VIA NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Turns out the mite is mightier than we thought: A tiny arachnid that lives in southern California is the world’s fastest land animal relative tosize, according to a new study. At its quickest, the sesame seed-size Paratarsotomus macropalpiszips
along at about 322 body lengths per second (a measure of speed that
shows how quickly an animal moves relative to its size). For a human,
that’d be like running 1,300 miles (2,000 kilometers) an hour.
The previous record-holder, the Australian tiger beetle, travels at 171 body lengths per second. By comparison, the cheetah—the fastest land animal overall—can move at only about 16 body lengths per second. (Related: “Cheetah Breaks Speed Record—Beats Usain Bolt by Seconds.”) The fastest known human, Usain Bolt, covers a little more than 6 body lengths per second.
Scientists at Pomona College, Pitzer College, and Harvey Mudd College witnessed the new record while observing P. macropalpis
with high-speed cameras outside in Claremont, California, where the
mite can be seen scuttling along sidewalks in the heat of the day. A southern California native, the tiny creature—whose legs are invisible to the naked eye—had mostly been ignored by scientists since it was identified in 1916. “First I thought, ‘Wow, that can’t be true’—[its body lengths per
second] seemed ridiculously high,” said researcher Samuel Rubin, an
undergraduate in physics at Pitzer who presented the new research April 28 at the 2014 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego. ”I better redo the measurements.” But repeated experiments showed the same result: He had found one speedy mite.
Some Like It Hot The team filmed the mites running on concrete up to 140 degrees
Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius)—a temperature scorching enough to kill
most animals. (See “Urban Heat May Warm Faraway Places.”) A closer look at the mites’ bodies revealed a well-sealed outer layer that acts like a barrier against extreme heat. The mite’s desert home
is full of stone slabs and baked clay surfaces that would be as hot as a
city sidewalk, said Rubin, who’s in the process of submitting his
research paper to the Journal of Experimental Biology. That outer layer, and the fact that the mite doesn’t take refuge in
the shadows, suggests that it didn’t evolve its speediness to escape the
heat. Rather, the team suspects the mite moves fast to hunt its prey,
which are so small and fast that scientists haven’t seen them yet, even
with high-speed cameras. “We never observed them being fed on or feeding because it’s so
infrequent, and they’re so fast,” said Rubin, who observed the mites for
an entire summer and didn’t witness a single act of hunting. “It’s hard
enough to get any footage on them.” The camera’s field of view is less
than four inches (ten centimeters), and these mites will move that
distance in less than a second.
Small and Speedy Rubin said the team’s findings also reinforce a scientific theory
called scaling, which says that relative speed increases as an animal’s
body mass gets smaller. The theory holds that the smaller an animal
gets, the less force it needs to move fast. And less force means not
much need for muscle. The space where a big muscle would go can instead be populated by
other things, such as molecules like mitochondria—cellular powerhouses
that can make an animal’s strides even faster. The mite’s stride
frequency is 135 Hertz (Hz), a measurement of how many strides occur a
second. By comparison, an average human runner’s stride frequency is
less than 3 Hz. “[Until now,] no one has validated [the scaling theory] on such a small scale,” Rubin said. The new research “sounds exciting,” said Walter Federle,
an expert in insect biomechanics at the University of Cambridge in the
U.K. who wasn’t involved in the study. “I have often wondered about the
stride frequencies of rapidly running mites, and I am amazed how
incredibly high they are.” Federle agreed that smaller body sizes allow for faster speeds and
acceleration, but noted that there may be a practical limit to the
phenomenon: the time needed to activate muscles. “There is clearly very little time [for the mite] to contract the leg muscles at 135 Hz,” said Federle. As for Rubin, he’s now curious about the mite’s meals. According to
the scaling theory, the mite’s prey—since it’s presumably smaller than
its predator—is likely even faster. But until such a creature is found, the mighty mite is leader of the pack.
A source told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that Kim and Kanye have plans to tie the knot in Los Angeles this week before jetting off to Paris for their lavish blowout wedding on May 24.
