Category Archives: Animals

Where there’s smoke

Posted on January 23, 2012 | 2 Comments

For people who celebrate Chinese New Year — or just heart Chinese food — today marks the official beginning of the Year of the Dragon. According to legend, the dragon is a symbol of good fortune, intense power and authority.

That’s so hot.

But I have to wonder – what kind of dragon will 2012 be?

Will it be like the dragon in the first Shrek movie — ferocious and fire-breathing one moment, then a puddle of mush the next, all because of the attentions of a wise-cracking yet lovable Donkey?

(And how many months of the year will be fire-like, and how many mush?)

Or will 2012 be a dragon with a temperament more in keeping with the three beasts in the Tri-Wizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? They also breathed fire and brimstone, but were initially restrained by bars and chains. When they finally broke free, they fought till the death to vanquish their enemies.

Not sure I want to go up against a year like that.

No, I would prefer the Year of the Dragon to be more like Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon. He was first misunderstood and underestimated, but man oh man — didn’t he end up being exactly the kind of dragon you wanted on your team when the going got tough.

Yep. That’s the 2012 I’d like to see.

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Posted in Animals, Astrology, Commentary, History, Holiday, Humor, Life, New Years

Tagged animals, astrology, Chinese food, chinese new year, Chinese zodiac, commentary, dragons, fire-breathing, good fortune, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, history, Holiday, How to Train Your Dragon, Humor, life, New Year's, philosophy, Shrek, Shrek Donkey, Toothless dragon, Tri-Wizard Tournament, year of the dragon

Mug this

Posted on January 14, 2012 | 2 Comments

Back in my improv days, I used to get one fairly consistent note from my director:

Stop mugging.

She meant stop looking at the audience and making faces to get a laugh.

Who me? Milk a joke or a scene to get a bigger reaction? I would never do that! I don’t know what she was talking about. That’s the craziest thing I –

Okay, I admit it. I did it all the time.

But until today, I didn’t really know what it must have looked like. Thanks to The Nerdist and my friend Leah, I get it.

No wonder it worked so well.

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Posted in Animals, Comedy, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Photography

Tagged animals, comedy, eels, friends, getting a laugh, Humor, improv comedy, Internet, life, making faces, milking a joke, milking a scene, mugging, photography, The Nerdist

Meow

Posted on January 10, 2012 | 6 Comments

Pet owners. We love our animals.

And companies know they can sell us just about anything.

Huffpost.com recently put together a collection of some of the stupidest pet products on the market. I can’t disagree with the editors on most of ‘em. They are ridiculous.

BUT…

I have to stand up for one of them…mainly because the product in question is less ridiculous for pets than it is for its original human intent.

Kitty Croc Bed

The croc shoe has been super-sized and turned into a bed for cats. HuffPost argues it is far stupider looking in this iteration.

I disagree.

Croc shoes are ugly. They may be the most comfortable shoe on the planet — but there’s not a foot in the world that doesn’t look stupid in them.

Sorry, Mario.

I think making the croc huge and putting a kitten inside is the best thing that ever happened to the shoe. Dare I say…

Purrrfect?

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Posted in Animals, Commentary, Design, Fashion, Humor, Internet, Shopping

Tagged animals, cat bed, cats, commentary, crocs, design, Fashion, huffingtonpost.com, huffpost, huffpost.com, Humor, Internet, life, pet owners, pet products, pets, purrfect, shoes, shopping, stupid pet products, supersize

Save the date

Posted on December 31, 2011 | 2 Comments

The last day of 2011. Blogs are filled with the year in review, ‘best of’ lists, and previews of what’s to come.

Me? I’m just psyched about my new calendar.

We may be living in a digital world, carrying our lives around on our smartphones, but I still love selecting the wall calendar that hangs over the desk in my home office.

It used to be a no-brainer — the New Yorker dog cartoons calendar every year. And then they stopped making it two years ago.

Bums.

So now I journey to Barnes & Noble, not knowing what calendar on the racks and spinners before me will catch my eye. But this year’s selection was an exciting combination of all the things I hold most dear:

Dogs. Movies. Celebrities. Kitch.

Yeah, that’s a cat. But he wasn’t dressed up for the photo. All the Jack Sparrow-ness was digitally added later.

There’s also Andy Warhol. And Austin Powers. Dame Edna. Mother Teresa.

Yep. It’s gonna be a good year.

