Todos Santo, Mexico: The Magical Art of Jill Logan (video)

click here to watch

Traveler Brandon not only gets to meet the energetic Jill Logan but also gets a personal tour of her famous gallery. After watching this video check out her collection online at www.jilllogan.com

Henry Miller Memorial Library and a Reading From the Tropic of Cancer (video)

click to watch

Henry Miller said he didn’t approve of memorials. Memorials, he said, defeated the purpose of a man’s life. Only by living your own life to the full can you honour the memory of someone. So, is the Henry Miller Memorial Library a memorial trying not to be a memorial. Maybe. The best way to find out is to come here, browse, look at what’s on the walls, listen to the music, have a cup of coffee or tea, sit down by the fire, read for a while, do nothing? Quote from the Henry Miller Memorial Library website. I hope our video captures the above feeling.

Boise, Idaho: Flying M Coffee House (video)

Click here to watch

The Flying M Coffee House is located in downtown Boise, Idaho.  The coffee shop has more to offer then just its delicious coffee.  Watch the video to find why the Flying M is rated one of the best coffee houses in Boise.

Omelets Shouldn’t have Breasts

From the street, Simba’s kitschy décor is what initially attracts me to try an omelet. Inside, I head straight for a comfy seat on the couch. A Thai woman hands me a menu while an American-looking man switches off the TV. I feel suspiciously like I’ve just walked into their living room, especially when I notice the furry cat running around.

The beautiful, Thai woman in her strappy sundress and heels is the server, and she’s also the cook. The older, American man laments that he can’t help out for fear of being deported. He grumbles that he has no work permit but seems perfectly content to leave his wife/girlfriend to tend to our omelet needs.

The surprise omelet bonus at Simba’s is the really friendly cat. Recently, I have been trying to pet more cats and dogs while eating omelets. This is in preparation for my upcoming trip to Laos. I figure if I can be comfortable with a pet beside my omelet, then the next step of a pet inside my omelet will be easy to swallow. Today my omelet experience is going smoothly, and I feel really comfortable about going to Laos to try my first dog or cat omelet.

Everything is going well until I notice the art on the wall. In Thailand, where it is rare to see women bare their shoulders, posters of bare-breasted women seem out of place. Like a TV blaring a football game can distract a person from their buffalo wings, the art on the wall detracts from the omelet experience.

The art is a strange mix of children and topless women, which starts me wondering about spatial relationships in the definition of child pornography. Some people might consider a photograph of a nude woman standing beside two children kissing to be pornographic. What about a photograph of a nude woman next to a photograph of two children kissing–is that pushing the envelope? What happens when you add an omelet to the picture?

Brandon takes the camera and explores the juxtaposition of the omelet and the breasts. He determines that the omelet looks better with breasts. Why would anyone introduce an innocent omelet to the depravity of masculine consumer culture?

Additional note: As a society, we despise child pornography. Why do we uphold a standard of beauty for women to appear pre-pubescent by shaving their legs and armpits?

This post sponsored by Mental Foreplay for the Classics.

Click on the picture to find out more!