A lot of people go to Vegas for bachelor parties, but death party? Now that's unusual:

A British marine killed in Afghanistan left an unusual bequest in his will: money for his friends to go to Las Vegas for a party. [...]

Like many soldiers assigned to a war zone, Hart had taken out a life insurance policy.

After his death, his family found Hart had designated 50,000 British pounds for a charity that helps wounded service personnel -- and 100,000 pounds (about $163,000) for his military and civilian buddies and their girlfriends to go to Las Vegas.

Link

‘Purple Forest’ from MORPHOLOGIC on Vimeo.

In this video titled Purple Forest, you can see how the decorator crab makes its way in the world.  By adding predictable detritus to its wardrobe, and after waiting for the currents to land an appropriate morsel of tasty goodness onto its shell, the unseen crab hooks his prey.

The unsuspecting isopod has no idea that it has landed upon an algae covered beast. Furthermore, it appears that the crab is not aware of the unexpected visitor until the isopod begins to explore its decorated exoskeleton. 50 seconds into the clip the isopod meets its fate with a few swift snatches of the crab’s claws. Without missing a beat, the crab continues scavenging amongst the rocks and algae. And life on the reef goes on…

Decorator Crab {Dive Gallery}

Despite the many opportunities for research in the oceans, the surfaces of those seas tend to get rough.  Ships being tossed around tend to do less research, so in 1962 the Office of Naval Research helped to develop the Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP).

FLIP can be used in either a drifting or moored mode, based on the science requirements, and FLIP can remain on station in the vertical position for substantial periods of time. For research requiring a stationary rather than drifting platform, a deep moor capability has been developed.

This 350 foot long contraption is towed out to the open ocean, and flipped 90° to the vertical position to become a stable spar buoy.  The 50 or so feet that juts above the waterline becomes the crew operations area, where research can be carried out in stable, calm conditions.

Link (Marine Physical Laboratory)  Photo: Dept. of Navy

Image Composite: Left: flickr/wallyg. Right: Twitter/@GarySoup

If you’ve been to the Fisherman’s Wharf part of San Francisco in the past twenty years, chances are you’ve seen (and heard) the resident sea lions that call Pier 39 home.  I’d spend long stretches of time just observing them and their behavior patterns, and always found them neat.

Since about a month ago, when they collectively slipped into the bay and disappeared, the pier has been quiet and barren.

The sea lions’ disappearance is as strange as their initial colonization of the pier about 20 years ago, in late 1989. They just started showing up one day and as their numbers increased, their traditional hang out, Seal Rocks, became less populated. There are all sorts of theories about why the pier became a favorite haul-out spot for the sea lions, but no one knows for sure why the animals’ behavior changed.

It doesn’t appear that local weather conditions could have influenced the animals. The weather in San Francisco has been normal, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Canaepa. “It’s pretty typical winter conditions,” Canaepa said.

There is also no apparent population increase on Seal Rock; apparently hundreds of them just decided to move on.

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Bea Arthur (1922-2009) - YouTube user Sassyornek created a fantastic tribute to Bea, check it out here: Link (Photo: Lifetime Intimate Portrait)

Tony- and Emmy-winning actress and comedian Bea Arthur has died. Though she is best known as Dorothy Zbornak on the 80's television sitcom The Golden Girls, her career actually spanned seven decades.

To celebrate the life and career of Bea Arthur, let's take a look at 5 Things About Bea Arthur You Didn't Know:

1. Bea Arthur Was a Marine
Before World War II, Bea was a medical technician. She volunteered to join the US Marine Corps, becoming one of its first female recruits. (Source)

2. Bea Arthur Got Her Start in Comedy by Being a Lounge Singer
In an interview, Bea said that when she got up on stage to sign a torch song, the audience laughed at her because of her deep voice and height. The nightclub manager told her that she was in the wrong business being a lounge singer, and that she should be doing comedy instead. (Source)

But Bea can sure can sing. Here's a clip of her singing "What'll I Do?" from The Golden Girls' episode Journey to the Center of Attention:

[YouTube Clip]

3. Bea Arthur Never Had a Star on the Walk of Fame
Bea was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame a few months ago, but she never had a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A travesty!

She may have a shot yet, you can nominate someone for a Walk of Fame Star, but you'd have to wait five years first for a posthumous nomination.

4. Bea Arthur was in The Star Wars Holiday Special
She sang as Ackmena, the nightshift bartender in Chalmun's Cantina in Tatooine, in the much-maligned Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978.

[YouTube Clip]

5. Bea Arthur was the Femputer

Watch the Hulu clip at IMDb: Death by Snu Snu

In the 2001 Futurama episode, Amazon Women in the Mood, Bea was the voice of the Femputer, the leader of the man-hatin' tribe of Amazonian women. Bea has left us, but we can still hear her sentence Fry and friends to "death by snu-snu" over and over again.

Bea Arthur, rest in peace. You shall be missed.

Update 10/19/09 – Here’s the last interview Bea Arthur did: Link [YouTube] – Thanks Stephen!