SkyMall Monday: Let’s Talk Apparel

As the writer of SkyMall Monday, I consider myself a public servant. If I can improve just one person’s life with every post, I consider myself successful. Today, though, I’m aiming higher. I want to make the whole world a better place by making us all better looking. This week, SkyMall Monday takes a very special look at the apparel selections available in our favorite catalog.

Sock Monkey Hat and Mittens – For when you want to tell the whole world that you’ve accepted that you will die alone surrounded by empty Ben & Jerry’s containers but you’re allergic to cats.

Pluto Was a PlanetDo you like astronomy jokes that haven’t been topical in almost three years? Then you should totally wear this to your online chat party.
Vegasize Shirt – For that very special douchebag in your life.

What Part of Y’All Shirts – What part of y’all don’t I understand? Just the part that comes before the apostrophe. And the stuff after the apostrophe. And the apostrophe. But I do understand that you’re a yokel with $17.95 less in your wallet. And by wallet, I mean the floor of your pickup truck.

American Heritage Hoodie – Have you ever wanted to wear the clothing equivalent of a Toby Keith song? Do you see the American flag and think, “Wow, that sure would make me less pear shaped?” Do you wish that a bald eagle and George W. Bush would have sex on your face? Then just get this and be done with it.

Careful Novel Shirts – Look, if you can string together even three coherent sentences, I won’t even need you to write a whole novel. I’ll gladly take my place in your cocktail napkin doodle and be damn proud of it.

Abbott & Costello Apparel – Do you like vaudeville jokes that haven’t been topical in almost 70 years? Then you should totally wear this to your volunteer job calling bingo balls at the retirement home.

Fish Whisperer Shirt – So you’re the fish whisperer, eh? You ain’t got nothing on me, homeboy.

Dog/Cat Likes Me Best Shirts – The cat likes you best? Who were the other candidates? Your unicorn figurines? Your needlepoint pillow collection? Your real doll with three working orifices? Because I find that hard to believe.

There you have it. Just imagine how smashing you’re going to look at your next cocktail party, book club meeting or plush toy tea party. No need to thank me. The looks on your friends’ and coworkers’ faces is all the thanks I need. But if you really do want to thank me, I would love to wear this to my pottery class.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Cuddly cats ease Tokyo’s workday pressures

It’s been quite the week for animal stories on Gadling. I posted about Japan’s pet rental agencies and the opportunity to adopt a Tasmanian Devil, and Iva joined in with her story on adopting animals through the World Wildlife Fund.

Here’s the latest (and hopefully the last I hear some of you sigh…) cutesy animal story – for this week at least.

In Japan, (of course…), Tokyo’s Cafe Cat Calico has a whole team of friendly moggies in residence just waiting to be petted and cuddled by worn out workers on their way home. For 800 yen (around $7) an hour, customers can spend quality time with their favourite feline. Weekends are busiet with up to 150 pet-friendly punters streaming in per day to have a cuddle with a cat.

After that many strangers wandering through, I reckon more than a few of the cats must look forward to closing time.

How Much is that Spider Monkey in the Window?

Being a pet lover and a frequent traveller can sometimes be pretty challenging. Personal experience has shown that a well-adjusted Siamese cat can sometimes turn into a ratbag when left with a newbie house-sitter (that’ll teach me for naming the cat Havoc in the first place….).

If you’re living in Japan, help is at hand in the form of pet rental companies. Yep, if you (or your landlord…) doesn’t approve of you having a regular four-legged and furry companion, companies like Zoo Japan and Janet Village will let you share in the joys of pet ownership for periods as short as an hour. It’s not just cats and dogs either. Six hours with a hamster will set you pack 1000 yen (around US$9 ) while a sojourn with a spider monkey goes for 100,000 yen (around $US900).

There’s no word if you really form a bond with your new non-human buddy if the companies also offer a rent to buy scheme.