During our rustic childhood, cutting down our own Christmas tree was a normal part of the holiday routine. Rather than going to a tree lot, we would troop out to a tree farm that looked a lot like a tree lot – rows and rows of identical, pre-tagged and measured trees. You marked the one you wanted, it was cut and brought to your car, and you drove it home. Fun, but not quite the slogging-through-the-snow Paul Bunyan adventure we wanted. more ›

We're somewhat taken with the idea of Joe Six-Pack American: a normal guy who works like us, drinks like us, and does normal guy things like us (watch too much TV and take anti-cholesterol medication, for example). With a little more character development, Joe could become our 21st century Paul Bunyan -- a symbol of American strength and hard work, but maybe with a Labrador Retriever instead of an ox, a khaki shirt instead of a plaid flannel one, and a laptop for an ax. more ›