Not sure how widespread this story got in the media, but a scientist from my alma mater agreed to do a DNA analysis of a tuft of hair found in the Yukon believed to be sasquatch hair. Turns out it is just bison fur, to the surprise of not really anybody. The search continues.
In the meantime, another search continues for something we know exists, but have never actually seen in the wild- Architeuthis, the giant squid. When I was in St. John's, I went to the newly-opened world class facility The Rooms, where they had a really interesting exhibit on Architeuthis. One researcher hit on the idea of capturing newly-hatched giant squids and raising them to adulthood, and he was able to do so, giving the world the first footage of living Architeuthises, albeit they were really little since they were just babies. And sadly they all died within hours.

One interesting and unforeseen side-effect of marriage is you find yourself watching Oprah from time to time. Today's special guest is Ashton Kutcher.

This poem is a direct result of driving around Cape Breton Island, listening to the Gorillaz' (and Dennis Hopper's) "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head", and mulling over Dan Simmons' Ilium, a curious tale about the Trojan War on Mars, among other things. And if this reminds you of the Iron Giant, that's okay, too. Stuff written on one's honeymoon need not be very original or amazing, as long as it's about robots.

The Lighthouse Cove

At the edge of the world
where green grass meets blue sea
a lighthouse stands
where it has kept vigil
for over a century
guiding ships safely
past the rocks

Then one day
with a sea storm's suddenness
a giant black robot
over a hundred feet tall
and not quite humanoid
descended from space
and landed
next to the lighthouse

The residents of the sleepy little cove
watched with apprehension
and wariness
waiting for the strange thing
to do something
anything
probably devour them all
but all it did
was incline its head
toward the heavens

Slowly they overcame their fear
and approached the black shell
the robot didn't devour anyone
it didn't react at all
the braver boys discovered
that it made a hollow clanging sound
when you hit it with a rock
and the girls drew on it with chalk

Inevitably the government came
and so did the tourists
while the residents went about their lives
some of them got jobs as tour guides
in the Robot Interpretive Center
all the while
the lighthouse stood guard
and the robot didn't move
though sometimes its eyes glowed
different colors

The government and all its
secret organizations
could not discover the robot's origins
though there were lots of books
with all kinds of
conspiracy theories
and crackpot hypotheses
sparking endless debate
and boredom
while the robot stood tall
next to the lighthouse

Many years later
with no warning
the robot flew away
leaving the lighthouse behind
where it remained impassive
searching the seas for ships in distress
while the citizens scanned the skies
to no avail
so they returned to their lives
in their sleepy little village
now devoid of government and tourists
and they renamed it
Robot's Cove

We're back! It was a pretty great honeymoon. Our other option was Cancun, so I guess that worked out pretty well for us. One thing that was very cool for me was seeing some of the places I last saw back when I was on my life-changing hitch-hiking trip, and being able to share them with Michelle. We finished the trip off yesterday in Charlottetown. Eight years ago the C'town highlight for me was seeing Junkhouse perform in a little bar there. Junkhouse is broken up now, though, so . . . umm . . . anyways.
Another really cool memory I have from that trip eight years ago was meeting this Newfoundlander named Shawn who picked me up outside of St. John's. We wound up staying in Corner Brook (like about 600 kms away), going out for a few drinks and some pool, and then he gave me a zippo lighter with the Newfoundland crest on it. That lighter has since gone with me on every trip I've ever done (except ironically, the honeymoon- I was a little busy and it got left behind). So I decided to give him a call while we were in St. John's, and we wound up hooking up again, with our wives, going out to George Street for a few drinks. Well, for many drinks, actually. So cool. Michelle and I got screeched in as honorary Newfoundlanders. I was a little shy about calling just out of the blue like that, but I am glad I did. Thanks Shawn and Natalie!
So, even though Junkhouse is no more I highly advise you guys to check out some of their albums. They have a sort of swampy, bluesy, junkhousey feel. As a special bonus, their album Birthday Boy features a little-known Sarah McLachlan collaboration called Burnt-out Car.

Check out some of the pictures of whales and puffins I took this morning! It was amazing! Humpbacks everywhere. Wow.
And the puffins are so neat- they are like quidditch snitches! They flap their little wings at 500 beats per minute.

St. John's
Newfoundland is the coolest Canadian province ever. I love it. Eight years ago when I hitch-hiked here, I camped in Gros Morne National Park and thought to myself, "This would be a great place to go on a honeymoon." Done and done! We were in Gros Morne yesterday and earlier today. We went sea kayaking this morning with these guys and it was amazing, and took the Western Brook Pond boat tour yesterday (sort of an inland Milford Sound) and it was soooo beautiful. Now we are in St. John's, clear on the other side of the island. Staying here, in fact. I recommend it- exceptionally elegant.
Well, gotta go- I am on my honeymoon you know.

Antigonish
So my wife and I are busy having a honeymoon out in the Maritimes. Which is why you haven't heard from me in a while. Today we are in Anitgonish, which is so much fun to say. Soon we will be heading out to Cape Breton Island and then Newfoundland.
We have a rental car, a beautiful Chrysler 300 that we have named Seamus. I am pleased to report that he has (so far) not met with any mishaps like those that met noble Wedge.

It was perfect.