So what was Kim doing at LAX Airport on April 29, reportedly on her way to Paris? Here’s what we know. Where is the bride-to-be going just days before her American wedding?! Kim Kardashian was
photographed at LAX on April 29, and multiple sites are reporting that
she’s headed for Paris — even though there’s still more than a month to
go until her reported May 24 wedding to fiance Kanye West. Is she making a quick trip to her favorite city for a last-minute dress fitting?
Beyonce beats out MJ, Janet and even Prince to take the crown for highest earning black artists ever. Beyonce has surpassed the likes of music industry record-setters including Prince and Michael Jackson to snag the title of highest earning African-American artists of all time. via MTV News
In today’s batch of bizarre celebrity lawsuits, a prisoner in
California is suing some of the biggest names in pop music for more than
$2 billion. As first reported by Re-Tox, an inmate named Richard Dupree filed a $2.4 billion lawsuit against Beyonce, Jay Z, Kanye West, Rihanna and Chris Brown, claiming the stars stole song lyrics he had been writing while incarcerated.
Dupree filed the lawsuit in California’s Eastern District Court
on April 21, and believes Beyonce and Jay Z worked with the CIA, FBI
and Homeland Security, among other agencies, to spy on him and obtain
his lyrics. He believes Chris Brown, Kanye West and Rihanna were
co-conspirators in the crime and that the gang of pop stars stole 3,000
songs from him. This should be fun for everyone involved. For some more brief information on the lawsuit, head here.
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. otherwise known as Lil’ Wayne was born September 27, 1982 and his debut record was Tha Block Is Hot (1999).
And this are the 10 shocking facts I've got so far:
1. His Baby Mama’s A Little Crazy
At 15, Lil’ Wayne was on tour with Cash
Money. Citing that she was lonely without him, she encouraged him to
have a daughter – at 15.
His high school sweetheart Antonia “Toya” Carter gave birth to his daughter Reginae when he was only 15 years old.
Reginae, Dwayne III, Cameron Carter and Neal
are the names of his children, bringing the total count to the number
four. We are hoping that they will continue their fathers successful
rapping career.
2. He Was Never A Drug Dealer
We aren’t sure why selling drugs on the side of the road is so glamorized, but despite rapping endlessly about selling drugs, he says the only ones he’s ever seen are the ones he wanted to sniff or smoke. Classy.
He has been arrested on several occasions
because of drug possession, although most of the charges were dropped.
His statement about sniffing and smoking turned out to be true, as only
cocaine and marijuana were found on those occasions.
He did do a year in Rikers (prison) when he pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
3. He Recycles Verse
Diehard Lil’ Wayne fans who were a little too young to remember
classic verses swear he came up with them, but often times Wayne slips
in rhymes from other artists, like Jay Z, when he’s on stage. This is somewhat strange, especially when you consider the fact that Lil’ Wayne wrote his first rap song at the age of eight. Actually, as you all probably know, his whole career was built in
those early years, while others rappers were struggling financially and
otherwise, he was writing songs and bettering himself.
4. He Was A Straight A Student
It’s funny how guys these days don’t want to be known as smart;
instead out back smoking a blunt and beating up anyone who looks at them
sideways is the go-to image. But the truth is, before the tear drops and the cough syrup he was a real brain. Unfortunately, at the age of fourteen, he had to drop out of McMain
Magnet School due to the overwhelming business obligations and to focus
more on his musical career.
5. He Can’t Freestyle
Remember that Tim Westwood “freestyle”? Exactly. In Weezy’s defense he did look like he might have been coming off a frat house bender. His whole career actually started with a freestyle. He called Bryan
Williams, rapper and owner of Cash Money Records and left a “freestyle”
message on his answering machine, which later led to his signing.
6. He’s Dead… Again
Ok not really, but he is a main stay in the
internet death hoaxes quite often. If on the chance Lil’ Wayne ever
really does bite the big one, he will appear to all of us on a
skateboard with an electric guitar to let us know this shit is really
happening.
The problem is the media, hungry for those juicy headlines they label someone as dead at first whiff of health problems.
7. He’s Paranoid
Wayne refuses to write anything down out of
the fear that his journals will be taken and published like his favorite
rock star of all time Kurt Cobain.What's the harm in that?
