Random Blog on a Wednesday About Penguins

I don't usually write on Wednesdays. Not that it's never been done, but if you go back through my posts, you'll find it's a rare thing.

This morning, however, I thought was an ample time to discuss penguins, as it is currently 7 degrees outside my apartment right now and even with the heat on, I am cold. Also, there is no snow, which makes this cold all the more irritating.

I wonder if penguins can get cold. One moment--let me go find out.

I'm back. I hope you weren't worried. That took longer than expected. At any rate, penguins have a layer of fat below their skin that keeps them warm. They also have feathers which help when they're on land, blood circulation to help their feet, and methods such as standing on their tiptoes to avoid touching snow. Males watching the eggs huddle. So I guess the answer is that yes, penguins can get cold, but they don't very often.

My friend Leslie has a trash can shaped like a penguin. The difference between her trash can and a real penguin is that it doesn't steal babies. If a baby penguin dies, its mother steals someone else's baby. Perhaps we should attempt this child swap in human society--life would be a very different animal. Other things about penguin: they have no knees, they walk faster than humans, and the males take care of the children... insert gender joke here.

For your entertainment I have included a picture of a bagpiper and a penguin, and a video of a penguin going shopping.