"It was an e-mail from a University of Minnesota entomologist, but all it said was that of the three DNA samples sent to the scientist, one was human, one was likely a possum and the third could not be tested because of technical problems.

At least one other Bigfoot researcher, Idaho State University anthropologist Jeffrey Meldrum, called the trio's claims 'not compelling in the least.' He told the Scientific American that photographs posted on the Web site 'just looks like a costume with some fake guts thrown on top for effect.'" [AP]

Damn it, we want real monsters and we want them now!

Here are the terrifying pictures of the Bigfoot set to be "unveiled" Friday at a horrific press conference that will change the history of mankind forever or at least devour a couple of minutes during the slowest news period of the year:

The men who found this thing are noted Bigfoot Hunting Hobbyists and first disclosed their findings several weeks ago in the respected, peer-reviewed journal/internet radio funtime show Squatch Detective. The thing is 7 foot 7 inches tall ad weights more than 500 pounds and is estimated good for a Nielsen 3.2 share.

"French academic Dr. Guy Fournier said while female beach goers in France have traditionally bared their breasts without a second thought, the trend has declined due in part to the declining economy, The (Britain) Daily Mail said Friday. 'Bare breasts are viewed as a totally natural state on the beach,' Fournier said. But public morality follows people's confidence and optimism in their wealth and lifestyle.'

"'During an economic downturn, women are less inclined to let it all hang out and more likely to cover up.'

"The Mail said similar changes in beach fashion occurred in 1929 during the Great Depression and after World War II. Such negative events appeared to influence beach goers to wear more clothing during their leisurely beach activities, the newspaper said." [UPI]

"The attack happened near the inlet in New Smyrna Beach (see map) just before 9:00am. The 17-year-old from Titusville was surfing with his friends in an area where sharks were spotted just the day before. And it was just Wednesday that a 15-year-old Edgewater boy was bitten there after stepping on a shark.

"Beach Patrol said one of the reasons behind the latest attacks is a large run of bait fish in the water. Large schools of the fish are moving along the coast, as they often do in the mid-summer months, and sharks eager to feed are going after the schools of fish.

"It's also hot on the coast and the water is calm and that draws a lot of people into the ocean, which increases the chances there will be a bite." [WFTV]

But, hey, maybe if you just move somewhere far, far away the sharks will leave you alone. Think again, dreamer. The mad beasts are taking over Hawaii too!

"'This is a large shark,' Edgartown Harbor Master Charles Blair told the Herald. 'We don't know the species. It was a pretty big fin spotted about 70 yards from the beach. It's close enough for me. We got like Jaws returning over here.'

"'I got a feeling we gotta be vigilant,' Blair said. 'The same goes for our sister island, Nantucket. If you see them, you just try to see what direction they're swimming.' Blair said shark warnings have been posted at South Beach and Sylvia Beach.

"Wendy Fox, a representative for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the state cannot close the beaches, since they are on public land and stretch for miles. 'We can't tell people they can't swim there,' Fox said. 'But we can recommend against it.'" [UPI]

Along 34th Street between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas, 15 stores flooded the sidewalk with their air-conditioning. On a three-block stretch of Broadway in SoHo, from Houston Street to Broome Street, the number was 29. Among the energy wasters were major retailers like Steve Madden, H & M, Foot Locker, Aerosoles, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor Loft, Arden B., Aldo, Uniqlo, Esprit and Zara.

Not Lane Bryant! There's a proposed law to fine retailers that do this, but it doesn't look too popular politically. More effective is the "asshole customer" route. Think of it as a free chance to berate Steve Madden.

[NYT]

"A day earlier, a 21-year-old Mexican surfer was killed by a shark off a nearby beach. The two attacks came a month after a shark killed a San Francisco man surfing in the same area. The Guerrero state Public Safety Department identified the man as Bruce Greems but did not give his hometown in the U.S. Vazquez Sobreira said he lived in Zihuatanejo. The U.S. Embassy confirmed an American had been bitten by a shark but did not have additional information.

"Mexican authorities used baited hooks to catch sharks last month after the attack that killed 24-year-old Adrian Ruiz of San Francisco. Local conservationists protested the hunt, and it was not immediately clear if authorities would do it again." [AP]

• So the ladies from Jezebel stopped by for a party and everyone had a superfun time!
• We watched the awesome new trailers for The Dark Knight and Indiana Jones.
• As always, Battlestar Galactica was hotly debated.
• Kanye West said this and then this.
• NewsRadio? Yay!
• And then everyone got drunk.

"'The one thing that's affecting shark attacks more than anything else is human activity,' said Dr George Burgess of Florida University, a shark expert who maintains the database. 'As the population continues to rise, so does the number of people in the water for recreation. And as long as we have an increase in human hours in the water, we will have an increase in shark bites.'

"Some experts suggest that an abundance of seals has attracted high numbers of sharks, while others believe that overfishing has hit their food chain. 'I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's a convenient excuse,' Burgess said. Another contributory factor to the location of shark attacks could be global warming and rising sea temperatures. 'You'll find that some species will begin to appear in places they didn't in the past with some regularity,' he said." [Guardian via Drudge]

• We chilled out watching The Kids in the Hall clips.
• Then we looked at girls in bathing suits.
• Judd Apatow destroyed manliness.
• That crazy-pants socialite divorcee made another video.
• Ack! Cyclons!
• There were old people, and they were naked.

