All local commercials should be this awesome

Words can't express how much I love this.

"I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple."

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Elf yourself!

This amuses me far more than it should ...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My favorite Christmas card this year

For the bloggers out there, check out this card from Wondermark.

Click on the picture to enlarge. It's not funny if you can't read it ...

Cosmic blonde

Love this! I tend toward blonde (cosmically speaking, of course).

The inescapable fact is that the universe is divided between Blondes and Brunettes. This is not a matter of the color of one's hair. This is a cosmic trait. The Cosmic Blonde floats through life on a beam of sunshine, from success to success. The Cosmic Brunette obsesses and reflects, frets and fumes, turns inward, and clings to the view that the examined life is the only life worth living, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The Cosmic Brunette writes and reads books, worries, condemns and evaluates, judges, discerns and doubts. The Cosmic Blonde water-skis.

-- David Brooks, "On Paradise Drive"

Lost in Translation

I traveled via shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Nikko to visit the World Heritage site. Because I'm cheap, I decided to forgo the fast ride coming home and take a regular train. This is how my conversation with the ticket seller went:

Me: I'd like a ticket to Asa-kusa.

Him: (Giant pause) Oh! You mean A-sak-sa?

Me: Er .. sure?

Him: You want rapid section or limited express?

Me: What's the difference?

Him: One is rapid, the other express.

Me: Um .....

I ended up choosing rapid because who doesn't want to the train to be rapid, right? Wrong! "Rapid" is marketing-speak for "stops at every podunk town along the way". It took me 2.5 hours to travel 60 kilometers back to Tokyo. I saw kids heading home from school, older ladies returning from their shopping, but it quickly became frustrating. Lesson learned: the answer in Japan is always express.

Please look after this bear. Thank you!

While poking through my childhood bedroom last night, I found a bright red box high on the closet shelf. Inside ... Paddington Bear! I hadn't seen him in ages. Poor Paddington. He was always a favorite growing up. Marmalade sandwiches, hard stares, and of course, darkest Peru. He's custom made for little girls (and big girls?) with wild imaginations and the itch to travel. Thankfully, I liberated him in time for his 50th anniversary (ok, a notch late - I've probably earned a hard stare myself!).

Super Stationmaster Nelson?

Tama the cat has become a tourist attraction by hanging around a Japanese train station and wearing a wee little stationmaster's cap. Apparently, her presence has pumped $10 million into the local economy, and tourists are traveling from all over Japan to see her. Who knew a cat in a cap was such a gold mine?

This has me wondering if Nels might have a hidden talent worth millions. Surely, he can achieve something other than breaking things and tormenting the dog. My fear is that his gifts are more like those of Pearls Before Swine's Snuffles than law-abiding Tama. They even look alike. Maybe it's a fluffy thing ...

The Best Comic You're Not Reading

Ben Gamboa writes the fabulous Tweep! three times a week. My favorite character is Lily who hates mornings, loves donuts, and embraces the absurd with vigor. My kind of girl. Bunlop is also a favorite with his jaunty fedora and wide-eyed mischief. If you decide to sift through the archives, I suggest skipping the Rabbit Detective series. While I enjoyed it, most readers thought it dragged on far too long.

Enjoy!

I wasn't going to take a picture but ...

Signs like this just are just begging for it.

Too cute!

I stumbled across these last night while googling to find the difference between 'dead bug' and 'happy baby' (don't ask) and thought they were adorable. I might have to get one for inspiration!