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gordonzola ([personal profile] gordonzola) wrote2007-09-17 11:33 am
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Burlington art

So, I think this is really the last post I have about my Burlington trip. When the cheese conference was over, [livejournal.com profile] nunofthat and I searched for some food with no dairy in it at all. We actually found a pretty ok Thai place, certainly better than I expected to find on the East Coast. Of course, things have changed a lot since the few years I lived in the East in that regard. Our restaurant did come with a Jonathan Richman-esque , self-deprecating, emo rock trio. You don't see that in a San Francisco Thai place!

After dinner we wandered down to the lake where a really good salsa band was playing in honor of Burlington Latin Pride week. After being at the cheese conference for a week, which was about (generously) 1% people of color, it looked like a real city down there. I mean, except for the natural beauty, and the lake, and the lack of buildings and the darkness in the distance.

On the way, we passed a mural that was so mysterious that we had to go back the next day and check it out. What do you make of this?

Part 1
Burlington art 2

Part 2
Burlington art

Nunofthat and I gawked at it in the morning light and tried to come up with an explanation. Nothing quite fit so I harassed someone in the street. "Dude! What is that thing holding the flag supposed to be?" Since this was Burlington they stopped and gave us an explanation.

According to the kid who grew up there, it was mysterious to him growing up as well. "I always assumed that the flag carrier was Humpty Dumpty, but I'm not sure if that's right."

"Oh my god, you're right," I yelled, too loudly and excitedly. The local checked behind himself to make sure his escape route wasn't blocked. "A reconstituted Humpty is thanking the environmentalist tree huggers for putting him back together again. Humpty is a metaphor for the environment!"

You can't quite see the Dali-esque clocks running around telling us the time is now for environmental action, but they really make this mural for me. I'm not sure how I feel about Humpty standing in for the environment though. Remember, in the original, the destruction of Humpty was a good thing.

And speaking of the New Model Army, you all saw this right? I feel safer already.

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I salute you American Humpty!


CIMG0100


[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Nunofthat does love to hug trees. I don't think she meant to go for a crotch grab though.

Burlington art 5

[identity profile] walktheplank.livejournal.com 2007-09-18 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
That Wikipedia entry was the best thing I've read all week! Humpty Dumpty... who knew?

P.S. Thank god that the State Department is keeping us safe from chorus pedals and 12-string guitars!

P.P.S. "...it looked like a real city down there. I mean, except for the natural beauty, and the lake, and the lack of buildings and the darkness in the distance."

Heh! :)

Like, duh

[identity profile] sarahshevett.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Everyone KNOWS the enVIronment is American!
geez...

Re: Like, duh

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
clearly my anti-Americanism has blinded me to the truth.


On another subject, how about that Jeter, eh? I will say that was an amazing game even if Shilling vs. Clemens would be the starters in my fantasy all star-asshole world series.

Like Jason

[identity profile] sarahshevett.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah there was a piece during last nights game on "Clemens' Last Game"!!
Oh the sadness of his retirement.
So monumental. The end of an era.

wait, what?


I actually felt sad that the Papi didn't get the hit.(for a microsecond)

[identity profile] nunofthat.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
You can't quite see the Dali-esque clocks running around telling us the time is now for environmental action,

That is rich.

I am still a little weirded out by the ladies pushing their shopping carts up and down the Green Mountains, but that is just me.


P.S. How can you wrap up the Burlington series without the crunchy co-op homage? I will be sad.

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
well, I think the readers are losing interest.

so, was the tree-hugger crotch-grab intentional or unintentional?

[identity profile] nunofthat.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, the fickle nature of being popular!

And yeah, I didn't mean to be getting quite so fresh and randy in my pursuit of some summertime treehugger wood, but you know, I think he (?) kind of liked it, in his one-dimensional sort of way.

[identity profile] serazin.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
That is the BEST wikipedia entry I've read all day (I only read one other one today, but still, the Humpty Dumpty one was awesome. Picture caption: "Humpty Dumpty, prior to his fall." sealed it.

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not a wikipedia fan. But I thought that was an exceptional entry.

[identity profile] psybelle.livejournal.com 2007-09-18 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
The french bit (there's got to be a term for that!) made my day.

"...any watchman with a fish", indeed.

[identity profile] brownstargirl.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
gotta motherfucking love Vermont.

[identity profile] thisisthenow.livejournal.com 2007-09-17 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Clearly, the meaning of the mural is that if you love trees in a platonic-type manner, the giant smiley American-style ass will come shake your hand.

[identity profile] the-macnab.livejournal.com 2007-09-18 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
The only thing that creeps me out about this mural is that there was a time, and a place, and a whole section of the Good Guys looked at this mural and said, "Yes! That conveys our message!"