Gimme the Gear(s): The Big Beta Blowout Sale

Although summer only ‘officially’ ended a week ago, all wet, windy indications would put the actual date of its departure somewhere around mid-August. Fear not intrepid readers, through a semi-frequent dose of simulated light called ‘Gimme The Gear(s)’ we’ll vainly attempt to artificially brighten the darker corners of the bleak winter ahead with the bottled sunshine of retail therapy and the Fake. bake of conspicious consuption. It’s about the merch yo! Or, to put it another way, in the words of Bill Clinton: “It’s the economy, stupid!”

Food Dare: ‘Fowl Times’

Food and sex have been analogized ad nauseum and I find no small amount of delight in the fact that among the qualities they share is an interesting relationship to craving: it seems I always want more of either immediately after I’ve had some. But there’s no ‘fucking’ way I’ll be craving ‘balut’ again any time soon.

Now, I’m a big fan of Tony Bourdain and his various travel/food shows and take no small amount of inspiration from his notoriously adventurous palate and his equally foul mouth. And while admittedly eating fetal duck egg isn’t quite downing a shot-glass full of vietnamese moonshine along with a still-beating cobra heart, I’d have to say it’s probably one of the strangest things I’ve ever consumed.