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As you may know, Boston is chock-full of beautiful and historically significant statues, monuments and buildings, many of which commemorate -- or even played a role in -- the founding of our country.
The origins and import of certain other structures is more ambiguous, though no less interesting, as I discovered over the weekend.
It was a drizzly Saturday afternoon, and McDoc and I were on our way to a gathering of one of several secret cabals we belong to. We had taken the T to Boston's South End, to avoid the dog-eat-dog parking situation we'd been warned about.
While walking from the T station to our host's address, we came across this artistic marvel, tucked in among the historically registered rowhouses:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/FrontDoor.jpg)
It was a cornucopia of corny sculpture!
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/FrontDoorWindow.jpg)
The detail and variety were endlessly enchanting.
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/poodles.jpg)
An occupant of the building next-door came by and obligingly told us what he knew about the place: a blind man who once lived there spent years creating many of the sculptures, and his family members who continue to live there since his death have added to the collection. It seems he was a big fan of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, and sought to capture something of the flavor of it in his work.
I asked if the menagerie had attained protected landmark status.
"If anyone ever wants to do any work on the building at all, the city will make them remove ALL the sculpture and return the building to its original condition."
I, for one, sincerely hope the windows never rot.
More details, with my interpretations:
Skunk & Poodle:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/poodleskunk.jpg)
Cherub Riding a Dolphin (of course!)
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/childondolphin.jpg)
Little Girl Chewing on Her Skirt:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/Littlegirl.jpg)
Angelic Tableau, with Skunk:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/Angeltableau.jpg)
Not all the sculptures get along, sadly:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/talktodabutt.jpg)
Front Door Detail:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/Doordetail.jpg)
Woman with Urn, plus check out the Schooner hiding just above the greenery:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/Urnschooner.jpg)
Oh, and the neighbor we talked to told us that the collection continued in back of the house. When we left our party that evening, we walked down the public alley to check it out.
Trevi Fountain, South End Style:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/TreviinBoston.jpg)
Our Lady of the Chainlink:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/OurLady.jpg)
St. Francis, I presume?
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/St.jpg)
The Communion of Saints:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/CommunionofSaints.jpg)
Poodle Power!
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/Poodle.jpg)
Another Dolphin-Rider:
![Photobucket](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/virgomusic/Boston/South%20End%20Sculpture/childondolphin2.jpg)
On to the historically significant Top Comments!
From AJ in Camden:
In NCrissieB's Morning Feature, Wes Opinion proposes a reality show I would watch!
From m00finsan (I think! Please include those usernames with nominations, everyone! :) -Ed):
In MeMeMeMeMe's diary, Wingnuts Rewriting the Bible to Make it Less "Liberal", soonergrunt's depiction of the conservative Gospels was epic.
From sardonyx:
In yesterday's DK BrokenRoots diary about homelessness by citisven, Are You Home Yet?, timewarp writes on the lack of privacy in shelters.
Onomastic writes that Hope and I are strange bedfellows.
In MeMeMeMeMe's diary about wingnuts rewriting the bible so it isn't a damnable liberal screed, ultrageek gives us a preview with For Jesus spake.
In clammyc's diary Prepare to explain this after a healthcare bill passes, cskendrick talks about what comes through when Republicans let the talking point veil down.
From yours truly, virgomusic:
elfling crunches the numbers on outrageous premium increases that Wellpoint thinks the State of Maine should be legally required to guarantee them. voroki suggests a more accurate name for the company.
Mojo brought to you by brillig, who does her 100th TC diary tomorrow -- be sure to tune in!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) Prof, your question should be asked to the Public by elwior — 118
2) It's like the stimulus by political junquie — 99
3) The parable of the shrewd manager by FishOutofWater — 91
4) what else can I say.............. by Julie Gulden — 88
5) Almost Two Years Ago by JekyllnHyde — 87
6) A democrat doesn't need to lose his by lakehillsliberal — 81
7) Oh I thought it was by heart of a quince — 79
8) Honestly, I know no one in the so-called by inclusiveheart — 78
9) It is a deliberate tactic of the right by A Mad Mad World — 76
10) I don't care what the Ethics Cmte. does by Dallasdoc — 75
11) Should we tell them Jesus was a Jew.... by ExStr8 — 67
12) Perfect way to expose the ignorance. by psnyder — 66
13) The strategy of the modern republican party: by irate — 66
14) Instead of a polling question, let it be a 30 sec by Greg in TN — 66
15) Yes, it would be an excellent polling question by political junquie — 65
16) The Gospels, according to Conservapedia by soonergrunt — 65
17) They've got this one covered too by MeMeMeMeMe — 62
18) They have learned by TJ — 61
19) If the health care debate by ozarkspark — 61
20) Yep, they refuse to understand it. Acts 2 & 5 by FishOutofWater — 61
21) Right media is just twisted by heart of a quince — 60
22) Yup, this is like lawyers by deaniac83 — 60
23) My kid, Devious Pie, was banned from by blue jersey mom — 59
24) I love your uplifting posts and your by angstall — 58
25) It's a short diary, by TomP — 56
26) There is a way around hating to cite ... by Meteor Blades — 55
27) The whole thing is a fucking joke. by miasmo — 55
28) So which version is the inerrant word of God? by Kate Patience — 55
29) Thats ok, people piss on anything positive here by divineorder — 55
30) But haven't you gotten the memo?! by Troubadour — 54
31) 52% by dark daze — 54
32) That shark got jumped when they called by Crashing Vor — 54
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar list :-):
1) Tip Jar by ProfJonathan — 756
2) Tip Jar by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 396
3) For clarity of terms. by Crashing Vor — 377
4) Tip Jar by MeMeMeMeMe — 361
5) if the best that can be said by clammyc — 351
6) And thus we get a by Jerome a Paris — 330
7) Tip Jar by dday — 329
8) Tip Jar by blackwaterdog — 315
9) Bonus Pony... by buhdydharma — 248
10) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 220
11) Tip Jar by A Siegel — 212
12) Tip Jar by TomP — 192
13) Tips for Mrs. Droogie by droogie6655321 — 173
14) Tip Jar by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand — 171
15) Tip Jar by gjohnsit — 161
16) Tip Jar by Troubadour — 134
17) Two of the Shining Lights in the G.O.P. by JekyllnHyde — 131
18) Tips for screwing over The Family and C Street by MinistryOfTruth — 122
19) Prof, your question should be asked to the Public by elwior — 118
20) tip container by jlms qkw — 103
21) It's like the stimulus by political junquie — 99
22) Tip Jar by Snud — 93
23) The parable of the shrewd manager by FishOutofWater — 91
24) what else can I say.............. by Julie Gulden — 88
25) Almost Two Years Ago by JekyllnHyde — 87
26) A democrat doesn't need to lose his by lakehillsliberal — 81
27) Oh I thought it was by heart of a quince — 79
28) Honestly, I know no one in the so-called by inclusiveheart — 78
29) It is a deliberate tactic of the right by A Mad Mad World — 76
30) I don't care what the Ethics Cmte. does by Dallasdoc — 75