Hey, Penguin People!

Penguins are a favorite for lots and lots of people and it’s no surprise since they’re one of the most unique and interesting birds on our planet. Their species developed in what we call the ‘Era of the Mammals’—around the same time as the first horses, whales, and monkeys of the world. However, while penguins may have arrived at the same time, they aren’t mammals…or are they?
There is much debate as to how penguins should be classified. Clearly, they’re one of the rare species of flightless birds like ostriches, emus, cassowaries, certain ducks, auks, and a few others. But they also have blubber which is mainly a mammal thing. They also spend the vast majority of their life underwater like a fish, but they walk around on land too, as amphibians do.

How weird is that?! No wonder we have a day dedicated to this confusing bird! Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day with us and check out these facts that I put together about this amazingly bizarre bird!

They’re Not Slow.
Notorious for their upright posture and their waddling locomotion, penguins are typically depicted as slow-moving animals. This presumption, however, is completely inaccurate. In fact, there are some penguins out there, like the Adelie Penguin, that can actually move faster than most humans are able to run. And when they really need to cover some ground and FAST, they just hop on their bellies and move like toboggans!

They’re Not Fat, They’re…well, okay…they kind of are...
They need that layer to survive, though! As all marine mammals like seals, otters, orcas, and whales, penguins wear a layer of blubber under their skin too. The only bird with blubber, penguins are smart to have evolved with this trick of aquatic mammals—they would never survive the arctic temperatures without this special layer of fat.

They Drink Salt Water.
“Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.”—such is the case when you’re lost at sea, but not if you’re a penguin. While salt water just won’t work with human bodies because of how salty it is, penguins can drink the stuff down all day. Thanks to a gland they have that actually filters the salt from the water, penguins will never die of dehydration by salt water.

They’re Not Afraid of Us.
Especially in comparison to other birds, penguins aren’t afraid of people. They don’t really have a reason to care much about us because penguins don’t typically have an abundance of land predators. What penguins need to watch out for are circling birds of prey overhead—that’s their biggest threat.

They Dress in Camo.
The black-and-white plumage of penguins—often associated with a white shirt and tailcoat—are actually camouflage. Camouflage from the water, that is. Their black backs are lost in the dark depths of the sea and their white stomachs are easily mistaken for the sunlight that reflects off the water’s surface. Of course, their black backs are easily seen against the snow, but I suppose it’s more important to be unseen in the water when you spend 75% of your life in the wet stuff!

It’s no wonder that we find these creatures so fascinating! Happy Penguin Awareness Day, Everyone! Learn more about our feathered friends here and, as always, thanks for reading.
 

- John

Hey, Sleepyheads!

Today is the Festival of Sleep—a day for loafin’ around the house and staying warm under the blankets amidst the dead of a chilly winter. In honor of the day, last year I posted about all the different benefits a good night of sleep brings to us as people—not just in the winter, but year-round. You can check out last year’s post right here.

But this year, I’d like to focus more on sleeping in the winter season—or, more appropriately, THROUGH—the winter season. I’m talking about hibernation.

Unfortunately, we people don’t hibernate—much as we feel we may want to! Our bodies just aren’t biologically designed to do it. So who DOES hibernate? Oh, lots of creatures! You have bears and bats—they’re the most popularly-known—but there are also mice, chipmunks, skunks, raccoons, groundhogs, snakes and a number of other reptiles, some amphibians, bees, and more.

Not all of these animals are true hibernators the way that bears and bats are. These guys fall asleep and will coast clear through winter and spring. Others, however, like raccoons and chipmunks, tend to wake up periodically to snack on some food that they have stored up. But even then, if they’ve run out of their food supply, they’ll go searching for more. Still, they sleep for much longer than you or I could ever dream.

What are these animals doing, you ask? Well, these creatures’ bodies have all adapted in one way or another to remain inactive as a means of conserving their energy. By slowing their metabolism and reducing their body temperature considerably, these creatures stay asleep for days, weeks, even months at a time.

Food gets to be hard to come by for some animals—especially bears, and so, instead of migrating or expanding their diet, these animals took the lazy route and make the bold move to sleep through this season of scarcity. The benefits of sleep for us—like boosting our mental, physical, and emotional well-being—are nothing compared to what sleep can do for these animals who essentially freeze time for themselves.

We may not be able to hibernate, but we can certainly pretend! Enjoy getting the most out of your Zzzz’s today and all winter long. And, as always, thanks for zzzz…

- John

Hey, Halloween Enthusiasts!

