The Triumphant Return of Girls Play Tetris!

Hello friends! 

After a very, very long hiatus I'm pleased to announce that Girls Play Tetris is back in action! There have been some big changes here at GPT over the past few years; Jorge Posada has retired from the Yankees, I've recently been seduced by the analog pleasures of Sudoku, and I now live in the untamed wilds of upstate New York. 

(Faithful readers will  be happy to know that the legedary giant Mick Jagger poster has followed me upstate, and continues to look over me and provide protection from the wildlife and hippies that inhabit this terrain.)

So after receiving an overwhelming number of requests (read: none), I have decided to revive Girls Play Tetris to satisfy the public's unquenchable disire for hard-hitting Tetris journalism of the highest caliber. I hope to live up to the standards of quality set in the past, and look forward to sharing my recent adventures with you all.
Yours in Tetris,
Maya

GPT Goes Camping

While it was hard to tear myself away from sweet, sweet Tetris, I was drawn to the outdoors this weekend for a camping trip in Maryland. Luckily, the s'mores helped to ease the separation from the Best Game Ever, and it turns out a glowing campfire is almost as fun to watch as the YES Network. Last time I ventured out into Nature, I stumbled upon the Rare Tetris Flower. This time, I encountered something even better on the beach -- wild ponies!!! I'm not kidding. It was almost as awesome as the time Rachel made it to level 81. This weekend, I'm off to spend some more time in Nature, and who knows what I'll find? I'll keep you posted on my adventures when I return.

Michelle Obama for President

For any of you who missed Michelle Obama's inspirational speach at the Dem convention the other night, I highty suggest you take a 15 minute break from tetris to watch it. Michelle's warmth, passion and intelligence are a welcome relief from the lifeless Laura Bush, whose personality ranges somewhere between zombie and Disney World animatronic creature. America will be better off having Michellle Obama in Washington, and who knows? Maybe in eight years she'll pull a Hillary and run for office herself!

Enchanted: Like Elf, but With Less Green Spandex

I was watching Enchanted this weekend, and couldn't stop thinking that the movie seemed really familiar. Then I realized, I was basically watching Elf, but with more singing and fewer large men in green tights (maybe this had something to do with the fact that I'd also watched Talladega Nights that weekend, which stars Amy Adams and Will Ferrell). If I were an Olympic gymnastics judge, I would award Enchanted a bronze medal; the music and dancing are not bad (by modern movie musical standards) and Amy Adams is super adorable as the cartoon brought to life, even if she doesn't consume massive amounts of candy and make wooden toys out of furniture.

Olympic Fever!

Olympic Fever has official spread to GPT HQ. Last night, Stef stayed up all night watching gymnastics, and I've found myself straying from baseball games to watch swimming. Shocking? I think the photo below speaks for itself. Go USA!!!

LOLBush: ur Prezdent need hugz

Thank you Jezebel for finding these brilliant LOLBushes in The Guardian. Based on the immortal LOLCats, the photos feature President Bush at the Olympics (with appropriate captions). This one is my fave:

Virtual Bubble Wrap

There's less strategy involved in popping virtual bubble wrap than in playing tetris, but it's still strangely satisfying, and a good way to relieve stress at work. Try the manic mode if you're feeling really crazy. Thanks to GPT fan and dad, Alvin W., for helping us find yet another addictive slice of Internet silliness.

She's the Greatest Star

It's the middle of summer. The fans and ACs are working overtime to combat the heat, Labor Day seems years away, and to top it all off, my boy Jorge Posada is having season-ending surgery. We could all use a little pick-me-up, courtesy of the one and only Barbra Streisand. Yes, it's sort of random, and a departure from the usual tetris and baseball themed GPT subject matter, but watch this clip from Funny Girl and you'll feel instantly revived.

Posada's Shoulder Injury Causes Me to Act Shamefully on the Internet

The current flare-up of my all time number one super fave Jorge Posada's shoulder injury has left me in a pretty bad mood. Worse, it's turned me into that crazed fan in the comments section of sports blogs, valiantly defending my boy Jorgie when insensitive writers call him old. Here are some excerpts from my recent, shameful work:

"For me, Posada has always be the antidote to A-rod’s headline grabbing, diva-esque ways. Jorge is a sports hero in every sense — he leads by example, is patient with young pitchers, and most of all, stays calm in big situations."

"As fans, we've always assumed Jorge would be there, and only now that he's injured are we starting to appreciate what he means to the team."

The lessons to be learned from this? 1. Mixing the Internet with sports obsessions can lead to strange things, and 2. Jorge is the best and I will cheer for him even if he is degraded into playing first base.

Now I have to go tend to my own sore shoulder (have I been sitting at a desk for too long, or are these sympathy pains??).

Related:

Girls Eat Hotdogs

Posada's Shoulder is Injured. So is My Heart

Why I Should be the New Catcher for the Yankees

"This is Tetris, and this is Jenga": More Fun From Tim and Eric

I have to admit that the first time my little bro introduced me to Tim and Eric's "Tom Goes to the Mayor," I was confused and disturbed. But after becoming more acquainted with the duo's repitoire, I began to see their charms. Here's a hillarious and weird ad for Absolute Vodka starring Zach Galifianakis, Tim, Eric, and their dates, Tetris and Jenga.

