follow that qar!

In his Primary Source blog at boston.com, James Pindell writes of today's New Hampshire visit by not-yet-candidate Barack Obama, "The atmosphere around Obama accounted for more of the discussion than what he actually said." At the Portsmouth book signing, we were happy to have a chance to hear the man speak, but didn't find a lot to get charged up about. Well, it is a book tour, after all. In fact, even though Obama "received two standing ovations before he uttered a public word in New Hampshire" ( Pindell again ), the rounds of applause for bookstore owner Tom Holbrook and Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand were equally spirited and lengthy. Health care, energy, how our politicians behave, and Iraq were Obama's first four topics after his introductory remarks, referring to them as the reasons that the 2006 elections meant so much to so many. He attracted 750 people to Portsmouth and 1,500 more to Manchester, turnouts that ought to hint to him th...

Music (&c) Seen and Heard September 2022: The Fretbenders, Owen Marshall and Alden Robinson, Long Journey, Wells September 2019: OldHat String Band, The Reel McCoys, Wells September 2018: Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, Jason Anick Trio, Wells February 24, 2017: Hunter and the Gatherers (Hunter Burgamy, Benjamin Cousins, Colescott Rubin, Volt Jingit, Kan Yanabe, Malwina Masternak), Boston September 2016: Corey Husic, Seagrass, Laurel Martin and Jim Prendergast, Wells February 29, 2016: Christian McBride Trio (Christian Sands, Jerome Jennings), Durham December 10, 2015: Mosaic, North Berwick September 2015: Joyce Andersen and Harvey Reid, The Gather Rounders, Susie Burke and Melissa Bragdon, Highland Soles, Wells September 2014: BYOC, The Gather Rounders, Shana Aisenberg and Friends, Mari Black and Neil Pearlman, Wells September 2013: Matt Loosigian; Ellen Carlson and Todd Thurlow; Ryan McKasson, Neil Pearlman, and Emerald Rae, Wells September 22, 2012: John Terczyak,...

OVERVIEW BACKGROUND BREEDING HISTORY OF MYNAS AT MIDWAY OBSERVATIONS AT THE LANDFILL BREEDING ACTIVITY TRANSECTS MANAGEMENT ESTIMATE AND SPECULATION REFERENCES TRIP REPORTS CHECKED FOR MYNA RECORDS OVERVIEW Common Mynas have received scant attention since they were first recorded on Midway more than twenty years ago. Concern over this species' deleterious effects on seabirds may lead to consideration of control measures. This paper provides reference material necessary for monitoring the myna population, including general background, breeding biology, historical records, and indexing methods. An estimated 500 individuals comprise the April 1992 population. BACKGROUND Common Mynas are indigenous to south Asia, but have been introduced to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific islands (Pizzey 1980). They were brought to the main islands of Hawaii in 1865 (Eddinger 1967). Throughout their range mynas are closely associated with human habitation. Because they are adap...

A nearly comprehensive list of publications (updated November 2001; partially updated October 2013) PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS Richardson SA, Potter AE, Lehmkuhl KL, Mazaika R, McFadzen ME, Estes R. 2001. Prey of Ferruginous Hawks breeding in Washington. Northwestern Naturalist 82:58-64. [ Abstract ] Richardson SA, Doran PJ, Michaelis WA, Sundstrom-Bagley C, Anthony JA, Zahn HM. 2000. A new Snowy Plover nesting area in Washington: Midway Beach, Pacific County. Washington Birds 7:25-35. Richardson S. 1999. Intermediate Egret at Midway Atoll. North American Birds 53:441-443. But see entry in Pyle and Pyle 2009 (PDF). Larsen EM, Richardson SA. 1990. Some effects of a major oil spill on wintering shorebirds at Grays Harbor, Washington. Northwestern Naturalist 71:88-92. [ Abstract ] BOOKS Richardson S, editor. 2008. Coastal Fish of Southern Maine and New Hampshire. Wells Reserve & Laudholm Trust, Wells, Maine. 72pp. Wahl TR, Tweit B, Mlodinow S, editors. 2005. Birds ...

The week of rain, according to the electronic rain gauge in our yard, went like this: May 10-11 = 1 inch May 12 = 0.5 inch May 13 = 4.7 inches May 14 = 2.5 inches May 15 = 2.1 inches May 16 = 0.8 inches Not quite a foot, but the monthly total is close to 14 inches and we have more on the way. Home impacts have been minimal. Work has been disrupted for both of us, but is approaching normalcy. C&A walked to the (closed) bridge on Monday to see the Salmon Falls River way higher than we've seen it.

I've just found the Editors' Notebook from a 2004 issue of North American Birds , where Edward S. Brinkley writes: We intend to revisit an older article on Intermediate Egret on Midway Atoll, Hawaii (N. A. B. 53: 441-443), which may pertain to an "Eastern Cattle-Egret" rather than an Intermediate Egret (have we piqued the reader's interest?). As the author of the article in question, I am eager to see the clarification, which is apparently approaching a draft stage now. Ever since I was informed that the American Ornithologists' Union check-list committee passed over the "intermediate" egret report in its 45 th supplement, I have hoped to read a well documented alternative view. I expect to be presumed mistaken and am comfortable with that. It's just hard to be wrong so publicly. It happens, though; I am not alone. After recounting a handful of other questioned identifications recorded in NAB , Brinkley goes on to write: It is remarkable, and v...

Prompted again by admit-one, I've determined my Autism Spectrum Quotient is 31. That's "above average," with 32 being "very high." I'm not reading much into the results, even though most men score about 17 and most people with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism score 35. Want to try it? See if Newsweek Interactive: The Autism Quotient is still a live link. HINT: It's not. You can now find it through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (December 2020).

Why am I so captivated by the idea of drinking tasteless, slippery, crunchy-kerneled seeds? Because subja seeds sound like fun. I first learned of them by browsing The Indian Spice Kitchen , where Monisha Bharadwaj describes them, but Osimum basilicum seeds seem impossible to find. I made a special trip to Seattle's Uwajimaya to track them down, but came up empty. I stopped at Market Spice at Pike Street, where they hadn't heard of them (but they suggested another shop down the street). I went into Souk, where the gentleman understood what I was looking for only after I described it; he knew the seeds by a different name, which he couldn't remember, and said his sister gets them at a shop (the name not in his memory) on Roosevelt Avenue. But I was out of time in the city and couldn't follow up. (But before I took more than a few steps out Souk's door, the proprietor called me back in, because he had asked his arriving friend what those seeds were called. Tukmaria, ...