If you give a hamster a piña colada

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I am a big fan of Hello Denizen's Tiny Hamster videos. And their latest Tiny Hamster video, titled "Tiny Hamster's Tiny Tiki Party," which has a Hawaiian theme, does not disappoint.



And speaking of getting one's Hawaiian on, my Hawaii-inspired cool casual clothing company, Prepster Pineapple, is offering free shipping to anywhere in the U.S. through the month of May (a $6 value) when you use the code PP-SHIPFREE-MAY at checkout.

Cheers and aloha!

[Wish someone would make me a piña colada...]

A Guide to the Perfect Valentine's Date

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes the latest Tiny Hamster video from the folks at Hello Denizen.

Titled "Tiny Hamster's Tiny Date," the video is not just adorable but a template for the perfect Valentine's Day date, whether your lady love is a hamster or a human.

A romantic boat ride (in a gondola, no less) -- accompanied by a rose? Si!

Followed by dinner in a romantic restaurant? Sign me up!

With a healthy yet delicious menu that is sure to please milady? Yum!

Not having to wait long for your beautifully prepared food? You know me so well!

And what's that you say? You love a woman who is not afraid to enjoy her food in public? (Now you're making me blush.)



Let's just say, you guys could learn a lot from the folks at Hello Denizen.

Hoping your Valentine's Day is delicious....

Snow day for panda!

In my house, "snow" is one of those four-letter words that get you a dirty look. Sure, snow can be pretty. But get a lot of the stuff, even a few inches in a short period of time, and it's no longer fun. Schools and highways close. Driving can be hazardous. And all that shoveling can put a major crick in your back, even cause a heart attack.

That said, not everyone hates snow as much as I or the people who live in and around Buffalo, New York, do right now. Skiers love the fluffy white stuff, as do kids, and... pandas.

Just check out this adorable security footage of Da Mao, the Toronto Zoo's Giant Panda, who apparently loooves the snow. Da Mao has even come up with a new winter sport, according to the Toronto Zoo, "bear-bogganing."



I do not know the official Chinese translation of Da Mao, but I'm pretty sure it means "lover of snow."

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...

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Finally, an answer to the age-old question, Why did the chicken cross the road? (Well, sort of.)

Because it was test driving a Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive Magic Body Control System!



Note: No chickens were harmed in the making of this ad. Just deeply embarrassed.

More about the Mercedes-Benz chicken commercial and the Mercedes-Benz Magic Body Control  suspension system here and here.

One good thing about snow

I'll say one good thing about snow....

And no, it's not that school is closed (again).

Nor is it that "But snow is so pretty!"

(Okay, it is kind of pretty, but you didn't hear it here.)

It's that you sometimes get a really cute video of golden retrievers sledding.



At least they are enjoying their snow day. (Me? I just booked a trip to Florida. Of course by mid-April all the snow will have melted. Probably.)

Note to a certain groundhog: I wouldn't go poking your head out of your hidey-hole any time soon. Capiche?

Rare polar bear sighting!

Scientists and wildlife preservation groups have made a big deal about global warming's affect on polar bears. And, indeed, temperatures near the North Pole have been rising, causing Arctic ice to melt at an increasing rate. This has led many polar bears to seek haven farther south, resulting in some unusual polar bear sightings.

Who needs ice bergs? (Also, I hear the guests are delicious.)

One too many

As in "one too many snow days," or "professional days" in the case of today. Either way, all this snow and ice and sub-freezing weather and being stuck inside for days on end was bound to result in drinking.

Just didn't think it would be the stuffed animals. Then again, they have a history of misbehaving.












Also, I caught them watching this. (Which is probably not safe for work or homes where young children may wonder in and ask you embarrassing questions. Am so ashamed.)

Oh, the things you can see at the zoo

Can you scratch a little bit to the left?

That's some toothpick.

Here kitty, kitty...

Guess he was happy to see me.

Up next: SeaWorld (though am a little nervous about my affect on Shamu).

Does your pet have a drinking problem?

Michael Phelps is not the only party animal out there.

What a pig*!

And speaking of pigs, Felix is such a water hog that he can't wait for me to fill (or refill) his water bowl.



He takes a licking and keeps on... licking.

Yeah, yeah, I know: I'm enabling him. But if I didn't run the water, he would lick directly from the faucet.

Btw, before you start making comments about the quality of the video, it was taken by my daughter, J-THREE-O, who was trying very hard not to laugh too much.

*Yes, that is a real pig, chugging an O'Doul's as some do-gooder animal rights people got all freaked out about the pig swilling real beer. And I took the picture. If you want to see one of the pigs in action (yes, there is more than one), go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWdmK65bxkg. And no, no member of the J-TWO-O family is responsible for that footage.