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Top 6 Walrus Tweets it’s Time to Retire

Bashful Walrus

As some of you may know – I keep a running search for “walrus” going on Twitter (via a column in Tweetdeck). As a result, I see many many tweets about walruses, or featuring the word walrus. After some time of doing this, I have determined that there are certain walrus-related tweets that it’s time to hang up for good. Seriously, you have no idea how many times some of these are tweeted.

Here then, are the top six walrus-related tweets that need to be retired from Twitter:

  • “That awkward moment when it’s silent in class and your stomach decides to make a dying walrus sound.”
  • TIE: “I am the walrus” and tweets related the the “bashful walrus and the fishcake” picture, above.
  • “My voice sounds great when I’m singing with my earphones on, Then I take them off and I realize I sound like a dying walrus”
  • “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to speak of many things- of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax- of cabbages, and kings.”
  • Anything related to the YouTube video “Obey the Walrus”
  • “When a guy looks at me and I can’t tell if he’s thinking “She’s cute!” or if he’s thinking “How did that walrus escape the zoo?”

To prove my assertion that these are overused – I didn’t have to type any of those, I just opened a tab with Tweetdeck and there they were, all re-posted within the last 24 hours or so! In other news, when did “dying walrus” become the go-to metaphor for really bad singing?

It was good fun while it lasted but it’s time to move on. The above tweets have long since jumped the shark, er… the walrus. Do you have suggestions to add?

If you’re not already – please follow us on Twitter @walrusweb

Walrus Pic of the Day: Smooshi wins Movember!

Movember is a charity event that involves growing mustaches for charity. Walrus trainer, Wipeout Canada champion and friend of the World Wide Walrus Web Phil Demers posted this picture of Smooshi on Twitter. Smooshi wins!

Follow Phil on Twitter: @walruswhisperer

More info about Smooshi and Phil is here.

Top five interpretations of “Koo Koo Ka Joob” or whatever, on Twitter just now

This morning brings us another endless stream of people Twittering the chorus of “I Am the Walrus”. It is continually amazing to me how many people all over the world, in several languages, feel the need to tweet some permutation of the phrase “I am the Walrus”. Another thing that amuses me is how people are spelling whatever it is that the Beatles laid down as the final phrase in the chorus. My interpretation has always sort of been “Koo Koo Ka Joob”, but here are a list of five current versions of this lyric on the Twitter just now.

  1. Goo Goo G’Joob!
  2. Koo Koo Koochu
  3. Coo Coo Ca Choo
  4. Kukukuchu
  5. Good good good job!

Of those, today there seems to be worldwide consensus on “Goo Goo G’Joob” which I haven’t seen much recently but is very common this morning.  A week ago, around John’s birthday, it was different.

I’m not sure why this has captured my interest this morning, and sorry it’s not ‘really’ walrus related but there you are!

RIP Nereus: Indianapolis Zoo loses their beloved walrus

Nereus the Walrus

Oh, this is too bad. I would have like to have met Nereus. Breaking news from the Indianapolis Zoo:

We are very sad to report that our Pacific walrus Nereus has died from complications of a sudden and devastating illness.  Nereus died yesterday afternoon during a medical procedure to treat his illiness, and the results of the necropsy performed last evening (the animal version of an autopsy) revealed that he suffered from a terminal condition caused by a very large mass that damaged his internal organs and compromised his spine, resulting in neurological problems.  He will be very much missed by the entire Zoo family, including staff, members, visitors, donors, volunteers and friends.

Many, many people are posting pictures and memories to the Zoo’s Facebook page – if you ever met Nereus, or wish that you had, you should visit the page.

Turns out Nereus was a social media user with an amusing twitter feed @NereusWalrus

Save the Gulf Walrus!

I’ve been meaning to post about the “gulf walrus” for some time. I was appalled of course to learn about this story, surely you remember the outcry during the height of the oil spill when it became obvious that the oil companies had apparently used “Save-As” to create their Gulf of Mexico wildlife protection plans. (Here’s an article to refresh your memory). So today as I’m trolling Twitter for good walrus-related tweets – I happen across this highly amusing ad for “Save the Gulf Walrus T-Shirts”.

These are a recent product from an apparel/designed goods company called “Dirty Coast” based in New Orleans. Their products and their site are well designed, amusingly written, and they seem to be doing what they can to build and grow a locally-focused and locally-proud business in New Orleans despite what seems to us outsiders like constant cataclysmic opposition from the elements and etc.

Save the Gulf Walrus

It wasn’t until the BP Oil Gusher could not be contained that the plight of these very, very, very rare animals was given international attention. Like BP and most other Oil companies, we too believe that protecting the Louisiana Walrus is an important part of any contingency plan after a disaster. Now that is is 6 months after the BP incident we wanted to remind everyone of the Gulf Walrus.

Forgive me for lifting this graphic and description – you should visit this site – it will make you smile, and buy a shirt ’cause an animal as rare as the Gulf Walrus needs to be protected. Only YOU can help!

Back to the Gulf Walrus -the quote I most remember from this debacle is attributed to ExxonMobile CEO Rex Tillerson who let fly with this classic in congressional testimory, “And it’s unfortunate that walruses were included. It’s an embarrassment that they were included.”

Of course I agree but I have adopted the concept of the “walrus” to represent any unwanted item or word in a document. “Make sure the check this proposal for walruses!” I might say. Well, I haven’t said it YET, but I’d sure like to . One of these days, the time will be right….

Oh, you can follow WalrusWeb on Twitter!

Twitter Account for the World Wide Walrus Web

I’ve started a Twitter account for the blog at: http://twitter.com/walrusweb

Mostly notifications of new posts and retweets of amusing or informative walrus-related Twitter updates. It’s Twitter, so of course Justin Bieber is already referenced in the stream. Come follow us, if you’re on Twitter.

The “Tweet Button” will eventually be added to posts here, but it’s not playing well with my WordPress theme, and I don’t have time to troubleshoot it right now, stay tuned.

“Tweet!” said the walrus.

I Mean, it’s an OK song….

I often have a Twitter search window open for the term Walrus, to keep an eye on topics or items for future posts. It is amazing to me how many times a day, an HOUR, that someone tweets some permutation of “I am the Walrus/koo koo ka joo”. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the Beatles – but the staying power of that phrase among the non-walrus-blogging public is amazing to me!