8. Started Rapping When He Was 8
Lil Wayne wrote his first song at the age of
eight, showing talent really early in his life. One year later, he
contacted Cash Money Records and its owner Bryan Williams, who helped
him immensely in the beginning of his career.
He called Bryan and left a message on his
answering machine, and nothing would be strange about that if the
message wasn’t his song! Yes, he started working with Cash Money Records
after Bryan heard him rap in a message left on his answering machine.
9. Was Involved In A Shooting When He Was Only 12
While true, this title may be a bit misleading. After playing with a handgun, Lil Wayne accidentally shot himself back in 1994. He sustained no serious injuries. Hope this cautionary tale will convince you to take better care of your personal firearm, especially if you have small children…
10. He Has Serious Health Problems
As you might have read earlier, he was declared dead a couple of times due to his seizures. Suffering from epilepsy, Lil’ Wayne has stated several times that he
has seizures, just like any other person who has the same health
problems. The thing that might have contributed to the severity of his health
problems is the famous purple drink, high in codeine, which is rumored
to be the source of the seizures.
Anna Wintour was blasted for putting
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover of US Vogue but it appears as
if her instincts were correct.
For despite outspoken critics, including actress Sarah Michelle Geller, who said they would cancel their Vogue subscriptions over the cover, the issue flew off newsstands and has already sold over 500,00 copies, according to TooFab. Comparatively, more than 350,000
copies of Beyonce’s edition were snapped up by readers while First Lady
Michelle Obama’s cover sold nearly 300,000.
And with subscriptions, it is believed the total sales could come to over 1.2 million. However, it should be noted that Kim
did her best to up the final sales tally and earlier this month she hit
up a Los Angeles newsstand to buy souvenir stacks of the magazine. She described her first Vogue cover as ‘a dream come true,’and
Kim couldn’t hide her joy at her major fashion coup, tweeting last
month:’This is such a dream come true!!! Thank you @VogueMagazine for
this cover! O M GGGGGG!!! I can’t even breath!’ (sic) Dress fitting perhaps? Kim jetted to Paris on Tuesday amid rumours she
will tie the knot in California imminently ahead of her Paris nuptials The cover line introduces the piece
as: ‘Kim & Kanye Their fashionable life and surreal times.
#worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple.’ It is apparently the first time a
hashtag was used on the Vogue cover and refers to Kim’s huge social
media presence – she has more than 20 million Twitter followers. The successful sales, so far, come
after weeks of critism from Vogue fans, including actress Sarah Michelle
Gellar, who tweeted:‘Well……I guess I’m canceling my Vogue
subscription. Who is with me???’ Her boycott was retweeted more than 8,000 times and favorited by more than 11,000 people.
A Columbia student has opened up about his experiences as a male gigolo, telling how he regularly has sex with women and mothers for money to help pay the high cost of the Ivy League school.
‘On more than a few occasions, I’ve been paid about $800 to sit in a
room and pop balloons while a woman masturbates,’ the unidentified co-ed
wrote in a tell-all column for a school newspaper.
The student has kept his identity a secret,
revealing only that he comes from a large, middle-class Catholic family
and fears that his parents might find out about his extracurricular
activities.
One
of many: The unidentified student claims that he is far from the only
person at Columbia University who is working as an escort to help pay
the bills
‘F*** it, if I can get paid $15,000 to spend a
December week lounging on a beach in Tuscany instead of freezing my ass
off in New York, I’m going to do it, while I’m still young enough to be
hired for that sort of gig,’ he wrote in the Columbia Lion.
He claims that he is far from alone in the process- and his girlfriend even works as an escort for the same reasons.
Tuition, fees, books and room and board cost
$64,144 at Columbia, making it one of the top five most expensive
colleges in the country.
According to a new report, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are already married.
But might Kanye soon be filing for divorce?
The latest issue of celebrity gossip tabloid Life & Style claims
that Kim cheated on Kanye soon after they got together in 2012… with
CHRIS BROWN!
"The word is out,” an insider tells the magazine. “And Kanye is not just embarrassed, he’s furious."
Well, sure. How could he not be?!?
