grøtmelet or the breakfast of champions

We enjoyed learning of the great Norwegian Porridge Feud of the mid-nineteenth century that was sparked by “scientific” thought encroaching on traditional foods. Domestic science—which did not always ascribe rigorously to the scientific method with opium and cocaine and sugar considered safe active ingredients or breakfast cereals promoted as a remedy against autoerotic excess and has a history of crazes, ulterior motives and a rather spotty reputation—sought to overhaul kitchen-witchery and folkways.
The first perceived assault came in the form of a cookbook that presumed to tell housewives that they’ve been making their porridge (grøt) and other staples wrong all along, authored by the well-meaning Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (under the pseudonym Clemens Bonifacius—the Gentle Helper). Would you have taken sides? This controversy, seen by many to be a grave insult to homemakers but alternately drew many to companion the new science, forwarded the debate between traditional wisdom and expert application in view of the evolving realities of the way we live and eat—both ushering in a greater variety for Scandinavian diets but also the ills of processed and refined foods.

ad astra

As we mark the passing of Professor Hawking, we are confident that his legacy and inspiration will endure for ages to come and it’s a testament to human perseverance and advances in health care that he survived and thrived for decades and upheld a career both as a scientist and personality.
While we’re of course privileged and richer for having shared this existence with Professor Hawking, it is also a bit disheartening to imagine what’s left unfinished, bittersweet knowing there are others to come to champion mathematics and the sciences and take up the gauntlet of pondering the mysteries of the Universe. Although plenty of marvels (some by his own contributions) have been revealed—like our conception of Black Holes, gravitational waves and the profusion of exoplanets—we had hoped that Professor Hawking would have lived to see planetary colonisation and first contact. And while most of his charismatic appearances have been cameos, Professor Hawking’s final role (that we were just enjoying yesterday, in fact) was playing the next edition of the eponymous Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy (the audio book version of the guide) in BBC’s radio drama of Douglas Adams’ work—reprised with continuing adventures forty years after the original serialisation. Per aspera ad astra. Per ardua ad astra.

elemental

First shown as part of a comprehensive exhibition on the artist in the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2013, Open Culture pays a tribute to Paul Robertson’s Periodic Table of David Bowie as its twelve city gallery tour is coming to a close in Brooklyn. Each period and series feature figures that Bowie has either inspired or credits as influencers. Be sure to visit the link above to learn more and to watch a video summary of the arrangement.

time-lapse

We know it’s an advertisement for a major food manufacturer but this spot from Japanese conglomerate Ezaki Glico (probably best known globally for their pocky snacks) that illustrates the stages and milestones of life with seven-two actresses (aged the year of life that they each portray) is really rather a poignant one. Even though Japan enjoys a much longer life-span, the company choose the number to highlight the fact that the world-wide average life-span for women is 71.8 years—though an astronomical improvement over what it was a century ago at a mere thirty-one years.

don’t confuse me with the facts. i’ve got a closed mind.

Serving as a reminder that even in these dark days, the arc of history bends towards justice, we would do good to recall the infamous gaffe of Indiana congressman and noted Nixonian sycophant Earl Fredrick Landgrebe.
Staunchly defending the seemingly indefensible actions of Richard Nixon throughout the Watergate Hearings even as documents surfaced demonstrating that Nixon himself directed aids to hinder the investigation of the break-in, Landgrebe pledged, “I am going to stick with my president even if he and I have to be taken out of this building and shot.” In lieu of impeachment, the very next day (8 August 1974) Nixon tendered his resignation and stepped down from high office. For his pledge of loyalty, Landgrebe was voted out of the House of Representatives a few months later. While such historical anecdotes are heartening, we’d also do well to remember that Americans—as well as dozens of other nations past and present—have systematically surrendered their political will and power by consenting to allow governments to work towards the advantage of business and personal enrichment rather than for the betterment of society.