Here they come again!

Travel always hated this time of year back home. It's the beginning of tourist season. All these strange creatures tramping through the front yard...

Out with the old...

It was quite a year. The conquest of Scotland. The first World Domination Summit. But there were the rough times, too. Like when the BBC outed our surveillance chief for the Far East.

Mysterious mammal caught on film

By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News
Monday, 10 December 2007, 00:36 GMT

An "extraordinary" desert creature has been caught on camera for what scientists believe is the first time. The long-eared jerboa, a tiny nocturnal mammal that is dwarfed by its enormous ears, can be found in deserts in Mongolia and China...

Why it can sometimes be difficult...

to decorate for Christmas around here.

Official Christmas Card

For years, some people have been sending us Christmas cards that feature a photo of their children. I guess the petit-bourgeois peer pressure finally caught up with us. So, this year, from our family to yours:

A Merry Christmas and
A Happy and Prosperous New Year

For those of you interested in a close up view:

As some of you know, they all have names, and so, in the spirit of the season and in alphabetical order, with nonpenguins mostly noted in parentheses...
On Achilles, Adelaide, Admiral, Albert, Alexander, Alfred, Anastasia, Antoinette, & Ariadne (puffin)! On Baby, Basil, Beauregard, Bismarck (puffin), Bob, Boomer, Boris, Bullwinkle, Butch, & Butterball! On Caesar, Charlie, Chilly Lilly, Clifford, Conrad, Coronado, & Cuddles! On Daisy (sheep), Dale, Daniel, Daphne, Diana, Duncan, Edgar, Edith, Edmund (dodo), Edward, Electa, Emily, & Eugene! On Ferdinand, Fluffy, Francesco, Fred, Gilbert, Godwin, Goldie, Hector, Henry Acland, Herbert, & Humphrey! On Ignatius, Jasper, Jeeves, Jeppesen, Joel, Lambie, Lanfranc (platypus), Leander, Leopold, Little Bob, Liz (puffin), Llewellyn, Loop-O, Lorelei (loon), Louis, & Lucius! On Mac, Manfred, Marguerite (sheep), Maria Theresa, Mario, Martha, Max (sheep), Mike, Napoleon, Natasha, Nathan, & Normal(e)! On Orlando, Oswald, Otto, Pancratius, Percy, Perfect, Philippe, Precious, & Prunella! On Ralph (hedgehog), Richard, Rocky, Rodney (wombat), Rosebud (puffin), Rupert, Schwartz, Sidney (sheep), Squeek, & Stan! On Tarsicius, Terry, Thaddeus, Theodore, Thurston, Tom, Tweety, Twinkle, Valeria, Victoria (puffin), Wilbur, Woolsey (sheep), & Zeno! And a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

He knows if you've been naughty!

Here's Santa Bird getting ready for his annual jaunt. Being from the south pole, he needs a map to find his way up here. May you all find your stockings stuffed with herring and krill!

Happy Holiday Hamster House - part 2

We continue out tour with the grand foyer. Note the handsomely upholstered chairs. Lay-Z-Boys. Yep! "designer middle-aged male" look strikes again!
Just off the foyer is the grand staircase. OK, so I did do animal lights here, but they're penguins; hardly over-the-top in this house. They're new this year.
Panorama from the foyer.
Since we are on the verge of Christmas Eve, the official holiday "from our house to your house" posting will be forthcoming. We will then extend our holiday celebrations into the 12 days with, most likely, displays of robotic penguin choreography. Stay tuned! (Besides, what else do you have to do? It's Christmas.) ;-)

And a little further down the road...

Planning to drop in over the holidays?

Here's how you can tell you're getting close to our house from the road.

Because you were all such good little HamsterFans...

I have arranged for the Imperial Hamster All-Penguin Despotic Holiday Chorus to serenade you with a song of the season. My beneficence knows no limit. (And don't y'all forget it!)

Happy Holiday Hamster House - part 1 of many

For the first time in many years, The Imperial Rodentine Consort and Ourself will be in residence at the palace for the holidays. This, of course, means decoration! And in a manner suitable to a global despot. (At this point, We must inform Meritt that she will be disappointed to learn that no icy pudenda are planned.) We must admit, We did adopt a "less is more" approach this year. Though We did get like a 7-8' tree, losing count of the number of lights that went on and put virtually every ornament we had on it, other elements were a bit more restrained. No lighted swags above doors/windows sporting bows, ornaments, and strings of lighted bunnies, teddy-bears, or cows. We did get some new musical, animated penguin objets d'art on a holiday theme (video forthcoming) - but everybody does that. We put up lights, including lights in the back yard, which is, of course where we can see them. I believe TR/DG will be posting pics of those. Anyway, let's start the tour, shall we?

