Podcasts of the Week Ending November 24

HUB History :: Mary Dyer, the Quaker Martyr

The history of religious intolerance and persecution in early Massachusetts.

The Truth :: Murder at the Cakery Bakery

Anyone who has ever worked in customer service may feel an uncomfortable pleasure in this fictional revenge fantasy.

The Moth :: Dinner with Wonder Woman – Adam Linn

A story of a Thanksgiving miracle involving Skype and a full-sized pig.

Best of the Left :: Why Men Will Be Better Off Without the Patriarchy

Stories of how patriarchy harms men too.

Podcasts of the Week Ending November 17

Sidedoor :: That Brunch in the Forest

Myths and reality of Native Americans and the “first Thanksgiving.”

All Songs Considered :: How the Beatles Made “The White Album”

The story behind the Beatles strangest album.

30 for 30 :: Rickey Won’t Quit

The great Rickey Henderson plays one last season in professional baseball for an independent minor league team.

The Anthropocene Reviewed :: Tetris and the Seed Potatoes of Leningrad

Fascinating stories from the Soviet Union trace the origin of the classic video game Tetris and its unrecognized designer, and the people of Leningrad who protected a seed bank against Nazi invasion.

Have You Heard? :: Closing Time: In a Gentrifying City, are Some Students Expendable

A must-listen story of the effort to close, privatize, and segregate Boston Public Schools.

 

Photopost: Thanksgiving Day Parade 2017

Somehow had a worse perspective than last year, but here are some photos from the 2017 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Dudely dragon.

Vintage ballplayer.

Radio City Red.

Bobbing pumpkins.

Chase is on the case.

Peekaboo!

Olaf aloft.

Vicious squirrell

Clown, with a tack.

Photopost: Thanksgiving Day Parade

Some photo highlights from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Central Park West this morning.

Tom Turkey

Thomas the Tank Engine

Paddington Bear

Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Pikachu

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Sailing ship

Happy Hippo

Felix the Cat

Harold the Fireman

Dino

Mt Rushmore costumes from the South Dakota float

Flower

Red Angry Bird

Duck taking a selfie

Regina Spektor

Spongebob closeup

Tony Bennet

Santa Claus!

Book Review: What Was the First Thanksgiving? by Joan Holub

Author: Joan Holub
Title: What Was the First Thanksgiving?
Publication Info: Grosset & Dunlap (2013), 112 pages
Summary/Review: This is a simple but honest children’s history of the settlers of Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag people and what really happened on that first Thanksgiving.  There’s a fair amount of myth-busting as well as using surviving records to determine actual events.  There’s also a short history of how Thanksgiving became an American holiday and a detailed chapter about visiting Plimoth Plantation (very useful to my son and I since we’re taking a field trip there next month).

Rating: ***

Song of the Week: “Burn Your Village to the Ground” by A Tribe Called Red

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Ottawa-based electronic powwow act A Tribe Called Red released the free track “Burn Your Village to the Ground.”

One Small Moment

This post is inspired by my neighbor and fellow blogger Casey who is the talented and prolific writer of Life With Roozle.

In this post, Casey challenges readers to take time to notice one small moment in what may otherwise be a hectic holiday week.

On Thanksgiving Day, I was playing football in the backyard with my energetic son Peter.  I ran around for a while and ended up wheezing due to congestion from a lingering cold, so I collapsed in a chair to take a break.  Uncharacteristically, Peter climbed in my lap and sat quietly for a long time.  Then there was a screech from above and we looked up and saw two hawks gliding on the breeze.  After the hawks drifted off, I was still looking up and noticed that despite being a cold, blustery late-Autumn day, the sky was a gorgeous blue and our evergreens a glorious green.

I took a picture, which doesn’t really capture the essence of the moment, but it does serve as a reminder.

What’s your one small moment?

Beer Review: Harpoon Grateful Harvest Ale

Beer: Grateful Harvest Ale
Brewer: Harpoon Brewery
Source:  12 oz. bottle
Rating: ** (6.0 of 10)
Comments: This unique beer pours out amber in color with a foamy head.  The cranberry is definitely there in the aroma and flavor.  The taste is a bit week, with unfortunate overly sweet undertones, but the aftertaste is good.  For a seasonal beer with a unique New England twist, it’s worth trying, but overall this is a so-so beer.

Note: Grateful Harvest benefits Harpoon Helps the philanthropic wing of Harpoon Brewery which supports New England Charities like The Greater Boston Food Bank.  Even if you’re not interested in the beer consider making a donation to GBFB or your local food bank.