she said go, go go go

"Call it Ours" -- The Legends

The Legends are from Sweden and they are at the top of their singing-through-an-intercom-with-jangley-handclaps-in-the-background genre, though they might disagree with that characterization of their music:

According to The Legends the band play music that can't be placed in a genre...

The Legends are nine persons who play drums, guitars, tambourine, organ, bass and sings. Many of the members have never played their instruments before which just adds excitement to the short and intensive gigs.

I can't really pinpoint why I like "Call it Ours" so much, but it is the 20th most-played song in my iTunes.

Swedesplease has a second song, "Make it All Right," that probably won't be edging into the top 25 anytime soon but it is excellent and features counting, which I am a big fan of.

mp3 experiment -- this may go horribly awry

I wonder if readers can download mp3's from this site that are hosted in other places. That would be sweet. I really like this song and will be listening to it tonight while playing Jager checkers.

hard to beat -- hard-fi

free association

Whale sharks in Atlanta? I am going to Georgia. I like the Mountain Goats, though there was a time when I didn't. I wonder what it would be like to see John Darnielle on a kayak tour of a wildlife refuge in North Carolina. Scarlett Johansson's boobs (in slideshow form).

more links about urchins and food

So I guess Wolfgang Puck will be serving fish at his new aquarium restaurant in Atlanta. Whatever, that's fine, he says he'll be adhering to Seafood Watch guidelines. What I want to know more about is the fucking WHALE SHARKS they have in the Georgia Aquarium. That is without a doubt the raddest thing ever and their names are Ralph and Norton and the founder of Home Depot bought them so we should all shop there more and there are WHALE SHARKS!!!

Ralph and Norton, adolescent males imported from Taiwan, are mere pups by comparison, measuring between 15 and 20 feet long. They are, however, growing with every gulp of krill (small shrimp) they consume. Each fish downs about 17 pounds of food twice a day.

"They're almost like puppies," Marcus said.

Ralph and Norton appeared oblivious to the media commotion and celebrity cooks on the other side of the window Tuesday. The grayish fish with large white dots on their backs glided slowly through their tank — the size of a football field — as photographers pointed a dozen cameras their way through the 10-foot-by-28-foot window

Hahahaha, he called them puppies! They're huge sharks, idiot! Oh my god there are whale sharks in Georgia!

This is much less exciting but is possibly interesting for anyone who really likes Uni. Via the Gurgling Cod I came across this story from 2002 about urchin harvesting and production along the California coast. Wolfgang Puck was somehow involved. If anyone hasn't tried Uni (or if you attempted to try it but then had it stolen by FPJ, as often happens) I highly recommend you go to a decent sushi place and order a couple of pieces.

[A]s exotic delicacies go, the sea urchins off the coast of San Diego are considered some of the best-tasting in the world. They're admired for their exceptional sweetness, with contrasting notes of brine and iodine, all in a creamy-textured roe. Digging into a sea urchin is like eating a strange fruit or flower from the sea.

"The sweetest and the best in the world comes from off our coastline," said Tim Johnson, head sushi chef at Zenbu in La Jolla. "A lot of Japanese people say it is the best when they come to visit us."

Trey Foshee, chef at George's at the Cove in La Jolla, learned about San Diego sea urchin from chef Kazunori Nozawa of Sushi Nozawa in Studio City. Speaking through his wife, Nozawa explained why he uses so much local sea urchin.

He's partial to the sea urchin from near Hokaido in his native Japan. But San Diego red urchin is a close second, and definitely the best-tasting species in the United States, he said.

"This is creamy and sweeter than the other," Nozawa said.

Nozawa's wife said Japanese people love the taste of sea urchin but also eat it for its healthful properties. "There are so many tiny eggs inside the shell, and we believe many powers are coming up, like more energy," Yumiko Nozawa said. "When you are tired, it is a freshen-up."

Mmm, magic urchin powers.

is it time to bring back my wide leg jeans?

Hilary Duff huge in the underground rave scene?

