a/k/a Calamity Jane. Her life and adventures, in her own words.

Like Topdawg at Two Nervous Dogs, I have become a fan of the HBO series “Deadwood.” The show is about as gritty and grimy as a thing could possibly be. One can almost smell the stink coming off the unwashed people who live in this lawless “town,” which is run by the mondo evil, owner of one of the two saloons/gambling houses/brothels in “Stinkville.”

The language used by the characters is quite striking and is definitely not for the kiddies. I got to thinking that, if the name used by damned near everyone in the town to describe damned near everyone else in the town is an accurate description, “Deadwood” would be the fellatio capital of the world.

Speaking of which, what’s the deal with Vito on the Sopranos? Holy crap!!

Howard Bashman’s “How Appealing” can now be found here. Adjust your blogrolls and bookmarks accordingly.

“I want to go back to my little grass shack
In Kealakekua, Hawaii
Where the humuhumunukunukuapua’a
Go swimming by.”

Songwriters Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison & Johnny Noble didn’t simply invent the word “humuhumunukunukuapua’a” in order to write a song. After all, how could anyone make something like that up? It turns out that there actually is a fish with that tongue-twisting name (pronounced hoo-moo-hoo-moo-noo-koo-noo-koo-apoo-Ah-ah – try that after about five martinis).

Its scientific name, only slightly more pronounceable), is, depending on what one reads, either Rhinecanthus rectangulus or Rhinecanthus aculeatus, but it is also known as the “Picasso Triggerfish” and the “Reef Triggerfish.” In Hawaiian, again depending on which source one reads, humuhumunukunukuapua’a literally means “Fish with a pig’s nose,” or “Fish who comes out of the water and sounds like a pig” (the latter referring to the snorting sounds the fish makes when taken from the water).

Of course, none of this is news to the Hawaiians, who have adopted the humuhumunukunukuapua’a as the unofficial state fish (the Hawaii legislature has not taken action to make it “official..”)

Humuhumunukunukuapua’as can grow up to eighteen inches long and are plentiful along the Islands’ shores. I was fortunate enough to see a bunch of them while snorkeling off Maui. By comparison, humuhumunukunukuapua’as make New Jersey’s state fish, the brook trout, look like a fish in a cheap suit.

I’m glad I got to see them.

Prior to the airing of the “Nightline” ratings grab (“The Fallen”), Russ at TacJammer posted a list of names of war dead that he thought Mr. Koppel would not be reading. I did not watch the program, but I have no doubt that Russ was exactly right.

THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

Perhaps this accounts for why I am such a lousy proofreader.

via John, the Legionnaire Wannabe, and who, with a straight face, claims to have grown up in Hudson County.