West allegedly confronted Kardashian about the rumor and “she denied
it,” the magazine writes, but Brown is “bragging about it anyone who’ll
listen."
Which, apparently, is enough of a reason for Kanye to believe it happened.
Kanye now has serious trust issues when it comes to his fiancee - and
the timing couldn’t be worse. They are supposed to be getting married in
less than a month.
And Brown allegedly wrote "Loyal" about Kim. Talk about awkward!
It's enough to make you wonder ... if anyone believes this at all.
Way back in 2009, THG did wonder whether or not Kardashian and Brown should date. But we only meant if they were single, not if they were betrothed.
Are you buying this rumor? Should Kanye call off the Wedding of the
Century if it's substantiated? Is Chris thinking about Kim on board Con
Air as we speak?
And even more importantly, which formidable body part would you be most scared of in a fight, Kim Kardashian's butt or Chris Brown's fists?
I was browsing through my e-mails this morning only to find some very funny Unique Toilets. I’ve no idea where this has come from and I was basically in a forward. Some are crazy and some are even crazier. I would never think twice about having any of these in my home. I wonder if anyone has actually got a toilet design like the ones below in their home? Which one do you like the best and which would you have in your home? 1. .
Myth: Getting constant trims promotes hair growth. Most stylists recommend trims every six to eight weeks to keep split ends at bay (which truthfully, they do). But how would that promote growth exactly? Jen Atkin, the Clear Scalp & Hair Celebrity Hairstylist who works with long-haired beauties like Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Biel, says the best way to hold onto and promote length is with fewer trims (every three to four months) and a few additions to your routine. Follow her formula below.
Secret #1: Focus on the Scalp "I think too many people are focused on the ends of their hair," says Atkin. "Your hair growth is healthiest at the scalp." Give the roots some TLC. Instead of rushing a shampoo, use your fingers to massage the product into your scalp. "Exfoliating and massaging the scalp helps boost blood flow, which stimulates hair follicles to produce thicker, more lustrous hair growth, reduces dandruff and promotes overall hair health," says Elizabeth Cunnane Philips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in NYC.
Secret #2: Mask ItCoconut oil is receiving constant praise right now as the be-all for white teeth. (If you haven't tried oil-pulling, you should.) Atkin hails it as a growth promoter as well. "When I was in Dubai, a lot of the women used coconut oil on their hair as a mask," says Atkin. "Once a week, they'll do it. They'll put it on their hair and leave it overnight. They'll sleep with a shower cap or when they're steaming at the spa." Another treatment they live by is black bean oil "to add protein to the hair and promote healthiness." Secret #3: Your Hair Is What You EatYour diet can have a positive or negative effect on your hair. To promote growth, Atkin recommends a fish oil vitamin. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids that promote growth and cellular repair. You can also get large doses of the acids in fish, such as salmon. Other hair boosting foods are avocado and eggplant. "Anything that will give you extra protein is great for your hair." She also swears by biosil, which works as a hair, skin and nail vitamin. Secret #4: Cut Smart"When you get a haircut, tell your hairstylist that you want your layers long, so you can grow your hair out and not to cut it too short," says Atkin. "That can also set you back a quite a bit. I always tell clients to bring pictures when they're going to get their hair cut."
As you very well know, the ’90s may go down as the BEST decade of all time in our books. It was the time when hand games dominated the playground, iconic movies were made, the best boy bands and girl groups were formed… Yup, there’s certainly lots to love about the ’90s.
HOWEVER, it is important to note that, while there are many toys from the 1990s that still are (kinda) cool to this very day, there are others that were so dangerous, they caused health concerns for many of their consumers. Some even had to be recalled because of their detrimental effects! Here are ten such concerning toys that you definitely played with in the ’90s:
1. Moon Shoes
They were marketed as “mini-trampolines for your feet.” Nope, don’t see any potential fractured ankles here.
As pretty as the flying dolls were, they caused injuries in children’s eyes and teeth. Some parents even reported temporary blindness, concussions, broken ribs and face lacerations. WHAT GOES ON?!
This particular edition of CPK not only ate her plastic snacks, but human hair too. Yum.
