Good Momma Under the Sea

Now this is kinda neat!

Scientists have observed a deep-sea octopus that brood its eggs for four and one half years-longer than any other known animal.

According to the researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the female kept the eggs clean and guarded them from predators, representing an evolutionary balancing act between the benefits to the young octopuses of having plenty of time to develop within their eggs, and their mother’s ability to survive for years with little or no food.

Every few months for the last 25 years, a team of MBARI researchers led by Bruce Robison has performed surveys of deep-sea animals at a research site in the depths of Monterey Canyon and in May 2007, the researchers discovered a female octopus clinging to a rocky ledge just above the floor of the canyon, about 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) below the ocean surface. he octopus, a species known as Graneledone boreopacifica, had not been in this location during their previous dive at this site in April.

Over the next four and one-half years, the researchers dove at this same site 18 times. Each time, they found the same octopus, which they could identify by her distinctive scars, in the same place and as the years passed, her translucent eggs grew larger and the researchers could see young octopuses developing inside, while over the same period, the female gradually lost weight and her skin became loose and pale.

The researchers never saw the female leave her eggs or eat anything and it did not even show interest in small crabs and shrimp that crawled or swam by, as long as they did not bother her 160 eggs.

The last time the researchers saw the brooding octopus was in September 2011, but when they returned one month later, they found that the female was gone and the rock face octopus had occupied held the tattered remnants of empty egg capsules.

Most Octopi have devoted mothers, but still when the babies are born they are still very small, and vulnerable, and once they’re hatched, they’re on their own. These babies had to be a LOT bigger and stronger when they hatched, and 160 eggs is a good amount. Still in those 4.5 years, she wasn’t laying any more, so it balanced out!

Neat!

H/T C-90

Posted in Biology | 1 Comment

Imagages of the Antis: The Big Lie

They’re getting desperate:

First up, NOPE! Women are the fastest growing demographic for 2nd Amendment support, and much to Michael Bloomberg’s dismay, the big thing that has brought women into gun shops and concealed carry classes is what is best known as “Gun Culture 2.0”. Now I’m not saying that women don’t enjoy shooting ducks and deer, or poking holes in pieces of paper, busting clays, or doing action shooting, we’re getting a lot more women into those shootings too. Women are really getting into self defense, and defense of their family.

It’s REAL feminism. They don’t need to depend on men to keep them safe, or even better, depend on complete strangers that will show up like a knight in a faerie tale with their shield (badge) and their magic sword (gun) to protect them as a “Damsel in Distress”. They can shoot an attacker and call that cop to haul away the garbage.

Still there are some women who think that Michael Bloomberg’s actions are not threatening the 2nd Amendment. We call those women “Idiots”, and it doesn’t matter how many idiots support his bad ideas, it won’t make it a good idea!

Posted in Freedom, Guns, Safety, Self Defense | 4 Comments

“Gun Death” Body in a Landfill

Not a “Gun Death”

Authorities have identified the young woman whose body was found in a western Pennsylvania landfill and say she was fatally stabbed.

Another great example where the bad people don’t need guns to do bad things.

BLNN Logo

Posted in Gun Death? | 2 Comments

And Sacred Cows Will Be Slain

Ryan and I will be chatting tonight on Handgun Radio on Bullets and ballistics.

Yes, your sacred cow will be slain!

Give us a listen!

Posted in Guns, Podcast | Leave a comment

“Gun Death” Wet Clothes

Reading that post title you might think somebody got wet and died of exposure. That happens, but this is far worse:

The 12-year-old North Texas girl who was seriously hurt by falling off a car trunk has died.

According to the Tarrant County medical examiner, Octavia Watkins died Wednesday night after being taken off life support.

Police said Watkins and five other kids between the ages of 8 and 14 climbed on the trunk and hood of 39-year-old **REDACTED** car because their clothes were wet from swimming.

Four of the children fell off the car and were hurt. Three were treated at the hospital and released, but Watkins suffered a severe head injury.

…**REDACTED** was originally charged with DWI, intoxication assault and injury to a child. Crowley police and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office are now looking at upgraded charges.

