Scientific Ink

Author: Dunrie

  • Three Cups of Tea

    Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a TimeI remember where I was on September 11, 2001. I was at my old job, working on a computer, not tuned into the news, when a colleague called and told us to tune into CNN. A rushing sense of unreality, helplessness, and shock followed. Then, we invaded Afghanistan, and I worried about the long-term effects of our military intervention as well as the immediate suffering it would create.

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  • Whose bone is this, anyway?

    Mystery bone – from above, originally uploaded by dunrie.

    I have a doctorate in biology. But I studied plants and insects. And neither plants nor insects have bones, so I’m officially excused from having to know what this is.

    We first thought it was a cranium, but it didn’t seem to have the characteristics I’d need to key it out on online keys. Anyway, I’m completely stumped. The “eye sockets” seem much too small to be….pretty much anything. I’m hoping one of my bio-friends knows the answer. Bueller…? Bueller?

    Note 9/6/2007: this appears to be an avian pelvic girdle – thanks AnnaBess! We’re guessing a cormorant, which would make sense given the number of cormorants out on Waquoit Bay and the Vineyard Sound.

    Mystery bone - side

    Mystery bone - bottom

  • Striped Bass log

    The big one, originally uploaded by dunrie.

    My sister-in-law is doing graduate research on Christmas Island in the Pacific. The food choices are limited (tuna, tuna, and more tuna), and she has a funny blog entry about the forms of tuna they’ve eaten, including tuna salisbury steak and tuna patties with gravy.

    Well, Dave and Nate both caught big striped bass on our fishing trip, and we’ve been having striped bass in many forms.

  • Silly stuff

    1. What is your occupation? Director of Happiness (aka project manager).
    2. What color are your socks right now? No socks. Bare feet.
    3. What are you listening to right now? Girish.
    4. What was the last thing that you ate? Leftover paella from New Bedford Portugese joint.
    5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes.
    6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Fuschia.
    7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Patrick, a colleague at PV.
    8. How old are you today? 37.
    9. Favorite drink? Oolong tea in the morning. Sometimes jasmine, sometimes Earl Gray.
    10. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football.
    11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Nope.
    12. Pets? 1 Cat + lot of inverts in a salt water tank.
    13. Favorite food? Whatever my husband cooks, he’s a really good cook. Whatever we get from our CSA.
    14. What was the last movie you watched? Don’t recall.
    15. Favorite day of the year? Any day I’m up north at the cabin, especially in winter when the wind is really blowing.
    16. What do you do to vent anger? Sulk, pout, fret, then I go for a walk or go for a intense bike ride.
    17. What was your favorite toy as a child? My stuffed bear, “Bear”.
    18. What is your favorite fall or spring? Fall, it’s moodier.
    19. Hugs or kisses? Hugs from friends, chocolate kisses from everyone else.
    20. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberry pie. Fresh, unadulterated cherries.
    21. Do you want your friends to email you back? Ummmm, this is a blog entry.
    22. Who is most likely to respond? don’t know.
    23. Who is least likely to respond? don’t know.
    24. Living arrangements? Own a home.
    25. When was the last time you cried? Not keeping track…. Reading The Time Traveler’s Wife, yesterday.
    26. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes & cat hair.
    27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? My sister.
    28. What did you do last night? Hung out with family.
    29. Favorite smells? Good cooking.
    30. What inspires you? Good books.
    31. What are you afraid of? Loneliness.
    32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese please.
    33. Favorite dog breed? My stepmom’s springer spaniel Nikita is awesome.
    34. How many years at your current job? 2 months.
    35. Favorite days of the week? It varies, any days I can get out cycling or do yoga.
    36. How many states have you lived in? 2.
    37. Ever driven motorcycle or heavy machinery? Nah.
    38. Who’s your favorite NFL team? My heart says the Lions. Reality says the Patriots.
    39. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? Yes, in case of a power outage.

  • Becoming a yoga teacher in Ann Arbor

    Today I went to a yoga class in Osterville, MA with my mother-in-law and her neighbor. After class I had a quick chat with the instructor, who out of the blue asked me what type of yoga I studied and whether I was considering becoming a yoga teacher. I had a hard time answering the first question, and the answer to the second was “yes!”

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  • Stadium near Trader Joe’s is the center of Ann Arbor Dentistry

    Ok, ok, the sample size is 6. But 3 of the recommended dentists within walking distance of downtown Ann Arbor or on a bus line all fall in the same spot on this map. The lower right “pin” in the map is actually 3 pins. You’ll notice Google maps gave it a “thicker”/”deeper” shadow.

    Hmmm. Because all 3 dentists have the exact same street address–Sandra Embree 2340 Stadium, Tammy Trullard 2340 Stadium, and Maryann Griffith 2340 Stadium, it appears to be impossible to get their tacks to “resolve” into 3 no matter how much I zoom in! It also looks like the last one I added is the only one that is clickable here. If you click “view larger map” at the bottom, you’ll see all 6 on maps.google.com.

    Yes, this post is really me just fooling with putting a map in my blog.


    View Larger Map