antiserum

On this date at the medical campus of the Collège de Paris in 1890, physiologist Charles Robert Richet (*1850 – †1935) successfully demonstrated that a form of passive immunity can be built up and fortified by a convalescent transfusion of monoclonal, polyclonal antibodies from a previous disease survivor. Informing the field that would come to be known as serotherapy (antidotes, antitoxins and antivenoms) and also applying this gradual exposure method to combat and lessen allergic reactions, Richet was awarded a Nobel prize in 1913 for his pioneering work in anaphylaxis and prevented countless deaths from our own over-zealous bodies. Richet, however, had other notions which were opposed to the rigorous science that he helped progress in his championing of eugenics and white supremacy and a life-long devotion to the paranormal, over the years coining the term ectoplasm as well as “sixth sense,” articulating what those abilities might be: telekinesis, mediumship, etc. Richet did not react well to be shown his study subjects were fraudulent.

hobby-horse and the hoodening

Via the always intriguing Strange Company we are directed towards one explanation of the common apirition in the southern Welch Yuletide custom called Mari Lwyd (Y Fari Lwyd) of parading around a horse’s skull on a pole whilst draped with a cloak decorated with ribbons and sashes as an aspect of wassailing and ritual entreaties to one’s neighbours for food and drink—a sort of call-and-response called the pwngco. You’ve been pwn’d.  Some conjure it represents a remnant of once widespread mystery plays that featured a popular subgenre regarding Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt, with Mari Lwyd representing the donkey that bore Holy Mary—one proposed etymology, though this is disputed, with Grey Mare being more likely, especially given the preponderance of similar hooded animal parades spread across the British Isles that reflect a syncretion (see also) of ancient, pre-Christian rites. Much more detail about this custom at the link up top.

crunch berries or pipe to any meal

After a rather lengthy discursive discussion on the naval officer’s rank inflation and ensuing “stolen valour” accusations lobbied against him, we are treated to a rather interesting anecdote on how the cereal—thanks to a give-away inside—was formative for the landscape of information technology and the invention (see also) of the smart phone.The prize was a plastic bo’sun whistle—a boatswain’s pipe (giving us also the phrase “pipe down,” the call used to dismiss the crew members not on watch), which accidentally introduced a whole cadre of kids to phreaking by producing a tone that matched the US telephony monopoly’s control signals that regulated the lines and sounding the whistle at the right moment hijacked control of the system, allowing sophisticated adolescents the ability to place free calls and avoid tolls. Graduating from this parlour-trick, enterprising pirates began creating kits called “blue boxes” with all sorts of whistles and bells to take control of the phone lines. Two entrepreneurs had their first collaborative venture making such devices were Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.

world soil day

Established by the International Union of Soil Sciences during its 2002 conference in Bangkok, the annual observance—from 2005 on—sanctioned by the United Nations is meant to promote the importance and greater understanding of the natural resource and its preservation by the prevention of erosion and pollution both for agricultural purposes and maintaining ecological stability. The society selects a soil type to highlight for each year with 2020’s signature earth being bay mud or estuarine silt (Watt), the sort that compose tidal flats and coastal wetlands.

krampusnacht

Later on for this Saint Nicholas Eve, the hirsute, horned devil (see previously) visits the wicked and incorrigible with a thrashing and a lump of coal, assisted by Knecht Rupert. Less discretely and less charitably in some jurisdictions, Krampus is accompanied by Nicholas himself to distribute gifts for the naughty and nice respectively.

fraunces tavern

As our faithful chronicler reminds, on this day in 1783, a week after his triumphant re-entry into New York City, General George Washington disbanded and dismissed the officers of the Continental Army during a formal fête held at the storied public house (see also) at the corner of Pearl and Broad. Yet still a dining establishment and museum with artefacts and exhibits relating to the American Revolution, the mansion converted to tavern originally named the Queen’s Head was witness to several preceding and pivotal events. Meeting place of the local chapter of the secret society of the Sons of Liberty members organised protests against the 1773 Tea Act and subsequent import tax with a parallel Tea Party, tossing the cargo into the harbour disguised as Native Americans—as was done in Boston and as the war of secession approached its end, a sort of truce was negotiated to placate American leadership that none of their property—meaning formerly enslaved individuals who were emancipated by the British after impressment or other service to the Crown—be allowed to depart with the British, though the representatives of latter were relatively successful in ensuring that their freedom was their own and could be evacuated. Later during January 1785, under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (the purpose of the Continental Army was only to oust the British and then each would go its own separate way) the federal offices of Foreign Affairs, War and Finance were held there with the city as the first capital until 1790 when relocated to Philadelphia whilst Washington, District of Columbia was constructed over the next decade.

matching corsage

Via the always amazing Everlasting Blört, we are presented with the king and queen of the prom in this 2020 edition of the duct tape industry’s annual scholarship competition for graduating high schoolers encouraged to design fabulous tuxedos, ball gowns and other formal ware accessories. The winner of the grand prize for the tux category is an aspiring art student, paying homage to many of the masters, and hopes to use this grant and other to help offset tuition costs, crafting his outfit out of twenty rolls of tape over the course of eighty hours. Check out more winning designs at the link above.

barbara of heliopolis

Venerated on this day as a saint and martyr, Barbara was a third century Greek maiden, a steadfast convent and affiliated with the Fourteen Holy Helpers and enjoys an extensive and varied patronage. Barbara was, according to her hagiographer and the Golden Legend, the daughter of a wealthy and prominent pagan whom was seeking to strengthen local allegiances through strategically marrying her off, keeping her locked away in a tower to spare her from outside influence, though in this splendid isolation, Barbara yet became a Christian and rejected the betrothal her father had arranged. Suspecting it was one of her attendants that introduced his daughter to the gospel, her father ordered an adjoining private bath house be added to the tower. The final straw for her father was Barbara’s architectural input to her new quarters, installing three windows to represent the Holy Trinity instead of the two that her father originally designed. Flying into a rage, the father drew his sword, but through the power of prayer, Barbara created a rift in spacetime and opened a portal in the wall of the tower that led her to a remote mountain gorge. There one shepherd betrayed Barbara’s act of teleportation to her father’s men, transformed into stone and his flock of sheep into locusts for divulging her whereabouts. Barbara was captured a brought before the prefect for sentencing brutally tortured though refusing to relent. Daily for some weeks, Barbara would be nightly bathed in a miraculous, healing light and emerge from her prison cell with no wounds or signs of the previous beatings. Burning her failed as well so her father undertook to carry out the punishment of the condemned by beheading Barbara himself. This finally worked but in retribution, Barbara’s father was struck by lightning afterwards and consumed by flames. Due to circumstances surrounding her death, Barbara is invoked against flame and lightning and by extension is the patron saint of dynamiters, pyrotechnicians, artillery and mining—that is any professional who face the danger of sudden and violent death in discharge of their duties, and might not have the change to repent their sins or receive extreme unction at the moment of expiring. According to some sources, the barbiturate family of drugs synthesised first by chemist Adolf von Baeyer (not to be company that was originally a dyestuffs factory founded by Fredrich Bayer) in 1864 on her feast day and are so called in her honour.