Got that, their clothes were wet, so rather than damage the upholstery, they were put on the OUTSIDE of the car. Worse yet, from some reports they were WALKING DISTANCE from home.

Of course given that the driver was too drunk to drive, she probably didn’t have the sense to tell them to walk home. Sad, tragic, but not a “Gun Death”.

H/T Bob

Posted in Gun Death? | 1 Comment

“Gun Death” Prank Gone Wrong

How often have you heard this? Teens doing silly pranks, but after all was done they say, “Boy we’re lucky nobody got killed!”. Well sometimes it happens:

A 19-year-old girl has died after her brother’s friend threw a lit sparkler into her room as a prank.

Kristen Milano was sleeping in her family’s apartment in Southington, Connecticut on Sunday when **REDACTED**, 18, allegedly tossed the lit firework through an open window.

The sparkler, which **REDACTED** had hoped would wake up his friend, set off a fire that engulfed the apartment. Milano died of smoke inhalation.

Southington police arrested him on Tuesday and charged him with manslaughter.

Obviously this serious incident didn’t have malice behind it, but still the girl is dead. On the “Gun Death” front, note that even in states where pyrotechnics are banned, sparklers generally are considered benign enough to be sold to the public.

Even the least amusing of the pyrotechnics can be dangerous.

H/T Bob

Posted in Gun Death? | 2 Comments

“Gun Death” High-Powered Car

Funny how you’ll hear the term “High Powered Rifle” or “High Powered Firearm” when talking about a “Gun Death”, even when the particular firearm isn’t all that powerful. Funny how we don’t hear this when the death is by a powerful car:

A 22-year-old Brooklyn, New York man was decapitated Wednesday trying to evade police after a traffic stop.

NYPD say an officer tried to issue a traffic citation to **REDACTED**, but instead the man took off in his black Infiniti G35 sedan with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Authorities say **REDACTED** was approached by an officer on foot and there was no chase, but several witnesses say he was being pursued by police cruisers.

Sameul was speeding eastbound on the Gowanus Expressway when he collided with a truck on an off ramp, and the vehicle’s flatbed severed **REDACTED** head from his body.

We’re talking about a high-performance luxury car here. Who NEEDS that kind of power??? Sounds pretty silly when talking about cars, but the “Gun Death” crowd will talk about it when it comes to guns.

Of course even a shitbox econo-car can accomplish this kind of decapitation. So really we need to BAN ALL CARS!!!11!! Oh wait, Progressives LIKE their cars, so let’s just ban guns!

H/T Bob

Posted in Gun Death? | 2 Comments

Ducklings Can Do It All!

A Duckling falls down the waterfall and can’t get back with momma. What does he do?

It’s like a video game puzzle level! He figured it out!

MUSIC!!!

Sometimes the longer way around is the smarter way to play!

H/T Formynder

Posted in Biology, Music, Random | 2 Comments

Almost Podcast Time

We have a bunch of stuff to talk about, but we haven’t decided what!

Hey, you can call in and help us! 214-530-0036 at 9pm EST!

Join us for THE SQUIRREL REPORT!!!11!

Squirrel Baby

Posted in Podcast, Politics | Leave a comment

And Now Time To Troll Wally

OK so I hate .40 S&W, it throws less bullet than .45 but has what feels like twice the recoil, and it’s performance is really academically different from 9×19 but more recoil, and less mag capacity.

I generally felt the same way about .357 SIG, and I tease Mike W and Wally for their love of it.

Still I’ve warmed to the cartridge. Rather than thinking of it as 9×19 +P+ with lower magazine capacity and more difficulty of finding ammo and reloading, I’ve started to think about it as .38 Super without the unnecessarily long cartridge and the semi-rim.

Also Wally makes a great point for .357 SIG. Reliability! Since it’s essentially a 9mm Bullet being pushed into a .40 S&W chamber you can quickly see that the feed geometry is a lot more forgiving.

Start Trolling!!!

Interesting seeing how the Broomhandle works, and the unnecessarily long travel the bolt takes. Still watch at the end for that jam! Even that .30 Mauser can jam! 🙂

Posted in Guns | 6 Comments