Finally

 That day many of us have been waiting for most of this year is upon us and with any luck we will get our lives back before long. Meanwhile the list of banned words for the year which are sent in by people around the world then voted on is complete. Most of this years words relate to the virus as the words are selected for being overused,in fact one word,unprecedented,had to be reinstated so it could be banned again. Some of this years winners,or would that be losers? are: "Social distancing,We're all in this together,In an abundance of caution,In these uncertain times,and of course Karen," they join last years winners,covfefe,BFF,absolutely,and yuh know to name a few. At this point I would like to add some good things about the year but I'm afraid I come up short in that regard so I will close today's post with a simple Happy New Year! 

Worth a Try?

 As with most holidays New Year's is celebrated differently around the world or in some cases not celebrated. New Years has varied traditions but most are in some sense trying to get the bad stuff out of your life so it can be replaced with the good. In Japan this manifests as namahages,groups of men dressed up as demon/ogre like creatures who terrorize children into minding their parents in the coming year,but wait there's more! Along with traumatizing the kids they are also known for protecting against illness and disaster and are welcomed by parents who offer sake and mochi, Japanese rice cakes. So maybe we should dress in demon like garb and drink sake to see if we can scare this virus out of our lives? Just a thought. 

Lip Service

 This morning's first thought was if a person had Velcro on their lips would the lip muscles be strong enough to open the Velcro? After searching the internet I still have no answer though I did find out some facts about lips. Only human lips have a distinct border between the flesh and the lips,it is called the vermilion border.  Bigger is better is how men prefer lips,but women like men with only medium sized lips. Lips have no hair or sweat glands making them smoother but prone to dryness. Lips are important for mate selection as when you are close enough to kiss the potential mates pheromones can be detected and analyzed to predict the mates suitability. Time to kiss this post off! 

Mystery Solved

I believe I've figured out the deal with the monoliths that have been cropping up around the world. Until recently they were all metal,then one made of gingerbread popped up in San Francisco,CA. The way I see it the other monoliths were all placed to focus an energy field on the one in San Francisco in time to bake the gingerbread. The structure was discovered Christmas morning by a jogger who thought it was a post until he got close enough to smell the gingerbread. The city parks director said,"Looks like a great spot to get baked." He also said he will leave it up until the cookie crumbles. 

  

Chinese Food

Most Americans love Chinese food as most Chinese love American food though are they actually getting the real deal? What I mean by that is McDonald's is popular in China but is by no means a good representation of American food and I imagine the same is true for what we think of as Chinese food. The latest "burger" to hit the Chinese market is a perfect example of what I'm referring to. A Spam burger featuring 2 slices of Spam sprinkled with crushed Oreos and mayonnaise on a sesame seed bun. So far they're rolling it out for a limited time until 400,000 have been sold. I don't know if I've ever had Spam but I don't like Oreos so I have a hunch I wouldn't like them together. 

Careful What You Ask For

 Some families are just pranksters and there's no better time for pranks than gift giving. Here are a few instances I found,some are funny some are not. One year a kid shook the gift from his mom but couldn't guess what was in it,when he opened it there was a dead hamster. Another kid opened a gift from a grandparent to find a broken mirror,the grandparent explained that way they wouldn't have bad luck. One dad gave his son a box of poop,maybe it was a bad year? Last in line a kid asked for a PS5 (a gaming device) and received a candle that said PS5 candle,smells like you're not getting one. To sum up,careful what you ask for if you have pranksters in your family. 

New Tradition

 After I typed that title I wondered if it was a contradiction since if something is a tradition it isn't new,but once again I digress. In a year filled with unpleasant firsts it would be nice to find a nice new thing to add into future holidays so without further ado I present Christmas dinner pizza! A European pizza company,Pizza Punks,supplies the dough,sauce,cheese and your choice of 25 different Christmas dinner toppings,plus a cocktail for $39. Though I'm having trouble imagining mashed potatoes as a pizza topping I would willingly try it with several of the other toppings,of course I also enjoy sauerkraut on pizza. 

Not Judging

Okay,maybe judging a little since it doesn't seem like this guy knows what he wants to be when he grows up and yet he is already grown up enough to marry his sex doll. It's fine by me if people let their freak flags fly and not everyone hears the same drummer. This man is a body builder and also is a cross dresser who had to delay their wedding because of a concussion he received when he was dressed as Amanda. But wait,there's more! After the wedding he became jealous of Margo (the sex doll)  quit taking her out  and forbade her from Instagram. Now he is on pins and needles because she is broken and he had to send her out of town for repairs so they may not be together for Christmas. So does that mean he is also abusive to Margo? Like I indicated early on in today's blog,this guy is all over the page. 

Santa-phants

 What is it about elephants that makes them so special? They're odd looking creatures and couldn't really be called cuddly yet there is a connection,but once again I digress. An area in Thailand has had Santa visits from elephants for two decades,in normal years the elephants carry baskets of candy and toys with their trunks for the children,but this year their baskets are filled with face masks in hope of stopping the spread of the virus. The children didn't seem disappointed by the change and when questioned they said if was more about getting to see the elephants than it was about toys and candy. 

2020 Appropriate

 To say the least 2020 has been a year we won't soon forget with its many twists and turns,so why should Christmas cards be the normal fare? Today's blog shows a few examples of cards showcasing the year. One mother asked her son to write the greeting for the family card and he did this.

It says: "From our family to yours, we will kill you if you cross us. F*** around and find out. - The Sottosanti Family.

"Happy Holidays. God Bless."

CPR Saves Baby

 The stars must have been lined up perfectly for a baby elephant who was hit by a motorcyclist Sunday night in Thailand. The baby was crossing the road with his mother and the rest of the herd when he was struck,luckily one of the first people to happen along was an off duty 26 year veteran rescue worker. Though the man had never given an elephant CPR before his instincts took over as he went to work,his only worry was that the elephant mom might think he was hurting her baby. Once the baby came around he was taken to an animal specialist then released back at the spot where the accident happened and where his mother was waiting. The man on the motorcycle also escaped serious injury and was treated at the scene by other rescue workers.