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Nice analogies! "Human-size" should be used more often for Humboldt squid; it's much more calmly informative than "huge." And lemon-size photophores are pretty darn cool. |
The squid reached speeds of 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) an hour when attacking the baited lures, swam both forwards and backwards, and rapidly changed direction. |
"Some people have said all deep-water squid are pretty sluggish, because their muscles are not real firm when you catch them," Vecchione said. "But this particular family has got very muscular fins, and that's what it's using for swimming." |
Other types of deep-sea squid, including the giant squid, propel themselves by squirting jets of water, he added. |
When I first read this, I was totally confused. Not just deep-sea squid, but all squid, as far as I knew, use jet propulsion to some extent. Of course, most squid use their fins to some extent as well. When the fins are small relative to body size, they're assumed to be mere stabilizers, and when they are relatively la... |
Taningia danae has the largest possible fin-to-body-size ratio: its fins are the entire length of its body. Could this be the only known squid who doesn't use jets at all? |
The squid swam using the large fins. Large amplitude waves in the fins passing from head to tail propelled the squid forward and reverse waves propelled it backwards. |
Beautiful! Amazing! It looks like a swimming ray--something I've often thought while watching the smaller fins of my Humboldt squid, but in Taningia the convergence has come nearly full circle. |
The Norwegian King’s Guard has visited Edinburgh Zoo to promote resident king penguin Sir Nils Olav to the rank of brigadier. Sir Nils is the third penguin of the same name at the zoo, following a tradition initiated in 1972 by a Norwegian lieutenant, Nils Egelien. The penguins, which have become a symbol of the close ... |
The Children Act (12A) Today at 2pm. |
Venom (15) Today at 6pm. |
A Simple Favour (15) Today at 8.15pm. |
Bohemian Rhapsody (12A) Bohemian Rhapsody chronicles the life of one of the world’s greatest rock legends, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen. Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek takes to the stage as Mercury in an authentic biopic that raises a hefty glass to a talented entertainer whose life spun out of control. X-men... |
Goosebumps 2 (PG) Saturday at 3.30pm and Sunday at 2.30pm. |
Bad Times at the El Royale (15) From the director of The Cabin In The Woods comes a star-studded thriller set in the bowels of a 1960s rundown hotel on Lake Tahoe. Seven secret-riddled strangers, each with a shady past, come together to spend a night there and a happy go-lucky atmosphere soon descends into vicious mayh... |
The Wife (15) Joan Castleman has spent 40 years sacrificing her dreams to support her charismatic husband Joe and his literary career. After a lifetime of uneven compromises, Joan and Joe’s marriage has reached the moment of truth. On the eve of the presentation of Joe’s Nobel Prize for Literature, Joan confronts the b... |
NT Live: The Madness of George III Tuesday at 7pm. |
Thomas Rhett, born Thomas Rhett Akins, has country music in his blood: His father is Rhett Akins, a successful songwriter who had a series of hits as an artist in the 1990s. Rhett tried college, but he felt the pull to the music industry and dropped out, and began playing in clubs to support himself. It was while playi... |
Did You Know …: Rhett was a Tau Phi fraternity member in college. |
Are you ready for it, TR fans?! |
"I couldn't bring that to the table the last time around with him. I didn't have a single on radio ..." |
Rhett will be the musical guest on the March 2 episode of 'Saturday Night Live' -- and he'll be performing new music! |
Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee has a little something for everyone, including design geeks. Leo Burnett in London and Pantone worked together to create this nice little Pantone wheel based on the 60 years of the British monarch's notorious color-matched outfits. Each outfit lists a Pantone number and the date she wo... |
Prince of Darkness, Godfather of Heavy Metal, simply, Ozzy Osbourne. |
Make sure to follow Ozzy Osbourne here and we’ll update you whenever new shows are announced. |
Prince of Darkness, Godfather of Heavy Metal, simply, Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy has had one hell of career, selling over 100 million records worldwide as a combination of his fruitful solo career and as part of one of the Greatest Metal Bands of all time, Black Sabbath. He's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ... |
A federal judge blasted the New York Police Department and New York City’s attorneys for withholding evidence in a police misconduct lawsuit and failing to investigate allegations that a woman was brutally beaten in a Queens precinct. The "truly outrageous conduct” by the police department and its attorneys motivated t... |
