"It’s a mammal with a long, rat-like snout, a rather high number of small incisors, closely spaced premolars with pointed cusps, and especially long, curved upper canines. Note that, unlike dogs, foxes and so on, it doesn’t have an obvious rhinarium (the area of dark, distinctly textured skin that surrounds the nostrils in such animals). These features all immediately screamed “opossum” to me. Partly this is because I’ve handled opossum skulls and am familiar with their surprisingly big upper canines and high number of incisors. Even the fur looks opossum-like (mammal carcasses typically slough fur after they’ve been decomposing in water for a while, and this explains the naked face). When you add all this to the fact that the Virginia opossum is a common, widespread mammal in California we have an obvious and uncontroversial identification." READ MORE

Early this year, John Patrick Leary, a professor of American literature at Wayne State University, published a story in Guernica called "Detroitism" about, primarily, the two competing journalistic and artistic narratives about the Motor City. READ MORE

David Chang fans-and who isn't, really?-will enjoy the first episode of "Munchies," a new video series from the folks at Vice where famous chefs hit the town to drink and snack. Go now.

"Look, we all know people. Think about the weirdest dude you know. The dude who wouldn't go to graduation because he wanted to stay in the parking lot and hand out fake Round Table Pizza coupons. We all know good people like that. We know how it sounds when they speak. All I do is mimic or parrot. Nobody would ever say that I am empathetic or a good husband, but I don't miss a beat when it comes to rubbernecking the strange. Last night I was out having a smoke and I saw some chick doing Wii Fit in her front window. I walked over and had a look to see if she was topless. She wasn't, and somebody shut the drapes, but that kind of story shows you my dedication to checking things out." Achewood's Chris Onstad talks life, work, and varnished-oak lecterns with Vice.

Awl pal Chris Cechin sends word that Vice magazine's video site has relaunched. Chris works at Vice and is a super-nice guy, so do me a favor and go check it out. (If you're still at work, turn down the volume on your computer. Also, go home.) You should also check out the new issue of Vice, particularly if you like Brazilian asses. It's chock-full of them!

Vice magazine has finally found its sweet spot, in this article entitled I DITCHED MY CAT IN THE HAMPTONS OVER THE WEEKEND, in which the author allegedly ditches his/her cat in the Hamptons over the weekend. Update: Crazily typical and yet still surprising! Now s/he swears that s/he still has precious kittens in custody.