Out and About: Teslacon II- Madison, WI

Ooh, shiny.

Sometimes Miss Kagashi gets out of her tiny student apartment and occasionally, it's for something supremely awesome. The kind of awesome that provides fodder for late nights with friends for years to come. The kind of awesome where you're relating the story with the same people who were THERE, IN IT- and everyone's still in stitches:

Oh yeah, Teslacon II did that.

But first, a bit of background.

FF: Dearly Departed: Global Funeral Customs of the 19th Century

Irish members of the U.S. Cavalry staging a 'mock wake' in the mid-late 19th century (Collectibles Corner)

Dearly beloved, we gather here to take heed and to read this blog post. Remember this blog as it was, when I had free time coming out my eye sockets and I didn't have to seek employment to keep myself rolling in microcurry and peanut butter. Amen....

It's Halloween, my lovelies, my favorite holiday. In keeping with this month's folkways theme, we'll be discussing that most final of topics: Death. Since I can't find a lot of reliable primary sources about trips to the afterlife for some reason, we'll have to deal with the aspect of death that impacts us living- the funeral. Specifically, funerary and mourning practices of the 19th century and you'll see that the Age of Steam was one interesting time to die and be the bereaved. If you find that this article starts depressing or creeping you out (which is why the tone will be quite light) then I recommend detoxing with this tumblr: Oh Yeah Adorable Puppies. Feel better? Splendid! TO THE GRAVEYARDS WITH US!