peacock throne

Dangerous Minds has a very nice tribute to the the flaired back wicker peacock chair—known as the Philippine or Manila but originating in China, that was reserved for the select and makes an appreciable seat of authority and smartly frames the subject. Popular from the mid-twentieth century onwards, the exotic chair was part of the furniture for the parlours and studios of American celebrities and public-figures—perpetuated by iconic photographs of the owners sitting—as if commissioning for a portrait. Though not a wicker peacock chair—relatives and neighbours had them, I do remember growing up with a papasan in the living room—which was just as brilliant, classic and more comfortable, I imagine.

5x5

steckdose: a comprehensive overview of the world’s plugs and electrical sockets with some interesting historical background

up-market: manufacturers respond to the middle-class dearth in buying by creating more luxury lines of their standard-issues

swedish fish: arcade veteran Activison scoops up Candy-Crush maker

the adventures of harry mudd: Star Trek spin-offs that were never produced, via Neatorama

sequential hermaphroditism: one of the oldest trees in Europe is in parts changing genders

squadron 40 – diiiive!

Today is International Men’s Health Day, designated by the United Nations, as well as Culture Day in Japan and Election Day in the US. Moreover, Mental Floss has collection of a cavalcade commemorations that occur throughout the month. There’s Aura Awareness, since this time of year the Aurora Borealis sometimes dips low enough in the Northern Hemisphere for us to see in Germany (notwithstanding the foggy mornings), World Vegan Day, Guy Fawkes’ Night and Fibonacci Day. One celebration that was overlooked, however, is Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen Day. “What—Gordon’s alive?!” Remembering that old bird really binds together the string of holidays and all the themes (Movember, thanksgiving and gratitude, creative writing, revolution) of the month quite nicely.  Now, Flash Jump, everyone!

marrakesh express

There is a strange and tense notice being placed on the official announcement that Afghanistan stands ready to accept back all those newly-arrived deported from Germany, helping to alleviate a system already overburdened by deferring to refugees from more eminently dangerous war-zones.
The press seems to be deriding the declaration as if it were mock- charitableness and a mock-decision, citing past examples of the Afghan government extorting monies from Britain and Scandinavian countries in the form of a fund for reintegration—otherwise refusing to allow back its citizens whose asylum claims were denied, as if they had been radicalised by their abroad. Afghanistan, however, has offered no resistance and only caution that migrants should not be compelled into a second exile and careful measures should be instituted to those ends—with the additional burden of proof of country of origin, who’s posing as a Syrian hoping to garner more favourable treatment—and the whole discussion significantly began over a week hence when the Chancellor made a side trip during her visit to China and both governments implored Afghans not to undertake the journey, as their manpower and political will were needed back at home in order for the country to thrive. Obviously draining the ablest (since it takes some motivation and means to coordinate passage) is ultimately a disservice to one’s homeland. What do you think? Does this accord signal a shift in Germany’s welcome-policy, a refinement of responsibility or both?

illudium q-36

While Germany’s Energie-Wende is set to wean the power-hungry nation off of traditional nuclear power (though the change initially demanded that Germany import nuclear-generated electricity from France, fire-up coal and coke plants that had laid dormant for dozens of years and the renewables conduit is making some conservationists angry over environmental and scenic impact), research into alternative forms of nuclear power production is not a completely taboo subject.
As Business Insider reports (with a lot of thorough and accessible background on the science), the University of Greifswald in partnership with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics is about to bring on-line its experimental Wendelstein 7-X, a fusion reactor—also known as a stellarator, mimicking what happens inside a star, as opposed to fission reactors that harness the energy produced when large, unstable radioactive materials break apart. The one billion euro facility, just completed, is the largest of its kind and hopes to one day sustain a continuous and contained plasma-discharge that will usher in the next generation of large-scale, sustainable energy-production.