And now, for your amusement…
the latest jest
Surprise Migration from Florida… (well, sort of)
What to do with a sudden overnight snowfall of over a foot? Walking through my neighborhood the day after our most recent catastrophic snowstorm (after some serious shoveling), I saw a variety of impromptu lawn decorations, from snow forts to snow people of all sorts. This, however, takes the blue ribbon for most original post-snowfall lawn decoration.
- For the delight of tacky lawn-ornament aficionados and tongue-in-cheek ornithologists: a flock of rare pink Arctic flamingos graces my neighbors’ lawn the morning after our last big snowstorm
We’re supposed to get another flash snowfall of a foot tonight. I can’t wait to see what they do next time…
On a related note:
Then again, maybe my neighbors weren’t responsible at all:
- You’ve Been Flocked! (wbbands.info)
And, for those of you interested in things even stranger than the common front-yard dwelling suburban flamingo:
Lastly, for those of you who just love flamingos (I know you’re out there):
- Flamingo Fantastic! (letliladecorate.com)
See you after the blizzard and thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer
So, what’s this page about? What’s In Jest?
In short, this page is devoted to things I’ve come across during my journeys here in America that have made me smile, or sometimes even laugh out loud. Some will be things I have come across through serendipity – unexpected juxtapositions like these two friends I came across in Fredericksburg, VA – while others will be the fruit of that wonderful American idea that, if you can make somebody laugh, they’ll give you their custom, and more still will simply be evidence that people here like to play and, most importantly, they are pretty good at laughing at themselves – heck, they actually enjoy it.
Now that I have a whole page dedicated to the In Jest archive (still small at the moment, but which can only grow) I hope you’ll feel free to use it on notoriously depressing days, such as Mondays or Wednesdays, or whenever your state of mind requires a smile. In other words, please visit at your discretion and as often as you like. Just click on the category link, either above or on the right-hand sidebar, to check out the archives.
In Jest also contains the sub-category called And Today We’re Selling…
What’s that all about? Well, one thing that has always struck me about American advertising and sometimes even the choice of company names, is the fact that business here relies so heavily on tickling the customer’s sense of humor. Years in Italy accustomed me to the idea that an advertisement has to be beautiful, sexy, aesthetically perfect… but hardly ever funny. Of course, Antonio Banderas wearing his most seductive Zorro face to sell breakfast cookies might be unintentionally funny (I think the mothers were the target of that commercial). In the U.S., however, humor is usually the principal marketing device of ads and commercials which are meant to be memorable because they made you laugh. Some are ludicrous, some are wacky, some indulge in darker humor and some appeal to the more childish side of our funny-bone. They don’t always strike a chord but even the bad ones tend to stick more in my mind longer than the millionth model draped over a sports car or heart-throb pushing coffee (well, on second thought, George Clooney is rather memorable in those Nespresso ads).
Anyway, And Today We’re Selling… is where you’ll find the funny ones I’ve come across.
Enjoy!
And, in case you missed it above or just had to read all the way to the bottom before clicking anything else (and if that’s the case, I’m tickled pink and thank you), here is a link to the In Jest archives.
Adventures of an Expat Returned 