Thanksgiving is a national holiday that takes place on November 23rd, and is celebrated mainly in the United States and Canada to celebrate the blessings of the year. According to Britannica.com, Americans believe that Thanksgiving is celebrated because it represents the 1621 harvest feast that was shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists known as pilgrims. It is also celebrated to give honor and show respect to the Wampanoag people for their support. Canadians though, believe that Thanksgiving has been celebrated in their culture since 1578, because of an expedition by Martin Frobisher in which he gave thanks for his safe voyage. In both countries, Thanksgiving is celebrated to share a meal with loved ones and be thankful for each other.
It takes place in the fall and this overall represents how it’s celebrated, mainly with pumpkin flavored things. Family’s decorate their household with pumpkins, leaves, and turkeys, along with colors such as yellow, orange, brown and red. The decorations provided with Thanksgiving make the feel of it a lot more comfy. Thanksgiving is also, for some people, the last day to celebrate fall, since almost a month later is Christmas, which many people love to start celebrating as soon as possible.
On Thanksgiving day, many traditions are celebrated such as the large meal that is shared and gathered with family members. The food provided on Thanksgiving is supposed to represent a feast. Foods such as turkey, pumpkin pie, ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread, vegetables and much more are usually provided, although it varies in each family.
In my household, everything on Thanksgiving is shared, which usually means my grandfather cooks the turkey and my grandmother makes mashed potatoes and pies. This is done in my household because we all provided something for dinner which makes us all more thankful for each other. Along with that, family members that live in other states and countries come to visit to spend time for Thanksgiving.
Not only on Thanksgiving is a meal shared, but family members also gather together to watch football. Usually on Thanksgiving, there’s many football games and especially in America, football is very important. In my family football is always being watched, so on Thanksgiving there’s a tradition to wear jerseys with fall decorations on them. Thanksgiving is special in my family because we love to cook and be together.
There’s many things about Thanksgiving that make it special. Gathering with loved ones to eat favorite and delicious foods, while being thankful for each other creates a special feeling for people. It gives people a moment to relax with family and friends.
Día de los Muertos is a celebration that happens every year on November 2nd. This celebration is most popular amongst the Hispanic community. Día de los Muertos is a celebration and remembrance of the life of loved ones. This tradition originates from Mexico, from the Aztec ancestors.
One of the most popular ways to honor and remember a person is by making them an ‘altar’. An altar is a decorated table with pictures of dead loved ones. These altars are usually decorated with things that the dead once enjoyed; it can consist of foods, books, and drinks.
Another way that people decorate these altars is by putting colorful candy skulls. Another thing you may notice in an altar are non edible skulls also known as catrinas and catrins.
A flower that is very popular in these altars are the golden marigolds. Usually people create small paths with the petals of these flowers to help guide the loved ones to the altar.
Another popular thing in these altars are lighting candles, with some even believe that the candles are a way to communicate with the dead.
Lastly, one of the things that is not often used here in the US but in other countries, music. People play their favorite songs to the dead, some even go to graves and take what is called a “mariachi’ or ‘banda’ to play them live music.
In Mexico, where this is more popular, the altars can stay up for weeks. Here in the US, it is not as common to see the altars up for that long. The longest an altar stays up for the public is only for a week.
This tradition is not only for the Hispanic community but for all. Many around the United States have taken up this tradition in remembrance of their loved ones; this even includes pets! Dia de los Muertos is sometimes confused with something evil, but not to worry, as once again this is only to celebrate and remember the life of ones who have passed.
As many of you may know, on October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse occurred. In this article, I will be discussing what a solar eclipse is, the different types, the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse, and when the next one will be, so you have a chance at seeing it yourself!
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. This obscures the face of the sun either fully or partially, and casts a shadow on Earth. A total eclipse can last anywhere from 10 seconds to 7.5 minutes.
There are 4 different types of solar eclipses which are: total, annular, partial, and hybrid eclipses.
A total solar eclipse is when the moon is completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken, as if it were dusk or dawn.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth. The moon will appear smaller than the sun, and does not completely cover it. As a result, it creates what looks like a bright disk ring around the moon.
A partial solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon, and Earth are not perfectly lined up. Only a part of the sun will appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape.
