The World's Ugliest Dog Show

Time.com
View photos from the World's Ugliest Dog Show, an annual competition in California that celebrates all types of dogs -- from the hairless and blind, to the one-eyed and 3-legged.

I really like the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- and all these dogs are truly loved by their owner, despite their awkward appearance. I also just really like the fact that all the "ugly dogs" have their tongues sticking out the side of their mouth.

View the full slideshow from Time.com here.

Who Killed Michael Jackson: An Answer and a Poem

Alex Balk wrote the following poem on the Awl today regarding the passing of Michael Jackson. I think it's awesome, so I'm sharing it here:

Who Killed Michael Jackson?
By Alex Balk

"Who killed Michael Jackson?"
"I," said the Doctor,
"From my needle he got that last Demerol shot.
I killed Michael Jackson.”

"Who saw him die?"
"I," said TMZ,
"Well, either it was me or the guys from ET.
I saw him die."

"Who spread the word?"
"We," said the Herd.
"We Tweeted it along—
although we spelled his name wrong.
We spread the word."

"Who'll make the rounds?"
"I," said Corey Feldman.
"It’s a sad day for me, but I’m pretty much free.
I'll make the rounds."

"Who'll dig his grave?"
"We," said the Papers,
"It’s rough and unsteady, but we’re down here already.
We’ll dig his grave."

"Who'll gather the eulogies?"
"We," said the Larry King Bookers.
"In this chaotic scene we got Cher and Celine.
We’ll gather the eulogies.”

"Who'll shed the tears?"
"I," said Madonna.
“It might seem insincere
But I’ll cry for a year.
(Point that camera here.)
I’ll shed the tears.”

“Who’ll settle the estate?”
“We,” said the Lawyers.
“There’s not much to seize, but we’ll still bill our fees.
We’ll settle the estate.”

"Who'll sing the song?"
"We," said the Siblings.
"While we’re clearly much grieved, we are also relieved.
We’ll sing the song.”

"Who'll toll the bell?"
"I," said the Blogger
"Though I’m kind of irate that it carries such weight
There’s no way to pass up this much traffic linkbait.
I’ll toll the bell.”

And the folks on the web kept their posts right on top,
When they heard the bell toll for the poor King of Pop.

1958-2009

"Michael Jackson, whose quintessentially American tale of celebrity and excess took him from musical boy wonder to global pop superstar to sad figure haunted by lawsuits, paparazzi and failed plastic surgery, was pronounced dead on Thursday afternoon at U.C.L.Medical Center after arriving in a coma, a city official said. Mr. Jackson was 50, having spent 40 of those years in the public eye he loved." -- NY Times

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

If you were ever wondering where my love of dogs comes from, above is your answer. That's my mom, in Switzerland, where she found a sign of a dog, and took the time to point to it and take a picture of herself doing so.

And in case you think your parents are cute -- I've got you beat.

Just sayin'.

This Week's Fail

"Yesterday afternoon, Michigan congressman Pete Hoekstra, after what must have been deep contemplation, tweeted: "Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House." Yep, he's comparing that time Republicans tweeted a bunch after Nancy Pelosi prevented a vote on an energy bill to the Iranian protesters who are tweeting about the beatings, murders, and overall oppression from their government." -- NY Mag Daily Intel

The best part of this mishap was the influx of sarcastic twitter comments in response to Hoekstra's comment. NY Mag rounded up some of the best "@petehoekstra's" which reminded me of the Chuck Norris-isms one of the last sarcastic "memes" to float around the internet (i.e. If you have $5 and Chuck Norris has $5, Chuck Norris has more money than you.)

A few of the best Hoekstra jabs below:

mike_bosworth @petehoekstra I got a sunburn last weekend. Makes me think of Hiroshima.

KyleOrl @petehoekstra My softball game was rained out today. Now I know what Hurricane Katrina felt like.

stealingfrom @petehoekstra Sitting in a chair, feeling a good deal like Stephen Hawking. #GOPfail

benhuh @petehoekstra I had to sit in the last row of our corporate jet this morning. This is what Rosa Parks must have felt like.


Read more (and check out some of the attempts in the comments as well) here.

Zack Morris is Back

Last night on Jimmy Fallon, Mark Paul Gosselaar went on the show as his famous alter-ego, Zack Morris from Saved By the Bell. This 10 minute clip is amazing -- Gosselaar never breaks character, has a few "time outs" and even winks and raises his eyebrows at the camera. The show concludes with The Roots playing, "Friends Forever." Stay tuned -- Fallon is trying to get the entire cast together for a "reunion" special.

Baby Blue Jays in the Backyard

Beginning on May 19th and continuing through June 1, I began to receiving updates from my dad regarding the "Baby Blue jay nest in the backyard."

A mommy Blue Jay made a really beautiful nest in the backyard of my parent's house, in a big strong tree, right near the back porch. She laid four eggs, and three hatched. We named them Huey, Dewey and Lewis.

Apparently Blue Jays are only in the nest for about two weeks before they fly away -- luckily, my dad was able to document their short stay at our home (click on the images to see larger pictures):




As my dad said in his final email update about the birds: "Au revoir, bon chance little Blue Jays!"

Summer TV Guide

In case anyone cares, I will be watching the following shows this summer on my brand new 42" LCDHD Sharp Aquos beauty in real time and Apple TV style. I know it looks like a lot, but I'm up for the challenge.


Real/DVR:
Top Chef Masters

True Blood


Mad Men

Fake Time:
Mad Men (Seasons 1&2)

Rescue Me

The Tudors

Where Will Women Go Now?

"The stories are painfully similar: A couple is thrilled to be expecting a baby, only to see a doctor's face turn grim during a routine ultrasound. Something is terribly wrong. And whatever the specific diagnosis is, the prognosis is essentially the same: If your baby lives, it will suffer constantly and die young." -- Salon.com

Read this important article.

"If you've got no arms put your hands in the air."

MTV Shows

I probably haven't watched the MTV Movie Awards since I turned 18, but this year I was enticed by the idea of Andy Samberg being the host. He's hilarious -- and I was hoping for a couple "unreleased" digital shorts to pop up throughout the show.

I have to say - I wasn't disappointed. I was laughing out loud for a good portion of the broadcast -- mostly due to the pretty decent celebrity lineup, Andy's hosting skills and the fact that the show was short and sweet. The speeches were quick (and sometimes funny -- Jim Carry!), there was never a dull moment (the Oscar-type tribute to Ben Stiller) and Twilight totally cleaned up.

The clip above was probably my favorite part of the show -- fast forward to about 2:20 and watch until the end. You'll see Andy Samberg send Fred Armisen to rehab.