The great-great-grandson of Prince Otto, Germany's Iron Chancellor and architect of the modern German state, the young von Bismarck showed early promise as a brilliant scholar, but led an exotic life of gilded aimlessness that attracted the attention of the gossip columns from the moment he arrived in Oxford in 1983 and hosted a dinner at which the severed heads of two pigs were placed at either end of the table.

I didn't think Paris Hilton could seem even more lame.

I didn't think Paris Hilton could seem even more lame.

See what happens when your country has low standards for celebrity? If only we demanded more of our wealthy heirs and heiresses, we could have celebrities like von Bismarck.

While von Bismarck was not arrested, he was questioned as a witness and there were those who wondered - not, perhaps, without cause - whether he might be the victim of a family curse.

Quite the curse -- party like a lunatic and people around you die. Quite mysterious and sinister to be sure.

It's a really cool book, lovingly written. If there are repercussions here, we'll deal. Whatever happens, we'll still be proud of you and excited at your success. I thought about the identity thing myself, but the main people I bitch about are my family, and they are neither readers nor technically savvy. I can change my user name if they ever figure out the internets.

Best dog suit evah! [link]

You know, I'm anti suits on dogs, but that's HYSTERICAL and I must forward it to people.

I have nothing to add to the wank discussion except to say that I'm making a muffuletta for dinner. For reals.

With olives?

I need one of those so bad.

The dog suit. Not the (blegh) muffaletta.

With olives?

I thought that you couldn't have a muffaletta without olives.

(and to demonstrate how shitty my day's been, I actually typed martini instead of muffaletta)