Thursday, March 29, 2012

America... hatching



Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream
From Wired:

The trio of baby eagles that hatched on live webcam for an audience of thousands have finally left the nest.
Two of the nearly-grown eaglets hopped from their nest in a cottonwood tree in Decorah, Iowa, to a nearby branch around 10 a.m. yesterday. The third eaglet followed later that afternoon.
“They’ve reached the time to fly,” said Bob Anderson, executive director of the nonprofit Raptor Resource Project, which operates the cameras that stream the family of eagles to the internet.
The eaglets’ feathers and wing muscles are developed enough for flight, but they haven’t fully fledgedthe nest yet. They’re doing a pre-flight stretch called “branching.” The next few days to a week will probably be spent hopping back and forth from branch to nest to branch again, Anderson said. The eaglets might even venture up to some higher branches, out of view of the camera.

Monday, March 26, 2012

As of posting this...

~127 days until Shark Week

Back to the point of the post, via The Telegraph:
Eli Martinez was interacting with the lemon shark in the balmy waters off the coast of The Bahamas. Eli, who works as the editor of Shark Diving magazine, said: This particular shark I had encountered before. She is very laid-back so I knew if I held my hand out she would come over. At first she was swimming straight towards me, but I didn’t expect her to turn at the last moment. She tapped my palm with her fin like we were high-five-ing



Source -> http://www.thehighdefinite.com/2012/03/high-fin/ via http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2012/03/high-fiving-shark.html

http://sharkweekcountdown.com/

To do:


via The High Definite

James Cameron reached the deepest spot on earth

James Cameron has completed the deepest solo dive in a submersible craft. The filmmaker has been planing on filming the Mariana Trench for several years and was finally able to complete that goal.
No news yet on what he saw down there...

From NatGeo:
At noon, local time (10 p.m. ET), James Cameron's "vertical torpedo" sub broke the surface of the western Pacific, carrying the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker back from the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep—Earth's deepest, and perhaps most alien, realm.

The first human to reach the 6.8-mile-deep (11-kilometer-deep) undersea valley solo, Cameron arrived at the bottom with the tech to collect scientific data, specimens, and visions unthinkable in 1960, when the only other manned Challenger Deep dive took place, according to members of the National Geographic expedition.

After a faster-than-expected, roughly 70-minute ascent, Cameron's sub, bobbing in the open ocean, was spotted by helicopter and would soon be plucked from the Pacific by a research ship's crane. Earlier, the descent to Challenger Deep had taken 2 hours and 36 minutes.

Expedition member Kevin Hand called the timing of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER sub's ascent "perfect."





Sources -> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17503395
https://twitter.com/#!/AP/status/184043590861856769
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deepest-returns-science-sub/
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/science/james-camerons-submarine-trip-to-challenger-deep.html?_r=1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46850002/ns/technology_and_science-science

Monday, March 19, 2012

Whole lemon lemonade

I'm having trouble focusing with the Aussie accent, but-
this is a pretty cool recipe for lemonade.


Clickable link -> http://youtu.be/OCpPOX1gJ-E


Source -> http://lifehacker.com/5894286/blend-a-whole-lemon-into-lemonade

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 2

Can you tell I'm excited?



Behind the scenes with the cast










(Joffrey sucks)


Earlier link -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2012/01/game-of-thrones-season-2-trailer.html

Stranded dolphins helped by beachgoers

This video is intense. About 30 dolphins caught a wave, presumably chasing a school of fish, at a beach in Brazil where they ran out of deep water. Beach-goers noticed this, dropped what they were doing and helped them back into the water.

Awesome.


Clickable link: http://youtu.be/ekmMD8oYtJ0

Source -> http://www.thehighdefinite.com/2012/03/nice-try-dolphins/

Earlier link about Dolphins -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2012/02/that-lot-of-dolphins.html

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Clementine Tumeric Chicken, Teriyaki veges and Quinoa

Say it with me... Keen-Wah

Ingredients:
2 large Chicken breasts chopped into cubes
5 or 6 clementines, peeled and separated
Scallions/Green Onions/Spring Onions, chopped up
A few Asparagus spears, chopped up
Bag of Mixed Veges (I used one that was Broccoli/Carrots/Cabbage)
Fresh Peas (handful?)
3/4 cup of uncooked Quinoa
2 cups Chicken Broth
a splash of Orange Juice
Pat of butter

Spices/Sauces needed:
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki sauce (or use more soy and a bit of honey if you don't have any teriyaki sauce)
Chopped Garlic
Ginger powder
Turmeric powder
black pepper
rooster sauce 
Soybean/Sesame/Stirfry oil (tablespoon or 2).

Instructions:
First prepare the Quinoa, how much you make is up to you, but the ratio is usually around twice as much liquid (water or chicken broth which I prefer) as dry Quinoa, bring to boil then lower and cover once its simmering. Add the pat of butter to the saucepan (or rice cooker) in the beginning, this will take about 15 min. Once its done fluff with a fork and add that handful of fresh peas.

Get the Wok or Frying pan really hot with only the oil in it. Add the chicken until its about halfway cooked, stirring constantly. Add a splash each of Soy Sauce, Teriyaki sauce, Orange Juice and chicken broth. Then a healthy shake of turmeric, ginger powder and black pepper. Next throw in a heaping tablespoon of chopped garlic and the scallions and a squirt of rooster sauce, stirring constantly, but the heat turned down to about 75%. Once you'd say the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat and throw in all the clementine slices, stirring them in. Strain out the meat, remove from heat and cover. The remaining juice, I usually whisk in a bit more teriyaki sauce (or honey) and a squirt of rooster sauce to make the orange sauce.