"It's easier to play a big show than something more intimate. There's something more comforting about seeing a whole sea of people with glow sticks going crazy than being able to identify people I know out of a crowd of 200."

[via goldenfiddle. i took their joke, too.]

links about fish

Anyone who has ever eaten with me or heard me talk about food will know that I really just don't like salmon. And I really try, because I know it's supposed to be good for you (I mostly think that because this guy says so and he appears to be a huge badass. Who the fuck runs 300 miles? Idiots and badasses and that's it). And I can deal with lox. But I would never get a big pink hunk of salmon at a restaurant, and a single piece of salmon sushi can turn me off to the entire platter. So it's nice to know that I can stop trying to force salmon upon myself, as it appears that salmon can give you the clap chlamydia (I always thought "the clap" was chlamydia, but it's actually gonorrhoea). And also put out fires, which I guess is a good thing.

In the last fifty years we may have eliminated half of the ocean's fish species! WOW, that was certainly efficient. We've been especially rough on the large predators.

You can watch bluefin tuna (and sharks) swim on the Monterey Bay Aquarium site.

Will Wolfgang be serving salmon? I much prefer the whole fried catfish.

yeah, i didn't even see the island, and i love her

This post is for all the "haters" out there spouting these viscious "fat" and "pregnant" rumors. Fuck you and your gossip-mongering ways. You're probably just jealous!

But, anyway, reasons why The Island bombed:

Movie doesn't explore the whimsical nature of cloning, a la MULTIPLICITY

Jessica Biel not chainsawed to death

[They] [c]ut the scene where Scarlett Johannson comes out of the screen and bes my girlfriend

Wow, this is really transparent. All I really wanted was a semi-legit excuse to scour the internet for hot pictures of Scarlett Johansson.

[list of reasons via matthew tobey]

the family circus

[from ken's meme deflector]

reality tv is my life/nightmare

In case you've ever wanted to kick Tina, make out with Jamie, or fall victim to Abram's unchecked aggression. I knew they were getting desperate when they brought back Jon, who made an incredible, Jesus-like sacrifice early in the Inferno II.


[via tale of two cities]

if you keep knapping flints with that thing you're gonna get scars

A sculpted and polished phallus found in a German cave is among the earliest representations of male sexuality ever uncovered, researchers say.

The 20cm-long, 3cm-wide stone object, which is dated to be about 28,000 years old, was buried in the famous Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura.

The prehistoric "tool" was reassembled from 14 fragments of siltstone.

Its life size suggests it may well have been used as a sex aid by its Ice Age makers, scientists report.

"In addition to being a symbolic representation of male genitalia, it was also at times used for knapping flints," explained Professor Nicholas Conard, from the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, at Tübingen University.

"There are some areas where it has some very typical scars from that," he told the BBC News website.

Researchers believe the object's distinctive form and etched rings around one end mean there can be little doubt as to its symbolic nature.

In case you were wondering, 20 cm is about 7.87 inches ("life size"), but from what I've heard you don't have to have that big a prehistoric "tool" to do some excellent knapping, it's about skill and dedication and girth.

celebrity dentistry

My really awkward new dentist: So, do you know this musical artist named Beck?

Me: Yeah, I really like him.

MRAND: I think his music is really great. I am going to a concert of his tomorrow night. Actually, he's a client. [opens door to examination room] Christie!? Will you get Beck's office on the phone? I haven't heard about my tickets.

Me: So Beck is pretty cool?

MRAND: He gave me a signed box set and DVD.


That's right, people. I go to Beck's dentist.

gold just looks so cheap

This is what happens when you blow George Hamilton.

sharkblogging. or, nonsensical, muddled, pointless sharkranting.

science party

As you may have heard, a pretty big (1,191 pounds) tiger shark was caught off of Martha's Vineyard as part of the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament. Actually, the fishermen missed the deadline by six minutes, so the shark wasn't technically caught in the tourney, but whatever. Of course, this shark-fishing derby is not without controversy.