After the NYPD and its lawyers spent the past two years failing to follow her directives to turn over evidence, Judge Cheryl Pollak of the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn urged that the lawsuit be terminated in the alleged victim’s favor. The judge noted that such a severe step is highly unusual, but said the ... |
Lawyers for the city said they acted entirely properly and disagree with the judge’s order. |
The case stems from a January 2015 incident in which Rosie Martinez, a housekeeper at the time, said she was taken into custody and brought to the 107th Precinct in the Queens neighborhood of Flushing. At the station, she claims that two officers choked her, hit her in the face, and bent her fingers back, causing lasti... |
A year later, Martinez sued New York City and the NYPD, alleging civil rights violations. In her report, Judge Pollak points out that since the case was opened in January 2016, she has ordered the attorneys representing the accused officers to produce police reports, medical records, investigation files, and other rele... |
The judge said that repeated delays and incomplete production of evidence led the case to drag on, leaving the victim and her attorneys “chasing their tail” in an effort to obtain information critical to proving their case. For instance, it took a year to get photos of the officers working at the precinct that night in... |
In a bizarre twist, on the eve of a deadline to hand over the evidence or risk sanctions, the officers’ attorneys presented thousands of pages of documents for the first time, including several internal affairs investigations. Throughout the case, the city’s lawyers had repeatedly denied any such investigations had tak... |
Pollak added that “in 20-some years” as a judge she has “never seen such a dereliction of duty” and wondered if there might be a “blatant cover-up” in this case. |
Pollak’s recommendation that the case be terminated in Martinez’s favor needs the approval of a district court judge before it can be carried out. On Thursday, the district court scheduled a hearing for March 1 to hear arguments from both sides on how to move forward. Lawyers for Martinez declined to comment. |
Prior to Pollak issuing her report, Martinez filed an amended complaint alleging that the police “went to great lengths to cover up their misconduct,” including the creation of a false police report and the destruction of documents. |
The death toll from a massive mudslide that devastated a rural community in Washington state last month rose by three to 33 on Monday, with a dozen people still unaccounted for, county officials said. |
A rain-soaked hillside collapsed without warning on March 22, above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River, sending a torrent of mud over the river and across state Highway 530, engulfing some three dozen homes on the outskirts of the tiny community of Oso. |
Of the 33 people confirmed dead, 30 have been identified, the Snohomish County medical examiner's office said in a statement. Recovery crews were still searching for another 12 people unaccounted for as of Monday morning, but that figure could fluctuate as it has since the day of the disaster. |
The dozen people still missing from the slide include three children - a 2-year-old girl and two boys, ages four and 14. At least half of the missing lived on Steelhead Drive, a street which the mudslide slammed into, the county said. |
Recovery efforts have been hampered by rain creating treacherous conditions and raising the risk of further slides and flash floods. |
No one has been pulled alive from the rubble since the day of the landslide, when at least eight people were injured but survived, and rescue teams have since found no signs of life. |
In a regional breakthrough, parties must present equal numbers of male and female candidates in Tunisia's July vote. |
Tunisia's ruling that men and women must feature in equal numbers as candidates in July polls is an Arab world first that builds on this year's revolt and allays fears of conservative influence, observers say. |
The decision by authorities preparing the July 24 constituent assembly poll after the uprising that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the north African nation's long-serving president, has been hailed as a regional breakthrough. |
The Tunisian revolution has sparked similar revolts in other Arab countries. |
"It is historic," said Sana Ben Assour, president of the Tunisian Association of Women Democrats, after international rights groups also welcomed last week's announcement. |
"And it is only right in a country where men and women fought side by side for democracy." |
The weeks of demonstrations that led Ben Ali to quit in January after 23 years in power opened the way for unprecedented freedoms in the secular state, including the unbanning of political parties that call for political Islam. |
Many had feared this could lead to reverses in gains for women amid some calls by Islamists for women to be made to wear headscarves or claims that their place is in the home. |
But the Islamist Nahda movement, allowed to register in March for the first time since it was formed in 1981, was among those that voted in favour of the new ruling. |
