The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King premiered in New Zealand today. One of this year's great movies is from New Zealand: The Whale Rider. more ›

Gothamist has put together a couple of our favorite posts from our early days as we're moving to a new server this weekend and won't be able to post. more ›

When a 39-foot long carcass of a sea creature washed ashore in Chile, people were hoping it would be some rare kind of octopus, like octopus giganteus. But alas, it was just the decayed remains of a sperm whale - when whale bodies rot, the bones fall away and the skin and blubber float, and the mass is very similar in appearance to ocotopus. Gothamist wants to let its readers know in case they are walking along the beach and come across a huge, rotting, smelling mass - don't go assuming it's a huge octopus. [Via Jay - thanks] more ›

If trying to get advance tickets for T3 or Legally Blonde just becomes boring, go see The Whale Rider. The lyrical movie with a more powerful female empowerment theme than Charle's Angels is about a young girl, Pai, whose mostly absent father, mourning the death of her mother and twin brother, has left her grandfather, a Maori tribal chief, to search for the next male chief. Pai wonders why she can't be in line, as she is descended from a line of chiefs. It may seem like a sentimental story, but it's gorgeously and intimately told. Roger Ebert says "The genius of the movie is the way is sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving." Elvis Mitchell suggests "Bear with ''Whale Rider'': once the picture kicks into gear, it has the inspiring resonance of found art." more ›

Calling all scientists, volunteers, and Central Park fans: The Explorers Club is holding "BioBlitz" June 27-28 where teams of scientists and naturalists will comb the park for new species of flora and fauna. One reason why: "The BioBlitz will help to compile an inventory of all things wild (and not so wild) in Central Park. The discoveries and analyses of your fellow scientists will serve to increase public awareness and appreciation of biodiversity and its ability to thrive within an urban environment." If only Gothamist didn't have jobs or wasn't scared of Central Park in the middle of the night (it's a 24 hour project - noon Friday to noon Saturday)... more ›