The perfect Cephalopodmas gift

i-af61a8e92c8617f6c9eff048a358b2e7-lio_calls.gif

Where can I find this "Nature Store"?

More like this

There is a lot of evidence that nature is in balance. An invasive species throws off the balance of nature in a given region by out-competing some similar indigenous form. When something destructive happens there is a return to status quo, eventually. A few cold years are followed by a few warm…
Unpleasant discovery. I've known for a long time that looking at the age of people who get lectureships in Scandy archaeology, the third quartile is at 46. In other words, 75% of all the jobs are given to people aged 46 or less. But now I've looked at the contents of the fourth quartile. And it…
I knew I could count on my fellow Science Blogger Dr. Klemetti for a good take on the physical reality of the Chilean Earthquake, so I checked in this morning, only to see him, quite property, take the MSM to task for inane rhetoric, notably an MSNBC headline that reads "Is Nature Out of Control?"…
A new biology game called EteRNA "crowdsourc[es] the scientific method" by inviting players to design their own self-folding RNAs. The best designs are synthesized and tested in the lab to see how well the predicted structure plays out in the physical world - an innovation the game's creators see…

If only it were that easy... And hey, speaking of letdowns-- I was hoping you might someday post all about those super-cool giant squid. I was so happy when someone finally saw one alive, I wasn't so sure that was going to happen... How about some readable giant squid entries? (Or links to old ones I may have missed!)

Speaking of squid humor, did I miss the discussion here on Doris Haggis-On-Whey's book "Animals of the Ocean, In Particular the Giant Squid"? I've just received my copy as part of the McSweeney's book club, and it is dated 2006, but I'm not sure if PZ's seen it already.

It's a very silly parody of the sort of wildlife books I remember reading as a child in the 1970s.

Opening quote "You have purchased this book and now you will learn. My name is Dr. Haggis-on-Whey and I am a scientist; I will not pretend to be your friend. We are here to study animals of the ocean and I will not mince words. If you pay attention I will be less dissatisfied."

another early quote "What is in the ocean, you ask, besides water and tuna? The answer is not much..."

Where can I find this "Nature Store"?

You might need to invest in the special cephalopod-attracting hairdo before it would work properly, PZ.

That animals of the ocean book sounds somewhat similar to one I have, called "Nature made ridiculously simple" by Miles Kington. The first identification key has the categories of live moving, live stationary, dead moving, and dead stationary, including subsections like "dead things that can fly faster than you can run". Quite amusing.

I printed out the Lio for my office door. I'm not a cephalomaniac, but there's something about the expression on their faces in the comic that I really like.

I don't think squids have ears...
Out of the hundreds of market squids I've bought, dissected and eaten from the local Chinese supermarket, I've never came across a single one with a hearing aid or iPod.

Really? I think you're shopping at the wrong store. Try Chu Xiu's Squid and iPod Emporium!

I don't think squids have ears...

Then how will they hear the call of Cthulhu?

Made from squid?

"Where can I find this "Nature Store"?"

Probably only in Woods Hole, MA.