Cat sweaters
Catty Shack Creations makes cat sweaters.  Not sweaters made for cats.  Sweaters made of cats.  Specifically, sweaters, handbags, and other objects are knitted from the discarded hair of groomed cats (the process of spinning the yarn by hand is actually pretty cool).  It's kind of disgusting, except for the fact that the Persian and Angoran cats are thoroughly washed before they're shorn, making them significantly cleaner than sheep, which is where wool comes from.  Nobody thinks twice about the cleanliness of wool.  It's actually not that bad if you think about it, and the handmade products aren't even that expensive.  (via Kottke) #nature

New New Year
I think one of the first calendar modifications Barack Obama should initiate after establishing the day after the Super Bowl as a national holiday should be to change the date of New Year's Day from January 1 to whenever the winter solstice is.  That way, instead of celebrating an arbitrary calendar event, at least we would be celebrating something, in this case the transition from days that are gradually shortening to days that are gradually lengthening.  It's like Wednesday being hump day, except that instead of signaling the approaching weekend, new New Year's Day would signal the approaching spring and summer. #sociology