"This weekend we'll be subjected to another round of low evolutionary behavior as we string up another ancient fish, another monster from the deep, bleeding and dead, hanging dishonored before the mob, drunk with alcohol and cheering thoughtlessness," writes James D'Ambrosio in an op-ed published on the Commentary page in today's Gazette. "And why do we do it? Because we can."

Mr. D'Ambrosio is one voice in a rising chorus of discomfort with the two-day event. Complaints about public drunkenness, loud music and the tasteless display of dismembered sharks have increased with the tournament's popularity. Some wonder whether killing sharks should be sanctioned at all.

So it's not really the shark slaughter that bothers people, it's the beer? And music? Hmm, I wonder where this drunken shark-killing lust set to music came from? I wonder if Martha's Vineyard celebrates it in any other way?

Now, I don't like seeing lots of sharks killed (by music-loving drunks or anyone else), but I am not an expert about this stuff. This guy is:

But for Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries biologist Greg Skomal, who studies every shark that is brought in to be weighed, the weekend is more about the science than the slaughter.

"Whether or not it is okay to kill sharks for sport, that's a philosophical discussion," he said. "And as far as the conservation aspect is concerned, this event would not be held if the sharks were in any trouble.

"People have to remember that this is a fishing contest," Mr. Skomal said. "How can you condone the striped bass and bluefish derby and not the Monster Shark tournament?"

I guess I can't argue with that, except to say I think that guy is a douche and I think it's a stretch to say the derby is more about science that slaughter. I mean, unless it was a band of renegade scientists who, in last year's tournament, left "severed shark heads propped up on the bulkhead, some with sunglasses on and with beer cans perched inside their jaws." If all else fails, I guess you just attack the Monster Shark Tournament's critics:

I first met James [D'Ambrosio, the critic of the derby quoted at the beginning of this post] when he worked briefly for The Times and was peddling shark cartilage on a web site. I do not think much of web-based products and did not think much of that one.

Oh, shit. He's an Internet user peddling his web-based wares? Don't listen to that motherfucker. OK, so the whole shark cartilage cures cancer thing is pretty dumb, especially considering that sharks actually do get cancer. But that guy doesn't think much of any web-based products. Umm, fair enough, I guess.

The guys who caught the giant tiger shark seem to sum up this whole debate pretty well:

The shark, which reportedly had a large turtle intact in its stomach, was donated for research, says Sacco: "They're going to learn a lot from this shark. You don't see many tiger sharks in the area like this. So this is great."

Yes. Sharks this old and this large are rare. So it's great that we killed it. For science. Oh yeah, and orphans: "[A]ll of the meat from the sharks that are caught is donated to charity. It's not just about needlessly killing sharks."

Oh my god, how do I sort through this confusion? Please please please tell me that noted talking head and pop culture expert Robert Thompson has something insightful to say about this. Yes!

"In a scary sort of way, everyone is traveling through life with the theme of `Jaws' playing in the background," said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture and director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "If one thing doesn't get them, another will, whether it's the pink slip - you've been fired - or the bad medical diagnosis.

"What was so especially, metaphorically powerful about this, of course, is you remember the poster of `Jaws' with this woman in the water. Half of her is above the water thinking everything is fine. The other half is dangling in the water with this huge monster below her. ... It's such a great tale of vulnerability," Thompson said.

I'm glad that's cleared up.

why i love the observer

Because an article can start like this:

Those few who find themselves in a position to knowledgeably discuss the attendees of the Bridgehampton Polo Club games often talk in code. New Money. No Money. The Real People don’t come anymore.

The interpretation of this code might lead one down some very dark social alleys. Still, more objective comments might be made about changes in the world of polo. In 2002, the pert and highly evolved Natalie Portman gave out the trophies to the sweaty, hunky winners. In 2003, it was down to Kim Cattrall.

On this Saturday just past, July 16, the first day of polo season, the very first match of the 10th Annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge, none other than Victoria Gotti materialized out of extremely thin air to offhandedly dispatch trophies to the tasty riders.

