Extreme Gifts

Since Christmas shopping has officially started and the world is a bit more crazy this year than ever before I happened upon several unusual gifts for those hard to buy for on your list,or maybe they can at least relieve some of the holiday stress.

Think cone of silence

Getting A Head

No I didn't mean getting ahead! Today's post will belong in the incompetent criminals file,or possibly those too crazy to be out loose. A woman broke into an Anchorage,Alaska home and helped herself to clothing,jewelry,prescription drugs,a mounted zebra head and then ate a little ice cream before departing in a cab. Initially I was wondering why there was a zebra head in Alaska but the owner had received it as a gift and had named it George it wasn't mentioned if it was once a beautiful live zebra but I'm hoping it wasn't. The police didn't have much of a challenge tracking down the thief as she was recorded on camera and of course the cab had a record of which motel they had dropped her at. She was charged with felony burglary and theft. Oh,and she had forgotten George in the cab's trunk so he was rapidly reunited with his owner.

Saintly Statue

It is understandable after the revelations of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic church that the  committee who had okay-ed the two dimensional plans for a statue of a priest giving a young boy a loaf of bread were embarrassed by the three dimensional results. The statue depicted St. Martin de Porres who was the son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed slave. He is the patron saint of mixed race,barbers,public health workers and innkeepers. The statue was made in Vietnam but is being kept under wraps until a local sculptor can redesign it. Personally I don't think it was that suggestive,however the loaf of bread looked more like a large potato to me. 

Cure You,Or?

Everyone seems to have their own personal hangover cure some are pretty curious but this vegan one I came across takes the weirdness award hands down. The gal that runs the cafe in Australia became a vegan after the amounts of medication she'd been given became toxic. She did research and discovered activated charcoal (not the BBQ kind) was good for cleansing the body of toxins. With that thought in mind she features mostly charcoal based dishes in her cafe and claims they are good for hangovers. I won't argue that point as they probably do help,but I don't think I could choke any of them down on a good day. It's just not the kind of food that when you see someone else's order arrive it makes you want what they're having!

Scrooged

For those of you who haven't heard there is a Christmas tree shortage this year (and it may last as long as 2025). Due to bad sales during the recession fewer trees were planted and many growers dropped out of the business altogether. Those of you who wait until later in the season to purchase a tree may have to settle for a fake tree,but there is some good news. Though you will miss out on the wonderful fresh tree smell, you will have less clean up and never mind if you have a fear of bugs you won't have to think about the 25,000 critters that are included with the tree at no extra charge and who come to life once they warm up enough to think it is springtime. I had no idea there was that amount of wildlife included with a real tree but if your'e not squeamish it will be well worth the price!

'Tis Nearly the Season

The ugly sweater season that is. It is thought that Bill Cosby popularized the ugly sweater on his 80's sitcom as Cliff Huxtable. The sweaters fell out of favor in the 90's but have made  another comeback with a vengeance. Some folks go with the thought that the uglier the sweater the better,while others go for the comedy themed sweaters. I have found several of each type to feature for your amusement.

Packaging Don't

Since it's Black Friday and many of you may be out shoulder to shoulder fighting for the discounted prize which you may end up wondering why you bought,it seemed like an appropriate time to point out a shipping faux pas. An Amazon customer recently ordered bubble wrap to protect his outside plants from freezing. When the parcel arrived he was surprised at both the size and weight. Upon opening the package he discovered the bubble wrap had been protectively wrapped in 100 feet of packing paper. I know,I laughed too,but since it is peak season for Amazon maybe it was a new hire who packed the order? I would guess that bubble wrap wouldn't need much more than a strip of sturdy tape to hold the roll together and a shipping label,but what do I know?

Day Off

I forgot to mention yesterday that I wouldn't be doing a post today as I enjoy watching the dog show which is on from 12-2 so there won't be adequate time to pull one together. Happy Turkey Day to all of you in the US!

An Easier Way

While I applaud KFC for their thoughtful creation of a "meatspace" Internet/Wireless Escape Pod which prevents signals from getting inside,forcing the issue of not using phones or tablets so instead you converse with your dining companion. There are easier solutions and none as costly as the Pod's $10,000 price tag. The most obvious approach is to simply ask that everyone puts their devices aside for meals,if that method fails small Faraday Cage bags can be had starting at $9,plus they can be used to protect your devices from an EMP which I assume the $10,000 Pod would also be capable of though it wasn't mentioned in the pitch.

Worth $68

I didn't find the movie "Borat" all that funny however a stunt by six  Czech tourists in the capital of Kazakhstan brought a chuckle to my lips. Clad in nothing but bright green mankinis the group posed for several photos before police came to bust up the session. The men were fined 22,500 Tenge ($68) and sent on their way. When Sacha Baron Cohen heard about the escapade he offered to pay the men's fine if they could provide proof they were the men involved in the incident. The movie "Borat" was banned in Kazakhstan and still has mixed reactions from the citizens,though in 2012 the Prime Minister thanked Cohen for boosting tourism.

Attention Trump Supporters

I have a question that only the people supporting #45 can possibly answer and I'm somewhat dubious about them giving a reply that is sensible. How is it that so many of you are up in arms about your president changing the trophy laws that protected elephants and other African wildlife (that were put in place by his nemesis Obama)? You certainly shouldn't be the least bit surprised,not only is it a well established fact that his own children killed animals for trophies but #45 is not an animal lover either. He is the first one in the white house to not have a dog since McKinley,however McKinley did have other pets unlike #45.  The last resident of the white house to be completely pet less was 168 years ago,which was Polk.He is also known for referring to people he dislikes as dogs. He was presented with a golden-doodle by a long time admirer when he became president but declined saying he didn't have time for a dog. While he was married to Ivana she insisted on having a poodle who would growl at trump whenever he went near her closet...which brings me to another question,what was he doing in her closet?

Car Coiffure

A new entry into the Guinness World Records is a car covered with human hair. An Italian hair stylist spent over 150 hours covering her Fiat 500 in more than 264 pounds of hair acquired from India.  The reason for the creation came from a dare/bet made with a friend who didn't think it could be done. The car is street legal and drive-able as long as the "hairpiece" that goes over the engine cover is removed before driving. The stylist says the hair has to be cared for as if it were still on a person with regular shampooing,brushing and trims.