Frog Week, Fulgurites and Freebies

Hello Monday, how have you been? Did you have a good weekend? How's the wife and kids? Does everyone hate you as much as they used to? Well don't worry about it, some of us still like you, Monday. After all, it's a great chance to look back at the week that was.

Which is what I'm doing now, as a matter of fact. Yup, it's time for my weekly Monday linkfest. This time around I've got nine new articles for your reading pleasure.

I'll start with my Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American, which covered two critically endangered frogs and one spectacular (and also critically endangered) bird:

Good Dads Help Rare Haitian Frogs Breed in Captivity

Squeaking By: Frog Species Rediscovered in Ghana, but Invasive Devil Weed Threatens Its Survival

Sunday Species Snapshot: Bali Myna


Next up, my latest for IEEE's The Institute. Although geared toward engineers, these lessons are good for just about anybody:

Learn Effective Communication Skills With Free Online Lessons

And finally, here's a wide mix of science and technology articles for Mother Nature Network, including two explainer-type articles:

Art that sucks: Dutch artist proposes 'vacuum' to clear Beijing of smog

New studies provide clues into colony collapse disorder and other bee deaths

Sweetening the bottom line: Tobacco farmers switching to stevia

Electrical safety: How electrical current affects the human body

Fulgurites: When lightning strikes sand, magic is formed


That's it for this week. I already have several items for this coming week turned in and working their way through the editorial process, so make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest links as they happen.

See you in seven days, Monday!