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Whatchamacallit 71: I will not act indigenous in class.

I bought the above painting while visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico.

According to my receipt, I paid $70 for it on October 22, 2015, at Keshi, the Zuni Connection – an absolutely amazing jewelry boutique located near the city center. I’ve actually returned and purchased additional goods there on subsequent trips.

The painting is […]

Whatchamacallit 70: Peace Love Pride by Roots

A few years ago, I was in Canada in the run-up to Pride, which is when I bought this bracelet.

While I can tell you that I bought this at Roots, the venerable Canadian clothing store, I have no idea how much I paid for it. I also do not know when I bought […]

Whatchamacallit 69: Larry Kramer – The Tragedy of Today’s Gays

I woke Thursday morning to the news that Larry Kramer died.

Thanks to other writers – namely Dan Savage, but others as well – I am well aware of Larry Kramer. But I only have one book by him, The Tragedy of Today’s Gays.

Which is, in many respects, a shame: Larry Kramer is […]

Whatchamacallit 68: My Japanese Sucker

Back in April 2015 I visited the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. I was there, specifically, to visit the Festival of the Steel Phallus: かなまら祭り / Kanamara Matsuri.

I wrote about the Festival of the Steel Phallus and about the Kanayama Shrine in general.

This is one of a few objects that I brought […]

Whatchamacallit 67: nanoblock Brandenburg Tor

This is another Brandenburg Tor, this time made out of nanoblocks.

With its brushy brethren, it resides in my kitchen – a fun reminder of Berlin’s number one tourist attraction.

I ordered it June 1, 2014 (Thanks Amazon for reminding me) – and my distinct memory of building it is that it took me […]

Whatchamacallit 66: Borat Seksy Moustache

The above Moustache hangs, unopened, on the bulletin board in the kitchen hallway.

I got it while attending the Borat pre-premier showing (or event of some kind) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 2006. I would guess, based on my November 1, 2006 blog post, “In Rotterdam,” that I saw it on Tuesday, October 31st, […]

Whatchamacallit 65: Doosan Professional Baseball Club Towel

In early April 2014 I visited Seoul, a city that I can easily imagine living in. I’ve actually visited the city twice.

I’ve told any number of people that if you told me today that I would have to move to South Korea tomorrow that I would say, “Wow – that will be challenging […]

Whatchamacallit 64: Statue of Nessie

Back in 2013, after visiting the Shetland Islands, we headed to Inverness.

Our first stop, Loch Ness, to see the Loch Ness Monster. We ended up lunching at The Dores Inn before wandering around and visiting Steve Feltham, the Nessie Hunter.

Amazingly, I actually saw Nessie that day – through my camera. Unfortunately, I […]

Whatchamacallit 63: Bo Innovation Menu

Back in April 2014, while in Hong Kong, I went to my first Michelin three-star restaurant – Bo Innovation.

It was a treat – and the most expensive meal of my life up and to that point – for our travels.

Looking at the menu, which I had framed and is now on display in […]

Whatchamacallit 62: Wyoming Whiskey

Wyoming Whiskey is a (relatively) recent addition to the small distillery scene and, to the best of my knowledge, the only (legal) distillery in the State of Wyoming.

Given that I have much affection for Wyoming (despite its strong Republican leanings), I keep my eye out for cool, albeit unusual, Wyoming products – and […]