Lastly, one of the least common is the hybrid solar eclipse. This occurs because Earth’s surface is curved, and an eclipse can shift between annular and total as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe.
Solar eclipses can often be confused with a lunar eclipse, which is when Earth’s shadow falls upon the surface of the moon, turning it a striking red over the course of a few hours. Solar eclipses are only visible from a narrow strip of land over which the moon’s shadow passes.
Lunar eclipses are visible from the whole nighttime hemisphere due to Earth’s large shadow. Solar eclipses occur 2-5 times per year, but due to the moon’s small shadow being cast on Earth, the same spot only gets to see a total solar eclipse for a few minutes about every 375 years.
Lunar eclipses happen 0-3 times per year, and if you live on the nighttime half of Earth when the eclipse happens, you are much more likely to see it. Luckily, NASA can predict both solar and lunar eclipses for 1,000 years into the future.
It is extremely important to protect your eyes if you are looking directly at the sun while watching a solar eclipse. You can look through solar filters, like eclipse glass, or use handheld solar viewers.
Many of you may remember in August, 2017, there was a total solar eclipse. I remember watching it outside using the solar glasses, but I never understood exactly why the sky was going dark. On October 15th, this year, I was looking out my window trying to watch the annular solar eclipse. Unfortunately, it was an extremely cloudy day, so I was only able to view a small portion of it for a few seconds. The next annular eclipse will be October 2, 2024, and I hope to see it then!
I highly recommend checking the future eclipses website on NASA every few months so you can mark your calendars for the upcoming eclipses. On April 8, 2024, North America will experience a total solar eclipse! It truly is an incredible sight to see, where you get to view the solar system’s wonders through just your window or from your backyard!
On Tuesday, October 10th, St. Louis Park’s Beth El synagogue hosted a public gathering by JCRC to support Jewish people and Israelis who have experienced loss of murdered relatives due to Hamas in the “Simchat Torah War”. The gathering took place in their main sanctuary but had such a big turn out of around 1,700 people that they had to use the mini sanctuary. Hundreds of people waited in line to give support and they eventually had to turn people away due to the lack of space. It was supported by many local Jewish organizations such as CRC, Minnesota Rabbinical Association, Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Saint Paul Jewish Federation, Minnesota Cantors Association, and TC Jewfolk.
The gathering consisted of speeches, songs, blessings, and more. Local rabbis and cantors grouped together to sing and pray for the healing and lives lost. Speeches were given by Amy Klobuchar, Governor Tim Walz, many local Israelis, and an Israeli defense forces soldier from Minnesota.
In Klobuchar’s speech, she showed support to the Jewish community and showed true emotion to the lives lost. According to Samie Solía, on KARE 11 News, Amy Klobuchar shared that Hamas is; “Trying to instill fear. They are trying to make you turn away. They are trying to destroy Israel. We will not let that happen.”
Tim Waltz showed empathy and his speech gave a tone of ardency to the Jewish people. According to Lev Gringauz on TC Jewfolk, Waltz said; “If you did not find moral clarity on Saturday morning, and you find yourself waiting to think about what you needed to say, you need to reevaluate where you’re at.” He made the claim that many need to reevaluate their thinking on politics and gain empathy for all lives lost and murdered in this war.
The local Israelis that spoke were Tal Dror Rouche, Shai Avny, and Ben Ribnick. They each spoke of personal stories, family, bravery, and more. Tal Dror Rouche spoke about an elderly woman whose home was broken into by Hamas terrorists but survived by spending over 20 hours distracting them until help came. She fed them, told them about the meaning of life, mended their injuries, and more.
The gathering gave community and allowed mourning to those suffering, for Hamas is not just trying to take the land of Israel but they are actively taking the lives of the innocent civilians. Their goal is to murder Jews.
Halloween is a very popular holiday for children. Kids dress up in costumes and walk around asking people for candy. The struggle for parents is making sure your kid has a costume. If they do not, then here is a list of the 10 most popular costumes for this year.
1. Western Barbie
With the release of the new ‘Barbie’ movie it was clear that many people were going to dress up as Barbie. It is a super easy costume to make or buy all you need is a lot of pink and a cowboy hat.
