Whitesplaining- don’t do it

I’ve been in a couple of situations lately I’ve witnessed the racial equivalent of Mansplaining.  That is, Whitesplaining.  In short, it’s when a white person explains to a non-white person how they should react to the use of a particular racially loaded term or epithet.  It also happens when a white person explains how non-white people should react to said to said terminology in an all white group.  In short, “this should offend you/them more or less than that” or, “that shouldn’t offend you/them at all.”

Awesome.

Continue reading “Whitesplaining- don’t do it”

When suburban uniformity and reality collide

It is difficult to overstate the importance of water for life. It’s one of the reasons why so many human cities and human civilizations sprung up in places next to rivers or lakes where fresh water was plentiful. And in many places the bringing in of fresh water is one of the first public utilities to appear. Even here in Boston, a public water system was available by the end of the 18th century.
So how is it that in the 21st century, we have so many places, not just in the developing world but right here in the United States, that are struggling just to provide potable water for their population?
Continue reading “When suburban uniformity and reality collide”

Language, words, power, and Game of Thrones

I’ve been thinking a lot ever since I first cracked the books in the series A Song of Ice and Fire and watched the HBO show Game of Thrones about the language in the world GRRM has created.  Aside from the fact that most all of the actors speak British English (bravo, Peter Dinklage), there are a lot of interesting accents (bravo, Pedro Pascal), dialects, languages, and such to contend with on screen.

Off screen, in the written word, there’s a lot going on as well.  There’s a great essay here taking apart what’s happening, what GRRM has done and hasn’t done, and things like the necessity of having professional linguists create Dothraki and Valyrian, etc.  Click through, it is absolutely worth a read.

Continue reading “Language, words, power, and Game of Thrones”

Looking forward to fall already

Wow, it’s already August 1st.

We have been fortunate this year.  There have been few days over 90 degrees and none of those brutal heat waves of 100 degree temperatures like we had last year.

Still, I can’t wait for fall.

Continue reading “Looking forward to fall already”

@The_Fireplace is closing at the end of this year

and that just breaks my heart.  And Kelly’s too.  We love The Fireplace.  It was where we had our rehearsal dinner.  It is hands down our favorite restaurant in Boston, and believe me, that says a lot because there are so many good restaurants that we love.

We are going to try to go a few more times before they close.  At least they will be here until the end of the year.  But we are heartbroken.  We are going to miss that place, and we will miss seeing owner, chef and all-around great guy Jim too.

Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria can take over your building, but they can’t fill your shoes.

-Geoff

Greater Boston area people – we need your help!

When you think of creepy, spooky, or cool and mysterious, what do you think of?  Is it the Ether Dome at MGH?  One of the chapels in Mount Auburn Cemetery?  Or something else entirely?

Here’s why we’re asking.

One of the music groups I work with is planning a very cool and very creepy Halloween concert.  Several concerts, actually.  And we’re looking for the creepiest, spookiest, and coolest places in the greater Boston area for these concerts.

I know it’s July and way to hot to be thinking about falling leaves, a chill in the air, and ghosts and goblins, but we’re planning ahead.  If you have any ideas about a place that would be cool for a concert of music about things like severed heads and possessed vegetables, please leave a note in the comments.  Thanks!

~Kelly

GRRM, Neil Gaiman, Paul & Storm… so much geek awesomeness concentrated in one spot…

I think there may have actually been danger of having some sort of geek singularity of awesomeness form on stage.

But before I tell you what I am talking about, some context.

Continue reading “GRRM, Neil Gaiman, Paul & Storm… so much geek awesomeness concentrated in one spot…”

Sigh… I miss Game of Thrones

It really hasn’t been that long since Season 4 ended, but it feels like it has been an eternity.  I guess I had not fully appreciated how much I looked forward to watching Game of Thrones every Sunday, but there were times when it was practically the highlight of my week.  I miss having that weekly thing to look forward to watching with Kelly.

So in the meantime I have been finding all sorts of ASOIAF/GoT things to keep myself entertained.

Continue reading “Sigh… I miss Game of Thrones”

The best GRRM interview I have ever read

Admittedly, I have not read every single interview he has ever given, nor have I watched all of the ones he has given on video, but this interview I read recently on io9 is my hands-down favorite.  No, it isn’t new, but I had not read it until this week.

But it’s fantastic, especially for someone who is interested in writing and wants to see how a famous writer’s mind works.  And I find it just fascinating.

Continue reading “The best GRRM interview I have ever read”

Well-preserved wreck in Baltic Sea to be explored

The 16th century Swedish shipwreck Mars the Magnificent will now be explored thanks to a grant by the National Geographic Society.  Like similar wrecks (the Vasa comes to mind immediately) the wreck of the Mars is expected to yield all sorts of artifacts and give historians and archaeologists a detailed view of what is a fairly famous ship in the history of Sweden.

Continue reading “Well-preserved wreck in Baltic Sea to be explored”