above
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had my portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job -
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had my picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating It was a trout.
Had chickenpox
Saved someone's life
Sat on a jury: I have gone to jury duty many, may times, but I have never been seated on a jury.
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake well, I stood in it.
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee
Ridden an elephant

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

World Wildlife Fund announces discovery of more than 1,000 species in the Mekong Delta

In the last 10 years scientists with the World Wildlife fund have discovered more than 1,000 new species of organisms in the Mekong Delta. One rat species was believed to have been extinct for over 11 million years. New species of amphibians, reptiles, mammals birds were found along with over 500 species of plants. One of the most startling discoveries is of a hot pink millipede named the dragon millipede. You can see this millipede along with some of the other species in this video.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Superb bird of paradise

Many of you may have watched the amazing Planet Earth show on PBS a year or so ago. I wasn't able to watch during the broadcast, but have seen several of the episodes lately and immediately saw how I could use segments in my classes. The photography is amazing. One of my favorite segments is of the birds of paradise in New Guinea.

There is a segment on You Tube of a short sequence of video taken in New Guinea of the a couple of the species of birds of paradise. The male birds of paradise have elaborate feathers and engage in a host of courtship displays. Take a look