2. Ted Lasso Ted Lasso is a famous TV show character and is known to be a great soccer coach. All you need for this costume is a fake mustache, a whistle, and a soccer ball.
3. Western Ken Western Ken is also from the super popular ‘Barbie’ movie that came out this year. For this costume all you need are white boots, black pants, and a cowboy shirt.
4. Wednesday Addams ‘Addams Family’ is an older movie but nevertheless it is still super popular. For this costume you only need a black dress.
5. Little Mermaid The live action ‘Little Mermaid’ came out this year. This movie is not as popular as ‘Barbie’ but still a great movie. For this, you are going to need to buy a costume but they are very easy to find on Amazon.
6. Buzz Lightyear With the release of the movie ‘Lightyear’ it has made Buzz Lightyear super popular. You can get a super realistic costume on Amazon.
7. Money Heist The popular TV show ‘Money Heist’ is full of antiheroes and it is super easy to dress as one for Halloween. All you need is a Dalí mask and a red jumpsuit.
8. Jon Snow With the new ‘Game of Thrones’ TV show there are going to be many people going as Jon Snow, the former King of the North. You are going to have to buy this one online.
9. Joker Joker is the antihero of the Batman movies. For this costume all you are going to need is a green shirt and a purple suit, pants, and face paint to pull this costume off.
10. Batman With the Batman movies being so popular there are bound to be some people dressed up as Batman. This is a super easy costume to find on Amazon.
The Ocean Cleanup is an organization working on cleaning the ocean. Millions of pounds of plastic that are in the oceans as we speak.
Millions?
Yes, millions of pounds worth of plastic under the oceans, and thanks to this organization, they are doing their best to get rid of the plastics in the oceans.
They have impacted the world in a good way. According to their website, they have worked on cleaning 1000 rivers around the world. They said we can halt 80% of river pollution reaching our oceans. And they have also picked up 100 million kilograms of plastic. If we transfer that into pounds, that’s more than 220 million pounds of garbage and plastic.
Imagine what the ocean would have been like without this organization. They have saved the oceans and the animals that reside in the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit that continues to develop and scale technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.
On September 20, 2023, they made a video of the biggest plastic extraction they ever made: 18,360 kilograms, which rounds up to 40,000 pounds worth of trash. If you want to watch the video: here’s the link: https://youtu.be/wjF0gB29OG4?si=rD4kMgL7qu0DaRLz
Their goal is to remove 90% of the plastic that is in the ocean. This isn’t the only time they have gotten thousands of pounds of plastic. They have started this journey ever since 2013. Dutch inventor Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup at the age of 18 in his hometown of Delft, the Netherlands, and is still going at it. That equals up to 10 years of cleaning up trash from the ocean.
Wildfires occur when fires either by a natural cause, or human sparked, spread rapidly across forests. They are more likely to happen and last for a longer period of time when the air and ground are hot and dry which is why wildfires thrive in the summer.
In Canada, wildfires are a common occurrence every summer with an average of 8000 wildfires per year. This year’s wildfires have become a hot topic these past few days. 437 current wildfires were active early in June and 248 of them are considered uncontrollable according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC).
Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec are the 3 provinces in Canada with the most active wildfires. As of the morning of Friday, June 9, an estimated 10.6 million acres of forest have been burned. The rapid increase in wildfires has affected the air quality and resulted in the abundance of smoke everywhere. This caused the air quality to dramatically decrease and spread across Canada, which then led to it seeping into the US as well.
The smoke that spread into the US affected about 16 states and an estimated 128 million people. The poor air quality was most prominent in New York and was ranked the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday, June 7th.
The areas, including the states in the US, that are affected by the smoke are supposed to clear out and improve the air quality in the next few days with rainfall. The areas that aren’t expecting rainfall will still be depending on firefighters to put out the fires.
With the vast amount of fires that have had to be extinguished, firefighters are running out of supplies and equipment. According to The New York Times, in attempts to fight off the wildfires, around 1,100 firefighters traveled to Canada from other countries from France to South Africa and Australia.
Frogs have become a very common pet in recent years due to their small and cute stature. Although they seem like they would be pretty simple pets, they require lots of care and attention.
