Flann takes a photo on the Orange Line of the Quincy Market Ben Franklin, you know, the one who gets crabby if you try to take his picture without paying him. No word if he started yelling at her or didn't mind because he was off the clock.

Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar will "take over" a Faneuil Hall bar this Friday. No, of course, they don't announce which one beforehand (you need to sign up for the mailing list to get some e-mail the morning of the event):

The idea is to turn an unsuspecting straight bar into a gay bar for one night. Call it guerrilla bar fare.

Didn't realize it was that cold yesterday:

Dare I suggest it was better in New York?

Margaret and Rich take the kids to the Quincy Market tree lighting tonight, which featured Tom Menino, Wally and Santa Claus:

... And they threw the switch and the whole square lit up and they blew millions of white, swirling pieces of rectangular paper over the crowd. The effect was reminiscent of standing in a snow squall but it was quite pretty. ...

And Greg MacKay is there.

Cowbark photographs a parrot shredding a Metro at Quincy Market:

He was eating popcorn and shredding newspaper (apparently that's how parrots build nests, but made out of tree pulp), and had a friend that was sitting on a woman's shoulder. The woman also had an iguana hanging out on top of a cage that you could pet.

Susie: The sketchiest, worst time in Boston ever is leaving the bars at 2:00 a.m. In Faneuil Hall. As a female. All alone. In the pouring rain.

Say you're that guy who walks around Quincy Market all day dressed like Ben Franklin. What do you do when it's time to go home? Suzie reports you keep your britches on and get on the train to Andover, but adds that seeing him there only raises more questions:

... Does he take his wig off and lay his costume aside when he enters his home? Or does he don a nightcap and traditional Ben Franklin night clothes? Does he fly kites around the neighborhood? ...

Boston Behind the Scenes interviews a guy at Quincy Market who escapes from straightjackets.

No word if the next interview will be with one of those eight-foot-tall mimes in gold fabric who just stand there until you give them some money.

The Herald reports that the Yankee Candle shop was held up yesterday by a guy carrying what appeared to be a shotgun in a bag (also: when an assistant manager asked a customer to call 911, he instead just ran away, leaving his credit card behind).

On Thursday, a guy carrying what appeared to be a shotgun in a bag held up Bel Tempo in Downtown Crossing.