Penguins: What are they? And why are they so well dressed?

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here a blog on Penguins! I went to a lab hosted by the Aquarium of Niagara Falls, where we learned about penguins. We learned about what they are, and what they mean to the environment. Sure, some facts are normal. Penguins are birds, who have closely packed feathers to be waterproof, and have a filled bone system so they can sink underwater. But there were other, interesting facts. Penguins almost 3/4s the way to the equator. Penguins that have guano(poop) that sells for tons because of the fertilizer it can be used for. The effect that currents have on penguins, and how they can be moved anywhere with a cold current. Even a bit off the coast of Australia. How dangerous it is too damage their ecosystem. And why exactly are they so well dressed? Because that way, while swimming, they blend in with the water from airborne predators, and look like snow clumps from underneath.

Adventure Van, flying underwater!

Bunnicula!

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about TOY's production of Bunnicula. Like most Theater of Youth productions, it was fun to watch, and had some unique tricks. As much as it was a simple production, it was still a good time, and there were some pretty funny Easter eggs around the set, like a head of a triceratops over the chimney. And the bunny puppet was well designed, easy to maneuver, and had a well done LED system. It was a fun 2 hour play, and it was unique enough to make sure the parents didn't get bored with the kids play. As borderline, I could enjoy both sides.

Adventure Van, vegan vampire, signing out.

Dumb Phones making a comeback?

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about phones. You might use smartphones. You might be using one to read this right now. But have you ever thought that you used your phone too much, distracting you from what was happening around you and drawing you away from people nearby? With the recent Facebook scares, people are taking a mind to get dumber phones with less personal information and apps, so they can do the same functions like calling and texting people, without having all the bells and whistles of a smartphone as well as keeping information private.

However, the 'dumb' phones aren't dumb still, as they've been upgraded to do things like GPS, Internet Searches, and  acess things like Lyft and Uber. And you could access the things you're trying to get away from if you tried on them. But it makes it not the selling point. The point of these phones are to be phones. They can call, and text, and take pictures. That's more then what a phone needs.

Adventure Van, dialing away.

Evirothon Blog

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van with a blog about Envirothon. Envirothon is an event that gets a group of kids to create a team and learn about varied topics about the environment. It covers Wildlife, Soils, Aquatics, Forestry, and a certain Special Topic that changes each year. It's a great learning experience that can inspire friendly completion, and by joining and working at it, you have a chance to gain prizes, and go on to more serious and powerful competitions.

It's actually more fun then it sounds. Learning the information can be very enjoyable when you have a good enough team to count on and work with. And there are prizes, scholarships, and other things that can give even the lazy reasons to work at it. All in all, it's a great competition which is quite straightforward and easy to work with. If you want to check it out, look here.

Adventure Van, enviromenting out.

Baron Munchhausen : The Man behind the Fables

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about Baron Munchhausen, the great hero who rode half a horse against the Turkish Army, rode several cannonballs while they were in the air, went to the moon twice, and discovered a land of cheese with a sea of milk. Well, maybe he didn't do all of that. But Baron Munchhausen is known for his magnificent tall tales, from which have sprouted many other books and even movies. But did you know, that Baron Munchhausen was a real baron? He didn't tell exactly the same stories, but he was known in his time for his tall tales about his workmanship, and he was quite peeved at the person who wrote the original book of his exploits.

Baron Munchhausen was, in fact, named Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen who fought the Turks in 1735. He was quite well known for, at dinner parties, coming up with magnificent tales about his service. The original book, which was published anonymously, was actually a collection of those tales. And although it turned him from just some person to someone famous over these years, he was insulted. Which is why the creator of the book only revealed post-humously that they had written it. You don't really make fun of a Baron while you're alive.

Despite the problems arising from insulting aristocrats by making them look silly and liars, the book immortalized Baron Munchhausen, making him somewhat of a patron saint of liars and dramatics. Many more books are published, using his caricature as a way to explore fabulous stories, and fantastic tales, and all in the way of someone simply explaining honest facts. And there's a movie! The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen is a movie made off of one of the first official books, with many nods and the actual plot (and lack of it) that his stories contained!

Adventure Van, galloping away on half a horse to the land of cheese.