And end like this:

The Scholastic Inc. embargo on the new Harry Potter book had ended that weekend, and so a messenger arrived in the Hamptons from Manhattan at midnight with 125 copies—75 in the trunk and 50 in the backseat. At exactly the same time, a car bomber in Baghdad, one of a series, propelled himself into a group of Interior Ministry soldiers, killing three and wounding 10 civilians. Ms. Rowling’s book, by the way, is reportedly very good.

Sex and the City, class warfare, Natalie Portman, real warfare, Harry Potter, Growing up Gotti and polo horses all in one article? Thank you, Observer.

Also, the Observer laments (second half of the page) the limited summer options of the non-superrich:

Jerry Seinfeld’s always got that “Yeah, I sure hit the jackpot, didn’t I? You caught me, guilty as charged!” look, too. He’s like, Wow, gulp, I really did it and now I don’t have to do anything for the rest of my life. I got my health. My sports cars. Hot wife and kids. Huge triplex in the Beresford; $50 million country house. The future’s looking real good, just wide open and I’m only 45. Think I’ll buy another Porsche today, take a dump inside, then blow it up.

ho bath

I didn't know there was a name for this, but "ho baths" are also really great if you're meeting someone after work for drinks and you hope it may turn into something more.
Thanks Eva Apocalypse for the instructions!

a nation divided

Even more than typical wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage, people's feelings towards horses seem to be polarizing our nation. On the one hand, you have people like this:

Perhaps the most lurid detail she added, however, was that when they searched the farm, police had found hundreds of hours of videotape showing men having sex with horses. Police are still making sure that sex was not forced on the smaller, weaker animals, thus constituting animal cruelty (which is a crime).

That's right. These people were having consensual, romantic sex with horses at a little farmhouse getaway. Cruelty!? Not a chance. These people just love horses.

Then you have people like this:

NICE SHOES ASSHOLE!!

Hey! I have an idea! How about I nail a hat to your head and some pants to your ass? How about I nail a toilet to your big uncontrollable asshole?

No, wait, I have a better idea, why don't we nail some contact lenses in your stupid big black eyes.

Luck my ass. The only thing lucky about you stupid gay ass horse is that I'm not there this instant with my nail gun. Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you. BECAUSE YOU'RE AN IDIOT!!

REALLY FUCKING GENIUS WHEN YOU HAVE TO NAIL YOUR CLOTHES TO YOUR RETARDED ASS!!

He's clearly not a fan of horses or their shoes.

It's up to greater men than me to figure out how to unite the Two Americas when there are those who want consensual buttsex with horses and those who want to shoot them in the head with a nailgun. Luckily, we at least know where sharks come down on this controversy.

want to live in the box? cost you two bucks a day.

Americans are storing a whole lot of shit, and it's not entirely clear why. I suspect it has to do with gay marriage. But storage lockers give me nightmares and I wish we'd stop building them.

holy shit holy shit

holy shit. holy shit. holy shit.

p.s. -- Michael Bay is trash.

[via goldenfiddle]

UPDATED... and if you wanted to play depressed you could just open the release valve

When my short-lived production company (we almost had a PCIP intern) was casting its first movie, one of the key elements was to bring Christopher Walken in as an AeroBed. We'd seen some of his earlier performances and thought he might be able to bring something special to the portrayal of an incredibly-expressive-yet-not-alive inflatable bed. We were going to have monkeys playing people, so we were a little worried that he would have a problem lying there while the monkeys fucked on his back, but we thought his agent could talk him into it.

Sadly, due to creative differences among the producers and a decision to devote more time to Sharkpants, the movie never got made. But now Walken has gone public with his desire to play non-human roles and I think the whole "Cooler than Conor Productions" team is really kicking itself. Here's Walken talking about what it would be like to be a cat actor:

"If I was an actor and I had to play scared in a movie all I'd have to do is bush my tail. I think that if actors had tails it would change everything."

Christoper Walken, you are my crazy hair-pulling hero.

