Get Out The Winter Coats; Its Gonna Get Cold Soon

The article this week is entitled, "Major US Winter Storm Spotted From Space." It was written by Andrea Thompson for Fox News Online. The article discusses the upcoming winter storm that the US will be facing in the next few weeks.

Apparently, while we have been having a warm December, the Midwest United States has been under a blanket of snow. This weather is supposed to continue and even spread into "Texas and parts of the southern United States." This storm is dangerous because of the transportation hazards and travel issues that come up with snow and ice.

Snow Storm in Cleveland

The reason I wanted to report on this article is due to the unusual warm weather here in South Carolina. It has perplexed me why I can wear shorts and t-shirts to class, while the Midwest is bundled in their huge winter coats. I went into researching this strange weather and found this article. I thought the writer did a great job of explaining the weather more in depth then the pure statement of what the temperature outside is. I think this article relates to our class discussions because we study nature and the effects nature can have on our daily lives. All I can say, is I hope the kids in the Midwest have their shovels and sleighs ready!

Snow in New York City

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/06/major-us-winter-storm-spotted-from-space/

A Fish Tale

The article I really enjoyed reading this week is entitled, "Cooking Light With Seafood." The article was written by Martha Rose Shulman for the New York Times Online Website. I love to research healthy alternatives for food, and this article was right up my ally. I wanted to share it with you all.

Seafood is historically considered to be a very healthy food option, especially when compared to sugary sweets and fats. There are many different types of fish and seafood, that can be prepared in a variety of ways. The article focuses in on using cod during this Christmas season. The holidays are a time of food and family, but you can always notice the few extra pounds that still linger once the new year rings in. How can we avoid that? This author did a great job of explaining some healthy alternatives to that big Christmas time starchy dinner.

A Healthy Meal

The author describes cod as a "mild tasting fish" with a "firm texture." It is a healthy fish that is easily prepared in your kitchen. There are multiple ways to cook cod, but she recommends baking in the oven to avoid the "smell and fattiness" of frying. She lists several recipes to help readers discover what kind of seafood they wish to try this holiday season!

Seafood Platter

I wanted to write on this article because I love seafood and I love eating healthy. This is an article that is important to our class because we studied the effects of junk food on our bodies. This is a healthy alternative that is easily prepared and tastes delicious! I know that I will be asking my mom to prepare more fish this Christmas while I am home for break!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/06/cooking-light-with-seafood/?ref=health&_r=0

Animals Getting Jiggy With It

The article for this week is entitled, "Dancing Animals With Some Serious Moves." It was written for National Geographic Online by Liz Langley, and it describes some pretty interesting dance moves that five species of animals apparently can dish out.

The first animal is the Red Capped Manakin Bird. The bird is very tiny, and it lives in "Central and South America". Only the males perform the "Michael Jackson Moonwalk" similar dance in order to find a mate. It is an awe inspiring show!

Red Capped Manakin Bird

The second animal is the Peacock Spider. The spider is also very small, yet it has a very colorful body that is used to find a mate. The "body vibrates" and puffs up to be impressive. It is definitely one of the prettiest spiders I have ever seen. 

Peacock Spider

The third animal is the common parrot. Apparently, scientists have found that parrots have the ability to distinguish "rhythm." It is used for a variety of reasons, and it can be trained to a pet parrot. I think it probably has something to do with their beautiful singing voices!

Parrot

The fourth animal is the Honey Bee. The Honey Bee does not use its dance moves to mate; instead the honey bee has a "waggle dance," which is used to indicate when they find pollen. It is important for honey bees to have this dance, so that they can continue to communicate where to find pollen. 

Honey Bee

The last animal is the Bird of Paradise. There are "39 different species" of the Birds of Paradise, and they all perform the mating dance of "hopping." The hopping dance illustrates these birds agile ability and smooth moves!

Bird of Paradise

All of these animals have one thing in common: they love to dance! They dance for different reasons; mating, communication, and even just for the day to day entertainment. It is important to study animals and their behaviors because it sheds light on our own human characteristics. At events, men and women dance to impress each other and sometimes even to attract a possible mate. Just like these animals humans use dance as a means to communicate what they want someone to know about them. I very much enjoyed this article because the study of animals and their behaviors interests me. Dancing is apparently a multiple species form of fun. 

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/06/dancing-animals-with-some-serious-moves/