day-trip: good for the goose, good for the gander

Over the weekend, we had the chance to re-visit the millennium-old cathedral of Mainz (Mainzer Dom) and walk the aisles. The bishopric itself, never an independent suffragan and surrounded by other competitive dioceses, saw its elevation due to the industry of Johannes Gensfleisch (the Latin Gens transformed in the German Sippe, a clan, but to my ears, like the German word for goosebumps, Gansehaut) zur Laden Gutenberg and his printed-word, complementing the established craft of the city in linen and textile printing.
Coincidentally, we visited on the Feast Day of St. Martin, to whom the grand cathedral was dedicated, built in hopes of establishing itself as a Holy See. Saint Martin of Tours, one of the first famed contentious objectors and reluctant to be honoured for his stance, was betrayed by a gaggle of friendly geese, whom gave away his hiding spot to the fellow-priests who wanted him as their leader. Because of this, it is traditional to feast on a goose in Germany on St. Martin's Day.

dipterology

Mostly evolution, mutation and adaptation are mere moments in time, relics of some impetus and rarely understood in full context—however, there are generational slices (especially when coming at a fast pace) that keen observers sometimes have the chance to witness and document. Boing Boing brings on such fascinating example (though rare but not quite unique) with an entomologist discovers a population of fruit-fly that has images of ants genetically tattooed on its wings to apparently fend off potential predators. That seems pretty boss, although the trigger maybe to attract bug collectors, as well, since after all the most convincing image of an ant isn't determined by the fly but rather the eye of the beholder.

in the room the women come and go, talking of michelangelo, or prufrock and other observations

Julien Peters delivers an excellent recitation of T. S. Eliot's seminal modernist's work, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, illustrated in comic strip style. The artist has given several dozen classic pieces of poetry the same treatment and it's fun and moving to follow along with stanza and verse converted to panels in the form of graphic novellas.

neat, sweet, petite

Happy Mutant David Pescovitz shares a wonderfully garish gallery of photographs from the set of the Addams Family. It is strange to see a black-and-white television show colourised in this way.

doctor pangloss, i presume?

Though this kind of story might seem a bit belaboured—in spite and because of the very cultural isolationism of gentrification which causes the wealthy and the poor to believe their station in life exactly what it ought to be and every one else is just as fortunate featured in the article, Zero Hedge has a list of twenty-one facts and figures that add insult to injury. Such a brand of capitalism does not seem equitable at all and only designed to support the illusion of limitless opportunities and detached entitlements.

merrily we roll along

There is an unresolved debate regarding bringing the fugitive Edward Snowden (whom I am still unconvinced is not an industry-shill and distracting factor when it comes to leadership) out of Neuland to Germany to testify on espionage activities by his former employers. Quite a few double-buffs seem to be influencing inaction.

And though Russia, Snowden's host-nation, has on several occasions extended the guarantee that Snowden is free to speak to whomever he wishes, the initial caveat that Snowden's stay is contingent on causing no further international crises, proponents fear that such testimony under the candle-light of diplomatic missions might yield too little. Snowden's offer, meanwhile, is presented with a similar condition of sanctuary in Germany—which does not appear to be forthcoming. While the accommodation is clearly denied due fears for negative repercussions for the current government and successors by tempting America's displeasure, some announce the caution as a fear for extradition and rendition should the Fugitive come here and be too exposed to this den of American operatives. Such careful diplomacy runs counter to the facts that Germany is a subject of interest because America relies keenly on German success and stability and kidnapping an individual under German auspices would be an even graver slight. Courting dissatisfaction seems something minor considering the cordiality and trespasses already committed. I wonder what other juicy details remain to be disclosed. Limitations should, it seems, be entertained but not with surety of vindication and of victimisation.

pogrom and defenestration

This Saturday, 9 November, known as the German Schicksalstag, the fateful day, marks the 75th anniversary of individual persecution and prejudice becoming something systematic and institutionalised when on Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) a minority lashed out violently against Jewish citizens and other minorities, importantly with a majority of by-standers who did little to nothing to prevent this. Several initiatives have been launched in memory of this date, including many prominent (and sometime successor) retail outlets respectfully having made their storefronts to look vandalised with shattered decals, in addition to perennial and ongoing reminders of these tragic events.

chimera

My dear sister sent me this wonderful objet d'art in this little ceramic Jackalope—which does have a practical purpose too as a cotton-ball dispenser, one plucks cotton-balls out of its tail. H shared with me once that there was a taxidermy specimen on display at the neighbourhood butcher's shop and he was convinced that such fierce hybrids existed—in America.

It like how it has an innocent face, like little Cindy-Lou Who or Bunnicula, and the shiny, noble antlers. This hybrid of a jack-rabbit and an antelope, a creation of American folklore, goes by many regional names in German too—properly known as a Hasenbock (hare-ram) the Brothers Grimm popularised the Bavarian term Wolpertinger for this creature that was supposed to lurk in the Alps, the Dahu in Switzerland, or the Saxon Rapselbock for this fabled animal. German folklore has a complete bestiary of legendary creatures, including some less fanciful but interesting ones like the Welthund, a cyclopes dog, or the Erdhenne, domestic spirits that are the clucking ghosts of chickens.  I'd like figurines of those too.