IAN: November 29th, 2024 Why are Europe's Christmas commercials so much better than ours?

Sunny looks like she's waiting for the Cat in the Hat.

Happy Friday! I have some fun and interesting links for you today, and some new pictures! I’m not going anywhere today if I can help it, I worked in retail too many years to enjoy Black Friday. Bit works today, until at least 11. Grocery shopping is tomorrow. 

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I’ve been looking at this year’s Christmas commercials, and Europe and the UK’s commercials are SO much better than anything the US has up so far. The only thing close is the extended Chevrolet commercial, and that’s very melancholy. 
 

All of the others are very focused on buy buy buy, and some are outright selfish. 
 

This one is all AI this year. 

This fell flat for me. 

Here are the ones I found from the UK and Europe. Why can’t we have adverts more like these?? 

 

Which one is your favorite? 

Here’s an interesting video about the origins of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It’s a little long, but worth the watch (includes NSFW language). 

 

This is fun and amusing :) 
 

 

Buddy and Sophie sleeping together

Here’s Buddy and Sophie sleeping together on my computer chair. I know our focus has been mostly on the pups, because they’re little and cute and active, but these guys deserve some time as well. 
Sophie is getting old, and I think she likely has cancer. I’m afraid to take her to the vet and find out for sure. She doesn’t seem to be in pain at this point, and I think I’m going to wait until after the holidays. I really don’t want to lose her right before Christmas, and I don’t have the money right now anyway. 
So far, she still wants to go out and work, though she sleeps more while working than she used to. I know her time is coming, and I’m dreading it, but enjoying the time I can spend with her now. 
Buddy is my velcro pup and snuggle bug. He spends most of his day next to me, when he’s not romping with puppies.  He’s come a long way from the frightened pup we picked up from the shelter, he’s showing more of his personality and is gaining more confidence every day.  He still hides from new people coming in the house, but he’s not aggressive. He just stays behind me, or between my computer chair and the wall if I’m out talking to someone.  If we’re outside and someone new approaches he hides under my wheelchair. I’m his safe person. He won’t eat if I’m not home.  I’m worried about my next hospital stay, whenever that will be, because if I’m in a few days, I’m really worried he won’t eat the entire time. 

Sunny is opinionated and stubborn, which is pretty typical of Heelers. We have been working on some issues, some with success some without. Her sit and recall are a lot better, I’ve been working with her at the same time as the pups. She’s learning to stay out of my room, because she insists on herding the cats, she and Lyta don’t get along at all. Lyta gets along fine with Buddy, Sophie, Rhenn and Fenna, it’s all Sunny.  (Stewie wants to play a bit TOO much for Lyta, he’s just too excited and exuberant.) Lyta objects to being poked with Sunny’s nose.  Once the pups are more settled I’ll consider working with her with the cats more. Right now, I have enough on my plate.

 At night before I go to bed, Sunny and I talk about watching over the pups (who are in their crate over night still) and watching over the house. And then she goes off to sleep on my computer chair and doesn’t fuss about not going in the bedroom.  If I forget to give her that one on one talk at night, she sneaks in under my wheelchair. 

Also, some people she likes, and some she really doesn’t. And the ones she doesn’t, she wants to bark and growl at (which is why she isn’t good for service dog work). Nizz’s wound care nurse, she barks when she first comes in, then settles down and sleeps under my wheelchair. Nizz’s PCA, she acts like she wants to eat. I don’t know why, but she *really* doesn’t like her. Bit’s friend Harley, she loves, not so much Harley’s current boyfriend. And if Harley is wearing his sweatshirt, Sunny isn’t happy with Harley either.  We’ve been working on sitting, even when someone she doesn’t like is here. Sometimes she can do it, others not so much. She’s on a leash when people come over.
As I said, opinionated and stubborn.