Research before purchasing a frog is crucial to proper care. Some things you should know before making a frog part of your household is that all amphibians have very absorbent skin. This skin will easily take in chemicals, natural oils, and lotions found on human hands which are all toxic to frogs. Before handling a frog you must wash your hands thoroughly with filtered water, and make sure you use no lotions or creams on your hands. Then before handling, put gloves on to ensure the frog’s safety.
Another thing you need to know is that frogs don’t understand clear glass barriers, which are commonly found in tanks/aquariums. This can cause the frogs to rub their noses against the glass in an attempt to try and reach things outside their tank. This can be prevented by putting paper along the outside of the tank so they can’t see what’s on the outside.
Most adult frogs do not need to eat daily, and should only be fed every 2-3 days. Juvenile frogs under the age of one should be fed daily to ensure proper growth and health.
Yellow Banded Dart Frog
The first frog recommended as a pet in this article is the Yellow Banded Dart Frog, also known as the BumbleBee Dart Frog. These frogs are in the Poisonous Dart Frog Family and are found throughout South America in tropical rainforests. They are commonly found near water in the wild and are expert climbers. These frogs are still very abundant in the wild, but the majority of pet frogs for sale in the US are bred in captivity.
These frogs are insectivores and commonly eat small fruit flies and pinhead crickets. They are yellow and black in coloration and have yellow and black splotches all over their bodies. They are a relatively small frog at only 1.5 inches long. The Yellow Banded Dart Frog lives for roughly 10 years in captivity and as pets.
These frogs require a 10 gallon tank with 75F-85F temperatures and a high humidity percentage. Without roughly 90% humidity it is much more difficult to keep these frogs healthy. These frogs are not meant to be handled often, and if they are, their handler must wear gloves due to their venomous skin.
White’s Tree Frog
Then there is the White’s Tree Frog, native to Australia and Southern New Guinea. These frogs can grow up to 3-5 inches in length and live for 7-10 years.
In the wild, they spend most of their time in trees so they need lots of climbing enrichment. This can be made by having branches laid vertically across their tanks.
A tall 15-20 gallon tank is recommended for one frog. They need their tanks to maintain a 75F-85F degree temperature during the daytime and 68F-75F in the evenings. Lighting should be subdued and if lighting is needed at night the use of a nocturnal light bulb is crucial. 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark is recommended for the White’s Tree Frog. Their tank should remain at 60-70% humidity.
The White’s Tree Frog is nocturnal, meaning they’re more active in the nighttime. They are quite sedentary and docile, and often become fairly tame and tolerant of handling so long as their owner treats them well, and the frog itself is healthy.
Their diet ranges from how big and how old the frog is. Fully grown White’s Tree Frogs might take a pinkie mouse on occasion but not often. These frogs are not to be over fed because obesity is a common issue these frogs face. Large frogs should be fed every two to three days, ranging from live bugs such as: crickets, insecticide free moths, beetles, cockroaches, grasshoppers, or earthworms.
Burmese Chubby
The Burmese Chubby, also known as the Asian Painted Frog, is a large frog from Southeast Asia. They are excellent swimmers, climbers, and diggers. They live up to 10 years and adapt to new environments very well and quickly. They’re 2-3 inches long and have brown coloring with cream bands wrapped around their bodies.
These frogs require a 10-15 gallon tank and can be housed with one other frog with caution. They don’t croak often and when they do it’s a rather quiet and subdued noise which makes them great for people who don’t want to constantly hear croaking from their pet. Although they are a quiet breed it’s better for them to not be handled, the Burmese Chubby is better off inside its enclosure away from hands.
They can be fed a range of live insects such as: crickets, locusts, flies, and earth worms. As an occasional treat, owners can feed these frogs waxworms and mealworms but not too many and not too often. On average they will eat five crickets every two days.
African Bullfrog
Then lastly, the African Bullfrog, which is loved for its unique size and behaviors. They originate from South Africa and are commonly found in Tanzania. They’re a non-venomous species and they spend the majority of the year buried underground. This is their way of staying cool in hot temperatures and avoiding predators. With good attention and care they can live up to 35 years as pets. They are easygoing and tolerate handling once in a while.
