weekend miscellany: honk! festival

Hanna's parents were in town Sunday (bringing Lionel to stay) and we T-ed out to Porter Square to check out a yarn shop that Hanna's mom wanted to visit. When we stepped off the T in Porter Square, we walked right into the midst of the Honk! Festival parade. Bostonist has a gallery of photos if you're interested in seeing some of the great costumes. It was a beautiful day and all the participants looked like they were having lots of fun.

Hanna and I are both recovering from very bad colds (maybe the dreaded H1N1?!) that had us at half-mast -- and sometimes much less -- for the better part of two weeks . . . so no more substantial posts for the minute. Watch for a report at the Beehive blog over the next couple of days from a brown-bag talk I attended last week, and next week I should have pictures and notes from our weekend in Burlington, attending the New England Historical Association's fall conference at the University of Vermont. Until then, it's back to the catch-up "to do" list . . .

from the neighborhood: green pots

This is a photograph I took last week of the front stoop of a house that has just been renovated in the neighborhood behind our apartment building.

friday fun: 'simon's cat' video

Hanna via Diana tuned me in to this series of animated videos on YouTube. All of you who have cared for a cat will appreciate them! (Click through the embedded video to the YouTube site for more shorts).

from the neighborhood: end the fed?

This appeared on one of the walls passed which Hanna and I often walk home from work. We've had a lot of conversations about what sort of political statement the artist thought they were making -- and whether they understood the ramifications of either, a) abolishing the federal reserve or b) the federal government.

from the neighborhood: demonic scooter

There's a playground around the corner from our apartment that Hanna and I walk through quite frequently on our daily commute. Therein resides a child's plastic scooter. We never see any of the numerous children who play in the park actually on the scooter, but whenever we pass by it is in a slightly different location, always looking slightly forelorn. Hanna thinks it's mostly likely possessed.

Quick Hit: Shameless Sibling Promotion Sunday

My awesome brother Brian, free-lance artist and middle school art teacher, just had another t-shirt printed by the online company Threadless. It was a collaborative design with a young artist, Piper Kirkby, and has so far been a big hit with folks of all ages.



Check out Brian's blog post for further pictures and information on how to order.

links: i'm 100% of the problem edition

My blog feeder has been overwhelming of late (I walk away for three hours of class and return to find it brimming with 100s of stories!) so this doesn't pretend to be anything other than a highly subjective collection of stuff I've read, remembered to flag for later, and feel moved to pass on.

Hanna's started blogging again at ...fly over me, evil angel... and may soon be blogging for a UK-based project on eBooks (stay tuned for more).

Phyllis Schlafly recently claimed that gay people are responsible for 5% of what's wrong with America, and feminists responsible for 95%. I asked Hanna if this makes means I can claim to be 100% evil? She says yes.

In the UK, a university administrator has (justifiably!) caused a kerfluffle by suggesting that male university lecturers should enjoy lusting after female students (yes, just the women) as one of the 'perks' of their job.

It might just be because I'm in the middle of a project on collective memory and the 19th Amendment, but I find the recurring theme of far right pundits suggesting women shouldn't have the right to vote bizarre and slightly alarming.

Conservative Christians in America apparently think Jesus wouldn't want socialized medicine. Except when it's socialized medicine for them. As my friend Rachel commented, "Nothing makes me more crazy than Christians against HEALTH CARE FOR THE POOR. OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE DID THEY EVER READ THE BIBLE."

And in other disheartening religious news: the Vatican thinks "but other people do it too" is an excuse for sexual abuse (and once again equates abusive sexual behavior with sexual orientation). Way to be totally immature, guys.

While we're on the subject of immaturity, reading Playboy will make boys gay (bad? good?). Or, the threat of becoming gay will make boys stop reading Playboy (good? bad?). Or something. Greta Christina explains.

After all of that, please enjoy . . .

Cute kittens: nolan, raven, and minerva.

Cute Boston: here, here, and here.

One of the best anti-censorship letters from a librarian I've ever read (via Hanna via Stephen Fry on twitter)

Oh, and the Scotsman definitely has this month's great headline: Ben Nevis marred by blight of bananas.

Enjoy your weekend, folks! . . . I tried to take a picture of the possessed scooter that lives in the playground near my apartment this morning, but my camera was out of batteries. I promise to be better-prepared next time. More soon!