Find more videos like this on aspecialthing


Related: Segway: The Official Vehicle of GPT

The Zohan: Like Munich, But With More Hummus Jokes

Munich was great and all, but let's be honest, it was kind of a downer. Luckily, Adam Sandler's brilliant new film, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, has come along to add a much needed dose of comedy to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As A.O. Scott of the New York Times writes, Zohan is "the finest post-Zionist action-hairdressing sex comedy I have ever seen." So imagine my delight, then, to discover on my recent trip to Israel that the movie is being heavily marketed in the Holy Land. What do actual Israelis think of Sandler's idiotic accent and obsession with hummus? The ones I've talked to thought it was pretty damn funny. I couldn't agree more.

Dear Yankees, Please Stop Losing

Why do the Yanks make it so hard on us poor fans? All we ask for is a few hits, a few runs and some halfway decent pitching. That doesn't seem out of the question, does it?
Last night's game was a true heartbreaker, with my boys losing 3-2, all because of hit off Mariano in the 9th and some questionable non-bunting by Melky with one out and a runner on first. Despite my super all time fave Jorge Posada getting two hits, those rude Ranger baserunners kept stealing off his weakened throwing arm.
At least there was one high point in the game, namely the two scoreless innings by rookie pitcher David Robertson. My Mostly Random List of Favorite Yankees is on the disabled list at the moment in solidarity with injured fave Brian Bruney, but if I were to revive such a list, David would for sure be on it. Check him out in all his nervous, bashful glory in this interview.

Segway: The Official Vehicle of GPT

Inspired by a flock of Segway riders I encountered during my recent visit to Jerusalem (see photo), I would like to make the Segway the official mode of transportation for Girls Play Tetris. We don't actually own one of these silly super gadgets, but a girl can dream, right?
For more fun, check out the video "Totally Segway" from my little bro's fave comedy duo (and the masterminds behind The Snuggler), Tim and Eric. Watch as they ride around in circles and harass innocent on-lookers. Bonus points for anyone who can find me the code thingy so that I can embed the video (Craig, that means you!). In the meantime, here's the link. Enjoy!

Related: Seltzer: The Official Beverage of GPT

Girls Play Tetris Spin-off Blogs

As part of our ongoing efforts to take over the media, here are a few of our top picks for spin-offs to the wildly successful Girls Play Tetris. Have an idea?? We'd love to hear it in the comments section!

• Boys Who Love Girls Who Play Tetris
  
• Girls Play Scrabulous
  
• Girls Watch Baseball, While Playing Tetris
  
• Dogs Play Pingpong
  
• Moms Who Wish Their Daughters Would Stop Playing Tetris and Get a Damn Job Already

Searching for Tetris in the Holy Land

Dear Tetris fans, 

GPT has returned after a three week hiatus. I know what you're thinking --  why would anyone want to take a vacation from playing tetris, and then blogging about it?? Don't fear. The time away from my couch and laptop was not wasted. 

While in Israel, I set out on a Biblical quest for the Best Game Ever, after being informed by Pesach that there was some good Tetris to be found there. My search took me through mountains and caves, but it wasn't until we traveled to the desert that I discovered what I'd been looking for. As we descended into a waterfall oasis, I heard a rustling in the brush by the trail. I approached quietly, not wanting to disturb any creatures who might be hiding. Silently lifting aside a branch, I uncovered the rare Tetris Lizard, who gets its name because the pattern on its back resembles tetris pieces. The lizard scurried away before I could get a photo, but it was a truly spiritual moment that will not soon be forgotten. 

Related: The Rare Tetris Flower

Tetris: A Deeper Meaning

Habanot Nechama: Great New Band from Israel

Girls Eat Hotdogs

Here are some photos from the Yankees game last week. The Yanks won 8-0!!

Don't worry, it's kosher.

Three girls. Three hats. One ballpark.

Ironman: Not Enough Tetris

In an attempt to hold us over until the new Indiana Jones movie comes out, my bro and I went to see Ironman yesterday. The movie was pretty entertaining, mostly because of the bizarre facial hair on Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges, but I left the theater wondering: where was the tetris?? With all those computers and robots, I was hoping that there'd at least be a little bit of tetris. How cool would it be if Ironman could take a break from killing terrorists to play some of the Best Game Ever? I guess I'll just have to wait for the sequel.

HaBanot Nechama: Great New Band from Israel

I took a break from playing tetris the other night to hear some Israeli music at the 60th birthday concert at Radio City. The standout performance of the night was from a group called HaBanot Nechama, made up of three stylish ladies (kind of like Girls Play Tetris!), each an accomplished singer and musician. Their sound is a little bit folksy and a little bit reggae with incredible harmonies and rhythms. They played the song "So Far" on Wednesday, and while the recording below gives you a good sense of HaBanot, they sound even better live. For more info, head to their MySpace page.

Baby Polar Bear!!!

This might be the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Stop Copying Us, New Republic!

Mainstream media is at it again! Last time, we caught the New York Times copying us, and now The New Republic has gotten in on the act. Yesterday, the TNR blog had this post about Human Tetris. Guess what? We posted about that months ago. Honestly, can't these guys keep their hands off other people's ideas? So much for journalistic integrity. 

Here's the video for anyone who missed it the first time around, or who just wants to watch it again (is there ever too much Human Tetris???).