Tasteful Nakedness and Distasteful Idiocy

Hey folks! It's Monday again and time for my weekly roundup of the previous week's articles. This was a fun week, with several great news stories and the publication of a few pieces that I had been working on for a while.

I'll start the list with this week's wildlife and poaching articles for TakePart. Can you guess which was my most popular article for the week?

Park Rangers Go Naked to Protect Rhinos

Watch Indian Villagers Rescue a Lion That Fell Down a Well


Next up, another article for TakePart. This one's a bit different in that two related articles were combined into one, so I share a byline with another writer. Anyway, both parts are good, important stuff. Check it out. Mine is the second half.

Battling Ebola, It's the Little Things That Count

The next two links come from my regular Extinction Countdown column at Scientific American. The first story gets the win for the biggest stupidity uncovered this week:

Mapping Mistake Threatens 1,400 Chimpanzees and Newly Discovered Endangered Plant

Critically Endangered Gecko Discovered in Madagascar

And finally, on a completely different note, I also have an article about hospital construction trends entitled "Health Care Law Boosts Outpatient Facilities" in the November 10 issue of Engineering News-Record, but you need a subscription to access it. Oh well, you can at least see the cover to the right.

That's it for this week. I already know that a few cool things are coming up pretty darn quickly -- perhaps even today -- so make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest headlines as they happen.

Mountain Gorillas, Dead Tigers and Breeding Birds

One of the great things about having a regular beat as a journalist is the opportunity to revisit important stories over the years. What's changed? What's new? Have things improved? Gotten worse? How have the threads of the story come together over time? This week's publications almost all embody this, as they gave me a chance to revisit several topics that I have written about in the past (and will not doubt return to again).

Let's dig into these revisitations. This week's "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American are both updates to stories I have covered in the past (one's good news, one's awful):

Rarest Kiwi Species Gets Breeding Boost

Canine Distemper Could Wipe Out Siberian Tigers


This week's articles for TakePart fit into the revisit theme in a slightly different way. I have written about mountain gorillas, eels and the bear-bile trade several times before. These articles all look at these topics from new angles:

Dangerous Diet: Mountain Gorillas’ Love of Bamboo Puts Them in Conflict With Farmers

Asia’s Appetite for Sushi Is Putting Philippine Eels in Peril

Laos’ Shrinking Bear Population Threatened by Booming Bile Business


Finally this week, here's my latest technology careers article for IEEE's The Institute. I enjoy working on these. This isn't exactly a topic that I have visited in the past, but I think that the years I have spent writing about tech careers gives me the best perspective to ask questions that really get to the heart of the matter. There's good advice in this one that would benefit anyone looking for a job:

Job Candidates: Here’s What to Ask in Interviews


That's it for this week. Come on back next Monday for more links, some of which will cover brand-new topics!

Halloween Horrors

Halloween used to be my favorite time of year. Now I know that the ghosts and goblins are with us year-round. Here are some of the horrors I covered during Halloween week, plus one or two slightly more positive stories.

I'll start with a new feature about the nature of science, written for TakePart:


The Battle to Control the Story—and Science—of the Deepwater Horizon Catastrophe


I also wrote two of my regular wildlife articles for TakePart. The first one is actually pretty fun, but the second is about as bleak as it gets:

These 11 Endangered Sea Turtles Are Racing for Victory

A Baby Chimpanzee Was Rescued From Poachers—Her Family Wasn’t So Lucky


And finally, here are two new endangered species articles for Scientific American. Okay, I actually got into the holiday spirit with one of them:

African Lions Face Extinction by 2050, Could Gain Endangered Species Act Protection

Halloween Horrors: The Ghost Bat (aka the False Vampire Bat)


More horrors this week? Probably. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest links as they happen.

Ebola, Vultures and Money (a short list this week)

Courtesy Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Well this is odd -- despite putting in about 60 hours of work (at least), I only published three articles last week. That's because I was concentrating on some big assignments that are going to be published this coming week, next week, next month and even next year.

You'll find about all of that future stuff as the days and weeks move ahead, but for now here are last week's links, starting off with my latest for TakePart (one of my most challenging and rewarding articles in recent days):

Ebola Fears Endanger Sierra Leone Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Next up, my latest "Extinction Countdown" article for Scientific American:

Indian Vultures are Dying for Some Good News

And finally, a new technology careers article for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer:

Is Your Salary Competitive?

This will be another busy week, but it should see several more article publications. Make sure to check my Twitter feed for the latest headlines as they become available.

All extinction, all the time

Last week's four published articles were all about endangered or threatened species. Obviously that's my main beat, but I usually have at least something else in the mix. Anyway, here are four not-so-positive articles from the pages of Scientific American and TakePart:

A Wild Idea: Save Tasmanian Devils While Controlling Killer Cats

Sage Grouse and Oil Drilling Can Co-Exist, Says New Report

Watch Out, Kangaroos: Poisonous Cane Toads Are Evolving Into Even Deadlier Invaders

China Is Pushing the Rare Pig-Nosed Turtle to Extinction

What you don't see from this list, of course, is all of the other stuff that I'm working on. I have quite a few articles about technology, history, science and philanthropy working their way through the system. Look for them soon -- along with more extinction-related news.

Elephants, Otters and IT Professionals

This week's article list is a tiny bit shorter than usual. I'm working on several huge features that will appear over the coming months, which leaves less time for news articles. That said, I'm pretty proud of the work that appeared this past week.

First up, two new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Elephants are Worth 76 Times More Alive Than Dead

Poison Dart Frog Threatened by Toxic Gold Mines


Next, my latest poaching and wildlife articles for TakePart:

Trading Indonesia’s Debt for Sumatran Tigers, Rhinos, and Orangutans

Cat Poop, Seaweed, and Snails Prove a Deadly Combination for Sea Otters


And finally, a career-oriented blog post for IEEE's The Institute:

IT Professionals: Five Key Tips to Stay Relevant in Today’s Market 


More next Monday!

Bad news on top of bad

Man, I write about some depressing stuff. I usually try to balance that with some positive topics as well, but this week's published articles were pretty much all bleak. Oh, sure, there's progress in each story, but collectively they sure add up to one big bummer.

Here are the links -- from Scientific American and TakePart -- to help you start your week off with a dark tone:

Deforestation Threatens Newly Identified Bird in Brazil

Sloth Bears Confirmed Extinct in Bangladesh

Two for One: Saving Sage Grouse Also Helps Protect Mule Deer

Australia’s Sea Cows Struggle to Survive Poachers


Don't worry -- I have a bunch of uplifting articles in the works as well. Those should start to appear this week. Follow me on Twitter for links as they happen!