Thursday 17 December 2015
parkour and pageant
may the force be with you (and also with you)
Amid rumours and parallels some are wont to draw, saying that Jedis are prone to radicalisation like jihadists (I am covering my ears because I don’t want any come across any spoilers—and still to this day, I feel a pang of regret when I think how I spilled one of the surprises to a nurse while at a doctor’s appointment right after seeing Return of the Jedi and informing her that Luke and Leia were brother and sister), Atlas Obscura, with its signature daring-do, reports how for the Fourth Advent the Zionskirche in Berlin will host a special Star Wars service—like the Nine Lessons and Carols celebration that I attended last week, I suppose but with morals drawn from the saga. The accomplished organist will also of course be performing a selection of the film soundtrack.
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, holidays and observances, religion, Star Wars
5x5
purl two: upon request the BBC would send out the knitting instructions for the Fourth Doctor’s iconic scarf
food pyramid: Vox examines at different ways nutritional guidelines are influenced and imparted globally
zodiaco: Salvador Dalรญ’s astrologic menagerie plus a hint into the obsession the artist had with his departed elder brother, Salvador Dalรญ
tween: proposed EU rules would raise the social media age of majority to sixteen
catagories: ๐ฌ๐ง, ๐ฎ๐ธ, ๐, ๐, ๐, ๐งถ, food and drink, networking and blogging
Wednesday 16 December 2015
grand moff tarkin
Writing for The Atlantic, David Sims presents us with a wonderfully literate appreciation of one of the minor conscientious bureaucrats who manages to survive amid the toxic leadership of the vast galactic Empire in the character of Admiral Piett (portrayed by the actor Kenneth Colley who is arguably most recognised for his role as Jesus in the Life of Brian—I wonder what the Kevin Bacon Number is for that connection).
Highlighting the original banality of evil—oriented towards dominance and tyrannical to be sure but otherwise nebulous, formalised and diametrically opposed to the rebel scum—Piett was elevated to the next rung of the enormous hierarchy after Darth Vader impulsively telepathically strangled his predecessor for his shortcomings and manages to keep his head about him until the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star. There’s little virtue in keeping one’s nose clean and walking on egg-shells, but the admiral’s veiled disgust for his boss’ methods and sheer tenacity does warrant a bit of a cheer.