Paris: Real & Surreal

Paris: Real & Surreal

There are certain places around the globe you can go to that just don't seem real.  Standing before certain buildings, monuments & natural wonders can often be a very surreal experience, feeling less like a day out of real life & a lot more like being on a movie set.Or, more accurately... in an actual movie.Whenever I go to Washington D.C., it feels bizarre to me, as though I've been inserted into the middle of a news report, or some exciting action flick.  I've constantly got my eyes peeled for a bad guy to come tearing through the crowd, pursued by a determined hero with a pistol in his hand.  I periodically check the skies for aliens, who as we all know, only land in major cities with well-known buildings & monuments.As anyone can imagine, Paris is no different.  In fact, for Americans, it's probably even more surreal.  Seeing something like the Eiffel Tower for the first time is an...
Read More
Absinthe, Art & a Spiny Devil

Absinthe, Art & a Spiny Devil

La fée verte. The green fairy. Absinthe.No one is quite certain as to the details of its origin, but absinthe was made famous here in France. Of course, it had a little help from guys like Picasso......and my personal favorite, Degas.There are plenty more, but you get the idea.Many people, when they think of absinthe, automatically think of Paris somewhere around the late 19th century or early 20th century.Maybe other people think of this movie.For most people, absinthe conjures up images of artists, writers, bohemians...Paris cafés and cabarets.I doubt that there are many people who associate absinthe with this.What the hell is that? Well, that is Eurycantha Horrida. But, you can call him Spiny Devil Walking Stick. Doesn't he look delicious? Imagine Spiny marinating in a nice bottle of absinthe for who knows how long.Nope. I'm not jerking you around. It's true. For the low price of only $156.66 (€107.15), you can have this:Personally, I don't understand the appeal. If...
Read More