The weekend aquatic

I spent some quality with the animal kingdom this weekend.

First stop was the octopuspectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium, which I'd somehow managed never to visit before, even though it's world-famous and only a couple of hours away. It's also very cool, especially the jellyfish, who blew my mind with their bright orange postmodern art statement against a bright blue tank of water. Better yet: They come in wee, not-so-wee, and freakin' huge. The almost invisibly small ones shaped like umbrellas get extra points.

Mother Nature never ceases to astonish. I'd love to hear what theory the "intelligent design" weirdos can generate to explain teeny, tiny jellyfish, not to mention a bagpipe-shaped monstrosity with eight legs covered in suction cups and skin that changes color to reflect its emotional state. That's evolution, yo. Nobody can make this shit up. It just happens.

tell me, o octopus, i begs

Onward from the mini to the extremely gigantic: Stop two, a visit to the fleet of sea lions who hang out under the Santa Cruz wharf. They look like wizened Cambridge professors, with their whiskers and yawns and harumphs and expressions of mild contempt. They also like to shriek at each other. Loudly. And they're HUGE. I'll put up some pictures when I get them back.

Those were the only two stops on the animal tour, actually, but they were enough to make me feel like I spent a solid stretch underwater.

Then I went to see Walk the Line, and it wasn't bad. Joaquin Phoenix clearly practiced saying "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" in front of the mirror enough times to get it down. And for once, Reese Witherspoon's irrepressible perkiness was appropriate. There just weren't enough jellyfish in the movie.

when i was arrested, i was dressed in black