sexagennial or diamond jubilee

Her Majesty, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor Batten-berg,  Queen of Ireland and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Lord of Man, Duke of Normandy, &c. is celebrating the beginning of her sixtieth year on the throne, and plans extensive tours this year to celebrate her legacy and reconfirm her commitment to her subjects. She has seen and overseen a great deal of transformation in her domain, public and private, and has remained dedicated and engaged, reserved and steadfast, and bound as much by ceremony and traditions which certainly bear further study, continues to be an inspiration. That an institution and a personality can weather with grace and determination six decades of change that has over-turned many others is certainly an impressive feat.  Joining millions of other well-wishers, I hope that the Queen's professionalism and service endures for years to come.

docking bay 94 or suitable for framing

Via Boing Boing and Neat-o-Rama, the galleries at Tor.com have curated an outstanding collection of modern art reinterpreted with science-fiction movie themes.

These two works from John Mattos, first reimagining Pablo Picasso's the Three Musicians with the Figrin D'an Band and other elements from the Cantina at Mos Eisley and then Marcel Duchamp's iconic abstract painting with C-3PO descending a staircase, are among the best.

what time is it, ma?

Why, it's Deco Time! We're presenting a new blog that H has put together that will feature some of our antique finds along with educational resources and reference material. It is still in the developmental stages, but it is sure to showcase some fun and fine stuff.

retracta and rokovania

I wonder sometimes whether journalism is investigative, self-promoting or merely stumbled upon. I suspect that it is usually the later, rather than the first, and sometimes more notice is made of the breach, the pass rather than keeping to the ceremony of record-keeping and minutes-taking. The nearly universal ascension to the ACTA (EN/DE) treaty happened without notice nor a blip on the RADAR of main-stream journalism and only the rage and defiance of a few brave and informed souls in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe. Now, a bit wiser but still without the leave of the news, protests are being staged in London and other capitals against some of the provisions of the treaty, including in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

The Slovenian signatory, the ambassador to Japan, has released a public apology (in English), first to her children and then to her fellow-citizens for having committed their futures to such a far-reaching atrocity in one of the most articulate, heart-felt and honest statements from a politician that I have had the pleasure of reading in some time. All statecrafters ought to take note. It is the public's duty to snoop around what makes the headlines and is writ large and one cannot rely on go-to journalism to reveal every back-room deal that is coming out of Davos, the EU Parliament or the US Congress, which have all been scuttled in the media as something dull and irrelevant by design, but some of the terms of ACTA would make such snooping harder, and hopefully these rallies can draw the needed attention to what national leaders are consigning their people to.