[CelebSlam via OhNoTheyDidn't]

If there was ever any doubt that Fairchild is still the inbred stepchild that Conde Nast doesn't want to acknowledge, there is no A/C at Women's Wear's "new" digs and tempers are rising faster than the thermostat. Since that is reading 80 degrees and counting, get ready for the screams that will soon be heard round the world.

We hear that perhaps it's not so much a problem of no A/C as one of inconsistent A/C — that some areas are freezing cold while others are unbearably hot. In either case, though, we hope it gets fixed quick. You do not want to see what happens to Bercovici's hair when it gets too humid.

At which point we discovered that apparently said blog for summer weekenders doesn't actually publish on the weekends. On that precedent, we think we might start taking, say, Tuesday and Wednesdays off.

Earlier: Curbed Launches the Beach, Hamptonites Forced to Learn About Blogs

• "Redefining Your Level of Comfort," about the length's of men's bathing suits, Thursday Style, May 18. (With a slide show!)

• "Every Body Into the Pool, about women shopping for bathing suits from Lands' End, Thursday Styles, May 18.

• "Man, Middle-Aged, Seeks Swimsuit," about a guy shopping for a bathing suit in South Beach, SaturdayBusiness, May 20.

And they say "flooding the zone" left with Howell Raines.

18. DO YOU: SMOKE CIGARETTES? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) DRINK ALCOHOL? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) HOW OFTEN AND HOW MUCH DO YOU DRINK

19. HAVE YOU EVER BLACKED OUT (i.e.- forgotten significant events which occurred while you were drunk?) CIRCLE: (YES/NO) HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DUI? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) IF YES, PLEASE EXPLAIN:

20. "THE SUMMER SHARE" HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE DRUG POLICY. IF YOU USE DRUGS, CAN YOU GO WITHOUT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS?

21. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED OR HAD A RESTRAINING ORDER ISSUED AGAINST YOU? (IF SO, WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?)

Thing is, we have no idea what the right answers are.

Full questionnaire — plus a PDF — is after the jump.

SUMMER SHARE
CASTING
2006

1. Please fill out the enclosed application legibly.

2. Use dark colored ink.

3. Answer all questions honestly and to the best of your ability.

4. Please write only on the printed side of the paper. Feel free to attach additional sheets as necessary. Please DO NOT turn the page over and write on the back!!

5. Attach a page to this packet with a recent photo on it. (Yes, another one, even if you sent one with your original tape).

6. You must send a copy of your driver's license with of the packet.

7. You should return this application TODAY or ASAP, as we have a very limited amount of time until production begins. DO NOT email the application back.

FIRST: Please fax a copy to:
(818) 989-8969
Attn: MEGAN

LATER (after interview): Mail the original copy to:
MEGAN
THE SUMMER SHARE CASTING
6007 SEPULVEDA BLVD.
VAN NUYS, CA 91411

Write "MEGAN" in big letters on the outside of the package, so we can spot it easily.


8. Please make sure to include enough postage when you return this packet.

Thank you for your time and effort in completing this packet.

M Network Television, Inc.
6007 Sepulveda Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Casting info: http://www.bunim-murray.com

___________________
Date received

Summer Share
APPLICATION FORM

NAME:

Today's Date:

PRESENT ADDRESS:

PHONE:
2nd PHONE:
Cell/Pgr:
Email:
I check my email a lot: Yes [] No []
2nd Email:

BIRTHDATE:
AGE:

SOCIAL SECURITY NO.:

1. SIBLINGS (Names and Ages):

2. ARE YOU CURRENTLY MARRIED?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN? (If so, please describe)

3. DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN? (Names, ages, and do they live with you?)

4. WHAT IS YOUR ETHNIC BACKGROUND?

5. WHAT IS YOUR HEIGHT?
WEIGHT?

6. ARE YOU OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A MEMBER OF SAG/AFTRA?

7. HAVE YOU EVER ACTED OR PERFORMED OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?

8. NAME OF HIGH SCHOOL (AND YEARS COMPLETED):

9. NAME OF COLLEGE (YEARS COMPLETED AND MAJORS):

10. OTHER EDUCATION:

11. WHERE DO YOU WORK CURRENTLY? ALSO, DESCRIBE YOUR JOB HISTORY:

12. HOW WOULD SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BEST TRAITS?

13. HOW WOULD SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORST TRAITS?

14. DESCRIBE YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT IN LIFE:

15. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

16. DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A COMPETITOR

17. WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT (i.e. HOBBIES, POLITICS, SPORTS, MUSIC, ETC.)?

18. DO YOU: SMOKE CIGARETTES? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) DRINK ALCOHOL? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) HOW OFTEN AND HOW MUCH DO YOU DRINK?