One of its leaders, Ali Laryadh, dismissed concerns it wanted to backtrack on women's rights in Tunisia, saying such allegations came from "people who want to misguide public opinion and attack the movement". |
"We were the first to call for parity between men and women for the electoral lists, and with the principal of alternating men and women on the lists," he said. |
Women feature relatively strongly in public life in Tunisia compared to some of their more oppressive Muslim neighbours. |
They represent 26 per cent of the working population, half of students, 29 per cent of magistrates and 24 per cent of the Tunisian diplomatic corps. |
The previous parliament, dissolved after the fall of Ben Ali regime, had the most women in the region. |
The gender parity ruling "is the first in the Arab and Muslim world, which should encourage Tunisian women to involve themselves more in political life", Laarbi Chouikha, a political analyst, said. |
The vote on July 24 will elect a constituent assembly that will be charged with drawing up a post-Ben Ali constitution and hear submissions on issues involving women. |
The move to full equality on the lists is "revolutionary" and "an historic step", Ahmed Ibrahim, head of the main opposition Ettajdid movement, said. |
Tunisia's relatively progressive stance on women is rooted in the landmark 1956 Personal Status Code that abolished polygamy and repudiation, an exception in the Arab world. |
It was unacceptable in today's Tunisia for women to be excluded, Lilia Laabidi, the women's affairs minister, told AFP. |
"They took part in the revolution, condemned corruption and all forms of violence, it is completely normal that they should be represented 50 per cent in all sectors." |
However, psychological and cultural obstacles to women's integration remained, she said. |
"Someone who has been raised in an environment in which a woman is not free cannot realise a woman's real value straight away," Laabidi said. |
"That is why we must stop showing women in television series as a simple Bedouin, or a cleaner or, if she lives in the city, as a prostitute." |
She said Ben Ali's government, during which the humanitarian work of his corruption-accused wife Leila Trabelsi was vaunted, had stifled women. |
"The ministry of women's affairs and non-government groups could only work for her glory. Instead of giving out prizes, it was she who received them. It is the opposite of what should happen," Laabidi said. |
Big water lot with beautiful open water on the desirable lower end of the lake, no bridges or powerlines crossing the lake, just miles of open water. Property has a gentle slope and is ready to build on. Dock already in place. Ski right off your dock. Superb water for any activity. |
Gated Community all on one level. Stainless appliances,tile backsplash, open floorplan, large deck, quiet culdesac. Enjoy living maintenance free in a friendly neighborhood. End unit. |
This commercial property size can be increased to 3 acres. Sewer on property, water, electric, gas, phone available. Great for Doctor, Dentist, Vet, Family Dollar, etc. Lots 10 & 11 also available. To be surveyed for exact measurements. |
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Shares Tumble. Will It Keep Getting Worse? |
The retail giant just took its biggest dive in recent memory. Are hopes for a turnaround gone? |
Things are going from bad to worse for Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT). |
At its analyst day last Wednesday, the world's largest retailer drastically scaled back its forecast for the coming years, sending shares to its worst one-day loss in more than a decade, falling 10% in the session. |
The company said it expected net sales growth of just 3% to 4% over the next three years, and flat revenue growth this year due in part to foreign currency translation. What really seemed to kill the stock was management's projection that earnings per share would decline by 6% to 12% next year as the company raises its... |
It's clear what's happening here. After years of flatlining comparable sales at its supercenters, increasing competition from Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), and poor customer service, Wal-Mart has been forced to reckon with its business model. |
CEO Doug McMillon has chosen to invest in employees and e-commerce in order to improve performance and bring back growth. Long derided by labor organizations for its low wages, Wal-Mart raised hourly rates to $9 in April, and will lift them to $10 in February -- an about-face in its traditional bare-bones spending stra... |
As Wal-Mart has struggled in recent years, competitors with alternative business models like Amazon and Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) have seen their sales consistently grow. One key advantage for those retailers has been that they have been far better at leveraging their human resources. As the chart below shows, the... |
This gives both Amazon and Costco the freedom to pay their employees more, providing yet another advantage over Wal-Mart. Over the last 10 years, Wal-Mart has increased its revenue per employee steadily, but based on complaints about poorly stocked shelves and long lines, those increases seem to be the result of underi... |