[via goldenfiddle]

UPDATES: Walken has talked about having a tail before. His tail desire is an ongoing thing, and he'd rather have a tail than be able to fly. And in the Washington Post, Walken reveals that he actually has tail-acting experience!

"I made another musical that's obscure, but it's also a very good movie, called 'Puss in Boots.' It was the children's story, and I played the cat," he says. "It's one of my better roles. It's out on video." If you can find "Puss in Boots" at your local video store, you'll be treated to the spectacle of Walken licking his whiskers, wagging his tail, answering to "Puss" and, naturally, dancing on a table, which has become a signature move.

where the ice cream went

When I came back to LA for the summer I was pretty upset to discover that Massimo's was gone. For those of you who don't know, Massimo's makes the best gelato ever. I mean, I can't compare it to Italian stuff since I have never had it, but I would imagine that Massimo's is better. I was especially annoyed to make this discovery because I came across Massimo's empty space after a boozey lunch on a hot day in Venice and really wanted ice cream. Anyway, I guess there is another Massimo's in Culver City (13222 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (310) 823-8381), and they are looking for a new space to open another shop. So all is not lost.

From Eating LA:

the co-owner told me she is looking for another location to open a new ice cream parlor since they lost their lease on Abbot Kinney.

Bonus: read Eating LA's roundup of the best ice cream in town. I agree with the Mashti Malone tasters who say the ice cream does taste a little bit like nice hotel soap, but I think it does so in a good way.

a shark will eat you

Here's an MSN quiz about shark attacks that I think it would behoove all our readers to take. Having touble? Hint: you will die of a shark attack soon.

resourceful!

Tom Cruise is already lining up his next creepy underage relationship. He bought Dakota Fanning a cell phone for her 11th birthday, against her mother's wishes.

She says, "Tom gave me a cell phone, so that was really cool. My mom and dad wouldn't let me have a cell phone but Tom got me one for my birthday!

"It's really funny, 'cause on my cell phone I pretend that I'm on the phone when I'm not and I'll pretend that I have messages when I'm just out on the street."

Awww, Dakota! You really don't have anyone to talk to? Is it because Cruise's gift is entirely age-inappropriate and none of your peers have mobiles? Or has he already dispatched a Scientology squad to 'cleanse' your life of outsiders and non-believers? But, anyway, I also pretend to talk on my phone in public, especially if I am eating alone and I act out this whole scene where I get in a fight with the person who is supposed to meet me and I'm all like "Scarlett, you cunt, if you can't be here on time then don't be here at all. Mary-Kate was never late." That way the people around me don't think I am weird for eating alone. So I guess what I am saying is that you should totally give me a call next time you're wandering in public with nobody to talk to on the cruisephone.

[via pink is the new blog]

more google personality profiles

Karl Rove is like:

Coming up later today: How Karl Rove is like a prison bitch and how George Bush is like a dalmatian.

Unless you mean it in the sense that Karl Rove is like the crotch of the current presidency and that crotch is, necessarily, diminutive, at least based on all the penis-enhancing actions the admin has undertaken.

Karl Rove is like the proverbial Dutch boy, with his finger in all the dikes, all the cracks in the dike.

for Democrats to complain about being robbed by KARL ROVE is like the James gang crying that the cops are on the take.

What I want to talk about is how Karl Rove is like the fat kid in 5th grade that I used to ritually wedgie, pants and swirlie in the most spectacular and public manner possible.

Karl Rove is like a slinky... not really good for anything but he can still bring a smile to your face if your push him down a flight of stairs.

Election season for Karl Rove is like wintertime for squirrels.

Karl Rove is like Bush-lite. This guy sleeps in Bush the lesser’s underwear.

Karl Rove is like Osama: over-hyped and over-rated.

Karl Rove is like a malignant melanoma.


Previous installments: Adolf Hitler, President Bush

yes i love her twice as much as you

The Onion evaluates the merits of songs about specific celebrities.