19. HAVE YOU EVER BLACKED OUT(i.e.- forgotten significant events which occurred while you were drunk?) CIRCLE: (YES/NO) HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DUI? CIRCLE: (YES/NO) IF YES, PLEASE EXPLAIN:

20. "THE SUMMER SHARE" HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE DRUG POLICY. IF YOU USE DRUGS, CAN YOU GO WITHOUT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS?

21. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED OR HAD A RESTRAINING ORDER ISSUED AGAINST YOU? (IF SO, WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?)

22. DO YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND? HOW LONG HAVE YOU TWO BEEN TOGETHER? WHERE DO YOU SEE THE RELATIONSHIP GOING? WHAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON? WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON?

23. HOW IMPORTANT IS SEX TO YOU? DO YOU HAVE IT ONLY WHEN YOU'RE IN A RELATIONSHIP OR DO YOU SEEK IT OUT AT OTHER TIMES? HOW DID IT COME ABOUT ON THE LAST OCCASION?

24. HOW DO YOU HANDLE CONFLICTS? DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS APPROACH IS EFFECTIVE?

25. WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT SUMMER PLANS?

26. WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE SUMMER SHARE REALITY SHOW?

LIST 4 PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR A LONG TIME AND WILL TELL US WHAT A GREAT PERSON YOU ARE, (EXCLUDING RELATIVES) PLEASE INCLUDE TWO ADULTS AND TWO OF YOUR FRIENDS.

NAME / ADDRESS / PHONE / HOW DO THEY KNOW YOU?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Please help us get in touch with you. If you have other people (roommates, boyfriend/girlfriend, boss, relatives etc.) who frequently know where you are and how to get in touch with you, please list them below. As we cast on a short schedule, getting in touch with you quickly helps everyone.

NAME:
RELATION:
PHONE:

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT OUR CASTING SEARCH?

I acknowledge that everything stated in this application is true. I understand that any falsely submitted answers can and will be grounds for removal from the application process and from my subsequent participation in the final series. I further acknowledge and accept that this application form and the video tape I previously submitted to Bunim-Murray Productions will become property of Bunim-Murray Productions and will not be returned. By signing below, I grant rights for Bunim-Murray Productions (BMP) to use any biographical information contained in this application, my home video or taped interview, and to record use and publicize my home video tape or taped interview, voice, actions, likeness and appearance in any manner in connection with THE SUMMER SHARE.

__________________________________
SIGNATURE

_____________
DATE

Please remember to staple a photocopy of your driver's license or passport to this packet. When faxing, do not include the photocopy. Thank you for your time and effort in completing this form.

Summer Share Casting 2006 [PDF]

[Pablo] Castro and [Jennifer] Lee's design features seven connected shells — what the architects call "concertinas" — that arch over the courtyard, forming a gridded dome. The shells are made of plywood and a skin of layered fiber mesh cut into hexagons, which the architects refer to as scales. The shells, which resemble hives, will create a moir pattern on the ground and the walls, the architects said.

To help cool the area, the design features curvilinear tidal pools and misters arranged in a circle around a light protected by metal mesh that Mr. Castro likened to a giant kitchen strainer. "At night, the water mist will create a cloud around it, like the Empire State Building when a storm is caught at the top," he said. "Constantly changing, amorphous shapes."

It seemed interesting and pleasant enough to us, and we sort of figured the P.S. 1 people must have at least checked out the underlying feasibility and logistics of the project. But then we received a dire email from Gawker's new climato-architectural correspondent — we'd always thought he was just some hedge-fund dude, but he's smart and we know he builds cool stuff in his spare time — warning us of the horror is that is imminently to ensue. After the jump, his apocalyptic (but strangely compelling) warnings of greenhouse effects, limited airflow, and, essentially crematoria in Long Island City.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

As one who has frequented not only PS1 summer Warm Up, but also Burning Man, i have realized that the choice of material for the top of a shade structure is critical. Not only does it determine how air flows through it, it also determines whether light is trapped and turned into heat. Although the Times description does not give details such as whether there will be sufficient gaps within the hexagonal 'layered fiber mesh' to allow the easy flow of air, the illustration implies there will not be. The net result of this will be a greenhouse effect in which visible light comes through the plastic to heat up the space below and yet heat can neither radiate out through the highly insulating fiber glass nor be carried out via convection through a porous top. Essentially these structures will be ovens, for which the misting system will be able to provide scant relief. (It has always been inadequate in the past anyway.)

You can always tell the suckers at Burning Man because they put blue instead of silver tarps on their shade structures. The blue tarps are translucent, and result in greenhouses; the silver ones don't let any light through and keep the people under them very comfortable.

This could be a similar sad case of architects disregarding the internal environments of their structures.

Going to the Museum? Take Suncreen and Get Ready to Dance [NYT]

Enter Yacht-Smart, the Zipcar of big-ass boats. For a mere $525 per month (plus, um, your $1000 initiation fee and $2500 for insurance) you can reserve time on any of their 27-foot boats — all of which make your Murray Hill playpen look weak. Trade in your striped shirt for some chinchilla, get behind the wheel, and you'll be such a slut-fetching P. Diddy, no one will even notice you're cruising out of Hoboken.

Yacht Smart [Thrillist]