bicameral

With everything going on at such a frantic pace, we’ve been more than a little remiss in trying to report on current affairs. Notwithstanding developments in the Special Counsel investigation into the Trump administration’s ties to Russia and further potential for Kompromat, by this day were it not for the intercession of the death of an ex-president and state funeral, the US government would have been at least partially shutdown, having essentially defunded itself with no provision for continuing operations. Instead that fiscal showdown was deferred until the week before Christmas and the Winter Recess—ostensibly when a deal might be reached by dint of representatives wanting to return to their constituencies for the holidays.

Also by today, there was to be a “meaningful” vote in the House of Commons on the EU divorce deal that the prime minister had negotiated to the satisfaction of no one. The prime minister, however, chose to postpone debate and dashed off to the continent in search of more concrete reassurance to telegraph to her party and coalition that there would be an open border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. In response to this perceived dereliction of duty—leaving legislators even less time to negotiate the tranche of new laws and regulations that have to be in place when the UK leaves—a member with Labour cam forward and grabbed the chamber’s ceremonial mace in objection. Kept in the Tower of London, the maces (the House of Lords has two) the mace represents the monarch’s authority as the “third part of Parliament” who assents to the constitution and signs bills into law (the Queen, not the Mace) and is placed in a tripod in front of the Speaker of House by the Serjeant-at-Arms while in session—the Parliament legally not allowed to convene in its absence. While I understand the sentiment and frustration, it does strike one as a rather typically Brexit-shambles thing to do: seizing a symbol of power and not knowing quite what to do with it afterwards.  The US House of Representatives also has a mace, displayed on a green marble pedestal to the right of the Speaker—to be used, brandished in front of offenders, in accordance with House Rules, to restore order when Congress becomes unruly.It is rarely implemented. 

diesel dazzle

Just ahead of the release of a documentary film on the obscure genre, NPR’s Fresh Air host par-excellance Terry Gross reprises her clever interview with an book author, composer and performer of industrial musicals—elaborate productions staged only for an internal, corporate audience and to train, build cohesion and motivate the sales force. There are numerous catchy numbers a very resourceful rhyming-lyrics—given the nature of the commissions.

colophon

Via the ever outstanding Kottke, we are treated once again to the imaginative creations of art Roberto Benavidez (previously, channelling the bestiaries of Hiernoymous Bosch in piñata form) whose latest project consists of a series of legendary creatures and chimera that populate the illustrations and marginalia of the fourteenth century illuminated volume called the Luttrell Psalter as metallic ornaments. The intricate drawings of hybridised avians transformed into sculpture that accompany each psalm are referred to as grotesques.

6x6

cloud № 81: Dangerous Minds’ Richard Metzger interviews “prophet of the piano” Lubomyr Melnyk 

eviation: the electric airliner revolution may be here sooner than we think—via Slashdot

opera chirurgica: from our antiquarian, various anatomical charts to contemplate

stupid, twitsy remainers: found-footage from the Prime Minster’s residence

whitey sense: the unfortunate trend of calling out people minding their own business

yule log: an assortment of relaxing fireplace videos—previously

hallmark holiday or that’s what christmas is all about, charlie brown

Our faithful chronclier, Doctor Caligari’s Cabinet, informs that today in 1843—coinciding with the serial publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol which very much rehabilitated the festive season in England and beyond, industrial designer and museum administrator Sir Henry Cole (*1808 - †1882) too busy to pen personalised messages to all his friends and colleagues for the holidays commissioned Royal Academy illustrator John Callcott Horsely to create for him a set of pre-printed greetings on cardstock.
Still working out its franking system—the first postage stamp only introduced two and a half years earlier, Horsely also designed pre-paid postages envelopes that allowed well-wishers to post the cards for a penny throughout the Empire. Also on this day in 1965—perhaps with this bit of history in mind, CBS first aired the A Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Reportedly, producers and the network were convinced that the special would prove to be a monumental failure and threaten the Peanuts franchise, fretting over the pacing, tones, lack of canned laughter (a television standard at the time), the unconventional, jazzy soundtrack and the rather incongruent moment of reading Bible verse. The first commercial Christmas cards were mired in controversary and considered blasphemous in part for depicting a child imbibing an adult beverage along with his parents, probably contributing to their commercial success. Enjoy the Vince Guaraldi Trio perform the Linus and Lucy suite and other songs for the programme.