…and when I looked up what the blood-sucking merchants of the world have declared to be traditional anniversary gifts, I notice that the 32nd anniversary is supposed to be commemorated with “molluscs”. At least, I think that’s what it said — what the hell do I care what the National Retail Jeweler Association thinks I’m supposed to get her? (And what’s with the 44th anniversary: I’m supposed to get her groceries?)

OK, anyway, as I was saying, molluscs for anniversary … I’m thinking this fabulous Valentina Ramos Octopus Bloom Duvet Cover is both romantic and titillating. What do you think?

(I now expect the phone to ring any moment and hear the words, “DON’T YOU DARE DECORATE MY HOUSE!” She knows that madness lies that way.)

(Image without watermark available commercially from CoolWaterPhoto)

(Also on Sb)

It had to by flying squid today, because of this story in Nature about squid locomotor energetics. Scientists measured the velocities of flying squid in air, and noted that they can move five times faster in a less dense/viscous medium (as we say in our technical discussions of this issue…no duh.) So they are proposing that maybe these species of squid do it to travel long distances efficiently.

Querulous voices were raised to point out something equally obvious: then where are they all? Photos of squid in flight are extraordinarily rare — they don’t do it routinely, it seems. It’s more probably an escape behavior only used when predators are attacking.

I’m going to side with the nay-sayers. The observation that squid move through air much faster than they do through water is utterly trivial; the real problem with the interpretation that it is a common locomotor behavior is that it sure doesn’t seem to be all that common. Show me lots of movies of squid schools leaping in a prolonged series and maybe I’ll change my mind.

(Also on Sb)