On "Steve McQueen" by the Drive-By Truckers:

Representative lyric: "I really loved The Getaway back when I was eight / That pussy Alec Baldwin sucked in the remake / And speaking of pussy, I guess Steve got it all / He fucked Faye Dunaway and he fucked Ali McGraw."

Does it portray the subject accurately? The nationwide poll to determine whether McQueen is indeed "the coolest doggone motherscratcher on the silver screen" is still being conducted, but exit polls imply this song does accurately sum up the actor's manly chic. Besides, the Getaway remake definitely sucked.

This sort of got me thinking. If Sharkpants (my band) were to start writing songs about celebrities, who would they be? A preliminary list:

Michelle Pfeiffer
Why? Hot

Catherine Deneuve
Why? Belle de Jour

Robert Lowell
Why? In the words of a doctor friend of mine:

he had tons of affairs with his good looking students (who he'd then write poems about, then realize the poem would only be good if he edited out the lovesick parts where he moped about undergraduates. hence "waking in the blue," one of his best poems.)

he's the only poet of his generation who didn't kill himself, which was quite an accomplishment. instead he died in a taxicab after leaving his third wife and on his way to return to his second.

David Byrne
Why? Obviously

Frank Lloyd Wright
Why? Fascinated by this pop-up book.

More to come. Onion story via lhb.

the power of prayer

First Colin comes back to the blog, and now this. Pretty soon the Libertines are going to reunite, Rob Thomas will get back together with Tom Cruise, Israelis and Palistinians will engage in a huge circle jerk throughout the Gaza strip, and Mariah Carey will apologize to the terrorists for blaming her massive failure on them.

[note: this post may be misleading, Paris and Nicole aren't actually friends again.]

[at least one of those links, maybe more, via stereogum]

whatever, everyone's like a rock star in lebanon

In the spirit of Colin's last post, I decided to do a Google search for the phrase "president bush is like". Here are the first 20 results:

Betting Against President Bush is Like Betting Against the Patriots

President Bush is like Henry the Fourth who gave up his youthfully profligate ways and has assumed well the leadership of his nation in a time of war.

President Bush is like Grant

President Bush is like Adolf Hitler

GOP Congressman “Claims a Vote Against the Re-election of President Bush is Like Supporting Adolph Hitler During World War Two

In effect, the relationship between the calculating empire-seeker Cheney, and President Bush, is like that of an adult inducing a child, or another person lacking the mental and moral qualifications for assuming adult responsibility, to act in an irresponsible manner, by utilizing that child's mental and moral defects as if they were puppet strings.

Republican Congressman Tom Cole claims a vote against the re-election of PresidentBush is like supporting Adolph Hitler during World War Two

President Bush is like a little kid playing war with an animated PC video game and is handling our economy like he is sitting on the back porch playing monopoly with the neighborhood kids.

Republican Congressman Tom Cole claims a vote against the ‘re-election’ ofPresident Bush is like supporting Adolph Hitler during World War Two

President Bush is like a fine wine, better with age

President Bush is like a financial adviser who tells you that at the rate you're going, you won't be able to afford retirement - but that you shouldn't do anything mundane like trying to save more.

Republican Congressman Tom Cole claims a vote against the 're-election' ofPresident Bush is like supporting Adolph Hitler during World War Two

"Man, President Bush is like a retarded ventilator clearing up the smoke-filledrooms of a thousand nondescript white men,"

Expanding on the budget issue, another way he is like President Bush is, like you said, running large deficits--

President Bush is like so, totally right on!

"Republican Congressman Tom Cole claims a vote against the ‘re-election’ ofPresident Bush is like supporting Adolph Hitler during World War Two,”

President Bush is, like it or not, much closer to the middle on values issuesthan Open Center or People for the American Way.

He said in Lebanon President Bush is like a rock star.

Protesting against President Bush is like Tim Hortons employees picketing the police station.

When it comes to budget deficits, President Bush is like a husband who gamblesaway the grocery money and then blames his wife for serving leftovers.

hello mr. narwhal

It just makes me happy that this creature exists.

