A Happy Half-day

I haven't worked Commencement Day in several years.  Today I covered the Widener desk.  Commencement Day at the library is quiet; most people come in for the toilet only.  I enjoy seeing the people in their fancy clothes.

Here's a crowd of visitors taking the usual photo.

As I left, I passed a group handing out buttons.  A guy asked me if I favored immigration reform and handed me one, which I did not put on because I didn't know what kind of reform they wanted.  I didn't stay to find out more because I wanted to catch my bus.  I didn't walk because it was very hot.  From what I can tell from their site, they seem OK.

Spring Update, or This Bud's for you

Here's a picture of the robin's nest in the Pusey Pit tree from above.  You can see the ribbons, at least.

Here's some flowering bushes in back of Wadsworth House.  I don't know what they are.

The flowers on these trees have already fallen off.

Harvard Yard is not too crowded.

London by Night

I'm currently reading The Victorian City by Judith Flanders.  In the chapter on prostitution (The Red-Lit Streets to Death) Flanders mentioned a cheap novel about a nice girl's descent into prostitution.  This is how I discovered London by Night.  I only read bits of it, but the colored plates interested me.

The author, Anonyma, had written many similar books.

This one has lots of illustrations.

I'm pretty sure these are in the public domain, so go ahead and check out these and others here.  However, if you purchased the copyright to the illustrations of William Gray, just let me know.

Brunch

I wanted to have brunch here last Sunday, but they were already reserved up through 2:30.  We went today. 

Here are my brunching partners.

On April 27 I went with Rosemary to the preview of Art in Bloom at the MFA.  I only took pictures of the arrangements I liked.  The hands-down winner was this green lady:

For my other photos, go here.

A Robin with a Ribbon

The Map people notified me of a new robin's nest visible from their windows.  But this robin found some ribbon to weave into her nest.  It's very charming.

 

The windows are pretty dirty, so I had a hard time getting a clear picture.

Bigger files here.

New Stuff on the Christian Science Church Plaza

I actually don't know if it's called the Christian Science Church Plaza, but that's what it is.  Rosemary and I were there on Saturday, because she had seen stuff going up and wanted to investigate.  One proud sculptress, who was installing her 2 "Tiger Mom" figures, said that on the following Saturday there would be a big reception with politicians speaking, etc.

This wind sculpture had many moving parts.

Out for some Fun

Here's that funny-looking building as seen from the entrance of the new wing of the Gardner, where I and my neighbor have come to see the Anders Zorn exhibit.

Here's the front facade.

Here's some of the plants in the greenhouse.

The stall doors in the women's room.  Beautiful!

In front of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This woman (college student?), whom we met going to lunch on the green line,  kindly allowed me to take her photo.  She and a couple of friends had been celebrating Holi.

Originally, we were going to eat at Cafe Jaffa, but that part of Boston was still closed off.  We strolled over to the closed area.  A woman had brought her therapy cats.

The media were still there in force.

My Only Contribution

My only contribution to the mass of Marathon Bombing photos is this snap of Norfolk St. today (Saturday) taken as I walked to work.  As you can see, the Somerville police left some of their barricades.  The barricades were still there when I came home.

Yesterday I stayed at home like a rule-abiding citizen.   I noticed from TV coverage that some people did come out and talk to the media people at Norfolk St.

My neighbor was out of milk, so she called up Albert who lives above his store, Albert's Market, across the street.  While Albert was taking care of her, a friend from church came in to buy lottery tickets.

Then when they lifted the shelter-at-home-order you could hear millions of dogs barking as they finally got their walks.

Too Late

It sounded like the Greek Independence Day Parade would last longer, but when when got to the Common, everything appeared to be over.  So I just got a few shots of people in costumes.  Then Rosemary and I went shopping.

For No Reason--Photoshop

I photoshopped this figure drawing today.

Harvard Square has a New Cup

I just noticed this cup above the Church St. Dunkin Donuts today.  This must be their answer to the Government Center teapot.

Words Uncoupled

English has a bunch of rarely-used words.  For instance, a recent OED word of the Day was nocent.

"nocent, n. and adj.

[‘A guilty person, a criminal. Obs.’]

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈnəʊs(ə)nt/,  U.S. /ˈnoʊs(ə)nt/

Forms:  lME– nocent,   15 nocente. 

Etymology: <  Middle French nocent, adjective (1404) and noun (1400–10) or its etymon classical Latin nocent-, nocēns injurious, guilty, guilty person, uses as adjective and noun of present participle of nocēre to hurt, injure (see necro- comb. form). Compare Italian †nocente, adjective (a1347). Compare earlier innocent adj. and n."

Nocent and innocent used to be a couple, but nocent faded from memory and disappeared from smaller dictionaries.  Why?  It seems like a handy word.


I've dealt with the vincible/ invincible and the peccable/ impeccable  pairs in earlier posts. 

Perhaps the majority of English speakers dislike paired opposites because they suggest that both are necessary--you know, that yin/yang stuff. 


Another slightly different example is Seamster | Sempster

" a. One who sews; one whose occupation is sewing, esp. the making and mending of garments; a tailor, seamstress. Originally a designation of a woman, but in Old English already applicable to a man. Now only applied to one of the male sex, seamstress being commonly used for a female sewer."

Another example suggested by Chuck is the adjective turpid:

"rare.  Base, filthy, worthless.

1623   H. Cockeram Eng. Dict.,   Turpid, filthy.

1866   J. B. Rose tr. Virgil Georgics ii. 60   But fruit degenerates,—its flavour lost, The turpid grapes are left to birds or frost.

1867   J. B. Rose tr. Virgil Æneid 44   Smitten with turpid fear."

The only form we seem to use today is turpitude and then only in the phrase moral turpitude.  Yet we have available  turpid, turpidly, and turpitudinous.  Why do we throw out perfectly good words?

 

Chinese New Year Photos

Snow Day

I got out of work at noon on Friday.  I took these photos on Saturday.

The patio.

Romeo asks to go out, but comes up against a wall of snow.

Moon on View

I finally put up my framed Moon charter brochure.

Here's some space-themed stuff I lifted from lileks.com.

Presumabley these are from old advertisements.  He doesn't list sources.  Pretty neat stuff.

Birthday Dinner at Puritan & Co.

Rosemary treated me to dinner last night at Puritan & Co., a recent arrival on Cambridge St.  I had chicken; she had beef.  The food was pretty good, but the noise was a distraction and made it difficult to hear each other.

The space is one large, long room with a high ceiling.  I kept trying to figure out what kind of architectural modifications would cut the noise.  The music was too loud, and people trying to be heard by their neighbors made it worse.  It's a shame, because they have an interesting menu.

Afterwards, we went to 1369 for coffee.

I am now thoroughly 58.