ante diem xvi kalendas ianuarias

First observed in the Roman Empire on this day in 497 BC and over the centuries expanded into a six-day feast ending on 23 December, Saturnalia was held in honour of the god Saturn with public banquets, role-

reversals, continual revelry and private gift-exchanges⁠—usually in the form of white elephant presents, wax or pottery statuettes (action figures, see also) of the divine called sigillaria. Theologically important for some Romans who saw the festive time as a revival of the Golden Age (just as some classicists and successor nations see the Romans), traditions heavily references its Athenian equivalent, called Kronia (Κρόνια—for Chronos), when the gods ruled the world and toil and class was unknown, though not anticipating the solstice and the gradual return of the sun after a break, dark winter, Kronia was held ahead of the first harvest in July, August during the first month of the Greek calendar beginning in the summer, Hekatombaiōn. Rumours of human sacrifice to appease Saturn were greatly exaggerated and like spread by Christian apologist (see above).

it’s not rocket surgery

Via Miss Cellania, a meta-study of cognition in cohorts of doctors specialising in neurology and aerospace engineers suggest that these rarified experts, not to diminish the value and utility of applied learning and experience, only showed respectively a quicker problem solving response time and the ability to mentally map objects from different angles in comparison to the general population. This narrowing expertise that some might accord a higher prestige does not undermine trust in science but rather that other professions might be deserving of similar esteem.

🕉

To celebrate the fifty-plus-one anniversary of the release of George Harrison’s triple album in November 1970 (see also), marking his first solo endeavour after the Beatles disbanded, Lance Bangs created an official music video for the song “My Sweet Lord” from the All Things Must Pass recording that features a cavalcade of celebrity cameos, including family members, former bandmates, Mark Hamill, Jeff Lynne, Weird Al Yankovic, Patton Oswald, Rosanna Arquette and others. It’s a treat to watch a song this chill.

7x7

the hallmark channel: a treasury of classic festive films from Eastern Europe  

savage garden: the ruins of Rome’s Colosseum was once a wild green oasis full of exotic plants—via Messy Nessy Chic 

touching the sun: the Parker Solar Probe enters and safely exits the corona  

barcode architects: a new triangular high-rise for Rotterdam’s maritime district  

smart tweed: artificial intelligence predicts the next holiday, must-have gifts  

炬燵: Japanese in-situ heating solutions called kotatsu (see previously) have been around for a long time  

what day is it boy: the labour shortage hits Scrooge & Marley

géant endormi

Interviewed by co-founder of the alternative, underground publication platform Asylum Press Steven Heller we quite enjoyed learning about the new monograph from artist, writer and advocate for attribution Brad Holland and being able to pin a name to the many signature illustrations the graphic designer has done over his long career for magazines, album covers and contributing illustrator. Be sure to check out his blog, called Poor Bradford’s Almanac, for more of his catalogue of work on the human condition that’s reminiscent of that of Goya.

lebkucken

Via Nag on the Lake, we are absolutely transported with this encounter with designer Kelly Wearstler’s Gingerbread Dreamhouse executed in California modernist style (see also) with porthole windows and a chequerboard façade. Not a model of a single residence, Wearstler took cues from an array of iconic homes from Rudolph Schindler and Frank Lloyd Wright.

controlled burn

Via Everlasting Blört, we enjoyed this array of carefully crafted paper-programming with this collection of pyrotechnic posters (affiches), realised through a series of trial and error by French design duo Marion Pinaffo and Raphaël Pluvinage, whose dynamic geometric shapes and circuitry are reminiscent of the Thelema Tree of Life. Much more to explore at the links above.

dyer’s polypore

Having seen the process of extracting dyes from our fungal friends before, via Things Magazine, we not only quite enjoyed perusing through this swath collection of colours derived from mushrooms in its own right but also appreciated the site as an important point of departure for cultivating a deeper appreciation for the mycorrhizal network that connects us all.