Fancy Fluffy Lady

I know this isn't really a forum for personal news ... but I have a new cat. Her name is Penelope.

She is a total babe.

She appreciates belly rubs.

and enjoys games that simulate the action and intensity of "the kill."

you don't love me yet

In case you were wondering, the best sentence (fragment) in Jonathan Lethem's otherwise forgettable novel You Don't Love Me Yet is:

"Just tongue and a smudge of her hips and goodbye."

Our Boob

On the American economy:
"Our aim should not be more government. It should be smarter government."

I could not have said it any better.

Day 15

Beachcombing at Low Tide

Though I spent the first two weeks daunted by the crashing waves and briney surf, today I have sallied forth to comb the beach I now inhabit. The ocean had many wonders to share with me:


A. The shell of a Moon Snail, also known by its hideous scientific name, Naticidae.

B. A Strata Tour Professional golf ball marketed by Sports, Inc. Though I cannot prove it, I believe one of my rich neighbors was trying to chip this item into my ear canal.

C. A well-beaten mollusk shell. I believe it to have originally been that of a mussel.

D. A deteriorating yet spectacularly colored lobster claw...?

E. A beautifully iridescent piece of a seashell. I believe it to have originally been that of a clam or a mussel.

F. A really neat rock!

The moon was exceptionally big and beautiful tonight:

Relax and Take Notes

Recent research reveals:

Describing a Baryonyx dinosaur as "like a real life dragon" is misleading.

"Texas" is a delightful word to write or say out loud. So is "pretty."

Haagen Daaz makes you fat.

"Kvelling" is a real word, not something Amy Heckerling made up for Clueless. (this made my day)

Keira Knightley really does look like a Fassbinder heroine.

Martin Kippenberger's work is more fun to talk/read about than actually look at.

I don't wanna be a poet / Cuz I don't wanna blow it

This guy is the real deal.


Lyrics:
Everywhere you look these days,
It's bound toe around
It's in the air, it's in our food
It's trampled in the ground
Down the block and near your house,
A reactor near your town
Geiger counters round-the-world
Record the deadly sound

Do it left do it right
Do the Radiation Shuffle,
Do it with all your might
Flap your arms we do the dance of death
The Radiation Shuffle to your dying breath

Babies drinking it casually
With their mothers' milk
Dumped in Oceans stupidly
The fishermen pays the bill
Fallout's just another name
For nothin' left to lose
Just wait until the alcoholics find
It's even in their booze

Do it left do it right
Do the Radiation Shuffle,
Do it with all your might
Flap your arms we do the dance of death
The Radiation Shuffle to your dying breath

Everywhere you look these days,
It's bound toe around
It's in the air, it's in our food
It's trampled in the ground
Down the block and near your house,
A reactor near your town
Just wait until the alcoholics find
It's even in their booze

Do it left do it right
Do the Radiation Shuffle,
Do it with all your might
Flap your arms we do the dance of death
The Radiation Shuffle to your dying breath

Not only does Robert Berger rock the shit out of the keys and look almost painfully awesome, he makes his own wine when he's not simply looking awesome (although I'm sure he looks awesome when he's making wine).

Also - he did not write the lyrics to this song.

Barackumentary

HBO will be airing a documentary series about President-Elect Barack Obama in 2009. This documentary series will be directed by Edward Norton.

(o)(o)(o)(o) donuts

I really like donuts. A good many hours of my life have been devoted to donuts. In fact, this very morning I had two donuts.

I think the best donut I ever had was in Berkeley California, on Telegraph Ave, at a place called King Pin Donuts. It's one of the two street side stores that bookends a U-shaped indent of eateries. If I recall correctly the rest of the establishments specialize in Asain delicacies. It was something of an odd experience to eat a hot and sticky glazed donut next to a guy that was downing sushi with chopsticks. These are incredibly good. If you live within a 3 day drive you should probably get the rest of the week off and go now.

Don't think that Boston and New England are without respectable donut shops. I once fell for that. I thought we were doomed to eating those rock hard O shaped carboard pastries from Dunkin Donuts. This isn't the case. Just today I went to Mike's Donuts on Tremont Street in Mission Hill. This place is good. There's a tale that they make all the donuts they are going to sell each day in the morning and once they sell out they close down. I've never asked to verify the truth of the story but I like it.

Also over in Cambridge, just beyond Porter Square on Mass Ave there's a great place called Vierna's. It's another simple shop, as I think all donut places should be. (My personal philosophy is that all a store needs is coffee, donuts and napkins)

For those of you in New Hampshire, you're out of luck for the time being, until next spring, but there are really good donuts at the Portsmouth Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings when the weather is warm. One of the tents has apple cider donuts that are amazing. They're soft and bouncy. I recommend them with some Cafe Kilim coffee.

Well that's it.

The Bee's Knees

If I could be any species of bee I would choose bumblebee. Bumblebees are excellent pollinators but useless as honey producers and therefore rarely kept.


This particular bumblebee lived in my backyard. He is missing, presumed dead or hibernating.

Everybody dance!