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!

Stimulating, Solving and Faking

Monday rolls around again, like it does almost every week, and that means it's time for me to once again present to you, dear reader, my list of the previous week's publications.

We'll start our journalistic journey with my two Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American, both of which cover critically endangered birds:

Century-Old Egg Answers Mystery about Critically Endangered Bird

Soon the Only Place to See This Nearly Extinct Bird May Be on Samoan Currency

I also added one extra weekend quickie to this week's Extinction Countdown, something I may continue in the weeks ahead:

Sunday Species Snapshot: Tasmanian Devil


Next up, my latest feature for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer, which took a timelier turn than expected:

Six Ways Electric Vehicles Are Stimulating the Economy


Finally, here are three new articles on a variety of subjects for Mother Nature Network:

Air pollution causes cancer, says World Health Organization

157 science journals accept fake cancer study

Iran prepares to launch new monkey in space


This coming week should see publication of, well, more like that. But what exactly shall they cover? I'll leave that mystery to be revealed seven days from now...

(Of course, you can always follow me on Twitter for links as they happen if you just can't wait that long.)

Mountain gorillas, dead hemlocks and environmental disasters

Hello Monday, did you miss me?

I normally post these article link compendiums on a weekly basis, but October brought a few changes in my regular patterns. For one thing, I left the house. That's right, I actually went somewhere -- that "somewhere" being Chattanooga, Tenn., host city for the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists. It's a great city and the conference was fantastic. It has already inspired one article (which you'll find below) and will no doubt result in many more.

But travel meant an unusual slowdown in articles coming out of my keyboard. And travel delays -- hello broken airplane! -- meant I wasn't home last Monday to post this regular update. So let's catch you up on what you missed over the past two weeks. (Don't worry, there weren't that many articles, so this won't take long.)

I'll start this list, as I often do, with my Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

How Will Climate Change Affect Mountain Gorillas?

Endangered Species Success Stories: How Many More Are We Likely to See?

Hemlock Extinction Looms over Tennessee Forests


Next up, a history article, an explainer and a news post for Mother Nature Network:

The Great Sparrow Campaign was the start of the greatest mass starvation in history

CO2 101: Why is carbon dioxide bad?

Who (and where) is boson namesake Peter Higgs?


And finally, an article for IEEE's The Institute:

IEEE Certificate Program Expands Its Reach


This coming week should bring a new feature for Today's Engineer, another Institute article, two or three more for SciAm, and a bunch for MNN. Or more. Or less. We'll see.

I'm back on my regular schedule now, so come on back next Monday for another batch of article links. Can't wait that long? Follow me on Twitter. I'll post the headlines as they happen.

Climate change, conservation and comic books

Monday brings the end of another month and another list of links to my articles. Last week saw just five new articles, but they're good ones. Meanwhile I have dozens more (well, it feels that way) pending publication in the coming weeks.

First up this time around, my latest feature for Lion magazine, published by Lions Clubs International:

Helen Keller Reimagined


Next, my latest "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Piping Plovers in Migration: Foraging for their Lives

Dig This: Decline of Australian Digging Mammals Impacts Entire Ecosystems


And finally this week, here are two new pieces for Mother Nature Network:

New map identifies ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change

Yes, Vermont has a leaf forecaster


I won't be writing much this week -- I'll be traveling to the annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference -- but I do have several articles queued up with editors, so we'll see which ones appear. Follow me on the Tweeter for links as they happen (or, at least, as I know they happen).

Condors, rhinos, ear wax (yup) and religion

Busy weeks bring lots of headlines, so let's get to them.

First up, my regular Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

The 5 Biggest Myths about the Endangered Species Act

Banned Pesticide DDT Is Still Killing California Condors

22 Links for World Rhino Day as Poaching Levels Shoot Past 2012's Deadly Record


One of my earlier Extinction Countdown articles also got picked up for the new print issue of SA:

Climate Change Threatens Madagascar’s Towering Baobab Trees

And Mother Nature Network kept me busy writing about a whole bunch of eco-related topics, most of which stem from some pretty interesting new research:

Whale ear wax (you heard that right) carries a lifetime of ocean pollutants

How much methane leaks out during fracking?

Is religion a good way to help preserve biodiversity?

Explore the Galapagos Islands from the comfort of home with Google Street View


I'm also working on or have turned in several other pieces that will work their way into the world over the coming weeks. Stay tuned for links.

Atomic bats, missing vipers, mutant lobsters and giant salamanders

Good lord, I published a lot of articles last week!

Freelancing often is a game of scheduling. You balance your workload by day, week and month. You balance your income, with the jobs that will pay quickly against the jobs that will pay eventually. You plan out when you can conduct interviews and when you can write and when you can promote yourself and your work. And once in a while you can pencil in a few hours to have fun.

One think freelancers often don't have control over is when their articles will actually appear. This past week ended up being a case in point, as several long-in-the-works articles all appeared at the same time.

What does that mean? Nothing, other than the fact that you have a lot of reading ahead of you!

I'll start this week's list, as I usually do, with my two Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

Viper Collectors Nearly Wiped Out This Rare Turkish Snake; Saint Louis Zoo Helps to Save It

U.S. to Destroy 6 Tons of Confiscated Ivory, Sending Message to Poachers


Next up, another endangered species article, this time for the new issue of Conservation Magazine. This article is up online ahead of the print issue, which should be hitting mailboxes any moment now:

To the Bat Bunker!


Meanwhile, my cover article for SEJournal, the magazine of the Society of Environmental Journalists, is now online, a month or so after the release of the print issue:

The Endangered Species Act at 40: Forty Things Journalists Should Know


Switching gears for a moment, here's my latest technology careers article for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer:

Where are the Tech Jobs?

And finally, here's a whole bunch of new stories for Mother Nature Network (including, yup, one more about an endangered species):

Giant hellbender salamanders benefit from water temperature fluctuations

Canoes for a Cause: A brewer inspires volunteers to help clean America's waterways

Pollution in Florida's Lake Okeechobee swells to near-disaster levels

Amazing 6-clawed lobster gets reprieve from the dinner table

Global warming? Some say Arctic is actually cooling [Spoiler alert: it's not]

Fears mount at Mount Fuji



Boy, I'm tired just typing all of that! There will lots more this coming week. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest headlines as they go live!

Killer fungi and sunburned whales

Last week was the short, post-Labor Day work week and while it feels as if I did about six days worth of work, it only resulted in four published articles. But lots of the stuff I worked on last week won't turn up online until later this month, next month or even later. Such is the life of a freelance journalist.

Anywho, here are this week's links, two "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American and two science/news posts for Mother Nature Network:

Fire Salamanders in the Netherlands Wiped Out by Newly Discovered Fungus

Rare Tree, Dependent on Fire, to Leave Endangered Species List

Taking a nap may actually help heal your brain

Whales tan to avoid sunburn


Expect lots more soon!