4. Stretch Armstrong
Imagine a game of Tug of War ending with spilled gelled corn syrup. ’cause that’s exactly what this stretchy toy was filled with, leaving mamas none too pleased.
Kenner & Denys Fisher
5. Mr. Bucket
“The first to get their balls into Mr. Bucket wins!” *cough*
“More fun than a pillow fight?” Yeah right! There was barely any cushioning in these plastic balloons. Plus, encouraging kids to punch each other in general is just plain stupid.
Whether you purchased a legit version from the store, or made it from materials lying around your garage, launching yourself onto a water-logged thin plastic sheet is completely idiotic. Here are some discomforting words for ya to let it sink in: neck injuries, bone fractures, quadriplegia and paraplegia.
8. Burger King Pokeballs
Because of its size, it was easy for kids to cover their noses and mouths, leaving the potential for suffocation.
When scared,fruit fliesbank the same way fighter jets do, tilting and rolling through the air, but they do it quicker than the blink of an eye, US researchers said Thursday.
The findings in the journal Science suggest that flies may be relying on a special set of senses to help them avoid getting swatted.
Researchers used three high-speed cameras to analyze how fruit flies avoided an impending collision.
While they normally beat their wings 200 times a second, if threatened they could reorient themselves in a single wing beat, and then speed away.
"We discovered that fruit flies alter course in less than one one-hundredth of a second, 50 times faster than we blink our eyes, and which is faster than we ever imagined," said Michael Dickinson, professor of biology at the University of Washington.
Fruit flies, or Drosophila hydei, are about as big as a sesame seed but have a super fast visual system to help them survive a world full of predators, he said.
"The brain of the fly performs a very sophisticated calculation, in a very short amount of time, to determine where the danger lies and exactly how to bank for the best escape, doing something different if the threat is to the side, straight ahead or behind," Dickinson said.
"A fly with a brain the size of a salt grain has the behavioral repertoire nearly as complex as a much larger animal such as a mouse."
Has Katy Perry already ruined her rekindled friendship with Rihanna?
The ‘Dark Horse’ singer totally dissed RiRi’s boyfriend Drake during a
new radio interview, calling the Canadian artist ‘soft.’ Ouch! That’s
just about the last thing any rapper — or any man for that matter —
wants to be called!
During a recent interview on Power 105.1′s The Breakfast Club, Katy
had nothing but positive things to say about Juicy J, who was featured
on her hit song “Dark Horse.” But when she tried to compare Juicy to
Drizzy, Katy totally put her foot in her mouth! “[Juicy J] is such a sweet, genuine guy.
[He’s] an amazing hard worker,” Katy said. “I’ve worked with a lot of
people that I’ve done little pieces on songs and not that they’ve got
ego, but Juicy’s the kindest. He’s like the most kindest, sympathetic,
sweet — I don’t wanna make him out like to be softer than Drake…” Ouch! Katy quickly tried to backpedal, saying, “I love Drake. He’s like my secret diary.” Nice save. Even though Katy’s comment about Drizzy seemed well-intentioned, it
could easily be taken the wrong way! We hope RiRi won’t be mad at her
on-again BFF, especially after their Chris Brown feud!
Rihanna & Katy Perry Party In NYC: Back To Being BFFs?
Rihanna and Katy had been giving each other the silent treatment for
months after a falling out over RiRi’s troubled ex Chris Brown. But the former BFFs seemed to have buried the hatchet when they stepped out to attend a mutual friend’s birthday party at NYC’s 1Oak nightclub on April 25. Hopefully their friendship is still on after Katy’s Drake diss!
(StandardMedia) Kiambu, Kenya:
There was outrage on social media following reports of a female
policewoman reprimanded by her seniors over her dressing. The police
woman had been pictured wearing a skirt which was considered tight and
the picture went viral on social media.
The corporal traffic police officer based at Kiambu police division
Linda Okello was summoned by the local county commander James Mugeria
and reprimanded over her dress code, which was termed as indecent. Officials in Kiambu said the summoning was procedural and the officer had been allowed to go on with her duties. “The county commander called her for a warning over the pictures that
have circulated widely showing her in a tight skirt. It was a normal
issue and she was informed to start dressing well,” said a senior police
officer aware of the incident. The officer was on duty at the weekend when she was pictured together with her colleague in Kiambu. Information on the reprimand attracted outrage on social media with
most of those contributing saying her crime was to wear a small skirt.