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Posted in Animals, Art, Blogs, Celebrities, Commentary, Dogs, Holiday, Humor, Life, New Years

Tagged 2011, 2012, 2012 calendar, 2012 preview, a very good year, art, Barnes & Noble, best of 2011, blogs, cats, celebrities, commentary, design, digital manipulation, Dogs, Holiday, home office, Humor, Jack Sparrow, kitsch, life, Movies, New Yorker, New Yorker dog cartoons, pets, pets rock 2012, sales rack, spinner, wall calendar, year in review

Because…

Posted on December 19, 2011 | 2 Comments

…they are dogs and the photo is stinking cute.

Credit to Matt Dunn for the pooch pic.

I know it made my very long day a whole lot brighter!

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Posted in Animals, Comedy, Commentary, Dogs, Family, Humor, Life, Photography

Tagged animals, comedy, commentary, Dogs, entertainment, family, Humor, life, photography

Heads up

Posted on December 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

I have discovered the perfect holiday party accoutrement:

Reindeer antlers

While eating dinner last night at Post in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, my friend Suzanne and I took note of two private parties underway in the upstairs dining room.

The first party was seated at a large table in the back, the diners serenely enjoying their meals created by Chef Eric.

The second party was awaiting their table near the second level bar, and the gentlemen were all wearing reindeer antlers.

Who was having more fun? Take a guess.

So to all of you party planners out there currently contemplating your menus, libations, and decorations, make your list. Check it twice.

Wouldn’t holiday head gear for your guests be NICE??

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Posted in Animals, Christmas, Commentary, Design, Fashion, Holiday, Humor, Restaurants

Tagged animals, Boston, Boston Back Bay, Christmas, commentary, decorations, design, Fashion, Holiday, holiday headgear, holiday party, Humor, libations, life, making a list checking it twice, menu, party, Post restaurant, private party, reindeer, reindeer antlers, reindeer antlers headband, restaurants

Monkey business

Posted on December 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

I missed Monkey Day.

I’m as shocked as you are.

Yesterday was International Monkey Day, the one day each year that we celebrate all things simian.

But I got distracted by work and travel and missed all the monkey business.

No monkey t-shirts. No monkey jokes. No monkey e-cards (always funny, always appropriate).

Funny thing — people always accuse Hallmark Cards of ‘creating’ holidays. Although there’s no proof of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are behind Monkey Day. Goodness knows the monkey has been good to them. Put a monkey on a humor card, and it always sells.

‘Cause monkeys are funny. I mean, just look at that face. Dude deserves his own day.

(Hope it was happy.)

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Posted in Animals, Comedy, Holiday, Humor, Life, Relationships, Writing

Tagged animals, comedy, commentary, December 14, funny monkey, Hallmark Cards, Holiday, Humor, humor cards, International Monkey Day, inventing holidays, monkey business, Monkey Day, monkey e-cards, monkey jokes, monkey t-shirts, monkeys, Relationships, simian, writing

So-you-can rest

Posted on December 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

Do you know what happens when your throat gets scratchy and you take too much NyQuil just a bit too early in the day?

You start seeing things.

Like pink bunnies.

There’s one on my keyboard now. Can you see him? He’s hiding right now. But he has other bunny friends with him.

Perhaps a few zinc lozenges will help keep the critters at bay. Or cold compresses. Or chicken soup?

I think I’ll just go to bed.

I can’t decide if I’m fighting a cold or a home invasion.

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Posted in Animals, Comedy, Commentary, Health, Humor, Life

Tagged bunnies, comedy, commentary, computer keyboard, fighting a cold, Health, Humor, Internet, Jennifer Aniston, life, NyQuil, pink bunnies, scratchy throat, zinc lozenges

Eggs on film

Posted on December 5, 2011 | 4 Comments

“What in the world is a ‘sticky egg?’ And what would I do with one?” — pretty much everybody

This year at Halloween, The Sticky Egg presented a ‘trick or treat’ challenge to readers: ‘LIKE’ my page on Facebook, and receive a ‘real’ sticky egg.

Tens of you accepted my terms, and sticky eggs were soon winging their way across the country via snail mail. I have received many lovely notes of thanks over the past month, with the prevailing opinion that sticky eggs “are really sticky!”

Have I ever lied to you?

One reader (and very dear friend) also shared a video, which offers one idea of what to do with a sticky egg. Turn your head sideways for optimal viewing.