Hey Santa. Check it out

From the fine folks at Hammacher Schlemmer comes the only botanical air purifier. This is the kind of crap you see in a SkyMall catalogue, like a bigger-than-life-size Peanuts nativity scene with Woodstock in for the baby Jesus (I made a link here so you can see I did not make that up) or a water fountain for your cat. You know what I mean. But I must admit, I'm intrigued. I can grow herbs and purify the air at the same time.
(Via: Random Good Stuff)

Hero

I love this kid. He decided (at ten years old) that he won't say the pledge of allegiance until there is really is "liberty and justice" for all, including gays and lesbians. And he lives in Arkansas, not Boston or DC.
There may be hope for us yet.
And BTW, "Gaywad?" I had no idea kids still used that epithet.

Dee-lish hand-pulled London-style in-house-brewed cask ale from American flatbread tap room in Burlington. Yum! I await my carmelized onion and goat cheese pizza.

Speaking of things they do well in Vermont, I just took the Magic Hat brewery tour.... the samples were amazing. I am in love the the Winter seasonal Belgian chocolate stout. I hope it's available in Boston. Next time we come up here, I'm bringing a growler for them to fill for me. Hooray, beer!

Coffee, ice cream, beer, cheese. Vermont seems to have the bases covered.

At Ben and Jerry's in Waterbury VT for factory tour.... then free ice cream!

Brother Jim awaits the T.

Cornmaze with my sister's kids

Ming Tsai cooking at a fundraiser for the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Boylston.
He made delicious shrimp treats with some sort of amazing reduction drizzled over-top.
I bid on a night at the symphony during the silent auction. Good times.
Edited to add: I won the night at the symphony for four. It's December 5th. I think Jim's parents will be here. If that's the case, we'll have a blast...plus, they'll think we're really sophisticated.

Ruby on rails workshop for women at harvard

Helping to teach a beginning class in ruby on rails this weekend. It is targeted at women in the hopes of increasing the female presence in software development. Venue is harvard law school. Hooray for gender diversity!

Goodbye, New Orleans. We had fun!

Fountain on the patio of the Bulldog on Magazine Street. Fortunately, the inside taps are equally copious.

Beignets at café du monde - yummy!

Jackson Square. From the second floor of the Cabildo.

Burial crypt of Marie Laveau, the most famous voodoo prietess in the history of New Orleans.

Live jazz is a reason to live

I can only imagine this in the days of kerouac

Trite? Yes, but there's a reason Pat O'Brien's is so famous.

Loyola University. You know, they call this statue "Touchdown" Jesus. To me, he seems more like "eh, whatcha gonna do" Jesus.

At Audubon Park. Then to Loyola and Tulane.

It's raining buckets this minute (sure to change soon) so we ducked into Tujague's for refreshments. A Pimm's cup for me and and absinthe suisesse for Jim. How civilized.