Indie Squid Kid

I’ve previously addressed the issue of the proper pluralization of “octopus,” but it’s good to see independent confirmation from no less than the editorial staff of Mirriam-Webster!

Sighted by Able.

John says:

So, I have a friend who loves squid. She also loves her del Sol which recently needed some bodywork. When talking about how much she loves her car she mentioned it would only be better if it had a giant squid on it. Her husband and her brother-in-law latched on to this and decided to make it happen.

Thanks John!

Update: The del Squid has its own website. Check it out!

Southern Rail is a restaurant smack dab in the middle of Carrboro, North Carolina. It is built in and between three converted train cars, and it is located right next to an active rail line. As you might expect, much of the decor is railroad-themed, which is why it’s so surprising to come face-to-face with a mural depicting a diver locked in mortal combat with a giant squid! The mural adorns a wall of the narrow corridor in one of the converted cars (you’ll see it on the way to the restroom)…so narrow that it was pretty much impossible to get a good shot of the entire thing.

While Giant Squid is not on the menu, they do serve the most delicious tater tots known to Man and Mollusc alike.

Southern Rail Restaurant and Bar
201-C East Main Street
Carrboro, North Carolina

One of my current guilty pleasures is the History Channel reality show Pawn Stars. I was pretty sure I hated it, and then suddenly I found myself kind of addicted. The show focuses on the employees and clientele of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a family-owned business in Las Vegas, NV. It is a lot like Antiques Roadshow, only with more swearing and tattoos. I try not to dwell on the depressing probability that most of the people bringing their valuable antiques and family heirlooms to sell are going to turn around and blow it all in a casino.

So anyway, I was watching an episode the other day, and I noticed that one of the shop’s potential customers (he was trying to sell a dome off of a WWII bomber that was used for celestial navigation) was wearing a black hoodie with an interesting octopus design. As you can see from the photo above, the arms of this octopus spell out the word “SOUL.” I’ve tried to find this sweatshirt online, but so far I haven’t had any luck. If anyone out there knows who makes this and/or where it can be purchased, I’d love to post that info here.

I’ve got a big day planned with Ryn and Kid Indie Squid Kid (brunch and then the NC Museum of Life + Science), but if I get a chance, I’ll try to post some sort of follow up to this photo. I can’t believe it’s been a year already!

So, pending that, here are two new Target sightings…

Step 2: Cut Strips

Step 4: Add Suction Cups

Step 6: Insert Human

Voila!

Design by zephyrbunny (click either link below for complete instructions).

Sighted by Nick, via Buzzfeed, via Instructables

Leo’s Seafood
902 N Alston Ave.
Durham, NC

A few more cephalopod sightings from my local Super Target…

“Little Squirt” bathrobe and towel set from Carter’s® Just One Year® (a Target exclusive brand).

“Love the Ocean” romper by OshKosh B’Gosh® Genuine Baby

“Double Dutch Apple” detangling spray by Suave Kids®

(These last two were sighted by Ryn.)

My friend Chris and his brother Martin sent me these photos from their recent visit to the Boston Museum of Science.

Here Martin poses in front of a case displaying a plethora of model cephalopods (part of the Making Models exhibit). Squirters and Grabbers indeed.

And here he stands before an exhibit on collecting…and look, there’s someone’s octopus collection! I have that plush Blue Ringed Octopus in my own collection (although I haven’t got around to posting it yet), and, in all likelyhood, I have a few of the other ones as well. I’d say they should have featured my collection instead, but they’d probably have needed to dedicate an entire wing of the museum to it. Now there’s an idea…the ISK Hall of Cephalopods!