You Tube Friday

Who am I kidding? Every day is You Tube day. Today's video is, in itself, not particularly spectacular (it is cute, but you don't need to watch the whole eight minutes--just the first 30 seconds or so will give you the idea). The best part was the e-mail that accompanied it. This came from a Japanese colleague:

This kind of videos, "Cats in Clay Pots", are now very popular in a number of Japanese YouTube-like websites. Of course, they are not for eating!! The cats are not being abused, either... People just enjoy watching cute cats in the clay pots.

According to some research, cats love sitting and sleeping in the clay pots. If you place a clay pot on the floor, then it is often the case that a cat voluntarily gets himself in the pot. The shape and touch of clay pots seems very comfortable to cats.

Please note that putting a cat in a clay pot is NOT part of the Japanese traditional culture!

I just wish I could attach this kind of disclaimer to many American products that are transmitted around the world. For instance, before watching the web release of Jackass 2.5, viewers would have to read the disclaimer: "Please note that propelling oneself with jet packs or slingshots is not a part of traditional American culture."