From dry cleaners to Paris Hilton? Isn't it usually the other way around? (Commutation 6)

This morning on the way into work, I noticed an example of what I will dub Christmas Lag -- the opposite of "Christmas Creep," where Christmas arrives earlier and earlier in the stores and on TV.

You've seen examples of "Christmas Lag" when you see those people who keep their Christmas tree up well into February and continue to light their Christmas lights up, too, even though the snow is actually starting to melt (an illusory action, given that we're set to get 2 or 3 inches today.)

Anyway, this morning's high point of the drive was a sign up at a dry cleaners reminding people that for the "holiday shopping" they should keep in mind a gift card from a dry cleaner's.

We are, as of today, 54 days past Christmas, 48 days past New Year's Eve, and even 3 days past Valentine's Day (nothing says romance like paying for your Sweetie to get their laundry done, right?)

I suppose it could be a St. Patrick's Day promotion, at this point, but do people really give St. Patrick's Day gifts?

Then again, I wore my "A Christmas Story" t-shirt last night to run errands, so I guess my prediction that eventually Christmas will take over the world is probably true. I imagine that's how the universe will come to an end: A cataclysmic clash between the Spirit of Christmas and Paris Hilton, each vying for control of the portion of the universe that's been taken over by the other, with only one surviving.

Paris Hilton vs. Christmas would be an incredible movie.

Also: The picture is from a news story about a guy who created a Christmas shrine to Paris Hilton.


(Isn't it fascinating when you treat yourself like a tourist in your own life? Commutation 5 here.)

Today's Best Commuting Song: "Play Something We Know," By Adam Hood:



Little boys digging catacombs for corpses? Old women resorting to cannibalism to avoid demons searching for her soul? Ghosts in churches, wives returned from the dead, haunted basements, obituary writers with supernatural powers… All of these people can be found at AfterDark: the website that publishes serialized short horror stories. Remember: the scariest things, you CAN’T imagine.