Rinse out the wok frying pan (not that well), then add some more oil. Turn heat back up and add the veges once its starting to sizzle, cook this in teriyaki sauce and garlic (with a squirt of rooster if you like them spicier). Total cooking time will be very short, maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
Variations: you could always add a LOT more ginger/turmeric and much less liquid if you want it more stir-fried and less "stewed" Or instead of orange juice, try coconut milk with the clementines (might want more clementines in that case) for a creamier sauce.

SETI needs help

Constant funding issues aside, SETI needs your help to search the skies for intelligent life.

Image Source


From the Geekosystem post:
The SETI Live project is built on the Zooniverse citizen science platform, which hopes to harness the eyes of the Internet to help make new discoveries. At the heart of SETI Live is a region of the radio spectrum that has hitherto been ignored. The trouble, it seems, is that this part of the spectrum is where we do most of our own broadcasting. Despite having a host of sophisticated tools, SETI has struggled in this target rich environment and ignored it for years.
However, this could be a huge mistake, as Jill Tarter writes on the SETI Live blog:
IF (of course it’s a huge if) there is a technological civilization near enough to us – its distance in light years is less than half the time over which our technology has been transmitting at a particular frequency band – perhaps that civilization has noticed that the Earth is very ‘radio bright’ at certain frequencies. Perhaps it has transponded back a reply at the same frequencies, knowing that we would have receivers that work there.
And that’s where you come in. Once you log in to SETI Live, you’ll be presented with “waterfalls” of radio data. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, especially since most of what you’re looking at is random noise. However, a quick run through the tutorial and a tour of established signal patterns will soon get you on the right track. To identify a possible signal, simply click to define two points along the suspect transmission, enter some info about the signal, and your done. No knowledge of radio science required.

Short version:
Install an application on your computer and a stream of transmissions will flow on your monitor, note if you see a pattern.


This sounds like a pretty cool project if you have the time (and interest). I actually used to have SETI@home on all my PC's until a year or 2 ago. Its a unique organization with a purpose that could GREATLY effect everything we know about life and the universe as we know it with a single major discovery.

I leave you in the hands of President Whitmore for an alternate thought about intelligent life "communicating" with Earth. USA! USA! USA!


Clickable link: http://youtu.be/aUdB8gCMcXI

Source ->  http://www.geekosystem.com/seti-live-needs-you/ via http://setilive.org/

Earlier aliens post: http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/03/aliens-confirm-kingship-with-gary-busey.html

Seeds inadvertently hitching rides to Antarctica


As many as 20% of all visitors to the Antarctic continent are unknowingly carrying seeds from other parts of the world to the frozen tundra. This (can) greatly effect(s) Antarctica's native species* and is a testament "the impressive traveling abilities of plants"

From Pop Sci:
 Researchers led by Steven Chown of Stellenbosch University in South Africa vacuumed the clothing, shoes, camera bags and walking poles of 853 Antarctic visitors during the International Polar Year in 2007-2008. They figure that represented about 2 percent of the continent’s visitors that year.
The team found 2,686 seeds on these people, a group that included both scientists and tourists. The researchers extrapolate this to mean that 31,732 seeds entered the Antarctic on tourists, and 38,897 seeds entered on scientists during the first summer of the International Polar Year. Scientists were by far worse offenders, bringing twice as many seeds as individual tourists, but tourists still greatly outnumber science-related visitors.


 Source link -> http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/stowaway-seeds-carried-unwitting-humans-are-colonizing-antarctica

*Which is rarely a good thing

Earlier invasive species related blog posts: http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2012/02/pythons-wiping-out-native-species-in.html & http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/06/non-native-species-beneficial.html & http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/04/sharks-being-taught-to-eat-non-native.html

Antarctica links: http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2012/02/they-reached-ice.html & http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2012/02/really-old-ice_16.html & http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/09/follow-happy-feet-on-his-way-back-to.html

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Live Penguin cam!

Everybody loves Penguins*

Via Discovery's Frozen Planet:
You are watching live video of the "Penguin Encounter" at SeaWorld San Diego. Stay tuned for penguin feedings throughout the day, and don't miss our live Q&A sessions every Monday from noon to 12:30 p.m. ET starting Monday, March 19.

In celebration of Frozen Planet, premiering Sunday, March 18, at 8PM e/p, Penguin Cam will be live 24 hours a day throughout March and April — plenty of time to get to know SeaWorld San Diego's nearly 300 penguins, representing all five Antarctic species: emperors, kings, Adélies, gentoos and macaronis.





Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream

*I'm comfortable with making that blanket of a statement

Source -> http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/frozen-planet/penguin-cam/

Earlier Penguin links (warning, one didn't really have a great ending...): http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/09/follow-happy-feet-on-his-way-back-to.html
http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/01/stop-what-youre-doing-and-watch-this.html

Friday, March 2, 2012

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!!

***Update***

3 Things Dr. Seuss Books Can Teach You About Money

* The Cat in the Hat — You don't need to spend a lot to have a good time. Conversation and imagination are as entertaining as pricey outings. If you're trying to save money, look first at scaling back your entertainment budget.

* Green Eggs and Ham — Stick with the same financial routines without varying your approach and you can grow bored and ineffective. Don't let fear dictate your practices. Be willing to take reasonable risks that could better your standing.

* The Lorax — No matter how dreadful your situation, nothing will change unless you face up to your problems and start chipping away at their causes. When you're struggling with money problems, the worst thing you can do is go with the flow and pretend nothing is wrong.



------------------------------
Original post:

The beloved author of 46 children's books would have been 108 today! Any young reader's library would be lacking without a Dr. Seuss book or 10. My personal
favorite is One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

Here are some of the more famous and interesting quotes: