The cutest (and tiniest) Thanksgiving ever?

We here at J-TWO-O love a good Thanksgiving feast. And this year, for the first time, the teenager, who loves to cook, will be preparing all the food.

She has already ordered a turkey from the butcher, and plans on making cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, and Brussels sprouts to accompany the bird, which, she informs us, will be spatchcocked (which means the cornbread stuffing will actually be dressing). For dessert, she is planning on making a pumpkin cheesecake.

But rather than tell you about our Thanksgiving preparations, allow me to show you how I envision Thanksgiving going down in our house....



I am still trying to decide if I am the dust bunny or the teenager is.

[I adore HelloDenizen's "Tiny Hamster" videos, but he may have outdone himself with "A Tiny Hamster Thanksgiving."]

Wishing you all a very happy, and tasty, Thanksgiving...

Koalas, the secret to world peace?

The 2014 Group of Twenty, or G20, international conference took place this weekend in Brisbane, Australia. This annual event is an opportunity for leaders from around the world, including the United States, Russia, China, and Germany, to discuss the major issues affecting the global economy and come up with solutions.

As you can imagine, being cooped up in a convention center for two days straight, responding to or trying to prevent global economic crises, can be quite stressful. But this year's Australian hosts came up with a brilliant tactic for heading off potential hostilities and getting the G20 participants in a good mood.

Their secret weapon: koalas.

As anyone who has ever looked at or held a koala knows: it is hard to be angry, or stressed out, or in a bad mood when cuddling an adorable koala.

Seriously, how cute are those two little koalas, sniffing each other while adorably clinging to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and United States President Barack Obama? They make even Abbott and Obama look cute and cuddly!

Indeed, no one is immune to the smile-inducing cuteness of koalas, not even Russian President Vladimir Putin! (You try smiling with all that Botox. But with a koala, you can!)

[Is it just me, or does that koala look about as happy as Ukraine did when Putin grabbed it?]

I think the Australians are really onto something -- and that future G20 host countries should follow its lead, with China organizing baby panda cuddling sessions, India having world leaders cuddle with baby elephants, and the United States inviting dozens of puppies to mingle with world leaders.

Stressed? Try some kitten therapy.

Life is stressful. Fortunately (at least for some of us), there are kittens.



[H/T Mashable]

"You can't be stressed sitting in a box full of kittens."

Indeed.

In fact, studies have shown that interacting with cats, and dogs, can reduce or mitigate depression and improve your health.

So next time you are feeling blue, or stressed, think warm, fuzzy thoughts or, better yet, visit a cat cafe* or consider volunteering at a shelter.

*For those kitty lovers on the East Coast.

To boldly shave where no man has shaved before

So apparently, manscaping is still a thing. And Gillette isn't the only one to get into the act. Now Schick has entered the jungle (so to speak), advertising the new Schick Hydro Machete Groomer razor for men with a new video and original song titled "Crib in My Pants."

Pay attention, guys.



[H/T Mashable]

Hey, it's not like we're asking you to wax or do laser. (Though what's good for the goose....)

Fave line: "I went into the forest. I couldn't see any tree."

Astro + the return of winter storm season

The 2014-2105 winter storm season has now officially begun (shudder) with Winter Storm Astro hammering the upper Midwest with snow -- and causing highway and school closings.

Hearing this news this morning, two questions immediately came to mind: 1) OMG winter already? And 2) Winter Storm Astro? Who names a snow storm Astro (the name of The Jestsons' beloved, goofy Great Dane)?

Astro

The answer to the first question is apparently "yes." The answer to the latter, the same people who brought you Winter Storm Nemo. That is, The Weather Channel.

Personally, I do not have a problem naming winter storms. I agree with The Weather Channel that it makes it easier to talk about something when you give a name to it. And we name hurricanes (and typhoons), so why not big, nasty snow storms?

But if you are going to give something big and scary and shivers-inducing a name, the name should likewise be big and scary and shivers-inducing. It should be imposing. It should connote strength. It should make you fearful. In other words, it should not be named Nemo, or Astro, or Linus.

Of course, not all of this season's winter storms have unimposing names, as you can see:

 I think Frona, Gorgon, Hektor, Juno, Neptune, Pandora, Quantum, Sparta, Thor, and Zelus are perfectly fine names for a winter storm.

[And this just in: The Weather Channel has named this season's W storm Wolf. I know you are as excited about that as I was.]

But Linus? 

I don't know about all of you, or the folks over at The Weather Channel, but when I hear or see the name Linus, I don't think "Quick! Run to Home Depot and Stop & Stop and stock up! There's a ferocious winter storm coming!" I just envision a kid sucking his thumb, clutching a blankie. (Of course, if Winter Storm Linus turns out to be a wet blanket, then the storm will have been appropriately named.)

Lucy would have been a far better choice. Just ask Charlie Brown.

And Venus? The goddess of love and beauty? Sure, that first snowfall can be beautiful. But unless you are a skier or plow snow for a living, there is nothing lovely or beautiful about a foot of snow and being trapped indoors for days. Especially if it's the twenty-second time in a few months.

So, what do you all think of naming snow storms? Good idea or bad? And what do you think of this year's crop of winter storm names? 

Can we please have a moratorium on Christmas...

At least until after Thanksgiving?

I don't care how incredibly cute the John Lewis 2014 Christmas advert featuring Monty the Penguin is...


(And it is insulin-injection-needed-stat cute.)

I do NOT want to see advertising for Christmas on November 7th...

When I beheld the ad above and this Christmas spectacle at Stamford Town Center, featuring Santa Claus, several elves, and Christmas music being blasted from speakers...

And I especially do NOT want to start celebrating Christmas on November 1st (when the Crowne Plaza in New Orleans put up its Christmas decorations), or on November 6th (which also happens to be my birthday and when John Lewis published its Monty the Penguin Christmas advert), or pick your date in November!

Nor do I want to celebrate Christmas (or Hanukkah, for that matter) on Thanksgiving. (DO YOU HEAR ME, RETAILERS? Apparently not, except for you, Nordstrom and Costco. For which I thank you.)

Can't a girl enjoy the fall, and some turkey and stuffing, in peace, without feeling pressured to shop? (I'm pretty sure the mas in Christmas does not stand for mas shopping.)

I am so exasperated, I am thinking of starting a petition on Change.org. But before I do, I would love some feedback from all of you. Do you think I'm a Scrooge and that we should start celebrating Christmas as soon as Halloween has ended? Or do you think, like me, that the Christmas season should not begin until December 1st? Please let me know via a (respectful, non-abusive) comment.

I wish you a merry November.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

In case you missed the news, earlier today, in New Zealand, AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was charged with "attempting to procure murder," i.e., hiring a hit man... to kill two people.

Why is that bit of news blog worthy?

If the title of this blog post didn't tip you off, one of AC/DC's biggest hits (released back in 1976) was the song "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," about... hiring a hit man (albeit from the hit man's perspective).

if you got a lady and you want her gone
but you ain't got the guts
she keeps nagging at you night and day
enough to drive you nuts
pick up the phone
leave her alone
it's time you made a stand
for a fee
I’m happy to be
your back door man

dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap, dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap, dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap

Rudd was also charged with drug possession -- and listening to too many AC/DC songs. (Okay, I made that last bit up. But you don't have to look far to figure out where he got the idea.)