Male African Bullfrogs are much larger than females and can grow up to 10 inches in size. They’re olive green in color and have yellow or cream throats.
They need a 20 gallon tank with plenty of moist dirt for digging and coverage. The temperature of the tank should be 72F to 85F. A temperature drop to 68F during the night may be beneficial to their health.
They need to eat at least 3 times a week due to their larger size, but when they’re less than a year old they should eat daily. These frogs are carnivores and eat small fish fry, brine shrimp, frozen blood worms, small white worms, or earthworms.
Axolotls have been on earth for roughly the last 10,000 years, inhabiting central Mexico. Much of their suitable habitat has been drained or dried up, so there are only two spring-fed lakes left that they can inhabit wildly. Axolotls breed very easily in captivity and quickly develop new colors and sizes.
They have feathery gills spouting from either side of their heads, webbed feet, a dorsal fin that runs down their body, and a tail. Although axolotls have gills, adult axolotls have functional lungs and can breathe through their skin. Axolotls are unique compared to other salamanders because they reach adulthood without going through metamorphosis. Instead of going to land once they’re fully developed, they remain aquatic and keep their gills.
These creatures have the ability to completely regenerate their limbs. Regeneration is initiated by injuries or wounds, but not all injuries result in limb regeneration. Small cuts, scrapes, or bruises wouldn’t result in complete regeneration but their healing time is much faster than humans.
Axolotls suck in their prey through their small smiling mouths, they eat crustaceans, mollusks, insect eggs, and small fish.
The pet trade of axolotls started from Paris, France in 1864 when Mexican traders brought axolotls to Europe, Europeans across the continent were intrigued by the exotic creatures. This led to the excessive breeding of axolotls in captivity.
The pink axolotls you commonly see as pets have been bred to be those colors; wild axolotls are mostly gray, brown, or black. Pink axolotls are extremely rare in the wild since they can’t camouflage well.
When keeping an Axolotl as a pet you must take into consideration that they prefer cool water. Their water temperature should be less than 70 degrees F. When feeding your pet, experts recommend you attempt to replicate its natural diet as closely as possible. You can do this by feeding them a combination of earthworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia. Daphnias are a small aquatic crustacean.
In 1977 spacecrafts Voyager 1 and 2 were launched into space. Their goal was to take pictures of Jupiter. Because this was going to be the first man-made thing to reach interstellar space the NASA team decided to put aboard a record that would encapsulate all human existence in 90 minutes. The record would be used to communicate with other life forms about planet earth. It showed images from our universe, our home, us and just about everything on earth. It played sounds from every generation from all around the world. This record is a symbol of the human condition, and it’s called the Golden Record.
Creation of the record?
NASA enlisted Carl Sagan, a committee chair, and his team, to create the record. They wanted to put aboard an object that, if found, would signal to the finder where it came from. A main problem the team had when creating the record was fitting the entire history of earth into a 30 minute frame, because at the time records could only hold about 30 minutes of playtime. The team at NASA figured out how to maximize the speed and get the playtime up to 90. Now all they had to do was figure out what they wanted to fill it with.
How it works
Because there is a very slim to none chance that beings that evolved completely separate from us would understand our language, NASA scientists had to create a way for aliens to understand. They used the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, this diagram shows hydrogen particles transitioning through parallel and antiparallel spins. When this happens electromagnetic radiation is released with a period of about .7 nanoseconds and a wavelength of 21 cm, so they hope that aliens will associate that tick with those measurements.
What’s on the record?
The record starts with sounds from planet earth telling the story of earth through sound: volcanos, thunder, crickets, birds, fire, laughter, Morse code, airplanes, a baby crying, and greetings from 55 different languages, and music from all sides of the globe.
The chances of an extraterrestrial being finding the spacecraft before its inevitable decay in a billion years is slim. The chances of it decoding it and sending a message back is even smaller, because by the time we receive their message humans will cease to exist, but that’s not the point. Yes, it would be cool to have communication with other living creatures in the universe, but that’s not the point. The point of the record is to have something, anything out in the universe that shows that we were here, so that when the sun expands and humans and earth are destroyed there is something out there to prove to someone that humans existed.
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