Has there been a gay Christmas movie before? None spring to mind, and I really liked the idea of cuddling up with Andreas on the couch, our recently decorated tree glowing to one side of the room while we watched Make the Yuletide Gay. The results were mixed. Like most holiday films, Make the Yuletide...
Christmas in Weird Germany 2: Pyramids
December 10th, 2009 | Holiday, Weird Germany
These clever little devices are called pyramids in German, but are probably better described as carousels. They operate on a very simple premise. The heat generated from the candles moves the wooden fan blades above, causing everything to spin. Usually there are little figures in the pyramids center that enjoy going for a ride. As...
Christmas in Weird Germany 1: Advent Calendars
December 2nd, 2009 | Holiday, Weird Germany
If there’s one holiday that’s big in Germany, one big festive money shot that the entire country revels in, then without a doubt it is Weihnachten. That’s Christmas to you and I. Over here the celebrations span multiple days, including four advents, a day dedicated solely to Santa Claus, and a trinity of days as...
Today is International Coming Out Day, the perfect opportunity to come out to friends, family, or coworkers if you haven't already. Much of the fight for equal rights comes from gay people being visible, showing the world that we are familiar faces and not distant statistics. Please consider doing your part and speaking up for...
To celebrate our anniversary, Andreas and I headed down south to visit the Bärenhöhle cave. This might not be a common activity that couples do to celebrate their steamy man love, but it sounded like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, the cave itself was a bit boring. I was expecting trippy colored lights...
Fantasy’s Finest: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
August 21st, 2009 | Fantasy, Television
The inclusion of "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" as being among fantasy’s finest might raise some eyebrows, but behind the cheesy 80’s cartoon lies a truly inspired concept. When first considering the world of He-Man, we immediately think of a standard fantasy world involving sword and sorcery, forgetting sometimes that MOTU was just...
Ice cream. It’s what’s for dinner.
August 12th, 2009 | Food, Weird Germany
Ice cream is the hottest cold commodity in Germany. Every summer I’m astounded at the amount of ice cream that is sold, doing mental calculations of how much cafes earn while tonguing the hell out of a cone myself. It’s not terribly expensive. A waffle cone with a generous scoop of ice cream only costs...
I’ve been safe and sound in New Mexico for a week now, which makes it odd that this blog entry is about Colorado. Andreas is a big fan of public transportation and has designed his fair share of trains. His passion for them inspired my dad to take us to Durango, Colorado to ride the...
Fantasy’s Finest: Avatar the Last Airbender
July 10th, 2009 | Fantasy, Television
Children’s cartoons are often overlooked by the adult populace. It’s a shame because fiction geared toward kids is often more daring and innovative, unhindered by concerns of what the audience might accept. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a wonderful example of this, a show that manages to be adventurous and fun while still being earnest...
Weird Germany: The Potato Pimp
July 9th, 2009 | Weird Germany
There’s a man, his wife, a truck, and a whole lot of vegetables. And they mean business. The man, let’s call him the Potato Pimp, parks his truck outside of apartment buildings and homes and rings his bell like an ice-cream man, but it’s potatoes and veggies that he’s peddling. In Berlin they were a...