The time has come once again to parade ourselves in costumes to pretend we are who we are not. I love it. You love it. Everyone I know loves it! It’s Halloween. From Trick-or-Treating to haunted houses, you can’t go wrong with this holiday! Lots of people like to do it up for Halloween. And some of them do it up in a frighteningly fantastic way!

Take a look at three towns across the country that do Halloween BIG each year:

Park City, Utah
Talk about ‘parading’ around—streets of Park City (or should I say ‘Bark’ City) in Utah actually look like a parade during their Howl-o-Ween street party. Packed with costumed travelers, Park City’s streets get a treat of a rather old tradition. Annual ghost tours are held as well in which spooky sites are visited and tales of the dead are told.

St. Helen, Oregon
After the small town of St. Helen in Oregon got a heavy dosage of decking the halls for Halloween when The Disney Channel used their town to film their Halloween classic, ‘Halloweentown’ in 1998, the townsfolk got addicted to the all-out Halloween spirit. Because they loved it so much, they go to incredible lengths to recreate the setup each year! The town holds tours and costume contests every weekend throughout October!

Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Last, but not least, is the small town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Not very long ago, a documentary called, ‘The American Scream’ was filmed there to focus on three families who all coincidentally live in the same neighborhood and each one as just as obsessed with Halloween as the next. Going as far as to create legitimate haunted houses in their backyards, you can check out a preview to the documentary below.

Enjoy all of your Halloween scares and treats this spooky season and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Students of Safety!

Today is National Fire Prevention Day and the rest of the week is dedicated to bringing awareness of effective tips for preventing uncontrolled fires. Last year, I posted tips about the proper way to start (and put out) an outdoor fire. The year before that, I shared tips to avoid uncontrolled indoor fires. There’s an important piece, however, that should be stressed from the latter post—

Outlet and electrical appliance safety!

Electrical fires are within the top five causes of house fires. And having recently said goodbye to the summer season, we’re all about to spend a lot more time indoors which inevitably means plugging even more things in on a regular basis. A great way to observe National Fire Prevention Day is to scope out your home in search of electrical connections that violate the following rules:

Don’t Use Electrical Cords in Poor Condition
The exterior of a cord is known as the jacket. If you happen to spot any cords with frayed jackets, these cords are at risk of using exposed wires which is never a safe practice. Older appliances are notorious for having loose or otherwise unsafe cords so pay special attention to older appliances like vintage lamps, radios, or old television sets.

Don’t Overload Outlets 
You certainly don’t want to draw too much electricity all to the same spot. A full surge protector can be too much for one outlet to handle. Try spreading out the source of power for so many different plugs.

Be Safe Using Extension Cords
Extension cords are handy, but they can also be a fire hazard when not used properly. Extension cords should never be ran under rugs or heavy furniture. You should also be careful not to overuse an extension cord. They easily deteriorate when overstressed which can lead to an unhappy electrical shock to you. Extension cords are not permanent solutions to your power needs.

l
Ensure your safety and check your house to make sure you’re following these rules. For further safety, you can check to make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working and discuss an emergency exit plan with your family. Have a safe day today, and as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Comic Book Fans!

A very popular piece of reading material to pack along for a fun-filled summer camp stay, comic books are ever-present in the kingdom of kids. From superheroes to graphic novels all the way across the map to the Sunday Funnies, comic books are a wonderful way to lose yourself in a world of art and imagination presented in panels and gutters!

Today is National Comic Book Day.

What better day to brush up on your own collection or trade issues with a friend to check out one you haven’t seen yet? Whether you’re into the classics like the members from the Justice League or superheroes of the newer generation such as Spiderman or X-Men, get lost in the worlds that you love the most today.

Perhaps you like to do more than just READ comic books but you like conceiving of your own too. If that’s the case, you’re bound to find THIS summer camp up your alley: Randy Emberlin’s Summer Comic Book Art Camp. Look into it for yourself for next summer.

Randy Emberlin is an artist who makes comic books. Best known for his work inking the Spider-Man comic books, Randy has also put his magical touch to series like Dark Horse’s ‘Ghost’, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Origin Series’, the ‘Left Behind’ series, ‘Star Wars Tales’—issues 12 and 15, and more. He’s been expanding his creative work for the last 30 years!

Go for this four-day camp session open to comic enthusiasts from third grade to first-year high schoolers. Learn from Randy Emberlin himself as he gives great instruction for perspective drawing, layout, penciling, inking, coloring, and more!

Check out their website for yourself and enjoy National Comic Book Day by reading your favorite comic or maybe even designing your own! As always, thanks for reading!

- John