Football, beer, and dogs. Does it get any better than this?

No wonder they call dogs "man's best friend." Not only can he help you crack open a nice cold beer*...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

he's the perfect tailgate companion...



And speaking of beer and football and tailgating, enterprising 21-year-old inventor, football fan, and beer drinker Dan Klavoon, from Lockport, New York, this week won the Bud Light "Tailgate Tested, Tailgate Approved" contest (a free trip to the 2010 Super Bowl) with his must-have tailgating invention the Beer Sphere. (It's a football! It's a beer chiller! It's the Beer Sphere!)



Of course, as both my teams -- the New Jersey Giants and New Jersey Jets -- have practically no chance of making the playoffs this year, and I don't have a dog (except when it comes to the sports teams I root for), and I have not gotten so lazy that I cannot simply get up and get the spouse a beer, I do not (currently) have use for any of these marvelous products. But they make great stocking stuffers! Order yours today!

*I love how Bark4Beer calls its product "The Best Dog Collar Bottle Opener," so you won't confuse it with all those other dog collar bottle openers.

Al Franken for President

Finally, someone had the cojones to tell Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman to shut the f@ck up.



That alone, IMHO, makes Senator Al Franken (D-MN) presidential material. (Though I also enjoyed Senator Franken's recent verbal smackdown of Senator John Thune (R-SD) for not knowing -- or purposely misrepresenting -- key facts about the health care bill, as well as Franken's books Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot (and Other Observations) and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.)

Sure, it takes way more than being quick with a quip, publishing a best-selling book, having a degree from an Ivy League school, and a Senate seat to be President -- oh wait. Never mind.

I therefore unofficially nominate Al Franken for President 2016, because he's good enough, he's smart enough, and, doggonit, people like him! (Well, some people.)

UPDATED: Here's a link to to the Al Franken - Joe Lieberman smackdown in the Senate yesterday with John McCain getting all uppity afterward.

('’)

Syncrhonized cat napping

What do you think? New Olympic sport?

The Secret to Happiness

Nineteen years ago today, I went on one of the worst blind dates ever. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I swore at the end of it I would never go out with that guy again.

Of course, I wound up marrying that guy. (Moral of the story: Don't judge a person by the first date.)

Jump to this morning at the gym, where I spied an older man working out across from me who was wearing a sweatshirt with the words "Yes, dear." on it. I couldn't help but smile. The man saw me smiling and shouted "I've been married 65 years!" and gave me a big smile. I then asked, "So, did your wife give you that sweatshirt?" And he replied, "No, the kids did, for our anniversary."

A few minutes later, as I was lifting (or rather pulling) weights a little ways away, the man walked over to me and said "You keep that up young lady and you'll look as good as I do at 89!"

While clearly no spring chicken, this man in no way looked 89 years old -- more like 89 years young. So I asked him, "What's your secret?" His immediate reply: "The love of a good woman."

I then told him that I had met my husband 19 years ago today, and he beamed at me and said "Good for you! He's a lucky man."

Yes, he is.

Btw, that picture in the upper right-hand corner? It's called "The Secret to Happiness Sweatshirt."

Wishing all of you happiness, this holiday season and beyond.

Puppies!

Lots and lots of puppies.

Still looking for that extra special Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) gift? How about a puppy -- or perhaps 17?

Why do I ask? Because Sharon Center, Ohio resident and now foster canine grandmother Christi Six (who, as far as I know, is not a stripper or porn star) has 17 -- yes 17 -- adorable Cane Corso Italian Mastiff pups who need good homes. (I know: Thatsa lotta puppies!)



FYI, you can contact Christi Six -- about her Cane Corso puppies -- at christisix [at symbol] gmail [dot] com. But be warned, these adorable Cane Corso Italian Mastiff pups, while adorable and supposedly very intelligent, trainable, and loyal, can grow to over 100 pounds.

Santa Claus is coming to town... in a Speedo

Personally, I always pictured Santa as a briefs kind of guy. (Not that I ever actually pictured him in anything but his Santa suit.) But for the sake of charity, Santa -- actually thousands of hot, young male Santa wannabes -- doffed their Santa suits and ran through the streets of Boston this Sunday in nuthin' but their little red (blue, black, or green) Speedos.

(Btw, for those of you who are saying, "But J.! What about your 'just say 'no' to men in Speedo' policy?!" I have temporarily suspended it, in honor of Christmas.)


And why, might you ask, were a bunch of guys (and gals) running around Boston yesterday in little red Speedos? (Though if you, like me, had gone to college in the area, you would know you don't really need an excuse to run around Boston in your underwear, especially after a night of heavy drinking.)

The answer, you naughty boys and girls, is that yesterday was the 10th annual Santa Speedo Run in Boston, where every year in mid-December thousands of young men (and women) strip down to their skivvies and don their Santa hats, and, in some cases, antlers and a sleigh (clearly Rudolph is going to have way more than a red nose), and run through the streets to raise money for local charities (as well as ladies' pulses).

Next up: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Shatner vs. Palin (Tonight Show Poetry Slam)

One of the best (if not the best) segments on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien this season has been Emmy Award-winner and Master Thespian William Shatner reading excerpts from Sarah Palin's speeches and tweets -- and now her autobiography, Going Rogue.

This time, though, the former Governor of Alaska (aka Sarah Palin) turned the tables on William Shatner by reading from his autobiography, Up Till Now.



While Palin acquitted herself commendably, the snaps go to Shatner in what I hope will be the first of many Tonight Show Poetry Slams.