No, you didn’t click on a Weekend Politics Thread by mistake. I’m still just obsessing over this bird mascot in a recent New York Times article about how exchange programs between American and Chinese universities have cratered in the wake of lingering tensions between the US and China, further impeded by Trump policies related to Chinese students that the Biden administration has not rescinded.

I just can’t get over it. Look at it. The vest. The bowtie. The sunglasses. It’s apparently a mascot costume the US Embassy in China uses for college fairs. I tried to find more information about it. Does it have a name? Was it given a backstory? When was this adopted? Is this strictly a China thing, or does the US use it for other college fairs abroad? I could find NOTHING about it, and the mystery only makes me that much more curious.

… Probably should’ve used that time and energy to write a more interesting header instead. Ah well. Be kind and thoughtful today. Cheers.