Why are pansies associated with unmanliness and deviation from heteronormativity? They are some of the hardiest flowers there are. When I took this picture the temperature in Washington D.C. had risen to a high of 34F (1C) and they have been blooming for some time, as opposed to the cherry blossoms, which have not shown up yet. They and daffodils in fact dare to appear during what is really the last stage of winter, before spring really breaks out. See my post from last year on “Daffodil season” in Michigan, which is also pansy season, and is, it seems, about a month later in southern Michigan than here in the Capital.
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The Problem with ‘Straight Pride’
A few cities have recently talked of having ‘Straight Pride’ parades. Whether their purpose is celebration or mockery I can’t say. Whatever the intention, I don’t know whether I could participate. About 95% of the population is ‘straight’ by nature, and […]
Saint Boniface’s Day and D-Day
Saint Boniface was born about 675 in Anglo-Saxon England. He was initially named Winfrid by his prosperous and respected family. At an early age he attended a monastery school, and as a young man he became a monk. The Pope […]
A Recent History of ‘Skinny Fat’ or How Fit Were People in the Old Days?
Recently in an airport, I saw and bought a rather provocative issue of Scientific American. The cover declared that humans ‘evolved’ to exercise, while the most similar forms of life – chimpanzees and bonobos – function very well as couch potatoes, according to […]