First we have the The Imperial Banqueting Hall. Note the restrained yet elegant swags above the door and bookcase.
As the centerpiece on the table - and likely much to Kel's delight - is a rosemary plant, cleverly imitating a small Christmas tree. I even had tiny little ornaments to put on it. We'd love to claim cleverness in this regard, but Fresh Market had them.
Out the window, you may notice the lights in the back yard. They're strung along the fence and through two small trees across the width of the yard. Note also the "good ol' fashioned" large colored lights - the kind of lights we used in my youth and that God Himself continues to use (I'm certain of it; I studied theology, remember!) The twinkly little lights are in the front yard, so as to conform to prevailing, though less than perfect, social mores in exterior Christmas lights.Next we come to the Living Room and, of course, the pièce de la résistance, the tree. (But first, however, you may wish to pause and admire the oxblood-red Italian leather couch. Not like We're showing off or anything. Bragging is beneath The Hamster. I'm just pointing out items of interest. And yes, both ends recline. Hamster may have impeccable taste, but Hamster is also middle-aged and likes his comforts.) Aforementioned pièce....
Lastly, we come to a detail mentioned in a comment on Squirrel. One of my favorite ornaments: a tiny little shiny sparkling acorn that usually goes close to the very top of the tree. For you, Squirrel...

Monarchical Holiday Pastimes

"One of the things I like to do is create these little spheres of light in my hand and then juggle them as they float in mid-air. It's just so festive! Oh... sorry! You probably can't do that, can you? Heh, heh, heh..."

What some people do for their kids..

So, is this the line for Hanna Montana tickets?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Ooooooo!!! I just LOVE Christmas!
What did y'all get me this year???

A Study in Visual Acuity

Ya think SOMEONE would have noticed that they should have perhaps put a different colored top on this model, one that wouldn't blend in with the cords hanging from her cute little pengy-hat. The cords with the cute little fluffy white tufts on the ends. Unless warm, comfy, knitted holiday pasties have suddenly become all the rage in Canada this season... "in adult and kid sizes." Hello people! Use your eyes!

See: http://www.deluxknitwear.com/novelty_knits/novelty_knits.html

WDS: Bright Lights, Big Rodents

We are excited to present to you highlights from the World Domination Summit which took place yesterday evening. It was a moving and glamorous experience, full of the excitement and majesty that is the hallmark of The Hamster's enlightened rule. Here we go. . .

Here we are on glittering 4th Street Live in fabulous Louisville Kentucky, site of the summit! Excitement mounts are we casually stroll up the boulevard to the awe of onlookers. The Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge is just down the street aways...

As everyone knows, penguins HATE to be late for anything. So we arrived in plenty of time for the beginning of the summit festivities. Having some time on Our Despotic Hands, we decided to take in a few frames at the Lucky Strike Lanes disco bowling alley across the street. Fun, fun, fun!

We were then able to meet Our Most Illustrious Woodchuck right on time and repair to our discussions. We entered our meeting facility where we found "the 57'8" ft. long wood topped bar is outlined in glass and underlit with soft white lighting. Upon entering, guests are met with an entire wall of backlit Maker's Mark bottles and a spectacular 'wall of fire'. At the request of Maker's Mark management, bourbons from each of Kentucky's distilleries are showcased." Woodchuck said that Squirrel would be most favorably impressed with the two pages of bourbon selections on the menu, which ranged up to $50 a shot for the very rarest. We all, however, restrained ourselves admirably since we had serious business to attend to.

As noted on WC's blog. the summit marked the appearance of the latest traveling penguin technology: the Port-a-Flock. This collection of diminutive but deadly warriors can be carried conveniently in one's pocket in a handy zippered case. Since penguins are such social creatures, TR invented them to keep him company on longer trips.

He also taught them the manly skills of hand-to-hand combat and bidding on Priceline.com. Perfect for undercover work and infiltrating behind enemy lines, here they were deployed as the Royal Penguin Guard to maintain security during the summit. Good thing, too. There were some pretty suspicious characters lurking about. Here, the guards confront one of the shadier-looking types.

Happily, it turned out to be only one of the local paparazzi trying to get scoop-photos of the assembled celebrities and despots.

The conference was rounded out by a very nice dinner of bourbon sirloin and veal ossobuco. A tyrannical time was has by all!

World Domination Summit concludes!

And what a swell time we all had! Film at 11!

Woodchuck for Dinner!

Whaddya mean "dinner"???