In unrelated news: When can you show a penis on British TV? Hint: it has to do with geography.

pee wee's big adventure scared me to death

I was pretty ready to make a joke about this, because even though I really like Paul Reubens it seems pretty bizarre that he gets his own day. But the organizers have really stolen my thunder, anticipating all possible attacks and integrating them into the day's festivities. That's why the Paul Reubens' Day Pornographic After Party will have a contest for "Biggest Spooge Monger" and a "Spooge Cannon". I guess this is the kind of "sly adult humor" that the event's organizers, the "Drunken Redheaded Sluts," refer to in the press release.

[via largehearted boy]

sharkblogging way better than i ever could

This is without a doubt my new favorite blog. It's hard to pick out what I like the most, but the very frank "Myth vs. Fact" post is certainly a front runner:

MYTH: Sharks have poor vision and rely on other senses.
FACT: Sharks' eyes, which are equipped to distinguish colors, employ a lens up to seven times as powerful as a human's, and some shark species can detect a light that is as much as ten times dimmer than the dimmest light the average person can see.

MYTH: Sharks must roll over on their sides to bite.
FACT: Sharks can attack from whatever direction they please. They have a unique jaw design that allows them to protrude their jaw beyond their snouts, so they can even latch on to something directly in front of them.

Via the awesome sharkblog, here's a story about some new jellyfish-like creatures that can make red light, which is totally a big deal.

what ever happened to dominique "lolita" swain?

answer here

the mushroom kingdom

Morton Koopa, Jr., one of Bowser's seven children

Think back to the first time you played a Mario game. Remember stomping your first Goomba? Remember being amazed when Mario touched that Mushroom and grew bigger? Remember miscalculating your jump and falling down that pit? Er, well... remember how much fun you had while playing? This site's goal is to bring you accurate, in-depth coverage about every Mario game, without ruining the fun of them.

The site has a staff of six and, in case you were wondering:

Currently, TMK is not hiring. If we want help with a certain section, we will ask you. (Don't call us, we'll call you. ;-)

i am also feeling chirpy today

Scientists have discovered a new kind of lobster in Australian waters. It's the size of a rabbit, has a shell like felt, and makes cricket noises. Sounds sort of creepy, right?

Technically, this is not the first time a lobster like this has been found. French scientists found one in the 80's but, in fitting with the unrestrained decadence and grossness of that decade, they ate it. Seriously.

Good headline, too: "Musical Furry Lobster Feeling Chirpy"

early halloween costume ideas

Jacques Cousteau's grandson dresses up like a great white, hopes they feel bad enough for him to let him tag along for a while:

“My hope,” Cousteau quips, “is that they think, ’Hey, that looks strangely like my retarded cousin from Australia!’ ”

sorry everyone!

The LA Times explains better than I ever could why I've been away from the blog lately. But I think I've got that monkey kicked.

Developing.

i swore to myself i would never say 'roundup'

Prof. Peter Rubin at ACS blog on why we should care

Slate on potential nominees

Randy Barnett at Volokh tries to add some nuance to the Slate discussion

People for the American Way on what's at stake

TalkLeft endorses Ed Prado, has Move-On PAC ad, Senator Reid statement, Senator Feingold statement

SCOTUSblog on how this affects the allegedly impending Rehquist retirement

Supreme Court Nomination blog lists some of SOC's most important swing votes

David Sirota writing at HuffPost about corporate America's boner for the new opening (hehe) and on his own blog about a possible Rove strategy

Bench Memos has too much good stuff to choose, probably the best continuing coverage of this thing so far

And here's a conservative blog on all of this, I can't tell if their spelling of SOC's name as "O'Conner" is stupidity or nastiness, but conservatives sure are good at wordplay.

MSNBC on the process of nomination, though most of you will be familiar with the white smoke/black smoke method from the recent papal appointment

oh holy shit

Sandra Day O'Connor retires

Update: Bill Frist gives a speech, says SOC has a sign in her office that reads "Cowgirl parking only."

Update: WaPo talks about SOC's career and mentions possible nominees.