Yeah, but have you seen Geico's newest TV campaign featuring not the Gecko, who jumped the shark and found a voice in the same moment, but Richard Penniman (alias Little Richard), Burt Bacharach (who doesn't want to get hit in the rear), and apparently Charo (I thought she was... well, gone).

I guess your Gecko did beat up theirs.

Jim, I've been meaning to post about that new series, which I think are absolutely brilliant! I mean, the whole thing is so deeply camp that you don't know where the pitch begins and ends. Don't know that that's what you want in a commercial, but it sure is fun.

True story: My wife and I ate at Charo's restaurant on Kauai a couple of times on our honeymoon. It was pretty nice, actually. Alas, it's gone to that great restaurant in the sky.

Showing my lack of attention to detail, I thought the gecko was an Aussie.

I like the new ads too, especially the Burt. I just watched the Charo for the first time on YouTube and laughed pretty hard when it cut out in the middle of her extended monologue. Genius.

Spider eating eh? Think they'd notice if I brought one home with me? :)

Cute lizard-cool color. That's pretty neat that she lives there and eats the spiders.

Bret, you're not along in mistaking the Geico Gecko's accent. I can't tell you how many visitors come here after searching for "geico gecko's accent." I can't tell you because I don't know, but I do know it's more than one.

Rachel, I can only begin to imagine the troubles you'd have in customs if you tried to take an American lizard into New Zealand. 8-)

Jennifer, there you go, anthropomorphizing again. Next thing you know, you'll have "her" quilting and driving the kids to soccer practice and lecturing other lizards on making small talk. ;-)

Cute gecko! Did you place it there intentionally, to rid the house of spiders? Or was this just serendipitous?

Rachel, for the record, the airlines don't seem particularly bothered by lizards as my youngest just brought home a chameleon in a coffee can. 8-} Of course, she didn't have to go through New Zealand's customs which must be very rigid, given that you don't have snakes there!

There's no snakes in New Zealand?

Wonder if that means "Snakes on a Plane" will totally tank in Wellington?

No snakes Brian! :) Yep, they are pretty rigid Gwynne. You even have to be very careful about what you take out...

As I was shoving eggshells down the disposal, a 3" gecko quickly emerged from same, startling me into tiny shrieks. It took me several minutes to collect myself and get a cup to remove the sweet little thing from my sink and deposit it outside. Spiders or no spiders, I don't want one to come up at me from the drain. I can tolerate the tiny clear ones we spot around the living room at times.

I still invariably jump six inches every time I walk into a darkened room or hallway, switch on the light, and see one wriggle away. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that.

And I agree...they don't need to be inhabiting drains. Life in the kitchen is stressful enough. ;-)

I want to rent/borrow/buy any creature that eats spiders.

No snakes in New Zealand? No kid! Buy me a ticket! But... why are there no snakes?

Gwynne, your youngest brought home a chameleon in a coffee can?? Gosh, the things I learn from a single post of Eric's. :)

btw Eric, your gecko looks very different from my gecko. Mine is much better fed than yours. If I can catch mine on camera, I'll post a pic.

But... why are there no snakes?

I think the answer lies in the little known book I'm now reading: "Saint Patrick: The Lost Years." ;-)

Our geckos are wimps compared to those in tropical climes. I can remember watching them crawl across the ceiling of the villa we stayed in during a trip to Jamaica. They were at least a foot long, and hefty. Of course, I'm pretty sure that geckos aren't indigenous to west Texas, having probably arrived via potted plants or other imported goods only a few years ago. Could be wrong about that, but I don't remember ever seeing them while growing up out here.