We here in Hamsterland are most enthused about the World Domination Summit annual bowling banquet this evening in fabulous Louisville! Arrangements have been made and the Imperial Progress will set off from Our Lexington Palace en route to bourbon and tasty, roasted quadrupeds later today. Yes, there will be pictures. Oh will there ever be pictures! Stay tuned!!!

Building better rodents

Likely readers here will already know this, but there is breaking news on Rogue Squirrel's blog.

Yes, it's true!

It appears that the Most Esteemed and Right-Trusty Woodchuck is journeying to the Hamster-Realms for The World Domination Summit. A variety of savoury entertainments are already being contemplated, many involving fine aged bourbon. We rejoice! And of course DG and TR will be on hand for the festivities. Let the earth tremble in fear!
-- By Decree of The Hamster

NOVEMBER 7TH

Around here, we know this as the day of universal rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Do the Woodchucks have a little extra room?

TR now wants to move to Washington, since the leadership there appears to be unusually enlightened.Celebrating Halloween: Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire dressed as Mumble, the world's worst singing penguin, and her husband, Mike, costumed as Loveless the Guru, another penguin.

now THAT'S scary!

For Halloween, TR decided to come as DG in the morning, before his first can of Diet Coke.

BOO!

Latest Brewing Headlines!!!

from the Lexington Herald-Leader for Tue, Oct. 23, 2007:

"Lexington Brewing Co. brought home two silver medals from the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

"The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale placed second in the wood and barrel-aged beer category, finishing behind the Oak Whiskey Red from Twisted Pine Brewing Co., in Boulder, Colo. There were 26 entries in the category.

"Also, the Lexington Brewing Co.'s Kentucky Weissbier, brewed only for the festival's pro-am competition, took a silver medal. An English Style India Pale Ale from Allentown/Bethlehem (Pa.) Brew Works took the gold. There were 48 entrants in the category."

The Monarchical Gift Game!

Hey everybody! Let's play a blog game, inspired by my occasional "Thoughtful Gifts for Monarchs" postings. Here are two photos that beg for funny captions. In the comments, send in your own. The winner will have their home town spared in any forthcoming invasions. Fun for the whole family! I'll get us started. . .

#1

"I know we have just the place for this around here... somewhere...."


#2

"Ha! Checkmate! You're country's mine!"

It's Greek to me

I've been meaning to draw your attention to one very, very odd occurrence. For some odd reason, on my office computer only, the tool bar across the top of the blog pages appears in Greek. To wit:

Έχετε επισημάνει αυτό το ιστολόγιο ως ιστολόγιο με απαράδεκτο περιεχόμενο.

Αποστολή ως SMS

Αναζήτηση ιστολογίου

Επισήμανση ιστολογίου

Επόμενο ιστολόγιο Αποσύνδεση

Happily, of course, I can read Greek, but classical Greek. The modern language is quite different, and of course, the ancients didn't have a way of saying "unflag blog." Trust me, after a while, you get used to your life being this weird...

New Obsession!

Well... many of you will be aghast to learn that I've retained my obsession with Korean historical dramas. Some may recall reaction to my post on "Hwang Jini" (see HamsterPost for 16 July 2007) which went over like the proverbial lead balloon. Well, now I'm into something far, far more butch. "Dae Joyoung!" This one is chuck full of war, torture, murder, deception, and... oh yes... FABulous costumes!

SYNOPSIS
This 100-episode epic drama vividly depicts the life of King Dae Jo-yeong and other heroes of the Balhae Kingdom, which dates back 1300 years ago. The role of Dae Jo-yeong is portrayed by actor Choi Su-jong, while the role of Yi Hae-go, Dae Jo-yeong’s rival for the supremacy in the northern territories, is portrayed by actor Chung Bo-seok. The two also face off over the love of Cho-rin, a woman from the Georan tribe, and King Bojang’s niece, Suk-yeong. The role of Cho-rin is played by Park Ye-jin, while Suk-yeong is portrayed by Hong Su-hyun. Several key historic figures in the drama are played by seasoned middle-aged actors, whose masterful acting underscores the drama’s well-knit plot. The drama drew the spotlight even before its premiere for efforts to produce a perfect picture, as even a special KBS video team was set up to create true-to-life fighting scenes, such as a massive siege warfare between Goguryeo and the Tang Dynasty created using 3D digital characters and the scene showing the collapse of a mountain during the Ansi Fortress battle.

A quick Google search will demonstrate what a world-wide phenomenon this is. The series is 100 episodes long. On AZN, we're somewhere in the 50"s Woohoo! Lots left to go! Here are some images for your delectation:

Blogger's Block

Well... I've been racking my brain for ideas for a post, and have come up with bubkes. Anybody got any ideas?