“The policewoman who was wearing a uniform provided by the government
is being targeted by superior officers for a crime which is not her
own,” said Robert Alai. Hilary Rairo asked if she was being victimized for having a fitting uniform, for heavens sake she didn’t issue it to herself. “Police uniform is usually issued to the officers. It’s unfair to punish the lady,” said Rewa M’Njau. The incident comes months after Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya
Police Service, Grace Kaindi warned female officers against applying
lipstick, or wearing fashionable clothes, bangles, and big earrings
while on duty. In a circular issued last July the officers were told some items of
clothing and accessories were tarnishing the good name of the service. The circular warned that any officer found with the banned items will
have breached Force Standing Order CAP 37 and the National Police
Service Act 2011 Section 87-88 and will be liable to punishment.
“Issues of Police misconduct were raised and
the most noticeable one was a matter on how some of the police officers
wear uniform. It was noted with a lot of concern that male police
officers wear different types of socks, unmarching long trousers,
coloured visible vests an bangles among other metals, whereas women
officers have dreadlocks, “afro” hair, big earrings, unnecessary bangles
and lipstick. Fashionable wear is only good when one is on leave,” the
circular signed by Leo N Ijora on behalf of Kaindi said. “It is a misconduct whose consequences calls for stern
disciplinary action. You are directed to adhere to the laid down dress
code as stipulated on FSO CAP 37 and National Police Service Act 2011
Section 87-88 with immediate effect,” the circular read.
A Nigerian citizen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to U.S. charges of providing material support to an al Qaeda affiliate, and participating in its media and recruitment campaigns.
Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi, 33, appearing before a
federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to providing
material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The plea came ahead of a July 14 trial date
and followed a Nigerian court’s decision in August to grant a U.S.
request for Babafemi’s extradition.
Prosecutors said that, from January 2010 to
August 2011, Babafemi traveled from Nigeria to Yemen twice to meet with
leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known as AQAP
“The defendant traveled to Yemen to put
himself at the disposal of a violent terrorist organization that has
repeatedly demonstrated its determination to inflict bodily and economic
harm on the United States and its citizens,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney
Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
The U.S. government said Babafemi worked on
AQAP’s media operations, including the publication of its magazine,
called “Inspire.”
The group’s leadership, including Anwar
al-Awlaki, paid Babafemi almost $9,000 to recruit English-speaking
people from Nigeria, prosecutors said. Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in
New Mexico, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
An indictment unsealed in February 2013
charged Babafemi, also known as “Ayatollah Mustapha,” with four counts
including conspiracy to provide material support to AQAP, and use of
firearms.
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson scheduled sentencing for August 27. Babafemi faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.
— Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law a bill that legalizes polygamous unions and opens the door for men to marry as many wives as they want.
Lawyer Judy Thongori Tuesday said the Marriage Act 2014 is long
overdue and has more positive than negative attributes. She says the
number of women a man can marry depends on the traditions of his tribe.
Kenya has 42 tribes and many do not put a cap on the number of wives a
man can marry as long as he can afford it.
Thongori said previous laws governing marriages and unions were made
by British colonialists before Kenya gained independence in 1963 and did
not capture the value systems of the indigenous populations.
Three women were arrested after twerking at an impromptu dance party in the Beaverton City Hall parking lot.
Police say Coura
Valazquez, 20, of Vancouver, Washington went to municipal court with two
friends Brittany Medak, 20, of Vancouver, Washington and Leokham
Yothsombath, 22, of Portland, Oregon on Monday afternoon to pay a fine.
The show began as they headed to the parking lot.
Police say Medak lifted up her skirt and urinated between two cars in the parking lot as Yothsombath filmed the event, reports The New York Daily News.
Coura
Velasquez, 20, was arrested on Monday for twerking in a court parking
lot where she visited on Monday in order to pay a fine
Brittany
Medak, 20, allegedly lifted up her skirt as she twerked in a court
parking lot and at one point even urinated between two cars