Mostly ignored in Wal-Mart's forecast is that its store expansion is being dialed down significantly from previous years. The company plans to open between 142 and 165 stores next year, down more than half from last year's total of 375. Wal-Mart is also slashing capital expenditures from $12.4 billion this year to $11 ... |
The move underscores the urgency of Wal-Mart's need to improve its customer service and store performance, but making up for $2.5 billion in additional wages will not be easy. With a gross profit rate around 25%, Wal-Mart would have to generate around $10 billion in incremental sales from its U.S. stores, and as the co... |
McMillon clearly believes Wal-Mart has the capability to beat Amazon at its own game, but the e-commerce leader is continually finding new ways to speed up its delivery and stuff new benefits into its Prime loyalty program, making it tougher to match. McMillion, meanwhile, is touting the advantage of Wal-Mart's store n... |
Wal-Mart's store network is a potential advantage, and McMillion understands what the company needs, but it has yet to execute in any of those areas that need improvement. |
Every update from the retailer seems to be worse than the previous one. With earnings per share expected to fall next year, the company doesn't expect to see meaningful profit growth until fiscal 2019. Competing against Amazon is never easy and giving its online rival three more years to improve will only make things h... |
A recent HealthCare.gov data breach highlights the value that hackers place on medical information—and the opportunity for companies with technology to thwart these attacks. |
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last week said hackers breached a HealthCare.gov portal that agents and brokers use to assist consumers seeking health insurance. They gained access to the files of 75,000 people, CMS said. |
During the past several years of the ongoing, international tech renaissance, countless startups have brought their ideas and products stateside from across the globe, carrying with them a range of innovations, earned perspectives, and origin stories. With a successful 2014 squared away, five companies — including Feve... |
Chordify hails from the Netherlands and Oxford, U.K., and has already collected Shell LiveWIRE and Deloitte Rising Star awards, among others. With a free version and a recently launched premium service available, the platform allows both amateur and professional musicians to create chord transpositions from played musi... |
Yesterday during a school assembly at Toppenish High School in Washington, Gaby Rodriguez revealed a jaw-dropping secret. Everyone had already dealt with the shock of the 17-year-old A-student getting pregnant, but they weren't prepared for Gaby to pull the "baby bump" she wore for six and a half months out of her shir... |
In what is undoubtedly the greatest school project of all time, Gaby faked a teen pregnancy to study how the community would react. The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that Gaby came up with the idea during an AP Biology class she took during her sophomore year. Last spring, after convincing her mother to go along with ... |
When Gaby told him her plan, "I thought she was nuts," the 2009 Toppenish High School graduate says. "I thought I was going to end up getting into problems with her brothers. I didn't really want to get into problems with anybody." |
But, "I was doing it for her," he says, adding, "My parents thought it was going to be a boy." |
"Teenagers tend to live in the shadows of these elements," she says. |
Before taking off her fake baby belly in front of the entire student body, Gaby told her audience, "Many things were said about me. Many things traveled all the way back to me." |
Then, she asked several students and teachers to read statements from 3x5 cards, quotes people actually said about her during the course of her experiment. |
Her best friend, Saida Cortes, a 17-year-old senior who was sitting in the front row, read card No. 3: "Her attitude is changing, and it might be because of the baby or she was always this annoying and I never realized it." |
It grew quiet in the gym as more and more quotes were read aloud. Then Gaby dropped her bomb: "I'm fighting against those stereotypes and rumors because the reality is I'm not pregnant." |
After the presentation, Gaby got a standing ovation. She's using photos and video from the assembly as part of a report she'll present to a board of community members in May. Gaby will attend Columbia Basin College in the fall and plans to study social work or sociology. Clearly she's an incredibly committed student, a... |
Image via GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic. |
The California attorney general has given Los Angeles County's top prosecutor the green light to sue the mayor of Carson, Albert Robles, and oust him from his seat on a regional water board. |
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